And then she said it!

PART 23

SNAPSHOTS OF THE PAST!
"I am home!" I declared happily
when I entered home, to be greeted
with a pillow in my face. Bewildered,
I yanked it off my face and found
Riddhima chasing Rahul while he
jumped on and off the sofa, dining
table chairs and others which were in
his way. Though shocked, that they
didn't even notice my presence, I
took a step ahead when she tripped
and landed in my arms.
"Whoa!! Easy, easy!!" I helped her to
her feet but she leaned on me,
gripping me for support and panting
heavily. "What's going on?" I asked
turning to Rahul when I realized she
was in no position to speak.
"Your wedding album" Rahul
mumbled, slightly breathless, holding
up the album which was in his hand.
I raised my brow at that while he
looked at her in wary, as if getting
ready to run if she made a slight
movement.
For the last one week since we
returned back to Hyderabad,
everything was back to normal, infact
better than before to be precise: the
striking factor being Riddhima. She
has changed for good in the last
couple of days. It was as if she had
let herself loosen up a bit. She was
slightly cheerful all the time and less
hesitant around me. I never knew
that talking a bit about her past
would do such that wonders to her.
We also made love every night since
then. Though the actions were same
and repetitive, I always felt
something new in the way we loved
each other. It was always able to
touch the inner chords of my heart
that I never knew existed. I didn't
know about her but I am completely
gone.
"Why are you being chased for that?
Can't you both sit and look at them
together." I wondered.
"Ask her." Rahul said, grinning.
When I looked down, Riddhima put a
strand of her hair behind her ear
and looked at me nervously, her
cheeks slightly aflame. I stared down
at her in amusement.
"Muski also sent a DVD with that
which has all the rough snaps which
were not included in the album."
She mumbled slowly. "And he is not
giving that DVD to me." She ended
with a complaint.
"Let's watch them together, then." I
said, not quite understanding what
she was speaking.
"No, no. We can't do that." She
added quickly while Rahul chuckled,
while I looked at them perplexed.
"In short those are the photos of you
both romancing." He completed it for
her.
"Romancing?" I wondered where that
had come from when we were
married. As far as I remember,
Riddhima hardly had the stamina in
her to stand that day, let alone
romancing.
"Woh.." She blushed slightly "the
snaps that the photographers clicked
infront of the mandap when we were
alone." She ended, lowering her eyes.
I grinned as I recalled the moments.
That was just after the wedding
when the photographers took snaps
of us after everyone had left for the
dinner. They had asked us to pose
for the camera, with me holding her
close or hugging her from behind. I
still remember her state when the
photographers said it was done. She
was completely red around her face.
Though I was slightly flushed too, I
enjoyed watching her trying to calm
her nerves down.
"I don't even know that such
photographs existed." Rahul whined.
"So I am not giving the album and
DVD to you unless you let me watch
them." He added obstinately. "If
Muski can see them, so can I."
I spotted the glint in his eyes and
wondered if he was deliberately
teasing her. It was confirmed a
moment later when he winked at me
while Riddhima was busy glaring
him. I shook my head at them. The
way Rahul and Riddhima bonded
with each other over the last one
week made me slightly jealous. She
was completely at ease with him at
bit more than she was with me. It
might be due to the calmness that
Rahul carries it with him.
Nevertheless I was happy for both of
them that they found new
companions for each other.
"No!!" Riddhima exclaimed, breaking
my thoughts.
I stood there in amusement watching
them fight. She turned red, with her
eyes throwing daggers at him which
kind of surprised both of us. Rahul
raised his brow at me slightly
concerned at her display of anger. I
thought for a while and did quick
math and then wondered if she was
in her PMS. I chuckled and shook my
head at him.
"If you don't give them to me now,"
she marched towards him, "You are
not going to have your lunch box
filled from tomorrow."
I grinned at him. She was right on
the target. Rahul had grown addicted
to her food that he almost stopped
going to cafeteria at the office.
"Okay then let's make a deal. I will
watch the album first if I have to
give you the DVD." He bargained.
Riddhima pondered over it for a
second and then agreed. A sulking
Rahul gave the DVD back to her
while she smirked at him and went
to the bedroom, probably to secure
it. I smacked his head and followed
her to our room.
