I'll Love You Longer Than Forever

Chapter Seventeen

"Di..." she stared, her voice quivering badly.

"Ridzy?" Anjali asked, worried about the sudden change in her voice.

"Aap, aap, aapne Rahul ko file, file nikal kar di thi na?" she asked.

"Nahi, maine usse bata diya tha ki kahaan rakhi hain. Actually itne saare reports the aur mujhe pata nahi tha ki usse exactly kaunsa waala chahiye tha, toh maine socha ki main usse drawer hi dikha du. Kyu? Kya hua?" Anjali asked.

"Di... Di... woh... woh actually, us drawer mein adoption ke papers bhi the..." Riddhima whispered.

"Haan, shayad honge. Par usse kya hua Riddhima? Rahul tere adoption ke baare mein jaanta haina?"

"Haan, woh, woh adoption ke baare mein jaanta hai, par woh Mumma ke baare mein nahi jaanta."

"Matlab? Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aaya Ridzy."

"Matlab woh nahi jaanta ki Mumma hi meri Maa hain. Usse lagta hai ki Smriti Maa aur Papa mujhe kisi orphanage se laaye the."

"What? Usse Mom ke baare mein nahi pata?!"

"Nahi," Riddhima whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Par, usse kuch, aise kaise?"

"Maine usse nahi bataya. Jab usne adoption ke baare mein poocha toh maine usse jhooth keh diya. Ki woh mujhe orphanage se laaye the."

"Ridzy!" Anjali whisper screamed. "Tune usse utna bada jhooth kyu kaha?"

"Toh main aur kya karti Di?"

"Tujhe usse sach nahi chupana chahiye tha. Kya wajah thi, ki tune usse nahi bataya?"

"Main kaise batati, Di? Main nahi chaahti thi ki woh Maa ke baare mein kuch bhi galat soche."

"Tujhe kya laga? Jab Rahul ko pata chalega, ki tu Mom ki beti hai aur Mom - Dad ne tujhe isliye adopt kiya kyuki Mom ka fianc unhe chodkar chala gaya tha, toh woh Mom ke baare mein galat sochne lagega?"

"Haan," Riddhima whispered, ashamed of herself, for thinking that way about her best friend.

"Ridzy... Tu aise soch bhi kaise sakti hai? Woh bhi Rahul ke baare mein? Armaan ko bataate waqt toh tune nahi socha."

"Armaan ko toh mujhse bhi pehle se pata tha, Di. Usse chupaane ki toh kabhi naubat hi nahi aayi."

"Par tujhe Rahul se yeh baat nahi chupaani chahiye thi."

"Jaanti hu."

"Ab tu kya karegi?"

"Main Rahul ko manaa lungi. Aap... aap Maa se kahiye ki woh tension na lein. Main Rahul se baat karungi."

Riddhima quickly said her goodbyes and hung up. Next, she tried calling Rahul. However, he didn't answer her calls. After several failed attempts, she started to get hysterical. The tears finally came and her dam broke as she fell to the ground and sobbed bitterly. It was because of her that Rahul had left the house. He didn't tell the others about his reasons for leaving, obviously trying to protect Riddhima from their outburst. She felt so ashamed of herself. She should have told him everything. What was she thinking? That Rahul, her Rahul, her best friend, her brother would not understand Mumma's situation? Of course he would. He was one of the nicest human beings she had me. He was always objective, never jumping to conclusions and understanding of the other person's situation and their point of view.