AR FF- Straight Out of Fiction-Ch16-P87

Hi everyone! My name is Alisha and I was huge fan of DMG, and especially Armaan and Riddhima. This is my very first FanFiction, and I hope you guys enjoy it.

I read a few fanfics here and there, skimmed a few ones to, and I must say this forum has so many talented individuals with so much creativity and imagination. I really applaud you all for your hard work. You guys are all so AMAZING!!!

Note: I truly apologize if my any of ideas are similar to other stories; it was completely unintentional and coincidental.

*** Due to recent events, I declare that this story was solely written by me. I have worked really hard on my story, and do not appreciate having them taken from me without permission.

~ Other FF ~

Ten Ways to Get Him Back: http://india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1630793

~ Index ~

Part 1 - Page 1 Part 6 - Page 10 Part 11 - Page 39 Part 16 - Page 87

Part 2 - Page 1 Part 7 - Page 15 Part 12 - Page 51

Part 3 - Page 2 Part 8 - Page 19 Part 13 - Page 51

Part 4 - Page 3 Part 9 - Page 24 Part 14 - Page 67

Part 5 - Page 6 Part 10-Page 29 Part 15 - Page 71

~ Straight out of fiction ~

~ Chapter One: Another Stuffy Night ~

"For the last time, you are going to the Pandora Ball Miss
Riddhima Gupta whether you like it or not!" The shrill voice on the intercom
yelled.

"Why? So that you can have your stylist force me into a
revealing dress, makeup me till I look I just came out a horror movie, and then
have me walk around the party advertising and promoting your company. No
thanks!" her voice mirrored how she felt about her over controlling dad forcing
her to attend the ridiculous social event.

"My decision is final. I will send the limousine at 8
o'clock sharp." He replied with authority and hanged up.

Riddhima was angry towards her father. How could he force
her to attend this absurd social party? True, the Pandora Ball was the one of
the biggest event in the corporate world, an event where all the important
people would be attending, but she failed to see how her presence can
contribute in any kind. She hated these kinds of parties; attending them meant
to walk around with a fake smile plastered on her lips, having awkward
conversations with people she has never met, and hearing all the gossips of the
upper class world. All she would probably hear about is whose daughter eloped
with whose son, whose wife has been cheating, and the usual talks about looks,
dresses, weights and money. How boring! Every time she has attended one, she
felt imprisoned and suffocated. She never understood how her father and elder
brother Rahul could bear to these parties.

Just like her, Rahul, never really enjoyed these extravagant
parties, but he put up with them since he would be the one replacing his father
when he retired. Being the sole heir to the whole empire meant he had to start
building up his reputation very early if he wished to keep the company in the
top. Moreover, it was the ideal opportunity to meet new people and make new
contacts. How could he let go such a brilliant opportunity? No way!

Shashank Gupta was indeed a confident person; he is the
CEO-founder of the Gupta Enterprises. He has worked really hard throughout his
whole life to achieve the height of success he has now, and is now very well
known in the corporate world. He was married to Padma Gupta, but unfortunately
she was not able to see him achieve all this glory. After her death, Shashank
focused all his energy in his career, and in the process, he ended up
neglecting his children. They were raised by several nannies and never really
got any parental affection. Fortunately for them, they had each other.

Rahul and Riddhima were so different yet so alike. They both
fought with each other all the time, but loved each other to bits. Rahul was
more of the shy, quiet, and intellectual type of person; he would only open his
mouth when necessary. He was awfully handsome; dark hair, grey eyes, muscular
body, and the whole combination, but despite his good looks and charms, he
restrained himself from any kind of flings. If asked, he would simply answer:
"Still waiting for the right person".

On the other hand, Riddhima was more of the outgoing and
chatty person; she could make friends easily and always spoke her mind. Though,
time to time, when her mood is completely off, she could easily get irritated,
and in those cases, she would act immediately, without really thinking. Just
like her brother, she too hopes that one day her prince charming will come and
sweep her off her feet.

Riiinggg!!!

The sound of bell brought Riddhima back to reality. Recess
was over, and classes would still begin.

"C'mon Riddhima, break's over. There is absolutely no point
in destroying this beautiful day because of Papa. Your students are waiting for
you." She got up from the fire escape, a secluded stairway at Royal High, and
walked towards her classroom.

