Today, Aditya was regretting everything he had done. Today, Aditya was feeling sorry for everything he had put everyone through. Today, Aditya knew, that the trust he had placed in the wrong people is the reason for him being so miserable. Today, Aditya realised how much he has lost because of his inability to listen to people. Today, Aditya saw how misunderstandings could make you lose the people you love.
But the reason Aditya knew all this today was because of the one person he has come to hate more than anything, the only person who can make his blood boil, the person who he has wanted to crush for the past two months, the person who he thought had taken his place in the life of the woman he loved.
The one and only, Aryan Singh Rathore.
Mr. Aryan Singh Rathore, who was so shrewd, that he had single handedly carried The Bhaskar Time from losses to break-even in the span of two months. He, who was so confident, that no one in the business needed his introduction. He, who thought that Aditya, Aditya, Star Reporter of The Bhaskar Times, was responsible for its losses. He, who was the one who demoted Aditya Kumar Tripathi, from the frontpage reporter to an obituary writer.
The same Aryan Singh Rathore, who he believed to have an affair with the woman he loved, at least before this whole truth was dropped on him.
Belief, trust, faith, all big words, all emotions that he had placed in the wrong person. In front of his family, before his wedding to the one person he believed, this man had shattered his truth. He had destroyed his belief, trust and faith.
He had destroyed everything except the truth.
The truth that he should have put those emotions for Imlie, for she was the woman he loved, and she was the woman he wanted to spend his life with.
The truth that his disbelief in Imlie was the reason for his suffering and the suffering of the woman he loved. The truth that he may not always be faithful to Imlie, but even the thought of unfaithfulness made Imlie a right mess.
The truth that Aditya Kumar Tripathi may not be the orchestrator of his betrayal to Imlie, but he was a catalyst.
So, when Aditya went to thank the man for showing him the truth, the man laughed in his face. In front of everybody, him, his family, Aryan's family, Malini, her mother and Imlie, Aryan Singh Rathore laughed in the face of Aditya Kumar Tripathi.
When Aditya got a questioning look in his eyes, Aryan looked at him condescendingly, and replied, "Mr. Aditya Kumar Tripathi, agar aap soch rahe hai ki maine yeh sab aapke samne sach laane ke liye kiya toh yeh aapki bahut badi galat fahmi hai.(Mr. Aditya Kumar Tripathi, if you think I did this all to show you all the truth then you've misunderstood my actions.)"
At this everybody was confused, what could be the reason this person would do this, they could not understand.
Imlie, confused and thankful, came in between them, facing Aryan, she asked, "Ee kaa kahat hai aap Sir?(What are you saying Sir?)"
Aryan looked down to Imlie, a storm in his eyes. Yes, this was the Imlie he had grown to like, unafraid to ask for something she did not understand. This Imlie, who was not scared to be seen talking to him in fear that people will pass judgement on their relationship.
This Imlie, who was not scared of Aryan Singh Rathore.
He looked back up at Aditya, noticing the strange look in eyes, noticing him notice the relationship he shared with Imlie.
Aryan grabbed Imlie's upper arm and gently pulled her at his side. His gesture clear to people who could understand it, he replied to Imlie's question, "Mr. Tripathi, yeh sach mein aapke samne sirf teen wajah se laaya hun. Pehli, aapko yeh realise karvane ke liye, ke aap bale hi kitne bhi achhe reporter kyun naa ho, aapka ego, aapka overconfidence, aapki aankhon par pati baand deta hai, aur aapki reporting aur sach dekhne ki shamta ko khokhla kar deta hai. Doosri, zaroori nahi hai, ki aakhon dekha, aur kaano suna hi sach ho, kabhi kabhi aapki life main aise log bhi aate hai, jinpe aap bharosa karke unki baaton ko sach maan lete hai but zaroori nahi ki woh aapke bharose ke layak hai. Aur teesri wajah...(Mr. Tripathi, I've showed you this truth because of only three reasons. First, to make you realise, that you may be a good reporter, your ego, your overconfidence, they cover your eyes, and make your reporting baseless and without substance. Second, it's not necessary that what you see and what you hear are always true, sometimes you have people in your life, people you trust and believe, but they are not always worthy of your trust. And third...)"
At his pause, Aditya noticed Aryan's gaze shift sideways. Sideways to Imlie. Imlie who was standing there looking at the both of them. He noticed that Imlie noticed Aryan's gaze on her. He noticed Imlie's gaze stop on Aryan. He noticed both of them gazing at each other.
