Aryan, the Aryan in Aryan&Imlie

Aryan, the Aryan in Aryan&Imlie

Aryan Singh Rathore was done. He was absolutely done.

He couldn’t believe the blunder this girl has caused in his life.

He couldn’t believe this girl’s guts to do what she just did inside.

Well, she was drunk.

So now, here they were, in the gazebo by the garden, Imlie on the bench, and Aryan, leaning on one of the pillars watching her as she came to her senses.

Slowly, her eyes met his, and he smirked at the panic her eyes reflected.

He flashbacked to what had happened at her birthday party, which was still going on inside the mansion.

Aryan knew that this party was going to be a disaster. Anything that ever happened for Imlie often was. He was sure that this evening was going to end up with all of them either very happy or very humiliated. Imlie tends to do that, happy one moment, humiliated the next.

He remembered the first time he met her, the day he didn’t help her get up. Who was he to help her then? Instead, he chose to clear the path due to which she had been hurt. After that, it was like she was everywhere.

In the fight club, defending him, when he didn’t need it.

In the temple, saving his sister, when he couldn’t do it.

In the hospital, calming her sister, when he couldn’t reach in time.

In college, mudding his car, which he didn’t tolerate.

In his office, working for him, which he didn’t like.

In his home, being sick, because of him.

He saw her persistence, he saw her potential, but he couldn’t look past her mannerisms, her behaviour, her childishness. How could she be like this in life? This little ball of energy that didn’t think before defending someone she didn’t even know, saving someone from actual fire without caring for themselves and staying with them to comfort them even when she didn’t know who they were. But at the same time, fighting his behaviour in the most childish way ever, not minding the work he gave, or at least pretending not to, and a demand to apologise when she got sick doing his bidding. 

Imlie from Pagdandiya was someone he understood too well and not at all, all at once.

The article she wrote, in so little time too, was the first thing she did that impressed him.

The sales of the newspaper was just an added bonus. Aditya Kumar Tripathi’s article being pushed away from the front page was something he enjoyed too much. But that article deserved the front page. Aryan had seen his mother work his entire life, and he knew he may appreciate her efforts, but many people wouldn’t even see them.

It was like she put thoughts hidden in his head into paper, in a way that was all hers, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

Thereafter, the circumstances led him to let her stay in his home, made him share his pain with her to get her out of her own pain, and stand by her as she revisited her pain because of her asshole of an ex-husband. All throughout that ordeal, he saw the ways in which she’d been wronged, all the ways in which she’s still being wronged and all the ways she’ll be wronged if she continues the way she did.

He began caring for her.

In a way that could be harmful to both, him and her.

His deleting of Aditya Kumar Tripathi’s message was one such instance.

But in the end, the decision was taken from both their hands. Aditya Kumar Tripathi was a stubborn idiot. Imlie was busy fighting death. Aryan Singh Rathore couldn’t take away her right to make a decision.

The way she bounced back so soon was what made Aryan jealous of her. The finding happiness in the little things, the made up songs, the overrated ‘Taaza Khabars’, the constant uplifting of everyone around her never managed to not surprise him.

The way she turned around again was what made Aryan pity her. Her constant battle with emotions, the constant expectations that were placed on her delicate shoulders, the way it was obvious to everyone that she would be the one to save the senior journalist from a terrorist was something that shocked him.

He tried to stop her, but that little chit was never not persistent.

So he ended up following her.

If he couldn’t stop her stupidity before, he would certainly try again.

Aryan Singh Rathore too, didn’t back off so easily.

The whole trip to Pagdandiya opened his eyes to the fact that Imlie’s trauma went far beyond what he ever imagined. 

It led to him making her mother a promise to always take care of her.

He basically declared he cared for Imlie.

He reasoned it quite logically. Imlie was his employee. Obviously he would care for her. There was that. Moreover, Imlie was his tenant too. Landlords cared for their tenants, right?

His subconscious laughed at him. He shut it up.

However, he never accepted friendship from her. No, being friends meant having someone in your corner. Someone you could lose. Someone that can strip away the ground holding you and the light lighting up your path. 

It was simple, no friend, no one to lose.

