Chapter 8

 **~PART 11~**

"What???" Riddhima clutched the bed and felt her insides churn as the news sunk in .Muskaan a traitor??? As the word escaped her lips she let a soft fierce "NO" from her mouth.

 

 

"Shutup Atul, stop being ridiculous" she fiercely muttered

 

 

"You think am joking Ridz??? Today morning about 4 am we raided her hotel room following a tip off and found the copies of blue prints of the next smuggling plan ATS has been planning and also got a few pictures of her talking to that Anjali and some other members"

 

 

 

"But Atul how can…….." Riddhima's heart raced as the news sank in.

 

 

 

 

" Riddhima we always knew that there was a traitor, so this was no surprise" he concluded.

 

 

"Why wasn't I informed till now?" Riddhima felt tears roll down her eyes. Wiping them furiously she got up and paced around awaiting her answer.

 

 

"Well….." he paused

 

 

"Yea, I am waiting Atul"

 

 

"Because there wasn't any need to inform you, you have a job and you are supposed to stick to that" he firmly spoke.

 

 

 

"So you mean giving me a case to baby sit a guy excludes me from being involved in matters as important as this?" she wiped her tears and felt her throat dry.

 

 

 

"Yes, you are assigned a case, you stick to it. You are informed what you need to know……..and now you needed to be told that Muskaan has been found guilty so………"

 

 

 

"Why do you and Rahul keep telling me what I have to do??" Riddhima lashed out her anger now rising.

 

 

 

 

"That's simply because you need to be told" there was silence following this statement as Riddhima stifled a sniff and braced herself. She was and would always remain an extra she thought.

 

 

 

"No wonder your wife ditched you and left Atul, who ever she was good for her, as you keep instructing who should do what and what not" she sneered biting her tongue the next minute. That wasn't needed but she couldn't help lashing out.

 

 

 

"Armaan is busy right now with a meeting right there in the living room with his accounts department I believe Riddhima. He will be kept busy for another hour and a half. You sneak out quietly and come to our headquarters .Cape Town police department that is. We will keep an eye on him till you get back. You are expected in the next half an hour" saying he cut the call.

 

 

Looking at his cell her words still rang in her ears.

 

 

 

"No wonder your wife left you Atul…." She had left him, why, how? Well Riddhima perhaps you would never understand Atul thought. Not till you fall in love.

 

 

 

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Riddhima entered the freezing cabin pushing open the door and found Rahul, Atul and few more officers. Frank was present too with a grim expression on his face.

 

 

 

 

"What is going….." she stopped seeing Frank signal her to be quite

 

 

 

 

"Riddhima you have been told what you needed to know. We tried interrogating her but she refuses to talk" Frank frowned grimly

 

 

 

"This will increase her penalty" he added

 

 

 

"Wait a minute, increase her penalty? What are you guys talking about?" Riddhima glared at all the men in the room.

 

 

 

 

"Riddhima are you so silly not to know that Muskaan is suspended and will be punished for her traitor act?" Frank glared back loosing patience

 

 

 

 

"But Frank she hasn't yet been proved guilty right…" Riddhima fumbled trying to finds words to form her statement.

 

 

 

"Riddhima for heaven's sake she has been found with those blue prints, she was found associating with Anjali and a few other members! What more proof do you want?" Frank countered her looking visibly scandalized.

 

 

 

"But….but she hasn't confessed has she?" Riddhima asked in desperation

 

 

 

 

"Staying mum is next to confessing your guilt Riddhima, in our world atleast" Atul interrupted. Riddhima let out a sigh of frustration and glanced at Rahul. He stood there still with a blank unfathomable expression on his face.

 

 

 

"Ok can I talk to her?" Riddhima finally asked.

 

 

 

"No we thought it was possible but we got orders from higher authorities not to allow friends and family as she is no ordinary criminal." Frank spoke with an air of finality.

 

 

"Then why have you called me here?" Riddhima asked her pitch rising.

