Part 10:
Riddhima's room was enveloped in silence before she woke up with a start, all drenched in sweat. It took a few seconds to remember where she was and then she helped herself to a glass of water. Her erratic heartbeat was another thing she now became aware of and it was giving no indication of returning to normal. She therefore tried to remember the reason behind this state of hers and suddenly the dream that had taken hold of her a few minutes back returned to haunt her again.
With her eyes closed, Riddhima slowly remembered the lulling sound of sea waves lapping against the shore, a semi-lighted beach and she standing in the middle of a deserted stretch. But wait, she was not alone as there was someone holding her very close to him as they kissed under the moonlit sky and shining stars. What a kiss it was as it had transported both of them to a world of their own. The way he held her close to him with one hand, while his other hand remained buried in her hair was awakening many new feelings inside her. They soon broke off and Riddhima could now see the person she was with.
"Armaan!!!!" she blurted out his name as she sat on her bed with a stunned look on her face. However, better sense soon prevailed and she realized that it was a dream after all. But it seemed so real that she could feel his touch even now.
"Oh God, what made me see that dream? Am I mad?"
Turning a scarlet red, Riddhima hid her face with the pillow.
"Guess I need a cold shower and then some time alone on the beach to get a grip on myself. My imagination is simply running awry these days. Just imagine, if Armaan got to know about this, what will he be thinking of me....." she exclaimed.
Looking at the bedside clock, she saw that it was only 6.30 in the morning, while the conference would start at 11 AM. This meant there was a lot of time for her to sit on the beach and enjoy a few pages of the book she had been trying to read for quite some time.
Within 20 minutes Riddhima was out of the shower and walking towards the beach. She had expected it to be deserted at this time of the morning but was surprised to see a few tourists already there. She found an empty beach chair next to two young American girls. After exchanging smiles, Riddhima sat down and opened her book, but the dream kept returning time and again. As a last resort, she closed her eyes and literally shook her head to throw these thoughts out of her mind.
One part of her was appalled that she could see something like this in her dreams, while the other was relishing the idea and the poor girl was totally caught in the crossfire. However, the saner part of Riddhima suggested that she should turn her attention to the book and within a few minutes she was totally engrossed in her reading, but a few "oohs" and "aahs" from her neighbours diverted her. Apparently these girls were gushing over something that had suddenly captured their attention.
"Didn't I tell you Sue that Indian guys are hot? Now that's what I call a smoking hot hunk"
"I agree Claire. God, how can anyone be so handsome?"
A curious Riddhima followed their gaze and as soon as she saw the object of their attention, her breath got stuck in her throat. She could see her tormentor running on the beach in just a pair of shorts. His well toned body glistened in the early morning sun and at this moment there was no possible word in Riddhima's dictionary to describe how appealing and desirable he looked.
"There go all my well-laid plans. I came here to get him out of my mind and look what I got instead. God, can't you keep him away from me?" she thought with a sigh.
However one thing was surely bothering her and that was the attention he was getting from these girls. Riddhima knew that Armaan and female attention were synonymous with each other, but much as she tried drilling it into her head, she still used to get all worked up whenever he was eyed by any other girl.
"I guess I can do nothing about it" she thought. "As long as they admire my Armaan from a distance, I am fine"
"Hey, what did I just say? My Armaan? Riddhima! Have you gone crazy?"
Realizing that he might catch her ogling at him like the other girls, she quickly hid her face with the book to dodge his attention.
On the other hand, Armaan was running with all his might. He had to get her out of his mind otherwise he wouldn't be able to live in peace. But every single thing reminded him of her and now even as he ran on the beach, memories from last night kept running in his mind over and over again.
"I am trying to forget her and the moments we shared yesterday but I guess my saner self has been overpowered by something that defies reason" he thought exasperatedly.
"I don't know how long I will be able to take this. Better get everything out of my mind, otherwise I will go stark mad"
He started running again, trying to drown all his anger and frustration in that exercise.
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Yash Mallik quietly made his way to the kitchen where his wife was supervising the breakfast preparations. He loved seeing her fuss over his food. There were so many people to take care of those things, but Smriti made sure that his breakfast was prepared the way he liked.
"Hi darling" he whispered in her ear.
"Yash" she whispered back. "I am in the kitchen. Can't you see the other people here before getting all lovey-dovey?"
