Chapter 4
Extending her hands in mid air, she was having a bit of assurance about her existence. She was laying on the bed and thinking about events that she just witnessed. What was that? How was that? Why was that? Was her existence just a fragment of imagination to others? Was that thing really happened in reality? She didn't know. She didn't want to know. Rather than being in her all-happens-for-good bubble, she would prefer some straight up facts that she supposed to grasp.
Waking up from the bed, she rushed towards her cupboard. Her other roommate was sleeping peacefully in her own bed. She needed to collect her wits, before her sanity ceased completely. Folding her clothes inside her bag, she started walking towards warden's quarters. She needed to inform her absence, before she set off to her home, Pagdandia.
Her eyes fell on the calendar hanging on the wall for the last time. November 10, 2021, it was.
************
She was truly happy to see her daughter, laughing with her neighbours peers. After her sudden, undesirable wedding with her son-in-law, she used to feel tensed every passing moment. What if, her daughter faced the same destiny that she had. What if, her ill fate brought her upon the same misery, that she was going through these 19 years. What if.. No! She wouldn't think about it anymore. Her daughter, Imlie was smiling in joy. That was the only thing she needed now.
"But Imlie-a, why so sudden? Did something bother you?" She couldn't help but asked the girl before her to ease herself more.
"Yes, amma. Something happened," she replied with a small smug, while coming near her.
Hearing her daughter's words, her heart twisted in sudden unpleasantness. She waited for her daughter to continue.
"I needed some advice for something. May I ask?" She said grinning eye to eye to the child next to her; he just finished his ice cream that his neighbourhood elder sister, Imlie brought for him.
She immediately replied in curiously to her daughter's query,"Yes, ofcourse, Imlie-a."
"Amma, I have two roads in front of me. One walks down towards a path of no disturbance, complete avoidance from the critical issues, and a comparatively smoothness. But no adventure or growth, just survival in no turbulence. Another brings undesirable troubles, unexpected challenges, a complete upside down life, and not a single word of smoothness. On which path should I run my life?" Imlie stated her ambiguous question.
She was completely taken a back from her daughter's sudden enlightened question. This question was itself a trap, as if her daughter was asking for a way out from it in her unique way.
She didn't worry to answer it, rather she felt that she was capable to unfolding it like a professional,"What do you want, Imlie-a?"
"Nothing but a moment of peace, aamma." Imlie responded with her yearning face.
"Then a life of only survival is a peace for you?"
Imlie didn't reply it immediately. She said after a pause,"No."
"What is peaceful to you?"
"Something I love."
"Then what do you love?"
"Challenges that ensure my adventurous growth."
She smiled before giving the final answer to her darling daughter,"Then, you've found your answer."
Imlie's eyes got widened in amusement and ambiguity; her eyes were on her wrists. She nodded her head at her mother, before the edification took place on her glowing face. She was mesmerised at her own daughter's motioned expressions. To her own surprise, it seemed, that her daughter had abruptly grown up a lot in a very short period of time.
************
1. Imlie's getting out from the house.
2. Hostel cancellation due to some stereotypical judgement.
3. Her staying at Bhasker Times' office at night before I found out.
4. Me offering her lodging in our house.
5. Her divorce with Aditya Tripathi.
6. Mrs. Chaturvedi's appointing us (especially Imlie) for her daughter and Mr. Aditya Tripathi's wedding ceremony.
I let out a deep sigh, before putting down the pen. I was jotting down the incidents, which happened in our past and might be taking place in present too. I leaned my back on the chair and began to recall those past events one after another one. She was devastated during this whole time, because of either Aditya Tripathi, or I.
Did she even smile for herself? Ever? I wonder.
My eyes went out of the open window, starry night was bringing calmness in my faintly lit up bed room. When would the day come, in which you would be with me again in this room, Imlie?
I closed my eyes; inhaled a long breath.
This place seems so lonely without you...
°°°°°°°°°°°°
"The curtains should be light green and maroon. Wash the floor mirror clean." I instructed our house staffs, before facing didi directly; she was standing, just behind me with her questioning orbs.
"Is someone coming in our house, that you're decorating the guest room so dedicatedly?" She wiggled her eyebrows in mischief.
"Not your concern, yet, didi. But you'd love that person when the time comes," I restored before walking out from the hallway.
"Okay! If you say so." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Arpi, is someone is coming?" Mom came out from her room out of sudden, before I could even leave the place.
"Is it a girl?" Mom asked grinning with glimpse of hope.
"Seems so!" Didi pressed her lips in mischief and laughter.
Shit! I have to get out from this mess sooner. As their guess is spot on this time!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Working with Imlie for almost 2 months made realise many stuffs. Most of it was that, there were many unseen factors and variables which could lead to different consequences. One of those were the subtle changes in her personality. She was the same Imlie, I knew. However, there were a few noticeable yet inexpressible changes in her behaviour, which did discomfort me. She was same firm and duty oriented person, although she seemed to be way too mature and complex from before.
Is my anxiety playing with me for now?
I drove my car to the point, where I supposed to pick up Imlie into the car. Reaching there, I spotted Imlie standing under the shade of the building, talking to someone, whom I didn't expect to get sighted this soon, Malini Chaturvedi.
What's going on?
With perplexity in my mind, I was about to get down from the car, just then I saw Imlie coming towards the car with a smirk in the corner of her lips. She noticed me from afar afterwards, that was why she directly got into the car without confusion.
"How was the assignment?" I asked starting the engine, ignoring the incident happened before.
"Good, sir. I finished the interview and the report is almost completed. I can send it by tomorrow morning." She flashed her professional smile at me before handing me the file I asked for.
Silence fell between us. She was looking outside of the window. Seeing her now, I remembered that she didn't initiate any debate or fight since the day we met in this life.
Is it making me uncomfortable?
To overcome the awkward quietness, I spoke up,"Where are you staying in this town?"
"Right now hostel," she replied without further information.
"There is a time limit of staying in working women's hostel. Afterwards what did you think of?" I asked her again for extracting more information.
"I'm looking for rental houses," she replied without looking back at me for once.
I saw the opportunity and went for it.
"I have a room for rent. I can offer you that if you have no issue with it," I paused my lips, while eying her from the corners of my eyes.
She didn't show any emotion of disturbance on her face; her orbs were still yet focused. She was thinking something deeply. My heart began beating faster.
Please say 'yes'. Please, please–
"I'll think about it, sir. Thank you for the offer," she gave me a tight smile; just then our car reached Bhasker Times.
Our journey together had ended for today.
**********
The mansion was decorated with flowers and fairy lights. Music was playing in its rhythm. Exquisite, exotic foods were being served to everyone's plate. Just then two people entered the hallway unbuffered.
Arpita's eyes fell at them. Both were in their office attires. Her brother was in his usual grey suit and tie, and the girl next to him was in her best formal full sleeved yellow salwar suit, tieing her hair in a bun. Her lips turned upwards; eyes turned half moon seeing her new guest.
Narmada expressed her disbelief and wonder together seeing them together. It was first time her son brought a person of opposite sex in this house.
Thus how Aryan entered Rathore mansion with Imlie from Pagdandia on the day, surprising everyone existing in the room with their splendid existence.
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