Riddhima was reading the latest notice put up on the notice board near the nurse station early on Monday morning.. She had come to sign in into the register when the unusually cheerful looking colorful post on the notice board had caught her attention as it stood out among the sea of boring black and white bills around it.. A closer look at it and she realized it was her favorite time of the year at Sanjeevni.. In all the tension about coping with the aftermath of the New Year night fiasco, she had completely forgotten how much she looked forward to this time of the year at the hospital.. Not only since she had come to work for Sanjeevni, but since she was a little girl, when her dad used to bring her to the hospital to be a part of all the fun.. Every year in January, Sanjeevni celebrated a week of social activities for the staff which culminated in a fund raiser for the hospital's underprivileged patients. That served the duel purpose of recreation for the staff and also helped fund a good cause. There were a series of activities organized outside duty hours for the staff that included painting, rangoli, flower arrangements, cooking competition etc and of course the Sanjeevni Annual Basketball match! The end of the week gave an opportunity to the staff to explore their talents in dance, drama and music, where an entertainment show is organized for the elite guests attending the fund raiser. It was one of the times when the atmosphere in the hospital was relaxed and the staff got an opportunity to let their hair down and enjoy themselves. Riddhima had officially been a part of this process for two years of her internship and otherwise as a spectator since she was a little girl. She was always excited to be a part of this annual event at the hospital. But this year, somehow, she wasn't feeling that excitement. Instead, a sense of foreboding overtook her when she thought about the way everyone was behaving with her at the moment.. A social event couldn't have come at a more inappropriate time for her! Although the staff was behaving cordially with her since the past two days, she knew they would not be willing to share any sort of social space with her or Armaan.. Her lashing out at the nurse last week had just suppressed their malicious stares and glares, but she was sure the smiles they were putting up for her were definitely fake! But at least something had started to settle down.. Unlike the situation with their friends who were still treating Armaan and her like they didn't exist.. She had tried talking to her Di after that incident that afternoon in the fire escape, but Anjali had gone back to her mute-mode. At home she was still angry with her mom, but not coz of the fight that had forced her to rebel and move out of home. She was angry with her mom coz Armaan had tried to reconcile things with her over the weekend and it had not even taken a few seconds for her mom to forgive him.. Talk about preferential treatment! So now Riddhima felt like the 'prodigal son' while Armaan enjoyed his favorite damaad status at least where her mom was concerned. Her dad however, was being extremely queer.. He wasn't being rude to her or Armaan.. He just seemed too busy doing something and was more often than not lost in his own world and work.. So she assumed his lack of reaction was due to the fact that he was too busy to even yell at her or terrorize his son-in-law-to-be.. The only silver lining in a crowd of extremely dark gray clouds for her.. But it didn't manage to bring the cheer the Sanjeevni Annual Basketball match brought to her every year.. Not like anyone was going to take her in their team.. Who would want to play with her! She was practically a social outcast at the hospital at the moment.. Her only hope was that like every year, her dad agreed to take her into his team.. The Dean's daughters privilege! She had been playing on her dad's team for the last two years.. The very team she came to cheer on every year since she was in school.. She smiled as she remembered how happy she was last year when her team had defeated her Di's who had thrown a major tantrum, accusing Riddhima of cheating.. That now seemed like such a minor matter to fight about after that fight last week with her Di.. But there was no point thinking about that now.. At least that's what Armaan and she had decided after that night at his place.. She would just have to wait for things to fall into place..
"Hey Basket!! Good morning!", Armaan's voice brought her out of her reverie, a smile forming automatically on her face at the thought of seeing him. She turned around to return his good morning wish but almost fell over as she did.
"Armaan!!", she let out a reproachful scream as she felt his arms go around her waist to keep her from falling.. He had been standing so close behind her that she had collided into him the moment she turned to face him!
Hearing that scream from her, he let her go as soon as she was steady, reminding himself of the distance he had to keep, even as he studied her from head to toe.. Oh she looked beautiful today in that peacock blue dress of hers.. His eyes scanning up her slender chudidaar clad legs and coming to a rest at her navel that was just barely visible, peeping through the front slit of her kurti.. How he was tempted to caress her navel and the soft skin of her belly around it with his fingers, his nose, his lips..
