Part 9
Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months have passed, and Armaan and Riddhima haven't seen each other or have talked to each other.Both are missing each other terribly but know they can't be together.Armaan has been giving his money that he gets from bike racing and street fights to his dad's treatment. Riddhima is in the last year of her college and is about to graduate.
"Happy birthday!" Riddhima's door burst open and it showed her friends and her parent's.Riddhima's head turns abruptly towards the door and smiles softly."Happy birthday," Muskaan said and gave Riddhima a hug and same went for everyone except for Shashank.Ever since Armaan and Riddhima broke, Shashank and Riddhima have barely talked to each other."Happy birthday, beta," Shashank said with a smile, hoping to get a positive reply back.Riddhima looks at her dad with a forced smile with her lips pressed then looks down."Riddhima, jaldi se niche aa jao.Maine aaj tumhare sab favorite banaye hai," Padma said.Riddhima nods and all of them leave but Anjali stays back. "Ridzi," Anjali says.Riddhima looks at Anjali."Sab kuch theek ho jayega," Anjali assures her.Riddhima feels her eyes brim with tears as Anjali walks out.Riddhima looks up to make her tears stay in.Riddhima sighs and walks to her bathroom to get fresh but her phone rings.Riddhima picks it up and sees a number she has never seen before."Hello," Riddhima picks up."Happy birthday, gorgeous," his husky voice said.Riddhima feels her eyes look up and her breathing hitch in her throat.Her heartbeat rose and started breathing heavily.He smiles, hearing her breathing heavily."Armaan," Riddhima whispers.Its the first time she has heard him in six months.Riddhima runs out of her towards her mom who is in the kitchen."Ma!" Riddhima yells, running towards the kitchen and passing her dad and her friends."Kya hua?" Padma asks, worriedly. "Ma...Ma...Armaan... Armaan...ka phone aaya tha," Riddhima said, breathing unevenly.Padma looks at her shocked and Riddhima nods, confirming the truth."Usne che mahino main tumhe call nai kiya toh ab kyun karega," Padma asks."Mama...aaj mera janam din hai aur...woh...woh kabhi mera birthday nai bhul tha," Riddhima said, happy tears falling from her eyes.Shashank overhears their conversation from the outside of the kitchen. This is the first time he is hearing Riddhima happy in six months. "Ma, please usse wapis le aaye," Riddhima begs and Padma's eyes moist up.Padma walks away and sees Shashank, she glares at him for making her daughter go through so much pain."Ma," Riddhima keeps on saying as she falls to the floor, crying.
Throughout the whole day Riddhima couldn't get over the face that Armaan had called her.The whole day she had a smile on her face and her friends and her mother felt a load has been lifted off but she'll back the same tomorrow."Riddhima," Anjali says and Riddhima looks at Anjali."Anjali, Armaan ne mujhe phone kiya," Riddhima said, happily.It was the hundredth time she has said that in one day."Ridzi, I know.Lekin tumne apni cheeze pack karli.Abhi thode din main hume apne college trip ke liye nikal na hai," Anjali said.Riddhima frowns and shakes her head no."Nai," Riddhima said.Anjali laughs softly and shakes her head at Riddhima."Chal main teri help karti hoon," Anjali offers and they start to pack Riddhima's things."Muskaan kahan hai?" Riddhima asks."Woh Rahul se milne gayi hai," Anjali replies."Jab se Rahul uska boyfriend bana hai woh toh hume ignore karti hai," Riddhima said."Tu bhi toh yehi karti thi, Armaan ke saath," Anjali said but she didn't realize what she said after she said it.Anjali looks at Riddhima and saw her stop folding her clothes."Riddhima, I'm sorry," Anjali apologizes, feeling stupid."Nai, Anjali.Tumne jaan buj ke nai kaha," Riddhima says with a forced smile to Anjali. "Hello," Muskaan walks in with a big smile on her face."Tu badi khush lag rahi hai," Anjali said, looking at Muskaan."Obviously, apne boyfriend se milke aa rahi hoon," Muskaan said and sat on the bed."Pehle tu Rahul se nafrat karti thi aur ab usse pyar ho gaya ya phir tu usse pehle se pyar karti thi lekin apni feelings chupa rahi thi," Anjali asks.Muskaan blushes and looks down. Riddhima smiles as she has never seen Muskaan blush.Only after she started going out with Rahul is when Muskaan had started to become shy."I'm guessing second wala," Anjali said."Agar hai toh," Muskaan said, standing up."Nai main toh bas aisi hi," Anjali said.Riddhima just heard her friends talking as she packs her things.Then Shashank walks in Riddhima's room."Yeh packing kis liye ho rahi hai," Shashank asks when he saw clothes all over the bed.Riddhima looks at her father and doesn't say anything."Woh uncle hum college ke trip par jaa rahe hai," Anjali said.Riddhima turns her back to her father and Muskaan looks at Riddhima as does Anjali.Shashank nods