Previously On...
AR & RM spend some time with Bi.
Chapter 91
Riddhima blushed even before she opened her eyes. She opened her eyes to see Armaan's smirking face, even as the man in question was fast asleep. His arms were wrapped around her like vine and their legs were all tangled together, not even space for air to pass between them. The self satisfied smirk that Armaan was sporting even in his sleep made her blush even deeper. Last night had been something she had never anticipated. She never knew she could know so much love, so much happiness, such pleasure.
Blushing, she recollected just what had happened the previous night after they'd gotten home from Bi's Cafe. Armaan had not been kidding when he's said that he would erase all the sad memories she associated with this place and leave her with only happy memories in their stead.
7 hours, 37 minutes, and 12 seconds ago
Armaan plopped down on the bed, face first as soon as he entered the room, Riddhima a couple steps behind him. She chuckled at his actions and shook her head fondly. Knowing she would get lazy if she sat down, she decided to get changed first. She opened her suitcase and rummaged through it till she found her nightwear - a tank top and cotton trousers. She removed them & went into the bathroom to change.
Tired after the long day, she decided to take a hot shower to soothe her aching muscles. It worked. She felt really relaxed after the shower. Putting her clothes on, she went into the bedroom and stopped in her tracks. A soft romantic glow lit up the room and she could smell freesias. Slow, soothing music wafted around her. And, Armaan stood a few steps away from her, a hesitant, yet bright smile on his face.
"Hey," he murmured lowly.
"H... He... Hey," Riddhima replied. She didn't know why, but in that moment, she was feeling really nervous.
"Dance?" Armaan asked her, extending his hand for her to take.
Riddhima immediately placed her hand in his, without giving it a second thought, because no matter how nervous she was, she trusted Armaan with her life. Armaan grinned at her and pulled her towards him with a jerk, making her stumble. She immediately caught hold of his body, not wanting to fall, and molded herself to him. Armaan smiled at her actions and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her impossibly close. Helping her gain her footing, he started moving to the music slowly.
Riddhima's breath hitched as Armaan gathered her hair and placed to one side of her neck, giving him complete access to the other. He bent down and placed a long, sensuous kiss to the exposed skin of her neck, sucking on the water droplets there. He trailed kisses along her neck, sucking as he went. Riddhima's arms tightened around his neck as she hid her face in his chest, placing open mouthed kisses to his skin which was exposed in his half unbuttoned shirt.
Armaan shuddered against her when she did that, biting her in the process.
"Armaan!" Riddhima moaned.
Armaan grunted at the back of his throat, but kept up with his assault on her neck, only pulling back when he saw a hickey forming. Riddhima shivered as she felt Armaan pull back a little, already missing the warmth of his embrace. She immediately closed the distance between them again, pulling her body against his.
Armaan smiled at her actions and kissed her. It started as a soft brush of lips, but slowly, they both started kissing in earnest. Armaan wrapped his arms around the back of Riddhima's thighs and picked her up, not wanting to bend. He encouraged Riddhima to wrap her legs around his waist, and after a little hesitation, she obliged. Armaan smiled against her when she did that and pulled her a little bit closer still, walking to the bed.
He laid her down and then followed suit, covering her body with his. They kissed for a few minutes before the need to breathe pulled them apart.
"Armaan!" Riddhima gasped as she felt his wet lips leave a trail of kisses down her neck to her chest. Her hands found purchase in his hair and the tugged on them harshly, making Armaan moan. One of Riddhima's hands skimmed down the length of Armaan's back, making his breath hitch.
"Basket!"
They exchanged a few more passionate kisses, running their hands up and down each other's bodies, lips pressing everywhere they could reach, exploring, before Armaan slowed them down.
After they'd both gotten their breathing in check, Armaan turned to Riddhima and smiled at her, dropping an affectionate kiss to forehead. Riddhima smiled and turned her head to kiss Armaan's arm. She rearranged herself so that her head was resting on his chest and placed a kiss there as well. Armaan wrapped his arms around Riddhima and pulled her closer, sighing into her hair.
