Chapter 21

Finally, I dozed off, but I was startled awake by the door creaking open. I could tell by her walk that she had drunk a lot. She lay down next to me on the bed. I opened my eyes, and she was just staring at me without saying anything. I could see the fear of losing me in her eyes. I had never seen Geet so scared. Her eyes looked empty.

"Geet, where.... were you? Everyone was so worried," I didn't show my anger because she already seemed sad. I asked in polite way.

She didn't say anything. It was like she didn't even hear me.

Geet said, "Can I just look at you?"

I nodded. Just then, the sound of rain started. It was pouring heavily—the first rain of the season.

"I just want to look at you, don't say anything, don't ask anything." she added

She kept gazing into my eyes like she had found something she was searching for. Sometimes, her eyes showed complaints; other times, they were silent, saying so many things without speaking.

Geet's silence baffled me. Sometimes she looked at me as if she had found something precious. Her quietness was something I couldn't understand. I still didn't grasp why Geet was behaving this way. Earlier, I couldn't sleep because of the tension, but now I found myself watching her. Her face seemed to tell a thousand stories, and her eyes held countless emotions. I couldn't decipher what she was feeling.

In the dim light of my room, I was gazing at her face, and she was looking at me. The only sound was the rain outside. She was right in front of me as I lay down facing her. There was enough space between us to fit two pillows—space that felt like the distance one keeps from a stranger. while my eyebrows were slightly tense. A single tear fell from her eye, and she buried her face into the pillow. I got up and said, "I'm sorry. What I said was wrong."

In a choked, tearful voice, she replied, "Go to sleep, it's late." It was as if her tears had lodged in her throat. She was swallowing her sobs.

I kept looking at her with regret, wishing I could change something—anything—to make her happy. I couldn't bear to see her sadness. I sat there for a long time, hoping she would turn around and talk about something, but she didn't. There wasn't even the sound of her crying. I gently covered her with a blanket and left the room.

As I wandered outside, the rain had stopped I saw a person carrying something. Curious, I followed him. He was heading towards Ranjeet's house, which was close to mine. It was 3:23 a.m., and he was sneaking around, carrying a box, walking instead of driving. His car was parked a bit further away, with the lights still on. He left the box outside Ranjeet's house, and Ranjeet's servant took it inside. I had no idea what was in the box, but to find out, I decided to follow him back to his car. When he opened the car door, I saw several boxes inside. An injection lay on the ground outside the car, probably fallen from one of the boxes.

After he drove away, I picked up the injection from the ground. The car paused for a moment, and I panicked, thinking he had seen me. But then it continued in another direction, ignoring me. I hurried back home. It was nearly 5 a.m. by the time I placed the injection in my room. Geet was still sleeping.

As usual, her hair was falling on her face, she couldn't breathe properly, she started snoring. I don't know why, but hearing this, a faint smile came to me. When I moved her hair away, she suddenly opened her eyes with a jolt and asked me seriously,

'What were you doing?'

I said, 'Your hair was messy.'

She gave me a glare, 'Were you taking advantage of me sleeping?'

I said, "No, Geet! I'm not like that. Taking advantage is your nature"

"And leaving people alone is yours. You ruined my day right in the morning, saw whose face first thing in the morning."

I didn't sleep all night and didn't eat anything, so I started feeling dizzy. I had never experienced this before in my body. I'm sitting on the bed. Earth is trying to say something to me, I can hear its voice, but I can't understand anything. My head started spinning and I was about to fall off the bed, but as soon as Geet noticed, she rushed over and grabbed both my shoulders. I looked at Geet's face. She was shouting 'Payal, Payal, wake up!' and I looked at Geet. I don't know why, but a slight smile came to my face. I fainted.

I opened my eyes to find Omkara and Geet arguing.

Geet insisted, "I'll stay here, you go eat something."

"No, Geet. You can't stay. You have a meeting now. Moon already informed me," Omkara replied firmly.

"I don't want to attend that damn meeting. Payal isn't feeling well, she needs me," Geet protested.

"Geet, trust me, I can take care of her." Omkara glanced at me and continued, "Look, Payal..."

Geet, glaring angrily, cut him off, "Fine, I don't care! I'm going to the meeting."

Omkara handed me water and asked, "How are you feeling? You scared us all. Moon and Earth are searching for Jay and Ranjeet, and the police are involved. My detective will update me on my phone. He's also here."

"I'm fine. Is Geet okay? Why are you two fighting?" I asked.

"It's nothing. I came to see you," Omkara reassured me.

"Why are you helping me? We've barely met," I wondered aloud, still feeling weak.

"It's a personal matter. Do you have energy? Let me get lunch for you. Geet will be in her meeting for three hours." Omkara made a quick call and soon brought me lunch. "Here's your lunch."

As I ate, Omkara continued, "Many people struggle when they're in love."

"Do they? Why?" I asked.

"You know, Payal, I was in love with someone named Fakira. She was so intelligent. We met at a chess competition where she lost, but then called me a month later to play again."