In answer to this he just pulled her out of the kitchen and said "Well, I got to know that all our kids are out of the house today, so I thought that we can romance a bit"
"Buddhe ho gaye ho, par yeh romance ka bhoot sar se gaya nahi" said Smriti fondly.
"Kya karun madam, all credit goes to you" he said with a smile before sitting down for breakfast.
"By the way, where did Niki go? Did she also decide to accompany the boys to Goa?"
"No, she went to her friend Muskaan's place yesterday and will be staying there for a couple more days"
"Perfect! That gives me ample time to romance my beautiful wife then" thought Yash.
"Are you planning to continue admiring the food or do you plan to eat it too" asked Smriti when she saw him staring at his food with a smile.
"I very much plan to eat my food dear, but I am trying to relish the silence and peace prevailing in the house today. Indeed, the kids create such a riot every morning that this comes as a welcome change."
"Yes, but I don't think you would like to wake up to a quiet house every morning" said Smriti.
"Of course not dear, I am way too much used to their silly antics. By the way, I have a very exciting piece of news to share"
"What is it Yash?" Smriti asked with great interest.
"It's regarding our Armaan and I am really happy to tell you that he is falling for someone."
"What?" said Smriti. "Did he say anything to you?"
"No, but I have seen the girl and I tell you, she is going to be the perfect partner for him. In fact, I have now decided that no one else can be my daughter-in-law."
"For your kind information, I have already chosen my daughter-in-law, so you please stay out of this"
"But trust me Smriti, she is such a wonderful girl. You will love her"
"What if I say that same thing about the girl I have chosen?"
"I tell you dear, Riddhima is different"
"What!!!! You are talking about Riddhima?"
"Yeah, the HR head at Verve. She is going to be perfect for our son. Do you happen to know her?"
"Yes, I do" said Smriti excitedly before hugging her husband.
"Wow, what was that public display of affection for?"
"Well that's because she is the same girl I have chosen for my Armaan"
It was now Yash's turn to hug his wife. Both of them were very happy to know about this pleasant co-incidence. Smriti then went on to tell him about her Cupids gang and how they were trying their best to get Armaan and Riddhima together, while he listened happily.
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It was 9 in the morning and Riddhima was getting ready for breakfast when there was knock on the door. Thinking it to be someone from the room service department, she opened it and was immediately enveloped in a bear hug by Rahul.
"Hey best friend! Missed me?"
"Of course I did" said Riddhima before hugging him back.
Soon they were totally engrossed in their usual banter but what the two friends didn't see was Armaan standing a few feet away, a sad smile playing on his lips. He was coming towards Riddhima's room to call her for breakfast but now decided not to disturb them. However, Rahul saw him and rushed to hug him.
"Bro, I missed you" he said as Armaan hugged him back.
Suddenly Rahul remembered that he didn't come to Goa alone. He looked around and introduced the two other members of their team, Raj and Sameer who came from the Hyderabad office. Once the introductions were over, Rahul announced that he was famished and they all went for breakfast. As they chit chatted over their food, Riddhima couldn't help but notice the envious glances she received from other women and why not as she was sitting with four handsome men who were all ears as she talked.
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The first day at the Global Media conference went very well. They got to meet many other delegates and lots of thoughts and views were exchanged. Even the opening speech by one of the most respected names in the media industry was simply mind-blowing. Every one from the Verve team felt honoured to have had the opportunity to come to this event. The second day would be even more crucial as they had to prepare a presentation for all the attendees. Knowing that they would have to give it their best shot, the five people from Verve got down to work as soon as the first day's session ended at 5 PM. They divided the work amongst themselves and by midnight it was only the compiling part that was left.
Riddhima noticed that Rahul, Sameer and Raj looked very tired and even Armaan was not looking very well, so she offered to do the compiling.
"But Riddhima, it will take a long time" said Armaan. "I don't want you to stress yourself unnecessarily. I can manage that."
"Please Armaan, I insist on doing this. You did most of the work today and the other guys are looking very tired"
Armaan did try to convince her but had to give in ultimately. After making sure that he was off to sleep, Riddhima started working on the presentation. Just like Armaan said, it took her a long time to get everything together and it was almost morning by the time she was done. She could have caught up with some sleep for a couple of hours, but was too nervous to do that. By the time Rahul came and knocked on her door, she was all ready. All of them decided to have a look at the presentation over breakfast and the men were indeed impressed by the work Riddhima put in.
