PART 23
His smile faded away, as he caught sight of her widened eyes, she expelled the air out in a bilious sneeze and closed her eyes sickly, her head unconsciously leaned on his muscled arm, her lips letting out a weary sigh, her flushed nose dazzled her senses, making her feel giddy,
'ridhimaaa', he mouthed in concern, in care, mugging her slender waist, grazing it gently, his heart bursting in an unknown ecstasy that nettled his brain, he brushed her silky tresses away, cosseting her febriled pink cheeks, pecking her hair, as she relaxed in his arms, 'i told ya not to call everyone....ye should've lied down', he murmured silently, his insides doing a slow burn, can she ever take care of herself, why did she even suggest chillaxin out in here, he groaned in exhaustion,
rahul knitted his brows, why the hell does he care, this is so not our ammy man....it seems like the man is falling for her or somethin, he thought, taking a look at how armaan's hand dandled ridhima's waist, how his eyes expressed the loving tenderness, their closeness,
Anji tittered in awe, adoring the perky couple sitting infront of her, 'ridzi he is right...this bug seems ta be gettin worse', she moaned, pitying her poor friend's unhealthy condition,
'man.....check if she's hot', Mike connoted facetiously but paused, recollecting his words, armaan raised his eyebrows and chuckled, 'hehe...i mean her temperature', mike continued, only to hear the rest cackling at him,
'yea she is', he mumbled, his fingers brushed her forehead, his heart skipped the throbbing beats, freshening up the sensitivity in ridhima's mind, his mushy touch gushing the adrenaline in her veins, she looked up at him peakily, speechless at how his grey bored in her green blinders, their eyes yelled out those emotions, those feelings, that affection, an ardency, the amour, his thoughts which chafed him, why's he not feeling his usual self, he questioned, shaking his head, he broke his trance.
she pursed her lips in wonderment, having a hunch of his quietness, his sternness, why's he so down in the mood today, her mind popped up the question...
---
'..I so hate yous..', muskaan bawled, miffed by her friends who were just sitting there and not giving a helping hand, rahul smiled at her, his cute bubbly looking muzz, wearing a white
apron over her dress, grilling the chicken, sulking at them,
mike giggled at her angry stare, 'look at ye...', he snickered, she clenched her fists, certain that this would surely calm her little whooping friend, rahul grinned and conked up from the
plush bamboo mat, moving towards her, mike coughed, suppressing his laughter and stood up, 'alrite...lets set another grill man', he drummed, stepping down the the porch...
---
'hi', he smiled at her, grabbing the oil skimmer,
'hey', muskaan beamed and crammed the grill's temperature, the stillness, the stiffness in the air nestling them, how should i start, she thought, knowing that this time it's her turn to open the way and pave it, its her turn to smooth the path between them, 'em', she started, he lifted his gaze up, taking a gander of her, trying to start a conversation,
'so the doctoral is over..like when are ye planning to join yer daa's business', she tucked her curly fringe behind her ear, taking hold of the salad bowl he passed her,
well something is better than nothing, he thought, atleast she is talking ta me, 'oh like...well daa doesn't really want to have a big ceremony coz he's unwell...so it's goin ta be next week, i think', he mouthed,
'oh..congratulations then...i wish ye good luck', she smiled,
'thanks', he simpered, hearing her sweet words of amity, he hugged her, she felt a sense of bliss when he held her close to him, he caressed her hair, feeling soft on those sensations inciting in him...