"She sounds intense," I murmured softly, still feeling weak.

"Very! She was always angry. Once, she showed up at my door at 4 a.m. I opened it in shorts, and the first thing I said was, 'Fakira?'"

"Wait, she sounds like a psycho," I chuckled.

"Yes, she is," Omkara laughed.

"What happened then? Bolo"

"We played chess, and she won the match. I was so exhausted that day from writing my book. She suggested we celebrate, so we drank a lot. After too many drinks, my head was spinning, and I fell asleep. The next day, when I woke up, she was sleeping beside me, hugging me so tight like a cute baby."

I smiled.

Omkara continued, "I got up, made some tea, and drank it. When she woke up, she looked at me, scared, and said she got drunk last night and came over to take revenge. She said sorry, saying she was angry and promised not to meet me again. I asked, you came for just a game, right?"

In excitement, I asked, "Kya? Do you think she liked you too?"

"I don't know, but she ignored my question. She just smiled."

"What? That's unfair! Did you contact her again?"

"Those were some of my happiest days, just looking at her. Now she's a chess champion and a national winner. I left India after that day and started working on launching my new novel.  forgot my chess hobby and also her."

"So, is that the reason you're here? I don't understand."

"I met her a year later. She has a boyfriend now. She's happy, and I realized maybe I was too late. I missed so much in that year. I realized how hard I had fallen for her when she was there. I was too focused on beating her in chess. Maybe she and I were secretly dating, and I never saw it as love. Sometimes we realize we love someone only after losing them."

"So, why are you here?" I asked in serious expression.

"Don't be too late. Life is really lonely."

"I don't understand."

Omkara stood up and picked up the plate. "You're a good girl. Had your lunch and take your tablet too."

"Huh?" I murmured, thinking about Fakira.

I looked at the injection and had no idea what it was, so I started googling it. Just then, I got a call.

"Yes, Dad?"

"I'm in Canada. Do you want anything from here?"

"No, no, Dad."

"Okay," he said, ending the call.

Mom came into my room.

"Are you okay now? Where are you mentally?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, too focused on my phone.

"You're not the same Payal. You've become a different person. Where is the Payal who was strong."

"Yes, I'm strong."

"Yes, but even a strong woman needs love. you look lonelier."

"Yes, Mom, I am still finding my things." I replied, my voice frustrated.

"Do you still hate your dad?"

"No, I don't think so. He's changing. I'm trying to forgive him."

"That's my girl. We will find our Chipsy, right? Our cute and mad Chipsy."

"Yes, Mom." I put my phone aside.

I was silent for a moment and then asked my mom, "Mom, do you love anyone besides Dad? He doesn't deserve it."

"Of course I loved your dad. When I saw him, he was the only one who made me feel safe. He was charming."

"Yes," I said in a rude voice, not wanting to hear good things about Dad.

"So, you also love Geet, right?"

All my memories with Geet are flooding back into my mind. I took a moment to think. I just wanted to clear things up. I started lying and got stuck in that phase, and I wanted to be honest now. Free from every thought. I was really tired.

"No, Mom. Actually, I lied."

I cried and hugged my mom. she asked me in polite voice. "Lied? Payal, why?"

"I felt scared. I was not a lesbian, and she wasn't my girlfriend. There was no one. I didn't want to marry someone, so I made up a story."

"Bachcha! Geet was acting for you?"

"Yes, she did! She is gay anyway, so I asked her to help me."

"What?"

"This marriage wouldn't happen if she didn't manipulate Ranjeet."

"Bachcha, even if she did or didn't, it doesn't matter. You would have married her in any situation. I think that She is a nice girl. You took it the wrong way."

"No, Mom. You don't know. She's using me."

"What did she do? Did she hurt you? Chipsy and Jay got married, and Chipsy could break the marriage after that. You know it's not illegal in 2024. Use your mind."

"Yes, Mom, you're right." I thought for a moment. "She never hurt me. Sometimes she was selfish, but it didn't hurt me much."

"So, you do like her, even as a person?"

"No, Mom. I hate her for those things, and I feel weird when I'm with her."

"You're attracted to her. Don't you know that?"

I widened my eyes, feeling speechless. "No. How do you know?"

She laughed.  "Look at your face. You're really a kid. She is that type of woman, such a cool person. I used to be like her. You know what, just open your heart and forgive her. She is the best for you. If you're thinking about marriage, go for her. She loves you. I can tell just by looking at her eyes."

"No, I can't. Dad wants to break this marriage."

"Why are you listening to him? Don't you know your dad? He's always selfish in his decisions. Just do what your heart says. If you're asking me, keep Geet."

"One more thing, Mom."

"Hmm?"

"How do you know what I'm feeling? I don't even know. I just feel so confused."

