TDBU #3 [An AR FF] - (Track 66 to 69 - Page 82/83) - Page 57

Originally posted by: scorpiofazy

noo praags nooo...this isn't how it supposed to happen..it should be in a different way...i just don't like it for the first time...m sorry if m getting harsh but i didn't feel right so...armaan should have come to give them all a surprise... then he should watch riddhima's behaviour secretly and then come to the conclusion of talking to her..but maybe i thought in a different way than yours but its your thoughts that counts..i just told you what i feel about this part...sorry if i offended you 

take care 

update soon

I'm sorry it wasn't what you imagined it to be, but I feel that after everything, this was the right way for them to start. We all have our own different perceptions that change things, so what you thought might also have been a good way, but I think that the entire issue in their relationship has always been that they hid things from each other and didn't come directly to each other to talk. That was a cycle I wanted to break right at the start of their new beginning, so this felt the most natural way to do that. 

Nonetheless, I hope you like what I've planned for the coming chapters! Thank you so much for reading! <3

The part where ridhhi sarcastically mentions pitching a tent and the duo bantering about the same felt like yaar old days are back...

It was so good.

Things are as of now not so good with Rahul muski but im sure with help of AR all will go well.

I mean come on they have always acted as cupid for others haven't they?? Be it AbhiNik, keerti shubhankar and even shanky padma :p

Can't wait for more AR convoy..pls update soon

And yaar tdu me you are hinting about ilyltf k chaps but sirf hint nahi chap do...much awating 

It ended so quickly..

I am a little surprised that Armaan didn't tell Rahul right away, could be due to the urgent situation or he is still processing what he did. But Rahul has an idea as always.

Hopefully Rahul is able to convince Muskaan's family and waiting to see AR's progress.

Expecting quicker updates now 😉

Its been so long that I have commented.

I was busy catching up with the stories.

Really happy to see how this story is turning out to be.

TBH I am more hooked to this one than ILYLTF 

But that story will always be special too.

Life is getting busier day by day.

I hope you are doing good by the way♥️

I will try to comment regularly but no promises 😑

I miss reading fan fictions yr.

I hope to catch up on other stories as well.

But I love the filler chapter too just know that!

Even if I am not commenting please know that I will your cheerleader may be a silent one but I will always be here🙈

Such mein filler part hi tha ye toh. I mean i can sense the need of ridhima's support would be needed to ship muskan and rahul together. She gave the perfect idea to them based on what she is experiencing and what they have been through. 

She is the sensible one i agree but then going by her stupidity of hiding things for who ever benifit it was for she is crazy. Not only in this ff but in serial too few of her decision were idiotic like that of pari incident. Matlab jab sab ghar mein taiyar hua toh madam ne mana kar diya ki mein nhi and then accident and memory lose happened. 

Next part jaldi de please. 

Also where is that thread i cant find it 

Hey please post next part 

Nice to see Rahul and Muskaan too, but looking forward to more AR scenes, them really getting together! Talking through things and stuff. Looking forward to more!

Missing TDBU .. Kab update doge?!! 

Pleaseeeee updateeeeee !!

Previously On...

Armaan & Riddhima decide to give their relationship another try.

Track 56 - Halke Gaadi Hako, Kabir Cafe

"It'll be fine, right?" Riddhima asked Armaan anxiously.

"Don't worry," Armaan replied, unsure if he was trying to reassure her or himself with his words. "We'll handle it."

The two of them were on their way to see Rahul and Muskaan, all the way to Patiala. Rahul had called Armaan a few hours back, telling him that the couple was planning to elope because Muskaan's family weren't happy with the match. One panic attack and a few breathing exercises later, both Armaan & Riddhima had boarded the first available flight. They were standing outside the Grewals' ancestral home where Rahul had been staying for the past few days, waiting for someone to open the door.

