Okay guys!
Here's your update. Do read and don't forget to leave your comments! This update was slightly crucial for me coz I've never written anything like this before. Do feel free to criticize!
Recap: A few confusions.
Chp. 53 To HIM shall we return!
The line went dead. Armaan dialed Ridhima's cell again but it didn't connect. Damn! he thought. He kicked himself for not calling Ridhima earlier when he'd so desperately wanted to. He instantly dialled Abhimanyu's number.
"Maan?"
"Abhimanyu! There's an emergency at Ridhima's village, at Ridhima's place to be precise and I'm headed there. Any queries or questions arising as to the reason of my absence, I assume you can handle them well?"
"Sure Maan, but what's the matter?"
"I don't have much info on that, shall let you know about it as soon as I reach there. Meanwhile, if Pitaji or Choti maa ask my whereabouts, you know what to say?"
"Yes, rest assured, I'll handle things here. You take care."
"Thanks Abhi."
***
Armaan rushed out through the secret backdoor leading out of his room to the backside of the palace gardens. He hopped into his car and hit the gas.
CR was standing in her window gazing at the stars when she heard the banging of a car door. Then, an engine roaring to life. She peered through the darkness and was astounded to find Armaan speed away. What the hell was happening? Where was Armaan going to at this hour of the night?
The car sped on the roads crazily ducking and swerving at every possible spot. Armaan knew he was violating every rule in the traffic journal, fulfilling every condition sufficient to enlist him in the rash drivers' category but he didn't care. He just didn't care! All he knew was Ridhima needed him at the moment and he had to be with her.
His cell phone buzzed and without checking the name, hoping it would be Ridhima, he answered it. But just as he was about to say 'Ridhima', the voice of CR spoke, "Kunwar Armaan, where are you?"
"In my quarters, choti maa. You need something?" Armaan crossed his fingers and replied as calmly as possible.
A lie. A clear, blatant lie!
"No dear, I just wanted to make sure everything was fine. You just rushed away during dinner so I was worried."
"Everything is fine, choti maa."
"Okay son, good night."
"Good night, choti maa."
Armaan disconnected the call and heaved a sigh of relief. He'd lied to Choti maa, for the first time, but he had no choice.
***
CR disconnected the call and her face lit up with an evil smile. Ha! Armaan had lied to her, why? The reasons would be quite interesting to find out. Her intuition just told her that this time she was going to hit on something big and beneficial for her plan of disreputing and maligning Armaan before RS and proving him ineligible for the throne. She still had to talk to Rahul though, about his final decision. If he was with her on this, things would be easier!
***
After dodging on the streets and covering a 2-hr long distance in flat 45 minutes, Armaan slammed on his brakes and spun around in a circular drive. Killing the engine and the lights, he jumped out of the car and made a dash for Ridhima's house.
He was horrified at the sight that he witnessed. His stomach lurched and his heartbeat sped up. Ridhima was sitting beside an extremely frail-looking Dadi, holding her hand and weeping her heart out. Ridhima's friend, Sohni was also weeping but also consoling Ridhima at the same time. Maan rushed to their side and sagged down on the floor beside Dadi, opposite Ridhima. He held Dadi's hand with one hand while the other went to her forehead. Her temperature was slightly higher than normal and her pulse was weak.
"Ridhima, what happened to Dadi?"
"She's been weak for the past three weeks according to Sohni but she's been refusing to see the doctor. But since I came here, she had improved a bit, then again, today she's been feeling weak since the afternoon," Ridhima replied, tears still running down profusely.
"Did you call the doc now?" Maan asked.
"I tried, but-"
"But what?"
*Cough* *Cough*
Maan and Ridhima looked up towards Dadi.
"I do not need a doctor, Maan," Dadi said amidst intermittent coughs.
"Dadi, no excuses, I'll call the doc, right away," Maan said and before Dadi could stop him he walked away dialing a number.
He returned moments later and took his position beside Dadi again. Sohni was making futile attempts to console Ridhima.
"Ridhima, the doc is on his way, relax, Dadi shall be fine," Maan tried to console Ridhima though he had little hope himself.
"Listen to me, Maan. I do not need a doctor, I need a promise. From you."
Maan and Ridhima looked confused.
