Chapter 5 : Uljhan
*Continuation of the Haldi Day*
While Surya leaves for checking on the preparation and Imlie is looking to also join, she gets a call..
Imlie : Arey Sonali jiji, kaisi hain aap? Hum bata nai sakte, aapka call dekhkar humko kinti Khushi ho rahi hai..hum aapko aur dadiya ko baut yaad karte hai..
Sonali : Hum, daadiamma, aur baaki sab ekdam badia hain.. Tum hamari chinta mat karo.. Apna sunao, tum kaisi ho Imlie, Surya kaisa hai, sab gharwale kaise hain, tumhara sab khayal toh rakhte hainna.. Tum khush toh ho na Imlie?
Imlie : Wo wo Sonali jiji.. sab ache hain, par..
Sonali : Kya hua Imlie? Kaunu pareshaani hai kya, to humka batao? Ye hamara Inspector bhai tumko pareshaan kar raha hai kya.. Tum bolo toh hum aate hain daadiamma ke saath, uske kaan kheechne..
Imlie : Nai jiji, wo problem ke pakode ne filhaal kuch nai kiya.. problem humne khadi kardi.. Hum hum iss shaadi ko, unhe apna nai pa rahe… aap samjh rahin haina…
Sonali : "Arey pagli, bas itni si baat.. Suno hamari baat dhyaan se.. Koi tumse ye Umeed nai karta ki tum lalla ko bhul jao.. Ye Umeed karna hi bebuniyaad hai.. tum dono ek dusre ke liye kya the, ye sab jaante aur samjhte hain.. Par Imlie, ye socho, jaisa tha, jitne bhi waqt tum dono saath the, tumhara pyaar ekdam saccha tha, koi milawat nai thi usme, ekdam Chaudhary sweets jaisa, khara sone wala pyaar, nischal pyaar..
Sabko nai milta Imlie, puri zindagi nikal jaati hai.. Hume hi dekhlo, Amrit ji se shaadi karne ke baad bhi,hum bas ek chalawe me jeete rahe, unse alag hue hame itna waqt ho gaya.. phir bhi hum unko nai bhul paaye hain, jabki wo toh ache aadmi bhi nai the.. Haan kuch cheezein hain jo waqt ke saath badal jaati hai.. jaisa ki ab humne sindoor lagana band kar diya unke naam ka.. divorce bhi file kar diya hai, aur ab.. aur ab.. hum bhi jaisa tumne kaha tha, sirf pyaar ka sindoor lagenge warna nai"..
And with that Sonali goes into some self reflection..
Imlie wisely senses that this could be something to do with Amar-ji, but wo bayaani, kissi aur din ki kahaani.., hence stays silent..
Sonali : “Suno Imlie, keh de rahein hain.. Tumhari shaadi jab daadiamma ne karwayi thi, tab hum aur Chutki bhi tumhare saath khade the, shaadi ke khilaaf, par ab humne lagne laga hai, daadiamma ne humse jyada zindagi dekhi hai, kuch toh socha hoga unhone.. tum ek mauka toh dekar dekho Surya aur apni shaadi ko.. Aakhir hai toh wo hamara bhai hi, hume lagta hai, wo tumhe hamesha khush rakhega Imlie..”
Imlie while trying to comprehend everything just exchanged, tells Sonali, “Jiji aap nai jaanti, aapse baat karke hume aisa lag raha hai ki kisine hume ek saarthi ki tarah ek raah dikhayi hai, hum iss baare me sochenge, par.. par..”
Sonali : Par-war kuch nai Imlie, tum mujhse vaada karo, ki tum apni taraf se puri Koshish karogi iss rishte ko nibaane ki..
Imlie (With a gradual resolute forming in her mind), “Haan jiji, hum aapse vaada karte hain.. hum Koshish karenge..”
(and while keeping the phone, she adds - "Jitni ho sake, utni koshish"..)
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Everyone has returned from the mandir, and now preparing for the ceremony in the hall. Meanwhile Chachi brings Surya aside, “Surya beta, wo main soch rahi thi ki teri aur Imlie ki shaadi itni jald-baazi me hui ki koi rasam ache taraike se ho hi nai paayi.. Waise toh main chahti thi ki tum dono hi phirse saari rasme karlo, iss jode ke saath, par wo shayad filhaal ho nai paaega, jaisa ghar ka mahual hai, par phir bhi, agar tu aur Imlie, ek dusre ko haldi laga dete toh….?
