The April 9 episode of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai unfolds with a quiet but emotional beginning. Ruhi walks into Abhira’s room, still carrying the weight of Rohit’s absence. Abhira opens her wardrobe and offers Ruhi the chance to pick any saree she wants.
Abhira picks a bright-colored one, hopeful that it might lift Ruhi’s spirits. But Ruhi, still held back by sorrow, refuses. Her voice soft but trembling, she tells Abhira she can’t wear bright colors anymore. They remind her of Rohit and his love for lively hues and his joy in seeing her wear them. “I don’t have the heart to wear colorful clothes anymore,” she says, struggling to hold back tears.
Abhira doesn’t try to force her. She listens. Then, with gentle honesty, she reminds Ruhi that Rohit wouldn’t want to see her sinking into darkness. He would’ve wanted her to smile again, to live again. Touched by those words, Ruhi nods and finally agrees to wear a soft, light-colored saree. With Abhira’s help, she gets ready, planning to step out for a hospital visit.
But just before leaving, fear strikes. The hospital feels too heavy, too full of memories. Ruhi tells Abhira she can’t go, not yet. The thought of walking through those halls and remembering Rohit’s final hours is too much to bear. Abhira stays beside her. She doesn’t push. She offers her presence instead silent, understanding, and calm.
Elsewhere in the house, another shift begins to stir. Madhav, still processing the storm that has shaken their lives, opens up to Vidya. His voice carries resolve as he shares a decision about retiring. Losing Rohit made him realize the importance of being close to family. He wants to be around for the younger ones. To be steady. To be there. Abhira, passing by, overhears this emotional conversation. The words weigh on her, and she immediately thinks Armaan should know.
She finds Armaan, but something holds her back. Daksh is sobbing uncontrollably beside him. She decides not to interrupt. The moment feels too raw.
In another corner of the day’s unfolding drama, Kiara receives a delivery of a consignment of coconuts she had ordered for Abhir. As the vendor completes the drop-off, his eyes catch a photo on Kiara’s phone. It’s Abhir. Without much thought, the vendor shares that he saw the boy earlier that morning, walking with a girl. Kiara is stunned. The casual mention creates a wave of confusion. She doesn’t say anything immediately, but her mind starts racing.
Back inside, the atmosphere remains tense. But the chorus gang wants to do something rather anything to break the gloom. So, they decide to revisit Rohit’s favorite film. But for Armaan it feels too surreal, too painful.
He chooses to sit alone, shutting the door on the collective warmth. The grief he’s been holding in spills over. Abhira finds him like this. She doesn’t ask him to stop crying. Instead, she tells him that feeling broken is okay. That healing isn’t a race. “Grief takes time,” she says softly, reminding him that wounds don’t close in a day.
The episode ends with hearts still aching, but also holding on. Because in pain, there’s presence. And sometimes, that’s enough.