MM -Ch 20

In the dim lit room, Geet hummed an old tale lullaby to Haadi sleeping on the lounge sofa whilst she sat beside him on the floor, patting him into a deep slumber.

‘Neend ku aaya taana neend karte bahaane

rollo llo haaye maa 

Soja mera Chanda…. 

Neend ku aya taanaa….

Neend ke karte bahaney

Maan stood leaning on his door watching over her. Geet had undone the braid in her hair, and her hair rested on her back in loose curls. She wore the dupatta around her shoulders like a shawl.

He cleared his throat and got her attention. Geet scrambled herself up picking her lehenga to stand up. 

She stood looking everywhere else but him and mumbled ‘Woh woh…he fell asleep playing here so so I am just watching over him…’

‘Hmm… I don’t remember you being this darpok (Scardy cat) before’. Maan said straigteneing up and stepping inside the room towards her.

Geet looked up surprised and said defiantly ‘darpok toh nahi hoon main.’(I am not a scardy cat).

‘Acha?’ toh phir yahaan kyun chup kar baithi ho.’ (Really? So then why are you hiding here?) He took another step.

‘Chup kar nahi, Haadi ke saath hoon bas.’(I am not hiding, just staying here with Haadi) She took a step back from him unconsciously.

Maan hid his smile and replied ‘Woh toh so gaya, toh nichey jao, main dekh lunga ussey.’(He has fallen asleep right, so go downstairs, I will keep an eye on him).

Geet vehemently nodded her head and said ‘Nahi, aap jayiye apne room main. Main hoon na yahaan.’ (No! you go to your own room, I will stay here with him)

Maan put his hands on his hips and said ‘Yeh mera hi room hain.’ (This is my room)

Geet opened her mouth to say a no again but as his words registered she covered her mouth with her hands in panic.

Geet mulled over her thoughts whilst turning the dupatta in between her fingers. Maan almost laughed at the memory of her doing the same when he first met her.

‘What are you thinking over so much?’ Maan said in his quiet deep voice.

Geet looked at him and nodded no and turned around to leave as she felt she has no other choice but go downstairs and face others. The thought of everyone teasing her for fallings in Maan’s arms, made her cheeks and ears turn red.

She mumbled ‘Rabb ji, Daijaan ki teasing se bacha le.’

Maan overheard her bickering to herself and whispered in her ear from behind ‘When you were acting me out you didn’t look so shy then!’

Geet’s eyes rounded and she exasperated ‘Oh my gosh! You saw all of that too’ and turned around to see him but she turned so fast that she bumped into him and in trying to hold his balance Maan caught hold off her and stumbled back landing on his bed.

Geet’s embarrassment grew even bigger and she started getting up but her lehenga got pulled under him on the bed, she said ‘Im so sorry! I didn’t mean to bump into you again.’

Haye Rabba! What is going on today!!’ She looked up talking to herself and Maan looked up with her wondering who she is talking to.

‘Ugghh my lehenga!’ And she started to pull herself up and Maan watched her squirm whilst still lying under her on the bed.

He noticed she was panicking in her nervousness and raising her voice in her efforts to pull her skirt from under him.

He tried lifting himself off to let the cloth be pulled out but Geet in her clumsiness fell on his chest again.

This time she grew even more loud. ‘Rabb ji! I'm so sorry!’

But seeing her up this close, with her soft hazel eyes shining in the dim light and her lips quivering in panic. Maan edged his face closer and inhaled her scent, it was a mixture of her shampoo and musk perfume.

In a daze he lifted his hands and moved her hair back then caressed her face down to her chin and held her by the chin. Geet felt his touch and froze as she saw his eyes follow down her face onto her lips.

In a blink that Geet forgot to take, Maan flipped her over and a squeal escaped her lips. Maan covered her mouth and whispered a sshhh.

He looked at his own fingers on her lips and was tempted to feel its softness. As he was about to act upon his desire, his eyes glazed overs and saw a sheen of water in them.

He blinked and looked away, taking his fingers off her lips and gently got off her to stand. He then said ‘Woh Haadi… I will check on him.’ indicating why he shushed her.

Geet nodded and got up freeing herself from the extra yard of cloth that had entangled her with Maan.

She took rushed steps to the door, wanting to get away from his big deep eyes.

‘Geet.’ He called from behind.

She turned to her side and he quietly stepped closer to her back...a breath away from her.

He then gently laid her dupatta that she had forgotten on the bed over her shoulders, holding its edge still in his hand so she doesn't run away without listening to him and she spread the other end over her necks, clutching it tight.

‘Koi kuch nahi kahega tumhe, niche sab ko pata hai tumne kuch galat nahi kiya. Yeh sab tumhari dost ki khushi ke liye than aa, toh ussi ki khushi main tum uske saath raho. (No one will say anything, everyone knows that it wasn’t your fault. All of this was done for your friend’s happiness so you be with her, as part of it).’

Geet turned to look at him, her eyes telling a new story of understanding and respect and questions for Maan that she herself was scared to ask or know. 

Maan blinked at her ushering her to go, she smiled gently and left for downstairs to join Meer and others.