TDBU #3 [An AR FF] - (Track 71- Epilogue - Page 65) - Page 51

Originally posted by: Sanaksgian1

Update plzzz

according to her previous updates she is gonna update exactly after 2 months

so we have to wait at least one month or so 😭😭

Luvd the story its awesm.. plz continue soon.

Previously On...

Rahul finds out about Riddhima's truth. He comforts both Armaan and Riddhima.

Track 53 - A Song For Mama, Boyz II Men

Armaan was predictably very aloof for the next couple days. He didn’t spend time with the others and steered completely clear of Riddhima, leaving the room the moment she entered, yet somehow making it seem like a coincidence. True to his word, Rahul had warned everyone away from pressuring Armaan in any way. Riddhima had been his most vocal supporter and insisted that Armaan would talk to her if he wanted to talk to her, and no one would make him feel obligated to do so.

That wasn’t what she wanted. Riddhima never wanted Armaan to feel obligated or pressured into spending time with her, into being with her. She wanted him to be with her because he wanted to, not for any other reason. There had been too many obligations and favours in her past and she didn’t want any of it.

So, she ordered her friends to stay away and hoped for things to get better, for Armaan to find it in himself the ability to forgive her yet again. She could see just how badly she’d hurt Armaan by hiding this from her and it made her ache. She remembered a similar look in his eyes when he’d found out that she’d gotten married. The hopeless desperation, the betrayal, the agony… all of it reminiscent of the worst phase of her life, and maybe Armaan’s life too.

She’d done that to him. She’d hurt him so badly, yet again, despite not wanting to. She knew that the truth would hurt Armaan, especially after she’d essentially lied to him for weeks, but she didn’t think that it would affect him so badly. Treacherously, it made her harbour hope that maybe Armaan still had feelings for her, that maybe he was still in love with her, even if a little bit, if he was reacting this way. She knew it was most probably not that, it was just Armaan taking her lies hard, but she couldn’t help herself from wishing that were the case. She vowed to herself to never keep something from Armaan again after this, no matter what.

Honesty and communication were the key to any successful relationship, whether romantic or otherwise, and being hesitant to talk to each other had landed them in this mess countless times. It seemed as if she’d not learnt from her mistakes. Thankfully, Armaan had.

Armaan knew that Riddhima hadn't done what she'd done with malicious intent. He knew her. The years may have passed without them talking, but he didn't need to talk to Riddhima to know who she was. He knew that her twisted logic made sense to her. He knew she'd been afraid. But, he couldn't let it go. The entire situation hit too close to home.

For a second, Armaan felt as if he was still standing in the middle of the Sanjeevani Cafeteria, the words, "Meri shaadi Sid se hui hai. Siddhanth Modi mera pati hai. Main Riddhima Gupta se… Riddhima Modi bann chuki hoon," echoing in his head on loop. At least Riddhima had had the decency to not reveal such a huge truth to Armaan in front of the entire world after he'd made a fool of himself like she'd done the last time.

So, given the circumstances, Armaan couldn't help but hold a grudge. He wasn't feeling particularly magnanimous, especially not towards Riddhima… not after everything. It didn't matter that the reason she'd hidden this from him might have been how he'd react and he was reacting exactly the way she'd feared… Not now. Not when he was hurting so bad, not when he felt so betrayed. He didn't want to listen to her, to anybody. He didn't want any explanations or excuses or reasons. He had every right to be pissed at her for what she did, and he would remain so till he felt like he was in a place where could accept her apology truthfully.

It was good that she understood that. He really did appreciate her giving him the distance to work everything out himself and not crowd him with her apologies, especially because he had never done the same for her. Armaan was self aware enough to know that he’d repeatedly made the same mistakes with Riddhima, time and again, and had always done everything he could to get her to forgive him, but had not always tried to respect her space when he did so. Having lost so many people in his life already, at one point, losing Riddhima had been his greatest fear and he’d gone overboard in trying to avoid that from happening, not that it had mattered in the end, or that it was an excuse for what he did. He should have respected Riddhima’s choices and let her process everything in her own time instead of crowding her till she forgave him.

