War for Peace: Abhira Birla Poddar TS

Shot Three

Armaan looked up at the two girls, Roohi was crying right alongside Abhira. His Ira was so devastated and it was his fault. He reached out to touch her again and this time, when she melted under his touch, his heart shattered into pieces.

He was supposed to protect her and he was so busy feeling sorry for himself to see how close he was to losing her, his Ira. The one he had fought so hard for.

"Teen dinn.. Me mai shayad bharosa wapis nahi jeet paunga, Ira. Mujhe maloom hai mene tumhe kitna hurt kia hai. I.. know jo vaada kia tha, nahi nibhaya mene, but please, agar ho sake, toh mujhe ek chance dedo. Tum.. jaise kahogi, jab kahogi, jo kahogi, mai karunga."

Abhira looked up, "I don't want to control you, Maan. I am not your wretched family, who thinks being obedient equals love."

Armaan nodded. "I.. know. Bina sharaton ka pyaar kya hota hai na, mene kabhi mehsoos nahi kia tha. Toh, jab tumse mila, mai for granted lene laga. I thought, Abhira toh hai hi.. Yeh thodi jaa rahi hai kaheen chodke. Mai unn logon ke pyaar ke liye— tumhe itna hurt kar raha tha jo log mujhe shayad ek second me bhool jayenge."

Roohi unwrapped her arms from around Abhira, stepped slightly back, but stayed vigil. There was no telling which way the conversation would go and she felt the overwhelming urge to protect Abhira from whatever bad thing was next.

Armaan cupped her face, "Mene na.. tum jaisa pyaar nahi dekha tha aur ab.. mai tumhe kho nahi sakta, Abhira. Tumne kaha tha na, ki mai aisa koi waada na karoon, jo mai poora na kar sakoon? Toh mai wada nahi karunga. Bas koshish karunga. Woh pati ban'ne ki jo mujhe 3 maheene pehle ban jana chahiye tha. Jo shayad mujhe 1 saal pehle ban'na chahiye tha"

He bent forward and gently pressed his forehead to hers. "You don't forgive me, never in your life. I don't deserve to be given that apology but try, please, try to give me one last chance."

Abhira nodded. "It's not like I don't love you.."

"I know. I know you love me. This is why you're in this room. This is why when I come here to apologize, you are at least hearing me out. I have hurt you. I know you are on the last strand of your thinning patience. If I am half the man I should be, I will never forget today and I will never make this mistake again."

"I know you have no reason to trust me, Ira. I have made promises in the past that I went back on. I was aware of what I was doing, but sometimes, you keep doing something and in foolish hope and when it doesn't pan out quite the way you want, you do it some more."

Armaan reached over to rub his thumb on her cheek gently. "I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner, that I was a fool to try to find Maternal warmth in the arms of a woman who had always been disgusted by my existence."

"I was trying to find a family where one didn't exist. Vidya Poddar was always supposed to be my step mother and I thought not all step mothers— surely not my step mother, she had taken me in, loved me, fed me— I had forgotten— no actually I was never made to realize that this was my house. My mother was my father's wife, legally, ritually wedded, like you and me. I was— I am— the eldest Poddar son in our generation. My mother was the eldest daughter in law. Then, she died."

"Her death— Abhira, my mother's death doesn't erase her, or take away from the legitimacy of my mother's marriage, or my birth. Vidya Poddar was my father's second wife. I— know that, because the day my father brought me to this house, he told me that I was his son, that Shivani Poddar was his wife— no matter what anyone said."

Armaan chuckled sarcastically, "My father said that and then, in a desperate effort to keep peace in the house. He forgot. I.. I forgot too. You.. woke me up. You reminded me of what.. was needed– what I needed."