Chapter
14
It
was just another morning at Sanjeevani and Naina and Su were at the nurse
station waiting for the others to arrive for their regular briefing session. It
was then that they saw Sister Lovely running around the hospital madly looking
for someone.
"Oji, Dr. Naina ji, aap ne
kisi bohot hi handsome se munde ko kahin dekha hai ji?" she asked them, blushing.
Naina
and Su were confused as to who this handsome
munda' was.
"Ji nahi, Sister Lovely.
Waise kaun handsome munda?"
"Arre wo ji... who toh main
aapko nahi bata sakti."
"Kyu?" Su asked, interested.
"Wo ji main unka naam nahi
le sakti. Wo mere wo haina", she replied, blushing
furiously.
Naina
and Su giggled. Sister Lovely sighed and went away, continuing her search for
her wo'.
"Oyye...psssttt..." someone called from behind the
reception.
Naina
and Su peered down to see a very good looking man hiding there.
"Gayi kya?" he asked.
They
just looked at him, dazed.
He
snapped his fingers in front of them which seemed to bring them out of their
daze.
"Gayi kya?" he asked again.
"Kaun?" Su asked, confused.
"Arre, wahi... Sister
Lovely, aur kaun?"
"Haan, who toh gayi."
He
breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God", he said, coming out of his hiding
place.
"Aap Sister Lovely se chup
kyu rahe the?" Su asked.
"Kyuki wo paagal hai!" he exclaimed.
"Lagta hai, aap humaari
Sister Lovely ke wo' hai",
Naina said, giggling and bumping her shoulder with his.
"Kya baat hai? Aaj subah
subah kya ho raha hai?" Yuvi asked, as he reached
with Sid and JP in tow.
"Kuch nahi, bas aise hi", Su replied.
"Arre... hum tumhe Sister
Lovely ke hone waale husband se milaate hain",
Naina said, pointing to the man.
"Paagal hai kya? Ye Sister
Lovely se shaadi kyu karna chaahta hai?"
Sid asked Yuvi.
"Abbe, mujhe kya pata?"
"Hmmm..."
"Ummm, girls, thank you for
your help. Kya aap mujhe bata sakte hain ki Dr. Riddhima Gupta kahaan milengi?" he asked them.
"Wo toh abhi duty per hongi.
Aap Dr. Armaan se pooch lijiye. Unhe zaroor pata hoga. Wo briefing le liye aate
hi honge", Naina replied.
"No thanks, main khud hi
dhoond loonga", he replied, his voice
terse.
"Waise aap hai kaun?" Sid asked curiously.
"Oh, right sorry. Hi, I'm..."
"Rahul", Riddhima screamed in delight.
"Riddhu", he sighed.
Riddhima
wasted no time in running to him. He opened his arms for her and pulled her
into a bear hug.
He
picked her up and twirled her around making her laugh.
"Can't breathe",
she gasped after a minute. Hearing this, he immediately let her go.
"Hi rockstar", she greeted him.
"Hey superstar."
"I missed you."
"I missed you, too", he said, pulling her into another
hug.
"Waise, tum yahaan kya kar
rahe ho?" Riddhima asked him once
they parted from the hug.
Rahul
saw Sister Lovely coming in their direction and pointed towards her, scared.
Riddhima
followed his gaze and laughed on seeing Sister Lovely. Rahul glared at her. She
held her hands in surrender. Then, she took his hand in hers and ran.
They
ran all around the hospital, dogding Sister Lovely, laughing like maniacs.
But,
while running, Riddhima twisted her ankle and fell down.
"Ahhh."
"Kya... kya hua?" Rahul asked, concerned, "Bohot dard ho raha hai?"
Riddhima
nodded.
"Chal, dressing room. Sprain
ho gaya hoga. Main bandage kar deta hu."
Rahul
got up and pulled Riddhima up as well. He held her hand securely in his own and
made to move.
"Ouch", Riddhima muttered.
"Kya hua?"
"Rahul, bohot dukh raha hai.
I don't think main chal paungi."
Rahul
nodded and turned around. Then he helped Riddhima climb on his back, piggy back
style.
"Thanks, Rahul. You're the best", Riddhima said, once she was
comfortably settled on his back.
Rahul
moved towards the dressing room, talking to Riddhima. They were laughing as
they recounted incidents to each other. Everybody was staring at them as if
they were maniacs.
