Oh I am so happy to see these many chapters...
Everyone knows AR hiding things.. Haha
Armaan knows now, and that is going to be a plus. Sid is so much worse han I thought, he needs to realize his mistakes..
Armaan and Riddhima are definetly handling things so much better and I love that.
Cannot wait for their lovey dovey courtship period <3
Omg that was a spreeee
So glad finally all's clear
Good to see old AR...pranking n teasing and others playing along...betting on the evergreen couple...the esteemed matchmaker 🤣loved anji over there.
Ik armaan would have mentally killed sid n number of times by now...him imagining barging with guns in sanjeevni hahaha...
Ridzi is right about sid not being right for Tammy.
I wonder how is shanky gonna take all this things...hope he does well after all what has happened.
Amazing as always..needed this ...bang on time
This turn out exactly how i have imagined it to be tiring out to be.... Armaan siting and crying in a certain room where Ridhima stumble was like a great emotional ride giver. First for armaan and now for Ridhima.
I so wanted in really serial that Shashank that son to turn up which was shown in sanjeevni. With new interns in the new season i thought yuvraj was that boy but creators showed him someone else itself.
Anyway loved it u brought it up and it all cleared things for Shilpa too though now she might not be that seeking as she was earlier.
So it's like now there is this from one sister Ridhima have now 3 siblings some how. Kinda remind me of shahid Kapoor's family. 😅
Armaan was there to Cher her up and she was there for him. They both are gone case yet never wanted to accept it soon given the gap.
The patient was kind of needed to break the two to talk about that day and their fear with eachother. Talking about it on surface was not really helpful such life altering things need to be discussed from roots.
What I loved in the fun part was the ending hahahah.
Bechara armaan he thought he will make Ridhima fall in his prank once again but he couldn't. Ridhima is so smart for him now. No more chui mui she is. Hahahah bechari dono doctor unhe dekh rhe hai seniors pagal ho gaye devyani ke hahahahahah.
Add next part super soon Yaar.
hi i just wanted to tell you that I have been a die die die die die---- hard fan of your both the stories TDBU and ILYLTF. I am reading your stories from past 8 years and thats what the time you started writing these both stories if i am not wrong. i just want to tell you that both the stories are my solace my stress buster my go to thing whenever i am sad depressed or even happy. I dont even know that how many times i have read both the stories but i can just say now i know each and every small to big dialogues scenes anyrhing by heart. i can even tell them in my dreams as well that this scene is there in which part.
i just literally madly love love love love both the stories and whenever i get the notification of any update you cant even imagine how happy i feel because you actually update in months and that too 1 part only so i just get madly happy for the update but to be honest i feel super upset as well because 1-2 parts is not enough and then i have to again wait for months for the other update and that becomes really really difficult.
recently you have started updating many parts at once and to be honest being a dmg fan i knew that on 20th august and 29th October we will get updates and you never disappoint on that for that thank you thank you so so so so so so much.
the concept of both the story is different and soooooooooooooo amazingly written i just love it.
today i am writing this just to tell you that I Ananya Mishra is a really really biggggggggg fan of you your story and i promise to be one for longrt than forever.
Just a request PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE MORE FREQUENTLY AND DO NOT MAKE US WAIT FOR LONG PLEASEEEEEE. AND YES TDBU ANNIVERSARY IS ALSO COMING ON 1ST OF DECEMBER AND IN NOVEMBER ILYLTF ANNIVERSARY IS ALSO THERE SO CAN WE EXPECT ANY UPDATE???????? PLEASEEEEEEE
Previously On...
Armaan finds out the circumstances in which Riddhima was forced to marry Sid.
Track Sixty Five - Khaare Raste
"Guys, I just saw Armaan & Riddhima in the fire escape," Abhi announced, taking a seat at their table in the cafeteria.
"Look at you, Dr. Modi!" Anjali teased. "Finally partaking in petty gossip. I am so proud of how far you've come!"
Abhi rolled his eyes. "Did you not hear me?" He asked.