There were times when he felt guilty about everything, but he genuinely did not have the time to deal with it right now. The wedding was fast approaching… only just about a week away and there was so much to do. It was an excuse to get out of facing the others, yes, but it was also true. He had a lot of last minute finalizations to do, and when he was not doing that, he was spending every possible second with his little sister who was going to leave him in just a few days.

Armaan was beyond ecstatic that Jaanhavi had found someone like Rohan, but knowing that she’d be going away, once again, hurt him beyond measure. Intellectually, he understood that this parting was completely different when Jaanhavi had left the last time, but he still could not help the anxiety. He’d been having more sessions in therapy about it and his therapist had recommended some breathing exercises that had helped, but it was only being in Jaanhavi’s presence that put him at ease the most. Which was not really a good idea because Jaanhavi had no idea about Riddhima being the girl who he’d broken up with before moving to New York.

He understood Jaanhavi’s ire towards Riddhima completely. Had she been in a situation like his, he would’ve hated the person who put his Jaan through so much as well, but he didn’t want Riddhima to be at the receiving end of that anger and so, had not told Jaanhavi or Tamanna everything. That had been fine before, because he really did not think he would ever see Riddhima again in his life, but now that she was here, and moreso, had finally revealed such a huge thing to him, it was difficult to not let his emotions show in front of them.

Armaan knew he could always talk to Rahul about it, but he didn’t want to mar the last few days Rahul had with Muskaan with his problems. Rahul hadn’t liked that, but Armaan had assured him that once the wedding was over, and Muskaan had gone back to India, the two of them would work to find a solution to the whole thing, and that in the meanwhile, he’d just talk to his therapist about it.

All things considered, things were going as swimmingly as they could in the wake of the big revelation. Armaan was thankful that none of his friends had talked about it beyond apologizing for their part in it and assured him that they would not interfere in the matter, following his lead, the way they had followed Riddhima’s when she had decided not to tell Armaan the truth. Things had been a little tense with them at first, but Armaan found it easier to forgive them because he understood that they had no place airing Riddhima’s dirty laundry in front of him like that. He could understand their reasons for not telling him and going along with her decision. So, he didn’t hold it against them.

“Nahi, Muski! I don’t want Armaan to think I’m emotionally manipulating him,” Riddhima said. Armaan couldn’t help but stop and eavesdrop. He was just about to leave the house as he did early every morning, but today, he had a legitimate reason for doing so. Even still, he couldn’t help but listen in when he heard Riddhima take his name.

“Ridzy, this is not you trying to manipulate him,” Muskaan replied. What were they talking about? He stealthily peeked in to see Riddhima holding a green saree. No, not just any green saree, he realized. It was one that he had gifted her when Dr Shashank and Padma Aunty had gotten married.

“Not intentionally,” Riddhima agreed. “But it is underhanded. I can’t wear this now, not the way things are between us.”

“Riddhima, when you packed this for the ceremony, you didn’t even know Armaan would be here,” Muskaan argued.

“But now I do,” Riddhima answered. “And wearing this is not the right thing to do. Not now. I don’t want him to feel I’m trying to sway him by reminding him of the early days of our relationship. If things had been better between us, I would’ve worn this during the wedding, but they aren’t. And I can’t hurt him anymore than I already have, Muskaan. It’s just not worth it.”

“Okay, fine,” Muskaan relented. “But then, what will you wear? You don’t have any spares, do you?”

“No,” Riddhima sighed. “I don’t know what I’ll do. But I can’t wear this.”

“Let’s go shopping!” Muskaan exclaimed. “It will take your mind off things and we’ll get you a new saree to wear for the mehendi! Win - win.”

Armaan walked away before he could hear her agreement or denial. Why did things have to get complicated with every passing minute? He hadn’t known that Riddhima had kept the clothes he’d gifted to her so long ago. Not only had she kept them, but she’d treated them with such care that she was planning to wear them at her best friend’s wedding! It clearly meant something, but he did not want to think about that. He never should’ve listened to their conversation. Not only was it so wrong, eavesdropping like that, but also, it had made things worse. He would’ve been better off not knowing about this.

Shaking himself, he hurried outside. He couldn’t afford any distractions right now. He would file this information away in his Riddhima Box as well, and mull on it once the wedding was over. Till then, his only focus would be Jaanhavi.

