~ Chapter Two: The Haunting Past ~
"Hi everyone! Sorry I'm late, got caught up at the studio. What have I missed?"
That voice... yes, Riddhima had heard it multiple times on screen, but now, the voice was echoing right behind her ear after seven years... seven long years. She wasn't ready to face him. What would she even say? Hi Armaan, nice to see you again. She was sure she couldn't utter a single word properly in front of him, let alone a whole sentence. She could feel her heart pounding inside her chest; she was sure she wouldn't need a stethoscope to be able to hear it. She didn't need a mirror to know that her reflection would be as pale as a ghost at the very moment. She wanted to run away, hide like she always did, but it was too late. The day she had been dreading for the past seven years was here. He probably hated her now, and could she really blame him? No, she couldn't. The only thing she was allowed to blame was her fate, her destiny.
"A lot of stuff ... including our super special guest of honour" Muskaan replied "Take a wild guess on who Dad invited today." She winked at Riddhima.
"Oprah Winfrey" Armaan replied; he knew he probably wouldn't have guessed it, so his theory consisted of blurting out any name and wait for his sister to tell it to him. It always worked.
"Nope. Way better!" She exclaimed "Armaan meet Riddhima Gupta, she is the one that saved Mom when she was being mugged." At those words, Riddhima gathered the courage and turned around.
"Riddhima" He said, his voice barely audible. His shoulder's stiffened and his jaw tightened in disbelief. There she was, right in front of him, after seven long years. Riddhima looked up at the sound of her name being pronounced by the man she had loved, loves, and will love forever.
Their eyes locked and all the memories they kept sealed inside them came rising up, hitting them like a boomerang. Unfortunately, those happy memories were no longer happy for him. They were nothing but hurtful thoughts. She knew that, she could see it in his eyes. Those green eyes that were once filled with love for her had none of it left; all they reflected now were hate, anger and especially pain. This wasn't her Armaan. Her Armaan would never look at her like that; he loved her way too much. The one standing in front of her loathed her, with all his might. She knew she had hurt him, but she was just as much of a victim than he. Riddhima could feel the tears forming in her eyes, but she tried so hard to supress them, keep them locked inside her like she had in the past.
"Oh my God!" Muskaan blurted out, breaking the trance. "I remember you now, you're the one that bailed on my brother and broke his heart." She regretted those words as soon as they were out. This was definitely not the right moment to bring that topic up. "Sorry, it kind off just slipped" She excused herself, but the damage was done.
Great! That was exactly what she needed. A reminder by a third person of how much she had hurt him. She needed to get out of there. The last thing she wanted to do was to break down in front of everyone.
"Thank you, Miss Gupta for coming to my mom's rescue." His voice was icy cold. "I'm surprised you simply didn't bunk out in the middle of the fight. It would be more like you." He added. There wasn't a fringe of gratefulness or hospitality. Nope, it was as bitter as bile.
"Excuse me please" Those were they only words she had managed to articulate, before practically running off. Muskaan just stared at her brother in with huge menacing eyes.
"Don't look at me like I'm the culprit here. I didn't say anything wrong. SHE deserved it" He defended.
"SHE... as you so well put it...saved your mother's life. You could've shown a bit of gratitude." She retorted. How could he be so insensitive? They owed her so much; she was their mother's saviour after all.
"Oh now you're taking her side."
"Sides! I'm not talking any sides at all. She saved Mom, and that's all I care about. What happened with you was seven years ago. Grow up Armaan. You could have at least acted like a responsible adult." She scolded, annoyed by her older brother's lack of gratitude. She rushed off to find Riddhima, leaving a baffled Armaan behind.
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Riddhima dashed to nearest restroom she could find and closed herself in as the tears came strolling down her cheeks. All these days, she had been oblivious to how much pain she had caused him, but not anymore. Those eyes, those green eyes said it all. He didn't just hate her, no, it was more than that. It was this sense of betrayal. It pained her to the man she loved so much hate her so. She opened the cold tap water and splashed her face. She heard a faint knock on the door, so she quickly composed herself. "A minute please"
She looked at herself in the mirror; her eyes were red, her eye liner was smudged, and her skin pale. As she tried to erase the black traces near her eyes, the door knob turned and Muskaan peeked in slowly. "Hey... Are you okay?"
