Heyyy ppl...well first of all a BIG hug to all those who appreciated my writing...it means A LOT!!!..thanks..n 2 all da silent readers..plz leave ur comments...it reli encouraging..well, coming back 2 my story..2days part is really LOOOOONG..lolz..hope u guyz don't get bored...n ya..hope u'll like it...
PART 6
'Vinay..today is en extremely special day in my life,' Shashank said as he surveyed the hall which was packed with relatives and family friends.
'Yes, who would have thought that one day our kids would get married?' Vinay said, smiling, 'but I must warn you Shashank..I still have the upper hand as I am the groomz father,'
Shashank chuckled, 'Yes, ofcourse...now I have to fulfill all your wishes...after all, from today onwards my daughter is at your mercy,'
Vinay looked at him seriously, 'Not your daughter Shashank..from today onwards Riddhima is OUR daughter..I promise that I will see to it that Riddhima recieves all the happiness in the world in the Mallik family..I will see to it that she never feels lonely or out of place with us. You will never regret this decision of yours,'
Shashank nodded with a grave expression.
'I trust you Vinay,..I know you will take care of my daughter.'
Saying so they both shook hands as today was an extremely important day for both the Mallik and the Gupta family..today was Armaan and Riddhima's marriage..a bond that would seal the friendship between the two families forever.
Vinay still couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear..he still couldn't get over the fact that Armaan had actually agreed for the marriage..that too without any fuss or reluctance..he had seemed quite OK about it..not really happy but there was no nervousness or reluctance either..it made Vinay slightly apprehensive...he hoped Armaan would take good care of Riddhima..this wasn't a joke..from today onwards Riddhima was their responsibility..Armaanz responsibility... and Vinay would make sure that Armaan never shirked his duty towards her...after all, Shashank had placed a lot of trust in him by giving his daughter's hand in marriage to Armaan..Vinay would make sure that Armaan would never ever break that trust..at the same time he couldn't help admiring Riddhima..she must be a gem of a girl if she made my fool-of-a-son fall for her within two meetings, he smiled.
Shashank smiled slightly as he surveyed the crowd..today was his daughter's marriage..HIS daughter's...today would be an extremely emotional day for any father but for him? Was he really upset that Riddhima was leaving the Gupta household and going to step into a new family? Not really...she had never ever been a part of his life..he had never ever been attached to her the way he was attached to Anjali..he knew that if it had been Anjali's marriage he would be in a different emotional state altogether but Riddhima? he had always pushed her away from him..either by ignoring her existence or sending her away like the time he sent her to the States for further studies..he had never really loved her the way a father should and even now..he couldn't really say that he was sad that she was leaving...but he sincerely hoped that she would be happy in her new family...that was all her could give her.
Riddhima sat in her room in front of the mirror in her bridal dress. Her expression was blank even though her mind was a turmoil of emotions..today she was getting MARRIED!!!..that was SUCH a huge deal in any girl's life...she had readily agreed for the marriage just to make papa happy but today for the first time she realized how much her life would change after this marriage...she would leave this house and go away forever with some strange guy whom she hardly even knew...she would no longer be Riddhima Gupta but she would become Riddhima Armaan Mallik and the very thought of it gave her the jitters. There would be so many expectations from her..daughter-in-law of the Mallik family...what if she failed as always? She would disappoint her papa, yet again.
Please God, she prayed silently, please help me not mess this up..please..
The thought of leaving home and going to this new place which was supposed to be her home from today onwards was scaring the hell out of her..
She opened her eyes to look into the mirror once again..she wished there was someone with her at this moment..papa..Anjali...anyone!!she was all alone in the room as all the girls had gone down to witness the pre-marriage ceremony..she wished more than anything that Anjali was here..but she knew that was not possible..Anjali couldn't make it for the marriage as she had important exams to write...she had offered to skip them to attend the wedding but Shashank had simpy refused to accept the suggestion...these exams were extremely important if Anjali had to succeed in the medical field...it had been her dream since she was a kid to become a doctor just like her mother and Shashank had done and would do everything in his power to make her dream come true..and Riddhima? Well, she never ever had any dreams and even if she did she had learnt from a very small age that it made no difference whatsoever..
