Chapter 6

1 years ago

Sumi

@Susmitasumi96

A WEEK AGO FROM THE ANNOUNCEMENT DAY

"I don't believe your words, Malini! A lier like you can never be trusted," Aditya shouted with all his might; whereas, Malini gritted her jaw in frustration and agitation.

For the first time after she began her mission to make Imlie's life hell and make Aditya all hers again, she actually said the truth to her beloved. However, he didn't give a single thought to her words and went bonkers.

"What happened, Adi?" Aditya's mother Aparna ran inside their room hearing her son's yelling.

It became a regular event after the arrival of Malini in their house for the second time. Once she used to adore her over Imlie. Although, it turned 180°.

"She's saying Imlie wants divorce from me, maa. Divore from me, maa! Do you think it's possible? It's Imlie, the innocent girl who loves me to the end. I will never believe you in my wildest dreams, Malini. NEVER! I'll prove you a lier. I'll confront her directly," He stormed out from the room, leaving a teared up Aparna and a devastated Malini behind.

********

"So, you gave up?" Imlie asked the person, who just got rejected by her beloved again, over the phone.

"I didn't give up. It's Aditya who's not giving up on you. He didn't believe that I am not lying," Malini expressed with a tired yet irritated voice.

A moment of quietness passed before Imlie let out a chuckle. Malini felt more irritated.

"You know, Malini didi. This reminded me of a parable," Imlie responded stopping for a second to continue her talk amidst of her half sister's obvious annoyance.

"The story of a boy and a tiger; it is also known as The Boy Who Cried Wolf in many cultures. He used to prank people by telling lie of the tiger's fake arrival. But when it actually came and he cried for desperate help, none came; they didn't believe his truth in the end," Imlie grinned imagining Malini's gritting sound of teeth.

"Shut your bullshit and focus on the topic! What should we do now?" Malini kept her cool knowing she couldn't deny her half sister's accusations this time too.

The silence stayed again before Imlie looked at the calendar beside the table. Her smirk broadened.

"He said, he would confront me, right?"

"Yes."

"Then let him. I'll manage the rest."

"Are you not tricking me in it, are you?"

"Believe me or not, I'm the only person who can help you to get your lover back, Malini didi."

Malini tightly passed her lips for a second before replying her, "Okay."

Malini ended the call. Imlie put the phone on the table. It was passed midnight and darkness occupied her new room too. The faint light of study lamp was the only source of light here, just like her hope. She looked outside the window, sighing deeply in anticipation for tomorrow morning, when she could finally get rid of one of her baggages that she was carrying for long.

********

Amidst of the time while Aryan and Imlie were drying their rain soaked cloths before the fireplace, a loud knock broke the comfortable silence of the room. They shared a look to each other, before Aryan opened the door. They were stucked in the heavy rain. That caused them to rent a hotel for the few hours to dry their cloths, for the upcoming important meeting that they were going to attend together, today. He expected to see room service, with a set of new cloths. However, he was surprised to find Aditya Kumar Tripathi standing before him, panting heavily. His eyes widened seeing a peeking Imlie from behind of Aryan Singh Rathore in wet attire.

"Mr, Tripathi, you-" Aryan couldn't say anything further as Aditya ran away from the place without a word.

He stayed there with a frowning face for a moment, before turning his face towards Imlie, whose eyes were reflecting nothing but shivering cold. She houmouslessly let out a low chuckle.

Something can never change...

She thought to herself before engaging herself in drying her clothes.

********

"He sighed those papers. How did you convince him?" Malini was shocked and ecstatic.

"I did nothing. He just saw things that he needed to," Imlie responded her with a grin.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"I truly never understand you. It will be sent to you tomorrow morning. Sign them and send it back to me fast," Malini muttered over the phone; whereas, Imlie broke a victory smug.

*************

ON THE DAY OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT

It decreased to 130 days from 199, since the day I came back in past and saw that number on my wrist. I was very much careful not to show this to others. However, one incident broke my misconception. That day, I was having a meeting and forget to curl down my sleeves. My senses came back, when I was shaking hand with my client. It was too late to withdraw. However, I noticed him not reacting to it at all. I got curious and did show it in public on purpose. None responded, including my mom and didi. I concluded to a certainty, no one could see it, but I. It was a relief!

I was sitting in my office cabin of Bhasker Times, when I got the call from my secretary. She requested me to check the news coming up. We started a new show of local news for a month now and my secretary usually used to suggest me to watch it, whenever it hit the highest TRP.

I came out from the cabin and watched it with others, and I continued watched it until I felt numbed in my hands.

"..We Bhasker Times congratulate him and his family in this joyous moment."

°°°°°°°°°

She was smirking. Her face had definitely expressed satisfaction. I did not mistake it.

I was walking on my cabin back and forth. 2 hours passed since I witnessed it with my own eyes. She changed, Imlie changed and it wasn't unintentional or my butterfly effect. It was deliberate and complete plan; a calculative, meticulously made plan.

