"Okay, okay, okay!! Bohot sentimental ho rahe hain aap sab! Aaj hi yeh haal hai, toh shadi pe kya karoge?" Muskaan asked, wiping her own tears. "Please, ab yeh sad movie thode time ke liye band karte hain."
Everyone present laughed at her words. Riddhima left her father's embrace to hug her. One by one, Armaan & Riddhima were hugged by all their friends, family really, after everything they'd been through together.
Nikki played the I'm pregnant card once again to get privileges of wishing the couple first.
"Congratulations!!" She crowed, pulling the couple into a hug. "I'm so, so, so happy!"
"Thank you, Nikki!" Riddhima replied, smiling happily.
"Ab toh ring dikhado, yaar," she lamented. "Kabse wait kar rahe hain!"
Armaan laughed at that. "Kitni despo ho rahi hai, yaar, Nikki. Thodi toh patience rakh!"
"Shut up, Armaan!" Nikki replied."Main itne time se wait hi kar rahi thi!! Ab toh engagement bhi ho gayi. Ab toh dikha!!"
"Nope," Armaan replied, grinning maniacally.
"Tu kaisa kameena hai, Armaan! Humne toh sirf yeh kaha ki humein ring dekhni hai. Toh tu aise behave kar raha hai jaise teri kidney maang li ho!" Muskaan moaned. "Zara bhi sharam nahi aati?"
"Kli," Armaan clicked his tongue."Bilkul nahi."
"Armaan!! Tu⌠Tu mujhe bhi nahi dikhayega? Main tera Champ hu! Champ!! Tera bhai. Tu mera Veeru, main tera Jai. Aisa karega mere saath?" Atul added his own dose of emotional blackmail.
"Champppp!" Armaan whined.
"Armaan⌠Dekh itne bhaav mat kha, samjha? Sabko dikha na!" Rahul ordered.
"Hmmmmmm. Sochna padega," Armaan replied, pretending to think.
"Mere joote padenge na, tab samajh aayega ki kitna sochna hai," Anjali threatened.
"Ooohhhh, I'm so scared! Mummy bachao! Aunty daraa rahi hai!" Armaan quipped sarcastically.
At that, Riddhima lost it. She'd been a silent spectator so far, but hearing Armaan repeat the words he'd said to her the first day of their internship was too much. She started guffawing, making people turn to look at her to see what had happened. And then, one by one, everyone in the gang started laughing.
Once they'd all calmed down, Riddhima said, "Okay, okay. Ab bas. Theek hai! Main aur nahi hans sakti."
"Main bhi!" Replied everyone in unison.
"Ridzy!" Nikki complained. "Tu hi iss idiot Armaan ko samjha na. Mujhe ring dekhni hai. Please!!" She pouted at the end.
"Okay, okay. Kitna rote ho, yaar, tum sab! Dikhate hain," Armaan finally acquiesced.
"Wow!! These are gorgeous!" Anjali whispered, looking at the rings in awe. Riddhima had only given her the ring box just before entering the banquet hall and then they'd been swept up in the festivities, so she hadn't had the chance to look at even Riddhima's ring. But now, she was glad she hadn't because seeing the two of them together, complimenting each other just the way Armaan & Riddhima did was something she would never be able to describe in words.
The girls all echoed her sentiments and praised the couple for choosing such beautiful rings. Of course, hormonal as she was, Nikki got a little over emotional and then Armaan & Riddhima had to spend 10 minutes in calming her down.
âIâm so happy,â she blubbered, sobbing into Armaanâs chest, an arm around Riddhimaâs waist.
Armaan grinned at her and shushed her, wiping her tears away. âI know,â he told her quietly. They both shared a look that spoke a million things all at once. Two best friends, whoâd never imagined theyâd see a day like this, a day where they both had so much happiness, happiness theyâd never had as kids. The happiness of a family. It was everywhere they could see today, and neither could have been happier.
Muskaan, and then Atul, both of them just as emotional as Nikki, took their turns hugging Armaan & Riddhima as well, and the couple laughed as they wiped their friendsâ tears, yet again, only to have Rahul wipe theirs when he hugged them next.
