In the heart of chaos

Chapter 17

Aarohi sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes flickering between the three framed photographs on her nightstand. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the edges of her mother Sirat's picture. Next to it, the photos of Kartik, her father, and Naira, the woman she'd heard so much about but never met, sat in their respective places. The soft glow of the late afternoon sun filtered through the curtains, bathing the room in a warm golden light, but the weight on Aarohi's heart felt anything but warm.

She sighed, staring at Naira's picture. "Naira Maa, what should I do? Akshu wants me to go back to Mumbai. She says it's for my own good, that the Goenkas need to focus on her family, not me." She swallowed hard, her voice shaking slightly. "But how is that fair? How can she ask me to leave when all I want is to stay close to my family?"

She turned her gaze to Sirat's photo next. "Mumma, you were always the fighter. You never let anyone tell you what to do, right? So why should I leave just because Akshu thinks it's best for her? What about me?"

The silence of the room weighed heavy on her, offering no answers.

"Papa..." she whispered, her eyes now resting on Kartik's photo. "What would you do? You always found a way to keep the family together, to protect us all. Should I stay and fight, or is leaving the right thing?"

As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, the sound of footsteps outside her door startled her. The door creaked open slightly, and Trisha, Kairav's wife, poked her head in. "Aaru? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you talking..."

Aarohi quickly wiped the tear that had escaped down her cheek and sat up straight. "Trisha, it's nothing. Just some things I needed to figure out."

Trisha stepped inside, her brow furrowed with concern. "It didn't sound like 'nothing.' You're thinking about leaving, aren't you?"

Aarohi hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Akshu thinks it's best if I go back to Mumbai. Less... complication, she said. But I don't know."

Trisha's eyes widened in disbelief. "She asked you to leave? But you're just getting settled here again! How could she even think of that?" Without waiting for an answer, she added, "Bade Papa and Badi Mumma need to know about this."

"Trisha, wait!" Aarohi called, but it was too late. Trisha had already dashed out of the room, her mind set.

---

Within the hour, the news had reached Manish and Suwarna, and they were livid. Manish paced around the living room, his face set in a grim expression, while Suwarna fumed quietly beside him.

"I can't believe it," Manish muttered. "How dare Akshara think she can push Aarohi out of this family just because it suits her? After everything Aarohi has been through?"

Suwarna placed a calming hand on his shoulder, but even she couldn't hide her frustration. "We need to handle this. Now."

And with that, they decided to head straight to Birla Mansion.

---

Akshara was in the middle of playing with Aarav when the doorbell rang. She smiled as her son giggled, reaching for his favorite toy, unaware of the storm brewing just outside the door.

"Let me get that," Abhimanyu called from the other room.

But before he could answer, the door flew open, and Manish and Suwarna stormed in, their expressions like thunderclouds.

"Akshara!" Manish's voice boomed through the house, startling everyone. "We need to talk. Now."

Akshara's heart sank. She could tell from the look in her Bade Papa's eyes that this wasn't going to be a friendly conversation. Abhimanyu quickly appeared by her side, his arms crossed defensively, sensing the tension.

"Bade Papa, Badi Mumma, what's going on?" Akshara asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"What's going on?" Manish repeated, his voice filled with disbelief. "You tell me. How could you even think of asking Aarohi to leave Udaipur and go back to Mumbai? What kind of sister are you?"

Suwarna stepped forward, her eyes burning with hurt. "You've always been the one who brought people together, Akshu. How could you push your own sister away like this?"

Akshara opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat. She had never meant for things to escalate like this, but now, staring into her Bade Papa's angry eyes, she realized how badly she had miscalculated.

"I-I wasn't trying to push her away," Akshara stammered. "I just thought... maybe it would be better for everyone if Aarohi—"

"Better for whom, Akshara? You? So that you can have the spotlight, the family's attention all to yourself?" Manish interrupted, his voice rising. "This isn't the girl I raised! What happened to the Akshara who cared about family above everything?"

Abhimanyu stepped in, his face cold and defensive. "Manish Uncle, I think you're overreacting. Akshara was just trying to avoid more conflict in the family. If Aarohi staying causes more issues, then maybe it's better—"

"Stop it, Abhimanyu!" Manish roared. "This is not about avoiding conflict. This is about you constantly belittling Aarohi and making her feel like she doesn't belong. Do you think I don't know how you've been treating her?"

Abhimanyu's eyes narrowed. "Aarohi has always made things complicated. She's never been able to handle things maturely. Maybe it's time she grows up."

Manish's face turned red with fury. "How dare you! Aarohi has been through more than you could ever understand, and you have no right to speak to her like that."

Akshara, who had been standing in stunned silence, finally found her voice. "Bade Papa, please, this isn't what I meant. I just... I didn't want things to get worse between all of us."

But it was too late. The damage had been done. Manish, his face hard with disappointment, shook his head.

"Akshara, you've hurt this family more than you realize. If you and Abhimanyu continue on this path, you will lose all of us. And that includes Aarohi."

With that, he turned on his heel, Suwarna following closely behind, tears in her eyes. Akshara stood there, frozen, the weight of their words pressing down on her.

Abhimanyu watched them leave, anger still burning in his chest. "They don't understand, Akshu. Aarohi is a problem, and it's time someone told her that."

But Akshara, staring at the door where her Bade Papa had just walked out, wasn't so sure anymore.