This part is also dedicated to Vaishiksg, who's b'day was on 2nd April! You're lucky you're b'day's gonna go down in history! Hope you liked the update as your birthday gift! 😊
Chapter 24: Paying Back...
I knew he was somewhere around. I could smell him, which is weird, since I had never really paid attention to his scent before; I probably didn't even ever notice he had one! But I'm sure it's him.
And I was sure when I felt his lips touch my forehead. Yep, that was him. He actually thought this was gonna melt me down? Oh, he hadn't seen nothing yet!
I kept my eyes shut nevertheless, letting the feeling of belonging seep in...I couldn't believe it had been just last night that he had told me that he loved me...It felt like ages, and I just felt dumb to have not realized that before.
I felt him murmur a soft 'I love you' in my ear and my heart picked up pace...Was this how every morning of mine was gonna be from now on? I would never feel like waking up then, I smiled softly at the thought.
I felt his presence go fainter and I peeped out through my eyes and saw no one around. Sighing, I sat up, with probably the biggest smiles on my face; I knew because my face muscles already hurt!
Turning to the side, I saw a small orchid placed next to my book on the table. I looked at the time. It was 10.30 in the morning! How the hell had he found my favourite flower so early in the morning, not to mention so early in the season?
I grinned, picking it up, and raised my eyerbrows at the note placed with it. So Mr. Peanuts was trying to be Roadside Romeo after all! Well he had no idea he had Jane for his Juliet, I smirked!
"Sorry! And you probably know what I'm gonna say next!
P.S. Hopefully you don't take 3 years to guess the answer to that one Munchkin! ;)"
My jaw dropped. This was his attempt at being romantic? Hmph! Frowning, I held the paper tightly in my hand, with the flower in the other. That's when I noticed, there was something written at the back of the note.
"Just in case you're still that slow, I'll tell you anyway....I love you!"
And then, the smile was back.
Freshening up, I repeated the chant in my head for the millionth time. I was mad at him, I was mad at everybody! Look mad, look upset and angry!
I slowly made my way downstairs and found Armaan standing near the table whilst the others sat listening to him. So he was telling them about last night! Good, they should be prepared for the treatment they were about to get!
With a superior look on my face, I mumbled a courteous 'good morning' and sat down at the table with a frown. I could feel all their eyes on me.
I heard my Dad clear his throat and smirked. Oh, my Dad was gonna pay big time!
"Uh, Riddhima beta!" Bingo!
"Yes Dad!" I said, not looking up from my plate, when I saw Armaan sit next to me. I glared at him to let him know the flower and sweet and cute note hadn't changed anything. Period.
"Beta umm...."
"Dad, and everyone else here, in case you guys are uncomfortable about the little prank your son played on me and about you guys supporting him in it, then chill, I'm not angry!" I said in one breath, and I saw shocked eyes staring down at me.
Smirking, I looked up at them confidently.
"All you guys are gonna make it up to me obviously!" I shrugged and started on my cereal, while I saw all of them, including Armaan heave a sigh of relief. "Not you!" I muttered under my breath, making it audible for him to hear. I saw his sceptical smile and grinned happily.
Post-breakfast was a happy affair for me, maybe not for the others. With my Mum and Dad, I had just demanded a car of my own, which they had conveniently deprived me of, telling me my Mum's car was sufficient for my use!
With Uncle and Aunty, who I could now officially treat as my own parents (nothing out of the blue really!), I had just mentioned that there was something I wanted, something which would be a surprise for them. They had exchanged puzzled glances, but it was something I wanted, something for someone else. I had felt Armaan's confused eyes on me at that time, and I had carefully avoided his gaze, lest he know what my intentions were!
Throughout the day, I was being showered with intense love and care, and me; obviously I couldn't love it more!
I paced back up the stairs to stride back to my room, but got pulled into Armaan's, and I didn't have to think twice to guess who it was!
