ILYLTF #5 (Chapter 145 - Page 110) - Page 83

Chapter 147

"Welcome back!" Shashank greeted Armaan & Riddhima enthusiastically, pulling them both in for hugs. "Kaise ho?"

"Hum theek hain, Papa," Riddhima replied. "Aap kaise ho? Aur baaki sab?"

"We missed you," Shashank laughed. "But baaki sab theek hai. Bohot excited hai ki tum dono finally ghar aa rahe ho."

Armaan was surprised to see that it was Shashank who had come to pick them up from the airport, but found that he didn't mind. In fact, he felt a warm feeling spread across his chest at the thought of Shashank being there. When he'd first fallen in love with Riddhima, he had never expected to be accepted so wholly by her father, but here he was. Life really did work in mysterious ways.

"Annie Bhabhi aur Billy kaise hain?" Shashank asked them as he drove them all to the Gupta Mansion.

"They're doing good," Armaan assured his father-in-law. The few days they'd spent together had been nothing short of blissful. Armaan had been right. Billy had taken Riddhima to the office to discuss his will with her. Billy had mentioned it to him before the wedding and Armaan knew his father had been waiting for an opportune moment to talk it over with Riddhima. It had understandably spooked Riddhima but she had taken it in stride and by the time she'd gotten home with Billy was only mildly flabbergasted by the whole thing. Billy had played it up, though, organizing another reception party for his associates who had not made it to Mumbai for the first one. He'd spent the entire party introducing Riddhima to every single guest, showing her off proudly, bragging about having the best daughter any man could ask for. Armaan had been left to his own devices for most of the night while his mother had hung out with her friends, but it was the one time he was happy to take a step back. He'd stood by the bar the entire time, a good vantage point to see the entire room, and had watched as his wife charmed the pants of the who's who of their dad's elite social circle in a matter of minutes and fell more in love. 

"That's good," Shashank beamed, pulling Armaan out of the memory of how he'd gone weak in the knees when Riddhima had shot a smile his way as she talked to some random uncle about who knows what.

"Aap yeh bataiye ki yahaan sab theek haina? Nikki se mile aap? Aur bachchon se?" Riddhima asked her father. "Mumma gayi thi kya?"

"Main toh nahi jaa paaya tha," Shashank replied, morose. "Lekin Padma gayi thi 2-3 baar. Woh sab theek hai, Riddhima bete. Tum unki tension mat lo."

"That's good," Riddhima sighed. She had been afraid that Nikki might hide something from her in their absence, but knew that her father wouldn't do that, especially now that she was back home.

They arrived home shortly after that and were greeted in a flurry of hugs and kisses from Padma Mumma and Nani. "Haaye, mere bachche!" Nani exclaimed, pulling them into an embrace. "Kaise ho tum dono?" She asked them. "Aur tumhaara trip kaisa tha?"

"Hum bilkul theek hai, Nani. Aur trip bohot achcha tha!" Armaan answered. "Bohot mazaa aaya!"

"Chalo, aa jao, jaldi se! Khana lag gaya hai!" Padma announced.

"Mumma… Di aur Rahul nahi dikh rahe?" Riddhima asked, looking around for her siblings.

"Anjali ki toh night duty hai," Padma explained. "Aur Rahul kisi emergency ki wajah se bahaar gaya hai. I don't think woh aaj raat waapas ghar aa paayega."

Riddhima's face fell at that, quite visibly. She had been looking forward to seeing them as soon as she got home. But now, she wouldn't. She knew it wasn't their fault, but it was extremely disheartening nonetheless. "It's okay, Basket," Armaan reassured her, siddling up to her immediately, as always completely attuned to her emotions. "Hum sabse kal mil lenge, okay? Aaj thoda time Mumma, Papa, aur Nani ke saath spend kar lete hain! We can play charades! Waise bhi tum sab Gupta Ladies ko mujhpe gang up karna achcha lagta haina?"

Riddhima smiled at his obvious attempt to cheer her up. "Sounds fun," she agreed. If she couldn't meet her friends, she'd take Armaan making a fool out of himself over it. 

"Jao ab tum dono! Munh-haath dholo," Nani instructed. Armaan took Riddhima's hand and pulled her up the stairs to her bedroom, intent on doing just that. 

He pushed open the door and was surprised to see the huge bed in the middle of the room. Earlier, Riddhima had had a twin bed that had been moved from her older, shared room with Anjali. The bed that sat proudly in the room now was at least a queen, fluffed up with pillows and soft looking blanket. Armaan stopped in his tracks as he took in everything. The wardrobe had been pushed to the other side and the dressing table had been moved too, to make room for the larger bed. 

Riddhima ran into his back with a muffled scream. "Sorry, Basket!" Armaan cried, turning around to look at her. She was rubbing her forehead. Armaan removed her hand and blew on it, trying to soothe the ache. "Tum aise achanak ruk kyu gaye?" Riddhima asked him. Armaan smiled sheepishly and stepped aside, letting Riddhima see the room as well.

"Oh," Riddhima breathed. "This is…"

"Yes," Armaan agreed. "Come."

He took her hand and they stepped inside the room together, both of them staring at the bed in awe. "We should test it out," Riddhima declared. "Right now."

"Basket?" Armaan looked at her, confused. Riddhima's only answer was a sly grin before she jumped on the bed. "Only way to do it!" She exclaimed, making Armaan laugh. She held her hand out for him and in an instant, Armaan was right there with her, jumping on the bed like they were both kids, like they'd done that day in Kasauli. 

Loud, delighted shrieks had Padma rushing up to Riddhima's room to see what they were up to but nothing could have prepared her for the sight of her adult daughter and her adult husband jumping on the bed like they were children. "Riddhima! Armaan!" She cried. "Kya kar rahe ho tum dono?"

Her voice startled the couple and they both lost their footing, landing on the bed in a heap of tangled limbs. "Thanks for the bed, Mumma!" Armaan cried from somewhere in the pile. "It's awesome!"

"Woh toh mujhe dikh raha hai," Padma laughed. "Tum dono kabhi bade nahi ho sakte?" 

"Never!" Armaan promised. The two of them had managed to disentangle themselves from each other and were looking at Padma with wide grins on their faces. She didn't even have the heart to be mad at them about it when it was clear that they were so happy. 

"Chalo, yeh sab masti bandh karo aur jaldi neeche aao. Sab wait kar rahe hain!" Padma instructed them.

Thankfully, they paid heed to her order and were downstairs in the next fifteen minutes, freshly changed into pyjamas that Padma had made sure to keep ready for when they got back.

"Oh, thank you, Mumma!" Armaan beamed as he took in the spread in front of him, a mix of his favourites along with Riddhima's. Padma smiled.

"So! How was Italy?" Shashank asked them as they all ate.

"Heavenly," Riddhima replied. "Papa… It was so good. Wahaan sab itna sundar hai. Har beach itna zyada pyaara hai aur wahaan ka khana toh puchiye hi mat!"

"Tum dono poora time beach pe hi pade rahe yaa kuch aur bhi karne diya tune Armaan ko Riddhima?" Padma asked, knowing just how much her daughter loved going to the beach.

Armaan laughed. "Nahi, Mumma… Hum sirf beach pe nahi gaye. We went to a lot of other places too."

