Thank u all the silent readers as well as those who commented, its my ill fate not to answer them personally, due to my exams, but reading them all the more filled me with happiness, so, thank u to all.
Ok friends, i know i am super late, well, 12 days, and no update is like very wrong, i know, but even i'm having board exams, so late ho gayi. Anyways, here's a long part to make up for my mistake, but a warning, this part doesnt has much AR, its actually a tribute to Atul-Anjali, who'll not make it to a couple in DMG. The part is mostly them, but it shall greatly effect AR relation in future, positively or negatively, no idea. Here goes the part:
PART 15
Armaan got up dreamily as the alarm buzzed on the side table of his bed. He had been dreaming abt Riddhima and thinking abt the dream brought a smile on his face. In his dream, Riddhima, dressed in a simple blue/pink (choose ur colour) cotton saree, with her pallu tucked behind, and few tresses on her face, hands filled with flour, face glistening with drops of water, had been preparing aloo ke parathe for him, while he just sat on the kitchen counter admiring her. Just when he'd decided to be little naughty with her, the alarm went off and he was woken up. He dressed himself and moved out to the park, where his Warrior Princess awaited him.
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Armaan entered the park, and immediately spotted his new friends in the basketball court. There sad faces told him something was not right n he was in for a disappointment. They told him tht Riddhima had called and she wont be coming today on the pretext of some important work, perhaps meeting her in the office was his last resort.
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Armaan was in for another gloom when Jenny told him tht he wont be seeing Riddhima even in office today. He asked Rahul in a passing manner if he knew the reason for Riddhima's absence.
"Riz, haan, she's too busy today. Her coach has come back after a short vacation, and they need to make up for the lost time. Moreover, she's occupied with the preparations. She's helping Anjali with today's party, then she has to do the arrangements for tomorrow, my engagement too, Muskaan n Anjali need her there"
"But Rahul, Riddhima, she's ur best friend, wont she be attending functions from ur side"
"Well, yes, she'll be attending the wedding n other functions from my side, but she'll be there with Muskaan too. She's very attached to both the Rai sisters, so, u know..."
"K, i get the picture, anyways, i gotta go, pending report"
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Like this, the whole day passed, n he did not see even a trace of Riddhima. Her empty table screamed of her absence in his ears, n he cudnt believe how much he missed her in so little time. It was a relief when he finally went home, got ready n set out with Rahul for the party, picking Atul on his way. He had called Nandini to tell about his progress with Rahul, n Riddhima's absence before getting ready, n she had teased him about becoming Devdas in his memory. Nandini had been out for shopping for tomorrow's function (Remember, no elders at party allowed, only the younger generation).
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The three men entered the party, only to turn all the eyes to them. First entered Rahul, the green eyed cute dude, but since he was taken, the girls tried to look away (everyone was too scared of Muskaan). Next came Atul, though not so well built physically, but still his face held a charm which compelled people to look his way. Next, the entry of the hottest specimen on earth made every girl tear her eye n look at him. They were amazed, Anjie had never told them abt her friendship with this hot hunk, but seeing him with Rahul, they hit their heads. Ofcourse, how cud they forget, he was afterall the brother of the groom, he had to be there. Finally, when they were sure of his presence, they all gave in their best poses to gain his attention. But unfortunately, he did not give one look to the people in the party n moved to stand next with Atul n Rahul. Just then Jennifer came to them, dressed in a beautiful lilac gown.
(Jennifer was wearing this:
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AUTHOR'S NOTE - Oopsies, did i forgot to mention tht the thme of the party is ball dance, girls wearing long beautiful gowns, haaye, such tremendous dresses, cute cute, lovely lovely, sorry, i sidetracked. Haan, where was i, yeah, though its not my style to paste pictures, but here i cudnt describe the beauty of the gowns, so i've posted the pics too, but not for the men. They've worn black suits only, of different styles ofcourse, but with shirts matching to their partners, luckily n coincidently with the help of Cupid, n in this case, ME. So, imagine the girls in the dresses n whtever additions u feel like, think of a beautiful hairstyle n stylish accessories as u read n see the pics.
ANOTHER NOTE - The venue of the party has changed from Hotel Shama to Anjie's n Muskaan's house(a big mansion by the way).
