In the heart of chaos

Chapter 28

Aarohi walked into the Goenka house, her heart heavy but her mind clear. She hadn't been home in weeks and had been looking forward to seeing her family, but the tension that awaited her inside hit her like a wave.

The moment she stepped through the door, Abhimanyu and Akshara were already waiting, their faces twisted in anger. Aarohi barely had a chance to greet her family before Abhimanyu stormed towards her, his voice booming.

"How dare you leave without telling us, Aarohi! Do you even care about Aarav? He could've needed you, but you just ran off to Mumbai for a vacation?" he shouted, his face flushed with rage.

Akshara, standing by his side, shook her head, her eyes filled with disdain. "You always think of yourself first, Aarohi. You should've been here, but as usual, you ran away from responsibility. Aarav needed you, and you weren't here! You never put family first."

Aarohi's blood boiled at their accusations. She hadn't even known about Aarav's condition, and the fact that they were blaming her for something she wasn't even aware of ignited a fire inside her. But before she could say a word, Akshara stepped forward, her hand raised as if to slap her.

Without thinking, Aarohi grabbed Akshara's wrist mid-air, her eyes cold and unyielding. The room fell silent as everyone froze, watching the confrontation unfold. Aarohi's grip tightened, and her voice came out low but sharp.

"Don't. You. Dare," Aarohi warned, her words filled with venom. "You think you can blame me for something that I wasn't even told about? You didn't care to inform me about Aarav. You wanted me out of the way, and now you're upset that I wasn't here? The hypocrisy."

She let go of Akshara's wrist and stepped back, her voice rising as her frustration spilled out. "All my life, I have been second to you, Akshara. Every single time! You took everything—my family, my dreams, even my wedding! And now you stand here and try to pin your failures on me? No. Not anymore."

Akshara, caught off guard, tried to speak, but Aarohi wasn't finished.

"You think you've had it hard? You have no idea. I was the one left standing at the mandap when Abhimanyu left me for you. I was the one who had to put on a brave face for this family, while you two paraded around like nothing happened. And now you dare come at me? You should be thanking me! If it weren't for me, you two wouldn't even be together!"

The room was thick with tension as Aarohi's words cut through the silence like a knife. Abhimanyu, his face red with anger, stepped forward, clearly ready to retaliate. But before he could do anything, Kairav suddenly appeared beside Aarohi, his expression cold and unflinching.

"Don't even think about it," Kairav warned, his voice dangerously low.

Without hesitation, Kairav swung his fist, landing a punch squarely on Abhimanyu's jaw. The impact sent Abhimanyu stumbling back, shocked by the sudden assault.

The room erupted into chaos. Suwarna and Manish rushed forward, trying to diffuse the situation, while Akshara gasped and ran to Abhimanyu's side.

"Kairav!" Akshara shouted, her voice filled with disbelief.

But Kairav remained by Aarohi's side, his protective stance unwavering. "Enough is enough. You two have tormented her long enough, and I won't stand by and watch anymore. Aarohi is family. And if you can't respect her, then you don't deserve to be a part of this family."

Aarohi, emboldened by her brother's support, turned to face Abhimanyu and Akshara once more, her gaze icy. "You both need to get over yourselves. I don't owe you anything. Not an apology, not an explanation, nothing. You've crossed the line too many times, and I'm done."

Her words were final, leaving no room for argument. She could see the humiliation in their faces, especially Abhimanyu's, who was now seething in pain and rage.

"I've tried being nice, I've tried being understanding, but all I've gotten in return is disrespect. Well, no more. From now on, I'm standing up for myself, whether you like it or not."

Suwarna stepped in, her voice soft but firm. "Aarohi is right. This ends today. We will not tolerate any more of this back-and-forth, not in this house. If you two can't respect her, then you're not welcome here."

Manish nodded in agreement, his expression stern. "This family has bent over backward to accommodate you, Abhimanyu. But if you continue to hurt Aarohi, you will lose us. And believe me, we won't think twice about it."

Abhimanyu's jaw tightened, and Akshara looked down, clearly overwhelmed by the turn of events. They had lost this battle, and they knew it.

Without another word, Abhimanyu grabbed Akshara's hand and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind them. The room was left in silence as the tension finally began to dissipate.

Aarohi let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The weight on her chest lifted, and for the first time in a long while, she felt like she had taken control of her own life.

Suwarna came forward, pulling Aarohi into a comforting hug. "You are so much like your Naira maa," she whispered, her voice filled with pride. "Strong, brave, and always standing up for what's right."

Aarohi smiled faintly, her heart swelling with gratitude. She had fought for herself today, and no one—especially not Abhimanyu and Akshara—would take that away from her again.