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Hey guys I have been having some ideas for ArSh so i decided to give it a shot and I hope you like it. well basically if you guys like it then i'll continue it with the second part where they'll fall in love but if i didn't get many comments then this is will be it like ArSh as friends. so here it goes and plss do comment to let me know what you guys think of it:
Shilpa gets to know that armaan and riddhima loved each other when riddhima found out armaan's diary in shilpa's possession and tells her that this aashiq is armaan and shilpa realizes that armaan must have gotten hurt when she had constantly probed him about all the sweet things written in the diary and how she had told sid to plan riddhima's birthday party according to the diary. So she decides to apologize to armaan and she tries to find him.
Shilpa went from corridor to corridor, from 1st floor to the 5th floor but couldn't find armaan. She went to the terrace, caf, OPD, OT, all the wards but he was nowhere. Finally she came down to the nurse station but before going there her eyes spotted the fire escape door and she looked at it thoughtfully and then realized that where else could he be except the fire escape.
She stepped in and found him sitting on the steps. His head was placed on his knees and he had wrapped his arms around his legs. Shilpa frowned and stepped down slowly when she heard his sniff and realized that he was crying. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief at the thought that the most 'akdu and sadu' person was crying. But for what??
"armaa?" she whispered leaning closer to him and touched his elbow hesitatingly.
"chali jao yahan se" she heard his broken voice which made her heart clench. She touched her tongue to her lips while her throat was going dry. She bit her lower lip and thought what to say but then decided to do the opposite. Instead of saying anything, she sat down quietly beside him.
He knew she was still there but he didn't want to talk to her. Riddhima had told him that it was shilpa who had asked sid to arrange that birthday party just as the diary said and unknowingly shilpa had renewed all his wounds that hadn't even healed yet. Riddhima had moved on with sid but he was the only one who was still standing in the cafeteria when they were all playing an act of getting armaan and riddhima married and then riddhima had told him that she was married to sid. He remembered everything. Their love, their fights, their friendship, everything but riddhima had left everything behind her and moved on.
"life gives us chances armaan," he heard her soft voice, "Wo jo kehte hain k life sirf ek hi chance deti hai wo sb ghalat kehte hain. Hum apni life guzarne ka tareeka khud chunte hain" she sat looking straight ahead and folded her arms on her knees.
"just shut up and leave me alone" he spoke with his head still on his knees.
"kisi ek insan k chale jane se zindagi khatam nahi hoti armaan." She looked at him unaffected by his anger.
"per meri zindagi khatam hogayi hai" he shot at her and looked up. She saw his blood shot eyes and puffed, tear streaked face.
"kiyun k tum khud usay khatam karna chahte ho" she looked in his eyes determined not to leave no matter what he said or did.
"han main yahi chahta hun now just get lost" he spoke in a deadly tone.
"tumhain lagta hai is duniya main saare dukh bas tumhain hi mil gaye hain. Hai na? bas ek tum hi taklif main ho. Tumhare se ziada dukh kisi or ko mile hi nahi honge. Right?" she spoke sarcastically to him while her own temper rising.
"kiya chahti ho tum?" he asked through his clenched teeth.
"riddhima agay badh gayi to tum bhi badho armaan. And m sure tumhare liye bhi koi na koi or hoga zarur jo tumse bohat pyaar karega" she spoke calmly controlling herself.
"mujhe kisi ki zarurat nahi hai" he spat and looked away.
"hum sbko kisi na kisi ki zarurat hoti hai. See tum ne apna pyaar kho dia or main ne apni family", she turned her face ahead and stared at empty space, "Bohat choti thi jab mere maa papa ne mujhe khud se door kar diya. Ek behen hai jo mujhse nafrat karti hai per dekho main bhi to agay badh rahi hun na" she looked at him with a weak smile plastered on her face and armaan looked at her and her eyes which clearly showed her pain that she hid so well.
"koshish karo armaan! Koshish karna hi sbse badi zarurat hoti hai." She turned towards him and curled her leg beneath her, "Mat bhoolo usay." She shook her head trying to convince him, "Saamna karo sachayi ka. Han! tum dono ek doosre se pyaar karte thay. To kiya hua agar waqt ne tum dono ko alag kar diya? Jaise uska hath koi pakad kar usay agay le gaya waise hi tumhare liye bhi koi na koi zarur hoga" when he kept looking at her shilpa took his silence as understanding. She smiled and continued,
"and trust me tum bhi ussay pyaar karne lagoge. Such main. Wo tumhain itna pyaar degi k tum sb kuch apne ap hi bhool jaoge" she was about to raise her hand to wipe his tears but stopped herself and he wiped them himself and looked at the ground,
"har kisi ki zindagi main pyaar ata hai. Ek baar nahi baar baar ata hai. Wo humari marzi hoti hai k hum kise chunte hain"
"tumhari zindagi main kaunsa pyaar agaya shilpa jo tum mujhe naseehat karne chali ho?" he looked at her and she realized he really was hurt deeply. Too deeply.
"ayega na! meri zindagi main bhi ayega koi jo mujhe wo sb kuch dega jo mujhe kabhi mila hi nahi. Per dekho main bhi to intazar kar rahi hun na and ek baar wo agaya to main to usay jaane hi nahi dungi. Tum bhi mat jane dena." She leaned to him and gave a smile that showed him her hope. He knew that she wasn't faking it. She actually was waiting for someone.
"zarurat pade to bandh k rakh lena apne pas. Uskay pas or koi option hi nahi bachega sivae tumhain pyaar karne k. simple fundae hai. Tameez se na mane to phir zabardasti hi sahi" she spoke with a mischievous smile and his lips slowly and finally stretched to a small smile and his eyes shone. He shook his head and a few more tears dropped from his eyes which were the last as he wiped them off. She got lost in his smile. This was the first time that he had ever smiled at her.
"tumhare wala na mana to tum kiya karogi? Bandhogi usay?" he asked her, his voice still hoarse.
"wo ubhi tk decide nahi kiya. Jab ayega tk sochungi." She shook her head and then giggled while he sniffed into a smile, "Chalen?" she asked and they both got up to leave together.
From then onwards shilpa stayed by his side only as a friend. She left her feelings for him behind that had started to develop and only tried to help him to move on. She would chatter to him for an hour while he would only listen to her or would smile sometimes which was a big achievement for shilpa because she had never seen him smile and she wanted to see that smile all the time.
They would walk on the path outside sanjivani while shilpa chattered about the people inside sanjivani. She joked about them, laughed at others; in fact she talked about anything and everything that would make him smile. She didn't bother if she looked like a fool but she just wanted to see him smiling.
He was in a foul mood one day and she saw it. she quickly went outside and brought ice cream cone for both of them and handed out his ice cream to him. He looked from her to the ice cream and to her smile that showed clearly that she had no intention of going away even if he shouted at her so he took the ice cream quietly and they went outside eating it while shilpa started again,
"you know what mujhe ice cream bohat pasand hai. Waise to har khane wali cheez hi pasand hai per ice cream is my favourite. Or mera favourite flavor orange hai. Tumhara favorite kaunsa hai?" when he just sighed closing his eyes for peace she continued ignoring his sigh,
"acha na batao yaar theek hai. Waise tumhain us nurse bechari pe ghussa nahi karna chahiye tha. Kitni dar gayi thi wo. Tumhain pata hai tum ghusse main bilkul Godzilla lagte ho or phir tum…"
"per tum to nahi darti is Godzilla se" he spoke in between her.
"meri baat or hai. Main to tumse ziada brave and strong hun and mera ghussa tumse bhi ziada khatarnak hai" she teased him licking her cone.
"really." He smirked at her, "Tum thakti nahi na bolte bolte? Main tumhain har time ignore karta hun phir bhi tum chup nahi karti" he grew serious.
"to theek hai friendship kar lete hain na. phir problem hi nahi rahegi. Friends honge to tum bhi baat karoge" she ignored his seriousness as well. When he didn't say anything and continued to bite his ice cream she held out her hand to him,
"watssay? Friends??" he looked at her hand and then went back to eating his ice cream. She curled her lips n a face and went to her own ice cream and said to herself in a low tone,
"khadoos to khadoos hi rehta hai"
"what did you say?" he heard her and frowned.
"nothing" she shook her head unconcerned and licked her ice cream again.
"you called me a khadoos" it was a statement instead of a question.
"ub khadoos ko khadoos na bolun to kiya bolun. Or sadu bhi ho." She got up quickly and stuck her tongue out at him and ran away.
"shilpa" he called her in a warning tone and was about to get up to go after her.
" Bye" she waved her hand at him with a huge smile on her face. He sat back down and couldn't help but smile at her silliness.
PART 2
Days started to form in weeks and everyone around noticed the change in armaan. Even riddhima noticed the glint of old armaan back and she was happy that he was returning to his old happy self. Armaan and shilpa were always seen together even though it was still shilpa who always took the initiative towards him but still he seemed happy around her. He even joked with her and teased her as well. But a part of shilpa was falling in love with armaan even more then she could ever imagine. Day and night, sleeping or awake, she thought about him. His smile, his voice, his presence was so strong that she could imagine him almost everywhere when he was not around. She knew that she could never confess her feeling to anyone and neither was she going to do so. She didn't want to lose their friendship. It was precious to her because for once in her life time, she had found true happiness with someone and she wouldn't let it end because of her feelings. After all she could control her feelings.
