Anu Chaturvedi, a.k.a English Madam, Bane Of Imlie’s Existance

Anu Chaturvedi, a.k.a English Madam, Bane Of Imlie’s Existance

Anu Chaturvedi hated Imlie the moment she met her. She hated her before she figured out that she was her husband’s illegitimate daughter. She hated her after she found out about it.

All her life Anu had to compete with intangible things.

First, it was for her parent’s attention.

Then, for her husband’s love.

Then, for her daughter’s love.

But Anu didn’t back down from the challenges. She stood in front of them, and won, by hook or by crook.

She won when she was struggling to get her parents to notice her by marrying Dev.

She won Dev’s love because of Malini.

She won her daughter’s love for her by making Malini realise that Imlie was not actually someone who deserved Aditya’s love, not when it should have been Malini. Not when it was Malini’s right. 

She had watched Malini dedicate herself to Aditya for seven years. She had tried and failed to thwart Malini’s relationship with Aditya Kumar Tripathi. She tried till the end. Malini may love Aditya, but a man like Aditya, no money, no status, no social standing, didn’t deserve Malini.

Yes, he was a famous journalist. Yes, he had written a few exclusive pieces. Yes, he had won some very flashy awards. But articles and awards didn’t bring money. In short, Anu believed, Aditya may be great, but he was way out of Malini’s league.

She had been disheartened by her daughter’s choice, but she understood that the heart wants what it wants.

Imlie, Imlie was someone Anu noticed almost immediately. 

That girl vibrated around her daughter’s fiance and then husband. She suspected all the time about the relationship between them, having been scorned by one man enough to transfer it into another too.

But Malini had refused to believe her. She had, instead, declared that Imlie was like a little sister to her, and that she would protect her.

Anu was unsure how this stupid blind girl was her daughter.

She continued to torture the Imlie, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Then her husband’s truth came out. Then Aditya being married to her came out.

And wow, her daughter had the same fate as her, marrying a coward for love only for not being loved back.

She believed Malini to be stupid to take their side and she managed to get Malini to understand what a grave mistake she was making by backing off. It was not simple. Malini was Aditya’s legal wedded wife. Malini was Aditya’s first love. Malini was the one who deserved all of Aditya.

Not some maid who had entered their life purely out of selfish reasons, and who stayed on for the same reasons.

She poisoned her own daughter to make her understand the value of winning.

And they did.

Anu and Malini won.

Anu had once said that Aditya was ‘Thali Ka Baingan’, falling to the side with more weight was something he specialised in.

When he married Malini, he had her, and he wanted Imlie. When he left Malini, and had Imlie, he learned about all Malini had done for him, and he leaned towards her. When he had both of them in the same house, he took the side of the one his family didn’t want. When Malini slept with him, he took it upon himself to support her, regardless of whether consent was involved or not. When Imlie had all the proof, and was actually right, he went back to Malini, only because she was pregnant.

A child always did wonders for men’s ego.

And then, the cherry on top was when everyone was on Imlie’s side, he took Malini’s.

This man couldn’t decide what he wanted in his life. Did he want love, or his ego to be stroked? Did he want a relationship, or damsel in distress to save?

The answer to that became clear when Imlie refused to stroke his ego, and stopped playing the damsel in distress.

Her daughter’s real win came when they got married. Till the end of it, Anu wasn’t sure where this ‘Thali ka Baingan’ was gonna fall, but one look at Imlie and Aryan burst him in flames.

That brought her to Aryan.

The one and only.

She hated him. She could not believe a ‘Kal Ka Aaya Ladka’ was threatening her, Anu Chaturvedi. She hated that she was actually threatened by him. But her purpose for him being there was just one.

To show Aditya Kumar Tripathi that his favourite damsel in distress had already found another knight in shining armour.

When Malini had assured her that Aditya would marry her, and not wait or look for Imlie, she had been sceptical. But her daughter did know Aditya. And they did get married.

What continued to bug Anu was the way Aryan Singh Rathore never stopped threatening her, the way he always stood up for Imlie, the way he always insulted her when it came to Imlie. This guy was a businessman, what he saw in Imlie, a poor girl from a poor village, with no last name and nothing to her name, she didn’t understand. 

Except, maybe, a damsel in distress. Maybe he had a saviour complex.

Oh, it was much more than that, she realised.

It was the day after Malini had been insulted and asked to leave the Tripathi Residence.

What did Aryan Singh Rathore think? He would help that little chit against her daughter and she would sit quietly. No, she was more than capable enough of creating a ruckus. 

And a ruckus she created.

She landed in the Bhaskar Times office, and began shouting at the receptionist to let her in Aryan’s cabin. Before the receptionist could even respond, there he was, the man of the hour.

He was moving towards his cabin, his eyes on his phone, and she stopped him, screeching, “Wow Mr. Aryan Singh Rathore, aap meri beti ki life barbaad karke yaha time pass kar rahe hai?(Wow Mr. Aryan Singh Rathore, after destroying my daughter’s life, you are here, passing time?)”

Aryan stopped in his step, looking up from his phone, his single eyebrow raised, and replied, “Wow Mrs. Chaturvedi, aap apni beti ka khayal rakhne ke bajaye yaha tamasha kar rahi hai?(Wow Mrs. Chaturvedi, instead of taking care of your daughter, you are creating a scene hers?)”