"What?" I glowered at him, while he shuffled in his feet nervously.
"Uh...You umm....Read my'"
"Note? Yep, I did!" I said with a superior look, and he smiled hopefully. "Still angry though!" I crossed my arms and looked away, and his smile vanished. "And I still have some doubts!"
"Doubts?" He asked frowning.
"Uh huh! There are loopholes in your story!" I declared arrogantly and he rolled his eyes.
"Story? Oye, I wasn't having a story-telling competition with you yesterday! This is something locked up inside me since the past 3 years!" I looked up at him, alarmed at his sudden irritation.
"Toh? I still have doubts na!" I scowled and he sighed.
"What?"
"Well, firstly, if you were in love with me since 3 years..." I took a step towards him with daggers pouring out of my eyes, "How DARE you go around snogging that blonde?" I scowled at him and shoved my index finger in his chest, while he gulped.
"Uhhh....I was just trying to not make you suspicious..." He gave a nervous chuckle, holding both my hands in his tightly in spite of my repeated tries to get them off.
"Suspicious? Right! Mallik, I know you're lying!" I declared, my scowl deepening. "Who knows, you did all of that in front of me! I wonder what you must have been doing behind closed doors!"
"Don't! Riddhima, I'll take abuses, I'll take slaps, I'll even oblige to you chasing me around with a knife in your hand. But please don't doubt my feelings for you! And as for snogging Andrea as you call it, well the past 3 years, if I call her my girlfriend, she's bound to throw herself at me, and if I push her away, well, she would've gotten the wrong idea..." He said confidently, and I was slightly taken aback by what he'd said, however elated! "And as for the past few days, well, if it hadn't been for that, you wouldn't have cracked! Let's not forget, that it was the thought of me sleeping with her which got you to confess in the first place! I don't regret that at all!" He smirked at my scowling face.
"Whatever! The past 3 years, I can forgive! I mean well, I had my close moments with Sid!" I shrugged and smirked at how I saw his hands curl into fists. "But this one month! Dude, you can't go around snogging her in front of my eyes when you claim to love me!" I glowered at him, but this time he just stared down at me unaffected.
"I had to make the engagement look real! And anyway, most of the time, it was her pulling me and not the other way round! I obviously couldn't push her away in front of you! And besides, she did that only to annoy you more! Obviously you haven't annoyed her less!"
"She threw herself at you? To annoy me? I always hated her!" I scowled. "And what about that neck-piece I liked in the store? And the ring as well! You gave all of it to her!" I said angrily and he shrugged.
"I told you! I had to make this look real! And as for the ring and the neck-piece! Both were for you! I made her take it off 10 minutes after I'd given it her, obviously after I made sure you'd seen it! I have it if you want!" He offered and I gave him a murderous glare.
"How generous! No thanks! You can't even get me something for only me! I'm not wearing anthing worn by her first! And come up with better explanations! I hate you for this!" I declared arrogantly and he sighed. Scowling, turned my back to him.
I mentally began thinking of ways to murder her, when I felt his arms circling my waist. My heart skipped a beat, and even though my brain yelled, 'Stop him!' my heart hushed it up saying, 'I've waited too long!'.
"You can't really think this is gonna make me forgive you!" I mumbled softly, the only concrete statement I could build through my mouth when I heard his soft chortle.
"I can try!" He whispered in my ear, and before I knew, I felt his lips place a soft kiss below my ear. My breathing hitched, I felt him pull me closer, and I smiled softly. It felt like heaven right there in his arms. But, there was time for this later. We had our entire lives ahead of us to do this, but right now, someone had to pay. Big time.
With all my might, I stomped on his foot with mine, and I felt his arms leave me, the warmth gone. I chuckled and saw him glaring at me.
"What the effing hell was that for!" He said angrily and I shrugged.
"Told you I'm not gonna melt that easy!" I smirked at him.
