Tum Kaun Ho?
A Maaneet Fan Fic
Chapter 67
June 3, 2011 9:00 am
Maan and Geet sat side by side on a couch in the drawing room, looking very much like little children ready to be scolded. Each where thinking of how they ended up in this situation. When JD had brought his surprise breakfast, they were very surprised. So surprised that they were unable to do much more than sputter incoherently when asked about Maan's presence in Geet's room.
Even as JD remarked that he would have made breakfast for Maan too, if he knew he was there, Naintara was glancing around the room. Her sharp eyes took in everything from the blanket and pillow on the couch, to the fact that Maan was only in his undershirt and sweatpants. Maan tried to explain that he had just been wishing Geet good morning, but the smirk on Naintara's face clearly said she didn't buy that explanation.
Once JD and Naintara had seen them together, it wasn't long before Dadi found out. To avoid giving explanations when Dadi confronted them, Maan had pleaded work, and Geet gave the excuse of taking JD to school. That was unacceptable to Dadi. Chelsea was informed that Maan was unavailable until further notice, and Naintara was given the task of seeing JD to school. That left Geet and Maan to be interrogated by Dadi, who was currently standing in front of them, looking very stern.
"I want to hear the truth, with no attempt at flimsy excuses. Maan, have you been staying the night in Geet's room?"
"Dadi..."
"Have you been staying the night in Geet's room?"
"Yes."
"For how long?" When Maan and Geet glanced at each other, as though trying to silently decided what to stay, Dadi's ire shot up.
"Geet, how long as Maan been staying the night in your room?"
Geet looked at Dadi a little fearfully, before looking down and answering in a small voice, "Since the shooting."
"I see," came the hard response.
"Dadi, I don't see what the big deal is. I've just been sleeping on the couch, it's not like we were sleeping together or anything."
"Well, Maan, there was that one time after the kidnapping. You weren't on the couch then."
Maan glared at Geet, whispering harshly, "Geet, what was the need to say anything about that? It's not like anything happened, not with JD there."
With Maan and Geet busy looking at each other, they failed to see the smile appear on Dadi's face. Taking this as the perfect opportunity to tease them, she schooled her features carefully and exclaimed in a shocked voice, "JD was there?"
The two lovers looked back towards Dadi, and seeing her shocked face, realized how their conversation might sound. Geet tried to set things straight. "No, Dadi, you are misunderstanding, I mean it's not like what it sounds..."
"Oh, I think I understand perfectly. It's clear that I have been much too lax with you two. Staying together before marriage! That might be something I would expect from you, Maan, but Geet?"
"Dadi, I..."
"I don't want to hear any explanation. From now on, you two will follow my rules, and I mean complete obedience. From today, Maan you are no longer allowed to set even one foot in Geet's room." When the two tried to protest, Dadi cut them off. "If you do, I will have no hesitation in sending Geet out of the mansion before the wedding. No more objections? Good! Now, we only have a month before the rasams start. So, beginning from today, Geet is on leave of absence from the office. She will spend the day time hours with Naintara and me, preparing for the wedding. Now, I don't want to hear any protests. Chelsea has been working here long enough that she can handle things. There is a lot to get done in this month, and Geet needs to be on had to make selections and state her preferences. So, Maan, you go to your office and Geet, you come with me. We need to select the wedding card designs."
Before either could respond properly, Dadi had grabbed Geet's hand and pulled her up from the couch. As they walked out of the room, Geet glanced back forlornly at Maan, who stood angrily with his hands on his hips.
June 3, 2011 9:20 am
"One one problem is resolved, another one begins. Why is everyone behind me and Geet. First Sameera, then Naintara's mother, and now it's Dadi keeping us separated. And what did the great MSK do? Nothing! Absolutely helpless against your own grandmother, Maan. Pathetic. But what to do? I can't go against her. It's all Naintara's fault. Why did she have to help JD make breakfast, and then tell Dadi we were both in Geet's room that early. Come on, think Maan. How to get around this problem?"
