Posted:
Hey guys!! So ya, after two hectic weeks, i am back with a part...yayyy...and i really liked witing this part...i hope u guys like it too...so here goes...hope u guys like it...!! *fingers crossed*
As his eyes set on the big bungalow in front of him, a bout of nostalgia so strong hit him that a lump formed in his throat. Ten years, it had been exactly ten years since he had left this place, ten years since he had been meandering nowhere, with no place to call home. He had been rendered orphan when both his parents were very much alive, living a life of happiness and luxuries while he fought with the world and with himself to get across the hurt of having been thrown out of his own home. The sight of the house brought back painful memories, opened up the chapter he had closed firmly a decade ago. And now, he had again been forced to come back and relive those moments again, for the sake of the one person he was ready to even sacrifice his life.
He walked towards the door of the house, and each footstep was a painful memory brought back, each whiff of air was a reminder of what he had lost. His eyes smarted with tears as he looked over at the garden, and he could relive the moments of seeing Emaan running around, barefoot, squealing with happiness, her favorite teddy securely under her arm. And he saw himself, laughing and screaming as they both showered each other with water. Involuntarily, a smile adorned his face as he gulped, and the pseudo Emaan came running upto him, hiding behind him, squealing to save her from "bhai". He held out his hand to touch her, to envelop her in his hug and to hold her there forever, but she was gone before he could even blink. The pain of losing her was with him everyday, but by having come back here, it had doubled tremendously.
With a final loud sigh, he turned to the door and rang the doorbell, waiting for an exclamation, for an unwanted welcome.True, this was the place he had grown up in, here was what he had called home for the better half of his life, this place was where his parents lived. But he felt no affection, no love, no comfort for this place, only pain and hurt. He wasnt even sure they would recognise him now, he had surely changed a lot in appearance as well as in personality. All in all, he was a better person.
The door finally opened, and he set eyes on the woman who had given birth to him for the first time in ten years. She had grown old, he could see that instantly. The hair was shorter, the eyes were lined with grief and old age, and her shoulders slumped ever so slightly, perhaps burdened with all the years of living without her children. The look of surprise and utmost disbelief with which she looked at him confirmed his fear of having been unrecognized, and for a moment, he was thankful for it. For some unknown reason, his eyes had filled with unwanted tears as he had seen her, she was still his mother, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldnt hate ever. Never. Specially as she had been the one to have believed in him, even though she hadnt taken a stand for her only son against the tyrannical husband of hers.
"Armaan?"
The slow, unbelievable tone of her voice, yet the ring of happiness in it made Armaan nod slighty, as she put up a quivering hand on his face to make sure he actually was there. As her smooth fingers made contact with the slight stubble on his cheek, her eyes widened with surprise and sprung up with tears. She closed her eyes for a mere fraction of a second, and opened them again, to make sure he actually was there. When he still stood there when she opened her eyes, Gauri took him into a tight embrace with a sudden sweep of her arms. Armaan was overwhelmed, he hadnt expected his interaction with his mother to be so emotional, but perhaps it was some undefined bond between children and their mothers which couldnt keep them away from each other, however hard they tried.
"Armaan...tum...tum ho na...?"
His mother's uncertainity tore at his heart and he cursed his father for the millionth time in his life, for having not only taken away his home from him, but also his mother. He separated from the hug and nodded.
"Ya Mom...its me...Armaan...apka beta..."
The melancholy in his words was not lost to either one as they made way inside the house.
..........................................
Riddhima paced from one corner of her room to another, muttering under her breath, in such a low tone that she herself couldnt hear it. Worry was etched over her face, as she checked her mobile phone for the umpteenth time, and still seeing no reply to either her messages or her innumerable phone calls, she threw the phone on her bed in anger. She hadnt heard from him since he had gone off in the middle of the day after that quick meeting in the store room. She had messaged him throughout the day, to ask whether he had reached, whether he had eaten, where was he? There had been no response to her phone calls either and his sudden disappearance irked her, to the limit that she had actually shouted at Rahul over a trivial issue and had barged out of the locker room, back home. Now, after several hours, her anger had slightly evaporated to give place to immense worry and stress.
