Previously On...
Riddhima and gang reach NYC for Rohan's wedding. There, they meet Rahul, who is also very close to Rohan and Jaanhavi, the bride. Nikki knows Jaanhavi from ages ago and is emotional on seeing her again. Jaanhavi gets into an accident. At the hospital, the gang sees Armaan again and is shocked to see him. Riddhima wants to go to him but doesn't because she left him 7 years ago. Armaan is tensed about Jaanhavi's condition and adding the stress of seeing Riddhima after so long causes him to have a panic attack. Rahul helps him through it and Riddhima is surprised to find out that Armaan has had panic attacks for many years now, even before he met her. This makes her wonder about what else she doesn't know about him. After Armaan gets better, he has a conversation with Riddhima which is cut short when Tamanna gets there. Seeing Tamanna and Armaan together, Riddhima assumes that they're a couple and decides not to tell Armaan about her and Sid's break up. She convinces Sid to do the same. After a few hours, Jaanhavi finally gains consciousness. Armaan, Rahul, Tamanna & Rohan are relieved when that happens. Nikki and Jaanhavi meet after years and have a very emotionally charged moment.
(Haash. Ho gaya! TDBU ki poori story sunaa di tum sabko short mein!)
Track 8 - Home, Phillip Phillips
A few hours later and Jaanhavi was ready to go home. She really disliked hospitals when she was the patient and not the doctor. Matt, knowing he would never win against a combined force of Armaan and Jaanhavi, let her go on the condition that she be on complete bedrest. He said that he'd stop by every couple of days to check on her and if the pain got too much to bear, to call him immediately. He also prescribed her some meds. With all that taken care off, Jaanhavi was finally released and went home.
"God, this is awesome, she groaned as Armaan situated her on her bed. "I'm never cribbing about my bed. Ever again. This is so much better than the one at the hospital.
Armaan laughed and kissed her head. "I'm gonna be downstairs. Holler if you need me.
Jaanhavi nodded. "I'm gonna nap for sometime. You should too.
Armaan nodded. Jaanhavi rolled her eyes at this. She knew that if Armaan stepped out of this room, sleeping would be the last thing he'd do. He would get caught up playing host and catching up on any appointments he might have missed while she was in the hospital. But she was sure he hadn't slept since she had been in the hospital, too worried about her to do anything but pace. So, she patted the spot beside her, indicating him to sit down.
"Yes? He asked, sitting on the bed beside her.
"Nap with me, she replied.
Armaan rolled his eyes. Of course. "Not now, Jaan.
"Yes now, she reverted.
"I have work to do, he insisted.
"As if I care. It can wait. She replied.
"Jaan, don't be difficult.
"You're the one who's being difficult.
"No, I'm not.
Jaanhavi sighed. It was time to bring out the big guns. She widened her eyes and gave him the puppy dog look, complete with the lips. "Please, she begged.
Armaan sighed. Jaan always did play dirty. "That's not fair.
"Is it working? She asked, not dropping the expression.
"You know it is, he replied.
"Great. All's fair in love and war, right?
Armaan sighed. "God, what am I gonna do with you? He asked, lying down on the bed.
Jaanhavi smirked in victory before doing the same.
"Night, Dada, she mumbled, hugging him to her.
Armaan smiled. She rarely ever called him Dada anymore. He didn't mind though. She still called him Malakh. Her angel.
"Night, Jaan, he whispered before kissing her head.
Riddhima who was passing by, stopped when she saw Armaan and Jaanhavi all cuddled up on the bed. They looked so cute. Riddhima couldn't help the smile on her face when she saw them. She stood there for a while, admiring Armaan. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. Content. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him looking like this. It had been so very long. When she'd seen him now, he'd been so worried about Jaanhavi. Before, he'd always been in pain because of her and Sid. He'd never really smiled then. She sighed. She still couldn't understand how she went so wrong with everything Armaan in her life. She loved him so much, but she hadn't ever appreciated him. And, she was paying for that mistake now.
"Riddhima, Sid's whisper brought her out of her thoughts.
"Hey, she greeted him, not taking her eyes of the duo.
"How are you? Sid asked. Riddhima shrugged in reply. She knew that Sid would know if she was lying, so she didn't even try.
"Riddhima, are you sure you want to do this? You have a chance to finally be happy now. Armaan is here. Right in front of your eyes. You should talk to him, make him understand. You're meant for each other, Sid coaxed.
