Part 6:
As the sun rays fell on her face, Riddhima slowly opened her eyes and savoured the fresh morning air rushing in through the open window. She stretched herself and slowly let go of the soft toy she had been holding all night. Very few people knew that Riddhima couldn't sleep without holding on to something or someone if she was agitated. As a child she would cling to her mom or dad and later it was Anjali, but now with her sister gone, it was the cute teddy gifted to her by Atul that served as a succour in her troubled times.
"Riddhima, you are still not up?" her mother's voice came trailing from the living room. "Be quick or you will get late for work!"
"Oh my goodness, it's Monday already and it's time to face him again!" wailed Riddhima as she sat up in her bed.
It was almost two days since her chance encounter with Armaan in Rahul's room, but the incident was still fresh in her mind as if it happened just a few minutes back.......and as she remembered it, a blush covered Riddhima's cheeks.
"There you go again girl" she said to herself. "Just because he looked at you doesn't mean his eyes had the look you are imagining. According to your over active imagination, his eyes were full of passion and hunger, but do you seriously think he is ever going to look at you like that? After all, there are hundreds of gorgeous women who are more than interested in him and you are simply nothing compared to them. In fact, he must have been finding faults with you that very moment and there is no way in which he would get affected by you of all people."
"Or maybe....." her mind added, "he was wondering as to what you were doing in that state in his brother's room?"
"Oh God, this has suddenly got all the more embarrassing!" screeched Riddhima.
"But can't he put on some clothes instead of roaming around in a towel?" asked her defensive self.
"Oh come on Ridz" said her logical self, "it's his house and he was coming out of the shower. You can't expect to see him in a business suit."
Remembering the state she saw Armaan in, Riddhima turned a crimson red all over again. But she somehow braced herself and got ready for office, resolving not to make a fool of herself. However, she didn't realize that it wasn't her, but a certain thing called destiny that was making them cross paths again and again, in spite of the stiff resistance put up by both of them.
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Riddhima was cooped up in her cabin the whole day. Each time she heard a footfall outside her door or a voice drifting in from the corridor, she used to wonder if it was him. She stuck to her resolve of not leaving her cabin until afternoon, when she felt the need to go and have a cup of coffee. She gingerly stepped outside and headed towards the office pantry. Just as she was getting her cup of coffee, she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"I hope it's not Armaan" she prayed and turned around.
"Hey best friend, kya hua? Are you very busy coz I haven't seen you since morning? I am also angry that you forgot to drop by for our morning coffee session. However, I thought you must be busy and decided not to disturb, but now it seems that you prefer having your coffee alone without me" he said pointing at her mug.
"Sorry Rahul, I was a little preoccupied since morning. However, if you want we can have our coffee break right now" she said with a smile.
"Yeah, why not? Let me lead you to my cabin pretty lady" said Rahul with a mock British accent, followed by a laughing Riddhima.
Once they were in the cabin, Rahul asked, "Riddhima, there is seriously no problem right?"
"Why do you ask so Rahul?"
"Because I have a feeling that you are a little disturbed or I should rather say agitated!"
"Who gives you these silly ideas Rahul? Come on, it's nothing."
"Ok, I believe you. Blame my over imaginative mind for this" he said with a grin.
"Chill, that's fine. So tell me, did you go for the paintball match you were so excited about?"
"Oh, don't even remind me of that. I had to skip it and the credit goes to my big bro"
"What makes you say that?"
"Well you see, my workaholic brother decided to fly to Singapore last morning and that too for a meeting that suddenly came out of nowhere! Without him there would have been no fun, so I decided to skip the event. Anyway, the fact is that he is gone for a few days and I will miss him."
Riddhima was surprised to find herself feeling very low in the matter of a few minutes.
"If he is gone for some days, it's good for you, right?" asked her mind. "After all, weren't you eager not to cross paths with him? Now your wish has been granted and you will be able to breathe in peace, even though it's for a few days. What else do you want?"
Riddhima knew her mind was right, but somehow her heart refused to toe the line. She also realized that Rahul was still talking and she was not paying much attention. Before he could fathom that, she shifted her focus back to him again.
