TDBU #2 [An AR FF] - (Teaser - Page 142) - Page 77

Originally posted by: scorpiofazy

Wow its already reached well congrats yaar

So finally riddhima--nikki scene coming up

Nd the 1st one toh shayad maa-beti ki baatein hain😆

Poor riddhima everything was so good in her life 10 years ago now that she really wanted to go back to that time...feels for her...

Originally posted by: DMGThings

Poochne mein kya jata hai. :p

Originally posted by: AbhiNikiLuver

T-2 days?🥳

Originally posted by: AbhiNikiLuver

UFFF. What am I supposed to do for the next two days now?😭

Previously On...

Armaan & Padma have a heart to heart.

Track 29 - Everything Has Changed, Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran

Riddhima was still lost in thought, thinking about her conversation with Shilpa. At first, she'd been a little disgusted by the fact that Shilpa had abandoned her father, no matter what the circumstances, in his hour of need. True, what he'd done was really deplorable and completely unforgivable, but he'd done that to her mother. Shilpa was nowhere in the picture when it all happened, so, why should she take it upon herself to punish him for a crime which didn't affect her in the slightest?

But, listening to her reasons, Riddhima was able to understand that in ways, Shilpa was right. She couldn't imagine what she would have done had she been in her place. She shuddered to even think about it. Her relationship with her father was rocky at best, too many things said and done, but, at the end of the day, he was her father and she loved him. If she ever found out that he had a kid somewhere who he'd chosen to ignore, who he had not accepted as his own, despite knowing where Riddhima herself came from, she couldn't begin to fathom how things would change between them.

Thinking about it all from Shilpa's perspective, listening to her side of the story, gave Riddhima an insight into a lot of things. Number one being that Shilpa was a good person, no matter how flawed. She wouldn't have done what she had if she wasn't. Looking after her father, best as she could, given the circumstances, and also, trying to find her when she learned the truth. It made Riddhima smile, thinking how she'd gone to such lengths just to find her.

Some part of Riddhima, the one that believed in fairytales and Happily Ever Afters, wanted to accept Shilpa, no questions asked. For Shilpa to become her sister, for them to love each other, for them to be family. But, that was a very small part of her, a naive Riddhima, who didn't understand how the real world worked, who refused to believe that fairytales were just that, tales, and not something that happened in reality.

Because, the reality was that her mother had suffered insurmountable grief because of Shilpa's father. And she couldn't forgive that. Ever. Wanting Shilpa to be a part of her family meant wanting Shilpa to be a part of her mom's family, too. That wasn't something Riddhima would wish upon anyone - to accept the daughter of the man who abandoned you and your unborn child. There was so much bad blood there.

Forget her mother, Riddhima herself wouldn't ever forgive that man as long as she lived. So, how could she accept his daughter? Seeing Shilpa, day in and out, would only remind her of the betrayal her mother had faced.

She knew that Armaan was right, that it wasn't Shilpa's fault, but, even after that, even after knowing and agreeing to that fact, how could she ever make Shilpa a part of her family when her father was the reason she'd lived without her mother for most of her life? It seemed impossible today. She didn't think that it would change in the future, too. Shilpa was Shilpa and she'd never be a part of her family.

Riddhima exhaled and closed her eyes. Why was everything so complicated? Why was her life so complicated? Why couldn't everything be the way it had been 10 years ago? Her life had been so great then, so simple. She had her family - Nani, Papa and Di, her friends - Muskaan, Atul, Rahul & Armaan and her job at Sanjeevani, that she absolutely adored. Her life had been so happy then. No tensions, no problems, no complications. Ahhh, what she wouldn't give to have that life back!

She felt a hand caressing her hair, making her open her eyes and look up. She saw Padma smiling down at her and gave her a tentative smile of her own.

"Are you doing okay, Riddhima?" Her mom asked.

Riddhima shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what to say.

"Riddhima, beta, I know... I know that what happened is a huge shock to you. It was to me as well. And I understand that you need time to process it all, but please, don't be afraid to talk to me about anything," Padma told her.

Riddhima smiled and nodded.

