Aditya Kumar Tripathi, a.k.a Babu Saheb, a.k.a Aditya Sir, Ex-Husband, Present-Jiju
Aditya Kumar Tripathi didn't believe in Karma. He loved the concept of it, everyone getting what is due them, but he believed that Karma was something that people who had been wronged believed in. People who'd been wronged but couldn't fight back, believed that Karma was coming for those who had wronged them.
Aditya believed that he had done no wrong and had never been wronged.
Yes, it was a bold claim, especially from someone like him, who exposed the wrong-doers of the society, someone like him, who brought the right-doers of the society to the limelight.
But he was not someone dishing out Karma, he was someone bringing truth to light
Aditya Kumar Tripathi believed in the truth. Especially that it cannot long be hidden. Not when the world had people like him to bring it out, regardless of the consequences.
Yes, the truth hurt people but it helped people too.
He believed Karma was just an exaggerated sense of revenge.
Now revenge, revenge was something Aditya did believe in. He has done stories on it, he has written about it, and he has seen it play out. The stories he covered brought out the truth of the revenge, but when his story touched the people wronged, they appreciated Karma, the idea of facing punishments for the wrongs you've done appealing in all aspects.
And then there was his favourite, justice. He believed in the idea of justice, but justice itself for him was selective.
All his views changed when he found himself a part of a triangle.
Was what Malini did to Imlie, revenge or Karma?
Was what lmlie did to Malini, Karma or revenge?
Was lmlie's Karma so bad that whatever Malini did to Imlie was already coming her way?
Was Malini's hate for Imlie and her actions against Imlie so resentful that Imlie resorted to revenge?
Was there any justice that could happen to the both of them?
He understood that Malini did everything she did as revenge, for Aditya loving Imlie. But if his view was to be believed, Imlie had it coming to her. That made Aditya question his belief of Karma being an exaggerated sense of revenge.
He understood that lmlie did everything she did to Malini was Malini's Karma coming back to her.
But was Imlie doling out revenge?
No, he believed, Imlie was exposing the truth, without any intention for revenge, she was telling the truth. It was just that the truth was Karma coming back to bite Malini in the ass.
Which left him with justice. And as justice was selective he served it partially to Malini, and vowed to do it by Imlie.
The only problem was he didn't know how to do it.
Aditya, and he couldn't believe he was admitting this to himself, hasn't ever done justice to Imlie, not alone at least.
First he chose death over her life, not doing justice to an eighteen year old girl, a girl who has done absolutely nothing in life. Then he chose to let her serve him, not doing justice to the girl that was made to do so much more. Then he chose to fall in love with her, not doing justice to her wanting to move on. Then he chose to marry her in all the wrong ways, not doing justice to her by not divorcing his second wife and letting his family treat her the way they did. Then he chose to save his second wife, not doing justice to the battle she had fought for him. Then he chose not to trust her, not doing justice to the woman he loved. Then he chose to marry another, not doing justice to his wife.
Yes, he spoke up for her, to the injustices she faced, but that was not his justice to give. Yes, he enrolled her in college, but that was the justice that everybody worked to give her. Yes, he confessed his love for her, held her hand throughout their journey, but it was only a partial justice, because his hand was held by another simultaneously, the whole time.
Instead, the woman who he had trusted, had violated him in the worst possible sense. And he had let her go. He had not punished her. He couldn’t punish her. It was like Karma again, he had to live with the proof of the betrayal for the rest of his life. Malini’s betrayal to him. His betrayal to Imlie.
But Aditya loved Imlie with his whole heart. And that had been enough.
If there were people who had done justice to Imlie, they were her Amma, her Dadda, people who loved her, cherished her, dreamed for her and hoped for her.
If there were people who had done justice by Imlie, it was Aryan Singh Rathore. The only person who let her fly high, who didn't try to hold her back, and who didn't control her will.
The thing about Aryan and Imlie was that he had never really tried to see them as anything else but Aryan&Imlie. They just had been fed that way to him.