She finally gave up the pacing and plopped down on the sofa, her head in her hands as she tried to think out the possibilities. He had gone there for some legal work, right? So that meant he must be busy with some lawyer or something. And he had to return in two days, that meant he must be having meetings with the estate agents and he had to see the lawyer too. As the logic made sense, Riddhima finally heaved a sigh of relief and her stress immediately lessened. He was fine, she was sure of that, but the disappearance for straight 8 hours was more than she had ever tolerated.
She picked up her mobile phone from the bed to send him a last message, to tell him to contact her as soon as he got free. Smiling to herself, she wrote the message and sent it, and just then she got a brainwave. He had gone to Kasauli right? That meant he must be at Shehnaz Bi's place. And se had her number!!
Oh God, i am such an idiot!! Cursing herself, she smiled foolishly and dialled the number for the Kasauli residence of Shehnaz Bi. Maybe he wouldnt be there, but at least she would be assured of the fact that he was okay.
"Hello....Shehnaz Bi..? Main Riddhima..."
...........................................................
"Riddhima.....!!" Armaan murmured more to himself than to the woman sitting next to him, as a sudden thought hit him. For a second, as he had closed his eyes, an image of her face had flashed across her mind, an image in which she was looking worried, almost tense, ready to cry. Unlike the happy version of hers he always saw when he thought of her. His eyes opened and he sighed, murmuring her name, as he realized the fact that he had been out of contact with her since the past 8 hours, and she must be worried sick for him. Unaware of the raised eyebrows of his mother's as the name left his lips, he instantly fished in his pockets for his cell phone and as his eyes settled on the screen, he cursed under his breath. 10 new messages, 17 miss calls. All from Riddhima.
So lost was he in reading his messages, cursing himself and yet smiling the next moment that he didnt notice his mother's affectionate gaze at him. When he was finally done, he shook his head slightly, reprimanding himself for having totally forgotten about her. He had put the phone on silent mode when he had embarked the bus, as he wanted to sleep, thanks to the whole night he had woken up yesterday. Having woken up just a little while before the bus reached its destination, he had lapsed into thought of how to talk to his parents and in the process, had totally forgotten about her. He couldnt message her back yet, he decided, and made a mental note to call her up as soon as he got out of here. With that, he put the phone back in his pocket and then looked up to see his mother smiling at him knowingly, an unexpected glow on her face. When she wouldnt stop smiling even after a few moments, Armaan looked straight in her eye and raised his eyebrows.
"What?"
His mother shook her head, smiling to herself, an putting a hand on his cheek affectionately, said, "Maine tumhain kabhi itna khush nee dekha....bohat pyaar kerte ho na Riddhima se?"
Armaan smiled unwillingly as the name of the girl he loved was mentioned. Nodding back at her, he took her hand in hers and after a moment's relapse, spoke again. "You know Mom...yahan se jannay ke baad, maine kabhi nee socha tha ke main kisi se pyaar ker sakunga...mujhe laga tha ke mujh main woh taqat hi khatam ho gai hai...after losing this home...Dad...you....Emaan..."
The mention of his beloved sister brought tears both to his and his mother's eyes. It had been a decade since she had left them, but still her absence was sorely felt. Armaan sighed slowly, and controlling his voice, carried on.
"Shayed main sach main bohat bura insan tha Mom....shayed mujhe dunia ki samajh hi nahee thi....i dont know, uss ke beghair main pehle zinda bhi tha ke nahee....kyunki woh woh insan hai Mom, jiss ne mujh jese burray insan ko bhi badal ker rakh dia.....mein shayed ap sab ko deserve nee kerta tha, iss liye uss ne...(points upwards, indicating God) mujhe aap se door ker dia...par ussi ne mujhe Riddhima di hai....aur woh sirf meri hai Mom...she's the only person in this world i can call mine...i deserve her...i deserve her..." his volume become lower as he repeated te words, more to confirm himself than his mother.
"I know beta....woh bohat achi larki hai....and i am sure, tum donon saath main aik bohat achi zindagi guzaro ge..." his mother said, hugging him as she uttered those consoling words to her.