She arranged her bridal dress as she waited patiently for someone to come and escort her to the mandap.. She hadn't even seen Armaan yet..all her cousins and relatives had and they couldn't stop giggling and whispering to Riddhima over what a hunk she'd caught. She smiled slightly as a slow blush crept up her cheeks...he was a hunk, alright. Thinking about him her fears somehow seemed to subside...the thought that he would be there with her when she stepped into her new family seemed to comfort her..though she didn't really know why,..it wasn't like she knew him very well..infact she HARDLY knew him but the two time she had met him he had seemed like a sweet guy..maybe being the daughter-in-law of the Mallik family wouldn't be so bad..it was true she hardly knew them...well, she knew Armaan and she was sure he would help her if she ever needed it..
'Riddhima, are you ready?'
She turned around to see her cousin Diya waiting for her at the door. She nodded silently and looked at herself in the mirror once again..she hoped she looked OK..she knew Armaan would be looking like some sort of Greek God(as all the other girls had mentioned that fact)..
'Are you OK?' Diya asked her as she watched Riddhima who was fiddling nervously with her dress.
Riddhima nodded though that was far from the truth...all her nervousness and fears which had subsided as thoughts of Armaan filled her head had suddenly returned in full measure...heck, she was SCARED!!!
'Well, then let's go..everyone's waiting for you including Armaaaan..hey, I must say..that guy is some catch,' Diya said, teasing her.
Riddhima blushed deeply and without a word followed Diya downstairs to the mandap.
Armaan watched as she descended the steps dressed as a bride..his bride. Gosh! she looked pretty..it was the first time he was seeing her so " dressed up" with her heavy lehenga and equally heavy jewellery..he could see the nervousness on her face...she must be scared as hell over the fact that at the moment everyones eyes were on her. As she walked towards the mandap she looked up and caught his eye...he smiled to sort of comfort her. He saw her face alter as she smiled back and she looked a lot more calm. Good, he thought...she looked as though she was heading for her execution..atleast now she's looking a lot more relaxed..
She quietly sat down beside him and he could see his dad and Shashank uncle grinning at them..miserable oldies! he thought, finally got what they wanted!..well, relax dude..this isn't going to be so bad..he'd made sure of that.
The marriage ceremony started and the pandit started chanting the mantras which sounded like plain gibberish to Armaan...What was this pandit saying??! he thought..was it like a vow or a shlokha or what??? It didn't make much sense to him but it didn't look like he had much choice than to just sit and listen to the pandit yapping away to glory...could someone atleast translate it so he could make some sense..the overdose of sanskrit was giving him a headache! He was dead tired anyways..he couldn't wait for this marriage ceremony to get over so that he go and catch up on some sleep. This week had just seemed to have flown by..was it only last week that he had met this Riddhima? Today he was getting MARRIED to her. He hadn't even met her after the meeting last week in which he had explained everything to her...not that he had any inclination to meet her either..ofcourse, his friends had not let him go easy...they couldn't believe that ARMAAN MALLIK, the ultimate play boy, was getting married!!! Try as he might to explain that this whole marriage was just an obligation..something he didn't really want to do but he just had to do...they refused to listen and so this whole week had been one bachelor party after another..getting drunk in some club till the wee hours of the morning and then sleeping in his room til late in the afternoon. Ofcourse, his dad had been extremely upset over his partying ways but Armaan had managed to convince him that these were his last partying days(NOT!!) and after the marriage he would totally give up on all his bad habits...Vinay had reluctantly agreed but not before warning Armaan that after marriage he would personally make sure that Armaan wouldn't shirk his marriage or office duties....but then dad always said stuff like that..it didn't stop him from doing exactly what he wanted.
'Armaan, get up..it's time for the pheres,' Armaanz mum whispered in his ear.
Armaan looked around, startled and realized that everyones eyes were on him.
Damn, he thought, must pay more attention.
He got up along with Riddhima and started the pheres while the pandit according to him continued his 'gibberish' and started throwing some 'stuff' into the fire. Why did he have to do these rounds anyways?? and why the hell did he have to lead the way first and then she had to lead the way for the last round? What was the point? He didn't even know why they were doing these things and what their significance was...but he guessed that since everyone was looking really serious about it...it must be important. Not that he had any other choice anyways.
