Previously On...
Armaan is skeptical about spending time with Riddhima and seeks Rahul's advice, while Riddhima is extremely excited about spending time with Armaan.
I recommend reading the latest outtake chapter aka Bonus Track 4 before reading this! :D
Track 21 - Love You Like The Movies, Anthem Lights
Armaan kept stealing glances at Riddhima all through the drive. She was looking absolutely beautiful in her red salwar kameez. Red. His favourite sauce wala laal, which had been a very important part of their relationship. Seeing her dressed in that suit had brought many memories back for him, from a time long ago, when they were still a happy couple madly in love.
She was looking so much like the Riddhima he'd fallen in love with, his Basket - with a shy smile on her lips, a light blush on her cheeks, dressed in red, her wrist adorned with the kada he'd given her so long ago. For a moment Armaan thought of asking her why she still wore it, even after 7 years, but then thought better of it. Riddhima had once told him that she wore it because she felt that it represented the blessings his parents had showered on her, and that for her, they were extremely important because she respected his parents almost as much as she respected her own.
Thinking about his parents made Armaan's jaw clench and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He couldn't help the surge of anger that zapped through his body. It happened every time he remembered just exactly what his parents had done. And, thinking about it made him angry at himself because he still couldn't believe he'd actually been so very oblivious to it all. So much pain and heartache, all the sleepless nights, the nightmares, that could have been avoided if he'd just been paying more attention to what was going on rather than being wrapped up in his own depressed bubble, away from the world and drowning himself in his sorrows. How could he have forgotten that he wasn't alone, that he was responsible for another living, breathing person?
"Armaan?" Riddhima called tentatively, seeing how he was behaving.
Armaan didn't reply, still lost in his self loathing.
"Armaan?" Riddhima called again, this time a little louder.
"Huh?" Armaan asked, confused. "Wh - what?" He asked, still a little dazed as he came back to the present, leaving those painful memories behind.
"Is everything okay?" She questioned.
"Ye - ye - yes," Armaan replied, fumbling. "Why are you asking?"
Riddhima gestured to his hands, which were still gripping the steering tightly.
"Oh," Armaan muttered in comprehension. "Yes, yes. Everything is fine. I was just thinking about something," he replied flippantly, dismissing her.
"Uh... Okay," Riddhima answered. She didn't know if she should probe further or not, if she still had that right. She understood that whatever Armaan had been thinking about had made him angry, and she wanted to talk to him so that she could help him, but after everything, she didn't think she had the authority to do that. Moreover, she didn't want to push Armaan and cause any more tension in their already delicate relationship.
"If you want to talk about it, I'm here," she finally said, giving Armaan the choice to open up to her if he so wished.
Armaan smiled at her. A small smile that didn't reach his eyes, but which was genuine nonetheless.
"Thanks," he muttered. He was surprised that she'd understood him. All those years separating them, and she still knew him so well.
They lapsed into an awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say. There was a time when they didn't have enough time to talk, a time when they'd always complain about how were they supposed to talk so much when there was so little time, when they'd crib and complain about how there was always someone walking in on them and not giving them a moment of peace to just talk to each other. And today, with so much time on their hands, without interruptions, they didn't know what to say. The irony was not lost on either of them.
Desperate to end this awkwardness, Armaan started the radio, the music drowning their silence. He kept fiddling with the radio and Riddhima didn't say a word, till a Reve song came on and Armaan tried to change the channel.
"Rehne do na. Please," she requested. "I love this song."
Armaan sighed, but removed his hand from the radio. Love You Like The Movies was an incredibly special song for him. He'd written it way back when he was so in love with Riddhima, remembering all the happy times they'd spent together. It was a testament to the love they'd shared, the joy Riddhima had brought in his otherwise lonely world, the dreams they'd both woven of a happy life together.
His therapist had advised him to channel his feelings into words. Journaling had been his choice of outlet, but Armaan had much preferred turning his feelings into songs. Seeing how much it relaxed him, he'd continued. Love You Like The Movies was the product of a good, happy day in his mostly bleak life a little more than 5 years ago. He'd just spent the hour talking to Dr. Reynolds about the happy parts of his relationship with Riddhima - the love, the fights, the bickering. And, he wanted to write about it. Because, as much as he wished to deny it, his relationship with Riddhima had been one of the happiest periods of his life for 2 years. And, he'd channeled all that love in that happy, upbeat, cute, adorable song.
