At Crossroads-AbhiMaan OS/SS/TS💌

5.The Revelation[OS]

An OS Based on the precap as requested 🏵️

Abhira lay sprawled across the burning footpath, her body ablaze with an intensity higher than the forty degrees of the scorching sun-for her,baking herself to death or having a street animal tear her flesh apart was better than letting the mercilessly false accussations flunged at her mamma ring her ears,scarring and terrorising her entire being. As painful tears streamed down her face,they mingled with the sweat that coated her skin and made it more difficult for her to breathe. Her vision blurred as more tears spilled over, staining the concrete beneath her. That's when she heard his voice before her eyes shut close-even that voice which calmed her soul and lifted her spirits failed today,the heartbreak being stronger than anything else in this world.

"Abhira,utho abhira. Aankhein kholo. Kya hua tumhein Abhira,please aankhein kholo nah. Aiseh-aiseh d-darao math mujhe. Tumha-are pairon mein k-kaanch laga hain" Armaan with a quivering voice scooped her up in his arms and sat with a thud on the nearby bench,removing the glass pieces from her feet. He hissed in pain as he did that,not out of the blood that oozed out of the sharp edges pricking his fingers too, but because her beautiful bare feet,those which hopped & skipped around the entire house at all times of the day,now bled and pricked his heart. He kissed her bruised feet gently,as if scared to hurt her more and wrapped them with her dupatta to prevent the bleeding. 

"Kuch nahi hone doonga tumhein. Kuch bhi nahin."He picked up his pace clutching her in his shaky arms and ran as fast as he could to reach home within five minutes,which were no less than an eternity to him.

"Armaan,kya hua meri bachchi ko?Ye aiseh is haal mein? Kahan mili tumhein yeh!" Vidya gasped in horror and rushed to grab the first aid box to clean her wounds as Armaan gently lowered her down to lay her on the sofa and sprinkled water on her face, rubbing her chest and palms frantically.

.

Abhira soon woke up with a jerk and clung tightly to Armaan like a small child,not wanting to let go of him. He caressed her hair,kissing her head and asked in a soft voice,"Kya hua Abhira,apne khadusmaan ko nahin bataogi,sabse achcha dosth hoon nah main tumhara,sab share karti ho nah mujhse tum?"

Abhira was shuddering,her face buried in his chest,her head vigorously shaking left to right and her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe,with words barely escaping her throat in a shrill pitch-"Ar-ar-m".

As her cry was loud enough to gather all the family members to witness the chaos,he was alarmed. He understood what was about to happen,he had been a victim of those since childhood. Those horrifying and vicious panic attacks, those which snatched a good night's sleep from him often.He couldn't let anyone else see her in that state,never,knowing that she would be guilty and embarrassed the next day for it,like he used to be despite no fault of hers! Only he had the right to see her in a state so raw, bruised and battered,her vulnerability exposed. Nobody else.

He leapt upstairs towards their room,abhira still clinging onto him, her legs wrapped tightly around his torso. He sat on the bed and carefully peeled her away from himself,though she was still seated in his lap and gazed straight into her dark brown orbs as though attempting to decipher the secret they held.

"Akshara ma'am ke barre mein hain nah?"

"T-tum-hein k-"

"Shh..paani peeyo" As she hiccuped, he continued to rub and caress her back while forcing her to take sips of the water. As soon as she finished, he put it away, kissed her forehead tenderly, then made his way to her puffy eyes and kissed each of her eyelids. Then, he took hold of her palms firmly and said, "Tumhein main tumse zyaadah jaanta hoon. Isliye tumhari aankhon se tumharein chote se dimag mein chal rahein khyalon ko parakh leta hoon. Ab batao kya hua? Kisine kuch kaha tumhein?Ghar mein kuch hua?"

"T-Tumhein yaadh hain p-parna-I mean Ruhi ke BNanu apni ek beti ki baat karte rehte the jo saalon pehle unse door ho gayin thi"

"Haan. Toh? Tum jaanti ho unhein?"

"W-Woh meri mamma thi"

"What? Kya par kaise?"

"Aaj teeno goenkas m-mujhe ph-photo studio ke bahaar mile. Baees saal phle goenkas ne meri mamma ko pr-pregnancy k-ke time par ghar se nikaal diya tha m-mere bade bhaiya ke saath"

"Kya?Kyon?T-Tumhein tumhare bhai se milna hoga nah?Dekhna hoga unhein? Kahaan hain woh abhi? Koi phone number,naam,pata?"

"Chale gaye woh. Papa ke baad,Mamma se bhi pehle. Star ban gaye. Mamma papa ke paas hi hain ab woh. Khush honge nah? Sh-shayad unka intezar khatam ho gaya tha. Unhein mamma ki zaroorat mujhse zyadaah thi.S-shayad isilye mamma ko jaana pada. Mujhe chodh ke. Hamesha ke liye. U-Unki diary mein jis miracle baby ko woh miss kar rahin thi woh mere bhaiya hi the. Abhir bhaiya"

"I-I'm sorry Abhira. I didn't mean to-"

"Goenkas ne bola ki mamma ne meri maassi, yaane Ruhi ki matashree ko maar daala. Tum hi batao Armaan,kya meri mamma kabhi aisah kar sakti hain? Doosro ko insaaf dilane wali,sabse itna pyaar karne vali kisiko maar sakti hain? Apni us behen ko jinpar woh apni jaan chidhakti thi? Jinka zikr unki diary mein sabse zyaadah baar kiya gaya hain?"

"Zaroor koi misunderstanding huyi hogi Abhira. Akshara ma'am aiseh kabhi nahin kar sakti hain. Never. Unhonein mere liye,ek ajnabee ke liye apni jaan dedi. Aisah soch bhi kaise sakte hain woh log ma'am ke baare mein? Apni hi beti ke baare mein? Main papa se keh kar kuch pata karvata hoon. Tum please rona bandh kar do. Mere liye. Please?"

After he calmed Abhira down and was about to leave for Madhav's office,Abhira pulled him towards herself and gave him a light kiss on his cheek,and he looked up at her in surprise as she blushed and turned to the other side.

"Yeh kisliye?"

"Thankyou sab cheezon ke liye. Mujhe aajkal tum bohoth achche lagne lage ho Khadus Kumar"

"Main bhi tumhein yahin kehna chaha raha tha stationery ki dukaan" saying this,Armaan rushed out of the room in a fast speed to avoid the glare from her while caressing his cheek,on the other hand Abhira shut her eyes tight in embarassment as a shy smile adorned her red face,butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

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