He lost her anyway.

And not once.

He lost her to Tripathi’s. He lost her to Malini Chaturvedi’s schemes. He lost her to her stupidity, He lost her to her need to be a hero. He lost her to the battle she fought for the people who weren’t even worth her time. He lost her to her idiotic jest to harm herself for people who wouldn’t see her truth. 

He lost her to his revenge.

In the wake of what was happening around them, he realised that she was much more than a friend. An employee, a tenant, a friend. None of the titles held much weight when it came to what he felt for her. So while he knew this was much more to him, he refused to give it any title. He continued on the facade of her being nothing more than an employee.

People saw right through him.

She saw right through him.

But she didn’t force him.

And when she did, it hurt him that she even felt the need to ask.

How could she believe he would use her as a pawn in his revenge? After everything that has happened between them, how could she doubt his intentions for her? Why would she doubt him when the path they’ve walked on has been so full of hurdles and they’ve been there for each other when one of them had stumbled? And one revenge plan later, Imlie was doubting her value in his life?

Was she right to?

After talking to his mother, he had realised that there wasn’t one instance in which he had admitted that Imlie meant much more to him than he could say.

But some things were felt too. Wasn’t she feeling them?

The five minutes that he had asked from her was something he did to know if she felt what he felt too. The pause in his heartbeat was something that struck him when she agreed.

He was the one to let go because he couldn’t take what being near her did to him. What it changed for him. What her agreement meant to him. How much he didn’t want to let go of her. 

Things kept happening. They were in a stalemate and yet they found themselves attracted towards each other.

Every time he wanted to talk to her, he wanted to tell her what she meant to him, it was like his tongue was tied. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge what was between them. Not so soon. He felt like this was something that needed to be built more before he could be sure that it was what the both of them wanted. He wanted to be sure that she wouldn’t fall back on old habits, he wanted her to be ready to acknowledge what was between them.

She had changed so many times, and he may guess what she was on about when he was with her, but he never could guess what could happen in the next moment and how she would react to it.

When she asked the question, he accepted that he was right. Imlie, while predictable for him, was more unpredictable in what she would do if the circumstances forced her to. He couldn’t control all circumstances now, could he?

Until then, until he was sure, why couldn’t they just be Aryan and Imlie? Why couldn’t they just be Aryan&Imlie?

The question breathed fire into his brain whenever her name was mentioned.

And his sister and mother were the catalyst to his brain being damaged today.

The disaster they planned was moving towards its namesake in his head as the morning passed. He was sure that this party was going to be hell when he learned that his sister had invited Sundar and since he was with the brainless duo, Nishant and Rupali were invited too.

He rubbed his face at this news, now sure the whole Tripathi family, the shameless people that they were, would be coming to his home and sabotaging Imlie’s birthday party. To add salt to the fire, his mother had invited people from their office too. If the Tripathi’s were a bunch, the people from his office were another that he didn’t want to deal with.

He didn’t particularly get the need of the party. They could’ve just had a quiet dinner, with her parents present, and she would’ve been happy nonetheless. When he asked his sister that, his sister just pinched him in the arm and said, “It’s her birthday UNB! Shut up!”

His sister didn’t know that this evening would turn out to be a disaster worse than a natural calamity. Oh no one would die, but the amount of casualties he could see was frankly disturbing to him.

He would like to take the blame of manifesting it by thinking about it, but he just knew people really well.

The Tripathi Clan did come, all of them.

He looked at his sister, his face an epitome of “I told you so.”

The staff from their office also was there and none of them tried to find Imlie.

He gave an edited version of the same look to his mother.

His mother humphed at him and then proceeded to play the perfect hostess.

And then there was Imlie and he didn’t care about anything else.

He knew she was pretty, but he was stunned by her beauty. She was wearing wide bottom pants beneath a crop top, the whole set covered by a sheer floor length jacket. It was white with silver thread patterns on her top, and the bottom of her jacket. Her hair, in a rare occurrence, was not tied but was flowing in waves covering her shoulders and framing her face. She didn’t have anything on her neck, but her ears were adorned by teardrop earrings and her wrists had silver crinkling bangles on them, more than she usually wore. Her face was adorned with minimalistic make-up, but the kohl in her eyes was intoxicating.

