Chapter 41: Those Years

1 years ago

Anubhuti

@tellyme

Part 41: Those Years

His pain of anger seemed much smaller than her pain for guilt, filled with burden. No way he is going to let her land in guilt. It was between them and no one has the right to question her act regarding him. It’s between them and only them. They can fight, they can argue but not anyone will come between them.

After making Geet drift into a cozy sleep in his arms, he went to the hall and made a video conference call to Brij and Meera. 

*******

“Hey Maan, How was Annie’s Birthday?” Meera asked with excitement. Yash looked at his wife’s excitement  and shook his head. Okay he was getting a much better sense of how close they were with Maan. Spending childhood together, that bond can be of different levels.

He then looked at Maan. The class of man, it was so tough to digest his childhood and the way he was treated. Still he was so much into the family, making sure they were all fine. He could admit to himself, he can never have this big at heart. He would have never forgiven anyone who showed him down the way Maan had been shown down, being this caring was a faraway thing. He was a nice man but cannot be this forgiving. This was when Yash knew only very little. 

Maan was lost in how to frame his question

“What’s the matter Maan? something serious. How did the birthday go”

“Geet did great arrangements. She is brilliant in anything she takes.” pride and love for Geet can be seen

“Then what’s the matter?”

“Rohan” Maan simply threw

“Rohan?” “Rohan?” came from Meera and Brij together

“Who is Rohan?” asked Yash. Maan looked at Yash surprised. Yash did not know Rohan? Yash has known the family for five years. This means, Rohan was out of their life before Yash.

“What was that Ba****d doing there?”

“I will deal with him, no worries. But for that I need favor from both of you”

“Anyways you want bro” Said Brij, while Meera was all worried. 

Yash looked at Meera “What’s the matter Meera? There is so much about family I do not know”

“Meera, Brij… I want every little detail of Geet after I left.”

“And truth,” he emphasized. 

“You can hide stuff from me if you want that Bas***d to be successful again.”

“Maan, I promise to tell you all the truth as it is the need of time. but promise me, you won’t curse yourself for anything.”

“Meera, tell me everything” he didn’t promise. He was already feeling guilty of not looking back.

“After Geet realized her mistake in the party, she tried innumerable times to meet you”

“I know that part. Guards were all bought by him. After that..”

“For the six months Geet had the hope that you would come to meet her at least once. But that didn’t happen”

“I was bound by promise. I left after six months when my final year finished.” 

“Yeah we know. First year of your leaving us was painful seeing Geet’s condition.Any call on landline, she used to run and pick and then quietly placed the receiver on the table to call Mumma, as, it was not you.

On the food table, ‘Mumma, you don’t make this pasta. Only Maan knows how to, why do you try’

Or many times would be lost and then suddenly get up and go. How many meals she had missed and even if she ate, it would be nominal.

She broke up with all her friends stating that you never liked her friend circle. 

‘Maan will be so upset if he knows I hang around with them. Di he can show up any day, he can’t stay angry with me for long’

“

Maan was listening without a word. How hard hearted he was, she had been waiting for him.

“One year  passed , Geet came to sense that you have left her and gone away from her life. She went into some kind of shock. Slowly became completely silent. Many times, just be sitting with whole family but would be lost somewhere, mostly lost playing with her  jewelry  and then suddenly  one day she removed them all. We don’t know, she connected jewelries with you i guess”

“It was our thing” he smiled, whipping a teardrop in the corner of his eyes.

“Then for a few months she was completely lost. It started getting worrisome, as that was not Geet we all knew. One day Rohan came to take Geet to a party. We sent her with him, thinking maybe she will enjoy the gathering. That day when Rohan started flaunting his and Geet’s relation, she took the mic and announced on the stage shocking everyone there

‘Yes, I am committed, committed to my Maan. Each of my breath belongs to him” And she went on and on. Something bottled up in her heart just poured out.

She rudely broke up with Rohan. And you know Geet, she does not think of consequences, especially when you are the subject, she completely leaves her brain aside and her heart overtakes. 

But one person other than Geet who got affected was Dad. As days passed by, your  non presence filled the house with melancholy. We were surprised when Dad did not even react to Rohan’s complaint on how Geet broke the relationship for you.

