Part XXXIV
"I cannot believe she said that..." Shashank looked up as Padma walked into their room, she was taking all this too well, he noticed.
She gave him a half smile as she got into bed, "You didn't really give her too many choices, you know" but she wasn't as calm as he thought she was especially after what she had seen in the morning, Armaan dropping Riddhima off. Riddhima's response had given nothing away but she was a mother, she could read that face like the back of her hand. It was troubling her, and knowing that both father and daughter could be stubborn, she knew she'd have to be the one to resolve this.
"Was I wrong?" he repeated for the third time and when she did not respond, he spoke loudly, "Padma?"
"Sorry Shashank...I was just..." she knew it was time to take matters into her own hand now, "sorry, go on"
"What do you think?" when she did not respond yet again, "You are supposed to help me out here. This is getting too complicated..." Shashank said slightly agitated.
"What do you think I have been trying to do?"
"How come you are so calm while I am not. Am I missing something or just over-reacting?" he narrowed his eyes at her.
"We respond to crisis differently since we are both different individuals."
"So you deem this a crisis situation?"
"Well...isn't it?"She put her phone to charge on the side table.
"Where is Riddhima?"
"She is with Anjali in their room"
"I don't like that guy or his father or his entire family or this situation...or what they..." Shanshank's disapproval of Armaan was well and truly visible on his face.
"Unless you want to spend your life with him, I don't see how that is a problem...your daughter loves that boy and as you saw, her happiness lies with him"
"Are you telling me, you don't have a problem with their relationship?"
She smiled triumphantly to his great annoyance, "What's so funny?" he asked.
"You said their relationship, for the very first time..." he tried to play it down, "That still doesn't change a thing..." looking away, "He's no good Padma"
"Well, if the auction of his paintings was something to go by, he doesn't seem as bad as you make him out to be" Padma defended Armaan much to Shashank's annoyance but even he could not argue with that. It had taken him by surprise too that facet of his. But with the accident bringing everything out in the open, things had changed very quickly, could he relent? Padma sensed his dilemma, "She's your daughter Shashank"
He did not get it, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She can be just as stubborn as you...and knowing her, I know she won't change her decision..." He couldn't argue with that either. But it did scare him, that thought, "And we've never forced our decision on either of the girls, ever" Padma reminded him, "The question is, do we want to do that now?"
He knew the answer already; there was no need to voice it.
"That brings us back to square one" she continued, "Which is?" he asked wanting to hear those words but it never came, he didn't like either option.
"Good night Shashank"
~~~
Earlier that evening, a few hours ago.
"Is everything alright? What happened at her house? Is Riddhima okay?"
"Mom!" that stopped her, "Calm down, will you! We are just driving into the house now. And yes, Riddhima is fine. Thanks for asking about me!" he whined. When she let out a tired sigh from the other end, he spoke, "I'll call you as soon as it's over..."and still there was no acknowledgement from the other end, "Alright?" he asked again, "Fine..." Armaan realized even his mother was super tensed about this meeting, had it been a bad idea?
"Your mom?" Riddhima asked, he nodded. "Your house is like a freaking Mansion Riddhima...it's huge! Where should I park?" he asked her trying to divert her thoughts away from all worrying.
"This is fine...and it's not my house Armaan, its Dad's!" she took a long breath trying calm her nerves as she took in the sight of the house and everything that lay ahead."Let's go"
Riddhima kissed him lightly before getting out of the car, "If that was meant to be some bribe, let me tell you, it didn't work" he spoke as he shut off the engine. He could tell she was slightly jittery and tense the entire way. And this almost chaste peck on his lips was a testimony of the state of her troubled mind. When she did not respond and started to walk towards the house, Armaan pulled her back slightly, "Are you sure you want to do this... now... Riddhima?" he asked because for the first time, he was not sure. He wasn't sure what she had in her mind, here they were walking up to her front porch, hand in hand per her insistence, and something did not seem right to him. It didn't help that Riddhima had kept things to herself. Or the fact that she looked on edge!
