They are almost there. The words are missing yet, but things are heading that way.
amazing...just loved every bit of it. So basket is back😍
That convo before the ceremony...consoling with light teasing.."meena Kumari" was a great comeback hahaha...
So Nikki n Rahul noticed...thats great. Hopefully other will too and take it well.
Aah... Moon's so beautiful wala line reminded me of zindagi gulzar hai wala scene 😅🥰.
I hope that sudden proposal of sid to Tammy n whatever sid did to ridzi, doesn't mess up AR life...
As much as id like sid to happy life what wrong he did can't be undone.. And Tammy is rightin refusing at least at this stage.
Ahhh so much of AR into this part. loved it totally. finally they are moving forwards. I thought armaan is here to staff for long but he is already thinking about his going back. but there was a positivity in his thought.
I also want him to give in, which he is already losing control on. He had loved ridhima, he love her and will always do so. he can keep love for her locked or be open about it. but it will always be there.
Oh wow.. Armaan falling in love with Riddhima again
Loved AR moments ❤️
Hope to see more progress soon in their relation 😉
Armaan, Riddhima, and Simran convince Muskaan's family to accept her relationship with Rahul.
RaMusk get roka-fied.
Armaan & Riddhima spend time together.
"The food is seriously so good, Riddhima!" Rishika exclaimed as she dug into her salad with gusto. Riddhima had elected to cook for their party, insisting that Armaan take a break.
"I feel you're a chef by profession more than anything else," she told him. "Why don't you move your bed to the kitchen too? It'll be easier na?"
"Haha," Armaan had laughed sarcastically but had ended up giving in, provided that Riddhima let him help, which she had been happy to do. It was a lot of fun too - just the two of them, having fun, playfully cooking and cleaning as they went. Riddhima could almost envision spending the rest of her life with Armaan this way. The thought made her smile.
It had been an added incentive that everyone loved the food, but then again, she'd always been a proficient cook. Everyone had been so happy, riding the high from Rahul & Muskaan's engagement — laughing, cheering, merry making — which only increased when Shilpa and Karan announced their relationship.
The two of them had walked into the very spacious dining room, that Riddhima had been wondering was ever used when she'd first come to see Rahul with Armaan, but had realized it very much was when guests started arriving for the festivities, fashionably late, hands entwined, eyes shining, and large smiles.
"Good morning," Armaan greeted them, his eyes zeroing in on their hands almost immediately. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at them, smirking when he saw Karan look away. Armaan had always known that Karan was the shyer one of the two.
"We have an announcement to make," Shilpa stated defiantly.
"Never would've guessed," Rahul groused, frowning at her, which confused Shilpa. Rahul had always been such a staunch supporter.
"Jaanaaaaa," Armaan sang, all sorts of smug. "Let her talk."
"Shut up!" Rahul snapped, making Armaan laugh even more.
"No!" Armaan exclaimed, bringing his hands together to make a heart as he did so.
"You're the literal worst," Rahul replied.
By now, everyone had turned their attention from Shilpa to the bickering duo, irritating her to no end. "Not that anyone cares, apparently," she harrumphed, "but Karan and I are dating."
All talking on the table stopped for a moment, everyone turning to the newly minted couple. The silence was broken by Armaan whistling loudly in celebration. "THAT'S MY GIRL!" He cried. "I LOVE YOU, SHILPA! YOU'RE THE BEST!"
Then, he turned to Rahul, his hand out. "Pay up!"
"I hate you," Rahul told both Karan & Shilpa before reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He handed Armaan a thousand bucks.
"Easiest money I ever made!" Armaan cheered. "Thank you!" He told the couple.
"You bet on us?" Karan asked, disbelieving.
"Pshhh," Armaan scoffed. "With the way you were looking at Shilpa during the wedding? You bet your arse we did!"
"How was I looking at her?" Karan questioned.
"Like you're in love with her," Rahul told him. "Keep up, Karan."
"Nahhh," Armaan cut in. "He's looked at Shilpa like that for a solid year now. At least. He was looking differently."
"Differently how?" Shilpa asked, gaining interest in the conversation. "And, he didn't look at me like he's in love with me," she added as an afterthought.
"Oh, Shilpa," Armaan sighed. "Still so naive in matters of the heart. My young grasshopper, you have so much to learn! But… don't you worry. Dr. Love will teach you everything he knows!"
"Armaan," Shilpa reprimanded. "You were saying…"
"Right," Armaan agreed. "How was he looking at you? Like you looked at him when you thought no one was looking. Like you're his oasis in the desert. I knew he was going to confess within the month. But… Not bad, mere sher! You didn't even wait two whole weeks. I am so proud. Clearly, I've been underestimating you," he told Karan, making the man blush. It was certainly a sight to see the normally confident and composed Karan Kapoor blushing so hard. But then again, love made you do unexpected things, didn't it?
"I never looked at him like that. Just for the record," Shilpa argued.