"I'm serious, Riddhima. I'm your mother. I want to help you in this time. The others... They'll never understand your pain and turmoil as well as I do, because none of them have actually been in such a situation. Aur... Maa hu teri, mujhse nahi kahegi, toh kisse kahegi?" Padma asked rhetorically.

Riddhima grinned.

"And, Riddhima... I wanted to say this - no matter what you chose, I'm okay with it. Don't... Don't make a decision thinking about how I would feel. If... If you choose to accept Shilpa as your sister, I won't have any issues with it. What happened was her father's fault, and he did it to your mother. I know it's impacted both your lives, but what happened didn't involve you. Either of you. So, if you decide that you can accept Shilpa, do it. Don't think how I'll feel about it, because this is a decision about your life. Not anybody else's," Padma said.

Many people had already taken it upon themselves to take decisions for Riddhima. Karthik had decided to leave her before she was even born, Padma had decided to give her up for adoption as soon as she found out that Karthik wouldn't be around. Since then, Shashank had taken all major decisions for her and the only time Riddhima had protested against his decisions was when she chose Armaan. But, in the end, Armaan also made a decision for her and left her without giving her a choice to decide whether she wanted him or not (Padma would never question Armaan's decision, because she knew that Armaan had only done it because he loved her so much, but he'd still taken a decision that affected Riddhima without asking for her opinion) and then, when her and Shashank had decided to get her married, despite her numerous protests, her husband had taken over the decision making process. Sid decided who Riddhima associated with, always making sure that she kept Armaan at an arm's length, he decided to divorce her for the first time and had it not been Shashank talking them into giving their relationship another chance, Sid's decision would have ended their relationship right then. It was saved, again because it was Shashank's decision that they needed to try again. No one had asked Riddhima what she wanted for most of her life.

It was also the reason why Riddhima was so hesitant to take major decisions on her own, even after she was almost 35, and relied on others to help her make a decision. Her upbringing had been such that it didn't leave room for the decision making process.

But now, Padma wanted her daughter to do things for herself. She wanted Riddhima to choose what made her happy and do it, without worrying about the world.

"Mumma..." Riddhima whispered, shocked. How could her mother say that her feelings shouldn't be a part of the decision? They were the most important factor.

Padma smiled at her. "Yes, Riddhima. I want you to do what you want, without worrying about my reaction. Maybe... Maybe I'll never be able to accept Shilpa as family, but that shouldn't stop you. I don't want it to. I'm not saying you have to do this. I'm just saying I won't take it badly if you do. And, you don't have to decide now. If you decide, 10 years into the future, that you think of Shilpa as your sister, that's also okay. I don't want you to feel pressured into taking a decision because of what I think or feel."

Riddhima looked at her mother, tears shining in her eyes and pulled Padma into a tight hug. "I love you!" She told Padma.

Padma grinned wide. "I love you, too!"

"Waise, I should be the one asking you if you're okay," Riddhima said after a few minutes.

"I'm fine," Padma murmured.

"No, you're not," Riddhima countered. "Mumma, what happened today... It was your worst nightmare come to life. And you're... You're sitting here like it isn't a big deal. That's... That's not right."

Padma sighed. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me how you're feeling!" Riddhima exclaimed. "What you've found out... It's something that must have shook you to the core. I want... I don't want you to suffer silently. I want you to talk. To tell me how you feel."

Padma couldn't help but smile at her daughter. Armaan and her were so similar in these type of situations. Always eager and wanting to help.

"You're just... Both of you... You're just so, so, so amazing!" Padma couldn't help but say.

"Both? Who?" Riddhima asked, confused.

"You and Armaan," Padma replied. "Abhi I was out in the garden sometime ago. Tab, he'd come to see me. Told me that if I were wanted to talk about anything, I could always count on him. He was really worried. Keh bhi raha tha. Padma Aunty, I'm so worried about you. I'm so sorry about everything. Paagal."

Riddhima looked at Padma, shocked. The only thought running in her mind was that Padma shouldn't have said anything. Armaan shouldn't know about her annulment.

"Mumma, you spoke to Armaan?" Riddhima asked.

