MM- Chapter 6

Maan had his hand with the dupatta behind his back as he walked down the corridors following his dulha friend into the main hall. As he turned one corner suddenly out of nowhere a little girl barged into him with her one hand extended forward. Maan first looked at Haider who walked ahead without knowing that he got stumped behind.

He then raised his eyebrows questionably at the little plump cheeked girl. She in turn raised her eyebrows and pointed at his hand behind his back with her eyes and said "main Roop hoon Aur aapke paas meri Di ki chunni hai, aap mujhe dedo"(My name is Roop and you have my sister’s scarf, please return it to me). Maan raised his eyes at her and added "mujhe kya milega badle main?" (What will I get in return?) Roop looked back annoyingly at him and said "Ma kehti hai ke kisi ki cheez wapis karna humara farz banta hai"(Ma says that to give someone’s belonging back to the person is our duty and not a favour).

Maan chuckled and was surprised at the little girl with her witty response. He held his hand out with the dupatta saying "theek hai insaaf ki Dadi maine apna farz pura kiya" (Alright, you wise old grandma, here! I have fulfilled my duty) he pulled at her one pigtail braid with his other hand.

She felt doubtful of his intention but reached out to grab the dupatta anyway. Maan suddenly raised his hand up and added ‘waise meri Dadi kehti hai ke jiski cheez hai usi ko waapis karte hai! Aur yeh toh tumhari ‘Di ki chunni’ hai toh wapis bhi usi ko hogi’. (By the way my Grandma says that one should return someone’s belonging only to its rightful owner and anyway this is your “Di’s scarf so it will be given only to her).

Roop now looked very annoyed and pointed her finger at him saying ‘Dekho Dulhe bhaiya ke veerji Give the Chunni back to me now otherwise it won’t be good!’ She looked perplexed and murmured under her breath ‘over there she has taken my bowl of sweets due to this stupid chunni and here you are holding me away from my sweets’.

Maan pretended to scowl and said ‘acha?!’ toh phir dekh hi lenge’ (really?! Okay so then let’s see) and he turned away on his heels. Then just as he turned so, he heard a:

‘Suniye’

Maan turned around to look at the face of the caller and there she stood again besides her little sister…in her pink suit as she stood anxiously fidgeting with the ends of her braid’s long tassle (Paraanda). The sight of her now up close felt even more magnetizing than the first time when his eyes fell on her standing in the window from the veranda. She slowly raised her eyes to meet his and just as quickly looked down again. ‘Woh sagai ka waqt hone ko hai aur meri chunni yahaan aapke paas… matlab …wahaan bageeche main gir gayi… aur abhi sab humara intezaar kar rahein hai, mainu Meer ko lekar aana hai sagai ke liye’ (umm, the engagement ceremony is meant to begin any time now and my scarf is with you… I mean … fell in the courtyard behind…everyone is waiting for us, I need to bring Meer downstairs for the engagement) and she whispered to herself ‘bina chunni ke Ma toh mujhe maar hi dale gi’ (and if I go without my scarf, Mother will murder me!).

Maan was walking towards her as she was giving her stuttering little speech to get her scarf back. Roop in the mean time ran off probably to find her bowl of sweets again and Geet looked up at him, seeing him slowly walking towards her made her flutter and her feet unknowingly backed away. She didn’t know if she should look away or stop walking backwards his unwavering stare made her nervous.

As she almost stumbled backwards into a pillar in the corridor he held her shoulders to balance her feet. The Dupatta now hanging off his hand down on her shoulder.

He whispered ‘sambhal ke’ (be careful)

She suddenly looked at him shocked at his touch and moved away grabbing the dupatta from his hand on her shoulder.

He quickly held the end of her dupatta and said ‘Aisey kyun ghabra rahi ho??…main tumhe khaa nahi jaounga, daro matt! Main ek ladka hoon koi Dusht Danav nahi… (Why are you getting scared? I'm not going to eat you alive, don’t be scared! I'm a guy not an evil demon to eat you up like that! )

Geet suddenly burst out laughing and turned to look at him mimicking ‘Dusht Danav’.

Maan stood mesmerized at her laughter yet again, He didn’t know what it was but seeing her this way made him short fall for words. However in between her laughter Geet blurtered ‘waise dusht ka patta nahi haan par danav zaroor honge aap! Apne dost par kaise hass rahe the) and she continued laughing. (By the way, you may not be evil but you sure are a demon.. why else would you laugh at your friend’s plight that way!!)

Maan came out of his trance like state when he heard her statement and exclaimed ‘Kya!! I look like a danav to you!?’ (What!!??I seem like a Demon to you)

Main Maan sign khurana hoon! Mere Papa jaisa banunga! Dev hoon Danav nahi!! samjhi tum! And he held her tightly laughing form again by the shoulder! (I am Maan Singh Khurana! I am going to be like my dad, Divine (Lord)! You better understand!)

She stopped laughing and tried struggling from his steel grip saying ‘chodiye mujhe! Honge aap ke bauji Dev jaise, mere Bauji aur bhi ache hain! Aur main darti nahi aapse! (Let go off me! Your father may be like a lord for you but my father is better and I’m not scared of you!)  And she stamped his foot with her one foot and said ‘darre meri jutti!!’ (Scared! Huh? My foot! ).

Maan yelped and let go off Geet’s shoulders. She instantly jumped and ran back down the corridors towards the stairs… before she turned the corner she said ‘suniye!’

Maan looked at her angrily.

 She said ‘chunni ke liye shukriya aur jutti ke liye maafi she held her one ear with her hand then added ‘Dusht Danav ji’ and ran off.

Maan was visibly annoyed and was just about to go and give her a piece of his mind when he heard some other people coming into the corridor.

Jassi ji spotted Maan and called him out ‘Maan puttar aap sab ka isteqbal karne hum yahaan hai ajayiye (we are waiting here to welcome you, please come over here)

He turned and straightened himself and said ‘ji, main aya’ and added under his breath ‘I have begun to taste this very warm welcome already! Aap ki betiyon ne udghatan kardiya hai mera yahaan (your daughters have inaugurated my coming already)  One threatens with her pointy fingers and another stomps my foot