Previously on...
Cole and Armaan talk.
Chapter 50
The morning of Cole and Tessa's wedding dawned bright. It was sunny
out, the winds were blowing and there was a warmth all around them. It was a
perfect day for a wedding, really.
Everybody had been up from the wee
hours of morning, making sure that everything was in place and doing last
minute inspections. It was going to be an intimate ceremony with just a few
close friends and family, so there wasn't
much to be done. But, they wanted everything to be perfect for Cole and Tessa
on their big day.
Armaan smiled as he surveyed the
placing of tables and chairs in the lawn. Riddhima was just a few feet away,
looking at the decoration. So, obviously Armaan was concentrating hard on the
task at hand - staring at his girl, the
arrangements forgotten. It wasn't like it was his fault
though. His baby was just so beautiful. He couldn't
help it.
He'd
been thinking a lot about what Cole had said these past few days. And, it did
make a whole lot of sense. Armaan wanted to move on. He didn't want to live in the past. He wanted
to be in the present and plan for his future. His future with Riddhima, to be
precise. And, it was no use living in the past. Yes, they'd had bad experiences but he needed to
get over them. More than anything, he didn't
want to have any regrets. Not where Riddhima and their relationship was
concerned.
He'd
thought long and hard about what Cole had said, especially regretting not
proposing sooner. He got where Cole was coming from, really. He couldn't wait for Riddhima to have his name.
For her to be his wife. And, he knew deep within that he would regret not
asking her sooner. He would regret everyday they spent apart just like he'd done in the past.
It was a huge step, trying to let go of
his misgivings and inhibitions, but he had to try. For her. For them. At the
rate that he was going, he would probably never gather the courage to ask her.
And he couldn't not ask her. He had to.
Because, as scared as he was, the prospect of Riddhima not being his wife was
even scarier. So, he would just put on his big boy shoes and be a man.
Yes, he would. He was going to propose
soon, he decided. Not at the very moment, of course. But, soon. He'd already started planning it in his
head last night, finally excited about the whole shenanigan. He didn't want to foil Cole and Tessa's big day and he knew that once they
got back, everyone would be busy. Especially Riddhima and him. They would have
to catch up on all their cases and being gone away for almost a month, the
workload would increase heavily. Plus, they had to plan and practice and
execute the Sanjeevani Concert, which in itself was a huge task.
In the middle of all this, they wouldn't get the chance to enjoy their
engagement the way they were supposed to. So, he would propose when the Conert
was done. And, it would be absolutely perfect because the Concert was coming at
such a time, that doing it after would give him plenty of time to plan and give
him a date that would make it mean so much more.
"Hey,
Armaan!" Anjali called bringing him
out of his daydream.
"Haan,
Anjy?" He asked.
"Ridzy
ko taadna band kar aur kuch kaam bhi karle!"
She replied, smirking.
Riddhima who heard this, blushed a deep
shade of red. Armaan chuckled and winked at her, blowing her kiss before he
turned to the task at hand.
Everybody worked tirelessly through the
morning to make sure everything was in place before the girls rushed upstairs
to get ready.
Armaan took the opportunity to go find
Cole and talk to him.
"Hey,
man!" He greeted once he met
Cole.
"Hey," Cole replied.
"All
good?" Armaan asked.
Cole nodded.
"No
cold feet? No nervousness?" Armaan asked, his voice
light and teasing.
"Nope,
none at all. I just want her to be my wife, you know?" Cole answered.
Armaan nodded. "So, you know how we talked about
regretting it a few days back?" He asked Cole, who nodded.
"Did
you think about it?" Cole asked.
"Yeah,
I did."
"And?" Cole pressed.
"You're right. I have to move on. I can't keep living in the past. It's not fair to me and it's not fair to Riddhima," Armaan replied.
Cole nodded jubilantly. "Yes, you're
absolutely right. So what are you going to do about it?"
"Well,
I'm going to propose,
obviously."
"WOW!
When?" Cole asked.
"Not
at the moment. We've got a lot on our plate
right now with the hospital. But, in the new year, it'll be easier. Our workload will
decrease and we'll have more time to
ourselves," Armaan explained.
"So,
you're going to propose to her
then?" Cole questioned.
"Yes,
yes I am," Armaan replied, grinning.
"Well,
congratulations, man! I'm happy for you!" Cole said, pulling Armaan in for a man
hug.
"Thanks!
I'm pretty happy for myself
too," Armaan replied.
