Hello! Wishing all of you and your families a very Happy New Year's! Thank you guys so much for your feedback, likes, and interest, I appreciate it sooo much. <3 Next chapter is below. :)
Previous Chapters -- Part One: prologue + ch 1 / ch 2 + 3 / ch 4 + 5 / ch 6 + 7 / ch 8 + 9 /
ch 10 + 11 /
ch 12 + 13 /
ch 14 + 15 / Part Two: ch 16 /
ch 17 /
ch 18 /
ch 19 /
ch 20 /
ch 21 /
ch 22 /
ch 23 /
ch 24 /
ch 25 /
ch 26
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"We have to go this way," urged Thomas, tugging Riya's hand as they made a turn in the thick of the forest.
Reluctantly, Riya allowed herself to be led by her partner. Although she had attempted to convince Thomas to leave her in the woods and execute the rest of her plan, it was fruitless; Thomas had steadfastly refused to leave her alone, and the two children were now trying to head back to the campfire. She would simply have to come up with another plan to turn her parents into husband and wife.
"I think I have another idea about how to get your parents married," said Thomas, as they navigated through the intimidating trees.
"What is it?" Riya asked eagerly.
"We'll tell them we can have a double wedding," replied a confident Thomas. "Us and them."
Riya sighed. "How come you want to marry me so bad?" she asked.
Thomas shrugged. "Because."
"Because why?" Riya pressed, wind whipping angrily around her.
"Because . . . I dunno. You're real nice and you're real pretty," said Thomas.
"Thank you," said Riya, bashful. At the word "pretty," she thought of her mother, who was surely the most beautiful lady in the entire world.
"And it'll be a lot of fun when we get married," said Thomas, carefully stepping over a root sprouting out of the ground. "We'll be like real grown-ups. I can drive you to the mall and buy you all the dumb girlie things you want. And we can cook whatever food we want, and no one can make us eat yucky vegetables."
Riya furrowed her brow. "But I don't know how to cook. Daddy doesn't let me touch the stove."
"That's okay," said Thomas, waving his free hand. "We'll order pizza and cake and eat that every day."
Riya nodded. That sounded like a plan to her. But wait! How could she possibly marry Thomas? "I only want to stay with my daddy and my mama," she said. She did have to admit that she was developing a certain fondness for her admirer, however.
Thomas shook his head. "You're almost seven," he remarked wisely. "A woman. You can't stay with them forever."
Riya remained silent; it was too chilly to argue with her stubborn partner.
Suddenly, the children heard a loud shuffle to their left.
Riya gasped and clutched Thomas's arm tightly, fear creeping into her throat. Was there really a werewolf out here, as Thomas had suggested earlier? She stared at Thomas, who looked as frightened as she felt. "Oh no," they whispered in unison.
---
As he continued to embrace Geet in the cabin, Maan found that comforting her provided him strength to combat his own panic. Unfortunately, Geet's state had only appeared to deteriorate; she was all but crumpling in his arms.
"Geet," Maan breathed. He pulled her slightly away from his chest and cradled her face. Tears were slipping down her delicate cheekbones.
"Please . . . please stop crying," Maan pleaded. Normally, the only person whose tears had any effect on him was his daughter, which explained why he attempted to keep his child as happy as possible. But he didn't know how much of Geet's weeping he could endure.
"I can't lose her again, Maan," said Geet, her voice trembling. "I just can't."
"You won't, Geet. Everything will be all right," assured Maan, hoping that the dread knotted in his own throat was inaudible.
Carefully, Maan sat Geet down on the couch, then touched her shoulder. "I'll be right back. I'll just be in the kitchen." Quickly, he poured a mug of hot chocolate, then blew across the top of the cup in an effort to cool the steaming liquid.
"Here's hot chocolate," Maan offered, sinking down onto the sofa beside her. For a moment, his heart lifted -- she had stopped crying. Then, he noticed her drained and vacant expression, which worried him even more than when she had sobbed against his chest.
"Geet, drink this," urged Maan. He took Geet's hands and pressed the mug gently into them. "You'll feel better."