Padma nodded. "Yes."

"You... You didn't tell him anything about Sid & I, did you?" She asked.

Padma looked at Riddhima and shook her head. "We just talked about Shilpa. And him and me."

"Thank god!" Riddhima sighed in relief.

"Riddhima... What's going on?" Padma asked, confused.

Since they'd come to New York, Padma hadn't gotten a chance to interact with Armaan much because he was so busy with everything. First, it had been Jaanhavi's accident, then all the wedding planning. With so much going on, Armaan didn't really have time for anyone or anything else. Yesterday had been the first time in a few days that Armaan had spent the evening with all of them. Before, he used to be busy doing something or other, making hundreds of phone calls to god knows how many people.

So, none of them had talked to him. But, Padma had assumed that Riddhima must have told Armaan about her annulment. After all, wasn't it because of her love for Armaan that she'd taken the decision to leave Sid?

"Mumma..." Riddhima sighed. "I... I've decided... I don't want Armaan to know. I don't want him to know anything."

"Riddhima! Yeh kya bol rahi hai? Armaan deserves to know!" Padma replied. "I thought shayad usse pata hoga. I thought you must have told him. But, if he doesn't know, main abhi usse sab bata dungi."

Padma got up from the bed to go look for Armaan, but Riddhima caught her hand.

"Mumma, please," Riddhima sighed. "At least listen to what I have to say."

"What should I listen to, Riddhima?" Padma asked, frustrated. "You and I both know that Armaan deserves to know the truth. He loves you!"

"Loved," Riddhima corrected immediately, tears falling from her eyes. "He loved me, Mumma. In the past."

Padma sighed. "Riddhima, how do you know he still doesn't? Did he say anything?"

Riddhima shook her head.

"So then?" Padma asked.

"Mumma... Armaan has suffered a lot because of me. Falling in love with me... It's brought him so much pain. He's had to fight with the entire world for me, most of the time on his own, because, somewhere, I've always been too afraid, too cowardly to stand by his side and support him, no matter what, like he's done for me.

Armaan... He's... He's been through a lot. I've hurt him so much in the past, Mumma. Despite knowing how much he loved me, I married someone else."

"But that wasn't your fault, Riddhima," Padma intervened. "We forced you into it."

"Nobody knows the truth," Riddhima replied. "Nobody, apart from Sid & me. And I want to keep it that way."

And she so badly did. She didn't think she'd ever be able to tell her parents that she'd tried to commit suicide, just so that she wouldn't have to go through with the wedding, and that Sid had reached there, looking for her, at the last moment and saved her life.

"Riddhima..." Padma sighed.

"No, Mumma. Armaan has suffered a lot because of me. Now, he's finally moved on. He's happy with his life. I don't want to disrupt his life by telling him the truth. I don't... I can't do that to him. Not again," Riddhima told Padma.

"But, Riddhima... What if he still loves you?" Padma asked.

"What if he doesn't?" Riddhima questioned.

"Mumma," she added. "I've only ever known Armaan's love. I can't... I'm not strong enough to let him know the truth, only for him to hate me. Or worse, be unaffected by it because he doesn't have any feelings for me."

"Riddh..." Padma tried to say, but Riddhima shook her head.

"Nahi, Mumma. Please don't say anything. I know... I know what I'm doing is wrong, but please, don't ask me to tell him the truth. I'm not strong enough for it. Please," Riddhima begged.

"Riddhima... You have... You have this golden opportunity to tell Armaan everything, to get him back. Don't let it waste," Padma insisted.

"I have Armaan back," Riddhima replied. "He's my friend again."

"Is that enough, Riddhima?" Padma asked.

"It has to be," Riddhima replied.

Padma sighed.

"Mumma, please. You have to... You have to promise me. Armaan can't know the truth," Riddhima begged.

"Riddhima main..." Padma hesitated.

"Please!" Riddhima pleaded.

"Fine," Padma relented. "I won't tell him."

"Thank you!" Riddhima exclaimed, pulling Padma in a hug.

"Oh! You're busy! I'll come later," Nikki's voice from the doorway pulled the duo apart.

