Part 14

*****PRECAP****************************
Armaan ka izhaar.
***************************************

LIBRARY
Rid - (walked in, the library was dark. It was night. She couldn't find the switch. She had a few things in her hands. 'Yeh Armaan kahan rehgaya.' She agreed to come here because it was the only time that Shashank was off duty and at the house. Anjali, Naani and Shashank all stayed with Riddhima both nights at the hospital, but tonight, Anjali had to be on duty, and Riddhima insisted that Naani and Shashank take some rest, otherwise vo bhook hartal kardegi. Finally, she got some time...to work on Raadha's case.)

It had been only two days since the fire incident. Riddhima was feeling much better and the doctor had said that she is completely out of danger now. In these two days the hospital was busy as usual. Shashank had forbidden Riddhima to work. She knew very well that he said this out of love, just like Anjali had brought her hospital food everyday out of love...and Riddhima didn't dare to say no to her, she didn't want to hurt her feelings. After Anjali gave Riddhima the food and left the room, Armaan would sneak in and bring her cafeteria food or...his special andey vaala sandwich. Then Atul would come and take the bland patient food away quietly, and Sapna would usually come give her updates on current patients, new patients, and interesting cases. They had a whole system going.

Dr. Keerti had given Armaan and Riddhima the go signal on preparing the presentation for patient Radhaa's heart transplant. Lekin Riddhima apne patient ko beech raaste main kaise chod sakti thi? So she decided to work on it without her Papa knowing. They needed the finishing touches on the presentation.

Rid - (She saw a bit of light) Kaun hai? (she whispered calmly as she approached the light...she couldn't see anything beyond her own hands it was so dark...she kept walking towards the light and put her things down, and upon reaching the source of light, she almost slipped back on a book that was lying on the floor...)
Arm - (...caught her right in time. With one hand he held her hand and put her arm over his shoulder and with his other hand he held her slender waist. She had closed her eyes so tight. The light of the lantern shone on her face. He studied every inch of it. Her extremely curled and fluttery eyelashes, her cute little nose, her rosy cheeks and her beautiful lips that looked all that much more beautiful in this light. Her scent was intoxicatingly amazing.)
Rid - (opens her eyes. Riddhima took a breath in sync with Armaan. She saw him in the same light that he saw her, in lantern light. Everything beyond him was dark.)
Arm - Riddhima (he said with all the feeling in the world) mujhe tumse kuch kehna hai.
Rid - Armaan...
(She finally blinked and noticed how close they were. She removed her arm from around his shoulder and was full on embarassed she had let this happen, he let go of her waist hesitantly. She stood back up on her feet and carefully made her way to the lantern. She carried it to the light switch and switched the light on, the light was dim).
Arm - (Picked up the things she had brought and put them down on a nearby table. He looked at Riddhima and pulled out a chair.)
Rid - (came and sat down, she put the lantern down onto the table) (trying to change the mood) lagta hai ke light weak hai...
Arm - haan (he said looking at her, still living in the moment smoothly ruffling his hair where Riddhima had touched it).
Rid - (pulled out her things, trying really hard to cover all the chemistry between them. She tried to find her pen, searching her bag.)
Arm - (He held her pen in front of her, he had found it on the ground.)
Rid - Thanks (held the pen to take it)
Arm - (he held it and she held it, so he knew he had all her attention) Riddhima mujhe tum se kuch bohot zaruri kehna hai. Riddhima I...
Rid - (interrupts him) Yeh (pulls up the laptop and brings up a file on it) tum ne file computer lab vaale computer se apne email pe bheja tha?
Arm - (wants to tell her so badly, but decides that he needs her full and undivided attention for it, so first he had to solve this case's presentation with her) Nahin...main abhi karke aata hoon, I'll be right back.
Rid - Thik hai.

Armaan grabs his keys and heads to the computer lab. He gets there, opens the computer and emails the document. He heads back to the library.

Arm - Abhi check karo, phohonchgaya hoga.
Rid - (sitting on the chair, she presses a few buttons on the laptop) Nahin...you sure ke you emailed it?
Arm - Haan, I'm sure, let me check. (He stands behind her seat and bends down to the level of the laptop screen. His chest was touching her back. His arms surrounding her chair, and his fingers busy typing on the keyboard. She shrunk to the middle of her chair, concious of his touch. His face was next to hers. He was looking on the screen and clicking around and typing. She looked next to her at him).
Rid - (thinks 'Ye mujhe kya horaha hai?' 'Armaan...tum mujhse kya kehna chahte ho?' she thought...'main tumhare aas paas hoti hoon tho ghabra kyun jaati hoon?')
Arm - (his eyes fall on her) (lovingly gazing at her, he asks) Tumne kuch kaha Basket? (he could hear the beats of her heart, and he was sure he heard a question).
Rid - (quickly looking away) Nahin...she tried to get off from her seat. His arms were on both sides of the chair since his hands were resting on the laptop's keyboard. So she stood up, tried to reach accross the table and couldn't get the book she needed and she landed back down on the chair with a light thud.)
Arm - (Armaan was watching her. She looked at him, embarassed of her defeat)
Rid - Vo...umm...thodi si jaaga chahiye...I need to get out of this seat.
Arm - (put his finger to his lips) Ssshhh!
Rid - Armaan vo book...
Arm - (Her arms were on the armrest now. He turned her seat around holding the back of the chair. He was at eye level with her. The chair had wheels and turned smoothly. Riddhima was face to face with Armaan once again. He put his hands on hers and started pushing the chair back gently. He went around the table and stopped pushing the chair when they reached the other side of the table) Station aagaya madam (he said smiling) Aur koi hukm?
Rid - (blushed) Umm...nahin (he was still holding her hands down with his. She looked down at their hands on top of each other. He did the same, with his naughty smile)
Arm - Kya hua Riddhima, koi problem? (he said innocently, even though he knew what was going through her mind)
Rid - Haan (but she didn't want him to think that HE was the problem)...nahin...(confused)
Arm - Saaf saaf bolo Riddhima. Koi...problem?
Rid - Mujhe jaane do Armaan. Mera haath chodo. (she said quietly)
Arm - (He let go of one hand) Lo chod diya.
Rid - Armaan, dusra bhi.
Arm - mmm hmm (shaking his head in a no) tum ne sirf "Mera haath" kahata.
Rid - (She couldn't do this anymore. She was extremely concious around Armaan and when Armaan did things like this, she got even more concious. She got up suddenly, releasing her other hand).

