SR One Shot-Realization - Page 6

'Triiiiiiiiiiing''

The noise of the phone brought them back to their senses and Ridhimma stepped back quickly.

'What nearly happened,' she thought her heart thumping uncontrollably against her rib cage.. She looked up at Sid and  blushed profusely.

"Ridhimma.'

'Yes,' she whispered breathlessly.

"Your phones ringing,' said Sid with a  naughty smile.

"oh'..uh'yes'uh.'

Going completely a deep crimson, Ridhimma grabbed the phone and answered it still looking at Sid, who was smiling at her with a twinkle in his eye and completely unnerving her.

'H'Hello?'  Ridhamma replied confusedly.

As the voice on the other end replied Ridhimmas face lit up.

'Armaan!'

As soon as Sid heard the name his heart constricted and he suddenly felt cold.

Ridhimmas face was full of joy as she happily asked Armaan how he was. She was transported into another realm completely forgetting everything around her. Sid watched her as she was completely engrossed in her conversation with Armaan and not even being aware of his presence. It was as if the previous moment between the two had never existed.

Sid started walking backwards slowly, all the while watching Ridhimma, who was listening intently to something Armaan was saying oblivious of Sid. With an ache in his heart, he quickly turned round and walked out of the room as a sudden fear enveloped him. Grabbing a black shirt from his room, he ran downstairs suddenly feeling suffocated and knew that he had to get out of the penthouse. He took his car keys and ran out with only one thought on his mind.

She looked so happy.

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Driving to the hospital, Sids mind began to be filled with endless questions.

'Why did Armaan call? What does he want? Why did her eyes light up on hearing his voice'

Sids body began to tense and the pressure in his head began to increase as the questions were leading to unwanted answers.

 He finally arrived at the hospital, but before he could dwell on the matter any further a nurse informed him there was an emergency and he was needed in the operating theatre by Dr. Shashank. Leaving all his thoughts behind him, Sid quickly scrubbed up concentrating on the task in hand, and went to assist his father in law. Two hours later he headed towards the locker room exhausted and fatigued. All the images of the morning came flooding back to him. As he neared the lockers he spotted Ridhimma , sitting on the bench  seemingly  lost in her thoughts.

Just seeing her drained away all the worry and tension from him. She looked so uneasy and perturbed. Sid felt bad.

'I shouldn't have just left like that,' Sid chided himself, 'Im such an idiot! What if I upset her? It was just a phone call. I should have talked to her'.  '

With all these thoughts swirling through his head Sid walked quickly towards Ridhimma desperate to talk to her, to apologise for leaving in the morning without saying anything. Just as he was about to turn the corner he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. There, sitting next to Riddhima and talking to her was Armaan.

'Look Ridhimma, I tried. I tried to forget you like you asked me and I tried to move on but I just cant live without you.'

Sid stood frozen on the spot. What was Armaan saying?

'Armaan I'''

'No Ridhimma let me finish. Last time you did all the talking. Now its my turn. I only left because you asked me to. You said that you wanted to stay with Sid I know you did that because its because it was your duty as a wife to look after him. It was your farz. But what about love Ridhimma. You and I both know that you still love me. That's the truth and that's all that matters. Look, Sid is a nice kid. He'll understand that we love each other and we are meant to be. Im sure once we explain everything to him he will let you go.'

'Dr Ridhimma to the emergency ward. Dr Ridhimma you are urgently needed.

As a nurse made the announcement over the tannoy system Ridhimma quickly got up to leave.

'I have to go Armaan,' she said and started to walk away.

'Ridhimma, wait. Meet me on the terrace at 4 o clock. We'll discuss what to tell Sid. I think its time to end this.'

Ridhimma  stopped abruptly and turned round. She stared at Armaan in silence for a few seconds and then said in a determined voice,

'You're right  Armaan. It is time to end this. I will meet you at 4 o clock,' and with those words she turned back and hurriedly walked away to the ER.

Sids world crashed down around him. He felt as if he had been slapped hard on the face and  his heart had been shattered into a million pieces.

'Farz! Duty! Is that all he was to Ridhimma. Their marriage was a duty? Being with him was her farz?  Did he mean nothing to her? And Armaan'.Armaan only left because Ridhimma asked him to!'