Surya : Chachi, main aapke jazbbaton ki kadra karta hai, par main Imlie ke marzi ke khilaaf kuch nai karega, aur aapko toh pata hai, wo mujhpe abhi puri tarike se trust bhi nai karta hai, Haldi and all toh door ki baat hai..
Chachi was about to say something more, just when Arjun appears, “Anna wo dekhiye na, ghar ke ek side ka power issue hai kuch, shayad ek fuse udd gaya hai, agar aap dekh lete toh..”
Surya : Haan haan chal, main dekhta hai.. (looking at chachi)- Aur chachi, aap pareshaan mat ho, main sab dekh lega..
(Meanwhile, what Surya didn’t realize in all this, was that Imlie was sitting behind the pillar they were standing around and making rangoli, and hence, had unintentionally heard the entire conversation between him and chachi.)
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Surya had almost sorted the fuse situation, and he was about to head back, towards the main hall, when Imlie came towards him..
Surya : Tum idhar kya kar raha hai, Imlie, kuch kaam tha?
Imlie : Nai Rowdy Reddy.. wo hum.. hum..
Surya : Jaldi bolega tum? Mereko aur bhi kaam hai, aur tum ye peeche kya chupake khada hai..
Imlie, while brining her hands in the front, “wo humne galti se Chachi aur tumhari baatein sunli, aur.. aur, hum tumhe shagun ki haldi lagana chahte hain…”
Surya felt as if a thunderbolt had just struck him , and he was just speechless...
Imlie : Ka hua tumka? Tum humka aise kaahe dekh rahe ho..?
Surya : Mereko? Tumko kya hua hai Raadha Rani ka fangirl.. aise ajeeb se mazak mat karo, main inspector hai, heart attack dene ke jurm me, andar karwa dega tumko..
Imlie : "Arey tum hamari baat ko seriously lo na.. Lagta hai, tumko aise samjh nai aaegi.". and while saying this, she takes some haldi in her hands, and puts it gently on his cheeks..
The gesture, though lasted for hardly few seconds, Surya felt as if everything was happening in slow-mo. This girl, this mad wife of his, who wasn’t ready to breathe the same air as him, till few days back, was willingly applying haldi on him..
Imlie : Arey ab tum bhi lagao hume, aise ka dekh rahe ho..
And while in a daze, Surya also scooped some haldi in his hand, and was about to put on her cheeks, at the same instant, they heard someone coming their way.. Not sure whether Imlie will be comfortable to be found alone with him like this, without thinking, Surya just caught her by her waist and moved towards the backside in the gallery..
Before Imlie could comprehend anything, Surya just used his other hand to cover her mouth, and gestured to keep silent, as Tai-amma along with a guest, came strolling, to a place, very close to where they were standing..
During the duration of next few minutes, while Tai-amma wrapped up her conversation, and moved away from that place, Surya had removed his hand from Imlie’s face and was staring deep into her eyes..
Though Kaki-ma had gone away, still to be cautious, Imlie whispered, “Rowdy Reddy, Kaki maa gayi, isse pehle koi aur aa jae, tum jaldi se humka haldi lagado, aur phir hum dusre kaam karne jaaenge”..
Surya : But main toh tumko already haldi laga diya Radha Rani ka fangirl..
And while Imlie was about to question his sanity, because clearly he hadn’t touched her.. he hadn’t… right? Wait! His hand.., His other hand, was still on her waist, the same hand with haldi that he had picked up earlier.. Uh oh!..
And before, she could react, Surya slowly moved his fingers across her exposed navel, and her waist, thus putting haldi in places, where she wouldn't have imagined him touching her, just few days back..
He then, distanced himself, with a victorious smirk on his face and walked away, looking back, and giving her a wink.. as if.. as if..
And just then, the speakers which were being tested to be played later, suddenly blasted6..
“Aye... lahu munh lag gaya..
Soya tha nas nas mein,
Ab ye jag gaya,
Aye lahu munh lag gaya.,”
Thus, giving an epiphany to Imlie, that whatever this was, she for sure, hadn’t anticipated this side of Rowdy Reddy, and while thinking this, she had a deja-vu of seeing the similar challenge in his eyes, months back, when caught in a trap, having to choose between his amma and Alka-ma, he had decided to burn the very room, outside which they were standing now.. the same Surya was back, the one who had fire in his eyes.. the one before, everything went wrong. The one, who was her adversary, her enemy who had become her husband now..
And Oh God! Has she.. has she ignited something, which she wasn’t prepared for…
Uh Oh! someone was in trouble..
Chapter 6: Bekaraari
Once the haldi function was over, everyone was sitting and discussing the next day's events.
