PART 7
Two days passed but nothing changed. Shalini's decision was firm and she was in no way ready to change it. Geet tried to give her emotional blackmail but nothing worked. At the end, geet just knew what her fate was but she was not at all happy with the fact that not only her, but her in laws are also just a pawn in this game. They are also cheated in all this and that was hurting her too.
She so much wanted to end her life at the moment but was that easy. Hell no, actually in reality deciding something like that and actually doing takes a lot of courage and she knew she doesn't have that much strength. Running out of house, nah' she cant. She has no other relative to go or any friend in whose house she can shift. Another this, she is just a 16 yr old, have not even a single idea about outside world.. she knew running out would actually be next to die and that too a horrible death.
Their marriage date got fixed after 3 weeks, and she knew her life would be just another hell then. Thus the result is, none of shalini or geet talked in these two days. Geet even refused to go out of her room and would just not even acknowledge presence of shalini. She knew she was rude but doesn't shalini deserve that.
Shalini hated the cold treatment she was receiving but she knew it was just her deed only. Geet's anger wasn't anything new but yeah it stayed this long for the first time. And she knew it would be staying for her entire life still in her heart she just prayed for her well-being to babaji.
Both families started marriage preparations. Savitri was busy purchasing gifts for her bahu while savitri just tried to do as best as she could as per their standard. She purchased heavy sarees and jewelries from all her personal savings but at the end for whom it was done was just hating it all.
For geet those expensive sarees were like shroud (kafan) which she would have to adorn on her last day of this life, her marriage day. How ironic, she thought. Those neck pieces were like neck cuffs and bangles were hand cuffs. Those anklets would just be a symbol of the restrictions that would be imposed on her. wow what a bride she is, she thought. All these things which are so essential for a married woman are like a curse in my life, she smiled disgustingly as tears filled her eyes.
Maan was just flying in air as the days passed. God he was feeling like a teenager. Though marriage is a one-time thing but the thoughts and desires attached to it actually gave him a thousand volt smile on his face. He would keep thinking what life it would be like after marriage. Though first few years or say three years to be precise they had to stay away as the training program that he is going to attend with his few other colleagues is an essential part of his career. But he never thought it would be so difficult for him to leave now.
Though it was pre-decided he would leave and he was quite ok with it but all this marriage things were not fixed till then. Now his days and nights revolve around a girl to be precise and he would have to leave her after a week of marriage. He was not expecting this at all. If it was so difficult to stay now then it would be hell after knowing she is actually in his own house still so far away. He would have to wait for holidays to see her and the thought was irritating him.
Ok he will miss his parents too but isn't the relationship different. After sharing his room, his bed, even themselves with each other wouldn't it be torture to stay away for damned 3 years. Umm well that's the reality. After fixing of alliance, your dreams are not just about the days you will spend together, you also think about the nights you guys will be together on a single bed with each other. All those mushy- mushy thoughts are also a part of your dreams and its natural for maan to have them too.
They did talk few more times in these weeks but mostly they would just keep fighting or would end up angry on each other. And most importantly the issue over which they would quarrel for an hour would be forgotten in this fight making both of them actually laugh at their silliness. Over this time period she had realized, more than her, its him who is cheated. Its him, whose dreams are mercilessly being crashed. The expectation which he have from her, are just a mirage, which could never come true. And for all this, she considers herself guilty. Its not that she likes him in that manner but she likes him as an individual he is.
For Maan, the time he would talk to her were the best refreshing moment in the entire day. Though they would end fighting or to be precise her being irritated and him being confused, but he is thinking it to be the pain of leaving her own house. He knew, all this was fixed so suddenly then marriage too was done quickly, he couldn't even imagine what it would be like for her.
For her, its her relatives who didn't cared for her, but what about him, what was his fault in all that. All these thoughts would surround her mind when she would listen him laugh like that. Thus she would try to not say anything that would hurt him as at the end he would be hurt, she knew that so she just want to postpone that for now.
He had realized in this time period, that she is just like a child, who would just love to win even if he knew he is wrong. She would get so irritated if he says anything which she doesn't like and would sometimes even cut it too, but he would just love to manaofy her. after spending whole day in office, you would just need someone to whom you could be free without any tension and she is the one for him with whom he can share his every problem. But did he even knew, what problem all his dreams would cause in her life. Is she even perfect to understand his life, that only time could tell.
