After the mahendi incident, Akshara didn't even dared to show up to him, his eyes just wanted to see her, to see if she was okay or not. The entire day he just waited for her to appear in any of games or just along with her other family members, but she didn't gave him this chance. Kairav understood this situation and was not ready to see his sister suffer even a bit more now, she already had enough for today, hence, he put up this entire fake excuse that she wasn't feeling quite well as she was tired by making arrangements for the marriage and it would be better if she could just rest today.
The next day arrived, it was the day of haldi and sangeet. He stood there stiff waiting for her to show up, his patience level was done by now, he was determined if she will not come to the function then he'll drag her here once again, just the way he did on the day of engagement.
Well, he really didn't had to do that, as she made her appearance very clear, he kept looking at her walking down the stairs, her eyes were puffy as if she was not been able to sleep even for five minutes, she was also looking weak , he knew she wasn't eating properly from past few days as he heard her siblings complain how she is neglecting her diet with the excuses of marriage preparation and how she really don't get time to eat.
How could she eat? She didn't feel any hunger, infact it was this situation that was eating her up, but who was to put at blame, she herself had landed her in this situation.
"Wow di, kitna jayada gehra aaya hai aapki mahendi ka rang, this is the darkest shade of brown I have ever seen of someone's mahendi.", exclaimed Nishta by grabbing Akshara's palm.
This left an awkward silence in the air as everyone got the glimpse of everything that happened yesterday.
Although, this moment was sweeped out by Manjari as she instructed everyone to grab their seats, so that they can start the haldi ceremony.
"Abhi, beta yaha baith, pahle tujhe haldi lagegi aur fir teri lagi hui haldi dulhan ko lagegi.", said the over-exicited Mother.
"Ji maa.", said this obedient son.
Everyone applied haldi to their beloved Abhi with grace.
"Neil, ye lo, ye haldi ka katora jakar ladki walo ko dedo taki vo log bhi haldi ki rashm kar le.", instructed Mahima.
Neil grabbed the bowl and started walking while talking on a phone call, only to bump into Akshara who also was coming from the opposite direction lost in her own thoughts to ask about the haldi for Aarohi.
The bowl landed on Akshara, from head to toe she was drizzled in the colour of his haldi. Abhimanyu saw her and kept smiling mischievously.
"I am so sorry Akshara, I literally didn't saw you.", said Neil happy with the outcome of his mistake.
The crash of bowl had brought in the attention of everyone already.
"Chamgadar kahi ke, din me dikhayi nahi deta hai kya tumhe.", exclaimed the Chipkali.
Before she could brust her anger on her sister, Kairav came to rescue her.
"Koi baat nahi Akshu, galti se gir gaya, tu ja change karle, haldi toh dusri gol lenge hum Aaru ke liye.", said the brother to comfort his sister.
She left to change her outfit.
Some of the haldi had also entered her eyes making her unable to look properly while walking mindlessly near the pool. She lost her balance and was about to land in water, but was grabbed firmly to safeguard her.
"Dekh kar to chalna aata hi nahi hai tumhe, bus girna hai, padna hai.", came from the mouth of our protective hero.
Before she could say anything, he grabbed her palm,
"Cheel liya na pura hath uss bracelet se, dekha tha maine, itna choob raha tha mera Naam tumhe tumhari hatheli par, inta bura hai mera Naam, itna bura ki tumhre hath par sajna tak deserve nahi karta hai."
His pain was brusting in her chest.
"Meri hatheli deserve nahi karti hai tumhara Naam Abhimanyu.", said she leaving him speechless.
"Apne aas pass dekho Abhi, apni family ko dekho kitne khush hai vo sab, apni maa ko dekho kitni khush hai vo."
"Kya mai khush hu? Kya tum khush ho?"
These questions made her face the reality but her tyaag mode was still on,
"Meri khushi mere pariwar ki khushi me hi hai."
"Aur meri khushi, meri khushi ka kya Akshara, meri khushi ki koi parwah nahi haina tumhe."
"Hai parwah Abhi, hai.", said she in one breathe.
"Mai tumhe samjhaogi bhi na tab bhi tum nahi samaj paoge.", she added in her justification.
"Toh samjhao mujhe, mai hu samajhne ko tyaar.", he said by grabbing her.
"Inn saari baato ka ab koi matlab nahi banta h Abhimanyu, kal shadi hai tumhari, mat karo ye sab"
He had enough by now, he pushed her against a pillar and caged her with his arms.
"Kya kar raha hu mai, batao na kya kar raha hu mai. Ye mahendi ka rang dekh rahi ho, ye mere pyaar ka rang hai, iski gehrayi me jhako", he was back to his mad tone.
"Abhiiiii, please, please durr hato, Aaru ne dekh liya toh bahot tamasha ho jaayega.", she pleaded.
He looked at her, she was beyond terrified, looking at all directions, praying to god that her sister don't get to see them together.
He moved back, freeing her as she ran towards her room.
"Why particularly Aarohi? She could have said, koi dekh lega, why is she so scared of just her sister.", he asked to himself in mind.
The evening had arrived in no time, Reem, the wedding planner had planned to showcase few pictures and videos of the groom and bride with the help of the projector.
