In the previous chapter, Riddhima and Sonu found themselves cornered in the dark, rainy night by a gang of ruthless thugs. Just as all hope seemed lost, a Mahindra Thar skidded in the distance, and a mysterious figure stepped out into the storm...
"LET HER GO."
The voice boomed through the rain, cold and commanding.
The thug holding Riddhima's dupatta, Rocky, froze for a fraction of a second, but then burst into a filthy laugh. "Why? Is she your sister or something too?"
Before the mysterious man could even answer, Raju, who had been hiding behind a tree, came running out, shouting, "No! She's our Bhabhi-ji! And this is our boss, Armaan Bhai!"
Armaan glared at Raju so lethally that he instantly shut his mouth, backed away, and simply stared at Armaan in awe.
Riddhima couldn't take her eyes off the mysterious man standing before her. Zareena's words echoed loudly in her mind....
"A sweet, innocent guy with dimples... his name is Armaan."
But the face standing in front of her tonight held no sweetness, no innocence, and certainly no dimples. When his piercing blue eyes locked onto hers, a chill ran straight through her heart. She shuddered. Not out of fear, but a strange, unfamiliar feeling she had never felt in her entire life.
The gang leader, Ronnie, scoffed, breaking the silence. "Oh, so she's your Bhabhi, huh? Well, tonight, all of us are gonna have some fun with your dear Bhabhi -"
BOOM!
Before he could finish, Armaan's fist slammed into his jaw. Blood sprayed onto the wet road as Ronnie stumbled back.
Armaan stepped closer, his voice dropping into a deadly growl. "If another word about Sona comes out of your fucking mouth, I'll rip your tongue out and hand it to you."
Riddhima gasped, her brain going blank.
Sona? How did he know her childhood nickname?
Ronnie wiped the blood dripping from his lips, sneering without a trace of shame. "Oh yeah? Then get ready for tomorrow's headlines, kid... Sona's gang rape! Hahaha!"
Riddhima was fucking terrified. Her legs buckled, her head spinning as darkness edged her vision. Instinctively knowing that this man was her only shield, she ran towards Armaan and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
Armaan's heart hammered in his chest so violently he felt it might burst any moment. The girl he craved a single glance of, the girl he considered himself blessed to touch...
That divine figurine was now hugging him in the rain as if she could see only -
HIM...
"Ahem, There's no time to lose in the moment..." he coughed in his thoughts.
He gently stroked her wet hair, a silent promise in his touch:
As long as I'm breathing, no one can lay a finger on you.
"Raju!" Armaan barked, his eyes never leaving the thugs.
"Get both of them home safely. FUCKING RIGHT NOW!"
"Yes, Bhai! Come on, Bhabhi-ji... let's go, Sonu!" Raju urged.
Just then, two more cars screeched nearby. Armaan turned to Raju. "Take them in Shiva's car. Make sure they feel safe."
He then snapped his head toward two of his men. "Kali! Bittu! Get Mohan to the hospital immediately. Tell the doctor Armaan Bhai sent you and Nothing. Must. Happen. To. Him."
Ronnie and Rocky, standing there watching them unfold, snapped back to reality. They lunged right in front of Raju's car, roaring, "Running away already? Come on, let us have some fun first!" But Shiva, who was behind the wheel, didn't hesitate for a second. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the raw impact sent Ronnie and Rocky flying 50 meters away.
Riddhima's eyes welled up with tears. Watching Armaan surrounded by those bastards made her soul tremble with pure terror. But then Raju's comforting chuckle broke through her panic, "Aww, don't you worry, Bhabhi ji! Our Armaan Bhaiya is easily equal to a hundred lions combined. I'll bring you the 441 tomorrow about how he trashed them."
The second Riddhima stepped inside her house, she saw her dad pacing back and forth, consumed by anxiety. Spotting her, he immediately said, "You took way too long, sweetheart... Go give aunt her medicine first." After tending to her aunt, Riddhima sat beside her for some time, lost in thought. Once her aunt drifted off to sleep, Riddhima walked out of her aunt's room, only to find her dad still awake, waiting.