Armaan then launched into a play by play of everything they did in Amalfi. The Guptas listened intently, interjecting with remarks every so often. It was clear to them that their kids had had a great time on their honeymoon and they were glad for it. 

"Mumma, new bed ki kya zaroorat thi?" Armaan asked later, a pout on his face. He loved the new bed, of course, but it was too big. He kinda liked when Riddhima's bed had been smaller and the two of them had no choice but to stick to each other tightly to fit into it. Not that Riddhima's parents knew that they used to do that a lot. 

"Arreee, uss puraane bed pe tu aur Riddhima fit kaise hote?" Nani asked. "Tu ab shaadi ke baad bhi guest room mein rehne wala tha kya?"

Armaan smiled bashfully at her comment. How would he tell her that he wanted the twin bed exactly so that he could sleep in it with his wife? "Hmmm, yeh toh maine socha hi nahi," he murmured instead. Riddhima saw right through his charade and kicked him under the table. When he looked at her, she was glaring at him, obviously wanting him to shut his mouth before he said anything to embarrass both of them in front of her parents. Thankfully, Armaan seemed to agree and kept his mouth firmly shut. 

After dinner, they did end up playing charades. Shashank joined them this time round and he & Armaan teamed up against the women in the family. "Bhai, aap sabko Armaan ko pareshaan karna bohot achcha lagta hai, toh maine socha iss baar main uske saath khel leta hoon," he told them all. Armaan's smile rivaled the sun. 

Riddhima had never wanted to kiss him as badly. It warmed her heart so much to see just how much her husband admired her parents, but especially her father. All her life, before she'd met Armaan, her father had been her person - her friend, her guide, her mentor, her biggest support, and her loudest cheerleader. Then, Armaan had come into the picture and had easily slotted himself into some of the spaces she'd always thought would only ever belong to her father. And now, to see the two most important men in her life finally get along the way she'd always wanted them to, after the long journey it had taken for them to get there, filled her heart with warmth she hadn't known she was capable of. 

They did gang up on Armaan again, and did have a laugh at his expense. Shashank joined them too, seemingly abandoning his promise of siding with his son-in-law, but Armaan took it all in stride, a sunny smile on his face, so Riddhima knew he wasn't mad. She knew that he knew that this was just their way of showing that they loved him. 

Armaan was nothing if not observant. He'd always seen how Shashank would good-naturedly rib both his daughters, be it over how Anjali could only make salads for dinner or how Riddhima couldn't watch horror movies alone. The gentle teasing was his way of showering love on them without getting too emotional about the whole thing. Armaan had known that for a long time, ever since he'd started shadowing Shashank in hopes of learning more about the man to impress him. He'd only dreamt of a day when he & Shashank would be comfortable enough to joke with each other like this and here they were. He had never thought it would actually happen but it had and he was so very grateful for it. 

After they were done with the game (read : Armaan had been sufficiently embarrassed), they all retired for bed. Once the bedroom door was locked behind them, Armaan wasted no time in sweeping Riddhima off her feet into his arms. "Armaan!!" She shrieked, holding onto him tightly. "Kya kar rahe ho?"

"It's my dream, baby," Armaan reminded her. "Finally, main officially tumhaare room mein reh sakta hoon."

"Humaare room mein," Riddhima corrected gently.

"Yes," Armaan agreed, placing a lingering kiss on her cheeks. "Humaara room."

He placed Riddhima on the bed and climbed on top of her, covering her body with his. "No hanky panky tonight!" Riddhima warned, startling a laugh out of him.

"Basket!" Armaan wheezed. "Did you just say hanky panky?"

"Shut up," Riddhima mumbled. "Don't make fun of me."

"Jaana, I hope you know I'm going to be making fun of this for the rest of our lives. Hanky panky kaun bolta hai!" Armaan chuckled. "Yeh koi coming of age Hollywood romcom hai kya?"

"Stop ittttt," Riddhima moaned. "Maine kaha na! Don't make fun of me!"

"Aur maine bhi kaha na… Main saari zindagi iss baat ka mazaak udaane wala hoon!" Armaan exclaimed. "This is fodder for generations!"

"You're so insufferable," Riddhima whined.

"You love me," Armaan countered, a smug smile on his face.

"God help me, I do!" Riddhima agreed. Armaan kissed her as reward.

"I just said…" Riddhima protested, pushing him away as the kiss started to get a little heated.

"Yes, no hanky panky," Armaan repeated. "Don't worry, Basket. Sasurjee bas bagal wale room mein hain! I would never!"

"Good boy," Riddhima praised, even though she did roll her eyes at his imitation of her. 

"Here," he rolled over on the bed with ease so that Riddhima was on top of him instead. Huh, maybe a big bed had its perks after all. "Better?"

"Much," Riddhima sighed. She melted into his embrace, hiding her face in the crook of his neck and taking a deep breath in his scent. One of Armaan's arms wrapped firmly around her waist, pulling their bodies as close as they could get. 

"Sleepy time?" He asked her gently, running a hand through her hair.

"Sleepy time," Riddhima confirmed. "I'm so tired."

"I know," Armaan murmured. "Sleep, baby. I got you."

Riddhima didn't even realize when she fell asleep, the soft tenor of Armaan's humming soothing her deeply. When her grip on his hair went slack, Armaan looked down with a wide smile. Kissing her forehead, he got comfortable, falling into a deep sleep as well.

Chapter 148

"Home sweet home," Riddhima sighed happily as Armaan parked the car. After a hearty brunch with her parents, the couple had finally come home late in the afternoon. 

Armaan unlocked the door for them and then picked Riddhima up in his arms, as always, without a warning. "Armaan! Kya kar rahe ho?" His wife very predictably screeched.

"It's tradition, Jaana," Armaan reminded her, stepping inside the house with her in his arms. 

Once inside, he put her down gently and went back to bring their bags inside. Once done, he threw himself on the couch, sighing as the cushions sunk in just so, exactly the way he liked it. There truly was no place like home. Especially when Riddhima used this opportunity to climb into his lap and kiss him fiercely, tongue and all. Armaan didn't even realize when he had shifted and pinned her to the sofa, kissing her ardently. Clothes went flying everywhere as they both tried to get closer, closer, closer, relishing in this part of their togetherness after a few days.

Once they'd thoroughly christened the couch, they lay there in the afterglow, sharing a blanket. "Are we addicted?" Riddhima asked, genuinely curious. 

Armaan laughed. "Honeymoon phase, baby. Literally."

"Hmmmm," Riddhima hummed. "Maybe. Hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Armaan asked. "What? You don't like it?"

"It's tedious," Riddhima pointed out. "Maine apni zindagi mein itne showers nahi liye hain jitne maine pichle 2 hafton mein le liye hain. Plus, how is a girl to get any work done if you're over here looking at me like that?"

Armaan melted at her words, a beautiful blush spreading across his face. "Oh, baby," Riddhima breathed. She had no choice but to kiss him when he was behaving this way. It was so rare that he got shy. 

"Okay, okay," Armaan muttered, still a little embarrassed. "Shower?" He laughed when Riddhima scrunched her nose. "Yes, please," she agreed. 

