yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Thirty

As the sunlight trickled in through the window, Armaan groaned, his eyes slowly fluttering open. He tried to chase sleep once more, turning into his pillow when his head knocked into something hard. Startled, Armaan looked up, coming face to face with a sleeping Abir. Armaan blinked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes to understand what was happening. Abir was sleeping on the floor, his head resting on the bed. He tried to sit up, but felt a weight on his stomach. Stretching, he saw that Abhira was draped across the bed, her head laying on his stomach. He shifted towards the other side, only to find Mishti there. She was sitting beside him, leaning on the headboard. Her fingers were tangled in his hair. 

As he looked at her, the memories of the previous night rushed back. Kaveri's announcement, Rohit's condition, Vidya's derision. But, in the midst of it all, he somehow remembered most, Mishti's arms wrapped around him, her humming softly in his ears, and her warmth & affection making it easier for him to breathe. What did he care about when he had her? When he had Abhira? 

Things really did look better after sleeping. What had he even gotten so worked up over? Kaveri giving his position to Rohit? But he'd always known it would happen. Rohit trying to play the good guy after helping Abhira's abuser win? He'd always known that Rohit needed to feel good about himself. He was only trying to make himself feel better by lobbying for his wedding. It wasn't something he was doing because he loved Armaan so much. It was purely for selfish reasons. 

Was it Vidya's words that had broken the dam? But, hadn't he always known, in some corner of his heart, that she would never love him the way she loved Rohit? She had never verbalized it, that he was aware of, before last night. But, it had always been the unspoken truth of their relationship. Maybe she'd said it before as well and he just hadn't heard it. 

These things had no power over him. He wouldn't let them. These were just little hurdles that didn't matter. He already had a new job, and he had a mother who loved him. He didn't need Kaveri Poddar's firm nor did he need Vidya Poddar's fake concern. His wedding… Well, he would marry Abhira some day. It just would not be according to anyone else's whims. It would be a decision they made together, as a couple. Whatever Rohit said or Kaveri decided had no bearing on him or Abhira. 

The door clicked open, making Armaan turn his attention there. It was then that he realized he was no longer in Poddar Mansion but the Rajvansh Villa, a fact that surprised him a little. He didn't remember how he got here. Manisha stepped inside, confusing Armaan even more. Wasn't she dressed in the same saree she'd worn yesterday? Armaan couldn't be sure, but he thought she was. The details of the previous day were all blurry to him now. It felt like a lifetime ago. 

Manisha tiptoed inside, not wanting to disturb any of the people in the room. As the night got darker, satisfied that Armaan's sleep would not get disturbed as he soundlessly slept, everyone had started vacating the room. Unwilling to leave Armaan, Manisha and Manoj had sat on the floor alongside Abir for most of the night, only leaving the room in the morning. Manoj had gone to check on the other kids, all of whom had also insisted on staying back and had ended up occupying other guest rooms in the house, while Manisha had gone to the kitchen, determined to cook Armaan's favourite breakfast - cheese sevayi upma. 

It had been the first dish she'd ever made for him after he'd started living with them, because the staff would always serve regular upma or cornflakes for breakfast, which just so happened to be Rohit's favourite while also simultaneously being food that Armaan was not particularly fond of. His distaste for them had only gotten stronger as he was forced to eat them day in & day out, and fed up, Manisha had whipped up some sevayi for him one day, lathering it with cheese for good measure. She'd never forget the look on his face as he'd taken one tentative bite of the meal and his eyes had instantly sparkled. He'd gobbled the entire plate and even asked for seconds, a first in the household.