Part 15

Armaan caressed her skin softly. Riddhima shuddered under his touch. he smile but kept on going with his sweet torture and when she was full red on her cheeks with blush, he stopped and holding both of her hands, make her stand up as he stood up himself. Looking down at there entwined hands, he saw the magic of how her soft fingers fits perfectly between his hard one's. He looked up at her down cast lashes and said soft. "You are ok" In reply Riddhima just nod her head as she was unable to say anything with this proximity. His single touch can burn a fire inside her. "Riddhima..." He took her name with such a sigh that ensures her that he feel something for her, so deep...so beautiful...

"I am sorry If you think I crossed my limits...But its just that, I couldn't stop myself" Armaan said giving name to his feelings. Riddhima just look up at him and keep looking at him for few seconds before saying... "After last night, do I still need to assure you about my feelings?" Her question make him look into her eyes and he gave a soft smile. "No...I know about that...But I don't want us to feel awkward...I don't want anything to go wrong between us Riddhima" He needs to assure himself that this relation that he wanna make is going to stay forever. "Will you promise me something?" As Riddhima nod, he pulled her a little close to himself still looking deep into her eyes. "Whenever, you feel that something that I did or said to you was wrong...you will tell me straightly...anything Riddhima...having misunderstandings is the worse part of a relationship" He said softly. Fear was truly evident on his face. Riddhima just moved her hand up and cupped his face. She need to assure him that this thing, this relation that they are gonna share will stay forever so she moved up on her toes and gave him a lingering kiss on his cheek...

Armaan just smiled as she moved back with flushed face. Her boldness was something new for herself too. "Ok, I am feeling too much hungry now...Can we eat something?" Armaan said trying to make her comfortable and still holding her one hand, lead her to the table placed in a corner. He took off the lids from the food, he ordered from a nearby restaurant by his peon and it smelled yummylicious. Riddhima served him as per routine and they enjoyed there first office secret lunch date. The time they finished, it was just 15 minutes left for the lunch break to over. Armaan want to spend sometime more with her, in order to know her. The lunch was a silent affair but the silence was peaceful. But he have to go to the canteen to enjoy the party given by two of his best friends who have always supported him through thick and thin of his life and now, when they are going to step in a new relationship, he have to support them. He was truly happy for them so he and Riddhima went out to attend the party after trashing the boxes into the dustbin.

It was indeed fun. Aditi and Nitin brought a cake for Shaina and Aryan as a gift but that was more smeared on there faces rather than eat and above that, Nitin and Aditi didn't miss the chance to took there pictures in that conditions. Aryan was sulking while Shaina gave a kiss to her sulking man on his cream filled cheek and Nitin took the picture right at that moment. Everyone was back to work after that and the day passed on just like a routine.

On the end, Armaan sms Riddhima to wait for him outside the office as they will go home together. Riddhima felt butterflies in her stomach with the thought of going home all alone with him. She smiled and biting her lower lip, collect all her things. Putting the bag on the shoulder, she gave a last look to her cabin and taking the other door that opened outside in the corridor, went down. Armaan was soon out with his car and stopped beside her. Getting out, he gave her one of his trade mark smiles and came around to open the passenger side door for her like a true gentleman. Riddhima just smiled and sit in and he closed the door for her. Getting back into his seat, he look at her and started off the car, to go towards the house.

Riddhima was playing with her fingers as the silence went on. It surly was bothering her so she turn to look at him who was concentrating on the road infront but feeling her gaze turn to look at her. Riddhima pointed towards the music player with her index fingers and ask question through her eyes as if saying CAN-I-PUT-IT-ON and Armaan said "Yeah sure"..Riddhima put on the radio and a song romantic tone filled the car which was later replaced by the melodious voice of Udit Narayan


"This song is one of my favorite" Riddhima said as she started humming the song along with it. Armaan's fingers automatically started tapping on the steering as he smiled. "I was listening to this song from the last week...to try to get a hold on myself and to stop myself to express what i feel for you" Riddhima heard him and was confused when the voice again boomed


Riddhima suddenly get quiet as she realized what this song meant and why he was listening to it. She knew it that he was scared to attach himself to someone but in reality, he don't wanna face that heart-ache he already went through. A lot of thoughts run in Riddhima's mind just with this idea. "What if i failed him?" "What if he will loose his trust over me?" "What if any of my mistake will hurt him?" And she got worried. He was the most beautiful dream she ever saw, and she don't wanna loose him at any cost.

Reaching home, Riddhima get out quitely and wishing evening to Bi and her mother went straight to her room. Armaan was a little taken back by her sudden change of mood but he can't go behind her now. He know that something is disturbing her. She was OK, till she was sitting in the car but later, she was all but attentive to him. "Is she having 2nd thoughts about 'US'?"  A fear creep over him as he enter his room and loosen his tie. He sit on the bed half-heartedly and look up into space. "Do she have any doubts? Or like others, she is also disappointed in me?" His heart bleed with these thoughts and he hold his head in his hands. Life is surly not a easy ride for him.

On dining table, Armaan who was called twice by Bi, joined finally with a sulking face. Riddhima was not yet present on there. Bi saw his eyes searching for her so she asked Smriti as she knew, Armaan would never raise this question. "Smriti, Where is Riddhima?" Armaan ears were fixed on the discussion while his eyes and hands were fixed to serve himself. "Samiya...she wasn't feeling well...so she just took medicine and is now laying in her bed" Smriti replied. Bi got worried. "Something serious??" She asked again. "No just a minor headache" Smriti cleared. Armaan's heart fell down with the thought that she is ignoring him thats why avoid this dinner. He wasn't in mood to eat anything, but for the sake of bi so that she will not arise a question out from it, he ate a little. His heart was beating fast and was irritated. He need to ask her, hear her. It seems like just last night, he again need to confront her.

