Me: Okay!! Fine. Only for few hours until this is sorted after that you need to face my wrath; I swear I’ll kill you.
: Sure, my mother (sigh)
We were in our own world of fighting when we heard some chuckling and turning around, we realised where we are what we were doing. I chuckle seeing my companions’ expressions I can’t control my laugh and I laugh out loud leaving the person embarrassed. Acha fine now coming to where we were… let me introduce you all to my saviour, my best friend, my companion, my support system, my only family I have in this world. Now, meet the Business Man of the Year as you all would have known and if am not wrong, you might have already guessed it right… so, here he is Mr. Vansh Rai Singhania.
Vansh: Hello guys. I am sure Riddhima might have not uttered a word about me so let me introduce myself. So, am Vansh Rai Singhania, if we keep my professional career aside then am a total family man. Hell!! Don’t expect me to be married when I referred to myself as a man who loves his family and here my family includes my Dadi, my sister Siya, my cousin Aryan and my brother cum my PA cum, my bodyguard, Angre. And now Riddhima too. And I know many are curious about my marital status and so yes am single but not ready to mingle (wink). Jokes apart, am 29 years old running successfully my VR Enterprises around the world. Yes, I do have my branches spread across the world. Aryan & Angre helps me in managing everything both in house and business which gives me a bit of break to spend with my Dadi and Siya. Siya is pursuing her Fashion Design course and aspires to be a renowned fashion designer. Coming to the personalities of my family, Dadi is always with positive energy, is spiritual, and loves us five a lot. Siya is a bubbly full-on charged creature, always bossy and noisy. She is younger and laadli of her both brothers. Aryan has always been with us as his parents i.e., Chachi and Chachu had passed away when he was a kid so he grew with us. Aryan is a chilled-out person, always on the charge to pull pranks mostly on Siya and Angre, and at times along with Siya, he does the same with me and Dadi too. At times I’d feel how would life be without Siya and Aryan in my life. But I realized that it’d be tasteless like water or bitter as a bitter guard. They fill our lives with enthusiasm and excitement. Coming to Angre, he has been with me for years, he has no family, we are his family and he treats me as his big brother. At times he refers to me as Boss and at times Bhai, I prefer Bhai as that gives me brotherly and personal feelings. He understands my gestures, my one glare and he understands what am expecting from him. He is the most trustworthy person in my business and he knows everything about me and my family. Though he has his own Private Investigating Agency, he follows me everywhere and when I deny it, he states that my security and my safety are his responsibility. If am stubborn, he is more stubborn than me. My life has always been sorted and simple yet complicated as I have many enemies due to my business as my competitors and for that I have many guards around me, in my house and office too and yes behind all my family too. I can risk anything but not their lives. They are my everything.
Me: Am sorry to interrupt, but Vansh, it’s Tara’s call. I need to answer it, till then don’t speak anything. I want to listen to your talks. So, wait!!!
I excused myself to answer the call as it was most important because she is the one who’s helping me in the case. You might be either wondering or guessed of which case am speaking of, right? You guys keep guessing till then I’d speak to her….
Vansh (whisper): Guys, come here, let her have a talk with the advocate, let me tell you a secret. But beware, Riddhu shouldn’t know about this varna she’d leave me and go her way. In fact, it’s not an issue even if she knows as she’s already aware but still I don’t want her to know this unless she herself confesses. Acha, what I was saying ki…. Am trusting you, if at all you betray me and reveal my secret to her then mark my words, I hate betrayers and I punish them my way. I hope I can trust you right…. That’s good. So, I trust you and my secret is ki “I have always had crush on Riddhima 13 years back and in fact she’s aware of that though she never let me know about that and in these 12 years it turned in to adoration, admiration & love and now in this 1 year it blossomed into eternal love”. She is aware yet she behaves that she isn’t aware, after all that happened a year back, she isn’t into trusting people and it took me months to gain her trust so that she can totally open up and it took me a year to get the old Riddhima back off the trauma and ordeal she had to go through. She never deserved that. Coming to the point, I love her immensely and I devote her but she isn’t reciprocating my those feelings even being aware of my feelings. Am afraid she’d leave me someday and I can’t afford to lose her once again. 12 years back when I wanted to reveal my feelings, she left the city and after all these years when I found her nothing was the same, her life turned upside down and she wasn’t the Riddhima I knew for years. She was a dead soul.
: Are you speaking of me? (raising eyebrows)
Vansh: Oh, c’mon we have many topics to speak about other than you (wink)
Me: Bolo what were you talking with them in my absence!
Vansh: I was telling them how you snatched my family from me (making a face)
Me (proud): That’s true!!!
