Armaan-Abhimanyu part 14

The next few days are not pleasant for anyone. The interns go about their work silently, completely ostracizing Armaan … Armaan tends to disappear for hours on end, no one knowing where he is. Surprisingly … or maybe not surprisingly, the interns discuss scornfully … Abhimanyu does not seem to be concerned at Armaan's frequent absences. And he seems to be perpetually on night duty, so he is never around during the day.

A few nights later,
At home - As Riddhima is getting ready for bed, her phone flashes … she looks at it … Armaan.
Pursing her lips, she ignores it. It rings again … and again.
Frowning, she looks at the bathroom door … Anjy will be out in a minute … she takes the phone and goes out onto the terrace. She presses the answer button, but doesn't speak.

Ar (in a somber tone): Baat bhi nahin karogi?
Rid (coldly): kuch baat karne ko raha nahin …
Ar: Riddhima … kam se kam yeh filmy dialogue to mat bolo … teen din se tumne mujhse ek shabd bhi nahin kaha …
Rid (still cold … doesn't he realize she is hurting so much at what she can only see as his betrayal): kya kahun, Armaan?

Ar (quietly): sirf itna keh do … ki tum mujh par vishwas karti ho … jo kuch bhi maine kiya, ya kar raha hun - tum jaanti ho ki kisi vajah se kar raha hun … Ya itna bhi bharosa nahin hai mujhpe … ?

She is stricken silent … his words stab her, suddenly and acutely painful. For the first time, the pain in his voice reaches her – he is hurting too … as much as she is, maybe even more. Déjà vu, she thinks slowly … when this whole thing had started, and her father had been disturbed, she hadn't told Armaan for ages … had expected his instant understanding – and he hadn't. And now he is expecting the same from her … and she finds herself equally unable to give him that … Had she been wrong then? Or is she wrong now … ?

She holds the phone close to her ear, her fingers tighten on the instrument … she wants to get angry, berate him … but at the same time she wants to listen, to hear something that will lessen the distance between them … that will explain …

Rid: to phir bolo, Armaan … kuch batao …
Armaan is silent. Her anger rises again.

Rid: Main sab samjhun … tum kuch nahin bologe … yehi expect kar rahe ho ki … tum par andha vishwas karun …
He is still quiet.
Rid (twisting the kada on her wrist … she makes a sudden move as though to take it off …)

Rid (annoyed and disappointed beyond measure at his continued silence): Kuch bolna hi nahin hai … to phone kyun kiya?

There is a long pause, then he says …
Ar: tumhari awaaz sunne …

There is silence again … the line is disconnected. She brings the phone down and stares at it. She sinks down onto the terrace floor, tears flowing silently, as she shoves the kada back onto her wrist, and clutches onto it tightly.


Next day -
Armaan is missing at work. And again, Abhimanyu doesn't seem concerned – he has been giving the interns duties himself since Dr. Shashank was suspended, and he matter-of-factly announces the duties for the rest. However Muskaan had seen Armaan and she confirms to the others that Armaan had come for his night duty the night before, so he was entitled to an off day.

Anj (resentfully): Acchcha hi hai ki voh night duty kare … at least humein uska munh nahin dekhna padega …

Riddhima is quiet, Armaan's phone call from the night before is preying constantly on her mind. She keeps hearing his voice again and again … itna bhi bharosa nahin hai mujhpe …? The tone of his voice haunts her with its utter loneliness …

By afternoon, she has a splitting headache from sheer tension. She requests Dr. Shubhankar and leaves early … maybe Armaan will be at home, and she can try to speak to him …

She reaches home and enters quietly … oh no, she thinks as she hears sounds from the study, papa is also home. She peeps into the study to check …
Armaan is sitting at Dr. Shashank's desk, a heap of papers and files next to him as he scribbles notes on a piece of paper. Riddhima stares at him in complete shock!


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