She looked like an angel.

Aryan watched as all the Tripathi’s bunched around her, except for Aditya, and his mood soured again. How could they all come here after what he had exposed about Aditya Kumar Tripathi’s journalism? How? He didn’t get it at all.

How could Imlie smile at them after the way she had been disappointed by them when they were last together? Why did she forgive so easily? 

Has she forgiven Aditya too?

That was the gist of his problem with her. What after she forgave Aditya Kumar Tripathi?

Aryan Singh Rathore was not someone who felt insecure very much, but as she was doubting his intentions with her, he was doubting her inability to stay away from her precious Babu Saheb too.

He turned away from her without wishing her.

He already had last night.

He was already the first one to wish her.

His eyes found Aditya’s and he smirked. 

The guy was gone professionally, but Aryan managed to defeat him in the one thing that was deeply personal to Aditya Kumar Tripathi. He was allowed to be smug.

His mood was ruined when Aditya turned to look at Imlie and Aryan looked to her only to find her eyes on Aditya. He turned away from her after that. And even when he did feel her gaze on the back of his neck, he didn’t turn to look at her.

What did he think? One kiss would strengthen her resolve? One forehead kiss and a birthday wish was something that would clear her doubts of him? Who was he kidding? Imlie was the epitome of changing emotions and while he did understand where she stood most of the times, his own emotions did not change as fast as her’s did.

He sighed when his gaze found his sister’s and he reassured her that everything was fine.

So what if it wasn’t? It would be. 

He would make sure that it was okay because he didn't want to waste any time on Imlie anymore, not when she was looking at her Babu Saheb that way. And the thing was before even that thought finished running through his mind he knew he was lying to himself.

He would always care for Imlie.

But he was a businessman through and through and now he has to think of himself too. So he moved away. Oh he didn't leave because he wanted to see how this would end but he got to stay away for now. And stay away he did, but not for long because then Imlie was calling him.

He heard her call him before she stumbled and fell into his arms.

He looked around and saw that she was being followed by Aditya Kumar Tripathi. He looked away from the guy, and realised that they were creating a scene.

He heard Imlie giggle, and immediately knew what was wrong.

“Who in this party was stupid enough to give Imlie a drink?”, roared Aryan. Loud enough that even Aditya flinched.

When he received no answer, he looked down to see Imlie giggling again, and straightening up. She then went on cupping his cheeks, and said, “Kaahe chilaat ho Akkad Bagge?(Why are you shouting Akkad Bagge?)”

She snorted once again, and lost her train of thought and asked, “Akkad Bagge? Nakchade Akkad Bagge? ABP? Ah! Badmashon ke Badshaah! Naahi, Tameez ke Kaneez? Aryan Singh Rathore? Naahi! Aryan!”

Aryan never knew that after not talking to each other for almost a week, after not calling each other for almost a week, he would be called out by her like this. His eyebrow raised at every name she called him. His heartbeat fastened when she used his given name.

She wasn’t done.

She began, “Aryan! Aryan. Tum humka bachayi leyo. Tum humka hamesha bachaye lewat rahe naa. Toh humka wapas ek do baar bachayi leyo.(Aryan! Aryan. You save me. You always save me, right? So save me again for a couple of times.)”

He looked away from her, his fury pure on his face, finding Aditya standing just behind her. What had this guy done now? What did he plan to do now?

Imlie stopped him as he tried to move past her to the guy, “Arey kidhar jaat ho. Hum toka kahe rahe humka bachayi leyo, aur tum humse dur jaat ho? Kaisan ho tum?(Hey, where are you going? I’m saying save me and you’re running away from me? Is this how you are?)”

Aryan looked at her then, and asked, “Kisse bachau tumhe?(Whom do I save you from?)”

Imlie smiled and said, “Apan aap se?(From self?)”

Aryan was confused. He didn’t get it. She wanted to save herself from her? She wanted to save herself from him?