Now, when he realises all the wrongs Malini has done to him, all the ways Malini had manipulated him, he was relieved.
Relieved that Aryan&Imlie were something that his brain hasn't conjured, relieved that it was all because of Malini's manipulation, relieved that whatever he saw between Aryan and Imlie as Aryan&Imlie was fed to him by Malini. That if he had seen them without Malini's manipulation set in place, he would've seen them as Aryan and Imlie.
This time, when Malini had tried to influence him with them again, he was clear-headed. He knew that there was and never will be Aryan&Imlie. Malini had spun a tail, he had believed it. When the illusion broke, she tried yet again, but this time, he was aware of her machinations. He wasn't going to be influenced again.
So when his parents encouraged him to go after Imlie, encouraged him to seek her forgiveness, encouraged him to bring her back home, he was elated. He would have done it anyways but it was nice to know that the people closest to him, people closest to Imlie, wanted the same thing as him.
It wasn’t easy, but he was Aditya Kumar Tripathi. The hard-hitter, truth-teller, star-reporter. There was nothing he hadn’t managed to do yet. He would manage to do this too.
Except Imlie was being difficult.
Again.
She avoided talking to him. She avoided touching him. She avoided standing near him, She avoided group assignments with him. She avoided him.
Totally.
And he was offended because of it.
How dare she avoid him? Yes, he had wronged her. Yes, she was angry at him. But did she really need to go to these lengths to get away from him? He was ready to come to his knees for her, and she wasn’t even ready to extend an inch from her side.
But what did make sense to him after Malini’s influence no longer affected him was the absolute nonsense he had seen in Aryan&Imlie. There was no special camaraderie between them. Aryan Singh Rathore himself had declared that Imlie was only his employee. Twice. Granted they did not notice his presence during the exchange, but it wasn’t like he was actively seeking them out. He just came upon them. Twice. And Imlie too, she remained her Jhalli self when she interacted with Aryan. She wasn’t open, just frank.
Aditya not taking off his rose tinted glasses was affecting his ability to see Imlie and Aryan’s relationship for what it actually was. A boss with a capable employee.
You are fooling yourself again, a voice tinkered in his head. He shut it down immediately.
Since his plan was going nowhere, he had to fall back on his mother’s.
And it was a great plan, forcing him and Imlie in a place where they could talk to no one else but each other, and voila, you have an Imlie that was Aditya’s.
The same voice tinkered in his head again, you are making a mistake, he was quick to shut it up this time too.
He knew all about the press conference she had to attend, and he knew Aryan was off to the same hotel for a business meeting too, and he knew they would most likely come together. It made sense, didn’t it, his mother had invited the Rathore’s after all, he was bound to come, why wouldn’t he then, with Imlie?
He grinned as he saw all the things shifting into place. He saw the grim expressions on his family’s face and those he ignored. They did not support him, so what, they didn’t the last time either. Last time he had Imlie anyways, this time he would have her too.
Imlie and Aditya were fated. They were bound to happen.
Aditya waited for Imlie. She would come, and then, for all intents and purposes, he would begin his plan to win her back. She was coming back to him. She always did.
As if answering his prayers, Imlie did come, and she was alone.
There was no sign of Aryan anywhere near her.
He watched as she smiled and greeted the Rathore’s already there, saying something as she pointed at the exit.
He watched as Imlie was then met with all the Tripathi’s, one by one, greeting her. Their grim expressions shifted subtly at Imlie’s presence. Aditya knew his family, they would come around in the end.
He watched as Imlie hugged Rupali and Nishant, hit the back of Sundar’s head, took Haresh and Radha’ blessings and bear-hugged his father. After all this she began looking around, her gaze searching. Realising that she must be searching for him, he began moving towards her, only for her to ask where his mother was.
Okay, it hurt that she wasn’t looking for him, but he took a deep breath, she would. They had the rest of their lives to look for each other.
Her face beamed at his mother, and she hugged her too.
He waited on the sidelines, for her attention, for her to look for him, but she never did.
