Part 3
"Anjie, yeh dekho kitni pretty dress hai na" Riddhima handed Anjali a stunning black dress.
"I'm definitely buying this one" Anjali loved the dress.
"Hey guys, help me chose a hand bag na" Muskaan had 3 bags in her hand, but she was not able to chose one as they were all very beautiful. "White wala, black wala, ya brown wala lon?" Muskaan asked confusedly.
"Umm white wala…haina Anjie?" Riddhima said.
"Haan waise bhi tera favorite color white hai na" Anjali said.
"Excuse me guys Armaan ka phone hai..mein abhi aayi.." Riddhima picked up her phone. "Hi Armaan" Riddhima had few bags in her hand so she wasn't able to hold the phone properly.
"Hey!! Ab tak mall mein ho?" Armaan was really getting bored in the office.
"Haan…kyun?" Riddhima asked sitting on a bench that was outside of the store.
"Kuch nahi tumhe miss kar raha hoon…aur bohot bore ho raha hoon…kuch clients' aane waale hain warna mein abhi mall mein hota" he sounded disappointed.
"Armaan tum bhi na…acha tumhe yahan se kuch chahiye?"
"Umm…nope kuch nahi chahiye, tum mujhse milne aa sakti ho?" he asked getting all excited.
"Pata nahi dekhti hoon try karon gi…" Riddhima got up to go as Anjali and Muskaan called her, but just then she bumped into a lady and all her bags fell. "I'm so sorry aunty ji…" Riddhima apologized without looking at her and bent to pick up her bags. "Armaan mein tumhe baad mein call karti hoon ok?" she said picking up the bags. "Bye, I love you too" she said and hung up. After picking up her bags she helped the lady pick up her stuff, but when Riddhima got up and saw her face, she was shocked.
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"Anjie Riddhima phone kyun nahi utha rahi hai?" Armaan asked going to Riddhima's room.
"Pata nahi kab se apne room mein beithi hai na, kisi se baat bhi nahi kar rahi aur khana bhi nahin kha rahi hai" Anjali informed.
"Mall mein kuch hua tha kya?" Armaan stopped outside her room and asked.
"Nothing that I know of…" Anjali said.
"Ok mein dekhta hoon…" he entered the room and saw Riddhima sitting on her bed, she looked upset. Armaan went upto her and sat next to her. "Riddhima?" he held her hand.
"Armaan…" she hugged him and started sobbing.
"Shh…Riddhima batao toh kya hua?" Armaan said soothing her.
"Armaan...aaj maine mall mein mom ko dekha" she sobbed more.
"What?? Tumhari mom??" he was shocked. She just nodded in yes.
"Unhone kuch kaha tumse?" he caressed her hairs lovingly.
"Nahin, she didn't even recognized me Armaan"
"It has been 15 years Riddhima, since she last saw you" Armaan explained.
"Haan lekin unhone apni beti ko nahin pehchana" Armaan was trying to calm her down. He was rubbing her back lovingly.
"Ashi tumhe lag jayegi…plz woh knife mujhe dedo" 10 year old Riddhima tried taking the knife away from her 4 year old sister who was running with it.
"Nahi dongi…" Ashi said running towards the terrace.
"Ashi terrace pe mat jao mom daantegi" Riddhima ran after her. Ashi went to her little chair that was kept there and stood on it, as they often used to play on terrace but only when their mom (Padma) was around. Riddhima was hell scared as she saw Ashi on the chair and that to next to the railing. She can fall if she loses her balance. As Riddhima tried going near her, Ashi would try to move away from her. Then Riddhima stopped thinking that if she goes near her, she might lose balance and fall. Then she thought to bribe Ashi with chocolate so she can at least come down from the chair.