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"Hey Atul, hi Rahul, looking good haan", Jennifer said, Atul muttered a thanks,
"Thanks Jenny, and u arent doing bad urself, but where's ur Mr Archer", Rahul added,
"Oh, Arjun, well, he cudnt make it, had to go for a trip out of the town, work, u see", Jennifer said, with mock sadness,
"Oh no, i so dont see it, when his employer can be present in the party, wht does his absence mean. Jenny, are u sure he's not gone behind some other Jennifer, hmm hmm"", Rahul mocked,
"See, u urself said it, even if he's gone behind someone, the person is me", Jennifer said,
"Yeah yeah, whatever", Rahul said,
"So, Armaan, trust me, i can see it in their eyes, every girl is lusting at u, dude!!!!!!!! U look hottttttt", Jennifer winked,
"Its actually to impress this special who's looking amazing, but looks like she's already smitten by someone else", Armaan pouted,
"Hey Mister, dont try to flirt with me, i've already warned u off, and as for the pout, make sure u pout once in front of Ridzi", Jennifer laughed,
"Riddhima, but why her", though Armaan had asked, there were questioning looks in the eyes of all three. Armaan feared if Jennifer also knew the truth.
"Oh u're gonna so laugh at this, but u see Ridzi is an SRK fan, n whnever he smiles, or pouts, his dimples go way down, n Ridzi always wishes to see exactly how deep are they. Now we all know thts not possible, n Armaan, u r the only one i know with such good dimples, so i thought, why not do her a favour", Jennifer added with a laugh,
Armaan n the others laughed at this, but this told him another thing which Riddhima is gonna love in him, his dimples, n suddenly he cudnt thank God enuf for these beautiful dimples.
"But Jenny, where are the girls", Armaan asked,
"Woh Armaan they've just gone to get ready, they were finishing last minute preparations for party", Jennifer answered,
"Abhi tak?", Atul was shocked,
"Well well Atul, u dont know our Anjie, she wants everything just purrrrfect, n if combined with Nikki, they r a blast", it was Rahul who answered,
"Nikki who?", Atul was puzzled,
"Nikki, Nikita Gupta, Riddhima's twin, n ofcourse, u dont know Anjie too, well, Anjie is Muskaan's elder sister. Waise dekha jaye to, u dont even know Muskaan, right?", Jennifer asked,
"Ummm, actually i've met Muskaan in passing, n we know each other just formally, but the other two, i havnt met them. And coming to the party uninvited like this, it seems strange", Atul answered looking a bit flustered,
"Well, Armaan knows Nikki, but even he's unfamiliar with Anjie. Moreover, the guest list has Riddhima's guest too, n she's invited u...", Rahul was cut by Armaan,
"But i was told of the party by Muskaan, so basically we r her guests",
"Woh actually Armaan, the party has only guests invited by Anjali and Riddhima. I know its strange, but its this way only. Anjie has thrown the party for her friends in honour of Rahul n Muskaan, so, the guest list was her choice. Riddhima being her, she always gets a choice too, whoever throws the party. Moreover, since we all have common frnds, there's never anyone left out. And you two, are guests on Riddhima's list", Jennifer explained,
"OK, now i get it, i must thank Riddhima for it. By the way, the party is really cool, i am sure its Riddhima's choice, so serene n calm, i love the atmsphere, full of peace n love", Atul wandered off,
"Actually, for a change Atul, its Anjali's choice", Jennifer said,
"WHAT? ANJIE? NO? Are u like serious Jenny?", Rahul's voice burst their ear drums,
"Yes Rahul, the theme was Ridzy's idea, but the decorn interiors n everything else, was Anjie's idea, romantic n peaceful, just for u guys", Jennifer continued,
"Ok, no wonder Riddhima always curses us all of not knowing the real Anjie, i really need to know Anjie more i guess", Rahul muttered loud enuf for everyone.
