yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Forty

The evening brought with it a welcome respite in the form of the Chorus Gang who came over to celebrate with their beloved Abhira Bhabhi. A worried Krish had called Armaan after Ruhi had come back home in tears, and Armaan had given him a short version of what had transpired. While Krish was sad that Ruhi was going through something so difficult, he was ecstatic for Abhira. She got her grandmother's academy and also proved her mother innocent. It was cause for celebration.

So, the four of them put together a small party with balloons and cake that they brought to the Rajvansh Villa. “Congratulations, Bhabhi!” They screeched in greeting when they spotted Abhira. 

“Mere cuteness ke pitaron, aankhon ke taaron, sabse zyada dulaaron!” Abhira exclaimed, pulling them all in hugs. “Thank you so much!!” 

“Bhabhi, aapko bohot bohot zyada congratulations,” Krish started. “Aapne finally Akshara Aunty ki innocence prove kardi. I know aap kitna badly yeh karna chaahte the. I'm so proud of you.”

“Thank you, Krish,” Abhira smiled, pulling him into another hug.

“Yes, Bhabhi!” Charu added. “Aur dance academy ke liye bhi bohot badhayi ho.”

“Thank you, Charu,” Abhira replied, hugging her too.

“Bhabhi, aap aaj bohot happy ho na?” Kiara asked.

“Bohot se bhi zyada!” Abhira cried.

“Toh yeh occasion toh celebrate karna banta hai!” Kiara cheered. “Aaj aap itne khush lag rahe ho, aapko dekhke mujhe itni khushi ho rahi hai!”

“Aap log jabse chit-chat hi kar rahe ho!” Aryan whined. “Yeh cake aapka wait kar raha hai, Bhabhi. Chalo, ab… Jaldi se cake cut karo!”

“Okay, okay. Main cut kar rahi hoon, Aryan Sa! Itna impatient mat ho,” Abhira chuckled. The entire family crowded around the coffee table as Krish set it up. 

Armaan stood to the side, letting the Chorus Gang surround Abhira, happy to let them take the lead. It always delighted him to see how close Abhira was to his cousins. Even when him & Abhira had been going through their share of issues, his cousins had stood by Abhira's side, their relationship with her never resting on his own. They had all accepted Abhira as their own and it didn't matter to them if she was his wife. She had a relationship with them all of her own making. Things had been dicey with Charu for a while after Gangaur, but now, the two of them were solid as ever. No one who looked at them would ever think of them as anything but sisters. For Abhira, who had always craved family, finding a piece of it with his cousins, meant the world to him.

Abhira looked at him in question, making Armaan shake his head with a smile. Shrugging, she turned her attention back to the kids who were getting impatient for the cake. She finally cut the cake and fed a piece to each of the four of them first before turning to the other members of the family. She fed her other cousins first, Hrishi breaking a piece off to feed her as well. 

After their mini celebration was done, they all occupied various spots in the living room itself, talking and laughing. Krish sat beside Abhira, deep in conversation with her about the academy.

“Bhabhi, aapne academy dekhi hai kya?” He asked her. 

Abhira shook her head. “Abhi nahi. Maine decide kiya tha ki main wahaan tabhi jaungi jab woh meri hogi. So, main ab tak gayi nahi hoon.”

“Aap jab bhi jaoge na, mujhe zaroor leke jaana. Please,” Krish requested. “Maine wahaan ke bohot videos dekhe hain. Naira Ma'am was such a brilliant dancer. Unke performances itne mesmerizing hote the. Jab main chota tha na, main hamesha unhe copy karne ki koshish karta tha!”