Part 03B: Meeting You Again
"Imlie" he called out and she froze in her tracks. Her heart thudding in her chest, she slowly turned, almost believing to find no one behind as she felt she was surely hallucinating. But as soon as she turned, she saw him standing right infront of her, his eyes filled with tears. She just stood looking into his eyes wordlessly, her own filling with tears at the sight of him after 9 long years.
They stood just like that, looking into each others eyes, completely oblivious to their surroundings. The gentle breeze blowing pushed her hair a bit front, a few strands falling on her face. But she was too lost in his eyes, her yearning heart memorising every detail of his. He was just as handsome as he was 9 years back. Nothing much has changed except, his eyes which held hatred for her years back, today held a melancholy and happiness. That jolted her out of her reverie. Happiness - yes it was his happiness for which she had let go and walked away 9 years back. It was for his happiness that she had decided never to show her face to him again. And here she was standing and staring at him shamelessly!
"He isn't your husband anymore Imlie for you to keep looking at him like that. He's somebody else's now" her mind reminded and she dejectedly agreed. Wiping her eyes hurriedly on the pretext of pushing her hairs back, she plastered a small fake smile and moved towards him.
**
He looked at her who was looking right into his eyes, tears filling her own. Her hairs which had come front made her look even more alluring. She wasn't the 19 year old girl of 9 years back any more. She was now a 28 year old woman and her beauty had just enhanced more like fine wine. His yearning being took in every inch of her frail form, the innocence prevalent on her face even now and her eyes tinged with pain. Her eyes were very expressive and they told him the state of her heart just in the second he gazed at them.
The transition of emotions on her face was clearly visible to him and the fake smile she plastered at the end while walking towards him tugged at his heart. What had he done to her? In that instant he was reminded of the chirpy Imlie he had met in Pagdandiya. Her smile wide, her eyes twinkling with childish delight. He had seen that twinkle vanish and he very well knew he was behind it yet he hadn't let go of his callous attitude and tried to look at things from her perspective. And now after all these years, all because of him, she still couldn't even smile genuinely.
Pain and remorse gnawed at his chest, tearing his already shattered heart to shreds. Watching her from afar, in newspapers hadn't given him her actual picture for at all times, a mask was drawn over her face. But standing right infront of her, he who broke her to this extent, had seen the mask fade away to show her actual reality. His broken heart hadn't healed and he knew it would never for he loved her but couldn't have her. He had accepted this as his punishment for breaking her heart. But why hadn't she healed yet? It wasn't that she loved him. She cared for him yes. She respected him, yes but love? No, she dint love him ever. But why then could he see the same emotions in her eyes now as he had years back? He knew she had tried to draw her mask up but she couldn't because somehow holding up the mask infront of him wasn't possible for her. Did she have no one to hold her hand and heal her? Was she all alone all these years just like he had been? Did she also feel the same way he did?
Lost in these thoughts, he dint even realise when she came and stood infront of him till her voice brought him out of his reverie.
"Babusaheb? You here? How are you? How are the others? And how is Malini Didi?" she asked at one go.
"All are fine except me! And Malini is in US with her family"
"Except me? Why what happened to you? Are you alright? And Malini Didi is in US? Why aren't you with her then?"
Her concern for him reflected in her questions and he could feel solace seep in his heart. Her brows furrowed in confusion making her look adorable. He understood from her questions that she was under the impression that he was married to Malini. He knew she had no idea of what had transpired in his life.
"Babusaheb? What happened? Why aren't you speaking anything?" she asked even more worried. What was wrong?
"No nothing. And Malini is in US with her parents and husband. Why should I be there?"
Her eyes widened in shock.
"With her husband?? Dint you marry her? I thought since you loved her, you married her after I left"
" I did marry her. But our marriage lasted just for two years. We realised in two years that we were quite different and couldn't live together due to our growing differences. So we divorced and she moved to US with her family. A year later she met her match in Vinod and they both married and are now leading life happily."
"What about you then?" she asked, still too shocked.
" I do love someone. With all my heart but I can't have her" he replied making her heart clench in pain. So he loved someone else! Why couldn't he love her?
"Oh....I-I'm happy for you. And don't worry, if it's in your fate, she'd definitely be yours" she said trying to reassure him.
"I don't think Imlie! I don't think she loves me. After what I did with her......."
"What did you do with her?" she asked frowning.
"I broke her! I'm the reason she isn't even able to genuinely smile today. I'm the reason she draws a mask up her face. I'm the reason her eyes hold the same emotions today as it had 9 years back" he said looking right into her eyes.
Her eyes widened even as a surprised gasp escaped her mouth.
"W-what a-are you telling B-Babusaheb?" she stuttered even as her heartbeat escalated erratically. Her ears too had stopped working maybe else hearing those words wasn't a possibility.
" I love you Imlie" he said unable to hold back any longer. He had wanted to tell her this but due to his own resolve couldn't. From afar, it wasn't difficult to control his feelings but standing right infront of her, he could no longer mask his feelings of years.
Love,
PSR