Tai-amma : Surya nanna, ab tumne Bulbul ki shaadi ki zimmedaari le li hai toh dekhna ki sab ache se manage ho jaae..
Surya looking at Bulbul, & Mama-Mami : Haan Tai-amma, main make sure karega ki aaj ki tarah, kal bhi sab as per plan ho.. aur kuch problem hoga toh Arjun aur main dekh lega..
Tai-amma : Sahi hai, chaliye sab sone jaaiye, kal bhi pura din function hai, and then specifically looking at Imlie , “Umeed hai, gharwale, baharwalon ke saamne hamari naak nai katwaenge, aur kyunki shaadi iss ghar se ho rahi hai, kuch bhi gadbad nai honi chahiye”
Imlie : Haan kaki-ma, hum sab theek se karenge, aur ek baar phirse aapka tahe dil se shukriya, aap Bulbul ki shaadi iss ghar se kar rahin hain…
Tai-amma : Iss galatfemi me mat rehna ladki ki ye hum tumhare liye kar rahein hai, ye sab kuch toh hum hamare Surya ki khush ke liye kar rahein hain.. Khair, tum nai samjhogi.. jab tum Surya ko hi abhi tak samjh nai paayi..
Imlie : Wo hum Koshish kar..
Tai-amma,stopping her mid-sentence : Bas, ho gaya, discussion over. Poornaviram! Sab sone jaaiye.
And that’s how Imlie and Surya ended up back in their room.
While Imlie changed in the washroom, Surya quickly changed in the room, and he was ready to call it a night, while hitting the couch. Just when he was about to pull the bedspread over him, Imlie comes and snatches it away.
Not expecting it, Surya gave a shocked expression to Imlie, “Ooo Radharani ka fangirl, tum phirse apne dimaag wali medicine lena bhul gaya na.. pehle toh tum mujhe din me tang karta tha, ab tumko meri nind se bhi problem hai?”
Imlie: Problem ke Pakode, Ziddi Zamikand tum ho Rowdy Reddy, hum nai hain.. Humne chaddar sirf isliye kheechi, kyunki hum kehna chahte the..ki.. ki....
Surya : Tum batane ka mahurat nikal ke kyun nai aata, tab tak main so leta hai, idhar laao chaddar.., and saying this, he snatched it back..
Imlie didn’t let it go, and hence when Surya pulled it by force, she also landed up falling on his lap..
Imlie : Uh uh… Tum pagal ho kya Rowdy Reddy.. Itne zor se kaun kheechta hai?
Surya : Zor se? Yamlie maine baut halke se kheecha tha, ab tum hawa se jyada light hai toh main kya kare… (And while saying this, he tucks her hair behind one ear, as the sudden movement, had brought some lovely curls in front of her face, and Surya just couldn’t stop the urge to move them, and see her properly..)
Imlie too got lost in the moment, without realizing, that the same guy who irked her beyond contempt just sometime back, was her husband, and she was very much sitting on his lap, as if, there was nothing out of ordinary..
Surya : Ek baat batao mujhe, tum ekdam se itna comfortable kaise ho gaya mere saath.. thode din pehle toh tum mujhse safe feel nai karta tha, mujhe chaanta bhi maar diya aur aaj, khudse aaya mere paas, haldi lagane ko..
Imlie : Tum wo chaante wali baat bhul jao na ab Rowdy Reddy.. Humne itni toh maafi maangli hai..
Surya : Theek hai maaf kiya.. ab?
Imlie : Ab, tum chalo bed pe sone..
Surya : Mujhe tumhare iraade nek nai lag rahe Radha Raani ka OG fangirl..
Imlie : Katai bakwas karwalo tumse.. Hum tumhara kya kar lenge bhala..
Surya : Jaisa tum peechle 10 minutes se mere uppar baitha hai itne aaram se, agar bed pe aa gaya main toh, wahan toh…
And this brought Imlie out of her trance, and she jumped off his lap…
Imlie : Ae.. Ae.. tum humka pehle kyu nai bole uthne ko..
Surya : Wo kya hain na Imlie.. Main samjhne ki Koshish kar raha tha, ki aisa kya hua, tum ek din me itna jyada badal gaya.. Main abhi bhi shock me hai..
Imlie : Dekho.. Hum bahut hi thak gaye hain.. sone ja rahein hai.. Tum bhi aaj se bed pe so jaao.. Humne dekha hai oo sofe pe tumhari kamar akad jaati hai aur phir tumhara rowdypana bad jaata hai..