Obediently, Geet raised the mug to her lips and took a sip. Maan felt a tiny triumph. If he couldn't help his daughter at the moment, at least he could take care of Geet. She was the mother of his child, after all. . . . But was that the only reason he felt so protective of her? A nagging feeling inside of him answered in the negative.
"You need some rest," murmured Maan. "You can go into the bedroom and sleep. . . . I'll let you know as soon as there's word."
Geet closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, it's all right. I'm exhausted, but I know I wouldn't be able to sleep." Maan nodded. That perfectly encapsulated his own condition.
Suddenly, the door clicked open. In waltzed Sameera, her scarf flapping behind her. "Any update?" she asked.
"No. The kids are still missing," said Maan tightly.
Sameera shrugged off her coat and appraised the ashen-faced Geet. "Wow. You look terrible," she observed.
"No, she doesn't," Maan snapped. "And anyway, our daughter is missing. Geet has more important things on her mind than walking the runway."
Sameera narrowed her eyes. "I *meant* that she looks very stressed out."
"Uh-huh," said Maan, turning his own eyes into slits.
Geet sighed and took a perfunctory sip of hot chocolate. She had no energy to deal with Sameera and her antics at the moment.
"I think I'll wait up with you," said Sameera, dropping onto a stool near the fireplace. "My nephew is already asleep in his tent."
"There's no need to stay up," said Maan. "Really. We're fine." He wrapped an arm around Geet's shoulders, tugging her close to his side.
Fleetingly, Geet wondered whether Maan was only hugging her to put on a show for Sameera.
"So," began Sameera, crossing her legs. "How did you two meet?"
Maan and Geet froze.
"Excuse me?" said Maan.
"I asked, how did you two meet?" Sameera repeated.
"This is hardly the proper --" Maan began.
"We met at work," said Geet, her head beginning to throb. Well, it was the truth -- sort of. They had, after all, bumped into each other for the first time in the main campus library.
"And what attracted you to each other?" Sameera asked sweetly.
Maan stared at his ex-flame. Why in the world was she asking such questions, especially after she had just professed her love for him earlier that same day?
"All you have to do is look at Geet to see why she caught my eye," said Maan through clenched teeth.
At Maan's insinuation that she was attractive, Geet whipped her head around to face him. Did he *actually* think that, or was he continuing to play his part in this charade?
"I see," said Sameera, pressing her lips together in a tight line. "The wedding must have been beautiful."
"Sameera, this is a completely inappropriate conversation," said Maan harshly.
"Fine," said Sameera, crossing her arms. "We can talk about something else. It must have been such a wonderful time in your life when Riya was born. Bonding with each other and with the baby. How *exquisite.*"
Geet felt the hole in her heart grow wider as she reflected on all the years she had missed of Riya's life. Her first word, her first day of school. And now, her daughter was out of her arms once again.
As if Maan could read Geet's mind, he said sharply, "That's enough, Sameera."
Rolling her eyes, Sameera uncrossed her legs and stood up. "No need to be rude. I was just trying to cheer you up with happier memories. Whatever. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go change."
Although Maan hadn't thought it was possible, Geet looked even more drained than before. It positively amazed him how Sameera could wreak havoc with minimal effort. Maan could practically see the regret bubbling within the mother of his child. How was he to pacify her now? Would thoughts of missing so much of Riya's growing up send Geet over the edge?
In the ultimate stroke of good fortune, the front door to the cabin swung open to reveal Ranger Jones holding Riya's hand. Although Riya was shivering slightly, she looked otherwise unscathed.
Fresh tears spilled over Geet's cheeks as she leaped up from the sofa and rushed to her daughter. "My baby," Geet sobbed, pulling Riya tightly into her hold and showering her with kisses.
Maan felt his stomach drop to his feet as gratitude overwhelmed his senses. He enveloped Geet and their daughter, tears welling in his eyes. He had hugged his daughter countless times over the years -- indeed, he did so multiple times a day. And to the extent that he had taken any of those hugs for granted, he knew that from this day forward, he would treasure each and every embrace.
