Geet Khurana stirred in her sleep as the alarm clock started ringing off. She turned towards the side table to hit the snooze button. She squinted half an eye open and her eyes fell on the image of the person she loved the most. Her lips automatically curved into a small smile. She opened her eyes fully wanting to see him clearly and reached over to pick up the picture frame of her husband: the handsome Maan Singh Khurana She traced slow fingers along the cold glass imagining that she was running her fingers along his light stubble that always ticked her skin. It was one of sensations she missed dearly.
"Good Morning Maan", she said with love as she pecked her lips against the glass where his lips were.
She sighed as she leaned against the bed rest cuddling the picture frame against her chest. It wasn't the same as hugging him but it would have to do for the time being. She let her hand trail the cool sheet of the other side of the bed that lacked the warmth of his body.
"Hurry back to me baby", she whispered against the glass. Giving one final glance to the face she couldn't live without, she placed the picture back on the table and got up to start the day.
She hummed softly to herself as she started straightening out the bed folding the blanket to set it at the bottom edge of the bed. She made her way to the window and threw the curtains to the side to let the bright sunshine in. Her lips curved into a smile as the warmth of the sunrays hit her face.
"It's going to be a good day today", she said to herself.
Her humming continued as she opened her closet door and eyed her sarees as she went through the hangers contemplating which one to wear.
"Baby, which one should I wear?", she asked turning to the smiling face.
"Red, wear red", she heard the answer in her head.
She chuckled to herself, "Now how did I know you were going to say that?"
Flashback
She carried up the package up to the room that had been delivered from her designer's shop. Today, her adorable sister Pinky was getting engaged to her college sweetheart and she couldn't have been happier. She needed to get ready quickly and go over to her parent's house to help her temperamental sister who wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. She was running through her tasks in her mind when as she opened the door of their bedroom, and she was pleasantly surprised to see her husband standing by window watching the sun give it's farewell. He turned around as he sensed her presence and grinned at the shock and happiness on her face. Their eyes shone with the happiness felt after seeing each other after months.
She placed the package on the table close to the door as she screamed with joy, "Babyyy !" and ran to fling her arms around his neck as he twirled her around slightly lifting her off the ground.
The reunion was always sweet if not sweeter than the last. The distance was hard on them no matter how short or long the amount of time apart. But this was one of rare times he had given her a surprise and that made a little sweeter than usual.
She let out a playful giggle when he finally placed her back on the floor.
"Missed me?, Maan asked with a wink.
She grinned and decided to answer his question another way. She brought their faces closer and softly sealed their lips together. He wrapped his arm around her slim waist to pull her closer gently. The taste of her sweet lips after a long wait was heaven for him.
When they finally broke apart, she settled her head on his chest with a happy sigh as she kept her hands locked around his neck. He looked down at her with love and said with a chuckle, "I will take that as a yes". She titled her face up and nodded.
Then the smile dissolved into a frown as a thought crossed her mind. "But you didn't tell me you were coming home today", she said with a pout and started to walk away.
He stopped her easily by hugging her from the back. He took her long silky mane of hair to one side and planted a slow kiss on her exposed neck. She melted with the sweet torture. He turned her around so they could be face to face.
"That's because I wanted it to be a surprise. And how could I miss my saali's engagement? She would have just killed me."
She openly laughed at the look of horror that came to his face when he mentioned his saali. "Well, I am happy the fear of your saali brought you home and I can finally spend some time with my hubby", she said letting her head drop to his sturdy shoulder.
"So you want to spend some 'time' with me", he said with mischief in his voice and she could tell exactly what he was thinking. He slid one arm around her waist loosely as the other glided down her back slowly.
She broke away from him before he could carry out his plans, "We can spend time together later but for now we both need to get ready", she said walking over to the table to pick up her saree.
He looked a little glum at the turn of events but figured she was right. "Do you want to see what I am wearing tonight?", she asked taking her saree out of the bag.
