pre PS: the forum posts are giving error texts in lines... but here's a tip that seems to work for now... use comic sans for font (im not a fan of it, but at least the errors are gone) and using this text u can edit your post, delete redundant text and it works!! (noticed in aria's post n tried :) )
Part 7 is on page 44.. just for ref :)
recap:
Armaan shut the door of his room behind him. And most unusually, latched it from inside. Then stood leaning his back against the door. She had come for the game.
**************************
~ Part 8 ~
"What happens to wishing her at 12 then?"
"That remains obviously!" A noise drowned her reply and he thought he was disconnected. But once more he found the signal strong on his end.
"Hello?... Muskaan?"
"Yeh I'm here."
"You are? I thought..." He started and it returned after a momentary gap, the irksome disturbance in the call. "Can you get somewhere inside? The connection keeps cracking. It must be the wind." He spoke louder than usual, spontaneously she pulled the phone slightly away and gave it a weird look.
"I am in my room," Muskaan clarified, puzzled, then blew at the mug held close to her lips again. And realized. "Uh!... Oh!" she uttered in self comprehension replacing the cup carefully on her desk, '"I was blowing at my coffee to cool it down," her eyes wrinkled in effect to a sheepish look, "Sorry!" And almost as if he heard the expressions in her words, an amused smile played on Rahul's lips.
"More coffee?" he muttered with a teasing disdain, settling comfortably into the covers lowering his back against the couple of pillows propped up behind him.
"Like yeah!" she said in a mix of obstinacy and assertion. "What's with the pair of you brother sister and the immortal animosity with coffee?" He shook his head at her retort, and softly clicked his tongue. A journalist in making indeed, with a natural ineptitude to dramatize anything any lesser than a news headline.
"You were telling me... ?"
"Oh yeh! Nikki's surprise. So we have the midnight treat in the common room, cake cutting and all usual stuff and then she thinks we're going out for movies and dinner the next day. Except, obviously she knows nothing of the real deal!" Muskaan paused leaning forward on her chair and pushing the door of her room shut. "She is the last one among us to turn 19 cause shes a year ahead in college and Ridz came up with the whole 'different-last-teen-birthday' idea. We already got the drapes and streamers. Personally I prefer yellow and gold, what do you think? Well Anj disagreed, as usual, and insisted on pink and silver. I gave in cause Nikki shopped for a pale pink shimmery dress from Lifestyles for her birthday. Besides, the drawing and dining halls have a pastel grey base too. Pink and silver do sound a better theme in conclusion, I guess, right?"
That he was so involved in her banter surprised Rahul; she talked without a pause, questioned him then answered herself. And anyways, since when had color coordinations for party set-ups been anywhere even at the bottom of his list of interests? What surprised him more however, was that he wasn't attentive to please her. Her enthusiasm was infective, yet Rahul was in disbelief of how it was possible for him to, far from tiring of her endless talks, actually await them every evening. And now in narrating a rejection of her own suggestions there was an excitement even as her note was increasingly hushed. Like a little girl spilling beans when she is not meant to.
"Nikki will never guess we're having a bash at the house!" Muskaan continued, not waiting for his reply, and getting his attention for a different reason this time.
"Ridzi proposed the venue as well?"
"Yup! She got her maid to clear up the place... "
"Shakuntala... "
"And even asked her to stay back for the weekend to help us with the organizing and... what?" Muskaan stopped in the middle of her own sentence registering what he had interrupted with. "The maid?"
"Thats her name. Shakuntala." He said it only by way of spelling facts but she thought it was unlike him. Rahul continued, unaware as such of his odd digression, "I spent two of my school vacations in Delhi. She would always want to play with Ridzi and me. But she didn't know any of our games and neither of us wanted her on our team, so we would scheme to no end on how to keep her out cause uncle insisted we let her join in with us and it was so annoying that we couldn't just refuse." He paused, then smiled to himself, his eyes resting mid air even as they saw images of the past from what felt like another lifetime.
"She's been there that long?" Muskaan asked quietly, less out of curiosity and more to keep the conversation going. It was rare for him to initiate out of topic talks, rarer still to her seemed the strange focus of this conversation.
"I can recall as far back as when I was about... seven, I think? Her father, Bhanu ji, was exclusive help in the music room, its maintenance, riyaaz schedules... everything. And her mother was the household help. I think they were from Aunty's hometown, some remote place near Ajmer. They lived as a family in the backyard quarters. And cause Shakuntala is nearly Ridhima's age she was obviously fascinated by us kids." He paused, then chuckled. "We were so mean to her... I was. This one Sunday when no one was going to realize, we locked her in a dark room for an entire morning. Ridhima was hesitant but I brainwashed her. Little girls are so silly!"
