Chapter 6

Geet called and ordered her clothes.

"So, do I have to stay here with you?" She asked.

"Yeah, do you need a separate room?"

"No, it's fine."

I was thinking about how much Geet had changed over these days. Her way of sitting and speaking had all changed. The first Geet was so sweet and cutipai and even the lady boss isn't bad, but who knows how she became the owner of a company in just four years.

"So, we have time. Maybe we should get to know each other. What will our story be, Geet?"

"You tell me."

"Do you remember the day in the washroom part. So, story will be that you asked me out and I said yes."

"Then we started talking on the phone. The end," Geet said, both of us lying on the bed, facing up. I exclaimed,

"Just on the phone? We didn't do anything?"

"What did.... we.... do?" Geet's voice softened.

"Just talking?" I said, pondering.

Geet cleared her throat and said, "Do add! whatever you want to."

"We should add 'we met' as well. I meant, what do you think?" I asked.

Geet said, "Give me your night suit."

I handed her my night suit, and as she wore my cute mango-printed yellow suit, she looked like the old Geet. I couldn't help but smile. Just then, her bag arrived, and she took out her glasses and put them on.

"My contact lenses fell off."

"You look cute anyway," I said lovingly, looking at her.

"Don't try to make my mood off."

"Ohh," I replied in surprise and laid back on the bed.

Geet lay down next to me and said, "We met occasionally; you used to come quietly to meet me."

"Great story, Geet. Can I ask you something about your girlfriend?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Geet took her phone and put in her password, showing me a photo of her girlfriend. She looked somewhat like me, and for some reason, it felt like she still... no, no, don't think about it.

"How's the photo?" she asked.

"It's good, your girlfriend is very ....m, but you weren't going to get married."

"We will, just if you didn't stir up trouble, maybe we would have already."

"What will you say if her phone rings?"

"I've told her I'm busy with something outside and not to disturb me."

"Good move!"

"Why did you tell the truth to your family about not liking Ranjeet?"

"Do you know why my dad is so modern? It's because there are many gay and queer investors around him, and several gay couples from Canada are investors in his company. So, my dad had to become open-minded too, because money is a precious thing."

"Payal, hmm, let's go to sleep. It's been a really sad talk."

Geet's eyes began to close, as if she was very tired. "Geet, take off your glasses."

"Yes."

Geet fell asleep without taking off her glasses, so I took them off and covered her with a blanket before I went to sleep too. When I woke up the next morning, Geet was already up, her glasses and contact lenses were on the side table, as I could see from the boxes lying there. There was a huge garden in the palace, and Geet was jogging in it, with Chipsy dancing around her. Ranjeet was also trying to keep up with Geet, but it seemed like he was struggling to catch up. Geet sat down to do some yoga for relaxation, playing some music in her headphones and meditating.

At that moment, my dad went over to Geet. I was watching her from the window, and after getting freshened up and changing into a T-shirt and jeans, I came out. Everyone was sitting down for breakfast, with Geet on one side and Ranjeet on the other.

Dad asked, "Geet, Payal really likes something here on table, look it, choose her favorite food, tell me! what's her favorite food?"

I got scared, and when Geet looked towards me, Dad said, "Don't look at her, tell me."

"Kheer," She said.

Dad chuckled and said, "Ranjeet, what about you?"

"Dal and rice," he replied.

Dad said, "Ranjeet, you'll become a good husband."

After breakfast, when everyone left, Geet came to me, "Payal, I've revealed everything about ourselves today, I don't know anything about you."

I said, "Come with me for a walk, I'll tell you everything, it's not right to talk like this here."

"Love the plan!"

Geet and I sat in the Farari and went to a palace in Jaipur.

"How beautiful all this is," Geet said.

"You've never been to Amer Fort, Geet," I added.

"I just don't have enough time. This is my first break in these four years."

"So, how does it feel to relax?"

"Well, I actually enjoy my work, so for me, that noise is peace." She said with a small smile.

"Wherever I AM, there's PEACE," I replied.

"Shut up! Don't give yourself so much importance. You're just trouble. You had the guts, I refused to come, so you had me kidnapped."

I laughed and said, "Geet Manhotra, How can I find a girlfriend, or better yet, a wife?"

"You didn't get permission to flirt and you're straight too, so then stay in line. Promise me you won't ever cross any lines," Geet demanded.