"armaan main jaon?? Wo files rakh di hain table per" shilpa came to inform armaan in his cabin while he was busy in his file with a frown on his forehead.
"hmm" he replied without even looking up.
"ok then…bye" her cheerful tone dropped to a slight disappointment that he still ignored her even after a long time of their so called friendship from her side. He had never said that he was a friend of hers and neither had he ever accepted her invitation.
"hmm" he again replied unknowingly and shilpa quietly stepped back and turned around to go out.
"shilpa wait" he came out of his distraction and realized that she was leaving. She flipped around at his voice with a smile as this was the first time that he stopped her.
"han" her voice shook with the sudden excitement inside her and thankfully it went unnoticed by armaan.
"tum ghar jarahi ho?" he asked placing the file on the table and went to pick up his lab coat from his chair.
"obviously armaan. Ub duty khatam hogayi to ghar hi jaongi na" she shrugged her shoulders trying to calm her own senses.
"chalo I'll drop you home" he told her and started to walk out.
"no its ok. Main chali jaongi. Tum apna kaam karo"
"meri duty bhi khatam hogayi hai isliye keh raha hun" he replied and just walked out without glancing back.
"ok." She said behind his back and sighed. How she wished that he would look back at her just once, he would listen to her just as she wanted to listen to him. How she wished that just once he would look at her the way she looked at him. How silly? She thought and hit her head lightly and followed him out.
"tum yahan ruko main gadi le ka rata hun" he stopped her when they reached outside and she nodded quietly while walked down the road. It was evening hours and there was so much traffic and people with all the noise around. Shilpa couldn't help but follow her eyes to his strong and broad figure crossing the road and now he was walking along the road but still he was slightly in the middle of it while the parking lot was still a little far. Shilpa looked unconsciously to the other side of him to see if there was any car and she saw a truck coming with full speed toward him. She panicked and cried out his name but her voice was lost in the midst of the noise. He didn't hear her and kept walking. Shilpa saw that neither had he heard her nor was the truck seeing him so she ran towards him. She looked back once at the approaching truck and she knew she had no other choice and she pushed him out of the way while the truck driver spotted the running girl and tried to stop the truck but the damage was done. She got hit by the truck but armaan had only fallen by the hard push on the other side of the road.
For a moment everything went still. People started gathering around and armaan got up recovering from the shock and he came running towards shilpa who was lying beside the truck and blood was running down from her head and arm. She was slightly conscious of her surroundings and as soon as armaan picked her up in his arms, she slightly smiled and thanked God for saving him in her heart and then everything blacked out.
Apart from all those people two other people had also seen the happenings. Riddhima and sid. They both sat outside the ICU while shilpa and armaan were inside. Thankfully no major fractures had occurred and she had just sprained her ankle and dirty bleeding wounds on her knee, head,arm and shoulder but due to the hit of her head with the truck she was still unconscious.
"riddhima she's fine" sid consoled riddhima who was sitting too quietly and… numb.
"I now she's fine" she spoke almost emotionlessly.
"then what's wrong" sid asked knowing that something had upset her.
"didn't you saw what she did?" riddhima looked at sid.
"I was there too riddhima"
"No sid. You just saw what happened but you didn't see what she did" she looked away and she saw the flash of shilpa running towards armaan"
"Then tell me no" sid asked placing his hand on riddhima's shoulder.
"She sacrificed her own life for him" she replied quietly.
"hey you ok?"
"mmhmm" shilpa tried to smile at armaan's concern as soon as she gained consciousness. Her bandaging had been done and she tried to open her eyes and the only face that she saw was armaan's. She was thankful that at least he was safe.
"how can you be so careless?" he asked sitting down beside her and she frowned.
"ok m sorry. I mean thanks for saving me." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
"hey guys." Sid and riddhima came in but only sid spoke while riddhima kept her gaze fixed on shilpa.
"hi" armaan replied while shilpa tried to sit up but her head ached and felt heavy.
"it's ok leti raho" armaan said.
"no m ok" she croaked and armaan helped her sit up and placed the pillow behind her head to let her head and back rest and gave her water that she drank.
"how are you feeling now?" sid asked concerned.
"m good" shilpa spoke. Sid glanced towards riddhima and he knew that she wanted to talk to shilpa alone.
"I'll just be back." Said armaan.
"wait I'll come with you" sid said and walked out with armaan leaving riddhima and shilpa alone.
"hi" shilpa spoke while riddhima just smiled.
"ub theek ho?" riddhima asked.
"hmm much better."
"shilpa why did you do it?" riddhima couldn't control herself so she asked softly.
"what did I do?" shilpa asked confused.
"you know very well what you did?" riddhima was even more soft and calm with her.
"i… I just…" shilpa got nervous thinking that maybe she was caught.
"why?" riddhima came and sat down beside shilpa.
"because he's my friend or meri jagah koi bhi hota to yahi karta and armaan ki jaga agar koi or hota tb bhi main yahi karti" shilpa tried to hide the fact and lied.
"nahi. You wouldn't have" riddhima shook her head lightly but kept her eyes fixed on shilpa noticing her discomfort.
"ap kiya kehna chah rahi hain?" shilpa asked looking away.
"main wo sunna chah rahi hun jo tum bhi janti ho"
"kiya?" shilpa's voice dropped and riddhima knew that now shilpa wouldn't lie.
"yahi k tum janti thi k if you tried to save him you'll get hurt yourself and still you did it" riddhima stated the fact and when she didn't replied riddhima continued,
"I saw you looking at the truck just before you pushed armaan away and you knew very well what would happen to you" she heard shilpa sigh.
"you love him shilpa. Don't you?" ridhdima tilted her head to see shilpa's face,
"speak up shilpa" shilpa closed her eyes at the truth she was hearing by the same person because of whom shilpa had backed off.
"so?" riddhima heard shilpa's dead voice.
"so? So what" riddhima was shocked.
"karti hun to kiya karun?" shilpa looked at riddhima and riddhima saw the pain in her eyes that she was shielding with her face expressionless.
"aren't you gonna tell him?" riddhima asked caringly leaning closer to her.
"no" shilpa spoke with a finality.
"but why?"
"because I don't want to lose the relationship that we have"
"and what is that?" riddhima asked folding her arms on her chest looking at shilpa's wounds and bruises.
"friendship" shilpa spoke unconvincingly because she knew the fact herself that she and armaan were not friends.
"do you really think he believes you to be his friend or if you truly think that he's your friend?" riddhima asked raising her brows quizzing.
"I don't care what we both think"
"really shilpa?" riddhima eyed shilpa and she looked up knowing that riddhima wanted an explanation.
"main nahi chahti k mere kuch bhi kehne ya karne se wo uncomfortable feel kare ya phir usko aisa lage k he's tied to me or my feelings" shilpa said and shook her head.
"or tumhain lagta hai k jo tumne ubhi kiya hai wo usko sochne per majboor nahi karega k tumne aisa kyun kiya?" riddhima continued when shilpa didn't reply,
"trust me shilpa he needs you. You both need each other. Tell him and everything would be fine." She placed her hand on shilpa's arm consolingly but still shilpa didn't say anything.
"main sirf tumhain samjha sakti hun. Agay tumhari marzi. But one thing is for sure that he'll return your love too" riddhima got up to leave.
"that's what I don't want. Agar wo khud mujhse pyaar karta to theek tha per agar mere pyar ka return dekha ehsaan samajh kar to nahi chahiye mujhe aisa pyaar. Isse better to uski nafrat hi sahi, at least dil se to hogi " shilpa looked up at riddhima who listened to her intently.
"I wish k jo tum dono k liye better hai wohi ho" riddhima said and walked out. Shilpa closed her eyes and took a deep breath but as she opened her eyes she saw a person walking away. Shilpa just saw the shoulder and arm of the person who had just walked away and she knew who it was. Her heart sank and she felt her forehead perspiring. Her body went cold. He had listened to her. Armaan had listened but how much? She didn't know and neither did she want to know.
Why? How could she when she already knew that he loved riddhima? But then she never forced her feelings on him. Armaan couldn't help but think about everything that he had heard. He hadn't heard much but whatever he heard one thing was sure that shilpa loved him. But why? He had never even talked to her in a way that would make her feel as if he loved her. He had never even considered her as his friend. He didn't need anyone.
Armaan stopped pacing and sat on the chair in his room and thought about shilpa since she came in his life. He remembered how she had always distracted him from his worries. Whenever he was thinking about riddhima, shilpa came and distracted him and his sadness turned in anger that he took out on shilpa but she never backed off. He remembered when he was in the recreation room and shilpa had come there trying to make him smile and he had been rough with her. He remembered how she had stopped him from the fight once when he had spotted her in his way. He remembered when she had come in the basketball court to take him back to the hospital after she knew that he loved riddhima. She never stopped coming to him but then when did she fall in love with him? He never realized a change in her. Or maybe she was in love with him even before that. She had never let him know. But then… he suddenly realized the way she sometimes looked at him, she became nervous when he came near her. He remembered her stuttering when he had asked her why she hadn't hit him during the fight they had done in the caf. He now remembered her shivers and breathlessness when he had pulled her towards him during the fight and then her weak attacks towards him. She was a strong fighter and he had guessed that but at that time even he couldn't understand why she was slow but now… he did.
Riddhima had to leave him, she didn't leave him on purpose but fate had drifted them apart and fate had sent shilpa. If he wouldn't have come back to give shilpa her medicines he wouldn't have heard shilpa and riddhima's conversation. Riddhima herself was trying to convince shilpa to confess her feelings to armaan but shilpa had refused just because she didn't want to hurt him or force him into any such relation.
