Part 84
He checked his messages for anything—something that might explain her sudden absence. Finally, he saw it. A single text from her, sent in the early hours of the morning.
"I need time away. Don't look for me. I'm going to find myself."
Maan stared at the message, his heart dropping into a bottomless pit. His hands trembled, and he sank down onto the bed, the silence of the room deafening. His mind raced back to their argument, to the venomous words he had hurled at her while under the influence, the ugliness of his jealousy, his desperation spilling out in the worst way.
He knew she was hurt. But he never thought she'd actually leave.
He clenched his fists, anger at himself bubbling up. He had pushed her away. The only woman he couldn’t stop thinking about, the only one who had ever seen him for more than the darkness everyone else feared.
And now, she was gone.
He asks his secretary to try and locate her. His secretary is also giving him a look like ki man ke saath sahi naa kiya.
++++
Geet was sitting in front of Kaali mata with folded hands & eyes closed in a white chikankari salwar kameez, no make-up and red tilak on the forehead.
She finds Maan in front of him as she opens her eyes.
He is looking out of place in his formal pant shirt.
+++++
Maan's pov:
He gets a call from his assistant that they were able to locate her mobile in Karjat. 4 hours from the city.
In an impulse he decides to drive there.
First, he thought that kisi shooting pe gai hogi.
Then it turns out to be a small village.
He crosses the village to find himself surrounded by natural waterfalls and lush green forest.
After driving on dirt road, he reaches a small ashram on top of a hill.
It is an extremely simple non fancy structure.
But the air is fresh and pure.
There is a Gaushala outside the ashram. There is no one around so he steps inside.
The steps lead him to a small garden and a very small temple where there is a Goddess’s murti.
He walks towards it to find a familiar figure sitting on the floor with her eyes closed and hands folded in prayer.
++++
As Geet opens her eyes for a moment she thinks she is hallucinating but seeing him still wearing his shoes, he knows it’s real.
Maan opens his mouth to say something but is aggressively shushed by Geet.
She pulls him by his wrist and takes him away from the mandir.
G- Remove your shoes.
M-ohhh...yeah...
He quickly tosses them off.
They sit behind the mandir on the ledge of the lotus pond.
The place is surrounded by the green hills & waterfall.
They are silent for a whole minute, waiting for the other to speak up.
M- I... I said too much yesterday.... I shouldn't have.
G- It’s okay. it was not wrong. If that is what you think of me…it’s okay.
M- So we are good?
She nods.
M- Let me take you home then.
Geet shakes her head.
G- I am not going.
He who was starting to get up & go stops midway.
M- What?
G- I am staying here.
M- Why?
G- Why not?
M- Who would willingly want to stay here?
G- I
She says with a serious face.
M- So you are still mad at me?
G- Maan, I am staying here because of myself not because of anyone else.
M- What will you do here?
G- Saadhna. I already booked for 5 days.
Maan is silent.
She gets up and starts walking.
G- I am hungry. It’s time for lunch. You can eat & then leave for the city if you want else there are good restaurants after 50 km. Anyways the food is sattvic bhojan.
He follows her to where she is going.
They come to the small food area.
M- Where should I pay for the food?
G- It’s free.
M- Oh. But I didn’t register for any meditation & stuff.
G- Still free.
He follows her lead.
The food is simple dal rice papad and pickle & roti.
He also picks up a steel plate after she does.
Maan’s eyes are scanning the whole place.
Geet glances at him through corner of her eyes.
Food was still good though, he thought.
He clears his throat.
M- What I said ...I believe all that...it was under influence...
G- Let’s not talk about it here.... maybe after I come back...we can then meet and...
M- But I am staying.
G-What?
M- I think...I will also try your meditation stuff and all...
She frowns.
G- Are you serious?
M- Why? Can’t I join too?
Geet is taken aback.
She never expected him to...or his motivation behind it....is it a prank?
G- You don’t have clothes to wear, the dorms are very basic...you don’t have toiletries blanket...you have not even enrolled.
Geet gets up exasperated after finishing her meal and starts washing the plate & utensils she used.
Maan follows the suit.
M- By the way, where’s the washroom?
He asks after putting the utensils on the drying rack.
She points to a direction.
As he walks into there , Geet leaves the canteen area.
Uske baad Maan uske peeche nahi aaya toh Geet ko laga he went.
But Shaam ko she was sipping the herbal tea in the canteen area toh she saw him enter the ashram.
G- You didn’t leave yet?
M- I went to the village to buy some clothes and footwear.
G- You mean you are really staying?
M- Why would I lie about it??
She nods.
M- So where should I put my stuff?
G- I don’t know ask the sevaks. The male sevaks.
She says and walks away.
Thankfully her phone was kept away so she had some peace for rest of the day.
She was still unhappy with what happened. he disappointed her. She disappointed herself. Everything just felt wrong.
She was looking for peace within her heart, that’s why she came here.
+++++
In the evening, she found him sitting at the back during the meditation session.
She was at the front row.
He had changed into khaadi short kurta and loose pants.
He looked good in casuals.
It was a new kind of vision, seeing him in meditative posture with eyes closed sitting on the ground wearing khadi clothes.
The first session was about Awakening to Self-Realization. it was basically introduction to meditation.
After the session she finds him at the dinner area, eating silently.
There are other participants around him.
But he was unusually silent and even little dazed.
The living quarters and the ashram area was around 2-3 min walk. But the walk was between vegetation, and it was dark now.
After her dinner Geet picks her phone and starts walking towards her cottage.
The forest was silent with little sound of crickets and frog.
It was pitch dark.
It was little muddy because of recent rains as well.
As she starts to step into the dark path, she sees Maan standing in the corner.
G- You?
Was he waiting for me?
She wonders.
M- Shall we?
She nods.
M- After you.
She starts walking as Maan matches her pace.
Both are walking silently watching their steps.
G- So you settled in?
M- Yeah. I am in the dorm.
G- So you are sharing...
M- With 11 guys.
G- Oh I am also sharing with 2 more girls. I am here ...in the first cottage.
M-Okay...I have to walk more for the dorms.
She nods.
G- Okay then
M- Good night
G- Good night
She is wary about asking how his first meditation session was. Bolna hoga toh khud bolega.
comment:
p_commentcount