"Oh, Geet, what do you think, will I fall in love with YOU? Forget it. You came to me, remember? How have you used to drop things in front of me? You used to like me. I have ZERO interest in you."

I'm throwing tiny stones in the water while Geet talks to me.

"It was just a LIKE, don't give it the name of LOVE. It happened, and now I have my girlfriend."

"You're right, you've moved on, I often feel lonely. I haven't fallen in love with anyone in these four years. I often find joy in writing books," I Said.

"You even write?"

"Pleaseeee!!!! don't say you want to read."

"No, I have no interest in your life. Just let a month pass.  (a silent than she asked) tell me, who was your first crush?"

"Dad won't ask this."

"You don't want to tell or are you scared?" Geet said with a laugh.

"Who was yours?" I asked.

"YOU" Geet said without hesitation. I paused mid-throw, stunned by her words. We looked at each other for a while, a strange surprise in my eyes and no fear in hers.

"My crush was my head, the tuition teacher," I finally said.

Geet burst into laughter. "I thought as much." she said.

I was feeling very embarrassed. I forcefully threw the stone into the water.

"Favorite food?" I asked.

"Biryani," Geet answered.

"Dal and rice, Hobby? My Writing," I asked.

"Dancing," Geet replied.

"You dance well?"

"Yes I can."

"Favorite drink?"

"Lassi."

"Same."

"Seriously, you're lying."

"Nooooo."

After playing KBC, she is just staring at the sun. It feels awkwardly silent, but she seems lost in thought. I'm trying to figure out what to say next. She appears calm, almost as if she's comfortable with me. The sun had set. Geet remained quiet for a long time, and then she started crying as she looked at the sunset.

"Day and night, there's only one moment like this in the evening. What a beautiful sight," she said emotionally.

"It's not that easy in real life, finding love is like getting night and day to meet for a moment."

"It's better to forget. Some people aren't in our fate, some people aren't in our lives."

"Do you even believe in fate?" I asked.

"If not fate, then what is it? I don't have both my mom and dad. I probably don't even remember what my mom looked like; there's a photo of her, but I was baby. I remember my dad's words though. He often showed me the sunset and said, it's a sign of that 'My mom is smiling,' that's why God filled the sky with so many colors. He used to say, 'Never stop smiling,' no matter what."

"So why don't you smile? Here you are crying, smile. Do you realize how Kabir singh (angry) you look when you don't smile?"

Geet started laughing and said lovingly, "Stop laughing! I wanted to cry. I was remembering Dad; it felt so nice talking about him with someone."

"You also smile; it feels like rainbows will appear in the sky."

After saying this, I realized that I hadn't praised her too much. Geet was still looking at the sky, I saw her smiling. Its peacefully.

"Payal, shall we go?" I asked.

"Hmm"

Geet stood up before me and extended her hand. I looked at her hand, her gesture of respecting me was somewhat funny because no one had ever shown me such respect. I stood up, and she asked, "Who all are there in your family?"

"Dad, mom, Chipsy."

"Chipsy?" Geet asked, laughing.

"My brother Jay, we call him Chipsy. Your family?"

"Just me and my uncle, He lives in America these days."

"You're alone."

"No, I have my girlfriend, Supriya."

"Yeah, she lives with you?"

"Why?"

"Umm! Tell meee."

"No, Supriya's job is in Bangalore, and I am in Mumbai."

"That's so sad." I said with wide smile.

"Don't be happy, she will come to Mumbai soon."

"I didn't eat anything, let's eat, the whole day has passed."

I said, looking at the pani-puri.

"I can't eat, I don't like pani-puri," Geet said, shaking her head.

"Look it hot, sour-sweet water and most crunchy puri."

I grabbed her hand and made her eat spicy pani-puri. Geet was still drinking water.

We both sat in the car.

"You got tired just by this much?"

She said. "Shhh It's still burning do you know how spicy it is?"

"You can eat honey, let's go home." I said.

The lady driving the car said.

"Nothing can be sweeter than a kiss."

I looked at Geet, she had stopped shushing, she looked at me and said,

"It's not that much spicy, Payal. I 'm fine."

She's right, it's not so spicy that I should kiss any girl just because I bought her pani-puri. Geet is acting like a child for no reason. I also ate it, I don't feel spicy. Geet was clenching her fist as if she still felt the spiciness. I said to stop the car and said,

"It's nighttime, Payal. Why did you stop the car in the dark?" Geet asked.

"Umeed (Lady driver) gets out."