Hi y’all! I’ve had this episode ready since the last weekend but couldn’t make it to posting any earlier; sorry for that. Here are the responses to the comments from the previous episode:
Hi R.N 😇, thank you so much! The patch-up shall be coming-up within the next few episodes.
Hi Amna, thank you so much!
Hi Jennifer, thank you!
Hi Niyati12, thank you so much!
Hi Anushka, thank you so much!
Hi Aarushi, thank youu!
Hi Mary, you know how much your comment meant to me? I do realise that marriages need a lot of compromise and adjustment, but on a very personal level, I also feel that things are slowly getting better and now slowly, both sides are beginning to compromise and adjust. Anyhow, thank you so much for the beautiful comment and like you asked for, this isn’t a fairy-tale romance. I don’t believe in short-term bonds, they aren’t always the best. I hope you like what’s in store, because love here, is still a little far ahead in the story. Thank you for reading and commenting!
Hi Nithya, thank you so much!
Hi Shreya Sharma, thank you so much! Their patch-up will be coming up real soon.
Hi Nia, your comments are so wholesome, you know? I so love reading them. Thank you for all your words, really means a lot to me. I hope you continue liking the story.
Hi Akshitha 🤩, thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re liking the story. RiAnsh moments must be coming up after the patch-up. 🙂
Hi Thakur Priyanka, thank you so much!
Hi Annoyinguser, thank you!
Hi Jayanthi, thank you so much! I’m glad you liked Riddhima’s characterization. As for Riddhima getting a break, I’ll see where I can incorporate more of it. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hi Ananya, thank you so, so much! That really means a lot.
Hi Rishiiii, thank you so much! As for your perspective, I’m not sure how much of it matches with the course of the story, but so glad to see you so involved. As of now, there’s no equation of love between the two, but that would be coming really, really soon. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
Hi Aafrin, thank you!
Hi Shivangi, thank you so much! That really means a lot to me.
Hi KV2711, thank you so much! So glad you liked it.
Hi Smig, thank you!
Hi Jayashree, thank you so much!
Hi Priyadarshini, thank you!
Hi JJ, thank you!
Hi Vkjhp, thank you so much!
Hi Khushi123, thank you so much!
Hi TSA, thank you so much!
Hi Naira_u_singh, thank you so much! That means a lot.
Hi Riansh_fan, Riddhima agreed to marry Vansh because she’s seen how different he is and after she’s realised how Angre is, she’s understood why Vansh forced this marriage on her. She’s agreed to marry him for humanity’s sake, and yes, Riddhima does have a past. Thank you for your words, though!
Hi Aisha, thank you!
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BECOMING MRS. RAISINGHANIA – EPISODE 17: BRIDGING ROUGH WATERS
Riddhima stood at the centre of the hall and fiddled with the ring between her fingers. When she’d agreed for this marriage, she’d believed – if not love, they at least trusted each other enough to be good friends. Although, she was wrong, and he’d proven to her that their relation lacked trust and respect.
She still couldn’t believe how disrespectfully he’d thought of her. He’d assumed her to be in a relationship with her Boss. She’d been so close to disclosing her heart and fears to him, but he’d toyed with her all along. Perhaps, the first time he’d kissed her without her consent was also to prove to her how mighty and influential he was.
“Have I told you before that this alliance was for her older sister?”
Riddhima jumped out of her reveries and looked at the woman – Mrs. Sinha. She knew Mrs. Sinha was known for her loudmouth, yet she couldn’t stand her own humiliation. She looked at the mother-daughter duo from the distance and readied herself to stop them from tarnishing her reputation.
Sakshi: Ma, stop it. This isn’t the place to discuss this. People do a lot of things for money, why do you care?
Mrs. Sinha: Offo Sakshi, I’d told you find someone wealthy for yourself here. I’m sure this girl snatched the alliance from her sister because of all this property and money. In fact, I heard that she wasn’t even agreeing for the marriage. She agreed after coming here. (looking around) It must’ve been this property.
Riddhima faltered in her steps while her blood continued to bubble within herself. Why did everyone think of her so obscurely? She couldn’t begin to count the number of people who’d thought so poorly of her. She continued staring at them, while losing the mind to fight for herself.
