Soulmate (AR FF) (Part 9 in pg 70) - Page 51

sooo sorry for being late dear

will update now

so sorry fr being late

will update now

With a jolt he opened his eyes as soon as the words dawned on him.

 

To his utter astonishment, there was not a single being on the court and the whole place was as unoccupied as before. Armaan was utterly baffled to find the court empty. He looked here and there but to his bad luck his eyes couldn't get hold of the sight they were yearning for. It was then that realization dawned on him and he smacked his palm on his forehead for his own stupidity.

 

Armaan: "Great! Just great! Now you have started daydreaming too. Good going Armaan Mallik. You have finally proved that you have officially lost it. Oh God! What the hell is happening to me? Now I have even started hallucinating her? Oh no! oh no! oh no! This is so not happening. If this keeps going on I'll surely go insane. Why the hell she doesn't leave me alone? Am I….am I getting attracted to her?  No no no! Oh God! No! This cant happen. This isnt the matter. Okay I really need to have a shower to shove aside all these confusing thoughts from my mind."

 

Armaan threw the basketball with unnecessary force towards the hoop but it missed the hoop by inches.  He shook his head in frustration n strode out of the bb court.

 

******************************************************************

(Riddhima's room)

 

Riddhima just came out of the washroom after taking a shower which helped her in relaxing and freshened up her mood after such an eventful day. She was clad in a dark blue knee length night dress. Her hair was wet as she had just stepped out of the shower. Pearly droplets of water were dripping from her tangled hair that fall over her shoulders and her back reachiing upto her waist. She walked up to the mirror and sat down on the stool placed in front of it and picking up the comb, she began to comb her wet hair. She was reminiscing the events of the whole day. She smiled and closed her eyes. As soon as she closed her eyes, a pair of handsome blue eyes flashed in front of her. With a jolt, riddhima opened her eyes.  She stared at  her reflection in the mirror with an awestruck expression.

 

Riddhima : "What is this now? What is happening to me? That arrogant, rude monster! Huh! He didn't even thank me for saving his neck. And here I am dreaming about him and that too day dreaming? What the hell is wrong with you Ridzi? Have you gone insane or what?"

 

Her flow of thoughts broke with the entry of an enraptured n extremely excited Muskaan. As was her nature, she rushed into Riddhima's room with a loud squeal of excitement n without any prior notice. Riddhima immediately got up from the stool n whirled around. Muskaan was like that fresh breeze of hope n happiness that always filled her life with positive vibes.

 

Riddhima squealed in joy seeing her best friend :"Muskiii!"

 

She too darted towards Muskaan n both the girls pulled each other in a tight hug. After quite a few moments they let go of each other.

 

Muskaan squealed excitedly:". OMG! Ridz!Ridz!Ridz! I dont believe this! I seriously dont believe this! Oh Ridz! I'm so so so happy."

 

Riddhima giggled. This was her Muski, her ever so excited, hyper n short tempered but at the same time extremely sweet friend. She shook her head in amusement n grabbed Muskaan by her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

 

Riddhima exclaimed with a smile:"Okay! Okay! I got it Muski. You are super excited n extremely happy. Now calm down, will you woman? And tell me what you are so happy n excited about?"

 

Muskaan smacked her forehead n then looked up to Riddhima with a sheepish look n replied :"Damn! I came here to give you that very news n here I forgot everything in my own excitement."

 

Riddhima chuckled at Muskaan's sheepish look n replied :"Tell me about it. I know you better than anyone else. So u see that isnt a news for me. Now come on blurt out the real news before you forget it all over again. "

 

Muskaan narrowed her eyes n retorted back with her hands on her hips n feigned anger :"Hey! What do you mean? Am I that forgetful?"

 

Riddhima giggled in amusement seeing her friend's mock anger. She knew Muskaan way too well to mistake her feigned rage with her authentic n outrageous fury.

 

Riddhima :"Nah Muski! You are even more forgetful than that."

 

For a moment Muskaan glowered at Riddhima while Riddhima too matched her glare unblinkingly n finally both the friends burst into fits of riotous laughter. Moments ticked off n after having quite some moments of hearty laughter, finally their laughter subsided.  Muskaan looked at Riddhima with a wide grin while Riddhima raised her eyebrows inquisitively.Riddhima couldnt take the suspense anymore n the dam of her patience finally had a wide n visible crack.

 

Riddhima demanded impatiently:"Muski yaar! Come on now. Tell me what's the matter."

 

Muskaan smirked mysteriously n replied:"Patience is a virtue."

 

Riddhima rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics n snapped back:"Not right now, it isnt. Muski either you tell me or I'll strangle you for sure."

 

Riddhima took a menacing step towards Muskaan while the latter took a step back.

 

Muskaan :"Woah! Chill out woman! I'll tell you. (She made a melodramatically serious face which instead of providing the ambience a grave effect ended up providing a ludicrous effect) Ridz you know what today Rahul sir called me to talk about the interview n said that ..."

 

Muskaan trailed off mysteriously, much to Riddhima's irritation. Now that she was aware of where the conversation was heading, Riddhima's anxiety was increasing with the ticking off of every single minute.

 

Riddhima initiated anticipating the worst:"What did he say? Had they selected someone? Whom?"

 

Muskaan started in a grave tone:"Hmm...they did selected someone. (Then very swiftly she changed her tone into a lighthearted one) Leave it yaar. First you promise me  we'll be going to work toghether n reminice all our old days n enjoy a lot in the breaktime in M.E. Promise me asap. "

 

Riddhima started :"What? Muski what are you... "

 

However, she abruptly broke off as she realization dawned on her. For a moment Riddhima kept staring at Muskaan in astonishment. No words came out of her throat. Muskaan was bemused to see her all quiet and still like a statue. She grabbed her shoulders and shook her to bring her out of the trance.

 

Muskaan :"Ridz! Riddhima! You are alright na? Hello! Earth calling. Are you there?"

 

Riddhima finally snapped out of her shocked state of mind. She still couldnt grasp the fact that she had been selected as the head of the creative department of the country's no. 1 business empire.

 

Finally when the truth sank in, Riddhima squealed in rapture :"OMG! Muski=

iii! I'm so happy! I so dont believe this! I'm actually selected in The Mallik Empire! Someone pinch me. I must be dreaming."

 

Muskaan smirked iniquitously n replied :"with pleasure."

 

And the next moment Riddhima yelped in pain while  Muskaan giggled in amusement.

 

Riddhima lashed out at Muskaan while rubbing n blowing air on her upper arm to soothe the pain :"Muskaan! You idiot! I asked u to pinch me not to peel my skin off."

 

Muskaan shrugged with a mischievous grin adorning her beautiful features n replied : "Well my sweet princess it was mandatory to bring you out of your entranced state."

 

Riddhima gave her a sugary smile but Muskaan's grin faltered instantly as she knew this formidably sweet smile a little too well which starkly insinuated danger.  Muskaan swiftly sprang up from the bed n scuttled away before Riddhima could lay her hands on Muskaan.

 

However, Riddhima was by no means lagging behind. She sprang up on her feets with an astonishing speed and dashed awy after Muskaan.

 

The small cottage resonated with the laughter and shrieks of the two best friends and with the occassional admonishments of Bi.

 

*******************************************************************

(Mallik Empire)

 

Armaan stepped out of his car and without wasting a single moment he strode away towards the M.E office building with his eyes focused in front of him. He was kind of fidgety and agitated as he was clueless about his current position. He had spent a sleepless night. But that wasn't his concern at all because it wasn't the first time that he spent a night being wide awake. He often continued working the whole night. But the baffling fact here was that for the first time ever in his life that he spent a sleepless night and that too without any concrete reason. Well there was a reason and the reason was that throughout the night the immaculately beautiful face of a particular someone kept popping up in front of his eyes every now and then and he ended up imagining her almost everywhere and in every single inanimate object. For countless times he asked himself the same question "What is happening to me?" and was yet unsuccessful to find a satisfactory answer. And hence finally he had decided to keep his attention focused on his work and other responsibilities and not to let his mind amble indolently. With this strong determination, he sauntered into the office. Paying least or no heed to the greetings that came his way, he merely nodded his head and continued on his way, covering the distance to the elevator with long strides. As he was about to step into the elevator, the shrill ringtone of his mobile grabbed his attention. Coming to an instant halt, he rummaged his pocket for his mobile and finally succeeded in excavating it out. Retreating back a little, he turned around and commenced a conversation and thus failed to notice the beautiful young girl, clad in a yellow salwar kurta, who sauntered into the elevator. Armaan cut the conversation short and turned back but his eyes widened to see the door of the elevator was slightly ajar and was on the way of shutting down completely.

 

Armaan immediately darted towards the elevator cursing the caller under his breath as he had an important meeting to attend and he was running short of time. He sprinted at top speed and dashed into the elevator just before the door to it completely shut down. However, thanks to the speed with which he dashed into the elevator that he couldn't check himself at time and stumbled and ended up landing on the only other occupant of the otherwise vacant elevator, crushing her petite, feminine, form under his strong, masculine frame and incarcerating her against the wall of the elevator. He was about to apologize when his gaze collided with the immaculately beautiful face and he found, to his utter bewilderment and for the very first time, his voice stuck within the confines of his throat and refuted to make its way out. It was none else than Riddhima. Armaan blinked once, then twice and then thrice. He was unable to believe that it had truly been her and not yet another figment of his imagination. He lost himself in the depth of those beautiful black eyes that were staring back at him with a similar lost look. Things were not much different on the other side too. Riddhima, who was flabbergasted with the sudden 'attack', looked up only to get drowned in those blue oceans. Both have lost the track of time and every single bit of rationality evaporated out of their system. Riddhima was lost in those blue eyes while Armaan was still incredulous about whether she was real. His heart thudded hard n loud and unconsciously, as if moving on their own accord, his hands which were wrapped securely around Riddhima's petite waist began moving upwards very slowly while caressing her back over the sole barrier of the thin fabric. Armaan was relishing each n every moment of their proximity and was in a complete oblivion of the world around him. His touch send a shiver down Riddhima's spine and she shivered due to his warm touch and the close proximity that they were sharing. Somewhere a voice was nagging her in her mind to push him off her but the dizziness that was overpowering her was overpowering that voice too and she couldn't do anything, even say a word against what was happening within the confines of the elevator. She shivered more as she felt him caressing her back and her hands, which were till the moment resting on Armaan's shoulder, as if in their own accord clutched his shirt. Armaan leaned towards her and his gaze dropped over her pink, rosy lips while riddhima closed her eyes in anticipation. She shivered feeling his breath caressing her lips. Armaan now could no longer hold himself back. He was completely under the trance of the moment and was totally unaware of what he was doing. He inched even closer to her. He was about to capture her soft lips when the elevator came to a halt with a jerk, successfully bringing Armaan out of his entranced state. He looked around and then his gaze fall at the beauty in his arms. His eyes widened as he realized what he was going to do.