How ironic! He thought sarcastically. She was the one who had told him to force the person whom he loved and she would fall in love with him and look at herself! She wasn't even trying to show him that she loved him instead she helped him move on. He realized it soon that his pain of riddhima's leaving him was healing quickly since shilpa had started to stay around him. She made him smile, she made him stop thinking about riddhima and his empty life without her and instead she kept herself with him almost 24*7 and he had no other choice but to think about shilpa and forget his worries. He smiled at her silliness even when he was alone. She acted foolishly just to make him smile and he never realized that why would someone do all that for him knowing that he loved someone else and even when he was so rude, arrogant and angry with her? Just because she loved him.
It didn't matter to shilpa that he loved someone else. She just kept giving him all her love by helping him move on and she didn't want anything in return from him. But what had he given her? He had always taken her for granted. He never accepted her friendship even though she asked him so many times but he had always told her off but still she never minded. He was harsh and rough with her but still she always smiled at him.
A week and a half passed by and shilpa recovered from her wounds but the sprain was hurting her still. She was discharged but in all this time armaan didn't came to see her once and she was grateful for this because she herself didn't know how to face him or what would he ask? Etc. such questions were arising in her mind and she had to do something about it. She sent an application to get her internship posted to the delhi sanjivani where she would complete her internship. She had started the process so quietly that no one came to know of it till the final permission letter which was given to riddhima to give it to shilpa and riddhima was shocked at what shilpa was doing. She knew talking to shilpa wouldn't help because now it was time to talk to armaan.
She decided and went to find armaan with shilpa's letter in her hands. She found armaan in his cabin and went inside without knocking and placed the letter with a thump on the table. Armaan turned around at the sound of the thud and saw riddhima standing with her arms folded across her chest,
"ye kiya hai?" armaan asked glancing up at riddhima.
"khud hi dekh lo" she spoke curtly.
"per ye hai kiya riddhima?" armaan picked up the envelope and looked at the back of it.
"shilpa ka transfer letter. Usne apna transfer delhi sanjivani main karva liya hai"
"per kiyun?" something inside him fell inside his stomach and he felt his stomach churning with a nauseous feeling.
"wow ye tum mujhse puch rahe ho? Main yahi baat tumse puchne ayi hun armaan" riddhima tilted her head to a side.
"mujhse?" armaan looked away.
"exactly. K wo kiyun jarahi hai?"
"ye mujhe kaise pata hoga?" armaan spoke unconvincingly.
"ye sirf tum or shilpa hi jante ho k wo kiyun jarahi hai. Kiya tum itne dino main ek baar bhi shilpa se milne gaye? Usse pucha k wo kaisi hai?" riddhima stepped in front of armaan to make him face her.
"isse tumhain kiya matlab?" armaan frowned and turned away.
"mujhe matlab isliye hai kiyun k wo stupid ladki tumhari wajah se hurt hai. Or ye tum bhi jante ho" riddhima told him with her anger rising. Armaan was being stubborn again as usual by not accepting the fact.
"main kuch nahi janta or na hi janna hai kuch mujhe"
"han of course kiyun k tumhain to kisi ki zarurat hi nahi hai na" riddhima replied sarcastically and when armaan didn't reply she felt bad and stated the clear fact to him,
"armaan wo tumse bohat pyaar karti hai. I know main bhi us pe doubt karti thi per usne jo kiya hai wo koi bilavaja hi nahi karega. She loves you a lot. Rok lo usay. Shayad us jaisa koi dobara na mile tumhain. Your life has given you a chance to live it" riddhima looked at armaan who was stil looking away as if he wasn't listening to her,
"armaan please don't be stubborn for once in your life. Don't let her go. At least usse ye to puch lo k wo kiyun ja rahi hai?" she said and armaan looked up at her and then went out with the letter in his hand. As he went out riddhima sighed and closed her eyes.
Armaan went straight to shilpa's ward but she was discharged already and she had gone home. He took out his car and drove to her house. He knocked at the door and she opened the door. She was wearing a knee length dress and she was wearing flat sandals. In her ears were small loops dangling and armaan realized that she was getting ready to go. She was shocked to see him there as she wasn't expecting him to see him ever again. She knew how much she had cried at the thought of not seeing him but she had to do it but what now? Why was he here to make it more difficult for her then it already was?
"ye… tumhara letter" he spoke hesitatingly and shilpa frowned at his tone and looked down in his hands.
"han… wo main… a hi rahi thi lene k liye. I thought jate waqt le lungi" she stuttered not knowing what to say. He knew that she was going yet he wasn't going to ostop her. Why would he? He didn't love her! She thought taking the envelope from him hands.
"puch sakta hun kiyun jarahi ho" he slipped his hands in his pockets knowing that shilpa wasn't going to invite her inside.
"umm…" she pretended to be thoughtful instead of confused and hurt, he wasn't stopping her but asking that why was she going, "bas yunhi wo kuch friends delhi main hain to I thought k un hi k sath reh lungi. Yahan dil nahi lag raha. You know" she lied and gave a fake smile.
"yeah." He looked at her face and knew immediately that this smile was fake and he already knew that she was lying and he could see from her eyes that she had been crying.
"thanks anyways." She waved the letter and pursed her lips.
"errr… chalo I'll drop you" he didn't know what else to say.
"nahi!" she said loudly and too quickly that it shocked armaan and then she immediately shook her head and said, "I mean it's ok. I'll go"
"chalo" he said and went back to his car and waited for her while she went inside to get her bag.
Oh God why did he came here? Please God help me! Give me strength to go away from him. I know this is right and you have to help me. Why did you sent him here?
"shilpa?" she heard his voice.
"han?" she shook her head away from the car window and looked at him.
"station agaya" he pointed outside.
"oh" she looked at the parking lot of the railway station.
They both stepped out and armaan held her suitcases for her and elad her inside towards the train,
"main chali jaongi…tum jao" her voice had dropped and armaan had never heard this tone of hers. She wasn't even looking up in his eyes and armaan wanted her to look up at him once. He was still confused at whether he should stop her or not. On what grounds was he going to stop her if he did? What would he say to her? Why did he want her not to go? He knew that he wanted her to stop but why? She loved him was an obvious fact but did he love her? If she really did would she look back at him?
She took the bags away from him and started to walk ahead turning away from him towards the train. A silent tear dropped from her eyes while her heart burned and she felt as if it would burst any moment. She closed her eyes and sobbed silently. She couldn't control herself now. She had to take a last look at him otherwise she would regret this moment all her life that she didn't look at him one last time. May be she was strong but not this much. She didn't stop but slowed down and turned her face slightly to glance back at him. For a moment she thought maybe he was gone but he wasn't. He was still standing where he was before. She absorbed his face, his eyes- innocent eyes even though angry ones they were, but still she loved every part of him and then she quickly looked away.
He had seen her tear that she had quickly wiped when she had looked at him. She did turn back to look at him. No, he couldn't let her go. What if she never came back? What if she married someone else like riddhima? No he had to stop her.
Suddenly shilpa felt her arm being grabbed and she got spinned around. It was armaan. She frowned but realized that he was breathless and before she could say anything he was holding her bags in one hand and dragged her along with him outside.
"armaan?? … armaan ye kiya… kahan le k jarahe ho?" she started not knowing what was happening. She was too shocked.
"you're not going anywhere" he told her with a finality like a decision and threw her bags inside the back seat of the car.
"what??" her mouth dropped open.
"you heard me and you heard me right" he opened the passenger seat's door but she was looking at him with her big eyes opened wide with shock. She had wanted him to stop her but not like this. Was he a gentleman soul that she had read about in the diary? She doubted it right now. How could he just tell her that she wouldn't go if he said so?
"what… is this some kind of joke?" she got angry.
"no" he said and pushed her inside the car and closed the door and locked it.
"armaan stop it" she tried to open the door while armaan sat in the driver's seat.
"ssshhh" he placed his finger on his lip.
"ye…!!!" And she fell silent in anger because she knew arguing wouldn't help now.
This man really knew how to make her mood swings without her being a drug addict, she thought angrily. She was still sitting in his car silently with her arms crossed on her chest while she looked straight ahead and was fuming with anger. She knew she would have been miserable without him and she wanted that he would feel the same for her but not like this. She still couldn't believe that he actually did this. He literally dragged her out of the station forcefully and now he seemed happy because she had seen a smile playing on his lips.
Yes he was happy. All of a sudden he felt relieved as if a huge burden was taken off his heart. He felt as if he had gained everything that he had lost. He couldn't help but smile and he could see that shilpa was angry with him and by his behavior but she would be fine soon because after all she loved him and now he knew what he felt for her too.
His car stopped at his house and he got out of his side after glancing at her and came at her side, opened the door for her but she didn't moved even a bit.
"chalo" he spoke and it angered her even more. How could he just order her all the time? He saw her heavy breathing and knew that she wouldn't come out herself. He hid his smile and caught her hand,
"gosh your too much just leave me" but he wasn't listening to her and he took her inside while she kept trying to pull her hand away from his grip.
