Pyar - Page 2

Chapter 6

Riddhima quickly turned her head towards him as she felt his breath caress her ears, she did not realize how close his face was to hers when her lips brushed his jaw. She instantly pulled back and stood up as Armaan took his time to straighten up. He looked at her with smoky eyes which turned her knees to mush, she held onto the chair for support as she spoke "You don't have anything to worry Mr Mallik. I know how to behave professionally, plus you are definitely not my type. So lets not even go there"

Armaan was still absorbed in the feel of her lips on his jaw, he felt a shockwave pass through his system when her soft lips brushed against his rough skin; he was still in a daze when her words bought him back to earth, he could feel anger rising in him "Well, you are also not my type so don't flatter yourself. I have already told you the plan. I'll work out the contract and send for you to sign it. Do you have any more questions?"

Riddhima was annoyed with his change of attitude, as if she cared what he thought of her "No, i'll wait in your office, can you give me the contract today? I'd like to go over it tonight. I'll bring the signed one tomorrow morning" she slung her purse on her shoulders and waited for his answer.

Armaan felt it odd that she wanted to go through it, its not like he would take advantage and put in unnecessary clauses in it "Fine, you can wait in the meeting room outside. I'll ask my person to send it over" he saw as riddhima nodded and turned to leave but she turned back to him at the last minute "Just one more thing Mr Mallik, i don't want you asking me anything personal.I don't want to involve my family or my personal life in all this"

Armaan nodded "As if i want to know anything, since Rahul recommended you i don't have anything to worry, i trust him completely. What you do with your money, how you spend it, who your family and friends are, i'm not interested. But i do need to know if any one of them would be a hinderance to my plan?"

Riddhima shook her head "Don't worry no one will know about this, i won't tell my family anything. For me its just a one month overseas job, once its done i'm free. Oh and can i have the first payment tomorrow?"

Armaan sighed, once again she was back on the money subject "Yes yes..once you sign the contract, the money is yours. I always keep my word" with that she bid him a goodbye and stepped out of his office. She went and sat in the meeting room outside.

...

Riddhima was waiting for nearly half an hour, she had to go to the hospital as well. She still could not believe that she had agreed to this madness and lied about her real self, but she had to do it for her buaji. She had just taken out her phone to call her when Armaan walked in with another man.

"Ridzi, this is Mr Thomas my personal legal advisor and lawyer." riddhima smiled and shook the man's hand "Madam, if you would kindly write your full name here; i need to draft the contract accordingly and re-print it"

Riddhima looked nervous, she very well could not give a fake name, plus what if Armaan already knew katarina's last name? She would be caught right away! She looked at her watch and said in an agitated tone "Listen i really don't have the time to wait another half an hour, i need to get somewhere right away. Can i just take this contract as it is? My sign will be on the dotted line..so it is legally binding right?"

Armaan looked at Mr Thomas who nodded his head "Very well madam, yes you can sign it as it is" Armaan thanked Mr Thomas and looked at riddhima "Seriously woman! You don't have patience at all do you?! Anyways i wanted to ask if you have a British passport? Cause in case its Spanish i will need to send it for Visa asap! Also we are leaving in two days time, so start packing"

Riddhima started panicking again, she had not thought of this at all but she was glad she had a British passport but two days! Thats too short a time, she looked at him and said confidently "yes, i do have a British passport, so you need not worry, but why do we have to leave so soon? I have lots of things i need to manage her" she thought of her buaji, she couldn't very well leave her right away.

Armaan spoke in an annoyed voice "Listen Ridzi, you have to understand that this is an urgent matter, i had told you the other day itself that i need a fiancee asap! So don't give me grief about having too many things to manage, get everything you need to do in two days. We leave on thursday night! Period."

Riddhima felt she could not argue with him here, she had to figure out about buaji, but Shit! The ticket! If he sees her passport and name on ticket, he'll know she is not katarina, she pursed her lips and spoke quickly "Fine, we'll leave in two days but i want to book my own ticket? You can let me know the flight and i'll do my own booking accordingly"

Armaan looked at her as if she had lost her mind "What! Why the hell will you do that? You are coming as my fiancee, so I will book your ticket! Its absurd to even ask me that"

Riddhima sighed "Listen ARMAAN MALLIK, i've always had this thing about others doing my bookings. I don't know how to explain it but i feel creeped out if anyone books or reserves anything for me. I like doing these things myself"

Armaan looked at her weirdly "You do know such things are called OCD? Obsessive compulsive disorders? Fine! Do your own booking, my secretary will let you know the flight, please make sure you book the same one. Oh and book first class since you'll be traveling with me. I'll give you the money for it tomorrow as well"

Riddhima gave him a tight smile and picked up the contract, she stuffed it inside her bag and got up "Great! So i'll see you tomorrow. Do let me know if i need to get anything specific for the trip?"

Armaan thought for a while "Well, as long as you have some decent clothes it will be fine. I mean you will be staying with my family and they are a bit traditional, though i suppose they'll be fine with whatever you wear since you are Spanish, i don't expect you to wear any indian clothes" he saw her shift uncomfortably "By the way, you do have some good evening wear right? We'll be expected to attend many parties and corporate do's"

Riddhima was really annoyed now, he still thought she was spanish, 'but then i too never cleared his misunderstanding" she thought, 'plus the real katarina is spanish'. She thought about her wardrobe and wondered if there was anything worth wearing for Armaan's parties, she shook her head "Well, i don't really have any designer wear if you mean that, but i do have some good decent gowns which i have myself.." she stopped there, she was just going to blurt out everything.

"Which you have what Ridzi?" Armaan asked her, she looked at him nervously and answered "Which i have myself bought" Armaan gave her a weird look "Well who the hell buys your clothes for you then? Your mother!" Ridzi gave him an irritated look "Look, i told you i don't want to talk on anything personal. Can we just drop this!"

Armaan felt that he had stepped on a touchy subject, he quickly nodded "Fine, leave it. I'll meet you in Harrods at sharp 5pm, you need to get everything which Armaan Mallik's fiancee should have. Be there on time" saying that he left her staring at him with her mouth open.

Riddhima was pissed off! What gave him the right to tell her what to do, she stormed out of his office in a huff. That was a close call she thought, she had picked up the details of the flight from his secretary. She rushed out of the main building towards the tube station.

...

Armaan was reaching Harrods in 10 minutes, he had sent riddhima a text when he left, one thing he really did not like was her tardiness. He liked punctuality, but as he reached the main street off harrods he saw her standing by the display window and admiring a dress, he got down from his limousine and came and stood right behind her.

...

Riddhima had just reached Harrods after visiting her aunt in the hospital, she was happy that they were discharging her tomorrow. Riddhima had explained to her that she had gotten an internship but the job was in India for a month, her aunt was very excited for her since riddhima was going to India' Riddhima had already spoken to the care home and they had assured her of taking extra care of her aunt, specially since she had upgraded her care package.

Riddhima sighed as she waited for Armaan, she was kind of excited to see him again but then maybe that was only because she would actually get to shop in Harrods; she remembered when she was young her father had got both her and her brother here, they had bought those huge pencils which were the rage at that time, they really could not afford any of the other extravagant things which were on display, her eyes misted up as she thought of that day.

She wiped her tears and went to check out the window display, she got mesmerized by a deep red marchesa gown which was on display, it was made of the finest silk, she wondered how she would look in it when she felt a presence behind her. She looked quickly to see Armaan staring at the gown"Oh hi, your'e here. Shall we go in?" Armaan nodded and gestured her to lead while he walked behind her.

Armaan was also wondering how she would look in that amazing gown, it really was a beautiful design, at least their tastes were similar he thought, he lead her directly to the designer area where they could find that dress. He really wanted to get it for her, he had never felt this feeling for anyone before but somehow Ridzi made him feel things which he could not understand himself.

...

Riddhima met up with a personal shop assistant who Armaan had sent, she would be helping them out with the entire shopping right from shoes to accessories to dresses. It took them nearly an hour to choose tons of dresses,suits and casuals. The assistant asked riddhima to try on her clothes while she got matching shoes and accessories to go with it. Armaan had left half an ago to make few calls and wasn't around.

The assistant helped riddhima hang all the clothes in the huge dressing room, she closed the door behind her as riddhima locked it and started trying on all the clothes, she did not understand why all this was necessary, but then she was acting as ARMAAN MALLIK's fiancee; that means the goods should go with the right packaging, she sighed as she had finished trying on most of the clothes, there was a knock on the door as riddhima tried on a pale blue skirt suit.

Riddhima quickly unlocked the door to find the assistant with another stand full of clothes, this time they were gowns and nightwear, with lots of tiny itsy bitsy lingerie, riddhima's eyes became wide as she saw the array of clothes "Did ARMAAN MALLIK ask you to send these in?" she said pointing towards the lingerie.

"Oh no, he just insisted on this one dress and few more gowns. I felt you should try out the lingerie as well and some nightwear" Riddhima looked at the Red gown which she was admiring earlier, she felt her heart contract as she thought how sweet it was of him to send in this gown. She smiled at the assistant "Thank you, but i don't want to buy any lingerie. I'll try on these gown only"

"Very well madam, you can leave the lingerie out, please do try on the gowns though. I'll be right outside if you need any help" she smiled at riddhima as she once again left the room closing the door. Riddhima locked it and started taking off her suit, she hung it amongst the other clothes and went straight to the Red gown, she was in awe of the beautiful design, she eagerly stepped into in and pulled it up. Since the gown had inbuilt cups, she unhooked her bra and threw it on the little settee. She reached behind her to zip herself up.

...

Armaan had just finished his calls and had come to the dressing area. He was wondering why it was taking so long "Is she nearly done? Did you give her the gown to try?" he asked the assistant who was standing outside "Yes sir, she is nearly done with everything. I'll just go and bring the shoes" with that she left the place and hurried along to get everything.

Armaan stood right outside riddhima's dressing room, since she was nearly done she was probably choosing what all to get. He felt happy buying things for her, as if it was his right to do so. He shook his head again as he heard riddhima's voice from inside.

Riddhima was trying very hard to zip up the dress from behind, but since the zip ran all the way down, she could not reach it. She felt sweat beads form over her lips as she struggled with it, she then remembered that the assistant was right outside, she spoke loudly from inside the dressing room "Hey, can you come in for a second?" she unlocked the door and turned towards the other side, she wanted the assistant to help zip her up.

Armaan wondered what help she required from him; She probably wanted an opinion on something or the other. 'Women' the thought, he went in and closed the door behind him; as he turned, his mouth literally dropped to the floor; there she was standing in front of him struggling with the deep red dress, her gorgeous silky smooth back all bare from the nape of her neck to the base of her spine, it was sight for sore eyes!

Armaan was left stunned as he stared at the naked expanse of her back, he was rooted to the place and could not move as his eyes devoured the sight in front of him, since her hair was tied up, her entire back was on display, he could even see the faint black lace of her panties where the zip started, he glanced around to see the stand full of naughty lingerie pieces and her black bra resting on the settee in the front,since riddhima was facing the other side, she could not see him and assumed it was the assistant.

"Well, can you help me zip up please? My hands are getting tired of holding this dress up" riddhima said tiredly. Armaan saw that she was holding the dress from the front right over her breasts, if she left it now it would fall right off, oh how he wished he could see her in all her glorious nakedness, he went hard just thinking of that image, he forced himself out of his x-rated thoughts and stepped forward, his trembling hands reached for the zip at the bottom and he slowly pulled it up.

Riddhima's breath caught as she felt hard fingers graze her naked back, she shivered and sucked in a breath as she realized that this was definitely not the assistant. As soon as the zip was pulled all the way up, she spun around to gaze directly into Armaan Mallik's smoky eyes, his desire for her was evident in the way he started at her, she herself was stunned to find him here, she backed up a little bit from him and asked in a shaky voice "Wh..what are you doing here?"

Armaan saw the blush forming on her gorgeous face, he gave her a crooked grin "Well, you were the one who called me in remember?" Riddhima looked at him with wide eyes "N..n..no i did not call you. I called the assistant! Why did you come in?" Armaan gave her an amused look "Well, did you say assistant? I assumed you call me in!"

Riddhima shook her head, the audacity he had! "Why would i call you? It was just a miscommunication. Im not mad to call you in" Armaan started walking towards her "Well, i don't know...we seem to have a lot of miscommunications huh?" Riddhima kept walking back as he neared her, finally she felt the wall on her back as Armaan came and stood right in front of her, she had no place to move.

Armaan saw her breathing heavily and was once again mesmerized by her cleavage visible right above her neckline which rose with her erratic breathing, he was too dazed to think what he was doing as he slowly trailed his forefinger over it. Riddhima was shocked by his bold move, but it felt so good to have him touch her like this. She saw as his finger slowly dipped inside the middle of the heart shaped neckline to caress the valley between her breasts, Riddhima moaned as she felt heat pool in her lower region, she held her breath as he leaned forward towards her chest.

Armaan was vaguely aware of what he was doing, he knew he was playing with fire but he could not resist, plus her moan had completely undone him, he wanted his mouth to be where his fingers were at present, he saw her tremble slightly as he dipped his fingers inside her cleavage, he was just leaning down to fulfill his fantasy when there was a knock on the door "Miss, are you done? Do you want to try the shoes now with the gowns?"

Riddhima realized what they were about to do, she pushed Armaan away and straightened her clothes, she then went straight to the door and opened it, the assistant walked in with a surprised look on her face, but being the professional that she was did not comment on anything. She proceeded to keep the shoes down "We'll take everything, just pack it. She'll figure out what to mix and match. Just bill everything in this room in the next 5 minutes, we have to leave" He did not even glance at riddhima as he left the room.

Riddhima was annoyed beyond reason! First he bossed her around to shop for all this, now he is not even taking her opinion, granted she loved everything she had tried, and then what just happened between them...arrgh! Men she thought as she quickly changed into her own clothes. She stepped out as a bevy of other assistants milled in to take everything out.

...

Armaan could not believe that he went that far, what was wrong with him! Why the hell was he acting like a bloody teenager with raging hormones, it was as if when she was in front of him he forgot everything! He had to be more careful, he was aware of the sexual tension between them and he also knew that she was bothered about it as well, but they had to keep their distance. He made up his mind to keep away from her as much as possible. He had to avoid any complications. He went ahead to the billing counter to make the payment

Riddhima knew that they had to speak about what happened inside, but she too wanted to avoid the conversation. Since he was not even looking at her, it was best to think that nothing happened and nothing will happen, she could not understand why her senses left her every time he was around. The shop manager came and thanked them for the purchases and assured them that they will be delivered to Armaan's house by tomorrow morning.

Armaan and riddhima left the store in silence, he walked as fast as he could with her trailing behind, as they reached the glass door, he turned around "Do you need a lift home? I can leave you if you like?" Riddhima looked at him uncertainly, she did not want to take him to her halls "No, i'll be fine. I'll come by tomorrow morning with the signed papers." saying that she turned and left quickly as Armaan got into his car. This was a day to remember for both of them.

Chapter 7

Armaan put on his tie savagely, once again he had overslept thanks to the uncomfortable night he had! He could not believe how bothered he had been last night, first he felt vastly guilty about the way he acted with Ridzi but then on the other hand he kept wondering what would have happened if the damn assistant had not interrupted, he so wanted to taste her soft skin, loose himself in her lips..arrgh! Control Armaan! Be professional...using that as a mantra he grabbed a quick breakfast and rushed to his office.

...

"Be Professional Riddhima!!" she kept repeating this as soon as she got up, she had hardly slept a wink last night and the tiredness was evident in the bags under her eyes, she had gone through the contract and it looked solid enough to pass through a legislative society, who the hell drafts such things for such a small thing, but then again this was not a small thing for Armaan Mallik!and confidentiality was imperative! She signed her real signature since it only had a 'k gupta' in it and thanks to her horrible signature no one could understand the 'Gupta' part!

She got ready to leave for the hospital; she had to move her aunt back to the care home today after which she had to drop off the contract in ARMAAN MALLIK's office. She glanced at the nearly empty room which was devoid of all her stuff, she had sent everything in storage for now; once she gets back she'll have to find a flat and shift everything back. She wondered if Armaan will get all the stuff from yesterday with him but she'll only know once she meets him. She sighed at the prospect of seeing him again, the awkwardness would definitely be there from yesterday, of that she was sure.

...

Armaan was just finishing his conference, he had got a call from his secretary that Ridzi had come to meet him, he had asked Mr Thomas to meet her and check the contract papers, he did not want to meet her till tomorrow when they left for India, God only knows what he'll end up doing. He stayed back in the conference room once everyone left. He sat down at the head of the table and clicked on his iPad to check his mails. He was still there half an hour later and wondered if she had left by now. He called his secretary who was not picking up her phone. He then dialed Thomas's cell which he picked up straight away; he could hear Ridzi's sultry laugh in the background.

He was extremely irritated to hear her laugh and his irritation increased as he heard Thomas speak in a joyful voice "Yes ARMAAN MALLIK, what can I do for you? Are you still in your meeting?" Armaan wondered what was going on in the meeting room "No, I'm not done with my meeting yet. What's all that commotion about? Aren't you done with the contract signing yet?"

Thomas sobered up "Uh...yes we were just chatting..she's done with signing the contract and I have handed over the advance to her along with the flight money as you requested; we were actually waiting for you but since you are busy, we'll leave" Armaan raised his eyebrows 'We'll leave!' did he hear him right? "Thomas, where are you both going exactly? I mean you did say we right?" he heard Thomas chuckle at the other end "Oh that, well since its lunch time I offered Ridzi to have lunch with me at the caf across the street, we were waiting for you but we'll leave now"

Armaan felt his irritation rise to the highest level "No you may not go, Ridzi needs to come with me. She has to pick up all her junk from my house. Ask her to be ready, I'll buy her lunch on the way if she is starving soo much" he ended the call violently. He had no idea where this beast rose up in him, he did not want to be near her, then why was he taking her home! Damn the rational thinking, he had to take her away from here; he did not want her spending any more time with Thomas.

...

Riddhima had been waiting for Armaan since one hour now; she had come in after taking her aunt to the care home. Once she was satisfied that her aunt was well settled in her new accommodation, she had left to come in and drop the signed contract off. She met Mr Thomas who went over all the points with her once again and handed her the cash as promised. As they were waiting for Armaan to show up, they started a conversation about office culture and scarcity of jobs, she enjoyed talking to Mr Thomas since he seemed to know a lot, they decided to grab a byte before riddhima left for her halls.

Riddhima looked up to see a positively sweating Mr Thomas, she knew he was on call with ARMAAN MALLIK and was sure that he must have said something to unnerve him, she saw as he smiled nervously at her and picked up his papers and other things, Riddhima stood up and smiled at him thinking they were leaving for lunch, she thanked her stars that she did not have to meet...her thoughts were cut short as she saw him enter the meeting room, he looked livid and a little bit pissed off as he looked first at Mr Thomas and then at her "Thanks for keeping her company Thomas, but I'd like to talk to my faux Fiance in private" riddhima saw as Mr Thomas quickly made his getaway without even glancing at her once.

Armaan took a deep breath as he slowly let his eyes trail her from bottom to top. Today she was wearing skinny jeans and a simple white tee with cap sleeves, she looked gorgeous, the white tee outlined her perfect boobs while the skinny jeans made her legs look long and never ending, her hair was tied up in a pony and his hands itched to free them and feel their softness; he realized after a while that he was staring at her. 'Focus Armaan Focus', He straightened up and looked everywhere but at her "Shall we?"

Riddhima was seriously annoyed with his highness! First he scared Mr Thomas off,then he shamelessly checked her out and now he was not even looking at her while speaking, who the hell does he think he is! "I'm leaving Mr Mallik, if you can't even bring yourself to look at me I don't know how we'll spend the entire month together! I've given the contract to Mr Thomas, if the deal is still on then let me know, i'll meet you tomorrow at the airport" saying that she picked up her bag and headed towards the door.

She had her hand on the door knob and was about to open it and step out when she felt a steel grip on her other arm, she turned to see Armaan looking at her peculiarly "Look i'm sorry Ridzi, i'm just a bit wound up with some other issues. Plus what happened between us yesterday was completely my fault and totally out of order. I don't want you feeling awkward because of it; you should be comfortable with me and I promise it will never happen again" 'unless you take a lead' he thought. He mentally slapped himself again.

Riddhima looked at him and wondered where this gentle caring person was hidden under that tough exterior, she never in a million years thought that Armaan Mallik would apologize to her. She turned towards him and gave him a dazzling smile "Apology accepted. Don't worry I guess you just got carried away. It happens" saying this she patted his shoulders.

Armaan was furious, what the! "Excuse me, this was not an apology..i don't owe you an apology all right! And it wasn't just me who got carried away, I didn't hear you complain..i mean if that assistant had not interrupted God only knows what would have happened" He saw riddhima scrunch her nose, even in his annoyance he thought about how cute she looked.

Riddhima pursed her lip "Look Mr Mallik, nothing would have happened ! If the assistant had not come in, I would have pushed you away anyways. So lets not even go there. You know what! I can't remember one conversation we've had till now without you either accusing me or misunderstanding me or just plainly not listening to my opinion..!"

Armaan loved the way her skin went all pink as she got agitated, her chest rose rhythmically making the thin cotton of the tee strain against her heavy boobs, he once again controlled himself, thats it! He went ahead and put his finger roughly against her lips "Stop! Can you stop talking for a minute woman! If you keep on shouting at me we'll be having this verbal war throughout the day! Can we just focus on the task at hand?!"

Riddhima was shocked to feel his rough finger on her lips, the feeling was very pleasant indeed and she wondered how his lips would feel against hers, she saw his determined expression and nodded her head up and down, she pouted her pretty lips to show her annoyance, but what she did not know was her simple movement played havoc with Armaan's senses, he felt her soft lips slowly rub against his finger, when she pouted it felt as if she kissed him, he was once again loosing control, he had a mental image of her sucking his finger with that incredible mouth and then maybe something else...arrgh! 'Be Professional!' he quickly took his finger off her mouth and gestured her to step out with him.

"Give me your address so that I can send all the bags from yesterday to your house. You will need to pack them up" he said as they stepped out, he wanted to get as far away as possible from her. Riddhima looked at him worriedly, she very well could not give him her halls address and neither could she give him the care home's, she squared her shoulders and replied "um..can I come and pick it up please? I won't be home later and tomorrow also I have some errands to run, so..." Armaan closed his eyes, no no "Fine, i'll ask my butler to keep the bags ready, i'm headed home anyways so you can come with me"

Riddhima was not sure if she did the right thing by inviting herself over, but she had no other choice. She went down with him and sat in the limousine which pulled up outside his office. They sat in absolute silence as the car trundled around London's cobbled street, Riddhima looked out in awe at the huge mansions in Belgravia, she saw the starbucks where she had coffee the other day and let out a small giggle.

Armaan saw riddhima giggle while looking out of the window, he turned towards her and asked her "Whats so funny?" she looked at him a straightened up "Um..nothing I was remembering a coffee I had here couple days ago" Armaan looked out to see his usual starbucks, he wondered what she was doing in Belgravia ,but thought best not to ask her, he won't be able to bear if she said she was here with some client of hers.

They finally reached Armaan's townhouse, Riddhima got down as the chauffeur opened the door for her, she stood outside looking at the beautiful victorian style house, it looked absolutely gorgeous. She stepped in the house through the door which was held open by a kind looking old man, he greeted her and closed the door as soon as they stepped in. Riddhima looked at the huge portrait of an older looking couple hanging on the wall in front, next to it was a very artfully taken photo of really pretty girl. She looked at Armaan questioningly "Those are my parents and thats my little sister Nikki"

Armaan looked at riddhima as she gazed around, she seemed to be mesmerized by his house, she went forward and touched the photographs on the wall, then she trailed her hand along the gilded mirror and the alabaster table underneath, then she softly touched the orchids in a vase on the table. She was smiling as she turned around "Must be wonderful to stay in such a magnificent house"

Armaan looked at her innocent face, she did not look like she was acting or complimenting the house for extra brownie points, she looked genuine in her praise. Armaan wondered what made such a young girl take up a job as an escort, was she that desperate for money. Armaan wondered why ,but then let the thought pass as he heard his butler come up to him "Sir, I have kept all the bags in the guest room downstairs, would the miss like to check if all the items have arrived?"

Armaan gestured Riddhima to go along with this butler to check the clothes, since she was the one who chose everything so she must know if anything was missing. He excused himself saying that he had to make some phone calls. Riddhima nodded and went to the guestroom.

Once the butler left her alone, she checked all the bags and the dresses which were in plastic covers, she admired all the dresses and casuals which she had chosen, she never knew that she would get to wear these beautiful pieces, well definitely not on her pay! She was nearly done when she came across a couple of flat boxes, she wondered what was in there, she assumed they were accessories or more shoes but when she opened them her eyes turned round as saucers! Gently folded inside soft tissue were the most exquisite inner wears, she remembered seeing the lingerie on the dressing room stand but had no idea that Armaan had bought them, she picked up a red lacy number on one finger and looked at it.

Armaan had just finished his calls, he headed towards the guest room to see if riddhima had finished checking the clothes, he walked into the open room and was once again rooted to the spot. He groaned inwardly as he saw her holding up a piece of racy red lingerie, it was more or less see through and extremely delicate, his wild thoughts once again started picturing her in it, he felt like a starved man who was being offered sweet nectar but could only see it from afar, not taste it. He had to clear his mind, he coughed slightly and saw as riddhima quickly stuffed the item in the box on the bed.

Riddhima's cheeks were burning, surely he did not see her gazing at the lingerie, she licked her dry lips and turned towards him "Hi" she said breezily "Umm...did you but those?" she said pointing towards the lingerie boxes. Armaan was wondering what she was on about, he stepped towards the bed as she stepped away from it. He looked down at the open box full of teeny tiny underwear, he started sweating under his collar "N..no way! Why would I but those? I thought I made it clear that they should pack whatever you had tried on. Did you uh..uh try those?"

Riddhima felt more heat run up her face "No way. I told them I did not want them, she must have assumed we wanted to buy them. No harm done, we can return it back" Armaan looked straight at her "There's no need for that, you can keep it" Riddhima shook her head "No ARMAAN MALLIK I don't want it" Armaan pursed his lips, he was annoyed now "Fine, give to a shelter or something on your way home" Riddhima gave him a weird look ""Yeah right as if people at the shelter wait for some sexy lingerie to cover themselves"

Armaan realized the stupidity of his comment and felt a grin creep up, he looked at riddhima's twisted face and burst out laughing, riddhima was first quite shocked to see him laugh but then joined in too, they both started laughing very loudly till tears started forming in their eyes, Armaan sat down on the bed while riddhima stood holding her stomach, they would have continued further in case the butler had not come in, he looked positively shocked beyond compare. He had never seen Armaan smile let along laugh!

Both of them sobered up as the butler announced that the car was ready. Armaan helped him take all of riddhima's bags to the foyer area. They did not look at each other till the car was packed with all her bags. The butler bid her a farewell and turned towards Armaan "Sir, the people from the animal shelter were here to..." as soon as they both heard the word 'Shelter' their laughing spree started again. They looked at each other and continued laughing to the shock of both the butler and the chauffeur, finally they stopped as Armaan helped riddhima sit in, he closed the door as she rolled down the window "So, i'll see you tomorrow at the airport. Should I send the car over?" Riddhima shook her head "No, i'll make my way there" looking at his troubled face she added "And I will be there in time. See you tomorrow."

...

As soon as the car left riddhima felt her face double up in a huge smile, she could not remember the last time she had laughed so heartily. She remembered how wonderfully handsome Armaan looked when he laughed, how she wished he would always laugh and smile like this. She sighed as she told the chauffeur to drop her outside Knightsbridge tube station, when he insisted that he would leave her and how would she manage with all the luggage, she said she will take another taxi from there. He did not argue with her since she was his bosses friend and a very close one it looked like. He helped her load all the bags in the cab and bid her a goodbye. Riddhima sat back in the cab and gave him the address of her halls.

...

That night as Armaan ate his dinner alone, he remembered that he was supposed to buy lunch for Ridzi, as soon as he thought of her, he went over the events which occurred earlier in the day, he had never in his entire life laughed as much as he did today, that too on such a silly thing. He did not understand why he reacted in such a way, he just could not put his finger on what made him have such mixed feelings for her, sometimes he was angry, sometimes possessive, sometimes oh no most of times horny and today he actually laughed so hard that his sides were still hurting. He finished his meal quickly and left to do his packing. He wasn't going to think on this anymore.

Chapter 8

Riddhima spent the entire day with her aunt at the care home, even Shilpa had come to visit them over there, she promised that she'll keep in touch with her aunt and come and meet her frequently, Riddhima's biggest worry was her aunt's health, but after a reassuring talk with the doctor she felt better.

Shilpa was a little bit confused as to which job took riddhima all the way to India, to which riddhima explained that it was a lesser known Fashion house that manufactured all its fabrics there; they were sending her there to learn the local art and see how it can be used in modern designs, Shilpa wondered why riddhima had not sought out the Mallik textiles job but didn't grill her too much.

After a lovely morning and afternoon spent with her two favorite people, she said a teary goodbye to her aunt 'Buaji, i'll miss you a lot! I'll send you my indian number as soon as i get a sim ok, we'll talk everyday..i promise!" she kissed her aunt on both her cheeks "Aye bitiya, don't leave me with a sad face, i've always seen your face smiling, please smile for me? Also have you kept the list of names and addresses i gave you? We don't have much family there but at least you can count on them if needed"

Riddhima nodded a yes, her aunt have given a list of at least 5 close relatives they had in India. She had no intention of calling them but just in case she took it along with her. She gave one last hug to both her aunt and Shilpa and left the home.

Riddhima reached her halls and signed the hand-over form. She had cleared out everything and cleaned the room. She went and gave the keys and form to the warden before lugging her baggage's in the waiting cab and leaving for the airport. She wanted to get to there early so that she could check-in before ARMAAN MALLIK, there was no way she would sit next to him on that long flight. If she checked in before him, she would be assured a seat away from him.

...

Armaan had finished the last of his meetings around lunch time, it was already 5:30pm and his flight left London heathrow at 8pm sharp. He got into the limousine and called her, as soon as he heard her voice he groaned inwardly, there was no way he could bear sitting next to her if just her voice made him loose all his senses.

He took a deep breath and spoke "uh..Ridzi, hi..ARMAAN MALLIK here, have you left for the airport?" Riddhima smiled as she answered "yes ARMAAN MALLIK, i'm just on my way. Don't worry we'll both probably reach there together" Armaan closed his eyes 'Great' "Ok, so i'll see you there." he kept the phone and called the airline tele-checkin service.

"Hi, this is Armaan Mallik here, i wanted to do my tele-checkin please?" a pleasant voice was heard from the other end "Certainly sir, we have your preferred 2A seat available, would you like us to book that for you?" Armaan smiled "Yes please. Also can you make sure that a Miss Katarina does not sit next to me? Anyone else would do"the assistant seemed disturbed but she knew he was a VIP traveller "Off course sir, i'll make sure that does not happen. We'll see you soon sir" with that she kept the phone. Armaan leaned back in his seat and smiled, 'ah' he thought, '8 hrs of peace with no Ridzi to disturb him'.

...

Riddhima had already checked-in and was waiting for Armaan in the First class lounge, this was her first and maybe last time in here. She marveled at the beautiful lounge and the amazing variety of food which was being served in there. She was just finishing a cup of coffee when her flight was announced, she looked at the time and saw that it was quite late and Armaan had not reached yet. She took her hand bag and left for the boarding gate hoping that he reaches in time.

...

Armaan was bloody late! They got stuck in horrible traffic and had barely made it to the airport in time. Thank God he had tele-checked! He finished all the formalities and started walking towards the boarding gate. He called riddhima "Hi, where are you? Have you already boarded" riddhima replied quietly "yes, in fact right now i'm in the plane's loo. Where were you, i thought you ditched me!"

Armaan smiled despite of being annoyed with her tone "I'm just getting inside now, will see you in a bit. Guess we won't be sitting together..what a pity. But i'll come and say a hi" Riddhima stuck her tongue out, as if she cared! "Oh yeah thats sad, i didn't think of that" with that she quickly cut her phone. She dabbed on a tiny bit of her perfume, thank God she had found it today morning under the bed! Straightening her dress she stepped out of the loo.

Armaan got to his seat, he looked around but could not see ridzi anywhere, he wondered where she was sitting. He stuffed his bag in the overhead compartment and sat down on his seat. He once again glanced around but could not find her, 'she's probably still in the loo' he thought. He took the glass of champagne which the air hostess offered and leaned back with his eyes closed. He was just relaxing into his chair when he heard her

"Um..ARMAAN MALLIK, what are you doing here?" he opened his eyes to find Ridzi standing in front of him, she looked an absolute vision; her hair was flowing freely around her shoulders, she was wearing a chic cream linen dress which ended at her knees, her arms were bare and her neckline was modest. But even in the simple attire she took his breath away. He straightened up and smiled at her before he did something stupid "Hi, this is my seat..where are you sitting?"

Riddhima looked horrified! 'what he was sitting here! But how was possible, she checked-in ages before him and the front seats are usually given off first! She took a deep breath "Well, i'm sitting here too..i..i mean next to you" she pointed at the window seat next to him. It was almost comical to see Armaan's shocked face!

'What the!' he thought..he was going to kill the airline people, he had specifically told them not to put him next to her...arrgh. He calmed himself, it may not be that bad..he'll just engross himself in his iPad or a book and not pay any attention to her. He gave her a tight smile and let her slide in. He really wished he was sitting in economy right now, just so that in the constrained space her thighs would have brushed against his knees. He shook himself once again out of his fantasy and picked up a magazine, totally ignoring her.

Riddhima was annoyed, not only was he not paying any attention to her instead staring at the exotic butterfly in the magazine, as if he had to give an exam based on the patterns on it but she was also shit scared! This was only her second time flying and she was petrified during take-off. She gulped down her champagne quickly before clutching the armrest very tightly.

Armaan saw her agitation as he glanced at her, the plane had started moving and would take off any minute. He kept his magazine aside and turned towards riddhima "Whats wrong? Is this your first time flying?" riddhima looked at him with terrified eyes "N..no i had gone to spain a couple years ago with my uni class, so this is my second time" Armaan saw how scared she was..he was surprised to know that she had gone to university, he thought of asking her later but right now she needed him. He pushed the armrest between them up and took her tiny delicate hands in his, he looked her straight in the eyes and said softly "Don't worry ridzi, i'm here with you. Just trust me ok. You'll be fine"

Riddhima felt herself drowning in his eyes, she stared right at them and felt secure all of sudden as if nothing else mattered, all that mattered was that he was with her, she was glad that she ended up sitting next to him. They had no idea how long they were staring at each other when the air hostess interrupted them "Excuse me sir? Mam? Can i get you something to drink?"

Armaan looked up to see the air hostess smiling at them, he then looked out to see that they had taken off ages ago and were now at full throttle. He let go of riddhima's hand quickly and turned back, he ordered a scotch on the rocks while riddhima asked for a Champagne. They sat in utter silence till it was time for their dinner, they ate in silence as riddhima downed another two glasses of Champagne, Armaan saw that and said "be careful, you don't want to get drunk" she smiled easily at him "Aw..don't worry a little more won't do me any harm" but Armaan knew she was already quite high as she leaned back in her chair and fell promptly asleep.

He was staring at her beautiful face when the air hostess came to ask him if he needed anything, she then looked at riddhima and said "Would Miss Gupta like anything else? She seems to be asleep. Should we wake you both up for breakfast?" Armaan looked at her funnily "Who? You've got the wrong person..i'm Mr Mallik...and she is Ms..." he just realized he did not know her last name.The air hostess gave him a weird look "I'm so sorry mr Mallik, i thought you were both together. I'll check on Ms Gupta later"

Armaan was left seriously confused! Gupta? That's an Indian surname..he called out to the air hostess again "Wait..miss..i'll let her know when she wakes up, can you let me know her name please?" he gave her a sexy smile which would melt stone, she blushed and smiled back at him and checked her pad "Certainly sir, her name is Riddhima, Riddhima Gupta. Have a good night sir"

It was an hour later and Armaan was still trying to figure out everything. So she had three names? Katarina which Rahul told him..Ridzi which she told him...and Riddhima? Riddhima Gupta! What the! Was she Indian? But she did not look it, she was probably half Indian then, there was only one way to find out.

Armaan saw that she was deep asleep,he opened her bag and looked around for her passport, he took a deep breath before opening it; Her photo was quite old, maybe when she was a young teen, she looked cute even then with braces and her hair up in a high pony; he then saw the words next to it which confirmed it for him 'Gupta Riddhima' it said. He flipped over to see who the person to contact was when he saw the name 'Shashi Gupta' written with a london postal address. He wondered if he was her father..

Now that the shock had settled down..almost..he was wondering why she did not tell him and why she called herself Spanish, then it hit him! Her Job! It wasn't a respectable one, she probably had a traditional Indian family who would die before seeing their daughter doing this for a life, no wonder she did not want to let him in on her personal life.

My God! Even Rahul did not know this...man this was getting more and more interesting. He looked at her angelic face and wondered what more secrets she was hiding, he'll have to confront her first thing in the morning. With that thought in mind he too leaned in his seat,pulled a blanket over himself and slept.

...

Armaan woke up to find riddhima's arm possessively slung across his abdomen, her head was resting against his chest as she slept peacefully. His own arm was on her shoulders holding her close to his body. He breathed in her scent and was faintly reminded of a similar smell, but he could not remember from where. He moved the wisps of hair which were scattered across her beautiful face and trailed his finger from her forehead to her chin, God she was so beautiful, how wonderful will it be to wake up every day next to this enchantress, just perfect he thought.

He bent down and gave her a feather light kiss on her forehead as he felt her stirring in her sleep. He quickly pretended to be asleep as she yawned and opened her eyes, he heard her slight gasp as she discovered the position they were in. She slowly extracted herself out of his embrace and moved over. 'How the hell did this happen' she thought as Armaan smiled inwardly. 'This was going to be fun' he thought, he did not know if he should be angry or not, but it was time to confront her.

...

Riddhima blushed as she thought about them being in this position all night, it felt wonderful in his arms, No Riddhima! 'Be professional for God sake!' she quickly got up and left for the loo, she had to freshen up before he woke up. As soon as she got up Armaan stood up and removed the crumpled blanket from the seat; he stretched a little bit and asked the air hostess for some coffee; Armaan was lazily sipping it when 'Riddhima' came breezily to the seat and plonked down "Good morning, your'e up. I hope you had a good sleep"

Armaan gave her a lazy smile "Yes splendidly, iv'e never slept better. Would you like some coffee?" she nodded as Armaan ordered for her. "So tell me riddhima, did you feel scared again? You seemed to be quite brave about the rest of the trip" Riddhima smiled at him "Oh no, i was all right. I guess the champagne put me right to..wait what did you call me?" Armaan wiggled hiss eyebrows "Riddhima..isn't that your name? Or wait is it Ridzi?..nn...no its Katarina...Man its confusing..which one would you prefer Ms Gupta?"

Riddhima's eyes were round as saucers and she blushed furiously! How the hell did he know? Did she mumble something in her sleep? Did he check her passport? She looked away from him not really meeting his eyes. It was best she come clean "Ok ARMAAN MALLIK, I won't lie anymore, My name is Riddhima Gupta and Ridzi is a name that my friends and close family call me..and as you must have guessed i'm half Indian. My mother was English" she said in a wobbly voice.

'That explains her coloring and features..' he thought. He saw her eyes brimming with tears, 'Shit! Hope she doesn't cry' He held her hands "Hey,its fine, I checked your passport so I got to know your name accidentally. Listen I get it..you were only trying to protect your identity. I understand that your family is not happy with your line of work..in fact even Rahul did not know about you. So its ok. No need to cry about it, but you should have told me earlier, anyways you being half Indian will only make my mom happier" he gave her a slight smile.

Riddhima was about to tell him the whole truth, but he assumed something on his own; she thought this was not the best of time to come totally clean. She nodded her head and agreed to whatever conclusions he had come to on his own, at least he was not angry and finally at least one of her pretend act would be over. She was surprised that he took this so lightly, but what the hell! She looked out the window and saw the plane descending towards Delhi airport. 'I'm finally here', she thought.

...

Armaan got down and held her hand to help her, Riddhima stepped out of the 7series BMW which had come to pick them up at the airport. They hardly spoke during the ride and both sat staring outside as riddhima wondered what Armaan was thinking about her real name and identity while Armaan wondered how he should react to this news, he was fine with the fact that she was riddhima, the name suited her better actually but he was annoyed that she had kept him in the dark for so long. How long was she going to keep this charade up if he had not accidentally known the truth.

Armaan sighed as she saw a nervous Riddhima straighten her dress and her hair, she finally looked up at the humongous mansion in front of her; if she was in awe of Armaan's london home, she was speechless for this! The huge sprawling house went easily over half an acre, with limestone and marble cladding all throughout, it had blue tiling over the top and the lawn and grounds were perfectly complimenting the sheer elegance of the house.

Riddhima felt Armaan squeeze her hand and propel her forward to start walking towards the main entrance, as soon as they reached it , the door opened with a bang and Nikki, Armaan's sister who Riddhima recognized from the photo came running out. She flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly, Riddhima's face instantly lit up looking at the brother-sister bond, Armaan hugged her back and pulled her cheek "Hows my girl been?" Nikki made a face "Ouch bhai..pls stop pulling my cheeks! I'm 18 for pete's sake not a child and I am absolutely fine now that I've seen you! Oh we all missed you soo much!" she finally stepped out of the embrace and looked curiously at Riddhima.

"Well are you going to introduce me to your friend?" she said nudging him playfully. Armaan looked at Riddhima and spoke "Riddhima, this is my younger sister Nikki and Nikki this is Riddhima...my..uh..Fiancee" Nikki's face which was smiling a second ago fell open in a huge 'O', she thought she heard her brother say fiance, but that wasn't possible "Bhai, did you say Fiancee or Financee?" Armaan laughed at her confusion"I said Fiancee my dear..like 'my bride to be''"

Nikki stood aside and looked riddhima up and down, she came forward and kept her hand on her shoulders and spoke very seriously "Do you love my brother?" Riddhima looked at her straight in the eyes and smiled "Off course I do, what's not to love about him" saying that she leaned into his side and wound her hands around his arm. Nikki saw this and gave a wide smile; she leapt forward and enveloped riddhima in a tight hug "Wowiee!! In that case welcome to the family bhabhi, I'm so glad that bhai is finally in a meaningful relationship and engaged, but bhai seriously we need to throw a huge party now with all the works..oh..o..let me organize it!!!"

Armaan was overwhelmed by his sister's response, it was soo simple for her to accept someone who her brother liked, he still felt the Goosebumps when riddhima said she loved him and leaned into him with her soft body, but he knew she was acting, obviously she was! He had paid her for it! He watched as Nikki started chatting to riddhima quite animatedly already discussing what she should wear and how she should style her hair, he shook his head and gently nudged them to go inside the house, he knew he had bigger fishes to fry in there.

As soon as they stepped into the house, Nikki screamed on top of her voice," mumma! Dadi! Mama!! Come quick..look who Armaan bhai has got with him" within minutes all three of them came out from various corners of the house, dadi came in with a pooja mala chanting something, then he saw his mama who was on the phone came and lastly he saw his mother, Anaya Mallik descend from the grand staircase, she was the one who had the most curious look and stern expression on her face. She came and stood at the foot of the stairs.

Armaan looked at riddhima who was fidgeting nervously with her dress, her hands were clutching the sides of her dress very tightly, Armaan slowly took her delicate hand which was sweaty right now and held it in his own. He pulled her forward gently along with him, he thought it was too funny that both of them were so bothered about his family's approval when it was nothing but a fake engagement. He saw his mama come forward and hug him, he then turned towards riddhima and smiled at her, then he winked secretly at Armaan and grinned.

He then saw his grandmother observe riddhima with a very weird expression "So, is this the girl you want to marry?" Armaan and riddhima looked at each other in surprise, how the hell did she know! Nikki had not told them anything yet, his grandmother laughed heartily "Don't worry ammy, this is the first time you have got a girl in this house, so confidently that too and she does not look like a work colleague, so I must assume she's your girl friend?" She finished with a sly smile. She then took riddhima's hands in her hers and asked her in English "What is your name dear?" riddhima smiled at her and replied softly "Riddhima" Armaan's dadi clapped her hands and said laughingly "Indeed you are! The name suits you perfectly! Tum Hindustani ho? (Are you Indian?)"

Armaan looked awkwardly at Riddhima, he knew she was part Indian, but she definitely did not speak hindi of this he was damn sure, he was just about to interrupt when he heard riddhima speak in a lyrical but perfect hindi "Jee haan, mere pitaji Hindustani the lekin meri ma angrez thi, issliye mein sirf aadhi Hindustani hoon (My dad was Indian but my mother was English, so i'm actually half Indian)" his dadi, Nikki and mama laughed at that, then dadi took her hands in hers and led her towards the staircase where Armaan's mother was waiting.

"So Anaya, what do you think of your bahu? Good choice huh? Riddhima blushed at that and glanced towards Armaan who by now had a shocked, angry, confused and lost look all in one! She slowly raised her eyes to look at Armaan's mother who still looked very rigid as she studied her very intensely. She then looked at dadi and said "Not bahu yet, to-be bahu...that too we'll see. For now, hariprakash please keep all of Ms Riddhima's bags in the guest room" she then looked at riddhima and spoke "You should rest for some time, I need to speak to my son and then after your rested I want to speak to you" saying that she turned on her heels and climbed up.

...

There was an awkward silence once Anaya left; dadi assured her that Anaya will come around and asked riddhima to take some rest. Mamaji spoke a few words with Armaan and went to make another call while Nikki went to get ready for college. Only Armaan and riddhima remained.They were both standing facing each other, both wondering what they should say. Hariprakash came by to take riddhima to the guest room when finally Armaan spoke "RAMU KAKA, you go and leave her bags in the room, I'll take her there"

Armaan did not understand what he was feeling, there were too many secrets to this girl. He caught her hand tightly and pulled her out into the garden off the living room, once they were away from the doors, he spun her towards him and said in an angry voice "What more are you hiding form me?! You speak impeccable hindi, better than even me probably! What more secrets do you have? Tell me now Riddhima"

Riddhima was terrified by his demeanor "Listen Mr Mallik! First of all you only assumed that I did not speak Hindi, I never lied about that! Also I told you before I signed the contract that I want to keep my personal life out of this. I am not obliged to tell you anything! But you snooped around and saw my passport. Fine I agree it was wrong of me to hide my identity but I had my reasons all right!? And why does my personal life matter so much to you!" she was breathing hard now.

"You paid me for a job which I will do to a 100% perfection! You want your family to accept me, fine i'll make them love me! You want me to break up with you after a month, i'll do that and bear the brunt of their hatred from that point, after that i'll be out of your life and you out of mine. So why the hell should I tell you anything about me if for you i'm just a commodity you bought and will discard at will! I have nothing to say to you." she had tears in her eyes as she finished.

Riddhima could not take it anymore, her real and fake feelings were getting mixed up, she knew she should not have spoken to Armaan like that but she could not help it! She hated not telling him the entire truth, but she was afraid after knowing that she deceived him he would throw her out and ask back for all the advance he had paid her, she had already used it up for her buaji, she was trapped! She looked at Armaan's shocked face and ran into the house, she found hariprakash coming down the stairs and asked him to show her to her room. She needed some time alone.

'What just happened' Armaan thought. He had never seen this side of hers, yes she was impulsive and emotional at times but this was something else, what was it that she wanted to hide from him! It frustrated him that this bothered him so much, she was right it shouldn't matter to him what her personal life and problems were, but it hurt when she laid it out so bare, he hated the fact that she considered herself a commodity, he hated himself for making her feel like that! He thought it best to give her some time, he would speak to her later, they had to get things back on track now. Right now his mother was waiting for him.
Chapter 9

"Armaan Mallik, is this a joke?" Anaya asked in a serious voice as soon as Armaan walked into the study. He looked up to see his mother sitting behind the huge mahogany desk tapping a pen on the smooth wooden surface, he felt annoyed "Do you really think I'll joke about this ma? Don't you know me at all?" he feigned innocence as he looked at his mother's stern face.

Anaya sighed, she could see that he was not joking "Well if you are telling the truth, then I must say that I'm terribly disappointed in you. I wish you would have at least told us something, everyone else might be happy and excited about this but I need to judge the girl if she is the right one for you. I won't just accept any foreigner as your wife."

Armaan felt irritated at his mother's words, he knew she was looking out for him but sometimes it was too much "First of all, her name is riddhima and she is not just 'any foreigner', in case you did not hear she is half Indian and a very smart and kind girl who I happen to love, so please spare me your lecture on the 'perfect wife and daughter-in-law' for this house. In case you have forgotten, your son was never going to marry, so be thankful that I have finally chosen someone."

Anaya was impressed by the depth of feeling she could see in Armaan, but something about riddhima was not settling in her mind; she knew why the others were so taken by her, she seemed to exude a kind of positive energy and from what she had seen, she carried a grace and elegance only few girls her age could, but she had to gauge her feelings for Armaan, she just had to for both their sake, all this was too hurried; Anaya wondered if Armaan had come to know about their plan.

"Ammy, are you hiding something from me? I don't know why but this hasty engagement seems fishy to me. I wasn't born yesterday you know." Anaya saw as Armaan looked a bit worried for a second before he replied "No ma, i know it sounds cliched, but it was like love at first sight, i just knew she was the right girl for me. Please ma just give her a chance..for me"

Anaya smiled a little bit "Fine, like i said i need to understand her a little bit more..no don't worry i won't do a spanish inquisition on her, i just need to talk to her once" Armaan relaxed "fine ma, i'll bring her in. You can have a chat with but let her go early cause we need to get ready for rohan's dinner party" saying this Armaan turned to leave.

"Hold on a minute. Don't you think your PR person needs to float this out first? Its a huge deal you getting engaged, you can't just make a public appearance with her, she'll be eaten alive by the media!"

Armaan smirked "Don't worry ma, we don't want to go public so soon, it's a small dinner party at rohan's house, just a couple of us. I won't push her in the media glare so soon, she needs to be prepared first" Anaya nodded her head as Armaan left to bring Riddhima in.

...

"Who the hell does he think he is! Arrghh...that man drives me nuts! I swear to God, if i have to spend one more minute with him, i'll go insane!" riddhima was pacing her bedroom floor muttering to herself, she had unpacked her bags with roopa's help, one of the maids, she was a pleasant girl who chatted a lot! But riddhima liked her immediately.

She looked around the huge four poster bed in an antiquely furnished room, there was such a charm to this room that riddhima kept staring at it for the first 15 minutes, the upholstery was matched stylishly to the curtains and walls, the beautiful armoire and dressing table were intricately carved while the bathroom had a huge jacuzzi, riddhima could not wait to get in it!

She was still muttering when she heard a knock on her door, she padded across the plush carpeted floor and opened it "Good your dressed, mother wants to meet you. Lets go" Armaan declared looking her straight in the eyes.

Riddhima's eyes narrowed, how the hell can he boss her around like this "No, i will not go. I need some time alone, i'm not equipped to run like a robot!" she started closing the door when Armaan put his foot in between to stop her from closing it.

"Riddhima, listen...i know i shouldn't have probed into your personal life and i'm sorry for that, but i listened to you patiently and did not say anything though i do not appreciate what you said to me. So lets just pretend it did not happen, right now you need to go and talk to my mother. She's waiting in the study" Armaan said with a slightly worried face.

Riddhima sighed "Fine, i'll come. Your'e paying me for this anyway right.." she stepped out as Armaan suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward, riddhima stared at him shocked as their bodies collided with the force "Don't say that again, do you understand? i do not think of you as a commodity. Whatever you think of me, i'm not that cruel. Now lets go" he pulled her alongside him as he led them to the study.

Armaan was fuming, why did she keep cheapening herself, why did she demean herself so much, he let go of her hand and opened the study door for her before he whispered against her ears "What ever you say, don't give too many details. We discussed about our first meeting right? If she asks anything just tell her that." saying this he gently pushed her inside.

Riddhima was still quite shocked by what Armaan had said to realize that she was thrown into the lion's den, well in this case 'Lioness' and a hungry one at that, riddhima was terrified looking into Anaya Mallik's brown eyes, so much like her sons. She stepped forward and came and stood in front of the desk, she gave an awkward smile and said a quick hello as Anaya gestured her to sit in one of the chairs.

...

"So Riddhima, is it? How long do you know my son from?" Anaya asked with a poker face, riddhima squirmed in her seat 'that was a direct question', but she remember what Armaan had told her before they came here "Umm..we met a month ago at a common friend's party in London. That was the first time we saw each other and..." she saw Anaya raise a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"And what? You decided you'll rope yourself a rich husband? All your dreams will come true blah blah.." riddhima was shocked to hear this, it was the last thing she expected, she quickly got up from her seat in hurt fury "Mrs Mallik, I respect my elders and will never think of answering them back, but what you just said is horrible. I would never do that! I will never give importance to money over love. When i met your son, i did not know he was rich. We felt an instant connection, i can't explain it but it just happened"

Anaya grinned at her answer, this girl had spunk for sure, but she had to make absolutely sure that she really loved Armaan "That my girl is not love, attraction yes but not love..but since you are so convinced of your feelings for him, tell me what you love about him, is it his looks, his fame, his name? Money you said no...so what else? Do tell"

Riddhima went to the open window and stood leaning against the side wall, she forgot for a moment that she was answering Anaya's questions, she closed her eyes and remembered all their meetings from the first time they met till now "I love his eyes...its like they speak volumes about his feelings, i know he's not someone who expresses well verbally, but his eyes they carry a depth of emotion...i love that about him..."

"I love his smile, he rarely smiles i know but when he does i feel like the sun has just come out of the clouds, when he laughs so carefree its like the whole world stops...i just can't stop myself from sharing in his laughter..."

"His anger...i know its sad, but i love his anger...it brings out a vulnerable side to him, its like he uses anger to protect himself from getting hurt or feeling too much...i love his kindness and patience, it surprises me how someone so powerful can have such a kind heart, he'll wait for hours till i finish my work without complaining about it..."

"I also like silly annoying things about him like how he sniffs everything he drinks or eats before taking a first sip or bite, the way he keeps looking at his watch every few minutes, just out of habit i guess, the way he gets annoyed and scrunches his nose when i cut him while he is speaking..."

"There are soo many facets to him...i may not know a lot about him, but i keep wondering about him every second of the day...i can't stop thinking about him...i'm happy and nervous when i meet him...i'm sad and relaxed when i don't...its soo confusing being with him sometime but then there are times when i feel this is where i belong, with him...alongside him...it just feels so right..."

riddhima realized after a while that she was saying all this to his mother, she quickly put a hand on her mouth as she turned toward Anaya Mallik, she was mortified that she said soo many things to her, she had no idea where all this came from...he said a quick sorry before running out of the room. She ran and ran till she reached her room. She got in and shut the door before leaning against it and slinking to the floor 'Damn! What have i done..i can't believe it said all that!'. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door.

...

Anaya Mallik was pleasantly surprised, she was still in a state of mild shock as she saw riddhima leave the room in hurry. In all her 55 years, she had never seen a more honest confession of love from anyone, she was convinced that Riddhima loved her son, and that was enough, but she still wanted to test her a little bit. Tomorrow she'll start her 'mission Mallik bahu'...and she truly hoped that riddhima passes it, because she was sure that Armaan would not find a more perfect girl for him who loved him for himself, not for who he was or what he could give, just plain Armaan...she finally allowed herself a huge smile of satisfaction.

...

Armaan did not get a chance to see riddhima during tea time, roopa said she was sleeping and did not want to be disturbed. He wondered what had transpired between his mother and her, his mother had also gone out after that so he did not get a chance to talk to her.

It was already 6:30pm and they had to leave for Rohan's house in an hour at the most. He called on the intercom to riddhima's room, she picked up on the first ring "Riddhima, hi..Armaan here. Are you still sleeping?"

Riddhima blushed when she remembered what she had said to Anaya earlier, she seriously hoped that Anaya had not said anything to Armaan.."Umm...no i'm awake now. Whats up?" riddhima mentally slapped herself 'What's up! She sounds like a teenager...she might have as well said 'Whaddup dude!'. She came back to her senses when she heard Armaan speak again "So, how did it go with my mother?"

Riddhima breathed a sigh of relief, so Anaya had not said anything to him yet "Oh..yeah it went all right i guess, we did not speak much. I suppose she'll want to talk to me again..soon" Armaan nodded "Ok, well she hasn't said anything to me yet nor has she put up a tantrum cum drama yet, so maybe things are fine. Anyways i had called to tell you that we need to leave for rohan's house in an hour"

Riddhima looked confused "Rohan? Who's that? And weren't we supposed to be all hush hush about this?" Armaan remembered he had not told her about rohan yet "Rohan is a very dear friend, he and his wife are my closest school friends, my other best friend jyotsna and her husband samir are also coming..Nikki kind of told rohan about us and they want to meet you...listen it'll be cool ok...they are all really nice people and i'm sure they'll love you. Can you meet me in the foyer in half an hour? You can wear anything you like, its just an informal dinner at his house"

Riddhima said a quick ok and kept the phone, she was annoyed that she had to act again with more people, frankly she was tired of it but somehow being called Armaan's fiancee felt good, she pinched herself hard "Focus riddhima! Be professional...this is a one month contract!..jeez' she thought to herself as she went in for a quick shower. She just had to fake smile all night and be the perfect fiancee and try and stay away from Armaan, she could not bear any more proximity to him!
Chapter 10

'Where the hell is she?' Armaan thought as he paced the foyer , he was waiting patiently since 10 minutes now and riddhima had still not made an appearance, they were getting late for the dinner, arrghh..he thought, can she be punctual once in her life! He saw from the corner of his eye as his mother and dadi approached him, 'great! He thought, ma will probably tell me how much she thinks riddhima is wrong for this house!'

"Ammy, you haven't left still? Where is riddhima..i thought you were taking her along." dadi asked as she saw Armaan glance at the staircase "oh..your'e waiting for her, you should get used it now beta, us women always take time getting ready" she chuckled as she said it.

"hmm..well punctuality is a good trait to have you know, but sometimes being late is forgiven isn't it Armaan?" Anaya looked on with a strange expression towards Armaan. He coughed slightly before answering "yes ma, riddhima will be coming down any second now" as soon as he said it, he saw a movement at the top of the stairs, his mouth went dry when he saw his 'fiancee' descend.

...

Riddhima was nervous, she had no idea if what she was wearing was fine for a dinner or not, should she have worn jeans and top instead? She started briskly walking down the stairs, not daring to look into ARMAAN MALLIK's angry eyes, she knew that he was probably pissed off cause she was late once again! She came down and halted on the last step, both Anaya and dadi were standing looking her up and down, now she felt really awkward, she probably should have worn salwar kameez!

...

Armaan could not take his eyes of her, she looked so elegant walking down the stairs, she wore a simple peach colored chiffon dress which ended at her knees, it had a modest boat neck but no sleeves, she had paired it with nude sandals and the only make-up she had on was her lip gloss, her hair was serenely resting on one shoulder leaving the other creamy one bare, she looked gorgeous.

Riddhima took a deep breath and smiled nervously at both Anaya and dadi. "You look very beautiful riddhima" dadi said with a smile as she took some kajal off her eyes and applied it behind riddhima's ears, riddhima smiled as she remembered her buaji doing the same thing to her all the time, she missed her terribly! She had only gotten a chance to call her once quickly from the phone Armaan had given her and tell her about her arrival. She would speak to her later properly.

Anaya gave her a quick once over and nodded her approval "Good, you dress well. Are you a designer? You seem to have a good understanding of fashion" riddhima was flustered for a minute but was saved from answering when Armaan interrupted "Guys, we really have to go, we are already late. Bye" he grabbed riddhima's hand and pulled her along with him to the main door.

"Wait a minute, i have a question before you both leave" Anaya said as she walked towards them, Armaan groaned but stayed put and turned around with riddhima to face her."Yes ma, what is so urgent?"

"Where is her engagement ring?" Anaya asked with a genuinely confused expression looking at riddhima's bare finger, riddhima's eyes went huge and she held onto Armaan's hand tightly while Armaan struggled to answer her question "Uh..um..yeah i haven't bought one yet" he simply said, but as he was going to explain some lame story dadi interrupted and said in a gleeful voice "Off course he hasn't Anaya, she is the elder bahu of Mallik family, so she will only wear the heirloom ring"

Armaan was relieved to hear his dadi's words "Exactly, i was actually going to talk to you about it ma, i did not buy a ring for riddhima because she needs to wear that ring, you know the heirloom one" thank God thought Armaan, otherwise he was toast today!

Anaya nodded and said quickly "Oh, how could i forget. Yes you can take it from me later or tomorrow, she needs to wear a ring since she is your finacee" Armaan smiled at his mother "so does that mean she passed your interrogation" riddhima was blushing furiously.

"She passed the first hurdle, but riddhima you need to see me first thing tomorrow morning. I have a few more things which i need to 'discuss' with you" saying that Anaya turned and left, dadi too bid them a good bye and went to her temple for the evening prayers.

"Wow! You seemed to have conquered her riddhima, what did she ask you? What did you answer?" riddhima was still blushing, she thanked the lord that his mother had not told him anything, she cleared her throat "Nothing, just general stuff, mostly what we had discussed" Armaan nodded and led her out the car. Riddhima was already dreading tomorrow, but she had no idea how interesting this night would be.

...

"Lets toast guys! To the cutest couple we have ever met! Armaan and Riddhima! Woohoo!" Jyotsna said as she picked up her champagne glass. They all clinked their glasses and settled down to dinner, the table was set with amazing mouthwatering food and riddhima was starving!

She was very genuinely surprised to meet Armaan's friends, she thought they would probably be stuck up and snobbish, but she was totally bowled over by them, they were such warm people that she had not pretended even once to smile or laugh with them, she liked them instantly and the three women bonded like a house on fire.

Her only constant worry was Armaan's proximity, they had to project themselves as the perfect couple and so in love, but it was getting more and more difficult with Armaan's hand being in hers and their bodies leaning most of the time towards each other, they couldn't very well sit apart when the other two men sat so intimately close to their wife's.

It was past 10:30 pm and they were finally sitting for dinner, she had not had too much to drink since she had a tendency to get drunk very quickly plus jyotsna was a light drinker and rohan's wife nisha was expecting, so it was fine. Their conversations ranged from fashion to music and both the women gave her sound advise on how to handle Armaan and his temper tantrums.

"You know what riddhima! In college Armaan was this complete nerd! He had specks and braces and would stutter while taking to girls! Who the hell knew that one day he would turn into this casanova! But we are all so glad that he found you to settle down with, finally our trio is complete, trust me we had given up on Armaan ever getting married!" nisha said while smiling at her.

Riddhima felt at odds, she once again felt like a complete fake! These conversations and jokes should be shared with his real fiancee not her, it was getting more and more difficult for her as they all spoke about how perfect Armaan and she were for each other. Armaan saw her discomfort , he understood how she felt but he was very happy that his friends liked her so much, if only all this was real 'Whoa! He did not just say that! What was wrong with him' he quickly shook his head and changed the topic.

"So guys, lets stop taking about me and talk about something else like how amazing is this coffee huh?" everyone looked at him like he had lost his mind but nisha was too excited "Oh yeah, we bought it the day i found out i was pregnant, in fact i was craving a good Brazilian coffee, but who knew it was due to this" she said pointing at her tummy.

