UNBREAKABLE STRINGS

After a bit of chatters, they hung up the phone and Ruhi came with albums and video recordings from her big box which Rohit had brought from the Goenka house.

Ruhi opened the album titled 'Akshara and Aarohi', and showed the first picture, which was of Kartik and Naira's wedding as their wedding was *obviously* the most essential activity for Akshu's birth, Ruhi told Abhira. She then showed photos of Akshu's naming ceremony to Abhira. "God, I can't believe it, mumma bhi kabhi itni chhotu si thi!", said Abhira keeping her hand at her mouth looking at her mother's childhood.

"Yeh mumma ke bhai hain? Kahan hain?"
"Han Abhira, yeh Kairav mamu hain, he now lives in US with MuskanBumi", told Ruhi.
"Bumi?", asked Abhira.

Ruhi laughed and explained that Muskan was Abhira's father's sister too. Abhira said that her head had spinned by the system of two siblings marrying another set of siblings which had been running in the family. Ruhi laughed as she pointed out that they both had followed this traditional well too. Ruhi showed her more photos of Akshara with Kartik, Naira and the Goenka clan.

Next were a few pictures of Kartik and Sirat's wedding.
"Nanu Nani ne do baar shaadi ki?"
"No no, she is not Naira Nani, she is Sirat Nani.
[ofc she doesn't know they actually rather married four times!]
Naira Nani got into an accident and fell to her death. Sirat Nani was her lookalike, and Kairav mamu had thought her to be his mumma and got her in his house. Gradually, Nanu and Sirat Nani too fell in love, but Naira Nani always remained special to him. Maatashree was Sirat nani's daughter", explained Ruhi.

"God, not even surprised, itna drama toh bas humari hi family mein ho sakta hai!", Abhira said frustrated from the daily soap life she was in.
She then saw pictures of her Maasi's birth, her ceremonies with her family, her mumma and maasi together, since birth. She felt emotional that she couldn't experience the same with her family, her sister, despite having them. She saw pictures of Akshara with guitars and music instruments while Aarohi with books, science models etc. They surely had shared an unbreakable bond, protecting each other from the evilness of the world with only love they had for each other. She saw some clips from the recordings of them celebrating mother's day. She noticed a drastic age difference which came suddenly between two of Akshu-Aaru's picture and Ruhi told her it was something because of their mother's death and she wasn't sure what really happened. However, the unheard spark was affinity was still between them in the recordings of Akshu and Aaru's gun act towards Manish.

Next were pictures of her mumma's wedding with Dr. Abhimanyu. Her mumma looked really in love and extremely happy. She saw the pregnancy pictures of her mumma and maasi, but the distance between them saddened her as they weren't together, but she was excited as she knew that Ruhi was now incoming.

Few pictures later, Ruhi was there, a fairy, a unicorn, wrapped in a butterfly towl, looked majestic, she looked as if had come to wipe away everyone's sorrows in a smile. She was definitely an angel, made in a Wonderland. Ruhi thanked Abhira for her praises and continued showing her more pictures. She then showed her pictures of Abhir with his mumma papa. He too was crafted with love and purity, to bring out the pain from everyone, to spread his positivity and affinity in the world.

Ruhi and Abhira's mind had pondered over to the same question again that where were Abhir and Abhimanyu? But they chose to stay silent as they wished to enjoy the albums. She saw how her parents loved Abhir, how they took care of him, how they were the best in the world, through clips and pictures. Her heart again craved for the same love by her papa too. Soon she saw pictures of Ruhi and Abhir together and she beamed with excitement. "Yeh dekho yeh mimi, yaani B nanu ki mumma ki birthday ki hai, jab hum first time mile", said Ruhi. Abhira smiled looking at their bond. She craved for sibling love as she saw more pictures of them. She hated that she wasn't with them even when they were hers. The children, really, were the apple of everyone's eyes. Her favourite track was of Kairav mamu's wedding with Bumi. Everyone looked so pretty, especially in the typical pahadi dress they wore. Her heart was definitely captured by Ruhi and Abhir munchkin pictures, especially their pahadi dance clippings. She remembered Ruhi had stopped in between when she was telling about her Maasi who lived in the mountains and now knew what she meant. Ruhi narrated Abhir and her's past stories. She told her how she got Abhir on the Gangaur ghat when he was denied to, how they balance walked on the pipe in Kasauli which stopped the water supply and Chachi ma's annoyance lifted everyone's mood, how they even made plans of Abhir running away from house in a train, alone.

Abhira heard her stories with curiousity and said, "Tumlogon ne mujhe waise hi badnaam kar rakha hai, look at you two, more and more naughty and toofan than me!"
"Toofan toh saare bache hote hain, Abhira, bas farq yeh hai ki tum bachi hi reh gayi, humari tarah badi hui nahi", Ruhi teased her, laughing, as she earned a slap on her back from her lil sister who was annoyed.
She reached to pictures of Abhinav's birthday and cried a few tears when Ruhi told her it was his last day. The charm of her mother's and brother's smile was clearly lost in the further photos, but as they say, time was healing.

"Pata hai, Abhira, ek dinn na meri aur Billa boy ki ladai ho gayi thi and he threatened me saying he would ask bhagwan ji for a baby sister and then play with her and not let me come near her. I got so upset and for the first time, I was the one to apologize first in our nok-jhok", narrated Ruhi, laughing heartedly, with tears in her eyes. "Aur uske baad maasi actually pregnant ho gayi, we felt it was a miracle, we were so happy, we decorated a car for her- I mean, you, and made so many plans to play with you, spend time you, pamper you bu-but nothing worked."

Abhira's heart bloomed with happiness that her sister was so excited about her arrival, she had made plans with their brother for her, but her heart too broke and Ruhi's last sentence. They both wiped their tears and again focused on the albums.

She again saw her mumma's and Abhimanyu's wedding ceremony pictures, and then, then...then just nothing. The blank envelopes tore Ruhi's heart too as she knew that it wasn't the blank envelopes, it was their blank hearts, void, yearning for love, for their family, and maybe, now their sisters were going to be the family they yearned for.

One more chapter to go! Do vote and comment please <3