"Ashi…if you don't come down, then you won't get this chocolate and I will eat it" Riddhima said taking a chocolate out of her jeans pocket. As soon as Ashi saw the chocolate, she threw the knife on ground and was getting off the chair. Riddhima smiled, but then she saw Ashi turning around as she heard the car door being opened down stairs. Ashi thought that it must be their parents, she got excited and turned around and screamed. Riddhima panicked as she saw Ashi climbing on to the railing. "Momma, Papa!!" Ashi screamed. Padma and Shashank got worried as they saw Ashi on the terrace. Riddhima quietly walked from behind so that she can take Ashi from behind. "Balloons!!!" Ashi got way excited seeing those balloons in Padma's hands. She was jumping on the chair but soon she lost her balance and fell down. Riddhima stood there froze. Her eyes wide open. "Ashiiiiiii" she screamed as tears started rolling down her cheeks and ran down.
Ashi was lying unconscious in Padma's lap soaked in blood. Shashank had called the ambulance. Riddhima was shocked to see her sister covered in blood. As Riddhima tried going near her, Shashank stopped her. "Don't you dare come near my daughter Riddhima" Shashank said in anger.
"But it's not my fault papa…I was just trying to save her, she had…" Riddhima was cut in between by Shashank.
"I don't want to hear anything Riddhima, today you've proved it that you are adopted Riddhima" Shashank cried. "Agar meri beti ko kuch hua na toh mein…" before he could complete, the ambulance had arrived. And they took Ashi to hospital.
Listening to the word "Adopted" Riddhima broke down. She didn't know that she was adopted, until now. Shashank and Padma always behaved differently with her since Ashi was born. She even felt lonely sometimes. She also thought that her parents love Ashi more than her. It's not that she was jealous of her; Riddhima loved Ashi more than anyone. But she felt left out.
Riddhima then rushed to the hospital with their servant. But she was hiding from Shashank and Padma, coz she knew they would never let her meet Ashi. With a help of one of the doctors, Riddhima found out in which room Ashi was. Ashi was in I.C.U. Riddhima didn't know anything about I.C.U. she thought that it must be normal room. So she looked around and saw a sign saying I.C.U. but she also saw Padma outside. She then went up to her and cried.
"Mom" Riddhima held her hand, but Padma pushed her away.
"Don't call me mom, tum meri beti nahi ho…chali jao yahan se" Padma said in a stern voice. Riddhima was crying badly. She was walking away when she heard the I.C.U. door open. She hid behind a pillar and heard Shashank talking.
"Padma, Ashi baar, baar Riddhima ka naam le rahi hai, aur woh bohot critical hai" Shashank said taking off his mask. But within a minute a nurse informed Shashank that Ashi was sinking. Padma was crying badly, Riddhima wanted to support her, but Padma was very mad at Riddhima.
After few minutes Shashank came out all dazed. Padma asked him questions but he didn't answer. He just sat there. "She is no more" he whispered.
Riddhima couldn't hear him, but as she saw them break down like that, she asked one of the passing doctors who had came out of I.C.U. if everything was fine. And the doctor informed her that Ashi was no more. Riddhima cried and ran back to the car.
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8 months later…
"Shashank, I'm pregnant" Padma said excitedly.
"That's great news…" Shashank said making her sit on the couch. Riddhima was watching them and thought to congratulate them as she was going she heard Shashank saying…
"Padma I don't want to lose this child, just stay away from Riddhima she is bad luck for us" Shashank explained.
"Shashank um kyun us bachi ke bare mein aisi baatein karte ho" Padma said.
"I don't know…just stay away from her ok?" saying that he left.
Hearing that Riddhima broke down. She went to her room and sobbed. First she got to know about her adoption and then she was blamed for Ashi's death. This is it…she couldn't take this anymore. She can't live in a house where nobody wants to see her or care about her. She then decided to leave the house and never come back. She some how managed to get out of the house but then she didn't know where to go. It was night, and she was walking all alone on Mumbai's dangerous streets. Scared and helpless, she sat under a tree and cried. The weather was cold and she didn't have her sweater with her. She had only taken a picture of Ashi with her from the house. Riddhima was crying and shivering, she then fell asleep there.
"Bi…ab yeh kaisi hai?" Jai (Armaan's dad) asked sitting on the bed next to Riddhima.
