OS SR: Part 6: Don't leave me this way..pg 5 - Page 4

Originally posted by: yokosona

cool!!!! great update... i think u have portrayed ridhima's exact feelings that she will have when she leaves sid... well done...love ur work!!!!

Originally posted by: ...Noorya...

WOW YAAR!

another AMAZING PART!...thank u sooo much🤗🤗🤗

u just blew me away with this wonderful part😍

the way u portrayed Ridz's feelings...im sure she will feel that way when she will actually leave Sid's house!😭...

waiting for the next part yaar...cant get enough😳😆

btw hope ur exams went well hun😊

God Bless,

Noorya

Originally posted by: mabel

wow....its awesome.....so beautifully written....i dont knw if cvs will b able 2 portray dese thoughts wid as much beauty n intensity as u did...

luvd it...n thnx 4 de pm...

i will b eagerly waitin 4 ur next part

Part 5: "Wherever I may be...I'll always find you by my side"

Riddhima treads into the locker room, tiptoeing and hopping at certain intervals and pinching up the cotton material on her knees in order to avoid touching, any more than necessary, the sodden part of the bottom of her churidar as a result of the torrential rain outside that has already fully overwhelmed her feet and the Jimmy Choos she wears.

Ugh, she thinks to herself. This was perfect, an emergency in the hospital and she would have to complete her duty with wet, wrinkly feet and squeaky shoes. If only to learn the hard way, she knew that where her duty was concerned nothing could be used as an excuse to exempt her of performing perfectly, not even the weather, not even the squeaky shoes.

Balancing each foot individually onto the wooden bench, she pulls at the churidar to cover her ankles and then fall over her stiletto heels. Less than satisfied, but confused as to an alternate remedy to the problem, she turns to get her lab coat and stethoscope from her locker. Upon doing so, the cold dampness of her heel on the sole of her shoe agitates her. Professionally, she couldn't use it as an excuse, but personally, Riddhima knew she could not work to her best in such circumstances. She tuts to herself, looking around...and her vision sets on the changing rooms. Her eyes light up at the prospect.

"Tissues".

She hurries over to door and pushes it open, having anticipated the location of the box of tissues lying infront of the mirror by the sink, she strides over and grabs a handful. There was no time to take her shoes off and do the job properly. Firstly, damp shoes and wet feet was never a good combination; there was more chance of Dr. Kirti cracking out an angelic smile at Riddhima for turning up late than Riddhima getting her feet back into the drenched straps of her Jimmy choos.

Nope, she would just have to do half the job, better than nothing. Holding onto the edge of the counter with her right hand, she turns the heel of her right foot upwards and rubs off the excess water with the tissue clenched in her left hand. She moves stray hair out of her eyes, and is about to lift the opposite foot when she feels a light draught on her back, making her shudder. Simultaneously, she hears the faint squeak of the door as it swings shut behind her just as she instinctively looks up into the mirror due to the abrupt change in ambience caused by movement separate to her own.

Her kohl-black eyes are met with Sid's own hazel brown and she catches her breath. Riddhima knows that she shouldn't just stand there, mute, but she feels helpless. The awkwardness, she knew, could only be overcome when they spoke to each other, but what to say was another problem in itself. Of course, normal conversation required no preparation, but with Sid she knew that no conversation of theirs could ever be natural. Whenever they spoke to one another, it was always in riddles, a ploy either to disguise or expose what they really wanted to say. Thus, it required some sort of deliberation, something which at this current moment in time, she had not been at the liberty to do.

She grows weary of the unusually long duration of time they have spent making eye contact and immediately blinks away in sheer mortification and nervousness. Looking down, she gives herself a couple of seconds to make her expression sedate, obscuring the palpitations of her heart, which she was sure could be felt by Sid as strongly as she could feel them herself. The best option was to leave; she needed to report for duty and Sid had obviously just stumbled upon her. He wanted to use the changing rooms; she should leave him and mind her own business.

Her head down to avoid looking at him, she turns and immediately Sid moves to stand in her way, barricading her route which leads to the door. She is compelled to look up at him, trying to read in his face whether his gesture was a coincidence or accident or, in fact, a deliberate attempt to stop her.

Sid's face is blank, his eyes fixed on Riddhima, his jaw clenched. Riddhima frowns to herself, unsure as to what she should think. Well, when in doubt, try again. She takes a confident step forward only to walk straight into Sid. She looks up in shock realising it was definitely a deliberate attempt on his behalf.

His eyes unnerve her she finds herself staring at the ground, focusing on her feet, the floorboards, pretty much anywhere, just not him, neither his presence, nor his breath on her forehead.

Shakily she whispers, "S-Sid...mujhe jaana hai", looking up, "emergency hai". She tries to manoeuvre around him, but her sodden heel fails to support her on the wooden floor and she slips, clenching her eyes shut immediately, she gasps, contemplating the fall which she is sure to give her utmost pain beyond description.