"Jenny, wht does Anjali do, i mean, wht work", Atul asked,
"Well u already know Nikki's a designer, right,n Anjie, is the top model for Nikki's show, the only show stopper, who's allowed to walk the ramp for Nikki", Jennifer said,
All the excitement Atul had to meet this Anjie person suddenly drowned. He still wanted to meet Nikki, she'd be more or less like Riddhima, but no longer did Anjali hold his interest. Anjali wud be another of those plastic dolls with no brains whom Atul avoided like plague. Armaan saw the change of expressions on Atul's face n decided to handle the situation. He whispered in Atul's ears, holding the top part of his coat,
"Champ mere bhai, be there with me, ok, all these girls around me, i smell danger. I dont wanna die before marrying Riddhima"
"But why wud u die?", Atul asked,
"Oho, speak slow, aur haan, if anything happens to my izzat, how will i face Riddhima, n if i dont face her n see her for even 1 day, u know i'll die, so...", Armaan continued,
"Dont worry chhote bhai, this elder brother of urs is always there to protect u. I wont let anything happen to u n ur izzat. After all, i also wanna show my face to Riddhima bhabhi n ur Chunnu Munnu's. I shud give them a reason to be proud of their chachu, or bade papa. Waise wht do u think, what will they call me?",
Armaan was saved to answer as th DJ started speaking, but Armaan was lost in his previous conversation, marrying Riddhima, settling down with her, their children, he recalled the morning dream. This brought a smil to his lips, n he heard the DJ shout,
"So young fellows, we've already seen the entry of the to-be-groom, Rahul, with his dashing friends, now, its the to-be-bride's entry, with her friends. So plz welcome, first of all, the young chick, whose designs rule ur hearts, the short beauty, who gives short circuit, Nikki"
(Nikki was wearing this:
)
They saw Nikki descend the stairs gracefully, as she joined Jennifer who'd gone n stood near the stairs.
"Next my dear friends, is the to-be-bride, the sexy n suave, Mussskaan"
Instead of seeing a hot n sexy Muskaan dscend the stairs, they saw a set of sandals n flowr vases being thrown in the direction of the DJ.
"Khote, ullu ke pathe, gadhe, teri himmat kaise huyi mujhe sexy aur suave bolne ki, huh", they heard a shrill voice from upstairs,
The DJ who was a friend of theirs, did not mind in the least n instead shouted back,
"To kya sach bolke Anjali aur Rahul ki bezatti karwa deta. Mujhe koi problem nhi hai bolne mein ki tu ziddi hai, akdu hai, battameez aur daravni bhi hai. And teri woh hansi, he he he he he(imagine purani typical Muskaan ki hansi), tere hansne se better to mera new born nephew rota hai"
"Adi ke bachche, i'll not leave u,tu ruk abhi, woh to Ridzi tujhe bacha leti hai, hamesha, but aaj to tu gaya. I'll not leave u",
They see a very hyper Muskaan come running towards the DJ stand just near to the place from where she was supposed to come down. Rahul hurried up the stairs, n caught her before she reached Adi.
"Rahul, chhod, chhod mujhe, leave me. Look at his guts, he's calling me sexy, suave, Adi, ruk tu, batati hoon tujhe abhi", Muskaan struggled with Rahul,
"To usne galat kya kaha, aaj tu sachi mein sexy lag rahi hai", Rahul said in a husky voice,
"Exactly, yehi to main bhi keh... kya bola tu (as the meaning of his words sank in, she blushed furiously), tu bhi na Rahul...", Muskaan said,
"Achha ab neeche chalein, everyone's waiting", Rahul asked her,
"But mere sandals to gayye", Muskaan waved both her hands in air as if to indicat tht her sandals vanished in thin air by magic,
"Sandals ki kya zarurat when u have ur servant at ur service Madame", saying this, he picked her up in his arms, n they walked proudly down th stairs, first Muskaan was shy, but thn she acknowledged everyone by waving to them as the others applauded the lovely pair.
(Muskaan was wearing this:)
They too joined Nikki n Jennifer.
"So, after tht cute n dangerous pair, we now have the star of the party, ur host for tonight, the delurous diva, Anjie, yeahhhhhhhh"
(Anjie was wearing this:
OR
)
Atul shook his head, n unintentionally saw the figure descending the stairs, n a wave of familiarity hit him. H had seen this girl, somewhere, but his memory betrayed him.