"RIDDHIMA!!" No sooner did we
enter our room than we heard Rahul
shouting for her. She dropped the
disc and rushed back while I
wondered what was going on in the
house.
"You forgot to remind me of the
meeting!" Rahul half shouted and
half whined.
Riddhima shrugged her shoulders.
"You were the one fighting with me
for the last one hour." She almost
shouted back. I just gaped at them.
How did I miss the development in
their relationship or rather the
entertainment for the last couple of
days? It might be due to the reason
that I had to spend few extra hours
at the office due to the work load
after my shift.
While I just stared at her with my
mouth slightly open, Riddhima came
to me slightly concerned after Rahul
left. She then sat on the bed, lost in
her thoughts. I wondered if she had
any personality disorder. One minute
she was on the verge of losing her
temper and the next she was as calm
as a nun.
"What happened now?" I asked slowly
sitting beside her on the bed.
"Do you think Rahul would feel
offended since I shouted back at
him?" she asked.
I wanted to laugh out loud. How cute
can she get! With a wide grin, I
pecked her lips and hugged her
tight, almost choking her. With every
passing day I am only falling in
deeper for her. I couldn't help it.
Rahul called us later to inform that
he would be late and that we need
not wait for him for dinner. I took a
quick shower while Riddhima got the
food ready. While she was arranging
the table, I placed the DVD in the
player and sat on the sofa waiting to
see how the snaps would be like. But
then thought otherwise and put in
on pause.
"Riddhima, let's have dinner in the
living room, watching the DVD." I
told her. When she nodded, I helped
her move the plates and few dishes
to the table in the living room. I
settled back on the sofa and waited
for her to join me so we could watch
them together.
"Armaan, I will have a quick shower
and come. Till then you watch the
album." She said and gave me the
photo album. She turned to go to the
bedroom but then turned back
again. "Don't start the DVD without
me, okay?"
I chuckled at her words. "Five
minutes exactly. If you don't come
back by then, I will start the disk." I
replied. I looked at the watch in my
mobile. "Your time starts now." I
added and smirked when she ran
back to the bed room.
Meanwhile, I slid down to sit on the
carpet and looked at the cover of the
album. It had the snap of me tying
yellow mangalsutra around her neck
with me grinning down at her while
she had her eyes closed with a
serene smile. I smiled at the photo.
It's a wonderful art, capturing the
golden moments in the camera and
these photographers-whosoever they
were- have done an amazing job.
One glance at this photo and anyone
could tell how happy we were at that
moment.
The photographs covered each and
every moment of our wedding, right
from us reaching the hall to us
leaving it after the dinner. Despite
the chaos and sleepless nights,
everyone had smiles on their faces;
the biggest ones being on
Riddhima's and Rahul's for the
obvious reasons. I might not
understand the depth of their
emotions of that day but I could
realize the importance it held in
their lives. And then there was me,
with a stupid grin on my face.
Looking at the snaps, I couldn't help
but wonder what made me that
happy that day. May be it was the
aura of Indian Weddings!
"Armaan, you didn't start the disk,
did you?" Riddhima's voice broke my
chain of thoughts.
Craning my neck, I noticed that the
door of the bedroom was still closed.
Supposing that she was putting on
her clothes - fighting the temptation
to sneak a peek- I closed the album
and stretched my legs. Grinning at
the idea that suddenly popped up in
my head, I replied back. "Riddhima,
it's been 15 minutes that you went
for bath. And now I am going to start
the disk in 10 seconds." And with
that I started the countdown, my
dirty brain somewhere imagining a
towel clad Riddhima running out of
the room.
"Four; three; two an--" The word
stuck in my throat when she literally
flew out of the room.
My heart beat suddenly increased as
if it was crazy as my eyes took in her
appearance. With my mouth still
hanging open from the unuttered
word, I let my gaze slide down her
body. Few strands of her hair were
hanging loose from whatever bun she
had tied them into, with a curl or
two sticking to her slightly wet
forehead and cheeks. And then came
the best part of her attire. I didn't
know where and how she finds all my
unused clothes and this time my old
black kurta clung to her petite body.
