AryLie FF - Aryan&Imlie - Epilogue Page 32 (Dt. 13 Mar) - Page 22

Imlie, the Imlie in Aryan&Imlie

Imlie’s birthday was just around the corner.

It wasn’t any more special than it had been last year.

She was divorced instead of married only in name. She was alone, not on speaking terms with the person who wouldn’t give their relationship a name and a chance, exactly like last year. Her Amma and Dadda were not with her, just like last year, having chosen to return home. She had love and support from a family that was not hers, just like last year.

Except how could she compare the last year and this one.

Last year she worshipped the relationship her beloved Sitaa Maiyaa had bestowed upon her. This year, she realised that the relationship was not a blessing, it was a lesson for life, one Sitaa Maiyaa had planned for her to learn, the hard way.

Last year, Aditya was not speaking to her because she irritated him, because she dedicated herself to a relationship which was just in name, and only for her, but they were married, and that could not be just denied. This year, Aryan and her were not talking, because Aryan didn’t even want to agree that a relationship exists between them, much less give it a name, and since she had no name to give to their relationship too, she felt Aryan had a right to deny it.

Last year, her Amma and Dadda were away from her because she was in a place they wouldn’t be welcomed. This year, her Amma and Dadda were away because her Dadda had lost significant footing in his career, one he had to regain to move forward. And if they did come, she knew they would be most welcomed.

Last year, the love and support she had from the Tripathi Family was for the maid that worked in their house, the maid that was sweet and could cook and could entertain them and what not. This year, the love and support she had from the Rathore Family was for Imlie, the girl, the woman, who worked as a featured writer, who was Narmada’s little darling and Arpita’s good friend, who came to mean something to the both of them and who was Aryan’s—something.

She was living in a room, sleeping in a bed, working in an office, caring for herself. Last year, she had been living in a corner, sleeping without a bed, working in a house she had been married into as a maid, and caring for everyone except herself.

The contrast was such that it was incomparable.

Imlie had seen much in life. But she had seen most of it in the last year.

Imlie has always been a target of vindictive villagers for being a child without a father, but now she was a target of vindictive people because now she was a woman who couldn’t keep her husband. Or rather, a wife who cheated on her husband. Or was it the woman who was so blinded by riches that she trapped The Aryan Singh Rathore? And left the great Aditya Kumar Tripathi?

A woman who didn’t deserve what she accomplished just because she got it fast? A woman who has dreams beyond her status? A woman whose dreams were accomplished because a guy was gone for her? A woman whose dreams existed because of another guy? A woman who was shameless enough to spend nights with not one, but two men? A woman willing to sleep with someone to further her progress?

What was Imlie?

Last year, she’d been many things, but what came to her mind was strong.

This year, she faced many other things, and she became weak.

Somewhere along the way, between her step-sister drugging her ex-husband to sleep with him and her ex-husband believing her step-sister, she grew weak. Somewhere between trying to prove her innocence and failing to do just that, Imlie lost her way.

Somewhere between loving her ex-husband and loving his family, Imlie began hating herself.

So, a weak Imlie, an Imlie that had lost her way, and an Imlie that hated herself, mustered up some strength and left the place that made her the total opposite of what she was. Her strength sure was short-lived, because she returned to that place, begging for forgiveness, only to be thrown away with news of another one of her failures.

She always thought that the best thing that happened at that time was meeting one Aryan Singh Rathore. She amusedly recalled what names she had for him, from Nakchade Akkad Bagge to Aryan, their journey was rather a tumultuous ride for her. They had their ups and downs, their pushes and pulls, their fights and make-ups, their saving each other.

Them becoming something more.

Now, she wasn’t sure.

Would it have been better if she had not met Aryan?

Was she questioning this because she doubted Aryan of using her or because they had become something more?

And that led her down to another rabbit hole. The What-Ifs?

What if she hadn’t met him?

What if she hadn’t met him then?

What if she had met him before?

What if she had met him after?

She chuckled at her thoughts, the what-ifs were endless in her case, and she had answers to all of them. Except she couldn’t figure out the answers to the questions he raised in her mind. The what-ifs that included him.

She couldn’t even proclaim to know him as well as he knows her.

He guessed what she was thinking all the time and she wasn’t even surprised by it anymore. Whereas she, she was mindless when it came to him.

She just didn’t understand why he wouldn’t read her mind like always.

Why wouldn't he just give her a way she could treat him by defining to her what they are?

She knew for a fact that they were not just boss-employee.

She knew, at least from what Sathish told her, what he had done with the gossiping interns when she had been arrested during the whole Atank situation. He made them sit on the floor and lectured them too. But for her, for he kneeled on the floor, he wiped the grit off her face, he covered her shivering form with a warm towel and he scolded her.

She knew he never got furious with his employees, only disappointed in them. She had, after all, seen him give savage replies to people speaking ill of her. She knew he didn’t bother talking with them, and straight up took action. But he always grew furious with her if she disappointed him. From the day he had forbidden her from entering the intern meeting to the day he had found her in the brothel. He always scolded her.

She knew he wouldn’t take on chances with the safety of his employees. During the time Aditya’s team was stuck in Pagdandiya, he was doing everything in his power to bring the situation under control by remotely handling it. He followed her to Pagdandiya, and she didn’t know if he would’ve, if she wouldn’t have gone too.

She knew he was always ready to help all the employees, but she also saw how the only one who he helped in their personal life problems was also only her.

She knew he cared for his employees' parents, but did not know any of them. She’s seen how he was with her parents.

She knew she was the only employee he has danced with, the only employee he has rode on the top of a bus with, only employee he has eaten with, and the only employee he, reluctantly, laughs with.

And don’t even get her started with the landlord-tenant relationship.

She knew no tenant had the liberties she had while living in their landlord’s house.

Imlie teased him, tried to one up him, fought him, ganged up with his mother and sister to take care of him. Imlie sat on Aryan’s bed, she jumped on it, and while it was all very platonic, it was not what a tenant was allowed to do in a landlord’s house.

So they were more than all of it, but what more?

Friends? No. That was something he denied, almost vehemently.

Like the idea of being her friend physically hurt him.

She didn’t get why.

And one day, she realised why. She saw why. She accepted why.

Because friends were too little a relationship title for what they had.

Because she found out Aryan, for all the denial he had about not talking to lifeless things, talked to at least one.

It was after their big fight, the one in which he remained silent and she walked away.

She was walking through the gardens, the gazebo where they spent time together, her destination. She paused when she heard someone talking, and almost turned away when she realised it was Aryan.

At first, she heard just a few words, owner, faults, mistakes, etc, and she thought he was on a business call. But then the sunlight from the sunset reflected across something and the glint caught her eye, and lo and behold, there he was, the One and Only, Aryan Singh Rathore, conversing with a Payal.

Her Payal.

She vaguely remembered the conversation she had with Arpita and Narmada about it.

Narmada was complaining about her earrings missing from her jewellery box when Imlie had pitched in that her Payal was missing too.

She realised that Aryan had spluttered while Arpita had laughed and assured Narmada that she was the one who took her earrings before turning to look at Imlie and saying, “Aur Imlie, tu fikar nahi kar. Teri Payal yahi kahi hogi, Rathore Mansion mein. Ekdam safe. Mujhe toh lagta hai hum sab se zyaada safe. Jab usse tujhse milna hoga woh tujhse mil jayegi.(And Imlie, you don’t worry. Your Payal must be here somewhere, in Rathore Mansion. Very safe. I think it is the safest. When she finds you, she will find you.)”

Imlie had been confused at Arpita’s words then, but now she realised that answer was more for Aryan and less for her.

She listened as Aryan continued to talk to it.

“Mujhe toh samajh hi nahi aata tumhaari owner ka. Kehti kuch aur karti kuch aur hai. It’s like usse mazaa aata hai, mujhe confuse karne mein.(I don’t get your owner, like at all. She says something, does something else. It’s like she has fun, confusing me all the time.)”, she heard him rant at the Payal.

