(this part is a special dedication to Vini...Belated Happy Birthday once again dear🤗)
Part 8
Armaan get into his room after making Riddhima take a seat in the lounge. He marched upto his bedside to take a hold of her diary which was still placed on the side table. He again wanna take a peak in it but something strong stopped him. He pretty much got to know the real reason of her refusal to jump on the wedding date now, but he wonders, if there is something more to this story. Shooking his head, he moved towards the sofa on which her bag was placed and putting the diary inside, zipped it up.
He was about to enter the lounge when the giggles from inside, made him stop just at the door. The scene inside was way more like a dream to him than reality. There Ananya was sitting on Riddhima's feet, wrapping her hands around her(Riddhima's) legs as Riddhima was sitting on the sofa and moving her legs up and down, giving her(ananya) a swing. Ananya giggled louder as Riddhima put her feet on the ground and Ananya's little hips hit it lightly. "Phil shay"(Phir se) she said in her childish tone as Riddhima laughed at her sweet statement and again started with the game, they were playing. Armaan smiled widely, leaning against the wall, his hands crossing his chest as he saw this sweet interaction. A memory of Sneha and Riya flash infront of his eyes whom he found one day, engaged playing in the same game as he get back home after a meeting. They both didn't noticed him then and was so into eachother like no one else existed around them. It was a beautiful memory that he had of his family that he always wish to have, he always wished to cherish. But life wasn't that sincere to him. It took his Riya away that also took all the happiness of his life. But now with Ananya, he wish to create new one's. The one's who he know will stay forever. Riddhima made Ananya put her little feets on her's and holding her tiny hands, in her's carefully, she lifted up her feet balancing Riya making an excited face. Ananya was looking with amazement at her face and Riddhima caught her in a hug and kissed her cheeks as she giggled. Samia Bi entered with a glass of water that Riddhima wanted and hand over that to her. "She is getting naughty" Bi said with a smile tickling Ananya's tummy. "No, actually she is such a sweet kid. I heard about her from Shaina, Aryan and Nitin, but she is even more cute and adorable than they said" Riddhima pulled her cheek as she smiled. "Daddy" Ananya turned and run to Armaan who pick her up to quickly. "Yes my princess"He said giving a kiss on her cheek. "Daddy, Main aunti ko apne toys dethaoon" She asked. Armaan looked at Riddhima who was smiling and turn his gaze at Ananya. "Baby, Aunty ko late ho raha hai na. Next time jab aunty ayein tab dekha deyna" Armaan said to see Ananya's crestfallen face. "Ananya ko abhi dethana hai" She said in a sad tone. "Ananya, Zid nahin na beta" Armaan said trying to get her understand. Riddhima got up and said. "Sir, if you don't mind, i will love to see her toys...it will just take a few minutes" Riddhima bend down to place the glass on the table and said with hopeful eyes. Somewhere she didn't want to disappoint the little girl. Armaan gave a look at her and then at Ananya. "OK" hearing this Ananya quickly get down on the floor and rushed to Riddhima. After taking hold on her hand in hers, she pulled her with herself to her room. Armaan smiled inwardly, without knowing that the smile was quite visible to Bi who was noticing all that and smiling.
