Nikbhi FF : Hum Tum - Last Part & Epilogue Pg. 85 - Page 58

- Please ignore mistakes -

Part 23

"Wait," Nikki called, sliding off the bed and running behind her two best friends. Abhi's smile disappeared as he quietly followed his wife out of the room with the rest of the interns. The showdown that was destined to happen since they day Nikki stepped into Sanjeevani was finally there.

"Armaan, Rahul ruko," Nikki yelled, running to catch up with them. They stopped upon hearing their names and turned around. Nikki came to a halt and faced her fate.

"Listen," she said in a small voice. "I am… sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Armaan said sarcastically. They were infront of the general ward, where all the patients stared wide-eyed at the usually happy, care-free interns, who made their stay in the hospital enjoyable.

"Armaan listen,"

But he cut her off. "No you listen to me Ms. Nikita Malhotra," he said in an angry voice. "Or do you prefer Mrs. Modi?"

"Its not like that," Nikki said.

"Really?" Armaan continued in the same tone. "Are you not his wife? Are you not carrying his child?"

Nikki closed her eyes.

"Kab se joot bol rahi ho tum?" he asked. "Four months… five months?"

"Armaan," she said, opening her eyes in confusion. "I am married to him."

"I think I guessed that by now Nikki," he replied. "Magar yeh chakkar kab se chal raha hai?"

Then it hit Nikki. Her two best friends didn't know the whole truth. "I have been married to him before I came to Sanjeevani Armaan. Its been almost three years."

It was quiet, as everyone waited for Armaan's reaction. "You have been lying to us ever since you came here?"

Nikki looked at the floor, not being able to tolerate the look of hurt that crossed Armaan's face.

"Ammy, I didn't mean to hurt you," Nikki said, still looking down. "I was supposed to tell you guys."

"Guess its too late for that Nikki," Armaan said. "What happened? I thought we were best friends."

"We are," Nikki said, desperately. "We are and we will be."

"Don't think so," he replied. "I don't think we can ever be friends again."

"But," she said. "Nothing changed. Everything is the same. So what if I am married to Abhi?"

"That's whats it," Armaan said. "You are married to him."

"Come on Armaan," Nikki said. "Tum bhi maante ho na Abhi is nice guy after all."

"That's what I thought," he muttered. "Jo bhi ho Nikki, the point is you have lied to us. Did we ever hide anything from you? All this time we thought you were with us and turns out you were always on his side. Hum kitne bewakoof te. Ek bhar bhi nahi soocha how Dr. Modi randomnly appoints our best friend, when Sanjeevani is closing down?"

"Because," Nikki began to say, but he cut her off again.

"Because you and Dr. Modi thought you can cajole us to bend down to him," Armaan said, giving a dirty look to Abhi. "But guess that didn't work."

"Armaan you are wrong," Nikki said, tears brimming in her eyes. "I only hid the fact that I was married because of some stupid bet."

"Nice excuse. A bet! Give me a break Nikki," he said.

"Meri baat toh suno," she begged.

"Save your excuses for someone who wants to listen. Jahan tak mujhe pata hai, tumne humse joot bola. For six months you made a fool of your best friends."

Nikki looked at Rahul, who had not said a word. "Rahul," she said. "Tum kuch kyun nahi kehte? Tum toh samajthe ho na?"

"What should I understand Nikki," he said in a quiet voice. "The fact that you lied or the fact that you have been using us for him?"

"Rahul," she said. "You know that's not true. I would never do something like that with you guys."

"That's what I thought too. Until now."

"No,"

"Then tell me Nikki," Rahul asked. "What excuse do you have for lying to us for the past six months?"

"It was just a bet Rahul," she said. "It was some stupid bet."

"Agar bet hi tha, toh tumne maana kaise?" he asked simply. Though quieter than Armaan, Rahul certainly made Nikki feel more guilty. His straight forward questions were too hard to answer. "How did you think that we will accept your relationship with Dr. Modi?"

"Honestly," she said. "I didn't know you guys hated him so much. And on top of that I never meant to convince you guys to like him. I only came to prove that I make a better doctor than Abhi. That's all."

"You certainly did prove that he is a better person than you Nikki," Rahul said coldly. "Atleast he doesn't play with our feelings. Jo bhi karta hai, samne kartha hai."

