Armaan and riddhima were sobbing hugging each other. He kept on caressing her hair and kissing her head. He controlled his tears because he knew its the time for him to be strong and handle his basket. He knew his basket is still the same fragile girl.She tried hard to hide that girl inside her not wanting anyone to see her and she was successful in doing that. She can hide from everyone, but not him. Armaan knows to see through her fake smiles and brave self. He let her cry, he wanted her to cry and let everything out. When he felt her sobs subsiding he parted her a little and they wiped each other's tears. She slowly stood up from his lap and went to the balcony. Armaan followed her and stood beside her who was staring at the distance. After a minute, she asked him in a low voice looking at him "Why did you break up with me Armaan? Did I hurt you? Did I do anything wrong? Did I.." he put his finger on her lips not letting her speak. "No basket. You didn't hurt me. You didn't do anything wrong, it was all entirely my fault. These five years, I thought you will be living your life happily. I.." she interrupted him and asked in a choked voice "How did you thought I will live happily without you armaan?" "I am sorry basket, I am sorry, I thought.. I thought I was doing the best for you and did the opposite by breaking up with you. I trusted someone who I shouldn't have and ruined everything. I thought you will be happy in your life" he said with tears brimming in his eyes. "What are you saying? Who did you trust?" Armaan looked at her not knowing how to say to her who it was? He feared if he says the reason to his basket, she will not be able to handle it. She will be broken if he tells her who was that someone he mentioned. But he can't hide it from her all life. He will have to say to her. But before he tells it to her, he wanted to mentally prepare her to handle the shock and only his love could give her the strength to handle it.
"Basket, I will tell you the reason, but not now, I will tell you soon. Please give me some time". "Why can't you tell the reason now? What is it you are hiding from me?" "I am not telling you now and I am hiding it from you because you will be broken when you come to know what happened and what made me break up with you, it will hurt you basket" "Anyone or anything is not going to hurt me more than you did by walking out of my life. I am already broken armaan, nothing else is going to break me more" she said in her painful voice. Armaan winced. "Basket.." "Five years was not enough for you? You need more time to tell me the reason? I was crying from the second you walked out of my life armaan. I am dying every second from the moment I heard you say you hate me. Only i know what i am going through all these years. I don't remember the last time I slept peacefully. Every day and night I am going mad thinking why you left me. You took everything with you when you left me. My smile, my trust, my heart you took everything with you. I am living like a machine. I don't know what wrong i did to deserve this punishment" she yelled angrily tears rolling down her cheeks. If possible, his already broken heart broke again hearing her. What he did thinking will make her happy had broken her more. He walked towards her trying to hold her hands when she backed off harshly. "Riddhima, i.." she interrupted him "I don't want any explanations armaan. Are you going to tell me or not?" "I can't tell you now" he said not looking at her. He doesn't have the strength to look in to her eyes. "Fine, if you don't want to say anything, let it be. I am not going to ask you anything until you yourself say it" she said angrily and went inside her room not listening to him who was calling her to stop her. Armaan went to his room and took her photo from the bedside "i am sorry basket..i am sorry" he mumbled looking at it. They both cried as another sleepless night passed.
Armaan opened his eyes and looked at the clock, it showed 6 AM. He looked at her photo in his hand and hugged it close to his heart kissing it. He remembered the day he captured this picture of hers.