Armaan helped her into the bathroom and after a leisurely bath, they relaxed in their bed for a while, looking over their pictures from Amalfi. "Oh, this one is so pretty! Humein frame karani chahiye," Riddhima said, stopping at a picture of them from before the opera.

"I just realized," Armaan mumbled. "Humaare paas Rome ke koi photos hi nahi hain!" 

They'd both been so wrapped up in each other that they hadn't clicked a single picture that day. Riddhima liked that they hadn't. That moment truly belonged to only the two of them and no one else. Not ever. She told him as much. 

"But tum uss dress mein kitni khoobsurat lag rahi thi," Armaan protested. "Hoor ki pari ki tarah! I want pictures!!"

"Ab kya karein?" Riddhima asked.

"Let's dress up and click them now!" Was Armaan's bright solution. 

"Armaan, tum kuch bhi kehte ho," Riddhima laughed.

"I'm serious," Armaan assured her. "You put on the dress and I'll put on the chinos, aur hum yahaan ghar pe hi photos click kar lete hain. Please, please, please!"

"Fine," Riddhima sighed. It was getting difficult to say no to Armaan these days. She'd done it plenty in the past but Riddhima had a feeling that as they spent more time together, they'd reach a point where she would say yes to just about anything he suggested. 

Which is how she found herself in front of the dressing table, putting on the dress her husband had bought her in Rome. Before she could second guess herself, she also put on the jewelry he'd presented to her that night. She dolled up her hair the way she knew Armaan was partial to, and applied some makeup to bring out her eyes. When she stepped outside their bedroom, Armaan was over in the living room, dressed in the clothes he'd worn that day, fiddling with the music system. A moment later, tender, romantic music played from the speakers.

"Hi," she whispered softly, not wanting to break the peace of the moment.

Armaan turned to look at her, and stopped short. She looked positively ethereal. "Gorgeous," he mumbled. "So gorgeous, baby."

"Thank you," Riddhima mumbled shyly.

"Shall we?" He asked her. Riddhima nodded. Armaan took her to the big window they had in the living room and asked her to lean against it, looking outside. "So we can have some fake candids," he winked cheekily.

Once she'd situated herself in a way that she liked, Armaan took a few pictures. Then, abruptly, he stopped and called her softly. "Heyo, Basket!" When she looked up at him, he grinned and said, "I love you." A beautiful smile lit up Riddhima's face and he clicked a photo in that exact moment, just as she opened her mouth to say she loved him too. Years later, that would still be Armaan's favourite photo of his wife, the one that he'd carry in his wallet for the rest of his life. 

They clicked a ton of pictures that afternoon. Riddhima took to the camera too, clicking some solos of Armaan. He was making a goofy face in every single one of them, getting progressively weirder as time passed. Riddhima didn't remember the last time she'd laughed so loud. 

They did a few couple shots too though those were a little difficult. Armaan held the camera away from them and clicked a few close ups. One where they were both smiling at the camera, one of them making funny faces. He kissed Riddhima's cheek in one and her surprised expression was captured forever. As payback, Riddhima kissed him in the other one, and it had the desired effect as the photo showed Armaan grinning brightly, his eyes crinkled in joy. Armaan set up a tripod stand and they clicked a few full length photos after setting the timer but all of those turned out to be horrible. In one of them, Armaan was a blurry mess, the camera having shuttered before he'd taken his place beside Riddhima. In another, only half of Riddhima's face was visible. In another, Armaan was nowhere in the frame. The best photo of the lot was an unfocused shot of the two of them where neither of their faces were visible, but the camera focused masterfully on their arms wrapped around each other's waist. 

Once Armaan had deemed the photoshoot complete, they changed into comfier clothes. Armaan helped Riddhima unpack their suitcases and set her wardrobe. She'd just put on some coffee for them when the doorbell rang, signalling the arrival of their friends. 

"Ridzy!!" Muskaan shrieked, almost jumping on her. Riddhima giggled and accepted the hug, embracing her friend tightly. Rahul was next, followed by Atul, and finally Anjali, who lingered for a bit. She hugged her sister tightly, constant muttering of how much she missed her and that Riddhima wasn't allowed to leave for so long the next a pleasant buzz in Riddhima's ear. 

"Anjy!!" Armaan cried, pulling her away. "Sirf apni behen se hi milogi kya?"

Anjali looked to see that Atul and Muskaan were plastered on either side of Armaan, not letting him go. Atul had wrapped his arms around Armaan's waist while Muskaan had hers around his torso. Rahul looked like he didn't know how to go about the hug given that Armaan very much did not have any limbs to hug at the moment. Anjali laughed. She walked up to Armaan and placed a smacking kiss on his forehead in greeting. Rahul followed suit and did the same to his cheek, making Armaan's grin brighten. 

"Nikki kahaan hai?" Riddhima asked. "Aur Abhi? The kids are okay, right?"

"Don't worry, Riddhu," Rahul soothed. "Hum sab directly hospital se aaye haina, so we're here. Abhi pehle ghar gaya tha, Nikki aur bachchon ko pick karne. They should be here soon!"

No sooner had he said that, than the doorbell rang again and Riddhima hurried to open the door, making a beeline for Nikki. Nikki had Nibha strapped to her chest in the baby carrier, so Riddhima put her arms around Nikki's shoulder, resting her head on it. Nibha looked up at the movement and let out a delighted shriek on seeing Riddhima, immediately getting fidgety. Riddhima gently picked Nibha up and hugged her close to her chest, revelling in the closeness. She buried her face in Nibha's smattering of curls, taking in that sweet baby scent that she had missed so dearly.

Armaan was the same, quickly walking over to Abhi. "Gimme," he demanded, opening his arms for Abhin. Abhi rolled his eyes but carefully removed Abhin from the strap and passed him to Armaan. Abhin looked up in wonderment, a smile lighting up his entire face. He hid his face in Armaan's neck, promptly falling asleep as Armaan started humming softly.

"Baby whisperer!" Nikki teased him, making Armaan roll his eyes. 

"We got the portable crib," Abhi told him. "Agar tumhe Abhin ko sulana ho toh."

"Don't be stupid," Armaan snorted. "I'm perfectly capable of holding him. Aur next time se yeh portable crib lekar aane ki zaroorat nahi hai. Jo bada wala guest room hai usme crib already hai!"

"You have a crib in your house?" Nikki asked, surprised. "Didn't you just get married?"

"It's not for us," Armaan rolled his eyes. "Tere bachchon ke liye hai! Jab main aur Riddhima renovate kar rahe the, we bought a crib too kyunki humein pata tha ki kuch hafton mein Junior Modi bhi aa jaayega."

"That is so sweet," Anjali commented. "Tum Nikki ke bachchon ke liye crib laaye!"

"Bachcha, singular," Riddhima corrected. "Cause tabhi humein pata nahi tha na that she's going to have twins. But, abhi woh dono chote hain and they both will fit easily. For later, Armaan ne aaj aane ke baad already aur ek crib order kar diya hai."

"Waah, waah! Kya baat hai, Hero! Tere toh bade thaat hain!" Muskaan exclaimed.

"Of course," Armaan replied in a prissy tone. "Tune mujhe koi aira-gaira samjha hai kya?"

"Tu toh hai hi aira-gaira… Isme samajhne wali kya baat hai?" Rahul questioned.