"So what if they're in the fire escape?" Nikki shrugged. "You're going to be seeing them there a lot more now."
"All the time," Rahul agreed.
"It's a good thing," Atul advised sagely.
"The best," Muskaan added.
"No," Abhi answered. "It's not… They were both crying. And not in a good way. A very bad heartbreaking way."
"Is everything okay?" Nikki asked, immediately concerned.
"Maybe Armaan is still upset about the policewoman," Anjali suggested.
"Something to do with Nana?" Rahul wondered.
Only Atul knew what exactly was going on. He didn't want the others to butt into this. Riddhima didn't want anyone else to know. Atul thought it was stupid that they were keeping something like this from their friends, but he respected her wishes. He wouldn't break her trust. "They'll figure it out," he told the group. At their skeptical looks, he added, "Come on, guys! They're Armaan & Riddhima. You really think they're going to drift apart so easily? After everything?"
"Champ's right," Muskaan murmured. "Riddhima will never let Armaan go easily."
"Armaan won't either," Rahul added.
"We should give them some privacy," Atul stated. "They're going through a lot of stuff. Maybe they're finally talking like they always should have. That's a good thing. We should let them figure it out on their own. If we interfere, it might do the opposite of helping. Armaan has been very vocal on handling everything without our help… And I think we should listen to him. Maybe our involvement will create unnecessary pressure. They need to work this out between themselves. We shouldn't make things harder."
"Atul is right," Anjali said. "We should give them privacy to deal with this. I mean… There's so much that has happened since the shoot-out. I'm sure they have very unpleasant memories from these past few years. They might've been talking about some sad stuff. Crying doesn't always have to be a bad thing, you know. Maybe they're finally opening up to each other."
"But… We should help them. Somehow," Nikki acknowledged. "I can't just sit back and let them go through this on their own. We have to support them somehow."
"Maybe a change of scenery would help?" Muskaan suggested. "I mean… Maybe it's the place. Sanjeevani does have a lot of happy memories for them, but maybe that's being overshadowed by the sad. And after the surgery… Maybe it's difficult for Armaan."
"Hmmmm, you're right," Abhi agreed. "That could help. But, where would we go?"
"We should go to some place that might have happy memories for them," Atul said. "It should help."
"What place would that be? If not Sanjeevani?" Anjali wondered out loud.
"Isn't it obvious?" Rahul questioned. The others looked at him in confusion. Rolling his eyes, he exclaimed, "Lonavala, of course!"
"That's brilliant!" Nikki crowed.
"The orphanage has always been special to them," Anjali murmured in agreement. "And, we were planning to go anyway, for the 30th anniversary. Maybe we should prepone the trip to give them some time there."
"Uhhh… Maybe we should just send the two of them and not interfere. You know, like they want," Atul suggested.
"NO!" Everyone on the table cried in outrage, perfectly in sync, even Abhi.
"I won't meddle, but I will be there for this," Anjali threatened. "You're not stopping me, Atul. No matter what!"
Atul raised his hands in surrender. "Okay. We'll all go!"
That was met with an enthusiastic cheer. "But how to break it to them?" Muskaan wondered out loud. "I think they'd be happy to go, but with so many prying eyes?"
"You leave that to me," Anjali announced. "I'll take care of it."
Satisfied with their plans, the gang resumed their duties. While they all respected Armaan's wish that they not get involved, they could not sit by completely idle. If there was even the smallest way to help their friends, they would. Especially when it was Armaan & Riddhima. The two of them had always gone above and beyond to help all of them out and now it was their turn to do the same for their dearest friends.
— — —
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Armaan asked Riddhima.
"Do you trust me?" Riddhima questioned.
"Of course," Armaan replied promptly, warming Riddhima's heart with the sentiment.
"Then, trust me," she murmured. "Nana will be ecstatic to see you!"
The two of them were standing outside the ICU. Riddhima had dragged Armaan there, intent on making him see Nana now that the surgery was done and Nana was recovering nicely. Like she'd suspected, the procedure had gone without any hiccups. A couple more days, and Nana would even be discharged.
