Chapter 9

(this part is a special dedication to Vini...Belated Happy Birthday once again dear🤗)
Part 8

Armaan get into his room after making Riddhima take a seat  in the lounge. He marched upto his bedside to take a hold of her diary  which was still placed on the side table. He again wanna take a peak in  it but something strong stopped him. He pretty much got to know the real  reason of her refusal to jump on the wedding date now, but he wonders,  if there is something more to this story. Shooking his head, he moved  towards the sofa on which her bag was placed and putting the diary  inside, zipped it up.

He was about to enter the lounge when the  giggles from inside, made him stop just at the door. The scene inside  was way more like a dream to him than reality. There Ananya was sitting  on Riddhima's feet, wrapping her hands around her(Riddhima's) legs as Riddhima  was sitting on the sofa and moving her legs up and down, giving  her(ananya) a swing. Ananya giggled louder as Riddhima put her feet on the  ground and Ananya's little hips hit it lightly. "Phil shay"(Phir se) she  said in her childish tone as Riddhima laughed at her sweet statement and  again started with the game, they were playing. Armaan smiled widely,  leaning against the wall, his hands crossing his chest as he saw this  sweet interaction. A memory of Sneha and Riya flash infront of his eyes  whom he found one day, engaged playing in the same game as he get back  home after a meeting. They both didn't noticed him then and was so into  eachother like no one else existed around them. It was a beautiful  memory that he had of his family that he always wish to have, he always  wished to cherish. But life wasn't that sincere to him. It took his Riya  away that also took all the happiness of his life. But now with Ananya,  he wish to create new one's. The one's who he know will stay forever.  Riddhima made Ananya put her little feets on her's and holding her tiny  hands, in her's carefully, she lifted up her feet balancing Riya making  an excited face. Ananya was looking with amazement at her face and Riddhima  caught her in a hug and kissed her cheeks as she giggled. Samia Bi  entered with a glass of water that Riddhima wanted and hand over that to  her. "She is getting naughty" Bi said with a smile tickling Ananya's  tummy. "No, actually she is such a sweet kid. I heard about her from  Shaina, Aryan and Nitin, but she is even more cute and adorable than  they said" Riddhima pulled her cheek as she smiled. "Daddy" Ananya turned  and run to Armaan who pick her up to quickly. "Yes my princess"He said  giving a kiss on her cheek. "Daddy, Main aunti ko apne toys dethaoon"  She asked. Armaan looked at Riddhima who was smiling and turn his gaze at  Ananya. "Baby, Aunty ko late ho raha hai na. Next time jab aunty ayein  tab dekha deyna" Armaan said to see Ananya's crestfallen face. "Ananya ko  abhi dethana hai" She said in a sad tone. "Ananya, Zid nahin na beta"  Armaan said trying to get her understand. Riddhima got up and said. "Sir, if  you don't mind, i will love to see her toys...it will just take a few  minutes" Riddhima bend down to place the glass on the table and said with  hopeful eyes. Somewhere she didn't want to disappoint the little girl.  Armaan gave a look at her and then at Ananya. "OK" hearing this Ananya  quickly get down on the floor and rushed to Riddhima. After taking hold on  her hand in hers, she pulled her with herself to her room. Armaan smiled  inwardly, without knowing that the smile was quite visible to Bi who was  noticing all that and smiling.