"Oh yeah baby, i totally forgot! She dragged me across to the other side of city to find these coffee beans, but it was all worth it cause that was the precise moment we got that call to confirm her pregnancy" rohan said as he pulled her closer to him "And we shared the most romantic kiss in front of the shopkeeper!" nisha said in a slow drawl. Riddhima and jyotsna had an aww look on their faces while Armaana and samir just started at the couple with a 'W*F' look.

Rohan saw them and chuckled "You won't understand yet boys! Wait till you become fathers, then you'll know how it feels. Its such a beautiful feeling when you come to know that you created a baby" he then looked at riddhima and said "So riddhima, have you and Armaan thought of names for your babies"

Riddhima blushed crimson as she felt Armaan's eyes bore into her, she gave a small smile to rohan "N..no, its too soon for that. We haven't even got married yet!" everyone else laughed as Armaan stared at riddhima, 'their kids' he thought, he felt goosebumps on his arms, man he was getting soft! He looked away from riddhima and started fiddling with his phone.

"You are right, it is too soon to start thinking of all that and we haven't even seen you kiss yet! C'mon guys kiss! You are madly in love, we haven't seen your groping each other or stealing kisses all night!" nisha said as the men rolled their eyes, jyotsna too egged them on.

...

Riddhima looked quickly at Armaan and saw his shocked expression, how can she get out of this one! "Oh, we just did that...you know...Kiss...before we came here" she said matter-of-factly, everyone burst out laughing "Oh my God Armaan, do you treat your woman as a business call? You guys actually decide your timings to kiss! C'mon we don't believe that!" jyotsna said with a gleeful smile.

Armaan was feeling a lot of things right now, he was already having trouble all night as he held her hands and felt her soft body lean towards him, there were times when he just wanted to pull her to himself and ravish her, but obviously controlled himself; now he was getting a chance to actually kiss her, could her? He thought as he looked sideways at her.

"C'mon guys kiss, don't be shy! I mean you guys are newly engaged, when samir and i got engaged we couldn't keep our hands off each other!" jyotsna laughed as the others joined in.

"Whoa Armaan..don't go on shy on us now! Its not like we haven't seen you kiss before..oops sorry riddhima...that was in the past..now your'e the only one for him...ok you know what if you guys are feeling awkward i'll kiss my wife and samir will kiss his, deal!?" saying this rohan bent forward and kissed his wife deeply.

...

Armaan gulped visibly as he saw jyotsna kiss her husband, this was not something new for him, he always kissed his girlfriends in front of them and vice versa. There was never any awkwardness, but this was riddhima...he was dying to taste her, but he knew his limits...he looked sideways at her and saw her staring at her hands, she was feeling equally at odds, he willed her to look at him.

Riddhima felt hot, there was a strange excitement in her at the thought of kissing Armaan, its not like she had not kissed earlier...but this was Armaan. She slowly looked up at him and saw him staring at her with a strange look in his eyes as if questioning her, she gave a slight nod as if to say yes.

Armaan slightly shifted towards her and looked straight at her lips, riddhima's heartbeat was running at the speed of light, she knew they had to kiss to convince his friends, she quickly wet her lips with the tip of her tongue and closed her eyes as she felt Armaan come closer towards her, she felt his hands on her face as he pulled her towards him for their first kiss.

Armaan saw her pink luscious lips part in invitation, her eyes were closed, he could feel her breathing hard and he could bet that her heart was racing as quick as his, this was it he thought; he inched forward a little bit more towards her and pulled her face closer to his, he slowly leaned in and placed his lips on hers.

The first contact was electric! He could feel his lips burn with the desire to mate with hers, now that he started he could not stop, he wanted to give her a quick brush of a kiss to satisfy his friends, but the temptation was too much to completely devour her, he pulled her closer to him with her nearly in his lap, he pressed his lips further into her deepening the kiss, he sucked slowly on her bottom lip, pulling it slightly with his teeth; he wanted her to open her mouth; he was carving her taste.

Riddhima felt like she was floating on thin air, what was supposed to be an innocent fake kiss was turning into a volcano of passionate desire, she felt herself being pulled further and further into the vortex as Armaan lips played havoc with her senses, his one hand was now in her hair pulling her closer still while the other held her tight against him on her waist, she felt her own hands lift off their own accord and wind themselves around his neck, her hands traveled further up savoring the feel of his silky hair.

Riddhima's felt Armaan's tongue against her lips urging her to open up to him, she wanted it, she wanted to feel his tongue making love to hers, with a moan she finally opened her mouth as his eager tongue thrust in to mate with her own. Armaan was loosing all his senses, she tasted amazing, he just could not have enough of her, he groaned as her tiny hands pulled at his hair while her hot tongue matched his thrusts consuming him completely.

...

They had no idea for how long they kissed, but eventually they had to come up for air. Riddhima was the first one to pull away; they were both staring at each other still in a daze when rohan coughed loudly. Riddhima immediately pushed Armaan and straightened herself, she was embarrassed to find herself in his lap, she quickly ran her fingers through her disheveled hair and blushed furiously as she reached out for a glass of cold water.

Armaan took some time to come out of it, 'wow' he thought, that was some kiss, he did not want them to stop he wanted to pull her back on his lap and kiss her senseless, he was not satisfied yet; he looked at her red face and swollen lips, she had never looked more beautiful; he looked up to find four pair of eyes staring at them with curious faces;

"Well uh guys..we asked for a simple kiss you know...thank God for breathing...otherwise you both wouldn't have stopped!" jyotsna said laughing hard "Well i'm feeling all horny now, can't help it its my pregnant hormones" nisha said as she poked her husband, finally rohan put his hands up, "ok guys stop embarrassing them, we asked them to kiss remember...wait a minute...Armaan we asked you both to kiss...not eat each other up!" with that they all burst out laughing again.

...

The rest of the night went by with all four pulling their leg, riddhima and Armaan avoided looking at each other, riddhima suddenly got busy chatting to her new found lady friends while Armaan got busy on his phone. The ride back home went quietly as Armaan drove in absolute silence while riddhima kept fidgeting with her dress while staring out the window, both in their own thoughts and too wound up to say anything.

When Armaan finally pulled the car in front of the main door, riddhima undid her belt, unlocked her door and leapt out "Riddhima! What the hell..riddhima wait.." Armaan quickly turned off the car and slammed the door, he had to talk to her. It was just a kiss they need not be so worked up by it, but he knew that was not possible.

The reached the swinging door and stepped in as he saw riddhima being hugged fiercely by his sister, they both turned around to see Armaan, riddhima with shocked huge eyes and Nikki with a super happy smile, she came forward and hugged her brother "Bhai! I'm soo happy...just told riddhima the news! ma and dadi are arranging your engagement party! Not only that you'll now get to put that ring on riddhima's finger in front of the whole world! Isn't that exciting!!"
Chapter 11

Riddhima came out of the shower rubbing her wet hair, the hot shower had done wonders to her frazzled nerves; she sat down on the window seat and looked out at the mid-night sky. So many things had happened today that she had not got a minute to reflect on them. She sighed as she remembered the earth-shattering kiss she had shared with Armaan earlier; she felt like a teenager experiencing her first kiss and her heart was still beating erratically thinking about it.

She cringed remembering Nikki's announcement of their impending engagement, it was one thing lying about something which had never happened, but pretending about something while it happens in reality was something else, plus what if the news went all the way to UK! She and Armaan were both shocked with the development, but Armaan assured her that he will talk to his mother in the morning and sort everything out; she had left then without saying a word to him. She could not bear standing near him without touching him or reaching out to him.

She moisturized herself with her almond cream and left her hair to dry naturally, she opened her wardrobe to get her night suit out when her eyes fell on the lingerie stuffed in one of the drawers, she felt like wearing it tonight, just for herself; she pulled out a cream colored satiny one piece nightly, it did not look very revealing but the sheer fabric clung to her curves. She was just preparing to sleep when she heard a knock on her door. She froze wondering who was knocking at this time when she heard a soft female voice.

"Riddhima! Oops sorry Bhabhi.., can you open the door, need to speak to you" riddhima smiled at Nikki's excited voice, she had liked Nikki in their first meeting, she had never had any sister though Shilpa came pretty close to one, she pulled on the matching robe and loosely tied it around her waist before opening the door for her. Nikki came bounding in the room, riddhima felt relaxed around her exuberant energy.

"Riddhima bhabhi, we need to go shopping soon ! the party is mostly being planned for the coming weekend, so we have tons of work to do. I am soo excited! Never thought I'll get to see bhai married and that too to such a wonderful girl like you" with that she flung her arms around riddhima and gave her a tight hug. Riddhima felt tears threaten her eyes, she felt horrible that they were deceiving such a lovely young girl, but she hugged her back, Nikki left mumbling to herself about all the preparations which needed to be taken care of.

Riddhima was just locking the door behind her when she once again heard a knock, she opened it slightly to see Nikki peering in"Sorry bhabhi forgot to tell you, Ma wants to meet you tomorrow morning first thing, guess she has some work cut out for you. Don't worry shes a sweetheart and I think she really likes you! Good night see you tomorrow" riddhima nodded and wished her a good night.

Riddhima was just about to lock the door when she saw her phone blinking, she remembered she had not called buaji, she wondered who had texted her, she left the door partially open and went to her phone; as she was checking it, she heard another knock 'Nikki!' she thought "Come in darling" she lilted as she turned to face Nikki's excited form but the phone fell from her hands as she saw Armaan standing inside her room.

'What the!' Armaan thought, 'did she just call me darling?' he stood still trying to catch his breath since he was finding it difficult to breathe, he started at the nymph in front of him, the satiny material clung like a second skin to her luscious curves, the robe was open at the front, giving him a tantalizing view of her generous breasts which stood proud with their taut tips visible from the sheer material. The short nightie stopped at her upper thighs providing ample view of her creamy long legs. He had no idea till how long he stood staring at her and she at him, but riddhima finally realized her state of dress. She quickly tied the robe tightly around her and folded her hands at the front.

Armaan came out of the trance as riddhima covered herself up, he gave a disappointed groan when she turned away from him and went near the window "Are you trying to kill me riddhima" Armaan said in a tired voice. He did not realize that he had spoken his thoughts aloud when he heard riddhima reply "Excuse me, you came to my room uninvited. Don't you have any shame!" Armaan looked taken aback "really? I thought you were the one who invited me in, calling me wait..what was that? 'darling'! did you expect someone else?"

Riddhima looked horrified, she had thought he was Nikki "Yes I thought you were someone else!" Armaan got alarmed and completely pissed off, what the hell did she mean? Was she waiting for someone else at this time?! He came swiftly towards her and pulled her to him, he imprisoned her in his arms and looked at her with deadly eyes.

Riddhima was terrified but strangely excited to be in his arms, his hard body was pressed against hers which bought about strange sensations between her legs, she came back to her senses "What the hell are you doing? Leave me at once!" Armaan was annoyed beyond reason "Why? Oh wait your lover might come huh? Who is it?! Who is that scum in my house, messing with my woman! Who is it? Tell me now! Is it RAMU KAKA?"

Riddhima looked at him with incredulous eyes " ramu kaka! Seriously? Have you lost your mind! And who the hell said I'm your woman! And for your kind information, I thought you were Nikki, since she came twice to my room before you did. So please take your mind out of the gutter Mr Mallik and leave me right now!"

Armaan thought about his stupidity! What the hell was wrong with him, he actually said RAMU KAKA! Well off course, there was no other man in this house except RAMU KAKA, mamaji and himself, plus why did he feel so possessive about her. He let her go of her at once and stepped back, embarrassed to find himself in this situation though she felt wonderful in his arms, he just wanted to pull her back and kiss her senseless but he had come here to talk about the earlier kiss, not to complicate things further.

"Did you get my text? I was wondering why you did not reply to it so I came to talk to you." Riddhima looked at her phone now lying on the floor "Don't bother. I texted saying that what happened today was perfectly natural. We were both acting for the sake of my friends. So don't get all innocent and worried about it. Anyways its nothing new for you is it! With soo many client's that you have served" Armaan could have cut his tongue for saying that, he saw her face fall, he had no idea what provoked him to say it "Sorry riddhima, I did no.."

Riddhima cut him off before he could finish "Just leave Mr Mallik, like you said , we need to be professional! and you are right all this is part of my profession right so its fine. Just go now, please" Riddhima tried to stay strong, she was crushed when he said those words to her, but how could she blame him; she had never bothered to clear his misunderstanding, this was bound to happen. For him she was just a paid escort, pretending to be his fiance. She saw as Armaan turned and left her room. She locked the door after him and went to sleep, silent tears clearing her eyes of the faade she had let build over the last few days.

...

The morning came too late for Armaan, he did not sleep a wink, the guilt of his words pricking him all night; he quickly got ready and came down to the breakfast area, he had an early morning meeting and had to be in office by sharp 10 am, plus he wanted to be as far away from riddhima as possible, he could not bear to face her after last night. He sat at his usual place while RAMU KAKA served him his breakfast.

"Wow! The spread looks amazing today! Yumm...aloo paratha, suji halva and my favorite eggy cheesy quiche! Now this is a breakfast!" Nikki exclaimed as she sat down and started piling her plate with the food, Armaan had to admit that the food was outstanding, he wondered if the chef had changed, he tasted everything and went in for seconds, Nikki exclaimed "Wah bhai! Usually you don't eat more than a toast, just because bhabhi has made all this you are taking seconds huh?!"

Armaan's hand stilled as he heard Nikki speak, he thought she was pulling his leg, riddhima had made all this! 'what the'! how many more secrets were there to unravel, he saw his mother and dadi coming towards the table with riddhima right behind them, she was wearing a simple plaid top with jeans, still she managed to look amazing, she was smiling at Nikki as they came to the breakfast table "I'm glad you liked it nikki, dadiji told me that quiche was your favorite"

Nikki smiled cheekily "Bhabhi, this is amazing, better than any five star restaurant, now I can give you a list of my fav foods! Oh and I'm sure dadi told you about bhai's favorite suji halva and aloo paratha!" riddhima blushed a pretty pink as she glanced towards Armaan "So ammy, what do you think of riddhima's cooking?" Armaan smiled at his dadi "Yeah, it's pretty good" he still did not look up at riddhima's hopeful face. "Well, she has passed with flying colors on this one! riddhima the second test will be tonight. I hope you are a God fearing person?" Armaan's mom interjected.

Riddhima who was disappointed by Armaan's cold approval of her food suddenly came to attention hearing his mothers words "Umm..yes, I believe in God if that's what you mean" Armaan's mother gave her a sweet smile "Off course you do dear, don't worry you'll know tonight. I'll send a sari for you, in case you don't know how to drape it, i'll ask rupa to help you out" with that she bid a goodbye to everyone and left in a flare. Soon afterwards Armaan left , once again without looking at Riddhima.

...

Riddhima felt like crying, why the hell was he ignoring her! Was it because of last night?! And now this sari business and then some thing to do with God, she just hoped Mr Mallik was not planning on some extremely difficult task like reciting the 'geeta' or something. 'Oh God' riddhima thought, 'where have you sent me!" she excused herself and went to her room, she had to call her buaji and Shilpa, they would be mighty worried for her.

...

Armaan could not relax the entire day, yes he felt guilty about saying those word to her last night, but she seemed to be ok in the morning, he should have felt relieved and at least complimented her properly on her cooking skills, she really had a lot of layers, his riddhima 'Wait a minute! His Riddhima! No no...Armaan Mallik, stop it! She is not your riddhima!" he looked up to see what Atul was saying "ARMAAN MALLIK, did you hear me? Have you chosen the name of the new line of boutiques?" Armaan relied automatically "Riddhima"

Atul thought he heard wrong "Uh..ARMAAN MALLIK, I don't think riddhima was part of the list, plus its couture, we had given lots of french names?" Armaan looked at Atul, did he just say her name out loud! "Wait...what is riddhima in french?" Atul looked at him quizzically, what was wrong with him "I think it is bonheur or Joie" Armaan's eyes went wide "Yes, 'Joie'! That's what we'll call them" he dismissed the meeting after that. He had to go home and apologize to her, he had to tell her how wonderful her cooking was, he just had to.

...

Riddhima was struggling a little bit with the sari, it was a dark red color with a simple gold border, the blouse had cap sleeves and a deep cut square at the back and front, though the front was a bit demure, but hugged her perfect curves. Overall she looked very elegant and understatedly sexy. She wore her hair long, with just eyeliner to enhance her eyes, she wore a bindi today and red bangles on her hands. Overall she looked very exotic, she gave herself a quick glance and went down to the hall.

Nikki had told her that Anaya had organized a shanti pooja at their house and she wanted riddhima to be part of it, what she did not know was she was being introduced as the new Mallik bahu. As Riddhima walked down, she saw a hell of a lot of women staring at her, there were many whispers as she reached the pooja area, she quietly went and sat next to Nikki. Anaya was sitting at the front with dadiji and were in deep conversation with the panditji.

"Don't worry bhabhi, you look gorgeous! Sari really does suit you, you know! Bhai will be a total goner today!" riddhima nervously smiled at her, she looked around trying to find Armaan in the crowd, but there were only women of various shapes and sizes all looking at her intensely. Finally after a few more minutes, dadiji came and called Nikki and riddhima forward. They went ahead and helped dadiji with the initial rites of the pooja, riddhima was aware of all this as her buaji was very pious and often did such pooja's at home.

"So Anaya, is you bahu english? She seems to understand the pooja rites, how much did you train her?" one of the women sitting in the front row exclaimed, Anaya Mallik looked calmly at her "She is half english, but she is as Indian as me and you. So kindly treat her with respect and there is nothing wrong with being english anyway is there?" riddhima felt her heart clench as she heard Armaan's mother stand by her, she smiled gratefully at her.

...

Armaan had just walked in that minute to hear what was being said, he could hear the women whisper amongst themselves about riddhima, he felt like screaming at them hearing what they were saying about her, they felt she was not really worthy of being a Mallik bahu, 'How dare they!' thats when he heard his mother stand up for Riddhima, he felt a smile creep up his face as he saw riddhima relax, she looked amazing! The sari and the Indian get-up looked so exotic on her, he felt himself being drawn to her.

"Oh ho Anaya, we are just saying..since this is a shanti pooja, and there will be devotional singing; why doesn't you very Indian bahu sing one? If she is an Indian as you say, she must be knowing how to sing one" another woman said snidely, Anaya was really fed up now, she turned around angrily to respond to that comment when riddhima held her hand "I'll sing Mrs Mallik, don't worry, if this is a way to prove my worth, i'll do it" saying that she went to the other end of the hall where a sitar and tabla was kept for later.

Armaan watched in awe as riddhima went and sat down, she took the sitar in her lap and prayed before it, she then started strumming the most beautiful music from it before lending her gorgeous voice to a very well known devotional song, she sang with all her heart and soul and as she finished the entire room fell in a hush, Armaan himself could not take his eyes off her; he had stopped wondering about her secrets long ago! She was but an enigma for him now. He went towards her and knelt down next to her.

...

Riddhima felt exhilarated, she loved singing this song and her buaji had taught her how to pay the sitar to it, she was glad that it came handy today, she looked up to see a sea of shocked faces including Armaan's family, then she saw him; He came towards her staring at her with a stange look in his eyes, finally he came and knelt down beside her, her heartbeat started beating wildly "That was beautiful riddhima, just like you" he said it so softly that for a moment riddhima thought she imagined it. She smiled shyly as the entire room erupted in applause.

Nikki and Anaya came with dadiji and hugged her for the performance "Riddhima beta, I think I have taken enough tests, you are perfect for this house. You are perfect for my son. You are perfect. Welcome to the family" saying this she slid off two bangles from her hands and made riddhima wear them. Riddhima was still in a daze wondering what just happened. She saw the happy faces in front of her and looked up at Armaan who was equally shocked himself.
Chapter 12

The rest of the pooja was quite uneventful; after the initial shock of Anaya Mallik slipping bangles into her wrists, riddhima was quite enjoying the rituals. Dadiji had introduced her to all the women who had come for the pooja, Anaya had even taken riddhima aside to thank her for taking care of the situation and had asked her to start calling her ma. Yes it was a shocking evening for sure.

They had just finished eating their dinner and nearly all the guests had left for the day; dadi and Anaya also said their good nights and retired for the night, Nikki and riddhima were sitting outside sipping cups of coffee when Armaan came there "Um..nikki, don't you have college tomorrow? And why are you drinking coffee? You won't be able to sleep"

Nikki stuck her tongue out "Why bhai? I can't drink coffee cause I need to sleep huh? What about bhabhi? She's drinking it too...oh I get it...you probably don't want her falling asleep early tonight! I saw the way your eyes were glued to her!" Nikki burst out laughing looking at the crimson red faces of both her brother and riddhima, 'how cute were they!'

"Nikki, seriously...mind your tongue, your too young to talk like this" Armaan said with a stern look, it was true that he had been staring at her all night, but he just couldn't help it, she looked absolutely mind blowing. He glanced a quick look at her and saw her looking everywhere but at him, he smirked looking at her discomfort, guess they were both on the same boat!

"Humph, bhai! I'm not a kid...plus for all you know I have a boyfriend so i'm not all that nave you know!" Nikki said cheekily, she saw as Armaan suddenly turned towards her "What the! Boyfriend, don't even joke about it!" riddhima laughed at that, she could not believe Armaan said that "Oh my God, you are talking about no boyfriend, when did you start dating pray tell Mr Mallik?" Nikki hi-fived riddhima for that. They both giggled like little girls as Armaan fumed.

"It was different for me, Nikki is a girl. And stop laughing you two! Nikki off to bed now!" Nikki made a face at him "Can't believe you...at least bhabhi is on my side!" saying that she kissed riddhima on her cheek and hugged Armaan before disappearing into the house. Armaan came and sat next to riddhima, who instinctively turned her legs the other way around.

"I know this is coming quite late from me, but I wanted to apologize for last night, I should not have said those things to you riddhima, I don't know what came over!" Armaan said in a quite voice, he waited for riddhima to show some reaction, he was annoyed that she wasn't even looking at him "Well, are you going to ignore me?" he said and inched closer to her.

"Oh! so now I am ignoring you huh? What about the fact that you ignored me today morning? Its ok for you to say your mind and do what ever you want, but when I do it, its not acceptable!" she looked at him with hurt eyes. Armaan closed his eyes once again to block out the pain he saw in hers "I know riddhima, I was a total ass! Please, sorry doesn't come easily to me, in fact I don't remember ever apologizing, but with you I seem to do it all the time!"

Riddhima's mouth opened in an o "As if! You say sorry cause you are at fault. So don't go blaming me for any of your flaws, plus saying sorry does not make you a smaller man you know" she got up to leave, but Armaan was very quick for her, he caught her hand and made her look at him "Riddhima, why do we always do this! Can we not have a civil conversation for once? And no I am not blaming you, but both of us"

Riddhima sighed, she too was tired of constantly being vigil, always trying to keep her guard up, she pulled her hand out from his and gave him a tight smile "Fine, I know things have never been normal between us, how about we start over? Umm...how about we do something both of us will like? Say watch a movie or...discuss a book?"

Armaan gave her a strange look "Discuss a book? What are you in a study group? We can watch a movie..what kind do you like?" riddhima gave him a gleeful smile, she loved movies "Oh..i love romantic comedies and dramas, I hate horror and action films and absolutely abhor sci-fi ones!" she saw as Armaan gave her a horrified look "Okey then...no movie, since we are poles apart in our likes...how about a game? We have a pool table? Interested?"

Riddhima's eyes lit up, she loved pool "Yep, sounds good. Can we play now? Im so buzzed thanks to the coffee!" Armaan smiled at her, he liked it when she was so excited and happy, he nodded his head and led her up to the pool table room, he switched on the lights and set the table. Riddhima meanwhile twirled her sari pallu from the back and tucked it in her skirt "Will you be ok playing in a sari?" Armaan asked, riddhima smiled and nodded.

"So you know how to play pool?" Armaan asked her casually. Riddhima replied in a confident tone "Of course I do, well little bit at least. But I can challenge you to it" Armaan smiled to himself, she did not know that he was his university pool champion, but he was in a naughty mode, that sari of hers and that deep cut blouse were making his blood run hot, 'why not have some fun' he thought.

Riddhima smirked inwardly, poor ARMAAN MALLIK, he had no idea what he was getting into "So what do you think? Bet?" Armaan smiled at her "Well..lets make this a little bit more interesting, have you heard of Strip pool?" Riddhima started breathing hard, 'no he did not just ask her that!', but she had to face this plus she was good at pool, what the hell she thought "No, I have heard of strip poker, there is no such thing as strip pool mr Mallik"

Armaan grinned "yes there is, lets keep the stakes high. With every ball either of us plots, the other has to strip off one item from their body. Deal?" Riddhima thought about it for a minute, she could do this, if she played right, she would not have to take any clothing off "Fine, deal! But I play first" Armaan was pleasantly surprised, he was certain she would say no, but this girl always surprised him. He went to the door and locked it, then he pulled all the curtains down to block the view from outside He turned towards her and said in a drawl "Done!"

Riddhima took a deep breath and picked up the cue, since Armaan had already set the triangle, it was up to her to break "Umm...will it count if I don't plot on breaking?" Armaan smirked, yes it does. Like I said every time you plot,you get a say and if you don't plot, i'll get to play" Armaan saw as riddhima nodded nervously, she closed her eyes and then opened them to concentrate on her break.

Riddhima hit the cue ball straight where she wanted a plotted a plain yellow ball, she looked up happily to see Armaan's eyes on the ball which sailed smoothly into the far pocket "Lucky first I must say ms gupta! But will you be able to keep it up?" riddhima smiled triumphantly, she gestured to Armaan's torso as she said "Loose the coat mr Mallik!" Armaan raised one eyebrow but obeyed her. He looked on apprehensively as she chose her next target.

Riddhima was concentrating on her chosen ball, but she couldn't help but look at Armaan flex his muscles, the white shirt was an amazing contrast to his bronze skin and his muscles seemed to ripple under the thin cotton, she looked up one last time as he smirked and flexed his hands over his head, she was too distracted to hit properly, so even though she plotted the blue ball, it hit one of the stripped one.

"Shit! Does that count as a foul?" riddhima asked pouting. Armaan smiled devilishly at her, he knew she was getting distracted by him, this is what he wanted, there was no way he would leave her now, 'All your secrets will lay bare today ms Gupta, at least the physical one' he thought with glee "yes it does, so that means I get to play and since you fouled, you loose your chance" he smirked at her as he picked up his cue "be prepared ms gupta!"

Riddhima held her breath as Armaan struck the cue ball, she was seriously worried now. She could not strip more than her sari, she thought she could have taken him on! Arrghh...'sometimes think rationally riddhima! And why is he so distracting!' her eyes went wide as the purple stripped ball went sailing into the pocket. He looked up at her and grinned, she blushed a crimson red thinking of what she'll have to do.

"Well, your first clothing is your sari...so please strip!" riddhima looked at him nervously, she held her sari tightly in her hands, Armaan saw her uneasiness "Listen riddhima, its fine...i won't force you. Lets just play normal pool ok?" Armaan said looking at her straight in the eyes. Riddhima looked up defiantly at him "No, I challenged you to this, so we'll play by the rule" saying that she swiftly undid her sari and took it completely off her, she draped it delicately over the couch and turned to him.

Armaan's mouth went dry, his breathing became labored and his legs turned to jelly, he could not take his eyes off her, the square neck of the demure blouse outlined her bosom perfectly, the top of her breasts visible and straining against the tight material, her smooth milky waist was tantalizingly beckoning him to feel it, he wanted to dip his tongue in her navel, the satin skirt moulded her long legs giving him an enticing view of her slim figure, 'Man the stakes were high now'

"Ahem, can we continue Armaan?" riddhima's nervous voice brought him out of his reverie, he looked away and picked up his cue once again, he tried to concentrate on his targeted ball but riddhima being near him was making it impossible for him to do so, she was standing on the other side with her palms flat on the outer edge of the pool table, as Armaan readied himself to strike, she leaned down to check out the formation, as Armaan struck the cue ball his gaze went straight to riddhima's ample cleavage which was spilling out of her blouse due to her leaning in, the cue ball missed its target and instead went straight down one of the pockets.

Armaan groaned as riddhima clapped her hands in glee "You did that on purpose riddhima! Don't deny it!" riddhima smiled innocently at him, "i don't know that you mean Armaan" she smiled at him as she picked up her cue to align her shot, Armaan smiled "No worries ms gupta, its not like you'll make more than one shot!' he watched as riddhima struck the cue ball and plotted another of her plain ball "Not bad, what should I strip now? My tie?"

riddhima smiled at him while blinking her eyes mockingly "Not so soon mr Mallik, till I don't stop plotting, i'll keep getting a chance. I'll let you know what to strip once I lose" riddhima smiled broadly as she once again struck her cue ball and plotted her fourth ball, she continued playing till she had plotted all her balls, now only the black one remained "So what was it you said? 'its not like i'll make more than one shot huh?' well I just plotted all my balls, and from the count...i should demand you to strip 5 things from yourself"

Armaan was still in a shock, damn she played well. He had no idea how she did it but she did, she had indeed plotted all her balls, he looked up at her "Ok, well played; I might as well start stripping right? I only have five things to strip off me, but will you be able to handle it?" he said with a smirk.

Riddhima smiled sweetly "Oh but Armaan, I didn't tell you what to strip...lets see...five things to strip hmmm" Armaan looked at her exasperated, this game did not turn out the way he wanted, all he could strip her off was her sari, but it would be interesting to see her watch him as he stripped for her, he felt strangely erotic and hugely turned on, 'shit' not now...he can't be turned on right now!" Armaan panicked as he felt himself get hard. What the hell had he gotten into!

Riddhima held up her palm wide in front of him "five things which I want you to strip off, ok.." Armaan had his hands in his tie when his head suddenly went up to see her coming near him, she stood right in front of him and held his tie in her hands, he felt a sudden jerk as she pulled him towards her, their lips a mere inch apart

"Mr Armaan Mallik, the five things I want you to strip from yourself are..." her voice turned to a husky whisper, turning him on further "one...your ego, two...your stubbornness, three...your arrogance, four...your bossiness and five...your impatience.." she then leaned in to whisper in his ears "What? You thought i'll ask you to strip completely for me? I'm not that desperate you know"

Armaan stood stock still, her amazing citrusy scent was driving him mad, he again thought it felt familiar, but his mind was still trying to process what she just said to him. He looked up at her as she let his tie go and turned back to pick up her sari "Desperate? Oh lets not go there shall we...and all those things you asked me to strip...hmm...interesting " he said as he came and stood right behind her.

Riddhima's breath caught as she felt his warm breath on her back, she clutched her sari in both her hands and turned around to walk away from him, but Armaan was not done yet, he snatched the sari from her hands and let it fall to the ground while holding one end in his hands. He then put his other hand on her bare waist and pulled her towards him.

Riddhima was shocked by his actions, she had no idea what he was planning, but for once she thought to let logic go out the window, his rough hand felt so good on her skin, she wanted to lean in further and explore his hard body with her own hands, she looked up to see his smoldering eyes bore into hers, as if reaching out to her soul. She moaned as he started tucking her sari into her skirt, his hands lingering more than necessary on her heated skin, his hands dipping inside the skirt while pushing the sari in it.

Armaan was turned on beyond reason, he saw as riddhima closed her eyes and held onto his shoulders for support, he knew that de-robing her had been a hell of a turn-on but making her wear her sari back was more so; his hands caressed her silky skin as he helped her put it on, he pleated it and tucked the rest in and finally pulled her pallu up to rest on her shoulders covering her up completely, he could see riddhima breathing hard with soft moans escaping her luscious lips, he had to step away from her otherwise he'll do something very unprofessional! he stepped back to admire his work.

Riddhima felt him move away from her, she felt disappointed to loose the feel of his hands on her, but she quickly opened her eyes and looked at him, she could make out the dark desire in his eyes, probably mirroring her own; she stepped back further towards the door and unlocked it, she had to get away before she did something stupid, she turned the knob and was just stepping out when she heard him speak

"By the way riddhima, to complete my earlier sentence, if you strip me of all those things...there won't be any Armaan left you know" Armaan said in a husky voice, riddhima gave him a small smile "No Armaan, if I strip you of all those things, there will be only Armaan left...it will be ARMAAN MALLIK who will be gone" with that she closed the door behind her and ran to her room.

Chapter 13

(Some mature content...some :)

"Bitiya, I hope you are eating well, and not just junk food, are they giving you good home cooked meals at your company guesthouse?" riddhima smiled at the buaji's concerned voice, it felt so good to speak to her after so long "Yes buaji, don't worry everything is fine here and I am eating good healthy food! How are you feeling now? I spoke to your doctor earlier, he said you were much better , i'm so glad to hear that"

Riddhima could hear her buaji sigh "Yes bitiya, I am very well now, in fact with this upgraded room and facilities, I don't even have to get up to do anything, i'm afraid i'll get more fat!" riddhima laughed loud along with the buaji, how she missed their chats "Ok buaji, do let me know of you need anything else. Its lunch time now so I need to rush back. Love you loads, take care" she said her goodbye and hung up the phone; she realized she was in tears after talking to her, she really did miss her.

Riddhima quickly wiped her tears and went down for lunch, she did not know if it was a good thing or bad that she had not seen Armaan all day, after their pool session last night, thinking of which she still got goosebumps, she had not heard from him at all; it wasn't like he was ignoring her or anything, maybe he just had a lot of work; Plus right now she was battling with too many mixed feelings! not giving it another thought, she joined the rest of the family at the dining table.

...

'Best to ignore her' Armaan thought as he sipped his afternoon coffee, he had left home early in the morning citing an important meeting, now it was nearly 4pm in the afternoon and all his day's work was pending because he could not concentrate on anything! When Atul got the final plans for 'Joie' boutiques to him, he just started at him blankly, he wondered why he finalized that name instead of the other ones, what was happening to him! Plus Riddhima's words yesterday had stumped him completely..he felt an alien emotion taking its place in his heart and he did not feel like exploring it further.

Afraid, yes Armaan Mallik was afraid, he was afraid that he knew what that emotion was, or he suspected it, he was afraid to lose himself in this gazebo of desire and want that he felt for her, he was afraid to give someone that power to rule over him, yes he was afraid! He banged his hand on the mahogany table with force, his eyes went rigid with determination, he had to sort out this unwanted distraction as soon as possible. He cancelled all his other meetings of the day and left for the house.

...

"So riddhima beta, should we go tomorrow for your lehenga shopping? We also need to discuss the decorations and catering" Anaya Mallik said fondly, she then turned to Nikki who was furiously texting on her phone with a lovey dovey expression "Nikki, did you get the invitation list ready?" she waited for Nikki to respond "Nikki! Why are you always stuck in that phone of yours! I think its best I confiscate it!" Nikki's head shot up as she heard her mothers raised voice.

"Sorry ma, I was just texting someone about our coursework, oh yes...the invitation list, yes I have it ready. I'll just get it" saying that she quickly left the living room leaving riddhima and Anaya alone "By the way beta, don't you have any relatives you'd like to call for the engagement?" Anaya looked quizzically at riddhima

Riddhima gave her a nervous smile, "Umm..no, not really. I've already told you that I only have my buaji, but she is in London. There is no on in India that I know personally" riddhima cleared her throat, she just hoped that Anaya would not ask her to call her buaji or something "Oh yes, that's right. Your buaji, you know I just realized I have not spoken to her yet, we need to speak on many things actually. Can you give me her number beta?"

Riddhima gulped visibly, she was just about to come up with some lame excuse when Nikki interrupted them "Ok ma, here it is, let me know if i'm missing anyone. Bye I gotta go, study group.." she hugged her mother and riddhima and left in a hurry; luckily Anaya too had to leave for a doctors appointment with dadiji, she told riddhima that she was welcome to join them but riddhima declined saying she was not feeling too well, they said their goodbyes as riddhima turned and went to her room.

...

Armaan's car was just taking a u-turn towards his house, when he saw his mother's car leave from the gates, he wondered where they were going this late, then remembered that he was the one who had come early, instead of his usual 8pm he was home at 5. He walked up the stairs to the main door and saw as RAMU KAKA opened the door for him, he was quite disheartened to see the entire house eerily silent, he thought they all must have gone for the engagement party shopping, 'what a waste'! He thought as he went up to his room.

He changed into his swimming trunks and wrapped a towel around his waist, he wanted to swim some laps since he had missed his morning jog today in his hurry to leave the house early. He told RAMU KAKA not to disturb him at the pool, he wanted some time to himself. He walked swiftly to the partially indoor pool of the house, he did not want to use the larger one outside, the upper side pool was much more private and opened up to the gorgeous gardens and lawns overlooking the infinity pool. He opened the door and slowly closed it before turning towards the pool.

...

'This feels so good' riddhima thought as she swam underwater, periodically coming up to gulp some air. She was grateful that the store lady had also packed two bikini's for her along with the lingerie, she really needed this swim, somehow swimming had always calmed her nerves. Though she was always more comfortable wearing one pieces, the pool being private did not really matter, she was glad no one was home and she had her own privacy to swim and relax.

At first he did not notice her, he had taken off his towel and was now walking towards the pool when he noticed something moving, he was alarmed at first but then he felt a punch in his gut as he saw riddhima's beautiful face emerge out of the water, she was surfacing for breaths while swimming under the water. All he could see was her gorgeous bare shoulders marred by a thin halter strap, his heart started beating erratically just watching her.

Riddhima felt someone's presence, but then ignored her thoughts since she had to finish her last lap, she should really stop imagining things now she thought, she finally finished her last lap and came up for air. She undid her bun and let her wet hair cascade down her back, she pushed it all to one side and leaned her hands against the cold edge of the infinity pool and let her head rest between them, she closed her eyes while enjoying the after-workout rush in her body and the soothing sounds of nature around her.

Armaan was shamefully turned on, when she came up from the water, his heart had literally stopped beating, she was indeed wearing a bikini, and when she had moved all her hair to one side, he could not help but stare at the expanse of naked milky white skin of her back, it was so tempting to go and run his hands over it, just to remind himself once again of the silky feel of it. For once he thought he should not think logically or worry about the consequences, he needed her, he wanted her, and he knew she did too! The tension between them was so thick that one could cut it with a knife.

With a determined look, he took his first step towards his seduction plan, he slowly lowered himself into the water from the other side of the pool, away from her. He took a deep breath and swam underwater to reach her in just a couple of slow strokes, she was probably dozing off due to the exhaustion, but whatever it was he was glad she did not realize him being this close to her.

Riddhima could feel the water moving about, but she was too relaxed and tired to do anything, finally when she definitely felt someone in the water she quickly turned and lurched as she lost her footing to clash right into a hard muscled chest. Her hands instinctively went to clutch at the nearest available support; his shoulders, she lifter her eyes in shocked surprise to be greeted by smoldering chocolate brown eyes, Armaan's eyes.

Armaan's entire body went hard as riddhima's delicate hands clutched his shoulders, he could feel her delicious body pressed against his as she struggled to find her footing in the deep water, he smirked inwardly at her shocked face, her huge hazel eyes full of surprise and confusion, she quickly took her hands off him and tried to push him away to only have him pull her closer by her waist, he held her tight against him and saw her eyes fuming with repressed anger, she was still pushing him away and was quite shocked by his behavior when she heard him speak huskily against her ears.

"Stop resisting riddhima, we can't deny it anymore. Please just let it be..." riddhima's eyes went wide as she heard him speak those words, she stopped moving about and stilled her hands on his chest, she looked up into his desire filled eyes and felt her own body react to the feel of his hard body pressed against hers ,she felt hot all over and the cold water started feeling tepid around her skin. She understood exactly what he meant, they were in denial for too long, but they were human after all and she wanted him as much as he did.

They kept staring at each other as riddhima's eyes went shyly to his lips and back to his eyes, Armaan saw as she wet her lips with the tip of her tongue,he could not hold any longer, his hands moved up from her waist to her upper back pulling her more towards him, her breasts pressed against his chest, her tips digging into his own through the thin material of her flimsy bikini top. Riddhima gasped at the delicious feeling he invoked in her, she let her hands wander into his hair as she too pulled him closer till their lips were but a centimeter apart, she closed her eyes as she felt Armaan's hot lips capture hers in a wild hungry kiss.

Riddhima gave a feral moan as her lips parted to let Armaan's tongue into her mouth, he plundered her soft mouth with a passionate , almost savage kiss, he wanted her to feel all the frustration he had felt over the past two days, their first kiss was just a prelude to what this was, he groaned as riddhima's tongue dueled with his, she bit his lip and grazed her teeth over his tongue, Armaan liked this feisty side of hers, he sucked on her bottom lip, making her moan out loudly then moving his hungry mouth to her jaw and further down to her neck.

They did not seem to care that they were in a pool, in Armaan's house and anyone could walk in any minute, Riddhima ran her hands down his rippling back as he sucked and bit her neck, he wanted to brand her as his, but riddhima did not care one bit about the mark it will leave, she was drowning too much into this dark abyss of desire to make sense of anything, Armaan's mouth continued its assault on her heated body as he kissed his way to the valley between her breasts, moulding the globes with his expert hands

Riddhima moaned Armaan's name as she felt his hot mouth on one of her nipples sucking hard while his fingers massaged her other tip into rigid submission, it did not matter that her top was still on, the thin material was hardly a barrier to his wild mouth. She lost all rational thought as she felt heat pool at her core, she gasped as Armaan pushed her against the cold wall of the pool and imprisoned her between his legs and once again buried his head between her breasts, ready to pull off her top. She pushed her hands into his hair and wrapped her legs around him, but as she did she felt his hard arousal against her belly.

Riddhima panicked, she had come too far, suddenly the desire she felt came crashing down, she felt suffocated and fearful as a distant memory brought her back to earth, she felt tears in her eyes and she pushed Armaan away from her "Stop Armaan, please stop" he looked up with confused eyes and was alarmed when he saw her eyes full of tears, he let her go at once and watched as she started swimming away from him "Whats wrong riddhima? Did I hurt you? Tell me baby..what's happened?"

Riddhima could not look him in the eyes, she felt ashamed that she had let this go so far, plus it was not fair to burden Armaan with those ghastly memories of her past, she shook her head "Nothing, this should not have happened Armaan, sorry..but I have to go" she then climbed out of the pool and fastened her fluffy robe around herself before running out, leaving a throughly confused Armaan in the pool.

...

"Bhabhi's not coming for dinner, she said she's not feeling twell" Nikki announced as the rest of the family settled at the dining table. "Oh God, she was not feeling well even earlier, i'll have RAMU KAKA take some soup for her then" saying that Anaya Mallik strode towards the kitchen . Armaan sat silently at the table still lost in his thoughts, riddhima's name had him looking up to see what was being said "Ma, i'll take it up to her" Armaan said suddenly, he was trying to find an excuse to go and see her and this was good enough.

He had first thought of leaving her alone for a while, but what happened earlier had him very disturbed, he was quite sure that something was bothering her, but as always she kept a part of herself hidden from him, he wanted to get to the bottom of this, he had sat idle for far too long, it was time he got some answers out of her; he took the tray of soup which RAMU KAKA handed to him and started climbing the stairs to her room.

...

Riddhima sat huddled on her bed, clutching the pillow to herself, she felt ashamed of the way she had acted, these unfamiliar stirrings had made her lose her logical brain and she had given in to the temptation without thinking of the consequences. She knew she could trust Armaan, but that encounter from her past had left her shattered and broken, even after all this time she still could not forget that horrible night. She closed her eyes and let her tears flow slowly down her cheeks.
Chapter 14

"Oh baby...i can't live without you..i'll die if I don't have you tonight, you've teased me enough!" he panted as his callous hands roamed all over her, he squeezed her breasts savagely and forced his knee between her legs, imprisoning her, she found it hard to breath as his greedy mouth scarred her lips, biting her and urging her to open her mouth; riddhima whimpered against his inhuman assault, she let hot tears pour down her eyes but refused to cry out, preventing him from thrusting his probing tongue, he had twisted her hands behind her and her bracelet was cutting into her back that was roughly pressed against the cold marble wall of the bathroom. Her mind was screaming "Please stop, please...let me go" but she could not voice it.

His eyes red with excessive drinking turned angry as she resisted him, he let her go and slapped her hard across her face, the force throwing her off balance as she fell on the bathroom floor, her beautiful peaches and cream complexion now marred by an ugly red mark across her cheeks. She cried out in agony, her body was aching from his painful ministrations on it, but the biggest pain of all was her trust, he had broken it, he had shattered her fragile soul, she looked up to see him coming towards her with a savage gleam in his eyes, riddhima screamed as the door to the bathroom banged open.

...

"Riddhima, riddhima! Wake up...what happened? Why are you screaming? Please riddhima wake up" she could hear Armaan's voice from a distance, his voice calming her, her breathing returning to its normal state, she woke up to find herself sweating while clutching the pristine white sheets of her bed. She got up suddenly to find herself starting right into Armaan's concerned eyes; The next second she was wrapped in his strong arms, his fingers running through her hair, calming her down as he whispered soothing words.

Armaan was scared,;when he was just about to knock on her door earlier, he had heard screams, he pushed the door open and flew to her side as he saw her thrashing on the bed, her beautiful face scrunched up in horror, her screams, God! it had made his heart stop. He tried to wake her up, he had never seen riddhima this upset, she was always so full of life, always laughing, but right now she looked like a different riddhima, like the life was sucked out of her, he could feel her damp body slowly relaxing against his;

Riddhima was completely leaning on Armaan, her head was resting against his shoulders while his hands held her, for how long she did not know. But they stayed like that for a long time, she was grateful beyond words to have him here, but was also embarrassed again, thinking what he would make out of her abnormal behavior, so she finally pulled away from him and leaned back on her pillow "Thanks Armaan..and i'm sorry you had to see that..its just...uh..." riddhima closed her eyes and sighed as she lifted her head to the ceiling.

Armaan held her hands gently between his "Riddhima, what is it? Please tell me what is bothering you...if what happened today in the pool is the reason for this..." riddhima's eyes flew open and her head came down, she looked into Armaan's guilty eyes, cursing herself for making him even think anything of that sort, she squeezed his hands as she spoke "No Armaan, please don't ever think that..what happened in the pool...was natural...but lets not go there right now. This is nothing to do with you, I just..i can't talk about this...sorry, but I want to be alone"

Armaan was partly relieved that their encounter was not the reason for her current state, but was also annoyed that she once again was shutting him out, why wouldn't she tell him anything "Riddhima, please...let it out...if something is bothering you, please tell me" he saw her hesitate at first, then her eyes seemed scared and worried "Fine If you don't want to talk about it and thinking about it will only make you more upset, then i won't force you, but you have to drink this soup. No arguments" Armaan said sternly letting the topic go, she did not seem to be in the right state of mind right now.

Riddhima gave him a small , hardly there smile as she sipped the now warm soup, she quickly finished the entire bowl and drank a glass of water which Armaan offered, he was still sitting on her bed "Do you need anything else? Are you feeling ok? Should I get some medicines?" Armaan asked as she snuggled into bed, he wished he could snuggle in too, just to let her know that he was with her, but suggesting it would be nothing short of suicidal, especially with the way she was feeling.

"No thanks, i'll be fine..i'm just very sleepy and tired after the pool workout" riddhima yawned but then blushed as she realized what she had just said, she looked up to see an amused Armaan staring down at her "Uh...um...i meant, my swim earlier...not the...you know...uh.." Armaan smiled down at her and helped her place the duvet over her " I know.." he said cheekily before standing up from her bed. He leaned down and switched off the bed side lamp while whispering a quick good night and leaving the room. Riddhima smiled as she closed her eyes and slept, a peaceful sleep, without any nightmares..

...


"I know baby, I miss you too...but I can't keep making excuses, plus you know naa..bhai's engagement is coming up soon and there are too many things to do, so please try and understand" Nikki spoke softly into her phone as she wandered around the garden, she smiled as she heard the deep voice on the other end "I still can't believe your brother is getting married, of all the people who I thought would remain livelong bachelors, your bother was on top! Humph...Another one bites the dust"

Nikki made a sour face as she said sternly "Oi! Don't you dare say that about my brother, my bhabhi is amazing! And both of them are so cute together! And what do you mean 'another one bites the dust" you better come and talk to my family soon" the man at the other end grimaced and said in a honeyed voice "c'mon baby, i've told you earlier as well, this is not the right time, plus I need to get into your brothers good books first, being rivals does not really help me if I am to ask for your hand..i'll handle it in my own way, but you don't say anything yet ok" Nikki pouted but agreed, she said a sad goodbye and ran back to the house.

...

Riddhima was bone tired! They had been shopping since 12 noon and now it was nearly 6 in the evening; she kept berating herself for oversleeping and not meeting Armaan in the morning, she wanted to thank him for last night, she felt a warm fuzzy feeling whenever she thought about how he was there for her, she also knew that he had come twice to her room in the night to check-up on her; the truth was that she had hardly slept but she pretended to when he came in so that he would stop worrying.

She had just finished trying on a beautiful brocade lehenga, the choli was black color with gold brocade work all over it and it finished right where her waist started, its back was more or less non-existent with a deep cut and and dori tied on the top, while the lehenga was of red brocade with the same black brocade border on the bottom, the dupatta was multicolored; overall Riddhima looked stunning, she kept looking at herself in the mirror, she could very well imaginer herself designing this; she smiled happily and stepped out.

"Oh my God! Bhabhi...you look amazing! This is it, this is the one! Lets get this!!" Nikki's excited voice bounced off the changing room walls, both dadi and Anaya loved the ensemble, they decided to finalize this one and proceeded to the cash counter once riddhima came out; She breathed a sigh of relief when they finally left the store, she blushed as she remembered a similar shopping spree with Armaan and what had happened in the changing room of harrods, it all seemed like such a long time back!

...

"Atul, I've already told you that you need to fix that meeting before Modi's people do! We need to convince Mr Yarimoto's team that they should not look anywhere else for fine silk. Our relations with them have been perfect till now, the last thing we need is them reconsidering our partnership! Our entire APAC region is supplied through them, I will not let any daddy's boy jeopardize this!" Armaan barked into his bluetooth as he got down from his car.

Abhimanyu manohar Modi was once again at his slimy best! Armaan could not believe that he had openly invited Armaan's Japanese partners to consider a liaison with his company, It was the most unethical thing to do, but how can one expect anything ethical from SJ! Pah...he only started calling himself that to imitate Armaan's ARMAAN MALLIK tag! Armaan hated his guts, he did not possess an iota of principles which his father was famous for.

Manohar Prakash Modi was an epitome of honesty, integrity and ethics, his name was trusted and revered in their industry, Armaan's father himself was a close friend even though both companies had been rivals since long; this had never hindered their friendship since both men were clear in their distribution channel and partners, they catered to different markets and never stepped on each others work. All deals were done with utmost transparency.

But when a few years ago, Mr Modi had passed away, the company's leadership was handed over to his son Abhimanyu, everyone was very excited to see new blood take over the reigns of this century old textile giant, they often compared him to ARMAAN MALLIK who had also sailed in the same boat; but the resemblance stopped there; where Armaan had built his company further by expanding it and growing it to become one of the most successful companies, Abhimanyu had plundered all the assets and money for his selfish needs, even though he had an MBA degree from London, he had zero business sense and had more or less rendered the company useless in just a span of three years!

Only recently around a year ago did he appoint some new people who were rebuilding the lost company, Abhimanyu himself had become more active and aggressive in getting Modi textiles once again its lost glory, but the catch was; he was doing everything illegally and unethically. His path to success was eating up Mallik textiles's already established market and luring its partners towards them by offering lower rates' Armaan knew that the cloth which his textiles produced was much inferior in quality thanks to bogues chinese supplier, but newer partners wanted price and had thus joined hands with him.

Over the year, Modi textiles had become a tough competitor to Armaan's company. They had started by converting smaller partners first and were now eyeing their export ventures as well. It irked Armaan to even think that Abhimanyu whom he remembered from his childhood as a sweet boy, few yours younger to him, would turn out to be such a callous and unethical thug. So much so that now he had the gall to openly challenge Armaan; 'well we'll see about that' Armaan thought as he changed into his home clothes and went down for dinner.

...

"It's been so long since we came here, I just love the Hyderabadi biryani here, its to die for!" Anaya exclaimed as all four women settled into their seats; They had decided to watch a movie post shopping since dadi had insisted on going for one and after the 3 hour long movie was over, they came to the nearby 'Khansama' restaurant which was Anaya's favorite. Khuhsi looked at the three happy ladies in front of her; she could not remember the last time she had soo much fun with anyone from her family.

She had a good social life till her father was alive, but after his passing away things had changed drastically. On Shilpa's insistence she had gone for movies, dinner and the occasional clubbing with the rest of her gang, but she had never truly enjoyed it. Not as much as she enjoyed this; she felt the only other thing which came close to this were her chats with buaji, her eyes misted up as she remembered her.

"Whats wrong beta? Are you still not well?" Anaya asked in a concerned voice when she saw riddhima's misty eyes. "Oh no Ma, i'm fine. Was just remembering my buaji, out outing today reminded me of her" riddhima said with a watery smile, she looked up as Nikki wiped away her tears "Oh Bhabhi, don't worry we'll get her here soon, and plus we are there na, your new family!" Nikki side hugged her as Anaya and dadiji squeezed her hands and gave her a reassuring smile.

Riddhima felt horrible once again deceiving these lovely people, she did not deserve their love nor did she belong amongst them, she wondered for how much longer she could pretend when she was falling in love with everyone in this family...especially...

...

Armaan ate his dinner quietly, his mother had called him a few minutes ago informing him that they were going to eat out, apparently they had shopped for the engagement and then gone for a movie and dinner, she sounded so excited like a little 10 year old, he could not help but smile even in his annoyed mood; He had wanted to talk to Riddhima , but all day he had been tied up with this Modi bullshit, and now when he could have finally gotten some time with her, she was not here.

He had hardly slept last night since he kept going to her room to check on her; he found his behavior weird, he had never done that before, the only other person who had kept him up all night with worry was his little sister; whenever Nikki was upset or ill he had stayed up all night to keep a vigilant eye on her, but Riddhima was far from his sister, in fact his feelings for her were getting stronger and stronger day by day, why did he have such protective emotions for her, why did he crave to see her as soon as he got home!

He reminded himself that their engagement was in two days time, he had succeeded in his plan to keep the media away from this event; a little help from the commissioner and all the newspapers and magazines editors were sent a strict warning. But Armaan wondered how they would go ahead with the engagement, he still had to talk with Riddhima and see what she thought, they had hardly touched base on that discussion, the growing sexual tension between the two of them had never given them a chance to sit and discuss things rationally.

He had to talk to her tonight, whenever they were back, it was too late to change anything now since the invitations were sent out, but he needed her to be absolutely comfortable with the ceremony;
Chapter 15

(Mature content warning...)

By the time they reached home it was past 11:00pm, Riddhima had gotten a text from Armaan saying that he wanted to talk to her; her heart had once again started that weird flip-flop movement as soon as she saw his name blinking on the message indicator, 'What did he want to talk about now' she wondered then thought about the numerous things which were left un-discussed and un-said between them, she was actually glad they came home so late, at least now she could avoid their chat for one more day.

She quickly ran to her room after saying her goodnights to the other ladies; she kept her shopping bags to one side and went in for a quick shower to relax her tired body, she then changed into her cotton shorts and a cotton sleeveless t-shirt and snuggled into her bed, she switched off the light and fell in a deep slumber, this time her dreams were all pleasant as she slept with a sweet smile on her face.

...

Armaan was done with reading, then replying and then re-reading his mails, he realized that he had nothing to do but just wait till they turn up, he was thinking of texting her again but did not want to look desperate; he switched on the TV to a news channel and sat in front of it waiting for Riddhima to come and meet him or at least call him when she was back, his head was just lolling on the easy chair when he heard Nikki's voice outside his door, he quickly got up and opened his door "Nikki? When did you guys return?"

Nikki's head shot up and her giggling stopped when she saw her brother standing in front of her, she had thought he was asleep and she was freely talking to her boyfriend, she quickly cut the call and looked up at her brother with nervous eyes "Uh...Bhai...you are still awake? It's nearly mid-night...and we came back more than half an hour ago...is everything all right" Armaan felt irritated, once again she had successfully avoided him "What the! Nikki..i did not know you people were back, no one bothered to tell me! Where is Riddhima?" Nikki giggled at his annoyed face "Aww...u missing her? Well she's probably asleep now...she was too tired to stay awake!"

Armaan should have known; Shopping with his mother and sister was indeed tiring, but still she should have at least informed him or texted back, he said goodnight to Nikki and was just turning back when he saw her clutching her phone "Nikki, who were you talking to at this time of night?" Armaan asked suspiciously. Nikki who was hurrying back to her room froze, she looked back at her brother and gave him a nonchalant look "Uh..Just my friend, she wanted me to get my e-commerce notes tomorrow" she quickly turned and walked back to her room leaving a satisfied Armaan behind.

...

Riddhima suddenly got up sweating , this time it was very vivid, she had an extremely erotic dream about her and Armaan in various different positions, many which made her blush furiously, she felt hot, her nipples were hard and she felt a dull throbbing between her legs,she stood up and went to the table to fetch some water, this had never happened to her before, her hands reached out to find a jug of water and she gulped down a few sips but it did not cool her down, she needed cold water to douse the fire which had started in her.

She quickly gathered her hair and clipped it loosely on top of her head, then she quietly left her room to go to the kitchen downstairs, when she had nearly climbed down the stairs she realized that she was not wearing any underwear underneath her night clothes. She looked around to see the entire house eerily silent, she thought that since everyone was asleep, she need not worry about her state of dressing; she padded to the enormous kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator.

...

"What the!" Armaan got up from his sleep; he could not stop thinking about her, as soon as he closed his eyes he could see her, this was getting frustrating! He had been trying to sleep since the past 3 hours only for his thoughts to wander once again to her. He checked the clock to see that it was 4:30 am in the morning; he had to anyway wake up in 1 more hour for his jog. He stood up and stretched out; he might as well leave early today since he was not getting any sleep. He changed into his vest and jogging pants and left his room.

Riddhima took out the huge jug of ice cold water from the fridge, she was trying to balance it in one hand while trying to close the fridge door with the other when she felt something slither along her arm, she shrieked and lost control of the huge jug, luckily she caught it before it fell down but in the process the cold water has splashed all across her thin cotton t-shirt completely drenching her. She quickly kept the jug on the table and started looking around for a mop, she also realized that it was her own hair which had come undone that slithered on her arm; she started laughing while trying to mop the now wet floor;

Armaan was just crossing the living room when he heard a shriek followed by laughter coming from the kitchen, he straight away changed his course and went towards the kitchen, he thought that it was probably Nikki sneaking in for a bowl of ice-cream in the middle of the night. 'When will that girl learn' he thought, he had a huge smile across his face cause he was going to catch her red-handed once again! He slowly tiptoed into the kitchen to surprise her, but his smile died on his face and he stood shock still at the sight in front of him.

Riddhima...her hair moving around her angelic face as she concentrated on mopping the floor, she stood in front of the open fridge, its light illuminating her luscious form, her top completely drenched was sticking to her upper body, clearly outlining her ample bosom, their peaks visible from the thin while cotton now nearly transparent, she looked like a temptress standing there swaying her hips to the rhythmic movements made by her hands while mopping. Armaan went hard just looking at her, his hands itched to hold her and completely devour her delectable body.

Riddhima felt his presence before she even looked up, she stopped her movement and leaned the mop against the table before glancing up to find Armaan staring at her, he had a predatory look in his eyes which strangely turned her on, she felt heat creep up her body as his eyes roamed over her, lingering on her chest and finally coming to rest on her face; his look was challenging as if daring her to run away or face the truth which they were both too stubborn to admit, she slightly shifted her body away from him shielding him from observing her as she shyly realized her state.

Armaan stared at her, he was trying to gauge her reaction on finding him in front of her, he was hoping she wouldn't run away this time, far from talking, he wanted to roughly pull her against him and show her how her mere look affected him. He slowly moved towards her as she turned her body away from him, he inched further towards the table as she walked further away from him around it, finally they were both on either sides of the table, not saying a word just staring at each other, Armaan knew her brain was probably thinking rationally while his had gone for a vacation the moment he saw her.

She had to go from there, if she stayed for a minute longer then God only knows what she'll end up doing. He looked so hot in his tight jersey vest sculpting his hard muscles underneath, his stubble gave him a dangerous look, her heart was probably beating at a rate of 560 horsepower! She quickly turned completely and started briskly walking towards the kitchen door, not saying a word to him; Best to make a run for it before he catches her or worse she throws herself at him!

Armaan knew she would run any minute, but this time he won't let her. He saw as she quickly turned towards the door "Scared..Ms Gupta?" he asked in a husky tone. Riddhima stopped in her track, she only had to take one more step to walk out of the kitchen, but the hell was she gonna admit that he scared her, she confidently turned towards him and looked him straight in the eyes "Scared? Who me? You must be joking...i had just come down for a glass of water..now that i've had it..Good night"

Armaan smirked as she tried her lame excuse "Incorrect! Its Good morning now...and I think you are scared of me..otherwise you won't be avoiding talking to me...would you now? You have successfully avoided talking about yourself, what bothered you last night, what happened between us yesterday and how we should take things forward...so yes..i think you are scared" he saw as Riddhima stood to her full petite height with a hard determination on her face.

"Excuse me Mr Mallik!" she said as she came forward and stood right in front of him "You were the one who said I should be professional" she poked in him the chest while saying that. "You were the one who said 'I am the boss, you are the employee'"! She poked him again. "So who are you to ask me all these questions when you wanted to keep this soo professional!" she poked him again, she realized it too late that she was hardly a breath away from him., his musky scent making her wild, his mouth was opened slightly in surprise, oh how she wanted those lips on her, she stared at him for a second more before she threw caution to the wind, pulled his head down and smacked her lips against his.

Armaan was shocked...wait not shocked...more like electrocuted! He was still trying to figure out if he was dreaming when he felt riddhima bite down on his lips, with that there was no stopping him, he pulled her up against his body as his mouth responded to hers wildly, they met in a passionate fervor, he could taste her sweet unique flavor as his lips sucked on her tongue, his own tongue thrusting inside her mouth plundering its divine softness, he felt riddhima's hands holding onto his hair, pulling it hard as she pressed her luscious body further into him.

Riddhima was too dazed and gone to realize what she had started, right now her only salvation was Armaan, his touch, his feel, his kiss...she only wanted him..nothing else mattered. She wanted to get as close as possible to him, she wanted to roam her hands over his taut body, she moaned deeply as his hands got under her t-shirt, his rough hands against her heated skin took her to a newer highs, "Ah..Armaan...oh God..yes..." she moaned as she felt him bite her shoulders.

Armaan let his hands wander below her wet t-shirt, his hands moulded her flat tummy and circled her belly button lazily as they sought her smooth silky skin, he nipped the sensitive skin near her ears and neck, his tongue twirling around as he made his decent down to her creamy shoulders, he heard a throaty moan escape her as he bit her there and then twirled his tongue to soothe the pain. He could feel her hard nipples straining against her t-shirt, rubbing deliciously against his chest.

He slowly lifted her t-shirt to reveal her beautiful breasts, now standing proud and eager for him, he quickly picked her up and made her sit on the table, he lifted her top completely and threw it down as he held her gaze for a quick second, her desire filled eyes made him go wild, he lowered his mouth a took a straining peak in his hungry mouth as his hand squeezed the other one, his thumb rubbing against it simultaneously, Riddhima had never felt this alive, she moaned louder as he increased the pressure of his mouth and fingers, she held onto him tightly as her own hands started exploring him beneath his vest.

Armaan felt riddhima's tiny hands on his abs, he wanted to feel her skin against his, he wanted her mouth on his body, he quickly helped her divest him of the vest and pressed her body to his, the first contact between their bodies was phenomenal, Armaan had been with many girls before but with riddhima he felt like a born again virgin. The pleasure he felt as her skin rubbed against his, the friction it created was mind blowing.