---
Armaan hissed at the view infront of him, those animated expressions on her beauteous face taking his breath away, the way her comely eyes glinted in cheer on seeing him after two days made him feel blessed that she is in his life, it captivated his soul, his heart, he felt something in his heart confirming that it's something big, something unique that is arousing those erotic sensations, that is taking his mind off from the lewdness and indecency in his thoughts, the tranquility in his mind died down at this very fact, he was balked with these questions that buzzed in his mind,
he felt irritated, the gray matter in his brain wanted to dump all these tender emotions he felt for her, his heart raised arguments, tiffing against his mind which irked him, his blood boiled in anger at this chagrin, at this fizzle, he clenched the wooden railing, wanting to calm down, to take it easy but this continous rumination over the issue coursed his rile back, galling him,
she snuffled, resting her back on a cushion, 'yeh armaan kahan reh gaya', she rubbernecked her gaze to see him standing on the garden bridge, his sulking face yelping out the bummers he felt, she frowned and stood up peakily...
she kept a hand on his shoulder, 'hi',
he turned around, hearing her sweet voice, seeing her beam at him politely, he sighed in distress, as his heart filled with warmth on seeing her face glowing under the night lights, brightening up the elegant golden on her face, her reddened nose lightened up slightly after those aspirins, 'how are ye feelin now', he questioned, not being able to stop himself from expressing the loving tenderness,
she smiled, 'much better....thankyou armaan', she mouthed, her heart bursting with love,
he raised his eyebrows, 'for wha',
'for taking care of me', she blinked her eyes in grace, his lips unconsciously ambitted in a compassionate beam and he enveloped her in his arms, his thoughts stilled as he spooned his lips on her nape, she heaved, her cheeks burning crimson with passion as she bussed his pate, 'you seem tensed about something', she whispered, her tingling spine quashing her vocal cords,
he bit his lip in incense, as his thoughts weren't leaving him alone, embittered with the fact that his face was giving hints to her, why does she get everythin thats in ma mind man, he gaped at her glittering greens, looking at him kindly, abrading him. he nodded negatively, 'its nathin', he lipped, looking away,
her heart twinged at his little answer, murking her mood, her mindset, reminding her of the uneasiness, the tightness in their relationship, 'you know...sometimes sharing your problem always helps in raising your spirit', she glommed the railing, not wanting to snoop too much if he doesn't feel like sharing his problem,
he seethed in fury, as her question embroiled his feelings, 'ridhimaa...i told ya its nathin....why the hell do ye have to butt in everythin', he jawed, upbraiding her sweet, kindly nature, panning it,
'armaan', she uttered, astonished with his raised tone, his stern, roiled look that shedded light upon the fact that she is nothing to him, no matter how much she tries, she'll be nothing but just another friend, her heart bereaved in pain, in dismals, her depression scurrying back into her systems, she dropped her gaze as her eyes blubbered in tears, 'i was only tryin ta help', she chinned,
'WELL I DONT NEED IT...just leave me alone', his heart sickened at his words, on seeing her look down in timidity, in sadness, hurt from his abrupt tone, why do i care man, he rolled his eyes, trying to get rid of the remorse, the guilt, his urge to apologize, he shook his head and walked away in his choler, in his huff, leaving an upset ridhima behind...
---
'aaa mai god...rahul do ye remember the time when armaan was goin up in his hotel room ta do this blondie', mike jogged his gang's memory as they all were recalling their time in Denver,
ridhima closed her eyes, hearing mike's words, her heart strickening at how they all laughed, she leaned on the pillar, as a tear rolled down her cheek, armaan's gaze exigently made its distinction towards her, his heart bucked a painful beat on seeing her gorgeous blinders expressing nothing but a dither,
'um guyz...i'm really tired...i am goin okie...you...em just have fun', she stood up, trying to get hold on her tears, he rubbed his brows in stress, in distress, he didnt want to hurt her, she was only tryin ta help ye man, his heart shouted in anger, she went inside, giving a final look to armaan from the corners of her teary eyes...
