I'll Love You Longer Than Forever

Chapter One Hundred & Twenty Eight

"Oh! This is delicious!" Billy mumbled around a mouthful of halwa. Riddhima had just served everyone and Billy had taken the first bite, not letting anyone else eat before him. Armaan was suspiciously absent from the scene, not wanting to be coaxed into eating. After the ruckus that Taiji had created earlier, he thought it prudent to remain in his room while everyone else ate. He had feigned the need to get some rest when Meera had gone to fetch him.

"Yes!" Saumya agreed. "Bohot hi achcha bana hai, Riddhima!"

Riddhima blushed at the praise. "Thank you!"

"Meri Riddhi toh hai hi perfect," Ananya added. "Jo bhi karti sab achcha hi hota hai. Best daughter and the best doctor!"

"Mom!" Riddhima whined, shying away from the praise being heaped on her.

"What Mom!" Ananya reprimanded. "Maine koi jhooth thodi bola?"

"Annie bilkul sahi keh rahi hai," Billy interjected. "Meri beti toh hai hi sabse best!"

"Seriously, Bhabhi!" Krish said. "Halwa bohot zyada achcha bana hai!"

"I was a little sad ki Armaan Bhaiya humaare saath breakfast ke liye nahi aaye," Meera confessed. "But now I'm so happy! Unke na hone se humein zyada khane mil raha hai! I know ki agar woh hote toh woh humein sirf thoda sa taste karne dete... woh bhi shayad nahi... aur saara khud hi kha lete."

Riddhima laughed. "Armaan bas taste karke chod deta!" She assured Meera. "Usse gajar ka halwa bilkul pasand nahi."

"Tumne phir bhi wohi banaya?" Vishal asked, as he fed an eager Vami more of the halwa.

Riddhima nodded. "Dad ka favourite haina... isliye!"

Billy grinned victoriously at the proclamation. "See! Jab main Armaan se kehta hoon toh woh bilkul nahi maanta... but I always knew, Riddhi! I'm your favourite!"

"Of course," Riddhima agreed, smiling indulgently. She found it exceedingly cute that Armaan & Billy had an ongoing feud to prove who she liked better. They were grown men but most of the time they behaved like such kids, she didn't know what to say.

The doorbell rang then, and Riddhima rushed to answer it. Rahul, Atul, and Ishaan stood on the other side, huge grins on their faces. "Riddhu!" Rahul exclaimed, stepping inside the house to pull her into a tight hug. "I missed you!"

"It's been less than a day," she reminded him.

"Toh kya hua? I still missed you!" He said.

The duo kept on hugging till Atul physically had to separate them. "Abbe, oh! Rahul! Tu akela hai kya? Hum bhi hain!" He whined, pulling Riddhima into another tight hug. Riddhima laughed and returned his hug just as enthusiastically.

"Ridz! Aaj se toh tum meri bhabhi bann gayi!" Atul exclaimed. A second later, he shook his head. "Nahi, nahi. Tum toh waise meri sali ho na?"

He pulled back, scratching his head. "Yeh bohot confusing hai. Ab tum meri bhabhi ho ya sali?"

The group laughed at his confusion. "Atul Bhai... jo bhi ho," Ishaan intervened. "Mujhe toh Di ko hug karne dijiye!"

Riddhima shook her head, and opened her arms for him. He immediately hugged her. "You look so pretty, Di!" He exclaimed, examining her from head to toe. "Matlab... itni zyada beautiful lag rahe ho! Jeeju ne aapko apni nazron se hatne kaise de diya?"

"Shut up!" Riddhima scolded, whacking his arm. "Jab dekho pareshaan karta rehta hai!"

"Riddhi!" Ananya called out. "Kaun hai beta?"