AbhiMaan SS : Flames of Fate Chapter 8 Updated - Page 9

I am looking forward to Abhiras outburst at Armaan and cutting him off for good now that she knows about Ruhi.

it was beautifully written So Amaan Babu effected by Abhiras ignorance

Loved it

Lovely

Word Count: 1

Fantastic update

Finally Dadi sa allowed Abhira to sit at dining table

Like this Armaan who is supportive of Abhira

And loved the chorus gang planning

Please update soon

Hello guys, hope you all are doing well. Just dropping by to let you know that the next chapter will be slightly delayed because of a family trip I need to take. Cannot give an exact date but it should be up by coming Wednesday.

This was very lighthearted part!! I love that Kaveri is changing for Abhira and I am liking this Armaan also, he wants to be with Abhira!! Even with some inner turmoil, they both seemed like on a same page!! Loving the pace of the story too!! Also the chorus gang was awesome 👏

please update soon

Chapter - 7

Armaan brought the car to a halt in front of their trusted stop. With practised ease, he stepped out and walked around to the passenger seat, opening the door for Abhira before she could even reach for the handle herself. He extended his hand to help her out of the car, which she accepted after a moment of deliberation, earning mischievous smiles from the chorus gang who got down by themselves.

“You all go inside,” He cleared his throat, sending them a glare to diffuse their teasing glances, “I’ll park the car and join you.”

The cold air from the air conditioner provided a welcome respite from the heat outside as they entered the shop. Inside, they found the elders already engaged in conversation with the salespersons, debating over the quality and work on the fabric.

“Kitni der kardi tum logon ne,” Kaveri chided just as soon as they approached, looking disappointed at them for the delay.

“There was an accident on the road, nani sa,” Krish let her know, sounding apologetic, “we had to wait until it got cleared.” She seemed pacified by his explanation, for she didn’t prod them further and gestured to join the rest of the family.

The menfolk decided to leave the women to themselves, opting instead to explore the other sections of the shop and select their outfits for the festival. Abhira and Ruhi were pulled down by Vidya to sit beside her.

Lost. Utterly, miserably lost.

That’s what Abhira felt finding herself in the midst of an ocean of clothes.The endless collection of colourful attires stretched out before her, making it impossible for her to focus on any one thing. Taking a deep breath, she began sifting through the clothing, her fingers trailing over the fabrics that lay in front of her.

She paused her search at an exquisite emerald green lehenga with gilded golden thread work, the fabric shimmering under the store’s lights. The rich, deep green of the fabric mirrored the exact shade of Armaan’s eyes. The realisation startled her and she, without further thinking, dropped it back in its place.

A coral lehenga with intricate pearl work caught her eye. The fabric felt smooth and cool under her touch, making her admire the excellent craftsmanship at display. However, as she flipped the tag, her eyes widened at the price. “Forty thousand?” She mumbled to herself, feeling a wave of anxiety. That was almost three times the stipend she earned in a month. She couldn’t justify spending that much amount of money on a piece of clothing she probably would never wear again.

She continued browsing, her apprehension growing with each price tag she encountered. A lovely pink one with golden zari work – twenty eight thousand rupees. A bright yellow one with heavy embroidery – thirty five thousand rupees. A deep purple floral one – fifty thousand rupees. The numbers were staggering. Abhira looked around, noticing the rest of the family, the nonchalance with which they considered these purchases was staggering to her.

“Beta, did you choose something for yourself?” Vidya approached her with a warm smile, holding a stunning maroon lehenga in her hand that shimmered under the golden lights. Abhira found herself at a loss for words, unable to explain her dilemma. Would they even understand?

Rest of the family assembled where they both stood, each of them having their preferred dresses in their hands ready to bill. “Sabki shopping ho gayi toh bahar chalte hain snacks ke liye.” Madhav stated, looking around for approval.

“Sabki toh ho gayi hai par lagta hai Abhira ko kuch pasand nahi aaya yaha.” Vidya replied on behalf of everybody. “Beta, hum kisi aur shop mein chale if you want?”

Armaan turned to his wife for confirmation, unable to believe she was picky when it came to clothes. “Abhira, is there really nothing here that you like?” He asked, his tone gentle but puzzled.

“It’s not like that…” She protested, looking down.

“Jethani sa, you didn’t understand,” Manisha grinned at the realisation that struck her, ready to tease the couple, “Abhira was hoping her husband would help her but usne toh yaha mudkr bhi nahi dekha. Haina Abhira? Main sab samajh gayi.”

