ILYLTF #5 (Chapter 145 - Page 110) - Page 59

Anjali eased his mind about a happy married life with Riddhima.

Now they have some memorable pictures for the wall.

arey yaar praags, AR ki shaadi kyu nhi aa rahi yaar 😭

sochta hun next chapter se shayad aajaye but aati nahi hain...just like the development of our country in ki shaadi bhi nahi aa rahi😛 dono hi nahi aa rahi yaar..

or suno part was awesome

really enjoyed their photography moments

hope they would remain as happy as they are throughout their life...bas ab inki shaadi dekhni hai aur kuch nahi praaags bro samjho

humare jazbaaton ko 😂😂

jokes apart jaldi se update dena ab yaar please, i thought ki TBDU ka ayega but jo bhi aaye bas jaldi se aaye

intezar rahega next part ka

until then keep rocking on twitter like you always do

tada

bye

shabba kher

Anji armaan convo was awesome.

Photoshoot ❤️

Pre wedding hi itni masti hai

To i can't imagine wedding me kya hoga..

Oh god plz plz update soon.

Bohot wait krna padhta..

next chapter k wait me har bar me purane chap reread krleti hu.. :D

Loved it.. Anjali and Armaan's conversation was so cutee!! Superb update!!

wow awesome part.part ki liye bohot sukriya.love the part.love armaan ridzy full part.armaan and anjali conversation is good.photoshoot scene is beautiful.totally love it.beautiful story.pls post asap.eagerly waiting for next❤️😍😘

I had a few chapters to catch up on..

Armaan and Riddhima can't be involved in their own wedding.. understand their frustration and I felt really bad with the side choosing thing .. hopefully Rahul's idea resolves it.

Loved the photoshoot moments and could imagine them like this..

Can't wait for their wedding and an abundance of AR moments <3

Chapter 109

Previously On...

Armaan talks to Anjali. Armaan & Riddhima do a photoshoot.

As the date for the wedding grew closer, the excitement only increased. The gang met up whenever they could, preparing for the wedding, and spending time together, having fun and reminiscing. Both Armaan and Riddhima’s extended families seemed pretty excited about the wedding too. Barely any one of them had been able to make it to the engagement, and so they were all looking forward to the wedding. The weekend before their families were set to arrive, the gang took it upon themselves to throw the couple bachelor and bachelorette parties to blow off some steam.

Unsurprisingly, Armaan had not been entirely on board with it. “Yaar! Hum sab ek saath party karte haina? It will be so much fun, like always!” He whined.

“No, Armaan! Ek saath party nahi hogi!” Anjali declared. “It’s a bachelor and bachelorette. Woh kabse saath mein hone lage?”

“Aur waise bhi… ek saath toh hum sab hamesha hi party karte hain,” Muskaan added. “Teri aur Ridzy ki shaadi hai toh kuch toh different hona chahiye na!”

“Meri aur Riddhima ki shaadi hai toh humein decide karne do na kya karna hai! Har cheez mein tum sab bulldozer ki tarah full speed se aage badh jaate ho. Mujhe aur Riddhima ko kya chahiye usse kya fark padta hai, right?” He asked sarcastically.

“Absolutely right,” Muskaan replied. “Aur iss maamle mein na… tum dono ki bilkul nahi chalegi… kyuki bachelor aur bachelorette party tumhaari taraf se nahi humaari taraf se hai. Toh hum hi decide karenge ki humein kise invite karna hai aur kahaan.”

“Waise, yeh sab chodke bhi… Ridzy ne toh already haan bol diya hai, Jeeju,” Anjali told him. “In fact, usne insist kiya ki parties separately ho. She wants to spend time with just the girls.”

The look of betrayal on Armaan’s face was far too funny for either of them to not react to it. Both the girls started laughing loudly, scandalizing Armaan even further. “Chodo. Ab main tum dono se kya kahoon jab dhoka toh mere pyaar ne hi de diya.”