Vansh: Guys do you know until Riddhima came into our lives, I was everyone’s favorite but now… (making a face) now everyone adores her more than me and at times they behave as if am some Mr. India not visible to anyone. Actually, everyone knew about Riddhima for years as she was Aryan’s classmate and my junior in school.
Me: Guys, you know what Aryan was such a bully I tell you or at least that’s what I had made my opinion on him! I was always a quiet innocent type of girl but when it came to Aryan I don’t know why I was always afraid of him, he used to bully me or at least that’s what I always assumed it to be. Whereas Vansh never spoke to me, but he was the most handsome, and all the girls of our school used to go gaga over him but he never gave a damn to anyone. He was the topper in everything be it studies, sports, or extra-curricular activities. I always had this impression of him that he is arrogant until one day he stood for me in fact it was actually saved me from his brother Aryan. I never knew that Aryan was the brother of Vansh. Though he seemed arrogant, he was always there for people who needed his help. Actually, Vansh do you remember our first meet!!
Vansh: Riddhu, its actually like we met that day but we both know each other much before than that day. In fact, I’ll tell you guys, if I was the king of our school, she was the queen. I never saw any girl who carries a fierce and bubbly aura around her. She is the mirror image of your personality. It’s like if you care for her, she’d care for you double; if you show her attitude, then you’ll repent doing so as she’d be the queen of attitude. You’ll get what you give her. She was there for all her closed ones. She had answers to all the ones who tried to piss or bother her but I was always curious why she was afraid of Aryan and never back answered him until one day she learnt Aryan’s intentions. The reality was I never knew about she being bullied by Aryan but that day when I saw him doing I was shocked.
Me: Actually, that day what happened was we were done with our class and it was a free hour so I went to library and when I was returning I saw Aryan and decided to wait in the library rather than taking that way because I know if he sees me, he’d bully me (making a face) but seems like I wasn’t that lucky because he saw me and before I could reach library again, he blocked me and pinning me to the wall he was messing with my hair by pulling my plaits.
Vansh: That’s when I came across the corridor to find the queen of the School. Here I’d like to tell that she was called queen because she was the topper in studies, won many medals for her work, was a champ in sports and active participant in all curricular activities. Though I know her, we never met until that day when I saw Aryan was pulling a girl’s plaits while she was clinching over her book. I couldn’t see her face as Aryan’s back was towards me. I was shocked to find Aryan bullying a girl and with a loud voice I screamed his name and he flinched back when my eyes fell on her doe-shaped hazel brown orbs which had tears out of fear. She sighed seeing someone helping her out, her those eyes had some magic which pulled everyone towards her. Later we got to know that Aryan wasn’t actually bullying her for days instead was helping her which even she didn’t realize
Me: Of course, who can assume that he was helping me as all the while I thought he was the one who was pissing me
(Flashback Starts)
Vansh: Aryan what the hell were you doing?
Aryan: Bhai, I was helping her
I was shocked as I didn’t know that Aryan was the brother of the king of the school, Vansh. And what shook me was that Aryan was bluffing that he was helping me when he was actually bullying me but I thought of raising my voice against him whatever may be the consequences
Me: No!!! He was pulling my plaits and bullying me
Aryan was indeed shocked by my revelation and as he didn’t expect me to accuse him so. He felt it accusation but from my point of view it was the fact
Aryan: Bhai it’s not true!! (panic)
Me: Don’t bluff Aryan! This is not the first time you did this to me! You have been doing this for days now. You locked me in the washroom for a whole day, you used to irritate me in the class by pulling my plaits, you used to stamp my foot, you used to make me fall on my face by obstructing my path using your foot so that I can trip, you always bullied me. I hate you!!
(Present)
Vansh: That day you should have seen Aryan’s expressions, it was as if he saw some ghost who is behind his blood…. Poor my brother he was prey to someone else’s conspiracy
(Flashback Starts)
Aryan was totally shocked while I was baffled by revelations against my brother. I was fuming as for the first time I was seeing Riddhima in tears and I myself didn’t know why but something in me was pierced. I gave a death glare to Aryan who was aghast and started giving an explanation for his actions
Aryan: Riddhima you totally misunderstood. It wasn’t me who locked you in the washroom that day, I heard few boys talking about locking you there as you rejected his proposal so I came to rescue you. Its other boys who sit behind you, who pull your plaits it’s not me. It was someone else who used to obstruct your path, I was present there and you mistook it to be me. Even now am here as I heard a boy stating that he stick his chewing gum on your hair, I didn’t want you to be humiliated so I ran here to see where he stick it. Am so sorry, but you always misunderstood my intentions. I can never ever bully you or any girl Riddhima because I have a sister and I know how it feels if someone else bullies my sister. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just helping you out. (to Vansh) Bhai how could you think I can do so!! I was just helping her out. Imagine if Siya faces something such, won’t we help her out! We are her brothers so we stand for her but Riddhima has no brother so, I took the responsibility of being her brother that’s it.