"Ussi barray main baat kerne aya hun Mom....warna ap to janti ho, mein iss ghar main dubara kadam bhi na rakhta..."
Before he could continue, they both were interrupted by a booming voice, one Armaan had hated for the sixteen years he had spent in this house and one he had never come across in the past ten. As he looked up, his eyes set on the one man who was solely responsible for both giving him this life and also ruining it. His expression stiffened, and Armaan stood up slowly tp his full height and came face to face with his father for the first time in the decade.
"Well well well....look who is here....Armaan.....Mallik?"
The sarcasm on the way his surname was mentioned wasnt lost on Armaan, and as he stood looking at his father, he couldnt believe that he hadnt changed one single bit. The same old sneer on his face, the cold competitive look in eyes, the ugly way in which his lips curled to one side, making him seem truly to his soul, the spawn of devil.
.........................................................................
"I am glad we did this Atul...its a really nice place"
Anjali smiled, as she said those words to the unrecognizable man who sat before her. The change in Atul had surprised her enough, but the true personality of this absolutely wonderful man that had come across to her in the couple of days she had been spending with her had astounded her beyond belief. He was nothing like the blibbering, idiotic guy she had known for the first few months of their internship. With all his craziness and humor still intact, he was however, now a man dedicated to his work. The seriousness that had clouded the guy over the months had definitely turned him into a more respectable person, she not only liked hanging around with him now, but she had somewhere started respecting him. The way he took care of her, the unbelievable ways he could cheer her up and all the crazy things he would say or do just to make her smile was fast making him aa place in her heart. A strong, sturdy place.
Now, as she looked around at the beautiful restaurant he had brought her to for dinner, she thought of how much her life had changed. She didnt let herslef think of Dev now, for as Atul had lectured her one day, thinking of him only hurt her more and she didnt want to do that to herself. She now thought of her work, and the dedication to it which had been lost for the couple of months she had been with Dev returned with more fervor. What surprised her was that now she had someone to share it with, someone who loved his work just as much, who had dreams and inspirations, and who took his work as a lifeline. Never had she ever thought of Atul in that way, and now that she had come to know him that way, she was totally overjoyed.
"Haan Anjali...i told you na...ye bohat achi jagah hai...especially yahan ka chicken manchurian bohat acha hai...tumhain chinese acha lagta hai na?"
Anjali smiled at his earnest response, as she harbored the fact of how he always thought and prioritized her choices over hers.
"Ya Atul...i like Chinese...par hum kahiin aur bhi to ja sakte thay...maybe Italian?", she replied, her eyebrows rising as her eyes twinkled.
Atul looked up at her from the menu, slightly startled. "Tumhain kese pata mujeh Italian pasand hai?"
"Kyun Atul...jab tum mere barray main itna kuch jante ho...to mujhee bhi haq hai tumhare barray main jannaay ka..."
A smile lit up Atul's face and she could swear she saw a blush creeping up his cheeks. And for a mere second, she felt her heart thump lightly.
"So come on Atul....aj tum mujhe apne barray main bataoge...sab kuch...everytime we talk, its about me...aaj main tumhare barray main janana chahti hoon."
Atul put down the menu card on the table and smiled at her, and as she held his hand and squeezed it lightly to assure to carry on, he started speaking.
...............................................................................
Nikki's eyes followed her, her hands clasped under her chin as she paced the room from one corner of the room to another. This had been going on since the past few minutes, and she finally spoke up.
"Riddhima...yaar tum suno to...Armaan had a reason to do it na..."
"NO!!....Nikki,...just shut up...dont you dare take his side this time!!"
Riddhima shouted at her, her finger pointed at her. Nikki gulped and settled back down on the sofa quietly, knowing that any kind of arguement at this moment would be useless.
"I cant believe uss ne mujhse jhoot bola...MUJHSE!! Main aaj takk, aaj takk uss se koi baat nahi chupai...koi jhoot nahi bola...aur woh...i cant believe he did this....Nikki...tum to ussay manna ker sakti thi, rok sakti thi..."
