I'll Love You Longer Than Forever

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Five

"This is a disaster," Riddhima moaned, throwing herself on the side of the road. "Tum hamesha yeh sab gadbad kaise kar lete ho, Armaan? Koi special talent hai kya?"

"Ab isme meri kya galti hai?!" Armaan cried, scandalized. "Mujhe pata tha kya ki aisa ho jaayega? Maine toh sab precautions liye the na!"

"Pch, kya faayda? Sab gadbad toh ho gayi na! Actually, mujhe yeh anticipate karna chahiye tha. Aaj tak tumhaara aisa kaunsa kaam hai jo perfectly hua hai?" Riddhima questioned rhetorically.

The two of them were stranded on their way to Amalfi. They'd left Naples after a late breakfast and a lazy shower. Armaan had booked them a car that he'd insisted on driving himself to get them to Positano, where they'd be staying for the remainder of their honeymoon. It was a beautiful vehicle and Riddhima had immediately fallen in love. She knew that Armaan had made sure to check that they had enough fuel, the tyres were good, and that the engine was working properly before leaving Naples behind. Yet, somehow, they were now in the middle of nowhere with a car that refused to start and no signal on their mobiles. They'd been trying to ask for a lift for the past half an hour to no avail. 

"I'm sorry," Armaan muttered, all remorseful and guilty. He should've done better. 

"It's not your fault," Riddhima replied immediately, walking around the car to pull him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. Mujhe aise nahi bolna chahiye tha. I know tumhaare koi galti nahi hai. Tumne sab achche se check kiya tha. Ab humein kya pata tha ki aisa ho jaayega?"

"But ab kya karein? Kisi ka phone bhi nahi lag raha aur koi gaadi bhi nahi ruk rahi," Armaan replied.

"Paidal chalein?" Riddhima wondered out loud.

"Itna samaan leke?" Armaan cried incredulously. "No way!"

"Toh samaan gaadi mein chod dete hain," Riddhima shrugged.

"Haan, bas… Yeh gaadi aur itna saara samaan sab aise hi chodke chale jaate hain taaki koi sab chori kar le!" Armaan said sarcastically.

"Tum taana kyun maar rahe ho?" Riddhima whined. "At least I'm thinking of solutions!"

"Tumhe kya lagta hai main aise hi khada hoon? I'm trying to think, Basket. Lekin hum kya kar sakte hain? Bina phone ke kisi ko kaise call karein?" Armaan pointed out. "Aur aise beech raaste sab chodke nahi jaa sakte. We have no option. Humein kisi se lift hi leni padegi."

Riddhima sighed. "But koi ruk bhi toh nahi raha!"

"Koi naa koi zaroor rukega. Let's just hope for the best," Armaan replied.

A few minutes later, Armaan heard the rev of another engine and immediately went to stand in the middle of the road, Riddhima quickly following suit. The last 4 cars that had passed by had not stopped for them. Riddhima didn't have a lot of hope for this one either, but Armaan was right. At the moment, there was nothing else they could do. 

Once the car came into view, Armaan began waving his arms frantically. "Help! Please! Help! We're stuck!" He shouted, hoping to gain their attention as if two people blocking their way would not be enough. Riddhima admired the effort he was putting in, but she readied herself for another disappointment. And then, a miracle happened. The car actually stopped.

"Can I help you?" A man asked, stepping outside the car from the driver's seat.

"Hey, hi. Yes!" Armaan exhaled. "Our car broke down and we have no signal. We need help in any way that you can provide. Please."

"Desi ho kya?" The main questioned, squinting at them.

"Haan!" Armaan shouted. "Haanji. Hum… Hum India se aaye hain. Amalfi ghoomne."