[MG FF] The Sunshine- Update pg 134 - Page 67

His knees buckled. His heart sank. His breath stopped. He froze. As soon as those words were out of Mohan's mouth, Maan's entire being was on the verge of trickling away to nothingness. His whole life has been built by a single brick and if that foundation crashed, his whole entity would crumble down to dust. The magnitude of the crash would be so momentous and huge that Maan wouldn't be able to bear it. Such was his life and his base. The pain of the shatter would prick him thousand hot knives, wounding him, paralyzing him and pushing him deep into the ground, into the pressures of the emotional upheavals and the hurt would be excruciating.

Yet strangely he felt none of it. He didn't experience the shattering of his heart into thousand pieces; he couldn't feel that excruciating pain of losing his Geet. He couldn't feel the loud din of his foundations crumbling into pieces. He couldn't feel his confidence ebbing away. He couldn't feel anything but completeness. Strange wholeness that seemed to assure him that everything was alright. In that one second, he knew his Geet was alright. She was fine.

Mohan was keenly watching the change of expressions on Maan's face. The metamorphosis was happening and the noise of destroying his enemy forever would reach him any moment. He had waited for this moment from the time Maan had escaped from his clutches right under his nose and he couldn't do anything but watch foolishly. Now was the time to celebrate the fall of the foe, his biggest foe. The one who was supposed to be invincible according to his useless daughter. The time had come.

Mohan expected to see the hollowness dancing in the eyes of Maan but when Maan lifted his head, all Mohan could find was fury. A blazing anger. The confidence, aggression, passion, and attitude, nothing seemed to leave the person who was standing in the same manner as he was before a few minutes. Maan hadn't changed. He was just the same, only angrier. Mohan faltered for a minute, too confused to think straight.

"You think I am going to believe in what you say, old man?" Maan said very dangerously. Mohan took a step back timidly.

"What did you do to her?" he yelled again causing Mohan to jump in alarm, "tell me!"

"I told you I haven't done anything!" Mohan yelled back, mustering his courage, "she is gone. I am telling the truth."

"I have more confidence in my heart than in you, you vile creature!" Maan seethed, "you tell me Geet is dead and you expect me to believe you? I trust my life in Geet, in her promises and no one can mess with that. Get that straight. Now just tell me what you did to my Geet before I strangle you!"

"How can you be so sure that Geet is not dead?" Mohan countered, "I have seen it!"

"I have seen Geet more than you old man!" Maan barked, "I know what happens to her. I can feel that. I am closer to Geet than you!"

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She carried two steaming mugs of nestle chocolate, something that he had a developed a great liking to. She smiled thinking how this month had whizzed past her in making him comfortable around her. It had taken almost a month to develop a slight understanding, to build a bridge of trust between them and finally, Maan had seen the difference between their hazels, hers and her father's: while one pair haunted him, the other comforted him. He had grasped that and Geet was beside herself with happiness when he had smiled a small, very small, tentative smile towards her. Slowly, taking small baby steps, their camaraderie was beginning to blossom and now that innocent friendship had flourished one step ahead, to the stage where they shared their favourite drink in silence. Maan was still too shy to make any sort of conversation with Geet but she was fine with it. She didn't want to push him too much. She had given him all the freedom he had. This was the first time the poor thing had been allowed to be free. He was basking in its glory and she wanted him experience the joy of being oneself. Being free.

She walked into the room and he looked up from his shadow making. He was sitting near the wall, with the portable light switched on, casting shadows on the wall. It was nice to see him do something childish and innocent. Somewhere in that horror of her father, this boy had not known what exactly childhood was but Geet was really glad that she was witnessing him make the most of his gullibility.

Maan's eyes twinkled as his friend walked in carrying two cups of something that he didn't know the name of but the taste was delicious and he had loved it the first time she had let him drink a sip out of her cup. He smiled tentatively as she joined him on the floor and took the cup from her, looking everywhere but her. She laughed a soft assuring laugh and ruffled his hair, which, thanks to her, looked a lot healthier than before.

He drank the chocolate and closed his eyes in pleasure as it danced flavours in his mouth. To someone who had lived on rotten food, chocolate tasted like heaven and in no time, it had become his favourite. Geet was watching him relish his drink with a smile on her face. It felt so good when he seemed happy. Her hard work, prayers had paid off and this boy was beginning to enjoy his life. That was like the biggest happiness she could ever get.

"I am going to teach you alphabets," she said in Hindi. He looked up in confusion and she mimed the words for him to understand better. He nodded and gave her his empty cup and turned to make shadows again. Geet shook her head, kept the cups on the table and returned with a workbook and pencil.

"Look here..." she said and Maan turned towards her, "I am going to teach you a new language called English. That language I speak with the lady who comes to visit you every day. Unconsciously you know a little bit of Hindi but that is not enough."

Maan nodded, feeling a little scared but Geet patted his back and muttered, "koi na... sab theek!"

He smiled a little and looked into the book she was pointing. She wrote a large letter on the book, something that looked an apple with a tail and said, "ae!"

He looked on, confused. She said again, "ae..."

"ae..." he repeated. She smiled, "ae..."

"ae..." he smiled too. Geet gave him another pencil, took his head and made him write the letter over what she had written. "Say it again..." she prompted. He swallowed, looked at her and muttered, "ae..."

"Shahbaash!" she patted on his back. His eyes twinkled when he heard that word that reminded him of his mother. She smiled at him and wrote another letter and said, "beee..."

"beee..." he whispered, getting scared now looking at all the alien things dancing on the book. Geet shook her head in an assuring manner, "darr mat...sab theek...ab bol...beee," and held his hand again and traced the pencil along the lines of her writing, "beee..."

"beee..." Maan repeated. Geet smiled and said, "arre wah! Tu toh badi jaldi seektha hai..."

For the first time in his life, Maan felt proud. His eyes shined in that glory of doing something right, without getting punished and that success was enough to instigate him to do more. He smiled sheepishly, made actions to show Geet he wanted to learn more and Geet, for who she was, was more than happy to oblige.

She drew a curve on the page and said, "ceee…."

He took the pencil from her hand, traced her letter and muttered, "ceee…."

On it went, this session of little teacher and student. Geet went on writing letters and Maan went on learning it, occasionally smiling at her, feeling real good. The bond was formed. The trust was built.