AryLie FF - Aryan&Imlie - Epilogue Page 32 (Dt. 13 Mar) - Page 10

Harish Tripathi, Badke Papa, Imlie’s Ex-Chachu-In-Law

Harish Tripathi was the one who looked over the Tripathi Household’s finances. Therefore, it was easy for him to mortgage the papers of the house in exchange for a loan that had nothing to do with his family.

For Harish, nothing mattered more than their social standing. Yes, they were middle class people, but they had a place in society. People looked at them with respect. People looked at them and saw a family which lived together, took care of each other, and loved each other.

So, money and respect. Harish has always thought, you have money, you’ll have respect, you have respect, people will trust you with their money.

Money and respect were also the things that led him to hate Imlie the way he had.

Imlie had no money, and what respect could a maid have?

On top of it, Imlie being Aditya’s wife brought the society’s eyes upon them, in a way that was unfavourable. Imlie’s actions led to continuous insults of the Tripathi family, and that was unacceptable for him.

His son dying and his views of Imlie, along with Imlie saving his daughter from her husband, kind of brought things into perspective for him. Then he watched Imlie stand up for their family in the society, again and again, and this made him respect her.

Harish was a temperamental man, and he did not believe in apologies. He believed what’s done is done. The only thing that you can change is the future. So, that’s what he began doing for Imlie.

Letting her assimilate in the family, letting her make decisions for the family, letting her help the family, letting her do things for the family, were all his ways of thanking Imlie. And Imlie did splendidly. She was amazing for the family.

That was the reason he was angry with Aditya.

Why would he let a girl like Imlie go?

She was perfect for the family. She did everything that was expected of her, and she even did things that were not expected from her. She stood up for the family. She took care of the family. She loved the family.

Where would Aditya find such a girl?

Then they met Aryan Singh Rathore. Money and respect, he had both, and he had worked for them both. Imlie’s boss, the one who didn’t like her, gave her difficult assignments, made her work for her success, and made Imlie respect him.

Aryan Singh Rathore did many things for Imlie. If Imlie was to be believed, he was a stellar boss for her, if Malini was to be believed, a good friend to her, someone who looked after her and paid attention to her, and if Aditya was to be believed, a loving boyfriend to her.

Aryan was all of this for Imlie, without being all of this.

But what Aryan was to Imlie wasn’t the matter, it was Aditya letting go of her, and Aryan not letting go of her.

They were all there when Aryan revealed to Imlie what was happening with the Tripathi Residence. They all watched as Aryan stated facts, making Imlie face the harsh reality, but still stood by her throughout it all. They all saw how much Aryan was disgusted by Aditya, but how he still came back for Imlie.

Before that day, there had been many instances in which Aryan had supported Imlie, but after that day Aryan supported Imlie in the way none of them could have.

Financially.

They never sacrificed any of their savings on Imlie. They never gave up any of their money to Imlie. Imlie was in college on her scholarship. Imlie was taking care of her own things on her own. Imlie was independent when she left their home, and she didn’t ever ask for help from them.

He wasn't sure if Imlie asked Aryan for help or Aryan just bought the house for her, but Aryan did something for Imlie that made Harish question the relationship between them.

Were they really not anything, and if it was true, what all would Aryan do for Imlie once they actually became something.

Because that’s what he felt like, where Aryan and Imlie were headed.

But he saw them separately only. As two different entities who cared for each other.

The day they became Aryan&Imlie for him was on the third day of Imlie and the Rathores’ living in Tripathi Residence.

It was after midnight and he couldn't sleep. He was going to the kitchen to get a hot glass of milk to relax his nerves when he found Aryan Singh Rathore in the living room, his laptop on the table in front of him, him typing away on it and the television playing on mute in the background, The Bhasker Times Channel.

He shrugged, continuing towards the kitchen.

But when he was going back to his room, he could hear chatter from the living room. He moved slowly, so as to not alert the participants of his presence and peeked, and there she was, Imlie, sitting behind the laptop, on the table, cross legged, her head resting on her fists, supported on her knees.

A huff left his mouth. She was still the same.

He watched as Aryan continued working, unfazed by her.

Then she shut off the lid of his laptop.

The defeat was visible in Aryan as his shoulders dropped and he looked at Imlie. He raised an eyebrow in question, and she raised right back, the challenge clear in her posture. He then leaned back on the sofa, his back using the backrest, and he raised a leg, settling it on his opposite knee. Imlie uncrossed her legs and folded them in front of them, her arms hugged her knees and her chin rested on her knee. Aryan tilted his head, then uncrossed his own legs, leaned forward once again and rested his elbows on his thighs. Imlie slid forward on the table, pushing his laptop aside, she mirrored his posture.

