Chapter One Hundred & Sixteen
"Are we ready, kids???" Armaan questioned rhetorically as they all gathered at the beach. He'd changed into a pair of shorts and a tee, matching perfectly with Riddhima, who was sitting on the sand with all the grandparents, conversing with them. Their laughter echoed in the air as Armaan wrangled the kids in an attempt to get them to play in the sand. They'd set up a volleyball net and Armaan was dividing all the kids into groups so that they could play.
"Readyyyy!" The kids cried.
"Okay, then! Let's start!" Armaan cheered. As they played, everyone cheered, watching their match intently. Armaan played referee for the two teams to everyone's delight.
"Armaan kitna achcha ladka hai," Dadi murmured for possibly the hundredth time. "Usse milke hamesha itna achcha lagta hai. Sach mein, Riddhima… Hum bohot khush hain ki tujhe woh mila."
"Thank you, Dadi," Riddhima replied, a huge smile lighting up her face. For them to approve of Armaan was a huge deal to Riddhima. She knew that they'd all been very skeptical about her choice before, when they hadn't met Armaan. They felt that him leaving after the shoot-out was all the information they needed to make a judgement about the kind of person he was. And they had. It was only after meeting him in person that they began to change their thinking. It had taken a while, but slowly, Armaan had won all their hearts. It didn't surprise Riddhima one bit. Armaan was such a naturally lovable person, and it didn't take long for anyone to be captivated by his charm.
"Mujhe toh pehle din se hi pata tha," Bua commented. "Ki tum dono ek doosre se kitna pyaar karte ho. Yeh Riddhi kitni bhi koshish karle… Mujhse chupa nahi paayi ki yeh Armaan ke liye kya feel karti hai. Dono ke dono bas ek doosre ko hi dekhte rehte the… Aur aise dekhte the jaise koi aur hai hi nahi inke saath."
"Buaaaaaa!" Riddhima whined, blushing a deep red. "Kya aap bhi!"
"Main bhi kya, haan?" Bua asked. "Tu kaise keh rahi thi… Armaan bas mera colleague hai," Bua scoffed. "Jaise tu uske saath behave karti thi waise koi sirf apne colleague ke saath koi nahi karta!"
"Woh toh main…" Riddhima tried to defend herself but didn't know what to say.
"Rehne de, Riddhi. Tujhe shuru se hi Armaan pasand tha," Bua told her.
"Armaan hai hi itna pyaara," Dadiji said. "Hum sabke saath bhi toh kitni jaldi ghul-mil gaya tha. Pehli baar jab woh aaya tha, laga hi nahi ki uski pehli visit hai. Aisa laga jaise woh saalon se aa raha hai humse milne."
"Jab shaadi ka nyota aaya," Dadu told Riddhima, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Uske baad hum sabne party ki. Hum sab kitne khush the. Tu kabse Armaan ka intezaar kar rahi thi aur itne mahino ka tera yeh sapna jab poora hua… Sab thode emotional ho gaye… Isliye cake khate waqt sab rone lage. Rohan toh darr gaya ke pata nahi kya ho gaya hain humein."
"Main toh isliye bhaavuk ho gayi… Kyuki nyota aaya," Dida confessed. "Hum mein se kuch aise bhi hain jinhe apne ghar ki shaadiyon mein bhi shaamil hone ka mauka nahi mila… Toh jab teri shaadi ka bulawa aaya, toh ek baar ke liye, aankh bhar aayi."
"Dida!" Riddhima chided. "Aap aisa kyu keh rahi hain? Aap meri family nahi hain kya? Aap mere liye bilkul waisi hain jaise mere liye Nani hai. Aapke bina main kaise shaadi kar sakti hoon?"