“Oh, Mr. Drama Queen… itni nautanki mat karo. We’ll all have fun! Dekho ab separate parties hongi toh hum woh kar paayenge jo hum chaahte hain, instead of compromising and finding a middle ground. Tum baithke dekhoge hum sabke saath cheesy romantic movies?” Anjali asked.

“Of course!” Armaan cried immediately. “Yeh koi poochne ki baat hai? I will 100% watch them. Kaunsi movie dekhni hai tumhe? Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge? Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? Ya thoda Hollywood style jaana hai? The Notebook? Sleepless in Seattle? Main sab dekhne ke liye ready hoon!”

Muskaan let out an impressed whistle. “Not bad, Hero. Tujhe itni saari romantic movies ka naam pata hai?”

“Mujhe inn sabka plot bhi pata hai,” Armaan fired back. “I’ve watched them a million times. Tum shayad bhool rahe ho ki I had cousins growing up… and I’ve been in a very serious relationship for three years. Of course, maine yeh saari movies dekhi hain!”

“Armaan, you’re so cute!” Anjali exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. “But still… party toh alag hi hogi. I’m sorry, Jeeju!”

“Fine… you win this time. But please, for god’s sake, koi aur function aise alag - alag mat plan karna. Tumne Papa aur Dad se special permission li haina? For all ceremonies to happen together? Lekin fir bhi alag - alag parties chahiye. Ab tum sabko nahi ladna ki kaun meri side se attend karega aur kaun Riddhima ke side se?” He asked, side eyeing them.

“Armaan… it doesn’t even matter. Tumhe pata hai ki bachelorette pe sirf ladkiyaan hongi aur bachelor’s pe sirf ladke. Iss tarah taunt mat maaro tum,” Anjali replied.

“Theek hai, theek hai,” He relented. “Do what you want. But, you better compensate for this separate party nonsense by planning the best parties ever.”

“Yes boss,” Muskaan answered. She added in a mocking salute for good measure, making Armaan pull another face.

______________

The weekend of the bachelor and bachelorette parties dawned on them quicker than anticipated. The gang had decided to keep the whole thing pretty intimate and outside their immediate circle, only a couple people were invited. Riddhima had invited her college friend, Shreya, and Diya, while Armaan had invited Rakesh and his cousin, Uday. But, other than them, it was just their Sanjeevani gang.

The girls descended on the Gupta Mansion early Saturday morning, pulling a half asleep Riddhima out of bed. They didn’t even give her time to eat breakfast and were immediately pulling her out of the house with a farewell to her family.

“Maine achche se brush bhi nahi kiya,” Riddhima whined in the car. “Thoda aur time de sakte the na!”

“Diiii! Humein subah se hi party karni thi! Aap itne late tak so rahe the toh hum kya karein?” Naina chimed in. “Aapko pata tha na aaj subah se hi plan hai, toh aapko meri aur Anjy Di ki tarah ready rehna chahiye tha!”

“Tum mein se kisine mujhe bataya ki subah - subah 7 baje hi lene aa jaoge?” Riddhima fired back. “Mujhe pata hota toh main ready ho jaati!”

“It’s okay, Ridzy,” Nikki said. “Humne poore din ka plan banaya hai. That includes a shower and a breakfast. So don’t worry!”

“Fine,” Riddhima relented.

The short journey passed with some idle chatter and vague hinting of the day’s plans for Riddhima. When Riddhima saw Anjali turn the car into the entrance of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is when she said, “Guys! What is this? Itni expensive hotel kyu?”

“Ridzy, tu bas mazze le. Yeh paise ki tension kyu le rahi hai?” Muskaan asked.

“Aise kaise? Tum sab itna spend kyu karoge? This is not right,” Riddhima argued.

“Ridzy, humne saari bookings kar li hai. Toh ab tere paas koi choice nahi hai,” Anjali said.

“Di! Aap bhi? Aapko inko encourage karne ke badle mana karna chahiye tha,” Riddhima told her. “This is just too expensive! And upar se the whole day?”

“Riddhima, itni tension mat lo,” Keerti finally cut in. “Iss party ke liye paise hum mein se kisi ne nahi diye hain.”