"Hey
boys! Let's get this thing on the
road, shall we?" Rahul called as he entered
Cole's room.
"Oops!" He said, snickering. "Did I ruin your moment?" He asked with a mischievous glint in
his eye.
"Haha!
You think you're so funny, don't you?"
Armaan asked sarcastically.
Rahul shrugged, still grinning.
Things between him and Muskaan had been
going really well. Atleast she had started to acknowledge his presence. They
had talked to each other a couple of times. Granted, it was just polite
conversation, but it was still a step ahead than what Rahul had been prior to
this trip.
"Abbe
saale, tu itna khush - khsuh kyu rehta hai
aajkal?" Armaan asked him.
"Yaar
mere best friends ki shaadi hai, ab khush bhi nahi ho sakta kya?" Rahul cross questioned.
"Nahi,
nahi. Ho sakta hai, lekin tu aajkal kuch zyada hi khush dikhta hai, right
Champ?" Armaan directed the
question at Atul who was just entering the room.
Atul nodded thoughtfully. "Baat toh teri sahi hai, Bhai. Yeh Rahul
kuch zyada hi khush - khush rehta hai aajkal."
Rahul blushed under the scrutiny of his
best friends.
"OHO!
Daddu! Tu toh blush kar raha hai, yaar! Sach, sach bata, baat kya hai? Muskaan maan
gayi kya?" Armaan asked, excitement
dripping his tone.
Rahul shook his head sadly. "Abhi kahaan."
"Toh
phir tu itna khush kyu hai?" Atul asked.
Rahul shrugged.
"Will
someone please clue me in as to what's
going on?" Cole asked, making the
boys jump a little.
"We
were just teasing Rahul because he's
so happy these days," Armaan replied.
Cole nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, man. I did notice. You are crazy
happy these days. What's up with that?"
"Can
you guys stop with the third degree?"
Rahul asked. "We need to get dressed."
The boys nodded and Rahul sighed in
relief.
The rest of the day was a blur as
everybody got dressed and assembled in the lawn.
Cole introduced Armaan and Atul to his
and Tessie's parents who had arrived
earlier in the morning and everyone was glad to meet the boy who loved Riddhima
so much.
They spent sometime talking merry
making before it was time. Cole stood at the altar with Rahul as his best man
and Armaan, Atul, Travis and Alex as his groomsmen.
(These are the groomsmen outfits)
"Here
we go, man! All the best!" Rahul whispered to Cole
who nodded his thanks.
First to come out was Beth, followed by
Megan and then Anjali and Muskaan. All of them looked really, really pretty.
Their boys were all staring at them in
awe, unable to believe that they were all looking so beautiful.
(Bridesmaid dresses)
Then, Riddhima entered. And, the wind
left Armaan in a whoosh. She looked absolutely ethereal in that red gown she
was wearing. He couldn't take his eyes off of her
even if he wanted to. She was so beautiful, so gorgeous and so his.
(Riddhima's dress)
(Colessa)
The rest of the ceremony was an
absolute blur for Armaan because he didn't
hear a word of what was being said. All his attention was solely focused on
Riddhima and how beautiful she looked in that dress.
Riddhima was going for impact when she
chose the dress and she got it. And, Armaan finally understood why she was
being so stubborn about not letting him see the dress before the wedding.
As soon as the ceremony was over,
Armaan made a beeline for Riddhima. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her
long and deep. Riddhima smiled against his lips before melting into his embrace
and kissing him back.
"God,
you're gorgeous," Armaan whispered when they broke
apart.
Riddhima blushed at his intense
scrutiny and hid her face in his chest, hugging him tight. Armaan smiled and
kissed the top of her head.
"Ab
samajh aaya tum kyu mujhe dikhana nahi chahti thi. Lekin, baby, ek baar warning
toh de di hoti. Agar mujhe pata hota tum itni zyada beautiful lagogi, toh main
thoda prepare hoke aata na," he teased her.
"ARMAAN!" She smacked his chest, burrowing
further into him. Armaan just chuckled and shook his head.
Cole and Tessa left for some alone time
after the ceremony while the others attended to the guests before it was time
for the reception.
The entire time, Armaan was stuck to
Riddhima's side like glue and didn't leave one opportunity to hug or kiss
her. He had missed her these past few days. With all the excitement and
preparation for the wedding, time alone had been scarce for them. Thankfully,
they would be leaving tomorrow evening, so he would have one uninterrupted day
with his Basket. And he planned to make complete use of it.