Dida hugged Riddhima, sobbing into her embrace. Riddhima gently shushed her, murmuring soothing words into her ear. She was aware that not everyone who lived at Umang had good relations with their family. While many of them had maintained a good rapport with their kids and grandkids, a few of the elderly had had little to no contact with people from back home. It hurt, thinking that these amazing people had been left alone by their kids when they needed someone's support the most. Riddhima tried her best to be there for them, as did Armaan. Riddhima knew that the NGO had a few other patrons who did the same, but she knew that them being there didn't reduce the pain of not having a family. She wished she could make things better for them, but she couldn't. This was the best she could do, and sometimes, it broke her heart that it wasn't enough. Still, she tried her best to remain positive and not let such gloomy thoughts spoil anything, especially not now. Not when she was getting married.
A few moments later, Dida's sobs subsided and Riddhima pulled back after one last squeeze. Wanting to lift the sombre atmosphere that clouded them, she started talking about the upcoming ceremony and what she was most excited about. The others indulged her and made some more small talk. They weren't paying any attention to Armaan or the kids, which was why they were all surprised when Armaan appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and lifted an unsuspecting Riddhima into his arms.
"ARMAAN!" Riddhima cried. "Kya kar rahe ho?"
He didn't say anything, ignoring her words. "Armaan, you're getting me all wet!" She whined, realizing that Armaan was wet himself and being in embrace was getting all her clothes soiled.
Armaan still didn't reply, hurrying towards the sea, dumping Riddhima in the water. "ARMAAN!" She cried once more. "Yeh kya kiya?!?!"
"Come on, Basket!" He needled. "Beach pe aaye hain hum toh yeh toh banta haina!"
"Haan, Didi," the kids all shouted in unison. They'd been playing in the sea as well, only having stopped when Armaan threw Riddhima in the water.
"Tum sabke sab Armaan ke chamchon!" Riddhima exclaimed. "Ruko abhi batati hoon tumhe!"
She started splashing water on all of them and that started a fight with everyone throwing water on everyone. Armaan lifted Riddhima in his arms and twirled her around amidst happy giggles and laughter. They played around for a while before the adults decided it was time to get some rest.
"Armaan! Riddhima!" Bua called out. "Chalo… Bohot ho gaya ab! Pani mein se bahar aao!"
"Haan, Bua!" Riddhima screamed back. "Abhi aaye!"
It took a while, but they were able to convince all the kids to get out of the water. Chatting amicably, they all made their way back to the hotel, excited for the upcoming wedding.
__________
"Yeh lo, Neelu! Achche se paani peelo," Atul murmured lovingly, as he watered the plants in one of the hotel's gardens. He'd been at it for a while, having nothing else to do after Anjali had banished him from the cake tasting.
"Champ! Kya kar raha hai, yaar?" Rahul asked, as he entered the garden. "Kabse dhoond raha hoon main tujhe! Itna kaam pada hai aur tu yahaan timepass kar raha hai?"
"Main timepass nahi kar raha!" Atul cried. "Tu isse timepass mat keh. Main yahaan inn paudhon ko paani de raha hoon! Kitna important hai inke liye paani tujhe koi idea bhi hai? Isse yeh paudhe kitne pyaare khilenge na? Aur phir… Armaan aur Ridz ke shaadi ke functions yahin honge na… Toh sab kitna achcha, happy, aur green lagega!"
"Champ! Kya karu main tera?" Rahul wondered out loud.
"Tu mera kuch mat kar!" Atul told him. "Mujhe bas yahaan shaanti se baithke inn plants ko paani dene de."
"Champ… Itna kaam hai… Tu yeh sab… Ummm… I agree… Yeh bhi imp — important hai… Lekin, isse zyada zaroori kaam hain humein!" Rahul exclaimed.
"Yaar, main kya karoon?" Atul lamented. "Main gaya tha Anjali ke saath final cake tasting ke liye, lekin usne mujhe wahaan se nikaal diya!"
"Woh isliye kyuki tum wahaan ke saare cakes kha rahe the!" Anjali cried, showing up with Muskaan in tow. "Main tumse keh rahi thi ki bas jo cake Ridzy ne select kiya tha woh taste karna hai but tumhe toh wahaan ke sab cakes taste karne the!"
"Haan, toh Anjali humein check karna chahiye na… Agar jabse Ridz ne selection kiya uske baad se koi usse better cake aa gaya ho toh?" Atul asked.