---
'ridhima bete', billy called out, seeing her climb the stairs,
'ji papa', she turned around, trying her best to pull up a smile on her face,
he came towards her and folded his arms, faking a stew, 'bache aap ko nahi lagta that your life has become so boring since you've arrived here', he said,
she looked up, 'nahi...nahi papa...i..i...love it here', she fudged, her insides tearing apart, only she knew how much she was missing her home, her family, where she could call someone her own,
'jhoot', he moaned, slapping her head lightly, she smiled at his cheerful manner,
'why don't you join us in office', billy suggested,
his words in the backyard summoned up in her mind, armaan is already stressed out, he doesnt want me to butt in his matters, tou phir kyun main join karoon, she sighed with a heavy heart,
'nahi papa...armaan needs me here....wo...um phir main bhi busy hogayi tou wo..', she stuttered, trying to frame an excuse in her mind, her heart giving up, her mind thinking about him first,
'arre per', billy tried to stop her from babbling about how others needed her, sometimes she just amazed him, how can one be so generous, he thought, feeling proud on having her as his
daughter - in - law, as his son's wife,
'papa...armaan ne abi abi business join kiya hai...i cant just go around thinking about myself when he'll need to settle up his routine...you know what i mean...i promise ill get back to you later when every thing settles down...', she chattered, bringing a big smile on billy's face,
'i am proud of you....and yes...you have to get back to me...i wont let you ruin your career', he kissed her forehead and went away, patting her head,
she tucked her fringe behind her ear, in awe of the fatherly love she received, her eyes moistening up, her mind flashing back to his rudeness in the garden,
'man...', he leaned his head on the door, why the f**k does she care about me so much, he heeded, his heart went down in the dumps seeing her sad face, her sweet, generous words, caring words about him to his father recalled in his mind, he heard her saying that she needs to settle down all that was going in HIS life first, awh man, he felt the amour, he felt the devotion, the rapture, god, he soughed ruefully,
'get some sleep ye cu*t', he went upstairs, to their room, pooped out from the day's events...
---
He came out of the closet adjusting his collar when his gaze tarried onto his beaut, sleeping peacefully, her pouted lips totting up her cute, perky sight, her sleek tresses stashing her face, the cushy duvet cover falling off her shoulders, he took a deep breath, wanting to brush the locks away, to kiss her a goodbye, the fervor, the passion, the fondness awakening inside him again,
he pursed his lips in a dander, in a rage for gawking at her and walked out of the room...
---
'alrite.....shane...man ye know the Lums thang we went ta...just inform them about the due dates....i want ta get started with this thang immediately mate...', armaan moaned as he riffled through the pages of a black folder,
'yaa man they are takin forever', shane cued in, signing the enterprise market's form,
'i know....they said ill get the e-mail by the time i reach here and i still didnt recieve any......stupid cows', he rubbed his eyebrows, slumping down in his sumptuous kneeling chair, his mind flashing back to her alluring, cherubic face,
'man', shane chuckled at his words and went out, happy that his boss is just like him, seems like its gonna be a laugh everyday now, he thought,
Rahul bolted his door, coming in, 'yo man', he called out, armaan looked up from his file, 'yo', he grinned, chipper to have someone shift his mind off from her,
'man....guess what', rahul plopped down on the chair, wanting to tell him about muskaan and the newly smoothened path between them,
'wha', armaan caulked the file in his hands, putting it away. He switched on his laptop,
'i kissed muskaan', he smirked, certain on his friend's reaction,
'ye what', he widened his eyes, staring at rahul in shock,
'yeah man.....she talked ta me yesterday, she's melted.....she is melted', he muttered, his insides bobbing up in joy, in geniality,
'man she's not so easy when it comes ta relationships, how did ye score her', armaan asked, happy for his best friend,
'well...i just confessed i like her and then we em', rahul looked down, putting on a shy look humorously,
armaan laughed at him, 'good man....well done....so ye going out with her now', he questioned, arranging his files for a meeting with some capitalists,
'not realli man....she is a desi bird....it will take time', he grabbed a file, looking into it, 'and this time things feel different man...i feel something new every time i see her', he voiced his feelings, smiling as her face flickered in his mind,
armaan stopped swiveling the pages, hearing his words, his elation, his desire, his agitation piling out again, ridhima's comity, her concern, her warmheartedness rolling out once more,