"Ahhh, so naive, so naive!" Armaan replied, his tone gaining that joking condescension. He pulled Shilpa into a hug after that. "I'm so happy for you," he murmured. "Congratulations!" He exclaimed, dropping an affectionate kiss to the top of her head.
They both turned away after that, surreptitiously wiping the tears that had fallen from their eyes. Everyone took turns congratulating the couple and then it was story time.
"Well, actually…" Shilpa said. "You really underestimated Karan, Armaan. He confessed like… Two days after the wedding. But we wanted to tell everyone together and he did it at the airport before seeing me off, so we decided to keep it to ourselves for a while before we saw everyone again. And then Rahul announced his engagement, so we didn't want to take away his spotlight so we waited till everything was done."
"Awwww, you're so cute!" Rahul cried, pulling Shilpa's cheek. "So thoughtful. Thank you, Shilpa!"
"Ahhh! Both my kids. All grown up. Finally finding love. Moral of the story, everyone… Always tell someone when you're in love with them because they might be in love with you too!" Armaan exclaimed, pulling both Shilpa & Rahul into a hug.
"You're an idiot," Shilpa chuckled, hugging him back.
"You love it!" Armaan bragged.
"Sadly," Shilpa confirmed.
"Congratulations, Karan!" Riddhima said, smiling happily. She really was happy. For Karan and Shilpa. Whatever their issues, Shilpa was still her sister, and she'd been in love with Karan for so long. Riddhima didn't know if she would ever share the sort of relationship with Shilpa that she did with Anjali, but in the past few weeks, the two of them had reached a tentative understanding and become friends, if nothing else. Shilpa was easy to love, Riddhima had realized. She was the kind of person you couldn't help but adore. And much as she'd tried to maintain her distance, Riddhima couldn't deny that she liked Shilpa.
And, she'd always had a soft spot for Karan, ever since the day they'd met. There was something about him that called to her. It felt as if she'd known him all her life. Karan seemed to be like the missing piece of a puzzle… Somehow always on the back of your mind, even without you realizing it, and then when you stumble across it on a random day, completing something that was unfinished.
"Thanks, Di!" Karan cried, pulling her in for a hug.
"I'm glad you finally told her," Riddhima said.
"Couldn't have done it without you," Karan answered. "Thank you so much for giving me that push. This is all because of you."
Riddhima waved him off, laughing. "I didn't do anything. It was all you. I just happened to be there at the right place at the right time. Happenstance."
"You made me realize I was in love with Shilpa," Karan protested.
"I merely helped you acknowledge something you'd already known in your heart for a long time, Karan. Don't give me too much credit. You were the one who were brave enough to confess," Riddhima told him.
Karan grinned at her and pulled her into another hug. "You're the best!"
"Di?" Shilpa interrupted, nervous and timid. While Shilpa did address Riddhima with the moniker of an elder sister, it was still obvious that there were some lingering doubts about her right to do so.
Riddhima turned to Shilpa, an easy smile on her face. She looked at Shilpa questioningly, making the other girl say, "Thank you. Karan told me how you helped him."
"Don't thank me!" Riddhima repeated. Then, she opened her arm which wasn't wound around Karan in invitation and Shilpa didn't think twice before rushing and hugging her sister.
Armaan caught Riddhima's eye as she hugged her younger siblings and smiled beautifully, making Riddhima's smile grow infinitely wider. It was good to have him back.
________
"Armaan!" Riddhima called sometime later as Armaan and Muskaan ganged up on a sulking Rahul.
"Ridzy? Kya hua? You look so tense?" Muskaan asked.
"Yaar, woh meri payal ka ek ghunghroo gir gaya and I can't find it anywhere," Riddhima lamented. Turning to Armaan, she added, "Can you please take me to that room where I found you yesterday? Maybe it's fallen there. I'd go by myself but this house is like a never ending maze." She directed the last bit at Rahul who chuckled.
"I'll take you," Armaan replied. "But don't worry. It's not a big deal if you don't find it. Ek ghungroo hi toh hai. No one will find out."
"Armaan," Riddhima answered patiently, as if talking to a child. "I'd borrowed them from Di."
"Oh!" Armaan exclaimed. "What are we still doing here? Anjy will kill all of us if it's missing. Come on, let's go! Now!"
"Finally," Riddhima muttered. "Let's go."
The two of them walked away from Rahul & Muskaan, leaving Rahul with more concerns. With every passing moment, it was becoming clear to Rahul that things had changed between Armaan & Riddhima. He hadn't missed the constant looks, the secret smiles, the mindless chatter. It was as if he'd stepped back in time. As if Armaan & Riddhima were still dating secretly with their friends none the wiser. If his instincts were correct, they probably were. Now, he just needed to decide if he should actually confront Armaan over it or not.
________
"Don't worry, Basket," Armaan murmured soothingly. "We'll find it."
"Hmmm," Riddhima hummed, utterly unconvinced. Armaan sighed but let her be. He understood her worries. Anjali had always been very particular about her things. It was a rare occurrence that she loaned anything to even Riddhima. To not return the payal the way she'd gotten it would mean that Anjali would never let Riddhima borrow anything from her ever again. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rubbed it, hoping to comfort her, but didn't succeed much.
However, he didn't have time to dwell on it because just as they turned the corridor towards the room they were looking for, they could hear raised voices. Immediately on alert, Armaan gestured for Riddhima to keep quiet. It was unsettling to hear this because the only people at home were their closest friends and family.
As they walked closer, it became apparent that one of the voices belonged to Dr. Shashank, which made the two of them even more suspicious.
"How could you do this?" Shashank was saying. "This is… It's wrong, Karan! Shilpa is Riddhima's sister!"
"Karan?" Armaan whispered, confused. "Why does Dr. Shashank care if Karan is dating Shilpa?"
Riddhima looked at him and shrugged, just as confused.
"How does it make a difference?" Karan asked.
"Of course it makes a difference!" Shashank burst out. "Do you need me to spell it out for you? I thought you were smarter than that!"
"Oh, I understand perfectly," Karan replied. "Shilpa and Riddhima Di might share genes, but Riddhima Di and I don't, Dad," the last word spat out with hatred. "Thankfully. She's better off without having your blood run in her veins, unlike me who is cursed to live with the fact that you're my birth father!"
"Dad?" Riddhima whispered, shocked. "Armaan… what's happening?"
"I don't know," Armaan answered helplessly, equally shocked. Karan had never breathed a word about this to him. He pulled Riddhima into a hug. "It's going to be okay," he promised. "I'll make it okay. Okay?"
Riddhima nodded against his chest, but didn't say anything. The two of them stood rooted at their spot while the argument inside raged on.
"It's still wrong!" Shashank insisted.
"It's not," Karan countered. "Shilpa is the blood half-sister of my adoptive step sister. We don't share any parents. The most familial connection we share is that we both think of Riddhima Di as our elder sister, but that doesn't mean anything, because you made sure I never got to know her better."
"Karan…" Shashank sighed. "Does Shilpa even know?"
"What?" Karan asked fiercely. "That you left me. You abandoned me. My mother died and you didn't want anything to do with me. You couldn't even honour Smriti Maa's last wish. She wanted us to be a family, for me to be her son. But… You made Maa and Papa take me with them instead of raising me on your own like you should have. You never took responsibility for any of your actions. You cheated on Smriti Maa with my mom and then abandoned both of us as well. Yes, she does. And it's not a problem for her. She understands. Anyway, how is it any of your business what Shilpa knows and doesn't? After giving me up the way you did, what makes you think you have any right to dictate what I can and can't do?"
That was Riddhima's tipping point. Hearing about how her father had abandoned his own child made Riddhima keel over. Her knees gave out and she fell to the floor, Armaan right beside her, cushioning her fall. He hugged her tightly and she hid her face in his chest, still trying to comprehend what she had heard.
"Shhhhh," Armaan soothed. "Basket… It's going to be okay. Main hoon na. Main sab theek kar dunga. I promise. Stop crying, please. You know I hate it when you cry."
"Armaan!" She croaked, pushing herself closer to him, clinging to him like he was her lifeline, which maybe he was. In the past month or so, so much had changed in her life. She didn't know who to trust, who to turn to, what to do with herself. She'd gone through so many ups and downs, but Armaan had always been there, helping her as best as he could, supporting her, guiding her, listening to her even when she'd betrayed his trust. She didn't know who else to turn to but him. He'd always been her biggest strength, her rock, her knight in shining armour.
Oblivious to her breakdown, Karan and Shashank continued arguing before Karan left the room, only to come face to face with Armaan & Riddhima on the floor.
"Di," he whispered, aghast. Despite all the issues Karan had with Shashank, he knew that Shashank had been a good father to his sisters. He hadn't ever wanted them to find out. He'd known how finding her father's truth had broken Shilpa and he didn't want his sisters to go through the same pain. He could've told them the truth at any point. He'd had countless chances to do so. But he hadn't, because he didn't want to hurt them. And now, for Riddhima to find out this way… He didn't know what to do.
Armaan looked up at the sound of his voice. If he had left the room, it wouldn't be long before Dr. Shashank did so too. "Basket," Armaan whispered lowly. "We have to go."
Riddhima seemed oblivious to his pleas, clinging to him tight but otherwise not hearing him. Sighing, Armaan pushed her away a little, despite her obvious attempts to not leave the security of his arms. "Riddhima," he implored. "We have to go somewhere else. Do you want Dr. Shashank to see you?"
Riddhima snapped out of her haze at that and shook her head vigorously. Armaan stood up and helped her up as well, gesturing for Karan to follow him. The three of them found another empty room. Armaan made Riddhima sit on the bed and helped her drink some water as he instructed Karan to shut the door. Once Riddhima had managed to calm down a little, Armaan turned to the other man. "Talk," he demanded.
Karan sighed. "It's a long and complicated story."
"We have all the time in the world for this," Armaan promised, but it was Riddhima's quiet, almost silent, "Please," that finally made Karan give in.
"I guess, I'll just start from the beginning. This is what Maa and Papa told me when I was old enough to understand everything. So, it should be good enough for you as well.
From what I know, after Dr. Shashank and Smriti Maa adopted Riddhima Di, they started trying for another child a couple years after that. But, there were complications when Anjali Di was born which is why Smriti Maa was having difficulty in getting pregnant again. As I'm sure you can guess, this caused stress between her and Dr. Shashank. I guess they weren't able to handle all the problems that came after that and ended up separating.
Smriti Maa took Anjali Di with her but Dr. Shashank insisted on keeping Riddhima Di with him. Maa said it's because Dr. Shashank had always been a little over protective over Riddhima Di… As a way of making up to Padma Aunty for whatever had happened. And Smriti Maa also felt that since they're separating, it would be unfair if one of them got to keep both the kids.
While they were separated, Dr. Shashank met my mom and they got involved romantically. I was born a couple years later, but by then, Dr. Shashank had already separated from my mom. She died giving birth to me, and Nani took me in. I had minimal contact with Dr. Shashank in those years. He visited me once or twice a month, I think.
Things had started getting better between him and Smriti Maa, by then, so he spent all his time convincing her to get back with him. Eventually, she did agree, but he didn't tell her about me… Because he was afraid that she would leave him again if she found out. But, of course, such things never stay hidden, and Smriti Maa found out. When she did, she insisted on bringing me home with her as well. Things had gotten tense between her and Dr. Shashank again, of course, but she still wanted me to be a part of the family.
In that time, we met quite a few times and Riddhima Di & I quickly became close. But, we were all very young, so Smriti Maa and Nani decided it would be better if we went slow about me moving in. Dr. Shashank had never wanted that. He'd only agreed to appease Smriti Maa because she'd threatened to leave forever if he didn't accept me. Sadly, before I could move in, Smriti Maa passed away.
After that, Dr. Shashank gave up all pretense. He still looked after me financially, but had nothing else to do with me. The monthly visits stopped too. I was 6 years old then, I think. Maa and Papa easily filled the vacuum he'd left behind. I think they took it upon themselves to make sure that I never felt the absence of parents, especially after what Dr. Shashank did.
When I was 10, just a few months after Maa and Papa came to the States, Nani passed away too. That's when Papa flew in and took me back with him. And I've lived with them ever since. Dr. Shashank only kept a cursory check on me through Maa. He'd call maybe once in a month or two to see how I was doing, but he never spoke to me personally.
That day at Armaan's house when I met all of you? That was the first time I'd seen Dr. Shashank in almost twenty years."
Turning to Armaan, he added, "You always wonder why I never believed in love, didn't you? Well, this is why. After everything that Dr. Shashank did, I didn't know how to.
It's not that I wasn't happy with my life, because I am. Nani, Maa, Papa, even Smriti Maa… They've all given me so much love. Maa and Papa raised me as if I was their own. They never differentiated between me and Rohan. They love me and I love them. I'm glad I have them.
I guess, in a very twisted way, I'm also thankful to Dr. Shashank. If he hadn't done what he did, I would have never had Maa and Papa. But, I still do blame him. He was my father. He had a responsibility towards me. My mom loved him. She deserved better too. Both of us did. I won't ever forgive him for that. Ever."
Crouching in front of Riddhima, he took her shaking hands in his own and rubbed them to warm them up. "I'm sorry. I never wanted you to find out. He may have abandoned me, but from what I understand, he's been a decent father to you and Anjali Di. I didn't want that to change. I never intended to create any problems for you. I'm really sorry."
"Tu— tum kyu sorry keh rahe ho?" Riddhima croaked. "I— I'm sorry, Karan. Pa— Papa treated you and your mom so badly. He shouldn't have. I'm really sorry! I can keep apologizing for the rest of my life, but it will never be enough. I'm so sorry!"
"No!" Karan exclaimed. "Riddhima Di, I promise… Ekdum dil se… I never blamed you, or Anjali Di. Whatever happened wasn't your fault. You didn't make Dr. Shashank do anything. You were a kid back then yourself. He was the adult. He made the decision to step away. That's on him. Not on you."
"But… All these years, he raised me, while you didn't have a dad," Riddhima sobbed.
"Aap aisa kyu sochte ho?" Karan asked. "I had a dad, Di. Papa is the best dad a boy could ever wish for. For me, he's my dad. He's always been, always will be. I'm sure he was a much better father to me than Dr. Shashank could have ever been."
"Lekin — " Riddhima protested.
"No," Karan cut her off. "Aap mujhe ek baat batao, if you had to choose between your birth father and your adoptive father, who would you choose? Mr. Kartik Malhotra or Dr. Shashank Gupta?"
Riddhima stilled. The answer was obvious. And it broke her heart. Because despite everything, despite not having spoken to her father properly in months now, having such a tense relationship with him since years now, even after finding out how he'd abandoned a child… She would still choose Shashank. Because Shashank chose her. He chose her when her own birth father didn't.
"It's okay," Karan soothed, understanding her dilemma. "You don't have to feel guilty. If I were in your shoes, I'd choose Dr. Shashank too, even if I knew he wasn't a good father to someone else, because he was one to me. He was the father who chose me when the man who should have been my father abandoned me.
Just like you'd choose him, I'd choose Papa. Every time. Papa is to me what Dr. Shashank is to you. He's my dad. I know that 10, 20, 30 years down the line, no matter where we are, how good or bad my relationship with him is, he'll be my dad. I'll love him and he'll love me, and we will always be there for each other.
I don't need Dr. Shashank in my life, Di. I never did. Because I had someone so much better. So, I don't have any complaints. Certainly not from you. But… You understand, right? I'm sure you understand better than anyone else. Despite having such a loving family and such a great childhood, there are some scars that those things can't heal. Even if I'm grateful for everything that happened because it gave me the family I have today, has made me the person I am today, I can't forgive Dr. Shashank for what he did to me."
"You're right," Riddhima agreed. "You're absolutely right. But… How do you not hate me? I hate myself!"
"Because it wasn't your fault," Karan shrugged.
He said it so easily, as if it was a fact. Which it was. It wasn't Riddhima's fault that Shashank was a bad father. And suddenly, Riddhima felt so ashamed of herself. She hadn't been anywhere near as gracious to Shilpa when she found out that, as Karan was being to her. In this time when she should have been comforting him, apologizing to him… He was the one looking after her, assuring her and soothing her.
Karan was seemingly a mind reader too, because he took one look at her and said, "Don't be too hard on yourself, Di. I've had years to come to terms with all this. I always knew about you and Anjali Di. I knew that while my father had left me, he'd raised two other daughters.
Time… It heals everything. And, if it can't, it certainly gives you the strength to face it. Someday, hopefully soon, you'll be where I am today. And things will get better."
He raised his hand and cupped her cheek. "Don't worry too much, okay?"
Riddhima nodded. "Do you want me to stay with you?" He asked her. She shook her head. "Go find Shilpa. I know you want to."
Karan ducked his head, suddenly shy. Riddhima laughed, pulling his cheek as she did. "Oh, and… You can tell her that I know."
"Thank you, Di!" He exclaimed. "You're the best!"
Belatedly, he realized he'd called her Di. "I can still call you Di, right?"
"Of course you can!" Riddhima cried vehemently.
Karan grinned, pulling her in for a hug. "Thank you."
After a final squeeze, he pulled away. Turning to Armaan, he asked, "You're gonna be okay?"
"Don't worry," Armaan assured, wiping his face. Armaan stepped forward to hug Karan. "You gonna be okay?"
"Of course," Karan answered immediately. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about me. I'm great. Honest."
Pulling back, he said, "I know ki saari duniya ki tension lena aap dono ki hobby hai… But you seriously don't have to worry about me. I'm good. I always knew all this. You're the ones I'm worried about. Please take care. And if you want to talk to me, don't think twice. We're still the same people, right?"
"Right," Armaan & Riddhima replied in unison. Karan laughed. "That's what I like to hear."
After one more quick group hug, Karan was out the door, humming a romantic melody, shaking off the entire conversation so easily as if it had never happened. He really seemed to be completely okay. Riddhima guessed he was right. He'd had the time to come to terms with it. Maybe that made all the difference in the world.
Once the door shut behind Karan, Armaan looked at Riddhima, opening his arms in invitation. She didn't think twice before rushing in, melting into his embrace.
"Papa!" She wailed, unable to comprehend it. How could her father do this? How could he abandon a child. He adopted her… And yet did what she'd been through to her own child? How could he? Did he have no conscience?
Armaan hugged her close, rubbing her back and arms in a soothing gesture, but otherwise not saying anything. He knew that Riddhima would need some time to come to terms with the revelation. It was a harrowing discovery and she was understandably shaken. He himself was. Whatever his issues might have been with Dr. Shashank, Armaan had always thought of him as an ideal father. To know that he was capable of such a horrendous thing was unimaginable to Armaan. And if he was so taken aback, he couldn't imagine how much worse it was for Riddhima. They might not be on the best of terms, but Dr. Shashank was still her father.
"Armaan, Papa Karan ke saath aisa kaise kar sakte hain?" Riddhima asked a few moments later, her voice hoarse with crying.
"I don't know," Armaan replied, not knowing what else to say. "Maybe, it's like Karan said… He didn't want to be reminded about how things had been between him and Smriti Aunty."
"But usme Karan ki kya galti? He deserved better!" Riddhima sobbed.
"He did," Armaan agreed. "I'm sorry."
"Tum kyu sorry bol rahe ho?" Riddhima asked. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I didn't," Armaan answered. "But I'm sorry that you have to go through this. And I can't even do anything to make it better. So, I'm sorry."
Riddhima pushed herself closer to him. "You're doing so much by just being here. I can't imagine how I'd have reacted if I was alone… If I didn't have you beside me right now."
Armaan tightened his hold on her. "You'll get through this. I know you will."
Riddhima nodded against his chest. She had to believe she would. Otherwise, she didn't know what she'd do with herself.
Aa gira aasma dil gawa hain
Sath tu na sahi dil jawa hain
Kagaz ke panno pe mein likh du tera nam
Lakiron mein he rehta hain aanjam
Mein tera tu meri
Dhire dhire se kho gaye, dhire se kho gaye
Kahi tu meri
Dhire dhire se kho gaye, dhire se kho gaye
Koshiso mein khush nasebi na ho
Aahaton mein jab karebi na ho
Humne jo khoya dikhta nehi hain aankho se
Hastein mein roya chupkar teri he batoin se
Kagaz ke panno pe mein likh du tera nam
Lakiron mein he likhde tu aanjam
Mein tera tu meri
Dhire dhire se kho gaye, dhire se kho gaye
Kahi tu meri
Dhire dhire se kho gaye, dhire se kho gaye hum
Sochte tha hum ke kabhi bina ruthein
Ke kabhi bhi na chutein
Ke kabhi bhi na kabhi bhi na
Sochte tha hum ke kabhi bina ruthein
Ke kabhi bhi na chutein
Ke kabhi bhi na kabhi bhi na
Dhire dhire se kho gaye, dhire dhire se kho gaye hum
Dhire dhire se kho gaye, dhire dhire se kho gaye hum
Dhire dhire se kho gaye, dhire dhire se kho gaye hum
Dhire dhire se kho gaye hum
- Kho Gaye, Taaruk Raina
"Ridzy?" Muskaan called softly, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder.
"Ha — haan?" Riddhima asked, startled.
"Are you okay?" Muskaan probed.
"Of… Of course!" Riddhima fumbled. "Mujhe kya hoga?"
"Tune khane ka ek bite bhi nahi khaya hai," Muskaan stated, pointing to Riddhima's plate. They were all dining together. The entire day had passed in sort of a daze for Riddhima after her encounter with Karan. Armaan had tried to be there for her but everyone in the house wanted him for something or the other and he had to entertain them all. In his absence, Karan had tried to fill the gaps for which she was extremely grateful, but she felt too ashamed to spend time in his wonderful company.
"I'm fine," Riddhima whispered, making a show of eating from her plate. In the next second, Armaan's hand slid down her arm, and he took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together, squeezing tightly. Riddhima was stunned momentarily but she sent him a grateful smile, squeezing his hand back.
"The pasta is really good, Ridzy," Nikki commented, wanting to break the tension that was suddenly enveloping all of them. "I missed your cooking!"
"I missed cooking for you," Riddhima answered. "Do you remember? Nikumbh ke time… You would get so cranky if I didn't cook for you at least once a week!"
"What can I say? Nikumbh always loved his Riddhima Masi's cooking," Nikki laughed. "Right Nikumbh?"
"Yes!!" Nikumbh cheered. "Masi, when are we having a sleepover? I want to drink our special chocolate milk."
"Awwww," Riddhima cooed. "We'll have one once we're back home, okay? No boring adults, just Nikumbh, Samrat, and Nikumbh's two favourite masis!"
"Only if we get to finish the next Percy Jackson," Samrat proposed.
"Of course!" Muskaan concurred. "How is it a sleepover without Percy? Done!"
"You two will spoil all our kids," Keerti complained. "Navu ko tum logon ne kam sar pe chadhaya hai kya? And especially you, Riddhima! Bohot zyada bigaadti ho tum sab bachchon ko!”
"Diiiii," Riddhima whined. "Please! That's my entire job."
"Mumma, why are you scolding Riddhima Di?" Samrat jumped to her defense. "She's the best. You know I don't like it when you do that."
"Haan, bhai. Nobody will say anything to your Riddhima Di," Shubhankar pacified his son. Samrat absolutely adored her and did not like it when Making a show of it, he turned to his wife and said, "Keerti, stop troubling my favourite saali."
The entire table cracked up at that, even Riddhima. Armaan smiled. That was all he wanted. For her to be happy. As he watched Riddhima playfully fight with Keerti, he sat back and observed. He wasn't the only one who'd gotten more family in the past few years. Riddhima had too. While it was true that Dr. Keerti and Dr. Shubhankar had always been there for them, as seniors and mentors, and when the time called for it, as friends, Riddhima had gotten really close to Keerti in the time he'd been away. He was glad for it because it meant that she'd had someone to turn to other than Muskaan. And, as he was well aware, Dr. Keerti was a formidable ally to have on your side. From what he'd been able to piece together, Dr. Keerti was fiercely protective of Riddhima. He was grateful that she'd been there, especially when he hadn't.
"Armaan, you're staying, right?" Atul asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. "At least for a while? You'll come back with us?"
"That's the plan," Armaan agreed. "Ab aa hi gaya hoon toh I'll stay for a while. I kinda missed Mumbai."
"Oh, that'll be so much fun! The seven of us, back together in Sanjeevani after so long!" Anjali exclaimed.
"Please keep me in your prayers, everyone!" Shubhankar added, making everyone laugh.
"Dr. Shubhankar… Don't worry, we won't trouble you… Much," Armaan promised.
"I know your brand of trouble very well, Armaan," Shubhankar argued. "Please keep me away from all your harebrained schemes. I've gotten too old for that stuff now."
"Jeeju, you're not old," Riddhima defended. "You're just smart. Unlike Armaan," she added, unable to resist the urge to make a jab at him.
"Oh!" Armaan exclaimed. "You think I'm not smart?"
"I don't think, Armaan," Riddhima contradicted. "I know. But it's okay, not everyone is perfect. You need to work on yourself a little."
"Tell me something?" Armaan questioned. "Yeh bin maange advice dene ki shauk hai ya aadat?"
Riddhima gave him the stink eye. "Don't try to get cute with me to win the argument."
"What did I do?" Armaan cried, scandalised, despite knowing full well what he had. Riddhima arched a perfect eyebrow at him, making him raise his hands in surrender.
"Stop it, both of you!" Simran interrupted. "Eat your food. Riddhima beta, Muskaan is right. Tumne bilkul kuch nahi khaya hai. Chalo, eat. Do you want me to cook something else for you?"
"Nahi, nahi, Aunty! I'm eating!" Riddhima promised. The rest of the meal was mostly silent after that. Riddhima was thankful once it was over and immediately left, not making conversation with anyone. Of course, Armaan noticed and was just about to follow her when he was stopped by Shilpa. "Let me go," she said. "This is a tough time for her. I understand better than anyone else. I'll speak with her."
Armaan gave her a grateful smile and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you."
— — —
"Hey," Shilpa greeted Riddhima, taking a seat beside her. Riddhima jerked at the sudden intrusion, expecting Armaan, but surprised to see Shilpa. And just like that, all of it got too much for her. Her words to Shilpa echoed in her mind, Karan's revelation still fresh in her head. She wrapped her arms around Shilpa, hugging her tight, giving into her sobs once more.
"I'm sorry!" She kept repeating. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay. I understand," Shilpa replied, not saying anything else. She let Riddhima cry as much as she needed, happy to just provide the comfort of her presence. She remembered how badly she'd needed someone to just be there for her when she was going through this. It was funny how similar their lives were, for the vastly different upbringing they'd had. In that moment, she realized, there was a reason why Karthik Malhotra and Shashank Gupta were such good friends. They were both cut out from the same cloth, apparently.
"Are you feeling better now?" Shilpa asked once Riddhima's sobs started quieting. She offered her elder sister some water.
"Thank you," Riddhima croaked.
"Anytime," Shilpa promised. "I can understand how hard this is for you. I'm sorry you have to go through it."
"How did you do it?" Riddhima wondered out loud. "I don't know… It feels like I'll die."
"I get what you mean," Shilpa replied. "I felt that way too. You just have to accept it, I guess. That your father isn't as good a person as you thought he was. Maybe that was easier for me cause I'd not been as close to him as you are to Dr. Shashank, but… What else can we even do? This isn't something we had control over, did we? Our dads decided to do this all on their own. Why should we blame ourselves for their decisions? We didn't have any part in it."
"I just feel so guilty," Riddhima admitted. "I had him but Karan didn't."
"Because Karan had something much better," Shilpa assured her. "Aren't you better off without my dad?" At Riddhima's nod, she continued, "Karan is also better off without yours. It might seem harsh, but it's true, isn't it? Rahul Uncle and Juhi Aunty have been great parents to Karan, just as I'm sure Dr. Shashank and Padma Aunty have been to you. In a sort of twisted way, it's a good thing, I guess. God gave you someone better than your birth father because he knew you deserved that. He did the same for Karan."
"But… How could Papa do this to Karan after what happened with me?" Riddhima questioned. "He did the same thing… I just don't understand."
Riddhima looked so vulnerable, like a lost little girl that Shilpa couldn't resist pulling her into another hug. This was a huge shock to anyone, but especially for someone like Riddhima who had always looked up to her father.