"Did she complain later?" It occurred to neither of them that Muskaan had not argued over his last comment.
"Uh huh," Rahul grunted in negative. "But we were so certain she would eventually that we told her she could join us in making the new jigsaw Ridhima got. She didn't care much for the puzzle but she was thrilled that we let her stay, while we were tired of having her hover around. I was furious when she knocked an entire worked out edge. Then her mother called her to help sometime later and we were both grateful." Muskaan heard him give a soft laugh on his end.
"Later when Ridhima moved in with us in Mumbai the family stayed on to look after the house, until Shakuntala got married in Delhi itself. Her parents went back and she and her husband have since tended to the place every weekend. And Ridhima returned to Delhi for college of course..." Their was an abrupt silence as neither spoke. "Sorry, I got carried away. You were telling me... ?"
"That's alright. I told you all of it."
She wasn't certain if he would want to talk more or if she wished to hear him continue talking, but she was definitely distracted from the party conversation for now. There wasn't a distinct reason she could pin down as to what had clicked between Rahul and her. But it had been very prompt and quick, and she had to admit there was much about him she had to know. Mostly, he limited himself to brief in between comments to her chatter, which were laid back, easy, sometimes jesting, and even the solemn compliments here and there were so intentional from him. Like he could predict her mind and its reactions. It had been merely weeks from the first she had met him during the fest prep time.
And of the all the things between them she would learn about and mature upon along the way, it had taken almost no time to realize his upper hand in understanding her, far more than vice versa. And so, this first time that had him oblivious to his own spontaneity, had also triggered several thoughts in her mind. There wasn't anything significant about what he had shared with her, but that he had so unassumingly done it... It had felt like an old time he had been transported to, one he had not talked of, not even thought of in a long, long while. She could fathom why, for Ridhima and she had been close friends over a year now. Still, it had taken her by surprise a mention from him so unexpectedly.
She heard a background tone in the cell.
"I think there's an incoming call Rahul," She didn't check who. But there was something awkward about this wordless interlude in their conversation right now, almost like she couldn't connect to his mind before sorting her own. He nodded, then ran a hand through his hair.
"You go ahead take it." It stopped ringing, but she didn't say so.
"I'll.... call you later?"
"No, I will. Tomorrow. I need to compute some reports for dad tonight cause I wont be here to help for the remaining week."
"Okay." She frowned to herself, "Thats... fine. Good night... " she left it hanging like it needed a completion.
"Night sweetheart! Take care!" And the call clicked. Slowly she lowered it from her ear, then absent mindedly connected it to its charger. Had she been insensitively hasty? Maybe he wanted to talk? Maybe she should have asked him, just once if he did? His last words had been just like him. Simple, short... and sweet. With a deep sigh she held back her falling curls with fingers of both hands and rest the back of her head on the chair's uncomfortable edge.
"Muski!" She nearly jumped out of her skin as the door opened ajar and Anjali stood barging in. "You didn't get my missed call?" Then quickly shut her mouth over the gasp that had escaped her.
"Come to other room fast. We got the juniors to keep Nikki away for an hour with their Eco assignments. The guest list has to be finalized and Ridzi said we might be a little short on cash with the menu we considered yesterday." When Muskaan didn't respond quick enough, Anjali tugged at her arm pulling her out of her chair. "Hurry up now!"
She was ushered into Ridhima's room seconds later, and inevitably, Muskaan was forced to postpone resolving her confused tangle of thoughts, until later.
*******************************************
A range of subtle changes alternated their presence as the expressions of his face. Partly from the light chilly wind that was blowing at this extreme hour, and partly from the number of times he had unconsciously tampered with them, his hair were in an absolute disarray. One more time he pushed them off his eyes, then smothered a yawn running a hand over his mouth. Digging both hands into the pockets of his jumper tracks he stretched slightly weight upon toes, arched backwards staring at the orange glow of the full moon. Then fell back to flat feet.
She had come.
In no hurry his steps traversed to and fro the tunnel like passage flanked by a multistorey building each on its either side. No exception to the generations of graduates from IITD in this respect, Wind T was his place to ponder. Abhi had drawn a mocking parallel with Archimedes' famous bath tub: you could relax here, lose yourself in idle musing and reestablish the concept of Eureka. Wry at his thoughts meandering to this comparison of little substance and no help to resolve his current issue, Armaan rolled eyes at himself.
