Shackles of Love#9#MG FF Chapters 36-38 - Page 75

She cupped his face and looked into his eyes, reading the conflict clearly visible there, "Your eyes and your actions tell me something, then why do your words contradict you Maan? Aap kyu rok rahe ho apne aapko? I know you care for me. I don't need your words to confirm what I see in your eyes."

"Why Geet? Why are you increasing my troubles? I have told you a million times, that what you are asking for just isn't possible!" Maan jerkily released himself from her embrace, but she refused to let go, "Kab tak Maan? Kab tak aap mujhse se aur apne aap se bhagoge? Ek din aapko ye admit karna hi hoga!"

"Kyu tum baar baar mujhse aise sawaal karti rehti ho jo mujhe bebas kar dete hai!" he closed his eyes, trying to calm down his pain at her words. She was always offering him something which he wanted with all his heart, but knew he could never have.

Breaking off her hold, he stalked off towards the door, planning on hitting the gym to work out his frustrations. The day had been one of a roller coaster ride, and it seemed as if it had yet to end! At least physical pain was better than this anguish which refused to heal. But her strong voice surprised him, "Aapko jana hai to jao! But remember that you have promised me that you won't hurt yourself" she added coldly. His refusal to accept his actions infuriated her, but the pain she felt was far more than that. By now she knew that he would indulge in self destructive tendencies to avoid answering her and his own heart. He just wanted to mercilessly crush the feelings trying to raise their head in his heart and supplant his loneliness with her presence.

"How did she know what is going on in his mind?" he wondered, awed. Just when he thought she couldn't do anything more to surprise him, she did something which made him fall even deeper into the pits of remorse and regret.

Regret that he could never be a part of her life. Remorse that made him kill his inner desires to even try to get past his painful memories and think about tainting Geet's life with his presence.

It was the story of his life. And he was too tired to fight once more with destiny and find the happiness which was not meant for him.

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After Maan left, Geet stood there, lost in thought, digesting his words, coming to terms with his statements. Soullessly, she headed to the bedroom, to change and crash for the night. As far as she knew Maan, she knew he wouldn't be back tonight. She just hoped he would keep to his word and not do anything worse.

She tried sleeping, but sleep was far from her eyes. Even though she was tired, she was unable to sleep. On top of that, she had office the next morning. After tossing and turning for about half an hour, Geet gave up the fight and looked at the time. It was nearly 11, but she knew, she needed answers, otherwise she would keep thinking the whole night.

Making up her mind, she called Dev hesitantly, in case he was sleeping. After ascertaining that she was not disturbing him, she asked him if he could come over. Listening to the serious note in her voice, Dev at once agreed and making some excuse to Naintara came over.

Geet was pacing restlessly, waiting for Dev to arrive as only he could answer her questions. When Dev come, she pleaded with him to tell her the truth, the past which Maan kept referring to. "Kyu Veerji, bataiye na? Kyu Maan humesha kehte hai ke wo rishton ko nahi maante? Magar jaha tak maine dekha hai, wo to apne saare rishton ko poojte hai!"

At first Dev declined, but her heart wrenching sobs got to him and unable to see his little sister in pain he decided to tell her the details of Maan's past.

"Geet, for Maan, the word 'relationship' has always been an elusive mystery. He never had any 'relation' to call his own, except for his mother. Anjali Aunty tried her best, but her best could never be enough."

Geet listened to Dev, confused over what he meant to say.

"There are three people who are responsible for Maan's current state of denial and his so-called father tops the list!" Dev said, his words laden with disgust when he mentioned Maan's father. "Us insaan ki ek galti ne Maan ki poori zindagi tabah kar di!"

Geet looked confused, but waited for Dev to elaborate, "Maan never trusts any relationship, because that's what life has taught him. Use uske har rishte ne sirf dard aur dhoka hi diya hai! Whenever he tried to overcome his past and move ahead in life, he has been met with betrayal from the very person whom he came to trust." Dev said through clenched teeth, feeling Maan's pain. "Humne to aas hi chod di thi ke Maan ka dil wapas kisi ke liye kuch feel karega. But then you came along, and once again I saw glimpses of the old Maan."

