Part 4 ¬ What if nobody got drunk? Matured

Part 4 ¬ What if nobody got drunk?

If anyone asked Aryan how they got there, Aryan wouldn’t know what to say.

If anyone asked Imlie how they got there, Imlie wouldn’t know how to answer.

Imlie had followed Aryan in a blind rage when he had left the party venue. Her fury at him seemed unjustified to Imlie, but she was so angry. He had no right. He was not her actual husband. He was not her friend anymore. He was not her anything anymore.

Aryan had left the party venue in a blind rage. The dare, the audacity of that man to colour his Imlie, that too before him, sent him away in fury. He couldn’t possibly attack him again. It seemed like he was always doing it nowadays, either being attacked by Aditya or by Imlie.

He knew he should’ve been discreet. He knew he shouldn’t have made it that obvious that he didn’t want Aditya Kumar Tripathi colouring Imlie. He shouldn’t have even protected her. But it was, like, he had a legit problem, of helping her even when she didn’t need it. Helping Imlie, even when she didn’t want it.

He hadn’t liked the expression on her face when he had turned his back on Aditya so the colour he threw on Imlie landed on his back rather than her. He didn’t like it that she was angry at him for trying to protect her. He didn’t like the Imlie that was so disgusted by him.

He entered the room he had saved Imlie in during the last time they were here for extended periods of time and he shut the door and cursed the existence of that sad pathetic man. He looked at the blue on his Kurta, the colour Aditya had thrown, and he felt disgusted.

Imlie followed the “God Damn! Aditya Kumar Tripathi! That Vile B*stard!” that came from the room she stayed in for the last night, and pushed open the door, only to come face to face with Aryan taking off his Kurta.

She entered the room and shut the door behind her, then facing it, she snarled, “Kapde kaahe utarat ho? Sharam naahi aati toka?(Why are you taking off your clothes? Don’t you have any shame?)”

Aryan turned to look at her, her back facing him, and retorted, “Bina knock kare tumhe andar aane mein sharam nahi aayi, joh tum mujhe sharam kaa paath pada rahi ho.(You didn’t feel any shame coming in without knocking, and you are teaching me about shame.)”

At his retort, Imlie turned to face him and asked again, “Tumka kaa chaahi? Ee haa kapde kaahe utarat ho?(What do you want? Why are you taking off your clothes here?)”

Aryan scoffed, “Main ek pal ke liye uss aadmi ka rang apne upar nahi dekh sakta. Agar mera bas chale, toh main iss kurte ko jala dun.(I can’t, even for a moment, bear the thought of that man’s colour on me. If it was up to me, I would’ve burned my clothes.)”

Imlie looked at the Kurta, and then at him, and said, “Toh jala do! Waisan bhi, jaisan tum abhai ho, humka toh laagat hai, ki tum apan badle ki aag maan kuch bhi jala sakat ho.(So burn it! Anyway, the way you are going, I think you’ll burn anything in the fire of your revenge.)”

Aryan moved towards her, backing her against the door, and asked, “Aisa kya jala diya hai maine?(What exactly have I burnt?)”

Imlie scoffed this time, and answered, “Humar rishta jala diye ho tum.(You burned our relationship.)”

Aryan glared, “Kya rishta tha humare beech, joh main jala saku?(What was the relationship between us, that I’ve managed to burn?)”

Imlie glared back, “Dosti—(Friendship—)”

Aryan moved towards her again, “Hum dost nahi the Imlie!(We were not friends Imlie!)”

Imlie, bitter at his refusal, said, “Par humar liye toh tum humre dost hi the naa?(But for me, you were my friend, you know that, right?)”

Aryan replied, “Main keh chuka hun, tum chaaho toh main tumhara dost, tum chaaho toh main tumhaara dushman, aur tum chaaho toh main tumhara—(I’ve said this, if you want, I’m your friend, if you want, I’m your enemy, and if you want, then I’m your—)”

Imlie pushed forward, “Udhaar naahi dena. Toka udhaar humpe bahut baari pade hai.(Don’t owe it to me. Your credits are too heavy for me to handle.)”

