bumping to keep it alive. 😭
fingers crossed we get an update for dmg day!
Previously On...
The gang goes to Lonavala.
Armaan, Riddhima, and Tamanna confront Sid.
Armaan & Riddhima spend time together and share more with each other.
Track Seventy - Aadha Ishq
Riddhima checked her reflection in the mirror, smiling brightly as she got ready for her “official date” as Armaan had taken to calling it. They had come back from Lonavala a couple days ago, having the best time together. It was exactly what they had needed. Away from the hustle-bustle of the city and work, with no mounting responsibilities taking their time, Riddhima had spent almost all her time with Armaan, reconnecting with him.
They took long walks around the property, spent their nights dancing in the garden, played with the kids till they fell from exhaustion, and joked around with their friends as much as they could. But in all of it, there was a quiet togetherness they shared that seemed too intimate but never enough. It was in the way Armaan would wink at her as he played football, in the way Riddhima's eyes would find his as they shared a laugh with their friends. It was the way their fingers would brush before Armaan would hold her hand, in the way Riddhima had curated an entire playlist of songs that she wanted to dance with Armaan to under the stars every single night.
Ever since that confrontation with Sid, something had shifted between them. Many times, Riddhima felt that Armaan was just one breath away from admitting he loved her, but held himself back. She understood, of course, she did. There was too much history there, and Armaan wasn't ready yet. But, she still felt his love in every gesture. The way he would reach out to caress her cheek with the back of his hand, the way he would always smile just a little brighter after seeing her, the way he would seek her company above everyone else, insisting that they spend all their time together. It was a glimmer of that old Armaan, that old relationship that she cherished so deeply. It was an affirmation that though they had both changed and grown, things were still the same. Armaan still loved just as loudly as he did back then, and she could not have been more grateful.
After they'd come back from Lonavala, Armaan had insisted on dropping her & Muskaan home, and in an unbearably shy and quiet voice asked her out on a date before leaving. Riddhima had been too charmed to do anything but manage a small nod that had made Armaan grin brighter than the sun. The hug he'd pulled her into afterwards had left her feeling its warmth for hours later.
She'd been extremely excited about it ever since then, even going out shopping with Muskaan to find the perfect outfit for the night. Now, she looked at herself, dressed in a beautiful white sundress, she couldn't help but think back to the last time they'd had their first date. It felt silly now, being so shy about it, being conscious in Anjali's dress. She'd been such a different person back then, so unsure of herself where Armaan was concerned, and too timid and shy to keep up with him.
It was funny how the tables had turned. Now, she felt sure of her feelings, of what she wanted out of this relationship with Armaan, while he was the one who was taking his time to analyze his feelings and find his footing in this tentative new beginning they'd found for themselves. But, she wasn't worried, especially not now, after everything they'd shared. She'd seen Armaan vulnerable in ways she never had before, not even when their relationship had been at its strongest. He trusted her enough to be open & honest with her like he wasn't before. That in itself spoke volumes. She was sure that sooner or later, Armaan would come back to her, and they'd be together again.
“Kya tota lag rahi hai,” Muskaan whistled, breaking Riddhima's reverie.
She laughed. “Shut up, Muskaan!”
“I'm serious,” Muskaan insisted. “Armaan won't know what to do with himself.”
Riddhima rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics though she was internally pleased. She wanted to look good for Armaan. It felt nice to feel comfortable in her own skin and not shy away from his attention, instead of being a bumbling fool stumbling her way through her first proper date in an ill-fitted dress she had “borrowed” from her oblivious sister.
“When is Armaan picking you up?” Muskaan asked.
“We're meeting there, actually,” Riddhima replied.
Muskaan made a weird sound, trying to impersonate a buzzer. “That's a minus one for him! And the date hasn't even started yet. Prospects look bad, Ridzy. I thought he was the romantic one of our group.”
Riddhima chuckled. “I insisted, and he agreed. It is romantic, actually. We did this on our first date too.”
“Well, of course! You didn't have an option then. Armaan couldn't waltz in and tell Dr. Shashank he was whisking you away for a romantic evening,” Muskaan commented. “But that's not the case now. Though, I do give a mean shovel talk and I had been planning one for two days since I found out about this date. All that prep is down the drain now!”
