The Exchange

Attacks

"Harsh, yeh family drama band karo..." Mahima said, rolling her eyes. 

"Aur Abhimaniyu tum...yeh sab Akshara ne tumhe bataya aur tum ne vishwash karliya? Yeh ek saal us Kunal aur uski behen ke saath rahi hai...kya tumhe yeh nahi jaan na ki usne kiya kya wahan pe? Aur Abhimaniyu logon ka socho...woh sab bhi poochen ge na...aur hum kya jawab denge? Kya yeh sab tumhe believable bhi lag raha hai?" 

"TAIJI", Abhi roared, pushing Akshu behind his back, but not letting go of her hand, feeling her entire body tremble. 

"Taiji agar aaj aap ne kuch aur bola na toh mein..."

Before he could finish, Harsh walked towards Mahima and said, "Bhabhi yeh sab aap kya bol rahi hain...aap ne sunha nahi? Akshara ne yeh sab humare Abhimaniyu kilye kara hai...please bhabhi..." 

With that, Anand walked beside his wife, telling Harsh not to question her and to remember his place in this house...Mahima was older than him and she had every right to ask whatever she wanted. As the screaming, the yelling, the shouting got louder and louder, Abhi felt his Akshu's hand start to tremble more and more. He heard her breaths escaping her, he felt her panic attack approaching... and he pulled her into his arms, telling her to breathe, whispering that he loved her in her ears..."Akshu...saans lo...Akshu, meri jaan...I love you...Akshu I love you...please Akshu saans lo..." 

Seeing his daughter in this state, Manish could no longer keep his cool. He told all of the Birlas to shut up...he told them that he did not want to hear a single word beyond what they had already said...he told them that under no circumstances would he let her stay here...that she did not belong in this family, and he should have never agreed to this marriage. He told them that she deserved so much better...and that he would make sure that she got everything she deserved in life...

With that, he grabbed her arm, telling Abhi to let her go. 

"Abhimaniyu...Akshara ko chodo...woh wapis humare saath jaa rahi hai...aur aaj mujhe koi kuch nahi bolega...Abhimaniyu...please let go..." 

But the harder Manish pulled on her arm, the harder she clutched onto Abhi, digging her face into his chest, submerging her entire being into him, finding her solace, her peace... 

"Bade papa, aap dekh nahi sakte kya? Aap apni beti ka dard nahi dekh sakte? Usko kahi nahi jana hai...aur I'm sorry bade papa liken aap meri wife ko kahin nahi leke ja sakte..." Abhi said sternly, trying to maintain his calm...knowing that the more angry he got, the more scared Akshu would get. 

"Abhimaniyu...I said let her go...", Manish said again, unwilling to take no for an answer.

"Bade papa...please..bade papa...", Akshu gasped in between her breaths... "Mujhe Abhi ke pas rehna hai...please bade papa..."

"Akshara, beta...apne ghar chalo..." 

"Bade papa...yahi mera ghar hai....", she gasped... 

"Bade papa, aap sun rahe ho na woh kya bol rahi hai...bade papa, stop it...bade papa, JUST LEAVE..." Abhi shouted, no longer able to see Akshu in this state, no longer able to tolerate the chaos going on around him, no longer able to tolerate what it was doing to her.... 

And with that, he picked his wife, his life up in his arms and walked towards the stairs, carrying her to their room...the room that had been barren for the past year....the room that had seen no light since she left...the room that was desperate for her arrival...the room that would finally be whole again.