Chapter 78

Geet settled on her bed and maan sat near it on the chair. He stayed there for long time. None of them spoke. He asked nakul to bring something for her to eat and saw to it that she ate well. All the time his phone kept ringing and he tried to cope with all his office work on phone. He cancelled most meetings, talked to clients on phone, had long chats with office staff about things to be done.

Seeing his plight ultimately geet spoke.

They need u there. U have already cancelled many meetings. Go and attend the next one. They wont let u rest for a minute. Im fine.

R u sure? Means I can switch off the phone but u know..

Go. She turned in her bed and closed her eyes.

Maan thought may be she needed solace. Some wounds are healed by silence and solitude.

He left.

He returned after a few hours. Very early compared to his usual timings. He went straight to geet's room to find her in the washroom. He went back changed, freshened up and returned. She was still in the washroom. He went near the door and heard the shower running and returned assuming she is taking a relaxed bath. He worked for sometime on his lappy in his room and then again came to check. The shower was still running. He became anxious but didn't knock. He paced on the terrace keeping a constant eye on the room to see if she came out. With passing minutes his anxiety grew. Finally he came and sat in her room flicking thru her books waiting patiently.

When she didn't come out then also, he checked the time. He had been checking on her since last one and half hour. Hw went near the door and knocked. She didn't reply. He asked her name twice but she didn't reply. He cudnt shout to make her hear thru the gush of water as it wud attract servant's attention.

He finally tried to open the latch of the door and thankfully it wasn't locked. He closed his eyes once expecting drastic reaction from geet after seeing him but then with a sigh he opened the door and peeked in.

The sight surprised him. The shower was running in full blow and geet was sitting below it half-clad. She was still wearing her trousers from morning,her shirt was thrown near her soaked in water. Her top had only her inner garment. Her back faced him so she didn't see him coming. Moreover she was busy scrubbing her body.

Maan took a step in her direction, a paper crushed below his slippers. He looked down to find a wrapper of detergent bar. He ignored it and went near geet. Geet was scrubbing her shoulder and face with the bar, the detergent bar. The fresh bar she had taken as the wrapper denoted had melted and was about to finish.

He felt a vacant gulp, his heart leaped out seeing her frantic attempt to get rid of the blue black mark of the jerk's bite on her shoulder. When he saw her back, it was like someone gave him a tight punch in his abdomen. his heart wept at her plight. She had blue marks on her back which denoted that she was beaten by desai. In his attempt to make geet surrendre he had punched geet on her back leaving the marks. Geet's back beared the visible marks but its sight issued unvisible darker marks on maan's heart. He vowed to make desai pay for this. But right now geet needed him.

He picked the towel from the rack and closed the shower. geet lifted her head to look at him. she was surprised to find him there but her condition was like half dazed. Her focus being her marks and rest of the world forgotten in the process. She blinked at maan. He wrapped the towel to cover her and she squeezed her shoulders in a hunch.

Enuf of bath for the day. I will get u dry clothes. Change.

He made her get up and stand near the door. She looked at him meekly, shy and stunned to see him take the decisions for her.

He moved out took out her night dress – capri and sphagetti top. Then he realised she needed more than these. He hesitantly searched her wadrobe and found her under garments stacked in the lower shelf. He wrapped it inside her dress and handed it to her.

Change and come out. Im waiting. And dnt lock the door.

Maan waited just outside the door. she took little extra time but came out. She held the wet towel near her chest and had opened her wet hair and laid it on her shoulder in a fashion that it covered the mark. She hadnt yet seen the marks on her back.

Maan moved to her table picked up the mosturiser and offered it to her. she looked surprisingly at him with questioning eyes.

He dabbed a bit of it on his hand and applied it on her red rubbed shoulder and exposed back. She meekly submitted as he applied it on her hands which had turned red and wrinkled by soaking in water. She stood there stiffly as he with utmost care applied it on her back. He took extra care to seem detached and not scare her. he was a little nervous but had to do it seeing the plight of her skin.

She looked so pale. Her face had lost its glow and acquired a tense look. He felt the urge to touch her swollen reddish-black lower lip. In the morning geet had used dark lipstick to hide it as it had been badly bitten.

Tum rest karo I will ask nakul to bring ur dinner here itself. He didn't allow any of the servants to come in her room seeing her consciousness. He even removed her used plate out of the room.