"Yeh bilkul app jaisi hai" Riddhima  said pointing out a blonde doll having two pony's...wearing a polka  frock. "Ananya jaisi" Ananya asked with a wondering look. "Haan Ananya  jaisi...sweet si, cute si" Riddhima said as she saw the number of toys  Ananya was showing her when her eyes went upto the pictures hanging on  the wall. Riddhima moved up and get close to them. It was a picture of a  lady with a small baby in her hands. Lady was smiling, looking at the  sweet baby who had closed her eyes. She remembered her. She was Sneha  though she saw her for just few moments, but those were enough to  capture her image in her mind. "That must be Riya" Riddhima mumbled. "Yeah,  that's my Riya" Armaan said slowly, surprising her as he was now  standing beside her. "She was more like me than Sneha" He started as he  keep looking at the picture with love that could be easily seen. "Sneha  and I had an arrange marriage, we became friends slowly...but it was  Riya who actually made our relationship even stronger" Armaan caressed  the pic as if caressing Riya's soft cheeks. "Sneha always used to  complain that already Riya looks more like me and then, i was spoiling  her too much" He laughed. "But i couldn't help that...She was just so  adorable and just that frown that use to make lines on her forehead with  her pouting lips...that look was enough for me to go on and do anything  that she like, everything that could make her smile" Armaan traced  Riya's lips in another picture of just her in which she was sitting in a  bassinet, smiling at the camera. Riddhima didn't stop him to say anything  though she got to know everything from Shaina, but let him pour out his  heart to her. "You know one day she made me go all the way to the other  end of the city at 3 am to get her her favorite ice-cream...she was  almost two and a half years old then but so stubborn...I think she got  that quality from me too..." He laughed at that memory. Sighing he tuck  his hands in his pant pockets and continued. "Sneha was too sleepy, so  we both father daughter get out and to irritate her, i got just one cone  and ask her to share it with me if she ever want that ice-cream again,  and she did" Riddhima could clearly see how much he loved his little angel.  Armaan turned his face to her and stopped. He was so engrossed into  these memories of his to realize to whom he is telling about his  princess. But that didn't feel strange. It feels like a natural thing to  do here. Riddhima smiled his way and assured him that she understand.  "Sir, Riya left such great memories of her for you to cherish always,  but right now, you should give the love to the one, you have right now  and will love you back" Riddhima said as she turned back to look at Ananya  playing with her dolls. "She deserves you the most" Armaan smiled looking  at the puzzle look of ananya face who was confused as with which doll  she should play now. "I know" Armaan said and moved towards her, pulling  her up in his arms and gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek on which she  giggled. A fade memory flashed infront of Riddhima eyes of her with her  father that left her in tears.

