Closure

13. Forging Bonds

Akshu had been thinking about seeing Kairav with a girl that day, so she decided to confront him about it. One afternoon, she knocked on his door.

Kairav looked up, surprised, "Akshu? Come in."

"Bhaiya, I need to talk to you about something. Last weekend, I think I saw you with a girl at an outdoor cafe. Who was she?"

Kairav looked nervous. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please, don't lie to me. You can talk to me. I will never judge you."

Kairav sighed, giving in. "That was Anisha. She's Abhimanyu's cousin, Dr. Mahima's daughter. We met here in Udaipur two years ago through mutual friends, when you were not here. We hung out as friends, and then she left for Mumbai to pursue her dream in acting. Dr. Mahima didn't support her. We stayed in touch long-distance and fell in love. But six months ago, she ghosted me. Then, two weeks ago, she suddenly turned up and confessed her love to me."

It was a lot to take in. Akshu took a moment to absorb it. "And you? Do you love her?"

"Akshu, it broke my heart into pieces when she ghosted me. But now, when I ask her why, she says it was because she needed time to think if she really loved me. But something tells me that's not the truth. At the same time, Akshu, I do love her. And I want to be with her."

Akshu smiled, "If you love her and she loves you, then that's all you need, Bhaiya."

Akshu was relieved that Kairav opened up to her and was happy that he had found someone. When she returned to her room, she dialed Abhi to share the news, but he already had something to share with her. Abhi explained how Anisha had come back to the house after two years and told everyone that she loved Kairav and wanted to marry him. Akshu then shared her part of the story.

The next few months were tumultuous for the Goenkas and Birlas as they discovered that two more of their children were in love. Kairav and Anisha both wanted to get married, and everyone was supportive except for Mahima. To win her over, Anisha promised to give up her dream of becoming an actress if she was allowed to marry Kairav. Mahima, who despised Anisha's ambition to be an actress more than anything, agreed to the marriage after this promise.

A few months later, everyone gathered at the engagement party of Kairav and Anisha. Abhi and Akshu could hardly believe they were about to become family.

At the engagement hall, Abhi anxiously awaited Akshu's arrival. They had a playful bet on who would look more breathtaking.

Dressed in a dark maroon kurta with a jacket, Abhi looked dapper. As the Goenkas arrived, his eyes searched for Akshu. When he finally spotted her, she was wearing a light pink lehenga and looked like a princess. Abhi was mesmerized.

He walked up to her and said, "You win."

Akshu smiled.

The ring ceremony went smoothly, and the festivities continued with both families playing games.

Finding a moment alone, Abhi pulled Akshu to a corner. "So, where's my prize?"

"Your prize? But you said I'd won the bet."

"Hmm. Okay, so I'll give you the prize," he said, moving closer for a kiss.

Akshu gently pushed him back, "Somebody will see." As Swarna called for her, she started to move away.

Turning back, she teased, "I will take my prize. And it won't be something so small."

Abhi was surprised and wondered what Akshu would ask him to do.

That night, Akshu messaged him, challenging him to wear red lip color to work the next day. Abhi protested but eventually agreed, saying he'd do anything to make her happy.

The next day, Abhi applied a little dark maroon color to his lips. It didn't look odd, just that his lips stood out. He remained confident. A fellow doctor asked if he had an allergy, noticing his unusually red lips.

Later, Akshu visited him at the office. She found him in his scrubs, looking at a file when she entered his cabin.

"You're so adorable. You really did it. You still look really handsome, though. I should have asked for a different color. Green maybe."

Abhi slowly walked towards her. "I'd always look handsome."

Akshu was taken aback by the sudden closeness. She took out her handkerchief and gently said, "Let me wipe it off now. You passed."

Abhi caught her hand. "Don't worry. I'll wipe it off. But not with this." He then kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, her chin, and her neck, each kiss more tender than the last. Akshu's heart raced, and her breath quickened with each kiss. Before he could go further, she stepped back, breathing heavily, and said, "It's wiped now."

She then shyly exited the room, and Abhi smiled.