The sky thundered violently, pouring down in heavy showers. Lighting up a fire in the abandoned cabin like structure they had been lucky to find after an arduous endeavour in the pouring rains, Imlie crouched down near a tired Aditya and tugged at his hand to take a seat closer to the flame to get some warmth. He tiredly nodded and moved towards the fire, trying to stabilise his shivering self.
Imlie sat down infront of him, adjusting her salwar kameez which had stuck to her frame like second skin. Spreading her dupatta, she covered herself from the front appropriately and then looked at him, who had his eyes closed.
"Are you a bit better now Babusaheb?" she asked worriedly.
"Umm am okay....just my head is.....it feels like alarm clocks are ringing within at the highest speed possible" he said clutching his head.
"Oh! Shall I give you a head massage then? Amma says it helps relieve the headache" she asked
Aditya agreed instantly, just wanting some relief from the headache.
She moved towards him and settling on her knees behind him, started gently massaging his head. A weird feeling coursed through her yet again but she just pushed it aside. She sent a silent prayer to her Sita Maiyya to make Babusaheb alright and also keep her in proper health till he gets well.
Half an hour later
He hadn't known his headache could be cured so fast. Usually it took him atleast an hour or two , applying and reapplying that balm on his head, gulping down cups of coffee and so on. But she had cured his headache within merely half an hour? Her hands really did have some magic, he mused!
___________________________________________
Now that he was much better and awake, he saw her silently sitting at the other side, staring at the storm outside. Her dupatta had been wrapped around her like a shawl and that's when he realised they both were actually drenched!
Unable to take the silence between them, which he dint know why it affected him, he spoke
"What are your views about the city and its people Imlie? Do you also think like your Dadda?"
Imlie looked at him and asked
"Why do you ask Babusaheb?"
"Simply. Just want to know about you. We are struck here anyways. We might as well talk and get to know more about each other" Aditya replied shrugging.
"Hmmmm. No two fruits are exactly same despite growing in the same tree. Just because one fruit is rotten, dosen't mean all are" she said calmly.
"So you do agree this perception is wrong right?" Aditya asked. She just nodded.
"Why then did you not feel it wrong for your Dadda to have this perception since years?" he asked throwing her a challenging look. He expected her to get angry and defend her Dadda or dodge the question completely but she dint do either of the two.
Instead, she just smiled and answered
"You know Babusaheb, there is something called point of view or perspective ie.nazariya in each person which differs from person to person. And perspective is something not just shaped by thoughts or mindset but also situations and circumstance. (Looking out at the thundering sky)
Trust is an emotion elemental to us. So when this is broken, you get violated at the basic form or level. And when this happens, the perspectives that shape you drive you over the sands of time to live this life.
Dadda's perception about all city people being cheats is wrong but despite this perception, he hasn't let it fall heavy on his sense of justice. What happened years back is what has shaped him to become what he is today. Yet that is his personal belief. He hasn't let it affect his sense of justice so it dosen't matter. Trying to repeatedly tell him his perception is wrong will do nothing but take him back to the reason of this perception and with it will bring all those things which would cause him pain. And being his shield, I aim to protect him from his pain not give him pain myself"
Aditya couldn't help but feel admiration and respect for her. She was really beyond her age.
"Hmm you're right! What are your dreams Imlie?"
"Just because you're a journalist dosen't mean you'll have to interview me here. But yes, I would like it if when I reach the heights of my dreams, you'll be the one interviewing me. Tell me Babusaheb, when I become a big officer, you'll come to interview me won't you?" Imlie asked with a twinkle of hope in her eyes.
Aditya smiled and said
"If it's written in my fate then I'll surely come" he said at which she smiled. If only he knew, what actually fate had in store for them!
"My dream is to become a big officer after studying hard, move to the city and give the life of respect my Amma and Dadda deserve and also to make sure my Dadda dosen't have to hide and can roam about in open streets with his head held high" Imlie replied after a moment of silence.
"All the best for it Imlie" Aditya said
"Thank you Babusaheb" she replied
"Who all are there in your family Babusaheb?" Imlie asked
"My parents, Tauji-Taiji, Rupi Didi, her daughter Twinkle, Dhruv Bhai, Nidhi Bhabhi, their son Sunny and now Malini" Aditya said
"Wow, you do have a big family" she said with a smile which soon turned to a melancholic look on her face. She turned her head towards the side not willing to show anybody what she actually felt, but he had already seen that look and had also comprehended that she had recalled about her father.
"Come on, let's try to catch up on some sleep. Else we won't have the energy to head back tomorrow" Aditya said trying to pull her out of it. She nodded and settled at that corner, squirming into herself. He turned the other side and slept facing the wall, understanding her discomfort. Her respect for him grew at his action and silent understanding. But her fears weren't gone completely. All she could think of was what would she tell when she gets back because they would never understand this situation. She decided to go before and ask Babusaheb to come later so that nobody suspects they had been together. Though nothing had happened between them, she knew the villagers were too orthodox to understand this. Just the fact that they were in the same place for the whole night would lead them to speaking absolute rubbish about her and Babusaheb's character, which she surely did not want. With this, she tossed and turned the entire night, sleep far away from her.
Love,
Pratyusha
YOU ARE READING
Lakeerein - Ties That Bind Us
أدب الهواة------ Can Be Read As General Fiction ------ One night. One event. Lives of two people altered completely. When Aditya Kumar Tripathi, Chief Executive Reporter at Bhaskar times stepped into Pagdandiya and met Imlie, he did not know how his life woul...
