Chapter 29

Outside the hospital, Earth was smoking a cigarette while Moon was busy on her phone, frustrated because she couldn't get any signal. She muttered to herself, "Bloody hospital!" Seeing Earth smoking, Moon asked, "Earth?"

Earth glanced at her and quickly hid the cigarette, starting to cough.

"When did you start smoking?"

"What's it to you?" Earth snapped angrily.

"Are you afraid of me? Then why did you hide the cigarette?" Moon smirked, cutting her call. "This phone's network isn't working."

"Who are you trying to call? You can try from my phone?"

"You must be a VIP. you probably have better network coverage on your phone."

"No! My phone is cheap! That's why it gets good network."

"Why?"

Earth handed her the phone. "I can't reach Adolf. I need him to sign the divorce papers, but he hasn't sent them back yet," Moon said.

"Don't worry, the divorce will go through! Don't stress. Adolf doesn't care about you either, that's why he kept cheating on you, looking for mud when he had diamonds," Earth said, taking another ship of her cigarette.

Moon liked what she heard, glanced at Earth's cigarette, and then snatched it from her, saying, "Batane se pyaar badta hai. (Sharing increase strengthens of love.)"

Earth asked, "What?...love?"

"By the way, it's good that Krish left you. You used to be a flower, now you've turned into fire."

"Phool Ke Angare (A flower with embers.)"

Moon, exhaling smoke from the cigarette, said, "That sounds like the name of an old Hindi movie."

Earth chuckled lightly, and Moon noticed her smile.

As Earth started to leave, Moon stepped in front of her. Moon stepped aside, making Earth feel a bit awkward. Earth noticed Moon's eyes, which were looking at her with love. Earth clenched her teeth. Moon threw the cigarette away. Quietly, she observed everything and noticed Ranjeet reading something, sitting with a book.

Moon walked up to him. "What's up?"

"Moon? You here?"

"Do you have any mouth freshener? The cigarette smell might affect Geet's health when I meet her."

"I don't have. Jay might have some."

"Can you bring it for me?"

"No! I don't want to talk to Jay."

Ranjeet seemed busy and serious. Moon stood there for a while. Finally, Ranjeet said, "Fine, I'll go. Girls always emotionally blackmails."

Ranjeet searched around and ended up in front of a tea stall.

Omkara and Jay were trying an old man's hookah and laughing. Ranjeet got angry.

"Jay! Do you have a mouth freshener?"

Omkara, still laughing, asked, "Do you want to try? It's very..."

Ranjeet interrupted, "It'd be better if you didn't talk to me, Jay!"

Poor Jay was scared, wondering why Ranjeet was so angry.

Jay said, "Wait, come with me, I have it in my bag."

Omkara looked at Ranjeet knowingly, understanding that Ranjeet was feeling jealous.

Following Jay, Ranjeet walked with him to a nearby hotel where they had kept their bags. Jay opened the door to the room, and as it closed, Ranjeet realized he was feeling very nervous being alone under the same roof with Jay. Jay was searching through his bag, and when he said, "I can't find it here," Ranjeet couldn't wait any longer and started searching the same bag where Jay's hand was. Their hands touched. Ranjeet realized it but pretended nothing had happened, though Jay looked at him with hopeful and pained eyes.

Jay asked, "Ranjeet, will you get married again?"

Ranjeet paused his search, sat down on the bed, and replied, "Huh?"

"If you don't love me, will you marry someone else?"

"I've been trying to avoid these questions for a long time."

"Why? We can still be friends, it's not necessary that we break up just because of love."

Ranjeet nodded.

"So, we're friends?" Jay asked excitedly.

"You could say that."

Jay hugged him and said, "Happy Friendship Day!"

"Today isn't Friendship Day."

"For me, it is."

Jay finally found the freshener in another bag.

"Here you go," Jay said.

Ranjeet replied, "Thank you, but it's not for me, it's for Moon."

"Okay, I don't mind if you smoke."

"But I do! You and I have something...even though it's for your sister, you can't talk to Omkara like that. I have some respect, what will people think?"

Jay started laughing in his mind, understanding why Ranjeet was angry. "You're right! What will people think? Two guys together... Oh God, they must be up to something."