Rahul and Anjali shared a look at that, but wisely refrained from passing any comments. "Nikki kahaan hai?" Rahul asked instead, successfully steering the topic away from Atul's shenanigans.
"She's resting," Muskaan told him. "Woh kaafi tired lag rahi thi."
"Haan," Anjali agreed. "Abhi is with her… But oh my god, being pregnant is scary," she shuddered. "Aaj kal usse dekhke lagta hai ki usse saans lene mein bhi problem hoti hai."
"Usse dekhti hoon toh lagta hai ki koi bhi jaan boojhke khudko itni takleef kyu dega," Muskaan murmured. "I mean… Hum kabhi aise toh sochte hi nahi hain? Ki pregnancy kitni difficult hoti hai. Sab bas pregnancy ke baad kya hota hai uspe focus karte hain. We think about the baby and how that will change our life, but not how pregnancy will, especially for a woman."
"I know," Anjali agreed. "We don't. But ab we'll have to do better. Right?"
"Yes!" Muskaan nodded enthusiastically.
"Hey, guys!" Dia greeted them, along with her posse, which consisted of her brother and cousins.
"Hey," Rahul replied. "Did you guys settle in okay?"
"Yes," Dia smiled. "Thank you, Rahul! Everything is great."
"My pleasure," Rahul told her.
"Rahul Bhaiya… Woh Maan Bhaiya kahaan hai? Hum actually ek baar unhe milke firse thank you kehna tha invite karne ke liye," Gunjan said.
Rahul laughed. "That's cute… But actually tumhe Armaan ne nahi Riddhima ne invite kiya hai."
"Right," Samrat jumped in. "Champ ne invite kiya hai humein!"
"Maine toh tumhe invite nahi kiya," Atul said, making everyone look at him.
"Tumne?" Mayank asked, confused. "Tumhaare baare mein toh kisine kuch kaha hi nahi."
"Abhi toh isne kaha!" Atul pointed at Samrat. "Ki Champ ne invite kiya hai! But maine toh nahi kiya!"
"Atul! Relax!" Anjali shushed him. "Tum itna hyper kyu ho rahe ho?"
"Main nahi hyper ho raha!" Atul cried. "Yeh log hi mujhe beech mein ghaseet rahe hain!"
"But tumhaari baat ho hi nahi rahi thi," Mayank said. "Humne kahaan tumhe beech mein ghaseeta?"
"Aise kaise? Abhi Champ kaha na? Toh main hi toh hoon Champ! Fir aur kiski baat ho rahi thi?" Atul probed.
"Main Riddhima ko Champ bulata hoon!" Samrat explained. "Uski baat ho rahi hai yahaan!"
"Ohhhhh," Atul finally got it. "Ridz ki baat ho rahi hai. I'm sorry! Mujhe laga meri baat ho rahi hai. Woh actually, Armaan aur Rahul mujhe Champ bulaate haina… Isliye main thoda confuse ho gaya tha."
"Champ!" Rahul rebuked. "Tera na… Kuch nahi ho sakta!"
"But yeh dono hain kahaan?" Dia asked.
Just then, loud indistinct chatter could be overheard. They all turned in the direction to see a gaggle of kids running towards the rooms with a few elderly people accompanying them. At the rear of the group, Armaan & Riddhima were walking hand in hand, sharing a laugh. They stopped near the entrance and waited for everyone to go inside. They waved everyone inside and stood there for a minute, Armaan hugging Riddhima tight. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple and buried his face in her hair.
"Awwwww," Anjali, Muskaan, and Dia chorussed.
"Are they always like this?" Dia asked.
"You don't even know the half of it," Rahul replied.
"Hero!! Ridzy!!" Muskaan called them out, pulling their attention from each other to the rest of their group. A smile lit up Riddhima's face at the interruption while Armaan made a face at them. Nevertheless, the couple started walking in their direction, still hand in hand.
"Hello!" Riddhima greeted them enthusiastically. "Aap sab yahaan?"
"Don't even ask, Ridzy," Anjali replied. "Atul is…" She rolled her eyes.
"Atul is kya haan?" Armaan immediately jumped at his best friend's defense.
