Stardust - Link to thread 2 on pg 1 - Page 57

"Don't ever, ever tell me I don't love her. I gave up everything for her. All my dreams, my happiness once upon a time!" He low, threatening voice filled her insides, making her squirm, as she watched him with wide terrified eyes.

She could always see glimpses of the old Armaan coming back, the ruthlessness, the coldness and the hatred for everyone, every single thing in life. She, on the contrast, had been the light of the office. Employed by the boss as Armaan's partner, they worked together with their ideas as different and as similar as the North and South Pole. The whole office just wondered at how this grumpy, angry guy who had the whole world's troubles on his shoulders, could get along, albeit with a million fights a day, with the cheerful, happy go lucky Riddhima as his partner. They showed the whole world that nothing was impossible.

But what Riddhima had never in a lifetime thought, was that she would slowly fall for this workaholic freak, who was living to not live! When she had imagined her prince charming, he was a 'SRK' faced person, with a personality like hers, making her laugh, giggle and love him with all her heart. And Armaan? True, he was handsome, looks people could probably kill for, eyes that captured every girl's heart with one glance. But the terror in them made every bold girl back off by ten meters. And she had been the same. It was until she was forced to try and work with him that she finally found out his hidden charm when he wanted to express it, and his character that made her feel all fuzzy and warm inside.

A year and a half working with him and she could safely say that she loved him. She didn't care what people thought about her. She knew there were rumours about both of them circling the office, which was probably the reason why guys stopped approaching her lately, hoping for a chance, and she didn't care in the slightest. Instead, she mused, she felt better than she ever had. Yet, no one was sure whether it was really true. Just a suspicion that people loved gossiping about.

At first, she had looked past all his problems, judging him from her first impression, which she admitted, wasn't positive. But as she got to know his problems, her admiration grew for this young guy, who was probably only a year or two elder than her. She found out when she once went to his house to work on a new project that his mother had passed away at a young age and his father had put his head into business to relieve himself off the pain. Armaan was forced to look after his Autistic sister, Arya, all by himself, as she grew closer to him. But that never let him down. He was still the charming young fellow, with huge smiles as he greeted his sister when he came back from school.

It was until his fiance, whom he had loved since college, left him for his 'best friend' after cheating on him, he changed. His father's earnings were going down, and his plans for a Euro trip, and outing with friends were all cancelled. The happening of these events simultaneously forced Armaan to withdraw into a shell that nobody could make him come out of. One by one, their problems kept increasing.

"Drinking has always been Mr Mallik's weak point, and young Master Mallik hates it." The old maid told Riddhima in whispers when she asked her in the kitchen. Armaan had gone to help Arya back to sleep, as she had woken up from a horrible nightmare, and refused to go to bed again. Mr Mallik was now bed ridden, in the final stage of liver cancer at the local hospital Sanjeevani. While Armaan was trying to do everything to save him, the doctors themselves had lost all hope.

When she thought back to Arya, a sense of sadness filled her mind. Arya wasn't stupid or defected. She was smart. Her scientific facts and her mathematical abilities were amazing! She just never understood people that well. She didn't understand opinions, emotions, and feelings. Everything for her was a fact. Two plus two is four. Fact. The earth spins once on its axis for 24 hours, at a tilt, and spins around the sun for 364 and a quarter days. Another Fact. She was a being. Fact. Armaan was always there. Fact. He came back home between five o'clock and five thirty. One more fact based on repeated oservations. I will love you till the end of time? What did that mean? How could that be possible, because you don't survive till the end of time do you? Then how can you love till then? Another thing, Arya hated crowds. That's why she rarely went to see her father in the hospital, and preferred spending time in her room, studying numbers and coins.

Yet she was so sure that sometimes that heart filled, charming smile was only reserved for her. That naughty, prankster look which appeared on his face when he constantly argued with her, to piss her off was only used on her. She'd caught him staring at her a few times, which always made the blood in her body rush up to her face instantly.

And when Riddhima learnt that, she was numb for a moment. The thought of losing him all of a sudden, especially to a girl like Maya was too much for her to be able to think straight. The panic that over took her was too much for to keep up with. The sudden loss of hope for herself and Armaan to be together was too much for her to handle. Everything was just over the top! The worst part was, she had no idea where to turn to.

"Please Armaan." She begged softly, but he didn't reply. "So, you want to go back to her?!" he still remained mum. Riddhima felt her voice rise. "She broke off the engagement because she didn't want to handle Arya. Arya whom you've loved all your life! She went off with your best friend because let's face it, he had money, he had prestige and he didn't have an autistic sister that people find difficult to live with!"

"See! You're ready to lose your sister to someone who left you once, and could easily leave you again and over and over again if she wants to!"

"I'm not losing Arya." His voice turned deadly, but Riddhima didn't notice. She was too busy looking at her broken heart.

"You are. And the way you're acting, I'm starting to doubt whether you ever took Arya as your sister. More of a burden you were looking to get rid of right?" And the moment she uttered those scathing words, shock and regret filled up inside her, condemning the foul sentence she had put together. There was pin drop silence while Riddhima, horrified at what she had just blurted out, tried to piece together something different in her mind while cursing herself saying something probably so sinful!

