[Armaan]

I punched Angad's shoulder, a bit harder than intended. He fell back on the bed, wincing. "Ow! Man, why the hell are you punching me? I didn't force you to do anything!"

"You didn't stop me either." I snapped at him. I keep on being so affected by Riddhima that when I came over to his place after Coach let us off practice early, and found Angad smoking, I didn't think twice. Now, I ask myself. "What was I thinking? You're a bad influence, you know that?"

Angad carelessly shrugged, "I repeat, I did not force you. Heck, I didn't even offer. You were the one who took it out of my hand."

I cringe as I remember fifteen minutes ago. I had done that. It was futile dumping my anger on Angad when I should be mad at myself. Now, Riddhima was mad at me. If I went after her now to explain, she'd just get madder. And anyway... what do I even explain? I can't begin to justify why I decided to smoke without spilling a few secrets I have no intention of.

"I know why I was, but why were you smoking anyway?"

I groan, throwing myself on the bed and staring at the ceiling. "Riddhima."

He laughed at my answer. Or better yet, at my misery. It had been almost three weeks since the night I acknowledged my feelings for her. Semester exams had approached, so I had a distraction – throwing myself in studies. But for the last four days, I didn't even have that distraction.

He suggests, "Honestly, why don't you just go tell her and put yourself out of your misery?"

'It's not that easy."

It isn't. I can't put everything at risk.

"It is if you let it be." He answers and offers philosophical words, "Armaan, life is complicated enough without you making it more. If you feel something for someone as strongly as you do for Riddhima, then to hell with insecurities and pointless worrying about rejection or whatever else."

"You've never liked someone, have you?" I question rhetorically. He wouldn't know how difficult it is.

He sits up, agreeing. "No, but I do know that if I found a girl like Riddhima, I wouldn't be taking her for granted. No one knows what's going to happen tomorrow, Armaan. But just worrying about it isn't a good enough reason to not live today, in the present."

"Maybe. But the things she dreams of, Angad... I am nowhere on the radar. She deserves someone better."

"Let her be the judge of that, man. You can't be making that choice for her." He disagrees with my reasons, but how do I explain to him? Riddhima is perfect. She is smart, caring, kind, generous, beautiful, passionate, and so much more. She has her life figured out. She knows exactly what she wants – what her dreams are.

And I?

Nowhere as such. I do stupid things like smoking and irritate her. I've always just fought with her. How can I go up to her and tell her what I feel? She's never going to believe that.

"Armaan, take a risk for once in your life for God's sake!" Angad said, noticing my hesitancy and still stubbornness to not go up to Riddhima and come clean. "I never took you to be a coward."

===

After assembly the next day, I break out of line when going to our classrooms. Reaching Riddhima, I grab her hand and pull her out as well just as we reach the janitor's closet.

Seeing that it was me, she didn't even bother yelling. She just forced her hand out of my hold and reached for the door knob. I instantly put my hand on top of hers, stopping her. I didn't pull her in here just so she could leave.

Still, she turns the knob and pushes the door. Seriously? I finally put some force and pull it back. I didn't want to hold her against her will, but looks like I am going to have to. If she can be stubborn, I can be determined too. From the side profile I had of hers, I saw her close her eyes to control her anger before she reopened it.

"Armaan, I did not come to school today to fight with you. So just back off."

With my other hand, I turned her around so she was facing me. There was barely a foot distance between us, with the door almost touching her back.

"I didn't come here to fight either, but we do need to talk. Did you start taking sleeping pills? Is that why your mom told me you asked her to not let me in?"

Something in that made her mad, and it reflected in her eyes and her clenching jaw. Raising a hand, she put it on my chest and pushed me away. "No, don't worry. I'm not going to turn to things that I can get addicted to."

Oh. I see behind her double meaning. She was talking about my smoking. Her anger riled me up too. I never was the best at controlling my anger anyway, "It was once, Riddhima!" I exclaimed, raising my voice and taking a step towards her. She stiffened as if it were a dangerous one, but didn't blink away from my glare. "Once! It's not a big deal. I wasn't planning on making it a habit, alright? Why the hell are you so pissed about that anyway?"

Everyone tries it once in their life anyway, right?