Armaan was hesitant to do so, because he was sure Nana would connect the dots about his surgery. He didn't want that to strain their friendship. Nana was one of the closest friends he had. It sounded weird, and maybe it was, but sometimes, Armaan felt that no one got him like Nana did. Not even Rahul. Maybe it was because Nana had been the first, after Mini, to find out about him & Riddhima. He'd always tried his best to bring them together, even in the most adverse situations.
He still remembered clearly, his last encounter with Nana. He'd been on his way to meet Riddhima for the first time in months and had been intercepted by some goons who fancied themselves duplicates of famous Bollywood actors. That day, Armaan might have gotten into a huge fight with them, had it not been for Nana, who had stopped them before tempers got too high. Nana had been the only person back then, who had been excited at the prospect of him and Riddhima being together again. Armaan would never forget that. Back when the entire world was against his love for his Basket, Nana had been the only one who supported him.
"Come on," Riddhima coaxed gently. "You want to see him, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Armaan muttered. "I'm just scared."
"Don't be," Riddhima told him. "You didn't do anything wrong. You just helped a friend out. Anyway, something tells me that he's going to be so excited to see us together, and meet you after so long, that the operation will be the last thing on his mind."
"Well, you're right about that," Armaan agreed. "He was always our most vigorous shipper… After Mini that is."
Riddhima laughed. "Well, he's going to have to take a back seat, I'm afraid. I'm our most vigorous shipper now. Some would even say I'm the captain of our ship."
Armaan looked at her, grinning helplessly. When she said stuff like that, it felt so easy, almost too easy, to forget everything and pull her into his arms, to never let her go this time. "Does that make Mini your First Mate?" He joked.
"No," Riddhima denied. "That makes you my First Mate. Mini and Nana are the trusted members of our crew."
"Awfully presumptuous of you, Dr. Gupta," Armaan teased, relishing the fact that he could call her that once more. Gupta. Not Modi anymore. Never.
"Am I wrong, Dr. Mallik?" She teased right back, a smug smirk on her face telling her that she already knew the answer. Of course, Armaan wanted them to work out just as bad as she did. They wouldn't be here if he didn't.
"You're not," he murmured.
"Good," Riddhima stated. A moment later, she added, "And don't think you've successfully distracted me from what we're here for. You're still meeting Nana."
Armaan sighed, but nodded in agreement. Once Riddhima set her mind to something, it was almost impossible to talk her out of it. She had always been so stubborn, and had only gotten worse with time.
"Let's go," he finally gave in. Riddhima was right. He would most likely be preoccupied with their reunion to notice the timing of his surgery. And even if he did, Armaan would deal with it. With Riddhima. When she was by his side, everything seemed manageable. He was getting used to being with her a little too quickly, falling into old patterns with practiced ease, as if they had never been apart. In moments like these, it felt like a good thing that they were. But in others, he felt too scared to face the reality of the situation… That he was falling in love, had maybe never stopped being in love, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Riddhima entered the room first. Nana shared it with another patient. Armaan had wanted to get him a private room just for himself but Riddhima made him realize that such extravagance would end their charade before it even started. So, he'd reluctantly agreed to let him share it with one other person, but no more. Samar, the young man that was on the other bed, was a jovial person who always had a joke for anyone who visited. He, too, was getting treated for thyroid related ailments.
"Good morning, Nana!" Riddhima greeted with a wide smile as she stopped by his bed. Dr. Rajashree Sachdev, an intern, who was attending to him, gave Riddhima a quick smile in greeting.
"Aaye, Bulbul," Nana croaked out, his face lighting up on seeing her. "Kaisi hai tu?"
"Main toh achchi hoon, Nana," Riddhima smiled. "Aap kaise hain? Dr. Rajashree ko zyada pareshaan nahi kar rahe na?"
"Arreee, yeh moti machcharrrrr," Nana cribbed. "Yeh tere jaisi kahaan?"