“Toh phir kisne diye?” Riddhima asked.

“Billy Uncle,” Nikki told her. “And you know how he is. Unke strict instructions the. Only the best for my daughter.”

“Unhone mujhe apna black card thama diya,” Anjali confessed. “And he told me to go wild and just book everything. Toh main kar diya.”

“Dad na…” Riddhima sighed. “Hamesha aisa hi karte hain. Kya zaroorat thi?”

“Ridzy, let him pamper you… and by extension us,” Muskaan ordered. “Teri shaadi hone wali hai. Itna toh banta haina?”

She finally gave in. “Okay, fine.”

A collective cheer rang out in the car. “That’s our girl,” Anjali exclaimed. “Chalein ab?”

“Aap chalo, I’ll just make a quick call,” Riddhima said.

“Ridzy, you know the rules,” Sapna said. “Armaan ko call nahi kar sakti tum aaj.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Riddhima replied. “Usse nahi, Dad se baat karni hai mujhe.”

“Cho cute, Di!” Naina exclaimed, hugging Riddhima. “Hum jaate hain. Aap Billy Uncle se baat karke aa jao.”

The girls all went in, giving Riddhima some privacy. She quickly dialled Billy’s number.

“Good morning, Riddhu,” Billy’s voice greeted her after 2 rings. “Kya baat hai? Apne friends ke saath enjoy karne ke badle apne buddhe baap se baat karni hai tumhe?”

“Dad!” Riddhima cried. “Aap koi old nahi ho,” she said. “Armaan ke saamne mat kehna warna woh hamesha chiddhayega aapko. Aapko apni, Billy, The Tiger, wali image ki koi fikar hai bhi ya nahi?”

“Meri beti ke saamne kya yeh image? But tu woh sab chod,” he said. “Aaj teri bachelorette party haina? Toh tu mujhe kyu phone kar rahi hai?”

“Dad… Di ne mujhe bataya… ki aapne poori party fund ki hai. Thank you,” she expressed her gratitude.

“Bas ab yehi din dekhna reh gaya tha,” Billy moaned. “Beti aake thank you bolegi. Paagal ladki. Tu kya bas kehne ke liye mujhe Dad kehti hai? Maanti nahi na?”

“Dad! Aap kya keh rahe ho? Aapko pata haina… I love you. You’re my Dad,” Riddhima replied.

“Toh yeh thank you wagerah chod de,” Billy said. “Meri beti ki shaadi hai. Celebrate toh karna banta haina.”

“Haan, Dad… but itna sab karne ki kya zaroorat thi? Aapko pata hai Di ne Taj Mahal Palace mein bookings ki hai. This place is so expensive!” Riddhima exclaimed.

“Toh kya apni bachchiyon ko aisi hi kisi jagah celebrate karne bhej deta? Only the best for my princess,” Billy told her. “Anjali se maine hi kaha tha wahaan sab arrangements karne.”

Riddhima got a little emotional hearing him say all that. “You’re the best,” she croaked.

“Woh toh main hoon,” Billy agreed. “Chal ab, ro mat. Warna sab mujhe daatenge ki aajke din tujhe sad kar diya.”

“I love you, Dad,” she stated.

“I love you, too, mere bachche. Have fun, okay? Bohot enjoy karna and click lots of photos to show me!” Billy instructed.

“Yes, Dad,” Riddhima replied.

They said their goodbyes after that. Riddhima broke the rules to send Armaan a quick message to let him know that she’d reached the hotel with the girls and would not be available for the rest of the day.

When she entered the lobby, she was greeted by a small welcoming committee. They congratulated her on her pending nuptials and presented her with a bouquet, making Riddhima blush deeply. She thanked them profusely and went to find her friends.

“Ho gayi Uncle se baat?” Nikki asked her, spotting her first. Riddhima nodded.

“All set?” Anjali questioned the gang. When everyone nodded, she pulled everyone upstairs to their room.

“Don’t get too comfy,” she announced. “Bas apna samaan dump karo and then we’re going downstairs.”

