Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 55

Avni waited for Riddhima in the lawn of her house. It was evening now and after she had rested all afternoon long she had decided to come over and talk to the girl. She needed to make her understand things were not the way she thought. She looked up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs that led up to the main entrance of her house. She watched the girl stiffen a little whether at the surprise of seeing her there or in embarrassment she wasn't sure. But Avni smiled as she came forward.

"Hello," Avni said in greeting.

"Hi," Riddhima replied then looked away as she approached the other seat opposite to Avni.

"Sorry, I came unannounced," Avni said and watched Riddhima take the seat.

"It is okay," Riddhima said, "I was meaning to drop by the house and apologize anyway," she said and looked at Avni.

"Apologize?" Avni asked confused.

"For the way I behaved this past week," she said heavily, "you didn't deserve it. I thought long and hard last night and realized what an idiot I had been," she said regretfully, "I don't know what came over me. If you and Uday are interested in each other it is totally your business and I shouldn't have cast aspersions the way I did," she said apologetically.

"Then it makes two of us," Avni replied slowly and when Riddhima seemed puzzled she went on to explain. "What makes you think I am interested in Uday or vice versa?" she asked.

"I saw you two were pretty friendly and though I knew somewhere you were not his type I just couldn't see the two of you together," Riddhima said and shrugged then as if on a whim added, "look, I...I saw the two of together last Saturday at the restaurant the way you were talking and laughing gave me ideas then on Sunday Uday took your side, I know it sounds childish but...then I got to know the trip had been for your benefit even Karan who never talks without being rude was so nice and polite to you I guess my insecurities just took over. I don't know what else to say," she said and looked away again.

"Uday loves you," Avni said quietly. And as the girl looked at her surprised Avni smiled. Unwittingly they had been responsible for Riddhima's insecurities and frustrations. Then Avni laid a reassuring hand on hers and said, "He really does."

"But...you and him," Riddhima went on unable to believe what Avni was telling her.

"Are just friends," Avni said, "he has always been interested in you. I guess with his easy going attitude you weren't sure if he was serious for you or not but he is, so much so he is ready to give you all the time you need to become your own person even realize your dreams only if you can commit to him," she explained. "Look Riddhima, I am not a talkative person and I have never been in love before either so it is difficult for me to say how or what defines true love but I saw the sincerity in Uday's eyes when he asked me for help," she said and at the startled look she saw on Riddhima's face she went on, "he wanted me to find out if you had any feelings for him and with that intention he wanted me to pretend to be interested in him," she said and paused and Riddhima gasped, "I know, but I am not sure that the lunch was intentional or if he even knew you were there because aunty had asked him to take me out as a nice gesture. Besides Manya was to join us too only she had to go for a doctor's appointment and so she met us later. As for the Sunday trip I think it was his and Manya's joint idea," she explained.

"He asked you to pretend," Riddhima said as if in shock, "so I could get jealous and tell him how I felt," she said more to herself than to Avni frowning now, "why that lousy little..." Riddhima said and paused.

Why that cad? How dare he play her like this? And he called himself mature. Because of this stupid act she had almost ruined her relationship with her best friend and behaved badly with Avni.

"He is really serious about you," Avni reminded her.

"That doesn't mean he comes up with schemes to torture me like this," Riddhima said angrily.

"But you never gave any indication of liking him either," Avni countered.

"Okay, that is not reason enough," Riddhima said upset, "because of this I behaved so badly with you I almost lost Manya as a friend too," she said.

"Riddhima," Avni said haltingly, "do you like Uday?" she asked her finally.

Riddhima looked at Avni. Of course she liked him she more than liked him. She had thought about her actions last night after Uday had dropped her home and all she had said to him he hadn't said a word in return but she knew she had hurt him bad. This insane jealousy over his friendship with Avni had at least told her that much. And she had been ashamed over how she had behaved. So in the morning when Manya had called Riddhima had blasted her too. She had been frustrated with herself and how she couldn't decide what she wanted.

"I do," Riddhima said quietly.

Avni released a silent breath and sent up a quick prayer of thanks.

"Then why don't you tell him so you can take your relationship a step forward," Avni asked.

"It isn't that simple," Riddhima said and rose from her seat restlessly. "All of my life my mother told me that men who weren't serious about anything particularly life couldn't be trusted," she said slowly, "how do you combat that kind of doctrine and when it has been instilled in you since childhood," she said.

And Avni was reminded of herself. Of course, that wasn't what was taught to her but she could relate. All her life she had been taught to adjust, to endure, to bow and accept whatever fate threw at her without complaining and she had never thought of countering those teachings herself. So if Riddhima was taught to distrust men who were laidback in life it wasn't her fault if she couldn't take Uday seriously.

"I can understand," Avni said quietly.

"You probably can," Riddhima said as she looked at the other girl. Somehow it felt right to talk to her. "My father is a doctor and well known here in Manali. Dr. Gujral," she said, "and my mother is a well-educated social worker she runs her own NGO. You must be wondering why I am talking about them," she said and smiled sadly, "Dr. Gujral is my step father, my mother was married to another man before she divorced him and remarried. I was about two years then," Riddhima said sadly and Avni could feel the sadness in her. "My biological father was a frivolous man. Why mom had gotten married to him is beyond me maybe she had been in love. She never told me why she had married him and I have never asked. But he was a careless man with no job, no sense of responsibility not even the will to do something for his wife or child finally when my mom had had enough she had left him and later taken divorce. My step father is a very responsible man. Sincere and loving too. He adopted me as his own and I have never felt that he wasn't my father," Riddhima said straightening suddenly as if gearing up for comments.

But Avni said nothing she just kept looking at her with understanding in her eyes. She now knew why Riddhima insisted on marrying a serious responsible man. Why it was important that the guy was well settled? Why she denied herself the chance of knowing anyone other than what she had been grilled into accepting? Her mother's experience, her own experience had been bitter. But not all men who joked or laughed were irresponsible. It was just a personality trait. It did not make them bad or good. She opened her mouth to ask when a voice beat her to it.

"And you think I am that man?"

While Avni turned around to see Uday standing with his arms over his chest frowning Riddhima looked shocked. She hadn't expected Uday. What was he doing here? And how long had he been standing there listening? She put her hands to her mouth then recovering quickly she squared her shoulders and raised her chin a notch.

Uday saw the battlefield had been set as Riddhima came out of her shock from seeing him there and giving him the look, she always wore. Gone was the vulnerable girl he had heard talking a few seconds ago. So be it. He wouldn't lose this one he was sure. This time it was Riddhima's turn to own up some home truths and he will be damned if he didn't make her.

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