She looked at him reassuringly, "You have to trust me with this one" there was a long pause, almost as if she was asking him to trust her, when he did not respond back, she asked, "Do you?"
"I'm not getting a good vibe out of this" his response was not what she was hoping for,"Armaan, Dad asked me to choose between..." she paused again and averted her eyes and let his hand go and looked the other way quietly.
"I know Riddhima..." his acknowledgement surprised her even though it shouldn't have, "How?"
"Remember he had come to visit me at the hospital once. He told me to ..."
"To stay away from me?"
"Let's just say, he made it clear, he felt you were better off without me..." his smile was an uneasy one and she could see, this man she had come to love so dearly was slowing sinking somewhere, that things were getting to him.
But he surprised her when he continued the next instant, "But...I know where we stand so I ..." he walked up to her and took her hands in his, "We'll get through this...and if I have to I'll whisk you away" Armaan smiled half-heartedly purposely leaving things unsaid. She found his attempt to lighten things endearing, "I love how you can conjure a smile even at the worst of times..." that sure did bring out a faint albeit tired smile on her lips as well, "and how your eyes light up...and these..." she caressed those dimples lightly.
Armaan was pretty certain someone had been observing them from inside the house, it didn't make him feel any good so he shushed her, "Let's get this over with" and started walking towards the front door, only to stop a few paces away, "Just don't turn my world upside down Riddhima...I don't think I can remain sane if that happens" he took her hand and kissed the back of it, "Especially now..." the meaning not lost on either.
And this time, there was no smile or hint of any smile on his face anywhere, Riddhima understood what he meant, "It's not going to be easy to convince Dad, Armaan. So let me deal with him, the best way I can, the best way I know ...I just ask one thing from you..." she continued starring at him expectantly, "what?" he asked, a little impatiently.
"What ever happens inside, promise me you will stand by me?" Her voice quivering a little almost as if she wasn't absolutely certain, he would approve, was she doubting her decision already?
That sure did put him in a spot, to be honest he wasn't sure where she was getting at but he was also certain that she wouldn't give up on them so easily so it was hard not to give in. Unfortunately for him, he was finding it equally hard not to listen to those voices in his head that spoke of doom. But he had to choose, "You don't need a promise from me to know, I'll be with you. Whether you want it or not, desire it or not, you are stuck with me for a very very long time...Now let's get in there and get this over with"
~~~
There was a nervous anticipation about her steps, and yet a resolute front that told you she was firm in her resolution. Almost like she drew her strength from her beliefs, because from love comes all the strength if you surrender to it. She walked ahead while he followed her silently, like her shadow, her strength; this was going to be the strangest battle they fought, with their loved ones, and one with a part of themselves, with their dreams and aspirations perhaps if things came to worse. There was no greater truth than accepting your reality and standing by your convictions, even if went against all and sundry because the moment you let go and compromise on that one thing, on that one truth, you ceased to be you.
They walked in to a storied reception, pale faces of her parents, the people closest to her heart, and their eyes held questions. Riddhima noticed a flicker of realization in her father's gaze as he saw Armaan right behind her. The look was unmistakable and yet so unavoidable.
"Good evening Sir..." he spoke mostly because he felt stifled by all this uneasy silence that permeated the room, "Hello..." he smiled at Padma who smiled back warmly at him. This was the first time she was meeting him in person at close quarters, and she had to admit, seeing him sit together in that sofa with Riddhima, her motherly instinct approved. They did look good together... despite what her husband said, if only things wouldn't have been so complicated between these two families, these two kids actually looked great together. You know how, when you meet someone for the first time and you just know, this was that sort of a moment for her.
He noticed that Riddhima was playing with her phone that was never a good sign; of the two parents, he could tell that Padma approved their relationship already but the man in question had been starring at him like he would love to skin him alive right there. If he didn't know he had jumped into a cauldron of boiling water five minutes ago, Dr. Shashank made it sure as hell obvious!