"As if she had known it," I murmured under my breath.

From her behaviour to dressing style, her attitude to way of speaking, her lifestyle to expressions in public everything had changed gradually yet drastically. That was how incidents were also going out of their previous routes. Before she used to wear half sleeves in the office in summer. However, she wore full sleeved attires nowadays. If changes were made planfully, I might resonate the full story afterwards.

"I should escalate my plans too," putting the phone in my hand, I dialed my special force's number.

"Hello! Start working on Neela Singh," I ordered, while staring at working Imlie from the glass wall of my cabin.

**********

"I don't know what to do, Narmada-ji. They divorced each other. I can't even call my daughter to our house anymore. They cut all the ties," Aparna began sobbing on Narmada's shoulder while Narmada was caressing her head in consolation.

Arpita was watching them. She felt sad yet didn't say and do anything. Female instinct had a different fan-base. If it were inevitable, no one could change it. Both Narmada and Aparna had known it too. Needless to say, none of them said it aloud.

Arpita stood there in silence until when her eyes fell on the short height, chubby, cute, shy man holding the thaali of puja for Aparna. Her lips automatically turned upwards; chest filled with excitement and adoration. Sundar, that shy boy, who occasionally exchanged his timid lovesick eyes with her, was the reason she started coming temple with her mother Narmada regularly. His cuteness was the adrenaline rush that she felt in her cheeks nowadays.

I'll definitely woo you soon, Sundar!

She thought to herself before approaching him again as she usually did.

**********

"Mom doesn't believe you yet, thinking it might be your scam," Malini said over the phone, when Imlie was reading a book in her room.

It was midnight again. For a month or more, it became the time for their secret conversation recently. Imlie didn't feel irritated so did Malini, at least until their mission reaches to completion.

"So? That's not my problem," Imlie replied with her obvious tone.

"So, I suggested her to hire you and your company for my wedding. Only if she sees you closely like I do, she will believe you."

There was silence between them.

"So, you trust me now?" Imlie smugged imagining Malini's cussing herself under the breath.

"But, you know, I don't want to mingle with Aditya sir again."

"Don't worry. I'll arrange people for that problem. You'll just do your work and I'll manage him."

"Okay. When Mrs Chaturvedi will bring the contract, we will put those in the condition."

"Okay, deal."

**********

Time flew fast and as expected just like before, Mrs. Chaturvedi came into our house with a contract for covering her daughter's wedding ceremony, which would happen after 15 days. Just like before, she wanted Imlie in the workforce. Moreover, unlike before, Imlie accepted it like a professional and without hesitation in her tone. I, not surprised, knowing the possible possibilities behind it, played along with her.

"I have my own conditions as my workplace security, without those, I won't work," I just watched Imlie as she processed to say her part.

"Go ahead," I responded.

"Under any conditions, I will only take the instruction from the bride and her family, when bride gives her acknowledgement. Knowing my personal issues, I will not go near the groom without the presence of bride alongside my boss. Failed to match the former, I must immediately quit the project with my guaranteed compensation. If I feel threat under working with any family members from both sides or any side, I will count it as a breach too," Imlie finished her statement; I grinningly saw Mrs. Chaturvedi's widened eyes from the corners of my eyes.

"I hope it doesn't state anything unnecessary, Mrs. Chaturvedi," I restored while seeing Imlie's glowing eyes on me.

"Absolutely acceptable," Mrs. Chaturvedi was amazed yet didn't break her demeanour.

°°°°°°°°°°°

Engagement, Haldi, Mehendi, one after one everything passed by. Aditya Kumar Tripathi tried taking advantage of Imlie's being alone in such situation. However, Malini did protected her along with me. Imlie danced in every ceremony; I joined her too. We were Raj-Simraan, even though she insisted to become Heer-Ranjha.

Wedding ceremony had done too. Malini gave Imlie something from her wedding gifts as shagoon of being her half sister. Imlie accepted it without much discomfort. It was then I noticed the proof, that I needed to support my theory.

After reaching Rathore mansion, we were about to part away from each other towards our separated bedrooms, I noticed ourselves. I was wearing my black sarwani suit; she was wearing her golden lehenga choli with matte golden accessories. Mom and didi were still out, at the wedding venue, talking and consoling Mrs. Aparna Tripathi. Just when we were about to say goodnight to one another, I broke the peace between us like I planned.

"You travelled back in past too, didn't you, Imlie?"

With an eerie and shocked face she halted on her spot. Her eyes were intensely eying my every facial muscle; my eyes were watching her slowly hitting realisation.

"Right. I've also travelled back," her face turned calm, not a single trail of hiding the truth.

On her left wrist, on the same spot as mine, a number was inscripted, distinguished by only one digit.

Mine is 100.
Hers is 99.

Engraved in same crimson red.