"Uhh Armaan, i've seen her somewhere, can u think of where?", he asked Armaan,
"Ofcourse dude, she's the Anjali Rai, the topmost model of India, u might have seen her so many places, tv, magazines, newspapers n where not", Armaan replied,
"Yeah, maybe u're right", Atul knew he was not satisfied with Armaan's answer,
"But dude wht is happening, why isnt Riddhima coming down, she's taking so much time", Armaan was worried, n this distracted Atul,
"Areh haan, she also shud've come down with the others, whats keeping her", Atul was aslo tensed, just then,
"OK people, we know who u all r waiting for, well, the delay was due to some problem, but now comes she, for whom i've no words, coz her nam itself is enough, plz welcome, ur, mine, n everyone's heartbeat, RIDDHIMA"
(Riddhima was wearing this:
OR
OR
OR
)
(AUTHOR BUTS IN - Guys, i am really bad with dresses, so plz choose whichever u feel is the best, i shortlisted these, but cudnt so ahead. There are two choices in pink as well as blue)
Armaan was lost, so like always, looking at the angelic figure descending the stairs. Was she even for real. She seemed to be a dream, HIS dream. He'd more or less expected her to be again dressed in some casuals, but she's surprised him again. Dressed in tht beautful gown, she made Armaan's heart jump n somersault in ecstasy. She was dressed in the same coloured gown as the colour of her saree in his dream in the morning. She held her gown by the sides, n as she descended, Armaan noticed her missing a step and abt to go down, when he suddenly rushed only to catch her in his arms. It had been like always, her falling, him catching, her eyes closed, him staring, her opening her eyes n they having an eyelock. The same thing happened, he was lost in her big eyes, when a thought struck him,
"You wanted to touch my dimples na, come, see", Armaan picked up her hand and was bringing it near his face when,
"ARMAAN!!!!!!!!"
"Huh, kya hua, ATUL, wht r u doing here, n where's Riddhima", Armaan saw a baffled Atul in front of him,
"Riddhima is with the others, there (he pointed to the group), and wht wer u doing, taking my hand in front of everyone, n whn did i say tht i wanted to touch ur dimples, yuckkkkk", Atul was hyper,
"Oh, so sorry Atul, wo maine socha ki Ridd...", Armaan was embarassed,
"Oooooooooooooo, Riddhima, dimples, hmm hmm, naughty boy, kya dimaag paya hai, anyways lets go, is se pehle ki koi aur Riddhima ka partner ban jaye, hum chalte hain", Atul said,
"Partner?", Armaan scratched his head,
"Meri bujhi hui hot tubelight, i am talking abt dance partners, but if this goes on na, life partner door nhi hoga (he saw Armaan's angry expression n changed his teasing tone into serious one). Achha jokes apart, lets go get her", with this, they both moved towards the group.
"Riz, u disappoint me, i'd to thought u'll wear one of ur cool dresses again, u know, to look different, but shockingly, u're wearing this hot dress instead", Rahul chuckled,
"Rahul, dress hot nhi hai, Ridzi is hot, ok", Muskaan chided in,
"Muski stop it, pehle hi teri ye hitler kam hai kya, jo tu junior hitler banegi. Rahul, u know na, coming to Anjie's party n not following the dress code is like an artificial suicide, n guess wht, the real suicide is less painful, trust me. She decided this dress herself, n if i had to live, i had no other choice. N when Anjie has the back up from Nikki, she's unstoppable. Anyways, this dress is better than a saree, tht ISA party was a horrible experience", Riddhima sighed,
"Jokes apart Riz, u look beautiful, sachi", Rahul said,
"Yeah Ridzi, he's right, u look awesome", Jennifer supported Rahul,
"Dekha Ridzi, tu aise hi darr rahi thi, we told u na tht u look good", Nikki said,
"Yeah right, u didnt even see me, n u said i looked good, i still dont believe it u all left me", Riddhima said sarcastically,
"Well, if u did not come out of the dressing room, it wasnt our fault, waise bhi Adi was waiting for the announcements to be made, so we all came down", Anjali said as a matter of fact,
"Thank God i finally decided to come out n check on u guys, nhi to tum log to...", Riddhima complained,
"We're sorry, ok, now leave it, and pray, who are they?", Anjali pointed to Armaan n Atul who'd been standing n enjoying the banter,
"Oh, i forgot to do the introductions, so silly of me, sorry, Anjie, this is Armaan, Rahul's cousin, n this is Atul, Atul Joshi, Armaan's best friend. He's also a son t Nandini Maasi, n Atul, Armaan, this is Nikki, my sister, n this is Anjie, Anjali, Muski's elder sister"
"Hi Armaan, hi Atul", Nikki's hi's were brief,
"Hmm, Armaan Mallik, heard a lot abt u", Anjie said,
"Oh, hopefully not bad", Armaan chuckled,
"Well, i cant guarantee on that (Anjali laughed), anyways, nice meeting u, and Mr Joshi, Atul Joshi, i heard so much about u too, arent u the famous model hater", Anjie chuckled,
"How... i mean how did u know", Atul fumbled,
"Well, lets say i have my spies stalking u (she again laughs loudly), oh no no dont worry, i was just kidding, actually, there's lots abt u in newspaper along with Armaan, so i just picked it up from there, but i guess, it just wont strike off between us, right?", Anjali asked, n this time, she was serious,
"Atul, plz spare Anjie her lack of humour, she just thinks she has this really good sense of humour (Riddhima saw Anjali glaring) ok, yeah, she's really good at times, but many a times, she sucks", Riddhima ended with a chuckle,
Anjali showed her a tongue n pouted, n her this expression did not miss Atul. Suddenly the wave of realization hit him, n his heart hoped only for positive results.