“Don't worry, you'll get plenty of opportunities to scare him,” Riddhima assured.
“Ohoooo, feeling confident, are we?” Muskaan teased.
“Very,” Riddhima smiled. “Now, don't bother me. I'm getting late.”
Muskaan huffed an exaggerated breath. “I see how it is. How does your best friend matter now that you've found a pretty boy?”
“Exactly!” Riddhima agreed, pushing Muskaan out the door. She turned back to the mirror and gave herself one last once over before rushing out the door, calling out to Muskaan to not wait up for her.
She reached the restaurant just in time, but Armaan was nowhere to be found. He was probably just running a little late, she told herself. Deciding to wait for him inside, she spoke to the host, who showed her to their table. Riddhima ordered a cappuccino for herself as she waited. When Armaan didn't turn up by the time she'd finished, she decided to call him, but his phone went unanswered. A quick call to Nikki confirmed that he'd left for their date with enough time to spare. Worried, Riddhima was just about to leave, determined to look for Armaan, when she saw him walking in.
“What the hell, Armaan!” She exclaimed when he was in earshot. “Why are you not answering your phone? I was getting so worried.”
“I'm sorry,” Armaan murmured sheepishly. “I forgot to take it off silent.”
“Why are you so late?” Was Riddhima's next question. “Almost half an hour. I was about to leave in search of you!”
“Sorry,” Armaan repeated. “I'm really sorry. At first, it was on purpose… Because you know, I thought I'd properly recreate our first official date. So, I was planning to be a few minutes late. But then, I got really late because I forgot how bad Mumbai's traffic can be.”
Riddhima chuckled despite herself. “Only you would think that getting late for your date on purpose is acceptable.”
“Not for anyone else,” Armaan confessed. “Just you.”
His words made her stop short. Just you. Two words, which in the grand scheme of things, weren't even that big. Armaan had given her so many flowery speeches that these words shouldn't have impacted her so much. Yet, they did. Everything about them felt larger these days. Every small gesture carrying a million confessions, every word laced with so much meaning.
“Well,” she managed to say, “thank you. For this special treatment which you've saved for just me.”
“You're welcome,” Armaan grinned. “Shall we order?”
Riddhima nodded. They both studied the menu for a bit before deciding on what they wanted & placing their orders. As they waited for their food to arrive, conversation flowed easily between them. They gossiped about their friends, spoke a little about work, and exchanged a few barbs as they always did.
Between their excited chatter, the years seemed to bridge seamlessly. It felt as if it was just yesterday that Armaan had proposed, that the time they'd spent apart was but a fleeting moment instead of an unending chasm.
“Okay! Tell me. What's your favourite memory of the past few days. Since you got here?” Riddhima asked.
Armaan thought for a moment, contemplating his answer, before replying. “I think every moment since I got here has been extremely special. Reconnecting with all our friends better, spending time in Sanjeevani, Rahul & Muskaan getting engaged… All of it is just one happy memory after another. But, my favourite would be from Lonavala… That night under the stars, when we danced for the first time. It felt exactly like our actual first time. Do you remember that? When you'd worn that pink saree? You looked so gorgeous that night, I felt like I'd fallen in love with you all over again.”
Riddhima blushed at his words, making Armaan's heart beat faster. She looked so exceptionally beautiful with that red tinge on her cheeks, always so visible despite her make-up. Armaan ached to reach out and touch it. A second later, he realized that he could. There was nothing stopping him from doing that, so that's what he did. He reached out, cupping her face, his fingers brushing across her cheek delicately, caressing her skin as if it was the most precious glass. He felt her sharp intake of breath at his actions as his own heartbeat drummed in his ears. Every sense felt so heightened in that moment, his entire focus on Riddhima, as the entire world around them faded away.
“You're beautiful,” Armaan whispered. “So gorgeous.”
His words made Riddhima blush deeper, which Armaan didn't think was possible. Unable to help himself, he half stood up, leaning against the table to drop a soft kiss to Riddhima's cheek. He'd done it before, of course. Not just years ago, but even recently, there had been occasions when he had kissed her. Yet, this moment felt charged in a way that none of them had been. Electricity crackled between the two of them at the proximity and Armaan shivered. He could see Riddhima had gone taut, perhaps feeling the intensity of the moment just as he was. He looked at her and found the same torment mirrored in her eyes. Gently, Armaan kissed her other cheek and was rewarded with a soft moan. It was barely there, less than a whisper. He'd have missed it if he wasn't so close to her, but he was, and he heard it all the same.