Aryan was the one who snapped out of it first. Who diverted his gaze from Imlie first.
As Imlie stared at Aryan, Aryan looked at Aditya and said, "Teesri wajah udhar rahi.(Let the third reason be my credit to you.)"
And with that he began towards exit. But Aditya had seen Aryan looking at Imlie. Aditya could see Imlie still looking at Aryan.
And apparently, Aditya was still an idiot.
He called Aryan out by saying, "Teesri wajah udhaar nahi rehne dijiye Mr. Rathore. Waise bhi aapke pehle hi bahut udhaar chad chuke hai humpe. Keh dijiye, ki teesri wajah Imlie hai.(Don't let the third reason be a credit Mr. Rathore. There are already so many credits I owe you. Say it, agree that the third reason is Imlie.)"
At this Aryan stopped moving and everyone exclaimed Aditya's name, and this finally made Imlie spur into action. Getting in his face, she said, "Babu Saheb, aap abhi tak ee naahi samaj sake, aap jaanat bhi hai aap kaa kahat rahe hai?(Babu Saheb, you still don't get it, do you even know what you're saying?)"
And Aditya looked at her and said, "Jaante bhi hai aur samajhte bhi hai hum. Imlie kuch nahi tha tum dono ke beech, iska matlab yeh nahi hai ki kuch nahi hai.(I know it and understand it too. Imlie, there was nothing between you both, that doesn't mean there is nothing now.)"
Unable to hear anymore baseless accusations against Imlie, Aryan exclaimed, "You know what Mr. Tripathi?"
After saying this he turned around and walked again towards Aditya, looking at Imlie beside Aditya, he said, "Aap sahi hai, meri teesri wajah Imlie hi hai.(You're right, my third reason is Imlie only.)"
At this Imlie moved towards Aryan, grabbing his forearm and forcing him to look at her, she asked, "Ee kaa kahat rahe aap Sir?(What are you saying Sir?)"
He looked at her, her disturbed stance and her questioning gaze and cursed the day Aditya Kumar Tripathi was born.
He replied to Imlie, "Sach!(Truth!)"
Shifting his gaze to Aditya, he continued, "Haan, teesri wajah Imlie hi hai. Imlie, joh aapke saamne strong bankar ruki hai aur joh aapko aapke fiance, sorry ex-fiance or was it ex-wife, yaa phir aapke bache ki maa bhi keh sakte hai, khair joh aap dono ko sath dekh kar apne aasu ko rok naki paati. Woh Imlie, jisko hostel se nikaal dene par humaare office mein rahna manzoor tha, but kissi ki madat lena manzoor nahi tha. Woh Imlie, joh baar baar, mere mana karne ke bawajood yaha aajati thi, aapki tarafdaari karti hai. Woh Imlie, jisse jab meri Maa ne meri shadi ke liye haath maanga, toh woh kaap padi, humein explainations dene lagi, ki kaise woh aapke bina kissi ke baare mein soch bhi nahi sakti.(Ye, my third reason is Imlie. Imlie, the one who's standing strong in front of you, and can't stop her tears when she sees you with your fiance, sorry ex-fiance or was it ex-wife, or we can call her the mother of your child. That Imlie, who was ready to stay in our office after she was kicked out from her hostel, but wasn't ready to accept anybody's help. That Imlie, who, despite my warnings, takes your side. That Imlie, who panicked when my mom asked her to marry me, who tried to give us explanations, that she can't even think of anyone else but you.)"
Aryan took a pause, he cataloged every reaction on Aditya's face and after, he continued, "But sirf woh Imlie ke liye hi nahi, but uss Imlie ke liye joh yeh ban sakti hai, uss Imlie ke liye joh mujhe kabhi kabhi hi dikhai deti hai. Uss Imlie ke liye joh ek Star Reporter ban sakti hai. Uss Imlie ke liye joh jab kissi baat ko thaan le toh woh karke hi dikhaati hai. Uss Imlie ke liye jisse akele barish main zaroor rona aata hai, but joh ussi baarish mein bacho ke sath paagal ho jaati hai. Uss Imlie ke liye joh fisarbatti se nahi darti hai. Uss Imlie ke liye joh 10th floor ki parking se itni mehengi gaadi, Aryan Singh Rathore ki gaadi ko girane se nahi darti hai. Uss Imlie ke liye, joh Aryan Singh Rathore se nahi darti hai.(But only that Imlie, it was for the Imlie she could become, the Imlie I see only sometimes. The Imlie that can become a star reporter. The Imlie, who does anything once she sets her mind to it. The Imlie that may cry in the rain alone, but will go mad over it when she plays with kids in the rain. The Imlie not scared of slides. The Imlie who isn't afraid of pushing a car off a tenth floor parking, an expensive car, Aryan Singh Rathore's car. The Imlie that isn't scared of Aryan Singh Rathore.)"