He felt her nails bite into his back as she too felt the current which ran through them, "Riddhima...baby...what do you do to me" Armaan groaned as her fingers now teased his nipples, pulling them roughly, he once again took possession of her lips and pulled her towards him, she wrapped her legs around his buttocks as his other hand went slowly towards the top button of her shorts.

Riddhima felt Armaan's hand slowly move towards her shorts, she was already too wet now, she knew only he could give her the release she craved, she shifted slightly so that his hand could slide inside her shorts, he was just about to push his finger through when they saw a light turn on in the living room; Riddhima and Armaan looked at each other dumbly and froze, they realized that they were in the middle of the kitchen and it was nearly morning. She quickly unwrapped her legs and pushed him away as she slid off the table and stood beside him,

Armaan looked at riddhima as they both did not know how to react, he knew that any minute someone might walk into the kitchen, he saw as riddhima started looking around for her t-shirt, she bent down beneath the table and was just fishing it out when they heard footsteps and a voice "Armaan saab? Is that you?" Armaan swore under his breath as riddhima hid beneath the table, it was too risky for her to bolt out now. She held her breath and looked at Armaan's legs as he shifted around nervously.

"Armaan saab...oh it is you..but what are you doing here? And your clothes..." RAMU KAKA questioned him looking first as his naked torso and then around the kitchen, Armaan racked his brain for a good excuse, there was no way he would let riddhima out in this state in front of RAMU KAKA, he had to get him out of here "Uh...nothing...i was going for my jog and came in to get a glass of water...but unfortunately the water spilled on the floor..i was just mopping it all up" Armaan gestured towards the mop.

"Oh my God saab, why did you not wake me up! Its my job not yours" RAMU KAKA said as he started coming towards him, Armaan quickly held his palm up "Oh...no RAMU KAKA..i did not want to disturb you...you deserve to sleep well after a tiring day...Uh...i'll just leave now...why don't you come and lock the door behind me?" RAMU KAKA nodded with a confused look, his saab had never before cared about waking him in the middle of the night, something was definitely odd he thought.

Armaan started following him out when suddenly RAMU KAKA turned towards him "Uh saab, where is your top? You are going jogging like this?" Armaan looked at him and nodded "No, its right here..i took it off cause I was feeling hot...while mopping...its a lot of work" he looked around and tried to find his vest, he saw as RAMU KAKA started coming towards him...Armaan gestured to Riddhima to give him the vest which was probably lying beneath the table too, but in her haste she ended up giving him her t-shirt. She cursed herself and tried to hit Armaan's leg but he had already walked away.

"Ok, so here it is" he held it up to find riddhima's cotton t-shirt. Armaan gave a horrified look at RAMU KAKA who looked seriously suspicious now, he came more forward to see what Armaan was holding, Armaan quickly pushed his hands through it and wore it before RAMU KAKA could come nearer, the t-shirt was too damn tiny and only came up to his navel, thank god it was sleeveless otherwise there wouldn't have been any sleeves left.

Armaan saw as RAMU KAKA's eyes turned huge "Uh..saab, this looks like Nikki didi's t-shirt...are you sure this is yours?" Armaan gave a stern look to him "Yes it is mine, its the new fashion. But how would you know..now stop asking me questions and come" RAMU KAKA scurried out as Armaan followed him, he gave one last wistful look at the kitchen before her left the house.

...

Riddhima meanwhile could only imagine how Armaan looked in her t-shirt, she was painting a mental picture when she heard them leaving the room, she quickly donned Armaan's too loose jersey vest, she scrunched it up and stuffed it inside her shorts, she then quickly stood up to see that RAMU KAKA had left and ran out, she ran as fast as her legs could take her; only when she reached the sanctuary of her own room did she release her breath.

She locked her room and took off her shorts; she snuggled into bed with only Armaan's vest on, it smelled like him; She would think of what happened later, right now she was basking in the aftermath of their wonderful encounter. she closed her eyes and fell asleep within a few minutes with a serene smile on her face once again for the second time that night...oops morning!
Chapter 16

(Mature content ahead..18+ Only)

Riddhima got up with a banging headache, she was finding it too hard to even lift her head off the bed, she snatched her watch from the bedside table and looked at the time. 13:00! She got up quickly and in the process felt a searing pain in her head.No wonder she thought, every time she overslept her head got heavy. She slowly climbed down from her bed and went for a hot shower.

It was already past 2 pm when Riddhima finally came down, she looked around to find the house very quite but heard some voices coming from the conservatory, she padded quietly to the room to find all the Mallik ladies surrounded by various fabrics, jewelery, shoes, bags and God only knows what other contraptions! When they saw her gingerly waiting at the entrance, they all got up at once to pull her in; Riddhima found herself sandwiched between dadiji and Nikki while Anaya walked around showing her various things.

"Riddhima beta, are you feeling better now? Armaan said you were not well last night again, I just hope you feel better by tomorrow, we are so sorry to tire you out yesterday. Have you eaten anything yet?" Anaya asked with concerned eyes, Riddhima shifted in her seat, her head was still banging like a hard rock concert, she smiled with difficulty as she answered "Uh..my head hurts actually, I think I'll just eat something and take some medicine. I think that should help".

Before she finished her sentence, Anaya had called RAMU KAKA and asked him to get Riddhima's lunch to the conservatory with some warm water and aspirin, she also asked for some balm to massage on her forehead, Riddhima had never been so pampered in her life, she could get used to this she thought with a smile, but it quickly vanished when realty struck, this is not real.

She started listening half heartedly to Nikki and dadi gushing about the dress and the arrangements for the engagement, she so wished this was her real engagement, Wait! What the hell was she thinking! She was a fake, this entire thing was a sham..then was what happened between her and Armaan just a physical thing? Was it? She thought thoughtfully.

No...she had gone and fallen hopelessly in love with Mr Wrong...but then why did it all seem so right! She had to know what Armaan thought of all this, what was between them? but first she'll have to tell him the truth, the Armaan she had come to know over the past few days will understand, with that thought in mind, she let all her worries pass and joined in the excited banter.

The entire day passed in a series of mad events, first the mehendi lady came to apply her mehendi on her hands , then make-up lady and the hair dresser came by to experiment and decide on her do, and finally after all the madness, Nikki took her to the parlour for various different therapies and the usual plucking and pulling. She felt like a new person when they finally returned home at 10pm at night! Her mehendi had come off and the pattern looked very exotic against her glowing white skin.

They walked in to find all the family waiting for them at the dinner table, Riddhima was wondering why Armaan was not down yet, she had got a text from him earlier asking if she was alright to which she had replied a 'yes' with a smiley face. She went up to keep her bags and freshen up, but when she came down again he had still not come to the dining room.

"Uh...Nikki...where is Armaan?" she asked Nikki who was walking down the stairs behind her, "Oh bhai? Ma said he went to Jaipur, he had some urgent meeting, he'll only be returning tomorrow morning" Nikki said as she skipped down, riddhima felt sad suddenly, why did he not tell her she thought.She sat quietly throughout the dinner and finished it in record speed, Nikki kept noticing how upset riddhima seemed, she had an idea to cheer her up.

After dinner and warm good nights to everyone, riddhima went to her bedroom, she changed into her vest and shorts remembering the the early morning scene between her and Armaan, she blushed furiously, she picked up her phone and checked if Armaan had texted her, she was again upset to find the inbox empty, she quickly texted him saying 'We need to talk, let me know when you get back' and got under the covers. As soon as she was about to close the lamp her door swung open and Nikki ran inside.

"What the!" riddhima said totally startled and scared out of her wits! She watched as Nikki came and sat excitedly on her bed "Bhabhi! Not you too...i thought that phrase was trademarked by bhai!" Nikki giggled as she sat cross legged in front of riddhima, riddhima smiled at her and sat upright "So! What brings little nikki to my room!?" riddhima asked as Nikki got up and plonked a few dvds on riddhima's bed.

"We are gonna have a sleepover! I have some good chic flicks which we can watch and you'll get to spend some quality time with me!, unless you are very tired and wanna go to sleep" Nikki said with a cute smile, riddhima looked at the movies scattered on the bed and looked at her, Nikki gave her a sheepish look "Well...ok you must be wondering why this sudden plan, but truly speaking I saw how upset you were since bhai is not here...and you must be missing him...cause I can understand..so I thought this will cheer you up!"

Riddhima picked up one of the all time favorite movies, she was soo touched by Nikki's gesture that she could trust herself to speak, she would probably burst out, no one had ever bothered about her moods before, not even Shilpa..she gave the dvd to Nikki and saw her beaming smile as she took the dvd to pop it into the player "Wow bhabhi! 'Sleepless in Seattle' is my favorite too! She put all the lights off as the movie started and sat next to riddhima on the bed awkwardly.

Riddhima pulled the cover up and gestured Nikki to snuggle in, she smiled at her and and got under them next to riddhima, both sat silently as the movie started, but after a few minutes, riddhima held her hand and said softly "Thanks nikki, for understanding, I have never had a sister, so it feels wonderful to have you by my side," Nikki came closer and side hugged her tightly as riddhima returned it equally "No bhabhi, thank you. I have never seen bhai so happy before, he truly loves you, and I am so lucky to have you as my sister, your'e the best!"

"No your'e the best!" riddhima said laughing and blushing, 'oh if it was true' she thought sadly," By the way, what did you mean earlier when you said you understood missing someone? Who are we talking about kiddo!" Nikki gave her a mischievous smile, "Well, this is between both of us ok! Bhai should not know..promise me!!" riddhima crossed her heart and promised, she sat sideways looking at Nikki as she excitedly told her about her man

"Ok, well I met him few months ago, he's the most amazing guy ever!! he has the most dreamy eyes and great body, speaks very well and is as rich as me, so I know he's not after my money..but me! Hehe" Nikki giggled as her excited chatter continued "Actually bhai knows him, but we want to keep this a secret till he comes and asks for my hand, the right way you know..plus since his company is one of our competitors, bhai does not get along with him"

Riddhima thought about this for a second, Nikki was quite young to be so involved with a guy, but it wasn't her place to say anything to her, the only thing she could do was caution her and hope to God this guy was good "Well, its nice to have a boyfriend who loves and cares for you, but be careful darling, this world if full of very dark people" riddhima said with a shudder.

Nikki squeezed her hand tightly, "Don't worry bhabhi, I know him very well, he's very respectable and he loves me madly! I'll be careful" riddhima smiled at her "Whats his name by the way?" Nikki turned to answer her when her eye caught the scene on the tv "Oh my God! I love this scene, the one where he sees her for the first time...i gotta see it again" she said loudly, riddhima laughed as she saw Nikki fiddling with the remote, this was her favorite scene too, she relaxed into her pillows as the movie progressed, both girls thinking of their prince charming.

...

Nikki woke up to her phone buzzing, she quietly got up and tiptoed across the room to the door, she did not want riddhima to wake up. She walked out to take the call and closed the door slowly behind her, she picked up the call as she walked to the french doors which opened up into the balcony, she locked the balcony door and said in a sleepy husky voice "Good morning baby.."

...

Riddhima was once again dreaming, she felt Armaan lips on her neck, sending goosebumps down her spine, how can dreams be so vivid she thought, but enjoyed the feelings it evoked, she sighed as his lips travelled from her neck to her back, her hair was thrown to one side as his lips created havoc on her upper back, she felt one hand glide smoothly inside her top massaging her heavy breasts and pulling her already swollen nipples, she moaned as her dream got more wild, heat pooling between her legs.

She felt Armaan's other hand move across her waist and slip inside her shorts, finally! she thought, since it did not happen in reality at least it will happen in her dreams, she moaned as she felt his hands reach her soaking wet panties, she cried out his name as his hands slipped inside them, her eyes flew open as his finger slid inside her core, jerking her out of her sleepy state, she was shocked to find Armaan in her bed, his eyes were closed as he nibbled her jaw, his tongue licking the sensitive skin.

...

Armaan suddenly felt her tense, he opened his eyes to see a shell shocked riddhima, his hands stilled as she completely froze "What happened baby? Are you ok? Is it too much? I thought you were enjoying it" riddhima was still trying to make sense, did she just dream up anajli and her movie night? Was it Armaan all along? What the hell was going on! 'Was Nikki and aranv the same!' 'what!! no riddhima...stop being stupid, she stuttered as her voice came out in small gasps "Whh...what are yy..you do..ing here?"

Armaan gave her a cheeky smile, understanding her confusion, she thought she was dreaming till now, he chuckled as his head bent down to take her plump lips in a passionate hungry kiss, he felt her resisting it at first, she probably wanted to talk, but there was time for it, her hands which were pushing him away a few seconds ago gave up, instead circling around his neck and pulling him closer, armav groaned as her delicate tongue thrust into his mouth, sucking on his with equal ardour and passion.

Riddhima was trying to resist, she had no idea when Armaan got here, he was still in his shirt and trouser, so he must have come directly to her room leaving his jacket and tie somewhere, but where the hell was Nikki! Did she go back to her room? She was trying to tell this to Armaan when once again his hand started playing havoc with her body, his fingers were thrusting in and out of her while his thumb kept up a rhythmic pressure on her swollen nub, she pulled him closer to herself, she wanted to finish what they started yesterday.

Armaan felt riddhima writhing under him, he knew she was very close to her release, her hands pulled at his shirt while his mouth found her straining pink peak as he pushed her top up, he sucked on them hard as he increased the pressure on her nub, thrusting his fingers harder, he was growing stiffer by the second, but right now all he wanted to do was pleasure her.

Riddhima was finding it very hard to breath, her entire body seemed to be consumed in an unknown fire, Armaan's fingers had started a mad rush in her body, she crept her hands under his shirt and held onto his hard muscled back, her nails digging into the hard body as a final thrust of his finger bought her to the edge.

Riddhima felt wave after wave of pleasure fill her body , she shuddered as the powerful orgasm hit her, her first to be exact. She never knew it felt so wonderful, she looked up to find a smiling Armaan as her body settled down, she pulled him once again towards her and kissed him full on the mouth "Thank you" she murmured as he depend the kiss. She felt his hard arousal against her tummy and her hand instantly went under his waistband to it, she touched it tentatively at first, then rubbed her hand against it as she heard Armaan groan loudly.

It felt so wonderful, her soft hot hand tightly wrapped against his member, she slid her hand against it as he hissed with uncontrollable pleasure, he guided her hand along his length as riddhima continued her sweet torture, she started rubbing harder and quicker as she saw the pleasure flit across Armaan's face, if this gave him so much pleasure she would do it right she thought.

She slipped his pants further down and gently released his member out of its constraint, Armaan's eyes opened up as he saw riddhima rub both her hands against him, her eyes were filled with desire that matched his, he was so consumed by his release that he did not realize when he spilled all over her, his body shaking with the amazing climax riddhima's hands provided, he saw as her fascinated eyes roamed over his arousal, she lifted her shy eyes towards him and asked in a tiny voice "Does that hurt?" armav felt his heart roll over, how did he live without her til now he thought, he once again pulled her close and hugged her tightly "No baby, it hurts when I don't feel your touch.."

Riddhima was mesmerized, she had never been this intimate with anyone, but with Armaan it seemed very natural, she saw his body shudder just like hers and was very happy that she could provide him the same pleasure he gave her, she hugged him back as he clung to her and slid in next to her holding her close, he kissed her forehead and breathed deeply as he held her delicious body against his "So, you wanted to talk?" riddhima nodded slowly "Armaan..there are too many things I need to tell you..i don't know where to start"

Armav smiled at her "Well then start at the beginning, is this to do with the engagement? Cause I wanted to talk to you too" riddhima shook her head "Well, I need to tell you something before the engagement" she looked at him nervously before continuing "Its just that when I first met you, there was a big misunderstanding.." Armaan suddenly got up as riddhima started speaking "What are those bunny slippers doing here? Aren't they Nikki's?" riddhima looked around confused "Oh yeah, I told you that she spent the night here with me, we had a girly sleepover"

Armaan looked at her with a confused expression "You told me that? I don't think I heard..thats nice..so she left in the early hours huh? Typical! She can't sleep anywhere but her own cluttered room!" Armaan grinned as riddhima looked on thoughtfully, suddenly she heard the door knob being opened "Bhabhi..why did you lock the door? Can you open it please? I need my glasses and slippers" Nikki's voice came from outside the door.

Riddhima panicked, she quickly got up and took off her stained vest, she quickly donned another t-shirt and buttoned her shorts, Armaan too got up and straightened his clothes, he went quietly to the bathroom and closed the door as riddhima opened the door for Nikki.

"Oh your'e up and ready?" Nikki looked at riddhima and asked "No, I was just feeling cold so i changed into a t-shirt, where did you go so early in the morning?" Nikki smiled at her while putting on her glasses and slippers "Just a phone call" she winked at riddhima as she turned towards the door "By the way bhabhi I had tons of fun last night, we should do this more often!" riddhima smiled as she walked Nikki to the door.

"Oh and bhabhi, can you tell bhai that mamaji was looking for him? Mamaji said he came back half an hour ago but seemed to have vanished...and I know exactly where he is..." she pointed at the jacket and tie casually draped across the easy chair, riddhima blushed furiously as Nikki gave her a bright smile and walked away singing some silly bollywood romantic song. Riddhima closed the door and banged on the bathroom.

Armaan came out as soon as riddhima banged, he had heard the entire thing, he looked apologetically at her and grabbed her before she could start ranting, he kissed her senseless before letting her go, she stood stunned as Armaan casually took his clothes and opened her door, he turned back towards riddhima and said in a husky voice "You should go and shower..and this is not over...the talk can wait" riddhima stood with her eyes narrowed as he closed the door behind him "Men!" she thought as she locked her door and went for a shower...a loong one!
Chapter 17

Armaan was thoroughly frustrated, not only did he not get to meet Riddhima all day but his mamaji and dadi were hell bent on making him wear the traditional sherwani for the engagement. It was already past 5pm and guests would be arriving in another two hours . He smiled remembering his early morning activity, he just felt so much at peace when he was with riddhima that he was now allowing himself to welcome those feelings she aroused in him.

He quickly made an excuse to make an urgent call and left the room, leaving a muttering dadiji behind. He walked straight to the other side of the house where riddhima's room was located. She had already called him twice and texted him saying that she wanted to talk to him; God only knows what was so important that she had to speak to him so urgently, but he had to go and meet her, maybe she was having cold feet but he knew she was fine with this engagement as long as it did not get into media; for this he had made sure that no media was invited for this and a couple of calls to the commissioner had solved his problem.

He sighed in relief when the coast was completely clear, no one was near her door, he just hoped she was alone inside. He turned the knob and walked inside slowly, closing the door behind him, he looked around the room trying to spot her but was disappointed to not find her anywhere; he was just about to turn back when the bathroom door opened and out walked riddhima in all her finery, Armaan literally had to hold the chair to steady himself, she looked breathtakingly beautiful.

Her red brocade lehenga sashayed as she moved while her black choli moulded her curves to its best advantage, her satin smooth back looked very inviting and Armaan's hand itched to open the dori marring the perfect expanse of creamy skin. Her long hair was left open in curls and she wore a red maang tika on her parting, her eyes were made up with dark kohl giving her a mysterious alluring look while the delicate ring she wore in her nose looked picture perfect.

Armaan watched as she picked up the colorful dupatta from the bed and held it against herself, thinking how to drape it. She had still not seen Armaan, but something made her look directly in his direction through the mirror. Riddhima gasped when she saw Armaan standing near the door starting at her, he looked breathtakingly handsome in his Indian ensemble, she blushed as she immediately turned around to face him "Armaan...what are you doing here? Someone might come.."

Armaan gave her a lazy smile as he drawled "Why ms Gupta? Are you worried someone might catch us doing something naughty?" he started walking slowly towards her and enjoyed the way a blush crept up her neck making her look all the more delectable, "Or are you hoping for a repeat performance of today morning's..uh..how do I put it..exercise maybe?" now her blush had fully taken over her face.

Riddhima moved back as Armaan came towards her, she was feeling hot all of a sudden, her body had just cooled down after the morning 'exercise' as Armaan put it and now was now once again awake with all those forbidden feelings, she finally stopped when her back hit the solid wall behind her, Armaan was standing a feet or so away from her, but the gleam in his eyes spoke of the desire that lurked so blatantly in them.

Armaan closed the small gap between them and lightly held her hands which he then raised above her head and held onto tightly on the wall "So..you did not answer me...a repeat performance maybe?..umm...you smell dinive" Armaan drawled as his lips lightly kissed her right ear, his tongue tracing the delicate lobe, then they moved very lightly over her face as he kissed her maang tika, followed by her closed eyes one by one, then he pecked her slightly on her nose ring and finally her left ear, his teeth now grazing her ear lobe there.

Riddhima moaned as she felt Armaan's lips travel all over her face, she wanted to bury her fingers in his hair and pull him close for a mind numbing kiss but he wouldn't let her hands go and instead he held them more tightly now, he finally stopped what he was doing and spoke in a whisper "So...what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" he grinned inwardly as a totally dazed riddhima looked into his eyes "Huh?...talk...?...what did I...?" riddhima mumbled as her brain worked to make sense.

Armaan looked on as realization suddenly dawned on her and she started struggling to move her hands, he let go of her wrists immediately and moved back as she looked with mild irritation at him, somehow he loved it when she got all all flustered and irritated, he waited for her to continue as she walked sideways and away from him, she went and stood next to the bed, her eyes suddenly became serious and she gave a determined look to Armaan as she looked him straight in the eye.

"Armaan, there is something about me that you don't know...i've not been honest with you and I think I need to clear everything before its too late" Armaan raised one eyebrow as he saw her looking all serious and businesslike, he wondered what she wanted to speak about, then thought that maybe finally she would tell him something about her personal life, maybe finally she'll let him in, he hoped that she felt at least a little bit of what her felt for her. He looked at her and saw her eyes nervously move about, he waited.

"Ok, so this might come as shock to you..no wait...it will be a shock to you...i mean it is quite shocking..." riddhima began not understanding how to start when Armaan cut her off "Riddhima just tell me instead of giving me a lecture of shocks! What is it? Is everything ok?" he looked at her beautiful face. Riddhima looked down at her feet and started her long await speech "Well, the truth is, I am not K..." she stopped midway as the door opened with a bang and Anaya walked in.

"What is going on here? Armaan way are you not ready yet? And what are you doing in Riddhima's room? The guests might will be arriving soon kids! C'mon chop chop...Armaan to your room now, mahinder had been looking all over for you. And Riddhima you look beautiful my dear, now lets drape that dupatta over you." Anaya walked towards Riddhima as Armaan helplessly looked at her, he gestured her that they speak later and walked out giving her one last look while Riddhima stood there with Anaya fussing over her.

...

Armaan came back to his room to finish getting ready, He was already wearing a dark blue Bandhgala instead of an entire sherwani and was just finishing up while by spritzing some perfume, when suddenly he remembered where he had smelled riddhima's perfume, that amazing citrusy smell was from that girl in starbucks cafe that day, the one with whom his coffee had been exchanged, he also remembered the same fragrance from somewhere else; he shook his head as he realized that it must be a very well known perfume since he had smelled it in so many other places, but he decided he liked it best on Riddhima, it suited her.

He was just putting on his watch when he glanced at his blinking phone, he wondered if it was Riddhima again, when he checked he saw that it was indeed a text from her, he clicked on it to check when dadiji came and started pulling him towards the door.

"Ammy, we are getting late, there are many rituals to do before the actual ring ceremony, come now" Armaan took the phone along with him but in his haste did not check riddhima's text, he slipped the phone in his jacket pocket and he walked out towards the main living room. He was truly impressed with the decorations and arrangements which were done and smiled as he saw his sister approach him, she looked beautiful in a baby pink lehenga "You look all grown up Nikki, I'll have to shield you all night from roaming eyes" Armaan said as Nikki hugged him.

"Oh trust me, it's not me you'll have to worry about, let me see what you do when Riddhima bhabhi walks in! Bhai she looks divine today, ma did the 'Nazar' ritual three times already!" Nikki said laughing; she wondered if there was a better looking couple than her brother and his bride, she saw as Armaan went into a daze and said in a slow voice "Yeah I saw...she always looks divine" Nikki shook him and pulled his ears "Earth to Armaan!" Armaan looked at her irritated and was glad when his phone started ringing, he had to get away from her otherwise she was sure to continue teasing him.

He walked past the screaming event organizers and household help who were finishing the last few touches, he smiled as he opened the verandah door and stepped out into the balmy evening air, he saw the international number which was calling him and picked it up "Armaan! Dude..Where have you been man! I've been trying to call you since two days but your number was switched off, I finally got through to Atul who gave me this other number.." Armaan recognized Rahul's voice, he smiled as he answered "Rahul my man! Long time..you back from Brazil?"

"Yeah man, I got back three days ago, sorry it didn't work out with Katarina, but then I met her as soon as I was back and convinced her for it, that's why I've been calling" Rahul said excitedly as Armaan's face lost some pallor, he continued in his ranting "So then when I call Atul, he says that you are bloody getting engaged! So who did you find? Or this for real you dog! I didn't get my invite" Armaan's face had gone completely pale now, he took a deep breath and spoke "So Rahul, you met Katarina right? The same Katarina who was supposed to meet me that night?"

Armaan knew the answer before Rahul said anything; he grabbed the banister hard as he heard him reply "Duh! That's what I said, I texted you that night and told you that she said no, so why the confusion?! Anyways man I gotta let you go, guess you have loads of stuff to get busy with, lets catch up soon buddy, bye!" Armaan was still holding the phone to his ear as he heard his phone click as Rahul cut the call, he kept standing with one hand holding the banister and the other clutching the phone tightly, his back ramrod straight while many emotions from hurt to anger flitted across his face. He turned around before walking towards riddhima's room.

...

Riddhima sighed as she finished texting Armaan, she just had to get this weight off her chest before she went down for the engagement; she just hoped to God that he'll get to read the message before she meets him, there was still another hour left before the guests arrived and after a lot of persuasion she had succeeded in sending Anaya and Nikki down, they had insisted on staying with her, but there were some small rituals for Armaan which they had to finish before the ceremony.

Riddhima sat calmly by the seat near her window and looked down at the vast garden in front of her, it was such a beautiful sight! All the trees were lit up with twinkling fairy lights, there were beautiful lavender colored tents set up on the lawns where food will be served to the guests, even though the actual ceremony will take place inside the party and dance was kept outside in the cool lawns, she looked as Nikki walked out speaking on the phone, a worried expression on her face, 'she probably had an argument with her boyfriend' riddhima thought.

She kept glancing at her phone and at the door as she waited for either a text from Armaan or a visit from him after reading her message; she knew it was a confusing text but how much could she explain on a small sms! She had to meet him face to face, and the only option was for him to come to her since she definitely could not run around the house in her heavy dress, that too with the whole family watching her like a hawk.

She heard a slight knock on her door, she wondered if it was Armaan, she got up and slowly opened the door to find him standing outside, his back was to her, but as she opened the door and mumbled his name, he turned; Riddhima was shocked to see him furiously stare at her, his eyes held an accusatory gleam in them and she moved back scared as he swiftly walked in with a rigid stance and closed the door before locking it.

"Who the hell are you?!" Armaan said in an angry tone, he was frustrated beyond reason! In the few minutes between finishing Rahul's calls and walking to Riddhima's room, Armaan had gone thorough innumerable reasons and explanation for riddhima being here, he had no idea who she was or what she wanted..he had never felt so cheated in his life. His brain was completely bogged down while his mind was totally confused, who was she and what did she want!

"Who sent you to me? Was it my competitor? Was it that bloody Modi!" Armaan shouted at her, he started at her as riddhima's eyes showed disbelief and then anger as he continued "Tell me now dammit! How much did they pay you for this? What all information have you leaked till now?" he came forward and held her roughly by her shoulders, he looked directly into her eyes, daring her to deny anything he said, Riddhima was breathing heavily as she pressed her lips together and pushed him away with all her might.

"What the hell is wrong with you!? What are you talking about? Did you not read my text? It was self explanatory..though I thought i'll tell you the details when we talk, calmly. Why are you shouting at me as if I am some petty criminal! Riddhima looked at him with eyes spitting fire, she had no idea what rubbish he was taking about but she had not committed some heinous crime for him to talk to her this way "I know i've been wrong in my ways but my intention was never to hurt anyone. I needed the money you offered and when I did not get the internship I took up this job."

Armaan looked at her as if she had lost her mind, what text was she talking about? And internship? What the hell was going on here..he looked at her furious face and wondered if he was mistaken about her intentions, he remembered that she had sent him a text, he took his phone and checked the unread message "Armaan, wht I wntd 2 tel u is tht I'm nt Katarina da escort, I'm a fashion student n I took up ths job under false pretense cause I needed da money, n ths was da only way when my internship @ AR was offered 2 my colleague. Can v talk pls? Gimme a chance 2 xplain"

Armaan raised confused eyes towards her as riddhima suddenly felt drained and exhausted, as if she had just battled an enormous war, she looked at Armaan with hurt eyes and said in a sad voice "How could you accuse me of spying Armaan...i guess you did not read my message, but from wherever you came to know about me, you actually thought that I was capable of this? I..." her voice stopped on a sob.

Riddhima was finding it very hard to speak further, she knew she should have told him the truth long time back and she was fully to blame for Armaan's mistrust, but she had trusted him enough to give herself to him, but all this while all she was to him was probably just an escort, she was just a temporary fiancee who will be discarded in a few more days, how did she forget that! She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she spoke.

"I am Riddhima Gupta, just graduated from Visuigene Institute of Fashion with a distinction, I designed the winning dress at my institute's final year show, I was also told that I will be getting an Internship at AR since you seemed to like my dress a lot." She stopped to see that Armaan was now sitting on the easy chair listening to every word carefully, so she continued "When I called your assistant, he asked me to meet you at the restaurant to discuss it further. I was in a financial situation and was wondering if I could get a paid internship"

Armaan let all this sink in as flashes of that day went through his head, no wonder she kept asking about her dress, he saw as riddhima continued in a monotone, her face devoid of all expressions "You assumed me to be the escort Katarina and even though I wanted to clear the confusion then I was scared that you would not like me knowing about such a personal thing and I may get into trouble. I left that day thinking that i'll never see you again"

Riddhima went and sat on her bed, she never knew this would be so hard to explain "Next day I came back to AR for the internship since my financial situation had gotten worse, but when I came to know that the internship was already offered to my colleague tony, I went back dejected, but then you called and offered me this job for 30K, so I took it"

Armaan sighed as riddhima narrated the story to him, he could not believe that all this time he had thought of her as an escort, he should have known from her innocence and purity that she was not capable of such a job, she must have really been in a financial rut for someone like her to even consider this job, she had great caliber he thought remembering her dress now, he was just wondering what to say to her when her next words stuck him hard.

"Don't worry Mr Mallik, i'll go through with this job if you still want me to continue it, but if you want your money back, I wont be able to repay it right away. But I swear on my parents grave that I will return every penny back to you. If I am to continue with this, it will be best for us to remain civil with each other and anyways you plan to break this up soon so you only have to bear me for a few days more" riddhima said with absolute resolve, she saw as Armaan's soft eyes turned hard suddenly; she wondered why.
Chapter 18

Armaan stood ramrod still, her words kept reverberating around the room as he steadied himself to not react; to say he was shocked to hear those words was an understatement. He felt frustrated.. because on one hand he wanted to take her in his arms and tell her that they should forget whatever happened and start anew, he was not angry that she lied about her being katarina, at least she was honest enough to admit that she did it for the money, but then on the other hand he was now completely unsure of what she felt for him.

Things were getting way confusing for him and Armaan Mallik did not like confuse, he could not believe that just this morning he was thinking that maybe there was something more solid to this fake relationship, he had finally come out of his shell and was ready to explore what lay before them, he had wanted riddhima in his life because he could not imagine a life without her sunny smile, her thrilling touch and her lilting laughter, he felt he could not survive...

He still felt the same things for her, and he realized that it had actually not mattered to him that she was an escort, what mattered to him was riddhima herself, her place in his life...and the fact that she had permanently etched a place in his cold heart. He felt tears sting his eyes as her words kept repeating in his head "you plan to break this up soon so you only have to bear me for a few days more", did he want to break it? Did she?

He knew she was expecting some sort of response from him, and whatever he had thought of saying few minutes ago, went completely out of the window. Armaan squared his shoulders as his eyes took on a hard and cold gleam, he looked her straight in the eye and spoke to her in an emotionless voice "Fine, whatever you did, can't be taken back. I needed someone to act as my fiancee and you did that, quite well i must say! What a great actress you are!" he clapped sarcastically as his eyes bore into her.

Riddhima flinched as she heard his cold harsh voice, she was surprised with his change of attitude when just a minute ago he seemed guilty enough to accuse her of being a spy; she had thought that he would be terribly angry but understand her predicament, the Armaan she had come to know since the last few days seemed to have vanished, she looked with foreboding as his words cut through her already bleeding heart, a heart which held him very close. She turned her face away from him as he continued.

"So now, since you cannot pay me back, and since there are close to 200 people waiting for us downstairs, we can continue with this 'act' of ours and as you said, be 'civil'! to each other." Armaan started walking to the door, he needed to get away from her otherwise he would break down in front of her, he looked at her back one last time and said in that same emotionless voice "Don't worry, since its so difficult for you to bear this, i'll plan our break-up soon, just like we planned. I'll see you downstairs" he swiftly closed her door shut before walking briskly towards the balcony, into the cool air.

...

As soon as Armaan left the room, riddhima slumped down on the carpeted floor, suddenly exhausted. She rested her head on the bed as silent tears rolled down her smooth cheeks, she closed her eyes shut to clear them of the treacherous tears and wiped her cheeks of the dampness, she had said what was right. Armaan deserved to know the truth about her, she wanted to see how he would react to it and how they could get past it, because she wanted more from him...much more.

She knew that their relationship had found a depth in the last few days and maybe if things were different they would have been getting engaged for real, 'Dream on Riddhima!' she thought to herself, big tycoons like Aranav did not care about escorts, and even though she was not one, it would have probably been better if she was, at least she could have consoled her heart. She had really thought that when he comes to know about her truth, he would have seen her in a different light, maybe more than a fake fiancee?

But she had been wrong, when he did come to know the truth he had accused her of being a spy, the fact that they had shared such intimacy had not mattered to him. She was just another figure in his vast rich life, used and discarded. But she was not accusing him and she had no right being angry with him since he had been clear from day one what all this was, it was supposed to end bitterly and that too mutually, so why did she deceive herself, why did she let her heart rule her senses. Why? She thought sadly.

She got up slowly and went to the bathroom to fix her makeup, Nikki or Anaya would be up anytime to take her down, she had to fix her make-up and plaster on her fake smile, which was something she had not done in a long time. Somehow she had imagined herself amongst these wonderful people, a part of their family. Oh how delusional she had been. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom as her room door opened and Nikki walked in.

Riddhima was worried to see a dejected looking Nikki, did Armaan tell her about them? she thought as she neared Nikki and stood right in front of her, she lifted her chin up and peered in her sad eyes "Nikki, whats wrong...did Armaan..uh...say something?" she watched as Nikki's looked up suddenly and gave riddhima a small smile.

"No bhabhi, its nothing I just had a fight with my guy..you know the one i told you about?" Nikki said adjusting riddhima's dupatta over her shoulders. Riddhima gently held her wrists and looked at her with concern "What happened nikki? Did he say something? You know i think you should tell you brother about this guy" riddhima watched a horrified expression cross Nikki's cute face.

"No way bhabhi! Bhai will first kill him and then lock me forever! Anyway it's not that big a deal..see my boyfriend wanted me to click an engagement pic and send it to him, he said since he was not invited i should at least send him a pic of you and bhai" Nikki said as she sighed and started twirling riddhima around to check for any creases in her dress.

Riddhima felt odd about that request and for a moment forgot about her and Armaan's situation, giving full thought to Nikki's problem, why was this guy insisting on their engagement photo? That too so much so that he had a fight over it, a fight that it made Nikki so upset?

"Why were you not giving the photo by the way nikki? He is your boy friend right?" She asked Nikki casually. Nikki giggled as she answered "Cause bhai has asked all of us to keep this totally secret, even guests are not allowed to bring in cameras and have been told to refrain from taking any photos on their phones, bhai has absolutely forbidden it "

Riddhima gave a small smile to Nikki, touched by Armaan's gesture. She knew he had done this for her, and she was grateful for it but Nikki's next words struck her odd "Plus he is kind of my bhai's competitor..so even though i love him...i'll never betray my brother..na ah!" Nikki said as she now looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting her own jewelry before holding riddhima by the hands and dragging her towards the door

"C'mon bhabhi, ma will kill me! I was supposed to bring you down ages ago! Lets go...everyone's waiting for the ring ceremony. All other rituals must be over by now" Nikki said as she dragged riddhima out of her room. Riddhima stepped out gingerly and walked behind Nikki holding her heavy lehenga, she glanced down from the upper floor towards the living room and her eyes immediately went to a dark brooding figure of Armaan, like fate planned it, he looked up at the exact same moment and their eyes locked.

...

"Oh my God, you look so beautiful riddhima beta" Anaya gushed as riddhima came and stood next to Armaan, who had somehow gotten very busy on his phone. Riddhima looked sideways to try and catch his eye, but he had more or less turned completely away from her and was busy texting and talking to mamaji about some work deal. She found herself getting royally pissed off by his behavior. What if someone caught their awkwardness? It was their engagement for God sakes!

She was relieved when dadiji and Anaya took her around to introduce her to the guests, at first it all seemed very odd and uncomfortable since it was just a pretend engagement for her but then she started enjoying herself mingling with the people, most of them were family and close friends and riddhima was surprised to find almost all of them very agreeable and not at all stuck up. Even Armaan's friends from the other day had come and she was just catching up with girls when Anaya came to take her for the ceremony.

...

Armaan tried to look everywhere but at her, but it was too difficult for him. She was the life of the party, her laughs resounded around the room, everyone seemed to love her and many of his guy cousins and friends kept giving her admiring looks; if only he had a machine gun. He watched her discreetly as she chatted with all the guests and seemed to genuinely enjoy herself. But he knew better than that, all this was just an act for her. He quickly took a glass of scotch from a passing waiter and gulped in one go, he had to have more than that if he was to get through this day.

He had just about to gulp down his thrid scotch when his mamaji snatched the glass away from him, "Armaan what is wrong with you? You should not be drinking right now. And why are you brooding here? You need to mingle with your family and friends, they are here for your engagement. At least have the decency to say a quick hello to the people" mamaji scolded him as if he was a two year old.

Armaan looked pissed, "Why shouldn't i drink huh? This is my engagement party right? And i am getting engaged to the woman of my dreams so why shouldn't i celebrate mamaji? Plus when have i ever been the one to say a 'quick hello'! Riddhima is the actress here, let her charm everyone like she always does and then let her make them fall in love with her, like she always does oh and then let her crush their heart, like she always does!! Armaan said quite audibly, but luckily no one seemed to catch it. He gave one more hard look towards her and walked away.

Mahendra was shocked to see Armaan's behavior, he knew that riddhima was acting as his fake fiancee but over the last few days he had seen a change in Armaan, he seemed more gentler more like his old self when he was with her. Mahendra knew that Armaan harbored strong feelings for riddhima and she did too, but he never knew that his nephew had gone and fallen head over heels in love with her. And as his typical behavioral pattern went , he was now denying it.

Mahendra could make out that something was not right here, they both seemed distant and he could feel the tension between them. But whatever it was, both seemed very stubborn to rationally think and work it out. He knew that Armaan planned on breaking up with her soon as he had told him when he spoke to him in London, but now Mahendra was not so sure about that.

If these two kids were so blind to not see true love staring at them, then they needed a huge push. And mamaji was the one to do it. He knew the loss that comes from letting true love go, he had experienced it. He would be damned if he let Armaan and riddhima go through it.He smiled slyly as he picked up a glass of champagne, many different new plans had already started formulating in his mind.

...

Riddhima held on to Anaya's hand as she made her stand in the middle of the room on a large round podium, then she looked around and told one of Armaan's friends to call him. After a few minutes Armaan came towards them, he seemed to be in an ok mood, at least he was not sulking anymore. Riddhima maintained a smiling face as all the guests turned to look at them. Anaya took both their hands in hers and said in a proud voice.

"Friends and family, if someone would have told me a month ago that i would be standing here today and giving this speech at my son's engagement party, i would have probably told that person to go and get himself checked at the nearest mental hospital!" Anaya said good naturedly as everyone laughed loud.

She then continued in a more sober voice "As you all know that after my husband passed away, my Armaan was thrust with too many responsibilities, my boy was forced to turn into a man in a span of one day. Since that day he has only worked hard and harder to bring our company to this position today and provide his entire family with such a lavish lifestyle" her voice broke as she took a deep breath.

"I always wanted someone who would understand my ammy, who would be his strength when he was weak,his light when darkness beckoned. Someone who would share his sorrows and multiply his happiness, and today i am probably the happiest and luckiest woman alive when i see my riddhima standing proudly next to him. She is my son's soulmate and i came to know that the first time i spoke to her." she winked at riddhima as she said it. Armaan did not fail to notice this.

"I can't thank God enough for sending her to us, but i just know that they are both meant for each other. Please give your love and blessing for this wonderful couple, Armaan & Riddhima" Anaya said loudly as the whole room erupted in a cacophony of claps and hoots. Riddhima's moist eyes went to Armaan as he slowly looked up, they seemed to stare at each other for ages. They both were very affected by Anaya's speech and did not know how to react.

Finally they broke the stare as Nikki came and thrust the heirloom ring in his hands while Anaya gave riddhima a simple gold and diamond men's ring. The entire room suddenly seemed to fade away, there was no Anaya, no Nikki, no family, friends...not a sound or soul at all. All there was in the room were Armaan and riddhima, both lost in each others eyes. Both trying to control their emotions amongst such an onslaught of deep love.

Riddhima felt shivers down her spine as Armaan gently held her hand, his thumb making slow circles on her palm, she looked down at her hand as he slowly eased the beautiful ruby and diamond ring into her finger, it fit her perfectly as if she was meant to wear it. Armaan looked on as a beautiful smile lit up her entire face, it was as if only they both existed; all the hurt and despair forgotten, he felt his body puff up proudly as she slipped the ring in his finger, holding her gaze as she shyly returned his.

Armaan felt his mouth curl up in satisfaction as he clasped her hand in his and lifted it up to graze a fleeting kiss across her knuckles, he saw as her mouth opened in a slight 'o' at his gesture. She could clearly see the love he held for her, but then why was he being so adAtult about it, why did he not say anything to her. Why did he hurt her so much! As soon as that thought came to her she remembered their conversation from earlier.

Its an illusion Riddhima, he's only doing it for his family. This is just acting, please don't fall into this abyss of dreams again. She quickly averted her eyes and pulled her hand from his. By now the entire family was throwing themselves at them, hugging them, congratulating them. Riddhima tried to catch Armaan's eye but he seemed to have vanished.

...

Armaan was getting slowly sucked into the same vortex, her eyes shone with untold emotions and...love?...he let himself hope again. He hoped against all odds that maybe what happened earlier could be righted, maybe it was meant to happen this way. He let himself hope...but then just as suddenly that hope had surfaced, it was crushed once again. The perfect moment of their exchange of rings a few seconds ago was shattered as riddhima pulled her hand away. She did not even want to look at him, he could feel her going stiff as she turned away from him.

Armaan had had enough, he would not be played with again. He should have known that all she was doing was just an act, to seem like the perfect fiancee in front of his family and friends, she was the epitome of perfection, his soulmate, as his mother thought, He wondered what made her think that, suddenly Armaan started feeling suffocated. He had to get away from there, he could not act like the happy gent anymore. He quickly said a few excuses to the people hugging him and shaking his hand and passed un-noticed out of the hall.
Chapter 19

"Arrgghh" Armaan woke up with a banging headache, he looked around and grabbed the jug of water beside his bed, he chugged down the entire jug and laid back in his bed, kneading his fingers on his throbbing forehead. 'Damn' he thought, he had never felt like this since his university days, this was one hell of a hangover. He got up and sat on the edge of his bed, his eyes tried to focus on the wall in front of him as he tried remembering what exactly happened last night. Then it hit him!

He looked at his hand and found the band glinting in the afternoon sunlight, he held his hand up and started at the ring on his finger, 'Riddhima's ring' he thought. He felt extremely guilty that he left her all alone with his family while he went on a drinking rampage, but then everyone must have thought that he was too happy so did not question his drinking, in fact even Dadi did not complain, everyone seemed to be in high spirits last night.

He remembered riddhima from last night, she looked perfect; that dress, her smiling face..her lilting laughter, if only all this was real he thought with regret; he got up to have a quick shower, he needed to eat so that his headache would decrease. He had just reached his bathroom when he heard a knock on his door, he turned around and opened the door to find a fresh looking riddhima standing with a tray in her hands, she was smiling but somehow the smile did not reach her eyes. He held the door open so that she could come in.

"How are you feeling Armaan? I got you the perfect hangover drink. Just drink it all in one go and you'll feel much better" riddhima said as she kept the tray on his table and held the glass of vicious looking brown liquid. Armaan looked at her warily but did as she told him, anything to get rid of the headache. He gagged as the pungent liquid went down his burning throat. His eyes were watering as he finished drinking it, he looked up to see her now holding a pill and some water up to him.

"Now take this pill, it will help with the headache" she said cheerfully before picking up with tray and making a move to leave. Armaan's headache had increased tenfold now looking at her behavior, he felt irritated that she was pretending like nothing had happened last night, he quickly caught her wrist as she reached his door and turned her around to face him "What the hell riddhima, why are you acting as if it's all hunky-dory! What's wrong with you dammit!" Armaan said loudly making riddhima jump at his voice.

He watched as Riddhima narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand out of his grasp, she looked livid as her eyes seemed to spew fire at him, she closed the door before speaking to him in a chilling voice "Excuse me Mr Mallik, you seemed to have amnesia! Wasn't it you who said to me last night that we need to keep up pretenses, oh and that i'm a very good actress! So how dare you question me on my behavior when your behavior last night was unacceptable! Do you know how humiliated you made me feel all night! I know that all this is fake for you, but you should have at least thought about what your family would think!"

Armaan looked at her with a shocked face, he had never seen her this angry before, but at least she was reacting, he watched her open the door and step out before once again looking at him with furious eyes "Lunch in 10 minutes, and you better have a good explanation for your incessant drinking and frolicking, everyone is very upset about it" she banged the door as she hurried down the stairs, her eyes were welling with unshed tears as she tried to gain control over her emotions, What an ass!' she thought cursing Armaan Mallik to hell!

Armaan stared at the closed door which was shut on his face as riddhima stormed out, he was still trying to work out why she was acting as if he was the one who asked her to fake it, wasn't it she who had suggested that they remain civil and end this charade as soon as it neared its expiry date of one month! He ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he walked angrily to the bathroom, as he stripped himself of his clothes, something she said kept playing in his head, she had said "I know that all this is fake for you" why did she emphasize on him so much, why not her too? After all it was she who wanted to end this..

...

Riddhima sat silently stabbing her fruit salad as Armaan walked in half an hour later, he looked a state with bloodshot eyes and a pained look on his face, her heart leapt looking at him, she wished she could do something to ease the pain, but held her ground after their talk, no fight earlier, why should she be the nice one and the one who always gives in! and anyways he deserved that headache for his behavior last night, no one was happy with the way he acted and all were waiting for him to wake up and explain his actions.

Armaan looked at the five faces staring at him, all had various looks from anger to irritation on them, he took his seat at the table and picked up the roti's and chicken curry, he was starving like anything!, as he bit into his first bite of the succulent chicken Anaya spoke in a very controlled voice "Armaan, what was the meaning of last night?" he stopped chewing as he looked at his mother's angry face "What!? I just drank..What's wrong with that? Plus I was happy that I'm engaged officially to my sweetheart" he looked at riddhima and gave her a smirk.

Anaya got up suddenly said loudly "Well if you were so happy about your engagement why the hell were you dancing and sticking to Mr Mishra's daughter? That too when riddhima was standing right there? Do you know how embarrassing it was for us! And your'e saying its nothing! I thought I had brought you up better than this Armaan. All of us are extremely disappointed with this act of yours!" riddhima quickly put her hand on top of Anaya's and said in a light voice "Ma, its fine..Armaan was drunk and these things happen, please don't worry about this. Plus we spoke to each other last night and Armaan has already apologized to me.

Anaya sat back and calmed down after riddhima's words, she looked at her fondly "I know beta, but I just wanted Armaan to accept that he acted wrongly yesterday. I know how much you both love each other, God forbid if anything or anyone comes in between you two. I am glad he apologized to you" she kissed riddhima on her forehead as she got up from her chair. Slowly one by one everyone got up and left leaving only Armaan and mamaji behind, nearly all failed to see the shocked expression on Armaan's face, even riddhima had ignored him after Anaya's outburst.

...

Mahendra smiled inwardly looking at Armaan's face, he was 100% sure that Armaan had no idea what he did the night before, he felt pity for the boy, he came and sat beside him as Armaan turned towards him "Mamaji, please tell me what ever ma said was a lie, how can I not remember doing any of those things! I actually danced with her?! What the! Why would I do that?!" Armaan looked at him with a flabbergasted expression on his face, he slunk down in his chair as mamaji nodded his head.

"Yes, it is all true. First of all you just disappeared after the ring ceremony, I tried your phone so many time but you never picked up. When I went around looking for you I found you in your room with a bottle of scotch nearly empty. I made you drink a whole lot of water and brought you down. Everyone was very upset already, especially Riddhima, then when you started taking to anamika mishra, things got quite awkward" mamaji took a pregnant pause as he observed Armaan's face.

"You danced with her for a while, quite closely before collapsing on the bar after God only knows how many drinks. I had to help you out with rahul and bring you to your room. Well, then you know the rest." He sighed as he continued "It was odd Armaan, I know that all this is pretend but it became extremely embarrassing for riddhima. But then even she knows that all this will end soon. Poor girl..she seemed to be really getting on well with everyone" he sighed as he continued looking at Armaan from the corner of his eye "She did seem sad last night, but then Raghav was wonderful company for her..they seemed to really hit it off!"

Armaan's ears suddenly perked up when he heard another man's name with riddhima "What the! Who the hell is Raghav?" mamaji smirked as he had expected this reaction from him "Well, Raghav is Mr Shetty's son..you know the owner of Astro pharma? After you went, riddhima seemed very lost, so Raghav struck up a conversation with her, in fact they were nearly inseparable. I also heard Mrs Shetty saying that she wished she had found riddhima for her son before you did!" mamaji gave a dramatic sigh as he continued his assault on Armaan's nerves "Anyways I guess Riddhima is free to pursue any guy after this fake engagement is broken right? And I think Raghav might be the perfect man for her"

Armaan could feel steam coming out of his ears as he heard mamaji rant on about how perfect riddhima and that Ass-tro pharma guy were, he had met Raghav shetty couple of times and one could make out he was a sweet charmer for sure..no wonder riddhima fell for his talks, he looked at mahendra with angry eyes "How dare she talk to other guys when it was our engagement! How can she be this callous!" mamaji raised his eyebrows at his nephew, he was a total goner! "Armaan, stop being such a pig! She only spoke to the guy..you were all over that girl! So why is she to blame? Plus why does it bother you so much. Its all going to end soon anyways"

Armaan saw as mahendra got up , his words ringing in his ears. He kept looking at his ring finger twisting the ring around it, he hated the fact that someone else was already eyeing riddhima, he hated the fact that some other mother was already vying for riddhima to become her daughter-in-law. He closed his eyes to blank out the searing pain that had taken permanent residence in his heart. He opened his eyes when mamaii's question came out of the blue

"What are riddhima's qualifications by the way? I never asked.." Armaan blinked once before answering robotically "She a fashion designer...you remember that intern I told you about? The one with the chikankari dress? That's her. Please don't ask me anything on that, I'll explain it some other time" Armaan said and closed his eyes once again pressing his fingers to his temple, his headache has worsened since morning. Mahendra left him in that state with an amusing look on his face 'So shes a designer..That too a good one. Interesting' He smiled as he walked back to his room, already planning his next move. The first one had hit right on target.

...

"So bhabhi, I hope you are not upset still about last night? Bhai can be such an ass sometimes!" Nikki said as she munched on some chips, riddhima was lying on her tummy and resting on Nikki's bed. They were both watching Casablanca while stuffing their faces with junk, riddhima because she was upset about Armaan's behaviors and Nikki because of her fight with her boyfriend. Riddhima turned on her side and looked at Nikki with a smile "nope, like I said we worked it out. He just gets like that sometimes..guess he was too happy huh?"

Nikki slumped down on the bed next to riddhima "yeah, he really was very happy..and why wouldn't he be bhabhi! Your'e the best thing that has happened to bhai..ever! trust me when I say, bhai has really changed since you came into his life. I completely agree with what ma said last night, you guys are soulmates!" riddhima smiled sadly as she went back to thinking about last night, she was still very upset and hurt when she saw the way Armaan was holding that mishra girl. More than embarrassment riddhima was extremely jealous. Her hands were itching to go and pull that girls hair off her scalp!

Only she knew how she had remained calm and composed when that s**t was all over Armaan. She wondered when he would want to break up now, since their one month was coming to an end in 10 days. She started thinking of all the ways in which he might break-up, maybe he will make her look like an infidel saying that she was having an affair with someone, 'No' she thought, he won't be that cruel. She was feeling very lonely today, she got up to go and call buaji, it had been a while since she spoke to her.

...

Armaan was standing in the pool since the last half an hour, he came there a while ago to work out this tense muscle and his raging headache which had still not decreased, in fact he felt like his head would burst out any minute. He held on tightly to the slippery edge as he recounted all that mamaji had told him, to say he felt horrible and guilty was an understatement. He should never have drunk that much. He just did not know how he would face Riddhima now; to make matters worse she actually stood up for him and lied to his mother. He had definitely not apologized to her, but he knew he had to soon. He could not go on with knowing that he had put her through such embarrassment.

He was still trying to remember what he did last night and the last thing he remembered was leaving the party and going up to his room, he could not bear standing in front of her and not touching her, not being able to hold her and kiss her. All he wanted to do was haul her up on his shoulders and take her away; 'but she pulled away'. He closed his eyes and sighed before coming out of the pool. He put on his robe and walked out of the pool area. He was just walking past the balcony when he heard riddhima's voice coming from there. He went towards the door, it was now or never. He had to apologize.

...

"I miss you too buaji, don't worry i'll be back soon ok. Tell La I miss her too. I'll probably call her later. Love you, muah!" riddhima smiled as she ended the call. She had felt miles better after talking to buaji. She twirled around with her eyes cast down and bumped straight into a solid hard chest. He held her wrist to steady her as she looked up in his smoldering eyes, hers startled to find him there "Armaan, what are you doing here?" she said getting all flustered. She gulped when she saw that all he was wearing was a robe, a robe which was moulding the hard panes of his body quite well.

She realized her hands were lying on his chest; she quickly moved them away and stepped back from him. He had an odd expression in his eyes as he regarded her with curious eyes "Who is buaji? And La? Who are they? Are they your family?" he asked her. Riddhima's face turned red, how much had he heard she thought "Yes, they are my family. And why were your eavesdropping? This was personal call" she said getting irritated that he was listening to her conversation.

Armaan relaxed when she confirmed that it was her family she was talking to, for a minute he thought she was speaking to someone else. He squared his shoulders as he answered "First of all I was not eavesdropping. I came here to say something and I just happened to overhear you speak, plus you had already finished your call. So don't accuse me of something that I have not done!" riddhima looked at him with amused eyes as spoke, what did he want to say she thought...her heart leapt at the possibility, it could be anything from 'Lets break-up' to 'Lets give us a chance' she looked up expectantly at him as he fidgeted with his robe belt.

Armaan did not know how to say it, he knew it was the right thing to do; he had put her through a lot and she deserved an apology from him, he looked up at her to find her watching him with a funny look "What?" he asked in a gruff voice, "Nothing...are you going to tell me or what? Wait, did you come to apologize? Cause its fine..i forgive you" riddhima said with a bright smile. Armaan could not believe the gall of this girl! 'There was no way he would apologize now, his ego was hurt.

He gave her a tight smile and said in a clipped voice "No, I do not apologize alright? I never told you to speak on my behalf to my mother, plus what ever happened last night was because I got drunk, I just cant handle alcohol, and why are you complaining? You got to spend good quality time with Mr Ass-rock!" riddhima looked at him completely bewildered, what the hell was he talking about. She shook her head and thinned her lips "Well, what more can I expect from you! And I have no idea what the hell your'e on about, so please can you tell me what you came for so that I can leave?"

Armaan racked his brain for a good comeback, what the hell was he going to say now? He looked at her amused face and said the first thing which came to his mind "I needed balm..my head hurts, yes I need balm...can you look for some? I can't seem to find anyone in the house" he saw as riddhima's eyes took on a sympathetic look, she nodded her head and went towards her room, she returned with a bottle and took his hand. He was surprised to find her pulling him towards the easy chair in the outside balcony. She made him sit and opened the bottle of balm, before Armaan could say anything, he heard her soft voice "Let me, i'll do it"


Chapter 20
(Some mature content ahead)

Riddhima could not believe she was doing this, she only wanted to give him the balm and run out of there, but the pained look on his face made her do it, somehow she could not bear to see him in so much pain, her heart lurched when she saw him wincing and holding his head. She quickly made up her mind and led him to the chair, she knew it surprised both of them but they could surely keep the civility away for a few minutes as she helped him out.

She took some balm out of the bottle and applied it on his forehead, her hands shook as they touched his heated face, she had given tons of head massages to buaji before and some to Shilpa as well but doing the same thing on Armaan was proving to be very difficult when all she could think of was to grab him and kiss him crazy. She tilted his head back and saw his eyes boring into hers; she quickly averted her eyes as he closed his and relaxed

Armaan groaned inwardly as he felt her soft fingers lightly touch his throbbing forehead, he closed his eyes and relaxed in his chair as she started applying some balm whilst softly kneading his temples, she applied the right amount of pressure while massaging his aching head and stroked her fingers from his nose to the top of his eyebrows. He started feeling much better after a few minutes of massage. He felt a feeling of bliss settle on him as her fingers worked their magic.

She saw Armaan completely relax and lay back in his chair, the worry lines were now smoothened and he seemed to enjoy the head massage, she swallowed hard as she saw him sigh when she pressed her palms around the side of his head to relieve him of any lingering pain. She heard him moan as she rubbed her fingers slowly down the side of his head, his nose and lastly his eyes. After about 15 minutes of kneading, stroking and rubbing she stopped and wiped her hands clean of the balm.

She thought that probably Armaan fell asleep since he was breathing quite deeply, she picked up her phone from the side table and was just about to turn when she heard him speak behind her "Riddhima, can you please also massage my neck? My head feels better but the pain in my neck has increased" Armaan smirked inwardly as he saw her standing stiff, he had felt such a loss when she had stopped the massage, there was no way he was going to deprive himself of her touch, its probably all he'll get for now.

Riddhima pursed her lips as she saw him drop his head down, and hold the back of his neck. 'What the hell have you gotten yourself into Riddhima!, this is what to get for being a bloody modern day florence nightingale!' she sighed and kept her phone back on the table and took the balm bottle in her hands "No, don't use balm...it will burn my skin, its already too sensitive. Can you use some kind of oil? It will help" Armaan said stopping her hands midway.

He saw as riddhima muttered something like 'yes my lord' and went inside to bring a bottle of almond oil, he smiled contently as she left but quickly resumed his pained face when she returned a minute later "I guess almond oil will do, I don't have any other with me. But I can ask nikki if you want" she said with concern, she genuinely thought that his neck was hurting very bad.

Armaan nodded his head and gave her a thumbs up. He once again dropped his head as he anticipated her delicate hands on his skin once again, he went hard just imagining what it would be like when he got to massage her, he groaned as the images got very vivid 'Control Armaan!' he reminded himself as she once again positioned herself behind him.

Riddhima took some oil in her palms and rubbed them together before slowly lowering them to Armaans neck; she started rubbing her hands along it while she worked out the tense muscles on the side of neck, she heard him moan as her hands glided across the hard column and into the hair at the back of his head, she suddenly felt herself get all hot and bothered as her hands started a journey of their own, into his hair and down his neck, she slowly trailed her hands a little bit away from his neck and along the muscled upper part of his shoulders below his robe, she closed her eyes as she started kneading his shoulders with slight pressure gradually increasing it.

Armaan loosened his robe and let it slide over the upper part of his body as riddhima's hands continued their erotic path over his shoulders, he assured himself that he was only helping her get a better hold by loosening his robe, but in reality he could not get enough of her roaming hands; all he wanted to do was grab her by the waist and bring her down on his lap, his hands were itching to explore her delicious body, but he had to control it, he was eagerly waiting to see what riddhima did next and she definitely did not disappoint him

Riddhima was so lost in massaging Armaan's neck and shoulders that she did not realize when her hands started their decent towards his back and chest, she slid her oil slicked hands to the front of his chest, massaging the front column of his neck, his collar bone and finally his hard as rock pecks, she then retreated her hands and ran them over his rippling back increasing the pressure as she repeated the motion, her breathing had become labored as her body started responding fiercely to him, she sighed and whimpered as she felt heat pooling between her legs.

Armaan groaned as he felt her hands kneading his back and then his chest, he held onto the arms of his chair when she leaned in and slid her hands over his pecs, he was completely aroused when her fingers gently brushed his nipple while her soft breasts pressed against the back of his head, she continued this motion for quite some time testing Armaan's control to the core. When he heard her hard breathing and sigh he knew she was as affected as him, without any pre-warning he turned around and pulled her hard towards him, she fell perfectly in his lap with the sudden impact.

Riddhima was too turned on to complain when Armaan pulled her harshly, she was too gone to say anything as she found herself sitting on his lap, she was too mesmerized by his lips to protest when he pulled her further towards him holding her prisoner between his legs, she was too aware of his arousal and her need to think before his lips crushed hers in a possessive hungry kiss.

Armaan felt like all his prayers had been answered when he found riddhima's lips as eager as his to devour each other, she slid her tongue into his waiting mouth and fought with his for dominance, if it was possessive kiss from him while it was pure hunger from her. He sucked on her plump bottom lip nipping it between his teeth, his one hand in her luxuriant hair while the other pressed her aching breasts urgently. This was no time to be gentle with each other, they both were starved beyond reason and nothing could stop this madness which had enveloped them.

Riddhima moaned loudly as her breasts were pressed and her nipples rolled between Armaans expert hands, she guided his hands underneath her top so that she could feel his touch on her bare skin. He did not need any more encouragement as he lifted her top and splayed his hands over her lace encased breasts. He started sucking on one taut tip through the bra while his hands fumbled with the hook, he kissed his way up towards her neck as she held him tight, winding her fingers in his hair, oh how she had missed this she thought.

Finally when her bra was undone, Armaan pulled her closer to him joining their chests together, she rubbed her breasts against his hard rough skin as he trailed his tongue over her neck, he once again took her mouth in a crazed kiss while her hands travelled inside his robe to touch his throbbing arousal, he hissed with pleasure as riddhima increased her pressure on him, he was just about to settle her in a better position above him when they both froze.

...

"Maaji, lets go..we are getting very late. Just because we are Mallik's they won't keep waiting for us at the clinic you know" Anaya Mallik's voice came from right behind them. Riddhima looked with shock stricken eyes at Armaan who had gone completely still at his mothers voice. They both realized at the same time that the only thing separating them and Anaya was a glass door which was obviously unlocked and a thin curtain behind it.