"Ahem hem!!!", Riddhima's deliberately issued loud fake cough cut through his fantasy like a sharp sword cuts through the enemies jugular! Immediately his eyes shifted from her navel to her face, which was as crimson as his ears were! She had definitely noticed what he was staring at.. What he didn't understand was if it was something to be embarrassed about or not.. But in spite of that pink flush on her face, she had a scowl on her face, her brows raised in a challenge, "I'm here Armaan! Yahan upar.. What're you looking at?", she asked him as sternly as she could while pulling the ends of her lab coat close around her front, almost daring him to say what was on his mind..
Armaan spluttered incoherently as he tried hard not to think about what he had been thinking a few seconds ago..
"Armaan.. What is your problem!", Riddhima asked him, irritated with his incomprehensible bakwaas!
"Human Psyche", he shot back cheekily as her face contorted in yet another scowl, "Kya!", she exclaimed, crossing her arms haughtily across her chest as a devilish grin formed across Armaan's face.. "Kucch nahi..", he answered back, chuckling to himself as she continued to scowl..
"Armaan we're at the nurse station.. Kucch toh.."
But he cut her off deliberately, not wanting to discuss a matter that was not open to discussion anymore, "Basket what's this?", he asked, feigning interest in the colorful poster behind her..
And she was immediately and effectively distracted, "Oh this.. Arre every year sometime in January.. Sanjeevni hosts a fund raiser.. And the week before that..", and on and on she went, describing all the events she had attended so far and how much fun it is to be a part of all this.. Armaan, on the other hand, grateful that he had managed to distract her, couldn't understand one word of what she was saying, his thoughts dangerously going where they shouldn't be going.. He nodded a fake nod, pretending to listen to her as she continued to jabber on about Sanjeevni's Annual basketball match, while thinking about how he was going to stick by the stupid rule that she had made the other night at his place.. Keep Distance!! And ever since he had agreed to that rule of hers, his mind would rebel and think about just the things he could do with her if that rule wasn't in effect! It was like suddenly he had become very aware of her.. Lately, especially since their trip to Singapore, both of them had been so occupied by other things around them, that they hadn't realized how close they had become.. They had become so comfortable with each other that he didn't really give what they were doing a thought. But now, in light of this new rule that Riddhima had imposed, he couldn't help but think about all those moments they had spent together.. And that only made him crave for more.. Suddenly, Riddhima was the elusive forbidden fruit that he wanted a bite of! And the fact that she deliberately tried to control their proximity made him want it all the more.. Like, now as he watched her talk to him, he couldn't help but focus on how her lips moved as she spoke, as she laughed.. He really needed to kiss her right now.. It had been a whole twelve hours twenty minutes and forty-five seconds since he had kissed her.. Oh man! He was literally going crazy!!
"Good morning Doctors!!", Armaan almost jumped in fear as that voice cut through his thoughts, banishing them to the far corners of his brain from where he could probably never retrieve them again.. And only one voice could do that to him where his amorous thoughts about Riddhima were concerned, "Good morning papa!", he watched as Riddhima stepped up to hug Dr. Shashank who for a change was smiling. He didn't even ask her to call him Dr. Gupta and even hugged her back in spite of being in the hospital and then turned to Armaan, "Morning Dr. Mallik!"
Armaan looked at him suspiciously! God! He was actually smiling! Who was this guy!! "Uh.. Morning sir!" he found his voice in spite of his bewilderment, wishing him back before his sasurjee's smile turned into a glare..
"So.. I see you read the notice.. I want both of you to participate this year okay.. Iss saal the chief minister is also going to join us at the fund raiser.. We must put up a good show..", he told them enthusiastically, making Armaan wonder which planet this alien had dropped out of.. Since he was too busy demystifying sasurjee's weird behavior, he left Riddhima to take over the conversation..
"Papa I don't know.. Iss saal mann nahi kar raha.. But I'm pakka in your team for the basketball match!"
"But Riddhima.. I'm sorry iss saal main participate nahi kar sakunga.. I'm too busy beta.. And practice bhi choot gayi hai.."
"Common papa.. Aise kaise aap participate nahi karenge.. I'm always on your team.."
