Posted:
14 years ago
Traditional Complications!
Part 2
Ridhima woke up at 6.30 in the morning inspite of being awake for really late at nightā¦ She was determined to impress chachi and make her realize she was good enough for Armaan and his familyā¦ Inspite of Armaan and Ishita asking her to not bother, she wanted everything in Armaan's and her life to be perfectā¦ She just had to pay more attention to the household to impress chachi and she was sure she could do thatā¦
She decided to make her daily morning coffee before she starts her dayā¦ She brushed her teeth and rushed down wearing her robe, which she couldn't find last night due to the darknessā¦
She was about to step into the kitchen when someone called herā¦
Chachi-Ridhimaā¦
Ridhima-Haanā¦
She turned around to find chachi completely dressed in her pink sareeā¦
Ridhima-Oh, good morning chachiā¦
Chachi-Morning toh kab ki ho gayi haiā¦ Tum roz itni der se uthti ho?
Ridhima involuntarily looked at the wall-clockā¦ It was only 6:45ā¦ she had barely slept for 4 hours and she had an entire day to work ahead of herā¦
Ridhima-Haanā¦ woh kal raat Ishita se baat ker rahi thi toh late ho gaya thaā¦
She made an excuse while she woke up later then that usuallyā¦
Chachi-It's okayā¦
Ridhima-Main abhi aapke liye breakfast banakar leke aati huā¦
Chachi-Ridhima, kitchen mein aise jaogi?
Ridhima looked at herself and was confusedā¦
Chachi-Don't you know you don't have to enter the kitchen without having a bath? In fact, tumhe toh aise kapdon mein apne room se bhi bahar nahi nikalna chahiyeā¦ Shukar hai ki abhi itne toh kapde pehene haiā¦ Kal raat pata nahi kya pehena thaā¦
Ridhima, again was extremely hurt with the tone chachi usedā¦ She treated her like a servant or somethingā¦ And moreover, she didn't believe in the traditional and orthodox beliefs like not entering the kitchen without having a bath and so onā¦
However, she again decided to overlookā¦
Ridhima-Sorry chachiā¦ I'll come back in 15 minutes and make breakfastā¦
Chachi-Its okay Ridhimaā¦ I'll make my teaā¦ I need it the first thing in the morningā¦ You can take your own sweet timeā¦
She went into the kitchen thereafterā¦
Ridhima walked back to her room with a heavy heartā¦
She really wanted to impress her but it backfiredā¦
She entered the room to see Armaan waking upā¦
Armaan-Basket, tum itni jaldi uth gayi? I thought you'll wake up late todayā¦
Ridhima just noddedā¦
She went towards her cupboard and took out a random salwar kameez for herself, picked up her towel and went in for a showerā¦
Armaan was confused with her behaviourā¦ She never behaved like this in the morningā¦ She was usually chirpy and over-active in the mornings or lazy and sleepy if she hasn't slept well the previous night but she was not like this everā¦
He went down to get coffee for himself as Ridhima hadn't got his cup todayā¦
He entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to find some milkā¦
Suddenly, Chachi called himā¦
Chachi-Armaanā¦
Armaan-Haan chachiā¦
Chachi-Tumhe bhi yeh baat samjhani padegi ki kitchen mein nahaye bina nahi aateā¦ Ridhima bhi aise hi aa gayi thiā¦ Usse bhi yeh sab samjhana padaā¦ I seriously tell you Armaanā¦ Ridhima hasn't put any discipline in the houseā¦
Chachi kept on talking and Armaan was in no mood to listenā¦ He as usual did not pay any heed to anything she was sayingā¦ He just kept on listening and was making his coffeeā¦
Chachi stopped as she wasn't getting any response from Armaanā¦
Chachi-Armaanā¦ Tum sun bhi rahe ho ya nahiā¦
Armaan-Uhā¦ haanā¦ haanā¦
Chachi-Aur ye kya bana rahe ho?
Armaan-Kuch nahi chachiā¦ bass coffee bana raha thaā¦
Chachi-Ridhima ne bheja tujhe uske liye coffee banane? Thodi derr wait nahi kar sakti? Tumhe kaise coffee banane ke liye bhej diya?
Armaan-Kya? Ridhima ne subah coffee nahi pee?
Chachi-Nahiā¦ maine usse kitchen mein aane se mana kar diyaā¦ She doesn't even know ki you shouldn't enter the kitchen without having a bathā¦ I don't know kya seekh kar aayi hai?
