Akshara tried to talk to Abhimanyu all week. Tried to grab a moment with him alone so she could justify herself, quash his hostility, but it didn't happen. He didn't actively avoid her - he wouldn't change paths if he saw her in the hallway or request someone else handle cases she was involved in. He just looked right through her. His indifference irked her the most. Before, his eyes made her feel alive, made her feel seen. Now, she felt as if she didn't exist.
Where words fail, music speaks. This was her last chance, she thought to herself before strumming the first chord. Abhimanyu, along with the Birla clan, the Goenka's, patients, and some hospital staff, were the audience of her New Year's performance in the hospital wing.
Tujhe chaha Rabb se bhi zyada
Tujhe chaha Rabb se bhi zyada
Phir bhi na tujhe paa sake
Rahe tere dil mein magar
Teri dhadkan tak na jaa sake
Akshara's voice was renowned for its' melodious and sweet sound. Whoever had the pleasure of listening to her was transported into the field of pastel flowers and soft sunrays.
That night, the girl on the mike was not the gentle princess everyone cherished but a wounded tigress. The anguish in her heart radiated through her raspy voice.
Judke bhi tooti rahi ishqe di dor ve
Kisko sunaaye jaa ke toote dil ka shor ve
His was the only face in the crowd she cared for. The tears that threatened to slip were just for him. She was just for him.
Maahi ve mohabbatan sachiyan ne
Mangda naseeba kujh hor ae
It was stifling in that crowd. The sympathetic looks were aggravating, but Akshara's tears he couldn't stand. Maat saato mujhe ase. Tum jaante ho main tumhe ase nahi dekh sakta (Don't torture me like this. You know I can't see you in pain).
His apathetic mask couldn't hold its own in that room, so he fled to his office. To his misfortune, Akshara's voice followed him there. It wasn't as potent, but it was there.
"Agar bura na maano, toh main kuch keh sakti hoon (If you don't mind, can I say something)?" Aarohi's voice struck him. Abhimanyu didn't expect anyone to follow him. When it came to Akshara, he was a volatile bomb whose explosion would spare no one. He fell to his chair and steadied his breathing.
She took his silence as permission. "Uski galati nahin hai. Jo kuch hua, meri wajah se hua. Toh usko saza maat do (She's not at fault. I'm responsible for everything that happened. So, don't punish her)."
Abhimanyu huffed, but she still continued.
"People say 'you can't see your reflection in boiling water, just like you can not see the truth in a state of anger. When the water calms, the clarity comes.' I spent my life staring at the smoke and haze of fire. That fire was Akshara. Our entire lives, she drained herself for me. Tum kab uska hissa ban gaya, usse pata hi nahi chala. Aur apne saath, usne tumhe bhi jaala diya, unjaane mein (She didn't know when you became an extension of herself. Unknowingly, she burnt you along with her). She thought the flames would light my dark soul, not recognizing that all it did was cloud my judgement. I didn't look beyond the fire to acknowledge the favours, privileges, and sacrifices my sister made. She was a kid just like me, yet I blamed her for our mother's death, belittled her, and pushed her away until she forgot to live life for herself. But we're trying."
"Dr. Aarohi, I don't care about your relationship with your sister. I'm glad everything's okay with you guys, but this has nothing to do with me," Abhimanyu slammed his desk.
"It has everything to do with you. If you want to love her, then you have to know her. You have to listen to what she says and see her for who she is. She's broken Abhimanyu. I know that because I ruined her the most. Don't penalize her for acting out of trauma."
Abhimanyu was agitated. His breathing was manic, and his hands were trembling.
"Dr. Aarohi, you're here to work, not to discuss personal matters."
"My last shift at this hospital ended an hour ago, so nothing is stopping me from having this conversation with you. And I'm not the only one. Abhimanyu, in the next few days, people will come to you and plead her case. Haider and Maya are going to see you before they leave. Bade Papa will put his self-respect aside and try to talk to Harsh Uncle for your marriage, but none of that matters until you give each other a chance."
Cheers erupted in the hospital, and fireworks boomed in the city as the clock hit 12. "Happy New Dr. Abhimanyu. Umeed hai ki iss naya saal mein tum tumhare aur Akshara ki rishte koi ek nayi shurvat donge (I hope you and Akshara start afresh in this new year). I'm sorry once again." Aarohi left Abhimanyu to rejoin her family.
Akshara and Abhimanyu felt more alone than ever in a building full of hundreds of people. A new year was beginning, yet the two were lost in their past and submerged in their heartache.
Happy New Year Abhimanyu, Akshara gazed at the stars.
