Chapter 12: First Impressions

 

Riddhima walked down the stairs, with Armaan on her side. She looked at the group of people sitting comfortably on the sofas and chatting with each other. There were faces that she recognized, and some she didn't. She at once doubted her own self-confidence, maybe she couldn't be that perfect a daughter-in-law. She had never spent a single minute in the company of an Indian family, had no idea of their traditions and the way they would want her to be. She bit her lower lip. They all were busy talking to each other, and laughing at something.

 

Armaan saw the change of expressions cross her face and smiled. He knew she would be feeling nervous and weird, and he was so grateful to her for doing so much just for him. He would definitely help her out in every way possible. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it, she looked at him and gave a small smile. Armaan closed his eyes reassuringly at her, and smiled. She smiled back at him. They both descended the stairs, and everyone turned to look at them.

 

Armaan: ummm….Da-jee, Bey-jee….yeh Ragz hai….(bites his tongue) I mean…Riddhima…

 

Riddhima took a look at the strict-looking old man sitting on the sofa with a cane in his hand and gulped. She looked at Armaan, who gave her the cue and she bent down to touch his feet. She felt his hand graze the top of her head.

 

Riddhima: ummm….hi!! (smiling at him)

 

Da-jee looked at Armaan with raised eyebrows, who smiled foolishly and nudged Riddhima again.

 

Armaan: (speaking between his teeth) namastteee…..

 

Riddhima: (whispers back) oh yeah sorry….(looks at Da-jee) Namaste…main Riddhima…

 

Da-jee smiles approvingly at her. Then Bey-jee comes forward and Riddhima bends down to touch her feet too.

 

Riddhima: (Oh my God!! I can not go touching these people's feet on and on…I don't even know why they do that…maybe it's a sign of respect or something…but if you have to repeat this ritual again and again with every person you meet, my back is going to break…hehe…)

 

Riddhima is brought back to the world when she feels her face being cupped by two hands and her head thrust forward. Then she felt Bey-jee kissing her forehead. Okay, this was seriously weird. But the feeling of being liked by someone and that too an elderly person was very nice.

 

Bey-jee: bohat sundar hai…(looks at Armaan) iski nazar utaar le…

 

Everyone laughs. Riddhima grins to herself. She had been worrying for no reason, these people clearly loved her.

 

Aditi: awwww…Ma dekho na Bhaiya blush ker rahay hain…

 

Riddhima looks at once at Armaan, who looked so damn cute she wanted to cuchi-koo him right that moment, he had his lips pursed, which made his cheeks puff up.

 

Armaan: Aditi…chup ker…ummmm…Riddhima, baqi sab se to tum mill hi chuki ho….

 

Just then Shubhankar, and Suresh (Armaan's dad) walk in. They both were busy talking to each other about something, and did not notice Riddhima standing there. Suresh comes and meets his parents and then turns to say something to Armaan.

 

Suresh: Armaan….tum kal office ajana…tum se kuch papers…(stops as he sees Riddhima) ummm…I am sorry maine apko pehchana nahi…

 

Armaan: Dad yeh…

 

Riddhima speaks in for herself this time.

 

Riddhima: main Riddhima hun…..Armaan ki…ummm….(she doesn't know what to say, suddenly the word 'wife' had seemed very out of place)

 

Suresh: oh…acha…(smiles at her, then pats her head) kesi ho beta??

 

Riddhima: main theek hoon….ap Armaan ke dad hain na??

 

Suresh nods. Riddhima, unknowingly, claps her hands in excitement.

 

Riddhima: Oh my God!! Its so good to meet you finally….Armaan talks so much about you….he always tells me about the time you took him to that amusement park and you guys had so much fun and in the end he forced you to…(she stops talking at once as she sees everyone's eyes on her. In her excitement, she had forgotten to act unlike herself)….ummm…

 

Everyone starts laughing at her cute banter. Riddhima blushes, embarrassed.

 

Suresh: koi baat nahi…tumhain to sirf Armaan ne baatain batai hai…abhi mere pass bhi bohat baatain hain tumhain batanay ke liye…

 

Divya: haan…aur bohat si shikayatain bhi hain laganay ke liye…

 

Armaan: arey…ap sab mere peeche kyun parr gaye ho??

 

Aditi: iss liye Bhaiya….ke finally ab KOI to hai…(goes over to Armaan and puts an arm on his shoulder) jo AAP ko theek ker sakta ho…

 

Padma: kyun tum sab mere bte ko tang ker rahay ho, huh?? (walking out of the kitchen, she pats Armaan's cheek)

 

Riddhima: par Auntie…ap ka beta mujhe kitna tang kerta hai…that you don't know!!

