"Every moral has a story,
Every story has an end.
Every battle has its glory,
And its consequence"
Slumbering in its blue robe the sea waves greeted her softly. The euphony summons of the sea was soothing. Someone once said that 'the sea once it casts its spell holds one in its net of wonder forever.' It surely had cast its spell on her a long time ago.
"Imlie! Let's go" her friend called her yet again
"Coming"
It had become her routine now. She visits the beach whenever possible. It started when she first moved to Mumbai for her job. She felt so lost back then, still struggling with a new work environment, meeting new people, facing corporate politics, work pressure, a new roommate who turned out to be a good friend later, thank heavens...
"All ready for tomorrow's trip?" Sameera questioned her. Unaware of the turmoil Imlie was facing. None of her current friends or colleague knew her past.
The only bit they knew was that she was Imlie from some village who completed her graduation from college in Dehradun. Got top grades and received a job offer from campus placement.
Getting a job was not difficult for her with the internship experience she got from Bhaskar times, and her top grades made it easy for her. It was a year now that she was working in a small start-up firm. She left her career as a reporter the day she left Bhaskar times. But writing was her passion. Today she was working as a content writer who wrote on various topics from education to fashion, food. You name it and she can write it.
They were traveling by autorickshaw stuck in traffic...
"As ready as I ever will be" Imlie replied passively. Sameera got busy on her phone and Imlie looked at the busy streets of Mumbai reminiscing about her past.
It had been three years since she left that place. The place where she got love, betrayal, hatred, friends, and foes. That place taught her many things about life and people in general. And now she was going back to that place again. She was still not sure how she felt about it...
*****
"Aryan please calm down. Look whatever I and ma did it was for your own good. Shruti already told us about her condition. It was our decision to hide this information" Arpita tried to calm her brother
"Why? You knew I would never agree with something like this" He raged at his family
"I did this so that you will get married" Narmada cried out.
"Is it my fault that I want to see my children happy and settled in their life? Arpita does not want to move on and you? I don't even know what you want from your life anymore"
For the first time after so many years, their mother was expressing her displeasure with both of her children’s life choices.
Arpita and Aryan looked at each other in guilt. But their mother was not done yet.
"So, what if Shruti asked me and Arpita to move away after your marriage. She didn't want any interference after her married life"
"Mom" Aryan started
"Listen to me Aryan. Nowadays there are very few girls who can tolerate their husband’s parents. And here you have one unmarried sister who does not plan to get married ever it seems." Narmada turned her angry gaze on Arpita who was crying silently
"You have already rejected so many proposals. You are not getting any younger. It took one heart stroke for me to get you to agree to the marriage. And what did you do Instead of speaking with us first, you went ahead and broke your engagement? Marriage is about compromise and sacrifice. You have to do some things for your partner even when you don't want to."
"Not like this mom. You and Di are my family, and I will never leave you"
Seeing that this was getting nowhere Narmada went away from there in anger
"I am sorry for what happened between you and Shruti. We should have told you. If you want, I can speak with her" Arpita offered her brother softly
"It's alright Di. Anyways I agreed to this for Mom. I can't tolerate that girl for more than 5 mins"
"You can't tolerate her for 5 mins, and you were going to spend your life with her?"
"I have work"
Arpita looked at her brothers retreating back...
*****
Once again, he came home late. Nothing new though. Aditya was often drunk nowadays. Angrily Malini turned away from his sleeping form, only to find her father dragging her mother away.
Aditya slurred something unintelligible. She ignored him and moved to another room. She can't stand the smell. This was not how she imagined her married life to be. After Imlie left their life for good, she thought Aditya will come around eventually. But it's been three years now, even though Imlie is not here physically. She could still feel Imlie's everlasting presence in her life.
Sure, Aditya still hated Imlie. She had made sure that he won't feel anything else for her except hatred. But that was it Aditya either loved Imlie or hated Imlie, his world stopped at that.
After the truth of Aryan's revenge came before them, her mother made sure that Aditya blames Imlie for helping Aryan in his revenge. She tried to instigate Tripathi's against her which worked quite well for some time. Because they did question Imlie about her intentions shattering her perfect family picture.
She did not know what happened between Aryan and Imlie. Imlie went missing from the next day the truth came out. Aryan came at Tripathi Niwas like a raging Bull demanding to see Imlie and clarified that he would never hide behind a woman like coward taking a jibe at Aditya. This resulted in a fight.
