PART 9
Riddhima entered the house. There are unseen faces for her in the party. Most of the people in the party looked like students to her.She was observing the house when Anjali grab Riddhima's hand and literally dragged her to a middle aged lady in a pink saree.
"Hello, Kirti Mam, How are you? " Anjali asked.
" Oh Hello Anjali, I am good, tell me how are you doing? Ready for the semester? " Dr.Kirti replied lovingly.
" I am all set mam, meet my sister Riddhima, She will be in your class this semester"
" Hello Riddhima"
"Hello Mam, Nice meeting you, Your house is very beautiful" Riddhima shakes hands with Dr. Kirti and started talking in general when a cute little boy came and asked Dr. Kirti, "Mom I am hungry can I have something to eat? " holding a core of her saree.
"Ronak, No cookies, it is time for dinner, you can have your dinner if you are hungry, you already had lots of cookies tonight. It's not good for your teeth beta"
Riddhima saw the cute little boy as he started to throw tantrum after five minutes to persuade her mother. "I said no cookies Ronak! "
He stomped his feet on the ground and left the room crying loudly.
"Well There is my little boy, Riddhima welcome aboard, Please feel free to contact me for anything you need or any difficulty you have in class, enjoy the party, I will see you guys around, I have to check on Ronak" Dr. Kirti said to her and left in the direction Ronak went.
"Dids , where can I put the kheer? " Riddhima asked Anjali. Anjali showed her the way to kitchen.
Riddhima heard someone crying as she was coming back from the kitchen putting the kheer with the rest of the food. She found Ronak sitting in a corner, trying to hide from his mother.
She went and sit there beside him, started talking to him.
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"Where the hell where you guys? We were waiting for you. " Anjali exclaimed as she saw Arman , Atul and Nikki entering the room.
"Hi Anjali, dont even ask, Your Highness suddenly remembers to play tennis at last minutes, and we were waiting for him to come" Nikki retorted rolling her eyes towards Arman.
" I asked you guys not to wait for me Nikki" Said Arman looking around the room. " Where is everyone?" As he asked , He heard " Tumane pukara aur hum chale aaye, jan hatheli par le aaye reeeeeeee" Muskan came from behind singing. Every one starts laughing.
"Tu teri Nautanki kab band karegi?" Rahul came to join them. " Tu samne hoga to kabhi bhi nahi" She retorted back.
"OK guys, cut it out, continue your fighting after we will have dinner I am really hungry, lets go and eat please" Anjali asked them.
"Muski, where is Riddhima?" Anjali asked Muskan as they are heading towards the food.
" I dont know Anjali, she is not with me" "Oh god,where did she go if she is not with you?, She went to put kheer in the kitchen and its been half hour and I have not seen her yet" Anjali started looking around.
Arman felt flutter inside with mention of Riddhima. "Guys, you carry on, I have to meet Dr. Kirti and my little buddy too, if I will find Riddhima ,I will ask her to join you for dinner ok?" Arman convinced Anjali and others to go for dinner.
" Where is she?" After talking to Dr. Kirti Arman searched almost every room and could not find Riddhima anywhere. " Dr. Kirti told that Ronak was mad so he might be in his room, I will check in his room and get him back to the party" He thought and walking to Ronak's room. As he reached there he stood there by surprise.
Ronak was sitting happily on the bench near a piano in his room. No signs of thrown pillows or other tantrums. But It is not Happy Ronak who surprised him, It is the person who is sitting beside him and playing the piano. " Riddhima with Ronak ?and that too playing piano?"
Arman stayed there just stared at her. Riddhima was sitting on the bench beside Ronak wearing a white dress. Her long silky hair covering her half face as she was looking down at the key board. Her delicate fingers are running effortlessly on the piano and creating soothing music. Arman lost himself completely in the peaceful moment.
" Will you teach me how to play like you" Arman came back to his senses when he heard Ronak.
"I will teach you if you promise me to be a good boy and do as your mom asked " Ridhhima told him while planting a small kiss at his cheek.
Suddenly out of no where Arman felt like witnessing the replay of his own childhood, her mom playing piano at church and teaching him how to play. Riddhima and Ronak's little love filled moment made him miss his own mother. But he does not have enough time to linger more on the memory, as Ronak saw him and shouted " Hey my superhero, you are here"?
It is now Riddhima's turn to be surprise now, she did not have any idea that Arman was there. " What is ARMAN doing here? Since how long is he here and listening ?" Ridhhima felt little uneasy.
"Hey buddy, how are you? We will talk later first let's go for dinner, everybody is waiting for you" He said last sentence looking at Riddhima who was still looking little uncomfortable.
" You played well" Arman showed thumbs up to her. " Thanks" All that Riddhima can manage to speak at that time. " Everyone is having dinner and they were looking for you, so I came to find you guys" Arman told her.
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"You are coming to teach me on next sunday right?" Ronak came running towards Riddhima as everyone is going after party gets over.
Riddhima sits on her knees and took Ronak's hands in hers and said" I promise I will be here on sunday to teach you, and you promise to be good boy,ok?
"ok, see you" Said Ronak and left a quick kiss on Riddhima's cheek and left running inside home.
Every one was looking at this cute interaction with surprise and thinking how quickly Riddhima had made bond with Ronak, a boy who is hardly listen to his own mother.
"Oye Arman, Tu ab second class ho gaya, Riddhima first class main aa gai, she has broken your magic spell over Ronak" Muskan said to Arman laughing.
Arman steal a glance at Riddhima, saw little shyness on her face. A smile played on his lips, he enjoyed those looks of Riddhima during entire party tonight.
"Ok Guys see you tomorrow, good night" He does not want to argue with Muskan.
Everybody left for the their apartment as it is almost midnight.
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Riddhima saw the bed side clock showing one o clock. She is tired but not yet sleepy. She lay in the bed and looking at the stars from the open windows of her bedroom and started thinking about the fun time she had at party. She remembered how she started talking to Ronak on the stairs, how she agreed to play video game with him and went to his room, rather than playing video game they ended up playing piano. She played her favorite songs and tunes for him. The time she saw Arman standing there and felt uncomfortable .She spotted him looking at her several times during the party, and as she looked at him, he avert his eyes and pretend to look somewhere else. He was behaving strangely.
She falls asleep while thinking hard about Arman''s behavior. This was probably first night after so many months when she was not thinking about Abhi and multiple hypothesis about why he left india unannounced without even letting her know.
While Riddhima falls asleep when thinking about Arman. On the other side Arman was wide awake thinking about Riddhima.
Rahul and Atul were sleeping tightly while Arman was wide awake in his bed.
" She was looking like an angel when she was playing piano with Ronak on her side. Reminding me one of my happy memories with mom. She still seems uncomfortable with me, she was talking nicely and joking with Rahul and Atul in the party so definitely she does not have any "guy phobia" than why she is not talking to me freely? might be due to our awkward first meeting. I have to do something to make her comfortable around me. If she continues to be this way than how can we study together? It might take little time but you will be friends Arman relax. " After half hour of thinking he finally slept.
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
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