Note: This is an OS with an open ending. Readers are free to interpret what will happen after the end of OS.
Agasthya halted his steps in front of main gate from where a small crowd of kids and adults were rushing in to enter. He roughly passed his fingers in his hair to calm down his anxieties that were getting to him. The beard on his face made him look mature beyond his years and that was true to some extent. The dishevelled hair made him look raw and tough. He was no longer the person that used be so well groomed and always picky about his appearances.
He waited for some minutes till the crowd dispersed but now he was getting restless. He had the urge to go inside and found it himself for what he has came but he stopped himself. This wasn't the time to do that. He needed to wait for another 5 hours which felt like an eternity. With a heavy heart he turned around his steps and sat on bench in shade of banyan tree which was in front of purwaiya primary school.
These 5 hours of wait will be nothing in front of the wait he did for 5 years.
*Two days earlier
" Mrs Chaudhary, you need to convince your dadi to eat somehow. She has been neglecting her health for some time now. If she will not pay attention, I am afraid her health might worsen in future "- The doctor told Imlie directly .
" These are multi vitamins I have written for her" - Doctor gave the slip to Imlie and went from there. Imlie sighed hard seeing him go. With another sigh, she turned to look at her dadi who was sitting in aangan playing with little Aarav who was sitting in her lap. One could see the pain of losing her most dearest grandson Agastya on her face even after 5 years has passed from that dreadful incident but her eyes still twinkled with love whenever Aarav would show his toys with excitement to her.
" Imlie "- Sonali gently approached her. when she looked up ,she had to hold herself from tearing up.
"Dadi Amma is again not eating up" - Sonali questioned Her to which she nodded her head. Sighing, Sonali touched her forehead feeling a headache taking over. Her sight went to the slip which Imlie was holding.
" Doctor has written another set of medicines"- She again questioned and seeing no other way to answer Sonali queries, Imlie again nodded her head in affirmative manner.
" don't worry jiji. I will bring the medicines. I have saved some money from the salary "- Imlie replied wanting to change the topic. Both women gave a look of sympathy to each other.
Agasthya who was watching this from a little far covering his face couldn't feel anything less than helplessness at the moment. It would have been better if he was really killed in that accident 5 years earlier. Seeing the most important people in his life leading a life in education they are struggling for even basic needs was making him hate himself. It was all his mistake. Bringing Binni and doing a fake contract marriage with her was his biggest mistake.
Enquiring with a few villagers, he found that after his supposed death , Binni whose real name was Rashmi Mishra took over the house and threw out the Chaudharys when they found her fraud. Karan took Govind chachu and Rajni chachi and manno Bua to city with himself. As Dadi didn't wanted to leave purwaiya, Sonali decided to stay with her. Dadi realised her mistake of not trusting Imlie and seeked her forgiveness who didn't took a second to forgive her. That's when during the darkest of night appeared a guiding star when they came to know about Imlie pregnancy. Imlie was ashamed to admit that it happened before her marriage with Agastya but when she saw dadi smiling for the first time after Agastya death, she understood that dadi has finally accepted her as daughter. Imlie finally felt accepted as Agasthya wife and Chaudhary’s bahu.
With " Aarav Singh Chaudhary " arrival in their lives, every sorrow might not had cease to exist but they now learnt to live with it comfortably.
* Present time
Agasthya chain of thoughts broke when he again heard the same crowd noise from morning. He stood up and after what he felt like an eternity he finally found the face that he was looking for. A sly smile adorned his face which still bear the light marks of the slit.
She was walking slowly when another lady approached her from behind and then they engaged in conversations. His heart fluttered seeing her after so many years and curiosity to meet her was getting on his nerves.Carrying a big handbag on her shoulder, she was constantly trying to put her baby hairs behind her ear. He remembered It was always her habit to do that while talking.He could see that her hair has gotten longer that it used to.
He became alert when he noticed that her conversation was over and she was coming outside. No he can't do it. He can't face her. Just because of him , she got to live a miserable life. He was away from the world sleeping peacefully in comatose state for 5 years which she was facing this cruel world.
He started walking mindlessly from there when his body hit something. It was her. It was Imlie .she was standing in front of him. Her eyes filled with unknown pain. Her thick black lashes now shimmering with tears. Her baby pink lips parted like it wanted to say something but it couldn't.
He stepped ahead and held her face in his hands. Putting her arms around his abdomen, it was at this moment that she hugged him tightly and letting her all tears fall freely. He too wrapped his hands around her tiny frame caressing her hair.
"Babu........."- she whispered.
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