Confused herself, she moved further, and as he continued to vent, she realised that it was about the latest article, the Mirchi Bazaar one, “Agar article usne likha hai, toh pura credit unn ladkiyon ko dene ki kya zaroorat thi? I mean, unhe credit milna chahiye, but wahan se nikalne ka, article ka pura credit unko de diya. Tumhari owner ka main kya karun?(If she’s the one who wrote the article, why is she giving the credit to all those girls? I mean, they deserve the credit, but for getting out of there, she went ahead and gave the whole credit for the article to them. I don’t know what to do about your owner.)”

Imlie straightened when he stopped, backing away from him, new realisations meant new contemplations and she wasn’t ready yet, to face him.

But before she could totally leave, she heard him say, “But jaisi bhi hai, ab mer—(But however she is, she’s mi—)”

And Imlie ran away. She ran so fast because she didn’t want to hear it like that. She didn’t want to hear him say it when it wasn’t meant for her. She didn’t even want to know if he completed that sentence, let alone how it ended.

But she knew now why she wasn’t his friend. Aryan Singh Rathore did not talk to his friends’ lifeless things as if he was talking to them. Aryan Singh Rathore did not talk to his friends’ lifeless things because he could not talk to them.

Aryan Singh Rathore meant more to Imlie, much more than a friend, but Imlie too meant more to Aryan, much more than friend.

But more what?

This society demanded names. Titles. Clarity.

And if it wasn’t fed that, it fed you up and gobbled you until they could throw you out.

Imlie was going to complete twenty years in this world, happy years and sad years, playful years and serious years, years she felt proud of and years she regretted, but they were her twenty years.

And whatever the circumstances in these twenty years, the one thing that remained the same was the society. Bringing you down when you are high, and raising up people who do not deserve it is it’s favourite job.

Imlie had fought them for twenty years, was she ready to fight them more?

Could she, for Aryan?

The day she figured out the answer to this question, all the questions she had would be answered too.

At this point, she was just glad that Aryan seemed to be just as confused as she was.

But was he?

He was The Aryan Singh Rathore, how could he be confused?

He knew the answer to every question, a lecture for every situation, and what to do when he was not in control.

But was he in control when he was with her?

She remembered many days, days when Aryan lost control when he was with her.

The anguish he had felt when she had almost died and pretended to be dead was something that haunted her sleep. The day she came close to losing him was the day she realised what he must have felt all those times when he saw her dying.

Her heart broke again that day. There was no other way to explain it. There was no other way she could see it. There was no way she could deny it.

Believe her, she tried. She tried to deny him for so long.

Surprisingly, it was the person she least expected to make her show that she was wrong to even think of denying it.

Malini.

She came across Malini when she was in a hospital to cover a story on a doctor who was encouraging surgery where there was no need for one, and the people who fell for it. She hadn’t seen Malini since the day she walked out of the Tripathi Residence after all her misdeeds had been exposed by Aryan and her.

She literally ran into the woman.

Malini did look good, the glow that pregnant ladies were known to have surrounding her, but she looked depressed. Beautiful, yet gloomy. Glowing, yet unhappy.

Imlie had just nodded and turned to leave when she heard, “Yaha kya kar rahi ho? Aditya ko pata hai ki baat itni aage badh gayi hai tumhare aur Aryan ke beech, ke tum aisi jagah pe aayi ho? Gynecologist ke paas?(What are you doing here? Does Aditya know that things between you and Aryan have progressed so much, that you are here? To see a gynecologist?)”

Imlie exhaled, tried very hard not to respond, but Malini taunted her again, “Mujhe toh laga tha ki Aditya tumhare saamne ghutno pe aa jayenge. Tumhe Aryan se dur ho jaane ke liye kahenge. Par tumhe yaha dekh kar unhe bahut bada shock lagega.(I thought Aditya would go to his knees for you. He’ll ask you to leave Aryan behind and come to him. Seeing you here sure would be a shock for him.)”

Imlie turned around finally and responded, “Aap jaanat hai Malini Didi, Aditya Sir apan ghutno par aaye rahe, humse maafi bhi maangat rahe, humse apan paas wapas aane ko bhi kahe rahe. Par hum hi uu ke paas naahi gaye rahe. Kaa hai na ki ab hum uu se dur rahat chahat hai. Aur aapse bhi. Isiliye, Jai Sitaa Maiyaa ki.(You know Malini Didi, Aditya Sir did go down on his knees, asked me to forgive him too, and come back to him too. But I didn’t go to him. Nor I ever will. I want to stay away from him. And you. So, Jai Sitaa Maiyaa ki.)”

Imlie heard Malini scoff as she was turning around, she paused, wanting to hear what more poison she could spew, “Matlab wapas Aditya ke paas nahi jaogi? Apne Babu Saheb ke paas? Apne pehle pyaar ke paas? Apne pati ke paas?(Does this mean you’ll not go back to Aditya? To your Babu Saheb? To your first love? To your husband?)”

Imlie sighed and turned around, “Aakhir kaahe humre peeche padi hai? Hum naahi jaana chahat hai Aditya Sir ke paas wapas. Uu ab humar liye Babu Saheb naahi hai. Pehla pyaar humesha mukamal naahi howat hai. Uu ab humre pati naahi hai.(Why are you bothering me? I don’t want to go to Aditya Sir. He is not Babu Saheb to me anymore. First love is not always complete. And he is not my husband anymore.)”

Malini laughed then, and asked, “Kyun Imlie? Jab tumne yeh pura drama shuru kiya tha, tab toh sirf Aditya ko chahti thi tum. Ab kya badal gaya?(Why Imlie? When you started this whole drama, you just wanted Aditya. What’s changed now?)”

Imlie was getting angry now, she turned back and answered her questions, “Hum! Hum badal gaye hai ab. Hum ab uu Imlie naahi hai jon apan prem khatir apan pura jeevan bitaye taiyaar thi. Hum uu Imlie naahi hai jon keval Aditya Sir ki patni rahi. Hum uu Imlie naahi hai jon apan jeevan bas do pal ke prem maan khush ho jaat hai, uu Imlie jon ko apan parivar ke prem ke khatir uu se hi ladna padat hai. Humka ab malum hai ki uu parivar humse prem toh karat rahe, par uu ka mann kabhai bhi badal sakat hai. Humka ab keval do pal ka prem naahi chaahi. Humka ab zyaada chaahi. Ab humka malum rahe ki humre jeevan maan humka aur mil sakat hai. Humka pata hai ki hum iss sab se zyaada deserviyawat hai. Humka ab malum hai ki hum ab A—(I! It is I who’s changed. I am not that Imlie now who was ready to live her life for just love. I am not that Imlie that was just Aditya Sir’s wife. I am not that Imlie that was happy with just a couple of moments of love, the Imlie who had to fight the family for their love. I know now that that family may love me, but that can change anytime. I don’t want just a couple moments in love anymore. I want more. I know now that I can get more in life than that. I know now that I deserve more. I know now that I deserve someone like A—)”

Imlie stopped at what she was about to say.

For the first time she had uttered that syllable with the intention of saying a different name in the same sentence she was ranting on about deserving love.

She looked up at Malini to see her smirking.

She stood there, stumped, while Malini goaded her, “Main sahi thi, right? Ek Aryan Sing—(I was right, wasn’t I? One Aryan Sing—)”

But Imlie interrupted her, “Aap kabhai sahi naahi thi. Aap kabhai—(You were never right. Never before—)”

And Malini interrupted her right back, “Oh please Imlie, everyone can see—”

Imlie spoke up, “Humka kon kaa kahe uu se konu farak naahi pade hai—(I do not care what anyone says about m—)”

Malini asked, “Oh really? Toh fir abhi tak accept kyun nahi kiya, that you—(Oh really? Then why have you not accepted it yet, that you—)”

Imlie, her eyes wide, “Kachu accept kare khatir hai hi naahi—(There is absolutely nothing to accep—)”

Malini moved towards her, grabbing her shoulders, “Imlie! Wake up. Tumhe kuch accept nahi karna, okay, but tumhaare darr ka kya reason hai?(Imlie! Wake up. You do not want to accept anything, that’s okay, but what is the reason for your panic?)”

Imlie freed herself from Malini’s hold then, and ran in the opposite direction, getting away from the one woman who influenced her more than Aditya Kumar Tripathi.

She reached the terrace, heaving, panicked, and lost.

