AbhiMaan SS : Flames of Fate Chapter 6 Updated - Page 8

So I had read the first two chapters earlier and read the rest today and it has been such a joy to read the entire thing. What I like the most, is that there is the correct amount of description of everything, right from the little domesticity in the beginning, before Abhira's day turned nightmarish, to her turmoil and anguish, to Armaan's confusion and Ruhi's, well, delusion. The writing isn't too racy, nor does it seem prolonged. There's an apt accuracy of characters and their expressions and I absolutely love that, especially as a writer who struggles defining the right amount of description to an overly poetic description, this one skill is something I have high appreciation for. Rest assured, I am intrigued by the direction the plot has caught and the way it has been going so far, I am very excited for the upcoming updates (i hope we get them soon). Thank youuuu so much for writing this🌻

Can someone please tag me on updates pls

Looking forward to your writing! 

Eagerly waiting for an update : )

Update soon 

Chapter - 6

The aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the crisp morning air throughout the dining room, setting the mood for a cosy Sunday breakfast, as the family members took their respective seats, lively chatter buzzing amongst themselves. Abhira and Armaan descended the stairs to take their meal upstairs back to their room. 

Though Abhira outrightly refuted the idea of him sacrificing his weekend meals with the family, she couldn’t stand a chance against Armaan’s stubbornness. It was his way of balancing between the family and her, he told her. The hullabaloo of weekdays hardly provided a break to welcome thoughts other than work. However, it was during the calm of the weekends that the sting of rejection from one’s own family became too apparent. He knew this feeling too intimately, determined to shield her from it as best as he could. They picked a plate each in silence, ready to fill them and get away from the scene when Kaveri commanded, “ruko!” bringing the bustling conversations around the table to an abrupt halt. 

Abhira prayed it to not be another morning spectacle that they had to endure before they even had a chance to take a bite of food, crossing her fingers behind her back. Armaan held his breath for a moment, bracing himself for his grandmother’s next directive. 

“Sit.” Her order cut through the air with authority, leaving no room for disagreement, which sent shock waves through the rest of them. Armaan and Abhira exchanged a wary glance before they complied, taking the vacant adjacent seats with trepidation. 

“From today onwards, you will have your meals with everybody. There’s no need to have your food upstairs.” 

Ruhi almost dropped the scalding tea on her clothes at Kaveri’s proclamation, her attention turned towards Abhira who froze at her words. Armaan’s initial confusion and shock faded into a wide smile as he turned to his wife who was unable to hide the multitude of emotions she experienced. 

The acceptance she craved for so long was finally within her reach. Only, it’ll once again be out of her grasp in a few more months. Abhira’s eyes misted with unshed tears at the acrid realisation. Armaan’s reassuring hand found hers under the table, drawing her to the present. 

“Thank you dadi sa.” She murmured softly, her voice laced with emotions  as she met Kaveri’s gaze. 

Kaveri nodded, her expression softening. “Family should eat together.” She said simply, before turning back to her meal. Abhira felt a lump form in her throat, noting the smiles and nods of approval from the people she loved, as she smiled back at them. Manisha went as far as winking at her in secret, eliciting a chuckle from her. She looked down, filling her plate with slices of sandwich, nibbling one of it from the corner. 

Kaveri watched her family with a content smile before speaking, “Aaj se teen din baad Gangaur hai. Aur hum chahate hain har saal ki tarah is saal bhi badi dhumdham se manaye,” she turned to her daughter and daughters-in-law who nodded, accepting her command with a smile, “free yourselves after lunch, we’ll go shopping for clothes.”

“Gangaur? Gangaur kya hota hai, dadi sa? Koi party hai kya jo har saal host karte hain?” Abhira asked wide eyed, curiosity piqued that made Kaveri shake her head in fond exasperation. “Bataiye na.” 

“Apni bahu ko tum hi batao Vidya.” 

Vidya chuckled, obliging, “party nahi hai Abhira, ek festival hai. Humare yahan ka ek bada tyohar where both unmarried and married women participate. Kunwari ladkiyan ek ache pati ke liye yeh vrat karti hain aur married women for a healthy and happy marriage. Ab samjhi?” 

Abhira’s smile faltered, although she managed to nod, her heart felt heavy with the weight of the reality of their marriage. She was not Armaan’s wife in real sense, only held that title for a year. Besides, Armaan loved Ruhi and they wove dreams of their future together. How can she ever pray for a marriage under such circumstances to last?

Although Armaan sensed the conflict in her mind from the shift in her expressions, he refrained from conversing about it in front of his family. He would wholeheartedly support her even if she didn’t want to fast. After all, nobody would starve themselves and pray for a lifelong of togetherness in a marriage that came with an expiry date, right? The toast turned to gravel in his mouth, at the thought of their relationship coming to an end. 

One after the other, they left the dining hall, tormented by their own demons. Abhira opened her assignment files, in an attempt to distract herself, but her attention was barely there. She saw no point in celebrating Gangaur with Armaan when they wouldn’t stay married after a couple of months. But his family…her relationship with his family transcended beyond their marriage. After nine months of living under the same roof, Kaveri permitted her to sit with them on the table for the first time, addressing her as daughter in law of the house. 