"Daddu… Tu na… Chup reh," Armaan told him. "Good boy ki tarah behave kar!"

"Sure, sure," Rahul rolled his eyes. "Tujhse seekhu ab main kaise good boy bannte hain? Maine sikhaya hai tujhe sab!"

"Woh tab ki baat thi," Armaan waved him off. "Ab, main tujhse zyada smart hoon inn maamlon mein!"

"Oyyeee! Tum dono yeh sab mere bina kya secret cheezein karte rehte ho?" Atul whined. "Yeh cheating hai! Hum teeno bhai haina? Toh mujhe aise sideline kaise kar sakte ho!"

"Tujhe sideline kahaan kiya, Champ?" Armaan asked. "Tu hi hamesha Anjy ke saath busy rehta hai toh humaare saath hota hi nahi!"

"Guys, cut it!" Abhi ordered. "Kya har waqt bachchon ki tarah ladte rehte ho? Ab agar tum log zyada shor machaoge toh Abhin aur Nibha uth jaayenge," he gestured to Nibha who had also fallen asleep in Riddhima's arms.

"I think it's better agar hum inhe room mein sula de? Abhi, tum baby monitor laaye hona?" Nikki asked.

Abhi nodded and handed one of the walky-talky like monitors to Nikki. "Bas, yeh unke paas room mein rakh dete hain taaki agar koi awaaz ho toh humein pata chal jaaye."

Armaan & Riddhima obliged. They took the babies to the room and gently placed them in the crib, covering them with blankets. Nikki placed the monitor on the table beside the crib. She stared at the twins for a minute, drinking them in, committing this little moment to memory. Once she was satisfied, she went back outside where her friends had all huddled on the sofa and were sipping on coffee, talking a mile a minute. 

"Nikki!" Riddhima cried, shoving Armaan aside to make space for Nikki to sit beside her. With a laugh, Nikki obliged. Once she was sitting, Riddhima wasted no time in pulling her friend into a proper hug. 

"So… What are we doing?" Nikki asked once Riddhima had let go.

"I think, Jeeju is gonna give us all the presents he got us," Anjali announced, making Armaan blush. Predictably, everyone cheered, making Armaan roll his eyes. "Fine. Whatever."

He went inside to bring the giant suitcases they'd purchased. Thankfully, the suitcases were much lighter now that they'd given away the stuff they'd purchased for their parents - mostly bedspreads and comfortable shoes for all of them, along with chocolates and wine. "I think you're going to be really happy," Riddhima told them, as they waited for him.

"Did you get all the things in our list?" Muskaan asked.

"Yes," Riddhima answered proudly. "All of it!"

"What is that?" Nikki questioned when she saw Armaan wheeling the suitcases into the living room.

"Yeh suitcase toh tum dono mein se kisi ki nahi hai," Rahul commented.

"We had to buy new ones to fit all your stuff," Armaan snorted. "Itni choti si list jo di thi tumne humein!"

"Madhuri!" Atul whistled. "Really?"

"Nahi, Champ… Main poore hospital mein baantne ke liye samaan laaya hoon," Armaan fired back.

"Bhadakta kya hai? Chal jaldi se dikha kya samaan laaye ho tum dono humaare liye!" Rahul ordered. 

One by one, they showed the gang everything they'd gotten. Apart from the abundance of clothes, shoes, makeup, chocolates, and trinkets from every port as a souvenir, everyone in the gang got at least one piece of expensive jewelry. Riddhima added a charm to the bracelets they'd given the girls as a thank you for all the wedding prep, in addition to earrings and bracelets for them. The boys got a watch and a pair of cufflinks. The gang ooh-ed and aah-ed very appropriately at every new item that was uncovered. But, they only got emotional over the silly I heart tee-shirts that Riddhima had insisted they get from every store they saw one in. They'd gotten a total 8 tees, one for all their friends. They all put the clothes on immediately, matching their outfits like they were little kids in school. Of course, that resulted in an impromptu photoshoot. 

After the presents had been kept away, Riddhima ordered them all pizzas for dinner. "Guys, guess what's the entertainment for tonight!" Rahul exclaimed, extremely excited.

"What?" Armaan asked.

"Guess!" Rahul repeated.

"DDLJ!" Muskaan shrieked.

"No," Rahul rolled his eyes.

"Toh K3G?" Muskaan tried one more time.

"SRK movie nahi hai, Muskaan," Rahul replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Toh koi nature documentary?" Atul asked. "Yaa phir woh new movie aayi haina usme kya mast gaane hain! Hum dekhne jaane wale the na!"

"Champ uss movie ko aaye 2 din hue hain. Woh hum theatre ke bahaar kaise dekh sakte hain?" Rahul asked, exasperated.

"Rahul, kyun irritate kar raha hai? Bata na!" Anjali rebuffed.

"Fine!" Rahul gave in. "It's the wedding video!!"

"What?" Riddhima whispered, shocked.

"Haan! I got the first draft of the wedding video in the morning!! So, hum woh dekhein?" Rahul asked.

"Of course!" Armaan cried. "What else are we going to watch? Tu yahaan khada timepass kya kar raha hai? Chalu kar!" 

They all made themselves comfortable on the couch as Rahul turned the video on. The rest of the night was spent watching the video, reminiscing about the fun they'd had at the wedding. Rahul and Anjali gave Armaan & Riddhima play by play of every moment they'd not been a part of while the others were preparing for the ceremony. There were a lot of laughs as they watched Atul and Muskaan getting constant scoldings from their partners. Everyone cooed at Nikki's bulging stomach, marvelling over how the twins were finally with them. And everyone cried as they watched the wedding ceremony, especially the look on Armaan's face as he watched Riddhima make her way to the mandap.

Once the wedding video was watched, Riddhima talked Armaan into showing their friends the honeymoon photos and everyone went crazy over them, scrutinizing every single aspect of every photo. It was late at night when they all finally retired to bed. Armaan & Riddhima somehow ended up not sharing a bed that night as the girls insisted on spending some time with Riddhima. 

"Tum unhe mana kardo!" Armaan protested as he stood outside the guest room with Riddhima.

"Armaan," Riddhima replied. "I can't. Sab kitne excited hain! Plus, I really missed them."

"Aur mera kya? I miss you!" Armaan pouted.

Riddhima smiled, standing on her tiptoes to kiss the pout off his face. "I know, baby. But sirf aaj ki hi toh baat hai. Please! I'm really looking forward to it."

"Fine," Armaan gave in, because of course he did. Anything to make his Basket happy. He didn't even regret it when he saw the brilliant smile light up his wife's face. She kissed his cheek in gratitude, making him smile. Well, it won't be too terrible to hang out with Rahul and Atul all night. And of course, Abhi. He'd have fun with the boys too. Maybe not as much fun as he'd have had with Riddhima, but fun nonetheless.

And, he was right. Atul kept them all entertained the entire night with his silly antics. Armaan hadn't realized before, but he'd really missed his boys too. He found parts of himself settle back in his chest as he teamed up with Rahul to make fun of Champ, as he got into a heated debate with Abhi, as he laughed at Atul's silly jokes. All of them brought him back home and he fell asleep with a smile on his face despite being tugged into different directions by both Rahul & Atul. 