Riddhima should have probably guessed, but she was still surprised to see that Anjali had booked a suite for them. The suite opened a large and spacious living room, complete with a sofa set, and a study table. There was even a dining table in one corner and a home theatre system on the wall. It had three bedrooms, all with spacious beds and bathrooms.

“This is so gorgeous,” Nikki commented. “Hum room chodke kahin aur kyu jaa rahe hain?”

Anjali laughed. “We have plans, missy, as you know!”

“Fine, fine,” Nikki replied.

Anjali instructed them to place all their bags in one room and then locked that room, quickly escorting everyone out.

“Di, Diya aur Shreya toh nahi aaye ab tak?” Riddhima asked. “Aapki unse baat hui kya?”

“Haan,” Anjali replied. “Diya will meet us downstairs in about half an hour, but Shreya ko kuch kaam hai toh she’ll be here by noon.”

“Oh, okay,” Riddhima said.

“Are we ready to get this party started, ladies?” Muskaan asked. Everyone cheered and laughing, they all arrived at the poolside.

“Here we go,” Anjali and Nikki handed out costumes for everyone in the bags they’d carried. “Get changed. Abhi thode time ke liye we’ll lounge by the pool. Breakfast bar bhi humaare liye yahaan alag se set hoga. And then a few hours later, we can move to the next activity.”

They’d gotten customized costumes for everyone, signalling they were a bridal party.

“Getting drunk?” Riddhima asked, laughing, once they’d all exited the changing rooms.

“Listen, I know ki hum sach mein drink nahi kar rahe kyuki… well, Nikki pregnant hai and it’s better that you don’t drink so that you remember ki party mein kya hua, but they’re cute,” Muskaan replied. “Aur… hard alcohol nahi pi rahe toh kya hua? We’re gonna get drunk off non - alcoholic drinks.”

“Aye, aye, cap’n!” Naina cried in agreement.

“Dr. Keerti aur Di kahaan hain?” Riddhima questioned once she realized those two were not with them.

“Woh dono arrangements check karne gaye hain,” Nikki answered.

The duo joined them a couple minutes later. “Everything is set to go,” Keerti announced. “Shall we?”

Anjali led them all to a secluded private pool. The area had been cordoned off for a private party and there was no one else allowed inside. The pool was smaller than the regular pool the hotel had, but gorgeous nonetheless. The hotel staff had put up decorations for the party and had started a breakfast bar on one side of the pool. It was really pretty and Riddhima was appropriately impressed by the arrangements.

“I love it,” she declared, pulling Anjali into a hug. “Thank you, Di.”

“You’re welcome, meri pyaari Ridzy,” Anjali replied. “But Dr. Keerti aur Nikki ne meri bohot help ki hai yeh party arrange karne mein.”

Riddhima hugged the two of them too, thanking them for taking so many efforts to make her day special. The girls all lounged by the poolside for the next few hours - playing in the water, walking around, eating, and just relaxing. Diya joined them too, and it was a really fun experience for all of them. They did click a bunch of pictures everywhere, just as Riddhima had promised Billy she would.

A couple hours later, when they were all heavily pruned, they left the pool and showered, after which they were directed to the spa. They were all given massages, manicures, and pedicures before getting a steam bath. (Don’t come at me with any technicalities of this whole thing. IDK if you can go to a spa and get a massage and steam bath after spending 3 hours in the pool and I don’t care either. My girls are just gonna have a fun and relaxing day here :p)

“That was soooooo relaxing,” Diya commented as they all lounged in the steam room. “I feel like sleeping for the next 5 days.”

Everyone murmured in agreement. “This has been such a good day,” Riddhima said. “Thank you so much for doing this for me!”

“Ridzy, abhi toh bohot kuch baaki hai,” Muskaan replied.

“I know,” Riddhima agreed. “But fir bhi… you guys have planned such a nice day and I’m really enjoying it so far. Isliye, thank you!”

“Riddhima, itni baar thank you bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai. We were happy to do it,” Keerti said.