He went inside with her wrist in his hand that she was trying to pull away and he stopped suddenly in mid away and turned around abruptly while she collided with him. He looked at her face and in her eyes and then spoke,
"I told you before and I'm telling you again that you're going nowhere until you get that clear in your mind that you can't leave Mumbai"
"what the…" her eyes were about to pop out when he turned around again and dragged her towards the couch where he slumped down picking up the remote and switched on the tv while she was standing in front of him with her mouth dropped open with disbelief. She kept staring at him and waited for him to look back at her but when he didn't she shook her head and spoke,
"I can't believe it! How can someone be so… so…" she was fuming and in anger she couldn't even speak and she applied all her force to get her hand free from him.
"go ahead" he teased her with a smirk,
"insufferable! Unspeakable!" and she started off with her hand on her arm to get it free but his was on her wrist and instead of getting her hand freed she was hurting her own self. She stomped her feet like a child,
"Insolent! Audacious!" she continued through her clenched teeth without looking at him but his eyes were fixed on her and when she paused to speak,
"and?" she looked at his face and knew that he had no intentions of leaving her so she gave up and slumped down on the ground kneeling,
"disrespectful" and looked away frowningly.
"hmmm" he nodded and looked at her while grabbing her other wrist as well. She looked at his hand that held her other wrist just as he was holding her other one and looked up at his face that held a smile. But this wasn't the kind of smile that she had seen before. It held something else as well. Something that made her tingle and she didn't know why? Her mind wasn't working well with his hands on her and that's why her feeling of confusion got converted into anger. She started to burst out at him,
"ye ucha hai jb dil kiya dhakka de diya, jb dil kiya bol diya chali jao yahan se! mujhe tumhari shakal bhi nahi dekhni! Dosti bhi nahi karni blab la bla or phir jb dil kiya to literally "zabardasti" kar k sb k saamne kheench k le aye or ub…" but he wasn't listening to her intead he was watching her face and he was having flashes of the girl who had said 'chill loser! You've still got one more chance' when they had been in the hotel and they had fought with the goons and after that she had said that she was stronger than him.
He was having flashes of the girl who had came to him even though he was angry and had said,
"pani to pi lo" even when he had told her to leave and she had tried to tell him the importance of smiling. And then he remembered the same girl who had been with him in the fire escape telling him to force the girl into falling in love with him and then he got the last flash of the same girl who had pushed him out of the way of the truck and got hurt herself…for him.
"…you don't even bother about what I'm saying and…" she gasped as he pulled her wrists towards him and as a reaction she closed her eyes in fright. He leaned closer to her slowly from the couch and pressed his lips gently on her forehead. Her rigidness melted and she opened her eyes slowly and looked at his face. He had a lost expression on his face and she was surprised by what he had done. Was he drunk?...was her immediate thought but then how could it be? She saw his eyes glinting with smile. She could read his eyes and she knew that what he did was right according to him but he had left her numb and she couldn't move even an inch. Suddenly she realized that she was holding her breath in and she let go of it.
He just had the strong urge to kiss her and tell her how thankful he was to God who had sent her for him and he had expected this reaction from her. No matter how much she acted as if she was very clever, yet she was innocent. She was confused by his every action.
She couldn't understand him at all. Her mouth had dropped open and she thought for a while that maybe- she had dreamed of him kissing her but before she could make any other assumption he raised her wrists to his face and kissed her left wrist that sent shivers down her spine and made her toes tingle. Her shoulders arched slightly to his touch and he kept his eyes fixed on her and did the same to the other wrist from where he had been holding so tightly that they were red now. Then he caressed them softly with his thumb driving her nuts by his touch and she went breathless. Her heart beat was already so fast that she felt as if he was listening to it and without knowing it a soft moan escaped from her throat and he leaned closer to her ear till she could feel his breath on her neck and her eyes got shut. He let go of her wrists and whispered in her ears,
"jao! Jahan jana hai jao." And then he moved his face away from her ear and said,
"tum hi ne kaha than a k bandh lena jb tk koi or option na rahe sivaye pyaar karne k! to lo!" she frowned slightly at his words but she still felt shivers in her body while he smiled mischievously at her and spoke,
"I don't think you have any other option now shilpa." She couldn't understand a thing. She had been awake all night crying her heart out and in the morning he came to her to drop her off and then all of a sudden he was a total different person behaving outrageously like a freak and freaking her out too.
He leaned back and watched her intently. She gulped and her gaze lowered from his to her hands in her laps and she looked at where she could feel his lips and felt as if her entire body was burning. She looked up at him again and he tilted his head to a side. She shifted slightly and started to get up by placing her hands near him on the edge of the couch and as she got up on her knees he placed his hands on her and said,
"One more thing!" she gasped at his touch and raised her eyes to his, "when you try to leave again just remember that I'll know it again"
"why… why do you care?" she managed to speak through her dry throat.
"you're asking me that?" he asked her teasingly with his one brow raised. She couldn't reply to him because of his strong and intimate gaze.
"well you already know the answer to that" he continued and took his hand away from hers,
"nahi" she spoke looking up at him while confused at his sudden change of behavior.
"soch lo! Agar main ne bataya to maybe you won't be able to tolerate it" she could sense by his tone that the consequences won't be in her favor perhaps as she was already getting shivers by his voice so she quickly got up and started to go out but his voice stopped him,
"train to miss ho hi gayi hai tumhari so I'll see you in sanjivani tomorrow. I hope you'll speak something then" she glanced back at him and saw his smile, took her bags and left quickly. He couldn't help but smile with his eyes closed. After such a long time he felt as if he had someone to look forward to meeting and someone who was for him.
She couldn't stop thinking about him the whole night. The way he had kissed her, she felt as if he had tagged her as his possession and she had never felt like this before. She had never felt as if she belonged to somebody but today in just a matter of few moments he had made her his. He told her twice today that she won't in fact she can't leave him and that she shouldn't try but why? What made him change like this so suddenly? Did riddhima say something to him? Had she told him that she loved him? Or may be armaan himself felt this way! She needed answers and only armaan could tell her that but he wanted her to say something. But what? What did he want to hear? Today when he had held her… she could have stopped him but she didn't because… she hated to admit but yes she liked being held by him. But did he truly felt something for her or he stopped her just because riddhima told him so? No! armaan wasn't someone who would act on what someone else would tell him to do. May be he did like her. But just likeness wouldn't lead him to kiss her and tell her never to leave again. Does that mean that he… loves her? But…! And she drifted off to sleep. And even in her dreams she saw armaan lurking around her in her house and giving her teasing smiles.
Finally morning arrived and shilpa came to sanjivani after returning the letter to the head office and canceling her transfer to delhi. She saw armaan at the briefing but totally ignored him and his eyes gestures and his strong gaze but she knew that she couldn't ignore him forever and she was proved right when she was in path lab and as soon as she got alone armaan came in and shut the door.
"what are you doing?" she asked in disbelief turning around to face him.
"I thought we had a deal yesterday" he started stepping towards her.
"wh…what deal?" she stood on her ground but her stomach churned because of his steps.
"yahi k you'll speak today"
"I am speaking" she tried to look away but he was only two feet away from her.
"not what I m hear to listen"
"and what is it?" she retreated her steps.
"yahi k why did you pushed me away from the truck?"
"kiyunk tum truck k neeche ajate" she kept stepping back because he wasn't stopping.
"or meri jaga tum takra gayi!" he finished with a throaty laugh because she was giving lame excuses and then continued,
"anyways why were you always trying to make me laugh and smile?"
"kiyun k tum hamesha sadu rehte the" she turned around the corner of the table towards the other side but still he kept coming close to her,
"well and why were you leaving?" his voice dropped as her back collided with the wall and he closed the distance between them.
"because…" she trailed off because of the closeness between them. His lips were just a few cm away from her skin and she feared that if she moved even a little his lips would brush against hers.
"m waiting!" he spoke and she felt his breath on her face as if he had kissed her.
"i… told you that I …" she tried to speak standing still with the wall while his hands started entwining slowly with her fingers,
"no you didn't tell me anything"
"armaan please" she closed her eyes as he nuzzled to her hair near her ear.
"please what shilpa?" his lips brushed against her cheek.
"why are you doing this?" she meant by his behavior and he knew it well.
"for the same reason you did everything for me" his words were traced on her skin by his lips and she was literally melting in his arms. He was so close to her that their bodies were totally attached to each other's and she could feel the length of his body against hers. She was trembling by his touch and could feel his heart beat thumping as well.
"i…i…" she tried to speak but couldn't.
"yes shilpa! You what?" he probed her.
"I love you" she let out a whisper with a heavy breath out as if she gave up with herself. He raised his face and looked in her eyes. He could feel tears brimming in his own eyes and he felt his heart going light with relief. He forgot about everything and everyone even the place where they were,
"I love you too shilpa." And with these few words he closed the distance between his lips and hers and kissed her with all the buried feelings inside him with all the passion and intensity taking out all his anger, frustration, sadness in just this one kiss while she responded to him and filled him with all her love making him forget about everything else in the world. They both clung to each other, breathless when he finally broke apart and whispered hoarsely again,
"I love you too" and he hugged her so fiercely and lifted her off the ground.
"I'm sorry" she spoke through her tears.
"for what?" he looked at her moving her hair away from her face and cupped her face in his hands.
"for leaving you" she replied innocently and he giggled with tears in his eyes and face that she wiped off.