Was she being manipulated? Did everyone really see what they were? What was it that they saw?

Two people?

Boss-Employee?

Landlord-Tenant?

Friends?

More?

She sat down, clenching her hand into a fist, just like Aryan had taught her, breathing deeply, the afternoon sun giving her warmth, her heart beating anxiously, the going through of a panic attack.

Was she scared that there was something between them? Or was she scared that he wouldn’t name it? Or was it that she couldn’t imagine that Aryan would deny this thing too?

The panic that just receded came back in full. She tried to get out again, but it was like all thoughts were eating her away.

What was she doing denying what they had when the thought of him denying her made her sick?

How could she continue to deny her feelings for this man ever after what she saw in herself now?

She saw a future. With Aryan.

But what was scary for her was she couldn’t imagine a future without him in it.

Tears escaped her eyes as her panic overwhelmed her.

She had at least one answer. She couldn’t even imagine her future if he wasn’t in it. How would she be alive if they hadn’t met?

In between fights with her step-sister, who was also her rival in love, at least to some degree, and panic that felt like a fist clenching around her heart, just like that, she learned that she had moved on.

And suddenly Imlie laughed. Imlie laughed and the sound that came from her made her happy. It made her love herself again.

Needless to say, that trip, which was successful for her private life was unsuccessful for her professional one. She was assigned only one more day to complete her tasks.

So in a weird state of delightful gloom, she proceeded towards home, and there he was, on the dining table, his laptop in front of him, but him, he appeared to be lost in thought. He turned to look at her, and as his gaze went over her she looked away.

She tried to go to her room, but her legs didn’t listen to her, they went to the table without her permission. She yelled at them mentally, but no, it was like one realisation and her body had a mind of its own.

She paused when she felt his hand on her wrist, sliding down as it usually did, crinkling her bangles, and holding her hand. She closed her eyes. She was not prepared for this. She was not prepared for him to touch her so soon when she had come to realise how much he meant to her.

When he asked for the five minutes, she couldn’t hold herself back.

She was supposed to be angry at him, upset with him. But two words, meaningless words, and she couldn’t deny him anything ever again.

She sat down beside him, his presence washing over her, calming her nerves but making her heart beat faster too. Her body was not listening to her today. She heard him inhale, and she knew he was looking at her. She always felt his gaze.

Never had she been so desperate to return it.

But she had asked for no looking. It wasn’t to hurt him, it was to protect herself.

She may know what he meant to her, but she still didn’t know what she meant to him. She just knew she meant more.

She wasn’t going to take a risk with her heart again.

She was glad when he was the first one to let go of her. She wasn’t sure she would be able to.

She was brave enough to open her eyes only when she knew that she wasn’t surrounded by his presence anymore, how could she let go of him when he was holding her.

How could she let go of him when he did shit like that and didn’t even tell her?

Next morning, she found her Amma in her bedroom, with news that her Dadda would be joining them later in the week, just in time for her birthday. She had jumped on her, hugging her and thanking her for coming.

Meethi, as usual, sang praises for Aryan, how he had arranged it all. He wanted them there for her after the year she’d had. They should be here for her birthday and all that jazz. Meethi didn’t know that Imlie already knew how she felt for him. And Aryan, doing this, wasn’t making it easy to not look for him.

Imlie sighed and spent her morning with her mother, before once again leaving for work which she was much too late to do.

At the end of the day, Imlie lost track of time, as she usually did.

She wasn’t even late at the hospital, she was in the office, writing up the article and didn’t realise it was late.

When she noticed it was later than 10.30 p.m., she quickly packed up. Her mother was home, how could she be late today of all days? She had wanted to talk to her, but now, by the time she reached home, her mother would be fast asleep.

Imlie sighed as she looked around and found no one. She packed up and began to leave. Her eyes were on her phone, booking a cab, and just as she was about to confirm her trip, the security guard came running to her, and handed her a car key.

She looked at him in confusion and he replied, “Woh Aryan Sir ka phone aaya tha. Unhone kaha ki unki gaadi aap ghar leke jaayengi.(Actually, Aryan Sir called. He said that you’ll be taking his car home today.)”

Her eyebrows raised, and she asked, “Aryan Sir ka phone? Par humka toh konu—(Aryan Sir’s call? But I didn’t get one—)”

And then she looked down at the texts she had received from him, at least an hour ago. It said, “I’m gonna be out in a meeting late. Take the car home.”, it was followed by, “Koi drama mat karna.(Don’t do any drama.)”, which was followed by, “Mujhe pata hai tumhe late hoga, keys are with the guard. Don’t do anything stupid.(I know you’ll be late, the guard has the keys. Don’t do anything stupid.)”

And suddenly Imlie reminisced a similar time. She was going home. A security guard was beside her, helping her. Only, she was forgotten. By the man she loved, who claimed to love her too.

Aryan didn’t forget her. Never.

He had messaged her, and informed the guard to not let her leave alone too.

He worried for her, even when they weren’t on talking terms.

Maybe, Imlie wondered, maybe if they had met before, she would have had an easy life. No terrible dangers. No long walks in the night. No accidental misunderstandings about the kind of girl she was. No running and putting herself in danger. No saving people.

She would be safe, and maybe, she would be healthy.

If only she had met him before, she would’ve had someone worrying for her too.

She quickly wrote a text to his assistant asking where he was, and assured that he had a driver driving him home too. And then she went home, in her Akkad Bagge’s Mrs. Lambi Gaadi. Safe, warm, and happy the whole way.

And coincidentally, she reached home the same time as Aryan. There cars parked in parallel, and she got out of the driver’s seat exactly when he too got out from the passenger’s seat, and their eyes met. They stood there for a moment, eyes locked, bodies synced to not move at all and wanting to say things, but not knowing how to say them.

They were interrupted when his driver muttered “good night”, and suddenly they were awkward again.

They both closed the doors to their respective cars, and again began to move in sync to the house. They were a breath away from each other, and not one of them tried to move ahead or fall back. They matched each other’s pace. They walked on with a mere inch between them.

It wasn’t unintentional.

Their fingers brushed. They didn’t move away. She turned to look at him, he didn’t. She felt his gaze on him, she didn’t look back again.

There were so many untold things between them. So many realisations, and feelings and emotions, and for the first time ever, rather than being overwhelmed by them, Imlie welcomed them. She wanted these realisations to help her make sense of the questions she had asked him and how she wanted him to answer them. She wanted to feel things, because the feelings she had with him were of safety, and care. She was ready for emotions because they were the catalyst for her to move towards him.

She wanted it all.

They reached the house too soon.

They separated too soon.

Imlie was tired of not talking to him. Imlie was tired of being in his presence but not being able to ask him things. Imlie was tired of looking at him when he wasn’t looking at her, and looking away when his gaze found her. Imlie was just tired.

That night Imlie had a fitful sleep. Her brain was too active for any kind of sleep.

That was the reason she got up late. And rushed to get ready, and then stopped when she realised that she wasn’t going with Aryan to the office anymore. They were in a war, a silent war, but a war nonetheless.

Imlie sighed, and then sat down on her bed, contemplating just letting the day go. Her work was done. Her assignments were submitted. Her editor was happy. It was a rare chance, her being lazy about going to work.

Then she realised her mother was here.

Her voice calling out to her was far more scary than Aryan’s.

She got up immediately and was ready for breakfast a perfect half-an-hour later.

She looked at herself in the mirror one last time before going downstairs for breakfast.

And there he was, all decked up for work, at the breakfast table. At the same time as her. After three days.

She turned away quickly from the table, towards entrance when her mother, her sweet mother who favoured Aryan too much, grabbed her elbow mid way and dragged her back to the table. She grimaced when she was made to sit down forcefully, and closed her face up when she realised that she was in his direct vision.

Which meant he was in her direct vision too.

She turned to glare at her Amma, and she only smiled and pointed towards her plate. Imlie sighed and turned back to her food, listening to her mother and eating quietly. She wasn’t really paying attention to what they were talking about, and tried to focus on her food.

Which was better than focusing on Aryan.

Who was right there, in front of her.

So she ate. She drank. She listened half-heartedly. She replied half-heartedly.

But Imlie’s attention was wholly on the table once Satyakaam was mentioned.