“Haan, aur nahi toh kya! You and Armaan are finally getting married. Tujhe pata haina hum sab kabse wait kar rahe hain iss sabka?” Nikki questioned. “We just want to celebrate this time taaki tum dono ko apni life ka yeh phase hamesha yaad rahe.”

Riddhima hugged Nikki tight. “I know,” she said. “It means a lot to me!”

“But, Di… main soch rahi thi… aapne abhi se hi bachelor aur bachelorette kyu plan kar li? Aapke aur Armaan Jeeju ke cousins aane waale hain shaadi attend karne thode dinon mein? If we had waited a while, hum unhe bhi invite kar paate,” Naina wondered.

“Exactly isliye hi toh pehle ki, Naina,” Anjali answered, laughing.

“Aapke aur aapke cousins ke beech sab theek haina?” Keerti asked, worried.

“Haan, Dr. Keerti. It’s nothing like that. Lekin aapko pata haina… cousins ke saath… sabke saath achchi equation nahi hoti,” Riddhima explained.

“Ridzy is too nice,” Anjali added. “What she means is that humaare almost saare cousins bohot zyada annoying hain. Apart from Nishank Chachu’s kids, humaari kisi se itni nahi banti.”

“Haan,” Riddhima agreed. “And his daughter, Taranya, is studying abroad toh woh bohot zyada time ke liye nahi aa sakti. She will be here only one day before the ceremonies start aur woh shaadi waali raat ko hi nikal bhi jaayegi. And his son, Dhairya… well, he’s only 18. Toh, we didn’t want him to attend the bachelor’s. Woh ladke toh alcohol wagerah rakhenge na apni party pe.”

“Armaan is also like that,” Diya said. “He hates all his cousins except for me and Dodo. And uske Tayaji ka beta hai… Krish, who he’s close to. But, Krish ke bhi exams aane waale hain, so he said he won’t be able to be here for a long time.”

“I like this better anyway,” Muskaan said. “Ab agar tere ya Armaan ke zyada cousins aate toh hum freely celebrate nahi kar paate na. At least all of us know Diya from that day when she visited. And Shreya hai bas… but agar zyada log hote toh it might have been awkward for everyone to get along. Isliye bas hum hain wohi achcha hai.”

“I agree with that 100%!” Nikki exclaimed. “Some of Armaan’s cousins are so snooty. Main toh poora time apna gussa hi control karne ki koshish karti rehti unke saath.”

“Nikki, tumhe bas woh isliye nahi pasand cause they always tried to set Armaan up with their hoity - toity friends,” Diya laughed. “But now they can’t na. Maybe you’ll like them better now.”

“You wish,” Nikki mumbled.

“By the way, Diya,” Riddhima asked, “tum abhi bhi Samrat, Mayank ya TJ se touch mein ho kya? I was thinking about inviting them for the wedding too. Pichle kuch saalon se hum touch mein nahi hai but they were good friends of mine during college days.”

Diya laughed. “I very much am,” she said. “Samrat and Mayank are my brothers - in - law.”

“What? Really?” Anjali exclaimed.

“Haan,” Diya replied. “They both married my Chachu’s daughters. Actually, unn dono ne college tumhaare graduation ke baad start kiya tha toh you didn’t meet them. But, they joined in our second year… tab hi Mayank aur Samrat unn dono se mile and then they ended up falling in love.”

“That’s so nice! Though I can’t imagine Samrat ever getting married,” Anjali commented. “Yaad hai, uss time kitni ladkiyaan uske aage peeche ghoomti rehti thi?”

“Aur Mayank toh apne books se kabhi upar hi nahi dekhta tha. How he managed to fall in love is beyond me,” Riddhima laughed.

“Look who’s talking,” Diya complained. “Jo haal Samrat ka tha na… woh same Armaan ka bhi tha. And you know Riddhima, there’s a reason why you and Mayank got along so well during those days. Tum dono bilkul ek jaise the. But, ab tumhaari aur Armaan ki bhi shaadi ho rahi haina.”