Riddhima got up with super speed and wore her bra and t-shirt quickly, she pulled Armaan up from his sitting position and tied his robe around him tightly, he was obviously still in a daze; she ran a hurried hand through her hair before doing the same for Armaan. Then she took a deep breath and waited; either of the two would happen, Anaya would walk into the balcony which would be fine because both of them looked presentable now or she and Armaan would be once again left in an awkward position cooking up reasons for their obvious attraction. The second happened.

Riddhima let out a sigh of relief as she heard Anaya's retreating steps, she looked down into the empty garden and it hit her hard that today they could have been caught very easily, either by someone who could have maybe seen them from the far end of the garden or Armaan's mother, who she had started loving and respecting a lot. She turned towards Armaan who was looking at her with an odd look. She turned to leave when his voice stopped her once again.

"If that's the kind of head massage you give, I wish I have headaches everyday riddhima" he said huskily. She turned towards him with an angry look "You think this was funny Armaan? I know that we are both very much attracted to each other, that is something neither of us can deny...and whenever we are together we tend to not think of anything and anyone! It happens all the time..someone or the other is bound to find us like this...this...in a complicated...compromising position...it can be RAMU KAKA, Nikki or your own mother!" riddhima said breathing hard.

"Relax riddhima, why are you getting so worked up! I too cannot deny the attraction between us, and its difficult to control, especially today..but so what if anyone finds us! Its not like what we are doing is wrong in their eyes..we are engaged to be married right, so its perfectly natural" Armaan said with a grin, he started walking towards her but was surprised to see riddhima backing away. He stopped a few feet away from her as she said in a clipped tone "Its perfectly natural? Really Armaan? Is that what you think? What is perfect or natural in this situation? We are not engaged Armaan, not in the true sense at least" she said sadly, all the anger leaving her face.

Armaan looked at her sad face and felt his heart beat accelerate, was it possible that she was upset about their arrangement, he had to ask her "Riddhima, what are you trying to say, please explain to me?" riddhima looked up at him with teary eyes "If I have to spell it out to you and explain...then what the hell am I even doing here! Just forget it Armaan, we only have a few more days left...lets try and keep away from each other ok? Its best for both of us..and do let me know the next part of your plan, I don't think I can keep this up anymore!" she turned on her heel and ran out though she could hear Armaan calling her name. She had to get away from him!

...

"Dammit!" Armaan said as he hit his hand on the balcony railing. 'Why does it always happen! What does she want? On one hand he knows she has strong feelings for him, the way she cares for him and looks at him, the way her body responds to his and the way she trembles when he is near her, thats not just lust...there's more to it, but then on the other hand she always reminds him of their fake engagement, the fact that all this will end soon, what the hell is he supposed to think! 'Women'! No..not all women...only Riddhima!

'Fine' he thought, if she wanted to stay away from him, he will. He'll do exactly as she wanted, but he knew that she would not be able to hold on to her words for long. He had to find out what she wanted, because he sure as hell wanted a lot more. He wasn't going to let her go off so easily, there was no way he was going to break up this act till he was not 100% sure of her feelings. If she truly did not want to be with him then he will let her go but if there was any hope for them to be together, Armaan Mallik will make sure that nothing in this universe separated them!

...

Nikki sat at the cafe waiting for him, they had decided to meet up for a quick coffee before Nikki got back home for dinner. She sat tapping her feet listening to her favorite song on her iPhone when suddenly she felt strong hands on her eyes and husky voice whisper in her ears "Hows my baby been?" she turned around to meet smiling eyes of her boyfriend. She got up and hugged him tight before giving him a quick chaste kiss on his lips. She sat down holding his hands as he slid in next to her and held her other hand pulling her softly against him.

"I missed you baby, i'm so sorry for that silly argument we had. I should never had asked you for that photo. I hope you have forgiven me?" he asked in a sweet voice, Nikki gave him a huge smile and hugged him sideways as she ran a hand through his longish locks "Off course baby, I know why you asked for the photos. And i'm sorry I could not send any to you" she said snuggling up to him, she felt his body stiffen as he asked her "What do you mean you know why I asked for them? I was just curious you know" he said in a nervous voice.

"Oh ho! Now don't pretend ok? I know how much you wanted to be part of my family's celebration, its sad that bhai did not call you when so many of his industry people were there. But I guess the old rivalry will only end once we get married. I know that the photo would have made you feel like you belonged. But don't worry baby, once we get married all this will be yours, my family, their love, their respect. Everything. All the old painful past will be forgotten. I just know it."

He saw as Nikki closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulders, he had her exactly where he wanted her. He squeezed her petite soft body more closer to him and grinned at his genius. This was Abhimanyu Manohar Modi's time..and no one could stop him.

...

"Riddhima beta, Armaan said that you are a fashion designer? Is that true?" mamaji asked riddhima while she sipped her soup, the pungent thai soup nearly went down the wrong pipe as she coughed in surprise and dread 'Why the hell had Armaan told him that?' She drank some water to calm her nerves and answered him "Yes mamaji, I just graduated." Anaya quickly looked up at riddhima and said in an excited voice "Oh yes! I always forgot to ask you what you did beta, this is so good. You should join our company then, I am sure Armaan can open a whole new line for you to design! Right ammy?" Anaya looked expectantly at Armaan.

Armaan who was amused by the whole exchange smiled cheerfully at his mother "Off course ma, riddhima just needs to demand, it will be lovely working with her..anyways I can't stay away from her for too long" he said in a saccharine sweet voice. Riddhima wanted to bludger him right then and there! What was the meaning of this, she had just told him that they needed to stay away from each other, and here his mad family was trying to throw her in the lions den. She smiled sweetly at him before responding "Oh, no..that won't be necessary. Plus I want to get ahead on my own merit. I would like to start my own thing ma" she said looking at Anaya.

Armaan saw as Anaya beamed at her, she nodded her head and agreed to riddhima's dream of making it on her own, she always respected people who were ambitious and had the will to come up in life on their own. They all resumed eating while Armaan simpered at riddhima's rebuke, 'so thats how shes going to play huh? He was just thinking of how to keep her close when his brilliant mamaji said the magic words.

"Riddhima, since you won't work with us..you would really benefit from getting some experience you know. It will be great if you would attend the upcoming ethnic fashion show we have kept in Neemrana fort palace in Jaipur. It will showcase all the new young talent which our company has gathered plus the fabrics used are bought from third world countries through fair-trade. It will be a huge opportunity for you to meet and interact with all the new and old designers and get a first hand experience, plus its only a 2 day event" mamaji said in an excited voice.

Riddhima felt elated at the prospect, she was a firm believer in fair-trade and such an experience would be amazing for her. She nodded her head enthusiastically and nearly jumped out of her chair in her excitement "Oh that would be so wonderful mamaji, when does it start? I mean if its ok with all of you..i'd like to attend this" she turned towards Armaan and said in a mock sad voice "I know i'll be gone for two days, but Armaan this would be an amazing opportunity for me. I hope its ok?" she asked looked triumphantly at Armaan, 'hah! She finally had him, two days of bliss away from Mr Mallik' she thought merrily.

Mamaji smirked inwardly as he saw his nephew hide his smile and riddhima discussing her plans with an equally excited Nikki, everyone had given their consent to her going 'Oh his plan was falling right in place...both did not know what he had planned for them over there, he looked at riddhima and waited till she calmed down enough before breaking her bubble "Oh beta, why would Armaan have any problem. Plus I would never have suggested you go alone, new place...and you don't know anyone, Armaan will obviously be with you for the trip. After all this is his brainchild" mamaji looked on as riddhima smile faded into a horrified look. 'Ooh this is going to be helluva lot fun!' mamaji thought before going back to sipping his soup happily.
Chapter 21


Riddhima was busy cursing her stars as the helicopter descended onto the waiting tarmac around the vast expanse of Neemrana fort palace, Riddhima forgot about her misery for a few seconds as she gazed upon the breathtaking view that the palace made against the early evening sky. The entire palace was lit up with tiny twinkling lights and the old world charm of it gave it a mysterious and romantic look. Riddhima held onto the arm rest of her seat as the helicopter touched down and parked on the helipad.
Armaan smiled as he saw the pleasure and awe which had lit up riddhima's face when she saw the palace, he was glad that they had chosen this place for the fashion show. He still could not believe that she was with him here, the stars must be aligned in the right formation for his mamaji to suggest her joining him for the show. He had thanked his mamaji a million times in his mind for his brilliant suggestion. This was the perfect opportunity for him to find out exactly what she felt for him.

...

Riddhima was successfully ignoring Armaan from the time they had left his house till their landing here. She remembered how she wanted to hold his hand during the helicopter ride since she was very nervous about her first time, but she resisted, and instead held on to the hard arm rests of her seat for the entire short journey. She knew that he kept looking at her the entire time but she made sure that she had not glanced his way even once! She wanted to keep up her side of the plan to keep their distance. But it was getting more and more difficult when she was pressed so closely to him in the current situation.

Armaan smirked as he saw her stiffen her back when he pulled her close against him, they were being greeted by his staff and they had to act as the newly engaged couple. He was really annoyed by the fact that she had ignored him completely since they left Delhi, but he knew her game-plan. He had kept his side of her wish as well since he did not force himself on her in anyway, but when the situation demanded her could not do anything. He thought he'll play along her game for now because he knew that by the end of this small trip, she will be the one begging for his touch willingly.

Armaan led her to the huge reception area where a beautiful girl in a gorgeous chiffon sari greeted them. She kept two keys on top of the counter for them and since they were VIP guests all the formalities were already done.Armaan took one key while Riddhima snatched the other key from the desk and walked away towards the room no marked on the key. She asked one of the porters for directions leaving Armaan in the lobby not giving him a backward glance. Luckily no one was there to see the exchange of angry and amused looks between the two.

Armaan smiled as he turned around and started walking towards the other end of the lobby, before going to his room he had to go and meet the designers in the makeshift workshop to see that everything was up to the mark, he called Atul and asked him to make private dinner arrangements in one of the rooftop restaurants in the palace. He smiled as he entered the workshop where all his people where waiting for him.

...

Riddhima entered the huge room and sighed as the cool AC blast hit her heated body. Jaipur was very hot at this time of year and the cooling interiors of her room was a welcome respite. She wondered how long it will take the porter to bring in her luggage, she was sweating due to the sultry weather and wanted to shower as soon as possible. She explored the huge suite and admired the beautiful inlay work on the walls and ceilings.

She opened the main gallery curtains and gasped at the beautiful sight in front of her, her room seemed to be on the topmost area of the palace giving her a gorgeous view of the hills below. There was a small private dinning area right below her overlooking the hills, perfect for lovers she thought with a smile. She stretched her arms above her head and leaned against the balcony, she stayed that way for some more time before going back into the room and calling up the reception; her bags had still not arrived. She was told that since the entire hotel is booked for the show, the porters had a lot of luggage to deliver, she assured her that her baggages should be up in some time.

Riddhima kept the phone down and looked inside the bathroom, two bathrobes hung inside, she shrugged her shoulders as she entered the bathroom and closed it behind her, She might as finish her shower till the bags gets here; she'll wear the robe till then. She also had to go and meet the designers as well so there was no point delaying it any further. She stripped herself of all her clothes and stepped inside the huge shower cubicle, though she really wanted to relax in the bathtub next to it, she thought she could always do that later and started showering under the blast of hot water.

...

Armaan had totally forgotten to check with reception which room they had allotted Riddhima, though if it was up to him he would have booked the same room for them but he knew that mamaji was more conservative plus he knew that riddhima was not really his fiancee', he finally came to his room and saw the porter knocking softly on the door "What are you doing? This is my room..have you got my bags?" Armaan asked gruffly.

The porter nodded and stepped aside for Armaan to open the door, he stepped inside after him and kept the bags on the luggage stand, then he took Armaan's leave who handed him a crisp Rs1000 note and closed the door behind him. Armaan took his jacket, vest and tie off and dropped them on the chair, he looked around the living room and found something was not right, he walked slowly into the bedroom and saw riddhima's purse sitting on the bed while her heels lay at the foot of it.

He walked inside and stood next to the bathroom as the sound of running water caught his interest, he then realized what mamaji had done, the sly man had booked the same suite for them, Armaan's face lit up like a christmas tree as a lazy smile graced his lips. He moved her bag aside and plonked himself on the bed, he rolled his sleeves up and opened some of his top buttons. He put on the TV on a low volume and leaned against the headboard and waited patiently for riddhima to come out, his smile getting wider and wider as he heard the water stop.

...

Riddhima dried herself quickly before putting on the smaller of the two robes, she stepped out of the steamy bathroom rubbing her damp hair while humming her favorite song, the first thing which hit her was that the TV was on, and that too on mute. She wondered how it got switched on when her eyes fell on the man sitting comfortably on the huge king-size bed concentrating on his phone while typing away something furiously. For a moment riddhima thought that she was hallucinating but when Armaan looked up at her smiled she was shocked "What the hell are you doing in my room mr Armaan Mallik!"

Armaan's smile became larger as he saw her staring at him with narrowed annoyed eyes "Oh, hi riddhima..God! How long do you take in the shower! I've been waiting since a really long time" he said nonchalantly as he got up from the bed and walked towards her "Do they have any good toiletries in there, or should i just use mine" he said as he smelled her. Riddhima moved back trying to make sense of this situation, she pursed her lips and asked again in a clipped tone "I don't think you heard me the first time! What are you doing in my room? And stop smelling me!"

Armaan grinned at her and moved back "Well Ms Gupta, in case you did not know...this is our room. And Before you start screaming and bring the roof down let me tell you that i did not do this booking, mamaji did. If you would like to move to another room feel free, but i am not moving out of here. Now if you don't mind i need to use the bathroom and you should get ready soon, the designers are waiting to meet you in the workshop" Armaan said lightly as he started unbuttoning his shirt and walked into the bathroom, leaving a fuming riddhima behind.

...

Riddhima let out an unladylike growl as she saw him close the bathroom door, she marched over to the phone and called the reception "Hi, this is Riddhima Gupta, there has been a terrible misunderstanding and i've been put in the same room as Mr Mallik, Can you please give me another room and send someone to take my luggage there" she asked in the sweetest voice, but her face fell as she heard the person at the reception speak "I'm very sorry madam, but the king's suit was booked for you and Mr Mallik. I'm afraid there are no rooms available since we are running on full booking owing to the show."

Riddhima took a deep breath and asked again "Can you please check once again? If not is there another hotel nearby where i can shift?" the receptionist replied nervously "Umm..no madam, there really is no other room available. Also the next nearest hotel is in Jaipur city which is an hour or so away. I don't think it is advisable to go there since you are part of the fashion show. Do let me know what you decide madam, we are always here to help you out." with that the receptionist kept the phone leaving a sad riddhima once again cursing not only her starts but mamaji as well!

She took a deep breath and walked towards her bag, she opened it and pulled out a soft summery tube dress, it left her shoulders bare and the long dress ended at her ankles, she walked into the huge dressing room and locked it as she slid into the dress, she left her damp hair open and applied lip-gloss and smoky eyeliner to enhance her eyes. She was already quite late and had to go and meet the designers, she would deal with the room issue later.

Riddhima had just walked out when Armaan came out of the bathroom, her mouth went dry as she started at the wide expanse if his magnificent chest and taut abs to the rippling muscles on his arms, he had only wrapped a towel low on his hips and her eyes traveled all the way down and back again to his face to see him watching her with an amused expression "Like what you see Ms Gupta?" he asked with a wink.

Riddhima's cheeks went red as she looked away from him, she pressed her lips together and spoke in an irritated tone "Listen Armaan, this is not going to work. We just cannot live in the same room. I checked with reception and there are no room available, but i'm sure that i can probably shift into one of the hotels in the city. I'll go and see what can be done on my way back from meeting the designers. You can enjoy this room on your own" she watched as Armaan's expression turned annoyed, she knew that he will try and persuade her to stay back

"You are more than welcome to leave my dear, but remember you came here to help out with the fashion show. And you will not stay in any other hotel! you are my responsibility and i don't want to be worried and running around you when i have an important show to look after, So i hope you will stop being selfish and let go of you silly ideas. Since it is so unbearable staying with me in one room, i'll sleep in the living room while you can enjoy the bed. Now if you will excuse me, i need to get ready." with that he snatched one of suits and went to the dressing room leaving a stunned riddhima behind.

Riddhima could not believe the words which came out of his mouth, she was not being selfish but only wanted to keep that distance between them, but she understood that she was his responsibility and she did not want to add more stress that he already had for the fashion show, she looked at the closed dressing room before sighing and putting on her sandals, she took her purse and key and left quietly to meet the designers. She thought she'll talk to him later during dinner to sort out all this mess. With that thought in mind she smiled as she walked briskly to the workshop.

...

Armaan had just finished getting ready, he was spritzing himself with his perfume when he saw a small greenish yellow bottle of perfume on the table, he unscrewed it and smelled it he recognized it as riddhima's scent, this was her perfume. He noted down the name of the perfume and kept it back on the table. He closed his eyes and remembered their earlier interaction, he went hard just remembering her gorgeous body encased in that flimsy robe, her beautiful hair sticking so enticingly on her cheeks as she rubbed them, he wanted to pull her towards him there and then and devour her completely.

The way she looked in that flowing dress, her milky white delicate shoulders on display while her hair lay curled on them, only God knows how he kept his control in place. He sighed as he kept repeating his mantra over and over again 'Patience, Armaan patience' he knew if he played his cards right, she will fall right in his trap. This was the only way to judge how she felt about him, if she really did feel the same he felt for her. He straightened up quickly as he glanced at himself one last time, he smirked as he thought to himself. 'let the show begin'

...

Riddhima had the most amazing time talking to all the designers, some of them were fresh graduates like her while others were much more experienced, The dresses which would go on ramp tomorrow night were amazing, she felt so inspired after seeing all this that she wanted to take a sketcramu kakaad and start designing right away!But right now she was hungry, she winced as she heard her tummy rumble loudly, she wondered how much longer Armaan will take.

She had just removed her phone to text him when she saw a her phone blinking with a message, she clicked on it to see that it was an sms from Armaan, he heart sank as she read it 'Hi, Atul will meet you for dinner in some time, i have an important meeting and won't be able to join you.' as if on cue a lanky man came running towards her. He introduced himself as Atul and proceeded to take her to the large dinning area of the hotel, riddhima looked around but felt that her hunger had suddenly left her.

"I really don't feel like eating, thanks for accompanying me but i think i'll take a raincheck" she said sadly as she looked at Atul, he seemed to be very nervous and to bring him to ease, she told him that she will order something in the room if she felt hungry. He nodded and wished her a good night as she walked slowly to her room, exploring the hotel a bit more. When she finally reached her room, she was surprised to see a waiter waiting outside her room with a trolley laden with food, she understood that Armaan must have sent it over, She felt her heart skip a beat at his thoughtfulness and she asked the waiter to leave the food in the living room.

The wonderful aroma of the rich food bought back her hunger pangs as she could not resist taking a bite of the soft hot naan and yummy curries, she piled the food on a plate and ate to her hearts content. She cleaned up before taking a steaming cup of hot coffee to the balcony area, she thought she'll wait up for Armaan to return. She had just sat down when she saw some movement in the alcove below her, she looked down to see two people engrossed in each other as they sipped some wine, while enjoying the view. She smiled as she took in the lovers closeness; how she wished it were her and Armaan.

She had just leaned back up when something about the guy made her look back, she strained her neck to get a better view, she gasped as her coffee cup fell from her hands and crashed on the balcony floor. She she recognized the guy to be no one other than Armaan, her Armaan...with some woman, gorgeous woman...sipping wine...in a lovers private dining area. She felt tears prick her eyes and she took in their body language, he sat relaxed in his chair while her arm was stretched over the table slowly caressing his arm. She walked back from the balcony and pulled the curtains together.

She stood shivering from the shock of seeing Armaan with someone else, how many times did she have to go through this, she could not bear seeing him with someone else. He was hers, only hers! 'No Riddhima!' he is not yours, he never was...you pushed him away, she reminded herself. She went to her bedroom and locked the door behind her, she got into her cotton nightdress and slipped under the blanket. She had to stop this, it was never meant to be. He does not belong to her, he is free to do whatever he wants now that she distanced herself from him, Then why was it hurting so much! Silent tears flowed down her dewy cheeks as she willed sleep to come to her.

...

Armaan had heard the distinct gasp and crashing of a glass or cup from above him, he knew she had spotted them. He looked at Lisel and thanked her for her time, she was a dear friend and their show stopper, her husband being the choreographer of the show. He had booked this place for the two of them so that they could enjoy a cosy dinner before the mad show day tomorrow, but when he had explained his situation to them, Lisel had given this brilliant idea to him, and it would work perfectly since their table was right below his and riddhima's room.

He knew that riddhima would eventually come to the balcony area and if she did not he had another plan up his sleeve, Atul. In fact only after Atul had told him about riddhima going up to the room had Armaan quickly ordered the staff to send food to her, he knew that she would not order anything on her own. He had waited for the precise moment when the curtains were pulled from their room and had sat in andre's chair when riddhima looked out. As soon as she closed the curtains he had gotten up and left the area thanking his friends.

Armaan knew that this was probably the best way to see how she reacts in the morning, he had to keep acting aloof till she starts breaking. He hated doing this to her but he just could not go and ask her straightway about how she felt for him. He hated seeing tears in her eyes but he had no other option, especially when she had herself asked him to keep distance. He had to see of this affected her or not. He worked in the workshop till 5 in the morning before returning back to his room, he checked to see if riddhima was ok but the bedroom door was locked. He stripped himself down to his boxers before adjusting the couch and promptly falling asleep.
Chapter 22

Armaan stretched his arms and relaxed his back as he got up from the makeshift bed; he had hardly slept all night. He felt guilty about what he put riddhima through last night, but he had no other option. He was prepared for the wrath and screams as soon as she saw him. He sat on the bed and moved his neck from side to side to get rid of the stiffness. He was just getting up when the door to the bedroom opened and riddhima walked out.

"Good Morning! I'm so excited for today...can't wait for the fashion show to begin!" she went on excitedly. Armaan looked at her with shocked eyes as she sauntered around the small kitchenette. She switched on the water heater and plopped a tea bag in a mug. She looked up and gave him a radiant smile "So, when did you get back? Sorry I didn't wait up..i was just so tired! Hope your dinner meeting went well" she poured the hot water in the mug and added a sugar packet to it "Uh..sorry, would you like a cup a tea? Or coffee?" she asked sweetly stirring hers.

Armaan kept staring at her while she sipped on her hot tea, she looked so fresh and chirpy..'What the!' he thought. Here he was feeling guilty all night about last night and riddhima did not even seem to care. Did he just imagine the cup crashing and her gasp? Was he just in an imaginative world where her feelings ran deep? He shook his head and looked back at her sweet smiling face, she was wearing a pale yellow sundress, perfect for the sultry weather outside. He slim smooth shoulders seemed to gleam and her cheeks had a slight twinge of pink on them. Why did she seem so happy!

"Uh..Riddhima...why are you happy all of a sudden? Did I miss something?" Armaan asked her uncertainly, still trying to understand her jubilant mood when he had thought she would be wallowing for him. He saw her make him a cup of strong black coffee just how he liked it. She brought it over to him and sat down on the single seater next to the bed "Oh, I don't know...I just woke up feeling fresh and happy I guess...plus the excitement for my first professional fashion show has made me really giddy!" she giggled as she got up and kept her mug in the little sink.

'She giggled' Armaan thought, she never giggles! What the hell is going on, he observed her as she kept everything away and went to the bedroom, she came out a few second later with her bag and a sun-hat. She fished out her large sunglasses and put them on, she looked adorable Armaan thought and his lips lifted in a slight smile at the fetching picture she made, but he came back to his senses quickly. He saw her coming towards him and he suddenly sat up straight "You know Armaan, I don't think I've thanked you for letting me have this opportunity. It really means a lot to me" She said sincerely and squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm going to the workshop now, have tons of work to do and things to finish before the big night! I'll probably see you directly at the venue since I'll be dressing up there only. Let me know if you need me for anything" she blushed as she finished her sentence..Realizing too late what her last words implied. She once again plastered a huge smile on her face and walked out of the room leaving a thoroughly confused Armaan behind.

...

Riddhima was munching on her ceaser salad, it was lunch time and the entire crew, stylists, designers all were on a lunch break. She saw as a couple crossed in front of her and sat down on the opposite table, they were a striking duo and looked so much in love. She felt the woman looked familiar but could not put her finger on it. Riddhima watched smiling as the man produced a single red rose and gave it to the woman, she smiled shyly at him as he bent forward and kissed her sensuously on her hand. Riddhima sighed as they both bent their heads together, their foreheads touching..life just seemed so perfect for them.

Riddhima turned her head and looked down into her half eaten salad as fresh tears made way into her tired eyes, the morning's drama had really taken a toll on her. Only she knew how she kept up her pretense, when she had come out and looked at Armaan looking all disheveled and sleepy she wanted to whack him hard, and give him a mouthful about last night. But all night she had thought that she should not look bothered.

It wasn't like he knew she had seen him, she also gave him a chance to tell her about his meeting with that woman when she asked him about his meeting, but he remained mum. Only she knew how her heart broke into a thousand pieces last night, how she kept checking if he had returned, but eventually she had fallen asleep waiting up for him. God only knows when he came back and after doing what with that girl. She knew he only wanted one thing from her. Only she could be so dumb and nave to think that he wanted more.

She kept her fork down and gulped down some water before getting up. She checked her phone again to see if Armaan had texted, but was disappointed again to see that he had not. In fact she had not seen or spoken to him since morning. She quickly stuffed her phone in her bag and started walking towards the door of the restaurant when the woman from the opposite table looked up and smiled at her. Riddhima stopped in her tracks.

It was her, the woman from last night. The same woman Armaan was having dinner with. Then why was she sitting her canoodling with this man! God she thought, this woman was two-timing as well! Well she is perfect for Armaan, riddhima thought menacingly. Wait! Armaan is not two-timing. She is not in a relationship with him, so he is free to do whatever he wants! She again felt tears threatening her and she more or less ran the rest of the way to the workshop.

...

Armaan sat with Atul going over the last minute last minute details. The show was going to be a huge thing for them, plus it was the first under their new flagship brand 'Joie'! He smiled as he remembered how he named the brand after Riddhima; He wished he was with her right now. But one can't get everything they wish for. He wanted to go and meet her for lunch or at the workshop but he didn't know how he will react since he was still very confused after today morning. He felt it was best to meet her during the event itself.

It was already 5pm and the show was starting at sharp 6. He got up from the conference table and asked everyone to get ready and meet up at the show venue. They had finalized the outdoor area overlooking the vast hills around the palace. It was the perfect place for the kind of indo-western look they had planned for the fashion show. He wondered what Riddhima was going to wear, but then she looked ravishing in anything, she could wear a potato sack for all he cared and she'll still look adorable. He walked towards his room with that image in his mind, his lips slowly turning up in a lazy smile.

...

Riddhima was just putting finishing touches to her makeup when she heard a knock on the green room door. She assumed it was mihika, one of the younger designers who riddhima had taken an instant like towards, She was going to come and dress up here with riddhima. She unlocked the door and asked her to come in, she turned towards the mirror to apply one last coat of lip gloss. Then she turned around and her smile froze.

Armaan stood rooted to the ground, she was wearing the Red Marchesa dress, the same red dress he had bought her all those weeks ago at Harrods, the same dress which had made him lose his mind that day and was making him do something similar now. It was as if he had no control over his body as his legs travelled on their own accord towards her. She stepped back as he came and stood right in front of her, hardly a distance of a foot between them. He placed his hands on her delicate shoulders and looked into her eyes as she stilled, her breath coming in short gasps.

Riddhima was absolutely shocked to find him in her room, she thought it was mihika. She saw a wild look cross his eyes as they traveled all over her body. She knew she should not have worn this dress, she remembered their encounter at harrods when she had worn this dress. She stepped back as he stepped towards her. When he stood right in front of her, she found it hard to breath. When his hands touched her skin, she felt that same stirring of desire run thought her. She looked at him steadily, waiting to see what he did next.

Armaan gently turned her towards the mirror, her back now facing him. She looked at him through the mirror with confused eyes, he could see her desire was as strong as his, but this was just a prelude. He snaked one arm around her collarbone and rested it against her beating pulse, he saw her open her mouth to speak but he shook his head and gestured her to keep mum, he kept staring at her through the mirror as his other hand started undoing her zipper on the back. Riddhima gasped and held her bodice tightly to avoid it from falling away.

"What are you doing Armaan" she said in a throaty voice, she was finding it difficult to even talk as she felt his fingers trailing her now naked back. She sucked in a breath and moaned as she felt his lips press against her neck and then slowly trail long her shoulders. He finally looked up to her and smirked "No one can zip up this dress except me, not even you" he then slowly zipped the dress back up. He saw her eyes widen as he stepped back from her "one more thing, I don't like you hair up" saying that he undid her hair clip and watched as her thick black hair cascaded down her back.

He then turned away and walked out the door without giving her a backward glance, Riddhima kept staring at the door through the mirror. 'What has gotten into him' she thought, why does he keep playing these games with me, she thought miserably. This was it, she had enough of all this. Once this event was done, she was going to tell him that the deal was off, she'll repay him every penny, even if she has to work 24 hrs in day. But she could not step back and watch him destroy her heart, her senses, her sanity over and over again. She took her clutch and walked out of the room towards the stage.

...

Riddhima watched as all the models got ready, this was the first time she was meeting them. Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around to find herself face to face with the same woman from today lunch, the same woman who was dining with Armaan last night "Hi, i'm Lisel...the show stopper...you are Riddhima right?" riddhima nodded slowly and gave her a tight smile, 'what is she trying to do? Rub it in further that she slept with my fiance?' riddhima thought angrily.

"I just love your design...its absolutely marvelous, such details! Ok I need to go and change. See you later, we'll catch up during the after party" Lisel said excitedly as she rushed back towards the changing room. Riddhima looked at her strangely wondering what design she was talking about, she had not designed any of the dresses, so...she probably had her confused with someone else. Plus she had seen the show stopper outfit, it was designed by Wickram B, one of the senior designers. She straightened her dress and stepped out into the crowd, she went and stood quietly at the back, away from everyone. Her eyes on two things, the stage and Armaan Mallik.

...

Armaan watched as the show started with a bang, one by one the models came out wearing the latest fashion which his designers had designed. He was very proud of all of them and he was especially proud of Riddhima for taking care of the entire show. Atul had told him how she had co-ordinated everything and all the glitches and problems were solved very efficiently by her. He kept glancing at the pillar far away opposite him as she stood there watching the show with excited eyes. He wanted her seated next to him but felt he should give her the space she needed, after all she was up for a huge surprise.

Riddhima felt Armaan's stare on her, she gave him a sideways glance and then looked straight back at the ramp, all the dresses looked so gorgeous, they were all made with indian fabrics and traditional indian motifs and design but all the dresses were western. It made such a contrast that the entire audience, press included were in awe of the dresses. Finally the lights were all dimmed and white laser rays started shooting from the side, the tempo of the music changed to a fast wild beat as the show stopper walked out to the ramp.The entire audience went silent as a focus light came right on top of her. Riddhima had to hold onto the smooth pillar as she saw the dress lisel wore.

Armaan felt the entire place go quite and then loudly erupt in a loud applause, people were standing up as lisel walked out on the ramp, perfectly showing the beautiful ivory dress but Armaan's eyes were focused only on the one person who mattered, the person who had designed this dress, the person who had stolen his heart, the person who meant everything to him. He saw her look straight at him, her eyes conveying confusion, anger and even some gratitude, but overall she just stood there stunned as he was ushered back stage by Atul for the final walk.

The applause died down as one by one all the models came back with their respective designers. Lastly when Lisel walked out, Armaan followed her on stage, the clapping increased and the camera's flashed wildly. Armaan took a mike and gestured everyone to quite down, all looked at him as he spoke "Thank you everyone for gracing this show with your presence, As you all saw, we had a mix of various designers young and old who work for Mallik fashion. But there is one designer who was not up here with her design"

Armaan looked at riddhima directly who seemed to have gone into a permanent shock "Ms Riddhima Gupta everyone,graduate of Visguine Institute of Fashion, London, my fiancee' and the designer of the lovely dress which our beautiful showstopper, Lisel wore'" Armaan pointed directly at her.

Riddhima felt someone drag her to the stage, it was as if her body was on auto-pilot, she was still trying to figure out how her dress reached this ramp and that too on the show stopper! She could hear the mind numbing applause which ensued once Armaan finished his little speech, she finally found herself standing right next to him on the ramp. The next moment she felt him pull her towards him and hold her tightly by her waist. She looked up to see the camera's flash at them, suddenly Armaan pulled her closer and kissed her right on her mouth.

Riddhima was too shocked to respond, it was a quick kiss but it was enough to pull the earth right from beneath her feet, she felt someone hand Armaan an instant photo of their kiss; Armaan smiled at her lovingly and gave her the photo, she saw it and then looked back at him. He had a tender look in his eyes. She struggled to get out of his hold, all this was too much. What did all this mean? She saw as the media rushed forward to get his interviews and bytes, she took that opportunity to turn away quickly and walk our from the place before anyone could approach her. She needed air, away from all this.

Armaan saw her walk into the palace indoor, he excused himself and promised the press that he will give his byte and interview at the after party. He rushed inside to see Riddhima walk briskly towards the verandah area, he walked behind her and closed the door as he stepped out into the quite breezy nook, away from the crowd, overlooking the hills. He saw Riddhima stiffen as she felt his presence, she held on more tightly to the photograph as he slowly walked towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders, she spoked slowly in her ears "Riddhima...what I did.."

Riddhima pushed him away roughly and stepped back from him before he could complete his sentence, she had tears running down her beautiful face but the anger, hurt and confusion was clearly visible in her eyes, she spoke in a steady voice as she looked directly at Armaan "Enough Armaan...i've had enough! Of all of this" she spoke as she held the photograph up. "I am tired to trying to figure you out..i am exhausted playing this drama...i want to go back to being Ridzi, I cannot act anymore" Armaan felt his chest tighten as he heard her soft words.

"I don't know what you want of me Armaan, I know that I don't mean anything to you...like how last night you lied to me about your dinner...i know you were with Lisel...i just don't get you. I am tired of wondering if is it just a physical thing for you...i want out Armaan. I'll pay your every penny back, but please just let me go. I can't act anymore" she cried as she held on to the railing.

Riddhima then wiped her tears and said in a whisper "But then I wonder Armaan...i wonder why you do such wonderful things for me...like getting my dress all the way here for this show, I can't even express what that meant to me, you have made me feel special so many times Armaan...why? Why do all this for me when all of this will end?" she asked in a broken voice.

Armaan came towards her as she asked her question, he looked into the sooty depths of her beautiful eyes, her anguish, her pain he could feel all of it inside himself, he had pained her enough, he now knew what she felt for him, it was evident on her face. He cupped her face and looked her straigh in the eyes, and that was when she saw it, the emotion which both of them were hiding so perfectly for so long, felt a shiver run up her spine as he said in the softest whisper ever "because I love you Riddhima".

Chapter 23

Armaan came towards her as she asked her question, he looked into the sooty depths of her beautiful eyes, her anguish, her pain he could feel all of it inside himself, he had pained her enough, he now knew what she felt for him, it was evident on her face. He cupped her face and looked her straight in the eyes, and that was when she saw it, the emotion which both of them were hiding so perfectly for so long, she felt a shiver run up her spine as he said in the softest whisper ever "because I love you Riddhima".

"I love you..probably since the day you walked in that restaurant and asked me how your dress was.." he smiled and continued as his hand held her by her shoulders. "riddhima, today i stand before you without my ego, my stubbornness, my arrogance, my bossiness and my impatience...you stripped me of all those things a long time ago ...today i am simply Armaan...your Armaan...who is so much in love with you" he took a deep breath as he touched his forehead to hers, waiting for her to say something, he felt hot tears on his hands as they flowed freely from her eyes. He looked up to see her eyes downcast as she shivered in his arms.

'Can this really happen?' riddhima thought as she saw Armaan looking down at her, his love clearly visible in his eyes, she watched motionless as he slowly wiped her tears with his thumb, she closed her eyes, savoring this moment, she wanted to capture it and store it as the most cherished memory ever, she held on more tightly to him as she felt him lay feathery kisses on her closed eyes. She leaned in further towards him and snaked her arms around his waist and held him tighter, as if he would disappear if she let go.

Ridzi rested her cheek against his chest and heard the erratic beating of his heart, mirroring her own. She then looked up into his questing eyes, he was waiting for her to react in some way. She slowly smiled and said in the tenderest of voices "I love you too Armaan...i tried to stop myself from loving you, i tried my best...but how could i? When my heart was in your possession...has been since a long time now...i'm tired of denying it Armaan...i love you" she said shyly and saw as Armaan's lips lifted in a huge smile; he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. He buried his head in her intoxicating hair and sighed, they finally felt complete.

They stood like that in that embrace for God only knows how long, but it was evident that both did not want to move away from each other. Armaan felt like all his wishes had come true when he saw Riddhima's love for him...he knew in his heart that she had started loving him but his ego was not letting him accept it nor was his stubbornness letting him confess, but today under this beautiful night sky, with twinkling starts gazing upon them, he let go of all his inhibitions as he pledged his love for his soulmate, his Riddhima.

Riddhima closed her eyes in bliss and smiled as Armaan held on to her. She could not fathom how deep her happiness ran when she heard Armaan speak of his feelings for her...she still felt it was all a dream and she would wake up and find herself all alone, she suddenly panicked and stepped out of their embrace. She looked into Armaan's eyes clouding with confusion but his love was still very evident. He moved the hair lying on her forehead with one hand and cupped one side of her face "What happened Riddhima?" Armaan asked her stepping closer to her.

"I don't know Armaan...you say you love me, i can see it in your eyes...but then why were you having dinner with Lisel yesterday? You never told me...and don't even say it was professional...i saw how she was leaning towards you and holding your hand" riddhima asked suddenly not sure about anything, how could she deny the scene she had seen yesterday night? That sight which had broken her heart into a million pieces. She looked up to see Armaan give her an amused smile.

"Why are you smiling? This is serious...don't even try and make any excuse Armaan" Riddhima said in irritation, she could not believe he was taking this so lightly. "I did all that to make you jealous sweetheart..i wanted to know if my being with someone else affected you...if the feelings you had for me were deeper than what you showed, plus Lisel is a good friend and is happily married to our choreographer." he said calmly, placing his hands on her bare shoulders.

"What? You were doing all this for making me jealous?! Do you even know what i went through? I could not sleep all night wondering what you both were doing together..do you know how much pain i went through Armaan? And you say you love me? Well you have a funny way of showing it! Plus i think you are really blind if you still could not see how i felt for you.." she said with angry blazing eyes shrugging off his hands from her body, Armaan chuckled as she turned away from him looking towards the vast hills.

She felt Armaan come near her, she went further towards the railing and stood stiffly, she did not want to give in this easily . She shivered as he wrapped his hands around her waist and held her tightly, his front to her back, he placed his head on her shoulder and spoke seductively in her ears, making her tremble against his hard body "Riddhima, i was blind...i've always been blind...i did not know what love was, and trust me when i say that i never believed in it...till you."

He let his lips trail her delicate ears making riddhima completely melt against him, she placed her hands over his on her waist and leaned in backwards giving him more access to her neck, 'that much for self control' she thought as he continued "Till you came in my life, i was just a machine..my life was spent in making money and keeping my family happy. Hell i did not even know how to laugh..but you changed me..for the better." riddhima turned towards him and lightly touched his face with her palm.

"Armaan...do you know what happens to me when you say such things.." she said softly as Armaan pulled her more closer to himself "I know sweetheart, because the same thing happens to me" he whispered as he swooped down to capture her perfect red lips, he had waited too long to kiss her...this was their first kiss after confessing to each other and he wanted it to be perfect.

Riddhima gasped as she felt Armaan's lips on hers..he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth while trailing his tongue over it..she moaned his name as she felt herself give in to his kiss, she really could not stay upset with him for long. She opened her mouth to welcome his tongue in, her own tongue eager to mate with it. Armaan groaned as riddhima opened her mouth, he was dying to taste her sweet mouth..their kiss went from a passionate kiss to a wild one, both were parched for it..it was as if they were kissing each other for the first time.

Time stood still as Riddhima and Armaan reveled in their new found love..even the stars seemed to be twinkling brighter than usual; finally they broke apart, their breathing un-even, their bodies crying from the separation, their minds trying to make sense of the situation while their hearts beating as one, Armaan took her hands in his and removed the heirloom ring which she wore on their engagement. He went down on one knee and looked at her with all the loved he felt.

"Riddhima Gupta, i know we met under odd circumstances...i know that i have been mean, rude and sometime diabolically unbearable to you" Armaan said with the utmost seriousness to which riddhima smiled merrily. "I wish we had met differently but if we had i would not have had the chance to ride on this roller coaster of discovering love...these few weeks with you have changed me a lot. I want us to start this over again. Forget about what has happened, and what we had planned." he took a pause and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Forget about the pretense, the contract. Forget about Ridzi and ARMAAN MALLIK. I am truly sorry for doubting you and not having the guts to accept your love when it was so evident. But i promise you this..if you accept me today, as i am..with a fresh new start in our life...i will spend all my seven lifetimes making up for all the hurt and pain which i have caused you. Riddhima, i love you truly, madly and deeply. Will you do me the honor of being my life?" Armaan held her delicate hand more tightly waiting to hear her answer.

Riddhima was too shocked to say anything..she understood that he was going to propose to her when he went down on his knees, but his words..the sincerity and love in his eyes shocked her to the core...she could not believe this was the same Armaan Mallik who's arrogance and pride were his assets..she was truly humbled by his declaration, she nodded her head in acceptance, finding it too hard to say anything to the perfect words he just spoke.

Armaan quickly slid the ring back in her finger where it was resting a few moments ago. He stood up and pulled her towards himself, his placed a feathery kiss on her forehead and whispered in a naughty voice "Thank God you did not take too long to answer...my knees were giving up on me, one more minute and i would have collapsed...i think m getting old" riddhima laughed at his pouty face "Don't worry darling...i'll always be there to hold you if you fall...but you did misspell one thing in your perfect speech...you said life instead of wife." riddhima said smiling at him.

"No sweetheart, i did not misspell it, i meant what i said...wife is just a colloquial word, defined by the english language...but you are much more than a relationship, you are my life Riddhima, I truly am nothing without you because you complete me. So i meant what i said" Armaan said pulling her into a hug, she rested her head on his chest and sighed as she thought 'Can life get more perfect?'

...

Nikki was really upset, nothing was perfect anymore! she had tried calling Abhimanyu all day today but he was not taking her calls, neither was he replying to her texts. She felt her eyes fill up as she tried his phone one last time before hitting the bed, she waited patiently as the phone rang, finally he picked up on the 7th ring "Nikki, can you please stop calling me? I'm really busy at the moment. I'll call you tomorrow ok?" Abhimanyu spoked in an irritated voice, Nikki sobbed as he cut her call without even listening to what she had to say.

"She flung her phone across the room as she sat thinking what had gone wrong...he was perfectly fine with her yesterday...but then when she had resisted him when he wanted to take things a bit further between them, he had turned cold. For a moment she was actually afraid of his cold eyes, but then he had softened quickly and had told her that they'll wait till she is completely sure of it. Nikki wiped her tears as she sat up on her bed'This was probably happening because she was being such a prude' she thought miserably.

She got up and went to her floor length mirror looking at herself from top to bottom ,she then pulled her band off her hair and let it spill across her shoulders, she pouted in the mirror making her lips look more fuller than they were. She smiled a shy smile as she turned back and lay down on her bed, 'This was it' she thought 'Enough of being little miss chaste...it was time she did something which would make Abhimanyu happy..after all he did so much for her. She was ready...ready to take the next step.' thinking of the beautiful new dimension their relationship will enter into, she fell into a deep sleep.

...

Abhimanyu kept his phone in front of him after brushing off Nikki "Why is it taking so long for him to send it? I've waited too long to see who has taken the fancy of my dear friend Armaan..after all a mere mortal could never melt the hard crust around his heart eh..?" Abhimanyu said in a menacing voice. He glanced at his PA's face who was smiling along with him "Yes Sir, i was thinking the same thing...i mean she really has to be something huh? Hopefully she is more in love with his money than him...it should make our plan much more easy" his PA, Mishra said gleefully.

"Oh, i'm sure that she can be bought..but if she does truly love him then i suppose we'll just have to look for alternate ways to get her on our side" Abhimanyu said as he poured himself a large glass of scotch "I have had enough of his little sister anyways...she's such a prude! And the stupid girl thinks too highly of that b*****d! There is no way their bond can be broken...they were born with it. But this girl...she will be the downfall of you Mr Mallik. I can just feel it!" He sipped his drink slowly waiting for his aid to send him the photograph of Armaan's fiancee'.

Abhimanyu's phone beeped as he finished drinking the last bit of his scotch. He clicked on the MMS, waiting for the photo to load, impatience making it difficult for him to wait any longer. Finally it stopped loading and the picture came into focus, the red dress loaded first followed by her perfect bosom and finally her angelic face. Mishra jumped as Abhimanyu's glass fell to the floor, the perfect crystal cut glass broken to tiny shards lying across the gleaming marble floor. He saw as Abhimanyu's eyes turned to ice, his entire body going stiff, Mishra thought its best to move away from him in his current state, but the chilling voice made him stop..he had never seen his boss like this "Ridzi...my Ridzi.."

...

Riddhima stood surrounded by the press who were asking her a myriad of questions..right from where she was born, to what style she designs and their favorite question...how did she meet Armaan. She was finding it too difficult to give a logical answer to them, her eyes searched for Armaan who was also being held by the reporters eager to get his bytes. He smiled when her eyes finally found his, she urged him to come and help her out. He immediately left and came towards her with his entire set of reporters following him

"Ladies and Gentlemen, i have always respected the press and have promised all of you that i will answer all your questions...but that does not give you permission to harass my fiancee with so many harrowing questions. I would request all of you to give her some privacy otherwise you will not get anything from me" he wrapped his arm around her tiny waist and pulled her closer to himself protectively.

Riddhima sighed with relief as she saw the press apologize to her and question Armaan instead. She smiled as she saw him answer all their questions very professionally, without giving out too much, it was just perfect to whet their appetite and keep Armaan's personal life at bay. She still remembered how he had insisted they go back to their room and continue their exploration as he put it, but riddhima had persuaded him to attend the after-party. After all it was in honor of his show, plus the press would hound him a lot of he did not make an appearance.

Armaan was not too happy about it because all he wanted was to be in riddhima's arms, and lose himself in her completely. But he felt it wont be fair to the designers and his company if he was not present, plus this was Riddhima's night to shine as well...her dress was one of the best on the ramp. They had walked back hand in hand back into the waiting eager crowd, who had gone wild with questions taking them both away from each other. She was still in her dream world when she heard one of the reporters ask Armaan a very difficult question.

"ARMAAN MALLIK, how did you both meet? Was it love at first sight? And how did you get engaged so soon?...because if our calculations are correct, you were quite cosy with the russian supermodel Anna? So how did you meet Ms Gupta?" the reporter asked him with a smirk. Riddhima felt Armaan's body go stiff, she she squeezed his hand, wondering how he will answer this question.

"Yes, you are correct...i was with Anna during that time, but we broke up amicably before i met Riddhima, In fact i was the special guest at her final year show in London and the same dress you saw on the show-stopper was showcased there, I loved the dress...and met her the next day to discuss her future with my company...and the rest as they say is history...it was her innocence and kindness that made me fall in love with her..i did not take me long to decide that this was the girl i wanted to spend my life with" Armaan looked at her when he said the last few words...there was no doubt anymore in anyone's mind as they saw the two of them together...this was a couple in love.

After a couple more questions..related more to the show, the press dispersed and the dance floor opened up for dancing, the string quartet started playing a beautiful slow song to which Armaan pulled riddhima right onto the floor, everyone clapped as the couple swayed to the romantic music, both unaware of everything else except being in each others arms. Riddhima felt her body move to its own rhythm as she held on to Armaan.

"Riddhima?" Armaan said softly, his arms holding her waist possessively "Hmm?" riddhima replied her body completely leaning on to him "Can we leave now? I mean we have already done the mandatory hello's and interviews...plus i'm really hungry right now." Armaan whispered, he saw her lean her head back and look in his eyes "Well, if your hungry lets go eat..why did you not tell me? They have an amazing speard you know.." riddhima said looking at the buffet area, she gasped as she felt Armaan's hand brush against her cleavage, he leaned in towards her and spoke seductively in her ears, trailing his tongue over it "Who said i was hungry for food?"
Chapter 24 [ Lots of MATURE CONTENT! 18+ ONLY]

Riddhima shivered as she felt Armaan tongue glide leisurely across her ear, he gently bit her sensitive lobe as she dug her nails in his shoulders, it took her a while to understand what he was saying, she suddenly looked up in his mesmerizing eyes, dark with lethal desire. She smiled shyly as she pushed him slightly "You are so shameless Armaan.." she stepped away from him as the song ended, but Armaan had no intention of letting her go. He wrapped one arm around her tiny waist and pulled her towards him.

"Not so fast Riddhima...i meant what i said..i am hungry and as far as i can see, so are you" he breathed down her neck, Riddhima trembled as his hands started a slow pattern on her stomach, his fingers gliding seductively over her belly button, its indent visible over the thin satin material of her dress. She looked at his lips, then his eyes and then back at his lips again, she gulped as a feeling of wild desire ran through her, she wanted this as much as he did.

"I know what you are thinking darling...its driving me mad thinking about your naked body pressed hard against mine, your delicate hands roaming over my body while my fingers explore yours...intimately...will you scream riddhima when i make you come? Will you rake your nails over my body as i make you shudder with need..?" Riddhima took a deep breath as Armaan's seductive voice played havoc with her, she could feel the ache between her legs just hearing him say such things..what would happen when they actually do it.

Armaan smirked as he saw Riddhima's eyes glaze with need, but saying those things to her had made him completely stiff, watching her breath hard was making his heart beat run at a break neck speed, he was already planning a lot of wild things which he wanted to do with her since a really long time. He bent his head towards her neck softly blowing the curls away which lay on them, he felt riddhima pull him closer as she whispered in his ears "Well darling...i suppose we'll need to find that out" Armaan completely lost control as he grabbed her hand and started maneuvering them away from the crowd towards the door.

Riddhima giggled as she saw Armaan lose his cool, she knew her words will have the desired effect, but more than him she was desperate to find out how this night will be, it took a lot for her to trust someone so completely and she hoped that Armaan would not be disappointed in her. She suddenly felt nervous at the what lay ahead, but knowing that she truly loved him and he loved her, this night would be nothing less than magical. They made their way across the brightly lit lawn ignoring people who tried to talk to them.

...

"Armaan! Where do you think your'e rushing off to my boy!" a loud booming voice stopped Armaan in his tracks, with Riddhima bumping into him due to his abrupt stop. Both of them turned around to the source of that voice with Armaan cursing under his breath, riddhima felt him hold her hand tighter as the owner of that voice, a jolly looking old man, probably in his 70's! Made his way towards them. Riddhima smiled at the man as he approached them and was really surprised when the took her free arm and kissed her on her hand, holding it between his geriatric fingers.

"So you are the lovely miss who has finally managed to settle this beast down!" he said laughing loudly, riddhima smiled uncertainly and glanced at Armaan to see a nerve in his neck beating erratically, definitely out of irritation "Mr Trivedi, nice to see you here..i'm glad you could make this trip. I heard you were not well? All's well i hope and yes this is my fiancee' Riddhima, Riddhima this is Mr Trivedi one of biggest exporters." Armaan said tightly.

Mr Trivedi gave him a toothy grin "Oh well, we try our best my dear" Mr trivedi said looking fondly at Riddhima, "and i've seen worst days, age you see..always gets in the way!..but good i met you here, i'm leaving for the US tomorrow and thought we could discuss this new venture of your's? 'Joie!' after all you are looking for opening stores in the states am i correct?" he finished as he let riddhima's hand go and gestured Armaan towards a table on the far side of the lawn, away from the crowd.

Riddhima saw Armaan trying to think of a reason to avoid this, but his hesitation told her that it must be something quite important, she squeezed his hands affectionately "Its ok Armaan, you go..i'll see you in sometime" she left his hand and was about to leave when he held her wrist "No Riddhima, i'll meet him some other time..right now i can't think straight..i need you" Armaan said huskily against her ears.

Riddhima smiled at him and touched his cheek gently "I'm not going anywhere babe, i'll be waiting for you in our room..come soon" she kissed his other cheek and walked away gracefully, Armaan watched her go and turned towards the table Mr Trivedi was already sitting on waiting for him...he cursed Atul for inviting him today for the show! He wondered how he would be able to discuss anything rational with riddhima on his mind.

...

It had been an hour since riddhima had left Armaan with Mr Trivedi, in that time she had showered using the exotic smelling bath gel she loved, then she had shimmied into a very erotic red lingerie which was part of her ensemble from harrods, she blushed as she saw the sheer material cling lovingly to her curves, it was teddy style with just a tight corset leaving her upper shoulders and upper chest bare, her breasts were pressed against the satin material, leaving her cleavage busting out of the bodice, it ended right around her navel in a v.

The matching panties were made of the softest sheer gossamer, making riddhima feel sexy and naughty. She looked at herself in the mirror and wondered what Armaan will do when he sees her like this, she moisturized her long legs and slipped into a matching red satin robe which completed the ensemble. She left her hair open, just the way he liked and spritzed some of her citrusy perfume, she was just fluffing her hair when her cell beeped, she picked it up and her cheeks went red as she saw the msg on her BBM 'Baby, I don't know how much longer this is going to take..i wish i was with you..kissing you, licking you...sucking you...'

Riddhima smiled as she typed her reply to him 'You really are shameless you know that! Concentrate on your meeting...we have all night for those things u mentioned' she sent the msg and waited for a few seconds before she got a reply 'I am shameless, but only with you :)...plus you don't seem to want me at all...otherwise you would be burning for me right now.' Riddhima read his message and smirked, her fingers ran quickly over the keypad 'If that's what you think...why would i be wearing something like this and waiting for you?' She was not surprised to see his super-quick reply 'What are you wearing???'

Riddhima grinned widely as she went to the mirror and opened her robe slightly, it left a sliver of her inner wear visible, she clicked the photo and blushed seeing herself in such a wonton way, her hair to one side, her open robe giving a tantalizing view of what she wore and her lips all pouty 'What the hell has happened to me' she thought as she contemplated sending the photo to him, but then thought against it as her phone beeped again with his next message 'Tell me...what are you wearing?'

Riddhima pressed the reply button on her phone but she did not realize for a split second that she had pressed the send button on the photo instead...and since Armaan was live on conversation, it went straight though to him. She gasped as her phone slid from her hands..she quickly tied her robe together and waited for his reply, she waited for 10 minutes, but was worried when he did not reply, he had definitely seen the picture since it showed read.

She wondered if he was maybe annoyed with her for sending such a picture? she was just about to type another message when she heard a shuffle near the main door, then a grunting sound and finally the door opened, she froze as she heard a muffled voice coming from the corridor towards the bedroom. She stood alert as the door opened with a thud and Armaan came in panting heavily. He bent down and placed his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath.

...

Armaan had no idea what made him do what he just did. He was happily enjoying his horny chat with Riddhima, waiting for Mr Trivedi to finish their meeting when that picture made its way to his phone screen, that picture made him loose all logical thought as he shot out of his seat and apologized to Mr trivedi about something really important he had to do, he did not even look back as he sprinted out from the function area towards their room.

The only thing that kept flashing in his mind was Riddhima.Bedroom.Sexy.Mine! He finally reached his room after rushing across the hotel to get pinched by the door handle, then he tripped over the vase in the corridor hitting his foot hard, but it was all worth it to see her standing shocked and confused in that extremely fetching and sexy robe, he knew what lay inside it and he wasn't going to waste any more time waiting!

"What the hell Armaan! Are you ok?" riddhima asked, concern marring her recently shocked face "Why are you panting? Wait did you just run all the way here?" she asked with an amused smile. Armaan stood up straight and started walking towards her, she could see the predatory look on his face and it excited her to no ends, she knew that her photo must have been the catalyst for this current situation as was secretly happy that she affected Armaan so much.

"Never...never send me such provocative photos of yourself and then expect me to be normal riddhima...you don't know what you've just invited" Armaan said slowly as he finally reached her in the middle of the room. He was glad that this time she did not move away when he walked towards her. Riddhima gasped as Armaan suddenly caught her waist and pulled her flush against him "Armaan...bu..but..i did no..." riddhima could not finish her sentence as Armaan lowered his head and drew her into a hot mind-numbing kiss, desire burned through her as his mouth seared hers, plundering and demanding, she moaned loudly opening her mouth where his tongue snaked in to suck hers deeply.

Armaan groaned against riddhima's sweet mouth as she kissed him back with equal vigor and passion, her desperation evident and mirroring his as their mouths clung feverishly to each other, Armaan felt the knot of her robe around her waist and he eased it open leaving the robe free to fall off her, he shifted his mouth over the sensitive skin of her neck and then her collarbone as his hands pushed the silky robe over her shoulders. Riddhima held on to his shoulders as he licked and sucked his way across, her fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. She tore them out of frustration, dying to touch his bare skin. Armaan chuckled at her eagerness as he slipped the rest of the shirt off him and pulled her robe off her completely.

Shyness overcame her as her robe got flung over to some corner of the room, she pressed herself to Armaan's body, obscuring his vision towards her scantily clad self. Armaan left his exploration and turned her around swiftly and held her by her bare stomach towards the mirror, her back to his front, her gorgeous hair spilling over her face sideways as she looked down, unable to look at herself "Riddhima" he breathed into her ear "Don't ever deny me to look at you..look up in the mirror.." he said seductively daring her to look into his eyes. When she resisted he started moving his fingers in slow circles over her waist, seductively dipping his finger in her deep navel.

Shivers ran up her body as Armaan's finger caressed her navel, she looked up briefly into the mirror and saw him watching her intensely. She blushed as his eyes caught hers and her heart filled with love as she heard him speak the next words "Now do you see what i do riddhima? Now do you know why i can't resist you darling? You are beautiful riddhima, for me you are the most beautiful person in the world...and the goodness of your heart reflects in your image..you are mine Riddhima and I am yours, there is no place for any shyness between us" Armaan whispered in her ears.

Riddhima could not take it anymore, she wanted him, he was her salvation...all the demons from her past could only be released when Armaan was with her, she felt complete with him, she turned around and took him by surprise as she pushed him towards the wall. She held his head as she took his lips in a wild kiss, delicious heat made its way down her body, their tongues dueled fiercely as she trailed her hands along his shoulders and across his wide muscled back, her mouth started their own exploration along his chest, nipping his buds, her hands going to his buttocks as she pushed her hands underneath his pants and held onto him.

All coherent thoughts fled Armaan, as he felt riddhima taking charge, her soft hands exploring his body while her hot mouth followed, he moaned her name aloud as her nails bit into his buttocks, he quickly took them out before they trailed towards the other straining part in his lower regions, he would surely meet his death there. He held her wrists and twisted her around so that she was now pressed against the wall "I never knew you were so wild.." he rasped out to a smiling riddhima "I lose my mind around you" she said seductively biting his ear.

Riddhima felt her legs tremble as Armaan's rough hands pressed her breasts over the thin flimsy material of the corset, his tongue trailing the gentle swells straining against the tight bodice, he bit her gently on them as his hand travelled to her back unzipping the now offensive piece of cloth, leaving riddhima bare to his hungry eyes. Riddhima felt cool air from the air conditioner caress her breasts but it was short-lived as Armaan crushed her with his heated body, she felt so horny and almost cried out as Armaan rubbed his hard chest against her soft mounds.

"You are so beautiful riddhima...i've dreamed of this for so long" he said throatily as he cupped the fleshy weight in his hands, his thumbs pressing back and forth over the throbbing peaks, he looked into riddhima's darkened eyes before bending his head and licking the rose pink nub, she cried out his name as he started sucking on them one at the time, his other hand holding her soft bottom, pressing it hard against his own hard arousal. Riddhima wrapped one leg around his waist and started rubbing herself over him, desperation to be one with him mounting with every new second.

"I want you Armaan...i need you..now" she said huskily, not aware of what those words were doing to Armaan. She held onto him tightly as he picked her up effortlessly and lay her gently in the middle of their bed, he gazed down at her and marveled at the beautiful sight she made only clad in a red lace panty, her hair spilling over the white sheets while her body blushed prettily at his bold gaze.He quickly undid his pants and flung them away before joining her on the bed.

Armaan's intense gaze made her feel all sensual and womanly, his perfectly sculpted body was enough to push her over the edge while his arousal straining against his boxers made her nervous and excited as her body anticipated him.

Armaan saw a slight worry line flit across riddhima's face as her eyes travelled down his body, he held her up against him and said softly "If you are not sure riddhima...we can stop" she quickly looked up to him and trailed her palm over his face "I am sure Armaan, as sure as i can be...but" she hesitated as he urged her to continue, his body crying out to be one with her.

"This is my first time Armaan...i hope i don't disappointed you.." she whispered softly before closing her eyes in embarrassment. Armaan took a deep breath as the he realized for the first time that she was a virgin, he just assumed that she wasn't one. He felt a sense of pride and possessiveness at her confession, she was giving him her most prized possession, he felt truly humbled by it "Thank you riddhima...you are giving me the most precious gift in the world...i'm honored to be your first darling, and there is no way you can disappoint me, ever" he said as he captured her lips in a sweet kiss, full of promise of the future and love.

Riddhima ran her hands over his powerful torso, feeling a shudder run through him; his words had overwhelmed her a lot, and her body was more than ready to accept him. She purred as he slid her wet panty over her long legs still holding her lips prisoned against his while riddhima pushed his boxers off him with her feet, they now lay completely bare against each other, he looked deeply into her hazel eyes as his fingers made their way to her soaking core, she whimpered as he rubbed her gently there. Her nails biting into the flesh of his back

"Please Armaan...i need you" she moaned in his ears as Armaan shifted on top of her to position himself, he was way above his control level but he wanted her first time to be memorable.He parted her legs and shifted back to rub his erection tantalizingly along her moist folds, riddhima's hips lifted instinctively inviting him, she ached for him so badly that she moaned in despair when he moved away for a moment to don protection, but then he was back pressing down on top of her, kissing her hungrily.

He looked up in her dazed eyes as he entered her, keeping his pace slow so as to give her the least discomfort, he finally reached her resisting barrier and thrust into her once to break free, he felt her wince in pain and gasp as slight pain engulfed her, but Armaan started to move more steadily inside her welcoming warmth to get her accustomed to his thrusts.

He kept looking at her face for signs of pain"Are you ok?" he asked with concern to which she smiled as he saw pleasure flitting across it, she nodded her head and he increased his thrusts as she wrapped her legs around his back, causing him to slide in even deeper, he groaned as her tight sheath made him come closer to his climax but he had to hold on till riddhima came.

Riddhima gasped at the new sensations which were taking over her body. She felt his chest move against her breasts as they continued making love, riddhima could feel an unknown but delicious tension building inside her and she drew in a shaky breath as Armaan thrust harder in her. With practiced precision Armaan took her higher and higher until there was nowhere to go. For a moment riddhima felt a moment of oblivion as the intensity of her orgasm shook her to the core, she clung onto Armaan as she felt him tense under her before powerful contractions of her orgasm sent him over the edge too.