"No, Sid. He's moved on in life. Well, he's certainly trying. And my love has only ever brought him pain. It's better this way. For both of us, Riddhima replied adamantly.
Sid sighed wearily. He knew that there was no way he would be able to change Riddhima's mind. But, he really wished that she would just talk it all out with Armaan. She loved him so much. Even after seven years. And, she deserved happiness.
"Come on, let's go, she said after sometime and both of them retired to their rooms.
Armaan woke up sometime later. Jaanhavi was still sleeping. He shook his head fondly at her. Kissing her forehead, he got out of bed and made his way downstairs.
The gang was all assembled there. They were just sitting and merry making. Armaan smiled nostalgically on seeing them. It seemed like not much had changed in their dynamics.
"Armaan! Nikki exclaimed when she noticed him. "Come, she chirped, patting the spot next to her. She'd just put all the kids to bed - hers and Dr. Keerti's and was feeling extremely proud of herself for this achievement. Armaan sighed and made his way to her.
"Hey, guys, he greeted them.
"Hey, Armaan, echoed across the hall as everyone replied.
"So, watcha doin'? He asked.
"Nothing, Anjy replied. "Just getting bored.
Armaan chuckled. "How about a tour? He asked them. "I'm sure you haven't seen the place.
"Sounds awesome! Muskaan piped in before anyone had the chance to speak. "It's such a huge house. I want to see everything!
"Okay. So, come, Armaan insisted.
(Yaar, ab living room wagerah ki sirf pictures hi post kar rahi hu. Uska likha nahi hai lekin woh bhi dikhaya Armaan ne un sab ko!)
(Just imagine ki dining table isse bohot badi hai!)
They started with the backyard. It had a beautiful garden. And, an amazing swimming pool.
The inside was also grand. The first place they went to was Armaan's office. The others didn't have a study because they preferred not to work while they were at home, but Armaan, the absolute workaholic had one huge office for himself.
The basement was divided into half. One half was changed into a recording studio and the other into a dark room to develop photographs with a tiny office. The studio was Armaan's and the dark room was Rahul's. They both tended to spend a lot of down time here.
The studio was fully equipped with recording equipment. It wasn't as good as a professional studio, but the stuff was really good. Armaan explained that he'd handpicked each and every item after researching for hours. He didn't have the space to keep state of the art equipment like he wanted to, so he had to look into a lot of things before he bought the compact, home friendly versions of them.
Rahul's dark room was actually a photographer's dream come true. It was absolutely brilliant.
There was a room which was fully equipped with anything you might need to pass time. It had a home theatre and music system. The walls were covered with movies and TV shows. There was a gramophone in one end and vinyls were arranged neatly on the wall beside it. A gaming system was already connected to the TV and a few bean bags were placed there for people to sit. A few board games like Life, Monopoly, Cluedo etc were stacked on one side with a basketball, a football and a cricket kit.
Next to the entertainment room was the library. It was absolutely huge and covered with books to the hilt. Rahul boasted about it holding almost 2500 titles.
Apart from all this, there were several rooms. The house had 7 guest bedrooms for adults and 3 for kids. In addition to this, it had individual rooms for it's 4 occupants.
All the rooms were so tastefully done. The quarter's rooms, though, were amazing. They were so well made and they reflected the personalities of their inhabitants so eloquently.
Rahul's room was absolutely sleek. It was all black and magestic. Completely modern, yet so homey with his clothes lying around along with books and papers littered across the room. At first glance, it would look impersonal to anyone who entered, like a Pottery Barn explosion, but Raul had added minute touches to make it his own. Like the framed picture of him and Armaan which hung on the wall. It was a candid, that was clear. The two of them had their heads thrown back as they laughed uncontrollably with their arms around each other's shoulder. Rahul didn't even remember what they were laughing at, but their laughter had been captured, frozen forever in this intimate memory. It was one of Rahul's favourite pictures. Then, there were various knick knacks in the room that he'd gathered from his travels to various places. A travel mug from London, a throw quilt from Sweden, a vase from Germany, a mini Hollywood sign from LA and so on. Rahul had really put a lot of thought into it and that was clearly visible.
