FF: New York times with Maan&Geet Thread 4 09/13 - Page 73

She slid out of bed with absolute dread that the weekend was already here. There was nowhere to go and she wouldn't get a chance to see him aimlessly sitting at the cafe. Thank heavens! At least he wasn't following her like a teenager and instead settled for the cafe, watching her goings and coming in. Unconsciously, she feared she was going to Duane Reade more often than it was necessary. But how was she to resist this feeling that pooled inside her the instance she would step out the large glass doors of their building. The feeling was wavy, drifting in bundles and sheets every time his gaze met her skin. She would instantly hug herself as she would either walk in or out depending on whenever she felt him. The emotion would hit her head and she would sit out the rest of the day as if she was in a delirious trance, seized by an higher power, chanting his name.

No doubt, she was crazed and now she even imagined the same fever that she had come down with the first time he'd done that. Falling on the bar counter callous, she let out a 'Good morning' to Geet who was scurrying with breakfast preparations. Her bhabhi was back for the weekend and her peaking color, assured her that everything in her small world was all right.

"Are you sleeping well nowadays? You look tired" She heard Geet ask and lifted her head to give out a weary smile.

"Yeah!" She said. That's all she could do with. Geet was right; she was sleeping light nowadays. She saw her bhabhi in a struggle to tuck her pallu into the folds of her sari by her hip and hurrying to switch the stove off. The tea was about to boil up and spill.

"Why are you haggling with that thing? Why don't you slip into something comfortable?" She asked stopping mid-way for a yawn.

Geet smiled and nodded but didn't respond for a while. She must have thought it was rude not to answer back and so did, filtering the tea into three glasses.

"Let your bhaiya leave. I will" Naini raised a brow at that and watched her flush instantly.

"And I'm used to sari now. I don't feel it's uncomfortable at all" She continued, as she bustled with activity.

"What does this got to do with bhaiya?" She questioned, taking in a sip from her cup.

"He prefers that I..." She paused and didn't face Naini "He likes me in sari"

"Geez! When did he get all that traditional?" Naini said and stopped commenting further when she saw Maan enter the kitchen. He smiled and she knew that was his good morning wish to her.

As if she needed any trigger to start thinking about him, she'd again slipped into picturing the first time Rishabh had left her a sari on their bed. Somehow she had not taken to the long flowing garment at the time. It was tedious she'd told him when he'd enquired too many times why she wouldn't wear it even for occasions.

"Meeta?" She watched Maan ask Geet and her bhabhi nod almost immediately in panic. He pulled her as she saw Geet hurry to the far corner, faking some chore or another and handed her the cup back. Naini noticed that she turned back after a second or so and gave the cup back to him, as her cheeks burned a bright red

"Oh! God" She rolled her eyes as it dawned on her, what Maan had just asked Geet. "Bhaiya...seriously?" For a moment the shock was as real as the cup she was holding in her hand.

Her own mornings with Abhi came back to her. "Argh" she groaned low. Of course she was not the kind, who would do servile wife duty, dishing out his favorite cereal and black tea. Even the couple of times she'd done that by mistake weren't the sweet ones. But the ones where he would line up cheerios on her navel and eat breakfast in bed were tormenting her that minute. The memory of his lips there was making her go limp with a need for him.

She collapsed back onto the counter at the train of memories that was crushing her. Her brother passed by and ruffled her hair on his way out, after his tea, calling to her abruptly, "Enough mocking. Wake up sleepy head"

He must have assumed she was still sleepy and she didn't bother to correct him. However, she responded when she heard him call to Geet, for the umpteenth time.

"Geet...Where are the car keys?" He screamed from near the door.

"You are just the garden variety husband...you know that? How does it change like that soon after marriage" She said, knowing well, he wouldn't answer back.

To her surprise, he did. "I can't believe I'm accepting this shamelessly. But I have come to like depending on her for the little things"

She saw, Geet smile and run towards him with the keys she'd found on the table nearby, her form erecting with a pride that came from hearing her husband's words.

"Some changes are good after all" He smiled and turned to face his wife. Not wanting to intrude on their privacy, she got back to take another sip from her tea. She had little doubt Maan was kissing her bhabhi by the entryway.

She recollected her husband kissed her too whenever he would run out on errands...Argh! She wanted everything to stop and what she needed most was her mind to go blank.

"Let's go party tonight" She spoke loud to be heard by her brother who was perhaps leaving their home that instance.

"Ok...Decide if you want to go to Verve or Flatiron" She didn't respond and neither did she turn back.