“Fair point,” Riddhima conceded. “But, yes. Please mujhe unki contact information de dena, and main obviously baat kar lungi, but before that, tum bhi ek baar unn dono se baat kar lena to let them know I’m planning to invite them. Please.”

“Absolutely no worries,” Diya assured Riddhima. “Main baat kar lungi.”

Once they were done with their steam bath, Anjali, the magician that she was, produced clothes out of seemingly nowhere for them. They all changed into the matching tees and jeans that she’d gotten for them and left for lunch, where they were greeted by Shreya, who was already decked out in her Bride’s Babe tee and ripped jeans.

They enjoyed a hearty lunch at the restaurant that Billy Uncle had insisted they eat at. It was his favourite and he always made it a point to visit there when he was in Mumbai on business. They came back to a suite that had been completely transformed.

“OH! This is so pretty!!” Shreya exclaimed. “Very aesthetic. Kitne Pinterest boards refer kiye yeh banane?”

“Don’t even ask,” Nikki muttered. “Too many. Aur upar se yeh humaari perfectionist Miss Gupta ko toh aur zyada problems hote the.”

They shared a laugh at Anjali’s expense before she put a stop to it by announcing their next activity. “Present time!!”

“Ab yeh sab karne ke baad presents bhi doge?” Riddhima asked.

“Yep,” Anjali replied. “Tere paas mana karne ka option nahi hai, Ridzy. So, don’t even try.”

“Okay,” Riddhima conceded. “I won’t.” In her head, she added one more item to the list of gifts she was planning to buy for all her friends for the wedding.

They all sat by the window overlooking the Gateway of India, and started piling Riddhima with presents.

"I'll go first," Nikki announced. "So that we can get all the embarrassment out of the way."

"Embarrassment?" Riddhima asked, already scared.

Nikki smirked and presented Riddhima with her gift bag. "Here you go!"

Riddhima opened the present with trembling hands to find bath salts and soy candles inside. "What's so embarrassing about this?" She wondered out loud.

"Woh nahi," Nikki replied. "Open it entirely."

Riddhima fished inside the bag and came out with a gift card. To Victoria's Secret.

"NIKKI!" She cried out. "I can't…"

Everyone laughed as Riddhima blushed a deep shade of red.

"It's okay, Ridzy," Nikki replied. "Ab dheere - dheere aadat daal le. You're getting married. And this is very common for us. But… Tu tension mat le. Tera first time haina… I promise I'll help you."

"Yes, taaki tu mujhe aur zyada embarrass kar sake?" Riddhima asked.

Nikki laughed. "Woh bhi… But also to help you."

"Nikki… I can't believe this. This is so embarrassing. Tu…" Riddhima moaned.

"Main kya?" Nikki asked. "Zyada doodh ki dhooli mat ban. As if you and Armaan have never done it."

"WE HAVEN'T!" Riddhima shouted.

"What rubbish!" Anjali exclaimed. "It's okay, Ridzy. You can tell us. Tujhe pata hai hum mein se koi bhi Mom ya Dad ko kuch nahi batayega."

"Di…" Riddhima whined. "Please. Stop it. And we really have not."

"Matlab… Tum dono itne saalon se date kar rahe ho… But you're celibate?" Muskaan questioned.

"And what's wrong with that?" Riddhima fired back.

"Nothing," Keerti intervened immediately. "Isme koi galat baat nahi hai."

"Guys, Riddhima ko aur embarrass mat karo," Sapna added. "Sabki relationship alag hoti hai. And some things are private. Yeh sab rehne do."

Riddhima sent both of them a thankful look as murmurs of agreement rung around the table.

Anjali went in next, giving Riddhima some very gorgeous jewelery. Riddhima fixated on a pair of earrings in the mix, examining them closely before looking up at Anjali in awe.

"Di??" She held them up questioningly.

"Yeh meri taraf se nahi hai," Anjali replied. "Nani sent these for you. Mom ki haina… She'd set them aside for your wedding."