Armaan was smiling to himself thinking of Ms.Basket. He was sitting in the basketball court after playing. It's been ten days since he met her for the first time in the mall and five days in their music class. From the first time he met her in the mall, he couldn't help but think of her all the time. He felt attracted to her from their first meeting and their following encounters increased his attraction towards her more. Her green eyes, her smile, her soft nature and innocence, her melodious voice, every little thing about her attracted him towards her like a magnet. In these five days, he understood she is a reserved person, an introvert. She comes to the class, practice the instrument and goes after the classes are finished. She doesn't talks to anyone unnecessarily. Even with him, she just smiles at him when she sees him. He had spoken to her only thrice after they became friends. And all those three times, only he was talking and she was just listening to him. When he asks her something, she will answer him by shaking or nodding her head or sometimes she will just say a simple yes or no. It was like she has built a wall around her not letting anyone near her. He started to notice the spark in her eyes and the smile on her lips when she plays the music instruments. He could tell that smile comes from her heart unlike the smile which appears on her lips the other times. He could clearly see the difference between them. He understood there was something in her life which was bothering her. He didn't know why he was so worried for her. He didn't like the emptiness in her eyes and wanted to replace that emptiness with happiness and thought of how to do it. He wanted to talk to her first before doing anything. He came out of his thoughts when his phone rang and answered the call. While talking on the phone, he saw riddhima going towards the park in the opposite side of the road and cut the call saying he will call the person on the other side later. He crossed the road and entered the park and looked around. He looked at the kids playing there and smiled. His dimples deepened when he saw riddhima sitting in a bench. Taking a closer look at her, he walked towards her, but stopped when he saw her smiling to herself and observed her expressions. She looked so cute that he couldn't stop himself from capturing her image in his phone camera.
***
Riddhima was sitting in the back seat as usual and armaan was driving to the office. She was angry at him and didn't speak a word to him from the morning. She went to her cabin reaching the office. Armaan sighed looking at her retreating figure and went to his cabin. Whole day they both kept themselves busy with work. They kept on stealing glances at each other in the car on their way back home in the evening. Reaching home, they went to their respective rooms. Armaan freshened up and came sat in the swing in his balcony. After a few minutes, he saw riddhima coming out of her room and sitting in the swing in her balcony. They looked at each other and together, they were lost in their memories.
Riddhima and atul was in his room watching cricket when Padma and shashank came there. They stood up and riddhima hid behind atul scared of them. Atul looked at them with a blank face. "Atul, be ready at 9 AM tomorrow. We will go to the office together" shashank said. "Why should I come to your office? I am not coming there" Atul said in a calm voice. "Then where would you go? You are our son and you must join our business" Padma said in an ordering tone. "Thank god you remembered that. I will never join in your business". "Atul, we need you to come there tomorrow. Mr.Sharma has seen your presentation when he came as a guest lecturer in your college. He is impressed with your skills and wants to work with you. He is offering us a big deal, but he wants you want to do the project. We will lose the deal if you don't agree and I don't want that to happen. You are joining with us tomorrow. I don't want to hear anything more from you about this. Be ready at 9 tomorrow" shashank said in an ordering tone. "You always do this. You always remember me only when you need something from me. I will never join your business. Just leave me alone as you both always do and don't interfere in my life" Atul spoke angrily. Riddhima got scared at his angry tone and clutched her duppatta tightly in fear. "I will make sure you don't get any job anywhere and you yourself will come and join our business" shashank spoke angrily and went out of the room with Padma glaring at riddhima.
Atul turned to riddhima and hugged her when he saw tears in her eyes. He knew he had scared his little sister with his anger. He caressed her hair and kissed her head calming her. After a few minutes, she wiped her tears and asked atul "Bhaiya, like every other business families they are asking you to join the family business. What's wrong in it? Why did you become so angry?" "Riddhi, I don't want to join their business. We both always yearned for their love, they ignored us like we didn't exist at all. I hate them now. I don't want to be near them anywhere. Moreover, i don't want to be known as Shashank Gupta's son. I want to make an identity for myself riddhi" he said in a hurt voice. She nodded. She knew her bhaiya is deeply hurt by Shashank and Padma. She felt she is responsible for their ignorance towards her bhaiya.
