Socha Na Tha - Abhira SS

#8 - Starved of Love

#8 - Starved of Love

"Are you serious Bade Papa??!!" Arohi almost burst out on Manish, "Aapne kya soch kar Akshu woh sab kaha? 6 mahine wahan phir yahan, what's the point???"

"Beta... shanti se-"

"Aisi koi baat nahi hai jo aap shanti se kahenge toh Akshu sab bhool kar uss ghar ko laut jayegi." Arohi rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Dekhiye Bade Papa aap... Akshu ko Birla house jaane ke liye force mat kijiye, please!"

"Tujhe kyun itni problem ho rahi hai Aaru?" Kairav walked up the steps of the court, right where the rest of his family stood waiting, "Agar Abhimanyu aur Akshara apne rishte ko ek mauka de paye toh achhi baat hui na yeh?"

Arohi gulped. "Ha..haan, lekin Abhimanyu deserve nahi karta."

"Deserve toh tu bhi nahi karti Aaru," Bade Papa replied, "jitne kaarname kiye hain, tu bhi bahut kuch deserve nahi karti lekin ab bhi hai na hum tere saath?"

Bade Papa's reply had shut Arohi up for good. But the possibility of what Manjiri, half of the Birlas and everybody in her family wanted sent a chill down her spine. She knew she had to think quick and act quicker, or stay and suffer in the second place forever. She turned around, in a desperate want to hide her frustration, and fished out her phone to dial a number but stopped when she saw the car of the Birlas entering inside the gates of the civil court.

"Dr. Abhimanyu ne apni baat kaafi clearly rakh di hai," The magistrate smiled at the nervous wrecked face of Akshara, "aur final decision aapke haath mein rakha hai. Now the court wants to know ki aap kya chahti hai," she looked at Akshara with hopeful eyes, "do you... really want the divorce?"

Abhimanyu hung his head and closed his eyes, anticipating an obvious yes to the divorce appeal, but all he received was silence. He opened his eyes and turned his head slightly her side when he heard a gush of uneven breaths from his side, only to find her staring at her fidgety palms under the table.

"Akshara, please jawab dijiye," The magistrate sat confused at Akshara's behaviour, "your decision will be final to the case."

Akshara stole a glance at the magistrate and another one at Abhimanyu, who only stared at her in concern. She clutched her chest. Bade Papa's ears had started to ring in her ears louder than the magistrate's voice, and that is when she realised that she had lost control over her breaths.

Abhimanyu grabbed a glass of water with one hand and held her with another.

"Akshara... calm down, breathe!" Abhi rubbed her back, "Sab theek hai, look at me. Everything is fine..." He tried to make her drink some water but she pushed it away, "Akshara listen to me, please, breathe."

Akshara was clutching her heart and hyperventilating. As much as Abhimanyu tried to calm her down, she only struggled harder for a breath. When Abhi realised that she wasn't even listening to him, he grabbed her arms and pulled her closer.

"Akshu. I. Said. BREATHE!"

Akshara clutched her heart and breathed harder. Every look she gave to a petrified Abhimanyu spoke how much she was struggling to take a breath. Before the magistrate could do as much as rush by Akshara's side, Abhi had put her head over his heart and cocooned her in his embrace.

"Mrs. Akshara, what happened?" The magistrate looked at Akshara in horror, "let me call a doc-"

"I AM A DOCTOR." Abhi almost shouted at the magistrate in panic and turned to Akshara. "Akshu sing. Please!" Abhi kept on caressing her hair and rubbing her back, "Achha, atleast hum."