Nobody's daughter ~ Yrkkh Musings

2.2 Ways to kill a mortal~ Abhira x Armaan

Vidya could feel the history repeating itself, just that in this version the characters had changed, her own son and daughter in law were the traitors, but still the people she had put her faith in. She sat on the sofa with a thud, briefly looking at her husband's guilt ridden face, and she wondered if he could now see the glimpses of all his mistakes and betrayals in Armaan, the way she saw them staring right back at her when the truths bombs about Armaan and Ruhi's relationship were dropped. And it was Manisha who found out, Ruhi's doodling of her name with Armaan's. And the moment they returned back home from Mussoorie, she didn't wait for a second before she confronted her in front of the entire family, and it was only a matter of a few loud and triggering questions, and Ruhi spilled everything, how Armaan led her on and continues to do so, how they have always been in love with each other. For a moment it all felt like a nightmare, it seemed unreal.

"Even Armaan wants to get rid of Abhira. Woh apni family se dur ho raha hai... only because of Abhira. I took the divorce papers because I understand his dilemma, he feels responsible for Abhira and he would feel guilty about leaving her but the truth is he wants to be with me, he even went to the temple with me to carve the eternal mark of his genuine feelings for me."

And throughout Ruhi's whining and confession, Vidya couldn't bear to look at Armaan because it would only make her resent his face, his blood, after all the apple doesn't fall too far away from the tree. Betrayal and unfaithfulness was etched in his soul. But this was the child she brought up, the child she fed with love, the child who knew of her miseries and her grief, would he commit the sin of putting another woman through the same pain he has hated his father for putting her through?

Pain...Vidya glanced at Abhira, but her demeanor gave away nothing. She stood there like a shell of herself, blankly staring at her feet. It scared Vidya. It scared her to think how this might kill Abhira's spirit, her innocence, her hopes and her faith. Life has been harsh enough on her and neither did this family treat her as their own. Maasa loved Ruhi, but would she let that cloud her judgement and allow this injustice against Abhira? Vidya didn't know, with all that was happening, she didn't know if she could trust anybody in the family to understand her, not even herself.

So in the heavy quietness that weighed the giant halls of th Poddar mansion, she stood up, knowing how everybody's eyes followed her in anticipation, and she silently stood beside Abhira, enveloping her hand in hers, as a symbol of her her unwavered support. She gently kept a hand on Abhira's cheek, prompting her to look up.

But Abhira kept her eyes closed. Vidya didn't know how she understood, but she did, she could feel the panic and grief that Abhira was feeling and she could feel her need to keep her gaurds up. And Vidya didn't blame her for her lack of belief in this family to do the right thing, It was a coping mechanism perhaps, because grief is a house where nowhere protects you, and Abhira had lost the one person capable of bringing her out of these shackles.

"Look at me Abhira, you don't have to hide" Vidya whispered softly. And what stared back at her was more heart wrenching than her tears would have been. It's like there was a void, a distant darkness that has shrouded her warm, kind eyes, as if she was disassociating herself from the pain, as if her spirit had travelled a distance away from her body leaving behind a hollowness difficult to decipher.

"It's too late. Everybody go back to your rooms, we will have this discussion tomorrow", Kveri said in her usual stoic manner.

"Not today Maasa, there won't be anymore skeletons in the closet. No more of pushing the matters under the rug. For the women of this house, the ground is only stable, till they kneel. And Abhira won't kneel, I won't let her." Vidya was rigid with her stand.

"What do you think of me Vidya? What do you imply? I will decide on the matter tomorrow. And I will be fair. I need time to think."

"This entitlement is what I am talking about Maasa. Who are we to decide? This is Abhira's life."