Destiny's Play-Pt XXXIII(Pg 144) 4/3

Thread 1:

Continued from here

Index on this thread (Thread 2):

Part XIX: Page 1

Part XX: Page 1

Part XXI:Page 9

Part XXII: Page 18

Part XXIII: Page 33

Part XIX

A month and a half had passed since Maan and Geet progressed from strangers, forced by circumstances to live together, to good friends who enjoyed each other's company. Their attraction for each other was growing by the day but they were both too shy and unsure of themselves to make the first move.  Instead they tried to make light of any intense physical or emotional moment which may crop up occasionally by nervously joking about it to ease the tension.  This brought back the feeling of camaraderie. At the moment they were quite content to relish it and not push for more.  

 

Garodia hotels, where Maan works, was celebrating its golden jubilee the following Monday and had announced an off for their staff on that day.  This meant that Maan managed to get a long weekend.  Earlier his cousin, Pinky Khanna, had called from Lonavala to inform him that a family was coming over to her house for bride seeing that weekend and had asked if he could be present as he was her only family. He asked Geet if she could come along with him to Lonavala. Geet was more than happy to do so and they set out early that Sunday morning. 

 

It was a beautiful day with just a light drizzle. For the first time in the last one month the rains had let up. Maan decided to bike it to Lonavala and Geet got her first opportunity to ride pillion with him.  Sitting behind him she did not know where to hold. After a brief hesitation she decided to hold on to the seat. Once Maan started off though, he just blazed in full speed that she slid back and was precariously balanced on the edge of the seat. Slowing down the vehicle, Maan asked her to hold on to either his shoulder or his waist for better grip. She settled for his shoulder, holding it tightly as he sped away. As they left the city limits and Maan increased the speed of his bike, Geet's shampooed hair kept falling on Maan's face.  After trying to get it out of his line of vision for some time, he abruptly stopped his bike in front of a fancy store. 

 

Geet got off from the bike, wondering what he wanted to buy. He asked her to wait outside and went in. After a few minutes he came out and walked up to her. Lifting the tendrils of her hair, which were flying around, he pushed them behind her ears. He then slid the hair clips he had bought across her hair on both the sides. As Geet watched on in astonishment, he said, "Although I love the fragrance of your hair and wouldn't mind it flying around my face, I do not have x-ray vision to see through them. So hope you don't mind if I keep your hair in check till we reach our destination safely." Geet finally understood the unscheduled stop over and apologised for inconveniencing him. "Hey, don't bother. It's not your fault that you have beautiful long hair which can distract anyone's attention", he said, making her blush.

 

En route to Lonavala, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Fed by the monsoon rains, the hills were lush green, resplendent in all their glory. Tiny waterfalls streamed down them, like lacy white frills in the green carpet. Geet's eyes widened in excitement seeing them and she dug her fingers into his shoulders asking him to stop the vehicle.  Maan initially declined, saying that they will be delayed in reaching Lonavala, but Geet kept begging him to do so. Finally, Maan gave in and stopped the vehicle in front of one of the tiny falls. 

 

Geet immediately got off the bike and rushed to the fall. Standing underneath it she got her white salwar kameez completely drenched.  She put out her palm to catch the drops of water as they hit her palm with full force and scattered on the sides, she shook her hair and let the water course through them. She then lifted her face to the fall and closing her eyes, savoured the feel of the fresh water down her eyes, nose, lips and cheeks. Maan watched her in amusement from a safe distance. Soon he became increasingly aware of her stunning beauty which was enhanced by her innocent, childish exuberance. He had a hard time keeping his heart from just hopping out of his chest.  She begged him to join in the fun but since Maan did not like getting himself wet, he shook his head and remained rooted to the spot.

 

Suddenly Geet's foot slipped on the mossy roadside. Maan was beside her in a jiffy and held her tightly in his strong arms, preventing her from falling down. As the tripping was unexpected, Geet too reflexively held on to him.  For a moment the world stood still as they drowned in each others' eyes even as they were enveloped by the tiny waterfall. Maan was the first to become aware of their surroundings and quickly let go of his grip. Seeing him move away Geet too was brought back to the world and she bent her head shyly.  Extending his hand to her, he slowly dragged her back to their bike. Soon they were back on their way to Lonavala. The sun came out from behind the clouds and shone on them. Its sunny rays and the strong breeze took care of drying up their clothes before they reached their destination.

Edited by Opti - 13 years ago

Part XX                                                             

Maan and Geet reached Pinky's house at around 10 o'clock.   Pinky was delighted to have her bhiayya and bhabhi visit her.  Maan promptly asked to see his uncle and she took them both into her father's room. Rajiv Khanna was seated on a wheel chair by the window staring unblinkingly at his wife's photograph which hung on the opposite wall, lit by the sunrays which streamed in from the window.  Tears trickled from the corner of his eyes and wet the collar of his wrinkled shirt.  His right side was paralysed. Seeing Maan, he blinked his eyes in acknowledgement. Maan knelt before his uncle and laid his limp right hand on his head, asking him to bless him. He then turned to Geet and introduced her as his wife. His uncle tried hard to smile at her but his paralysed facial muscles restricted the movement of his lips. He tried to say a few words but his speech was slurred and incomprehensible. Maan held his hand understandingly and asked him not to trouble himself. Pinky held a glass of juice in her hand for him. Taking it from her, Maan made the old man sip it from the spoon he extended to him. 