His confusion must be clear on his face because Imlie giggled again, and then she asked him to lean forward and mock whispered in his ear, “Abhai abhai Aditya Sir humse humar birthday par apan khatir tofa maange rahe. Uu se shaadi karne ka tofa.(Just now Aditya Sir asked me to give him a gift on my birthday. He asked me to marry him as a gift.)”

Aryan fumed at this man’s guts, and then proceeded to glare at him as Aditya shamelessly looked at them.

But Aryan was angrier at Imlie. She needed him to save her from going back to the guy? After all that he had done? Imlie still wanted to go back to him?

Before his thought process could go any further, she laughed and turned away from him, going to stand in front of Aditya. Aryan, helpless, followed behind, making sure she wouldn’t fall.

She looked petulantly at Aditya, and Aryan didn’t know what she was going to say, and he knew everybody was shocked when she began, “Hum apan birthday pe aapko tofa kaahe de? Humka aapse tofa chaahi.(Why should I gift you on my birthday? I want a gift from you.)”

Aditya smirked when he looked at Aryan, but smiled triumphantly when he looked at Imlie and asked, “Kya chahiye tumhe Imlie? Sach kehte hai, tum jo mangogi hum de denge.(What do you want Imlie? I’m not lying when I say I’ll give you anything you ask for.)”

Imlie fell back to him again, Aryan’s hands finding her elbows to support her. She looked up at him, he looked down at her, and Aryan could feel Aditya’s gaze on them. He straightened Imlie, and let go of her. He too wanted to hear what she wanted for her birthday.

She moved forward again, towards Aditya, but her hand came back, holding his, in a way no one could see. He looked at the back of her head, confused as to why she kept on holding his hand.

But she didn’t answer, because she was answering Aditya, “Humka saath chaahi, jon aapka humko dewe khatir bahut waqat beet gaya. Humka sahaara chaahi, jon aap toh humka kabhai de hi naahi sake. Humka bhi konu bachaye khatir chaahi, jon humka bachaye, jon ko bachane sirf hum naa bhaage. Humka konu chaahi jon humka apan bataye se pehle ruk naahi jaaye. Jon hichkichaye naahi, ee dikhaye se pehle, ki uu ka humpe haq rahe, ki humka uu pe haq rahe. Aap ka toh ee sab kare khatir mauka diye rahe naa hum? Aditya Kumar Tripathi?(I want togetherness, which you’ve not given me for a long time now. I want support, which you’ve never been able to give me fully. I want someone to save me too, someone who saves me, someone whom I'm not always saving. Someone who calls me their own. Someone who doesn’t hesitate before showing the right they have on me, and the right I have on him. I gave you the chance to do all this, didn’t I? Aditya Kumar Tripathi?)”

Aryan was shocked at the malice with which Imlie uttered that name. Aditya looked bitter. He looked around and everybody had different reactions to Imlie’s diatribe. His sister was smiling, quite bitterly, while their parents looked worried. The Tripathi’s looked humiliated, while the minimal staff that had bothered to come from the office, half of them looked like they were enjoying the show, the other half not so much.

There was going to be hell to pay for them.

Meethi, ever worrying over her daughter, moved towards Imlie to get her under control, but stopped when she noticed the grip she had on Aryan’s hand. She looked at Aryan, her face astonished, but before she could say anything, Imlie was turning to her and asking, “Amma, toka yaad hai, humka Nakli Nani uthaye rahe, neend maan, paani phek ke?(Amma, do you remember, how Nakli Nani used to wake me up by throwing water on me?)”

He watched as Meethi’s heart broke for all the ways she couldn’t be there for her daughter, and how she nodded to let Imlie know that she did remember, Imlie grinned and said, “Maa aur Badi Maa bhi humre saath uu hi kiye rahi, jab humar shaadi ka sach bahar aaye rahe. Uu toh jab hum ee ha aaye, Rathore Sir ke ghar maan, tab humka malum pada, ki aisan neend se uthaye ka tareeka acha naahi hot hai.(Maa and Badi Maa did the same with me, when our marriage came out. You know, it was when I came here, at Rathore Sir’s home, that I came to know that waking you up from sleep in that way is not acceptable.)”

