AryLie TwoShot ~ Happy... Imlie [Final – Page 10] - Page 7

Part 2

Previously...

Aditya and the T's have planned a surprise birthday party for Imlie. Aryan and Imlie share a moment that is witnessed by Aditya who was planning to propose to Imlie once again. Spiteful, he tries to make the worst of the evening for Aryan and Imlie.

...

...Unfortunately, Aditya was beyond reason. “Imlie is now married — to Aryan Singh Rathore.”

A deafening silence fell over the room at his declaration. Imlie was too busy taking in everyone’s reactions to figure out how to react. Her gaze first found the Rathores – Kakimaa and Arpita didi seemed surprised, yet somewhat... happy.

Aparna maa, who stood beside Narmada Rathore, had tears running down her face and that made Imlie’s heart sink – were they tears of grief? Disappointment? Anger? Surely, not of happiness.

She heard Rupi's shocked voice penetrating through her thoughts, “To Aa-Aryan? But then... Adi bhai?”

As she dragged her attention back to Rupi, she didn’t miss the lack of a reaction from Aditya’s father, or Badke Kaka taking in everyone’s reactions. Imlie’s heart kept sinking as her gaze flitted from one to the next. Did they all also think of her as selfish? She suddenly felt zapped of all energy and could barely hold herself on her feet.

“They've finally proved that I was indeed right about them, all along, from the first time I saw them together,” Aditya continued as he stared at Imlie with undisguised contempt. Imlie couldn't believe how bitter this man, who she had once called her husband, had become. If he continued to spew any more filth, Imlie thought she would collapse.

However, before he could continue, Aryan’s crisp tone broke through the taut tension in the room.

“You’re right, Mr. Tripathi. We indeed have you to thank for our togetherness today,” Aryan said, as he walked in, and as if his advent was sufficient to dispel the darkness, the remaining lights in the room came on. He slid his hand through Imlie’s, interlacing their fingers, as he came to stand beside her. Imlie looked up at him and met his gaze, finding nothing but strength and assurance in its depths – just like that day, not many months ago, when she had wanted to walk out of Aditya sir and Malini’s pre-wedding event, shortly after his divorce with Imlie. That day as well, Aditya’s words had been equally vile, and sick of the constant mockery that he was making of her, Imlie had chosen to walk out, forgetting that she was there in a professional capacity. But it was Aryan’s quiet, challenging gaze that had made her brace herself and head right back into the fire, undaunted. Today as well, Imlie couldn't pull her gaze away as he spoke.

“Thank you, Mr. Tripathi, for seeing the love between us when we were clearly blind to it,” Aryan continued. “Thank you for bringing our deep love to our attention, and thank you for not letting go of the constant reminders of it till we acted upon it.” The snarky tone was not lost on Aditya and he gritted his teeth in response as he glared at Aryan while Aryan stood tall, a challenging smirk dancing on his face. Imlie glared at both men, once again feeling sick of being caught between the crossfire.

The tension in the air was finally shattered when Sundar announced dinner.

***

For a celebratory meal, dinner that night at the Tripathi house was a relatively quiet affair. The lines between ask and ask not’s had blurred resulting in a strange awkwardness. While the likes of Nishant and Badke Kaka tried to lighten the atmosphere, his wife, Radha, and Aditya let no chance slide to pass a sarcastic retort, while others like Rupi and Aparna struggled with how to react. Narmada and Arpita were their cordial, polite selves while Imlie felt ready to bolt at the first opportunity but was held in place solely due to Aryan’s presence by her side. “Make it worth the effort,” he had whispered in her ear when she had tried to give him the cold shoulder. Imlie sighed and got back into the game grudgingly. Not many questions about love and proposals were posed, but Aryan and Imlie managed to put on a happily united front before their audience.

After dinner, Imlie excused herself on the pretext of answering a call and went all the way out of the house. As she passed through the foyer, Imlie felt her heart thudding wildly at the sight of the decorations. She squeezed her eyes shut to stifle any memories that could again arise due to the sight. Stepping out, she wrapped her arms around herself and stood on the stairs, drawing in a few deep breaths to calm herself. It had been a chaotic day and she was glad it was fast coming to an end. She could really do with some time to herself. But it seemed today, even that was a big ask as the quietude of the night was again punctured by a voice she didn’t want to hear.

