AbhiRa One-Shots - Mix & Match

13. Second Chance Love

I love you.

The three words spoken by Akshara which had killed any remaining hope left in Abhimanyu Birla. She had been drunk. But as they say, drunk people make for the most honest of confessions.

He knew that confession was meant for her husband, Abhinav Sharma.

But a part of Abhimanyu had still had a trickle of hope that his Akshara was still buried deep inside the façade which the new Akshara was trying to put up.

But alas, those 3 words had broken him.

She was in love with someone else.

She had moved on.

She had said her marriage was just in the name—that Abhinav and her did not have any relationship other than that of Abhir's parents.

But he guessed those lines were going to become blurred now.

She really was moving on.

And he would have to too.

Eventually.

He deserved a second chance at love too. And so did Aarohi. And thus, he would break his marriage off with her. And with Roohi? He'd make her understand that despite him not becoming her father, her "papa", he would still stay her Poppy forever. He was sure she would understand.

His main concern was Abhir. Abhir knew Abhimanyu was his father. Akshara had revealed the truth to him. And that little boy, all of 6 years old had taken it surprisingly well. He had questions –many of them. Most of which Akshara had just told him that she was waiting for the right moment, when he's older and more mature.

But all Abhir had requested was time. Time to spend with him, so he could get to know Abhimanyu as more than just his Doc-Man. He hadn't called him 'Papa' yet, because that word was still reserved for Abhinav but God only knew how much Abhimanyu's ears ached and his heart pained to hear his own son call him 'Papa'. Call him 'Dad'. Anything.

The emotion, the word –the one Abhimanyu Birla had been deprived of for the last 6 years –he wanted nothing more than to hear his own son call him even the slightest annotation of the word 'Father'.

Abhiimanyu Birla was a broken man, tarnished from all edges. He was a sinking boat, and only his son, his glimmer of hope was the one who saved him from drowning. His son was the reason he was still alive. Living...no scratch that. Breathing. His son was the reason he was still breathing.

~*~

Two months had passed since Akshara confessed her love to Abhinav. She had mistakenly confessed her love for Abhinav to Abhimanyu in a drunken state. But then, she had actually confessed her love for him publically, proposing to Abhinav on the day of Muskaan and Kairav's reception.

After which, the Goenkas and Neela Maa had agreed to get Akshara and Abhinav remarried, with all the proper cultural and religious sentiments –happily –with both HImachali and Rajasthani traditions.

Abhinav had asked Abhimanyu to be his Best Man. Abhimanyu had wanted to refuse the request at first. But then he realized that the number one way of 'moving on' in life is to accept the cards life had dealt you and face them.

So he had said yes.

He had watched Akshara get married –happily –in broad smiles and gleeful tears to another man.

And now, they were gone for their Honeymoon.

Manish Goenka had gifted his granddaughter and her husband a month long all-expenses paid vacation to Europe. Akshara had declined the offer at first but then agreed after Manish had told her it was her wedding gift to him.