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It was hectic and busy day. Riddhima was exhausted from all
the work; handling a bunch of teenager, and educating them about literature was
not easy. There were always those questions: "Miss! Why do we have to read this
novel" or "Miss? This book is so long!" and "Miss, what's the point of reading
all these books?" No, she didn't resent her job as a teacher, but sometimes, it
can be a hand full. She was happy that the day was over.

As she approached the front entrance, she heard her name
being called.

"Oye Ridzy! Wait, wait for me! Stay there, I'll be there in
a jiffy. Not you! I don't even know you." Muskaan hollered as she rushed past a
young man, and entered the teacher's lounge. In no time she was back out, and
ran toward her friend.

They had met two months ago at the beginning of the school
year, in June, and they hit it off instantly. Muskaan was just like Riddhima:
outgoing and very, very talkative. Her family shifted to Mumbai a few months
earlier and that's how she ended up being the Arts teacher at Royal High.

"You were going to leave without me! How could you? How
would I ever go home! Akelie larki, Mumbai mei. It's not safe you know!" She
said, exaggerating her movements.

"Muski, stop being a drama queen. Sorry. I had a lot of
thing in my head, and the fact that we finished together today simply escaped
my mind." Riddhima grabbed her ears and smiled.

"No problem. What's the matter? Is it your dad again? Did he
do tell you to quit your job and go join him? Did ask you to get married to an
old man so that he can combine both companies? Did he-"

"No Muskaan, nothing THAT melodramatic. He just wants me to
attend another one of those rubbish events: The Pandora Ball. Seriously, what
will I do there? It's not like I'm actually going to talk to those superficial and
haughty people, and run a campaign for my dearest Papa." she said the last bit
with heavy sarcasm.

"You know what? Just go there, smile and nod. It's the
perfect recipe to endure dreadful parties, and to avoid conversation with
random people. It always works when I try to avoid that horrible aunt of mine."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It's because it is. I never understood why you hate grand
parties. I mean you get to wear fancy dresses, have nice food, and most
importantly, drool over all the handsome hunks. " Her eyes were closed, already
imagining herself in such a scenario.

"It's more than just the party. It's all the pretence game
we play, as if we were this huge happy family and everything was completely
fine. And if you think it's that FUN, why don't you join me tonight? It's a
win-win situation; I get company, and you my dear, can stare at all the eligible
bachelors. What say?"

"I say YES!" Muskaan jumped up and down of joy. "But you are
going to have to help me get ready, and introduce me to people, and your family
too, and-"

"No problem Muski, just call your parents and tell them
you're staying with me. Tomorrow is Saturday so it should be fine. And, I have
the perfect dress for you. You are going to look superb!"

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"Ridzy, are you sure I look nice, I mean, it's not too much
or anything, right? Muskaan hesitated as she swirled in front of the mirror in
a full-length strapless dark purple dress. She looked stunning; her lips were a
glossy pink, her eyes were smoky, and her dark and curly hair was let lose,
giving her an exotic look.

"You look perfect. Now stop admiring yourself and come and
help me put this clip in my hair. The car is about to arrive in less than 10
minutes." Riddhima was trying very hard to put a bobby pin in her hair, but was
having a hard time with Muskaan hogging the mirror. She wore a simple white
dress, and still managed to look like an angel. She was indeed very beautiful;
her wavy black was tied back with a few lose strands falling gently on her shoulder,
her lips were naturally pink and glossy, and her dark long lashes made her blue
eyes stand out much more. She barely wore any makeup, yet she looked
breathtaking and exquisite. At 8 sharp, they heard a honk, so they headed
outside. The weather was beautiful; the sky was clear, the stars were shining
with all their strength, and the moonlight was probably enough to lite up the
whole city.

"Uh Ridzy? Don't mind me asking, but why do you come to
school walking when you have THIS driving you around?" Muskaan pointed both her
hands towards the fabulous limousine.

"Because it's too much going to school in such a luxurious
vehicle, don't you think?"

"Ok, maybe not in a limo, but I am sure a car wouldn't hurt.
I mean, you walk practically 30 minutes every day just to get to work, don't
you het exhausted?"

"Muskaan, I am not an old lady that can't walk. I am 22, fit
and healthy. Besides, God didn't give me a pair of legs so that I laze around
all day!" Riddhima said as she got in the car. As the car drove off, both girls
were oblivious to what was waiting for them at their destination.

