Manjari
Abhi will never admit his feelings openly...
But I know him, I'm his mother.
I've seen the way he looks at Akshara.
I know the look on his face yesterday when Akshara was unconscious wasn't just his concern for a patient... it was the look that he gets on his face when I'm unwell.
He really likes her . I will make him admit it and I know just the way to do it!
xx
Abhimanyu
"Hello, maa" Abhi says as he picks up the call.
"How's that kid, beta?" She asks with a voice full of concern.
"He's better maa...he's under observation."
"Did you eat anything, Abhi?" Manjari asks.
"Not yet, Maa...but don't worry, I will"
"How can I not worry Abhi? It's almost evening! You haven't eaten anything since morning. *
*Manjari is suddenly reminded of her plan*
"You know, I really think I need to get a bahu now... because only she can make you eat on time!
By the way, this reminds me... Mrs. Jha told me about her daughter yesterday. Jhanvi. She's a really nice girl and I think you should meet her once" Manjari says as she tries to hide the smile in her voice.
"Maa! Not again, please. I've told you so many times... DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS MARRIAGE THING AGAIN!"
*Manjari holds her head as her plan backfires*
"Okay beta, but just eat something for now."
"Okay maa, bye."
xx
Akshara
*Akshara walks back to her car and tries to control her tears...but they come streaming down her face*
"Maa! Not again, please. I've told you so many times... DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS MARRIAGE THING AGAIN!"
*Abhi's voice echoes in her ears as she finds it hard to believe that she was going to confess her love to someone who doesn't even believe in all these things...
She had almost knocked on his cabin's door when she heard him talk to his mother...*
But....but all those times when he-
The way he looked at me...
And his concern for me when I was hurt yesterday...
Oh God, help me please.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know if what I feel for Abhi is love.
I don't know if he feels anything at all for me.
But what I do know is that I do not feel anything for Nikhil.
And that I will NOT marry him.
xx
*As Akshara was walking back into the Goenka villa, she ran into Nikhil in the garden and her phone fell down.
As Nikhil bent down and picked it up, he noticed her legs shaking*
"Akshu...I'm sorry if I made you nervous... I didn't mean to....
I should have talked to you first...I'm such an idiot. You don't have to say a YES if you don't want to. I can understand it happened all of a sudden. I'm really an idiot...and I will understand if you say No.
Why would you want to marry me? In fact, why would any girl want to marry me?" He laughs bitterly.
"But I truly meant it when I said I like you a lot and that's why my parents brought our marriage proposal to your family-"
"Umm...don't say that Nikhil. You're a really good person and any girl will be lucky to marry you"
I need to talk to Kairav bhaiyya first before I tell Nikhil about my decision to not marry him, she thought.
"But I need some time to think because like you said, everything happened so suddenly..."
"I totally understand" Nikhil says as he smiles and hands her the phone that he had picked up.
xx
Abhimanyu
*Abhimanyu had been in a jittery state since Manjari told him about some new girl's proposal.
He never wanted to marry but now that he did, it would be only to Akshara...
As he was taking a round of the general ward, a nurse came up to him*
"Sir, can you give this back to Miss Akshara? She dropped it when she came here to meet you some time ago" she said as he handed him a ring.
"Akshara? She came here? When?" Abhi asked, surprised.
"Sir, she came not long ago and told me she was looking for you...I directed her towards your cabin and then I went back to my duty."
*Abhi nods and mutters a thankyou as the nurse goes away*
Akshara was here to meet me?
Then why didn't she?
Is everything okay?
Let me call her.
*Abhi dials her number which he got from Neil's phone and as soon as the call gets picked up...he almost says hell-
when he hears Nikhil's voice on the other end-
"But I truly meant it when I said I like you a lot and that's why my parents brought our marriage proposal to your family-"
*Abhi's blood boils as he thinks of Nikhil proposing to Akshara, his Akshara.
But before he could react, the next words he hears break his heart into a million tiny pieces.
"Umm...don't say that Nikhil. You're a really good person and any girl will be lucky to marry you."
The line goes blank.
*It was his Akshara's voice...her calm, soothing voice that he could recognise anywhere. He cannot believe his ears...He cannot believe his Akshara is marrying someone else.
He loses his balance and hold on to the nearby door. Then he walks to his cabin with forced, heavy steps while the conversation replays in his head.
I must have heard something wrong.
There's clearly some misunderstanding...
I know we haven't talked about our feelings yet but those emotions that I saw in her eyes...that cannot be--
This cannot happen. It cannot-
*Suddenly his phone rings and if it had been anybody else, he would have ignored it but it was Manjari*
"Hello Maa"
"Abhi beta, where are you? Anisha is waiting for you since so many hours. When will you come? She has to go back...Kairav, Akshara, Nikhil...they're waiting for her, she has to go out for dinner with them. Come fast." Manjari drops the call.
So, it's true then.
Nikhil proposed to Akshara and she said yes.
They're going out to celebrate.
My Aksha-- no, she isn't my Akshara anymore. She probably never was.
*Abhimanyu smashes his phone into the wall and breaks down. He falls to his knees and tears roll down his eyes.
As he closes his eyes, only one image comes to his mind.
Akshara.*
Author's note: Your constant support, comments and feedback are truly helping me write faster and better, so thankyou. Please keep the love flowing :")
Annndd, a big big twist is on the way. Any guesses? ;)