Author’s note : Charu had never been in support to Ruhi in this version. She was a mute participant throughout Armaan and Ruhi’s wedding. She harbored silent avenge for Ruhi.
Part -4
Ruhi paced nervously in their bedroom, her mind racing. The confrontation with the family had left her shaken, and she desperately needed to talk to Armaan. She hoped he would come to her, that they could find some way to face this together. But as the minutes ticked by and he didn’t appear, her anxiety grew.
Armaan, meanwhile, was wandering the hallways of the Poddar house, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. He couldn’t bring himself to face Ruhi, not yet. Instead, he found himself standing in front of Rohith’s old room. The door creaked as he pushed it open, stepping into a space filled with memories.
The room was just as Rohith had left it—neat, orderly, and filled with mementos of happier times. Armaan ran his fingers over the desk, the bookshelf, the framed photographs that adorned the walls. Each item was a reminder of the bond he once shared with his brother, a bond now shattered by his actions.
He sank onto the bed, his head in his hands. Guilt and sorrow washed over him in waves. He remembered the times they spent together—playing cricket in the yard, staying up late to talk about their dreams and fears. How had things gone so wrong?How had he allowed himself to hurt the one person he had always vowed to protect?
"I’ve failed you, Rohith," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I was supposed to be there for you, to guide you, and I ended up betraying your trust. I was so blind, so desperate for approval that I didn’t see the damage I was causing."
Armand's thoughts turned to Abhira. He missed her presence in the house—the way she could light up a room with her smile, her kindness, and her unwavering strength. She had been a source of support for everyone, including him, even when she was suffering silently.
"I should have seen what was happening to you, Abhira," he murmured. "You were always there for us, and we let you down. I let you down."
He remembered the small moments—how she had encouraged him when he felt lost in the absence of Rohith, how she had been there for his cousins when they needed guidance. Abhira had been a pillar of strength, and he had allowed his own weaknesses to overshadow her struggles.
"I miss you, Abhira," he said softly. "I wish I could go back and change things. I wish I had been there for you like you were for us."
Armaan's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked up to see Manisha standing there, concern etched on her face."Armaan, are you okay?" Manisha asked gently.
Armaan nodded, though his eyes were filled with pain. "I’m trying to be, Chachi sa. I’m trying to make sense of everything. I’ve hurt so many people, and I don’t know how to make it right."
Manisha stepped into the room and sat beside Armaan. "It's not going to be easy, Armaan. But acknowledging your mistakes is the first step. We have to start by making amends, by being there for those we’ve hurt."
Armaan sighed, the weight of his guilt heavy on his shoulders. "I just hope it’s not too late. I hope I can find a way to make things right, for Rohith, and for this family."
Manisha placed a reassuring hand on Armaan's shoulder. "We’ll get through this, Armaan. Together. We’ll make things right, one step at a time."
Meanwhile, Ruhi was still waiting in their bedroom, growing increasingly restless. She couldn’t understand why Armaan hadn’t come to her. She needed to see him, to find some way to salvage their relationship. But deep down, she feared that the damage was too great.
As the night wore on, she finally gave up waiting and decided to find him. She walked through the quiet house, her footsteps echoing in the empty halls. When she reached Rohith’s old room, which she had shared with him once upon a time, she saw the light spilling out from under the door and hesitated. Hearing soft murmurs from the room, she sensed some other presence in the room apart from her husband. And she wasn't in a mood to entertain any member of the Poddar clan. Hence, she retreated to the confines of her present room, determined to talk with Armaan first thing in the morning.
The rest of the family was also grappling with the fallout. Madhav felt the weight of his own regrets, his mind replaying the moments he could have acted differently. Vidya struggled with her sense of betrayal, trying to reconcile the love she felt for her son with the pain he had caused.
Kaveri, on the other hand, feared for the family's reputation. Though she was happy that Rohith was fit and fine, something in his demeanor seemed off. He wasn't the sunshine boy of the Poddar family they had known before. Something was amiss. She worried about how this would reflect on their family in society, how the whispers and gossip could tarnish their name. But more than that, she worried about Rohith's changed demeanor and whether he could ever truly recover from this.
As the night deepened, the Poddar house was filled with unspoken fears, regrets, and a glimmer of hope that somehow, they could find a way to heal and rebuild the bonds that had been broken.
Krish parked his car in front of the house, his mind still reeling from the events of the day. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Charu had called him earlier, worried about him and the family, and when she learned he was with Rohith, she insisted he take her to see him. She had always looked up to Rohith, and the news of his return had shaken her deeply.
He stepped out of the car and walked up to her room, knocking gently. A moment later, the door opened, and there stood Charu, her eyes filled with concern.
"Krish ," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Is Rohith bhaiya here? I need to see him."
Krish nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "No, Charu. He's not ready to be back here. I'll take you to him. But we need to be careful."
As they turned to leave, Kajal, their mother, appeared in the hallway. Her face was pale, and she looked at them with a mixture of fear and apprehension.