Finally, the car stopped and the chauffeur opened the door.
As Muskaan got out, she realised that she was walking on a red carpet, and that
there were photographers and journalists everywhere. She was overwhelmed with
joy, never in her entire life had she felt so important. It was as if she was a
celebrity. She felt slightly uncomfortable when everyone's gazes were fixed on
her, probably wondering who she was, but as soon as Riddhima came to her side,
she felt better.

"As you said, smile and nod, and we might be able to make it
inside without talking to all these people." She heard Riddhima whisper to her.

"Do you think if I fall right now, I might make it on the
front page of the paper" Muskaan laughed as they both precipitated toward the
entrance.

The place was AMAZING. The walls were painted in a color
that looked like satin black and the windows were large and tall with red
curtains; there was and orchestra at the far end, a huge stairway that led
probably to the second floor and the terrace, and to top it all, an enormous
chandelier dangling in the center of the piece.

"Riddhima" They ladies turned around to see who had called
her named, and say a fine young man walking towards them. "You made it, I
seriously thought you wouldn't come?" he hugged her and turned towards Muskaan.
"And may I ask who is this beautiful young lady you brought along" he added as
he took her hand and kissed it like a true gentleman. Muskaan blushed at the
comment, and at the kiss made her cheeks go even redder.

"Rahul, this is Muskaan, and Muskaan this is my obnoxious
favourite brother Rahul. We work at the same institution so I forced her to tag
along with me." Riddhima was very amused at her brother's interest toward her
friend. It was very rare that he would complement anyone, let alone take their
hand and kiss it. This was a jamais vu!

"Well then, I better carry along. I heard that the Maliks
are here today, and apparently their son has returned from London. Enjoy the
party and I will see in in a bit." He left them, and turned around once to get
a last glimpse of Muskaan before disappearing onto the crowd.

"Well, that was pretty, how should I put it, interesting."
Riddhima smiled at Muskaan who was still slightly embarrassed about what just
happened, and was still looking down, her cheeks still red. Rahul had mentioned
the Maliks; if there was a company higher than The Gupta Enterprises, it was
the Malik Enterprises. They were wealthy as hell, yet still very nice and down
to earth people. However, according to the tabloids, Riddhima heard that their
son was quite a ladies' man; charming, handsome, and smart, a deadly
combination, though she never met the man in person. At 25, he was about to
take over the family business, and the Maliks were extremely proud of their
son.

She spotted her father's face in the midst of the crown, and
saw the back of two silhouettes. Her father called her, and introduced her to a
middle aged woman, and her husband.

"My dear child, you look beautiful." He kissed her forehead.
Riddhima hated it when her dad tried to pretend he was the best dad in the
world, and as if everything was fine between them. "This is Rajesh Malik and
his wife, Sunaina Malik." He gestured his hands toward the couple standing in
front of him. Riddhima greeted them politely and left in search of Muskaan. She
went to the terrace and was quite surprised when she found her dancing the
waltz, with her brother, in the middle of the dance floor. Well, she thought,
it was a "Ball" after all, and dance was a major component of such an event.
She was happy that her friend was enjoying herself, but then again, she was
left without any company. She went back down to grab a drink, and as she turned
around to go back to the terrace, she was blown away by the sight in front of her.

A dashing young man strolled gracefully down the stairs,
with one hand his pocket. He was wearing, by the look of it, an Armani Tux. His
bow was undone around his neck, and the first few buttons of his white shirt
were left open, leaving his muscular chest on public display. He had jet black
hair, green eyes, and, oh my god, he had dimples as well! Riddhima simply
couldn't taker her eyes off him, how could she? The man was simply dead drop
gorgeous.

"Armaan Malik, that's his name." She heard a voice behind
her.

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That was part one guys! Please do comment and I hope to be able to reply to everyone. Thank you!

awesome start....waiting to read more...update soon and do add me to ur pm list...

Originally posted by: iceprincess101

awesome start....waiting to read more...update soon and do add me to ur pm list...

HI!! And thank you so much!!

~ Chapter Two: Misfortunes at First Glance ~

"Armaan Malik, that's his name." She heard a voice behind her.

Riddhima turned around, and saw a girl smiling at her. She wore a pink dress and her hair was tied back with some flowers around. She seemed to be the same age as her.

"That's Armaan Malik, my cousin."

"Oh no, it's not what you think, I wasn't staring or anything, I was just curious since I never say him previously" Riddhima tried to cover up her embarrassment. Being caught red hand gawking at a hot guy was the last thing she had on her mind.