Riddhima
was telling him about something when Rahul stopped suddenly and let his grip on
Riddhima loosen, causing her to fall down.
"Rahul, you idiot!" she screamed.
"Yeh sab kya ho raha hai?" Armaan asked in an intimidating voice.
"Wahi ho raha hai jo tujhe
dikh raha hai. Ya phir dimaag ke saath saath aankhen bhi kharaab ho gayin hai?" Rahul asked, his tone clipped.
"Arre, Rahul, yaar chill
maar na. Itna serious kyu ho raha hai?"
Armaan asked, smiling widely and moving to hug him.
Rahul
stopped Armaan by putting a hand to his chest and glaring at him.
Armaan
looked at him, confused.
"Tu... door reh mere se.
Riddhima ne terko maaf kar diya hoga. Maine nahi",
Rahul told Armaan authoritatively.
Armaan
sighed.
"Agar tumlog ka ho gaya toh
koi meri madad karega?" Riddhima asked, still
sitting on the floor.
Armaan
looked at her and started laughing loudly.
"Armaan haso mat. Meri help
karo."
"Arre, Riddhima tum neeche
kyu baithi ho? Khadi ho jao."
"Tumhe kya lagta hai? Agar
main khadi ho pati toh abhi tak ho nahi gayi hoti?" She asked sarcastically.
This
sobered Armaan quickly.
"Kya hua?" he asked concerned, bending down to
her level.
"Moch aa gayi hai."
"Riddhima, tum paagal ho
kya? Bataya kyu nahi?" he asked, rubbing her
foot.
"Sss...aah."
"Bohot dard ho raha hai?"
Riddhima
just nodded mutely.
Armaan
stood up and picked her up in her arms, bridal style.
"Tum ek number ki idiot
ho..." Rahul heard him say before
their voices faded away. He shook his head. He was planning on meeting Anjali
and Atul with Riddhima, but now, he made his way to see them alone. Stupid
Armaan. He hated that Armaan was somehow always there. And stupid Riddhima - for forgiving him as if nothing had
happened. How could she forgive him so easily? Had she forgotten all those
nights she didn't sleep because of
nightmares, all those days she cried herself into oblivion, all the time she
spent loathing herself for not being good enough? How could she? Armaan Mallik
had made her life a living Hell for almost 8 months and here she was, talking
to him, laughing with him, in his arms as if nothing had happened.
She
was blinded by love, he knew. Armaan was the only guy she had ever loved. And
she loved him completely that she couldn't
help but forgive him. And he knew, that no one would love her as fiercely and
as wholly as Armaan. But Armaan was also responsible for all her pain. She
should hate him, but she didn't. It was okay though, he
thought. He would hate Armaan enough for the both of them.
This
Armaan standing in front of him now, wasn't
the Armaan he had gotten to know, the guy he was proud to call his friend. No,
he was Armaan Mallik, who all but ruined his best friend's life. And he hated him for it.
Armaan
took Riddhima to the dressing room and gently placed her on the stretcher/bed.
He then took some ointment and started to apply it on her feet. She whimpered
at the contact and Armaan stopped immediately. He blew air on her feet, before
bending and kissing them.
"Armaan", Riddhima sighed. He looked up and
smiled at her.
He
gently applied the ointment on her feet and put a bandage on it. Then, he took
her in his arms, resting his chin on her head.
"Ek baat batao, ye chot
kaise lagi?"
"Woh, main aur Rahul Sister
Lovely se bachne ki koshish kar rahe the..."
she trailed off, laughing.
"Sister Lovely?"
"Haan, unhe pasand haina,
Rahul!"
Hearing
this, Armaan burst out laughing.
"Armaan..."
"Hmmm"
"Woh, Rahul ne jaise tumse
baat ki... I'm sorry. Wo paagal ho gaya
hai. Main usse baat karti hu, ki wo tumse sahi tarah se baat kare."
"Nahi Riddhima. Rahul ne
kuch bhi galat nahi kiya hai. Usse poora haq hai mujhse is tarah baat karne ka.
Tum please usse kuch mat kehna. Hum dono baat karke sab kuch solve kar lenge.
Theek hai?"
"Lekin, Armaan, woh tumse
aise baat... mujhe achcha nahi laga."