Armaan-Chachiā¦ We don't believe in all thisā¦ Ab usse head-ache ho gaya hogaā¦ She needs a coffee first thing in the morningā¦ Ab poora din theek se kaam nahi kar payegiā¦
He quickly poured his coffee into a mug and rushed to his room with itā¦
He tried to open his room's door and was surprised to find it lockedā¦
Armaan and Ridhima never locked their door as they lived alone and they never felt the need to lock the door because of each otherā¦
Armaan-Ridhimaā¦ jaanā¦ Open the door basketā¦ It's meā¦
Ridhima unlocked the door and Armaan entered to find Ridhima trying to zip up her kurtaā¦
He kept her coffee aside and zipped it up for herā¦
As Armaan knew, she had started having a head-acheā¦ She opened the first-aid kit and took out a tablet for her head-acheā¦ Armaan snatched the tablet from her and handed her the coffee mugā¦
Armaan-The coffee isn't that badā¦
Ridhima smiled meekly and had a sipā¦
Ridhima-Tumne banayi?
Armaan-Nahiā¦ Sanjeevani ke canteen se leke aaya hu... Obviously maine banayiā¦
Ridhima-Rachna chachi let you go into the kitchen?
Armaan-Haanā¦ But she was giving me some lecture about how I should have a bath and enter but I didn't listenā¦ Aur kal se even you are going to do thatā¦ If you don't have your coffee in the morning then you have had it from meā¦
She smiled wideā¦
He kissed her foreheadā¦
Armaan-I hope the head-ache has reducedā¦
Ridhima-It's completely gone nowā¦
Suddenly, Ridhima's cell phone buzzedā¦
She answered it while Armaan went in to shave and get ready for Sanjeevaniā¦
Ridhima hung upā¦
Ridhima-Armaanā¦ I need to rushā¦ Karan has got an attackā¦
Armaan-Yeah okayā¦ Drive safelyā¦
Ridhima-But Armaanā¦ Breakfast for everyone?
Armaan-Don't worryā¦ I'll tell the maidā¦ You don't botherā¦ I'll manageā¦
Ridhima-Thanksā¦ Byeā¦ I'll see you in the hospitalā¦
Ridhima rushed down and ran out of the houseā¦
Rachna chachi watched her surprisinglyā¦ Ridhima didn't even bother informing her before leavingā¦ Moreover, she left the house in the morning mess without preparing breakfast for anybody and seeing if the guests need anything or notā¦
Ridhima reached the hospital and found Karan in a very bad stateā¦
She operated on him but still he was extremely criticalā¦ He wasn't responding to any therapiesā¦ She was very worried about Karan to think about anything else at the momentā¦
While at home, Chachi had created a big scene about Ridhima leaving the house in a rush and not informing anyoneā¦ She kept blabbering things about how she wasn't the right choice for Armaan which Ishita and Armaan chose to ignoreā¦ But she soon started commenting on Ridhima's character and how irresponsible she isā¦ She has no manners and doesn't know how to treat guestsā¦ She happened to go overboard and also commented on her upbringing and her parentsā¦
Armaan got extremely angry when he thought Chachi was crossing her limitsā¦ She didn't have any right to question her upbringing and Shashank papa's and especially Padma mom's upbringingā¦ He back-answered her in a very stern manner and asked her to never go upto Ridhima's parents.
