CHAPTER 17
Previously:
Maan and Geet yelled simultaneously. They both knew that Pari was now going to start a tirade of words which were definitely not meant for Dev's ears. Maan raced across the room to snatch the phone from Dev's hands, while Geet leaned forward to do the same. Dev moved slightly backwards and raised his arm to avoid Geet's. Maan dived for the phone in his brother's hand, tripped over the wheel chair and slammed into Geet Handa.
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For a moment, Maan was completely disoriented and struggling to get his bearings, the next he was looking into the startled eyes of Geet Handa. He was kneeling at her feet while her hands were holding on to his shoulders. He wasn't sure if it was to steady him, or to push him away. She was so close to him, that he could feel the soft puffs of her breath on his face. He unconsciously leaned in slightly closer as his attention flickered to those rounded molten eyes, the color of clear honey. He felt the same fierce attraction, he felt every time he was in this woman's vicinity, as he had from the first moment he'd seen her. His eyes involuntarily lowered to her slightly parted lips and he realized they were moving up and down. Moving? He suddenly came out of his trance and the whole room came rushing back to him.
"Aap..aap thik to hai?"
(Are you...you ok?)
Geet was asking him.
He nodded abruptly and was about to stand up when he realized that his left hand had landed on her left thigh, when he had fallen. His hand involuntarily clenched, fiercely onto her thigh in reaction. She gave a loud yelp and tears sprang to her eyes.
What? Wait? What was that? His hand moved slightly over her thigh in an enquring motion, when she grabbed his wrist with both her hands and pushed it away, jerkily.
"Kya?..."
(What)
Maan began, when she tried to get to her feet jerkily, but couldn't manage it.
"Dadi, Nakul Chacha, ya kisi doosre driver ke saath ghar bhej sakti hain kya aap hume."
(Dadi, can you ask Nakul chacha or some other driver to drop us home today?)
Maan suddenly jumped back on his feet.
"No!! I told Brij I'd bring you back home, so I'm taking you guys."
"Par aap... Dadi samjhaye na inhe ki hum Nakul chacha ke saath chale jayenge"
(But you... Dadi please make him understand, that we'll go along with Naku chacha)
She was wary of any offering from this man. She did not think she could bear to hear another tirade from him tonight, nor did she want Miri to be witness to another such confrontation."
"Na Nakul yaha pe hain, na koi aur driver. Aap ko mere siva koi doosra chara nahi hain Miss. Handa."
(Nakul is not here currently, neither is any other driver, so your only option Miss Handa, is me.)
Maan retorted, gazing fiercely at the doorway entrance behind Geet, where Nakul had just appeared upon hearing from another servant that Geet had been hurt.
Dadi and Dev looked in amazement from Maan to Nakul, as he sent away Nakul with a negative jerk of his head and told Geet a blatant lie, so that he could take her home himself.
"Par bhai, Nakul Chacha..."
"Ouch, dadi, why are you pinching me?"
He asked, rubbing his arm looking in confusion at his Dadi, who gave him a warning glance and moved towards Geet.
"Geet bete. Aap jaiye Maan ke saath. Aapko jaldi pahuchana hain na ghar, Pari ke pass. Zyada mat sochiye. Maan chodke aa jayenge apko. "
(Geet bete, please go ahead with Maan. You want to get home quickly to Pari right? Don't think too much. Man will drop you and come back. )
Geet thought for a moment and quietly nodded her assent.
"Ji Dadi."
Dadi breathed out a silent sigh of relief and tried, not to show an ounce of the inner glee she was feeling.
She slowly walked over to Maan and told him in a hushed voice,
"Kuch mat kehna ussey. Samjhe?"
(Don't say anything to her, you understand?)
Maan glared angrily at his dadi, opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it and just nodded his head abruptly.
Dadi was smirking up at him when they heard Dev's panic stricken voice behind them.
"Nahi di, nahi. Main nahi doonga. Kabhi nahi."
(No Di no. I'm not going to give Never ever.)
"Aap kaise, aap kaise..."
(How can you, how can you...)
And then he burst into great big sobs.
Maan and Dadi jerked around simultaneously.
"Shant ho jao Dev aur batao mujhe kya hua?"
(Calm down Dev and tell me happened Dev?)
Maan crouched down before Dev's chair and patted his hair back gently. Dev looked at his brother and shook his head. Maan felt tears smart his eyes. He had not seen Dev in such an emotionally aggravated state for a long time, not even when Geet Handa had threatened to walk out of his house. He pulled his brother closer, hugged him tightly and started patting his back. Suddenly he saw a plump tiny hand, stroking Dev's back, alongside his. He turned his head a little, to see Miri Handa, standing beside Dev's chair and tentatively patting his brother's back, even as she kept a wary eye on him. Her eyes widened slightly when he looked at her directly, but she did not step back. She did not touch his hand even once and if it came closer to hers, she moved her hand back hastily. He did not know why, but the sight of the little hand soothed him, as if she were stroking him instead of Dev. An involuntary smile touched one corner of his mouth. They stood there in perfect harmony, both stroking Dev's back but never once touching each other's hand. After a long moment when Maan felt that Dev had calmed down a bit, he pushed him back, pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat and tears on his face, before asking,
"Ab bolo Dev kya hua? Jo bhi hain main thik kar doonga"
(Now tell me Dev, what's wrong? I'll fix whatever it is.)
"Aap jante hain bhai, why I'm in this wheel chair? That is the price I have to pay for being alive, while Mummy Papa died. That is why I can never walk again. I know that bhai, main janta hoon. But, if there is a miracle for me and I can ever get out of this chair, then I will never, ever, never, even for a moment sit on it again, till the day I die. Then how can Di tell me, that she wants to sit in it again, even if it is just to get downstairs."
Maan's eyes went wide and his body absolutely still, at the double shock he'd received.
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