"Rahul, please," she begged. "Believe me."

"That's what I have been doing for the past six months," he replied. "And what did we get in return?"

Nikki had no answer. This was not what she was expecting.

"Guys please," she said, going down on her knees. "I am sorry really sorry for what I did. If I told you the truth the first day, you guys would never have accepted it.You guys would have never accept me."

If it was their college days once again, Armaan and Rahul would pick her up and give her a big huge right then and there. But times were different now. The two boys were not moved by her gesture.

"Atleast we would know that our friend was still ours," Rahul said.

"Wish you never came to Sanjeevani Nikki. We were better off with remembering you as our best friend, rather than Mrs. Modi," Armaan added in a hurt voice.

And with that, they walked way, leaving Nikki crying on the floor. Abhi slowly walked forward and made her stand up. She buried her face in his chest, crying uncontrollably.

"Saab kuch khatam ho gaya Abhi," she sobbed. "They will never forgive me. Why did I make that bet? You were telling him not to do it, but I was so stubborn. Aab kya hoga Abhi? Armaan aur Rahul mujhe kabhi nahi maaf karenge."

"Shhh…" Abhi said, patting her head.

"Yeh kya ho raha hai?" said a deep voice. Everyone looked up to see Dr. Shashank walk in. "Dr. Modi?"

Nikki quickly got out of his embrace and wiped her tears. "Sorry Sir," she said in a cracked voice.

"Dr. Malhotra," he said. "Yeh ek hospital hai, so please mind your conduct."

She nodded and excused herself.

"Everyone please get back to work," Shashank said.

Ridhima and Muskaan both hurried to find Armaan and Rahul, while Abhi sped off behind Nikki.

"Chale Anjali?" Atul said slowly. "Warna Dr. Keerti aa jayegi."

Anjali nodded and began walking.

"Poor Nikki," she said. "Wonder what will happen now."

"Don't worry Anjali," Atul replied. "Saab kuch teek ho jayega."

"Kaise Atul," she asked. "Armaan aur Rahul usse kabhi maaf nahi karenge."

"They will come around," he said, slowly. "Waise bhi, Nikki shouldn't have done that."

"Magar woh keh rahi thi na," Anjali objected. "That she didn't mean to hurt them. They should honestly quit being stubborn and understand her."

"Haan," Atul said. "But they care a lot of her. So it hurts ten times more."

"Magar," Anjali countered. "She didn't do something terribly wrong."

"Kaisi baat kar rahi ho Anjali," he replied. "She lied to them, us, for six months."

"She didn't lie for no reason Atul,"

"Put yourself in Armaan and Rahul's shoes," he said. "how would you feel?" When Anjali was about to argue, he said "Tumhe kaise lagega, if I told you right now that I am not Atul and I don't love you?"

Anjali stopped "Did you…" she said, forgetting their topic of discussion. "Did you just say you love me?"

Just as Atul was trying to come up with an answer, Anjali's pager rang, forcing her to leave.

* * *

" –I know Armaan, lekin," Ridhima was saying. They were in the fire escape, talking about the scene that took place in front of the general ward.

"Bas Ridhima," he said. "Mujhe iss baare mein kuch baat nahi karni hai. Nikki ne gaalth ki hai."

"Haan," she said, before he could continue any further. "But she is sorry, right?"

"Sorry?" he asked. "Sorry doesn't fix anything."

"She has been crying her eyes out since forever Armaan," she said. "Please, usse maaf kardo."

"No," he replied, stubbornly. "I will never forgive her for this."

"Magar Armaan tumhe toh Dr. Modi se koi problem nahi hai na?"

"Modi is not the problem Basket," Armaan said. "The point is Nikki lied. We trusted her so much and that's how she pays us back? If she told me the day she walked in to Sanjeevani that she loved Abhi and was married to him, we wouldn't mind. Magar, baat woh nahi hai. She has been lying to us for six months straight."

"But she had her reasons right?" Ridhima said, trying to convince him.

"Don't ask me to take her so called bet a reason for her behaviour," he said. "She has no excuse whatsoever to lie to us."

"Tum saab kuch itna serious kyun le rahe ho?"

"I am taking everything seriously?" he asked, outraged.

"Haan Armaan," she answered. "Teek hai Nikki ne gaalth kiya hai. Magar woh maafi bhi maang rahi hai aur mujhe lagtha hai tum usse maaf kardena chahiye."

