He paces in his room, agitated beyond measure. Rushing behind Malini had found her crying in Imlie's arms while he had stood rooted to his spot, unable to comprehend anything. Their conversation had reached the point where Malini would finally reveal the cause of her distress but his stupid phone had to ruin everything! Had the call not been important, given the late timing of it, he would have ignored it.
When he had returned from the call, he found neither of them where he saw them. So he peeked into her 'room' only to see Malini and Imlie sleeping peacefully in each other's embrace. It has honestly left him baffled and there is a part of him that is hurt by Malini's behaviour. Not just her staunch refusal to tell him the reason behind her distress but also her trust in the girl who jeopardized so much for the both of them. If only he could tell her that!
But alas he can't and he wishes he had never met Imlie ever! His anger, irrational at the moment but which has been building up since quite sometime, heats up a little more. Soon it will reach its boiling point and tip off the top in the way it cannot be contained.
For now though, his pacing and volatile emotions tire him out, making him reluctantly settle in to fall asleep.
_
He wakes up early the next day and leaves early as well, thankful for his new assignment. He does not wish to confront Malini, his lingering feelings of last night still plaguing him. So he leaves a note on the desk and grabbing his set of house keys, rides away.
Malini wakes up feeling content and blissful. She opens her eyes and smiles at her sister who is still asleep in her arms. Pressing a kiss to Imlie's forehead, Malini carefully unentangles herself from the embrace and makes her way towards her room. She hopes Aditya would be still asleep so the confrontation of his questions would wait but instead finds an empty room. It is too early for Aditya to be awake and for a moment the thought that she has upset him so much that he has left quickens her breath in panic. It is then that her eyes fall on the note and reading it calms her down instantly. So he was out for an assignment. Nothing of what came to her head a moment back has happened. Relieved, she steps into the washroom to finish her morning routine.
_
Imlie wakes up to a searing pain in her lower abdomen and a pounding headache. Curling into herself, she buries her head into the pillow to muffle her moans of pain, tears filling her eyes. It takes a couple of minutes for her to recover enough to stand up. Picking herself out of the bed, she grabs a pair of clothes and moves towards the washroom to freshen up.
It is while she is under the shower that she remembers the happenings of last night. It brings a wave of gratitude in her that Didi hadn't been there when she woke up lest she woke up to Imlie struggling with something that is so much more trivial, increasing her worry simply, especially after the distress of the previous night.
_
It is Malini's pehli rasoi and she decides on making one item of everybody's liking. Stepping into the kitchen in a pale brown kurti and patiala pants, her hair tied in a bun, she greets Aparna and Radha and shares her plans for the breakfast. Although touched by her idea of catering to everybody's favourite dish, Aparna advises otherwise considering the wide difference in each one's preferences which would take so much time which presently wasn't needed. Understanding the logic and heeding to the advice given, she decides on a dosa chutney breakfast which would be light after all the wedding and functions meals. For the sweet, she decides on appi payasa (appi kheer), which would go well with the south indian themed breakfast while also being a bit more elaborate.
It is then that Imlie steps in, a dark pink and brown salwaar kameez, apologetic about being late. With her apologises brushed aside and greetings exchanged, she is briefed about Malini's choice of breakfast. Complimenting her for the same, Imlie sets about making the beverages for everybody considering Malini wanted to do the cooking all by herself, having politely declined all their offers to help. Seeing everything handled, Aparna and Radha move out to the hall to sit for sometime and indulge in some gossips with the vibe of the lazy morning. Their husbands soon join them on the sofa though for reading the newspaper and magazine than indulging in their gossip.
_
"Arey Imlie, I forgot to tell you that Aditya has gone out for his assignment so there is no need to make black coffee for him"
"Oh" Imlie says and there is a sudden disappointment within her that she has no idea about the origin of but knows she should not entertain. So she brushes it aside and moves to give everybody their tea and coffee.
She comes back with the empty tray and finds Malini looking about for something.
"What do you need Di?" Imlie asks.
Malini hesitates, wanting to do everything by herself but knowing she needs help her seeing as Imlie knows the kitchen better than her.
Seeing her hesitation, Imlie says, her tone cajoling
"I will just be helping you get the ingredients Di. It is still your pehli rasoi and your efforts."
Malini nods and tells her the ingredients she needs. Imlie immediately gives her the same.
_
Malini is usually a good cook and has made dosa-chutney quite many number of times. But appi payasa is something new, something she has only eaten but never made. At least not independently considering it was Ms. Shaila, their cook who made it. But intent on making it, she decides to be logical and seek the help she needs. So she calls Imlie back to the kitchen from where she had driven her off and requests the help petulantly. Giggling at her, Imlie does as required and soon they have all their items ready.
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...
