24. A Memory That Won't Fade

A/N: I've kept my word and  here's the third and final chapter for the day.

Happy Reading!

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Charu held her breath, unsure of how to react to the man clinging to her like she was his only anchor.

She didn't speak.

She didn't pull away.

She simply stood there, allowing him to take whatever solace he needed.

After what felt like minutes, his breathing began to steady, the rise and fall of his chest against hers slowing down.

Charu could feel the heat of his body, the slight dampness of his breath against her shoulder, the way his fingers unconsciously clenched the fabric of her kurti as if afraid she'd vanish.

Ruhi had followed Abhir, concerned about how he was coping after his conversation with Manish.

But she halted in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock.

Abhir was hugging Charu.

Not just a casual, brief hug-he was holding onto her like his life depended on it.

Ruhi's jaw nearly dropped.

Abhir and Charu?

These two who couldn't stand each other, who constantly bickered, were now sharing an intimate hug she never would have imagined.

She took a step forward, intending to intervene, but then she stopped.

Charu, the same Charu who always had a sharp remark ready for Abhir, stood still.

She didn't push him away.

Instead, she let him take comfort in her presence, her hands caressing lightly on his back in silent support.

Ruhi observed the way Charu handled him-with patience, with care, with a kind of quiet understanding she never expected from her.

A smile tugged at Ruhi's lips.

Maybe this wasn't as impossible as she thought.

She took a deep breath and stepped back quietly, choosing to leave them alone.

Maybe, just maybe, her hotheaded brother had finally found someone who could truly ground him.

After sometime, Abhir exhaled a shaky breath and pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her.

His eyes were red, not from tears but from the overwhelming emotions swirling within them.

She had never seen him this raw, this stripped of all pretense. It was unsettling.

"Sorry," he muttered, his voice hoarse.

Charu shook her head, her voice soft but firm. "Don't be."

He searched her eyes as if trying to find mockery or pity in them. But there was none.

Just a quiet understanding.

Something flickered in his eyes at that. He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. He..He ..is..." His voice trailed off, his jaw tightening.

"He's your grandfather," Charu said carefully.

Abhir let out a dry laugh. "He was. I don't know what he is to me now, except for a painful reminder of everything that went wrong in my life."

Charu remained silent, letting him talk.

"I've spent years convincing myself I don't care, that I've moved on. But seeing him again, the way he cried, the way he pleaded-" Abhir exhaled sharply. "It messed with my head."

Charu studied him for a moment before saying, "You still care for him ."

Abhir looked at her, startled.

"If you truly didn't care, you wouldn't have reacted the way you did," she pointed out. "You wouldn't have carried him here yourself, wouldn't be standing here now, looking like you're barely holding yourself together."

He clenched his jaw, but she had already seen the truth in his eyes.

"It doesn't mean I can forgive him easily" Abhir muttered.

"I'm not saying you should ,take your time Abhir but we can't push your family away. No matter how mad you're at them they are family after all.."

He let out another deep sigh, raking a hand through his hair. "Why do you always have to be so damn rational?"

Charu smirked slightly. "Balance. You have enough impulsiveness for both of us."

That actually made him chuckle-a small, brief sound, but it was there.

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Abhir had never been a stranger to loneliness.

It had been his closest companion for years, lingering like a shadow, never truly leaving.

Even now, surrounded by family, that hollow feeling remained.

He had moved into the Goenka house a few days back, but it still didn't feel like home.

It was just a place where he slept when he wasn't out performing or rehearsing.

His interactions with the family were minimal-cordial at best.

He was making an effort, but that was all it was. An effort.

And yet, despite everything, despite his conscious decision to focus on his music, on his life, his mind kept straying to her.

Charu.

He didn't know why.

It made no sense.

They weren't friends.

Hell, they weren't even on good terms.

If anything, they had spent the better part of their interactions exchanging sharp words and unimpressed looks.

But ever since that night at the hospital, something had changed.

He found himself thinking about her in the quiet moments-about how steady she had been when he fell apart, how she hadn't judged him, hadn't pushed him away.