"Anyways, lets move from here, we are blocking the way", Anjali said this and all of them moved, just then Anjali felt something, sh turned only to find Atul staring at her. She cudnt stop herself from looking in his eyes, n once she looked in, she was spell bound. There seemed to be so much going on in his eyes, so many questions, so many curiosities. Next she heard Atul mutter something in a low voice,
"Anju, is it you"
She didnt know if it was the intensity of his eyes or his question, she immediately withdrew from the eyelock. She became nostalgic as the past memories hit her, n th thought of breaking down in front of him, didnt suit her. She ran as fast as possible only to land up in the garden. She sat besides the fountain, watching the different colours, and childhood memories made way to her.
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She was around 12 years old at tht time, but she had sense more than any child around her age. Her grandparents had lived alone, n she had agreed to live with them to give them company. Her parents had not agreed initially, they did not want to separate the two young sisters, but she was adamant. Finally, they allowed her to stay with them. The younger Anjali had been just the opposite of wht she was today, though her body frame had been the same, her hair had always been tied in two ponytails, with a pair of spectacles always surrounding her beautiful eyes, loose t-shirts and baggy pants were her favourite clothing. She loved her grandparents and spent most of her time with them. The other time she had, she watched fashion channels. Sh had always been fascinated by the models walking on the ramp, and it was her dream to be one of them, she wud try to be the best,but she wanted to be a model. New term was starting at school, and Anjali had also been enrolled by her grandparents in the school. Though she had protested, but she had to agree when they told of sending her back for studies.
She had been nervous about first day at school, Panchgani was a town in the arms of beautiful mountains. The town was small, but Anjali had only been out to the market at the end of the road. She was very nervous, so, taking full information of the way to school, she set of with her bag hanging sideways. She hopped to school, her head covered by her hoodie, humming to herself, observing the scenery around her in the digi-cam her parents had gifted her (NOTE - Anjie's parents were rich, but her grandparents didnt want to leave this place, n they loved their children who visited them frequently, there were no bad feelings). Just then, Anjali saw a guy, a bit younger to him fallen on the road, with his cycle and a sack over him n crying. She immediately reached him, n tried to lift the things. She managed the cycle, but the sack was heavy, still she did not give up. Suddenly, another pair of arms joined her n she managed to lift the sack. She saw her watch and the time shocked her, she was late. She saw th other guy helping the younger one, so she rushed off, just saying, "Take Care".
She entered the classroom, but the sight was not pleasant. The students laughed seeing her attire, and the teacher looked disapprovingly.
"If i am not wrong, arent u Anju Rai (her grandparents called her Anju, n so, they had her enrolled by the same name)?", teh teacher's voice was stern,
"Yes Miss, i am sorry i am late but it was an emergency", Anju replied softly,
"Since its ur first day, the only punishment u get is to stand at the back for the whole lecture, but mind u, if this is repeated, u wont be spared", the teacher continued,
"Yes Miss", Anju said n got punished. It was her bad day, the first time in lif had sh been punished. Being the brightest student of the school, all this was new to her. The snickers passed on to her as the teacher went out, rudy comments on her clothing, being called nerd n geek, all hurt her until the end of the day. The students were actually jealous of her intelligent answers to the questions put by the teachers. Finally, as the school got over, she rushed off collecting her books, only to bump someone outside her class. Her bag fell off n she stopped to collect her books. The person she'd bumped into helped her, n then did she see his face in between her tears. His face held a friendly warmth. She stopped crying, only to have an stare into his eyes, which had deep intensity.
"Oh, you're a girl!!!", the boy suddenly shouted,
Anjali was angered at tht, he might be another one of those coming to trouble the new girl.
