Don't Love Me √

Buss Thodi Der Aur Thehr Ja

Riha sat before the mirror and smiled. She knew she was beyond beautiful today. She had to be. 

It was maa baba's 28th anniversary, and she had arranged for a homely party with very few invitees. She had deliberately shunned everyone from her workplace, except for Raajiv, that too for a completely different reason. But he too, wouldn't turn up, she knew. 

Shruti and her family were invited, along with Viraat who was a family now too, after their engagement. But then, Shruti had herself requested her not to insist if she didn't feel like. Human emotions, no onecould help. 

Apart from that it was all her parents' acquaintances and their extended family. 

And, one more individual. Riha's face lit up with a smile as she applied the last stroke of her kajal. Perfect!

Maa had asked time and again, " Riha, baby why are you taking up so much effort? You have just recovered. We can do this some other time. " , and when Riha had smiled back, maa had smiled too, getting the reason without being said. 

Riha hadn't met Vivaan for the last fifteen days. And that didn't hurt either. Because she knew of a more beautiful thing now. A thing that almost every moment made her smile.  

That day after she had fainted, she didn't know much of a thing that had happened to her, until she had woken up later almost from a trance on her own bed at home.

Maa later said that she was deliriously murmuring for a long time since she was brought home and arranged for a fluid channel there itself. She had a fever of 103 F.

She came to know that she was brought back by Raajiv...and another person. In maa's words, the person had stood at one corner throughout the proceedings, and whenever maa had glanced at him, through immense distress too she hadn't failed to noticed the immense fear that surrounded him, and showed through the eyes as they watered at times. 

Raajiv had supervised the medical proceedings with nurses from their hospital itself. And after things were under control according to him, and Riha was made to sleep, maa had slowly walked towards the person at the corner, who constantly stared at Riha and muttered something. 

" Vivaan! She's fine darling! Look at me, I'm strong! And she's my daughter. You're her friend, you should be strong too!"  

Vivaan had looked at maa utter strangely, and then left the place. 

Riha had later come to know from Raajiv, that day at Infinity Mall, with Riha's breakdown, it was an equal breakdown of Vivaan. The whole of the food court had gathered before them, and they had said that Vivaan was shaking vigorously while a doctor there checked Riha. She was immediately transferred to the medical facility, but Vivaan couldn't speak, despite being asked a million times. A long time later he could just take out his phone and call Raajiv, and had only said..." Raajiv...Riha..." , and nothing else. 

It was others in the mall who had snatched the phone from him almost and given Raajiv the details of reaching there. 

Riha slowly walked up to the window. She couldn't help smile. 

Maa had said. " I have seen it in his eyes Riha... I guess it's time for you to take the final step, so that he gets the gut to take his first. " 

Riha hadn't wanted misinderstandings. She had separately opened up to Raajiv and Shruti. 

Raajiv had only smiled and said, " all the best. " 

And Shruti had said a lot. " It would be wrong if I say I'm extremely happy Riha. But it would be wrong too if I say I'm not. He needs you Riha. Get him out of the dark. Show him light. Make him understand, just when we share pain, our pain ceases. " Riha had hugged Shruti.