"Riddhima... ye mere aur
Rahul ke beech ki baat hai. Hum sab sort out kar lenge. Aur wo sirf tumhaara
best friend nahi hai. Mera bhi toh wo bhai hi hai. Aur waise bhi doston mein
toh aise jhagde hote rehte hai. Tum fikar mat karo. Dekhna, thode time mein sab
theek ho jaayega."
"Par Armaan, usse tumhaare
saath aise..."
"Riddhima, please... ye
situation tum mujhe apne tareeke se handle karne do."
Finally,
she relented. Armaan sighed and pulled back. He kissed her forehead and then
helped her of the bed.
As
they were leaving, Dr. Keerti found them.
"Doctors, achcha hua aap
mujhe yahaan par hi mil gaye. Main aap dono ko hi dhoond rahi thi" -
seeing their confused expressions, she clarified -
"Lonavala Orphanage jaana
hai, bachchon ke check up ke liye."
Armaan
and Riddhima smiled and nodded. They loved going to the orphanage. It was a
very special place for both of them.
Dr.
Keerti noticed Riddhima's bandaged leg and asked
her, "Dr. Riddhima, ye kya hua?
Aap theek toh haina?"
Riddhima
nodded, saying, "Kuch nahi, Ma'am, bas choti si moch hai."
"Aap Lonavala jaa paayengi
na?"
"Of course, Dr. Keerti, isme
poochne ki kya baat hai?"
"Good, apne saath aapko Dr.
Yuvraj aur Dr. Naina ko bhi leke jaana hoga."
"Par, unhe kyu?" Armaan asked.
"Dr. Armaan, ab aap aur Dr.
Riddhima interns nahi hai, aap har baar kisi emergency ki wajah se Orphanage
nahi jaa paayenge kyuki aapki zimmedaariyan badh gayin hai. Aise situation
mein, ye zaroori hai ki wahaan ke bachche doosre doctors ke saath ghul - mil jaayein, taaki agar kisi wajah aap
dono mein se koi wahaan nahi jaa paya, toh woh kisi aur se apna ilaaj karaane
mein comfortable ho."
"Ji, Dr. Keerti."
"Good", saying so, she left.
Armaan
and Riddhima made their way to the locker room. Armaan made Riddhima sit on one
of the benches.
"Tum yahaan baitho. Main
Yuvi aur Naina ko bula lata hu. Phir tum sab ko ghar drop kar doonga, packing
ke liye", Armaan said to Riddhima.
Riddhima
nodded and kissed his cheek. Armaan grinned and kissed her forehead before
going.
Riddhima
was sitting there, lounging in the locker room, when Rahul came there with
Anjali.
"Kaisi hai moch ab?" He asked her.
"Ab theek hai."
"Good."
"Rahul, aaj subah jo hua,
hume uske baare mein baat karni chahiye."
"Kis baare mein? Kya hua aaj
subah?"
"Wohi jo tumne Armaan ke
saath kiya. Wo sahi nahi tha Rahul."
"Kya kiya Rahul ne Armaan ke
saath?" Anjali asked.
Riddhima
narrated the whole incident to Anjali.
"Rahul, tumhe Armaan ke
saath aise behave nahi karna chahiye tha",
Anjali announced.
"Tum dono ko jo lagta hai wo
lage. But, mujhe jo sahi lagta hai maine kiya. In fact, mujhe toh ye nahi
samajh aa raha ki tune usse itni aasaani se maaf kaise kar diya", he said incredulously.
"Rahul, please..." she tried to reason.
"Riddhima is baare mein ab
aur koi baat nahi hogi."
Riddhima
just sighed.
"Wo sab chod, aaj raat ko
dinner, tu aur main aur Anji aur koi nahin."
"Sorry, main aaj nahi aa
sakti."
"Kyu? Kya hua? Armaan ke
saath plan hai kya?" Anjali asked.
"Haan", Riddhima replied.
"Ek din usse chod kar
humaare saath aa sakti hai", Rahul said
authoritatively.
"Nahi aa sakti, kyuki hum
Lonavala jaa rahe hai."
"Lonavala kyu?"
"Dr. Keerti ke orders hai.
Orphanage jaana hai."
Just
then, Armaan came back with Yuvi and Naina in tow.
"Chalein?" he asked Riddhima.
Before
Riddhima could say anything, Rahul aid, "Tu...
ruk, baat karni hai mujhe tujhse."
Armaan
nodded. "Bol."
Rahul
looked around, "Akele."