_________________

“Mummy!!” Armaan called out, just as Simran Grewal came into view, Shehnaaz Bi, Aai, and Baba in tow with her. They’d finally arrived, just in time for the wedding.

“Ammy!” Shehnaaz Bi shouted, delighted as always to see him. Armaan grinned and hugged her.

“I missed you, Bi!” He exclaimed. He pulled back, giving her a once over. “You look even sexier! Kya baat hai, Bi! Kya iraade hain?”

“Shut up! Kuch bhi bakwaas karta hai!” She answered, making him laugh.

Armaan then hugged Umar Bhai, who had long since become Baba to him, and then his wife, who’d ordered that she call him Aai the first time they’d talked. It all seemed like such a distant memory now, but the three of them had been Tamanna’s rocks in the toughest phase of her life and that had bonded them deeper than anything could ever have. All these years later, they still felt that kinship.

“Armaan,” Mummy whispered, hugging him close. “I missed you, my love.”

“I missed you, Mummy,” he answered in kind, clutching her tight. Her embrace felt like home. After everything that had gone down in the past few weeks, he needed her hugs and her firm assurances more than ever. He’d been Tamanna’s rock ever since they’d met, but Mummy had been his. She’d been there at every step of the way. Despite Raj Uncle fighting cancer, she’d been there for him. She’d made time to check up on him, to make sure he was eating properly, trying to get enough sleep. She’d been there whenever he’d needed someone to talk to, had been the one to encourage him to move on, had cheered for every little accomplishment of his.

A mother’s love, Bua Maa’s love, had saved him when he was a heartbroken child and a mother’s love had saved him again when he was a heartbroken adult. For Armaan, Mummy was just as important as his Bua Maa. There was nothing in the world he wouldn’t do for her, no one in the world who he loved, admired, and respected more. She’d been his salvation in so many ways, and he would never forget that.

While it had been Sonakashi’s pregnancy and the birth of her daughter that had taught Armaan to live again, it had been Mummy’s words and support that had kept him alive till Suhana had entered his world. He was so very grateful for her every single day for being who she was.

But, even outside of what she’d done for him and helped him achieve, Simran Grewal was an amazing person. She was a passionate doctor and it was clear Rahul took after her in many ways. She was a hearty and jovial person, always ready with a witty quip, making everyone laugh. She was a great cook and he’d always enjoyed assisting her in the kitchen. The two of them always had a great time together. She was just so positive to be around and it made Armaan smile whenever he was in her presence. Now that she was here, he could already see his days getting brighter.

“Shall we?” He asked the lot, gesturing to his car. They all nodded and piled in, eager to be home again.

“Maine ghar pe kisi ko bataya nahi ki aap sab aaj hi aa rahe hain. Sabke liye surprise hai,” he told them. “Isliye thoda zyada hi shor hoga, I think. Maine socha main pehle hi warn kar du.”

They all laughed at his words, just as excited to meet their kids too. Ever since the four of them had started living together, their trips back home had been minimal, well in Rahul and Tamanna’s case. Armaan and Jaanhavi had never come back to India after moving. Given the circumstances, it was understandable why Tamanna chose not to visit as well, and Simran knew that Rahul would be reluctant too, with their hometown only serving as a reminder of his battered relationship with Muskaan. So, none of them had forced their kids to come back, which is why they hadn’t met a lot in the last few years.

Shehnaaz Bi, Umar Bhai, and Shanti Bhabhi had always lived in India, but for the first couple years, Simran had stayed in New York with her kids. She missed that a lot, but after her husband had lost his battle with cancer, she had felt the need to get away. Her kids had all understood and supported her decision to do so. In the past few years, she’d made a pretty good life for her in India. She spent time with her daughter and her family, worked as a doctor in a hospital, and had even made a few friends. But none of it made up for missing her kids here in New York, and so she visited as much as possible. It had been a while since she’d been able to make the trip, being tied up with her responsibilities back home. So, she was very excited for this visit, especially because it was Jaanhavi’s wedding. It was even more special now that she knew that Tamanna had adopted a daughter and her Rahul was finally dating Muskaan. With the three of them finding so much happiness in their lives, she only wished for Armaan to do the same.

