Armaan comes home late – purposely - hoping that Riddhima has gone to bed. Thankfully, the lights in the house are all off. He goes to the kitchen to get a drink of water, and stands looking out of the window, cursing Abhimanyu Modi, the global crisis, and the world in general. Frowning, he drains his glass and turns to put it on the counter.
Riddhima is looking straight at him.
The glass shakes in his hand – he puts it down with a clatter.
Ar: tum soyi nahin?
Rid: main tumhari wait kar rahi thi …
He crosses to her and takes her hand.
Ar (trying to make a joke out of it): you know, basket … tum din par din … meri girlfriend kum … aur biwi zyaada banti jaa rahi ho … agar kal main late aaunga, tum to belan lekar khadi hogi …
Rid (ignoring his feeble attempts at teasing): Armaan … baat kya hai …?
Ar (tries to laugh): baat …? Kya baat, basket? Koi baat nahin … oh – main late kyun aaya? Gussa ho? Sorry, baba … (tries to hold her hand to his cheek.)
Rid (she twists her hand out of his): Armaan … mujhe taalne ki koshish mat karo. Tumhari aaj shaam ko Abhimanyu Modi se kya baat ho rahi thi?
As he looks at her with a mixture of shock and guilt, she continues …
Rid: Ya yeh poochun … kya jhagda ho raha tha?
Ar (trying his best to act clueless): Riddhima … tum kya baat kar rahi ho? Jhagda? Abhimanyu …?
Rid: Armaan … maine tumhe aaj sham ko dekha … uske cabin mein … tum dono argue kar rahe the! Voh kya bol raha tha? Tum itne upset kyun the …?
Ar (caught completely unawares, trying hard to think of something to say … oh god, she had seen them talking, now what was he to say to her?): Riddhima …
She puts her hands on his shoulders, catching hold of his collar urgently and looks at him, tears suddenly springing to her eyes.
Rid: Voh tumhe jaane ko bol raha tha? Armaan … kya yeh baat hai? voh tumhe bhi nikal raha hai? Armaan, please mujhe batao … shaam se main worry kar rahi hun …
He covers her hands with his, feeling like a complete and utter heel, low down rotter, back-stabber, snake in the grass … all the names he can think of, he calls himself silently.
Ar: Riddhima … no, don't worry about me … main theek hun … really … I'll be okay …
She takes in a sharp breath.
Rid: "I'll be okay" … kya matlab … voh yehi kar raha hai … I was right … Armaan, no … tum yahan se nahin jaa sakte …
She throws her arms around him, her tears coming now, and he holds her in his arms, horrified that she has misunderstood so completely …
Ar: Riddhima, nahin … tum ro mat … voh yeh nahin …
He stops. What is he to tell her … why was he arguing with Abhimanyu … for the life of him, he can't think of something plausible to say. He holds her tight … when she finds out what he was actually talking about and what he is going to do, it might be a long time before he got the chance again, he thinks bitterly …
******************************
Pre-cap -
A few days later – in the morning - Sanjeevani
All the nurses, other staff and doctors are gathered around the nurses' station … there is a buzz of disbelief and shock at the new notice up on the announcement board.
"Dr. Shashank Gupta is on indefinite leave from his duties in Sanjeevani until further notice."
luv
- dia
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