MISUNDERSTOOD - an Arylie Story

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{Some disagreement between our dear couple, because they have both not openly spoken out about this topic—and it has suddenly triggered the worst memory of Aryan's life}

In the previous chapter:

She got a quick shock and turned to look at him, wondering why his expression was all dark ....then she seen the file. So, he found out about it. She quickly gulped and stood up to go to him, his eyes meeting her with only one question,

"WHAT THE HELL do you think you're doing?"

——————————-

Aryan was red with anger. He tried very hard to control his rising ire by clenching his jaw.

He asked Imlie once more,
"What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" He said it with such pauses that Imlie was now afraid to look up at him.

She somehow built up the strength and spoke up struggling, "I...I...I wanted to help you..."

"HELP ME?!" He shouted back loudly.

"This is the one thing I told you to stay away from, and you're helping me? I told you...nobody else will be involved. Not even YOU. I need to do this for him—for everything that was taken from me, from my family. You have no right to interfere, Imlie." Aryan paused, his eyes still red.

"I was just trying to find out what happened...I need to know, Aryan! I know you may probably hate me after this, but I can't see you like this."

"I need to know how to bring Jiju to justice, to give the family the respite needed, I need to find out more. Please Aryan!"

But Aryan wasn't looking at her anymore. He couldn't believe she was trying to find out about an incident that didn't involve her in any way.

Somewhere deep down, he couldn't believe she was standing in the way of his revenge again. The dream came seeping back of her being snatched away from him....

He sighed and spoke softly then.

"Are you trying....to protect that man....AGAIN?"

"You think I'll destroy him because I couldn't do it completely last time, don't you? And now you're making absolutely sure that nothing of the sort happens.
Is that it, Imlie? Is that why you're so desperate to find out the truth?"

He looked at her again—his expression plain and agonising. Imlie stood blank.

"Him? Wha...what are you trying to say? What are you...."

"You know very well who I'm talking about. The naïveté is not required right now. My revenge is something that fuelled me for 4 years—and don't you DARE think for once, that anything is going to change that. Not in the least for that ADITYA." He roared back at her.

Imlie stood still— like in a trance, her tears falling freely now. She grabbed his collar and stood on her toes.

"You still think....I...I'm doing this...for him? You're bringing his name in all this when I was just thinking about yo—''

"About ME? Let's face it Imlie, you know very well that you have not recovered from the previous relationship having been wounded and manipulated by the same person so many times. You know this revenge will destroy him and with him, maybe a part of his family—that's the part you cannot bear."

"The thought of losing them—isn't that why you married me?"

"And yes...maybe, MAYBE...losing him, too." Aryan hesitated with the last line but ultimately said it.

At this, Imlie stared at him dumbfounded. She couldn't believe what he had said. She let go off his collar and took a step back.

All she wanted was for him to let go of his revenge so he wouldn't destroy himself in the process—she cared too much to let that happen.

She could see him struggling night after night while getting through a nightmare, and how she would rush to his side to calm him and put her hand on his head till the wrinkles on his forehead disappeared.

She would sleep by his side and take his hand in hers —-and then slowly move away, making sure she was always nearby even then.

She could see how broken he was and how she had heard so many stories of the man 'Aru' who was so beloved due to his cute antics.

She wanted to see that side of his again—so she rigourously decided to find out for herself how Arvind jiju was wronged—and how to clear his name of all the misfortunes of the past.

She sat up late researching and today brought it all home, thinking she might approach the topic with Aryan slowly, somehow, but was unable to do so.

Before anything else, he had found out in the most triggering way—and she cursed herself inwardly for it.

Imlie was now trying hard to keep her tears in check, but she couldn't bring herself to.

"Aryan...I...please...listen to me...."

But he didn't wait to hear a word further.

He left the room, visibly upset, while Imlie couldn't hold back her tears any more.

She picked up each document and neatly placed them back in her bag.

In her mind she said a small prayer to her Sita Maiyya to give her strength.

"I can't stop now. I'm only doing this for him...his family...I can't see him like this..." she said quietly to herself.