âIâm so glad ki yeh din finally aa gaya,â he whispered to them as they hugged.
âCongratulations!â He kissed the top of Riddhimaâs head in a brotherly gesture and patted Armaanâs back before stepping away.
They all shared a group hug after that, with Armaan & Riddhima squished in the middle. It was that day that the two of them found out just how bad it must be for Dr. Shubhankar everytime they pulled the same thing on him.
âBAS! Please, chod do!!â Armaan begged a few seconds later. When no one made a move to break the hug, he cried, âGUYS! Saans nahi aa rahi! Chodo!!â Then, he desperately pushed them all away, an arm firmly clasped around Riddhima. As the gang parted to give the couple some breathing room, they looked at each other and silently agreed to never be so aggressive in hugging Dr. Shubhankar again.
After getting their congratulations from the gang, Armaan & Riddhima moved towards the Rai family who had been patiently waiting their turn, happy to be silent spectators of the gang debacle. As usual, the second Samrat saw Riddhima, he started bouncing in his fatherâs arms with his arms stretched towards her. Shubhankar laughed at his sonâs antics and gave Samrat to Riddhima who cuddled him close to her. Samrat made a happy noise and snuggled into her neck.
âOyye!â Armaan told the little boy, âThoda sambhaalke. Zyada line maarne ki zaroorat nahi hai, samjha? Sheâs mine.â
âARMAAN!â Riddhima cried, swatting his arm.âKuch bhi bakwaas karte ho. Shut up!â
Armaan made a face, but didnât say anything more at her stern look. Riddhima smiled in approval and hugged Samrat closer making Keerti & Shubhankar laugh.
âCongratulations!!â They wished the two in unison, pulling the couple in for light hugs. As they hugged, Navneet pulled on Armaanâs pyjamas, making him pull away and look down.
Smiling at her, he crouched on his knees. Navneeta immediately hugged him and kissed his cheek, making Armaan grin like a loon. âCongratulations, bhaiya!â She said.
âThank you,â Armaan replied, kissing her cheek in return. âAaj toh aap bohot hi pretty lag rahin hain,â he complimented her. She was dressed in a dark blue salwaar kurti and looked like an absolute angel.
âRiddhima Didi se bhi zyada pretty?â She asked mischievously.
The adults all laughed at her words. Armaan scratched the back of his neck, and quickly diverted the topic. âAb na,..Riddhima Didi ko Bhabhi bulaane ki aadat daal lo,â he asserted.
âKyu?â Navneeta asked confused, as Riddhima blushed. Keerti gave her a knowing smile and pulled her into a side hug.
âArre, kyu kya kyu? Armaan Bhaiya ki wife teri Bhabhi hi hogi na. Didi thodi?â Armaan asked rhetorically.
âLekin⌠Riddhima Didi ke husband toh mere Jeeju honge na?â Navneeta quipped back smugly.
Riddhima couldnât help her loud laugh at that as Armaan tried to make a face at Navneeta but failed miserably because he was blushing, as usual.
âToh⌠bolo, bhai, Armaan. Kya jawaab hai?â Shubhankar asked smiling a little too wide for Armaanâs taste.
âIsne jawaab dene jaisa choda hi kahaan mujhe,â Armaan replied, pulling Navneetaâs cheek. âBohot badmaash ho gayi hai aajkal. Meri billi mujhi ko meow!â
Navneeta giggled at his hopeless expression. It was so much fun to tease him. Whenever they met, she would gang up with Riddhima and pull Armaanâs leg a lot. His grumpy expression was the cutest and he would whine like a baby making her laugh.
After the Rais, it was Sapna & Amit who wished them, and then Vani Aunty, and then it was the new interns, followed by Umar Bhai, and Sister Lovely, making way for the other extremely close friends whoâd made it for the engagement. Neither of Armaan or Riddhimaâs extended family had been able to make it, not for lack of want, but with the engagement being planned so suddenly, and almost all of them out of Mumbai, they werenât able to make it back in time.
âUmmm⌠hey⌠hey everyone!â Anjali called attention to herself. She was standing in the middle of the room with the entire gang surrounding her.
