Previously On...
Armaan & Riddhima spend time together. She tells him why she had to marry Sid. They warn Tamanna off.
Track Sixty Six - Koi Ladki Hai, Lata Mangeshkar & Udit Narayan
Armaan leant against the car, watching others mingle. They'd just reached the Lonavala Orphanage for its 30th anniversary celebration. The moment Riddhima had stepped out of the car, she'd been swarmed by the kids. Slowly, the others had entered into the fold too, while Armaan stood back, watching. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he was at the centre of that gaggle of kids. With all the time that had passed, most of the kids who knew him had left the orphanage, making their way forward in life. The few younger ones who remained… He didn't think they'd remember him now.
It felt weird, coming back here after so long. He had never felt so alien in these surroundings ever before. Not even on his first visit. But maybe it was because he was here after so long that he felt this way… Like he'd lost a part of himself in all this time away. The kids here had always had a special place in his heart and he'd missed them. It hurt him to know that there were many who he might not be able to meet ever again. Riddhima had told him that they were all invited for the party, but he knew that not everyone would be able to make it, busy with their lives as they might be.
As he looked around, taking in the surroundings once again, he was accosted with memories at every turn. This place had been so important to him. He'd spent so many beautiful moments with Riddhima in these gardens. It seemed like a lifetime ago when they'd come here together. He'd been so brazen with his affections then, even when he wasn't sure if she returned his feelings. He'd also been very vocal about his dislike during one such visit, when the distance between them seemed too large to overcome in the matter of a lifetime. Little had he known then, that some ink thrown on his face and a rude, vulgar remark made in the heat of the moment, would be the least of his worries when it came to his relationship with Riddhima. Or that it would not matter that he had deceived her by posing as a woman, spending the entire night watching her sleep like a stalker, the love he felt for her expanding in his chest, enough that he felt it would spill out of him because how was he supposed to handle so many feelings within his body? A lifetime ago, he decided. But maybe, it was not a bad thing. He now had a new lease on life, time to do things he had never dreamt possible. The thought made him smile, even as he still mourned the time he had lost, even as he knew he would not change a thing about that past.
As the kids slowly started getting busy with the others, Riddhima turned to look at Armaan, to see that he was lost in another world. It didn't take a genius to guess that he was probably reminiscing. After all, this place was equally special to her, and she could understand what he was feeling. Wasn't she feeling something similar? While she'd been here plenty of times in Armaan's absence, it wasn't the same. She hadn't even realized when she'd started associating the orphanage with Armaan. Not having him by her side when she visited had always gutted her. But now, he was here. She wouldn't let him get out of her sight if she could help it.
With that in mind, she walked back to him and leant on the car beside him, slowly snaking her arm around his and taking his hand. Her touch startled him and he turned, looking at her with wet eyes that pierced her heart. "I missed so much," he murmured.
"You don't have to anymore," Riddhima told him. "You're here now. That's what matters."
"The kids…" He sighed.
"They'll be here," she replied firmly. "They will. They won't miss a chance to see their favourite Armaan Bhaiya once more."
Armaan laughed without humour. "Do they even remember me? It's been so long!"
"Of course they do," Riddhima said. "How could they not? They remember you."
She'd made sure of that. Whenever she visited, she'd sit with the kids, chatting about their lives. When they asked about hers, she would always mention Armaan. They would reminisce about all the fun they'd had with him. Most of the time, the kids were able to rope her into a football match with them after those stories. It had been years since Riddhima had played basketball. Maybe not since she'd challenged Sid that one time. And she hadn't started playing again, not even for the kids. For her, the game was synonymous with Armaan. Whenever she thought of it, she remembered Armaan's cocky grin as he thought he was besting her when in reality he was not. She remembered how he'd call her Basket. And then, she'd remember how she'd forbidden him to call her that. Still nursing that heartbreak, she had never found the courage to play again.
"Armaan Bhaiya!" One of the kids exclaimed, finally spotting him by the car beside Riddhima. She was a teenager, not older than 15. Armaan looked up in a snap, surprised that someone remembered him. Not wasting even a moment, the girl barreled forward, throwing her arms around Armaan in a hug. Armaan wrapped his arms around her, returning her hug, but not letting go off Riddhima's hand as he did so.
"Kahaan the aap itne saal? I missed you so much!" The girl cried, hugging him tight. Armaan looked up at Riddhima, surprised at her words. Riddhima smiled back at him, softly running her thumb across the back of his palm.
