Crossroads | Arylie TS (Completed)

Hey! I am new here and I've been a silent reader here for a while now but now I felt like writing something cuz no one is loving the forced marriage track.

Here is my version of how things could have been. Do support and share your feedbacks on how you like my story . Hope yall like it, its my first time writing on Arylie.

BTW Aryan Singh Rathore is going to be the death of me ❤️

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Index

1. The Decision - page 1

2. The Outcome - page 2

3. The Ultimatum - page 3

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1. The Decision

Aryan's POV

IMLIE. That woman. I dont understand why this chit of a girl has to be the god sent saviour for the Tripathi's. No sane person would invest themselves so passionately in a failing relationship. Sometimes I wonder if she is addicted to this toxic environment. Now, if she is then there has to be a way to get her out of it

Marriage.

That is the first thought that came to my mind when she drove me to Tripathi house to show how my revenge had affected he entire family and how it was only supposed to be Aditya that got hurt and blah blah blah she went on with her pleading.

For a moment the intensity and conviction with which she was putting forward her request managed to sway me. But then my biz man part of the brain demanded an intervention. Didn't all punishments have collateral damage. The family or well wisher of every criminal that is hanged or locked has to face the consequences. The emotional damage to family does not make the crime any less criminal, but if I put forward this point then she will again start defending her 'Babusaheb' and how his crime is not exactly considered as a crime at all. She will tell me to put things in the past and how he was not the one who threw the molotov cocktail at the car and that is a conversation I have already had with her and dont wish to repeat at any cost.

Well for a fact she can be very adamant and persuasive if she really believes in something and that makes me want to restructure her belief system but I also know that thinking of marriage is my selfish subconscious and not me. Yes my subconscious has accepted that I am a bit partial towards my treatment with Imlie but my conscious mind knows better than to accept that.

I have weighed and outweighed the consequences of putting forward a marriage proposal and it is definitely bending towards my profit but it has one setback. Hatred. Hatred from Imlie for me. Something I really don't want more than it already has been subjected towards me because I refused to answer her stupid question. I have twice before told her that I would NEVER use HER but NO!

Her Babusaheb came and told her some shit and she still trusts that spineless man. Great! if she really wants to go ahead and believe him even after everything then its her loss. I was mighty pissed at her when she came forward with the question 1. because she was scraping old wounds that I still haven't disclosed to her 2. because Aryan Singh Rathore dosent repeat himself and definitely not after firmly telling her TWICE that I would never use her and......teesri baat udaar rhi.

So, I did what she had done when Aditya asked her about shooting Malini, I never replied despite knowing the truth. I knew I never wronged her so went along with whatever she accused me of. I just agreed to the fact that I would never forgive Aditya and my revenge was very calculated which she automatically perceived as me asserting to using her as a pawn, it was nothing new for me anyways. She had this habit of saying rude things to me and misunderstanding me while never realizing what it meant for me or what was my mindset behind it was ; so I tend not to focus on her words anymore (never hurts any less tho).

Wracking my brain for a more reasonable approach than marriage I finally came up with one. It included me compromising on my satisfaction of seeing Aditya Kumar Tripathi in ruins and tears but I would find another way if not this. He will be ripped of his voice which he so irresponsibly used and I will make sure of it.

For now I turned towards Imlie and created basic ground for her to know that I was proposing a deal.

A - Mai apna sukoon kyu du tumhe. Tumhare parivaar ke liye mai apni 4 saal ki mehnat kyu kurbaan karu

I - Toh tumka ka chahi (So what do you want)

A - I want a deal Imlie. Jisme mera profit ho, aur agar tum agree karti ho toh mai AKT ko harr jurm, har ilzaam se aazaad karne ke liye tayyar hu.

I - Kaisan deal (What deal)

A - Agar mai AKT ko release karta hu toh tum usse jaa ke manaogi ki wo Bhaskar Times mai kaam nhi kar sakta aur uske baad tum usko hamesha ke liye good bye bol dogi. Tum aaj ke baad Tripathi's aur Aditya se kabhi bhi nhi milogi unless I say yes. Tum un logo ko apne life se erase kar dogi aur sirf wo kaam pe dhyan dogi jo mai tumhare liye choose karunga. Deal ?

I - Ka? Ee kaa bolat ho tum. Matlab ab tum humaar life control kare ke chahat ho. Tum sach ma humka apne ungli pe nachawat ho. Tum wo nahi ho jo humka apan faisla khud liye khatir motivate kiye rahe, aaj kal toh humka aisan lagta hai ki tum wo ho hi nahi jon humaar dost rahe, humaar 50-50 partner rahe.

(What? What are you saying. So you want to control my life now, you want to make dance on your fingertips now. You are not the same person who motivated me to take my own decisions, and now a days I dont even know who you are. You are not the person who used to be my friend, my 50-50 partner)

A - Tumhe jo samajhna hai samajh lo Imlie, maine apni deal tumhare saamne rakh di hai. Ab maano ya na maano, ye tumhari marzi hai. Jab faisla le lena toh mujhe bata dena. Mai jaa raha hu.

