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You and Me [Part 1]
AR One Shot
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Hey guys! This idea popped in my head while I was watching some movie. Not able to keep it to myself, I decided to write a OS on this. 😃 The OS turned out to be way longer than I had anticipated.. so I'll be writing it in parts. Hope you enjoy reading it! =) Read&Comment!
Take care!!
-Deby
Armaan Malik, a world-wide acknowledged and appreciated pop singer, had come back to his mother land after six years. Mixed feelings aroused in him-feelings of happiness, nervousness, as well as slight sadness aroused in him. Happiness that he will finally be able to see her. Nervousness of what he will tell her when he finally sees her. Equal amount of guilt and sadness, and hot anger surged in him, since he wasn't able to be there when she needed him the most. It was worthless visiting, his mind told him, she would never forgive a fool like you. But he couldn't help himself but listen to his heart.
"Welcome to India, Sir." A young, beautiful lady rushed to him, smiling as she greeted him. He nodded appreciatively in response.
"Your luggage will be taken care of. Please follow me." She blinked. As much he wanted to follow her out of the airport, the good-looking lady continued to admire him for a second; he coughed, breaking her gazing session. She looked away and blushed.
"After you" Armaan smiled. The lady led him into the airports waiting area.
He stood in the waiting area, admiring the thronging busyness of the place at his odd hour, while his guards were covering for him from the screaming fans. He was slightly disappointed, still hopeful. Did she know that he was visiting? Of course she would, his mind answered, the news obviously was all over the news paper. No matter how angry she was with him, she had to come see her best friend if he was visiting India after 6 years, wouldn't she? He asked himself. But she was no where to be seen. He surely couldn't fail to track a tiny figure, screaming the loudest, pushing aside the crowd and rushing into his arms. The fond memories of her made him smile instantly, such that he fell in love with her all over again. Yes, he was in love with her, and he needed to tell her. She loves him too, he knows that. He had been a coward to run away, when she boldly confessed her love in front of the society, waiting for him to take her in his arms. Images of her, the last time he had seen her is still fresh in his mind- tears pricking those beautiful, red and swollen eyes.
"Armaan?" She whispered, while he let go of her and walked made his way towards the security check.
"I will be in touch, Riddhima. I promise." He shouted, hoping she would hear it, as he vanished in the crowd.
He was not able to keep up to his promises. He didn't protect her. He left her, that too, = during the most vulnerable phase of her life. Disgust and anger immediately took over. How could you, Armaan? How could you? A question that echoed in his head, unanswered.
"Sir?" A familiar, honey-like female voice brought him out of his thoughts.
He looked up to see his manager smiling at him.
"Katherine." A wave of relief washed him. Out of the whole world, Katherine was the only person who could help him right now. He needed to find Riddhima; It was necessary for his survival.
"Did you find out anything? Anything about her?" His eyes bore into hers, as he spoke. She could only nodded in response.
Katherine, Armaan's manager and friend, was about to board the same flight as her boss, when an emergency took over. Armaan being a kind and generous man, allowed her to attend her family problems and then take a different flight, to which she was grateful. Only, had he demanded her to get as much as she could on Riddhima Gupta. Riddhima Gupta must be a very special lady, she thought, since his eyes softened as he spoke of her.
She could clearly see the disappointment in his eyes, as he sat in the waiting area. Fans screamed and cheered for him, but he took no heed of them. For a moment, he raised his gaze and let it wander around the airport. Upset, he drifted back to his own set of thoughts. She decided to interrupt it.
She took a deep breathe and answered him, "yes, Sir."
Immediately, his expressions were unreadable and confusing. His eyes were happy and relieved, but his body had tensed at her response.
"Tell me." He told her softly.
"I found her parents address, Sir." She
0o0o~0o0o~0o0o~0o0o~0o0o
Although changed, but the place was yet so familiar. His driver drove the car, as Armaan sat back, thinking about the happenings.