"However, I think the trip is going to do some good for him" said Rahul as he continued talking without realizing that Riddhima had switched off for some time.
"How?"
"You know what a workaholic he is and he rarely takes some time off. I know this trip would serve as a nice break as he will meet up with Nikita and she will make sure that he has some fun too."
Riddhima's heart skipped a beat on hearing this girl's name.
"Who is Nikita?"
"We call her Armaan's long term girlfriend" said Rahul with a laugh. "Hmmm, I see you are getting curious on hearing bro's name being linked with a girl. However, I won't break the suspense as you will know for yourself in a few days. But let me tell you, their relationship goes back a long way."
Riddhima didn't know what hit her when she heard those words.
"Armaan has someone in his life!!!" she said to herself.
"What else did you expect?" said her mind. "Why wouldn't he have one?"
A desperate sense of loss suddenly overpowered Riddhima and all she wanted was to leave the room and get some time alone. Much as her heart wanted, she couldn't prod Rahul further as she felt he might find her sudden interest in Armaan a little strange. Careful not to give any hints, she sat for five more minutes and then left on the pretext of meeting a candidate for an interview.
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Armaan ran a frustrated hand through his hair. It was a time of his life when he felt lonely again. He remembered getting this sinking feeling when he lost his sister. Although he was very young to realize the full gravity of the situation, he was aware that something had changed drastically. Even now he was in a similar situation with Riddhima. He had felt a connection with her, though he was unsure about what it was. However, now he would have to let it go as his Mom's astute eyes couldn't go wrong. Riddhima was happy with Rahul and vice versa.
"I should be happy for my brother, but why am I finding this hard to accept?"
It was work that had brought Armaan to Singapore, but more importantly it was his desire to get away from that sinking feeling that brought him here. Ever since his mother told him what she thought about Riddhima and Rahul, he hadn't been at peace. So when his Dad mentioned about some work in Singapore, he jumped at the opportunity. He wanted to get away from his house, his office and Riddhima. It was four days since he left them behind, but why the hell was Riddhima bothering him even now?
A cheerful "hello" brought Armaan out of his reverie and he suddenly remembered where he was. To be very precise, he was at one of the classiest shopping arcades in Singapore, waiting for Nikita to turn up. So here she was now, a beautiful girl in her early twenties.
"Hello dear, it's great to see you after such a long time" he said before enveloping her in a hug.
"Since you didn't have the decency to come and meet me, I had to come myself"
"Hey, it's not like that!" said Armaan defensively.
"Whatever, but I guess someone more important has made an entry in your life and I have ceased to matter" she said with a pout.
"Stop overreacting, will you"
"Yeah, I guess I should. Moreover, this doesn't suit me at all. Come on, let's go and grab some lunch at our favourite joint, plus some shopping before we catch the evening flight to India."
"Sure" said Armaan.
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It was Friday evening and Riddhima was busy wrapping up her work before she could call it a day. Since the last five days, she wore a very dejected and worn out look that was visible to others. Many asked her the reason as she was always a chirpy girl, but she blamed the work pressure as the reason for her listlessness.
A soft knock on the door called for her attention.
"Come in" she said and the next moment her face was covered by a huge smile.
"Smriti aunty, what a pleasant surprise" exclaimed Riddhima as she hugged her. "How are you?"
"I am good dear, but what happened to you? Why are you looking so pale? Rahul told me yesterday that you haven't been looking very well lately, so I thought I should check once. Hope everything is fine."
"Yes Aunty, there is no problem at all. It has been a little hectic on the work front. Moreover my parents aren't in town and on top of that even Muskaan isn't here, so I am feeling a little lonely and bored too"
"Ah, now I know. Living alone can be a big pain dear.........and also missing people who are very close to your heart can wear you out at times" said Smriti meaningfully.
Riddhima looked at her with a start, doubting whether she was referring to her parents or someone else......but thankfully Rahul decided to make an entry at that point of time.
"Hey Badi Mom, great to see you in office after a long time"
"Even I am feeling good dear, but tell me why are you not taking good care of your best friend? She looks so listless and on top of that she is so lonely these days."