"Yeh bilkul app jaisi hai" Riddhima said pointing out a blonde doll having two pony's...wearing a polka frock. "Ananya jaisi" Ananya asked with a wondering look. "Haan Ananya jaisi...sweet si, cute si" Riddhima said as she saw the number of toys Ananya was showing her when her eyes went upto the pictures hanging on the wall. Riddhima moved up and get close to them. It was a picture of a lady with a small baby in her hands. Lady was smiling, looking at the sweet baby who had closed her eyes. She remembered her. She was Sneha though she saw her for just few moments, but those were enough to capture her image in her mind. "That must be Riya" Riddhima mumbled. "Yeah, that's my Riya" Armaan said slowly, surprising her as he was now standing beside her. "She was more like me than Sneha" He started as he keep looking at the picture with love that could be easily seen. "Sneha and I had an arrange marriage, we became friends slowly...but it was Riya who actually made our relationship even stronger" Armaan caressed the pic as if caressing Riya's soft cheeks. "Sneha always used to complain that already Riya looks more like me and then, i was spoiling her too much" He laughed. "But i couldn't help that...She was just so adorable and just that frown that use to make lines on her forehead with her pouting lips...that look was enough for me to go on and do anything that she like, everything that could make her smile" Armaan traced Riya's lips in another picture of just her in which she was sitting in a bassinet, smiling at the camera. Riddhima didn't stop him to say anything though she got to know everything from Shaina, but let him pour out his heart to her. "You know one day she made me go all the way to the other end of the city at 3 am to get her her favorite ice-cream...she was almost two and a half years old then but so stubborn...I think she got that quality from me too..." He laughed at that memory. Sighing he tuck his hands in his pant pockets and continued. "Sneha was too sleepy, so we both father daughter get out and to irritate her, i got just one cone and ask her to share it with me if she ever want that ice-cream again, and she did" Riddhima could clearly see how much he loved his little angel. Armaan turned his face to her and stopped. He was so engrossed into these memories of his to realize to whom he is telling about his princess. But that didn't feel strange. It feels like a natural thing to do here. Riddhima smiled his way and assured him that she understand. "Sir, Riya left such great memories of her for you to cherish always, but right now, you should give the love to the one, you have right now and will love you back" Riddhima said as she turned back to look at Ananya playing with her dolls. "She deserves you the most" Armaan smiled looking at the puzzle look of ananya face who was confused as with which doll she should play now. "I know" Armaan said and moved towards her, pulling her up in his arms and gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek on which she giggled. A fade memory flashed infront of Riddhima eyes of her with her father that left her in tears.
"Bi, I will just be back after dropping Riddhima at her place" Armaan said looking at Bi. Riddhima was stopped by Bi to have dinner with them and not feeling like going home herself, Riddhima agreed. She hardly eat half of her dinner while Armaan keep noticing her aloof and distracted attitude. So instead of sending her with driver, he wanted to drop her himself. May be, she will like to share something with him. It was a hard shot as if, why would she confide in him rather than Shaina and aditi as they were more close to her and being girls, its easy to put forward your views without any hesitation. But he still needed to do that. Riddhima want to argue but keep quiet as Armaan quickly rushed out taking her bag and after bidding by to Bi and kissing Ananya, Riddhima followed him outside. It was weird again in the car but Armaan mind was divert to another thing. "How could i make her tell me about the thing bothering her?" He asked himself again scratching his temple but nothing successful pop up till he was at her house door. Riddhima quietly come out. It was a nice area. In between the housing colony, there was a huge park, that was surrounded by the houses. The fresh air was blowing and there was a pin drop silence else than the low voices of frogs. Riddhima pull out her bag and putting it inside her house in garage, came to his side of the car and said. "Thank you sir" The loneliness and sadness still visible on her face. "Your welcome...Nice place" he said looking around. "Would you mind if i sit in this park for a while?" He loves silence, calmness and if nature is also included, what else could be better. "Yeah sure" Riddhima said and lead him into the park. The quietly took a stroll without saying a thing. No one was around else than a watchman who wished Riddhima and left. "My father was a very strict man..." Armaan started. He met this girl a few days before but it feels to natural to him to share his griefs, memories and happiness with her. "He didnt have a link to army but discipline was deep rooted in him...I still remember that he would wake me up at 6 in the morning to come for jogging with him" Armaan told her with a smile on his face. "Yeah, i think father's are like that..." Riddhima too started. "Really...you too get to wake up in the morning?" He asked with a surprize look. "No no...my father wasn't that strict but my mother use to...better to say love to start a fight with him anytime of the day...so to escape that, dad will hold my hand and took me out loudly saying to mom 'me and my daughter are going out'..." Riddhima laughed as she said. "It was an escape route..." Armaan to laughed with her but her smile faded. "But i am glad, cause of that i made so great memories of me and my father...I love to remember that..." She said being in her own world. "Our morning or evening walks...He would tell me that I am lazy-bone when he would distract me to look somewhere else and he would take that chance to get ahead of me...Sitting on this bench" She pointed to a particular one in a corner "and i would read him newspaper in addition with my comments on those news and he would laugh at my silliness...those were fabulous