Why did she not tell him?
Sleep had been far from coming to his rescue, although it wasn't as if he had tried enough to make it happen. Instead he jogged down here some thirty minutes ago, the alarm clock just before he left the room had read half past two in the morning. Which was less than an hour after the other three had officially retired for the night. The play list on his I-Pod had failed to entertain his obscure woes, with little patience he had pulled off the ear phones and tucked them carelessly into his hoodie.
Today he had found her waiting upon him. In his understanding she had come to explain her absence from the game ... Why did she not tell him she had come?
He was becoming obsessed with questions again, even more with the ideas they forced him to consider. And it wasn't pleasing him in the least. How was this girl always a cause of unrest to him, whatever the reasons? Restless, he inhaled sharply.
"No no no..." he chanted to himself in undertones, "No Armaan... NO!"
At precisely this second a boy and a girl, holding hands, crossed him in the narrow zone. He evaded as much as a glance in their direction, instead turned his back upon them like they were a plague he had to avoid; that when he was every reason to have drawn something similar in reaction from them. One he had taken over the spot which was likely otherwise to have offered them some solitude, two he was talking to himself, out loud, and making no sense. What were they doing loitering around on campus at this hour when they ought to be sound asleep in bed? So he would be left alone...
Why was HE awake at this hour? Doing nothing. Abruptly he turned to their direction, raised his volume and announced.
"I'm leaving. Have fun you guys!"
And leave he did. Without turning back to catch a glimpse of their shocked, even embarrassed expressions or catch bits of the disgruntled mumblings. It didn't take the genius in him to realize how outrageous he had just been, even if his intention had been bizarrely magnanimous. In a passing thought he hoped he didn't know either of them, more importantly that neither of them knew him. Not that he dared confirm. Jeez! What the hell was wrong with him?
Ridhima Gupta!
He didn't know what to do with the persistence of this name against peace in his life. He hardly knew the girl. Realizing he had broken into a jog, he slowed down, coming to a stop by a sidewalk upon which he dropped himself the next instant. Snatching off the phones again he sat in a central part of the campus, deserted in the silence of the night, hearing only the rhythm of his slightly labored breathing. Until it evened out.
And then at last a smile, although it seemed unsure of what emotion to display, graced his features.
She had come.
Shaking his head slowly he lowered it onto his interlocked hands. His momentary reactions in concern with this girl were extremes which sounded an alarm in his better mind. And repeating how he didn't quite know her to himself was resolving little, messing much more. It reminded him why the whole scenario was preposterous ... impossible. But the greater he attempted to rid his mind of this vicious circle, greater was his feeling of being trapped. It was beyond all logic, past his scope of understanding. He tried to sort it like a multistage mechanics problem, considering a step at a time.
They had met at the fest. He had caused them to meet, so he could avenge a silly prank against his mate. It had ended in an evening spent together at RDX, casual and fun. She had been an easy companion and an involving conversationalist. Yes he had enjoyed himself. So far, so good. Abhi had teased him about her in arbit contexts later, but he had not been affected... much. Well, he had been miffed for a bit. Okay, unnecessary... whatever!
Then he had run into her at the mall. A sequence of catching her spying, being her second in the act he knew nothing about, hearing it all from her not long after, over coffee. That still posed no problem. Then she had to leave, he had, on an impulse invited her for the game. And she had laughed it off, but not refused.
Armaan frowned biting his lower lip. Was that where he had gone wrong then? It was true, if he had never invited her, there would have been no bad game day, no regret, no arguments. The strangest part was he hadn't exactly expected her to come, at least he had not thought it out so explicitly. Maybe he had not expected her to NOT come... So it was the invite then, the inception of his inexplicable possessed feeling?
It was also what had caused them to meet again. She had taken a chance to see him today, because she had been unable to on Saturday. But... she had come! Unknowingly, his shoulders stooped limply and he rolled his tongue in thought. Why did she need to see him today?
If he could, Armaan Malik would would have gladly convinced himself that Ridhima Gupta was yet another girl crushing on him. It was such a perfect alibi. He could flatter himself then discard it, she wouldn't be the first one at that. The scientist in him however played spoil sport- the basic premise here was in error. There was no crushing involved whatever else it was, with Ridhima, and that was in some sense a first. He could not think of any other girl who had occupied so much of his thoughts for a reason otherwise, and this wasn't about being presumptuous or over confident. In fact, he couldn't think of any other who had occupied his thoughts hence. Period. Over confidence wasn't an option to begin with.
