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Banner Credits: hinal
And yes, I am back!!! My masters are still on, I am still gonna have classes and stuffs so, yes, pace will be slow but hopefully continuous.😃
I am writing after ages, so please bear with the pilot update after the long break. I will pick up from the next.😳
Also, please let me know if you guys still need PMs. Its a tedious task and most of them don't read anymore. If you could remain updated through FB, it would be of a great help to me. So, yes, please do reply to this along with your comments.
Chapter 7: Back In Time
She closed the notebook and looked outside her window. The nights were getting chillier. Winter was nearing. A few more drops in degrees and it would start snowing. The days had already turned shorter and college life had hit her hard. Her first venture into the real world was taking a toll on her. Her only saviour in this new country was…
The phone rang, breaking her reverie.
Maan.
She smiled. Just 3 months into their friendship and he had taken a special place in her heart, not because he was from the same country as hers but for the care that he always showered on her. Whenever she missed home, he’d be there, knowingly or unknowingly.
“hello?"
“Geet, where are you?"
She could hear horns from the other side. Maybe he was still driving.
“In my hostel."
“Great. Get ready. I will pick you up for dinner."
“but.."
“okay bye."
He didn’t even hear; was probably in a hurry or something. She quickly put on her overcoat and cap and by the time she headed out, he was already pulling in.
“hey" he smiled as he opened the door for her and she quickly got in, rubbing her palms to the heater of the car. He swerved the car and they hit the road.
“what is this sudden plan?"
“just like that." He smiled but kept his eyes on the road.
“just like that? I have assignments to do!" She exclaimed at his nonchalance.
He slowed down and turned to face her with a raised brow, “what? I can’t even have dinner with you now?"
Then his attention was back on the road. She opened her mouth to say something but then stopped. He was always like this. Her young heart fluttered at the tiny authorities he took at times like this. Usually it was always her chattering about everything under the sun. Sometimes, when he took charge like this, she didn’t realize how her heart fluttered and how her cheeks warmed up to be rosy and how she loved these times which were rare.
“you are awfully quiet today. What’s the matter?" He asked, curious that she was so quiet.
“Nothing really." She sighed.
“that sigh is not a good sign Geet. Tell me what happened." He honked and took a left.
She eased the backrest and stretched herself, “long day at university plus too many assignments."
“that’s it?" He stopped at the traffic and gazed at her curiously, “I doubt if its just the university that can actually shut you up!"
She didn’t reply for a moment or two until it hit her and she sat up straight, glaring at him. The signal turned green and they moved.
“excuse me but are you mocking me?" She retorted.
“I am genuinely curious." He stifled a laugh.
She twisted her lips wanting to talk and not wanting to talk and then settled for the later. She didn’t say anything and looked out of the window, which actually quite surprised him.
“Geet." He called out lovingly, “I know something is bugging you. Would you mind sharing?"
She was unusually quiet and that did bother him. She had been a part of his life now and he didn’t deny the fact that he had taken a liking towards her. In his otherwise monotonous life, she was the only way of expression.
“It’s nothing really. I am just exhausted with so many things happening in the university."
He watched her still lost a little and sighed, “Okay. If you say so, i’ll take your word for it."
They reached the restaurant and he did not bug her anymore. It was so unlike her… to see her so quiet and distant.
But boy, he was wrong.
He saw her mood improving as they neared the end of the dinner and she was back again, chatting.
“weren’t you upset a while back?" He asked, tired of her non-stop chatter and held his head for she wasn’t anywhere near stopping.
She licked the spoon of ice-cream and cocked her head to the side, staring at him.
“what?"
“Know one thing about me Khurana. Geet Handa can never stay upset for long."
And then she was back into her ice-cream, telling him a story about how her roommate has been giving her a hard time.
Oh the dramatics!
He couldn’t even bring himself to say that he didn’t like it. He actually loved every bit of her. She was one enthusiastic soul, he came to know and there was so much positivity around her. Maybe she just needed a change of atmosphere! And there she was…the chatty Geet Handa, back in her space, yapping god knows what.
The moment they sat in the car, she put on some Indian Radio station that was playing some old music.
“chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe….yaahhhooo…" she screamed, scaring the hell out of him.
“what the hell…"
She didn’t even let him complete, “kehene ko ji kehta rahe….yaahhoooo.."
He stared at her like he had seen a ghost whilst she kept screaming her lungs out in the car, swaying in her seat. Such energy she had, he wondered from where she got that!!!
