Shattered Dreams

Shot 1. The Rejection

Third Person's POV

"Akshu, Akshu ladke waale aa gaye hai. Abb chal niche tere papa ke bahut khaas dost hai aur tum waise bhi usey bachpan se jaanti ho." Sirat called out to her.

("Akshu, Akshu, the boy's family has arrived! Come downstairs now; they're your father's close friends, and you've known him since childhood,")

Seeing the earnestness on Sirat's face, Akshara reluctantly composed herself to meet the groom's family, handpicked by her father, Kartik Goenka.

Akshara was far from pleased. She was a woman driven by dreams, ambition, and the pursuit of a perfect life. She knew the prospective groom, her childhood friend Abhinav, or Abhi, as she affectionately called him.

Abhinav had sacrificed his own aspirations to support his family after his father fell ill, dropping out after high school to join the family business. In the four years since, he had transformed it into one of the nation's top ten MNCs.

Despite the burdens of responsibility, Abhinav retained his cheerful nature and zest for life, though he had to let go of his dream of becoming a sportsperson. He maintained his fitness regimen by regularly going to the gym and following a healthy diet.

After the initial pleasantries, the families delved into reminiscing about Akshara and Abhinav's childhood.

"Akshu aur Abhi, tum dono aise kyu baithe ho, jao bahar jao aur baatein Karo aur batao kya faisla hai tum dono ka?" Sirat suggested, hoping to give them some privacy to discuss their future. They nodded and stepped out together.

("Akshu and Abhi, why are you both sitting here so quietly? Go outside, talk, and decide what you both want,")

....

Akshara stood on the narrow, quiet street, the evening sky painted with hues of gold and purple. She felt the warmth of Abhinav's hands, his touch both familiar and foreign, as if the boy she once knew had turned into a stranger. His eyes, filled with a mixture of hope and vulnerability, held hers with an intensity that made her heart race.

"Akshu... I have loved you for as long as I can remember," Abhinav began, his voice steady but tinged with nervousness. "I know I'm not an all-rounder, and my education ended after higher secondary. But everything I've done, every sacrifice, has been to build a life that could one day be worthy of you."

Akshara's chest tightened at his words. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, the weight of the years he had spent molding himself into someone responsible and successful. Yet, she couldn't ignore the suffocating sense of duty and the divergence between their dreams.

"Abhi," she started softly, pulling her hands away to clasp them in front of her, her fingers twisting anxiously. "You've built an incredible life, and I admire everything you've accomplished. But we are not the same people we were back then. I have dreams, ambitions that take me in a different direction."

Abhinav's face fell, the light in his eyes dimmed. "But we can work through it, Akshu. We've always been able to talk about anything. Why not this? We could find a way to make our paths align."

A deep sigh escaped Akshara's lips. "It's not that simple. Your path has taken you into the world of business, one you've excelled in. My path is uncertain, filled with aspirations of fashion and design that may not lead to the stability you've created. You sacrificed so much for your family, and I can't ask you to sacrifice more for me."

He took a step closer, his desperation evident. "I'm not asking for sacrifices, Akshu. I'm asking for a chance. A chance to see if what we have is still there, if it can still be something beautiful."

Tears welled up in Akshara's eyes as she struggled to maintain her composure. "Abhi, I care about you deeply. You've always been a part of my life, a cherished friend. But marrying you because it's what our families want or because it's convenient isn't fair to either of us. You deserve someone who can fully commit to the life you've built, and I need to follow my own dreams."

Abhinav's shoulders slumped, the weight of her words pressing down on him. "I've dreamed of this moment for so long, Akshu. I never imagined you wouldn't be a part of my future."

The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken emotions and shattered dreams. Akshara looked away, trying to blink back the tears that threatened to fall. "I'm sorry, Abhi. I never meant to hurt you. But it's better this way, for both of us."

Abhinav's expression hardened, a flicker of anger replacing the sadness. "So this is it? After all these years, after everything, you're just walking away?"

Akshara nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I have to, for my own sake and yours."

Without another word, she turned and walked away, her heart aching with each step she took. She could feel Abhinav's eyes on her, a silent plea for her to turn back, to reconsider. But she knew she couldn't. Their lives had taken different paths, and trying to force them together would only lead to more pain.

As she re-entered the house, her face flushed and her heart heavy, she forced a smile for her family. They had no idea of the emotional storm raging inside her. She had made her choice, and now she had to live with it.

.....

That evening, the once lively atmosphere of the Goenka household was replaced with a heavy, somber silence. Akshara could hear the faint murmurs of conversation between her parents and Abhinav's family, but she couldn't bring herself to face them again. She retreated to her room, closing the door softly behind her, and sank onto her bed, the tears she had held back finally breaking free.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Pratyush, Abhinav's father, and Kartik Goenka sat in uneasy silence. The rejection had come as a shock to everyone. Abhinav, who had always been so sure of his feelings for Akshara, was left to grapple with the realization that she didn't share his vision of their future.

"We should have seen this coming," Pratyush said finally, breaking the silence. "She's always been so independent, so determined to carve her own path."

Kartik sighed, rubbing his temples. "I just hoped that maybe, with time, she would see the value in what we were offering her—a stable, secure future with someone who loves her."

"It seems her heart lies elsewhere," Pratyush said quietly, his eyes reflecting a mix of disappointment and understanding. "We can't force them together."

Abhinav, standing by the window, clenched his fists, trying to hold back the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. His dreams of a life with Akshara had crumbled in an instant, leaving him feeling lost and betrayed. He had poured his heart into building a future for them, only to find that she didn't want the same things.

As the evening wore on, the families tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy, but the tension was palpable. Akshara remained in her room, grappling with the consequences of her decision. She had chosen to follow her dreams, but the price of that choice weighed heavily on her heart.

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