There were too many questions and no answers. Consequently, there were no conclusions in sight.
In an after thought it struck him that they had not exchanged numbers... yet. He suddenly wished they had, talking to her right now was a welcome thought. Was it possible that she was up as late as him? He wondered if she was a perpetual nocturnal like he was... ? There was so much he wished to ask her, so much he wished to tell.
She had come!!
She wasn't aware, but he had unreasonably grudged her not showing up. Could he explain it to her without making a fool of himself, next time? Would there be a next time? The frown returned. Accompanied by an unexpected yawn. Armaan stretched his arms taut over his head. The physical exhaustion from three days of scanty sleep came as an ironical relief to him.
Why was he still awake, doing nothing?
Getting up from the edge of the footpath he plugged in the I-Pod one more time and raised the volume to its max. Tuned it to Cannibal Corpse. And slowly, retraced his steps back towards the hostel.
Against the deafening sound of his selected track Armaan did not realize the tune he was humming was entirely different... A smile stubbornly spread upon his lips. Mentally he registered a memo to self, to ask her if there was a reason she had chosen Mozart for her ringtone, among the countless other questions... next time...
******************************************
"Waddup?!" Her unblinking gaze broke at the snap of fingers before her eyes and Muskaan looked up to find Nikki. Who pulled herself a chair and wiggled a brow with the hint of tease. "Lets see what this could be about... a certain Mr. Grewal... perhaps?" Muskaan shrugged, then took a sip of her now cold coffee. Nikki frowned. "Really. What?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? You have that expression of flunking a final and you don't know?" When Muskaan didn't pay heed to her metaphor Nikki thought it was just as well that she begun to worry.
"I don't know how to understand what I don't. And I don't know what to do when I don't." Nikki looked at her blankly. Then narrowed her eyes in consideration, and ventured tentatively,
"So you don't understand something. You don't know how to. And, you don't know what if not... ?" Muskaan nodded without thinking. Then looked up belatedly and glared.
"Don't try to confuse me Nikki."
"Look who's talking!" She quipped with a dismissing shake of her head. Then suddenly she smacked the table top hard, "Wow Muski! You're a genius!"
"Huh?"
"You just figured out what my problem is." Muskaan looked incredulous.
"I figured a problem for you, and that's me being genius? Lets call it you being a moron Nikki."
"No! You're not getting it."
"That's right, I'm not."
"Psst!" Nikki brushed her sarcasm in an impatience that was riding high on excitement. "I have this problem. You know Abhi..."
"Yes I do." Muskaan cut her off in no mood to hear her lamenting afresh when she had a matter far more grave to deal with. Not nicely, she added, "I also know he has been your top priority problem all of this week."
It was, just for records, Thursday afternoon that saw both of them sitting in the cafe, two days post the evening of the exhibit when Abhi and she had interacted over a 'coffee date' of sorts. She had been in a dilemma worse than ever. He rendered her analysis about him, with every time they met, meaningless.
"No! I mean... I can't understand him. And I don't know how to. And I don't know what to do if I can't." Muskaan opened her mouth with another ready retort. Then shut it. Even as Nikki looked at her expectantly, Muskaan turned glum. And sighed.
"Me too."
"Why do you want to understand Abhimanyu?" She blurted in a rush of suspicion before her eyes widened and with a small apologetic smile she hastened to correct, "Rahul... you meant." One more time, at the mention of his name Muskaan shrugged.
"I was telling him about your party, day before and..."
"My party?" Muskaan bit her tongue. Digging her nails deep into her palm hidden under the table she spoke, in what she hoped would pass as convincing.
"Er... yeh!" The sheepish guilt on her face was real, unlike the excuse she made up next. "I wasn't... supposed to tell. The midnight thing... you know..."
"Its okay! I didn't hear you." Nikki flashed a bright smile of assurance and Muskaan was truly relieved. Mostly, at not being caught. It would have been such a dampner. "You talked to Ridz?" Nikki went on, oblivious to her thoughts, and solemn now, to which Muskaan shook her head, "She is Rahul's sister and your best friend Muski. Its an ideal bridge if you ever feel a gap."
