Yun Hi Tu Mere Saath Rehna - An Abhimaan x Mishbir Fanfic (C29 : P16) - Page 15

Nice parts read both today great going

I have stopped watching this show but only come to forum for this FF. And I love it.

(Before we start this chapter, some Mishti lore for people who have not watched YRHPK or the previous generations of YRKKH :

Mishti's grandmother was the second wife of Naira's grandfather. Her parents didn't have a good marriage and her mom left them for another man. Her father got greedy and tried to kill Naitik. He was unsuccessful of course, but was arrested for attempted murder. After that happened, Mishti's grandmother asked Rajshri Maheshwari, aka Akshara's mother, to take Mishti with her because looking at Mishti reminded her of her son's betrayal. Before being forced to leave the house, Mishti had been the beloved child of the house and she was everyone's favourite. She was pampered a lot by Akshara, who raised her more than her own parents did, and she was very close to her step-cousins : Naksh, Naira, and Gayu. In fact, she played cupid for Naira and Kartik and got them together. She had a very special relationship with Kartik as well.

However, after moving in with the Maheshwaris, the Singhanias cut off all contact and Mishti started suffering from panic attacks. Apart from Rajshri & Vishambhar, who loved her as much as they loved Akshara, none of the other Maheshwaris ever wholly accepted her as a part of the family and always reminded her that they'd done a huge favour on her by letting her be a part of their family.

She then met Abir, fell in love with him, and got married to him after a lot of trials and tribulations, as expected of any itv heroine. But, in all the time that YRHPK was on air, we only ever saw the Singhanias 3 times that I can recall, and Mishti always held a grudge against them for abandoning her the way they had.)

Chapter Twenty Five

Krish Singhania sighed in contentment as he sipped his green tea. Surrounded by his family as they all regaled their days, laughing and joking, he finally shed the burdens of the day and basked in their presence. There really was no place like home.

Moving back to Udaipur after spending years in Cape Town had not been an easy decision, but he was glad he did. His parents had resisted at first, too many sad memories surrounding the city they'd once called home, but had eventually given in to his repeated pleas, and Krish was happy.

He had not wanted his own daughter to be raised the way he had. Yes, his parents had spared no expense in making sure that he had a happy childhood away from the trauma that surrounded their family, but Cape Town had never felt home like the Singhania Mansion had. He constantly missed his cousins, his aunts, and his uncles. He missed having a home filled with family and the brightness of their love & support. Which is why, when his little girl had been born, he had made the decision to come back home.

His daughter was now married with a child of her own, but Krish's own home was still filled with the warmth of family. Most of the Singhania clan had moved out of their ancestral home by the time Krish came back, for more lucrative prospects or to escape their own demons, but a few still remained. And of course, he had his parents and his lovely wife, Radhika. Life was good for him.

The shrill ring of his phone broke his musings, and halted all chatter around him. “Itni raat ko kiska phone hai?” Radhika asked. “All good?”

Krish glanced at his phone and did a double take on seeing Mishti's name flash across it. He immediately picked up the phone, fumbling a little, but managed to answer nonetheless. “Bua,” he breathed into the receiver, his heart beating a million miles a minute.

Mishti had always had a special place in his heart. Even though he had spent most of his life away from her, and they'd hardly met a handful of times in his entire life, she was still his aunt. His father always talked so fondly of his little Mishtu, and Krish had taken his cues from there, loving her just as his father did.

“Krishi,” her voice echoed from the other end. “Kaise ho?”

“Main theek hoon,” Krish replied. “Aap kaise ho? Wahaan Rajkot mein sab theek haina? Aapne itni raat ko phone kiya? Kuch problem ho gayi hai kya? Ghar mein sab sahi haina?”

Mishti laughed at that, his endless barrage of questions. He was so worried. She found it cute. She'd been so hesitant as she'd dialled the number, her hands shaking. It was only Abir's presence beside her, his arms around her providing her strength that gave her the courage to do this. Now, she felt stupid. Yes, she had a lot of issues with Naksh, but that was not Krish's fault. He was her nephew. Her family.

“Sab theek hai, Krish,” she assured him. “But mujhe teri help chahiye.”

“Aap boliye na! Main kya kar sakta hoon aapke liye?” Krish asked.

“Ek address message kar rahi hoon tujhe. Kal subah wahaan aake mujhse mil sakta hai? Please?” Mishti requested. “It's really important, warna main tujhe kabhi disturb nahi karti.”

“Bua, yeh aap kaisi baatein kar rahe ho?” Krish protested. “Aap mujhe bilkul disturb nahi kar rahe. Aap bas mujhe address bhejiye. Main kal subah 9 baje pohonch jaunga. Okay?”

“Thank you, Krishi,” Mishti replied. “But, please… Tu akela hi aana. Aur kisi ko mat lana.”

Krish's shoulders fell at the request. He understood what she was saying without saying the words. She didn't want his father there. Krish understood her woes and had he been in her place, he might have done the same, yet it hurt him. His father was the best man he knew, and to see him hurting like this, yearning for his sister, hurt Krish. Yes, Naksh had mistakes, especially where Mishti was concerned. But it was a lifetime ago. Mishti was now the matriarch of her own home with grandkids who were older than she had been when she'd moved in with the Maheshwaris. Old wounds never truly healed, he supposed.

“Okay, Bua,” he assured. “Main akele hi aaunga.”

“Thank you,” Mishti breathed. “Thank you so much. I'll see you tomorrow?”

“Bright and early,” Krish vowed. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Mishti wished before hanging up.

“Krish! Kya hua? Mishtu ka phone tha?” Naksh asked the moment he had hung up. “Is she okay?”

“Haan, Papa,” Krish answered. “Bua ka phone tha. She's okay, but unhone kal milne bulaya hai. I don't know why, but she said it's urgent. Kaafi tensed lag rahi thi. Shayad kuch problem hai.”

To Radhika, he said, “Main dekhta hoon, Rajkot ki pehli flight se hi nikal jaunga. And I don't know when I'll be back.”

“It's okay,” his wife assured. “Bua needs you. Itne saalon mein pehli baar unhone kuch maanga hai. You have to be there for her.”

“Main bhi chalta hoon,” Naksh stated, standing up.

“Nahi, Papa,” Krish denied. “Bua ne specifically kaha hai ki main akele aau. Aap yahin rahiye. Main aapko sab updates deta rahunga.”

Naksh sat back on the couch with a thud. “Ab bhi naraaz hai mujhse. Itne saalon baad bhi. Pata nahi mujhe kabhi maaf karegi bhi ya nahi. Waise maine kaam hi aisa kiya hai jiski koi maafi nahi hai.

Krish, beta… Tu jaa. Abhi nikal. And don't come back till everything is sorted. Yahaan ki koi tension mat lena. Sab manage ho jaayega. Mishtu is our top priority now.”

“Haan, Papa,” Krish agreed. “Main sab settle karke hi waapas aaunga. I promise.”

Just then, his phone buzzed with a message from Mishti. He hastily opened it, surprised to see an Udaipur address. “Bua, yahaan Udaipur main hai,” he informed the family. “Unhone kal Crescent Road pe milne bulaya hai.”

“Itne kareeb?” Naksh whispered, heartbroken. “Kabse? Humein pata bhi nahi chala. She's been so close. Maine hi dhyaan nahi diya.”

“Lekin, ab toh mauka haina!” Keerti tried to cheer him up. “Aaj Mishtu ne saamne se Krish ko phone kiya. Bhale hi zaroorat mein, usse Krish ki yaad aayi. Ab yeh mauka hum haath se nahi jaane denge. We'll use it to our best. Hopefully, woh maaf kar degi.”

“You're right,” Naksh murmured. “Iss baar main Mishtu ko mana loonga. Choti Dadi ne jo galti ki thi, uski bharpayi hum sab aaj tak kar rahe hain, but ab aur nahi.”

With renewed hope, Krish went to bed that night, counting down the minutes till he could see Mishti. His mother was right. They would right all wrongs that Mishti had faced in the house and bring her back.

On the other side of the city, Mishti exhaled sharply, hugging her husband tight. She had done it. She had spoken to Krish, had opened the doors to her past, and hadn't had a panic attack. It was a huge win.

“Tum theek ho?” Abir asked softly. Mishti nodded in answer, burying herself in his warmth.

A couple minutes later, she stepped back. “Chalo, baaki sabko bata dete hain.”

Abir nodded. He dropped a lingering kiss to Mishti's hair before taking her hand and walking back into the study where Kunal, Abhira, and Armaan were still waiting for them.

“It's done,” Mishti announced. “He'll be here tomorrow.”

“Aapne kisko bulaya hai?” Kunal asked.

“Krishi,” Mishti told him. “Maine Krishi ko phone kiya tha.”

“Mishbha!” Kunal exclaimed. “Are you sure?”

“He's the best,” Mishti stated. “And we need the best. And… He deserves to know.”

“Krishi?” Abhira wondered. “Woh kaun hai?”

“Krish Singhania,” Abir elaborated. “He's a lawyer. A very good one.”

“Wait… Krish Singhania?” Armaan asked, shocked. “As in… Krish Singhania of the Singhania Legal Corridor?”

“Haan,” Mishti answered. “Tum jaante ho usse?”

“Unhe kaun nahi jaanta aisa poochiye, Badi Maa!” Abhira answered, because Armaan looked dazed at the prospect, unable to form words, making everyone laugh.

“Lekin, woh kyun iss sab mein involve honge?” Abhira continued. “Yeh chota-mota property case unke liye kuch nahi hai. Woh bohot high profile aur sensitive cases hi dekhte hain. Poore desh ke bade industrialists, politicians… Inn sabke saath unka roz ka uthna-baithna hai. Woh humaara case kyun lenge?”

