In the heart of chaos

Chapter 20

The Goenka mansion was quieter than usual, though a lingering tension hung in the air. Manish had invited the Birla family over for tea, determined to address the growing conflict that had been plaguing both families. It wasn't just about Aarohi and Akshara anymore—the tensions had seeped into the very core of their relationships, and things had to be set right.

Manish, with Suwarna beside him, paced the living room. His mind was heavy with everything that had happened recently. Aarohi's return to Udaipur had been meant to bring peace, but it had done the opposite. He had to find a way to make things better for both his granddaughters, though his heart ached seeing the widening rift.

The sound of the door opening broke his thoughts, and the Birla family walked in. Abhimanyu, Akshara, Manjiri, and Harsh were all present, their expressions guarded. Akshara looked particularly on edge, her eyes flickering toward Aarohi, who sat silently on the couch beside Trisha, her face stoic but her eyes betraying her inner turmoil.

"Thank you for coming," Manish said, his voice calm but laced with the gravity of the situation. "We need to talk about everything that's been going on, and find a way to move forward."

Abhimanyu sat stiffly, his jaw clenched. Akshara, however, looked ready to explode. The air was thick with unspoken words, but Manish pressed on, hoping to defuse the situation before it escalated.

"I know things have been difficult lately," Manish began, "especially between Aarohi and Akshara. But this constant fighting, this bitterness—it's not healthy for either of you. We're all family, and we need to act like it."

Akshara's hands balled into fists on her lap. She couldn't hold it in any longer. "Family?" she spat, her voice trembling with emotion. "How can you talk about family when Aarohi's the one who's been driving a wedge between all of us? She's the one who's making everything worse!"

Aarohi remained silent, her eyes downcast, though the words hit her hard. Trisha, sensing the tension building, placed a hand on Aarohi's shoulder.

"That's enough, Akshara," Manish said firmly, but Akshara shook her head, standing up from her chair.

"No, it's not enough! I've had enough!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Every time something goes wrong, Aarohi plays the victim. She's always there to make me look bad! And now, with this job and everything, she's still trying to take everything away from me!"

Aarohi looked up, her voice soft but steady. "I'm not trying to take anything from you, Akshu. I just want to live my life."

But Akshara was beyond reason. Her anger had been simmering for too long, and now it was spilling over uncontrollably. "Oh, right, because you're so innocent, aren't you? You've never done anything wrong! But you've always been in my shadow, making sure I never get a moment of peace!"

Trisha, seeing the situation escalating, quickly stepped in front of Aarohi, trying to calm Akshara down. "Akshu, that's enough. This isn't the way to handle things."

But Akshara wasn't listening. She pushed past Trisha, her eyes blazing as she advanced toward Aarohi. "You've always been jealous of me, Aarohi! Admit it!"

Aarohi stood up now, her patience wearing thin. "Jealous? Of what, Akshu? Of the life you've had, where everything was handed to you, where everyone adored you?"

The room was tense, the words cutting deeper with every passing second. Suwarna and Manish exchanged worried glances, and Abhimanyu, who had been silently fuming, stood up as well, his eyes narrowing at Aarohi.

"You've never respected Akshara," Abhimanyu said, his voice cold. "You've always wanted to bring her down, to take what's hers."

"Take what's hers?" Aarohi snapped. "I never asked for any of this! All I ever wanted was to be seen as myself, not as someone's shadow!"

Akshara, shaking with anger, took a step closer. "Well, congratulations, Aarohi. Now everyone sees you for exactly who you are—a liar and a manipulator!"

Before anyone could react, Trisha grabbed Akshara by the arm, pulling her away from Aarohi. "That's enough!" she said, her voice stern. "You're out of control, Akshara."

Manish, seeing how far things had gone, stepped between them. "This isn't the time or place for this," he said firmly. "We need to calm down before we say things we'll regret."

But Abhimanyu was already at his breaking point. "No, Manish Uncle, maybe it's time these things are said," he hissed, his eyes locked on Aarohi. "You've always been a problem, Aarohi. You don't care about family, or respect, or anything but yourself."

Aarohi's heart clenched at the words, but she held her ground. "I care more about this family than you'll ever know, Abhimanyu."

Abhimanyu shook his head, his voice dripping with disdain. "You'll never be half the person Akshara is. You've spent your whole life competing with her, but you'll never win. Because deep down, you're just a bitter, jealous person who can't stand anyone else's happiness."

The words hit like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, Aarohi couldn't breathe. She had always known that Abhimanyu didn't like her, but this—this was beyond anything she had expected. His words cut through her like a knife, reopening wounds she had thought long healed.

Suwarna, seeing the devastation in Aarohi's eyes, stepped forward. "That's enough, Abhimanyu. You've said more than enough."

But Abhimanyu wasn't done. "No, it's not enough," he said, his voice rising. "Aarohi needs to hear this. She needs to understand that she's the one who's been poisoning this family for years."

Manish, his patience finally snapping, turned to Abhimanyu, his face flushed with anger. "Get out," he said, his voice low but deadly. "Get out of my house. Now."

Abhimanyu's eyes flashed, but he didn't argue. He grabbed Akshara's arm and stormed toward the door. "You've made a mistake siding with her," he muttered before leaving. "You'll regret it."

As the door slammed shut, the room fell into an oppressive silence. Aarohi stood frozen, her body trembling. The weight of everything that had just been said pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Manish, his face pale with anger, walked over to Aarohi, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to him, beta. None of that was true."

But Aarohi couldn't shake the words. They echoed in her mind, louder than any reassurance could ever be. She nodded at her Bade Papa, but inside, she felt herself crumbling.

Suwarna, seeing the pain in her granddaughter's eyes, approached her. "Aaru," she said softly, "let's go to your room. You need to rest."

Aarohi nodded, letting Suwarna and Trisha guide her upstairs. But no matter how far she went from that room, she couldn't escape the harsh truth that Abhimanyu's words had triggered a deep, old trauma—a trauma she wasn't sure she could outrun this time.