His mother asked then, “Tu toh keh rahi thi tujhe late hoga.(You were saying that you would be late.)”
Imlie grinned and replied, “Uu hai na ABP, arey humre Boss Babu, uu aur uuki Mrs. Lambi Gaadi, uu par konu shak naahi kar sakat hai.(You know that ABP, right, my boss, he and his Mrs. Lambi Gaadi, no one can doubt them ever.)”
Nishant asked then, “Ab yeh ABP kya hai? Uss din se jaanna—Bata, kya hai ABP?(Now what is this ABP? I wanna know since—Tell me, what is ABP?)”
Imlie laughed, “ABP ka matlab hai Ajeeb Bikat Praani. Kabhi kabhi, Ajeeb Bhulakad Praani bhi. Kaahe ki uu bhul jaat hai, ki uu humre Boss Babu keval humri—(ABP means Ajeeb Bikat Praani. Sometimes, it’s Ajeeb Bhulakad Praani. That’s because he always forgets that he is my boss in just my—)”
Imlie stopped, and looked around, and then continued, “Bus, bahut baatein bhul jawat hai uu.(It’s just that he forgets many things.)”
Nishant and Rupali laughed at Imlie’s antics, while Aparna looked worried, and the reason for her worry came out when she asked, “Toh Aryan aaya hai?(So Aryan’s here?)”
Imlie smiled, the one where she pursed her lips together, and replied, “Haan, uu toh aane hi waale the naa. Uu phone pe baat karat hai, bahar.(Yes, he was going to come anyway. He’s on a call right now, outside.)”
Aparna smiled, her smile not reaching her eyes. Her eyes found her husband’s and then Aditya’s, indicating him to begin.
Aditya nodded, and then asked, “Pooja shuru kare?”
Everyone looked at him, the grimness back in their faces, and nodded.
Aparna made Imlie sit right beside the Havan Kund, and Aditya maneuvered to sit right beside Imlie. Imlie started to move, but PanditJi began the Pooja as she began, and then the PanditJi flashed his eyes at Imlie, and she sat back down.
Phase one was complete.
Aditya watched as the Pooja began, Imlie was beside him, his parents were behind him, the rest of his family in front of him, and the Rathore’s, the ones that were inside the house at least, were in the sidelines.
And Aditya thought, finally, the world was back on its axis. Everyone in their own places.
He turned to look at Imlie and smiled. She was looking beautiful in her light blue Salwaar Suit, with the Dupatta covering her head, her face shining bright because of the fire in the Havan Kund.
Aditya admired her doe shaped eyes, her shaped lips, her chubby cheeks, and those three little dots on her chain. She hadn’t changed one bit in the past year.
He was about to open his mouth to talk to her when the Pandit Ji was asking him to bring his hand forward. He brought it forward dutifully and saw as the PanditJi put various things in his hand. Then the PanditJi was asking Imlie for her to bring her hand forward and was met with no action.
Imlie sat frozen on the ground beside Aditya.
Her eyes were focused on the fire of the Havan Kund, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She was present in the Pooja physically, but her mind was absent from there. Aditya went to shake her into existence, when Imlie shuddered and moved away from him.
He turned, trying to get her to bring her hand forward, but Imlie continued to move away from him.
He finally looked at her and Imlie’s face was panic-stricken.
He moved towards her then, only for Imlie to move away from him rapidly, getting away from him until she was leaning on the wall just behind PanditJi.
Not sure what was going on Aditya reached out his hand to touch her shoulder, when suddenly his wrist was gripped tightly. He turned to look at the owner of the hand and lo and behold, Aryan Singh Rathore, centre-stage once again.
He opened his mouth to ask what he was doing, when Aryan bittered, “Don’t you dare touch her Mr. Tripathi.”
Aditya was furious himself, and he asked, “And why shouldn’t I—”
But he was interrupted again when Aryan pushed his hand away in the direction away from Imlie and repeated, “I said, don’t you dare Mr. Tripathi.”