Not that he wasn’t happy now, because she knew he was. From the stark contrast in the man who Rahul had brought home all those years ago, to the man he was today, there was no doubt in her mind that the son of her heart was happy. But, sometimes she worried about him, and especially now. With things changing as they were, she wasn’t sure how he’d cope with all of it. With Jaanhavi moving out, Tamanna being busy with Myra, and Rahul with Muskaan, she was afraid that he would get left behind. She knew that the four of them were a tight knit family and would always be there for each other no matter what, but she was still worried. They might not do it on purpose, but in settling in their new lives, she was afraid that Armaan would be alone. She never wanted that for him. He’d had enough loneliness to last him ten lifetimes.

She hoped that things would get better for him. If only in her heart, she harboured hope that maybe Armaan would give romance another chance. She knew that Armaan had never loved another as much as he had loved Riddhima and she was pretty sure he never would. Yet, she wished for him to find love. Maybe with Riddhima if that ever became possible, or with anyone else. She would never pressure him into a relationship, and she rarely ever brought the topic up in their discussions, knowing that Armaan was capable of making such decisions on his own. But, she was still his mother, even if not in blood, and did wish to see him married.

“Okay! We’re here!” Armaan announced, bringing her out of her thoughts. She hadn’t even realized that she’d spent the entire car ride lost in her thoughts. Thankfully, no one questioned her, probably writing it off as fatigue and jet lag.

“We ready?” He asked them before turning in his key. They all nodded.

“Jaan! Jaana!! Tammy!!!” He called out. “I’m home! And I brought a surprise!!”

“MOM!?!?!” Rahul, who was the first one to answer Armaan’s call, shouted.

The next few minutes were just a flurry of exclamations and laughter and hugs as the family reunited. Myra was introduced to all her grandparents and lapped up the affection she was being showered on, just as Jaanhavi accepted all their tight, teary hugs.

Armaan stood back and watched as Aai peppered kisses all over Myra’s face, Bi hugged Jaanhavi, and Mom talked to Muskaan, a huge smile on his face.

“Hmmmm,” Shilpa murmured, coming to stand next to him. “You gave all three of them a surprise to make them happy.”

“Yep,” Armaan replied. “Do you see that? You know I’d do anything for them to be just as happy forever.”

“What about you? Who got you a surprise to make you happy?” She asked him.

Armaan laughed. “I don’t need a surprise. Seeing them so happy is more than enough for me to be happy.”

“Maybe,” Shilpa agreed. “For you.”

“What does that mean?” He questioned, confused.

“It means,” she explained, “that just being happy in your family’s happiness is not enough for me. And… after everything, well… I wanted to do something nice for you. So, I arranged for a surprise as well.”

“You did?” He asked. “What?”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang, making Shilpa grin. “Right on time!” She exclaimed. Turning to Armaan, she said, “Go on! It’s for you.”

“Shilpa, what did you do?” Armaan questioned.

“Will you just go?” She snapped back, pushing him to the door. Hesitantly, Armaan made his way to the door, looking back every second to see Shilpa encouraging him.

Sighing, he turned back and opened the door. Then, promptly fell to his knees at the sight in front of him.

“Superman!!” Suhana cried, rushing into his arms. “I missed you!!”

Armaan let out a disbelieving laugh and hugged her tight. He rested his cheek on the top of her head as he was used to doing. He looked up to see both Dev and Sonakshi standing there, looking at the two of them with joy and laughed even harder. Suhana saw someone inside the house and immediately pulled back to run to them.

“Batman!!” She screamed, hugging Rahul around his legs. Armaan sat there on the floor and watched the scene unfold in front of him, still surprised that it was happening.

“Soha!” Rahul returned her greeting, bending down to pick her up in his arms. “I missed you, kiddo!”

“I missed you, too!!” Suhana exclaimed. “Mumma told me you have a girlfriend now! I thought I was your girlfriend,” she pouted.

Rahul laughed. “I’m sorry,” he said, putting her down and crouching in front of her, holding his ears in apology. “But what could I have done? She insisted. I didn’t want to break her heart. And… you also started hanging out with that Harsh from school na.”