(Present)
Me: This came as a shocker to me and Vansh. We both were baffled to know that Aryan was helping me. I facepalmed myself as I misunderstood the person who was helping me and me being a fool have complained about him to his brother too.
(Flashback Starts)
Me: Am sorry Aryan!!! I didn’t know all this, I thought you were pissing me. Thank You and Please forgive me (puppy eyes and holding my ears)
Aryan smiled and pulling my hands off my ears he forwarded his hand forward while I was giving him confused looks
Aryan: So, Ms. Riddhima Sharma would you like to be my friend cum sister?
I was confused because I never had any friends in boys as my family was against it which I was always against it though but still was confused if am supposed to accept his friendship or not!! But then my heart took over my brain and accepted his hand for a shake not before informing him of my family’s thoughts
Me: I accept but I’d like to make it clear that my family is against me making friends in the male category so I hope you would understand
Aryan: Totally!!! Don’t worry you won’t face any issue from my side.
We both were reminded of Vansh who was there and widening our eyes we turned around to find him but he was nowhere to be seen, we gave each other confused looks and then departed to class.
(Present)
Vansh: Actually, that day after Aryan’s confession, I felt guilty of not thinking twice before shouting at Aryan and assuming my own theories so didn’t have courage to face him so left without uttering a word. After I reached home, I directly bashed into his room and he understood my intentions and started doing something for which he’s famous of – DRAMA!!!! Understanding his drama, I had to buy him everything he wanted in return of forgiveness for a week. I tell you though Siya is the daughter in our house, Aryan is the drama Queen of our house. And after that Aryan used to tell me about how he and Riddhima have bonded well. I heard a lot about her from him. In short, he was the one who gave me a glimpse of Riddhima though I never met her again but haa we used to get to face each other in college but never spoke, we just used to share a smile and go our ways.
Me: Because I always had this feeling that he’s a reserved kind of person who doesn’t mingle with anyone so even I didn’t bother to intervene in his personal space. Whenever we faced each other accidentally our conversation would be limited to a smile and nothing else.
Vansh: But listening about her daily I started adoring her. This continued for a year, in this year I used to see her daily though never spoke, I had a feeling that at least am able to see her but then I didn’t understand why I always had this feeling of seeing her. If there’s anything that was attracting me towards her was her those hazel brown eyes which had the audacity to control Vansh Rai Singhania. I never spoke to her as I didn’t have any topic to converse with and she assumed my confusion to be my arrogance. After my 11th and her 9th, we had holidays and in this holidays I always missed having a glimpse of her and Aryan missed chatting with her. My heart craved to see her as it was addicted to it but then I couldn’t. Lately, I realized I had a crush on her, and her that attitude which ignores Vansh Rai Singhania was something that made her different from others. I was eagerly waiting for holidays to end but seems like time was testing my patience as holidays weren’t taking the name of ending. After almost 2 months, school was reopened and I was eager to have a glimpse of her while Aryan was excited to meet her. We both reached the school and he ran to his class for her and I was waiting for her near library as that was the only place she used to pay a visit for some or the other book as she was a book worm. But I observed that she didn’t come the whole day and when school timings were done, we reached home upset and observing Aryan I realized even he waited for Riddhima
(Flashback Starts)
Me: Aryan what happened?
Aryan (upset): Bhai Riddhima didn’t come to school today
Uske baad he was upset and so was I, we didn’t have dinner and slept as Aryan was missing her and I was hurt and reminiscing her those eyes, I dozed off and next day I didn’t feel like going yet the thought that she might come made me rush to school and as usual I waited for her in library and my wait of 2 months and a day was finally over as she came into the library with her that innocent smile on her face and glow in her eyes. I was seated in one corner of the library from where her every action was noticed but she couldn’t see me. She was searching for some book and when she found it, she realised it was much above her height and she was struggling to get it and after many failed attempts she started searching for help with a cute pout on her face and it attracted me towards her. I reached and as soon as she saw me, I saw a bright glow in her eyes, was that for finding someone who could help or for finding me was not clear. Ignoring her eyes as I know if at all I stare in those eyes any more then I’d end up doing something which I shouldn’t.
Me: Hey, need any help?
(Present)
I was indeed delighted to find someone as being a petite figure my fellow mates used to make fun of me and asking someone for help was like insulting myself so I was always hesitant in seeking help but when Vansh approached me asking if I need any help, I was confused ki should I take his help or ignore!! But then I desperately wanted that book so, thought why not ask his help
(Flashback Starts)
Me: Hey Hi, actually need the book on the above shelf
(Present)
Vansh (laughing): When she was asking for that book, her lips turned to a total pout and that was so cute. But ignoring her that pout I picked her requested book and as soon as I gave her, she smiled and grabbing it she left not before muttering Thank You.
