Part LIX
Maan's
business was progressing well. Maan had taken a loan for Rs.1.4 crore for
undertaking some renovation work at the hotel. Geet's settlement money came in
handy for obtaining the loan. With the face lift to the exteriors of the hotel
coupled with the marked improvement in services after Maan's takeover, the
hotel soon started attracting more and more guests. Mr.Mulchandani, the
businessman from Jaipur had been very impressed with the improvements during
his last visit to the hotel and had promised to recommend it to all his
business associates. When Maan tried to thank him he told him that he was not
doing him any favour and was only promoting what was good. He said that Maan
does not need any recommendation as what he has done to the place spoke volumes
of his hard work and perseverance. The occupancy rate at his hotel increased by
the day and soon the hotel was running to near full capacity even during off
season times, as opposed to the 50-60 per cent occupancy rate when Maan had
taken charge of the hotel. The increased volumes translated into higher
revenue and Maan was able to comfortably meet his repayment obligations and
also pay good salaries to attract the best talent in the industry.
On
the home front, he paid the advance for a two bedroom apartment which was very
close to the chawl as Geet had wanted. They moved into their new home in the
first week of February. Maan brought his baba back from Handa House into the
new home. Baba was given his own bedroom. Their bedroom was right next to his
so that they can attend to his needs at night. Baba's health showed marked
improvement with the physiotherapy and speech therapy. He was able to say a few
mono syllables which were decipherable. He was also able to stand up with help
although he still could not walk. The doctors were amazed at his progress and
ascribed it to his will power and the loving care of his family. They hoped
that at this rate he should be able to return back to a near normal life. Pinky
cited the example of her uncle to her father to encourage him to try moving
from his immobile state. This along with the news of Pinky's pregnancy seemed
to encourage Rajiv to put in more efforts. Although there was not much
progress in his physical health he seemed more cheerful. Pinky's
mother-in-law was very happy that she would soon become a grandmother and took
good care of her daughter-in-law inspite of her own problems with impaired
vision. Luckily Pinky's pregnancy was relatively hassle free with no morning
sickness and other associated discomfort.
On the evening of February 13th,
Maan and Geet left for the Conference of the hoteliers in Bangalore which was
to be held the next day. Although the Conference itself was only for a day, Maan
had planned to spend an additional four days there with his wife. He had
informed Anwesha and Rano of his plans and they assumed the responsibility of
taking care of Baba in their absence. He had, however, not revealed his plans
to Geet as he wanted this short honeymoon trip to be her surprise.
They
landed in Sameera's place that night. She was thrilled to see them and welcomed
them in. Over dinner, they caught up with what was happening in each other's
lives. Sameera told them that her company was taken over by another company but
her job was secure as they let her continue as manager of the Bangalore unit. Sameera
was very happy to note that Geet's singing career has taken off well and her
album was doing brisk sales. Geet was getting lot of offers but she was being
selective and is yet to sign any fresh contract. Sameera was happy to note that
Maan's hotel was also doing well. She hoped that he will soon turn it around.
They all said Amen to that.
The
next morning Maan left for the conference which was held at the Oberoi
Hotel. The chief guest of the conference was the Tourism Minister from
the Centre. During the interactive session in the afternoon, Maan suggested to
the Minister that hoteliers and the tourism ministry need to work in closer
co-ordination which will be of mutual benefit to both parties. Boosting the
tourism industry will not only help in increasing their share in the country's income
but will also create job opportunities for several people in the hospitality
industry. However, the biggest hurdle in developing tourism is the lack of
proper infrastructure in the form of road/rail connectivity and it is here that
the Government needs to do more so that people have better access to the places
of tourist interests. He suggested that the pace of privatisation of
state-run hotels should be increased so that the Government can concentrate on
areas such as infrastructure development. Approach roads to the hotels also
need to be properly maintained, for however much the hotels do in improving
their services, if the roads leading up to their hotels are bad and riddled
with pot holes, people may be discouraged to pick their hotels for stay. He
also thanked the Government for instituting the National Tourism Awards which
are presented to state governments, classified hotels, heritage hotels,
approved travel agents, tour operators and tourist transport operators,
individuals and other private organizations in recognition of their
performances in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy
competition with an aim to promote tourism. The Minister welcomed his
suggestions and promised to do his best to promote greater co-operation between
the various arms of Government both at the Centre and State Level to enable
them to achieve their common objectives.
