ARYAN AND IMLIE Shorts

CHAPTER SIX

Its was a sunny afternoon, animals and human went about their daily routines, it on the way to pagdandiya Aryan and Imlie, the day was busy, cabs and bus drivers heading to different destinations, after what seemed like an hour drive into the lonely roads which leads to Imlie’s Pagdandiya. A car heading the same direction drove closer to Aryan and Imlie’s the driver tried his best to avoid hitting or scratching the strange vehicle that just drove by them. The car seemed to slow down when it got closer to Aryan’s car. In the car were seated 3 weird looking men of ages between 30 and 35 with a driver who looked younger than the three passengers.
They glared at Aryan and Imlie’s car as if trying to confirm the identity of people in the car and overtook their car immediately. After 10 minutes the driver applied a sudden break and the car came to a halt.
“what’s going on, why did you stop?”  Aryan asked immediately
“Sir look” the driver said pointing towards 3 men standing in from with weapons ready to attack.
In a speed of light. Two men approached the two back doors of the car, pulling out Imlie from the back seat while Aryan tried to put up a fight. He beat up the goon who approached his own side of the door. While the other goon pulled Imlie into their car and the goon beating up the driver ran into Aryan’s car leaving the remaining goon who had been badly beaten by Aryan, laid unconscious and the two cars drove away with Imlie leaving Aryan behind. Imlie kept screaming for help calling Aryan but no help came and just then she woke up from her sleep.

Aryan saw her mumbling something while sleeping and calling him for help, decided to wake her. 
“It’s okay you are awake,” said Aryan
“ABP you are here”

“Yes, I am here, what happened you seem to have a bad dream”
“Can we not go to the village today?” Imlie asked almost crying.
Cupping her face with his two hands, Aryan looked into her eyes trying to calm her down.
“Look at me my love, what happened I am here with you”
She narrated her dream to Aryan.

“Imlie it’s just a dream I promise you nothing will happen; I have already called Amma we need to go visit her today as we might not get any other opportunity”.

Imlie wasn’t buying the idea of going to Pagdandiya and was still scared of the terrible dream she just had.  Aryan called Meethi on phone trying to get her to speak to Imlie, Meethi on the other agreed with Imlie and asked them to go home instead.

When Imlie and Aryan arrived at the Airport, Aryan instructed the driver to drive them home straight.

Narmada: Aru you are home, Imlie how are you doing and how was your trip?

“Am fine Kaki Maa” Imlie replied happy to be home. Few hours ago, she was scared of the dream she had and Aryan’s insistence on going to Pagdandiya made her more agitated.

For the safety of his unborn child and Imlie’s comfort and happiness he cancelled the trip.

She was heading to her room while Aryan stayed back to speak with Narmada.

“Aru what happened, you were supposed to go to Pagdandiya?”

“Maa Imlie wasn’t feeling good about the trip so we had to cancel, I will send the driver to Pagdandiya to bring Amma tomorrow, I hope you don’t mind”.

“Why should I mind, as long as it’s for her safety and comfort”.

“Thanks, maa, I need to go freshen up and stay with Imlie”

Aryan was about to climb up when he saw Shalu. After they exchanged pleasantries, he went up.

The next day Meethi arrived Rathore Mansion, she was received by everyone happily.

Imlie as in her room, when she heard her mother’s voice outside her room.

Amma !!! Imlie screamed and jumped up in joy seeing her mother. The mother and daughter duo were engrossed in their tight hug, happy to see each other after a while.

Meethi went into Aryan’s room and was surprise to see the change, the last time she was here the interior of Aryan and Imie’s had a matured look but she was happy to see the kind of change Aryan could tolerate for the sake of her daughter.

The past One after the Meethi’s arrival to the Rathore mansion days went smooth and  normal, the mother, daughter and other members of the family had a lot of time to spend together and catch up while Aryan focused on work knowing Imlie was in safe hands.
Shalu was dismissed after Aryan returned from France, he would have done that before leaving for their trip but decided against it in order not to create suspicions or raise questions to the events of Jyoti’s death.

On the eight day, Aryan had left for work and the ladies decided to go to the nearby temple with Narmada.

Arpita, Narmada and Meethi were engrossed in a conversation with the priest when Imlie ran off chasing after a beautiful butterfly that crossed her head, unnoticed to the three women.
“Imlie !!!” Arpita screamed when she sited Imlie rolling down the stairs of the Temple.
The 3 women were shocked to see a pregnant Imlie falling down the long stairs of the Temple. People gathered around her; some came to help while some were just observing the young lady in a pool of her own blood.

The ladies sprinted down the stair and with the help of some people around Imlie was rushed into the car while Arpita drove them to the hospital.

Narmada was hesitant about calling Aryan but insisted that he needed to be informed.
“Hello Aryan babu” she was trying to control her fear and tears at once which did not go unnoticed by Aryan.

“Amma are you crying what happened?”

“Imlie” Meethi managed to utter while sobbing.
Aryan who was sitting on his office chair while having a meeting with the Chief Editor stood up in which drew the attention of the Editor “what happened to Imlie?”
When Amma didn’t reply he asked again “Amma talk to me please what happened to Imlie where are you?”

He could hear Narmada speaking to Imlie whose head was on her lap, asking her to hang on and keep breathing.
“Imlie fell down from the stairs at the temple and is injured and we are taking her to the hospital”.

Aryan just stared with wide open eye, he felt like his whole world was breaking apart.
If anything happens to Imlie and their unborn baby, the Center can no longer hold.
He sprinted out of the office after informing him of the news he just got.
On getting to the hospital, Imlie was admitted into the emergency ward and the Doctors and some nurses went in with her.
Few minutes later Aryan arrived the hospital, rushing into the reception area. He went straight to the receptionist
“Imlie Aryan Singh…..” before he could complete it his mother called him from behind

“Aru” turning back he rushed to his mother who hugged him while crying.

“Maa where is Imlie, how is she, how did this happen?” he trailed off, he saw Arpita and Meethi standing in front of the emergency room, Meethi seemed to be muttering some prayers to lady Sita. They went closer, Aryan had a lot of questions and he wanted to vent but whom is he going to vent out on, his mother, mother in-law or his elder sister. Just when he wanted to say something, the Doctor came out of the emergency room, they approached him questioning him about Imlie.

"Doctor how is my wife ?"  A tensed Aryan asked.

Will Cheeku or Imlie survive this fall ?