Alrighty people, time for something unexpected. Some AR moments since everyone's been demanding them and 2 surprise cameos! Enjoy and don't forget to leave your feedback. Huge thanks for your comments, they're my source of motivation.
Recap: Ridhima visits her grandma in the village and they celebrate Ridhima's birthday together! Maan decides to surprise Ridhima n goes n picks her up. Dadi recognises Prince and there is strong talk of relationships but Ridhima is unaware of it!
Chp. 42 A little mischief, a little terror!
Maan drove silently in the blue and silver night. He had been driving for the past 15 minutes with Ridhima sitting beside him but neither had spoken a word. Looked like Ridhima was still thinking about dadi. Maan thought of saying something but then thought better of it and kept driving quietly. After another 10 minutes they passed by a small ice-cream shop and Maan knew just how to cheer Ridhima. He brought the car to a halt near a tree.
"Maan, why did you stop the car? We haven't reached the palace yet," said Ridhima surprised.
"I know but I have lost someone and I thought I might find her here. Can you help me find her?" said Maan.
"Okay, but whom are we searching?" Ridhima asked confused.
"Oh just come along, I'll tell you about her," he said opening the door of the car.
He walked her to the ice-cream shop and ordered for two chocolate sundaes.
"Maan, you'll find her here? In the ice-cream shop?" asked Ridhima giving him a half smile.
"Oh, there she is, uh-oh, she disappeared again."
"Maan, whom are you talking about?"
"Oh, someone who lights up this beautiful face and adds life to everything around," said Maan softly, looking at Ridhima's face.
Ridhima blushed and smiled.
"Oh there she is, I can see her coming. Yes, yes, a little more and there she is!" said Maan pointing at Ridhima's face.
"Ah, That beautiful SMILE! Oh God! How I've missed her these three days," he said placing a hand on his heart.
By now Ridhima had turned crimson due to shyness.
"Ridhima, don't let her go away now because I really miss her."
Ridhima nodded and was smiling still when their sundaes arrived. Maan paid for it and they decided to walk while eating.
The night air was cool and Maan's hair ruffled in the wind making him look all the more appealing to Ridhima. They could see the faint glimpse of water glittering under the moon in the far distance. They ambled towards the lake savoring the ice-cream. But Ridhima failed to see a small rock and stumbled over it and her ice-cream fell on the ground.
"Uh-oh!"
Maan offered Ridhima his ice-cream but she refused.
"C'mon now Ridhima, you can share it. Here, have a bite before it melts away," he said lifting the spoon towards her mouth.
But Ridhima still refused.
"Fine, then. I don't want it either," he raised his hand to hurl it away when Ridhima caught his hand midway and ate the ice-cream that he'd offered. Their eyes met and for a moment Ridhima was lost in the depths of those aqua eyes but then Maan looked away and asked curtly, "why do you want it now?"
"That's because I just realized that if I don't take it, that sexy, teasing smile which plays across your lips, shall disappear and then I shall miss it," said Ridhima and a second too late realized that maybe she had gone a little far. She bit her lip.
To her relief, Maan didn't notice it or pretended not to notice it and gave her a wide smile. Maan was surprised that Ridhima even said something like that and couldn't resist his smile.
They finished the ice-cream together and sat by the lake throwing tiny pebbles into it creating ripples on the calm surface.
"Ridhima, apart from your dadi and friends, is there no one who wants you to stay at the village. Someone who really misses you. Someone, erm, someone who's supposed to be really special?" asked Maan.
"Do you by any chance mean a boyfriend?" asked Ridhima.
"Erm, you could say that," he replied.
"No. I don't have a boyfriend but there sure is someone who's special but not in the village," Ridhima said.
"Wow, who's the lucky guy?" he asked innocently.
"Why would he be lucky?" asked Ridhima.
"Well, don't you think if you love someone that person would be lucky? If you don't know then let me tell you, the guy who gets married to you will be the luckiest person in the world. I'm really jealous, you know," replied Maan.
Ridhima was surprised, "Jealous?"
But before Maan could answer, his cell phone rang. He excused himself and walked to a nearby tree.
Ridhima still couldn't digest what she had heard.
