Author's note: Since this shot is long, I have divided it into two parts. Hope you enjoy both the parts. I'll release the second part very soon.
CHAPTER 3 (PART 1)
Next day Afternoon
Vikram's car approached towards the house and stopped. From the car, Hansa and Vikram get down. With the help of the white cane, Riddhima also get out of the car. Hansa look at the house.
Hansa - "Your house is very beautiful, Vikram. You are maintaining it so well."
Riddhima - "Vicky, I could sense that you tend to grow a lot of herbal plants and crotons in your house. I could smell the fragrance."
Vikram smiles, "Riddhima, your senses are amazing. Why can't you become a detective?"
Riddhima - "I am trying it, Vicky. I have solved three murder cases in a Quiz competition. Do you want any notes?"
Vikram - "No, madam. Come inside."
The three entered the house with their luggage.
Vikram - "Riddhima, So you must get used to this house also. And Dadi, I have some more Dadis as neighbors and I have told about you. They would go for a walk everyday evening and do some exercises. You can also accompany them and they are so friendly."
Riddhima - "Vikram is right. From today, you must take your medicines and do exercises. No if's and but's."
Hansa smiled and nodded positively.
Vikram - "Let me bring tea for us. Wait!"
Riddhima - "Vicky, please don't add sugar in Dadi's tea. In all these days, she has been fooling me by adding sugar in her tea."
Hansa - "Sshhh!"
Riddhima - "Hoyee! Are you threatening me?"
Hansa - "This girl!"
Vikram laughs and made tea as per their taste and served them.
A Few hours passed,
Vikram took Riddhima to his room.
Vikram - "It is where we are going to sleep in the night."
Riddhima - "It means?"
Vikram - "Two people can sleep in this bed. Dadi and you can use this bed at night. While I have another one bed which I added adjacent to main bed."
Riddhima - "I am extremely grateful to you Vikram. Thank you so much for thinking a lot about us. People think we are burdened for them, but you have a big heart."
Vikram - "Riddhima, you saved me from an accident and took the effect on you. I am the most grateful to you and your grandmother for raising an amazing girl like you."
Riddhima smiles, "Don't worry Vikram. I'll definitely pay the proper amount soon."
Vikram - "Riddhima..."
Riddhima - "No, Vikram. Don't say no need. I couldn't have peace in my mind if I didn't pay the gratitude. I couldn't sleep properly if I didn't do that. But, what can I do?"
Vikram - "Okay, as you wish. You did a lot of part-time jobs, right. You can continue it. Then, you are also joining the college."
Riddhima - "Are you out of mind, Vikram? How is it possible? I used to sell ice-creams, but I don't know where is my Cream bell cart after my accident. Other than that, I used to write stories in various magazines, but at this point, I could also not write. And College? (laughs)"
Vikram - "Why not, Riddhima? Your Cream Bell Cart is in Police Station, which they took at the time of the accident. We can get it easily. I can accompany you at night. About stories, you can send it on online... I mean by computer keyboard. Even if you speak, words are typed in the display. It is all about mindset and confidence. If you are fine with it, everything is possible."
Riddhima didn't speak anything.
Vikram - "About College, I'll drop you at your class and can pick up at evening. You have a lot of friends who helped you in tough times and you too made. Won't they help you now?"
Riddhima - "They would."
Vikram - "Then, what? Life is not always unfair, Riddhima. There are good things which we sometimes fail to recognize... Like you have an amazing Dadi, you have very good friends in your college circle... You're always friendly with your professors... There are a lot of sweet people in life."
Riddhima hold Vikram's hands and says, "And you forgot to include one more person. You."
Vikram - "Yeah."
Vikram smiled happily when she mentioned his name. He intentionally skips his name and checks whether Riddhima react regarding him. He wondered himself why is he behaving like a child. He wondered if it is just an infatuation or love...
Riddhima - "Okay, Vikram. I am going to college and even do write stories. I would also save some money and also pay you. But there is no use now being an ice-cream vendor. No one would buy ice-creams at this point."
Vikram - "Riddhima, there is a condition from my side. Only for house rent, you opted to pay money. The money must be less than Rs. 500/-, okay?"
Riddhima - "No Vikram. Nowadays, who give value to Rs. 500?"
Vikram - "I am giving value for hard work. Whether the note has value or not is people's perspective. But 500 Rupees won't come from a tree and people do an amount of hard work to gain that also, Riddhima. I agreed to your condition and you also should."
Riddhima - "Okay. I agree."
Riddhima gets emotional and cries. Vikram feels bad seeing her cry.
Vikram - "Riddhima, please don't cry."
Riddhima - "What if I don't."
Vikram - "The floor becomes wet due to your tears and we may slip on the tiles."
She makes angry pouts. Vikram wipes her tears with his hands.
Vikram - "Good girl."
Vikram laughs and pulled her cheeks. Riddhima tries to resist. Vikram laughs.
Riddhima thinks - "I am falling in love with him... God! His charm is irresistible! He is so simple, daring and kind-hearted. His good words and his good looks bring him in my good books. I'll definitely pay my gratitude."
Vikram - "Come on, I'll take you to a special place."
Saying this, Vikram takes Riddhima to another room. It looks dark. Vikram switched on the lights.
Vikram - Tadaa...You are here..."
There is a bookshelf in a modern layout and style with a good amount of books. There are two croton plants standing like a soldier on both sides of the bookshelf. Three Guitars and a Violin are hanged on the wall. There is a table with a diary and a pen. Beneath that, there is a dustbin filled with papers. On the side of wall, few individual photos of him are hanged. The photos shows that he is self-conscious. There are two chairs and a small sofa to sit. In the middle, there is a mic stand with headset, Bluetooth and speakers. On a corner, there is an electrical piano.
Vikram - "Could you guess this place?"
Riddhima - "It might be your personal room. Since you're a singer, you can work on that here. Maybe you have musical instruments too."
Vikram - "Good! Guess few instruments here."
Riddhima - "I know very few instruments' name. Maybe a Guitar, Violin, Flute or even a piano."
Vikram - "Your guess is right. Did you want me to sing any song?"
Riddhima - "Why not? Can you please play piano?"
Vikram - "Of course. Do suggest the song.... Wait, let me make you sit."
Vikram made Riddhima sit on the sofa and Vikram took the electric piano and sat on a chair.
Riddhima - "Your wish, Vikram."
Vikram smiles. Vikram plays piano for the song Dil Ibadaat from the movie Tum Mile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TuyyDlfehg
Riddhima got mesmerized by the way he played the piano and listened to it silently. She moves her head momentarily, enjoying his music.
Vikram gets lost in her beauty when she moves her head like a baby doll... The way her free hair moves to her face and then moved from there attracts him towards her.... He is looking at her gestures, till the end of the music. He wished it could have continued for long. Whatever Vikram feels for Riddhima is something more than friendship...
Then Vikram sings the song in his voice. Riddhima instantly fell in love with his voice.
Riddhima - "I have heard your voice in Radios and everything looks amazing there. But in reality, it is more amazing, Vikram. You have an amazing voice and the songs are touching the heart instantly."
Vikram - "Thanks for the compliment, Ridz..."
Riddhima - "Ridz..."
Vikram - "Yeah, Ridz. Riddhima's short form Ridz.."
Riddhima thinks, "The way he called me Ridz... This guy is driving me crazy and happy. Ridz Ridz Ridz... (She remembers multiple times how he called her and smiles with a blush.)"
Vikram - "Are you here?"
Riddhima - "Yeah, Vikram. By the way, you're really an interesting guy. But, why can't you try for big projects?"
Vikram - "Yeah, Riddhima. I have got a project now i.e. a music video. Popular actors are committed to it. I am working on the lyrics and singing. It would release on YouTube soon. If that goes well, I'll achieve my dream singing in movies or series."
Riddhima - "All the best, Vikram. I'll pray from the bottom of my heart that you achieve milestone in the film industry and many people fangirl or fanboy over you."
Vikram smiled.
*****
Riddhima starts going to the college with the help of Vikram and her friends helped her at the college. Vikram has changed his night shift job to day shift one in order to look after Riddhima at nights. Vikram and Riddhima's friendship grew deeper. Riddhima sells her Cream-Bell cart and gained some money. Riddhima continues writing for magazines. Riddhima finds herself more attracted towards Vikram and the case is quite similar with Vikram's.
*****
15 days passed,
A lazy Sunday morning for others... But not for Siddarth... He is present in his study room. He has been going through certain files to prepare the upcoming case he is going to handle on Tuesday. Behind his table, there is a timetable chart stuck over the wall. Sid's focus is on the case files until the call interrupts him.
*****
Parallel Scene
Raghu and Dhanak are doing simple body exercises on the terrace. Dhanak is staring at him. Raghu sees her and feels proud and he flexes his muscles which are visible through his half-sleeve vest. Dhanak sighs.