"It was a start though!" He grinned back at me, coming towards me but I held my hand against his chest to keep distance.
"Try and try till you succeed! There's still a lot you gotta do!" I winked at him to which he gave a sceptical smile.
"Oh really Munchkin?" He took my hand and took the opportunity to pull me closer, locking me in his arms once again with them circling me around my waist. "We shall see!" He winked at me and I rolled my eyes, pouting. "What do you have in mind by the way, to take your revenge?!"
"Oh you don't worry about that!" I mumbled in a soft, superior tone. "You just worry about how you're gonna take me down!"
"Can't be that difficult! I have a very intoxicating effect on girls you see! Like I'm having on you right now!" He whispered and I cursed that stupid telepathic connection between us. How does he always know?!
"Whatever! Just wait and watch!" I said, pushing him away.
"Oh I will!" He grinned and I rolled my eyes. Turning, I opened the door to leave when I felt his hand tug at my wrist. "Just say it once! Please! Couldn't sleep at all last night because you didn't say it even once after your much-awaited confession!" He said it as a joke, but I could hear the desperation in his voice.
"Well, you'll get to hear that only after you've made it up to me!" I laughed, and I heard him sigh. I began to walk again, but then stopped. "Make sure you keep that stupid good-for-nothing intoxicating effect of your's limited to me only! Only I have a right on it now!" I said in a determined voice, and even without looking, I could sense that wide smile on his face.
Rushing to my room, I tore a piece of paper from my journal and quickly scribbled a single statement on it, and ran back to his room, which was now shut. Looking at it, I read it once before I slipped it under his door'
"I said you can't hear it! But you can read it!
Je t'aime!"
I mumbled a soft 'I love you' before turning on my heels and running back to my room, wondering what he would do when he would read my note. Probably google 'Je t'aime'. He didn't know a word of French!
The rest of the day passed by, with Armaan looking at me intently all day long. So he had probably googled 'Je T'aime' after all!
Early in the morning the next day, I crept into his room as silently as possible. I heard the water running in his washroom, and I knew he's going to take some time in there. I stifled a laugh as I heard him sing. Controlling myself, I quickly tip-toed to his cupboard, feeling like James Bond. I played that particular detective tune in my mind; I loved having background music for every scene of my life!
Chuckling at my stupid thoughts, I opened his cupboard and quickly began removing all his clothes, from his jeans and trousers to his t-shirts and his favourite white shirts! I removed every single clothing from his cupboard, leaving his undergarments, which I had no wish of seeing, and grinned at my evil thoughts. I wish I had those devil horns, I thought sadly. Would really fit in!
I quickly ran to my room, thrashed all his clothes on my bed and ran back to his room to see to it I hadn't left anything out!
I checked his cupboard one last time when I found an envelope right at the end. Curiousity getting the better of me, I opened it, and I felt my heart jumping in joy. They were Nikki's wedding pictures, only they were all me!
They were all similar to the ones he had taken during Diwali a few years ago...I smiled at how he had taken particular close-ups of my eyes, and I felt my heart do a somersault, of my lips...
So he did like the way I looked in Nikki's sangeet, I smirked.
I finally understood why he had chosen me as his muse for his photography. It wasn't only because of my annoyingly expressive face...
In fact, all his little little gestures began to make sense to me. The look in his eyes, these photographs, the way he would always make sure I was comfortable and fine, his care, the way he looked after me, the way he made sure I came back home on weekends when Nikki and Alex would be away, so I wouldn't get scared alone at Uni, our innumerable Maggi Midnights....
He was my best friend, all right, always would be. But he hadn't done all of that for me only because he was my best friend. He always loved me. Made me feel special and wanted, and now that I realized, even when I would feel lonely on certain days, I always knew I could go back home to him and talk it out, pour all my frustration out to him. I always trusted him to set things right, and if not that, at least ease the wrong...