For a long moment there was nothing but the sound of their ragged breathing and the pounding of their hearts, Armaan eased his weight off her and pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her, cradling her bottom with his thighs. Riddhima placed her hands over his and snuggled in closer to him; they lay like that for a long time before Armaan brushed her hair away from her and turned her towards him, they looked into each other eyes deeply before Armaan kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Thank you riddhima...you have given me everything today. I love you soo much" he said huskily pulling her in closer to himself. Riddhima smiled shyly before kissing his nose and saying in a soft voice "No Armaan...thank you, thank you for being my first and last...you've made me so happy today that i cannot express it in words" she said as her fingers traced a path along his throat.

Armaan held her roaming hand and said seductively in her ears "If words cannot express then i have better ways for you to thank me" riddhima's eyes widened as she slapped his hands away "Shameless!" she said as Armaan slid his hands across her sensitive breasts, she moaned as he captured her lips in his, their bodies once again ready and hungry for each other.
Chapter 25
(Mature content ahead.)

Armaan squinted as the harsh sunlight filtered in through the slightly open curtains, he closed his eyes again but smiled as he felt a warm body squirm against his, he looked to his left and saw riddhima's face buried in the crook of his neck, her even breathing blowing soft warm breaths, he turned towards her and tucked the few stray strands of her hair resting on her forehead behind her ears. He then leaned in and kissed her softly"Good morning sunshine" he whispered lazily.

He laughed as riddhima scrunched up her pretty face and snuggled more into his side as her long arms tightened their hold on his body. Armaan felt her delectable body slide deliciously close to his, he took a deep breath as he felt her lush curves press along his length, arousing him completely, his eyes darkened as he took in the seductive picture she made with her lips slightly parted, her nails digging into his flesh while her body still retained the blush of their wild lovemaking.

He shifted slightly to accommodate her and started running his fingers along her sides urging her to wake up, he groaned as she bit him slightly on his shoulders "Not again Armaan...i'm so exhausted from last night, God how do you have the stamina...can we sleep for another few minutes.." she mumbled near his chest, her lips lifting in a lazy smile as Armaan continued his ministration, completely ignoring her protest "Ok Riddhima, you can sleep for a few more minutes, but don't stop me from what i'm doing" he growled in her ears.

She laughed as he tickled her on her belly, her eyes opening to find his dark molten brown ones staring at her, amusement and love evident in their depths, she really felt blessed being in his arms. She blushed remembering the previous night when they had made love three times with Armaan taking her to newer heights every time. She trailed her hands over his hard chest, while her mouth pressed small kisses on it. She balanced herself on one elbow and encircled one leg along his waist, his hard arousal pressing against her pelvis.

She sighed as he leaned over her and whispered "well, i thought someone was sleepy...couldn't resist i suppose?" Riddhima snaked her other hand along his neck and tangled it in his hair pulling him down towards her parted lips "Well, lets just say i took pity on you.." she said softly before crushing his lips to hers, they kissed like there was no tomorrow, like being away from each other for even a second was torture, they devoured each other as riddhima sucked on Armaan's lips while Armaan thrust his tongue in her sweet mouth, she moaned as his tongue continued its assault, making riddhima want the same action somewhere else.

Armaan took both of her hands and pinned them above her head over the soft down pillow, he lowered his head to the straining pink peaks, waiting for his tongue to pay attention to them, he pulled one in his mouth and sucked hard, repeating the same for the other, he came back up to take riddhima's swollen lips in his again before trailing small kisses along her entire body, making her writhe under him "Arrnav...please...now" she moaned as he lost it completely, he never wanted her to beg for something which was always hers, he quickly donned protection before parting her legs and plunging deep within her wet core.

She screamed as Armaan's thrusts became harder and harder, building up that delicious rhythm she had become so familiar with, she held onto his back, her hands moving of their own accord, grasping his buttocks and sinking her nails in them as he thrust into her a few more times before her body shattered into a delicious mind numbing climax, she held on to Armaan tightly as his body too went rigid a few second later as he came along with her. He remained inside her for a few more seconds before pulling out as their bodies relaxed; both holding each other close.

It had been more than half an hour and Armaan was still lost in riddhima's arms after their passionate love making, he felt riddhima push him slightly as she got up holding the sheets to her bosom "Armaan...we have to get ready...its already past 10am, you need to go and meet all the designers before we leave, which i think is by noon..." Riddhima looked at him exasperatedly as he gave her a lazy smile "Well, i think i have already thanked one designer, the one who designed the show stopper dress...so i guess that should do"

Riddhima hit him lightly on his arm before getting up and pulling the sheets along with her, she blushed at the totally naked Armaan sprawled on the bed, she winced at the slight dull ache in her pelvis which did not go unnoticed by Armaan, he quickly got up and held her by the wait "Shit..i'm sorry Riddhima...i can't believe what an animal i was...it was your first time...i should have taken it slow.." riddhima smiled at his puppy dog face, she kissed him softly on his lips "Don't be sorry Armaan, its just a small pain which will go away in few hours...what we shared yesterday and today was beautiful, i don't ever want you to feel sorry about any of it". She said lovingly.

He smiled at her words and picked her up taking her to the bathroom, he put her down and opened the shower adjusting it to the right temperature. He saw her standing shyly in the middle of the room clutching the sheet against her. He went towards her and slowly divested her of the sheet, he then led her slowly to the shower cubicle and made her step inside, he kissed her on her forehead before stepping away "Take your time Riddhima, relax and finish your shower...i'll keep your clothes ready for you" he smiled at her before closing the cubicle and walking out of the bathroom. Riddhima smiled as she let the hot water pour over her tired muscles.

...

"Oh My God!! Ma!! come here at once! Did you see this picture?? they look so cute together!" Nikki shouted while eating up her wheat bran, she had woken up late since there was no college today and as always was having late breakfast. She squealed as she saw a huge photo of Armaan and Riddhima's from last night plastered across page 3 of Delhi times. She turned around to see Anaya walking towards her.

"Oh, you saw it now! Beta we saw that as soon as the paper got in! We are early risers you know" Anaya Mallik said as she sat down next to her daughter. She picked up a slice of apple from the fruit plate and looked at Nikki with excitement in her eyes "Nikki, I don't think i can wait any longer for them to get married...I'm going to call the pandit right away and work out a good wedding date...and i need to talk to Riddhima's aunt too..remind me to ask Riddhima as soon as she comes ok!" Nikki nodded with a huge smile as her mother went to call the pandit.

Nikki smiled as she thought of her new resolve, seducing Mr right...she blushed as she thought of the list of items she had made the night before; sexy lingerie, short purple dress (because it was Abhimanyu's favorite color), silver high heels (though she was never comfortable in them), her favorite perfume and a pack of condoms..whatever they did she wanted it to be safe. She finished her cereal and got up to get ready. She had to go and shop for all these things on her own..she could not risk anyone else knowing about it.

...

"Umm...this is so delicious" Riddhima crooned as she licked her fingers of the sticky syrup from her maple and pecan roll, she glanced up to see an amused looking Armaan looking at her with an odd expression "What? I enjoy my food...and this is seriously so delicious!" she said as she broke off a piece of the sweet sticky roll and held it up to his mouth, she gasped as Armaan's teeth brushed against her fingers while taking the sweet bread in his mouth "Careful Riddhima...all your moans and licking are not helping me keep up my resolve"

Riddhima gave him an impish smile as she sipped on her sweet tea, "And what may i ask is your resolve?" Armaan caught her arm as she kept her tea down, he slowly got her resisting hand towards his mouth and took one long elegant finger between his lips, he sucked on it slowly and watched as riddhima's eyes darkened, he smiled as she gulped visibly, her smile vanishing as her eyes focused on Armaan's mouth

"To not jump you.." he said seductively, riddhima looked at him with a blank expression "Huh?..wha..?" she said with a confused dazed look, Armaan stopped his teasing and let her hand go and spoke looking her directly in her eyes "My resolve riddhima...to not jump you"

Riddhima pulled her hand back as if it was scorched, she was still blushing with the wonton thoughts her mind was throwing at her, she wished it was somewhere else his mouth would do those things. She slapped herself mentally 'Focus Riddhima...control your mad female hormones!' she chided herself as she got up to finish the rest of the packing. She avoided looking at Armaan, who sat lazily on the huge arm chair near the french window.

He got up to see what had taken Riddhima's fancy as she stood near the bedside table, she was holding something in her hands and smiling. He came behind her and held her gently by her waist, leaning over to see what she was looking at. She turned her face giving him a radiant smile while placing one dainty hand over his rough ones "I'll always cherish this night and this photo...no one has even done anything like this for me Armaan..i don't know how to thank you for this" she said softly as she felt Armaan turn her and place his finger on her lips.

"Ssshhh...don't say that..i did all this and i will do many such things because i love you. Its as simple as that." he said lovingly, his finger sliding slowly over her berry red lips, he inhaled her scent and rested his forehead against hers "and as far as showing your gratitude, i think you already have" he crushed her body to his and sighed as riddhima held him tight, her arms going around his waist "By existing...thank you for being riddhima...thank you for existing" he said in a throaty voice as he felt riddhima's tears run over his thin shirt, tears of happiness he knew, looking at their photo on the bed.

...

That same photo was causing tremendous indigestion and hyperventilation somewhere else; "What is the meaning of this Shilpa? Tell me...did you know about this?" Madhu asked a perplexed Shilpa. She got up from her bed and poured herself a huge glass of cold water, Shilpa stood back looking at buaji breathing deeply as she gulped down a glass of ice cold water, something she never did before "Buaji, I am as confused and worried as you are. I had no idea about this...in fact i spoke to Riddhima three days ago and she did not tell me anything!" Shilpa said as she came and sat next to buaji.

Shilpa had woken up from a dreamy sleep at 8 in the morning as her phone had started its rendition of kiesha's tick tok, she opened her hungover eyes and glanced at the caller id, she was really surprised to find buaji's number flashing. She got up and took the call only to hold it way away from her ears as she heard buaji's screams from the other side,not really understanding what buaji was saying, she had gotten ready hurriedly before driving her mini cooper at breakneck speed to buaji's old age home, worried that something really bad had happened to her. She just prayed that buaji was ok.

The sight which greeted her was chilling, instead of a sick or weak buaji, which she had predicted, though she was not very sure from the ferocity of her voice during her call, she was scared to see an absolutely livid madhu bua, who was pacing her room from the bathroom to the bed, her eyes blazing red and angry. Shilpa hoped that everything was ok, but as soon as she walked over to her, buaji plonked a copy of The Sun towards her, open on the celebrity section, the tiny picture and the caption below it left Shilpa stunned!

Article:

Billionaire Indian Playboy Taken!

Yes girls, the Indian entrepreneur Armaan Mallik and owner of AR textiles, or as he is better know in the fashion circle 'ARMAAN MALLIK' is no more single! Yep, the most eligible bachelor who was rumored to be dating Brazilian supermodel Anna Campos recently left the media in a state of shock as he introduced his lady love and fiance Riddhima Gupta at the Magnificent AR Fashion gala yesterday in India. The gala was attended by the who's-who of not only Indian but also International fashion gurus and designers. It also introduced the much awaited 'Joie' line of fashion house, which will be soon launched in the UK as well. We also came to know that Ms Gupta is a recent graduate of Visiguene Institute of Fashion, London and resides in the United Kingdom and is a British national. Here's The Sun wishing the happy couple congratulations for their future life together!


Shilpa finished reading the article and glanced at the tiny picture above it, the man was definitely ARMAAN MALLIK and the girl in red was none other than her best friend Ridzi...Riddhima that is! What the hell was going on..Shilpa stared at the picture as if hoping there was some mistake and that the paper had printed the name and the photo incorrectly..but she knew that was not possible. She looked on worriedly at buaji who seemed to be loosing color, she called the on-duty nurse to come and check her, She was also extremely irritated at Riddhima for not telling either of them about this!

After the nurse checked and gave buaji some anti-stress meds, Shilpa helped buaji get into bed, she pulled the covers over her and took her phone to call Riddhima, she had to talk to her and clear this confusion "No use!" buaji coughed as she saw Shilpa dial Riddhima's Indian number. "I tried calling her as soon as i read the article. Her phone is switched off!" buaji said as she closed her eyes, the sedative effect of the medicine taking over.

Shilpa knew that she would fall asleep in a few minutes, she nodded and looked at her "Don't worry buaji, i'll sort this out ok? I know someone in AR who can give me ARMAAN MALLIK's Indian office number. I'll try and get through to him if i can't get through to Riddhima" she squeezed buaji's frail hand as she got up "I will clear this confusion ok? Even if i have to hop on a plane and go to India myself!" she kissed buaji on her forehead and walked out closing the door behind her. She dialed her friend Gemma's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hey Gem! How are ya? Listen i know this is a very sudden call but i really need your help." Shilpa said cheerily on the phone, she smiled as she heard Gemma greet her. She quickly asked Gemma to help her with ARMAAN MALLIK's Indian office number as she had to track a friend of her's who's gone there for an internship, "Oh you looking for Tony?" Gemma asked softly. Shilpa shook her head as she replied "Who's Tony?" she heard Gemma laugh at the other end "He's the intern Divvy! And he is not in India, there were no internships in India, Tony's the only intern from your institute and he is very much in London"

Shilpa's eyes went huge as this new piece of information reared its ugly head. She thanked Gemma but still insisted she send her the Indian office number, she said good bye as she ended the call and sat down on one of the chairs in the brightly lit corridor 'What the hell is going on!' she thought, her fingers shaking as she remembered hers and Riddhima's last conversation three days ago where Riddhima kept blabbering on about the amazing designs she was working on. She closed her eyes waiting for Gemma's text, she had to get to the bottom of this. She just hoped that Riddhima was all right.

...

"Shoot! My phone has been switched off this entire time!" riddhima moaned as they sat in the helicopter, she looked at Armaan with a sad face "I think i forgot to charge it last night..all thanks to you!" Armaan pinched her as she yelped "Hey! ok..fine it was also partly my fault" she said smiling, "But what if Buaji had called, she'll be so worried" Riddhima said aloud.

Armaan looked at her with scrunched up eyebrows "Buaji? If that your aunt? I thought you just made her up for the benefit of my mother. Riddhima looked up at him suddenly "No i do have an aunt, my Buaji who stays in London. In fact i took this job offer of yours only for her." riddhima said with a sad smile "Oh Armaan...there is so much you need to know about me..in fact i have not told you anything" Armaan pulled her close to him as they belted themselves up. He held her hand in his and looked in her moist eyes "We have all the time in the world love, lets start small ok..tell me about your family" he asked, but regretted as he saw a huge tear run past her cheek.

She gave him a teary smile and went about telling him about her family, he had a right to know everything about her. She did not keep anything away from him as he listed attentively to her, holding her close and squeezing her hands to comfort her as she spoke about her parents, her lost brother and her only surviving aunt, her Madhu buaji. She also told him about Shilpa who was probably her only close friend in UK, he wiped her tears as she took a deep breath "So you see, when you gave me an option to do this Job, for all that money i had to take it. i only wanted what was best for my Buaji"

Armaan felt tears prick his eyes as he remembered that day when he accused her of lying to him for money, he had thought of such horrible things for her because he had judged her wrong. He had really wronged her, she was one in a million, a true rare diamond who only thought for others, never once thinking of any consequences which could affect her. He tipped her chin up and spoke in a hoarse voice "We'll get your buaji back here ok? I'll get the best treatment for her and she can stay with us, i won't let you lose or miss her all right. This is my promise to you"

Riddhima felt the largest burden leave her body as she heard Armaan's reassuring words, she did wonder earlier that now that she had agreed to Armaan's proposal, how would she take care of buaji? but Armaan had solved that too for her, she had to call buaji and explain everything to her soon. She also had to call Shilpa and tell her the truth, she was her only hope to convince and make buaji understand. She pulled Armaan's hand towards her and kissed him on the palm, resting his rough skin against her smooth cheek.

"What would i have done without you?" she said looking at him with all the love she could muster, but suddenly she felt scared "Armaan...what if your family don't like the fact that we lied? And that i was living under your roof under false pretense..Oh Armaan i can't have them hate me" she said in a soft scared voice, Armaan grinned at her worried face "Don't worry riddhima, i'll handle them. Plus we have mamaji on our side" he looked at her shocked face "Yes, he knew about all this from the beginning. We'll take his help, plus the family already love you so its not going to matter either ways!" he gave her a reassuring smile.

They leaned back in their seats and looked out as they approached Delhi, Armaan put his arms around riddhima and whispered in her ears "By the way, now that you have told me about your family and all, there are other things which i need to know about" riddhima slapped him playfully in his arms "Oh yea! Like what? When did i start PMSing?" she giggled at his disgusted face

"Noo..riddhima, don't tell me that even in fun! No i meant stuff like...did you have any boyfriends? Cause you know about my love life..hell the whole world knows about it! But you know...i should know if some psycho ex-boyfriend of your's will turn up at my doorstep with an axe!" Armaan laughed as the pilot told them to buckle up.

This time Armaan did fail to notice the paleness of riddhima's face or how she gripped the arms of the seat in a sudden reflex due to the fear she felt in those words Armaan had just spoken, words which were uttered out of fun but held a depth of truth in them.
Chapter26
Riddhima sat on the little settee by the window in her bedroom; it had been a couple of hours since they had gotten back but unfortunately no one was home yet. Nikki was out and Anaya and dadiji had gone for a pravachan at a temple nearby. Armaan and mamaji had left around 2 hours ago for an important meeting with an overseas Japanese client. Riddhima was actually glad that she had some time alone to reflect on everything that had happened in the past 48 hours.

She gazed out of the window at the sprawling lawns and smiled as she saw the gardener's daughter's pari sprint around the flower beds with her little brother, their father shouting at them for creating a mess of the carefully patterned peonies. In the short time that she had come here, riddhima had managed to befriend all the help that worked for the Mallik household since most of them lived on the property.

She saw pari dancing around the magnificent aphrodite fountain which was bang in the middle of the huge garden, she dipped her dainty legs in them and then started running around the circular base flicking the water with her fingers, she laughed an easy laugh as the spring left droplets of cool water on her face, looking at her relaxed innocent face riddhima remembered a similar incident which had occurred a few years ago, an incident which changed the course of her life.
...

"Shilpa!! Don't you just love the cool water on this blazing summer afternoon" riddhima screamed at a completely un-interested Shilpa who was too busy stretching herself on the soft grass in the university park grounds, her head buried in the art-deco book which she was determined to by-heart before the sun set on the day "Ridzi seriously! Some of us need to study you know...its not like all of us are blessed with robot brains like yours!" Shilpa huffed looking at her madly enthusiastic friend who was busy flicking water on her face from the public fountain.

She was running around like a maniac and Shilpa was afraid that they may be asked to go away because of her friends weird antics which was gathering an embarrassing crowd. She got up and left to get a bottle of water, making it look like she had no idea who this mad girl was. Riddhima on the other hand was enjoying her little play immensely, the water was helping her cool down her heated skin; she was trying to reach the bigger spout of the fountain when suddenly her feet slipped and she fell headlong into the fountain.

Riddhima did not understand what happened next as she felt a pair of strong arms pick her up from the cold water and deposit her back on the grass outside it. She was too confused to acknowledge anything as she lifted her eyes to meet impossibly black eyes which were looking at her with amusement and some concern "Are you ok?" he asked in a deep voice. Riddhima was too speechless to answer anything to the mysterious man who had just helped her out.

"Uh..um...yea, i'm fine thanks. I..i mean thanks for helping me out" she stuttered, totally lost for words as her eyes took in the 6 foot 3 frame of the well built man standing in front of her, he was handsome in that totally classic way, with longish black hair and chiseled features, but there was something about him which was not settling well in riddhima's stomach. She looked on as he removed his summer jacket and held it out to her "Here, wear this..your completely soaked. This should help" the stranger said to her.

"Oh no i really can't. I'll be fine seriously. It will get ruined if i wear it" riddhima said uncertain if she should accept anything from this man, he kept insisting though and she was just about to refuse him again when Shilpa came running towards her "Ridzi! What the hell...why are you soaking wet? Did you decide to have a swim in the fountain?" she scolded her as her eyes went to the tall stranger "Um..Hi, i'm Shilpa..Ridzi's friend..and you are?" she gave him one of her signature dazzling smile.

"I'm Abhimanyu. But you can call me SJ.." he gave Shilpa a small smile before once again holding out his jacket to Riddhima, "So Ridzi, since i now know your name..and you know mine,we are no more strangers. I guess you can take my jacket now?" he looked at Shilpa so that she would convince her friend, Shilpa snatched the jacket from him "Thanks SJ, she needs it, we can't have her walking all the way to the university halls in wet clothes and obviously we'll need to give this back to you, so why don't you give me your number? I'll call you" Shilpa said in a naughty tone to which Riddhima rolled her eyes.

Abhimanyu laughed as Shilpa made riddhima wear his jacket "Well if you girls stay in the university halls, i'll just come by and pick it up sometime. I'm a guest lecture at Visiguine Institute for summer, you know the fashion one..so since the halls are also on campus i can pick it up anytime..what are you girls studying by the way?" he asked as Shilpa's face burst into a huge smile "Oh my God! No way...we are first years there..both of us are doing fashion designing...so i guess we'll be meeting soon!" she jumped up and down making riddhima roll her eyes once again.

Abhimanyu looked at both the girls before a small smile lit his face "Yes, i guess we will be meeting soon. Well i better be off now...lets leave it to fate when we meet again...maybe i'll be taking some of your classes...who knows!" he gave a small smile to riddhima, who returned one herself. She was suddenly looking forward to meeting him again, he seemed like an interesting guy, 'I mean someone who does not give in to Shilpa's charms must be something else!" they waved good byes and riddhima wrapped his huge jacket more closely around her.

...

Riddhima came out of her thoughts as she heard a consistent knock on her door, she got up and went to open it and was enveloped in the tightest of hugs by Nikki "Bhabhi!!! you are back! Gosh i missed you soo much!" Riddhima hugged her back and kissed her on her cheeks as Nikki came bounding inside her room and deposited herself on the bed, shopping bags et al! "I missed you too Nikki, looks like you went on a shopping spree!" riddhima said sitting beside her on the bed.

"Oh yea" she said blushing, then she quickly kept the bags on the floor making sure riddhima could not see any of the contents "We have a project coming up...so had to go and look for materials" Nikki said nonchalantly, riddhima noticed her slightly flushed face, she looked at the bags and smiled "You went to buy material from La senza?" she giggled as Nikki got flustered "N..nno..no i mean, yes but i went to la senza for some linge...i mean for some inner wear, you know boring old granny stuff!" Nikki gave riddhima a nervous laugh.

Riddhima knew something was up, Nikki couldn't lie to save her life, she scooted further towards her and held her hand gently "What is it Nikki? You seem worried about something...do you want to talk about it?" riddhima asked her as softly "Umm...well, now that you mention it...i mean...i wanted to ask you something actually...you know woman to woman...but i don't know how to say it..its a bit embarrassing" Nikki said nervously.

Riddhima smiled and squeezed her hands "Just ask whatever it is that is bothering you ok...don't feel shy or awkward" riddhima gently replied, worried what Nikki was about to ask her. Nikki took a deep breath before calming herself down and asking riddhima "When you and bhai first did it, did it hurt?" she blurted it out so quickly that riddhima had to take a few seconds to understand what she was saying, when it finally dawned on her what she was asking, riddhima blushed a pretty crimson "Nikki, why are you asking this? I mean its perfectly all right that you did...but why the sudden curiosity?"

Nikki sighed as she got up and walked towards the window, she turned back to face riddhima and said in a soft voice "Because i think i'm ready to take my relationship to the next level with my boy friend...please promised me you won't say anything to bhai...please!" she pleaded like a little girl.

Riddhima got up and went quickly to her and made her sit on the settee, she was too shocked to say anything, she looked into her eyes and answered carefully "Nikki, how serious is your relationship? I mean you are very young to take it to the next level. I may not have any rights to tell you what to do and when because as an adult you are responsible...but i sincerely hope that you are not doing this under any pressure and you both are sure about your future, plus you need to be absolutely sure about this...are you? and has he spoken to Armaan about you two yet? You told me that he was going to soon."

Nikki pursed her lips as she thought about what riddhima had said, she lowered her eyes and held riddhima's hands "I'm actually not sure about anything...i mean i really like him, love him even...but sometimes i just don't know...he is a lovely guy, but he has changed over the past few weeks...he was amazing when we first started dating...always taking care of me, never once did he touch me inappropriately...but recently i feel like all that was an illusion...he doesn't even take my calls and few days ago..." Nikki suddenly felt a sob coming.

Riddhima put the arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer "few days ago what nikki?" she asked gently, "Few days ago he tried to get a bit more closer to me and i was not very comfortable because i felt the time was not right, neither was the place...i mean we were in a club for God sakes! I pushed him away and then he got upset...i was actually scared at one point when his eyes turned all scary and dark, but i guess he was just drunk" she sighed as she leaned in to riddhima.

"Since then i have not met him, i tried calling him many times but he's always busy and he has no time for me...why do i feel used bhabhi? Like all he wanted from me was my body? Why did he act like such a wonderful person when he...he..." she started sobbing loudly on riddhima's shoulder, riddhima felt tears falling from her own eyes as she held a sobbing Nikki to her, her own memories ripe from a similar experience "Shh...baby girl..don't cry..he does not deserve you...you should never settle for someone who does not understand you or what you want...just forget about him ok...one day you'll find the right guy who loves you for you...that day your heart will know...you will know" she held her close as her tears subsided.

"Thanks bhabhi, i feel much better now...i don't know what i was thinking! I actually went and got a seduction kit for him!" she giggled in her tears. Riddhima got up and pulled her up, "Good, now that this is sorted i don't want you thinking about him for a minute more ok!..and don't worry i won't say anything to your brother as long as you listen to what i say" riddhima smiled at Nikki and helped her with her bags and went to her room "Now go and freshen up ok? We'll meet for dinner in some time" riddhima said as she closed the door behind her before kissing Nikki softly on her forehead.

...

"RAMU KAKA! Get me a coffee please" Armaan said as he entered the living room with mamaji, they had a harrowing meeting with Mr Yarimoto, but had finally convinced him not to go with Modi textiles, he had never felt so drained out before this..if only he got his hands on that b*****d he thought as he climbed the steps to his room. He wanted to freshen up before meeting riddhima, he felt grimy and dull and a hot coffee and shower were just the things he needed to refresh himself.

He could not wait to take riddhima in his arms, she really wasn't good for him since all he kept thinking during his meeting was last night and today morning. He just hoped she was better now cause he knew that he definitely could not control himself around her anymore, the only reason he had shifted his meeting from tomorrow morning to today was so that riddhima could get some rest before they..he smirked as he gulped down the hot steaming cup and went into the bathroom, turning the shower on full jet.

...

"RAMU KAKA is Armaan back?" riddhima asked RAMU KAKA who was walking down the stairs, "Yes riddhimaji, i just gave him his coffee a few minutes ago. He is in his room" he said as he continued walking down. Riddhima looked up and saw Armaan's room door slightly ajar, she wondered why he had not told her about his arrival. She wondered if something went wrong in the meeting..it worried her that Armaan might be upset.

She looked around at the empty corridor before walking into his room, his clothes were scattered all around and she could hear the shower in the bathroom. She smiled as she locked his bedroom door and started taking off her clothes one by one..neatly folding them before walking into the steamy bathroom.

Armaan was enjoying the hot shower, the jets of water pelting his back as he braced his hands on the walls opposite him. He sighed as his tired muscles relaxed under its onslaught, his mind started drifting towards riddhima again, her soft petal lips inviting him...her lithe body writhing under his hard one, he ran his fingers through his hair shaking the water from them, he was just about to turn around and turn the shower off when he felt smooth hands glide seductively across his vast chest as a cheek came to rest on his back, black hair spilling across it.

Riddhima had walked in completely devoid of her clothes, she was nervous as hell and wondered what Armaan would say if she went in, but she took a deep breath and stepped into the shower cubicle, thanks to the roar of the gushing water Armaan had not heard or felt her presence, she saw him stand back and shake his head, but she was quick enough to catch him unaware as she wound her long arms around him. She felt him go completely rigid before realization stuck him and he relaxed into her.

"Umm..Riddhima...are you trying to kill me or something?" he said huskily as he trapped her arms under his, he quickly turned her around pushing her on the wall before holding her roughly by her waist. Breathing became difficult as he saw her completely naked body, wet from the water pressed against his; in all his wildest dreams he had never thought that this scenario would every come true..at least not so soon...and it left him completely speechless, he watched as riddhima's free hand slid across his wet torso and came to rest on his neck.

"Why Armaan...did you think it was someone else..aww...were you scared? Cause good...this was your punishment for not telling me you had already come home!" she huffed as she pulled his head closer to hers, tilting hers a little towards him. Armaan's hands pulled her more closer from her waist, her peaking breasts pressed to his chest, he placed his knee between her legs, making her moan "Well, if this is the punishment you plate out...i'll keep being bad" he said before he pressed his greedy mouth to her, his tongue probing her soft lips to open up; riddhima was too lost in the sensation of his lips against hers to remember her annoyance as her own tongue dipped in his mouth, battling to gain superiority. It was a kiss of want, of need and it left them breathless in the hot steamy shower.

"What have to done to me Riddhima...all i think about is you...being in your arms...being inside you, being one with you.." Armaan groaned as riddhima's kissed him on his chest, her tiny teeth pulling his sensitive buds, she wound one leg around him as he pulled her up and latched his hungry mouth on her hard pink tips, he sucked on one while his hands squeezed the other..he heard riddhima moan as his fingers started going south towards her core, she bit him on his shoulders as he pushed one long finger inside her wet dripping center..she could feel his arousal digging near her stomach.

Armaan kept up his actions as he now slid two fingers in while his thumb kept stroking at the swollen nub, he looked up to see her eyes completely glaze over with need as she felt her body getting ready for its release, he quickly slid his fingers out and picked her up in his arms "Not yet baby...just a few seconds more.." he rasped as she wriggled in his arms due to her unfulfilled desire. He banged open the bathroom door with his foot and transferred a wet riddhima on his bed "Arrnavv...please...i can't take it anymore" riddhima said breathlessly as she watched him quickly don protection.

Armaan stumbled to his bed as riddhima waited for him, her legs already parted to receive him. He positioned himself over her and thrust into her in a powerful stroke.She screamed in joy as he continued his thrusts, Riddhima would her legs around his waist, lifting herself off the bed to give him better access, Armaan felt himself go deeper into her as his body prepared for its release. He knew that riddhima would come anytime now. After few more hard thrusts he felt his body go rigid along with hers as they both came together in a shattering climax, their bodies shuddering in its aftermath. They lay in each other arms, completely spent but finally at peace.

"The sheets are all wet" riddhima whined after a few minutes, she had no idea how long it had been since they had lain in each other arms, riddhima's head on Armaan's chest listening to his rhythmic heartbeats while his fingers drew patterns on her arms and back. She shifted her head slightly up, balancing it with her chin on his chest as she heard him laugh, its rumble vibrating through his torso "What's so funny?" she asked getting annoyed.

"Riddhima, i can't believe that you are actually thinking of wet sheets?" Armaan chuckled as he sat up bringing her her up next to him. "Well yeah...i mean RAMU KAKA will wonder why the sheets are wet right?" riddhima got up and ran her fingers on his long aristocratic stubborn nose. He suddenly caught her hands and kissed the insides of her palm "thank you riddhima...i really needed you babe" he said as riddhima lay her palm across his face.

"What happened Armaan? You seem stressed" she asked him snuggling in closer to him "Nah..i was a bit edgy but now i'm fine...its just work related stuff..one of our competitors is giving me a hard time..but lets not worry about that...i actually wanted to ask you where you wanted to go for our Honeymoon?" he smiled as she hit him lightly on his arm "Really Armaan! You are thinking about our honeymoon! I think there are too many things to tackle before that..."riddhima said suddenly getting sad.

Armav tipped her chin up "don't worry babe...i told you that i'll sort it right? First we'll tell my family about us, then we'll convince your aunt and friend ok? I don't think they should have a problem with me..after all i am Armaan singht Mallik!" he puffed his chest as he said it. Riddhima laughed merrily at the sight he made "You really are a pompous ass aren't you! And no...for me you are my Armaan...only Armaan" she said softly as she leaned in to gave him a sweet kiss.

"Now get up and get ready, its nearly dinner time..and we better rehearse how to break the truth to your family...plus i might as well just pack my bags and keep...you know..in case they throw me out" riddhima joked as she got up and started pulling her clothes on, Armaan leaned back on one elbow and looked at her "Nah..they won't do that...they love you too much! And by the way did i tell you that i find it really erotic when i see you wear your clothes? Its equally arousing as the opposite action" he smirked as he saw riddhima blush and open his door "I'll see you later" she said before closing the door behind her. Armaan leaned back in his bed and smiled "Oh yes, you will Ms Gupta"
Chapter 27
(Some Mature Content)

Dinner was merry affair in the Mallik household tonight, everyone seemed to be in a great mood, Riddhima looked up to meet Armaan's eyes as he stared at her from across the table, she smiled shyly as she remembered their earlier shower together. She still could not believe that she had actually taken such a bold step...she blushed remembering how desperate she was for Armaan.

Armaan saw riddhima blushing prettily, he could never understand how she was so sensual and wild in bed while so innocent otherwise. He slipped his feet out of his loafers and touched riddhima's feet with his toes under the table. He smirked as she suddenly jumped at the surprise touch "What happened Riddhima bitiya? Did you find the kadhi too spicy?" dadiji asked riddhima looking concerned. Riddhima looked at dadiji and smiled assuring her that all was fine, she then looked at Armaan angrily gesturing him to stop.

Armaan's grin became larger now as his toe now started trailing her smooth ankles...he slowly lifted it to caress her calves. He saw her shifting uncomfortable to one side but still did not stop his assault..she gave him a pleading look but he continued. Riddhima was now trying to look everywhere but at Armaan, his wretched toe was sending tingly feeling all across her leg, she knew it would rise a lot of suspicion if she suddenly got up and left.

Armaan knew his ministrations were having the desired effect on riddhima; he could see how her hands were shaking as she held the fork, he saw a small trickle of sweat running across from her forehead to her cheek, "Bhabhi, why are your hands shaking? Are you all right?" Nikki asked a perplexed riddhima who again smiled at her assuring her that she was quite all right.

She looked at him and gave him a dirty look before crossing her legs and shifting her body to one side, He was pleasantly surprised when she did that because it let him reach the upper part of her leg; he was glad she was wearing a loose skirt which was getting him unhindered access to her long leg. He bent his body little bit downwards as his entire foot now caressed her leg, his toe now reaching her smooth thigh.

Riddhima gasped as she felt Armaan's foot running over her thigh, she could feel herself getting wet. She quickly held his foot with her left hand and tried to push it away in the process un-crossing her legs, but before she could cross them back, Armaan slid his foot right between her legs, his foot now lying on her inner thigh, Riddhima's breaths came up short as Armaan's toe was now snugly lodged near her nub. He smiled as he started stroking her through her wet panty while he himself was aroused beyond reason.

Riddhima started panting as Armaan's strokes increased its intensity, she looked up with glazed eyes and hot cheeks as he too seemed to have lost control, desire clearly evident in his eyes. All thoughts left riddhima's mind as she felt immense pleasure flit through her..she saw from the corner of her eyes as mamaji asked her something, "What did you say MAMAJI" riddhima screamed loudly as she felt a powerful orgasm hit her system. She clutched the edge of the table tightly and closed her eyes as all pairs of eyes were now focused on her.

"What happened Riddhima beta? Are you all right? Why did you scream?" Anaya asked as she got up with a glass of water and came rushing towards Riddhima. Armaan quickly slid his legs back down and straightened in his chair. His own breathing was labored now, his lower region straining against his pants. His little game to annoy riddhima had left him breathless. Riddhima saw Anaya coming towards her, she quickly adjusted her skirt which had ridden up a little bit. Her body was still thrumming from the after effects while her heart was beating at a breakneck speed.

"No..nothing ma, i think i'm just not feeling well. I'm having some cramps, so i screamed a bit due to the sudden pain. But i'm fine really, please don't worry" riddhima replied calmly, feeling anything but calm. Anaya looked worriedly at Riddhima's flushed face

"No beta, you don't look ok. Go up to your room and rest. I'll bring in some medicines and tonic" Anaya said as she helped riddhima get up. Riddhima deliberately avoided looking at Armaan thanking her lucky stars that she could leave, there was no way she could have stayed there without her face sporting a crimson blush.

...

Armaan had cooled down a bit after Riddhima left, but he could no longer sit at the table when she was upstairs, he smirked remembering her angry face, Boy was he going to have a tough time pacifying her, he thought to himself. He got up to wash his hands before saying good nights to everyone. He picked up his phone to go upstairs when it started ringing, showing an international number.

"Hello?" Armaan said carefully, his number was only known to close associates, friends and family. Everyone else called Atul if they wanted to get in touch with him. Plus his was a DND number so he was surprised to find an unknown international number "Am i speaking to Mr Mallik?" a panicky shrill female voice came from the other end. Armaan scrunched his eyebrows wondering who it might be "Yes, that's me..Who is this and How did you get my number?" he asked the caller quite rudely.

"It really doesn't matter how i got your number and as far as who I am, well I'm Ridzi's best friend" the girl said, her voice getting louder and shriller this time. Armaan was shocked to hear Riddhima's other name, was this her friend Shilpa? He was too confused to say anything when the girl spoke again "You do know her right? Your Fiancee Riddhima Gupta? Well I am her best friend Shilpa...and i demand to know what exactly have you done to her!" she all but screamed on the phone.

...

Riddhima changed into a soft flannel nightie after taking a quick shower, the nightie covered most of her body but ended at her knees. She had made up her mind that there was no way Armaan would be sharing her bed tonight or any night till he does not apologize to her, which she knew would be difficult or next to impossible for him. She knew the only way to punish him was to not let him touch her, but how the hell was she supposed to keep her hands off him!

She blushed thinking of the dinner table incident as she went towards the french windows to shut the curtains, when she turned back towards her door her eyes fell on her blackberry which was blinking red. She slapped her head for forgetting to remove it off the charger, more over it was on silent and she may have got missed calls. She unplugged it and checked the screen to see more than a dozen missed calls from buaji and Shilpa. She started panicking wondering if something was wrong, she was just about to call buaji when Armaan barged into her room.

...

"Khu..Riddhima..." He panted as he saw Riddhima give him a tight look, she went towards him and said in a nasty voice "What! I want you out of my room now! Right now...i cannot believe what you did down there...do you know how embarrassing it was for me.." she poked him on the chest but then noticed him holding his phone out to her, he took her hand and handed his phone to her "Your friend Shilpa's on the phone...we'll continue our talk later but i think you should take this call right now" Armaan said with a worried expression.

Riddhima froze when she heard him say Shilpa's name, she placed her palm on the phone and whispered to him "What! How the hell did Shilpa get your number? And why is she calling you! Oh God...does she know?" riddhima said she biting her lower lip, Armaan removed the phone from her hand and placed it on her ear, "Speak" he whispered authoritatively back to her. She nodded and held the phone with her own hands. She smiled a crooked smile as she spoke in the phone "Hey La..." but riddhima could not finish her words as an angry voice screamed from the other end.

"Riddhima Gupta!! What the hell is going on..Where the hell have you been? Do you know how worried me and Buaji have been? And what the bejesus is going on with that Mallik? You are engaged? To him!! Buaji nearly had another stroke when she read about you two...what did you think, you'll keep it away from us..well Newsflash your 'Fiance' is a very well known bloke!..you better explain yourself woman!" Shilpa finished her tirade after saying all that in one breath. She took a deep breath and waited for riddhima to speak.

Riddhima knew Shilpa was royally pissed off, she never called her by her actual name otherwise and she was suddenly terrified for her buaji's health. She held on to Armaan's shoulder as he straight away held her close and made her sit on the bed, he knew something was wrong by the way her face had paled.

"La...is Buaji ok? I'l explain everything to you..but please tell me she is ok..please" Riddhima said softly as her eyes filled with tears, her hand clasping Armaan's firmly as she waited for Shilpa to speak. She heard Shilpa sigh as her voice came back online, this time much softer "Listen babe, Buaji is fine..in fact she is here with me...wait lemme put you on speakerphone aight? U speak to her.." Shilpa clicked the phone into speakerphone mode.

"Ridzi bitiya? Its me..madhu bua...bitiya what is all this we are reading? Are you really engaged? Why did you not tell me? I feel so hurt" her buaji's kind voice came on, Riddhima closed her eyes letting the residual tears flow away "Buaji..." she sobbed "I am sorry..i'm sorry you came to know all this, this way...but please believe me buaji...i never wanted to hurt you..In fact it was quite the contrary" Armaan held her close as Riddhima explained everything to her buaji and Shilpa, he lightly stroked her hair as she filled them in on everything from her first meeting with Armaan till the fashion show.

Riddhima felt better after telling the entire story to them, they seemed shocked at first and riddhima got a lot of scolding from her buaji for taking this step for buaji's medical expenses, but she was also happy that Riddhima found a good man and a good family in India, but she expressed her wish to meet Armaan before giving her final ok. Shilpa who was screaming at her an hour ago was very happy for her friend, she was glad that finally Riddhima had found real love though it was amongst a lot of misunderstanding.

Riddhima smiled as buaji said good bye since it was time for her dinner, Riddhima promised to call her again tomorrow so that she could speak to Armaan's mother. Shilpa set the phone back on normal before her voice took on a more serious note " Babe, you do realize that you are on the news everywhere right? I mean its come all the way to UK...so it must be quite a rage there" Riddhima smiled as she answered her "I know La, but what can i do if i have a famous fiance!" she laughed as Armaan gave her a dirty look as he poured a glass of water for both of them.

"Don't worry La, everyone in UK will know one day anyways, so why not now...plus we don't have anything to hide anymore.." Riddhima smiled at Armaan and gratefully took the glass he got before gulping down half the water in it , she felt parched after taking non-stop for nearly an hour"No ridzi...that's not what i meant...what i mean to say is...He is there..in India...and the restraining order..it doesn't apply to him there...it applies only in the UK." Shilpa said solemnly.

Armaan felt Riddhima go completely stiff, the glass of water would have fallen from her hand if he had not caught it, he kept both the glasses away before turning towards a shocked Riddhima, "What happened Riddhima?" he whispered as his arms went around her..he felt her skin getting cold and clammy..he knew something was definitely wrong. He was just about to snatch the phone off her and ask Shilpa when Riddhima said in a scared voice "He's here...he's in India"

Armaan could not understand what was going on. What was she taking about he thought... "Sweetheart..what is going on? Who is here? Why are you so scared?" he held her closer as her body started shivering. He was too confused to see this reaction from her..he had to know what this was about..He gently took the phone from her and spoke to Shilpa "Hi, Armaan here again...what did you say to Riddhima? Is something wrong with buaji? And who is she taking about?"

Shilpa took a deep breath, this was not her secret to tell. She had hoped that Riddhima may have told him about her past, but it looked like she hadn't "Look Armaan...i don't think i'm the right person to say anything at this point. Just comfort her ok..and then ask her to tell you...you should know this, but not from me...from her only" she said that and kept the phone, Armaan kept his phone away and turned towards riddhima.

He held her hands tight and was just about to question her gently when the door opened and Anaya walked in with a tray "Armaan? What are you doing here? Let her rest beta...can't you see she's not well" Anaya kept the tray on the side table and touched riddhima's forehead "Riddhima beta, you are so cold and you don't look well at all. Come one, take these pills..it will help with the pain and relax you" Anaya said as she held up two pills in her palm.

"No ma, i need to speak to Riddhima. We have something important to discuss..can you give us few minutes?" Armaan said curtly. He had to know what was bothering her to this extent. Anaya shook her head "No Armaan, this is not the time to discuss anything...its already past 11pm..plus look how pale and exhausted she looks. Go to your room now, I'll be sleeping next to riddhima tonight" Anaya said as riddhima took her pills, still in a kind of daze. She let Anaya tuck her in and welcomed the extra quilt she laid on her.

Armaan looked at riddhima who seemed lost, he turned towards his mother "Ma listen, i can't explain the seriousness of the matter...please just listen to me...give me 10 minutes with her ok. Then i'll leave her alone" he pleaded to his mother, who was no less than a rock. She sighed as she looked at her son, but they both turned towards riddhima who spok in a soft voice "Armaan, its ok..i'm fine. Lets talk about this tomorrow ok. I'm very sleepy right now. I'll see you in the morning" she assured him with her eyes that she was fine.

Armaan turned towards his mother and gave her an angry look before saying a stiff good night to her. He then went to Riddhima and kissed her gently on her head "I'm here ok..If you want to talk just come over..i'm always there with you darling" he whispered in her ears as riddhima's lips lifted in a small smile. He smiled in relief as he left her room knowing she was a little bit better and went to his room. Tomorrow they had to talk.

...

'Why are you cutting my calls? I need to speak to you' Nikki saw his text and deleted it right away. Abhimanyu had been calling her constantly for the past two hours, but she had not taken any of his calls. She knew that he was calling her now since he had stopped calling him. What a sadistic guy she thought as she switched her phone off. She was not going to give him another chance..Riddhima was right. She deserved someone much better than him. Nikki smiled as she tried to think of the frustrated face which Abhimanyu must be having on right now. She laughed as she got into bed and switched her lights off.

...

"How dare you Miss Nikki Mallik! Aarrghhh" Abhimanyu shouted as he tried her phone one last time, but this time it was switched off. He was already quite restless since knowing about Ridzi..or as she preferred to be called here, Riddhima. He had lost her once...in fact he was forced to go away from her, but not again, not this time. She was his, only his..no one else had the right to even look at her. Armaan Mallik and his family were going to pay for associating themselves with her.

He looked at the photo in the newspaper of Armaan kissing her, his blood boiled at that image..he screamed as he tore the newspaper into tiny pieces, "This is what i will do to you Armaan...how dare you touch her..let alone kiss her. You will pay for this...first i will destroy your sister and then when you are at the lowest, i'll destroy you...i'll burn you to cinders ARMAAN MALLIK!" he laughed as he poured his whiskey on the pieces of paper and lit them alight. The flames reflecting in his sinister eyes..
Chapter 28

"Abhimanyu, I can't accept this..please try to understand" Riddhima said getting irritated with him, Abhimanyu looked at her with angry eyes, raking his fingers through his long hair "Ridzi..c'mon. How long are you going to deny this thing between us...please take this necklace, i got it made specially for you" He pushed the bag into her hands and stepped closer, but riddhima had already moved away from him. She kept the bag on the floor and looked directly at him.

"let me tell you for the last time Abhimanyu...there is nothing between us, i consider you a friend and that is all you are to me. This will never go to any other level. Please try and understand..i don't feel anything more for you and i never will" Riddhima said getting exasperated. She always felt emotionally and physically tired every time they met nowadays. After three months of knowing each from that day in the park, Riddhima had really come to like his easy ways and respectful friendship but lately he had started imposing on her too much.

She saw his eyes turn dark as he leapt forward and held her tightly by her upper arms "No Ridzi...you are denying it! I know you have deeper feelings for me but for some reason you keep on saying no to yourself. Don't you see how perfect we are for each other? I will always keep you happy, you will never have to work another day..I am too rich for my own good. I'll keep you like a princess" he pleaded, riddhima squirmed against his hold "You are hurting me Abhimanyu" she said as she eased his hands off her arms.

"You cannot force me to feel something i don't! Why are you not understanding this?" riddhima said getting seriously agitated "And its not about money or how happy you can keep me, Abhimanyu I simply don't love you..we can never be together..just...just leave me alone" she said loudly as she ran to the main door of her halls of residence, she quickly opened the door and closed it not caring that Abhimanyu had run right behind her and the door had closed right on his face.

Abhimanyu gulped down the last of his vodka letting the fiery liquid burn his throat, he leaned back on the easy chair in his lounge and looked at the dogeared photo of a smiling girl in a bright red coat. He had taken this photo of her's without her noticing on his phone. He had many more which he had taken this way but this was his favorite.

He then got up slowly and went to his bedroom; he switched on the lights and looked around the huge room whose each and every available wall was covered with various photos of the same girl "I lost you once Ridzi...not again" he said slowly as got into bed staring at the wall in front of him, a life-size same picture of the girl in the red coat plastered on it.

...

"Riddhima?" Armaan knocked softly on her door. He had seen his mother out and about the house as soon as he had come back from his jog, so he felt it was safe to go and visit Riddhima. When there was no response from her room he opened the door and stepped in. At first he thought she was still sleeping but then saw the quilt lying haphazardly on the bed.

He checked the bathroom and the balcony wondering where she had gone. He started worrying that she may have been too upset and must have gone somewhere on her own. He quickly ran down to meet his mother downstairs "Ma! Where is Riddhima? I checked but she is not in her room" he said quickly. Anaya smiled at him "Arre baba, she went with Nikki just a few minutes ago..actually nikki needed her help to choose some fabrics for her project so she took Riddhima along. They've gone to your office only".

Armaan looked at her skeptically "This early in the morning? Are you serious? They could have just waited to go with me" he said getting irritated. Why did nikki had to take Riddhima along? That too this early? "Well she probably wanted to finish her work before everyone else arrives, if you go early you may get to meet them there" she said pinching his cheek and smiling. Armaan grimaced and ran up the stairs..he had to make it in time to meet them in the office. He decided to call riddhima and tell her to wait for him.

...

"So bhabhi..what do you think? Does this fuchsia color go with this pattern? Maybe i can weave some dull gold thread along this...i think it will make a wonderful fabric for the dress na?" Nikki said getting excited. Riddhima looked at her and nodded, she did have a point. The fabric will actually look stunning if she gets it right. "You know nikki, you can also team this up with some light zardosi work..just along the borders, it will look classically chic" riddhima smiled at her as Nikki drew some indian patterns on her sketchbook.

"Yes bhabhi, you are right! This will look fab! Your'e a genius...why don't you join us here?"Nikki said coming towards riddhima and grabbing her hands. "Because unlike you, she wants to stand up on her own two feet princess!" a deep voice spoke from the doorway to the fabric room. Both riddhima and Nikki looked up to find Armaan grinning at them, his body leaning on the frame. Riddhima felt her heart soar as he smiled at her. She had missed him terribly from last night.

Armaan saw the play of emotions on riddhima's face, he knew she was still upset because her voice had sounded quite dull when he had called her an hour ago. He went directly towards her and pulled her into a tight hug "You ok babe?" he whispered in her ears, he felt her head go up and down as she nodded "yes, i'm ok now" she whispered back as they pulled away to look into each other's eyes.

"Ahem! Young innocent sister alert! You two should get a room!" Nikki giggled as Armaan and riddhima broke their stare to look at her, riddhima blushing prettily "Oh and by the way big brother, according to bhabhi here i am an amazing designer...so let me just say that i'm doing you a favor by offering to work in this company...i mean i really don't want to see you grovel and beg when i become a famous designer!" Nikki squealed as Armaan picked her up and transported her to the door.

"Bhai! Thats so mean...you are actually throwing me out!" she said with a fake hurt face, Armaan saw the mischief behind those huge eyes "yes i am, because you just so kindly reminded us that we need to get a room, so we are getting one...this one!" he said as Nikki stuck her tongue out "Fine! I'll be with Atul, but i need bhabhi in some time ok? This was supposed to be my time with her!" she gave him a cheeky smile and a thumbs-up to riddhima as she ran down the corridor giggling all the way.

Armaan locked the door after Nikki left and turned to look at riddhima. She was leaning against the work table, her flowery yellow summer dress blowing slightly at her knees due to a light breeze from the open french window. She gave him a small smile as he came and stood in front of her "Hi" he said huskily circling his arms around her waist, he pulled her between his legs "I missed you" he said as his nose nuzzled her neck.

Riddhima sighed contently in Armaan's arms, she snaked her arms around his neck and pressed herself to him "I missed you too" she said as closed her eyes enjoying the assault his lips were carrying out on various parts of her face, she smiled as she felt him kiss her eye-lid, followed by her nose and finally they brushed against her lips.

Armaan skimmed his lips over hers, lightly kissing her on the corner of her mouth, he wanted to kiss her slowly, building it up with all the love he felt for her. His tongue darted to taste her bottom lip as she parted her lips to invite him in. She whimpered as he slowly entered her mouth, tasting her sweet taste leisurely, riddhima's unique taste he thought as his grip on her waist tightened, he heard her moan into his mouth as her own tongue thrust into it. She grabbed his hair as she deepened the kiss, wanting to feel more, needing his touch, his skin against hers.

Armaan could feel her desperation, but he also knew how upset she was and even though his body was straining to be one with hers, this was not the right time so he pulled away. He saw her confused eyes and felt her body stiffen at the sudden loss of contact. She moved back as he caught her face in his hands "Sweetheart, are you all right?" he asked suddenly. She pushed his hands away and went to stand by the window "I'm fine...i told you i'm better now" she said softly as she folded her hands across her chest.

Armaan went and held her by her waist, his front pressing into her back "I know your'e not ok babe, trust me when i say that i want you so so desperately..but we need to talk. You need to let me in...tell me who Shilpa was taking about yesterday." he said softly into her hair. He felt her body go cold as soon as he brought it up. He knew that she would try and withdraw again, but he had to get through to her.

He tightened his grip on her "Please Riddhima, don't you trust me? I won't force you, but you have to let me in sometime." he said as he loosened his hold and stepped back. He was just turning to leave when riddhima held his hand firmly "Don't go" she said with moist eyes. He quickly pulled her into a hug as tears flew down her shiny cheeks wetting Armaan's white shirt.

"What is it babe? Tell me..is it really that bad? Did he do something to you?" Armaan said getting charged, he would kill the person who had hurt her so much that she could not even speak about it. He held her close till she cried herself out, he then took her to the couch and got her a bottle of water from the fridge. He sat down next to her and pulled her into him. She leaned into his chest as she drank some water before looking into his eyes and started speaking solemnly.

"I met him during my first year at uni, he was this fun-loving easy going kind of guy" she felt Armaan stiffening, she looked up at him and gave him a small smile "It isn't what you think Armaan, let me finish first" she sighed as she felt him relax against her "He was a guest lecturer at my university and we had a couple of classes with him. At first i thought he was interested in Shilpa cause she certainly showed interest in him, but after meeting him a couple of times sometimes for coffee, sometimes for movie or a night out with our friends...i realized he liked me instead" Armaan saw her getting paler. He held her tightly and urged her to continue.

"At first i tried to ignore the obvious signs he showed, thinking he'll give up in sometime, but then he started getting unnecessarily close to me, he bought me expensive gifts and texted me at odd timings saying he missed me and what not. I made it clear to him that i was not interested in him and did not feel anything for him but he kept insisting that i was denying it" She adjusted herself against him to face him instead.

"I asked him to leave me alone and he did...for some time. But then one day he came drunk to my halls and started shouting my name. The warden tried to control him but he hit him pretty hard and started breaking the door downstairs, luckily someone had had informed the police and he was taken away. He was given a warning due to his act and he did not show up for a few days after that incident" she shuddered as she remembered that night, the fear she felt thinking that he may just scale the building and reach her. Armaan breathed deeply into her hair as his face turned red in anger.

"What is his name Riddhima? Tell me now.." Armaan said getting agitated, he wanted to get his hands on the bas***d and tear him to pieces. He felt riddhima's cold hand sliding over his. "Armaan, don't ask me for his name... Please its in the past and if you don't relax and listen then i won't tell you anything more" he looked at her sad eyes and nodded his head. He had to control his anger.

"He did try to contact me a few times after that, but i usually kept to myself in the halls, only stepping out when required. I had turned into a kind of recluse because of him. So one day Shilpa insisted that we all go for a night out..it had been days since anyone had heard from him and he seemed to have disappeared...in fact once the university had come to know about the way he acted they terminated his classes. But how wrong i was" riddhima said softly..her eyes misting up.

"That night in the club..we were all having a good time, in fact i felt relaxed after nearly two months and it felt good being amongst friends. What i did not know was that he was present at the same club that night. He was observing me the entire time..Armaan he..he" riddhima sobbed as she remembered that dreadful night, her innards twisting up as the images flashed in her mind. Armaan quickly hugged her tight and said softly "Shh...shh..riddhima its ok, you can tell me" he said in a trembling voice, dreading what she was going to say.

"Armaan he..he cornered me when i went to the restroom..he locked the door behind him and tried to get physical with me...he..he hit me when i didn't respond to him...i was ss..so scared Armaan...he would have raped me that night if Shilpa had not reached there in time.." she cried as Armaan's entire body went numb, his pupils had dilated in sheer anger for that bas***d who had even attempted to touch her, let alone rape her..he could never imagine that his riddhima had gone through such an ordeal..he was going to find out his name and kill him, with his bare hands.

Armaan got up abruptly and took his phone out from his pocket "Riddhima, tell me his name. Don't expect me to do nothing after knowing the truth...i will kill that asshole...i don't care if i have to spend the rest of my life in prison but he will die a horrific death at my hands" he saw riddhima get up with frightened eyes. She held his hands tightly "No Armaan...please understand..that was my past..you are my today, my future. I only told you all this because i wanted you to know..but if i knew you would react this way i never would have told you." she said as Armaan's body boiled in rage.

"Please, listen to me...i does not matter anymore" she hugged him tightly, urging his body to cool down..forcing his mind to calm down. Armaan saw her small petite figure shivering in his arms, he hugged her back burying his face in her fragrant hair "I love you Riddhima...more that anything...how can i sit around when that man is free..he should be punished for his deeds" riddhima felt him get a little bit calmer.

"After that incident in the club we reported him to the police...he got sentenced for 6 months in prison followed by a restraining order and finally deportation. I never set my eyes on him again. I never left the country fearing that he may try to meet me again somewhere...but its been too long now. He will never bother me again love, i'm not going to let my past shadow my future with you." she said softly as she snuggled further into his embrace.

"Where was he from?" Armaan asked her stroking her back, she looked up suddenly..a kind of wary look in her eyes. She turned back from him as he caught her hands "He's from India isn't he? Thats what Shilpa told you yesterday?" he cursed loudly as she nodded her head in an affirmative. "God Riddhima, why did you not tell me this before? We are all over the news..dammit! Its ok..i'm going to hire bodyguards for you right away and you are not to leave the house without me or them..understood?" he said with a determined look.

"No Armaan, don't do this...i can't live like that, I can't be in fear of something which is not there..its been too long Armaan. He won't trouble me anymore...please try and understand" she pleaded him as he stood his ground. Hey eyes welled up as Armaan paced the room "Fine so tell me his name, i'll kill him once and for all...then we can live happily ever after! choose one of the two" Armaan faced her as riddhima looked at him in shock.

...

'Stp callin me!' Nikki texted furiously as she sipped her 3rd cup of coffee. What happened to the amazing morning she was having with bhabhi! First bhai comes and spoils their work...then she had to sit for two hours with that boring Atul, who spoke monotonously in his irritating nasal voice explaining her about the benefits of moth balls! God! And now Abhimanyu was calling her continuously! What does a girl have to do to get some peace!

She had just finished sketching the final outfit when her phone buzzed again, she saw that Abhimanyu had texted her 'Please Nikki..just meet me once. I swear i won't bother you after that. For old time's sake?' she sighed as she read his message. Maybe he was regretting she thought forlornly. It won't be all that bad meeting him once..after all it may be perfect for her to stop this once and for all, completer closure! she pressed the reply button ad texted 'Fine, jst once. Bt il let ya knw whn n whr'

Chapter 29

"How can you ask me to choose Armaan?" riddhima said getting agitated, she could not believe how unreasonable and absolutely pig-headed he was being. She probably should not have told him anything. "Riddhima, just tell me his name...can't you understand that i cannot be at peace unless i know who he is" Armaan said as he pulled her roughly by her arms.


Riddhima looked at the troubled look in his eyes..she hated not telling him Abhimanyu's name but she really did not want him to take matters in his hands, besides it had been soo many years that it really did not matter anymore. "Armaan, please try and understand, the reason i am not telling you his name is because he was part of my past, a part which i never want to remember or think about, a part which should not shadow my present or future with you" she said as her eyes became moist.


Armaan left her as he saw her tremble with sorrow, he could never see her tears, he cursed himself for acting like such a brute "I don't want you going to jail for doing something to him..i won't be able to live without you and if i have to spend my every minute with bodyguards then he has already succeeded in keeping himself alive every second in my thoughts..please Armaan try to understand..let the past be in the past...he won't try to do anything to me. If he wanted to he would have tried to contact me some way or the other in these last few years" riddhima sighed as she went and sat on the couch.


Armaan saw her sitting dejectedly, she sighed softly as she gazed out the window..he knew he should listen to her but somehow he would not settle without knowing about that b*****d. He thought it was best to agree with her and investigate about this guy in his own way...he made a mental note to check with Atul for an agency in the UK.


He walked towards riddhima and put his arms around her small form "Fine riddhima, i won't probe into this anymore. If you don't want to talk about him and if you are confident that he will not trouble you, i won't bring it up anymore. Lets just forget about all this ok?" Armaan consoled her as he felt her body relax into his.


Riddhima looked up and smiled at Armaan, she knew that he was only agreeing with her because he was probably thinking of finding Abhimanyu's name out himself, all this time she was with him she had come to know him very well. She knew she could not stop him from doing that but she just hoped that he would not do anything foolish. She leaned back into him as his arms came around her shoulders holding her tight.


"Thank you Armaan...lets just forget this conversation ok? We have bigger things to worry about...like telling your family the truth." she said closing her eyes, she felt that problems were just not leaving them. Armaan grinned into her hair "That you leave to me...i'm going to sit with mamaji and work out a strategy to make dadi,ma and brat listen to me...they need to know that you were my fake fiancee when you first came to India...though i think i should skip the part of me thinking you were an escort" he said as a loud crash got them out of their reverie.


"WHAT! Your his fake fiancee? And wait..bhai...what were you saying about escorts?" a throughly confused and befuddled Nikki asked from the doorway..her portfolio laying scattered on the hardwood floor. Armaan and riddhima jumped at once as they say her staring at them waiting for one of them to speak up. Riddhima looked at Armaan who seemed lost for words. She stepped forward and gently pulled Nikki into the room and made her sit on the couch.


"Nikki...this was not the way we wanted you to find out" riddhima started as Armaan looked everywhere but at them, she shook her head as she went and sat next to Nikki "God,i don't know how to start this but...we did meet in the UK...and Armaan wanted a fake fiancee for a month...ask him the reason why.." she said pointing at Armaan who was still not looking at them.


Riddhima sighed as she took Nikki's hand in hers, the poor girl looked like she was in shock "Yes, we came to India with an intention to keep up the pretense and then break up after a month...once again please ask your brother for his reasons" riddhima said giving Armaan an angry look...she could not believe she was explaining all this to his sister by herself...'Mr..i will take care of everything and strategize!' Balls...riddhima thought smiling to herself.


"So anyhow...after a while, we both realized that we love each other..and thought of giving this thing a real go..." she finished uncertainly as Nikki looked up and caught her hands tight "I just want to know if you will be my bhabhi or not...i don't care how you both met or why my idiot brother thought of a fake engagement...i just don't want to lose you...your'e the best bhabhi any girl can have...please tell me your not leaving me..please!" she pleaded as riddhima's eyes filled up.


"Off course i'm not leaving silly girl...i love your brother and he loves me and we both love you...i'm very lucky to have you as my sister...i'll never leave...trust me when i say that i may leave Armaan one day but i'll never leave you" she said as Nikki pulled her into a tight hug...riddhima hugged her back as Armaan suddenly spoke up "Jeez! Do you both want a room now? What the hell do you mean by saying that you may leave me one day!"


Nikki and riddhima both pulled apart and regarded Armaan's angry red face with amusement "So now he speaks...i thought you have taken up a temporary vow of silence" riddhima sniggered as Nikki heartily laughed "See bhai..this just shows how much bhabhi loves me...wayyy more than you!" Nikki said as she spread her hands to show the vastness...Armaan quickly stepped towards the couch "Nikki ki bacchi..." he said loudly as Nikki squealed "I'll always tease you with this" as she ran out of the room.


