The World's Oldest Story!! #10 - Page 94

When Dr. Shubhankar entered the dean's cabin during lunchtime, he found him lost deep in thought. So much, that he didn't even notice his presence despite having knocked and entered.

"Excuse me sir..", Dr. Shashank's trail of thought was broken by his polite interruption as he looked up at him at once.

"Ah.. Dr. Shubhankar.. I'm sorry I was just thinking something.. Kahiye?..", he asked him, apologizing for his absent-mindedness.

"No problem Dr. Shashank. Main toh bas aapko yaad dilaane aaya tha, we had an informal lunch meet with the board members and the sponsors before the meeting for the expansion proposal takes place this afternoon.. Sir, its already one.. I think hume chalna chahiye..", he reminded him of their lunch date as he politely beckoned him to hurry.

But Dr. Shashank didn't seem too interested by the idea of lunch company that Shubhankar was talking about. He had other important work to do, "Oh yes.. Main toh bhul hi gaya tha.. Uh.. Dr. Shubhankar.. Can I request you to please handle this lunch.. I have some important work to take care of before I leave for Pune this evening.. I'm sure Dr. Anjali bhi hongi.. And I don't think my presence isn't that necessary for this informal chat.." he tried to get away with being absent for this informal event. It was true that his presence wasn't vital for this lunch and what he had his mind set on doing was certainly more important. He had spent a lot of time thinking on this issue and he knew he had to act as soon as possible. But since he was leaving for Pune tonight and tomorrow being New years eve he knew he wouldn't get another appropriate opportunity than right now. He really didn't want to keep this pending for another two days.

Dr. Shubhankar wondered why his boss was being so moody about this lunch, since he himself had suggested this informal meet to get to know the sponsors personally. But he also respected his judgment and knew that the dean wouldn't shun his responsibilities unless he had something more important to do. "No problem sir.. Main sab handle kar lunga.. But please try and come if you get time.. Aap honge toh impact alag padta hai..", he put in his request with a smile and turned to leave.

"Aisa kucch nahi hai Dr. Shubhankar.. Sanjeevni ka impression yahan ke saare employees ne milkar banaya hai.. I just represent everyone in the actual sense.. But I'll surely make an appearance.. I just need around fifteen minutes right now.. ", Dr. Shashank assured him as he saw him leave through the door with a final, "Okay sir.. I'll see you later then.. Or I'll just see you at the meeting.."

"Yeah..", and as soon as Dr. Shubhankar had shut the door behind him, he didn't waste any time in executing his most important work for the afternoon. Picking up the receiver of his phone he dialed the reception, "Sister Lovely.. Please Dr. Mallik ko page kar dijiye.. I want to see him in my cabin right away..", he ordered the nurse at the reception kindly. As she replied in an affirmative, he put down the receiver and relaxed back on his chair. Entwining the fingers of both his hands together, he shut his eyes and waited for his damaad to grace his company while mentally going through the conversation that he had been thinking of having since last night.

Armaan and Riddhima were making the most of their lunch break in Armaan's cabin before the stupid pager beeped to interrupt their make out session.

