Armaan-Abhimanyu part 13

Back in the locker room
Armaan stands on one side, alone. The other six face him, their faces bearing identical expressions of anger and disgust. Riddhima stands slightly apart from the rest, twisting the kada on her wrist.

Ra: Humein bata kyun nahin sakte … kya baat hai … tum Abhimanyu Modi ke saath kya kar rahe the?
Ar (trying to appease their anger): Main sirf uske saath baat karne gaya tha …

Anj (angrily): Aur humein nahin bata sakte … aisi kya baat hai … jo tum hamare saath share nahin kar sakte? Voh Modi tumhara itna dost kab se ban gaya hai kya? Ya apne job ki fikar thi … Dr. Keerti, dad … uske baad tumhari baari na ho …?

Armaan looks at her helplessly – how to explain that he knows his job was never at stake?

Ar: Anjy, aisi baat nahin hai … mera hi job nahin, hum sab ke jobs, humara future … Sanjeevani ka future …

Rid (angrily): Sanjeevani ka future … Sanjeevani ko dad ne itne saalon se run kiya hai … unse zyaada tumhe Sanjeevani ki chinta hai kya?
Ar: Riddhima …

He looks at her pleadingly – looking for some understanding … but he had known this would happen … Riddhima's blind spot was her father, her family … and now she felt he was with Abhimanyu, and Abhimanyu was against her father …
She turns and walks out of the room.
The others look at him, and turn their backs on him. He looks at them, then shakes his head and leaves. There's no point … not till he manages to succeed in what he has to do.

Wanting some time alone, he goes up to the terrace. He stands at the edge, looking out … feeling completely alone … he had never wanted this, he thinks bitterly, all he wanted was his girl, and she was the one thing whom he never seemed to get. There was always one obstacle after another …

"Ab kisko dhokha dene ki soch rahe ho?"

Slowly he turns and looks around.
Riddhima is standing behind him.

Riddhima looks at Armaan steadily, her eyes clear. His gaze falls. Then he lifts his eyes and looks back at her, running his hands through his hair.

Ar: tum bhi mujhe samajhne ki koshish nahin karogi?
Rid (fiercely): kya samjhun? Bolo Armaan, main kya samjhun?
Ar: Riddhima …

Taking no notice, she continues,
Rid: Tumhe pata hai, Armaan, pichle hafte se … tum roz der se aa rahe ho … aur roz main chinta kare jaa rahi hun, ki koi baat hai, jo tum mujhe nahin bata rahe … lekin tum jaante ho main kya soch rahi thi …?

He is silent … he knows what she had been thinking, and he had kept her in the dark … had let her think that …

Riddhima (she comes up to him and speaks even more fiercely): Main soch rahi thi, ki problem tumhe hai … Modi tumhare peeche pada hai … tumhe yahan se bhejne ki baat kar raha hai … iss liye tum mujhse chupa rahe ho … roz raat main tumhare liye ro rahi thi … I cried myself to sleep every damn night, Armaan!!! (tears coming to her eyes again. He looks at her, his own eyes red and suspiciously moist … he puts out a hand to her and she shrugs it off angrily.)

Rid: Don't touch me! Muhe chuo mat! Main … main … Armaan, how could you do this?!!!

Ar: Riddhima, maine kuch nahin kiya, believe me! Abhimanyu …
She looks at him accusingly through her tears.
Rid: Tum jaante the ki voh Papa ko suspend karne vaala hai … voh papa ko yahan se nikalna chahta hai …?

Ar: Riddhima, voh Dr. Shashank ko nikalna nahin chahta … voh to sirf … (he stops … what the hell can he say?!! he thinks savagely! He's been sworn to silence, not just by Abhimanyu, but by her own father … He looks at Riddhima pleadingly.)
Ar: Riddhima, … please … trust me … sab theek ho jayega … (he stops again, furious at himself … how inane his words sound! Riddhima looks at him, her expression suddenly changing from anger to resignation.)

Rid: Pata nahin, Armaan … ab kabhi kuch theek hoga ki nahin …

She turns and leaves the terrace in tears. He looks after her, then smashes his fist into the wall. He sinks down against the wall, head in his hands.


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