Arpita asked, “Agar kal Imlie ka birthday hai toh SatyakaamJi?(If Imlie’s birthday is tomorrow, what about SatyakaamJi?”

Meethi smiled, the one she had reserved for her husband, and replied, “Uu Satyakaam aaj raat ko hi aa jaayi hai.(He’ll be here tonight, late.)”

Arpita smiled at the answer and asked, “Aapko pata hai, SatyakaamJi bhi aise hi smile karte hai, jab aapki baat aati hai?(You know, SatyakaamJi smiles exactly like you did whenever you are mentioned too.)”

Imlie watched as Meethi blushed and answered on her behalf of her mother, “Ee dono ki smile sirf ee dono ko hi naahi pata hai.(Only these two are unaware of the smiles they have for each other.)”

And she got a pat on the head for her cheek in saying that.

She just teased Meethi, and went back to eating, when Arpita said, “Sach mein, shadi ke itne saal baad bhi?(Really, after so many years of marriage?)”

Imlie’s smile left her face and Meethi’s smile turned a bit sour. She responded gracefully though, “Humar aur Satyakaam ki shadi ko abhi ek saal bhi naahi hua hai.(Satyakaam and I got married less than even a year back.)”

Arpita looked shocked at the statement, and turned to look at Narmada for support.

However, Imlie came to the rescue, “Par Dadda toh tohar saath humesha se hi the na? Aur kachu sochne ki konu zaroorat naahi hai.(But Dadda was with you forever, right? There is no need to think about anything else.)”

Meethi smiled at her, patting her head and turned to look at Arpita, “Ee baat toh hai. Satyakaam humre liye bahut lade rahe. Agar humka uu ki keemat pehle pata chal jaati, toh humar itna waqat khaali naahi jaata.(That is true. Satyakaam fought a lot for me. If I’d realised his value sooner, we wouldn’t have lost so much time.)”

Imlie, lost in thought, blurted out, “Toka aisan sach maan laagat hai?(Do you really think that?)”

She felt her mother’s gaze on her, but her’s didn’t leave Aryan.

She asked again, “Ke tohar waqat Dadda ke bina khaali raha?(That you’ve lost time when you were without Dadda?)”

Meethi asked her, “Kaa kahat hai Imaliya?(What are you saying Imlie?)”

Imlie smiled then, sad, and asked, “Hum puchat rahe ki kaa hum waqat barbaad karat rahe? Kaa hum waqat khaali jaat de rahe?(I’m asking if I’m wasting time too? Whether I’m losing time too?)”

She watched as Aryan paused at the hitch in her voice, his eyes finally on her’s.

The whole house descended into silence. Imlie looked at Aryan, and he looked at her.

The conversations that they used to have by just looking at each other, lost somewhere. The words they wanted to speak, stuck within them. The hands that wanted to hold each other resisted because of their stubborness.

Their bodies, synced regardless.

Suddenly, all at once, he was leaving, and Imlie’s couldn’t help herself from looking at him. He was leaving, as she posed another question, this time to herself, he was leaving.

She wanted to stop him.

She couldn’t move a muscle.

Meethi sighed, looking at Narmada, and then, hugging her shoulders, she answered, “Abhai tak toh naahi. Par agar ee zyaada din tak chala, toh haan, tu waqat barbaad karat hai Imaliya. Tu uu ka khaali jaat det hai.(Not yet. But if this continues to happen, then yes, you are wasting time Imlie. You are losing time Imlie.)”

She turned to look at the people that she depended on. Her mother, Aryan’s mother, and Aryan’s sister. Her mother, brushed her forehead, and continued, “Humka Satyakaam pehle se mile rahe, hum hi uu ka dekh naa paye. Tu humar galti naa dohra. Tu apan tutne kaa intezaar naahi kar. Kaahe ki agar koi toka tutne ke baad milat hai, toh tohar pura mann uu ko naahi milat hai. Abhi tu tuti naahi hai. Tu hi kahe rahi naa, aur kachu soche ki zaroorat naa hai.(I always had Satyakaam, I was the one unable to see him. Don’t repeat my mistakes. Don’t wait for you to be broken. If you find someone when you are broken, you cannot give them your whole heart. You aren’t broken yet.You said so yourself right, there is no need to think about anything else.)”

And Imlie was sure, if he hadn’t entered her life when he did, she would’ve gone back. She would’ve gone back to Aditya and not even without exposing all of what Malini had done. She would’ve gone back regardless of whether Malini stayed or left.

He would’ve met a broken Imlie had he came into her life any later.

A broken Imlie, who wouldn’t be able to love him.

But she was not broken yet. She could still love.

But could he?

In the end, it all came down to it. What were they to him? What are they to him?

What is she to him?

In the end, it was him that made her let go of her questions about their relationship.

She did end up staying home that day, calling in sick to spend a day with her mother. She knew she wouldn’t be able to the next day. She knew some planning was happening amongst the Rathore ladies and her mother, but she didn’t want to rain on their parade.

She ended up spending the day with her mother the way she always had, temple visits, head massages, weird song making and her favourite, cooking.

They ended up making Kadhi Chaawal again. Her whole family loved it, so why not. She prepared some Pakodas too, and made a whole other dish with the same Pakodas. And how could she forget, Sweet Boondi.

So, at dinner, Imlie, Meethi, Arpita and Narmada, were laughing and enjoying and having a pleasant time eating what they had cooked. She was a little bitter at Aryan for not joining them, but she knew he wouldn’t eat it anyway. So she shook herself out of gloom, and had fun with the amazing ladies she had in her life.

When they had finally retired for the day, Imlie had exhaled in relief.

The past few days had taken a toll on her.

She wandered around the house after her mother had gone to sleep. It was just before midnight, and she couldn’t sleep yet again. She knew she was on the way towards the kitchen, her second comfort place in this big house. The first would always be that gazebo in the garden.

Lost in thoughts of the conversations she had shared with Aryan in that place, she almost didn’t notice the sounds from the kitchen. But she did.

Expecting it to be Mohan Kaka or Radha Kaki, she hurried to bid them a good night for the day, only to come face to face with one Aryan Singh Rathore.

An Aryan Singh Rathore with a suspicious bowl of Kadhi Chaawal in his hands, one he was eating from.

He looked up when he heard her, his face exactly like a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes widened, and hers too. He looked down at the bowl in his hands and his eyes widened even more, almost comically. He turned around, and Imlie looked away. She looked at him again, and he shoved the bowl on the countertop in front of him before turning to look at her again.

She said, “Uu, uhh, hum bas—(I, uhh, actually—)”

But he started at the same time too, “Woh, actually, main bas—(Actually, I was—)”

She said, “Hume neend naahi aawat—(I couldn’t sleep—)”

He said, “Mujhe bhookh lagi thi—(I was hungry—)”

And they paused once again, stopping themselves before they spoke over each other.

But him, being here in the kitchen, eating Kadhi Chaawal, right before midnight, and hiding it from Imlie, made her feel delighted. His need to hide was something that irked her, but him eating something she cooked made her feel good.

Just as Imlie was about to say something, midnight struck, the clock in the kitchen beeping once, and it was her birthday.

She looked at him, and found that his eyes were on the clock. She looked at the clock too, as the seconds passed, unsure of what she was going to say. But then he began moving towards her and her feet were stuck where they were. She watched with bated breath, unsure of what he was going to do, she waited for him to come to her.

And he came, and he conquered.

He came to stand right in front of her, and then he leaned down, eye level to her.

He leaned forward, his breath tingling her cheek, and whispered, “Happy Birthday Imlie.”

And Imlie heaved out a breath. Relieved and disappointed all at once.

He didn’t let her stay that way for long.

Her eyes closed as he leaned forward once again, not afraid of what he could do, but afraid of giving away the way her heart was trying to beat out of her chest.

And then she felt his lips touch her forehead, in a kiss pure enough to light her soul up.

She breathed in, opening her eyes, and looked at him when he pulled away. His eyes telling stories too. He backed away slowly then, his eyes, ever expressive, mirroring hers.

How could she doubt this? How could she ever doubt that Aryan didn’t see this, feel this, wanted this?

How?

What was the need for him to label this when the things they felt were much beyond labels?