I heard the shower turn off, and I quickly ran out, making sure I hadn't left anything behind, and looked at the t-shirt and pants I had kept for him on the bed, one last time. I had left a note alongside the clothes which said 'Punishment No.1". Laughing deviously, I ran out and into my room.
I quickly took his entire pile of clothes, trashed them into my own cupboard and locked it shut. Rubbing my hands together, I raced to his room, opening the door slightly to see if he'd realized all his clothes were gone.
I peeped in and saw him come out, his lower half covered in his towel, and his well-toned chest. He didn't exactly have the hot-shot abs and all, but he yet had an amazingly toned chest. Why did he have to be so hot, I thought dismally.
I muttered 'Focus' under my breath and saw him open his cupboard. His back was to me, so I couldn't really see his reaction, but I saw that frown deepening by the second when he realized all his clothes were gone. I saw his eyes fall on the bed and widen. I smirked as he shut his eyes in realization, and I immediately ran down as I saw him dart towards the door.
I ran into the kitchen, my Mum and Aunty were having an animated conversation, while my Dad and Uncle busied themselves by watching TV.
"3, 2, and....1!" I mumbled, and sure enough there came a shriek.
"Riddhimaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" I shut my ears and grinned. Mum and Aunty looked at me shocked with raised eyebrows and I shrugged.
"Yes!" I punched my fist in mid-air and ran back up, to see Armaan still covered in his towel and standing outside my room.
"Where are my clothes?" He asked and looked at me daggers as I chuckled.
"What clothes?" I asked innocently.
"Riddhima, I know your ways! Just get me my clothes. Now." He said sternly and I stood there, momentarily afraid of what might become of me if I pull this further. Bu then again, he loves me too much, I thought. And he had to pay.
"I don't have them." I said in a monotone.
"REALLY NOW? So you're telling me, that this t-shirt and these horrendous pants aren't your idea?" He flung the pants and t-shirt I had left for him in my face and I caught them.
"No! But hey, you would look cute in these!" I stifled a laugh and he glared down at me.
"Gimme my clothes. Now."
"No."
"Riddhima."
"Armaan."
"Riddhima."
"Armaan, just wear what you've got! If you ever want me to forgive you!" I said smartly, and my heart sank when I saw his face fall. He didn't say anything, his face was expressionless, but he walked towards me, pulled the clothes from my hand and walked back into his room.
Had I pulled this too far? I had forgiven him already, and somewhere deep down in my heart, I knew that if he hadn't pulled this stunt on me, I probably would have still denied my feelings and his even today.
Nah, it's way too much fun to annoy him, I thought! And I'll make it up to him later. I can have some fun for sometime!
Content, I walked back down, waiting for him to come down wearing what I'd given him.
I helped my Mum and Aunty set the table for breakfast, but he still didn't come down.
"Armaan!" Aunty called down, and we heard Armaan's muffled 'yeah'. "C'mon down for breakfast! Everyone's waiting!"
"I think I'll skip!" Came his reply and I chortled, while the others turned to look at me suspiciously. I shrugged at them.
"Armaan, don't be stupid! Just come down!" Aunty yelled and I knew he had to come down now. 21 years old, and he still couldn't take his Mum shouting at him.
I got back to setting the table when we got no reply for him. It meant he was coming down.
"Oh god!" I heard Aunty say and turned to see Armaan in the multi-colored striped pants and a pink t-shirt which said 'I'm coming out of the closet'.
Not being able to control myself anymore, I burst out laughing. I saw him dart towards me, and immediately ran for it, still laughing my head off.
"Munchkin!" I heard him call me, and ran all over the place. I wondered when the last time I chased him was. I was the naughtier of the two, I knew that. He was the more practical and sensible one.
I felt him pull me, but still tried running.
"You can't run now!" He said in a tired voice.
"What're you chasing me for? You deserve this!" I laughed, trying to get out of his hold.
"Coming out of the closet? Seriously?" He asked me, glowering down at me.
