RIANSH: Becoming Mrs. Raisinghania – Episode 18

Hi y’all! Thank you for the wonderful response in the previous episode, it meant a lot to me. I know I’ve taken forever to update, but I’ve barely had time on my hands. Anyway, this episode has been long awaited, so Happy Reading!

PREVIOUSLY, Ishani stands up for Riddhima against Mrs. Sinha and later, consoles her; Riddhima confronts Vansh

[Link to Episode 17: https://www.tellyupdates.com/riansh-becoming-mrs-raisinghania-episode-17/]

BECOMING MRS. RAISINGHANIA – EPISODE 18: HER

Vansh waited in the living room, looking around the painted walls of the room. He heard the faint clattering of vessels in the kitchen and figured that Mrs. Goenka was serving him something despite his continued reluctance. He sighed and looked at the time on his wristwatch, slowly beginning to lose his patience.

It had been close to an hour since he had arrived, and she still had not returned home. Her mother had told him that she was gone for an interview, and he had pretended like he knew it. He did not, obviously. The two of them had avoided each other since the engagement had happened and they clearly knew nothing about each other. Although, he doubted Riddhima would have let her guard down anyway.

He tapped his foot against the floor, the waiting beginning to become agonizing. He was beginning to wonder if she had intentionally driven away elsewhere in order to avoid him. He knew she was highly capable of it.

Several moments later when her mother returned from the kitchen, she held a tray in her hand, carefully balancing the brimming cups and serving bowls. He stood up and helped her position the tray in the centre of the table before sitting down and smiling at her softly.

Payal: Pata nahi what’s taking her this long. Did you try calling her? You’ve been waiting for quite some time now.

Vansh: It’s fine, Aunty. She’d told me she would take time, so it’s not really her fault. She must be here very soon.

Payal: Wait, let me just try calling her. Maybe, she’s stuck in traffic; The roads are usually very crowded at this time.

Vansh: Arey Aunty, she might not be able to receive the call since she’s driving. I’ll just wait for her to return. (directing his gaze toward the tray on the table) The coffee might turn cold, by the way.

Payal (suddenly realising): Of course, I just forgot. (serving him the coffee) Help yourself with whatever you want, Beta.

As he began sipping on the coffee, the doorbell rang, and he knew she had returned. There was the faintest smell of her sandalwood scent, followed by her impatience. She rang the doorbell multiple times and her mother hurried to the door, cursing Riddhima under her breath.

Payal: Offo Riddhima, what is it? Why can’t you wait for a minute, I’d to come running.

Riddhima: Where’s Vansh?

Payal: He has been waiting for you since so long. Come inside. (moving aside) What took you so long?

He noticed her heave a sigh of relief upon seeing him and figured the reason behind her impatience. She was worried he would tell the situation between them to her mother. He wanted to tell her that he was not a fool, but held his silence and looked at her as her breaths came out in small puffs and her nose turned red.

Riddhima: We’ll go inside?

Payal: Let him finish his coffee, Riddhima. And you can sit down for a while, too. What’s the hurry?

Riddhima (fixing him under a pointed stare): Vansh has a meeting post-lunch, Ma. He can’t possibly continue being here for too long. (turning to her mother) He can finish the coffee in my room.

He nodded and followed her inside the house, slowly sipping at his coffee. He was surprised at how smoothly the two of them were pulling-off this ruse. Who would say they had been avoiding each other since a week?

————

“How was the interview?”

Vansh had broken the silence in the room after several minutes. He’d decided to mend things between them regardless of whatsoever. Even if this was a loveless marriage, it need not be a sham marriage. He wanted to be friends with her, at the least. Although, he was not sure how. Friends did not kiss and flirt with each other, after all.

Riddhima (nodding her head): It was fine.

Vansh: You already had a job, didn’t you? Why the interview then?

Riddhima: My boss here is Angre Sir and considering the familial relations now, it’d be completely unethical.

He clenched his fists at the name, his blood beginning to boil almost instantly. The mention reminded him of the pain that was etched across Riddhima’s face the previous week. It had almost broken him apart and he’d cursed himself for not trusting her, despite beginning to know her. However, he still did not know what Angre wanted.

Riddhima (noticing his tense figure): Sorry, I know you don’t like him. It’s just that… (looking at his surprised expressions) It’s fine, you don’t have to act pretentious about anything here. There’s no watching us.

He looked at her, the words piercing him immediately. Why did she have to behave so distant and cold? He did not like it, but he knew he was responsible for it. Had he been gentler with her, things would have never gotten this rough.

Vansh: I wanted to talk about the marriage. My family doesn’t know why you’re marrying me.

Riddhima (gulping visibly): I wouldn’t tell anyone anything, you can be assured. What’s happened between us remains between us. No one’s going to know a word it, don’t worry.

Vansh (standing up): Is this how things are going to be between us? Cold, distant, and pretentious? You’re okay with that?

Riddhima held her silence at that and looked away, staring at the buildings outside the window. Vansh was not sure what she expected of this marriage, but he didn’t want a sham marriage – he was certain about that. And he would do whatever it would take to bridge the waters between them.

He knelt before her on the ground and looked up at her, as she stared at him in shock and confusion. She quickly pulled up her legs, folding them on the settee next to the window she was sitting on and fumbled for words.

Riddhima: Please sit up. I don’t – I can’t…

Vansh (interrupting): I’m sorry.

Riddhima: Vansh, I…

Vansh (continuing): I know I’ve been a jerk with you, and I can’t justify my behaviour. It’s absolutely wrong and if Ma gets to know of it, I’m sure she’d disown me. I don’t know why you agreed for this marriage, Riddhima, but I assure you, I would never let anyone, or anything scar you. Love or no love, friends or no friends, you’re going to be my responsibility from hereon and this ring on my finger would keep reminding me of that.

Riddhima: Vansh, please…

Vansh (ignoring her words and continuing): I know you removed the ring as soon as you returned to your room and honestly, it’s fine. I can’t expect you to forgive me for all that I’ve done. I deserve this kind of a behaviour from you, and I won’t stop you. Do what you want, and feel is right, but please don’t stop me from prioritizing you. Let me do this, please. I’ve already wronged you.

Riddhima inhaled sharply and swallowed her tears, not wanting to show him how vulnerable she felt right then. Her mother had always prioritized her, but no one besides her had ever wanted to prioritize her. For so many times, she’d heard people wanting to get rid of her. She’d seen her own father wanting to disown her, but this man in front of her wanted to take her responsibility and prioritize her.

Vansh: I know you hate me, Riddhima, but…

As her name rolled out of his lips, she bent down and wrapped her arms around him, striving hard to hold back her tears. When had she ever thought that she’d be gifted with a man as him for not wanting to marry and love? He knew she could never love him, yet he was ready to take her complete responsibility. She knew he would never love her either and she was going to let him love whomever he wanted. She was never going to stop him.

Riddhima: It’s okay, Vansh!

She wanted to thank him, but her throat felt constricted, and the words clogged at the base of her throat. She just could not tell him how much his words meant to her. So, she just held her silence.

————

Alright, that’d be it for this episode. You guys can be mad at me for skipping their engagement, but I didn’t want to write it when they were fighting with each other. However, this episode was what you guys had been waiting for, which I’d a really hard time writing. I hope you guys like it though, and please let me know what you thought of it through your comments. As always, thank you for reading!

P.S.: I wanted to update It Ends With Us yesternight but realized this FF has been long due too. So, that update would come up sometime this week (hopefully, real soon). Thank you for bearing with me.