"Promise me, Maan, that when I'm gone, you'll take care of my Ridhima, you'll-"
"Dadi, you're not going anywhere and nothing is gonna happen to you!" Ridhima cut in sharply.
"Ridhima, my dear, everyone is sentenced to a term, which is increased and decreased by one's deeds, in this world by the almighty and on completion of that term, we have to return back to him. I can say that I have successfully completed that term and it's time for me to turn to my heavenly abode," Dadi explained with a feeble voice.
"Dadi, the doc is on his way," Maan interrupted trying to lighten the tension in the air.
"Maan you haven't prom-," Dadi's sentence was interrupted by another coughing fit.
"Dadi, please don't talk," Maan said with a pained look.
"Promise Maan, you'll... take care of... my Ridhima and never let... any... any calamity or... or...or...pain afflict or befall... her. You'll love her an- and... never let... her feel... my loss, you'll always be... there by... her side," said Dadi amidst breif pauses.
Ridhima stared at Dadi, bewildered.
"Dadi, I've already promised you, but I promise again, Ridhima is my responsibility, my love and my life. I shall always be by her and protect her till the last breath of my life," Maan promised.
Dadi's face lit up in a surreal smile. Hands shivering, she gently brought them together and taking Ridhima's hand in her left and Maan's in her right, she clasped them together and pulled her hands away. Ridhima was astonished at this.
"God bless you, my dears. May you have all the happiness in the world and may your love bloom like flowers in the spring. Now I can die in peace," Dadi said still smiling.
"Dadi!" Maan and Ridhima exclaimed in unison.
"Death obeys no man, waits for no one," Dadi said feebly, still smiling and slipped into a slumber so deep, which no one had ever risen from.
Ridhima's tears came in torrents as she buried her head beside Dadi and cried her heart out. Maan closed his eyes and a silent tear trickled down his cheek and landed on their still braided hands.
Ridhima couldn't believe that Dadi, her Dadi who had just been talking to them a moment ago was now no longer between them. She was gone, leaving Ridhima alone and helpless, to a world which was inaccessible and from where no one could return, no one had ever returned. A content and satisfied smile was spread across Dadi's face and if one didn't know that she was no longer alive, one would easily mistake her to be asleep and immersed in the depths of a beautiful dream which caused that star-lit smile.
Despite knowing Dadi for such a short time, Maan had developed an attachment to Dadi as intense as Ridhima, so he could understand the pain she'd be going through.
The royal physician arrived and checked Dadi, while Sohni kept Ridhima away. After a thorough examination, he nodded negatively to Armaan. Armaan nodded and then asked the doctor to complete all the formalities so that the obsequies could be conducted.
He then called up Abhimanyu and informed him about everything.
"Abhimanyu, it'll be a while before I can return to the palace, meanwhile, I want you to handle everything. In case any emergency arises at the construction site, you and Rahul can handle it."
"Right Maan, you don't worry about anything here. Take care of Ridhima, this must be really hard for her and if you need something, do lemme know."
"Thanks Abhimanyu."
***
As word spread, the neighbors and other villagers started arriving to pay their condolences to the bereaved and also to be a part of the funeral. It appeared that Dadi was well known and loved by many in the village hence the turnout of the crowd was huge. The funeral was scheduled to be conducted in the morning and all the formalities were completed by then.
Ridhima was a total wreck. Her face was smudged with tear stains and her hair was all disheveled and messed. She had stopped crying by now but couldn't help the tears when someone consoled her. Dadi had been Ridhima's only living family who'd brought Ridhima up since childhood, cared for her and loved her and most importantly, understood her. So her loss was far too big for Ridhima to bear.
Dawn turned to morning; morning gave way to the afternoon and afternoon merged in the evening which in turn melted into the night. All the obsequies were performed and everyone had dispersed. When Maan and Ridhima returned home from the funeral, the house felt like a ghostly place to Ridhima. Every corner of the house had a memory attached to Dadi. Wherever Ridhima's eyes traveled, Dadi was only what Ridhima could see. The cot where Dadi used to sleep, despite the bed, Dadi preferred the cot, the porch where they'd sit in the evening and Dadi would share her experiences of life. The kitchen where Dadi'd taught her to cook, the bead-hangings for the kitchens and the doors which Ridhima, Sohni and Dadi had made together amidst li'l Gudiya's naughty mischeifs. Ridhima brushed her hands on the hangings and the tears which had welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill since the evening, came flowing in torrents.