Rajashree shrugged, long used to the banter between the two of them. Riddhima had a reputation of being extremely strict in the hospital, a reputation that was well-earned… So, it was always nice to see these little glimpses into her soft side. The interns all craved to see one smile on her face… And they were awarded with those, only in the presence of patients. Especially a few patients that they had all learnt had some special connection with her.
"Nana, aisa nahi bolte," Riddhima scolded lightly, even though she had one of those rare soft smiles on her face. "Dr. Rajashree kitni achchi doctor hain!"
"Haan, lekin tere ya Apple jaisi nahi," Nana almost pouted. That was another name that Rajashree had heard a lot. Apple. The elusive Apple had never been sighted for a long time, if Sanjeevani lore was to be believed. Nana had been a constant patient for almost a decade now, and he always spoke fondly of Apple & Bulbul. While the newcomers had been able to discern who Bulbul was, Apple was suspiciously absent. Some conspiracy theorists liked to believe Apple was a figment of Nana's imagination. They all believed that Riddhima went along with the charade to keep Nana happy. No one but Nana ever talked about him, so it was the most logical conclusion to draw. But Rajashree didn't think so. She'd seen Riddhima react to that name. Whoever this Apple was… He wasn't important to just Nana. He was important to Riddhima too. That much was easy to understand.
"Bohot yaad aati hai uski," Nana added, bringing Rajashree out of her thoughts. "Itne saal ho gaye… Koi khair-khabar nahi. Theek hai ya nahi, kuch nahi pata mujhe. Ek wohi toh tha… Mera sabse achcha dost."
Turning to Riddhima, he asked, "Aye, Bulbul! Tujhe kuch pata chala kya? Tu videsh jaake aayi na… Wahaan takraya gaya ho tujhse?"
"Nana," Rajashree quietly admonished, knowing that this conversation generally ended badly. She'd seen Riddhima withdraw even more after such talks. While Rajashree wouldn't call them friends by any stretch of the word, Riddhima was still her senior and mentor, and she cared about the woman.
"It's okay, Rajashree," Riddhima comforted her, one of those rare smiles aimed her way for a change.
"Actually, aapko pata hai… Isliye hi aayi hoon main yahaan," Riddhima continued, turning to Nana. "Aap bilkul sahi keh rahe hain. Wahaan takraya mujhse," she told Nana. There was no other word for it, Rajashree realized. Riddhima was beaming as she said that. She had never seen Riddhima so happy ever before. But again, they were just colleagues and Rajashree wasn't too privy with her personal life. Maybe, Riddhima smiled a lot when she wasn't at work. This was the first time she'd seen her senior this way at work, though. So, it was a big deal.
"Bulbul!" Nana exclaimed, his voice going as loud as it could, given the circumstances. "Tu sach keh rahi hai? Tujhe sach mein Apple mil gaya?"
"Sach," Riddhima promised. "Wahaan bahaar khada hai… Aapse milne."
"Bahaar kyu ruka rakha hai usse? Andar leke aa!" Nana ordered. Riddhima laughed, but obliged. She opened the door, her hand reaching for someone on the other side, who she pulled in with ease. Rajashree smiled when she saw Armaan. While she hadn't interacted with him, Devyani only had good things to say about their time together.
"Apple!" Nana cried, almost jumping from his bed in his haste to get up. He lost his balance and would have fallen, had it not been for Armaan, who rushed forward and secured his arms around Nana, steadying him.
"Nana!" Armaan scolded. "Aapse kitni baar kaha hai? Aap itni uchal-kood mat kara kijiye. Aap patient hain… Waise behave kyu nahi karte?"
"Tu toh bilkul nahi badla re!" Nana observed, hugging Armaan tight. A few tears made their way out of both their eyes. Riddhima stood back and watched, her eyes wet as well.
"Aap bhi toh kahaan badle," Armaan fired back, his voice wobbly. "Itne saalon mein aapne apna dhyaan rakhna bhi nahi seekha."
Nana chuckled. "Arreee, main apna dhyaan rakhunga toh yeh teri Bulbul kya karegi? Uska bhi toh haspatal chalana hai!"
"Nana!" Armaan whined. "Kya aap bhi? Ek minute nahi laga aapko!"