He woke up to the smell of food, which was the second best way to wake up, especially if he hadn't gone to sleep with his wife. Grinning, he pushed himself out of Atul's surprisingly tight grip and made his way to the kitchen. Muskaan was in there, making some paranthas. "Good morning, Heroine," he greeted her, taking a seat at the aisle.

"Good morning, Hero!" Muskaan chirped, flipping the parantha. 

"Khushboo toh badi achchi aa rahi hai," he told her. "Mere liye bhi bana na… Please!"

Shaking her head, Muskaan plated the tossed parantha and gave it to him along with some yoghurt and pickle. "Le. Main sabke liye hi bana rahi hoon. Ridzy neeche gayi hai doodh laane."

"Oh?" Armaan breathed. "Mujhe utha dete na! Main chala jaata!"

"Tu toh aise ghode gadhe bechke so raha tha jab Ridzy gayi thi tujhe jagaane," Muskaan rolled her eyes. "Isliye phir end mein woh aur Rahul chale gaye neeche."

"Mmmmm," Armaan hummed around the mouthful of food. "Bohot tasty hai, Muski! Thanks!"

Muskaan tossed a parantha for herself too and the two of them got busy wolfing it down, broken conversation flowing between them as they focused more on the food than each other. They'd both finished their first and Armaan was sweet-talking Muskaan into making him more when Rahul & Riddhima came back, laughing at something. Food forgotten, Armaan immediately skipped over to Riddhima. "Good morning, Basket!" He greeted her with an enthusiastic hug. Rahul rolled his eyes at the two of them and hurried to the kitchen absolutely not wanting to be near the two of them.

"Good morning, baby," Riddhima greeted him. Armaan pressed a loud kiss to her cheek. "I missed you," he told her. Riddhima melted into his arms with a satisfied purr. Armaan laughed, hugging her closer. 

"Tum dono subah-subah shuru ho gaye?" Nikki's absolutely annoyed question had them stepping out of the hug.

"Good morning to you too, Miss Wow," Armaan greeted sarcastically. Nikki rolled her eyes, flipping him off. She made herself comfortable on the breakfast aisle, downing the juice that Rahul had poured her. 

Armaan made a face but stepped inside the kitchen too, putting on a pot of coffee for everyone, knowing that they'd all start stumbling out of bed soon. Riddhima helped Muskaan make more paranthas while Rahul made some sandwiches to go with the rest of their breakfast. Nikki cut some fruits. All of them fell into easy camaraderie, laughing and chatting as they cooked. Soon enough, Atul came out too, and then, Abhi & Anjali marched outside, carrying a baby each. All of them ate breakfast together, enjoying their time together before heading into work.

When they reached the hospital, Armaan pulled Riddhima to a stop as the others made their way inside, somehow still having more things to talk about despite spending so much time together. Riddhima looked at him in question, but Armaan only shook his head in response, bending his head to drop a quick kiss to her smiling mouth. "I love you," he told her.

Somehow, Riddhima's smile widened at his words. "I love you," she promised. Armaan grinned. He clasped Riddhima's hand tight in his, entwining their fingers together.

"Can you believe it?" She murmured softly. "Jab hum pehli baar Sanjeevani mein ek-doosre se takraaye the, we hated each other. And now, we're married."

"Tum apni baat karo!" Armaan exclaimed. "I never hated you."

"Not even when I beat you at basketball?" Riddhima asked, disbelieving.

"Especially when you beat me at basketball," Armaan told her. Riddhima shook her head. "So cheesy, Dr. Mallik," she teased.

"So what?" Armaan asked.

"So nothing," Riddhima replied. "Mujhe pehle se pata hai ki tum hamesha aise cringe pick-up lines maarte ho. I still married you!"

"Damn straight, you did!" Armaan cheered.

"Ab flirt karna band karo, aur andar chalo! Zyada late ho gaya toh phir Dr. Keerti se daant padegi!" Riddhima ordered. Armaan laughed, but complied. However, he was walking too slow for Riddhima's liking, so she pulled her hand away from his, walking faster.

"Heyo, Basketball!" Armaan called from behind her, stopping her in her tracks. "Naam toh batati jao!" 

A wide smile spread across her face as she turned to her husband. She walked back to where he was standing and pushed herself on her toes to be on eye-level with him. "Dr. Riddhima Basket Mallik," she said. Her husband's answering smile made her heart flutter. In that moment, standing outside the place that made her who she was, with the man who had made her who she was, Riddhima was the happiest she'd ever been.

Epilogue

Riddhima's phone chimed with an incoming message the second the clock struck midnight. Happy Anniversary, Basket, her husband had sent, accompanied by a beating red heart emoji. Before she could reply, another text came in. Look out the window.

Riddhima turned to her side. Seeing that Anjali was deep in sleep, she snuck out of bed and tiptoed to the window. She looked out and sure enough, Armaan was standing there with a huge grin on his face. She opened the window and leaned outside. "Happy anniversary, baby!" She wished him, keeping her voice low.

Instead of saying anything, Armaan held up a placard that read I miss you. "I miss you, too," Riddhima replied. "But just a few more hours."

Shaking his head, Armaan threw the placard to reveal another one. I was lone. Alone. Another. Then you walked into my life. Another. A journey of a lifetime. Another. You and me and forever. Another. Thank you for marrying me. Another. You made me the happiest man on the planet. Another. Doubly so.

Riddhima was crying by then, silent tears falling down her eyes even as she smiled the brightest possible smile. "I love you," she blubbered.

"I LOVE YOU!" Armaan called back, and immediately bit his tongue. He'd been too loud. It felt even louder in the eerie silence of the night.

Sure enough, a couple of moments later, Anjali was there. "Armaan! Tum yahaan kya kar rahe ho? Waapas jaao!"

"Anjy," Armaan whined. "This isn't fair! Tum mujhe apni wife se milne se kaise rok sakti ho?"

"Of course rok sakti hoon, Jeeju," Anjali replied. "Tumhaari wife woh baad mein hai, meri behen pehle hai! Aur meri behen se ab tum kal hi milna!"

"Anjyyyyyy!" Armaan cribbed.

"No ifs and buts, Armaan!" Anjali ordered. "Aur please, ab toh apni yeh Roadside Romeo type harkatein bandh kardo! Kab sudhroge tum?"

"Kabhi nahi!" Armaan vowed.

Anjali rolled her eyes. "Scram!"

"Lekin…" Armaan tried once more.

"Maine kaha na! Sab kuch kal. Aaj girls' night hai!" Anjali exclaimed.

Sulking, Armaan surrendered. "Fine. Whatever."

"Good," Anjali asserted smugly.

"Ab bye bol du apni biwi ko yaa woh bhi tum kabab mein haddi ki presence mein karna padega?" Armaan asked.

"You have 2 minutes," she ordered before going inside to give the couple some privacy.

Armaan's frown turned into a wide smile the moment she left. "I love you!"

"I love you," Riddhima promised. "I'll see you in…"

"In a few hours," Armaan finished.

"A few hours," Riddhima agreed. She blew him a kiss and Armaan made a show of diving to catch it, making Riddhima laugh. Then, he was off. Riddhima stared after him, only closing the window once she couldn't make out the silhouette of her husband.

