Chapter 3
It's been five years and no one has heard from Armaan. He had never came back after a few days like everyone was expecting him to. Riddhima acts like Armaan's absence is not effecting her, but inside she craving to see Armaan only once if she could have the chance. Day and night she is wishing for his health and to meet him. Riddhima takes care of Balwinder and Ananya and the house chores. She is in touch with her parent's because they just live three houses down from hers. A few ladies have already taunted her about Armaan leaving her because of her not being perfect like their daughters were. Riddhima ignored them, but when she gets the opportunity to be alone, she cries her heart out. Just for her in-laws and her parent's she stays happy on the outside. As much as Riddhima is craving to see and hear Armaan, so are Balwinder and Ananya. They are his parent's after all and want their son back. Five long years have passed and no news of his well being or anything. They were scared if he was even still alive.
Riddhima walks down the tiny staircase in the house and walks to the front door. Dressed in a pink and white lehenga choli, she opens the door and picks up the envelopes that the mail guy has dropped by. She walks inside while going through the mail and her eyes stop at one mail. It said 'Armaan Mallik.'
"Ma ji! Papa ji!" Riddhima screams, staring at the envelope with her eyes wide.
"Kya hua Riddhima beta?" Ananya runs to Riddhima and Balwinder comes right after Ananya.
"U...unka...letter...aaya hai," Riddhima couldn't put her words together.
"Kiss ka?" Balwinder asks. Riddhima holds the envelope out to him and he takes it. Balwinder sits down when he reads the name on the letter envelope.
"Kiss ka hai?" Ananya asks, not having any clue it's her son's mail.
"Armaan," Balwinder's voice came in a whisper. Ananya looks at Balwinder in shock.
"Armaan...Armaan...mere beta Armaan." Ananya smiles. "Kholiye aur padhe ke likha kya hai!" Ananya says in a loud voice, happiness dripping from her voice that they have gotten something from their son.
Balwinder rips open the envelope and starts to read the letter.
Mom, Dad...sorry Ma aur Papa,
Aap log toh chaunk gaye ho gaye iss letter ko dekh kar. Main shehr main bohut khush hoon! Yahan sab kuch itna bada hai aur itna mazaa aata ke kash aap dono bhi yahan hote mere saath. Aap log kaise hai? Sab theek hai na? Main jaanta hoon ke aap mujhse naraz hai lekin maine apne aap ek bada insaan banaya hai. Aap jaante hai mujhe general manager ki naukri mili hai? Maine inn paanch saalo main itni mehnat aur maze bhi kiye aur issi liye aaj main ek general manager hoon. Ab har mahine main aap ko paise bhej tha raha hoon ga. Iss letter ke saath bhi paise hai...meri pehli pay check. Agar ho sake toh mujhe maaf kar dijiye aur shayad main aap logo se jaldi milne aao. Aur haan, main apne paiso se aap ke liye ek naya aur bada ghar banva raha hoon gaon mein. Kam abhi thode din main shuru ho jayega aur main aap ko pata bhi bata doga jahan ghar ban raha hai.
Armaan
"Ananya, dekha! Mera beta ab kamana shuru ho gaya hai. General manager ban gaya hai woh!" Balwinder couldn't hold his excitement anymore. "Aur uss ne likha hai ke woh wapis bhi aaye ga." Ananya grins.
"Sach!" Ananya exclaims and Balwinder nods.
Riddhima feels her heart pounding faster than before. Armaan...Armaan, he's okay...he's perfectly fine. Riddhima closes her eyes and thanks god for fulfilling her wish of Armaan being in a good place and is safe. She takes the letter that Balwinder left on the table and reads it. Riddhima gets tears in her eyes. Armaan didn't mention her name or anything about her. He didn't ask if she is fine. Did he think that she doesn't live with his parent's anymore after he has left her.
"Ananya, jaldi karo! Hume dekhna hai ke ghar kaisa bana hai!" Balwinder yells through the house.
"Ji...aa rahi hoon." Ananya rushes to him.
"Riddhima kahan hai?"
"Pata nai. Riddhima! Riddhima!" Riddhima walks up to them. "Beta, tum bhi humare saath chalo."