âSo, jaisa ki aap sab jaante hain, aaj ka din bohot special hai kyuki meri pyaari si choti behen ki engagement ho gayi. Woh bhi mere best friend ke saath. Toh obviously, mujhse zyada khush aaj aur koi nahi hai,â she said, making the entire gang look at her accusatorily as they cleared their throats.
âOkay, okay, okay,â she laughed. âYeh sab bhi bohot hi zyada khush hain. Aur ho bhi kyu na? Hum sab bohot achche dost hain, hamesha se rahein hain, lekin⌠hum sabke liye⌠kahin na kahin⌠Armaan aur Riddhima dono hi baakiyon se zyada special hain. Aur ho bhi kyu na? Woh dono hai hi itne achche. Best friends, best siblings, humaare batch ke best doctors. So⌠basically⌠main yeh keh rahi hu ki woh dono hum sabke liye bohot special hain aur aajka din sirf unke liye nahi, hum sabke liye bhi bohot khaas hai.â
âAurâŚâ Rahul cut in. âItne khaas din pe celebration toh bannti hai, right?â He asked rhetorically. The crowd hooted at his words. Armaan & Riddhima, though, were a little stunned at open display because they hadnât been expecting it. They looked at each other, all surprised and emotional, but then their attention turned back to Rahul who was talking again.
âYes, toh celebration bannti hai. Isliye, thoda gaana bajaana, dance bhi hona chahiye! Waise toh bohot gaane they chose karne, but we thought ki iss gaane se sab thode attached hain, toh aaj phir iss gaane ko use karke thodi yaadein taaza kar lete hain! So, DJ! Drop that beat!!â He called.
As the opening beats filled the hall, Armaan & Riddhima couldnât stop from tearing up. It was indeed a very special song. The one theyâd danced to the last time theyâd been so happy. It was the perfect song for today, reminding all of them the beautiful memories associated with the song, and the day.
Rahul :
Suno ik thi kanch ki gudiya
Suno ik thi pyar ki pudiya
Sadke uss pyar ke
Atul :
Suno ik tha pind da shera
Aaya kaske bandh wo sehara
Sadke uss yaar ke
Abhi :
Suno ek thi kanch ki gudiya
Suno ek thi pyar ki pudiya
Sadke uss pyar ke
Suno ek tha pind da shera
Aaya kaske bandh wo sehara
Sadke uss yaar ke
Armaan :
Saji thi doli... wo
Chadha tha ghodi... wo
Khoya jaane kahan inna sona pyar baliye
All the boys singing together, dancing with thegirls :
Jogi maahi heer ranjhanna
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
Jogi maahi heer ranjhanna
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
Rahul, singing about Armaan :
Dil thame hue
Wo tha khada
Chupke se yun
Door baithe hue
Umara gaiya
Jaane na tu
Atul, singing for Armaan :
Deewane ne di jawaani
Ke har ghum tu bhula de
Deta hi raha sadaye
Ke dil se tu bula le
All boys :
Tu chhad de ve
Jidd hun chhaj hute aaja
Dil tuta jaata sun pyaar doliya
Jogi maahi heer ranjhanna
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
Jogi maahi heer ranjhanna
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
In the background, with the girls bringing Nani, Shashank, Padma, Billy, Ananya, and Vani to dance with them :
Kholana main kholana.
Jind meri jind meri hud aaja
Jind meri jind meri hud aaja
Riddhima :
Wo jaane kahaan
Gum ho gayi phir na mili
Jo phulon si thi gayi
Rus hi gayi
Phir na khili
Muskaan :
Pyaar maanga tha maine rab se
Wo rehata tha yahin pe
Maangu main yahi duwaaye
Laut aaye wo kahin se
All girls :
Tu chhad de ve jidd
Hun chhaj hute
Aaja dil tuta jaata sun pyaar doliya?
