Chapter 6

A/N

Ever heard of fillers ?? No, not the ones that people put in their lips. But the ones that give a little background to the story. This is one like that. We'll be taking a short leap after this (Because leaps are the word of the month for Arylie shippers). Excuse the typos.

Also, like my amazing friends/amazing writers, I tried searchings songs to give you guys and apparently, I am really really bad at it. I don't think Hamari Adhuri Kahani would suit here. So I decided to tell you guys a joke every chapter in the beginning. And a song if it feels rigt.

Warning : THEY'RE EXTREMELY POOR. But here we go.

How do robots eat dips ?

With Micro chips.

Over and Out

                                             Chapter - 6

Amaan sat in Imlie's room waiting for her to come out after changing. A roller coaster day and he knew that his friend needed him. More than ever. After all, she just found out she might have to stay in a marriage with Aryan Singh Rathore because some conservative politicians loved votes over logic. He looked up as the door to the dressing room opened and Imlie walked out in her shooting gear.

"Imlie..no" Amaan warned, realising that her friend was going to go shooting. Which means she was too disturbed to even talk. 

Imlie gave him a cold shoulder and walked out, taking her pistol. Amaan sighed and ran behind the stubborn woman who refused to use words at any cost. She fired more bullets than she spoke words and given the situation, she'd shoot someone. The story that Pandey narrated surely didn't help.

"Imlie, wait.", Amaan caught up to her, " You cannot ignore what has happened. And you know this can change your life. What are you going to do with this?"

"I don't want to think about it" came a curt reply from Imlie.

"What do you mean by you don't want to think about it ? It's life Imlie, you cannot simply sweep it all under the rug. It involves another person, his life, his career and his family."

"And that is exactly why we're getting this marriage annulled for precaution", Imlie answered, loading the barrel into its chamber, "No one will be continuing this sham of marriage"

Multiple shots rang through the range and Amaan cursed the stubborn brain of his best friend. Changing Imlie's brain about her decisions was impossible but unfortunately, the odds weren't in her favour this time.

"IMLIE !!! STOP IT !!" Amaan yelled, snatching the new barrel form her as she began reloading it, "Enough is enough. You know how serious this is. Your stubbornness is not going to help. God forbid, if you have to continue this marriage. I assume you haven't uttered a single word to that poor man ?"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO TALK AMAAN ?" Imlie screamed in frustration. Dropping the gun on the table, she walked to the stands, settling down on one of them. Elbows on her knees and her face in her palms.

"What am I going to tell him ?? "Congratulations Mr. Rathore !! I'm your wife and my assistants might have screwed it up." He frikking knows it. And Amaan, he could have spoken to me too. Who asked him to be silent all the journey here ??"

"Okay...."Amaan drawled, trying not to snigger, "Just because you're married to him doesn't mean you get ot play the husband-wife ego game. It was a mistake on our side and we have to reach out. No one wakes up and decides that they'll take part in a fake marriage."

Imlie shot a withering glare towards her smug best friend wanting to break his jaw. She hated that he was being practical and she hated that she actually has to do whatever he's saying. 

"Imlie..."

"Yeah ?"

"What are your plans ?" he questioned.

"What plans Amaan ?"

"I mean..", Amaan tried choosing the right words, "If you were to participate in this marriage for the sake of the government, what are you going to do? Maybe all this happened for good. Aryan Singh Rathore is not a bad man."

"If this were to continue, we're living together the required time for divorce proceedings. There's no way I would stay in a marriage" Imlie spat, her hatred towards marriage, evident.

"IMLIE" Amaan yelled, getting up from his seat, "For God's sake, be practical. You know this is as much of a possible situation as the number of inquiries you will have to face from today. And believe me, I am the only person who'll ask about how you're feeling about it. Because the rest will see you as the officer that put the agency at risk. And yes, even your favourite Kabir sir."

Imlie stared at her friend. Hard. She knew he was right and that's what pissed her off. She messed up so bad that even Amaan is making sense now. Over her. "Stupid Pandey" she grumbled under her throat and put the pistol down.

"So ??", she turned towards Amaan, "I am married. Good. What do you expect me to do with it. Become Sati Imlie and act as a maid in his house?? And then see him marry another woman. And then divorce her, marry me, divorce me and then marry the same woman again. And maybe then, I'll find a dashing hero who runs his mouth in the worst of times. God knows what's going to happen after that..."

"Stupid world..", Imlie reloaded her gun and shot with each word, "Stupid Pandey, Stupid Aryan Singh Rathore and stupid Ganga Tai"

Amaan stared at with a slackened jaw. It's not every day that Imlie Satyakaam, the lady that makes the whole department shake it fear, goes on a rant with something eerily similar to a serial plot.

"Imlie ??", he spoke hesitantly," That's quite the active imagination ?"

"It's Ganga Tai.." Imlie grumbled, "She watches this stupid serial 'Mirchi' and then rants to me about it. Apparently the marriage in there is on rocks. Good riddance I must say. That way, Tai will stop speaking about their "chem isthri". Believe me, I TRIED CORRECTING."

Armaan flicked his gaze very quickly between Imlie's gun and her face. He wanted to burst out in laughter, but he would not put it past his friend to shoot him.

"Umm...I don't think you can be a maid though", he voiced his thoughts, "I mean, your marriage is very much public. Their marriage wasn't covered. You know, given the journalist was in front of the gun"

"Yeah, well, you got a point.", she mumbled, "wait...WHAT ?". She turned around at breakneck speed.

"How do you know about 'Mirchi', Amaan ?", Imlie questioned, "What have you been up to in that stupid flat of yours?"

