"Pyaar kar baitha hun main tumse.(I've fallen in love with you.) I've fallen in love with you damn it!'', exclaimed Aryan Singh Rathore, for may be the first time ever and maybe, also the last time ever.
This wasn't supposed to have happened. He shouldn't have fallen in love with anyone, let alone someone who was in love with his enemy. He couldn't fall in love with anyone, let alone someone who couldn't love him.
But he did.
Oh boy did he fall in love.
And after months of suppression, repression and denial, he couldn't stop himself from yelling it out. Oh God! What had he done? Why now? Why in front of all these people? Why in front of the man she loved? Why in front of the man who didn't love her enough?
He really couldn't have found a better time.
He could see the emotions play out on her face. He could see that she was going through his confession and as she ran it through her mind, he could see each and every expression on her face.
This woman, who was a total opposite of him, who was so intriguing to him, this woman for whom he had fallen for, was unreadable for him at that moment. He could not gauge her reaction to his confession.
Her expression could mean anything between disgust and shock. And he did not want to find out.
So he ran.
And for the first time in a life time, Aryan Singh Rathore ran away.
He ran away, leaving Imlie thinking of the consequences his confession could have. Imlie who had been there just to have happy Holika Dahan with her family. Imlie who did not want to do anything with her Babu Saheb and everything to do with her extended family. Imlie, on whom, such a big bomb had been dropped upon.
Imlie, who could not believe, that Aryan would have the guts of confessing in front of so many people. People that he hated or well one particular person.
But then again, she would not be surprised, he was after all, Aryan Singh Rathore.
She wasn't totally stupid. She knew that things between the both of them had shifted. She knew that they have shifted from Mentor-Mentee, to friendship to something more. Something she didn't want to contemplate, because it would mean admitting that he had become more for her and it would mean admitting in what way was he more for her.
The first time she had felt more for Aryan had been that time they had danced together. They had connected. Their souls had connected.
Her demons had danced with his.
After that had been a roller coaster of emotions for the both of them.
She knew, she knew that the way she was around him was a mixture of wanting to shield herself from feeling more and for him to see that she was not ready to feel more.
They had hurt each other, physically and mentally. They had accused each other of things that they shouldn't have. They had fought each other, for all the wrong things but the right things too.
But for all the hurt they caused each other they had soothed the other too. For all the accusations they had made against the other they defended each other too. For all they had fought each other, they had fought for each other too.
Her and Aryan, Aryan and her, when they had become an us, when they had become a unit, she didn't know. But they were, a unit.
And for everytime they playfully bickered, they shared a deep conversation too. For everytime they didn't agree on something, they brought forward there point of views to make the other understand. It was constantly about balance between them.
Yes, Aryan had power over her but she had realised early on, that she had power over him too.
And that balance of power that was just there between them, that balance that they had in their relationships was what had made her feel more for him.
What had made her fall in love with him.
It was rare that she didn't notice him nowadays, but so lost she was in her mind that she had missed him leaving. But where could he go right? This was the backyard of his house. Where could he go that she could not follow?
So she did, move to follow him.
But she was interrupted by the sounds of clapping. When she turned, she could see Aditya clapping and suddenly another emotion filled her.
Dread.
How was she supposed to face the brand of taunts and insults that would be now rained down upon her? How could she be so stupid as to assume that she could just follow after anyone without there ever being drama.
Sometimes, most times, she hated, absolutely loathed Aditya Kumar Tripathi. Other times, she just remained indifferent to him.
She looked up, asking her Sitaa Maiyaa to give her strength to face the onslaught of taunts and insults that were surely going to be bestowed upon her.
She looked down to Aditya and of course his face was twisted in that smirk when he assumed that he had won. So when he began talking, Imlie was already aware of what he was going to say and obviously, ''Hum toh humesha se hi jaante the, par aaj yeh saabit ho gaya hai Imlie. Humne joh bhi socha tha, joh bhi dekha tha woh sach tha. Aur tum joothi thi Imlie.(I've known since the beginning, but today it has been proven Imlie. Whatever I've thought, whatever I've seen, every thing was the truth. And you've been lying Imlie.)''
He scoffed and then continued, "Humaari shaadi ke waqt, woh joh bhi tamasha tumne kiya woh sab jooth tha. Sach tha toh woh raat joh tumne uske saath bitaayi. Sach tha toh woh ki tumne uska naajayas fayda uthaya, par sach yeh bhi hai ki usne bhi tumhara naajayas fayda uthaya. Usne tumhara istemaal kiya aur tumne bhi uska istemaal kiya. Usko ek achi raat mili aur tumhe, tumhe promotion.(Everything, every drama you created during my wedding, everything was a lie. The truth is the night you spent with him. The truth is that you took illicit advantage of him, but the truth is also that he took illicit advantage of you. He used you and you also used him. He got a good night out of it and you, you got a promotion.)''
And then Imlie slapped him right across the face, with unbridled force, and the sound of that slap echoed within everyone.
The sound of that slap echoed within Aryan, who was moving towards Aditya to do much worse. The sound of that slap stopped Aryan in his tracks.
Imlie had slapped Aditya Kumar Tripathi
What the f*ck?
He looked towards Imlie and she hadn't noticed him yet, hadn't noticed that he could see the proud moment of Imlie slapping Aditya.
He had run away but then his mind had clicked instantly, he had confessed that he loved Imlie in front of Aditya Kumar Tripathi.