After a weak,
Riddhima entered the class and saw no one was there. She sat there lost in her thoughts. Atul was trying for a job from almost a month now. Wherever he goes, shashank will do something making sure atul doesn't get the job. Riddhima thought all this is because of her. She thought things would have been normal if she was not in their lives. She wiped a lone tear which rolled down her cheeks. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice armaan was standing near the door looking at her. He came there a few minutes ago and saw her lost in her thoughts. He saw the pain and hurt in her eyes and also the tears. He felt an unknown pain in his heart when he saw her like that. It was the first time he saw her so weak in the one month they have known each other. She has started to talk to him a little freely then before and her stammering when she talks to him has decreased. But she still maintained the distance. She always stayed away from others and most of the time he saw her listening to songs in her phone. He walked inside and sat beside her bringing her out of her thoughts. "Hi armaan" she said immediately composing herself smiling at him. "Hi basket, what happened? You look like you are worried of something?" he asked her. "Nothing armaan" she said smiling at him. "Sure?" he asked her again. "Yes" she said and he nodded. Armaan could see the smile was not coming from her heart. He was astonished how expertly she hides her pain and feelings. Just a few seconds before he saw hurt and pain in her eyes. Now there was no trace of it. He wanted to see her smiling whole heartedly and he knows what to do for that. He took out his guitar and started playing it. Riddhima smiled at him and her smile got wider when he started to sing one of their favorite songs.
"Aaoge Jab Tum" from "Jab We Met"
Aaoge Jab Tum O Saajana
Aaoge Jab Tum O Saajana
Angana Phool Khilenge
Barsega Saawan
Barsega Saawan
Jhoom Jhoomke
Do Dil Aise Milenge
Aaoge Jab Tum O Saajana
Angana Phool Khilenge
Armaan saw her smile reaching her eyes when he started to sing. It made him so happy. He asked her to sing with him with his eyes. She shook her head in "no". He asked her for a couple of times but she refused. Finally, she melted when he again asked her making a cute puppy face and pouting. She couldn't say no to him and started singing with him.
Naina Tere Kajraare Hain
Naino Pe Hum Dil Haare Hain
Anjaane Hi Tere Naino Ne
Waade Kiye Kayi Saare Hai
Saanson Ki Lai Madham Chale
Toh Se Kahe
Barsega Saawan
Barsega Saawan
Jhoom Jhoomke
Do Dil Aise Mile
Aaoge Jab Tum O Saajana
Angana Phool Khilenge
Chanda Ko Taakun Raaton Mein
Hai Zindagi Tere Haathon Mein
Palkon Pe Jhilmil Taare Hain
Aana Bhari Barsaaton Mein
Sapnon Ka Jahaan
Hoga Khila Khila
Barsega Saawan
Barsega Saawan
Jhoom Jhoomke
Do Dil Aise Milenge
Angana Phool Khilenge
Angana Phool Khilenge
Their eyes locked and they were lost in each other's eyes when they sang together and they both felt an unknown happiness in their heart. They finished singing, but were still lost in each other eyes. They came out their eye lock when they heard clapping sounds. Other students and their instructor were clapping for them. They praised Armaan and Riddhima and they thanked them.
Armaan and riddhima came out after their class was finished. Their little eyelock has created a awkwardness between them. Armaan broke the silence. "Basket, your singing was wonderful. You are too good" he said smiling at her. "Thank you Armaan. You sing amazingly too" "Thank you Basket". "hmm.. Armaan, if you doint mind, can I ask you something?" she asked him. "Of course basket" "woh.. I thought boys don't like soft music much. But you seem to like it a lot" "We like soft music basket. In fact, I love soft music and melody songs more than other kind of music" he said smiling at her. She nodded. They reached the gate and stopped. "It was pleasure singing with you Armaan. I really enjoyed it" she said with a smile which came from her heart. "The pleasure is all mine basket. I enjoyed it too" he said smiling showing his dimples making her heart skip a beat. "Bye armaan" "Bye basket. See you tomorrow" she smiled at him waving bye to him and walked towards her home, the smile not leaving her lips. Armaan stood there looking at her retreating figure till she was out of his sight and went home smiling.
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Sorry for the late in completing the part. Read, like & comment. Add me in your buddy list if you want PMs for the updates.
Madura
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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