It was later afternoon when Armaan, riddhima and Nikki reached the house. Armaan had already spoken to mamaji and explained to him that they needed to talk about him and riddhima. He had not told him a lot over the phone but only that they had to tell the entire truth to the family. Mamaji had calmly told Armaan to come home immediately so that they could work out a way to break the news.


Riddhima walked in holding Nikki's hand, the house seemed to be empty with only mamaji pacing the huge foyer waiting for them. As soon as he saw the three of them he went straight to Armaan, "So, have you thought of anything Armaan?" mamaji said anxiously. Armaan looked at him with a quizzical expression "Uh..mamaji, i told you we need to figure this out. You know for a fact that ma and dadi will not take this lightly"


Mamaji looked at Nikki and asked her in a serious tone "Nikki beta, was it difficult for you to accept the truth? You know about their fake engagement and all? Since you know now...how do you feel about it?" Nikki gave him a dazzling smile "Aww...c'mon mamaji...i don't care how this all started...the only thing that matters is that they love each other and are perfect for each other...so who cares!"


Armaan rolled his eyes "Mamaji really? Your'e asking her for an opinion? She's from a generation that gets inspiration from Glee and twilight! Off course she's ok with this...but ma and dadi come from a generation that still muses about sunday morning mahabharat! So their opinion on this matter will be completely different and i feel not so pleasant! So lets not waste time here...please think about how to tell them the truth" he said getting exasperated


Riddhima saw how tense Armaan was, she walked up to him and started pressing his shoulders "Armaan, lets just forget about all this strategy and other nonsense! Lets just tell them the truth as it is..there is no need for a plan...i know we started wrong but what really matters is that we want things to be righted and i know for a fact that ma and dadiji will understand us" she said softly.


"Understand what?" Anaya said as she descended down the stairs with dadiji in front of her. They came and stood in front of the other four looking curiously at them "What are you taking about Riddhima beta? Is there something you want to tell us?" Anaya said helping dadiji sit on her armchair as she herself sat on the plush leather couch.


Riddhima looked nervously at her and started stammering "N..n..no ma...n...nothing sig..significant...just something s...small" she looked up to find Armaan suddenly busy with his phone. He quickly looked up and obviously pretended to get a call "Uh...excuse me...Atul is calling" he said as he turned around to sprint.


Ridzi narrowed her eyes at his back 'Oh no you don't mr Mallik!" she thought as she went forward and snatched his phone from him. Armaan was too stunned to react to Riddhima's obvious displeasure. She looked at his screen to check if he had really receive any call from Atul, she smiled as she saw the number being dialed "Pizza hut? Really? Did Atul change his job?" she said sarcastically at a guilty looking Armaan.


"Armaan, i think we have pretended enough...its time to tell them the entire truth, they should know" riddhima said looking directly at Armaan. He nodded his head and came forward to hold her hand. They both turned towards Anaya and dadiji. Armaan squeezed Riddhima's hand as he spoke in an even tone "There is something you both should know...something that we have kept hidden from you" he looked at riddhima to see her give him an encouraging smile, but Anaya's voice made both their faces freeze.


"You mean the truth about your fake engagement? How you both pretended to be engaged when you first came here?" Anaya said smiling broadly at them. Even dadiji started laughing at the identical bewildered expression on both their faces "Yes Riddhima bitiya, we knew about all that before you both even walked into the house on that day!" dadiji said as both Armaan and riddhima looked at mamaji, who was now holding his hands up.


"Ok...ok...don't look at me with murder in your eyes...i did not intend to tell them you know...they just kind of overheard me speaking to you that day...you know when we were planning a fake fiance for you" mamaji said cowering behind Nikki who was equally annoyed that no one had included her in their secrets.


"I can't believe you guys did not tell me! How could you? I'm sure that if had not overheard bhai and bhabi's conversation today i would never have known!" Nikki huffed looking at her family with mild annoyance reflecting on her face. Anaya came and placed a palm on anajli's cheek "Nikki, if i had told you then the whole world would have come to know the next second.." she said teasingly.


Anaya then turned to riddhima and Armaan who still had varied expressions running on their faces "Ok kids, come out of the shock now...stop giving murderous look to mahendra" she said in an amused tone as she gently took riddhima's hand and guided her to sit with her on the couch. She then motioned Armaan to take the chair opposite to them.


"I knew all this the day mahendra and Armaan spoke about it...Armaan you do seem to forget that i am your mama's elder sister...if he is sly then i'm slyer! I knew he was going to call you since we took his phone...in fact we were relying on it. I also knew that only he would give you such a harebrained idea! I know my brother too well" she grinned as she saw an embarrassed and red-faced mahendra glaring at her.


"So, we made him speak..he told us about your plan and we threatened him not to let this on to you. And then we waited..." she said looking directly at Armaan "We wanted to see who you bring in as my bahu and your to be wife" Anaya then turned towards riddhima "I must say beta, i was really surprised to see you..such a pretty and innocent looking girl had agreed for this? That was what i first thought" Anaya took riddhima's hands in her and smiled at her.


"I am sorry if i spoke rudely to you beta, and put you through so many unnecessary tasks..but i was very sure that you had already fallen for my son when we spoke in my study that day. I just knew that you were the girl for him...i started observing both of you very closely and was very happy to see how love blossomed between the two of you...i guess all of us could see it clearly but you both were too stubborn to realize it" she said smiling openly at them.


"Lets just say...we acted as necessary cupids to make you both realize that love and are we glad that the Neemrana thing worked out wonderfully..." Anaya looked at Riddhima's shocked face "Yes, it was all my idea..but i had to execute it through Mahendra..." Anaya looked at Armaan who was looking at a smirking mamaji "What! You think he could think of something so brilliant?" Anaya laughed as riddhima and Armaan both relaxed


"So Ma, you knew this all along? And dadi too? You guys planned this entire thing? And what did riddhima say in the study?" Armaan asked incredulously looking at his mother "That you can ask riddhima later" Anaya said winking at riddhima "And, yes we did plan everything...but i must say that you really were the sore thumb in our plan...while riddhima fell perfectly in sync, you always tended to mess things up...i mean the spectacle you put up during your engagement night! That was too much, poor riddhima...we had to even drag in poor Raghav's name to make you jealous! So much stress you gave us!" Anaya said dramatically


"What! So the Raghav thing was a lie? I can't believe you guys! God only knows how many scenarios i had thought of to finish off the poor chap...i'm sure he has an ulcerated tongue by now, thanks to the myriad of swearing i have done with him in my mind." he said chuckling to himself, he then turned to Anaya and dadiji "So since you guys had planned for us getting together...i guess we have your blessing?"


"Hmm...off course you do...and speaking of blessings...Riddhima there is a surprise for you upstairs...wait let me tell Hari prakash to get it for you" Anaya said gesturing to RAMU KAKA "What surprise ma? Are there any more surprises and secrets left? I think we have all exhausted the lot for the next two generations!" riddhima said laughing, but her mouth froze in an 'O' as she felt instant tears prick her eyes.


Coming down the stairs, dressed in an off white sari was the one person who was most dearest to her...the one person for whom she had done all this, she stood up shivering from the excitement of seeing her in person after so many days and started walking slowly towards the stairs, she reached her as the other woman held her hands, her eyes mirroring the joy and moistness in her nieces eyes "Buaji" riddhima croaked before being pulled in her aunt's loving embrace.

Chapter30


"But sir...i thought you were more interested in ARMAAN MALLIK's fiancee right? So why do you care about his sister?" Mishra asked mixing a drink for his boss. Sometimes...no..scratch that, most of the time it was very difficult to understand SJ sir...he said one thing and did something else. Mishra cursed the day he came to work for this man, God only knows how many countless crimes he had already committed by helping him in his sick games.

"Shut Up Mishra!" Abhimanyu bellowed all of a sudden, he was gazing out into the dark imagining Ridzi's distinct smell...how he wished she could be in his arms right now. Mishra's screechy voice had broken his dream.. "Just do what your told you old fool!" he looked menacingly at his PA whose hands were trembling while he brought the crystal glass to him.

Abhimanyu relaxed a little bit and took the glass from him, he sipped for a few seconds before turning back to the scared man "Have you kept everything ready? I don't want any mistakes. This is the only chance we will get...she has herself agreed to meet me. But we will have to plan everything at the last minute since she will be deciding when and where to meet" Abhimanyu went and sat at his piano, a framed photo of riddhima staring back at him.

Mishra looked at his boss's manic smile, he shuddered at what he had planned for both the women, he turned to walk out as Abhimanyu got busy with playing a soft tune on the piano..but he stopped short when the music came to an abrupt end, he turned back to hear Abhimanyu say in a cold voice devoid of any emotion "You asked me why the sister when I'm interested in her right?" Abhimanyu said pointing towards riddhima's photo

"Well Mishra..Nikki is only serving a purpose...a small sacrifice which has to be made to attain Nirvana...in other words she's collateral damage...and the only way to get to my Ridzi...so let your small pea brain be at peace and let me play my pawn, after all my ultimate goal is the queen right? She'll come to me without any hassle...you'll see" Abhimanyu laughed as Mishra looked on horrified at him, his body shaking with suppressed fear.

...

"Buaji! When did you come? And how are you? Is your health ok? Did you fly down on your own? Was it safe for you to travel? Have you got all your medications?" riddhima blabbered on as her aunt laughed merrily, she placed her forefinger on her niece's mouth to stop the verbal diarrhea "Ae Titaliya! Will you stop your 20 questions? I am fine, fit as a fiddle and now that i saw you, i feel like a 12 year old!" buaji said as she hugged riddhima again.

Dadiji came forward and steered both of them back to the family lounge. As they all sat down, Anaya turned to riddhima "I called your buaji right after you told her everything. Yes yes...i knew when you spoke to her but don't worry i don't usually eavesdrop or spy on you kids" Anaya said looking mischievously towards Armaan and then winking at riddhima whose face had turned a tomato red.

Armaan looked at the older woman and gave her a small smile, but was seriously surprised when she gave him a cool look, she then turned towards riddhima "So, are you going to introduce me to my damadji? Or is he going to stand there all day like a statue and stare at me?" riddhima's eyes went round as she looked up to find a nervous looking Armaan looking at them while the rest of the family sniggered merrily.

"Uh, yes buaji...off course..." she got up and went to Armaan smiling at him lightly as she brought him near to where everyone was sitting. "Buaji..this is Armaan Mallik, my fiancee" she said proudly as buaji checked him from his shiny heavy boots to his gelled hair, dadiji who was sitting near to where Armaan stood, pinched him lightly to get his attention.

"What the! Dadiji.." Armaan said as he turned back to look at her, she gestured him to bend down and take buaji's blessings. Armaan nodded his head and looked down at buaji again, he stepped forward and was about to bend down when buaji screamed loudly "Aaah!" everyone suddenly got up to see what was wrong, riddhima bent down to check on her aunt while Armaan froze mid way, awkwardly bent to take her blessings.

"What happened buaji?" riddhima asked concerned as her buaji's face turned red, she looked up at Armaan pointing to his feet, no voice coming from her mouth, Armaan looked down horrified to find his booted foot pressed against buaji's chappal clad feet. He immediately stepped back and bent down to see if her feet were bleeding.

Luckily they seemed to be ok but a little red,buaji still had an irritated look on her face as she looked on angrily at Armaan. Everyone had seen what had happened and felt bad for both buaji for she seemed to be in pain and for Armaan who was surely not having a good first meeting with his in-law. Armaan felt himself perspiring as he was totally clueless what to do.

"I'm so sorry buaji, i truly did not see your feet...let me get you some ice" he said as he motioned RAMU KAKA to quickly get some, Riddhima helped buaji take off her chappals as RAMU KAKA got the ice pack for it, Armaan snatched the ice pack off him to apply it on the bruise. He pressed it hard against the slight reddish bruise on her feet and jumped back as buaji once again yelped in pain.

"Don't you know babua how to apply an ice-pack...you don't just jam it on the bruise" dadiji and Anaya hid their smiles as they saw a terrified Armaan quickly get up and once again profusely apologize to buaji. Riddhima seemed to be in a pickle as she did not know if she should whack Armaan or comfort him, no one could win when her madhu buaji was miffed.

Riddhima saw as her buaji got up from the couch, she winced in pain as she kept her foot down, Armaan quickly came forward to help her out but she held her palm up to stop him "No..don't bother...Riddhima will help me out" Armaan saw riddhima hesitate but he stepped back and let her support buaji while Nikki came and supported her from the other side.

"Anayaji, behenji...i'll take some rest now. I feel tired after the plane journey. I truly cannot thank you enough for bringing me to my darling niece. She is really blessed to get some amazing in-laws..." she said as both dadiji and Anaya smiled warmly at her, buaji looked at Armaan with a sour face before walking towards the stairs while muttering under her breath "can't say the same for the groom though..." Nikki ad riddhima looked at each other and burst out laughing much to the ire of an irritated Armaan Mallik.

...

The rest of the day went in a whirlwind of activities as riddhima got busy with selection of sarees, dresses and jewelry. Anaya had got in the best designer wear for her and was personally supervising everything. Riddhima and anajli were bone tired by the time all the people had left, all in all riddhima had chosen countless number of garments for all the various functions which were being planned.

Armaan had still not returned from office and riddhima felt bad about the way buaji had scolded him, sometimes her buaji was just too much. She decided she would speak to her about Armaan as soon as she woke up. She had messaged Armaan not to worry about the morning and that buaji will be fine once she gets her required sleep and he had messaged back with an 'Ok' only.

"Ma, have we fixed the date yet?" Nikki said as she sat munching on a packet of spicy crisps, she reached out to grab a gorgeous purple chiffon saree "No...nikki, wash your hands first...they are oily!" Anaya said as she stopped Nikki's hand from ruining the saree "And yes, we will be fixing the date tomorrow..i have already spoken to panditji but we were waiting for riddhima's buaji to come. Now all dates will be fixed tomorrow" Anaya said excitedly.

"You know riddhima, the last wedding in this house was Armaan's parents, after that this is the next wedding. We are all so excited!" dadiji said in an excited voice. They all looked at the stairs to see buaji walking down slowly. Riddhima quickly got up and went to help her "Arre, don't worry bitiya i'm fine now. The sleep did wonders!" buaji said as she came and sat down admiring the various sarees and jewelry laid out.

"You will look so beautiful in all these clothes my dear" buaji said as tears sprang in her eyes. "I can't believe that you are getting married, My titaliya is all grown up now" riddhima felt tears prick her eyes as she hugged her buaji. Anaya, Nikki and dadiji slowly got up and left both of them to catch up.

"Buaji...i hope you are ok with this wedding? Because i will never do something for which i don't have your complete agreement" riddhima said as she rested her head on her buaji's shoulder, "I have no problem with your wedding bitiya, this is by your choice and i can't be happier for you. Plus you have chosen such a wonderful and respected family..what more can i ask?" buaji said as she gently kissed her forehead.

"But buaji, you did not say anything about Armaan...i know your first meeting did not go well but trust me when i say Armaan is a wonderful man. We love each other a lot and i know he is the only one for me. In fact when i told him about you he immediately said that he will bring you here so that you are not far from me. Plus we will take care of you buaji...i can't stay without you" riddhima said she she side hugged her aunt.

Buaji smiled as she placed her plam on riddhima's smooth cheek "I know bitiya...i think i overreacted this morning...I think i was just upset that you will go away from me and if you have chosen him then i am sure he is one in a million! I'll get to know him better bitiya..and I am sure we will like each other a lot!" buaji said as riddhima kissed her on her cheek and thanked her.

...

"What the hell Atul..i just got home! Why did you not send the file earlier? Now scan the contents and email them to me now!" Armaan barked on the phone as he climbed up the stairs two at a time. RAMU KAKA came running behind him as Armaan kept the phone and walked to his room "Armaan bhaiyya, should i serve you your dinner?" he asked nervously as Armaan turned around from entering his room. He gave RAMU KAKA an irritated look and shook his head. RAMU KAKA jumped and ran back downstairs as Armaan banged the door.

Armaan was in a foul mood, not only did he have a horrible morning thanks to the unfortunate events with buaji, but he had also come to know that his european importers had send them an ultimatum for a price reduction while the dollar inflation had made things worse for them. He knew that somewhere or the other SJ was responsible for all this mess. He had asked his men to check which other supplier had contacted his european partner and how much they were quoting.

He stripped himself off his clothes and stepped into the shower to calm down his overheated mind. He needed Riddhima, she was his only anchor when insanity knocked on his sane mind. He quickly dried himself and got into his pajama bottoms and a thin threadbare cotton t-shirt. He ran his fingers roughly through this hair before stepping out towards riddhima's room.

Riddhima had just finished getting ready for bed, she had checked a few minutes ago if Armaan had returned but was disappointed to find that he hadn't. She texted him once again to see if he was all right and went to the window to peer down, waiting for his return. she felt restless wondering where he had gone when she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. She quickly got up and opened the door to find Armaan leaning against the door frame.

"Won't you invite me in Riddhima?" Armaan said with a devilish smile as riddhima pulled him in with one hand and locked the door behind them. She turned and pressed her back against the door as Armaan leaned in front of her. "God, i've missed you baby" Armaan groaned as he pulled her lithe body close to him, pressing her soft curves to his hard form. He blew softly on her ear before nipping the delicate curve with his sharp teeth, riddhima shivered from the contact as she spoke in throaty voice "Aarr..nav...i missed you too"

Armaan's senses went in a tizz as he heard her voice laced with desire. He cupped the back of her neck and sealed his hungry mouth to hers, riddhima responded feverishly grabbing his t-shirt tightly in small fists. Sweeping her tongue over his lips, she plunged into the masculine recess of his mouth. The taste of her, the sweep of her tongue meeting his stroke for stroke made Armaan's body combust with need.

He cupped her bottom, hitching her further up the door as she wound her legs around his waist, Armaan held on to her as his fingers unfastened the buttons of her shirt hurriedly unclasping her bra and trowing the abominable thing away. His darkened eyes feasted on her gorgeous heaving breasts as he latched his hot mouth on one straining peak. Riddhima moaned and threw her head back as she felt the carnal stirrings of want and need pool at her center. She wound her fingers in his hair and rubbed herself against his hardness making him know how ready she was.

Armaan did not waste any time as he lowered both of them on the plush carpeted floor, the bed seemed too far away to reach at this point. He quickly divested her of her bottoms as riddhima pulled his t-shirt over him, finally feeling his hard muscles under her palm. She got up to lick his nipples and smiled in satisfaction as she felt Armaan shudder at her ministrations "Sorry sweetheart...next..time...be..bed" Armaan said huskily as he pulled off his bottom along with the boxers.

Riddhima squealed in excitement as she felt Armaan's hands tear at her hardly there thong, she slid her hands over his powerful buttocks and trailed them to the front to hold his proud arousal, Armaan held her hands away as she started to stroke him, he saw her pout and grinned at her "Not so fast baby...first let me satisfy my hunger...i've not had dinner you know" he said huskily as riddhima saw his head descend down to her curly mound.

She twisted her fingers in the warm carpet as his lips and tongue played havoc with her senses, she moaned his name as his fingers parted her slick folds while his tongue stroked the engorged nub, she held her own breasts with both hands as hot sensations started running amok over her body, starting from her center, she moaned his name loudly as she screamed his name "Arr..nav...i'm coming.." Armaan sucked her one last time as she came proudly against his flushed face, he smiled as her body shuddered in surrender.

"Arre titaliya...its me Buaji...not Armaan...now come fast! I've been knocking for the past five minutes" buaji's voice boomed from outside the door. Riddhima looked at Armaan who was looking up from between her legs. Both seemed to have frozen with twin expressions of horror and bewilderment.
Chapter 31

Armaan cursed under his breath as buaji's voice sounded more satanic, like a devils knoll "Arre, open now..i want to sleep next to you tonight. We have soo much more to catch up on...why are you taking so long?and why did you think it was Armaan! Riddhima?? aye riddhima? Open up!" riddhima got up with lightening speed and donned her discarded clothes, she stuffed her torn panty in one of the drawers before picking all of Armaan's clothes and pushing him inside the bathroom.


"Coming buaji...i just got out of the shower...give me a few seconds to dress" riddhima shouted as she pleaded Armaan "Just stay inside till i go ok...i'll take her back to her room...leave after a few minutes" she said as she turned to close the door, Armaan held her hand and pulled her back to him "No riddhima...just make up something...you can't leave me like this" Armaan said in an angry irritated voice.


"Armaan try and understand, she knows me too well and i can't lie to her...just tonight ok...please baby, won't you do this much for me?" riddhima whispered coming close to Armaan and placing a small kiss on his rough cheek. Armaan held her tight and nuzzled her neck "hmm...riddhima...can't you come to me after she falls asleep?" Armaan pleaded and looked hopefully at riddhima who smiled at him and pushed him away "I'll try...but now i really have to go" she shut the door before her own resolve could fall apart.


She quickly looked at herself in the mirror and straightened her hair, she placed her cool hands against her burning cheeks and opened the door. Buaji stood there with a weird expression on her face "Ridzi...were you talking to someone?" buaji said as she pushed her aside and walked into the room. Riddhima shook her head "N..no buaji...i was talking to you only...i mean i was singing earlier in the shower..but now i'm not!" riddhima said laughing awkwardly at her.


"Oh ho! I really do not understand your madness sometimes!...and why are all your buttons messed up?" buaji said as she came and straightened riddhima's buttons, riddhima flushed a deep red and panicked as her eyes kept darting towards the bathroom door "Um..that...oh yeah...i was getting ready in a hurry since you were at the door...so i guess i messed it up" riddhima said grinning like a mad woman.


"Anyways buaji...lets sleep...but in your room" riddhima said pushing her towards the door. Buaji held her hands and made her stop "Why? I like this room...it seems nice..why don't we just sleep here?" buaji said walking to the bed to sit down as riddhima quickly came and stopped her making her get up and stand "N..no buaji...the AC is not working and i sweat at night...in fact i was coming to ask you if i can sleep with you...so...thats why.." she said quickly making the first excuse she could think of.


"Oh..ok titaliya..no problem...lets go to my room then" buaji said giving her an odd look. She glanced around the room as she walked out with riddhima who switched the lights off before walking to her bua's room but buaji stopped just a few steps later and turned towards her "Arre ridzi...i forgot to tell you about Shilpa...did you know she too is coming down soon?" buaji smiled warmly at her niece.


Riddhima started panicking when buaji stopped suddenly, she did not want Armaan to step out while they were standing there, she held her buaji's elbow and started guiding her towards the other end of the corridor "Oh..ok buaji, thats nice but can we discuss this in the room? Everyone must be sleeping now...and the voices echo here" riddhima said frantically as her eyes kept darting towards her door, praying to God that Armaan won't come out at the wrong moment.


Buaji felt like something was wrong when Riddhima did not react the correct way after knowing about Shilpa's visit "What happened ridzi? Is everything ok with you and Shilpa? I thought you will be so excited about this news!" buaji said as riddhima felt sweat beads form on her forehead "N..nothing buaji...i'm so very happy!! yay!! but i think its best we talk inside the room...i have soo much to discuss with you!"


"Ok bitiya..you are right, lets go but i need some warm water for my throat so that i can gargle..can you get me a glass? Buaji smiled at riddhima who breathed a sigh of relief "Off course buaji..why don't you go to your room..i'll get the water" riddhima turned her buaji towards her room while she started walking briskly towards the stairs hoping against hope that Armaan does not step out till buaji is well out of sight.


As she was walking along the corridor, she heard a click and saw her room door opening, she looked back to see buaji's retreating back had now turned the corner as Armaan stepped out, his chest bare and his pajamas riding low on his hips. He looked up throughly surprised to find riddhima standing outside staring at him "Wow! That was quick! She slept so soon?" Armaan smiled as he came towards riddhima.


"No Armaan...she has jus gone to her room...don't just stand there, go now...i'll try and come later...and why are you not wearing your t-shirt?" riddhima said as she stepped back from him looking back to see of buaji had come back, she calmed down as Armaan chuckled and walked backwards towards his room looking at her "Because you tore away my t-shirt remember? My little minx!" he grinned as he turned and bumped into a large body, that shrieked a loud 'AAA'


Riddhima's eyes turned round like saucers while she felt her mouth drop down to the floor, never in her life did she think she would ever be in such a situation which was not only difficult to explain but comical to witness, her body froze as the scene unfolded in front of her...Armaan teasing her about tearing his t-shirt...buaji walking out of the shadows right behind him...Armaan bumping into her and Armaan's large feet once again pressing buaji's sore feet! God! Why????!!


"Shit, buaji...I am soo sorry...did i hurt you?" Armaan asked as the momentary shock left his system, he was horrified and scared to see buaji limping around holding on to the corridor wall while riddhima gaped at them like she had just been electrocuted! "Off course I am hurt you fool! Or do you think you have fairy feet?" buaji scolded him with murder in her eyes. It took her a while to steady herself before her eyes trailed his naked torso.


"What is the meaning of this shameless act of yours! I know this is your house but is there no decency in you!" buaji's voice roared aloud and several lights switched on in the house as Anaya, dadiji and Nikki spilled out of their adjoining rooms "What happened behenji?" dadiji asked buaji as she saw her leaning against the wall, her face flushed and angry staring at her grandson.


"Armaan! What is going on? And where is your shirt?" Anaya asked as she came forward and stood between buaji and him..Armaan was just about to open his mouth when buaji's death knoll started again "Arre! Ask what did not happen...your son walked out of my niece's bedroom devoid of his t-shirt which apparently ridzi tore! What is going on between these two kids? I knew something was wrong when ridzi tried to hurriedly take me out of her room!"


Buaji then turned her ire on poor riddhima who was standing in the same position, shock and embarrassment evident on her crimson face, Nikki was holing her hands as buaji came and stood in front of her "Aye titaliya! What is all this shamelessness? What was he doing in your room huh?" buaji asked a stunned riddhima, she looked at Armaan for support, but knew that as always he'll just turn away..leaving her to explain everything!


She looked down and opened her mouth to speak when she felt Armaan stride straight towards her and stand next to her "Buaji, its not what you think! My bathroom got locked and I had only come to Riddhima's room to freshen up..but when i was inside the bathroom, you knocked on the door. Riddhima panicked as she did not want you to get a wrong impression...so she told me to stay inside till you both leave, She was only trying to avoid an embarrassing situation, but looks like this was meant to be.." he sighed dramatically with his palm on his heart as buaji looked at him with a confused expression.


Riddhima looked up with wide eyes at Armaan, who so smoothly lied to her buaji..she blinked a couple of times to make sense of the bullshit he just fed her, her irritation at his lying growing ten folds, when buaji turned towards her and tapped her shoulder "If what he is saying is true, where is his shirt? Why did he say you tore it! Riddhima answer me! I'm talking to you!" buaji said in a loud but less angry voice.


riddhima looked back at her and lowered her eyes, she had to know the truth "Th..that bu..buaaji...i..i" riddhima stammered as Armaan once again piqued in "She did not tear it on purpose, when i came out she pushed me back inside the bathroom...you know since you were outside...thats when it tore as it got stuck on the door ledge...i thought it best to leave it in there..." Armaan said with a straight face, not a single expression of his betraying the fact that he was blatantly lying.


"Hmm...fine but next time Ridzi I don't want you lying ok! I understand that both of you are engaged, and if you would have explained the situation to me i would have understood" Buaji sighed as she finally calmed down, she looked at the others assembled and joined her hands together "I am so sorry for creating this ruckus, but i was just taken by surprise.."she said looking down.


Dadiji came and held her hands "No no behenji, its fine..we completely understand and I think its best that you and Riddhima remain in same room so as to avoid any more misunderstandings" dadiji smiled at buaji as she turned towards Armaan giving him a stern look. Armaan started at his dadi..'what the hell did she mean!..there was no way he was staying away from riddhima..' he opened his mouth to speak when Anaya stepped next to him and held him hard by the shoulders.


Armaan felt his mother grab his shoulder as she shook her head at him, he nodded and kept quite as buaji and riddhima wished everyone a good night and went to buaji's allocated room, the latter giving him a disgusted angry look. He saw dadiji and Nikki walk to their room while Anaya stayed put. Armaan felt his irritation rise up at buaji and his heart get heavy due to Riddhima's disappointed face, he had no other choice but to lie he thought miserably.


"Ammy!Buaji may have fallen for your lies but I certainly haven't...i won't question what you were doing in Riddhima's room as both of you are mature adults, but you must understand that buaji is from an older generation like dadiji...and you still need to win over her...so I think its best if both of you keep your distance in front of her...I hope you understand?" Anaya said softly before kissing him lightly on the forehead. Armaan saw her retreating back and opened the door to his room...he needed a cold shower!

...

Riddhima stared at the ceiling as her buaji snored away to heaven, she sighed as she turned on her side and snuggled into the comforter..she wished she was in Armaan's arms instead. She looked over her shoulder at the peaceful sleeping form of her aunt and was relieved for two things, once her buaji's peaceful sleep and two for the lies which Armaan had made up.


She had thought about it long and hard and her initial annoyance and anger at him for lying so blatantly to her buaji's had eased up..she knew how delicate her aunt's health was and the last thing she wanted was to trouble her more by blurting out the truth of what exactly they were doing in her room when she knew how old fashioned she was.


She already felt guilty for lying about her job and then hiding her engagement which had put her aunt through so much trauma! And if she had come to know the true nature of Armaan's being in her room, it would make it worse. She suddenly felt restless like she had to see Armaan and talk to him...things were left very awkwardly earlier. She slowly pulled the comforter away from her body and got up from the bed tiptoeing silently towards Armaan's room.


Armaan was standing by the large french windows...it was past 3am but sleep was miles away from him. He was desperate to see Riddhima..he felt horrible about lying to buaji and deserved the angry disappointed look he saw in riddhima's eyes, but it was all a spur of the moment thing..he sighed as he turned to return to bed but stopped in his tracks as the door slightly opened and his thoughts walked in gingerly towards him.


"Riddhima? What are you doing here?" Armaan asked as he came and stood in front of her, unsure if she would blast him or hit him...but he was ready for both. He started at her small form and was pleasantly surprised when she leaped forward and hugged him, her arms going around his waist as she held him tight, he smiled as he crushed her against him and buried his face in her fragrant hair.


They stood like that for some time before riddhima slowly pulled away and smiled at him. She held his face in her hands "Thank you Armaan...for making up that story..I love you soo much for it!" she said softly as Armaan's face scrunched up in confusion "What? Wait pinch me...I thought you were angry with me cause i lied to buaji...what happened?" he asked taking her hand as he led her to his bed, they both sat down facing each other.


"I was angry when you lied earlier and made up that story...but then i thought that it was the right thing to do...buaji is all about traditions and old customs...she could never stand the fact that we have a physical relationship before our marriage...and we still need to get her to like you!" her full mouth turned down in sadness as she leaned onto Armaan's shoulder, holding his hand close to her "What should we do Armaan!" she whined as Armaan chuckled deeply.


"You really are mad you know that!" he said as his arms went around her shoulders pulling her in closer to him "We'll figure it out and if we need to keep our distance in front of her, then so be it..I will do anything and everything to get her approval" he kissed her softly on her head as he got up and pulled her up "And for me to keep up that promise...its imperative you leave right now...otherwise God only knows what i'll end up doing!" riddhima smiled at his new resolution, her love and respect for him growing even more if that was possible.


She leaned in and pecked him on his cheek before turning towards his door "Good night baby.." she whispered as she closed the door softly to his smiling face and walked soundlessly back to buaji's room, she sighed in relief as she saw her buaji's snoring form and slid silently into bed, her face glowing in a huge smile, she hugged the extra pillow and fell into a blissful sleep.

...

'Hi..meet me tomo @ noni's cafe, 12 noon. C ya' Abhimanyu looked at the sms he had received from Nikki for the 50th time since that evening...he smiled as he muted the TV screen as the evening news came to an end. He tutted at the daily news which stalk of the the same old murders..extortion..kidnapping...rape..yada yada! He thought of all those innocent and not so innocent victims who fell prey to such evils..


"I want everything ready by noon...no mistakes" he said coldly on the phone before cutting the call and un-muting the TV. His face twitched as the excitement of his win made him smile, tomorrow if things went his way there would be one more news on the channel..a news which will make all the news channels go in a tizzy...after all it wasn't everyday such things happened to a well known prominent personality's sister!
Chapter32

"Would you like some more orange juice behenji?" Anaya asked passing the jug of juice around the breakfast table, buaji smiled at her and shook her head "I think i have had enough breakfast to last me the entire day!" she guffawed loudly, making everyone settled at the table smile and laugh with her. Riddhima finished eating her paratha and gulped down her coffee, she was hoping to catch Armaan before he left for office but unfortunately he had left quite early today...most probably to avoid meeting buaji she thought sadly.

"Arre Ridzi, what are you staring at?" buaji asked riddhima as she tapped her lightly on her shoulders, riddhima looked up from her thought and pasted a jovial smile on her face "Nothing buaji...i was just thinking that maybe we should go for a tour around Delhi today..you will surely enjoy it and if you want to meet any of our relatives then we can do that too" riddhima truly hoped she will deny the relatives bit because she was in no mood to meet any of them, but she knew she had to eventually so might as well ..

"No no, not today...panditji will be coming today na? Isn't that right behenji?" buaji asked looking up at dadiji who nodded in the affirmative. "Why don't you go and finish all your left over shopping? I think i will rest today...my feet still hurt..maybe tomorrow we can do the tour around?" buaji said patting riddhima's head, as riddhima let out a relieved breath. She smiled at everyone before excusing herself from the dining hall.

As she started walking towards her room, Nikki came running behind her "Bhabhi!!" she called out loudly making riddhima take a sudden turn back "Nikki...what's wrong?" she asked her as she walked the rest of the way back towards Nikki. "Nothing..i kinda just wanted to ask you for a favor.." Nikki said breathlessly.

Riddhima smiled at her "Off course hun, whats up?" they both started walking towards the outside verandah "Bhabhi...actually...ummm...you know i told you about that guy i was seeing right?" Nikki asked cautiously to which riddhima nodded, "Well, he wants to meet me today...i guess just to apologize or something...but i wanted your opinion if i should forgive him and maybe give him another chance?" she said in one breath waiting for riddhima to react.

At first riddhima was quite surprised that Nikki was even meeting up with the guy, but then it was her life and she was free to make her decision, all she could do was advise "Listen Nikki...if you felt the need to ask me for an opinion on something which should have been very clear to you if you were sure about it...just confirms the fact that you are unsure about this guy...so personally i think you should say your goodbyes and part ways...but then after what you told me about him the other day...i feel you should not meet him at all!" riddhima said as her own past experience came haunting back

"Nikki...this guys tried to pressurize you in to something you were not ready for and then ignored you..do you really think such a fella is even worth considering for a second chance?" she said slowly trying to gauge Nikki's reaction who seemed to be listening very carefully to her bhabhi "Hmm...you are right babhi...but i think we need a closure of sorts..he's been really behind me to meet up and talk...i guess i'll talk to him once so that i can finish all this for good" Nikki said as a serene smile lit her face.

She was glad that she spoke to riddhima regarding this, it was eating her up emotionally about what she should be doing. She gave riddhima a deep hug before thanking her for her advise, "Uh..by the way..where are you meeting him?" riddhima asked Nikki as she turned to leave "Oh i'm meeting him at Noni's near bhai's office...why?" riddhima frowned as she answered her "I think i should come with you..just in case.." Nikki smiled at riddhima's suggestion.

"You know what..i think you should come...but you should go to bhai's office instead...maybe surprise him for a hot lunch?..once i'm done with this guy i'll call you then we can both go shopping together..what do you think?" Nikki said with a wink. Riddhima blushed at her suggestive suggestion "N..no its ok..i'll wait at a nearby table in the cafe..we'll see Armaan in the evening anyways" she said as Nikki gave her a huge smile

"Oh come on bhabhi! I know that you and bhai have decided to keep your distance in front of buaji..but what makes you stop when you are alone..in another place..far far away from her? Plus it will help put my frustrated brother at ease ya know.." Nikki teased riddhima who pinched her on her arm "Ow..what! I'm not that naive to not know what a sexually frustrated male looks like!" she giggled as riddhima started laughing.

"Fine, for the sake of your brother's sanity..i'll go meet him for lunch...but you better call me as soon as you are done ok!" riddhima patted her cheek as she skipped to her room to get ready, her spirit had suddenly lifted after Nikki's suggestion..she knew how unfair the last few days had been for Armaan..her mind started swimming in gutterry thoughts as she smiled coyly thinking of how she would get Mr Armaan Mallik on his knees..literally!

...

Riddhima walked in gingerly through the huge glass doors of Armaan's office, the massive 36 storey building was an architectural wonder in the heart of the city. She went straight to the reception "Hello, i'm here is see Mr Mallik" she said with smile only to be given a cold look by the woman seated "Ok..do you have an appointment? Because Mr Mallik does not just meet anybody without one" she said sarcastically as she looked at riddhima up and down, sizing her up.

Riddhima was seriously irked by the girl but she kept the smile plastered as she answered "Well, I don't think I need to take an appointment to meet him...I mean would you take an appointment to meet your fiance?" riddhima asked with a sweet smile 'Take that b***ch' she thought triumphantly..being Armaan Mallik's fiance had its perk she thought as she saw with great satisfaction, the girl scrambling from her seat and nearly tripping on her way from behind the desk.

"Maam, i am so sorry...I did not recognize you...its just that I cannot just let anyone meet boss without an appointment, but obviously you don't need one. Please proceed to his floor from the VIP elevator" she said pointing to a side elevator guarded by security "His office and conference room is on the 36th floor" she said breezily as she led Riddhima to the lift.

Riddhima nodded before asking her one last question "Is the conference room empty?" she asked quickly and smiled as the girl nodded, "Great, Armaan and I will be having our lunch there, please make sure no one disturbs him...God only knows when he gets the time to eat in his busy schedule" she said exasperatedly as the receptionist smiled and waved her in. Riddhima pressed the 36th floor button and leaned against the mirrored wall of the lift, 'This was going to be fun'.

...

Nikki saw riddhima walk into the her brother's office building as she walked into Noni's cafe...she looked around and saw him sitting by the table right at the back of the cafe, she glanced around at the few other patrons sipping their coffee's and chomping down their lunch as she moved towards him quickly, wanting to finish this off as fast as she could. She was glad that she hardly felt anything for him now. She saw him getting up with a huge smile as she approached him.

"Baby! I missed you so much..." he said as he held a bouquet of blood red roses towards her, he came forward to hug her but was surprised when she held her arm up stopping him "Abhimanyu..lets cut the bullshit. I only came here to meet you so that we can finish this off..whatever it is we had. So please lets not pretend romanticizing each other when we clearly know there is no such thing between us" she said caustically as she took her seat, she felt a sense of immense satisfaction as she saw his shocked face.

Abhimanyu sat down and kept the roses away "Nikki...i know i was a jerk...i know i don't deserve a second chance...and i'll never ask you to reconsider our relationship if you are completely over it. But i know that deep down you love me, always have as i have too...it's just that i was too confused about my feelings..but now i am very sure about them. You are the only girl for me baby...i can't live without you" he said trying to sound as sincere as he could.

Nikki looked at him skeptically and was surprised to see genuine warmth in his eyes, was she judging him too quick she thought getting confused again. Few minutes ago she was so sure about her feelings, but now listening to his confession...she wasn't sure. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes "Look Abhimanyu, whatever was between us is over now..It has been since a long while. I thought i loved you..but it wasn't love since it never even withstood a small argument..lets please just part on amiable terms..lets not drag this any further." she said softly as the waiter came to their table.

'What the hell!' Abhimanyu thought as his well planned out plan was falling apart..why was she behaving like this! Here he thought that she would forgive him and again start trailing him around like a lost puppy..but the reality was something else...he had not planned for this...how was he supposed to take her away from here? He gave her a hurt look and said softly "Don't you feel any love for me? Any at all?" he asked with a hurt face.

Nikki sighed as she saw the hurt in his eyes, she did not know if she was doing the right things but she wanted to be firm in her belief "No Abhimanyu, there is nothing left now...please try and understand...we were never right for each other...me and you..it just wasn't meant to be. I really hope you find the right woman...but its not me." she said gently as she got up to leave "i need to go now..take care ok" she picked up her bag and got up only to be stopped by his hand gently clutching her wrist.

"Nikki i said I won't force you..but for me to move on, I need to give you back all those things which remind me of you...can you come to mine for a few minutes, you can come in your own car if you want..you need not even get down...just wait outside...I'll bring all the things to you...I'm not asking for another chance because i know i royally screwed it up...but i won't be able to survive if i keep things which remind me of you and they are too precious to be hidden or throw away..please?" he asked as a last resort only to have her nod back in an affirmative. He breathed a sigh of relief as she followed him out.

...

"Atul, i seriously don't know why i employed you! All i wanted was for you to get me that damn contract paper signed..you know what! just leave it..i'll do it myself!" Armaan roared as he ended his call. He ran a hand through his thick hair wondering why he was being so harsh on Atul..this new condition buaji had put before them was killing him..how can he be away from Riddhima for so long? He poured himself a glass of water and prayed to God that the panditji will give them an early date for the wedding..he had no idea how much longer he could survive.

He walked to his window and saw a flaming red Audi spyder parked outside noni's cafe...Nikki's car he thought surprised, there was only one in the city so he knew it was her...what was she doing here? He quickly called her and waited for her to pick up, as soon as the phone clicked he spoke"Nikki...what are you doing at Noni's...you here for lunch?" he heard her take a sharp breath and thought something wasn't right, he heard her soft voice speak up "Ah...yes bhai I had come for a coffee with a friend but i'm leaving now...did bhabhi tell you i came here?" she asked cautiously.

Armaan raised his eyebrows, "What? Why would Riddhima say anything? I can see your car parked outside the cafe..who are you with?" he asked quickly, wondering why she came all the way to the other side of town for a coffee, "Ha..that...i was with umm..Suvi...you know my team-mate for the upcoming fashion show? She just leaft so I'm leaving now too..you'll probably see me walking out..ha ha...umm...k bhai..bye..see you later" he heard a soft click as she disconnect and sure enough he saw her walking out looking up at his window..he then saw her give a quick wave towards his window before getting into her car and speeding off.

'Strange' he thought, wondering if Nikki was lying to him, but his thought was broken when his phone beeped, he smiled as he saw riddhima's name flashing on the message indicator, he opened the text to read it 'Hey babe...r u hungry?' he grinned as he texted back 'Yep..bt only for u'. He waited a few seconds before she texted back 'Don b naughty...hav sent lunch fr u..its set up in ur conf room' he looked at the text quizzically before answering back 'Wht did u make? Buaji ka bharta?' he got out of his room laughing to see his secretary get up quickly and give him a frightened smile.

"What!?' he asked her looking at the weird look she was giving him , "Uh...nothing sir..mam has arranged lunch for you in the conference room" she said pointing towards the door at the far end of the corridor, he nodded at her, 'Did everyone but him knew about this lunch...Riddhima and her mysterious ways' he chuckled as he slipped his phone in his pockets and stepped into the room to get totally blown away by the sight in front of him.

Riddhima smiled at him slyly as she sat cross legged on the massive wooden conference table, the soft dark oak making her milky white skin glow..the lights were dimmed out giving the room a sultry feel. She smiled at the shocked look on Armaan's face as he took in the ethereal sight in front of him, Riddhima with a mid thigh length red dress, her long gorgeous legs crossed in front of her,leaning her head on one arm placed on her knee giving him a tantalizing view of her superb bosom..she knew she had him when he quickly closed the door and locked it.

At first he thought he was hallucinating but even his extremely desperate frustrated brain could not chalk out this very real scenario..he locked the door and picked up the intercom on the wall 'Suzy, I'll be busy for an hour at least..no interruptions and i mean no interruptions.." he said calmly, feeling anything but. He slowly placed the receiver back on the cradle and walked towards riddhima. He saw her uncrossing her legs as her eyes got dark reflecting his, there was no time to waste with pleasantries between them as need and desire overtook their systems.

Riddhima gasped as Armaan pulled her roughly towards him, his lips claimed her in a frenzy as all thoughts left her system and her well planned seduction came crashing down. Her eager mouth responded feverishly to the assault on them. She pushed his coat away from his body as her fingers started undoing the buttons on his vest, before she knew his vest came off followed by his tie, her fingers now found their way into his thick black hair pulling his face closer to hers as their tongues played for dominance.

Armaan groaned as riddhima bit his lower lip then gently took it into her hot mouth to suck on it as he widened the gap between her thighs, sliding his hands on her inner thighs making her dress ride up dangerously high, he loved her in red and today she looked no less than a siren. She bent her hand down to take off her red killer heels but he stopped her "leave them on.." he rasped before pulling her lower body towards his, her butt resting on the edge of the table while her legs wrapped themselves automatically around this hips.

Riddhima could feel his hardness poking her, it excited her to no end, she threw her head back as his tongue started this decent down the delicate column of her neck his fingers simultaneously undoing her zip at the back of her dress; once Armaan pulled the entire zip off he lowered her dress from her shoulders to her waist, his eyes darkened further as he saw her sparking eyes, swollen lips and pink flushed body waiting to be one with his. He lifted her up slightly as she uncoiled from his body, his hands taking off the dress completely off her.

He suddenly stopped for a second as his eyes registered the sexy lingerie she wore, God she was beautiful..he once again pulled her against him as she helped him take off his shirt..he groaned as she nipped at his pecks with her small teeth then laved it with her soft tongue. He pushed her back on the table as he leaned down to trail small kisses all over her body, his deft fingers quickly undid her bra as his mouth suckled on her pebbled peaks, Riddhima let out a satisfied moan as he kissed her further down her body, his tongue dipping into her navel.

"Arr..Armaan...ahh..baby...its too much...i need you..." she moaned as his tongue now lapped the sensitive skin near her panty-line. He cupped her straining breasts as his teeth pulled down her soaked panty down her long legs, she flicked her legs to throw it off her as he undid his belt and pulled off his trousers and boxers "I've been waiting too long for this baby..please forgive me if i'm too rough" he said huskily as he pulled her up to cradle her body against his, riddhima smiled at him coyly before reaching into her handbag for protection.

"I don't care how you take me baby...i'm all yours" she said as she kissed him passionately while sliding the rubber on his arousal, Armaan hissed as her hands caressed his length, readying her, he cupped her butt cheeks as he deepened the kiss and thrust inside her welcoming warmth at the same time, he swallowed her gasp as he filled her up completely, his thrusts becoming more and more fast and rough as he claimed her. She scratched her nails on his back and cried out his name as each thrust took her to newer heights "Faster arr...rnav..take me baby" with a final thrust ,her body finally crashing in waves of pleasure as she climaxed against him.

Armaan finally felt like he was home, his riddhima was his home.., her husky voice was his undoing as he bit her hard on her shoulder while his body responded with violent orgasms..he held onto her tightly as she wound her hands around his neck throwing her head into the crook on his neck, he finally felt his body relax as the aftershocks shook him slowly out of the reverie..he had never felt this alive. They held onto each other like that for a few more minutes before Armaan scooped her up from the table and laid down with her on the dark leather couch.

"Sorry baby...i know i was too harsh with you...i can't believe i bit you.." he said as they lounged about on the couch, he took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles, riddhima smiled at his guilt ridden face and kissed him on his cheek "Don't be silly Armaan...please don't apologize...besides i love your wild side...its such a turn on" she giggled as he pulled her down below him, his lips gently brushing against the stark bite mark on her shoulder, "in that case my love, maybe you'll find my gentle side equally arousing..." he whispered in her ears as once again they got lost in each other, making most of their short time together.

...

"Shit! Shit! Dammit to HELL!" Abhimanyu shouted as he banged his hand on the dashboard of his car, he could not believe that luck could be so cruel to him, that his well thought out plan would fail so miserably! "Damn that f*****g ARMAAN MALLIK!" he gritted as he remembered what happened a few minutes ago. Nikki and he were just at the door when she got a call from her brother who had incidentally seen her stupid car parked outside the cafe. She made up a lie and told Abhimanyu that they could meet some other time for the stuff before walking out of the cafe straight into her car.

He could not believe his rotten luck, he could not even run behind her since he was watching from his ivory tower! All his well thought out plan went down the dumpster, thanks to that sonofabitch! He had immediately canceled everything because now Armaan knew she was at noni's...and there was lots of evidence like CCTV camera's if he wanted to find anything in his sister's last visited place..IF his plan had become successful. Now he had to wait for the next opportune moment to strike..he just hoped it was well before the dreaded marriage took place.

Chapter 33

"Ammy..finally you are here..we've been waiting too long for you...come and sit quickly so that we can start our dinner" dadiji said fondly as she saw her grandson enter the dining area. She was very glad that both the children were keeping their distance and this was very much favorable to buaji, who seemed to have changed her earlier opinions on Armaan drastically, especially after Armaan had sent Delhi's most famous rAtuli chaatwala at their house for a personal chaat session with buaji.

Riddhima winked at him and got back to sipping on her glass of water as Armaan came and touched buaji's feet followed by dadiji who went rigid with shock at Armaan's uncharacteristic behavior , everyone watched in fascination as Armaan pulled up a chair next to buaji instead of his usual one opposite riddhima and turned towards her with a 100 watt smile. One could literally see a collective gasp across the table as Nikki, riddhima, Anaya, mamaji and dadiji stared at him.

"So buaji, how was your day? Did you enjoy the chaatwala? Riddhima told me how you love chaat and were missing it thoroughly! I hope you have taken enough rest now...tomorrow I have made special arrangements to take you around Delhi, in fact you will all have lunch at my office tomorrow" he said giving a private look to Riddhima who blushed adorably.

"Lunch in your office babua?" Buaji asked surprised, "Yes buaji...I actually wanted your expert opinion on Luknowi chikankari work..Riddhima has told me soo much about how wonderful you are...it would be an honor to have your advise" he gushed as he got up and started piling buaji's plate with roti and various sabzis.

"I hope you like this kali dal, riddhima told me its your favorite so I had RAMU KAKA make it especially for you..Oh and there is moong-dal halwa for dessert...with lots of cashews just the way you like it" she smiled at her as he turned towards the other mannequins at the table "What? Lets start eating everyone..i'm starving!" he said with a sweet smile, which was enough to start another round of gasping around the table.

Buaji who was very happy seeing this lovely side of Armaan, gave him a huge smile and swirled her hands in front of him as if taking away the evil eye (Nazar utaro)* "Jiyat raho babua...you are truly a gem and my Ridzi is soo lucky to have you for a husband...I know we got off the wrong foot yesterday..." she said and burst out laughing, thumping Armaan hard on his back, making him choke on his food.

He quickly drank some water quickly as dadiji patted him, he looked up at buaji who was still clutching her tummy and laughing oblivious to the weird stares she was receiving from everyone "Arre...Got off on the wrong foot babua...you get it? We literally did! Did we not!" she guffawed as everyone got her joke this time albeit in their still shocked state of seeing Armaan's new avatar.

"Oh buaji...I really cannot apologize enough for what happened yesterday..and I am extremely sorry about our little misunderstanding last night..I just hope you have forgiven me for that" Armaan said with puppy dog eyes, making Anaya hiccup loudly, she had probably seen that expression on his face last when he was six and was trying to get himself out of a very tricky situation with his homework!

"Off course babua...I do not even remember all that! I am just very happy that you have taken my request with so much spirit...I know how difficult it is for young love to be away from each other...but it is for your own good..Now its only a few days more before my titaliya gets married..." she sighed as Armaan reassuringly kept his hands on hers "I know buaji...but don't worry..we will not let you go anywhere..you will always be here with riddhima...your titaliya" he said dramatically.

Buaji sniffed as she blessed him before conversing back with the other elders, the date had been decided for a week from now and there were too many things to do. Armaan smirked as he got back to eating but could feel a pair of mesmerizing hazel eyes upon him, he looked up briefly and winked at her and enjoyed the way her mouth formed a perfect 'o'. She looked down quickly as he felt his phone buzz.

'Wht r u dng?!! its getting 2 diabetically sweet!! buaji wil catch on if u keep up ths act!' he read riddhima's msg and replied back to her with a smirk 'Nope! She won't cause i m a charmer...n ur buaji is a total goner! Oh n btw..thr is no such word as diabetically sweet...quite an irony huh? :)' he kept his phone away to see a furious riddhima staring daggers his way. He turned around to see Nikki observe them which made him quickly look down and concentrate on his food...God! He hated kali dal!

"So..bhai! Did you have your Hot lunch today?" Nikki asked him innocently, she looked up at riddhima who seemed to be sporting a permanent red face!, she turned back towards Armaan and gave him a mischievous look as he gulped down a glass of water "Hot lunch? What is all that about?" Anaya asked Nikki who smiled serenely "Oh..that today na..Khu.."Nikki started as riddhima quickly cut in "Khurchan da dhaba!" she exclaimed loudly only to make everyone stare at her.

"Khurchan da dhaba? What is that?" dadiji asked looking questioningly at her, riddhima who was secretly cursing Nikki for bringing it up started sweating as her over worked brain tried to come up with an answer.."Khurchan singh dadi...there's this small dhaba by the back road of our office...whenever i'm fed up of my cold pasta salad..I order hot butter chicken from there..that's what Nikki and riddhima meant..I had told Nikki about it when i spoke to her earlier...guess she told riddhima too..." he said quickly giving a chilling look to Nikki who was enjoying this too much.

"yes..did you have the butter chicken Armaan? Nikki told me its really nice there" riddhima said trying to lighten the situation while stuffing her mouth with salad, she looked up to find buaji fondly smiling at them still doing her weird nazar utaro routine. "Yes..m sure bhai had amazing butter chicken na? Oh and off course you must have also had their tangdi kabab na? Its your other favorite!" she giggled as both riddhima and Armaan looked ready to maul her to the ground.

...

"I swear I will kill Nikki!" Armaan barked on his phone as Riddhima went about her room getting ready for bed. She was sharing her room with buaji now. She smiled as she answered him "Oh God Armaan..chill...she was only kidding! Plus we are so good at making excuses now..we should probably write a thesis on it!" riddhima giggled as she pulled out a pair of flannel nightwear..there was no way she would wear her sexy nightdresses with buaji.

"Yeah...i know! But sometimes she is too much! I think its best I find a guy for her and get her married soon...at least she'll be outta my hair!" he said while laughing "But then on second thoughts...who will be mad enough to marry her! Hell she doesn't even have a boyfriend who can bear her antics!" he said lightly settling back into his recliner.

Riddhima took in a sharp breath as she heard Armaan's words...she wondered if she should say something to him but then let the thought go since Nikki was no more in a relationship with that opportunistic creep. She smiled as she sat down on her bed "Don't be so mean! She will find the most amazing guy who will love her and bear her antics..you'll see...in fact I was thinking about Raghav!" she said biting down a giggle.

Armaan shot up from his seat "What the! Why are you thinking about Mr Ass-rock!..How dare you even bring him up in front of me!" he said loudly...ready to do some bodily harm to that Raghav. Riddhima smirked as she said innocently "Why Armaan? He was such a lovely guy...I mean if things hadn't worked out between us...who knows!" she sighed dramatically loud.

"Riddhima Gupta! I do not want to hear you take that man's name in front of me! Understood! I swear to God that I will rip him apart if he so much as looks at you!" he growled oblivious to Riddhima's glee. "C'mon Armaan...stop being soo jealous! I was suggesting him for Nikki..not for me..besides I don't think anyone can make my heart beat as fast as you can!" she said seductively.

Armaan relaxed as he heard riddhima say those words, he smiled as he sat back "Well then Ms Gupta...is your heart beat, walking...jogging or running right now?" he heard riddhima's lilting laughter "Hmm...well right now it is in between walking and jogging...but if you come near me...its gonna start running...real fast" she said softly as she lay on her stomach and cuddled a pillow.

"Do you want me to come near you? Maybe we can have a late night dessert session? I did miss that out during our lunch!" he sighed as he remembered their conference room rendezvous from earlier "Tell me what you are wearing babe" he said huskily only to have riddhima blush on the other side.

"Armaan! I am not doing this on the phone...especially when Buaji can walk in any minute..Good night!" she huffed as Armaan's pleading voice came from the other end "Riddhima...please tell me what you are wearing..is it black? Red or nude? Is it lacy? Or racy?" he laughed as riddhima turned on her back and smiled.

"Hmm...well...its black...with tiny red roses...umm...some sheer lace...and..." riddhima said seductively as Armaan's heart raced, "aaand...i'm not wearing any...BUAJI!" riddhima shouted as Armaan flinched with a bewildered look "Hello! Riddhima?..what the hell was that? Why do you have to always take her name when..." he said with a frustrated sigh only to have her cut his phone. He looked at the phone and was just about to call her back when he saw a text flashing 'Buaji's here...can't talk..c u tomo...luv ya! xx' Armaan tossed his phone away before closing his eyes and switching the lights off...'Hello Sleepless Night!'

...


The next four days went in a flurry of wedding preparations and shopping sprees, Riddhima was really excited and tired with the whole ordeal but Shilpa had landed today and things would get pretty exciting with her around..also having Nikki with her really de-stressed everything for her..plus Nikki always covered up for her during lunch times with Armaan. She was glad that they were getting to spend those few hours together everyday and today was no different.

"Umm...Armaan..stop it...I have to go!" riddhima moaned as Armaan rained light kisses across her bare shoulder. She was throughly refreshed and exhausted from their afternoon lunch session as they called it and she was already late as was supposed to meet Nikki in the nearby cafe in a few minutes.. "I really need to go babe...Nikki might be waiting for me already" riddhima giggled as Armaan circled his arms around her front holding her heaving breasts in his strong hands while his teeth nipped at her earlobe.

"No way Riddhima...you came in late today...and I haven't had my fill yet...let the brat wait for sometime...she'll understand" Armaan whispered in her ears as riddhima closed her eyes and threw her hands behind her, pulling him closer, her fingers knotting in his dark wavy hair. She moaned as Armaan trailed one hand over her belly, lightly pinching her belly button to finally reach her core.

She shuddered as his fingers dipped in leisurely inside her wetness exploring her folds, while his thumb rubbed her swollen nub "Ahh...Armaan..." she purred as he bit her lightly on her neck. Riddhima's knees turned into jelly as his fingers kept up their assault "Please...Armaan...i need you" she moaned as she heard Armaan's in-drawn breath against her ears "umm...so now you want me huh? Didn't you say you were in a hurry to leave?" he said in a husky voice and smiled as she slumped against him, her body preparing itself for her release.

"N..no...arrnav...I..I..." riddhima gasped as his fingers left her parched core, she could feel Armaan's arousal poking her back and was relieved when he quickly picked her up and placed her on their well used couch, it wasn't a moment later when he thrust inside her waiting warmth, her pelvis rising up to meet him automatically as his thrusts increased in speed. She pulled his head down for a passionate kiss as her body started peaking towards its climax.

Armaan felt her muscles clench against his hardness, making him moan out her name, sometimes he wondered about how they fit each other so well, as if two parts of a puzzle. He kissed her madly as her body went rigid..he waited for her release as he too gave in and spasmed against her, both their bodies enjoying the shared shattering orgasms as it rocked them to pleasurable heights.

"Armaan...its only a few more days...I'm so excited for the sangeet and mehendi tomorrow!" riddhima gushed a few minutes later as she got out of the bathroom after freshening up. She had already texted Nikki and told her she'll be there in a few minutes and apologized for being late. Nikki had sent a 'winking smiley' as her reply! She smiled as she put on her heels and picked up her tote.

"You know...i was never interested in all this wedding crap...oops I mean rituals.." Armaan corrected himself as he saw riddhima flash him an angry look "But...since you are loving this so much...I am loving it more!" he said softly as he came towards her and took her lips in a slow teasing kiss. They broke up after a few seconds of holding on. riddhima buttoned up her shirt as she pecked him quickly on his cheek "I'll miss you...and I hope you do know that there will be no more of this till we are married now" she teased him as his eyes went wide.

"What? Why?...there's still three more days for the wedding!" Armaan moaned as riddhima picked up his tie and handed it to him "Yes..and from tomorrow all the rituals start...so I can't leave the house...soo..." she gave him an innocent smile as his face twisted in anger "What the! You know what! Screw the rituals...lets just getting married tomorrow...what difference does it make if it's tomorrow or three days later!" he grumbled loudly as he fixed his tie.

Riddhima giggled as she saw his irritated face "Aww...c'mon babe...you can do that much for me right? It won't be easy for me too...but for our family's sake...its only three more days...and then..." she winked at him as he smiled at her. He came forward and circled his arms around her waist "These will be the toughest three days for me...but i do get some leeway for being a good boy right? Maybe a couple of stolen kisses or somthing else..." he leaned in only to be stopped by riddhima's hand.

"Uh-uh...no way! Not in the house...if anyone sees us...if buaji sees us! I can't take that risk..besides Shilpa is already here...she's gonna be stuck to me like glue..so I won't get time at all!" she said she she smiled and stepped away from him "besides..distance will make it all the more exciting babe...only 72 hours...start counting!" she laughed as she left a adorably irritated Armaan behind her.

...


"Bhabhi! I really regret giving you this lunch idea now...Do you know how long I have been waiting for you!" Nikki huffed as Riddhima came and hugged her "Aww...sorry nikki...blame your brother this time!" she grinned as she placed an order for a cafe machiato for her and sat down "So! I was thinking..now that all the preparations are done..why don't we go out tonight..just us girls...kinda like a mini hen night!Shilpa should will be up and refreshed by this evening" Nikki said jumping in her seat.

Riddhima thought over this, She was so excited that her friend was finally here..but she had been sleeping since the time she got to India..they had tons to catch up but Nikki's idea sounded a good way for all of them to bond together...and she really needed to de-stress! "Hmm...i guess i'm good with it...but we'll have to see if Shilpa will be ok...she's been too jet-lagged.." riddhima said thinking.

"Oh ho! She'll be fine...let me get the plans in place..Oh and you have to wear what I give you ok! Plus its friday night and we gotta show you the Delhi night-life!" she whooped as some of the people around looked at her, riddhima shushed her and giggled along with her, she was too infectious not to laugh! "Ok fine..Knowing Shilpa she'll be up for this sorta thing anytime! But we can't go overboard ok...I don't want anyone in the family to question us..." riddhima said looking serious

"Fine ms Party pooper! But you have to promise that you will do everything we ask you to! And i mean everything!..in fact i'm gonna be making a list of to-do things for you...after all this is going to be your last wild night out!" Nikki said as she removed her pen and notebook and started jotting down oblivious to Riddhima's stricken expression...speaking of night clubs had reminded her the last time she had visited one...

Nikki looked at riddhima who seemed to have spaced out, she moved her hand in front of her face "Hello! Earth to riddhima! What happened? You ok?" Nikki asked her looking concerned..Riddhima gave a quick smile before answering "Ah..yes...I'm fine...just remembered something...Fine i'll do whatever you guys ask me to...as long as it is within limits..." Nikki smiled at her naughtily and went back to making her notes "Oh yes bhabhi...its all gonna be within limits!" she smirked as Riddhima rolled her eyes.

...


"Thats a fancy little invite...Armaan weds Riddhima...but you can't expect anything less from the Mallik's can you!" Abhimanyu sneered as he burnt the golden colored invitation with his lighter...he threw the half burnt remains of it in the dustbin before pouring over his remained whiskey on it. He laughed maniacally as the flames went up consuming the rest of the paper "Swaha!*" he smirked evilly as Mishra looked on..

"Ah..Sir...now that we know when the wedding is taking place...an...and uh...the rituals are starting tomorrow...don't we need to get out plans in action? I mean it shouldn't get too late..." he stammered as Abhimanyu looked at him with bloodshot red eyes "You are growing brains Mishra...but not quite!" he roared and laughed at him.

