And then she said it!

PART 25

FACING THE UNEXPECTED!
"Armaan, how many shirts shall I
put? 4 or 5?"
I heard Riddhima ask for fifth time
that evening and let out a loud sigh.
She had been packing and unpacking
the same bag for the last one hour.
It was Wednesday evening and I
booked for a late evening flight to
leave for Darjeeling. She had been
hyper active since the last two days
and her enthusiasm is almost
infectious; so much that even Rahul
started fretting over our packing. If
left to me, I would allow her to put
three pairs each. Hell, I would prefer
no clothes at all!
"Do you think two sweaters are
enough?" Riddhima asked once again,
her cheerful voice cutting through
my line of thoughts.
"When I am with you, do you think
you need sweaters to keep you
warm?" I drawled out and that
caught her immediate attention. Her
sweater came with jet speed and
kissed my face an instant later. I lay
back on the bed and chuckled,
mentally recalling all the things I
would like to do for the next five
days.
Ever since I showed her the tickets a
month back, Riddhima had been
literally counting days. We made the
hotel bookings and hired a car for
the local travel through an agent.
She jumped in delight when she told
mom and Muski about our trip. My
heart warmed immediately watching
her happy. Oh how much she missed
happiness for the last 24 years! I was
determined to give her all that she
deserved: happiness and my love.
And I had also planned to tell her,
when we were in our honeymoon,
that I loved her. I am still not sure if
my words would make any impact on
her for we had been happily married
for over four months now. Many a
time, people remarked that we are a
couple very much in love. But
anyways, I decided to let it out of my
heart. The more I carried it, the
more difficult it became.
"What are you thinking?" She patted
my knee and I sat up on the edge of
the bed.
"Just wondering what is there in the
parcel Muski sent you." I whispered
as I pulled her between my thighs.
There was this parcel delivered a
week back for her and she very deftly
kept it away from me.
"That's for me, confidential." She
added, as she put her hands around
my neck and smiled at me, slowly
caressing my nape. Oh how much I
love that caress!
"Done with packing?" I asked as I
drew her closer wrapping my hands
around her waist.
She nodded. "When will we leave?"
She asked again running her fingers
in my scalp.
"In an hour, as soon as Rahul comes
home." I said, suddenly feeling
drowsy under her massage. I rested
my head against her belly and
sighed. Riddhima and I managed to
office early and Rahul offered to drop
us at the airport. We were waiting for
him to return from the office.
"Hey! Uh-sorry." Riddhima jumped
away from me as we heard Rahul's
voice. I turned to Rahul and he
grinned at me. "So, ready to leave?"
He asked, thumping my shoulder.
"Packed everything?" He then asked
Riddhima.
She nodded. "I will change my dress
and then we can leave." Saying so
she went to the washroom while I
grabbed my jacket and left the room
with Rahul, looking forward to the
exciting 5 days alone with Riddhima
It was 11pm in the night when we
reached the hotel we had booked in
Darjeeling. And in spite of wrapping
herself in a woolen shawl, Riddhima
was shivering from cold. I collected
the room keys, took the brochure for
sight-seeing and rushed to the room
pulling her with me. The room itself
was very cozy: dim lit and filled with
wooden furniture. I was surprised at
not finding a fan or AC in the room.
But then chuckled at my stupidity. I
told Riddhima to change her clothes
and went into the washroom to
change mine.
By the time I stepped out of the
washroom, even I was shivering a bit.
Surprised at finding Riddhima sitting
on the chair beside her bed, I threw
my clothes on the table and went to
her. I smiled at her pale face,
trembling lips and cluttering teeth.
She was a scene to watch. The
moment she spotted me, she rushed
to me and held me tight. I walked
back to the bed with her clinging to
me and the next instant she pulled
the blanket and buried herself in it.
I chuckled at her and stretched out
beside her.
"It is so cold." She mumbled after a
moment.
Smiling,I pulled her closer to me.
"Let's see if you are not warm in a
few minutes." I whispered in her ear
and nibbled on her earlobe.
She sighed and there was no
stopping. I nuzzled her neck, my
hand slowly lifting her kurta to her
waist. She let out a loud gasp when
my cold palm brushed her warm skin
at her navel. She arched back and
whimpered when I nipped at the
skin on her nape. Slowly, I shifted
my attention to her throat and felt
her erratic pulse at the base. When
my palm on her waist moved
upwards she turned to me and her
lips met mine the next second. She
threaded her fingers in my hair while
I kissed her.