"This is simply fantastic Riddhima" said Rahul and the others agreed.
"I just hope you didn't overexert yourself" said Armaan as he looked at her with worried eyes.
"That's fine Armaan" she said with a smile.
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The Verve team gave a very impressive presentation and all five of them took turns to address the audience. The attendees were truly impressed by the bright young team and many congratulatory messages started pouring in after they were done. In order to celebrate their success, all five of them decided to meet for an elaborate dinner later in the evening. While Rahul, Sameer and Raj decided to stay back for a drink, Riddhima and Armaan went back to their rooms to rest for a while.
As they walked towards their villa, Armaan noticed that Riddhima was looking really tired. He had suspected all along that she pushed herself too far while getting the presentation ready and was mentally kicking himself for allowing this to happen. However, it was too late now, so he decided to keep quiet.
"Riddhima, take some rest. I will come to get you in a couple of hours."
"Yup" said Riddhima as she passed him a weak smile before turning towards her room.
Armaan was alarmed to hear her weak voice, so he decided to wait till she got into her room. On the other hand, Riddhima was relieved that she wouldn't have to put up an act of feeling ok, now that Armaan was gone. Not only was she up all night, but she also skipped her breakfast and lunch as she was more worried about the presentation. Right now she was feeling so weak that she was not even able to drag her feet. Before opening her door, she rested her head on it for a while, trying to steady herself. On seeing this, Armaan who had been watching her all the time couldn't stop himself and came running towards her.
"Riddhima, are you ok?" he asked anxiously as he held her by the shoulders.
However, there was no answer from Riddhima as she had fainted in his arms by then.
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Armaan was a nervous wreck by now. He had somehow controlled himself earlier when she fainted, but after he laid her on the bed and called for the doctor, he didn't know what to do. He made frantic calls to Rahul, Raj and Sameer, but they didn't take the calls.
The doctor came after a few minutes and checked Riddhima. He confirmed Armaan's suspicion that she was suffering from overexertion and fatigue.
"I also don't think she has eaten anything today" said the doctor.
Armaan then remembered how they decided to skip lunch earlier in the day as they were preparing for the presentation and he cursed himself for having been so irresponsible and not noticing Riddhima's pale face.
Seeing the state he was in, the doctor laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry Mr Mallik, you wife will be fine. Just make sure she has some food when she wakes up."
"There is nothing to worry, right?" Armaan asked.
"Not at all, it's just that she worked a little too hard today."
Once the doctor was gone, Armaan sat beside Riddhima looking at her angelic face that was totally drained of all colour right now. He felt a deep pain in his heart, thinking that he was somehow responsible for this state of hers. On hearing voices outside, he quickly got up and opened the door.
"What happened to Riddhima bhai?" asked Rahul anxiously as he ran towards the bed.
"I guess we are to blame for this little bro. We were so occupied with the presentation that we didn't even bother to check if she was ok. Apparently, she didn't get enough sleep last night while working on the presentation and today she skipped all her meals. "
Rahul hit his forehead and said, "How could I not notice anything?"
He then went and sat beside Riddhima and held her hand. Like Armaan, even Rahul couldn't see Riddhima in any pain or discomfort as he cared for his best friend a lot.
Looking at the scene in front of him, Armaan decided he was no longer needed there.
"Good that you came kiddo. She needs you more, so stay here."
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Armaan had been sitting on the beach for close to an hour now. In the last 60 minutes, he reflected on his life, its various ups and downs and then the loss of some dear ones including his sister and best friend. Those were the times when it felt like his whole world had come crashing down. It was good that in spite of that he moved on, but right now he knew that it would be difficult moving on in life without Riddhima. The worst part was that she would always be in front of his eyes, happy with Rahul. However, he had to swallow the pain for his brother, his family and for Riddhima.
As he made his resolve, Armaan felt a hand on his shoulder. Even without turning back he knew that it was Rahul.
"How's Riddhima now?" he asked.
"Asleep. She was awake a few minutes back and I made her eat something before putting her back to sleep" said Rahul.
"That's good" said Armaan in a relieved voice.
"Mind if I sit with you for some time?"
"You don't have to ask little bro"
Rahul sat down beside Armaan with a sigh and they both remained silent for some time before Rahul spoke up.
"Life is so strange bro. It makes you meet so many people from time to time and one fine day it also brings you face to face with your soul mate. But even then it takes a long time for you to even realize the truth."