 

Later they settled down for a late breakfast after which Geet went into the kitchen to help Pinky prepare lunch while Maan went in search of his friends who lived there. Geet took an immediate liking to Maan's twenty-three year old cousin. She was vivacious, friendly and a non-stop chatterbox.  Geet listened with rapt attention to her lively descriptions of her vacations with Maan and Anwesha in Mumbai. Her father was well then.  He used to work in the Naval Training Centre at Lonavala. Although his sister, Neetu, died when Pinky was just seven, Khuranaji always insisted that his brother-in-law bring his niece every summer to spend her vacation with her cousins as she had no siblings and would feel lonely in her place.

 

The Khannas faced a serious setback when a head injury sustained in a motor accident had left Rajiv paralysed. Pinky was just eighteen years old then. As her mother had died of encephalitis when she was four, Pinky was left to shoulder the burden of her family.  She took up a job as a caretaker in the holiday home run by a leading company. She barely managed to make both ends meet with her father's pension and her income. Although Khuranaji and later Maan had offered financial help, she refused to accept it.  She always prided in taking care of herself. Geet was impressed with the girl's tenacity and her guts to face all challenges life has to throw at her. Pinky reminded her of her dear friend Sameera which increased her fondness for her all the more.

That evening the prospective groom and his family had come home. The groom's father was a retired head master and his mother a housewife. The groom himself worked as a clerk in a local co-operative bank.  Maan introduced himself to them. He inquired about the groom's job and his interests. After the usual preliminary small talk, Geet dressed up Pinky and brought her before them. The groom's family seemed pretty impressed with Pinky. Geet inquired whether the prospective bride and groom can have a few moments in private to get to know each other better.  The groom's parents readily agreed and she directed them to one of the inner rooms. After 15 minutes, both of them came out smiling, indicating their consent to the proposal.

 

The family was about to  discuss the details about the wedding when Pinky stopped them and said that she would like to introduce a very important member of her family and wheeled out her father. She told them that she wanted them to meet their future sambandhi who will be living with them.  Hearing this, the groom and his parents were shocked. His father angrily said it is not the custom in their families to allow the bride's father to live with his daughter after marriage, particularly one who is a handicap. Pinky's face went red with anger hearing her father being referred to as a handicap.

Geet noticed the change in Pinky's face and knew she was about to say something very rude to the family.  She immediately placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. The groom's father continued in a high tone that the marriage broker had told them that her father will be admitted in some medical facility and she will be free of any encumbrances. That is the reason why they took the trouble of coming to see the girl in the first place; otherwise they would not have come at all! Pinky was shocked to hear this since she was under the impression that the family was aware of her condition that whoever was willing to accept her should also accept her father as he was her responsibility.  That is why she did not even discuss this issue when she met the prospective groom in private but instead used the time to try to find out more about him.

 

Geet noticed that Maan who was initially taken aback by the tirade the groom's father indulged in, was also turning red with anger and looked like he would blow the fuse any moment. Before a pandemonium could erupt in the house, Geet stepped in and said in as polite a voice as she could muster, "Please accept our apologies. I think there has been some genuine misunderstanding.  Our Pinky is not the type of girl to shirk her responsibility.  She has been the sole support for her father for the last five years, not only taking care of his physical needs but his emotional needs as well. If he is sent away to a medical facility his physical needs would be met but what about his emotional needs? Such patients have a deep need for wanting to belong. They tend to be more sensitive than normal people because in their hearts they feel that they are burdening their loved ones.  It is only through tender individualistic care that these insecurities can be wiped away, a care which only a daughter can give. If she too abandons her father, what will be his plight?"She walked up to Pinky's father and knelt before him, wiping away the tears which were streaming down his eyes.

 

It was the turn of the groom's family to be tongue tied. Turning back to them, Geet then continued, "Why don't you see the positive side? Here is a woman who has single-handedly run her family for five years.  She has faced all challenges in life and has come out of them with her head held high. She is also a woman with a genuinely caring heart. If tomorrow, God forbid, one of you were to face the same plight as Uncle Rajiv, rest assured that this woman would care for you as much as she cares for her own father.  Such is her character. You would be lucky to have a daughter-in-law like her."

 

The groom's parents were impressed by Geet's passionate yet polite speech.  Nodding their heads they had a hushed mini-conference with the groom. They then turned to Maan and said that they were agreeable to the match and that the other details can be worked out. After half an hour of discussion it was finally settled that both the families will share the wedding expenses. The wedding will be held in three months, by end-October. The bride can bring her father to live with them after the wedding.

The family then thanked Maan and Geet for playing the perfect hosts and took leave of them. Maan heaved a sigh of relief and looked at his cousin to assess her reaction.  She blushed and hugged him tightly. Maan looked over her shoulders at Geet and smiled appreciatively, thanking her silently with his eyes. Geet looked on at her husband and sister-in-law with happiness and knelt before Uncle Rajiv, telling him that his daughter was getting married. Uncle Rajiv shed tears of happiness.

Continued here:

Edited by Opti - 13 years ago

Yay! Updates!! I loved both updates! :)

opti,

with new thread

Edited by simi91 - 13 years ago

lovely update dear......................

Originally posted by: Krishnaluv94

Yay! Updates!! I loved both updates! :)

Thanks.

@ Opti - Your portrayal of Geet is exactly my view of an ideal woman. I try so hard to be her every single day. I love her. She is perfect. 

Originally posted by: serialwatcher16

opti,

thanks for sunday morning reading updates

So I kept you busy Usha?

loved the updates...