What was the need to sully it with mere labels, titles and names when this was so much more?

They just were Aryan and Imlie.

They were just Aryan&Imlie.

They didn’t need these things. Imlie could fight for whatever they were, Aryan&Imlie, and more.

She promised herself when he was finally gone, she would tell him.

She would tell him that she saw Aryan&Imlie between them.

Aryan, the Aryan in Aryan&Imlie

Aryan Singh Rathore was done. He was absolutely done.

He couldn’t believe the blunder this girl has caused in his life.

He couldn’t believe this girl’s guts to do what she just did inside.

Well, she was drunk.

So now, here they were, in the gazebo by the garden, Imlie on the bench, and Aryan, leaning on one of the pillars watching her as she came to her senses.

Slowly, her eyes met his, and he smirked at the panic her eyes reflected.

He flashbacked to what had happened at her birthday party, which was still going on inside the mansion.

Aryan knew that this party was going to be a disaster. Anything that ever happened for Imlie often was. He was sure that this evening was going to end up with all of them either very happy or very humiliated. Imlie tends to do that, happy one moment, humiliated the next.

He remembered the first time he met her, the day he didn’t help her get up. Who was he to help her then? Instead, he chose to clear the path due to which she had been hurt. After that, it was like she was everywhere.

In the fight club, defending him, when he didn’t need it.

In the temple, saving his sister, when he couldn’t do it.

In the hospital, calming her sister, when he couldn’t reach in time.

In college, mudding his car, which he didn’t tolerate.

In his office, working for him, which he didn’t like.

In his home, being sick, because of him.

He saw her persistence, he saw her potential, but he couldn’t look past her mannerisms, her behaviour, her childishness. How could she be like this in life? This little ball of energy that didn’t think before defending someone she didn’t even know, saving someone from actual fire without caring for themselves and staying with them to comfort them even when she didn’t know who they were. But at the same time, fighting his behaviour in the most childish way ever, not minding the work he gave, or at least pretending not to, and a demand to apologise when she got sick doing his bidding.

Imlie from Pagdandiya was someone he understood too well and not at all, all at once.

The article she wrote, in so little time too, was the first thing she did that impressed him.

The sales of the newspaper was just an added bonus. Aditya Kumar Tripathi’s article being pushed away from the front page was something he enjoyed too much. But that article deserved the front page. Aryan had seen his mother work his entire life, and he knew he may appreciate her efforts, but many people wouldn’t even see them.

It was like she put thoughts hidden in his head into paper, in a way that was all hers, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

Thereafter, the circumstances led him to let her stay in his home, made him share his pain with her to get her out of her own pain, and stand by her as she revisited her pain because of her asshole of an ex-husband. All throughout that ordeal, he saw the ways in which she’d been wronged, all the ways in which she’s still being wronged and all the ways she’ll be wronged if she continues the way she did.

He began caring for her.

In a way that could be harmful to both, him and her.

His deleting of Aditya Kumar Tripathi’s message was one such instance.

But in the end, the decision was taken from both their hands. Aditya Kumar Tripathi was a stubborn idiot. Imlie was busy fighting death. Aryan Singh Rathore couldn’t take away her right to make a decision.

The way she bounced back so soon was what made Aryan jealous of her. The finding happiness in the little things, the made up songs, the overrated ‘Taaza Khabars’, the constant uplifting of everyone around her never managed to not surprise him.

The way she turned around again was what made Aryan pity her. Her constant battle with emotions, the constant expectations that were placed on her delicate shoulders, the way it was obvious to everyone that she would be the one to save the senior journalist from a terrorist was something that shocked him.

He tried to stop her, but that little chit was never not persistent.

So he ended up following her.

If he couldn’t stop her stupidity before, he would certainly try again.

Aryan Singh Rathore too, didn’t back off so easily.

The whole trip to Pagdandiya opened his eyes to the fact that Imlie’s trauma went far beyond what he ever imagined.

It led to him making her mother a promise to always take care of her.

He basically declared he cared for Imlie.

He reasoned it quite logically. Imlie was his employee. Obviously he would care for her. There was that. Moreover, Imlie was his tenant too. Landlords cared for their tenants, right?

His subconscious laughed at him. He shut it up.

However, he never accepted friendship from her. No, being friends meant having someone in your corner. Someone you could lose. Someone that can strip away the ground holding you and the light lighting up your path.

It was simple, no friend, no one to lose.

He lost her anyway.

And not once.

He lost her to Tripathi’s. He lost her to Malini Chaturvedi’s schemes. He lost her to her stupidity, He lost her to her need to be a hero. He lost her to the battle she fought for the people who weren’t even worth her time. He lost her to her idiotic jest to harm herself for people who wouldn’t see her truth.

He lost her to his revenge.

In the wake of what was happening around them, he realised that she was much more than a friend. An employee, a tenant, a friend. None of the titles held much weight when it came to what he felt for her. So while he knew this was much more to him, he refused to give it any title. He continued on the facade of her being nothing more than an employee.

People saw right through him.

She saw right through him.

But she didn’t force him.

And when she did, it hurt him that she even felt the need to ask.

How could she believe he would use her as a pawn in his revenge? After everything that has happened between them, how could she doubt his intentions for her? Why would she doubt him when the path they’ve walked on has been so full of hurdles and they’ve been there for each other when one of them had stumbled? And one revenge plan later, Imlie was doubting her value in his life?

Was she right to?

After talking to his mother, he had realised that there wasn’t one instance in which he had admitted that Imlie meant much more to him than he could say.

But some things were felt too. Wasn’t she feeling them?

The five minutes that he had asked from her was something he did to know if she felt what he felt too. The pause in his heartbeat was something that struck him when she agreed.

He was the one to let go because he couldn’t take what being near her did to him. What it changed for him. What her agreement meant to him. How much he didn’t want to let go of her.

Things kept happening. They were in a stalemate and yet they found themselves attracted towards each other.

Every time he wanted to talk to her, he wanted to tell her what she meant to him, it was like his tongue was tied. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge what was between them. Not so soon. He felt like this was something that needed to be built more before he could be sure that it was what the both of them wanted. He wanted to be sure that she wouldn’t fall back on old habits, he wanted her to be ready to acknowledge what was between them.

She had changed so many times, and he may guess what she was on about when he was with her, but he never could guess what could happen in the next moment and how she would react to it.

When she asked the question, he accepted that he was right. Imlie, while predictable for him, was more unpredictable in what she would do if the circumstances forced her to. He couldn’t control all circumstances now, could he?

Until then, until he was sure, why couldn’t they just be Aryan and Imlie? Why couldn’t they just be Aryan&Imlie?

The question breathed fire into his brain whenever her name was mentioned.

And his sister and mother were the catalyst to his brain being damaged today.

The disaster they planned was moving towards its namesake in his head as the morning passed. He was sure that this party was going to be hell when he learned that his sister had invited Sundar and since he was with the brainless duo, Nishant and Rupali were invited too.

He rubbed his face at this news, now sure the whole Tripathi family, the shameless people that they were, would be coming to his home and sabotaging Imlie’s birthday party. To add salt to the fire, his mother had invited people from their office too. If the Tripathi’s were a bunch, the people from his office were another that he didn’t want to deal with.

He didn’t particularly get the need of the party. They could’ve just had a quiet dinner, with her parents present, and she would’ve been happy nonetheless. When he asked his sister that, his sister just pinched him in the arm and said, “It’s her birthday UNB! Shut up!”

His sister didn’t know that this evening would turn out to be a disaster worse than a natural calamity. Oh no one would die, but the amount of casualties he could see was frankly disturbing to him.

He would like to take the blame of manifesting it by thinking about it, but he just knew people really well.

The Tripathi Clan did come, all of them.

He looked at his sister, his face an epitome of “I told you so.”

The staff from their office also was there and none of them tried to find Imlie.

He gave an edited version of the same look to his mother.

His mother humphed at him and then proceeded to play the perfect hostess.

And then there was Imlie and he didn’t care about anything else.