Everyone :
Jogi maahi heer ranjhana
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
Jogi maahi heer ranjhana
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
Armaan :
Sunoh ek thi kanch ki gudiya
Suno ek thi pyar ki pudiya
Sadke uss pyar ke
Rahul :
Sunoh ek tha pind da shera
Aaya kaske bandh wo sehara
Sadke uss yaar ke
Atul :
Saji thi doli... wo
Chadha tha ghodi. wo
Khoya jaane kahan inna sona pyar baliye
All of them :
Jogi maahi heer ranjhana
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
Jogi maahi heer ranjhana
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
Jogi maahi heer ranjhana
Sabnu jaake main ye bolna
Baat bolke
Raaz kholna
(guys, please be lenient. I know yeh song sequence bohot bakwaas tha but mujhe kuch aur nahi soojh raha tha)
âYay!!â they cheered once the song ended, hugging each other.
Everyone was busy in merry making and having fun, and though Armaan & Riddhima had not let go off each otherâs hands during the evening even once apart from when they were dancing with their friends, the couple had had zero alone time the entire evening. It was frustrating Armaan to no end because the only person who really mattered, the one he truly wanted to celebrate this day with, he was unable to. Of course, he was over the moon about the fact that his family was so happy today and wanted to celebrate, but when it came to this, no one mattered other than Riddhima.
Rahul, the observant friend that he was, had seen Armaan getting more and more frustrated and jumpy as the evening passed, and so siddled up to him, and whispered in his ear, âRiddhima ke saath akele time spend karna hai?â
Armaan looked at Rahul as if he was god reincarnated. âPlease!â He replied.
Rahul smirked. âI can try. But⌠badle mein mujhe kya milega?â
âTujhe jo chahiye de dunga. But please!! Ek baar toh milwa de. Yeh sab log toh akela hi nahi chod rahe!â Armaan begged.
âTheek hai, theek hai. Patience rakh. Karta hu kuch,â Rahul replied.
Armaan gave him his best smile and quickly kissed his cheek. âYouâre the best!â
âHaan, haan. Theek hai,â Rahul answered.
He walked away and Armaan saw him pull Muskaan away from the discussion she was having with Atul and Nikki, probably about food. The two of them started whispering furiously to each other and Armaan looked in anticipation and confusion, hoping something would come out of their plotting and heâd get a few minutes alone with his Basket.
âArre! Armaan! Kya hua?â Nani asked, when she saw him looking intently at something.
âHaan?â Armaan asked, confused. He was so engrossed in seeing what Rahul & Muskaan were doing that heâd been paying absolutely zero attention to anything else.
âJabse wahaan kya dekh rahe ho?â Nani asked.
âKuch⌠Kuch nahi,â Armaan fumbled.
âAise kaise? Jabse toh tumhaari nazrein wahin gadi hui hain. Kuch hua hai kya?â She pressed.
Armaan shook his head. âNahi, Nani. Kuch nahi. Bas aise hi.â
âRehne do na, Maa. Aap kyu usse tang kar rahi ho?â Shashank stepped in before Nani could ask anything else. Armaan breathed asigh of relief. Riddhima looked at him, concerned and confused, but he shook his head at her, blinking his eyes in reassurance.
âArmaan!â Rahul called, approaching the group.
âKya hua? Tu itna pareshaan kyu lag raha hai?â Armaan asked.
âYaar⌠Woh teri gadi⌠iss valet waale ladke ne thodi gadbad kardi. Tu chal mere saath ek baar,â Rahul ordered.
Armaan hesitated, not sure if he should leave. âTu dekh lena,â he told Rahul.
âArre, nahin, Armaan,â Padma interrupted. âKuch gadbad hogi tabhi Rahul tumhe bulaane aaya hai. Tum jao uske saath.â
Armaan conceded at her words and gently removed his hand from Riddhimaâs after giving it a soft squeeze. They wore twin expressions of disappointment at the loss of touch, but Ridhhima gave him an assuring squeeze on his arm, coupled with a small smile and urged him to go with Rahul.
Rahul shook his head at his two best friends and then proceeded to guide Armaan out of the hall. He took Armaan to a small alcove hidden from view, and asked him to stay there.
âDekh,â Rahul instructed. âTu yahin ruk. Muskaan bhi kuch bahaana banaake Riddhima ko yahaan le aayegi. But tum dono ko zyada time nahi de sakta warna sab poochne lagenge. So bas 5 - 10 minutes, okay?â
Armaan nodded. âHaan, haan. Theek hai.â
âPhone hai tere paas?â Rahul double checked. Armaan nodded, patting the pocket in which heâd kept his phone.