This time Aryan actually looked like he accepted the defeat and asked, “Kya hai Imlie?(What is it Imlie?)”

Imlie looked at him, a scrunch between her eyebrows as she answered with another question, “Kaa kaa hai? Raat ke dhaai bhaje hai ABP, tumka sona naahi hai kaa?(What, what is it? It’s 2.30 a.m. ABP, do you not want to sleep?)”

Aryan pushed a hand out for his laptop, but Imlie caught it midway. Aryan looked at the hand holding his wrist and then looked at the girl whom the hand belonged to, Imlie raised an eyebrow.

Not backing down from the challenge for the third time, Aryan raised his own and answered again, with yet another question, “Tum bhi toh nahi so rahi ho?(You are also not asleep, right?)”

Imlie left his hand then. She pouted. Delighted at her being the one not having answers, he teased, “Tum jaag sakti ho. After all, yeh tumhara ghar hai.(You can be awake. After all, this is your house.)”

And just like that, the teasing atmosphere vanished and he felt tension seep into the air. Imlie responded, calmly, “Ee hamar ghar naahi hai.(This house is not mine.)”

Aryan replied equally calmly, if not more, “Haan, yeh tumhara ghar hi hai. Aur agle paanch saal tak yeh ghar tumhara hi rahega.(Yes, this house is yours. And it will stay yours for the next five years.)”

Imlie repeated, “Ee, hamar ghar naahi hai.(This house, not mine.)”

Aryan replied sternly, “Imlie---”

Imlie interrupted him, “Tab tak naahi jab tak hum toka iss ghar ki puri kisht naahi de dete.(Not until when I’ve repaid you every instalment for this house.)”

Aryan scoffed, “Aur agar tum har mahine mujhe 40000 deti rahogi toh tumhe mujhe 100 saal se bhi zyaada tak payment karni padegi.(And if you keep giving me Rs.40000 every month then you’ll have to keep on paying me for more than a 100 years.)”

Imlie replied, “Hum toka har mahine 40000 thodi denge. Humri bhi salary badegi, aur phir dheere dheere---(I’ll not always pay Rs.40000 per month. My salary too, will increase, and then slowly---)”

Aryan was the one to interrupt her this time, “Aur dheere dheere kya Imlie? 100 saal se 80 saal, 80 saal se 60 saal? Kar kya rahi ho tum Imlie? Kya tumne apne parivaar ko iss baare mein bataya hai? Kya tumne unse kaha ki woh tumhe help kare, instalments mein? Do they even know ke tumhara irada kya hai?(And the slowly what Imlie? 100 years to 80 years, 80 years to 60 years? What are you even doing Imlie? Have you even told your family about this? Have they even offered to help you with the instalments? Do they even know your intentions?)”

And while Harish was shocked at this revelation, he wasn’t also shocked that Imlie had done this. This girl valued respect far more than money. But a 100 years. That’s a lot of time.

Imlie replied to Aryan, “Uu humra lookout rahe. Tum humka---(That’s my lookout. You just---)”

Aryan stopped her and said, “Main tumhari instalments nahi accept karne wala, and that’s final. Yeh ghar tumhara hai. That’s also final.(I’ll just not accept any of your instalments, and that’s final. This house is yours. That’s also final.)”

Imlie stood up on the table then, hovering over Aryan and asked loudly, “Kaahe?(Why?)”

Aryan, too, got up, pulled her down and said, “Meri marzi.(It’s my choice.)”

Imlie huffed, and then jumped off the table. She pulled a face on Aryan and left.

Aryan fell back on the sofa and rubbed his face with both his hands. He groaned loudly then, irritated. After a moment however, he shut off the television and headed to his room, his laptop forgotten on the sofa.

So Imlie was paying back Aryan for the house but Aryan wasn’t letting her.

Money and respect, Harish thought, oftentimes hand in hand, but each other’s biggest enemy too. Aryan was providing for her, but Imlie was too proud to let him. Imlie respected him, but would never go after his money.

Harish had seen enough. From the way they interacted without words to the fights they had because someone had done something for the other, they were partners in more ways than one.

From Aryan providing for Imlie financially, to Imlie not accepting it because of her pride, to Aryan doing it anyway, Aryan seemed to care for Imlie and know her.

From Imlie shutting down the laptop, and engaging in a wordless battle with Aryan, to Aryan finally conceding to her, Imlie too cared for Aryan and knew him too.

Harish admitted that Aditya had lost.

They both may not love each other yet, but the way they cared for each other, the way they disagreed with each other, but respected each other’s opinions, it made it obvious that their son had lost.

They were partners in a true sense.

They were Aryan&Imlie.