"Now you must be wondering about us right? Where do we fit into Maan's life? Jo insaan rishton ko nahi manta, woh in rishton ko kyu poojta hai?" Geet nodded hesitantly, coz she had herself seen the bond shared by all of them. The love and concern shone through each action and each word. The way Maan pampered and cared for Naintara and Annie, the way they revered him almost, the way Arjun and Dev always covered Maan, and he in return would do anything for them, about that she had no doubt.

"Do you know how they all met? Maan was just 8 yrs old and Naintara was 5. A couple of kids in the neighborhood were bullying Naintara, and Naintara was crying. They teased her because she came from a broken family, calling her all sorts of names. And that's when Maan came there and saved her from those bullies. They got into a fight and the kids ganged up on Maan who was alone, Naintara was scared to look at the scene, but when she saw Maan getting beaten up, she became angry and gathered courage to fight back. She found a long stick and beat the two boys till they ran away." He laughed imagining his wife beating up a couple of boys. "And then Naintara took Maan with her to her friend's house, Annie, where they both bandaged his wounds and that's when they became blood siblings. Not because they shared the same blood, but because they vowed that day that they would not hesitate to shed their blood if needed to protect the other."

"This was Maan's first taste of a relationship. He had been a loner all his life, shunned for the sins of his father. But Naintara and Annie accepted him whole heartedly, for himself and did not judge him."

"For Maan a relationship has to be 'made' not 'formed'. He doesn't believe in the bonds of blood and society, but in the bonds of trust and faith."

"Are you understanding what I am saying Geet?" Geet nodded, a counter smile forming on her face too as she too visualized them as kids, forming an unsaid bond. "Tumhe pata hai Geet Naintara Maan ko itna kyu poojti hai? Annie Naintara ko bhabhi nahi Di kyu bulati hai? Because all of them have a troubled childhood. Jab unhe kisi ke sahare ki zaroorat thi; tab un bachon ne ek doosra ka haath thama tha. Tab unhone ek doosre ka saath diya tha, aur aaj tak dete aaye hai."

"They say that the blood runs thicker than wine. But it's not always true. At least as far as I have seen. For my family, we are all that we have. Our so-called blood relations have never meant anything to us. Hum me se kisi ka bhi khoon ka rishta nahi hai, lekin zaroorat padhne par ek doosre ke liye hum apni jaan tak de sakte hai!" Dev said fervently, remembering the tough times they had crossed over the last few years, and then Maan's ultimate sacrifice. Even though it had been the best thing that he could have done for himself, Dev was truly thankful to Maan to even consider getting married for his family.

"Saath me zindagi ke utar chadhav paar karne se hi ek atoot rishta banta hai Geet. That's what Maan believes. Aur agar tum chahti ho ke Maan is rishte ko apnaye, to tumhe uska saath dena hoga. He doesn't believe in the bonds which society enforces. He hates the norms made by the people."

"Magar Veerji aisa kyu? Aakhir Maan inhe kyu nahi maante? Shaadi jaisa bandhan ko bhi nahi?"

"Shaadi?" Dev mocked. "Maan once believed in it too, but then Savitri Devi and Sameera'"

"That's enough Dev!" a furious voice interrupted them, and both looked in horror as a livid Maan made his way inside the house.

"Maan wo mai'" Dev tried to say but was cut off by Maan's raised hands. "Dev I think what you have said is quite enough, I will handle the rest." Knowing Maan's temper Dev was reluctant to leave Geet alone, but Geet shook her head, asking him to go. She knew Maan would become angrier if Dev stayed now, and she did not wish to put any strain on their relation.

As soon as Dev left, Geet clarified. "Wo aap Dev Veerji pe please ghussa mat hoiye. It was me who asked him about'"

Maan grabbed her and held her in front of him; his eyes were red with anger. His livid features sending a quiver down Geet's spine. She had never seen him as angry as he was now, not even after the Holi fiasco.

Maan looked her straight in her eyes and said in a deadly calm voice ignoring her words, "If I ever find you poking your nose into my past, that would be your last day here. Understand?" Geet looked hypnotically into his eyes, trying to find some softening but there was none to be found. "Par'" she started, only to be shaken hard, "Tumne suna nahi maine kya kaha? And this time I really mean it!"

He released her with a jerk and left the house once again, regretting his decision to have come back home. Dev's words rang in his mind, "Savitri Devi and Sameera'"

The two names he hated the most in the world, the two names he wanted to forget!

It was a much needed reminder for him why he couldn't trust Geet! After all she was a woman. And all they ever did was betray.

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