"Riddhima...woh mujhe bhi bata ker kahan gaya hai...note likh ker chala gay...aur uss time se phone bhi nahi utha raha."
"EXACTLY!! Chalo at least tumhain sach to bol ker gaya...mujhse to jhoot keh ker gaya, ke Kasauli ja raha hai, Shehnaz Bi ka koi 'legal' kaam kerwanay...yeh bhi koi jhoot hota hai...woh to acha hua maine Bi ko khud call ker li...ab annay do Armaan ko...dekhna main iss ke sath kerti kia hun!! Ex-girlfriend ki shadi mein hi gaya hai na, mai ussay kaunsa koi maar deti...idiot!!"
As Riddhima rattled on, Nikki delved into her own thoughts. She had been going frantic trying to call Armaan when Riddhima had called her, clearly as perplexed as she was, saying that she had to come over stat. Nikki had rushed over to her house, only to find Riddhima worried out of her mind because Armaan had told her he was going to Kasauli, and when she had called up the resideence there, he had not been there. And so, she had questioned Nikki about his whereabouts. She had figured that if she told her now that Armaan had gone to Delhi to convince his parents, she would go berserk. Clearly, Armaan didnt want to tell her, thus the lie. So she had concocted some story of him going off to an ex-girlfriend's wedding and not telling Riddhima about it because she wouldnt let him. Now, as she looked at Riddhima, she knew she had done the right thing, at least saved Armaan from trouble.
" Ab tum kyun chup bethi ho?" Riddhima finally found Nikki just sitting there, lost in some thought.
Nikki looked up at her and grinned foolishly. "Nahi, i was thinking...ke Armaan bhi kitna stupid hai...tum thoree na ussay kuch kehti...balkay tum to uske saath chali jati shadi per, haina? hehe"
Riddhima narrowed her eyes at her as Nikki grinned. "Yea right...behen ko rukhsat kerne gaya hai na...barra aya...annay do issay, theek kerti hun...."
Nikki laughed as Riddhima grumpily plopped down on the sofa and soon she had calmed down and they both were in a discussion of what to do to Armaan once he got back.
..............................................................
"Main uss se bohat pyaar kerta hun....."
Armaan stood in front of his parents, his head bowed, his arms folded behind him, just the way he used to when he was a young kid and was being punished for something he had done wrong. But today, he hadnt done anything wrong and so he looked his father straight in the face. Vinay Mallik folded his arms over his chest and looked back at his son, smugly.
"So...?"
Armaan sighed, trying to keep his anger at bay, under control. He didnt want to screw things up. Looking at his mother, who smiled back at him encouragingly, he started again.
"Main Riddhima se shadi kerna chahta hun....aur uss ke liye aap ko uske parents se milna hoga."
"Kyun..? You are a grown up, independant man...tum khud bhi mil sakte ho un se..."
Armaan closed his eyes and his nails dug into his palms as he tried to be patient. His father was doing it intentionally, he knew it.
"Woh chahte hain ke aap donon un se mil ker shadi ki baat pakki ker dein....mere akele milne se kuch nee hoga, woh aap se milna chahte hain."
Vinay raised his eyebrows and walking over to the bar, filled himself a wine-glass and turned to look at Armaan.
"Aur main unse kyun milunga, DR. Armaan Mallik?"
The intention of hitting him right where it did was fulfilled, a pained look crossed Armaan's face as his father uttered those words, more as an insult than a degree of respect. When he said nothing in response, his father continued.
"Kia hua? Chup kyun ho gaye? Thats what you are, right, a doctor? To kitni bachon ki jaanain bachayi hain tumne Armaan...kitno ko apni ankhon ke samne marne dia hai, kitno ka dil khud ke samne band hotey deka hai....i am sure, there must be many...because around you, children just tend to drop dead, right? Like your own sister?"
Armaan's eyes watered with tears as his heart throbbed painfully. Again he was being accused of the same thing, of having been the reaosn of his sister's death. Before he could say anythign, Gauri spoke up.
"Vinay!!!"
Vinay turned to look at his wife, who had, as expected, tears rolling down her cheeks. He rolled his eyes at her, and centering them on his only son, continued.