Their next stop was Tamanna's room. Her room was the definition of cozy. It was a place where someone would imagine themselves all curled up in blankets and enjoying a nap on a chilly fall day. That was the only explanation to describe the place. Hand woven pillow cases, blankets, throws adorned the room. Tamanna told them that they'd all been made by either her or her mom, which made everything very special. The most interesting thing about Tamanna's room, though, was the shelf that she'd dedicated to keeping snow globes. It was a huge shelf that was more than half full with snow globes of various shapes and sizes. It was really beautifully arranged. Nikki oohed and aahed over it for a good five minutes, she was so in love with it.
Jaanhavi's room was something fit for a teenager, Riddhima thought at first glance. An inspirational quote painted on the wall above her bed, a Beatles picture and fairy lights all screamed that a teenager lived there. But, the subtle manipulations with colours and contrasts, the bookshelf full of varying book titles which denoted someone with a varied and eclectic taste, the mini wine cellar in the corner, all made a difference.
Armaan's room, though, was absolutely gorgeous. It wasn't overly done, but what it made it so special was the wall of photographs that adorned one of his walls.
Sid gestured to it questioningly. Armaan smiled. "That's my own, personal, Hall of Fame, Armaan explained. "It has pictures of me with all the important people in my life.
Sid smiled at his explanation and moved to the wall, scanning through all the pictures. He could recognize Rahul and Tamanna in a couple of pictures. Rohan was there too, and what seemed to be his family. He even recognized a few famous musicians - Ed Sheeran, Chris Martin & Adam Levine. He was surprised to see them. They were important in Armaan's life? He would have to ask Armaan about that. There were a lot of women, though. Almost every other snap had a woman on Armaan's arm, both of them smiling for the camera, their eyes alight with happiness. He recognized Taylor Swift in a photo, too. But, he didn't know anyone else. And, towards the bottom, precariously placed, somewhere where not many people would look were pictures of Armaan with the Sanjeevani gang. A group shot with Riddhima, Rahul, Atul, Anjali, Muskaan and Nikki. Another one with him, Naina, Yuvi and JP. A picture with Dr. Shubhankar and Dr. Keerti from someone's wedding, probably their own.
"This is nice, Sid commented. Armaan smiled at his compliment.
"Armaan! You know Ed Sheeran? Muskaan screeched, looking at his photo with Ed. It looked to be an older picture. Both of them were wearing Orange tees, a la Ed's album, +. They had guitars round their necks and were posing for the camera.
Armaan looked at the picture and smiled. "Oh, yeah. I know him. He's a good friend. We took this at the success party of Plus, he explained. "Actually, I sort of own stock in a recording company. So, I know many musicians and singers and such.
Nikki smiled at him. "Do you just own stock? She asked.
"Okay, fine. So I work there as a part time producer too, he replied carelessly, as if it was no big deal.
"Maani! Nikki cried happily, throwing herself in his arms. "I'm so happy for you! You have to tell me everything. How, when, where, what! Gosh, I can't believe it! You work at a record studio! Finally. I'm so glad you're living your dream! She ranted.
Armaan hugged her back and laughed at her exuberance. "Thank you, Nikki. I'm so happy for me too.
"This is... It's so huge! I remember the days when you couldn't talk about anything but making music. And now you're here! I'm so proud of you! Nikki ranted.
"Thanks, Nik! But, I can't take credit. This was all Jaan. She all but forced me into it, Armaan replied, laughing. "She said that if I didn't do it,she wouldn't talk to me. Ever. Then, she actually didn't talk to me for two days. So.
Nikki smiled at him. Of course. Jaanhavi. She could make Armaan do anything. Even make music again. It had been Armaan's dream as a kid, but, after the untimely death of Jaanhavi's mom, he'd given up on it. Shalini Aunty had been his guru. And, after her, Armaan wasn't as invested in music. Yes, he still loved it. But the passion was lost. And then, Jaanhavi left. Armaan hadn't played a single note since that day. And now, here he was, doing what he loved. Again. Nikki was so proud of him! She couldn't believe that he had actually did it. She really thought that there wouldn't be much she could do when Armaan had become so adamant to toss his musical dreams out the window and then get into med school, but she was so glad that Jaanhavi had talked him into it again!
"Shalini Aunty would be so proud, Armaan, Nikki whispered in his ear as they hugged.
Hearing this, Armaan gave a watery chuckle and hugged Nikki tighter. "You really think so? He asked skeptically.