Aryan snapped, “Kaunsa udhaar? Kaunsa aisa udhaar hai, joh tumpe bhaari pada hai? Joh bhi main kar raha hun, tumne uske liye haan kaha hai.(Which credit? Which credit is too heavy for you to handle? Whatever I’m doing, you have agreed to it.)”

Imlie moved towards him, making him walk backwards, her anger clear in her words, “Haan kehna humari majboori thi. Humare paas koi chara nahi tha. Hum tumhari wajah se—(My agreement was because I had no choice. I don’t have any other option. Because of you—)”

Aryan grabbed her upper arms, “Meri wajah se kya? Tum joh kar rahi ho, apne uss Babu Saheb ki wajah se kar rahi ho. Don’t you dare blame—(Because of me, what? Whatever you agreed to, you did it for your Babu Saheb. Don’t you dare blame—)”

Imlie pushed forward again, her eyes not leaving his for even a moment, “Aur Aditya Sir ki uu haalat ka zimmedar bhi tum hi rahe ABP!(And you are the only one responsible for Aditya Sir’s situation, ABP!)”

Aryan pushed her away from himself, and said, his voice close to a whisper, but without actually whispering, “Main nahi hun zimmedar Aditya ki iss haalat ka. Maine kaha tha Imlie. Waqt aur haalat toh bewajah badnaam hai, bure toh log hote hai. And Aditya Kumar Tripathi is the worst out there.(I’m not the one responsible for Aditya’s situation. I’ve said this before Imlie. Time and situation are unreasonably blamed, the blame is upon the people. And Aditya Kumar Tripathi is the worst out there.)”

Imlie looked down, afraid of the hate he displayed when he talked about Aditya. He was corroding himself, this hate was corroding Aryan, and she couldn’t do anything to stop him.

Aryan chuckled bitterly at her reaction, “Bura laga? Apne Babu Saheb ke baare mein sunkar?(Feeling bad? Hearing about your Babu Saheb?)”

Aryan’s fury rose when she refused to answer. He couldn’t believe her servility when it came to that man. He grabbed her by her upper arms again, and asked, “Answer me Imlie.”

Imlie looked up at him, her own fury at his question rising and leading her to grab the collar of his vest, “Naahi! Tohar nafrat dekh ke bura laga.(No! I feel bad looking at the hate you carry.)”

Aryan let go of her and turned away from her. Her words hit close to home. His hatred was something that fueled him, and he didn’t know what would happen if Imlie made him let go of the single thing that gave him the will to live these past four years.

Imlie, not one to be deterred, followed him, moving to face him, and asked, “Bura laga?(Feeling bad?)”

Aryan stole his gaze away again, turning away from Imlie.

Frustrated, Imlie grabbed hold of his thin vest and yanked on him to turn around. The sound of the door opening muffled the sound of the vest tearing off. Imlie looked at the vest in her hands, and then her panic filled eyes found Aryan’s.

Aryan watched as her gaze met his, and then swiftly turned downwards. Her eyes widened once again at his bare chest, and she closed her eyes, her hands covering her face in embarrassment.

And for a moment, Aryan forgot they were fighting. For a moment, he let himself enjoy this Jungli, the one he missed so much. For a moment, he felt something stir inside him for this girl he had vowed to protect.

That moment was disturbed when he heard Aditya’s voice, “Kya chal raha hai yaha?(What’s going on here?)”

Aryan watched as Imlie’s eyes widened in a different kind of panic, and once again, he let her hide behind him. He let his body shield her.

He answered Aditya, “I came to change here.”

Aditya asked, “Yaha? Imlie ke room mein?(Here? In Imlie’s room?)”