He stumbled towards a scared Mishra and looked him in the eyes.. "Its too soon for anything my dear man...let the Mallik's and Gupta's enjoy these festivities for the next two days...we will strike on the eve of their wedding..." Abhimanyu said smiling with an evil glint, "Poor poor nikki...the star of everyone's eyes...mary's little lamb...aww...now won't mary come looking for her if she goes missing..especially when she comes to know that the little lamb is up for slaughter?" he sneered and walked away from Mishra.

"You see Mishra...I have changed my original plan...it's not going to go public this time...but instead its going to be a show recorded only for one pair of beautiful hazel green eyes...My Ridzi's eyes..." he smiled as he picked up her photo resting on top of the piano "How shattered will Mr Mallik be when his fiancee is found in the arms of his arch-rival one night before the wedding? Shocking right!..." he took a deep breath as he stroked her photo before keeping it back "SJ will win this time Mishra...SJ will win"

*Nazar Utaro : Its a small ritual/routine one does in India to ward off the evil eye..
*Swaha: Sanskrit word for when the ritual or prayer is 'finished'..it marks the end of it
Chapter 34

"Get up bozo!" Riddhima screamed in Shilpa's ears only to have the latter spring up and jam an elbow in her gut "What! Who! Where...huh?...Ridzi? Shit...are you ok?" Shilpa got down from the bed to find riddhima lying on her back on the floor clutching her stomach "You idiot! Its me...oww...!" Riddhima whined in pain as Shilpa kneeled down beside her.


"Shit babe..I am soo sorry! I was too started by you dumbo! What is the meaning of waking me up this way...I need my beauty sleep you know...I don't want dark circles under my eyes...especially with all your functions starting tomorrow" Shilpa giggled as she helped riddhima sit up on the bed, she sat down next to her and side hugged her.


"Oh my God! I can't believe you are getting married to McSteamy!" she crooned as riddhima pushed her away and hit her playfully on her shoulder "Excuse me! McSteamy! Really! Don't use words from Grey's for My Man!" riddhima chided her as Shilpa's face erupted in a huge smile "My Man! Ridzi...when did you get so possessive...Oh I get it...It's got to be Luurrvve!!!" she said in a singsong way.


"Oh Shut up La...and yes it is Love! You'll know when you find it...now get up and go have a shower! You stink!" she held her nose and gave her a disgusted face as she got up and removed a towel from the cupboard. "Here...I want you to be ready and fresh and down for evening tea...No one has met you properly since you came too early and have been sleeping like a log all day! Chop chop!" Riddhima pulled Shilpa by her hand and trooped her to the bathroom.


"Oh and me you and Nikki are going out clubbing tonight...but its all kinda tentative right now" she said with a sigh, Shilpa whose ears had pricked up hearing clubbing jumped up and held riddhima's shoulders "Omg! Thats soo cool! But wait why is it tentative?" She asked with a bewildered look..Riddhima pursed her lips "Well..Nikki told this plan to Armaan...who flatly refused...he said he will accompany us as chaperon but then it obviously won't be a hen night!" she moaned as Shilpa slapped her forehead.


"Men!...You have to convince him Ridzi...this is your last night as a bachelorette! You deserve this...hell we deserve this! C'mon...Should i go and talk to him?" she asked with a saccharine sweet smile to which riddhima snorted and shook her head "No way! You are not asking him anything...If i let you free you'll make it worse! I'll handle it" she sighed again as she turned around.


"Don't be too long k!" she shouted from outside as Shilpa shut the bathroom door after sticking her tongue out "Pschyo!" Riddhima said laughing as she stepped out from her room to go downstairs...Dadiji had asked her to come and choose her Jewelry for tomorrow's function and then she had to go and talk to Armaan about tonight...Nikki had gone through a lot of work getting everything ready...

...

She was walking around the verandah area when someone's hand caught her wrist and pulled her sharply inside the guest bathroom. The other hand was swiftly pressed against her mouth as she struggled to see who it was in the dark.. "Shhh... Riddhima its me...stop wriggling...its turning me on!" Armaan said huskily as riddhima suddenly stopped, her eyes adjusting in the darkness to make out Armaan's form as he moved his hand away from her mouth.


"Armaan Mallik! What the hell do you think your'e doing!" she said furiously. For a minute her heart stopped as her dark memories returned to haunt her. She kept her hand on her beating heart and looked at him with furious eyes. Armaan could make out she got really scared and felt guilty for his silly trick. He quickly switched on the overhead light and pulled her closer.


"Sorry babe...I didn't know you would get so scared..please forgive me" he said softly as Riddhima relaxed against his body her hands going around his back as she held him close. She rested her head against his muscled chest as her earlier fears vanished "Hm...i will forgive you on one condition!" she said cheekily as Armaan pulled back and looked at her.


Armaan nodded his head and waited for riddhima to speak "Off course babe...anything for you..." he said as he nuzzled her neck..she pulled his head closer to hers and lightly kissed his jaw..she saw him shudder as her lips traveled over his cheeks, his eyes and his nose "You love me Armaan.?.." she asked seductively as he closed his eyes and replied "Yes...off course i do" he said hoarsely drowning in her hot kisses.


Riddhima slanted her lips over his and bit his bottom lip lightly while her tongue soothed it flicking over the bite slowly, she then kissed him around his lips but not quite on them "Arrrnav...aren't we perfect for each other?" she moaned as his hands cupped her bottom, pressing her against his hardness, "Yes babe...yes we are" he groaned as her hands went inside his sweatshirt to roam over his hard chest.


"Umm...Armaan...you'll be with me forever.?.." she said as she nibbled his ears and slowly trailed her tongue around the lobe, thrusting it inside his ears, Armaan's entire body shook at Riddhima's ministrations...he wanted her badly "Yess..s...always...forever..." he said finding ti difficult to talk.


Riddhima was now as turned on as him, but she had to focus...she left his ear and went back to his lips capturing them in a heated kiss, her tongue thrusting in to taste his dark masculine flavor...All Armaan she thought pinching his nipple as he let out a sharp breath, his mouth sucking hers hungrily... "You'll let us girls go out tonight...on our own na babe?..." she said in between the kisses only to have him whisper back "Off course baby...anything you want.." he said as his lips travelled to her cleavage, his hands moulding her breasts while busy taking her top off.


Riddhima smiled despite her condition and slowly pushed him away only to have him look at her with a confused look "Great! Thanks babe...i love you soo much!..Shilpa and Nikki will be really excited..." she clapped her hands as Armaan looked at her with utterly bewildered hooded eyes "Whaaa...what? Huh?" he asked as riddhima lightly pinched his cheek "Aww...you just gave your permission for my hen night tonight! K I have to go now...remember no hanky-panky in the house! Buaji's orders...Love ya" she giggled as she gave him a quick kiss before rushing out of the bathroom leaving a frustrated and fuming Armaan behind!

...

"Bhaabhi!" Nikki called out from her bathroom as Riddhima went about straightening Shilpa's hair in front of the mirror "Yea Nikki...your'e not done yet? I need the serum from the bathroom" Riddhima yelled as Shilpa looked down to apply nail-Polish on her toes "Uff..La...hold still otherwise i'll end up burning your scalp" riddhima chided her as Shilpa straightened up and smiled at her in the mirror


"Ridzi...i feel its our Hen night and not yours with the way you are getting us ready! When are you going to get ready woman! Did you even see what Nikki got for you?" she said turning around and holding Riddhima's wrist. She took the straighter out of her hands and started doing her own hair as Nikki walked out in a shiny pink baby-doll dress "Yeah bhabhi..I was asking the same thing...did you see what i got for you? Go and see na...you need to get ready too!" Nikki said as she moisturized her long slim legs on Riddhima's bed.


Riddhima sighed as she looked at both of them getting ready...she was excited about her hen night...but somewhere she was also sad that Armaan won't be part of it...she knew it was stupid of her to even think this but this was the first time she was going to a club after that night and somehow having Armaan with her would be more reassuring...though she knew she was overreacting for nothing...but still.


She looked at the two excited figures of Nikki and Shilpa and felt better...she loved both of them a lot, she went to her bed and opened the big black shiny bag which Nikki had got with her, she opened the bag and gasped at the sheer beauty of the dress, she smiled as she picked up the dark blue dress which Nikki had chosen for her...it was in now way over the top or too intricate, but riddhima loved the simplicity of the dress, she smiled widely at Nikki and went to hug her

(Riddhima's Dress)

"I love it Nikki!" she said as she hugged her sister-in-law.."Its beautiful...but my only concern is that Armaan may not let me out of the house in this...and also I don't know how buaji and dadiji will react to it...its kinda short" Riddhima said eyeing the gorgeous dress, she went to the bathroom and changed into it quickly. As she got out both the girls gasped at the breathtaking view riddhima made in the dress, her milky skin glowing against the darkness of the dress and the nude heels she wore accentuating her long shapely legs.


"Yep...there is no way Bhai will let you out..." Nikki said as she went into deep thinking, Shilpa took some diAtulte studs and fastened them on Riddhima's ears "Yea darling...one thing I could make out when I was telling him about our long friendship was his jealousy that I know you so well...he seems to be very possessive of you...in a nice way...not a pschyo bunny boiler type...just you know..." Shilpa said with a wink.


"Wait! I have an idea.." Nikki said as she went sprinting out and came back after a few minutes, she held out a ghastly green long nun's type of dress for riddhima "Wear this on top...it will cover everything...once we are out and near the club, just take it off.." she said smiling triumphantly. Riddhima looked at the long sleeved full length green dress with wide eyes "Nikki! Do you really think they will buy it? I mean...Armaan may suspect something..." riddhima said worriedly


"No bhabhi...Bhai will be too relieved to see you looking pale and puckish in this color and dress, he won't suspect anything..." Nikki said confidently as Shilpa nodded in agreement. "Fine..lets do this" Riddhima said as she slipped the heavy dress on top of her pretty blue one. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair and applied light makeup. When they were all ready, they walked down to the living room.

...

"Atul! I don't want any mistakes ok...Why do i need to repeat my self man? Ok listen...if anything is amiss you need to let me know right away...I'm not taking a chance here...also mail me the latest dealings Modi is doing right now...I need to keep myself updated" Armaan said as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair and clicked his phone off.


He looked up to see Shilpa and Nikki walking down the stairs...he still could not believe that Riddhima had tricked in that way...sly minx! He thought as the object of his desire walked down right behind them, to say he was surprised was an understatement...what the hell was she wearing!


"Riddhima...why are you wearing a green sack?" Armaan asked as the three girls stood in front of him. Riddhima looked at him with startled eyes and was about to speak when Nikki interrupted "Bhai! Twenty questions later...we are already too late now...plus you insisted we come early...so we need to go...Bye! Love ya..." she said cheerfully as she dragged Ridzi and Shilpa with her towards the door, Armaan kept looking at them as riddhima turned around and gave him a helpless look. She smiled at him before disappearing behind the huge mahogany door.

...

Riddhima stared at the massive line in front of the club they were supposed to go to, it was Delhi's hottest club frequented by the creamiest section of Delhi's society. She stood behind Nikki who seemed to know a hell of a lot of people. She smoothened her dress and walked with the girls towards the bouncers. She had quickly removed the garish green dress in the car before they reached here.


"Ms Mallik! What a pleasant surprise...please go in right away...let me get you someone to accompany you" the jolly looking bouncer said as he gestured to a girl inside. She came and took them inside, past the gyrating bodies on the dance floor towards the upper section of the club. VIP, Riddhima read as she gave an excited smile to Shilpa who seemed to be loving the attention they were getting. Once the girls were settled in their seats, Nikki ordered a few drinks for them before removing some cards from her bag.


"Ok Bhabhi...now that we are settled and relaxed...Let the games begin!" Nikki said cheerfully as she laid down six cards face down on the table between them. "What games Nikki?...you didn't tell me anything of this sort.." riddhima said looking at the cards with a confused expression. "Oh ho bhahi! Its your Hen night...and me and Shilpa have come up with some tasks you need to fulfill...otherwise we won't hesitate to call you chicken!" she giggled along with Shilpa who wriggled her eyebrows at Riddhima.


"Ok fine! But i do hope that these are within limit...you know what Armaan will do otherwise right?" Riddhima said sternly as her hand hovered over the cards "Yes yes bhabhi...bhai will probably skin us alive then roast us over a spitfire and feed us to the dogs..." Nikki laughed as riddhima's finger landed on one card "Oh wait...how many of these tasks i need to do?" riddhima asked with sudden interest.


"Well...you need to pick 4 cards out of these 8...now 4 of them are quite easy and nothing too drastic...while the other 4 are quite risky...so hope for the best!" Shilpa said as she picked up the card riddhima had pointed at,"Oooh..nice! Ok this one says...go and flirt with any guy at the bar and make him buy you a drink!" Shilpa squealed as Nikki clapped her hands in glee.


Riddhima looked at them with a horrified expression "What?...no...no way am i doing this! You girls are insane!" she protested as Nikki interrupted her "Ok then bhabhi...this was one of the simpler ones...if you don't do this then you forfeit...so we will choose one for you...take your pick!" she said giving her a sly smile.


"Ok fine..i'll do it...God only knows if this is the easy one then what are the risky ones!" Riddhima huffed as she left for the bar downstairs, she looked back to see Nikki and Shilpa giving her a thumbs up sign while giggling collectively as Riddhima walked confidently to the bar.


She walked slowly making out the people seated at the bar. She checked out five men who seemed to be single without any companion..riddhima glanced at all of them and notice two who interested her...one had a huge mustache and looked familiar but was busy talking on his phone 'Odd' she thought but she finally made her way to a geeky looking fellow who seemed quite lost in his world...'perfect' she thought as she went and sat next to him...the last thing she wanted was to attract some perv.


"Hi!" riddhima said giving a dazzling smile to the man seated next to her, he seemed shocked to find her acknowledging him and looked around to see if she meant her hi for someone else. "Hi..i'm talking to you...not some imaginary person next to you..." she said giggling, God this is tough she thought as she glanced up to see Nikki and Shilpa clutching their tummies and laughing.


"Uh...hi..." he said uncertainly "Tough day?" she said being friendly...he seemed pretty harmless she thought and was just about to introduce herself when her phone buzzed, she looked down to see a message flashing from Armaan, she opened it to read 'Babe...have I told you how much I love you? I do you know...more than anything in this world!'


A huge smile lit her face while guilt at what she was about to do clawed at her. She knew this was just a game but she felt like she was cheating on him...yes it was stupid! But the only man who can ever buy her a drink is her Armaan; she quickly got up and gave an apologetic smile to the guy who was still in some kind of a trance. She kept her phone inside her bag and walked straight back up the stairs to their table.


"What was that Ridzi?" Shilpa said with an 'unbelievable' look on her face, Nikki too joined in with a twin expression.."Guys! I couldn't do it...I mean I was going to but i got Armaan's message saying how much he loves me...I feel like i'm cheating on him by doing all this!" she said with a nervous smile waiting for the girls to blast her.


"Oooh...I can't believe this! Bhabhi...its not like you were doing this in real...I mean...ok fine forget it...if you are not comfortable, we won't make you do it.." she said getting back to her cheery self "But...now that you have forfeited...We will choose the next task for you!" she said giving Shilpa a hi-fi


Riddhima looked at them with wide eyes and dreaded what they were about to ask her to do.."Ok here goes..." Nikki said as she and Shilpa finished their conspiring "You will do a sexy dance in the middle of the dance floor and pull any guy to dance with you!" they both said together...Riddhima felt like she was trapped in some parallel twilight zone where two of the favorite girls had been taken over by an evil spirit


She sighed as she looked down at the dance floor, she could do a sexy dance but was unsure of the guy part. She nodded her head at them "Fine..but you both will join me...I'm not going to be the only bimbo dancing there on her own! Capiche?" she asked them as both of them agreed and pulled her along with them on the dance floor.


Riddhima danced her heart out to Dirty, which was probably requested by Nikki before they came on the floor. She remembered the risky steps Christina did in the video and tried to imitate them, she looked around to see the same guy from earlier who was on the phone staring at her, but as soon as their eyes met he turned away. She looked behind her to see Shilpa and Nikki dancing while taking her pictures, she realized it was her phone and quickly pulled it out of their hands.


"Guys! What the...why are you taking pictures of me dancing?" she asked as they both looked on guilty "Because you have a better camera then we do?" Shilpa giggled as she and Nikki swayed to the music "Ok bhabhi...first part done and I must say you gathered quite a lots of attention with your sexy dance...now pull one guy in and dance with him to finish the dare!" she shouted over the loud music as riddhima looked around...once again trying to locate a safe looking guy.


She found an old man, probably in his 60s gyrating to Rihanna's S&M, she gave a sly look to the girls who had their mouth open looking at riddhima's choice and started walking towards him, this is easy she thought as once again her phone vibrated in her hands, she was surprised to find another text from Armaan 'I miss you so much...wish you were in my arms right now...I love you' she smiled at his text and replied back saying 'i miss you and love you too babe'


She turned around back to the girls and gestured them to leave the dance floor and headed towards their table.

"Now what happened!" Nikki said getting irritated. "I mean...you were going to proposition a grandpa to dance with you...where's the guilt in that? Its social service if you ask me! Or murder...cause he may have had a fatal heart attack dancing with you!" she giggled as riddhima showed her Armaan's text.


"I don't know girls...i feel really bad when he's texting me all these lovely messages...I mean how can i do these things when he's alone at home missing me...and telling me how much he loves me...its not right!" riddhima sighed as she sipped on her margarita. "Wait...how the hell is he texting you right at the moment when you are about to do your dare? Something smells fishy!" Nikki exclaimed as khuhsi and Shilpa looked at her.


"What are you saying? He's spying on me?" Khuhsi asked with an incredulous expression "No I don't think so...but it is odd that both his texts came at the precise moment when I was...wait! I did see a guy at the bar and on the dance floor continuously on his phone...it looked odd to me and I felt him staring at me on the dance floor and he looked kinda familiar" Riddhima said realization dawning on her.


"Can you point him out to me bhabhi?" Nikki asked looked around the floor below but she went still and a gasp left her mouth as she quickly whipped her head towards the girls away from the floor and said in a calm voice "never mind...just follow me.." Nikki said as she led the girls towards the far end of the club near the restroom, riddhima and Shilpa looked at each other and wondered who or what she had seen.


Finally Nikki stopped behind the same guy who riddhima had suspected earlier and tapped him lightly on his shoulder"Hello Mr Atul Mathur! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" she said menacingly as a scared Atul turned around and Nikki whipped his fake mustache off his face.

Chapter35


"Ouch!" Atul screamed, wincing in pain as Nikki stared daggers at him "Nikki maam...what a pleasant surprise! Oh and Riddhima maam is also here...fancy meeting you both...uh...at this club...I mean..." Atul stammered as Nikki held his lapels and screamed "What the hell are you doing spying on us mathur? Did bhai put you up for this?..oh wait...why am i even asking! Off course he did!" she said letting go of his lapels with a force due to which he staggered back.

"N...no maam...i think you have it wrong...Sir did not ask me to spy on you...I uh...I like a girl and she comes here to this club...so...so I was here spying on her...I..I mean looking out for her..." Atul said looking down, he had started to sweat under his black shirt and was seriously scared wondering if Nikki would do any bodily harm to him..her anger and tantrums were legendary!

"Oh really? You think i'll believe your bullshit? Gimme your phone.." Nikki said as she lurched forward and grabbed his phone of him. Atul was horrified to see her pressing unlock on his phone...he tried to grab his phone back but riddhima came in between them "Enough!" she shouted loudly...so much so that people near them stopped and stared at the commotion they were making.

"Nikki give me the phone!" Riddhima said with a serious look, Nikki gave a chilly look to Atul and handed over the phone to riddhima "Thanks nikki...and you Atul...how could you both do this? I can't believe Armaan put you up for this...I mean this is my Hen night for God sakes!" she said angrily as she jabbed at his phone to check the last call made and all she could see was 'ARMAAN MALLIK' in big bold letters across the screen.

Riddhima held up the lit up screen and showed it to the girls "Surprise surprise...why do I even bother!" riddhima said in an exasperated voice as she left Atul to the care of Nikki and Shilpa, he did not deserve any other punishment except spending some time with those two while she went outside the back door to call Armaan from Atul's phone. She dialed his number and wasn't surprised when Armaan picked up on the first ring.

"What the hell dammit! Why did you not reply to my text? Is Riddhima ok? Where are the other two hags?What are they doing right now...speak up you moron!" Armaan rasped from the other end. Riddhima closed her eyes for a second before replying in a chilled angry voice "Riddhima is fine...the hags are fine...Atul not so much and you Mr Mallik have a lot of explaining to do!" she screamed into the phone before switching it off.

She walked inside the club and saw Atul covering below Nikki and Layanya...both of whom were giving him a earful "Girls...just let it go...I mean..I'm really pissed off with all this...lets just go..." riddhima said dejectedly as she handed over the phone to Atul "I have nothing against you Atul...you were just doing your job...just leave...please" she sighed as she turned around and went to the restroom.

Shilpa and Nikki walked behind her to the restroom after giving a last disgusted look to Atul "Bhabhi...I know your upset...anyone would be...but please lets just enjoy the rest of the night? Let this not ruin it..please?" Nikki said she she knocked on the bathroom stall door where riddhima had gone into. She heard the flush go off and riddhima quietly walked out to wash her hands.

"I don't know girls...its just annoying! I mean why is he doing this? Does he not trust me at all?" Riddhima said her eyes misting up, she looked into the mirror to see both the girls giving her sad looks "I know babe...it sucks...but maybe he was only doing this cause he wants you to be safe...I mean...its kinda freaky and OTT of him..but i'm sure he never meant to hurt you" Lavanaya said as she came and stood behind her.

Riddhima sighed as Nikki too came and side-hugged her "C'mon bhabhi..the night is till young and whatever my idiot brother did...you can get him to pay ten-times! I mean he will regret it...and he will try to make up for it...soo..." Nikki said slyly as riddhima burst out laughing "Did anyone tell you how similar you both siblings are!" she said hugging her back to which Nikki made a horrified face and Shilpa stared giggling "Well? What are we waiting for girls? Lets go hit the dance floor!" riddhima said loudly as she dragged the screaming giggling duo with her.

...

"Shut up Atul!" Armaan said angrily as he pulled up in his BMW outside the club "I asked you to do one thing..one thing! And you messed it up royally! Now Riddhima's going to think that i sent you for spying on her when it was something entirely different!" Armaan said as he threw the keys at Atul and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sir...I'm sorry but i couldn't very well reveal anything at that point...but sir they seemed to be ok now...I saw them dancing again.." Atul said trying to sound cheerful but one look from Armaan silenced him "Is Raghu in there still? I'm sure they have not recognized him...since none of them have seen him before" he said punching in a number "Yes Raghu...you there? All ok?...hmm...fine...i'm coming in...you can stay outside with Atul." he said as he gave one last look to Atul before stepping inside the dark smoky club.

Armaan went silently to the bar and ordered a whisky for himself before glancing at the dance-floor. His eyes went wide as he saw Riddhima in a tight short blue dress dancing with his sister and Shilpa. They seemed to have left all the care in the world as they danced their heart out...in the process gaining lots of admiring glances...from men...leering men!' he thought getting agitated.

'So thats why she was wearing that sack!' he thought since he had wondered why riddhima would willingly wear that ugly dress to a club this chic...he had thought that maybe it was another of his sisters stupid dares, but now looking at her in the dark blue silk, her curves clearly visible, her creamy skin glowing against it as light reflected off her..her hair flying about her and her dress shifting slightly down every time she threw her hands up...Armaan could not resist going to her. He gulped down his drink in one go and proceeded to the dance floor, his hungry eyes on her.

...

Riddhima could feel a sudden change in the air...she felt goosebumps along her arms as her eyes tried to focus in the darkness of the club. She turned around to see Shilpa dancing with some random guy while Nikki gestured to her that she was going to the bathroom. She nodded at her and rolled her eyes at Shilpa who was now heading towards the bar with the guy and went back to her dancing, she felt all her fears of the night-club vanishing as she immersed herself in the music.

She was just about to stop to catch a breather when she felt strong arms grab her waist and hurl her against a hard body, her breath caught and a gasp escaped her mouth as she felt his lips slam against her own...Armaan's lips she thought as he increased the pressure of his lips against her mouth, his tongue probing her to open up..Riddhima put her hands around his neck and pulled him closer as her mouth opened up to take him in, while Armaan's hands went behind to cup her soft bottom.

Armaan groaned as riddhima's tongue dueled with his own...the sweet margarita mixing with the fiery whiskey...they swayed on the dance floor with the sheer passion in their kiss as both held onto each other tight while their lips made love. Finally as both broke the kiss to come up for air..Armaan smirked at riddhima...who in turn squinted at him and asked "Armaan? Is that you?...oh...I thought it was someone else..." she said gasping dramatically wiping that smirk off his face

'Take that for your spying!' riddhima thought smiling inwardly. She was about to add more salt when he grabbed her by the arms and said in an angry voice "What the hell riddhima! You knew it was me...why the hell were you kissing back otherwise?" he asked angrily to which riddhima replied in a calm voice "why Armaan? I thought you'll be happy to know i was cheating on you...after all you don't trust me anyways do you!?" she said accusingly.

Armaan sighed and let her go as she turned on her heels and strode away to their table in the VIP section. He gave her a few minutes to sit and collect herself as he made his way upstairs. He sat beside her and held her hand in his, riddhima resisted at first but he was too strong for her, she looked the other way as he stroked her palm "Babe...I do trust you...I did not send Atul here to spy on you...uh...how do i explain this?" Armaan said getting frustrated,

"Well then don't! Armaan...all i wanted was one night with the girls...and you said it yourself that I can go...so how could you..." she said as she looked at him in the eyes "Wait a minute...I never said ok for that...you tricked me!" Armaan exclaimed as Riddhima widened her eyes and her mouth formed a perfect 'O' "Yes Riddhima Gupta...you tricked me...I never would have allowed you with only those two..." he said as riddhima narrowed her eyes.

"Oh really? And why would you not have allowed me? Armaan...I never needed your permission, but i asked you for Nikki's sake...I'm a grown woman who can take care of herself...so why couldn't you trust me!?" she said getting agitated as Armaan's body tensed up "It was never about trust dammit!" he said in an angry voice as riddhima looked on "Riddhima...i trust you...more than anything in this world...but I had to send Atul to keep an eye on you girls...I wanted to protect you" he said sighing as he looked down.

Riddhima was confused as she looked at Armaan, he seemed to be hiding something, but what was it? "Why do we need protection Armaan?" riddhima asked as she leaned down and held his hand, Armaan looked up at her and tightened his hold on her "Because it isn't safe...everyone know's who my sister is...and now they know who you are...Riddhima I have a lot of ill-wishers and rivals...who can't be trusted...that was the reason why I did not want just you girls to go on your own." he said looking into her eyes sincerely.

"I had promised you that I won't come with you...so i had to send Atul instead...I'm sorry but i never meant to hurt you...I love you and with love comes trust...so don't ever think that I don't trust you...I was just being protective...and yes Atul was blabbering on about Nikki's dares and I was a little jealous and annoyed.." he said looking down again as riddhima's mouth lifted slightly in a smile.

"Riddhima...i can't bear to see you with anyone else...even if its a dare...I can't see you flirting or dancing or God only knows what other things that little rascal had written in those cards...My texts were real...I was missing you...but i'm very sorry for ruining your hen night...I promise I'll never do this again...In fact i'll leave right away.." he said as he got up from his chair only to have riddhima hold his wrist tightly and smile at him.

Armaan looked down to see riddhima smiling at him gently while her fingers held his wrists like a vice. He looked at her questioningly but was shocked as she pulled him towards her and made him sit back on his chair while she got up and sat on his lap, her arms went around his neck as her fingers played with the hair at his nape. Armaan's hand automatically went around her waist holding her as she leaned in and touched her forehead to his.

"Hmm...so Armaan Mallik was jealous...and he was missing me...and he was jealous...wait...did i say Jealous?" she giggled as Armaan's mouth lifted at the corners, but he did not want to give her the satisfaction...yet "Stop saying Jealous again and again Riddhima...otherwise I'll give you something to be jealous about" he said in a husky voice as he pulled her body closer to him hardly leaving any space between them.

Riddhima wriggled in his lap trying to make him loosen the embrace but he wouldn't let her go "Oh yeah! Well what will you do? You'll go and flirt with some girl? Or dance with her? Or maybe you'll just go and kiss h.." Riddhima started ranting as Armaan quietened her with an urgent kiss, his lips probing her mouth while his hands slid over her delicate curves, riddhima sighed as her fingers caressed his hair while she angled herself better to receive and give into his kiss.

"Riddhima...lets leave..." Armaan groaned as her soft bottom moved restlessly over his crotch..her actions were making it more and more difficult for him not to take her right there in front of everyone. She pushed herself further into him, her soft bosom welding against his chest, he could feel her hardened nipples against his thin shirt. She looked up from their heated kiss to see dark and dangerous desire running amok in those molten caramel eyes. They both resumed normal breathing but their heated bodies wanted a release of a different kind.

She was just about to say something when she heard Nikki gasp out loudly "Bhai! What the hell are you doing here? Wasn't it enough that you sent Atul to spy on us? I can't believe you...and bhabhi how could you forgive him so easily?...wait why are you sitting on his lap? Get up now!!" Nikki said as she pulled riddhima away from Armaan, who quickly got up and gestured to riddhima that he will be waiting outside...last thing he wanted was his sister screaming at him in public and the last thing he wanted her to see was his very visible embarrassing state.

"Nikki...calm down..." riddhima said holding Nikki by her shoulders, she was very obviously drunk and still upset about the Atul episode, she made her sit down and explained everything what Armaan had told her, she least expected her to understand in her state but Shilpa helped her out in calming her down and making Nikki drink a couple of glasses of cold water. Once she had calmed down, riddhima and Shilpa headed out with her to Armaan's waiting BMW outside.

The ride was very tense and quiet with Shilpa and Nikki dozing off with her heads lolling about in the back seat while riddhima sat quietly in the passenger seat ahead with Armaan driving silently. Hardly any words were spoken as the car finally rolled in through the mansion gates. Armaan and riddhima quickly got out, and helped get the girls to Nikki's room. They laid them on the bed as riddhima took of their sandals and threw a quilt over them. Once Armaan placed a large jug of water on the bedside, they switched off the light and stepped out.

"Umm...I should go and sleep...its kinda late and I don't want Buaji to get up and wonder where I am...so...I'm gonna go..." riddhima said dejectedly as Armaan stared at her...both unsure of what they should do. Armaan nodded as he said a quite goodnight to her and turned to leave for his room, but half way through he called her name softly "Riddhima..." she stopped in her track and glanced back at him "I'm really sorry that this night did not go as planned for you...I wish it could have been special..but..." he said as he looked down, his body screaming for her.

Riddhima smiled slightly as she ran back to him and hugged him fiercely "Well then...make it special for me Mr Mallik.." she said huskily against his ears, as he crashed his mouth against hers, their heated kiss stoking the burning embers their earlier one had ignited, the heat returned ten fold and desire licked their bodies anew as Armaan picked her up and took her to his room.

He quickly closed the door behind him with his leg and placed riddhima on the huge bed, she slipped off her sandals and tucked her legs under her as he sat on his knees in front of her, he cupped her cheeks and looked in her eyes "I'll sure as hell make this night special for you Ms Gupta...no doubt about that" he rasped as he took her arms and held them above her head, he slightly picked her up and made her lean against the bed "Armaan...what are you.." riddhima said getting confused as he took his silk tie and tied up her hands to the headboard.

"Shh...Riddhima...do you trust me?" Armaan asked her as she nodded her head, not too sure of what he was planning..she was nervous and excited about what he intended to do. "Then let me worship you Riddhima...will you?" he asked as he pulled off his shirt to reveal his muscled chest to her hungry eyes, "Yes...Armaan...but I want to touch you...open my hands" she said as she struggled in vain and even though the tie was not tied harshly she wanted to experience what Armaan had in store.

His eyes darkened as he took her waiting mouth in a searing kiss, his lips travelled along her jaw to her neck and the milky expanse of her shoulders...he nipped and kissed her lightly all over the exposed area of her upper body as his hands crept along her satiny smooth legs, he slid his hands over her hips as his fingers reached the zipper underneath her right arm, he languidly unzipped her dress as Riddhima's breath came out in short gasps, his mouth was still latched onto the hollow near her collarbone, she moaned as his fingers grazed the naked skin at her side.

"Aarr..nav...open my hands...I need to feel you.." riddhima said breathlessly as he looked up and shook his head in a no kissing her again, she desperately wanted to run her hands through his hair and down his body, but having them tied up was making her restless. Armaan slowly pulled away her dress from her body and gazed down at her flushed body as it got revealed bit by bit, when the dress was at her knees, she raised herself so that he could take it off her completely.

"You are soo beautiful riddhima..." Armaan said huskily as his eyes skimmed the flesh colored lacy strapless bra and matching panties she wore. He lowered his head to her breasts as he kissed the swollen flesh above her bra, hearing riddhima's moans were making it very hard for him to continue, but he had to do this...he had to pleasure her in every way tonight. He quickly flicked the one hook which held her bra and pulled it away from her body.

His mouth latched onto one straining peak as his hand moulded and pinched the other "Umm...ar..Armaan..." Riddhima panted as his other hand slowly pulled away the last piece of clothing on her. She shivered with anticipation as his mouth travelled down the valley of her breasts to her waist, he kissed his way down her midriff till he reached her belly button, his tongue dipped into the slight depth as he sucked on the delicate skin there. "I can't take this anymore...i...i need you ar..Armaan please..." riddhima rasped in pleasure as he parted her legs to taste her dripping core.

"Riddhima...you are so delicious" Armaan groaned as he delved his fingers into her heated core, his thumb rubbing her engorged nub. She thrashed against him as he held her thighs tight with hands while his mouth took the place of his fingers, he rubbed his tongue rhythmically over her swollen center as riddhima moaned and gasped out his name...he sucked her hard with his mouth one last time as she came crashing down on him, her body shuddering with the powerful orgasm.

Armaan kissed her all the way back till he reached her hands tied above, he used his teeth to undo the knot and let her free, she quickly pulled his head close to hers and kissed him senseless, tasting herself on him, the feeling making it more erotic She pushed Armaan on his back and sat on his thighs as her hands deftly undid his belt and trousers. She pulled them off him as she ran her nails over his chest, lightly grazing his nipples to make him groan out loud.

She then leaned in and held his proud arousal in her delicate hands and stroked it as she positioned herself over him "Don't worry...I'm on the pills" she said leaning down near his ears she as bit him gently on the lobe, she guided his shaft into her waiting wetness and slid perfectly in sync with his body. Armaan held her waist as she rode him in perfect rhythm, her hair flying over her shoulders as her hands rested on his chest.

Armaan had never felt her hot sheath without any protection and this feeling of finally being one with her without anything between them made it all the more sensual..he closed his eyes as she thrashed against him, their bodies fused together as the ultimate pleasure awaited them.

When he could not take it any longer, he wound his hands around her waist and brought her beneath him, he looked at her desire glazed eyes and thrust into her tightness completely filling her up, she gasped at him urging him to go harder and faster, hearing her soft cries, Armaan finally gave in as both their bodies shuddered and melted into the most blissful climax.

"Hmm...this really was a special night Mr Mallik.." Riddhima purred after a few minutes as she rested her head against his erratically beating heart, "I know...my body is still humming in its aftermath.." Armaan chuckled as riddhima got up slowly and started getting ready "Do you really have to go?" Armaan asked her sulking "Yes I do...Good night..and sweet dreams!" she said she she leaned in and gave him a kiss "I'll be looking forward to tomorrow Ms Gupta" Armaan said lazily she walked towards the door "So will I.." she said as she gave him one last smile before tip-toeing slowly to her room. She really could not wait for the next day to start.
Chapter 36

"Where the hell have you been Mishra? Why was your phone switched off?" Abhimanyu screamed at Mishra who was standing at the door with a small plastic bag looked on fearfully "Woh...sir...it was my Daughter's graduation ceremony today, so had to switch off my phone...I came here directly after that...I'm sorry sir..." Mishra said looking down...Now a days his boss was really acting like a total lunatic.


"Oh...your daughter's graduation ceremony? What's she going to be doing with a degree anyways? She has a pretty face and she's very young...if you know what i mean.." Abhimanyu sniggered to which Mishra looked on with a confused face, "I don't follow sir...do you mean modeling or acting..?" he asked wondering what exactly his boss was implying.


"Hah! As if its that easy my man...I meant the other career in which she can use her..how do i put it? Yes...Assets and talents...I have a few friends if you or your daughter are ever interested...anyways she's hardly going to find any work without references...so let me know.." he said smirking at Mishra whose face had become red with anger..."Excuse me sir..just because i work for you...does not give you the liberty to talk about my daughter in this filthy manner...let me keep whatever respect i have for you intact" Mishra said his anger and disgust at the man showing on his face.


"Oh come on Mishra...I was just trying to help out...and don't ever raise your voice at me you ba****d! You are just my servant and you know I can do more harm than good to you and your family...so when I give free advise, take it and shut up!" Abhimanyu bellowed getting pissed off at the audacity of his PA "Also I don't need your respect...I know you only work for me because your scared of me...and that is the way i want to keep it" he said as he filled up his glass with neat vodka.


"So now..if we are done wasting time on the qualifications and career options of your useless daughter..Get back to work. I need you to go over all the details once again..understood? Make sure the guesthouse in Bhivandi is ready for tomorrow...I do not want any mistakes!" he said as he gulped down the searing liquid down his throat. He took his phone to dial her number and saw Mishra still standing at the door "Leave you fool!..I don't want to see your face till all the arrangements are done" Abhimanyu said turning away to go to his room.


Mishra looked on as his devil of a boss left the room, his body was strung rigid because of the anger and hurt he had just gone through. But he could not do anything but follow his orders like a dog..he sighed as he walked outside to the security guards, he took the plastic bag and gave it to them "I had got some sweets for my daughter's graduation...Boss does not like sweets, so you all have them" he said sadly as tears ran down his cheeks, he quickly got into the car and drove off.

...

"Get up you both!" Riddhima said loudly as she started poking Nikki and Shilpa with a stick, both were too gone from last night. She took the jug of water from the side table and sprinkled water on their faces, "Hmph...what...why? Lemme sleep.." Nikki groaned as Riddhima kept the jug back and jumped on the bed to wake them up "Get up!!! The mehendi is gonna start in a few hours...dadi's been asking about you both...its past 10 in the morning" riddhima said getting exasperated.


"What? Shit..its mehendi today...and Sangeet later...I need to get ready" Shilpa said as she got up suddenly, but the dreaded hangover had her leaning back against the headboard "Ow..my head hurts..." she moaned as riddhima poured a glass of water for her and handed her a pill "Here, take this..you'll feel better...now get up and go to your room...we had to deposit both of you here last night cause we were too tired to do this twice" Riddhima said as she tickled Nikki to wake her up.


"Hehe...bhabhi...ok..i'm getting up...please..." Nikki giggled as she sat up and took the pill which riddhima offered "Was i really bad last night? God I don't remember anything except for that idiot Atul and my stupid brother!" Nikki said as she gulped down some water and reached for her phone "Shit! The battery's drained out...I'm just gonna put it for charging.." Nikki said as she gingerly got down and started searching for her charger.


"Girls, everything else later...now please get up and get ready...we have a small pooja in an hour after which the mehendi will start...you both need to help me pick out my design..." riddhima said as both the girls came and hugged her "Woo hoo! Forget the hang over...i'm so excited ridzi!" Shilpa gushed as Nikki too nodded her head "Yeah babhi..this is soo exciting..fine we'll be down in an hour..." she kissed riddhima as she took her towel and ran to her bathroom.


"Ridzi...i'm so glad that you enjoyed yourself last night...I mean I was a bit unsure of how the clubbing will go for you...but.." Shilpa said as she put on her shoes which lay discarded from last night "No La...i'm fine now...All that was in the past...but I do need to tell you something..." Riddhima said as Shilpa looked at her "I have not told his name to Armaan yet...so if he asks you anything.." Riddhima said looking into Shilpa's eyes "No..don't worry...I won't say anything..promise" Layavnya said she hugged her once again before both left Nikki's room.

...

"What the hell!" Armaan said trying on his evening wear which mamaji had just brought in "Now can we go down mamaji? The mehendi function is over..so" Armaan said getting annoyed that he had not been able to meet Riddhima since morning..it was already late afternoon and most of the ladies had left to go and get ready for the evening sangeet "Yes Armaan..we can go down now...Anaya has anyways asked us to come down for tea and snacks" Mahendra said laughing at Armaan's state, he looked like he could kill someone.


"And why so much impatience bitwa? Its not like you both have been following Riddhima's buaji's instructions..don't think I don't know about your secret trysts...I might be old but I'm shrewd as hell!" Mamaji said chuckling as Armaan's face turned red "Don't worry...If i wanted to rat on you i would have done it long ago!" mamaji said as Armaan sighed in relief.


"But Armaan..I want you to promise me one thing.." mamaji said getting serious as Armaan nodded his head and looked at him "Very few people are lucky to find true love...I want you to cherish this love, trust this love...and always put her first in everything you do...I don't have a child I know..but i consider Riddhima as my own child...and I will wring your neck if you upset her ever...you get that?" Mamaji said as Armaan gave him a warm smile.


"I promise mamaji...I can't quantify my love for her...nor can I assuage the depth of my feelings...its too vast for that...but I know this much that Riddhima is my life...without her I am nothing...and yes...If i ever do hurt her or upset her, I give you full permission to wring my neck or do whatever you want with me...Scouts honor!" Armaan said crossing his fingers as mamaji came and hugged him "I'm very proud of you son...very proud" he said as both walked down slowly to the living room downstairs.

...

"So...i heard this tradition where i get to find my initials in your mehendi...and If i do then my wife will do anything I ask of her on our first night...I'm so looking forward to this..I totally believe in following all of these rituals" Armaan whispered in Riddhima's ears where she sat getting mehendi applied on her feet, she jumped as his warm breath caressed her ears "Armaan...God you scared me!...move away...Buaji might take offense" riddhima said as Armaan shifted still closer to her.


Riddhima sighed, he was not going to leave her alone now...she leaned down and whispered back "First of all we have already have had our first night...and if you don't find your initials here Mr Mallik...then we have to sleep in separate beds for a week...and we will be cursed with 7 years of bad sex...so you better..." she started giggling as she saw Armaan's horrified face "Whaat the? Who makes up such silly stupid hoaxy statements...there is no such thing...i mean..I don't believe in all this crap!" he said huffing to which Riddhima laughed loudly.


"Oh really? Wasn't it you who just a few seconds ago said he was looking forward to finding your initials?" she asked as Armaan's hand went around her waist "Armaan...stop it...not here" she said urgently looking around to see if anyone was watching them, "Ok..so then where? And don't mock me Ms Gupta..I will find my initials...ritual or not!" he said smiling lazily at her upturned face.


"Fine...suit yourself, but like i told you earlier...we will not be doing anything till our suhag-raat now...so don't get any ideas" she said smiling slyly at him...Armaan was just about to reply something smart to that when he saw buaji coming towards them, he scrambled to his feet and walked away swiftly across the room without a second glance, Riddhima started laughing watching him go as Shilpa came and sat beside her.


"Hmm...so i forgot to ask you something mrs...after you put me and Nikki to sleep...what did you and Armaan get up to?" she said smirking at riddhima's red cheeks "Oh..uh...nothing..I mean, We went our separate ways...I mean i was so tired.." she said feigning yawning as Shilpa gave her a huge cheshire cat smile "Liar...did you know that you can't lie?" she winked at her and proceeded to tell the mehendi designer what to do and what not to do. Riddhima smiled remembering last night...Oh how she could not wait for her wedding tomorrow!

...

Nikki sat at her table getting ready, the parlor lady had done up her hair in curls that was piled up on her head giving her a very cute look, she wore her long diamond earrings which her bhai had gifted her last month. She got up and checked herself once again before smoothening out slight creases. She took her phone off from charging and saw that she had twelve missed calls from Abhimanyu. She frowned as she opened one of the text messages he had sent.


'Babe...please pick up my call...I need to speak to you...its urgent' she huffed reading it, why doesn't this fool understand that she does not want anything with him!, she furiously texted back 'Sry phone was on silent, busy nw..will call in few' she kept her phone on her dressing table and went down to join in the sangeet.

...

Armaan sat on the sofa at the front as guests came to greet him, Anaya kept fussing with his hair and his collar and it was driving him nuts, he kept glancing at the other end of the room, impatiently waiting for riddhima to show up "God ma! How long does it take women to get ready...i mean Nikki is still not here..." he said sipping his drink "Hmm..really ammy? You mean nikki or riddhima?" she said smiling at him. He smiled back and went back to sipping his drink when she walked in...his mouth suddenly went dry as he felt goosebumps along his skin. She. Looked. Divine.

The soft coral color of her lehenga did wonders to her peaches and cream complexion, the dull gold embellishments on her dress sparked from the overhead lights , the perfect sway of her hips highlighted the slimness of her waist visible just enough to cause Armaan's blood to run wild. His eyes travelled from her gorgeous face marked by her natural blush and gloss on her lips to her heaving bosoms delicately encased in her tiny choli.


"Breath ammy...breath!" Anaya said laughing at his awestruck face, she kissed her son on his forehead and walked away to meet Riddhima.. Armaan stood mesmerized at the same spot waiting eagerly for riddhima to join him. But to his annoyance she stood surrounded by a horde of well wishers and family who just wouldn't let her be. She looked around trying to catch Armaan's eyes who understood her dilemma right away.

...

Riddhima smiled patiently at all the people who would not leave her alone, old women taking off the evil eyes, young woman giving her the evil eyes, while the majority of men in the room just wanted to congratulate her by holding her hand for too long. She was desperate to get out of there. Luckily she spotted Armaan looking dashing in his navy blue bandhgala. She gestured him to help her out.


"Riddhima! Where have you been? We have one more rasam to finish...and here you are wiling away.." he said sternly to Riddhima who looked bewildered "Sorry guys...this is a rasam my great grand father had started..and we need to get it done now..why don't you all enjoy the party? We'll be back soon..Have some of those vodka panipuri's..they are mind-blowing!" he said as he ushered Riddhima away from the crowd and towards the stairs.


"Armaan...what are you doing? The dances will start now...we can't leave...Armaan.." riddhima said exasperated as Armaan smirked at her while dragging her upstairs. They walked along the corridor to the pool area, Riddhima looked on as Armaan opened the door and went inside pulling her along. He then closed the door and twirled riddhima around so that her back was pressed against the door.


"Armaan...leave me...this is not the time or place for all this...seriously! Do you know what will happen if buaji find's out" riddhima said as Armaan held her gently by her base waist, he leaned down and nudged his nose along her throat and neck, dropping sweet kisses along her column "Arr...rnav..." riddhima said breezily as his hot breath sent tingles down her spine "...I...what...ar..nav" riddhima said as she gathered all the mental strength she could to push him away gently.


Armaan looked at her with hooded eyes and pressed his forehead to hers "You look irresistible riddhima...i'm just human...and when it comes to you i can't help myself" Armaan gave her a smile as riddhima blushed furiously and licked her dry lips "Shit..don't do that if you want to get out of here in your pristine condition" he growled before he took her lips in a passionate kiss, his hands travelled along her nearly bare back, over her soft milky skin. He groaned as riddhima kissed him back with equal ardor, but as he deepened the kiss she bit his lower lip "Ow...what was that for you minx?" Armaan said as riddhima giggled.


"That Mr Mallik is for ruining my perfectly applied make-up" she said she she pushed him further and opened the door, she looked back at his smirking form as she looked him up and down "By the way...you don't look that bad yourself!" she mused as she went forward and gave him a quick hard kiss before pulling away "I have to apply my lipstick again anyways" she said matter of factly as she ran from there towards her room.

...

Riddhima was still smiling as she passed Nikki's room but remembered that nikki had taken her lipstick earlier, she opened Nikki's door and stepped in towards her vanity mirror. She looked at herself and gasped at her swollen lips and smudged lipstick, she looked around frantically for the lipstick which was stuffed amongst the other make up bits and bops, She quickly applied some again and pressed her lips together hoping they will somehow 'unswell!'


After about 5 minutes she looked presentable enough for anyone to guess otherwise, she straightened out the small creases from her dress and was just turning around to leave when she heard something buzz. She looked around to find Nikki's phone vibrating on the table. She picked it up to check but as she did the phone stopped vibrating. She saw the screen to see '10 missed calls' of someone called Shamster. She wondered if it was something urgent and took the phone along with her.


As riddhima stepped out of Nikki's room the phone started ringing again, she thought it best to pick up and tell the caller that Nikki was busy and will call him later. She pressed the talk button and lifted it to her ear, but before she could speak a deep voice spoke from the other end "Nikki! Where have you been? Why are you not taking my calls? Please babe...i told you that i'm fine with you breaking up with me...but you have to take all your things from me..I can't bear to see them everyday"


Riddhima's heartbeat suddenly started thumping against her ribcage, that voice...she thought as she felt fear prickle her skin...why did that voice sound so familiar? It sounded as if..as if..it was him. Riddhima felt herself perspiring but shook her head at her stupidity, how could she even think like this, this was the scumbag who nikki broke up with not him...riddhima wanted to give him a piece of her mind but then thought against it.


She took and deep breath and spoke in a calm voice "um..hi, this is Nikki's bhabhi...nikki's busy right now...I'll ask her to call you back.." she held her breath as she heard a gasp from the other end, after a silence of a few seconds he spoke again, the voice a little more deeper and chocked


"Yeah..hi..yes she's told me about you...uh...can you please ask Nikki to call me.." he asked as riddhima said a quick yes, she was just about to keep the call when he spoke again "Just...uh...congratulations to you and Armaan Ridzi.." he said, but before riddhima could say a thank you he kept the call. 'Strange! Why is this man calling Nikki now?' but she was glad that Nikki had completely broken off everything with him, she continued down the stairs towards the decorated hall.

...

"Behenji...this was such an amazing evening! I have never seen a more celebrated and lavish sangeet ever!" buaji gushed as she sat down with a satisfied sigh on the huge easy chair. Dadiji and Anaya sat opposite her and sipped on their late night coffee as nikki and Shilpa lazed on the couch with riddhima between them. Armaan scowled from across the opposite end as he and mamaji sipped on their bourbon.


"Yes...i must say I have probably never enjoyed so much in my life, nikki and La's performance was the best" Anaya said as she beamed at them "But riddhima I never knew you could dance so well! I really hoped that you and Armaan could have performed together...but well..." Anaya said as she glanced Armaan's way "Shame Armaan is not a good dancer...otherwise you both would have rocked the dance floor during the freestyle dancing!" she laughed as Armaan got up suddenly "Oh why does she need me when she had her Raghav to dance the night away with!" he said his eyes staring at riddhima angrily.


Riddhima suppressed a smile as Lavnya nudged her while Nikki giggled "Well...I only danced with him cause someone could not be bothered on the dance floor!" riddhima said teasing Armaan "So!..I'm not fond of dancing...that does not mean you go around prancing about with that Ass!" Armaan said looking at mamaji to help him out but instead found him laughing at his words"Its not nice to call him an ass just because he owns a company called Armaan Mallikock Armaan!" mamaji chided him as Armaan gave everyone an irritated look.


"Fine! Whatever...but next time no one dances with Riddhima...not even you girls!" he said pointing towards Shilpa and Nikki, who doubled up laughing and fell on the floor clutching their tummies "What's so funny!" he barked as Riddhima got up and came towards him "jealously is not very becoming on you Armaan.." she whispered in his ears as Armaan's mouth thinned "I am not jealous" he said as everyone got up one by one not paying heed to his words.


"Yes yes ammy...whatever you say!...now go and sleep, you both need to be fresh tomorrow for the haldi in the morning...and riddhima, no leaving the house once your haldi is done.." Anaya said as she wiggled a finger in front of her before kissing her lightly on the forehead, everyone said their good-nights as riddhima too turned to retire to her and buaji's room. "Not so fast!" Armaan said as he once again held her wrist and dragged her out.


"Not again Armaan!" riddhima said as he pulled her behind the pillar "This is the last time i'm playing hooky...after tomorrow, I don't care who is in front of us...I will do what ever I want with you...my wife!" he said possessively as he held her tightly by her waist, riddhima hugged him as he rested his chin on her head "Promise..I won't stop you" she sighed as she buried her head in further "I can't wait for tomorrow Armaan.." she said as he kissed her hair softly "Neither can i babe..neither can I!..." he said as he held her for a while longer before both went to their respective room...for the last time.

...

"Arre titaliya...what are still doing in the bathroom? Come and sleep now! Its past 1am in the morning...you have to get up really early tomorrow" buaji shouted as riddhima finished moisturizing herself. She remembered that she had forgotten to give Nikki that Shamster's message...'what an odd name! 'Shamster...like he's a sham..' she laughed as buaji's voice again carried through "I am so glad you wedding card says Riddhima...like the way your babuji named you and not that silly name 'Ridzi!'" riddhima grinned as she heard her buaji lament about her other name..she had never really like that name for riddhima.


"She looked back in the mirror and thought how everyone here called her Riddhima...not Ridzi...her identity since she was born...except for Shilpa no one called her that anymore...in fact Nikki didn't even call her by her name...she had started calling her bhabhi since day one! Riddhima giggled as she smiled looking in the mirror, but her face froze as soon as realization dawned on her, He had called her Ridzi...that man had called her Ridzi...Sham...she thought as her inside curled in fear and she fainted with that as the last thought in her mind.
Chapter 37

"Is Armaan still not picking up?" Anaya asked her brother with a worried expression, after buaji had found Riddhima not answering in the bathroom, she had woken up the entire house, Anaya had opened the bathroom door with a spare key to find Riddhima's still form lying on the bathroom door. They had immediately called the doctor who had diagnosed her fainting spell as nothing but nerves and tiredness due to the weddinng. He had given her a mild sedative and Riddhima was now peacefully asleep.


"No Anaya...God only knows how much longer he'll be" Mahendra said shaking his head, He was a bit worried when right after they had all gone to sleep Armaan had called him to say that his friend Rahul had gotten caught by the cops for drinking and driving. Armaan was the only one who could help him get out on bail, this late at night and that too on a weekend. He had informed mamaji that he will be back in an hour's time tops, but it was more than that now.


He looked at Riddhima's lying on the bed, All the women were crowding her trying to make sure she was comfortable "I think you should all go now..we have a very busy day tomorrow. Buaji is here with Riddhima..I'll wait up for Armaan and let him know about this once he is back. I am sure he got held up at the station" mamaji said sighing as he went to check riddhima's forehead for any untoward fever.


"Yes, I know that...but he should at least take his calls! And why couldn't anyone else go to help Rahul! Its Armaan's wedding tomorrow for God's sake! Anaya can you call on Rahul's wife's number since his phone is coming switched off?" dadiji asked getting anxious "No ma, we should not call her...we don't know if Rahul or Armaan have told her anything...lets just wait for him to get back, God only knows how upset he'll be with riddhima's fainting news" Anaya said running her hand gently through riddhima's hair.


"Behenji, you should all go and sleep now...I am here with Riddhima and Shilpa too will sleep in this room with us..If I need anything I'll let you know...Its no use all of being tired and drawn tomorrow...As soon as Armaan babua comes, Mahendraji will let him know" buaji said with concerned eyes, Anaya and dadiji sighed as they agreed to buaji's reasoning. Nikki was a little more adAtult to stay with riddhima but grudgingly relented after Lavanaya assured her.


"Hey Nand Kishore!" buaji said folding her hands as she made herself comfortable next to riddhima on the bed "Let my titaliya and Armaan babua be fine..I truly hope nothing bad will happen tomorrow" she said closing her eyes. Shilpa looked up from making her bed on the couch "Don't worry buaji...they'll both be fine..the kind of determination they have about getting married will probably scare anything evil which comes their way" Shilpa chided trying to relax buaji.


She tucked her in and kissed riddhima on her forehead before taking her place on the couch. Initially even she was worried for riddhima but then realized it must be because of the mad wedding preps that riddhima fainted. She switched off the lights and closed her eyes, Tomorrow was going to be a long day indeed!

...

Armaan left his car in the driveway and walked towards the house. The events of this night were truly disturbing. As he climbed the stairs to the main door, he was surprised to find it open. He pushed it to find mamaji pacing the foyer area anxiously "Armaan! Where the hell have you been? Do you realize how long its been...and why are you not picking up your phone?!" mamaji asked with a worried expression.


"Sorry mamaji...My phone was in the car when I went to the station and when i got back it was switched off due to low battery..is everything all right? You seemed tensed" Armaan said as he placed an assuring hand on mamaji's shoulder "Everything's fine now beta, but earlier riddhima had a fainting spell..." Armaan lurched forward with worry but mamaji held his hand "No, don't worry...she is fine now...she's been given a mild sedative to sleep...meet her when she wakes up tomorrow morning" mamaji said as Armaan turned concerned eyes towards him.


"What happened mamaji? How did she faint? Did you call a doctor? Shit! I can't believe i left my phone in the car...what if something worse had happened" Armaan said angrily as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair "Why are you so stressed Armaan? Is Rahul ok now? And don't worry...she fainted because of all the wedding stress, nothing else...its quite normal the doctor said...wedding nerves and all..." mamaji said as they both walked towards the stairs.


"Yes, Rahul is fine...i'm just worried about Riddhima...I'll just quickly have a look at her before i go to sleep...your'e sure she's ok right?" Armaan said anxiously, mamaji smiled at his nephew as he led him to Riddhima's room "Yes Armaan..she is fine now...go and have a look if you'll feel better...then please go and sleep...lots of activity tomorrow !" mamaji said as he patted him and left for his own room.


Armaan walked gingerly into riddhima's room and switched on the night lamp by the door, he felt odd visiting her room when buaji was sleeping there, he looked around to find Shilpa gently snoring away on the couch. He inched slowly forward so as to not wake them up and nearly had a heart attack when buaji snored loudly, he felt pity for riddhima who lay breathing gently on her side of the bed. He knelt down besides her and tucked the stray hair on her forehead behind her ears before placing a slight kiss on her upturned cheek.


After making sure that she was indeed fine, he gave her one last look before switching the light off and walking out. He briskly walked to his room and closed the door behind him. He looked at the decorated room and the huge rack of clothes on one side.He quickly changed into his night wear and laid down on his bed. He closed his eyes thinking about his wedding the next day. He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

...

Riddhima woke up bright and early in the morning and stretched on the bed lazily. She looked around to find buaji still sleeping, she turned around to check the time and was surprised to find herself up at 6:30 am..she got up yawning and saw Shilpa lying haphazardly on the couch, thats when it all came tumbling back to her...his voice...Ridzi...Nikki's shamster...the sicko who tried to force Nikki...force her...her skin pricked with the fear which had engulfed her last night before she fainted.


Riddhima quickly got up and straightened her clothes, she hurriedly put on her slippers before quietly walking out of her room. She had to go and tell Armaan all that she assumed...about Nikki's boyfriend and her own past...could it be possible that they were the same? How can her life be entangled in such a vicious circle...she tried to remain positive but somewhere in her heart she knew that he was Abhimanyu...she just had to tell this to Armaan.


As soon as she reached his door, she walked in without knocking but was surprised not to see Armaan sleeping. She went towards his bathroom and his balcony but he was no where in sight. She let out a frustrated sigh as she walked down to the living room. She saw some sounds coming from the kitchen and saw RAMU KAKA getting things ready for the day "RAMU KAKA, where is Armaan? I can't seem to find him.." she asked RAMU KAKA who seemed surprised to find her there.


"Riddhimaji...Armanikki has just gone for his morning run...he should be back in an hour or so...How are you feeling now? Would you like some tea or coffee maybe?" he asked with concerned eyes, riddhima nodded and asked for a cup of tea. As he poured her one, she took it along with her and walked to the veranda outside. She sipped on her tea wondering if she should let Nikki know about her discovery...but then thought it would be best to let her know after she spoke to Armaan about it.


"Arre Ridzi!" buaji's voice rose her out of her thoughts as she realized she had dozed off on the verandah chair, she looked up to find buaji and Anaya looking at her with concern "Riddhima beta...how are you feeling? Why did you not wake us up? Come inside before you catch a cold...its quite chilly today" Anaya said as she and buaji ushered her into the warm living room.


"I am fine ma...and I was up too early so felt it best to let buaji sleep...since it is going to be a very tiring day today" she said with a small smile "Actually...I was waiting for Armaan to get back...i have to talk to him...something urgent" riddhima said looking anxiously at Anaya "Armaan just got back...he must be in his room...is everything ok? Nothing serious I hope?" Anaya asked as riddhima shook her head "Oh no...just general stuff...umm...i'll just go and meet him now..." she said as buaji held her hand.


"Not so soon titaliya...do you even remember yourself fainting yesterday? You must be weak like a newly hatched duckling...come and eat something first...then you can speak to Armaan babua" buaji said as she made her sit on the dining table, Anaya nodded her head in agreement as she ladled hot aloo sabji and puri's onto her plate "Your buaji is right...you have to eat something first...besides the doctor has given some pills for you to take which can only be taken after breakfast, Armaan is not running away anywhere.." Anaya said as riddhima sighed in defeat.

...

Armaan quickly showered and got dressed in record time. He wanted to go and check on riddhima who he assumed would still be sleeping...he had hardly slept a wink last night, too many thoughts kept running through his mind, but the morning run had helped him clear some of it.. He ran a hand through his damp hair and skipped down the stairs two at a time. He saw Nikki and Shilpa at the breakfast table in deep conversation.


"Hey girls...is Riddhima up?" Armaan said as he flashed a smile to both of them, Shilpa smiled at him and nudged Nikki who giggled along "Uh..Bhai, Bhabhi has been up since 6...so yes...since its nearly 9 now...she is up!" Nikki said cheekily as Armaan looked on confused "She got up that early?" Armaan said as he walked back towards the stairs again ignoring the two sniggering girls at the table.

He reached riddhima's room and knocked on her door. He waited till the room opened, but his smile faded as he saw buaji and asked about riddhima "Babua...riddhima is fine now, dont worry! She is taking her shower right now...the haldi will start in an hour now...so she needs to get ready, you meet her later downstairs" she smiled before closing the door on an anxious Armaan.

...

Riddhima was busy applying oil on her body as buaji had instructed her. Apparently the haldi can get difficult to remove if the body is not oiled beforehand. She sighed as she finished her task and started wearing a sleeveless golden blouse and her yellow sari skirt. Buaji was going to drape a yellow sari on her for the haldi function. She stepped out of the bathroom to find buaji ready with the sari, her flower accessories laid out on the bed,


"Ridzi...Armaan had come to meet you but i told him that you were getting ready..." buaji said as riddhima turned around from admiring her flower jewelry, "What? I have to go and meet him buaji...i'll come and get ready later" riddhima said as she started walking towards the door "Arre titaliya...have you gone mad! You'll go and meet him in this half dressed state! Get ready and then meet him...what's the hurry anyways!" buaji said as she pulled riddhima in front of the huge mirror before starting to drape her sari.


Riddhima looked at her reflection half-heartedly as buaji pleated and twisted the sari around her. When she had gone earlier to meet him in his room, he was in the shower and unfortunately at the same time dadiji had walked by and had insisted to take riddhima back to her room to get ready for the haldi ceremony. She sighed as buaji pinned the beautiful silk sari onto her in a south indian style. She felt like the entire universe was conspiring against her meeting Armaan!