"Yes, as much boy as u are", tears flowed through her eyes, n with tht she went off, leaving th boy confused to himself. At home, she did not tell her grandparents abt the events at the school, instead, she lied abt loving the school.
Next day, when she entered the class, she saw the same guy she'd bumped into talking to the teacher. She silently went n occupied the last bench, and to her utter shock, the guy came n sat besides her. Though now sh had a choice of going n sitting at the first bench tht was empty, she decided othrwise. The teacher called her, she was horrified, but instead, the teacher apologised to her for yestaerday. The teacher had been told tht Anju was late yesterday as she was helping a boy, who was in fact the son of the principal. Moreover, the other teachers had also given good comments abt her. The teacher thanked AJ for informing her abt the facts. The class applauded for her. And AJ turned out to be the guy who sat next to her. She went out happily to her seat.
"Hey, Anju, right, i am AJ", the guy put forward his hand, n though reluctant, she took it.
"I am sorry abt yesterday, actually, early morning i saw u helping Pankit, the principal's son, n due to ur hoodie, i mistook u for a guy, n in the afternoon, seeing u as a girl, i was quite shocked", he contd,
"Its ok, i get it now, n thanks for telling the teacher, i am really greatful", Anju smiled,
"So no hard feelings, right, n if u wanna show ur greatfulness, how abt, umm, friends", Atul asked,
"Forever", Anju replied, and tht was a start of a beautiful friendship. Anju gathered tht Atul was the brightest guy in the school, n he was loved by all the teachers as well, even though he was an orphan. What shocked her was the news tht Atul never befriended a girl, but she was the first. The other students were jealous of their friendship, AJ, their champion student, who never sat at any seat except the first one, now sat on the last bench. He had become very close witht the new girl, and this seemed to hurt their ego. To take out their frustration, they taunted Anju on her looks every nw n then, but not in front of AJ. Anju n AJ competed in studies, n many other activities, with ither of them coming first, but they celebrated each other's victory with equal happiness. This was their friendship.
One day, another new girl joined the school, Sanya, she was the daughter of a famous model, who'd recently been divorced n had come to settle down there. Snay tried befriending the most popular guy, AJ, but he seemed indifferent to her, always with Anju, n this hurt Sanya's ego. Anju saw it as her chance n tried to contact Sanya's mom abt her dream of becoming a model. Sanya saw it as a golden oppurtunity n insulted Anju a lot through her mother. The whole school cam to know of it, n Anju was constantly mocked for it. But when AJ realsied of it, he supported her. He started hating the word model, coz Sanya's mom was one, n she was not good, so maybe no model was good, coz whomever they had contacted, had just hurt Anju. Still he wanted Anju to become the best, despite his dislike. He knew Anju wud be the only model who wud be good at heart.
"Anju, u'll have to become a model, the top one, for me, will u do it?"
"Yes AJ, i'll become the best, there, on the top, just for u, i promise"
Time flew by n two years passed. They were now 14 years old, n not only unseperable friends, but even more. Atul sensed it, n tried taking the first step.
"Anju, i like u, i like u very much, ever since the day i saw u for the first time, helping someone in need. Yeah ok, i'd thought it was a guy, but i did feel something even then. I dont know if u feel the same or no, but even if u dont,i dont wanna lose our friendship, plz"
"AJ...", Anju whispered as tears flowed through her eyes,
"No, see, i will wait until tomorrow morning, and i'll wait for ur answer, the choice now is urs, u have to take the first step towards whichever way u choose"
The next morning, AJ waited for Anju, but she never came. The whole day went by, but she was nowhere to be seen, he wnt to her house, which was locked, he asked the neighbours, who told him tht the occupants of the house had left. AJ got his answer,
"Anju, i got ur answer, but something tells me this is not all, i'll wait for ur first step, forever"
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Atul shook his head vigorously, recalling those times, yes, she was his Anju, Anju Rai, no, Anjali Rai. He was sure of it. After she'd left Panchgani, even he had been moved to an orphanage in Mumbai, n due to his scholarship, he'd met Armaan in tht prstigious college.That was where he got his new family. The hurt Anju had received had made him hate models, the whole kind, n he'd still been waiting for her first step. She had kept of her promise of becoming the top model, but the question was for whom? For her own dream, or for him? He was confused, was it all over, no, he didnt think so. The look she had in her eyes when he'd mentioned Anju, was not a distant look. It was a familiar expression, n this gave him hope. He immediately took hold of Armaan n rushed to a secluded corner, the tears in his eyes spoke volumes.
