The jerk caused by the abrupt stopping of the taxi broke her out of her thoughts. She saw him deboard and so she also followed, clutching her potli in her hand. He was standing at a distance, speaking to a middle-aged woman. She hesitantly moved towards them and stood a few steps behind. An unsettling feeling emerged within her rendering her a lot restless, leading her to fidget in her place.
He turned towards her and saw her fidgeting in her place and he understood, she was a lot nervous. He moved towards her and said
"Listen"
"Ji?" she looked up and he couldn't help but remember that his mother answered his father in the same way. He grew uncomfortable at this thought but also felt some unknown emotion course through him. He shook his head.
"What happened?" she asked confused by his silence and apparent shaking of head which she dint understand was for what.
"N-no nothing! This is an NGO. Basically I have told them that you are an orphan from the village looking for job and pursuing education. These people specialise in that. You'll be safe here and you'll be able to continue your education as well" he said.
She just nodded wordlessly not understanding what else to do and looked down as she could feel tears stinging her eyes. Pushing them back with the maximum effort she could muster at the present moment, she clutched her potli and looked up at him. Smiling a small smile, she said Jai Sita Maiyaa ki and moved away from him, passing him to move towards the entrance. As she moved away from him, he lingered for a moment more after which he just walked away.
___________________________________________
She was about to step into the building when a hand pulled at her hairs forcefully, making her drop her potli. She was about to shout when another hand covered her mouth, muffling the sound of the shriek which escaped her mouth soon after. The man was masked and hence she dint know who it was. Before she knew it, she was pulled forcibly towards the forest like land right opposite which led to another entrance which was apparently closed. Tears escaped her eyes as fear took over her being.
"Dulari Kaki shall be so happy when she comes to know you are dead!" she heard a familiar voice speak into her ears and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe it!
She struggled with all her might to break free but failed. She pushed at his hand, her eyes holding her hurt and anger at this betrayal from the person she dint at all expect! But nothing worked as he continued to pull her. They had almost reached the other part and she knew she had to free herself before that. She would confront him after that!
___________________________________________
"Babusaheb!" she called out his name silently because at this moment, he was all that she remembered.
She suddenly felt the grip from her hairs and mouth disappear even as she fell to the ground due to a jerk. She heard a loud thud, a groan of pain and looked up only to sigh in relief.
"Babusaheb" she softly called out relieved. He looked at her and his eyes which were raging softened a bit on their own accord. Slight reassurance was seen in his eyes assuring her she was safe.
He then looked towards the fallen man on the ground and his rage increased.
"Who are you and how dare you touch My Wife??" he thundered leaving Imlie utterly shocked!
The man just shook his head frantically and hurriedly getting up, ran away from the spot before anything else could be done.
___________________________________________
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded and with gratitude in her eyes said
"Thank You Babusaheb"
He just nodded.
She stood up and dusted her clothes, adjusting her dupatta. She then freed her hairs which had entangled and gathering them tied them in a loose plait. She then walked towards the entrance and picked up her potli without glancing at him.
"Imlie?" he called out just as she was about to enter.
"Ji?" she asked as she turned.
"Come with me. You aren't safe here" he said and she stood watching him for a few moments before she shook her head and obliged.
___________________________________________
"What will you tell your family?" she asked after a moment of silence.
He sighed. He himself dint know. What would he introduce her as?
She understood his dilemma from his silence. She took a deep breath and looked out of the window. Tears pooled her eyes and her throat clogged.
"Fruits of sin like you do not dream or hope for light. Your life shall always remain dark. If you think by studying you'll be able to rise, you are wrong! You are darkness Imlie and your life shall be submerged in darkness too. You can never rise beyond this! You are a servant and shall remain one"
Her Nani's words to her when she was 14 years old hadn't deterred her then. She did feel bad but she dint let it affect her then. But those words echoing in her ears at the present moment impacted her, which in turn drove her to this particular decision she took.
Taking a deep breath she called out
"Babusaheb?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm a maid accompanying you from the village who has come with you to the city because she needs a job" she said swallowing painfully.
"What? What nonsense is this?" he said taken aback.
"This is what you shall tell your family as to who I am and why I have come with you. There is no other reason which can be accepted apart from this unless you reveal the truth which we both don't want"
The mention of "the truth" pushed him to another zone entirely.
"Fine" he replied irritatedly.
Her heart shattered into pieces yet again and she chided herself for keeping that hope that he might refute and think of another way. Her hopes had yet again been crushed!
She dint know why it caused so much pain but it surely did. She closed her eyes and leaned against the window, trying to divert her thoughts yet again!
*Not proofread*
Love,
Pratyusha
YOU ARE READING
Lakeerein - Ties That Bind Us
Fanfiction------ 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...