Aryan watched as Meethi’s eyes filled with tears. Aryan couldn’t imagine how much she had gone through in her life, before and after Aditya Kumar Tripathi. Nothing did change for her. Never.

As if reading his mind, she turned to look at him, and continued, “Uu toh jab hum toka mile toh humka pata chala ki humka bhi ee sab cheezon ka haq hai.(It was when I met you that I came to know that I too, have a right to all these things.)”

She laughed, her eyes shining bright, and he just watched as she was truly happy. Her smile wasn’t laced with tears. Her smile wasn’t mocking. Her smile wasn’t an obligation.

She was smiling brightly, and Aryan was gone.

Then, with the same smile, she turned to Aditya again, and said, “Pata hai, humka hamesha se lage rahe ki humar jeevan don hisso maan bata hai, aur uu hisso ko alag kare waale aap rahe. Humka ee samajhne maan bahut waqat lag gaya, ki aap uu dono hisso ki lakeer naahi hai, Aryan uu lakeer hai. Aryan uu hai, jon ki khatir hum apan jeevan ka disha palat dekh sakat hai.(You know, I always thought that my life was divided in two parts, and the one to divide them was you. I understood much, much later, that you are not the line that divides those two parts. The line is Aryan. Aryan is the one who changed the direction of my life.)”

She turned to look at Aryan then, looking into his eyes, she continued, “Aryan? Aryan humar use kare? Aryan humka mohra banave? Hum Aryan pe shaq kare? Aryan pe?(Aryan? Aryan would use me? Will Aryan make me a pawn? Me, doubting Aryan? Aryan?)”

Aryan watched as a million emotions passed through her face. She sighed, turned back to Aditya and said, “Aap ke kaaran hum ee pe shaq kare? Kaahe? Aap ek dui baat bole aur hum maan liyes? Naahi manenge. Kaahe maane? Haan, hum ee baat aapki maanat hai ki Aryan bhi humar rishte ko naam naahi de sakat hai. Par ee ka matlab ee toh naahi ki woh aapki tarah hai? Humar aur aapka rishta pehle rahe, aur prem baad maan. Aryan aur Imaliya ka rishta, kachu naahi hai. Par uu maan vishwaas rahe, bharosa rahe, himmat rahe, dosti rahe. Aur prem? Uu hum aapka kaahe bataye? Jab hum ee kaa hi kachu naahi bataye hai toh hum aapka kaahe bataye? Aap bas ee jaan lijiye, humar jon bhi rishta rahe, hum Aryan&Imlie rahe.(I doubt him because you told me to? Why? You say something a couple times and I accept it? I won’t. Why will I? Yes, I accept that Aryan is not giving any name to our relationship. How does this mean he’s like you? You and I, we had a relationship first, love came later. Aryan and Imaliya’s relationship, nothing. But it has trust, belief, courage, friendship. And love? Why would I tell you that? When I’ve never even said it to him, why would I say it to you? You just accept one thing, whatever the relationship, we are Aryan&Imlie.)”

And then she giggled again, turning back to him, smiling, and asked, “Samjhe tum ABP, hum Aryan&Imlie rahe.(You understand ABP, we are Aryan&Imlie.)”

Aryan watched as the scene was done. He saw Meethi’s face, and the pride on it was something that astonished him. He looked on as Satyakaam looked at him threateningly, and he took his hand off Imlie again, only for her to fall on him. He watched as his mother smiled, and his sister showed him a thumbs up, and he felt the blood rushed past his face, and knew that his ears were turning red.

Aryan Singh Rathore was blushing. Because of Imlie.

He felt her fingers tug his ear and he turned to look at her. She smiled and then leaned against him.

Arpita was the one that came forward and said, “Tu isse bahar leke jaa, mein yaha handle karti hun.(You take her outside, I’ll handle everything in here.)”

He nodded gratefully at his sister, and seeked permission from Meethi just to do that. She smiled at him, and he tried to take her to the gardens by the gazebo they often chatted on. He indicated one of the guys to bring a bottle of water on the way, and was granted that immediately.

He sat her down, made her drink water, and waited for her to come into some semblance of self.

He watched as the panic settled in her eyes, so similar to the first time they had talked here.

