Reminiscence of Love: A Maaneet Tale :) - Page 46

Chapter 10: Matrimony

March 19, 2011

"Arohi!!!", she shouted at the top of her voice.

"Geet? What? Where is the fire?", Arohi came out of the kitchen, with the batter in her hands.

"Gosh Arohi! You are not ready as yet? The Holika Dehen would begin anytime now. The time is 7.30, and look at you. What a mess!", Geet scolded her.

"Geet, I'm preparing the sweets. It's the last round in the kadaai. Just gonna take me 10 minutes more. And I'll go get ready. Or even better, you cater to the cooking, and I'll go get ready.", without waiting for an answer, Arohi walked off promptly, leaving a confused Geet behind.

She was all dressed up. How was she supposed to wander in the kitchen now? Sighing, she went and stood near the stove, as she had no other option. She started moving the Kadchi in the oil, and rotated the sweets in the process of frying. Unexpectedly, a splash of the hot cooking oil landed on her arm. She dropped the kadchi, and let out a yelp.

"Ouch!", making a face, she turned off the stove and was looking at her burn when Mohit came from behind.

"Geet? Are you OK? I heard you yelp. What happened?", he asked, worry etched in his tone.

Before she could speak anything, he noticed the redness on her arm.

"Oh God Geet. Your arm is burnt. If you do not do something right now, it might worsen. Wait here. I'll be back", with that, he rushed towards the ridge to get some ice.

"Here. Apply this on the wound. And put your hand under the cold water, so that it relieves soon.", he instructed her, concern clearly dripping from his voice and expressions.

Geet just stood there, mesmerized by this man- the care, and the love in his eyes. How something similar had happened one day, when she had burnt her finger with the gas, and he.. It was so similar, the worry, the words, and the concern. She was dazed.

"Geet? Are you going to apply the ice? Or not?", he asked once more.

On getting no response, he dragged her near the basin, and put her arm under the cold water running from the tap. Feeling the coolness on her burn, she broke out of her stupor, and snapped up her head, to look him straight into the eyes.

Their eyes met, and the world around thinned. Everything else seemed to disappear. Their fingers locked, and the hearts entwined.

Vicky stepped down the stairs, and the sigh in front of him, made his heart swell with love- love for his brother, and his best friend.

*cough cough*

The sound of someone coughing brought both of them back to reality. Geet immediately freed her hand from his, and turned off the tap. Glancing at Vicky, and gicing an awkward look to Mohit, she walked away mumbling to herself.

"Geet! Is this the way? For heaven's sake. That man is Mohit. For the umpteenth time. Babajee, help me please! Help me to gain control over myself!"

Vicky heard this, and felt sad for her. How difficult has it been for Geet, he thought.

"Mohit. Come on. Its time for the Holika Dehen. Lets go out.", saying this, with a bunch of green in his hand, Vicky walked outside. Mohit followed, confused with his own behavior, and with Geet's.

Once outside, all of them one by one, set fire to the heap, and they put their greens inside it, with a prayer of burning all the evils within them with Holika.

While all this was going on, never for once, did Mohit's eyes leave Geet. They were walking around the fire, across each other, and when the distance decreased, and they came one after another, nobody realized. While taking rounds, she suddenly feel a push, and she bumped into him. Feeling her feminine form against him, he instantly turned around, and held her, so as to not let her fall. In crowd, no one really noticed them except one pair of eyes, that constantly hovered. Muttering a quick sorry, Geet distanced herself from him. And they started walking once again, throwing the saamagri into the fire. Geet did not realize that the edge of her dupatta was stuck to his watch as they took rounds.

After the fourth round, nonchalantly, Geet moved ahead of him, in pretext of catching up with Vicky, her dupatta still stuck to his watch. As she walked ahead, they took yet another three rounds around the fire, tied to each other, they completed seven rounds around the holy fire inadvertently. When Geet tried to walk away, she realized that her dupatta was stuck. Knowing that Mohit was behind her, she held her breathe, as it jammed in her throat. Her heart did all kinds of crazy leaps inside her chest, and her eyes closed, as if savoring the moment. Just then, she felt him nearing, and her heartbeat gained pace.