I knew that she prefers my shirts to
her T-shirts while going to bed but
this time her night pant went
missing. And I was not complaining.
After all her missing piece of clothes
provided my eyes with a feast of her
bare legs; all thanks to that kurta of
mine which ended just below her
mid thighs. In spite of having access
to her bare body almost every day, I
couldn't help the reactions of my
body. And when I looked up, I
noticed her holding a comb in one
hand and the two mangalsutras -
black and yellow- in the other, the
expression on her face kind of a
mixture of shock and surprise. When
I grinned at her, she stomped her
feet and went back to the bedroom.
While my brain took off to imagining
how it would have been had
Riddhima appeared only in a towel,
she returned back; her hair loosely
held by a band and her night pant
accompanying the kurta. She then
surprised me by sitting between my
out-stretched legs, leaning her back
against my chest. Taken by surprise
at her slightly bold attempt, it took
me a couple of moments to respond.
I thought she would settle beside me
as always and hence it was slightly
unexpected. She, sure, was full of
surprises.
She might have noticed my lack of
response for she turned around to
face me. "Sorry, I thought you
wanted me to sit-I don't know why I-"
She stammered, her cheeks filling up
with colour and started moving away.
But before she could, I snaked my
hands around her waist and pulled
her closer. "I like it this way." I
murmured in her ear, kissing her
nape. It felt really good, I sighed
placing my chin on her shoulder. She
leaned back placing her hands above
mine and relaxed against me.
"Armaan?"
"Hmm" I mumbled, still lost in the
moment, my hands slowly finding
their way inside her kurta.
"The video is started." She
whispered, somehow arching her neck
back.
"Then, watch it." I whispered back,
caressing her earlobe with my lips
slowly while my palms fondled her
waist under the kurta.
The crackling sound of the plate
falling down startled us. Looking
around, it took me a couple of
moments to realize that it had fallen
off the table due to me stretching my
leg further. Hearing a soft giggling
sound, I looked down to find her
trying to refrain her giggles. My lips
curled up involuntarily watching her.
I never knew that just a normal
evening could be this beautiful. But
sitting on the floor with her in my
arms, both of us smiling, I wondered
if this was what people called as a
perfect evening.
Riddhima slid away from my arms
and served food in a plate. When she
offered the plate to me, I took the
plate and pulled her back to me. I
started the disk from the start and
wrapped my hands around her while
she held the plate. When she looked
up at me confused, I pecked her
nose and said, "One plate is enough.
Why waste another one?"
She just smiled and relaxed against
me as we watched the photos
together and ate the food. As
expected, the first few photographs
were the ones from the wedding with
us standing in different poses,
sometimes holding hands and
sometimes hugging. I laughed
watching a red Riddhima towards the
last photograph. The rest of them
were the other photographs from the
wedding.
"Let's go in." I told her when we
finished our dinner. She smiled shyly
at me realizing the underlying
implication in my statement.
Ofcourse that was true. I was pretty
much turned on, god knows how!
"Muski also sent one more DVD." She
said and I sighed. One more?! "She
said it was her wedding gift for me."
She added which caught my
attention. She then placed the other
DVD in the player and settled back
with me.
I was pleasantly surprised when the
first photograph was that of a very
young mom and dad holding a tiny
baby-which was me. Dad was kissing
my tiny palm while mom was staring
at us. I never saw the photo; so
supposed it was with Shashank
uncle. The next one had mom trying
to bathe me with Sudha aunty sitting
beside her. The following ones were
also the same: each one of them
depicting my childhood.
Looking down, I found Riddhima
staring at them in awe. True, I never
knew they existed. And then I saw
one tear rolling down her cheek.
"Riddhima?" I turned her face
around.
She wiped it away and smiled at me.
"Sorry, I didn't know why." She said
and turned back to the TV. "You are
so cute and so tiny." She added.
I hugged her closer and chuckled.
"Babies are supposed to be tiny." I
kissed her lips and wondered how
she had been in her childhood.
Riddhima wriggled out of my hold. "I
have something to show you." Her
eyes filled with excitement, she ran
back to the bed room. Shrugging my
shoulders, I followed her after
switching the lights off.
