A/N: Hey guys, I'm back to pavilion. Dropping two chapters todayâhope you enjoy them!
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Happy Readingâ¤ï¸
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Charu paced the corridor outside her room, her fingers clenched tightly around her phone, the screen dark but her mind racing already an entire day passed but she couldn't do anything to make Mishra take back his statements.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, the weight of everything pressing down on her shoulders.
She was spiraling.
Each notification, each breaking news update sent her deeper into a pit of dread.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She had taken that case with the belief that she could handle it, keep things under control, ensure fairness-but she had failed.
And now, Abhir was paying the price.
Ruhi watched her from the doorway, concern flickering in her warm brown eyes.
Something was wrong.
Deeply, terribly wrong.
"Charu?" she called softly.
Charu didn't respond, too lost in the whirlwind of thoughts consuming her.
At the second call of her name, she jerked, her eyes snapping to Ruhi's worried face.
"Kya hua, Charu? Kya soch rahi thi?"
Charu hesitated.
The truth clawed at her throat, but saying it aloud would make it real.
Her fingers trembled as she exhaled a sharp breath.
"Bhabhi... main Abhir..."
Ruhi's entire posture changed at the mention of her brother's name. Panic seized her features as she stepped forward.
"Abhir ke baare mein kya?"
Charu hesitated. A part of her wanted to keep it to herself, to handle it alone. But what was the point? There was no hiding from this anymore.
"Kuch nahi, bhabhi... woh... Abhir ke organizer ne uske khilaf case file kiya hai."
Ruhi stilled. Her breath caught for a moment before she frowned. "Par woh case toh tu aur Abhir..." Her voice trailed off as realization dawned.
Charu's head hung low. She knew. Ruhi knew.
"Aapko pata tha?" Charu whispered, almost afraid of the answer.
Ruhi exhaled and nodded."Haan, Abhir told me everything. Woh kaafi pareshan tha ki tune yeh case liya, par maine usse samjhaya ki tu isse sensibly handle karegi. Jo ki tune kiya bhi."
Charu saw something else in her bhabhi's eyes-trust.
A trust she wasn't sure she even deserved right now.
Ruhi's reassurance did nothing to soothe Charu's guilt. It dug its claws deeper, leaving her raw and aching.
"I'm sorry, bhabhi," she choked out, gripping her head as hot tears pricked her eyes. "Mujhe woh case lena hi nahi chahiye tha... Abhir is family. Uske khilaaf case leke... pata nahi main kya soch rahi thi uss waqt. Maine sab barbaad kar diya."
"Charu, chod na," Ruhi said gently. "I know Phupha Sa had a hand in it. Trust me, I'm not judging you, and I'm sure Abhir doesn't hold a grudge against you either. Past is past. Tum dono uss phase se aage badh chuke ho-"
But Charu cut her off with something that made Ruhi's blood run cold.
"No, bhabhi... sab khatam nahi hua hai. Mishra is again building a strong case against him. He's feeding statements to the media, twisting facts to paint Abhir as a fraud. Music labels are pulling back, his haters are ganging up against him, and they're pushing to get him banned."
Ruhi felt her stomach drop.
"What?" she whispered, as if saying it out loud would make it real.
Charu nodded grimly. "They're making an example out of him, bhabhi. Digging up his past mistakes, magnifying them, turning public opinion against him while he's already at his lowest. He just survived a dreadful accident. He's barely started recovering-he needs support, not this hate storm. And the worst part?" Her voice broke. "He doesn't even know yet how bad it's getting."
Ruhi's heartbeat roared in her ears.
Before she could even process it, her phone chimed with an incoming news notification.
Her fingers trembled as she tapped the screen.
"Singer Abhir Sharma Facing Industry Blacklisting-Fans and Critics Divided."
The article headline screamed at her, the words burning into her vision.
Ruhi's breath hitched. "What? This... this is so wrong!"
Her Billa Boy.
She had seen him fight through pain, push past his limits, endure heartbreak after heartbreak, but this? This could break him.
Before she could respond, her phone vibrated. The notification flashed across the screen.
"Singer Abhir Sharma Facing Industry Blacklisting-Fans and Critics Divided."
Ruhi's breath hitched. Her heart pounded so hard it hurt.
"What? This is so wrong!" She clutched her phone, eyes wide with disbelief.
Her Billa Boy-her brother, her heart-he wasn't perfect, but he wasn't what they were making him out to be either.
He had fought so hard, endured so much, clawed his way back from the darkness only to have it all ripped away like this?
