Chapter 37:

Back Home

 

Maan came home. He was successful in his mission but there were still a few things he had to clear up. He ran upstairs to Dadi and saw her sitting and reading some magazines.

"Good morning Dadi." Dadi smiled brightly.

"Maan, you came home." She was more excited than usual.

"What happened Dadi, you seem excited." Dadi nodded and took the phone next to her bed.

"Come to my room" she just said and minutes later there was a knock. Maan turned and saw his youngest brother standing there.

"How are you Maan bhai?" Maan rushed to his brother.

"Vicky so nice to see you home" Maan hugged him and looked at him. For many years now Vicky would message him and let him know he is alright but never came home. He understood his discomfort but missed him all the same. Maan remembered his conversation with Dadi and looked behind Vicky.

"I heard from Dadi that you brought home a friend the other day." Vicky started sweating.

"Yeah, my girlfriend."

"What is her name?"

"Feroza."

"What does she do?"

"Maan, stop questioning your brother like an inspector. She has gone to her relatives who live in Mumbai and will come back in a few days." Maan luckily listened to Dadi and took Vicky with him. The strolled around the place and Vicky wondered how to ask his questions. He started with the easy ones:

"So bhai, I heard you have a girlfriend, too." Maan nodded smilingly. Vicky took in the sight as it had become rare for him to see.

"Geet is her name. She has a bistro in KC. I tell you taste her food ones and you will never eat anything else." Vicky smiled.

"To be honest I never thought you would open up after Samira. What had happened?" Maan's face fell. He never had told anyone much about Samira.

"She was a mistake. She wanted me for my money, nothing else." He fell silent. The next question was tricky.

"You met her in London, right. Does she have any other family member who knows about you?" Maan stopped in his step and gave his brother a suspicious look.

"Why are you asking?"

"Just out of curiosity." Vicky answered too quickly.

"She was half orphan. Her father had died when she was little and her mother…" Maan tried to remember.

"She was nice. I met her once briefly during a function." Vicky tried to remember more questions. Ferri had made a list and had conveniently added a few answers to questions that might be asked by Maan.

"Have you ever heard of her after that day?" Maan shook his head.

"It is better this way. I don't know what I will do if she comes back." They had reached the guestroom and Maan wanted to introduce Geet to Vicky. This was a good opportunity to stop their fight. He knocked and opened the door when he got no answer. The room was empty, that is, even those few things that Geet had were gone. Maan checked the dressing table and cupboard, both were empty.

Maan rushed past Vicky, ignoring him and asked the driver about Geet. He told him how Geet had insisted on going back to her apartment and that the rest of her luggage was to be sent back too. Maan fumed at both the driver and Geet. He took his car and drove off. 

 

Sonia talked to her mother. It was a long mother and daughter talk after which both fell silent. Sonia told Nani about Dev. She had been extremely happy. Then Nani had told Sonia about Annie and she wasn't happy at all.

"How can you just let her go alone" Sonia had asked her mother.

"She is a big girl, Sonia and she certainly has more sense than you. She is doing all this for your sake and what are you doing?"

"Maa, why don't you understand?" But there was no ways to explain, forget about understanding. Sonia never did tell her mother all the truth. Yes, the most important part she did tell but there was another reason she didn't want to go back.

She was at a loss as to what to do next. Annie was in Delhi, Dev and his family were heading there, too and now even her mother wanted to go. She couldn't stop her and maybe she would have to face her problems now. She had been putting them off for years but was aware that they would never just disappear.

 

Geet had a bowl of cereals in her hand and was watching SpongeBob. She had changed into something more comfortable and had left her luggage the way it was. After all she had enough time to unpack it. That is what she thought. There were loud bangs on her door. Geet got up and wondered who it might be. The bangs got more violent and louder. She grabbed a frying pan and opened the door, hiding behind it. The door flew open and Maan entered. Unfortunately for him Geet thought he was a thief or similar and started beating him up.

"Saale, kutte, kamine, ullu ki dhum, ghade ke bhai tumhari himmat kaise hui mere ghar ane ki?" Maan was so shocked at her words and the unexpected hits with the frying pan that he stumbled forward and fell. He rolled over and Geet who had raised the pan to give him some more stopped her hand in midair. She let it drop which hit Maan on his stomach and Maan groaned.

"Maan sir, aap?"

"Tumhare ghar mein mehmaan ka aise swagat karte hain kya?" he asked her in pain. Geet was not really strong but when it came to hitting someone with a frying pan she knew how to hurt someone. Geet helped him up, led him to her room and made him sit on the bed.

"Sir, sit here I'll get some ice." Maan groaned. Geet returned and held the bag with ice on his shoulder and back.

"Geet, you didn't answer me."

"Sorry sir, I thought you were a burglar."

"A THIEF? Why would I come in broad daylight?"

"How should I know? Anything can happen in a big city like Delhi. And after all you did bang the door very violently. What if something happened?"

"Nothing would have happened to me Geet."

"I was talking of the door." Maan had enough. He pinned Geet onto the bed, towering over her and blocking her way with his arms.

"So the door is more important for you than I am?" He asked her. Geet shook her head.

"Why didn't you come back to the mansion? I had instructed the driver to drop you there."

"I wanted to come back here."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to." Maan sighed, this was leading nowhere.

"Geet, why can't you tell me the truth for once?"

"I did tell you everything there is to tell. You are the one who does not believe me."

"You never did tell me anything. You left out half of it and let my imagination take over. If you were clear than I had no reason to be concerned in the first place."

Maan looked Geet into her eyes and she looked back. They knew it was all about Rahul.

"Geet, I love you even if something happened. All I want you to do is trust me."

"I trust you but do you trust me?" Maan nodded. Geet told him everything.