They both lay there for a while, the only sound coming from the music system that Armaan had turned on.
Armaan turned then, lifting his head and resting it on his palms, to look at Riddhima.
"Riddhima," he uttered, hesitantly yet passionately.
"Armaan," she responded, breathless.
"Riddhima, main... I... tum..." he tried to articulate, but couldn't find the right words.
"Haan, Armaan. Bolo," she encouraged. It was odd to see him fumbling with his words, especially with her. He was generally always so sure of himself that this was hesitance was making Riddhima's guards go up.
"Um... woh... Basket... Woh..." He tried again.
"Pch. Armaan! Tum... tumhe pata haina... you can talk to me about anything. I promise," she told him.
She placed her hand on his cheek and Armaan smiled, leaning into her touch. She lightly caressed his cheek before he caught hold of her hand and kissed her palm.
"I love you," he mumbled.
"I love you, too," she promised.
A brilliant smile lit his face at her words and he kissed her palm again.
"Armaan, kya hua?" Riddhima asked again.
"Um... woh... uh... Basket... um... remember... when we were in Paris?" Armaan started.
Riddhima looked at him absolutely confused. This was not what she was expecting. At all. Nevertheless, she nodded.
"Haan," she said.
"And... we'd... Uh... we'd... woh... we'd gone to Moulin Rouge?" he continued his questioning.
Again, Riddhima nodded, still confused as to the direction this conversation had taken.
"Toh... um... woh... actually... uh... that... ummm... woh... what I'm trying to say... uh... pch... main... I wanna... uh..." he fumbled.
"Pch! Armaan!" Riddhima scolded lightly. "Why are you behaving like this? Seedhe seedhe kaho na baat kya hai."
"Um... Woh... haan," Armaan replied.
But, he was so very unsure. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by talking about it, but he needed to. Especially with the way their relationship had been progressing.
"Haan, bolo na," Riddhima encouraged him again.
Armaan took a deep breath to strengthen his resolve and then spoke. "Haan... toh... uh... do you... um... do you... uh... Woh... You... You remember what... eh... um... do you remember what you said... um... What you said to me at the hotel... After... uh... after we came back from the show?" he finally asked.
After the show? Riddhima wondered. She was thinking about what had happened after the show. Um, yes. The show had gotten them all hot and bothered and they'd made out in an alley. She blushed as she remembered that.
What had happened that night at the hotel? Oh, yes. The make out session from the alley had continued in the room. And, then she remembered just what she'd said.
"I'm ready, Armaan!"
Three simple words, but with so much meaning. Riddhima's breath caught in her throat as she recollected what she'd said and what he'd said in response to her.
"Not in some strange country on a hotel bed when we're not even engaged yet."
But, things had changed since then. They were back home, in India, had gotten semi engaged, and this place held a lot of meaning for them.
Was this what it was about? The music, the lighting? The dance? Oh! Was Armaan trying to seduce her? Did she want to be seduced?
Yes, she decided. She did. She'd meant it when she'd said those words to him back then. Of course, she was nervous, who wouldn't be, but she was also ready. She had been since that night.
"Um... yes," she replied finally. "I... I remember."
Armaan smiled at her. "Yes... so... uh... I..." he fumbled still, not sure how to say the words he wanted to.
"Armaan, are trying to ask me if I want to sleep with you?" Riddhima asked, point blank.
Armaan gasped, his eyes widened to saucers, and he vehemently started shaking his head.
"Because," Riddhima continued, "if you are, um..." she stopped, going red. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "If you are... The answer... Well, the answer is... yes."
She didn't know how she got the courage to say all those words out loud. Maybe seeing Armaan so nervous and worked up over the whole thing helped.
"Basket!" Armaan exclaimed. If possible, his eyes got even wider.
Riddhima blushed and looked down, unable to look him in the eye after that declaration.
"Basket," he said again, this time gently. He placed a finger under her chin and made her look up at him. "Did you mean it?" he asked softly.