"Nai Ma ji," said Riddhima. She didn't want to go. Maybe because the thought of Armaan not caring about her has made her feel suffocated and then going to the house that Armaan has gotten built made her feel more depressed. It's been three months since that letter has come and Riddhima has lost all hopes on Armaan feeling anything for her. Did he regret when he had left her? Did he even remember her? Or did he find someone else in the city?
"Riddhima, tum chal rahi ho. Main iss pe koi bhes nai chahtha." Riddhima nods on hearing Balwinder's strict voice.
They arrive at the location where the house is built and once they see it, they are left mesmerized. This house is five times bigger than their old house. All three of them were just staring at the house that they didn't notice a man standing by the house with a smile on his face. Riddhima is the first one to look at him and sees him walking over to them.
"Hello Mr and Mrs. Mallik and Mrs. Mallik," the man said with a big smile. "Main hoon Shubhankar Rai." He holds his hand out to Balwinder. Balwinder smiles and shakes Shubhanker's hand.
"Main hoon Balwinder, yeh meri patni Ananya, aur humari bahu Riddhima, Armaan ki patni."
"Jaanta hoon ke yeh Armaan ki biwi hai. Armaan ne mujhe iss ke baare main bataya tha," said Shubhankar. Riddhima looks at Shubhankar in shock. Armaan did remember her. Then why didn't he mention anything about her in the letter?
"Kya kaha uno ne?" Riddhima couldn't help but ask.
"Zyada kuch nai bas yehi ke unki shaadi ho chuki aur aap ka naam Riddhima hai." Armaan had told that he is married, so that means that hasn't found anyone in the city. Riddhima felt somewhat relieved that Armaan cares for her. Their wedding night, he barely even looked at her except when he told her that he is leaving for city. That is the only time he looked at her straight in the eye. "Andar chalte hai aur main aap ko aap ka naya ghar dikha ta hoon."
All three of them enter the house through two doors and they step into a big hall to recieve guests from. There is a staircase that leads up near the front door. Further they walk in, they could see the living room where couches were placed nicely along with a big coffee and a couple of side tables. A TV sitting on a wide, but short shelf like table. The roof is adorned by a large chandelier. To the right is the kitchen and to the left is another staircase that obviously leads upstairs. Shubhankar looks at their faces and can tell that they are loving it so far.
"Armaan ne bataya tha ke aap ko hamesha se aisa hi ek bada ghar chaiye tha," Shubhankar said.
"Ji lekin kabhi socha nai tha itna bada ghar milega." Ananya was spellbound and just looking around.
"Ab upar chalte hai." Shubhankar leads them up. They walk to the first door and he opens the door. "Balwinder ji aur Ananya ji, yeh aap dono ka kamra hai." They walk in and see a king size bed with a couch set at the other half of the room. A dressing table set beside a wall and a door leading to the bathroom. "Acha laga?"
"Bohut acha laga," Balwinder said, completely speechless.
"Armaan, ne kaha ke kuch guest rooms rakh le agar kahin aap ke mehmaan aa jaye tehr ne ke liye," Shubhankar tells them. "Aur yeh hai aap ka kamra." Shubhankar said looking at Riddhima.
Riddhima walks inside and looks around. This room also had a king sized bed with a dressing table resting against a wall. There was a couch set by the balcony door which showed the mountains that were afar. There was an open space in which Riddhima steps in and sees double doors. She opens it and finds an enormous bathroom. After looking at all the rooms, they are walking in the hallway of the second level which had tiny lights hanging down from the ceiling.
"Aap sab ko ghar pasand aaya?" Shubhankar asks.
"Ji, sab bohut khoobsurat hai aur yakeen nai ho raha ke humara hai," said Balwinder. "Shukriya."
"Shurkiya mujhe nai, apne bete ko kahe. Yeh sab Armaan ne khudi banaya hai ke ghar ka style aur ghar ke andar kya hona chaiye."
"Aap Armaan se milte hai?" Ananya asks.
"Ji."
"Woh kaisa hai? Theek hai na? Kamzor toh nai ho gaya?" Ananya gets emotional and tears start to fall.