"Ar..maan..."
"Champ, champ kya hua, dude, kya hua tell me na", Armaan was worried,
"Woh, wo Armaan, woh...",
Realisation hit Armaan,
"Woh yahaan hai, sachi mein, kahan hai AJ, kahan hai woh, tell me, i'll call her, i'll ask her why did she leave u, chal AJ, jaldi chal, kahan hai woh"
"Woh, wo Anjali.."
"AJ, Anjali, u mean Anjali Rai, Muskaan ki sister, the famous model of India, woh teri Anju hai, haan ofcourse, see, she kept her promise to AJ, ab chal, jaldi chal, lets go to her "
"Nahi Armaan, when we'd parted, unknowingly hi sahi, i'd given her the choice. Now all i can do is wait for her decision, it all depends on her now"
"You still love her as much as u did, haina, i just hope she maks the right decision, othrwise she doesnt know wht she'll lose, i am sure she'll choose u AJ, ur love will win"
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Riddhima rushed to the garden, she knew she wud find Anjali here, n she saw her crying sitting besides the fountain. Riddhima had first met Anjali at her dad's showroom at the age of 15, Anjali had come to see for good dresses, n Riddhima had realised her fashion love. They visited each other from Delhi to Mumbai. They had immediately hit off, but their relation was not so open. Thy did not show how much importance each one held. The world knew abt Riddhima's three best friends, Nikki, Rahul n Abhi. But none of them knew tht Anjali was actually her closest frnd. She knew each n every secret abt her, n moreover, she was not against Riddhima's love for Armaan, coz Anjali herself knew wht first love was. They shared everything with each othr, n thought they were not sisters, they were closer than how much Nikki was to Riddhima, n how much Muskaan was to Anjali. It had been a pleasant surprise when Riddhima came to know tht Muskaan was Anjali's younger sister, her happiness had no bounds. Riddhima and Anjali knew one thing, no matter wht happened,they both wud be by each other's side, always. And Riddhima trusted Anjali with her life, she cud give n take lif for Anjali.
"Anjie, kya hua, why r u crying", Riddhima asked,
"Ridzi, woh, woh andar, AJ..."
"To, Atul hi tumhara AJ hai, right"
"Haan, but how do u know?"
"Anjie, i need to confess something, 2 days back, i heard Armaan calling Atul AJ, n i was suddenly excited. Atul seemed to fit in ur AJ's description, moreover he hated models. N from wht u'd said, AJ also despised models. But there was one in a million chance tht i was correct, so, i wanted u two to meet, without looking suspicious. I wasnt sure, and i didnt want u to get false hopes, so, the party was the best way, n i guess, i was right"
"Haan Riddhima, u r right, he's my AJ, Anju ka AJ, u know wht, he recognised me, i'd sensed feeling connected to him, but, i brushed off the feeling. But he, he did not, he still remembers me, but th question is, does he still love me?"
"Anjie, him recognising u shows tht he cares for u, him still hating models shows tht u're still there with him. AJ had liked Anju, n i am sure AJ's likeness for Anju has blossomed into Atul's love for Anjali. But like he had said, the choice is still yours"
"What if he doesnt loves me, n rejects me"
"To know abt it' u'll have to take this risk, this risk is worth the consequences Anjie, go ahead, n take the first step. Dont let ur lov go without trying"
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Anjali immediately went running to her room, n opened her cupboard. She took out a wooden box, beautifully decorated. She opened it, only to find it lying there, n went into a flashback.
"Hey Anju, ye dekho, wht have i brought for u, Lotus made ring(the stem of loyus was folded n pinned, to make it into a ring)", AJ screamed, as he came to meet her at their adda, the lakeside.
"Wow AJ, its beautiful, lekin ye to kitna bada flower hai, all my fingers will be covered", Anju was excited,
"Haan, this is so tht u wear no one else's ring, only mine"
"To phir khud hi pehnado, (after some time) ab main tumhe kya doon, umm , umm, haan, wait, (she opened her ponytails, took the ribbons, joined both of them and hung it around his neck) haan, ab theek hai, this ribbon shall remind u of my authority over u, u r min, n no one else's"
Anjali remembered they'd been young not to understand the meaning of their words, but now,she realised they'd always been made for each other. She took the lotus ring which had dried, n rushed down.