"I missed you, too," Armaan finally murmured. Pushing back a little, he made the girl stand tall. "Let me look at you," he commanded gently. It took him a moment to place her. After all, she'd been all but 7 when they'd last met. He was surprised that she still remembered him.
"Aahana, right?" He asked her. "You're Aahana."
A brilliant grin lit up her entire face. "You remember me!" Aahana exclaimed.
"Of course I remember you!" Armaan fired back. "How could I forget after all the piggyback rides you made me give you!"
Aahana giggled. "Well, Riddhima Di always said you had strong muscles, so…" She trailed off, shrugging.
Armaan chuckled. "You guys and your Riddhima Di. Tum sab na… Kisi din meri jaan leke hi chodoge!"
"Armaan!" Riddhima reprimanded instantly, cutting his chatter short. He knew she hated when he talked like that.
Armaan raised his hand in surrender, immediately recognizing his folly. "I'm sorry!"
"Pch, aap dono fir shuru ho gaye," Aahana complained. "Bhaiya… Aap chaliye mere saath! Di se baad mein lad lena!" She tugged Armaan away with her. Armaan looked back at Riddhima and at her encouraging smile, walked away, immediately missing the warmth of her hand in his.
"Ayush, Riya, Faizan, Simran, Monica! Look who's here!" Aahana shouted as she pulled Armaan into the fold of kids as well. Five teenagers turned at Aahana's call. After half a second of surprise, they threw themselves at Armaan as well, enveloping him in tight hugs and welcoming him back effusively.
"Armaan Bhaiyaaaaa!!" His name rang out, melting his heart. They all still remembered him. Soon enough, the younger kids were flocking him as well, wanting to spend some time with the legendary man who they'd heard so much about but had never been able to meet.
Riddhima stood back and watched, happy to let Armaan have this time that he had so desperately needed. Muskaan, Anjali, and Nikki flocked by her side. "Aise kya dekh rahi hai, Ridzy?" Muskaan asked softly.
Riddhima grinned. "Dekh rahi hoon ki Armaan ke itne saal yahaan na hone par bhi kuch nahi badla," she murmured. "Aaj bhi saare bachche usse hi sabse zyada pyaar karte hain!"
At their questioning look, she continued. "Jab Armaan pehli baar yahaan aaya tha na… Tabse hi woh yahaan ke bachchon ka favourite bann gaya tha. It didn't take him even a minute to gel with the kids, or even with Bua. They all became so fond of him almost immediately. And then, if I ever visited with someone other than Armaan, yeh bachche kabhi achche se check-up hi nahi karate the. I'm sure Rahul remembers," she laughed, gesturing to Rahul who had also found his way beside them.
"Don't remind me," he shuddered. "One of the toughest assignments I had as an intern."
"But, you held your own," Riddhima soothed. "I remember. It didn't take you long to get along with the kids either!"
"Of course!" Rahul scoffed. "That's cause I'm awesome." Muskaan whacked his arm. "Ouch!" He exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot to soothe it. "Fine, fine. What I actually meant was that they're great kids. It didn't take me long to win them over."
Riddhima laughed. It had in fact taken Rahul a few hours to do that, unlike Armaan, who had taken mere moments. But then again, it was Armaan. He had a knack for these things. He could make anyone feel at home almost instantly. She wasn't surprised that he'd managed to befriend everyone so quickly. But Rahul didn't need to know that.
Their chatter was cut short by the excitable barking of Roscoe. Roscoe had grown old now, and wasn't as quick on his feet as he used to be. Nowadays, he preferred to soak in the sun by laying on the grass rather than playing catch. But, Armaan's presence had made him jump up and rush to the man, standing up on his hind legs and leaping over Armaan, making them both fall to the ground as Armaan lost his balance.
"Yes, yes!" Armaan laughed as Roscoe licked his face. "I missed you, too, Roscoe!! Who's my good boy? You're my good boy! Roscoe is the best boy!!"
"ROSCOE!!" Vishnu Kaka and Bua cried, chasing after him. Roscoe wasn't the only one who had aged. They had too, and it took them a while to catch up to him. When they did, they were greeted to the most beautiful sight of Armaan petting Roscoe while talking to Faizan.
However, on hearing their call, Armaan immediately looked up, a beautiful smile lighting his face. He abandoned his conversation with Faizan in favour of rushing to them. Vishnu Kaka was unceremoniously pulled into a tight hug. "Kaka!!" Armaan cried. "Kaise ho aap?"
