KUCH NAYE FEELINGS

15. Acknowledgement

Aarohi's heart raced as she saw Vikrant. The haunting memories of that night flooded back, sending anxiety shivers down her spine. She clenched her fists to control her pain but a mere sight of him triggered her fear and vulnerability. Aarohi is desperately searching for an escape from the haunting presence of her past.
Aarohi bent towards the table beside her, shivering she took her phone and opened the contacts and scrolled all through them. While Vikrant was constantly banging on the door.She found no single contact whom she could call at the moment. Aarohi remembered Neil. He was the only one who could come right now. She took her bag and searched for the small book in which Akshara had written his number and told her to save it on the phone. He was still shouting and banging on the door.
As Aarohi dialled Neil's number and called him, Vikrant broke open the door. Aarohi dropped her phone down when Neil had lifted the call.
Neil, to himself said 'yeh chipkali itni raat ko call kyun kar Rahi hai. Waise toh lambi Bashan deti rehti hai jab bhi main iski day off pe subah jaldi utha du toh. Ise nahi pata ki Banda so Raha hoga subah baat kar lu'
Neil lifted the call and said "kya chipkali itni jaldi yaad aagayi meri abhi toh gayi thi upar aadhe ghante pehle." When he heard her screaming and begging someone to leave her.
Aarohi-"please mere paas mat aao mujhe akele chor do please chale jao yaha se. Please. Please" and she screamed as he slapped her.
Neil was already on the stairs running up to her apartment. He, with his sane mind, started break opening the door not wasting his time in knocking and asking them to open. All the while she was screaming.
Vikrant-"aye chilla mat. Pata nahi itne saal Mai tujhse door kaise raha. Tumhe shaadi main dekh ne ke baad bhi. Mai bohot great hu na. Lekin ab nahi main tere liye yeh greatness ko sacrifice kar Raha hun. Ab door nahi Rahi ga." He said and started moving towards her.
Aarohi begging him, was moving a step back each time he was moving a step towards her. Aarohi fell down and he was now hitting her.
Sumati Anjali and Anurag came out as they heard the noise.
Sumati-"Neil kya hua darwaza tod kyu rahe ho Aarohi ko kya hua?"
Neil-"Aarohi is in danger. Jaldi police ko call kijiye."
The door finally broke and Neil went in. When he opened the door of Aarohi's room, the sight in front of him shoked him to the core.
Neil-"Vikrant... Vikrant Mehrotra"
Vikrant saw him and pushed Aarohi while he was trying to run.
Neil went in and made Aarohi stand back up. Anurag caught Vikrant just when the police arrived and arrested him.
Sumati was with Nihara as Anjali and Anurag went with the police. Neil was with Aarohi.
Anxiety shivers were long gone. Aarohi was now a crying mess.
Neil-"Aarohi it's okay."
Aarohi-"bura sapna ek baar phir hakeekat ban gaya."
Neil-"phir se nahi banega. Woh police ke custody Mai hai."
The house with all the things dropped here and there due to the chaos was now silent. This silence was killing Neil but he did not have the courage to ask her anything. She panicked each time she saw Vikrant or heard his name. In the wedding and in the cafe. A lot of calls of him before Aarohi attempted suicide. All of these made sense now for Neil. As she sat in the dimly lit room, memories rushed in like a storm, each carrying the weight of her pain. The walls she built around her emotions began to crumble. The flood of suppressed memories broke and the truth she buried deep within herself surfaced. Her haunting past overwhelmed her. The room was loud with the silence of realisation, as the truth she hid even from her own thoughts, unfolded like a long hidden letter. The trauma which was hidden behind layers of denial and strength, now stood bare, demanding acknowledgement. Neil sat beside her and passed her the glass of water. They were staring blankly.

Aarohi who has now stopped crying, spoke as she caught Neil's attention.

"Main khud ko bachane ke liye kyun nahi khadi ho sakti? Kyun nahi rok sakti us jaanvar ko jisne mujhe itna dard diya? Kahin na kahin mujhe dar hai. Ki ise yeh sab karne se rokne ke liye mujhe aur bhi badi keemat jhukani padegi. Mai akeli hun aur shayad yeh mujhe aur akela kar dega." Said Aarohi with breaks in her voice.
Neil was able to hear her pain and fear. The fear of being lonely.
As he witnessed her silent struggle, he felt a pang of empathy for the turmoil she was enduring. The realisation of her trauma cast a shadow on the unspoken affection he harboured for her. His heart ached with a desire to protect her from the pain she has been bearing alone for so long.
In that moment, he found himself hanging between wanting to be the solace she needed and respecting the fragile balance of her journey. The revelation of her trauma became a bridge connecting their hearts. He is beside her, silently giving her support, aware that her healing would be a journey only she could navigate.

That is it for today's chapter. Do comment how it was and do vote.