"Anyways...woh sab purani baatain hain...tum batao...whose this girl again?"
Armaan looked up at him and keeping his anger under control, muttered, "Riddhima."
"Kaun si ma...?" Vinay laughed at his own silly joke.
"Riddhima. Ri-ddhi-ma." Armaan spoke through bare teeth, his anger surfacing.
"OHh...Riddhima...isnt she the same girl, Gauri, jo humarey ghar bhi ayi thi?" he asked, turning to his wife who just nodded back at him. "Hmmm...barri saadi si larki thi...totally unlike your choice, Armaan."
"Meri choice kia hai, kia nahee, yeh main apse behtar janta hun. I am just asking you to meet up with her parents, thats it."
"Kyun?"
"Jee...?"
"Kyun milun main unse...tumhari iss Riddhima ke parents se? Why should I?"
Armaan spoke after a few silent moments. "Because i am your son."
Vinay looked at him coldly, and before turning his back to him, said the most painful thing to Armaan he could say. "I have no son...mera koi beta nahi hai...aur mujhe kisi ghair ke liye kisi se milne ki zaroorat nai hai."
Saying that, he walked a few steps ahead, and was about to ascend the stairs to his room when he heard a voice. A voice that shook the walls of the house, that clinked through every glass, that tore at the heart of the only woman present there so much so that a sob escaped her. And a voice that stopped Vinay Mallik's heart for a minute, for he was referred to by the title he hant heard in more than a decade.
"Dad...!!"
His voice shook, quivering, loaded with tears as he muttered that one word. When his father turned to look at him, he found his only son on his knees, kneeling before him, crying, his head bent, his hands folded together in a plea. And for the first time in a decade, Vinay Mallik's heart softened to the only piece of him that was left on this earth. His son. Armaan.
.....................................................................................
Here goes part 77 guys...uff, i need to end this ff, its getting way too long...okay yeah so...i hope u guys like it...please i want reviews, and true ones...!! Hope i can spring in a part over the weekend too..!! Thanks a ton, all of u for the wishes, and thanks for understanding!!! Loads of love
She finally gave up the pacing and plopped down on the sofa, her head in her hands as she tried to think out the possibilities. He had gone there for some legal work, right? So that meant he must be busy with some lawyer or something. And he had to return in two days, that meant he must be having meetings with the estate agents and he had to see the lawyer too. As the logic made sense, Riddhima finally heaved a sigh of relief and her stress immediately lessened. He was fine, she was sure of that, but the disappearance for straight 8 hours was more than she had ever tolerated.
She picked up her mobile phone from the bed to send him a last message, to tell him to contact her as soon as he got free. Smiling to herself, she wrote the message and sent it, and just then she got a brainwave. He had gone to Kasauli right? That meant he must be at Shehnaz Bi's place. And se had her number!!
Oh God, i am such an idiot!! Cursing herself, she smiled foolishly and dialled the number for the Kasauli residence of Shehnaz Bi. Maybe he wouldnt be there, but at least she would be assured of the fact that he was okay.
"Hello....Shehnaz Bi..? Main Riddhima..."
...........................................................
"Riddhima.....!!" Armaan murmured more to himself than to the woman sitting next to him, as a sudden thought hit him. For a second, as he had closed his eyes, an image of her face had flashed across her mind, an image in which she was looking worried, almost tense, ready to cry. Unlike the happy version of hers he always saw when he thought of her. His eyes opened and he sighed, murmuring her name, as he realized the fact that he had been out of contact with her since the past 8 hours, and she must be worried sick for him. Unaware of the raised eyebrows of his mother's as the name left his lips, he instantly fished in his pockets for his cell phone and as his eyes settled on the screen, he cursed under his breath. 10 new messages, 17 miss calls. All from Riddhima.