"Yeah, if they can talk about a guy and a girl, they can talk about guys too," Ranjeet said, oblivious to how stupid his words sounded.

Jay laughed to himself, enjoying the moment.

"Alright."

"Stay away from girls too!"

"Okay, anything else?" Jay replied.

"No! And you can't smoke either."

"Are you my friend or my husband? Why are you behaving like a typical husband?"

"Huh?....I have to go."

Ranjeet left quickly, rushing out of there. Jay was laughing so hard he almost rolled off the bed.

"Sis was right! Hooray!" Jay started dancing.

Jay returns to Omkara, but stops when Umeed starts speaking. He doesn't call out to Omkara.

Umeed says, "Om, you didn't tell me what you wanted to say."

Omkara replies, "I've spent my whole life searching for the right thing, and when I found it, I couldn't stop her. Now I have, it feels like maybe I'm rushing things."

"If I start thinking like you, I'll go crazy," Umeed laughs.

"Yeah! I think maybe we should try an arranged marriage. Love is still in its early stages, but if we stay together, it'll grow."

"This is the first time I'm hearing something like this."

"It's the first time I've thought about it too!" Omkara says, laughing, and Umeed laughs along with him.

Omkara notices how openly Umeed is laughing. People around them start staring to see who's laughing so loudly, but this is exactly what he wanted.

"Marry me!"

"What?" Umeed is shocked.

"Yeah, marry me! I'm a writer, I have just one brother, no one else. You and the others are the only friends I have. I've known Moon for a long time, and that's it—this is my life. I've fallen in love just once. You'll have to learn chess love too, I—"

"Huh?" Umeed is still in shock. Omkara spoke so fast, and Umeed thought for a moment before ordering two cups of tea. "Brother, two teas, please."

"Let's celebrate with a party, cheers! Let's do it."

"You celebrate with tea?"

"Yes, I love tea, and if it has ginger in it, even better!" Omkara is happy. "Yaar! she is awesome!"

Jay, smiling, walks over to Ranjeet.

"Friend! Reading a book?"

"Yeah, so? Is there a problem? No one's letting me read since morning." Ranjeet walks away, still engrossed in his book.

"Khadussssss! (Grumpy!) I wish I could talk like Omkara. Oh well, whatever happens now is in God's hands," Jay mutters to himself.

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Moon arranged for Geet to be discharged from the hospital, and everyone's flight tickets were booked. Geet sat in a wheelchair, which the doctor pushed under the car. Jay was holding her, while Omkara and Umeed stayed behind. Earth said goodbye to Moon, "Bye! Moon." Jay and Ranjeet were already seated in the car.

Dr. Sinha looked at me and said, "Maybe you all came into my life as a sign of hope. Now I think I can find a good girlfriend and get married. queer marriages are just as normal as any other marriage, everything is the same, just like in straight relationships. I used to be so scared Why?" she smiled.

I replied, "Doctor, I hope you find the right person. My best wishes are with you."

"Take care of Geet! Stay with her."

"Yes," I said, looking at Geet. Bodyguards were standing around. The nurse called Dr. Sinha, and she left.

Moon turned to Earth and said, "Geet will be very bored without you."

"Really? She has Payal with her."

Moon thought for a moment and seemed emotional, as if she had no one. "Yes, Geet has Payal, Jay has Ranjeet, and Umeed has Omkara."

"I know, why are you telling me this? Go, get in the car!"

I noticed Moon struggling to speak. I said to Earth, "Earth! We're getting late, get in the car! I'll be so bored without you! Geet will just be lying in bed, and I'll be so tired."

Geet glared at me. I sat next to her, and she pinched me. I glared back at her, "What? Just because I can't hit you, you're taking advantage?"

"Taking advantage? Absolutely not!"

"Please stop using your brain," I folded my hands and sat quietly.

Moon and Earth were still standing there, as if they were making decisions in slow motion. Earth seemed to be waiting for Moon's request.

Moon started to speak but then stopped. She didn't move and eventually got into the car. The car started, and Omkara called out to Earth, "Come on, ride with me!"

Omkara started the car, and Earth and Umeed got in. Moon's car had already left. Omkara took a turn.

