Chapter 21

Part 21:

The wedding was to take place in ITC Maratha in Mumbai. Everybody reached the hotel and retired to their rooms till afternoon when the pheras were to place.

Armaan and Sid's room:

"So dulhe raja! Kaisa lag raha hai? The D-day finally!!" Armaan asked Sid.

"Well… Bahut khush… But to tell you the truth I am a little relieved. I mean happy and excited, don't get me wrong but you should have seen Riddhima during the wedding preparations! She was always tensed and anxious and was driving me crazy as well!" Sid said.

Armaan grinned and said "But you love her anyway…"

"Yup… I love her like nuts!!" Sid chuckled remembering her face today when she waved him good bye before getting into the car. Armaan snapped his fingers in front of Sid's face.

"Kaha kho gaye?"

"Ugh… Kuch nahi… Speaking of looove…" Sid said. "Do you have something you should tell me?"

Armaan looked up at Sid. "Kya?"

"Anything that explains why you and Shilpa left the Sangeet yesterday and were absent for quite some time today just before leaving…" Sid mocked.

Embarrassed, Armaan looked and him and smiled sheepishly. "Jab pata hai Sid, toh why are you asking…"

"Matlab…?" Sid asked for confirmation.

"Haan… And that's all you are hearing from me on the subject…" Armaan warned, trying to hide his smile.

"Yes! Mujhe pata tha!! Congo bro!" Sid punched his fist in the air and hugged Armaan.

---

"Sid don't worry… "

Riddhima's room:

Girls' room:

Shilpa was getting ready for the function. Suddenly her phone started ringing.

"Hello, Arre bhaiya! I was just about to call you! Where the hell are the flowers? Agar aap shaadi ke din hi late karenge toh kaise chalega! Haan… Jaldi kijiye" she said

"Muskaan… Main fresh hone jaa rahi hu… tu yahi hai na? " Shilpa asked Muskaan who was matching her bangles on the bed.

"Haan… Jaldi aana… Tujhe mujhe aur Riddhima dono ko tayyar karna hai!" Muskaan replied.

Shilpa nodded and went into the washroom to freshen up. Once done, she saw that the door to their room was open. She peeked out side and shouted "Muskaan! Door bandh karna plz…"

She went back inside and came out wearing her lehenga. But her top was such that it had some hooks and a pair of strings at the back, apart from which it was a backless blouse. She tried hooking up her blouse and started to tie the strings but couldn't reach them. She turned around but Muskaan wasn't in the room.

"Uff! Kaise tie karu… Ye Muskaan kaha chali gayi? Muskaan!!!" she shouted and tried tying it again, standing in front of the mirror.

But then Muskaan took the strings from her hands and started tying it up.

"Muskaan! Kaha chali gayi ---" she stopped as soon as she looked up in the mirror. It wasn't Muskaan tying the strings for her.

"Armaan…" she whispered and her eyes widened.

Armaan was staring at her with a quiet intensity. He was slowly tying the strings, but in the process his hands brushed her back, causing her to arch her back and close her eyes. "Armaan… " she whispered. She could feel the tautening of connection between them. He left the strings and slowly ran his finger down her bare back sending her in a vortex of emotions and impulses. He moved his hand from her back to her waist and started pulling her towards him. He held her other hand to spin her around and wound his arms around her waist, pressing her against him. She fought to control her shudder of awareness.

He gazed down at her. Beautiful, incredibly beautiful, he corrected. Stunning. Her face contained an intriguing mixture of lushness and delicacy. And while her features were fine-boned and aristocratic, her mouth was full and ripe and the exact color of sun-kissed peaches. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him with sweetly wanton eyes that exactly matched the deep, rich green-blue of the quiet ocean.

She looked a little apprehensive and Armaan fought to control, his male urges telling him to claim her in the most primitive way possible. She needs time Armaan…

When he had entered to the empty room to ask Shilpa for Sid's sherwani, Muskaan had informed him that she's going to Riddhima's room. He was waiting for her when she had entered wearing that unbelievably sexy lehenga. She turned to present her back to him and Armaan forgot to breathe. Hell! She is a stunner… Oh dear! He looked up at god…are you kidding me? How am I supposed to give her the space she needs with her looking like that!