Riddhima nodded. Armaan huffed a breath and immediately pulled her into a passionate and demanding kiss.
A few minutes later, they pulled apart, wanting to breathe. Armaan pulled Riddhima to him and then rolled around, pinning her body with his. He placed a few soft kisses on her forehead, her eyes, her nose, before sighing and dropping his face in her neck and kissing her there as well.
"I've been thinking," he murmured lowly. "I want... I want... I want our first time to be after the wedding."
"Oh!" Riddhima exclaimed. This was definitely not what she thought he would say, especially after the kisses they'd just shared.
"Hmmm," he hummed. "Is that okay?" He asked.
"Of course it is!" Riddhima replied. She wouldn't deny that even though she was ready to take that step in their relationship, and she even wanted to, it would mean so much more after they were married.
She knew that some of it stemmed from her mother's experiences and even though she was absolutely sure that Armaan would never leave her again, she also knew that Armaan was one of the most thoughtful men she knew and he would understand where she was coming from.
"But..." Armaan added, making her look at him in question.
"But?" She prompted.
"I mean... ummm... we could... you know... uh... I don't know... do... do other stuff?" He asked.
"Armaan?" Riddhima looked up at him, extremely confused.
"I wanna make you feel good, Basket," he said earnestly. "Can I?"
All breath left Riddhima in a whoosh as she looked at the eager and pleading expression on his face. How could she ever say no?
"Yes," she whispered so low that she doubted he'd heard, but he did.
Armaan's eyes lit up and pulled her close, making her feel so much more than good for the next hour.
Riddhima blushed as she remembered just how good Armaan's magical fingers and tongue had made her feel. She blushed a shade deeper as she remembered her own fumbling attempts to make him feel good had been somewhat fruitful.
Their relationship had changed so much in the course of just a few hours, and she loved it. She loved the new direction they'd taken, and she was so eager to explore, especially with Armaan at her side.
A quick glance at the clock told her that it was still somewhat early, so she snuggled into bed, intent to have a lazy morning. She picked the novel she'd kept on the nightstand to get some reading done, but was distracted by Armaan soon after.
He looked so calm and peaceful in his sleep, completely serene. The most beautiful smile lit his face and Riddhima couldn't help but grin. Her boy was so cute. She knew it was stalkerish, but she couldn't stop herself from staring at him.
And stare she did, till she heard a soft knock on the door, followed by a whispered, "Riddhu? Armaan?" Rahul was so sweet. Just checking to see if either of them were awake, if his soft knock and low voice were an indication.
Riddhima tried to get the door, but the moment Armaan felt her leave his embrace, his arms tightened around her. "Kahin mat jao, please," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. Riddhima smiled at him and caressed his hair. "Bas 2 minute," she promised. Armaan sighed but loosened his hold.
Riddhima quickly went outside to see Rahul situated in front of the tv, obviously thinking that the couple was still asleep.
"Good morning," she greeted him.
Rahul looked up from the tv screen and greeted her with a wide smile. "Morning."
"So..." Rahul said a couple minutes later. "Ghar mein khane ke liye kuch nahi hai. Toh maine socha ki cafe se breakfast le aata hu. Isliye knock kiya tha. Tum dono ke liye kya lau?"
"Muski abhi bhi so rahi hai?" She asked to which he answered in affirmative.
"Theek hai. Ruk. Main bhi chalti hu tere saath," she told him. Rahul nodded and Riddhima skipped back to her & Armaan's room.
She took a quick shower and changed into a salwar suit. She thought of waking Armaan to tell him that she was going out with Rahul, but seeing him sleeping so peacefully, decided against it and left him a note in case he woke up before she came back.
"Chalein?" She asked Rahul once she was in the living room. Rahul agreed and the two of them left.
The weather was pleasant, somehow a perfect mix of the cold and the sun which fascinated Riddhima because she'd never experienced it before. Mumbai was definitely not known for its cold.
As they walked, Rahul looked at her with an affectionate smile on his face, watching her feel Kasauli, like he had always done. It was so amazing to share this with her. Muskaan was always there, but she didn't really appreciate this as much as Riddhima was loving it, right now, in front of him.
