Chapter 9

Hola people...now that it has safely been a month because of forced circumstances (I'm kidding, lazybones here), I can finally post a chapter.

Here's the PJ for the chapter :

What do you call a bear with no teeth ?

A gummy bear !!!

And let's get on with the chapter..

Also, M, love you.

“And she said no.” Komal asked, “To your face?”

Aryan grimly nodded, leaning back on the couch and wanting to possibly sink or disappear into it. 

“Alright, get your giggles out.” he drawled, “I don’t even know why you’re trying to hold them in, you jackals.”

“No, no, let me get this right. Aryan Singh Rathore, businessman, philanthropist, 30 under 30 to watch, for the first time in his life proposed a girl–-”

“I didn’t propose!” Aryan hissed

“Alright, Alright….you “proposed” friendship to a girl and got turned down? After making maggi for her?”, she questioned, barely controlling her laughter.

“Yes” Aryan sighed and his ears immediately turned red, as the room broke into laughter. Arpita held onto Arvind’s shoulder, clutching her belly with the other hand. Komal had her head thrown back, tears streaming down her face and gasping in laughter. Arvind himself was trying to not to laugh like the ladies for the sake of Aryan’s ego. 

And the man of the moment, currently had his face in his hands, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Ladies…Ladies, don’t remind the man of his embarrassment. It’s bad enough that he had to live through it.” Arvind chimed.

“Jeeju, not you too. I am not embarrassed. Well, I wasn’t at least until these two devils barged into my cabin to get gossip out of me. It’s okay for her to do it, you know. I’m a literal stranger and she’s already placing a lot of trust in me by agreeing to live with me”

“But you’re living with her too, Aryan.”, Arpita opined, “If she’s living with a literal stranger, so are you. The least she could have done is be nice to you. I’m scared of how you are going to live with her.”

“And I’m an adult di, don’t worry.” Aryan tried to allay her worries, “I should have chosen a better time. It was too soon. And who’s to say friendship has to begin by shaking hands. It could even be a natural process. I’m sure we’ll find friends in each other.” 

“As long you don’t end up getting hurt Aryan”, Arvind said, “From what I’ve heard of Imlie and from what our people have found about her, she seems to be coming with baggage. And she’s a police officer. There might be certain equations there too. Don’t stress yourself expecting her to be very reciprocal. You’re friendly Aryan, not everyone is like that.”

“I know, jeeju” Aryan answered, “I’m a grown up, remember?”

“Yes” Arpita giggled, “A grown up who proposed to a girl for the first time in his life and got rejected. Nice job at being a grown up, Aru.”

Throwing a not-so-amazing gesture at his sister, Aryan dropped his head into his hands and groaned at the mess his life has turned into and all because of a checkered shirt. 

                                                            *******

Imlie locked her car, taking notice of the large crowd gathered under the apartment and whispering to each other. 

Suspicion crawled up her spine and her hands immediately went to her holster. Hiding it behind her back, she walked up to the nearest lady who was busy biting the ears of another and by the looks of it, Imlie knew the other one was very well enjoying it.

“Aunty ji” she called out, “What happened here? Why is everyone gathered outside?”

“Ask what hasn’t happened beta”, the older lady answered, “I was soo busy watching Radha bani Naagin when I heard the fire alarm go off. I ran out of my house right when the face of the villain was about to be revealed. I think it’s that rascal Jeeva. He’s soooo jealous of his brother and sister-in-law Radha. Poor Radha, had to hide the fact that she was Naagin from her husband and fight an ice monster in her human form. And her husband went missing right when she fell pregnant. Stupid makers-”

“Aunty ji !!!” Imlie stopped her, “Please tell me about the fire alarms. I’ll watch the serial if I want to know the story”

“Ishhhhh..the younger generation has no patience at all. Nothing beta, the fire alarms in the whole building went off when smoke from one building started spreading from one apartment to the other. The secretary is speaking with the residents of that flat. Some newly married couple, I heard. The young man was so handsome and his wife is probably making him cook and all. No wonder there was smoke. The whole 8th floor got scared.”

“Wait..did you say 8th floor?” Imlie questioned.

“Yes, but-”

Imlie ran to the stairs, leaving the lady to her gossip. The newly married couple on 8th floor was her and Mr. Rathore and God forbid, if something wrong had happened. All possible sources of fire ran through Imlie’s brain as she crossed each floor.

“I know, Sharma ji, I’m sorry.” her husb- Mr. Rathore’s voice floated through the air as she reached her flat. The door was wide open and she stopped at the entrance, trying to hide from the occupants.

“I’m sorry, this happened.” Aryan spoke, “I wasn’t cooking, No-I know how to cook but this did not happen because I was cooking. It was an accident and can we leave at that. I know you saw the story in the news. Yes, Yes, I will invite you for the reception. My wife and I have busy schedules and we’ll have the reception after enjoying a little private time.”

Imlie felt her stomach do tiny, little somersaults when she heard him call her “his wife”. She shook her head, trying to get rid of them and walked into the house, pushing both the men into silence.

“Imlie!!!” Aryan’s shocked voice pierced the pin drop silence, “You’re home!! Early!” His voice was laced with nervousness and something that Aryan would vehemently deny, if asked. Fear.

“Imlie beta…”, the older man walked up to her, stretching his hand for a handshake, “I’m Sudeep Sharma, your building secretary.”

Imlie stared at his hand for a whole minute, before shaking it with hers.

“Go easy on the young boy, beta. He was probably trying to make something for you. It was an unfortunate accident.”, he advised and walked out, but not before giving Aryan a weird look and nod.

“What was that look about ?” Imlie questioned.

“Nothing!!” Aryan answered quicker than he would like, “Nothing at all. There was no look. Was there a look? I didn’t see a look and I definitely did not see the nod.”