And then he watched as he knelt in front of Imlie, his gaze on her, and asked, “Imlie, do you know what’s going on?”
But there wasn’t an answer, Imlie was still not there, she was somewhere else.
Then Aryan sat down in front of her, cross legged, forcing himself in her vision, and for a second, Imlie came back, and that was enough for Aryan, enough for him to hold her back.
He asked again, “Can you hear me?”
Imlie was slow to nod, but she did.
Aryan sighed then and continued, “Good! Now I want you to make a fist.”
Imlie looked confused at his words, but then Aryan raised his own hand and made a fist. Imlie looked at it, but didn’t do anything.
But Aryan exclaimed, “Good.”, which made them notice that Imlie was indeed making a fist.
Aryan asked again, “Kya tum saas le sakti ho? Are you breathing Imlie?”
Imlie was shaking her head then, sideways, her expression shifting from confusion to panic again, her fist opening again, but this time Aryan asked, “Can I touch you?”
Aditya roared inside when Imlie nodded a yes, not being able to figure out what was going on.
But Aryan shifted beside her then, and then took the hand that was clenched in a fist and brought it to his chest. Imlie looked at him then, and Aryan asked, “Can you feel me breathing?”
This time Imlie was quick to nod, and Aryan smiled a little, and then asked, “Can we breathe together then?”
This time too Imlie nodded, almost immediately.
They all watched as Aryan slowly unclenched Imlie’s hand, and laid it flat on his chest, demonstrating how she should breath, and as Imlie’s eyes closed and she regained her breathing.
Aditya was mostly clueless when Arpita announced, “It’s a panic attack.”
Aditya saw as Aryan’s eyes snapped to Arpita’s and Arpita’s eyes flashed in sympathy.
Aditya knew what panic attacks were, but he had never seen one. He turned to look at Arpita and asked, “Aapko kaise pata?(How do you know?)”
Arpita smiled sadly, “Kyunki yeh mujhe bhi aate the.(I used to get them too.)”
Aditya’s eyes widened in question and Arpita just chuckled sadly, and answered, “Aapko shayd pata nahi hoga AdityaJi, par I’ve lost a husband too. In a fire. In a burning car. In fact, teen mahine pehle, uss Havan Kund ki aag dekh ke meri haalat Imlie ki haalat se bhi kharaab hoti.(You may not know this AdityaJi, but I’ve lost a husband too. In a fire. In a burning car. Infact, if this had been three months back, I would’ve been in a condition worse than Imlie.)”
Aditya was confused, Arpita was married. But that was not the point now. The point was Imlie having a panic attack, while she was sitting with him in front of Havan Kund, and Aryan Singh Rathore coming to the rescue.
Arpita snorted at his disbelief before speaking, “Aru knows what to do. He has had enough practice by now.”
His gaze found Arpita’s again and that was that. Aryan Singh Rathore knew Imlie had panic attacks, he knew how to deal with them and Aditya didn’t know.
Aditya didn’t know.
He watched as Aryan called out to his mother and asked her to take Imlie and Arpita elsewhere. He watched as Narmada slowly supported Imlie as she stood up. Imlie, who was still mostly out of it, but breathing now. He watched as Narmada asked Arpita to go with them, with her eyes. He watched as Arpita indicated towards Aryan. He watched as Narmada sighed and began moving.
He watched as Arpita stayed.
He didn’t understand why until she was standing between him and a raging Aryan.
“Didi, hatiye mere saamne se.(Didi, move from in front of me.)”, Aryan growled.
Arpita calmly replied, “Aru, calm down.”
Aru yelled again, “Didi maine kaha na hatiye mere saamne se.(Didi, I said, move.)”
Arpita, no longer calm, more commanding, repeated, “Aru. Imlie ke baare mein soch.(Aru. Think about Imlie.)”
Aryan roared, at the end of his patience, “Damn it Di, main Imlie ke baare mein hi soch raha hun. Imlie ke baare mein joh nahi soch raha hai, aap unn logon ko protect kar rahi hai.(Damn it Di, I’m thinking about Imlie only. You are the one protecting the people who aren’t thinking about her.)”