No. She wouldn't let this happen.
"Does he know?" she asked urgently, fear creeping into her voice.
Charu shook her head. "Not yet. I was trying to handle it before it reached him, but..." She gestured to the glaring headlines on their screens, her shoulders slumping.
Ruhi sucked in a sharp breath before gripping Charu's hand.
Charu, Abhir is in a very vulnerable state right now. He can't handle this-not right now. This negativity can't reach him. Please... do something. Convince your client, get him to stop all this, talk to the legal team, anything."
Her voice was desperate, pleading. "I'll talk to B-Nanu. I'll make sure Abhir doesn't get access to his phone or the news. He can't find out."
"Charu, Abhir is in a very vulnerable state right now. This negativity cannot reach him. He's barely healing-we cannot let this break him again. Please... please do something. Convince your client, talk to Mishra, stop this before it spirals further!"
Charu's lips trembled, and for the first time, she let a single tear slip down her cheek. "I will, bhabhi. I swear, I'll do everything in my power to fix this.I swear"
Before either of them could say another word, a sudden commotion from the living area snapped their heads toward the hallway.
They exchanged a look before rushing toward the lounge.
There, standing frozen in front of the television, was Abhira.
The news blared.
"Rockstar Abhir Sharma's Unprofessional Conduct: Industry Speaks Out."
The anchors' voices droned on, their words laced with judgment and venom.
Ruhi and Charu barely had time to react before Abhira stormed toward the coffee table, grabbed the remote, and turned up the volume.
The news anchor's voice cut through the tense silence like a knife.
"Sources close to the music industry suggest that Rockstar Rudra, aka Abhir Sharma, has consistently displayed unprofessional behavior, causing major losses to record labels. With this latest controversy, Major labels are reconsidering their contracts, and insiders suggest that this could mark the end of his career as a mainstream artist."
A panelist scoffed. "This isn't surprising. Mr.Mishra from Blue Label himself stated that Abhir Sharma has been nothing but a liability-flamboyant, irresponsible, and now, apparently, unable to fulfill his commitments. The industry cannot afford to keep investing in someone like him."
"While some fans continue to support him, the question remains-should the industry cut ties with Abhir Sharma permanently?"
The words rang in the air, thick with malice.
Abhira snapped.
"This is absolute bullshit!" she exploded, throwing the remote across the couch.
Her breath was ragged, her hands shaking with unfiltered rage. "Who the hell do they think they are?! They act like they own him-like he's some commodity they can use him to make money and then discard when it's convenient for them!"
Ruhi's eyes stung as she watched her younger sister unravel, fury and helplessness battling in her expression.
She knew what this meant to Abhira. Abhir wasn't just her elder brother; he was her family, her rock, her entire childhood wrapped in one person.
Ruhi reached out, but Abhira stepped away, pacing, her movements restless and agitated.
"They're hitting him while he's down," she spat. "He's recovering-he almost died-and instead of giving him the respect and support he deserves, they're treating him like this?!"
Charu swallowed hard, guilt pressing against her chest like a vice.
This was her fault too.
The heated conversation between Ruhi, Abhira, and Charu had already created a tense atmosphere, but the voices raised in anger had drawn the rest of the Poddar family into the living room.
Armaan walked in first, followed by Kaveri Poddar, Sanjay Bansal, Swarna, and Manish. Kiara lingered near the entrance, hesitant but unwilling to miss the unfolding confrontation.
"What is going on here?" Kaveri demanded, her sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
Just then, Charu stepped forward, as if gathering every ounce of courage left in her. She knew she couldn't keep this secret anymore.
"There's something you all need to know." Her voice, though calm, carried the weight of guilt.
All eyes turned to her.
Charu took a deep breath before she spoke, looking directly at Abhira. "The case against Abhir... it originally came to the Poddar firm. Mishra ji was our client."
A sudden, suffocating silence filled the room.
"I was the one handling the case," Charu admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
The words hung in the air like a heavy storm cloud.
Abhira's expression darkened as she took a step closer, her voice dangerously low. "You're telling me that while we were all fighting for Bhai, you were fighting against him?"
Charu's throat tightened. "No, Bhabhi, it wasn't like that."
"Then how was it, Charu?" Abhira snapped, her eyes burning with betrayal.
Charu inhaled deeply, forcing herself to maintain her composure. "When the case first came to me, it was just a contract breach issue. A simple settlement-Abhir and I discussed it, and he agreed to perform a free concert as compensation for the previous losses. It was supposed to be over then."