"Istartedwatchingitbecauseofmyex" he muttered.

"Nope, darling" Imlie put her gun down and walked towards her best friend. Throwing an arm around his shoulders, she began speaking.

"I started watching it because of my ex", he spoke clearly, "That's not the matter. What are we going to do about you ?? The woman that got married in a soap opera style"

"I am not up for a marriage, Armaan", she spoke firmly, "I have no place for it in my life."

                                     *******

Rathore's guest cottage, Intelligence HQ

"Sooooooooo..Aww..Di !!" Komal broke the silence and yelped as Aryan smacked her over the head.

"Stop Aru..", Arpita chided, "What did she do ?"

"What did she do ?" Aryan began yelling, "You know what she did. Even better, you know what both of you did. I'm in this mess because of you dunderheads. Now you better go and fix it."

"And how do you propose we do that ?" Arpita drawled, completely unfazed by her brother's pitch.

"I don't know", Aryan snapped, "Beg, borrow or steal. Hook or Crook. Where there's will, there's a way and every fücking metaphor out there that speaks about achieving things. You got me into this. You get me out of this"

"Aryan..." Komal spoke cautiously, "I know..the circumstances of your wedding weren't exactly......pleasant. But look at the bright side of it."

"What bright side, Komal ?" Arvind questioned.

"Imlie, obviously", Komal answered, as if Imlie was the answer to all their problems, "I mean no offence to jaan-e-man here, but Imlie is way above his league. Like way above. She's a gun wielding police officer that did secret operations. The most interesting part of Aryan's job would be if the presentations have special effects or the document he's reading has an exclamation mark. She qualified the toughest exams in India with definitely good marks and Aryan Singh Rathore passed because I made notes for him. No offence Aryan, you did pick up the slack. She looks like an angel. With a gun in her hand and definitely has leather in her wardrobe"...she gasped trying to catch her breath.

"Aryan..would you mind asking your wife is she has leather in her wardrobe?" she questioned him and rambled off even before he opened his mouth, "She might punch you in the face. But at least you'll know the answer. Our resident UNB on the other hand, well, let's just say, Imlie can do a lot better than this boring man. I mean, you should probably give this a try."

"Give what a try, Komal ? Stop being an idiot." he snapped, "Guys, Komal's gone mad. Someone come up with a solution. I don't want to get married.".

Aryan stared at his family sitting silently and looking at him with suspicious glints.

"Oh come on !!!" he groaned, realising that Komal's words were taken seriously, "Maa, Didi..you can't be serious about this. Komal is spewing whatever nonsense the comes to her mind. This whole thing is a mess that needs to be cleared up ASAP"

"She's got a point Aryan" ,Arvind spoke for the first time,"Komal's way of describing it might be very...", he trailed off, trying to find the right word for it.

"Stupid ? Idiotic ? Moronic ?" Aryan handed in the words, making Komal pout.

"Ununsual." Arvind spoke, "I can't pretend to know how terrified you must be with all the happenings. I know you don't want to stay in here, cooped up and about to forced into a marriage. But there are bigger forces involved in this now Aryan. Forces that even your bride couldn't have  foreseen. "

"I know jeeju ", Aryan interrupted him, "I know that we're both victims of a very unfortunate series of events. But that doesn't mean, we have to put up with this charade. I was made to marry at a gun point for God's sake"

"Yes Aryan. It's not a happy situation. But you have to be practical and think. You cannot go ahead with this attitude of 'no can do'. I'm not asking you to start your married life from tomorrow forgetting everything. I just want you to be open to options. Because frustration will shut your brain down and you will push yourself into a bigger mess. This organisation, the government and everyone around us are much bigger forces. They can force our hands. I don't want you to be a mess of emotions and lose the upper hand you have."

"Arvind's right, Aru", Narmada spoke, "This is not the time to be emotional. Not when your opponent is stronger. You're a businessman. You're a Rathore. Use your brain and if it comes to the worst, negotiate. Hold your cards close to your heart. Be analytical. I know emotions are important, but they need to take a backseat until we find some semblance of sanity here. And you always have us"

Aryan smiled at his mother, nodding at her in agreement. He moved in to hug her and Narmada was quick to take her son in her embrace.

"You know, I wasn't wrong", Komal quipped, "She could have done a LOT better".

"Come here you.." Aryan lunged at her before his phone rang. He frowned seeing his company's security advisor calling him and quickly answered it. A gasp left his mouth as he listened to what the other side had to say. He began nodding, giving inputs here and there, his family listening with strict attention.

"Thank you Mr. Sinha, please keep me updated. And employees must be safe at any cost. Use my personal rooms and any of my family's at every place if needed."

"What happened ?", a serious Arvind asked and Aryan sighed, wearily. So far, the day hasn't been amazing and it's only getting worse.

"A lot of our industries around rural UP have been attacked and offices in Delhi are bing vandalised. Something about me disrespecting God. That was Mr. Sinha informing me."

The room plunged into dark silence, as no one knew what to say. 

                                 **********

Kabir's Office

"Come in !!" Kabir yelled and his assistant walked in with a guarded face.

"Sir...it's the home minister", she informed, "She's calling you for a meeting. Apparently he is under a lot of force from the older leaders and now, Rathore industries are turning into massive law and order issues. What you feared might be coming true sir. You need to negotiate this or they are going to come for Imlie's head"

Kabir stared at her. For 5 minutes. He needed time to assimilate this day. And then he stood up. Buttoning his blazer, Intelligence Head, Kabir Iqbal walked out of the room in confident strides, safety of his favourite employee on this agenda.

A/N

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