Phoenix - Abhira Sharma's journey

Parivaar

After the confrontation with the goenkas, abhira had wanted to spend some time alone in the dance academy and send kabir back to the singhania mansion. Kabir did not want to leave her alone but abhira's insistence of wanting to be alone for sometime made him do that. The singhanias were angered by the information of manish and his family trying to keep connection with abhira after whatever they put akshu up with. Naksh and kreeti wanted to visit the goenkas personally and warn them to stay away from abhira but Natik stopped them telling them to let the matter go for now and even after abhira telling their decision if the goenkas try to approach her again, they can intervene. The atmosphere shifted when the family planned a suprise for abhira for her on the occassion of winning her first case. They decided that kabir and meera will bring abhira to the restaurant where everyone will surprise her.

In the evening,

Abhira was clearly not in the mood of roaming or going somewhere but meera and kabir had pleaded with her so earnestly and she did not have the heart to refuse them and she agreed half heartedly.
As Abhira entered, she was greeted with smiles and laughter, and the first surprise hit her immediately. At the far corner of the room, Natik sat with his warm, wise eyes twinkling. Naksh and kreeti were sitting beside him, looking as graceful as ever, and seated next to them were her Muskaan and Kairav. A beautifully decorated cake with a little figurine of a lawyer on top sat on the table, a subtle nod to her achievement.
"What is all this?" Abhira exclaimed, her voice trembling with surprise.
Naksh beamed, his face softening as he stood up slowly "It’s a celebration, beta. A celebration of you winning your first case." His voice was deep, filled with emotion.
Kairav, with a smile on his face, added, "Akshu would have been so proud of you abhira."
Abhira blinked, feeling a lump form in her throat. She took a step toward the table and whispered, "I wish she was here." Kairav nods understanding her feelings, he wished the same.
Muskaan, wrapped an arm around her shoulders. " Bhaiji could have been so happy and proud of your achievements "
Tears welled up in Abhira’s eyes, but before she could speak, the cake was brought forward, and everyone gathered around to celebrate the milestone. The first slice was ceremoniously cut, and Abhira smiled through the tears as her family cheered. Abhira after a long time after Akshu passed away truly felt safe and loved.
But as she was having a bite of the cake, her gaze shifted to a table near the entrance. There, standing under the dim light, were the poddars. They stood like statues, arms crossed, looking less than pleased. Vidya's sharp eyes met hers, filled with judgment, while manoj's face betrayed nothing but disappointment.  Armaan, stood slightly apart, his expression soft, yet there was an unmistakable yearning in his gaze.

Abhira’s heart sank, but she tried to shake it off, focusing on her family. However, it wasn’t long before her Vidya, manisha and manoj made their way toward her table.