After allotting a few moments for the emotional reunion, Ranger Jones spoke up. "I found Thomas and Riya in the middle of the woods." Indeed, it turned out that the scary shuffling Riya and Thomas had heard had been the ranger crunching his way over dirt and leaves. "They're both fine, and I just dropped Thomas off at his cabin. By the way, he's a great kid. He was the one who convinced Riya to come back to camp. Even let little Riya here wear his jacket."
"Is that right?" said Maan, raising his eyebrows.
"Yup," said Riya. "He didn't want me to turn into a popsicle."
Through her tears, Geet gave a little laugh.
Maan sighed. Even he had to salute Thomas's efforts to keep his daughter safe.
"Thank you so much, Ranger Jones," said Maan, reaching out to shake the ranger's hand. "We deeply appreciate your service."
Ranger Jones tipped his hat. "All in a day's work, Professor Khurana. You all have a good night." He turned to Riya. "Please make sure to stay with a chaperone from now on, dear. You gave us all quite a scare."
Riya nodded. "Yes, sir," she said politely. She was already regretting developing the plan in the first place. After Thomas withdrew his cooperation, it had been a total bust.
As Ranger Jones disappeared through the front door, Maan turned to face his daughter. "Miss Riya Khurana," he began sternly.
"Yes, Daddy?" said Riya softly. She had never seen her father so upset, not even when he had unsuccessfully tried to French braid her hair.
"I don't want you to *ever* even *think* about doing again what you did tonight," said Maan, his tone grave. "Or anything even *close* to it. You had your mother and me sick with worry."
Geet smoothed a hand down her daughter's back, too choked with emotion to add more disciplining remarks.
Riya hung her head low. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said quietly. How could she explain her desperate longing for her parents to marry? "Are you real mad at me?"
Maan sighed, then kissed the top of her head. Being angry at his own heart was out of the question. "No, baby, I'm not really mad," he said. "But I want you to promise me that you will always stay with your mother, me, your teacher, or another responsible adult."
"We can't live without you, honey," said Geet, sniffling. "You must promise."
Riya nodded vigorously. "Promise promise promise."
Just then, Sameera floated into the living room carrying a thick paperback book, a shawl draped over her shoulders.
"Why, hello," Sameera greeted Riya solemnly.
"Hello, ma'am," Riya said, shrinking back behind her mother. Something about this woman was unpleasant, but she couldn't pinpoint what.
"It's a good thing you're back," said Sameera, flopping down on the couch. "You had your mother and father so upset that they forgot their manners while speaking to me."
Confused, Riya looked up at her mother for guidance on how to proceed.
"Indeed," Sameera went on, opening her book, "I wanted to hear all about their marriage, but they were too focused on worrying about you to discuss anything."
"Marriage?" Riya's eyes grew wide as saucers.
Sameera cocked an eyebrow at the child. "Yes . . . ?"
Riya spun around to her parents. Had her plan worked even without her being left in the woods?!
Maan and Geet froze once again. Uh-oh . . . .
As Maan watched his daughter open her mouth, undoubtedly to inquire further, he immediately launched into damage control mode. "Uh -- Riya, let's all go and get ready for bed. Mrs. Smith brought your luggage to the cabin earlier, and you will be staying with us tonight."
Geet nodded. No way would she be letting Riya out of her sight . . . ever.
"You and Mama --" Riya began, her eyes twinkling. Setting this plan in motion had been worth it after all!
But Maan was already leading Geet and their child toward the bedroom in the hallway, leaving a befuddled Sameera on the sofa.
Maan ushered the two into the bedroom and closed the door. "Uh, Riya --" he began.
Before he could continue, however, Riya clapped her hands with joy. "Yay!" she cried, throwing her arms around her mother's waist. "You are married! My plan worked in the end! Yay!"
Geet met Maan's eyes. *What now?* her orbs seemed to ask.
As he observed their daughter's delight, words refused to climb out of Maan's mouth. He couldn't bear telling Riya the truth just now, especially when he was so relieved to have her in their presence once more.
Riya leaped onto the bed. "I want to sleep with you both tonight," she announced.
Geet stepped forward quickly. "I will sleep with you, honey," she said. Indeed, she wanted nothing more than to cuddle with her daughter. "But -- but Daddy can't sleep with us."