By the time she got in bed again, Anjali was already fast asleep. Sighing, Riddhima picked up her phone. Di toh so bhi gayi, she texted him.

Tumhaari behen humaare pyaar ki dushman, haaye haaye! was the instant reply.

Tum bhi so jao, he added. See you tomorrow.

See you tomorrow, she promised. Heeding his advice, she kept her phone aside and went to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day.

____

Ridhaan would like to establish the fact that he did not want to do this. It was a horrible idea and he hated it. He was not having a good time on what was supposed to be the best day of his life. Why had he agreed to this again? Oh, yes. Because he was a fool in love, much like his father.

Sighing, he lifted himself up, climbing the pipe slowly. Slow and steady wins the race, his mom had taught him. And he was nothing if not his mother's son. One foot on top of the other, his father had instructed him. And of course, his father was his superhero and if he said Ridhaan could do it, then Ridhaan could do it. And do it, he would. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ridhaan reached his destination. He jumped through the open window and fell flat on the ground, making home there.

This was the most comfortable floor he'd ever experienced, he decided. He would not be opposed to living there for the rest of his life. But sadly, life had other plans for him. "Ridhaan?" Any other day, that voice would have made him grin like a loon. Today, he was just upset that he hadn't gotten to lay down like he wanted to.

"Kya hai?" He asked, sitting up.

"Tum kya kar rahe ho?" Chahat, the absolute angel of his life, the woman he loved most in the world, asked.

"Special delivery!" He announced, infusing his voice with as much cheer as he could, turning to the person he had actually come to visit.

"This is for you," he said, presenting his mother with a single red rose.

"Awww, how sweet!" She exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he replied.

"Tum pipe se kyun aaye?" She asked him. "Darwaaza kharaab ho gaya hai kya?"

Ridhaan shrugged. "Seemed fitting."

"Fitting?" His mother repeated, confused.

"Well, yeh rose meri taraf se nahi, Papa ki taraf se hai," Ridhaan clarified. "Aur maine socha… Papa khud aate toh pipe se chadhke hi aate na!"

His mother blushed a brilliant red as everyone else in the room laughed. "Yeh baat toh bilkul sahi kahi tumne," Anjali Masi announced. "Armaan definitely pipe se hi aata!"

"Diiii!" His mother whined. "Stop it!"

"Awww, meri pyaari Ridzy," Anjali Masi cooed. "Sach toh sach haina!"

His mother rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Waise, Mumma," Ridhaan started casually. "Papa must really love you, haan?"

"Of course!" His mother replied immediately. "Kyun?"

"I mean, woh 3 saal tak almost har roz yeh pipe chadhke aapse milne aate the," Ridhaan said, stating the obvious. "He had to have been head over heels. Main toh ek baar bhi aur na karu. Kisi ke liye bhi. But Papa did it for so many years!!"

"Shut up!" His mom scolded, though it didn't have any effect because she was blushing so much.

"Ridhaan, tu ab tak tayyaar kyun nahi hua?" Nikki Bua asked him.

"Woh pipe chadhna tha na!" He explained. "Bas jaa raha hoon."

"Jaldi kar," Muskaan Mami ordered. "Aur bhi bohot kaam hai humein!"

"Yes, boss!" Ridhaan answered, complete with a salute. "Main chalta hoon!"

However, when he opened the door to step outside the room, he was greeted with the sight of all his favourite people clamboured together. "Tum sab yahaan kya kar rahe ho?" He asked.

"Mumma se milna hai!" His sister, the leader of the group clearly, answered. "Please, Bhai!"

"Ardhi?" His mom called from inside, as always completely attuned to both her kids.

"Haan, Mumma!" Ardhima cried in joy. "Hum andar aa jaayein?"

Then, without waiting for a reply, Ardhima barrelled inside the room, the others following suit. "Oh!" His mother exclaimed, clearly pleased. "Mere saare bachche mujhse milne aaye hain! How sweet!"

"Of course, Masi!" His cousin, Omi, answered. "Hum sab toh kabse wait kar rahe the, lekin yeh Mannat hi tayyar hone mein itna time lagati hai!"

"Pata nahi isse kaunse Miss India competition mein part lena hai," Muskaan Mami rolled her eyes. "Sabko late karwa diya na, Mannat!"

"Mummyyyyy," Mannat whined when Muskaan Mami ruffled her hair. "Baal mat kharab karo! Yeh hairstyle set karne mein Nibha Di ko aadha ghanta laga hai."

"Nibha, tu kya har baar iski baaton mein aa jaati hai?" Muskaan Mami scolded. "Iski har baat mat maana kar."

"Exactly," Omi agreed. "Yeh toh hai hi duffer."

"Omi!" Anjali Masi warned. "Mannat se aise baat nahi karna."

"But, Mom!" Omi whined, only to be silenced by one look from her. At 17, Omi was the youngest of their merry group of six, and also clearly the baby of the family, followed by Mannat at 19. The two of them were coddled too much in Ridhaan's opinion, not that anyone asked. He knew it was because both Muskaan Mami and Anjali Masi had thought they'd never have kids and Mannat and Omi were their little miracles, but he was a miracle too, as was his little Ardhima, but no one cooed over them like that. Well, if he was being technical, even Nibha Di and Abhin Bhaiya were miracles. They all were, as their parents liked to constantly remind them, much to Ridhaan's chagrin.

"Chalo, tum sab agar bas yahaan ladne aaye ho, toh bahaar niklo!" Nikki Bua ordered, calling them to order. "Jaake kisi ki help karo."

"Haan, Bua," Ardhima replied. "Hum chale jaayenge. Bas, Mumma se milna tha humein. Tight wali huggie chahiye!"

"Awwww, mera bachcha!" His mother cooed, immediately standing up to hug Ardhima. Maybe it was because it had been years since Ardhima had referred to their mother's hugs as huggie, or maybe it was just the magnanimity of the occasion, but Ridhaan felt a few tears fall from his eyes as he saw the rest of his cousins join the hug. Not one to be left behind, he rushed into the embrace too, his mother's arms naturally expanding to hold him close. Over his mother's shoulders, Ridhaan's eyes met Chahat's. He winked at her, making her blush. His heart thumped at the sight and squeezed his mother tighter. Life was good.

_____

"It'll be fine, right?" Armaan asked for probably the millionth time since morning.

"Armaan, main phirse tere saath yeh game nahi khel raha," Rahul answered, pouring him a drink. Armaan gulped it in one go, making Rahul and Atul share a look.

"Why are you so nervous?" Abhi asked. "This isn't even the first time!"

Armaan scoffed. "You think I don't know that?"

"I would also like to point out that this whole thing was your idea in the first place," Rahul added extremely unhelpfully.

"Shut up, Rahul! No one asked!" Armaan grumbled. "Tum sabke sab itne useless kyun ho?"

"Hum useless nahi, tu kuch zyada hi overthinker hai," Atul told him. "Kuch gadbad nahi hogi."

"Yeah, right!" Armaan snorted. "Kyunki aaj tak toh mera har plan ekdum foolproof raha haina!"

Rahul did not say anything about how much Armaan had grown up in all these years to be admitting that his stupid schemes were a disaster. It was a close call, but he did not. Because he didn't want to start anything by reminding Armaan of said disasters.

