Posted:
Part 15
"Uh! Come on Ridzy. Stop acting like Ekta Kapoor ke serial ki heroine. What's with all this trust and all? You like him, he likes you. Isn't that good enough?" Muskaan said at school. It had been almost three weeks since Armaan and Riddhima had patched up. It was the last week of school and they were all bludging.
"Muski, trust is not a joke. I don't want to go in a relationship with him and end up having a fight again. Please, try and understand my point." Riddhima had been trying since three weeks to get her point through to Nikki and Muskaan, but no luck.
"Hey girls, how are you?" Armaan asked as he came from behind. Muskaan found Rahul walk in and went to him, leaving Armaan and Riddhima alone.
"Just perfect Ammy, how are you?"
"Awesome. Hey Riddhy?"
"Hmmm….?"
"Care for a game of basketball?"
"You want to lose, then sure."
"We'll see who loses today madam." Armaan whispered into Riddhima's ears, sending shivers down her spine. She turned around to look at his retreating figure walking towards Rahul, Muskaan and Abhi and smiled.
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
"Mr Armaan Mallik, you loose, again! :P" Riddhima said, poking her tongue at Armaan.
As Armaan saw Riddhima walk away, he couldn't help but smile. He yelled, "Basket!" She turned around to look at him with a confused expression. 'Basket? Oh well, basket it is now!'
"What was that?"
"Your new nickname, only I can call you by that name. :P"
Riddhima raised her eyebrow at him and then smiled. "So be it. :D I love getting nicknames from you. :) So, what do you want?"
"So Basket, I was saying that… See! I let you win again. Ain't I nice!"
Rahul put his hand on Armaan's shoulder and said, "Mere bhai, I think it's about time you agree to the fact that Riddhima is and will always be better than you at Basketball."
They all burst out laughing and Armaan pouted like a baby. Riddhima's heart 'awed' at that and she said, "Hey guys. Come on, Ammy was and still is the basketball champ of the school. I know he always lets me win."
Everyone smiled silently. Armaan starred at Riddhima while she looked away blushing. "Ahem ahem." came a voice. They all turned to see who it was, shocked at first and then all the more excited.
Abhi looked at the person and smiled. So, she listened to him. She had managed to muster up her courage and tell her parents. Muskaan and Riddhima ran up to her, hugged her and screamed, "Omg Nikki!!!!!!!!! What a surprise!!!!"
"Oye! I love my ears. Stop yelling into them!" Nikki said.
"Oops, sorry." Riddhima said. "Please, please, please tell me you are here to stay and not go back."
"Yup. I am here to stay and I am not going back."
"Yipppeee!!"
"Ridz, chill man. We all love our ears. And besides that, the whole quad is staring at you." Rahul said.
"Guys come on man. It's a natural instinct of a human being to be this excited when someone they love comes back. So, it's normal for Basket to react like that." Armaan said, defending Riddhima.
"Oh ya? Then why Abhi reacting like that?" As soon as these words escaped his mouth, Nikki and Abhi became as red as a beetroot while the others tried not to smirk or smile.
Riddhima changed the topic to lighten the situation. "So Nikki, how did uncle aunty agree to come back? Because you just left!"
"Mom dad didn't come back. They are still there because of dad's job. I came here alone."
"And madam, where are you staying?"
Nikki knew she was going to get told off big time by Ridz now. "Ummm… in a hostel."
But she was wrong. "Nikki, you should have informed me. Ok, so after school I will come to your hostel, we will pack your bags and you are moving into my house."
"But I think you should ask uncle and aunty once."
"Ok, I'll ask right away." Riddhima talked to Padma, who agreed. She then talked to Shashank, who even talked to Nikki not tell her, but to give her orders to pack her things and live with them. "All good now?"
"Hmmm… ok! Now I can't say no because even uncle told me!"
":O so, you weren't going to come if I asked? fine! :P"
"Ya Ridz, I can see your fake anger. :P Your popat happened. :P"
"Ya, I know. :P My popat happened. Just a minute, di is calling." Riddhima answered her phone. "Hi di, what's up!... Di, what happened? Why are you crying? Tell me what happened?... What! But why? Why are they doing this?... Ok wait, school finished in exactly 10 minutes. I will catch the bus and be there in 40 minutes. Okay…… Alright, calm down. Everything will be fine!" Riddhima cut the line and looked at everyone, five pair of eyes staring at her worriedly. "Mom and dad, they are planning to get di married soon, and to someone else."
"Shit! Does bhai know?" Armaan asked.
"No, she doesn't have the strength to call him. Can you tell him?"
"I'll tell him right now!" Armaan called Atul and told him everything. Atul said that they would have to do something urgently and would plan something out once he was home. "Ok guys. We all meet up at my place tomorrow. We have to do something right away."
"Ok, anyways I will go home now. You all, I'll see you at Armaan's house tomorrow."