“I asked you for a chance on your birthday and you couldn't give it to me, but you didn't hesitate at all to gift yourself to Mr. Rathore on your birthday,” Aditya’s voice interrupted her moment of quiet and Imlie’s head and shoulders dipped in exasperation. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself and refused to turn around. She did not have the energy to entertain his entitled assumptions anymore.

“In our part of the world, birthday gifts are given to the person who’s birthday it is, not asked from them,” Aryan’s voice broke through the haze of exhaustion in Imlie’s head.

“Oh, so you mean you gifted yourself to Imlie?” Aditya sneered, turning to face Aryan.

Aryan raised a brow, “Now, that’s quite a narcissistic thought. What Imlie thinks of me, though, is up to her.” He came to stand beside Imlie and slid his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers as their gazes collided. His free hand found its way to her face, where a wayward tendril had snuck out and danced on her cheek with the breeze. He twirled it around a finger before tucking it delicately behind her ear. Imlie felt a shiver run through her spine as his finger grazed the sensitive spot behind her ear but she kept her features schooled, not letting anything give away the turmoil that such a simple touch caused within her.

Aditya rolled his eyes and expectantly called out, “Imlie?” But when she didn’t react at all and continued to stare at Aryan, their gazes locked, he decided to change tactics. His voice softened and was devoid of any bite when he said, “I had actually wanted to thank you today for what you did for me, Imlie, by standing up to Mr. Rathore in this fake case. I had made such elaborate plans to thank you and make this birthday a special and memorable one for us. But now... now, I don’t know, what should I wish you? Happy birthday, or... happy marriage?”

The headache that was throbbing beneath her temples due to exhaustion flared at his words and Imlie winced.

Aryan didn’t miss the subtle sign and decided to put an end to Mr. Tripathi’s barbs and jabs for the night. “So long as it is Imlie's happiness you wish, anything will do, Mr. Tripathi. Because at the end of the day, it is only Imlie and her happiness that matters.”

“Happy...Imlie?” Aditya smirked. “Don't forget that happiness always comes with a price, Mr. Rathore, and for Imlie, that happiness is often at the price of others' happiness and peace.”

Aditya’s words pierced through Imlie’s heart, ripping through memories of all the times when she thought she was prioritizing the happiness and well-being of him and his family, causing a physical pain so intense, she felt she would collapse. Clearly, that was not what he had seen those moments as. Imlie gently extricated her hand from Aryan’s and took a step back.

“What good is your love, Mr. Tripathi if it can't even bring happiness to your partner?” Aryan smirked. “Worth a thought, isn’t it?”

Aryan turned to leave with Imlie but she was already gone. Before he could follow her, he was interrupted by Arpita who had stepped out with Sundar.

***

Imlie stared at the sky, an endless canopy of deep inky blackness with a scattering of flickering stars winking enticingly, as if within reach but actually miles and miles away. Just like happiness and her life, she mused. Every time when she’d thought that happiness was around the corner, she had only been pushed further and further away from it. She sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees, burying her head in them, as she sat on the cool grass in the small garden behind the Tripathi house. The sound of approaching footsteps added to her irritation. Without lifting her head, she said, “Akkadbagge, leave me alone.”

But the footsteps didn’t retreat and she felt the presence beside her. Furious, she said, “Aren't you satisfied after having ruined everything? Just go, leave me be!”

“Imlie, are you okay?”

Imlie's head snapped up to look at the source of the voice. Sundar stood there with a frown on his face.

“Bandar? Of course, I'm okay. I just have a headache because of that Akkadbagga,” she replied.

“So it is customary to curse your husband from day one, is it?” Sundar teased as he sat on the grass beside her.

Imlie sighed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. When Imlie continued to remain quiet and kept staring into the distance, Sundar asked, “Aren’t you happy, Imlie?”

“Have I really been selfish, Sundar, when I don’t even know why I did what I did?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Selfish?” he asked, confused.

“Yes?”

