Later in the day, office came to the halt. Staffs started packing their bags, murmuring chattering about full day event, leaving all the heats, stiffness, inclemency behind. Geet noticed them. She knew, she was left there alone, with Maan and his clients. It was not new as it was before too, she had been left after dusk, when Maan attendants any meeting. So she was not feared or scared anymore. She just waited meeting to be over soon, so she could talk him.
##
Maan was driving back from his one of the far most site. It was already night and he had been completely worn out with all the full day tight schedule he had. He almost had forgotten about Geet and their small argument. He came back Mansion and went straight in his room to get fresh and changed. He gave his tight and stiff body horizontally relaxation when his mind started recalling full day happenings. He remembered their argument and then, his mind crossed across Geet. He felt, her appearance is missing. Frowning he cursed her and then himself. He waited for her to come, talk, pacify him but she didn’t. He turned and tossed left and right side, restlessly, watching from cornered eyes to the door, expecting it to be open anytime near, raising, dogging his ears up to hear a pin drop sound even , trying to fish her voice from thin air but no, her sound was nowhere to be heard there. It was very unlike her. Half hour had passed and not even for once she came to check him. “Is she okay!’’ he thought. he stood up, opened door, came out with little tilt head to find in every possible corner of Mansion, could have started from over there, but, she was nowhere. “Where is she ?’’ Next question he whispered to him. He saw Nakul, asked him. Nakul got confused. He knew both used to come together and if not, Geet always came earlier Maan, with driver. They why his Maan sir is asking unusual question to him. For a moment Nakul got stood there, blinking him with his round button eyes but when got double shot glare from Maan, he jumped came back and spoke “She is not yet in Mansion Maan sir’’
Now it was like thousand needles for Maan, which pierced his whole body with its sharpen peak, made his skin sieved and his souls came out screaming, hollering, ready to core out entire world if it was needed. “She didn’t come back home ! where the hell she is!!!!’’ words ping inside his hollow mind. He recalled every minute togetherness of them, where he had left her last and found, it was KM. “Damn !!!’’ He heat hard on wall beside and run to his car, rushed to office. “She will be all alone their’’ thoughts were haunting his mind and heart was giving company with raised thudding sound, inside his trembling body. “What if she had already been left from there?’’ his eyes widen with this mere thought. he peered out from window. Nothing could be seen aside from a dark dome, covering entire surrounding with wild and chilled wind. It sent shiver in his already exhausted body, made him more exhibited, that anybody could see how much worried he was. In very few time, his car stopped on office entrance. He got off and almost run to guard. Asked.. but had been informed “ She has already left more than a hour before’’ By guard.
Meanwhile, Inside KM
Maan ji’’ Geet called softly, more than needed as she thought, he must be with clients. She didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention toward her from the people sitting over there inside. she waited standing out of conference room, holding door handle, thinking should turn it or not. She was now started fearing, seeing its really getting too late and not once Maan came to check her, unlike always.
“Maanji’’ again she called. Finally turned knob and pushed door. Cold air of empty room run out, giving her severe shiver with the thought “is it empty?’’ “Babaji’’ a whisper came out in reflex, without her know.
Huge range of shudders started running through her veins up and down. she clutched her mouth tight tried to make herself calm, not to think adverse but like it was the most difficult task, in this entire universe. she just started sinking horribly. Her pupils started moving inside her big red and white blended eyes, in full speed. Some water drops took their place on her white forehead, making it more white in fear. Her lips, wanted to make some sound but it was vibrating so hard to form a moan even. In her haze state she heard a sharp sound. Seemed, like someone is walking in race. she smiled behind her palms, which was rested on her lips, was stopping her lips to make any curve till now. her heart became little normal. ” it must be Maan’ she thought, turned around and runs to find sound source. Her leg was trembling shaking with shiver attack . she guessed a direction and was running toward when heard again, the same sound but from different direction. Her legs made a halt, taking her body stop along with and turned. she tried to see through transparent and cold darkness which was hugging tight a long corridor. she gulped her struggling saliva down in fear. Though she knew there must be Maan coming to her from same path she had to go through and there was most chances to meet him in half way itself, yet, seeming like she would have to walk on hell path to reach her God. The feel of isolation itself had stolen her half audacity and now this long dark black corridor which would reach to lift at end. she made a step ahead. her shoe touched the marble floor which was sleeping peacefully below her feet became conscious with her leg weight and made a groan sound, echoed in vacuous, quite area.
she frightened with her own footstep sound. she closed her eyes in fear and opened it back to find a figure at end of corridor. she blinked couple of times to make her view clearer, to see if she was hallucination or really someone is standing there, moving slowly to her. she was not sure should go ahead or not. she looked her surrounding, she found standing over there was more terrible than grabbing a chance.
“M-Maan!!’’ she called, making sure that figure was him or not. Like she heard some faded sound back. Not sure, but guessed she did. She made her heart sure it was him only. She did a small prayer to Babaji and started to walk. Clutching her Dupatta in anticipation. “M-Ma-Maan’’ repeated his name to make her heart strong, convincing herself he is calling her back. She reached in middle, sensing he is close, may be at an arm distance. She raised hand, tried to find, touch him. “Maan!!’’ she again call little more hope. She heard his breathing sound. Her heart became more fast but not in fear, but in ecstasy of finding him. She rocked hand in expectancy to touch him. She almost found him when suddenly a hand covered her mouth, she found herself to be pulled back, somewhere, forcefully. She struggled, tried to scream, swayed hands, legs , tried to push him but failed. Tears stared falling out, making her state more vulnerable enough to fight back.
She could not understand what is happening? Where is was being taken away? Who is he? Why he is doing this? ‘’ she was unable to think a word. All she could think, she was being dragged far away from her Maan, her saviour. She wanted to cried out loud. She again tried to bite his hand, push him away but he was far most stronger than her fragile pale figure. She found herself in a cabin, dim lightened, a thud sound’, she guessed door got closed. In a fraction second she found his grip became weak while closing door. She bite his hand hard , became free from him, she turned, moved back, and saw him…
Her eyes widen ..
“Maan!!!’’ she breathed…