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
It had been two days, Riddhima had tried everything to convince her mom and dad to not get Anjali married at this age, it was too young for her. But they didn't listen. They had met up at Armaan's place the next day and had decided that Atul would propose to Anjali in front of her parents. They knew the risk, but as they say 'Everything is fair in love and war'.
"Atul no! There is no point. I know mom and dad will not agree." Anjali said on the phone.
"Anjie, we should at least give it a try. If they agree, then awesome. If they don't, then…… we were never meant to be!"
"Please don't say that Atul. I can't live without you!"
"I needa go now. I'll talk to you later. Just wait for me! Bye. Love you."
"I will wait for you till the end." Anjali said as Atul cut the line.
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
"Ridzy, I don't know what's wrong with Atul!" Anjali said as she walked into Riddhima's room.
"What do you mean?" She looked at herself in the mirror. "Hmm… I look fine."
"You don't care do you? Meri shaadi kisi aur se ho jaegi aur tu bohot khush hogi, right?"
"Why do you think that di?" Riddhima was shocked.
"You are getting ready in front of mirror when some other dude is coming to our house and I am going to get married to him. Ridzy, Atul is not here. We are not going to be together. He has not been giving me straight answers. Our duties have not been together. I… I don't know what I'll…" Anjali voice trailed as her eyes started to fill up with tears.
Riddhima sighed and walked up to Anjali. "Di, I talked to Armaan 5 minutes ago. He said that Jeeju will be here any moment. Okay? Now please get ready. You need to look good in front of him right?"
"He'll come, right Ridzy?"
"He will, trust me. Now go get ready. And di… please smile, for me?" Anjali smiled and left the room. "You don't know what you are heading towards di." Riddhima walked downstairs and went to see Padma.
"You didn't give anything away did you?" Padma asked.
"No mom I didn't. She doesn't know anything. Don't worry, everything will be perfect. :)"
"And that will be all because of you. By the way, has she ever met Atul's parents?"
"Nope, only talked to them on the phone and that too like… one year back. She said she doesn't even remember their voice. :P"
"Oh good, makes it even better."
"I'll go upstairs and… I can't wait. :D" Riddhima ran upstairs to meet Anjali.
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
The doorbell rang and Riddhima started to jump up and down.
"Shhh… let me hear if its him or the other dude." Anjali said. She nervously listened to the voices downstairs but didn't hear Atul. "Were his parents going to come?"
"N-No di. They weren't." Riddhima sat down on the bed, shocked.
"I-I am… I am not going… downstairs. M-Ma.. Main… main ghar se bhaag jaungi. I won't… live without Atul. No!" Anjali said between her sobs. Padma walked in and smiled.
"Tu abhi se ro rahi hai. Chal, neeche chal. He is here to see you. Come on." But Anjali didn't move. "Beta, tujhe ek na ek din to ye ghar chod ke jaana hi tha na. Chal, Riddhima, main jaa rahi hoon. Tu Anjali ko leke aa."
"Ji ma." Riddhima said. Padma walked and Riddhima sat in front of Anjali. "Chalo di. We need to go downstairs."
"Nahi, main nahi jaungi."
"Di, just go. You can refuse after they have gone. Make up some reason."
"I'll do that, but that's not what's troubling me."
"Then what is?"
"Why… why didn't he come? Does he not love me?"
"He loves you. He will come, but right now you need to go downstairs. And please, be strong. Believe in your love. If your love is true, and his love is true, then you two will be together all your life. Hmm..?"
"Chal, let's go." Anjali got up, looked at herself in the mirror and walked out with Riddhima.
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
Anjali could only see two new faces, who seemed like the guy's parents. She looked at Riddhima questioningly. "He will be here shortly. He is a bit busy in some work." Riddhima whispered into Anjali's ear. She made her sit and then sat herself down. There was an empty chair next to Anjali. Riddhima's phone vibrated and she could not help but smile. The doorbell rang and Riddhima got up. "I'll get the door." Meanwhile, the guy's mom said, "Mera beta hoga. Wo thoda busy tha, kuch kaam tha office ka." Anjali smiled nervously, hoping that it was Atul.
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
Anjali couldn't see his face. She nervously waited and when she saw his face, she was shocked and happy. "Atul." Anjali ran up to him and hugged him. Everyone smiled at the lovely couple. "Gosh, where were you? You have any idea how scared I was? I thought I was going to get married to some moronic idiot who doesn't even have the time to come and see me. Pata nahi kis ghade se meri shaadi ho jaati. I – "
"Anjali, wo ghada main hoon." Atul said.
Anjali stared at him in utter disbelief. "What?"
"Wo… bhabhi, hum sab ki planning thi. :D" Armaan said.
"Ya, just a little surprise." Riddhima added.