"I know Badi Mom. Trust me, I have been trying to cheer her up since the last few days, but I guess this girl is too stubborn."
"Fine, but now I have an idea" said Smriti. "You are going to pick Armaan and Nikita from the airport in a couple of hours, right?"
"Yup"
"So why don't you take Riddhima along?"
"That's a great idea! I was thinking about how to kill time while waiting for bro and Niki, but looks like it will be an excellent opportunity to catch up with Riddhima."
"Yes, maybe you can take her out for dinner before driving to the airport as there is still a lot of time. Riddhima, I think this outing will do some good to you. Since your parents aren't here, I think I can take over the responsibility of being your guardian for the time being. So off you go."
Riddhima was happy at the prospect of spending time with Rahul, but she didn't want to face Armaan. One part of her was however curious about Armaan's girlfriend, but the other part had started hating her already. However, with Smriti being so persistent she couldn't refuse and agreed to go with Rahul.
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"Rahul, this flavour is indeed yummy" said Riddhima as she relished the ice cream he got for her.
"Muskaan likes it a lot, so I thought you would like it too" said Rahul with a smile. His thoughts suddenly went back to Muskaan who called him a few hours back in order to make sure that he took good care of her Ridzy while she was away. The way she cared about the people who were special to her made him wish that he was a part of that special circle too. What he hadn't realized yet was that he was a part of it already.
Rahul and Riddhima had been waiting for 15 minutes near the arrival area at the airport. Earlier, he treated her to a lavish dinner at his favourite restaurant. Right now both of them were so busy with their conversation that they didn't even hear the announcement that the flight had landed.
Armaan was the first to see Riddhima as soon as he walked out and needless to say, his heart did a double flip when he set his eyes on her beautiful form clad in a green salwar kameez.
"She is looking even more beautiful than the last time I saw her" he thought wistfully.
Riddhima felt a strange sensation the very moment Armaan set eyes on her. Soon enough she could see why as there he was. Her heart burst in joy on seeing him, but when she saw the girl hanging on his arm, she was back to her morose self again.
Rahul enveloped Nikita in a big hug and then proceeded towards Armaan who on the other hand was a little disturbed to see Riddhima looking a little out of sorts.
"Riddhima, you fine?" he asked.
Riddhima was surprised to see that he noted her listlessness, but before she could say anything Rahul butted in.
"She is a little under the weather these days bro, so I thought I should bring her out and cheer her up. We also had dinner at my favourite restaurant."
"That's good" said Armaan in a voice that sounded very strange to his own self too.
"So Niki......you are finally here!" exclaimed Rahul. "Badi Mom will be so happy to see you"
"Yup" quipped Nikita playfully. "But you are not looking very happy to see me."
"Yes I am not coz I am aware of the torture you will subject me to in the next one month. Riddhima, I told you about bro's girlfriend right? So here she is and mind you, she is so possessive about him that she has whacked me many times when I used to trouble him" he said with a laugh.
"Ok now, stop it there" said Nikita. "Riddhima, before you get any ideas, let me introduce myself. I am Niki, Armaan and Rahul's cousin. I am their Bua's daughter."
Riddhima didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this revelation. All she felt was a sense of relief and happiness washing over her.
"Hi Niki, it's so great to see you" she said cheerfully.
They stood chatting for some time, when Armaan mentioned that they should get moving. Rahul immediately left for the parking lot while the other three stood there waiting for him.
"Seems like this guy will take some time" said Nikki looking at the heavy rush near the parking lot. "I think I will go and get myself something to drink."
"I will come with you" said Riddhima
"That's fine dear. You keep Armaan company otherwise I know all girls out here will start pouncing upon him in a few minutes" she said with a wink before leaving.
"Sorry Riddhima, this girl never thinks before speaking. Don't mind her blabber."
"Of course not" she said looking at him properly for the first time today. She was surprised to see him looking very tired and jaded.