"Saare pictures and videos ek jagah toh kar diye hai maine jaisa ki Reem ne kaha tha, ek toh laptop itna slow kyu hai pata nahi, lagta hai hospital ko koi spare laptop hai.", Vansh murmered to himself.
By mistake he clicked on the delete button in hurry,
"Oh shit! Ye delete kaise ho gaya video section, koi nahi recycle bin se restore kar leta hu. Bus itni hi toh videos hai bin me, saari aaj wali hi hogi, restore kar leta hu.", Vansh corrected his mistake and did more than he was required to do by restoring the video of camp deleted by Harshvardhan Birla.
"Guys, girls, uncles aur aunties, please grab your seats, kucch special plan kiya hai aaj shaam humne, dulha aur dulhan ke liye.", informed Reem.
The projector started, it was displaying the childhood pictures of Abhimanyu and Aarohi, everyone was adoring how cute these babies were looking. But they all got freezed when the next picture showed up, it was of Akshara sitting next to Abhimanyu after saving him from the fire. The next enter clicked and the video started, how this teeny-tiny woman was dragging this huge and well built man with every strength she had in her body, how Aarohi entered the frame and made her sister walk out of the frame, all the eyes were widened with shock while for Abhi it felt like a piece of land had slipped from below his feet. He knew somewhere his feeling was right, she was there for him, infact it was him who left her in that state there.
They all were trying to digest this new information when Akshra grabbed the remote and switched off the projector, and the very next moment a slap landed across her face, making her loose her balance, but before she could fall was held by the stiff arms of her beloved.
"Aarohi! Himmat kaise hui tumhari.", roared our angry hero.
"Tune, tune kiya hai na ye sab kucch, teri chal haina ye, bardasht nahi hoti haina tujhse meri khushiya, cheen liya na aakhir tune firse mera sapna.", declared the furiously Aarohi by pointing her finger towards Akshu.
"Ye pictures toh maine scan ki thi, ek ek picture dekh kar toh nahi scan ki thi.", Reem said.
"Aur ye video, ye video toh iss laptop se restore ki maine, bina dekhe, pahle se hi thi ye video iss laptop me.", said Vansh to protect her sister from any more allegations.
"Kaise reh gayi ye video, aapne toh mere Saamne delete ki thi na.", Aarohi stood right infront of Harshvardhan Birla.
"Haan bhai lekin mujhe kya pata tha ki ye recycle bin me store ho jaayegi upar se ye laptop yaha aa jaayega mujhe koi idea nahi tha.", Abhi's Sir said in an irritated voice.
If looks could kill then Abhi's look was enough,
"Sir! Aapko toh mai baad me dekhuga.", said Abhi with clenched jaw.
"Aaru trust me Aaru, trust me, maine kucch nahi kiya hai.", man this girl was trembling with the fear to loose her sister again.
"Trust you? I just hate you Akshara Goenka, I just hate you.", said the mean girl before exiting the venue.
Our chotu sherni had enough, she just needed to let it all out, she broke down on the floor and was held by her tadpole.
"Roo le aaj tu, roo le, aaj nahi rokuga tujhe, aaj chup-chup kar nahi rooyegi tu.", said the dear brother sitting next to her and filling her in his arms.
"Samjhaya tha maine Akshu tujhe, samjhaya tha na, jis rishte ko tu jhoot par jodne ja rahi thi, kaise tikta vo rishta, sacch toh Saamne aana hi tha.", he continued while hugging her even tighter.
"Kyuuuuu, kyu bhaiya kyu, sab kucch theek karne jaati hu aur, aur bigad kar rakh deti hu, sab khatam ho gya meri wajah se, sab kucch, Aaru....Aaru kabhi mujhse baat nahi karegi bhaiya, kabhi nahi, mumma ko diya hua promise bhi todd diya na maine, aap.....aap firse mujhe Pune bhej doge na, sabse durr bhej doge na, nahi jaana mujhe, please nahi jaana.", said she by lashing her palm on the ground again and again.
"Nahi bhejuga, kabhi nahi bhejuga, khud se durr kabhi nahi jaane dunga tujhe.", the broken brother was trying really hard to console his chotu while controlling his own tears.
He was standing there looking at her so miserable and vulnerable at the same, he really didn't knew how to react right now.
He just isolated himself in a corner,
"Think Abhi, think, that day at the camp and that night you were unconscious but your ears were open, your mind was still active, try to sneak-in your subconscious brain."
He was a master of meditation, he knew he was having the capability to do so, he closed his eyes to gain this wisdom.
"Abhimanyu kaha ho tum."
"Mera Dil, sirf tumhare liye dhadakta hai mera ye dil."
"I love you Abhimanyu, I love you, tum sun rahe ho na."
"Usse lagta hai ki maine usse uski sabse pyaari cheez cheen li toh ab mai usse apni sabse pyaari cheez dekar wapas paa lungi."
"Uss din bhi toh tum aag me khud gaye the, maine bachaya tha, pata hai tumko kitna darr gayi thi mai."
"Han aur nahi toh kya, tumse pyaar hai tabhi toh."
