Chapter 32: Pyaar... Chup chup ke!
"Geet!" she yelled seeing Geet enter into the haveli. "Where were you all this while?" Chaitu questioned with her hands on her hips.
"Oi, yeh kya baat hui? Geet teri aage peeche hi ghoomni chahiye kya?" Charan questioned slightly hitting Chaitu's head.
"Aah Anna, it hurts," Chaitu whined rubbing the place where Charan had hit her. "Anyways, chaliye Geet, sab aapko wait kar rahein hain," she said grabbing Geet's hand and dragging her across the hall.
Confused at her sudden hauling, Geet silently followed Chaitu. They reached the main hall where many ladies were sitting with huge piles of different kinds of sarees in the center. Before she could question Chaitu, she was forcefully made to sit as the other ladies made place for her and Chaitu.
"Toh batayiye Geet, how does this saree look for the morning function?" Chaitu asked picking up a dark red kanchivaram silk saree and draping it over her shoulder.
"Yeh acchi hai magar let me see if something suits you better." Geet looked around to see if any other saree caught her attention. Another brick orange silk saree with heavy golden zari lay amidst many others. Geet leaned forward and pulled it out of the pile and partially adorned it to Chaitu.
"Arre Geet, yeh toh bahut acchi hai," Rekha, Chaitu's mother appreciated while others nodded in agreement.
"Alright, one down, six to go," Chaitu declared.
"Chaitu, try this," Anushka forwarded a mango green with red border.
"Haan yeh abhi tumhe bahut suit karta hai," Geet added nodding her head.
The next hour Geet, Anushka, and Chaitu pulled and pushed away each of the sarees in the pile to find the perfect one for her marriage day. Finally finding all the necessary sarees for the next day marriage, Chaitu asked Geet to select some for herself. Geet was initially reluctant but after Arun and Chaitu's mothers insistence, she accepted to pick one.
She scanned the huge pile in front of her and tried to fish out something that caught her eye. She rummaged through the pile to find a cream peach silk with little designs throughout the saree but with intricate patterns on the pallu. She pulled it out of the pile and draped it over her chest. She looked up to ask Chaitu how did it look on her when her eyes caught someone standing a bit far, almost hidden behind a huge white pillar. She squinted her eyes to get a better view only to let a low gasp at her discovery. He stood casually leaning on the pillar with a delicious smirk on his face and winked when his eyes met hers. Before she could comprehend his presence, he pointed to the saree she held and gestured his thumb down, indicating the saree didn't suit her. She looked at him and then at the saree understanding he didn't like it, she dropped it to look for another one. She quickly found another light orange colored saree with heavy stone designs and draped it on her chest, eagerly looking for his approval. She saw him scrunch his eyebrows and shake his head in disapproval. Disappointed even this saree didn't catch his attention she threw it away trying to find a better one. This time, it took some extra time to find another saree. She managed to dig out a delicate copper sulfate colored silk saree with thick maroon border and adorned it on herself before looking up to seek his approval. He shook his hand gesturing it was alright but not really good enough. She huffed and looked away, frustrated and defeated he was not approving any of her selection. She was about to give up when her eyes fell on a dark magenta silk saree with delicate sunflower designs all over the saree along with intricate designs on the pallu colored in gold. She instantly picked it up and eyed him longingly hoping he liked it.
Maan saw her dejectedly throw away the last saree she had shown him and felt bad. Everything compared to his beautiful wife looked dull and lifeless. He wanted something that would make her look purely angelic and glowing. He saw her rummage through the pile to finally pull out a dazzling piece and drape it over her chest while her eyes sought his approval.
The moment she brought it out and adorned it on herself, time seemed to have frozen for him. Everything around him had disappeared and he could only see her sitting in the middle of all those sarees looking like his queen. His breath hitched at the thought of seeing her wear that saree for him and his head bobbed up and down in trance.
Geet saw him nod his head in approval and grinned widely happy that she found a piece he liked. "Main yeh lungi," she squealed showing her selection to everyone around.
"Vahi toh Geet!" Chaitu said shaking her head. "Hum kabse keh rahe hain ki yeh bahut bahut sundar hai aur tumhe suit karta hai."
"Magar nahi, tum toh kisi aur ke dreamland main ho!" Anushka added nudging her slightly.
"Hmm, magar jeejaji ko taarif karni padegi. Kya taste hai bhai," Chaitu said raising her hand in praise.
"Kkk' kya matlab?" Geet stuttered straightening herself.
"Matlab yahi ki kya selection ki hai jeejaji ne vahaan door se khade hokar," Chaitu giggled pointing in the direction where Maan stood still gaping at her.
Everyone heard Chaitu's loud comment and looked in the direction she pointing. Surprised Maan stood unabashedly staring in the direction of his wife and gasped at his open display of love. "Toh munda yahaan bhi akela nahi choda apni biwi ko," Arun's mother complained jocularly causing everyone to erupt in laughter. Geet's cheeks burned in embarrassment being caught red-handed and buried her face in her hands.
Few women including Chaitu's and Arun's mother got up and walked towards Maan intending to tease him and shoo him away. To their shock Maan seemed to stand like a statue staring at his wife while the women came to stand around him. Chaitu's mother stood in front of him and waved her hands frantically in front of his face. But to her surprise, he didn't even blink. She looked at the other ladies wondering what had happened to him. Arun's mother gestured she would try and snapped her fingers in front of his face before shaking him off his reverie. "Oh ho Maan puttar, mooh band karo makkhi gus jayegi," she admonished lightly slapping his cheek while the other ladies giggled loudly.
