QSS THREAD # 4, part 194 on pg 150 on 26-5-11 - Page 39

Part 167

The next morning, Armaan was woken up by the knocking sound on their door. He opened his eyes and gently shifted his sweetheart to the pillow. Stretching himself, he went and opened the door. Akshat was standing there, fully geared for his football practice.

Ak: aap bhool gaye? aaj mujhe football practice ke liye jaldi jaana hai. I've been selected for the inter school match you know.

Armaan looked at the clock and said "give me five minutes. Kya Ani uth gaya?" for the past few days Ani's crib had been placed in Akshat's room as per Padma's instructions. She felt that now he was old enough to sleep with his brother. This was to ensure that he wasn't constantly clinging to Riddhima, because of late he wanted to be with his mama all the time and didn't like her paying attention to anyone else.

Ak: nahi abhi nahi utha hai, lekin athai hai uske paas. Aap please jaldi kijiye na.

Armaan took his towel and went into the washroom. While Akshat went and sat next to his mama. She put her arms around his waist and snuggled against him and at the same time wishing him, "good morning beta. Mama ko bahut neend aa rahi hai, I'm sleeping. Ok?" He kissed her cheek and said "theek hai aap soyiye main school ja raha hoon." "Bye betu" she said and again snuggled against him.

After dropping Akshat at school, Armaan had hoped to come back and catch up with his sleep. It had been past 12 when he had gone t bed, last night. He had waited for all of them to sleep, before calling Dr. Shashank. He explained to him everything in detail from the time of Kartik's come back. At first Dr. Shashank was very angry with Kartik and cursed him. He was worried and concerned about how Padma would have taken it. But Armaan assured him that she was doing ok.

Then, he got upset because she didn't think it important to tell him herself. But Armaan told him that she hadn't done so, only because he had asked her not to. When Armaan asked him to help find a hepatologist in Coimbatore, he had said he would talk to his doctor friends and let him know. Finally after talking to him for almost an hour, Armaan had hit the bed.

But now coming back home, all his hopes of a nice cuddling with his sweetheart were crashed, when the naughty bundle as usual ran to the door hearing the car. Seeing the chweet smile, he couldn't refuse him his drive.

Riddhima pulled the quilt closer and wondered why was Armaan taking so long? She was missing her warm teddy. After returning home Armaan played with Ani for some time and then handing him to akka called Kannan to give him a report about his brother. He listened quietly but didn't say anything about coming over or taking him to a liver specialist. Armaan then came to the main point, he wanted to meet someone who would know about Kartik's childhood and adolescence. After a few suggestions, Kannan suddenly said "athai, my mother-in-law is the right person." He told Armaan that she lived in the outskirts of Coimbatore.

Armaan then played his trump card. He said he knew some well-to-do business men in Coimbatore, and if he put in a word, they might be willing to buy their powerlooms which were lying locked up and rusting. That had the desired effect. Kannan was willing to extend his full co-operation to Armaan. Only then enquired where he should take his brother for the consultation. Armaan said he would bring Kartik to Coimbatore and that Kannan should meet them there. After that they would decide what was to be done.

Then Armaan attended to his favourite weekend job of bathing Ani. Both of them splashed and played in the water to their heart's content and also succeeded in waking up mama from her beauty sleep. "Yeh kya shor macha rakha hai tum dono ne? koi so raha hai iski parvaah hi nahi." She shouted angrily standing the door of the washroom, hands on her waist. Not that it had any effect on either of them. When Armaan picked up a handful of water and splashed it on her, the chweety pie gurgled with laughter and tried to imitate his dad. But the water didn't reach beyond the tub. It had however made his mama move closer to them and join in their fun.

The little one was having so much fun, that he didn't want to come out at all. But Armaan fooled him and tactfully got him out. Padma and akka had come to see what all the hungama was about. The kid was handed over to them to be dressed up as his parents went into the two bathrooms to have their shower.

"If maa hadn't been here I would have joined you in the shower" Armaan had whispered in her ears as they stood in front of their respective closets, picking out their clothes. Riddhima turned to see if her mom had heard the words, but she was engrossed in playing with her grandson, while akka was putting on his clothes. She turned to him and pulling out her tongue at him, lisped "you wish". Then she hurriedly went into the washroom and latched the door. Armaan just smiled to himself seeing her childish behavior.

They were sitting after breakfast watching the little one playing with his cars and dumper. Riddhima got up saying "let me catch with my assignments. I seem to have totally given up on my padayi."

A: Riddhima, wait a minute. I wanted to speak something important to you and maa.

She sat down beside him and said "haan bolo."

He told them precisely about Kartik's condition and his talk with papa. He also told maa about the diary and its contents, (as much as he had read), without going into the gory details.

P: Don't believe a word of what he says. He'll lie very convincingly. I was fooled by his sweet words once and it turned my life upside down.

A: yes, you are right, I'll have to verify his story.

Suddenly Padma asked "tumne Shashank ko sab kuch bata diya? Woh naraaz honge ke maine unhe yeh baat itne dinon se nahi batayi."

A: I explained to him that I had made you promise not to breathe a word about Kartik to anyone. Anyway he's promised to find a hepatologist in Coimbatore and call me this morning.