In a dazed state Sid walked slowly back to his office unaware of all the activity around him.He reached his office and closed the door behind him collapsing in his chair with Armaans words  ringing in his ears.

'Farz. Duty. You still love me  Ridhimma'.'

And Ridhimma hadn't denied it. She agreed to meet Armaan on the terrace to discuss how they would break the news to Sid. Tears welled up in Sids eyes. How could he have been such a fool.

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'Knock Knock'

'Bhaiyya?'

Sid snapped out of his thoughts of the morning and came back to the present.

'Come in baby sis.'

As Sue walked in, Sid put down the file he was holding, got up from his chair and hugged his sister tightly. Instinctively Sue knew something was not right.

'Bhaiyya, whats wrong? Are you ok?' A worried Su held her brothers face gently between her hands and looked into his eyes as she picked up on his sadness.

Sid looked into his sisters concerned face. She was the one person whom he could always count on, who would always be there for him. He felt the tears pricking at the corner of his eyes once more and hugged his sister again fearing that she would see them.

'Sid can I come in?'

Sid looked over his sisters shoulder and saw Raj waiting patiently at the door not wishing to disturb the brother and sister moment.

'Of course Raj. Please come in.'

Raj entered quietly and gave a quick glance to Sue who seemed to nod her head gently. Sid waited expectantly for either one of them to speak.

'Sid, Ive come to tell you your sister has made me the happiest man by agreeing to marry me.'

He wasn't surprised. Sid knew that his sister and Raj were in love and it was just a matter of time before this moment would arrive. And yet, his heart ached at the thought of his little sister leaving him.

' Congratulations! Im so happy for both of you!'

As he said those words Sid enveloped both Raj and Sue  warmly in his arms.

'I know you will make my sister very happy.' He smiled fondly at both of them as he released them from the hug.

'Sid, Ive  got a really good offer from a hospital in Delhi and I  want  to  marry Sue  before I join them so she  can come with me. I made enquiries and theres an opening for her too. It's a really good offer in the paediatrics ward''..'

As Raj was talking to her brother, Sue watched Sid closely.  He genuinely seemed happy for them yet there was something etched in his face that she couldn't quite put her finger on. There was a slight throbbing on the side of his temple as if he was keeping his emotions in check.  Sue loved her brother and was fiercely loyal and  protective of him and she was ready to fight anyone who hurt or upset him in anyway.

"So what are your wedding plans?' Sid asked with interest.

'Ive told mum and dad that I want to get married at our farmhouse. I want all our friends to be there. And of course you and Bhabhi have to arrange everything'''

'Bhabhi! Ridhimma!'  Suddenly everything came flooding back to Sid. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his teeth as he had the sudden urge to laugh out loud. What could he say to his sister? Should he apologise and say

'Im sorry Sue, but  I don't think you will have a Bhabhi by the time you get married cos she's planning to leave me for another man.'

'Bhaiyya have you listened to a word I've said?' Sue indignantly questioned her brother.

'I'm sorry Sue I've got so much work to do that my mind is a little preoccupied right now.' Sid apologized, hating having to lie to his sister.

'Come on Sue. We can talk to Sid about our plans in the evening,' said Raj taking Sues hand in his own. 'Oh by the way Sid, I've spoken to Yuvi and Naina and they said they will come down from London for the wedding too.'

Sid was elated. He missed his best friends terribly and it would be great to see them again. Yuvi and Naina had both left for England last month to pursue their internship in London and ended up getting married there after Naina's Dad  had a change of heart towards Yuvi .

'I better marry her quickly  before Buddha changes his mind again,' Yuvi had laughingly told Sid over the phone.

'Ok bhaiyya, so we'll see you in the evening and then we'll make plans. Tell bhabhi not to cook. We'll bring a pizza.' And with a final hug for her brother Sue walked out with Raj holding on to his arm.

For a while Sid stood  motionless where he was. Yuvi and naina were happy. Sue and Raj were happy. Was he so bad that he didn't deserve happiness?

Sid suddenly felt very alone.

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'Your cappacino madam'

Ridhimma  took the small  cup from the waiter and murmured a soft' thankyou.'