He wasn't
even going to leave the room. They could watch some movies, eat junk food and
cuddle and talk and kiss. That would be perfect, he thought. A quite morning
away from the helter - skelter of their friends.
When he asked what Riddhima thought about
that, she gave him a huge smile and a smacking kiss on his cheek which made him
grin widely.
When it was time for the reception,
Rahul announced the entry of Cole and Tessa and invited them on the floor for
their first dance.
Soft music began to play as Cole took
Tessa in his arms and they began to sway gently to the music.
"They
look so happy," Riddhima commented and
Armaan could hear a soft wistfulness in her tone. He knew that Riddhima wouldn't pressure him into anything that he wasn't ready for, but Armaan knew that
Riddhima wanted them to get married. He was going to fulfil that wish of hers,
and any others she may have in their life together, he vowed silently.
"Not
as happy as us," Armaan replied, nuzzling
her head with his nose. Riddhima giggled.
"You're the best boyfriend ever, you know
that?" Riddhima asked him.
Armaan shrugged.
"Seriously,
Armaan. Tum... tum hamesha mera khayal rakhte ho, mere kuch kehne se pehle meri
har baat samajh jaate ho aur mere maangne se pehle hi mujhe sab de dete ho."
"Yeh
toh mera kaam haina, Basket. Waise bhi mere hote hue meri jaan ko kabhi kisi
cheez ki problem nahi hogi," he replied.
Riddhima pecked his lips and hugged him
tight.
"Kya
baat hai? Aaj bada pyaar aa raha hai,"
Armaan commented.
"Kuch
nahi, bas itne dino se tumse achche mili hi nahi. Aur phir, yeh shaadi ka
maahol hi aisa hota haina. Toh bas aaj tumse yeh sab kehna ka bohot mann kar
raha tha," she replied.
Armaan smiled.
After Cole and Tessa's first dance was done, the other
couples were invited to join them on the dance floor. Armaan wasted no time in
pulling Riddhima to the floor. Cole looked at them and winked. Riddhima blushed
and Armaan smiled at him before pulling Riddhima close to him.
After some dancing, it was cake cutting
time. It was a boisterous affair with Cole and Tessa both spreading cake on
each other's face instead of feeding
them to each other.
The entire ceremony went off without a
hitch. Armaan danced with Tessa and Beth and Megan before he dance with Anjali
and Muskaan. But, every few minutes, he would walk away, only to pull Riddhima
into his arms for one dance, no matter how short before someone pulled either
of them away.
Riddhima smiled at all the attention
Armaan was giving her. No matter where they were, she could always feel Armaan's eyes on her. They followed her every
moment. And, whenever he was close by, Armaan was increasingly affectionate. He
was always touching her somehow. His arm around her waist, his hand on the
small of her back, a kiss here and a nuzzle there. It was as if he couldn't tear himself away from her even if he
tried. And, she absolutely loved the fact.
When it was time for the bouquet toss,
all the single ladies lined up for a shot. Tessa smirked at Riddhima before she
turned around and threw the bouquet right into Riddhima's hands. She didn't
even have to move. God, Tessa had amazing aim. Riddhima did not know that. She
blushed as the crowd cheered.
Then, Cole made a huge show of removing
the garter from Tessa's thigh before he threw it at Armaan.
Yeah, they rigged that one alright.
So, Armaan and Riddhima were forced to
play along. The crowd cheered as Armaan went down on his knees in front of
Riddhima. He gave her a wicked smirk before he bent down and tightened the
garter around her thighs, with only his teeth. Was it getting hot in here?
When he was done, he came back up and
pulled Riddhima with him. She breathed a sigh of relief that it was over, but
Armaan didn't think so as he smacked his lips right on hers. He kissed her hard
and deep, ensnaring all her senses.
The crowd cheered as Armaan made a huge show out
of it, even dipping her down. When they pulled back for air, mainly due to all
the catcalls, Riddhima blushed and hid her face in Armaan's neck. The people
cheered and Armaan even bowed in front of them. From the corner of her eye, she
saw Cole give Armaan a thumbs up. Boys, she thought before melting into
Armaan's embrace, deciding to just f**k it all and enjoy being near her boy.
After the ceremony was done and the
guests had left, bidding Cole and Tessa goodbye as they went for their
honeymoon, Armaan and Riddhima stumbled into their room, tired yet happy.
They changed quickly and got in bed.
