"What is it Adi? Why are we here?" Harish asks curiously. It is seldom seen that Aditya has asked the family to gather like this. He does not even remember the last time.
"We are gathered here, Tauji, because I have an idea about how we can help ...her" he falters, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
"Her who?" Radha asks, now confused. Malini shakes her head in exasperation. For a successful journalist, he becomes the shy boy he used to be whenever he has to suggest something. Once she had called for the meeting, he had confided his idea in her and suggested she let the others know. She had staunchly refused citing it was his idea and he should let the others know. Looks like he'll have her step in either way.
"He means Imlie Badi Maa" Malini says
"Oh" the family echoes, slight hesitance in their tone. It had escaped no one's notice that while Adi was the one who had brought Imlie home for employment, it was him who was the most miffed with her. It was him who was uncharacteristically rude with her.
"Imlie has studied till 12th. She has a scholarship and she had mentioned she wanted to become a police officer one day. I think Tauji and Malini can see what she has studied and brush her up on the basics required so we can get her enrolled in college, to get her on path for the same."
The family take a moment to absorb his words post which they are immediately on board.
"If police officer is what she has dreamt of being, I'll have to brush up what degree and entry requirements are needed for the same. But I think before we get her enrolled in college, we need to prepare her for city life as well as get her some counseling." Harish says.
"Counseling? Why would she need counseling when she wants to become a police officer?" Aditya questions confused.
"Counseling is not only to choose a certain path Adi. It is multifaceted. It is to help the candidate know their own strengths and weaknesses and see if they can make it in the path they wish to pursue and how to go about it if so. But more than that, you need to remember Imlie is raised in a rural background which while not being too backward as before, is still not as advanced. There is not enough awareness. In the limited options given to her, she might have chosen this. Even if not so, even if this is her dream or she has a personal reason behind her choice, I think she should at least be aware what are the choices available, what are the different careers. What if one of them aligns better to her ideas? All I want is for her to be aware of her options. If after all of it, she still chooses becoming a police officer, we will of course delve into that path, get specific counseling for the same and support her all throughout." Harish explains.
"Yes, I agree with Bade Papa. In fact, he has raised a very valid point Aditya. And he is also right when he mentioned we need to prepare Imlie for city life. She is smart and talented but she is also genuine and naive in certain areas. College life is not an easy feat and the absolute last thing she'd need while studying and preparing for whatever career path she chooses, to be bullied and have to expend her energy trying to fit in." Malini says.
"She is brave and can defend herself, why should she change just because some bullies exist?" Aditya questions again. As the flashes of her catching the axe flash in his mind, there is also a sense of offence within him, as if the mere mention of her being cowed by bullies is against her sense of strength.
"I know that Aditya and I am not suggesting she change, especially not for the fear of bullies. But she is a young girl and she is human. Just because she is strong does not mean she shouldn't be prepared for what we all know is part of college life. And irrespective of how strong someone is, peer pressure and bullying unearths its own set of self-esteem issues and no one should have to go through that. And given the background she is from, she is all the more likely target especially because she is so giving. We cannot change the mentality of other people but we can make sure she is equipped better to deal with all of it so her college life is pleasant and a freeing experience as compared to her life that has already been harsh on her."
Malini's words make him realize that she is indeed right. To equip Imlie and prepare her should be what they do and that does not mean they have to change who she is. Just help her adjust to a life she has never even seen a glimpse of before.
The family agree and get onto discussing who shall do what. It is agreed they'll break the news to her together. Harish and Malini will then put up a schedule to see what she knows so far. She'll also have sessions with Rupali to improve her diction while the rest of the family will get her acquainted, by different means, with city life.
Satisfied and happy, they leave to their own rooms for some rest or to complete whichever work they have left to complete.
_
Malini followed Aditya back to their room. In seven years of knowing him, there have been discussions, opinions shared, experiences shared but they have never actively countered each other. In a way, this has been the first time he has actively debated her words and she has held her own against. It feels freeing in a way but she is worried about any signs of discord, having grown up amidst her parents' turbulent relationship.
But when she reaches him though, she finds no signs of displeasure or anger. Instead, he seems to be settling in to take a nap and that is when she realizes this whole conversation had started when she sat down next to him to check if he is unwell because he has never been known to take a nap at an untimely hour.
He must be exhausted, she thinks, the past few days have had their emotional highs and lows and given he had come back from his assignment, he would need to catch up on sleep. Deciding to do the same having realized she is exhausted as well, she moves on the other side and settles down to catch up on much needed sleep.
PS: not proofread
Love,
Pratyusha
YOU ARE READING
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...