"What? You make a very cute pansy!" I muttered and his nostrils flared. I laughed.
"And now you laugh! Munchkin I swear!" He said in a stern voice and I shrugged, grinning at him. "You're so gonna regret this!" He muttered and I rolled my eyes to show I wasn't afraid.
"We'll see. Now can we go? I'm starving! Oh and just so you know, you have to wear this the entire day! Rhe's coming home today, and we're going to the mall. We need someone to hold our bags!" I pulled his cheeks which had turned red, of embarrassment or anger, I didn't know.
I turned to leave when he pulled me back. I raised my eyebrows at him.
"Moi aussie, Je t'aime...." He whispered huskily in my ear and I smiled softly, pulling back from him and running to the dining area...So he had googled 'Je T'aime' after all!
"Dude!" Sid exclaimed as soon as he saw us. I stifled a laugh at Armaan's shocked expressions.
"Munchkin, you told me it was gonna be only you and Rhe! What's Sid doing here?" Armaan spoke through his gritted teeth and I shrugged.
"I said you were taking the two of us to the mall! I never said there wouldn't be anyone else around!" I said innocently.
"Dude! Seriously! I mean you could have at least told me!" Sid said in an earnestly shocked voice, and Armaan just shook his head dismally. "And what about poor Andrea? She must be heartbroken!"
"Aww, don't worry Sid, even I didn't know! And oh yeah, Andrea's shattered!" I said, sounding upset, but then stopped when Armaan glared at me, daring me to go any further.
"Even I didn't! And I'm his sister!" Rhea shook her head and I hi-fived her behind Armaan's back. Although she too had been a part of Armaan's masterplan, she had told me Armaan had forced her into it, and I sort of believed it. Armaan always bossed her around anyway. Not that Rhea was very obedient, but in such cases, no one could win against Armaan.
"Well, what can I say! I think coming out of the closet is the best deed I've ever done!" Armaan said in a monotone, something which I had told him to say.
Rhea and I burst out laughing at that, and Sid just held a scandalized expression.
"Ridzi!" I frowned at the voice. Nikki? Sid must've called her. I was so, so, so mad at her, I would never call her, not even to crack jokes at Armaan! I crossed my arms and frowned, and I saw Armaan and Rhe looking at me cautiously, both scared that I would lose it all over again.
"Hey!" Nikki said nervously and I gave a small smile to acknowledge her. "Ridzi I'm so sorry! This pig forced me not to tell you! I swear I didn't even know at first! It was only after my'"
"Bachlorette...I know...The pig told me!" Armaan's jaw dropped to the ground as Nikki and I shamelessly refered to him as 'the pig'.
"I'm sorry Ridzi!"
"Niks, atleast you could've told me! That's two of my best friends conspiring against me!" I said with a sardonic smile and Nikki looked down.
I looked at Armaan, and he begged me to let it go through his eyes. I looked at Sid who had absolutely no idea what we were on about. Sighing, I continued.
"It's okay Nikki! I guess a daft-head like me needs such wake-up calls anyway!" I said with a small smile. Nikki's face broke into a smile and she pulled me into a bear hug. I saw Armaan having a hopeful smile after I had finished and I shook my head to tell him that he wasn't off the hook. Not yet at least. He scowled and I smiled.
"Now can we shop? Someone's made a very generous offer to hold all our bags!" I smirked at Armaan and he hit both his fists together twice to give me the most obvious reply.
The next hour or two, we, at least us girls, had a ball shopping, while poor Armaan wore the brunt of holding our bags, as I shamelessly excused Sid from the job. Armaan definitely attracted a lot of attention because of his clothes. While gilrs wore sorrowful glances at having seen such a good-looking guy go gay, other boys just chose to keep their distance. Obviously, some actually gay guys did try hitting on Armaan when he stood with us whilst we decided what to buy. Armaan would hide behind me as soon as he would see a guy approach him (gay or not!). I smiled at how cute he looked with that sullen pout on his face.
