meet me in the afterglow

Chapter Two

Armaan thought of going back home, but then decided against it. He couldn't live in that house anymore. His Basket wouldn't be there. That house would forever remind him of their separation. He decided that he'd sell it and then, him and Basket could find a new house, one which they both loved and make it a home again. He'd have to wait for that though. Before the wedding, Armaan had transferred the house in Riddhima's name, so he'd need her signatures on all the papers.

He checked into the Marriott and booked a room for a week. He'd decide on living arrangements later. Once he was settled in, he called his parents to let them know that he'd reached Mumbai safely. They talked for sometime and Armaan told them of his decision to stay back in Mumbai. He asked his father to talk with Dr. Thomas to give him the go ahead for online sessions. Now that his treatment was almost over, most of his sessions included meditation and therapy, which could easily be done via webcam. He didn't need to be physically present for them.

He also informed his parents that he hadn't been able to talk to anyone yet because the Guptas and Atul had all gone to Lonavala. But, they'd be returning the next day and he'd talk to them as soon as possible. He promised to inform them as soon as he was done.

After he was done with the call, he passed time napping and then flipping through channels aimlessly. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to concentrate on anything other than Riddhima. His mind was full of questions, unable to decipher the reason as to why his presence was required so suddenly. He was worried that something really bad had happened.

Riddhima was an emotionally strong person. Not much fazed her. She was always able to hold her own when it came to matters of the heart. Yes, she was shy and meek in front of others, but she'd battled through so many emotional upheavals in life that she didn't need support anymore. She'd survived finding out that she was adopted, she'd overcome the lies he'd told her when he'd struck that bet with Anjy, she'd even stood up to her father for him.

So, yes, he was really worried about what had happened. Papa hadn't gone into any details over the phone, his father had told him. But, he was crying. Armaan had been so shocked at that. Dr. Shashank Gupta, the epitome of a calm, composed man had broken down on the phone and all but begged for Armaan to come back home as soon as he could. Suffice it to say, Armaan knew something had gone terribly wrong. Dr. Keerti being so evasive and hesitant to answer his questions didn't help the case either. But, he would get the answers he wanted the next day. And, he would be beside Riddhima no matter what. That thought brought some peace to him and Armaan was finally able to fall asleep in the wee hours of morning.

The next day, he dressed up and made his way to Sanjeevani, early in the morning. He wanted to talk to Dr. Keerti and understand his position at the hospital. And, he was jittery with anticipation with the thought of seeing Riddhima. His Basket.

His meeting with Dr. Keerti went well. True to her word, she'd filed all the necessary paperwork and the Board was ecstatic to have Armaan back. He'd been a phenomenal intern, and they were happy to have him back. Dr. Keerti explained to Armaan that he'd be taking over the interns along with Riddhima. And, he was supposed to work with Dr. Sheikh to rack up his hours for the child psychology specialization he wanted.

When it was time, Dr. Keerti took Armaan to the nurse station and introduced him to the new interns.

"Interns," she started in a commanding voice. "Yeh aapke new reporting doctor hai. Dr. Armaan. Inhone apni internship yahin se ki thi aur humaare sabse promising doctors mein se ek hain. Personal reasons ki wajah se yeh sabbatical par the, lekin ab Sanjeevani waapas join kar rahe hai. Welcome back, Dr. Armaan. Dr. Armaan, yeh humaare naye interns hai. Dr. Yuvraj, Dr. Naina, Dr. JP, Dr. Suvarna, Dr. Raj and Dr. Siddhant."