The next morning, Abhi decided to take matters into his own hands. He knew he had to talk to Bade Papa. It was the only option left. Maybe it was fate that Bade Papa was in his hospital, under his care. Determined, Abhi made his way to Manish's room for a regular check-up. No one else was there.
"Can we talk about the elephant in the room?" Abhi began, his voice steady. "There's no point pretending that we are only patient and doctor."
Bade Papa retorted sharply, "But we are. You mean nothing to me."
"Yes, maybe I don't," Abhi replied, undeterred. "But you do mean something to me. Because you mean something to someone who means everything to me."
Bade Papa's glare was cold, a clear warning to stop, but Abhi pressed on, "Please, give me just two minutes. Let me speak. After that, I'll leave quietly and you are free to think whatever you want about me."
Though hesitant, Manish nodded. "Okay."
"It was never my intention to insult you or your family," Abhi began, his tone sincere. "I was never in love with Arohi, and she knew it too. I only loved Akshu from day one. Yes, I did agree to marry Arohi, but it was based on her lies. I already exposed everything in the temple that day. I do feel sorry for any humiliation you had to face. Akshu means the world to me. And she loves me too. Separating us is not the right thing to do, and you know it."
Abhi stood up, signaling the end of his speech. "Thank you for listening. I hope you think about what I said. All your vitals are good. Rest well; you can be discharged later today."
Manish watched Abhi leave the room, a mix of emotions playing on his face. Despite his stern exterior, he couldn't help but admire Abhi's straightforwardness and sincerity. He had spoken with a heart free of malice, and Manish couldn't deny the truth in his words.
At the Goenka house, Akshu rummaged through her room, searching for her phone once again but eventually gave up. She decided she would buy a new phone when she went to work later that day. Just then, her help handed her a parcel. Curious, she opened it to find a cellphone inside along with a note: "This is for you. So that we can continue to give each other silent treatments. I have added the sim card and recharged it too." Akshu couldn't help but smile at Abhi's sweet gesture.
Excitedly, Akshu dialed Abhi's number, but he didn't pick up. Undeterred, she began typing a long message about how much she loved the phone, how much she missed him, and asking him to call her when he was free. But then she deleted everything and simply wrote, "I love you," adding a heart and hug emoji.
Abhi was in the middle of a surgery when Akshu had called. Once he was out, he checked his phone and saw her message. He immediately called her back, but this time, Akshu didn't pick up. He tried again, but there was still no answer. Abhi sighed, thinking she must be busy, and decided to wait until she called back.
It was evening now, and Akshu still hadn't called. Abhi suddenly felt uneasy, the same gnawing feeling he had when Akshu had her accident. Realizing something was not right, he called Kairav. Kairav told him she had left in the morning for work. Abhi then dialed the mental health institute where Akshu gave music therapy sessions and found out Akshu never turned up today.
Abhi's heart sank. His hands were shaking as he dialed Kairav again and told him that Akshu never showed up at work and was not responding to calls or texts.
Mounting his bike, he began frantically searching for her, asking people along the route to her office if they had seen her. It was then that Kairav called Abhi and told him he had received a message from Akshu's old number. The message included a location and a demand for a huge amount of money in cash, warning not to involve the police or else she'd be dead.
Abhi turned his bike around and rushed to the Goenka house. On his way, he stopped by a Shiva temple and prayed fervently. He prayed for Akshu's safety, pleading for not a single scratch nor a single tear to mar her. He begged that she be safe until he could get to her. If there was any pain destined for her, he prayed that it be redirected to him.
With a determined heart, Abhi sped towards the Goenkas, ready to do whatever it took to save Akshu.
When Akshu was at the party a few days back, she dropped her phone while checking on an intoxicated Abhi. After the party, a sweeper found it. He took it to his friend who repaired mobile phones and also illegally traded phone parts. The friend intended to sell the phone, but when he unlocked it and checked the data, he discovered that it belonged to a member of one of the richest families in Udaipur. Using the phone's information, they learned about Akshu's daily routine and other sensitive details, devising a plan to kidnap her and demand a ransom.
Knowing when she left home and which route she took to the office, they set up a trap. Akshu was held captive in her own car, still seated in the driver's seat with the seatbelt on. The sweeper pointed a gun at her from outside, hidden from public view, and warned her that any movement would result in him pulling the trigger. Shocked by the unexpected turn of events, Akshu remained still, too terrified to think.
Kairav and Abhi went to the designated location with the cash. Kairav drove, while Abhi kept glancing at the last message from Akshu that morning, which said, "I love you." When they arrived, Kairav stayed in the car while Abhi approached the mobile repair guy. As the man walked up to take the bag of cash, the wind blew his mask off, revealing his identity. Panicking at the thought of being exposed, he slowly pulled out a knife. Akshu, who had not moved an inch, saw this and realized what was about to happen. She quickly removed her seatbelt and got out of the car, shouting "No!" to protect Abhi.
The sweeper, aiming at her, panicked and shot her. The bullet hit Akshu in the shoulder. Hearing the shot, the mobile repair guy turned, and Abhi took advantage of the distraction to grab his knife. Both kidnappers fled the scene, leaving the cash behind.
Abhi then ran towards Akshu, who had fallen to the ground. Kairav came running while calling for an ambulance. Abhi held her in his arms, tearing his shirt to tie around her shoulder in an attempt to stop the bleeding. With tears in his eyes, he said, "I am here, Akshu. Stay with me. The ambulance will be here any minute. Nothing will happen to you." Akshu slowly closed her eyes, losing consciousness from the heavy loss of blood.
Kairav observed that Abhi, too, had been cut on his arm by the mobile repair guy, resulting in bleeding. However, Abhi appeared unfazed by his own injury. The anguish in his eyes didn't stem from his wound but from seeing Akshu in pain. Throughout the ordeal, Abhi gently stroked Akshu's forehead, attempting to comfort her until the ambulance arrived.
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Closure
FanfictionTrying to complete what was left incomplete... It is purely OG AbhiRa's Love Story. One that makes sense... One that doesn't ruin OG characters... One with a guaranteed "Happily Ever After"... One that aims to give all the OG AbhiRa fans the much ne...