She wondered what the point was, anyway. Her image in the circle was already tarnished – probably the reason why everyone could think so low of her.
“Mrs. Sinha, so glad you could make it here.”
Riddhima turned around and saw Ishani walking toward them, the nerves inside her coiling further. Ishani Raisinghania had hated her right from the beginning and Riddhima had never tried talking to her, either. She didn’t think she would ever support her, anyway, but now as she stood before her, smiling at Mrs. Sinha, she didn’t know why she felt a pang of hurt.
Ishani: We’re extremely glad you could make it to the engagement. However, I must say, you’ve quite an audacity. (holding up her hand to stop her) Let me finish, Mrs. Sinha. You do not have the right to stand here and disrespect Riddhima, whatever the case might be. My family chose her for Vansh because no one could’ve better suited him and considering, you’ve stayed here for so long and are currently still inside the premises of our property, you must ensure that you say nothing that is disrespectful to us.
Mrs. Sinha: You think just because you’ve let us stay here for a few days, you can boss us around? We could’ve, very well, stayed somewhere else too.
Ishani (nodding her head and stretching her arm toward the main door): You’re most welcome to leave. And please make sure you pay your bills before leaving then.
Seconds later, when Ishani turned around toward Riddhima, she knew she’d left. She’d seen her running away from the periphery of her vision, but she’d hoped, she wouldn’t have had escaped from the hall. She hurried toward the backyard, realising where she could’ve possibly run away to.
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“Riddhima, please talk to me, Baccha. See, everyone is here – even Ragini. Please tell us what happened.”
Riddhima sat on the edge of the bed inside a room at the end of the hall, berating herself for her decisions. She ignored the worried pleas around the room and continued to think about Mrs. Sinha’s words. She’d continued rejecting this alliance because she knew she didn’t deserve the entirety of this.
She knew sham marriages always had a consequence – a consequence so bitter and painful, but she’d never imagined facing them before the engagement, even. What did the entire society think of her? She’d always tried ignoring the voices from the society, but she cared so damn much about people’s opinion. She knew a tarnished image in the society never helped someone.
Ragini: Riddhima, stop it now. For how long do you want to stay quiet and bother all of us?
Riddhima: Please leave me alone for a while, Di. I don’t want to talk to anyone.
“Can I talk to you?”
Riddhima looked up, staring into the distance at Ishani. Her voice was so soft, almost seeming convincing. Riddhima gulped visibly and looked down at the lavender of her suit again. Why did Ishani Raisinghania want to talk to her? Ishani had hated her thoroughly over the past few months and Riddhima had never envisioned that to change in the coming days.
Ishani: Aunty, Can I please talk to her for a few minutes? We can continue with the engagement post that, I assure you.
Payal nodded and as everyone began walking outside the room, Ishani looked at Riddhima and slowly walked toward her, a feeling of empathy coursing within her. She sat before her and held her silence for a few minutes, before clearing her throat and drawing simple patterns on the silk of the bedsheet.
Ishani: Riddhima, I know I’ve been extremely mean to you in the past few days and acted like a complete snobbish kid, but…
Riddhima (in a croaked voice; interrupting): I’m not marrying Vansh for the money.
Ishani (slowly holding her hand and shushing her): I know. You don’t have to clarify it to me or anyone else. (shifting closer) Why does some random person’s opinion matter so much to you when you know the truth yourself?
Riddhima: People’s opinion has always mattered to me. I can’t act like I’m carefree about all of this just because I’m getting engaged to Vansh. We don’t hold the mightiness in the society like you guys do, so it might be very easy for you guys to say that you don’t care, but in a middle-class household, you’re bound to care.
She looked up at Riddhima and stared at her, beginning to feel a little agitated at her words. Did she think their household didn’t face any problems in the society? Sure, the problems differed largely, but everyone had problems of their own. She breathed in deeply and shook her head, trying to maintain her calm and composure.
Ishani (softly): In that case, if I’ve to look at it from your perspective, then you’re going to be a Raisinghania too. You must get yourself accustomed to the fact that people will talk about you, you’ve to stand-up for yourself. No one’s going to be there to defend you all the time.
Riddhima: I know. In fact, if I can’t defend myself, I can see the way people jump into tarnishing my image.
