Taking an anticipatory bail for this update...it does not have any mushy Maaneet romance...but strangely it does go will the occasion we are celebrating on the 17th...so dedicating this one to my pappayi...
Happy Father's Day a day in advanceđPART 51
52.The new Papa
Maan put the phone close to his ear and asked, "What is it Adi? Didn't I tell you I am not to be disturbed unless it is really urgent?"
Surprised by the whispery softness of his voice despite the rebuke, Adi wondered if he had made the call to a wrong number. He checked to confirm. It was Maan sir's number and he did say his name...
"Maan sir...? Adi checked hesistantly.
"Yes Adi tell me...this better be good." The impatience reassured Adi.
"Sir, it is the estimation for the game park. There seems to be some variations in the earlier estimation after we incorporated the changes they demanded. The clients were very specific about the budget..."
As they discussed the matter at one point Maan 's voice raised in impatience. Adi was about to placate Maan when he heard the slight whimper. Which had immediately softened Maan's voice,
"Sh... Sh... Sorry baba..."
Adi gulped unable to believe his ears or accept the tenderness that flowed thru' Maan Sir's voice.
"Adi we will discuss this when I am back in the office... Tell Sasha to be ready with all the details for the client meeting." He cut the call and placed the phone back on the table, careful not to disturb the precious bundle he held in his arms.
Shona had had her vaccination that day and Geet had deputed Maan to take their daughter for the injection as she herself couldn't bear to see their daughter being poked. Shona had expressed her displeasure on being separated from her father's warmth when the nurse weighted and measured her. But her vocal displeasure was nothing compared to her wail of sorrow when she was given the injection. Maan had felt like a traitor on seeing the tears that had dribbled down the eyes that looked too big on her tiny face. Shona dropped off to sleep on the way back from hospital. Then the fever started and Maan decided not to go to the Office. Each time Shona moved her leg, she would whimper in pain and would be disturbed. So finally she ended up being held by Dadi or Geet or Maan. Geet had transferred a sleeping Shona onto his arms before going to take a bath.
Maan looked down at Shona. Her body still felt warm and her eyes flutered as if she was about to wake up. Maan thought back to the experience of holding his daughter in his arms for the first time..Even when he had wanted to he had refrained from holding her because she was so tiny. Geet had tried to convince him many times but he had declined. He had been satisfied touching ans kissing her tiny feet and powdery soft cheeks...giving her tiny fingers his own to hold on to and tracing his finger down her arms and legs that were too tiny to be touched by his hand. Ah...but he had yearned to hold her, the tiny football player who used to play hide and seek with his hand. Finally Geet had just put her in his arms before he recognised her intent and got the time to panic.
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"Maan could you just hold this please , I need to use the wash room," Geet had asked sweetly when he was sitting at lounge watching news. Before he could react, before he could tell her to place Shona on the crib, Geet had placed Shona on his arms which had automatically curved and adjusted to enfold his daughter.
Bewildered and left alone, he had gazed down at Shona who had her eyes open and was looking at him trying to decide what to make out of this sudden change. May be his awkwardness was passed on to her for her face crumpled and her lips trembled as if she was about to cry.
"Shona..." he had crooned as he had heard Geet doing many a times and immediately his daughter settled down like she recognised his voice.
A feeling of pride and tenderness so immense moistened his eyes and his throat ached from the sweetness of it. His daughter, he thought possessively, cuddling her closer to kiss her feathery soft cheek and she had reciprocated by touching his face with her tiny hand. He breathed in the essence that was distinctly Shona, of baby powder and milk and warm skin. His body unconsciously imitated the gentle swaying motion that he had seen Geet and Dadi doing to calm Shona.
Unknown to him Geet had watched the bonding between the father and the daughter with a happy and victorious smile.
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"Meri gudiya ko dukti hei kya?" Maan asked softly seeing Shona's eyes open. She tried to stretch her leg and immediately her face crumpled. "Sh... Sh... don't cry. Papa's Shona is so brave, hai na? Papa feels so bad when you cry..."
Geet watched Maan trying to comfort their daughter. The sight of them always made her ache with love.Shona was engulfed within his strong arms. After the initial hiccup the MD of Khurana Constructions had taken on fatherhood with an amazing ease and inborn talent. Yes, Maan was the best husband and the best father, everything a woman would dream for in her life partner. She never understood what he saw in her to love her so deeply...whatever it was, not a day went by ...not an hour went by without her thanking Babaji for giving her Maan. She didn't have anything to give him back save her love and devotion... yet what good was her love, if she couldn't even give him her love the way a wife should?
Even months after that night, the memory of her failure still hurt and she was sure that he too remembered those moments ...though she would never question his love for her, she had this feeling that he was holding back. There was a difference in the way he touched her... .. like he was restraining himself, may be giving her the choice... yes now it was up to her to prove herself worthy of him, to prove that she loved him above everything else.
She wanted to conquer her fears that had her shackled to the past... she would do it, she was determined to do it... she would vanquish the insecurities that lingered, she would let go of her past. She had already taken the initial steps that would lead her to that goal...having the counselling with Dr. Pari. After her...her ...her rape and the court proceedings, she had been humiliated and judged so many times that she had repressed those memories not giving herself the chance to heal. Now she wanted to be whole for her Maan , not the broken woman that she was. May be the fight of bringing Shona to this world and keeping on to her promise of not giving up, added to her determination to fight. She wanted to heal herself with her husband's love. Dr. Pari had advised her that the first step towards achieving that should be her willingness to open her past to Maan, whose opinion she valued the most... the person whom she trusted the most... It was time she asserted her trust in him. He would never hurt her, no matter what...
"Papa can't bear to see you hurt..." Maan crooned on, "but those pokes were needed. So you wouldn't fall ill." Listening to his attempt to console Shona, a soft smile spread across Geet's lips in appreciation of this wonderful man and wondered if he was trying to console himself. She got the answer in his next words. "I know it hurts...papa is so sorry..."
"Mamma is sorry too ..." Geet sat down beside them and felt the baby's forehead. "Fever has come down.." she sighed, leaning to rest her head on Maan's shoulder when he shifted his arms to encircle her shoulder.
At the sound of the click they looked up to see Rudr putting his camera down.
"A perfect family!" Rudr smiled.
Not quite, Geet thought, but it will soon be ...she promised herself.
PART 53 ON PG 24
here is the update as promised...missed u friends while i was struggling to write the update...hope u liked it even sans Romantic Maaneetđ...going to Velamkanni for the weekend... u will be with me in my prayers...will be busy next week as my sis is visiting...
Pms laterđł
here is another sweet snap to go with father's dayđ
Edited by bangalores - 12 years ago
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