moments of my life" Riddhima said as she took seat on the same bench on which she pointed out before. Armaan look at her for a moment and then sit beside her, looking ahead. "Then what went wrong and you engaged with that drunk?" Armaan asked in a purely hatred tone. A tear that was about to come out from her eyes, she wiped it away and get hold of the bench under her, strongly, trying to give herself some courage. Armaan looked her way seeing her trying to put out the words that were hurting her so much. "Samar wasn't bad...he was really well behaved, funny and easy to go out kind of guy with whom you could bet to say that you wont get bored" Riddhima started and Armaan carefully listened to her's each and every word, trying to get the emotions behind them. "My father and his father were great friends so when uncle came with the thought, my father could not be more happy than that and agreed after taking my consent" "I was nearly 16 at the time and this all was just like a fairy tale...I would imagine Samar as my prince...Silly me" she gave a sarcastic laugh at that thought "But that was all till Samar wasn't back from US after his studies and my father didn't die" "Where i was thinking and hoping to get some emotional support from him, he was there busy in partying with his newly found friends...He started drinking and went out to such a level that there was no return" and Armaan understands what she was talking about as the earlier look of that guy with a girl stated that perfectly to him. Riddhima wipe her cheek and continue. "My father took a loan for my studies and that i could only get to know after his death. He got terminated from his office without the gratuity amount and the bank started to put pressure on him for return. All that lead him to heart-attack" Armaan wasnt sure what to say so put his hand on her's in order to console and Riddhima understood his action. "The bank warned to auction the house if we couldn't pay the amount just after two days of my father's retirement. Rishi uncle, Samar's father, knew about Samar's extra activities then so came to our rescue and paid the amount to the bank and also paid for my fees. He did all that just to save this engagement so I couldn't break off after knowing Samar's truth and go on with this wedding in order to pay him off...now, the situation is like that k my mother trust him so blindly over her own daughter that i can't say a bad word about them" "She just take this wedding as that the last wish of my father and wanna fulfill that...She is not wrong at her place but I can't do that..." And she started crying. Armaan just dont know what to do. He was still in the confusion when her head fall on his shoulder for support and he left shocked seeing her sobbing so close to himself. He has almost forget how to console others as he was himself leaning on his friends for support but somewhere, he felt happy that someone confide in his, someone looked up at him to share the pains, someone feels consoled in his arms. Gently he wrapped a shaking hand around her and get a grip of her shoulders. "Don't worry...Everything will be alright" He said in an uncertain voice but something told her that everything will get fine. That her life will take an uncertain turn soon. After calming down, she just realize her position and withdraw herself from him, not able to look up in his eyes, she looked around fidgeting with her fingers. Armaan understood her reaction but anyhow took out a handkerchief from his pocket and placed his hand containing it infront of her. Her eyes caught the moment and hesitating, she took the handkerchief and wipe her tears. "Riddhima" he started slowly after a moment. "See i know right now, it will seem like a dialogue but the all could i say is...life is never so dark...behind every black cloud, a sun is hiding to show to later to fill your life with shine...just wait for that sun in your life" He said. Riddhima completely understands the meaning of hid words as he continued. "Dont ever loose hope...cause we don't know what's next is stored for us" He said looking ahead. "What good is gonna come from bad, you will get it later now...but for now...just believe in yourself and ur God...hmmm" he looked at her and saw her nodding. He looked at her for a moment but then didn't know what get over him that he just move forward a place a light kiss in between her hairs. She shockingly looked up at him who just realized his movement with the wide look of her eyes and open mouth. "I need to go..." He quickly get up and rushed out from the park not turning back once to see her perplexed face.
Getting into her house, after sitting for quite sometime in the park, trying to get over with the emotions running through her body, she was just glad to find that her mother was already off to sleep. Dragging her bag inside, she get into her room and after changing into her night suit, she hit the bed feeling too tired. She recalled the whole adventurous day in her mind that how sad she was after having a confrontation with her mother last night and how aditi and nitin cheered her up telling her humorous acts they did to annoy Armaan in past during break time, then Armaan's consent after getting to know about Samar. Her sweet meeting with ananya who just left her so happy, like all tiredness vanished just with that lil angel's giggle and Armaan sharing his past with her. The small walk in the park and Armaan listening to her problems, trying to help her coping up with them through his words and then that unexpected KISS. That kiss feel almost brotherly and she certainly didn't liked the fact as she move her hand in her hair to feel that place that seems to be on fire under her hairs but let her irritated anyhow.
Next: A good news and a bad news that gonna turn Riddhima life upside down...
Hey guys...extremely sorry for short and late update but was really in trouble so couldn't wrote much...hope u will forgive me...but i promise, that as i m planning to go on umrah in the start of next month, so u guys will surly get a quick update before that...sorry once again
HIT LIKE & COMMENT...STOP BEING KANJOOS GUYS>>>
Part Nine-------page 49
Edited by cool_SK - 13 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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