Armaam
understood the undertone of his words and the two of them made to leave.
"Ruko", Riddhima said, "Rahul, tujhe jo baat karni hai, yahin
kar."
"Riddhu, mujhe usse akele
baat karni hai. SAbke saamne nahi aur tere saamne to bilkul nahi."
"Rahul..." Riddhima scolded.
"Riddhima. It's okay. Hum is baare mein baat kar
chuke hain. Mujhe koi problem nahi hai",
Armaan said, trying to pacify her.
Riddhima
sighed helplessly.
Armaan
turned to Rahul and said, "Chal."
Armaan
led the way to the fire escape and closed the door after Rahul.
Then,
he turned towars him and waited.
Rahul
glared at him before saying, "Riddhu ne tujhe kyu maaf
kiya ye toh mujhe nahi samajh aa raha, magar usne kiya hai. Mujhe ye pasand
nahi hai lekin main uske decision ki respect karta hu. Wo apne decisions khud
le sakti hai aur main usse influence nahi karunga apna faisla badalne. Magar,
jis tarah main uska decision nahi badal sakta, wo bhi mera decision nahi badal
sakti. I hate you, Armaan Mallik."
Armaan
just smiled wistfully on hearing Rahul.
"I know", he whispered.
"Aur haan, usne tujhe apni
zindagi mein waapas jagah di hai, toh us mauke ko ab kharaab mat kar. Kyuki ab,
agar teri wajah se meri Riddhu ki aankh mein se ek aansu bhi gira na, toh
mujhse bura koi nahi hoga. Phir chahe Shashank Uncle aur Padma Aunty kuch bhi
kahein, tujhe mujhse koi nahi bachaa paayega, samjha?"
Armaan
nodded.
"Good, ab tu usse wahaan
lekar jaa raha hai toh uska dhyaan rakhiyo. Aur kuch ulti - seedhi harkat mat karna", Rahul told him.
Armaan
sighed and nodded.
Having
said what he needed to, Rahul left from there, leaving a distraught Armaan
behind. Armaan knew that Rahul was not his biggest fan right now, what with
everything that Riddhima had told him about their time apart. But, he still
thought that Rahul would be able to understand him better than anyone else.
After all, even he had left Muskaan when he felt that he couldn't give her the life she deserved.
Though Armaan felt heartbroken for Muskaan, he had understood Rahul's reasons for leaving and had admired
him for having the courage to leave the love of his life behind so that she
could have a better life, without caring about himself.
Unfortunately,
it seemed that Rahul was not ready to grant the same courtesy and admiration to
Armaan. Even though, a part of Armaan was angry at Rahul and was calling him a
hypocritical bas***d, Armaan knew that Rahul was right in his own way. He knew
that Rahul and Riddhima had gotten really close over the past few months and
Rahul had been Riddhima's support through the
toughest phase of her life. He had cared for her, loved her and looked after
her when Armaan couldn't. And, so Armaan would
forever be grateful to Rahul for saving his Riddhima when he wasn't there to do so himself. And in doing
so, he knew that Rahul had seen Riddhima in a lot of pain, with a shattered
heart and no meaning in life. Riddhima had never told Armaan how those months
really were for her, sparing him all the gory details of the crushing pain she
had felt in those 10 months without him, but Armaan knew anyway. It didn't take genius to figure that out. So,
it was obviously pretty easy for him, he could read her silence, she never had
to say words to express herself in front of him. And, if she loved Armaan even
a fraction of what he felt for her, he knew, it must have been horrible for
her. Because it had been mind numbing and life shattering for him to stay away
from her.
Rahul just needs sometime
to forgive me. Bhai hai woh mera, zyada time ke liye naaraaz nahi rahega, he thought, sighing.
xxx
Hey Guys!
Happy Valentine's Day! Kaash hum sabko Armaan jaisa koi mile aur hum hamesha khush rahe!
Anyway, getting to the update, kaisa laga? Rahul's back and he hates Armaan. Nice? No?
Please comment and let me know!
Next update mostly on 23rd Feb - KSG ka birthday gift :D
Actually, I have an office outing next week, though I'm still not sure if I'm going and then I have my college farewell - cum - graduation ceremony on 22nd.
College ends Friday and that's sad ðŸ˜
Anyway, yeh depressing - shipressing baatein chodo, update kaisa hai yeh batao!
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