Sure enough, a couple minutes later, the door opened to reveal Rahul. His face was the picture of surprise. “What—What are you—Why—How are you here?” He finally managed to ask, stumbling on his words. He had been asleep if his bedhead and rumpled pyjamas were any indication. Belatedly, Armaan realised that it was almost 3am. Of course he’d been asleep.

“You didn’t think I’d let you get married without me there, did you?” Armaan joked. Rahul stood there, still dumbstruck.

“Thoda side hatega? Or are we going to keep standing here all night?” Armaan asked.

That seemed to break Rahul out of his stupor and he moved aside to let the two of them in. He stood there, still in shock, as Armaan put his many suitcases in the corner while Riddhima did the same for her modest few bags. “What are you doing here?” Rahul questioned once more, this time more awake.

“Rahul, you just called to tell me that you were getting married tomorrow. Of course I’m here,” Armaan replied.

“How did you get here so quickly?” He questioned further. Turning to Riddhima, he added, “Why are you here too?”

“Rahul,” Armaan answered. “Please relax. Let me explain, okay?”

At Rahul’s hesitant nod, he continued. “I was already here when you called,” he said, purposely leaving it vague enough so as to not lie, but also not clue Rahul in that he had been in India for hours when Rahul had called, having spent all that time with Riddhima. “It was very lonely back home, all alone. So I came here. And then you called, so of course I had to be there for you. And since it also involves Muskaan, I called Riddhima. She agreed to come with me.”

“Oh,” Rahul replied. “Thank you. So much,” he said, looking at both of them with undisguised happiness. It occurred to Armaan that before they’d gotten here, Rahul had been ready to do this alone, without any kind of support from anyone. He doubted Rahul had told anyone else. He knew that their sisters and mother would have descended upon him if that had been the case. Mummy had always envisioned a big, fat, Indian wedding for all of them. Armaan couldn’t say he was entirely on board with that idea, but he was also a little skeptical about an elopement.

He would never stop Rahul and Muskaan if that was what they truly wanted, but he knew the two of them and knew how important family was to them. He knew that Muskaan had also always dreamed of a huge YRF style wedding, and that Rahul would always regret it if he got married without his mother there. He wanted their wedding to be the happiest day of their lives, not a compromise they made to ensure their togetherness.

“Rahul, are you sure?” He asked. “Tujhe sach mein aise shaadi karni hai?”

Rahul sighed. “You think? Absolutely not. Na main yeh chaahta hoon na Muskaan. Lekin tu hi bata… What do we do? Uncle ne toh seedhe mana kar diya. And you know what? I understand. I completely understand where he is coming from. Muskaan and I have so much history. Our families had wanted us to get married more than a decade ago. Tab, the two of us had backed out. We fought so much with our families to get them to let the whole thing go. And then the fake marriage and the real break up… I left Muskaan and didn’t talk to her for eight long years. How can they overlook all that? Muskaan’s family is only looking out for her. They don’t have a reason to trust me and I agree with them. If I had been in any of their place, I would have rejected myself outright too.”

“So, you’ll just run away?” Riddhima asked. “As if that will make things easier with Muskaan’s family!” She scoffed.

“It won’t,” Rahul agreed. “But at least we’ll be together. Once we’re married, they’ll eventually come around, won’t they?”

“How can you be certain?” Armaan asked. “You can’t just gamble everything away on a chance, especially when the stakes are so high. What if they never forgive you, Rahul? Tu yeh chaahta hai kya that Muskaan cut all contact with her family to be with you?”

“That’s the last thing I want,” Rahul admitted. “But I can’t see any other options right now.”

“You’ve not even thought about the most obvious option yet, tu baaki sab toh chod de,” Armaan taunted.

“What obvious option?” Rahul asked.

“Well, prove to her family that they can trust you! That you love Muskaan and that you’ll always be there for her. That you’ve grown up, and you’re no longer the boy they knew back then… Show them that they can trust you to be a good husband, that you’re dependable and faithful,” Armaan suggested.