I left from there leaving her behind to contemplate on her decision. I knew it would be hard for her but it would atleast stop her from begging people and concentrate on creating an image for herself. Honestly when she was literally folding her hands and begging me for her family's mercy, I felt a pang of hatred for Aditya once again. That incompetent man couldn't solve his problems and Imlie always ran to his rescue even if it meant compromising her self respect. Not anymore, not on my watch.

I had once seen how she ran to the Tripathi's leaving behind her life time opportunity of being a CEO to tend to their needs. To say it had me disappointed and pissed was an understatement. On confronting her about it later she seemed more defensive than apologetic and I felt like never trusting her with anything ever again. Not only did it sever my trusting capabilities it also affected the image of my company which was completely unacceptable. I had made it clear then and there that if making food for her family suited her better then she was more than welcome to quit the job and sit and home. But if she wanted to work then she would have to live up to my standards and the standards of the newspaper. I had made it a personal agenda to rise her up to that level and that required her not running to the Tripathi's at their every beck and call.

So even after my well thought proposal if she feels that I am her enemy then I cant help it. My goal needs her to be away from them and she will be away from them and I will make sure of it. I know my intensions are pure and nothing has ever detered me from following and proposing my deals and it never will. Looking forward to her reply I got in my car and drove home my head swirling with thoughts but with a contentment that I took the best decision I could have rather than proposing marriage.

I still shudder at the thought of how that would have turned out to be considering a much better version of it has her reacting like this.

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AN : Here goes the 1st part. Dont know anyone here so no tags but do react and comment so I know who to tag the next time. I know I am Aryan biased and I am not even sorry 😉

Constructive crticism is welcome.

aahh!! this seems like a nice alternative to marriage

let’s see how Imlie goes around it

annnndddd I can without any second thought say that ALL OF US HERE ARE ARYAN BIASED so PLEASE- WE IN THIS TOGETHER 🥳

Nice.. Really want to see how Imlie perceives this deal and how the story goes forward.

This is wonderful without forcing her for marriage he had come out with real reason what he want for imlie to do... Now it's up to imlie what she had make choice for it... Hey updatd next part soon n do tag me if you can...

This is a great alternative to the current track! But Imlie being an emotional fool should not misunderstand Aryan as always! Looking forward to reading what you have written next!

Originally posted by: aatiii

aahh!! this seems like a nice alternative to marriage

let’s see how Imlie goes around it

annnndddd I can without any second thought say that ALL OF US HERE ARE ARYAN BIASED so PLEASE- WE IN THIS TOGETHER 🥳

Haha thanks. Nyc to know 😆

Originally posted by: nmurali

Nice.. Really want to see how Imlie perceives this deal and how the story goes forward.

Give me some time. I am busy so nxt update will be a while later maybe but stay tuned 😊

Originally posted by: Priti1610

This is wonderful without forcing her for marriage he had come out with real reason what he want for imlie to do... Now it's up to imlie what she had make choice for it... Hey updatd next part soon n do tag me if you can...

Thanks for the appreciation. Yeah sure nxt one will be up soon

Originally posted by: happiness1

This is a great alternative to the current track! But Imlie being an emotional fool should not misunderstand Aryan as always! Looking forward to reading what you have written next!

I hate Imlie understanding everyone except Aryan. So ill try and put a more reasonable circumstance the nxt time. Thanks for appreciating tho

2. The Outcome

Imlie's POV

My Life. My life just seemed like a never ending crossroad. Every other day I am presented with a junction of life altering situations that I can't get away from even if I tried. Then the worst part comes, I have to choose. Yes/No ; This/That thats all I have been doing ever since I met AKT.

Get married/Die ; Stay with a forced husband/Dont stay with a forced husband ; Be a maid/Be a married single ; Say the truth/Lie ; Stay/Leave ; Save the family/Get married etc etc etc...

I am tired. Tired of being this powerless soul that has limited options to choose from. None of the options even benefit me to say the least, it is either for the benefit of my family and loved ones or just a poor game of fate.

Not that I regret making decisions for for my family or I regret being emotional but just for once I would love to have the freedom to choose for myself without any conditions, without any consequences. The power to live my life as I want to without having to bend it according to other's wishes. Sometimes I do wonder if its too much to ask for ?

On my current status of choose This/That I have 2 options to choose from. Leave the Tripathi's and become that Akkadbagga's puppet (If I am not already one) or Stay with the Tripathi's and watch them lament over their son.

As much as I hate Aditya Sir, the fact is that, he is connected to the people I love. The people who love me. Though he is not a part of that circle anymore but his presence is hard to unnotice especially now since he makes sure his presence is known, constantly hovering around me for forgiveness like it wasn't yesterday he was acting like I was in the wrong and cursing me for every step I took.