"Yes... Thank you... I just needed a moment." She averted her gaze away from Muskaan.
"Here, let me clean that up for you." Muskaan took the wet piece of Kleenex and wiped away all the dark smears on her face. "There you go... I am really sorry about what my brother said. He can get quite... difficult at times." She apologized.
"No, it's fine...I probably deserved it."
"Of course not... No one deserves such harsh comments, especially after a heroic rescue. Now tell, I'm curious, exactly how did you do it? I mean the guy was so much stronger than you were." Muskaan tried to change the subject into something that would make her feel better.
As Riddhima narrated the story, Muskaan couldn't feel but admiration for the woman who stood in front of her. "Wow! I wish I had such guts. Maybe I would have been more brave if my mom didn't always keep me in her clutches. Always was an obedient daughter, except right now I'm planning on revolting a bit. I am actually looking for a place to stay on my own; I mean if Armaan can live alone, so can't I? But you know, New York City, it's quite hard to find a good place to stay. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom, but she tends to get...overbearing."
"I'm sure you'll manage to find a good place to stay... umm... when did she remarry, if you don't mind me asking?"
"A year after Armaan left for Yale. He's the only father Armaan and I remember truly having, so we both call him Dad. He's super nice; best dad someone can ask for." She revealed.
"He's very nice indeed, has a very clear heart" As much as she enjoyed talking to Muskaan, she felt suffocated in that house. She needed to get of there. "Muskaan, is there a way you can take me back to the front entrance without passing by the hall?" She implored.
Muskaan understood how Riddhima must have been feeling at that moment. Passing through a crowded area was the last thing she would want to force her into. "Of course! Just follow me." She led her guest through the house and brought her to her destination.
"Thank you so much Muskaan" Riddhima hugged her host "You're truly the best"
"That I am" She said with a smile "Now, give me your cellphone so I can put my number in. I just made an awesome friend, so don't think I'm letting her go easy." She finished her statement with a wink.
Riddhima couldn't help but giggle at her comments. She obeyed her orders and handed in her cell. Muskaan rapidly added her number to it "Are you sure you can manage. I can always ask the chauffeur to drop you home."
"Thank you very much Muskaan, but that won't be necessary. My friend will pick me up. Please give my regards to your father."
"No Problemo!" She hugged her guest one last time, before parting away and going back inside. Riddhima dialled Rahul's number as fast as her fingers could manage. "Hello...Rahul, could you please come and pick me up please?" Her voice was low and shaky.
"Riddhima, are you okay? Did something happen? I'm getting in the car now." She heard him say from the other line. "Arm...Armaan..." She sniffed through the phone. She explained Rahul what happened, she couldn't wait to get home. She needed to get it out of her system. Talking to him always made her feel so much better.
"So, Armaan's mom remarried? And Muskaan blurted out that you broke his heart? Wait...Did Armaan find out about the money?" He asked in one breath. Rahul was puzzled by the whole scenario and he needed some clarifications.
"No" Riddhima answered.
"No to which question? The mom one? Urgh, I just hit traffic. I might take a bit longer. " Rahul was even more confused about the whole story.
"No... Armaan doesn't know that his mom paid me to leave him."
"I can't believe it" she heard someone whisper behind her and froze. She knew whose voice it was. She ended the call with Rahul; she didn't want him to hear their conversation. She was still shaking from their previous encounter. She breathed in heavily and slowly turned around.
There stood Armaan, looking as shocked as ever. "You took money to break up with me?" He approached her. "You... took money... to break up with me?" He repeated, his voice was dry. He wanted an answer, he needed an answer. Riddhima stood there, not knowing what to say. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her demanding an answer. "Tell me" He roared. He wanted her to confirm what he had just heard a few seconds ago.
"Yes..." she closed her eyes as her tears once again found their way out.
He took a few steps back "Why... why?"
"Because... because I needed it..." She couldn't tell him the truth; she could never tell him that she did not have a choice. She had a promise to keep, and she intended to fulfil her promise.
