At Crossroads-AbhiMaan OS/SS/TS💌

4.2 Rabt

6 days ago

Abhira sat on the floor at the edge of her bed in the musty hostel room, staring at the photograph in her hands blankly with dead eyes.

"Main aa rahi hoon mamma. Aapke paas. Papa ke paas. Lawyer tohh ban gayi main mamma, par shayad ek aisi insaan nahin ban payi jo kisi ke pyaar ke laayak ho. Main bohoth buri hoon nah mamma,main ek family,rishte,pyaar deserve nahin karti. Armaan se pyaar ho gaya hai mamma mujhe. Mujhe pata hi nahin chala ki dekhte hi dekhte kaise woh mere jeene ki vajah ban gaya,kab ye naam ki shaadi se mera ek benaam rishta sa jud gaya uske sath. Jab uski aankhon mein dekhti hoon nah main,poora universe dikh jaata hai maano. Jab woh paas hota hain nah,I feel safe. Uski awaz sune bina maano din adhoora sa lagta hain,jab wo door hota hain toh bohoth bechaini see ho jaati hain. Par mamma usne tohh hamare rishte ka lihaaz hi nahin kiya. Dosti ke rishte ka bhi nahin. Mujhe shuru mein hi kyon nahin kaha usne kuch mamma? Kya main uske bharose ke laayak bhi nahin thi?

Lekin main kitni bhi buri kyon na hoon,aap tohh meri mamma ho nah,aap tohh mujhe hamesha pyaar karoge nah. Sabse zyaadah pyaar. Bhagvanji se kaho ki mujhe mere is lonely life se riha kar dein..I'm coming..I-I can't take it anymore..bohoth dard ho raha hain mujhe.. Bohoth zyaadah"

The ache in her heart was too much to bear,the way her trust had been shattered and her loyalty mocked was brutal. It was all over for her. With a shaky hand, she reached for the bottle of painkillers and the blade in her travel pouch. Without any hesitation or fear evident on her face,she ran the blade deep around her wrist swiftly and then swallowed a handful of tablets, gulping them down with the water. Within minutes, dizziness overtook her. Her vision began to blur and her head started to spin,she actually felt peace after hours of mental anguish as she slowly drifted farther and farther away from reality.

7 days ago

"I love you Armaan. Ham Abhira ko apna sach batayenge tohh woh tumhein divorce dedegi nah. Waiseh bhi tum dono ki shaadi sirf ek saal ki deal hi tohh hain."

"Main tumhein tumhara pyaar,tumhari khushiyaan,tumhari zindagi lautaoonga. Par Ruhi tumhein samajhna hoga. Reality ko accept karna hoga. Kab tak door bhaagti rahogi tum sachchai se?We were never meant to be. It-It was just an infatuation,an attraction. Nothing else. Tumhari khushiyan mere saath nahin hain Ruhi. Tumhein apni khushiyaan khud dhoondhani hongi. Main tumhari madad karoonga usme. Yeh ek retreat centre ka number hain. Tum yaahan jao. Apni life restart karo. Is rozmarra ki zindagi se bahaar niklo."

"Par Armaan. Tum kehte the ki main tumhari priority hoon,tum bhi mere liye feel karte ho. Ek parayi ladki ke aane se tohh tumhare tevar hi badal gaye Armaan Poddar"

"Maine aisa kabhi nahin kaha Roohi. Tum mere liye zaroori ho,meri achi dost ho. Sirf isliye kyonki maine bhi tumhein dard diya hain aur tum mere Rohit ki biwi ho. Ek baat kaan khol ke sun lo aur yaad rakho, Abhira meri legally wedded wife hai aur ab mera pyaar,mera junoon,meri zindagi bhi aur tumhein koi haq nahin hain ki tum meri sabse keemti amaanat ko is nazariye se dekho aur uske baare mein is tarah se bolo. Remember that!"

Armaan stormed off to his bedroom in range and gasped in horror seeing the condition of the room. The peaceful room,his only solace was now a shambles because the one who made his room his little universe was nowhere to be seen. He sprinted out and searched every nook and cranny for her,but no! She was gone! Maybe forever. He returned to his room and slumped down with the bits of the placard and the broken pieces of the ceramic mug all around him,mocking at the disorderedness of his life at that moment. He gently picked a broken mug piece with a broken smile and licked it,his heart devouring the taste of the cake she'd made for him; and then,like an eccentric man he hurried the pieces of the paper placard together,no matter how infinitely small they were to read what he feared was written on it.

'My dear Khadus kumar Armaan,pyaar ho gaya hai tumse. Kya karu?Ab woh contract jala doon?'

Present

Tears streamed down his cheeks, leaving wet trails on her skin, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything but holding on to her, refusing to let go even as the doctors warned him that she might not make it.Armaan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his muscles aching from the strain of being iin the same position for so long. He was afraid that if he let go even for a moment, she might slip away from him forever. All of a sudden,he was jolted awake from his thoughts by the sound of her name being called. 

"Mrs Abhira Poddar"

"What is it?" he whimpered with fear. "Is she?"

"Nothing to worry Mr Poddar. She's starting to respond to some of our tests,her vitals are stabilizing. Ham inhe ICU mein shift kar rahe hain. Aapki duaaein sun li gayi hain,aapki wife ke survival chances zyadaah ho gaye hain"

A nurse led them to the new room, where she was hooked up to even more machines than before,making him feel more guilty and ashamed of himself. He sighed and then leaned in close to her ear. "Hey, beautiful," he whispered. "Uth jao please. Marr jaoonga agar tumhein kuch ho gaya tohh. Please jaan. Please"

He sat down in the chair beside her bed, but despite his fatigue, he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. He wanted to be there when she woke up. He took her limp hand in his own, feeling the warmth of her skin against his after hours of it being akin to frozen meat. "I'm sorry Abhira. Main tumhara sabse bada gunehgaar hoon."He leaned in close to her, and pressed his lips on her forehead. "I love you," he whispered. "I'll always love you. And no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. I'm sorry baby" He held his breath, waiting for some sign that she could hear him, that she was fighting her way back. But all was still and quiet,much to his dismay.

.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Abhira's eyelids fluttered open,"Pani"she managed to whisper with a hoarse voice which was no less than a music to his ears. As he helped her sit up and made her drink the water,he looked at her with moist ,guilty eyes.

"Kyon kiya Abhira tumne ye sab. Tumhein kuch ho jaata tohh.  Main khud ko kabhi maaf nahin kar pata. Marr jata main. Aiseh koi karta hai kya?"he cried bitterly,clasping her palm tightly in his and kissing it until she flinched.

"Kyon aaye Armaan? Jab tum jaante ho tumhare paas hone se meri rooh zinda mehsoos karti hai! Marr jane dete mujhe,kaun hai mera yahaan?"

"Shh! I know main bohoth bada idiot hoon,tumhara bhb-best hair boy is the worst lb-loverboy. Par ek chance please."

"Not when you are in love with Ruhi! I heard you both."

"I gave her a reality check jaan,tumne poori baat nahin suni kya?"Armaan with a surprised expression on his face,narrated the entire incident to her,earning a soft giggle from her.

"Haww. Itni sari painkillers aur mera keemti khoon dono waste ho gaye"

"Hatt pagli. The cake was good waiseh"

"Chee you ate it from the floor? Yuck!"

"I'll even worship the floor you walk on now. Tohh kya problem hain?"

"Hmm. Mr Khadus Kumar knows that romance is a thing!"

🏵️🏵️🏵️