"Why not?" Riya pouted. "On television, married people always sleep together --"
"All right, sweetheart, that's enough," said Maan, bringing his hand to his forehead. He made a mental note to monitor his daughter's television viewing more closely. "You and Mama sleep here, and I will sleep on the couch outside." As he quickly exited the bedroom before Riya could protest, he felt his chest ache at separation from his daughter when she had just returned.
Outside on the sofa, Sameera appeared to be engrossed in her novel. Maan pretended to busy himself in the kitchen for a few moments, pouring Geet's unfinished hot chocolate down the sink and glancing into the empty refrigerator.
Finally, with an edge to his voice, Maan suggested, "How about you get to bed now, Sameera."
"No, I'm reading," said Sameera, flipping a page with her index finger.
"It's starting to get late."
"And I sleep late. Don't you remember?" she winked.
Maan swallowed his disgust at her obvious implication. "Good night," he said curtly.
Maan made his way back into the bedroom, where Riya and Geet had changed into night clothes. Riya was perched on the bed and speaking in hushed tones to Teddy. Her parents could make out "marriage" and "must be saving the wedding cake for later."
"Sameera's outside," Maan hissed to Geet. "I can't sleep on the couch out there. And I obviously can't sleep in the second bedroom, which is hers." He glanced around the room, and his eyes fell on a wooden rocking chair under the window. "I'll just grab a pillow and blanket and sleep on that."
"That will be very uncomfortable, Maan," Geet whispered. "You can't sleep that way."
"I'll be fine," said Maan, tossing a pillow and blanket onto the chair. "You should get some rest."
"But --"
"Really, it's fine, Geet," said Maan.
Geet shook her head, then walked over to her daughter on the bed. "All right, Miss Ladybug," she said, giving her daughter a gentle squeeze. "Time for some shuteye." Although Geet kept her tone light, her heart was still pounding with relief and elation that Riya had been found.
"But I want Daddy to sleep with us, too," said Riya, yawning. The events of the evening had caught up to her.
"I'll be right here in the room, sweetheart," said Maan, leaning over and kissing Riya on the cheek. "Sweet dreams, my angel." He tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, almost out of reverence.
Geet, now lying down on her side, pulled Riya's back against her stomach so that mother and daughter were facing Maan. A peaceful look settled over Geet's face as she drifted into slumber, their daughter quickly following suit.
Maan seated himself in the rigid rocking chair and stared at mother and child. He was certain that his heart would burst any second from affection and contentment, and he suspected that this feeling wasn't simply because of Riya's return. But what was it, then?
The night wore on. Although Maan tried several positions, Geet's prediction was indeed accurate -- it was impossible to sleep in the stiff wooden chair, which was doing a number on his back. Light continued to stream under the crack of the bedroom door from the living room. Sameera surely did sleep late.
When at least two hours had passed and the large knot in his back became unbearable, Maan sighed inwardly. The empty half of the bed looked quite welcoming. Maan hesitantly stood up, then cringed at the loud creak of the rocking chair. Thankfully, neither Geet nor Riya was disturbed.
Silently, Maan lowered himself onto the bed. He stared at his dozing child, who had brought her mother's hand up to her cheek. Moonlight spilled over Geet and illuminated her graceful features. Unthinking, he smoothed his palm over her cheek and briefly wondered if she were actually an angel walking the Earth instead of a flesh-and-blood woman.
Gazing at Geet's serene face, Maan's mind flipped through a reel of flashbacks. Their first meeting in the library, sharing a makeshift tent during the thunderstorm, meeting her at the threshold of her apartment to bring her to the Khurana mansion. Nearly kissing her during the campfire, holding her to his chest as she wept in the cabin. . . . As the heady realization of his deep attraction for her hit him square in the chest, Maan bit back a gasp.
Suddenly, Geet's eyes fluttered open. As she registered that Maan's fingers were against her face, her eyes grew wide.
"Is everything all right?" she whispered.
Maan nodded, emotion clogging his throat. *It is now,* he thought.
---
Thank you for reading. :)
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