...Yet the fall never comes..the pain never sets in. Riddhima can hear herself breathing deeply, bracing herself but no other sound can be heard. Complete silence.

She slowly opens her eyes and sees Sid's face looming over her. She realises soon enough that Sid holds her in his arms, and subconsciously she welcomed the help evidenced by her left arm which is propped onto Sid's shoulder, and her right which is clasped by Sid's free hand. She looks away and escapes from his embrace by standing up, sheepishly murmuring a quick " Um..thanks".

She goes to move but this time, Sid holds her by her arms.

"Sid-"

"Maine bulaya tumhe yahaan".

She squints at him confused, "Tumne? ...Par emergency?"

"Mere liye tumse milna ek emergency thi...aur mujhe samaj mein nahi aaraha tha ke main tumhe kaise bulaoon..." He releases her arms, "Riddhima, Armaan tumse-"

"Please Sid", she interrupts. "Agar tumne mujhe sirf yahaan pe isiliye bulaya hai..to mujhe jaane do". She shakes her head and sighs, "Dekho Sid, Armaan mujhe samajtha hai, halaaton ko samajtha hai. Wo samajgaya hai...ki main kya chahti hoon. Isiliye please Sid...please..", she pleads looking into his eyes, "Please...ab tum bhi mujhe samjho, main kya chahti hoon, usse samjho". She finds herself reaching out to him, her hands rest on his chest, "Sid, agar tum mujhe chahte ho, agar tum humara saath chahte ho, to..." she takes a step back, away from him, "-to tumhe sab sach kehna hoga. Tumne hi kaha tha na, ke humein apne rishte ki shuruat sach se karni hogi?..."She wipes away the tears falling onto her cheek and speaks;

"Mujhe please batao Sid...kya chahte ho tum?"

Part 6: 'Don't leave me this way...'

Sid stared blankly at Riddhima...although his lips formed no movement, a thousand words were running through his mind. Funnily enough, he had thought about this moment, a lot. What he, Siddhant, would say to Riddhima when he was about to declare his love for her. A married couple whom were bonded in holy matrimony, yet he knew, it was only until he spoke those three words would he officially imprint his commitment to their relationship. He had imagined a hundred different scenarios, each with a hundred different great opening and closing lines, different locations, different outfits, what Riddhima looked like, beautiful as usual…what colour shirt he was wearing, the lot…So now when the time had finally come to confess, admittedly, he besides himself to know how this was going to go.

He takes a deep breath, preparing himself, "Ri-"

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Sid blinks away, completely forgetting what he was about to say. He looks around confused at where the shrill noise was coming from and then he notices his bulging lab coat pocket, of course, his pager.

Perfect timing.

"Argh", he growls to himself, irritated, he pulls out the pager which reads,

'EMERGENY. REPORT FOR DUTY ASAP'.

He pouted, "Well, that's just great".

Typical. If God really did exist, then he really did have an awesome sense of humour, the world was his own circus and Sid was at the top of his list when it came to assigning the circus clown. It was only here, that the excuse Sid had used for Riddhima to come to him could be used again as the very excuse to drag him away from her.

He shakes his head and looks up, "Riddhima, mujhe jaana hoga, ab sach mein emergency hai".

"Lekin, Sid…"

"I know Riddhima, par hum is sab ke bare mein baad mein baat karte hain ok?...tum mujhe ghar par milna, wahin pe baat karenge" Giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze, he turns and runs off to find Dr. Kirti. The logic was that the quicker he reported for duty, the quicker he finished and the quicker he could go meet Riddhima. He had so much more of an incentive now after telling her to meet him at home, their little encounter in the changing room was simultaneously running in slow motion through his mind.

******

Riddhima was left standing in the changing rooms, all alone…again. It was as if Sid had never followed her, as if he hadn't saved her from her fall, as if the resultant skid marks on the floor could have been a figment of her imagination, their conversation a dream she had once upon a time…

She looked around the room, thoughtful, wondering what had just happened within the four walls which surrounded her now. She knew she had to go home now, but the question was why she would go home.

Wiping away the tears on her cheeks, slowly, slightly ashamed, she thought about Sid's excuse to leave. She had put herself out there once again, and what had he said? "Emergency hai"? Was he telling the truth, or did he just want some time to think about what to say to her? Whether to accept her or reject her? No, he wouldn't reject her. Maybe he was telling the truth, but he had used the same excuse with her before though…he had started talking about Armaan initially, why? Had he left deliberately so that she would take a hint? No, that couldn't be it else he wouldn't have asked her to meet up at home…

Riddhima holds onto her throbbing head, as if preventing it from bursting any second. She was thinking way too much about the whole situation. Too much. She takes a deep breath and realises…she needed to get out.