Chapter 22: Fresh Wounds
Geet walked through the shrubs into the clearing illuminated by fire torches to see a woman begging to be let go while another man who looked no less than a menacing animal ready for it's prey forcing her to do something. Since she couldn't understand what they were speaking she rushed forward to the scene.
"Yeh aap log kya kar rahe ho!" she shouted pushing the man and coming to stand before the girl. Instantly the girl held on to her, trying to hide behind Geet.
"Yendi baava ee pilla yevaru?" (Who is this woman?) the man asked, his speech slurred by liquor. "Aa ammi nee lover, ee ammi kooda ah?" (That lady is your lover, is this lady too?) he teased shamelessly while looking at the other guy who stood beside him.
Geet stood looking back and forth at their conversation not making its head or tail. But she could understand the girl hiding behind her was in trouble because of these men and needed to be rescued. She held the other lady's hand and squeezed it assuring that she would help.
"Chi maava naaku okkate lover, naa Chaitu," (Chi, I have only one lover and that's my Nandu) the other man piqued eyeing the woman behind Geet. At the mention of her name she cringed and held tightly on to Geet.
"Tum ghabrao mat," Geet tried to reassure while she herself wasn't sure how to get out of this danger unscathed. "Yeh tum log kya kar rahe ho? Chalo hume jaane do varna?" Geet warned although her insides were extremely jittery due to fear.
"Oh north Indian pilla (girl)," the first man remarked gleefully. "Idigo papa, oh sorry neeku Telugu raadu katha, (See baby, oh sorry you don't understand Telugu right) I mean dekho milk baby, iss mamle mein beech mat aao," he warned pointing his finger dangerously at her while trying to balance himself. "Yeh iss lover boy aur uss ladki ka love story hai, samjhi?"
"Kya tum uss bande se pyaar karte ho?" Geet turned to ask the girl just to confirm the facts.
Chaitu just shook her head vigorously unable to voice her opinion in fear. Instantly Geet grabbed her and headed towards the shrubs to get out when the drunken man harshly pulled her.
"Eh! Ek baar kehne se tumhe samajh mein nahi aati? Uss ladki ko chodo aur yahaan se chali jao agar tumhe tumhare jaan se pyaar hai toh," he spat, his eyes becoming red in anger. "Rei baava vellu nee lover ni tecchuko, nee pelli ee ratre gudi lo chesedaam," (Go get your lover, we'll get you guys married tonight in the temple) he ordered looking behind while the other man held Chaitu tightly. "Aur jab voh log suhaag raat manayenge, hum dono bhi enjoy karenge," the man said lustily running her hand through Geet's face.
"Chi, mujhe haat mat lagao," Geet warned jerking his hand away.
"Arre, mujhe jungli billi bahut pasand hai," he croaked laughing evilly.
Seeing Geet trying to help her, Chaitu got the courage to defend herself. "Please baava, nannu odali pettu,"(Please leave me) Chaitu pleaded, folding her hands and begging the other man who claimed to love her. "Artham chesko baava nenu vaadini love chestunnanu," (Please understand, I love him) she tried to reason in vain.
"Elage ala chepputunnav. Chinnapuduninnchi love chestunnanu ninnu. Avvani naaku teluyadu, nuvvu nanne pellicheskovali," (How can you say that? I have loved you since young age. I don't know anything, you just have to marry me) the bushy haired guy whined shaking his head like a little kid.
"Ayyo baava naaku nuvvante ishtam kaani ala kaathu!" (I do like you but not like that) Chaitu explained raising her voice.
"Aie ente vaaguthunnav, nuvvu pelli chekuntaav anthe," (Oye what the hell are you blabbing, you are just going to marry him) the other man barked pulling her hair harshly. Chaitu winced in pain and fresh tears poured from her eyes.
Geet was aghast at the extent of violence in front of her eyes. Although she had no idea what they were seeing it was pretty easy to guess the man was forcing the girl. She quickly looked around to divert their attention so she could pull Chaitu and dash out of the place. Finding nothing usable she looked down to see a good about of mud. She slowly bent to grab a handful and when both men were not paying attention, threw it on their eyes. The men yelped in pain as dust and mud fell on their eyes and rushed to rub their eyes. Seeing her opportunity, Geet grabbed Chaitu and ran out.
In the meantime, Maan was cursing his luck as he made his way out of haveli and searched around trying to find Geet. "Geet tum kahan ho?" he murmured rubbing his temple in distress. Finding no trace of her in the near radius around the haveli he jogged to reservoir on the single-step path towards the reservoir that Anushka had mentioned. His last and final hope was that she would still be sitting there but his hopes were crushed once he reached to find nobody there. He kicked a stone lying on the edge of the step causing it to skip far away before sinking into the water.