Ridhima needed someone to lean on. She needed a friend who understood, who had loved her grandmother as much as she had. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find Maan standing there. He stepped forward and gathered her in his arms, drawing Ridhima into an embrace that did nothing but give comfort, support. She held back for a moment then sagged into him.
They stood there like that for a long, long time. Ridhima's tears soaked into Maan's shirt. He kept holding her, one hand stroking her hair, the other her back, while he whispered soothing nothings against her forehead. Ridhima's closeness warmed him in a different way, bonded her to him in an amalgam of affection, unspoken understanding and deeply shared experience. In her most desperate hour, she had turned to him.
And he was fiercely glad of it.
After long timeless moments when Ridhima drew back from his embrace, Maan gently swiped at her tears and nodded negatively and when Ridhima looked into his eyes she saw tears lined up in his eyes too, ready to trickle down any moment.
That was the best thing about guys; they could so easily mask their feelings and pretend to be strong and unwavered by circumstances even though they were as wrecked from within, unlike girls who so easily let their emotions flow.
Sohni came in moments later with dinner for the two of them and Maan sat Ridhima on the bed and offered her the food; however, she refused to take in even a single morsel.
"No, Maan, I'm not hungry," she said.
"Ridhima, you haven't had a single bite since last night, you'll fall sick," Maan tried to convince her.
"No, I do not wish to eat," she replied adamantly.
"Ridhima, starving yourself wouldn't help, will it? C'mon be a good girl and finish your dinner."
"Please, Maan, no."
"Ridhima, no excuses, Dadi wouldn't ever want you to starve yourself and keep wailing in her memory," Maan said authoritatively.
Ridhima gave him a look and obliged. However, she just had one chapati and not a morsel more. Maan didn't push any further. He cleared the dishes and made the bed while Ridhima stood on the porch gazing at the stars. The inky black sky was illuminated by the many twinkling stars. One particular star appeared to be more luminous than any other and Ridhima couldn't help but think of it as her grandma. As she gazed at it, tears trickled down taking Ridhima back in the past...
Little Ridhima was three years old and had lost her parents. Dadi was her only family. They had just finished dinner and Dadi was completing the few remaining chores before retiring for the night. After she'd cleared the dishes and made the bed, she called out to her little granddaughter, "Ridhima? Ridhima? Where are you my Princess?"
But Ridhima was nowhere to be seen. Dadi checked the whole house and then went to check outside. But Ridhima was still nowhere to be found. Finally, after circumambulating the house, Dadi found her alone in the backyard, fidgeting with her fingers while tears ran down her chubby cheeks. Dadi sat beside her and asked, "What happened to my Princess?"
But Ridhima didn't reply.
"Did you have a fight with someone?"
She nodded negatively.
"Didn't like the food?"
Again a negative nod.
"Missing Ma and Pa?"
A positive nod.
Dadi pulled her closer and placed her onto her lap. She gently wiped her tears and said, "Do you think Ma and Pa will like to see their Princess crying?"
"But they're gone, aren't they? If I can't see them, how can they see me?" little Ridhima asked innocently.
"Yeah, they're gone, but they can still see you."
"Really Dadi?" Ridhima's face lit up.
Dadi nodded.
"You see the stars up there?" she asked pointing towards the sky, "Which is the brightest among them?"
Ridhima looked intently and scanned the sky for the most luminescent star and then pointed it out.
"That star up there is Pa and that beside it is Ma. They're watching their li'l princess from there every night and are sad if they see their princess crying. You want them to cry?" Dadi asked.
Ridhima swiped at her tears with her dimpled hands and asked eagerly, "Can they see me every night?"
"Yes dear and whenever you're happy or sad, or you miss them, you can always come and talk to them."
"Dadi, do people become stars when they go to God's house?"
Dadi nodded.
"Dadi, if Ma and Pa can see me every night, I will never cry now and be a good girl; I promise Dadi."
"That's like my darling Princess," said Dadi and enveloped Ridhima in a loving hug.
Since that day whenever Ridhima felt sad or lonely or whenever she felt jubilant and joyous, she always shared her joys and sorrows with her parents. She knew that come what may, they were always there to guide her and shower their love on her. And now Dadi was there too...
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