Padma looked absolutely ecstatic. This was the first time Nikki had sought Riddhima of her own free will in years. Maybe, this revelation would be a good thing and help Riddhima bridge gaps with her friends.

"No, Nikki. You didn't. I was just about to leave," Padma announced.

She kissed Riddhima's forehead and said, "Think about what I've said, okay? About everything."

Riddhima nodded.

"Hey," Nikki smiled, taking a seat on the bed, beside Riddhima once Padma had left.

"Hi," Riddhima replied, smiling tentatively. She couldn't decide whether Nikki coming here was a good thing or a bad thing.

"How are you holding up?" Nikki asked.

Riddhima just shrugged. "I'm fine," she replied. "As fine as one can be when they find out they have a step sibling."

Nikki sighed. "Of course. Stupid question."

"I... I just... I don't know what to say," Nikki finally told Riddhima.

"Then why are you here?" Riddhima asked, genuinely curious.

"Because I want to be there for you," Nikki replied promptly, without missing a beat.

Riddhima looked at Nikki, absolutely surprised.

"Strange, nahi? Earlier, I never even had to say the words for you to know that I had your back, because you knew I always did. And today, even after I've actually said the words, you're not sure if I mean them," Nikki said, smiling self deprecatingly.

"Can you blame me?" Riddhima asked.

Nikki shook her head.

"Remember, when I'd come to Sanjeevani?" She asked. Riddhima nodded.

"Armaan was away then. And the others, they were happy to have someone to play all their stupid pranks on. That time, when I didn't have anyone else, you were the first person who'd extended a hand for friendship to me. My first friend," Nikki recalled.

"And, yaad hai, when Abhi & I... We were trying to figure things out between us? Everybody hated him, especially Armaan. But you... You understood me. And Abhi. You supported us, even talked sense into both of us when things went haywire. I know you... You even tried to convince Armaan to give Abhi a chance. And I also know that this... This difference of opinion, it caused a lot of problems in your relationship. You guys fought because of this a lot. But, you still stood by my side. If you wanted, you could have stepped back because of how it was affecting your relationship with Armaan. You could have told me that you wouldn't be a part of this, that I would have to figure out a way to convince Armaan on my own, but you didn't. Knowing how much stress it was creating between you and Armaan, you still helped me," Nikki said.

"I remember," Riddhima replied.

"So then... When it was time for me to support you, despite how it affected my relationship with Armaan, why didn't I?" Nikki asked, crying.

"Nikki!" Riddhima exclaimed, surprised. "It's okay!" She said.

Nikki just shook her head. "No, it's not, Riddhima."

"Nikki, relax. I know... I know that... That it was difficult for you to deal with everything that happened back then. And, your anger towards me was justified. I know... I know how much you cared about Armaan, how much you still care about him. His pain hurt you too. And... Well, I was the cause of Armaan's pain. So, you being mad at me was justified," Riddhima tried to console Nikki.

"No. It was not. I never was," Nikki answered. "Riddhima, I've been unfair to you... I've become a little too harsh, too punishing, but... Armaan... He's my best friend. Always was, always will be. The things he's gone through... I... I wouldn't wish all that on my worst enemy. He's seen so much at such a young age and then... He found happiness, true happiness after so many hurdles. In you. So, when you took it away, I just... I couldn't handle it, because whenever I saw you, I saw a 19 year old Armaan who was so broken... He didn't know what to do, how to make sense of everything. How to live. How to be happy. And it was just... It was so easy to blame you for it all.

Maybe I was wrong in doing that, because Armaan was the one who left first... But... But what you did, that was... That was unforgivable. At least for me. It still is. Knowing how much Armaan loved you, knowing how he was there, fighting with his illness day in and out, in hopes of getting better, for you, you still married someone else. I know... I know Armaan never said that he was getting better for you, but we all know him well enough to know that he wanted to get better so that he could come back to you, so that the two of you could have a life together.

You knew that, better than anyone, and yet, you chose to marry Sid. I'll never be able to forgive you for that, I don't think.

