Previously On...
The unraveling of Tamanna's past.
Armaan & Riddhima talk.
Track 35 - Stitches, Shawn Mendes
After Riddhima went inside, Armaan went back to gazing at the stars and replaying his conversation with her. It felt really good to have said all that. He knew that all these conversations should have actually happened between them long back. He should have apologized to her earlier. No, actually, he never should have behaved with her that way in the first place.
But, better late than never, as they say. It felt really good to have said those things. A weight had lifted off his chest. He would always feel guilty about how he'd behaved with Riddhima in the past, but now, it was slightly more bearable, knowing that she forgave him. She always forgave him, he thought. A little too quickly for his liking at times. Just like now. Granted, he was apologizing for things that happened in a past that may be a little blurry for them now, it had been almost a decade after all, but she'd still forgiven him a little too quickly. Or so he believed.
Of course, it was absolutely great that she had, he couldn't thank her enough for it, but he couldn't help himself. If he'd been in her position, he may not have been so understanding or forgiving. But, she had been. She'd been sweet and understanding and she'd forgiven him so easily for the horrendous things he'd done and Armaan couldn't help but admire her.
She had always been this way. So forgiving. To everyone. Be it her mother for being absent for almost all of her life, or her father for lying to her about so many things, or her sister for always taking her for granted, or her friends for using her for their own benefit. He was still mad at what Abhi had done. Sure, Armaan had entertained the thought that Abhi might have delegated the project to Riddhima to get back at him, but he'd dismissed that line of thinking almost immediately. Riddhima had been their most dedicated and promising intern, and it made sense that Abhi would have wanted someone with Riddhima's dedication to be working on the project alongside him. That's what Armaan had thought had been the reason for Riddhima's allocation to the project, which of course, was one of Sanjeevani's biggest expansions, so quickly after their financial crisis and instead of being proud of his girl for bagging the chance, he'd behaved like a petty, jealous bas***d and ruined the entire thing for her. Yet, she forgave him. He didn't know whether to be grateful or horrified that she was so kind and forgiving.
He was still contemplating all this when Rahul sat down beside him with a thud. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you!" Rahul exclaimed.
"I've been sitting here for the past god knows how many hours," Armaan replied. "It's been a long day."
"Thank god it's about to end," Rahul muttered. "I can't bear this day anymore. It's done too much damage already."
Armaan sighed but didn't say anything. Sure, it hadn't been the best day. Aniket and Adhiraj making an appearance and Tamanna talking about her abuse definitely equated it to the worst day ever. But, there had been good stuff too. Like the prank Tamanna played on him. And his conversation with Riddhima.
He was brought out of his musings when he saw a glass floating in front of him. Armaan took the glass from Rahul's hand and looked to see him pour himself a Macallan too. Oh, so it was going to be this kind of night.
Armaan and Rahul only drank scotch when things were really bad. The first time they'd done it had been with Rahul's dad, Dr. Rajveer Grewal - Raj Uncle, as Armaan fondly called him. It had been a few weeks since Armaan had come to New York. When he told Rahul's parents what had prompted his sudden move was when Raj Uncle had broken open a new bottle of Macallan. That night, they'd toasted to Armaan's heartbreak and gotten rip roaring drunk (only Armaan and Rahul because Raj Uncle was undergoing chemo. It hadn't, however, stopped him from downing a small, Rahul approved peg, which was as good as only a sip.) Since then, it had become tradition between the duo to talk about issues over a bottle of scotch. But, Macallan was saved for only the big stuff. The ugly stuff.
"I'm really f**king mad right now," Rahul declared after 2 pegs. "The f**king nerve of that f**king bas***d! He just f**king showed up here like he f**king owned the f**king place."
Yeah, drunk Rahul did not hold back. He could out curse a sailor! Armaan found it really amusing to see gentlemanly Rahul turn to into this person who couldn't complete one sentence without at least 5 cuss words.
"Hey! Calm down. It's okay! Tamanna handled it beautifully, don't you think?" Armaan asked Rahul.