Raghu - "What happened Soan Papdi! Did your husband look hotter?"
Dhanak punches his arms, "Duffer! Do you what today is?"
Raghu -"Sunday!"
Dhanak - "Mongoose! Even my cell phone remembers what today is! Our wedding anniversary. I have been bearing all your atrocities for 12 months."
Raghu - "Ohho! Damn it! Sorry Soan Papdi!"
Dhanak - "Let us celebrate it. Call our friends."
Raghu - "The first one who signed our registration marriage is Siddarth. So first call is for him."
Raghu rings Siddarth and he attend the call.
*****
Siddarth - "Hey Raghu! How are you doing?"
Raghu - "Everything is going well, Sid. By the way, do you have any plans for the evening?"
Siddarth looks at his timetable chart.
Raghu - "You're just impossible. Even if you have anything, cancel everything and come to my house by 8 PM. We are having a night stay party."
Siddarth wondered how Raghu found out that he is looking at his chart. Trying to manage the situation, "Why? What's the matter?"
Raghu - "What? Our anniversary, buddy. Forgot it?"
Siddarth - "Damn! Yeah... Sorry buddy... I mean Congrats Buddy."
Raghu - "Haaa... Thanks buddy."
While Dhanak is staring at Raghu. Raghu gives phone to Dhanak.
Dhanak - "Hello!"
Siddarth - "Hey Dhanak! Happy Wedding Anniversary."
Dhanak - "It's my fate to remind this guy about our anniversary (Raghu pouts). But you signed the register, buddy. And you forgot it."
Siddarth - Hey Dhanak! Not like that. I remember the month but it is just I forgot the date. By the way, how are you?"
Dhanak - "I am super. I'll give the phone to him."
Saying this, she gives the phone to Raghu and goes down.
Raghu - "You are coming, right?"
Siddarth - "Yeah. Who are all coming?"
Raghu thinks, "Our friends gang is only coming... Your bro Vikram, Sanjana, you, Tanya and that's it."
Siddarth - Okay, buddy. Let us meet at 8PM."
Siddarth cuts the call.
His Monologue: Even Tanya is coming to the party... She was so sad when I rejected the proposal one and half years ago. Will she talk to me or I could able to talk to her just like before proposal period? Why is this awkward situation? Shall I avoid the meeting, but how could I convince Raghu and Dhanak?
Flashback - 1.5 years ago
Siddarth - "No... No, Tanya. I can't think about it. Love is not in my books."
Siddarth replied this after Tanya's simply sweet love proposal with rose.
Tanya - "But, you can think about it, couldn't you?"
Siddarth - "Not like that, Tanya. I am a confused guy. I didn't have the mentality to give space to someone else in my life. I still haven't got it. You don't know that Tanya. These things won't suit me.... Also I'm 27... I need to prove something in my life... I need to develop my career. Only then, I could think about other things like love and commitment. Above all that, I can't see you like that."
Tanya bows her head down and gets sad.
Siddarth - "We are good... I won't say, Friends... But we have a great vibe. I don't want to call it as love."
Tanya - "So, what is your decision?"
Siddarth - "We can be like how we are now."
Tanya - "You're right, Siddarth."
Tanya smiled in pain while Siddarth smiled in relief as she didn't create any dramas.
Flashback ends.
Siddarth has been rethinking about the scenes for many times.
He feels that he made a mistake by rejecting an amazing girl like Tanya. Still, he is not sure whether he loves Tanya or not.
*****
Night 7 PM,
Siddarth started to get ready for the party. He wears a white t-shirt with black blazers. He did his self-styling and is about to come out. His phone beeps and sees Raghu's name flashing on the screen.
Siddarth - "Hey Raghu!"
Raghu - "There is a problem now..."
Siddarth - "What happened?"
Raghu asks nervously, "Can you pick Tanya on your way?"
Siddarth is shocked, "What are you saying, Raghu? You know.."
Raghu - "Sorry, Sid... I know that. She was supposed to come with her friend. But there is a change in the plan last minute. Dhanak asked you to pick her up without knowing your story. I don't know how to reveal it to her. There is no way, Sid."
Siddarth - "Raghu..."
Raghu - "Please Sid... I make sure that you won't meet each other at party. Please buddy...."
After Raghu's constant pleading, Siddarth agreed to pick her up. Siddarth gets nervous on meeting her after a long period of time.
To be continued...
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