After helping her remove the kurta, I
kissed her chin and covered her body
with mine. I almost groaned at the
friction of our bodies touching. She
snaked her hands around my neck
and held me tight when my lips
moved down her throat. She
quivered yet again when my lips
caressed her front and I knew her
tremors are not from cold but from
need. When my lips trailed further
south, she pulled me up by fisting
my hair and sealed my lips with hers.
When I pulled back abruptly, she
whined and opened her eyes with a
frown on her forehead. Balancing my
weight on my elbows, I stared at her
with a grin.
"You are sweating." I whispered,
when she looked at me in daze.
It took a couple of seconds for my
words to penetrate into her foggy
brain. When they did, her eyes
widened and her already flushed face
turned deep red. I just laughed at
her. She slapped my back and
opened her mouth but I swallowed
all her protests with a deep kiss.
And amidst my laughter and her half
hearted struggles to push me away,
what followed was a pure bliss. Ah! I
am already in love with my
honeymoon!
"Riddhima, its freezing out here." I
shouted slightly irritated when she
paid no heed to my words. I sighed.
It was almost the same for the last
three days. Be it in Darjeeling or
here at Manali, she preferred staying
out till late in the evening. When
she had enough, she would snuggle
closer to me like a creeper whining
about the cold until we both were
soaked in sweat and passion. We had
come to an agreement that the
planning for the day would be hers
and the night would be mine, which
worked well for both of us.
Giving up on trying to get her walk
back to our hotel, I pulled the
camera out and started clicking her
pictures. She was so focused on her
design of the snow man that she
didn't even notice when I placed a
woolen cap on her head, covering
her ears. I sat back on the bench
and stared at her. The sun was
setting down and the light from the
lantern mixed with the golden-yellow
sunlight made her hair shine, making
her appear as a blonde. Her face was
pale with her nose slightly pink. She
was almost drowned in her layered
thermal that fell down to her knees.
Her palms were covered with gloves, I
was thankful for that.
"Armaan, can I have your stole?" She
didn't even wait for my answer, just
pulled the stole from around my
neck and wrapped it around her
snowman. She wiped the snow from
her clothes and stood beside it and
beamed at me. "How is it?" she
asked. She appeared just like a kid
waited for a huge compliment. I
clicked a picture of hers and smiled.
"Just like you." I drawled and pulled
her into my arms. "Now we'll go
back." I said, pecking her lips.
She tensed slightly when we got into
the car, I looked at her confused but
pushed it aside. Unlike her
chattering self as she had been for
the last three days, she was
unusually calm. Taking it as a sign
for her exhaustion, I asked the
receptionist to send our dinner to
our room and made our way to the
elevator.
Once we entered the room, she gave
me a nervous smile and rushed to
the washroom. I scratched my chin
staring at the washroom door.
Couple of minutes back she was high
in spirits and all of a sudden she was
nervous. Shrugging my shoulders, I
pulled my nightclothes from the bag
and waited for her to come out.
The dinner arrived, I watched 1 hour
news bulletin, talked to Rahul and
mom but Riddhima was still in the
washroom. I even changed into my
nightclothes. I walked to the
washroom and knocked the door.
"Riddhima, are you there?" I asked.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah yeah, fine. I am just coming
out." She said hurriedly and a
minute later the door opened,
revealing a slightly flushed Riddhima
with a robe secured tightly around
her body. "I forgot to take my
clothes." She mumbled, when I
raised my brow at her.
She rushed past me to the dinner
placed on the table and started
serving our dinner. She fumbled with
every bowl and smiled too many
times at me. She talked about the
roads in Manali, the hotel room in
Darjeeling and our house maid back
in Hyderabad, never giving me a
chance to speak. She sat across from
me and never looked into my eyes.
Overall, she was acting weird.
She rushed back to the washroom
the moment we had finished our
dinner. I sat on the bed, waiting for
her, wondering what was happening.
Before I could give it one more
thought, I heard the door click.
And what I saw took my breath away.
Leaning against the door was a sexy
Riddhima clad in an ever sexier lacy
transparent black chemise that did
nothing to hide her treasures.
Moreover, it ended a good inches
above her mid-thighs only enhancing
what she had. And with the slow and
hesitating steps she took towards
me, she had me undone.
"Are you planning to give me a heart
failure?" I whispered as I pulled her
slowly towards me and trapped her
with my arms around her. That
action only made my heart pound
more. Her back was bare under my
palms. I lowered one of my palms
and sighed in satisfaction when I felt
the silk only just above her hips. Her
back was all available to me.
"I wanted to surprise you." She
replied and hid her face in my neck.
When she tried pressing more into
me, I drew her back and held her
away from me. "Not so fast. Let me
have a good look at you first." I
winked and chuckled when her face
turned red. "Where did you get this
from?" I asked as I ran my hands
over her curves ever so lightly, just
the pads of my fingers.
"Muski bought it for me after our
wedding." She breathed out as she
held my shoulders, when I dipped
my head to nuzzle her neck.
"So that courier packet contained
this?" It was more of a statement
than a question.
She gasped and then sighed when I
took her into my mouth and nipped
at her sensitive skin.
"Why did you leave it at Bangalore
then?" I asked as I pushed one of the
straps off her shoulder.
"I wasn't sure about it then." Her
voice was muffled but I heard her all
the same. And much more. "I know I
don't have a perfect body."
I knew she had shed last of her
inhibitions with this act. And I was
glad. I also knew it might have taken
all of her courage to flaunt her body
in that sexy thing given her
preference for conservative dressing.
But she had done that for me, I
sighed as I felt my chest swell. I took
immense pride in the fact that she
would have never done such a thing
for anybody else. For the rest of our
life, she was mine.
"Your body is perfect, Riddhima." I
turned her around and left earthy
kisses along her nape and back
down, feasting upon her bare back.
She started trembling.
"Is it? Don't you think my breasts are
small? Am I not too tall for a girl?
My legs are too long and I don't have
much flesh on my body." She
murmured as I nibbled on her
earlobe.
"It would have killed me if you had
anything better." I drawled as I
cupped her curves with my palms
and gave her a deep kiss. "You have
the right things at the right place in
the right amount."
She let out a startled squeal when I
carried her to the bed. When I
settled beside her, I was overcome
with the strange feeling of
contentment. Her face was flushed,
her lips swollen and eyes glazed.
That one piece on her body that
barely covered her body was settled
in a heap at her waist and she was
looking at me in daze. In that very
moment, I wanted to tell her I loved
her but was lost in the same love for
her when she drew me by my
shoulders and sealed our lips. And
with that I lost all my ability to
think.
I lay on the bed staring at the
ceiling, trying to gain my senses
back. What happened a couple of
minutes back almost blinded me. The
feelings were so intense that they
almost scared me to death. I had
never felt such deep emotions for
anyone and this little woman in my
arms had done me inside out. Earlier
I thought I could tell her I loved her
and would wait for her to realize her
feelings. But now, for some strange
reason, I wanted her to crave for me
just the way I did for her. I wanted
her to feel these deep emotions just
as I had felt. And I wanted her to
love me just the way I love her.
"Armaan?" Her voice dragged me out
of my thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"I wanted to talk about'.I mean how
much more time before'I thought
maybe'."
I ran my hand along her spine as I
heard her stammer. "What is it,
Riddhima?" I stopped my
ministrations and looked down at
her.
"When can we plan for a baby?" Her
body turned rigid when she finally
forced the words out.
And I was stunned for a moment.
And then smiled. I never thought
about it seriously. Ever since we
made love in that cottage in
Bangalore, we had been taking
precautions for I didn't want to jump
in to have a baby before I finally
understood her. Lost in getting
comfortable with each other, I never
realized that we didn't even have a
serious chat about a baby. How weird
does that sound? And now it was
almost 5 months that we have been
married and finally she brought it
out before me. I wonder how many
days she had been pondering about
the very same thing before she
talked about it. Though there was a
pinch of uncertainty in me about
having a baby soon, one look at her
eager face and I couldn't tell her
what was in my mind. She was
staring at me with her heart in her
eyes. I knew one wrong word and it
would break her, for she appeared
extremely fragile and vulnerable at
the moment.
"Soon," I smiled at her and she
released the breath she was holding.
"I want a boy." She said slowly,
hiding her face in my neck.
I squeezed her in my arms and
kissed her forehead. From what I
have understood of her, I could
imagine why she wanted a baby
soon. A baby might have been her
vision of a secure relationship with
me. Though she never showed any
signs of insecurity in last couple of
months, I knew she was still holding
on to a small thread of uncertainty.
If a baby could get her past that, I
wouldn't refuse it.