“I didn’t ask about a nod.” she drawled.

Aryan shut his mouth and looked everywhere in the room, except at Imlie.

“We have nice curtains!” he noted, his voice a pitch higher than he would have liked and winced at his own lame words.

“Yes, I know.” Imlie replied, “But from what I just heard, our nice curtains almost got burnt down. So tell me Mr. Rathore, less than a week into the marriage, why did the husband want to burn the house down. Do I have a pyromaniac to deal with?”

She slowly began walking towards Aryan who stood shell shocked in his place at her questions.

He gazed at her move towards her, predator in style and her eyes locked onto his. Noticing the gun in her hand, Aryan’s steps fell backwards and a smirk lit up Imlie’s face. Her perfume engulfed his senses as she neared.

“So, Mr Rathore.. '' Imlie drawled, her hands on the ends of his collar “Tell me, why did my house almost burn down.” She wiped the soot off his collar and stepped back. Aryan stared at her, his brain still stuck at comprehending whatever just happened.

“Umm..what “, he stammered, “The fire, it’s a long story”

“Well, lucky for you, I have all the time in the world.” Imlie replied, sitting down, “Please take a seat. I’m no principal.”

Aryan stared at Imlie sitting in what Komal would call a power pose. 

She was leaning back, her hands lying on the armrests and her legs crossed. He gulped at her reaction when he’d tell her the source of fire. His eyes darted nervously to the gun placed on the coffee table as if it belonged there. 

“Mr. Rathore !!!” Her sharp voice broke through the haze of his thoughts, “Sit down and tell me why my house nearly burned down.”

“Well…..you know how we got married?”

“Yes?”

“I wore a checkered shirt that day. And I hate those shirts in general.”

“How is that related to the fire Mr. Rathore? Also, who hates a shirt?”

“I do…” Aryan spluttered, “so, I came back today from the office and sat down to watch something on the TV?”

“And were you by any chance watching Khatron ke Khiladi ? Believe me, Mr. Rathore, those stunts are done under the careful eye of experts.”

“I know!!” he hissed, “Anyhow, I wasn't watching that stupid show. Instead I was trying to watch a serial. And I saw something which I wanted to try.”

“What did you do, Rathore Sahab? I have a feeling this story is not going to end well for you. But how would one know? It’s not like the house almost caught fire.” Imlie quipped, a corner of her lips threatening to turn up.

“Well, Itriedsettingtheshirtonfire.” Aryan quickly spit out and Imlie stared at him as if he had gone mad.

“Mr. Rathore, repeat that!” She ordered, “But this time, in human, please.”

“I tried setting the shirt on fire.”

Silence reigned and Aryan sat twiddling his thumbs and nearly biting his lips off. He looked at Imlie’s face for a possible reaction but all he could decipher was a mask of indifference. He could see the wheels behind her eyes turning, trying to decide whether she misheard him. So far, his day had not been and he was pretty sure his night was following its twin.

“You did what?” Imlie slowly spoke, “Mr. Rathore, please tell me you’re lying.”

Aryan shook his head sadly at the tiny hope in Imlie’s eyes that her supposed husband wasn’t crazy.

“You.Set.A.Shirt.On.Fire ?” She carefully gritted each word. 

Aryan nodded, bowing his head, which shot up giving him a whiplash when loud laughter filled the room. He looked up to see Imlie laughing, her head thrown back and her legs uncrossed.

Now, Aryan Singh Rathore has always been a romantic. The hidden section in their home library was stocked full of some of the greatest romances, his movie collection ranged from cassettes of classics to the latest of romantic streams. 

And something about the scenario playing in front of him didn’t match any of his collections. They waxed poetic about the tinkling laughter of women, supposed to sound like music to a man’s ears and soothe his nerves. It should have instantly filled his life with happiness and warmed his heart.

But Imlie’s laughter was none of that. Neither was it mellow, nor soft. 

It was loud and obnoxious. She was laughing with her head thrown back, one hand on her stomach and the other thumping the hand rest. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and some black thing was beginning to run down her eyes. He could hear her getting breathless and panting for oxygen. It was nothing like the books said but it made him feel something. 

Aryan stared at a laughing Imlie and for the first time in his nearly three decades of existence, he felt something strange inside him. Something warm and something cozy. His lips curled up slightly in amazement and his eyes brightened. 

“Your laughter’s cute!” he remarked and Imlie choked. On her own laughter.

“W-What?”, she stuttered.

Aryan’s brain rebooted its filter and his eyes widened comically, as he comprehended what he’d just blurted out.

He had called Imlie’s laughter, Imlie - the encounter specialist and officer extraordinaire, cute. His heart thudded in fear against his ribs as he stared at Imlie’s horrified face and his eyes darted to the gun that had mysteriously transported itself to her hand.

“Y-you know what?” he said, “I- s-smell something from the kitchen.” And ran out of the room, in the direction of his bedroom - completely opposite to the kitchen.

“That’s the bedroom Mr. Rathore!!!” Imlie giggled and broke out into laughter once again, when she heard the door slam shut and muffled curses of Aryan Singh Rathore.

Something sparked alive in the house as Mr and Mrs. Rathore, stood laughing in their respective places. One out of embarrassment and one out of pure wonder.

And the dark, charred, checkered shirt along with Aryan’s sudden pyromania lay forgotten.

Precap - She panted as the men closed on her trail, her ears sounding with loud shots of the rifles in their hands. A sharp shooting pain in her calf and Imlie went tumbling to the ground. Tall men towered over her fallen figure, their faces obscured. 

Well, tell me all about your thoughts. Not asking in a therapist way but in a very write way.

And if it's raining, have lots of coffee (if you know, you know)