Armaan pushed a chuckling Nana away, backing out of the hug. He helped Nana settle back into bed and tucked him in. "Arree, shaant ho jaa," Nana soothed. "Hamesha ki tarah gussa bas naak pe baitha hai teri."
Armaan harrumphed and turned away. "Aap yeh sab baatein chodiye aur yeh bataiye ab aap kaise hain?" Riddhima asked, diverting the topic.
"Main toh ekdum first class hoon!" Nana promised. "Ekdum dhinchak. Bas ab tu mujhe yahaan se chutti dede. Woh kya hai na… Naye naatak ki tayyaari karni hai!"
"Nana! Maine aapse kaha na! Abhi 3 mahine tak koi naatak nahi," Rajashree intervened. "Aapko rest ki zaroorat hai!"
"Dr. Rajashree bilkul theek keh rahi hai," Riddhima agreed. "Nana… Iss baar main aapko poora 3 mahine yahi rakhungi agar aapne baat nahi suni toh!" She threatened.
"Itne machcharon se ghira hua ek akela main kya hi kar sakta hoon," Nana sulked. "Nahi jaata main. Theek hai."
Armaan cheered and pulled Nana into a hug. "Woo-hoo, Nana!"
Riddhima's pager beeped. "Duty calls," she announced, sighing. "Nana, aap rest kijiye," she instructed. "Itna zyada mat boliye aur."
Turning to Armaan, she ordered, "And you… I swear to God, Armaan… You better not pull any stunts while I'm busy."
Armaan raised his hands in surrender. "Stay away from Sid," she added as an afterthought.
"Bask —" he started to protest at that, all humour leaving his face, as his fists clenched.
"Armaan, please," Riddhima asserted. "I don't want to have to explain to his parents why he's in the ICU, okay? So just… Avoid him. Please!"
"I won't hit him," Armaan promised. "You know I won't. I'm not… I… I'm smarter now, Basket. I won't pick a fight with him. I swear."
Riddhima rubbed her face, sighing. This would have to do. She didn't think she could do anymore. A confrontation between the two was inevitable at this point. But, if Armaan was saying he wouldn't use his fists, she trusted him to keep his word. No matter what, he always kept his promises. "Okay," she agreed. "Okay."
Armaan squeezed her shoulder, passing her a smile, in hopes to reassure her that everything would be okay. She managed a small smile back as she held his hand on her shoulder. "I have to go," she muttered a moment later, rushing out of the room. Armaan stared after her, a hapless smile on his face, and Nana stared at him, happy that his Apple & Bulbul were finally getting the happiness they deserve.
— — —
"It's going to be fine," Riddhima assured Armaan. The two of them were standing outside Umar Bhai's house. They'd gone to meet Tamanna. After she'd come to him for advice, Armaan felt it was necessary that Tamanna know that Sid wasn't the kind of person she could be happy with. At least, she needed to know he'd had a questionable history. Riddhima had volunteered to tell Tamanna the whole truth.
"I…" Armaan sighed. "You don't have to do this, you know that right? Basket, you haven't even told Anjy."
"That's because Di doesn't need to know," Riddhima countered. "It will only hurt her. I told you because I don't want any secrets between us, because I know you'd never judge me, because I wanted that support… And also because I wanted you to know that if I'd had a choice, I would've never married Sid. You needed to know. No one else does. But this is Tamanna's entire life we're talking about. She should know about the man who all but proposed marriage to her. I can't let her go into this blind."
Armaan didn't get a chance to reply because the door opened, revealing Umar Bhai on the other end. "Baba!" Armaan cried happily, hugging him.
Umar Bhai laughed and returned his hug, happy to have him visit. And then, he looked past Armaan to see Riddhima standing there. Momentarily stunned, he pulled back, not knowing what to say. Shyly, Riddhima stepped forward and bent down to take his blessings. "Namaste… Baba," she greeted, after a moment of hesitance. "Kaise hain aap?"