On the other side, Geet panted heavily due to all the running and held Chaitu tightly while running between the dense trees. The moonless night and the thickness forest made it harder for them to find their way out, delaying their escape. She tried to retrace her steps but all her effort was in vain. Chaitu also tried her best to use her previous outings in this forest but nothing seemed to help. It seemed like they had near the edge when they saw traces of light and rushed to it only to be surrounded by the men from whom they had just escaped.
Both men had got some reinforcements of machetes as well as two other men. They smiled wickedly and started to close in on them like a lion surrounding its prey. Geet and Chaitu backed away slowly having no other option. Both held on to each other tightly hoping for a miracle. They had hit the trunk of a huge tree sealing their escape route as the men rounded them up. The drunken man who had lusted after Geet laughed nastily and forwarded his hands to touch her. Disgusted and helpless, Geet bit her lower lip, shut her eyes tightly, and turned her face away waiting for the inevitable. Time seemed to painfully stretch while she grudgingly anticipated his filthy touch. A sharp yelp caused her to jerk her eyes open to a surprising scene in front of her. She saw Maan tightly twisting the man's hand while his face raged with anger. The guy squirmed in pain while he struggled to get away from Maan's grip. Maan forcefully pushed him away making him fall hard on the ground and curl into a fetus position due to the impact of fall. Seeing their friend in pain the other men rushed forward with their machetes in hand, fully charging towards Maan.
Maan pushed Geet and Chaitu a bit far away from the approaching men before taking his position to attack them. He anticipated their attack and effortlessly punched and wounded them. Fury and rage filled the first man seeing his friends and himself being defeated by a mere stranger and rushed again to attack him. He did manage to wound Maan slightly causing Maan to stagger a bit and allowing him time grab a machete that was fallen on the ground. He came forward dangerously swinging his machete but Maan managed to push him away. Unaware to Maan, another man who had fallen with Maan's punches silently got up and stealthily approached him with his machete in hand. But Geet saw him approach and an immediate fear gripped her.
"Maan!" Geet screamed in fear seeing somebody attack from his back. He immediately turned prevent the guy from slashing his neck only to deeply scrape his shoulder. He winced in pain but managed to pry the man away from him and knock him unconscious. He then reached to hold his shoulder unable to contain the pain that surged through his body when he felt her rush to him. The other men being overpowered scuttled away fearing their lives at stake along with the man who had initially tortured Chaitu while proposing his love.
"Maan you are hurt badly, chaliye you need medical attention right now!" she screamed running to hold him while her tears flowed freely. Seeing her in distress for his condition he turned to look deeply at her. She did care for him and she definitely couldn't see him in pain yet she didn't want to give their relationship a chance.
"Geet main teekh hoon," he said calmly cupping her face while ignoring the shooting pain in his back. She averted her gaze to his deep chocolate brown eyes but her tears prevented her from having a clear look at his face. Fresh blood on his hands smudged on her face as he held her delicately.
"Maan aap bilkul teekh nahi hain, please let's go," she pleaded as fresh tears made its way down. Once again pain shot through him causing him to close his eyes in pain. "Maan kya aap walk kar sakte ho?" she asked with uncertainty. And before he could reply she placed his arm on her shoulder and wound her arms around his waist while trying to support him.
Chaitu led the way while Maan and Geet followed her. Although Geet had great difficulty supporting his large and muscular form, she forgot all her uneasiness seeing him in pain. This time Chaitu was successfully able to get out of the woody area and reach the haveli safely.
They were greeted by all the family and friends worrying for their safety. Seeing them enter everybody rushed, each one asking a different question. Geet immediately quietened them saying that Maan was hurt badly and he immediately needed attention and care. She rapidly ordered the necessary medicines and other items needed to tend to his injuries. Charan and Arjun rushed to get all the medicines prescribed by Geet while she took him to a nearby guestroom.
Geet, along with Anushka, managed to make Maan lie on his back. Not wanting to worry Geet, Maan tried his best to hide the shooting pain but it didn't stop her from crying continuously at his state. She ordered Anushka to get some clean towel and warm water to clean the wound and cut open his shirt to access his wound properly. Dried blood made it harder for her to see the wound and its depth clearly. Anushka got the items Geet asked her and went to check where Arjun and Charan were.
Geet took a clean cloth, dipped it in warm water, and went ahead to carefully wipe the wound clean. The sudden contact of the warm towel stung him causing him to wince. She immediately removed it to asked, "Bahut dard ho raha hai?" Concern and pain was clear in her tone.
"Nahi Geet, I'm fine," he lied. She blew gently hoping to alleviate the pain. Maan closed his eyes as her breath hit his wound causing him to temporarily forget his pain.
"Ab teekh hai?" she asked uncertainly while he nodded in trance. She once again continued to clean the wound, being more careful not to hurt him.
By the time she was done cleaning, Arjun and Charan arrived with the necessary medicines. Geet examined the wound that had deeply cut through his right shoulder, narrowly missing the main tendons. She sighed in relief that there was nothing that was entirely endanger his life. Since the wound was deep and not wide enough to need stitches, she decided to dress it properly to prevent any infections.