“How exactly would I do that?” Rahul questioned.

“Well, you could always pitch a tent in front of their house and refuse to leave till they give in,” came Riddhima’s prompt answer, oozing with sarcasm.

Armaan turned to her, scandalised. “Hey! That method works!” He defended himself.

“Exactly,” Riddhima agreed, but Armaan knew her well enough to know she was taunting him. “It works. That’s why I suggested it to Rahul.”

“Hahaha,” Armaan laughed without humour. “Bohot smart samajhti ho apne aap ko?”

“Samajhti nahin,” Riddhima replied. “Hoon.”

And yes, Armaan definitely walked into that one himself. Not that he was complaining, at all. Because he most definitely wasn’t. It felt so nice to have this with Riddhima again. Of course, their equation and dynamic had changed a lot. They were different people now, and the years between them had created a chasm that manifested itself in the form of unsureness and formality that the two had never known before. Even at their worst, there had been an intimacy between the two of them, an inherent closeness and knowledge about the other that stripped away any modicum of unfamiliarity that they were so desperately trying to form between them. But now, there were no pretenses. They did actually have an awkwardness surrounding them. It had been there since the second Riddhima had opened the door to him. Armaan suspected it would take them a while to get used to each other again, to forge that connection that had been severed by their decisions so long ago. So, to have this… this banter, this knowledge of their past selves to rely on, to make things easier for them, to have Riddhima joke with him… he cherished this feeling more than he cared to admit.

Rahul volleyed back and forth between the two of them. Perceptive as he was, he could sense there had been some shift in their relationship. As if Armaan himself seeking Riddhima out to bring her with him hadn’t been enough, he could see it in how receptive Armaan seemed to be about conversing with Riddhima and how Riddhima felt comfortable enough to tease him. Something had most definitely changed. Rahul could take a guess as to what. He was no fool and he understood these two and their relationship better than anyone else, except perhaps Armaan & Riddhima themselves. Sometimes, he felt he was better than them either. Having been a witness to it since day numero uno, he was pretty sure about what was happening. But, he wouldn’t make assumptions. Armaan would tell him when he was ready. Or maybe, Rahul would give him an opportunity to come clean and then see what Armaan had to say. For now, his relationship with Muskaan was his top most priority anyway.

“Can we please think of a plausible solution?” Rahul said, interrupting their banter.

"Ummm… main baat karu Uncle se? Maybe he'll listen to me?" Riddhima suggested.

"Tum aisa kya bologi that they'll listen to you?" Rahul asked.

"Look, Rahul… I can't make any promises, but Chadda Uncle listens to me. He knows that I only want the best for Muskaan. If I try to convince him, maybe he'll come around," Riddhima replied.

"That could work," Armaan agreed. "Of the 3 of us, Riddhima's words will have the most impact, I think. Main bhi try karunga. Riddhima and I can go together?"

"I don't mind," Riddhima said. "That's a good idea, actually. Chadda Uncle has always had a soft spot for you."

"Mmmmm," Armaan hummed. "I know. And Rahul… I think maybe you should call Mummy. Both your families go way back. Agar woh rishta lekar jaaye, maybe things will be different?"

"I think our best bet would be to get Muskaan's family to agree to a test run… A trial period," Riddhima said.

"Trial period?" Rahul asked, confused.

"Yes," Riddhima stated. "Is it necessary for you to get married immediately? I don't think so. Agar hum unhe convince kare to let you two date for a while, under their supervision… Like a proper old school courtship, they'll be able to see first hand how happy Muskaan is and also see that you're serious and won't leave this time. If their fears are assuaged, they'd agree to the wedding. And then you won't have to run away or whatever."

"That's really smart, yaar! I think that's perfect. Hum Mummy se kahenge to float that idea and I don't think they'll be able to disagree. Fir whatever time they give, usme you have to pull all stops and impress them so much that they don't even think about saying no when Mummy starts actual wedding talk," Armaan seconded.

