Abhimaan: Life of Love

Part 10

Everyone arrived at the apartment. Kaveri Poddar's pride was severely hurt by the sudden turn of events. She was fully aware that all of these are the consequences of her choices. She was too self-centered to admit that in front of the family. The house was a decent 3 BHK flat where almost all necessities were taken care of by Armaan. The space was small for the family, but they had to make do in this place for a while. The family was moping about their situation and hoping to recover soon. While Vidhya, as the daughter-in-law, instructed the children to gather their belongings in one room, she asked Manisha, Manoj, Kajal, and Sanjay to bring their things together in that space. Armaan came and told them that he would be moving into the hotel for the night, so they need not worry about his necessities. This really hurt Vidhya and Madhav, but they didn't find the courage to speak up. So it was decided that Kaveri Madhav and Vidhya would take the third room for their needs. Left with Rohit and Ruhi Krish. Rohit has been announced to be able to share space with them. Ruhi felt deeply insulted but didn't say anything as she didn't want to miss the chance to confront Armaan.

With everyone going to their respective rooms to freshen up. The Chorus gang was waiting for the elders to leave so they could have a heartfelt conversation with their brother. Krish was the first to speak, asking how Abhira bhabi is doing and how their life in Mumbai is. Instead of answering Krish, Armaan was looking at the little boy he had left behind, now grown up, who had taken care of his siblings very well. He appreciated Krish for his efforts. Krish was touched by the compliment from his brother. He said he is following in his footsteps. But Armaan advised Krish not to overdo anything for anyone, as it will only raise others' expectations. He noticed his other siblings, who were also grown up; it's not about their physical appearance, it's about their mental growth. He can feel quite at ease knowing that his siblings are strong enough to take care of themselves. Now, in response to his questions, he talked about their life in Mumbai, mentioning that he had recently purchased a 2 BHK apartment along with office space. He also shared that he had started his own firm, where he and Abhira are living their dream of working for justice.

Happy with their brother's response, it was Aryan who spoke up about having a conversation with Abhira. Armaan couldn't refuse his baby brother, so he video called Abhira. Abhira just answered the call after a few rings; she was too overwhelmed to see her favorite chorus group in front of her. She hasn't seen them in these three years. Words were hard to find as she was crying, and the reaction on this side was the same. Abhira was their favorite person. After a few minutes of crying and silent communication, they had a conversation. Krish shared with Abhira about his achievements in dance, and Charu also told them that she had started working as a junior lawyer at one of the firms. Kiara also revealed that she had enrolled in an art course instead of law, contrary to her grandmother's wishes, and she is now in her final year. Aryan told her that he was selected for the state hockey team and that he missed her terribly when the announcement was made. He also mentioned that he wished to be a doctor and had joined MBBS with Krish's help. Abhira was so proud of them that all four are pursuing their desires, and both Armaan and Abhira couldn't take their eyes off Krish, who stands as a pillar for the other siblings.

Abhira, to lighten the mood, just teased Armaan with random things and ended the call, hoping to see them soon. Rohit and Ruhi watched everything and were really upset about not being included. Both had their reasons. Rohit was upset because of his mistakes; not only Armaan, but all his other siblings had distanced themselves from him. They don't admire him like they do with Armaan; they just pity him, and that hurts him the most. He fell short as a son and brother. He wanted to hug his brother and apologize for everything that happened in the past, but he is hesitant that Armaan might not accept him. Ruhi was upset because Armaan didn't even spare her a glance. This annoyed Ruhi a lot.She expected Armaan to at least explode for behaving rudely with his family, but he never acknowledged her presence. This was new to her because Armaan always used to think of family and their well-being. She is astonished at how Armaan can be so indifferent.

All the elders gathered in the living room where Armaan had already ordered food. Everyone ate the food in silence. After that, Armaan spoke to Chachusa. I want to know all the details, so Manoj explained to him everything that happened after he left the firm. After listening to everything attentively, Armaan formulated their next course of action. He proposed some strategies and also provided ideas on how to work with the evidence they will need for the upcoming hearing. That's when Kaveri realized the value of her elder grandson. He was quick to come to a conclusion about what needed to be done, and Kaveri was impressed by him. Earlier Armaan would always long for her appreciation But it was different this time; Armaan didn't wait for her approval and went ahead with his opinions..

Kaveri felt hurt that Armaan didn't acknowledge her presence and only focused on Manoj, Manisha, and his cousins.But she was not in a position to express her pain. After discussing, Armaan planned to leave for the hotel room he had booked. That's when Vidhya spoke. Asked Armaan to stay with them for the night. She said she wanted to spend some time with her older son to learn about his life and his wife. Armaan replied without any emotions, "I thought you only had one son, Rohit Poddar, since you've always treated me as a substitute for him. Now that Rohit is here, I don't think my presence is necessary." He also declared that he decided to help them because Manoj Chachusa was involved, and he couldn't bear to see him in trouble. With that, he hugged the Chorus gang and left for the hotel.

After Armaan left, the family was shocked; the Armaan they knew would sacrifice anything and everything for just a simple affectionate glance from his family. But this Armaan has a clear perspective on life, knowing what he needs and what he doesn't. He knows how to set boundaries and also how to maintain them. Manisha, Manoj, and Madhav were very happy for Armaan as he had finally grasped the concept of setting boundaries.

Armaan reached his hotel and collapsed onto the bed as he was extremely tired. But sleep was distant. He was troubled by his family's current situation. He felt overwhelmed to see their gloomy faces that once held joy and radiance. Kaveri Poddar lost all her arrogance and wore a defeated expression that was unlike her. His siblings, who were once carefree, were now burdened with responsibilities that were too difficult for him. He had always protected them, cared for them, and at times acted like a parent to them. Though he is happy that they are capable enough now, it still hurts him.

He called Abhira and spoke with her, sharing his concerns. Abhira felt the same way as Armaan, but she reassured him and comforted him. Later, he asked about everyone in the Singhania family and instructed her again with the same thing. Both missed each other terribly that sleep was far away, so they decided to talk on the phone until one of them dozed off. Time passed, and it was nearly 4:00 am when Abhira fell asleep; soon after, Armaan drifted off, listening to her soft breaths. Around 7:00 am, Armaan's alarm went off, waking him from his sleep. He saw that the call was still ongoing, but he heard Abhira's soft and steady breaths, indicating that she was still asleep. So he ended the call and sent her a voice note wishing her good morning, sharing his schedule for the day so that when Abhira woke up, she would listen to it. Then he prepared for the day.