"I can't believe it... Is that all I was to you, a way to get money? Is that why you played the whole love charade? If wanted the money, why didn't you ask instead of toying with my heart." Armaan was extremely hurt now. What he had been feeling throughout the evening was nothing compared to how betrayed he felt right this moment. "You just used me and dispose of me as if I was some cheap paper. You just crumbled me and tossed me into trashcan."
"No... please Armaan...no...no... I lo-...no... no...please just listen" Riddhima kept shaking her head at all the accusations Armaan threw at her.
"No Riddhima you listen!" He yelled, making her shake even more. He was furious. "I don't know why I even bothered wanting to apologise for my rude behaviour... I must have crazy to ever want to ask for your forgiveness... But, I'm glad I did come here. I learnt a very important truth of my life... thank you Riddhima, thank you." And with that, he walked back inside.
Riddhima was still frozen from what just happened. She wanted to run after him and tell him she really loved him, that she still really loves him. He had gotten her all wrong. She felt a drop on her cheek and looked up. The sky was gray and the moon was barely visible. She couldn't stand near that house anymore. It pained her too much. Rahul was coming for her, but who knew how long that would take since he was stuck?
As the rain poured down, Riddhima walked aimlessly in the streets. The rain was getting stronger, but she didn't care. She liked walking in the rain; it was the only time she could cry her heart out without anyone knowing. The tears would not stop as his words echoed in her mind over and over. You just used me and dispose of me as if I was some cheap paper. You just crumbled me and tossed me into trashcan. Through his eyes, she was nothing but a money loving woman who broke his heart. She made her way to an empty swing; she took of her shoes and dug her feet into the wet sand.
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Rahul had finally arrived and Riddhima was nowhere in sight. He presumed she went it because of the rain. He walked to the door, rang the doorbell, and a young man greeted him. He recognized the face he often saw on posters and magazine covers. "Hello, how may I help you?"
"Yes, I am here to pick up Riddhima Gupta."
"Oh... so her boyfriend came to pick her up. I'm sorry, but you missed her. Last I saw her, she was standing there waiting for you I guess. I'll give you a free tip: make sure she isn't using you for money." Armaan said, his voice still hurt by the incidents of the day.
Rahul was taken aback by Armaan's reaction. At the moment, he seemed to be the biggest douchebag he has ever encountered. "Armaan, I swear, if something happens to her, I will brake every bones in that pretty little body of yours."
"Is that a threat?"
"Consider it to be your first warning." Rahul left and got in his car. He was worried about Riddhima; it was still raining heavily and Riddhima would probably fall sick if she stayed out longer. As he drove through the streets, he spotted a figure swaying back and forth on a swing. Her lilac dress clung to her body, and her hair was untied. Her feet kept tossing the sand from one side to another. Rahul knew it was Riddhima. He immediately ran to her "Riddhima, are you out of your mind? You're going to catch cold." He wrapped his jacket around her.
"He hates me Rahul... He absolutely despises me..." She murmured, still looking down at her feet.
"Come here sweetie" He put her in his arms around her "If he hates you, it's his loss. He doesn't know what a gem you are." Riddhima looked up at him and sobbed on his shoulders. "C'mon, let's go home."
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It was passed twelve. Armaan sat on his couch rewinding the day's event. He didn't expect to see Riddhima today, hell he didn't expect to see her ever again. She looked so beautiful, even today. How could she do this to him? Leave him for money? Was that how much he was worth? How much his love was worth? And his mother, she knew all this time why Riddhima had left him. She watched him go crazy over her, but she didn't say a single thing. No, she just sat there quietly as if she was watching a one of her soap operas on television.
Flashback
Armaan stared at the Swarovski pendant he had purchased for Riddhima. It was heart shaped with clear and pink crystal; a beautiful necklace for the most beautiful woman in the world. Riddhima would love it. This would probably cheer her up. Armaan had sensed that something was wrong with her when he had spoken with her day the before. His poor baby was crying; he couldn't bear to see her cry, let alone hear her cry. As he sat on the plane, he couldn't help but think of her. Who would have thought that he would fall irrevocably in love with someone? He sure didn't, but he had, and he was so, so happy about it. He couldn't wait to see her. It had been days he had seen her angelic face, held her soft hands, hugged her petite frame, or even kissed her luscious lips.
