Chapter 19

Hey guys! Finally back with the much awaited part. So without any further delay, here it is:

Recap:

Shilpa finds out about Armaan's pretense and misunderstands. Sid-Ridz sangeet continued.

Part 18:

Riddhima looks at Shilpa on the dance floor and knows something is wrong. She looks at Sid who looks away from her.

Suddenly Sid holds her hand and gets up singing:

Tum jo aaye jindagi mein baat ban gayi

ishq majhab, ishq meri jaat ban gayi

paaya maine paaya tumhe, rab ne milaaya tumhe

honthon pe sajaaya tumhe, nagame sagaaya tumhe

paaya maine paaya tumhe, sab se chhupaaya tumhe

sapana banaaya tumhe, nindon mein bulaaya tumhe

tum jo aaye jindagi mein baat ban gayi

sapne teri chaahato ke -2 dekhati hoon abb kayi

din hai sona, aur chaandi raat ban gayi

ho o tum jo aaye jindagi mein baat ban gayi

paaya maine paaya tumhe, rab ne milaaya tumhe

honthon pe sajaaya tumhe, nagame sagaaya tumhe

paaya maine paaya tumhe, sab se chhupaaya tumhe

sapana banaaya tumhe, nindon mein bulaaya tumhe

and the entire audience is now looking at the bride and the groom. The gang soon joins the couple on the stage and they all start singing:

Jag jag sara jag sara nikhar gaya
Hud pyaar hawa de vich bikhar gaya–2
hud

Jag jag sara jag sara nikhar gaya
Hud pyaar hawa de vich bikhar gaya –2
Dil tera hoi jave ambran nu chui jave
Mar udare dekho jigar gaya
Hud Mauja hi Mauja
Sham Savere
Hud Mauja hi Mauja
Pyar mein tere
Hud Mauja hi Mauja
rock d party hun
Mauja hi Mauja
mauja hi mauja
Sham Savere
Hud Mauja hi Mauja
Pyar mein tere
Hud Mauja hi Mauja
rock d party hud
Mauja hi Mauja

Shilpa dances with them half-heartedly, because she doesn't want to spoil this event for Riddhima and Sid. This was the last place she wanted to be. Everybody was having fun; she started moving out of the circle. She just wanted the comfort of her own room, where she could cry her heart out and soothe her battered heart. She about to leave the room when Armaan started singing from the other end of the room.

O meri soni meri tamanna
jhoot nahin hai mera pyaar

He slowly started walking towards Shilpa and everybody paved a path from him to her by getting out of his way.
Shilpa started moving back with the spotlight following her.

diwane se ho gai galati
jaane do yaar I love you I love you

Shilpa gasped. Armaan reached her and took her hand in his, pulling her into his arms.

Aake meri aankhon me tum dekko
ein me har ek ada tumhari hai

He placed his hand under her chin and made her look into his eyes.

Kahene ko yeh dil hai mera lekin
dhadkan yeh sada tumhari hai
tum se chain mera
tum se hai mera karaar
ah ah I love you, O meri soni

Everybody started clapping, but Armaan had eyes only for Shilpa. The people soon started dancing to the DJ tune that was playing except for the gang, with Riddhima, Sid, Muskaan, and Rahul looking at our couple, trying to gauge what was going on.

Shilpa was lost in his eyes. She couldn't talk if her life depended on it. She couldn't decide whether to trust him. She snapped out of the trance and tried to free herself from him.

"Let me go Armaan… why are you doing this?" She whispered

Armaan could see her eyes shining with unshed tears and could feel then same pain within him as well. But before he could react, Shilpa freed herself and ran away from there.

"Shilpa! Wait!" Armaan said and looked back at Rahul and Sid.

They nodded and smiled at him, giving him all the encouragement he needed. He nodded and went after her.

Shilpa was on the terrace. She figured this is one place Armaan won't search for her. But she was wrong.

"Mujhe pata that tum mujhe yahin milogi…"

Shilpa whirled back, her eyes wide with shock and surprise.

"How did you…"

Ab kaha jaogi Shilpa?? Ab toh tumhe apne dil ki baat mujhe batani hi hogi. Armaan thought as his looked at his Shilpa.

"I know maine tumhe bahut dukhi kiya hai. Shuruat mein main manta hu ki yeh ek khel tha. I just wanted Sid and Riddhima to know that I am happy. But little did I know my life was about to change forever. I thought I was pretending to be happy, pretending to feel that attraction towards you, pretending to have those butterflies in my stomach everytime I looked at you smile, pretending to feel things that I Riddhima did not make me feel…"

Shilpa, who until this point was looking down, looked up now. He came closer to where she was standing and took her hand in his.