"Tch!! God not the pager again!! Can I please get some peaceful alone time with my fiancee!!.. " Normally one would have assumed this exclamation coming from the ever desperate Mallik. But this time it was his other-half-to-be who was frustrated with the lack of private time that she got to spend with her Armaan. And she was being particularly shamelessly vocal about it today. It was probably an after effect of the stress they had gone through in the last few days and also the fact that after having finally sorted everything out this morning they had not got a moment just for themselves. She had been summoned to the hospital for an emergency soon after his more than heart touching confession. And then after coming to the hospital, both of them had gotten too busy to even look at each others' faces though. But despite that he was the only thing constantly on her mind. Throughout the day, even through the most stressful of situations, she was feeling crazily lightheaded and high on this feeling of love. After their heart to heart this morning, she was so overwhelmed and overawed by the magnanimity of his love that she couldn't look beyond it. Every time she thought that she couldn't love him more than she does already, he did something like he did this morning and made her love him even more. The magnitude of his love was so large that she was assured it would go on and on.. So much that even an eternity and a million 'I-Love-You's would not take away the enchantment that his love held for her. She realized how every situation they faced just took her one level deeper into the ocean of his love. But the end never came.. She hoped it would never come.. The love he had for her was astronomically vast. It couldn't be measured even if it had defined units of measurement. It was so much that she found herself competing against him, wanting to give him at least as much if not more of what he gave her. But maybe she never could. Not everyone was capable of loving someone the way he did. The way he loved was unmatchable. Just like he was. And she didn't have words to express how lucky she felt to be the one he found worthy of his affections. There was so much she wanted to say and do to reciprocate that love. But lack of time as usual played spoil sport. So the moment she got free for lunchtime she made her way to his cabin, hoping that she gets an hour or half at the least to spend with him. And to make sure that no one disturbs them she had locked the door while coming in. Obviously since a good part of the spending time was going to involve a make out session, she didn't want it to be another topic of gossip in the hospital. She had realized that people keep walking in on them whenever they are having a moment in his cabin. Sometimes the nurses, sometimes doctors, sometimes Juhi and sometimes that bitch Payal. So today she had made sure that people at least don't witness their besharmi. She knew it was really wrong and extremely unprofessional of them to take advantage of his cabin the way they did, almost treating it like their home, but today she didn't care much. Today, she was just beyond being happy. So happy and overwhelmed that she just couldn't bring herself to express herself in words even when she had found the time to tell him all she had to. So she found the next best way to convey her love and they had ended up in a passionate make out on the couch in his cabin, crossing all levels of immodesty as far as work romance was concerned. Good thing Riddhima had better sense to lock the door when she did come in, coz if anyone were to walk in through the door right now they would have been scandalized at the sight. Riddhima had been sitting on Armaan's lap as he held her close from around her waist, his face buried in her neck while her hands explored his back from under his shirt. And though they had silently agreed on maintaining decency at work, today was just different. They couldn't stop themselves. For once Riddhima wasn't in her 'koi-dekh-lega' mode and Armaan took complete advantage of her altered state of emotions. Plus, he couldn't really help it when every caress of hers just fuelled his passion exponentially. But before it could drive him to the point of no return, he had been brought back to the planet by his pager. It had irritated him to no end, making him frown, but Riddhima's exclamatory reaction to the situation made him smirk. He knew she was being a little extra affectionate to him today after what he had said. He was glad that she had stopped blaming herself for all that had happened and was happy now. Her happiness was what mattered most. But he had not expected this changed demeanor and all the extra love. But he wasn't complaining at all. If anything, he felt they were finally getting what they truly deserved after their wedding date was decided. Both of them had been through a lot in the few days that had followed. But he had resolved everything today. And like her, he felt this celebration was more than justifiable. He somehow felt weirdly happy about all that had happened inspite of it not being the best of times he had spent with her. He felt like he was free from some burden. It was like putting all that he felt in words had broken down the invisible walls that had caged his feelings. He didn't know if it was possible, but he kind of felt closer not only to Riddhima but also to himself. Somehow, he knew now, that if his past is talked about, he'll be able to handle it better than he did. And he knew, that his Riddhima would always be there with him to remind him of his beautiful present and a future that he couldn't wait to start living. And the best part of it all was to see Riddhima's million dollar smile and the way it reached her eyes. She seemed like a renewed and refurbished source of positive energy that just made him and his day bright and happy. The way she loved him was beyond his scope of understanding, the way she understood him beyond his scope of love. He didn't know how she did it, but she did. Almost like she was him. He had thought it to be too far fetched an idea when it had occurred in his head. But when he had confessed it out loud to her it felt like the most obvious thing in the world. He truly and rightly believed it to be true. He had never imagined he'll find someone who could get so close to him ever. But Riddhima had always been, still is and will always be closest to him and no one would be able to replace her. That much he was sure of! And now as he saw her frown an irritated frown at his pager, he couldn't help but grin at her. Oh she was one of a kind!