So lost was he in reading his messages, cursing himself and yet smiling the next moment that he didnt notice his mother's affectionate gaze at him. When he was finally done, he shook his head slightly, reprimanding himself for having totally forgotten about her. He had put the phone on silent mode when he had embarked the bus, as he wanted to sleep, thanks to the whole night he had woken up yesterday. Having woken up just a little while before the bus reached its destination, he had lapsed into thought of how to talk to his parents and in the process, had totally forgotten about her. He couldnt message her back yet, he decided, and made a mental note to call her up as soon as he got out of here. With that, he put the phone back in his pocket and then looked up to see his mother smiling at him knowingly, an unexpected glow on her face. When she wouldnt stop smiling even after a few moments, Armaan looked straight in her eye and raised his eyebrows.
"What?"
His mother shook her head, smiling to herself, an putting a hand on his cheek affectionately, said, "Maine tumhain kabhi itna khush nee dekha....bohat pyaar kerte ho na Riddhima se?"
Armaan smiled unwillingly as the name of the girl he loved was mentioned. Nodding back at her, he took her hand in hers and after a moment's relapse, spoke again. "You know Mom...yahan se jannay ke baad, maine kabhi nee socha tha ke main kisi se pyaar ker sakunga...mujhe laga tha ke mujh main woh taqat hi khatam ho gai hai...after losing this home...Dad...you....Emaan..."
The mention of his beloved sister brought tears both to his and his mother's eyes. It had been a decade since she had left them, but still her absence was sorely felt. Armaan sighed slowly, and controlling his voice, carried on.
"Shayed main sach main bohat bura insan tha Mom....shayed mujhe dunia ki samajh hi nahee thi....i dont know, uss ke beghair main pehle zinda bhi tha ke nahee....kyunki woh woh insan hai Mom, jiss ne mujh jese burray insan ko bhi badal ker rakh dia.....mein shayed ap sab ko deserve nee kerta tha, iss liye uss ne...(points upwards, indicating God) mujhe aap se door ker dia...par ussi ne mujhe Riddhima di hai....aur woh sirf meri hai Mom...she's the only person in this world i can call mine...i deserve her...i deserve her..." his volume become lower as he repeated te words, more to confirm himself than his mother.
"I know beta....woh bohat achi larki hai....and i am sure, tum donon saath main aik bohat achi zindagi guzaro ge..." his mother said, hugging him as she uttered those consoling words to her.
"Ussi barray main baat kerne aya hun Mom....warna ap to janti ho, mein iss ghar main dubara kadam bhi na rakhta..."
Before he could continue, they both were interrupted by a booming voice, one Armaan had hated for the sixteen years he had spent in this house and one he had never come across in the past ten. As he looked up, his eyes set on the one man who was solely responsible for both giving him this life and also ruining it. His expression stiffened, and Armaan stood up slowly tp his full height and came face to face with his father for the first time in the decade.
"Well well well....look who is here....Armaan.....Mallik?"
The sarcasm on the way his surname was mentioned wasnt lost on Armaan, and as he stood looking at his father, he couldnt believe that he hadnt changed one single bit. The same old sneer on his face, the cold competitive look in eyes, the ugly way in which his lips curled to one side, making him seem truly to his soul, the spawn of devil.
.........................................................................
"I am glad we did this Atul...its a really nice place"
Anjali smiled, as she said those words to the unrecognizable man who sat before her. The change in Atul had surprised her enough, but the true personality of this absolutely wonderful man that had come across to her in the couple of days she had been spending with her had astounded her beyond belief. He was nothing like the blibbering, idiotic guy she had known for the first few months of their internship. With all his craziness and humor still intact, he was however, now a man dedicated to his work. The seriousness that had clouded the guy over the months had definitely turned him into a more respectable person, she not only liked hanging around with him now, but she had somewhere started respecting him. The way he took care of her, the unbelievable ways he could cheer her up and all the crazy things he would say or do just to make her smile was fast making him aa place in her heart. A strong, sturdy place.
Now, as she looked around at the beautiful restaurant he had brought her to for dinner, she thought of how much her life had changed. She didnt let herslef think of Dev now, for as Atul had lectured her one day, thinking of him only hurt her more and she didnt want to do that to herself. She now thought of her work, and the dedication to it which had been lost for the couple of months she had been with Dev returned with more fervor. What surprised her was that now she had someone to share it with, someone who loved his work just as much, who had dreams and inspirations, and who took his work as a lifeline. Never had she ever thought of Atul in that way, and now that she had come to know him that way, she was totally overjoyed.