It was just a day left for the marriage and geet had lost all her hopes. She knew her life is doomed now. She just turned blank not wanting to even think what tomorrow sun would bring in her life. She was busy packing her childhood things, her paint book in which she made her family picture, her only memory of best time, few gifts which suhana gave on her birthdays, few pictures, even some of chachi's too. She hated this chachi who is being a villain in her life now but the love she showered on her once, she just cant forget that, and to remember only that time, she packed her photos.
She was busy doing her packing when she heard landline rang. Who can it be, she thought and ran down the stairs only to find suhana's call. She just wished it would had been she instead of that call. Though they had talked few days back too, but she couldn't gather the courage to tell suhana her miseries when she heard that Mehta aunty, our neighbor sent back their daughter in law to her mayka because her sister ran away with a man of other cast.
Geet got really scared thinking whats happening to people mentality these days and just hid the fact with suhana not wanting her bad faith to hurt her. she was more than happy that her sister in happy in her house and she not want anything else.
Hows my baccha??? Said suhana as geet received call. Geet tried to smile but her eyes filled instead of smiling. What to reply??? She thought. Gathering her strength, she said, I am fine dii.. aap batao and hows jiju. We all are fine geet. Kya kar rhi thi tu??? Wo umm.. geet was about to lie when she heard suhana's mother in law calling her. umm geet tu apna khyal rakhna, I have to go byee bacchha, said suhana in low voice. Yes dii, I will aap bhi take care, said geet as she heard the call being disconnected.
She just hugged the cordless tightly as if imagining suhana in its place. Kash you would have been here for me dii, kash' she thought as tears flew out her eyes.
It was her last night in this house. The house in which she grew up, she played, she cried and she loved. So many memories, so many moments were connected to this house, she could even see the small geet playing hide and seek and suhana running all around to search for her; her playing and running all around and then she would fall hitting some or the other part and then blaming it all on suhana and complaining to chachi who would console her with chocolates.
She even remembered the day, when she had first time worn saree, how much old I was, she thought, umm 10 nah may be 11. It was just another day when she was thinking of something mischievous and then her eyes fell on the neatly folded new saree of shalini placed on bed. Smiling to herself, she completely opened it and tried to wrap it around herself. Tucking the saree in her jeans, she tried to remember how her chachi would make plates but even after 3 tries she failed and just wrapped it around herself over her top.
She still remembered the reaction of shalini. A nice scolding was on her way for destroying the cloth and giving it so many creases. And when she started crying, shalini had to atlast gave up and had to give her another old saree which she wrapped around her nicely. And geet was just enjoying so much in it, that she roamed full day in that saree making others laugh on her.
Geet was busy thinking about the beautiful memories, and she didn't even knew when she started to cry. She just sobbed silently, knowing no one in this house cares for her tears. How can so much change so quickly, she wondered? the beautiful life she lived here just looked like a dream now.
Thinking about all this, she didn't even realized when sleep took over her giving her the last slumber of her life in this house.
Around midnight, shalini entered her room knowing she would be in deep sleep by now. She looked at her daughter who was sleeping like always, spreading herself on the full bed while her comforter lied on ground. She just smiled, thinking it would be the last time she would be tucking her in bed, last time she would see her sleep this peacefully, or may be the last time she would see her.
She covered her back with the duvet and sat by her side. Taking out the chain which actually used to belong geet's mother, she placed it in the suitcase, geet packed and again sat by geet. Geet bte, kash mai tumhe samjha pati maine aisa kyu kia. Kash' agar aj rano bhabhi hoti to may be she wouldn't had done what I had but something's are just in not your hand bte.wo locket teri ma ka hai, she had made it for you when you were born and now I am giving it to you as her blessings.
I know you hate me now, bhut nafrat hoti hai na apni chachi se, par hoke sake to kabhi apni chachi ko maaf karne ki koshish karna. Aur ha ek wada chahti hu tujhse, agar agla janam hota ho na to please that time you would born as my daughter and that time I promise I would not let the history repeat itself.
I had tried to be your mother but I know I failed, badly failed but next time I would prove myself an ideal mother. Babaji meri bacchi ko meri khushiya bhi de dena, she closed her eyes as she just prayed to babaji for the welfare of her daughter. Pressing a kiss on geet's forehead, she just let out her tears which she holds whole day and let out to her when geet sleeps peacefully.
Spending a nice part of night with geet, she finally retired to her room thinking about what tomorrow will bring for her daughter.
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