Ishani (sighing): I don’t expect you to know what happened back there, but Mrs. Sinha has been taken care of. She’d never dare say a word against you anymore. And sorry, I jumped into the scene like that, but I just felt that you didn’t want to stand-up for yourself.
Riddhima (slightly shaken): What did you tell Mrs. Sinha?
Ishani: I asked her to pay bills for her stay here before she left tonight.
Riddhima looked up at Ishani, her eyes widening in surprise. No one besides her mother and sister had ever stood up for her in the public in her defence. She continued looking at Ishani, a wave of guilt beginning to flood within her. She’d misunderstood the entire family, just because of their son.
Riddhima (chuckling softly): Thank you. No one besides my family has ever stood up for me before.
Ishani (smiling): We’re going to be a family too. (after a short pause) I don’t know you very well and I’m not going to get into whose fault it is, but you’ve always, always stood-up for yourself. I’ve seen you stand-up for yourself even with Vansh, then why didn’t you defend yourself today?
Riddhima (falling silent): I can’t be correcting everyone if my image in the society itself is tarnished. I can’t count the number of people who think so wrongly of me.
“I’d like to have a list, Ms. Goenka. I shall see who has the audacity to insult my family.”
Ishani looked up at the doorstep while Riddhima craned her neck over the shoulder to see Vansh. She knew it was him – she’d gotten so familiar with his voice. However, just a look at that authoritative, yet calm face relaxed her unknowingly. Why though, she didn’t know.
Ishani (chuckling): Ms. Goenka? Did the two of you fight again? For God’s sake, you guys are getting engaged today.
Riddhima (standing up hurriedly): Reminds me, we must get back. The engagement should be wrapped up at the earliest.
As Riddhima hurried toward the room to exit, Vansh wrapped his fingers around her elbow and she looked at him, her brows furrowing in agitation. She’d clearly told him to stay away from her. She didn’t wish to talk to him.
Vansh: Ishani, give us a minute.
Ishani nodded her head and quickly walked out of the room, smiling at Riddhima reassuringly before leaving. As her retreating figure disappeared from sight, Vansh loosened his hold on Riddhima and shut the door before Riddhima could leave. With his back pressed against the door, he looked at Riddhima – his breath almost falling on her skin.
As she tried moving away from him, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. He lifted her from the floor, her footwear quickly slipping out of her grasp as he stood her on top of his feet. She looked at him, the rage within her reddening her nose and he swore, he’d almost laughed at that.
Riddhima: LEAVE ME!
Vansh: Not before you listen to me. We’ve a lot to talk and discuss before the engagement. I need to clarify a few things.
Riddhima: If I’ve asked you to stay away from me, there’s a reason for that. That also leaves no room for discussion.
Vansh (in a threatening tone): You know I can still cancel this engagement, right? Just think of what people will think of you then. Think about your mother and sister, Riddhima.
Riddhima pressed her lips into a grim line and freed herself from his hold, almost pushing him further against the door. She heard him growl in pain and a wave of satisfaction coursed within her, as she moved away from him and looked at him directly in the eye.
Riddhima: Show me, Mr. Raisinghania. Let me also see what the people of the society can think of me. (screaming) F*CK*NG SHOW ME!
Vansh: Don’t challenge me. You don’t know what I can…
Riddhima (smirking; in a challenging tone): I very well do. You know what, Mr. Raisinghania? You will never cancel this engagement, because even you know very well, that this engagement decides the future of your sister’s marital life. (chuckling evilly) You’re the one who needs this engagement, not ME.
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So, that’d be it for this episode. This also gets me wondering, why I haven’t written Riddhima throwing challenges at Vansh before. Also, I know you guys were awaiting the engagement in this episode, but I just wanted to bridge the gap between Riddhima and Ishani, even though it’s not going to be as smooth in the future. But this episode is mainly because I never wanted to portray Ishani in a negative shade. Her character is meant to add depth to the story, and I can’t wait to write about how her character would evolve; I hope you guys like it too.
Anyhow, let me know your thoughts on this episode and any possible additions can always be mentioned in the comments. Thank you for reading!
P.S.: RiAnsh will patch-up real soon.