âOkay. Toh jab main phone karunga, tum dono turant aa jaana. Samjha?â Rahul lectured. Armaan made a face but agreed.
Meanwhile, inside the hall, Muskaan approached Riddhima who was talking to Dr. Keerti & playing with Samrat.
âHi, Ridzy!â She greeted.
âHi, Muski!!â Riddhima replied.
âWoh⌠actuallyâŚâ Muskaan started.
âHaan, bol. Kya hua?â Riddhima asked.
Muskaan looked at Dr. Keerti skeptically.
âDr. Muskaan, aap jo bhi bolna chaahti hain bol dijiye,â Keerti told her gently.
âWoh⌠kuch nahi.... Maâam bas⌠uh⌠Riddhima ko 2 minute apne saath le jau?â She asked.
âOf course,â Keerti replied. âIsme itna hichkichaane wali kya baat hai?â
âThank you, maâam,â Muskaan said. Turning to Riddhima, she added, âRidzy, tu Samrat ko maâam ko waapas dede. Aur chal mere saath.â
Muskaan guided Riddhima out of the hall, ignoring her repeated questions. When they reached the alcove where Armaan & Rahul were waiting already, Riddhima blushed, piecing together what exactly was happening here.
âHave fun, guys,â Muskaan teased as Rahul dragged her away.
Paying no heed to her words, Armaan turned to Riddhima and took her hand, pulling her close to him with a jerk, the way he always did. Riddhima immediately wrapped her arms around him in a hug, hiding her face in her chest, snuggling close. Armaan smiled at her actions and rested his head on top of hers, hugging her back fiercely. He kissed the top of her head and snuggled into her hair.
âCongratulations, Almost Mrs. Mallik,â he whispered in hear.
Riddhima blushed at his words and snuggled closer. âCongratulations, Almost Mr. Gupta,â she replied. Armaan chuckled.
âAaj main bohot, bohot, bohot khush hu, Armaan,â she told him.
âMain bhi,â Armaan agreed.
He pulled away a little and made her look up at him, cupping her face.
âI love you, Basket,â he told her looking her in the eye.
âI love you, baby,â she replied, grinning widely.
He bent down and kissed her eyes, dragging his lips along her nose, her cheek, her ears, to her neck and then finally placed his lips on hers in a soft whisper of a kiss. Riddhima responded by simply tightening her hold around his neck, soft moans leaving her mouth. When hepulled away, Riddhima once again snuggled into him, kissing his clothed chest.
âWaise, sorry. Pehle bolne ka mauka hi nahi mila. But⌠aaj tum bohot, bohot, bohot khoobsurat lag rahi ho. Aisa lag raha hai aaj tumhe phirse pehli baar dekha hai,â he told her.
âSach mein?â Riddhima asked.
Armaan nodded. âUsse bhi zyada.â
âKitni zyada?â She pressed.
âItna ki⌠tumhaare bina jeena impossible,â he told her sincerely.
âArmaan!â Riddhima whispered aghast, placing her hand on her mouth. A tear trickled down her cheek as she looked at Armaan who was staring at her with utmost passion.
Armaan wiped her cheek and leant down to touch his forehead to hers. Taking the hand which was covering his mouth, he kissed her palm and held it close to his heart. âIâm sorry,â he said. âI know. Aajke din aisi baatein nahi karni chahiye thi.â
Riddhima nodded at that, still a little teary eyed.
âLekinâŚâ he added, âMaine kuch galat bhi toh nahi kaha na. Tum reh sakti ho mere bina?â
âArmaan⌠Aisa sochke bhi main kaanp uthti hu. Itne mahino tumse alag rahi. Ab kabhi nahi rehna chahti,â she replied.
âMain bhi,â he told her. âAb⌠ab kabhi kuch aisa nahi hoga ki humein alag hona pade. Main⌠Main nahi kar paunga, Riddhima. Mujhe bas tum chahiye. Hamesha.â
âMain kahin nahi jaa rahi,â she reassured him.
âVaada?â he asked her.
