A Walk On The Beach..-AR[New Page Link: Page 150] - Page 63

Chapter 16: Revelations...

It had been a week since that dinner where I had a flicker of suspicion where I thought Armaan was flirting with me. Well, his behaviour hadn't changed in any way during the entire week, but I had this nagging feeling that he was up to something, and it wasn't something I would be happy to find out!

Surely enough, he had been trying to tell me something, but owing to our tedious schedules which Nikki had planned for us, we hardly got a chance to talk since we would never be alone! And with every passing day, Nikki had been getting worse with her bridal tantrums ' sometimes it would be the food, which she thought would make her fat, or even what the others were wearing for the engagement and other ceremonies which she thought weren't 'grand' enough! Her worst tantrum till date had been when she had come to know that Sid would be coming directly before the wedding because he couldn't make it to the engagement due to certain 'personal issues'!

Anyhow, we were all putting up with it, the sole reason being Abhi's pleas to over look her tantrums, and promising us that it would be over once this wedding was done! And so we kept quiet!

Coming back to my annoying love life, which I wasn't even sure was supposed to be called that, was still where it had been...Nowhere! While I was sure of my growing feelings, I didn't know if it was too early to call it 'love'; I didn't need another Aakash or Sid in my life, and surely didn't want Armaan to be tagged as my 'ex'...He mattered too much, and I didn't want anything to jeopardize my bond with him; I wouldn't know what to do without him....But this mere fact was the core of all my confusions ' I knew I couldn't live without him, but is this called love?

Hell I was too messed up! If anyone could read my mind, I was sure they would call me stupid...Hell I had spent 3 years with this guy, and in the beginning had felt something for him as well...And maybe it would have cultivated into more, but before I could even lay a finger on my feelings for him, Andrea had happened...And when things started getting serious between the two, I began to wonder ' was he even meant for me?

The first few weeks I spent with Armaan in California, I wouldn't deny, I did feel something, something very different from what I had ever felt for anyone, and I knew it was beyond a silly crush...But that feeling never got a chance to develop, and Armaan, although unknowingly, did ruin it all...I never admitted it, but yes, I was extremely hurt, and now, I realized, that was the sole reason I hated Andrea....She took away something that could have been mine for keeps....But again, it wasn't her fault....Armaan should have known better, or maybe, just maybe, he didn't feel anything that I thought he did at the time...Maybe I had been wrong...

To admit your feelings about a person to that person, you have to admit them to yourself first...And I hadn't got the chance to do that...He hadn't given me a chance...

And that was exactly why I was taking so much time to admit or rather understand my feelings now. I had handled the hurt at that time, because I myself had no idea what was between us, and it hadn't resulted in heartbreak...But what if, I realized that maybe I had always been in love with Armaan, I came clean, but then what? Tell him the truth? Jeopardize our friendship? Gamble everything that matters to me especially when I know that Andrea's still part of the game? No! I couldn't lose him. I wouldn't be able to handle it...

"Ridz I need your help!" I heard Nikki groan and looked at her...It was her engagement today, and I couldn't help but wonder ' when would I be in her place? And with who?

"Earth to Ridzi!" Nikki yelled as I snapped out of my reverie and glared at her for yelling so loudly... "What, I can't help it if you can't snap out of your la-la land! I beg you, just leave your fantasy world aside for this week, till my wedding's over...!" She rolled her eyes, while I gave her a sweet, sardonic smile.

"So, getting engaged on V-day huh? Excited?" Muskaan grinned, while we smiled...It would definitely be special ' to get engaged on the universal day of love!

"Yup! That's why we selected today! It's perfect! Love all around!" Nikki said with a dreamy smile, while all of us chuckled...

"I miss Nikhil!" Rhea groaned and I felt bad for her...I understood what she felt! I had been through it the entire month before Armaan came! Wait, what? I shook my head; if I wouldn't stop thinking, I would surely go insane!