She absent mindedly began to stir the cappacino while her thoughts flew back to Armaans phone call in the morning. One minute she was in Sids arms and the next minute she was talking to Armaan. She had been genuinely happy to hear from him but was surprised when he told her that he was in Mumbai and wanted to meet her. As she finished her phone call she  had turned round to tell Sid but was perturbed to find that he was not there. She looked everywhere for him and realized that he had left without eating breakfast and  without telling her he was going.

A cold fear had taken hold of her. Why did he leave so abruptly? Was it because Armaan had called? Did he know she had asked Armaan to leave all those months ago?

Ridhimma had rushed to Sanjeevani and went about looking for Sid but the nurse told her he was in the operating theatre with her father.

As she sipped her cappacino, she thought back to the time after  the Lonavla  incident when Sids fury and wrath  towards her had been unbearable. But all she knew was that she wanted to stay with Sid and had to make things right. She was desperate for things to work out between them but with Armaan  around she knew that Sid would not find lasting peace.  She knew she would have to do something about it and so she had asked Armaan to meet her in private one afternoon.

'Please Armaan. Please leave.' She had implored him.

'Ridhimma, I  left you once but I'm not going to leave you again'

'Armaan  Im married now. You were my past. Sid is my present and future. He's my husband,' Ridhimma pleaded.

Armaans anger was beginning to surface and his voice began to rise

'But you still love me Ridhimma. Whatever you have with Sid is just a duty. Your farz as a wife.'

Ridhimma knew that to argue with Armaan when he was in this stubborn mood  would be useless and futile because he only believed what he wanted to believe whether it was true or not. And if he got angry there was no knowing what he would do. She had to handle the situation calmly.

'Armaan, if I ever meant anything to you, if our love meant anything to you then you will leave. Please.'

Armaan looked into Ridhimma desperate eyes.

'Fine  Ridhimma. Im only doing this because your asking me to. But you and I both know that's its always me you'll love. And you cant escape from this truth'

And he had been true to his word and left immediately. She hadn't heard from him for months. Initially when he had first left, she used to wonder if he was okay. But her main priority was Sid and making her marriage work. And the more she concentrated on Sid, the less she thought about Armaan to the point where eventually she didn't think about him anymore.

 And  then today when he had called out of the blue, she was happy to hear from him. It was nice to hear his voice again and when he said he wanted to meet her  in Sanjeevani that morning she had agreed.

After finding out Sid was in the operating theatre she had gone  to the locker room ,and there she saw him''waiting for her. Armaan. He looked exactly the same as he did when he had  left all those months ago.. As soon as he saw her, he gave a huge smile and  hugged her tight telling her he missed her.

Coming back to the present, Ridhimma  suddenly shivered remembering her conversation with him  from the morning.

'I cant live without you'..we are meant to be. You still love me!'

Armaans words kept repeating over and over in her head.

What was she  going to do?

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Sid suddenly felt claustrophobic in his room and knew he had to distract himself. He decided to go and see the kiddies in the Childrens ward. He loved children and he loved playing with them. They always managed to cheer him up and make him laugh. As he opened the door of his office to go out, he bumped into a nurse who was about to knock on his door.

' Sorry Dr. Sid but Dr. Ridhimma has been looking for you. She asked me to ask you to page her once you were free.

'Thankyou  sister.'

Sid stood by his door contemplating what to do. Should he confront Ridhimma and tell her he knew everything or wait for her and Armaan to tell him together. Either way, he realized he didn't want to deal with this right now simply because he knew it would break him. He knew he was putting off the inevitable but he just didn't have the strength to handle the consequences. He headed towards the childrens ward  but decided to pass by the cafeteria  to get some chocolates for the kids.

 And thats when he saw her. His feet automatically stopped on seeing her.  She seemed to be in deep thought. He caught his breath. She looked so beautiful. He just wanted to take her in her arms and drown in her eyes.

As Ridhimma sat at the table with the cappacino in her hands contemplating what to do, she suddenly felt his presence.

'He's here,' she thought breathlessly. Her eyes looked up anxiously searching for him.

And then she saw him.

Sid held his breath. Was she looking for him? All of a  sudden her eyes stopped searching. He looked at where she was staring. And then he saw him.

Armaan.

Sid walked away.