“Well, from what I recall of you and Aryan from Aditya sir and Malini’s wedding, I'll say that if you truly have been selfish this one time in life, you've chosen the perfect time and reason to be selfish. Plus, since when has marrying a person of your choice become selfishness?” While Sundar was happy for his friend finally having moved on with a man who truly deserved her, he couldn’t fathom where her melancholic thoughts came from.

When Imlie didn’t respond, he said, “Wait! You did this for him? For Aditya sir?!” Sundar was incredulous. “That is why the case against him was so haphazardly dropped,” he said, as realization dawned.

“I did it for maa. For Rupi didi, Nishant, and everyone. For the pain they would have to go through if Aditya sir was actually jailed and had to go through the court proceedings. They would all be distraught, maa would be shattered. But...”

“You did it for them but they don’t know it,” he finished her train of thought. “You’re worried you may have upset them.”

“And they may hate me for it because that Akkadbagga destroyed everything with this marriage. He could have just agreed to help instead of putting forth this condition, but no, he had to prove he was just like everyone else – not averse to using someone to serve his purpose,” Imlie said bitterly.

“So, he asked you to marry him in exchange for setting Aditya sir free?” Sundar asked, cautiously.

Imlie nodded. “Why can’t I have a single normal relationship, Sundar?”

The undisguised disappointment in her eyes as she spoke of the situation told Sundar that there was more to it here.

“I thought Aryan was different, I thought of him as my closest friend, and then he had to go and ruin everything with this marriage,” she explained.

“And I thought Rupi, Nishant and me were your close friends, and with a pretty normal equation,” he countered, half teasing.

“Of course, you are!” Imlie scrambled as she realised how her words could be construed.

“But Aryan is special,” Sundar tossed back.

“Of course, not!”

“You like him.”

“He’s just a good friend. Was. Now...” Imlie trailed off, not sure what to call their equation any more.

“Now, he’s your husband. Why is that bad?” Sundar finished for her as he queried.

“Because I hate him,” Imlie shrugged.

“You don’t. Unless...”

“Unless?”

“Unless, you still love Adit– ”

“NO! That chapter is long over for me and you know that, Sundar,” Imlie interrupted, not allowing him to finish.

“Then, why is it a problem if Aryan asked you to marry him? He’s your close friend, understands you, you like him – as a friend,” he hastily added at Imlie’s expression. “He cares for you, everyone has seen his concern for you, maybe, he even loves you?”

“Stop giving it a romantic spin, Bandar! I was just a pawn in the grand scheme of his revenge against Aditya sir. He would not even have noticed me otherwise. Come to think of it, he actually did not notice me when we first came across each other! I don't even matter to him,” Imlie's voice took on a disappointed tone. If only she didn’t trust people so easily, she thought.

“You’re being too harsh on him.”

“I’m not.”

“You are, because you wanted him to choose you. You wanted him to choose you for you, and not because you were Aditya’s sir's wife,” Sundar said, meeting her eyes.

“I wanted nothing except him to not use me like this,” she replied, looking away, blinking her eyes to will away the tears that threatened to spill.

Sundar realised that if he kept going like this, Imlie would never accept what she felt for Aryan or what he meant to her. So, he decided to change tactics. “Fair point. Then, why not speak up against it? Why not tell his mother and sister how he’s playing you?”

“Do you realise how broken and disappointed Kakimaa and Arpita didi will be when they hear of this? I can’t put them through that pain and disappointment,” Imlie sounded appalled at the idea.

“OK, so you married Aryan to free Aditya sir so that his mother and family do not have to suffer. Now, you're going to suffer through a marriage to a man you hate because you can’t hurt his family. Imlie, what are you? A sacrificial lamb?” he asked, calling her out on her stupidity.

Imlie groaned. “You know me, Sundar. I can’t bear to see the ones I love in pain.”

“So you'll go and ruin your life like that?” Sundar asked, incredulous.

“My life was anyway ruined – ”

“It wasn’t and it isn’t. Stop drowning in self-pity. Where is the Imlie who would always fight for others? Why can’t she fight for herself today?” Sundar felt like physically shaking Imlie out of this stupid line of thinking.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, exasperated.