"Your dupatta was stuck, with my watch. Sorry.", he spoke incoherently in her ear, in a husky voice.

And he walked away, inside the mansion, towards his room. Gaining her senses, she decided to go to her family. Arohi and Vicky were discussing something in hushed tones when they noticed her coming towards them. They at once, changed the topic of their discussion, and diverted the talks towards Naina and Pratham.

While the three of them chatted, and discussed the plan for Holi, Mohit watched from the first floor, from his balcony. He wished to be with her, and hold her in his arms. Their was a longing that lied in him. As he stood their, gaping at the object of his affections, something flashed before his eyes.

As he tried to clear his vision, the motion became more clear.

He was seeing his dream. The one that he used to have at nights, while sleeping, now flashed in front of him, even when his eyes were open. His irises darkened, as he tried to focus on the face, the face of the woman, that always had been blurred to him. It was only the name, Geet.

Adjusting the vision, what he then saw, sent jolts of electricity through his spine. The face, that used to haunt him since he remembered, was none other than Geet. His mind reeked havoc inside him, and he felt suffocated. He went inside, and gulped the water down his throat.

He then exited his room, and decided to get some fresh air. Whilst passing Geet's room, he noticed the door open. He thought of shutting the door, since there was no one in the mansion. He went ahead, and as he bent forward to hold the knob, a few words on a poster on the wall, caught his attention, along with Geet's smiling photograph.

"Maan ki Geet", it read.

He repeated the phrase in his mind, and brought them to his lips when Vicky patted him from behind.

"Whoa!", Mohit jumped out of shock.

"Whoa! Mohit! Its I, Vicky", he said.

"Oh God Vicky. You could have been a bit more subtle bro.", Mohit said.

Hearing the words bro from his mouth, Vicky's emotions threatened to erupt.

"Yeah. I'm. uh. Sorry! Actually I was looking for you. The dinner is ready. Come.", Vicky informed him, diverting his mind.

"Hmm. Ok lets go. By the way Vicky, I wanted to ask you something.", Mohit said.

"Hmm?"

"Umm. Who is Maan?"

Vicky halted his steps, as he froze.

"Mohit? Why do you ask so?", he enquired.

"No actually. I saw something in Geet's room and. Like, it was written 'Maan ki Geet'. So I asked."

"Hmm. Yeah wo. Maan was..uh.. my brother.. and.. umm. Geet's husb' Fiance . ", Vicky told him.

"Oh! Was?", he asked, confused.

"Yeah he is. Uh. He is not with us anymore.", Vicky spoke with great difficulty, and left.

Something hit Mohit, like a wave, and he did not realize what was it.

"He is not with us anymore", Vicky's words replayed in his mind.

Why did this particular piece of information disturb him so much? Maan, the name sounded like someone he knew. Someone very close. Someone, like himself. Not being able to figure out the reason for his thoughts gone haywire, he again followed Vicky to the dining table.

Everybody had a quite dinner, except for a few discussions regarding Holi plans. After the dinner, the family resumed to their rooms.

After an hour or so, the twins barged inside Geet's room, when she was busy writing something.

Arohi snatched the paper of her hand, and stated reading out loud, what she had written.

As I grow old and go through life
As I encounter the joys and strife
I shall think of the memories left behind
I shall recall our moment in time

When everything is said and done
As life gets closer to my setting sun
I shall think back on the memories in my mind
I shall recall our moment in time

As the sand in my glass starts to run out
As I try to figure what life was about
I shall try to understand why life is so blind
I shall recall our moment in time

As the years pass and my twilight draws near
I shall think about life and why I was here
I shall look to the west at the setting sunshine
I shall recall our moment in time

As I age I will blame destiny and fate
As the time in my life starts to get late
I shall not dwell on the fact that you could not be mine
I shall recall our moment in time!

