Manzil (AR FF) Discontinued! - Page 44

Originally posted by: Suvarna....

I know I should be commenting for Second Fiddle first, but then couldn't help not getting back here. Have you seriously started writing part 12 for this??? Wow ... waiting!!!

Originally posted by: simran1285

^^^^^^^Not fair Nruti😆 cut me some slack, I just updated Second Fiddle. I know this one is really long due and if it makes you feel any better I have started writing the next part for this. Just give me some time to finish is, I had a brain freeze and can't seem to continue.😒

Originally posted by: arluver15

</div>no i am so not cutting any slack on you...right now its me only....but if my whole toly of "HALA BOLE" party.... come here then you will be in big trouble....
<div>

and i am very very eger to read the next part...coz u have stoped it in very crusal point....plz updat soon

Originally posted by: Suvarna....

Hey Simran, am on and off in the Halla bol community, but then can surely support Nruti, Simi and all others if that makes you update faster 😉

For those of you who have forgotten what had happened in the last part (like I did), I am providing a small recap but if even that doesn't refresh your memory then the previous part is on page 48.

Happy Reading!!

RECAP

She was nervous god she was nervous, it felt like the first time she had entered his office and he had caught her sniffing his coat. She wanted to do this though, of course she would chastise herself about this later but for now she really wanted to do this. She twisted and fidgeted with herself before turning the door and took a long deep breath before she walked in.

He always looked dangerous to her behind his desk. Like always he had his coat swung over his chair and she mentally gave it a scornful look He wore brown today, the color looked good on him, heck what didn't look good on him; the man was gorgeous. He was busy reading something and had yet to notice her but the moment she the thought crossed her mind he looked up and their eyes met.

"I wanted to give you this"

"What is it?"

"The key to my apartment"

PART 12

He looked at the single silver key that lay neatly on his desk and reiterated the conversation he had last night with his chiding mind. His mind was right. Riddhima was taking their relationship; NO he reprimanded himself at the blunder, their "association" to the next level. He didn't want to go there and he would have to stop her right now. Looking up at her pretty face he was surprised to notice a glimmer of strength in her eyes. The large green marbles that once were afraid of the very sight of him and that often fogged when he made love to her showed no fear today, instead they showed determination. His heart fluttered slightly; a sensation he had never felt before. It shocked him a little this rapid beating and odd tingling in his heart.

"Please have a seat Riddhima. We need to talk." There was disappointment when she sat down, he felt bad but this had to be done. He had informed her of the rules from the start and if she had forgotten then that was ok. He would just remind her again. "I can't take this key"

"Why not?" Her voice quivered a little, but only a little.

"because..I.." Deep breath Armaan, deep breath. Since when did it become so hard for you to set a woman straight? "Do you remember the rules of this association?"

She flinched at his words and his blatant way of saying them. "Do you have to call it that?"

"Uh..I mean.."

"and yes I do remember 'the rules'"

"then why the key?"

"I don't know, I just thought it would be easier for you to come and go" she placed both her hands in her laps and spoke as discreetly as she could. "I mean uh, look Mr. Mallik no Armaan, sorry, I know very well the regulations you had set up when we started our union. I accepted them then and still do, in fact I think our arrangement is quite nice and I want you to know that you will not have any trouble from my side if and when you decide to discontinue this alliance. I just uh, wanted to give you a key for uh your own comfort. Look its ok if you don't want it" She stopped when he moved forward and claimed the key, staring straight in to her eyes.

"Thank you for being so considerate and I am sorry, if I came off a bit rude."

"That's ok. I should get going now." Giving him a quick smile she grabbed her bag and almost leaped to the door.

"See you tonight Riddhima" With a small nod she closed the door

She wasn't sure whether it was the office or the man who occupied it that made her feel so intimidated. It had to be the man she mused, he always looked so dangerous and serious sitting behind his big desk, so unlike the man who had comforted her on her parent's death anniversary. Sometimes she wondered if the person to whom she made love to and the person with whom she had just visited were actually the same man. Sighing she rushed to cross the street so she could hail a cab. Next stop was Ville Parle.

They spent the lunch hour walking around Marine Drive and eating boiled chick peas. This was one of her favorite spots in Mumbai, granted the water was filthy and the passerby's constantly threw their trash in to the sea but still something about this place made her feel peaceful. They tried to find a spot which did not have blotches of tobacco spit to sit and chat a while. It so happens Sapna had some news to share.