âPakka vaada,â she told him, taking his hand in hers, and kissing it, just above the ring sheâd made him wear sometime ago. âAb Armaan aur Riddhima ko koi alag nahi kar paayega.â
Armaan couldnât hold back tears at her declaration and hugged her, hiding his face in her neck. Riddhima ran her hand through his hair, and up and down his back, comforting him and reassuring him.
He hadnât realized how much he needed this. They were finally taking their relationship forward, and Armaanâs stomach filled with dread at the possibility of something going wrong again. He would not be able to see it through this time, he knew. Heâd already faced a lot of separations from Riddhima. Not one more. He wouldnât survive.
Riddhima clasped him tightly, not wanting to let go. She understood Armaanâs fears and agony better than her own. She shared similar ones. After everything, she wasnât strong enough to bear the pain of being away from him. Not even a little.
Theyâd both moved on from what had happened, but it was true that nothing could wipe away the memory of those dreadful months and sometimes it was hard to realize that theyâd left that anguish behind them and started afresh. But, they had each other, and that was all that mattered. They would never forget, but being together was like a balm to their wounds and it made everything better. It would always make everything better.
They stood there, not saying a word, completely quiet. The stillness was shattered by the shrill ring of Armaanâs phone. Armaan pulled back and removed his phone from his pockets to see who was calling. It was Rahul. They mustâve started missing the two at the function. Armaan dismissed the call and put the phone back. He looked up to see Riddhima staring at him in understanding.
âJaana padega na?â She asked. He nodded mutely.
She stepped closer to him and wiped his tears. âInn aankhon mein mujhe sirf apna chehra dekha hai. Aansun nahi,â she said. âRote hue bilkul achche nahi lagte.â
âTum bhi bohot buri dikhti ho,â he replied, smiling through his tears.
After a quick swipe on their faces once again toget rid of the tears, the couple made their way back to the banquet hall, hands tightly clasped. They were joined by Rahul & Muskaan at the door, who were waiting for them to return.
âSab theek haina?â Rahul asked, noticing their red rimmed eyes.
âHaan. Donât worry. Tujhe toh pata haina⌠iss ladki ko bas bahaana chahiye hota hai, senti hone ka,â Armaan joked, nudging Riddhima who harrumphed in protest.
âAchcha woh chodo. Chalo ab andar,â Muskaan intervened. She took Riddhimaâs free hand and tried to pull her away, but Armaan wasnât ready to let go and held on to her tighter.
âArmaan?â Muskaan looked at him confused.
Armaan didnât say anything but stood there, defiant, unwilling to let Riddhima go. Muskaan wanted to say something, but stopped short when she saw Rahul quickly shaking his head.
âOkay! Chalein?â Rahul asked. The other three nodded. Riddhima squeezed Armaan hand once, passing him a smile.
Padma & Ananya immediately accosted them the second they stepped inside. âKahaan they tum chaaron?â Padma asked. âKabse dhoond rahe hain.â
âKya hua?â Rahul asked.
âArre? Yeh kaisa sawaal hai? Inn dono ka function hai aue yehi gayab hain toh kaise chalega?â Ananya answered.
âSorry!â They apologized immediately.
Once they were ushered inside, Ananya & Padma guided them to a table where a gorgeous cake sat, ready to be cut.
Armaan held Riddhimaâs hand tightly in his own as they both cut the cake. He broke the first piece and fed her some in the midst of thunderous applause, after which, she fed him from the same piece. One by one, both of them fed cake to their entire family.
More laughter rung through the room, as everyone celebrated Armaan, Riddhima, and their relationship. Riddhima looked around the room and saw all the people closest to her so happy in her happiness and smiled. She looked up at Armaan to see that he was already gazing at her, his love shining in his eyes, his hand holding hers, their fingers tightly clasped together. And she had never been happier.
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So, I hope this was worth the wait!! 8000+ words!! You better appreciate it!
More AR wedding goodness in the coming chapters so stay tuned!!
AND, HAPPY DMG ANNIVERSARY, FAM! IT'S BEEN 12 WHOLE YEARS!! <33333
This show is really special for all of us, and will always be. So, to the show that made us love, laugh, and cry, happy birthday. We love you! <3
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