Chapter 62
Gautam looked sceptically at his daughter as she informed him about the opportunity that had risen for her from her current company.
“Sending you to New York, bete? All alone?” he questioned shaking his head. “I don’t know, Geet. Bete, at least here I could check in on you and we could visit you whenever. But you going all the way to… No, no…” he started saying.
“Papa, it’s such a huge opportunity for me, please” she placed her hand into his. “Mama, tell him na” she looked to her mother for her support.
Pammi sighed, Geet had cornered her with her friends and explained everything before her husband had returned home and Geet also added a dose of emotional manipulation reminding her that they had married her off quickly.
“Let her go, this is a huge opportunity for her,” Pammi said. “Geet is going to be fine, her boss seems like good people” she added.
“Uncle, we can all keep in touch with FaceTime or WhatsApp,” Misha informed. “Geet is also very sensible. If I went then you should be worried,” she added jokingly.
Gautam chuckled softly. “Alright, but we will go with you first,” he informed Geet. “I want to make sure you are settled in a safe building”.
Geet grinned widely and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Papa!” she squealed.
He embraced her, kissing the top of her head.
“Our first stop has to be the dhaba where I spent half my childhood!” Geet exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. As promised, she was giving them a tour of Hoshiarpur, the small warm town she had been born in and grown up in. She led them down a bustling street where the air was filled with the aroma of spices and freshly cooked food.
“This place has the best parathas you’ll ever taste” she promised as they took their seats on the worn wooden benches. True to her word, the parathas were deliciously flaky and stuffed generously. The girls savoured each bite, the flavours rich and comforting.
“Wow, this is incredible!” Misha said, her mouth full of food, her eyes wide in delight. Aditi nodded in agreement, her taste buds tingling with the spicy chutney.
“Hai na?” Geet chuckled loving their reactions as they scoffed down another two parathas. “Papa used to bring me and mama here to eat every Friday evening then we’d find some cheesy hindi movie to watch together”.
“Aww that sounds so sweet”.
“It was so amazing” Geet said with a wistful smile. “I am going to miss all of it”.
“No rona, dhona this weekend” Misha stated. Geet brightly smiled and agreed.
After their meal, Geet led them through the narrow lanes of Hoshiarpur to the expansive fields that bordered the town. “I used to run through these fields every evening,” Geet reminisced. The vast stretches of green were bathed in the golden light of the afternoon sun, the air crisp and fresh.
Misha twirled around, her arms outstretched, taking in the peaceful surroundings. “I can see why you love it here. It’s so peaceful, unlike the constant buzz of the city”.
They spent hours wandering through the fields, talking and laughing, until the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.
As evening approached, Geet took them to the local bazaar, a treasure trove of local crafts and goods.
“Look at these!” Aditi exclaimed, picking up a delicate pair of earrings fashioned from small beads. “They’re beautiful”.
Geet smiled, watching her friends explore the crafts of her hometown. “Mama and I used to come here to shop for Diwali, we used to love spending our girl time here. Papa used to sit at that spot there drinking his tea” she pointed to the quaint little tea stall that overlooked at the bazaar. “He’d used to watch out for us while giving us the time to explore everything” she continued.
“Aww cute” Aditi said with a soft chuckle.
“Oh look at those…” Misha said approaching another stall.
After a while, they decided to pop into the little tea stall with their few bags of shopping and settled down with hot cups of karak chai.
Geet was delighted she had spent the day with her friends and enjoyed the weekend with them in her hometown. She looked at them both gratefully for joining her.
“I’m so glad I got to show you both where I come from,” she said, her voice soft. “It means a lot to me that you’re here, especially with the big move coming up”.
Misha reached over, squeezing Geet’s hand. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s been an incredible day”.
Aditi nodded and said, “and it’s helped us appreciate the little things even more”
Geet smiled and squeezed her friends hands appreciatively.
The grey skies of London mirrored Sameera's internal turmoil as she and Maan navigated the bustling streets to the café where they had agreed to meet Karan. Aavya had been left with Sameera’s parents so she and Maan could make the trip out to meet Karan. Maan had organised for a DNA test first needing to ensure everything went smoothly and without any misconceptions. He didn’t want anyone to face the same twisted fate he had and give any false hope to anyone. And when the DNA results were emailed and revealed, it was 99.9% that Karan was the father, Sameera cried.
Maan’s eyes were closed off as he re-read the results and whispered, “It’s… it’s good. It’s good we know now for sure” he murmured.
“I’m so sorry, Maan” Sameera whispered, her eyes filled with remorse.
Maan nodded and had walked away needing some space. But this morning, he had come to her door to retrieve her so they could meet Karan together.