"it's ok. You didn't go na so it's ok" he said shaking his head and then he hugged her again. Their hearts and their fate promising to them that they won't ever be drifted apart. This time fate and destiny would not play a game with them and they would be together forever and - live happily ever after
P.S hey guys here's the 2nd part and sorry for the delay😳 but i hope you like it and i hope that it was worth the wait. pls pls pls do comment😛
Shilpa gets to know that armaan and riddhima loved each other when riddhima found out armaan's diary in shilpa's possession and tells her that this aashiq is armaan and shilpa realizes that armaan must have gotten hurt when she had constantly probed him about all the sweet things written in the diary and how she had told sid to plan riddhima's birthday party according to the diary. So she decides to apologize to armaan and she tries to find him.
Shilpa went from corridor to corridor, from 1st floor to the 5th floor but couldn't find armaan. She went to the terrace, caf, OPD, OT, all the wards but he was nowhere. Finally she came down to the nurse station but before going there her eyes spotted the fire escape door and she looked at it thoughtfully and then realized that where else could he be except the fire escape.
She stepped in and found him sitting on the steps. His head was placed on his knees and he had wrapped his arms around his legs. Shilpa frowned and stepped down slowly when she heard his sniff and realized that he was crying. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief at the thought that the most 'akdu and sadu' person was crying. But for what??
"armaa?" she whispered leaning closer to him and touched his elbow hesitatingly.
"chali jao yahan se" she heard his broken voice which made her heart clench. She touched her tongue to her lips while her throat was going dry. She bit her lower lip and thought what to say but then decided to do the opposite. Instead of saying anything, she sat down quietly beside him.
He knew she was still there but he didn't want to talk to her. Riddhima had told him that it was shilpa who had asked sid to arrange that birthday party just as the diary said and unknowingly shilpa had renewed all his wounds that hadn't even healed yet. Riddhima had moved on with sid but he was the only one who was still standing in the cafeteria when they were all playing an act of getting armaan and riddhima married and then riddhima had told him that she was married to sid. He remembered everything. Their love, their fights, their friendship, everything but riddhima had left everything behind her and moved on.
"life gives us chances armaan," he heard her soft voice, "Wo jo kehte hain k life sirf ek hi chance deti hai wo sb ghalat kehte hain. Hum apni life guzarne ka tareeka khud chunte hain" she sat looking straight ahead and folded her arms on her knees.
"just shut up and leave me alone" he spoke with his head still on his knees.
"kisi ek insan k chale jane se zindagi khatam nahi hoti armaan." She looked at him unaffected by his anger.
"per meri zindagi khatam hogayi hai" he shot at her and looked up. She saw his blood shot eyes and puffed, tear streaked face.
"kiyun k tum khud usay khatam karna chahte ho" she looked in his eyes determined not to leave no matter what he said or did.
"han main yahi chahta hun now just get lost" he spoke in a deadly tone.
"tumhain lagta hai is duniya main saare dukh bas tumhain hi mil gaye hain. Hai na? bas ek tum hi taklif main ho. Tumhare se ziada dukh kisi or ko mile hi nahi honge. Right?" she spoke sarcastically to him while her own temper rising.
"kiya chahti ho tum?" he asked through his clenched teeth.
"riddhima agay badh gayi to tum bhi badho armaan. And m sure tumhare liye bhi koi na koi or hoga zarur jo tumse bohat pyaar karega" she spoke calmly controlling herself.
"mujhe kisi ki zarurat nahi hai" he spat and looked away.
"hum sbko kisi na kisi ki zarurat hoti hai. See tum ne apna pyaar kho dia or main ne apni family", she turned her face ahead and stared at empty space, "Bohat choti thi jab mere maa papa ne mujhe khud se door kar diya. Ek behen hai jo mujhse nafrat karti hai per dekho main bhi to agay badh rahi hun na" she looked at him with a weak smile plastered on her face and armaan looked at her and her eyes which clearly showed her pain that she hid so well.
"koshish karo armaan! Koshish karna hi sbse badi zarurat hoti hai." She turned towards him and curled her leg beneath her, "Mat bhoolo usay." She shook her head trying to convince him, "Saamna karo sachayi ka. Han! tum dono ek doosre se pyaar karte thay. To kiya hua agar waqt ne tum dono ko alag kar diya? Jaise uska hath koi pakad kar usay agay le gaya waise hi tumhare liye bhi koi na koi zarur hoga" when he kept looking at her shilpa took his silence as understanding. She smiled and continued,
"and trust me tum bhi ussay pyaar karne lagoge. Such main. Wo tumhain itna pyaar degi k tum sb kuch apne ap hi bhool jaoge" she was about to raise her hand to wipe his tears but stopped herself and he wiped them himself and looked at the ground,
"har kisi ki zindagi main pyaar ata hai. Ek baar nahi baar baar ata hai. Wo humari marzi hoti hai k hum kise chunte hain"
"tumhari zindagi main kaunsa pyaar agaya shilpa jo tum mujhe naseehat karne chali ho?" he looked at her and she realized he really was hurt deeply. Too deeply.
"ayega na! meri zindagi main bhi ayega koi jo mujhe wo sb kuch dega jo mujhe kabhi mila hi nahi. Per dekho main bhi to intazar kar rahi hun na and ek baar wo agaya to main to usay jaane hi nahi dungi. Tum bhi mat jane dena." She leaned to him and gave a smile that showed him her hope. He knew that she wasn't faking it. She actually was waiting for someone.
"zarurat pade to bandh k rakh lena apne pas. Uskay pas or koi option hi nahi bachega sivae tumhain pyaar karne k. simple fundae hai. Tameez se na mane to phir zabardasti hi sahi" she spoke with a mischievous smile and his lips slowly and finally stretched to a small smile and his eyes shone. He shook his head and a few more tears dropped from his eyes which were the last as he wiped them off. She got lost in his smile. This was the first time that he had ever smiled at her.
"tumhare wala na mana to tum kiya karogi? Bandhogi usay?" he asked her, his voice still hoarse.
"wo ubhi tk decide nahi kiya. Jab ayega tk sochungi." She shook her head and then giggled while he sniffed into a smile, "Chalen?" she asked and they both got up to leave together.
From then onwards shilpa stayed by his side only as a friend. She left her feelings for him behind that had started to develop and only tried to help him to move on. She would chatter to him for an hour while he would only listen to her or would smile sometimes which was a big achievement for shilpa because she had never seen him smile and she wanted to see that smile all the time.
They would walk on the path outside sanjivani while shilpa chattered about the people inside sanjivani. She joked about them, laughed at others; in fact she talked about anything and everything that would make him smile. She didn't bother if she looked like a fool but she just wanted to see him smiling.
He was in a foul mood one day and she saw it. she quickly went outside and brought ice cream cone for both of them and handed out his ice cream to him. He looked from her to the ice cream and to her smile that showed clearly that she had no intention of going away even if he shouted at her so he took the ice cream quietly and they went outside eating it while shilpa started again,
"you know what mujhe ice cream bohat pasand hai. Waise to har khane wali cheez hi pasand hai per ice cream is my favourite. Or mera favourite flavor orange hai. Tumhara favorite kaunsa hai?" when he just sighed closing his eyes for peace she continued ignoring his sigh,
"acha na batao yaar theek hai. Waise tumhain us nurse bechari pe ghussa nahi karna chahiye tha. Kitni dar gayi thi wo. Tumhain pata hai tum ghusse main bilkul Godzilla lagte ho or phir tum…"
"per tum to nahi darti is Godzilla se" he spoke in between her.
"meri baat or hai. Main to tumse ziada brave and strong hun and mera ghussa tumse bhi ziada khatarnak hai" she teased him licking her cone.
"really." He smirked at her, "Tum thakti nahi na bolte bolte? Main tumhain har time ignore karta hun phir bhi tum chup nahi karti" he grew serious.
"to theek hai friendship kar lete hain na. phir problem hi nahi rahegi. Friends honge to tum bhi baat karoge" she ignored his seriousness as well. When he didn't say anything and continued to bite his ice cream she held out her hand to him,
"watssay? Friends??" he looked at her hand and then went back to eating his ice cream. She curled her lips n a face and went to her own ice cream and said to herself in a low tone,
"khadoos to khadoos hi rehta hai"
"what did you say?" he heard her and frowned.
"nothing" she shook her head unconcerned and licked her ice cream again.
"you called me a khadoos" it was a statement instead of a question.
"ub khadoos ko khadoos na bolun to kiya bolun. Or sadu bhi ho." She got up quickly and stuck her tongue out at him and ran away.
"shilpa" he called her in a warning tone and was about to get up to go after her.
" Bye" she waved her hand at him with a huge smile on her face. He sat back down and couldn't help but smile at her silliness.
PART 2
Days started to form in weeks and everyone around noticed the change in armaan. Even riddhima noticed the glint of old armaan back and she was happy that he was returning to his old happy self. Armaan and shilpa were always seen together even though it was still shilpa who always took the initiative towards him but still he seemed happy around her. He even joked with her and teased her as well. But a part of shilpa was falling in love with armaan even more then she could ever imagine. Day and night, sleeping or awake, she thought about him. His smile, his voice, his presence was so strong that she could imagine him almost everywhere when he was not around. She knew that she could never confess her feeling to anyone and neither was she going to do so. She didn't want to lose their friendship. It was precious to her because for once in her life time, she had found true happiness with someone and she wouldn't let it end because of her feelings. After all she could control her feelings.
"armaan main jaon?? Wo files rakh di hain table per" shilpa came to inform armaan in his cabin while he was busy in his file with a frown on his forehead.
"hmm" he replied without even looking up.