P: tum bhi Coimbatore jaaoge uske saath?

A: Yes, I can verify his story also then.

Seeing both of them puzzled, he told them about the conversation he had had with Kannan.

P: par beta, it's your wedding anniversary on Wednesday. How will you go? You must have made some plans for yourselves na?

A: Maa ek din ki hi to baat hai. I'll be back the same night.

Seeing Riddhima's face he understood that she was not very happy about it. So putting his arms around her shoulder he said "How can I miss one of the most important days of my life?"

P: I can understand that. That was the day you officially got your Riddhima back after a separation of about 7 years.

Armaan was happy to see Riddhima blushing because that showed that she wasn't upset anymore. It showed that she was in her nostalgic world.

A: But that's not the only important thing that happened on this date.

Riddhima looked up at him shocked. Hope he wasn't going to blabber anything more to maa, but he did. "It was on this day, nine years ago that you daughter first confessed her love for me." Riddhima didn't know where to look. If she asked him to keep quiet he would purposely go on and on about it, just to irritate her. So she got up, thinking that the best solution would be to just get out of there. But he wouldn't let go of her. She knew once he got started there was no stopping him so she called out "Armaan" in a warning tone, but to no avail.

He went on to tell Padma how it had all happened in the OPD that day. Riddhima was embarrassed no end.

P: Main to pehle se jaanti thi tum dono ke beech kuch chal raha tha. It was obvious to everyone except the two of you.

A: No maa, she was the only one who wouldn't accept the fact that she loved me. You know on that New-year's Eve, I accosted her on the terrace of Sanjeevani, a few minutes before the New Year could begin, and tried to force her to confess her love, but she just ran away from there.

P: Oh that was why when I went to wish her a happy New-Year, she was sitting in the locker room crying .Then itself I had told her to talk things out with you and get it sorted. But she just said "maa hamare beech aisa kuch nahi hai."

Feeling something wet on his hands which were on her shoulder he turned towards her to see tears trickling down her cheeks.

A: Hey Riddhima, what's there to cry? I'm not telling to a third person. Maa surely understands us.

P: Haan beta tum ro kyon rahi ho. All's well that ends well. Ab to sab kuch theek ho gaya hai na? I've been here for over a month now. I feel so proud to see you two handle every problem so maturedly. You take special care not to hurt the other even in the remotest way. And because you were separated from each other for so many years, you cherish each moment of your life together, now. You would be an exemplar for all the young couples who come to us for premarital counseling.

R: What premarital counseling?

P: Actually we, a group of friends, have started a pre-marriage counseling center. You know among Christians the church organizes such things whereas among Hindus, there's no such practice. We started it as a medical counselling first, advising the couples to get their blood match done so that there are no complications later. We especially wanted to have them tested for HIV.

R: But wouldn't that be too expensive for them?

P: We have a tie up with some path labs who do it at a very concessional rate. But you know, later on, these couples started seeking our advice regarding other matters also. So we decided to start a full fledged pre-marriage counseling and engaged a counselor for it, who works on a honorary basis.

A: That's really fantastic maa. That's yeomen service you are doing. So indirectly you are also working in our field only.

Just then Armaan's phone rang. He picked it up saying "papa ka call hai."

A: Good morning papa.

------------------------------------------------

Ji, just a minute.

He motioned to Riddhima to get him a paper and pen.

He noted down something and said "sure papa, I'll leave early on Monday morning. There won't be much traffic then. We should be able to make it on time. Ji I'll give to maa." He handed over the phone to Padma, who quietly walked out of the room.

A: Riddhima, papa has made an appointment with a hepatologist in Coimbatore for Kartik, on Monday morning. I can't send him alone, I'll have to go along. I'll be back as early as possible. You know I wouldn't miss our anniversary for anything. Please don't be upset.

When he was asking her cho chweetly how could she not agree?

R: theek hai, I understand.

The weekend just flew by. Padma tried to find out what plans Armaan had made for their anniversary but he seemed too involved in Kartik's case above all else now.

Early on Monday morning, Riddhima dropped him to the hospital and made him promise that he would return at the earliest. Armaan had planned to take Kartik in an ambulance, so that any emergency could be handled and if needed his IV drips could be continued along the way. As Kartik lay, Armaan sat next to him, to make sure he was comfortable. Kartik said he could manage on his own and asked Armaan to sit comfortably in the front. But Armaan didn't agree.

Armaan had asked their hospital cook to pack some dry meals for Kartik as he could not take outside food. He had asked kaka also to pack some parathas and coffee for him as they wouldn't have time to halt for breakfast. They had appointment at 10 o'clock with the doctor.

Originally posted by: Anokhee

Hey....

I've been wanting to comment on this threa since quite long but I loand up reading this FF always through my phone and I can't for some reason comment from there....

But I really want to tell you that I reall really really like your fic...

It just seems so realistic....

And the new twist you've included because of Kartik was quite a surprise...

And I like the way you're putting in both the sides of the story....

I always feel theres always a reason behing anyting an individual does-good or bad...

So its always important to attack the reason for the wrongness and not the consequence and I'm glad you're going that way....

Waiting to read more,

Anokhee!