He knew she was pretty, but he was stunned by her beauty. She was wearing wide bottom pants beneath a crop top, the whole set covered by a sheer floor length jacket. It was white with silver thread patterns on her top, and the bottom of her jacket. Her hair, in a rare occurrence, was not tied but was flowing in waves covering her shoulders and framing her face. She didn’t have anything on her neck, but her ears were adorned by teardrop earrings and her wrists had silver crinkling bangles on them, more than she usually wore. Her face was adorned with minimalistic make-up, but the kohl in her eyes was intoxicating.

She looked like an angel.

Aryan watched as all the Tripathi’s bunched around her, except for Aditya, and his mood soured again. How could they all come here after what he had exposed about Aditya Kumar Tripathi’s journalism? How? He didn’t get it at all.

How could Imlie smile at them after the way she had been disappointed by them when they were last together? Why did she forgive so easily?

Has she forgiven Aditya too?

That was the gist of his problem with her. What after she forgave Aditya Kumar Tripathi?

Aryan Singh Rathore was not someone who felt insecure very much, but as she was doubting his intentions with her, he was doubting her inability to stay away from her precious Babu Saheb too.

He turned away from her without wishing her.

He already had last night.

He was already the first one to wish her.

His eyes found Aditya’s and he smirked.

The guy was gone professionally, but Aryan managed to defeat him in the one thing that was deeply personal to Aditya Kumar Tripathi. He was allowed to be smug.

His mood was ruined when Aditya turned to look at Imlie and Aryan looked to her only to find her eyes on Aditya. He turned away from her after that. And even when he did feel her gaze on the back of his neck, he didn’t turn to look at her.

What did he think? One kiss would strengthen her resolve? One forehead kiss and a birthday wish was something that would clear her doubts of him? Who was he kidding? Imlie was the epitome of changing emotions and while he did understand where she stood most of the times, his own emotions did not change as fast as her’s did.

He sighed when his gaze found his sister’s and he reassured her that everything was fine.

So what if it wasn’t? It would be.

He would make sure that it was okay because he didn't want to waste any time on Imlie anymore, not when she was looking at her Babu Saheb that way. And the thing was before even that thought finished running through his mind he knew he was lying to himself.

He would always care for Imlie.

But he was a businessman through and through and now he has to think of himself too. So he moved away. Oh he didn't leave because he wanted to see how this would end but he got to stay away for now. And stay away he did, but not for long because then Imlie was calling him.

He heard her call him before she stumbled and fell into his arms.

He looked around and saw that she was being followed by Aditya Kumar Tripathi. He looked away from the guy, and realised that they were creating a scene.

He heard Imlie giggle, and immediately knew what was wrong.

“Who in this party was stupid enough to give Imlie a drink?”, roared Aryan. Loud enough that even Aditya flinched.

When he received no answer, he looked down to see Imlie giggling again, and straightening up. She then went on cupping his cheeks, and said, “Kaahe chilaat ho Akkad Bagge?(Why are you shouting Akkad Bagge?)”

She snorted once again, and lost her train of thought and asked, “Akkad Bagge? Nakchade Akkad Bagge? ABP? Ah! Badmashon ke Badshaah! Naahi, Tameez ke Kaneez? Aryan Singh Rathore? Naahi! Aryan!”

Aryan never knew that after not talking to each other for almost a week, after not calling each other for almost a week, he would be called out by her like this. His eyebrow raised at every name she called him. His heartbeat fastened when she used his given name.

She wasn’t done.

She began, “Aryan! Aryan. Tum humka bachayi leyo. Tum humka hamesha bachaye lewat rahe naa. Toh humka wapas ek do baar bachayi leyo.(Aryan! Aryan. You save me. You always save me, right? So save me again for a couple of times.)”

He looked away from her, his fury pure on his face, finding Aditya standing just behind her. What had this guy done now? What did he plan to do now?

Imlie stopped him as he tried to move past her to the guy, “Arey kidhar jaat ho. Hum toka kahe rahe humka bachayi leyo, aur tum humse dur jaat ho? Kaisan ho tum?(Hey, where are you going? I’m saying save me and you’re running away from me? Is this how you are?)”

Aryan looked at her then, and asked, “Kisse bachau tumhe?(Whom do I save you from?)”

Imlie smiled and said, “Apan aap se?(From self?)”

Aryan was confused. He didn’t get it. She wanted to save herself from her? She wanted to save herself from him?

His confusion must be clear on his face because Imlie giggled again, and then she asked him to lean forward and mock whispered in his ear, “Abhai abhai Aditya Sir humse humar birthday par apan khatir tofa maange rahe. Uu se shaadi karne ka tofa.(Just now Aditya Sir asked me to give him a gift on my birthday. He asked me to marry him as a gift.)”

Aryan fumed at this man’s guts, and then proceeded to glare at him as Aditya shamelessly looked at them.

But Aryan was angrier at Imlie. She needed him to save her from going back to the guy? After all that he had done? Imlie still wanted to go back to him?

Before his thought process could go any further, she laughed and turned away from him, going to stand in front of Aditya. Aryan, helpless, followed behind, making sure she wouldn’t fall.

She looked petulantly at Aditya, and Aryan didn’t know what she was going to say, and he knew everybody was shocked when she began, “Hum apan birthday pe aapko tofa kaahe de? Humka aapse tofa chaahi.(Why should I gift you on my birthday? I want a gift from you.)”

Aditya smirked when he looked at Aryan, but smiled triumphantly when he looked at Imlie and asked, “Kya chahiye tumhe Imlie? Sach kehte hai, tum jo mangogi hum de denge.(What do you want Imlie? I’m not lying when I say I’ll give you anything you ask for.)”

Imlie fell back to him again, Aryan’s hands finding her elbows to support her. She looked up at him, he looked down at her, and Aryan could feel Aditya’s gaze on them. He straightened Imlie, and let go of her. He too wanted to hear what she wanted for her birthday.

She moved forward again, towards Aditya, but her hand came back, holding his, in a way no one could see. He looked at the back of her head, confused as to why she kept on holding his hand.

But she didn’t answer, because she was answering Aditya, “Humka saath chaahi, jon aapka humko dewe khatir bahut waqat beet gaya. Humka sahaara chaahi, jon aap toh humka kabhai de hi naahi sake. Humka bhi konu bachaye khatir chaahi, jon humka bachaye, jon ko bachane sirf hum naa bhaage. Humka konu chaahi jon humka apan bataye se pehle ruk naahi jaaye. Jon hichkichaye naahi, ee dikhaye se pehle, ki uu ka humpe haq rahe, ki humka uu pe haq rahe. Aap ka toh ee sab kare khatir mauka diye rahe naa hum? Aditya Kumar Tripathi?(I want togetherness, which you’ve not given me for a long time now. I want support, which you’ve never been able to give me fully. I want someone to save me too, someone who saves me, someone whom I'm not always saving. Someone who calls me their own. Someone who doesn’t hesitate before showing the right they have on me, and the right I have on him. I gave you the chance to do all this, didn’t I? Aditya Kumar Tripathi?)”

Aryan was shocked at the malice with which Imlie uttered that name. Aditya looked bitter. He looked around and everybody had different reactions to Imlie’s diatribe. His sister was smiling, quite bitterly, while their parents looked worried. The Tripathi’s looked humiliated, while the minimal staff that had bothered to come from the office, half of them looked like they were enjoying the show, the other half not so much.

There was going to be hell to pay for them.

Meethi, ever worrying over her daughter, moved towards Imlie to get her under control, but stopped when she noticed the grip she had on Aryan’s hand. She looked at Aryan, her face astonished, but before she could say anything, Imlie was turning to her and asking, “Amma, toka yaad hai, humka Nakli Nani uthaye rahe, neend maan, paani phek ke?(Amma, do you remember, how Nakli Nani used to wake me up by throwing water on me?)”

He watched as Meethi’s heart broke for all the ways she couldn’t be there for her daughter, and how she nodded to let Imlie know that she did remember, Imlie grinned and said, “Maa aur Badi Maa bhi humre saath uu hi kiye rahi, jab humar shaadi ka sach bahar aaye rahe. Uu toh jab hum ee ha aaye, Rathore Sir ke ghar maan, tab humka malum pada, ki aisan neend se uthaye ka tareeka acha naahi hot hai.(Maa and Badi Maa did the same with me, when our marriage came out. You know, it was when I came here, at Rathore Sir’s home, that I came to know that waking you up from sleep in that way is not acceptable.)”