“Kyunki woh sirf Krish Singhania, the lawyer nahi hai,” Mishti revealed. “Tere liye woh sirf Krishi Mamu hain.”

“Ma— Mamu?” Abhira asked. “What?”

“Haan, Heera,” Abir explained. “Krish is your uncle. Woh Akshu ka cousin hai. Uske Papa aur teri Nani… They're siblings. And, uski Mumma aur tere Nanu bhi siblings hain. So, he's family.”

“Wait… Krish Singhania. The Krish Singhania. Woh… Abhira ke… Mama?” Armaan whispered, flabbergasted.

Mishti chuckled, nodding. “Haan, Maani. Isliye, I know ki yeh case uske liye bohot bada hai. Naksh Bhaiya & Naira Di were extremely close. Bhaiya ke liye Di se zyada important iss duniya mein koi nahi tha. In fact, Di ki death ka unhe itna sadma laga tha… He moved to Cape Town almost immediately after she passed away, kyunki woh unke bina Udaipur mein nahi reh paa rahe the.

Woh toh Krish hi unhe waapas le aaya after his daughter was born, warna woh shayad aaj bhi wahin pe settled hote. And, Krish takes after his father. Jo log Naksh Bhaiya ke liye important hai, woh Krish ke liye bhi utne hi important hai. He absolutely adores Naira Di. Unki academy ke liye woh zaroor help karega.”

“Lekin phir woh Mr. Goenka se bhi toh related hain,” Abhira argued. “Woh kyun meri side lenge? Bhale hi main unki bhatiji hoon, but woh toh mujhe jaante bhi nahi.”

“Goenkas aur Singhanias mein achche relations nahi hain,” Mishti explained. “After Naira Di's death, their relationship deteriorated, kyunki BF ne Sirat se shaadi karli. Waise Krishi toh uske pehle hi apni family ke saath Cape Town chala gaya tha, but waapas aane ke baad… Naksh Bhaiya & Keerti Bhabhi wanted to spend time with Naira Di’s kids, but tab tak Akshu had already left the house. Toh jo bachi-kuchi kasar thi woh bhi uss din poori ho gayi when they found out under what circumstances Akshu had to leave.

Toh ab… Jiss tarah tum unse koi rishta nahi rakhna chaahti, woh sab bhi nahi rakhna chaahte. Isliye, woh Goenkas ko favour nahi karenge. And in fact, Krishi toh bachpan mein hi bas mila tha Mr. Goenka se. Uske baad se kabhi nahi. He has no love lost for that man. Tu tension mat le. Maine soch-samajhke hi usse bulaaya hai, Heera.

Mujhe pata hai yeh sab tere liye kitna important hai. I won't make a mistake that could cost you everything. I promise.”

“I know, Badi Maa,” Abhira replied. “Aap koi galti nahi karoge. Bas, darr laga rehta hai ki sab achche se hoga bhi ya nahi, isliye.”

“I understand,” Mishti smiled. “But sab theek hoga. Kal, Krishi aayega aur woh sab clear kar dega!”

“I trust you,” Abhira told her. “Aap keh rahe ho toh sab theek ho jaayega.”

Mishti hugged Abhira. “We'll make sure ki sab theek ho jaaye. We won't give up so easily. Okay?”

Abhira nodded. “We won't,” Abhira agreed.

“Chalo, chalo,” Abir rallied them. “Ab bohot late ho gaya hai. Jaake sab so jao. Kal phir Krishi subah-subah hi aa jaayega.”

“Ji, Bade Papa,” Armaan nodded dutifully. “Bohot late ho raha hai. Mujhe bhi chalna chahiye. Pata nahi ghar pe situation kaisi hai.”

“Tum aaj raat yahaan ruk jao,” Abir suggested. “It'll be easier. Kal subah phir yahin toh aana hai.”

“Woh toh main waise bhi har roz yahi karta hoon na,” Armaan chuckled. “Lekin aaj I think ghar jaana hi better hai. Pata nahi Dadi Sa aur Maa kya naya tamasha khada kar dengi agar main ghar nahi gaya toh.”

Armaan had noticed that his grandmother especially didn't like him spending a lot of time at the Rajvansh Villa. More than his closeness to Abhira, it seemed like his closeness with Mishti is what bothered her. She had never said it, but Armaan had seen the subtle tightening of her eyes and the upturn of her mouth every time she spotted Armaan & Mishti together. As equipped as he was with reading her, Armaan knew that Kaveri was displeased with his blossoming relationship with Mishti.

Which made sense to him, given how many arguments the two of them got into. Kaveri didn't like Mishti, so of course, she didn't like Armaan being near her either. She didn't want him to associate with Mishti because Mishti challenged Kaveri and called her out on her mistakes. It was as simple as that.

Though, a small part of him did wonder if Kaveri was jealous of the camaraderie he had with Mishti, because he'd never been as close to Kaveri as he had become to Mishti in such a short time. But, he wrote that off. There was no way that Kaveri would feel such petty emotions as jealousy. And feeling jealous over him? That seemed out of the realm of possibility. Yes, if it had been Rohit in his place, his first thought would have been this, but he was not Rohit. And Kaveri had made it clear repeatedly that Armaan would never be half as important to her as Rohit was.

“Are you sure?” Abir pressed. “Gharwalon ki tension mat lo. Main baat kar loon, Madhav Ji se?”

“Nahi, nahi, Bade Papa,” Armaan assured. “Main ghar hi chala jaata hoon. Kal subah-subah waapas aa jaunga. Krish Mama se mujhe bhi milna hai!”

“Oho, Khadoosmaan!” Abhira cackled. “Ab woh Mr. Krish Singhania Sir se seedhe Krish Mama bann gaye? Waaaah! I'm impressed.”

“Abhiraaaaa,” Armaan whined. “Chidhao mat mujhe. Tumhe pata hai ki woh…”

“Haan, haan,” Abhira nodded. “Idol hai tumhaare. Pata hai mujhe. Sau baar bata chuke ho yeh baat. Mumma tumhaari guru aur inspiration hai, lekin role model toh Mr. Singhania hi hain.”

“Tabhi tum aise hakke-bakke ho gaye the,” Mishti laughed. “Don't worry, Maani. Main kal introduce karwa dungi tumhe.”

“Badi Maa, aap bhi?” Armaan complained, pouting. “This is not fair! Mujhe laga aap meri team mein ho!”

“Aye, Khadoosmaan!” Abhira warned. “Tum mujhse meri Badi Maa ko cheen'ne ki koshish mat karo.”

Abir & Mishti looked at each other at that, their eyes wet even as their smiles widened by a mile. Oblivious to the sudden emotional moment the two of them were sharing, Armaan & Abhira continued to bicker, their worries momentarily forgotten. Abir pulled Mishti in his arms, hugging her close to his chest. As the two of them watched the younger couple steal this little moment of happiness, something settled in Abir's chest. Things were far from fine, but they would be soon. And in the meantime, his Abhira would always have her Armaan by her side.

Another lovely update, very nice!

Lovely update

Waiting for the next update

Chapter Twenty Six

The next morning, Armaan hurried to go back to Abhira. He woke up early and got dressed for the day, his mind focused on only Abhira and no one else. However, luck didn't seem to be on his side because when he went downstairs, Kaveri & Vidya were already on the dining table. It was much earlier than the family ate breakfast, so he was surprised to see them there. Nonetheless, he decided to not let them interfere in his plans. “Main Abhira ke ghar jaa raha hoon,” he informed them as he walked past them.

“Ruko, Armaan!” Kaveri ordered.

Armaan sighed. This is what he was afraid of. He didn't want anyone to become a hindrance in his plans, which is why he was leaving so early. And yet, here he was. Turning to Kaveri, he asked, “Ji, Dadi Sa?”

“Itni subah-subah uss ladki se kyun milna hai tumhe? Tum bhool gaye ho toh tumhe yaad dila doon, yeh tumhaara ghar hai, jahaan tumhaara parivaar rehta hai. Woh saamne wala makaan nahi,” Kaveri taunted.

“Parivaar toh mera uss ghar mein bhi rehta hai, Dadi Sa,” Armaan replied. “Woh ghar bhi mera hi ghar hai. Aur wahaan jaake hi mujhe sukoon milta hai.”

“Woh ladki tumhaara parivaar nahi hai, Armaan!” Kaveri insisted. “Hum hain tumhaara parivaar.”

“Iss duniya mein kisi aur se zyada, Abhira hi mera parivaar hai, Dadi Sa,” Armaan clarified. “Par main sirf uski baat nahi kar raha tha. Uss ghar ka har ek sadasya mere parivaar ka hissa hai.”

“Armaan, tu yeh sab kyun kar raha hai, beta?” Vidya asked, tired. “Abhira aur uske parivaar se itna zyada lagaav bhi theek nahi hai. Haan, woh sab tere apne hain, lekin tu iss ghar ka beta hai, uss ghar ka nahi.

Achchi baat hai ki tu wahaan jaata hai, uss ghar ke logon se rishtey jod raha hai. Lekin, naye rishtey banane mein yeh puraane rishtey ab peeche chootne lage hain, Armaan. Aur yeh bilkul galat baat hai.

Iss parivaar ki taraf bhi teri kuch zimmedaari hai, beta. Tu iss ghar ka sabse bada beta hai. Tu apne farz bhoolne lagega, toh kaise chalega?”

“Yehi toh farq haina, Maa,” Armaan replied, a sad smile on his face. “Aapko sirf meri zimmedaariyaan yaad hai, mere haq nahi. Iss ghar mein har insaan ko sirf yehi yaad rehta hai ki main apni har responsibility poori karu, lekin aur kuch nahi.

Aur uss ghar mein? Wahaan zimmedaari se pehle hamesha haq aata hai. Farz ke pehle, pyaar aata hai, khushi aati hai. Wahaan koi iss tarah mujhe meri zimmedaari yaad nahi dilaata.