After having dinner, he cleared his mouth with the napkin and left. He paced in the room with restlessness, went to the window of his room...to inhale the freshness of the air when he felt a shadow in the corner moving. His eyes were fixed on that for a moment and then he saw Riddhima coming into view and taking turn, went back into darkness. "I need to talk to her" He said to himself. Just a day to there confession, and he was already feeling like loosing her. No matter they spend just a day of there togetherness, but just the thought of her leaving him was hard to digest for him. he felt a pain in his chest with these aweful aweful thoughts. He turn and without making anyone see him, make his way to the backyard of his house.

Riddhima was worried. Too much worried. No at any cost she wanna give him any ache. But she is a human-being. She will make mistake. What if any of her mistake will cause him distrust her. What if she would become a reason for his tears. She herself would never be ale to bear that than how will he take that. He was already been through so much. She tried to give 100% to her relationship she had with Samar, but when he changed and just thought of her as a person of body and bone, not a person of heart and soul, she lost trust in him. But this man, in whom she found her true love, love her for what she is...and is closed to his heart that it feared her. Tracing her trembling lips, she was so engrossed in her thoughts to feel Armaan coming close to her. Right when she was about to turn, Armaan hold her from her arms and startled her. Her body jerked as she felt the hold, but seeing armaan she took a breath of relief.

"Why are you ignoring me?" The question came straight without any delay from him. "Are you having 2nd thoughts Riddhima? a man having a bad history and with an extra baggage of a baby, is this what now making you back off?" Armaan asked in an aggressive tone. He was on the edge to have a heart failure if he just don't get some answers right now. Riddhima looked at him with a confused and stunned face. "How can you even think that i must be having second thoughts about you..." She asked with a disbelief expression. "Then why are you running away fro me...Did i do something that embarrassed you...or you felt wrong about...You promised me just today that you will tell me straightly" He demanded. Riddhima sigh and hold his hands in hers. "there is nothing like this...You haven't done anything that i felt wrong about...its just that..." she stopped. She was finding it hard to explain. "its what?" he asked. Riddhima turn around and lead him to a bench in the far dark corner of the backyard. The freshness of the air from the plants was soothing and the moon was shinning above, providing a soft glow. "I am afraid of myself..." She said a moment later looking ahead while his gaze was fixed on her face. "What if i failed you? What if any of my mistake will hurt you badly...What if you loose trust over me?" She turned her face to look at him, just to see his reaction but he was plain. No expression was readable out there just a little frown over his forehead could indicate that he was processing some thoughts. When he didn't answer for sometime Riddhima shook his hand. Armaan looked at her worried face. She moved closer to him and cupped his face in her hands. "You have been already through so much...you have been sentenced to bear all that pain, you didn't deserve a bit...you loose the people you love the most...But I can promise you, you will never loose me..." She said with pain evident in her voice and a tear escaped her eye. "I can't think of my life without you anymore...but i m just scared, what if i will not be up to your expectations? What if..." Before she could say anything more, armaan covered her lips with his index finger, silencing her. "SSShhh" he said with a smile playing on his lips and his finger moved away from her lips to her cheek to clean the tear. "How can you speak so much? and thought so unimportant things" He said with a chirpy voice as Riddhima looked at him with a wide eyes. This side of him, she was seeing for the first time. He definitely has stunned her and to make it even more, he pulled her closer from her waist and now they both were sitting side-by-side, eyes fixed on eachother faces. While Riddhima's one hand was now placed on his chest where his heart was beating, her other hand was holding the bench underneath. "You are a fool to think like that Riddhima...If i let you enter in my life, its that because after being hurt, after going through so much, I found someone in you, i can depend on...You can never disappoint me...or better if i can say, I can never be disappointed by you cause the love, the light you brought in my dark life will always keep me in debt of you...You own me...completely" He said with truthfulness in her tone that make Riddhima heart filled with love for this amazing man to the brim. She moved forward and placed a kiss on his cheek "I love you Armaan" she said in a deep tone, totally overwhelmed with the love he showered on her...Armaan gave his full enchanting smile. "I love the way you take my name..." He said and pulled her into a side hug as she smile and they both look up into the sky. "I need to say something else too" she said sometime later. He looked down at her as she moved a lil back. "Ananya is not a burden on me Armaan...I loved her from the start and now, I love her even more as she is a part of you...so please don't ever think that she is just something i have to bear...she is an angel and i will be blessed to be a part of her life" Armaan's heart felt peace hearing her as she say those words "But I want more..." he said with a serious face. "What more??" She asked with a perplexed expression. "Kids..." and that brought a red crimson blush on her face as she hide her face in his chest as he chuckled and caress her soft silky hairs.

Armaan and Riddhima's lunch dates became a routine now. Every day they both will make an excuse and have there sweet lunch in the silence of his cabin. There friends start to wonder as what's going on. "Guys, what's up with Armaan now-a-days...he is giving to much work to Riddhima...Poor girl can't even have her lunch properly" Aryan said. "Yeah, I have barely saw her twice this week...what's wrong with armaan" Shaina too said. "I wonder why is he pressurizing her so much" Aditi added. "Friends, I think its time to talk to Armaan..." Nitin said as all agreed and get up leaving there unfinished lunch plates on the table not knowing how surprise they were going to be to see them sharing the food being alone in his room.

Part Sixteen------Page 122

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cool_SK2012-09-30 16:12:06