Armaan left the house on a very bad note that morningā¦ He was extremely angryā¦ He reached the hospital and found Ridhima nowhereā¦ Soon, he got busy with his patientsā¦ He eventually calmed down by lunch and went around looking for Ridhima everywhereā¦
Again, he couldn't find her anywhere, so he asked a nurse about the state of Karan's case to which she answered that he was very criticalā¦
Armaan was extremely sad as he came to know thatā¦ Now, he had to find Ridhimaā¦ He knew she would have been shattered since the incidentā¦ And now, he knew the exact place to find herā¦ He ran towards the terrace and found Ridhima standing in a corner looking towards the skyā¦
He stood next to her and put an arm around her pulling her towards himā¦ She put her head on his shoulder and her hands went around him unconsciouslyā¦ She hugged him for a while and both said nothingā¦ Soon, she was almost back to normalā¦
They both soon returned to work after lunch and the day passed in a flurryā¦ Ridhima's mind was too occupied with Karan to think of anything elseā¦ She had specially informed the nurse to inform her about anything related to Karan at any point of timeā¦
Armaan and Ridhima returned home together and Ridhima was extremely quiet throughout the dayā¦ Armaan didn't push her as he knew her emotional turmoilā¦
They returned home extremely worn out and tiredā¦ The maid had already made dinner and was setting the tableā¦ Ridhima was in no mood to have an argument or listen to one more of her lectures and hence she just started serving dinner to everyoneā¦
Chachi-It's okay Ridhimaā¦ You don't need to put up this act of caring for everyoneā¦ We can help ourselves like we did in the morningā¦
Ridhima felt even more humiliated now but she didn't have the time to argueā¦ She wanted to get to her research as soon as possibleā¦ She asked the maid to serve food to everyone while she settled on the couch with her laptopā¦
Armaan came down in the meanwhile after freshening up and saw Ridhima with the laptop trying to researchā¦ He immediately picked up his plate, served food and went and sat next to herā¦ He started offering food to which she kept eating involuntarilyā¦ Chachi started detesting her complete ignorance towards the houseā¦
Ridhima, in the meanwhile, found something which could help Karan and wanted to try it immediatelyā¦ She went back to the hospital pretty late at nightā¦ This went on for quite a few daysā¦ Ridhima was trying day and night to save Karan while Chachi was getting pissedā¦ Ridhima definitely tried to live upto Chachi's expectations but she never succeededā¦
Inspite of telling her infinite times about her irregular and busy schedule, she was not willing to co-operateā¦ She kept complaining about her irregular working hours and returning home extremely late in the nightā¦ But Ridhima didn't careā¦ Karan was far more importantā¦ Armaan understood her and so he didn't object at all instead he supported herā¦ He helped her in every possible wayā¦ He covered up for Ridhima in front of Chachi everytimeā¦ He often dropped and picked her from the hospital at odd hoursā¦
Once, Ridhima had to suddenly go to the hospital at around midnightā¦ She left after informing Armaan who was extremely tired that day to drop her and fell asleep as soon as Ridhima leftā¦ He knew Ridhima would come back after a good 4 or 5 hoursā¦ These nights were pretty taxing for Ridhimaā¦ She wasn't sleeping well and Chachi's constant tortures were affecting Ridhima's health constantlyā¦ He knew he couldn't do anything about her hospital timesā¦ They were bound to happen but he wished that Chachi wasn't here at this pointā¦ She tended to increase Ridhima's stress levels to a large extentā¦ It was pointless telling Chachi anything but Ridhima wasn't used to such behaviour at allā¦ It affected her big timeā¦ And she was one of those people who couldn't let go off easilyā¦ She kept thinking and re-thinking and blaming herself mentally for everythingā¦ All this together, i.e. Karan's health and his tension, her sleepless nights, household responsibility, Chachi's taunts, Ishita's engagement preparations, etc. were adding to her stress levelsā¦ He was extremely worried about her health nowā¦ She had just recovered from a viral fever a few days backā¦ He hoped that she did not fall sick againā¦ He knew that she would have a bad menstrual cycle this month i.e she would be extremely irritated and there would be body aches before and during her menstrual cycleā¦ Her body often reacted to stress in that mannerā¦ He was prepared for it but he knew Ridhima wasn'tā¦ And the most important thing which was disturbing him was that he knew everything and still he couldn't do anything about itā¦
Ridhima returned at around 5 in the morning and as she stepped in, she found Chachi reading the newspaperā¦ It looked like she had just woken upā¦ She wished her good morning to which she merely nodded but she also gave her a look full of disgust trying to indicate once again that she didn't like her staying out the entire nightā¦ Ridhima knew she wouldn't acknowledge her but she still hadn't given up on trying impressing herā¦ She left her things on the dining table and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfastā¦ She thought since it was already 5, she rather make breakfast and then rest and hence she started with the cookingā¦
It was nearly 6 when Armaan woke up for a bit and realized Ridhima wasn't back yetā¦ He got worried immediatelyā¦ He called on Ridhima's phone which she didn't answer and then he called the hospital where he found out that Ridhima had left nearly one and a half hours backā¦
He dialed Ridhima's number again and heard her ringtone somewhere in the houseā¦ He breathed a sigh of reliefā¦ He went down to find Ridhima's bag lying on the dining table and Chachi sitting on the couch and watching television, watching some satsangā¦
Armaan-Ridhimaā¦ Ridhimaā¦ Where are you jaan?