"Bi, I will just be back after  dropping Riddhima at her place" Armaan said looking at Bi. Riddhima was stopped  by Bi to have dinner with them and not feeling like going home herself,  Riddhima agreed. She hardly eat half of her dinner while Armaan keep  noticing her aloof and distracted attitude. So instead of sending her  with driver, he wanted to drop her himself. May be, she will like to  share something with him. It was a hard shot as if, why would she  confide in him rather than Shaina and aditi as they were more close to  her and being girls, its easy to put forward your views without any  hesitation. But he still needed to do that. Riddhima want to argue but keep  quiet as Armaan quickly rushed out taking her bag and after bidding by  to Bi and kissing Ananya, Riddhima followed him outside. It was weird again  in the car but Armaan mind was divert to another thing. "How could i  make her tell me about the thing bothering her?" He asked himself again  scratching his temple but nothing successful pop up till he was at her  house door. Riddhima quietly come out. It was a nice area. In between the  housing colony, there was a huge park, that was surrounded by the  houses. The fresh air was blowing and there was a pin drop silence else  than the low voices of frogs. Riddhima pull out her bag and putting it  inside her house in garage, came to his side of the car and said. "Thank  you sir" The loneliness and sadness still visible on her face. "Your  welcome...Nice place" he said looking around. "Would you mind if i sit  in this park for a while?" He loves silence, calmness and if nature is  also included, what else could be better. "Yeah sure" Riddhima said and  lead him into the park. The quietly took a stroll without saying a  thing. No one was around else than a watchman who wished Riddhima and left.  "My father was a very strict man..." Armaan started. He met this girl a  few days before but it feels to natural to him to share his griefs,  memories and happiness with her. "He didnt have a link to army but  discipline was deep rooted in him...I still remember that he would wake  me up at 6 in the morning to come for jogging with him" Armaan told her  with a smile on his face. "Yeah, i think father's are like that..."  Riddhima too started. "Really...you too get to wake up in the morning?" He  asked with a surprize look. "No no...my father wasn't that strict but my  mother use to...better to say love to start a fight with him anytime of  the day...so to escape that, dad will hold my hand and took me out  loudly saying to mom 'me and my daughter are going out'..." Riddhima  laughed as she said. "It was an escape route..." Armaan to laughed with  her but her smile faded. "But i am glad, cause of that i made so great  memories of me and my father...I love to remember that..." She said  being in her own world. "Our morning or evening walks...He would tell me  that I am lazy-bone when he would distract me to look somewhere else  and he would take that chance to get ahead of me...Sitting on this  bench" She pointed to a particular one in a corner "and i would read him  newspaper in addition with my comments on those news and he would laugh  at my silliness...those were fabulous moments of my life" Riddhima said as  she took seat on the same bench on which she pointed out before. Armaan  look at her for a moment and then sit beside her, looking ahead. "Then  what went wrong and you engaged with that drunk?" Armaan asked in a  purely hatred tone. A tear that was about to come out from her eyes, she  wiped it away and get hold of the bench under her, strongly, trying to  give herself some courage. Armaan looked her way seeing her trying to put  out the words that were hurting her so much. "Samar wasn't bad...he was  really well behaved, funny and easy to go out kind of guy with whom you  could bet to say that you wont get bored" Riddhima started and Armaan  carefully listened to her's each and every word, trying to get the  emotions behind them. "My father and his father were great friends so  when uncle came with the thought, my father could not be more happy than  that and agreed after taking my consent" "I was nearly 16 at the time  and this all was just like a fairy tale...I would imagine Samar as my  prince...Silly me" she gave a sarcastic laugh at that thought "But that  was all till Samar wasn't back from US after his studies and my father  didn't die" "Where i was thinking and hoping to get some emotional  support from him, he was there busy in partying with his newly found  friends...He started drinking and went out to such a level that there  was no return" and Armaan understands what she was talking about as the  earlier look of that guy with a girl stated that perfectly to him. Riddhima  wipe her cheek and continue. "My father took a loan for my studies and  that i could only get to know after his death. He got terminated from  his office without the gratuity amount and the bank started to put  pressure on him for return. All that lead him to heart-attack" Armaan  wasnt sure what to say so put his hand on her's in order to console and  Riddhima understood his action. "The bank warned to auction the house if we  couldn't pay the amount just after two days of my father's retirement.  Rishi uncle, Samar's father, knew about Samar's extra activities then so  came to our rescue and paid the amount to the bank and also paid for my  fees. He did all that just to save this engagement so I couldn't break  off after knowing Samar's truth and go on with this wedding in order to  pay him off...now, the situation is like that k my mother trust him so  blindly over her own daughter that i can't say a bad word about them"  "She just take this wedding as that the last wish of my father and wanna  fulfill that...She is not wrong at her place but I can't do that..."  And she started crying. Armaan just dont know what to do. He was still in  the confusion when her head fall on his shoulder for support and he  left shocked seeing her sobbing so close to himself. He has almost  forget how to console others as he was himself leaning on his friends  for support but somewhere, he felt happy that someone confide in his,  someone looked up at him to share the pains, someone feels consoled in  his arms. Gently he wrapped a shaking hand around her and get a grip of  her shoulders. "Don't worry...Everything will be alright" He said in  an uncertain voice but something told her that everything will get fine.  That her life will take an uncertain turn soon. After calming down, she  just realize her position and withdraw herself from him, not able to  look up in his eyes, she looked around fidgeting with her fingers. Armaan  understood her reaction but anyhow took out a handkerchief from his  pocket and placed his hand containing it infront of her. Her eyes caught  the moment and hesitating, she took the handkerchief and wipe her  tears. "Riddhima" he started slowly after a moment. "See i know right now,  it will seem like a dialogue but the all could i say is...life is  never so dark...behind every black cloud, a sun is hiding to show to  later to fill your life with shine...just wait for that sun in your  life" He said. Riddhima completely understands the meaning of hid words as  he continued. "Dont ever loose hope...cause we don't know what's next  is stored for us" He said looking ahead. "What good is gonna come from  bad, you will get it later now...but for now...just believe in yourself  and ur God...hmmm" he looked at her and saw her nodding. He looked at  her for a moment but then didn't know what get over him that he just  move forward a place a light kiss in between her hairs. She shockingly  looked up at him who just realized his movement with the wide look of  her eyes and open mouth. "I need to go..." He quickly get up and rushed  out from the park not turning back once to see her perplexed face.

Getting into her house, after sitting for quite sometime in the park,  trying to get over with the emotions running through her body, she was  just glad to find that her mother was already off to sleep. Dragging her  bag inside, she get into her room and after changing into her night  suit, she hit the bed feeling too tired. She recalled the whole  adventurous day in her mind that how sad she was after having a  confrontation with her mother last night and how aditi and nitin cheered  her up telling her humorous acts they did to annoy Armaan in past during  break time, then Armaan's consent after getting to know about Samar. Her  sweet meeting with ananya who just left her so happy, like all  tiredness vanished just with that lil angel's giggle and Armaan sharing  his past with her. The small walk in the park and Armaan listening to her  problems, trying to help her coping up with them through his words and  then that unexpected KISS. That kiss feel almost brotherly and she  certainly didn't liked the fact as she move her hand in her hair to feel  that place that seems to be on fire under her hairs but let her  irritated anyhow.

Next: A good news and a bad news that gonna turn Riddhima life upside down...

Hey guys...extremely sorry for short and late update but was really in  trouble so couldn't wrote much...hope u will forgive me...but i  promise, that as i m planning to go on umrah in the start of next month,  so u guys will surly get a quick update before that...sorry once  again

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Part Nine-------page 49