"That's not half bad," Rahul agreed reluctantly. "It's just that I'm a little selfish and don't want to wait too long before I marry Muskaan."

"Dekho isse," Armaan taunted. "Lived for 8 years without even hearing a word from Muskaan but now doesn't want to wait even 8 months."

Riddhima laughed. "Don't tease him, Armaan," she said. "They've already lost so much time. It's understandable they don't want to wait any longer."

Turning to Rahul, she said, "But it's not really waiting, is it? It's giving yourselves time to get to know each other again. I'm not doubting your love, but a lot of time has passed, Rahul. You both have changed so much. Don't you want to know Muskaan as who she is today? So, really, you can use this time properly and start over properly. Give yourselves time to get used to each other again, prepare for the big change that's coming for you. Fir dekhna, yeh waqt itni jaldi beet jaayega, tumhe pata hi nahi chalega."

What Riddhima was saying made sense, Rahul had to agree. She had always been the wisest one of them all, after him, of course. But right now, he was too embroiled in the situation to think rationally, his emotions getting the better of him. As someone who cared immensely for Muskaan, and also seemed to care about him, Rahul felt that Riddhima would be able to weigh all options better. What she was suggesting wasn’t all too bad, either. In fact, she had a point. As did Armaan. After not having heard a peep from Muskaan in years, marrying her so quickly, going from zero to one eighty in a matter of weeks, it was sure to overwhelm them both. Being hasty would only cause problems in the long run, so it was advisable to take a step back, spend time with Muskaan, date her, get to know her, and then marry her. It would also give her family time to see that he was serious this time and he had no plans of leaving Muskaan. Whatever had transpired between the two of them couldn’t be fixed by a grand gesture or some movie-worthy declaration of love. He would have to put in the work to assure both Muskaan and her family that he had learnt from his mistakes and he would do better now.

“You’re right,” he finally murmured. “Muskaan deserves better.”

“Yes, she does,” Riddhima agreed. “And I know you, Rahul. I know you’re going to give her everything she deserves and more.”

“Thank you for that vote of confidence,” Rahul snarked. Sighing, he added, “It’s good that at least you’re confident, because I’m not. I’ve already messed up so many times, who’s to say I won’t mess it up again?”

“I do,” Armaan & Riddhima replied at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed, spurring Rahul on as well.

“No, but seriously,” Armaan said a moment later. “I know you won’t mess it up this time exactly because you did before. You know what you did wrong and you know how you suffered because of it. So, you won’t make the same mistakes again and you’ll learn to be more open and honest with Muskaan so that you don’t make any new mistakes that end with you losing each other. And… on the very off chance that you still somehow do, I will be there. There’s no way I’m letting you mess it all up again, Rahul. You’re in it this time. If you’ve made a commitment to Muskaan, that’s forever and there’s no going back.”

“What Armaan said,” Riddhima added. “He’s right, Rahul. I know it’s very scary because of everything that happened, but that doesn’t mean you don’t try again, right? And when you’re trying, I know you’ll give it your all, as will Muskaan. The both of you have too much at stake to let the other go because of a stupid mistake that could very easily be solved by talking to each other and being honest. And you are going to be, right? Honest with Muskaan and with yourself?” She asked in the end.

Rahul looked at her and nodded furiously. “Of course! It all started because I wasn’t honest and because I didn’t tell Muskaan how I really felt. I never wanted to break up with her, but I thought that she might end up resenting me if we don’t have kids. I made the decision for her, a decision neither of us wanted. But instead of that, if I’d been honest with her and told her about my feelings, how I was afraid, maybe things would have been different. They might not have been a good different, but they would definitely be different, right?”