"Bhukkad," Rahul answered for Anjali. "Actually," he pondered. "Galti meri hi hai. I thought ki cake tasting pe saath mein bhej doonga toh yeh dono ek saath thoda time spend kar lenge… I should have known better. Jahaan baat khane ki aati hai toh Champ pe bilkul trust nahi kar sakte."
"Hmmmm, you're right," Armaan reluctantly agreed. "Sorry, Anjy!" Anjali scoffed and waved his apology off.
"You guys are funny," Samrat commented, drawing attention to himself.
"Thanks, Sam!" Armaan cheered, taking it as a compliment.
"Hahaha," Samrat enunciated sarcastically.
"Tum sab yahaan kya kar rahe ho?" Riddhima asked them.
"Kyu? Yahaan kahin likha hai kya ki hum nahi aa sakte?" Mayank questioned in return.
"Mayank… Kabhi ek second agar tum ulta jawab nahi doge toh kuch ho jaayega kya?" Nupur scolded. "Riddhima Bhabhi bas generally pooch rahi hongi. Aur tum ho ki…"
Mayank rolled his eyes while Riddhima said, "Thanks, Nupur! Tum kitni achchi ho. Aur ek yeh tumhaara husband!" She scoffed. "I'd hug you but iss idiot Armaan ne mujhe samundar mein fek diya tha… So ek hug pending!"
"Aap theek haina?" Gunjan asked, immediately concerned. "Kahin lagi toh nahi?"
Turning to Armaan, she added, "Maan Bhaiya, aapne aisa kyu kiya?"
"Ohoooooo! Bhabhi abhi 2 minute pehli aur tumne abhi se team badal li?" Armaan questioned. "Wow, Gungun! I didn't expect this! Aur waise bhi… Tumhaari bhabhi itni bholi nahi hai jitni dikhti hai. Usne bhi mujhpe bohot paani udaya!"
“You started it!” Riddhima protested vehemently. “Ab tum mujhe blame mat karo!”
Armaan scoffed but looked away, not having a comeback for it. “Chal, chal ab! Nautanki!” Muskaan cribbed. “Hamesha tere drame chalte rehte hain, Hero! Humein aur bhi kaam hai. Tu yeh sab karna band kar!”
“Whatever,” Armaan waved her off. Turning to Gunjan, he asked, “Tum sab theek se settle ho gaye na?” To Dia, he added, “Your room up to your standards? Maine Rahul se kaha tha tumhe bada wala room dene!”
“Don’t worry! Hum sab achche se settle ho gaye hain,” Dia assured him. “And everything is great! The rooms are awesome! Thank you!”
“Haan,” Nupur agreed. “Bathtub toh bilkul badhiya hai. Usme baithke mazaa hi aa gaya, by god!”
Armaan barked a laugh at her words. “Diiiii!” Gunjan scolded. Turning to Riddhima, she said, “Woh hum actually aapko hi dhoond rahe the.”
“Mujhe?” Riddhima asked, confused.
“Haan,” Gunjan replied. “Woh… aapne humein apni shaadi pe invite kiya… thank you so much! It means a lot to us!”
“Gunjan! Please… isme thank you kehne ki kya baat hai? In fact… I should be thanking you. Itne short notice pe bhi aap sab humaari shaadi mein shaamil hone aaye… thank you!” Riddhima insisted.
“Nahi, nahi… aap aisa kyu keh rahi hain? Aap Samrat aur Jeeju ki itni achchi dost hai… aapki shaadi kaise miss karte?” Gunjan answered.
“Okay, okay. Agar aap sabka thank you thank you khatam ho gaya ho… toh please kuch kaam kar lein?” Rahul interrupted.
“Ab kya hua?” Armaan complained.
“Woh… Shikha Bose haina… woh aa gayi hai. Usse mil lo ek baar tum dono!” Rahul told him.
“She’s here?!” Riddhima exclaimed, excited.
“She is!” Anjali confirmed. “Shreya did so well!”
