“Safe heaven”
"And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes
I fall into your arms
I'll be safe in your sound til I come back around"
It’s been 3 to 4 months since the wedding drama, since then she never looked back. The nail in the coffin been Aditya asking Imlie to leave the job and Aryan for him and he’ll believe her, and she just looked at him like really looked at him and kept staring at him for good ten minutes as if she was trying to find anything that reminds her of why she fell in love with him in the first place and shaking her head she wished him “good luck” for his upcoming life and left.
It broke something within her so deep that she just couldn’t bring herself to let someone in again but with Aryan’s and his family’s constant support she was back on track and with additional help from the therapy she was seeking that really helped her find herself.Since then she has been vocal about so many things, things that she use to suppress because of the societal pressure or family. She has been vocal about her likes and dislikes but not in rude way. She understood the meaning of personal space and drawing boundaries.
Aryan saw the improvement in her not only at physical but emotional level too which not only surprised him but made him appreciate her more. He didn’t say much but his gestures showed he appreciated. They have developed this sense of understanding among them that didn’t require words as their relationship grew, they became more comfortable around each other.
And it was a fine day when they arrived together at the office and got into the lift, they came early today due to which it were just them in the lift. Aryan pressed the floor button, they stood parallel to each other, he looked sideways and saw her editing her article, she is becoming workaholic like him, he texted his secretary regarding the meeting and was checking his mails when the lift suddenly halted with a jerk.
Both of them leaned against each other to steady themselves, Aryan muttered something under his breath and pressed on the emergency button but before anyone could respond the lights inside the lift went off, and suddenly the atmosphere inside the lift turned into silent, cold and lonely for Aryan. He forgot about Imlie who was standing just behind him all his focus came down to “He needs to get out” before anything can happen before his claustrophobia catches up with him.
He called the maintenance team and barked orders for them to get them out of here within minutes or else he will fire everyone and as he was showering them with threats Imlie turned on the light of her cell phone and thought why in the world was he overreacting and acting like a Diva and turned the light towards him to see him and the words “will you stop overreacting” died on her tongue as she saw him.
Aryan cut the call and he was heaving, his breathing laboured, he had kept his hand on the side wall to steady himself and was trying to regulate his breathing, but nothing seems to be working for him as he broke into sweat and soon enough took off his coat and threw it on floor. He called the maintenance team again but there was network issue due to which call wasn’t connecting and with each beep he heard, his panic was rising and so was his temper.
All the bad thoughts flash backs of the past, being stuck in close space, couldn't get out were coming back to him, he never was claustrophobic but after Arvinds death the close spaces sets him off on a panic mode, and guilt of him suffering alone for them and him not being able to help him hits ten times harder.
It was the first time ever Imlie saw him in such dishevelled state, panicking, he never panics, he is always cool as cucumber and collected even when the odds are against him but he never loses his calm so why all of a sudden and then it clicked. Her eyes widened, she read about it some where, the fear of closed spaces and everything made sense. She needs to do something, something effective to help him before he completely loses it and without further thinking she dropped her phone on the ground grabbed him by his arm and dropped down on her knees on the floor dragging him along with her.
Both were face to face now and before he could protest or make a move to stand up she wrapped both of her arms around his torso and interlocked them behind his back holding onto him tightly.
Aryan couldn’t understand what the hell happened a moment ago he was trying hard to breathe and suddenly felt a pull on his arm and now he was on the floor with two tiny arms wrapped around him, he tried to get out of her grasp “Imlie leave me...” he orders protesting but somehow she acquired this sumo strength that she just wasn’t letting go and then he hears
“Breathe...” she whispers against his ears “just breathe...”
“Imlie...” He protests again wiggling his arms in her grasp trying to break her embrace but she strengthens her hold more.
“Ssshh just breathe slowly in and out inhale and exhale..." and with her soothing voice guiding him his protests slowly dies and he just sits there still, limp in her arms as she started telling him about this very beautiful place she heard off and how legends claim it is residing place of fairies and at night when everyone goes to sleep thousands of fireflies surround the place and the place shines beautifully.
He leans all his weight on her as he keeps listening to her and slowly rests his head on her shoulder leaning more on her. She unlocks her arms pats his back soothingly still talking about the beautiful river side place she once dreamed to visit. She never realizes when her hand went from patting his back soothingly to his neck and her slim fingers slither in his dark mane, and she rubbed and softly moved her fingers in his hair while he lets out a satisfied groan at that, his arms raised reflexively to her waist. His breaths regulating and he wasn’t sweating anymore to him "It felt like being in heaven"
She pulled back slightly after some time to look at his face and so seeing her stir he picked his head from her shoulder to pull back, his arms still caging her waist, her hands still in his hair. In the shadow of the light coming from her phone she sees his collar all brunched up and moves her hands from his hair to his neck and fixes his collar. He was always well dressed, well managed, and she will make sure he is still, after fixing the collar she presses on his shoulder to straighten the creases, no one needs to know, and no one will know as he use to make sure she is okay and never let her be vulnerable in front of anyone so will she.
As she fixed his shirt he leaned his forehead against her breathing slowly, his eyes focused on her fingers. After fixing shirt she says “You know when I met Amma last time she told me something she said Imliya there is no shame in letting someone help you carry the burden that you have been carrying alone for so long, sometimes it’s okay to let someone else hold your pain while you take a moment to rest...”
“I’ll hold your burden for you...” He says as reflex as soon as she finishes.
She smiles “Don’t you always” and then she raises her hand to his forehead and with single finger tries to straighten the frown marring his forehead “Let’s reverse it this time, let me carry it for you today...” she says with a gentle smile.
“I don’t have any burden...” he says looking behind her
“And Tom cruise proposed me...” she replies clicking her tongue.
He looks back at her with raised brows, while she raises her brows more to match his, he looks away and with sulking expressions says “ I don’t have burden, I just don’t like being in stuck in closed space, it feels uncomfortable...”
“What about now?” she asks and he looks back at her “ is..." she stops and whispers while staring into his eyes "is this uncomfortable...” She doesn’t know why she asked that and why was she waiting for his response with batted breath.
“NO!” He says staring directly into her eyes and then keeping his forehead slightly on hers, he completes “ with you I’m not...”
She smiles widely at that, happy tears begin to fill her eyes and then leaning her forehead on his she replies “so let us just keep it that way for some time...”
And after sometime the maintenance workers who were scared for their dear lives and jobs finally fixed the lift, and then waited at the floor for their employers wrath.
The lift arrived and they sucked in their breaths but as soon as the door opened instead of all worked up ASR the found a calm ASR who instead of asking for resignations thanked them for getting him out and moved to his office.
They saw him leaving with wide eyes and then turned to Imlie with same surprised expressions.
Imlie saw all eyes on hers and goes "kya resign karna tha kya?"
And shaking their heads in negative with speed of light everyone disappeared leaving her grinning to herself.
Hola peeps🙈
This is my Arylie first hug imagination... do read and leave your comments to let me know how it was.
I still have to proofread it so don't throw chappals plejjjj.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