"Amit Proposed" She stated softly trying hard not to blush and felt her cheeks starting to burn.

"WHAT!!" Riddhima choked on her snack and muffled out a thanks when Muskaan passed over her remaining coconut water. "SAPNA!!! That is freaking awesome OMG I so happy for you" finally getting her voice back she crushed Sapna in a side hug; which was the best she could manage in their current sitting position.

"Congrats yaar, that's great news!!" Muskaan smiled genuinely. She was still not as close to Sapna as Riddhima was but she remembered Sapna had mentioned her boyfriend Amit a few times during their past conversations.

"Thanks. The engagement is sometime next month, our folks are trying to decide on the date."

"Well this calls for a treat, so when are you taking us out to dinner?" The thought of a free dinner had Muskaan gleaming; she was a terrible cook and was sick of living off of Maggi every night.

"How about tonight? What say Ridzi will that work with you?"

"Uhhh" she felt the redness creep up to her cheeks while she tried to think of a better excuse than Armaan is coming over, but luckily she didn't have to; her expression had already given her away.

"Don't worry I understand, maybe tomorrow" Sapna smiled seeing Riddhima's flushed face. She had to admit it was nice to see her like this; she was glowing and looked genuinely happy.

Walking around the house she lit fragranced candles and put on soothing music to set a romantic ambience, she had read something about this in a magazine, it helped to create the right mood the article had said. Dressed in a recently purchased satin gown Riddhima hummed as she anticipated his arrival. He had called about an hour back informing her that he would be heading out in another 10 minutes or so. He had a key now so she wasn't concerned about him ringing the bell.

Time was passing awfully slowly and he was still not here. 2 hours had passed since they last spoke and there was no sign of him. She tried his cell but it had come up as "unreachable" frustrated and extremely tired of waiting for him, she sat dejectedly on her sofa and didn't know when sleep overcame her.

Armaan hurried to put the car in parking in front of her building, he was late but that was no excuse. One of his site managers had called regarding some issue with another project and he had no choice but to go. Due to the location he unfortunately could not get a proper signal but knew she would be calling him. He had been trying her cell for several minutes now but she wasn't picking up. He was slightly worried by that, he didn't know if she was upset or in trouble.

Turning the knob to her apartment he sighed in relief but immediately the feeling of guilt ran through him. Couched on her sofa, dressed in a gorgeous red gown was a sleeping Riddhima. He couldn't help but feel ashamed of having kept her waiting. Taking a look around the room he smiled showing his dimples, the woman had sure gone through a lot of trouble and all because of him. He was touched by her efforts and had to give her credit for doing an exceptional job. No woman had ever gone through such a trouble for him, and this shy little thing had done all this just to please him.

Taking a seat on the floor in front of her sleeping figure he gently tucked her hair behind her ear, being extra cautious not to wake her. She looked so peaceful and very tired. The light from the candles illuminated on to her face, causing her to glow and look breathtakingly gorgeous. It was not that he hadn't seen gorgeous women before, heck he'd seen plenty but there was something about her and this innocence she had carried with her which made him want her fervently. The more he tried to move away from her, the closer he came. It was not going to be easy when the time came to let go of her, but it had to be done. Hopefully, he'll be tired of her by then.

"You really wore yourself out, eh sweetheart" he whispered caressing her soft cheek.

Getting back to his feet he contemplated his next move. Obviously he couldn't stay here; he should head back home and take a nice cool shower but first he had to put Riddhima to bed, there was no way he was going to let her sleep so uncomfortably on the sofa. Gathering her in his arms he gasped when he felt her snuggle in to him. Aren't you the cutest thing, he mumbled.

He had successfully made it to the room with her still sleeping soundlessly in her arms, but the minute her body touched the cold bed she stirred and batted her eyelids open.

"Armaan"

"Shhh, go to sleep sweetheart"

"what time is it?"

"way past your bed time, now sleep" he soothed her forehead and was getting up to go when she held his hand

"where are you going?"

"Home, to take a nice cold shower"

"Oh please don't go" she tightened her hold suddenly afraid of being alone.