"It's okay, don't worry, your secret is safe with me. You know it's not the first time I see girls drooling over him."

"I wasn't drooling, just staring, those are two different terms" Riddhima defended herself.

"By the way, I am Nikita Malik, but you can call me Nikki, all my friends do. I just came to visit from Delhi for a couple of months, and I might shift here later. You see the man there" she said pointed at man at standing near Armaan "that's Abhimanyu, my fiance, he works here, so after our wedding, I'll probably stay here. You're not bored right? Here I am blabbering about my life, and I didn't even give you the chance to speak"

"Nice to meet you Nikki, I am Riddhima Gupta, but you can call me Ridzy, it's shorter and less complex, and no I am not bored. I hope you really enjoy your stay here, if you ever get bored or anything, you can always call me up. I'll be more than happy to show you around" Nikki was indeed a sweet girl, and Riddhima was thrilled to have made her acquaintance. "Well, she thought to herself, the party was not completely wasted after all."

Both girls talked about a variety of things: jobs, food, clothes, shoes, movies, music, but Nikki's fiance came and took her away to dance with him, and poor Riddhima was left alone once more. She walked around a bit, looking for any familiar face that could keep her company, but to her disappointment, there was none. She thought about getting some fresh air, so went to the terrace and sat down at a table near the dance floor. Her thoughts wandered to her tuxedo man, Armaan. She had to admit, he was absolutely gorgeous, head to toe. Now she understood why all the girls were crazy about him.

"Can I have a dance, Miss?" she looked up and saw young man. She politely declined. No way was she going to dance after what had happened last time. The last time she had danced with someone, the guy whispered to her ear that he was trying to get his girlfriend jealous and asked her to play along. She thought it rather amusing, until the girl ended up calling her a man-stealer in front of everyone, and to top it all, the next day's paper headlines was: Riddhima Gupta, Man-stealer, and it had a picture of her and the guy whispering into her ear. These media people always had a perfect timing. Well, the girl found out the truth and apologized the same evening, but she had to bear the humiliation for a couple of weeks. Plus, her dad was furious at her. She had always been the rebellious daughter but not to that extent. Slowly, everyone forgot the incident, but that one time was enough for Riddhima. Who knew a dance would lead that far? Just the thought of that day irritated her.

A few other men asked her for a dance but she refused them all. She'd rather just watch them dance. Don't get her wrong, she loved to dance, but that one incident was enough to make her stop dancing at these high class society events. It was the perfect place to create rumours, and she preferred to stay away from all the gossips.

She saw Vivek, her dad's colleague's son. They were in college together. He was a total idiot. He once tried to kiss Riddhima, but all he got was a slap. The whole college was aware of that, and he hated Riddhima for destroying his so called reputation. He asked her for a dance just to irritate her, and get a reaction from her; she just gave him a dirty look, followed by a fake smile.

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Armaan was walking around in the party when his eyes fell on an Angel. She was wearing a white dressed, and seemed to be very much engrossed in a conversation with Nikki. Her blues eyes were mesmerizing, and her skim was a creamy and milky white. His eyes lingered on her lips for a while; they were glossy pink and well defined. Her figure was perfect; slim with the right amount of curves. She barely had any makeup, but looked absolutely stunning. He wondered who she was. He couldn't help but smile at her beauty, her smile, her laugh. Soon, Nikki was taken away by his best friend, Abhi, and she was left alone. He was about to go to her, but she disappeared into the midst of people.

The music had just changed to something more upbeat and was pulled into the dance floor by some girls. He was dancing to the rhythm, when his eyes spotted her once more. She seemed to be lost in her thought, she was slightly smiling. He saw a man approach her and extend his hand for a dance, but she declined. She seemed to be irritated and uninterested in everyone. He observed her for the rest of the evening; she stayed at her seat, and made no effort of having fun. She even declined all dance offers. Armaan was surprised when she gave a dirty look to a young man who just asked her for a dance. At first he thought she was sweet and innocent, but based on her actions now, he concluded that she was pretentious and haughty.

When the song was over, he made his way to Nikki.

"Hey Beautiful, are you enjoying the party?"

"Yes very much, and how is Mr. London enjoying India? You must've missed home, staying away all these years"

"Well, it's good to be back. By the way Nikki, who was that girl you were talking to before?"

"Which girl? Be more specific. I talked to many girls today."