“Either you call off this marriage, or if you stay in it, you be happy,” Sundar challenged.

“What kind of compulsion is that? Besides, a marriage is a life time commitment and love happens only once,” Imlie replied, trying to reason.

“Okay, yes, so what happens if you're in an abusive marriage?” Sundar countered.

“You walk out – I did that already,” Imlie replied, stating the obvious.

“And love?” he pushed.

“Sundar, my marriage to Aditya sir was ordained by Sita Maiyya! It was her blessing. Because of that, I was blessed with the love of a family,” Imlie said by way of an explanation, but Sundar had no intention of giving up till he had knocked some sense into his otherwise sensible friend. “And what about a romantic love?”

“I’ve accepted that I got unlucky in that department. By choosing to walk out on Sita Maiyya’s wish, I have closed all doors on love forever...”

“No, no, no, Imlie. You're not unlucky. You've just closed yourself to even the idea of love because you're afraid of being hurt again. You're afraid that you may have to go through all that pain all over again. You're afraid of what people back home will say when they hear that you've already moved on with someone else in such a short span of time. You're afraid of being called the home-breaker because somewhere in your heart, you're letting Aditya’s sir’s words still affect you. And that is also why you won't give Aryan a chance because you don't want to give anyone that kind of power over you again,” Sundar said, laying out all her fears before her so that she couldn’t run away again.

When Imlie looked away from him without replying, he said, “Imlie... Have you ever thought that maybe your marriage to Aditya sir was indeed Sita Maiyya’s wish, but only to get you here? That, maybe, you and Aditya sir were never meant to be? What if you were always meant to meet Aryan?”

If Imlie was honest with herself, the thought had crossed her mind, but she was scared to give it much weight. It was too simple of an explanation for all that was going on in her life. For the weird, confusing feelings playing within her. What if that was her mind playing games with her?

“It can’t be that simple,” she argued.

“Why not? You’re overcomplicating it.”

“Imlie, everyone deserves a partner who loves, cherishes and respects them. And though Aditya sir is my employer, I've seen how he treated you in the past one year when you were married to him. And you do not deserve that. More so, not after all that you've done for him and his family. I don’t want to analyse why you married Aryan or why suddenly, but it's your life, Imlie, and this is the best thing that has happened to you since we met.”

“How do you know this is the best? Don’t forget that the marriage was just in exchange for dropping his revenge against Aditya sir,” Imlie challenged. “It had nothing to do with him and me.”

“Just look at that man, Imlie. Irrespective of how things have been between the two of you, has there ever been a time when he hasn’t stood up for you or stood aside as a mere spectator while the world ran roughshod over you? Tell me one time when anyone from this family that you call yours stood up for you when Malini and Mrs. Chaturvedi, and Aditya sir, kept making a mockery of you during Malini’s wedding.”

“You seem to be quite taken by Aryan Singh Rathore,” Imlie mocked.

“Don’t evade the question, Imlie.”

When Imlie didn’t respond, he said, “No one, right? He was the only one who was there, every single time – and each time he did that, he kept winning a little more of my respect. He did this when he was merely your boss and mentor. Now that he is your husband, are you telling me you mean nothing to him?”

“He’s a manipulator and a liar,” Imlie said, her voice a half-hearted whisper.

“You don't even believe it yourself, and you want to convince me?” Sundar laughed. “Imlie, you just don’t want to accept that he matters to you, that you have truly moved on from Aditya sir, that you matter to him, and so you just want to push him away. You're just using him as a punching bag to vent all your fears and insecurities. Somewhere, you're also upset at yourself for agreeing to Aryan’s offer of marriage. Imlie... Please, stop feeling guilty about it and just enjoy how this unfolds.”

“Easy for you to say...” Imlie sighed.

“Fine, let's do it this way. Forget everything that I just said. Instead, tell me, what is it that you expect in a marriage?”

“I haven’t thought about it because I didn’t figure I would get married again,” Imlie replied quietly. “Sundar, I have a bad headache. I just want to be alone.”

“Ah, Imlie. You're running away, again,” Sundar smiled sadly.

