A girl's husky voice spoke.. It was not Riddhima.. "Wake up honey! Wake up.. Its morning! Honey.. !" And Armaan jerked out from his sleep.. The alarm had set off with the tone.. And now it was ringing very shrill.. ! Riddhima.. ! HOW DARE SHE?! He pressed the "off" button.. He didn't fancy growing deaf at such a young age!.. She had recorded a new alarm tone and set that.. ! How he hated that stupid alarm.. But his mom had gifted him that as a kid and he would never throw it away.. !
He sat up in bed and looked at Riddhima.. She was sleeping.. A sight in the morning.. Hair ruffled.. A flick falling on her face.. A soft smile on her lips.. She had wrapped herself in the blanket.. Sometimes he just felt like staying by her side all his life.. Because she looked so fragile and angelic.. Only he knew what a non-fragile devil she could be.. ! He smiled.. She had this funny habit of wearing a pair of mismatched socks before she slept.. It was one of the few things he didn't know until they were married.. Her feet grew too cold in the night because of the air conditioning.. And she would have a bad bad cold if she forgot to wear them..
"Riddhima..! " "Uttho!"..
Riddhima stirred in her bed.. "Hmm.. ?"
"Its 6 o'clock.. Duty.. ! "
Her hand reached out to him.. And she softly tugged at his arm.. And kept on tugging till he slipped back in bed again.. Then she wrapped her hand around his waist.. Gave a victorious smile.. Pulled her blanket closer.. And snuggled into his chest..
"Riddhima jee.. !" "Please utthiye.. ! " No response.
"Baby.."
Her eyes flickered open a little.. She took a deep breath in and let it out.. And sat up a little.. He wrapped his hand around her and put his head on her shoulder.. His hair covering his eyes a little.. He let out a yawn..
He poked his finger and nudged her with it.. "Go get ready.. "
"Hmm.. ! I'm 10 minutes late already.."
"Yeah.. And wake me up before you leave!"
"A-rma-an!"
"Pleaseee.. " And with that Armaan went back to sleep.. He had late duty.. Plus Riddhima jee didn't allow him to use the bathroom before her in the morning because according to her he made it too messy! So as his daily routine, he would wake her up and go back to sleep for half an hour till she showered and got ready. His half an hour "beauty sleep" as he called it was very precious..
She got up from the bed wrapped in a beige coloured blanket her lovely hair falling all over her face.. She checked her watch kept on the bedside table.. And walked up to her cup board to remove a pair of jeans and a shirt for him and took out a chudidaar for herself.. She went into the bathroom to get ready.. She had a long day today.. And she was already running late with no time for a proper breakfast!
? 30 Minutes later
Riddhima came out of the shower dressed in a peacock green chudidaar and looked at her husband curled up like a ball on the bed.. He had dug his head into the blanket and all she could see was his hair popping out a little.. She walked upto him.. And.. Pulled the blanket off his face.. She smiled shaking her head and running her fingers in his hair..
"Armaan.. ! Get up! Mujhe late ho raha hain!.. "
Riddhima.. Five minutes!"
"Dekho Armaan.. Aaj naatak nahi! Tumhara yeh drama roz chalta hain! Pehle mujhe oothao.. Phir khud so jao.. ! Mujhe late ho raha hai.. Oootho naaa! "
"2 minutes!"
"ARMAAAN.. ! Tum agar abhi nahi oothe naa.. Toh Main jaa rahi hoon.. "
She was about to go.. And nautanki grabbed her by the wrist and made her sit next to him..
"Armaaann.. Subah subah!"
"Tumne mera alarm tune change kyun kiya? "
"Kya phark padta hain? "
"Phark padta hain Riddhima.. Phark padta hain.. " He said it in such a dramatic way that he could give a 1950's hero a run for his money! And the little pout on his face was something she could not miss.
She just laughed.. She was running late.. She had a surgery scheduled and she was sitting and admiring her husband's over dramatic non-sense early in the morning! She just smacked him right on his chest.. !
"Dr Armaan Mallik.. Mere paas abhi time nahi hain! Uttho.. Get ready.. Please have your breakfast and I'll see you at 12 noon in the hospital.."
She planted a small kiss on his chest and headed out..
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