Secretly Smitten – Part 7

Geet went with Maan to his house. Mohan returned back to his home when Alka promised she will take care of her and will make her drop home also, he didn’t need to worry about Geet. Though Mohan had no heart to leave her daughter alone but could not argue with the gentle lady. He went home back with a worried heart.

Alka took Geet in her room and tried to cheer her up. Geet had stopped her cry till then but wanted Maan to be with her. Alka left out ordering Maan to play with her till she comes back.

Maan sat near Geet on bed. Alka came back with some biscuits for Geet and some toys to play and she excused them saying she had work to complete. Geet became engrossed in her toys and forgot everything. Maan was getting impatient now, sitting over there with no work at all. Whenever he tried to go she again started crying for him. Maan was getting annoyed by her cry now, he was not used to the shouts and noises since the time of his father’s death. His life had been passing in complete silence for more than a year. Finally he left the room leaving Geet alone there letting her keep crying.

He was passing the corridor when he found Geet was following him with rubbing her tearing eyes. He walked fast and hid behind a pillar. Geet found him missing, she started looking for him and finally found the pillar.

“Bhow!!” she started clapping in joy and laughing.

Maan did not heed over her act and again walked ahead to get rid from her but Geet again followed him. It seemed like a hide and seek game for her. Maan took a turn and again hid behind a door but Geet had already seen him, she caught him in no time and started laughing.

Now Maan also started taking interest in her game. He also laughed. Many times he hid and she caught him. In little time Maan opened up with her completely. Once he ran and hid under the stairway. This time Geet could not find him. After sometime Maan called,

“I’m here Geet!!”

“Where?” Geet asked, almost crying. She was feeling fear alone in this long dark corridor.

Maan tried to tell her the way but small Geet could not find him when suddenly she saw a room, she recognized it was Maan room where he had given her pearl. She clapped in happiness. She rushed inside thinking Maan should be there but found it was empty but then she saw a photo frame, made by the same pearl, was kept on the table. Now she was confirmed it was Maan room so she came and climbed up on bed and sat there, started waiting for him. She was so comfortable there like it was her own place. Suddenly her eyes fell on color pens and drawing papers there on bed, she took them and started drawing, and went missing in her own world.

Here Maan was still waiting for her. When she did not come he came out and found her gone! He tried to seek her but could not as his room was at the last end of a long corridor. He could not think of her going there and also the door was slightly closed. He came back to Alka and asked her,

“Mama did you see her?”

“Whom Maan’, She was making dinner with a maid.

“Geet..”

“She was with you na beta”

“But she went missing Mama”

“Don’t worry Maan, she must be playing with fishes, go and check there”

 Alka did not heed much. Maan nodded and rushed to the place but Geet was not there. He also looked in every possible place but could not find her when Alka called both children for dinner.

She settled dinner on the table and sat there when she found Maan was coming alone. She asked for Geet then he said she was missing.

“What!!.. Maan but she was with you Beta you should have taken care of her”

Maan’s expression was showing he was accepting his mistake. He was sitting there with his head down. Alka worried for Geet as she was very small and this mansion was so big. Also much part of this haveli used to remain in complete dark, she must be feeling scared alone.

They started looking for her. Alka was leading and Maan was walking behind her, looking at every place.

“Did you check in your room Maan?”

He said no and both rushed there and found Geet!!

She was sleeping peacefully on Maan bed, in a pool of pens and papers around. She was looking so cute that both could not help themselves but to smile automatically. Maan smiled because he found her at last and Alka, she came near Geet and caressed her hair, thinking, “if I also had a daughter like her’, A small tear fell down from her eyes thinking now, it could not be possible in this life.

She tried to wake Geet up. She was in deep sleep, holding a pen in one hand and paper in the other. Alka left her sleeping and said Maan to have dinner.

