[MG-SS] If it wasn't for The Night [Epilogue-p 89]

Chapter One

Valentine's day. . . a special day celebrated for love, a day where the sun seems a bit more shinier, flowers smell a bit more alluring, world seems a bit more beautiful. Many believe in the day, many don't. Many celebrate many won't. However, the day holds significance, for a girl, who right now seems to be in deep sleep somewhere in the city of Delhi. After all, it is the day where her life would take a U-turn, for the better or for the worst? Read on to figure it out. . .

* * *

A fresh bout of chilly wind passed making the white silk curtains flutter. Ducked in her bed, hugging her darling teddy close, a smile playing on her lips, Geet Handa, lovingly called as Geet, was lost in her dreamland. Another fresh bout of wind made the fortune bells jingle and she stirred in her sleep. The tinkling continued and she stirred more, tossing and turning on the bed, before finally getting up in a sitting position. Hugging her teddy close, she sat resting her back against headrest. Her free hand moved to pull the band down, making her silky hair to cascade on her shoulders, shielding her face, from either side.

"Good morning Chocolate" she yawned, pressing her face into the soft fur of her darling teddy: Chocolate. She hugged it closer to her, feeling a warm sensation in the pit of her stomach. It was a ritual for her to wish her darling Hritik Roshan first. However, today was different. It was not any other day. Moreover, she shouldn't be the one to wish Hritik anything today. It's Suzanne's right isn't it? She shook her head smiling stupidly.

She was the biggest fan of Hritik, which is quite proved by the large poster hung against the wall which faced her bed.  And it would be quite a rare sight for anyone who knew Geet that she haven't jumped out of her bed and ran to HR's Poster and gave a flying kiss wishing a Good morning yet. She was unusually calm today, unlike herself and haven't opened her eyes yet for whatsoever reasons.

Pulling Chocolate, that is her teddy closer, she'd put a hand on its eyes, as if closing them and whispered in its ears "And. . . Happy Valentine's day" she had ended with a giggle.

It was valentines' day, the day of love and here she was wishing her teddy first instead of wishing the love of her life like the millions of youth out there. If you've figured out right, yes she's single. . . . and yes there's no one in her life whatsoever. . . at least for now. . .

Theirs was a gang of seven, with two couples in their own gang, and herself, Ihina and Rehan were the left out ones. They were usually the ones to plan any outing, act as cupids, act as telegram service when a couple fought, not to forget how they are finally termed as "Kids" and are thrown out, when the couple finally makes it up.

Ihina hated it- absolutely and made a vow that they would enjoy Valentines' day here after, like the rest of the world, only change being there would be three of them- Geet, Rehan and Ihina- and they would enjoy it as friends.

"Valentine's day is the day to celebrate our love Geet, and we love each other too. It doesn't matter what kind of love it is," reasoned Rehan, and Geet couldn't say much. From that day, it has become a tradition for them to attend the Valentine's ball, eat, drink, enjoy, pass comments at PDA of couples at disc, and finally enjoy to the fullest, being single.

This year too, they planned to hit the disc once again. Three of them going together is a problem, however, as couples are allowed this time- strictly. Last time, they managed by dragging someone along with them but this year she was not too sure. However, Rehan and Ihina always found a way out, so she need not worry.

She sat like that for few moments. She was feeling so jittery today. She wasn't getting any good vibes and considering what she planned for today, she was all the more nervous. She can't let any mistake happen today. That may cost her losing her childhood friends. She sighed and dropped her head back. Only if she hadn't acted stupid last year. . .

Any way it was neither the time nor place to regret about her past actions. Today was a new beginning and she would be damned if she didn't make the best of it. Shaking her head, she decided to let go of the tension that is bubbling through her and decided to keep her mind blank for few minutes or better get her over working brain distracted for few blissful moments and to her greatest luck, she remembered a conversation she'd with Ihina last week, which made her smile. They talked about different traditions, which are followed on Valentine's day at different parts of the world and she found one such tradition interesting. According to that, a young girl would stand at her windows and would look out, early in the morning, and the first person she would see would be her Valentine. Geet rolled with laughter then, thinking of the possibilities if it wasn't a guy, instead what if it was a girl? Or a sixty year old? Or probably a gay?

Ihina however was adamant that she'd follow the tradition, and she added that "Who knows I would as well get my prince charming"

Geet smiled remembering her bestie's words. Suddenly a thought stuck her. Why can't she try it as well? Much needed distraction. She mused.

"Chocolate," she whispered in her teddy's ears "we would do something today. This is a tradition followed in some parts of the world. No, it is not my idea- it is Ihina's obviously- you know her na, anyways it's like the first one you'd see today would be your valentine. It's not that I believe in this superstitious stuff, but what's the harm in trying?" she said shrugging.

"See we haven't even opened our eyes anyway. So, what's the problem in trying?" she cajoled her teddy and smiled brightly "Alright then, all set for the new adventure?" she asked eagerly and shook her teddy, making it nod.

"Even am ready" she grinned and pushed the covers of her bed off her.