"The one with the white dress, black hair, blue eyes"

"Oooo, that one, that's Riddhima Gupta, and may I ask why are you so interested."

"Just like that, you know, as an elder brother, it is my duty you hang around and befriend the right people."

"Just admit you think she's beautiful, I bet you stole glances of her during the whole night" she gave a light tap on his shoulder.

Armaan just laughed at her comment, and Abhi just reappeared at the perfect moment to save his friend from answering Nikki. Armaan just left the love birds, and wandered around the party. His parents introduced him to Rahul and Shashank, but Riddhima was out of sight. He found his family friend Summit, and both of them talked about the old days as kids as they headed outside, towards the gardens. It was getting kind of stuffy inside.

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Muskaan found Riddhima in the garden, sitting on a bench, daydreaming about something. The garden was huge, practically as big as the reception hall. It had pathways to walk, little stands for food and beverage, and it was lit everywhere with Japanese lantern. There was a gigantic fountain in the middle, and the whole place was decorated with different kinds of flower.

"Sorry, Ridzy, I left you alone, but your brother asked me to dance, and I couldn't refuse, and I was having so much fun, that I completely forgot about you, and now I feel like a terrible friend"

"Calm down Muskaan, I am fine, and I was not bored, never even realised you were gone"

"By the way, just wanted to ask you, is it weird for you, if you know, I mean, how do I say this'"

"I am fine with you liking my brother, because he seems to really like you too; he usually never dances, and stays with the parents instead of people of his own age."

"Really" Muskaan's face was glowing with happiness.

"Really" Riddhima pinched her cheeks and both burst into spontaneous laughter. The garden started to get full after a while, since everyone wanted some fresh air. Soon, both were joined by Rahul, who once again stole Muskaan away for a walk in the garden.

Riddhima was thirsty, and got herself a punch. As she was walking, she heard someone speaking her name.

"So Armaan, I see you met everyone at the party, so what did you think about Riddhima Gupta, do you think she might be interested in me?" Summit decided to tease Armaan, since Nikki had mentioned about his interest in her.

"To be honest Summit, you can do so much better than Riddhima. She just seems like a snobby little brat, who probably thinks she's better than the rest of us."

Riddhima was taken aback by his comment. How in the world did she manage to give that image to a man she hasn't even spoken to.

"Seriously Summit, she has got some issues; pretending to be all alone and bored to get people's attention, and when she got it, she just threw it away like she had never wanted it at the first place."

Riddhima gasped and bristled. Both man turned around to the sound of her gasp; Summit seemed to look horrified and sorry, and Armaan seemed indifferent and just smirked.

"Excuse me?" Her tone was firm.

"Well, Miss Riddhima Gupta, where are your manners? Sneaking up to hear our conversation" he said. Wow, her voice was even better than he'd imagined. If it wasn't for her horrific personality, he would probably have asked her to dance, take a walk and what not!

"My manners! Let me remind you that you were the one talking about me. I don't even know you, and you're telling him how bad of a person I am! Where are your manners? And I wasn't sneaking, I just heard my name and it poked my curiosity."

"Wow, not only are you a snob, but you can't even bear to hear the truth about yourself."

"I'm sorry Mr. Malik, but I don't see how someone who hasn't even held a single conversation with me could know anything about me?" How dare he judge her so poorly, and based on what?

"I can see how desperate you are, begging for people's attention. Poor kid, Mommy and Daddy probably gave you everything and you still wanted more"

That was it, insulting her was one thing, but bringing her parents in was another. Without giving any second thoughts, Riddhima took her cup of purple liquid and dumped it on Armaan's face.

"You don't know anything about me" she spat and went away, leaving Armaan there with Summit, and not to forget the press clicking pictures of the incident.

Riddhima found Muskaan, and told her that they had to leave. Muskaan understood that something was wrong and agreed immediately. She saw how angry Riddhima was, and decided to wait before asking her anything.

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"Dude, Armaan, what's wrong with you? I thought you liked her, but Nikki was way off in her hunch." Summit asked.

"Seriously, how dare she splash me with her drink?"

"Well, you kind of deserved it, after what you said to her. But why did-"

"Stop taking her side here; it's her fault if she can't take the truth about herself."

"That's the thing Armaan, where in the world did you get these ideas about her? You got her all wrong; Riddhima is one of the sweetest persons I have ever met."

"What! Sweet! Look at me!" Armaan moved his hands and pointed towards himself. "Someone sweet does not do THIS to people!"