Trying to reassure him, she softly spoke, "Dad, you should get some sleep now. Maasi is doing fine."
But Shashank called out, "Come sit next to me, my child. I need to talk to you about something."
Her heart skipped a beat, but she walked over and sat down beside him. "Yes, Dad? Tell me."
Shashank looked straight into her eyes and said gently, "As far as I know, my daughter would never hide anything from me. She'd never do anything wrong." Riddhima stayed silent, but she could see the heavy, unspoken questions in his eyes. Gently taking his hands in hers, she whispered, "I could never do anything that would break your heart, Papa. I'm your daughter."
Shashank went quiet for a moment, then locked eyes with her again. "Whose car was that, beta? The one you came back in today?"
Riddhima's mind went blank; she couldn't figure out how to weave a lie to her own father.
Then came his grave, heavy tone, "I noticed everything. Sonu had a fresh wound on his forehead. You looked completely terrified. Tell me the truth, beta... what happened on the way home?"
Riddhima was desperately hunting for an answer when Sonu's voice cut through the silence. "Bade Papa, that was my friend's dad's car! You know, we went really far away to get Mumma's medicines, and there were no autos anywhere. Suddenly, a pack of stray dogs started chasing us, and you know how terrified I am of dogs... Even though Sona Didi tried to stop me, I panicked, ran, and tumbled on the road. Just then, my friend Sameer's dad happened to drive by, and he dropped us home!"
He dramatically started fake-panting and turned to Riddhima, "Didi, I'm so exhausted, and I have an exam tomorrow... Could you please get me some Bournvita?"
Riddhima caught him instantly. Sonu was pulling her out of the fire. She chimed in immediately, "Yeah, Sonu, I'll bring it right away. Go to your room." She finally let out a long breath of relief when Shashank softened and said, "Go get some rest too, beta. You must be tired too."
Inside the bedroom, Riddhima playfully pinched Sonu's cheek. "Look at you! Since when did you become such a smooth little liar?"
Sonu gave a surprisingly mature shrug. "To dodge huge storms, small lies don't count, Didi. It's no big deal."
Riddhima sat down on her bed, her expression turning serious. "Alright, now tell me the absolute truth, no more stories. How do you actually know him?"
Sonu blinked innocently. "Know who?"
"Sonu! Don't play dumb with me!" Riddhima snapped gently. "First Raju, now him... What kind of people are you hanging out with? Goons and hooligans? Are these your friends now?"
Sonu looked hurt. "They aren't goons or hooligans at all, Didi! Raju Bhaiya is so nice, and Armaan Bhaiya... he's honestly the best person in the whole world. I swear on the Bournvita I had just now!!"
Riddhima glared at him. "What do you even know about him? You're just a kid, and TBH you should act like one."
Sonu pulled the blanket all the way up to his face, grumbling softly, "Yeah, yeah, unfortunately I'm just a kid... If I were older, I would've given those bad guys the taste of my punch! I would've knocked them out one by one! Woohoo, headshot!" Sonu mimicked as if he was really knocking them out one by one, "And BTW, those 'goons and hooligans' actually saved us today, Didi. Just go to sleep now; it's really late! Hmph!"
Left without a comeback, Riddhima quietly lay down on her bed. But the second she closed her eyes, his face flooded her mind.
Those intense, captivating eyes that had burned like a fierce flame the moment he heard those thugs talk... and his touch...
The way his fingers had soothed her hair with such tender warmth, as if his touch was silently whispering, "I'm right here with you... don't be afraid."
And the way her name, "Sona," melted off his lips, it felt as though he had breathed life into the word, caressing each syllable with pure, unspoken affection.
A sudden wave of restless warmth washed over her heart.
How could he be out there all alone in the dead of night, surrounded by bloodthirsty bastards? Will he be able to fight them off on his own? Will he be okay?
Clasping her hands tightly against her chest, a silent prayer escaped her trembling lips:
"God, please protect him... Oh, Ganpati Bappa, keep him safe. I'll bring you your favourite modaks, I promise... Please, God."