Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le: From Heartbreak To Healing

Chapter- 13

Sanchi stood in the middle of the railway track, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance. But as the sound of the approaching train grew louder, she quickly stepped down and covered her ears, closing her eyes tightly. It was her fifth attempt to end her life, but fate had other plans. She failed again. As the train roared past, Sanchi opened her eyes and gazed at the track once more, her resolve seemingly unbroken. But just as she was about to step back onto the tracks, she heard the rustling of grass behind her. She turned to see Abhimanyu emerging from behind a large bush, his eyes fixed intently on her. Sanchi's expression changed from determination to shock and surprise at seeing him there.

"What are you doing here?" Sanchi asked, her voice laced with a mix of surprise and irritation.

"Life show par kisi ki life jaatein hue dekh raha hoon" Abhimanyu replied, his tone deadpan.

Sanchi's eyes narrowed. "Stop messing with me, Abhimanyu. I'm already so tense."

Abhimanyu's expression remained stoic. "How long are you going to do this, Sanchi? This is your fifth attempt, I've been counting. If you really want to end your life, then just stand there and don't move."

Sanchi's eyes widened, taken aback by Abhimanyu's blunt words.

"I'm trying to commit suicide here, and instead of stopping me, you're making fun of me?" Sanchi's voice cracked with emotion.

Abhimanyu's expression remained unyielding. "Firstly, Miss, it was your decision to do this. I didn't ask you to come here and commit suicide. Why should I poke my nose into someone else's business? Secondly, looking at you, I don't think you have the guts to go through with it. You're literally getting down from the track before the train even approaches. I saw you, and at first, I was afraid for you and ran towards you, but when I saw you getting down, I stopped. You did that for the second and third time too. There's no way you're going to harm yourself." Abhimanyu's words were laced with a mix of bluntness and insight, as if he saw right through Sanchi's attempts.

"Haa, toh... I got scared. I have no experience in this," Sanchi admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Abhimanyu's expression remained stoic. "Well, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After that, nothing can be done."

Sanchi's eyes narrowed, a hint of defiance in her voice. "Tum mera peecha kyu kar rahe the?

Abhimanyu's gaze didn't waver. "To say sorry for my rude behavior yesterday. But I don't think you deserve that now."

The air was thick with tension as Abhimanyu's words hung between them, a mix of apology and accusation.

"Huh? You wanted to apologize to me, but I don't deserve it? What are you saying?"

Abhimanyu's expression turned intense. "I thought I had wronged you, which I did. I was rude to you, and I came to apologize. But then I saw you with Kabir and overheard your conversation. I know why he left you, Sanchi. How stupid can you be? I thought you were intelligent. Didn't you ever doubt his intentions, even once?"

Sanchi's eyes welled up with tears. "He always supported me and gave me the emotional support I needed the most."

Abhimanyu's voice rose in frustration. "Emotional support? Is that what you call it? He was manipulating you, Sanchi! He was using your vulnerability to get what he wanted!

"He said," Sanchi began, but Abhimanyu cut her off, his voice low and intense. "I know what he said that he's giving you emotional support, so owe him physically... That you obligated to fulfill his needs."

Sanchi closed her eyes, her face contorting in pain as the memory flooded back. Abhimanyu's expression darkened, his jaw clenched in anger. "That's not support, Sanchi. That's manipulation. He's using your vulnerability to control you."

Sanchi's eyes snapped open, tears streaming down her face. "I know... I know that now. But at the time, I thought he was right. I thought I owed him."

Abhimanyu's voice was gentle, but firm. "You don't owe anyone your body, Sanchi. Not for emotional support, not for anything. Your body is yours alone.Emotional support and sexual needs are different! If he's giving you his shoulder to cry on, that doesn't mean you have to spread your legs for him the next day to fulfill his sexual needs. These are two different things! How thick-headed are you?"

Sanchi's voice trembled. "I have no one else..."

Abhimanyu's expression turned fierce. "So? You'll let him use you? Don't you have any self-love and self-respect? He just wants to have sex with you because he gave you emotional support, and you're still with him? That's not a relationship, that's exploitation! Sanchi, you are so much more than you think you're worth. Your 'no' is a complete sentence, and if he's not respecting that, then you need to leave him. There's no rule that says you must prove your love by fulfilling your partner's sexual needs. If he truly loves you, he'll respect your boundaries too. And you, stupid girl, came here to end your life just because a boy - not a man, but a boy - said no to you? That's fucking ridiculous. You're better than that, Sanchi. Don't let someone else's rejection define your worth."

Sanchi's tears flowed uncontrollably as she sat on the ground, her body shaking with sobs. Abhimanyu stood there, letting her cry, his expression soft with compassion. Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy.

"It's not only because of him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.