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Suddenly, the lights went off, Atul was held and a figure led him to the centre of the hall, he recognised it as Riddhima, who left him there, n went away. A spotlight fell first on him, n then it fell on Anjali, who was sitting on her knees in front of him.
"AJ, that day when u asked me if i liked u or not, i did not answer u. I was overcome with my emotions, i cudnt believe tht u reciprocated my feelings for u, i'd never said anything coz i did not want to lose u as a friend. I had wanted to tell u then only, but u stopped me, i went home only so tht i cud give u a better surprise along with my approval"
"But fate had something else stored for us, i reached home only to find my grandma very ill, my parents were there, n they had come to take us immediately. Grandma was serious n needed immediate attention. I had nothing else to choose, but go with them, i didnt even get to say bye to u, but i knew my grandma needed me more, so, i left"
"I dreaded tht moment my whole life, i imagined u coming to my house, finding it locked n hating me, n going to Sanya instead. I hated myself for breaking ur heart, bt wht was done cudnt be mended. I went with dad, when he wanted to sell the house, i visited ur orphanage, but u had left from there, i was shattered, they did not tell me where u'd gone, n finally, i shifted to Delhi with mom n dad"
"I visited Panchgani in hope of seeing u again, but all in vain. Then i knew i had to fulfill the promise i mad to u, though the likeness for modelling had rubbed off me, but i had to do it for u. My parents did not like my decision, so, they made a deal, i complete my masters degree, n then i cud choose my career. This was all i wanted, i studied hard, n i topped my university, next thing i recall, i was a famous name in the modelling world"
Anjali closd hr eyes as she spoke,
"Now Mr AJ, since u liked Anju so much, Anjali here is asking Atul if he'd love to spend his entire life with her, bearing all her tantrums, no matter wht wht, n yes, she's a difficult one to handle. I love u Atul"
Armaan had moved to stand next to Riddhima, who was unaware of it, lost in the magical moment. Armaan felt a tug on his hand, which sent a shock through his body. Riddhima had held his one hand, n the other rested on her heart, her silent prayers were so loud he cud recognise them, as they all waited for Atul's answer.
"I love u too Anjali, i love u too"
Armaan suddenly squeezed her hand, n she realised wht she'd been doing. The sudden warmth from his hands made her take her hand back immediately, as she saw happiness overtake his face. She moved her gaze to Anjali, who'd handed tht dry lotus ring to Atul, n he pushed it across her fingers. Riddhima knew Anjie had loved thth gift, it was a treasure for her. Next she saw Atul take ut a long ribbon from his wallet, n handed it to Anjali who was first shocked, but smilingly she tied it loosely around his neck. Well, these small gifts showed tht Riddhima had been right when she'd trusted Atul with Anjie's heart, they both were a God made couple. Maybe she'd been wrong with entrusting her heart, but she was glad she'd safeguarded Anjie's heart.
While same thoughts abt Anjali n Atul played in Armaan's mind, he saw Anjali look in his direction n mouth a thank you to someone. Was it him, no? It was Riddhima, he realised, who had blown a kiss in Anjali's dorection, n suddenly, the realisation struck him, Riddhima had been the cupid for his best friend. He saw a tear escape her eye, n so unlike her, she did not wipe it off. This was his princess, true angel at heart. And yet again, he fell in love with her.
"Riddhima, thank u for all tht u've done for Atul"
"No Armaan, i didnt do it, it was actually their love, i was just a way to it, their love had to win"
"So u mean, u think tht love always wins"
"No, wht i mean is tht True Love always wins", saying this she moved forward to congratulate the couple.
"Yes Riddhima, u r right, true love wins, n so, there's nothing tht can stop our love from winning. I love u Riddhima, u r the true princess of my heart"
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Everyone was shocked at wht had happened, n to cut things short, she'd just explained tht Atul n Anjali liked each other from childhood, n thier love only grew with age. No one knew the whole story, except the couple n Riddhima, n now Armaan too. Riddhima thought Anjie cud tell th complete story sometime in life, but not today for sure.
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That was part 15, plz silent readers do press th like tab, n othrs, plz do comment n share ur views, i'll be waiting as always,
IMPORTANT FOR AR N KSG FANS:
Check out these links:
Guys, the first link, its KSG's interview, n if u read his answers, it seems like maybe Armaan Riddhima come togther. One cannot be sure, but the hints say this, do read them.
pooja
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Writers Corner: Books, Stories & Poems
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