If Knowledge is Power, Knowing What You Don't Want to Know is Wisdom. Aarohi's always been intelligent. As a child, she was an academic prodigy, consistently winning awards for her school at competitions. As a student, she excelled. Was she wise? Not until this Christmas.
The Birla Hospital's Christmas party for children was vivacious and magical. Vansh, as Santa Claus, amused the children while the elders merrily chatted amongst themselves, and the dance floor was in full swing. Abhimanyu's attention was locked on Akshara the moment she entered, in her moss green ball gown. Merry Christmas, he thought to himself as he watched giggle and play with the kids.
Before he could approach her, Haider stole her away for a dance (https://pin.it/6nxklup). Ye yahan kya kar raha hai (what is he doing here)?
"You invited him when you invited the Goenka family," Neil said. "And yes, you said that out loud."
Abhimanyu slipped onto the dance floor with Aarohi on his arm before Neil could start his lecture. Too can play that game, Abhimanyu thought as he seethed.
Aarohi was excited when Abhimanyu offered to dance with her without any prompting from their families. She thought their relationship was moving forward. She thought he was interested in her. But he wasn't. His grip on her waist was loose and indifferent. The veins in his neck were poking out. His blazing eyes wandered everywhere except her face until they stopped. She peeked over her shoulder to find the object of his fixation. Akshara. No. Not just Akshara. He was staring at Akshara and Haider.
It dawned on her. He was bitter because Akshara was dancing in Haider's arms. "You're still in love with her," she concluded.
"What?"
"You're still in love with her," she repeated as she stepped away from him and blocked his view of Akshara and Haider. "She's smiling and dancing because of Haider, and that bothers you because you don't have that right anymore," she continued.
"What rubbish"
"It's not rubbish. It's jealousy. You're jealous because you still have feelings for her. How?" She asked.
"What do you mean how?"
"She rejected you multiple times and humiliated you in front of your family. "Aarohi bit her lip before continuing. With everything happening, everything she knows about Akshara's feelings, it's becoming harder and harder for her to lie. "I'm the one who brought you home after the fire, and yet you're still in love with her. How?"
"Loving her reminds me I'm alive. She can hurt me, and she does, but I gave her that right, that power. And I don't know how to take that privilege back."
I don't want to take it back; she read between the lines.
Aarohi let out a small chuckle as tears started brimming. She felt like Sisyphus when he was laughing at the absurdity of his existence. He's never going to let me in, she thought.
"Aarohi, I told you this marriage would be a compromise-"
"Dr. Aarohi, Mahima Ma'am wants to see you in her office." Abhimanyu was interrupted by a junior doctor (yes, that junior doctor).
"Can't you see we're in the middle of something," Abhimanyu tried to scare him off. Usually, one look from Abhimanyu would send him the opposite direction, but today he just lowered his head and waited for Aarohi's response. Aaj Akshara beech mein nahi hai to Abhimanyu ka gussa kaam hai aur junior doctor ki jaan ko khatra nahi hai (Today, the matter doesn't involve Akshara, so Abhimamyu isn't as daunting or murderous).