Vansh (making a face): I thought we could speak something, but seems like Madam was not in any mood to do so
Me: Arrey how can I expect the great, heartthrob of girls Mr. Vansh Rai Singhania willing to speak to me!! Isliye I left the place thanking you. But haa after that I observed one thing that this guy was following me, keeping an eye on every activity but the secret was I liked it, I realized that he has feelings for me and I was secretly enjoying that attention (wink). Whenever a boy had any feelings for me, they used to propose or piss me but Vansh was different, he was hiding his feelings for himself and was adoring me not irritating me and that was something that caught my attention. I did like him but I never had any feelings for him as I always had my family’s conservative thought process.
Vansh: I knew about her family as Aryan always spoke about her and her family’s conservative nature so I know how tough it’d be for her and I even had this fear that she might even stop smiling at me if she gets to know about my feelings. So, never dared to express them. I was happy with her smile, a glance of her daily. But then the day came when we were supposed to depart our ways….,
(Flashback Starts)
Me: We were done with our exams and it was our farewell day. I was with my batch when I heard a familiar chuckle and I realized who it was, my lips curved into a smile as my eyes searched the source of the voice and there she was the queen and that day she was no less than any queen. Clad in Maroon Satin Silk Saree with Black Sequins Triangular Cut on her back with Oxidized Choker paired with tingling bangles on one hand and a bracelet on the other. Her open wavy silky hair was flowing around and was reaching her waist. I was a bit confused as her height seemed a bit high and then I tilt my neck towards her feet and there she was wearing some inches of wedges making me smile at her cuteness. Even after those inches of wedges, she was still short than others. That night, I lost my heart for her truly. In this one year, my feelings for her grew stronger and I started getting vibes that it wasn’t just not any random crush but it was something else but I wasn’t able to figure it out but then on that farewell day my feelings for her were clear. I was head over fallen for her. My whole night was spent capturing her in my heart as if there isn’t any other day. The night was passing but I wasn’t satisfied staring at her. The night came to an end and me and Aryan were about to go when a voice from behind stopped us in our tracks, it was Riddhima. The way she was walking towards us seemed like my heart stopped forever.
Riddhima: Hey Aryan!! Hi Vansh (smiling)
That smile my god!! I was flat!! She had that audacity to make people go crazy for her with her those doe-shaped hazel brown eyes and her that cute innocent smile. Breaking my thoughts, Aryan’s voice was heard
Aryan: Hey Riddhima
Me: Hey Hi
Riddhima: Aryan, I am here to tell you that maybe we can never meet again
This came as a shocker to me and Aryan too. The thought that I can never meet her or see her or listen to her angelic voice was something hard to even accept. I could see Aryan too breaking. I was not even in my senses to react but Aryan wasn’t in that state. He was able to react
Aryan: Riddhima, what are you speaking of!!!
Riddhima: Arrey Aryan, you know right, Papa is in Army and now he is transferred to Kashmir so we are shifting. Tomorrow is our journey.
Aryan: It’s…. It’s so sudden
Riddhima: Nothing is sudden. In fact, we got to know few days back but they were waiting for my exams to be done so postponed our journey and as now they are done, we are moving off.
She was being so casual, the thought of getting separated from her friends wasn’t giving her any pain but as far as I know, she’s an emotional person and her this casual attitude was something which I never expected. In fact, even Aryan observed this and unlike me, he showed his curiosity
Aryan: Riddhima how can you be so casual?
Riddhima: You know what when I was a kid, I had many friends and when Papa was transferred, I cried a lot as I was supposed to get away from them and this continued almost every year and then I realized that crying isn’t going to work so I never got connected to anyone emotionally but after coming here, I got attached to you and now though am upset I can’t help because I am supposed to leave but I’ll miss you a lot Aryan!!!
That’s it, her tears made their way and she hugged Aryan and they both cried reminiscing their bond and I was trying hard to control my tears as I didn’t want them to see how vulnerable I am. Once they broke their hug, they bid bye to each other before she left into the venue while I was trying to digest the fact when I saw her turning around and running back to us, before I could understand anything she came and hug me breaking my thoughts. That hug had some soothing feeling, it soothe my inner turmoil, it gave me a hope to get her at any cost, it gave me confidence to win her, it gave me strength to live without her for years, it gave me hope to find her one day again. Breaking my trance, I hugged her tight and after which felt like decades, we broke our hug not before we muttering “Will Miss You” and took our different paths.
*******
Hey Guys, Here I wanted to portray how Vansh & Riddhima met years back and their bonding. This part contains only their flashback, their schooling days. The next part will have the actual story.