Kyon ✓ (Abhira)

19. Aagey Badho

19. Aagey Badho

Aahatein Bichdi Saanso Ki Hai
Yaadein Teri Bandd akhon Mein Hai
Tujh se jura mann
Teri Yaadon Ki Dhadkan
Jagaaye Muhje

Aise khamoshiyan me chhupe
Dil ke Nagme Sunaoon kise

O more saiyan
Raina na beete bane
O more saiyan
Naina na roothe mane

_

"Abhi tu mera yaar hi nahi, mera junoon hai. Bas tu hi toh hai mera, tere bina main kuch bhi nahi."

Life was unfair. It was unpredictable, breathtaking, sometimes cruel, sometimes surprising, many a time it brought pain and sufferings which made no sense, but equally it brought happiness that made the pain to fade away. Such was life, it was unfair, but that is what made it fair.

Abhimanyu was everything, a good son, an amazing doctor, a sensible guy, a supportive brother and a mannered gentleman but he couldn't be one thing.

A best friend.

That thing always took his sense of belonging away, that one incident always brought him down from any happy state of mind, any celebrations, and he found himself thinking about what he could have done and what he did. Anywhere he went, he had this person at the back of his mind, wherever he went, he was followed by these demons from his past and no matter what, he couldn't shake them away from his life.

He did not even try to shake the past away from him, because he thought he owed this to that person, if he couldn't save them, he could at least save their memories. And he carried those heavy burden of heartaches with him, promised to take them to the grave.

But now, at this moment, when Akshara had kept her head on his shoulder as they witnessed the day enveloping into night, was when he felt free. He did not remember anything from his past but he noticed how soft her curls were as they played with the wind and fell on her face, how the dusky sun was still tracing its sunlight on her tired face and how although she had shut her eyes, she looked peaceful for once.

Abhi and Akshara were seated under a tree, leaning back as they basked into the silence of the evening, but more than the peace of the nature, Abhi's heartbeats were for once very vibrant without a stethoscope, and it was because of her. He looked at her, how she was relaxing, or trying to, and he did not try to move, afraid he might break her trance.

This messed up girl reminded him of his past in all sense. She was packed with mental illnesses, had low self esteem and hardly wanted to live, but then why was she the one to help him not remember anything from the past. All Abhi wanted right now was to bask in her scent, envelope her in his arms, shut his eyes and breathe in this peace she brought to his heart.

How in the world did a girl who hated living made him want to live?

He did not rest his eyes, because he did not want to miss a single moment of this beautiful girl. All he wanted was to hold her hand, but he did not want to cross the line in helping her, and he did not even know why he wanted to hold her so much. So, he relaxed, held himself and watched her breathe slowly, without anxieties and without any stress.

"Akshu, mera pyaara beta, Mumma ki mendak.... aur Papa ki sherni... Aap hi toh ho, humari pyaari Akshara, humari dil ka sukoon..."

Every time she sang, her parents would leave everything to listen to her, literally everything. Her Mumma Naira would let the food burn, Pappa Karthik would leave the work call and they would hype her so much when she would sing. They had even brought her a pretend mike, and she'd sing and they'd sit around, Karthik would sit on the drum set, Naira would try to play the keyboard and the siblings would sit clapping, happy to attend the little rock concert, just to listen to Akshara sing.