"Why? Are you kidding me, Armaan? Or is this a one way road where you can be mad at me for thinking about sleeping pills, but I can't be mad when you actually do smoke?" She pointed out, and maybe she was right. There wasn't a difference.

"Yeah, but..."

"There is no but," She replied, nudging me back and turning to leave. No, this can't be the end of this conversation.

I slip my hand in hers to stop her and say the words I don't easily say to others, but when it comes to Riddhima, there is no ego big enough whereby I can't say it. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry. Trust me, its never going to happen again." When she doesn't say anything, perhaps debating whether or not I am being sincere, I add. "Look, today is the last day I want to fight with you. Please. Forgive me?"

Now I see that she is melting, but just pretending. Smirking, I poke her side. "Yeah?"

She jumps, and I begin tickling her. She grips ay my forearms to peel them away from her, turning to escape. I capture her in my arms, continuing to tickle her, laughing along with her. When words don't work, this definitely does. She does slap my arms a few times, saying my name to stop me. "Armaan! You idiot, stop it!"

She struggles to breathe through the tickles and it isn't just hearing her laugh that makes me smile and brighten up my day. It's also having her in my arms.

I do stop, but wrap my arms properly around her, bobbing my head to her side as I hug her from the back. She takes a second, inhaling deeply to make up for the lack of proper breathing earlier. Once her laughs subside as well, she swats my hand once more in revenge.

"Okay, fine. You're forgiven. Don't ever tickle me again though."

I grin and just for that, do it once more. She squeals away from me. In the process, her forehead hits the door. "Armaan!" She scolds me, rubbing her temple. Telling myself to not laugh, I turn her so I can judge whether or not its going to swell up. I also know she's not going to press on it properly. She is going to treat it delicately.

"Here." I say as I nudge her hand away from her forehead and press my palm over it with some force. Being able to tell that she was going to inch away from it as initially, it would sting a bit, my other hand holds her head in place, not giving her the space to move away.

She frowns, but even she knows it'll work against the swelling. "What's my birthday gift, by the way?" I ask to distract her.

She bit her bottom lip, accepting while embarrassed, "Uh... I did buy it... but I don't remember where I left it."

I gape, taking my hand off her forehead, "You lost my gift?!"

She rolled her eyes at my exaggeration and pulled my hand to her forehead again, telling me to keep pressing over the swell. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm always losing things. You know that."

Still, I grumble. "It was my gift." I had been looking forward to whatever she was going to get me.

She sighed, "Yeah, okay. Just tell me what you want and I'll buy it for you."

"Anything?"

"Sure, anything that costs less than 1500." She placed the limit on rupees, and I assume that's all the savings she has left for the rest of the month.

Hmm, maybe that makes up for her losing it. "What had you gotten me?" I ask when we have exited the closet and her forehead looks like it won't swell up badly. Maybe a slight bump that'll be gone by the end of the day.

As we make our way to our class, late, she answers. "This watch I saw at Tiwari Uncle's shop."

I gape at her, "Riddhima. You lost a watch? How could you? I'm so disappointed in you."

She pushes me to the side when I tease her. And we're back to our normal selves. Pulling each other's legs, doing stupid things, then apologizing and the cycle repeats.

===

"Swimming classes."

I look up from the library shelf I was fixing in alphabetical order when Armaan says it. "What?"

He leaned against the shelf, expanding. "My gift. You let me give you swimming lessons."

You know the biggest drawback to having someone know all your deepest and darkest fears? This. They find a way to twist it out of you to their advantage. Though, I have no idea whatever made him decide he wanted to teach me swimming. I was deadly afraid of drowning

"There is no way I am getting in a pool with you."

His jaw drops at my lack of trust in him, "I'm not going to pull any pranks on you!"

"Nevertheless."

'Why not? It's..." He is silenced by the library who hushes us and glares. Ignoring it, he continues in a whispered voice, "It's not going to cost you anything. And you did say anything I want."

"Exactly, what you want. Don't include me in that." I try to put the book on the top shelf, but ofcourse my height is no match. I am about to go find a step stool when he takes it from me and easily puts it up. "Show off."

He doesn't respond to that side comment, and goes back to the previous conversation, "I am in the mood to teach."

