Chapter 1
It was inside Khurana Palace in Delhi city, Geet was sitting glumly upon her large bed, lost in thoughts. Her eyes were warm and red with weeping, she already had a sore throat thanks to her yelling out loudly for help. She was wondering what she has done to deserve this, as in spite of having such a nice family, a caring and headstrong husband who loved her just like a little baby, life was taking her on a different turn. Why was it her and no one else? She definitely did not commit a mistake that she was being punished in this manner right? Tired with thinking so hard, geet's eyelids started drooping, she strchd her little body further and lay down resting her little head upon the huge puffy pillow.
A little while earlier:
Geet was dressed in warm jacket and woollen pants as it was winter and she was feeling very cold. Daadi ma had chatted a little with her and then retired to the library, she wanted a quiet read. Maan was in the office to attend an important meeting, the servants were all busy in their work as geet was sprawled upon the sofa, flipping thru her favorite disney comics. There was a smile on her cute pink lips, she was getting all blushy because maan had just sent her a very naughty ahem ahem msg on her cell. She wondered how amazing he was as a person, he was rough and soft, tough and mild at the same time. He never called her simply geet, Daadi ma called her betu or even gudiya, but maan wud address her as mishty, shona, or even cutie-pie. She was their sweet little doll, and the family's darling. But it seemed that someone inside the house was unwilling to love that innocent creature, for the poor girl was unaware of the dreadful scare that this cold freezing afternoon was about to give her a little later.
Maan had an aunt, Pammi who was completely alone in the world. She was his dad's cousin and mother of an only son whose name was viren. When maan's parents had left the world in a chopper crash, his Daadaji had brought his niece home to look after his wife and grandson. Pammi bua was a widow, and her in-laws had thrown her out of their home after their son's death, assuming that she was a 'manhoos' lady and her child was dangerous to the family. Pammi used to look after the family quite nicely, but one day she had quarrelled with Daadaji to give her a share from the property, which he denied saying it was only maan's right and no one else shall have it. That day, Pammi had upset Daadaji and the old man suffered a cardiac arrest soon after dying and leaving his wife and grandson all alone in the world. But still Daadi ma did not object to pammi living there, as viren was little and needed a home. Daadi ma did not want any clashes so she had gone away to canada with maan, so the boy cud complete his studies without any hassles and take over the century old family business.
Today was around two weeks past maaneet's grand wedding in the royal palace, and surprisingly pammi was at home too, as her son worked in an office in delhi. She had come to pay them a visit. Geet and maan knew each other since childhood, but geet was unaware about dadaji's death's reason and maan's cold behavior with pammi. Even dadi maa did not tell her anything, as she didn't want the girl to get scares.
Geet was smiling to herself when pammi walked out of her room and going near geet, held her hand quietly and pulled her from the sofa, geet was surprised and looked around wildly, but relaxed when she saw pammi. "Buaji, aap? Geet asked astonished. Haa, mai. Tum baithi hui kya kar rai ho? Ab shaadi ho chuki hai, kya apna ghar nai samhalna tumein? Pammi asked her rudely. Ladki chahe kitne bhi ameer ghar ki kyon na ho, shaadi kar ke sasural aane pe usko rasoi apne haaton mei jaldi se le leni chaiye, samjhi? Pammi held geet's little hand in a steely grip and shook her.
Geet was not used to such rude behavior as her papa and darji had brought her up in a very soft way, and they lived in the second wing of the huge khurana palace. Her eyes became teary and she requested pammi, "Buaji, mai kitchen mei nai jaa sakti hoo, me re ko pyrophobia hai, mere ko aag aur aag wali cheezo se bahot dar lagta hain. The poor girl pleaded but the evil woman was nowhere to listen. She said harshly,"Phobia wobia muje nai batana. Ye saare rasoi ko taalne ke natak mai khub samaj ti hoon. Seedhi tarah chalti hai, ki ghasit ke le jau? Saying this, she dragged a silently sobbing geet inside the huge palace kitchen. All the 4 cooks were startled as Khurana and Handa ladies never stepped inside the kitchen to cook, except once every month to check supplies and hygiene. Pammi noticed them and said, aise kya dekh rahe ho? Tum sab log sabji kaat ke hui ho to bahar jao, aaj ka khana geet bana legi.