"Di is not here?" finally Riddhima looked around, surprised at Anjali's absence because they had talked over the phone.
"She had work at the hospital..." Padma lied.
"Actually" Dr. Shashank interjected, "Let's keep things honest here. I asked her to give this a skip because I wanted it this way. So Dr. Armaan, what brings you here? Have you reconsidered after our last conversation?"
He felt tongue tied, "Sir..."That was a little too direct for his liking, and hell no, there was no reconsidering anything, he wanted to say.
"It was my idea Dad" Riddhima butted in to everyone's surprise, "I asked Armaan to come with me here today because I have made my decision"
Those words put everyone on edge ... Armaan, Shashank and Padma.
"You have and not him?" Shashank asked.
"I wanted him to be here when I give you the answer to your question because it concerns not just me but because it will affect both of our lives"
"Riddhima..." Shashank spoke only to be cut off by Ridhdima, "Please Dad, hear me out. Let me say what I have to before I lose the strength to carry this out" she got up from the sofa and walked towards the window starring outside, a little lost "You had asked me to make a choice" but turned around to look him in the eye the very next instant.
Dr. Shashank did not say a word.
"I've realized, the only way I can make everyone truly happy is if I make two pieces of me...because you cannot choose between people you love" she sighed, "You made me the person that I am today...and whether you accept it or not, have influenced the very decision that I have made because you always taught me to listen to my heart and do the right thing...and now I believe I'm doing just that when I concede to your wish, we..." looking at Armaan with tears brimming in her eyes, "will not get married without your consent"
Armaan felt like he was jolted out of a bad dream...only to realize a second later that he had woken up in a crazier nightmare than that previous dream! He felt instant disgust at her words, what the hell was she blabbering on about," Riddhima..." he tried to stop her but she beat him to it by raising her hand, "Please Armaan, hear me out:"She looked at her mother's face drawing strength from her, and when she gave her the go ahead, she felt recharged to carry this battle forward.
Armaan couldn't look at the smirk on Dr. Shashank's face any longer, he wanted nothing more than to shake Riddhima till she came back to her senses, this wasn't what all those promises and the night before had meant, or had they!? He wasn't sure anymore, there were too many things running through his mind. Had that been a final goodbye?
Riddhima continued to his dismay, "And since I am painfully aware by now that consent will never come from you, I am resigned to the fact that we will never get married..."
"I am done here..." Armaan got up abruptly, he wasn't going to sit here and watch her give up on everything so easily without a fight. This was not the same woman he had fallen in love with, it was a pale shadow he could not recognize.
"Armaan calm down and let her complete what she has to say. Please sit down"Padma spoke with such amazing authority that he sat right back down.
At this point, there was only one person in the room who was enjoying the moment because he could sense victory. But Riddhima was not done yet; she shot a warning glance at Armaan once he sat back down, "I ask of trust"
And when she said those words, he realized, she didn't care that there were others in the room, it was just the two of them. But there was nothing reassuring he could say at this moment, "I'm here aren't I?" he avoided looking at her.
"Fine I will make this short" and looked back at her father who had been enjoying watching everything unravel so far, "Out of respect for you, I accept that we won't get married without your consent but it is also a truth that I love this man" and turned towards Armaan, "who refuses to look at me because he is mighty angry right now because I didn't tell him my decision before hand and chose to spring it upon him like this..." to this Armaan looked up at her finally in surprise more than anything else, "I cannot be dishonest to myself and to this wonderful person sitting in front of you and say he does not exist when it's so far from the truth...If there can't be any marriage between us because you do not approve, I accept that but I will not marry anyone else either because I cannot give up on 'us' and that you must accept Dad"and with this she looked back at her father.
To say that he was stunned would be an understatement; Shashank was certainly not expecting such a decision from Riddhima. He watched in pure shock as she walked back and sat besides Armaan, "You were saying?"
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