As soon as buaji finished draping the sari on her, she sat riddhima down to put on the flower jewelry which Anaya had specially ordered for her. Shilpa and Nikki walked in at around the same time to help her out so that buaji could get the other things done downstairs. When riddhima was nearly ready, Shilpa took a photo of her's with her phone "Wow! Ridzi you look amazing!" she exclaimed as riddhima's tummy started doing flip-flops, Ridzi...she smiled at Shilpa before turning to Nikki who seemed quite busy with her phone.


"Nikki...is Armaan ready? I really need to speak to him before the ceremony...Buaji said that I can't meet him post haldi as a ritual...so can you get him to come here?" she pleaded Nikki who had a naughty smile on her face "Well well well bhabhi...desperate much!" Nikki giggled as Shilpa joined her. "Hmm...i'll see what I can do...but I'll be collecting my due's for this job soon!" Nikki said as her phone started ringing interrupting her laughter, Riddhima looked on as Nikki looked at it with an irritated look and cut the call before stepping out to get Armaan.


"Ridzi...is everything all right? You seem a bit anxious...all ok between you and Armaan?" Shilpa said as riddhima sat twisting her sari pallu between her fingers, she looked up and gave a watery smile to her friend "Yes...I'm fine...I mean we are fine...its just that...La...i think something is not right..." riddhima said as Shilpa pulled out one of the stools and sat next to her.


"What do you mean hun? What's not right?" Shilpa asked her as riddhima frowned "I don't know...I'm not sure if I am right or wrong...but um...see Nikki is dating this guy...I mean was dating this guy...some time back...but she broke up with him...yesterday I took his call on her phone...his voice seemed eerily familiar...and his name was stored as shamster in her phone...but what was weirder was that he called me Ridzi...I mean Nikki knows my other name is Ridzi...but she has never called me that...so why would she tell him that name?" riddhima said looking at Lavnaya with frightened eyes,


"Wait? What are you trying to say? Do you know this guy?" Shilpa asked her looking very confused, Riddhima rolled her eyes and held her hands "La, I think the guy Nikki is dating is Abhimanyu..." Riddhima said slowly letting Shilpa digest everything.. "What? Are you crazy? Why would she date Abhimanyu? And just because he called you Ridzi and his name is Shamster...why would he be Abhimanyu!?" Lavnaya exclaimed as riddhima looked on unsurely.


"I don't know La, but something tells me he is the same b*****d and the right thing to do will be to tell Armaan about it" riddhima said trying to convince Shilpa who kept shaking her head "Are you mad? Its your wedding day...you should be thinking about how to keep your skin shining and muscles toned for that gorgeous dress your'e gonna be wearing at night! Not mull over some random fellow who called you Ridzi..and reminded you of that sick pschyo! Plus how can you even think of telling all this to Armaan at this time? God woman...stop stressing yourself so much! Everything's fine babe!" Shilpa said as she leaned forward and hugged riddhima.


"No La! I'm telling you...it is him! Thats the reason I fainted yesterday...his voice was the same...I can never forget a voice that haunted my nightmare for better part of the year.." riddhima said with tears threatening her eyes "Do you remember what work Abhimanyu said he did in India? He said his family owned a fashion house...and I remember Nikki telling me that her boyfriend did not want to meet Armaan yet cause they are rivals..." riddhima said, her eyes trying to convince Shilpa.


Shilpa let her go and stood up, she looked at riddhima once before placing her hand on her shoulder "Ok Ridzi...I'll look into this...If you are so sure about this then I'm sure there must be some truth in your musings... you stay here till buaji comes to take you down. I'lll go and check up on this..and please don't tell anything to Armaan till we are not 100% sure" Shilpa said as she kissed riddhima on her forehead, she smiled at the grateful smile riddhima gave her and rushed back to her room leaving riddhima pondering on her thoughts.

...

It was already mid-day and most of the haldi rituals were done, as the groom and bride were not allowed to be in the same room, Riddhima was sitting in one room while Armaan's haldi was taking place in the adjacent one. Riddhima looked up and smiled at Shilpa who was applying generous amount of Haldi on her "Eww...La stop! At this rate i'm going to look jaundiced!" riddhima exclaimed as Anaya and Dadiji too took their time slathering haldi on her.


"Ridzi! I can hardly see any part of you which is not covered in either cloth or haldi!" Shilpa exclaimed as riddhima threw dirty looks at her, everyone laughed as Anaya cleared her throat "Ok girls! The haldi is now officially over! Riddhima and Armaan will not meet each other till the Jaimala at 10:30pm tonight! And you riddhima are not allowed to leave the house from this hour!" Anaya said as riddhima nervously smiled at her.


Buaji came back from the other room after applying haldi on Armaan,"Eh...Shilpa..where is Nikki? She still has to apply haldi on Ridzi..." buaji said as she came forward to the little group of ladies surrounding riddhima "Oh..I don't know buaji...She was just here a few minutes ago" Shilpa said looking around.


"Oh yes...Nikki applied haldi on Armaan first...but then she said she was coming here to apply it on riddhima? She did not come yet?" Anaya asked as she called RAMU KAKA to go and find her. Riddhima looked at the door wondering about Nikki , after about 15 minutes RAMU KAKA came back saying that Nikki had left a few minutes ago, the security had told them that she had taken the car on the own instead of taking the driver


"Oh this girl na! I am sure she has gone for some last minute shopping or parlour!" Anaya said as she helped riddhima get up, she took a damp cloth and started helping riddhima get rid of all the excess haldi on her face "Riddhima beta, you go and have a shower...you can't stay like this for any longer otherwise your skin will start coloring" Anaya said as riddhima nodded and left with buaji.


A they were walking towards the stairs, she thought it best to call Nikki and check her whereabouts...they had just reached the landing when riddhima turned around to find Armaan staring at her with a smile. She smiled back nervously and started going towards him when buaji saw her and stopped her "Ae titaliya! You can't meet Armaan babua now..come lets go and get you cleaned up...then you have a small nap...God only knows you will need this rest!" Riddhima gave a half-hearted smile to buaji before looking at Armaan for the last time. She sighed as she walked to her room...this was going to be a long day indeed!

Chapter 38

"Its done sir" Mishra said silently into the phone, he winced as he heard the evil laugh of Abhimanyu Modi from the other end "Well done my man! Well done..now be a good doggy and get the work completely finished" Abhimanyu said menacingly as a familiar current of victory not too far away lit his body. He opened the door to his bedroom and sat on his bed staring at the beauty in front of him.


"I want you to send me that video as soon as possible...and make sure its small enough to send over the phone.." Abhimanyu demanded as he lay on his bed with one arm resting beneath his head. He looked up to see the golden starts twinkling on the ceiling, he ended the call and sighed deeply "Soon...soon you'll be with me Ridzi...and then we'll gaze at these stars together...just you and me" he said as he closed his eyes and smiled.

...

"Ridzi! Arre Ridzi!" buaji shouted as she knocked on the bathroom door, "You haven't fainted again have you?" buaji asked as the door opened and buaji nearly toppled over riddhima as she walked out "No buaji...i'm fine...and what's the meaning of asking such a question? Cause if i had actually fainted...i would not have been able to answer you anyways" riddhima said giving her buaji an incredulous look as she toweled her wet hair.


"Arre titaliya...i was only worried for you...both you and Armaan bitwa seem so tensed! When today you both need to be enjoying the day!" buaji said as she made riddhima sit on the bed and took the towel from her to dry her hair, riddhima turned around suddenly as she heard buaji's words "Why? Did Armaan say something? Is he ok?" riddhima asked with a worried expression, she really wanted to speak to him but buaji had confiscated her phone from her stating that she was not allowed to even speak to him let alone meet him.


"No no..he is fine. In fact his friends have come over...all teasing and all you know..but instead of blushing like a bridegroom he seemed broody" buaji said clucking her tongue, riddhima smiled as an image of a blushing Armaan filled her mind "Oh God buaji...he's not a bride to blush..besides when i don't blush when teased, why should he!" she said giving her buaji a cheeky grin.


"Kids these days...i really don't get your generation!" buaji muttered as she finished drying her hair "By the way the parlor lady is here...they wanted to try out some styles on you before doing the final one later...should i call them now? Or do you want to take some rest?" buaji asked holding riddhima's chin gently.


Riddhima smiled at her as she hugged her buaji from her waist "Yes, thanks buaji...i just want to rest for some time...can we do the hairdo's later? There's still lots of time na?" riddhima said as buaji stroked her damp hair "Ok darling, you get some sleep..i'll come and wake you up later" buaji said as she kissed her gently on her head before leaving the room to give riddhima some privacy.


Riddhima leaned against the headboard as thoughts ran through her troubled mind...did Nikki get back? Where was La? She was supposed to come to her room ages ago...what is Armaan thinking? She just wished she could speak to him once. She sighed as she closed her eyes and made herself comfortable on the bed,the exhaustion finally taking its toll, lulling her body into a deep slumber.

...

"Who is this?" said a brisk no-nonsense voice from the other end of the phone, Abhimanyu was finding it very difficult to not get irritated by this glitch in his plan, he had been trying to get through to Ridzi since the past 15 minutes, but the first 3 times no one picked up and now that the call was answered up some old hag was screeching on it.


"Uh...I need to speak to Ka...i mean riddhimaji please" Abhimanyu said keeping the irritation out of his voice "What is this regarding? Its her wedding today...please call after 2 days" buaji said wondering who was calling her titaliya so urgently "No...please its very urgent...she had ordered a ring for her fiance with us...but there's been some problem...i had to deliver it today but.." Abhimanyu said trying to work out some reason..any reason through which he may be able to speak to her.


"Oh Ok, hold on...let me check" buaji said as she walked towards riddhima's room wondering what today's generation is about! She opened the door to see that khuhi was not in the room, she pushed the bathroom door as well but she was not to be seen. She sighed as she answered the call again "She's not here now...please call after some time" she said as she cut the call and left the phone on riddhima's dressing table.

...

"Arre Shilpa..have you seen Riddhima? God only knows where she has gone now!" buaji exclaimed as she stopped Shilpa near the stairs "No buaji...in fact i was going to her room only...she's not there?" Shilpa asked with a quizzical expression "No..she is not..i wonder where she has gone!" buaji said slapping her forehead "Don't worry buaji...you go downstairs,I think your relatives have come...i'll look for riddhima" Shilpa said ushering buaji towards the living room.


She quickly turned and walked purposefully up the stairs..she had to go and find riddhima. As she was walking towards riddhima's room she saw dadiji walking with riddhima towards her "Shilpa...you should take care of your friend...it's her wedding today" dadiji said sternly to Shilpa before walking riddhima to her room "Uh...what happened dadiji? Ridzi u ok?" Shilpa asked as she looked at her friend with a concerned face.


"yes, i am fine...i was just craving a cup of ginger tea when dadiji found me...seriously dadiji i feel like an invalid cooped up in this room...can i please go down for sometime?" riddhima begged her as dadiji cupped her face "No bitiya...your the bride and nearly all the guests are coming in now...they should not see you before the wedding...just rest here...you'll be getting ready soon anyways" dadiji said as she patted her cheek and left them.

...

"La! Is Nikki back? Did she take her call?" Riddhima asked her as she paced her room "Chill ridzi...i'm sure she is fine...don't worry so much. You just concentrate on your wedding ok? I'll take care of everything" she said as she made riddhima sit and handed over a glass of chilled water to her "Uh..i had actually gone out to see Armaan...i really need to see him La.." riddhima said sighing deeply, sipping her water as Shilpa came and sat beside her.


"I know babe...but don't worry everything will be ok...just trust me ok! I'll go and check where Nikki got held up ok? Just calm down" Shilpa said as she got up and laid down riddhima's dress for the wedding. The rich hues of purple and blue would look gorgeous on her. She also took out a red lehenga which was hanging on the rack.


"I think you should wear the red one...it definitely goes better with your complexion...and you will look hot!" Shilpa said as riddhima burst out laughing "Oh yes! I'll definitely feel hot in that lehenga with the layers of silk and that heavy dupatta over my head" riddhima said rolling her eyes, she then looked at Shilpa with serious eyes "Everything will be ok right La?" she asked as Shilpa assured her with a nod and left the room to look for Nikki.

...

"Damn it!" Abhimanyu said as he tried her phone again only to find it switched off, "What the hell do i do now?"!! he exclaimed as he dialed Mishra's number next, he waited till he picked up before thundering on the phone "Why is it taking you so long to send me the video you as****e!" Abhimanyu shouted as mishra visibly shook from his voice.


"I'm just uploading it sir...its just that she was being very difficult...and well...it took us time to do what you asked us to" Mishra said his voice trembling with contempt, how he wished he could strangle his employer from the phone "Good, now that the video has been taken...tell the boys they have free reign over her body if things don't go my way...let them teach that frigid b***h some manners" he said as Mishra uttered a soft 'Ok' before ending the call. He finished uploading the video as his thoughts went to the girl in the adjacent room.

...

Riddhima went to her dressing table to get her hair brush when her eyes fell on her phone, she jumped in joy as she picked it up eagerly trying to call Armaan, but the phone seemed to be switched off due to low battery. She quickly plugged in the charger and waited for the phone to load up. As soon as the welcome screen came up, she heard a series of beeps as her signal came on.


Riddhima looked at the screen to find 12 missed calls from an unknown number. She wondered who had called her so many times and thought it best to check...just in case it was Nikki...since she was not picking up her call. Her heart thundered wondering if Nikki was fine...everyone in the house seemed to be convinced that she was probably not taking her calls since she was getting a manicure done.


She waited with baited breath as the other person picked up the phone but did not speak anything. She said a soft 'hello' and waited for the other person to speak, "Uh...is anyone there? I have lots of missed calls from this number...umm..hello?" she asked once again exasperated that she was wasting precious time when she could have spoken to Armaan by now. She was just taking the phone off her ear to end the call when she heard a deep raspy voice from the other end "Ridzi...its me Abhimanyu"


Riddhima felt the earth beneath her shift as she fell on the bed with a shock, she tried to assure her mind that she did not just hear his voice...that it was not the same Abhimanyu...but her mind did not listen while her body racked with shudders. As if to prove the truth one again, he spoke "Please don't cut the call...if you do you'll be doing a grave mistake..." Abhimanyu said, his voice held a threatening quality to it which did not go unnoticed by riddhima even in her delicate state.


"Wh..what..do you want? H..how d..did you get th..this number?" she stammered as her body tensed up, fear crawling up her spine... "Did you take it from nikki?...ho..how.." she spoke as his voice once again silenced her "Shh...don't think too much...its not going to help you...so you knew I was Nikki's boyfriend huh? But you still did not warn her against this big bad wolf?" he said mildly amused and very turned on by the fact that he was finally talking to her.


"Good...now that you know Nikki was my girlfriend...you should also know this Ridzi" he said his voice getting serious "She meant nothing to me...no one means anything to me...except you!" he said his voice getting aggravated by the minute "And you...you did not care for my love..you punished me Ridzi...you hurt me daamit! But i'm ready to forget all that...if only" he said slowly trying to get her to understand every word he says.


"If only what? How dare you say you loved me! You are an abomination, not fit for a civilized society! Even wild animals are better than you...or have you forgotten what you did to me! How dare you insult the word 'Love' by equating it with your feelings! You are nothing Abhimanyu...nothing! And I don't care what you do...i have my true love with me, Armaan is my love...my everything! If you so much as try to call me again, he'll put you behind bars! Do you get that you creep!" riddhima heaved as she cut the call and leaned back on the bed.


She quickly took her phone again with trembling hands and started calling Armaan, she waited for the line to get through but it kept coming out of range...she wondered how it was so...she tried calling him again when she got a text, it was from Abhimanyu's number.. 'Don't ignore me or my threats...remember what is precious to your love...his darling sister..now you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her would you?'


Riddhima started perspiring reading his message, she desperately tried calling Armaan again when another of his texts came up 'Don't even think of calling him darling...i might just have to be very mean otherwise...to her off course!' fear gripped her cold and sterile as she re-read his message, she stopped calling Armaan and called him instead.


"Don't you dare lay your eyes on Nikki...do you get it! I'll find you an burn you alive you sick piece of shit!" riddhima shouted, her anger flaming up at Abhimanyu's threats. "What? My eyes...oh honey I can lay a lot more on that pathetic creature! Why she is resting just a few feet away from me!" he guffawed as riddhima's breathing became shallow, was he lying? Was he telling the truth?


"Don't lie! Nikki hates you! She will never come to you willingly...don't spin tales just so that.." riddhima said as she was cut once again by his icy voice "Don't believe me huh? ok...let me send you something which will change you mind maybe? Do call me back once you see it...uh...mind you this is just the trailer" he said menacingly as he cut the call.


Riddhima held the bed railing tightly as he head spun from their conversation...what was he talking about? She held the phone tightly in her hands as it beeped once to show an incoming Whatsapp message, she saw it was from the same number and clicked it to open, it took time to load as it was movie...but as soon as it did and she clicked play...she fell on the floor with a thud. The scene made her drop the phone as the shriek chilled her to the bone.


Nikki was tied up to the chair, her hair was all over the place with blood running from her nose, her t-shirt sleeve seemed to have been ripped off while her tear stricken face mumbled a series of 'please...leave me...' the scene was too horrific for riddhima to not react, she called him again and spoke in a dead voice, alien to her own self "What do you want?"

...

Abhimanyu made sure the entire house was cleaned spick and span, there were drapes of silk and strings of orchids lining the entire house. Candles and lamps were lit all along the sills and outer spaces, as soft hindustani classical music wafted through the air. He had showered and dressed, making sure that everyone in the house had left before the guest of honor arrived.


He smiled remembering how easy it was to get her to agree to his demands, what did he want anyway? Just that she leave that house and come to him...leave that b*****d Mallik on their wedding day and become one with him...Abhimanyu Modi! How he wanted to see that man's face when he realized that the supposed love of his life was his SJ's...never to return to him.


He went and moved a chess piece across the ivory carved chess board on his center table 'Check' he said as he heard a sound outside the door, he wondered if she was here, he wondered if she had also given into his demand of her coming here in her wedding finery...she was his Dulhan after all..nothing could stop them from becoming one now.


He waited patiently as he heard footsteps and a beautiful sound of twinkling jewelry outside his door. He held his breath as she pushed the partially opened door and stepped in. His mouth lifting in a satisfied eager smile as she saw her in a blood red lehenga, her head covered in a gorgeously embroidered dupatta. She stood rooted to the door as if not sure what she should do.


He could make out her trembling luscious body as she held onto the door frame, "Come in sweetheart, this is your house now...don't be shy...or do you want me to come and pick you up maybe?" he said as his body eagerly waited to take her in his arms, his mouth salivating at the prospect of finally having her to himself...but he was disappointed to still see her at the door, not moving an inch.


He started walking towards her but stopped as she held her hand up, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair..as if this was going to stop him...but he understood what she was trying to say "Don't worry about Nikki...she'll be safe now...I have asked my men to take her back to ARMAAN MALLIK's house...now that I have fulfilled my end of the bargain...time you did yours" he said as he stood right in front of her waiting to take the dupatta off her.


But before he could do so himself, he was pleased to see her own hands moving towards the dupatta, doing the deed herself, he waited as she revealed her gorgeous face to him and stepped back to admire his ridzi's beauty, but his face froze and his body went stone cold as the woman revealed herself to him, he could not comprehend what to do as her sultry voice spoke up "As if you ever had Nikki with you bitch!" Shilpa spoke as her face split into a thousand dollar smile.


Chapter 39

"Wha..y..you? h...how...?..." Abhimanyu stammered as Shilpa walked inside the house with a flourish, making sure she had kept the door slightly ajar. She smiled at his bewildered face and replied "Yes, its me...if you still remember me...La.Van.Ya!" she said making sure she pronounced her name very slowly.


"I know who you are! My question is...what are you doing here! And where is ridzi?" Abhimanyu said menacingly getting his bearings, he was shocked to find Ridzi's friend here but he knew she must have confided in her or something...'Stupid girl!' he thought tightening his fists in anger, Shilpa seemed least bothered as she sauntered into his house "Nice place...love what you've done with it!" she said smiling at him again.


Abhimanyu looked at her as if she'd lost her mind "What the hell do you think your'e doing here! Don't you know what i'm capable of! If Ridzi has sent you here...she'll be surprised to find your and Nikki's broken bodies sent back!" he said coming closer to Shilpa who looked him straight in his eyes and shook her forefinger "Na...nah...don't even think of coming near me!...who knows...maybe I have the police with me?" she said smirking at the sudden fear his face showed.


"You wouldn't dare! Ridzi knows that if she contacted the police or that ARMAAN MALLIK, Nikki would be dead by now! The fact that she told you will also result in lots of harm towards Nikki...so be careful where you thread La.Van.Ya!" he said smiling evilly, trying to intimidate Shilpa who seemed to be non-plussed with his entire dialogue..in fact she seemed to have gotten bolder as she now walked towards him.


"Ok...so you say you'll harm Nikki huh? What like you harmed her like this?" she said showing the same video which was sent to Riddhima earlier, Abhimanyu looked at the video, his face twisting in a grotesque smile "Yes! But worse...this was just a trailer...but now that your friend did not heed to my demands...its time to start the movie..what say?" he said as he dialed a number on his phone.


Shilpa stared at him as Abhimanyu waited for the other side to pick up, she saw him cursing under his breath as he tried calling the person again, after a few more tries he seemed really disgruntled "What happened? Phone problems? I thought you were going to start your movie or something.." Shilpa said innocently as Abhimanyu gave her a disgusted look.


"Don't look too happy...the phone is out of network...doesn't matter...its not like he's the only one! And keep that mouth of your shut tight...otherwise you'll be starring in that movie as well" he said as he tried another number, his tensed face turned normal as the other person picked up, she looked on as Abhimanyu asked him to tell the status of the 'girl' and smiled to herself as she saw the sweat break out on his forehead.


"What the hell do you mean? Why would he say that? You were the one who tortured her you fool! Have you hit your head and lost your damn memory!" Abhimanyu barked as he kept the phone and tried another number, only to be told the same thing. He looked up with eyes full of fury towards Shilpa who stood serenely looking at the scene unfold.


"What the hell is this bitch? What game are you playing huh? Where is Ridzi? Call her right now and tell her to come here at once! Otherwise she'll never see both of you ever again! I have had enough of this shit!" he said as he lunged towards Shilpa who had anticipated his move, she quickly jumped sideways as he came hurtling towards her only to hit his foot hard on the centre table and crash on the floor.


"Not so soon Mr Modi! Don't you want to see the 'behind the scenes' act? I think you will absolutely love it!" Shilpa said as she held out her phone once again to Abhimanyu who was still lying on the floor, what he saw made his eyes turn dark with anger and frustration, he grabbed her phone and hurled it towards the other side of the room.


The movie showed Nikki and Shilpa setting up the room with a single dirty chair in the centre, they were giggling as Nikki sat down while Shilpa carefully tied the rope around her, then she proceeded to get some red paint and smear it around her nose and lips..someone then handed Shilpa a scissor with which she proceeded to cut the sleeve off Nikki's top and ripped it before messing her hair with some mouse, when she was done...they both practiced Nikki's little act of pleading...


"Oh..please be careful! That was my new iPhone 4S! Best picture quality you know! I mean Mishru seemed to think that while we filmed this...oh sorry...you know him as Mishra right? Do you even know his first name?" She asked as Abhimanyu's eyes twitched in uncontrolled anger, "Didn't think so..anyways..we had a blast filming this and laying out our plans...God its been ages since i've been soo excited about something! I mean...you know.." she went on to be cut by Abhimanyu's angry growl


"Shut up. SHUT UP!" he screamed as he got up and caught an unaware Shilpa by her waist, he twisted her hands around her back as he held her in a death grip, "What? Not so confident now are we?" he whispered into her ears as she struggled to get out of his hold. "Ooh...so i must say that that Dog Mishra and you are together in this...looks like lil Nikki is part of your play too...but who will help you now? Huh? From what i remember of you La...you were not too bright then..and you are not too bright now!" he rasped as he further tightened his grip making her whimper


"Oh..i think she's mighty smart Abhimanyu...why would i involve her in my plan otherwise?" a deep smooth voice drawled from the doorway, Abhimanyu's hold on Shilpa slackened enough to let her free herself from him as they both turned towards the door to find a perfectly well groomed Armaan Mallik leaning lazily against the door.


"Oh, don't look so shocked SJ...it was my plan all throughout...and lets just say you played right into it!" Armaan said flexing his arms as he came and stood right in front of Abhimanyu, he gestured Shilpa to move away towards the door as Armaan and Abhimanyu stood face to face, the former giving a death stare.


"Wh..what? ARMAAN MALLIK...you here? What the hell...how.." Shaym stammered as he ran a shaky hand through his hair as Armaan went and quietly sat down on the later couch "Don't exercise those minuscule brain muscles that you have...let me make this easy for you...i mean let me jog your memory and bit...do you remember that day when i spotted Nikki's car in the cafe across my office?" Armaan asked casually leaning back.



The day Armaan spotted Nikki in the cafe...


"ARMAAN MALLIK? Did you call me? uh...i mean can i come in now? Or are you still busy?" Atul asked on the phone "Riddhima just left Atul, yes you can come in..." Armaan said as he kept the phone sighing in satisfaction, this was probably one of the best days ever!he heard a faint knock on his door and shouted a 'Come in'; he waited till Atul came and sat in front of him.


"So, any progress on the man? Did you finally get his name from the university?" Aranv asked, as the familiar feeling of wringing that man's neck started coursing through his veins "Uh..not yet ARMAAN MALLIK, but surely in some time we will...in fact i have bribed the admin person there, who will shortly let me know his name...i'll inform you about it as soon as i can" Atul said confidently as ARMAAN MALLIK nodded.


"Fine, make it fast...I can't wait to get that A*****le's name, so that i can rip him apart with my bare hands!" Armaan said his eyes showing pure anger at the thought "Also, I saw Nikki at Noni's today...but something was not right...I know my sister very well and I can make out when she lies..go and check who she was with...i need to know what she's hiding" he said as he got up and glanced back at the cafe.


One hour later...same day.


"Sally, i'm leaving...if there's anything please call me.." Armaan said to his secretary as Atul came running towards him with a printout "ARMAAN MALLIK, wait...i need to talk to you..its urgent!" Atul said as Armaan looked at his tense face, he nodded as both of them proceeded towards Armaan's room "What is it? Did you know who she was with?" Armaan asked as Atul looked at him confused


"Whaa? oh..you mean Nikki maam..yes she was with a man...that's what i came to know...I have asked their manager to send me a screen shot of the person she was with...he'll be mailing me the same...but that's not why i stopped you..." Atul said uneasily. He came and stood next to Armaan and lowered the paper which he had in his hands "This is the person who...Riddhimaji...uh...the man from London...you'll be surprised to see the name" he said tapping the printed name on the sheet.


Abhimanyu Modi

Director - Modi Textiles

Teaching Term : April 2008 - July 2008

Subject : Advanced designing techniques

-Suspended and Job terminated due to disturbing behavior towards student and harassment


Atul saw as Armaan's eyes went red with suppressed anger, he touched his shoulder to bring him out of his thoughts, "ARMAAN MALLIK, are you ok?" Atul asked as Armaan turned towards him, "No..I am not ok dammit!" he said getting up quickly from his seat and snatching the paper off the table "How should i react? I don't understand how this scumbag...how the hell did this ba****d...Atul! Are you sure this is the correct name? There can't be any other Abhimanyu Modi?" Armaan said still trying to make sense of the situation.


"Yes ARMAAN MALLIK, this is your guy...she confirmed that the name of the student who accused him was Ridzi Gupta, registered as Riddhima Gupta, her actual name and there cannot be another Abhimanyu Modi of Modi textiles...it is SJ!" Atul said pouring a glass of water for Armaan who gladly took it and gulped it down in one go "I will kill the bas***d! I swear to God..today is the last day he sees...give me his address right away!" he asked Atul who tried to make him see sense.


"ARMAAN MALLIK, you can't just go there wielding a gun and shoot the guy...you have to think about this more rationally!" Atul said as he opened his phone to check his mails, Armaan ran an irritated hand through his hair and looked at Atul angrily "Rationally? You want me to think of this rationally? Are you retarded! This man...who did those awful things to my riddhima...who made her go through hell...because of whom she's still afraid of certain things...the guy who harmed her innocence! The as****e who had the nerve to harm her...you want me to think rationally about him.." he said as he came and stood in front of Atul.


"Sorry Atul, i am not a saint...and at this point even if God comes here himself to stop me, I'll still go and shoot the b****d's brains out! So don't you dare tell me to think about this rationally!" he all but shouted at Atul who's eyes seemed to have frozen on his iPhone screen "Are you even listening to what i'm saying Atul! What the hell is so interesting in that phone dammit!" ARMAAN MALLIK said snatching the phone from Atul's hand.


Present


"Yes SJ...what i saw chilled me to the bone...you were the guy with my sister that day! You son of a bitch...didn't you get enough playing around with Riddhima that you had to target my sister too!" Armaan got up and strode towards Abhimanyu who by now was too shocked to say anything..he moved back as Armaan came towards him ready to hit him only to be stopped by Shilpa "Armaan, please calm down...please" she said as Armaan backed away stood facing away from Abhimanyu.


"I swear Abhimanyu...i wanted to chop your head off at that moment itself...but i waited so that i could make my next move correctly...i was worried if Nikki was deeply involved with you or not...but when i saw the cctv tape which Atul acquired from the cafe owner...it looked like Nikki was least interested in you, but then i thought why were you pursuing her still...thats when it hit me...that maybe it wasn't Nikki who you were pursuing now...maybe it was riddhima" he said as Abhimanyu held on to the banister and looked around nervously.


"I even kept bodyguards to follow riddhima and Nikki everywhere...I actually thought that you may pull a stunt when they both went to the night club..in fact Atul was there along with my two best bodyguards keeping an eagle eye on the girls..but you did not do anything at that point..." he said as Shaym looked up surprised "Oh don't be so shocked...i even had a man follow you the entire time...in fact that's how i came to know about your man..Mishra." Armaan said as Abhimanyu's face contorted in anger


"That filthy dog! I should have known he will betray me..." Abhimanyu said as he hit the wall behind him with a force, he could not believe that he was the one being played this entire time "Oh, that's not very nice...he was very loyal to you..in fact he did not tell me anything..but i knew that somewhere your focus had shifted from Nikki to riddhima when Mishra said that you had nothing to do with my fiancee instead of saying my sister...that gave me an idea of how you may be using Nikki to get to riddhima..." he said in a clipped voice


"I tried my best to understand what your plan was but couldn't figure out what you actually intended to do...that was when Mishra approached me...i guess you were very mean to him...the poor guy was distraught and could not make up his mind about the task you had given him...so i went to meet him last night..." Armaan said as Abhimanyu's nostrils flared.


"Oh don't get angry now...what do you expect huh? Even Loyalty has a price...its called respect!" Armaan said walking slowly around the room, his eyes focused on Abhimanyu "He told me everything you were planning...i spent two hours with him last night trying to work out a plan to mislead you..but then that meant involving riddhima in it as well...when i wanted to keep her far away from all this, so early next morning I involved Shilpa and Nikki in my plan...yes it was a shocker to both of them...especially Nikki...but without their help all this would not have been possible...then something unexpected happened...i met riddhima" he sighed as he narrated their meeting earlier in the day.


Same day...afternoon...before Riddhima's haldi


"Riddhima...are you ok darling? Nikki said you wanted to talk to me about something..." Armaan said as he entered riddhima's room, he was worried to see her this nervous and lost, Riddhima turned around and ran towards Armaan, she hugged him fiercely before muttering "nothing it right Armaan..oh God! I have so much to tell you..." she said as Armaan hugged her back "What is it sweetheart?" he asked tilting her chin up.


She looked at him and said in a scared voice "The man from my past, the one who...wh.." she sniffed as Armaan stroked her hair "...what about him babe?" Armaan asked her gently, he gazed down at her watery eyes running his thumb over the unshed tears as she stammered "H..he...is the s..sa..same...h..he is Nikki's ex boyfriend...Abhimanyu Modi!" she cried as she buried her head in his chest.


"I know you may be thinking i'm mad..and you don't know about her boyfriend..i mean her ex..but Armaan i recognized his voice...he...he is the same person...Armaan you have to protect her...he is an animal...Armaan please...do you understand...we have to go and speak to her...Shilpa thinks i'm crazy...but i know its him...it is him!" she sobbed as Armaan hugged her again "Shh...sh...stop crying darling...i know...i know everything...even Nikki does" he said as she looked up with shocked confused eyes towards him as he narrated the entire story to her.


Present


"So Mr Modi...when you thought that you are playing my my fiancee's mind...and torturing my sister..they were well aware of your plan...they knew exactly what you were going to do...in fact lets just say that we helped you along! Or did you really think that Nikki was dumb enough to come running to the place you asked to meet her just because you told her some sob story of how you were leaving this country! Or riddhima was stupid enough to come here on her own on her wedding day without involving me...no SJ...you were terribly mistaken!" Armaan said as Abhimanyu held his head with both this hands and went to stand by the side table in the living room.


He could not believe that all his plans had gone down the drain...he felt his head would burst with all that he had heard today, but he'll be damned if Armaan Mallik walks out of his house alive! he slowly crept his hand to the second drawer in front of him and opened it slightly, making sure that Armaan could not see him..he nudged his hand inside the drawer and felt the revolver resting there..he slid his fingers over it and pulled it out before turning around to face him but a small voice from the other side made him whip his head towards her...'Armaan' she said softly as all three people turned to see riddhima standing in a plain kurta and jeans watching the scene unfold in front of her eyes.


Chapter 40 - Final Chapter

(Mature Content Ahead...You are warned!) - Sry my blog is having some prob, so m posting here...if anyone has any issues, please let me know...I'll take it off :) xx

"Riddhima?" Armaan was the first one to react seeing her standing nervously at the door "What are you doing here? I told you not to come here..." he said as he walked swiftly towards the door, he wanted her as far away as possible from Abhimanyu and her being here at this time was worrying him to no end "Why did you come here Riddhima? You shouldn't have come..." he said as he cupped her face and turned her away from Abhimanyu's gaze.


"No." Riddhima said as she turned around and faced Abhimanyu , she held tightly onto Armaan's hand and looked him in the eyes "This man has been the cause of my nightmares...he is the reason why i could not trust anyone for a long time, he took away my faith, my belief everything...everything when he...he..." she stopped as her voice choked up, tears running freely from her hazel eyes "I need closure Armaan...i need to see him being punished for everything that he has done to hurt us.." she said as Armaan held her in a tight embrace,running his hands over her back.


"Its ok babe, its ok...he won't hurt us anymore...your nightmares are over now...its time for a new chapter in your life...shh..." he said consoling her, he kissed her softly on her forehead as he faced Abhimanyu once again, holding riddhima by her shoulders close to his body "I wish i could rip you limb to limb you B*****d for all the pain and terror you have put her through...i wish i could kill you with my bare hands for planning to plot against my sister, to even think that you'd blackmail riddhima to come to you..." Armaan said slowly, his voice icy cold..but eyes blazing hot.


"But i will not give you the satisfaction of feeling for even one second that you won...for thinking that beating you to a pulp will satisfy my hunger for your total ruination...no Abhimanyu Modi...your punishment is knowing that I trapped you in your own game...it is knowing that Riddhima will never be yours..it is knowing that you are alone and your pathetic life has no meaning...you will reflect

upon everything i say as you rot in jail for the rest of your miserable life...i'll make sure you do!" Armaan said as he fisted his hands trying to control his anger.


Abhimanyu felt the cold metal against his palm, his insides were twisting as he saw Armaan and riddhima together, his breathing shallowed out as he saw riddhima look at him straight in his eyes, hatred and disgust clearly visible in her eyes, he slid the revolver slowly into his back pocket and looked up "I'm sorry Ridzi...i really am sorry for everything i did...i was too much in love with you...i could not see you with anyone else...i needed you...wanted you for my own..." he said as his voice broke.


His eyes misted as he saw Riddhima step away from Armaan "Sorry is not enough for what you did Abhimanyu...i can never forgive you for all that you did and all that you have done now...I was never yours! Not then, not now...not ever! So don't expect me to even acknowledge your apology...you are a pathetic excuse of a man..." she said as she walked slowly towards him "I rue the day i met you in the park..and i pity you, you know why? Because Armaan is right...you will always be alone..because you are not worthy of even an animal...let alone a human being. I pity you Abhimanyu Modi..." riddhima said as she faced a fallen and defeated Abhimanyu, kneeling in front of her.


"I understand Ridzi...i know you can never forgive me...but please believe me when is say that i truly loved you...i did this only.." Abhimanyu said his eyes streaming with tears, but stopped as she saw Riddhima put her palm up "Stop! Don't insult love by naming this unhealthy obsession of yours with such a pure emotion...you don't know what love is...you will never know because you need to possess a heart to feel it...and you Abhimanyu are heartless...even animals are better than...aaahhh" Riddhima screamed as Abhimanyu pulled her down on him.


He was waiting for the perfect time when he could trap her and when Armaan and Shilpa were too busy watching her, he quickly pulled her leg and was prepared when she came crashing against him. He quickly got up and held her roughly by her waist, her back digging into his front as she frantically tried to free herself from him.


It took a second for Armaan to realize what had happened, his anger knew no bounds as he leapt forward towards Abhimanyu but the shiny metallic object trained on her forehead made him stop, it made Shilpa halt in her tracks as she tried to get near them, and it made a struggling riddhima gasp, the cold metal felt like ice against her warm skin "Nah..ah...don't even think about it ARMAAN MALLIK...if you so much as take a step towards her, i'll blow her brains up" Abhimanyu said smiling menacingly at the duo.


"Don't be stupid Abhimanyu...let her go...and I know you won't pull the trigger...you love her too don't you? Just...just lower the gun and let riddhima go" Armaan said, his voice trembling with barely concealed fear "Hahaha..." Abhimanyu laughed loudly as he moved backwards towards the stairs dragging riddhima along with him "Yes Armaan...i do love her...but i can't see her with anyone else...if I can't have her...no one can...i'll kill her...i'll live with her memories...but i refuse to see her with you or anyone else..you get that!" Abhimanyu shouted as riddhima whimpered against his tightening hold...it was making it difficult for her to breath.


"No..no...listen...i won't say anything to the police...you can go scots free...we won't bother you...just let her go Abhimanyu...i..please just let her go..." Armaan said as his voice broke, he was too scared to think what a maniac like him would do "Listen...i'll back off from every deal that your company and mine are fighting for...i'll give you whatever you want! Just please..." Armaan said as his eyes begged him to leave her.


Riddhima closed her eyes as she saw the helplessness in Armaan's eyes, one thing she could never bear was seeing defeat in his eyes...she could never see him begging...she heard Abhimanyu's laughter as his clammy hands pressed into her, his nails digging into her soft flesh, while the other held steadily held onto the loaded revolver, she closed her eyes and prayed to God for strength as she mustered all the courage she could and jabbed him in his jaw with an upward cut of her elbow.


As Abhimanyu got momentarily stunned with the sharp pain, his hands fell loose, his gun slipping onto the floor...skittering to a spot right between Armaan and Abhimanyu, both men looked at the fallen gun leaping onto the floor to claim it, riddhima tried to hold Abhimanyu back but he was too big for her as he shoved her aside, making her fall down and hit her head onto the couch. Shilpa came running towards her to help her up as both girls saw the two men struggle for the gun.


Riddhima screamed as she saw Abhimanyu push Armaan to reach the gun, but Armaan was very quick for him as he held Abhimanyu's legs in a tight grip making him lose his balance and fall, he then punched him in his side as he leaned over him to grab the gun, but Abhimanyu tried to hit Armaan with his fist which Armaan stopped by holding him off with one hand while he pinned him down on the floor with the other "Don't even think about it SJ" Armaan said as he elbowed him in his solar plexus making him curl up and hold his stomach.


"Leave right now.." Armaan rasped to both Shilpa and Riddhima who seemed to have frozen with fear, "Armaan...take the gun..." riddhima said she rose out of her stupor and ran forward to push the gun towards him, Armaan picked it up and turned towards Abhimanyu who by now had risen once again, he screamed as he lurched once again towards Armaan while riddhima threw herself on him "Riddhima...NO!!!" Armaan screamed as the gun went off, a scream followed...as a crimson lake made its way beneath the three bodies lying on the floor.

...

"That will be all Mr Mallik...thanks for all you help" ACP Khurana said as he shook hands with Armaan who nodded in thanks. Armaan looked out to see the two police jeeps and an ambulance that was parked outside. He stepped out to watch the three vehicles leave the vicinity. It had been an hour since the time the police and ambulance had come. It all seemed so surreal, Armaan thought as he sat down on the bench outside in the garden and held his head in his hands sighing deeply.


"Armaan...i think we should go now...its pretty late.." Shilpa said as she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulders, he looked up and smiled at her "Thanks Shilpa...without your help all this would not have been possible..." he said as he placed his hand over hers "What thanks Armaan..! don't be all formal now...get up now!...i'm going ahead in the car which riddhima got here" she said as she gave him a dimpled smile and walked away.


Armaan walked slowly to his SUV that was parked a little bit away from the main gate of the house, he walked towards the passenger door instead of the drivers and opened the door to hear a quick gasp from her, he pulled her out as he banged the door shut and pinned her against the car door, "Don't ever do that again Riddhima! I can't live without you...i was so close to loosing you today..." he said as he rested his forehead against, his hands going around her slim waist, holding her tightly against him.


"And I can't live without you Armaan...so i'm not sorry for what i did in there" she said she held his face in her soft palms, her heart constricted as she saw tears running down his cheeks, she kissed them away as he spoke hoarsely "you should not have come between us Riddhima...what if the gun would have fired on you instead of his leg? What then? How..h.." he stopped as riddhima placed her finger against his lips "But it didn't...he got what he deserved...the bullet went through his leg...not you, not me...i'm too stubborn and even God can't make me go away from you or take you from me..." she said as she moved her finger and kissed him slowly on his lips.


Armaan sighed as he felt her soft lips over his, their tears intermingled..the salty taste lingering on their lips...she parted her mouth to take him in slowly, both savoring the feel and taste of each other as if they were exploring for the first time..the kiss went on for a few moments more as riddhima suddenly pushed him away as realization dawned on her "Armaan! What's the time?" she said loudly as panic set in


"Relax riddhima...its only 6:30...whaa?" Armaan said as riddhima pushed him towards the drivers side "Drive!" she screamed as she sat on the passenger side and belted herself up, she looked at Armaan who was staring at her as if she had grown two horns "What? Armaan! Drive...its our wedding in 4 hours! The Jaimala is at 10:30 tonight...and i need to go home and get ready! Move!" she screamed as Armaan jumped up scared at his fiancee's this avatar "Ok..ok...i'm driving!" he said as he shook his head a muttered 'Unbelievable!' under his breath!


"What? You think 4 hours is enough to get ready? Do you know that the hair dresser and the make-up lady are already there? They wanted to try out some stuff on me earlier...but i refused saying i needed my sleep...so apparently I'm still sleeping in my room!" she huffed as she took deep breaths, she had not wanted anyone in the house to know that she had left the house...so she had dressed up in an old pair of jeans and kurta, taken a shawl over her head and stepped out


"Oh...so that's the reason you gave for coming here...but if anyone goes into the room to check then? Won't they find the bed empty?" Armaan asked concern lacing his voice, "Oh no...that's what i have nikki for...poor thing must be sleeping since the past three hours now!" riddhima chucked as Armaan joined in the laughter, their stress and worries easing out with their laughs as the events of the day faded away with the promise of an unforgettable night.

...

His eyes were glued to the ethereal beauty in front of him as she floated towards him in her designer blue peacock style dress which he had designed himself for her. The stone studded bodice moulding her gorgeous curves while her slim waist was left bare, only to me marred by a gold waist chain. He hair was done up in masses of curls with an emerald jadau maang tika resting in its folds with matching necklace and earrings adorning her neck and ears. Lots of tinkling green and blue bangles were interspersed with kundan jadua kangans.


His breath caught at the sheer perfection in front of him, his riddhima. She smiled shyly as she stepped forward to place the garland around his neck, he could hear his friends egging him on to raise his head, some even tried to pick him up, but Armaan Mallik, with all the love and respect which he had for her, bowed down his head in complete surrender and humility. The family and friends marveled at the change this one girl had bought about in him and blessed the couple for a happy married life...for many life's to come.

...

Riddhima yawned as she was led into their room at 5am in the morning. The bidaai had just taken place and the grah pravesh was also done. Riddhima smiled as she remembered the way Anaya, dadiji, mamaji and nikki had welcomed her back into their house, her house now...it felt like it was only yesterday that she had stepped in from the same threshold for the first time, nervous as hell..pretending to be Armaan's fiancee...and today she was his wife...she kissed nikki and Shilpa on their cheeks as they teased her for a few minutes before leaving her alone in the gorgeously decorated room.


Riddhima went and stood by the french windows as she heard the door open and shut, she heard the quick snap of the lock and the loud boisterous voices from outside shouting encouragements and teases at him...as if he needed it she thought smiling widely. She closed her eyes and waited as he stepped closer to her, his hands going around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder as he whispered into her ears "Good morning Mrs Mallik..."


Riddhima shivered as his hands traced a lazy path along her flat stomach, she sucked her tummy in as she felt goosebumps along her skin while Armaan rained light kisses across her neck..he turned her around to gaze into her eyes "You look so beautiful tonight riddhima...i can't believe your mine.." he said as slowly removed her maang tika, kissing her gently on her forehead. He then kissed her on her eyes and cheeks before divesting off her earrings and necklace, dropping kisses on parts they left bare.


"Arrmaann..." riddhima moaned as he slowly took off all her bangles out and let them fall to the floor "We'll clean up tomorrow babe" he said as he unpinned her dupatta and let it float down as well "You forgot my waist chain.." riddhima said softly as Armaan's hands went to her back "Nope...i left it on, on purpose" he said hoarsely as riddhima crept her hands under his sherwani...it was easy to undo the buttons..she pulled it off him before kissing him on his hard chest..her teeth nipping the taut skin as Armaan groaned.


He undid the three strings holding back her heavy choli and riddhima breathed a sigh of relief as it fell away "I feel so much lighter now" she said breezily as Armaan feasted his eyes on her magnificent breasts, he latched his mouth onto them as her straining nipples stood proud before him "Hmm...riddhima...i missed this so much...God I love you..." he said as his mouth now traveled to hers, taking her lips in a savage hungry kiss, the slow tempo they started with vanished as need and desire took over their senses.


Armaan's hands deftly undid her lehenga and picked up her left leg as the gorgeous fabric slid down, he wrapped her leg around his waist as he kissed her senseless, his tongue probing her soft mouth, plundering it as she gave in kind. Riddhima groaned as she lifted herself up and wrapped her other leg around him as well as he supported her frame along his strong body, he walked them to the bed and dropped her on it as he joined her, his body pressing her slender form down on the soft mattress, his lips kissing her belly button over the gold chain.


Riddhima writhed restlessly under him waiting for him to take her, she pulled him up for a passionate kiss as he took off the remainder of their clothes before getting himself settled between her, he looked into her eyes which shone with love and thrust into her as she cried out in pleasure, their bodies joined in an ancient rhythm known to man and woman, as they both reached their crescendo together, their love soaring as high as they slept peacefully as man and wife leaving the bleak past behind, dreaming about the bright future.

...

"Armaan...not again...i'm too tired!" riddhima groaned as Armaan snaked an arm around her waist bringing her flush against his naked body "No chance...you just lie down...let me pleasure you..." he said naughtily as his hands started traveling along her thighs.. "Umm...Mr Mallik...where are you planning on taking me for our honeymoon?" she gasped as he found her core, she closed her eyes as he continued his assault.


"Where ever you want o go sweetheart..." he said as her body heated up once again from the pleasure her husband was giving her "Re...ally?" she asked as her body got ready to reach its climax.. "A..aar..Armaan..." she moaned as Armaan increased his tempo, his experienced fingers creating havoc "H..how...abb..about we..gg..go again to Neemmrana.a.." she screamed out the last part as her body crashed down form an amazing climax.


Armaan looked at her flushed face "I'll book it tomorrow.." he smiled down and kissed her soundly as she returned it with equal fervor "Thank you my love,..." she said as she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his warm chest "Can i ask you something?" she said as she ran her fingers over him , "Hmm..." Armaan said as riddhima looked up "When did you know it was love? When did you know that I was the one for you?" she asked as Armaan caressed her head and kissed her gently on her forehead "I think it was when you walked into that restaurant..with your little black dress...the first time...When I Met You"

...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x...x


So Guys! Let me know if you want an Epilogue :) xoxo

Epilogue

Mature Content...you have been warned! :p

A sunny morning on the 12th of September 2014

"Bhabhi!!! What do I do with this?" Nikki asked as she held a soiled diaper in her hands, she frowned as riddhima came towards her "Nikki! What do you do with a dirty diaper? You throw it in the bin!" riddhima laughed as she took the diaper from her and plonked it into the nearby dustbin. She turned back to see Nikki and Raghav struggling with cleaning up a now red faced amal who was bawling away to glory.



Riddhima smiled as she walked towards them and kneeled down towards her son, with his dark brown hair and molten brown eyes, he looked just like his dad "Aww...my darling...why are you crying my baby? Mamma's here!" she cooed as amal looked at her and stopped crying, at the same time, Nikki and raghav were successful in getting his new diaper on, they sighed with relief as amal now smiled his cute toothless smile and raised his hands for riddhima to pick him up.



"Seriously riddhima bhabhi...me and nikki are not planning for a kid for at least another 10 years! And if we do have one before that time, I'm leaving it with you!" Raghav said as he wiped his perspiring forehead, he winced as Nikki pinched him and went to take amal from riddhima "Shut up! I wanna have one as soon as we get married! I can't wait to have my very own amal" she said as she tickled amal's tummy making him gurgle in pleasure.



"Gosh! You both started again! Who will say that both of you are getting married in three days!" riddhima shook her head as she went to pick out some clothes for amal from the huge suitcase. She took a baby blue bunny suit and handed it over to Raghav "Now you need to powder him and dress him up...that's it! Your training is complete!" she said as raghav groaned "Aww...bhabhi! I don't know why we insisted on learning about babies! It's too much work" he said as riddhima patted his cheeks and kissed amal on his forehead before leaving them to it



"Be prepared! Next is learning how to feed him!" she laughed as she gave some instructions to the nanny, leaving her son in the care of his bui and his future fufa for now. She started walking across the huge foyer towards the massive gardens, a small smile on her lips as she remembered the many memories they had made here, in fact she was pretty sure that they had created their amal right here...at Neemrana.



...



He had his back to her as she admired his strong lithe body, even after all this time of being with him she still felt butterflies in her lower tummy whenever she saw her husband. She smiled fondly as he guided the decorators and the wedding planner about how the venue should be done up for his beloved sister's big fat Indian wedding. She waited till he finished talking to them before moving behind him and wrapping her arms across his torso, she rested her head against his back and sighed as he leaned back into her and placed his large hands over her smaller ones.



"Hey babe...I missed you" he said as he turned around and held her lightly by her waist, he looked down appreciating her pale pink sundress, her shoulders bare, only tiny straps holding the cotton dress to her frame...her hair flying about in the breeze, he trailed his finger over her plump lips as he bent down to claim them, she sighed in satisfaction as his lips took hers in a gentle kiss.



"Umm...why didn't you wake me up?" she said as she broke the kiss and smiled up at him "You were sleeping soo deeply and amal had kept you up all night...so I let you sleep in...though I really wanted to wake you up in our special way" he said as he nuzzled her neck "Armaan! Stop...everyone is watching us...and by the way he kept both of us up all night..." she said holding his hand as his eyes wandered about "Speaking of which, where is he? I thought you'll bring him with you" he said as he tried to spot a baby stroller with the nanny.



"No, it's not a very favourable weather for him and plus nikki and raghav are going to look after him today...right from changing his diapers to feeding him, they said they wanted training to.." she said as he jerked up and looked at her with a horrid expression "WHAT! You left my child in the care of brat and blob?" he said as riddhima hit him lightly on his arm "Stop calling them that! If raghav ever comes to know what you call him..." she narrowed her eyes as Armaan smirked "Well, his nose is a little like a blob..i mean how do girls find him attractive I wonder!" he said as riddhima frowned at him



"Well! He's very well read and a fine gentleman..aand..." she said as Armaan placed his hand over her mouth "Ok stop! I don't want to hear his praises from your mouth...even though he is marrying my sister...I still find it very disturbing that he once pursued you!" he said twisting his mouth annoyingly "Armaan! He did not pursue me! We just spoke!" she said pinching his arm as he winced in fake pain "Now show me what all arrangements you have done so far!" she huffed as he followed his wife smiling behind her "Aye aye capt'n!"



"Hai re Nandkishore!!!!" buaji said as riddhima and Armaan strolled in to the presidential suit after their recce of the garden area, they had decided to have the actual wedding on the vast terrace overlooking the hills while the reception would be held in the gardens. "What happened buaji? Why do you look so worried?" riddhima asked her as she came and stood in front of her "Ridzi! Why did you leave lalla with Nikki bitiya and raghav bitwa? They are having a huge fight over what to play with him! God only knows if both of them will be present for their own sangeet tonight!" she slapped her forehead as riddhima smiled at her.



"Buaji! They need to do this together...they wanted to take care of amal...and don't worry, how much ever they fight they love each other much more!" she giggled as dadiji and Anaya came to the room as well "Arre madhu...don't worry, they'll be fine...right now they have taken lalla for a stroll" dadiji said as she came and calmed down buaji, riddhima looked on at the besties, yep dadiji and buaji were inseparable! In fact her family had insisted that buaji should stay with them only instead of any other house...everyone loved her eccentric ways and adored her love and care for nikki.



"Riddhima beta, i'm so glad you suggested this place for the wedding...it's simply breathtakingly beautiful! No wonder you and Armaan come here so often!" Anaya said as she hugged riddhima from the side "I know mumma, isn't it wonderful! Just you wait till all the dcor is done...it's going to look fabulous! And Ashaji is also coming for the wedding...who knows...all our prayers might be answered here" she gushed as she smiled remembering what mamaji had told her about his love life.



Apparently his girl-friend from college, Asha had left for US after they completed graduation...thus breaking his heart...he had never married since he had given his heart to her...and recently they came to know that she too had remained unmarried and was back in India, Riddhima had joyously taken up the responsibility to play their personal cupid, much to the annoyance of Armaan and delight of the rest of the family.



Watching the ladies gush about his poor mama's love life, Armaan came striding towards her "Ok ok, everyone! All the guests have checked-in and Raghav's family is also here...I have arranged lunch for all of us in the queen's garden...so please be there in an hour's time" Armaan informed everyone as they continued their chit-chat while walking towards the door.



"And now please go to your own suites as my wife needs some sleep...she's been up all night thanks to amal...so we'll see you in an hour" he said ushering everyone out "Oh really? I wonder how much sleep she'll get in an hour...and don't use my grandson name's for your..." Anaya's voice trailed away as the three ladies made their way out, Armaan turned back to riddhima and looked at her amused face "So..Where were we?" he asked wriggling his eyebrows



"Armaan Mallik! Shame on you! I can't believe you just made them leave like that!" riddhima said as she shook her head at him, Armaan smirked as he walked slowly towards her "Well, excuse me if I want to spend some quality time with my wife...i mean I can't remember the last time we were alone! I mean I love our baby, but I think you're not being fair to your first baby! And now that La is coming tomorrow...I can just imagine how busy you both will get! Especially gossiping about her firang fiance!" he sighed as his arms went around riddhima.



"Aw...my first baby!" riddhima said as she whispered in his ears, Armaan closed his eyes feeling her lips caress him, he held her more tightly as her arms went around his neck pulling him closer "I missed you too hun...but one hour is too little...and don't worry I'll make sure La and nikki don't take all my time..Because all of it is only for you and amal..i promise!" she said as she kissed his jaw.



Armaan groaned as he slid her dress strap away from her shoulder, leaving feathery kisses along her bare skin, she moaned as he cupped her breasts while kissing her neck, they were just about to kiss when the shrill bell rang in their room "What the!" Armaan shouted as he looked at riddhima's flushed skin.."Go and check who it is!" riddhima pushed him away adjusting her clothes and hair.



Armaan strode angrily towards the door and opened it with a thunderous expression, but his face split into a huge smile when he saw nikki holding his son in her arms, raghav and the nanny in tow "Bhai! We had such an amazing time with amal today...I think we are totally prepared for a child now!" Nikki giggles as Raghav shook his head in complete No behind her, Armaan smiled as he took his son from her, 'perfect couple' he thought shaking his head.



"Bhabhi!" Nikki called out to riddhima from the door "Nikki..why are you standing there? Come on in you two.." she said as their nanny went in to get amal's things in order "No bhabhi...we need to go and start getting ready...i mean I need to! We'll see you later!" they both waved as Nikki kissed her nephew and brother on their cheeks before once again getting into some silly argument with raghav.



"Made for each other I tell ya!" Armaan grumbled as he carried his son to the huge couch by the window, he sat down resting amal's little body against his arms, cradling his head the way riddhima had shown him. Riddhima looked on at father and son as they both made silent communication as if they were engrossed in some political debate, well not that silent since Armaan was cooing to him...She laughed as she thought what an impossible sight this would have been two years ago!



"So what did you say earlier? You wanted to spend some quality time with me huh? Why don't I call the nanny? She can look after amal you know..." riddhima said pulling his leg, she knew that when Armaan had amal with him, everything else was forgotten including her sometimes "N..no..I want to play with him..I mean I've not seen him since morning...so" Armaan said already lost in amal's gurgles, riddhima smiled as she left them alone, after all he needed some quality time with his son too.



...



"Did I tell you your perfume intoxicates me" Armaan whispered against riddhima's ears sliding his hands over his wife's bare midriff, her red sheer sari hardly covering it. She tilted her head up and smiled at him "Really? I never knew that..." she whispered back as Armaan inhaled near her neck and sighed "Yep...it truly does...in fact did you know I was introduced to your perfume before you?" he said smirking at her, riddhima turned around in his arms to look at him as if he had lost his mind "What? How?" she asked as he pulled her closer



"Let's leave that story for another day..right now all I want to do is rip off that red sari and take you right here" he said huskily as he pulled her away from the function towards the exit. "Armaan! Are you mad? The sangeet is still going on...and we need to take amal as well" she said pulling her hand from him, but Armaan was quick for her as he pulled her back and led her away "No its not and no we don't!" Armaan said smiling at her naughtily.



"What?" riddhima asked as they walked across the scented corridors adorned with white lily's towards the private lift which would take them directly to the presidential suite of the hotel. "I mean...we have danced all we can..everyone is leaving now and mom is taking care of amal tonight...the nanny will be staying with them as well...she really wanted you to rest it out...said you looked pale and tired...but little does she know that I don't intend to let you sleep at all!" he rasped as they reached the elevator.



"But...let me at least say good night to my sweety..." she said turning back to go towards the function, but Armaan held her hand "I've already kissed him from both of us..and now if you go there..they won't leave you...and I know how you get when amal's with you...you'll never come back and convince mom that you'll be fine and yadda yadda.." he said as the lift started moving upwards, she gave him an annoyed look but felt her insides heat up at his darkened eyes.



Riddhima gasped as Armaan picked her up as the elevator reached their floor and walked to their room, she wound her arms around him as he slid the door open and stepped inside before locking it and placing her down gently on the soft carpeted floor, he then pulled her towards him as he slammed his lips on hers, his mouth sucking her lips till she moaned with need, their tongues played the practiced game of dominance as pure hot desire took over both of them.



They had missed this, this mad passionate love making...it had been a while since they had gotten time for themselves...so there was no gentle foreplay...no words of romance...it was pure unadulterated heat which sweeped them off their feet as clothes were discarded with urgency, the need to feel each other's bare bodies taking over their senses, riddhima moaned as Armaan's hot mouth latched onto her straining peak, his tongue ravishing, his teeth biting...his hand busy moulding the other...the thought of having too little time for this making things more exciting.



Riddhima's hands grabbed his proud arousal as he hissed in pleasure "Riddhima...God...I've missed this so much!" he said, his voice hoarse with need..he shut his eyes as riddhima stroked his length, her hands skilfully sliding themselves around his member. He pulled her hands up to warp them around his neck as he pushed her buttocks up to rub het wet core against him, her own body far too aroused to think anything.



Armaan fused his mouth to hers as he took her towards their bed, he gently lowered her on it as he kneeled besides her, his lips slowly tracing a path of hot kisses from the tips of her toes to her core, he smiled against her nub as his tongue pleasure her senseless, he could feel her body writing under his as she thrashed around, waiting for him to fill her up.



"Armaanvv...nn...now...pl..please..." riddhima moaned as he bought her to the brink of insanity, but Armaan did not still have his fill as he kissed her further up towards her abdomen, dipping his tongue in her navel, she cried out in frustration as she got up and pushed him down on the bed, she then straddled him as she sat over his abdomen, her eyes blazing with unfulfilled desire "I'm taking over" she said breathlessly as her slick hands once again found his engorged member, she positioned herself over him as her dripping core slid on him easily.



Armaan groaned in pleasure as he felt riddhima sheath him, her muscles clenching against his arousal as she rode him in her wild passionate way..Armaan loved this about her...her uninhabited nature when it came to their love making...he was purposely delaying her because he knew how wild she got when he kept her waiting...his breathing became heavy as he saw his magnificent wife above him, her hands resting on his chest, her hair bounding about her as her body connected with his in the most primal form.



When he knew she was at the brink, he pulled her down and under him and thrust into her, he too could feel his climax building up as she screamed into his shoulder "Harder...baby...please...harder..." Armaan could not hold it any longer, with a final hard thrust both came together, joining in unbridled ecstasy as their bodies shuddered into peaceful oblivion, lulling them to a deep slumber.



...


The peaceful hours of sleep was disturbed with the ringing of their doorbell, riddhima stretched and yawned as she pulled on her robe and went to open the door, she smiled as she saw Anaya with amal who was now wide awake "Riddhima beta...I fed him his formula once but now I think he wants your milk...he's become very fidgety" Anaya said worriedly as she handed over amal to her



"Don't worry mamma...he's a fussy baby...he just doesn't like formula...no worries, i'll take him with me...thanks" she said as Anaya kissed them both and left for her room, riddhima closed the door as she spoke in baby tongue with her son "Who's a naughty boy? Who's he..yes...you my baby.." she cooed as Armaan came yawning behind her, "Hey! Look who's here! Could not stay away from ma and pa for long huh little guy? He said as his son caught his offered finger very tightly.



"Nope, he can't and neither can his parents" riddhima said as she went and laid him on the bed next to her, she cleaned her breast before feeding her son who latched onto it hungrily making her gasp "Well, looks like he's just like his papa" Armaan chuckled as riddhima threw a pillow at him "Armaan! That's disgusting..." she giggled as amal fell asleep after his fill. She laid him straight in between her and Armaan and placed pillows around him.



Armaan leaned over and kissed his son before pulling his wife for another lengthy kiss, he then kissed her once again softly on her forehead as he held her hand over amal "Thanks riddhima..." he said as riddhima looked at him with a confused look, "Thanks for giving me amal...you know i'm pretty sure we made this little angel right here..in this bed one and a half year ago...and I hope we made another one now...today...what do you think? You want one more amal?" he asked as riddhima laughed with him.



"Hmm...maybe, but how about...a little princess? Someone with your eyes" she said huskily as Armaan smiled at her, "No...I want her to be just like you in every sense...I love you riddhima..." he said as his eyes conveyed the truth of his words, riddhima smiled as her eyes shone with her love for him "I love you too Armaan..." she said as both fell asleep gazing into each other's eyes...their dreams of tomorrow already taking effect...their life...perfect.

...x...