Sameera felt a chill down her spine as they entered the café, her eyes zeroing in on the man she had spent a drunken night with.
Karan was already there, seated at a window table, his anxious gaze turning their way as they walked in. He stood with a courteous smile fixed on his face but his eyes were nervous.
“Sameera, Maan,” Karan greeted anxiously.
“Karan” Maan responded with a small smile and extended his hand out. Maan masked his personal feelings towards the situation and shook Karan’s hand with grace.
“Please have a seat” Karan gestured to the chairs.
There was a brief silence, filled only by the low hum of other conversations and the clink of cups on saucers. Sameera broke it, her voice soft but clear. “Thank you for agreeing to the DNA test, Karan. We wanted to be sure before moving forward.”
“I understand. It’s a lot to process. I... I’m still trying to wrap my head around being a father” Karan responded softly.
Maan listened quietly, his jaw set. When he spoke, his voice was calm. “It’s a big responsibility and… Sameera and I will help you. We want to do what is best for Aavya. She is the main focus in all of this” he pointed out.
Karan nodded in agreement. “Of course. I’d like to meet her soon, if that’s okay. I want to be a part of her life; however you see fit.”
Sameera looked at Maan seeking reassurance. Maan nodded slightly, giving her the go-ahead.
“We’ll introduce you slowly,” Sameera said, turning back to Karan. “It’s going to be a big change for her.”
“I understand. Thank you for this chance,” Karan replied, his voice thick with emotion.
Sameera nodded and looked at Maan.
Maan set up a time to meet tomorrow at the local park. “You will be introduced as a friend, we’re not saying anything to her right now”.
“Yes, sure. That’s understandable” Karan said in agreement feeling both excited and anxious for tomorrow’s meeting.
The following day, Sameera walked through the park feeling anxious and wary with Aavya skipping alongside her, her innocent laughter a sharp contrast to the gravity of the meeting. Maan was a quiet beside them and occasionally smiling when Aavya looked over her shoulder giggling at them.
As Sameera noticed Karan at a distance, she slowed down and tightened her grip on Aavya’s hand. Aavya looked confused and looked around as they came to a stop and she grew unusually quiet.
Sameera swallowed thickly and gestured to Aavya. “Karan, this is Aavya” she introduced.
Karan’s eyes softened as he looked down at the little girl who looked confused and curious at the same time. “Hello Aavya” he managed to say slowly.
“Hi!” Aavya responded cheerily, unaffected by the emotional weight of the moment. “Are you a friend of Mommy and Uncle Maan?”
Karan smiled wistfully. “Yes, I guess I am,” he replied, kneeling down to be at eye level with her. “You’re very pretty, Aavya”.
Aavya grinned widely feeling pleased and shy curling around Sameera’s hip.
“Why don’t you two speak? Aavya and I will play over there” Maan suggested pointing to the slides. Sameera and Karan nodded while Maan clasped an excited Aavya’s hand and led her to the slides.
Sameera took a seat by a bench and Karan joined her.
“She’s… she’s really mine” Karan whispered as he watched Aavya giggle cheerfully and play on the slides with Maan.
“Yes” Sameera responded reluctantly. “I… All this time, I thought she was… Maan’s”.
“You and Maan…?”
“We’re exes” she corrected. “It’s a long story” she mumbled. “But Aavya is yours”.
“You forgot about that night?” he inquired.
“I did” she admitted. “I love Aavya and I don’t want to see her getting hurt. She’s… she’s already been through enough. If you want to…”
“Sameera, she’s my daughter and I want her in my life. If you came to me before, I wouldn’t have rejected you or her either”.
Sameera nodded and swiped away a tear that slipped down. “We… we’ll need to take things slow. I don’t want to give any hopes or tell Aavya anything right now, not until I can be certain she will not get hurt”.
Karan nodded in understanding. “Of course. Can I go and play with her?”
She nodded and watched Karan striding ahead to meet them. Maan’s smile which was so full of life and affection moments before, faltered ever so slightly. He slowed the swing down and, with a practiced smile, stepped aside to give Karan space. The action was a devastating retreat to Sameera.
Karan stepped forward enthusiastically, taking over the duty of pushing Aavya. “Higher!” Aavya demanded, her voice bubbling with excitement. Karan laughed, the sound mingling with Aavya's joy, and complied.
Sameera watched with a heavy heart. Maan didn't move more than a couple of feet away, his hands loosely tucked into his pockets and his eyes on Aavya. Yet, there was a resignation in his posture, a subtle distancing that spoke volumes. Sameera felt guilt wash over her in crashing waves. She had caused this shift, this palpable change in the man who had stood by her through every high and low. The sadness in Maan’s eyes, even as he masked it with a smile for Aavya’s sake, cut through her.
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