 

Armaan rounds up on Riddhima, his hands on his hips.

 

Armaan: main TUMHAIN tang kerta hun…ha-ha….i guess it's the other way around…do you want me to give examples of how many times you have been such a big pain to handle??

 

Riddhima opens her mouth in wonderment. Was he really going to spill out all her secrets to his family??

 

Armaan: oh yea well…let me see…how many times have I…

 

Riddhima rushes over to his side and puts a hand on his mouth.

 

Riddhima: no no no!! Please!! Kyun mujhe apni family ke samne…how do you say that…yeah, badnaam ker rahya ho???

 

Armaan winks at her, and everyone starts laughing. They both were grownup, married people but still behaved like kids. Riddhima had quickly and easily warmed up to everyone in the family. She was a sweet girl and they all liked her.

 

Padma: acha ab bohat baatain ho gai…chalo ab sab khanna kha lo….

 

………………………

 

Dinner table.

 

Riddhima goes and sits down next to Aditi, after coming back from her room. Everyone was seated, and there were two seats vacant, one next to Aditi and one next to Armaan.

 

Aditi: ummm…Bhabhi….

 

Riddhima is lost in her own thoughts about something.

 

Aditi: bhabhiiiii…

 

Riddhima is still lost. Everyone else is busy in talking to each other, catching up on te day's news.

 

Aditi: BHABHI!!! (she shouts in Riddhima's ears)

 

Riddhima jerks up at once.

 

Riddhima: huh…?? Haan…kaun…main???

 

Aditi: of course app….Bhabhi to ap hi ho na…

 

Riddhima grins foolishly.

 

Riddhima: yeah sorry…actually, I haven't got  used to the word yet…yeah, so you were saying??

 

Aditi: Bhabhi…apko Bhaiya ke saath bethna chhaiye na…right next to him…

 

Riddhima: (frowns) ummm…why??

 

Aditi: cuz you guys are married…remember?? (grins at her)

 

Riddhima: oh yeah…hehe…(she gets and plops down on the chair next to Armaan. She had this habit of dropping herself on the chair, rather than sitting down gracefully. As she sat down, her dupatta fell to the gorund but she didn't seem to notice)

 

Armaan: hey you!! (winks at her)

 

Riddhima: (smiles at him) hey….so umm…you think your family likes me??

 

Armaan: I think they love you already!!

 

Riddhima: they do?? (looking at him with wide-eyes)

 

Armaan: yeah…like…you are lovable man…anyone who meets you once, falls in love with you…

 

Riddhima wiggles her shoulders in a tiny victory dance, rolling her eyes as to say 'yeah I know'. Armaan laughs.

 

Riddhima: anyways…what's for dinner?? The food smells awesome…what is it??

 

Armaan: you pray for your life it aint noodles…

 

Riddhima: why?? I love noodles!!

 

Armaan: I know you do…but have you seen how you eat it??

 

Riddhima looks at him and laughs guiltly. Actually she had the habit of eating noodles with her hands, cuz that was just the way she liked it. She wouldn't eat them in front of anyone except Armaan, as it was like a social disgrace watching her eat like that. Just then Padma walks in holding the tray, with the servant behind her who loaded the table with different bowls.

 

Armaan: hmmm mom…!! The food smells awesome….kia hai??

 

Padma: sab ke liye kuch na kuch banna hai….

 

Divya: oh yeah…aj to Sunday hai!!!

 

Riddhima looks at them, a bit confused.

 

Riddhima: Sunday hai…to??

 

Armaan: well ragz…kia hai na…ke harr Sunday ko, mom ham sab ki alag alag se favourite dish banati hai…something special for everyone…its like a tradition…

 

Riddhima: awww…that's so cute!!! I wish my mom…(she stop talking and bites her lip. Armaan holds her hand for a second under the table, reassuringly. She smiles at him) anyways….so Auntie…ap ne Armaan ke liye kia banaya???

 

Padma: hmmmm…well yeh to tumhain pata hoga…ke Armaan ki favourite dish kaunsi hai..,haina???

 

Riddhima looks at her and gulps. She knew he loved Chinese, but she did not know his taste in Indian food.

 

Riddhima: ummm…well…

 

Armaan: (butts into the conversation) of course she knows I love daal-chawal mom!!

 

Padma smiles, and Riddhima thanks him with her eyes.