"Finally it got to you too Basket!! I toh always thought this pager and your papa were the ultimate haddis in our kabab..", he pretended to be as irritated as her, replying teasingly to her exasperated exclamation.

Riddhima just rolled her eyes, but hugged him tighter, digging her nails into his skin which was still accessible to her by the hands that were inside his shirt, "Armaan.. Please.. I know all you want to do is make fun of me.. But seriously.. I need some time with you..", she seriously mumbled with a complaining pout as she nuzzled his neck.

Armaan grinned at her complaint but tried to look for his lab coat around them that Riddhima had mercilessly thrown off a few minutes back. "Yeah sure.. Can you please pass me my pager from there.. I cant reach my lab coat from around you..", he requested inspite of the small tempting kisses that she was placing on his neck to seduce him.

And his request made Riddhima frown, completely killing her mood. She pulled out a little to glare at him, her hands still caressing his back, "Armaan!! Are you even listening to me!!"

Armaan was more than enjoying this situation that he had been put into. As much as it was irritating to be interrupted, it wasn't everyday that his Riddhima was caught between wanting to kiss him and kill him at the same time, "Yes Basket.. But it could be an emergency..", he explained to her through his wicked grin. Yeah, he just couldn't ignore the fact that it could be an emergency and he didn't want his name being announced on the intercom.

But his explanation did nothing to improve Riddhima's scowl. She handed him his lab coat and groaned in frustration and leaned her forehead with a thud on his chest, "God!!.."

"Oh Dear God!!", she took out her hands from his shirt and tried to disentangle herself from him as she heard his exclamation, "What! What happened?..", she asked him, realizing that what he had read on the display of his pager had warranted that reaction. But he didn't seem to concerned about whatever it read coz he just pulled her back to himself and hid his face in her neck, "Nothing.. Lets continue.. So where were we?.."

But Riddhima was curious. Why wasn't he concerned about the pager. No doctor must ignore his pager. And she knew Armaan wouldn't do this on purpose. But if she was the one holding him back then she would have to make him go. They after all were responsible doctors first, how much ever in love they may be! "Armaan.. Kya hua.. What is it? You should go you're on call.. What if it's important.. ", she said, pulling him out and trying to get out of his hold.

This time Armaan didn't hold back his frown as he sighed, "Trust me.. Its not.. Your alarm must have ticked off.." and he got back to nuzzling her neck, leaving her completely and utterly confused, "Alarm?.. What alarm?.. Armaan your pager just beeped.. Leave me and go do your work..", she strictly ordered him, pulling him out again. But he held her hands and pulled her back to him, "Na.. It can wait.. You can't.. Its not everyday ki tum khud mere bahon mein itni sharafat se aati ho.. I always have to chase you..", he complained, but had that naughty grin on his face as he almost teased her for it. Riddhima blushed at his comment but pretended to be irritated, "Armaan shut up please.. Who was it?", she asked sternly while trying to hide her smile. But what Armaan said next brought a genuine frown on her face, "Arre the mahaan Shanky papa hai yaar.. I told you he's a permanent haddi.. And he has some alarm or sensor or something that goes off when I'm too close to you.. Upar se today he's joined hands with my other nemesis, the 'pager'..", he dramatically declared, like it was some conspiracy.

Riddhima made a face at her cracked-headed fiancee as he made fun of her dad, "Armaan shut up.. There's no alarm..", she claimed lamely when she couldn't think of a strong argument.

"Then how do you explain how this pager which beeps just as I was about to go for that second kiss summoning me to Dr. Shashank Gupta's cabin for an urgent meeting..", he asked her, seriously making a point to prove his theory. This had happened one time to many now for him to believe it as just a coincidence.

She scrunched her brows as she tried to defend her papa while wondering if really there was any truth to Armaan's theory. She couldn't deny the fact that her papa always somehow managed to interrupt them just at the right times. "Armaan koi important kaam hoga.. Must be that expansion project ka meeting.."