"I know." Some quiet seconds passed them by. "I know Nikki. But its not her brother I want to know. Its him... the person I think I'm in love with... Being with him is like being secure and insecure all at once." she paused to think again. "Its a security having him in my life, already, a presence different from all others... in the way I don't have to explain things to him and he still knows... even before I do at times?" Nikki listened without interrupting. "And the insecurity of being inferior. I feel like I can never be his equal for real... that I will fail his unspoken expectations. I want his faith in me to be steady... but I don't know how to reach that level between us... All I know is that I'm just not there... yet."
"Muskaan," she looked up as Nikki spoke at last, with a gentle squeeze of her hand in her own, "If he understands you, he will know you deserve time."
"But..."
"And he should give it to you." Muskaan nodded.
"He does. I got all awkward in our conversation day before and we had to end the call abruptly. I thought he would call back again later, but he didn't until yesterday night, as he had told me he would. And I realized he had given me a day to get over my hitch and it had helped. Cause when he finally called I... " Muskaan stopped. Her first words had been 'thank god you called'. She had been so anxious to talk to him, had dialed his number several times but never let it go through for the lack of knowing how to explain herself. His call had been tremendous relief, and she had spoken the words before she could stop herself from sounding desperate. And again, he had made light of the moment in such a comforting way. It was this wordless support she didn't know how to reciprocate, she only knew she wanted to, with all her heart.
"When he called... ?" Nikki repeated, breaking the chain of thoughts.
"He asked me if I want to come home with Ridzi for the Diwali break." Her words were quiet. Nikki held her eyes. After several moments she looked away.
"Sam can I get the new raspberry soda in the menu please?" When she turned back to Muskaan, she was smiling.
"You missy, should treat me for that precious little invite," Nikki said with a smirk of mischief and inevitably Muskaan rolled her eyes.
"I don't know why I even considered talking serious with you."
"You didn't consider. It was an accident. And be glad about that. Anj would have lectured you to sleep by now. Ridzi would have pulled up advert bill boards. Its just me, asking for a harmless soda treat." They broke out laughing at the list of dangers that she had been saved in exchange for a trivial bargain. Then, as Muskaan was still catching her breath, Nikki added, "Are you going?" A third time Muskaan shrugged. And this time Nikki shot her a nasty look which made her reply in words.
"I want to... "
"Then you should..."
"Hmm." Another silent pause followed and Sam brought Nikki's soda. She took a sip, then another, before making up her mind and looking up.
"Muski... I erm... I invited Abhi." Muskaan who had been on the verge of sipping her coffee discovered its distaste was finally considerable, pushed the cup away and raised an eye. "I invited him for the movies and dinner on Saturday."
"YOU DID?" The question was echoed as Ridhima reached the table and stood over them. "Who him?" She asked, although a part of her was certain of the answer.
"Abhimanyu." And sure enough, Nikki confirmed it with her reply. Instantly her eyes clashed with Muskaan's who it seemed, had been waiting for just the attention. To Nikki the reaction from both was strange, but it wasn't hard to see there was nothing pleased about it.
"Should I... tell him... its canceled?"
"Can you?" Ridhima asked so eagerly that Nikki frowned for more than one reason. "No... just cause... Actually, its okay." Ridhima changed her mind hastily but Nikki continued to frown. "Of course... he can come." She completed with the best of a smile she could manage and looked to Muskaan for help.
"Yeh... Yeh, of course!" she complied, then added, "He knows its your birthday?" Nikki shook her head. "No I just... called him to join us."
"So you have his number," Ridhima spoke again, in what appeared to be more of a self contemplation. Nikki's persisting frown puzzled her, but she went on to clarify, "You said you called him so... "
"Not 'call' called Ridz! I met him Tuesday remember?"
"Oh..."
"Yeh, I invited him then. He didn't let me pay for the coffee so I said I owe you. And he said I could treat him another time. And I thought of the... birthday plan." A kind of blood rush caused her cheeks to appear ruddy, and Nikki sensing the heat turned to her soda. Without looking up from it she added, "He did give me his number though."
"Ahem!" She was forced to look up at the cue and the expression on Ridhima's face as she batted her lashes in a coy act melted Nikki yet again. Mentally she reprimanded herself to stop thinking the wrong way. For now she knew she was blushing distinctly but she spoke, without averting her eyes,
"You think I should call and remind him?"
"I doubt he will forget."Muskaan stated matter of factly, although her look indicated amusement in plenty.
"For all we know Muski, he will live his week by for that approaching wishful Saturday." Ridhima replied in a similar tone and they hi-fived before breaking into giggles.
