The Distance Between Us

Track Sixty Three - Toota Pull Wahaan

Track 63 - Toota Pull Wahaan, The Deepak Rathore Project

Armaan rang the doorbell to Riddhima's house and stepped back, waiting. It had been a very long day and he was happy to be home. Home, he sighed. How had Riddhima's apartment that he'd visited only once before become home? Because it was Riddhima's, a voice whispered in his head. One that sounded a lot like Rahul. Whatever. He didn't have the time for that, not now. He was preoccupied with other things.

After a scrumptious breakfast cooked for him by Riddhima and Rahul, he'd spent the rest of the day with Tamanna and Myra, taking the day off from the hospital after what had happened. He'd needed that time to unwind. And it had been great. He'd taken them out for some ice-cream for lunch. Then they'd gone to the beach, and finally ended up in a park. He'd gotten loads of hugs and kisses from his sister and his niece, making him feel better. But then, while he was sitting on a park bench with Tamanna, watching Myra play, she'd said something he hadn't ever imagined. Sid proposed, she'd said. So casually. As if they were discussing the weather. She'd wanted his advice on what to do. And, for the first time since he'd met her, Armaan hadn't been able to help Tamanna, because he didn't know what to say.

On one hand, he did want Tamanna to find happiness in a romantic relationship, if that's what she wanted, of course, but with Sid? He wasn't sure. It was purely selfish, he knew. But, how could he ever want his sister to be with the guy who had previously been married to the love of his life? Did Tamanna even know Sid had been married before? He hadn't told her, not yet. He'd just asked her for some time to think it through, but at the same time assured her that if Sid was who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, he would support her... Because there was nothing else that he could do. Much as he hated it, he would never stand in the way of Tamanna's happiness. The only good thing right now seemed to be how Tamanna herself wasn't inclined to get into a relationship with anyone, much less Sid. And, he did agree. Myra was the most important person right now and she needed all of Tamanna's attention. Any type of romantic entanglement wasn't a good idea right this moment, much less a long distance and one that was rich with so much history.

"Hey!" Riddhima greeted him a moment later, all smiles and love. Armaan couldn't help the smile on his own face at that.

"Hi," he replied. He handed her a bunch of flowers - yellow daisies (they weren't at the red roses stage, not yet) - and a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling cider. "For you," he said. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Thank you!" Riddhima answered. "You look great!" She gestured to his attire of a pink shirt that he'd paired with a black cut sleeve sweater and dark washed jeans.

"So do you," he complimented, taking note of her outfit for the first time. She was dressed in a blue anarkali suit, looking gorgeous as ever. "You look absolutely ethereal."

Riddhima blushed. "Thank you," she murmured. "Come on in!"

"Is this like a date?" Armaan asked as he looked around the living room. It was much different than he remembered. The lighting was pretty intimate, drapes hanging at every corner. Soft music was wafting through the room.

"No," Riddhima rolled her eyes. "I just invited the man I'm in love with over to dinner to play cards. Of course it's a date, Armaan!"

"I hadn't realized. I thought we were just hanging out," Armaan mumbled sheepishly.

"Ummm, isn't that what a date is? Hanging out with someone you like to get to know them better?" Riddhima asked.

"You're right. Wow, I'm rusty. How are you better at this than me?" He wondered out loud. "I can't believe you asked me out first. This is so uncool. I wanted to be the one to do it!"