"Well that's the thing Armaan, you blamed her of the thing she hates most. Riddhima is as English teacher. She refuses to take part in the fashionable and glamorous world of her father. Her father asked her to join him so many times, but she refused all the time. Her mom died when she still a little girl, and her father, well, he was really driven by his career, you see. She doesn't like all these stuff; parties, fame, pictures in the paper, and all. She just attends it for her Dad. She is very simple and kind and big hearted and-"

"How do you know all this?"

"We were friends in college, and I guess later we drifted apart, we took different paths, I joined my parents and she became a teacher."

"So why didn't you stop me?" Armaan felt really guilty, he had accused her of such a terrible thing, based on appearance. Didn't they always say not to judge a book by its cover? He did exactly that, insulted her based on what he saw. What was wrong with him, this isn't how he is normally.

"Well frankly, you two seemed so engulfed in you arguments, that I didn't know when to tell you. It all went so fast."

"Well, I better say sorry, shouldn't I?"

"I honestly doubt that will work, she seemed pretty pissed at you. Good luck is the only advice I can give you." Summit smiled as Armaan left to rectify his mistake.

Armaan looked around for her, but figured she had left since she was nowhere to be found.

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That was part 2!! Hope you all enjoyed it!!

Love it....AR first meet is amazing...awesome part...update soon...

hey wow...
it waz nice.....
pls do add me to ur pm list....

Originally posted by: Riddss

heyyy dear,
nice one
continue soon




love
Riddss

Hey!! Thanks! I'm actually updating soon!

Originally posted by: iceprincess101

Love it....AR first meet is amazing...awesome part...update soon...

THX!!! I'm updating now!!

Originally posted by: gupta.aditi20

hey wow...
it waz nice.....
pls do add me to ur pm list....

Hey Thanks for reading!!

~ Chapter Three: A Glimpse of the Past ~

"Riddhima, what is this? Again! You are on the front page of the paper. I asked you to attend a party, not do some crazy thing? Shashank roared as he threw The Mumbai Times in front of his daughter. "What did poor Armaan do to you that you threw punch over him? I know it's not what they say in the article; the media tends to exaggerate facts."

Riddhima looked at the paper, and saw Armaan drenched in punch with Riddhima Gupta welcomes guest with a Splash written over it. Well she had expected it to arrive on the Monday's paper and it had. She smiled at her accomplishment. He deserved it. She would treasure this paper forever. She read further into the article: Armaan had always been a ladies-man. With his status and good looks, he is every girls dream man, every girl but Riddhima Gupta. Both of them were last seen together at the Pandora Ball in a heated argument, which resulted with Armaan getting drenched with punch. One may asked why did this happen? According to an anonymous source, it was said that Armaan had tried to flirt inappropriately with Riddhima, and the latter was offended at his outrageous comments'. Riddhima chuckled at the article. Her father was right, the media sure knew how to twist a story. Well, at least, she wasn't the bad guy.

"Papa, he deserved it. He insulted me, and I got angry so I kind of threw the first thing I had, luckily for him it was simply was glass of punch and not a big hammer."

"Stop smiling, this isn't funny. Armaan is probably furious at you right now? You had no right to do that to him. Is that how people welcome guest in India? It hasn't even been a week since he's back, and you managed to put him at the public's disposal. A lady does not wander around throwing beverages on people. I thought I raised you better than that!"

"Well, you thought wrong Papa! The thing is you didn't raise me at all." With that, she took the paper, and stomped to her room.

Shashank sighed. A small tear formed in the corner of his eye, but he quickly wiped it away. How was he ever going to make Riddhima understand? He was sorry that he was never there for his kids. He regretted every birthday he missed, every graduation, every concert, everything. But what was he supposed to do? He never wanted his kids to grow up like him. He had a hard life, struggling every moment. If he neglected his kids before, it was so that they could do whatever they wanted, achieved whatever they wanted to do.

