I had been waiting desperately since the past 28 days ' ever since I boarded the flight to Mumbai almost a month ago, and finally the day was here! Armaan would be arriving today, and best of all, Andrea would only be landing on the day of the wedding, so I wouldn't have to witness mushy, C-graded scenes from a D-graded Hollywood flick!
As for me, I was still drowning in confusion. The whole love issue was still something which got me confused every time I thought about it, and sometimes, I would just think, that if it was love, it wouldn't have been so difficult to recognise! Maybe because when I had pictured myself being in love, I had heard violins in my head, maybe some soft breeze, some rain. Somewhere down the line, I had always pictured a 'Prince Charming' who would come on his white horse and sweep me off my feet. Maybe a fight for our love against the world, a few ups and downs, basically ' the whole package, the whole clichd love story.
It may have been cheesy, my dreams, but hey, I am a girl right? Maybe a little different, a little crazier, but well, I still am a girl, and to top it all, a writer. Somewhere deep down, in the inner-most chambers of my small little heart, I had always wished for one of the love stories I had written, to actually come true in my life.
Maybe a Raj (DDLJ), waiting with his violin in the golden field....Maybe a Prem (Maine Pyar Kiya) ' a little towards the aggressive side...
I knew I wasn't that beautiful Simran, or the petite and sweet Suman...Or wait, maybe I was (I am so modest no?)...But was Armaan the Raj or the Prem!
If he was, then what was to our love story? No excitement? No ups and downs, no fight, no challenge, no violins, no love signs like the ones in Yash Chopra flicks...?
I knew I was being utterly stupid (yes, I do...I do talk, but I do know how stupid I might sound...I still take the risks!) and not to mention incredibly girly (which I hated!), but nevertheless, its not easy giving up on your dreams! I myself didn't know I felt so strongly about those...
For this messed up situation of my brain's, I blame it all on stupid Yash Chopra, Karan Johar flicks, not to mention my current obessesion ' Imtiaz Ali...Why do they give us so many false hopes of that perfect guy? Of that perfect love story? I would also like to blame it on the numerous love songs on my I-pod, not to mention the hundreds and thousands of love stories I've read ' I had to stop waiting for my Edward Cullen!
But there was one more thing I would like to blame this entire mess on ' Stupid Armaan's stupid, delayed flight, which caused Nikki and me to wake up at 6.30 in the morning, drive down all the way to the airport to pick the big buffoon up, only to find out that his stupid flight was delayed for a whole stupid hour! Exhausted, Nikki had dozed off in the waiting area, her stupid head resting on my shoulder, while I had to stay awake ' not out of choice or out of necessity ' solely because Armaan refused point blank refused to leave my mind!
Finally, after what seemed like ages, the LCD changed Armaan's flight status from 'Delayed' to 'Expected for Arrival' and then (about time, I should think!) 'Arrived'.
Forgetting all about the fact that Nikki's head was resting on my shoulder, I got up, excited, as passengers aboard Flight 616 from California began to file out. Nikki swore at me, loud enough for people around me to hear, but I couldn't care less...
I craned my neck to catch the first glimpse of the one person who I had been missing terribly, and finally, after what seemed like eternity, I saw him. Wearing a black jacket, with a white shirt underneath ' its first two buttons open as usual ' and blue denims, he looked his usual self (need I mention the adjective?) I saw Rhea following him, looking a bit uncomfortable; I wouldn't blame her, she was here for the first time! For the record, she was as close to Nikki as she was to me, and for her, any opportunity missed to holiday, is a crime!
I smiled as they filed out, Rhea looking slightly disgruntled at the huge crowd ' welcome to Mumbai girl! It's the most over-populated city in the world! They looked around for us, while I was still craning my neck, waving frantically, while Nikki joined me, but they still didn't see us...
Sighing, I pushed right through the crowd, and in my excitement, ran straight into his arms!
"You're here! You're here!" I muttered excitedly, smiling widely, while he hugged me tighter at my excitement!
I looked up and saw him wink...Following his gaze, I saw Nikki return the wink. Cocking my eyebrows suspiciously, I asked him what it was all about. He just looked down as if he had been caught red-handed in some dirty act. What the hell was that about!
"Ahem-ahem!" Rhea coughed to get my attention while I grinned and hugged her tight. "I've missed you Ridz! Seriously! There's no one to protect me from my monster bro now!" She groaned, while Armaan rolled his eyes.
"Stop picking on her!" I warned Armaan, while he just sighed and ran towards Nikki, pulling her into a bear hug.
Smiling, Rhea and I walked towards them.
"So you're finally getting married? Why, afraid that Abhimanyu will figure out how scary you look without all your make-up?" Armaan smirked, while Nikki gave him a playful punch.
"You're a moron! Now if you don't mind, we've been waiting since the past one hour! Can we step on it?" She asked while we nodded. While Armaan took care of the two huge bags, Rhea and I took care of all the hand luggage. Nikki apparently thought that to-be-brides weren't supposed to take too much stress!