Aur, aap bataiye mujhe… Main iss ghar ki taraf apni kaunsi zimmedaari mein chooka hoon? Kya aisa hua hai, jiske liye mujhe yahaan hona chahiye tha aur main nahi tha?

Aapko pata hai? Kuch dinon pehle Aryan ka hockey match tha. Main aur Abhira wahaan the… Par pata hai kaun nahi tha? Aap. Chachi Sa ke saath dene sirf hum dono the, aur iss family mein se kisine aana zaroori nahi samjha, Aryan ko support karna zaroori nahi samjha.

Aur sirf yeh ek example nahi hai. Aap chahengi toh main aur examples bhi de sakta hoon. Iss ghar aur iss ghar ke logon ke liye mere jo farz hai main nahi bhoola hoon, Maa. Par shayad aap bhool gayi hain, ki Abhira ka saath dena bhi mera farz hai. Aap sab ab bhale hi usse apni bahu nahi maante, lekin main usse ab bhi apni biwi maanta hoon.

Apni biwi ka saath dena koi galat baat hai kya? Woh bhi tab jab woh itne mushkil time se guzar rahi hai? Goenkas ne kya nahi kiya uski Maa ke saath… Iss waqt zaroorat hai usse meri. Aur main apni patni ka saath dene se peeche nahi hatoonga.

Aap bhool gayi hongi ki aapne usse apni beti maana hai, lekin main nahi bhoola ki woh meri wife hai.”

Not giving either Vidya or Kaveri a chance to rebuke him, Armaan turned and walked out of the house. It was getting tiresome now. Every single day, he felt that he was only fighting for Abhira. When would his mother and his grandmother understand that this was it? He would never leave Abhira, no matter how much they disliked it. She was his very soul, the air he breathed. She was the reason he was the man he was today.

If not for Abhira, he would have never found out who he truly was. If not for her, he would still have been their puppet, giving up every single one of his happinesses for theirs. Maybe, that's what annoyed them. That Abhira had taught him to stand up for himself, for his wants & desires. That she'd taught him to say no, to not give up everything for the sake of others. That she'd taught him to prioritize himself.

They must have liked it better when he kept his head down and did what they asked without complaint. After all, who didn't like getting their way every time? Maybe that's why they didn't like him mingling with her family so much, why his grandmother was so against their wedding. But, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but Abhira.

He let himself inside the house as he always did, a small smile playing on his lips. He had rung the doorbell the first time he'd visited and Abir had been miffed. “Apne ghar mein aise guest ki tarah kaun aata hai? Agli baar se darwaza kholke seedhe andar aa jaana!” He'd vehemently instructed. It had taken Armaan a few days, but he'd gotten comfortable with walking in unannounced. Every time he did that, he was greeted by the smile of a family member who would be extremely happy to see him. It didn't matter who, because all of them were always happy to see him.

Today, it was Prajakta. “Good morning, Bhabhi,” he greeted her.

“Good morning,” Prajakta replied, giving him a quick hug. “How are you?” She asked.

“I'm good. Mujhe kya hi hona hai?” Armaan laughed.

“Armaan!” Prajakta rebuked. “Come on. At least aise jhooth toh mat bolo. Ghar mein kitni tension chal rahi hai woh sabko pata hai. But, at least all of us have each other. Tum toh wahaan akele ho.”

“Kisne kaha aapse main akela hoon?” Armaan asked. “Aap sab ho mere saath… How can I be alone? Haan, uss ghar mein mujhe har raat waapas akele jaana padta hai, but mujhe pata hai ki aap sabki blessings aur aapka saara pyaar mere saath hai. More importantly, Abhira mere saath hai. Toh phir kis baat ki tension?”

Prajakta shook her head fondly, pulling him into another hug. “Paagal,” she murmured affectionately.

“Aaj aap itni subah-subah kaise uth gaye?” Armaan asked her.

“Inspiration waits for no one!” Prajakta laughed. “I was supposed to be sleeping but these words are begging to be written.”

“Okay, then,” Armaan said. “Main aapko aur disturb nahi karunga.”

“Haan, haan. Mujhe kyun hi karoge. Aaye toh tum Abhira ko disturb karne hi ho na,” Prajakta teased.

“Of course!” Armaan played along. “Aapko zyada pareshaan kiya toh kya pata apni agli book mein villain ka naam Armaan rakh do! Aisa risk main bilkul nahi le sakta! I'm sorry.”

“Hero ka naam rakh doon?” Prajakta questioned.

“Done!” Armaan agreed. “But phir heroine ka naam Abhira rakhna, warna woh Hulk Ki Mameri Behen aapse kuch nahi kahegi lekin meri class laga degi!”

“Badmaash!” Prajakta crowed. “Meri Abhiru aisi bilkul nahi hai.”

“Aap jaante nahi ho usse, Bhabhi,” Armaan insisted. “Kisi bhi cheez pe kaise bhi react kar deti hai. Uska dimaag ekdum ulta chalta hai!”

“Tumhaara bada seedha chalta haina jaise?” Prajakta questioned.

“Nahi chalta, tabhi toh uss ladki se pyaar ho gaya mujhe,” Armaan admitted. Prajakta laughed, whacking his arm.

“Chalo, chalo… Ab aap writing pe concentrate karo. Apni agli bestseller ke liye zyada wait mat karwana mujhe!” Armaan exclaimed.

“Right,” Prajakta snorted. “Jaise tumne meri koi bhi book padhi hai.”

“I've read all of them,” Armaan revealed. “Aur abhi nahi, pehle hi padhi thi.”

“Haan, haan. Advocate Armaan Poddar apne free time mein romance novels padhte hain,” Prajakta rolled her eyes. “It's okay. Tumhe jhooth bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

“Woh actually… Kiara loves your books,” Armaan told her. “Aur woh hamesha aapki har book ke liye itni excited hoti thi, but ghar mein koi aur nahi padhta tha. Toh uske saath uss book ke baare mein baat karne, I also started reading them.

Shuru mein mujhe thodi cheesy lagti thi, but I have gained appreciation for them now! Actually, I think your books are very much needed and all men should read them. Ek ladki kaise sochti hai woh mujhe aapki books padhke samajh aaya. I mean, humaari mann mein aur aapke mann mein same situations ki kitni different interpretation hoti hai.

I remember jab maine aapki pehli book padhi thi and some incident had happened, I don't even remember properly what now… Aur main soch raha tha ki yeh cheez toh bohot achchi hai, but phir maine page turn kiya aur ek poora internal monologue tha describing in detail why it's bad. Aur maine uss perspective se socha hi nahi tha.

So, I mean… Your books have been an educational experience for me, actually. Aur main toh bohot openly bolta bhi hoon that you're my favourite author. Aapko pata hai, jab bhi aapki koi new book release hoti haina, main aur Kiara first day hi jaake khareed lete hain and we read them together. So, I have a lot of fond memories of them. Unse mujhe sirf bohot kuch seekhne hi nahi mila, but I also found something to bond with my sister over. So, thank you so much.”

Prajakta hugged him tight at those words, a few tears falling from her eyes. “Thank you, Armaan. This means a lot to me.”

Armaan returned the hug, patting her back in an effort to soothe her. This was the scene Hrishi stumbled on a couple minutes later. “Oho, kya hua?” He asked, gently keeping a hand on Prajakta's shoulder. Prajakta shook her head slightly, still in Armaan's embrace.

“Tum subah-subah meri biwi ko kyun rula rahe ho?” Hrishi asked him.

“Maine toh sirf itna kaha she's my favourite author,” Armaan shrugged, confused. “Mujhe kya pata tha woh aise rone lagengi.”

“Prajjjjj,” Hrishi sighed, pulling her out of Armaan's arms into his own. “Kitni senti ho jaati ho tum, Jaanam. Come on! No tears.”

To Armaan, he said, “Don't worry. Yeh toh bohot normal hai. She gets very emotional when someone praises her work.”

“Are you sure?” Armaan asked, worried.

“I'm sure,” Hrishi assured. “Now, run along. Abhira ke paas jao. Isse main sambhaal lunga.”

Armaan squeezed Prajakta's shoulder and gave Hrishi a smile before rushing up the stairs. He opened Abhira’s door to an empty room and was surprised. “Ira?” He called out softly. Just then Abhira stepped out of the washroom, drying her hair. Finding Armaan there, she immediately rushed into his arms, the towel falling carelessly to the floor.

“Armaan,” she breathed deeply, snuggling into his embrace.

“Good morning,” Armaan whispered softly.

“Good morning,” Abhira replied. “Achcha hua tum aa gaye. I was really missing you.”

“I was really missing you too,” Armaan confessed. “Raat ko achche se neend bhi nahi aayi. Seriously, Abhira… Mujhe na tumhaare bina bilkul neend nahi aati. I need you there with me always.”

Abhira hummed, not really replying, content to bask in his presence. Armaan indulged her for a few minutes, enjoying their closeness.

“Chalo, idhar aao,” he finally said, guiding her to the bed and sitting her down. He picked up the discarded towel and moved to dry her hair for her. “Abhi sardi lag jaayegi,” he said. “Baal toh achche se poch leti. Lekin nahi, tumhe bas uchal-kood karni hai.”

“Tum ho na mera dhyaan rakhne,” Abhira laughed. “Phir mujhe inn sab cheezon ki tension leni ki kya zaroorat?”

Armaan shook his head as he continued to towel her hair dry. Once he was done, he turned to the dressing table and picked up Abhira's preferred comb, gently untangling her hair. Abhira sat back with a wide smile on her face, observing Armaan who was completely focused on the task at hand. She couldn't help but melt at the little furrow in his brow as he concentrated on making sure he hurt her as little as possible while also making sure he got all the tangles unknotted. It took way longer than Abhira would have taken had she done it on her own, but she let him do it, knowing that he needed it as much as she did.

Abhira was no fool. She knew that this entire situation was hurting Armaan. But what was hurting him most was his helplessness. He couldn't do anything to make the situation better. It was out of his hands. The best he could do was be there for Abhira and hold her hand. So, even doing these menial tasks for her was important for him.

Armaan had always been someone who needed to do something. He couldn't sit by idly and let things happen. But, sadly, he could do nothing else right now, so it was important to direct his energy elsewhere so he didn't feel as helpless. Even something as routine as drying her hair helped.

And it helped her to see him so involved. She had never had anyone pamper her the way Armaan did. The way he would feed her, the way he would dry her hair, the way he would carry her whenever she so desired. It felt so good to be spoiled this way after never having such luxuries before. It felt even better with Armaan, because she knew that it brought him just as much joy to spoil her as it did her to be spoiled. Armaan had always been a giver, always expressed himself better with actions than words. Even when things had gone south between them, his actions and his words had not always matched. He might have said rude things, tried to hurt her, but his actions had spoken volumes - getting worked up over her living in a hostel, getting agitated by her silent treatment, giving Kipling Uncle money for the resort without ever telling her. All his actions painted a different story than the words that left his mouth.

The night of the bachelor party, when he'd held her as if she was the brittlest glass, had been the first time that she had realized it. She'd thought he hated her, his words had given her no reason to think otherwise. Yet, he'd treated her with utmost care. Yes, he'd saved her just as he would have saved anybody else in that situation because he was an inherently good person, but it was the after that had cemented the fact. The way he'd hugged her so tight that she felt her body would mould into his, yet the gentleness with which he'd cupped her face and wiped her tears spoke volumes. The firm grip he had on her hand as he rode the motorcycle, assuring her of his presence, and perhaps himself of her safety, picking a fight with Sanjay, roaring like a fierce lion intent on protecting her… His actions spoke much, much, much louder than his words.

After that, she kept noticing it. Acts of service, she had surmised, was one of Armaan's most vocal love languages. It was how he showed he cared. Not just to her, but others as well. And once she'd realized that, she understood the importance behind every single gesture. It didn't matter how big or small, everything Armaan did for her was a way of saying I love you. He was vocal about it, sometimes embarrassingly so, but he also said it without saying anything at all. And she loved that about him.

“Let's try the braid again?” Armaan asked, pulling her out of her musings. Abhira chuckled, nodding along. Armaan's latest endeavour had been learning how to braid hair. He'd never done it before, but he had an odd fixation with her hair and loved helping her with it whenever possible. Off late, he'd been intrigued by braiding and was insistent on learning how to do it.

Abhira instructed him as he twisted and turned her hair, managing a half decent braid that she loved. “Not bad, Khadoosmaan! You're getting better!” She praised. “Thode time mein tum mujhse bhi better banane lagoge!”

Armaan chuckled, dropping an affectionate kiss to the top of her head. “Thank you, Ira!”

“Mr. Singhania thode time mein aane waale hain,” Abhira informed, reminding Armaan just why he had been so restless. “Usse pehle ek baar Badi Maa aur Bade Papa se mil lein?”

Armaan nodded in affirmative. He took Abhira's hand in his, entwining their fingers together, as he tugged her out of her room towards Abir & Mishti's. Abhira was pushing open the door when a sob caught her attention and she stopped midway. Both her & Armaan peeped inside to see Abir gathering a crying Mishti into his arms.

“Angry Chorni,” Abir murmured. “Come on!! Tum isse zyada strong ho. Tum toh sabko apni uss magenta belt se hara sakti ho na!”

“Bro— brown belt!” Mishti hiccupped.

“Haan, haan. Wahi,” Abir acquiesced. “Toh tum ab weak kaise pad sakti ho.”

“Main usse kaise face karungi, Abir?” Mishti asked. “Mujhe himmat hi nahi ho rahi. Kayi saal beet gaye hain.”

“Exactly,” Abir whispered. “Kayi saal ho gaye hain. Shayad ab aage badhne ka waqt aa gaya hai, Mishti. Hum kab tak unse naraz rahenge? Poori zindagi nikal gayi hai.”

“Mujhe nahi pata,” Mishti sniffed. “Kabhi-kabhi lagta hai sab kuch bas kal ki hi baat hai. Abir, mujhe bohot darr lag raha hai. Main yeh sab akele nahi kar paungi.”

“Toh kisne kaha tumhe akele karna hai? Main hoon na tumhaare saath!” Abir assured her. “You know I'm always here, Chaand. Every step of the way. Jo bhi karenge hum dono karenge. Tum akele kuch nahi karogi, okay?”

Mishti didn't respond. Abir sighed. He made Mishti sit on their bed and hurriedly moved to the bedside table, rummaging through the drawers before he found what he was looking for. Then, he came back to Mishti, sitting on both his knees in front of her and offered her one end of the rope he was carrying. Mishti was taken aback for a second, looking between the rope and him, before finally grabbing the end he'd offered as if her life depended on it.

“Naa main tujhse zyada…” He recited. When Mishti still didn't say anything, he nudged her, repeating, “Naa main tujhse zyada…”

“Naa tu mujhse kam hai,” Mishti continued. Abir smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Aaj se tu aur main nahi, aaj se sirf hum hain,
Jaise aangan se hota hai ghar ka rishta…” he recited, trailing off for Mishti to continue. They'd done this before. Whenever one of them felt too overwhelmed or worked up, they would recite this shayari together, reminding each other that no matter what, they had each other and that would be enough.

“Waise hi hoga humaara barabar ka rishta,
Jaise Kanha adhoore bina Radha Rani…” Mishti trailed off, making Abir smile. She always insisted that he recite a few lines every time, his promise to her.

“Waise hi, bina tere, adhoori meri kahaani,
Hamesha rahenge sanam saath tere,
Ke sanam hum le rahe hain saath phere…” Abir continued and then left off for her to pick up. However, Mishti didn't recite further, making Abir tigthen his hold on her.

“Ke sanam hum le rahe hain saath phere…” he repeated. And this time, Mishti continued, just as she always did.

“Har ek phera ek janam ka hai vaada…” She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. Abir smiled, resting his forehead on hers.

“Ke pyaar karenge tujhse, sanam pehle se zyada,
Itni khushi hai…” Abir gestured for her to continue, as his fingers slid across her cheeks, wiping her tears.

“Ki aaj palke bhi nam hain,
Tu aur main nahi…” Mishti whispered.

“Aaj se sirf hum hain,” Abir promised her. Mishti nodded, hiding her face in his chest once again.

Unable to take it any longer, Abhira turned away, hiding her own face in Armaan's chest. She felt guilty for forcing Mishti to do this. It was clear that this whole ordeal with reaching out to Krish Singhania had hurt her. She couldn't let her own selfishness hurt Mishti this way.

“Badi Maa se keh dete hain ki kisi ko bulaane ki koi zaroorat nahi hai,” she stated, looking up at Armaan. “Hum kisi tarah manage kar lenge.”

Armaan looked conflicted for a moment, but ended up nodding. He could also see how everything was affecting Mishti. He would convince Abhira to let him help out. There was no need for Mishti to put herself through this.

“Badi Maa, Bade Papa,” Abhira called, knocking on the door.

Abir & Mishti immediately detangled themselves and wiped away their tears hastily. Abir threw the door open and greeted them with a smile. “Good morning!”

Abhira nodded slightly, walking inside without a word, Armaan on her heel. Once they were all inside, Abhira turned to Mishti. “Badi Maa, aap please Mr. Singhania ko phone karke bol dijiye ki unhe aane ki koi zaroorat nahi hai.”

“Kyun?” Mishti asked. “Kya Mr. Goenka ne papers pe sign karne haan keh diya?”

“Meri unse koi baat nahi hui hai,” Abhira disclosed.

“Toh phir?” Mishti questioned. “Krish ko aane de. He'll help us.”

“Nahi, Badi Maa!” Abhira insisted. “Hum aapas mein handle kar lenge.”

“Heera… What's going on?” Abir probed gently. “Tu kyun nahi chaahti ki woh yahaan aaye? Kuch hua hai kya?”

“I can't do this!” Abhira exclaimed. “Badi Maa kuch keh nahi rahi iska yeh matlab nahi hai that I don't see it. Jabse unhone woh phone kiya hai… She's been so tensed. Yeh poori situation unhe itni badly affect kar rahi hai. Aur apni Badi Maa ka dil dukhake main koi kaam nahi karna chaahti. Main itni selfish nahi ho sakti. If Badi Maa is uncomfortable, main unse kabhi nahi milungi!”

“No, no!” Mishti cried. “Never. Aisa nahi hai, Abhira. This is important. Krish will be here. He will help us. That's it.”

“Badi Maa… Aap haalat dekhiye apni. You're shivering. Main aise kaise…” Abhira trailed off, not knowing how to express herself. But, she didn't have to worry about that, because these people knew her better than anyone else and they understood even her silence.

“Heera,” Abir sighed, stepping up. He pulled Abhira into a warm embrace before saying, “Look, I know things are tense. Lekin, yehi sahi hai. Krish ko bulana sabse right decision hai. I know that tu Mishti ko aise dekhke worried hai, but trust me… Jo bhi ho, Krish should be here. Uski koi galti nahi hai. Jo hua… He couldn't have stopped it.”

“Lekin, kya hua?” Armaan questioned softly. “Aap aise tensed kyun ho, Badi Maa?”

Mishti exhaled sharply. She looked at Abir, inclining her head. Abir nodded reluctantly. The kids deserved to know. Mishti had not kept her lineage a secret from anyone in the family. All her kids and grandkids knew where she came from. She wouldn't hide it from Armaan & Abhira either.

