Imlie moved behind Malini and stood behind her.
With a wide smile Malini announced that Imlie shall be representing her side. All except Aditya smiled at this and agreed. Aparna handed over Aditya's ring aka the ring Malini would be making Aditya wear to Imlie. She took it with a smile and even though her eyes looked slightly forlorn, her smile still felt genuine and it surely was as well. Imlie really was happy for her Malini Didi. Pushing aside her own hurt, she just focused on her genuinely being happy for Malini.
As she held the plate containing the ring, Aditya lifted up the ring and made Malini wear it, trying to desperately ignore his heart flashing the scene of sometime back and claiming that he was engaged to her!
All clapped when he was done while Imlie smiled. Aditya inadvertently looked at her and saw her smile at them. He looked away.
It was now Malini's turn. She lifted the ring from its box with Imlie holding the plate but it slipped from her hand the next moment and landed on the plate. Imlie picked up the ring from amidst the petals and handed it out to her. Malini took it with a smile and made Aditya wear it. The claps followed and the family rejoiced at the successful engagement, only they dint know who were truly the two people bound in this bound!
___________________________________________
Imlie helped Aparna wind up for the day. The engagement had gone successfully and after sometime Malini had left. Aditya too left since he had been called to pursue a lead. Having finished with everything, she just moved out of the house to roam in the garden present in front when she saw some movement by the gate. Alerted by this, she stealthily moved towards the gate. That's when she heard hushed whispers. She peeked out and her eyes widened when she saw two men dump an unconscious woman into the van parked outside. She soundlessly moved behind the van and slipped into the back part.
She felt slightly scared but prayed to her Sita Maiyya to help her save the woman. After what seemed like ages, the van stopped. She could hear the men jump out and heard one instructing the others to get the woman with them. She then heard all of them move out. When she was sure they all had left, she slowly stepped out and looked around. She seemed to be near a godown. The sound of approaching footsteps alerted her and she immediately ran into the godown, entering it through the door at right, which happened to be ajar. She looked about even as she stepped slowly. It was dark around and she dint want to trip and alert the people. She dint even know how many were there inside. As she moved forward, she began hearing pleading voices. She moved in the direction of sound and finally reached a door. She slowly opened it and was met with a mountain of cardboard boxes piled upon one another. Through the gap in them, she could see six young girls bound in ropes, pleading to three men standing infront to let them free. The men just smirked and shouting at them to shut up, they left the place.
Imlie had read about human trafficking rackets at school. She knew they would bring in girls from different areas and then trade them. But she wouldn't let that happen! She wouldn't let these monsters ruin the lives of these innocent people. Tying her dupatta properly and securing it's knot tightly, she moved out of the passage behind the boxes and peeked. She could see that the door ahead was closed. She ran out stood by the wall adjacent to the door, startling the girls present there. She placed her finger on her mouth indicating them to be silent. They nodded, hope shining in their eyes. She then peeked through the small window in the door and saw two guards standing outside.
She thought for a moment and then she knew what to do.
She bent down and crawled towards the tied girls. She untied one and asked her to untie two more while she untied the other three. When she was done untying, she indicated all of them to help her pile those boxes by the door, without making noise so that they can stall people from coming.
The girls agreed and they managed to pile a few boxes by the door. Once done, she indicated them to hold each others hands and as they held, she held the first girl's and lead her towards that passage behind the boxes.
"Step slowly" she whispered and the girls nodded and heeded by it.
They moved out through that door and walked down the passage. Just as they reached the door, somebody pushed it open and entered. All of them froze in their tracks for a moment after which both Imlie and the person exclaimed
"Tum"
"Aap"
"What are you doing here Imlie/ What are you doing here Babusaheb?" Aditya and Imlie questioned at the same time.
"Leave all this. First help me get these girls out of this place" she said and he nodded.
She made all the girls follow behind Aditya and she started following from behind. Just as all of them were out and she was about to step out, the loud sound of the gunshot startled her and before she knew it, she was pulled inside, shutting the door completely.
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"Imlie! Imlie?!" Aparna called out but was met with silence. She moved towards her corner and moved the saree door aside but she wasn't there either. An unknown fear gripped her heart as she felt really restless. Even Adi wasn't back home.
This wasn't the first time but each time he went for his assignment, her heart thudded in fear because she knew she dint have the courage to bear another loss. She looked about the entire house but did not find Imlie anywhere.
"Just keep her safe Bappa" she prayed as she stepped out of the house to look for her.
Love,
Pratyusha
(Please suggest a better name for the title. I just got blank there hehe)
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...