"Aww...It's okay! Think of the bright side honey! You get to take sneak peeks at all the hot bods! Nikhil wouldn't know a word!" I winked at her while she contemplated over the thought and shrugged.

"If anyone has full liberties to do that, it's you Riddhima! You're so lucky, single with no one to tell you off for flirting! Who knows, you might just find your Mr. Right here?" Anjali winked at me, while I looked at Nikki who gave me a knowing smile.

"Yeah I'm lucky alright!" I gave them a smile, but I didn't think they noticed that it was sarcastic! What did they know anyway? They had their perfect lives ' with their perfect husbands, fiancs, and boyfriends!

"Anyway, now since Ms. Bride is ready, should we make a move, before Abhi dies of anxiety? We're already pretty late!" Muskaan said and added a final few touches to her make-up, while I looked at myself from head to toe to see if I was missing something!

"Perfect!" I muttered under my breath. I wondered what would be Armaan's reaction! Riddhima, I quickly reprimanded myself...Keep your thoughts about him at bay! It wasn't a new mantra I was chanting; I had been trying this since ages!

As we stepped into open ground where the marquee had been set up, I drew in a breath; it was beautiful...The pool's water was shining ablaze due to the hard afternoon sun's rays, and although it was sunny, the weather was pleasant and cool ' much unlike Mumbai's normal heat waves....Maybe even the weather was in a lovey-dovey mood, I thought! It surely was a perfect day!

I looked around, and saw a huge crowd...Most of the guests had arrived.

I shifted my gaze around, looking for that one face ' and I saw him. Wearing a white sherwani (on Nikki's pestering!), he looked the best (read: hottest!) he had ever looked in his life! I averted my gaze lest my eyes gave away a lot of information!

All five of us walked towards them, while they turned to look at us...While I could see the way Atul and Rahul were gawking at their respective better halves, I turned to see Armaan's expressions...He was looking away! Disappointed, I looked down and saw if anything had gone wrong...Didn't he like the way I looked?

Just then, a huge applause rounded and we turned to see Nikki entering with her parents, and although I was the one who had helped her dress up, I yet couldn't take in how amazing she looked...The glow was evident on her face, and as she looked at Abhi, who couldn't take his eyes off her, she blushed.

"Wow....You girls take ages to get ready, but even so, you'll do look good at the end!" Armaan walked over to Nikki and gave her a tight friendly hug.

"Hey hands off my girl!" Abhi shook his head dramatically while we laughed.

"Muskaan you look human for a change!" Rahul chortled at his not-so-funny joke while Muskaan smacked his arm.

"And you? Tum kuch nahi bologe?" Anjali turned to Atul with raised eyebrows who shrugged. Anjali's mouth dropped in surprise, but the next moment, Atul walked to her and gave her peck on her cheek. "Thank you!" Anjali sighed contented.

I looked at Armaan expectantly, almost expecting him to speak, but he wasn't even looking at me! I saw him turn to Rhea and give her a thumbs-up at her attire.

Slightly disgruntled, I shifted my attention to the stage where Abhi and Nikki now stood, while their parents talked about how happy they were. ..

As Abhi and Nikki officially got engaged, my thoughts returned. Why was it all so confusing? I mean either it is love or it isn't! How difficult could this be!

But then I realized, it would be difficult to tag my feelings until and unless I was sure of Armaan's...I could only tell what I feel about him once I knew what he feels about me...

But then again, don't I already know what he feels about me? He takes me as his best friend...Maybe his flirting was his normal self; I always knew he was a flirt, and maybe I was just a substitute since he didn't know anyone beside me over here! And then there was Andrea...He was happy with her...Then why was I even thinking about all this?

"Screw you Patricia!" I muttered under my breath, cursing the one person who was responsible for all this thought provoking!

"To love!" We cheered on with our wine glasses as we sat on the traditionally decorated settee in the open yard as the ceremony finally neared it's end.