"Hmmm", he said absently as he went through his phone.
"Maan, look na", She called out as she held the saree against her body.
He looked up to see an exquisite white saree with light sliver work. She smiled as she waited for his reaction.
"It's really nice and you will look beautiful in it", he said as he sat on the bed.
Her smile faded off at his praise because she could tell he didn't mean it. They had only been married for two years but she knew him as well as she would have if she had known him her own life. Their marriage had been an arranged marriage. She had finished her degree in arts when her parents had started looking for a proposal. Her aunt was a good friend with his Dadi and that's how their things had gotten rolling. They easily became friends over their engagement period and the friendship unknowingly developed into love despite the time apart they spent from each other.
"You don't like it, do you?", she questioned with a saddened expression as she sat next to him on the bed.
He pulled her onto his lap letting her back rest against his chest. "Of course, I like it", he said trying to be convincing as he laced their hands together.
She turned her face towards him and glared at him for lying, "Don't your dare lie to me Mr. Maan Singh Khurana.",, she threatened.
He gulped with fear as he saw the warning in her eyes. She always saw right through him. "Okay fine, I don't like it at all.", he confessed as her expression turned sad. "Not because it's not a beautiful saree. It really is. But because of the colour; white is not the colour for you. I know people say white is the purest of all. But I think that a married woman should only wear white when she is a widow and I am not-"
She stopped him from going further covering his mouth with her hand shaking her head with tearful eyes, "Then, I am never going to wear white ever again", she said through her tears and hugged him tight.
Maan cursed himself for making her cry, "No sweetheart, please don't cry", he cajoled patting her back.
She drew back and he reached out to wipe her tears. She took a hold of his hand and looked into his eyes, "Don't you dare ever talking about dying.", she warned. "Your life is all mine now", she said with love as she laid her head on his chest and his steady heartbeat soothed away her fear.
Maan tenderly kissed her on the top of her hair and she sighed happily.
"Are you two ever going to be ready?", his sister Annie hollered from the other side of the door.
She sprang up from the bed at her voice, "Ummm, we are coming Annie .", she yelled back.
"Maan, what am I going to wear now?", she asked panicking. "I have nothing decent to wear to my own sister's engagement.", she complained as she went through her hangers.
"Wear this", he said coming from behind and placed a wrapped box in her hands.
"What's this ?", she asked as she started to open the wrapping. He said nothing as he waited for her to open.
Her eyes lit up with happiness as she took the red saree with pink beadwork along the border of the saree out of the box. "Now, this is the colour for a married woman. A colour that defines you."
"This is beautiful", she said as she eyed the saree.
"Only if you wear it.", he said as he looked at her with love
Flashback end
She blinked away the tears at the memories she carried of him. These memories that she needed to live with until he came back. After that day, she had donated all the white sarees she owned. Picking up the red chiffon saree, she made her way to the washroom.
About twenty minutes later, she started down the stairs to go for breakfast.
"Good morning Dadi Ma.", she said as she made her way to the table. She gave her a soft peck on the cheek instead on touching her feet that a daughter-in-law was expected to do. Dadi Ma had raised Maan and Annie all by herself after their parents had passed away in an accident as she took care of the family business at the same time. She had brought Geet into the house as a daughter-in-law but treated her a like a daughter.
"So what the plan for today?", Geet asked as she always did every morning.
"Hmm, I have to go to the office for a bit because Annie and Arjun need some advice with business", she said.
"Oh, do you want me to join you? I can cancel my classes for today", Geet said not wanting her to overwork.
"No beta, I will be fine", she assured patting her hand. "I will be back in a few hours. You go ahead with your day."
"No Dadi Ma, we will go to the office together and plus I have classes only in the afternoon today."
After breakfast, they made their way to Khurana Constructions that was being handled by Annie and her husband Arjun Rathod. Most the morning went by easily as Geet spent time catching up the employees as she rarely made the trip to the office. Then she dropped Dadi Ma at home and headed for college.