Rahul sighed but nodded. "She f**king did, didn't she?" He asked rhetorically, unmistakable pride in his eyes. "But I'm worried about her. I hope this doesn't cause any problems. Her PTSD..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Hey! It's okay. We'll handle it as it comes. I get that you're worried, I am too, but... I don't know... seeing her stand up to Aniket today... It just... it impacted me, you know? She was so fierce and brave. And seeing her like that, I'm not as worried as I was. She stood up to him, and that's amazing. She'll be okay. And, if she isn't, she'll work till she is, just like before. Plus, we're not going anywhere, are we?" Armaan asked rhetorically.
"Not a chance in hell," Rahul replied, downing another drink. He was drinking a little too much too soon for Armaan's liking, but nevertheless, Armaan kept his mouth shut.
"That's what I like to hear," Armaan replied, downing his drink. Rahul promptly filled his glass again and then his own, drinking the entire thing in one long swallow.
Armaan was getting really worried now. Rahul was drinking like it was the end of the world. Armaan couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Rahul do that. He wanted to say something, he really did, but as Rahul kept putting back drink after drink, all Armaan could do was watch in morbid fascination, trying to decipher what was troubling his friend so much.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but couldn't have been more than 10-15 minutes, and almost 8 glasses of alcohol later, Rahul was slurring words out that would've been difficult to understand had Armaan not been well versed in the language he fondly referred to as Drunk Rahul. And, what he heard simultaneously horrified and elated him.
"Mus... Musk... Muskaan told me th - tha - that sh... She... She... Lo... Lu... Loves me," Rahul finally managed to say.
"She did?" Armaan confirmed. Rahul nodded miserably.
Armaan sighed loudly. "Let's get you a little sober so we can talk," he said. He immediately got up from the lounge chair and got Rahul some water an aspirin.
This definitely explained Rahul's need to get drunk. They'd only talked about this last night. And today, Muskaan had told Rahul she loved him, just like Armaan thought she would, sooner or later. Had he willed it into happening? He wouldn't ever deny that he wanted Rahul to get together with Muskaan (as opposed go getting back together with her because Rahul had never dated Muskaan, not really, and Armaan would never have anyone say otherwise) and now that Muskaan was back in Rahul's life, in both their lives, he'd started hoping that it actually would happen. Finally.
But, things were looking bleak as of now. Armaan was worried that Rahul's pig headedness would result in more pain for both him and Muskaan, just like it had years ago when he'd broken up with her. Armaan didn't want that to happen. He really wished that Rahul would just get over it and get it together. The fact that he couldn't become a father was not the end of the world.
He needed Rahul to understand that. And, to understand that, Rahul needed to be stone cold sober. So, Armaan made Rahul drink lots of water and gave him some tablets to help with his headache, then took him for a stroll outside hoping it would sober him up enough for a proper conversation. But, he should've guessed that it was a lost cause because Rahul was absolutely unable to string any coherent words, let alone sentences, together and so, the night ended with Armaan tucking a very drunk Rahul in bed before he turned in himself for what he was sure would be another sleepless night.
And sleepless it was. Armaan spent almost all night thinking of various scenarios in which this declaration from Muskaan would take them, and the implications of it all, not only for Rahul and Muskaan, but also for him. He was ashamed to admit that it scared him that if Rahul & Muskaan did indeed get together, the others would become and active part of his life again, and he'd have to see Riddhima a lot more often than he would be able to stomach. He didn't want to make this about himself, he really didn't, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted Rahul & Muskaan together something fierce, wanted them to finally be happy together, but at the same time, was so exceptionally worried about what that would mean for him and Riddhima.
And then, there was a chance that stubborn Rahul would win and Rahul & Muskaan would go the it separate ways after the wedding. That thought was more painful than seeing Riddhima everyday for the rest of their lives. Rahul was like a brother to Armaan and Muskaan was one of his closest friends. He wanted both of them to be happy. And he understood that Rahul and Muskaan could only be truly happy with each other, no one else. He couldn't, in good conscience, let two of the most important people in his life lose out on love. He absolutely couldn't let Rahul make the same mistakes he had. Did Rahul not realize how f**king lucky he was that Muskaan had been waiting for him for so long? 8 long years, and she was still waiting for him. Riddhima hadn't been able to wait 8 months before she'd gotten married.