“….hum pyaar ke toofanon…" she stopped and looked at him, “sing with me maan!"
“What? No."
“Arrey, why not? This is such an amazing song…yaahhooo!!!"
He cringed at that loud voice and turned off the radio, bringing some peace to his life.
“heyyyy…why did you turn it off?" She complained, “put it back on!"
“Am sorry, I need to hear the horns of other vehicles and not get deaf!" He bit back and concentrated on the road.
She twisted her lips, “why are you so sadu?"
“what? What did you say?" He tried to keep his focus on the road and not reprimand her for whatever shit she was talking.
“sadu! You aren’t enjoying. You aren’t letting me to enjoy! What’ wrong with you?"
“No!" He hit the steering, “there is nothing wrong with me. It is with you and your head. And what kind of song is that?"
“that’s a classic song okay. Haven’t you heard that before?" She folded her hands in front of her chest, clearly judging him.
“Oh please. I haven’t got time for something as silly as that."
“What kind of childhood did you even have if you haven’t heard Shammi Kapoor songs!!" She made a face and looked out of the window but her words had stirred something in him.
His mind went long back into his childhood and he quickly shook his head to get some semblance back. They reached her hostel and she got off without a word.
He looked at her slowly retreating figure and let out a sigh. Getting off the car, he rushed and held her hand, “Geet, wait."
She stopped and turned back, his fingers firmly clasping hers over the gloves yet the sensation of touch far more noticeable.
“what?"
He looked straight into those eyes, so much filled with mirth and so much light.
“I’m sorry."
“Good." She nodded in affirmative.
“I am leaving."
“huh?"
“I am going home."
“India?"
“Yes. I’m needed back there."
She didn’t know why she felt what she felt then. His earnest eyes beckoning something and her heart twisting for some random reason she wasn’t aware of.
“when will you be back?" She whispered.
All these days, he hadn’t known how much she had meant to him up until today. His only way of beating the loneliness of the strange world and suddenly he didn’t want to go. He inched closer and gently ran a finger through her hair, pushing them away from her face.
“After new year."
“that…that’s long!" She shivered with a sudden chill she felt.
“Yeah. Take care of yourself."
“B…but…" she wanted to ask him to come back early but she couldn’t. She wanted to tell him to bring her some home-made pickles but she couldn’t.
“Good night Geet."
He leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. And before she knew, he was already in the car, pulling away.
She stood there for long even after he was gone. Her cheek still felt warmth of his touch in the cold November night. The security urged her to get inside and that is when she realized she had been standing there like a fool. As she climbed the stairs, she softly ran her fingers on her cheek. His kiss still lingered.
For god’s sake, it was just a kiss on the cheek Geet…" she chided herself for long. But Maan refused to fade away from her mind. She had to admit that there was some change between them. Was it the new country? Was it her changing life? Was it his way of caring for her? Were things only in her head? She won’t see him again for next one and a half months. The thought gave her anxiety and she switched off the lights of her room, trying hard to sleep off.
India
“…thank you for today. We will think over this and call you."
Gayatri Khurana smiled her best and closed the door after seeing off the guests, no, her daughter’s potential future in-laws and sighed. She had responsibilities on her head and now the biggest one remained. She wiped the sweat with the pallu of her sari and sat down on the couch, wishing things went smooth.
“Maa…" he picked up an apple from the table and sat on the wooden couch, “did you like them?"
She smiled at her son, who had come back home after a long time, “acche hain. The guy is well settled. I liked them. Let’s see what they have to say."
“Did you ask Isha about it?" he asked, now lying down on the couch and resting his head on his mother’s lap.
Gayatri’s hands inadvertently went to his hair, soothing her child, “how does it matter?"
He raised an amused brow, “shouldn’t it matter? Isha’s choice?"
He knew his mother’s resilience and he also knew the kind of discipline she had instilled in them.
“Listen Maan, for me, there is nothing more important that my children’s happiness. I will choose the best for her, don’t worry. Once things settle between us parents, I will ask Isha about her choice."
He didn’t say anything. His mother left and he turned on the TV, browsing through some random channels when he stopped at one particular song that caught his attention.
“chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe…yahhhoooo…kehne ko ji kehta rahe…"
He burst out laughing! Geet was so over dramatic. Her screaming the other day echoed in his head and he crushed the cushion in his arms.
What would she be doing?