Finally he made her settle for sleep and sat on the easy chair in the room with his lappy. Everytime he checked from his work he saw she was staring in blank space unconsciously caressing her shoulder again and again.

Her phone rang. She had slept. He checked it, it had around 50 missed calls. She didn't receive any call from her friends. this time it was meera. Maan thought it must be impt that's y meera is calling so late but it was her usual time. After a few missed calls he received it.

Hello geet?

Nahi vo..

Maan?

Yeah.

Mein meera. We met on geet's birthday. Geet?

Vo so rahi hai.

Good. I mean its nice if she sleeps a bit. Yesterday she had to be given sedatives. Hows her leg?

Thik hai. I have bandaged it again.

Thank u maan.

Thanks for what?

Thanks for ur trust, ur concern, ur support and care. I know u dnt want to be thanked. But as a friend I know what geet must be feeling. Ur support will be very helpful for her.

U dnt need to tell me these things.

Well if u need any help just tell me. waise mein abhi mumbai mein hu but will come there soon. Shall I prepone?

No. I will manage.

Usne kuch kaha tumse… like what happened..

Nahi.

She needs to..jab tak open up nahi karegi ghutti rahegi khud mein. Be it anyone… u know she didn't cry yesterday.. so much unlike geet.

Actually she is too conscious of her scars and marks.

Maan she wasn't raped just attempted to but tammy told me he has beaten her too. So she is shocked to the core. Plzz tum use support karna as she is relying on just u.

Hhmmm.

Koi help?

Tell me something u ppl use to hide marks.. makeup mein.

Aah her marks?

Yeah.

Look for concealer in her makeup kit.

She gave him description of what it wud look like but he cudnt find one.

I think geet doesn't has one. U look for lacto calamine.

She instructed him how to use it.

Maan applied it to geet's shoulder and covered her mark so that she doesn't start rubbing it at night.

He still didn't leave her room and sat working. Geet suddenly woke up startled as if she had a bad dream. He rushed to her side. She held his hand as he caressed her head.

Mein hu.. yahi hu.

She pressed her lips tight and breathed hard.

So jao. Mein yahi hu.

He sat near her resting on the headrest of the bed. She leaned on him and he adjusted to make her comfortable. She slept on him and he sat there and slowly dozed off. Everytime he moved he saw her face wrinkled so he held both her hands firmly and remained there whole night sleeping in between.

Next day maan didn't go to office and worked from home. He just left her for 2hrs when she was asleep and went for some work. rest of his work was done from home. He asked for files to be send home and he worked from geet's room.

At night when they had their dinner together, he retiered to his room. He went straight to bed as he hadnt slept last night even.

As he slept he heard some movement and switched on the bed lamp. Geet stood there at the edge of his bed holding the hand of her sweeto as it hung near her.

She looked like a little girl who turns up scared to her elder sis room with her sleeping teddy alongwith her.

Mujhe sona hai.

Haan. Aao.. he hurriedly got up from the bed and she crawled in the spread. Maan thought for a moment and then drew his pillow out of the bed. Geet softly held his wrist but didn't look at him.

Mujhe wahan akele neend nahi aa rahi. Mein aapke paas so jau?

Maan settled near her. she shifted and gave him space but held his hand close to her as she slept faceng her back to him. he held her from back and they slept in spoon position. Geet felt comfortable and soon slept.

Maan with time got comfortable and held her easily and closely in his embrace. They slept holding each other firmly.

~.~.~

Next day maan sat in his study after breakfast as he had some impt phone calls to attend. He told geet to rest while he attended those calls.

When he came back to his room it was drizzling and geet was lying on a bench on the terrace getting wet.

Geet.. geet maan shouted as he lept on the terrace to get her back.

Cant I leave u for a sometime.. ye kya tarika hai. U will get sick this way and ur wound will get septic. Can u undrstand? Dnt stare at me.

She looked at him with teary eyes.

Andar chalo.

She sat there dipping her face.

He held her hand and dragged her to his room and washroom. Wait here I will get ur dress.

He got her a dress and whille she changed maan went to her room opened her wadrobe and brought all her dresses to his dressing room. When she came out of the washroom she saw maan stacking all her dresses there.

She looked at him in surprise.