Aditya lost his job at Bhaskar times. They received a home eviction notice. Aryan was the new owner of Tripathi Niwas. Apparently, Aditya's uncle had gambled which cost them the house.
This was a golden opportunity for her, she requested that everyone should move to her parents’ house. But Aryan's mother stopped them and, on her insistence, a reluctant Aryan allowed them to use the home on the condition of paying a monthly rent.
Aditya's ego was hurt, he can't stay in a place owned by Aryan, and neither did he allow his family members to stay. His parents were not ready to relocate to Chaturvedi house. Rupi blamed Malini. The stress of all this was too much making the miscarriage inevitable.
Guilty Aditya moved in with Malini. He joined her father's business. They were successful in removing not just Imlie but his family from his life. Now Aditya was going to be hers forever. Only it didn't go that way...
*****
The blaring alarm broke his sleep. He got up with a splitting headache. Walking unsteadily on his feet. He opened a cupboard. Took out two Advil’s and gulped them down.
Another day has started. He must work in that office, Aditya thought with bitterness.
All of this has happened because of Aryan and Imlie.
Imlie. He gulped down as her memories surfaced in his mind once again.
Nowadays few thoughts started disturbing him specifically since a week ago when he read about Aryan's engagement in a newspaper. Was she telling the truth then? What if there was nothing between them? No, he shook his head. He knew what he saw. He could forgive Imlie for anything but her alliance with Aryan...he hated that man.
He took away Imlie from him. Had Aryan not entered the picture, Imlie would have nowhere to go but him. Aryan used Imlie and now left her all alone. That must have taught her lesson, she should have come back and apologized to him, he would have forgiven her...
*****
Aryan stood at the bridge. The same bridge where he thought Imlie was going to attempt suicide after she got divorce papers from that vile man.
The place where Imlie cried her eyes out and him giving her silent company and making his resolve to take revenge stronger than it already was.
He did it. He took his revenge, but it cost him something much more valuable. Did he regret getting his revenge on Aditya, No. Hell given a chance he would do it all over again. But he did regret the way the truth came out.
His anger at Aditya stemmed from not just the provocative questions he asked Arvind Jiju that day. It was also for a fact that before that tragedy, Aditya had personally interviewed Arvind. He knew the positive action they planned to take. Arvind jiju had discussed this at a length with him.
That interview never got printed in Bhaskar times. Instead, a provocative article on how the rich are getting richer and how the poor are getting poorer was printed. Every word taken from Arvind Jiju's mouth twisted to make it sound like a crime.
On top of that after Jiju's death, the man dared to write an article representing the occurred events sad but defending the workers there nonetheless.
No one got punished for setting the car on fire. With a lack of proof, the police could not take any action. His sister was devastated, she went in shock for months. Aryan had to take his family away. Aryan had made sure to close the factory on the third day of his Jiju's death without an ounce of guilt. It left many families in bad condition. There was a huge uproar, but he quietened it down with the help of money and a few of his connections. He left with the vow to take revenge on Aditya Kumar Tripathi...
Today Aditya lost everything, his own home, his family, his child, his career. He was staying at Chaturvedi's leading an unhappy life. From what he heard of Chaturvedi's business was not going well. If this continues, they will become beggars sooner than later. What more he could have asked for? Aryan made sure to close Bhaskar times altogether once his revenge was done. He was not going to let that company run which had cost him his family's happiness. He was not going to kill Aditya. Aryan was not a killer and more than death he deserved this torment...
The only regret he had was that Imlie misunderstood him in all this and left without giving him a chance to explain anything. He never explained anyone anything. Basically, he did not care what people thought about him.
But he did care what she thinks about him. He realized it that night in his office, she stood facing him, Arvind Jiju's death article in her hand. Aditya was hurling accusations at her for helping him in his revenge. Tears coursing down her cheeks unchecked. He wanted to throttle Aditya to shut him up. He moved forward to explain but Aditya had taken a hold of mike planning to go live. Aryan moved to stop him. When he managed to oust Aditya with the help of security. He found Imlie gone.
He searched for her like a madman. He went home only to find his mother and sister in distress informing him that Imlie left a while back. He waited for her. roamed the streets for all the locations he knew to find her. He went to Tripathi's. He got to know that he missed Imlie again. He went to Pagdandiya. He met her mother, who politely refused to share her location and informed him that she is safe wherever she is and not to disturb her again.