And while saying this, his eyes had shifted back to Imlie. And Imlie was nervous, tears in her eyes, which were looking down at her hands.
He sighed, looked back at Aditya and said. "Uss Imlie ke liye jiske liye aapka pyaar ek bhoj naa ho, jiske liye aapka rishta ek-tarfa nahi ho. Uss Imlie ke liye jiske kaandhe par aapke mistrust ki potli naa ho.(For Imlie who doesn't consider love a burden, who doesn't consider her relationship with you one-sided. The Imlie that doesn't carry the weight of your mistrust on her shoulders.)"
And then he looked towards all the Tripathi's and said, "And the only reason, yeh Imlie uss Imlie jaisi nahi hai is you people.(And the only reason, this Imlie is not that Imlie is because of you people.)"
He broke into a laugh and continued while pointing at all the Tripathi's, "Aap log, aap logon ne Imlie ka talent toh pehchana but shayad, I'm not sure, but shayad aap logon ne Imlie ko Mr. Tripathi ki wife ke alawa kuch banne ka chance hi nahi diya. Aap sab log itna busy ho gaye, Imlie ko itna busy kar diya yeh prove karne ke liye ki woh Mr. Tripathi ke liye ek perfect wife hai, ki aap yeh bhool gaye ke Imlie ek insaan hai. Ek insaan joh imperfect hai, jisse change ki zaroorat hai, jisse sirf Mr. Tripathi define nahi karte.(You guys, you guys may have seen Imlie's talent, recognised it, I'm not sure, but maybe, you guys never allowed Imlie to become someone other than Mr. Tripathi's wife. You guys got so busy, got Imlie so busy in proving herself to be the perfect wife for Mr. Tripathi, that you forgot that Imlie is a person too. An imperfect person, who needs change, who is not defined by Mr. Tripathi.)"
At this Imlie moved forward and stopped him, this time coming between him and Aditya, grabbing his pointing hand with both her hands and pushing it down between them.
Her gesture was enough to make him understand that he was crossing some limits, some boundaries.
And it nearly made him laugh again. Nearly. He caught himself. He looked at Imlie and she shaked her head, clearly asking him to stop. And he wanted to listen to her, he really did, but then he saw her looking towards Aditya and his family and trying to retreat her hands hastily, and it made him snap again.
He stopped her from retreating her hands, forcing her to look up at him. He continued looking at her and raved, "Mr. Tripathi, now, in this moment, at this point in life, meri life main sirf teen log important hai. Pehli meri Maa, dusri meri Di, aur teesri, teesri Imlie.(Mr. Tripathi, now, in this moment, at this point in my life, there are only three important people in my life. First my Mom, second my Sister and third, third is Imlie.)"
He looked behind Imlie, despite feeling her accusing eyes at him, he continued, "Imlie, woh jiske pehle article pe mein uska talent samaj gaya tha. Imlie woh jisne meri Di ki jaan bachayi. Imlie, woh joh mere liye bahut keemti hai. Imlie, woh joh pehli aisi aurat hai joh mujhe pasand aayi hai. Imlie, jisse mere liye pyaar karna bahut aasan hoga. Imlie, jisse mein pyaar toh nahin karta, par jisse mein pyaar kar sakta hun.(Imlie, who's talent I recognised when she wrote her first article. Imlie, that saved my sister's life. Imlie, the one who's precious to me. Imlie, the first woman I've liked. Imlie, who I could fall in love with very easily. Imlie, who I do not love, but who I could love.)"
He looked down to Imlie again and said, "Imlie, woh, joh agar mujhe pehle mili hoti, toh mein usse jaane hi nahi deta.(Imlie, who i would've never let go if I had found her first.)"
After this, he finished talking, after this, he stopped looking at everyone, after this, he only looked at her.
He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them gently.
He gently let go of her hands and stopped looking at her conflicted eyes.
After, he left, a storm in the people he left behind.
After, he allowed himself to cry.
After, Aryan Singh Rathore, cried.
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