Aryan smirked as he turned his head sideways, “Why not? Imlie is my wife. I can come and go from her room as I please.”

Aditya, quite sorely, asked, “Imlie kaha hai?(Where’s Imlie?)”

Aryan answered, “Aur aapko aisa kyun lagta hai ki main aapko iss sawaal ka jawaab dunga?(And why do you think I’ll answer this question of yours?)”

Aditya scoffed, “Jawaab toh tab doge naa jab tumhe pata hoga Imlie kaha hai.(You can answer the question only if you know where Imlie is.)”

Aryan smirked, “I am not you Mr. Tripathi. I don’t let Imlie get lost on haunted roads, push her in twisted paths, and let her fight her battles alone. So, why don’t you just leave?”

Imlie heard as Aditya chuckled bitterly before he left.

Imlie’s eyes flashed at Aryan, before she too passed him to leave. But she was stopped midway, by a hand on her wrist, her bangles crinkling as he held it, and Imlie turned, only to see him not facing her.

She looked away again, and uttered, “Humka jaane do.(Let me go.)”

Aryan, and she could feel his gaze on her, looked at her, and asked, “Kyun? Taaki tum firse uss aadmi se, I’m sorry, apne Babu Saheb se rang lagwa sako?(Why? So that you can let that man, I’m sorry, your Babu Saheb colour you?)”

And Imlie lost her temper, she turned back to him, once again face to face with his bare chest, and replied, “Uu humre Babu Saheb naahi hai. Aur hum uu se toh rang naahi lagwayenge.(He is not my Babu Saheb. And there’s no way I’m letting him colour me.)”

Aryan pulled her towards himself with the hand he held, and asked, “Kyun? Pehle toh bada gussa thi, ki maine uska rang tumhe nahi lagne diya, toh ab kya?(Why? Earlier you were furious that I did not let his colour fall on you, now what happened?)”

Imlie scoffed, “Toka laagat hai hum tose ee kaaran naaraz hai ki tum uu ka rang humpe naahi lagne diye? Hum toka ee kaaran naaraz hai kyunki tum ab humka bachaye ka haq kho chuke ho. Hum toka naaraz hai kaahe ki humka apan dost Aryan bachaye hai, ee badle se baawla hua insaan naahi.(You think I was angry with you because you stopped him from putting colour on me? I am angry with you because you have lost the right to save me. I am upset with you because my friend Aryan, had the right to save me, not this revenge-driven madman.)”

Aryan let go of her, moving towards her, “Woh Aryan, aur yeh insaan, dono ek hi hai. Jiss Aryan ne tumhe bachaaya hai, uss Aryan ko bhi tumhare Babu Saheb se utni hi nafrat hai, jitni iss insaan ko hai.(Your Aryan, and this madman, both are one and the same. The Aryan that saved you, that Aryan hated your Babu Saheb, just as much as this madman does.)”

Imlie’s face twisted, “Toka laagat hai hum ee baat naahi jaanat hai? Hum jaanat hai. Ee liye toh hum toka nafrat karte hai.(You think I don’t know that? I know. That’s why I’m upset.)”

With that she turned around again, leaving, when she heard his laughter, and the bitterness was a chill rushing through her spine. His bitterness. The laughter was full of bitterness. She heard him, and when he stopped, he said, “Main bhi jaanta hun, aur tum bhi, ki jis raaste pe tum jaa rahi ho, uss per woh aadmi hi hai.(I know this, and you know it too, the path you are walking on, you’ll only find that man.)”

Imlie turned to face him again, moving towards him, avoiding looking at his nakedness, which was still staring at her, beckoning her, but she persisted, she replied once she was inches away from him, “Humar konu raasta ab Aditya Sir ke paas nahi jaat hai.(No path of mine is leading to Aditya Sir, not anymore.)”

She watched him raise that damned eyebrow, and she knew he would challenge her again, and she was proven right when he said, “Acha, prove it.(You think so, prove it.)”