“Batman, Harsh is my best friend,” Suhana replied. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Hi, Suhana,” Muskaan interrupted. “I’m Muskaan. Rahul’s new girlfriend. I’m sorry,” she said. “But Rahul never told me he already had such a pretty girlfriend. If I’d known, I would not have asked him.”

Suhana smiled. “You’re really nice,” she said. “Do you love him?” She asked.

Muskaan looked taken aback by her question and turned to look at her Rahul who just shrugged. Egging Suhana on, he added, “Yes, Muskaan. Answer her. Do you love me?”

Muskaan gave Rahul a murderous glare but turned to Suhana to say, “I do. Is that okay?”

Suhana pretended to think for a minute before saying, “Fine, I can share. But he’s my boyfriend first, okay?”

Muskaan laughed but nodded. “Okay,” she agreed. “Thank you!”

Suhana hugged Tamanna and Jaanhavi as well, and was introduced to Myra. Both girls seemed a little wary of each other and didn’t know what to say, so Armaan decided to intervene.

“Angel,” he told Suhana, “Myra is Tamanna Masi’s daughter. So, I hope you can be friends, okay? She needs more friends. Don’t you, Sunshine?” He asked Myra, turning to her. He’d taken to calling Myra Sunshine as a nickname, because of course he had. Armaan was almost incapable of not assigning people a nickname once he started getting close to them. Everyone important in his life had a special nickname from him and Myra was no different. She’d quickly become the sunshine of Tamanna’s life, and had brought so much joy to him, that he’d started calling her that very soon after she’d started living with them.

Myra was taking some time to adjust to her new life, and arriving in the middle of the helter skelter of a wedding was certainly not helping her, but they were all trying their best. Everyone made it a point to spend as much time as they could with Myra, getting to know her better and also familiarizing her with her new family. There had been a few hiccups, as expected, but Myra was slowly becoming comfortable with them. Armaan wouldn’t say that she thought of them as family already, but she was definitely starting to like them, which was a step in the right direction.

“Myra needs lots of friends,” Tamanna added, crouching next to their small group. “You’ll be friends, right?” She asked the two girls.

They both looked at each other, as if assessing the other, before nodding reluctantly. Armaan introduced Suhana to Nikumbh and Samrat as well, and the four of them, as different as they were, did start playing together. Maybe they would be friends.

Finally, Armaan turned to Sonakshi and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you,” he murmured into her hair. “Thank you so much.”

“You should be thanking my husband,” she answered, pulling back. “He was the one who insisted we bring Soha today.”

Armaan turned to look at Dev, absolutely surprised. In the months that he had known the man, Dev had always tried to keep Suhana close to him. He had not said it out loud, but both Armaan and Sonakshi had been aware that he was wary of the close relationship Armaan shared with Suhana. Whenever Sonakshi would try to get Armaan and Suhana together, he would cancel their plans with the stupidest of reasons and take Suhana out by himself instead. After a couple months of it happening continuously, Armaan had suggested they give Dev some space to bond with his daughter. He hadn’t really met Suhana since Dev and Sonakshi’s vow renewal/wedding ceremony that had happened almost two months ago, which in Armaan speak was close to an eternity.

Armaan had been extremely close to Suhana since the moment she’d been born. For the first few years of Suhana’s life, Suhana, Sonakshi, and the rest of Sonakshi’s family had lived with Armaan and the rest of the Grewals. But, a few months after Rajveer (Rahul’s dad) had passed away and Simran had moved back to India, the Boses had also moved out. It was right around the time Tamanna had come to live with them and Sonakshi had insisted that they move out because she didn’t want to crowd Tamanna with so many people when she was recovering from her trauma. Inspite of that, Armaan had met Suhana multiple times a week.

In the absence of Dev, Armaan had basically taken on any duties a father might have for their child. He’d raised Suhana alongside Sonakshi, and was understandably very attached to her. But, he did understand Dev’s fears and insecurities as well. If someone told him he had a 5 year old daughter who he had had no clue of before, and then also tell him that someone else was playing the role of a father in that little girl’s life in his absence, he would be spooked too. He’d be jealous and he would most definitely want to keep his daughter to himself, not wanting to share her.

