The Distance Between Us

Track Sixty Eight - Janam Janam

"Does it hurt?" Riddhima asked, gesturing to Armaan's bruised knuckles from when he'd punched Sid. Armaan shrugged, laughing. "I've had worse," he assured her.

"Armaan," Riddhima warned. "Kitni baar kaha hai tumse... You need to take care of yourself. Now, wait here while I get the first aid kit."

Knowing better than to argue, Armaan acquiesced. It had been a few hours since their confrontation with Sid. Thankfully, it had ended with nobody else apart from the four of them knowing about what had happened. Sid had explained his bruised nose with some excuse that Armaan didn't care about, and while he was sure that it must have been flimsy, no one had asked him anything, so he didn't think twice about it. Apart from Atul, that is, who had looked oddly happy about the whole ordeal, if the looks he'd been passing were any indication. Armaan rejoiced in those. Atul always had been his staunchest supporter. But, now wasn't the time to think about Atul, not when he had Riddhima, especially a worried Riddhima. She was a force to be reckoned with. Always had been. It was one of the first things that had attracted him to her - how she would always speak her mind, how she would always storm in, ready to go, and always there for the people she cared about.

As he looked around, waiting for Riddhima, thinking about those early days of falling in love with her, he realized that night was starting to fall, stars covering the sky above, visible clearly away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan of Mumbai. It was one of the many reasons that Armaan loved coming to Lonavala. Every time he did, he made a point to spend as much time in the fresh air as possible, but more importantly at night. Riddhima joined him more often than not, and the two of them had started their own silly, little tradition for these cozy nights away from the prying eyes of the world. As a rule, the kids would go to sleep early, and Bua and the other caretakers, tired after a long day of herding kids, tended to do the same. So, it would only be Armaan, Riddhima, and their togetherness under the starlit sky to keep them company.

Armaan smiled to himself as he remembered all the time he'd spent with Riddhima in this place. The silly fights, the games, and even the heartache. It didn't hurt much anymore when he remembered now, the way she hadn't been able to see the two of them together even as a reflection in the water. Maybe because he could see her walking towards him with a smile that could light up the sky.

"Here we go," she said, taking a seat beside him and removing some antiseptic and cotton from the box. Once she'd dropped a generous amount of it on the cotton, Riddhima gently took Armaaan's hand in her own. She felt his sharp intake of breath at the contact and smiled to herself. Very carefully, she cleaned the wound on his knuckles.

When Armaan hissed at the contact, she immediately pulled back. "Sorry!" She mumbled. Very slowly, she blew on the bruises to soothe the pain, making Armaan shudder. "Basket," he groaned, when he felt a feather light kiss on his knuckles. He felt her smile against his skin. It was the most intimate contact they'd shared in years, and her proximity was enough to make him shiver. His stomach coiled in anticipation, his back arched tight, Armaan sat there, almost still as a statue, completely at Riddhima's mercy. Every passing second felt like the most delicious torture that he never wanted to end.

Taking advantage of the seeming blanket permission that Armaan had granted her, Riddhima used the opportunity to acquaint herself with Armaan's fingers once more. She blew on his skin after every dab of cotton, placing kisses along his fingers as she did so. Every time that her lips touched his skin, she could feel him go even more taut, as if that was possible, given how tense he already was. But, he never once made a move to stop her, and when she looked up at him in askance, found her needs mirrored in his eyes. So, she continued, till she was thoroughly sure that every little crevice of his knuckles had gotten the attention they deserved, her hot breath fanning his skin. Once she was done, she moved back, just a breath away, pulling Armaan's arm with her. His hand immediately cupped her face, as if on instinct, and Riddhima grinned, leaning into the touch.