" Kya baat hai abhira, celebrating your success. Oh nice after stealing your chacha's cabin you might be happy"
Manisha said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I thought of you as my own child but what did you do"
Abhira froze for a moment hearing manisha's words. Out of all the people she did not expect manisha to speak like this at all. Then she shook her head thinking that in what right head she thought anyone in poddar would not blame her. They are flippers all are.
Before she could reply back to their words, Kriti spoke, standing up swiftly, her posture protective. "Excuse me, aap Hote kaun hai, how dare you speak such words about our daughter like that?"
Naksh added, his voice calm but firm, "I think you people need to leave before I ask my friend who is also this restaurant owner to kick you guys out"
Natik leaned forward, his voice soft but filled with authority. "Abhira has achieved something remarkable, and no one here will tolerate disrespect. If you can’t find it in your heart to congratulate her, then I suggest you leave us to our celebration."
" Rehne dejiye parnanu who are you even asking of such things, they only know to spoil happiness and blame me at every instance" Abhira says her expression hardening seeing the poddars. She sees armaan watching the whole scene in shock and sighs.
She turns towards Manisha, " Manisha aunty if you find whatever happened with your husband was so unfair, why don't you take it to your mother in law who decided the whole thing. I had no hand in this nor I demanded something like this, so why blame me for doing my job?"
Manisha, Manoj and vidya were taken aback by abhira addressing them formally, there was no affection in her voice at all for them. The other family members felt the same.
" Don't act so innocent abhira" Manisha accused her.
" Chachi sa, abhira hasn't done anything. It was dadi sa's decision" Armaan spoke up finally.
" Wah armaan Wah you also support her only " Manisha taunts him.
The goenkas who entered the same restaurant at the moment were stunned to see both the families together. They had only expected to see the poddars but the presence of singhanias shook them off. The singhanias who noticed the goenkas looked at them with hatred.
" Kriti beta..." Manish calls out his daughter affectionately who looks at him coldly and then sees kairav and muskaan who were looking at him angrily.
" Kriti" Swarna calls her and comes to hug her only to be pushed back by kriti.
Ruhi rushed to hold swarna and angrily yells at kriti, " how dare you push my parnani?"
" Don't speak to my nani like that" Kabir yells back at ruhi.
" You're still angry with us?" Manish asks kriti, " apni papa se itna salo ke baad bhi"
He turns towards Kairav, " and you kairav and you're still angry with us, look at your niece ruhi and how old she has grown"
Ruhi looks at Kairav a little emotional though she had no idea about kriti.
" Years would not erase the pain you have given to me and my family, papa. What you did with akshu I will never forgive you for it " Kriti replies back as she remembers how she trusted her father with her brother's kid.
" Please go away from here" Naksh tells him firmly not wanting to look at this man and family who ruined his sister and his neice.
" But..." Swarna tries to say anything but this time natik stops her, " we don't want to hear any explanations and keep any realtionships with you. Please go away or else we will leave this place"
Seeing that the poddars and goenkas are not moving away, the singhanias decide to leave the place not wanting to spoil their peace by arguing with vile and cruel people but swarna stops them with her words.
" Yes, we did wrong with akshu but your akshu wasn't any angel. She killed her own sister, aarohi. What were we going to do then? Still forgive and embrace her"
" Swarna!" Manish raises his voice to stop her.
" My maa is not a murderer " Abhira yells back angrily. Ruhi stumbles back realising the truth. Akshara massi was dead and abhira is akshara massi's daughter. Her heart got filled with hatred for abhira.
" Enough, we had countless discussions on this topic but you people don't seem to understand" Natik said, his voice gruff, but with an edge of impatience creeping through. “Let me remind you manish ji how a member of your family killed my wife Akshara by accident but you all expected us to forget it and treat it as a mistake but when it came to akshu it was suddenly different. ”
" Natik ji I know I was wrong.. I should have not been so unfair to akshu" Manish says ashamed of his actions. Both swarna and surekha look down when reminded of the past and realize their hypocrisy.
“ unfair? Parnanu seriously” Ruhi’s voice was sharp, brittle with anger. “How can you say that, she killed my mother and made me orphan” she came storming towards abhira and shakes her shoulders harshly, " you are her daughter, no wonder you can't become a mother because god gave your mother's punishment to you". Abhira felt hurt hearing ruhi's words. The topic of her fertility was still sensitive for her. Before she could react anything, ruhi was pushed away by meera angrily. Rohit holds his wife from falling but it did not end for ruhi, everyone in the Singhania family was furious.
“Stay away from my sister,” Meera shot back, stepping forward. “ I will kill you with my bare hands if I hear you cursing my sister again. She isn't alone now.”
Ruhi trembles in fear for a moment.
" She is a murderer's child" Ruhi states expecting someone to react.
" No she is not" Muskan says, her voice raising, " she is granddaughter of naira singhania who runs one of prestigious dance academy of this state, she is daughter of Akshara sharma who was a very good lawyer, she is daughter of abhinav sharma who was good man himself. So don't say a word against my  my bhabhi you vile kid"
Manish exhaled heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “I know  I have been terrible but please forgive me and what's the fault of ruhi in this? She is a child and still related to Kairav. Please—”
" She's not related to me" Kairav cut him off, " As much as I know I have only one sister related to blood that's akshu and I have only one niece and that's abhira. Ruhi is daughter of my father's other child that's it"
" Kairav" Manish feels his jaw tightening
Kairav laughed bitterly, " wah, Manish goenka wah still you did not leave your behaviour. Still now this stupid and idiot girl was accusing akshu and was manhandling abhira but your hands did not shake but one word against aarohi and ruhi you're raising your voice"