Armaan couldn't help the momentary burst of annoyance and betrayal he felt from Riddhima's actions. He'd gotten over the whole thing after a few years and he was actually grateful that everything happened the way it had, because if Riddhima hadn't gotten married, Armaan would've never left Sanjeevani to come to New York, and if he hadn't, he'd have never found Jaanhavi, or met Tamanna. So, yes, he had made peace with what had happened, and even found the silver lining in all of it, but he still couldn't forgive Riddhima for what she'd done. Not only had she gotten married after giving him hope that she was still in love with him after finding him in that cottage that winter night, but she'd also lied about it for so long.
That hurt Armaan more than the fact that she'd moved on ever had. Riddhima had made such a spectacle of his love, a joke to the staff, a laughing stock for the rest of their days. She'd had so many opportunities to tell him what was going on, to stop him from pursuing her, to let him know his apologies had no meaning, not because she was just that angry, but because she was married and she could never be his again. How many times had he pulled her in the fire escape to talk? How many times had he seen her under the guise of discussing a case? How many different ways had he tried to apologize? He'd lost count after a while. But, she'd never uttered a single word, letting him believe that what they had might be salvageable after all.
And then came the kicker, she'd actually f**king dressed like a bride and sat beside him in the cafeteria, performing wedding rites even though she was already married, in a room full of people who all knew about it, but didn't stop till the last possible second, breaking all of Armaan with just a few words.
Meri shaadi Sid se hui hai. Siddhant mera pati hai.
He could still remember, loud and clear, those words uttered from her mouth, his Basket's mouth. He hadn't wanted to believe them at first, wanted to think that she was playing a prank on him, no matter how disgusting it was, because it was better than admitting that she'd never joke about something like that and it was actually real and she was married and there was no way they could be together now. He'd tried to deny it, for him, for her, for the rest of the world, wished for it to disappear as nothing but a horrid nightmare, but he wasn't able to, because it was the truth, and the love of his life had just led him on for weeks, never saying anything, only to reveal the truth in the most heartbreaking and cruel and humiliating way possible.
But, he was digressing, he realized. This wasn't about him. And it definitely f**king wasn't about Riddhima. It was about Rahul & Muskaan and the fact that they both loved each other and should be together. So, he would convince Rahul. He would. Somehow. Anyhow. And then, just like that, a plan formed. Two birds with one stone. He needed Tammy. She'd help, he was sure.
The next morning, while Rahul slept, still hungover from all the drinking the night before, Muskaan paced. She'd told Rahul, but now she was second guessing it. Maybe she shouldn't have. It seemed that Rahul already had too much going on and her confession had made things ever more difficult for him.
She hadn't told anybody about it, because then, they'd all be worried too, and she didn't want to put a damper on their mood by crying about her shitty love life. But also, because she didn't want to be on the receiving end of all those pitiful glances that'd be thrown her way by her friends, even though they all meant well. She hadn't told them, and she didn't intend to.
But, it seemed that god, or rather Armaan really, had other plans, because he used the fact that Rahul was asleep and gathered everyone in his study. Before anyone could ask something or even open their mouth to make a noise, Armaan very simply stated, "Muskaan told Rahul she loves him. And Rahul was an ass. So, we need to make sure he gets his head out of it and gets it together."
The occupants of the room all looked at Armaan with varying degrees of shock, still trying to process what he'd said.
"Um, what now?" Tamanna was the first to ask.
Armaan sighed, obviously annoyed that they were all taking so long to catch up. "Rahul & Muskaan love each other, but Rahul is being a pain. So, we need to make him understand that he's not doing anyone any favours by staying away from Muskaan. And I need your help to do that," Armaan repeated. He was looking at everyone in the room, but Muskaan got the distinct impression that the last part was meant for Tamanna alone.
"Wait. Rahul loves Muskaan Di?" Jaanhavi asked, still confused.
Armaan nodded.
"You're sure?" She probed further.
"Yes," he replied exasperatedly.
"How?" She questioned. Yes. Muskaan was extremely interested in knowing this herself.
"He told me," he replied simply.
"Rahul told you?" Muskaan asked, shocked.