Her own miseries were too heavy for physical movements. Loud noise, sound, interference was all she needed to not hear her thoughts. She could give in, a little voice spoke inside her head. He was only one floor down the voice persisted.

"Shut up" She groaned to herself.

Like hell! She had decided a long time ago that she wanted to get back with him. Although she couldn't swallow her bloated ego and make the first move; not when he had not pushed her again since that night in Geet's old room. One more time she was going to feel his eyes on her, she was going to burst into flames, she was certain. What would she not give for one hug or even just a touch?

She was doing a sordid job at living and re-living without him.

To be continued...

Loved Krishna's, Fatima's, Libra's and Ramhari's comments. THANKS so much you guys for pushing me to put up another part. So glad you guys love it. 

A short update, but I felt she needed that shove. What do you people think? Comments? Like button?

The car jerked to a halt and she reckoned only seconds later that the drive to the lounge had been a blur. She'd been lost, no doubt and it was beginning to drain on her. The endless cars stopping and accelerating to get to the door was unnerving her. She couldn't wait for the drone of the club and the blaring noise to fill her, cut her thoughts with 20,000 watts of sound and leave her numb. Possibly even frozen.

Maan and Geet filled the front seats of the car, while she was lazily slumped in the corner. She eyed the crowd walking towards the line that was gathering at the entrance and that's when she took to the form of a man, casually leaning on the wall. He sure had good tastes for dressing for his choice was unmistakably suave punk. Quite literally she gathered he had two shirts on, the inner one with a collar and the outer cut down into a plain V. Solid black the outer shirt was and a checked vest layered it again. He'd gone for a stingy brim hat and square wayfarer glasses. She was thankful she was finally getting back to enjoying eye candy. Keeping his eyes on the stranger, she leaned into the side window and as the car neared the club, her stomach picked up a flutter in her heart. The man wasn't a stranger after all. Of course her faithful instincts had sensed her husband even before her eyes could pick him up. So much for expecting herself to eye another man!

The valet got the keys from Maan and he moved to greet Rishabh. Did she just see him flick a cigarette? What was insanely wrong with her husband? He knew she hated...no detested men who smoked. She noticed he'd gone for an ensemble she had not seen him wear in years. She wanted to scream and tell him that he didn't need to dress like a twenty year old to pick up girls and that he already looked young as is. What was she even mad about? She questioned herself. Was it the clothes or the smokes she had seen in his hand, she couldn't tell. But she was certain there would be something of cataclysmic nature happening right there in New York if one chit, so much as even thought about getting near him. She was done with his mind games. And now she was getting a glimpse of his push-pull dynamics he'd played on her for the last eight days. Keeping his distance had proved him good, however, it had turned not so good for her.

They gang entered the lounge with him closely following her. She looked divine, he thought. His fingers itched to move aside the one stray curl that was bothering her left eye. Her eyes traced her body down to her feet and her silhouette that came clear in his mind's eye was aching him to pull her close by her waist.  Who wouldn't want to flaunt a woman so fine? His jealous streak was back when he noticed two men far back in the bar, eye her lustfully. Argh! She could have covered her bare shoulders; he painfully kept the thought to himself.

J'Lo s 'On the Floor' was deafening the crowd and she smiled at the first wave of relief flood her. Throngs of people were moving their hips to the raging number one single in a trance and she so yearned to take part in their mindless acts. At least the icicles on her back was begging to fade with the sound and it no longer felt like his eyes was torching the piercing icicles and melting them on her skin. It made her feel frigid and hot, all at the same time. She thought she spotted her animal center people in the corner of the dance floor and ran with the first sight of an escape, leaving Rishabh behind with Maan ad Geet. 

"You want to catch a drink?" Rishabh asked.

"No. I will have to drive" Maan denied. But after a few minutes he picked up his usual scotch with water when they sat at the bar. Maan was seated on the bar stool and Geet stood leaning on him, in-between his legs. They were well hidden behind the pillar that ran the room's height and kept them cozied away from prying eyes. Rishabh took to a Martini and swiveled aimlessly on the barstool.

Back in the dance floor, the boom box cranked another notch as Pitbull's "Everything tonight' thrashed the crowd. She loved the song for no reason at all and she flung her arms up in the air, swaying as a dervish matching the Goth girl Snow. She had often thought it was quite odd a name for a girl who pretty much dressed in black all the time.

"Why is he always there, wherever you are?" Snow shouted to be heard above the music that swept the floor.

She hesitated for a moment, but before she could answer, Snow continued "I think he likes you...like seriously"

"I know" She shouted back, smiling to herself at Snow's discovery which wasn't faulty at all.