At the airport, everyone was going through the security check. Moon noticed that Earth was at the same airport. Omkara and Umeed were chatting a lot, while Earth remained silent. I also noticed that they were heading to Mumbai Airport. We had to catch our international flight from Mumbai. I called Earth.

"Where are you?"

"Omkara made plans to fly, so we're going to Mumbai."

I said, "Come with us! Moon is very sad." Moon gave me an angry look and snatched the phone, saying, "No! I'm not sad."

"So you don't want me to come?"

"When did I say that? I was just saying that Geet, Payal... and..."

"And?" Earth asked angrily.

"And We'll miss you."

"I haven't booked tickets! I don't have passports ready. Bloodsuckers must have arranged only for you guys, right?"

"No! I got yours too! Come on!"

Earth began to smile.

"Where are you?"

Moon noticed Earth smiling and said, "You're getting a bit too happy, aren't you?"

"No! Wait a minute, how did you..." Earth saw Moon.

Earth said something to Omkara, then grabbed her bag and walked over to Moon. Omkara and Umeed waved goodbye from a distance.

Everyone boarded the flight. Geet couldn't sleep, and I said to her, "Why are you being so stubborn? Go to sleep, it's 3 AM."

"I can't sleep. As soon as I see business class, I feel like having a meeting."

"Fine, then call your company and ask them what's going on! The manager, director, and everyone else can handle it."

"Yeah!"

"Alright, let's talk! We barely know each other. Tell me, what did you see in me that made you want to love?"

Geet smiled and said, "It's very difficult, but you've become a frank! It feels like you're comfortable with me."

"Really?"

"When I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful and intelligent girl in the world, but later I realized you... were a bit of a fool. You didn't even know how to use SUMIF in Excel," Geet laughed.

"Shut up! I'm still intelligent."

"Really? Do you remember it now?"

"Stop interviewing me! You're so mean! I don't want to talk to you." I showed little anger.

I pretended to close my eyes and act like I was sleeping. Geet sat there for a while, and after that, I don't know what happened. I wish she would lean on my shoulder and fall asleep. This seat doesn't allow that, which is why I prefer trains and buses in India, where you can cross that line with someone else. I mean, this moment could happen, but maybe I'm thinking too much. Is this what married people usually think? Is this what straight people do? Are we really that different from them?

Dr. Sinha was right. We're all the same! There's nothing different about us. It's just their perspective that's messed up. If you think about it, love is the same for everyone. People write such horrible comments. I once read, "Love is love," and some hater replied,

"If water is water, why don't you drink toilet water?" Now, I've got a response for that. "Water is water, but if you think drinking toilet water is the same as love, then your brain is seriously empty, uneducated, ignorant, and definitely not normal. How would you even understand what love is? You probably can't even grasp the love between soul, Mother love? or nature love. There are so many souls of love. Are you just good at hating others? or you know what is real love?

If you think comparing love to drinking toilet water is clever, that just shows how clueless you are. Love, like water, is vital—but just like we pick clean water over dirty, we choose love that's real, respectful, and mutual. Your analogy isn't just weak, it exposes how little you actually get about love or basic decency. Maybe it's time to clean up your mindset before trying to drop lame comparisons.

And another thing! I don't even think it's worth responding to people like them because They're like mud—no matter how much truth you tell, it won't get through, they are thick skull. so, here's a good line for all of you.  'Fuck off'

I think I should be more polite. 'I appreciate your perspective, but I do not require it at this time. Kindly refrain from further input' "

Wow, that was bold, Payal! I should start Writing. I again overthinking. I should sleep. Good night.

So finally, we reached the Paris, and I felt that nothing else mattered, I just wanted things to get better quickly. After reaching home, I felt that it was destined for me to come to Paris. I picked Geet up and laid her on the bed. She said she wanted juice. I asked a chef to bring the juice. Geet drank the juice. She then told me,

'I need to go to the washroom.'

Her whole body was in pain, she could barely move any part of her body. Her legs were somewhat okay. I made her sit on the wheelchair and I took her to the washroom. I helped her sit on the toilet seat. As I was about to leave the washroom, Geet said,

"Payal! My pants?..."

I nervously started laughing.