Stockholm
She checked her exam schedule and then looked at the calendar. Her exams were due before the holiday season started. She looked around and found everyone busy in themselves. Suddenly, she found herself to be so alone in the college. Realities of the world were unfolding in front of her innocent eyes. People who she thought were her friends were not really friends. She had come to realize that… people were always concerned about their own betterment. She had always lived a protective life. Now that she was all alone, in a distant country, away from the cocoon of her parents, she could see now how the world worked. Sad, she couldn’t even go back to her parents and complain. With a heavy heart, she took her bike and decided to just roam around to keep her mind away.
The red signal at Sergelstorg square stopped her and her mind inadvertently went towards the side she’d find him all the time. She looked for that familiar black sedan in the evening crowd and zapped back to reality only when someone behind her honked. The signal had turned green.
He wasn’t there.
She sighed as she rode across Sergelstrog and realized he had gone home. It’s just been a week and she was already missing him. She slowly came back to her hostel and decided to give him a call. She did take out her phone and then chucked it realizing it would be too late at his place.
She had never felt this lonely before. She hadn’t felt anything yet because she always had him by her side, listening to her, talking to her. Now that he wasn’t there, she realized she had no one to turn to in this strange place.
“okay, you need to focus on your exams and then you can go home during Christmas." She consoled herself and sat down the study.
India
He was on his way to the kitchen to look for something to eat when he found his sister sitting on the steps of the porch, lost in her thoughts. He walked towards her and gently tugged her hair, making her wince.
“Ouch… what the hell?" she screamed, suddenly jolted out of her thoughts.
He laughed, always having loved to irritate her, “I was going to get something to eat. You want to eat anything?"
She looked as if she wanted to say something but then stopped, “umm..yeah."
“Maggi?"
Her smile widened, “with cheese!"
He got back with two hot piping plates of cheese maggi and sat beside his sister on the porch steps.
“Umm…this is so good." Isha hummed as she slurped the noodles.
“Yeah Yeah eat as much as you want now…once you are married, you have to cook your own meals." He teased, earning a wedge from her.
“Stop ruining my time here okay. Wait until you get married too."
He smirked, “there’s a lot of time"
They ate in silence for a while when suddenly Isha asked, “Say Maan, did you find a girl for yourself?"
He stopped midway, “why would I need a girl?"
“to get married of course?"
“Di, since the moment your engagement has been fixed, all you are doing is talking of marriage! What is wrong with you?"
She kept her plate away and faced him, “See, one day you would eventually have to get married na. Maa will be all alone after I leave. It will be all on you."
“Tab ki tab dekhenge na.. first you get married and get out of this house!"
She pinched him hard and he winced hard.
“stop making fun of me. I am serious. Do you not want to have someone in life who would be all yours? You can talk to that person about anything and everything without being judged…"
Talk to that person…without being judged…
His mind went back to those times when she’d get into his car and chatter about every damned thing on this planet and he never realized up until this moment how much he had enjoyed those times!
“Geet…" he muttered under his breath.
“Maan…" Isha’s voice distracted him, “let’s go shopping."
“What, shopping with you? No!!!" he cringed at the thought.
“Pleaseeee…puhhhlleaaseeee"
He couldn’t have ignored those puppy eyes his sister threw at him and he gave up. She rushed to change whilst he sat there wondering how his sister could hop from conversation to conversation so quickly. Geet was no less…
He halted his thoughts there and rushed inside to get ready.
Things were changing and they were changing fast.
Stockholm
She checked the phone again and there was no text from Maan. She had pinged him a few days back and he had replied that he was held up with his sister’s engagement. There had been no messages since and she was desperate to speak to him. Her exams were over and she was out with her classmates none she could connect with. She went just because she didn’t want to be left out. She had a few drinks with them, ate nicely and came back into the haunting loneliness of her room. Christmas was close. Her exams were done. She’d be flying back home for the holiday season in a day.
India
He sat with his old friends in a café, catching up. It felt great to be back in India after long. The winter of Delhi had snuck in and the chill was setting in.
“One espresso please…" he ordered and then stopped short, being reminded of one such evening with Geet.
“Ewww yuck… what the hell is that?" She quickly kept away the mug and looked for something in her bag to chew.
“that’s an espresso and that’s what you get for sipping other peoples’ drinks without permission."