He grinned at those memories and looked at Riddhima, who was singing along to the song, a wide smile on his face. Her eyes were closed and she wore a content expression on her face. Armaan didn't remember the last time he'd seen her look like that. Was she remembering her time with Sid? He wondered. Or him? As quickly as the thought had entered his mind, he dismissed it. He didn't care what she thought.
Feeling his gaze directed at her, Riddhima opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. Armaan just shook his head and smiled lightly.
"You're cute," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Mouthing all the words and smiling and all that."
Riddhima blushed at his compliment. "Thank you," she muttered, looking away.
"Still can't take a compliment, I see," Armaan teased her.
"Armaan! Riddhima reprimanded. Armaan grinned at that. Clearly, no matter how much time elapsed, R"ddhima was incapable of not scolding him. He chuckled.
"Big fan of Reve, then?" He asked her, changing the topic.
Riddhima nodded enthusiastically. "I absolutely adore him. His voice, his songs..." Riddhima trailed off sighing. "I know it's silly, but I don't know, I feel connected to him on an intimate level. Many times, I feel like he's singing to me," she said.
Armaan looked at her, gaping. Did she know? He thought. It was true, so many of his songs were about her, for her. Try as he might, he couldn't deny that Riddhima had been his muse.
Looking at the expression on Armaan's face, she quickly added, "I know it's the stupidest thing I've ever said. I mean, I'm sure that this guy doesn't even know I exist. And, here I am, telling you I think he's singing to me. Sid thinks I've lost my marbles."
The mention of Sid sobered Armaan immediately. For sometime, he'd forgotten that Sid existed. That Riddhima had a husband. Gods, how could he have forgotten? Armaan thought to himself. This was why he didn't want to be alone with her. She made him forget everything else, even now.
Oblivious to Armaan's thoughts, Riddhima continued. "Everyone else does too. Di always laughs me off. But... But I can't help it. There's something about him that attracts me to him. I don't know what? It's like he's so familiar, like I've known him all my life. Like, he's some incredibly important."
Sighing, she shrugged. "Chodo, yeh sab. I always get carried away when I talk about him." Turning to Armaan, she saw that he was lost in his own world. Snapping her fingers in front of his eyes, she said, "Kahaan kho gaye?"
Armaan shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Kahin nahi," he answered. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Coffee?"
Riddhima nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."
Armaan smiled. "I know just the place."
He drove them to a quaint looking little coffee shop tucked in a back alley, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Riddhima couldn't help but the love the cosy and homey feel of the place. Karen's Cafe, it read.
"Anybody home?" Armaan called as he walked in. The cafe was mostly empty apart from a few stragglers, who Armaan seemed to know because he made small talk with them as he made his way to the counter.
"Aunt Karen?" He asked, rapping his knuckles on the counter. "You there?"
"Aunt Karen?" Riddhima asked. Armaan turned to her and smiled.
"She's one of my friends' mom. Wanted me to call her just Karen, but I was uncomfortable with that. And, she didn't want me to call her by her surname, so we reached a compromise," he explained.
"Armaan!" A pretty lady, who looked to be in her late 40s, exclaimed as she walked outside the kitchen, her accent making his name sound funny.
"Hey!" Armaan greeted her. "How are you?" He asked, bending down to kiss her cheek.
"I'm great," she replied, smiling at him affectionately. "How are you? And Jenny?" She asked him, concerned about Jaanhavi's accident.
"We're all fine. Jenny's home, repurcating and annoying me. She'll be fine in a week, two at max."
The lady smiled and asked, "Your usual?"
"Yes, please." Turning to Riddhima, he asked, "Cappuccino with 3 spoons of coffee, 2 spoons of sugar and half a cup of milk with a shot of espresso?"