Anu, snapping her fingers before pointing one at him, exclaimed, “Listen, you, samajhte kya ho tum mujhe? Kal ke aaye ladke, aur Anu Chaturvedi ko challenge—(Listen, you, who do you think I am? You are but another boy, and challenging Anu Chaturvedi takes—)”

Aryan interrupted her, “Dega bhi, aur jeetega bhi. Aapke aur aapki beti ke khilaaf, I have proof Mrs. Chaturvedi. One call, sirf ek call commissioner ko, and you’ll both be behind bars.(Absolutely nothing, and if it’s a challenge, I’ll win. I have proof against you and your daughter Mrs. Chaturvedi. One call, a single call to the commissioner, and you’ll both be behind bars.)”

Anu’s eyes flashed before she moved closer, “Listen, you---”

Aryan interrupted her again, absolutely done, “No you listen Mrs. Chaturvedi. Apne ghar jaaiye, aur apni pregnant beti ka khayal rakhiye. And don’t forget to thank your husband’s daughter too. Uski wajah se hi aap aur aapki beti iss waqt jail mein nahi hai.(No you listen Mrs. Chaturvedi, Go back home, take care of your pregnant daughter. And don’t forget to thank your husband’s daughter too. It’s only because of her that you both aren’t inside a jail cell.)”

Anu was furious at his claim. Before she could, however, say anything, a sound of crinkling bangles interrupted the pin drop silence in the office.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the intruder, terrified, only to see that it was Imlie.

Almost every person in the office breathed a sigh of relief, sure that had it been anyone else, they would have been killed by their Aryan Sir.

Imlie looked around the office, and her gaze found Anu Chaturvedi’s.

Anu watched as Imlie ignored her and went straight to Aryan, searching for something in her handbag.

Aryan grabbed her elbow, making her look up to him, and then asked, “Tumhe maine kaha tha naa, aaj office aane ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. Fir yaha kya kar rahi ho?(I told you there was no need to come to the office today. Then why are you here?)”

Imlie shaked, exhausted, and began answering, “Uu hum—(Actually I—)”, but was interrupted by Anu.

Anu sneered, “Sure sure, ab yeh naukrani aapke ghar ki maharani joh ban gayi hai. Aur aapke office ki boss bhi. Yeh kyun office aayegi?(Sure sure, now this maid basically owns your house. and is the boss in this office. Why would she come here?)”

Aryan’s eyes flashed at her, and he moved past Imlie to answer, “Imlie ne leave li hai, because usse 104 ka bukhar hai, aur woh office aane—(Imlie wasn’t meant to come today because she has a fever of 104, and coming to the office—)”

But Imlie placed a hand on his hand at her elbow to make him stop, stumbling a bit.

Aryan immediately tightened his hold on her, about to scold her for coming, but she was faster in handing him a pen drive, and explaining, “Ee raha, Mirchi Bazaar ke liye Article. Ek english maan, aur ek hindi maan.(Here it is, my article on Mirchi Bazaar. One in english, one in hindi.)”

Aryan frowned, “Woh toh maine iss liye bola tha ki tum apna woh—(I had asked that of you so that you could leave—)”

Imlie interrupted him, “Uu plan chod de aur ruk jaaye, apan bare maan soche. Par phir bhi, ee 50-50 partnership rahe. Tum agar humra nuksaan naahi hone diye, toh hum tohar nuksaan kaisan hoye de sakat rahe?(My plan, and think about myself. Then too, this is a 50-50 partnership. If you didn’t let me lose, how could I let you lose?)”

Aryan looked at her incredulously, “Woh alag baat thi, yeh—(That is different, this—)”

Imlie interrupted him yet again, and asked, her eyes wide, “Acha? Kaisan? Dekho, hum tohar pehle bhi bahut nuksaan kare chuke rahe. Ee agar barabar ki partnership hai, toh humka tohar kachu fayda bhi kare padi hai na.(Oh? How? See, I’ve already put a dent in your business. This is an equal partnership, so I have to do something for a win for you too.)”

Anu watched Aryan being stumped at her answer. She watched Imlie smile at him.

She watched Imlie turn away from him and watched as her smile disappeared when she found her again.

She, without looking at anything or saying anything, left the office.

She turned to look at Aryan, his gaze on the pen drive in his hand and then watched as his gaze turned to Imlie, leaving.

She may have been kidding when she said Imlie had found another knight in shining armour, but in fact she had found a partner. Someone who fought for her, but someone who made her fight for herself too.

She watched, in a trance, as Aryan woke up from his, and turned to ask his receptionist, “Please show Mrs. Chaturvedi to the exit.” and for once, she went without a ruckus.

Imlie had won many things in life. She won Aditya, she won Dev, she won this stupid game against Malini, but Imlie had won something none of what the daughter and mother had.

An equal partner. A partner that was her equal, and that considered her an equal.

Dev had never considered Anu his equal.

Aditya had never considered Malini his equal.

Aditya had never even considered Imlie his equal.

But Aryan did. And Imlie did too.

There was no way this game at which Imlie had won against Malini was going to do something for Aditya. There was no way Aditya could fall back to Imlie’s side of the Thali again.

No. Imlie had someone now, someone much better. Someone who treated her an equal, someone who was steady, someone who was stable, someone who would stand by her. But Imlie had found someone for whom she would do all these things for too.

Aditya couldn’t possibly come between Aryan&Imlie.

She just waited for her daughter’s side of the Thali to become weighted again.