Conflagration

Chapter 28: Imlie's Decision

Imlie walked in a daze towards her room, her eyes unseeing and her ears unhearing the calls from Narmada and Meethi. She was locked in an internal battle with herself. The ACP's proposal had caught her completely off guard sending her wits scattering.

All she could deduce from the conversation had been that the ACP had been forced to propose because of the incident earlier in his bedroom and he probably had no intention of marrying her, which is why he had insisted that the wedding be conducted only after she finished her studies. Enough time to break off the engagement she guessed.

Somehow that thought hurt her quite a bit.

She was not vain person to believe that someone as good looking and accomplished as the ACP would go down on his knees and declare his undying love for a plain Jane like her but she had cherished dreams of maybe someday finding her soulmate like Dadda and Amma whose relationship was based on mutual respect, admiration and unconditional love.

Those dreams had come to a sudden halt today. Her first proposal had been coerced and presented to her for the reasons of being logical and protecting her name from slander instead of love and respect.

Almost woodenly she sat down in front of the dressing mirror staring at her reflection, wondering what was it about her that made it difficult for someone to love her. Most of the men she had encountered other than her Dadda, Tripathi Uncle and Rajesh Uncle had looked at her with either disdain, lust or indifference.

Aditya's gaze had made her want to scrub herself clean many times over. She had experienced the opposite reaction with the ACP though, her skin prickling as she remembered the heat and butterflies that erupted whenever their gazes collided. But it appeared the ACP was indifferent to her; how else to explain the almost emotionless way he had proposed.

And thus it was that Meethi found a morose Imlie gazing at the mirror. She quietly closed the door and made her way over to her daughter, gently unraveling her long hair and picking up a brush to run it through the length.

Under her soft ministrations, Imlie relaxed slightly, closing her eyes.

"What happened Gudiya?" Meethi asked softly aware of some of the turmoil she may be facing. Narmadaji had given obvious hints about what Aryan babua wanted to talk to Imlie about.

Opening her eyes, Imlie regarded herAmma with childlike confusion.

"I don't know what to do Amma" she said her voice breaking from the strain. "ACP just asked me to marry him."

Meethi put down the brush and sat down to face her daughter, clasping her hands in a warm reassuring grip.

"And?" she questioned knowing there must be more to put her child under such strain.

"He thinks we should announce our engagement because of what happened in his room today and plan for the wedding after I complete my studies." she said in a rush.

Meethi sat quietly for a minute letting the information sink in. Putting aside her own apprehensions about the long engagement, she tried to think why Imlie seemed disturbed at the prospect.

"And you have a problem with that because?" Meethi questioned.

"I don't want to get engaged or married because of what happened today. Actually nothing happened and I don't get why just because of a misunderstanding my life needs to be altered."

"You do plan to get married some day right Gudiya?" when Imlie nodded her head, Meethi continued "In our country most marriages are still arranged. Aryan babua is a smart and kind man from a very good family. So why are you against his suit?"