A Single Breath – Part 19

Geet got scared hearing Geeta’s name. “What would she do now?” She came out of the bed. Suddenly she found a lizard on her dress. “Aaaaaaa!!!!!” she cried. 

Both Pratap and guard had not even gone half way when they heard the scream. “Where did this sound come from? ” 

“Coming from Geet Madam’s room” guard said. Both looked at each other with disbelief. 

“You go and see who’s inside” Pratap ordered while fearing a little. But he didn’t show it. 

“No Sir, I am scared. Please you go first, I’ll follow you” Guard was literally scared.  Now Pratap couldn’t defeat in front of a guard, “All are cowards in this house” He himself starts walking upstairs. 

Here Geet heard the sound of their coming back. “What have I done?” She scolded herself. Not finding any way, she figured out one last escape. She hid behind the door. Both Pratap and guard came inside. Until Pratap could turn the light on, taking advantage of darkness, Geet sneaks out of the door. But Pratap heard her footsteps. “Who’s there?” he shouted. 

Geet is afraid that now her secret was revealed But then her brain started working. She came running in the room all shouting, “Save me Sir… please save me” She fell at Pratap’s feet. “Save me for God sake, sir. She will kill me.” she was yelling and crying. 

“Who will kill you, leave my feet.” Pratap said. 

“Ghost of a girl. She came into my room. She said go away from here, otherwise she will kill me. I am very scared, sir, please save me.”

“A girl’s ghost?” Guard asked, all fearing. 

“Yes Bhaiya,you had shown me a photo of her in the corridor that day, the same girl had come”.

“Sir, see. I had told you. Definitely the ghost of Madam strolls here”.

“You all have gone mad really” He refused to accept but somewhere in heart, he was also scared. He dismissed the reason of coming here. He left to his study-room and closed the door. 

Guard also left all fearing and Geet, all smiling. 

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Next day, Geet was to meet Maan. She went out on the pretext of buying groceries. On reaching the hotel, she went directly into Maan’s room. Maan opened the door. “I was waiting for you”  he said. 

“Tell me the truth. I have not much time” Geet said abruptly. 

Maan smiled. “First come inside, Geet. It is not right to hear the truth at the door itself” 

Geet glared. She walked in. 

“Maan brought a glass of water for her. Geet denied. “Take it Geet” He gestured toward sweat drops on her forehead. She must have come walking all the way. “Sit down” He spoke. This time Geet didn’t refuse. She sat on the sofa. 

“Now, ask. What do you want to know?” Maan said.

Now Geet got confused where to start from. She had thousands of questions in her mind but now she couldn’t decide what to ask first. 

“Not getting what to ask Geet?” Maan chuckled looking at her skeptical face. “Okay, now I ask you a question. But before the start, promise me that you’ll listen to everything with patience. And you can’t question me before I finish my sayings” 

“But..” She tried to speak but Maan cut her word off.

“You have already lost your turn to question Geet. Now, only listen to me and give me an answer to my question” He said with that command, Geet gulped in perplexity what was about to come next. She said okay.

Maan started, “Who is your uncle?” 

“Mean?”

“I mean what do you know about him?”

Geet really couldn’t understand the reason for this question yet she answered calmly, “He is my uncle. After my father death he had come from London, to leave everything behind to raise me” 

“And, if I say that this guy is not your uncle but a fraud. And your uncle Pratap Singh died 18 years back in London, then what will you say?” 

“What rubbish is this Maan? Have you called me here to tell this crazy story? And what proof you have he is not my uncle With whom I have been living for years.” Geet stood up in anger. 

“I am the proof my child” Geet heard a woman’s voice behind. She turned to see who she was. 

“Who are you?” Geet asked, looking at a middle-aged lady. 

“I am Savitri, Maan’s mother and wife of Jagat, whom you think your uncle”