 

 

 

"To inform you along with the rest of the members that if she doesn't open her mouth till tomorrow morning we will increase her penalty level and it might even result in death penalty"

 

 

 

Riddhima gasped listening to this. The meeting was dismissed and she walked out in a daze. As the car sped through the streets she couldn't help but feel utterly helpless. Her bubbly, chirpy yet soft and sensitive Muskaan, her almost twin sister was confounded? Was called her traitor? Riddhima couldn't digest this. No Muskaan could never ever….but those proofs???? And Rahul didn't object even once? How mean and selfish people could be? No her heart could never ever agree to the fact that Muskaan was a traitor. Even if there were a hundred more evidences against her. Riddhima laid her head on the head rest on her seat and closed her eyes feeling a head ache. How would she ever cope up with this?

 

 

 

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"Hey" Riddhima felt herself being embraced lightly as she stepped into the living room.

 

 

 

"Missed you honey, did you get the handbag you had spotted?" she looked up to see Armaan smiling deeply, his dimples setting in as he held her , his arms circling around her waist.

 

 

 

"Huh handbag….oh no actually umm it was sold out and so…" Riddhima looked away remembering the reason she gave Armaan when she went off to the head quarters. Since he was busy she gave the excuse of shopping. Armaan had refused to allow her to go alone, but finally she had managed to convince him that she wanted to go and get a bag she had seen in the nearby store last night.

 

"Riddhima I'll buy you a better one next time" he smiled stroking her cheek gently making her look up. Seeing her lost look he asked her in a serious tone.

 

 

 

 

"Honey anything wrong? You don't seem to be yourself" he asked concerned.

 

 

 

 

"No nothing wrong….umm just nothing" Riddhima gave him a watery smile and swallowed the surge to break down and cry out aloud.

 

 

 

 

"Umm ok Riddhima go up to your room, there's something up there waiting for you. And do get ready and come down quick" he smiled tucking her strands behind her ear.

 

 

 

 

"Get ready? For what?" Riddhima looked at him confused.

 

 

 

 

"Well I am taking you out obviously love, our first official date" he winked gently playing wither fingers.

 

 

 

 

"Date? Armaan but….." Riddhima frowned. The last thing she wanted was to go out and that too with him. She gazed into his eyes and saw them glowing with tenderness.

 

 

 

 

"No ifs and buts darling, I am taking you out and that's final" he grinned and tagged her upstairs. Now go ahead and get ready" he mumbled pushing her in her room.

 

 

 

 

Riddhima sighed closing the door as he stepped out. As she walked into the room her gaze fell on the parcel lying on the bed.

 

 

 

 

Opening the parcel she found a diamond studded bracelet glittering till her eyes hurt and note with it.

 

 

 

 

"I really wanted to give you a dress in which I thought you would look so ravishing that you would make me fall for you all over again despite me already deeply, madly fallen under your spell. But then I decided to simply give you this. It was my mum's. You will look breathtaking in whatever you wear today but wearing this you will accept my claim on you. It's a mere object I bestow you with to make my presence felt wherever you go and to just tell you that I love you. love Armaan"

 

 

 

 

Riddhima felt her heart stop reading this. Looking at the glittering piece in her hand she felt oddly numb. Armaan was truly in love with her. And here she wanted to break his heart and tell him the truth? How could she…..nobody had made her feel the way he did. Nobody cared for her as much as he did. Nobody touched her heart like he did.

 

 

No she would go, she would go just for him, Riddhima stood up wiping her tears. The entire Muskaan issue had left her broken, shattered. But she couldn't have her way there. Nobody seemed to be listening to her. Her opinion hardly mattered here. She was just a mere worker for them. And what if Muskaan really was…………NO she couldn't even get that possibility in her mind .Maybe tomorrow would bring a fresh start, throw some more light. There was nothing she could do right now and nobody really cared what she felt and here she was disappointing a guy who worked so hard to just see her smile? She would go with Armaan and just forgot all this. That's what she was expected to do right. Tonight she would be herself .Just plain Riddhima, a normal girl not any agent, not on any mission just Riddhima.

 

 

 

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"Wow honey you look……." Riddhima blushed as he held out his arm for her standing down at the bottom of the staircase. He beamed seeing the bracelet on her right wrist and he kissed her palm gently.