Armaan pulled Riddhima close to him, nuzzling and kissing her as he whispered
sweet nothings to her before they fell asleep.
The next morning, Riddhima woke Armaan
up with kisses all across his face. Armaan smiled widely when she kissed his
lips and responded with an intensity that Riddhima wasn't expecting. Taking advantage of her surprise,
Armaan kissed her harder, plunging his tongue into her mouth and flipping them
so that Riddhima fell back on the bed with him on top of her.
They kissed and kissed and kissed till
they were out of breath and then they kissed some more. They spent the morning
in bed, kissing and cuddling before they went downstairs for lunch.
The others seemed to have had similar
ideas because when Riddhima was making food in the kitchen, one by one everyone
sat down at the table. They had lunch together, laughing and swapping stories
before they settled in the living room.
They put in a movie and everybody
relaxed all afternoon, all cuddled and loved up with their partners.
Of course, when the lights went out, signaling
the beginning of the movie, Armaan left no chance of cuddling and kissing
Riddhima. He smiled when he felt her shiver due to his ministrations, but didn't stop.
The entire afternoon was pure torture
for Riddhima, no thanks to Armaan and all his light caresses. So, when everyone
retired to their rooms to rest before they had to leave, she marched past
Armaan, straight to their room.
"Basket!" Armaan called after her. "Kya hua? Ab maine kya kiya?" He asked her when she refused to
acknowledge his presence.
"Tumne
kya kiya?" She asked surprised.
Armaan nodded, indicating he had no
clue what was going on.
"Armaan,
tum poori dopahar, neeche kya kar rahe the?"
She asked.
"Oh!
Woh?" Armaan asked, finally
catching on. "Kuch nahi. Bas thoda sa
romance."
"Armaan!
Wahaan neeche sab the. Aisa koi karta hai kya? Agar kisi ko pata chal jaata
toh? Tumhe pata hai mujhe kitni embarrassment hoti. Tum na, kahin bhi shuru ho
jaate ho. Kamse kam apne aas - pass..." her words were cut off when Armaan
pressed his lips to hers.
"Bas
Basket! Kitna bolti ho tum," Armaan said against her
lips before kissing her again.
"Apne
mu se aur bhi interesting cheeze kar sakti ho,"
he commented in between kisses.
"Armaan!" Riddhima scolded him before pulling
away.
"Kya?" Armaan asked cheekily. Not giving her
a chance to reply, he kissed her again.
"Hato!" She pulled back. "Mujhe packing karni hai."
Armaan sighed but stepped away.
Riddhima turned to their wardrobe and removed their clothes, setting them on
the bed before Armaan removed the suitcases and placed them on the bed beside
the clothes.
Riddhima got busy, sorting the clothes
and packing them. After some time, Armaan who was getting thoroughly bored watching
Riddhima pack, wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled into her neck.
"Armaan!" She said, giggling. "Kya kar rahe ho?"
"Main
apna kaam kar raha hu, tum apna karo,"
he replied, placing a kiss on her neck.
"Armaan,
chalo badmaashi chodo, mujhe kaam hai,"
she told him.
"Haan
toh maine kahaan mana kiya. Tum apna kaam karo,"
he replied before dipping his head into the curve of her neck.
Riddhima sighed and got to work. It
took her twice as long to pack their bags because Armaan wouldn't let go off her, but in the end it was
so worth it because she got to bask in Armaan's
love for so long.
When it was time for them to leave,
Armaan and Riddhima met the gang in the lobby. Hugs and kisses were passed
around, before they left for the airport.
Sure, he would miss his friends, Armaan
mused as they sat in the car, but he couldn't
wait to get home.
xxx
And a double update! I AM SO HAPPY! Yes, I didn't study, but this makes me feel really happy, so yeah. I'll study later.
How did you guys like it? The wedding is done, Armaan wants to propose and the gang is going back home. So much excitement in one chapter!
And, so many cute ass Armaan - Riddhima moments. I love it. I hope you guys liked it!
More to come, hopefully soon! I'm not making any promises, but be on the lookout.
Also, in case you missed them, I updated two chapters of TDBU. Here's the link to the story -
The Distance Between Us
Please go check it out if you haven't already! It would mean the world to me!
Also, ILYLTF is 50 chapters old! Oh my Armaan! When I first started posting, I never dreamed of this! Thank you so much for sticking by me! I love you! <3
Much love, Prags!
Edited by DMGThings - 8 years ago
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