Aryan watched as Meethi’s eyes filled with tears. Aryan couldn’t imagine how much she had gone through in her life, before and after Aditya Kumar Tripathi. Nothing did change for her. Never.

As if reading his mind, she turned to look at him, and continued, “Uu toh jab hum toka mile toh humka pata chala ki humka bhi ee sab cheezon ka haq hai.(It was when I met you that I came to know that I too, have a right to all these things.)”

She laughed, her eyes shining bright, and he just watched as she was truly happy. Her smile wasn’t laced with tears. Her smile wasn’t mocking. Her smile wasn’t an obligation.

She was smiling brightly, and Aryan was gone.

Then, with the same smile, she turned to Aditya again, and said, “Pata hai, humka hamesha se lage rahe ki humar jeevan don hisso maan bata hai, aur uu hisso ko alag kare waale aap rahe. Humka ee samajhne maan bahut waqat lag gaya, ki aap uu dono hisso ki lakeer naahi hai, Aryan uu lakeer hai. Aryan uu hai, jon ki khatir hum apan jeevan ka disha palat dekh sakat hai.(You know, I always thought that my life was divided in two parts, and the one to divide them was you. I understood much, much later, that you are not the line that divides those two parts. The line is Aryan. Aryan is the one who changed the direction of my life.)”

She turned to look at Aryan then, looking into his eyes, she continued, “Aryan? Aryan humar use kare? Aryan humka mohra banave? Hum Aryan pe shaq kare? Aryan pe?(Aryan? Aryan would use me? Will Aryan make me a pawn? Me, doubting Aryan? Aryan?)”

Aryan watched as a million emotions passed through her face. She sighed, turned back to Aditya and said, “Aap ke kaaran hum ee pe shaq kare? Kaahe? Aap ek dui baat bole aur hum maan liyes? Naahi manenge. Kaahe maane? Haan, hum ee baat aapki maanat hai ki Aryan bhi humar rishte ko naam naahi de sakat hai. Par ee ka matlab ee toh naahi ki woh aapki tarah hai? Humar aur aapka rishta pehle rahe, aur prem baad maan. Aryan aur Imaliya ka rishta, kachu naahi hai. Par uu maan vishwaas rahe, bharosa rahe, himmat rahe, dosti rahe. Aur prem? Uu hum aapka kaahe bataye? Jab hum ee kaa hi kachu naahi bataye hai toh hum aapka kaahe bataye? Aap bas ee jaan lijiye, humar jon bhi rishta rahe, hum Aryan&Imlie rahe.(I doubt him because you told me to? Why? You say something a couple times and I accept it? I won’t. Why will I? Yes, I accept that Aryan is not giving any name to our relationship. How does this mean he’s like you? You and I, we had a relationship first, love came later. Aryan and Imaliya’s relationship, nothing. But it has trust, belief, courage, friendship. And love? Why would I tell you that? When I’ve never even said it to him, why would I say it to you? You just accept one thing, whatever the relationship, we are Aryan&Imlie.)”

And then she giggled again, turning back to him, smiling, and asked, “Samjhe tum ABP, hum Aryan&Imlie rahe.(You understand ABP, we are Aryan&Imlie.)”

Aryan watched as the scene was done. He saw Meethi’s face, and the pride on it was something that astonished him. He looked on as Satyakaam looked at him threateningly, and he took his hand off Imlie again, only for her to fall on him. He watched as his mother smiled, and his sister showed him a thumbs up, and he felt the blood rushed past his face, and knew that his ears were turning red.

Aryan Singh Rathore was blushing. Because of Imlie.

He felt her fingers tug his ear and he turned to look at her. She smiled and then leaned against him.

Arpita was the one that came forward and said, “Tu isse bahar leke jaa, mein yaha handle karti hun.(You take her outside, I’ll handle everything in here.)”

He nodded gratefully at his sister, and seeked permission from Meethi just to do that. She smiled at him, and he tried to take her to the gardens by the gazebo they often chatted on. He indicated one of the guys to bring a bottle of water on the way, and was granted that immediately.

He sat her down, made her drink water, and waited for her to come into some semblance of self.

He watched as the panic settled in her eyes, so similar to the first time they had talked here.

It was after the Mehendi ceremony.

She was so tired that day. He remembered quite clearly, because he had just found out about the condition of the Tripathi family.

She was out here after all her editing was done. When she was done reminiscing about the good things about her relationship with Aditya and had moved on to all the ways he had hurt her. The letter A on her hand, in one moment making her happy, in the next saddling her with regret.

He had found her then, while she was once again looking at her hand and he had asked her, to distract her from the panic visible in her eyes, “So, tum bhi maanti ho inn sab baaton mein?(So, you believe in all these things?)”

She looked up, question replacing the panic in her eyes, and he clarified, “Mehendi ka rang gehra and all that.(The darker the colour of henna and all that.)”

Imlie had smiled then, “Pata naahi. Par humar rang toh hamesha se hi gehra aaye rahe.(I don’t know. But the colour of henna has always been darker on me.)”

Aryan smirked then, “Toh ab bhi itna mat socho, sirf rang gehra hone se pyaar gehra hota, toh koi bhi aurat kabhi mehendi lagana chodti hi nahi. Mehendi ka rang chadta hai jab hum bahut kuch feel karte hai, jab humari dil ki dhadkan tez hoti hai. Pyaar se isse isiliye jodte hai, kyunki pyaar mein dhadkane tez ho jati hai. Agar tumhara rang hamesha se hi gehra aaya hai, toh tumhe pyaar ki kya zaroorat?(So don’t think now too, if darker henna indicated deeper love, then there wouldn’t be a woman in the world who would leave applying henna on her hands. Henna’s colour darkens when you feel more, when your heart beats faster. Love is connected to it because love leads to fastening heartbeats. But if Henna’s always been dark for you, why do you need love?)”

He’d left her there then. Asking her to see the reality of the situation and not what centuries of traditions would have her believe. He didn’t wait to see her reaction. He knew then that A would always be Aditya for her.

The next time, she wandered around because of the same man.

She was the one to find him there. After the wedding from hell, after he had seen her cooking her favourite food, bouncing back to herself so fast, he was out there, contemplating how she could and he couldn’t. Why could she and he couldn’t?

She had found him, and asked, “Tum soye naahi?(You aren’t asleep?)”

He had glanced at her before looking away, and asked, “Tum bhi toh jaag rahi ho.(You are also awake.)”

Imlie chuckled then, and said, “Aaj raat neend badi mushkil se humar paas aayegi.(Tonight, sleep would come a bit problematic to me.)”

He turned his gaze on her, realising that it wasn’t easy for her. She wasn’t bouncing back, she was repressing. And anything he said to counter that would make him a hypocrite. So he just stood there, basking in her presence, not wanting to go, but not sure what right he had to stay.

He turned to look at her when she snorted, and she answered his questioning gaze, “Pichli baar bhi hum hi rokne ki koshish kiye rahe. Iss baar bhi…(Last time it was me who tried to stop it. This time too…)”

And since the situation called for it, he confessed, “Iss baar woh aadmi ruka tha tumhare liye. Bas zyaada der ke liye nahi.(This time that man did stop for you. But just not for enough time.)”

Imlie looked at him in confusion, and he answered, “Tumhara phone mere paas tha, he texted that he would wait for you in the temple. I deleted it.(Your phone was with me, he texted that he would wait for you in the temple. I deleted it.)”

He knew before he saw it, but the moment she grabbed his arm to turn him to face her, he realised the fury in her eyes, “Kaahe?(Why?)”

Aryan sighed, “Toh aur kya karta main? That man has no spine. Aur tum uske paas wapas chali jaati. Kyun? Firse zaleel hone ke liye?(What else could I have done? That man has no spine. And you would’ve gone back to him. Why? To be humiliated again?)”

Imlie moved away from him, turning around, probably leaving again for her precious Babu Saheb, and he called out to her, “Wapas jaa rahi ho uske paas? Kya lagta hai tumhe, tum usse yeh bataogi, and you will live happily ever after?(You going back to him? What do you think will happen, you’ll tell him this, and then you will love happily ever after?)”