"You're feeling the magic of love for the first time. Love isn't just a feeling; it's a bunch of feelings. You're confused about your sexuality, whether you really like or love her, and how you become stupid in front of that person. You're ready to surrender yourself—many things. You're becoming a new person, just like you are now. This new Payal loves, cares, and has lots of friends. You have courage. Sometimes you were selfish or make mistake, Thats okay and if you're full of care. I noticed that You didn't even have dinner last night; you were too worried about Geet. My new baby."

I hugged my mom tightly. She petted me gently, and I cried after hearing those words. It felt like a relief, like I really needed to hear them.

Geet came into the room, and I noticed she was about to leave. I turned to my mom. "I'll be right back, Mom. Thanks for everything." She just smiled.

"Geet, wait up!"

"What do you want?" she snapped.

I paused, wondering what to say. Should I start fresh? I smiled and asked, "Do you need anything?"

"Stop smiling unless you want me to knock your teeth out."

I laughed. "Hey, my wife, can you tell me where you're going? I'm following you so long because I'm sick...."

"I don't care if you're sick or not."

"Seriously? That's—"

"Rude? That's what you deserve. This is the real me. The Geet who doesn't give a damn. Now, fuck off!" She stormed off.

"Geet, Geet, you're so cute," I called out, following her.

"Why? What do you want? Why are you being so nice to me?" she said harshly.

I looked at her, noticing her anger that seemed ready to explode.

"What? What the hell are you thinking, smiling like a jerk?" she added.

"Are you feeling tired? I can give you a massage."

"No, thank you! Stop following me!" She flushed with anger.

I grabbed her hand. "Let me help."

"Let go of my hand."

"I won't," I said, still smiling.

"If you don't, you'll end up hurting yourself."

"You look like an angry kitten. I can't believe how cute you are." I touched her cheek.

"What? Are you sick? Is your head okay? Are you in a coma? Do you have a headache?"

"Nope."

"Then why are you acting like a..."

"Like what?"

"Lovey-dovey?" she fumed.

"Am I? Maybe I am," I said in a cute voice.

"Stop that annoyingggg voice. You're not cute. Stop looking at me with those puppy eyes."

"Do I have my wife?" I asked, making a puppy face.

"I know what you're trying to do to me," she said, still angry.

"My wife, can you calm down for a second?" I asked sweetly.

"Nope, just let go of my hand!"

I realized her hand was so soft, and I wanted to hold it. She wasn't calming down, so I decided to be a little selfish.

I kissed her hand, and Geet yelled, "Ouch!" Moon and Earth rushed over, looking tired.

Moon asked, "What happened?"

Geet replied, "You guys are back?"

Earth said, "Yeah, we're exhausted. What's up with you? Why are you yelling? Did something happen?"

"Yes, Geet, tell them what happened. Why are you so loud?"

Geet glared at me like she wanted to kill me and said, "Nothing, Earth."

They left us, and both of us lay down on the bed.

Geet asked, "What was that?"

"What? What are you talking about?" I tried to hide my smile.

"Are you enjoying this? Is this a new way to hate me?"

"What are you talking about? My wife is so noisy."

"What the fuck is with you calling me 'wife'?"

"It's nice. You're my wife."

"No, we are not."

"Okay, my wife, my wife, my wife," I repeated, and she covered her ears.

"Can you tell me why you're doing this?" she asked.

"Geet, my pretty wife, are you hungry? What do you want to eat?"

"Stop! Just stop flirting with me. You know we're not that close. You're acting weird. I am done with this."

She got a call, her hand twitching. I smiled. She looked away and left.

I had almost forgotten about the injection. As Omkara was about to leave, I called out, "Hey Omkara, did you find anything?"

"My detective is still searching."

"I found this injection. Maybe it's something illegal. Share this clue with him."

He came back to my room, took a picture of the injection, and sent it to his detective. Meanwhile, Moon and Earth had fallen asleep without even having dinner. Geet returned as Omkara left.

She started packing her things.

"Geet," I said softly.

"What?" she said, still angry.

"Don't go," I pleaded, feeling a deep sadness.

"No, Payal! This is your life. Do what you like. My uncle is coming to Mumbai. I'm going to meet him."

"Is that really true? Or are you just running away?"

"Does it matter? Just... just shut up."

"Geet—"

She continued packing her laptop into her bag.

"Just don't go!" I grabbed both her hands. "Stop packing."

"Payal, leave my hands. Are you acting again?"

"I'm not. I'm ....not"

"Yes, you are. Didn't you want to break our marriage?"

"Yes."

"So, behaving like this isn't acting? It's weird. You've become a good actress."

I took a deep breath, holding back tears. "Geet, I—"

"Stop acting first," she interrupted.

I couldn't find the right words. Everything was so complicated. "Geet, please understand me."

"Payal, stop begging. Do you remember what you said? Should I remind you? That I don't know the family, that I'm a loser?"

"Stop saying that. I already said I'm sorry."

She shouted, "Your sorry is not enough for me. I don't care anymore."

"I'm sorry! Geet, please, please, please, don't go."

"So irritating! Stop repeating."

She picked up her bag and started leaving. I back hugged her tightly.