Imlie was a bit confused, and he smirked, “Prove it that you have nothing to do with that man.”

Aryan watched as emotions rushed through her eyes, and he felt as insecure on the inside as he was smug on the outside. He knew she couldn’t prove it, because she didn’t mean it. She rarely meant what she said when it came to that man. He knew she wouldn’t be able to—

Aryan was stunned as Imlie put her hands on his shoulder, pushing him on the wall behind him, avoiding letting him get hit by the dresser. She looked determined, and he prepared himself for another fight, like the one on the New Year’s Party, and waited for her—

To kiss him?

What the f*ck?

Imlie was kissing him?

Imlie’s lips crashed against Aryan’s. She couldn’t possibly resist. There he was, bare chested, his damned eyebrow, the scarred one, raised, while his lips were pulled in a smirk. All she wanted to do was put that smirk out of commission. All she wanted to do was get that smug look of his face.

It got out of control. Once her lips found his, she lost control. Her hands, resting on his shoulders to support her, moved around his neck. Her teeth, which shouldn’t be involved at all, escaped her lips to bite his lower lip, making him gasp and put his hands on her elbows.

She let her lips explore his, his oddly soft lips that weren’t moving.

That brought her back in control.

She moved away from him, just enough to see the expression on his face. She was glad that his smug face was transformed into a shocked one.

His eyes found hers, and he asked, “What the hell was that?”

Imlie smirked again, and answered, “Hum bataaye rahe naa, hum cinema maan dekhe hai. Ladaai-jhagda, upar chadna, aur upar chadna, aur fir—(I’ve told you, I’ve seen movies. Fighting and arguments, rising, more rising, and then—)”, she paused, she suddenly remembered the relation to which she had said that, and looked at him, his shock turning smug, and her smugness turning shock.

Aryan watched as she once again lost. That kiss had put him out of commission for a moment, but Imlie had brought it right back. He used the hold he had on her arms and pulled her closer, and blew on her ear, before responding, “I love these movies you are watching.”

Aryan watched as she blushed, her face turning into a delicious red, reminding him of the previous challenge they had issued.

He looked around, and as if her Sitaa Maiyaa too wanted him to keep on winning, there it was, Gulaal, on the dresser, the one beside the wall he was accosted against.

Imlie got confused when one of his hands let go of her arms. Her gaze followed it as it grabbed the Gulaal that was on the dresser, remembering her putting it there after wishing her Amma. She cursed her own stupidity but couldn’t stop his hand that was filled with all the Gulaal that he could hold in his big hand, and closed her eyes in anticipation.

Imlie heard his ring clash against her earring before she felt his hand spreading all the Gulaal on her cheek. Her breath heaved at his touch, but he didn’t stop. His hand moved down, to her neck, sliding down, awakening the raw nerve endings that rested just below her skin. His hand didn’t stop, travelling down to the neckline of her dress, just above where her panting caused her breasts to heave.

Aryan watched as her eyes closed at his sensual touch. Pleased, he leaned forward, his lips blowing on her other ear, he asked, “Do you feel dirty yet?”

He watched as a shudder went through her body, as she trembled against his hold on her, and he felt triumphant.

Imlie gasped at his question. Was that what she was feeling? This feeling of dirty—pure—desire rushing through her, it was raising more questions than it was answering for her.

She opened her eyes when she felt the back of his hand colouring her other side too.

She couldn’t let him win this challenge so easily now, could she? 

She turned towards the Gulaal, grabbing it, she looked in his eyes, his eyes indicating his favourite question to her, and she rose to the challenge, and she opened her fist right above his shoulder, letting the colour fall on his bare chest.

She looked down then, his chest a canvas for her hand, she spread the Gulaal with her hand, all over his chest. Her fingers stroked his nipple. Her palm rubbed his pectoral. Her nails scratched against his abs. Her fingers played with his navel. Her palm travelled the ridges and hollows of his chest. Her nails tickled his skin.