So, she told them. About her parents and the events that led to her being ousted from her home, just as Akshu had been too. “But… Krish ki koi galti nahi thi. He wasn't even born then. Woh kaise kuch karta. Waise, dekha jaaye toh Naksh Bhaiya ki bhi koi galti nahi thi. Jo faisla liya woh Dadi ne liya. They didn't even know. But, sab kuch jaan'ne ke baad bhi, unhone mujhse koi contact nahi rakha… And that really hurts. Itne saal ho gaye uss baat ko, lekin woh ghaav ab bhi bhare nahi hain. Lekin, Dadi ne jo kiya uss galti ki saza main kisi aur ko nahi doongi.

Krish ko dekhke woh saari baatein yaad aati hain, lekin usme uski koi galti nahi hai. I love him so much. He's my nephew. Jaise mere liye Akshu thi waise hi Krish hai. Usse milna mujhe achcha lagta hai, but woh dard nahi pasand jo uske saath aata hai. Lekin, sirf iss darr se naa meri zindagi rukegi, na kisi aur ki. Krish will come here today.

It's not even that I'm meeting him for the first time. Main usse kayi baar mili hoon inn saalon mein. Kuch saal pehle uski beti ki shaadi mein bhi hum gaye the. Wahaan toh sirf usse nahi, Naksh Bhaiya se bhi mili thi main. It's just that… Har baar usse milne se pehle, mujhe khudko prepare karna padta hai.

So, it's nothing I haven't done before. And I know it's not the last time either. Krishi is family. Main usse kabhi peeche nahi chodungi. Mere issues ke wajah se woh suffer kyun kare? He's innocent. Uski koi galti nahi hai. Jis tarah teri bhi koi galti nahi hai, Abhira. Akshu se milne se pehle bhi mujhe bohot baar yeh anxiety hoti thi, lekin iss wajah se maine kabhi uska saath nahi choda. With time, it got easier to be with her without remembering all that. She needed me to be there for her and I could never leave her, no matter what. Toh maine sab handle karna seekh liya. Shayad isliye bhi ki Naira Di aur BF the nahi gussa hone. It's always easier to forgive someone who's no more in this world, right?

But, yes… Krish ke saath woh anxiety ab bhi hai. But, shayad jis tarah Akshu ke saath woh chali gayi, uske saath bhi chali jaaye? Maybe, I should actually be spending more time with him instead of avoiding it. And even if not, mere issues ki wajah se tu peeche nahi hategi, Gudiya Rani. You will get everything you deserve.”

Abhira and Armaan both hugged Mishti at that. “Jaisa aap bolengi waisa hi hoga, Badi Maa,” Abhira promised. “Aur hum sab hain aapke saath. Aap kabhi akeli nahi rahengi. I promise.”

“Haan, Badi Maa,” Armaan echoed. “Poori duniya idhar ki udhar ho jaaye, but I promise aapka Maani hamesha aapke saath hai. Jab tak main hoon, aap kabhi akeli nahi rahengi.”

“Aur mera kya?” Abir pouted. “Tum dono jabse best bachchon ki tarah itne promises kar rahe ho, but remember Angry Chorni… Best husband hoon main. Aur apni wifey ka saath dena toh meri sabse favourite hobby hai. Iss maamle mein kisi ko mujhse kabhi jitne nahi doonga!”

Mishti laughed at his words. He always knew how to make her smile, no matter how tense the situation got. Surrounded by her family, she steeled herself. She could do this. For Abhira. For Akshu. For herself.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Krish reached the given address at 8:50am on the dot. And then, he waited in his car for the next 10 minutes before ringing the doorbell. For the first time in years, he felt his palms were sweating. He reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out his handkerchief, wiping his hands. Only, it was of no use.

The last time he'd seen Mishti was when his daughter, Siddhi, had gotten married. Mishti might have any number of issues with his father, but she'd always been there for Krish, even if not in person. She made it a point to call him on every important occasion - birthdays, anniversaries, festivals. And, despite her equation with Naksh, had immediately agreed to come to Siddhi's wedding when he'd invited her. She'd turned up with her entire family in tow - Abir, Amish, Mehr, Misha, and even their kids - and made the occasion extremely special for all of them.

Though things were tense, she never interfered in her kids' relationship with Naksh. However, her kids were nothing if not loyal to her, and kept their dealings with Naksh minimal. That is not to say that they treated him coldly because they didn't. There was a very easy-going warmth in Amish & Misha's equation with Naksh. They got along really well with Naksh and always treated him with the respect he was due as their uncle.

Yet, the two families didn't mingle very often given Mishti's lingering distaste. So, suffice to say, it had been a few years since Krish had seen her in person. As he walked across their front lawn, he couldn't help recalling his memories with Mishti - so few and far in between, but always flowing with unmistakable love and laughter. He'd missed her.

With shaking hands, he rang the doorbell and stepped back, waiting for someone to open the door. Turns out, that someone was Mishti herself. “Bua,” he breathed, drinking in the sight of her. She looked exactly the way she had when he'd last seen her, standing tall despite her short height.

Mishti was taking him in as well, drinking in the sight of her nephew, her eyes never moving away from his face. All her anxiety, every single worry that she had, seemed to have been a trick of the mind. As she stood in front of Krish, all she could feel was happiness on seeing him, and tender affection for the relationship they shared.

“Krishi,” she smiled. Her little boy, so grown up. Krish couldn't help himself. His body on autopilot, he stepped forward, his arms winding around Mishti in one swift moment. Mishti returned the hug, patting his back.

“I missed you,” Krish murmured softly. “I missed you so much, Bua!”

“I missed you too, kiddo,” Mishti promised. Pushing him back, she cupped his cheek. “Let me look at you.”

Krish indulged her, smiling wide as he saw her inspect him from top to bottom, making sure he looked good. “Looking sharp, Mr. Singhania,” she commented once she was done.

“Thank you, Bua,” he laughed. She stepped back and guided him inside where the rest of the family awaited.

Abir was the first person Krish spotted, waiting at the helm, an eager smile on his face. Krish adored him. “Fufu!” He cried, rushing forward and embracing the man, still using that nickname he'd given Abir at 4 even though he was over 40 now. Abir laughed into it, returning the hug just as fiercely.

Krish took a moment to meet everyone present in the hall, as his eyes fell on a couple, patiently watching from the sidelines. Krish had never seen them before, but he felt an inexplicable connection. However, he decided to wait for Mishti or Abir to introduce them to him, instead shifting his focus back to his family who he hadn't seen in a while.

“Heera,” Abir called softly, extending his hand for her, once Krish had met the entire family.

Abhira hesitated for a moment, too anxious to actually step forward. Armaan noticed it and squeezed her hand. When she looked at him, he smiled in encouragement, nudging her in Abir's direction. Emboldened by his support, Abhira walked towards Abir, stumbling a little. Abir immediately rushed forward, catching her. “Tu theek haina?” Abir asked softly.

Abhira nodded gratefully. “Aapne bacha liya, Bade Papa. Warna main gir jaati.”

“Of course,” Abir replied, kissing her forehead.

Krish watched the exchange with keen interest, his heart pounding. His life was about to change. He could feel it in his very bones. His life was about to change because of this girl who was standing in front of him, a shy smile on her face.

“Krish,” Abir started, smiling tentatively. “This is Abhira.”

“Hello, Abhira,” Krish greeted softly. His hands shook as he brought them forward for her to shake.

“Hello,” Abhira greeted back timidly. She looked at his proffered hand and then back at Abir, who nodded in encouragement. Seemingly assuaged by Abir's actions, she turned back to him and shook his hand. “It's nice to meet you.”

“And you as well,” Krish replied, smiling politely.

“Abhira is Akshu's daughter,” Abir added, almost too softly for Krish to hear.

“What?” Krish asked, wanting to make sure he'd heard correctly.

“Abhira is Akshu's daughter,” Abir repeated, this time louder.

Krish whipped to look at Mishti, who was standing next to the man Abhira had been standing with a few moments ago. Both of them were watching the exchange intently, gripping the other's hand tightly. Mishti looked at him and nodded once, sharply.

Krish turned back to Abhira, his eyes welling with tears. He left her hand, moving to cup her face with shaking hands. “Abhira,” he murmured. Stepping forward he kissed her forehead. “Bilkul Akshu jaisi dikhti ho. Wahi aankhein, wahi muskaan… Wahi masoomiyat.”

He tugged her into an embrace just as her sobs filled the air. He was crying right alongside her, both of them gripping each other tightly. “Main… Main… Tum… Tumhaara… Krish Mamu. Akshu ka… Akshu ka sabse bada bhai,” he told her.

“Mujhe pata hai,” Abhira hiccupped, clutching him. Somehow, Krish's arms around her tightened at the proclamation.

No words were exchanged after that as the two of them stood in the middle of the living room holding on to each other as if they were the other's only lifeline. Sometime later, Abir gently pried them away. He first turned to Abhira and wiped her face with a handkerchief, clearing all the tears and snot. Abhira smiled under the attention, as she always did.

“Isse milaane hi tumhe bulaya tha aaj,” Abir explained once he was done. “And also because she needs your help.”

“My help?” Krish asked quizzically, wiping his own tears. “Anything you want. I promise.”

“Aap pehle sunn toh lijiye kya help chahiye,” Abhira stated. “And then you can decide.”

“Doesn't matter,” Krish shrugged. “Tum jo chaahti ho, woh tumhaara hai. Akshu ki beti ho tum, meri bhateeji. You're family. And everything for family.”

“What if it's fighting against your other family?” Abhira asked.

“My other family?” Krish wondered. “Who?”

“The Goenkas,” Abir answered.

Krish's face morphed from confusion to distaste. “Woh meri family nahi hai, Abhira. Haan, kisi zamaane mein woh Maa ki family the, par ab humaara unse koi rishta nahi raha hai. They kicked Akshu out of the house when she needed them most, jabki woh jaante the she was wholly dependent on them. Uske baad se, humne unse kabhi koi rishta nahi rakha.

