Couldn't stop myself from posting this. I keep seeing posts that Akshu does not deserve Abhi’s love.
But, I want to ask… what more can Akshu do to prove her love? Why is her love for him always called into question? The sad part is that even Abhi himself does not know nor realize all of the times that she has protected him, defended him, saved him, prioritized him. He is someone who is extremely vocal. He expresses his love loudly and in public. But, for Akshu, she does it silently, without expecting a single thing in return… she gives with her whole heart, even if the person on the receiving end does not realize it.
Akshu went against her entire family to save him during the Ruby track. Abhi does not know that she defied every single person in the Goenka house and was willing to take that wrath. Because, she could not bear the pain of him losing what he had worked his entire life to build. She didn't care if he never found out about it. All she cared about was him being safe. She was willing to give up her entire reputation to save his.
She planned the perfect birthday party just to see a single smile on his face. She was able to make him happy when none of his family members could. She didn't need a thank you nor any other recognition. Because his happiness was enough.
She jumped into a burning building, risking her own life to save him. She did not think twice about it. She could not stand the pain of losing him or any harm coming to him. And even then, she did not expect anything in return. Not even credit. She was okay with him never finding out about it, as long as he was okay.
And throughout the time when she was rejecting him because of Aarohi, despite Aarohi’s manipulations and blackmail, she blasted Aarohi time and time again… warning her not to hurt Abhi. Telling how how pure his heart is. She even told her that she is not worthy of his love. Abhi does not know any of this. She was trying to protect him even when she was being burdened and guilted by Aarohi into staying away from him.
When Manjari got sick, she went and prayed for his mom. She played a part in sending that cure. She did not expect anything in return. She just wanted Manjari to be okay, because she knew what she means to Abhi. Again, she expected nothing in return. To this day, Abhi does not know about it.
All of this was pre-confession. Even when she wasn't with him, she was standing by him. Protecting him, looking after him from afar. Making sure that no harm came to him.
And when it came time to confess… when she thought Abhi would do something to harm himself if she did not show up at the garden, she went. Knowing that it was Aarohi’s wedding day, knowing that Aarohi would be left stranded. She did not care. She ran to Abhi. She confessed her love, and stood up against her entire family for him. I don’t think people realize how big of a deal that was for her. How big of a step forward it was for her. I don’t think even Abhi has come to terms with how much that took out of her.
When Anisha came. Kairav and Aarohi were both instigating her. Trying to make her suspicious. But, she did not doubt Abhi for a single second. All she cared about was his wellbeing. Her trust in him did not waiver for a single second. Without trust, there is no love. And in that track, she proved that she trusts Abhi more than her own life. She did not even force him to speak to her… she gave him all the time in the world. Because, she understood that he wanted to share something but he was being held back. She understood all of this without him having to say a single word.
And when Manish wanted to get Abhi arrested, she begged and pleaded to not let that happen. When that did not work, she went to the station herself, begging the cops to arrest her too. She knew very well what she was doing. She knew the Goenkas would take the case back. Again, she went against her family for Abhi. To save him from something he did not do. And again, Abhi was not there to witness her defying the people he believes she will always choose above him.
When Manish put the condition that Abhi had to choose between his family and Akshu, she shot it down in one second. She would not accept it any under circumstances. Because, she knows how much Manjari, and even the rest of the Birlas mean to him…even if he himself does not admit it, she knows he cares. She fought for him. She once again went against her family.
When Manjari got into her accident, Akshu wanted to find the culprit. She wanted to postpone the wedding. She wanted to postpone it all until Manjari got better. In fact, it was Abhi who ultimately decided to go forward with it and convinced her. She was hesitating even in the hospital hours before their ceremony. How did Abhi so easily forget that in his rage?
And the second she found out that it was her and Aarohi’s car that did the accident, she made up her mind to tell Abhi. And she went through with it. Aarohi did everything in her power to stop her. Manipulated her to such extreme extents, that even Aarohi herself was shocked that Akshu went and told him. And again, Abhi does not know this. Instead of believing her, he called her a liar. Because in his mind, Akshu always chooses her family above him. When in reality, Akshu has always been with him.
I don’t blame Abhi for being insecure. He has his own past traumas related to relationships based on what he has seen with his parents and the rest of the Birla couples growing up. His worst nightmare is giving his all to his partner and not getting it back in return. And, Akshu’s initial rejection of him has added lots of salt to his wound.
But, that rejection was not even a conscious decision Akshu made. Just like all of the other times she has protected Aarohi. It was her trauma, guilt, and burdens of the past taking over her body and forcing her to act in autopilot. It was the fact that she has had no one to guide her… no one to support her. No one to make her see that she is worthy of being loved. And even in those moments, she stood by Abhi when it mattered most. Even in those moments, she chose HIM without ever needing or asking for anything in return.
What everyone fails to see is that Akshu’s love for Abhi is so strong that despite the manipulations and abuses of her past that still have a strong hold over her, she has gotten herself out of it each and every single time it really mattered.
And Abhi’s insecurities always cloud his judgement. He forgets all of this time and time again. A part of the problem is that he does not even know that half of these things even happened. Whereas Akshu has protected Aarohi in public many times, her love for Abhi has been the essence of who she is — loving with her wholeheart, quiet, and expecting nothing in return.
I am not saying that her love for Abhi is more than his love for him. It’s just that the way it is manifested is different. They are two different people, and the way they show their care is unique. But that does not make either of their care for each other lesser than the other.
Akshu is so extremely lucky to have Abhi. Someone who loves her like no one else ever has and no one else ever could. Someone who sees and understands her so well... even more than the people who have known her throughout her entire life.
But, Abhi is equally lucky to have Akshu.
It breaks my heart to see people writing that Akshu doesn’t deserve Abhi. And also to see Abhi himself thinking that she doesn’t prioritize him. Because that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Akshu's journey has been slow, but is has been bold and powerful at the same time. She has a lifetime of trauma to get over, and Abhi's love is the only thing that can save her... Abhi's love is giving her the strength she needs to see herself as someone valuable and worthy of loving HERSELF and fulfilling her own dreams and desires.
Just like Akshu has these faults, Abhi has his-- namely his impulsivity, rage, and failure to look past his insecurities. They both bring their own issues into the relationship, and with time, they will figure it out together. For those that say Akshu needs to be more vocal to help him get rid of his insecurities -- that will happen as they get to know each other better. She will realize that is his love language, and she will reciprocate. Just like he will need to learn how to control his emotions in the heat of the moment.
I just think that she deserves a lot more credit than she gets. That's all.
As for Abhi’s condition — there is not a single ounce of doubt that she will choose him. It has always been him. So what if she needed guidance from elders just like Abhi needed guidance from Manjari to understand Akshu? If her past actions show anything, there was no doubt she was going to choose him either way. It was the pain of leaving Aarohi that made her slow, not a single ounce of hesitation in going to Abhi. For once, she has her family supporting her… and it is this exact lack of support that has made her this unable to stand up for herself or what she wants throughout her entire life.
Abhi wants to save Akshu in a way that he could never save Manjari from Harsh. Manjari always prioritizes Harsh over him, despite Harsh being her abuser and him being her protector and someone who loves her more than his own life. He does not want history to repeat with Akshu and Aarohi. I commend him for wanting to protect the people he loves the most, but he needs to realize that he cannot just rip people from Manjari and Akshu's lives overnight. That is not how it works. It takes time to undo years and years of conditioning. By expecting them to rip these people out and choose, he is unintentionally deeply paining them. The process is a slow one, and he needs to understand that.
10