He took a deep breath. "Have I told you how beautiful you look?" Armaan said to drop the temperature a few notches.

Shilpa relaxed visibly and gave him a sweet smile. Suddenly realizing the position in which she was, she wriggled out of his arms and tried to lessen the awkwardness between them by saying

"Thank you. I can't take credit for it. It was an accident of birth."

He laughed. "That was one hell of an accident. You need help with that?"

She hesitated as she was a little nervous after what just happened.

"I promise I'll close my eyes while tying them and no more masti…"

Slowly, presenting her back to him, she said, "Okay…"

Armaan closed his eyes and starting tying the string.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Shilpa asked.

"I came here to ask where Sid's sherwani was? Sid!! Oh shoot!! He's still waiting for the sherwani!!" Armaan opened his eyes once the deed was done.

Shilpa laughed and went to the adjoining room to get Sid's sherwani.

"Here…" She said handing him the coat, "Kya Armaan apne dost ko bhul gaye? " Shilpa teased.

Armaan raised his eyebrows. He bent towards her and whispered in her ears.

"Tum ho hi itni pyari Shona…"

"Shona…" Shilpa whispered and turned around surprised, but he was already gone. "Shona…" she repeated and smiled to herself.

--

The wedding ceremony was completed with great joy and festivities. During the wedding Armaan was in full masti mood. He kept teasing Shilpa and cornered her every opportunity he got. While Shilpa liked and sometimes encouraged it some times, what she didn't realize was that they were now noticed by someone…. Padma had seen Shilpa and Armaan dancing around each other for months and that they might end up together even before they knew about it. Once she had completed Riddhima's wedding, she was going to have to talk to Shashank about Shilpa and Armaan as well. Shilpa was now a part of their family, a daughter to her and Shashank, a sweet sister to Riddhima and Anjali… Armaan would be her son-in-law after all… Padma smiled at the irony J

Once the pheras and the bidaai was complete, the entire gang with Sid and Riddhima headed towards Sid's house. When everyone reached the place, they were surprised to see the place decorated like a film set!

Armaan, atul and Rahul had made arrangements for the Riddhima's grih Pravesh with Muskaan and Shilpa's help. When Sid and Riddhima reached the entrance, Muskaan was standing there with a puja thali.

Riddhima entered after touching the Kalash with her feet, and then stepped into the Roli Thali to mark the auspicious entrance into the house. She had never expected for such a welcome in her house. She had tears in her eyes. She knew that her friends had done this for her as abhi and nikki were in London, with Nikki due for pregnancy. She turns around to see Shilpa trying to control her tears. She turned and hugged her, and there was only one person present in the room who knew how monumental that moment was…Sid.

While the sisters hugged, Sid smiled and caressed Shilpa forehead from behind Riddhima, knowing how divine and sacred this was. He looked around at Armaan and mouthed him a thank you. Armaan nodded and smiled at him.

"Chalo..Chalo!! No rona dhona!! Di you promised…" Shilpa wiped her tears.

Riddhima gave her a watery chuckle. "You did too!"

After all the rasams were completed, and after a lot of convincing from Sid and lot of teasing from the gang everyone left Sid and Riddhima and headed towards the Gupta mansion.

---

After a few days, Sid and Riddhima left for their honeymoon. It was the first working day for everyone else at Sanjeevani. Atul and Anjali had left, as they worked in Sanjeevani, Canada. So it was just Muskaan, Rahul, JP, Jiggy, Shilpa and Armaan now.

Shilpa entered the locker, looking forward to working after such a long time. She was happy for Riddhima. They were finally on their honeymoon. She chuckled as she recalled how long it had taken Sid to convince them to leave alone after the wedding and how frustrated he was by the end of the negotioations! He had to drag them all out! Suddenly she heard sounds from the changing room. She frowned…

"Hello! Anyone in there?" she called, but the sobs suddenly stopped.

"Who is it?" she called out again when she got no response.

Someone came out from the room. Her eyes were puffy and red, as if she had been crying for a long time. Shilpa rushed to her side.

"Muskaan!"

So, that's it! It was my first attempt at something romantic and passionate :) How was it? Do leave your comments!! Oh, and new readers, if you want pm's just send me a buddy request... Thanks

Vanshika