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Chapter 4b
She observed him as she came in. His behavior when he came to see Aditi had her puzzled, but than he definitely did not look like a mentally deranged person Geet had proclaimed him to be.
Geet was besides herself when she had come home yesterday and then the father - daughter duo had a heated argument with both being equally adamant and unyielding, Though Mohinder had asked her not to, she could not help but get dragged in when Geet said she had met Maan and despite being snubbed off he had insisted on the marriage.
"He is a bl**dy psycho - a lecher, a pervert. Do you really want me to marry him, mom?" she had cried badly.
She had than in no uncertain terms asked Mohinder to back off.
Later in the night,
"Mrinalini, you have been both a mother and father to Geet and you are the only one who can make her understand. Maan is not what she says he is. I had wanted him to marry Aditi; do you think I would have not done a background check on him?
She will be very happy there, and I am not saying this because they are very rich. Bohot ache log hain woh, usse samjhenge, aur dilse apne pariwar ka hissa banaenge.
Maybe than I'll be able to somewhat redeem myself.
Please, do this for her."
Her husband had pleaded.
So, rather than dangling between her husband's confidence in Maan and her initial reservation fuelled by Geet's allegation - she had thought it best to meet him, and determine if his intentions were noble or not.
She was a quintessential mother more - akin to the bollywood mothers of the golden period where mothers were embodiment of everything that was loving, sacrificing and the one who could heal with her mere presence.
She was hesitant in striking up the conversation he could see, but he could not help her here - opening the talk especially when the agenda is not known can sometimes give an upperhand to the other party.
"Mr. Khurana" she began, 'Maan, please call me Maan' he had instinctively offered to ease her.
Unsure how to begin she had asked very softly the first question that had plagued her mind,
"Maan you came to see Aditi what made you ask for Geet's hand."
He was wrong. She only wanted to know why he had rejected her own daughter.
"You might not know but Aditi has a boyfriend and she asked me to reject her." He replied tersely.
"I know, she told me later. In fact I wanted to apologize for her stupidity...but that does not answer my question." She said.
He cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head in question.
"I will be forever grateful to you for rejecting Aditi and helping her but in actuality you did not reject her instead you proposed Geet."
His eyes narrowed and forehead creased and he looked up at her quizzically prodding her to continue.
"You and your family know about Geet and it is truly commendable that you still went ahead with the proposal although Geet is not what you would call ideal marriage material..."
His nerves were ticking. The temper that he had been trying hard to keep in check was ready to erupt, how dare she belittle her like that.
"What are your intentions, meri bacchi ke picche kyun pade ho aap."
He frowned, he was truly confused now.
"I am sorry, I did not mean to offend you." She exhaled sharply to regain her composure.
"Maan" she began again, "Don't get me wrong, lekin ek maa hone ke naate mera yeh farz hain ki main yeh jaanu ki jo insaan meri beti se shadi karna chahta hain uske irade nek hain bhi yaa nahin."
"I may not have given birth to her but I have brought her up, she is my daughter. If you think she is alone and you can take advantage of her than Mr. Khurana let me tell you, I'll not let anyone harm her or play with her life. She is not alone."
His anger had vanished and he did not know if he was more relieved or more amused at her declaration.
However she was right, she deserved to know what possible interest he had in her daughter - he most probably could not tell her that he was using her daughter for his own selfish purpose BUT he did not mean to hurt her - how twisted and lame it sounded.
Realizing he needed to say something he said,
"Mrs Handa I understand your concern but trust me I never meant to harm Geet. All I can tell you am I find her refreshingly different from the types of girls I have met. She looks as if ..."
"Different, you want to marry her because she looks different?"
"No that is not how I meant."
"Looks can be deceiving, she might look like she does not care, and she might not speak a complete sentence without an expletive added to it but that is not what she is. in fact she is ... "
He did not know why Geet's eyes choose that particular moment to haunt him, but it did and than everything else faded.
"vulnerable, very lonely ...her eyes...they just make you ..want to take care of her, to protect her and to never ..."he stopped, his eyes widened as realization struck him.
He looked up to see Mrinalini staring at him strangely and he looked away.
She felt a sense of deja-vu; the words he had uttered; she had known them before.
"I ..." He stammered for the very first time, but than things that had been happening to him lately were highly improbable.
"Maan you don't have to answer." He heard her say and was relieved. He did not have anything to say not before he had sorted himself out.
"Geet," she had said looking far away as if reliving something. "the day I had known about her existence, even before I had seen her I had decided to hate her, to not even look at her. After she arrived home I left her in the care of the servants with strict instruction to not let her anywhere near me or my kids. Than one day while playing she had somehow managed to climb on a table and was almost at the edge and the mother in me just reached out before she could fall and that is when I saw her for the first time and I kept looking hoping to see my husband or the woman who took away my husband in her face - I searched but could not find them; all I could see was a child - motherless and maybe who would never get a father's love, and I realized I could not hate her - I did not hate her. She was not a mistake; she was the one who will have to pay for what the society deemed sins of her parents. And that day she became my daughter." She looked up at him her eyes welling up.
"Geet is very lucky to have you." He said genuinely with a smile.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hands and gave him a watery smile, "Now I'm relieved my Geet has found a man who will give her all the love and respect she deserves. I'll try my best to bring her around. " She had patted his hand and left.
His smile turned into a frown as soon as the words sunk in. What deep sh*t he had got himself into.
His mind was reeling, making it impossible to even form a single coherent thought. His thoughts were jumping all over the places.
He felt his cabin had shrunk and all of a sudden he felt claustrophobic, he felt as if there was no escape. His insides squeezed, he had to getaway as soon as possible.
He left the office and drove his jeep to the steel plant in the outskirts of Delhi. The loud clanging of the metals, the deafening noise of hammering and the constant hum of the machines were finally able to drive away each and every thought out of his mind.
It was only after office hours that he reached his office. He welcomed the calmness that the silence of empty cabins and cubicles had brought about.
He sat in his chair gazing out into the bright neon colored streets, watching the maddening traffic of the capitol.
'Madness' the word best described his life right now.
His Dadi had known everything!
She had given him a chance to put an end to this inane drama without making a mockery out of everyone.
The day she was to visit the Handa's she had called him in the office.
"Maan this is your only chance if you are playing games than put an end to it. Ek baar ye rishta tay hogaya to phir hum usse kissi bhi haal mein tootne nahin denge.
So if you want to change your mind than call me before 4 o'clock, I'll manage everything."
He had paid no heed to it.
He could still make that one phone call, not to Dadi but to the Handa's, and his life will be back in order, but the repercussion now would not be the same.
One phone call and the false hope he had thoughtlessly raised in them would be crushed. They would be immensely offended. No words will ever convince them that his denial has nothing to do with the illegitimacy of her birth.
One phone call and not only he but also his Dadi would be deemed as a hypocrite by them.
However antagonizing she is, he can not do this to her.
She is his idol in more ways than one.
He could still be shallow and choose his freedom above everybody's pain, but what about ...
Those eyes...
They will forever follow him...mock him...accuse him...
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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