Closure

5. A Big Mess

When Akshu saw that Abhi had finally drifted off to sleep, she gently slid her palm out of his grip. With a tender smile, she pulled the quilt over him, ensuring he was warm and comfortable. Leaning down, she placed a soft peck on his forehead and whispered, "Good night." She quietly turned off the light and left the room.

Descending the stairs, Akshu immediately sensed the change in the atmosphere. Eyes followed her every move, and the hushed murmurs made her heart race with anxiety. She saw people glancing at their phones and then back at her, their expressions a mix of curiosity, judgment, and shock. Her phone buzzed with a notification, and when she looked, she saw the picture of her and Abhi in the room, their intimate moment now exposed for all to see.

Her heart sank as she realized the implications. Frozen in place, she couldn't comprehend how this private moment had been turned into a public scandal. Swarna, approached her and grabbed her hand. "It's time to leave. Let's go," she said firmly, guiding Akshu away from the prying eyes and whispers.

The Goenkas left the party in a hurry, their exit swift and silent. The ride home was tense and silent, with everyone deep in their own thoughts. Once they reached home, Manish began pacing back and forth, his face a mask of anger and betrayal. Akshu stood in the middle of the room, tears streaming down her face.

Manish finally stopped and faced her. "Who are you? And what did you do to our Akshu?" he demanded, his voice filled with a mixture of hurt and anger.

"Bade Papa..." Akshu began, her voice breaking.

Manish cut her off. "You have been lying to us this entire time? Meeting that boy behind our backs? Isn't it? Don't say no. Actually, it doesn't matter anymore what you say because I do not trust you anymore. And I feel saying anything to you is pointless as you've decided to defy us all."

He then signaled to the others, "Let's go to our rooms." One by one, the family members left, casting lingering looks of disappointment and confusion at Akshu.

Left alone in the living room, Akshu felt the weight of their judgment and the enormity of the situation pressing down on her. She sank to her knees, the tears she had been holding back now flowing freely.

The next morning, Abhi woke up in the hotel room, his head throbbing and his memories of the previous night a hazy blur. He glanced around, trying to piece together the events. Neil, who had stayed over to watch over him, handed him a glass of water and some aspirin.

"Here, Bhai, take these," Neil said, his voice gentle but firm.

Abhi took the pills gratefully. "What happened last night? The last thing I remember is being at the bar."

Neil hesitated for a moment before showing Abhi his phone. "This happened." He displayed the leaked photograph of Abhi and Akshu in an intimate embrace.

Abhi's heart sank as he realized the magnitude of the situation.

Neil explained, "Arohi must have taken the picture and leaked it. The image spread like wildfire among the guests, and now everyone knows."

Abhi's immediate reaction was to call Akshu. But her phone was unreachable. He tried get up and rush to Akshu. "She must be going through hell. I need to be there for her."

Neil quickly stood in his way. "Bhai, I don't think it's a good idea to go to the Goenkas right now. You're not welcome there, and turning up now will only make things worse."

"Neil, she's in distress. I will lose my mind if I can't be there for her." Abhi said, his voice full of desperation.

"Ok, lose your mind, but lose it here," Neil said, placing a reassuring hand on Abhi's shoulder. "I know you want to help her, but turning up there will be the opposite of that. You have to give her some space and time."

Abhi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew Neil was right, but the thought of Akshu suffering alone tore at his heart. "You're right, Neil. But I need to find a way to let her know I'm here for her."

Neil nodded. "We'll figure something out. For now, try to rest and clear your head. You can't help her if you're not thinking straight."

Abhi reluctantly agreed, knowing that his presence at the Goenka house would only escalate the situation. He sat back down, his mind racing with thoughts of Akshu and how to reach out to her without causing more trouble.

Akshu had cried herself to sleep. When she woke up, she realized her phone was missing. She searched for it but couldn't find it anywhere. Trying to remember where she had last seen it, she came up blank. She desperately wanted to talk to Abhi, but without her phone, it seemed impossible. She also wanted to talk to her family, but she knew they were probably still mad at her. The thought of going outside scared her, fearing that people would taunt her because of the picture that had spread like wildfire the previous night. She felt utterly alone. Glancing at her parents' picture, fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Manish had not been keeping well lately, and the events of the previous night had worsened his condition. His friend Roshan had called him and blasted him, "So your daughter is in a relationship with another man, and you wanted her to be our daughter-in-law? Is this some kind of joke? My son and I feel humiliated. Not done. So much for knowing each other since childhood?"

After the call, Manish suddenly collapsed. Swarna saw this and screamed, "Manish ji!" and ran towards him.

Akshu and the others heard Swarna's scream and rushed to the living room. They quickly took him to the Birla hospital.

Abhi received an emergency call from the hospital and learned that Manish was in the ICU and needed a cardiologist. Without wasting a second, Abhi rushed to the hospital.

Before entering the ICU, he looked around and saw Akshu. She looked exhausted, as if she had not slept the entire night. Her eyes were filled with desperation and worry. Without speaking, Abhi understood what her pleading eyes were saying. They were begging him to save her Bade Papa.

He nodded softly to her, reassuring her that he would do everything in his power to save him. 

Abhi took a deep breath and stepped into the ICU.