Part 60
He raises his hand and brushes away the hair falling on her face, tucking it behind her ear.
He slowly rubs her ear, which would always turn red at the slightest provocation.
He liked them too.
She stops speaking and looks back at him.
He leans towards her slowly.
She knew if she wants to run. She needs to do it now.
But she didn't really want to run... not from him.
Not right now.... not when he looked at her like this.
He comes close to her and gently touches her lips with his.
He stays for a while and then pulled back to look at her.
His eyes seem to be asking her for something.
She leans forward and gently kisses him back... the same type of immature kiss she had given him first time.
When he feels her response, he didn't want to hold back anymore either.
He gathered her in his arms and deepens the kiss.
He kisses her deeply but gently.
He just wanted to be as closer to her.
Strangely it wasn't lustful.
Falling under the momentum of his kiss, she falls back on the couch.
He kept kissing her and hugging her tight
After a long while feeling her breathlessness, he releases her lips and buries his face in her neck, pecking her ear time to time.
She felt dazed and slowly regains her breath... but her heart still hammered hard.
Not slowing down a beat.
Eventually, he stops kissing her altogether, flips them over so that she partially lays on top of him.
He hugs her tightly, as if a moment of lapse and she will dissolve into bubbles.
She hugged him back equally hard.
She hides her face in his chest.
She could feel his heart beating even faster than hers.
They lay in each other's embrace for a long time.
When their hearts calm down…the kiss they had shared seemed surreal.
Geet still felt shy and kept her face hidden.
Maan slowly loosens his arms but soothes and pats her back while rubbing her hair.
M - Tired?
She nods but then shakes her head.
She was tired... exhausted from all the tension of past few days.
But if she says she is tired ... then? Will he leave? Or do they need to go to sleep? Do they sleep here? Or... or...
Geet felt her brain heating up and short circuiting.
M - Because of me you suffered a lot these past few days. I am sorry.
G - It's nothing... just a bit tiring ... no big deal.
Maan runs his fingers through her hair wondering how often has she put up a brave front for him and hidden her grievances from him.
M - Hmm. You did well. But I should have done a better job before leaving.
She slightly raises her head resting her chin on him.
G- What? Are you suddenly unhappy with what I did? But you said it's fine? What's wrong? What could I have done better then?
M - You did the right thing. I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. And it's not the money where I have wronged you...
He takes a deep breath.
M - I know my parents found you... I know what they said.
Geet turns away her face to hide from his honest gaze.
Growing up she always felt that towards her parents she needs to have... filial piety. A child is supposed to respect, honor, serve and take care of their parents.
Sadly, after growing up, her parents treated her as only a piece of flesh which can bring them profit.
And even her in-laws.
She just felt unhinged at the thought of having no elders or parents in the house.
But it's better to not have elders rather than suffer such parents who only want benefits and lack love.
Maan could also somewhat understand her disheartened and sad feelings.
M - I don't want to sound partial and I don't want you to suffer any grievances in silence. But... my parents... I hope one day you can forgive them... They are just very naive and easily swayed by other’s words.
He tries to defend his parent’s intent not their action.
Initially Geet wanted to tell him that it doesn't matter. She hardly knows them, and their attitude doesn't affect her that much. But then she pauses.
It wasn't just her that they treated so capriciously! What about the Maan? How is he able to speak up for them? They are mostly absent from his life. And when they show up... it's to get some demand fulfilled.
She even fels a chill in her heart when she remembers last year at the ancestral home; Maan couldn't even eat the food and the parents never cared a bit.
Geet feels a bit angry on his behalf.
How is he able to still defend their attitude?
G - Me forgive them? They haven't said all that much to me so it doesn't matter. But how do you... I thought you don't get along with them much... why are you speaking in their favor?
He pulls her a bit closer and caresses her face.
He looks at her for a long time. He didn't want to talk about such sad and ugly things right now.
But if he didn't say it now... maybe he wouldn't be able to ever explain it later.
Because right at his moment he understood his parents a little bit for the first time... sometimes there just exists one person who is more important than all other people and things.
M - My parents... The only thing I admire about them is their devotion to each other.
He pulls her a bit more closer to him and places his chin on her shoulder.
M - My father... his biggest weakness is that he knuckles under pressure and my mother... she... she had a difficult pregnancy...You know that my parents got married young. When they should have been growing up and making something of themselves, they got pressured into producing an heir for the family. They conceived when they weren't ready to be parents and it was a dangerous pregnancy. They should have aborted me. But the family didn't let them. It's not surprise that a father can resent the child who is a danger to his wife's life. Things could have improved later. After all, both me and mom survived, and all is well that ends well. Unfortunately, it didn't end so well. Maybe my mother had been accumulating resentment and negative feelings for me and the elders who were pressuring her through the pregnancy period or maybe it was just a hormonal thing. After my birth... my mother went into severe post-partum depression. PPD was not so widely accepted that time as it is now... and everyone just thought she was tired and going through a phase. it wasn't a phase. I don't blame her for the neglect and the hate fueled incidents ... she wasn't well... she didn't understand it herself.
G- What incidents?
M - Nothing much. Those are long past. I don't even remember. But she needed professional medical help. But how can a daughter in law of such a prestigious family have mental illness? Because everyone wanted to live in denial, she had to suffer for years rather than months. My father ... he is a ... he couldn't defy the family to help my mother. And between her and me ... he chose to take care of her more. I grew up with a mother who would hate me and curse at me for no reason and a father who would only tell me to leave as he takes care of my mum. I can't blame them much now... how much can you blame a person's weak nature…that's why I don't want you to take their harsh words too seriously.
G-No. I hate them now.
Geet secretly tries to wipe away her tears.
M - Don't waste your emotions on them. They are happy and content with each other. They can't spare feelings for others, and they don't need others affection either.
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