"Haan Anjali...i told you na...ye bohat achi jagah hai...especially yahan ka chicken manchurian bohat acha hai...tumhain chinese acha lagta hai na?"
Anjali smiled at his earnest response, as she harbored the fact of how he always thought and prioritized her choices over hers.
"Ya Atul...i like Chinese...par hum kahiin aur bhi to ja sakte thay...maybe Italian?", she replied, her eyebrows rising as her eyes twinkled.
Atul looked up at her from the menu, slightly startled. "Tumhain kese pata mujeh Italian pasand hai?"
"Kyun Atul...jab tum mere barray main itna kuch jante ho...to mujhee bhi haq hai tumhare barray main jannaay ka..."
A smile lit up Atul's face and she could swear she saw a blush creeping up his cheeks. And for a mere second, she felt her heart thump lightly.
"So come on Atul....aj tum mujhe apne barray main bataoge...sab kuch...everytime we talk, its about me...aaj main tumhare barray main janana chahti hoon."
Atul put down the menu card on the table and smiled at her, and as she held his hand and squeezed it lightly to assure to carry on, he started speaking.
...............................................................................
Nikki's eyes followed her, her hands clasped under her chin as she paced the room from one corner of the room to another. This had been going on since the past few minutes, and she finally spoke up.
"Riddhima...yaar tum suno to...Armaan had a reason to do it na..."
"NO!!....Nikki,...just shut up...dont you dare take his side this time!!"
Riddhima shouted at her, her finger pointed at her. Nikki gulped and settled back down on the sofa quietly, knowing that any kind of arguement at this moment would be useless.
"I cant believe uss ne mujhse jhoot bola...MUJHSE!! Main aaj takk, aaj takk uss se koi baat nahi chupai...koi jhoot nahi bola...aur woh...i cant believe he did this....Nikki...tum to ussay manna ker sakti thi, rok sakti thi..."
"Riddhima...woh mujhe bhi bata ker kahan gaya hai...note likh ker chala gay...aur uss time se phone bhi nahi utha raha."
"EXACTLY!! Chalo at least tumhain sach to bol ker gaya...mujhse to jhoot keh ker gaya, ke Kasauli ja raha hai, Shehnaz Bi ka koi 'legal' kaam kerwanay...yeh bhi koi jhoot hota hai...woh to acha hua maine Bi ko khud call ker li...ab annay do Armaan ko...dekhna main iss ke sath kerti kia hun!! Ex-girlfriend ki shadi mein hi gaya hai na, mai ussay kaunsa koi maar deti...idiot!!"
As Riddhima rattled on, Nikki delved into her own thoughts. She had been going frantic trying to call Armaan when Riddhima had called her, clearly as perplexed as she was, saying that she had to come over stat. Nikki had rushed over to her house, only to find Riddhima worried out of her mind because Armaan had told her he was going to Kasauli, and when she had called up the resideence there, he had not been there. And so, she had questioned Nikki about his whereabouts. She had figured that if she told her now that Armaan had gone to Delhi to convince his parents, she would go berserk. Clearly, Armaan didnt want to tell her, thus the lie. So she had concocted some story of him going off to an ex-girlfriend's wedding and not telling Riddhima about it because she wouldnt let him. Now, as she looked at Riddhima, she knew she had done the right thing, at least saved Armaan from trouble.
" Ab tum kyun chup bethi ho?" Riddhima finally found Nikki just sitting there, lost in some thought.
Nikki looked up at her and grinned foolishly. "Nahi, i was thinking...ke Armaan bhi kitna stupid hai...tum thoree na ussay kuch kehti...balkay tum to uske saath chali jati shadi per, haina? hehe"
Riddhima narrowed her eyes at her as Nikki grinned. "Yea right...behen ko rukhsat kerne gaya hai na...barra aya...annay do issay, theek kerti hun...."
Nikki laughed as Riddhima grumpily plopped down on the sofa and soon she had calmed down and they both were in a discussion of what to do to Armaan once he got back.
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"Main uss se bohat pyaar kerta hun....."