Riddhima hugged Anjali tight. "Thanks, Di. They're gorgeous." Anjali patted Riddhima's back and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

Muskaan gifted her a cross stitch pattern of a bride and a groom with their backs turned, a calendar for April to their right, the wedding date marked with a heart.

"Muski, yeh tune khud banaya?" Riddhima asked.

"Of course, Ridzy!" Muskaan exclaimed. "Kisi aur se thodi banwaungi tera present. Tujhe pata haina mujhe iska shauk hai… This was a little complicated piece, though, isliye itna achcha nahi bana jitna maine socha tha."

"Shut up!" Riddhima commanded. "This is absolutely gorgeous and I love it so much!! Thank you, Muski. I'm going to get this framed and put up somewhere nice in the house."

Keerti gifted her with a couple's cookbook and tickets to a weekend couple's cooking class that was valid for the next six months. "I know that tum aur Armaan dono bohot achche cooks ho, but this is something Shubhankar and I also did after the wedding and it was a great bonding exercise."

"Thank you, ma'am," Riddhima replied. "This is really very nice."

Sapna had gotten her an assortment of connoisseur chocolates from Spain. "Amit wahaan abhi recently business trip pe gaya tha," she explained.

Riddhima wasted no time in popping a chocolate in her mouth. It melted the second it touched her tongue and her mouth exploded in a tangy sweet taste. "Mmmmm," she moaned in appreciation. "This is so good, Sapna!"

She offered a piece each to the others and then quickly packed away the rest, not wanting to share more. All her friends were natural bhukkads and she knew that if she kept the box outside, the chocolates would be over before the day ended.

"Here," Shreya went next, placing a makeshift calendar in front of her with the wedding week marked in red.

"Yeh kya hai?" Riddhima asked.

"This… Is what Shikha Bose's calendar looks like," Shreya replied, smiling cheekily.

"No way!" Anjali exclaimed. "How???"

"I have my sources," Shreya replied.

"Shreya…" Riddhima said. "She's the most sought after wedding photographer in the country. Uski dates 1-2 mahine nahi, 1-2 saal ke liye booked rehti hai. How did you even manage this?"

Shreya sighed. "Woh Rehaan ki batchmate hai," she explained. "And she owed me one for when I'd helped her last year with some stuff, so I called in a favour."

"Thank you so much!" Riddhima exclaimed, hugging Shreya tight. "I never even imagined something like this."

"Don't you worry," Shreya replied. "Tere liye itna toh kar hi sakti hoon main."

Naina got her a set of very comfy satin pyjamas that read wifey. "Oh, this is so smooth," Riddhima said as she felt the soft fabric. "Thank you so much, Naina."

"I'm glad you liked it, Di!" Naina exclaimed.

Diya went in last, and produced an album of Armaan's baby photos. They ranged from when he was a baby to his early teens. It was absolutely glorious.

"Thank you so much!" Riddhima exclaimed, pulling Diya in a hug.

"You're welcome," she replied. "But, you have to do something for me in exchange."

"Bolo na," Riddhima immediately agreed.

Turning the pages, Diya stopped on a particularly embarrassing photo of a young Armaan bathed in cake and what looked like soda. "This was on his 10th birthday. All the kids banded together to throw cake at him and then someone brought in Pepsi, I don't know why," she reminisced fondly. "Yeh waali photo chupa dena. I promised Armaan that no one would ever see this."

"Done!" Riddhima replied. "Armaan ko bilkul pata nahi chalega ki yeh photo mere paas hai."

Once they'd all ooh-ed and aah-ed over Armaan's photos, Riddhima packed it all away. She kept all the presents safely in a bag and locked the room in which she kept it. She gave all the attendees a tight hug. "Thank you so much! All these presents were so beautiful and thoughtful. I couldn't ask for more!"

It was only mid-afternoon by then and they had a couple hours before the activity scheduled for the evening, so Nikki suggested they watch a movie, settling on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge. The girls all snuggled up on the very comfortable couch and watched the movie, exchanging laughs and sighs.

Just as Raj pulled Simran on the train in the climax, the door to the suite opened, surprising Riddhima.

(Continued in the next post!)