"Just wait and see; her bridal woes are much worse!" I mumbled to Armaan, while he looked exasperated.
"Are you sure you can drive here Munchkin? I've heard about the famous Mumbai traffic!" He smirked, while I glared at him.
"Oi, Mr. NRI ' Non-Respectful Indian, don't underestimate my city alright! Stupid angrez! Wait till I tell Aunty!" I looked at him daggers, while he grinned at me, sitting next to me in the front seat.
If anything, throughout the ride back home, Armaan had taken my annoyance meter to a whole different level. "Seriously Munchkin, you drive at snail's speed!" or "I dunno how they gave you a license here, you nearly got us killed there!"
"Armaan, is this your true self which you've been hiding from me since the past 3 years, or is today some special day?" I gritted my teeth as he applauded a taxi which cut our way.
"I've missed you Munchkin! I gotta compensate for roughly 30 days' worth of getting on your nerves!" He winked at me cutely, and I couldn't help but smile back. "And since when did you start blushing?" He whispered in my ear, while I looked at him, slightly taken aback at the sudden closeness. Luckily the signal had just turned red, so I had time to gather myself, while Armaan moved away and grinned...
Slightly disoriented, I somehow managed to drive us to the hotel. With only a week until the engagement and a week after for the wedding, we had decided to stay in the hotel itself to enjoy the two weeks to their fullest! The venue was Trident, as Abhimanyu and Nikki's parents had wanted the best of everything for the bash, and Nikki couldn't be any happier! She wanted everything to be perfect!
"Wow!" Rhea looked at the hotel in awe, while Armaan looked slightly amused as well.
"Bet you didn't expect that Mr. NRI!" I smirked, while he gave me a sardonic smile and followed Nikki and me inside.
Separate suites had been booked for Nikki and Abhimanyu's family and their closest friends ' which included me obviously; while other rooms were reserved for those who were either arriving late, or weren't as close to Nikki ' which included Andrea! And so, I couldn't be any happier! Nikki had very smartly arranged for the position of the rooms, where-in the two of us would be sharing a suite, along with Rhea and one of her other pals, and Armaan's and Abhimanyu's suites were on either side of ours'.
"What exactly were you expecting Armaan? Slums?" I asked Armaan as he looked around the suite with a bewildered expression.
"No, it's just...C'mon Munchkin! It's my first trip to India! How am I to know!" He looked at me helplessly, while I shook my head...
"Ridz, when you get married, I want you to have it here! This place is just oh my gosh!" Rhea plopped herself on her bed, while I looked at Armaan. Our eyes met only for a fraction of a second.
"Yeah, if my potential husband is a multi-millionaire, why not!" I winked at her while she grinned.
"Ridzi stop fussing over your husband! It's my wedding!" Nikki flared, while I rolled my eyes. Hail Bridal Woes!
"Speaking of which, I haven't even met the groom yet!" Armaan cocked his eyebrows at her questioningly while Nikki grinned and blushed.
"You'll like him! He's so like you!" I smiled. Abhi and I had gelled along pretty and it was clear in his eyes how much he adored Nikki!
"Yeah, you can meet him at dinner tonight! Be there in the Fort Palace downstairs at 8 sharp okay! And both of you especially!" She looked at Rhea and me sternly, giving us the look, while we nodded our heads to appease her!
"Woooooooh! Talk about pre-bridal nerves! Seriously!" Rhea heaved a sigh as Nikki left the suite.
"Tell me about it! I've been at the receiving end of that all month!" I scowled remembering Nikki's breakdowns and tantrums, which also included things like 'No one loves me anymore! My wedding's gonna be a mess!'
"I really wonder what she'll be like when she's pregnant! Poor Abhi!" I shook my head, while Rhea chuckled. I looked around to see Armaan standing by the window, lost in thought. "When are the others getting here?" I asked him. He sighed...
"Well Sid is flying a night before the engagement, Andrea, Alex, Neil, Sam and Krish will all come down straight for the wedding...And the rest too I guess..." He still looked pretty lost, so I fnally gave up small talk...
"What's on your mind?" I asked frowning.
"Nothing...It's just so weird! Nikki's getting married! It's all so fast don't you think?" He asked me still looking out...
"Yeah I thought so too...But according to her 8 years was enough of time....And maybe she's right...How much more time do you need to know someone init?" I looked at him, while he looked straight into my eyes...And great that spark was back!
"Sometimes it takes much more than years to know someone!" He said softly, so softly it was almost inaudible, but it was enough to send shivers down my spine.
Before I could say anything, he had retreated and moved to the washroom to freshen up. What did he mean? There! I had found the first thing I hated about Armaan ' he loved talking in riddles!