"Why? What plans do you have with
him?" I asked as I rolled her on to
her back and blanketed her body.
"Quite a few." She whispered and
kissed me, pulling me closer. And I
knew she didn't want to reveal her
plans for me.
"What do you want tomorrow?" I
asked, kissing her cheek.
"Do you know how far Shimla is from
Manali?" she asked, fisting my hair in
her fingers when nibbled her chin.
"Not sure, why?" I drew back and
looked down at her.
"4 hours. Can we go there?" She
asked looking straight into my eyes.
"You want to go to Shimla?" I
questioned.
She nodded. "Only if you want to."
She added.
Since our return flight is in the
evening the day after tomorrow, I
didn't find any fault with going to
one more place. Moreover, I wouldn't
have refused anything she asked me
tonight.
"Sure. I'll find out if the same cab
driver would drive us there." I said
and her eyes twinkled. The next
moment she gave me a loud wet kiss.
"If I get this for taking you out
somewhere, I would resign my job
and take you all over the world." I
quipped as I drew her in for a
proper kiss.
I wondered where we were when
Riddhima asked the cab driver to
stop the car near a small two storied
building. I almost turned to ask her
but then thought otherwise and kept
mum. The entire day had been a
roller coaster ride.
First, she was excited at the mere
thought of visiting Shimla. She didn't
even let me sleep till 7 in the
morning. She dragged me out of bed,
pushed me into the washroom and
commanded me to get ready fast. You
are right, it is 'commanded'!
And then all of a sudden she turned
mute and distant. She barely talked
to me, replied in monosyllables and
had been slightly cranky the whole
journey. I wondered if she was the
same Riddhima. I even doubted if
she was in her PMS, but dismissed
the thought after few math. She had
very little lunch, seldom smiled. But
then she never ceases to surprise
me, does she?
And now we are standing infront of
this building, with her staring
intently at it. For the past one hour,
since she had given the directions
for the driver, I had been bugging
her to let me know where we were
going. All I got in reply was a stare,
so unusual that I decided it was
better to wait till she wants to speak.
I don't want to spoil our honeymoon
on the last day, do I?
"This is the place where I stayed for
22 years of my life." I would have
missed hearing her words had I not
been gazing at her. Her voice was
low and gruff with emotions. "Stella
Mary Orphanage." She added.
Now that explained everything yet
nothing.
I gave her a small smile full of
questions about our sudden visit to
this place. But this visit had been
sudden for me, and now that I recall
her actions, I knew she had been
planning on visiting this place.
"Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly. If
this would pique her insecurities or
her distant nature, then I was sure I
didn't want to step inside.
She slipped her hand into mine,
which I gladly held. I didn't know if
she was seeking strength or support
but anyhow I wanted to give both.
"As long as you are there, yes." She
replied with a faint smile.
And that was all I needed. I grinned
at her gave her a side hug. I
couldn't help it. I let her lead the
way.
The moment I stepped in, I noticed
that though the building is small, it
had a huge ground adjacent to it.
We spotted few kids, who first looked
at our faces and then at our hands
and finally their gaze settled on her
handbag. Their eyes held an unusual
hope that it made me unsteady for a
moment. They expected us to get
something for them. The thought
that she might have been in the
same situation some years ago didn't
go good with me.
While I stood contemplating what I
was supposed to do, Riddhima pulled
out a small cover from her hand bag
and signaled for the kids come to
her. Their eyes twinkled and they ran
towards her when she unwrapped
the packet and held out the
chocolates for them. I was slightly
surprised for I didn't know when she
had bought the chocolates.
"Riddhima, is that you?" We heard a
voice and turned around to face an
old lady in a white saree, adjusting
her thick-rimmed glasses on her
nose.
"Nanny!!" Riddhima flung her arms
around the lady and hugged her
tight.
"Oh Riddhi!! I never thought I would
meet you again!" She exclaimed and
held her, her eyes already filled with
tears.
I stood still not understanding what
I was supposed to do. But before I
could give it a thought, a tight blow
came in my face.
"Is he Sohail, your husband?" The
lady asked, squinting her eyes at me
which I supposed was to get a better
look at me, shocking both of us. "I
knew he would realize his mistake
and take you back."
Too shocked to speak anything, I
watched as Riddhima's face turned
pale all the blood draining off her
face.
"No aunty, uh nanny." I replied for I
knew Riddhima was in no state to
answer. "I am Armaan. We are
married recently." I added.