“Anyway, I'll leave. But before I go, here’s some food for thought – in the time that you were married to Aditya sir, how often were you happy? And then, after you walked out of that marriage, were you ever happy? Think. And while you're at it, also think of all your fears. That should give you your answer on whether you should give this marriage a chance or not.”

As Sundar walked away, Imlie closed her eyes, too exhausted to think about anything anymore. She drew her legs close and rested her head on her knees, pressing her temples with both hands for the annoying headache to go away. All she wanted to do right now was go home and sleep the headache away.

She gathered her hair to pull it into a topknot when she felt a hand halting her move.

“Allow me,” she heard Aryan say.

“Wha – ” Imlie almost sprang up, but Aryan steadied her shoulders, holding her in place.

“Imlie, please...” his smooth baritone coupled with his touch relaxed Imlie and she let go of her hair.

Aryan slid his hand through the gathered mass and released the silken tresses, letting them fall against her back. As his fingers eased into her hair and came in contact with her skin, Imlie gasped.

“Sshhh... just close your eyes and relax. Curse me all you want, if it helps,” he said, his fingers gliding across her head in slow, gentle strokes.

A smile broke out on Imlie’s lips at his words and she closed her eyes, savouring the sensation his fingers created as he massaged her head.

Sundar's words from a few minutes ago came rushing back to her and Imlie found herself thinking over them.

Her mind drifted back to the times when she was married to Aditya sir, and though the times she had been truly happy could be counted at the tips of her fingers, it wasn't that which pained her, rather, it was the way each time that happiness was clouded by a shadow of something else – like the feeling of being a dirty secret because her true relationship to Aditya sir wasn’t disclosed to the family, or the feeling of betraying Malini by being a third wheel in between Aditya sir and her, even though Imlie was the one who was married to him, or the times when she was made to feel unworthy of him due to her roots...

Imlie hadn’t forgotten anything – neither the pain, nor the scars. She had just pushed those memories to some deep, dark recess of her heart to be able to move on. Recalling them felt like a jagged knife being pushed into her heart, inch by tiny inch, the pain almost physical. And with it came the realization of what a naive fool she had been.

Aryan’s hands continued to work tenderly as his fingers drew circular motions across her head. The soothing movements prevented her from falling back into that deep dark abyss as her thoughts drifted to the past.

Moving out of the Tripathi house, life hadn’t been short on challenges, but those felt like the energy that fuelled her dreams. And her first success had come in the form of the internship at Bhaskar Times. Imlie smiled as she recalled how that had come about. She’d had a couple of run-ins with Aryan before that day in college and when she saw his car in the campus, all she could think was the need to exact petty revenge. She had splashed mud all over his car, leaving not an inch of the paint visible underneath, only to later realize that he had come to the college to offer her an internship in his publication house. That day, had Imlie not learnt from her college principal that Aryan had analysed her academic records and performance before offering her the internship, Imlie wouldn’t have been able to stand strong when Aditya later accused her of furthering her relationship with Aryan in exchange for professional favours, when the truth was that Aryan had just been a stranger who had treated her like a human being, unlike how she was treated by Aditya when she first came to the city with him.

As Aryan’s fingers continued to work their magic, Imlie continued down memory lane, the memory of her first day in the Rathore house flashing before her eyes. The warmth and love with which Kakimaa and Arpita didi had greeted her. What she’d felt that day had been precious. The joy of having her own room and being treated as an equal.

She recalled the publishing of her first article on the front page, the first of many professional achievements to follow, she had not been able to contain her happiness. The elation of someone showing faith in her abilities.

The first time she had driven Aryan’s luxury sedan – he’d just tossed the keys towards her and asked her to drive. The thrill of being trusted with someone’s favourite vehicle.

The moment in the park when Aryan had tricked her into climbing the slide and then gently pushed her down to ease her fear of heights. The delight on hitting the ground to realize that someone had actually helped her overcome her fear.

