PART - 2:
Abhimanyu leaned against the counter as the helper in the shop wrapped the last of the gifts quickly but with precision. All the while, the shop owner continued to apologize profusely for the delay.
Abhimanyu did not mind waiting and he said so. While the shopkeeper felt that the young doctor was being magnanimous, only the young man knew that it was not the case. He would have given anything to escape from the party which was stifling his senses and making it difficult for him to even breathe properly.
Seeing Akshara around him was painful for him. Their relationship had been excruciating for both of them, but in his case – it was tinged with the ache of her rejection. She had been savage, she had been heartless; she broke his heart into a million pieces – but woe is on him, he still loved her with all those broken pieces of his heart.
What was worse, though his mind accepted her rejection, his heart was not ready to admit it. Somewhere deep down, his sixth sense was not ready to acknowledge her silence as her rejection; neither did her words sound honest to his ears. His soul still connected with her on a deep level and she responded to it.
She was around him continuously – 24*7. She could be found at his home, taking part excitedly in the marriage preparations; she was in the hospital, twanging that guitar, singing songs, smiling and taking care of the patients, and roaming around the hospital in general. Wherever he went, he felt her presence, found her impression – he was sick and tired of it. She was the one who had decided to break the relationship, decided it for both of them and now she was everywhere around him. He hated the effect she had on him, but honest to God, he loved her as well. He loved her with every fiber of his being.
Throwing a look at the helper, Abhimanyu decided that he still had a good half an hour in his hand. The warm interior of the shop suffocated him. With a long sigh, he straightened and walked out of the shop.
The cold air of the December night blasted him the moment he stepped out from the heat of the shop. While the people hurried around him stuffed in the warmth of their winter wear, even the icy cold wind couldn’t soothe his battered and bruised heart. He leaned against the wall of the shop in a relatively secluded corner and banged his head against the stone.
“Kyun Akshu, Kyun? My heart knows you are lying. But why?”
~~~*~~~
Arohi cast a look around the hospital floor looking for the man who was soon going to be her husband. She smiled to herself as she fantasized about her marriage to him. She was the best, he was the best – they would make a perfect power couple. But where was the man who was also the top surgeon of this hospital?
Stopping her in her round, Dr. Mahima Birla stood in front of him.
“Dr. Arohi, where are you lost? I have been calling you for the last 10 minutes.”
“I am sorry, madam. I was just looking for Akshu? Did you want something?” She had zero patience with this woman, she didn’t want to even acknowledge her presence, but Dr. Mahima Birla was not only her senior but also a celebrated doctor. And till the time she achieved her dreams, Arohi knew she had to be in the good books of this woman.
“Your grandfather has sent Akshu on some job. Besides, she is a music therapist; she doesn’t have job rotation as you do. You are on duty tonight. Go for your rounds.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Arohi nodded and left, not seeing the devious smile on Mahima’s face. After all, she had intentionally sent Abhimanyu out of the party. She had the perfect plan in place.
~~~*~~~
Akshara leaned out of the window from the upper floor of the dance academy and breathed in deeply in the cold air of the night. Contrary to others, she loved winter. She had always loved the dry and bitter cold, it reminded her of the bitterness of her own life.
She had hardly been a few months old when her mother Nairahad died. In a way, she had been the unlucky one right from her childhood. She hardly remembered the woman who had given birth to her. In this regard, her brother Kairav had been the lucky ones. He had some precious moments with her, but she had no recollection of it.
Then there was her mother – Sirat. Akshara had truly believed that she was her mother till a phone call had changed her life. Her idyllic world had come crashing down on her in a matter of a few minutes. That Sirat was not her mother was a huge shock, but in hindsight, she now realized that day had paved the way for her broken relationship with her younger sister Arohi.
The minute Arohi had realized that they were half-sisters, her behavior had changed. But with their mother around, it had still been manageable. But with the death of her mother, things had escalated beyond control. For a long time, she had held herself responsible for her mother’s death, but with time and age, she had realized that she was not to be blamed for it. Then why did Arohi not understand it?
Taking in a deep breath, she pulled back and went down to the main hall of the academy where a rousing game of Dumb Charade was being played. A small smile flitted on her face as she watched a young girl enact the movie for the benefit of her teammates. It didn’t take her long to guess the name of the movie – Kaho Na Pyaar Hai.
And the minute she guessed the name of the movie, his windblown face came to her mind. The man who owned her heart and soul, the man who was now the sole reason for her existence, the man who had stolen her heart and held it captive, the man who had declared his love for her in front of the entire world without being scared, the man who only wanted to hear one thing from her –her love declaration.
She felt bad that she had hurt him, had lied to him but perhaps it was for the best. He was now betrothed to her sister and she was better off without him. Sure, it would be painful, but for her – her little sister's happiness mattered more than anything. She would do anything to keep Arohi happy and if it involved giving away Abhimanyu and his love, then so be it. Her sister had always been her priority. She would always remain so.
Wiping away that offending tear rolling down her cheek, she pasted a smile on her face and joined the kids in their game. Little did she know that the time was now ripe for all her lies to come tumbling out.
~~~*~~~
Fan Fictions
2