Reclaimed Legacy

(11) - A Quiet Resolve

The city of Mussoorie lay under a blanket of silence, with only the soft whispers of the wind breaking the stillness of the night. Abhira stood by the window of her room, gazing out at the shadowy outline of the hills, their towering presence somehow mirroring the weight pressing on her heart. It was late, far late than she had realized, but time seemed irrelevant in the haze of her thoughts.

After the heavy revelations of the day, she had retreated here, alone. No one had disturbed her—no one had even tried. They all knew that she needed this time, this space to herself, to sift through the storm of emotions raging within her. And so, Abhira stood there, staring out into the vast expanse of the world beyond her window, while her mind wandered through the fragments of her past.

The grief resurfaced, a sharp, aching reminder of her loss—of Renuka Ma, the mother who had taken her in and loved her as her own. The pain was raw, like it had been on the day Renuka Ma left this world. But tonight, it wasn't just the loss that tormented her—it was the questions. The unanswered questions that she had buried deep within herself. What if they had told her the truth? Would Renuka Ma still be alive?

She didn't want to dwell on it any longer, but the thought clung to her like a shadow. Renuka Ma wouldn't have died... and maybe she wouldn't have met Armaan at all. Or the Poddars. Or Udaipur, the city her family had always avoided. A place steeped in mysteries she had never bothered to unravel.

Her Akshara Badi Ma used to live in Udaipur, along with Kairav Mamu, they were siblings. Abhira knew something had happened there—something that drove them both to leave and settle in Rajgarh. Bade Papa had died in Udaipur, an accident, they had said. But why her Badi Ma left was still a mystery to her. She had never cared enough to know... until now.

Her father's diary—the one she had found years ago—flashed in her mind. He had written a small letter for her, asking her to get justice for her Badi Ma. She hadn't understood it then, hadn't even wanted to, she had her own problems to focus on that time. But what she learned in Srinagar three years ago, just before that terrible accident, had changed everything.

That night, while driving at a reckless speed, it wasn't just hurt that had consumed her—it was the need for answers. Why they all lied to her and kept this big secret from her? How can Badi Ma do this to her? Why had no one told her the truth?

And then, there was Armaan. For the first time that night, she had thought about him. About Udaipur. And now, here she was, thinking about him again. Her thoughts drifted back to when she boarded the bus to Mussoorie, leaving Udaipur behind, convinced that moving on from him—from everything and everyone—would be impossible.

But now? That day seemed so distant, so far away, as though it had happened to another person. And strangely, it didn't hurt as much anymore. There were bigger things at stake. Far more important things that demanded her attention. She didn't even know how deep her feelings for Armaan went anymore. Because Abhira Sharma, the woman who loved him, was not the same person as Abhira Kaur Brar. The latter was a tough nut, just like her Daarji.

Yes, she had feelings for Armaan, but was it love? Did she still love him the way Abhira Sharma had? She didn't know. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Abhira shook her head, reprimanding herself for even thinking about him. He's married now, married to Ruhi. And I'm not like her—I have standards. I have class. I was raised with good values. You don't love a married man. You don't even think about a married man. That's what her principles are, and she was determined to live by it.

The chapter of Armaan and the Poddars is closed, she decided. And I'm never going to think about him again.

Before she could dwell on her resolve any longer, a soft knock echoed through the room. Abhira barely had time to say "come in" before the door swung open, revealing Adi, a mischievous smile on his face.

"You're lucky it's you," she said with a small grin. "Anyone else and I would've thrown something."

"Don't worry, I know," Adi replied, holding up a tray. "Look what I brought."

Abhira raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Guess."

"I'm not guessing."

"Come on, don't be such a bore," Adi teased. "Here's a clue—it's your favorite. And I made it myself."

Abhira's eyes narrowed. "Please don't tell me you made fettuccine alfredo."

Adi grinned. "Bingo! And yes, I did. Before judging me, let me tell you - over the years, I've mastered the art of making perfect pasta. That too under the guidance of the great John Mamu himself."

Abhira let out a soft laugh. "If you were trained by Chucks, then I'll eat it. Oh, God, it's been so long since I had it. I didn't realize how much I missed it."

As she took a bite, her eyes lit up. "Do you know, I was surviving on Maggie, but nothing comes close to this heaven."

Adi's smile faltered for a moment. "Surviving on Maggie? What do you mean?"

Abhira paused, then set down her fork. "I was poor, Adi. I didn't had lavish meals, remember? I was a law student, and an orphan."

Adi chuckled softly, though his eyes held a flicker of regret. "Don't taunt me. I was against this whole drama from the start."

"Drama?" Abhira's voice was sharper now. "I thought I was alone in the world, Adi. I had no one. No family, no money."

"I get it," Adi said gently. "But it was the best decision back then. I see that now. Even if I didn't agree with Phupha-nanu at the time."

"Weren't you the one yelling at Daarji for putting me through all that?" she asked.

"I was," Adi admitted. "But after thinking about it... maybe it was for the best. Just don't tell Phupha-nanu that I've changed my mind."

Abhira smiled at her brother's honesty. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the night air cool and refreshing. Then, Adi broke the quiet with a question. "You've been in Udaipur for the last year, haven't you?"

Abhira's brow furrowed. "How did you know?"

"We tried to figure out where you came from. And we got the information that the bus you were traveling was from Udaipur. So, we connected the dots. Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to say," she replied, her voice steady. "By the way, I might have a law degree now, and that's the only good thing that came from it. As for Udaipur... I'll deal with it when the time comes."

They stayed out on the balcony of her room for the rest of the night, Adi filled her in on everything that had happened in the family over the past four years—the things she had missed while she was in Pakistan, Mussoorie, and Udaipur as its been exact four years since she has seen her family. 

As the first light of dawn touched the horizon, Abhira found herself looking forward for the first time in a long while. She wasn't in a hurry to uncover the secrets of Rajgarh Palace, but she knew one thing: it was time to go home. And the Palace was waiting for her return.