'Now you have to put the mangalsootra in her neck and fill the sindoor in her maang,' Armaanz mum whispered in his ear. She was sitting right behind him and was telling him exactly what to do and when to do it..thank god for that, he thought, or he would have been totally lost..not to mention made a total fool of himself.
She handed the mangalsootra to him. This thing is the mangalsootra which is supposed to be very important?? he thought..it looks kinda ugly..I could have bought her a better necklace..actually chuck it...why do I care? He couldn't imagine shopping for a necklace for this Riddhima female..he really couldn't care less..
He took the sindoor from the small box placed in the Pandit's hand and just as he was about to place it in her maang she looked up and for the second time that evening their eyes met...He couldn't look away..he could see several emotions all at once in her eyes...he could see the nervousness she was feeling..he could see the fear of leaving her home behind...and he could also see they question in her eyes that wether they were doing the right thing.. he had never ever seen more expressive eyes than hers...she didn't need to say a thing..her eyes said it all...it seemed that at that moment she had lost control of herself and her real emotions had surfaced...emotions that she was so used to hiding behind a blank expression..she could no longer supress them..they were crystal clear in her eyes. This was what Riddhima was ACTUALLY feeling..she couldn't hide it any longer. Armaan didn't know what to do...or what to say..should he say something?? Why the hell was she looking at him like that? It was almost as if she was asking him for a promise...a promise to take care of her...NOO!! he couldn't promise her that!! and why would she even think that??!! He wasn't marrying her to take care of her!!..he was marrying her because after that his parents would stop breathing down his neck and let him live in peace! Hadn't he made it very clear from the beginning that he wasn't interested in her...ofcourse, he'd flattered her...but that was all..he hadn't even flirted with her!! Then why was she suddenly expecting things out of him..no..he preferred her blank expression..he preferred her to keep her emotions hidden.. no, Armaan...just look away..don't say anything..don't do anything..you just flattered her a bit and look where that landed you!! She's started thinking that you have some sort of responsiblity towards her...that you will take care of her or somthing...no..she has to understand that I can't commit myself to her..or to any girl for that matter..she has to understand that she shouldn't expect things from me...EVER!!
'Armaan? what are you thinking?' his mum whispered urgently. He realized that he still hadn't placed the sindoor in her maang. He broke they eye-contact and without looking at her, he placed the sindoor in her maang and then looked away quickly before there could be another intense eye-lock.
He felt disoriented and disturbed..he had often wondered during their past meetings about what emotions were really hidden behind that fake mask which was so used to wearing all the time to hide her true feelings..but this had been totally unexpected..she had seemed so vulnerable at that moment..it was as if she had lost control over her emotions..
After all the final ceremonies were over during which Armaan made it a point not to make any sort of eye-contact with Riddhima his mum informed them that it was now time to take everyone's blessings.
Riddhima tried her level best to control her emotions as she moved towards her papa to take his blessings.
'Have a prosperous and happy married life,' Shashank said and patted her on the head. Riddhima knew that it was all she would get...he hadn't even hugged her..not that she expected him to..she tried her level best not to let her emotions go out of control again...she didn't want to make a scene by crying here..she knew her papa wouldn't approve of it..however, she couldn't help the one or two tears which escaped her eyes...was he going to miss her? she wondered. Would he ever remember her after she left? She really didn't know. She knew he probably had never loved her the way he loved Anjali but still...he was HER papa..she was his blood..there was a connection and no one could deny that...
Armaan stared at Shashank...wasn't he going to hug his daughter before she left?? It seemed not. Have a happy and prosperous married life??!!! That's it??!! It seemed so wierd and...formal. He hadn't attended too many weddings but he did know that the bidaai was an extremely emotional moment for any father...after all his daughter was leaving him and going with some strange guy to a new home altogether...He had expected torrents of tears and emotions but he was in for a surprise...if he wasn't wrong there was hardly any emotion here..hardly any attachment. He glanced towards Riddhima and saw that apart from the few tears which had escaped her eyes while taking her dad's blessings she seemed totally normal. He had expected excessive crying like all the other brides during their bidaai time but..she looked totally fine.. She looked at him as though asking him to lead the way towards the car which was only standing a few feet away from them...which would lead her to her new home..and which would take her away from her papa forever..this was worst than going to the US for studies...atleast there she had some hope of returning home..now, she could no longer call this her home...her home was now with Armaan..