"Your tired, you need to sleep. I'll stop by tomorrow"

"No, no please Armaan don't go. I want you to hold me"

"Holding you, was not the only thing I had in mind" she gave him sleepy smile, one he could not help but return back.

Removing his clothes he laid beside her, feeling her warmth and softness. "Riddhima?"

"hmm"

"I am sorry I kept you waiting"

She arched up to him capturing his lips in a slow and tender kiss and let him take her to heaven again.

When he awoke to leave she woke with him and watched him dress in candle light. He felt his heart stop for a second watching her sitting naked on the bed, her hair long and luscious coming down in waves to the front covering parts of her bosom and her full lips swollen by the acts of his own. Not once during their few months of being together had he thought this way but tonight he just felt awful about leaving her.

Grabbing his keys, he turned back to see her one last time, still sitting in the same position she was moments ago. Ignoring his anxiety he walked back to her and without another thought placed a gentle kiss on her temple.

"Get some sleep now ok, I'll see you tomorrow"

Tears spilled out the minute she heard the front door close, why was he showing such concern? Why was he being so sweet? She was afraid to think it, let alone speak it, but she was falling in love with him.

During the course of the next month Armaan's trips became less frequent, and as much as he hated to admit, he was really beginning to miss spending time with her. He couldn't help it though, work was taking over his days and nights, and there were days when he even worked on the weekends. His mother and grandmother were anything but pleased, they worried about his health and wellbeing; the boy hardly slept. They were not alone though, even Riddhima had become concerned; she had seen his dark puffy eyes begging some tranquility and sleep. Even his body language had changed, he crouched more due to the tiredness; his body was sore and fatigued. There were times such as the one right now where he was drinking shot after shot of espresso to stay awake, when she wished she could just drag him to bed and spend her time watching him sleep. She would lay down with him perhaps and hold him close. Something about being in his arms gave her immense peace; they were like her private sanctums which provided an unknown protection. She felt safe there.

It was not her place though and that realization stung her every time. Such a day would come when she would have to leave that cocoon of safety, or rather it would leave her. She feared that day was approaching fast.

"Riddhima, are you listening?" He was trying to explain something about the designs but found her to be lost in her thoughts. He frowned seeing her not paying attention to him. It was bad enough that he hadn't been able to see her as much as he liked and now when they were finally together she was not even paying attention.

"Huh? Oh I am sorry, what were you saying"

"Are you free this evening?"

He was disappointed when she responded in the negative he was really hoping to be with her tonight.

"I have to attend Sapna's engagement tonight, you're invited too you know" she added softly

"hmmm, what time does the function start"

"umm around 8, I think"

"Ok, I'll pick you up at 7"

"You don't have to do that Armaan"

"I don't HAVE to do anything Riddhima, but, I want to" He was annoyed, why was she giving him such a hard time with this?

She knew he was irritated but what could she do, Armaan wasn't realizing it but he was getting too close and his closeness and concern terrified her. He might get over her fairly quickly but she knew she could never get over him, at least not in this lifetime.

It had been ages since she'd worn a sari and even then she had worn it just a few times here and there, mostly when she was with Vivek, before their marriage. It was extremely heavy, she hoped she could carry it off without making a fool of herself; the top being backless didn't really help the cause much. She felt too exposed, but, Sapna and Muskaan had insisted she buy it when they had seen at the shop. "You have all the right curves and the color will go great with your complexion" Sapna had gushed placing the material against her body. The sari was beautiful though and peachish color really did look nice on her.

"HONK HONK"

Oh god, he's here. With cautious steps she made her way down the stairs, conscious of his watchful eyes; which scorched her skin even through the windshield

Ethereal, that was the only word he could think of when he spotted her walking down the stairs. Clad in a heavily sequined peach sari she looked just like an angel. Her hair were softly curled and swayed gently as the breeze played with them. He felt something like a wall crumble inside him when she opened the door and sat beside him. He suddenly didn't want to go the party now; instead he wanted to take her somewhere far-far away, where he could just hold her and make gentle love to her for hours.

"You look beautiful Riddhima"

"Thank You, You look good too" and he really did, but then again, the man looked good in everything.