"What do you know the trouble people go through? You've had a perfect, happy life, with a perfect family. Compared to that, where do I stand? Yet never once have I complained about Arya, because I've never wanted to and I never will! You've had love showered on you from every corner of the world. Try being rejected by one person whom you once thought you could spend your life with. Whom you once trusted to be by your side all your life! Life isn't a cake walk after that!" She felt his words mock both, himself and her as the venom spat out of them. But his tone changed in an instant. "And when that person comes knocking at your doorstep after years.." he trailed off.

He must have realized the uncomfortable position they were both in because his eyes darted towards his hands, then back to her face which was filled with fright. Finally, he moved away, still keeping that connection with her by locking his gaze with hers.

Riddhima broke away first. She loved him dammit! How hard was it for him to see that! And did he love her back? If he did, why didn't he tell her?! Stupid question she thought. He loved Maya. That's why he was considering taking her back. A surge of depression hit her while a lump formed in her throat, getting bigger by the millisecond. It took every ounce of self-restraint to keep herself from sobbing out loud, so she quickly paced towards her desk, picked up her handbag, while he was looking out of the big glass window, apparently lost in his own thoughts. Memories of Maya, and that was enough to make the dams in her eyes break, as she finally stifled a sob with her hand. Shutting her eyes tight, she willed herself to be strong.

"G..Good bye Armaan." She said, in what she hoped was a normal voice, loud enough for him to hear as he whipped his head around to see her, instantly getting the deeper meaning behind her words.

"Riddhima!" he called out just as she got to the door. His voice had the urgency in it that made her stop for him. "Please, don't.. don't go." He whispered, looking at her, his blue eyes speaking volumes. She gasped inwardly as she saw a single tear fall down his cheeks. That was probably the moment when she finally realized what he really meant to her. The one tear drop and she was disgusted at herself for being the cause of it. And at that moment, she could have never in a million years predicted what he said next.

Slowly, she found her feet directing themselves towards him, while that eye-lock didn't waver even for a second. They were barely centimeters apart when she at last stopped. She could feel his breath on her lips star to intoxicate her. The feather soft touch of his fingers on her cheek, wiping away her tear stains, was the last indication she needed to push herself into his arms and hold him close, so close to herself that she could feel his heart suddenly pick up extra beats. Finally, when his arms came around her back and tightened securely, she smiled.

"I was so confused, when Maya turned up. I didn't know your feelings for me, everything with Maya kept rushing back to me, but I don't think I could stand it if you ever left me alone. You are the reason I see everything differently. I like being the old me again, when I'm with you. It never seems too childish, just fun. Something I hadn't had in ages! I had hidden it all when Maya left me, somewhere I could never go back to. But when you came, I was myself again, and for that, I love you even more." He kissed the palm of her hand as she smiled back at him.

"Can you shush? I love you so much. I don't want any explanation of anything from you. It's just enough knowing that you love me too." She whispered. "I'll always be there for you. You and Arya. You won't have to go through anything alone, Armaan."

That confirmation was all he needed to pull her back in his arms and keep her there till eternity.

Riddhima felt her heart beat keep increasing. Now that they had confessed, how should she act around him? Mushy? Romantic? Where did they stand? Well, she knew where they stood, but there was this weird, new feeling inside her, that although she loved, she didn't know how to handle! Urgh, being in love with Armaan Mallik did that to you. Or just being in love, generally. Shaking away her thoughts, she concentrated on how his arms made her feel so cherished, so safe. That was when she decided to just be herself and take things as they come.

"And now that we're done with the cheesy stuff.." she smiled wickedly as she looked up at him. "I think we should get going. The sun's going down."

"Ouch Ridz. I can't believe you call me pouring my heart out to you cheesy." He retorted. She giggled and replied,

"Well it is, Cheesy Armaan Mallik."

"I was cool before you came into my life and made me all mush." he teased her as her mouth dropped open and her eyes narrowed.

"Right? A while back you were saying how I made your life better! And now you're just changing your statement? Make up your mind will you?" She punched him, but he held her hand before she could take it away, holding it close to his heart, with a mischievous look adorning his face.

"Yeah, but you probably lost all your skills after college, darling." She poked her tongue out at him as they continued bickering.

"Then sweetheart, you have no idea what you're in for." He challenged openly, smirking.

"Armaan shut up! I never knew you're so full of yourself too!" She complained, pretending to bang her head against the wall.

"We learn from the best."

"Shut up Armaan!"

"Armaan!" she stomped her foot, huffing.

"What Riddhima?" he asked in an equally annoyed voice, that just made her a million times more irritated.

And when they finally emerged from their cabin, hand in each other's, talking, laughing spreading the warmth of love everywhere in the whole building, all their colleagues could do was stop and stare. Riddhima had really transformed Armaan, they whispered amongst each other. But what they didn't know was that all she had done was remove the burden off his shoulders, and taught him to fly again. A feeling everyone had to experience at least once in their lifetime.

Cry - Mandy Moore

I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
It lasted forever
And ended so soon
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed

In places no one will find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was there that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

The moment that I saw you cry

It was late in September
And I've seen you before (and you were)
You were always the cold one
But I was never that sure
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed

In places no one will find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was there that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry

I wanted to hold you
I wanted to make it go away
I wanted to know you
I wanted to make your everything
All right...

I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
In places no one will find

In places no one will find
All your feelings so deep inside (deep inside)
It was there that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry