AR FF:: Aapki Nazaron nE Samjha: New Thread Pg 150 - Page 43

PART 12

Armaan and Riddhima were in the car and the song was playing on the radio.

Talaatum, talaatum, talaatum, talaatum, talaatum

Talaatum mein ham tum hai ham tum kahin gum talaatum

Talaatum, talaatum, talaatum, talaatum, talaatum

Is talaatum mein ham dil ki kashti sanam aaj utaarenge

Hai kasam' 

Armaan thinks to himself: Why does a song have to play depicting my life at the moment. He thinks of changing it but then he thinks that he cannot hide from the fact that this is his life. So he keeps the song.

Riddhima, sitting at the other end of the car and facing outwards thinks: Yeh talatum(toofan) toh ana hi tha. Itna kuch hogaya hain hamari life main. Armaan… yeh talatum toh aana hi tha…… Tumse maine apni had se bhi jyada pyaar kiya……. itna ki shayad  main kabhi kisi aur se nahin kar pau…… Aur apne pyaar ko maine kurbaan bhi kiya tha…. for that one girl whom you loved Armaan…par… tumm…… tumne meri behen ke saath jo kiya hain….. toofan toh aan hi tha….. aur yeh kashti nahin bachegi…. ek umeed hain … ki tumhari sachai mujhe jhootha saabit kar de….. par.. agar aisa nahin hua….. main toot jaungi……. I will never feel love again….. (A tear leaves her eye and she wipes it immediately) O Armaan…… for all my love towards you…. what I have is a betrayal and that too with my own sister….

Armaan sees a Pav bhaji stall. Armaan stops his car and says to Riddhima: Riddhima, sari restaurants toh banch ho gaye hain ,,,,, yeh Pav bhaji ka stall open hai. Yahan khana hain

Riddhima says: THik hain.

So he parks the car nearby and they walk towards the stall.

He orders 2 plate pav bhaji's(Riddhima says she doesn't want any but he reminds her that she has agreed to eat so reluctantly she agrees.)

He pays the man and takes the pav bhaji from there and they go and sit on a nearby bench and eat.

Riddhima doesn't eat at first but she sees how Armaan was eating savoringly, and besides the Pav bhaji was making her hungry, so she starts eating. Seeing this a smile escapes Armaan.. They eat in silence. After eating, he asks her if she wants to eat an icecream. She says no. Armaan says: that means a yes. Irritated she says: What do you think? Am I here to spend time with you when I have to be with my sister in the hospital. What do you think of yourself, Armaan. I know what you have done to  my sister, but I decided to give you a  chance to hear you side of the story but all you want is to waste my time. I AM GOING BACK. Drop me back at the hospital.

And she starts walking back.

Armaan grabs her hand and pulls her making her walk forcefully.

Riddhima: Leave my hand Armaan. I am not coming with you.

Armaan doesn't say anything. He is making her walk back towards the car. Riddhima keeps on trying to free herself from his clutches but his hands are strong and they don't leave her. They reach the car. Still holding on to her hand he opens the car door and opens the drawer. He takes out a photo and shoves it in her face and leaves her hand. She grabs hold of the photo. It was a photo of Armaan and Nikki in their wedding dress.

Riddhima gasped.

Armaan observing her expression said: Yeah now you know. She probably must have not shown it to you because we never reached that stage. (He turns his face and keeps his hand on the car as if going back the memory lane). This was when we were picking our wedding dresses and just took pictures as a bride and groom to get the feel. But it never happened Riddhima, It never happened.(Riddhima listened quietly to him) I still remember it we were so happy to be married. She had called you up and told you that she is getting married. I was standing with her at that point. We were picking our dresses. It was so beautiful. And then one night we lost ourselves. Well we had made the decision the very next day that no matter what we were going to get married. (He turned to Riddhima) Until that fateful day Riddhima… when…. (He walked across from Riddhima ) fate changed everything. Nikki had become unconscious and I had rushed her to the hospital. I found out at that point that I was going to be a father. I was a little apprehensive but happy nevertheless and my decision to marry her was even more strong. But since that day something changed between me and her, between everyone in my family and her. I don't know what went wrong. I told her that we should hide this from my mother as she would not like a woman being pregnant before marriage, and she agreed. But My mom.. found out. But that is not what worried me. She completely went against Nikki. She would not listen even to my Dad or me. I asked Nikki.. Riddhima.. I asked her what went wrong… She did not tell me, she assured me that she never told her anything…..

Riddhima interrupted: So just because your Mom said you guys cannot marry you left her.

He turned towards her. and said: No Riddhima. Do you think I would do that? Then you don't know me. I went against my mom to support Nikki…. to be there for her. Your parents supported us Riddhima, they supported my decision to marry her (Looking at her shocked face he said) they knew about it Riddhima. It's only you who did not know. And we kept it from you to keep you away from the danger that knowing that truth had put on to all of us. For days on end, My mother would not talk to me because I was going to marry Nikki against her will. One day she just fainted and then from the hospital we found out that she was not eating for a few days beforehand. Riddhima I could do nothing. I had to choose between my mother and Nikki. Riddhima you have to understand I love Nikki deeply from my heart… at least I used to at that point.. But my mother's condition was very critical. I could not see her in that state. She is my mother. I was on the verge of losing her Riddhima…. I couldn't go against her. She needed me. Her condition was very feeble. I would have lost her If I had said Yes To Nikki. Hence I said No. I explained It to Nikki… but what she did … I never expected that of her. She asked me to marry her going against my mother's wishes. I left from there at that point.

Riddhima couldn't take anymore. All this was just too much for her to take. She put a consoling hand on his shoulder and said: Its ok Lets go back to the hospital.

She couldn't believe that her own sister could ask something like that over someones' lfe. But the answers to those would have to wait as Armaan had really gone through a lot in his life at that point.

Armaan started  driving the car.Riddhima sat quietly thinking.

Armaan looked at her and said: You don't want to ask me why did I marry you If all this was happening to me.?

Riddhima did not say anything.

Armaan continued : I will answer that for you. My mother brought my Rishta for you. I was against her but I could not show It Riddhima because …

Riddhima looked at him and cut him off….Its Ok Armaan. I know It now. You don't have to continue troubling yourself.

Armaan stopped and looked at her. He had never known Riddhima but the way things had happened he thought maybe he could actually start understanding her.

He drove a few miles and the car gave up.

Armaan looked apologetically at Riddhima

Riddhima smiled feebly at him: Its ok we can Walk I guess.

Armaan : No we ………I wil get it fixed.. but the problem is how will I find a mechanic this late.

Riddhima: Its Ok Armaan We can walk. The hospital shouldn't be that far.

Armaan: No Riddima It's a very long walk.

Riddhima: Its ok I can walk.

Armaan sighs and turns off the engine of the car and starts walking with Riddhima.