She heard his reaction to her every action. She heard his gasps, she heard his hisses, she heard his groans and she heard his moans. And she enjoyed the power she had over him.

His face, always so smug, for once, was of a man drowning in pleasure, and she couldn’t resist.

Standing on the tip of her toes, she kissed him again.

Aryan wasn’t sure what had gotten into Imlie, but he was enjoying it. He was enjoying this. When she kissed him again, as eagerly and impatiently as she had before, his hands found her cheeks.

When her teeth clashed against his, he let out a little shhh, slowing down the kiss and taking charge of the kiss.

When she finally slowed down, he licked her bottom lip, asking for permission to enter her mouth, to explore her. As she granted him the permission, his hands began their mission.

Imlie didn’t really notice when his hands unpinned her Dupatta, nor did she notice when he untied the knot at her back, the one holding her dress together. She didn’t even notice his hands pulling the shoulders of her dress down, so lost she was in the kiss.

What made her pull back from the kiss was when she felt the strap of her bra snap against her skin. Her eyes found his, and her own found the front of her dress, holding it there.

Aryan smirked at her attempt at modesty, and lifted her up, his hands finding the back of her thighs and her back, he lifted her and threw her on the bed, following her to kneel above her.

Fortunately, at least for Aryan, throwing her on the bed had messed up her dress and now she lay beneath him with her dress pulled up to her waist level.

Imlie wasn’t sure what was going on with her except that she hadn’t ever felt this level of need within her ever. This want. Looking at him over her, she suddenly felt more brazen than ever, and grabbing the back of his neck, she pulled him in another kiss. Like the one he had softened.

She let herself be lost in his kiss. She mapped his lips with her tongue, biting him before entering his mouth, scraping her tongue against his teeth, and then battling his, and winning too.

She should’ve known he wouldn’t let her win so easily.

Aryan, enjoying her soft kiss as well as the rough one, snapped the buckle of her pants, unzipping them in one swoop, slid his hand inside. Her panties rubbed against the back of his hand as his fingers striked against her pussy.

She gasped when she felt his hand on her, touching her where she had never let anyone touch her. Pleasing her in a way she hadn’t ever pleasured herself.

Her eyes found his, and shut again when he pinched the skin down there, a moan escaping her. He spread his fingers around, looking for her cl*t, unable to see, only feeling through touch.

God, how he wished she would touch him. 

She could.

Imlie felt his other hand grab the back of the hand resting against the duvet, and she opened her eyes in question. The answer she found in his eyes was the same raw desire she felt within her. Dragging her hand up, he guided it inside his own Dhoti and Imlie’s eyes widened in panic at his action.

Just as she was about to ask what he was up to, he pinched the little button that troubled her pussy. She closed her eyes in a gasp.

Her eyes opened again when his hand guided her to touch his dick.

Aryan felt around her pussy some more, teasing her cl*t, never touching it, but letting his fingers play around it. 

Her soft hand on his dick pleasured him. Just once. Once was enough. As soon as her hand rested on her dick, her fingers turned exploratory on their own. Her fingers, soft, little fingers, stroked his dick, letting her tease him too.

When her fingers found his pre-cum, and continued to spread it over his dick, he shivered. In retaliation, he used her wetness against her, and pushed a finger inside her.

Imlie’s back arched away from the bed as she felt his finger inside her and she didn’t know sin could bring such satisfaction. She didn’t know what happened when Aryan choked above her, but she realised a moment later. She had wrapped her fingers around his dick in pleasure.

Her eyes found Aryan’s as he controlled his breathing, and she moved her hand, rubbing against him, which made him lose control all over again. 

Aryan, not one for backing down, pushed another finger inside her, making her groan, and stopping her hand from moving any further to prevent unwanted mishaps.