Armaan looked at her like he'd always looked at her… As if she'd hung the moon and stars. Umar Bhai noticed. "Namaste, Riddhima bitiya!" He greeted. "Bohot saalon se raah dekh rahe the hum tumhaari. Aao, andar aao!" He said, herding her inside, his heart happy to finally welcome his daughter-in-law home.
"Mamu!" Myra cried the moment she saw them, abandoning her painting to rush to Armaan and hug his legs. Armaan chuckled and lifted her in his arms, swinging her around. "There's my sunshine!" He cried in greeted, blowing a raspberry on her cheek.
Aai & Baba got to fussing over Riddhima as Armaan entertained Myra. Tamanna found it a little suspicious that her parents were treating Riddhima the way they were, but she let it go. Maybe they knew her from before, when her father still worked at the hospital. After making small talk for some time, Riddhima announced, "Actually, mujhe aur Armaan ko Tamanna se kuch zaroori baat karni thi."
The two elders looked a little surprised at her declaration but Aai quickly got her bearings about her. "Haan, haan! Tum baitho aur baat karo. Waise bhi Myra ko bahaar khelne jaana tha. Main aur Tammu ke Baba usse le jaate hain abhi."
Riddhima gave her a grateful smile. They managed to take Myra away, who threw a small tantrum, not wanting to leave her Mamu. Armaan convinced her with promises to take her out later.
"Dada, what's up? Is everything okay?" Tamanna asked once they were alone.
Armaan looked at Riddhima, unsure about how to broach the topic. Riddhima squeezed his hand. Understanding that she would have to take the lead, she started talking. "We wanted to talk about Sid."
Tamanna gasped, looking at Armaan accusatorily. She had told him about Sid's proposal in confidence. She hadn't wanted anyone else to know. She hadn't even told Jaanhavi. "Don't be mad at Armaan," Riddhima hastened to add. "He only sought my advice out because… Well, Sid and I used to be married."
"What? You were? Married? What? To him?" Tamanna parroted, confused.
"He didn't tell you," Riddhima concluded. Tamanna shook her head.
"Yes, Sid and I were married. We separated years ago, but we were," Riddhima told her. "Armaan felt that he should talk to me about it to understand why we separated and if Sid was responsible for our break-up, if you could call it that."
"Dada?" Tamanna turned to Armaan once more, sounding as lost as the day she'd woken up after Aniket and his brother had attacked her. Armaan's heart broke at the pleading in her voice and he gathered her in a hug.
"You know that I agree that you shouldn't get involved in a romantic relationship right now," Armaan murmured. "Myra deserves all your attention. But, I also want you to have a life partner. If that's what you also want, that is. And if you wanted to give this thing with Sid an honest chance, I felt that I should at least speak with Riddhima once, before approaching you with any advice. And… What she's told me… Tammy, I don't think you should get involved with Sid. Ever."
"Riddhima Di?" This time, Tamanna looked at Riddhima for answers, totally confused about what was happening.
"He… He wasn't a good husband," Riddhima finally settled on. It had taken a while for Riddhima to realize that it wasn't her fault that Sid behaved badly with her. He knew everything about her love for Armaan before he married her. He knew that she didn't want to marry him, so much so that she preferred death over it.
But, for a long time, Riddhima had blamed herself for Sid's actions. She felt that it was her fault that things were the way they were. If only she could have loved Sid, it wouldn't have been so bad. But, she couldn't force herself to love someone. Sid should have given her time to settle into their relationship. He should've helped her overcome her depression and her suicidal tendencies. He most definitely shouldn't have made her lie to his mother about their relationship. If nothing else, he had no right to humiliate her and hurt her the way he did. She did nothing to deserve that kind of treatment from him. No one deserved that.
"Basket, you don't have to…" Armaan said, not wanting her to relive all that once more in such a short span of time. Riddhima took his hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay," she told him. "I don't mind. It's in the past. I'm stronger than that now. And, Tamanna deserves to know so that she can make an informed decision. Sid will never tell her all this."
"I thought Sid was your friend," Tamanna said out loud. She'd thought that Sid and Riddhima were great friends, actually. But the way Riddhima was talking now, she felt like maybe they never had been.