 

Padma: sorry beta…(looks at Riddhima) mujhe pata nahi tha ke what you like…to I made this for you…

 

Riddhima took hold of the bowl and looked at it. There, lying in front of her in the bowl, were noodles.

 

…………………………………………………

 

Armaan: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! That look on your face….O MY GOD!!! I cant stop laughing…oh…ohh…..(holding his stomach and lying down on the bed)

 

They were now in his room. It was night time, and they had just come up after dinner. Riddhima was standing there, her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

 

Riddhima: shut UP!! And stop laughing…you moron…(throws a cushion at him) this is all because of you…idiot!!

 

Armaan laughs even more as she plummets him with cushions. He couldn't forget the sight of Riddhima's face when she had seen the noodles in the bowl. How she had tried to eat them civilly was even more hilarious.

 

As she continued throwing things at him, he laughed even more and got up from the bed. Then taking hold of her wrists, he stops her from throwing a lamp at him.

 

Armaan: stop it Ragz…that will break my head…phir mere ghar walay kia sochain ge…ke kesi biwi hai meri…attay hi maar dalla…

 

Riddhima kicks him the shins.

 

Riddhima: shut up…you moron…I hate you!!!

 

Armaan laughs then pulls her into a bear hug.

 

Armaan: awww…but I love you na!! Aur tum innni cute ho…(holds her cheeks and pulls them)…you are seriously adorable!!

 

Riddhima rolls her eyes at him.

 

Riddhima: acha anyways….first day gone by…it wasn't that bad, was it??

 

Armaan: yeah it wasn't….except that….the scene where Dad pulled out your dupatta from under the table…. Ahhahahahahahahhah!! (he starts laughing again)

 

Riddhima: yoouuuu….!! I am going to kill you….

 

She starts running behind him, throwing things at him. They both start having a pillow fight, and they both are laughing by the end of it. She hits him as hard as she could, and when he snatches both the pillows away, she starts punching him, while standing on the bed. He was standing on the floor, and as she started hitting him, he took hold of her wrists and stood on the bed as well. It took him barely a second to have her under him, lying face down on the bed, her arms held by him at the back of her waist. He sat down with his knees on her either side, half leaning on her.

 

Riddhima: owwww….Armaan…leave me…..!!

 

Armaan: noo!! First say….you are sorry…

 

Riddhima: huh?? For WHAT??

 

Armaan: for hitting me…and for calling me a moron…

 

Riddhima: oh please…stop being a cry-baby…

 

Armaan pulls her arms harder.

 

Riddhima: OWWW!!! Okay okay baba….i am sorry!!

 

Armaan: now say….i am the best!!

 

Riddhima: of course…I am the best!! (cheekily grins)

 

Armaan pinched her slightly.

 

Riddhima: AAHH!! You luzar…okay fine…you are the best…

 

Armaan: now promise…you will let me sleep in the middle of the bed….

 

Riddhima: WHAT?? No wayyyy….I sleep in the middle of the bed…

 

Armaan: no, I do!!!

 

Riddhima: Armaan…this isn't fair okay….first leave me na…

 

Armaan grins to himself and releases her, getting off her. She sits up on the bed, huffing and puffing.

 

Riddhima: acha we can do one thing…we BOTH can sleep in the middle of the bed…

Armaan: how come?? (scratching his head)

 

Riddhima grins to herself.

 

…………………………………………………………

 

20 minutes later.

 

Armaan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It had been a long day, but it had goe fairly well. He smiled to himself as he took in her flowery scent. It was lavender, the smell from her conditioner. He lightly turned on his side, so that her back was now slightly touching his chest. She was sound asleep. He had just gotten out of the shower, and by the time he had come out, she was sleeping in the middle of the bed, very peaceful. He had never seen her sleeping like this, that too, so close to him. She was undoubtedly beautiful, even with very little make up on.

 

He pushed aside all these thoughts and closed his eyes to go to sleep. Her hair slightly touched his face, her back against her chest. Unconsciously, while dosing off to sleep, Armaan put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Riddhima turned sideways so that now she was facing Armaan. Though she didn't know it, she was smiling in her sleep. Maybe she knew somewhere that she was so close to him. Lightly resting her head against his chest, his one arm loosely hung around her waist, they both slept peacefully in the middle of the bed.

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Okay guys...thats it for today!! I am really sorry for the late update, but i wanted to write a nice, long part for you guys, because all of you have been so good to me and have waited so much for such a long time. So here its goes. I hope u guys like it. Love, Kiran