Riddhima looked at him when she felt his gaze on her and raised an eyebrow in question.
"You're cute," Rahul told her.
Riddhima just rolled his eyes at him and continued to walk. It always amazed Rahul that she never really blushed when someone other than Armaan gave her such compliments. He was so sure that had it been Armaan who'd said those words to her, she'd have been red as a tomato. It was so endearing.
When they reached the cafe, they were greeted by some boy named Kashyap who informed them that Bi wouldn't be around before noon.
After they ordered breakfast to go, each of them got a cup of coffee to drink till their food was packed and ready to go. As it was still pretty early in the morning, the cafe was empty apart from a few stragglers getting their caffeine fix before college or work.
"Mmm," Riddhima hummed as she drank her coffee. "This is nice, but not as good as Bi's," she commented.
Rahul laughed. "Riddhu, Bi jaisi coffee duniya mein aur koi nahi bana sakta! Tujhe kya lagta hai? Yeh cafe itna zyada famous kyu hai?"
Riddhima giggled at his words and nodded. The duo spent some time just chatting and goofing around till their food was packed.
Once they reached the house, both of them took off in the direction of their respective rooms, wanting to wake Armaan & Muskaan up for breakfast.
"Good morning," Riddhima greeted Armaan shyly. He'd just gotten out of the shower by the looks of it.
Riddhima ducked her head blushing deeply. Everything had changed since last night. She felt like it was the day after their confession all over again. The nerves, the butterflies, the anticipation, all of it back with full force, something she hadn't experienced with Armaan since the starting days of their relationship all those years ago.
Armaan grinned at his shy baby. She was so, so, so cute and adorable and he loved her so damn much!
He placed the towel with which he was drying his hair on the back of his study chair and immediately stalked to Riddhima, wrapping her up in his arms. He captured her mouth with his for a soft, yet and sensuous kiss.
"Best morning, jaana," he greeted her, speaking the words against her lips. Riddhima blushed and pulled away, hiding her face in his chest.
"God, I love you, Basket!" Armaan exclaimed, pulling her close.
"I love you," Riddhima replied, her voice muffled against him.
"Next time mujhe aise akele chodke mat jaana, samjhi? Mujhe tumhaare bina uthna achcha nahi laga," he whined.
Riddhima laughed despite her nerves. Her boy was the best.
"Sorry," she apologized immediately.
"It's okay," Armaan replied. "Waise achcha hi hai ki tum naashta lene chali gayi. Mujhe bohot bhook lagi hai!" He complained.
Riddhima just shook her head and took his hand in hers, pulling him out the door.
Rahul & Muskaan were already at the dining table, eating when the couple emerged.
"Abbe, o! Bhukkad! Humaare liye ruk nahi sakti thi?" Armaan asked Muskaan as he sat down and loaded his plate with an omelette, some toast, and upma. He poured himself a generous helping of coffee and sighed after a sip.
"Agar tu bahaar aane mein 10 janam lagayega, toh main bas baithe wait karte rahu, kya?" Muskaan retorted. "Waise bhi, itni achchi khushboo aa rahi thi aur mujhe bohot zyada bhook lagi thi. Tu shukar mana ki ab tak tere liye kuch khane bacha hai."
Armaan just looked at her with an exasperated expression and then dug in, followed quickly by Riddhima and Rahul.
The four of them enjoyed a hearty breakfast with lots of teasing and laughs. Rahul watched silently as Armaan & Muskaan got into silly fights and Riddhima tried to mediate between them before she herself got into a fight with Armaan that left Muskaan and him in absolute stitches. His friends were f**king crazy, but he wouldn't change them for anything in the world.
xxx
So, there ya have it!
Sorry for the long wait. This was a toughie. I changed my mind a million times before just going with it. So, I hope y'all like it even though I am a little iffy about the end. It could have been better but I couldn't come up with better, so you'll have to make do.
But, leave me your thoughts! I hope you guys like it! :D
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