Chapter 01: PRAY

Yo mah Lovelies I am back with the first chapter of this story. Hope you all enjoy the story

CHAPTER-01:

Pray(Klang) K-Ost Language: English

The lives we play behind the mask

A constant rain of pain

Our minds belong to those who ask

To those who seek to change

I can say anything that I want

When I want

I believe in things that I see

I pray

I don't know if I can anymore so watch me break

I can see everything torn away from me

That was a while ago

Oh oh Oh oh

Sometimes we learn the harder way

That strikes the chord in me

Someday we'll find the silence

Away from all we've god

I can say anything that I want

When I want

I believe in things that I see

I pray

I don't know if I can anymore so watch me break

I can see everything torn away from me

That was a while ago

Oh oh Oh oh

PRAY

Two days have already passed Imlie being like a soulless body. And it was already felt hard by her that her fate had slapped and brought her back to the roller coaster ride of her life. She spent two days and two nights wandering through her good memories and chatting with Chuari, her understanding goat who saw her sobbed like a kid, throwing a fit and cursing her fate.

“Why the heck are these things happening with me?”  Imlie shrieked in anger.

She doesn't remember much but she could understand that some parts of her memories are in total blackout. She has one exam left for her high-school boards. It was none other than physical education so she didn’t feel like doing anything for the last two days. At the end of the day she was a thirty plus soul in an eighteen year old body.

 She felt all kinds of stressful feelings at one go thinking of life being unfolded in the same way as before.

“Why should I go through the tough life lessons again Sita Maiyya?” Imlie scoffed.

She knew more than others that there would be zero possibilities of her getting the life she passed if she changed the order. If she doesn't marry Aditya who is ought to visit next month then she wouldn’t be able to be a maid and eventually the daughter of Tripathi’s; also there would hardly be any chance to meet Aryan as well as for him to fall for her. She knew well that Aryan fell for her because Aditya did wrong with her. It was the feeling ‘to protect her' was the foundation of his love towards her. And her love blossomed for him for the sincerity and trust he showed on her. How will any of this be possible if she listens to her heart which is almost in the ‘fainting state’ thinking the ache it would feel again if she continues in this very path?

At the end of three days and completing her last high-school exam she sat beneath a tree near the school calculating her future. She cannot stall any more days just by gulping down what the known fate has in store for her.

“Imlie, how was your exam?” Chavi, a friend of hers asked seeing her all deep down in her thoughts.

“It was fine” said Imlie with a sigh.

Chavi, this girl is about to get married in the next two months. A brilliant girl but got her talent wasted. Also she would be a widow in next two years for the terrorists attack in Pagdandia, thought Imlie sadly.

She used to be a friend of Imlie and she used to talk with her though many used to avoid her for her origins.

“You look depressed,” exclaimed Chavi.

“That is because I am” replied Imlie lost in her thoughts.

“Why? What’s your next plan? I am getting married in two months. Though my parents not like you much but they would keep my wishes if I beg them, I would love it if you would be a part of my marriage” said Chavi trying to uplift her mood.

Imlie looked at the young girl’s face earnestly. She knows deep down that she would leave the village next month living an extraordinary life than others, yet it hardly makes her excited. Because half of it is tragedy but this girl standing in front of her would have her whole life in tragedy.

Imlie gave a faint smile for Chavi's sake.

“Would you like to sit here with me?” she asked.

Chavi took the invitation and sat near her.

“Imlie I didn’t mean to ask you this but why are you speaking in clear Hindi?” Chavi asked, surprised.

As Imlie was trying to cope with her situation she forgot she ended up using Hindi which she used to speak in Delhi rather than the local dehati dialect. 

“Oh I am sorry” Imlie exclaimed.

“Ab angrezi ma baat karat ho tum Imali (Now you are talking in English Imlie)” Chavi replied, more surprised than before.

English had been taught in school but the accent with which Imlie spoke surprised her.

“You feel like a different person altogether”

Now Imlie felt quite conscious of the mistakes she was making for the habits of her past life. To cover it she replied immediately, “Uuo hum na sehar me parhne kaa baare ma sochat hai. Oo ke kaaran practice karat hai( Woah I am thinking of studying in city hence for that I am practicing)”

Chavi gave an expression of understanding the situation but within a few seconds her face darkened.

“You will go out of the village to study?”

“Yes”

“Will you be able to do that? I mean the society here”

“Yes” Imlie replied without thinking much because she knew her ‘Dadda’ has said yes to her wishes in her past life too.

Now it clicked Imlie what she should do next. Her face filled with a glow as she found a ray of hope to end this situation. As if the direction she had been missing from the past few days had shown her a new road.

