Part 17
"Maan, what are
you doing here?" asked a surprised Geet trying to free her arm.
Dev watched them
silently with his mouth gaping slightly and his eyes open wide.
"Never mind
about that. Answer my question first. What did you just say?"
Geet started
trembling, seeing the fury in his eyes.
"I won't come in
the way of your happiness," she muttered.
"No, after
that," he said impatiently.
"I'll let you
visit Sahana," she said with feeling.
"No....at the
very end," he persisted.
"I can't keep
you from Sameera," she said regretfully.
"What has Sameera
got to do with us?" he asked in annoyance.
"She is the
woman you love," she said in a pained voice.
"Says who?"
asked Maan furiously.
"I saw the two
of you in your office. You were hugging her and telling her that her love will
win."
Maan was shocked to
realise that Geet had seen him with Sameera.
"Was it the
reason that yesterday you left handing over the food you prepared to my
sub-staff, without meeting me?" he asked as he suddenly comprehended her
strange behaviour.
She nodded her head
silently.
"Now, don't tell
me that you were jealous of Sameera."
She remained silent
but bent her head down in shame. Although her head told her that she had no
right to be jealous of any woman in his life, her heart couldn't help but feel
upset seeing another woman in his arms.
Maan secretly felt
happy that Geet was as possessive of him as he was of her.
"For your kind
information I don't lust after married women," he said gruffly.
Geet looked at him in
shock.
"She's
married?"
"Yes, she is...to my
close friend, Varun. The three of us were together in the same college in
London and were very good friends. Varun and Sameera got married only a year
ago and live in Delhi. Both of them are passionately in love with each
other but have giant sized egos. Sameera is very ambitious and career
minded. She wanted them to postpone plans to expand their family for some time
as she wanted to start a boutique. Varun on the other hand was keen to have a
baby soon. They had got into an altercation and Sameera left him a month ago
and came to her mother's place here in Pune. She expected that her husband will
call her back soon but instead he has sent her a notice for judicial
separation. She received it yesterday and came running to me in tears. She
still loves Varun deeply and was desperate to get back with him. She asked me
to help unite them. I assured her that I will speak to Varun and sort out their
issue. Since Varun is headstrong I had asked her to give me some time to soften
him up. I told her that her love will win, meaning her love for Varun, not for
me. How could you even think I could love anyone else when I am so obviously
and hopelessly in love with you?" he asked in indignation.
She looked up at him
stunned.
"You love
me?" she asked incredulously.
"Were you not
aware of it, Geet? How can you be so blind? Why do you think I spend so much
time with you and Sahana? Why do you think I am desperate to be in your company
always. Does that not speak for itself?" he asked in a hurt voice.
She had to admit that
he did indeed behave like a lovesick little puppy. Only she presumed all that
attention was for her daughter. How wrong she was.
He continued in a husky
emotional voice, "You two are the most important girls in my life. My life
is meaningless without you. When you talked of annulment on grounds that the
baby was not mine, you broke my heart, darling."
Her eyes welled up as
she clearly saw the love in his eyes. Why could she not see it before or was
she too scared to see it, lest it turns out to be a mirage?
"I am sorry, Maan.
I was too scared to believe anyone could love me for who I am. I thought I was
unworthy of you although I couldn't help falling irrevocably in love with
you."
"How could you
think so little of yourself?" he admonished her. "Your inner beauty
radiates through and brightens your external looks, making a confirmed bachelor
like me go weak in the knees."
She blushed at the
compliment and bent her head down in shyness.
Holding her chin he
lifted her face and was about to kiss her when they heard the unmistakable
babble of little Sahana. They turned and saw her in Rehana's arms as she
and her little troop made their way towards them.
"Well, well
well....look who's here, Sahana. Your Papa! And shamelessly romancing his wife
in broad day light, that too in a public place!" exclaimed Rehana
mischievously.