The costume themed party for Aditya sir and Malini’s sangeet, when Aditya sir's chit had revealed her name as his partner in the game and he had just mocked her again and tossed the chit to the ground. No one had said a word as Anu Chaturvedi continued humiliating her until Imlie had dejectedly walked out, only to be stopped by Aryan. The awe at the silence that fell in the room at his presence as he reverently picked up the chit and pocketed it. The merry bliss as they'd danced together without a care in the world even though dancing was out of his comfort zone only so she didn’t feel like she was alone in that moment.

That day in the Tripathi house when Imlie had been raging mad and was desperately in need of a distraction because Aditya sir, following his wedding with Malini, had once again questioned her professional achievements, accused her of cheating on him with Aryan, and offered to unite with her again if she quit her job and severed all ties with Aryan. Aryan had refused to humour Imlie and yet, in the next instant said something that had left her in stitches. The delirious laughter that had left her lightheaded and wiped out the bitterness of Aditya sir’s words.

The night in Pagdandiya when Aryan and her had to stop for shelter in a hut in the middle of a raging storm. Imlie was a panicking wreck thinking of the havoc a similar situation had created in her life a year ago. However, not only did she find herself taking shelter in the hut with Aryan but also chasing him around the hut to feed him some roasted sweet potatoes that he refused to eat as he insisted on likening them to mice. The hilarity that ensued had made Imlie completely forget the stress, that had bogged her down all day, even if for a few moments.

Every one of these moments was associated with Aryan, Imlie realised, and each time, the man had prioritized her and her well being... On the heels of this realization followed Sundar's words from their conversation.

You just don’t want to accept that he matters to you, that you have truly moved on from Aditya sir, that you matter to him, and so you just want to push him away. You're just using him as a punching bag to vent all your fears and insecurities.

Sundar had been right, Imlie thought. She groaned and suddenly dropped her head on her knees.

“Imlie, what happened?” Aryan’s worried voice immediately floated into her ears.

Aryan was by her side in a second when she refused to look up.

“Hey...” he whispered, his hand tenderly caressing her hair.

Why did he have to be so soft? Imlie grumbled inwardly.

“Imlie, should we see a doctor?” came his concerned voice.

Imlie realized it was impossible to fight this anymore. So she finally looked up at him. He was kneeling beside her, his eyes reflecting worry and concern, while his hands delicately pushed the hair away from her face. She gave him a feeble smile and said, “I'm okay.”

He nodded, then got up and offered her a hand. She took it and he pulled her up, still holding on to her hand while she used the other one to brush off the blades of grass off her saree.

“Better now?” he asked.

Imlie’s fears slammed her once again as she considered his question and she found the endless what ifs rearing their heads once again within her.

“Aryan, I'm...,” Imlie trailed off, afraid she may just crumble if she tried to voice her fears.

“...afraid, I know,” Aryan finished for her and Imlie realised the man had always been a pro at reading her.

“Do you really think this will work?” she queried, not meeting his eye, as she added. “You and I, that is...”

“Nothing just works, Imlie. We need to make it work,” Aryan replied. He used his thumb and forefinger to raise her chin so that she would look at him.

“When working together, you need to trust your partner and trust starts with truth, Imlie. And my truth is that I haven’t used you; never have, never will,” Aryan said, looking into her eyes. “Now the question is, do you trust me? Will you give me a chance?” Will you give us a chance?

Imlie stood in silence pondering over his words as he held her captive with his gaze. The intensity in them wreaked havoc within her. Their gazes remained locked for a long moment and then, instead of responding with words because she didn’t trust herself, Imlie inclined closer and leaned her head on his chest.

Her gesture warmed his heart and Aryan released a breath he didn’t realise he had been holding. She trusted him and she had chosen to prove it with actions instead of words.

Please, do not disappoint me, Aryan, Imlie mentally begged, her hands finding their way to the lapels of his suit jacket and holding on to them, as she continued to quietly lean against his chest. I do not have the strength to deal with betrayal and rise once again.

Thank you for trusting me, Imlie. I promise, you will never regret it, Aryan thought as his hands reached out to caress her hair.

As Aryan’s hand glided over her hair, Imlie was overwhelmed with the comfort and promise of faith in that touch. In the next instant, she let go and wrapped her arms around him, encasing him in a tight hug. Aryan immediately followed suit, hugging her close, holding her to his heart in an embrace that felt like a protective fortress, catering to her unmet need of belongingness. She’d never been held like this before, the comfort soothing, the tenderness captivating. And just like that, Imlie broke down in his arms.