The moment his plane landed, there was only one thing on his mind: meet Riddhima. He didn't even bother going home. He probably looked terrible because of the long flight and the lack of sleep, but he didn't care. He needed to see her. He arrived at the front porch of her house and knocked, only to be answered by a dead silence. He tried again, but there were still no answers. He took a look inside by the window and was surprised to see a vacant house. No, no, this didn't make any sense. He ran as fast it he could to the bakery shop and froze when he saw the SOLD sign dangling on the door. No, this was not possible. She wouldn't do this to him. There was probably a good reason, and she was going to call as soon as she could. The proof that she had left him lied on front of him, and still, he couldn't come to terms with it. He didn't want to accept it. He dialled her number "The number you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again" was all he heard. He tried and tried and kept trying, thinking that perhaps he had pressed a wrong dial, but no... The same answer greeted at him at every call.
"That's why she had been crying" he thought. She was leaving him, just like that, for no apparent reason. The last words she had said to him echoed through his mind. I'll miss you. No, she wasn't going to miss him one bit. She's the one that left him, and not the other way around. I'm sorry. Was that all she could say to him. Did she really think that those two little words would do anything to him? I love you too Armaan. Did she really love him? People who love each other don't just disappear on the other. Armaan roamed in the empty streets. Tears were forming in his eyes, but he had to be strong. He wouldn't shed a tear, not a single tear, he told himself. Darkness engulfed the sky, just as emptiness did the same to his heart. He was all alone.
Flashback Ends
Armaan got up from the living room and headed to his study. He opened the drawer of his desk, and there it was, the blue Swarovski box he had once bought for her. For seven years, he had kept it safely secured, but right now, he wanted to throw it, take a hammer and smash it. He grabbed the box and went towards the kitchen. The moment he opened the trashcan, his grip around the little box tightened. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. He put back the box at its rightful place and crashed on his bed. For days, he had craved, longed and pined to see her, to hold her, to kiss her, but now, all those feelings were gone. Now, she only reminded him of his broken heart, the one she never came to mend.
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Riddhima sat in her room. It was the middle of the day, but she refused to open her curtains. She didn't want to see the happy sun smiling at her, nor did she want to Armaan's Gillette ad every time she turned her head.
"Guess what? The old man is moving away from our floor, so you know what that means? It means no cranky old man screaming at us while we put a bit of music." Rahul came into her room with two mugs of hot chocolate. He tried so hard to cheer her up. He turned on the stereo, put the volume high, and started to dance and sing. It was the song Just the way you are by Bruno Mars.
"Oh her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining. Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying. She's so beautiful and I tell her every day." He sang as he pulled Riddhima out of bed and made her dance with him. "Yeah I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me and it's so, it's so sad to think she don't see what I see." He dragged her in front of the mirror and pointed at her. She must have something really good in a passed lifetime to get such a caring friend as Rahul. "But every time she asks me do I look okay? I say when I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change cause you're amazing just the way you are." He pulled her back in the middle of her room and twirled her around, which made Riddhima laughed whole heartedly after such a long time. "And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while cause girl you're amazing just the way you are." He danced around foolishly some more with her. She was smiling, and that's all that mattered now. The song finally came to an end, and both of them burst out laughing.
"Seriously Rahul, did you even consider ever becoming a singer? You can make girls go crazy over you with that beautiful voice of yours." She asserted. Rahul had one of the best voices she had heard, but he just thought of it as hobby. He loved his job, and there was no way he would quit his profession for some wild reason. Though, he sang sometimes at fundraisers; his voice attracted so many people. Riddhima remembered how she had to beg him to sing. It took a whole month of hot chocolate and lunch to finally convince him. Don't get him wrong? He didn't want her to cook if for her; no, he wanted her to have lunch and hot chocolate with him, so she can come out of her little world a bit more.