Waise, rakhne bacha tha bhi kya? Kartik Mamu ne jis din Sirat se shaadi ki thi, daraar toh uss din hi aa gayi thi. Lekin phir Manish Nanu ki harkaton ne sab khatam kar diya. So, I will help you with whatever you need. Don't worry.”

“Thank you,” Abhira murmured. “Thanks a lot. Let's talk then?”

Krish found himself in the study with Abhira, Mishti, Abir, Kunal, and the one man who he still didn't know. “Before we start… I'm so sorry, but who are you?” He asked.

Armaan looked like a deer caught in the headlights at being directly addressed by this man. His idol. He had never even anticipated the possibility that he could be in the same room as him, and now here they were, breathing the same air. “Uh… I…” He fumbled, not knowing what to say, making the other occupants of the room laugh.

“Krishi, this is Armaan,” Mishti decided to put him out of his misery. “He's Abhira's fi— boy— hus—” she trailed off, getting confused.

“He's Abhira's partner,” Abir told Krish finally as Mishti struggled to come up with the correct description of the relationship they shared. Armaan decided that he loved that moniker. Partner. He was Abhira's partner in all things - the good and the bad. They shared everything equally.

“You might have heard of him,” Mishti added casually, a mischievous grin on her face belaying her intentions. Armaan immediately squeezed her hand, silently asking her to stop, but she ignored him. “He's also a lawyer. Armaan Poddar.”

Instant recognition flitted across Krish's eyes at his full name which made Armaan stand just a tad bit taller. “Of course,” Krish agreed. “Kaafi sunaa hai aapke baare mein, Mr. Poddar. Poddar & Associates ka aaj jo bhi naam hai, it's all because of you. I've followed a few of your cases. Great job, I must say.”

“Thank you,” Armaan replied bashfully even as Abhira beamed in pride. “It means a lot coming from you, Sir.”

Krish waved him off. “You deserve it.”

“Ab, kaam ki baat karle?” Kunal cut in. “This is important.”

“Sorry, Nanu,” Armaan immediately apologized, contrived. “Pehle case ki baat karni chahiye thi. Yeh sab baad mein ho jaayega.”

Mishti rolled her eyes, reaching up to twist his ears. “Ouch! Badi Maa!” Armaan cried out, his hands reaching for the ear she was holding.

“Tumse kitni baar kaha hai yeh bina wajah sorry bolna band karo?” Mishti asked rhetorically. “Don't answer that,” she added when she saw him open his mouth to answer her question. “Ab tum chup-chaap yahaan khade rahe ho. Let Abhira talk.”

Armaan nodded. “Sorry, Badi Maa.”

She twisted his ear harsher at that, making him yelp again. “Sorry!” He cried. “Phir se bina wajah sorry nahi bolunga. Please, please, please! It hurts, Badi Maa!”

“Angry Chorni,” Abir stated. “Kyunki tum mere saath violent ho jaati ho iska yeh matlab nahi sabko aadat hai. Mere bete ko pareshaan karna chodo! And let's focus on the matter at hand.”

Finally, Mishti let go of Armaan's ear and he sent a thankful glance Abir's way. Krish observed the entire interaction intently, parsing the relationships he was seeing. Clearly, Armaan was a valued member of the family. He could see that Abhira was hopelessly in love with him if the glances she kept throwing his way were any indication. He was no better with the way he seemed aware of her every move even when engaged in conversation with others.

It was painfully obvious that Mishti absolutely adored him, as did Abir. While Kunal was not as open about his emotions, Krish could deduce that he also liked Armaan. Armaan would never have been allowed in the house, much less the room, if Kunal had problems with him. While Mishti and Abir were the eldest and therefore the heads of the house, Kunal had final say in things. Mainly because neither Abir nor Mishti were ever able to deny him anything. He was pushing 60 now, but the two of them still treated him like their little baby boy, and would never do anything to upset him.

So, suffice to say, Armaan and Abhira's relationship status might be complicated, but he had already been adopted into the family whole-heartedly. For his own sake, Krish hoped that Armaan deserved all the love that was being showered on him. Being a part of their entire extended family was forever. If any of them ever accepted someone, they never gave up on them. It was the part of their legacy that Krish was most proud of. The values that Vishambhar and Rajshri Maheshwari had inculcated in their kids, that had been passed down generations.

“So, finally… Mudde ki baat pe aate hain!” Kunal exclaimed. He turned to Abhira, gesturing for her to take over, which Abhira did. She explained how she'd grown up with Akshu in Mussourie, having no idea that she had such a huge family. She talked about the circumstances under which she had first married Armaan. They took a brief pause then, as Krish processed the death of his cousin, before delving back into the story of how they ended up here with Abhira demanding Naira's academy from the Goenka family.

“Tumne bilkul sahi kaam kiya hai,” Krish reiterated what the others had already said. “Naira Bua's legacy doesn't deserve to go to waste like this. Unn Goenkas ko koi qadr nahi hai uski, na Naira Bua ke sapno ki.

Sanjay Bansal ke baare mein bhi maine bohot suna hai, and frankly… I don't like that man. I'm sorry, Armaan… I know tum relatives ho, but he doesn't carry himself the way a respectable lawyer should. And I'm 100% sure he will try to pull something. But, don't worry. I'm here. Main bilkul tumhaari side hoon, Abhira. That academy belongs to you, not just morally, but also legally.

Naira Bua had named Akshu the successor, and as Akshu's heir, ab uspe sirf tumhaara haq hai. The Goenkas can say what they want, lekin sach toh yehi hai. Normally, this would have been an open and shut case. Agar 21 dinon mein woh tumhe academy nahi dete, toh court mein yeh case ek din bhi nahi chalta and the judge would have ruled in your favour.

But, sadly… I don't trust Sanjay Bansal to not forge documents. I've heard he's done it before. So, tum yeh mat sochna ki woh court mein itna bada jhooth nahi bolenge, because he's more than capable. Isliye, we have to be ready for a fight. Thankfully, two of the best legal minds in this city are at your beck and call. So, between Armaan & I… I'm sure we'll handle it easily. Tum zyada tension mat lo.”

“Three,” Armaan corrected gently.

“I'm sorry?” Krish looked at Armaan, confused.

“Aapne kaha two of the best lawyers in the city… But hum do nahi, teen hain. Ira is also a very bright lawyer. Uske career ki abhi bas shuruat hi hui hai, but she's already gone toe-to-toe against me in court and won,” Armaan stated, the pride in his voice unmistakable.

“I stand corrected,” Krish smiled. It was starting to make sense… Why everyone adored this man so much. “Three. We'll figure it out, Abhira. Don't worry.”

“Thank you,” Abhira replied.

They talked some more to hammer out more details about the entire process and Krish was pleasantly surprised by Abhira's insights. From what he understood, she had graduated from law school only recently, yet she possessed a clarity of thought that some lawyers took years to master. She had a lot of out of the box ideas which would serve her well as she advanced in her career. After all, the courtroom was a stage and to defeat your opponent, you needed to be on your toes the entire time. Being unorthodox always helped.

“Mujhe Mumma ko innocent prove karna hai,” Abhira stated, once they'd discussed their preliminary strategy, surprising them all.

“Abhira?” Armaan questioned, confused.

Abhira turned to him, a sad smile on her face. “Unn Goenkas ko lagta hai ki Mumma ne Aarohi Aunty ka murder kiya hai. Behave toh woh Ruhi aur Mrs. Goenka waise hi karte hain. Lekin, mujhe sach jaan'na hai. Aur unhe bhi batana hai. Kyunki Mumma duniya mein sab kuch ho sakti hain, lekin murderer nahi. Mujhe yeh tag unke sarr se hatana hai. Uss family ne unhe kabhi sukh se rehne nahi diya, aur ab toh sukh se marrne bhi nahi de rahe. Itne saal beet gaye, but unhone kabhi sach jaan'ne ki koshish nahi ki. Toh theek hai, main hi bata dungi unhe, proof ke saath… Ki Mumma is innocent.”

Armaan gathered Abhira in his arms, rubbing her arms and back in an effort to soothe her. Abhira clung onto him tightly, reciprocating the hug just as fiercely. “Ira, Akshara Maa murderer nahi hai,” Armaan declared. “Yeh baat hum sab jaante hain. Jo bhi hua… It was just an accident.”

“Humaare maan'ne se kya hota hai? Woh sab toh aisa hi sochte haina!” Abhira argued. “And I don't want that. Main unn logon se koi rishta nahi rakhna chaahti, lekin apne aakhri waqt mein bhi Mumma ne sirf unhe yaad kiya… Woh unn sabse kitna pyaar karti thi. Agar woh sab unke baare mein aisa sochte hain, toh Mumma ko shaanti kaise milegi, Armaan? Mujhe yeh karna hai, Mumma ke liye.”

And how could Armaan argue with that? He looked up at Abir & Mishti who both nodded their heads slightly, indicating their support. Abir stepped forward and caressed Abhira's hair in a painfully paternal gesture. “Heera, you're right. Akshu kabhi jaan-boojhke kisi ko hurt nahi karegi. And we should prove her innocent. Jab sab hua tha, I can understand that emotions were running high toh sabne buri tarah react kiya. Lekin ab 22 saal baad bhi kisine yeh sach accept karne ki koshish hi nahi ki hai ki jo hua woh sirf aur sirf ek accident tha. Hum aisa chalne nahi de sakte. Akshu deserves justice.”

“Thank you, Bade Papa,” Abhira replied, looking up from her perch on Armaan's chest. “Mujhe pata tha ki aap meri baat zaroor samjhenge.”