Armaan stood in front of his parents, his head bowed, his arms folded behind him, just the way he used to when he was a young kid and was being punished for something he had done wrong. But today, he hadnt done anything wrong and so he looked his father straight in the face. Vinay Mallik folded his arms over his chest and looked back at his son, smugly.
"So...?"
Armaan sighed, trying to keep his anger at bay, under control. He didnt want to screw things up. Looking at his mother, who smiled back at him encouragingly, he started again.
"Main Riddhima se shadi kerna chahta hun....aur uss ke liye aap ko uske parents se milna hoga."
"Kyun..? You are a grown up, independant man...tum khud bhi mil sakte ho un se..."
Armaan closed his eyes and his nails dug into his palms as he tried to be patient. His father was doing it intentionally, he knew it.
"Woh chahte hain ke aap donon un se mil ker shadi ki baat pakki ker dein....mere akele milne se kuch nee hoga, woh aap se milna chahte hain."
Vinay raised his eyebrows and walking over to the bar, filled himself a wine-glass and turned to look at Armaan.
"Aur main unse kyun milunga, DR. Armaan Mallik?"
The intention of hitting him right where it did was fulfilled, a pained look crossed Armaan's face as his father uttered those words, more as an insult than a degree of respect. When he said nothing in response, his father continued.
"Kia hua? Chup kyun ho gaye? Thats what you are, right, a doctor? To kitni bachon ki jaanain bachayi hain tumne Armaan...kitno ko apni ankhon ke samne marne dia hai, kitno ka dil khud ke samne band hotey deka hai....i am sure, there must be many...because around you, children just tend to drop dead, right? Like your own sister?"
Armaan's eyes watered with tears as his heart throbbed painfully. Again he was being accused of the same thing, of having been the reaosn of his sister's death. Before he could say anythign, Gauri spoke up.
"Vinay!!!"
Vinay turned to look at his wife, who had, as expected, tears rolling down her cheeks. He rolled his eyes at her, and centering them on his only son, continued.
"Anyways...woh sab purani baatain hain...tum batao...whose this girl again?"
Armaan looked up at him and keeping his anger under control, muttered, "Riddhima."
"Kaun si ma...?" Vinay laughed at his own silly joke.
"Riddhima. Ri-ddhi-ma." Armaan spoke through bare teeth, his anger surfacing.
"OHh...Riddhima...isnt she the same girl, Gauri, jo humarey ghar bhi ayi thi?" he asked, turning to his wife who just nodded back at him. "Hmmm...barri saadi si larki thi...totally unlike your choice, Armaan."
"Meri choice kia hai, kia nahee, yeh main apse behtar janta hun. I am just asking you to meet up with her parents, thats it."
"Kyun?"
"Jee...?"
"Kyun milun main unse...tumhari iss Riddhima ke parents se? Why should I?"
Armaan spoke after a few silent moments. "Because i am your son."
Vinay looked at him coldly, and before turning his back to him, said the most painful thing to Armaan he could say. "I have no son...mera koi beta nahi hai...aur mujhe kisi ghair ke liye kisi se milne ki zaroorat nai hai."
Saying that, he walked a few steps ahead, and was about to ascend the stairs to his room when he heard a voice. A voice that shook the walls of the house, that clinked through every glass, that tore at the heart of the only woman present there so much so that a sob escaped her. And a voice that stopped Vinay Mallik's heart for a minute, for he was referred to by the title he hant heard in more than a decade.
"Dad...!!"
His voice shook, quivering, loaded with tears as he muttered that one word. When his father turned to look at him, he found his only son on his knees, kneeling before him, crying, his head bent, his hands folded together in a plea. And for the first time in a decade, Vinay Mallik's heart softened to the only piece of him that was left on this earth. His son. Armaan.
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Here goes part 77 guys...uff, i need to end this ff, its getting way too long...okay yeah so...i hope u guys like it...please i want reviews, and true ones...!! Hope i can spring in a part over the weekend too..!! Thanks a ton, all of u for the wishes, and thanks for understanding!!! Loads of love
Kiran
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Pe Hain?
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
Cricket
Anupamaa
