PART 34
'RIDDHIMAAAA!! kahan ho tum??' Armaan yelled, looking frantically around for his tie.
'I'm here! God!! this man seriously cannot function without me having to hand him everything he ever needs!' Riddhima grumbled, running into the room with his tie, sock, pant and shirt all balanced perfectly in her hands.
Armaan grinned sheepishly and took all his stuff from her.
'Armaan, you seriously need to start doing atleast SOME work on your own,' Riddhima started off her usual every morning lecture.
'Why do I need to when you're there to do it for me?' Armaan casually replied and then grinning at her fuming face, he went into the bathroom to change.
Riddhima sighed. It was so totally USELESS to argue with that guy or teach him any sort of self discipline!! at the end of the day he just did what he wanted to!! But then again, that was one of the reasons she loved him...for his irritating and yet adorable childesh behaviour! the fact that he was so dependant on her for every small little thing made her feel important and needed by him..and it wasn't like he was immature and childesh all the time!! he knew when he had to be serious and he was the perfect listener and comforter...her emotional support!! ofcourse...there were still certain things that she hadn't confided in him...like the fact that she had never revealed any details about her relationship with her dad or how much she had been through since childhood regarding her dad...even thought Armaan had pestered and begged her for details, she had never told him...it wasn't that she didn't trust him...infact a part of her wanted to just let it all out and she had almost done the very same that time when Armaan had asked her after they had made love and were lying in each others arms on the bed...she had very nearly told him but at the last minute she'd just lost the nerve...she still couldn't figure out what had stopped her but something had...she just couldn't bring herself to put it in words...how could she just say all that she felt in words?? it hadn't seemed possible at that moment...even ridiculous and stupid!! and so she had changed the topic by telling him that when she was ready and willing to share it with him, she would tell him...and he had accepted that silently, respecting the fact that she needed time to come to terms with that...
That had been two months ago and since that day Armaan had never again questioned her about her dad. So much had changed in these two months and yet, it seemed just yesterday that all those horrific things had happened in their lives....Anjali's accident, papa's confrontation...
Anjali had recovered from that terrible accident. Infact, she had recently moved back home and even though she was still strictly prescribed by the doctors to stay on the bed and continue taking medication, she was improving by leaps and bounds as far as her health was concerned...infact, she was already bored and couldn't wait to get up from the bed and do SOME work!! Riddhima had visited her probably once or twice since her accident and that too was possible only because Shashank hadn't been around at that time...not to mention after much persuation from Armaan! She never told Anjali ofcourse! she just made some lame excuse of always being busy with housework and not having enough time to visit her but Anjali didn't fall for it...she knew Ridz was only doing it because of dad. However, she was unaware of how serious the matter had become after her accident as neither Shashank nor Riddhima had ever mentioned anything about their confrontation after her accident and Anjali never knew anything had ever transpired between father and daughter. Riddhima knew better than to ever step foot in Gupta house after Shashank had accused her in the hospital. As far as she was concerned Gupta House wasn't her home anymore...infact it never had been. However, she was desperate for some news of Anjali...she needed to know her sister was OK and so she would send Armaan regularly to the hospital to find out if Anjali's condition had been improving or not...and for once, Armaan did not object but instead would go quietly and bring back regular reports of Anjali to Riddhima. He never fought or questioned Riddhima again about why she did not go instead...he had understood by now that her family was a very private and touchy topic for her and there were many things regarding her family that he was unaware of..he had questioned her about it once or twice but she had always changed the topic and so he had decided to wait till she herself came and told him about it. However, these regular trips of his to check on Anjali proved to be a blessing in disguise as they bonded well and soon enough, they became fast friends. They had a lot in common and so soon, Armaan started looking forward to visiting his sister-in-law...he had never got a chance to talk to her before or even after his marriage until she was sick and in the hospital bed!!...however, Armaan never asked her anything about Riddhima...even though sometimes he thought that maybe Anjali could tell him the answers to all his questions, somewhere deep down he knew it was not right. He needed the answers from Riddhima herself and he would wait till she herself was ready to tell him instead of snooping around finding answers from her relatives...
Riddhima looked around the room and heaved another sigh. She had just cleaned the room before going out of the room this morning and within five minutes her great husband had managed to mess it up again!! Seriously!! this guy was the limits! She took few steps forwards with the intention of cleaning the room but stopped in her tracks as she felt the room suddenly become a blur. Her head was spinning and the room was slowly starting to darken. She held on to the dressing table as she breathed heavily, trying desperately to compose herself...she was scared...what was happening to her??
'Riddhima,' Armaan said as he came out of the bathroom, dressed in his office wear, 'I'll check on Anji before-' he stopped short as he saw Riddhima holding on to the dressing table, looking extremely weak and pale...infact, she looked like she was about to faint...
'Ridz!' saying so he rushed to her side...Riddhima was about to say something when everything just blanked out and she fell in a dead faint in Armaan's arms.