"Iska bukhaar kam hi nahi ho raha hai" Bi replied looking at Riddhima, who was laying unconscious on the bed.
"Don't worry, maine doctor ko phone kar diya hai" Jai said touching Riddhima's forehead.
After a while the doctor came and gave Riddhima an injection and some medicines. Riddhima became conscious after an hour of the injection. She was confused to see the different room, and then she remembered that she had run away from her house. She looked around the room and saw a boy same age as hers playing with his Nintendo DS. Riddhima tried getting up, the boy looked at her and went up to her. "Don't get up, you're sick, main Bi ko bulata hoon" saying that he ran to Bi and called her.
"Kaisi ho beta?" Bi asked checking if she still had fever. Riddhima looked scared.
"Th-theek hoon" Riddhima replied.
"Yeh lo davai lelo…main tumhare liye soup lekar aati hoon, Armaan beta tum yahin rehna" Bi left.
"Hi I'm Armaan"
"I'm Riddhima" she weakly shook his hand.
"Hello Riddhima" Jai came in with Bi.
"Beta tum kahan rehti ho?" Jai asked as Bi fed her the soup.
"Mujhe ghar nahi jaana hai" Riddhima cried.
"Lekin tumhare parents pareshaan ho rahe honge na…" Jai said.
"They said that they are not my parents" Riddhima told them everything that had happened with her and pleaded them not to sent her home.
"Uncle please mujhe wahan wapas nahi jaana…main kahin aur rehlongi" Riddhima got up from the bed.
"Nahi hum tumhe aisi halat main nahi chor sakte" Jai said making her sit on the bed.
"Dad hum Riddhima ko hamare saath Mumbai le chalein?" Armaan said.
Since Riddhima didn't wanted to go back to her parents, they took her to Mumbai and took care of her just like their own daughter. They sent her school with Armaan. Bi use to treat her like her own daughter.
"Riddhima tum unse 15 years se nahi mili..kaise pehchanegi woh tumhe?" he wiped her tears as she came out from hug.
"Armaan, agar tum, uncle aur Bi nahi hote toh main ab tak mar…" he didn't let her complete the sentence and hugged her tight again.
"Riddhima tum aisi baatein mat kiya karo…" Armaan had tears in his eyes. "Ok ab rona band karo, Anjie ne bataya ki tumne kuch nahi khaya…chalo khana kha lo" he said getting up.
"Nahin mujhe bhuk nahi hai" she said lying on her bed.
"Riddhima aise thori na chalta hai…tumne subha se kuch nahi khaya chalo khalo?" he said making her get up.
"Armaan yeh lo main yahin khana le kar aa gayi…" Anjali handed the food dish to armaan and left.
Riddhima didn't want to eat but Armaan made her eat coz she looked weak.
"Riddhima last wala kha lo plz?" Riddhima didn't want to eat anymore.
"Nahi Armaan I'm full" Riddhima said pushing his hand away, armaan looked down in disappointment and then Riddhima ate the last bite just for him. He then kissed her forehead and smiled.
"Armaan agar mom, dad mujhe Delhi le gaye toh?" Riddhima said putting her head on his chest.
"Aisa tab hoga jab unko pata chale ga ki tum Riddhima ho" Armaan explained.
"Armaan meine apni choti behen ko nahi maara tha…that was just an accident" she started crying again.
"I know that…mein jaanta hoon ki meri Riddhima aisa kabhi nahi kar sakti" he kissed her forehead.
Riddhima fell asleep in Armaan's arms, but was disturbed when Armaan's cell rang. It was his PA's call to inform him that he has an important meeting tomorrow at 7 in the morning.
"Riddhima I have to leave now, kal ek bohot important meeting hai so I have to prepare for it" he said he said caressing her hairs.
"Ok Armaan…Goodnight"
"Goodnight, I love you" he kissed her forehead.
"I love you too" she smiled.
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Hope you guys liked the update. Please do read and comment. Suggestions and Criticisms are welcome.
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
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