"I can't tell you that," Shilpa answered. "Only he can. But, he must have had his reasons, whatever they are, whether they make sense or not. Maybe he didn't want another child, or maybe he felt guilty for how Karan came into his life, or maybe he felt Karan was better off without him… Only he can tell you why he did what he did. But, whatever the reason, it's not on you. You had no hand in it. Karan doesn't blame you."
"But I did," Riddhima said. "I blamed you. For what your dad did. If you felt even a fraction of what I'm feeling right now… I'm just so sorry, Shilpa. I should have handled it better."
"It was a huge shock to you," Shilpa shrugged. "If I'm being honest, I kind of expected something like that to happen, but I still hoped that it wouldn't… Very naive of me, but yeah. I don't blame you, mostly because you realized you were wrong and did apologize. And since then, things have been pretty okay between us, haven't they?"
"But…" Riddhima protested, only to be shut down by Shilpa.
"No buts," she ordered. "Everything is a process. You have to give it time. To yourself to heal, to move on. You can't expect it to happen overnight."
Riddhima nodded mutely. "I have faith in you," Shilpa continued, looking at her crestfallen face. "This is not the first time you're facing something like this. I'm sure it won't be the last. In the past, you've managed to make your peace with things. You'll do it again. I mean, if you can get over your adoption, over Armaan leaving you the way he did, if you have the courage to stand up for yourself and leave an unwanted marriage… You can do this too. And I'm there for you, whenever you need me. Karan too. And I'm sure you won't be able to keep Armaan away no matter how hard you try. You're not alone. You have people who care about you, who want the best for you… All around you. You just have to take their hand and walk.
You know, when I found out… I didn't have anybody to turn to, and yet I was able to deal with the whole thing. You're much stronger than me, and you have so many people there for you. If I can do it, I'm sure you will be able to too.
You just have to believe in yourself. Keep faith. Ask for help. And soon enough, you'll come to terms with the fact that your father isn't perfect like you thought he was. I won't lie to you and say things will get back to the way they were before, but you'll learn to live with it, and be happy despite all of it. That, I can definitely promise."
Riddhima smiled at that. Shilpa was so wise. Maybe going through what she had with her own parents had made her grow up. She was so eerily similar to Armaan, it stumped Riddhima sometimes. She felt that if she just gave it a chance, Shilpa would very quickly become very important to her, just like Armaan had. She'd been afraid of that before, but maybe it wasn't the worst thought. This incident with Karan had really put things into perspective. Putting herself in Shilpa's shoes was as easy as breathing now. She understood now.
"Thank you, Shilpa," she murmured, giving her a tight hug. "You don't understand how much you've helped me."
"I think I do," Shilpa laughed. "I'm glad I could. It's so weird that after what happened between us, this is what made us talk again."
"Pretty ironic," Riddhima agreed. "But, one good thing about this whole mess is… I get you, now. I can understand your emotions better, see where you're coming from. I'm just sorry it took this happening for me to understand that. But… Now that I do, I want to do better."
"Better how?" Shilpa asked, confused.
Riddhima smiled. She offered Shilpa her hand. "Hi. I'm Riddhima Gupta. Your elder sister."
Shilpa beamed. Taking Riddhima's hand, she replied, "Hi. I'm Shilpa Malhotra. Your younger sister. It's such a pleasure to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Riddhima echoed. The sisters embraced one more time, and something in Riddhima's heart settled. So long as she had people like Shilpa, like Armaan around, guiding her, helping her, caring about her… She would be just fine.
aashayein aashayein aashayein
aashayein aashayein aashayein
kuch paane ki ho aas aas
koi armaan ho jo khaas khaas
aashayein aashayein aashayein
har koshish me ho vaar vaar
kare dariyon ko aar paar
aashayein aashayein aashayein
toofano ko chirke
manzilon ko cheen le
chorous....
aashayein khile dil ki
ummedein hase dil ki
ab mushkil nahi kuch bhi, nahi kuch bhi
aashayein khile dil ki
ummedein hase dil ki
ab mushkil nahi kuch bhi, nahi kuch bhi
oh oh oh oh .......
oh oh oh oh .......
ud jaye leke khushi
apne sang tujhko vahaan
jannat se mulakat ho
puri ho teri har dua
aashayein khile dil ki
ummedein hase dil ki
ab mushkil nahi kuch bhi, nahi kuch bhi
aashayein khile dil ki
ummedein hase dil ki
ab mushkil nahi kuch bhi, nahi kuch bhi
guzre aisi har raat raat
ho khwaishoon se baat baat
aashayein aashayein aashayein
lekar suraj se aag aag
gaayeja apna raag raag
aashayein aashayein aashayein
kuch aisa kar ke dikha
khud khush ho jaaye khuda
aashayein khile dil ki
ummedein hase dil ki
ab mushkil nahi kuch bhi, nahi kuch bhi
aashayein khile dil ki
ummedein hase dil ki
ab mushkil nahi kuch bhi, nahi kuch bhi
- Aashayein, Salim Merchant & KK
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