June 3, 2011 9:30 am
Naintara walked through the various halls of the mansion, Meenal happily gurgling in her arms, in search of Dadi. She found her and Geet in the sunroom, where Dadi was explaining that they would have much better light in which to go through the wedding card samples. The designer was also with them, and pulled out a large assortment for Geet to look over.
"Dadi, I don't feel right choosing a card without asking Maan what he thinks. Let me just take some of these to show him, okay?" Geet grabbed a handful of cards and tried making her escape, but Dadi forestalled her.
"Maan, will like whatever you chose, of that I'm sure. You just sit right back down here young lady. If I let you go off now, I won't' see you for the rest of the day. We have too much to get done for me to let you go."
Naintara laughed silently at Geet's pout at not being able to escape. It looked like Dadi had already implemented her plan to have a little fun with the two soon-to-be newlyweds. When Naintara had told her what she saw that morning, Dadi had immediately decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Until the wedding was finished, she intended to keep them from meeting as much as possible, knowing that it would make her grandson go crazy.
Thinking of Maan, Naintara wondered how he was taking the turn of events. She went off towards his office in search of the man in question, but before she went a few steps in that direction, she saw him through a window, behaving in what she could only describe as a sneaky manner. Intrigued, she decided to find out what he was up to. Quietly making her way outside, she observed Maan from afar.
She saw him standing with his hands on his hips, his face clearly showing his concentration. She saw him look up at the second floor, then all around the back of the mansion, before looking back up to the second floor. She tried to see what held his interest, and when she pointed her gaze in the direction of his, she saw a familiar looking curtain in a window. So that was it!
"Veerji, fancy meeting you out here this morning."
"Naintara," said Maan, not sounding too happy to hear her voice.
"If you're thinking about sneaking into Geet's room through the window, I wouldn't. There's no way to climb up there without a ladder, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Dadi has Nakul standing out here at night on guard with a flashlight."
"This is all your fault! Why did you have to say anything to Dadi?"
"Oh, Meenal, don't look at Taya. He's looking so mean at Mommy right now, you will cry if you see." Naintara could not stop the smirk that appeared on her face at Maan's frustration.
"What Dadi is doing is not fair. Geet and I are finally getting married after overcoming how many hurdles, and now Dadi wants to keep us apart. You should be on our side."
"Why? If you were living in India, you wouldn't be allowed to meet before marriage anyway, so I don't see why it should make a difference to me."
"Ha, ha, ha, very funny, Naintara. I may not know that much about India, but I know enough to know that plenty of young couples meet before marriage. Regardless, this is America, not India, so I think the whole thing is ridiculous."
"Well, what do you want me to do about it? Go tell Dadi that she's being an ancient, annoying meddler?"
"Of course not. I want you to support Geet, who you claim is your best friend, and find some way for us to spend time together, a way that Dadi will agree to."
"I'll think about it. By the way, Veerji. Where are you taking Geet for your honeymoon?"
Wrapped up in solving the problem of meeting Geet, Maan had difficulty getting his mind to shift topics. "Honeymoon?" he echoed in a very distracted manner.
"OMG, Veerji! You haven't planned the honeymoon? This is the most important part of the wedding process, that part which is entirely in your hands, and you have done nothing? My respect for the great MSK has forever been damaged."
"Look, I've had a tough couple of weeks. I'll get around to arranging the honeymoon. You just worry about sorting out Dadi." Maan left in a huff, to exasperated by the whole situation.
When he was gone, she looked down at the precious little girl currently trying to eat her necklace, and asked, "What do you think, my little jewel, should I help Taya and Tayi? It might be interesting. I'll be like a double agent. Helping Dadi on one side, Veerji and Geet on the other. A wedding isn't a wedding until the fun and teasing starts."
June 3, 2011 10:00 am
"Naintara might come up with something, but you can't rely on that Maan. I'm not even sure she's trustworthy. After all, she was the one who spilled the beans to Dadi. I need to come up with something else, something that Dadi can't control or stop."