There was a pin drop silence after his statement. The silence filled with Aryan’s exclamation, “Damn it.”
Finally Arpita moved forward and put her hand on his upper arm, and the change was phenomenal.
Suddenly, Aditya was glad that Arpita had stayed.
But only for a moment.
Then Aryan was moving towards him with the speed of lightning, invading his space, he asked, “Whose idea was it?”
Aditya remained clueless at Aryan’s question, which angered him even more.
He snapped, “Maine pucha, yeh, Pooja, Havan, all this nonsense, with you by her side, yeh sab kiska idea tha?(I asked, this Pooja, Havan, all this nonsense, with you by her side, whose idea was it?)”
His mother was the one who answered, “Mera.(Mine.)”
And Aryan was moving away from him, away from all of them, scoffing, a derisive smirk on his face. He clapped then, slowly.
Aryan looked at his mother and asked, “I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, eh?”, and then he side-eyed Aditya.
Aditya, furious at the way Aryan was speaking to his mother, asked, “Kya matlab hai tumhara?(What do you mean?)”
Aryan snorted, and replied, “Obviously yahi Mr. Tripathi, ki jaisi Maa, waisa beta.(It’s obvious Mr. Tripathi, like mother, like son.)”
And the tone with which he said Maa, the way it sounded like a swear, made Aditya respond, “Zabaan sambhalke, jiski tum insult kar rahe ho woh Imlie ki bhi Maa hai.(Mind your tongue would you? The woman you are insulting is Imlie’s Maa too.)”
And before he was even finished, Aryan started negating, “No, this woman, yeh aurat sirf ek insaan ki Maa hai Mr. Tripathi. Aur woh hai aap.(No, this woman, this woman is only one man’s mother Mr. Tripathi. And that’s you.)”
Arpita placed a hand on his arm again, but Aryan wasn’t stopping, he continued, “Agar yeh Imlie ki Maa hoti, toh usse samajhti. Koshish karti, ki Imlie apni life mein aage bad sake. Ke Imlie wapas aise rishte mein naa jude jaha usse sirf dard mila hai. Naa ki uske saare dard ignore karke usse wapas kue mein dhakalti.(If she’d been Imlie’s mom, then she would’ve understood her. She would’ve tried to make Imlie move on in her life. That Imlie does not return to the place where she’s been hurt. She wouldn’t have ignored her pain and hanged her by a cliff.”
Aditya exclaimed, “Mr. Aryan Singh Rathore.”
Aryan roared back, “Main jaanta hun main kaun hun Mr. Tripathi. Problem yeh hai ki aap aur aapki family nahi jaanti Imlie kaun hai. Seriously. Kya aapko pata hai, yeh uska teesra panic attack tha. Baaki do mein, she was so angry, I don’t think ki usse samjha bhi, ki usse kya ho raha hai. And now this.(I know who I am, Mr. Tripathi. The problem is that you and your family doesn't know who Imlie is. Seriously. Do you even know, this was her third panic attack. The previous two, she was so angry, I don’t think it even registered to her what was happening to her.) ”
Aryan looked away from him then, and asked, “Aap sab mein se kitne log hai, joh jaante hai Mr. Tripathi Imlie ke liye sahi nahi hai?(How many of you people know and realise that Mr. Tripathi is not right for Imlie anymore?)”
And almost everyone’s gazes were on the floor.
Aryan continued asking then, “Aur aap main se kitno aaj ka yeh kaand hone se rokne ki koshish ki?(And how many of you tried to stop this scam that was going to take place?)”
And the member’s eyes refused to rise.
Aryan scoffed, “Yahi toh aapki problem hai. Imlie aapko apni family maanti hai, par aap usse apni family nahi maante. Imlie aapke liye duniya se lad jaati hai, aur aap uss insaan se bhi nahi lad paa rahe hai joh Imlie ke liye galat hai?(This, this right there is your problem. Imlie considers you her family, but you refuse to consider her yours. Imlie fights the world for you, and you can’t even fight one man, a man who’s wrong for Imlie.)”