That gesture broke Maan's daydream session and he looked around as if he was lost. Seeing all the ladies standing around him with their hands on their hips, he realized he had been caught. He straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat trying to figure out a corrigible excuse for his presence. "Ahem, voh' main," he began searching for the right words. "Haan main voh bas paani lene aaya tha," he said causally hoping they won't catch his lie.
"Magar kitchen toh uss taraf hai beta," Rekha, Chaitu's mother, pointed looking amusedly and everyone else giggled hysterically.
"Nahi mera matlab, main paani lene hi nikla," he said hoping he sounded convincing, "magar adi raaste main mujhe yaad aaya ki mujhe Arun se milna tha toh main u-turn liye aur aise'"
"Tune hi toh mujhe kuch hi der pehle bataya ki Arun bahar gaya hai," Arun's mother piqued in.
"Haina." Maan chuckled nervously shuffling his feet uneasily. "Toh jab mujhe yaad aaya main jaane hi wala tha magar Geet messaged me to help her select a saree for her," he finished with a breath of relief and pointed to Geet.
All eyes turned to Geet at Maan's sudden mention with a look of amusement. Geet's mouth widened at the sudden turn of tables. Maan had blatantly turned tables to put the blame on her while he enjoyed watching her squirm under everyone's intense gaze. "Dusht danav kahin ke!" she muttered under her breath and stomped to where Maan stood surrounded by the ladies. He would certainly pay for putting her in the spot as well as lying about her messaging him. "Haww, Maan maine aapko kab message kiya?" she asked furrowing her eyebrows in anger.
As soon as she came to stand beside him, he stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around as though nothing had happened.
"Maan," she called poking his shoulder. "Aapse hi baat kar rahi hoon," she said sounding peeved.
"Oh," he sighed looking at her with a sheepish grin. "Tum mujhse baat kar rahi thi?" She nodded her head while her nose flared in anger. "Toh kahiye shrimatiji, main aapke liye kya kar sakta hoon?" he said bowing down.
All the ladies around them chuckled and were whispering amongst themselves commenting at their cute compatibility and thus failed to notice Maan leaning towards Geet.
"Kahiye, maine kab message ki? Aapne hi'" the rest of the words seemed to have stuck in her throat when she felt his lips on her cheek. Her eyes widened in shock while she inhaled sharply trying to comprehend what just happened.
Maan saw her walk into the haveli with Charan right behind her. Anushka had informed him about her going in search of Charan as he was not to be seen since morning. Seeing her safely return he turned to leave when he heard Chaitu mention about some saree selection. Wanting to admire his wife pick out a few for herself he went to hide behind the pillar so that he was visible only to her while hidden from the rest of the aunties. He was lost admiring as she displayed a myriad of emotions and expressions. She frowned cutely while she tried to decide if one saree suited better over the other for Chaitu. Her silver jhumkas danced in accordance as she shook her head not liking her selection. She turned to look for a better saree slightly biting her index finger completely concentrating on the work at hand. Having found the best match he saw her smile widely with her eyes twinkling in joy. A satisfied smile adorned his M-shaped lips seeing her in content. And when his eyes met hers as she started looking for a saree for herself, his smiled widened into a full-blown smirk. He leisurely leaned on the pillar and winked at her as she blinked a few times to be sure she wasn't dreaming. He gestured a big no pointing to the saree she was holding as he felt it hardly complimented her. He went to reject every other saree she showed, as nothing seemed to suit her magnificent presence until she showed him that magenta saree. The moment seemed to freeze for him as she held that delicate piece that looked like it was specifically made for her. He didn't realize everyone else had discovered his presence until he felt Arun's mother shake him out of his daydream. Cursing his ill luck, he tried his best to find the perfect excuse for him being there but every attempt had gone down the drain. Finding no other option, he instantly lied that Geet had messaged him. Seeing her coming forward to question him and clear the air of her fault, he bent down to give a quick peck on her cheek so she wouldn't blurt anything against him.
"Tune hi mujhe message bheji haina?" Maan asked as soon as others looked eagerly at the couple.
"Haan," Geet replied in trance.
"Dekha maaji, ab aapko doubt clear hogaya hoga?" he asked with a broad smile.
Arun's mother looked skeptically at Maan and then at Geet wondering if Maan was really saying the truth. Having no other option she shrugged her shoulders and looked around to see if the others were convinced. The others seemed to approve so she nodded in assent much to Maan's relief.
"Thanks for clearing their doubts darling," Maan chirped enthusiastically before bending down to place another kiss on her cheek. All the ladies gasped in union at his sudden display of affection. But before they could lightly reprimand him for such open display he continued, "Ab hogaya selection-velection," wrapping his hands around her shoulder, "aap logon ki ijazat ho toh hum chalein? Kuch zaroori kaam hai."
At his mention of "zaroori kaam", they nodded with a knowing glance, suppressing a smile. He winked at them and pulled Geet towards his room with, "Let's go sweetheart."
Geet on the other hand, hadn't even recovered from the first kiss was completely stunned that he had kissed her second time. Her eyes seemed to pop out of the sockets and his second display while her hands automatically covered her mouth to prevent a loud gasp. If not for his tight hold on her shoulders, she was sure she would have slipped off the ground. And now he was shamelessly taking her away to their room in front of everyone!
They began to murmur and giggle at Maan's act as they walked up the stairs. She bit her lips and kept her head down hoping others wouldn't catch her flushed face. 'Wasn't one enough, ek aur dene ki kya zaroorat thi!' she thought mentally cursing him. 'Now all these people are going to have a field day recalling every single moment of it.' She walked in his embrace with much embarrassment and uneasiness straight towards his room hoping to give a piece of her mind for his blatant behavior.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Cricket
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