"Damn I'm late!" I groaned, trying to get my heels on, almost tripping over the bed post. It was already 8, and Nikki had already given me about 5 missed calls ' not a good sign! When she and Rhea had left the suite, I had still been in the shower, and I had promised her that I would be down in the next 15 minutes; that conversation had taken place 45 minutes ago! I looked at myself in the mirror one last time - perfect! I was ready to go!
The bell ringing scared me...If it was Nikki, then I wouldn't live to see the next day, but nevertheless, I had to open the door to get out!
"Hey!" My eyes widened at the sight before me...Armaan had worn a plain white shirt with just a black vest on top, and he still managed to look as formal as ever...
"Hey, what'cha doin' here? I'm so late already, if you're late too, then Nikki will see to it that we get killed tonight!" I shut the door behind me and began walking down the deserted hallway...
"Yeah, she's called me thrice already..." He smirked, while I giggled...I imagined her expressions in my mind, and wondered how I would stifle my laughter in front of her!
I stopped in my tracks when I didn't find Armaan beside me. Suddenly I felt his breath on my bare shoulder and my heart beat rose to erratic levels.
"You look beautiful!" I heard him whisper in a husky tone, and instantly I felt blood rushing to my cheeks. Before I could react, I felt him brush past me and walk ahead.
What was different this time? He had complimented me loads of times before! It wasn't the first time I was dressed like this, nor was it the first time that he told me I looked good. But it was his choice of words that was different this time ' he normally told me something cheesy like, 'I'm gonna keep a count on how many thick heads you're gonna make turn today!' or his one-word corny statements like, 'Hottie!'. But it was the first time he had told me that I looked beautiful ' and for the first time, I actually felt that beautiful!
With a small smile playing on my lips, I followed him towards the elevator...
Dinner was fun, if you count Armaan, Rhea, me, and Abhi-Nikki's friends ' Rahul, Muskaan, Atul and Anjali, pulling the to-be-married couple's legs all evening! For starters, Armaan's prank on Abhi had been hilarious, wherein he had grilled Abhi with his interrogative questions just to freak him out! But Abhi had countered the attacks finally, when he realized that he was just playing around...
The main course had been great as well, the main highlights being Abhi and Nikki talking about their entire love story, while Atul and Anjali who had been married for a few months and Rahul and Muskaan who were engaged, turned out to be fun people to hang around with.
My favourite part of the night however, had been the desserts...After having picked up small pieces of cakes from the serving table, I went back to our table, and much to my bewilderment, I noticed Armaan had taken every type of dessert, in just one flavour ' strawberry.
I knew he liked strawberries, but I was aware that they weren't exactly his favourites. I kept shooting him questioning glances, to which he responded with a mysterious smile, while happily devouring on his dessert...
As we got up to finally retire to our rooms at around midnight, I felt him tug at my hand. For a second I just looked at him slightly baffled, but then I realized he had shoved something in my hand...Opening my palm, I found my chap stick and l realized it must have dropped from my clutch when I got up to get something.
"I love strawberries!" I heard him say and turned, only to find him inches away from me. Retreating a little as a reflex, I saw him grin and wink, as he followed the rest. Looking at the chap stick in my hand, I realized what he meant '
'L'Oreal Strawberry Shine Lip Gloss'
I felt myself going red with embarrassment ' either I really was looking prettier than usual, or there was something seriously up with Armaan! Shaking my head a little, I paced quickly to join the group. I felt his intense gaze on me, but after what had transpired inside, I was nervous to look him in the eye...Nevertheless, I didn't know why, but I felt kind of elated, and although his line had been pretty cheesy, for the first time, I actually found it cute rather than corny!
I tried catching up with the gang's conversation, but I couldn't think of why we were all blocking the hallway outside our rooms and creating a ruckus there. After listening to a few people, I realized Rahul had been fussing over why he and Muskaan couldn't have a room of their own like Atul and Anjali; they were engaged to be married after all! I giggled slightly as he pouted, while Abhi reminded him that he was stuck in the same situation! As a sympathizing measure for the poor lads, Anjali had decided that she would spend her night with the girls, and Atul who had been smirking all that while, now wore a horror-stricken expression!
I kept stealing glances at Armaan and Rhea, and although Armaan was smiling, I could tell he was thinking the same thing ' we three were the outsiders in that group! My doubt was confirmed from the look in his eyes, and we both looked down, smiling slightly at each other's obvious discomfort!
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Rahul had gotten over his tantrum, and although slightly miffed, he smiled anyway after Muskaan told him how cute he was. Atul had looked at the entire girl gang helplessly while Armaan smirked. Pouting, Atul and Rahul made their way inside boys room followed by Armaan and Abhi, who had challenged us that they didn't need girls to have their fun!
Finally after bidding everyone goodnight, two separate groups stepped into two separate suites, completely shattering poor Nikki's room arrangement strategies while I was slightly disappointed at not getting a special goodnight from him after the way he had given me special treatment all evening! What was all that about anyway, I thought as I got ready for full-fledged girls' gossip sessions which I was sure would last until daybreak!
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