That evening the hotel had organised
a Valentine's Day party for which the hoteliers were invited along with their
spouses. Maan took Geet to attend the party. Apart from the usual
ballroom dances, they had a 'Made For Each Other' contest for the couples in
which Maan and Geet took part. Each couple was asked a set of questions
about themselves and about their spouses to see how well they knew each other.
These questions were posed to both partners separately when their spouses were
not present in the room. Later the spouses were asked the same questions. The
couple was awarded points if the answers matched. If for instance one of the
partners says that his spouse likes the colour red and she too says she likes
red, then they will get a point. On the other hand if she says that she likes
blue, then the couple will get no points. The couple who had the maximum points
was then given the award.
After
this round of questions, the couple were asked questions about love and what do
they like in their spouses.
What
is love?
Maan:
Love is a four letter word- GEET
Geet:
Love is a four letter word - MAAN
What
is it that you like most about your wife Mr.Khurana?
Maan:
There is nothing I dislike about her. I love the entire package. Her
beauty, her love, her concern, her dedication, her simplicity, her talents, her
intelligence, her wisdom, her courage to face everything, her willingness to
adapt to her environment, her selflessness... the list is endless.
Do
you mean to say she has no flaws?
Maan:
Of course, she has. She is not God. But then I have my flaws too. If you
love someone you accept them in whole, not just a few of their qualities.
So
what are her flaws?
Maan:
To be frank, I really don't remember because they don't appear as flaws to me
any more.
What
about you Mrs.Khurana? What do you like about your husband?
Geet:
Everything, I simply love the man. His high self-esteem, his determination, his
large heartedness, his tenderness, his simplicity, his love, his devotion, his
generosity, his honesty, his diligence, his compassion, his inability to hold a
grudge, his ability to forgive, his ability to make me feel so special
and loved always, the respect he shows to elders....(she was panting by the
end of it)
Any
Flaws?
Geet:
Flaws? You mean like his short-temper, his moodiness, his impatience? Well, I also
love him for them. They are part of his personality. I love my grumpy man
because he can't hold on to his grumpiness for more than a few hours and he
looks mighty cute when he is grumpy.
If
there is one wish you will be granted, what will you ask for?
Maan:
Her happiness. For in her happiness lies mine.
Geet:
His happiness. I don't see my happiness as different from his.
At the end of the rounds, the
winners were announced and it wasn't a surprise that Maan and Geet won the
trophy. While accepting the trophy Maan was asked to say a few words.
He
said, "Falling in love is easy. Staying and growing in love in the face of
all adversities is the challenge of true love. I hope all couples here find
true love like we have. Once the seed of love is planted, one can't
ignore it and expect it to grow on its own. The couple need to work hard in
nurturing it and helping it grow into a healthy tree which will bear fruit.
There are four things love can do without - L for lie, O for oppression, V for
vindictiveness and E for Ego. If these are removed from the relationship,
there is nothing to stop it from becoming the strongest human bond."
Geet
looked at her man with great pride as he took his seat by her side at the end
of it.
That
night Geet packed her clothes in her bag expecting to leave for Mumbai the next
day. She asked Maan who had just come out of the shower what time was their
flight and whether they can drop in on Amrita Aunty before they returned to
Mumbai. Maan then revealed the surprise honeymoon he had planned for her. They
will visit Amrita Aunty the following morning and go around Bangalore in the
afternoon. The following day they will leave for Mysore and Madikkeri. After
spending three days there they will go to Mangalore which was the nearest
airport and take the flight back to Mumbai. He told her that he had packed
her clothes for the four days in his bag since he wanted to surprise her.
Hearing this Geet excitedly hugged and kissed him.
The next day Maan and Geet
accompanied Sameera to NIMHANS where her mother was being treated. Amrita, who
was very fond of Maan, recognised him immediately and smiled broadly at him.
She, however, looked at Geet in confusion although she has seen her at the
chawl on a couple of occasions before. Sameera had to gently remind her of who
she is.
"Mama,
this is Geet. Remember my friend from college? She has come to our house in
Mumbai?"
Amrita
gave her a faint smile but it was clear she still could not place her.
Sameera
explained to her that Maan and Geet are married and have come to Bangalore on
an official/personal visit.