Then his Dad came to Dad and asked Geet to say sorry and get reunited with Rohan. 

‘I am sorry but this cannot happen. You are asking for the impossible.’  Said Dad, surprising everyone. They were so furious as to why.

‘Reason Geet already stated. Geet is Maan’s, only Maan’s.’ he plainly stated. Dad had lost all his practicality, you had seeped so deep inside his heart, he only knew after you left. After all you are the one who did all his trusted work.

Rohan’s Dad, Mr. Malhotra then started planning and one day ditched Dad and we were bankrupt. Dad had gone into so much guilt of hurting you and seeing lost Geet that he lost all interest in business.

‘Jab woh tha toj uski kadar hee nahi huee’ this is what Dad repeated. His main guilt was placing blame on you publicly. Geet was lost, silent and loner and on the other side Dad would see Geet and started considering himself the culprit of both of you. One day we got Bank notice and we found we had nothing and we were loaded with loans. And then that paralytic attack of dad and it things got worse.`"

Meera stopped to take the pause.

Yash’s eyes went on Maan. Tears had already made their path on his face. He was now seeing Maan beyond the tag of Maan Singh Khurana. He was the Maan of this family. He was not just a member of the family but the root of the Handa family. He had left and everything and everyone had collapsed.

Then Brij started

“ And you can’t deny, however hard he was with you, he knew it was only you who could handle his business. I was not good at it. Business would be my name but you will handle it. Who did not know among us that you will make it big on your own.

House started going into a mess. One side Geet’s sulking in loneliness, other side Dad’s health and then economic condition worsening.

Geet slowly became a complete loner, with no friends. When we asked her to make friends

‘No Veerji. Maan always warned me, I made the wrong friends. He was never happy with my friends’ Not only friends. In anything she did, Maan said this, Maan liked this, Maan did not like this. Seeing her our heart bleeded and we wished to bring you back from anywhere. But how could we be so selfish Maan. This house has only given pain and insult to you.

But one thing that Geet did was start studying madly. And again the reason was Maan. Maan wanted her to be sincere in studies. He would be unhappy if she didn’t. That resulted in her getting admission in great institute

After 3 years happiness knocked our family a little when Meera got married to Yash.”

Maan looked at Yash “Thanks Yash for taking care of my family” Yash smiled. It was true that this was Maan’s family. He had become a member of the family after marrying Meera and he was a nice son in law but Maan was way deeper the part of the family. He should not even consider comparing and why would he. His respect for Maan only went up.

“By the time Yash became family, Geet had already become a silent, looner lost in her books. So Yash only knows that Geet. Geet who slowly turned into a person of self control, focused, taking responsibility, understanding girls. Very calm from outside but had storms always inside her heart. She learnt to efficiently cover her inner turmoil. Yash, not knowing anything, knew that was real Geet. We knew the pain she was going through”

They talked some more about Rano as well. How her love for him would come in the form of anger. 

“Chala gaya bas. Kaun sambhalega bas”

‘Parents can’t scold kid, they will leave never to come back’

‘Can’t guardians make mistakes.’

‘Itna lamba bhi koi naraz hota hai. Chala gaya Khush hai, humaree kya fikar usse’ Many a time we saw her crying for you in the kitchen.”

Maan laughed, “It was there, we mostly gossiped about Geet’s ongoing stupid acts.” 

‘But nice she cried, which kept her normal unlike Geet and Dad.’ concluded Brij

Later, they then disconnected. Maan sat on the sofa and closed his eyes. All Geet’s suffering came in front of his eyes. He had not seen Geet in those days but Geet being an inseparable part of him, he could feel her pain.

He changed and went inside the sheet she had covered herself. He went close to her and pulled her closer and closer to him, to completely glue her to him, her back facing his front. Geet in deep sleep, unconsciously felt his closeness, turned and snuggled into his chest. He again, wrapping his hand around her waist pulled her closer to glue her to him.

Geet had lived through her pain but now when Maan was with her, all her past pain has vanished from her. She has her life with her, what else could she ask from life. But her same past pain was fresh for Maan. It gave him the pain of a fresh wound.