He could understand Dev’s motivations, which is why he had not put up much of a fight when his visits with Suhana decreased after Dev became a part of her life, no matter what Bijoy Kaka insisted on. From what he knew about Dev from Sona, he was not an unreasonable man and he was pretty sure that Dev would not cut him out of Suhana’s life completely. He just needed some time to adjust to his new normal.

And, he was right. It had taken a few months, but here they were, with Dev bringing his daughter to Armaan, so that Armaan could spend time with him, of his own volition. Overwhelmed, he pulled a surprised Dev into a hug as well.

“Thank you so much,” he said, his voice breaking.

“I’m sorry it took me so long,” Dev replied. Armaan just waved those concerns off. He didn’t care why or how Dev decided to do this, just as long as he had.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of happiness and laughter. For the first time, it felt like they were all gathered together to attend a wedding. There was dancing, there was music, there was so much happiness, and so, so, so much love. Riddhima watched Armaan twirl Simran Aunty around in a waltz, and smiled to herself. If she could bottle up the smile on his face, she would never want for anything. She just wanted Armaan to be just as happy as he was in that moment, for the rest of his life, whether it was with or without her in it. She looked up to the sky, and prayed for just that. Maybe, this time, the Gods would listen to her and give her what she wanted more than anything in the world. Maybe, this time, Armaan’s heart would not break. Maybe, this time, he would finally be happy.

______________________

Happy 20th August, DMG fam! Can you believe it's been 14 whole years since our show debuted? It seems like just yesterday that I saw Armaan and Riddhima meet for the first time at the basketball court and here we are now!

To celebrate, had to upload a new chapter! And because it's such a happy occasion, I tried to make this chapter happy too, despite the ongoing track we have here. I hope I succeeded.

Who else stans Simran Grewal in this house? Please raise your hands! She was an absolute delight to write and I already adore her so, so, much. She's the best mom and she loves all her kids so much <3

Anyway... I hope y'all like the chapter! Please drop me a line to let me know. And, keep loving the story just as you've loved DMG for so long. Thank you so much!

Till next time, Prags <3

You taught me everything

Everything you've given me

I'll always keep it inside

You're the driving force in my life, yeah

There isn't anything

Or anyone that I could be

And it just wouldn't feel right

If I didn't have you by my side

You were there for me to love and care for me

When skies were gray

Whenever I was down

You were always there to comfort me

And no one else can be

What you have been to me you will always be

You will always be the girl

In my life for all times

Mama, Mama you know I love you

(You know I love you)

Mama, Mama you're the queen of my heart

Your love is like tears from the stars, yes it is

Mama I just want you to know lovin' you is like food to my soul

Yes it is, yes it is, oh, yes it is, yes it is, yes it is oh

You're always there for me

Have always been around for me even when I was bad

You showed me right from my wrong

Yes you did

And you took up for me

When everyone was downin' me

You always did understand

You gave me strength to go on

There were so many times

Looking back when I was so afraid

And then you'd come to me and say to me

I can face anything

And no one else can do

What you have done for me

You'll always be, you will always be

The girl in my life, ooh oh

Mama, Mama you know I love you

(You know I love you, you know I love you)

Mama, Mama you're the queen of my heart, (You are)

Your love is like tears from the stars

(Your love is like tears from the stars)

Mama I just want you to know (Mama I just want you to know)

Lovin' you is like food to my soul

Never gonna go a day without you

Fills me up just thinkin' about you

I'll never go a day without my mama

Mama, Mama you know I love you

Mama, Mama you're the queen of my heart

Your love is like tears from the stars

(Your love is like tears from the stars)

Mama I just want you to know lovin' you is like food to my soul

Lovin' you is like food to my soul, oh yeah

You are the food to my soul, yes you are

- A Song For Mama, Boyz II Men

Armaan needs time to digest it all and come to terms with it. Leaving him alone is best.

Eventually Armaan will have to tell Jhaanvi and Tamanna the truth. They will be mad but they also need to see the other side.

Armaan has his whole family with him right now. He needs to just let that comfort him.

Armaan is still suffering inside and hiding it pretty well. Everyone wishes him happiness and maybe their wishes will come true.

Hopefully Armaan gets over all this and remains happy ...

I don't knw how will jhanvi or tamanna react.. I think somewhere tamanna will be more understanding

Armaan has everyone here.. Love him like this