and walks out of the room."Riddhima, tum kya puri zindagi unse baat nai karogi?" Muskaan asks with her hand on Riddhima's shoulder."Jab tak mujhe Armaan nai wapis mil jaata main unse baat nai karogi," Riddhima said with her eyes glistening with tears but not falling."Riddhima, agar Armaan aage bad gaya phir?" Muskaan asks."Armaan aisa nai kar sakta.Main apne Armaan ko jaanti hoon," Riddhima said."Agar woh aa gaya bad gaya hai toh phir uska phone nai aata," Riddhima continued.Anjali and Muskaan look at each other then at Riddhima who was just staring into thin air."Okay fine Armaan aage nai bada woh baat chodo lekin tum apne Papa ko toh ignore nai kar sakti," Anjali said."Unki wajah se mera dil toota hai," Riddhima yells, looking at Anjali."Unki meri fikar nai hai unko sirf apne aap ki fikar hai.He's a selfish man!" Riddhima yells, crying. Riddhima looks at Muskaan and Anjali,"Kabhi lagta hai ke woh mere Papa nai hai." Riddhima sits down on the bed with her eyes looking at the floor ahead of her.Muskaan sits next to her and hugs Riddhima.Riddhima cries in Muskaan's embrace and hugs her tightly.Muskaan looks up at Anjali who was standing and Anjali looks back at Muskaan.They had to help Riddhima to forget about Armaan.If Armaan doesn't come back to her then she can't live like this.Riddhima has to move on and maybe going on this trip things can change if Anjali and Muskaan help her.
After few hours, Riddhima wakes up and finds no one in her room.She turns her head and sees Armaan sitting on the chair that was in her room.Riddhima sits up and Armaan looks up at her.Riddhima feels her heartbeat raising and Armaan smiles at her and leans back in the seat.Riddhima walks over to Armaan and Armaan stands up with smile still on his face.Riddhima lifts her hand up to Armaan's face and Armaan shakes his head and disappears.Riddhima looks around trying to find Armaan but he was seen no where.Riddhima sits down on her bed and sits there still.No one can understand her love for Armaan then herself. All of them are trying to get her to move on but she never will. Her heart belongs to Armaan and no one else can take that away.Riddhima closes her eyes and sees Armaan smiling at her. Riddhima opens her eyes with a gasp and looks around.She hears a knock on the door which startles her.She opens the door and finds her mom standing there."Khana lag gaya hai," Padma said. Riddhima nods and Padma walks back downstairs.Riddhima looks around her room once again and doesn't see Armaan.She walks slowly down the steps and could hear faint voices of her friends. They decided to stay over for dinner because of Riddhima's birthday.Riddhima's parents and her friends talked.Riddhima stayed quiet and didn't even look up from her plate.Sometimes her dad would look at her and the behavior of Riddhima was making him mad.Riddhima needs to forget Armaan.Shashank couldn't take that Armaan has more importance in his daughter's life than he does.Shashank gets up abruptly making everyone stop what they are doing and look at Shashank."Main apne study main khao ga," Shashank said and picks up his plate and walks out of the kitchen.From the corner of her eyes, Riddhima watched her dad walk out.After her dad was out of sight, Riddhima turns her head and looks at the door.If her dad was nice with Armaan then she would have never ignored him. She would actually love him more."Ma, mujhe bhook nai hai," Riddhima said, looking at Padma.Padma looks at Riddhima then at Riddhima's plate.Nothing had been eaten on Riddhima's plate. It was the same at the beginning of dinner.Padma nods and Riddhima walks to her room."Aunty, Riddhima aise nai reh sakti," Muskaan said."Jaanti hoon lekin woh Armaan se itna pyar karti hai ke mujhe kuch samajh nai aata ke main kya karo," Padma said. "Shayad iss trip pe kuch badal jaye," Anjali said, hoping that her statement would come true."Anjali, Muskaan, please uss ka khayal rakhna jab tum trip ke liye jao," Padma said, looking at the both of them."Aunty, aap ko fikar karni ki koi zaroorat nai hai.Hum uska khayal rakhe ge," Muskaan said with her hand on Padma's hand.Padma smiles slightly and nods.Padma was glad that her daughter had such caring friends that will take of Riddhima.Padma turns her head and looks at a picture of Riddhima when she was little and Shashank holding her in his arms.Both of them were smiling big and now they are ignoring each other and don't talk to each other anymore.Things have taken such a big turn that no one would thought that a father and daughter who love each other so much would be distant from each other.
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My summer vacation has officially started and I'm so happy.That means more updates and new FFs but that is only if you all comment, like, and read.:))) Thank you again for everything!!!!
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