It still doesn't mean that I should have behaved so badly with you. Marrying Sid... It was your decision, your life. And... You have every right to take decisions for yourself. Your decision hurt Armaan, but so did mine when I decided to be with Abhi. I never thought about that. I was being a hypocrite all along and you just... You never said anything. Which made it so much easier for me to blame you. I... I know that you... You've blamed yourself for Armaan's pain for a long time and I just fed on it and increased your guilt by behaving so badly with you.

That was... That wasn't right. What you did to Armaan wasn't right either, but two wrongs don't make a right, do they?

You're... You're my friend. I know... I know I haven't behaved like a friend for a long time, but the truth is that I've always considered you to be a friend. If not a friend, at least an acquaintance. And... I... I do care about you. So, I want to be there for you."

Riddhima had been started tearing up almost halfway through Nikki's speech, but those last few words, Nikki acknowledging that she always thought of Riddhima as a friend were the final nail in the coffin, and Riddhima started sobbing on hearing that, pulling Nikki into a tight hug.

Nikki was surprised, but hugged Riddhima back, smiling slightly. She shushed Riddhima and a few minutes later, pulled back.

"Look, Riddhima..." She said. "I know this is a tough time for you and your family. So, I just want you to know that I'm there for you... No matter what. And, whatever you decide, I promise, I'll support you. If Shilpa becomes a part of your family, she'll become ours too, and I promise I'll do everything to make her comfortable. But, if she doesn't, that's okay too. We'll all just maintain a cordial, friendly relationship with her, just like you. But, whatever you do, I'm here for you. If you want to talk, or just express yourself. If you need any kind of support or help, please don't hesitate to ask me, because I really do want to help you out, in any way possible."

"Thanks, Nikki," Riddhima replied.

Nikki just grinned at her. "Maybe... Maybe we could give our relationship a chance again, too. I know that it's become stiff and formal in these years, but... Maybe... Maybe we could try to become the Nikki and Ridzy we were before this happened."

"I'd like that," Riddhima replied.

Nikki grinned and pulled Riddhima into a hug.

After that, Nikki left the room, after passing another small smile to Riddhima, who was grinning widely.

Nikki was willing to give their relationship a chance and that meant the world to her. In this moment, Riddhima was extremely happy. And, she wanted nothing else.

xxx

So, here you have it!

Sorry for the Armaan - less chapter, but all this was important. The next chapter is going to be an a complete AR one, I promise, so you guys have that to look forward to. :)

But, did you think that Nikki's reasons made sense, that her friendship with Riddhima will proceed organically? Nikki didn't apologize because she does blame Riddhima for everything, but she acknowledged the fact that maybe she judged Riddhima too harshly for whatever happened then. She still thinks Riddhima is wrong, which is why she has not apologized.

Also, for those who are confused, only Atul knows the actual truth behind Riddhima & Sid's wedding. Everyone else thinks that Riddhima wanted to marry Sid, even if she was skeptical. Well, no one thinks that she was forced to marry him because of such extreme circumstances. So, yes, they are mad at her. I hope that was clear.

PS : I know the chapter song is a little too happy for this track, but I think that the lyrics match the content completely because everything *has* changed for Riddhima.

All I knew this morning when I woke
Is I know something now, know something now I didn't before
And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles
And your smile in the back of my mind making me feel like
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you

'Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is you held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

And all my walls stood tall painted blue
But I'll take 'em down, take 'em down and open up the door for you

And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies the beautiful kind
Making up for lost time, taking flight, making me feel like

I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you

'Cause all I know is we said hello
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is you held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

Come back and tell me why
I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time
And meet me there tonight
And let me know that it's not all in my mind

I just want to know you better, know you better, know you better now
I just want to know you, know you, know you

All I know is we said hello
Your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name, everything has changed
All I know is he held the door
You'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

All I know is we said hello
So dust off your highest hopes
All I know is pouring rain
And everything has changed
All I know is a new found grace
All my days, I'll know your face
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed

- Everything Has Changed, Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran

Originally posted by: DMGThings

You're in luck, because I shall mostly update today. I have class all day tomorrow and then day after is rakhi. So, won't get time. Toh aaj hi karna padega na.