Such fond memories when he was home for just a month. He’d be seeing her again soon yet the heart was getting restless. All this while, countless number of times he had found himself lost in thought of hers and he had finally admitted to himself that he missed her. A few days back she had texted him saying she was going home which meant she was in Hyderabad already. but things had kept them busy. Sweden was better. They had so much time for each other. Back home, they were pulled by strings of relationships.
On the way back home, he looked at the empty passenger seat of his car and sighed. Things were going to be different when they got back to Stockholm.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They stood in front of each other… finally. The wait was over. He was back. She was too. They had decided to meet for dinner and he had come to pick her up. The snow had been cleared off the roads and the new year had been welcomed well. He stood by his car, eager, excited, anxious and impatient.
She put on her prettiest bow on her hair and stepped out, her heart beating so damn fast as if she were seeing him for the first time. She put on her gloves and walked out only to see him standing by his car, in a dark gray cardigan. She couldn’t see anything beyond that and she didn’t want to. He looked different. That light stubble she had always noticed had grown, now on the way to a full-fledged beard. His eyes shone, looked at her without a blink and she felt nervous for no reason.
She took tiny steps to come closer to him and he had every urge to just pull her towards him and hug her tight and tell her how much he had missed her. Unable to resist, he took a step ahead and raise his hand to reach out to her. This was one moment he knew he wouldn’t regret. He wasn’t unsure of his feelings though. What he was unsure was her apprehension. But he would give himself that benefit of doubt.
She gulped hard and then watched him raise his hand to her. That was it. this was the moment. She wasn’t the only one who lived in his absence. His one gesture said it all. The next moment, she found her steps faster and then she was running. She placed her hand on his and then he just pulled her into his embrace.
That was it.
The one moment.
This one moment that changed everything between them and this one moment that would set the course of their lives from now onwards.
His embrace was the warmest place she had felt in months. All those days of utter loneliness hit her hard and a thin film of tears clouded her eyes. She wasn’t going to be alone anymore.
He probably felt her shiver. He hugged her tighter.
“Gosh, I miss you." He whispered.
“Umm…" she could say only so much, overwhelmed with so many emotions.
He realized he had not missed her but himself when he heard her chatting all the way… all through the dinner, telling everything. He had missed being himself all these days and being with her always brought out his best. She never complained about anything. He wondered if she was that accommodating…but then it would be fun to see her colors.
He dropped her back in her hostel and she surprised him by pressing a kiss on his cheeks out of nowhere, “thank you."
Her eyes held some unknown promises that amused and excited him all at the same time. When she was about to leave, he held her hand and pulled her back. Her face came right in front of his and the first flakes of snow came down for the night.
“Maan…" she could barely whisper as one tiny flake of snow settled on her nose. He didn’t even bother to remove it.
“Next time…" he exhaled, his heart beating so fast to have her that close that their breaths mingled.
“next time?" she repeated after him, her breath fogging up in the cold.
He raised a finger and removed that snow flake from her nose gently, “I am taking you to my place."
He left her and she left her breath.
“Good Night."
He left and he left her with a sleepless night. they were back in time…back in their own world and this time, she realized, their world had collided for real. Things would change and she was happy that they would.
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>>okay, this new IF sucks!!! I had a very hard time editing stuffs. if anyone has any tips, you're most welcome.
>>and we are finally back to past... full-fledged.
precap: things are getting hotter...probably😳
Prev: Chapter 6
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Oh
Very happy to see you back😘
Amazing update as always
Loved both
Beautiful
Ps
It's ok to get it from fb
glad that you updated! thanks so much! you are back with a bang!
Chapter 7
phenomenal update! beautifully written!
Love the bond between Geet and Maan! aww he misses her chatter! nice that she is able to share her problems with him! great that her mood improved!
of cos her singing annoys Maan! hmm he is indeed a sadu!
sad that Maan has to go to India! at least he realised what she means to him!
oh no he is going for a long time! can understand Geet's sadness! wow he kissed her on her cheek!
agree with Maan that Isha's choice matters!
glad that he misses Geet! everything reminds him and Geet!
Geet feels so lone;y!
liked the conversation between Maan and his sister!
finally he is back!
the hug said it all! great that he confessed he missed!
wonderful that he wants her to go with him next time!
Wonderful
Maan confessed how much he missed hr but all past now she trying to forget Maan but his memory hurting hr
Wow u r back... With past... They r friends now n maan loved to hear her chatter patter... Then separation for sometimes n both missed each other so much... But maans mother... I think so tradotional... She didnt ask maans sis about her marriage opinion... When maan would tell her about geet what would b her reaction
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