"Oh I am so sorry. Forgive me. I
didn't know." She apologized as she
patted my arm, her face worried.
"You can also call me nanny.
Everyone does." She added.
I gave her a reluctant smile. For the
first time since our marriage, I
realized that I would be referred to
as Riddhima's second husband. It
left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Though I knew she was married once,
I least expected such situation given
the fact that she had cut her earlier
life off.
Though nanny was talking something
to her, Riddhima had her gaze fixed
on me, her posture still and rigid. I
knew she was asking me for some
sign that it would be alright and that
I am fine with it. I didn't know what
made me uncomfortable. But
uncomfortable I was. May be it was
just in my head, I thought as I
walked to Riddhima and stood beside
her. She just stared at me with her
face devoid of any expressions. I
wound my arm around her shoulder
and gave her a gentle squeeze and
rubbed her arm to relax her or
myself, I didn't know. But we both
were together in it, I am sure of that.
And unlike the last time when I ran
away from her when I came to know
her past before our wedding, I didn't
want to avoid facing it. If there was
anything I had learnt from Riddhima,
it was to face any situation with
fierce determination. Leave the rest
aside. And that was what I did. I
gave her a smile and she relaxed.
"Riddhima is with the kids upstairs."
I heard nanny's voice and turned
around. "She will be down in a few
moments."
"That's -uh- That's fine." I said
awkwardly, though all I wanted to do
was leave the place and go back to
our hotel. I thought we would stay
for a couple of hours and leave but it
had been more than 5 hours. And we
had even had our dinner at nanny's
insistence. "Riddhima is very happy now. I can
see that." She said and took a seat
infront of me. And I knew that it was
a start of conversation.
But her words helped relaxing me for
I heard the sincerity in her voice. I
smiled and nodded.
"Thank you." She said and I was
startled. I didn't expect her to be
this caring for Riddhima.
"No no. Please don't mention -" I
started only to be cut by her.
"I mean it." She said placing her
hand on mine and patting it. "After
all she had been through, I didn't
expect to see her in such a good
state." She added, her voice shaking.
I nodded. And the silence prevailed
in the small room until I decided to
break it one of my deep concerns.
"Nanny, were you there with
Riddhima when she was - I mean
when she tried to - I mean when she
attempted suicide?" I managed to
complete the question and sighed. It
was more difficult than I had
thought.
"Yes, I was. I was the one who took
care of her and made sure she stayed
safe and alive." She said. Her face
had a faraway look. "She was in deep
depression then but didn't mean any
harm to herself or others. But please
don't let it come between your lives.
Riddhima, as you can see, is
perfectly fine now. She was
completely cured from her trauma."
She hastily added.
I almost smiled at the way she
defended Riddhima. I wondered if it
would be the same had Riddhima
had a family and I was to talk to her
mother. But then this nanny
appeared more or less the same.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt her, ever. I
just wanted to know about her past,
now that we are here." I said,
squeezing her hand and assuring her
of the same.
She was silent for a moment and
then started speaking. "Riddhima
had been an unusual child from her
childhood. She was silent,
undemanding and always yielding.
She carried an aura of calmness
around her that drew people towards
her. And as you might have noticed
she is very beautiful," She said "even
as a child." She added with a
chuckle. "And the same beauty
became her discomfort gradually. I
made a mistake when I decided to
let a couple adopt her when she was
13 years." She stopped and looked at
me. From her confusion I knew why
she was hesitating.
"Riddhima told me that her adopted
father tried to assault her." I said
slowly.
She sighed. "And that incident left a
deep mark on her innocent heart.
She begged me to let her study in
girl's school. But I knew that she
would never be able to overcome her
fear unless she faces it. When she
stopped asking me for changing her
school, I thought she was
comfortable with boys. But she
withdrew completely from men since
then. She developed immense fear
for them. She used to stammer and
fumble when she had to be around
them. And then Sohail came into her
life." She paused to look at me. When
I blinked at her to continue, she did.
"I met him only twice or thrice but I
was pleasantly surprised at the
change I saw in Riddhima's
personality when he was around her.
There was a hope for future in her
eyes that I had never witnessed in
her. And I was happy for her. He
encouraged her to study and helped
in building her confidence. I heard
that he was a good person and was
glad when she told me that he
wanted to marry her."
"Did you meet his family?" I asked
when she paused.