"Yes, Muskaan. Rahul told me he loves you. Just like he told me you told him that you love him too, but he didn't react nicely from what I could gather," Armaan replied.
"That's an understatement," Muskaan muttered.
"I can imagine," Armaan agreed wryly. "I know it's not my place, or my fault, but I'm sorry just the same. He's an idiot. But, he'll come around."
"Why did he react badly if he loves her?" Tamanna asked, confused. The others, apart from Jaanhavi, Shilpa, and Karan, already knew the reason, but weren't sure if the others knew about Rahul's condition so they kept their mouth shut, wisely.
"I'll give you one guess," Armaan smirked in anticipation. Tamanna was gonna blow. He absolutely knew it.
"One? What? He..." Tamanna looked puzzled, before she realized what it meant. "No. No freaking way. He's not... He's not... he didn't... Tell me he didn't!"
This absolutely could not be about the fact that Rahul couldn't have kids, Tamanna thought desperately. There was no way Rahul would do that. Never. Not after everything.
"I wish I could," Armaan replied regretfully. He, like Tamanna, really wished Rahul wouldn't be hung up on such petty issues, but well, what could he do? Rahul was Rahul and he was hung up on it, no matter how bad Armaan wished he wasn't.
"That... That absolute idiot!" Tamanna exclaimed, causing Armaan to laugh.
"Come on! You can do better. We both know you can," he said. "Don't hold back."
"I'm not holding back," Tamanna promised, but Armaan just looked at her conveying that he didn't believe her one bit.
"Really, I am not," Tamanna insisted.
"He did the same thing 8 years ago too, when he first found out," Armaan supplied some more information.
Apparently that was what Tamanna needed to let go. And let go, she did.
"That foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!" She shrieked. "Absolute, complete, hypocritical, stupid, shitty, idiotic, f**king asshole toerag! How could he?!"
Armaan looked downright tickled at every insult that Tamanna hurled. He shouldn't have found amusement in it he knew, but he couldn't help himself. It was funny to see Tamanna swear because she so seldom did it.
"So, you'll talk to him?" Armaan asked, once Tamanna was done.
"You're damn right, I will!" Tamanna replied. "Just pray that he makes it through the conversation."
"I will," Armaan promised.
"Good! Because I'm going now!" Saying so, Tamanna stormed out of the room, leaving everyone gobsmacked.
"So, now that that's done, we need to come up with stuff to convince Rahul if Tamanna fails, which will most likely happen," Armaan declared.
"Then why did you ask her to go talk to him in the first place?" Anjali asked, confused.
"Because, Anjy," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulder, "we need all the help we can get. And, we need to chip away at all his defences to get him to see that what he's doing is wrong, even if he isn't doing it maliciously."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all?" Anjali asked.
"Exactly," Armaan replied. "Rahul loves Muskaan. I know he does. He's only running away because he thinks Muskaan deserves better. We have to make him see that's not the case. So, who's in?" He asked, bringing his hand forward.
One by one, they all kept his hand on his - Riddhima, Anjali, Nikki, Atul, Jaanhavi, Shilpa, Karan, Abhi - and only Muskaan remained, unsure and hesitant.
She didn't think it was a good idea. She didn't want force him into anything he didn't want.
"Muskaan," Armaan sighed. "He loves you. I know he does. Completely, wholly, irrevocably. He's never gonna be happy without, I promise. Take it from someone who's lived with the guy for 7 years. There's never gonna be anyone else."
She debated for a second, before walking forward and keeping her hand atop the others.
"Don't make me regret this," she told Armaan, looking him square in the eye.
"I won't," Armaan replied, his voice laced with unsaid promises.
Mission Rahul Needs To Get His Head Out Of His Ass was officially a go.
xxx
Ahhh! It feels so good to be back! I know that this one hadn't been updated in long and for that, I apologize!
I've been dealing with writer's block lately and it has been difficult to write anything, but it's getting better so let's hope that you guys don't have to wait so long the next time!
I know you all want more AR interaction, but this will have to do this time. It is, in a way, all about AR still, so I think that's a nice compensation. We'll see more of the gang trying to get Rahul to stop being so stubborn in the coming chapters, and some more surprises on the way, so stay tuned! :)
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