TRUE LOVE

CHAPTER - 9

Sorry for late update

Enjoy Reading
_______________

Just as Abhimanyu was about to press the button, the sound of screeching tires and shouts from outside interrupted the tension. The door burst open, and Neil, followed by a team of armed officers, stormed in.

"Drop it!" Neil shouted, aiming his gun at the masked figure.

In the chaos that followed, the masked figure turned and bolted for the exit, disappearing into the night before anyone could react. Abhimanyu rushed to Aarohi, ripping off her gag and cutting the ropes that bound her.

"Aarohi," he whispered, his voice filled with urgency as he gently freed her.

She collapsed into his arms, her body trembling from exhaustion and fear. "Abhi," she whispered, her voice hoarse but relieved. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to sink into the warmth of his embrace, her mind too frazzled to remember why it felt wrong.

"You’re safe now," he murmured, holding her tightly.

But as they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, Neil's gaze fell on them, and his heart tightened painfully. His throat constricted at the sight of their embrace, and a deep sorrow surged through him. This moment—this closeness—should have been Akshara’s and Abhimanyu’s. Akshara, his brother’s late wife. Aarohi’s sister. Yet here Aarohi was, holding Abhimanyu as if she had always belonged in his arms.

Did she?

Neil couldn’t stop his mind from wandering back to their past. Aarohi had been his wife—until she wasn’t. Until her love for Abhimanyu had shattered the foundation of their marriage. But standing here now, watching them cling to each other as if nothing else mattered, he felt something inside him fracture.

It had been Neil’s decision to divorce her. He had seen the truth in Aarohi’s eyes even when she hadn’t said it out loud. She had never truly been his. Even if she had cared for him once, that love had paled in comparison to what she felt for Abhimanyu. And though he had made the painful decision to let her go, the feelings had never fully disappeared. He still loved her, even if he knew it was hopeless.
But now he could see the complicated web of feelings in front of him. Abhimanyu’s grief for Akshara was palpable, yet the way he held Aarohi—it was more than just concern. It was conflicted, tangled, and raw.

Seeing her now, in Abhimanyu’s arms, Neil felt a pang that he hadn’t expected. Maybe she had always belonged to Abhimanyu. Maybe her heart had never been his to claim. The realization twisted inside him, a bitter mix of regret and sorrow. He had lost her once, but watching her like this, so vulnerable with his brother, felt like losing her all over again.

His chest tightened as he thought, Maybe she truly loves Abhimanyu. It was a possibility he had never wanted to admit, but now, it felt inescapable.

Abhimanyu, on the other hand, could only think about how close he had come to losing Aarohi. His heart pounded as he tightened his grip on her, but a gnawing guilt lingered beneath the surface. He had been so focused on saving her, on not losing her, that it was easy to forget, even for just a second, that his feelings were more complicated than he wanted to admit. Aarohi had always been there—steadfast, strong, challenging him in ways no one else could. Yet he had loved Akshara, hadn’t he?

"Aarohi," Abhimanyu whispered again, his voice heavy with unspoken emotions.

Aarohi pulled back slightly, her tear-streaked face gazing up at him. Her heart raced with everything that had just happened, but it wasn’t just fear anymore—it was the overwhelming pain of loving someone she shouldn’t. "I thought I was going to lose you," she confessed, her voice barely audible.

The vulnerability in her words tugged at something deep inside Abhimanyu, but he didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t sure if his desperation to save her came from love or guilt. Akshara’s memory loomed over them both, a silent specter that neither could shake.

Aarohi wiped her eyes, her hands still shaking. "You can’t do that again, Abhi," she said, her voice stronger now. "You can’t just throw your life away. Akshara… she wouldn’t have wanted that."

Abhimanyu flinched at the mention of her name, the guilt slicing through him like a knife. He nodded but said nothing. It was true—Akshara wouldn’t have wanted him to give up his life, but it was so hard to think clearly when the fear of losing Aarohi had consumed him.

Neil stepped closer, his voice calm but with a sadness that ran deep. "We need to get out of here. There’s still a threat." His eyes flickered between Abhimanyu and Aarohi, trying to ignore the complicated emotions stirring within him. He couldn’t deny what he saw—the way they looked at each other—but he also couldn’t ignore the shadow of Akshara’s death that hung between them all.

Abhimanyu nodded, his grip on Aarohi loosening as he finally stepped back. "Let’s go," he muttered, avoiding Neil’s gaze, unsure of what Neil must be thinking.

As they walked out, the tension between the three of them was thick, each lost in their own thoughts. 

The drive back to Birla Mansion was quiet, but the silence between them was not uncomfortable. It was as if both were still processing the near tragedy, the raw emotions swirling within them. Aarohi's gaze remained fixed out the window, watching the city lights blur past, but her mind was replaying everything that had transpired. Her heart still ached with the fear of almost losing Abhimanyu. She didn't know how to express what she was feeling, the relief and terror still battling within her. But the weight of what had just happened—and the emotions they were all grappling with—made the silence feel heavier.

When they arrived at the mansion, Neil lingered behind as Abhimanyu helped Aarohi inside. He watched them from a distance, his heart aching. He had been through so much with them both, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to change in ways none of them were ready for.

Aarohi and Abhimanyu stepped inside the house, but neither spoke. The quiet was thick with everything unsaid—the grief, the love, the guilt that hung between them like a veil. Aarohi knew she shouldn’t feel what she felt for Abhimanyu. He had belonged to her sister, and yet, here she was, unable to deny the connection between them.

And Abhimanyu—he didn’t know what to make of his own heart. He had loved Akshara, but now, after everything with Aarohi, the lines had blurred in ways he hadn’t expected.

As they stood in the dimly lit hallway, Abhimanyu finally turned to Aarohi, his voice low. "We need to figure this out," he said, his tone uncertain.

Aarohi’s heart clenched. "I know," she whispered. But even as she said the words, she wasn’t sure if they could untangle the mess of emotions that had built between them, or if they even wanted to.

_______________

To be continued...

Will aarohi be able to find out this web of complicated emotions???

Thank you for showering too much lovee...

Love you all❤