Abhimanyu's POV

As the final day of exams approached, desperation gripped me. It was our last chance to make Abhinav see Akshara in a different light. With nerves buzzing, I concocted a plan for our last-ditch effort.

"Akshara, are you ready for this?" I whispered, anxiety lacing my words as we walked towards the exam hall.

Instead of answering me, she whispered, "Abhi, do you really think this will work?" Her voice tinged with uncertainty.

I squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We have to try, Akshara. It's now or never."

As we entered the hall, I spotted Abhinav sitting at his desk, lost in thought. This was our moment.
Taking a deep breath, I approached him, Akshara trailing behind me.

"Abhinav, can we talk for a minute?"

He looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes at the urgency in my voice. "Sure, what's up?"

We brought him to a silent corner. Then, I glanced at Akshara, silently urging her to play her part. "Abhinav, there's something you need to know," I began, my voice steady despite the turmoil within.

Abhinav's eyes flickered with curiosity, a hint of apprehension coloring his features. "What is it, Abhimanyu? Is everything okay?"

Akshara stepped forward, her eyes downcast as she spoke. "Abhinav, I... I need to tell you something. It's about how I feel..."

I watched as Abhinav's gaze shifted between us, confusion etched on his face. This was it, our chance to finally make him see Akshara in a different light.

"Akshara, what is it?" Abhinav asked, concern creasing his brow.

But before she could respond, I interjected, seizing the moment to play on Abhimanyu's empathy. "Abhinav, Akshara... she comes from a difficult background. She's an orphan, and she's struggled her whole life. She's always admired you, but she's afraid to confess her feelings because of the difference in our financial statuses."

Akshara nodded, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she played her part to perfection. "I... I didn't want you to pity me. But I couldn't keep it inside any longer.I'm an orphan, I've struggled my whole life, and I've always felt unworthy of someone like you."

The weight of her words hung heavy in the air, silence enveloping us as we waited for Abhinav's response. But instead of the confession of love we had hoped for, his reaction was one of empathy, his eyes filled with compassion rather than romantic interest.

Disappointment washed over me, mingled with a sense of resignation. It seemed that no matter what we did, Abhinav's feelings for Akshara remained firmly rooted in friendship. And as we left the exam hall, I couldn't help but wonder if our dreams of escaping poverty would ever become a reality.

"Akshara, I think it's time we take drastic measures," I said, my voice heavy with the weight of our failures. The realization hung thick in the air - if we were to achieve our dreams, we had to be willing to do whatever it took to make Abhimanyu fall for Akshara.

.........

A/N

Hello everyone! I'm back, and I hope you all are doing well.

Due to an accident, I wasn't able to update regularly. My doctor has advised me to limit screen time as much as possible, so I'm trying to follow that advice. Luckily, this story is an old one that I originally wrote for Preeta-Karan and Ishita-Raman, so I have some drafts saved. After editing, I've been uploading it as an Abhira story. Since I still have a few drafts left, I can share some more chapters, but updates might not be as regular.

I noticed that the previous chapter only received two votes, and one of my Instagram followers has been requesting me to write a story on the new couple, Ishan and Nikki. From the way she described them, it seems like their characters would actually fit well into this story. So instead of starting a brand-new story, I'm considering editing this one to feature them instead. It would save time and allow me to fulfill her request while also following my doctor's advice.

What do you all think about this idea? Let me know in the comments! Since it doesn't seem like many people are invested in this story as Abhira, I thought it might be a good way to make it more appealing. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!