"Krish, Charu, where are you going?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Krish hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. "Charu wants to see Rohith bhaiya, Ma. I'm taking her to him."
Kajal's eyes widened, and she took a step forward, wringing her hands nervously. "Krish, you know your father and grandmother won't approve of this. If they find out..."
"Why should they find out?" Charu interrupted, her voice firm. "Why should everything we do be dictated by their disapproval? This is Rohith bhaiya we're talking about, Ma. He's family."
Kajal looked at her daughter, her heart aching. She understood Charu's need, but the fear of her husband and mother's disapproval loomed large. She glanced around, as if expecting them to appear at any moment.
"Charu, you don't understand. If they find out, there will be consequences for all of us," Kajal whispered."And what about the consequences of not seeing him?" Charu shot back. "What about the pain we caused by declaring him dead, and marrying off his wife to his divorced brother? I'm not going to stand by and let this happen. I'm going to see him, Ma. You can either support us or stand in our way."
Kajal's eyes filled with tears, torn between her fear and her daughter's determination. She took a deep breath, then nodded slowly. "Go. But be quick. And be careful. If anyone finds out..."
"We will, Ma," Krish assured her. "We'll be careful. Thank you."
______________________________________________________________________________________________
When they arrived at the place, Krish led Charu inside, where they found Rohith sitting quietly in the hotel lobby. As soon as Charu saw him, she rushed forward, tears streaming down her face.
"Rohith bhaiya!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him. "I missed you so much!"
Rohith hugged her back, his own eyes moist. "I missed you too, Charu. I'm sorry for everything."
As they stood there, holding each other, Krish watched them, a sense of hope slowly building within him. Despite the fear and tension, there was also a sense of reunion, of family bonds slowly starting to mend.
Charu pulled away, her face a mix of relief and anger. "Rohith bhaiya, do you have any idea what we've been through? What I've been through? Ever since you left, it's like everything fell apart."
Rohith's expression turned serious, his guilt deepening. "Charu, I... I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."
Charu shook her head, her emotions spilling over. "It's not just about you leaving, bhaiya. It's about everything. Ruhi... she took everything from me. My career, my love. I felt so much anger, so much need for revenge. And then there's Nanisa. We all had to bow down to her, to be submissive, to follow her every command."
She looked at Krish, then back at Rohith, her voice trembling with frustration. "I'm tired of it. I'm tired of living under their shadows, of having to constantly prove myself, of being afraid to speak up."
Rohith listened, his heart heavy with the weight of her words. "Charu, I had no idea it was this bad. I should have been there for you, for all of you. But we can't change the past. What we can do is work together to change the future."
Krish nodded in agreement. "We need to find a way to stand up to them, to bring their egos down. We can't let them control our lives anymore. We have to show them that we are strong, that we can make our own decisions."
Charu's eyes were filled with determination. "But how do we do that? How do we make them see that we're not just pawns in their game?"
Rohith took a deep breath, his mind racing with thoughts of how to protect his family from further harm. He looked at Charu and Krish, seeing the pain and determination in their eyes.
"We need to be strategic about this," Rohith said, his voice steady. "Ruhi's presence has only caused more division and hurt within our family. Since she entered our lives, the rift between Armaan and me has grown wider. I believe the only way to heal and move forward is to remove her from our lives completely."
Charu's eyes widened in surprise, but then she nodded, understanding the gravity of his words. "You're right, Rohith bhaiya. She’s been a source of so much pain. But how do we do it? How do we convince everyone, especially Armaan bhaiya, that this is the right course of action? Armaan bhaiya is already drowning in his guilt of breaking our trust. Would he be able to see through her manipulations at this time?"
Rohith sighed, rubbing his temples. "We need to gather evidence of her manipulations and show it to the family. We need to make them see the truth. And we need to be united when we confront her."
Charu, still angry, added, "Armaan bhaiya never supported me in my love story. He always sided with Ruhi. He should have seen through her earlier!"
Krish, sensing her bitterness, stepped in. "Charu, Armaan bhaiya has been manipulated just like the rest of us. He's not innocent, but he's also not the enemy. He was blinded by his feelings, just as you were blinded by your anger. You have to remember that Abhira was always there for you, and we never stood up for her. She supported you through everything, and we let her down."
Charu's eyes softened slightly at the mention of Abhira. "You're right, Krish. I was so consumed by my own pain and anger that I didn't see the bigger picture. We need to do this for Abhira too. She deserves justice."
Rohith nodded. "Exactly. We need to be united in this. We need to support Armaan and help him see the truth. And we need to stand up to Nanisa and show her that we won't be controlled anymore."
Krish placed a hand on Charu's shoulder. "Together, we can do this. We can bring Ruhi's manipulations to light and start to heal as a family. It's time we take control of our lives."
As they stood there, united in their resolve, a sense of hope began to take root. They knew the road ahead would be challenging, but together, they believed they could overcome the obstacles and bring peace back to their family.
comment:
p_commentcount