He stayed by her side almost the entire time and she didn't miss the envious glances from the passerby's especially the women. It thrilled her to know he was with her and she felt so special when he would hold her hand to guide her through the crowd or when he unconsciously tuck her a strand of her hair behind her ear when she was engrossed in conversing. These little gestures and involuntary acts of love were only causing her to fall deeper.

Armaan didn't remember the last time he had attended a private function with a woman. He usually skipped such events no matter how much his mother and grandmother begged for him to join them; but being here with her tonight didn't seem weird, it actually felt normal. He was fully aware of the lustful looks other men were giving her and only he knew he hard he was trying to keep his temperament in check. That's why he refused to leave her side or let go of her hand. He even insisted on accompanying her to the stage to wish the couple, refusing to let her go alone; somewhat afraid that he might loose sight of her in the crowd when she exited.

He had been missing for almost an hour now and Riddhima was beginning to worry. He left to get a drink but never returned. For moment she felt horrified of being left alone, assuming that maybe someone else had caught his fancy. There were hoards of beautiful women here, who wouldn't mind a rendezvous with the Armaan Mallik.

She had been having an uninteresting conversation with Sapna and Muskaan when she felt him grab her arm. A simple touch was all that she needed to decipher it was him.

"Riddhima, Let's go!" there was fire in his eyes and she could easily tell he was drunk.

"Armaan?"

"We're leaving, NOW" she turned and gave an apologetic look to Sapna and Muskaan who nodded understandingly.

She saw him stumble and immediately rushed to his side "Armaan" she whispered holding him up, only to be shoved aside

"I am fine! I don't need your pity" He staggered some more but finally made it to his car "Get in the car"

"Armaan, you're drunk, maybe we should call a cab"

"I said GET IN THE DAMN CAR" she trembled at his outburst, never before had she seen him so upset. With great uncertainty she followed his command and sat in the car.

He drove like a maniac, paying no heed to her constant cries of "Armaan slow down" it was pouring now, but he didn't care. Within minutes they were outside her building. "Goodnight Riddhima"

"I am not going to let you leave Armaan, you'll be sleeping here tonight"

"I'll be fine, now please leave" he refused to look at her, feeling guilty for being so rude and unchivalrous.

"I am not leaving without you" she crossed her arms and sat back refusing to budge. She heard him groan and open his door. She followed suit and obediently walked behind him as they made their way up the stairs. He tumbled repeatedly but refused her help every time, once inside he slipped due to the wetness and fell hard on his knees. Riddhima hurried to grab him but, he pushed her away yet again.

"HOW DARE SHE!!" he yelled in fury "How dare that bi*ch* tell me it wasn't her fault, how dare she say she was sorry, I'LL NEVER FORGIVE HER, NEVER!! YOU HEAR ME RIDDHIMA I'LL NEVER FORGIVE HER" he grabbed her by the arms and shook her violently. Confused and scared by his behavior Riddhima did not know what to do. One minute he was holding her by the arms and the next he was crying hysterically.

"Armaan, what happened? Armaan?" panicking she draped her arms around him and tried to hush his sobs.

She didn't remember how long she sat holding him on that cold floor all she knew was that he was quiet now and sleeping peacefully. She couldn't help the relief that she received from watching him sleep. He looked peaceful but she could still sense the lines of disturbance that still creased his forehead. She had just discarded his wet clothes and was about to leave when she felt him stir.

"Riddhima?"

"Shhh, I am right here" she quickly sat beside him and placed a loving kiss on his temple; something she'd been aching to do for months now.

"stay with me" he murmured partially still in his slumber.

She lay beside him and was pleasantly surprised when she felt him grab her and hold her close; his face nuzzled in her neck and his breath tickling her skin. His grip was strong and felt so perfectly right. Out of sheer want she ruffled his hair and planted yet another kiss on his temple, he smiled slightly tightened his grasp. With the protection of his arms and the warmth of his body surrounding her, she too drifted off to a deep slumber.

Ok this part has come after a looooooong time and I tried to make it a bit longer than the others. I hope it didn't disappoint. Personally, I liked this part for its subtle romance. I've been awful about not only updating but replying to your comments too. One of these days I will go back and reply to all your wonderful words; I do read them though so please don't forget to leave them. Slowly but surely I am trying to fall back in place so I can update all my FF's regularly. I will ask you once again to bear with me and not forget to give me your unconditional support.

Till next time, thank you!!

Love

-Simran