"Main toh bilkul theek hoon, Dr. Armaan!" Vishnu replied. "Aap bataiye… Aap kaise hain? Itne saal ho gaye aapko dekhe!"
"Haan, woh… Main New York mein tha na itne saalon se. India waapas aane ka mauka hi nahi mila. But aap woh sab chodiye. Woh toh puraani baatein hain. Aap yeh bataiye, yeh bachche ab bhi utne hi shaitaan hai kya? Aur especially yeh… Monica!" Armaan joked, playfully twisting her ear.
"Armaan Bhaiyaaaaa!!" Monica cried scandalized. "I'm not shaitaan!"
"Oho, you're not? And I'm Shah Rukh Khan!" Armaan sassed.
"Please!" Monica scoffed. "I agree you're good looking, but itne bhi nahi ho!"
"Achcha? Meri billi mujhi ko meow?" Armaan questioned, pulling her into a headlock, much to the amusement of the kids watching their interaction with a keen interest.
"Armaan! Chodo usse!!" Bua commanded. "Kab bada hoga tu?"
Chuckling, Armaan stood up straight. "Kya Bua… Aapko toh pata hai main aisa hi hoon! Ab toh kisi ko koi umeed nahi rahi!"
"Dhatt! Badmaash!" She scolded playfully, stepping forward to embrace him. "Welcome back!" She murmured softly. "Iss jagah ne aur iske logon ne tujhe bohot miss kiya hai."
"Aur maine aap sabko!" He promised, returning the hug wholeheartedly.
"Buaaaa!!" Riddhima called out. "Iss idiot Armaan ke chakkar mein aap humein bhool gayi kya?"
"Chup kar, shaitaan!" Bua reprimanded playfully. "Jab dekho bas Armaan ko pareshaan karti rehti hai."
"Main? Main usse pareshaan karti hoon?" Riddhima cried, incensed.
"Of course, Basket," Armaan piped in. "Main itna cute, bechaara, abla ladka. Tum hi hamesha mujhse ladti ho! Kyu? Tumhaare ghar mein baap bhai nahi hai kya?"
"Tum… Tum phir se shuru ho gaye? Ugh!! Tum itne annoying kyu ho?" Riddhima glowered.
"Oh? Main annoying hoon?" Armaan questioned rhetorically. "Theek hai," he answered his own question a moment later. "Main annoying hoon na. Toh mujhse baat kyu karti ho?"
"Nahi karungi!" Riddhima asserted.
"Soch lo," Armaan warned.
"Soch liya!" Riddhima replied.
"Fine," Armaan accepted.
"Fine!!" Riddhima agreed.
"Stop it! Kya hai yeh tum dono ka? Jab dekho ladte rehte ho!" Rahul scolded, deciding to step in. Both Armaan & Riddhima made a face at each other and then shrugged. Rahul rubbed his face in annoyance. "I am too old for this!" He announced. "Ab tum dono ka jhagda hoga toh har baar ki tarah main patch up karane nahi aaunga!"
"Mujhse kyu keh rahe ho?" Riddhima whined. "Tumhe bhi pata hai hamesha Armaan ki galti hoti hai!"
"Meri galti? Please!" Armaan scoffed. "Rahul, isse bata de ki meri nahi iski galti hoti hai!"
Rahul suddenly found the dirt on his shoes very interesting. "Rahul?" Armaan questioned his lack of response. Reluctantly, Rahul shrugged. "Riddhima is right. Zyada baar galti teri hoti hai."
"You —" Armaan started, but stopped himself. Of course he knew that. Most of the time, their fights happened because of something he did, or most of the time, things he didn't do - like being honest with Riddhima. "You know what?" He murmured, finally. "You're right. Most of the time, it's been my fault. I'm sorry about that. I won't do it again."
"Thank you!" Rahul exclaimed in acknowledgement.
"I'm not completely blameless either," Riddhima admitted, following suit to Armaan's declaration. "I'm sorry we trouble you so much, Rahul. Won't happen again!"
Rahul dipped his head to acknowledge her as well. "But," she added. "You know we can get carried away! So, I can't promise that we won't argue, because we all know that's not happening. Par… Tumhe mediate karne nahi bulayenge hum. I think we've grown up enough to solve our problems on our own, don't you think, Armaan?" Riddhima asked, finally addressing Armaan directly.