Armaan let out a sarcastic laugh. "Yeh tum keh rahi ho Ridhima," he said, sarcastically. "Then why didn't you forgive me for what all I did, right way? Why did I have to work so hard to get your forgiveness. According to you, I should be forgiven right. I was sorry."

"Armaan, hamari baat alag hai."

"Kyun alag hai?" he asked. "Infact, I did nothing like what Nikki did. If I lied to you for six months straight Basket, then you wouldn't even want to look at my face."

Ridhima took a deep breath. Sometimes making Armaan understand was next to impossible. "Teek hai," she said. "Don't forgive her. But are you willing to live with those consequences?"

"Matlab?"

"There is a month left of our internship Armaan," she reminded. "And if you hold on to your grudge in this last month, then you will loose your best friend forever. Woh chali jayegi."

"Then good," Armaan said coldly. "The sooner she leaves the better."

"Armaan!"

"Nahi Basket," he said, with a determined face. "This is my decision and I expect you to understand. If you don't, then atleast don't bring this topic again. I don't want to loose you too."

And with that, he left the fire escape, leaving a dejected Ridhima.

* * *

"Rahul tu yahan kya kar raha hai?" Muskaan asked, lightly. They were on the terrace, and Rahul was looking at the spectacular view of Mumbai.

Muskaan walked forward, not knowing what to say. She stopped a few feet from him.

"Chal, yahan se chalte hain," she said. When Rahul didn't reply, she said, "Lunch pe chale? Waise bhi Dr. Keerti hospital mein nahi hai."

When the silence continued on, Muskaan covered the distance between them and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mujhe akela chode Muskaan," he said.

"Nahi Rahul," she replied. "Mujhse baat karle. Dil haalka ho jayega."

When he didn't answer, she took his hand and made him sit on a bench in the shade.

"Kuch toh bolo Rahul," she begged, hating his silence.

"What should I say?" he asked. "Tum toh yahan uski side lene aayi ho na."

"Nahin Rahul," Muskaan said. "Main toh hamesha tumhari side pe hoon."

"Toh phir kya kahoon main?"

For that, she had no answer. "Kya tum usse maaf nahi kar sakthe?"

Rahul closed his eyes. "No."

"But she is really sorry,"

"So?" he asked, turning to look at her. "That doesn't change what I am feeling right now. For six months she lied to me… to us."

"But she had her reasons Rahul," Muskaan said. "We can't judge her like that."

"I don't think those reason are valid anymore," he said. "If she really did it for a bet, didn't she stop to think what her friends will go through one they know the truth?"

"She did stop to think Rahul," she said. "Which is why she told you the truth in front of everyone."

"No," he objected. "She told the truth because she had no other choice. If she didn't faint today, then the game would till be on."

"But she never meant to hurt you guys," Muskaan said.

"But she did," Rahul replied. "Put yourself in my shoes Muskaan."

"I did," she said. "Which is why I am telling you to forget and forgive. Main tumhe jaanti hoon Rahul. Aaj tum gusse mein ho. Magar kal jab Nikki ka haal dekhoge, tab dukh sirf tumhe hoga."

"Yeah right," he muttered, sarcastically.

"Saach bata," Muskaan said. "Will you not feel anything when you see her crying for the next one month?"

Rahul looked at her. "Honestly, no. Nikki crossed all limits today."

"Don't say that," she said.

"I don't care about her," he said. "She pushed it too far. And please, never bring up this topic again. I never asked anything from you Muskaan. This is my first and probably the last."

Rahul turned away from her and continued to stare at the huge buildings. Unfortunetly, Muskaan had no choice but to leave.

WoW guys.....this was sad.....poor Nikki!! Well though it breaks my heart to say that....she shud have stopped to think that iit wud hurt the 2 frds....lies hurt!!

Great part!!

hey archi...just saw yu updated..

Wow.. that was sad... poor Nikki! 😔

Wow on one hand she has the best feeling to being a Mother and on other side she loose her two buddies.thnx 4 update dear.

sad update yet this is the first time i think armaan and rahul are reasonable.. after all niki betrayed their trust.. awesome cant wait to see how A and N react to this new situation of the life.. - hope niki doesnt run away rather than facing them..