Abir smiled despite himself. So like Abhira to say something that would warm his heart even in the midst of all the pressure. He reached out, squishing Abhira between himself and Armaan, making her laugh. Armaan's grin broadened at the gesture too, an added bonus.

“I'll reach out to my associates in the police force and see what I can do,” Krish added thoughtfully, making Abhira's morale boost higher.

“Thank you so much,” she murmured softly. “Krish… Mamu.”

Krish's eyes widened at the moniker, not having expected such easy acceptance from her. He had thought he would have to work for it, prove to Abhira that he would always support her and love her before she even thought of him as something close to family. But, here she was, accepting him as easy as breathing. All because he had promised to make a few calls. Abhira really did love her mother more than anyone else in the world, it seemed.

He opened his arms for a hug and Abhira stepped out of the cocoon of Armaan & Abir's arms immediately, finding her way into his. “Thank you,” he whispered fervently. “Thank you so much, Abhira.”

They all dispersed after that, leaving Krish alone with Mishti in an upsoken agreement. Before walking out, Abir had a wordless conversation with Mishti, neither of them saying a word but seemingly understanding everything the other was saying. When he was satisfied, Abir left, but not before giving Mishti a tight hug.

Once they were truly alone, Krish broached the topic he'd been wanting to for the entirety of his visit. “Bua, please… Yeh baat Papa se mat chupaiye,” he pleaded. “Mujhe pata hai aap dono ke beech abhi bhi differences hain, lekin Abhira is Naira Bua's granddaughter… She's his granddaughter. He deserves to know about her. Aur… Maa bhi. Jo kuch hua uss waqt Maa aur Papa ki toh shaadi bhi nahi hui thi. Please, aap unn dono se yeh sukh mat cheeniye.

Itne saalon se woh dono Naira Bua aur Kartik Mama ki yaadon ke sahare hi jee rahe the. Akshu ka bhi kabhi koi pata nahi chala… But ab unke paas mauka hai sab sahi karne ka. Please, yeh chance unhe dijiye.

Aur… Abhira bhi toh deserve karti haina ki woh apne poore parivaar ko jaane. Maa aur Papa bhi uss family ka hissa hain. She's a Singhania too, Bua. She will always be one. Please, sirf ek baar.”

Mishti shushed him softly, hugging him. “I know,” she said. “This is Abhira's legacy too. Usse pata hona chahiye ki uski family kaun hai. Mere aur Naksh Bhaiya ke jo bhi differences ho, him and Abhira deserve to meet. Main rokungi nahi. Tum unhe yahaan bula lo, but only if Abhira wants.

Tumse milne na milne ki choice main usse nahi de paayi, kyunki yeh case uske liye bohot important hai. But ab… Har decision uska hai. So, if she's okay, I'm okay. Jaisa woh chahegi, waise hi hoga.”

Mishti had been robbed of a lot of choices in her life. She had vowed that she would never do that with her own kids. A promise that she'd been more or less able to keep her entire life and she was proud of it. Abhira had already suffered a lot in the name of family, but Mishti was trying to make it so that the word family only evoked happy emotions in her. She could see that she was on the right path, and she didn't want to do anything that would set Abhira back. So, the final decision would always be Abhira's. And whatever it was, Mishti would abide by it, no matter what.

Awesome update....love how the story is shaping

Great chapter...the show is just so negative....Abhira deserves better and getting that from this story. Can't wait for Ruhi to see the support from her family side for Abhira...she will again go mad with crazy.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Armaan shook his head fondly, liking the picture that Ramya had just sent in the Rajvansh cousins’ group chat - a lively shot of all the ladies of the house along with Abir, dressed in baby pink pyjamas, all of them grinning into the camera. Abhira was squished between Dhriti and Abir, a wide smile on her face as Dhriti placed a sloppy kiss to her cheek, Abir's arms wrapped around both of them as he laughed.

Coincidentally, all the men were away for a few days on business trips - Kunal was called to put out a metaphorical fire in Red Pear's Calcutta office, Hrishi & Atul were both in Mumbai - Hrishi recording a new song and Atul shooting for an ad, Amish was at a tech conference in Bangalore, Ketan was attending some big fashion show in Delhi, while Shrey had made a trip to Mussourie for an important client. With all of them out of town, the girls had decided to have a slumber party and he was banned from the house for the night. Abir had always been an honorary invitee to these parties, ever since Misha and Amayra had started having them as kids, because of course he was.

Armaan was glad that Abhira was finally finding some respite. The last couple weeks had been a complete whirlwind. Once Krish Mama, as he had insisted Armaan call him, had come over to speak to them, he had also pleaded his case for including his parents and of course, Abhira had agreed. It was followed by another tearful reunion between Abhira and her Bade Mamu, Naksh, Badi Mami, Keerti, and Radhika Mami, Krish Mama's wife.

There was still some frostiness that lingered between Mishti and Naksh, but Armaan could see that she was trying to move on from what had happened, for Abhira's sake if no one else. Abhira had been slightly cold in her reception of Naksh, disliking the fact that Mishti had been treated in a similar way in the Singhania family as her own mother had in the Goenka family.

She had actually been more upset about Mishti's treatment because Mishti had been a teenager when it had happened, and she wasn't even being punished for her own mistakes. She was being punished because of someone else. It had only been when Mishti had calmed her down, making Abhira see that the Singhanias had not blindly abandoned her like the Goenkas had done to Akshu, that they had made sure she found loving parents in her own Badi Maa and Bade Papa, that Abhira had calmed down enough to actually agree to meeting them.

Since then, the Singhania family was trying hard to make it up to both Abhira and Mishti, a fact that heartened Armaan immensely. He knew that forgiveness would not come in a day, but seeing them all acknowledge their mistakes and take steps to make things better soothed his aching heart. He had never seen the elders of a household apologize before, so it was a novel experience for him to see it happen. He knew that no one deserved it more than his silly girl and his Badi Maa, so he was even happier.

However, the reconciliatory atmosphere of the house was marred by the looming shadow of Manish Goenka's impending trial. There had been no communication between the two families in the days since that confrontation, and Abhira spent every moment worried about whether she would have to face that man in court for her grandmother's academy.

Abhira had even reached out to Madhav. She was very insistent about proving Akshara's innocence and was using every resource available to her. Now that everyone knew her connection to the Goenkas, Madhav didn't need any explanation as to why she was doing what she was. He was thankfully very supportive of the endeavour and had promised Abhira to do everything in his power to find out what he could. While his assurances had helped Abhira a little, she was still anxious about the whole thing, running around the city in search of clues. Armaan went on every excursion with her, and he could see how it was taking a toll on Abhira.

On top of that, the sudden distance from Vidya also hurt her. Ever since that fateful day, Vidya had been keeping her distance from Abhira, as had Abhira from her. He understood where Abhira was coming from because he himself was in the same boat. He was extremely hurt by his mother's behaviour and the way she'd expected Abhira to sideline her own feelings for the sake of Rohit and Ruhi. He knew that compromises were a part of life and everyone had to make them. Heck, he had been doing that for most of his life, for the sake of this same family. But, he had never wanted Abhira to sacrifice the way he'd been expected to.

Akshara had raised Abhira in the palm of her hand, always doing her best to give Abhira everything she wanted. Before coming to live with the Poddars, Armaan doubted Abhira even knew what actual compromise looked like, what it felt like to give up your own desires for someone else. Because her mother had never let her give up on her own wishes for anyone. That's how Abhira had been raised, knowing only love and encouragement. After Akshara, it was Armaan's responsibility to give Abhira that life. If he couldn't make Abhira's life better than it had been when she lived with her mother, he also didn't have the right to make it worse.

Especially when Abhira only ever asked for so little. She found ample happiness in something as small as a scoop of ice-cream. She would jump for joy for something as mundane as him feeding her. Truly, all she ever asked for was his support and his love, things he had in extreme abundance, especially for her. If he couldn't stand behind her and let her make her own choices, live the life she wanted the way she wanted, what even was the point of being her partner?

The Poddar family had turned him into a puppet doing their bidding and Abhira had been the one to snap those strings, teach him how to live for himself, do things that he wanted, that made him happy. He'd be damned if he let this family shackle the woman who had given him wings. So, yes… Vidya's disdainful attitude hurt, but he would not let Abhira give up on anything just to appease her.

In the midst of all this familial tension, Abhira was also working to the bone, trying to find her footing in the professional world. Life as a working professional was wholly different than that of a student and she was struggling with it. Armaan and Krish were both trying to help as much as they could, seasoned lawyers that they were, but they could only do so much.

And if all that wasn't enough, he knew that she worried immensely for him as well. Abir & Mishti's offer still lingered in a limbo, Armaan unable to fully commit to it despite how badly he wanted to, as did his deteriorating relationship with Rohit which he did not think would ever get better now that Rohit had discarded the horrors Abhira had faced for the sake of one measly court case. Armaan knew that had he been in Rohit's place, he'd have given up the case in an instant, and would have also made sure that man didn't find representation in the entire city. The startling realization that Rohit would never do for him, what Armaan would do for his brother without second thought was a hurt that he didn't know would ever heal.

In so much tension and pressure, this little slumber party had come as a godsent. While Abhira was getting better about talking to others and sharing her emotions, she still kept so much of herself locked in, so as to not be a burden to anyone. He was sure that she hadn't shared with him, neither with Abir nor Mishti, the full extent of how everything was affecting her. In such a situation, a night of distraction was a welcome respite from the tension of their daily lives. So, even if he wouldn't get to meet her today and spend some time forgetting his own worries in the safety of her arms, Armaan was content that Abhira at least would have fun and not worry about anything.

He didn't even feel like he was missing out because the chat was flooded with pictures. Armaan had been added to the group a couple of weeks ago. It consisted of all the cousins and their spouses and it didn't take him long to realize that the chat was always active no matter what. They were all a bunch of gossips who would send a play-by-play of everything that went on in the family, right from walking in on Amish & Mehr kissing in the kitchen to finding a long forgotten photograph in one of their albums. He wouldn't deny that he loved it. They sure were an entertaining bunch and kept things interesting.