ABP, I miss him. He was my savior, my confidante, my strength, my support. He would tell me to make a choice for myself. he would guide me, show me a new perspective to tackle the situation. But now all I see is Aryan Singh Rathore. A ruthless business man who is out for revenge and would do anything to seek his retribution. Not to mention the current crossroad is his courtesy.

How could he. After everything we have been through together, we atleast deserved better. He had no right to butcher our friendship this way and I will never forgive him for that. Our bond felt special, it felt unique and unreal and thats what it was. Unreal.

I had to gather my thoughts and rein in my anger. I had to make a choice sooner rather than later. I could just not care and easily go scot free of both situations. choosing my peace. But the problem is that I do care and that for some is a strength while for some its a weakness. I want my emotions to be my strength but somehow they always turn into my helplessness. I sometimes wish to be like that Akkadbagga, no nonsense, just a few select people to care about and invest into. Such a peaceful and inviting thought.

Not for me though. I have more people to care about and more responsibility to endure. I was pensive, roaming around in deep though. Contemplating the pros and cons of what I should choose. Letting my life being controlled by someone who I barely trust anymore and letting my family drown in despair. I guess I'll just let Aryan take control, that seems twisted for me but atleast it will save my family from all the pain. What could he possibly make me do anyway. I still have that tiny part of hope and trust left in me that I cant seem to shake off no matter what. So I'll just go by it then. Maybe I can pull a negotiation with him, allow me to meet the Tripathi's once a week or so, not load me with more expectations than he already does.

Oh! Who am I kidding, he wont budge a hair till he finds some reason in it and according to him none of my reasons are valid or even under consideration. I will try tho, unwavering of the outcome of it. I'll just cheat if cant agree. He will never know.

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With still half baked resolution I stepped into his office at BT. He looked at me like he was expecting me to be there, obviously he was the ever prepared one. I took a seat across him without permission and began with my proposal.

I - Toh tum toh apan deal bata ke chale gaye parr ab humaar proposal suno. Hum chahat hai ki tum Aditya sir ko azaad kar do aur badle mai hum tohar har baat maniye. Lekin humka apan parivaar se dur rakhne ki baat se hum sehmat nhi hai. Hum apan parivaar ko hafte mai ek baar toh mileke chahat hai.

(You kept your deal but now its my turn. If you release Aditya Sir then I am ready to listen to everything you say, but keeping me away from my family is something I do not agree to. I want to meet my family at least once a week)

He raised his eyebrows at that, and his famous smirk plastered across his face.

A - What makes you think I will agree to this. You are objecting to a major clause of my agreement without proper explanation. Why would I even think about it ?

I - I thought as much. Fine ! Just release Mr.Tripathi and I'll do what you say. But this isn't the end of it.

Aryan watched as I walked away. Convincing Aditya Sir to leave BT would be difficult but manageable on the other hand leaving the Tripathis forever was not going to be easy.

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The next week was spent talking Aditya Sir into leaving BT. Citing humiliation and rivalry between boss and employ. He had recently been freed of all charges, he need not stay there anymore. He could pursue a respectable job elsewhere in another newspaper and what not. He had finally agreed saying "Tum keh rhi ho isliye mai maan raha hu. Tumhe ab bhi meri chinta hain na."

I just rolled my eyes at that."Nhi Aditya Sir, hum ab aap se kabau nhi milye. Goodbye" (No, Aditya Sir. I will never meet you again after this. Goodbye)

I just left from there leaving him flabbergasted with lots of questions. He was stopping me or saying something but I didnt hear and headed straight for the living room.

Everyone was assembled there, having tea so I stood in the middle and announced.

"I am sorry, I will be really busy after today. I am pursuing a new journalism course with strict mentorship which will require my complete attention. I will be stripped off my phone during working hours so you all will not be able to contact me. I will come to visit as and when I get time but I still cannot promise anything. I will miss you all thoroughly in the mean time. "

The tears had started to flow by now and everyone gathered around me. Aparna Ma wiped my tears and said , " Tu pagal hai kya, aise ro kyu rhi hai. Hum samajhte hai tera kaam hai. Lekin tu aise kyu baat kar rhi hai jaise tu kabhi wapas hi nhi aane wali. Chal aasu poch aur acche se kaam kar. Aage badh hum tere saath hai, hume bhi teri yaad aayegi par jo hai woh toh karna hi hai. Bas promise kar ki tu aate rahegi."

I didnt say anything just basked in the love around me. I spoke with them for hours before it was time to leave. I said my heartfelt goodbyes and left teary eyed. It felt like I was leaving a part of me behind and this heartbreak will be named after Aryan Singh Rathore.

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Another one is up. This is a bit rushed and I hope I was able to do justice. This will be a three shot so the last one will be updated soon. Thanks for all the comments and do keep them coming.

PS - Not proof read so ignore mistakes in hindi as well as english 😊