Armaan gave a start as Rahul said these words, but he kept silent and let him continue.
"It cannot be truer for me. I met her many months back and always considered her to be a great friend. There were times when I knew that my feelings were much above friendship but I chose to ignore that. As people say, distance makes the heart grow fonder and the one day I have spent away from her has made me realize that no one else can be my soul mate."
Knowing that his brother was referring to Riddhima, Armaan nodded and smiled.
"I am happy kiddo that at least now you are aware of your feelings. In that case, you shouldn't delay any longer and tell her so."
"You are right bro, I have to tell her. Do you think I can call her right now and say that? On second thoughts, I guess I should have her in front of me when I make this confession, right?"
Armaan was a little surprised by now as Rahul knew very well that Riddhima was sleeping.
"Who are you referring to Rahul?"
"Muskaan of course! I think I told you before......oops sorry, I didn't" said Rahul with a guilty face.
Rahul had expected to see Armaan's shocked face, but he had to let his brother know that the bond he shared with Riddhima was nothing but pure friendship and he continued.
"I have known her for a long time bro, but now I realize that I can't live without her."
Armaan didn't know what to say or do. He was happy, elated, shocked and much more. Right now, all these emotions were playing havoc with his mind and heart.
Seeing the state he was in, Rahul decided to give Armaan some time alone, so he excused himself and got up to leave. Before going, he handed Armaan an envelope and said, "Bro, open this after I go. But I just wanted to say one thing that it is also important to listen to your heart at times. Trust me, it makes a world of difference."
Before Armaan could come up with a reply, he was gone.
Armaan opened the envelope with a sigh and was shocked to see its contents. Lying on his lap were a dozen photos of Riddhima in a white sari as she was caught in different moods by the amateur photographer in him. He clearly remembered the day when couldn't stop himself from capturing her smile and beautiful face on camera. However, he had forgotten about those photos and now that he saw them, it all came back in a rush. Armaan looked at the photos fondly, remembering those moments when she had him mesmerized. As he looked at the photos one by one, Armaan also found a letter amongst them.
He opened it with trembling hands and it said:
"Bro, I know you are shocked by what I just handed over to you, but let me tell you that I have seen the connection you share with Riddhima. I should have realized it long ago, but as they say it's better late than never. Ever since I met her, Riddhima has been the best friend I could have ever had and I am thankful to God for bringing her into my life. She has also been instrumental in making me meet the love of my life, Muskaan. You said that she needs me, but I have to say that she needs you more. Do take care of her always."
Armaan couldn't stop himself any longer and he rushed back to the villa to be with his Riddhima. He quietly entered her room and sat beside her, taking her hand in his. Right now there was no inhibition or guilt pulling him back and all he wanted was to sit there and look at her face. That was what he did for the next couple of hours before Rahul called him for dinner. On coming face to face with his brother again, Armaan couldn't say anything but just hugged him tight. That was the bond these two brothers shared as they could always communicate things without words.
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"Wake up lazy bones, you have had enough rest by now. Just imagine, you have been sleeping for close to 12 hours" said Rahul as he stood near Riddhima's bed.
Riddhima was already awake by then and threw a pillow at him as an answer to his taunt.
"Oh, so you are game for a fight huh. But before that here's something for you to eat and be quick as we are going to the beach for some fresh air."
"Yes Sir" said Riddhima playfully as she got up from bed. The long sleep had left her refreshed even though she was still feeling a little weak.
Once Riddhima freshened up and had some food, she joined Rahul who stood outside their villa talking to Armaan.
On seeing Riddhima, Armaan took a quick step towards her and asked, "How are you feeling now?"
"Much better, thanks Armaan."
"Come on now, let's get going" said Rahul impatiently.
"Yup captain" said Armaan mockingly as they followed him.
"Ridzy, I have to say that you scared the hell out of us yesterday" said Rahul as they walked on the sandy beach.
"Did I?" asked Riddhima.
"Yes and you should have seen bro and the state he was in after you fainted in his arms"
Riddhima knew that Armaan was with her before she lost consciousness but didn't know that she fainted in his arms.
"Riddhima, I must say that you have been foolish to ignore your health for a mere presentation. You are much more important than that......" said Armaan before he realized what he was saying.
There was an awkward moment of silence before Rahul decided to speak up, "Bro, it would have been better if she didn't realize this. We could have continued making her work like no tomorrow."