“You said different way too many times so now I don’t know if that’s an actual word,” Armaan joked. “But yes. You’re right. If you’d been honest about your feelings, I don’t think you’d have broken up. Not right then, at least. None of us can be sure about what would have happened back then. Maybe things would have been really great and you two would have been together for almost a decade now, or maybe you wouldn’t have been… but it’s no use dwelling on that. You know what you want now, so you have to work hard for it.”

“I will,” Rahul promised. “I’ll work so hard. I don’t ever want to disappoint Muskaan ever again and I don’t want to lose her. I love her so much, you guys. I don’t think I can survive losing her once more. I’m not strong enough.”

“Muskaan isn’t either,” Riddhima told Rahul. “She has wanted you to be a part of her life for so long, Rahul. She won’t be able to handle another separation either. And I think… that will make you two even stronger. Because both of you will try your best to make it work and be the partners the other deserves.

You know, relationships are messy and complicated, but the way to uncomplicate them is very easy. You just have to be honest, always. To yourself and to others. If you’re honest, you can always work it out. And, in cases where things are really bad, but you’re lying to yourself and holding on to false hopes, being honest makes it easier to let go. Just be honest, Rahul, and see how things with Muskaan work out for the best in the end.”

Rahul grinned at Riddhima and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you so much. I know you have your doubts too, but your support really means the world to me. I know how much you care about Muskaan and if you think we can make it work, I’m sure we will, somehow.”

Riddhima returned the hug wholeheartedly. She knew Rahul loved Muskaan and she’d always known that Muskaan loved Rahul. She was glad that they were back together. But she was even more glad that she had her friend back. She’d missed Rahul so much in the past few years as well. He had been her confidant, someone she could always rely on, no matter what. Rahul had supported her and Armaan when no one else even knew about them, he’d always been so apt at reading the two of them. She knew she had Rahul to thank for a lot. She knew that he’d been the voice of reason during many of her and Armaan’s arguments and had made things smoother for them at every turn. He had also been the first to help them sort their differences out and patch things up. Now that he needed her to do the same, she wouldn’t back down. Rahul would have his happy ending, especially if Riddhima had any say in it. 

_____________

Hello, y'all! Hope you've been doing good! Thank you for patiently waiting for the new chapter. I know it's cumbersome to do so. But, I'm trying to be more regular in my writing now. I've set myself a daily target so that I give more time to it and so far, I've been succeeding. I hope that this means quicker updates, but we'll see how that goes :p

I've been working on ILYLTF and the wedding chapters and I'm having a lot of fun with that! I posted a couple sneak peeks on twitter, so if you're interested you can check it out at - @/oyyehoyyebasket!

Sorry this was mostly a filler chapter, but I wanted to nicely bridge what's coming up and really, Rahul is very stubborn. He wouldn't let me move on from this scene with just a cursory mention of it. He had to get all emotional and I just ended up writing this, so please bear with me!

Please give a listen to the chapter song for this one! It's one of my most recent finds on the Indie Pop front. The Kabir Cafe is a band I'm slowly beginning to love and I hope you like their music as much as I do. This song felt weirdly perfect for this chapter. If you look at the lyrics they fit so well, though the song doesn't exactly fit the sombre mood of this one, it gives a hopeful edge to Rahul and Muskaan's story!

I've been reading comments and I know a lot of you were disappointed with how the last chapter turned out, but it made sense to me that both Armaan & Riddhima would be a little hestitant around each other given where they are at this stage in their relationship. Please know that I will build that rapport back with them. It might not even take too long because well, it's Armaan & Riddhima! They're either all or nothing, every time. So they might be a little cautious at the start but it is a momentary hesitance that will go away pretty quickly, I think. We already see them joking around in this chapter and Rahul has also picked up the shift in their relationship so things are looking promising for our favourite couple! I hope you continue reading this and give them a chance to grow into the people they were before with each other, because it will happen, I assure you!

Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Please drop me a line to let me know how you like the chapter. Thank you so much for reading! <3

Love, Prags