"ok then…bye" her cheerful tone dropped to a slight disappointment that he still ignored her even after a long time of their so called friendship from her side. He had never said that he was a friend of hers and neither had he ever accepted her invitation.
"hmm" he again replied unknowingly and shilpa quietly stepped back and turned around to go out.
"shilpa wait" he came out of his distraction and realized that she was leaving. She flipped around at his voice with a smile as this was the first time that he stopped her.
"han" her voice shook with the sudden excitement inside her and thankfully it went unnoticed by armaan.
"tum ghar jarahi ho?" he asked placing the file on the table and went to pick up his lab coat from his chair.
"obviously armaan. Ub duty khatam hogayi to ghar hi jaongi na" she shrugged her shoulders trying to calm her own senses.
"chalo I'll drop you home" he told her and started to walk out.
"no its ok. Main chali jaongi. Tum apna kaam karo"
"meri duty bhi khatam hogayi hai isliye keh raha hun" he replied and just walked out without glancing back.
"ok." She said behind his back and sighed. How she wished that he would look back at her just once, he would listen to her just as she wanted to listen to him. How she wished that just once he would look at her the way she looked at him. How silly? She thought and hit her head lightly and followed him out.
"tum yahan ruko main gadi le ka rata hun" he stopped her when they reached outside and she nodded quietly while walked down the road. It was evening hours and there was so much traffic and people with all the noise around. Shilpa couldn't help but follow her eyes to his strong and broad figure crossing the road and now he was walking along the road but still he was slightly in the middle of it while the parking lot was still a little far. Shilpa looked unconsciously to the other side of him to see if there was any car and she saw a truck coming with full speed toward him. She panicked and cried out his name but her voice was lost in the midst of the noise. He didn't hear her and kept walking. Shilpa saw that neither had he heard her nor was the truck seeing him so she ran towards him. She looked back once at the approaching truck and she knew she had no other choice and she pushed him out of the way while the truck driver spotted the running girl and tried to stop the truck but the damage was done. She got hit by the truck but armaan had only fallen by the hard push on the other side of the road.
For a moment everything went still. People started gathering around and armaan got up recovering from the shock and he came running towards shilpa who was lying beside the truck and blood was running down from her head and arm. She was slightly conscious of her surroundings and as soon as armaan picked her up in his arms, she slightly smiled and thanked God for saving him in her heart and then everything blacked out.
Apart from all those people two other people had also seen the happenings. Riddhima and sid. They both sat outside the ICU while shilpa and armaan were inside. Thankfully no major fractures had occurred and she had just sprained her ankle and dirty bleeding wounds on her knee, head,arm and shoulder but due to the hit of her head with the truck she was still unconscious.
"riddhima she's fine" sid consoled riddhima who was sitting too quietly and… numb.
"I now she's fine" she spoke almost emotionlessly.
"then what's wrong" sid asked knowing that something had upset her.
"didn't you saw what she did?" riddhima looked at sid.
"I was there too riddhima"
"No sid. You just saw what happened but you didn't see what she did" she looked away and she saw the flash of shilpa running towards armaan"
"Then tell me no" sid asked placing his hand on riddhima's shoulder.
"She sacrificed her own life for him" she replied quietly.
"hey you ok?"
"mmhmm" shilpa tried to smile at armaan's concern as soon as she gained consciousness. Her bandaging had been done and she tried to open her eyes and the only face that she saw was armaan's. She was thankful that at least he was safe.
"how can you be so careless?" he asked sitting down beside her and she frowned.
"ok m sorry. I mean thanks for saving me." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
"hey guys." Sid and riddhima came in but only sid spoke while riddhima kept her gaze fixed on shilpa.
"hi" armaan replied while shilpa tried to sit up but her head ached and felt heavy.
"it's ok leti raho" armaan said.
"no m ok" she croaked and armaan helped her sit up and placed the pillow behind her head to let her head and back rest and gave her water that she drank.
"how are you feeling now?" sid asked concerned.
"m good" shilpa spoke. Sid glanced towards riddhima and he knew that she wanted to talk to shilpa alone.
"I'll just be back." Said armaan.
"wait I'll come with you" sid said and walked out with armaan leaving riddhima and shilpa alone.
"hi" shilpa spoke while riddhima just smiled.
"ub theek ho?" riddhima asked.
"hmm much better."
"shilpa why did you do it?" riddhima couldn't control herself so she asked softly.
"what did I do?" shilpa asked confused.
"you know very well what you did?" riddhima was even more soft and calm with her.
"i… I just…" shilpa got nervous thinking that maybe she was caught.
"why?" riddhima came and sat down beside shilpa.
"because he's my friend or meri jagah koi bhi hota to yahi karta and armaan ki jaga agar koi or hota tb bhi main yahi karti" shilpa tried to hide the fact and lied.
"nahi. You wouldn't have" riddhima shook her head lightly but kept her eyes fixed on shilpa noticing her discomfort.
"ap kiya kehna chah rahi hain?" shilpa asked looking away.
"main wo sunna chah rahi hun jo tum bhi janti ho"
"kiya?" shilpa's voice dropped and riddhima knew that now shilpa wouldn't lie.
"yahi k tum janti thi k if you tried to save him you'll get hurt yourself and still you did it" riddhima stated the fact and when she didn't replied riddhima continued,
"I saw you looking at the truck just before you pushed armaan away and you knew very well what would happen to you" she heard shilpa sigh.
"you love him shilpa. Don't you?" ridhdima tilted her head to see shilpa's face,
"speak up shilpa" shilpa closed her eyes at the truth she was hearing by the same person because of whom shilpa had backed off.
"so?" riddhima heard shilpa's dead voice.
"so? So what" riddhima was shocked.
"karti hun to kiya karun?" shilpa looked at riddhima and riddhima saw the pain in her eyes that she was shielding with her face expressionless.
"aren't you gonna tell him?" riddhima asked caringly leaning closer to her.
"no" shilpa spoke with a finality.
"but why?"
"because I don't want to lose the relationship that we have"
"and what is that?" riddhima asked folding her arms on her chest looking at shilpa's wounds and bruises.
"friendship" shilpa spoke unconvincingly because she knew the fact herself that she and armaan were not friends.
"do you really think he believes you to be his friend or if you truly think that he's your friend?" riddhima asked raising her brows quizzing.
"I don't care what we both think"
"really shilpa?" riddhima eyed shilpa and she looked up knowing that riddhima wanted an explanation.
"main nahi chahti k mere kuch bhi kehne ya karne se wo uncomfortable feel kare ya phir usko aisa lage k he's tied to me or my feelings" shilpa said and shook her head.
"or tumhain lagta hai k jo tumne ubhi kiya hai wo usko sochne per majboor nahi karega k tumne aisa kyun kiya?" riddhima continued when shilpa didn't reply,
"trust me shilpa he needs you. You both need each other. Tell him and everything would be fine." She placed her hand on shilpa's arm consolingly but still shilpa didn't say anything.
"main sirf tumhain samjha sakti hun. Agay tumhari marzi. But one thing is for sure that he'll return your love too" riddhima got up to leave.
"that's what I don't want. Agar wo khud mujhse pyaar karta to theek tha per agar mere pyar ka return dekha ehsaan samajh kar to nahi chahiye mujhe aisa pyaar. Isse better to uski nafrat hi sahi, at least dil se to hogi " shilpa looked up at riddhima who listened to her intently.
"I wish k jo tum dono k liye better hai wohi ho" riddhima said and walked out. Shilpa closed her eyes and took a deep breath but as she opened her eyes she saw a person walking away. Shilpa just saw the shoulder and arm of the person who had just walked away and she knew who it was. Her heart sank and she felt her forehead perspiring. Her body went cold. He had listened to her. Armaan had listened but how much? She didn't know and neither did she want to know.
Why? How could she when she already knew that he loved riddhima? But then she never forced her feelings on him. Armaan couldn't help but think about everything that he had heard. He hadn't heard much but whatever he heard one thing was sure that shilpa loved him. But why? He had never even talked to her in a way that would make her feel as if he loved her. He had never even considered her as his friend. He didn't need anyone.
Armaan stopped pacing and sat on the chair in his room and thought about shilpa since she came in his life. He remembered how she had always distracted him from his worries. Whenever he was thinking about riddhima, shilpa came and distracted him and his sadness turned in anger that he took out on shilpa but she never backed off. He remembered when he was in the recreation room and shilpa had come there trying to make him smile and he had been rough with her. He remembered how she had stopped him from the fight once when he had spotted her in his way. He remembered when she had come in the basketball court to take him back to the hospital after she knew that he loved riddhima. She never stopped coming to him but then when did she fall in love with him? He never realized a change in her. Or maybe she was in love with him even before that. She had never let him know. But then… he suddenly realized the way she sometimes looked at him, she became nervous when he came near her. He remembered her stuttering when he had asked her why she hadn't hit him during the fight they had done in the caf. He now remembered her shivers and breathlessness when he had pulled her towards him during the fight and then her weak attacks towards him. She was a strong fighter and he had guessed that but at that time even he couldn't understand why she was slow but now… he did.
Riddhima had to leave him, she didn't leave him on purpose but fate had drifted them apart and fate had sent shilpa. If he wouldn't have come back to give shilpa her medicines he wouldn't have heard shilpa and riddhima's conversation. Riddhima herself was trying to convince shilpa to confess her feelings to armaan but shilpa had refused just because she didn't want to hurt him or force him into any such relation.