Same was the case for Maan’s childhood. He has achieved his heights, he has his Geet by his side and love of family he had longed for. He was not the person to hold grudges for the family he deeply loved and Geet’s acts were always her love for him, never an issue. But his same suffering was still fresh guilt for Handa’s and especially Geet. Knowledge of his suffering would be a fresh wound for Dadima and Annie. Knowing the past from anyone other than his mouth will be painful for them. Their reaction can bring pain for Geet. Maan was not ready for it. Geet’s past suffering was enough for him to handle, he cannot let any more suffering come her way. She will be protected in his care.

That is the reason Maan has decided to state his childhood to Dadima and Annie on his own by himself. Even Geet stating his past will be risky, they will clearly read her guilt and she will be under scanner. Good that he has set up Rohan for a couple of days.

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead  and closed his eyes.

Next day the office just went by with everyone busy with their own schedule. Annie joined here after a month, which kept her busy catching up stuff with Adi. Rohan had informed her that he will meet her after a couple of days as he was busy with some important task that has come up. She felt proud, Rohan was like Bhai, dedicated to his work. What Annie did not had idea that Maan has worked with Bank in India to get his account freeze. He was under full Debt, all thanks to Maan who had worked for months to destroy their business one by one. Rohan was busy working on that. 

Geet was busy with meeting of her new project,

Along with his regular super busy work schedule, Maan was busy planning how to talk to Dadima, and how to handle Rohan, etc.

Dadima was working with servants to set up evening snacks. Maan has informed that he will come along with Geet. His tone told her that he was going to do some serious talks.  What could it be when he was coming with Geet. Will he ask for marriage permission? 

Savitri devi herself was confused. Sometimes she saw no harm in getting them married and bringing Geet in the Mansion. That way Maan would be staying without having to juggle between two places. He cannot leave Geet alone to stay in the apartment while they all lived as family in the mansion. Even if she forced him to do that, he would be lost in her worry and be sad. She cannot be the reason for his sadness.

On the other hand, she had big time doubts on Maan’s childhood and she had her own reason for that. The way Rano was always guilty and tried confessing her deeds, it felt like she had committed the crime. That time Geet had just come out of a major accident, so no one wanted to think anything other than her getting better. But slowly their actions were hinting at her thoughts, something was very fishy. Then Maan never ever speaks of his childhood, the way he used to go mum, that has always raised questions in her heart. Not only this, Geet had been very sorry for her behavior towards Maan, what was it that she was so sorry about. And last thing that hit her was, Geet had no answer when asked about Maan’s birthday celebration. Her old experienced eyes did not miss the guilt on her face and her going mum on the topic. How Maan had intervened, it clearly looked like he had saved her. Had it been the case of anyone else she would have brushed off these facts but it was Maan, her grandson, she cannot brush off so many hints. With so many questions in mind, she can only accept Geet with open arms if she gets her answer and if Geet comes out clean.

They were all seated in the garden when Servers brought snacks  and respective drinks.

“So Maan, you wanted to address something special”

“Not that special Dadima. I was just thinking, now that Geet is part of our family”

“Yeah, she will be.” She looked at Geet who gave a faint smile. Already nervous, Dadima made her more nervous. And Maan let it be. He did not want to emphasize and counter dadima’s words very evidently.

“Also Dadima, Geet’s life story means me. So you get to know my childhood as well. Mere bina Geet kee koi kahani hee kaha thi”

“So you were that special for Geet” “I still am, kyun princess” he looked at Geet and smiled, blinking his eyes softly to comfort her.

“Her whole life story is her madness for me. Her day, month, year started and ended with me. Kyun” he looked at Geet and playfully slightly bumped his fist on her arm, slightly moving her. He will keep throwing things which Geet can support without hesitation.

“Meri toh Saasen bhi chalen toh Maan ke hone pe” Annie was mesmerized by the love Geet had for her Bhai. The words that Maan played with also made Dadima admire Geet’s love. But she would not give the verdict so soon. Her grandson is capable of getting the toughest deal, she knows how he can turn things in his favor by his words.

“So Geet, how did you come so close to Maan” Dadima asked Geet 

“Dadima, Geet was so small when I came into her life.” Maan intervened

Dadima smiled at Maan. She could see how he was trying to protect. She asked Maan to proceed.

Hope It came out well.

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-Anu