Suddenly both of them felt very shy and stood there tongue tied. Though Armaan never really paid attention to girls, he was never tongue tied in front of them as he was well aware of the effect he had on that species. But he himself didn't know why he always fell silent whenever he was with Riddhima. He looked at her once, noting that some colour had returned to her face since he first saw her a few minutes back, but never could he guess the reason.
Meanwhile Riddhima was thinking to herself, "All these cousins have a sense of humour, but why is Armaan always so serious and pensive....."
A call from Muskaan brought her back to reality, however, she couldn't hear anything as the signal was very weak. Noticing this, Armaan tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to move a few steps ahead, where she might get a better signal.
"Hey Ridz, you fine na? Rahul tera khayal rakh raha hai na?"
Muskaan just kept shooting questions at Riddhima without giving her the chance to reply.
"Arre Muski, saas to le le. Yup, I am fine."
"Great, you were sounding so low on the phone yesterday that I got worried, but you sound fine now. Hey, I think the signal is troubling me, guess I should call up later."
"Sure no problem Muski.....bye!"
Muskaan always used to perk her up, no wonder she loved her best friend so much. Riddhima disconnected the phone with a smile and was about to return back to Armaan when she saw a loaded trolley hurtling towards her at full speed. Apparently, the trolley was too heavy for the young guy it belonged to and when he tried pushing it down the slope Riddhima was standing next to, he lost control of it and let it go. Now the same trolley was coming towards Riddhima in a threatening manner.
Since Riddhima saw this at the last moment, she didn't even get the time to react and stood rooted to the spot. She closed her eyes knowing that she could do nothing about it, hoping that the consequences weren't very serious. However, no trolley came and hit her as someone pulled her by the arm and she could feel herself crashing into that someone's strong chest. Soon she was enveloped in a pair of arms that held her tight and she knew very well who it was. She was shocked no doubt, but suddenly tears sprung to her eyes unknowingly. The frustration and despair of the last few days were ebbing away as she was held by Armaan. He felt her tears soak his shirt and it really pained him to even think that she was crying.
"Riddhima" he said softly as she raised her tear filled eyes towards him. "It's ok, you are safe now."
He had a protective hand on her waist and with the other hand he was cupping her face and to her it felt like heaven. As they looked at each other, time stood still and the people witnessing this scene just kept looking in awe at the lovely pair.
"Ahem" a cough alerted both of them and they broke away from each other.
"Well, what was that?" asked Nikita in a very amused tone.
She had sensed some very strange vibes between these two when she left them alone a few minutes ago, but she wasn't expecting to find them in each other's arms when she came back.
"Hey Niki" said Armaan in an embarrassed voice. "It's nothing, Riddhima was about to get hit by a trolley........"
"........and Armaan pulled me out of harm's way just in time" Riddhima completed the sentence for him. "Thanks so much Armaan."
She was rewarded by a smile from him and was indeed shocked as she had never seen him smile before. But Riddhima was really happy to note how his face lighted up when he smiled.
"Hope he keeps smiling always" she thought.
Soon Rahul reached the spot with his car and Nikita took the front seat even before Armaan could move.
"Big bro, I guess I spent quite some time with you. Now my other bro should also get some attention from me, right?"
Armaan and Riddhima took the rear seat, maintaining some distance between them. However, Nikita opened the door on Armaan's side and said, "You see there is some space to keep my bag here, so scoot over bro."
Armaan had no choice but to move closer to Riddhima and for a change, neither of them was regretting the proximity. When they stopped to drop Riddhima, Armaan got out of the car and held the door open for her. As she murmured a "Thank You" to all of them and walked towards the house, Riddhima turned back and smiled....... a smile that made its way right into Armaan's heart.
"It was a bad idea to bring her to the airport. Don't think I will be able to forget this evening very easily" thought Armaan with a sigh as Rahul drove towards the Mallik house.
Many people have tried to resist love, but it's also true that no matter how much you try to suppress it, love always seems to find its own way. Nothing else could be more true for Armaan and Riddhima as love was slowly but steadily making inroads into their hearts.
Phew, this was a long part guys. Hope it's not boring. Do comment though. 😊
Edited by richa_b - 15 years ago
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