Ridhima-Kya hua Armaan? Why are you yelling at the top of your voice in the morningā¦ Ish so rahi haiā¦
Armaan went into the kitchen as he realized she was thereā¦
Armaan-I'm yelling because you deserve itā¦ You are supposed to sleep after the night dutyā¦ Doctor ho but you don't deserve to be oneā¦ Khud apna khayaal rakhna nahi aataā¦ You know you haven't slept a wink in the past 36 hoursā¦ What are you waiting for? To feel giddy and faint and then you'll realizeā¦ What was the need to get into the kitchen after coming back?
Ridhima-Armaan, I was just making breakfastā¦ Chachi is awake ever since I came backā¦
Armaan got even more pissedā¦ Ridhima would never give upā¦
He called out for chachi angrilyā¦
Armaan-Chachiā¦ Chachiā¦
Chachi came into the kitchenā¦
Chachi- Kya hua Armaan? Subah subah chilla kyu rahe ho?
Armaan-Chachi, aap jaante ho ki Ridhima 2 din se soyi nahi hai phir bhi aapne usse kaam karne se roka kyu nahi?
Chachi-Maine thodi kaha usse kaam karne ke liyeā¦ woh toh khud hi kaam karne lag gayiā¦
Armaan- Aur aapne usse karne diya?
Chachi- Toh usme galat kya hai? Apne ghar mein kaam karna koi galat baat nahi haiā¦
Armaan-Galat ye hai ki woh 2 din se continuously kaam kar rahi hai aur mujhe pata hai ki usne kal dinner ke baad kuch khaya bhi nahi hogaā¦ This is the limit Ridhimaā¦ You have become so careless about your healthā¦
Armaan was yelling because of Ridhima's negligenceā¦ And also the fact that his Chachi was so insensitiveā¦ Due to Armaan's loud noise, Ishita woke up and came down running as she knew Armaan wouldn't yell without a reasonā¦ She came into the kitchen to find Armaan yelling at Ridhima about her health and stressā¦
Ridhima-Armaan, today is Sundayā¦ I have the whole day to sleepā¦ I promise I'll go to sleep after making breakfastā¦ I'll just take 10 minutesā¦
Armaan-You are not working for a minute more than thisā¦ Ish, can you please manage today's breakfast till the maid comesā¦ I have to stay with Ridhima and see if she sleeps well or notā¦
Ishita-Yeah sure, don't worryā¦ Main aur mom sab handle kar lengeā¦
Ridhima-No Ishita, its okayā¦ tumhe ya chachi ko kuch karne ki zaroorat nahi haiā¦ it won't take too longā¦
Armaan-You're not going to listen to me, right?
Ridhima-Armaanā¦ I told you I'll come up in 10 minsā¦
Armaan-And like I saidā¦ I'm not letting you workā¦
He just picked her up and walked out of the kitchen towards their roomā¦
On the way, he yelled outā¦
Armaan-Ishā¦ Bring some breakfast to my roomā¦ I want to feed Ridhima before she sleepsā¦
He carried her to their room and put her down straight in the bathroom and asked her to shower and comeā¦
Ridhima did as she was toldā¦ She knew Armaan was pissed off with herā¦
She tried to talk to him but he didn't answerā¦
Ridhima-Armaanā¦ Armaanā¦ Talk to me at leastā¦
Armaan-I will only talk to you after you wake upā¦
Ridhima-Armaanā¦ pleaseā¦
She kept running behind him in their room in her towel all the time to try to manaofy him but he didn't budgeā¦
He went to her closet, took out a random T-shirt and shorts and handed it to her and went to the door as someone was knocking itā¦
It was Ishita with a tray of breakfast for both Armaan and Ridhimaā¦
Armaan-Thanks Ishā¦
Ishita-No problems Bhaiā¦ Bhabhi ko theek se khila denaā¦
Armaan-Yeahā¦ that's one more task nowā¦ Ab main usse baat nahi kar raha toh she won't eat at allā¦
Ishita-You both are so adorableā¦.