Lucky guy? Jealous? Maan? Why was Maan jealous?
Because he was in love with her...
Whenever she was with him, she did have a feeling that Maan thought of her as more than a friend. Was it because he loved her?
The night air seemed to have grown chilly after the realization. She got up and rubbed her hands up and down her arms to instill some warmth within herself. Maan was still talking on the phone. She looked around but to her dismay she felt an eerie feeling of being watched. But there was no one around. She walked to where Maan was standing and kept looking around.
Suddenly, she thought she saw a glint of metal among the trees. But then it was gone. She kept her gaze transfixed and then it was there again and also the shocking realization of what it was. Her skin went cold and terror leaped inside her chest. She looked back at Maan who was still busy and then back to that spot in the trees. She had to act fast. Without wasting much time, she acted and in a split second before Maan could understand what was happening, he heard Ridhima shout his name and then pushed him to the ground, a shot rang through the air shattering the calm of the night and Ridhima felt a stinging pain travel through her right arm as she fell to the ground beside Maan.
As Armaan registered the happenings, he saw a man running in the direction of the dense forests. He ran after the hit man in an attempt to catch him. The hit man fired two more shots but Armaan managed to duck in time and avoid them. The man tripped over a fallen tree and Armaan managed to get hold of him.
What followed next was a tangle of arms and legs rolling across the forest floor, both men trying to get the better of the other. The hit man still had the gun and he tried to use it to his advantage. However, Armaan was quicker and he kicked the gun out of the man's hand and punched him hard in the nose causing it to bleed. The assailant was still trying to escape. Both of them were in a standing position and Armaan's hand was curled around the man's neck in an iron grip. With one hand, the man tried to free himself of Armaan's iron grip while the other dug into his pocket for something. He found a knife and sliced it hard across Armaan's shoulder. An excruciating pain shot through his hand causing his grip to loosen which the assailant was quick to use to his benefit and escaping his grip disappeared into the wilderness.
Armaan decided it was no use going after him. Ridhima needed him more at this moment. He ran back to where he'd left her and found her writhing in pain. Her hand was clenched over the profusely bleeding wound. He was angry, abashed and agonized.
"Ridhima, why did you have to do this? Why didn't you just let the jerk shoot me? Why did you have to go through that pain?" Maan said with a painful look.
Ridhima tried with great pain and said, "Ma-an, yo-ur shoulder, it's bleee-eding..."
"Shh... Don't try to speak. Everything will be alright, I'm fine... You just try to keep your eyes open," Maan said.
Maan examined the wound. Blood was continuously oozing from it. He took Ridhima's dupatta and gently tied it around her hand to stop the blood loss and then slowly picked her up and walked to the car. She was lissome and lithe in his arms. He placed her in the car and tied the seat belt.
"Ridhima, please try to be awake," he told her as he sat beside her.
He needed to get Ridhima to a doctor but he couldn't take her to any doctor or any hospital. He couldn't involve the cops or the media. But then where could he take her?
He looked at Ridhima, she was fighting to stay conscious, "Ridhima, I know it's difficult but please, try to be awake."
Ridhima was struggling to keep her eyes open but her head was feeling dizzy. Her vision clouded into a kind of dark mist. Then, to her utter chagrin, she found herself blacking out.
Oh God, Armaan, think of something fast.
And then as if a bolt from the blue, he just knew who he could ask for help. He quickly dialed a number while still driving as fast as he could, breaking all speed limits.
"Hey Maan! Long time dude, where have you been? Forgot us?" said the person on the other end.
"Yuvi, is Naina home?"
"What's up buddy? Everything fine?" Yuvraj asked sensing the urgency in Maan's voice.
"I need to talk to Naina, fast."
"Okay, hold on."
"Naina," Yuvraj called out.
Maan waited impatiently.
"Who's it Yuvi?" Naina asked as she walked into the living room.
"Maan, he wants to talk to you," Yuvraj replied.
Naina was delighted to hear that. She picked up the phone and said, "Hey Prince!"
"Naina, thank God, you're there!"
"What happened, you sound tensed?" her tone changed immediately from a jovial to a serious one.
