From Sorrow To Serenity

CHAPTER - 5

Enjoy reading

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As the days passed, the tension in the Birla mansion slowly began to dissipate, but the wounds remained fresh. Aarohi had left the mansion, determined to carve her own path. Neil, heartbroken yet understanding, let her go, but the emptiness in his heart weighed heavily. Abhimanyu, still haunted by his actions, tried to make amends, but a sense of foreboding lingered in the air.

Akshara, on the other hand, had been quiet. She had distanced herself from the chaos, focusing on her music and trying to find peace amidst the turmoil. But the rift between her and Abhimanyu was growing wider, and the unspoken tension between them was becoming harder to ignore.

One evening, Akshara decided she needed some time alone. She felt suffocated by everything that had happened—the constant arguments, the weight of guilt, and the unresolved pain. She needed space to breathe, to clear her mind.

"Abhi, I’m going out for a drive," she said quietly, standing at the door as Abhimanyu looked up from his work. His eyes softened when they met hers, but the distance between them was undeniable.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned but hesitant to push her. He could see the weariness in her eyes, the strain that their relationship had taken on her.

Akshara gave him a small, tired smile. "I just need some air. I’ll be back soon."

Abhimanyu nodded, though a part of him wanted to stop her. Something inside him told him to hold her close, to talk to her, to bridge the gap that had grown between them. But as always, the words remained stuck in his throat.

Akshara left without another word, the cool evening air brushing against her face as she stepped outside. She got into her car and drove off, the city lights blurring past her as she sped through the streets, her mind clouded with thoughts of everything that had gone wrong.

As she drove, her phone buzzed with messages and missed calls, but she ignored them. She needed to clear her head, to escape from the suffocating feeling that had been gripping her chest for weeks. The road stretched out before her, dark and empty, as the night deepened.

Suddenly, without warning, a car sped through a red light at an intersection. Akshara barely had time to react. The screeching of tires, the blinding flash of headlights, and the deafening crash were all that followed.

In the Birla mansion, Abhimanyu's heart skipped a beat as he stared at his phone. A sudden, inexplicable sense of dread washed over him. He dialled Akshara’s number, his hands trembling, but there was no answer. The seconds stretched into minutes, and the silence on the other end of the line only deepened his fear.

"Akshara, pick up," he whispered, pacing the floor. His heart raced as he tried again and again, but the call went straight to voicemail. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

Suddenly, his phone rang. It wasn’t Akshara.

It was the hospital.

The voice on the other end was urgent, telling him that there had been an accident. His world came crashing down as the words hit him like a punch to the gut.

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At the hospital, Abhimanyu rushed through the doors, his heart pounding in his chest. Neil and the rest of the family arrived shortly after, their faces etched with worry and fear.

When Abhimanyu reached the emergency room, the doctor looked at him with a grim expression. "Dr. Birla, she’s in critical condition. We’re doing everything we can, but…" His voice trailed off, and Abhimanyu didn’t need to hear the rest. His legs felt like they were going to give out beneath him, but he forced himself to stay upright.