"I met them only once before
wedding. They didn't seem very
happy with Riddhima but Sohail had
been adamant on marrying her. I
was somehow convinced that he
would stand by her. For the first time
I observed Riddhima behaving like a
young girl dreaming about her life
and couldn't say no to him. And that
was my blunder for which I could
never forgive myself." She said,
wiping her tears with saree.
"What happened after that?"
"Riddhima came back to the
orphanage three months after her
wedding with a small bag. One look
at her and I knew she wasn't the
same Riddhima. She was pale and
thin, and her eyes lost that hope
that I had noticed in her. I didn't
know what had happened between
them. A private hotel taxi service
dropped her here and left. Infact she
didn't even speak to me or anyone
for more than a week. She just hid
herself in her room. Finally after two
months, a lady from Sohail's office
told that he had left for London with
his family. And that day Riddhima
broke down in my arms and cried for
an entire night until her eyes had
dried up. It was then she told me
that Sohail had left her forever."
I felt a lump in my throat and had to
swallow it. My eyes also started
stinging and I felt my heart wither in
pain.
"The next day she attempted suicide
by swallowing pills. We admitted her
in a hospital and the doctor referred
her to a psychologist. It took more
than an year for her to come out of
her trauma and depression. And
when she was, she had lost her
belief in people around her. I didn't
want to force anything upon her but
she overheard my conversation with
a guy who wanted to marry her. And
that was when she swallowed pills
again. And then I understood one
thing. She would never be the same
again. I dismissed the thought of
getting her married and promised
her the same. I tried to divert her
mind onto her studies and
encouraged her to study for CAT. I
didn't want to send her to Bangalore
when she got a seat in some college
but for the first time I saw a fire in
her to get back to her normal self
and realized that she had been
genuinely trying. I tried to be in
touch with her when she left for
Bangalore but somehow she
detached herself even from me. On
our last conversation, she told me
that she had found a friend and that
she would be fine."
I wondered if that friend was my
mom or Muski. But then it didn't
matter.
"I am sorry. I was just talking to few
girls." I heard Riddhima's voice and
had to blink back the sting in my
eyes. She sat beside me and held my
hand giving me a small smile.
"Nanny, there are no male workers
now?" She asked hesitantly.
"No Riddhima. All the workers here
are mid-aged ladies." Nanny told. "I
have learned from my mistakes." She
added. Riddhima shifted
uncomfortably in the chair.
"Shall we leave, Armaan?" Riddhima
asked me.
"Now?" Nanny exclaimed before I
could answer. "It's almost 11 pm.
Why don't you stay here and leave in
the morning?" She asked.
"No uh.. We'll take a cab." I said
skeptically when Riddhima didn't
speak anything.
"It is risky driving the hair-pin roads
in the night." Nanny said. "I know
we don't have extra beds right now,
but I could arrange a cot for you."
She added, looking at me.
"No, that's not a problem." I said
quickly. I turned to look at Riddhima.
"Shall we stay?" I asked Riddhima.
She appeared to be in deep thought
for a few moments and then nodded.
Nanny smiled at us.
"Riddhima can sleep with me along
with the girls. I will ask another
maid to arrange for a cot. Most of
the boys sleep outside in the porch
towards the ground. You can sleep
there or here." She left the choice to
me and turned around to leave.
"I'll sleep with the boys in the
porch." I said before she left the
room.
I turned to Riddhima and sighed.
"How am I to sleep without you,
Riddhima?" I asked as I pulled her
into a hug.
She hugged me tight instantly. She
was stiff for a few moments but then
relaxed when I rubbed her back
slowly. "Thank you Armaan." She
spoke into my chest.
I drew back and lifted her face
upwards. Her face was pale but her
eyes were calm. She smiled at me
then. And I somehow knew that
everything is fine. I smiled back and
gently brushed my lips against hers.
When I looked back at her, I was
satisfied to see the color back on her
face. I touched my lips to her
forehead and let them linger there
for a few seconds. She drew back
when we heard some footsteps
approaching us.
"Your cot is ready." Nanny said giving
me a thick bed sheet and a pillow.
"Shall we go, Riddhima?" she asked
Riddhima.
Riddhima smiled at me and left with
nanny. I sighed and was about to
leave when I heard someone rushing
towards me. I was surprised when
Riddhima came running to me and
placed a kiss on my cheek. "Good
night." She whispered and then
disappeared into the darkness.
And I walked to my cot with a smile
on my face.
I felt someone tugging on the bed
sheet covering my face and grunted.
