The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the isolated spot where Akshara stood, her arms tightly folded across her chest. Her face, usually soft and expressive, had hardened into a mask of cold determination. The wind tousled her hair, but she paid no heed, her eyes fixed on the distant skyline as if waiting for something—or someone.
Her mind was a storm of emotions, replaying the events of the previous night over and over again. She had taken the first step, but it wasn’t enough. The satisfaction she had expected never came. Aarohi had barely reacted, and that left Akshara with a sense of incomplete victory. No, she wasn’t done yet—far from it.
In her mind, a voice echoed, taunting her.
"Aarohi, meri pyari behen... You’ve always had a knack for getting what you want, haven’t you? You manipulated Bade Papa, making him believe you’re the ideal daughter, the one who could do no wrong. And now, look where you are—praised, loved, and cherished, while I’m pushed into the shadows."
Akshara's jaw clenched as bitterness coursed through her veins. Aarohi, the perfect one, always winning the admiration of the family. Aarohi, who everyone believed could do no wrong. And now, Abhimanyu... Akshara could feel her grip on him slipping. Her heart twisted painfully at the thought of her husband—her Abhimanyu—being drawn to Aarohi. She had seen the way he looked at her lately, how his harsh tone softened when he spoke to Aarohi, how he seemed to admire her more and more.
"You’ve even stolen Abhimanyu's attention from me!" Akshara thought, her fists tightening at her sides. "He’s starting to see you in a new light, isn't he, Aarohi? MY husband is slowly drifting towards you, and I will not stand by and let that happen."
Akshara's lips curled into a sneer. "You’ve taken it all from me—my place in this family, the love, the respect. And now, you want to take Abhimanyu? But not anymore. It's my turn to take something from you, Aarohi. Something that will break you, something that will leave you shattered."
Her dark thoughts fueled the sinister smile that spread across her face. She had already set her plan in motion, and there was no turning back now. The pieces were falling into place, and soon, Aarohi would realize just how dangerous it was to cross Akshara.
Taking a deep breath, Akshara reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Her hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the excitement of what was to come. She dialed a number, her cold, sharp eyes narrowing with purpose.
"Come fast," she said, her voice low but filled with intent. "Everything is set."
Lowering the phone, Akshara's smile grew wider. Aarohi's perfect little world was about to come crashing down.
---
At the Birla house, the atmosphere was tense. The sky outside had darkened, matching the heavy mood within the family. Abhimanyu moved through the corridors, his thoughts a tangled mess. He had just returned home, expecting to find some semblance of peace, but instead, Akshara was nowhere to be found. A gnawing sense of panic gripped him as he sought out his mother, Manjari.
"Ma," he called out urgently as he entered her room. "Where is Akshara? Have you seen her?"
Manjari looked up from her spot by the window, her gaze far away, as if she had been lost in her own thoughts. Her eyes were clouded with a sadness that seemed to have settled there over the years. She shook her head slowly, her expression weary.
"I don’t know, beta," she replied softly. "She just... vanished. She left the house without saying anything. I wish I could tell you more, but I don’t have any answers."
Abhimanyu’s frustration bubbled over, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "She needs to stop causing trouble, Ma. I can’t keep dealing with this."