"It's okay Riddhima beta.. Iss baar tum Armaan ki team mein khel lena.. Kyun Dr. Mallik!"
Armaan, who was hardly paying any attention to the conversation, was startled as he head Shanky papa address him, "Uh.. Yes sir.. Of course.."
And Dr. Shashank seemed to be satisfied with Armaan's response.. He patted his back, wished Riddhima a nice day, and left for his cabin..
As he watched him walk away, Armaan couldn't help but comment, "Basket.. Is it just my imagination or was Shanky papa really smiling?"
"Armaan!! Don't be so mean! Ek toh he's one of the few people who's not treating us like criminals.. At least uss khatir toh leave your prejudices behind..", she reprimanded him severely for making fun of her dad.. Even more coz she was upset he wasn't going to play this year. Gone were all chances to enjoy this week with everyone else..
"Chill Basket.. Waise I also have Padma mom on my side.. Unlike you..", he teased her as she returned a scowl..
"Stop gloating so much.. Otherwise you wont find me on your side!"
"Why do you take everything so seriously Riddhima.. Lets forget everything and start practicing for the basketball match.. Kab hai..", he turned to check the schedule on the notice as Riddhima sighed, "What's the point Armaan.. Not like anyone is going to take us in their team.. Everyone hates us..", she told him disappointedly, as she started walking towards the lift..
"No one hates us Basket! They're just mad.. I don't think they're so mean that they'll ask us to sit out coz they're mad at us..", he tried to explain to her as he caught up with her to be by her side.. The sight of her hips swaying sexily as she walked wasn't healthy for his heart if he was planning on following that merciless rule of hers!!
"I hope you're right Armaan.. I just want things to get back to normal.. I've had enough of this crappy fight now..", she told him hopefully, as she waited for the lift to open.. But when she didn't get any response from Armaan, she turned to see what he was up to, and found him staring at her, his eyes all glazed.. She had noticed he wasn't paying attention to anything she told him about the fund raiser or the basketball match.. He was awfully quiet even around her dad! And now again he had that lost look on his face.. Where was his head today!!
"Armaan!!", she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes to get him out of his daze..
"Huh! Yeah.. Yeah.."
"Armaan what's wrong with you?", she asked him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously..
"Kucch nahi Basket.. I was thinking.. Today during lunch we'll talk to everyone and call it a truce.. And of course discuss about the fund raiser and all.."
Riddhima was taken aback by that answer of his.. She was sure this wasn't what he was thinking about at all.. She'd have cleared things up with him then, but her pager beeped at exactly that time and she was forced to save her interrogation for later.. So she just nodded in agreement to his suggestion.."Yeah you're right..", just then the elevator doors opened with a ting.. She got into the elevator, expecting him to follow her in.. But again, she found him lost, his gaze was now suspiciously, thought she hoped not, somewhere below her long neck.."Armaan?!!", she half exclaimed, half questioned as he continued to wait at the threshold of the lift.
He snapped back as soon as he heard her voice and stared at her in utter confusion, not knowing what answer he was supposed to give since he had missed her the question again.."Yeah.. Yeah.. I agree..", he nodded his head over dramatically..
And that only increased Riddhima's confusion, "Agree to what! Armaan!! Are you coming or what?", she asked him sternly, giving the irritated ward boy in the lift an apologetic smile..
That's when Armaan realized she was asking him to get into the lift.. But he couldn't risk making a fool of himself again.. And he was sure he would go crazy if he had to spend even five seconds in that confined space with Riddhima.. Making up his mind to take the stairs so he could get rid of his ridiculous thoughts, he refused her offer, "Actually.. I have some work in the OPD.. I'll see you at lunch.." and before she could ask him any more questions, he slipped away from there..
As the doors of the elevator slid shut, Riddhima watched Armaan's retreating back.. Something had definitely addled his brains overnight! And the memory of how he had checked her out at the nurse station made her strongly suspicious, though she wouldn't admit to herself, that it had something to do with her 'keep distance' rule.. Shooing that embarrassingly crazy thought out of her mind, she diverted her thoughts to safer territories.. Like her patients.. It was time to drown herself in work again!
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
Cricket
Jhanak
Hindi TV Shows
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
290