She pulled Armaan's cheeks with thatā¦
Armaan-Isshhhā¦ Stop it and now byeā¦
He shut the door behind himā¦
He placed the food in front of her and as expected she didn't even touch itā¦
He decided to finally talk to her about her health and make her eatā¦
He picked the plate and sat next to her on the bed and offered her a biteā¦
She didn't take itā¦
Armaan-Basket, bhaav khaana band karo aur khaana khaoā¦
Ridhima-Mujhe nahi khaanaā¦ Jab tak tum mujhse baat nahi karoge tab tak main khaana bhi nahi khaungi aur soungi bhi nahiā¦
Armaan-Blackmail karna toh koi tumse seekheā¦ Ye lo jaldi khaoā¦ Main tumse baat kar raha hu naā¦
Ridhima-Aise? Aur tumne mujhe kitna daanta neecheā¦
Armaan-Woh zaroori thaā¦ Ridhima, do you even realize ki in sab mein you are neglecting yourself and your health so muchā¦ If I check your blood pressure right now, tumhe pata hai kitna low hogaā¦ I'm really proud of you that you're thinking about everyone so much but I want you to think about yourselfā¦ If not yourself, then I want you to think about meā¦ You know I can't see you in any kind of painā¦ Take care of yourself for meā¦ I don't care about whatever Chachi thinks of youā¦ Her opinion doesn't matter to me as much as you doā¦ You know you just recovered from fever a few days back and how all this stress is going to affect your monthly cycle, inspite of that, you are stressing so much? What's the need Ridhima? You know even if Chachi doesn't approve of you I'm not going to leave and it's not going to affect our relationship in anyway, then why are you so adamant on impressing her and getting yourself sick?
Ridhima-I don't know Armaanā¦ I just can't bear the fact that someone doesn't approve of us togetherā¦ Everything is just perfect in our life except thisā¦ I can't see anything imperfect in our lifeā¦
Armaan-What is so imperfect Ridhima? You and I are togetherā¦ Nothing can be more perfect than thisā¦
Ridhima-It's not thatā¦ When Papa wasn't agreeing to get us married; you did every possible thing to convince himā¦ You almost gave up on everything you had for meā¦ And now, when its my turn, you're asking me to back outā¦ Armaan, all these are very small things that I can do for you, for usā¦
Armaan-Ohā¦ so its payback time nowā¦ You're just trying to impress my chachi because I did so much to convince your father? Ridhima, since when did we start distinguishing as "mine" and "yours" between us? Isn't everything "ours"?
Ridhima-Yes, it isā¦ Butā¦ I don't know how to explain this to youā¦
Armaan-Listenā¦ you don't need to explain me anythingā¦ Just listen to me for onceā¦ I did everything I could to convince Shashank papa because he mattered to you, his opinion mattered to you, you love him and he loves youā¦ But Rachna chachi's opinion doesn't matter to meā¦ I have no kind of love and affection for her because she was a mere spectator when my parents were getting divorced or when my childhood was getting ruinedā¦ She did not take me in when I had nowhere to goā¦ She didn't care if I was being raised by Biā¦ All she cared was for her own kids that timeā¦ And if she is here today, that is only because of Ishita because Ishita is the only sister I haveā¦ She means a lot to me and as a brother, I want to be by her side when she gets marriedā¦ But if Chachi affects you or your health then I don't want them to be homeā¦ Like I told you before, you mean the most to meā¦ So, you have to do this for me jaanā¦ you have to take care of yourselfā¦ Will you do that for me?
Ridhima nodded meeklyā¦
Armaan-Promise?
Armaan put out his hand for her to hold itā¦
Ridhima-Promiseā¦
She held his hand first and then she just hugged him tight and started sobbingā¦
Ridhima-Sorry Armaanā¦ I promise I'll take care of myselfā¦
Armaan smiled and hugged her backā¦
Armaan-Now, madam, you need to eat and then go to sleepā¦
She parted from the hug and Armaan picked the plate again and fed herā¦
Armaan-Basket, aajkal bahut lazy ho gayi hoā¦ Roz roz mere haathon se khaane lagi hoā¦
Ridhima-Sorryā¦
She was going to take her plate back and eat on her own when he took it backā¦
Armaan-Nahiā¦ Main hi kilaungaā¦ I love pamering my sweetheartā¦
She smiled and he kissed her noseā¦
She kept eating whatever Armaan was offering but she was very quiet also at the same timeā¦
She was lost deep into thoughtā¦
Armaan-Basket, kya hua? Why are you so quiet now?
Ridhima-Armaan, why don't I know everything about your childhood? Why do I come to know little little things every now and then?
Armaan-That's because I don't like talking about itā¦ All you need to know is that my childhood wasn't a very pleasant oneā¦ I know you deserve to know about it but some other dayā¦ please?
She smiledā¦
Armaan-And now, no more talkingā¦ Go to sleep nowā¦
Armaan picked the plates and put them back onto the tray while Ridhima got into the blanketā¦
Armaan darkenend the room by putting the curtains onā¦ He slid next to Ridhima on the bed and she hugged him tight and within a minute she was asleepā¦
No wonder she fell asleep instantly, she was bound to be tiredā¦
He, then decided to have a nap himself as well as he had woken up extremely early on a Sunday morningā¦