Tumhare paas kaam na ho to tum kuch ulta karti ho. So arrange ur clothes here. This wadrobe is empty and adjust the clothes of this wadrobe into that one if u need more space. After u complete this have ur lunch. I will be back in sometime it's a very impt meeting else I wudnt go.

He was about to leave when he turned and came back to her. take care.

She nodded.

Maan came back after sometime checked on geet and then went to study to complete some pending work.

When he came to his room late he found geet pacing in the room. The moment he entered she ran to him and hugged him.

I thot u must have slept. U shud have. Come sleep.

She nodded and followed him. they both got into bed from opposite sides and he switched off the light. After few minutes maan wasn't liking her silence. She had been quiet for so long. He realised how much he had started liking her chirpy self who was talking some bakwas all the time. He missed her nonsense.

He moved his hand below her neck and pulled her closer so that she wasn't scared again. moreover he needed that too, to assure himself that she slept peacfully and so wud he.

She easily slipped into his arms as she was awake. He opened his arms to allow her to keep her head on his shoulder. she adjusted herself in his embrace and felt cozy as he covered them together in the comforter.

Maan was relaxed when her breaths gained normal pace and she was resting. He started sleeping when he felt something wet on his shoulder. he realised it was her tear drop as she moved her hand to wipe it. He moved his hand and switched on the bed lamp.

Geet.. kya hua? Mein hu na… kya hua, bolo?

Nahi.. kuch nahi. She hid her face in his chest and cried.

Maan patted her back and his other hand combed into her hair and drew her close.

Geet its alright.

No nothing is alright nothing is fine. She moved out of his chest and spoke with sobs. Her eyes still cast down.

Then it will be.

No it will never be.

Geet smajhne ki koshish karo. Aisa hota hai. Aur tumhari kya galti.

But punishment to mujhe hogi na….

Tumhe? Kyu?

Kitni dino bad we started to come close… aap… she wept hiding her face in the pillow.

Geet mein kya? And we r still close. Geet bolo na. he turned her face towards him to look at her. if she was not speaking may be her eyes wud. But her eyes were pools of tears.

Humare yahan agar larki ka koi duppatta bhi kich de to fir uski shadi nahi hoti. Aur yahan..

He cut her..

u think I wont accept u becoz of all this..

she nodded.

Geet this is crap. Tum mujhe accept kar sakti ho when I did so many mistakes in my life and have a bad past and here when its not even ur mistake I wudnt accept. This is rubbish geet. it wasn't ur fault and it doesn't have any effect on our relationship. I dnt care what happened. U r place is same for me…unchanged. U had to just tell me this geet. im not so stupidly ortodox.

Maan… she wept in his arms. she cried for sometime untill she broke into hiccups.

Geet try to compose urself. He hugged her tight and tried to make her sleep.

I never thought he wud stoop so low. He hit me..asked me to compromise…I tried my best to run but..but he was too strong..usne mujhe mara…maan.

Maan closed his eyes and tightened his fist but controlled his expression so that she wud speak her heart out and not feel that he is touched by the facts.

When I didn't submit he hurt me…bite me…he bit me on my lips when I didn't let him kiss…… I hot him with a vase and escaped from there.

Meine aapko phone kiya par bol hi nahi payi…subh mein aapko batane ayi par he changed the scenario totally. Pura office…. I was so nervous cudnt speak a word.. fir that money issue…

Mein janta hu geet and u didn't need to explain things to me. I know u much better. Mein chahta to kah sakta tha ki tum meri wife ho but didn't want it to seem ki mein tumhari side sirf isliye le raha hu kyunki tum meri wife ho. I took ur side becoz I know u, trust u as a person. I dnt trust u for the label khurana but as a person geet. and as far as the money is concerned. U own my things as much as I do. Its ur money. I paid him just becoz I wanted to get rid of him. I didn't know he had stooped so low. All I thot was he must have made atttempts towards u and knowing u, u must have pounced on him and scolded him. so I thot it was his male ego doing and didn't want to make issues bad. I had least idea that he had hurt u. he cupped her face. Had I known this geet I wud have beaten him to death. I will make him pay for each and every bit of pain he has caused u.

Maan nothing happened believe me… he wasn't able to get near me….. she touched her lips…just this.

I know nothing happened and be assured even if something happened. I dnt care.