She just have to move to the city for higher studies before Aditya comes here or just avoid Aditya altogether. The second option would be hard though because he would come to Pagdandia to take interview of Satyakaam, her 'Dadda'. But she thought of the first escape plan and it lit her face.

She smiled like a lost traveler who found the destination she was trying to find. She sprang and stood straight, “Chavi thank you dear. You solved my dilemma. I couldn't decide what should I do but you gave me a road to move forward.”

Chavi smiled with pain but it didn’t go unnoticed from Imlie’s eyes.

“Any problem?” asked Imlie.

“No. It’s just that you are lucky you would be able to go to study outside. But I am going to get married hence my parents don’t want me to study anymore”

Chavi’s words felt like a bee sting for Imlie. There were so many girls in Pagdandia and other villages holding a world of nothing but the same cycle of life. Many do like the cycle but many don't and want to break free from it. She was one of them and so is Chavi. She hugged Chavi and whispered in her ears, “Do you want to live a different life? Free from the society here and holding a place for yourself?”

Now Imlie felt the burden of getting an easier life than others. It was indeed tougher from others yet easier on so many levels. Meeting Aditya ended her up in the best college, Aditya being Aryan's target she got the internship without going through any technical process. Though the emotional toll was really heavy for her the path always provided her a support to make her walk forward which girls like Chavi never got.

Chavi was surprised but these words made her tears rolled down on her cheeks yet she said a ‘Yes’ with all the guts she had.

Imlie needed to change her approach, at least for the talented girl who had helped her in her last life and also admitted jealousy for her success. Imlie remembered what Chavi had said the last time she met her during her visit to Pagdandia, "Imlie had I been a beholder of such a glamourous fate like yours then I would have been able to achieve my dreams too. Look at you, a professional gem and a billionaire yourself financially for your husband, also I could see in his eyes the affection he has for you. I am jealous as well as happy for you. It was either you or me who had always coveted the first place from childhood in our schools but your fate blossomed even after you had a divorce and my fate got doomed because my parents thought their decisions were right. I am a widow now without any hope neither I can ever complete my studies to fulfill my dreams nor I can marry again to be treasured as a queen by some guy. What a waste of my talent and life?" 

“Then I do have an offer for you,” Imlie continued, “Next one month will change the course of your life. Just know the things that will happen will be a play that would take place without anyone’s consent. I got your back and I will save you out”

Imlie now want to save this girl, she had too many regrets in her last life.

“But what will happen Imlie?”

“You will know but Chavi, by the way what's the meaning of marriage in your life?”

“Marriage is like shackles on your feet. It just takes away the freedom of life”, said Chavi with an expression of disgust.

“Are you getting forced into marriage somehow?”, asked Imlie with concern.

Chavi broke down into a pool of tears. The only thing that made her be Imlie’s friend was Imlie’s intelligence and intellect. Chavi had always taken pride in her intelligence, if Imlie would have been in the first place then she would be in second or it would be vice versa. None of the girls was interested in their studies except her and Imlie. That’s why she put the trust of friendship with Imlie, knowing her parents were against studying yet only made her study because eighteen is the legal age in the law for marriage; this fact burns her soul with hatred. Today she dropped the news of her marriage to Imlie as she wanted to see if Imlie the seeker of justice by nature would stand for her. And though she couldn’t understand Imlie’s words she knew that Imlie would free her from the shackles that her society has put on her for being from a rich, well-off family of this very village, Pagdandia.

The tears were the answer for Imlie, now Imlie couldn’t help but only think of a way to solve problems for both of them.

‘Sita maiyya I have only said my plans in a confusing manner yet she put her trust on me. The desperation in her eyes screams for her, as if she knew beforehand what is going to happen with her.’ thought Imlie.

Imlie did feel like having a plan but it would end up making her a bad person in her own eyes.

If something good happens by taking a bad route, is it indeed bad to follow it? 

The question is complex indeed. The route she chose right at this moment, would it lead her to meet Aryan? Would it lead her to be the daughter of Tripathis? Would it lead her to be a good person like her last life? Would it make things easier for her? But she can't leave this poor soul on the hands of the fate only to get destroyed.

She chose her path and she would make sure it would lead her to Aryan at any cost. This time she would be the support for him because he had already taught her a lot. Will the feelings stay the same? Will he love her once again when she meets him in this life? Will she be able to tell him to lean his head on her shoulder and get rid of the pain he had two years back? He is working hard to be at the top for his revenge; even I got a chance to make myself to stand beside him holding my head high and this time without getting indebted to him.

Songs Used:

~Pray(Klang) [Angel's Last Mission: Love]

Thank you so much for reading the story and I hope you enjoyed it a lot.

Yours Mimi

MiuniS2022-04-12 08:04:43