Both Geet and Maan
turned tomato red and looked bashfully at the new entrants as well as the sole
existing one who was looking at them pensively. Sahana leaped into Maan's
arms and calling out "Papa....Papa..." she covered his face with her drool
as she literally licked it in happiness. Maan hugged her close, his eyes
softening with love for his little angel.
Geet tried to lessen
the embarrassment of being caught red handed by introducing Dev to Rehana.
"This is my
friend, Dev. Dev, this is Rehana, Maan's friend's wife."
"Why, am I not
your friend, Geet?" asked Rehana jocularly and turning to Dev, shook his
hands.
Rehana then
introduced all the members of her family to him. Dev shook hands with everyone
including little Asma. As the children were getting restless, Rehana took leave
of them. Sahana was still busy admiring her handsome papa and trying to tell
him about the party in her childish gibberish.
Geet turned her head
to Dev and then to her husband and back to him again, her tear-filled eyes
silently pleading with him not to separate them. Dev understood her plea.
He had been silently observing the depth of love these two obviously had for
each other when they impassionedly confessed their feelings to each other. He
knew that they were really meant to be. Although it was heartbreaking for him
to lose the woman he loved so soon after finding her, he knew that the man she
has chosen was far more worthy of her than he ever could be. A man who saved
his beloved's life, who so selflessly took care of her in her hour of need, who
accepted her unconditionally into his heart and who was prepared to give her up
for her happiness surely deserved all the happiness he could get. He would
definitely not stand in the way, especially since the happiness of the woman he
loves is so inextricably woven with that of this man. He only wanted to
hold his daughter for a few minutes before he bade them good bye.
"Would you not
let me hold my... sorry...your daughter for a couple of minutes?" he asked
Maan.
Maan who was absorbed
in listening to his daughter turned to him and smiled at him guiltily.
"Sorry for the
intrusion. We created quite a scene, didn't we?" Maan said
apologetically. He then turned back to Sahana and stretched his arm holding her
towards Dev.
"Sahana baby,
this is your.."
"Dev
Uncle," finished Dev for him. Hearing this, both Maan and Geet heaved a
sigh of relief, although both of them felt bad for Dev. In that one word Dev
conveyed his acceptance of their relationship.
When Dev tried to
take her from her papa, Sahana shrugged her shoulders and turned away from him,
clinging to her papa tightly.
Dev could not help
feeling hurt by her reluctance to come to him. Maan felt embarrassed by her
behaviour and explained that she generally took time getting used to new faces.
Maan tried to reason with his little daughter. "Sahana baby, this uncle is
a wonderful man, a close friend of your mama and papa. Won't you go to
him?"
This time Sahana
looked at Dev curiously and although she was not too keen to leave her papa,
she let herself be lifted by this stranger. She stared at his face intently
wondering why her papa was keen to palm her off to this strange man. Dev smiled
at his little girl and remarked to Geet that she was a carbon copy of her. He
then asked them if he can get her a gift. Maan and Geet nodded their heads. He
went to the nearby gift shop and asked Sahana to pick what she wants. She
looked around and pointed her hand to a big air filled Bugs Bunny which was
nearly twice her size. He nodded his head and bought it for her. As it was too
big for her to hold, Maan carried it for her.
They then walked Dev
to his bike. Maan passed on the Bunny to Geet and took his daughter from Dev's
arms. He asked Dev when was his flight so that they can come to the
airport to see him off but Dev said that he hated goodbyes and preferred
to leave alone. Maan tried to apologise to him for everything but before he
could proceed further Dev asked him not to feel sorry for him. He would always
be grateful to him for letting him know that his Geet was alive and well and
happy with her family. He then jocularly said that if he ever heard that Maan hurt
her in any way, he will take the next flight back to India to 'take care' of
him. Maan laughed and said he will never give him an occasion to complain.
Wishing them all the very best, Dev got on to his bike and sped away as the
threesome looked on.
Part 18:=> Here
Edited by Opti - 13 years ago
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