"Maan, I am going to numb the area a bit with local anesthetics so you can move around a little without much pain, alright?" she explained. Maan just nodded in assent and let her do her procedures. Once the local anesthesia had numbed him of pain temporarily, she was able to move him around and properly dress him. Although she was concentrating on getting him properly treated, Maan observed that her face clearly showed tension and anxiety. Once she had taken care of the main wound, she looked around to see many more small cuts and bruises elsewhere and tended to those. She finally finished up with her work, cleared the area, and went to clean herself up.
By the time she came back, Anushka had brought food for them and had left it on the table because Maan had insisted he would eat with Geet. "Accha hua khaana aagaya, pehle aap kha lijiye so you can have your medicines," Geet said setting the tray in front of him. He was about to take a bite from the plate with great difficulty when she screamed, "Maan!" causing him to immediately drop the piece in fear when she continued, "you are not supposed to move your arms frequently. Hatiye, let me feed you." She took a piece of roti, dipped it in the subzi before bringing it near his mouth. He slowly opened his mouth doubting all this was just a figment of his imagination. She stuffed the piece in his mouth and proceeded to break another piece while he chewed his food.
All the while he kept staring at her unable to fathom the emotions going through him seeing her care for him so much. He wondered where did all this care and love go when she had heartlessly demanded for a divorce from him without even giving this marriage a chance. "Geet," he called softly yet the shakiness in his voice was evident.
"Kya hua Maan, subzi teekhi hai kya?" she asked looking alarm.
He chuckled a bit. "Nahi Geet," he said shaking his head. "Kya mein kuch pooch sakta hoon?"
"Ji kahiye," she said nodding affirmatively.
"Voh," he hesitated unable to meet her eyes. "Kuch nahi, tum bhi khalo," he said diverting the topic.
"Maan, bahut dard ho raha hai kya?" she asked holding his hand. Seeing her concern his eyes became misty, he quickly sniffed away the impending tears and looked away.
"Nahi Geet, I am fine, really," he assured her squeezing her hand in return. "You haven't eaten since morning breakfast," he insisted.
"Aap pehle kha lijiye, I'll eat later."
"Geet," he admonished sternly.
"Okay, okay," she replied taking a piece of roti from his plate along with some dal and stuffing it into her mouth, "ab khush?" she asked with her mouth full. He was completely surprised with her act of eating out of his plate. He stared at her open-mouthed having no words to utter. He had expected she would bring another plate but she had nonchalantly eaten out of his own plate like it never mattered. His heart danced in joy to see her openly do something like this. "Now you please finish off this roti and then I shall eat," she said continuing to feed him. He simply followed her instructions not knowing what to say.
Geet finally finished feeding him and turned around to help herself with dinner because she was extremely hungry. All this while her worry for Maan had overtaken her own needs but having seen him taken care of to some extent, her own needs took over. She hurried to fill the same plate she fed him with and began to relish it.
Maan was completely overwhelmed seeing her eat out his own plate. The events of the day came reeling back to him. The fear in her eyes when she saw him hurt couldn't be denied and he knew he was very close to winning his wife back. He chuckled, if he had known he could evoke her feelings by merely getting in trouble and hurt he would repeat it daily to keep her by his side. By the time he was done replaying the events of the day, Geet had finished her dinner and returned from the bathroom washing her hands. She then brought out the medicines she had ordered and took out the necessary tablets and walked to him with a glass of water in hand.
"Yeh lijiye," she said forgetting he was unable to move his hands around. He began to extend his hand with great difficulty when she realized her folly. "Main bhi na jhalli hoon, I know you cannot lift our hands aur phir bhi," she said shaking her head and sitting on the edge of the bed and fed him the medicines and made him drink water. "Maan at least aap bata sakte the ki you cannot lift your hand kyun taqleef utha rahe ho?" He was about to say something when she answered herself, "Khair chaddo. Chaliye aap so jayiye, good night." She helped him lay on the bed carefully without hurting his shoulder. She was about to go when he held her wrists. She turned to look at him questioningly.
"Geet, thank you," he whispered looking intently at her. Her eyes instantly teared up seeing his genuine gesture of thanking her. She shook her head and smiled through her tears.
"Yeh mera farz hai Maan. Thanks toh mujhe kehni chahiye for coming to save me on time," she said soothingly rubbing his hand in assurance and kneeling down near the edge of the bed.
"Tum meri patni ho aur mujhe haq banta hai tumhe protect karne ke liye," he said, softly wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb. His mention of the relationship that she was denying all this while stung her mind. Somewhere she felt she was ruthlessly stripping him of his dreams while she built her own. Although she wanted to embrace his loving declaration she felt he deserved something more. Unable to overcome her inner battle, she jerked her hands away, muttered a hasty good night and rushed out of the room. 
Pati Patni Aur Panga
98