It was after the Mehendi ceremony.

She was so tired that day. He remembered quite clearly, because he had just found out about the condition of the Tripathi family.

She was out here after all her editing was done. When she was done reminiscing about the good things about her relationship with Aditya and had moved on to all the ways he had hurt her. The letter A on her hand, in one moment making her happy, in the next saddling her with regret.

He had found her then, while she was once again looking at her hand and he had asked her, to distract her from the panic visible in her eyes, “So, tum bhi maanti ho inn sab baaton mein?(So, you believe in all these things?)”

She looked up, question replacing the panic in her eyes, and he clarified, “Mehendi ka rang gehra and all that.(The darker the colour of henna and all that.)”

Imlie had smiled then, “Pata naahi. Par humar rang toh hamesha se hi gehra aaye rahe.(I don’t know. But the colour of henna has always been darker on me.)”

Aryan smirked then, “Toh ab bhi itna mat socho, sirf rang gehra hone se pyaar gehra hota, toh koi bhi aurat kabhi mehendi lagana chodti hi nahi. Mehendi ka rang chadta hai jab hum bahut kuch feel karte hai, jab humari dil ki dhadkan tez hoti hai. Pyaar se isse isiliye jodte hai, kyunki pyaar mein dhadkane tez ho jati hai. Agar tumhara rang hamesha se hi gehra aaya hai, toh tumhe pyaar ki kya zaroorat?(So don’t think now too, if darker henna indicated deeper love, then there wouldn’t be a woman in the world who would leave applying henna on her hands. Henna’s colour darkens when you feel more, when your heart beats faster. Love is connected to it because love leads to fastening heartbeats. But if Henna’s always been dark for you, why do you need love?)”

He’d left her there then. Asking her to see the reality of the situation and not what centuries of traditions would have her believe. He didn’t wait to see her reaction. He knew then that A would always be Aditya for her.

The next time, she wandered around because of the same man.

She was the one to find him there. After the wedding from hell, after he had seen her cooking her favourite food, bouncing back to herself so fast, he was out there, contemplating how she could and he couldn’t. Why could she and he couldn’t?

She had found him, and asked, “Tum soye naahi?(You aren’t asleep?)”

He had glanced at her before looking away, and asked, “Tum bhi toh jaag rahi ho.(You are also awake.)”

Imlie chuckled then, and said, “Aaj raat neend badi mushkil se humar paas aayegi.(Tonight, sleep would come a bit problematic to me.)”

He turned his gaze on her, realising that it wasn’t easy for her. She wasn’t bouncing back, she was repressing. And anything he said to counter that would make him a hypocrite. So he just stood there, basking in her presence, not wanting to go, but not sure what right he had to stay.

He turned to look at her when she snorted, and she answered his questioning gaze, “Pichli baar bhi hum hi rokne ki koshish kiye rahe. Iss baar bhi…(Last time it was me who tried to stop it. This time too…)” 

And since the situation called for it, he confessed, “Iss baar woh aadmi ruka tha tumhare liye. Bas zyaada der ke liye nahi.(This time that man did stop for you. But just not for enough time.)”

Imlie looked at him in confusion, and he answered, “Tumhara phone mere paas tha, he texted that he would wait for you in the temple. I deleted it.(Your phone was with me, he texted that he would wait for you in the temple. I deleted it.)”

He knew before he saw it, but the moment she grabbed his arm to turn him to face her, he realised the fury in her eyes, “Kaahe?(Why?)”

Aryan sighed, “Toh aur kya karta main? That man has no spine. Aur tum uske paas wapas chali jaati. Kyun? Firse zaleel hone ke liye?(What else could I have done? That man has no spine. And you would’ve gone back to him. Why? To be humiliated again?)”

Imlie moved away from him, turning around, probably leaving again for her precious Babu Saheb, and he called out to her, “Wapas jaa rahi ho uske paas? Kya lagta hai tumhe, tum usse yeh bataogi, and you will live happily ever after?(You going back to him? What do you think will happen, you’ll tell him this, and then you will love happily ever after?)”

