Seasonal Scrawl | Collection

(03)

Part 03: Aditya's pov

Isn't it so ironic that the person who has always believed in the power of truth today is unable to decide whether to tell it or not? Malini is seated beside me and she looks very upset. This is when I remember her words about the reason behind her suicide - revival of feelings for a person she had once liked during college time. My brows furrow in confusion as our conversation before her suicide attempt plays in my mind. If what she spoke as the reason behind her suicide is true, then why did she expect me to have replied back to her I love yous? No it doesn't make any sense! And I have known her for 7+ years. Like I had no one she never did too. And nothing recently about her has hinted at feelings for another man! That's when it strikes me that it was a lie! Malini had lied that she loved somebody else!
So does that mean…...Oh God does that mean she still loves me??
I look her way and see her looking out of the window, clearly morose and upset.
But what will she get from this lie?
A throbbing pain shoots up in my head and I inaudibly sigh. Great, the stress of the previous few days has got to me!
I guess, rest of the speculation shall be for sometime after.

We reach home and all I want to do right now is make sure Malini is safe in her room and have some hot tea made by Imlie. That shall surely help me calm down. The sooner I calm down the faster I can analyse things and get everything back in place. We step out of the car and I help Malini walk towards home as she's still weak. As expected I find everyone at the door. Everyone except her! My eyes scan around for her but I don't find her. By now Maa has taken Malini's hand from mine and she and Taiji are enquiring about her health. Papa is just looking at them, a mix of concern and guilt in his eyes. Wait, guilt about what? Why does it seem something is grossly wrong? And where is she? Why isn't she here? She loves Malini so much. I'm sure she wouldn't miss being at the doorstep awaiting her for anything! My eyes then fall on Tauji and he looks right into my eyes. There's a certain firmness in them and before I can actually react or even ask, I see him signalling me to come with him before moving away himself. Maa seems to be saying something to me but I just don't stop to listen as I make my way in the direction Tauji just left.

I see him entering his room and I enter behind him.

"What happened Tauji?" I ask him.

"Close the door first" he replies.

I nod and close the door. He signals me to take a seat infront of him and I do so immediately. The last time we had a conversation like this was sometime in high school!

"Look Aditya. You aren't any child and whatever are the problems between you and Malini, I know you're mature enough to handle them which is why I hadn't deemed it right to interfere. But today I need to because things have gone really out of hand. So let me put whatever I have to ask and say first and then you can reply. And remember, I need the truth. Just the truth!" he says and I nod obediently. Maybe this could actually pave way ahead for me as regards to what has to be done about the truth.

"First things first. Imlie isn't home! She's gone to Dev Ji's house to live with them. A…."

"What? Why? Don't you all know how she's treated there? Then why?" I burst out interrupting him right in the middle. I really can't help it. What on earth or heavens happened such that she had to go there? There of all the bloody places!

I'm raging but he just looks at me without a single expression on his face for an entire moment. He crosses his hands and looking right into my eyes asks

"You love her don't you?"

My eyes widen instinctively and I go silent. My inner voice tells me to open my mouth and speak before Tauji makes any wrong assumptions. But something seems to hold me back and the throbbing in my head increases. I instinctively clutch my head and press it mildly but to no relief. He gets up and is back with a glass of water and crocin. I take it from him silently and gulp it down.

He sits down infront of me again.

"I'm not going to judge you for anything Adi. Neither you nor Imlie. But you have to tell me the truth now. I wouldn't say it is right but love isn't something which is in our hands. Just tell me everything now. We'll see what can be done after I hear the complete truth" he says calmly.

I sigh deeply and rest back against the chair I'm sitting on.

"It's complicated Tauji" I say

"It's not complicated Babusaheb. Infact it's very simple. It's just you who hasn't understood that"  Imlie's words from the time we had that conversation before she left for Pagdandiya echo in my ears.

"We'll decide that after you tell the truth"

I nod and say

"But tell me why she's gone there before I tell you the truth"

He sighs and that's when I see guilt rise up in his eyes. He takes a moment more and then reveals everything. My fists clench as I feel rage course through me.

"Whatever problems me and Malini have, that's between us. Why is Imlie being punished for it? It's always been my mistake and her paying for it! How could you let her go despite knowing what she'll face there? Our problems, we should have been confronted, not her! For how long shall she keep paying the price for my mistakes?" I burst out.

"I know we were wrong, Adi. But let's get to what we can do now so that we can bring her back soon" he says and I nod

"What's been your mistake? What price has she paid?" he asks.

I take a deep breath before answering

"The price of being my first wife" 

Love,
Pratyusha