"Malini"
Imlie froze in her steps, a sudden feeling of trepidation and something familiar yet distant coursing within her. She curled her fists, her eyes shut tight as she tried to gain some control over herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned. A young lady dressed in brown saree, her hairs left open, slightly big earrings dangling from her ears, a small bindi on her forehead, her smile as beautiful as the moon, her neck bare, her wrists adorned with a pair of bangles on one hand and a watch on the other, her face glowing, stood infront with Aparna and Radha on either side of her. She was speaking something to them which Imlie couldn't hear after which Aparna hugged her.
Imlie just stood watching her not able to comprehend what she felt at seeing the woman who was her husband's love, who would be his wife, who would be having all those rights she dint have. Imlie shook her head. It shouldn't matter isn't it? It shouldn't matter because she knew this from before. Yet it did! Imlie sighed and turned to go when she heard
"Who is she?" Malini asked looking at Imlie whose back was facing her.
"She's Imlie! She's joined here for work" Radha answered to which Malini nodded. She dint understand why but she wanted to see her once. Malini could feel a certain warmth in her heart for the girl infront who wasn't even facing her and she wanted to find out why. Was she somebody familiar?
"Imlie come here beta" Aparna called out. Imlie slowly turned and looked at them. The moment she saw Imlie, flashes of something played in her mind and her fingers dug into her palm. Sweat beads started trickling down her forehead all of a sudden and she felt her breaths grow a bit shallow.
"Excuse me Aunty. I need to use the washroom. If you could show me which one I can use" Malini asked, trying her best to sound normal.
"Sure beta. Use the one in Adi's room" Aparna directed her which brought back the interaction of sometime back flashing in Imlie's mind. Her heart twitched in her chest as her eyes filled.
"Umm Kaki I'll be back in sometime. I just remembered something" Imlie said and literally ran away before Aparna could say a word, happening to move in the opposite direction Malini went in a moment back! She ran and slipping behind the saree door, sat on her bed and cried. Bringing her knees together, she placed her head on it and let her tears flow, not a single sound slipping her mouth.
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Malini leaned against the door breathing heavily as those flashes haunted her again. They weren't new to her. Only, they never haunted her during the day. Why then did it happen today? Why looking at Imlie brought those flashes to her mind? Why?
Tears slipped down her eyes even as she collapsed down on the floor, against the door. Keeping her head on her knees, she cried silently.
That unfortunate day, what she saw then would come to haunt her each night after that. But she dint want her mother who was the worst hit to have another worry on her head. And so she decided to sleep alone in her own room from then so that she could keep her nightmares away from her parents, who's world had just collapsed. Only while one knew, the other dint the aftermath of which was the severely butchered relationship they still shared!
___________________________________________
Aditya stood in the balcony, the feeling of something being wrong making him restless. He couldn't figure out why his heart felt so heavy as if weighed down by tonnes of something. Already whatever happened at Pagdandiya was a huge burden that he was carrying on his chest and now, he felt as if one more had been added to the pile. Irritated at not able to make out anything, irritated he was stuck in such a situation, he banged the table kept infront in anger and left the balcony. Maybe a short drive would help.
As he stepped out of the balcony, his eyes fell on the saree door. His brows furrowed in confusion. Why was a saree hung there like that? He moved towards it and as he did, he felt the familiar strange feeling course through him. That's when the very familiar sound of bangles reached his ears.
"Imlie" her name escaped his mouth before he could even register it.
__________________________________________
She froze when she heard his voice call out her name. No she couldn't face him right now. Why is he here even? Isn't Malini Didi with him? Wait, has he come to warn her about the truth again? Doesn't he trust her even this bit?
She hurriedly wiped her tears and stood up. Moving the saree door a little, she peeped out only to meet his eyes.
"What is it Babusaheb?" she asked still looking into his eyes.
"What are you doing there?" he asked instead of answering her question.
"Kaki has given me this corner to stay in since yo-your m-marriage functions shall be done in the house and hence there is no other place. I just covered this with a saree which would act as the door so that I can have my privacy"
"Hmm okay" he said
"Malini Didi has come right? Why don't you go meet her? If you have any work, you can tell me then"
"Hmm...wait what? Mun has come....here? When? If yes why hasn't she met me yet? And how do you know it's her?"
She rolled her eyes and said
"I have my senses working well that's why"
"You mean to say I don't?" he asked glaring at her.
"Any doubt in that? Of course you don't!"
"Imlie......" and their banter continued till they heard Aparna calling Imlie, interrupting Adi when he was retorting back to her.
Imlie grabbing the opportunity ran from there. He shook his head and turned to move towards his room but then again turned and moved the saree door and looked in.
"Aditya" he heard Malini call out to him and he left from there
PS: Sorry if this hasn't turned out so good. Wrote it in a hurry.
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...