She hesitated before continuing. "But after the accident, with the media getting involved, Mishra twisted the situation. He used the contract to claim Abhir was unprofessional and unreliable, painting him as a liability to the music industry. I tried to stop him, but... things spiraled out of control."
Abhira let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "So while we were all standing by Bhai, you were standing in court fighting against him?"
Her words sliced through Charu like a blade.
"You should have told me," Abhira continued, her voice laced with hurt. "You knew how much this could affect him, and you didn't even warn me?"
Charu lowered her gaze, shame pressing down on her.
Sanjay, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. "It was a professional case, Abhira. We are lawyers. You can't mix personal relationships with professional matters. And let's not pretend your brother is a saint. He's not entirely innocent in all this-"
Abhira's head snapped toward him, eyes flashing with fury. "I don't need a lecture on my brother's character from you, Mr. Sanjay Bansal."
The sarcasm in her voice made Sanjay's expression harden.
She scoffed. "And about balancing personal and professional relationships? That's rich coming from the man who literally put his own daughter at stake for a business deal."
A shocked silence fell over the room.
Sanjay's jaw tightened. "Watch your tone, Abhira."
Abhira met his gaze without flinching. "I will, Phupha Sa-when you stop pretending to be this family's moral compass."
Sanjay's face darkened in anger, but before he could retaliate, Kaveri Poddar stepped in, her voice sharp and commanding.
"Abhira!" She raised her voice. "Apologize to your phupha sa this instant. He is an elder, and he is respected in this family. You cannot speak to him like this!"
Abhira clenched her fists, her anger barely restrained. She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, Armaan stepped in, his authoritative voice cutting through the rising storm.
"That's enough."
Everyone turned to him as he walked to stand between them, his presence alone demanding control over the situation.
He placed a firm yet calming hand on Abhira's shoulder, his expression unreadable.
"Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to fix this." His voice was steady, but there was a warning beneath it.
Sanjay looked like he wanted to argue, but Armaan's gaze held firm.
Abhira turned to Charu, eyes burning with accusation.
"You're a lawyer, aren't you?" she challenged, her voice sharp, raw. "You know how these cases work. You know what they're doing is pure defamation-so why the hell aren't you stopping your client?!"
The weight of those words crushed Charu's soul.
"I..." Charu's throat tightened. "I didn't know it would get this bad, Abhira bhabhi. I-I thought I could handle it before it turned into this mess. But Mishra... he's manipulating everything, twisting facts."
Abhira's glare didn't soften. "Then stop him."
Charu inhaled sharply, but before she could respond, Ruhi stepped in, her presence as a quiet force that tethered them back to reality.
"Abhira," she murmured, her voice soft yet firm. "Charu is already doing everything she can."
Abhira scoffed, folding her arms. "Then why the hell is this happening?"
"Because she isn't a miracle," Ruhi said gently. "She has tried to talk to Mishra but he double crossed her and how can one person be fighting a battle against an entire industry that's hell-bent on bringing Abhir down. You think this is easy for her?"
Abhira's jaw clenched she was done being reasonable when the world was being unreasonable to her brother.
Ruhi added trying to salvage the situation."Charu took that case because phupha sa insisted, yes. But she's also been working to fix this ever since she realized the mistake. She's not our enemy, Abhira. She also wants to protect Abhir this time"
A tense silence stretched between them.
Charu's head still hung low.
"Abhira , Ruhi is right.Charu took the case as a lawyer, or Phupha Sa made her take it-it was her job," Armaan said, addressing the whole room. "Right now, we need to focus on damage control, not tear each other apart."
Abhira exhaled sharply, frustration still visible in her stance. But she hated that he was right.
She turned to Charu, her expression still cold but no longer explosive. "Fine. You know every detail of this case Let's sit together and see how we can fix this mess."
Charu felt her heart clench painfully at the coldness in Abhira's eyes.
And yet, she couldn't blame Abhira.
She was wrong.
No matter her intentions, no matter the circumstances, she had made a choice that had hurt someone they both loved.
Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Charu forced herself to nod, controlling the tears threatening to spill.
Now wasn't the time for emotions.
Now wasn't the time for apologies.
Charu straightened, pushing aside her guilt.
This wasn't about her anymore.
This was about Abhir.
She stepped closer, her resolve hardening. "Yes. Let's do this."
And just like that, battle lines were drawn-not against each other, but against the forces threatening to take Abhir down.
They weren't going to let that happen.
Not now.
Not ever.