*Surprise update!*
Morning brought with it a pleasant surprise in the form of a more cheerful Rupali helping with the marriage ritual preparation. Her apology to all further surprised them and so did it make them emotional. The preparation for the mehendi ceremony began with more fervour with this blissful change. And despite the questions they had regarding this change, they chose not to voice them because all that mattered was that their Rupali had come back to them!
Rupali pulled Imlie into a hug the moment she got a little free from the preparations.
"Thank You so much!" she said emotionally, making Imlie equally emotional as well. That night when Imlie had stopped Rupali from giving up her life, she had not only averted a disaster which could have wrecked the entire family but she also had given a new meaning to life in Rupali's eyes. That had forged an inexplicable and deep bond between them that they knew would last forever!
"There is no need to thank me Didi" Imlie said.
"There is Imlie! Main toh khudgarz hogayi thi. Khudke uljhanon me itni doobi thi ki apne parivaar se badi door bhatak gayi thi. Unke baare me ek baar bhi nahi socha jab maine woh kadam uthaya. Agar tum nahi hoti, toh na jaane kya ho jata! And it's all because of you that I realized my mistakes and have been able to actually reunite with my family. Thank you so much Imlie"
("I had become selfish. So lost was I in my conflicts that I failed to realise how far I had wandered away from my family. I hadn't spared a single thought to them even when I attempted to take that step! If not for you, I don't know what all could have happened!")
Imlie broke the hug and wordlessly rubbed Rupali's tears. They then got back to their respective works.
_
Malini ran outside with the excitement of a small girl as soon as she heard the car pull into their parking lot.
"Daadi!" she yelled like a small kid as she ran and hugged Janki Chaturvedi, almost knocking her off balance.
Janki chuckled and hugged her back. Malini was very much a small girl at heart!
"Arey Mals, all love only for grandma? No love for your cousin?" a young man standing behind Janki said. Malini rolled her eyes and pulled Shashank into a hug.
He chuckled and hugged her back. By then Dev and Anu had made their way outside. Janki caressed Anu's hair with tender affection before pulling her into a hug.
"I missed you Mumma! Aapki bahut zaroorat hain abhi" Anu whispered into Janki's ear even as she strived to push back her tears.
("I need you here Mumma ")
"I'm here, my child. Everything will be alright" Janki said in a reassuring voice.
They broke apart and Janki turned her gaze to her son.
"Maa" he said and she nodded her head in acknowledgement. She had never forgiven him for what he had done 20 years back and she knew she would never. And that had increased the distance in their relationship that had begun when Dev's father had passed away!
_
The Tripathi house bustled with activity as the Mehndi ceremony was about to begin. Traditionally, the mehendi came from the groom's side which would then be used to adorn the bride's hand. Imlie herself had prepared the mehendi by crushing dry henna leaves and this action of hers had symbolised the prominent role she played in this marriage that was to take place between Aditya and Malini!
Aparna and Radha had been impressed by the fine, freshly made paste as opposed to the ones from the shop and their lit faces had brought peace to her heart.
After all the arrangements had been made, Aparna had given Imlie a beautiful dark green churidar set and silver coloured ornaments. She had then taken a shower and washed her hair even as flashes of that day when she had scrubbed her hand rid of mehendi flashed in her mind. It had indeed been a premonition as she had feared! Imlie sighed and took deep breaths to push back the rising agony in her chest and set about getting ready for the ceremony. Since her hair was wet, she gathered her hair into a half pony and loosely plaited it. She left the rest of her waist length hair open. The dark shade of the salwar suited her immensely and the silver ornaments just enhanced her beauty.
The Chaturvedi's arrived and were greeted warmly. Malini was made to sit on a stool that was specifically for the bride while Aditya who was yet to come down, was to sit right in front of her! She was dressed elegantly in a castleton green saree, her hair tied in a side French braid.
Mehendi hain rachne waali
Haathon Mein Gehri Laali
Kahe Sakhiyaan, Ab Kaliyaan
Haathon Mein Khilnewaali Hain
Tere Mann Ko, Jeevan Ko
Nayi Khushiyaan Milnewaali Hai
The girls called specifically for singing filled the house with their melodious voices. And that was when Aditya came down, dressed in dark green kurta. He cordially greeted his to-be in-laws and occupied the seat he was supposed to. A few minutes later, Imlie entered carrying the plate of mehendi.
Anu did not understand what to feel as she saw her daughter brighten at seeing Imlie for her fears simultaneously heightened when she saw a slight daze in Aditya's eyes when his gaze fell on Imlie. She turned towards Janki only to see a smile on her face as she gazed towards Imlie. Anu sighed heavily. If it hadn't been for her worry for her daughter and the alarm bells ringing in her system, she herself would have expressed the surge of warmth that arose in her at the young girl's sight for she knew this could be her daughter! In all these years, she had never blamed her because she was aware she had faced the same betrayal she herself had! Many times she had wondered if she should just go meet her once, maybe to get a closure she hadn't got all these years but her courage had failed her every time. She couldn't face her!
Imlie placed the mehendi bowl on the table placed next to Malini and smiled warmly at her Didi.
"You're looking so beautiful Imlie" Malini complimented, a wide smile on her face.
"Thank you Malini Didi. You are looking as beautiful as the moon!" Imlie replied back with a smile.
"You don't have to exaggerate, you know! Nor do you have to compliment me just because I complimented you" Malini said with a serious expression on her face.
"I'm not Malini Didi! I did not...." Imlie began nervously but was cut in between when Malini smiled and whispered "Just Kidding!"
Imlie rolled her eyes and stepped back.
Amidst all of this, no one had noticed the lewd gaze fixed on Imlie, running up and down her form.
Love,
Pratyusha
YOU ARE READING
Lakeerein - Ties That Bind Us
Fanfic------ 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...