Their gaze lingered on each other for a moment before turning away, in a feeble attempt to conceal the blood rushing to their cheeks, which caused them to turn a deep shade of red.

“Ab dekho, dono sharmane lag gaye.” She teased them further.

“Uh…chachi sa, I think we should not waste time,” Armaan stuttered, looking everywhere but at his own wife, “papa, all of you should proceed. Abhira and I will join you in sometime.”

The family nodded in agreement, chuckling at the couple’s evident embarrassment. As they moved to the billing counter, Ruhi couldn’t help but glance back, feeling a tinge of jealousy watching Armaan hold Abhira’s hand and tug her to a corner, completely vanishing from her view.

“Kuch bologi bhi?” Armaan crossed his arms, standing in front of her, waiting for the past few minutes for her to speak.

“Did you not like the designs? The colours? You know they have the best collection in the city. We can go to their plantation, you can customise…”

“Armaan, it’s…” she exhaled, “the prices are exorbitant. They’re more than I can afford, Armaan. I don’t want to splurge that much money for a meaningless dress that I will not wear more than once.”

“But the occasion is a meaningful one, Abhira.” He pointed out, his expressions softening as he understood her predicament, “it’s an important festival for my family. And you’re also a part of it now.” He quietly reminded her.

“Not for too long. I don’t want to look like I’m taking advantage of their kindness.” She argued.

Armaan sighed at her futile retort, shaking his head in exasperation. “For as long as you’re here, you’re my wife. You’re family. Jo mera hai woh tumhara bhi hai. You’re only demeaning my family’s love and acceptance by speaking such rubbish. For their sake, atleast, stop bringing such thoughts to your mind and buy an appropriate dress. Chalo.”

“Armaan tum…” She shook her head in conflict.

“If you consider this family truly as yours, for as long as you’re with us, then you will heed to my request. Warna main sabko bata dunga, phir unhe bohot bura lagega. Soch lo tum.” He silently observed her battle her internal conflict before giving in to his words, bringing a triumphant smile on his face. He clasped her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckle, “you’ll select what you love and won’t think about the cost. Like a good girl.”

They made their way back and browsed through the clothes. The salespersons, in a bid to not lose the vote of confidence of the Poddar couple, brought many more varieties of colours on display.

“See, this blue one. It looks beautiful.”

“Because that’s your favourite colour, Armaan. I don’t like blue.”

“Purple then? This doesn’t seem bad either.”

“No! I don’t want to match with Ruhi.”

After back and forth discussion and deliberation, Abhira finally settled for one. It was a breathtaking combination of champagne and pink, creating a vision of elegance. The entire skirt was adorned with heavy thread work, intricate patterns weaving together to create swirling flowers. The delicate pink and orange threads created a delightful contrast against the champagne base while the golden ones added a touch of royalty. The blouse was in a striking hot pink with equally heavy embroidery whose sleeves fell an inch or two short of her elbow. The dupatta was soft, lightweight yet equally ethereal, adorning floral patterns in hues of pink and orange along with a heavy zari border.

Armaan grabbed hold of her ensemble before she had the opportunity to change her mind. He led her to the billing counter, his grip firm yet gentle. As the assistant packed it into a box, Armaan handed over his card without any hesitation. The transaction was swift and the assistant handed the box with a respectful nod. They headed out of the shop, the weight of the purchase now in her hands. He quickly made a call to Krish to enquire about their whereabouts, who informed him about the savoury shop two lanes ahead.

“Finally!” Manisha teased, “We thought you both won’t join us, couple time and all.” They smiled awkwardly, sitting beside each other while Krish passed the menu cards to them.

“Ice cream.” Her eyes were stuck on that one delicacy that watered her mouth always.

“Butterscotch ice cream.” She requested.

“Strange, you don’t want your chocolate ice cream too along with it. You mix and eat them, no?” Armaan pulled her leg, whispering in her ears. Abhira elbowed him in his rib, narrowed eyes that indicated him to not oust her secret guilty pleasure of combining the two flavours.

A few dollops of the dessert spread around her lips, trickling down her chin too, as she devoured it, unmindful of the mess. He chuckled, bringing his handkerchief to wipe the stains on her face, the light reflecting on his eyes turned them a shade lighter in amusement.

“Itni badi ho gayi ho phir bhi bacchon jaise hi khana hai.”

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

Who eats butterscotch ice cream along with chocolate ice cream? Your dearest author, of course 🤭. A lil light hearted chapter with Armaan and Abhira of our dreams. What do you think about this? We'll meet in the next chapter