Riddhima nodded, a mix of delight and surprise on her face. She couldn't believe that Armaan still remembered how she liked his coffee, down to the tee. Sid didn't remember it properly even after 7 years. He was always forgetting something or the other.
Armaan smiled at her and turned to repeat the order. "Add two scones, please. Blueberry," he requested. "Everything to go."
The lady smiled and rung up his order.
"Aunt Karen," Armaan began conversationally, leaning on the counter. "Will you cater for the wedding?" He asked. "The breakfast, I mean."
Karen looked at him, shocked. "What?"
Armaan smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah. I've been meaning to ask for so long, but I just didn't. We all love your scones and pies. It'd be totally awesome if you could cater for us. Though, I understand if you can't. It's a lot of pressure."
Sensing her shock at the suddenness of his request, he added, "You don't have to answer right away. Why don't you sleep on it before making a decision?" He suggested.
"No, no. I don't need to do that. Of course I'll cater! I'm sorry. You just took me by surprise," she said, agreeing to his request.
"Are you sure?" Armaan asked skeptically.
"Of course, Armaan! I would love to, okay? Don't fuss," she assured him.
"Thank you so much!" Armaan cried, leaning over the counter to pull her into a hug.
Bidding their goodbyes, Armaan & Riddhima left from there. Riddhima looked at Armaan with an affectionate smile on her face as she saw him interacting with Aunt Karen. He was so amazing. Won hearts of everybody, no matter where he went. It was clear that Aunt Karen adored him. It made her happy that Armaan had found so many people who genuinely cared about him.
Back in India, it had only really been her and their intern gang who cared about his well being so much. And, at times, even though Riddhima knew that they never did it intentionally, she got the feeling that Anjali and Muskaan only ever seemed to remember Armaan when they were in trouble. Sure, they were his friends and they helped him, should he ask for it, but they never looked passed the surface to see the trouble brewing in his life. For them, he was Armaan Mallik. And Armaan Mallik could do anything. It seemed as if they tended to forget that Armaan was human too.
And, her family. Well, she wouldn't even think about her father. Riddhima knew that Shashank thought that Armaan was a great friend and a good doctor, but he never knew Armaan. He never even tried to, even after their roka. To him, he was always just the guy his daughter had, unfortunately, chosen to spend the rest of her life with. Shashank never made Armaan feel as if he was a part of their family, or that he cared for Armaan more than he cared for any other employee working for him. Nani cared for Armaan, but she only cared for him as one of Riddhima & Anjali's friends, who she happened to be fond of. She never worried for Armaan the way she worried for Riddhima & Anjali. Her mom, though. Her mom was the one person who genuinely liked Armaan as a person and understood him better than the people in Riddhima's family. But, she too, was so wrapped up in her own responsibilities, trying to make a place for her in the Gupta household and before that, battling her illness, that she didn't have the time to think of what happened to Armaan.
So, yes, Riddhima was delighted that there were so many people here who genuinely and deeply cared for Armaan, who saw beyond the surface to the absolutely amazing man Armaan was. It made her happy, thinking that Armaan hadn't actually been alone all these years, like she was afraid of. He was surrounded by love and friendship. And that was enough for her.
"We're here," Armaan announced, bringing Riddhima out of her thoughts. They were in front of the entrance of the Four Seasons. Riddhima smiled at him as he held the door open for her. She stepped out, smiling widely. Armaan returned her smile with a grin of his own. He gave the keys to the valet and they made their way to the ballroom, where El was already waiting for them.
xxx
Ahhh! AR! <333333
Things are progressing slowly but surely.
Also, foreshadowing. Armaan seems to be really mad at his parents. Can you guess why?
The next chapter is going to be the absolute bomb! I'm really excited for it! :D
The song that Riddhima was singing in the car, the one Armaan wrote about their relationship is Love You Like The Movies by Anthem Lights, which also the chapter song for this one. I just modified it so it was Reve who wrote and sang the song instead of the original composers and artists. It is a beautiful song and you guys should definitely listen to it.
Love You Like The Movies, Anthem Lights
Ciao now!
See you guys soon with another update! Please comment!
Edited by DMGThings - 7 years ago
Cricket
Kundali Bhagya
233