He had given ammunition to Aditya Kumar Tripathi against Imlie, Imlie, the woman Aryan had fallen in love with.
How could he be so stupid to leave her in the presence of that man with such ammunition?
So he ran back to her. He ran back to them. And he was right, the hurl of accusations had begin and he could not have arrived any later.
Because that would have meant that he would have missed the tight slap Imlie had given to Aditya.
And how that had been a balm to his soul, he didn't know.
But what came after proceeded to make his broken heart mend.
Because Imlie then replied to Aditya and oh what a reply it was, "Aap na Babu Saheb, bus kijiye ab. Bus kijiye. Ab hum ek aur baat naahi sunat hai aapki. Uu insaan, Aryan 'Hum apan emotion dabaye rakhe' Singh Rathore, joh kabhi aapan dil ki baat naahi karat rahe uu abhi abhi itni badi baat bole hai rahe aur aap aap uuke emotion, jazbaat ko gaali dewat hai?(You Babu Saheb, you should stop now. Just stop. I won't listen to anything you have to say anymore. That person, Aryan 'I will suppress my emotions' Singh Rathore, who never speaks from his heart has just confessed something so big, and you, abuse his emotions, you rebuke his feelings.)"
Everyone looked shocked at Imlie's arguement. Here Aditya was trying to insult Imlie and she was defending Aryan? Aryan standing right behind Imlie, in a way that both Imlie and Aditya could not look at him.
Imlie snorted and continued, "Uu insaan, jon aapse nafrat kare, jon aapke baare mein sab baat jaanat rahe fir bhi aapan ke baare mein aisan baat naahi karat rahe. Aur aap uuke upar ek lehki ka naajayas fayda uthane ka inzaam lagawat rahe. Aap humesha aisan hi the Babu Saheb, ki ee sab sangat ka asar rahe?(That person who hates you, who knows every single thing about you and then too doesn't talk about you like that. And you, you blame him of taking illicit advantage of a girl. Were you always like this or is this the result of the company you keep nowadays.)"
At that Malini moved forward towards Imlie but Imlie stopped her by saying, "Humka tohar se konu bahes naahi karat rahe.(I do not even want to talk to you anymore, let alone argue.)''
Then she turned back to Aditya and said, ''Pyaar bahut bada shabd howat hai Babu Saheb, iski tulna aap itni gandi baad se naahi kare sakat hai. Uu humse pyaar karat rahe, naahi humre saath raat bitaye chaahe. Uu humpe vishwaas karat rahe, humari baat sahi naahi samaj kar bhi humri baat ko unsuna naahi karat rahe. Uu humri ijjat karat rahe. Humri ijjat par sawaal naai uthawe rahe. Uu humse nafrat bhi kare rahe, par humein undekha naahi karat rahe.(Love is a big word Babu Saheb, you cannot compare it with something so wrong and cheap. He loves me, that does not mean he wants to sleep with me. He trusts me, despite of not agreeing with my views he listens to me. He respects me. He does not question my self- respect. He hates me too, but he does not make me feel unseen. He sees me.)''
Aryan felt so much for this girl. He felt pride rush through him, today even if she said that she did not love him, it would not hurt him, because she had found the strength to stand up to the brute that was Aditya Kumar Tripathi. Today she could leave right now and never say something to him, but this moment was a big deal for him, it was a big deal to Imlie.
But she was not finished, she continued, "Aur hume ee naahi kahenge ki hum uuse pyaar karat rahe--(And I won't say that I love him --)'', and she once again managed to sweep the of the floor beneath this feet. He had been rejected, he felt this but she did not. She didn't--
''--Kyunki ee baat ko jaane ka haq sirf uuka hai.(Because he is the only one that has the right to know that.)'', she continued, and Aryan felt he could breathe again.
She felt things that she wanted him to know. She felt things he wanted to know.
He moved towards her to tell her that he was here, but her tirade continues, "Par hum ee kahe sakat hai ki uu humri himmat ban gaye hai. Ki agar uu humre saath howat hai toh humka konu baat ki chinta naahi howe hai. Humka har waqat sochne ki zaroorat naahi howat hai ki uu humka kabhi chot pahunchayege. Humka ijjat naahi milne ki chinta naahi howat hai. Humka uu ke saath surakshit mashsoos howat hai. Humka uuke saath uu sab mahsoos howat hai jon humka aapke saath kabhi mahsoos naahi howat rahe.(But I can tell you that he has become my strength. That whenever he is with me I don't have worry about anything. I do not have to think every moment of every way he could hurt me. I do not have to worry about living without respect. He makes me feel safe. He makes me feel things that I never felt with you.)''
She turned to follow Aryan after that only to find him there, behind her, standing. He ran, but he came back. Obviously what did she expect? That he wouldn't come back? He wasn't a coward.
But she was afraid and in fear, she asked, "Tum... Tum eeha kabse khade ho?(Since... Since when have you been standing there?)''
Aryan smiled at her, that smirk that made him look like a cat who was brought back after curiousity killed it. He answered, ''Itne time se ki agar tum nahi bhi kaho, tab bhi main samaj jaaunga ke tum mujhse pyaar karti no.(Since if you even didn't say you love me, I would understand that you do.)"
Her breath caught in her throat, he had heard everything. She didn't have to say anything. He knew. He knew.
''Par humka kahna hai.(But I wanna say.)'', she thought and apparently blurted it out.
He laughed. She blushed.
She ran. He followed.
Udne Ki Aasha
Cricket