Emboldened by that, absolutely uncaring of where they were, not minding the uncomfortable position he stood in, he reached up to kiss her forehead, journeying down to her eyelids. Riddhima's hand shot out, grabbing his bicep, squeezing hard. Armaan relished in the hold. Just as he pressed a kiss to the top of her nose, a loud throat clearing interrupted his sojourn. Startled, Armaan fell back on his chair. When he managed to gather himself to look up, he found himself facing a woman dressed in a sharp suit.
“I'm sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But you're disturbing the other guests. We would appreciate it if you could be a little mindful of your surroundings.”
“Of course,” Riddhima quickly replied, feeling extremely embarrassed. “We're really sorry.”
“I'm not,” Armaan muttered petulantly. Riddhima kicked his leg for the comment, her eyes fixed on the woman in front of them.
“It won't happen again,” she promised. “We apologize.”
The woman smiled at Riddhima. Just as she turned, she winked, adding in a thumbs up gesturing at Armaan. Riddhima laughed. It was true. Armaan was really handsome, and even more devastatingly so in his faded green jacket, showing off his toned muscles and tattoos. The fact that he'd had the same thought as her, dressing in similar clothes to reminisce their first date made her giddy.
Once the manager had left, Riddhima turned to Armaan, who shrugged innocently. “What? I'm not sorry.”
“That was so embarrassing!” Riddhima exclaimed. “Why did you have to say that so loud?”
“I'm not going to apologize for my feelings,” Armaan stated. “We decided not to do that, right?”
“Not like this!” Riddhima cried.
“Then like how?” Armaan snarked back, laughing.
“You're impossible,” Riddhima muttered. “I'm too embarrassed to sit here any longer. Let's leave.”
“Fine,” Armaan readily agreed. “Let's leave and find some place more private.”
“Armaan!” Riddhima screeched, making him cackle. “Stop it!”
“Okay, okay. No more joking. If you're uncomfortable, we can leave now,” Armaan promised.
“Thank you,” Riddhima breathed. “Please. Let's go.”
Armaan called for the check and paid, leaving a heavy tip to make up for the show they'd given their unsuspecting audience. Once done, they left the restaurant. When Riddhima's hand slipped into Armaan's it felt like the most natural thing to entwine their fingers together, and Armaan gave into the urge, feeling the contours of her skin against his.
They ended up walking along Marine Drive, buying some food from the street vendors. The night was peaceful for them even as the city remained in continuous motion. Finding a nice spot along the pavement, Armaan sat down. He removed his jacket and placed it on the ground for Riddhima to sit on, happy to sit in just his black undershirt.
“This is much better,” Armaan declared, as he wrapped an arm around Riddhima's shoulder, pulling her into his side. “Much, much better.”
Riddhima laughed but didn't deny his claim, opting to rest her head against his. For a moment, Armaan was taken aback by how easy it all felt. His heart that had been thumping like a hummingbird as he nervously got ready for the date was now beating calmly as if everything in his life had finally fallen into place. And perhaps it had. Being with Riddhima made him feel at peace in a way that nothing in the past decade had. The void in his heart that she'd left behind all those years ago was only now filled with her presence.
Armaan used to think he'd moved on, but now he was sure that he hadn't. He'd just learnt to live a life without Riddhima in it. That didn't mean he'd moved on or stopped loving her. His life without Riddhima was great. He had a fulfilling career, a loving family, and caring friends. He had dated some very amazing people. Yet, none of them had ever made him feel the way he felt right now. Not even remotely. Sitting with Riddhima pressed into his side, not saying anything as they both gazed out at the endless sea felt heartwarming in a way nothing else ever had.
Heart full, he turned to Riddhima, only to find her already looking at him. She was smiling up at him, looking gorgeously in love and Armaan couldn't help but smile back. Years later, when someone would ask him, Armaan would say this was the moment he realized that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Riddhima. It was not a huge declaration or a grand gesture that he'd been waiting for to realize what the rest of his life looked like. No, he had only been searching for that moment of peace, of serenity, that he had found nowhere else. Where even silence talked more than words ever could, where eyes portrayed what the mouth never could, where the warmth of her hand in his guided him back home.