"Surprise my foot, you gave me a heart attack you moron." Anjali said, her voice thick with tears. She hugged Atul, hiding her face in his chest.
"To phir rishta pakka samdhan ji, ya aapki beti ko mere moronic idiot ghade se shaadi nahi karni." Atul's mom said and everyone chuckled.
"Mom, dad… aapko kisne bataya?"
"Pata pad gaya. Teri diary haath lag gayi thi ek din, so we found out everything." Padma said.
"I have one more surprise for you." Riddhima said.
"And what is that?" She took out 8 tickets from the corner table and handed them to Anjali. "Ye kya hai?"
"Hum sab ki India jaane ki ticket. You, jeeju, Me, Ammy, Abhi, Nikki, Rahul and Muskaan. Speaking of that, where is Nikki?"
"She is with Abhi, gone to meet him." Armaan said.
"Oh right, how can I forget. So di, the plan is this. We all kids are going to India tomorrow afternoon ki flight se. Landing in Delhi, and then… aapki shaadi ki shopping… all the arrangements… - "
"Wow! Hold it there. Since when have you been planning all this?" Anjali said.
"Since long baby!" Atul said as he pulled her into a side hug.
"And your friends, their parents agreed?"
"Di, we've been planning this for a long time, don't worry ok." Riddhima smiled at her.
"But… meri packing?"
"That will take only some half an hour because I have decided what to take. :D"
"Gosh you are smart. I had no idea this all had been going on. Well, it's awesome. :D I love you all so much. Thank you."
"Still… sabse jyada to aap jeeju se hi pyaar karte ho. Hum to gaye… kahin… door… lost and forgotten souls. :P"
"Riddhima tu…"
Riddhima hid behind Armaan while Atul held Anjali's hand and pulled her back. "Wo kuch galat thodi na bol rahi hai!" Atul said making Anjali blush.
"Mom and dad India kab ayenge?"
"2 weeks before your marriage."
"Then what about all the preps?"
"Dude! We'll do them. :D It will be one awesome trip."
"Well… I can't wait. :)"
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
Next day, Airport
"Basket, where are you?" Armaan spoke into the phone.
"Sorry Ammy, wo trains are late."
"Don't lie… trains are on time today."
"For your kind information, track work is on today. So I have to change trains and buses. Takes time!"
"Where are you right now?"
"Behind you!" Armaan turned around, fuming with anger. "Where's everyone else?"
"Everyone has checked-in. Chalo, we need to check in now. Boarding has started."
"Shit! Let's go!" They both checked-in and made it just in time. Their seats were nowhere close to the others since they checked-in so late.
As they searched for their seat, Armaan frowned and said, "All because of you that we are not sitting with the others. Hmph!"
"Ammy but… actually… forget it." Riddhima said trying to put her luggage in. Armaan could clearly see that he had upset her.
"Here, I'll put it in."
"I am fine thanks." With one final push, she put the luggage in her cabin, slammed it shut and sat down.
Armaan sighed and sat down next to her, thinking, "Here we go again, and she is upset… and that too all because of you." He looked at Riddhima who was staring out the window, the expression on her face suggesting that she was angry. "Basket, you know there is one positive side to it." Riddhima looked at him questioningly. "At least we get to be together… alone… by ourselves."
Riddhima shot him a deadly look and sighed angrily. "You are not funny, Mr. Armaan Mallik."
"Arre yaar, kya tum bhi phaltu ki baat pe ghussa kar rahi ho."
"Phaltu ki baat? Jabse airport pohochi hoon, tab se tum mujhe baatein suna rahe ho. This is like… the 6th time Armaan. And yes, I have been counting."
"Ok… sorry. I know I over-reacted. But I seriously didn't know… that I would hurt you so much."
Riddhima held his hand and said, "It's ok! I think I over-reacted."
"Ok, so now that we have forgiven each other, it's time to make the whole plan."
"Why us?"
"Because bhai said it's our responsibility."
"Awesome! So… let's get some paper and a pen… and make the whole plan?"
"Pen to hai… paper…?"
"Paper… mere handbag mein. Keep the essentials in your bag. :P"
"Whatever man! Let's get to the work!"
And so, they made the whole plan, not sleeping till they had landed in Singapore for their stay. They were headed to India, and they knew they were going to have the time of their life.
O~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~O
Okay, so I have uploaded this part! Do tell me how it was!
One important thing I need to tell you all. I will be putting this FF on a hold till November. I am sorry, but I don't get time to write anymore. I have two more parts written and after posting them, I will put this FF on a hold. I am extremely sorry, but I don't want to do injustice to this FF! So ya, I have to take this decision! Sorry again!
Thank you to all the people who read, hit the like tab and comment! 😊
Love you all
🤗
PS: The reason I am stopping is because of my studies. November ke baad I have 4 months holdiays! :D :D So ya, will update after that! :)
Debate Mansion
Anupamaa
308