Smirking, he scissored his fingers within her gushing pussy, stretching her, and the moan that escaped her throat was a delight for him. Suddenly, as if realising the power she held over him, her hand rubbed up and down, jerking him off. 

Aryan too, tried to find that one rough spot inside her softness that would be her undoing.

He did find it, and pressed against it too, only for her to rub her thumb against the slit of his dick and they both were coming.

Imlie’s soul left her body as she felt her body clench around his fingers only for it to relax when he touched that spot within her. Her thumb found the top of his dick, and she felt the slick on her fingers.

He collapsed beside her, his hand finally away from her pussy and her hand out of his pants.

As she went through everything that had happened, she felt like she was floating, her body relaxed beyond belief. The weight that was always on her shoulders, didn’t feel so heavy.

But just as she thought that, the weight pressed upon her. The regret rushed through her.

What had she done?

What in the hell had she done?

And she heard him answer, without her asking, “Kuch nahi Imlie. Kuch galat nahi kiya tumne.(Nothing Imlie. You did nothing wrong.)”

She turned her gaze on him, and he wasn’t looking at her. 

Aryan felt her gaze on him nonetheless, and knew her well enough to know what was going on in her head.

He turned, resting his body on his elbow, and looked at her, and what a sight she made. The distress did nothing to deter the glow on her face.

She said then, “Ee, ee sahi naahi hai.(This, this isn’t right.)”

He asked, “Kisne kaha?(Who said?)”

She huffed, “Ee paap hai.(This is sin.)”

He asked, “Kaha likha hai?(Where is it written?)”

Imlie moved to retort but he interrupted her, “Imlie, kuch galat nahi hai.(Imlie, nothing’s wrong.)”

She snapped, “Hum byaata naahi hai.(We are not married.)”

Aryan asked again, “Toh kya?(So what?)”

Imlie scoffed, “Toh kaa? Tum samjhat kaahe naahi ho ki ee—(So what? Why do you not understand that—)”

Aryan snapped then, “This was not wrong Imlie. Don’t you dare tell me you don’t feel this too. This thing between us.”

Imlie answered, “Hum kaa feel karat hai uu important naahi hai, hum ka—(What I feel is not important, what I—)”

Aryan interrupted, “Hum joh feel karte hai, uske alawa kuch bhi important nahi hai.(What we feel, nothing else is more important than that.)”

Imlie fell silent at his exclamation, her heart beating loudly, her mind in a muddle.

He moved his hand, moving the hair falling on her face behind her ear, and said, “Please don’t regret something that felt so right.”

Imlie asked him then, “Ee toka right lage hai?(You feel this was right?)”

Aryan chuckled, “Never has anything felt this right in the last four years.”

Imlie was floored at his confession. She didn’t know what to say to that. She felt right to him. 

Imlie asked, “Ee liye humse byaah kare ho?(This is why you’re marrying me?)”

And almost immediately she realised she shouldn’t have asked, because he stiffened at her question.

He met her eyes and answered, “Tum toh nahi karna chaahti naa?(But you don’t want to, right?)”

And Imlie knew she couldn’t stop herself from being honest with him, not when he was asking so earnestly. So she shook her head sideways, her words lost.

He chuckled at her reply, and said, “Good.”

And Imlie was confused again, what was going on in his mind? If only she could read him as well as he reads her.

He answered her confusion, a moment later, his hand playing with her hair, “So, fight me Imlie. Fight for yourself. Fight, because you don’t want to marry me, not because of anyone else.”

She looked at him in wonder, this man, the man that had changed her so much, was still on a quest to save her only.

He got up, sat on the bed, and looked back at her, “Now you know you hold power over me too. So fight. And if you win, we’ll do this your way.”

Aryan left after having said that. He had shared a beautiful moment with her, and he wouldn’t let her taint it with something so trivial as regret over them not being married. He had said his peace.

The ball was in her court now.

She knew more now when they started this.

She knew now that he wasn’t the only one with all the power.