How ironic! He thought sarcastically. She was the one who had told him to force the person whom he loved and she would fall in love with him and look at herself! She wasn't even trying to show him that she loved him instead she helped him move on. He realized it soon that his pain of riddhima's leaving him was healing quickly since shilpa had started to stay around him. She made him smile, she made him stop thinking about riddhima and his empty life without her and instead she kept herself with him almost 24*7 and he had no other choice but to think about shilpa and forget his worries. He smiled at her silliness even when he was alone. She acted foolishly just to make him smile and he never realized that why would someone do all that for him knowing that he loved someone else and even when he was so rude, arrogant and angry with her? Just because she loved him.
It didn't matter to shilpa that he loved someone else. She just kept giving him all her love by helping him move on and she didn't want anything in return from him. But what had he given her? He had always taken her for granted. He never accepted her friendship even though she asked him so many times but he had always told her off but still she never minded. He was harsh and rough with her but still she always smiled at him.
A week and a half passed by and shilpa recovered from her wounds but the sprain was hurting her still. She was discharged but in all this time armaan didn't came to see her once and she was grateful for this because she herself didn't know how to face him or what would he ask? Etc. such questions were arising in her mind and she had to do something about it. She sent an application to get her internship posted to the delhi sanjivani where she would complete her internship. She had started the process so quietly that no one came to know of it till the final permission letter which was given to riddhima to give it to shilpa and riddhima was shocked at what shilpa was doing. She knew talking to shilpa wouldn't help because now it was time to talk to armaan.
She decided and went to find armaan with shilpa's letter in her hands. She found armaan in his cabin and went inside without knocking and placed the letter with a thump on the table. Armaan turned around at the sound of the thud and saw riddhima standing with her arms folded across her chest,
"ye kiya hai?" armaan asked glancing up at riddhima.
"khud hi dekh lo" she spoke curtly.
"per ye hai kiya riddhima?" armaan picked up the envelope and looked at the back of it.
"shilpa ka transfer letter. Usne apna transfer delhi sanjivani main karva liya hai"
"per kiyun?" something inside him fell inside his stomach and he felt his stomach churning with a nauseous feeling.
"wow ye tum mujhse puch rahe ho? Main yahi baat tumse puchne ayi hun armaan" riddhima tilted her head to a side.
"mujhse?" armaan looked away.
"exactly. K wo kiyun jarahi hai?"
"ye mujhe kaise pata hoga?" armaan spoke unconvincingly.
"ye sirf tum or shilpa hi jante ho k wo kiyun jarahi hai. Kiya tum itne dino main ek baar bhi shilpa se milne gaye? Usse pucha k wo kaisi hai?" riddhima stepped in front of armaan to make him face her.
"isse tumhain kiya matlab?" armaan frowned and turned away.
"mujhe matlab isliye hai kiyun k wo stupid ladki tumhari wajah se hurt hai. Or ye tum bhi jante ho" riddhima told him with her anger rising. Armaan was being stubborn again as usual by not accepting the fact.
"main kuch nahi janta or na hi janna hai kuch mujhe"
"han of course kiyun k tumhain to kisi ki zarurat hi nahi hai na" riddhima replied sarcastically and when armaan didn't reply she felt bad and stated the clear fact to him,
"armaan wo tumse bohat pyaar karti hai. I know main bhi us pe doubt karti thi per usne jo kiya hai wo koi bilavaja hi nahi karega. She loves you a lot. Rok lo usay. Shayad us jaisa koi dobara na mile tumhain. Your life has given you a chance to live it" riddhima looked at armaan who was stil looking away as if he wasn't listening to her,
"armaan please don't be stubborn for once in your life. Don't let her go. At least usse ye to puch lo k wo kiyun ja rahi hai?" she said and armaan looked up at her and then went out with the letter in his hand. As he went out riddhima sighed and closed her eyes.
Armaan went straight to shilpa's ward but she was discharged already and she had gone home. He took out his car and drove to her house. He knocked at the door and she opened the door. She was wearing a knee length dress and she was wearing flat sandals. In her ears were small loops dangling and armaan realized that she was getting ready to go. She was shocked to see him there as she wasn't expecting him to see him ever again. She knew how much she had cried at the thought of not seeing him but she had to do it but what now? Why was he here to make it more difficult for her then it already was?
"ye… tumhara letter" he spoke hesitatingly and shilpa frowned at his tone and looked down in his hands.
"han… wo main… a hi rahi thi lene k liye. I thought jate waqt le lungi" she stuttered not knowing what to say. He knew that she was going yet he wasn't going to ostop her. Why would he? He didn't love her! She thought taking the envelope from him hands.
"puch sakta hun kiyun jarahi ho" he slipped his hands in his pockets knowing that shilpa wasn't going to invite her inside.
"umm…" she pretended to be thoughtful instead of confused and hurt, he wasn't stopping her but asking that why was she going, "bas yunhi wo kuch friends delhi main hain to I thought k un hi k sath reh lungi. Yahan dil nahi lag raha. You know" she lied and gave a fake smile.
"yeah." He looked at her face and knew immediately that this smile was fake and he already knew that she was lying and he could see from her eyes that she had been crying.
"thanks anyways." She waved the letter and pursed her lips.
"errr… chalo I'll drop you" he didn't know what else to say.
"nahi!" she said loudly and too quickly that it shocked armaan and then she immediately shook her head and said, "I mean it's ok. I'll go"
"chalo" he said and went back to his car and waited for her while she went inside to get her bag.
Oh God why did he came here? Please God help me! Give me strength to go away from him. I know this is right and you have to help me. Why did you sent him here?
"shilpa?" she heard his voice.
"han?" she shook her head away from the car window and looked at him.
"station agaya" he pointed outside.
"oh" she looked at the parking lot of the railway station.
They both stepped out and armaan held her suitcases for her and elad her inside towards the train,
"main chali jaongi…tum jao" her voice had dropped and armaan had never heard this tone of hers. She wasn't even looking up in his eyes and armaan wanted her to look up at him once. He was still confused at whether he should stop her or not. On what grounds was he going to stop her if he did? What would he say to her? Why did he want her not to go? He knew that he wanted her to stop but why? She loved him was an obvious fact but did he love her? If she really did would she look back at him?
She took the bags away from him and started to walk ahead turning away from him towards the train. A silent tear dropped from her eyes while her heart burned and she felt as if it would burst any moment. She closed her eyes and sobbed silently. She couldn't control herself now. She had to take a last look at him otherwise she would regret this moment all her life that she didn't look at him one last time. May be she was strong but not this much. She didn't stop but slowed down and turned her face slightly to glance back at him. For a moment she thought maybe he was gone but he wasn't. He was still standing where he was before. She absorbed his face, his eyes- innocent eyes even though angry ones they were, but still she loved every part of him and then she quickly looked away.
He had seen her tear that she had quickly wiped when she had looked at him. She did turn back to look at him. No, he couldn't let her go. What if she never came back? What if she married someone else like riddhima? No he had to stop her.
Suddenly shilpa felt her arm being grabbed and she got spinned around. It was armaan. She frowned but realized that he was breathless and before she could say anything he was holding her bags in one hand and dragged her along with him outside.
"armaan?? … armaan ye kiya… kahan le k jarahe ho?" she started not knowing what was happening. She was too shocked.
"you're not going anywhere" he told her with a finality like a decision and threw her bags inside the back seat of the car.
"what??" her mouth dropped open.
"you heard me and you heard me right" he opened the passenger seat's door but she was looking at him with her big eyes opened wide with shock. She had wanted him to stop her but not like this. Was he a gentleman soul that she had read about in the diary? She doubted it right now. How could he just tell her that she wouldn't go if he said so?
"what… is this some kind of joke?" she got angry.
"no" he said and pushed her inside the car and closed the door and locked it.
"armaan stop it" she tried to open the door while armaan sat in the driver's seat.
"ssshhh" he placed his finger on his lip.
"ye…!!!" And she fell silent in anger because she knew arguing wouldn't help now.
This man really knew how to make her mood swings without her being a drug addict, she thought angrily. She was still sitting in his car silently with her arms crossed on her chest while she looked straight ahead and was fuming with anger. She knew she would have been miserable without him and she wanted that he would feel the same for her but not like this. She still couldn't believe that he actually did this. He literally dragged her out of the station forcefully and now he seemed happy because she had seen a smile playing on his lips.
Yes he was happy. All of a sudden he felt relieved as if a huge burden was taken off his heart. He felt as if he had gained everything that he had lost. He couldn't help but smile and he could see that shilpa was angry with him and by his behavior but she would be fine soon because after all she loved him and now he knew what he felt for her too.
His car stopped at his house and he got out of his side after glancing at her and came at her side, opened the door for her but she didn't moved even a bit.
"chalo" he spoke and it angered her even more. How could he just order her all the time? He saw her heavy breathing and knew that she wouldn't come out herself. He hid his smile and caught her hand,
"gosh your too much just leave me" but he wasn't listening to her and he took her inside while she kept trying to pull her hand away from his grip.
He went inside with her wrist in his hand that she was trying to pull away and he stopped suddenly in mid away and turned around abruptly while she collided with him. He looked at her face and in her eyes and then spoke,
"I told you before and I'm telling you again that you're going nowhere until you get that clear in your mind that you can't leave Mumbai"
"what the…" her eyes were about to pop out when he turned around again and dragged her towards the couch where he slumped down picking up the remote and switched on the tv while she was standing in front of him with her mouth dropped open with disbelief. She kept staring at him and waited for him to look back at her but when he didn't she shook her head and spoke,
"I can't believe it! How can someone be so… so…" she was fuming and in anger she couldn't even speak and she applied all her force to get her hand free from him.