"You're absolutely right!" Armaan immediately agreed. "Tu hum dono ki tension mat le. Waise bhi, didn't I already tell all of you to keep your nose out of this?" He questioned the gang in general.
"Yes, Armaan!" They chorussed in monotone.
"Good," he praised them, a wide smile on his face.
"Achcha chalo… Ab sab jaake fresh ho jao!" Bua instructed them. "Yaa yahin lawn mein ladne ka plan hai tum sabka?"
They made their way to their rooms at that. As they walked, Armaan looked around, taking in the changes since he'd last visited. The buildings had been painted, the walkways had been reset, the garden swing set had been replaced with a much better one, and there was even a jungle gym in place. The changes made him happy. He knew Bua and Dr. Shashank did their best to give the kids everything they deserved. To see that in real time was a feeling he couldn't describe. These kids deserved the entire world. He hoped that someday they'd get it. Till then, he would try to make things better for them too, in any way that he could.
________
After freshening up and eating the scrumptious snacks that Bua had whipped up for them, Riddhima decided it was time for the kids' check-ups. In the past, it had been always either Abhi or Atul who visited the orphanage with her for the kids' regular check-ups, so they both got ready for the same, but were stopped by the kids.
"We want Armaan Bhaiya," declared Ayush. "Aap sab nahi."
"Ayush, har baar toh tum humse check up karwate ho," Atul tried to coax them.
"Nahi na, Jeeju! Please!!" Simran joined him. "Aap toh har baar aate ho! It's been years since we saw Armaan Bhaiya!"
"Waise bhi, Armaan Bhaiya jitni achche se injection koi aur nahi lagata," Ayush said. "Bilkul dard nahi hota!!"
"15 saal ka ho gaya hai aur ab bhi injection se darr lagta hai?" Atul asked jokingly.
"Please, Jeeju!" was Ayush's only response.
"It's okay, Champ!" Armaan intervened. "I got it. I mean, if you and Abhi are okay with it."
"Am I okay with you doing the work while I chill for a few hours?" Abhi asked rhetorically, making Armaan laugh.
"Okay," Armaan agreed. "In fact, Basket… Why don't you sit this out too? We've got time. I can look at all the kids."
"Are you sure?" Riddhima asked.
"Yep," Armaan assured her. "The kids aren't the only ones who missed this."
Riddhima smiled in acceptance. "Thank you!"
"Thank you," Armaan replied fervently.
Armaan set up shop in the same spot in the lawn that he always used, back when Lonavala visits were a part of his regular routine. The kids lined up to get checked, the elders in the lead. Some of the younger kids looked skeptical about Armaan"s presence, but he was sure he would win them over in no time.
"Armaan Bhaiya… Dukhega toh nahi na?" Simran, the first in line asked, as Armaan got ready to administer her with an injection.
"Aaj tak mere lagaane pe kabhi dukha hai?" Armaan questioned rhetorically. "Tumhe pata haina… Mere paas magic wali sui hai! Usse bilkul dard nahi hota!"
"Sach mein dard nahi hota?" One of the younger kids piped in.
"Bilkul nahi," Armaan assured her.
"Agar hua toh?" The girl asked defiantly.
"Toh?" Armaan pretended to think it over. "Aapko meri taraf se ek chocolate!"
"Promise?" The girl asked.
"Promise," Armaan replied. "Waise aapka naam kya hai?"
"Ananya!" The girl replied, smiling toothily. Armaan stumbled for a second at the name, memories of his mother hitting him hard, but composed himself by taking a deep breath.
"Okay, Miss Ananya!! Toh ab aap dekhna! Bilkul dard nahi hoga," he grinned. He turned to Simran who winked at him, making him laugh. Ahh, these kids had grown up, he realized. Enough to be here to help him with the other kids who didn't know him.
Once Simran was done with her check-up, she looked at him expectantly, palm up in the air, waiting for something. Armaan looked at her in question. "Chocolate?" She asked him.
"What chocolate?" Armaan questioned, deliberately clueless.
"Armaan Bhaiyaaaaa!" She whined. "You know what chocolate! Aap har baar dete ho. Iss baar bhool gaye kya?"
"Ohh," Armaan bit his tongue. "Sorry! Main bhool gaya!"
"Haan, haan," Simran ranted. "Ab aapko kyu hum yaad aur humaari baatein yaad rahengi? Ab toh aapko bas America aur wahaan ka sab yaad hoga na!"