"Armaan, swimming lessons are out of the boundary line. Think of something else you want." I make it clear to him, taking the empty cart to the front and replace it with the second cart. There were four. Two, Armaan was supposed to clear, and two for me. But I am pretty certain he isn't going to.

I notice the call numbers on these bunch and realize they are all mostly top shelf ones. Bringing the cart to the shelf, I go back to search for the stool. It had to be in one of the aisles. Eventually finding it in the third last one, I bring it over.

When I return and step on it, he already has another idea. "Self-defense then."

"Okay, honestly, what is wrong with you?" I question, unable to understand why he keeps thinking of various classes. "Where is this sudden urge of becoming a teacher coming from?"

While passing me books so I don't have to keep coming down the stool and back up, he mutters. "Not teacher. I just want you to know... If you're not going to join MU with me."

That makes me stop working and turn sideways to look back at him. Say what now? I honestly thought he was going to think of some way to prank me, but he was looking out for me..?

"I mean... if you do go someplace else, I won't be there to..." He trails off, but I get the gist. He won't be there to protect me if something happens. He's trying to help me be independent so I don't have to depend on someone else to come save the day.

It kind of touches my heart.

I would have given him crap if he had started growing into a male chauvinist.

I try to get down, but my foot slips from the tiny stool as I turn 90 degrees. Today is just a clumsy day for me, I suppose. He grabs my hand and the other holds the stool. Balancing myself on the stool again, I carefully bend my knees and place my foot on the floor one after the other. He then lets go of my hand and I brush off my palms for no reason.

"Okay."

He asks, "Which one?"

"Self-defense." I pick, thinking it be a better choice and more important than swimming. I can control fear of drowning by staying away from pools and wandering deep at beaches and stuff. But learning to defend myself? Yeah, that's definitely necessary after what's happened. I refuse to be held anywhere again against my will and feel endangered.

"Now go clear your carts." There was no way I was going to go easy on him just because today was his birthday.

Dang.

Birthday.

Just when he is about to pass me, I stop him. "Oh, wait."

"Yeah?" He stops with his fingers hidden in his front pockets of the school uniform.

"I forgot to say. Happy birthday."

He let out an amused chuckle at that. More than half the day passed by, and I am just remembering to wish him. I get why he is amused. Some friend I am. "Thanks, Basket."

I nod, and for a second, he remains there looking at me. I am about to question if he wanted to say something else when he leaves. Okay... what was that about? Was he expecting me to say something more than the two words?

===

Armaan smiled upon reaching her, "There you are. Sorry I left you. Hey, Mr. Malik, how are you doing?"

Mr. Malik answered in a gentle tone while Riddhima remained silent as Armaan draped his arm around her back. "I'm good, son. Just getting to know Riddhima here. She's certainly an interesting person. Is everything set for the launch?"

Riddhima once again felt the irritation of how easily Mr. Malik was masking things. Armaan replied in his all business tone, "Yes, all set. I was just about to take Riddhima up to the front if you don't mind?"

Mr. Malik nodded, excusing them.

While walking towards the front, Armaan ensured, "Are you okay? You look a little flushed."

Riddhima imagined it was from her anger, "This is all just a lot more than I imagined." She answered, not a complete lie. It was overwhelming trying to decode Mr. Malik.

"Unfortunately, I can't say it gets easier," He rubbed circles on her arm with his thumb unconsciously. "Here goes," He said just as they reached the front. She stopped beside Suvarna, and he skipped up the stairs, taking two at a time.

He stopped at the center where a mic was set up and took the seat in the high chair right behind it. "Hey guys! How are you all doing tonight?!" He spoke in a completely excited tone, and people wouldn't have guessed just how tired he really was. Riddhima was learning just how important it was to mask true emotions in this world, else everyone would take advantage of you.

After the response in the form of applause and cheers, and a quick back and forth with the journalists, he announced. "Alright, I'm sure everyone is eager for the first look of the cover, so let's not waste any more time, yeah?"

He then walked up and a huge poster of the album cover rolled out from the back wall of the stage. It showed Armaan standing in a distance surrounded by the valleys and landscape of the northern region. She was sure the background was from a green screen, but it still resembled the place where Armaan grew up.