"One more week of freedom left! Life sucks!" Abhi groaned, while Nikki was left staring at him in shock. She smacked his arm, while he grinned.

"Hello! Dude! You watch now! You think getting married to me is like going to prison?" Nikki got up and looked down at him with her hands on her hips.

"Yup...But I'm already so used to it! Only now it'll be a sort of court martial!" Abhi winked, while Nikki pouted and turned to leave, but he pulled her down and gave her a side hug, while she smiled contented.

"Oh my God! Does this mean I'm next?" Rahul's eyes widened, while we all laughed, including Muskaan. She sure had a great sense of humour.

"Aww don't worry jaanu!" She stressed on the word and winked at him giving him a wicked smile, while he groaned.

"So Riddhima! Found your Mr. Right here yet?" Anjali winked at me while I looked at Armaan and quickly turned away.

"Nope...Not yet!" I shrugged and smiled avoiding Armaan's gaze which I knew was fixed on me...

"Hmm...Let's see...What kind of guy do you want?" Muskaan craned her neck and looked around, while I looked down slightly embarrassed. "Just for the record, since you've lived in California for so long, do you want someone from there or from here?" Muskaan stopped looking and asked me, while an idea struck me; I could get my revenge!

"Hmm...I would want a guy, who would be am Indian, like he shouldn't have any American airs to himself, who thinks he's an NRI, or that India's a land of slums...It doesn't matter where he's lived or grown up!" I looked at Armaan meaningfully and saw him cock an eyebrow, looking as if he was thoroughly amused. I had to try harder!

"He should be like a pakka Desi, who's behaviour and nature would not be influenced by where he lives, he should be an Indian by heart! If it's a guy from overseas, it shouldn't be like he doesn't know his own mother language..." I knew I was talking crap, but as far as it affected Armaan in every way possible, I couldn't care less! I looked at 6 pairs of eyes staring at me, clearly bewildered and slightly confused with what I was saying...While the other pair, the deep blue oceans of orbs just had a seemingly amused glint in them; I rambled on anyway!

"He should be like, a true gentleman, with no airs and graces should be simple, should treat me well..." I paused, but then I thought this wasn't good enough. "He should compliment me when I wear something nice or different, even if he doesn't like it! He should make me feel beautiful all the time, in spite of my bad hair days or those annoying seasonal pimples! He should protect me, tell me everything would be okay when my world was falling apart, hold me as if his entire world was in his arms at that moment..." I paused as I realized what I was saying...This wasn't supposed to be an actual description! And not at all a description of an improvised version of Armaan! To save the situation, I added, "Lastly, another minute detail - he should not only look Indian in his attire, but be one in every other sense as well!" I said indicating at Armaan's attire and gave him a sardonic smile while he smirked, his eyes telling me that he knew I was talking about him!

I knew I must have sounded like a complete idiot; most of the things I said didn't make sense to me even! But my mission was accomplished!

"WOW! That's one list! It's unreal!" Muskaan sighed, while the others seconded her through their silence.

"Unreal maybe! But not impossible!" I grinned while I saw Armaan get up...I frowned...Had I said something wrong, hurt him in anyway? I had directed most of my taunts towards him...Maybe I had gone a bit too far...

"What happened to him?" Abhi asked, while the others shrugged...

We saw him go towards the band which had been playing pure Punjabi tunes till that moment, and stopped when he approached them. I saw him talking to them, and then he turned smirking at me, while I looked on, slightly suspicious of what he was going to do...

The band started playing again, but Armaan stood rooted to his spot...What was he up to?

"Rang puredi rang rangili ladaki chain chabili,
Usade chanchal nain kataar...."

While his voice echoed round the ground my eyes widened in shock...

"Are chanchal nain kataar te usada rup bana hathiyaar;
Usake rup se katal hue toh charcha shuru hua...
Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja...
Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja..."

