It was a morning that painted the sky with the soft hues of dawn, the kind of morning that often brought peace to the restless. But as Abhimanyu steered his car along the winding road, lined with ancient trees that seemed to whisper forgotten tales, his heart was a battlefield. The golden rays of the sun filtered through the branches, dappling the path with light, but they could not reach the shadows in his mind. Each turn of the road seemed to spiral him deeper into the labyrinth of his memories—memories that refused to stay buried, rising to the surface with a suffocating intensity.
The silence around him was oppressive, amplifying the chaos within. His thoughts circled back to Neil, the brother who had been more than just blood—he had been Abhimanyu’s confidant, his best friend, his other half. Neil’s smile flashed in his mind, that easy, carefree smile that could light up the darkest of days. They had shared everything—secrets, dreams, fears—and Neil had been the one person who understood Abhimanyu without the need for words. The memory of their last conversation haunted him. Neil had been so full of life, so hopeful about the future, and now… now there was only silence where his laughter used to be.
The day Neil was deadth was reported was the day Abhimanyu’s world shattered. The news had come like a bolt from the blue, knocking the wind out of him. For days, he had refused to believe it, clinging to the hope that it was all a terrible mistake. He had scoured every possible lead, refusing to give up even as days turned into weeks and weeks into months. But the cruel reality had eventually set in—Neil was gone, and with him, a piece of Abhimanyu’s soul had died too. The worst part was the uncertainty. Neil’s body had never been found, leaving a door open in Abhimanyu’s heart, a door that he could never close because it meant giving up on his brother entirely.
“If only Neil were alive,” the thought was a constant refrain in his mind, a lament that replayed itself endlessly. He imagined how different life would be—how Ruhi, Neil’s precious daughter, would have her father’s love and guidance, how Aarohi would not have to bear the weight of her widowhood alone. Abhimanyu’s thoughts drifted to the cruel accusations he had hurled at his wife in the aftermath of Neil’s disappearance. In the depths of his grief, he had needed someone to blame, and she had been the closest target.
He remembered the venomous words he had spewed, words born out of pain and desperation. He had accused her of not doing enough, of failing him and their family. His accusations were irrational, driven by the dark storm raging inside him. He had needed to lash out, to vent the unbearable anguish that threatened to consume him, and she had borne the brunt of it. The memory of her tear-streaked face, the way she had looked at him with hurt and bewilderment, tore at his heart. She had been there for him, suffering in silence, but he had pushed her away, blinded by his own grief.
Regret was a heavy chain that Abhimanyu wore around his neck, each link forged by the guilt of his past actions. He had apologized countless times since then, trying to make amends for the pain he had caused. But some wounds were too deep to heal with mere words. The distance between them now was like a chasm, vast and unbridgeable, a constant reminder of the damage that grief could inflict. He often caught her looking at him with that same mix of sadness and resignation, as if she had accepted that things would never be the same between them.
And then there was Aarohi, Neil’s widow. In the early days, Abhimanyu had viewed her with disdain. She was a painful reminder of what he had lost, and in his anger, he had blamed her too. He had thought she wasn’t good enough for Neil, that she had somehow let him down. But as time passed, the raw edges of his grief softened, and he began to see her in a new light. He saw the quiet strength she possessed, the way she held herself together even when everything was falling apart. Aarohi had become someone he admired, someone he respected deeply. She was a survivor, and in her own way, she had helped him survive too.
Abhimanyu’s mind drifted further back, to the beginning of Neil and Aarohi’s relationship. He remembered how Neil had been smitten from the start, talking about Aarohi with a spark in his eyes that Abhimanyu had rarely seen. Neil had confided in him, sharing how Aarohi had captured his heart with her fierce independence and her no-nonsense attitude. Abhimanyu had been skeptical at first. Aarohi had a reputation for being difficult, for keeping people at arm’s length. But Neil had seen beyond that, had seen the vulnerability and the kindness that she kept hidden.
“She’s not what you think, Bhai,” Neil had insisted one evening, as they sat on the porch, watching the sun set. “She’s incredible. She just needs someone to see her for who she really is.”
Abhimanyu had dismissed Neil’s words at the time, chalking them up to the blindness of love. But now, looking back, he realized how right Neil had been. Aarohi was indeed incredible, and he had been too blind to see it. It wasn’t until Neil was gone that Abhimanyu had truly begun to understand the depth of Aarohi’s character. She had stood by Neil, had loved him fiercely, and even after his death, she had continued to honor his memory with a quiet dignity that humbled Abhimanyu.
The memories came in waves, each one more painful than the last. Abhimanyu could still hear Neil’s laughter, could still feel the warmth of his brother’s presence. But those memories were like a double-edged sword—they brought comfort, but also an unbearable sense of loss. He missed Neil with a depth that words could never express. There were days when the grief was so overwhelming that it felt like he was drowning in it, unable to breathe, unable to see a way out.
As he drove, lost in thought, the world outside seemed to blur, the trees and the road merging into a haze of green and gray. He was so caught up in his memories that he didn’t notice the car approaching from the opposite direction until it was almost too late. The screech of tires on asphalt jolted him back to the present, and his heart leaped into his throat as he swerved to avoid a collision. The impact was inevitable—a sickening thud that reverberated through his entire body, snapping him out of his reverie.
For a moment, everything was still. The world seemed to hold its breath as Abhimanyu sat there, gripping the steering wheel, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. His hands were trembling, his heart pounding in his chest as he forced himself to move, to get out of the car and assess the situation. As he stepped out, the cool morning air hit him like a slap, bringing him fully back to reality.
His first instinct was to check on the other driver, to make sure they were okay. He hurried towards the other vehicle, his medical training taking over as he prepared to offer help. But as he approached, something in the back of his mind stirred, a feeling he couldn’t quite place—a sense of déjà vu, of familiarity. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, and for a moment, Abhimanyu felt a surge of panic. He reached out, intending to check for a pulse, but as the man lifted his head, Abhimanyu’s world tilted on its axis.
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"Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well and enjoying the stories I've been sharing with you. Writing these stories has been such an incredible journey, and it’s your support, feedback, and encouragement that keep me inspired to create more.
Right now, I have three ongoing stories: Yeh Kahanii Akshu Aur Aaru Ki, Birla Siblings, and Neirohi
Right now Yeh Kahanii Akshu Aur Aaru Ki and Birla Siblings Which one would you like me to update next?
