yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Twenty One

“Manish Ji!” Swarna cried, rushing to his aid. She gathered him in her arms and pleaded with him to stand up. “Chaliye, uthiye. Manish Ji, please.”

Manish, however, was not listening to a word she said, his eyes stuck on Abhira, and his mind a million miles away. Abhira Akshara Sharma. His Akshu's daughter. Abhira was his Akshu's daughter. What he'd felt the first time they'd met had not been wrong. She did remind him of Naira, because she came from Naira. That time at the resort in Mussourie… When he'd felt Akshu was nearby, she really had been. He should have followed his instinct. Should have looked for Akshu, should have probed Abhira. But, he hadn't. He'd convinced himself that it was all a trick of his mind that missed his beloved granddaughter a little too much. It never had been. If only he hadn't been so complacent, he would have known about Abhira months ago, since their first meeting. But, he'd been a coward and chosen the easy way out. And now, he was suffering for it. 

“Kya— kya kaha tumne?” Ruhi mumbled, losing her footing as well. Rohit caught her, trying to steady her.

“Maine kaha ki Abhira Akshara Sharma apne vaade kabhi nahi todti,” Abhira repeated. 

“Abhira… Akshara… Sharma,” Ruhi echoed. “Tum… Tum…” She wasn't able to finish the thought, dread pooling in her heart at the mere possibility of it.

“Haan, Ruhi,” Abhira answered her unspoken question, confirming all her worst fears. “Main wohi hoon, jo tum samajh rahi ho. Itni smart toh tum ho ki tum samajh jao, right?”

“Tumha… Tumhaari himmat… Himmat kaise hui? Humaari life mein waapas aane ki?” Ruhi demanded. “Tumhaari Maa ne already meri poori zindagi barbaad kardi, Abhira. Aur ab tum bhi wohi kar rahi ho! How dare you?”

“Ruhi!” Abhira shouted. “Bas. Mumma ke against ek word nahi. Samjhi tum? Pata nahi kyun tumhe unse itni nafrat hai, lekin jitni tumhaari nafrat badi hai, usse kayi zyada bada mera Mumma ke liye pyaar hai. Aur main unke against kuch nahi sunungi.”

“Abh— Abhira… Beta,” Manish whispered. “Please.” He stretched his arm out, his palm open for her to take. Abhira moved towards him on instinct, but Armaan tightened his arms around her, not letting her leave.

“Hrishi!” Mishti commanded. “Unki help kar.”

“Dida…” Hrishi whined, trying to get out of it. He had no love lost for the man who had made his Akshu Bua suffer so much. 

“Hrishi,” Mishti repeated, leaving no room for argument. 

Sighing, Hrishi stepped forward and helped Manish stand. Rohit helped him in depositing Manish onto the couch. Once Hrishi had done the needful, he immediately moved back, taking his place beside Prajakta. 

“Mehr, get him some water,” Mishti told her daughter-in-law. “Aur ek baar dekhlo if he's fine.”

“Mumma, Mehr andar first aid kit lene hi gayi hui hai,” Amish answered. “Just a second.” Mehr had hurried to bring her tools the moment she'd seen Manish collapse. Mishti had been too embroiled in everything else to notice. 

No sooner had Amish said it, than Mehr came back, carrying all her supplies. She made Manish drink some water while she checked his vitals. “He's good,” she declared once she'd made sure everything was okay. “Bas ek baar ke liye shock ki wajah se aise BP low ho gaya tha but ab theek hai. Koi darrne ki baat nahi hai.”

“Thank you,” Surekha mumbled, dazed. She was still trying to grasp what had happened in the past few minutes. Everything was a blur. One second they were confronting Abhira, the next Manish had fallen & Abhira was her great-granddaughter. She didn't know what to do.