"I know so, she replied, pulling back.
"Thank you, Nikki, Armaan told her before placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Okay, guys, can we also know what's going on? Atul intervened. "Armaan, you work at a record label? How?
"Long story. Come, let's sit. I'll tell you everything, Armaan announced. They moved to the living room again. Dr. Shashank who wasn't really interested in knowing about Armaan made his way to his room feigning fatigue.
Once everyone was seated, Armaan began his story. "So, I'd always loved music as a kid. I mean, it was my dream to become this huge rockstar someday, he started. "But, as I grew up, things changed and I somehow ended up in med school, he continued, not elaborating on what had happened. The others were curious to know what Armaan was referring to but wisely kept their mouth shut. They knew that pushing Armaan to talk about things he didn't want to would always lead to issues and Armaan had always been too tight lipped when it came to his past.
"But, then, I came here and I bumped into Jaan again, Armaan continued his story. "And she convinced me to start playing again. Give time to music. I started playing again and it felt so nice. At first, I played only in front of Jaan. But slowly, I started to play in front of small audiences - family, friends and such. Then, Jaan convinced me to do those open mics and gigs at indie pubs when I got the time, just for fun, you know? So, anyway, I had this gig at a small pub, pretty intimate. After my set, a woman walked up to me saying she absolutely loved my music and she really wished that she could sign me on as an artist, but her label could be shut anyday and so she couldn't. That started this huge discussion between us and she told me about the financial issues her label was going through. Surprisingly, her label featured a lot of artists that I liked, so I decided to help her. I had all this money lying around from my inheritance which I hadn't used. So, I gave it to her in return for 30% stake in her label. Over the years, she was able to overcome all the issues and she approached me to sing for her label. But, I wasn't really comfortable in the limelight, so I decided to join as a part time producer, Armaan explained.
"Oh, wow! You just gave your money to her like that? Without even knowing her? Anjali asked, surprised.
"Not exactly. Once we talked the first time, I corresponded with her many times before I made up my mind. And, it took more meetings and talks to get her to agree to take the money. God, that woman is stubborn, let me tell you! I haven't seen anyone refuse money so adamantly before her. Actually, now I have. It's dad! But, yeah, other than him, it's got to be her. Thankfully, I got her to accept the money, mostly because she absolutely loved her label and the thought of it shutting down was painful for her. It was supposed to be a loan at first, but then I decided to become an investor and actually own part of the label. The whole administration and stuff still lies with her and I'm just a silent partner, but it's great! Armaan explained.
"Wow, that's great, Armaan! It seems to be something you really love, Dr. Shubhankar commented, looking at the smile on his face.
"Oh, yes! I absolutely love it. The label, the people, the work we do. Everything. It's so satisfying, working there. I'm really glad that I did this, Armaan replied.
"But, then, how do you manage? Sid jumped in. "I mean, the hospital and the label? It must be so hectic. He asked.
Armaan laughed. "Yeah, it's a little hectic, but I don't work full time at either place. I'm a visiting doctor at Sanjeevani and I'm a part time producer at the label. So, I go to the hospital thrice a week and the label twice or thrice, depending on the need and it all gets managed.
"Okay, enough label talks! Tell me all about you guys! How've you been? It's been 7 years, after all! Armaan asked.
The next few hours were spent with the gang filling each other in about their life. They'd all come such a long way. Atul was a successful oncologist, just like he'd promised his father, Anjali was a cosmetic surgeon, Muskaan was a psychologist, Rahul was a pediatrician, Armaan was an orthopedic surgeon and Riddhima was a neurologist. Everyone was surprised at Armaan's specialization because he'd always wanted to be a cardiologist. When at Sanjeevani, in their last year of internship, he'd worked almost exclusively with Dr. Shubhankar to achieve that goal.
"Armaan, I thought you wanted to become a cardiologist! Dr. Shubhankar exclaimed. He'd been Armaan's mentor for all intents and purposes and was definitely bummed that Armaan hadn't decided to follow in those footsteps.
"Yes, Dr. Shubhankar, I know. But things change. Being an orthopedic surgeon is definitely what I wanted, Armaan replied, not wanting to elaborate on why.
