I'll Love You Longer Than Forever

Chapter Six

Atul was really happy that his best friend was finally back. He had missed Armaan a lot during the latter's absence. At first, he couldn't believe Armaan had left & his reasons for leaving were borderline disgusting. Armaan who could die for Riddhima, couldn't live with her because she was wheelchair bound? Seemed like the blackest blasphemy. Atul had despised Armaan for doing that to Riddhima.

That's why he was so happy when Riddhima told him the real reason for his leaving. He knew deep down that Armaan was not so petty to leave Riddhima because she was physically ill, but seeing that he had left & given that for his reason for leaving had stumped him. If the guy himself was saying he's leaving because of it, it must have been true.

But knowing that Armaan's reasons for leaving were so selfless had made him respect his best friend even more. Atul was proud of the man Armaan had come to be. When Armaan had joined Sanjeevani, he had been a kind of playboy, always flirting with girls around him. He knew he was good looking and charming and used it to his advantage. Atul knew that Armaan had never had a serious girlfriend before Riddhima. And being with Riddhima had changed him so much. It had made him more caring, loving, and sensitive and a whole lot of other things. She had made him a better person altogether.

Atul would always be thankful to Riddhima for doing that to Armaan. She was just so amazing. She never knew what effect she had on people. How her loving, caring, sweet and selfless nature made other people think about she was so much better than them, and that they should learn something from her. Riddhima was the kind of person who always wanted to help others irrespective of the fact that what circumstances she was in. She was incredible.

That's why Armaan leaving her had angered Atul so much. How could Armaan put Riddhima in pain? She was one of the most beautiful person he had met. And he wasn't talking about her looks. Sure, Riddhima was pretty, but she had the most beautiful soul. No one could ever hurt such an incredible person. And to think that the person whi did so was the one who claimed to love her the most. Armaan always said that Riddhima was the most important person in his life. That he could do anything for her. That he never cared how Riddhima looked, to him she would always be the most beautiful person on this planet. The first chance to prove all of this, and Armaan had fled like a coward.

But thankfully, he hadn't left because he was selfish, he had left because he was so damn selfless. It just proved that Armaan had been saying the truth all along. Riddhima was the most important person in his life. And to make sure that she was happy, he was ready to go to any length, even make her hate him if it meant she could be happy. Riddhima was lucky to have a guy like him in her life. Everyone said that it was Armaan who was lucky, but at times Atul thought that it really was Riddhima who won the lottery, not the other way round.

"Oyyyeee saale, kabse wait kar raha hai?" Armaan's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Abbe kabse wait kar raha hu! Itna kitna time laga tujhe? Jaanta hu Ridz ke saath tha aur tujhe usse chodkar aane ka mann toh kar nahi raha hoga. Magar kabhi apne Champ ke baare mein bhi soch liya kar!" Atul ranted.

Armaan smiled.

"Saale tu bilkul nahi badla na?" saying so Armaan hugged Atul.

Atul was stunned for a moment before he hugged Armaan back.

"Chal aa baith. Bata mujhe kaisa hai tu?" Atul asked him.

Armaan sighed before narrating the whole story to him. About the test results by Dr. Shashank, the Panchangani facility, Canada, coming back to India, that night he saw Riddhima and then going back to get treated again.