“She did!” Riddhima agreed. “I’m so excited! Chalo, Armaan! Jaldi se change karlo. We have to go meet her… aur please… achche se tayyaar hoke aana. We need to make a good impression.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Armaan said, mock saluting Riddhima. Riddhima shook her head at his antics.
"Ab chalein?" Armaan asked, offering Riddhima his hand, which she promptly took. "See you later!" He addressed the group at large before tugging her out.
"Meet her here in half an hour!" Rahul called out to the couple's retreating backs and received a wave in reply before they disappeared around the corner.
"They're going to go get dressed, right?" Anjali wondered out loud. "No detours?"
"Agar Armaan ko yeh shaadi shanti se karni hai toh woh meri har baat maanega. Trust me," Rahul assured her. Anjali looked skeptical, but nevertheless did agree. If anyone could handle Armaan other than Riddhima, it was Rahul.
________
True to Rahul's words, Armaan was in the lobby 20 minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark washed jeans that he'd paired with a blue blazer, looking dapper and charming. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. Riddhima was late. They were supposed to be meeting the wedding photographer soon and she was nowhere to be seen. He fished his phone out of his pocket and dialled her number, only for the call to be transferred to voicemail.
Riddhima's melodious voice greeted him. "Hi! I can't answer the phone right now. Agar yeh Nani hai toh, haan Nani, main aaj ghar time pe aa jaungi. Agar yeh Rahul hai toh, nahi Rahul, main Muskaan ka gift lene mein meri koi help nahi karne wali. Agar yeh Di hai toh, haan Di, Atul ke new plant ka naam sach mein Anjali hai. Aur agar… Yeh Armaan hai toh, tum please 2 minute ruko! Jab tak yeh message poora hoga, main aa jaungi! Baaki sab… Beep ke baad message chod dein. I'll call back when I'm free!"
Armaan chuckled at the message. She'd started recording such messages after hearing him do the same. It was funny and absolutely hilarious. Their friends hated the two of them doing this, but neither of them ever budged. And, true to her word, by the time the beep had sounded, Armaan could sense the rapid beating of his heart and anticipation curl in his belly, tell-tale signs that she was near. Sure enough, not even a minute later, she was traipsing across the expansive lobby, looking absolutely ethereal in her white chikankari anarkali and a gorgeous smile.
"Hi!" She greeted him, standing on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his cheek.
"Hi," he breathed, mesmerized. Riddhima rolled her eyes, even as she blushed at the attention. After a moment, she snapped her fingers in front of him. "Chalein?" She asked. "We're getting late."
"Fine," Armaan replied, pouting. He held her hand in his, pulling her along with him. The two of them chatted about random topics on the way, both of them excited about the meeting.
Shikha Bose was already waiting for them in the courtyard when they reached there. Standing tall in a sharp baby pink business suit, she looked every inch the successful woman that she was. "Hi," he greeted them when they were in her vicinity. "Shikha Bose," she introduced herself. "Armaan & Riddhima?" She asked them in query.
"Hi," Riddhima replied. "It's such a pleasure to meet you! I'm Riddhima and this is my fiance, Armaan."
Shikha smiled at them and profered her hand. Riddhima shook it, followed by Armaan. "Congratulations," she wished them. "You two look very beautiful together."
"Thank you!" The couple chorussed. Riddhima blushed, looking at the floor. Armaan laughed at her shyness, pulling her close to him and dropping a kiss to her cheek.
"Excited for the wedding?" Shikha probed, having to refrain herself from cooing at the sight before her. The two of them were really cute together.
"Very," Armaan confirmed. "Thank you so much for accommodating us. I know it must not have been easy."
Shikha laughed. "It wasn't," she agreed. "But Rehaan ke liye itna toh main kar hi sakti hoon. Besides, he owes me one now."
"Still," Riddhima insisted. "Thank you so much. It means a lot!"
"Well, you're welcome. Tum dono ko dekhke… Main bhi ab iss shaadi ke liye kaafi excited hoon. Jab Rehaan ne mujhse kaha tha that I wouldn't want to miss shooting such a happy couple, I had my doubts, but ab mujhe samajh aa raha hai what he meant," Shikha answered.