"Whoa...I think he is trying to impress you" Snow who was facing the bar announced and she turned to take a look at what she was talking about.

He was behind the bar counter and nodding to the bartender. She knew her husband took to bartending tricks, when he needed to focus or divert himself. Wait! Why did he need to do that exactly? She saw Snow's jaw open wide and gape at what she caught sight of. Somehow even without looking, she knew it always started with the flip of the tequilla bottle, going high up in the air, leaving a trace of thin fountain of the liquor in air, as he would catch it from his arm going behind and flip it back down to fill the shot glasses lined on the counter.

"No...he sometimes does that" She yelled. When Snow couldn't hear, she repeated her words and added more information.

"No...he does that when he needs to keep himself occupied. He owns a chain of hotels, trust me he knows his way in a bar" She nodded and snow was super impressed, not taking her eyes off from where he stood.

He turned to catch him smile and mix up a cocktail for a woman, who was clearly flirting with him. She flipped her face back, slightly miffed.

"Let's go get a drink" Snow asked her, tugging her wrist.

"No...I'm not keeping well. You go ahead" She struggled to speak aloud, to reach her ears.

"Don't be scared of him. I'm sure he doesn't bite" Snow tried convincing. Her eyes closed for a second, thinking how Snow was to know if he wouldn't bite or not. Oh! he was good at that, she wanted to tell snow, instead decided to keep her thoughts private.

Before she could be persuaded, Joey made an appearance on the floor next to Snow. Naini saw Snow, color instantly, but something inside her told that the attraction didn't go both ways.

"Heya girls" Joey bubbled with drunken enthusiasm. They greeted him back, but she was clear, he didn't care.

"Can I get you ladies a drink?" He asked jerking up, swaying to his sides. She wasn't threatened by him and knew he was a good kid, who had the spunky bone in him. Even without waiting for their response, he threw his arms one on each girl and dragged them along.

"Joey, let it be...and you should stick to woman your age" She tried shoving his swinging arm away from her shoulder but failed. Almost the same instance, her eyes shot to catch her husband still at the bar. Did she need to even look his way? He was fuming and she could see the blazing eyes on her and most importantly Joey.

"Joe...What the F***, you are drunk as a doorknob" Snow screamed, frowning, unable to bear his weight on her. It was her ill luck perhaps, that he responded to Snow's sulking and took his hand off her and yanked Naini by her wrist.

She had been eyeing Snow's disappointment grow in her face, when she suddenly felt the pull on her arm. Unable to react with firm feet, she'd placed one unsteady foot in front of another and tripped on Joey's back. Joey had, for unknown reason, turned around and had caught her in time.

The next few minutes were bleary and passed in a blip. She recollected him jumping over the counter and come straight at them. One second, she saw her husband raise a fist in the flashing florescent light and the next instance she was being hauled by him. Joey must have been on the floor for she couldn't spot him in the numerous heads that was crowding the spot she had departed from. Her palms were sweaty and she was going cold from the pace at which he was drawing her out of the lounge.

"Maan bhaiya and Geet" She'd let out in a strained whimper and her eyes searched for them in the dim settings of the club.

"Don't bother" He retorted, not looking at her, nor giving her an opportunity to explain it all.

They were out on the street and the valet brought his car in no time. He dragged her to the other side of the car and shoved her in the passenger seat. The entire time he'd refused to look at her and she was frenzied from his irrational behavior. Oddly it didn't anger her, but she couldn't bring one word to her lips.

When the car picked up decent speed, he whipped his head in her direction and yelled "You are still my wife...you better remember that"

"I didn't do anything" She whimpered hushed, looking down timid.

He couldn't process, what she'd said or even what met his eyes. His rage was truly blinding this time. He was holding onto hope she would come back to him. Eight days had not been long, that much he knew, and he was determined to give her more space just as he'd promised. It befuddled him why she would resort to making him jealous and spite him to commit something stupid, just as he'd done a few minutes ago. As if she didn't already have enough reasons to hate him. He couldn't see her pick reasons to run from him and it hurt his cherished ego, deeply...badly.

"If you wanted me to leave...all you had to do was ask" He said and she saw him with tear filled eyes.

She thought she would vanish into thin air, if she couldn't see him for even one day. The knowledge he was either one-floor down or in the coffee shop, invisibly helped her cope with the distance she'd put between them. But him leaving her was no longer an option. All her memories had been exhausted living and re-living them and she need new ones...she needed him.

To be continued...

I guess I have written quite bit today and would love to see comments 'for each one of them' - if possible - by the time I wake up tomorrow. Sounds demanding eh! I know. THANKS to those who keep commenting and the rest, come out and play...