Surya : Theek hai Imlie, tum itna force kar raha hai toh main aa jata hai bed pe, par tum pakka se meri side nai aaega na..?
Imlie : Bas karoge tum? Itna bada bed hai, aaram se nischint hokar so jao, aur humka bhi sone do.. Shubh ratri.., and saying this, she turns away in the other direction...
Finally getting over and sleeping on the other side of the bed, Surya wished her Goodnight, still very confused and very shocked, unable to figure out what led to this drastic change in his wife..
And meanwhile Imlie’s inner thoughts..“Hai Radharani, ye kaisi kahaani.. humne Sonali di ko promise kar diya tha, but itni shiddat se us promise ko hume aaj se hi seriously lena tha..
Pata nai, aage kya hoga Radharani..aap pe hi bharosa hai..”
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Next day is Mehandi in the afternoon and Sangeet at night..
While Imlie is getting ready in their room, Surya gets ready, in Arjun’s room, wearing a black sherwani and comes over, to check whether his wife (his!) (wife!) is ready to check on the preparations.
He enters the room, completely immersed in his phone, looking for some important contact for wedding related work, when he crashes into an oncoming missile, aka his wife..
Surya : “Arey arey.. tum kahan bhaga ja raha hai Imlie.. Jara dekh.. k.. ar.. chalo..” , and thus our hero gets mesmerized seeing his wife, clad in a shimmering black saree with a sleeveless blouse.. Her hair is tied in a loose plait, very much like how she was wearing on Holi.. Aaah Holi… When when.. Aargh.. concentrate Surya, comeback, says his inner-self..
Imlie : Chalo Rowdy REDDY.. hum ekdam “READY” hai! (she says, with a snarky smile)
Surya : Very funny. Radha Rani ka fangirl, But tum kahan ready hai.. Wo kahan hai..
Imlie : Ka.. kahan hai?
Surya : Arey wo..
Imlie : Wo ka? Ache se bataoge?
Surya: Wo ka.. ka.. kam.. kamar..
Imlie : Ka ka ka ...Kaa kare ja rahe ho? Ab ka humse Sharukh ji ki acting bhi karwaoge..
Surya taking few steps in her direction, while she moves backward and cornering her against the wall, “Wahi jisse maine wahan pehnaya tha tumko, jahan haldi bhi lagayi thi kal”
Imlie becoming speechless for a second.. “Tum jyada nai bolne lage ho Rowdy Reddy?”
Surya, while intensely looking into her eyes , “Haan,tumhare saath rehkar bolna seekh raha hai main bhi..
Imlie : Not able to bear his direct gaze, averting her eyes from his , “Wo kamarbandh hota hai.. aur nai., hume nai mil raha kahin bhi..pata nai kahan gaya.. kal raat toh yahin tha, par subha…”
And then adding after a pause, “Waise bhi mil jaaega toh kya, wo band nai ho raha, tabhi toh kal hume.. hume.. hume (still not looking into his eyes) tumhari madad leni padi thi”
Surya couldn’t resist, holding her chin with his fingers, and making her meet his gaze..
“Main tunhara pati hai.. Radha Raani ka fan girl.. Aur mereko koi problem… nai.. hai.., apne biwi ke kaam aane me..
And when he saw, Imlie’s cheeks getting flushed, and before, she could react more, he took out the ornament from his sherwani pocket and slowly, yet playfully, wrapped it around her dainty waist, all this while looking into her eyes, and not letting her, lower hers..
And just when Imlie realized, what was really happening, he said, “I know tumpe mera best impression abhi nai hai.. par main tumko best husband banker dikhaega.. Ye kamarbandh main hi subah tumhari drawer se nikalkar theek karwaya..”
And before she could give any retort, he finally managed to put the clasp and the hook together, gave the kamarbandh a slight tug.. which led to Imlie inching closer to him, and slowly yet seductively whispered in her ears.. “ Jaisa ki main pehle kaha, tum jab chahe, jaisa chahe, apne pati, matlab, mera.. istemaal kar sakta hai.. RadhaRani ka fan girl.. I am all yours”
And before Imlie could comprehend anything, he gave a very slight peck on her cheeks and walked away smiling wickedly… Yet again, leaving behind a shocked and flustered Imlie..
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That’s all folks! Hope y'all like it..
You know what I have noticed! Imlie bechaari ends up being stumped by Surya’s moves at the end of each of the chapters.. I guess I do have a favourite then..
Love & Light,
Gags
show mein toh hame zyada kuch milne Se raha. Aap hi kripa kardo
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