Aditya scoffed then, and asked, “Toh kya tum sahi ho Imlie ke liye?(So, are you the right one for Imlie.)”
Aryan’s eyes flashed, but he replied smugly, “Frankly Mr. Tripathi, that is none of your business.”
Aditya was enraged at his smugness, “Seedha seedha keh kyun nahi dete hai tum, aakhir Imlie tumhari hai kya?(Why don’t you just admit it, what is Imlie to you?)”
Aryan smirked again, “Kyun Mr. Tripathi, ek minute bhi nahi laga aapko, Imlie ke kissi relationship pe shak karne ke liye?(Why Mr. Tripathi, it didn’t even take a minute for you to doubt any of Imlie’s relationships?)”
Aditya smirked then, “Matlab tum maante ho ki Imlie aur tumhare beech kuch hai?(This means you admit that you and Imlie do have a relationship.)”
Aryan was infuriated at this pathetic man, and he said so, “I’ve already said this Mr. Tripathi, but you are one sad pathetic man.”
Aditya started towards him again, but Aryan interrupted him, “Imlie aur mere beech joh bhi hai, woh hum dono ka hai. Usme aap ke liye koi jagah nahi hai Mr. Tripathi.(Whatever there is between Imlie and I, it’s ours. There is no place for your here Mr. Tripathi.)”
Aditya, further riled, moved forward, his finger pointing, “Dekho tum—(See you—)”
“Aryan Sir ekdam sahi kahat rahe hai.(Aryan Sir is absolutely right.)”, and he was interrupted by Imlie herself.
He watched as she moved towards them, he watched as her face was freshly dried, he watched as she marched towards him, the same face strewn with determination. She walked with a purpose, similar to the way Aryan walked.
He watched as she stood in front of him, her back facing Aryan, and she repeated Aryan’s words, “Jon kuch bhi Aryan Sir aur humar beech rahe, uu humar beech rahe. Aur eeka hi naahi, aapke liye humar jeevan maan abhai konu jagah naahi hai.(Whatever there is between Aryan Sir and I, is between Aryan Sir and I. And not only this, you have no place in any aspect of my entire life.)”
Aditya moved towards her but she moved a step back from him, halting him in his steps.
He watched as she turned around and tilted her head up to look into Aryan’s eyes. He watched as Aryan’s eyes shifted from them to her. He watched as she reached out the hand that Aryan had been holding to his chest just a moment ago, and he watched as she took his hand in her own. He watched as she turned towards the door, her walk still purposeful, and he watched as Aryan followed her, his hand intertwined with hers, his gaze locked on her, and his step instep with her.
He watched as his mother tried to stop Imlie, and managed it too.
But it was temporary.
He watched as Imlie turned to look at his mother’s crying face, and without a change in her expression, Imlie uttered, “Aaj naahi Maa. Aaj humse naahi ho payega. Aaj naahi.(Not today Maa. I can’t today. It’s impossible for me today.)”
And he watched as his mother admitted defeat in the face of Aryan&Imlie.
Because that’s what they were. Aryan&Imlie.
They had started out as Aryan and Imlie, and he had seen them wrong then. Now when they were Aryan&Imlie, he wanted to deliberately see them wrong.
But he couldn’t, not anymore. Not after what he had witnessed. Not when Imlie’s hand was woven within Aryan’s.
He made Imlie panic. Aryan made her feel safe.
He didn’t know how to serve justice to Imlie. Aryan had never done injustice to her.
He didn’t have Imlie’s love anymore. Aryan did.
Was this Imlie’s revenge, or was this his Karma coming back to bite him in his ass?
No, this was Karma, his Imlie was incapable of revenge.
But she wasn’t his anymore now, was she?
No, she wasn’t.
Imlie and Aditya may have been fated once, but they had happened.
Aryan&Imlie were destined.
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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