14. Settling in

A month had passed since Abhir moved to Udaipur. The vibrant city was quickly becoming his second home, but not in the way he had imagined.

His decision to settle here was motivated by one thing only-being close to his sisters, Abhira and Ruhi.

What he had with them was something he hadn't experienced in years, and despite his initial reluctance, the idea of calling them family felt almost like a balm to his restless soul.

Abhir had already begun performing at various stage shows in Udaipur. His return to the stage was a sign of his new beginning, an attempt to reconnect with the world he had left behind.

His team, including his hairstylist, Sia, and manager, Akash, had also relocated to Udaipur.

He made arrangements for them to stay at the same apartment he had rented as he had no intention of  moving in Goenka House.

That's been a closed topic between him and his sisters ,now even they have stopped pushing him about going back there.

Though Abhira had emotionally blackmailed him initially, he was fixated on not going back there, trying to stay as detached as possible.

He wanted his own space, his own world and that suited him just fine.

He wasn't here to bond or to create memories with anyone else; he was just here to fulfill a promise to his sister.

While he kept his distance from the Goenkas, he found a different kind of comfort in the Poddars.

Rohit, Armaan, and Krish became his companions, and they frequently invited him to join their soccer games.

He was a natural on the field, and it brought out a side of him that he thought he lost growing up it made him playful and carefree.

The matches became a regular part of his routine, and with each game, he began to feel a little more at ease in their company.

Kiara, with her infectious energy and enthusiasm, also swooned over him, often following him around and showering him with attention.

Though he appreciated her admiration, he couldn't view her in any other way than a fangirl.

It was clear that Kiara held a deep admiration for him, but Abhir always remained kind yet distant.

His heart had no space for such distractions, especially not when it came to the Poddars whom his sister were related.

But despite the camaraderie with the Poddars, there were still two people who made things difficult for him: Charu Bansal and her father, Sanjay Bansal.

The animosity between them was palpable.

Charu's indifference toward him had been evident from the beginning. While everyone else seemed to embrace his presence.

But he thought somewhere they have bonded like the other day on the terrace.

But after that charu has maintained her attitude cold and unwelcoming to him.

Abhir wondered if he had said something along the way to their banters that had offended her but he couldn't recall anything like that.

He tried to be kind, tried to bridge the gap with small gestures, but Charu had always been dismissive, treating him as though he was beneath her.

Her workaholic nature only added to the tension. She was always busy with her legal cases, her sharp mind focused on nothing but her career.

The more Abhir tried, the more he felt like he was pushing against a wall.

And while he initially thought he was only attracted to her because of the strange dream he had, any remaining feelings for Charu had dissipated now by her constant indifference and also her father was cherry on the top.

Sanjay Bansal was a man of few words, but his presence had an intensity that made Abhir uncomfortable.

Sanjay's cold demeanor was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

He was just another man who seemed to measure him by his past and his status. Sanjay's high-handed attitude only reinforced Abhir's resolve to keep his distance from the Bansals, and he did just that.

Abhir had grown used to the fact that the Poddars weren't his family, but in many ways, they felt more like it than the Goenkas did.

Yet, as much as he tried to push himself to be part of the family, the unease with Charu and Sanjay remained a constant presence in his life.

Despite his best efforts to ignore her, Charu's presence continued to make him uneasy.

She was an enigma, and he was done trying to understand her. But despite his resolve, his thoughts betrayed him. It wasn’t just her coldness that got to him. It was the moments in between—the rare flicker of warmth in her eyes before she looked away, the way her lips parted like she had something to say but chose to remain silent, the unspoken words that always hung in the air between them.

He clenched his jaw. It didn’t matter. Charu Bansal was a complication he didn’t need.

After all, he had his hands full trying to navigate the complicated dynamics of family, his career, and the lingering memories of his past.

Yet, fate had other plans.

------

Charu sat at her desk, drowning in her case files at the Poddar firm, her mind engrossed in legal strategies and court proceedings. The sharp glow of her phone screen distracted her momentarily—a message from Kiara on their family group.

Abhir’s Mahashivratri event—everyone invited.

She blinked, rereading the message. That devilishly handsome rockstar doing a spiritual show? The image was almost laughable. She couldn’t picture him like that.

Shaking her head, she put her phone aside, determined to avoid distractions. But it was too late. Her thoughts had already drifted to him.

There was something about Abhir Sharma that unsettled her, something that both irked and intrigued her. She hated how his presence never went unnoticed, how he had a way of getting under her skin without even trying.

More than his bluntness or his temper, it was his softer side that scared her. The way he looked at Abhira and Ruhi—with a love so pure, so fierce. The way he melted around Daksh, becoming an entirely different person—a carefree child, full of warmth and laughter.

At this point, she wasn’t even judging him. She could see through him—past the arrogance, past the rebellious attitude. He was a man carrying deep wounds, using his anger as a shield. But despite knowing that, she refused to let herself soften toward him.

Because that would be dangerous.

After their conversation on the terrace, his sweet smiles and casual greetings had become a thorn in her side. He was… affecting her. And this feeling—it wasn’t new. It was the same dangerous pull she had felt once before, the same mistake she had vowed never to repeat.

She couldn’t let herself fall for someone like him.

And yet, Kiara had dragged her to a café for one of his performances the other day. Charu had only agreed to shut Kiara up, but she had regretted it the moment Abhir’s gaze found hers in the crowd.

She had once taunted him, saying all singers sounded the same to her. But when Abhir sang that night, his voice had shifted something in her heart. It was as if he had cast a spell, drawing her in, making her forget herself.

Until she saw her.

Sira—his hairstylist—had hugged him openly after his performance, her affection unfiltered and effortless. And then there were the other girls, swarming him, proposing to him, offering flowers that he accepted with a charming smile.

It had been infuriating.

A hollow feeling had settled in her chest, something bitter and unfamiliar.

And that was her cue to pull back before she let herself get tangled in something she couldn’t afford.

He was a celebrity, a heartbreaker, a man adored by thousands. Maybe all this was normal for him.

But not for her.

She shoved the thoughts away as a sharp knock echoed through her office. Before she could answer, the door swung open, and her father, Sanjay Bansal, stepped in, a case file in hand.

Charu sighed. “What now?”

Sanjay placed the file on her desk with a challenging smirk. “You wanted a breakthrough case for your career, didn’t you? Well, here’s your chance.”

Curious, Charu picked up the file and flipped through it. The moment she read the name, her breath caught.

It was a case against Rockstar Rudra.

Her grip on the papers tightened. “Papa, what is this?”

Sanjay feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”

Charu looked up, her eyes narrowing. “Why did we even consider taking this case? He’s family. Does Dadi Sa or Abhira Bhabhi know about this?”

Sanjay scoffed. “Learn to separate personal and professional matters, Charu, or you’ll never become a good lawyer.”

Her stomach twisted at his words.

“He is not family,” Sanjay continued, his tone laced with disdain. “He’s a nonsense we tolerate because of that Abhira. And don’t be naive—if we don’t take the case, another firm will.”

Charu clenched her jaw. “I’m not saying that, Papa, but why bring unnecessary complications into the family by taking this up?”

Sanjay simply smiled, the kind of smile that held no warmth. “Complications, my dear, are what make or break careers.”

Charu stared at the file, torn between her principles and her ambition. She had spent years trying to prove herself in the legal world, to make a name beyond just being Sanjay Bansal’s daughter.

But was this the price she was willing to pay?