Burying her face in his chest, as the shudders wracked through her and the tears soaked his chest, Imlie let go all the grief that she had held within her from the disappointments of the past year – the mockery and the ridicule, the lies and the betrayal, the hollow promises, the shallow endeavours, the blaming and the shaming, and the constant gaslighting; the pain, the trauma, the never-ending drama; the crushing of hopes, the shredding of dreams, the losing of faith within, Imlie let it all go. All the while, Aryan continued to hold her, one hand cradling her head while he continued to whisper soft words of reassurance and comfort.

Imlie didn’t know for how long they stood like that. Finally, when the sobs racking her body subsided, she lifted her head, wiping away the trails of tears on her cheeks.

“Imlie, let this be the last time you cry due to some guy. From now, let there just be cheerful smiles and happy times,” Aryan said, his fingers swiping the tendrils from her cheeks. And Imlie was once again amazed at how accurately he had guessed the reason of her tears. She nodded, sniffling. “I’ve ruined your shirt,” she said, straightening his tear-stained shirt.

“At least you saved the day,” he teased, earning him a laugh.

“I think we should go home, it’s quite late,” Imlie said, stepping back.

Aryan nodded, “But before that, here's something for you.” He picked a fancy paper bag from the bench beside them and handed it over to her.

Imlie looked at him, curious, a question lingering in her eyes.

“Take a look,” Aryan said without elaboration.

She reached in and pulled out a wide sleek box wrapped in gift paper, tied with a satin band, the ribbon forming a bow on top. Imlie opened it gently to reveal an expensive-looking tablet. She was awed as she looked from the device to him but before she could say anything, Aryan leaned in and tapped the screen to wake up the device.

“Happy birthday, Imaliya!”

Her parents, Meethi and Satyakam's faces filled the screen and Imlie squealed in delight, “Amma! Dadda!”

The grin on her face as she watched the video message play warmed Aryan’s heart and filled it with an inexplicable contentment.

“How? How did you do this?” Imlie asked, still giddy with joy at the unexpected gift.

“I have my ways,” he shrugged, a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips. She didn’t need to know of his trip to Pagdandiya that he’d made for the special birthday message.

“Thank you! This is the best birthday gift ever!” Imlie said, eyes full of gratitude as she took his hand in hers, placing the tab on the bench.

“I’m glad you approve,” he replied, his hand still in hers, his thumb tracing patterns on it. They stood like that for a while, the seconds stretching into minutes, their gazes locked. The mood in the atmosphere changed and the moment was charged with anticipation. The breeze played with the strands on her face as they danced in the night wind, kissing her lips, inviting Aryan enticingly. He inched closer. Leaning in, he placed a long, lingering kiss on her forehead.

Imlie closed her eyes, a smile stretching across her face as his lips came in contact with her skin, savouring the warm, fuzzy feeling that swept through her.

“Happy birthday, Mrs. Rathore,” he wished her, delighted at the pink hue that was beginning to stain her cheeks.

“Thank you, Mr. Rathore,” she replied, grinning.

As they walked to his car, hand in hand, fingers intertwined, Imlie couldn’t help but think back to Sundar’s words at the serenity she saw on Aryan’s face. Maybe, he was right. Maybe, she was always meant to meet Aryan, and maybe, that was Sita Maiyya’s plan all along. And Imlie was glad that she was no longer ignoring the budding feelings within her – the sparks and the attraction, and the true depth of her emotions. Maybe, this time, it would all work out well.

Aryan was feeling blessed, walking with Imlie by his side. After all that had transpired in the last few days, he hadn’t expected today to end like this. He had been sure Imlie would sooner live on the streets than choose him, willingly. But she had given him a chance. Well, life was full of surprises he mused, and he would ensure that Imlie’s life would also be full of happy banter, cheerful laughter and meaningful surprises.

-fin-

A/N: Hope you guys liked this. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!! Will be tagging those who'd commented on the last one. Add me to your buddy list if you'd like to be tagged for future works.