Deepak, nakul and raju were shocked to hear it as all were aware of geet having fire phobia. Nakul said, lekin pammi bua, babyji to aag se kitna darti hai, wo kaise khana pakaegi? Unhone to kavi gas bhi nai jalaya hai. He looked at Mr. Singh, the head worker. Mr. Singh was very protective for geet, and somewhat angry on pammi for treating his babyji like that. Mr. Singh said, pammi ji, baby ko chhor dijiye, he came forward and released geet's arm from pammi's grip. It was all red and blue. Geet's tears were flowing from her eyes. Pammi again held geet's arm tightly and yelled, muje kisi ki koi baat nai sunni hai. Sab log bahar jao, mai dekhti hoo geet kaise khana nai pakati. She turned to geet and giving her a deadly glare, said thru clenched teeth, aaj agar tune khana nai banaya, to mai tuje batati hoo avi mai kya karungi. Pammi picked up the automatic lighter and pushed the button. Blue-orange flames came out of it and the very sight frightened geet to death. The poor girl began shivering in fear and tried to pull her arm from pammi's grip but pammi smirked devilishly and said, kyo? Khana pakane ki jaldi nai hai, aag wali cheez ka darr lagta hai na? Ab is aag ke darr ko mehsoos kar aur chula jala kar khana pakane mein lag jaa. Warna mai aaj tuje sahi mei jala dungi samjhi? Till then, all servants had rushed outside to call daadi maa and mr singh again tried to save geet but pammi gave him a glare and said, koi vi ise bachane ki koshish nai karega, aaj to iske saare bahane mai utaar ke hi rahungi. Now mr singh was really mad at pammi and began to push her out of the kitchen, but she pulled geet closer and holding the flame at her face threatened him saying that if he tries to touch her, she will burn geet. As pammi was lost in talking, her grip loosened a little and geet freed her arm. Rubbing it she tried to run outside but pammi pushed mr singh out and catching geet again, said to her, "Agar jalne se bachna hai, to jaa ke chula jala, 30 minute de rai hoo, saara khana tab tak ban jana chaiye.
Mr. Singh instant ran out the side door and called up maan on his cell. Taking advantage of the silence, pammi bolted the kitchen door shut, trapping geet inside.
Geet was already scared and the sound of this closed door just terrified her more. She took a step back and feeling the kitchen door behind herself, began to pound it and scream for help. Pammi went forward and held geet's hair, but geet simply kept yelling for daadi ma and singh uncle to help her, she was banging the door with all her might, screaming her lungs out. Just then, around five minutes later or so, there sounded a click outside the kitchen door and pammi was startled as the lighter had dropped from her hand and destroyed, but geet was still shaking in fear. Suddenly the kitchen door opened and both maan and daadi ma stood there, all servants and mr. singh along with them, glaring at pammi. Geet had passed out and was about to collapse when maan sprang forward and lifted her in his arms safely. Throwing a fiery look at pammi, he turned and marched upstairs to his bedroom, and daadi maa called up their family doctor to ckeck on geet.
Still, pammi was not satisfied and said angrily, Mamiji, aap ne apni bahu ko zyada hi sur pe chadaya hai. Thoda bahot khana bana leti wo to kya ho jata? Aap iske itne laad mat kariye, nai to ek din mu par kalik poth ke chali jayegi ye, and the next moment the hallway echoed with a loud sound, the sound of a slap which dadi maa gave pammi.
"Tumhari himmat kaise huio aise karne ki pammi? Aakhir tum hoti kaun ho aise geet par julum kar ne wali, kis haq se aise kiya tum ne? Tum ko bataya gaya tha ki geet ko aag se darr lagta hai, usko kitchen se dur rakha jata hai, lekin aaj tum hamari betu ko maar ne ki koshish kar rai thi? Tum ko sharm nai aayi? Daadi ma slapped her again and looking at her disgustedly, left to check on geet. Pammi stood there spitting fire with her eyes, holding her right cheek as it stung with the slaps, and wowed to separate geet from her family for ever. This time, she was back with a game plan, and will definitely succeed in it, she thought as she walked towards the guest room, calling up her son viren.
Edited by turbulence - 11 years ago
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