Armaan started laughing as Riddhima tried chasing Rahul with an intention to beat him up. However, her anger was soon forgotten when she saw a wooden ledge leading to the sea.
"Hey I didn't notice this before" she shouted excitedly as she ran towards it.
The ledge was a perfect place to stand and enjoy the view of the water as the waves crashed around you. As Riddhima stood looking at the water, the wind scattering her hair all over her face, Armaan stood transfixed by the sight.
"Bro, I think we shouldn't let her stand there. She is still weak and might feel dizzy and fall into the water" said Rahul.
The very thought of Riddhima falling into the water scared the daylights out of Armaan. He immediately broke into a run and was standing beside her in a minute.
"Riddhima, let's go from here. You are still weak and it's not safe for you to stand here."
"I am fine, don't worry Armaan. Just look at the wonderful view this place offers. Wow!" said Riddhima in a mesmerized voice.
Armaan kept trying to get her off the ledge but she was totally lost in a world of her own. All of a sudden, they were accosted by an unusually huge wave which made Armaan catch hold of Riddhima's waist so that she didn't lose her balance.
"I told you Riddhima, it is a little dangerous standing here. Why do you behave like a kid beyond reason whenever you come to the beach?"
"I don't know Armaan, but there is something about the sea that attracts me. You will find me silly, but I can't help it. Just look at the water reflecting the early morning light, it looks so beautiful and ethereal" she gushed.
"Hmm" said Armaan as he continued admiring the beautiful sight with Riddhima.
All this while he was holding Riddhima by her waist, while she leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder. Neither of them felt anything strange as it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for them to be standing like this.
"I hope I can come back to this place again" said Riddhima dreamily.
"Yes, we will" thought Armaan with a sigh.
Rahul was happy beyond words as he saw the beautiful sight in front of him. He quickly took out his phone to click a picture of the two people standing on the wooden ledge. Needless to say, these two people were totally oblivious to the world around them.
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Riddhima, Armaan and Rahul returned to their villa after some time, all of them lost in their own thoughts. While Armaan and Riddhima were reliving the moment they shared a few minutes back, Rahul was busy making some elaborate plans to make them confess their love.
"Hi Riddhima" said a voice which diverted them from their thoughts.
Riddhima looked up to see Ayush standing in front of her.
"Ayush...... you here?" she asked in a surprised voice.
"Yes I am. God, it's so great to see you" he said happily before hugging her. This gesture of Ayush caught Riddhima by surprise and she looked at the others with a shocked face. On the other hand, Armaan's fist balled up and it took some good amount of self control to not punch Ayush in the face as he could see how uncomfortable Riddhima was.
"How did you know I am here?" asked Riddhima after she broke the hug.
"Well I can find you anywhere in this world. So you better not try to run away from me" he said jokingly, but Armaan could sense the seriousness behind this statement.
"Moreover, I wanted to ask you out for dinner today. There are so many things we need to catch up on."
Riddhima didn't know what to do, but she was relieved to hear Armaan saying, "Sorry Ayush, Riddhima won't be able to come as we have some work to discuss tonight."
"Is that so? How about tomorrow? Riddhima, this is an advance notice, so don't make any excuses this time."
Since there wasn't any excuse she could think of, Riddhima nodded resignedly.
"That's like my girl" said Ayush happily. "By the way, I am Ayush Khanna, Riddhima's close friend" he said extending a hand towards Rahul.
After that he went away with a happy smile on his face. However, Riddhima was visibly upset at having been coerced into going for this dinner date.
"Excuse me, I will go and get ready for today's meeting."
Once she was gone, Rahul asked, "Who was that bro? Do you happen to know him?"
"Yes, I was once introduced to him by Riddhima and it seems like he has taken a great liking for her. However, I don't like the fact that he is taking advantage of her politeness as it's very evident that she is not comfortable with him."
With that Armaan went inside but Rahul stayed back.
"So that's the story huh?" he said to himself. "But Mr Ayush Khanna, there is no way I can let you come between my bro and best friend. You might not have realized it, but they are made for each other."
He then took out his phone and made a call.
"Hey, how are ya? Listen, we got a situation here........"
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There are many people who flit in and out of our lives, but only destiny with its unpredictable machinations chooses the special few who get to stay in our hearts forever.
Edited by richa_b - 15 years ago
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