Feel things? He just meant friendship…warmth…respect.

Shilpa felt as if she had to say something to avoid the awful moment when he would confirm that. 'Look, Armaan …I forgive you for your pretense. You probably had no choice…But I am also grateful that I came to know about it before I was too deep into it. Let's just forget this entire episode and be friends.' She had to convince him that she hadn't fallen for him.

He shook his head and sent up a silent plea. 'I don't believe you.' He held her hands even tighter.

Shilpa's skin prickled and her belly fell. He wasn't going to do this to her, was he?

'Armaan, please…' she begged, trying to pull her hands away from his. 'I don't know what you want to hear.'

'You're a strong woman, Shilpa. I think you've more than proved that you don't do anything you don't feel passionately about. You really think we can go back to being friends after everything that's between us? I don't think that's ever possible nor will I let that happen. All I want to hear is the truth…'

The truth.

She shook her head helplessly, and to her chagrin her eyes filled with hopeless tears. 'You know. You know. That's why you're doing this…to make me agree…but I can't, Armaan. I can't.'

The blue of his eyes was hypnotic. 'Tell me,' he demanded hoarsely, not giving her an inch to back away.

And then the fight was too much. She was too tired. Did she really have the strength to deny him this truth even if he didn't love her? She knew the answer…

Her hands lay limp in his, and she looked to a spot over his shoulder. Anything to avoid the laser-like gaze.

'When I met you for the first time, I looked at you and I was a goner…'

She looked at him and smiled.

" We fought like kids and argued like hell. I guess that was one way of staying connected to you. I always found ways of talking to you, stying close to you. Then slowly as I got to know you and started spending time with you, I realized there was so much more to you than that. You were a sort of enigma to me. Then I found out that you are the "Sachha Ashiq" I was so crazy about. I used to fantasize about having one as well."

She laughed softly and shrugged her shoulders in an endearingly vulnerable gesture.

"And then I found out about you and Riddhima di. After that whenever I looked into your eyes, I could find an answering pain and longing in my heart as well. I knew then, that if I don't protect myself from my feelings for you, I wasn't going to survive. Because I could never do that to Riddhima. But then you started noticing me and ruined my promise of staying indifferent to you. You started flirting with me, showering me with compliments that made me feel beautiful, danced with me as if there was no tomorrow and I was lost. I lost track of reality and …"

"and…" Armaan prompted, holding his breath. His whole life depended on what she was going to say next.

Shilpa hesitated. Armaan put his hand under her chin. Shilpa fought to stay sane despite the heated intensity in his eyes.

"the full truth Shilpa… and..."

His eyes were burning into hers. She couldn't escape the plea for truth in his eyes. She looked at him then, her eyes clear and true.

"And I fell head over heels in love with you. So much that my love for you now defines who I am."

Armaan took up her hands, and Shilpa was surprised to feel his own hands shaking violently. He bent and pressed a kiss to her palms. 'Oh thank God…' He pressed another kiss to her hands, the other side. 'My darling…'

Shilpa still felt slightly shell shocked at what she'd just said. The urge to self-protect was still strong. Her back was still tense. 'Armaan…'

He lifted his head and he was smiling, grinning inanely. She'd never seen him look so happy. 'Shilpa…I fell in love with you too along the way. Somewhere you crept into my heart. When we danced—in that moment…I knew it then.'

His hand came and cupped her jaw, his thumb catching a tear that she hadn't even been aware of. 'You're the only one, Shilpa. I love and desire you, no one else. Just now, in Sid's room…I know you read me wrong. It all started off as a pretense but I don't when that pretend started to get real for me."

'Oh, my love…' Shilpa's heart overflowed. If she was dreaming then she never wanted to wake up. She pressed a kiss to his palm and, unable to hold back any more, Armaan pulled her forward and crushed her against his chest.

'I love you, Shilpa. You're my life.' He smiled ruefully for a second. 'I called you my friend…that thought lasted about two minutes. I just couldn't see you like that, no matter how much I tried to distance myself.' He was serious again. 'When you misunderstood what I was telling Sid…when I saw you in that awful moment I died a thousand times…'

A shudder ran through his big frame, and Shilpa welcomed him when his head bent and his mouth met hers in a searing kiss.

Worth the wait? Disappointing?? How was it? I have given a lot of thought to it... Really eager for your comments. Have written the next few parts but i'll decide if i shud continue only after reading your comments :) Silent readers do comment as well ;)

Adios

Vanshika