"If you just want to 'call' call him on the pretext however..." More laugh followed, as Nikki bit her lower lip to not join them.
"Stop teasing me!"
"Aawww sweetheart look at you! You're so loving this!" And they hi-fived again. She displayed an outer indifference and focused on her soda. Her smile however was tell tale of the joy that Nikki was beginning to feel deeply inside. Oblivious hence, she remained of the look that Ridhima and Muskaan shared, then nodded imperceptibly at each other.
********************************************
"Modi!" He called opening the door wide, and found himself facing an empty room. Walking in he looked around anyways. "Abhi... ?" Obviously, he was still met with no reply. But Atul had just said he was in the room. Weird, Armaan mused, before turning back to the door. At the doorstep he was stopped by the sound of a vibrating cell. It continued to buzz as he moved inside again and looked for the phone. Starting the search with Abhi's side of the room cause by instinct he trusted Atul for greater sense than to leave his cell abandoned in the room behind him.
He pulled off the sheets and shook them in vain. Then shuffled through the papers and books on his study desk. In a last resort he lifted Abhimanyu's backpack and turned it upside down over the bed. The contents obliged scattering all over it but there no sign of the phone. And finally, Armaan realized, the buzzing had also ceased.
"Oh well!" he muttered in an undertone collecting the contents of the bag and carelessly stuffing them back in.
When he was spreading the sheets untidily back over the bed the buzz went off again. And this time he frowned. It could be an important call. Where the hell was this phone. He was about to move to the second half of the room when on an impulse he bent lower and scanned the area under the bed. And didn't know if he deserved credit to have found it at last or discredit to not have expected something as much from Abhi sooner. Since it lay blinking and buzzing at a far end he scrambled to his knees and lowered his head and reached out to it under the bed. Inevitably when he managed to retrieve his treasure his hands and the sleeves of his jersey were covered in dust that been collecting underneath from eons ago.
In a hurry to not miss the call a second time he clicked the answer tab and raised it to his ear.
"Hell....Ouch!"
An agonized exclamation cut short his greeting and the cell fell out of his hand as the low edge of the bed nicked his temple just when he thought he had pulled himself out completely. "Abhimanyu Modi!" Armaan hissed like the name equaled a bad curse at the moment and rubbed over the spot that had been hit and was beginning to feel tender. "Aaah!" he mumbled in pain rubbing over it with his thumb. A faint sound from the phone reminded him the call was still on and frowning he grabbed it again.
"Hello!" he said in a tone that could not completely mold itself into being cordial as his thumb felt moist and a look at it revealed the presence of blood.
"Uh... Hi!" Armaan composed himself in realization, specially since the voice was feminine, uncertain... and not one he recognized instantly. "Abhimanyu?"
"No, this is Armaan. Mo... Abhi forgot the cell in his room. Can I take a message?" The absence of a prompt response caused Armaan to pull the cell off his ear and check the caller ID. A cursory glance before returning to the call was something that looked much like ... chicken?
"Hello?" he inquired to know if he hadn't lost the caller.
"Yeh, I'm sorry. Can you hold on sec please?"
"Sure I... " he left his consent incomplete realizing he wasn't being heard as a shuffling noise sounded through the set. "Chicken... ?" Brushing the bruised spot lightly over his not so clean sleeve he muttered inaudibly to himself and rolled his eyes in indifference. Seriously this guy... and the girls he chased after!
On her side Muskaan rushed to the other end of the common room where Ridhima stood discussing plans with a bunch of other hostlers. Pulling her out without caring to excuse her she thrust Nikki's cell, that they had sneaked earlier, into her hands gladly and indicated for her to take care of the call cause she had one incoming on her own phone. Ridhima looked like she would protest, ambiguous as the urgency appeared to her, but Muskaan used her infallible excuse.
"Rahul's calling," she mouthed pointing to her cell and left before any objections or questions could be raised. Ridhima saw her disappearing back with a short confused sigh before looking at the cell and raising it to her ear.
"Hey Abhimanyu! This is Ridhima now. Muskaan had to attend..."
"That's okay... Ridhima." she frowned partly at being cut off, "Hi!" partly at the sound of that voice. "How's it going?"
"Its... good... fine. Thank you." she replied, fumbling with the most basic of formal replies. Armaan cupped the phone for a moment, pursed his lips into a wide, dimpled smile, then swallowed hard to not give away any reasons for her to be skeptical. It couldn't harm to have a little fun now, could it? He spoke into the set again.