Armaan had anticipated this. He stood up straight and put his hands in his pocket. She had gotten up grabbed the book and gone to sit on the other seat. She opened the book and turned to a specific page. She started taking notes. He could sense the heat. He turned on the fan. Armaan sat on the seat accross from her. With her as an inspiration, he didn't need anything else, not any thoughts besides hers because she brang out the best in him, not the music from his mp3...because the music came all on its own...

Kaise batayen
kyun tujh ko chahen
yaara bataa na payen

She was busy flipping through the pages, working intently taking notes. The wind from the fan blew her hair. He got to work but kept looking up at her every once in awhile.

Baatein dilon ki,
dekho jo baki,
aankhen tujhe samjhae.
Tu Jaane naaaa...aaaa
Tu jaane na...

She kept him going this late in the hour. After an hour of intense work, he got up and went to the kitchen and got some coffee. He poured it into two mugs. It was 2 am now. When he came back, he found Riddhima still busy at work, lekin apni neend se bhari ankhein kabhi kabhi 2 second ke liye band karti, phir kholti. He went to her, knelt down on one knee and gave her the steamy cup of coffee. As soon as she took it, she pulled back away from him.

Milkay bhi hum na milay
Tum se na jaane kyun
Milon ke hain faasle
Tum se najaane kyun
Anjaane hain silsilay
Tum se najaane kyun
Sapne hain palkon talay
Tum se najaane kyunnnn...

Riddhima ko neend ka nasha tha, she raised her eyes that felt so heavy. She just wanted to go to sleep right then and there. She held the cup with both hands and drank a sip of the warm coffee he had brought her. Armaan smiled at her struggle to stay awake. There's something about her.

Kaise bataayen
Kyun tujh ko chahein
Yaara bataa na payen
Baatein dilon ki
Dekho jo baaki
Ankhein tujhe samjahen
Tu jaane naaa...
Tu jaane na

He put a bookmark into the book she was flipping through and closed it. She tried to protest but he put his fingers onto her lips which made her be quiet. He took her hand and led her to the open garden and terrace on the roof of Sanjeevni. The air was fresh and there was a light mist. She had never seen this place before. He looked at her and she could see her image in his eyes that spoke to her.

nigaahon mein dekho meri jo hai bas gaya
woh hai milta tumse hubahu
Jaane teri aankhein thi ya baatein thi wajaaah
huye tum jo dil ki aarzoo
Tum se batana hai
ek afsana hai
Dil ne ye maana hai
Meri saari sansein judi
Tumse najaane kyun
saari baatein shuroo
Tum se najaane kyunnn...

Tu jaane naaaa...
Tu jaane na

A few moments of gazing, she felt a drop of water land on her cheek. Armaan felt a few more. Before they both knew it, it started raining. He took off his labcoat and put it over their heads and signalled Riddhima to come back inside. Riddhima had felt so trapped in that hospital room where no one would let her get out because they thought she was weak. They didn't know that this was exactly what she needed. Her eyes didn't feel heavy anymore, she looved this weather. Riddhima hadn't been out in the rain in forever. She laughed at Armaan's idea to stay away from the rain 'Itna acha weather? As if!'. She completely forgot about him, and ran out onto the open terrace. Armaan thought 'Aaj tho main tumhe bataake hi rahounga!'

khayaalon mein laakhon baatein yuun toh keh gaya
bola kuchh na tere saamne
huye na begaane bhi tum hoke aur ke
dekho tum na mere hi bane
Dil ke safay pe jo
Tera naam likha hai
Mitana bhi chaho tho
Kabhi bhi yeh na mitay
Tumse najaane kyun
Ab hongay kam faaslay
Tum se najaane kyunnn
Tu jaane naaaa...
Tu jaane na...

She took off her shoes aur apne paoon se jo terrace pe paani jama hua tha, chalkaane lagi. She pulled back her hair that was coming onto her face, she was soaking wet. She held out her hands to the sky. He was dripping from in no time. He laughed out loud and stroked his hair back. She was standing near a water-fountain. He went near her and she turned around and splashed his shirt. He looked down at his shirt and started laughing and she laughed out loud herself. Armaan had never seen her laugh so freely with him like this. He felt like he owned the world. He splashed her back and she held her hands out in front of her face playfully.

Kaise bataayen kyun tujhako chaahen
Yaara bata na paayen
Baatein dilon ki dekho jo baaki
Aankhein tujhe samjhaayen

A thunder was heard, followed by a hollow wind. The whole terrace and the garden around them was misted and fresh. Water was dripping everywhere and they were both soaking wet. He took her wrist, pulled her close to him, looked into her eyes and said:

Arm - Riddhima. I love you.


****tu jaane na, tu jaane na****

Simmy