From Sorrow To Serenity

CHAPTER - 4

Happy reading.,

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As the tense silence settled over the Birla mansion, the weight of Abhimanyu's impulsive actions left the family in shock. Upstairs, Aarohi sat trapped in the locked room, her mind racing, while downstairs, the family exchanged uncertain glances, too stunned to know how to respond.

Akshara, who had remained quiet until now, stood frozen, her heart pounding. She had never seen this side of Abhimanyu before-this level of possessiveness, this desperation. She watched as he stormed back down the stairs, his face a mix of anger and something else she couldn't quite place. It made her uneasy.

When his eyes finally met Akshara's, there was an intensity in his gaze that sent a shiver down her spine. Without a word, he crossed the room, stopping right in front of her. The rest of the family stood by, unsure of what was coming next.

"Akshara," Abhimanyu began, his voice low and controlled, though his fists were still clenched at his sides, "I need to have a word with you."

Akshara swallowed hard but nodded. "Abhi, what are you doing? Locking Aarohi in a room like that-this isn't right. Let her go."

His jaw tightened, and he stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "You don't get to lecture me about what's right or wrong, Akshara. Not after everything."

Her eyes widened at the coldness in his voice. "I'm not trying to lecture you. But you can't just keep her locked up. She has the right to leave if she wants to."

Abhimanyu's expression hardened even further. "Aarohi doesn't know what she wants. She's acting out of emotion, making rash decisions. I'm not going to let her destroy her life because of a moment of weakness."

Akshara took a step back, crossing her arms defensively. "And what about *you*, Abhi? Are you sure you're not doing this out of your own emotions? Because right now, you're acting irrationally."

For a moment, Abhimanyu's eyes flashed with anger, but he quickly tamped it down. He wasn't going to let her question him-not about this. Not when things were already spiraling out of control.

"This isn't about me," he said tightly. "It's about Aarohi. She's not thinking clearly, and I'm not going to stand by and let her ruin everything."

Akshara's gaze softened as she shook her head. "You're wrong, Abhi. She *is* thinking clearly-probably more than you are right now. She's trying to make sense of everything that's happened to her. Let her go. Let her find her own path."

Abhimanyu's patience snapped. His voice dropped to a dangerous level, low enough that the rest of the family couldn't hear, but his words were sharp. "Stay out of this, Akshara."

Akshara recoiled at the sudden change in his tone. She had never seen Abhimanyu look at her like that before. "Abhi, I'm just trying to help."

"I don't want your help," he shot back, his voice cold. "You've already done enough. You think you can fix everything with your words, but some things can't be fixed. Especially not by you."

His words hit her like a slap, leaving her speechless. Akshara blinked, tears stinging her eyes as she struggled to understand where this venom was coming from. "Why are you blaming me?" she whispered. "This isn't about me."

Abhimanyu took a step closer, his eyes darkening. "Isn't it? You've always been in the middle of everything. Your words, your actions-they've caused more damage than you realize. Neil... Aarohi... even me."