"Yeah sure.. During lunch hours!!", Armaan sarcastically countered, rolling his eyes at her stupid explanations, "Armaan I'm sure there's some way to explain this..", she said again. But Armaan was not going to give up. Though he wasn't sure of what he was saying and most certainly knew there was no concrete basis to his theory, Riddhima had started buying on to it and it was just fun to watch that expression on her face. It was quite entertaining. So he continued to defend himself and his hypothesis, "Of course there must be an explanation Basket.. But unhe humesha kaise pata chal jaata hai.. How come he interrupts us almost every time..", he asked, raising a suspicious brow in all his drama.

Riddhima saw his half naughty grin wanting to fight its way out and realized he was doing it on purpose. And anyway, she knew she couldn't come up with anything to beat his cracked up assumptions. So she just diverted the topic, defending her father in a completely different context, "It's actually good that he does interrupt Armaan.. I think he's stopped us for good a lot of times.. You should be thankful to him..", she teased him, showing his tongue as she grinned. Armaan couldn't help but scowl at that, "Yeah of course.. Tum toh unki hi side logi.. But Basket.. Abhi ke liye toh theek hai.. But we'll have to do something about this after we get married.. I mean, I'm not taking any responsibility if he's the one deprived of grandchildren.. I'm sure he doesn't want that kind of a situation..", he said in that irritated tone of his, but after a moment, he just couldn't stop his grin and that naughty wink. When Riddhima realized the meaning of what he had said, her eyes widened in shock and he grin turned into a scowl, "Armaan!! Tum.. You're just.. Urrgh.. I try so much.. I try so much not to get mad at you, but you just have to find a way to irritate me.. Don't you!!", she asked him angrily, pushing him away as she got up from his lap.

"Well.. Yeah.. What can I say.. I'm really irritating.. ", he proudly accepted the claim as he handed her her dupatta and picked up his lab coat. Riddhima just glared at him with her scowl as she placed her dupatta neatly around her neck, "Can you please just go see what papa wants.."

"I wish I could refuse.. ", he remarked, putting on his lab coat and looking around for his stethoscope, making Riddhima go "Armaan!!" in all her frustration.

"Basket!!", came his trademark retort.

"Ar.. Oh god! Just go..", she asked him to leave, pointing at the door angrily.

Armaan grinned at her state as he stepped closer to her, "Are you sure.. I really don't want to.. And I know you don't want me to either..", he winked at her teasingly, removing the distance between them. At first she started to back up as he stepped ahead, but when she heard him, she just stopped and let him come closer, "I wish I could Armaan.. I just wish we could run away for some time.. Just the two of us.. ", she said in a soft voice, sighing as she wished for her wish to come true. Armaan smiled, encircling his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer, "That's cool.. I swear we should run away.. Toh aaj shaam ko aath baje tayar rehna.. It's a date!", and he winked at her, grinning that grin and that glint in his eyes thinking of where all he could take her now that she's agreed to run away with him. But she crashed his dreams in an instant as she said, "Armaan I am not running away with you.."

"Why not Basket.. Then I can sing that song.. Main tujhko bhaga laya hoon tere ghar se.. Tere baap ke dar se.. Tere baap ke dar se..", Riddhima's scowled deepened when he let go of her and broke into a dance as he sang the chapri song, "Armaan seriously.. That just turned me off completely.. Never again.. Never again sing a Govinda song to convince me of anything.. It's absolutely not my style and far from romantic..", she declared, crossing her arms across her front, the frown still not leaving her face.

Armaan grinned wickedly at that, "But it does irritate you.. And if it irritates you, then who cares about romantic.. Main tujhko bhaga layaa hoon.."

"Armaan!!!" and she stopped him before he could continue singing with a smack on his arm. Armaan put his arms around her again to pull her into a hug but she pushed him off just in time and then started pushing him towards the door, "Jaa raha hoon yaar..", he exclaimed as she unlocked the door and tried to push him out. But he resisted her attempts and pulled her to him, holding her by her arms bent behind her back. She stopped struggling when she realized he was gazing at her through those beautiful blue-gray eyes of his, that held all the love in the world, "I love you Riddhima..", he whispered, expressing that love in the only three words that he could.