Maan
and Geet took her blessings. Maan then sat next to her and asked her how she
was. Amrita told him that they were taking very good care of her at the
hospital. She liked the climate of the city too. Her only grievance was
that she had not got an opportunity to move around much. She lamented that Sameera
had promised to take her to Lal Bagh but did not have the time to do so as she
was busy at work. Maan told her that he will gladly take her there if she
wants. Amrita looked at Sameera expectantly. Sameera tried to tell her that
they should not be troubling Maan who is on a honeymoon with his wife but Geet
intervened and said that they would love to show her around. Sameera obtained
the permission from the hospital to let Maan and Geet take Amrita out for the
day and rushed to her factory as she was expecting the new boss to visit their
unit in the afternoon.
Maan and Geet then took Amrita along
with them to the Lal Bagh gardens. The botanical garden was a huge expanse of
greenery where flora was at its best. Amrita was excited to see all the
colourful flowers. She tried to pluck a few but Geet gently restrained her,
saying they were not allowed to do so. Maan promised to get her fresh
flowers from the florist on their way back to the hospital. Amrita seemed to be
satisfied with that and they continued their tour of the gardens.
Suddenly
Amrita stiffened seeing somebody. She then let go of Geet's hand and ran after
a gentleman, calling out to him, "Monty, Monty....". The man was of six
feet tall and well built with a thick
mop of hair with streaks of grey. He wore a grey suit. As he had his back to
them, Maan and Geet could not see his face. The gentleman apparently did not
hear her for he kept walking and went out of the gate where he was lost in the
crowd. Maan ran behind Amrita and reached her before she too got lost. Tears
were streaming down her eyes as she kept repeating she needs to find her Monty
and tell him that she has been waiting for him all these years and ask him when
he will come back to take her. Maan wiped her tears and placed his arms around
her shoulder, loosely hugging her. He assured her that everything will be
alright. They will try to find Monty but she needs to get back to the hospital
as she has to be fit and fine when she meets him. Amrita reluctantly let
herself be taken back to the hospital. On the way, Maan dropped by at the
florist and bought her a dozen white lilies, her favourite flower.
During
dinner that night, Maan informed Sameera about her mother's behaviour at the
gardens. At the mention of the name Monty, Sameera knew her mother must have
thought she had seen her father. She wonder whether her father was in the same
city but did not know how she will find him if he was. Not wanting to burden
them with her family problems, Sameera remained quiet. She told them that she
felt exhausted and needed to hit the bed as early as possible. As Maan and Geet
were to leave for Mysore early the following morning, she wished them all the
best in advance for an exciting honeymoon, saying that she may not be awake
when they leave.
Lying
on the bed, Sameera closed her eyes wearily. Why did all the unexpected things
have to happen on the same day? First shock that she got that day was when she
realised who her new boss is. The name of the company should have rung a
bell in her mind but somehow she did not make the association. From his
expression it was clear he did not recollect who she was. He seemed to have
changed a lot. His face was drawn, his lustreless eyes sunken and rimmed with
dark circles which indicated he had not slept well for days, maybe even weeks.
His shoulders were stooped. He sported a stubble which did not really suit him
and he did not seem to care much about his appearance going by the creased suit
he wore. He was a far cry from the smartly dressed person she had briefly seen
all those months back. What was responsible for this transformation she
wondered. They did not interact much as he had to leave for another meeting
that day. She briefed him about the functioning of the unit and appraised him
of the problems they were facing on the labour front. The trade union was
strong and was creating problems about the long shifts the workers were
subjected to in the recent months. He wanted her to give him a detailed
report about the number of days when the late shifts were operational and
reasons for the same. He also asked her to arrange a meeting with the trade
union leader the following day. She had to sit late to complete the report and
was wondering how the man is going to face the hard-nosed trade union leader
the next day.
As though the problems at work were not enough, she was made
aware of her mother's strange behaviour at the gardens that afternoon. If it
was indeed her father she had seen, her mother is not going to rest in peace
till she is taken to him. Whatever progress was achieved in the last ten months
would go down the drain. She just hoped that her mother would forget that day's
encounter but she was not sure. Still troubled by all these thoughts, she
slipped into a restless sleep.
Continued here
Edited by Opti - 13 years ago
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