Getting down from the bed, she took calculated steps towards the window. She extended her free hand and felt the cool metal railing against her warm skin. Opening the window, she felt a cool breeze pass by, ruffling her silky smooth hair, making her tendrils fall on her forehead and she felt the soft, cool fabric of the curtain on her face and she inhaled the fresh morning breeze. One arm still hugging her teddy, and with her palms closing its eyes, she drew the curtains off with her free hand to have a full view.

"Ready Chocolate? Pray for a healthy and handsome Butter-scotch while I would, for my Hritik" she giggled and opened her eyes slowly, and took her hands off Chocolate's eyes.

She opened her eyes slowly, a sense of excitement and nervousness seeping into her. The fortune bells now tinkled louder, making her heart beat faster. She blinked first, not being able to face the lightening suddenly and kept a hand to block the scorching sunrays. When she slowly removed her hand and her eyes adjusted to her surrounding, she saw someone. . . she blinked hard, to get accustomed to the image and let go of the black spots in her vision which were a result of the sun rays. When she slowly got her vision back, her heart missed a beat as she saw him.

There he stood, with his black vest and tracks, his sweaty body gave away that he was just back from his usual jog. A Prince directly imported from any romantic novel- her friends' would say about him. Dark black hair, tall frame, broad shoulders, strong muscles— which are quite visible by the way he stood; crossing his hands, resting them on the railing of his balcony; dark coal eyes with a sharp gaze, as if penetrating through her being, firm set jaw, and high cheek bones, an arrogant nose and furrowed eyebrows, which indicated that he was assessing her— all in all, he was a prince in flesh and blood. She involuntarily shuddered as she met his gaze. Maan, Maan Singh Khurana stood with all his might before her and her throat went dry. She blinked once, and when she finally came back to her senses, her mouth dropped open, as it stuck her slow brain! She gasped audibly as she saw her so called Valentine before her. Shutting the curtains with a sudden force, she ran inside her room.

To hell with the distraction!

* * *

He looked at the fluttering curtains, with anger. When he saw her first with the teddy clutched in her arms, and closed eyes with a soft smile playing on her lips, a sense of tenderness overcame him. He leaned in forward in the balcony of his room, where he stood now, with his hands resting on the railing, and looked at her interestingly.

She looked like an angel- with a sleeveless white top, her long silky hair cascaded down her shoulders, her large eyes closed, her petal like pink lips stretched into a small smile, a cute dimple on her left cheek, few soft tendrils falling on her forehead made his hands itch to remove them, slowly tuck them behind her sensitive ear.

However, his fantasies came to an end, as soon as she opened her eyes and caught him staring at her. She'd shut the curtains with full force and ran away, making his expressions change to shock and then to anger. . .

"Bro" he heard his little brother call him and his posture turned rigid. He didn't turn back, not wanting to give away anything, at the same time wondering, how much did Rehan see.

"What is it Rehan?" he asked maintaining indifference in his voice, still his back facing Rehan.

Rehan hesitated for a moment, but then slowly stated "It was me bro, who broke that watch of yours, when I was seven"

He turned towards his brother now, a look of confusion passing his face.

"What?" he asked now in an audible whisper.

"That. . . that watch, which, you thought Geet broke and scolded her. . . it wasn't her. . . it was me actually. . . and I told her name to save my skin. . . I am sorry bro" he completed lowering his gaze.

He remembered it then. He was twelve when his school football team made it into national level finals, under his captainship and they won the match. It was then his father gifted him the watch. With their father, always out of the country on business issues, it was the only thing which made him feel connected to him. He missed his father and the watch was all he had which made him remember his father every moment. It was very precious to him. And hence he was mad when he found it broken in his room, with a seven year old girl staring at it, clutching her teddy. He lost his cool and yelled at her. Not only that, he pushed her out of his room and banged his door shut on her face. It didn't matter to him that she was their new neighbor and was his little brother's new friend. Nothing mattered more than the watch. However, his temper cooled down a bit, a month later, when his papa was back home and laughed over the incident. He also chided him for being rude to the little girl, and asked him to apologize.

When his initial temper cooled down and he saw his papa's reasoning, he knew he was wrong and wanted to apologize to her. He saw her in his home, the next day, playing hide and seek with his brother and other children. She hid behind a big flower vase, which quite covered her entire being. He walked towards her, to apologize but the moment she saw him, her eyes widened, and she hid behind the flower vase in fear, hiding her face in it. It hit him somewhere to see this little girl crouch away from him, in fear. He wanted to say he wouldn't harm her. He wanted to say he was sorry and it was okay. He wanted to take away the fear from her eyes, but what would he do when he knew she feared him? He took one step towards her, at the same moment, she peered to check if he was gone and was surprised to see him approach her. In order to get away from him, she nearly knocked out the metal flower vase, causing it to topple on the round with a loud bang. Both of them stood facing each other, watching the flower vase, which was now noisily rolling on the otherwise calm house. Rehan ran to the place and happily announced that she was "Out".