There was a knock on the door and then Vami poked her head in. "It's time," she told them, grinning brightly. "You look really handsome, Chachu!"

Armaan smiled. "Thanks, Vami! You look pretty."

"Come on!" Rahul urged. "It's showtime."

For their twenty fifth anniversary, Armaan had proposed to Riddhima again, this time in the gardens of her dream house that they'd shifted into almost a decade ago. It had taken a while for them to save the kind of money that would be needed to buy a house like that, but they'd done it happily, and finally, had bought the house on their daughter Ardhima's 11th birthday. Since the day they'd moved in, the garden had been a special place. So, three months before their anniversary, on the anniversary of their confession, just like he had the first time, Armaan had gone down on both knees and asked Riddhima to marry him again. She'd bawled her eyes out before saying yes.

And now, here they were, on their anniversary, getting ready to pledge their love to each other again, standing in Papa's backyard. Unlike their first wedding, this one was an intimate affair, attended only by their closest family and friends. There weren't even 50 guests in attendance as Armaan walked down the aisle accompanied by his best friends. Along the way, he smiled at everyone present. Lavanya Chachi along with Tara and Dhairya, Vishal and Saumya Bhabhi. Shubhankar Bhaiya and Keerti Bhabhi along with Samrat. Navneeta with Dhruv, her husband. Mini and Gappu. Ishaan & Meera, along with their son, Meeshan. At the end, stood his parents and Riddhima's smiling brightly. He hugged all of them tightly, thanking them for being there, before he took his place beside the priest.

When Riddhima had suggested a vow exchange instead of a traditional wedding, Armaan had immediately agreed. All these years later, not a single person in their family knew about their little ceremony in Rome, but it seemed fitting, to also honour that when they got married again. So, here they were, doing just that.

Their marriage had been absolutely beautiful. Yes, it had not been without its ups and downs, but the happiness outweighed the sadness, every time. They fought and made up like every other couple, they had their disagreements, but beneath it all, they had love for each other, and the family they'd built together. They had their son, who Riddhima had given birth to on a late Sunday night after 7 hours of labour. They had their daughter, who they'd fallen in love with at first sight the moment they'd seen her, who had chosen them out of countless others and made their lives infinitely beautiful. They had their parents, supporting them in every decision they made, be it adopting Ardhima, or letting Armaan stay at home with the kids while Riddhima went to work. Nibha & Abhin, who were their firstborns in every way that mattered. Mannat, who had finally come into their lives after three rounds of IVF. Omi, who they'd never thought they'd get a chance to meet when he was born two months early, years after Anjali and Atul had been trying for a family. But, most of all, they had their friends - Rahul, Muskaan, Anjali, Atul, Nikki, and Abhi - who stood by them like steadfast rocks, never letting them fall. A life filled with so much love and so much happiness, Armaan felt like his heart would burst carrying it all.

Then, he felt as if it actually had burst when he saw Riddhima walking down the aisle behind all their kids. She looked like an angel descended from heaven in her bridal gown, that same one she'd worn in Rome. Armaan couldn't stop the tears from falling at the sight of her, walking towards him, choosing him, loving him. So many years between them, and yet, she looked at him with just as much love, just as much passion. It made him weak in the knees. When he stumbled, Rahul caught hold of him, as always, there to steady Armaan the moment he lost his footing. A ripple of laughter ran across the room at that, but Armaan paid it no mind, his sole focus on Riddhima and her bright smile. The moment she was in touching distance, he held out his hand. She took it with a smile.

"I love you," he mouthed, loving how it still made her blush.

"I love you," she replied silently, and his heart still skipped a beat at the confession as if he was back in the OPD and she was saying those words to him for the first time.

Nikki cleared her throat loudly, adding a cough for good measure, bringing them out of their world. It was still so easy to forget that there was anyone else in the room when he was with Riddhima. "Shall we start?" Abhi asked.

Armaan took both of Riddhima's hands in his own and squeezed them, smiling wide. "We shall," Riddhima agreed, squeezing back, his smile mirrored in hers.

Armaan closed his eyes, saw Riddhima's bright grin even in the darkness, and took a deep breath, letting her presence calm him down. When he opened his eyes again, she was still there, still smiling at him. "Riddhima Basket Mallik…"

Postscript

1. For the curious minds, Abhin & Nibha are named by mashing Abhi & Nikki's names together. Similarly, Ridhaan and Ardhima come from Armaan & Riddhima. Omi is named after Atul's dad. Mannat is named so because she was the answer to all of Rahul & Muskaan's prayers. 

2. Of all the gangs' kids, only Ardhima is a doctor. Abhin works in finance. Nibha is a choreographer. Ridhaan is a writer. Omi & Mannat are still studying, but Omi has plans to become a scientist while Mannat is gearing up to participate in Miss India.

3. Ridhaan met Chahat on the first day of college and was instantly smitten. They've only been dating for a few months because it took Chahat a while to like Ridhaan back, but they're very serious. The gang has a betting pool on how long it'll take for Ridhaan to propose.

4. Nibha has a steady boyfriend, Aashay, who she met when he signed up for her dance class.

5. None of the other kids are dating.

6. Navneeta is married to Dhruv. They began dating when Navneeta started working at Sanjeevani and have been married for a few years. Navneeta is now the reporting doctor for the interns and Ardhima reports to her. 

7. It took Meera and Ishaan a year to confess to each other after Armaan & Riddhima's wedding. In the end, it was Meera who said it first over cup of coffee because Ishaan made some silly joke and she was so besotted, she ended up blurting it out without meaning to. Of course, Armaan & Riddhima were the first people they told. They got married only a few months later in a grand wedding in Delhi.

8. Rahul popped the question to Muskaan exactly 3 months after Armaan & Riddhima came back from their honeymoon. It was a huge production involving all their friends and Abhin & Nibha. It took a while for them to get married because their parents took almost a year to plan the wedding. They ended up eloping a few months in, registering their marriage in court with Armaan & Riddhima as their witnesses. They still had the big wedding to appease their parents, mostly because everyone thought they were lying again when they announced their marriage.

9. The first time Atul proposed to Anjali, she ended up inadvertently rejecting him because she wasn't ready for marriage. Atul assured her that they could have a long engagement. She agreed to that and wore Atul's ring for two years before she popped the question herself. They were married in a week after that. For their wedding present, Billy & Ananya gifted them a house. Atul had tried hard to say no, but Armaan talked him into accepting it.

10. Billy & Ananya moved to Mumbai after Ridhaan was born. They now live with Armaan & Riddhima. Somehow, they've become even closer with Shashank & Padma in this time. Billy & Shashank play tennis every morning on the weekdays and golf on the weekend. Ananya & Padma have a book club. The four of them are part of those high society, posh clubs and go there only to brag about their kids.

11. The four of them have adopted all the kids in the gang and spoil them all rotten. Billy is obviously, the reigning favourite among all of them, a title he takes immense pride in.

12. Armaan & Riddhima adopted Ardhima when she was barely two days old. A patient who Riddhima had operated on didn't make it and her family hadn't wanted the responsibility of the child, so Armaan & Riddhima brought her home. Ridhaan wasn't even a year old when it happened.