"Naina, I need your services, are you free now?" said Maan.
"Yes, but what's the matter?" she asked.
"Naina, someone's been shot, a-a friend. I need you to operate," he replied.
"Okay, I'll be at the hospital within 15 minutes. See you there. Is that alright?" she asked.
"No Naina, going to the hospital means getting the cops and the media involved and I can't afford that," he said firmly.
"How's the patient?" Naina asked.
"Shot on the shoulder, unconscious, breathing heavily and bleeding excessively," he replied.
There was silence on the other end.
"Naina, you think you can handle this alone? All by yourself?" he asked keeping his fingers crossed.
Naina took in a deep breath and said, "All right, come over."
Armaan thanked her and hung up and also silently thanked God. This was the most crucial time of his life. He had never lost his calm in the worst of situations but when it came to Ridhima, he didn't know how could he not panic and stay calm.
Within minutes he reached the Garewal residence and scooping a limp Ridhima in his arms rushed inside. Naina had briefed Yuvraj about the situation and had gotten everything ready. However, both of them were visibly surprised to see a disheveled Maan bleeding at the shoulder, walk in with a girl in his arms.
"Naina, she needs instant attention," said Maan frantically.
Naina nodded toward the neat slice in the sleeve of his shirt and the blood oozing through the narrow gap. "Apparently, so do you."
"I'm fine. Deal with her first," he said trying to maintain his calm.
Naina asked Maan to place her on the bed in the guest room.
"Okay, now you wait outside while I patch her up," said Naina.
"No Naina, I prefer to stay," Maan said sounding firm.
"Maan, trust me, you should stay out. Yuvi will handle that cut and then you take some rest," said Naina.
"Naina, please. I'll be worse outside. So it's better I stay," he said with a finality to his tone. It was more of an order than a request and Naina had to give in.
As Naina got to work on Ridhima with needles, scalpels, syringes, gauzes and sutures, Maan could only fathom the pain Ridhima must be enduring.
After long last, Naina breathed a sigh of relief and announced that Ridhima would be fine. Maan was relieved. Naina grabbed Maan's hand and said, "Your turn now," pointing to the wound and Maan obliged.
***
"Prince, what is this all about?" asked Naina after Armaan, Yuvraj and Naina had settled in the living room sipping coffee.
"I don't know," he replied and told them whatever had transpired in the village.
"Naturally, you were the target but poor Ridhima became the victim," said Yuvraj.
"I would have been dead by now if it were not for her," said Maan.
"Yeah, the Queen saved the King," said Naina. "A brave Queen indeed."
Maan looked at her disbelievingly and she returned it with the raise of a brow.
"You've got rich taste Prince, there's nothing to hide," said Naina with a wide smile.
"Naina's right Maan," added Yuvraj.
Their conversation was interrupted by a little child's cry.
"Uh-oh, looks like Jesse's awake. I'll just come in a moment," said Naina walking towards the bedroom.
"Yuvi, I want you to find out the culprit behind this," said Maan.
"Don't worry buddy, I'll make sure I get my hands on him," replied Yuvraj.
Naina returned with Jesse, their year old daughter and Armaan was delighted to see her.
Yuvraj and Naina Garewal were Armaan's old friends. Yuvraj was a private investigator whereas Naina was a surgeon. Given Naina's beautiful features one could easily mistake her for a supermodel. She had been frequently bombarded with modeling offers but since medicine was her first love, she'd chosen to be a doc. Yuvraj loved his job and while on a mission he'd met Naina and fallen for her. Today, they were happily married for three years with a cute and cuddly daughter.
"Yuvi, your princess sure looks like her mother," said Maan cradling the little Jesse in his arms while Yuvraj and Naina laughed.
Armaan saw the time and realized it was already too late. He asked Yuvraj and Naina to retire for the night as they had already done a lot to help him. They refused but Armaan was adamant and he said that he would take care of Ridhima and they needn't bother. Yuvraj, Naina and Jesse finally said good night to Armaan and retired for the night while Armaan made his way to the guest bedroom where Ridhima was sound asleep.
*****
Current Affairs
Sampoorna
CID
Hindi TV Shows
267