She didn't rise her head from the floor and when he took a closer look, Maan saw tears rolling down on her cheeks, as she kept her head bent and before he could stop, she ran away to her home, and he didn't see her for a week after that. Later, he did see her occasionally but whenever he came to the same room as of her, she would either freeze or run away. At first, it only made him guilty, but later on, it increased his frustration. Whenever she didn't notice him, she would smile and laugh in her usual way, but the moment she catches his eye, would be the moment her smile would die away from her lips, replacing them with fear in her eyes. And those eyes haunted him for so many days. He went out of city for further studies and later on went abroad for higher education. However, whenever he remembered Geet, all he remembered was those big brown eyes peering at him with fear and innocence. The initial guilt and frustration grew up with him, making his heart yearn for her smiles, her usual blabber. Even though he was away from his home, away from his country, there was not a single day, when he didn't think about her. After his post graduation, when he was back to his country, he was surprised to see the innocent baby grown up into a pretty woman. They bumped into each other, the first day, when he was back. The look on her face, when she looked at him however reminded him of the day when she hid behind the flower vase. There was fear in her eyes, much to his irritation. It was not what he wanted to see in her eyes for him. He wanted to see something else. . . something which she would never understand. . . something which he would never get.

"Uh huh" he heard Rehan clear his throat, that bought him out of his reverie.

He looked away from the peering gaze of his younger brother and spoke in a neutral tone "Don't you think it is too early for you to admit your mistake?"

Rehan could see the sarcasm in his voice. Though all he wanted to do is shut up and run away from the place, he knew it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, he said in one go.

"Bro, look I'm sorry. I was just scared then. It was me who broke it and that day, when you came, I was there, hiding behind the curtains, you saw her staring at the broken watch and misunderstood—"

Rehan would have completed his monologue only if Maan wouldn't have faced him with a serious look on his face.

"Look Rehan, I neither have time nor interest to sit with you and reminiscence the good old times"

Turning his face to look at the window, which made his mood sour, he bit out "I believe your friends would be more eager to listen to you". Saying so, he stalked out, not looking back once. If he'd, he would have seen the smirk forming on Rehan's face.

"I am so sorry Bro" Rehan whispered with a lopsided grin.

"I promise I would get today what I always wanted" he said looking at the still shuddering curtains of The Handa's residence.

* * *

"Happy Valentines' day" screamed Ihina at the top of her voice.

"Wish you the same" Geet replied back, in a slow voice, the picture of Maan coming back to her mind again and again.

"Helllooo!!! Are you there?" Ihina screamed from the other line.

"Oh.. uh.. um yes" Geet muttered.

Before she could give away much she blabbered "Alright I think you need to get ready now that we have to go to disc and I bet it would take you hours to get your makeup done."

"I don't take hours" Ihina replied, offended.

"Wanna bet?" Geet replied controlling a smug.

"Alright. Done."

"Okay let's see we as in me and Rehan would come to pick you up in half n hour. Get ready by then if you can"

"Bye" Ihina hurriedly replied before disconnecting the phone and zooming away to get ready.

Geet, on the other hand looked at the receiver with a smile. She then went to her cupboard, to get ready herself. However, she didn't pick a dress. Instead, she took the card, which was kept under the neatly arranged dresses.

It was not one of those flashy, red, gaudy cards, she generally saw. Instead, it was a simple card, which has a picture of a pink rose placed in between the pages of a book, the weight of which is crushing the rose. She felt a chord stuck in her heart when she first saw it. For her, it somehow had shown the unrequited love, the love, which was crushed by another weight. It tugged her heart strings and hence she kept it with her even it's been a year since she had it.

Running a hand on it, she opened the card to find the words, written in black ink, in a writing which is no more less than calligraphy. The words are as beautiful as the writing itself.

She ran a hand through the words, which are embedded in her heart.

I've been holding this picture of you in my heart, 
That keeps a spark glowing when we are apart; 
You never notice the way I yearn - 
Nor the way you make my pulse churn. 
You never take heed of the way you knock me off of my feet -
The way I find your caressing smile ever so sweet; 
You don't understand what I mean to say when I return your glance -
The one gaze that sends me into a hopeless trance;
There is nothing more this poor soul has to imbue,
Than to not go another day without being closer to you.

She read it for the zillionth time now. There were no mushy lines, no tall claims, yet, this card always made her realize the yearning and she chided herself once again for acting stupid. Last year, on sixteenth of February, she opened her English notes, to study for an exam, she had next day and that was when she found this card slipping out of the book and falling on her feet. She picked it up, surprised and looked at its contents. She felt her heart thudding with an audible sound as she read it. It didn't took her so long to figure who put the card here, despite of the absence of any sort of names on the card. She went to Rehan's place with Ihina as usual for completion of an assignment, on thirteenth of Feb, and she remembered carrying this very book. However, due to her laziness of not opening her books every day, she ended up missing the card. And the card was never answered.

Closing her eyes she whispered "I am sorry Rehan, you'll get your answer this year"

* * *

 PS: The poem is not mine, obviously. 😆