He grew up the hard way. His father was a teacher, and his mother had passed away giving birth to him. One day, his father got thrown out of his job because he refused to take a bribe from a rich parent. He had always been a man of principles. After he refused, the wealthy man bribed the principle to fire him by accusing him of taking a bribe, and made it difficult for him to get a job. Once a respected man, he had lost everything. Soon, they were both on the streets. They had nothing left. Being a teacher, he tried to educate his son, but there was only so much he could of done. Soon, they moved from Delhi and came to Mumbai. His father still couldn't get a job as a teacher, but he did little jobs here and there so that his son could attend school. Shashank grew older and was determined to ruin the man that had taken away everything from his father. As the day passed by, he worked harder and harder. He had met Padma during college and got married quite fast. A couple of months after his wedding, his father bid them adieu. A few years later, Padma gave birth to a son, and he had decided to call him after his dad: Rahul. Five years after, Riddhima was born; Padma was thrilled. She had two adorable children, a loving husband, a house, what more can she want? Shashank too was really thrilled; he had a happy and loving family. He worked harder and harder to achieve his goal, but never forgot about his duties. He was a caring and a loving father and husband.

But one day, his world came crashing down. He had just received a call saying that his wife had had an accident. By the time he had reached the hospital, she had breathed her last breath. He didn't even have the chance to say goodbye. He asked about the detail about the accident and found out that the driver was drunk and had bribed the cops with a large sum, and gotten away with it. He was furious. He saw his picture and recognized him instantly; it was the boy whose father had taken away everything from them, and now he did it again. He despised them. On that day, he had vowed that he wouldn't rest in peace until his quest was fulfilled. He became a workaholic, he was at the office day and night; he sacrificed his whole life, so that he and his children would never be exposed to such injustice again.

After years of work, he had achieved the top. He ruined the family who took away everything from him. Finally, he was at peace. Though that day, when he came home, he realised the cost of his success. His children barely spoke to him, his son was somewhat indifferent towards him, but his baby girl hated him for never being there. He finally achieved his goal, but that night, he cried like no other nights. From that day, he tried slowly to get closer to his children, but all his attempts failed. He knew that he had lost them forever, but never gave up.

A few years earlier, Rahul had managed to dig up the truth when he was going through some files. He found some articles, and with the help of some old memories, he connected all the dots. He was always a bright child. From that day, Rahul realised the pain his father went through, and sympathized with him. All these day, they thought what happened to their mom was just an accident, and that the driver was punished. They were young then; he realised that they had failed as children to understand their father. Slowly, the bond between father and son grew stronger. However, Shashank made Rahul promise that they wouldn't reveal anything to his princess. He wanted to get her trust without anything. Rahul still had his mother and father for some time, he was much older, but Riddhima she probably does not have any memory of her mom, and he, her father, never gave her any memory worth remembering. His princess deserved so much more. Shashank never forgave himself for forgetting her, for neglecting her, for not holding her when she cried, for not reading her a bedtime story, or even just kissing her goodnight.

The day she had come to him, and told her she wanted to become a teacher, he was so proud of her, yet he was frightened. He didn't want his past to become his daughter's future. Yes, he was wealthy, and it was very unlikely, but still, deep down, the fright never went away. He didn't want to see his baby girl heartbroken. When he had disapproved of her career choice without giving her any plausible explanation, she completely stopped talking to him. The only way he would get a response out of her was if he tried to be an overprotective and controlling father; she would actually speak to him, or rather had no choice but to speak to him to defend herself. To her eyes, he was nothing but a wealthy monster who was obsessed with money, fame and glory.

Despite all his wealth, he remained, like his father, a man of principle. He never took and bribe, nor did he bribe anyone. He remained an honest man and was determined to stay that way. He was a good person.

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"Hello, Summit! Yeah, I know, I saw the paper. Don't I look dashing drenched in punch? Listen, I called you because, I wanted to know whether you knew where Riddhima works or not? You do? That's awesome man. So where is it? What do you mean you don't want to tell me?" Armaan was now annoyed at his friend.

"I want to make sure your intentions are honorable." Summit joked

"I plan to go there, and apologize for my conduct last Friday."

"Nope, Armaan, that is not honorable at all" he teased his friend.

"Is Nikki anywhere around you? Only she can make anyone say such things." Armaan was curious; he thought he just heard a giggle in the background.

"Armaan! How boring of you! You're just going to go there and say sorry. Now where is all the fun?" A shrill voice laughed on the other side of the phone.

"Thank you Nikki for screaming in my early morning, now what does your highness suggest me to do?"

"I think you should bring her a bouquet of flowers, and ask her out. I mean after the way you both were staring at each other, it's the obvious next step."

"I wasn't staring at anyone, I' Wait! Did you just say the way you BOTH were staring at EACH OTHER?"

