DREAMY TALES

Arylie || In Love With My Own Husband ||

These two shots depict Imlie's dawning realization that she is profoundly falling for her mentor, her guru, her boss babu, her ABP, her own husband.

Monday 2:57 PM, At Bhaskar Times.

Payal tapped Imlie on the shoulder, attempting to draw her back to reality as she was engrossed in reveries about Mr. Calculator Singh Rathore.

"Ho kya gaya hai is ladki ko? Jissey kaam ke alawa kuch nahi sujhta tha, ab pata nahi kaam ke alawa kya kya sochti rehti hai sare din," Payal sighed softly.

Payal Maheswari, Imlie's sole genuine friend, revered her as an idol, mentor, and authentic companion. Unlike others, she wasn’t envious of Imlie's meteoric success. Imlie had numerous acquaintances at the office, some in superior positions, some subordinate, but most harbored covert jealousy towards her accomplishments. They resented that a girl from a humble village eclipsed them with her intrinsic potential, despite possessing fewer formal credentials.

Payal shook her vigorously, snapping her out of her daydream. "Welcome back to earth, madam. Kahan khoi hain aap?"

"In ABP dreams," she muttered, slightly blushing.

"ABP kaun hai? Tu gir gayi aur mujhe bataya bhi nahi?" Payal exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Who's this ABP? You're enamored with someone and didn’t even bother to inform me?"

Imlie pulled back, flustered. "Ko...kon ABP? Hum kuch bhi nahii kahat rahe aur na hi hun khain giren haii. " 

Payal crossed her arms. "Itna toh humein pata chal gaya haii ki gir toh aap chuki hain, madam, voh bhi kisi ke pyaar mein...par kiske, yeh pata karna abhi baaki hai."

Imlie nervously resumed typing her article. " Tum bhi na payal, humanre bakri kii tarha kuch bhi bolti rhehat ho.  Humhe bahut kaam hai, pareshan mat karo."

"Haan, thoda extra hi kaam rehta hai aajkal aapko," she muttered under her breath.

"Kuch kahat rahe tum?" Imlie asked, still typing.

After scrutinizing Imlie, Payal replied, "Yes, I'm pleased with your wardrobe transformation."

Imlie looked at herself, her side-parted hair discreetly concealing her sindoor, adorned in a sophisticated pair of formal attire designed by Arpita. She cherished her salwar kameez, which she wore at home, but after relentless persuasion from Arpita and Narmada, she decided to revamp her professional wardrobe.

She recalled how this morning her akadbagha lauded her for looking ethically elegant, a subtle blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Look, you're lost in your prince charming's dreams again. At least divulge his name," Imlie snapped out of her thoughts as Payal squealed in her ear.

"Ahhh, humhare kaan ke parde phadne ka irada hai kaa? Hum bas voh minister wali file ke baare mein soch rahe the," Imlie replied, covering her ears.

"Nothing can salvage you. By the way, Aryan sir had asked you to outline the article on Women Empowerment. Did you accomplish it? Got it submitted?" Payal shook her head dramatically.

"Haan, voh toh hum kal raat ko hi de diye rahe," she replied, completely engrossed in her article, oblivious to the blunder she made.

"Aapne yeh kaam kab samaapt kiya, Miss Imlie? Aryan Sir toh kal raat office mein hi nahi the," Payal asked patiently, tapping her feet.

Imlie's fingers froze, her face turning pale as she remembered Aryan had left for a board meeting at Rathore Constructions at night, and she had handed him that interview during their bedtime.

Gotcha. She recalled that no one knew they were husband and wife because she didn’t want to disclose it. She was petrified of societal norms and their judgments. After divorcing her first husband, she had immediately married her boss after a mere 3-4 months.

The boss with whom rumors of an affair were already rife, but she couldn’t elucidate to everyone the circumstances under which she had to marry her mentor.

But now, she could pen an entire book on how overwhelmed she feels after getting him.

"Batiye, kaise submit kiya aapne raat mein sir ko apna interview?" Payal again brought her back to reality.

"Hum...hum raat mein unko report mail kar diye rahe,"she smiled nervously.

Payal nodded, not arguing further. She returned to her desk and started working on her article, which she needed to submit to the editor.

Imlie slipped towards the canteen, seizing the opportunity as she was not bombarded with more questions.

Aryan, who had witnessed the entire scenario from his cabin window, let out a hearty laugh at his flushed junglee.

He knew how much she mattered to him. Without her, his day didn't proceed well. After the truth about his jiju's death emerged, he began to fall even more for her.

He remembered his own words, "Vapas mat aana, Imlie."

But she didn’t let him languish in grief alone. She came to support him because he mattered to her too. She cared about him.

His feelings weren’t one-sided. There was hope that maybe she would give their relationship a chance, and he was looking forward to that hope.

He loved her but never vocalized it because he feared Imlie might reject him. She wasn’t ready for any kind of relationship after parting ways from her beloved babusaheb.

But nowadays, along with her co-workers, he too noticed she was behaving peculiarly. She hummed romantic song lyrics, which was not her usual demeanor. She loved to sing her 'attrangi gaane' composed by her only.

Much to his surprise, she developed an unusual obsession with caffeine. Imlie, "jisko chai jaan se zyada pyari thi, ab voh coffee ki pujari ban gayi."

"Black coffee."

Which she once referred to as torture.

Aryan blushed, recalling a moment when he caught Imlie sipping his already sipped black coffee. A strangle shiver ran down his spine remembering her.

He walked into the conference room, still chuckling to himself about the earlier scene. He couldn't help but think about Imlie. The way she tried to hide her feelings was both endearing and amusing. He settled into his seat, ready to dive into the meeting, but his mind kept drifting back to her.

Meanwhile, Imlie was in the canteen, trying to calm her nerves with a cup of coffee. She couldn't believe how close she came to revealing her secret. Her thoughts swirled with confusion and excitement. Was she really falling for Aryan? She tried to push the thought away, focusing on the steaming cup in her hands.

Back in the office, the meeting commenced, and Aryan’s demeanor shifted to his professional self. He discussed strategies, budget allocations, and project timelines with his team, but even as he spoke, his mind wandered back to Imlie. Her quirky habits, her infectious laugh, and her unparalleled determination. He had never met anyone quite like her.