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'Mom, she's going to be OK, right?' Armaan asked Smeeta for about the tenth time as he paced outside their room while the family doctor was checking on Riddhima.
'Beta, she'll be fine!! just relax,' Smeeta said, trying hard not to smile...if she was correct then very soon there would be another additional member in the family!! she just needed the doctors verdict for her confirmation. However, Armaan was totally clueless as to anything of the sort...he was worried sick about Riddhima...it was his fault!! he was making her work too hard!! it was as though she was his mum or something...he needed her to do every small little thing for him!! why didn't he ever think it might take a toll on her health?? if anything happened to her...
The doctor came out of the room with a slight smile playing on his lips.
'Doctor, is she-?' Smeeta asked immediately and the doctor, Mr. Sharma, nodded her head, understanding what Smeeta was referring to.
'OHMIGOD!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!' Smeeta cried out, bubbling with joy....she was going to be a granny!! her first grandchild!! it was almost too good to be true!!
'Congratulations,' Dr. Sharma said, patting a bewildered Armaan on his back.
'What are you talking about?' Armaan asked, looking totally confused and lost.
'Arre budhu!! tum baap banne wale ho!' Smeeta said, hugging him.
Armaan froze....what??!! Riddhima was pregnant-??!!
'Ab andar jaao or Riddhima se milo...or haan, usse zyaada thang mat karna.' Smeeta warned, 'main abhi tumhare papa ko phone karke khush khabri sunati hoon,'
Armaan nodded absent-mindedly...he was still in a state of shock...he was going to become a father!!
He went inside the room to find Riddhima sitting on the bed, fiddling with the bedsheet over her. As soon as Armaan closed the door behind him, she looked at him, her eyes shining with joy.
'Armaan!! did Dr. Sharma tell you that-'
'that you're pregnant?' Armaan interrupted, 'yeah, she did,'
'Armaan!! we're going to have a baby!!' Riddhima said, her eyes getting moist. She hugged Armaan when he sat down next to her on the bed. She was so happy!! she was carrying her baby in her womb....Armaan and her baby!! they were going to have a baby!! she wanted to shout and jump around...tell the whole world that she was expecting!!
Armaan patted her back awkwardly and whispered a soft, 'congrats,'. Riddhima withdrew from the hug...it didn't take her long to figure out that she was the only one of the two excited about the news.
'Armaan...we're going to have a baby!!' she repeated, looking closely at his face...she was desperate for even the slightest show of excitement or happiness in his facial expression...but no such luck!! if anything, he seemed totally bewildered and shocked.
He nodded his head to acknowledge her statement but didn't say anything.
'Armaan,' she said....her happiness and excitement was being replaced by another strong feeling...fear!!
'You're happy na?' she asked, feeling absolute dread in the pit of her stomach...she didn't even need him to answer that question!! the answer was so obvious on his face....he was not happy!! he was not happy that they were going to have a baby!! and the very fact scared Riddhima...
'Ya...ofcourse, I am happy,' he replied...but he did not look into her eyes as he said that and moreover, his answer was mechanical and not genuine.
'Armaan..please...' Riddhima whispered, trying her best to keep her tears in check...the fact that Armaan wasn't too thrilled about them having a baby had really hurt her..
'This is a big thing. Please be honest about what you feel...please...'
'It's not that I'm not happy,' Armaan said slowly but Riddhima knew he was just saying it for formality sake...he was anything but happy!!
'It's just...it's..it's too soon and unexpected!' he finally blurted out, looking into her eyes.
'Soon?' Riddhima repeated softly, 'we've been making love for more than two months now!! how can this be unexpected for you??!!'
Armaan didn't respond...he'd never thought about it that way!! when they'd made love, it had never occured to him to use protection...he had never thought of the consequenced until this moment when it had hit him hard on the face...!!
'Look...it's...just...I was not ready for this,' Armaan said, trying desperately to cover up the awkwardness and building tension between them...he needed to get out of here and THINK to clear his mind...
'you don't want this baby??' Riddhima asked in barely more than a whisper...she didn't need all his explanations of it being too soon and unexpected and all that...she just wanted an honest answer to this question...
'I didn't say that!' Armaan quickly said even though deep down, they both knew the answer, 'I just...I just need time to come to terms with this...you understand, right?? it's a big thing and I wasn't really expecting this so...' he looked at her, desperately trying to make her understand...to make her feel OK...but the damage had been done...Riddhima didn't need any more reassurances or explanations...she had got her answer...
She nodded her head to show that she was understanding even though he brain was only processing one thought at the moment: Armaan didn't want their baby...
'Look...you rest OK? you must be tired...the doctor also said you need to rest...I'll come back later to see you...' saying so, Armaan quickly kissed her forehead and walked out of the room...he couldn't answer any more of Riddhima's questions..nor could he look into her eyes which were filled with deep hurt...he could lie all he want to her but he knew that he didn't want this baby...definitely not!!
Indian Idol 15
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