"We were," Riddhima agreed. "He treated me badly during our marriage, yet after our separation, we became friends. And then, I found out that he hadn't changed all that much from when we were married like I thought he had."
"I'm sorry," Tamanna replied. "You deserve better."
"You know what? I do," Riddhima nodded. "But it took me a long time to realize that I did. Sid didn't intentionally hit me, but he hurt me emotionally all the time. I won't say I had it as bad with him as you did in your marriage, but it was bad. Especially at the start. Somehow, after all this time, those bad moments weigh more than the good ones. Maybe because the good ones weren't truly happy. Not for me."
"We don't compare trauma, Di. There's no better off or worse off. You were in a bad marriage. That's it. There's no degree of badness. Just because there wasn't any physical abuse doesn't mean there was no abuse," Tamanna said. "You know, we tend to laud men for doing the bare minimum. It's a good marriage because at least he doesn't hit you. That's not what a good marriage is. A good marriage is one where you're both equal partners. Where there is respect and dignity. Just love isn't enough, you know? Yes, it's important, but respect and integrity even more so. Love means nothing without respect. That's not truly love because how do you love someone who you don't even respect? That's just an infatuation maybe. A habit. An obsession. Whatever it is, it's not love.
Physical abuse isn't the only parameter of abuse. Emotional abuse is also traumatic. So, don't try to downplay what you went through. I'm proud of you for doing what was best for you and leaving that marriage."
"Thank you," Riddhima blubbered. Unable to stop herself, she pulled Tamanna into a hug. "I didn't even realize how badly I needed to hear that. Thank you so much," Riddhima sobbed into the embrace.
Tamanna rubbed Riddhima's back in a soothing gesture, Riddhima's sobs prompting a few tears to fall out of her eyes too. A moment later, Armaan had wrapped them both in a hug as well, soothing Riddhima. "I've got you, Basket. I'm here. You're here. We're okay."
"We're okay," Riddhima managed to reply in between sobs. Tamanna let go when she said that, and Armaan's arms engulfed Riddhima completely, hiding her away.
"I'm so proud of you, Basket," he murmured into her ear.
Riddhima clutched him tighter when he said that, hanging on to his words. The safety of his arms and the smooth cadence of his voice soothing her past hurts slowly. Tamanna watched the scene unfold in front of her eyes and smiled. It looked like her big brother was finally making room for more love in his life.
A couple hours later, Armaan & Tamanna sat back as Riddhima corralled Aai into letting her help with dinner. Baba had called dibs on playing with Myra, and the two siblings had been shooed out of the kitchen when they'd tried to help, so they were sitting back and relaxing.
"I'm sorry that it won't work out with Sid," Armaan said, genuinely sad that it wouldn't.
"Don't be," Tamanna answered. "I'm not. Yes, I liked him back when we interned together, but it was too fleeting an attraction to amount to anything. I haven't thought of him for years now. Any feelings I had for him have long since passed."
"Are you sure?" Armaan pressed.
"I'm sure," Tamanna told him. "You know, even before I asked you for advice, I had decided to say no. But I just didn't want to be too hasty and come across as too… I don't know, cold and harsh. And I guess I wanted your validation that I was making the right choice. Which I'm now even more sure of."
"As long as you're happy," Armaan finally gave in.
"I'm very happy, Dada," Tamanna assured him. "I have everything I want. I don't need a man to make my life better."
Want, she said. She had everything she wanted. Armaan grinned. That's all he'd ever wanted for her. To have all things she wanted, not just those that she needed.
"Maybe, it's time I concentrate on things you want," Tamanna added, a huge smile playing on her lips as she observed Armaan stare at Riddhima, a besotted smile on his face.
"What?" Armaan turned to look at her, confused.
"What you want," Tamanna repeated, gesturing to Riddhima.
"Basket?" Armaan wondered out loud. "That's not… I mean…"
"Save it," Tamanna chuckled, watching him fumble. "It's so obvious, Dada. You like her."
Armaan shrugged. "It's not as easy."