Riddhima blushed once more at her words, causing her to grin. "The picture perfect blushing bride, I see. Tumhaare photos lene mein toh bilkul mehnat nahi karni padegi! Har baat pe itna sharmaati jo ho."
Armaan chuckled at that. "Please, meri koi photos lo ya na lo, Riddhima ke har moment ki photos lena. Aur special copies mujhe zaroor bhijwa dena!"
"Awwww," Shikha finally gave in to the urge and cooed. "You guys are really cute. I was thinking… If you're okay with it, ek chota shoot hum aaj karle? I mean… Iss tarah all of us will get comfortable with each other and ek photoshoot bhi ho jaayega. Anjali has assured me that you're free for the next few hours. So, we won't do anything big, but yahaan hotel mein hi… Gardens mein we can do one. Tum dono ko tayyaar bhi nahi hota padega cause frankly you two look too good the way you're dressed right now. What say?"
Armaan looked at Riddhima in askance, his eyes sparkling in anticipation. Looking at him, there was no other answer she could have given. He was so excited. How could she say no then? "I mean… Can't hurt, right?" She questioned out loud.
"Right," Shikha agreed. She introduced the couple to her team and they immediately got to work, striking a few colourful poses around the courtyard.
This photoshoot was definitely more intimate and couple-y than their last one had been, which was a surprise, because they'd clicked such romantic pictures at the basketball court. But, Shikha Bose was not the most sought after wedding photographer for naught. She somehow brought the love out in the couple very effortlessly, keeping them distracted with endless wedding chatter. In the middle of conversing with her and telling her their story, it didn't even register as they posed for photo after photo, each more beautiful than the last.
Once she was satisfied with the entire process, Shikha showed the two of them the pictures. "These are so gorgeous!" Armaan exclaimed. He loved all the photos, but the way his eyes lingered on a shot of Riddhima leaning against a tree while he towered over her, both of them lost in each other's eyes, made Riddhima decide that that photo would have a special place in their bedroom. Her own favourite - a relatively chaster shot - of Armaan hugging Riddhima from behind, with Riddhima turned to look up at him as they both laughed, would look very good in the living room.
"Very beautiful," she agreed. "Thank you so much, Shikha. I know ki yeh photos humaare ghar ko aur bhi zyada pyaara bana dengi."
Shikha smiled, absolutely pleased. "Great! I'm so glad. This photoshoot was so much fun. Aur haan, photos bhi bohot zyada achchi aayi hain. Main yeh saare apne portfolio mein add karne wali hoon. You two really are a pleasure to work with!"
"So are you," Armaan assured her. "You made us feel very comfortable with the whole thing, so thank you so much!"
"Just doing my job," Shikha replied. "Wedding photographer hoon. Wedding jitters aur anxiety ko kaise theek karte hain achche se aata hai mujhe."
Her words made everyone laugh. "Chalo, I'll not keep you guys any longer. I know ki tumhe aur bhi bohot kaam honge. I'll see you at the next ceremony!"
After giving both Armaan & Riddhima quick hugs, Shikha & her team left them alone. "Ahhhh! That was fun, but also exhausting," Armaan murmured, pulling Riddhima into a hug.
"It was," Riddhima agreed, melting into his embrace. "But don't worry. I think aajke liye we're done."
"So then, ab tumhaara saara waqt mera!?!?" Armaan exclaimed, suddenly excited.
Riddhima laughed, even as she blushed. "Mera saara waqt toh waise hi tumhaara hai."
"Oyye hoyye," Armaan murmured, his voice a sensuous whisper in Riddhima's ear. He placed a kiss there, before dragging his lips across her cheek to her lips, and capturing them in a kiss.
Pulling back a few moments later, he asked, "Kya baat hai, Dr. Basket! Aajkal bada pyaar ka raha hai?"
"Abhi pyaar nahi aayega toh kab aayega, baby?" Riddhima fired back, pinching his nose. "We're getting married!"
"We're getting married," Armaan echoed, a silly grin making its way on his face at the words. Nothing had ever sounded sweeter than those three words. Ever.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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