 

 

 

"Shall we?" he opened the door to his car and she gladly obliged sitting down in the passenger seat. As soon as he got in beside her he leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek softly and whispered.

 

 

"Promise tonight will be the most special ones of your night love" Riddhima couldn't help but smile. She just couldn't get the afternoon events out of her head. How can I forget this? How can I leave Muskaan….but how could she? They played in her head again and again as he drove off.

 

 

 

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 Feeling the engine die Riddhima jerked back to her senses and found Armaan looking at her intently. The entire journey she had been so quite and lost in her thoughts that Riddhima now felt guilty for not paying attention to him. And he being the perfect gentleman he was had not once interrupted her thoughts but had just been quite and left her alone.

 

 

 

"Riddhima are you alright? Look if you don't like this we can still go back….it's fine…"

 

 

"No "Riddhima whispered .Why the hell couldn't she just be herself and feel free and just be with him??

 

 

 

"Are you sure?" he asked looking visibly worried.

 

 

 

 

"Yes Armaan I am perfectly fine" she replied in a stronger tone.

"Oh ok, then come on" Armaan smiled not looking visibly convinced. As she got down, it was then she noticed that he had brought her to a beach. It was exactly on the beach as she now saw they were atop a cliff and she could hear the waves crashing below the treacherous rocks. Cold wind swept across her face as she gasped feeling his hand across her bare waist and felt herself being pulled close to his frame.


"Armaan? Where are we exactly?' she asked looking around.



"Relax Ridz, is it really necessary to ask this?" he grinned shaking his head.

 

 

"But……"

 

 

"But what? You women na, always……"

 

 

"What did you just say?" she took a step forward and kept abreast with him.

 

 

"Umm nothing leave it…." He cheekily winked.

 

 

"Ok close your eyes" he suddenly stepped behind her and closed her eyes as she whined.



"Armaan stop….what are you upto?" she moaned as he guided her forward over the rocks.



"Riddhima stop being childish. Two minutes I'll open them yaar" he answered closing her eyes tighter.



"Armaan I'll fall, the rocks here…."

"Was that a joke?" he whispered suddenly close to her ears.

"As if I were going to let you fall you silly girl" he low tone.



Riddhima felt herself tingle with excitement as he slowly guided her forward.


"Ok we are here, tadaaa" he announced opening her eyes.

Riddhima blinked twice as her vision adjusted to the twilight dawning in the sky .A low lantern hung from the wire chord and underneath were two recliner chairs with a table in between. On the table was a small frozen bucket with a bottle in it and the table was decorated with a single candle and plates and glasses added to the zing .Over all it a very simply pleasing sight. Not much of a show or pompous put up. She turned back to Armaan who was waiting next to her gazing at her expectantly.



"Armaan it's…….." she paused hearing another wave crash below.



"You like it?' he whispered looking at her taking hold of her hand.


"Its beautiful Armaan, I love it" she responded in the same tone.


"Its not much, maybe not what you expected but I wanted to keep it simple and not something over the top. After all you and me being together is what matters the most right." He rambled on as they approached the table.


"You know below there is the Diaz beach and we are strategically right now on the Cape Point, it's where the three seas meet, just like two people like us in an ocean of love…….." he smiled.

 

 

"Um I know it's a very bookish line and all, two people like in ocean of love, but what to do being in love makes you a fool sometimes, big enough to be philosophical and rant these lines" he sighed dramatically and smiled as she let out a giggle.

 

"There see, you did smile, mission accomplished." He grinned.

 

Once seated Armaan took the tainted bottle from the bucket and poured the red liquid in the two glasses. Riddhima stared at him in amazement.



"Armaan this is….?"



"Yes red wine"



"But but you don't like it much" she frowned as he poured it in her glass and recollected how he had told her at the recent party that he wasn't too found to it.



"So what? You like it and that's more then enough for me sweetheart" he grinned and raised the toast.

"But Armaan…."

"Oh Riddhima keep quite for once atleast. Don't spoil our moment, come on cheers to us" he winked as the toasted and took a sip of the bitter-sweet liquid.



Riddhima drank in the chilled wine and felt a lump in her throat. Nobody had ever gone out of his way to do so much for her. When Papa was alive he would do these little-little things just for her, she had long forgotten how it was to be treated as a normal girl. She looked at Armaan feeling tearful. Muskaan fiasco had left her completely alone, completely stranded, with nobody to lean on. Perhaps not alone she realized gazing at Armaan looking at lovingly.


"Riddhima?" he looked at her tears threatening to roll down as she blinked and looked away in to the star studded night.


"Hey?" he whispered getting up and kneeled down in front of her. Cupping her face in his palms he looked at her worriedly.

"What happened, don't you like this sweetheart?"

"No its just that….." Riddhima fumbled looking away.


"Yea " he nodded encouraging her, getting up he pulled the chair closer to her.

"Armaan I was just missing Papa, you know he would treat me out like this on my birthdays and when I would get results and all. We were just two of us in our family and he was my world. Today seeing you doing all this…..I just remembered him, I…..just missed having a family" she smiled as he wiped her tears and pulled her up. Instinctively she hugged up him much to his amazement.




Feeling her arms wrapped around his waist he smiled there was no doubt now that she loved him. He stroked her back comfortingly and kissed her hair lightly.

 

 

 

"Trust me Riddhima, I'll say it in plain simple words that I will always be there with you, no matter what……..I'll be there….." he murmured holding her.

 

 

 

So this was the real Riddhima he pondered. She might portray herself as a suave, confident and strong woman and she was no doubt he mused but still a part of her was empty he thought, it was sour and needed to be nursed. Armaan knew what it was to loose a parent, he still had his Dad, she had no one. He would never let go of her he vowed.

 

 

 

Pulling out of the hug he straightened up as she sorted herself. No more words were needed. Armaan merely smiled reassuringly as she nervously stroked her hair, smoothing it consciously.

 

 

"I am sorry?" she whispered once they were seated.


"For what?"

"For spoiling your moment, your dinner." She simply answered lowering her eyes feeling a little ashamed for letting go of her emotions so easily.


"Hey that's fine, and am I some stranger? I am a part of you now Riddhima you can confide in me with every little worry you have."


Riddhima nodded feeling better. Perhaps she wasn't as lonely as she felt afterall.


As they proceeded with the dinner Riddhima found her edginess disappearing listening to Armaan talking about himself and his childhood. There was something about him that touched her, that soothed her, that made her yearn for him. That made her feel secured, you would want to retire in the arms of a man like this at the end of your day. Why was he affecting her in this way?? No doubt he liked him, but falling for him so deeply.......wasn't she playing with fire??

As her mind cleared up from the hysteria she thought, perhaps she could go meet Rahul tonight once Armaan retired to bed. Maybe all hope to prove Muskaan innocent wasn't lost.



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"Armaan where are you taking me?" she whined  as he swept her of her feet and climbed up the staircase.


"Hmm to your room obviously" he grinned seeing her struggle in his arms.


"Armaan I can climb by myself" she pouted.


"But I prefer it this way" he murmured.


Kicking open the door he placed her on the bed and closed the door coming back again to pull over the rug on her.

 

 

 

Bending down he pecked gently on her lips.

 

 

 

"Goodnight Riddhima" he murmured in her ears.

 

 

As soon as he walked out Riddhima sprang up and dialed Rahul's local number. He ought to be at his positioned place, here somewhere about on the grounds right now she thought glancing at her wrist watch.

 

 

 

"Hello?" she frowned hearing the unknown hoarse voice.

 

 

 

"Hello Rahul? Who is this?' she questioned feeling alert.

 

 

"Ahh agent Riddhima? I am Paul, Frank sent me here in place of agent Rahul"

 

 

 

"But why? I mean was there any other urgency?" Riddhima asked feeling uneasy.

 

 

 

 

"Actually yes, Agent Rahul has disappeared since today afternoon, despite our numerous attempts we have failed to locate him, he seems to have vanished into thin air!"

 

 

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Ok part 11 folks, I really appreciate your support and encouraging comments. Pls do leave in a word as thats the only motivation. I know this part wasnt that great or interesting but it had to be there to set up a base for future track, my apologies for the boring read it made!!! But still i would appreciate your honest comments. Will send pms in the morning!!