"Why?" Tamanna questioned. "Is it because she broke your heart back then?"
Armaan's head whipped to look at Tamanna in a snap, his eyes wide. "Don't look so surprised," Tamanna scoffed. "As if it's hard to come to the conclusion that she was the one that got away… The reason you moved to New York."
"I didn't want to hide it from you," Armaan insisted. "It's just that…"
"Jaanhavi and I don't like her," Tamanna finished.
"Yeah," Armaan sighed.
"That's because you were hurting because of her," Tamanna explained. "But you're not anymore. And, I guess it helps that I got to know her in these past few weeks. She's so good, Dada. I can see why you fell for her. And with Sid… whatever she's told me… It wasn't really her fault that she had to marry him. She had no other choice. Knowing her side of the story… That makes things different. She didn't purposely set out to hurt you. And hurting you has hurt her too. After everything the two of you have been through, you deserve to be happy. If that happiness is with each other, I'm nothing but ecstatic. For the both of you."
Armaan let out a disbelieving laugh, pulling Tamanna in for a hug. "You're the best," he told her. "Thank you so much!"
"Guess I'm gonna have to part with Aai's kangan soon," Tamanna teased.
Armaan only laughed harder and hugged her tighter. She would definitely have to part with them soon, Tamanna concluded. And she couldn't be happier.
-------
Chapter Song : Khaare Raste, Raghav Kaushik & Yashika Sikka
Well, here we are! Happy TDBU Day, y'all! This little story completes seven years today! WOOHOOOO! I've gotta be the first person who's written events transpiring over the course of like two months in seven years L O L
But, it is what it is! Thank you for sticking around and reading this self-indulgent story. When I started writing this I never thought so many people would like this. I really thought I'd be the sole reader for this one, but you all have been so welcoming, so thank you!
The next batch of chapters is gonna be AR in Lonavala, so I'm thinking I might do a bulk update for it. But, let's see how that pans out. I've already started writing the ILYLTF honeymoon chapters, btw. So, fingers crossed that I have them out soon!
Thank you so much for reading! Drop me a line to tell me how you like this chapter. <3
Love, Prags
Benaam rishton ke manzil ke aaddhe hain
Khaare Raste Khaare raste
Kehta na koi par kishton me chubhte hain
Khaare Raste Khaare Raste
Manzoor hai har gum dil ko,
Bass le chal sung apne humko
Tere bina jeena kya hai,
jaise sab beparwaah hai
Chup chup se hain lekin
aankhon se kehte hain
Saare Raste Saare Raste
Khaare Raste Khaare Raste
Mehki saanson ki nami
Dhundli padti jaa rahi
Jaise zindagi aaj phir
Muskaan chheene jaa rahi
Bewaqt pyaar ye hi sahi
dhund lenge phir tujhe hum kahin
Aaja saajna, bin tere main kya jiya
Tujh bin adhoore jo, sung tere poore voh
Khaare Raste Khaare Raste
Khaare Raste Khaare Raste
Manzoor hai hai gum dil ko
Bass le chal sung apne Humko
Tere bina jeena kya hai
jaise sab beparwaah hai
jaise sab beparwaah hai
- Khaare Raste, Raghav Kaushik & Yashika Sikka
really loved it soo much. the two of them supporting each other no matter what. ridhima hold his hand when he was scared to face nana.
and then Armaan hold her in his arms when the revelation from the past was getting on to her.
this phase of the story is pure emotions and it all felt so real that I feel like watching it and waiting for the next part to release soon. Once every week gave that daily update would be impossible to update given the actual life.
i am a sucker for the emotional story/scene. and I am getting them in abundance here and there.
Loving it.
I wish they sit and deal with what Armaan went through after the shootout.
Like how he felt when he was leaving ridhima in a hospital bed with the bullet that was meant for him.
How he felt when he has to push ridhima towards sid.
How he felt during the time he was leaving finally.
And how ridhima dealt with when she have to leave her mother behind when her father was stubborn to listen to her not waiting to marry sid and wait for her love.
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