"Oyyeee, draamebaaz! Ruk!" Armaan laughed, reaching into his bag on the floor and pulling out a box of chocolates. He picked one out and gave it to her. "Here you go!"
Simran grinned brightly and skipped away, thanking him for the chocolate. "Hawwwww! Aapne Simran Didi ko chocolate di matlab unhe dard hua!" Ananya cried. "Mujhe nahi lagwana injection."
"Aisa nahi hai, Ananya," Armaan tried to soothe her. "Woh toh maine usse good girl bannke achche se check-up karwaane ke liye di. Isliye nahi kyuki usse dard hua. Tum yahin thi na? Simran royi kya?"
"But Simran Didi toh kabhi nahi roti," Ananya replied, still crying. Her words gave Armaan a pause. He looked up at Simran who was laughing merrily with some of the other kids, playing with them some paces away. Sometimes, he forgot how resilient these children could be, how resilient they had to be, to survive in this world. They'd been dealt with such a sh*tty card but they still tried their best to come out on top. He admired all of them so much.
"Mera injection logi na… Toh tumhe bhi nahi rona padega!" Armaan finally replied, trying to placate the little girl as best as he could.
"Mujhe darr lagta hai!" Ananya whined, rubbing the snot from her face.
"Ek baat batau?" Armaan bent to whisper in her ear. "Kisi ko mat batana. Secret hai, okay?"
When Ananya looked back at him, intrigued by the tale he was about to weave, he said, "Mujhe bhi na… Injection se bohot darr lagta hai! Isliye toh main doctor bana… Taaki main khud ko injection laga saku aur mujhe dard na ho!"
"Sachchi?" Ananya asked, her eyes wide in wonder.
"Muchchi," Armaan told her. "Bilkul dard nahi hoga, I promise. Ek baar try karke toh dekho!"
Hesitantly, Ananya agreed. Armaan took her vitals and made some notes before administering the vaccine. Ananya closed her eyes in fear, making Armaan chuckle. "Aankhen toh kholo apni!" He instructed. Ananya opened one eye and looked at him. At his encouragement, she opened the other one too. Using his old tricks, he distracted Ananya with talks of mosquitoes and in no time, was done with his work.
"Dekha? Ho bhi gaya!" Armaan cheered.
"Ho gaya?" Ananya asked, wide-eyed.
"Ho gaya," Armaan grinned. "Dukha?"
"Bilkul nahi dukha!!" Ananya shrieked in joy. "Sach mein ho gaya na?"
"Haan, baba! Sach mein ho gaya," Armaan promised. Ananya clapped her hands and jumped on Armaan, giving him a hug. "Thank you, Armaan Bhaiya!! You're the best!"
Armaan laughed and dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head. "Chalo ab… Jao. Thoda rest karna aaj, theek hai? Zyada shaitaani mat karna!"
"Okay, Bhaiya!" Ananya agreed easily. Armaan mussed her hair and reached into the box to give her a chocolate too. "Yeh… Brave girl bannke injection lene ke liye!"
Ananya grinned wide and ran off after taking the chocolate. After the initial triumph with Ananya, Armaan didn't have to work too hard to get the kids to get their check-up done.
"Oyye, Ridzy!" Muskaan called out to Riddhima who was sitting on the other table, watching Armaan interact with the kids with a huge smile on her face.
"Ridzy!" Muskaan called one more time when Riddhima didn't respond, to no avail. Finally, she marched right up to Riddhima and snapped her fingers in front of her best friend. Riddhima was startled at the interruption and looked up at Muskaan. "Kya hai?" She asked, annoyed.
"Sirf yahaan baithke Armaan ko taadne ka plan hai or you're going to do something else also?" Muskaan teased.
Riddhima blushed at her words, but it did not stop her from replying. "Haan toh… Theek haina. I was getting bored. There's nothing else to do anyway."
Muskaan laughed in that typical way of hers, attracting everyone's attention to the two of them. "Tu mere saath chal. There's a lot to do! Bua needs help in prepping for the party."
"Hmmm," Riddhima hummed, getting up and following Muskaan inside. Before entering the building, she turned to take one last look at Armaan, like always, unsurprised to see his eyes trained on her already. She couldn't help the grin that graced her face on seeing him, and was rewarded with a beautiful smile of her own.
_______
Chapter Song : Koi Ladki Hai, Lata Mangeshkar & Udit Narayan
Edited by DMGThings - 6 months ago
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