It was infuriating.

He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside as he picked up his guitar.

It was just a moment.

It didn't mean anything.

But then he'd find himself staring at his phone , his fingers hovering over it like a damn fool, before he'd snap out of it and shove it away.

A phone that didn't even have her personal number, she had just contacted him once that too with Poddar firm's official number.

Even if he has her number what the hell was he even supposed to talk to her?

"Hey, thanks for letting me lose my shit on you?"

No. It was better this way.

Better to stay away, better to not acknowledge the strange restlessness that crept in whenever he thought about her.

It didn't stop him from pausing whenever he heard her name in passing.

What was wrong with him? Why was he craving the presence of a woman who had never even liked him?

He should be relieved that she was keeping her distance.

And yet, as he sat on his balcony late that night, staring blankly at the city lights, he couldn't fight the ridiculous thought creeping into his mind-

Did she even think about him?

Did she even remember that day the way he did?

A sharp scoff left his lips. Of course not.

She had probably moved on like nothing happened, filing it away as just another odd occurrence in her otherwise perfectly logical world.

And maybe that was for the best.

Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he'd actually believe it.

Elsewhere...

Charu's days had been nothing short of hectic.

Meetings, case preparations, and deadlines kept her occupied, leaving little room for personal thoughts.

Yet, no matter how engrossed she was, a certain name always lingered at the back of her mind-Abhir.

Ever since that night at the hospital, she hadn't seen him. Not even once.

It wasn't as if she expected to, but for some reason, the absence felt noticeable. Unsettling, even.

She had no reason to care. He wasn't her responsibility. He wasn't even a friend.

Yet, the memory of him breaking down in her arms, the way he had clung to her, haunted her in ways she couldn't explain.

She had brushed it off initially, convincing herself that it was nothing. .

That evening after a busy day at work as she walked into the Poddar mansion when she found Ruhi sitting on the couch, talking animatedly on the phone-most likely with Surekha or Swarna Goenka-she found herself listening.

Her curiosity got the better of her.

They were discussing something-no, someone.

Abhir.

As soon as the call ended, she sat beside Ruhi, trying to sound casual.

Charu didn't know what made her do it, but she casually asked, "Is Abhir okay?"

The question slipped out before she could think twice.

Ruhi, who had been talking animatedly till now, suddenly fell silent.

A smirk crept onto her lips as she exchanged a knowing glance with Abhira.

"Well, well," Ruhi drawled, crossing her arms. "You too hate each other, don't you? Why this sudden care then?"

Charu blinked, caught off guard. "I just- I mean, he moved back to goenka mansion, right? So... I was just wondering if he's doing okay."

Ruhi raised a brow, intrigued. "You haven't seen him all this while, have you?"

Charu shook her head. "Not since that day in hospital."

Ruhi's mischievous grin only deepened. "That's why you're restless."

Charu rolled her eyes, feigning nonchalance. "I'm not restless. I just-he looked... really shaken up that day."

Charu stiffened. The way Ruhi looked at her-amused, mischievous, as if she knew something Charu didn't-made her uncomfortable.

"I was just asking," Charu said quickly, avoiding her gaze. "Nothing more."

Ruhi hummed, clearly unconvinced. "Interesting. The girl who never cared about Abhir Sharma is suddenly interested in his well-being."

Charu sighed, deciding it was best to change the subject. "Forget I asked."

She turned to leave, but Ruhi's teasing voice followed her. "Oh, don't worry, Charu. I'll let Abhir know his favorite enemy is thinking about him."

Charu groaned, but as she walked away, she couldn't ignore the way her heart felt just a little too heavy.

Every time she caught herself thinking about him, she shook her head and buried herself in work.

Yet, despite her attempts at distraction, she couldn't escape the nagging feeling that something was off.

And she hated how much that bothered her.

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Aag dono taraf barabar lagi hai, and looks like Billa Boy already has a secret cupid at work! 🧿✨

So tell me—who’s going to fall first? Or better yet, who’s going to fall harder? 👀🔥