The discomfort that seemed to have receded for a few hours, comes furiously to the fore in an overwhelming wave. She clutches her stomach even as she doubles down, biting her lip to stop the sound from escaping her lips. The tenderness in her breasts that was mild now seems to have exacerbated quite a bit. She sighs - this time seems to be the worst one yet.
_
When she had applied leave for her wedding, it had been keeping in mind the duration of the wedding festivities and the few days after to spend some time with the family that is now her own. Unlike how it's done traditionally, she hadn't factored in her honeymoon period. This was one decision they had come to together - no honeymoon immediately after marriage. The families had initially been aghast at the decision taken by the to- be couple but had come around when they had explained their major reason for postponing it - their respective careers.
So there was but a weekend left before she had to resume work from Monday so Malini was intent on making the fullest use of it.
_
Her entire life has been upended for a man who left her with nothing. She realises it now, just how much of herself she had given away, how much of herself she had let fade away and hadn't even known! She remembers being in college, her passion for fashion designing, how every design she sketched, every fabric she wove brought her immense joy. How has she ever let herself forget it?
Now as she rebuilds her life, she wants to do so with her career too. But does she still have it in her? Isn't it a little too late?
She sits caressing her sketch pad, lost in the doubts plaguing her. Will she be able to build a career out of her passion this late? Will she even be taken seriously? Will society rise like demons of hell to taunt her, taint her and pull her down all over again? Will she let them?
Questions so many questions and she does not even know where to begin!
_
Radha stands at the threshold of Rupali's room watching her forlorn form sadly. Imlie and Malini stand next to her, having just arrived. Their gaze collectively falls on Rupali's forlorn form and the sketch pad she seems to be tightly clutching to her chest.
"What is wrong with Didi, Badki Kaki? Why does she look so sad?" Imlie asks.
Radha sighs and guides them a little away. And then she tells them everything about Rupali's passion for fashion designing. With every word that they hear, the sisters feel a resolve building in them - they'll do their best to help out their Rupali!
_
As he journeys back home exhausted, there is also a turbulence in him that has been steadily building. Right from his entire family accepting Imlie, loving her like she was their own family despite not knowing she was his wif-- no, he halts his thoughts immediately. She is no wife of his. His wife is Malini not her.
He affirms it to himself, a surge of anger in him.
Even Malini had taken to Imlie so easily. Too much in so less time. So much so that she trusted her over him!
A pang arises in his chest. The woman he loved, whom he was with 7 years trusts someone who had just come into their lives and who unbeknownst to her had a major role in almost ruining everything, than him. It hurts more than he thought it would. Almost like another betrayal and she is associated with this one as well.
Why did he ever have to meet her? Why did he ever have to think she's all things good when she ended up being just as wretched? When she ended up betraying him so easily, reducing him just to a means to an end, like he wasn't her friend!
And that thought halts him completely in shock. Friend! He had grown to like and believe her to be his friend. Aditya has always been a serious, studious guy. But he has also always been a shy one. Nobody would believe it today but as a boy, he has always been a shy boy who never had friends.
Now he has a few friends to his name including Malini but Imlie was the first person he befriended who wasn't in his social circle or due to work. She was the first friend who was so different to him. This is why it hurts, why it stings him - her betrayal. All she had to do was not reveal about Malini to her Nani and he would have escaped. But he would also have taken her along if that was what she wanted. What hurts is the fact that all she had to do was ask and they wouldn't have been forced to marry, wouldn't have this resentment and distance between them because he cannot forgive her!
He sighs, pushing back all the thoughts. He was quiet only because his family was finding, in her, something they had long lost and he couldn't snatch it from them. But he can not help the resentment that builds even more as she has begun replacing somebody who never should have! He will not allow it nor will he forget this.
He will not forgive her for any of it!
_
Coming back home to Tripathi house no matter if it was during trying times when the entire environment was sombre, has always felt serene. He unlocks the door and walks in, his footsteps light and practiced.
It is late evening now but he knows only few people will be in the house. Their family group chat had blown up with everybody's Saturday plans. His parents and tauji-taiji were in a jagrata. Dhruv, Nidhi and their kids have gone to visit Nidhi's mother's place. Rupali has gone to buy some personal items. So the only people who are home are Imlie and Malini.
And he knows them enough to know Malini would be in the room while Imlie will be in her corner.
But when he enters the house, his feet stop in complete shock and the turbulence he has been suppressing finally boils over!
PS: this update is all over the place but I think it still came out the way I wanted it to.
Do tell me what you feel about it, about his thought process and the small cliffhanger.
*Not proofread*
Love,
Pratyusha
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Lakeerein - Ties That Bind Us
Fanfiction------ 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...