But, Riddhima knew exactly why. It was the same reason that she was now a neurologist and not a gynecologist like she'd dreamed of becoming. Smriti Mom had died because of issues with her pregnancy with Anjali that hadn't completely left her after the delivery. She'd succumbed to those a mere 6 years after Anjali was born. Riddhima had been very deeply impacted by that and she'd vowed to become the best OBGYN there was. But, after the shootout all those years ago and losing Armaan because of his head injury had changed her goals. She couldn't let something like that happen again and so, she became a neurologist. Just like she was sure that Armaan became an orthopedic surgeon after witnessing Riddhima's injuries to her spine after the shootout.
She looked up at him and he was already looking at her. They stared at each other for a minute and a thousand wordless conversations took place in those few moments. There was understanding and pain and love and acceptance, all rolled into one look and neither of them could look away even if they tried.
Riddhima shivered at the look in his eyes. Still so intense, so passionate. All these years hadn't reduced the effect he had on her even by n iota. He still made her heart best fast, her breaths quicken, her stomach rumble with butterflies and her arms raze with goosebumps.
Armaan smiled. It was very clear to him that he still affected her just as she affected him. Try as he might, she still made his heart stutter and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. Yes, he'd made his peace with the fact that she wasn't his anymore. He'd built this amazing life with great friends. He didn't wallow about losing her. He was content with keeping all his moments with her as a part of his past. Happy memories. That's it. Nothing else. Nothing that would change his present or future. But, seeing her, it changed everything. All those feelings rushed back, soaking him. He remembered in vivid detail, the time they spent together, no matter how short, the love they shared and the happiness he felt when he was with her.
God, all the efforts he'd put in leaving it all behind were all down the drain with just one look into her eyes. Looking at her still made him fall in love with her all over again.
What was he going to do now? He wondered. Try as he might, he couldn't get the last conversation they had out of his head. He had promised her he'd move on and be happy. And he was happy. To some extent. It was difficult to not be happy with all these amazing people in his life, especially Jaanhavi, Tamanna and Rahul. They'd been his biggest support systems and they'd loved him back to life after he'd moved to New York. The first few years had been so very difficult, but Rahul had done everything possible to make Armaan realize that even if Riddhima wasn't in his life anymore, there were a thousand different reasons to be happy. And bit by bit, with his continuous support, Armaan had found himself again. It had been difficult, but after a couple years, Armaan had finally been able to fulfill the last promise he'd made to his Basket. He was happy. He was the old Armaan again - the one who spread happiness, the one who loved his friends more than anything. And, over the years, he'd learned to live without Riddhima. And, he would continue to do so after she left again. Armaan wouldn't let Riddhima hamper his life anymore, he decided. Yes, some part of him still loved Riddhima and craved her love back, but he wouldn't make the same mistake again. He had moved on. Yes, that's what he would do. He would maintain his distance from her and then he would go back to living his life the way it was after she left. Armaan Mallik wasn't going to let Riddhima Gupta destroy him again.
xxx
Woot! Itne mahino baad update guys! Bohot hi achcha laga mujhe! Mazze hi aa gaye! Aaj hi exams khatam hui hai meri aur dekho! Aaj hi update bhi de diya! I hope sabko achcha laga ho! Maine iss story ko aur tum sabko bohot miss kiya! Ab itne time baad update diya hai toh lambe comments toh bante hai boss! Please!
Waise, mujhe pata hi ki Armaan ka ghar kuch zyada hi grand ho gaya hai lekin main kya karu? Itne achche pictures the, mujhse choose hi nahi ho raha tha toh saare hi le liye! :p
Anywho! Update kaisa laga? Armaan ke past ke baare mein thoda pata chala aur Armaan ke present ke baare mein! Armaan ki backstory kaisi lagi sabko? I hope achchi lagi ho.
Aur haan, thoda aage jaake check kar lena. Cast mein changes hai. Koi characters hata ke doosre characters se replace kiya hai! Ab yeh mat poochna kyu. Kyuki yeh toh tabhi hi pata chalega jab sahi time aayega! :P
Aur, kuch logon ko lagta hai ki Ridzy ka beta hai, lekin aisa bilkul bhi nahi hai. Wahaan us chapter mein mujhe "sob story" likhna tha lekin galti se "son story" likh diya. Typo hai woh bas. Kuch aur nahi. Toh please Ridzy ke bachchon ke baare mein mat poocho!
Bas, ab maine bohot bak bak karli, please comment kardo sabke sab! :D
comment:
p_commentcount