rahul knitted his brows, seeing his dazed look, 'yo ammy....i am talkin ta ye and yer here not even listening to me', he carped, bringing him back from the head trip, armaan lifted his gaze,
'naa just..', he mumbled, turning the page of the ring binder,
'oooh lost in yer bird eh', rahul teased, reckoning on how to bring up ridhima's topic, he wanted to talk to her about their closeness, about what he is after observing between the two,
armaan shook his head, biting his lip in vexation,
rahul smiled, 'man....i've been noticing that ye....well ye care about her', he said, waiting for his answer,
he shot his head up, 'so....she is a friend', he uttered, looking away, his heart pounding at this conversation between them, a feeling blending in with it, dampening his spirits,
'ammy....have ye developed any...', rahul was just about to vocalize his thoughts when armaan busted in, 'NO MAN....WHAT THE HELL...how can ye even say that....she is a friend dude....just a friend', he bawled over him, trying to tell his heart that he doesn't care, trying to jettison all the emotions that were awakening inside him, rahul frowned at his affronted tone, this was not
what he expected, why's he shouting,
'man', he stood up from the chair,
armaan turned around, looking out the fine glass lancets, the blue of the river that the office building overlooked, rahul's words nettled his state of mind, his heart questioned, 'have ye armaan',
'no', he looked down, ruffling his pate, his heart giving different answers, no no, he mumbled,
'armaan....ye are getting way too close to the chick then...if ye don't like her then why haven't ye gone out with any gals yet', rahul buzzed, finding it odd, if he is still following on what they
decided then why the hell doesn't he have any girlfriends, why the hell is he changed,
'coz', armaan turned around, his heart wanting to say it all out but his mind stopping it,
'coz', rahul raised his brows in, putting his mind through the wringer, waiting for him to finish. certain that he doesn't have any answers, 'ye have changed man...ye like her', he pattered and went out of the door,
'I DONT', armaan shouted, banging his hand on the desk, his brains shouting in denial of rahul's avowal, his words, i HAVE freakin changed, i am not even myself anymore, he clenched his fist, hating her presence in his life, splenetic over the fact that this time he feels an emotion, 'have to do something', he griped, ignoring the ''no's'' in his heart, ignoring the deep, amorous feelings that had hauled in his heart, taking over it as its possession,
---
'ridziii.......ill kill you', anji slapped a sad ridhima's head,
'what', she moaned, throwing a cushion at anji in annoyance, she was already really upset about his cold shoulder towards her, i mean he didn't even tell me he's leaving for work and he probably didn't even eat anything in the morning, why's he stressed out when everything is settling down, ab tou usne takeover bhi karliya hai, he might be nervous in his first few days, her heart suggested, haan per phir bhi, maine kya kiya, she thought, confused with these new, unusual happenings in her life,
'cmon ridzi....i cant believe you are not even interested in going around the states....ye havent even seen anything.....main hoti tou i'd have gone crazy about newyork...chal na....its only 3 hours away from here, we'll be here by the night time or may be evening if you be quick', muskaan babbled, seeing the time on her phone,
'arre per....i am not even ready yet, and by the time i will get ready, its gonna be late....uper se armaan', ridhima jabbered, she didn't want to go, why cant we go some other time, i don't feel like going anywhere,
'ridzi yaar tu theek bhi hogayi hai chalna......bas bas you are coming......why the hell do we have to drag you everywhere....lazy ass', anji got hold of her hand, making her stand up,
'lekin....',
'shutup', she was stopped short by muskaan who pushed her inside the bathroom and sighed, 'god thanks for sending a real stupid friend to us who doesnt give a damn about herself at all', she groaned sarcastically and dropped down on the couch....
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okay guyz i know i know i am super late this time.....buh i wont even give ye an excuse....coz i know ye ppl wont believe it lol, i will only apologize....yes i am sorry about this late update but i made it a long one in repetance....keep readin....oh yes i know this is quite a bitter and sad part as some of yous might feel buh do look into it and you'll see why it is the way it is...lol, okie keep readin will try to update sooooooon the next time...and yes there is lots coming up, and trust me we are nearly there...!!!!!!!! will be back soon with some more yakkety yaks...!!
Anupamaa
CID
Udne Ki Aasha
300