"I'm sure my irresistible charms are enough to sweep them of their feet. By the way, you're mother called while you were asleep, she said that she'd pass by soon."
Ding Dong
"Soon as in now" He added at the sound of the bell.
They both went to the door, and greeted Padma in "Aunty, it's so nice to see you again." He said as he side hugged her. "I was just about to leave, so see you two beautiful women later." He wanted them to spend some mother-daughter quality time.
"How are you Riddhima dear?" Padma enquired. Rahul had told her that she hadn't been doing well recently, especially after her encounter with Armaan. It had already been two whole days.
"I'm fine Mom. As usual" She lied.
"Don't lie to me Riddhima... I know you aren't fine. You haven't been for a long time... Riddhima I don't know what happened between you and Armaan all those years ago, and I don't want to force you into telling me. But know that I'm always here for you." She hugged her daughter.
"I know Mom."
"Riddhima" She paused a few seconds. "There's something I have come to give you." She took out an envelope from her purse. "When you're father died, he asked me to give you this when I thought the time was right. I never understood what that meant then, but now I do. He wanted me to give you this letter when you would need him the most, and seeing you in this state, I know that the right time is now." She handed her daughter the yellow envelope. "All I want is for you to be happy my dear child." She kissed her on the forehead. "I'll come back tomorrow"
Riddhima sat alone on her bed. Her hands were trembling. Her father had left them three years ago, and there she was, opening his letter. It was as if he had come back just for her, just for his baby girl. She opened the sealed envelope and unfolded the piece of paper. She recognized his hand writing right away.
My dearest Riddhima,
By the time you read this letter, I'll be long gone. But I want to you to know that wherever I am, all I want is for you to be happy. You're probably wondering why I wanted your mom to hand you this letter. I wanted to tell you that I am so proud of you. You were always the perfect daughter. You cared for us so much, you had the most amazing grades, and you got into med-school. I might not be able to see you graduate, but know that I am so proud of who you become: a hard working independent woman. But I when I looked at you, I knew you weren't happy. You always put up this fake smile to please everyone. It was never from the bottom of your heart. And I realised that I had failed you as a father. I should've known better all those years ago, that you only took the money to save me. I should've seen right through your lie when you told me that you and Armaan were going to break up. I should have known that you still loved him so much. I guess I was so afraid to lose you and your mom that I couldn't see straight anymore. I was so blind Riddhima.
Forgive me Riddhima for doing this to you. Forgive me for failing you. I don't want you suffering for my mistakes anymore Riddhima. I want you to live your life. I want you to become the Riddhima you once were, the true Riddhima. I want you to go out there and fight for what's rightfully yours. Riddhima, I don't care if you have to tell him the truth, but don't deprive yourself of happiness. If he really loved you, then he'll come back to you. It's never too late. Promise me that Riddhima. Promise me that you'll become that Riddhima once again.
Remember that I love you so much, and if you ever need help, look up at the sky; you'll find me there watching over you all the time.
Riddhima held the letter closed to her heart as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No Dad, you were the best dad someone could ever ask for. You never failed me." She folded the letter and safely placed it in her jewellery box. It would be safe in there.
She stood in front of the mirror, looking straight at her reflection. Her father was right. This wasn't the real her. She worked so hard to shield herself from the world that she didn't recognize the girl in front of her anymore. The real her was free spirited, full of life, happy, strong; the real Riddhima fought for the things she believed in. The girl in front of her was weak, feeble, empty, shallow and lifeless. The real her was the one who dared to jump on an armed man, while the one in front of her was the one who couldn't manage to utter a world in front of Armaan.
Riddhima wiped her tears with her sleeves. She wasn't going to hide in her closet anymore. She was going to become her true self, the one she buried seven years ago. She was going to this for her father, for herself... and for her love.
She took out her phone dialed a number. "Hello, Muskaan, I think I found a great place for you to move into."
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Hi Everyone!! Sorry for the delay, but to make up for it, the part is long!! Hope you enjoyed it. Starting next part: Mission get back Armaan will begin!! Thank you all for your wonderful comments!!
Love you all
-XOXO-Alisha K.
Edited by ksgforlife07 - 14 years ago
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