Chapter 17

shazia

@xarmaanx

part 17

"I know! And just when armaan finally confessed his feelings for her!"

"Talk about bruising his ego. The girl he's in love with is so repulsed she faints after hearing his confession"

"She wasn't repulsed!"

"Really? Then explain why she dropped dead after you proclaimed your undying love for her in front of her parents"

"...Shut up, rahul!"

"Your head was big enough already without ridz falling over her feet to get to you, anyway"

"Whatever!"

"Oh, you did not just stick your tongue out to me!"

"At least the baby's okay"

"Hm, yeah. Even if the parents are totally messed up"

"Shut up, guys! She's waking up!"

ridz blinked sleepily as her friends leant over her anxiously. muskaan nudged angie, gesturing her to get ridz's and armaan's parents.rahul and atul punched armaan lightly on the shoulder, smirking. armaan rolled his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have told them about his confession.

And how he was totally, completely, utterly rejected.

Well, ridz hadn't said that she didn't like him, but what was a guy supposed to think when the girl he was interested in faints after hearing your confession?

"Ugh" ridz groaned, her petite body rolling restlessly on the bed.

Her dark eyes fluttered open to find all her friends and family surrounding her bed. Her breath hitched as she caught sight of an anxious armaan at the end of her bed. She gulped. ridz hadn't forgotten his confession. Her stomach did a somersault as his concerned eyes pierced into her own, and ridz nearly forgot how to breathe. Her heart soared.

So he really did care about her.

A small smile played on her lips as her parents started to coddle her, asking how she was. ridz didn't care. All she knew was that armaan felt exactly the same way about her. They were finally going to live happily ever after, with their families and their baby. ridzs eyes widened.

The baby.

"How's my baby? Is he okay?" she fired at a worried padma.

padma chuckled, her smooth face relaxing at the energy of her daughter. She looked fine.

"He's fine. But you, young lady, have been starving the poor baby? Have you been dieting or something?" she clucked her tongue.

ridz  pouted, inwardly sighing in relief. At least her baby was okay.

"I haven't! I've just been studying for mid-terms and I guess I just…forgot to eat" she flashed a winning smile.

shashank shook his head. He turned and glared at an unsuspecting armaan.

"How could you let the mother of your child starve herself? How can I leave my daughter with you when you don't even feed her?" he fumed.

armaan blinked, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm sorry?"

Steam blew out of shashank's ears. ridz rolled her eyes. She mentally slapped herself on the forehead.

"Da-ad! It's not armaan's fault" ridz tried to reason.

muskaan and angie looked at each other, then at rahul  and atul . They nodded, smirking. muskaan rubbed her hands as her flashing eyes flickered to a silent armaan at the corner. She shook her head.

That boy better not screw it up.

"Mrs. gupta! I think we should go out and ask the doctor about how ridz and the baby are doing. You can never be too careful!" angie brightly exclaimed.

"But I…" padma started, before angie latched onto her arm and dragged her out.

rahul slapped his hands on shashank's and atuls's backs.

"Come on, I'm starving. I'm sure you two are as well. My shout! Let's go atul!" he hollered, steering them out of the room with atul trailing behind.

muskaan pointedly looked at kirti, folding her arms across her chest. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm coming"

ridz's dark eyes widened. She glared at muskaan, who winked cheekily at her and armaan. armaan blushed. They were alone for the first time in a while. He bit his lip. He could hear his mind screaming at him to ask her for her answer. ridz waited for armaan to speak, her heart racing. She didn't know what to say or do. armaan inwardly kicked himself. He was never nervous around any other girl. He took a deep breath.

"So…" he trailed off.

armaan cringed. What kind of conversation starter was that? ridz fidgeted in her narrow bed. Should she tell him that she had heard his confession? And that she felt the same way? ridz opened her mouth, her heart in her mouth, when a knock resounded through the room. ridz and armaan whipped to find a flushed angad by the doorway. armaan cursed under his breath.

Just when he had worked up the courage to confront ridz about his feelings for her.

"Hey" angad smiled at a slightly disappointed ridz.

ridz forced a smile as angad walked into her room. Her eyes flickered to a stony-faced armaan beside her. She inwardly sighed. Just when she was going to confess her own feelings.

"Hey angad" she replied. "What are you doing here?"

angad blushed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Everyone at collge has been saying you landed yourself in the hospital after a fight with armaan. I just wanted to check if you were okay"

ridz sighed. armaan rolled his eyes.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to listen to gossip?" he snapped coldly.

angad opened his mouth to retort, his eyes flashing angrily, when ridz placed a hand on his arm.

"I'm fine, angad. I just haven't been eating well. Don't worry" she said in a reassuring tone.

Jealousy boiled in the pit of armaan's stomach as he stared at ridz hand on anagd's arm. angad beamed, before biting his lip nervously.

"That's good to hear. Um, ridz, there's something I need to tell you. In private" he pointedly glared at armaan.

armaan smirked, and leant back against his chair, watching his every move. angad rolled his eyes, and smiled back at a curious ridz

"What is it, angad?" ridz smiled, trying to ignore armaan's piercing gaze.

"Well, okay, I'm just going to say this straight out. I like you. Not the friendly 'you're-my-best-mate- like you, but the 'like you' like you. And I just wanted you to know that even though you're pregnant with someone else's baby, I'll be there for you. You know, if you ever need someone to take you to hospital or just talk to about stuff" in short i love u angad finished lamely.

ridz gaped. She wasn't expecting another confession after armaan's one! ridz hit her lip. angad was a sweet, handsome guy, who was always there for her when she needed a friend. But she didn't get butterflies in her stomach whenever she was around him. She didn't get nervous and start rambling uncontrollably.

Unlike when she was around armaan.

Her dark eyes flickered to armaan, who was sitting there with an unreadable expression. No matter how he truly felt about her, she was going to tell him. But that meant angad  was going to have to be disappointed. ridz looked up at a hopeful angad. She sighed softly.

"I'm sorry angad. But…I don't feel the same way about you. You're honestly a great guy, and I'm sure there are girls just lining up to be your girlfriend, but…I already have someone in my heart"

As she spoke, ridz stared at armaan. armaan's eyes widened, realization dawning on his face. A grin slowly formed, his heart fluttering. So ridz did feel the same way! He felt like he was soaring. He had never been this happy over a girl before! angads face fell. He slowly looked at armaan, then back at ridz. He nodded sadly.

"I get it. Don't worry about it. Still friends?" he smiled half heartedly.

ridz nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course!" she beamed.

angad nodded, before bidding goodbye and leaving armaan and ridz alone. ridz blushed. She had just basically confessed her true feelings for armaan, and now he was just sitting there with a stupid, goofy grin on his face, not saying a word. Regardless of how cute he looked at that moment. armaan grinned at a red-faced ridz. He felt so giddy, like a little boy who had two ice-creams. armaan took a deep breath, taking ridz's hand into his own. She looked at him, surprised. armaan smiled gently at her.

They had a lot to talk about.