Part 24
Geet and maan entered the ice cream parlour together. Many people watched the beautiful couple together but maan and geet paid them no attention. They sat in a corner table and ordered.
Geet was enjoying herself, the slow music in the background, and her most favourite person sitting in front of her. May be I am dreaming, maan loving me so much how is it possible?
Then, geet suddenly felt weird, maan had always been really nice to her. so, from where did that thought came from? Her head started hurting and the ice cream started to taste rubbery. Since, she had stopped taking medicines, these headaches, nightmares were getting common but never this strong.
Geet, ''maan, lets go home''
Maan,''but you have n't even finished your ice cream. You are worried about your mother again?''
Geet,'' no, just..just want to go home.''
Maan,''okay, as you say.'' he signalled one of the waiters who came with the bill and he payed.
Maan and geet both got up and started moving toward the door. Everything suddenly felt blurry to geet, she couldn't distinguish colors, people or any sound, everything jumbled up before her legs gave away and she fainted.
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Maan stood outside the emergency room where they were treating gee. A nurse offered him glass of water, he took it his hands shaking badly. The way he had felt when he had turned and seen geet lying on the floor seizuring…the glass fell from his hand and shattered on floor.
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1 day later
Geet slowly opened her eyes, her eyelids felt heavy and puffy. The room was unfamiliar, and she felt so tired. Where was maan? That was her last thought before she fell asleep again.
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Geet heard voices, angry voices, people shouting. She wanted to tell them to be quiet but felt helpless. She mustered up all her energy and said the one name which mattered. ''maan?''
There was sudden silence and then, she felt a hand gently touching her cheek.
Maan,''geet.''
Geet opened her eyes and found looking into maan's eyes. She suddenly felt calm, all the pain melting away. A smile touched her face and then faded when she saw how tired and haggered he looked and then, she saw a tear slid from his eyes.
Geet,''what happened maan?'' she had never before seen him broken and shaken like this before.
Maan,'' you know who I am?''
Geet thought what a weird question, how can she ever forget maan?
Maan insisted again,''geet you know who I am?''
Geet nodded,''you are maan singh khaurana , my husband.''
Maan closed his eyes, relief sweeping through him. He heard shashank say something to kashab but he ignored everything. He looked at geet and he knew than that this was the geet he had grown up with, the one with whom he had fallen in love with.
He slowly bent and kissed her forehead.''nothing is wrong geet, everything is okay, you must rest now''
Geet looked at him confused, suddenly she started remembering, she had gone to durga and their was a blast and then, nothing. She couldn't remember anything else. Was she hurt? She tried to move her body, she couldn't feel any pain, only very tiredness and a slight headache.
Maan slowly caressed her cheek,'' stop thinking, and go to sleep''
Geet felt her eyes slowly closing. she raised her hand and took maan's hand in her own,'' you will stay?''
Maan,'' I am here, geet'' there was promise in maan's voice. Geet slowly drifted to sleep.
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2 days later
Maan helped geet into his car while the body guards got into another.
Geet,'' I want to go back to khushiyar pur, amma ji was crying so much on phone.''
Maan,''we will go next week, you need bed rest.''
Geet rolled her eyes,'' I am fine maan, even doctor said that I don't need anymore rest.''
Maan tweeked her nose and said,'' doctor don't know anything. You will be better when I think you are.''
Geet,'' you are treating me like I am two years old.''
Maan,'' even two years old have more sense.''
Geet,'' MAAN.''
Maan,''GEET''
Geet angrily started looking out of window, maan stifled his laughter . she was wearing white colour kameez with pink polka dots and pink shalwar and her hairs were up in a braid, she looked very adorable and like a child throwing tantrum. He knew she was just trying to reassure him that she was fine. he started the car and took the car out of parking. Another car came in front of his and second one at the back, so that his car was in the middle. Shashank was being paranoid as usual and wanted to take no chances after maan had thrown rashab outside the hospital literally. Maan didn't care, his lawyers were dealing with the legal proceedings kashab had sarted.
He looked at geet who was still looking outside angrily, he moved his hand and grabbed her hand, geet tried to loosen his grip but he didn't let her hand go.
Geet, ''maan leave my hand.''
Maan,''geet stop pulling, can't you I am driving, we will have accident if you kept pulling me.''
Geet glared at him. He still held her hand, so that when he had to change gears, it was geet who changed the gear. Finally, she gave up glaring at him and started looking out of the car but there was a smile on her face.
Maan felt content and happy that geet was fine. she didn't remember the time away from him and maan hadn't told her anything. He was n't going to tell he either because he didn't want geet's mother in their life as geet will never be able to forgive herself for her mother's doings.
Anyway, shashank had gotten the documents which proved that kashab was smuggler and involved with certain terrorist organization and he would be arrested today. As for geet's mother, maan was going to meet with her tomorrow and then, he will close this chapter of his life forever.
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Next day
Maan entered the hotel hallway and was taken to his table by a waiter waiting for him. There she was sitting ,rashika (geet's mom)i, he sat opposite her. she looked haggered, her eyes red and her face white. Maan felt a savage kind of pleasure. Yesterday when CBI had gone to arrest kashab, they had found him dead. He had suicide rather than being caught. He hadn't felt angry that he had escaped the humiliation of the court trial and being jailed, he had been surprised when all he had felt was indifference.
These people, they had destroyed his childhood and they had almost destroyed his married life, blind with hatred and pain he had been like a stone unable to feel geet's love and her love but now he was alive.
Rashika asked him angrily,''where is my daughter? You cannot keep her away from me.''
Maan coldly replied,'' you just gave her birth, amma ji is the one who raised her and geet consider her as her mother.''
Rashika,'' because they stole her from me, they lied and told me that my child was dead. I will sue you and your family. Just wait and watch.''
Maan opened the file, he had placed on the table. ''do you what these documents are? These are the documents stating that you and your company helped kashab and supplied him money.''
Rashika,''no, it's a lie. I never helped him.''
Maan,'' I don't believe that and I am not sure any one else will either. So, now listen to me carefully, if you promise to never contact geet again, I will not hand this over to authorities and I will not take over your business which I can now as your partners sold the shares to me.'' He paused to watch her face whiten more. ''think about kashab's son. You raised him like your own, imagine what he is going through and what will happen to him if you are gone. ''
Rashika just sat there still like stone.
Maan,'' I am leaving with geet today for delhi and we won't be coming back. If you ever felt any love for geet than don't contact her, she is very sensitive and caring and she will always think herself responsible for your crimes. ''
He got up to leave, when rashika spoke,'' you have the proof and you are not handing me over to authorities or destroying me financially, just to protect her from hurt?''
Maan,'' you wouldn't understand.''
He picked up the file and left, not wanting to see her face again. He was not surprised by his own action, the indifference he had felt yesterday for kashab had made him realize one important fact that nothing was important than geet.
He remembered a quotation he had read somewherein a book titled '' laws of love ''. The first law was
''in love, your pain is mine and mine is yours but if it pains you I don't want that pain anymore''
So today' he was freeing himself from past and all the pain.
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