"I love you too Armaan..", she whispered back, lowering her gaze, unable to take the intensity of his.

"Oye hoye..", she heard him whisper as he caressed her crimson cheeks with the back of his hand. And that made her look at him, "Ab jao..", she told him through her smile, pushing him lightly but not really wanting to let him go.

"Pakka?", he asked her, still grinning as he saw he blush.

"Armaan.. Seriously.. Papa will get mad if you get late.. ", she warned him, backing him towards the door.

"Fine.. But I wasn't joking about tonight Basket.. I'm coming to pick you up at eight..", he reminded her of their deal with a wink as he parted from her but didn't let go of her hand.

Riddhima who had genuinely thought of his running away plan as a joke asked him curiously, "But Armaan where are we going?.."

"We're running away Riddhima.. There's no plan.. We'll find somewhere to go.. ", he smartly replied, pulling her with him till he stood right at the door, not wanting to step out.

But Riddhima now had something else troubling her, "So what am I supposed to wear?.. ", she asked him, pressing her need to know where they were headed, so she could dress accordingly.

"Wear anything Basket.. How does it matter.. I can make my way through anything now-a-days.. But I have to admit shirts are the most convenient for ease of access..", and Riddhima's mouth dropped in shock at that embarrassing comment of his, "Armaan!!!", she glared at him at once, slapping his hand away from hers while he just pecked her cheek once before he ran out of the cabin for his life, his naughty grin accompanying him all the way to sasurjee's cabin while Riddhima was left muttering to himself in his, "Unbelievably shameless.. What am I gonna do with this guy!!"

But inspite of all the cursing, she couldn't help but blush at the thought of the time she'd get to spend with him tonight. That reminded her that she needed to head home early and bring out her epilator if she was going to wear something that was going to give him the ease of access. She turned a deeper crimson at her own thoughts, shaking her head in an attempt to shake off all the amorous thoughts out of her mind as she started to put on her lab coat. It was time to return to work. But just as she opened the door of the cabin to get out, she found herself face to face with none other than the one and only pain in her back, Dr. Payal!!

"Armaan's not in there. ", she coldly informed her, giving her the ultimate of all her deadly glares.

Payal gulped as she heard her tone, and looked away from her, "Uh.. Actually.. I had just come to give him this list.. He.. Uh.. He had asked me to.. Uh.. Give it to him..", she stammered, stealing cautious glances at Riddhima who was still glaring at her.

Riddhima took the list from her and looked down at more than a dozen names jotted down on the piece of paper, "What's this list?", she asked her out of curiosity. She recognized a few of those names as the interns and wondered why Armaan was making a list.

"Actually.. This is.. The.. Uh.. Invitation list.. ", Payal managed to stutter as Riddhima shot her a confused look, "What invitation?" and why did Armaan need an invitation list. Surely this wasn't anything to do with their wedding. Nonetheless that thought occurred in her mind.

"Uh.. For the New years party that he's throwing.. Tomorrow night.. I mean.. He had asked me to.. Uh.. Make a list of all the invites.. So.. Uh.. Please if you could give it to him..", she requested through her stutters, her voice fading away as she saw the change in Riddhima's expression, "He's throwing a new years party!!! Are you kidding me!!", she looked mad! Really really angry.. Probably didn't even know there was a party. She realized this wasn't the best of places to be with Riddhima having lost her temper, "Uh.. Ma'am! Actually I need to be somewhere.. I'll just.. Leave..", and she scurried off into oblivion as Riddhima stood there, fuming, as her glare pierced through the list that she was holding. Armaan was throwing a party at his place that she didn't even know of!! Let alone inviting her, he had not even mentioned it to her!! And more than anything else, what angered her most was that Dr. Payal was not only invited to the f**kin party but was also helping him out with the preparations!! He was so dead, he didn't even know it!! With clenched teeth and the crumbled paper in her hand, she headed to the OPD, ready to strangle Armaan at the first sight of him..

... to be continued... 😊