And maa, papa, chacha sa, chachi sa? The chorus gang? All of them wholeheartedly accepted her as one among them. How could she think of hurting their emotions? Abhira shook her head, the fog of confusion clearing in her mind. She would fulfil all the customs and traditions for their happiness, until she was here. Yes! She was sure that would be the most appropriate thing to do. 

Armaan returned to their room after finishing his business call, finding Abhira engrossed in her studies. Watching her made him recollect the discussion during the breakfast and her reaction to it. “Suno,” Armaan addressed her softly, closing the door behind him, “you don’t have to fast on Gangaur. It’ll be very difficult for you to stay hungry for the whole day.” Abhira ignored his ramble with a roll of eyes, choosing to focus on her work.  

“Main tumse baat kar raha hoon, Abhira,” he walked up to her and closed her file, placing his hand over it, miffed at her lack of response, “you don't have to fast for me or for our marriage. Tumse nahi hoga. Yesterday you almost fainted by starving yourself. I’ll handle the family, woh tumhe kuch nahi kahenge.” 

“Firstly, dheere baat karo. Dada ji tum ho, tumhare kaano mein problem honge mere nahi, sunayi deta hai mujhe,” she retorted, slapping away his hand from her belonging, “secondly, fasting or not is my choice, you’re no one to influence my decision. And finally, till I stay in your house, this family is mine too. Mere vrat rakhne se, festival mein part lene se woh khush honge toh I will definitely do that. You cannot stop me from doing what I want, Armaan. Neither are you the headmaster of a school nor am I a student studying under you that you expect me to abide by your words.”  

“Itni zidd achi nahi hai, Abhira. You really don’t have to.” 

“I want to!” She interjected, “tum hote kaun ho mujhe mana karne wale?”

“Your husba–” “Only for three months.” 

“Fine! You’ve decided to do the opposite of whatever I say, isn’t it?” Armaan responded in an equal measure of vexation and resignation at the jibe, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you to not keep the fast if you fall ill. Khyal bhi nahi rakhunga tumhara.”

“Tumhare khyal ki zarurat nahi hai mujhe,” she forced a tight lipped smile, “you mind your own business.”  

Returning to the bed with a grumpy sigh, Armaan immersed himself in his work, the weight of pending cases demanding his attention. His gaze often drifted towards Abhira — her furrowed brows, the subtle pucker of her lips, the flicker of emotions in her eyes, that drew him in. 

What are you doing, Armaan? Woh tere upar gussa hai, karele se bhi kadwi baatein kar rahi hai aur tu usko hi dekh raha raha hai! He shook his head, reprimanding himself for getting distracted. Focus. Show her you can remain unbothered too.

After lunch it was decided that they'll take two cars, one for all the elders and another for the youngsters, giving each party their space and privacy. 

“Abhira, aur kitni der?” Armaan grumbled, watching the door with his back towards the car, annoyed by her delay. 

Ruhi fought her smile as she seized the opportunity to approach the passenger seat, ready to sit, knowing Armaan would drive their vehicle.

“No way,” Krish muttered under his breath, turning to Charu immediately, “distract her. That's Abhira bhabhi’s seat.” 

“It's just a seat.” She shrugged, wondering what was the big deal about it.

“You wouldn't like it if someone else sat beside your boyfriend, would you?” That made her see logic and effectively shut her up. She hurried to Ruhi, pulling her hand just in time before she could open the door, “bhabhi, mujhe aapse kuch discuss karna hai. Come with me na. Yeh lehenga design acha haina, dekhkr bataye.” She pulled out various designs on her phone, showing them to Ruhi, eager to divert her attention. 

“Ha…Haan,” She nodded, reluctantly following Charu’s lead, trying to keep her composure, “yeh acha hai. It'll suit you.”

“Ya phir yeh wala? What do you think about this?” She was joined by Kiara, both of them successfully ensuring her plan failed. 

Abhira hurried outside after locking the main door, looking at Armaan with an apologetic face. “Sorry. I was only double checking. Let's go now.” 

“You're impossible!” He muttered, opening the door for her. Abhira shot him a narrowed glance before fastening the seat belt around her. 

The gang of cousins, relieved that their plan had succeeded, exchanged triumphant glances as they settled into the back seat of the car. Ruhi could only seethe in silence, feeling a surge of frustration and jealousy coursing through her veins, sitting among the cousins. Her gaze darted between Armaan and Abhira, barely concealing the resentfulness within her as she observed their secret glances, exchanged when the other wasn’t looking. 

-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-

I had scheduled to publish this chapter yesterday but few personal works pushed the date to today. I'm so sorry for the delay. Let me know what you think about this chapter. We'll meet again in the next update 

Aaweee, Dadaji is so caring towards his Stationary ki dukaan, in his own way! 

I love the Chorus gang, they are the biggest Abhimaan shippers ever! Kya bewakoof banaya hai Chuhi ko!

And... how adorable is my Pookie bear Abhira asking about what is Ghanghaur? I swear her innocence is so precious! 

Lovely update 

Chorus gang is awesome 

Ruhi ki silently band bje to mza aa jaye

Thanks for the tag sweetie 😘  .. I'll read and review soon as i get time 

Beautifully written