"No, why would I say that?" Darn it, she thought, Riddhima was going to kill her if she found out that she blurted this little detail out.

"Nikki, don't lie, you said BOTH. So, when was she staring at me?"

"First, admit that you found her super pretty, beautiful, attractive and hot" She took advantage of the situation.

"Yes, I confess. I thought Riddhima was super pretty, beautiful, attractive and hot. Happy? Now answer me?"

"When you were coming down the stairs, and she works at Royal High, she teaches English to the 10^th grade."

"Nikki, I owe you one." He hung up, and zoomed out of the house. Guilt had been killing him for the past two days. He felt so bad about what he said to her. It was so unlike him. He had been analyzing the whole scenario and the only plausible explanation he came up with for his behaviour was that he was angry when he thought that she was a pretentious and proud person. He supposed that he was so attracted to her, that it crushed his hopes to think otherwise of her, and he threw his frustration at her.

He arrived at the institution. It was a normal High School, with a nice view around. He walked in, and used his charms to know the whereabouts about Riddhima. The receptionist pointed toward the left, and told him that her classroom is on the third floor, the first door on his left. He thanked her, and headed towards the stairways. As he arrived on the third floor, he recognized her voice; she had left the door open It sounded even better than the last time. He quietly peeked in and saw her back; she was writing something on the blackboard. Her hair was left open, and she wore a white three-quarter skirt with a pink top.

"Siddhant and Tamanna, stop talking and write down your notes." He heard her say, and saw that the two students were surprised that they had been caught when their teacher wasn't even looking. "Sorry Miss Gupta"

Without any further delay, he took a deep breath, and entered the classroom.

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"Good Morning Miss Gupta" All the students stoop up as their teacher entered the classroom.

"Good Morning" Riddhima smiled as she gestured them to sit down. She took a chalk and spelled the words Romanticism on the board. "So kids, today, we will attack something new, so who here can give me tell me what defined Romanticism. Yes Naina"

"Romanticism or the Romantic Era was a complex artistic, literary and intellectual movement that took place in the second half of the 18th century in Europe"

"Very good, now I assume you have all finished reading Pride and Prejudice. I gave you two extra weeks to finish it."

"Yes" Their voice in unison echoed across the silent classroom.

"Yuvi, now tell me, how do you think Austen's work fits in the Romantic Era?"

"I think that Jane Austen's uses her novel to empower woman, in some way. I mean before, woman had no legal status, or rights, and their opinion weren't really valued. But, in her novel, Austen presents the female protagonist as strong and intelligent, yet bewitching in a completely feminine way. She gives an independent mind to Elizabeth as a critic of the patriarchy of that time. She tries to create the ideal image of a woman. "

"Excellent. Does anyone else have another opinion? Yes Sapna."

"I agree with Yuvi that the novel embodies female power to some extent, but I think it can also be connected to all the young people of that time who were in some way revolting intellectually. I mean that they were become more and more aware of everything through books, and all. Their awareness leads them to break free from society's norms. So I think that Austen tries to show this through all the daughters. Jane being the one that would represent the old tradition, her being the one who is shy, sweet and not too clever, Elizabeth would be the one with the independent mind, Mary would be the intellectual one, and Kitty and Lydia are the ones that are flirty and frivolous. Jane was considered to be the prettiest, so in some way, this illustrates how she is the typical woman of that time. The other sisters break away from the norms of society."

"Good observation Sapna." Riddhima was proud of her students. They all had strong minds, and were able to analyze details from any book.

"Ok class, I want you guys to take out your notes, and copy the question I'll write one the board. You guys can pair up and answer them. If you are not finished, I want them done by next class." She went back to the board, and started writing down the questions After a few minutes, she heard some whispering.

"Siddhant and Tamanna, stop talking and write down your notes." She warned them without even turning her head.

"Sorry Miss Gupta"

Kids will always be kids. She remembered when she was their age, and how surprised she'd be when her teacher caught her talking without even turning her head. At 16, she probably though there were hidden cameras in the room, but now she understood what her teacher had meant by teacher's sixth sense. She was once again disturbed by some footsteps.

"Whoever's roaming around in class, please return to your seat right now."

"Yes, Miss Riddhima Gupta" a deep and manly voice answered her.

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Hi guys that was part 3, hope you guys enjoyed it, it's moving sort of slowly in the beginning, because I'm introducing the characters, and the story. Keep reading and Commenting!! xoxo- Alisha K