"Good! That's good!"
"Yeh," she replied more uncertain than ever, glad he couldn't see her face for the smile was so fake.
"You called?"
"Oh yeh! Um... Its about the Saturday plans. I called to invite you for the party we're organizing... "
"Party?" At being cut off a second time, Ridhima frowned with more displeasure than doubt.
"Party." she repeated in confirmation. "Its Nikki's birthday and she doesn't know about the surprise we organized for her. We just wanted to make sure you knew about the actual plans." It was Armaan's turn to frown, in disappointment, slight as it was, but unavoidable.
"Oh... Thanks! I'll pass on the message." He spoke without realizing, and when he did the damage was done.
"Pass on?"
"Yes. No.. As in, thanks for the message."
"Sure..." she said her tone a polar opposite to the meaning of the word spoken, "No problem." She paused and Armaan, debating whether or not he should tell her now that it was him, lest that seemed like extracting a forced invite out of her, remained silent.
"Shouldn't you ask me something?"
"Huh?"
"The address?"
"Oh... yes. I was going to," he lied running a hand through his head, "Wait let me grab something to jot it down." Ridhima didn't reply. If this was in her head, she would need medical help soon. But Abhi sounded so like... Armaan. She hadn't thought so the one time she met them together in person, during the fest. Maybe it was on phone. Or maybe... she really was losing it.
"Alright, tell me." She did, mechanically, her mind consumed by the mystery of this familiarity.
"Greater Kailash? Wow!" Armaan was at least mildly impressed, momentarily forgetting his whim. "Who lives there?" A second time round, there was absence of a prompt reply. This time Armaan felt intrusive. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to... "
"Its my parents' house." Ridhima replied simply. An answer that raised several more questions in his mind. But he remembered to not be blatant again.
"Awesome! GK is an exotic location. You must be a rich girl!" He teased, and relaxed on hearing a soft laugh on her side.
"You're always welcome to the rich girl's house," she replied in a similar tone and he smiled before recalling this was Abhimanyu she was talking to. Not Armaan. And he had an urge so bad to tell her it was him.
"Thank you!" he started half heartedly, then mentally kicked himself for being unfairly vexed over nothing and added, "I hope you wont withdraw the offer if we actually consider taking it!"
"We?" Armaan shut his eyes and smacked his head. What was she, female Holmes?
"We. What will I do in a mansion all by myself?" He spoke deliberately, "Unless the host decides to be my company... " Ridhima chuckled.
"As long as Armaan and you promise to not play soccer inside, the offer remains without having to deal with a monitor host." Armaan joined her when she laughed more, there was something about the way she said his name, it was... distinct. He snubbed the voice inside which tried to warn him against being vulnerable and concentrated on the call. "Abhi..." her voice had softened, "Abhimanyu," she corrected herself.
"Abhi is fine."
"Okay, Abhi. I... We... didn't have numbers of your other friends. Anjali would like it very much if Atul joined us on Saturday as well." Armaan unknowingly held his breath at her pause, and as seconds ticked he dreaded that was all.
"Sumit is going back home for the weekend," he offered, unintentionally though, but almost as if to prompt her.
"And Armaan?" He had nearly given up hope when she finally said it. Spontaneously, he smiled. And then, it was as if the last words had replenished his wit all over again.
"Armaan... ?" he said, a cheeky grin tugged from his lips and he fought to keep it out of his voice. "He is working this weekend."
"He is?" She was quiet and he bit his lower lip to prevent a snort from sounding aloud. "Like 24/7?" The edge in her voice was unexpected, but not unlike her at all. "Its just a dinner."
"I agree."
"Surely he doesn't fast while working?"
"What can I say? Hes a weird guy."
"Really?" If she could see him this second in his crazed attempts to ensure she believed him, Armaan was certain he would be in for some heavy duty temper repercussions and possible physical assault. He had planned only to tease her and reveal himself in the end. But it didn't look like what would happen anymore.
"Hes not much of a party guy anyways." Armaan continued.
"I don't believe that." The defense in her words was so strong, Armaan did a silent victory jiggle. "How can he be as he is and not... I mean... even his dancing was flawless at the RDX and..." Ridhima stopped suddenly, mentally kicking herself for the unnecessary rant. She was hitting a light fist into her head when he spoke again,
"Why don't I give you his number? You give him a call and reason it with him this way, he wont have a chance to refuse!"
"I... no... he... "
"You... no... he... ?"