She turned back to look at him, her face twisted in anger, “Tum humka ee naahi batao ke kaa hoga. Tohar kaaran—(You don’t tell me what will happen. It’s because of you—)”

Aryan interrupted her, “Mere kaaran what Imlie? Tum musibat mein thi. Tum mar rahi thi. And woh kya, paanch minute wait karke wapas chala gaya shaadi karne? Kya sirf tumhara kaam hai bhaagna? He couldn’t have looked for you? Agar uske paas gayi toh yahi hoga, tum uske peeche bhagogi, and he’ll just keep on waiting.(Because of me what Imlie? You were in trouble. You were dying. And he what, waited five minutes for you and went back to marry another when you didn’t show? Is it only your job to run? He couldn’t have looked for you? If you go back to him, this will keep on happening, you’ll run after him, and he’ll just keep on waiting.)”

Imlie moved towards him, her finger pointing at him, “Tum naahi jaanat ho. Babu Saheb humar khati bahut kachu kiye rahe. Uu bhi humar peeche aaye rahe. Uu bhi—(You don’t know. Babu Saheb has done so much for me. He has run behind me too. He too—)”

Aryan interrupted her again, “Par jab zaroorat thi, woh wait nahi kar saka? Aur jab tum pahunchi toh woh apne aap ko badtameezi karne se rok nahi saka? Imlie, khaali haath diya uss insaan ne tumhe jab tumne apna pyaar wapas maanga. Tum samajhti kyun nahi?(But when the need rose, he couldn’t have waited for you? And when you did show, he couldn’t have stopped himself from behaving the way he did with you? Imlie, that person gave you empty hands when you asked him back for your love. Why do you not get it?)”

Aryan saw as Imlie paused when he said the last line, and he knew she was back in that moment. Shaking her by grabbing her arms, he said, “Pehli baat, tumhe uske peeche bhagne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Doosri baat, uska sirf wait karna kaafi nahi hai. Aur teesri baat, zaroori nahi hai ke joh rishta jaise shuru hua ho, waisa zindagi bhar rahe.(First thing, you do not always need to run after him. Second thing, him just waiting for you is not enough. And third thing, it’s not necessary that a relationship stays the same as it was in it’s beginning.)”

He left her arms, waiting for her to swallow what he said. He backed away from her, looking away and leaning on the pillar.

He looked back at her when she chortled, and she said, “Tum teesri baat udhaar naahi diye.(You didn’t loan me the third thing.)”

He rolled his eyes at her, and she chortled again. He looked at her as she collected herself. He waited as she opened his mouth to say something, and he replied back when she uttered a good night.

But before she left, she yelled, “Kitchen maan Kadhi Chaawal pade hai. Khaaye ka mann kiyes toh khaaye lena.(There’s Kadhi Chaawal in the kitchen. If you want, you should eat it.)”

He was amused again. That was the day he ate her Kadhi Chaawal for the first time too. He was careful, taking a bowl out and serving himself in a way that she wouldn’t be sure if he ate or not, but he did eat, and he loved them too.

After that, they gravitated towards this place. They talked about things. So many things.

Another one he remembered was right after they had come back from the Tripathi house after the confrontation about it no longer being Tripathi’s. He remembered how shaken she was at the thought of the people she considered her family homeless, not even thinking that they deserved it because they were the reason she was homeless too.

This time, he found her, and asked, “Ab kya hua? Iss situation mein toh tum kuch nahi kar sakti.(Now what? This is a situation in which you can’t do anything.)”

Imlie looked at him and said, “Waada kiye rahe hum ee parivaar se, ki hum ee parivaar ki khushi hamesha sochenge. Toh jon hum kar sakat hai, uu hum kar rahe hai. Ee problem ka solution dhundat hai.(I promised this family that I would always think of it’s happiness. So I’m doing what I can. Looking for a solution for this problem.)”

Aryan chuckled and said, “Waade. Waade waade sirf tab hote jab woh kiye jaate hai. Par unn waadon ko apne problems ko dur karne ke liye use karna, unn waadon ki hi insult ho jaati hai. Tum soch toh rahi ho, par woh log tumhari soch nahi, tumse actions expect kar rahe hai. And that, that’s just bloody wrong.(Promises. Promises remain only when they are made. But when you start using those promises to run away from your problems, those promises are insulted. You are thinking, but they don’t need you to do the thinking, they expect actions from you. And that, that’s just bloody wrong.)”