"I love you, I love you Abhi."
All of these voices were very clear in his mind right now, these all were not his hallucinations but were the exact reality. He stood there still for a few minutes, but soon was brought out his illusions by hearing the panicking voice of Kairav,
"Akshu, saans le Akshu, aankhein khuli rakh."
"Aap sab durr rahiye filhaal, usse aur suffocation hone lagegi warna.", directed doctor sahab by hurriedly sitting next to her and continuing,
"Akshu, Akshu, try to sing, kosish karo."
"Nahi, nahi hoga mujhse.", she was already giving up, she even placed her palms tightly on her ears to block any song, every song reminded her of him, his broken heart, her injustice done to him.
All the other elderly Goenkas stood there, questioning themselves of how they failed to protect their precious child, the last remembrance of their Kaira.
Kairav started loosening his grip on her as Abhi's grip became stronger. Our Kaira's tadpole slid out his phone to play a recording,
"Sweetie, cutie,
Oh my cutie, cutie,
Papa ki princess hai tu,
Tere liye na koi rule,
Sweetie, cutie,
Oh my beauty, beauty,
Mamma ko tu lage jaise bhi,
Mere liye hai tu sabse cool,
Sweetie, cutie,
Oh my cutie, cutie,
Mamma ki loori na sunna kabhi,
She is too old school,
Sweetie, cutie,
Oh my beauty, beauty."
Her breathe was back to normal and a word escaped from her mouth,
"Papa", in the mildest tone.
"Tujhe ye loori yaad hai Akshu, Papa ki rap loori, duniya ki sabse ajeeb loori hai ye, mumma toh itni irritate ho jaati thi isse ki bolti thi 'Kartik ye baby hai babes nahi', lekin tu, tu toh bus ishi loori ko sun kar hasti thi khil-khilati thi, chup hoti thi, jab tu badi ho gayi tab bhi Papa gaate the iss loori ko aur tu kaise unhe appreciate karti thi, bilkul kisi Rockstar ki tarah.", Kairav said remembering this forever green memories and signaling everyone to leave these two alone for sometime.
She sat there alone in his arms emerging herself in this age-old memories, it felt like it had been ages since she has felt this happiness.
"Look at me, dekho meri taraf.", he said by lifting her chin.
"Nahi Abhi, nahi dekh paaogi mai, I can tolerate this hatred and anger in your eyes but won't be able to see this pity and taras in your eyes for me."
"Aur Pyaar, Pyaar ka kya Akshu, pyaar nahi dikhta hai tumhe meri Aakho mei. Kya vo dard nahi dikhta hai tumhe jo mujhe tumse durr hokar mil raha tha"
She finally lifted her eyelids to look at him in his eyes,
"I am sorry Abhi, I am so sorry."
"Akshu you loved me but you didn't trusted me and that kills me."
"Koi justification nahi de paaogi mai tumhe, par bus ek baar, ek baar khudko meri jagah rakh kar dekho, Neil ko Aaru ki jagah aur mujhe apni jagah, tum batao kya karte tum."
This statement made a lot of things clearer.
They both kept looking at each other, kept drowning in each other's gaze, he wanted to move forward but didn't wanted another no from her. She looped her palm on the back of his neck and pulled him in, he tucked her hair to the back of her ear and creased her face.
He gently placed a kiss on her forehead, then on her eyelids and moved onto her cheeks and finally their lips touched, what started as a soft smooch was now a driving passionate kiss, they both took breaks in between for the gush of air and got back at each other to taste more of each other, to set a new pace.
He swiftly moved away from her lips and bit her earlobe, placed a few kisses on her jawline, in the next step he moved onto her sensitive neck leaving behind the hicky marks.
She ran her fingers through his hair, digged in her fingertips and fisted a bunch of his hair, she moaned slightly,
"Abhiiii.....please don't do this."
His every touch were sending shivers down her spine.
This man on whom girls were ready to throw thir bodies were getting sensations in his nervous system by just her moaning his name.
He stopped and looked at her, her lips were all red and her cheeks were as pink as someone had brushed a tons of blush on her.
He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear,
"I can show you so many more things, if only you allow me."
She got so flustered by this line and buried her head on his chest.
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her.
"Waise one more thing, shadi me mai tumhari maang sindur se bharuga ya fir anghota kaat kar khoon se."
"Hein?", she said looking at him with a shyly smile.
"Kucch nahi bus idhar aao tum.", and hugged her as tightly as he could.
They both sat there hugging each other and feeling each other's heartbeats, they didn't wanted to let go this moment.
She knew a part of him was still mad at her for not trusting him enough to share all these and making them suffer this far, but she was ready to put all the efforts to win him back, to give him hundred times more love in return of the pain she caused him.
They just wanted this moment to freeze and didn't wanted to think about anything else, what will happen after this and not, all these secondary thoughts could take a break right now.
The end.
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A/N:
This was the first story I had ever written, I just hope you people enjoyed it. If you appreciate this story then kindly drop a like for each part, this really would mean a lot to me.
Also any kind of feedback or criticism is more than welcome in the comment, would love to know about you experience.
Xoxo.
:)