As their eyes met, Armaan could see that she had bottled up her emotions again..he was onced again faced with that blank look and at that moment he understood...maybe she wanted to cry some more...maybe she wanted to hug her papa and never let go..maybe she was nervous as hell..he would never know WHAT exactly she was feeling as she hid her feelings so well...but he knew one thing that she wouldn't do any of those because they were not expected of her..her dad expected her to go with her husband without making too much of a fuss and without shedding too many tears and so she would do just that..end of story.
As Armaan led the way towards the car he looked back at Shashank..maybe he should reassure him..tell him not to worry..tell him that Riddhima would be just fine..after all this was an emotional moment for any father but looking back he saw that Shashank was not even looking in Riddhima's direction..he was talking to some guest...
***
'And this is our room,' Armaan announced to Riddhima as he opened the door to his room. She nodded and followed him silently. She hadn't uttered a word since she had got into the car..nor during all the ceremonies which his mum had arranged to welcome the new bride of the Mallik family. Armaan could see that his parents were trying really hard to make Riddhima feel welcome into their family and to make her feel as though this was HER house..however, she had seemed distant and lost..not to mention, extremely formal. Ofcourse, Armaan hadn't initiated any conversation with her to make her feel comfortable..he was still feeling a bit disoriented after that eye-lock during the wedding ceremony..it was so wierd...he was married!! and he was cool with that and yet it was a simple eye-lock with this girl which was disturbing him to such an extent.
'Are you OK?' he asked her, politely...she seemed a little lost.. which he thought that anyone would be..imagine leaving your own house and going to some strange house with some strange guy with the knowledge that you have to now live there...he thought he might as well try to make her feel a little more comfortable..
'Yes, I'm fine,' she replied finally, smiling slightly to show that she truly meant that statement. Her voice sounded totally normal and Armaan was forced to think that mayb he was over analysing the situation..maybe she was fine..after all she had been living alone in the States for quite some time..it was probably because of this that she had seemed OK during the bidaai time..she was probably used to living on her own..maybe she wasn't that attached to her father..and maybe her blank expression did not mean that she was hiding her feelings but simply meant that she wasn't feeling anything at that time.
'Well..OK then..I think we shoud go to bed..it's getting quite late,' he said.
She looked at him and he could see the fear in her face...she had misintepreted his statement.
'No no..I didn't mean it like that..I meant that we should go to sleep..it's been a hectic day..uhm..you can sleep on the bed..as for me..I'll sleep on the couch,' he said hastily.
She smiled gratefully at him..she was anyways terrified at the moment..she was also overwhelmed with all the emotions she had been supressing throughout the wedding ceremony...for a moment she really thought he-
She watched him take a pillow and blanket and start making a bed for himself on the couch. Without even changing he slumped on the couch with a sigh, pulled the comforter over himself and closed his eyes, ready for a good long sleep.
'Armaan?' she called.
He opened his eyes and looked at her standing there, nervously twirling her dupatta between her fingers.
'You can sleep on the bed...I mean..I'll sleep on the couch..it's fine with me,' she said, earnestly.
He smiled at her and said, 'It's OK...I'm fine over here,'
'Armaan...I know it's uncomfortable sleeping on the couch when your used to sleeping on the bed..moreover, it's been a hectic day..then why are you doing this?' she asked, quietly.
He looked at her..she seemed genuinely curious.
'Well...as you said it's slightly uncomfortable sleeping on the couch..so I thought you would be more comfortable sleeping on the bed..you look really tired as well..it's been a long day..and trust me..it's my bed so I know..you will have the best sleep of your life today,' he laughed and turning around he closed his eyes and went off to sleep.
She stood over there staring at him..tears welled up in her eyes and silently rolled down her cheeks.
In her entire life no one had ever gone out of their way to make her feel comfortable...no one had EVER placed her comfort before theirs.
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