"COMING!" she yelled louder catching him unaware, then back to her usual volume she rushed through her words, "I need to go Abhi! We'll see you Saturday."
"You will. I'll trick Armaan into coming somehow."
"No... erm... as you think best. Bye!" The call clicked and finally Armaan letting go of the restrain was in splits, doubled over laughing, the cell slipped out of his hands a second time but he couldn't care less.
He ruffled his hair pushing them back, shook his head rather forcefully and clutched onto the sides of his stomach but for several tens of seconds there was nothing that could subside his fit. It was hence, that Abhimanyu found him, lying half on his bed, legs dangling freely at the edge.
"Malik what... " he stopped, nearly stepping over the back cover of his cell phone, that had broken apart into its connecting pieces when Armaan had dropped it. "What happened to my phone?"
"Call... you missed..." Armaan uttered disconnected words till moments later he finally recovered some normalcy."You missed a call. Correction, THE call." he said with a mocking sympathetic pat on his shoulder. Abhi frowned in question. Then the frown deepened and he moved a hand towards Armaan's face who backed away.
"What's that bruise? Its... blood..." Armaan just grinned, and walked towards the door rubbing it only for this reminder, cringing ever so slightly at the pricking sensation.
"Check your logs," he said before leaving the room. Abhimanyu quickly fixed his set and turned it on again, tapping his foot as the signal took its own time returning.
"NIKITA!" he exclaimed loudly to his empty room, and as if taking the hint of his own accord, Armaan reappeared, peaking around the door.
"Does she know you call her 'chicken'?
"You dare pry upon my cell MALIK?!" Unsuccessfully he hurled the nearest pen within reach at Armaan, who caught it deftly, tongue against his cheek. "Its Chic-N... Chic-Nikki" he said gritting his teeth.
"Even better! Can't wait till she hears the compliment." Armaan ducked this time before the next object, which was a mouse pad, reached him. "She might just... " he ran out as Abhi darted towards him, "FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU!" and completed with a categorical wink, well out of reach by then. Cursing under his breath Abhimanyu bent at the door and got back the mouse pad and pen.
"By the way Modi," he heard Armaan say from half way down the hallway, "Its chicken's 'happy' birthday this Saturday. You better start thinking of a gift."
Abhi refrained from answering back, only because Armaan had a point. Deep in thought he re-entered his room. So it was her birthday. Hmmm...
********************************************
phew! i still can figure what i struggled with so much in this part, but it refused to just come to me... and to be honest, i'm so tired of the countless edits it has undergone, that i'm yet to read this final version... but hell! here it is!! :)
an excess of RM, as you will notice, and absence of direct AN and AA... somehow those two didn't fit here i thought..
nonetheless, this was in certain respects a loud part, revealing grand hints if not direct facts about chars!... (read: ridhima-rahul) when i posted the last part, it surprised me how many of you were certain armaan would jump for joy on knowing ridhima had come for the game... i'm hoping his alter reaction will be not utterly disappointing... but i still think hes more of something this kind, than that... tit bits of the part i enjoyed much, and personally i think i managed to escape a lot of description... i'm actually wondering if i didn't underplay it in that sense.... (ignore me, like i said haven't read the part yet and have gone 40 hours without sleep)
just FYI: Wind T aka Wind Tunnel is an actual spot on the IITD campus, a popular one at that for its located as a tunnel like passage between two high buildings, falls in a wi-fi zone and is always graced with cool winds... which for those have experienced the indian summer, is understandably an asset :P other than that, i can't recall anything off hand... as always, i'd be glad to answer doubts, whatever they may be...
and well.. time for ack: (long list this time :P)
* u will notice the date on my update to say 27th while my post will indicate 26th... the former for my parents' 25th anniversary and the latter in honor of wyfy's zubaan :P (ps nij: seriously, such schemes should be rendered illegal on this forum :D)
*robin: hugs for being the ROTW!
*aria and armaan: for such persistence, wow! either you guys were competing with prathi, or i was genuinely far too delayed but your pester posts had me laughing ... aria, i have kept myself away from reading ur updates so i can comment right after reading... shall do it now :)
*the K nutterz, each for different reasons, each trivial but important!
*315 hinz :P
*nij... this is NOT for the 18th... i will, no matter how belated it becomes, do exactly what i had planned for that... and i know u shall love it... for once, i just know :P
... aite now! done!! enjoy :)))
Link to next part
Edited by spln - 15 years ago
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Cricket
193