She turned back to look at him, her face twisted in anger, “Tum humka ee naahi batao ke kaa hoga. Tohar kaaran—(You don’t tell me what will happen. It’s because of you—)”

Aryan interrupted her, “Mere kaaran what Imlie? Tum musibat mein thi. Tum mar rahi thi. And woh kya, paanch minute wait karke wapas chala gaya shaadi karne? Kya sirf tumhara kaam hai bhaagna? He couldn’t have looked for you? Agar uske paas gayi toh yahi hoga, tum uske peeche bhagogi, and he’ll just keep on waiting.(Because of me what Imlie? You were in trouble. You were dying. And he what, waited five minutes for you and went back to marry another when you didn’t show? Is it only your job to run? He couldn’t have looked for you? If you go back to him, this will keep on happening, you’ll run after him, and he’ll just keep on waiting.)”

Imlie moved towards him, her finger pointing at him, “Tum naahi jaanat ho. Babu Saheb humar khati bahut kachu kiye rahe. Uu bhi humar peeche aaye rahe. Uu bhi—(You don’t know. Babu Saheb has done so much for me. He has run behind me too. He too—)”

Aryan interrupted her again, “Par jab zaroorat thi, woh wait nahi kar saka? Aur jab tum pahunchi toh woh apne aap ko badtameezi karne se rok nahi saka? Imlie, khaali haath diya uss insaan ne tumhe jab tumne apna pyaar wapas maanga. Tum samajhti kyun nahi?(But when the need rose, he couldn’t have waited for you? And when you did show, he couldn’t have stopped himself from behaving the way he did with you? Imlie, that person gave you empty hands when you asked him back for your love. Why do you not get it?)”

Aryan saw as Imlie paused when he said the last line, and he knew she was back in that moment. Shaking her by grabbing her arms, he said, “Pehli baat, tumhe uske peeche bhagne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Doosri baat, uska sirf wait karna kaafi nahi hai. Aur teesri baat, zaroori nahi hai ke joh rishta jaise shuru hua ho, waisa zindagi bhar rahe.(First thing, you do not always need to run after him. Second thing, him just waiting for you is not enough. And third thing, it’s not necessary that a relationship stays the same as it was in it’s beginning.)”

He left her arms, waiting for her to swallow what he said. He backed away from her, looking away and leaning on the pillar.

He looked back at her when she chortled, and she said, “Tum teesri baat udhaar naahi diye.(You didn’t loan me the third thing.)”

He rolled his eyes at her, and she chortled again. He looked at her as she collected herself. He waited as she opened his mouth to say something, and he replied back when she uttered a good night.

But before she left, she yelled, “Kitchen maan Kadhi Chaawal pade hai. Khaaye ka mann kiyes toh khaaye lena.(There’s Kadhi Chaawal in the kitchen. If you want, you should eat it.)”

He was amused again. That was the day he ate her Kadhi Chaawal for the first time too. He was careful, taking a bowl out and serving himself in a way that she wouldn’t be sure if he ate or not, but he did eat, and he loved them too.

After that, they gravitated towards this place. They talked about things. So many things.

Another one he remembered was right after they had come back from the Tripathi house after the confrontation about it no longer being Tripathi’s. He remembered how shaken she was at the thought of the people she considered her family homeless, not even thinking that they deserved it because they were the reason she was homeless too.

This time, he found her, and asked, “Ab kya hua? Iss situation mein toh tum kuch nahi kar sakti.(Now what? This is a situation in which you can’t do anything.)”

Imlie looked at him and said, “Waada kiye rahe hum ee parivaar se, ki hum ee parivaar ki khushi hamesha sochenge. Toh jon hum kar sakat hai, uu hum kar rahe hai. Ee problem ka solution dhundat hai.(I promised this family that I would always think of it’s happiness. So I’m doing what I can. Looking for a solution for this problem.)”

Aryan chuckled and said, “Waade. Waade waade sirf tab hote jab woh kiye jaate hai. Par unn waadon ko apne problems ko dur karne ke liye use karna, unn waadon ki hi insult ho jaati hai. Tum soch toh rahi ho, par woh log tumhari soch nahi, tumse actions expect kar rahe hai. And that, that’s just bloody wrong.(Promises. Promises remain only when they are made. But when you start using those promises to run away from your problems, those promises are insulted. You are thinking, but they don’t need you to do the thinking, they expect actions from you. And that, that’s just bloody wrong.)”

Imlie was infuriated, he could feel it, and he could hear it when she asked, “Kaahe, kaahe uu galat hai, hum bhi uu parivaar ka hissa hai—(Why, why are they wrong, I am a part of that family—)”

Aryan snorted, interrupting her. She flashed his eyes at him.

He shook his head, and said, with sarcasm clear in his voice, “Okay, tum uss family ka hissa ho. Fine, I agree. Par mujhe ek baat batao. Kaunsi family apne ghar ki 19 saal ki beti se 5 crores ke karz mein madad maangti hai?(Okay, you are a part of that family. Fine, I agree. But tell me one thing. Which family asks their 19 year old daughter for help in paying a debt worth 5 Crores?)”

Imlie went ahead to explain, but he didn’t let her, and continued, “Explanations mat do Imlie. Tumhara uss family ke saath equation yahi hai. Waade, aur unko nibhane ke actions, bas, aur kuch nahi.(Don’t go on giving me explanations Imlie. Your equation with that family is this. Promises, actions to complete them, and nothing else.)”

And this time, he left. He knew he would insult everyone if he stayed, so he left.

The next time they were there, Imlie finally realised how much truth his words held.

The next time they were back from the Tripathi house and she knew that even after her explicit denial of anything to do with Aditya Kumar Tripathi was so easily ignored.

She was still reeling in panic from the Tripathi Residence. He looked as she sat down, tired, shrivelling and exhausted.

He kneeled in front of her, meeting her eyes, and she too looked at him, her eyes swollen, with the tears she shed and the ones she didn’t.

As a tear rolled down her cheek, he cupped her cheeks, stopping it from falling anywhere.

He knew she didn’t want anymore lectures and lessons. This time, she needed nothing, just some rest, away from people, maybe even away from him.

So he took away his hands from her face, and held both her hands in his and squeezed them once, before leaving her alone.

It was difficult for him. But he did it.

Instead of being with him, she needed to be with herself. And he understood that.

But the time they spent there didn’t stop. They were caught too, by his sister and her father. Then too, it didn’t stop.

And then, all at once, it did.

They were upset with each other. Him, because she didn’t trust him. Her, because she thought that he used her. They both, because they wouldn’t talk at all.

So here they are now. The place they talked.

And she had just confessed that she saw them, as Aryan&Imlie too.

But he knew her, and well enough. So when she began towards the stairs leading to the garden, he held her hand, her bangles crinkling like they always did, and he pulled her back.

She didn’t meet his eyes.

He nudged her to look at him by putting her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

She continued to avoid his gaze.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him.

She finally looked at him, and he smirked.

Aryan asked, “So? Aryan&Imlie?”

Imlie looked at him, incredulous, and answered, matter-of-factly, “Haan, humar naam aur tohar naam.(Yes, my name and your name.)”

He knew she wouldn’t say it so easily, and he was just about to ask her again, when she continued, “Jude hue, ache laagat hai na. Aryan aur Imlie.(They sound good, no? Together. Aryan and Imlie.)”

And listening to his name in her voice was music in itself, hearing their names together like that, it was a symphony for him.

He smiled, and she was dazed.

He repeated her sentiments, “Bahut ache. Toh?(Very good. So?)”

Imlie shook her head, and putting her hands on his shoulder, she answered, “Toh? Bus. Aryan&Imlie.(So. Aryan&Imlie, that’s all.)”

Aryan repeated, “Okay, Aryan&Imlie.”

She grinned, and he grinned back.

She looked at him, mischief clear in her eyes, and then she pinched his shoulder, and as soon as he left her waist in shock, she moved on her toes and kissed his jaw, her hand cupping the other side.

He looked at her in disbelief. She looked at him mock innocent.

Before he could, however, catch her, she ran away.

It was just fine then. Not a happily ever after. Not even a happy ending. But a new beginning.

The beginning of Aryan&Imlie.