"go ahead" he teased her with a smirk,
"insufferable! Unspeakable!" and she started off with her hand on her arm to get it free but his was on her wrist and instead of getting her hand freed she was hurting her own self. She stomped her feet like a child,
"Insolent! Audacious!" she continued through her clenched teeth without looking at him but his eyes were fixed on her and when she paused to speak,
"and?" she looked at his face and knew that he had no intentions of leaving her so she gave up and slumped down on the ground kneeling,
"disrespectful" and looked away frowningly.
"hmmm" he nodded and looked at her while grabbing her other wrist as well. She looked at his hand that held her other wrist just as he was holding her other one and looked up at his face that held a smile. But this wasn't the kind of smile that she had seen before. It held something else as well. Something that made her tingle and she didn't know why? Her mind wasn't working well with his hands on her and that's why her feeling of confusion got converted into anger. She started to burst out at him,
"ye ucha hai jb dil kiya dhakka de diya, jb dil kiya bol diya chali jao yahan se! mujhe tumhari shakal bhi nahi dekhni! Dosti bhi nahi karni blab la bla or phir jb dil kiya to literally "zabardasti" kar k sb k saamne kheench k le aye or ub…" but he wasn't listening to her intead he was watching her face and he was having flashes of the girl who had said 'chill loser! You've still got one more chance' when they had been in the hotel and they had fought with the goons and after that she had said that she was stronger than him.
He was having flashes of the girl who had came to him even though he was angry and had said,
"pani to pi lo" even when he had told her to leave and she had tried to tell him the importance of smiling. And then he remembered the same girl who had been with him in the fire escape telling him to force the girl into falling in love with him and then he got the last flash of the same girl who had pushed him out of the way of the truck and got hurt herself…for him.
"…you don't even bother about what I'm saying and…" she gasped as he pulled her wrists towards him and as a reaction she closed her eyes in fright. He leaned closer to her slowly from the couch and pressed his lips gently on her forehead. Her rigidness melted and she opened her eyes slowly and looked at his face. He had a lost expression on his face and she was surprised by what he had done. Was he drunk?...was her immediate thought but then how could it be? She saw his eyes glinting with smile. She could read his eyes and she knew that what he did was right according to him but he had left her numb and she couldn't move even an inch. Suddenly she realized that she was holding her breath in and she let go of it.
He just had the strong urge to kiss her and tell her how thankful he was to God who had sent her for him and he had expected this reaction from her. No matter how much she acted as if she was very clever, yet she was innocent. She was confused by his every action.
She couldn't understand him at all. Her mouth had dropped open and she thought for a while that maybe- she had dreamed of him kissing her but before she could make any other assumption he raised her wrists to his face and kissed her left wrist that sent shivers down her spine and made her toes tingle. Her shoulders arched slightly to his touch and he kept his eyes fixed on her and did the same to the other wrist from where he had been holding so tightly that they were red now. Then he caressed them softly with his thumb driving her nuts by his touch and she went breathless. Her heart beat was already so fast that she felt as if he was listening to it and without knowing it a soft moan escaped from her throat and he leaned closer to her ear till she could feel his breath on her neck and her eyes got shut. He let go of her wrists and whispered in her ears,
"jao! Jahan jana hai jao." And then he moved his face away from her ear and said,
"tum hi ne kaha than a k bandh lena jb tk koi or option na rahe sivaye pyaar karne k! to lo!" she frowned slightly at his words but she still felt shivers in her body while he smiled mischievously at her and spoke,
"I don't think you have any other option now shilpa." She couldn't understand a thing. She had been awake all night crying her heart out and in the morning he came to her to drop her off and then all of a sudden he was a total different person behaving outrageously like a freak and freaking her out too.
He leaned back and watched her intently. She gulped and her gaze lowered from his to her hands in her laps and she looked at where she could feel his lips and felt as if her entire body was burning. She looked up at him again and he tilted his head to a side. She shifted slightly and started to get up by placing her hands near him on the edge of the couch and as she got up on her knees he placed his hands on her and said,
"One more thing!" she gasped at his touch and raised her eyes to his, "when you try to leave again just remember that I'll know it again"
"why… why do you care?" she managed to speak through her dry throat.
"you're asking me that?" he asked her teasingly with his one brow raised. She couldn't reply to him because of his strong and intimate gaze.
"well you already know the answer to that" he continued and took his hand away from hers,
"nahi" she spoke looking up at him while confused at his sudden change of behavior.
"soch lo! Agar main ne bataya to maybe you won't be able to tolerate it" she could sense by his tone that the consequences won't be in her favor perhaps as she was already getting shivers by his voice so she quickly got up and started to go out but his voice stopped him,
"train to miss ho hi gayi hai tumhari so I'll see you in sanjivani tomorrow. I hope you'll speak something then" she glanced back at him and saw his smile, took her bags and left quickly. He couldn't help but smile with his eyes closed. After such a long time he felt as if he had someone to look forward to meeting and someone who was for him.
She couldn't stop thinking about him the whole night. The way he had kissed her, she felt as if he had tagged her as his possession and she had never felt like this before. She had never felt as if she belonged to somebody but today in just a matter of few moments he had made her his. He told her twice today that she won't in fact she can't leave him and that she shouldn't try but why? What made him change like this so suddenly? Did riddhima say something to him? Had she told him that she loved him? Or may be armaan himself felt this way! She needed answers and only armaan could tell her that but he wanted her to say something. But what? What did he want to hear? Today when he had held her… she could have stopped him but she didn't because… she hated to admit but yes she liked being held by him. But did he truly felt something for her or he stopped her just because riddhima told him so? No! armaan wasn't someone who would act on what someone else would tell him to do. May be he did like her. But just likeness wouldn't lead him to kiss her and tell her never to leave again. Does that mean that he… loves her? But…! And she drifted off to sleep. And even in her dreams she saw armaan lurking around her in her house and giving her teasing smiles.
Finally morning arrived and shilpa came to sanjivani after returning the letter to the head office and canceling her transfer to delhi. She saw armaan at the briefing but totally ignored him and his eyes gestures and his strong gaze but she knew that she couldn't ignore him forever and she was proved right when she was in path lab and as soon as she got alone armaan came in and shut the door.
"what are you doing?" she asked in disbelief turning around to face him.
"I thought we had a deal yesterday" he started stepping towards her.
"wh…what deal?" she stood on her ground but her stomach churned because of his steps.
"yahi k you'll speak today"
"I am speaking" she tried to look away but he was only two feet away from her.
"not what I m hear to listen"
"and what is it?" she retreated her steps.
"yahi k why did you pushed me away from the truck?"
"kiyunk tum truck k neeche ajate" she kept stepping back because he wasn't stopping.
"or meri jaga tum takra gayi!" he finished with a throaty laugh because she was giving lame excuses and then continued,
"anyways why were you always trying to make me laugh and smile?"
"kiyun k tum hamesha sadu rehte the" she turned around the corner of the table towards the other side but still he kept coming close to her,
"well and why were you leaving?" his voice dropped as her back collided with the wall and he closed the distance between them.
"because…" she trailed off because of the closeness between them. His lips were just a few cm away from her skin and she feared that if she moved even a little his lips would brush against hers.
"m waiting!" he spoke and she felt his breath on her face as if he had kissed her.
"i… told you that I …" she tried to speak standing still with the wall while his hands started entwining slowly with her fingers,
"no you didn't tell me anything"
"armaan please" she closed her eyes as he nuzzled to her hair near her ear.
"please what shilpa?" his lips brushed against her cheek.
"why are you doing this?" she meant by his behavior and he knew it well.
"for the same reason you did everything for me" his words were traced on her skin by his lips and she was literally melting in his arms. He was so close to her that their bodies were totally attached to each other's and she could feel the length of his body against hers. She was trembling by his touch and could feel his heart beat thumping as well.
"i…i…" she tried to speak but couldn't.
"yes shilpa! You what?" he probed her.
"I love you" she let out a whisper with a heavy breath out as if she gave up with herself. He raised his face and looked in her eyes. He could feel tears brimming in his own eyes and he felt his heart going light with relief. He forgot about everything and everyone even the place where they were,
"I love you too shilpa." And with these few words he closed the distance between his lips and hers and kissed her with all the buried feelings inside him with all the passion and intensity taking out all his anger, frustration, sadness in just this one kiss while she responded to him and filled him with all her love making him forget about everything else in the world. They both clung to each other, breathless when he finally broke apart and whispered hoarsely again,
"I love you too" and he hugged her so fiercely and lifted her off the ground.
"I'm sorry" she spoke through her tears.
"for what?" he looked at her moving her hair away from her face and cupped her face in his hands.
"for leaving you" she replied innocently and he giggled with tears in his eyes and face that she wiped off.
"it's ok. You didn't go na so it's ok" he said shaking his head and then he hugged her again. Their hearts and their fate promising to them that they won't ever be drifted apart. This time fate and destiny would not play a game with them and they would be together forever and - live happily ever after
P.S hey guys here's the 2nd part and sorry for the delay😳 but i hope you like it and i hope that it was worth the wait. pls pls pls do comment😛
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