Imlie looked at the space and sighed. Placing her potli at one side of the rectangular space, she took out a pair of fresh clothes. That's when her mangalsutra slipped into her hands from amidst the pile of clothes. Her pools filled with tears yet again even as the flashes of their forced marriage played in her mind.
The sound of somebody coming made her snap out of her trance. She hurriedly placed the mangalsutra inside and wiping her eyes turned to see a worker coming with the mattress.
"Madamji has sent this for you sister" the man said. She nodded with a thank you and he placed the mattress down and left. She decided to spread the mattress first, arrange her corner and then move to refresh.
Spreading the mattress, she pushed it towards the wall and arranged the pillow and bedsheet placed within, properly. She then removed a saree from her potli and hung it from the upper pane on both sides such that it acted like a door to this small spot which was hers. She then picked her clothes and moved towards the washroom.
She moved in and kept her clothes on the stand. But when she looked at the bath area, she saw a shower instead which she dint understand how to use. Not wanting to create any mess or embarrass herself, she left the washroom to find Aparna so that she could ask her. Only she ended up almost dashing into Aditya who was rushing out as if he had a train to catch the next second.
"Oh God Jhalli! Why can't you ever walk properly?" he asked annoyed not registering what he called her with. She on the other hand felt her heart flutter which she again conveniently ignored. Momentarily forgetting the turbulence between them like he did, she retorted back
"It's not me Babusaheb! It's you who is barging out as if you'll miss a train if you don't! Andha Langoor! And I have told you, I Am Not Jhalliii!!!" her nose red and cheeks slightly puffed up in annoyance. She looked adorable.
Aparna who had come to take something from the room next and also to check on Imlie observed this nok-jhok between them and was surely left amused. Her Serious Patrakaar of a son was actually fighting adorably with the girl he called Jhalli. Wow he had even kept a name for her which was surely a huge surprise!
Shaking her head at their banter which wasn't taking the name of stopping, she moved towards them.
"Okay okay Tom and Jerry! Enough for the day" Aparna said making both of them pout. Aparna shook her head amusedly. This was surely a different shade of her son she was getting to witness!
Aditya's phone rang and he left to attend the call. That's when Imlie finally remembered what she had come out venturing for.
"Umm Kaki" she called out
"Yes beta. Need anything?"
"I don't know how to use that thing in the washroom to take bath" she said innocently.
"Chalo I'll show you then" Aparna said smiling sweetly. The two ladies then moved to the washroom. Aparna showed Imlie how to use the shower who's face lit up with childlike amusement and excitement.
"You take bath and come down to the kitchen. I'll have to look for a few things right now" Aparna said to which she nodded happily. As soon as Aparna left, she locked the door and stripped herself to take bath. Standing under the shower gave her the same feeling as getting drenched in the rains and she absolutely loved that feel. Singing and giggling to herself, she completed her bath and dressed in a comfortable grey colour churidar. Wearing her silver bangles back, she placed a bindi on her forehead and tied her wet hairs in a loose plait. Picking up her used clothes, she exited the bathroom and moved to her corner. Pushing the saree door aside a little, she entered her small space and kept her used clothes at the side. She would ask Kaki later on about that.
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She moved towards the kitchen all the while looking around in awe. That's when she dashed against somebody the impact of which made the other person fall. It took her a moment to register what happened after which she immediately extended her hands towards the fallen lady all the while saying sorry. The lady though pushed her hand away furiously.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?" she asked rudely.
"I'm Imlie. I've come here for work. Kaki has hired me"
"Kaki? Who Kaki?"
"Babusaheb's mother" she said innocently
"Now who is Babusaheb?" the lady questioned irritatedly.
"It's me Rupi Didi! Her Babusaheb is me" Aditya replied from behind not understanding his choice of words himself. Imlie though was shocked by what he said. She looked at him with her eyes wide while he just looked at her without any emotions. Her face glowed and she looked radiant.
"Oh so Kaki means she's talking about Chachi" Rupali asked breaking their eye lock.
"Yes! She's come from Pagdandiya. She needed a job so I got her here" Aditya said casually and walked away.
Rupali then turned towards Imlie and said
"Chachi na trusts people easily. She doesn't understand how people actually are. But I'm not like her. Make sure you remember that my eyes shall be on you. If you have any other motive apart from just job, make sure you saunter off right away!"
Imlie smiled and just walked past her leaving Rupali taken aback.
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She started preparing food as instructed by Aparna diligently. She had decided to make a sweet dish and had asked permission from Aparna as well to which she had readily agreed. Imlie knew this marriage meant nothing to him. But she couldn't refute the customs she had witnessed since small, those which she had seen her mother watch with yearning.
Imlie dint want to marry at all. But now that she is married, be it however, she would abide by all her duties as a wife. He may have told her and she may have agreed to forget all of this like a bad joke. But she knew she couldn't! Pagdandiya was the land of Goddess Sita, a woman who was known for her extreme loyalty and devotion to her husband. It was the land where Sindoor was of highest importance and where it's believed that once a woman's maang is filled with sindoor, it can't be filled again by a different person. Coming from that land with those ideals imbibed, she knew she wouldn't be able to move on ever and so she decided to do all her duties faithfully but silently.
Imlie also had faith on her Sita Maiyaa. If this was how her fate had been written, she would accept it because she knew Maiyya's decisions might seem wrong but they cannot be wrong. And so Imlie decided to prepare motichoor ke laddoos for her Pehli rasoi!
Love,
Pratyusha
PS: The title surely has a meaning here how much ever out of context it may look.
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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...
