I'll Love You Longer Than Forever

Chapter One Hundred and Forty Seven

"Welcome back!" Shashank greeted Armaan & Riddhima enthusiastically, pulling them both in for hugs. "Kaise ho?"

"Hum theek hain, Papa," Riddhima replied. "Aap kaise ho? Aur baaki sab?"

"We missed you," Shashank laughed. "But baaki sab theek hai. Bohot excited hai ki tum dono finally ghar aa rahe ho."

Armaan was surprised to see that it was Shashank who had come to pick them up from the airport, but found that he didn't mind. In fact, he felt a warm feeling spread across his chest at the thought of Shashank being there. When he'd first fallen in love with Riddhima, he had never expected to be accepted so wholly by her father, but here he was. Life really did work in mysterious ways.

"Annie Bhabhi aur Billy kaise hain?" Shashank asked them as he drove them all to the Gupta Mansion.

"They're doing good," Armaan assured his father-in-law. The few days they'd spent together had been nothing short of blissful. Armaan had been right. Billy had taken Riddhima to the office to discuss his will with her. Billy had mentioned it to him before the wedding and Armaan knew his father had been waiting for an opportune moment to talk it over with Riddhima. It had understandably spooked Riddhima but she had taken it in stride and by the time she'd gotten home with Billy was only mildly flabbergasted by the whole thing. Billy had played it up, though, organizing another reception party for his associates who had not made it to Mumbai for the first one. He'd spent the entire party introducing Riddhima to every single guest, showing her off proudly, bragging about having the best daughter any man could ask for. Armaan had been left to his own devices for most of the night while his mother had hung out with her friends, but it was the one time he was happy to take a step back. He'd stood by the bar the entire time, a good vantage point to see the entire room, and had watched as his wife charmed the pants of the who's who of their dad's elite social circle in a matter of minutes and fell more in love.

"That's good," Shashank beamed, pulling Armaan out of the memory of how he'd gone weak in the knees when Riddhima had shot a smile his way as she talked to some random uncle about who knows what.

"Aap yeh bataiye ki yahaan sab theek haina? Nikki se mile aap? Aur bachchon se?" Riddhima asked her father. "Mumma gayi thi kya?"

"Main toh nahi jaa paaya tha," Shashank replied, morose. "Lekin Padma gayi thi 2-3 baar. Woh sab theek hai, Riddhima bete. Tum unki tension mat lo."

"That's good," Riddhima sighed. She had been afraid that Nikki might hide something from her in their absence, but knew that her father wouldn't do that, especially now that she was back home.

They arrived home shortly after that and were greeted in a flurry of hugs and kisses from Padma Mumma and Nani. "Haaye, mere bachche!" Nani exclaimed, pulling them into an embrace. "Kaise ho tum dono?" She asked them. "Aur tumhaara trip kaisa tha?"

"Hum bilkul theek hai, Nani. Aur trip bohot achcha tha!" Armaan answered. "Bohot mazaa aaya!"

"Chalo, aa jao, jaldi se! Khana lag gaya hai!" Padma announced.

"Mumma… Di aur Rahul nahi dikh rahe?" Riddhima asked, looking around for her siblings.

"Anjali ki toh night duty hai," Padma explained. "Aur Rahul kisi emergency ki wajah se bahaar gaya hai. I don't think woh aaj raat waapas ghar aa paayega."

Riddhima's face fell at that, quite visibly. She had been looking forward to seeing them as soon as she got home. But now, she wouldn't. She knew it wasn't their fault, but it was extremely disheartening nonetheless. "It's okay, Basket," Armaan reassured her, siddling up to her immediately, as always completely attuned to her emotions. "Hum sabse kal mil lenge, okay? Aaj thoda time Mumma, Papa, aur Nani ke saath spend kar lete hain! We can play charades! Waise bhi tum sab Gupta Ladies ko mujhpe gang up karna achcha lagta haina?"