Sid, on the other hand, still had no idea about the new developments, and chose to keep distance from his new gay buddy!
"Riddhima can we please go home now?" I looked to the side and saw Armaan pleading me to have mercy.
"Half hour Armaan! Let Nikki and Rhe finish!" I said looking back at the blue-diamond studded earrings in the form of small hearts dropping in a single line, which had caught my attention.
Armaan sighed and went back to where Sid was standing; probably tell him that he wasn't really gay.
I frowned. I really loved those earrings, but they were way too expensive. Not to mention incredibly gorgeous as well.
"Ma'am would you like to buy those? They are the last of our Valentine edition!" The attendant smiled at me and spoke in her usual sugary sweet voice. But her words took me back to a few days ago. Valentine edition.
I couldn't believe it was just a couple of weeks ago, that I had been crying about not having the one I loved. I remembered how Armaan had gifted the neck-piece I had liked to Andrea, and I could forgive him for that, because he had said it was for me after all. But the hurt kept coming back, and I couldn't understand why...I had forgiven him, I was sure he loved me, probably much more than I loved him, and I was sure he wouldn't ever hurt me again.
But in spite of it all, just for a few minutes, I felt betrayed. And this was one such moment.
"No thank you! Just looking!" I said, giving her a smug smile and walked away from there.
I felt someone's eyes on me, and I knew it was Armaan. I looked at him, but he seemed to be having a conversation with Nikki.
Sighing, I walked to them.
"Done?" Nikki asked me, and I nodded.
"Guys, can you gimme 5 minutes? You'll go to the car. I think i found something Mum would like for her b'day! Rhe, c'mon!" Rhea followed Armaan, who passed the car keys to me. "See you guys in a few..." His voice trailed off as he rushed back into the store.
I felt inquisitive all over again. Had he gone back to buy those earrings for me? Probably he had seen me looking at them, because I had definitely felt his eyes on me at the time.
Sighing, but feeling much better, I walked back to the car with Sid and Nikki.
I waited for Armaan and Rhea to return anxiously, hoping to catch a glimpse of whether he had actually bought me the earrings or not.
"Hey!" Nikki scooted in her to make place for Rhea to sit, while Armaan sat in the drivers' seat with me next to him. Sid chose to drive back home, saying he had an 'important committment'.
"What'd you get?" I asked, trying not to sound hopeful.
"Uh, we got a bracelet and this neck-piece for Mum." Rhea opened the boxes for us while Armaan began driving us back home.
"Oh! Nice!" I saw the gifts and sighed. I could see that the bag was empty. So he hadn't bought me the earrings after all, I thought sadly.
"You okay?" Armaan asked me, frowning at my sudden sullen expressions.
"Yeah, I'm cool!" I said in a monotone.
"You don't sound that happy after embarrassing me for these past few hours!" Armaan smiled at me, but somehow I didn't feel like returning it.
"I'm not..." I mumbled, and saw Armaan pass me a curious yet concerned look. "Just tired!" I said, shrugging.
"You sure?" He asked, looking at me.
"Yes Armaan I'm fine!" I snapped at him and he, slightly taken aback and hurt, didn't probe me any further...
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There! Done! That's 2 updates in the past 24 hours, so I should get biggie biggie comments okay?
And don't be too upset about the last part. Riddhima's just having that 'Girlfriend Syndrome' as I call it! Armaan will have to make her feel important (as if he's not doing that already, I know!) but Riddhima will just have to see it through his attempts of making her happy....
And as for this entire pay back time, mostly this is all there is...Nothing more left, next chapter should be the all romantic and cute-cute lovey-dovey chapter as you guys like it!
This chapter was just to show that the Munchkin-Peanuts relationship has reached another level now! =)
Hope you guys liked it! Do lemme know! =)
<3
x x
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