MG-FF What does she want? Part 37 page 139 - Page 6

Part 8:

"What will we do Naintara? Maan is here in the village. What is he doing here? Does he know we are here? It is too dangerous for us to stay here. What about the wedding? We cannot go through with it, if Maan knows Geet. How does he know Geet?" Dev was pacing up and down the length of the room. For the last half an hour Naintara had been listening to her husband's anxious non-stop questions and comments. She was trying to think, but he was not letting her.

Though Naintara loved him with all her heart, he sometimes got on her nerves. "Shut up Dev and let me think for a moment. We need to figure out whether he is close to the Handas or not, and plan accordingly. Maan meeting Geet may have been a coincidence. However, if necessary we need a way to get out of this marriage without upsetting the Handas. I hear they can be quite vengeful when things don't go as planned or they feel that they have been insulted. "

At the lake, Maan was packing up his tent and belongings. As he folded the sleeping bag, he heard a tinkling sound and something falling softly to the ground. It was a payal. It must have been her's. He was about to throw it into the lake when he started thinking about her and the way her brother had acted with her. Though Maan did not think too highly of women, he still respected them. He hoped she was ok, but how could he check? He tried to remember her name. What did she say her name was? Ah yes, he remembered, Geet...Geet Handa. His Munshi would be able to help locating the Handa family as he knew everyone in HP it seems. He then looked down at the payal in his hands. Maybe this was the perfect excuse to check up on her...

Meanwhile Geet stood in front of her family with her head held down. Daarji and Brij had not stopped cursing her or shouting at her, since she got home. If anyone had bothered to ask her what she wanted at that moment, it would have been for the ground to open up and swallow her. She felt so ashamed, but what could she have done? Had she brought this all on herself? Had she done something wrong in Amritsar, that she made those men follow her? Should she have drowned, rather than shouting for help?

Finally Tayji spoke up. "Please let her change her clothes, rest and eat something. She looks exhausted. She is getting married in 4 days, and it would not look good if she looked like this on her wedding day. We will explain to her, how to handle any questions about her disappearance with her in-laws."

Geet had changed and was sitting on her bed, thinking about what had just happened to her. She had studied in Delhi and had forgotten what narrow minded people lived in her village. They had out-dated thoughts about women and their roles in society. Would things ever change here? Would girls ever have a voice? Would anyone ever ask a girl like her, what she wants?

Her thoughts were interrupted by her Tayji and mum who came into the room with some food. They questioned her about what had happened after she ran into the field. Geet told them everything. Well almost everything. She thought it best not to mention that she slept with Maan in the tent...

After listening to her, her Tayji instructed her on what she could/ could not say about her disappearance, if anyone was to ask. She was warned not to mention spending the night alone with a stranger...

In the evening Maan had returned to his guest house in HP and was just coming out of the washroom, when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door to find his Munshi.

"Saabji, where have you been? We were worried about you. I tried phoning you, but didn't get any response"

Maan remembered the fate of his phone, and told his Munshi that he would be in need of another phone.

"So, what was so important you were trying to contact me last night?" Maan asked.

"Well Sirji, your Daadi was trying to contact you. She was worried as it has been 3 days since she has spoken to you. "

"Oof, not Daadi again! Does she not realise I am a grown man and that I need my own space sometimes? " Receiving no answer from Munshi, Maan just said "Ok. I will ring her in a while."

"Ji Sirji. I will arrange a new phone for you. By the way, I found out who owns that land you wanted for the hotel."

"Who?" Maan asked disinterestedly

"Mohan Lal Handa"

Maan, was not sure he had heard correctly and needed to check. "Who did you say?"

"Mohan Lal Handa , he is head of the Handa parivaar in HP. He is fondly known as Daarji, Sirji. Do you want me to set up an appointment with them?"

Maan wondered whether this Mohan Lal Handa was related to Geet. He needed to find out. His eyes drifted to the payal placed on the table. "Yes, Munshiji. Please set up a meeting with him. The sooner the better."

Geet sat in her favourite spot, in the window, looking at the stars in the sky. Those stars were lucky. They had freedom to wander and do as they please. They were not answerable to anyone. But she was not a star, she was a girl...a girl of the Handa parivaar of HP...she is destined to follow and do as she is told...she was told what to do, where to go, how to behave and now having been talked to by her Tayji and Mum, she was being told what to say! She would never get to decide her fate and no-one would ever ask her the question, "what does she want?" In 3 days time she would be tied to Dev forever...