Socha Na Tha - Abhira SS

#7 - The Divorce

#7 - The Divorce

Finger tapping on the wooden table. Shaking feet. Shifting uncomfortably on his seat.

The judge noticed every bit of Abhimanyu's behaviour as he not-so patiently waited for Akshara in front of the magistrate, for a decision that would change the course of his life.

And like a light gust of wind brushing the scruff of his neck, he felt her presence. Light footsteps approaching the door, Abhimanyu turned his head in a swift. And there stood his everything, with her toes curled and fists tightly clutching the folder in her hands. She was clearly petrified.

The lady judge followed Abhi's gaze and found Akshara standing still at the door.

"Mrs. Akshara Birla?"

Akshara jumped on her feet. The magistrate's words dropped her heart to her stomach.

This was the last time someone called her Akshara Birla.

"Please come in." The magistrate smiled at Akshara and pointed to the empty seat next to Abhimanyu's.

Akshara walked in and sat next to him as normally as she could show herself to be, as if the turbulence behind her façade wasn't breaking her walls down. As if her Bade Papa's words wasn't creating a havoc in her head.

As if Abhimanyu sitting right next to her as her husband for probably the last time in their lives wasn't making her heart thunder out of its chest.

"Glad you both are here. Let's start with the divorce proceedings?"

Akshara and Abhimanyu glanced at each other. Their eyes gave away in an instant, but Akshara chose to look away first.

"Yes." Akshara looked ahead, "Aaj hum... dono yahan hai," She stole a quick glance at the man sitting next to her. "faisla bahot pehle le liya gaya tha, aaj bas... uspe mohar lagana baaki hai."

Abhimanyu closed his eyes in defeat, and a lone tear rolled down his cheek. He had indeed irreplaceably lost his everything with a hasty decision made in fury.

"Well, let's see." The magistrate took her pen and began to note, "So, kitna waqt hua hai aapki shaadi ko?"

Akshara and Abhimanyu looked stole glances.

Akshara heaved a sigh. "Ek saal."

"Galat." Abhimanyu dared not look to his side, "Ek saal, 2 mahine, 17 din."

The magistrate raised a brow at Abhimanyu's specificity while Akshara snorted.

"Interesting." The magistrate nodded, "Ek saal se zyada hogaya hai aapki shadi ko, aap dono ne kitni baar ek dusre ko samajhne ki koshish ki?"

"Kisi ne mauka hi nahi diya." Abhi let out a chuckle, "Na saath rehne ka, na kuch samajhne ka."

"Mauka usey diya jaata hai jispe bharosa na kiya ho." Akshara's voice came out as a mere whisper loud enough for both to hear, "Jab laut kar aayi thi toh poora yakeen tha, koi aur samjhe na samjhe... ek hai jo mujhe zaroor samjhega." She chuckled dryly, "Bas wahi nahi samjha."

Abhi gulped a lump. Tears swelling his eyes gave away the turbulence in his heart but not a word did he dare to let escape his throat. Akshara revealing a little of her buried agony was all that Abhi needed to chug down his entire grief with a smile.

Oblivious to the two, the magistrate kept on observing the change in their expressions with slight bemuse whenever she asked them anything. There was something that hinted her a totally different story than what she read on their files. She observed them enough to understand that all they needed was each other's support, and she knew she had to help them understand that. It was her work after all, to push a divorce-seeking couple into reconciliation as long as she could see even 10% hope.