Closure

30. Nothing Without You

Arohi had been unusually quiet since the accident. She did make an appearance at Abhi and Akshu's Mehendi ceremony, surprising some people, but she kept a low profile and left early.

What no one knew was that, just days before the Mehendi, Arohi had secretly planned to leave the Goenka house forever. Standing near a bustling market, she spoke in hushed tones on a call, "Yes, I'm planning to move to the US. My visa interview is this Friday at the US Embassy in New Delhi, so I'm flying there tomorrow." After a pause, she added, "No, nobody in my family knows. You're the first and probably the last person I'm telling." Unbeknownst to her, Neil stood behind her, overhearing every word. When she turned around, she was startled to see him.

"Wow, what else could I expect from you? Your sister is getting married, and you're planning to leave without a word, fully aware it will cast a shadow on the celebrations."

"Move away. What I do is none of your business."

"I will move away. And yes, what you do is none of my business. But if it hurts my brother or my future sister-in-law, then it very much becomes my business." Neil's voice was sharp. He then launched into a tirade, telling her how she had always wronged people without ever acknowledging it. He reminded her that the car accident could have been fatal, yet she showed no remorse. He called her a liar, a manipulator, and a selfish person who only cared about herself.

He ended with, "Go ahead, leave. I'll handle everything here because I understand what it means to be part of a family, to love and be loved. But remember this, Arohi Goenka, if you continue on this path, you'll end up alone, without family or friends. And frankly, you deserve that."

Arohi stood there, stunned into silence. Neil walked away, his words echoing in her mind. For the first time, someone's criticism cut through her defenses. All day, his words haunted her, and something within her shifted. She abandoned her plan to leave, which is why she ended up at the Mehendi ceremony.

After the Mehendi ceremony, Abhi and Akshu had planned to oversee the wedding arrangements at the hotel. Abhi was supposed to meet Akshu at the palace, but once again, the city's most sought-after cardiologist was delayed by an emergency. After waiting, Akshu decided to check the arrangements herself. Once she was finished, she settled by the hotel pool, still waiting for Abhi to arrive.

When Abhi finally arrived, he said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Akshu replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Actually, today, being alone, I did a lot of thinking. Maybe we should get married at Birla Hospital."

Abhi chuckled, but his laughter trailed off as he saw Akshu's cute, angry glare.

"Abhi, will you be late for every event? I know you love your job, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for us. If your schedule is too busy, we can postpone the wedding because the last thing I want is you turning up late to all the ceremonies."

"Akshu, I promise I'll be on time from now on. You won't have any more complaints. For today, I'm ready for any punishment you want to give."

Wanting to have some fun, Akshu said, "Okay then, take your shirt off and get in the water," pointing at the pool. "We were supposed to meet at 9 AM, and it's 5 PM. You're eight hours late. Hold your breath underwater for eight seconds as punishment."

"That's easy," Abhi replied confidently.

"You want me to make it 8 minutes?" Akshu teased.

Abhi quickly shook his head in refusal and, with a grin, stripped off his shirt and dove into the pool. He swam to the deeper end and stayed submerged, not resurfacing after the eight-second mark.

"Abhi?" Akshu's voice was laced with worry as he remained underwater. When he didn't come up, she panicked, shouting, "No! Somebody help!"

Seeing no one else around, she jumped into the pool and began to flail in panic.

Abhi surfaced quickly, swimming to her and guiding her to the pool's edge. He helped her hold onto the ledge and asked, "Are you out of your mind? You can't swim. Why did you jump in?"

"Because you weren't coming up, and I got scared," she admitted, breathless. "I wasn't thinking. Are you okay?"

Abhi responded with a serious tone, "I'm okay. I was only messing with you by staying underwater longer than needed. I'm sorry for worrying you." He added, "I can hold my breath for quite a while—I have strong lungs. But please, promise me you won't do something like that again."

"I can't promise that," Akshu said softly. "If there's no Abhi, then there's no Akshu."

A heavy silence settled between them. Abhi wanted to argue, to insist that she should never put herself at risk like that. Yet, deep down, he knew that if he were in her position, he would have done the same.

To lighten the mood, Akshu moved closer and rested her hand on Abhi's bare abs, making him gasp at her touch.

"Since you didn't quite follow the punishment," she said with a playful grin, "I think I'll take a reward instead. Close your eyes."

Abhi, surprised and intrigued by her boldness, complied, eagerly anticipating a kiss. As Akshu leaned in, she suddenly splashed water on his face and burst into laughter. 

When Abhi opened his eyes, Akshu tried to slip away, but he caught her hand and pulled her close. "You can't swim. Forgot again?"

Then he kissed her with a deep, fervent passion, their connection igniting a spark that seemed to suspend time, leaving them lost in the moment.