“Kya baat hai, Armaan? Aaj humaare saath khana kha rahe ho? Itni meherbaani kaise?” Sanjay taunted. Armaan was at the dining table for a meal for the first time in months. Earlier, he would eat with Abhira in the outhouse, and after that at the Rajvansh Villa. He hadn't eaten with the Poddars for weeks upon weeks now.

“Socha aap mujhe miss kar rahe honge, Phupha Sa,” Armaan snarked. “Bas isliye.”

“Armaan,” Kaveri cautioned. Armaan rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else. Kaveri watched him intently, trying to parse where things had gone wrong. The boy who couldn't look her in the eye was now openly talking back.

Abhira's presence was making him too bold. Ever since she had come into Armaan's life, he had changed. He had fought with almost every member of the family for her - Kaveri, Sanjay, Rohit, Ruhi, Vidya, and even Kajal. He had not spared a second thought for anyone when it came to that girl. Kaveri didn't understand what magic that girl had woven over Armaan that he was willing to let go off relationships that he had nurtured for decades in the blink of an eye in that girl's defense.

Armaan had broken countless rules of the household, had screamed and shouted, had tried to leave the house… All for that girl. And now, with her family in the picture, somehow he had gotten even bolder. He seemed to have no care for anyone else in the world but that girl and her family. Vidya had told her how Armaan had rebuffed her in favour of Mishti Rajvansh and it made her blood boil. How dare he?

She'd stayed quiet too long and had given him too much leeway, thinking he'd get back on track in a while. But enough was enough. If he wouldn't change his ways, Kaveri would have to do it for him. It was important to show him his place, to remind him that she still held his entire existence in the palm of her hand and could crush it without second thought.

Resolved, she turned to the rest of the family. “Hum sabse kuch baat karna chaahte hain.”

“Jee, kahiya na, Maa Sa,” Sanjay, ever the loyalist, spoke up first.

“Aaj Rohit ne apna pehle case jeeta hai,” she announced. Rohit grinned at the proclamation as everyone at the table burst into applause, even Armaan.

“Aur humaare client, Mr. Khatri, bhi bohot khush hain Rohit ke kaam se,” Kaveri disclosed. Armaan froze at the mention of Khatri's name, his hands stopping mid-clap. Manoj, who was sitting beside Armaan, patted Armaan's knee, trying to comfort his nephew. Armaan turned to him, the question in his eyes clear. Manoj sighed deeply before giving a defeated nod. Rohit had managed to win the case. He had truly given it his best shot and had come out of the courtroom victorious, but a young girl was now homeless because of it. And that vile man had walked off with a smug smile on his face, making Manoj want to scratch his eyes out.

“Jis tarah Rohit ne itni kabiliyat dikhaayi hai, hum usse bohot khush hain,” Kaveri continued, a smirk on her face as she kept her eyes trained on Armaan, gauging every little reaction he had. The news had clearly spooked him. Good, she thought. That would teach him. But, it was not enough. She would shatter that confidence he seemed to have built which was translating into defiance to her.

“Thank you, Dadi Sa,” Rohit murmured. He was unable to look up, knowing that his actions had devastated Armaan. No matter that he was glad for his victory, no matter that he was fighting with Armaan, he still hadn't meant to hurt Armaan and Abhira this way. However, he had already left once, thinking it would be better for Armaan. He couldn't spend his entire life making decisions for Armaan's happiness. It was time to think about his own. He had to prioritize himself and his relationship over Armaan & Armaan’s relationship.

“Humein yakeen hai ki jis tarah Rohit ne aaj case jeeta hai, aage bhi woh aur kayi cases jeetega. Poddar & Associates ka naam aur ooncha karega. Aaj tumne saabit kar diya ki tumhaari ragon mein humaara hi khoom daudta hai, iss Poddar parivaar ka khoon daudta hai. Humein tum par garv hai, Rohit.

Aur… Kyunki tumne itni kabiliyat dikhaayi hai, iska inaam tumhe milna chahiye. Toh hum chaahte hain ki aaj se… Poddar & Associates ke legal head ki position tum sambhalo,” Kaveri announced, shocking the entire family. Armaan had been training for that job since his first day at the firm. He had worked hard for years, proved his mettle, and earned that position. It had been only a couple years ago that Kaveri had trusted him to take that position, after he'd proven himself worthy enough for it. She was handing it to Rohit on a silver platter after one measly win?

Armaan sucked in a sharp breath, his fists clenching tight. He knew this would happen someday, had been preparing for it. He just hadn't anticipated it would happen so soon. Kaveri had never made a secret about how she thought of Rohit as the heir. Armaan was just a placeholder to make sure things were running smoothly till the true scion of the family was ready to step into his role. Yet, it hurt. It hurt deeply to see all his hard work go to waste. No one had toiled harder than him to take Poddar & Associates where it was today. Sanjay had always been too busy with his nefarious schemes and Manoj had been too meek to make the decisions and fight the cases that had given the firm the stature it had today. Armaan had done that. He had given everything to the firm, to the family legacy. Yet, he was being discarded as yesterday's trash.

“Maa Sa… Yeh haq Arm—” Madhav started to protest, wanting to take a stand for his son. But, Vidya held his hand and gestured for him to stop talking, which Armaan noticed even as the walls closed in around him. Madhav gave Vidya an incredulous look but did step back.

For a second, Armaan was disappointed. It hurt to see tangible proof that his mother preferred Rohit over him. It hurt to see his father give up so easily. But then, he realized, he might be disappointed, but he was not surprised. In some corner of his heart, he had expected them to behave exactly like they had. After all, he would always be Vidya's step son, and Rohit would always be her own son. Madhav would always keep quiet and let things play out however they wanted as long as they didn't directly involve him. Sometimes, even when they directly involved him. As his eyes fell on every person in the room, he noticed their expressions ranged from surprised to angry to disappointed, yet no one said a word to contest Kaveri's verdict. He scoffed internally. Armaan had seen this happen since his childhood. So, of course, this wasn't something new. It was on him that he expected better from people who had never once tried to stand up for him.

Rohit, though, was the exception. He was glad. He'd finally found the opportunity he'd been waiting for. If he played his cards just right, he'd get everything - the firm, the position, the power, the love of his wife, and even the endless gratitude of his brother & sister-in-law. Smirking to himself, he decided to go all in, knowing in his heart of hearts, that things would fall in place exactly as he was anticipating.

“Dadi Sa, aapne mujhe itna laayak samjha ki main yeh position sambhalu, uske liye thank you,” Rohit stated, infusing his voice with the appropriate gratitude, but also heartbreak. “Lekin, I'm sorry… Main yeh position accept nahi kar sakta.”

“Rohit, yeh tum kya keh rahe ho?” Kaveri asked. “Woh position tumhaari hai! Tum mana kyun kar rahe ho? Kya ab tum humaari baat bhi nahi maanoge?”

“Aisa nahi hai, Dadi Sa,” Rohit replied. “Aapka har hukum sarankhon par… Lekin main yeh nahi kar sakta. Mujhe pata hai ki mere aur Armaan Bhaiya ke beech kaafi problems chal rahe hain. Jaane-anjaane mein maine unhe bohot sunaya hai, unhe bohot hurt kiya hai. Phir… Ab yeh position leke main unhe aur hurt nahi kar sakta.”

“Rohit, firm ke legal head ki position hamesha se tumhaari hi thi,” Kaveri insisted. “Armaan toh bas usse tab tak sambhaal raha tha jab tak tum iss kaabil nahi bann jaate ki woh position pe baith sako. Lekin aaj tumne saabit kar diya ki tum iske liye tayaar ho.”

Armaan grit his teeth and looked down. He had known. He had always known. Yet, to have it spelled out in black & white hurt more than he had anticipated. He was only valuable enough to be a placeholder, his own identity completely linked to Rohit, in doing what he could for his brother. He was not his own person. He would always be expected to be Rohit's trusty shadow who held him when he stumbled and stepped in to clean his messes. Armaan Poddar had no existence of his own.

“Agar aisi baat hai, toh theek hai,” Rohit answered. “Armaan Bhaiya sirf mere aane tak yeh sab sambhaal rahe the na… Toh main unhe thank you kehna chaahta hoon. Unki saari help, unke saare ehsaan utaarna chaahta hoon. Jab tak main yeh nahi kar leta, main woh position accept nahi karunga.”

“Toh beshak uska shukriya ada kardo,” Kaveri agreed. “Humne kahaan roka hai?”

“Aise nahi, Dadi Sa,” Rohit told her. “Unhone mere liye itna kiya hai, toh ab baari meri hai. Hum sabko pata hai ki woh Abhira Bhabhi se kitna pyaar karte hain. Agar unka bas chalta toh ab tak unki dobaara shaadi ho gayi hoti. Lekin unhone nahi ki, sirf aapke liye, kyunki aap yeh shaadi nahi chaahti.

Lekin, aur kisi ke liye nahi toh mere liye… Please, Abhira Bhabhi ko accept kar lijiye. Aap inn dono ki shaadi kara dijiye. Aur jis din aapne haan kardi, main uss din firm mein position bhi accept kar lunga.”

“Rohit!” Kaveri and Armaan both exclaimed at the same time, listening to his condition. While Kaveri was stumped at the audacity of her grandson to put forth such a demand, Armaan was devastated at the prospect of his marriage becoming a transaction. The most sacred relationship he had, being negotiated for the sake of a hollow chess match, to show who was superior? He would never let that happen. All these people could take their petty egos and their dirty politics elsewhere. He would not allow them to taint his relationship with Abhira for their personal benefits, no matter what he had to do to ensure it.