Imlie was infuriated, he could feel it, and he could hear it when she asked, “Kaahe, kaahe uu galat hai, hum bhi uu parivaar ka hissa hai—(Why, why are they wrong, I am a part of that family—)”

Aryan snorted, interrupting her. She flashed his eyes at him.

He shook his head, and said, with sarcasm clear in his voice, “Okay, tum uss family ka hissa ho. Fine, I agree. Par mujhe ek baat batao. Kaunsi family apne ghar ki 19 saal ki beti se 5 crores ke karz mein madad maangti hai?(Okay, you are a part of that family. Fine, I agree. But tell me one thing. Which family asks their 19 year old daughter for help in paying a debt worth 5 Crores?)”

Imlie went ahead to explain, but he didn’t let her, and continued, “Explanations mat do Imlie. Tumhara uss family ke saath equation yahi hai. Waade, aur unko nibhane ke actions, bas, aur kuch nahi.(Don’t go on giving me explanations Imlie. Your equation with that family is this. Promises, actions to complete them, and nothing else.)”

And this time, he left. He knew he would insult everyone if he stayed, so he left.

The next time they were there, Imlie finally realised how much truth his words held.

The next time they were back from the Tripathi house and she knew that even after her explicit denial of anything to do with Aditya Kumar Tripathi was so easily ignored.

She was still reeling in panic from the Tripathi Residence. He looked as she sat down, tired, shrivelling and exhausted. 

He kneeled in front of her, meeting her eyes, and she too looked at him, her eyes swollen, with the tears she shed and the ones she didn’t.

As a tear rolled down her cheek, he cupped her cheeks, stopping it from falling anywhere. 

He knew she didn’t want anymore lectures and lessons. This time, she needed nothing, just some rest, away from people, maybe even away from him.

So he took away his hands from her face, and held both her hands in his and squeezed them once, before leaving her alone.

It was difficult for him. But he did it.

Instead of being with him, she needed to be with herself. And he understood that.

But the time they spent there didn’t stop. They were caught too, by his sister and her father. Then too, it didn’t stop.

And then, all at once, it did.

They were upset with each other. Him, because she didn’t trust him. Her, because she thought that he used her. They both, because they wouldn’t talk at all.

So here they are now. The place they talked.

And she had just confessed that she saw them, as Aryan&Imlie too.

But he knew her, and well enough. So when she began towards the stairs leading to the garden, he held her hand, her bangles crinkling like they always did, and he pulled her back.

She didn’t meet his eyes.

He nudged her to look at him by putting her chin between his thumb and forefinger. 

She continued to avoid his gaze.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him.

She finally looked at him, and he smirked.

Aryan asked, “So? Aryan&Imlie?”

Imlie looked at him, incredulous, and answered, matter-of-factly, “Haan, humar naam aur tohar naam.(Yes, my name and your name.)”

He knew she wouldn’t say it so easily, and he was just about to ask her again, when she continued, “Jude hue, ache laagat hai na. Aryan aur Imlie.(They sound good, no? Together. Aryan and Imlie.)”

And listening to his name in her voice was music in itself, hearing their names together like that, it was a symphony for him.

He smiled, and she was dazed.

He repeated her sentiments, “Bahut ache. Toh?(Very good. So?)”

Imlie shook her head, and putting her hands on his shoulder, she answered, “Toh? Bus. Aryan&Imlie.(So. Aryan&Imlie, that’s all.)”

Aryan repeated, “Okay, Aryan&Imlie.”

She grinned, and he grinned back. 

She looked at him, mischief clear in her eyes, and then she pinched his shoulder, and as soon as he left her waist in shock, she moved on her toes and kissed his jaw, her hand cupping the other side.

He looked at her in disbelief. She looked at him mock innocent.

Before he could, however, catch her, she ran away.

It was just fine then. Not a happily ever after. Not even a happy ending. But a new beginning.

The beginning of Aryan&Imlie.