SS- The Aftermath

~13~

"...if what I feel is love, or just a deep regret for all the things I missed, all the ways I failed her. I can't confuse the two, Rohith. Love isn't about fixing what's broken just because it hurts to see the damage. It's about wanting the best for her, even if that means letting her go."

Armaan's words hung in the air, a heavy acknowledgment of the emotional turmoil he was grappling with. He turned his gaze back to the city lights, the weight of his thoughts pulling his shoulders down. "Maybe I thought I loved her once, or maybe I was just trying to live up to a promise I made, to be the man everyone expected me to be. But whatever it was, it wasn't enough. Not for her, and not for me."

Rohith nodded slowly, understanding the depth of Armaan's internal struggle. He could see that his brother was trying to navigate the complex emotions that had surfaced, and he respected the honesty with which Armaan was confronting his shortcomings.

Armaan continued, his voice tinged with a mix of resignation and determination. "We can't pull her into this mess again, Rohith. She suffered a lot with everything that happened. This family needs time to heal, to rebuild itself from all the pain we've caused. And with Ruhi in the picture, everything is even more complicated."

He paused, running a hand through his hair as if trying to smooth out the tangled thoughts in his mind. "We should be thankful if Abhira even considers helping us. She's under no obligation to do so, especially after everything. We owe her that much—to respect whatever choice she makes. But I have an inclination that she will help us. Abhira would never back out from helping others."

Rohith gave his brother a reassuring smile. "And if she does decide to help, we need to make sure it's on her terms, not ours. No more taking her for granted, no more making assumptions about what she wants or needs. We owe her that much—and so much more."

Armaan took a deep breath, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little. "You're right. It's time we start doing things differently. For her sake, and for our own. We need to learn from our mistakes, not just repeat them."

Rohith squeezed Armaan's shoulder. "And we will. We'll face this together, one step at a time. And whatever happens, we'll handle it—as a family."

Armaan glanced back at the city lights one last time, feeling a small but significant shift within himself. For the first time in a long while, he felt a glimmer of hope. "As a family," he echoed, the words carrying a newfound resolve.

______________________

True to their beliefs, a message from Abhira lit up Rohith's phone screen two days later. He read it with a mix of relief and gratitude, the words confirming what they had both hoped for but dared not expect:"I'll be there for the court trials whenever you need me. Let me know how I can help."

Rohith showed the message to Armaan, who read it carefully, feeling a wave of emotions swell within him. Despite everything that had happened between them, Abhira was still willing to stand by their side, ready to offer her support in their time of need. It was more than they could have asked for, more than they deserved.

It stung Armaan that Abhira had reached out to his brother, but not him. He tried to push the feeling away, telling himself that it didn't matter who she contacted first. What mattered was that she was willing to help. But still, a pang of sadness gripped him. There was a time when they were so close, a time when she trusted him implicitly—so much so that she had even shared her bank password with him, a gesture that symbolized how intertwined their lives had once been.

Now, that connection felt like a distant memory, replaced by the painful reality of their fractured relationship. Armaan knew he had no right to feel hurt. After all, he was the one who had let things fall apart, who hadn't been there when she needed him most. Yet, he couldn't help but mourn what they had lost.