"Woh bilkul theek hai aur woh kamzor kaise hoga. Ab toh uss ke muscles ban gaye bilkul Salman Khan ki tarah," Shubhankar said. They were outside by now.
"Toh ab hum iss ghar main kab aa sakte hain?" Balwinder asks.
"Jab aap chahe," Shubhanker replies. "Yeh ab ghar aap ka hai." Shubhankar hands the keys to Balwinder.
"Aap ka bohut bohut shukriya," Balwinder says.
"Arre nai. Armaan jab shehr aaya tha toh woh sabse pehle mujhse mila aur woh mere saath hi raha. Bohut hi pyara beta hai aap ka," Shubhanker compliments Armaan. Ananya felt relieved that her son was with Shubhankar. Ananya knows that Shubhankar is a sweet man by the way he had greeted them and showed them the house nicely. "Agar aap bura na mane toh mujhe ab jaana padega. Maine apni biwi ko kaha hai ke main aaj shaam tak ghar aa jaoga aur agar abhi nai nikla toh daer ho jayegi."
"Arre nai, aap jaye. Hum bhi chalte hai." Balwinder starts walking with Ananya. Riddhima is about to follow them when she hears Shubhankar's voice.
"Riddhima," Shubhankar said a bit loudly. Riddhima turns around. "Yeh letter Armaan ne aap ke liye bheji hai." Shubhankar hands Riddhima an envelope.
"Mere liye?" Riddhima asks in a doubtful voice, but is ecstatic on the inside to know that Armaan wrote her a letter. Shubhankar nods and bids her goodbye and leaves.
"Riddhima!" Ananya yells.
"Aaye Ma ji!" Riddhima hides the envelope under her dupatta and walks away.
Once they reach home, Riddhima runs upstairs to her room and shuts the door. Riddhima was so happy that she had ripped the letter open on her way to the room. She unfolds the piece of paper and starts Riddhima.
Riddhima,
Kaisi ho tum? Tumhe laga ke main tumhe bhool gaya? Kaise bhool sakta hoon main, akhir humari shaadi hui hai. Riddhima, main abhi bhi tumhe apni patni nai maan sakta. Maine tumhe kabhi uss nazare se dekha nai hai. Jab main yahan aaya toh mujhe laga ke mujhe tumhari yaad aayi gi aur tumhe apni biwi maan loga lekin mujhse nai hua. Tum aisa mat soch na ke mujhe yahan par koi mil gayi hai kyun ke nai mili hai. Sab ko yahan pata hai ke meri shaadi tumse hui hai lekin mein tumhare liye woh mehsoos nai karta jo mujhe karna chaiye. Agar ho sake jo maine tumhe itna bura kaha yahan aane se pehle aur ab jo keh raha tum mujhe maaf kardo. Shayad main bohut jald vahan aao tum sab se milne.
Armaan
Riddhima sits on the bed re-reading the letter over and over again. He didn't forget her, but he doesn't feel anything for her. She crumbles the paper and throws it against the wall. Riddhima had tried to hate Armaan, because he had left her, but ever since she was little she has been told that Armaan is her life partner. Then when Armaan had left, she was in hope every single day that Armaan will come back to her and tell her he loves her. By dreaming all of that, she had fallen in love with Armaan. Riddhima doesn't know how he looks now, but she knows his gray-blue eyes are still the same. It was very rare for someone to have colored eyes, barely anyone in the village had colored eyes. It was as if Armaan is given everything. He had gotten what he wanted, to become big and earn big. When Armaan is coming? She didn't know and no one else did either. Even if he does come back then what is she suppose to do. Armaan said in the letter that he doesn't feel anything for her. Armaan's not going to stay in the village forever. He's obviously going to have to go back because he works now and his lifestyle has changed in these past years too. When Armaan comes back, their relationship will be awkward, knowing that there can be nothing between them and seeing each other after so long.
The big question is when is Armaan coming back? This year or in a few years?
***
I feel this part wasn't that great. Sorry, if you all got bored :) Apologize for any mistakes.
Cricket
CID
63