No sooner did his manager tell him about her parents, that he left the airport to pay them a visit. It was a three hours route that he had to travel, while he composed his thoughts and worded them carefully, so that he could talk to her parents without any hesitation. In spite of the three hour practice, he was rendered speechless, when her parents appeared in front of him. The house was exactly the same, as he had remembered it. Flashes of memories appeared in front of his eyes, making it hot in the eyes, a warning for tears. However, he managed to compose himself and meet her parents. They were pleasantly surprised, when they opened the door. They told him how proud she was when his first album had released, 4 years ago. They told him about the innocent sparkle in her eyes, when she spoke of him, which made him prouder.
3 years ago, she fell in love with a young man, he learnt. 4 months later, they got married, in spite of the warnings Riddhima got from her friends and family. Apparently, the man had been married before and his wife had committed "suicide", a year after that. Not only Riddhima's relatives, but the guys brother himself warned her, telling her that it would have consequences. Blinded by love, Riddhima refused to believe or even listen to any of the accusations. After her marriage, they barely heard from Riddhima, her parents told him. They didn't even know that Riddhima was pregnant, until Riddhima's brother-in-law had informed then about it. Armaan's heart fell almost instantly. He couldn't stand the thought of Riddhima being tortured by her husband.
The car abruptly came to a halt, snapping Armaan out of his thoughts.
"Sir, this is the place." Foul smell filled his nostrils. Coughing, Armaan covered his mouth with his a piece of cloth. Shocked, he scanned the place. Far from a developed place, the area seemed to what was known as slum. Residents in torn, worn out and old attires and disgruntled looks, gathered around him, as he slowly stepped out of his car. He could tell that they would have pounced on him, unless his guards had covered for him, like always. Grateful, he looked at his manager, who stood patiently beside him. His heart sank at the thought of Riddhima surviving in such a place.
"Show me the place, Katherine."
She could see he was shocked, moreover, upset. In her 3 years with him, she had never seen him this torn and upset. The pain in his eyes she could see was for the girl, which made her wonder who the girl was, who meant so much to Armaan Malik. Armaan Malik was known to be the most careless and fun-loving of all the celebrities. But the guy whom she was leading right now was not him, but someone new and different entirely. She could almost predict a caring and loving guy in him, when she saw the eagerness in him, as he followed her.
As he followed Katherine, his observed the area she was living in. He was surprised that she was living in this existing hell, without letting anyone know about it; adjustment was not Riddhima's nature. The Riddhima he knew was a head-strong and tough girl, the girl he loves. People occupied with their regular tasks, lifted their heads in surprised and gasped, as he passed them. With every second, the crowd behind him grew bigger and bigger.
Katherine, suddenly, stopped in front of a old and worn out house, and looked at him.
"This" She murmured and waited for him to respond. But he didn't. For a moment, he continued to stare at the door of the temporary hut and then looked back at her. She nodded in encouragement, knowing that he needed support right now.
"Thanks, Katherine." He patted her back and moved ahead. His fragile heart was throbbing against his rib cage. He could hear nothing, but his slow breathing. 6 years, 4 months and 7 days..he counted..and now again, forever.
Gathering himself the next moment, knowing that he was being watched, he knocked on the door.
A middle-aged lady opened the door and gasped on seeing Armaan standing at his door.
"Aap?" She continued ogling him for a moment.
"Yeh Riddhima ka ghar hai?" Asked Armaan loudly, loud enough for the crowd following him. The lady's already wide gaze, widened a bit more...staring at him in confusion and shock.
"Jee?" She looked at him, confused.
"Riddhima. Riddhima Gupta!" He shouted louder this time.
Recovering from her shock, the lady nodded immediately .
The crowd behind him immediately broke into whispers, audible to Katherine and Armaan. He could clearly make out that they considered the resident derogatory for some reason, and wondered by a star like him was visiting her. Internally, he wanted to grab each one of those and beat them to death, but had no options but to ignore them.
Exhaling out his rage, he followed the lady inside the house, who led her to Riddhima..his Riddhima.
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PART 2-PAGE 4
Anupamaa
Pocket Mein Aasman
Cricket
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