After sometime, Mohan came to take Geet. Though he knew she would be fine but his fatherly heart did not let him live in peace. Alka said how she slept without eating anything. Mohan took Geet her in his arms and found her holding Maan’s things. He very tried to remove those papers and pen but Geet hold was so firm due to deep sleep and she was stirring when Mohan was trying to snatch things so Alka said let thing be with her only. Mohan left and Maan kept looking at Geet from far. His child heart didn’t understand his emotion but he had started accepting her friendship.

Next day, Geet woke up still holding paper in hand. Mohan came and kissed her head, “What’s this Beta” he pointed toward paper where she had drawn a figure.

“It’s him” she still didn’t remember Maan’s name.      

“Who Geet, is it me?”

She nodded no.

“Then?”

“Wo baba yesterday I had gone to his place na.. that my friend”

“Oho.. so it’s Maan?”

She nodded yes and smiled. “Baba I want to go with him again today. You know we played hide and seek there and also he has lots of toys..” she kept telling Mohan about Maan and what they did and what they played and Mohan kept hearing her sweet talk lovingly.

 ##

About a week passed when Maan did not meet Geet. One day Mohan was bringing Geet home from school when he saw Maan. He was with a servant, sitting on his cycle. Mohan asked where he was going.

Servant told that Alka had to go to court for the land handling process and she didn’t want to take Maan there. Maan was getting bored alone so he brought him here. He also told that they were going back to Delhi tomorrow.

“baba ice cream!!!”

Suddenly Geet shouted seeing an ice cream vendor and started cribbing for it. Mohan made her buy one and also offered Maan. He told both children to sit in the temple campus and have their ice cream and he himself went to meet random villagers there.

##

Both children were sitting and having their ice cream when suddenly some marriage chant started playing in loudspeaker which caught Geet attention. She rushed to see what was happening there and saw a marriage ceremony was taking place at a corner of Temple.

She became excited. She runs back to Maan and starts dragging him there.

“I don’t want to go, leave me” Maan said but adamant Geet puffed her face.

Fearing that she will again start her dangerous cry Maan had to agree over her wish and both ran to the marriage place and started watching them. There was a ritual going on where the bride and groom were taking Phera around holy fire. Geet started clapping. She also runs inside a temple (little far from the marriage place. This place was empty because all were involved in marriage ) and started running round n round around a small alive Hawan- Kund , before Devi Durga statue.

“What are you doing Geet?” Maan came following her.

“I am playing a marriage- marriage game” Little Geet was so excited.

Maan came near her and said in his boyish attitude, “You can’t marry alone Geet and it’s not the proper way. I have seen in films”

“Film kya hoti hai?” She looked at him innocently.

“The thing you watch on TVs and theaters. Wait I show you how it happens”

He came and tried to search something around and found a Red Mata-Chunri. He picked it up and put itover her head and a corner kept over his shoulder. Geet was looking at him as what he was doing!

The marriage chants were announced on a loud speaker in full volume. Maan took a few Sindur from Devi statue and filled Geet head. Some powder fell on her nose and she squeezed her nose feeling the weird smell of it. Maan wiped it with his hand.

“Now we have to run around this fire”

Geet nodded. She started running around fire when Maan shouted, “Slowly”

She slowed down. Maan held her hand and both started taking Phera in their own childish way where Geet was jumping only and laughing that she learnt to play a new game. How many Phera they took they didn’t count but finally they stopped. Geet dragged Maan back to see what the real bride groom was doing and found them taking blessings from elders.

“Now what we will do?” She looked toward Maan curiously. Maan thought for some time and dragged her back and both took blessings of Maa Durge statue touching her feet.

“Yieee” Geet was so happy and excited. She turned back and found the couple and people were coming this way only when suddenly Geet eyes fell on something shining in the bride neck. That Mangalsutra caught her attention.

“I also want to wear this” she pointed toward the Maan chain he was wearing in his neck. Maan was thinking whether he should give her or not. Geet eyes again started filling with tears and finally Maan had to give up before her cry and He tied it in her neck and this was the exact time when all people saw them and they got shocked!!

When found, Geet and Maan tied in a holy Dupatta and Geet’s head was filled with real sindur and both were holding each other’s hands before Devi statue..