He loved Imlie, realization struck him. How and when he did not know. But his past actions made more sense to him then. Why has he wanted her to be happy? Why did her opinions matter to him and why did seeing her tearing eyes hurt him like hell? Why has he wanted her to move on? Why has he hated that she worried about Aditya even after their divorce? No boss interferes in his employee’s personal life the way he did with Imlie. The attraction he felt for her. He had fallen in love with her, and his love was unrequited
What hurts him the most was she did not give him the chance to explain. He had told her he would never use her for any revenge. Did his words mean nothing to her? Did she not trust him enough?
His mother faced a severe heart stroke a few weeks back. The doctor told him not to give her stress. His mother put forth a condition that he gets married otherwise she won't touch medicine. With a heavy heart, he agreed for the same.
The girl Shruti was Arpita Di's friend. The same one who tried to flirt with him, the day he bought Imlie home for the first time. Their alliance survived barely a week. They got engaged immediately after he gave a go-ahead. And he broke it off when he got to know about her outrageous demand.
He was sure it was going to break sooner or later. They were not compatible with each other. And whenever she did something or say something, he would imagine Imlie's response, making her a very dull character in general.
He had kept a watch on Imlie's village hoping that she will return, she never returned there it seems.
He often imagined what she must be doing now. Did she move on? What if she has someone in her life now. Someone she loves… that thought unsettled him
He always thought that once he gets his revenge, he will get his peace back everything will go back to normal. Instead, he got revenge and lost part of himself...
*****
"I still don't understand why you have to take the train when our company is ready to reimburse for plane ticket?" Sameera asked her again
"Because she is afraid of flights" Pankaj replied instead of Imlie
"No, I am not. I just like trains. They are much better with large space, and you can sleep" she stopped explaining when she noticed Sameera making a blah blah hand gesture
"Whatever" Imlie huffed
"You will be back in 15-20 days as soon as your Nani's knee replacement surgery is done?" Sameera confirmed
Imlie nodded
"Don't forget to bring items in the list" she heard Sameera's warning as the train started moving
Imlie gave her a thumbs up and leaned back in her seat with a smile on her face.
Sameera was her roommate and friend. She was quite a spirited girl, full of life. Sameera was senior to her by five years working in the same company in the marketing department.
Imlie was looking for a place when Sameera offered her to share a room. The flat she stays in was owned by Sameera's dad. She wanted to rent out a room for extra income...
Sameera and Pankaj will be getting married in a month or two after being in a steady relationship for five years now. At first, Imlie was surprised to see that they were in love with each other but not married. They never had any problems from either of their families, but Sameera wanted to be sure before taking a big jump. She wished she had taken her time like her...
She did not want to go back but her mother called, her Nani had knee replacement surgery in Delhi based hospital. Imlie requested them to come to Mumbai. Surgery can be done in Mumbai. But they were adamant. The doctor here already knows her case and how much more do you want to make an old lady suffer Imlia? Her mother had admonished her.
The current pandemic situation gave her work from anywhere option. So, when she went to request her boss. He told her to work from the Delhi office. She can meet the team...
She wondered if she will once again come face to face with Tripathi's, Chaturvedi's? Will they still try to insult her? She did not care. She was not the same Imlie anymore. She knew how to stand for herself. This Imlie won't take the crap from anyone. She determined to herself.
What about Rathore's? Aryan? Will she see him? She shook her head, not a chance. He must be happy in his life, after shutting down Bhaskar times he had invested in many other businesses. He was not kidding when he told her that I have many other businesses and this company costs me nothing. Oh yes, there were usually articles about him on economic pages of the newspaper. She made it a point to read that.
He was her mentor after all. Even though she spent less time with him, he gave her many valuable lessons. He was with her in one of the worst phases of her life and helped her when she wanted to save her dignity. So, it hurt her when she got to know that he may have used her for his so-called revenge.
But that was not possible she realized that later, didn't he say he won't use her or any women for revenge? She trusted him that much.
Moving away from Delhi was her decision because she realized that no matter what till she is around a set of toxic people her growth was not possible. She will be stuck in a loop for Aditya.
She could safely say that was one of the best decisions of her life...
she read in an article a few days back, Aryan was getting married to Shruti. The same girl who had insulted her for not eating with manners and etiquette. Good both deserve each other; both are like bitter gourd.
She smiled softly at least now his mother and sister will be happy. They had endured enough already. She loved them like family and wished nothing but the best for them...
********************
Note:
This was my small attempt at writing how the four of them are leading their life after a leap. Hope you like it😳
Anupamaa