Geet taught at the Delhi's Fine Arts Academy as an art teacher in particular painting. Her afternoon went by as she taught students all she could about painting their perceptions into a beautiful images. What she was really waiting was for her classes to finish so she could go to her place of solace.
As her final lesson wrapped up, she grabbed her bag and headed out. Before she could go to her usual spot, she had to make a pit stop as always. Stopping her car at the shop, the aged shopkeeper smiled as she approached him. Without a word, he handed her a box and she smiled as she handed him the money. He nodded her with a smile that meant see you tomorrow. She always silently hoped she wouldn't have to.
Soon, she pulled up to the beach at about four and this was one place she came to everyday. Taking her bag and the box she just picked up, she made her way to over the sand to the rock she usually sat. Once settled, she began to pull out the required items: the stationary paper, quill pen and its ink. It was one of odd things she did. She always wrote her letters with a quill pen. Before starting her letter, she drew a small ship in the right corner of the page like she always did. Then, she let her feelings flow onto the paper.
My Dearest Maan,
The world tells me you are dead. But how can that be when I am still breathing. My heart still beats only for you and I know that somewhere out there your heart is beating for me. We are two bodies and one soul...and I am soulless without you. We are two names meant to be said in one breath. There could never be a 'me' without an 'us'. There can't be a Geet without a Maan.
I try to live my life normally but without you, there is no true meaning of happiness. You are my only happiness in life and without you; I am incomplete. I am waiting for you to return to me. I know you will one day...you promised you would return to me. Maan Singh Khurana is a man of his promises..i know that. You would never leave me incomplete in the journey of life.
I am at our beach where you had vowed three years ago that you would return to me. But the wait continues and this has been the longest I have ever been apart from you. I don't care what the world says. I know my husband: my baby is still somewhere out there on the sea doing his job for the Indian Navy. I know your duty as Caption Maan Singh Khurana comes first but my wait for you will continue. I wait for you everyday at our beach until sunset with the same hope that you will one day come back to me. I promise I will wait for till my very last breath.
Yours Only,
Geet Singh Khurana.
She glanced down at the finished page as some of words were smudged with her tears. He would be able to tell that she was crying but it was too late to mend that. Wiping the last of her tears, she held the letter in her hand to let her words dry but the wetness of tears that were in her heart could never be wiped away unless he came back to wipe them himself. She grazed out to the endless sea that had her soul; somewhere in the vast sea he was still there. He may have died for the world three years ago when their ship had been wrecked in a storm and none of the navy officers had been found. She refused to believe his death until she saw his dead body with her own eyes.
"You are still out there", she said grazing out the endless waves. "I know you are baby."
The evening after the engagement, she had tearfully bid his goodbye once again as he only managed to get the leave for Pinky's engagement. Right before he had to leave, they had come to the beach. Here, over the moonlight and stars as their witnesses, he had given her a farewell kiss and a promise to return to her one day.
She ran her fingers along to page to check if the ink that dried and when the ink didn't smudge her hands; it was ready. She began to roll the page as tightly as possible and then expertly tied a string in the middle to hold it. Seeing that was done properly, she opened the box she had picked up earlier from the shop. Holding the glass bottle in a hand, she slipped in her letter with the other closing it properly with a cork.
Satisfied with the completion, she stood up on the massive rock and threw the bottle into the water gently so it wouldn't sink. It landed with a quiet splash before a strong wind current picked it up and took it along. She watched it sail away with the waves until it was no longer in sight. She had been doing this everyday for the past three years never missing a day. A letter a day sent to him by the sea. He was a man of the sea and she knew he would get her message somehow. She would wait for him all her life to end her everlasting wait; a wait worth a lifetime.
Ya...pretty much back to what i am known for 😆...But i still hope u all enjoyed it...Remember to hit the like tab and comment
Love,
Reya<3
comment:
p_commentcount