He bend and kissed on her forehead. He softly pushed her to bed and laid near her. he wiped her tears and gave her an assuring look.

Chalo ab so jao… mein yahi hu tumhare paas.. so darne ki koi jarurat nahi. Mein hamesha tumhare paas hi rahunga.

She smiled thru her tears and hugged him. she spoke with her face hid in his chest.

I know that no one can touch me when u r there but……….Whenever im closing my eyes that smell… the disgusting smell engulfs me that's y I feel so horrified in closing my eyes. When u r there ur perfume overpowers it.. I can breath in nothing but u. that's y I try to be close to u. u help me get rid of it. Its so awful to feel like this. The taste of his lips is not ready to go. that's y im puking all the time. I wish… never thot that a kiss wud be so awful and horrible.

Geet. he pulled her out and propped on his elbow as she laid near him.

U can always be with me. atleast for any reason u want me to be close top u. and I like being close to u so its mutual. He smiled and caressed her face. His thumb softly caressed her lips.

Wish I cud undo somethings. Kisses are very beautiful geet. beautiful way to express ur feelings. Wish I cud make u feel how wonderful a kiss cud be.

He paused and looked into her eyes as she opened her lashes to him and looked deep into them. After so mony days she looked so lovingly at him with her eyes pure..sorrow gone… her pain was overflowed by his image. He cud see his own image falling so clear in her hazels.

He spoke hoarsely. Geet can I kiss u?

She closed her eyes at his simple question. so simply he asked her something for which she had been yearning for days. She closed her eyes in submission. Deep red blush creeped her face. She stayed still. It wasn't there first but first for his memory. It evoked new emotions and thrill in her. the memory of past evaded her. all she cud feel was aware of his being there. She cud hear his breaths, feel his warmth, even feel the burn his constant gaze was causing her. she patiently waited for him with her lips aching for his.

He looked at her closed eyes. There was an amalgam of emotions and expressions playing on her face. Her big lashes covered her beautiful hazels, her cheeks were glowing.. he thot was it blush or the confession who has brought back life to her face. He gauzed for signals. He knew somewhere deep that she wanted it as much as he did but an approval wud make him stronger.

How much his heart craved to remove every bit of the scars she had with his kisses. He wanted to flood her mind with such sweet memories and desires for him that she wud never again think of the fateful day.

Im waiting he spoke near her ear.

Me too she added shyly and slowly tilted her chin in his direction.

She expected a full kiss like other day and slowly parted her lips but was surprised to find a soft feather touch at the corner of her lips.

He kissed her at the corner of her lips and then the other corner and then a little longer in centre.

She drew in deep breath as each touch was so sensuous.

This time when he kissed her it was a wet full mouth kiss. He didn't urge her to open her mouht but sucked her lips long and slow. Geet floated into a world of bliss.. a kiss so soft yet so passionate.

He sucked till he lost his breath. He parted just long enuf to breath but geet moved her chin up to press her lips to his as she cudnt bear the distance. He kissed her again and she opened her lips to him. she wanted him to feel her, own her….. make him feel it was all his. His tongue invaded her mouth and explored the sweet nectar of her. it deepened and was long, exploring, hungry, passionate…. It tingled all her senses and she cud think of nothing but him.

They parted when none cud breathe. She shut her eyes again and felt so shy to face him.

Maan dipped his head in her open mesh of hair and switched of the light. It was enuf for the day.

Geet felt so warm to wake up in his bed. She cud feel his warmth. He had gone for exercise but she cud feel His smell near her and on her too. She smiled to the fresh morning. Her smile came back to her.

She was stunned to read in the paper that desai has been taken in for questioning… a major tax fraud has been tabbed. He hadnt been paying his taxes properly and many flaws and loops he had created to evade tax payment had been reported to concerned authorities. He was nabbed and all his assests freezed after multiple raids at his office factories and home.

Jaisa karoge waisa bharoge. But then geet smiled she knew it was her hubby sweetest who has tipped the authority.

He wont rest untill he has taken his revenge.

NUT'S HOME

What r we having this conference for? Yelled meera.

Each one is mumbling something. I cant understand u all.

Adi – she is right. We must talk one by one. Pool our info and draw a conclusion.

Pinky – its not ur office agenda. Dnt try to discipline us here.

