Second Chances

After the long and exhausting Muh Dikhai ritual, Shivani had retreated to Abhimanyu's room, away from the prying eyes of the Birla family. She had quickly changed into a simple cotton kurta set, her body aching from the weight of the heavy saree and jewelry she had worn all day.

Her mind was numb, her heart heavy. She had no energy left—not to smile, not to engage in conversations, and certainly not to sit with the Birla family for dinner, pretending to be the perfect new bride.

So she had skipped dinner.

Or at least, that was what she had planned.

A knock on the door made her look up. Before she could respond, Abhimanyu entered, holding a dinner tray in his hands.

Shivani lowered her gaze, expecting him to scold her for avoiding the family. But his voice, when it came, was unexpectedly gentle.

Abhimanyu entered the room with a plate of food in his hand. He found Shivani sitting on the couch, her back resting against the headboard, staring at the floor. 

"I know you don't want to go downstairs," he said, placing the plate on the bedside table. "Par khaana toh khana padega, Shivani."

She glanced at him briefly before nodding. Wordlessly, she picked up the plate and started eating in silence. Abhimanyu sighed and headed to the washroom to freshen up for the night.

By the time he came out, dressed in a simple T-shirt and track pants, he noticed her sitting stiffly, her food untouched. Silent tears streamed down her face.

"Shivani?" His voice was laced with concern as he immediately walked over. She quickly wiped her cheeks, shaking her head as if to dismiss his worry, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Kya hua? Koi kuch bola tumhe?" He crouched in front of her, trying to meet her gaze, but she kept her eyes downcast.

She let out a shaky breath. "Nahi... bas..." She hesitated, then finally admitted, "I miss bhai"

Abhimanyu's heart clenched. He sat beside her, watching as she absentmindedly pushed the food around on her plate. Without thinking, he reached out and gently wiped a stray tear off her cheek.

"Shivani, tu akeli nahi hai," he said firmly. "Tumhare bhai ke bina duniya alag lag rahi hogi, I understand... par tum akeli nahi ho."

She looked up at him for the first time, her eyes searching his as if trying to gauge the truth in his words.

Trying to change the subject, he asked, "Waise, payal pasand aayi?"

A small, genuine smile tugged at her lips. "Haan, bohot," she admitted, looking down at her feet where the delicate anklets shimmered.

"Accha hai," he said, leaning back on his hands. "Varna mujhe phirse kisi jeweller ke paas bhaagna padta."

She let out a small chuckle.

"Waise," she started hesitantly, "Maine socha hai... apni studies complete karne ka."

Abhimanyu raised an eyebrow. "Matlab?"

"I can complete my law degree online," she explained. "Aur saath mein kisi law firm mein internship bhi kar sakti hoon."

He nodded, impressed. "Agar tumhe yahi sahi lagta hai, toh karo. Jo bhi decide karogi, I am with you."

Shivani looked at him for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable passing through her eyes before she nodded.

"Thanks," she murmured.

Abhimanyu just gave her a small smile before getting up. "Ab chalo, jaldi se dinner finish karo, warna mujhe tujhe zabardasti khilana padega."

Shivani rolled her eyes but silently resumed eating. For the first time in a long while, she didn't feel completely alone.

---

Abhimanyu was in a deep sleep when his phone started ringing, the shrill sound cutting through the silence of the night. Groggily, he reached for it, rubbing his eyes as he answered.

"Dr. Birla, we have a critical case. The patient is deteriorating fast. We need you here immediately," came the urgent voice of the hospital staff.

Abhimanyu was already getting out of bed. "I'm on my way," he said, cutting the call.

As he moved to grab his watch from the nightstand, he noticed a shift in the bed. Shivani stirred, her brows furrowing as she mumbled, half-asleep, "Kya hua...?" Her voice was groggy, laced with exhaustion.

Abhimanyu sighed. "Sorry, Shivani. Hospital se emergency call aaya hai. Tumhe disturb kar diya na?"

She blinked up at him, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Jaana padega?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

He smiled at her innocence. "Haan, jaana padega. Tum so jao, okay?" He reached out and gently tucked the blanket around her again.

Shivani, still drowsy, barely registered his words. "Hmm..." She nodded sleepily but then, in her half-conscious state, whispered, "Aap dhyaan rakhna."

Something about the way she said it, with such genuine concern despite being barely awake, made Abhimanyu pause. A warmth spread in his chest, but he quickly shook the thought away.

He gave her a small smile. "Tum bas araam se so. Main jaldi wapas aa jaunga."

She hummed in response, already slipping back into sleep.

Abhimanyu lingered for a second, watching as she snuggled into the blanket like a child, her face peaceful. With one last glance, he grabbed his coat and left for the hospital.