Armaan leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to Riddhima's forehead. He squished her by his side, pulling her body flush against his. Leaning his head on top of hers, Armaan turned back to look at the sea, not saying anything, taking a moment to revel in the feeling. He was in love with Riddhima. He had always been in love with her. He could accept that now, without any inhibitions. Yet, he didn't want to tell her just yet, wanting to marvel in this new-found euphoria himself before telling her.
Riddhima looked at him, sensing the shift in his mood, but didn't comment on it, knowing that he'd tell her when he was ready. Not that he needed to say anything. She could read his silences well. She knew what he wasn't telling her. And as much as she was looking forward to him finally saying the words, she couldn't deny that waiting for it was a joy of its own. Everything felt heightened, every brush of fingers, every lock of eyes, every whisper of words weaving a hundred possibilities, a million dreams. She'd wait for him to verbalize what their hearts already knew. Till then, she'd bask in this togetherness. And when he'd finally speak those words out loud, she'd be ready. Then, they'd start their forever. This time, really forever.
___
Hello, yes, I am alive and well. Thankfully!
Ab har baar ki tarah kitna hi sorry bolu? But iss baar thoda zyada cause yeh update toh kuch zyada hi delayed hai mujhe khud hi sharam aa rahi hai bolne mein.
I wanted to update a couple chapters but the next chapter is only half done so you will have to wait a bit for it. I'm planning on doing a batch of chapters next month for the fic's anniversary! Yes, iss baar pakka next month 5-6 chapters kamse kam milenge. Tum log roz mujhe bully karke poochna aaj kitna likha. :p
Anyway, happy reunion anniversary, y'all. Can't believe it's been fourteen long years since these kids found their happily ever after! I'm sure they're both madly in love even today and are arguing in the kitchen now as they make breakfast for their kids. <3
Thank you so much for sticking around. Y'all are the best, I have no words to describe how much you mean to me and how much I appreciate you guys putting up with my annoying ass for not updating regularly.
Love you!!
Namkeen si baat hai har nayi si baat mein
Teri khusbu chal rahi hai jo mere saath mein
Halka halka rang bitay kal ka
Gehra gehra kal ho jaayega ho jaayega
Aadha ishq aadha hai adha ho jaayega
Kadmon se meelon ka vaada ho jaayega
Aadha ishq aadha hai adha ho jaayega
Kadmon se meelon ka vaada ho jaayega
Beshumaar raatein behisab baatein
Pass aate aate gum ho jaati hai
Bekhudi mein dhal ke bekali mein jal ke
Sau hazaare yaadein nam ho jaati hai
Phika phika pal bitay kal ka
Mehka mehka kal ho jaayega ho jaayega
Aadha ishq aadha hai adha ho jaayega
Kadmon se meelon ka vaada ho jaayega
Aadha ishq aadha hai adha ho jaayega
Kadmon se meelon ka vaada ho jaayega
Aadha ishq .....
Intezar sa hai imtehaan sa hai
Itmenaan sa hai kya hai na jane
Itra rahi hai itna hui hai
Inteh hui hai kaise na jaane
Chalka chalka pal bitay kal ka
Tehra tehra kal ho jaayega ho jaayega
Aadha ishq aadha hai adha ho jaayega
Kadmon se meelon ka vaada ho jaayega
Aadha ishq aadha hai adha ho jaayega
Kadmon se meelon ka vaada ho jaayega
- Aadha Ishq, Shreya Ghoshal
it seems like eternity since you last updated it a long time ago. i completely forgot to login here for sometime but when i came back, it was worth it. Totally enjoyed their moments together. Thanks to you too for sticking with this story as now a days there is no AR FF or any kind of OS here.. So please stick with us and update as soon as possible
A lot has changed between them but they are off to a better track. The growing closeness is nice to see.
Only the words are missing between them. The actions are very much there. In due time, he will say the words too.
Yay! You are back... I started to doubt for a minute there..
On the update- I really feel the emotions and the progress, specialy the understanding that was missing before..
Can't wait for the confession
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