All I wanted to do was get a soft bed
unlike the jute cot I was sprawled on
and sleep peacefully for an hour or
so. I hoped the person trying to wake
me would leave me alone if I chose
not to open my eyes. But I realized
that the person was as stubborn as I
am. I pushed the sheet down till my
chin and opened my eyes. But I had
to shut them immediately due to the
direct sun that blazed above.
However, after blinking them for a
couple of times, I opened my eyes
and let out a loud yawn.
"Did you see Riddhima? Did she tell
you that she was going somewhere?"
The nanny asked me.
"She is sleeping inside." I mumbled
and pulled the sheet above my face.
"But she is not there. She is gone."
She replied, catching my attention.
Her face clearly showed her worry.
Pulling the sheet down till my neck, I
stared at her. "What do you mean
she is gone?" I asked, trying to flex
my limbs and back off the stiffness
due to the hard cot. "She might be
in the washroom or with the kids." I
added.
"We-" She started, but her words
were cut by an irritated grumbling.
While my eyes widened, the nanny
stared at me perplexed. And then
there was a movement. The nanny's
eyes almost popped out of their
sockets when Riddhima's hoarse
voice reached our ears. I tried to
connect the dots and as the
realization dawned, I tried to clutch
the sheet but I was late. Nanny
pulled the sheet down and
Riddhima's head peeped out of it.
And that's when I felt her soft body
glued to mine under the sheet, our
limbs almost entangled.
"You are sleeping here!!" The poor
old woman almost screeched.
I might have turned red, and I felt
hot around my ears. I could imagine
the compromising position of our
bodies and so I hurriedly pulled the
sheet to cover our bodies. I didn't
want to imagine the form of
Riddhima's saree.
"Ofcourse, you would be here." The
wrinkled cheeks of the old woman
turned deep red, while she smiled at
me sheepishly. "I should have
thought. You are newlyweds. I
should have tried to provide a big
cot for you both." She rambled on.
And I was shocked out of my wits at
her words. Could she be thinking
that we were -? I blocked the
thought and tried to speak
something.
"No no, aunty. Riddhima slept with
you inside the entire night. I don't
know when she-" I blurted out but
was cut by another voice.
"Psht Armaan. Let me sleep na!" She
drawled. "You were pulling on the
bed sheet the entire night. You
didn't even let me sleep while-" I
placed my hand on her mouth to
stop her from blurting out something
inappropriate.
The woman looked at me appalled
and then smiled, shaking her head.
"I guess you both didn't have good
sleep last night. I will ask the kids
not to let anyone come this way so
you may sleep for some more time."
She said and strolled off inside.
After coming out of the initial shock,
I looked down at Riddhima. She was
sleeping happily unknown to the
chaos she just caused. I wondered
when she had come and snuggled
close to me. I chuckled, remembering
the expression of the nanny. She
appeared positively scandalized.
Unable to refrain myself, I laughed
out and pulled her closer in my arms
while closing my eyes. I was sure it
was going to be an eventful day after
the successful start.
"Riddhima?"
We heard someone calling for her
and turned back to notice a guy
standing at the other end of the
corridor of the hotel. He wore a
business suit and shades. He was
taller than me but lean. He took a
step ahead towards us and removed
his shades.
There was a momentary silence
followed by the loud crash of the clay
pot shattering into pieces. Instantly
I turned to Riddhima to realize that
she had dropped the vase in her
hands. When I looked at her face, I
was astonished to notice her as pale
as a ghost. I looked back at the guy.
He seemed equally surprised. And
then Riddhima sagged against me as
if she was about to faint. I looked
back at them appalled, wondering
what on earth was happening. He
took another step ahead and I
realized that he appeared a tiny bit
familiar. As I tried to recall him, I
held Riddhima close for she seemed
to be trying to press herself more
into me.
The hotel staff came running towards
us and asked if everything was fine.
As Riddhima and the other guy stood
rooted to their spots, I apologized to
the staff and asked them to clean
the mess. They nodded at me and
left to get the cleaning staff. I looked
down at Riddhima and tried to make
her look at me but her gaze was
firmly fixed on the guy infront of us.
"Are you fine, Riddhima?" I asked
worried. "What happened?" I patted
her cheek trying to get some
response out of her.
Finally she turned to me, with her
eyes shining due to the tears. She
looked back at him and whispered.
"Sohail!"
OMG! Sohail is back! What will he do? What do you all think? Bye. - Isha