By the time she ended the poem, Geet had a forlorn look on her face, and she smiled through her saddened state. Realising that she had touched the sensitive spot, Arohi apologised to her, as she told her that she was there to spend the night with her, and Vicky had escorted her to the room, because she was afraid of the dark.

Geet and Vicky chuckled on that, and then Vicky left, bidding them good night.

Arohi and Geet chatted for a long time, and slept by around 2:00 AM.

March 20^th, 2011

Geet woke up yawning, and she saw Vicky tip toeing to her bed. She was about to scream when he came and covered her mouth with his free hand.

He then applied he red powder on her face, and whispered, "Happy Holi!", and grinned.

Geet frowned and then understood.

She got out of the bed, and went to freshen up, and get ready to celebrate the festival of colors.

After about fifteen minutes, she came out of the washroom, to find a screaming Arohi, and a ducking Vicky. She let out a laugh.

When they would not stop, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "GUYS STOP!"

Both of them halted, glancing at each other, and then the trio burst out laughing.

They went downstairs in the hall, and wished dadi a happy holi, and applied the gulal on her face.

They continued the same ritual with Naina, Pratham and Mohit.

While Geet applied gulal on everyone's face except Mohit, he himself did not hesitate to wish her Holi by applying gulal on her cheeks. She just smiled in response and wished him back.

And then all of them headed out to the lawns, where the buckets of colored water and pichkaris were ready, with water balloons and snow sprays, and more gulal.

As soon as they reached, Vicky held up a pichkaari and aimed at Geet. She stepped back and tripped, falling backwards. And then everyone started throwing color on each other and wetting one another with colored water and smearing colors on their faces.

Geet fell backwards, and closed her eyes anticipating the fall. But a pair of strong arms held her from the back, and she landed not on the ground, but on a masculine form.

Rolling over, she found Mohit lying over her, with a packet of red gulal in his hand, and she felt a lot of red powder on her forehead. For what seemed like eternity, they shared an intense eye lock, with ater drops falling on them, drenching them wet.

Geet realized their position first, and nudged him to move, breaking the gaze. They got up, straightened themselves, and moved apart. Geet turned around, and lifted her hand to her forehead. Sensing the gulal on her maang, she was transported to the previous night, the Holika Dehen. And it was then that she realized the graveness of the situation.

The rounds around the sacred fire, and the red powder in her maang, had tied her in the bond of matrimony. Panic seized her, as she realized the seriousness of what exactly had happened.

But immediately, she shrugged the thoughts away, thinking that this was not possible. It was a mere co incidence, and nothing else. For it was easier to convince one's mind, than the heart.

With that, she proceeded towards the rest of the Khurana's to join them in the celebration. For the rest of the day, she very conveniently avoided Mohit during the celebrations, the lunch, the evening family time, and the dinner. Late at night, she discussed the days events with Vicky, putting special emphasis on the gulal event, and sharing her fears and thoughts. Vicky consoled her that it was nothing except for co-incidence, for this wasn't possible. Not wholly convinced, she decided to drop the topic, and call it a day, for the tiredness had started taking its toll, and her eyes were droopy.

Vicky bid her for the night, and walked out of the room, smiling to himself, thanking the heavenly powers above, for he was sure now, that this was Destiny's play.

The inevitable had taken place, and the two souls meant to be together, had been tied in the consecrated bond of nuptial through unavoidable circumstances, though both of them were blissfully unaware of the togetherness that they shared for eternity.

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SOOOO. How was it? I added the poem, because you guys love reading my poems so much. Comment on the update, and comment on the poem. Like bhi kar hi dena. 😆 

Thank you and love you all so much. 😃

Link to the next part: Chapter 11: Till Death Do Us Part