He took the mic and started walking back to his chair so he was at the center. "Everyone keeps asking me who I am... and this album will be one step closer to me telling you guys where I was born, what makes me the person I am, my passion. This album, Armaan 21, is all about my feelings to those who matter the most to me and I hope you guys will fall in love with it just like I have while working on this."

"Armaan, you kept hinting at a surprise in your new album. We all want to know. Will you please tell us?"

Armaan smiled at the reporter, "Sure, I think we've kept it a secret for too long now, isn't it?" A few chuckled along before he continued, "Okay, so you guys know how my albums have always just been my singles. There have been so many requests for me to collaborate, sing a duet, go on tours, and whatnots. Unfortunately, I can't do it all and continue my education... and I've already announced I wouldn't go into Bollywood. So, I have the next best thing. A duet."

Whispers erupted about, for no one could believe they had just heard that confirmation. For three years, Armaan had been adamant about working alone, doing his own thing.

He continued, "It's a fresh voice, so no one in the industry yet knows her."

"Who is she?"

"Where did you find her?"

"When will you introduce her to us?"

"How come...?"

Armaan raised his voice to simmer down the rush of questions from the journalists. "Relax, guys. I promise to answer all the questions. How about we first talk about the other songs in this album?"

And so, the journalists brought out the scripted questions one after another and Armaan let each one from various channels and magazines ask a few.

"We have heard the most about Kuch Toh Hai on your feed. What were you thinking about when you wrote that? It seems to be your favorite from the album."

Armaan laughed, "Mikesh, it would be a very good question for my lyricist. She can tell you better about what she was thinking of when she wrote it... but as for why it's my favorite, I guess it's just the lyrics that beautifully capture the dilemma of the hearts. It hints at this person that is falling in love but doesn't yet know it. They are only noticing how similar two people are, how there can be more to them, and just how much it captures their life that they can't seem to look past it and neither can it be put in words just what the other person means to them. It's almost heart-wrenching."

He cleared his throat after, he hadn't meant to ramble. He pointed to a female journalist who asked next, "So what other songs are there in the album?"

"One is called Humsafar and the other is called Love You Till The End."

"Only three songs? All your other albums have had five songs."

Armaan smiled mysteriously, "This one has five too."

"Fourth one is a duet then." She concluded. "But the fifth?"

"Doesn't it seem selfish to bring out a fresh talent but not include a song of her own?" He answered with a wink before moving on to another journalist.

"Can you sing us the duet?"

"Um... well... okay, how about this? You guys remember my first single, Tu Zindagi? What if I sing a few lines of that?" He suggested an alternative that they were quick to be satisfied with. He glanced in Riddhima's direction and she seemed to catch on to his thinking without him having to say anything. Indirectly, he was telling the audience that the duet was an extension of Tu zindagi.

He picked up the mic off its stand and spoke to the light technicians, "Guys, can we dim the lights? Let's do it right." They did, offering a small spotlight on him and turning the atmosphere more romantic to suit the needs of the song. He started from the middle, skipping the first two stanzas.

Aanchal mein hai dhanak chaandni / Haathon mein woh chaand hai

Gairon se bhi hai waasta / Apno mein pehchaan hai

Tu zindagi

He started to walk off the stage, and the spotlight followed him. They all figured he was walking to Suvarna.

Mera izhaar hai / Pyaar hi pyaar hai

Yaaron ki yaar hai / Tu zindagi

Tu zindagi

But, he stopped right before Suvarna, and offered Riddhima his hand as he sang the chorus. They walked up the five steps of the stairs. She was glad to have his support as otherwise, all the sounds of the camera shutter she was hearing and the flashes that could almost blind her were sure to make her miss a step and stumble.

Tujhse main kya kahoon / Tu hi Mera sukoon

Sang tere rahoon / Tu zindagi

The only thing people read into was that because she was his date for the night, he had been chivalrous and brought her to the stage, singing the song for her. They were going to in for a surprise in a few days when the song would be published on YouTube and everyone would learn she was much more than his date for the night.

===

authors note:

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone! 

Dedicated to @penbegungor1 I hope you appreciate the teacher reference ;) And thank you always for your encouraging comments! 

I'm also thankful to all you other voters & commenters as well. Keep voting/commenting & a dedication for you too is in the future! ;)

Chapter 3 Back to Normal after 10 votes & 15 comments or Monday.