13. Rahul & Muskaan opted for IVF given Rahul's condition. It took them 3 tries and 4 years to finally get it right.

14. Anjali had a difficult pregnancy. 3 months in, she was advised complete bed rest. There were a lot of complications and everyday, Atul & her were afraid that something would happen. Omi was a premie. After the scare with him, they both decided to not have any more kids.

15. Shashank, Keerti, and Shubhankar are now retired. Anjali is the new dean of Sanjeevani. Armaan is her right hand. Abhi is only involved in the board and has semi-retired. All other members of the gang are the heads of their respective departments.

16. Armaan did stay at home when the kids were born and stayed home till they both turned 8. In that time, he constantly babysat all the kids, which is why he is their favourite. They always turn to him when they want something, knowing he'll be the easiest to convince.

17. Armaan & Riddhima are still madly in love and still the ones who indulge in PDA in front of everyone. Their kids have become immune to it at this point and just tease them for being so clingy like the rest of the gang.

Afterword

Um, so. Surprise, I guess? I bet none of y'all saw that coming (except those two people who guessed it yesterday after the Rome chapter and Sanju, who I told I was gonna do it). Honestly, I didn't either. Not till last month. I'd thought I'd just write the honeymoon chapters and upload them for the anniversary but then, suddenly, this happened, when I realized that… Oh, this looks a lot like happily ever after for our favourite couple. 

I think this has been a long time coming. Of course, I've been uploading this since November 2014, so I think almost 9 years is a good run for a fanfic. It's already been around for three times more than how long the show is. We've seen everything with this fic, not just with Armaan & Riddhima, but with the rest of the gang as well. As it is now, I feel the story is complete. They've all found their happiness in both their personal as well as professional life. I think it's a high point to end the story at. 

Believe me when I say this, I absolutely do not take this decision lightly. I know that you're all very taken aback by this, and when I thought of it, I was as well. It took me a solid week to actually decide that yes, this is a thing that will happen. This is what I want. Even then, I second guessed myself till the last moment. Even when I was posting the epilogue, I kept thinking… Is this really necessary? Maybe it's not. But, actually, it is, because this is what I always envisioned for this fic - the gang happy in their lives with their jobs and their partners, ready to take on the world. Which they are, right now. And they've all found their happy endings.

That is not to say that I won't revisit this, because I will. I have a few ideas for future takes which happen between the last chapter and epilogue, and maybe even after the epilogue. But, I don't know if I'll ever post them. It would just be the gang being really domestic, which we have already seen, but of course would love to see more of. I want to put all my focus on TDBU now, so I think it'll be a while before we get any of those future takes, if any. 

My journey with ILYLTF is extremely personal to me. I first had an idea for the fic while s2 was airing, because I wanted to see something cutesy where Armaan & Riddhima were happy together and not struggling so much. Though, I only started writing this in 2012 when I just couldn't handle all the thoughts in my head anymore and needed to put them to paper. For the next two years, ILYLTF belonged to only me. A quick escape from the mess of my life. And then, I somehow found the courage to post it online, and now, 9 years later, it belongs to all of us. 

I have grown so much as a person while I wrote this, and I can see that when I revisit old chapters. Frankly, the start of the story is absolutely ghastly and I'm judging 18 year old Prags so hard for writing the stuff she did. But, at the same time I am so proud because in these words, I can see my growth as not just a person, but also a writer. As I'm sure, so can you, if you've read the start and still stuck around.

That's something, isn't it? Some of y'all have been here since day one. Yes, I am talking about you, Sanju and Pako. You were there when the first chapter was published on 19 November, 2014, and you are here now as I publish the epilogue on 20 August, 2023. Thank you so much for always being there. For being my sounding board, critiquing the story, being so excited for it, and letting me churn out plot points in one-sided conversations on whatsapp which saw a lot of word vomit from my side and not a single word from yours while I had whole epiphanies while typing. This fic would not exist without you.

Thank you, Sheena. We don't talk anymore, but for a few months there, everything this story was, was you and I, giggling in our chats and cooing over how cute these people were. I don't think before then I'd met someone who shared the same brain as me. You got this story the way I intended. Every single takeaway you had from every interaction, and the way you built  all those headcanons in your head… It was stuff that I'd always thought of, but hadn't really had anyone to say it to. Then, you came along. Thanks for being the anchor that carried this fic to its completion. Even now, when I'm stuck, I look at the pages and pages of headcanons we came up with and it's so much easier to write more. It would never have been possible without you.

To all my other readers, but especially the usual suspects - Aayushi, Prizi, Shweta, Faraz, Nishita, Tanya - thank you so, so, so much for reading this story and loving it so much. Not so many thanks to Aayushi and Prizi for flooding me with demands for updates :p

Special shout-out to my girl Tani for being the best reader a girl could ask for. Your words inspire me. Every time I was stuck, or demotivated to write, I would open a comment from you and find that will to write more. You don't even know how you've shaped the story. Thank you so much!

To all the other readers whose names I'm forgetting, doesn't matter when you joined this journey and when you left it. Thank you. If you've read even a single chapter of this fic, thank you so much. I never thought this story would find a single reader, much less so many of you, and some of the most loyal kids out there, sticking by my sporadic update schedule. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.

It has been an absolute honour to share this story with all of you, and I am so glad that it's received so much love. This story has given me friendships that I know will last a lifetime, has moulded me as a person, has taught me so much about life. It might seem cheesy, but the truth is, I would not be the person I am today if I hadn't written this. So, thank you, ILYLTF, for shaping my life so profoundly. 

I really don't know what else to say here. My heart is full and my brain is surprisingly empty. I have nothing but immense gratitude for all of you and it's just blocking my brain and not letting me think of anything else I might want to say to mark this very momentous occasion of my life which will never remain the same now that I'm marking this story as complete. It is the end of an era and I don't know how to let go yet. I don't know who I am as a person without the constant niggling of oh, I need to write more on ILYLTF in my head. It's time to find out, I guess. I'm sure you're all thankful that you can't see inside my brain cause you're spared of the absolute chaos that it is right now. 

But, enough of my rambling. That's not why we're here today. We're here today because our favourite show is now sixteen. Ahh, the sweet sixteen. Feels like just yesterday when they met at the basketball court and now here we are, celebrating sixteen years of Armaan, Riddhima, and their beautiful love story. I'm so glad to have met them, as I'm sure you are too. They will always hold a special place in my heart. So, pump out that music and maybe read this whole fic from start to end to celebrate? My DMs are always open if you want to fangirl.

Thank you so much. Until next time, with all my love. 

Wow.. It has been a journey. I love this story and it is so satisfying to see a happy wholsesome end. Thanks for this story!!! ❤️

Would love to read if decide to more in the future on this.

A house in her name and shares in the company too. Billy really is looking out for Riddhima.

No pictures of their personal wedding, but he is right, they need those. At least they have the clothes to do a retake.

Years later, they got to get married again. The love is still holding strong. The family is larger than ever,

Originally posted by: tanvi_mitt

Wow.. It has been a journey. I love this story and it is so satisfying to see a happy wholsesome end. Thanks for this story!!! ❤️

Would love to read if decide to more in the future on this.

Thank you so much for reading! ❤️