His dancing was the last straw. To say I was in shock stage would be an understatement...Armaan knew Hindi, let alone Punjabi! Since when? And he knew Bhangra? Where am I? I wondered, my brain fuzzy with this new development!

He marched towards me, while I, slightly scared of this new person in front of me, began to retreat my steps...

"Rang puredi rang rangili chain chabili naar...

Chanchal nain kataar de usada rup tez talavaar...
Usake rup se katal hue toh charcha shuru hua...
Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja...
Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja..."

He pulled everyone except me to the whole dancing crowd behind him, and smirked at my shocked and defeated expressions...I looked away, not being able to comprehend what was happening...

"Jab bhi woh ladaki, khidaki pe aaye,
Koi usko dekh mare, koi bin dekhe mar jaaye..."

I saw Atul singing now and holding a bewildered Anjali in his arms...

"Are gujare gali mohalle se toh mela sa lag jaata tha,
Har ek aashik eid manaata bhangada gaata tha..."

Rahul danced with a laughing Muskaan, while Abhi too joined in with Nikki by his side...

"Khatam na hota divaano ka jalsa shuru hua...
Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja...
Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja..."

The chorus echoed with all their voices, and Armaan, heading the crowd, was dancing in a typical Punjabi Bhangra way...

I averted my gaze from him as I saw two small children tugging at my hands, pulling me towards the enthusiastic crowd, while I got pulled easily, too shocked to react...

I saw Armaan twirling Nikki around while she was laughing, and finally pushed her towards Abhi...

"Are bachpan se uska, ek divaana tha,
Jiska kaam gali ke aashik pare hataana tha..."

He looked away from Abhi and Nikki then and looked at me....

"Dil se jisko maan raha tha apne dil ki raani woh,
Aur kisi pe hi yaaro marati thi marajaani woh..."

I was taken aback by the anger and coldness in his eyes...What intrigued me more, was that those angry eyes and words were directed towards me, his gaze not shifting from mine, while he walked around me in a circle....I suddenly realized, his last words didn't match with Nikki's situation at all! Then....

He suddenly pulled me towards him hard, and I bumped right into him...I felt my heart racing as I tore my anxious eyes away from his angry ones...

"Ek kahaani khatam toh duja kissa shuru hua...."

He suddenly pushed me away from him and I almost fell with the force, but he didn't seem to notice...

"Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja...
Nagaada, nagaada, nagaada baja..."

My shock and restlessness finally getting the better of me, I turned away and ran back inside the hotel...My heart was still thudding hard against my chest, and even though I was now away from his intense gaze, I could still feel that coldness which I felt when he was looking at me...But there was something else I had seen, something he had been trying to hide beneath that anger....I could see the same emotion in his eyes I had seen a countless number of times before, but I hadn't been able to point out what that had been...Only this time, for the first time, I saw another bunch of emotions along with that 'difference'....Anger, hurt, and if anything, mysterious...

Sh*t all this was confusing, I thought dismally...What was happening? I thought life would be easier now that I had surpassed all aspects of my education...But there was something much more difficult then academia which had been waiting for me...What kind of a test was this? Where there were a countless number of questions, but no answers at all...

What the hell was up? Was I going away from him, or was I in a way getting pulled closer? What was between us? Was it the same thing I had managed to suppress all those years ago when he had over looked all my feelings? Was this the development? It had to be...If not love...Then what was it?

Everything had changed now....My feelings for him, our relationship, and to some extent he too had changed...Or had he always been this way? I for one had never known that he spoke Hindi fluently, nor did I know that he could dance like that....Why hadn't he ever told me? I was his best friend, when you leave aside all those erupting feelings....Then why hadn't I known this? And what was in his eyes, my mind screamed in frustration...Did I know him at all?

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Done! After such a long while, I've posted a complete part! yay!

Anyway,hope you'll like it....I didn't want to put in the song, but it was a sort of necessity for the story...

Hope you'll like it!

oh i came first 😆

anyway good going