Arylie FF: I'm Happy Here With You

one ~ dono ka dil bekhabar

lo kashtiyan hamari, yu takra gayi, leher, leher, dono ka dil besafar

... ... ...

Aryan Singh Rathore leaned back into his chair and breathed deeply. That was a long phone call, going in loops, a new problem at the other side of each solution. He massaged his forehead, trying to stop an oncoming headache. He looked at his legs stretched in front of him, on top of his desk, the drawn blinds of his cabin and sighed. Slowly he got up from his seat, walked the length of his cabin a few times, sat down again, his back ramrod straight and then pressed the button to open the blinds. It wouldn't do to be caught in a bad posture in front of the Bhaskar Times employees.

His mind soothed a little when he saw Imlie, busily typing at her work desk, biting her lower lip. He's not quite ready to have the conversation about feelings with himself, but he's to admit that watching Imlie in her elements always made him feel better, always. The strategic positioning of her desk was coincidental, but he was thankful for it. In line with his direct eyesight. It was pretty great.

His good mood soured instantly, when he saw a tall figure approach Imlie's desk from the other side. Aditya Kumar Tripathi. He handed Imlie a file and then placed his arms on the top of her cubicle, leaned down to say something. A smile on his face. After a while, the corner of Imlie's lips turned upwards.

Good thing that he'd practiced his poker face to death. Otherwise he'd have been scowling by now. Two new interns gathered around Imlie's cubicle and soon they were all sharing a laugh. Probably some anecdote about some report or feature or whatever.

It's been five months since he's helped Imlie uncover Malini Chaturvedi's ugly face in front of the oblivious pack of people that called themselves the Tripathis. That day, as Aditya begged for forgiveness on his knees, Imlie had walked away. He'd thought it was the end of Aditya Kumar Tripathi's chapter in Imlie's life, especially after the conversation they had later that night, but clearly he underestimated the power of first and young love.

Aditya had begged for his job back, and Aryan relented. He thought it would be beneficial to have the man under his power, to complete his goal, to take revenge for what that incompetent man had made his family go through. But luck, apparently, was on Tripathi's side.

Despite himself, Aryan scoffed. Luck, my foot. Imlie was on Aditya Kumar Tripathi's side. Standing like a tall shield, rescuing him again and again from mishaps. Stopping him from taking missteps. No matter what Aryan did, what he plotted, Imlie was there. She kept rejecting Aditya Kumar Tripathi's apologies, his gifts, his sorry attempts to woo her. But she was there, as a protector. 

Hell, Aryan had thought Tripathi's career would end the day he made a false weather prediction. But of course Imlie was there, challenged the forecast before it could go on air. Stood her ground and kept saying her hunch was telling that there would be a storm. She only let go when the whole forecast was done again, it made the telecast a bit late but saved Aditya Kumar Tripathi from a potentially career ending blow.

And this was just one instance. There were multiple events, numerous even, in the last five months where she saved his hide. Aryan had taken advantage of Imlie's unawareness about his grand scheme and asked her why. Why did she go running every time Aditya was in trouble? She had no answer at first, then she started saying that she can't let anybody hurt her Aparna Ma's son. She'd jokingly said that she'd do it for Narmada Kakima's son too, but that ABP didn't need saving, problems usually saw his bikat roop and fled.