Nuts – fine the prob is geet isnt talking much to us. If she recieves our calls it is not more than hu haan and hhhmmm. Who has talked to her?

No one.

We need to know how she is doing. Much has happened and it so much not geet that she is not telling her problem to anyone. She is bolted up.

Yash – but she talked to maan. She went with him.

M - So wahts the big deal call maan and ask him about geet.

N - How will he know when we dnt.

A – better still lets goto her place and meet her. she will be happy to see us. That desai has met his fate.

P – babaji did right to him.

Y – visiting her but her family?

N- bad idea..

M – no superb idea. If she doesn't come to us lets goto her.

T – plzz dntmake it difficult for her. dnt know what her family knows. I just want to assure she is fine. Not very scared. It happens.

# M – shall I tell them. No let geet tell them. But cant take there anxiety. They r all worried for her and I cant see them all this worried. Lets talk to maan and let him decide if he wants to tell them or not. Havent talked to him after that night. He must be taking care of geet but what if geet is still bolted up. Our intervention may help. I will ask him what he wants to say.#

M – ok so maan talked to him last. So lets ask him how is geet. yash give me his no.

A – he is not coming to office for last few days. So dnt call him. he said he is busy with family.

M – I want the no. she took yash's phone and called him.

P – she will get a good scolding from maan sir for disturbing her and he wont talk as he doesn't know her even.

As meera called adi, pinky and yash became quiet. Nuts and tammy also waited for they knew maan wasn't very easy to handle as they had seen a very reserved him in the hospital.

But one thing was known to all maan cared for geet… cared a lot. And geet trusted him.

Hi its meera.

Ok meera bolo.

Vo geet kaisi hai?

She is fine. Good.

Vo humse jyada baat nahi kar rahi hai.

Dnt worry she is fine. Leg has healed.

Vo tammy wanted to see her..

I dnt think it will be a good idea to bring her to hospital. She wud again..

Yeah but it needs to be seen what if she needs a psychatrist and all. Her emotional hurt.

She is improving and talking too.

That is with u but others. She still has hesitation facing the public.

That's true.

We have much to talk..so y dnt we meet, tammy will be there she will talk to us too.

I dnt want to leave geet alone. And wudnt it be nice if she meets uall we can see her reaction too.

Yeah. We wud love to. Hum kahan mile.. we r together.. yash, nuts, tammy, adi, pinky and romeo.

The whole gang.

Yeah all r so worried for her everyone wants to talk to her.

Ok so come home.

Ek problem hai. They all know geet is married but dnt know its u.

Geet doesn't want to tell them?

She wants to but opportunity nahi mil raha tha. She had her fears how they will react.

It becoz of me so bring them I will tell them.

They all visited KM and were awed by the way they were welcomed there.

Adi was blown seeing KM. meera y r we here? Is geet living here. Maan sir will kill us.

He knows u r coming. I told him about u and pinky coming.

Ab to geet k babaji hi bachaenge.

Maan talked nicely to all while geet was still in her room. Adi and pinky kept mum as tammy asled about geet's recovery. She was happy hearing her crying and telling him things. Maan didn't reveal the basics but his brief insight was enuf to satisfy them.

Y – ab hum geet se milne challen.

Geet yahi hai. Mein use bulata hu. She is in her room.

N – yahan?

Yeah yahi honi chahiye kyunki ye uska ghar hai. I know she never told u coz we were not very much like we shud have been. Its my fault that she never told u all that she is my wife. We have been married for long as u all knew about her marriage but not me.

N – tum saru? Matlab aap uske husband ho?

Yeah but dnt ask her y she didn't tell u all. May be everything needs a fresh start.

They all waited for geet. initially she was surprised to find all of them there but meera told her that maan told them about his marriage. Geet was so happy. she started chirping like her usual self. The happiness maan gave her helped her overcome all hesitation. None asked her about that day as tammy had strictly warned them.

Pinky and adi were very quiet and geet went to them and talked. She assured them her being maan's wife has never affected their relation and never will in future too.

Geet smiled and held maan's hand as all of them sat and chatted. Maan was silent, his usual self but he admired his wife coming back to her self and in a more loving way.

havent done the editing and colouring. will do it later when i sit again... plzz adjust...

PRECAP

maaneet moments