Entering the room, I saw Riddhima
sitting on the floor infront of the
wardrobe opening some kind of a
cardboard box. I sat on the bed
wondering what she was doing. She
pulled out an envelope and jumped
to the bed, her every action
screaming enthusiasm. I couldn't
help but chuckle at her. It was a rare
sight to watch. She then handed me
the envelope.
Opening it, I saw few photographs in
it. When I pulled out and stared at
the baby in the photo, it didn't take
me more than a second to realize
who it was. Baby Riddhima was
staring right back at me from the
photograph with a lollypop in her
mouth. I smirked realizing she was
wearing a khakhi shorts. She and her
inclination for men's shorts!!
"The warden at the orphanage took
them. I took them when I left the
orphanage." She said while I
watched the photographs. She was
always alone in the photographs
unlike me where I was surrounded by
my family. I felt a tug in my heart
when I looked at her. She just smiled
at me and I knew that she
understood what I was thinking.
I was about to put them aside when
a particular photograph caught my
attention. It was a photograph with
Riddhima in a saree with a man
holding her by her shoulders. While
she was smiling, he was grinning at
the camera. For a moment I
wondered who he was and then it
struck me.
"That's Sohail." She said hesitatingly.
"It was the photograph when we
were married." She added in a small
voice.
One look at the man and I knew I
hated him. The initial hatred was
due to the way in which he held her
but the latter one and the stronger
one was for what he had done to her.
May be it was the jealousy. I didn't
know what kind of relationship they
shared except that she didn't let him
touch her. And the mere fact gave
me an odd sense of pleasure. I might
sound mean but I didn't know when
and why I had developed this loathe
towards the person I hardly knew.
Whatever it was, I was just not
comfortable. But then she didn't talk
much about her past. Okay to put it
right: I never asked her about her
past.
"He married me when I was 20." She
said when I raised my head.
By the cracking in her voice I knew it
wasn't something that she wanted to
talk about. So I threw those photos
aside and hugged her closer before
we lay down on the bed. "It's okay.
You need not tell me."
Though her eyes were filled with
tears, she shook her head. "I want
you to know." She snuggled closer
while I wiped her tear away with my
thumb. "I met him when I was in my
final year of bachelor's degree. He
came to the orphanage as a part of
some community service in the
company he was working for. He was
the first man who talked to me
without staring at my body. So I
couldn't help but adore him."
My hold on her tightened
involuntarily at her words. I didn't
like the way she uttered those words.
And I didn't want to know if she was
in love with him.
"I knew I was not supposed to dream
big but couldn't help them when he
taught me to dream big. I was happy
and content in the world I built
around him. I didn't dare utter any
word to him for I knew my limitations
as an orphan. But one day my joy
knew no bounds when he told me
that he wanted to marry me." She
laughed, with few more tears spilling
out.
I didn't understand what to do. I
just kissed her tears away and
couldn't help but ask. "Were you in
love in him?" I dreaded the answer
and wished I hadn't asked the
question. But she just buried her
face in my neck and my heart sank to
my belly at her silence.
"Though his family agreed
reluctantly, I knew they were against
our marriage. He encouraged me to
study after our marriage and I
completed my degree with his
support in spite of his family's
hesitance. Though his parents
taunted me, he stood by me. I
almost worshiped him for giving me a
beautiful life. I was so happy." She
drew back and looked at me. "But
then all of a sudden, he just left me.
No words, no letters. I waited for him
to come counting each and every day
but he never did. I was broken
beyond repair when I realized I was
abandoned." She hiccuped hugging
me tight.
It was then I understood why she
was always under an illusion that I
would leave her. He did not just
leave her, he also took all the trust
she had developed for people around
her. He opened the gateway for her
to live and just when she started
embracing it he snatched it back
brutally.
"I want to believe when you say that
would never leave me. I trust you
but I-" She whispered but I cut her
short by placing my lips on hers.
I didn't know how much time it
would take for her to believe in my
words, but I was ready to promise
her with my presence in her life
every single day. After all, I was in
love with her!!
That's it for today! Please vote! -Isha