Hey guys, this is my first OS on AvNeil. I've made some minor changes with respect to the storyline which you'll realise when you read it. I'd love to know your views on this. Please do comment. Thank you for reading! (Also, if there are any mistakes, please do let me know!)
MY LADY'S HOUSE
It was raining when he made it back home. Her home. Because technically, it had been a gift from him to his wifey. The house was dark, empty inside, seemingly the other occupants were out either shopping, or at work. But suddenly, all he could see in the dark and empty house was her. No more coldness from Dayawanti Mehta's presence, but warm, even beautiful despite being messy around the edges. Entirely her. The air around the house didn't suffocate him anymore. He chucked off his shoes that landed in a messy heap beside her numerous pairs. There was a significance to that that he had never noticed before. His shoes right next to his wife's. Side by side like they belonged.
He walked through the house, turning on a few lights as he moved, listening to the falling rain. She shouldn't have to come home to darkness. Entering their room, he laid his stuff in a heap at a corner for her to put it away. He'd already gotten used to not having a messy bachelor pad anymore. Opening the closet, the presence of his wife's clothes besides his didn't deter him anymore. Trailing a hand through one of the sleeve of her blouses, inhaling the fresh laundry scent along with a hint of jasmine that always surrounded her, the woman that was his wife, he tried not to wonder how long it would be before she came home. They had the rest of their lives for this after all.
But he was tense and agitated, for the two of them hadn't gotten one private moment to share and discuss after they promptly blurted out their feelings courtesy of a petty misunderstanding. He had duty calls, while she had a friend in dire need of help with his love life. But as he left, the peck on his cheek had been much more consolation than he'd needed. It had only been a few hours, but Neil had felt every minute of it.
He had tried to distract himself. Now that he'd stick his head out of the dark hole where he'd already been broken about losing another love of his life and found that she did love him, and some more, he could concentrate on other things. Go through a case or two. Think about how he could do some more to help Amol out. Figure out how he could be the best husband he could, for his wife deserved at least that. And he could reason with himself about how the very last thing he wanted to do was rush Avni with Ali. Not after Avni had told him how he was slowly falling into depression as he realised that Rhea had started the whole relationship between the two of them for her own reasons. He'd thought about it a lot. There was once a time when he thought of how Avni had supposedly betrayed him, and it had devastated him to no ends when he didn't even know the extent of his feelings for her then. But Ali had loved Rhea with all his heart. He deserved the same.
So she could stay with him as long as she wanted. Even tonight, after everything. He wasn't jealous anymore. This was the woman who was his wife, and Neil couldn't feel anything but proud of how determinedly she twisted and turned herself to be there for everyone she loved. Everyone who needed her. And she never said a word about it except to worry if her people were okay.
But he desired for her all the same.
Neil wandered back downstairs, still keeping company with the rain. His eyes darted to the clock, and he was anxious with longing all over again. Waiting was agony.
He started to rummage in the cabinets and refrigerator to keep busy, a plan hatching in his mind as he did. The island grew cluttered with things. Some vegetables, pasta, seasoning. He found a sharp knife and the cutting board, humming as he moved about, suddenly purposeful. He would make her dinner. Neil washed his hands and got to work, thinking about her as he tried to focus on something else again with futile efforts. Thinking about how she'd try to help him but fail miserably. How she'd continuously pass comments on every action of his, everything that she'd say. Imagining it all with different and happier reactions each time, which made him long for her a little more.
A car door slammed just as he'd opened the refrigerator to take out some drinks. He turned the flame on the stove down very low and waited for louder footsteps to recognize if it was her, and a moment later...
"Neil?"
Her voice came calling to him from out in the hall. Soft and hopeful. The voice of the woman that was his wife.
He ran out of the kitchen, and slowed down as he neared the hall. "Hey," he murmured as she entered his eyesight.
"Hey."
Her hair was damp from the rain, making it stick to her skin and she seemed to glow in the dim light. Soft, radiant, his. They stood still, staring at each other from opposite ends of the hall. The air was thick with longing, and he could hear her breathe.
And then they moved in the same moment as if they'd reacted to the silent gunshot. He took long strides to get to her, and she hurried down as fast as she could in her heels, skidding a little as if the hours they'd spent apart since the morning had been the longest of her life. They had been of his.
But then Avni was in his arms, soft and firm and warm against him. He breathed in the woman that was his wife. She smelled like the rain, and underneath that like flowers. His hands rested on her back, and a lid down to her waist. Resting there, possessive. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and fingers snaked into his hair, eventually coming to rest on his chest, as if she needed to learn it all.
"You're here," she murmured. The significance of her words wasn't lost on him. Not after knowing how her mother spent countless dark nights waiting for her lover. The cold, bitter mornings that followed with contemplating what they were. Days and months full of loneliness.She would never have to face the same fate of her mother. Never have to spend her life asking for a name, a family, something to call hers, entirely. He'd make sure of that.
He nodded solemnly, "I'm here. I'm home."
"I'm so glad," she said. Avni raised her face from his chest, and made eye contact, as if to say hello. "I've been thinking about you all day, " she muttered with all the courage she could muster.
"Me too," Neil said, still not letting go of her, "I've missed you all day long," he murmured against her forehead.
They stood locked together like jigsaw pieces. She was incredible soft and entirely his. And he was right there to protect her from every possible obstacle.
"Did you really mean what you said? About having loved me forever?" Avni asked shyly after a while.
"I did, Avni," he said tucking her hair behind her ear. "I always tried to hate you since the beginning, especially when I felt you were a criminal. There's a fine line between love and hate, and I realised that when I saw Juhi in you. But I had promises that I'd made, and when you married me, I was so infuriated because you'd made my feelings, my responsibilities into a big joke. But when Neela Ma told me your truth, I've never felt the rage I felt for you losing your entire childhood to someone like Dayawanti Mehta," He composed himself as he felt her shiver from her name. "Shh, it's alright, she's in jail and I will never let her come near you, I promise."
Avni tightened her hold on him, and cried, from sheer happiness that she finally had been lucky enough to find someone willing to stand up for her. "Neil," she hiccupped, "I'm so sorry about everything I've ever done which might've hurt you. I never meant to. Nevertheless, how do I ever thank you enough for all that you've done for me? How, Neil, how?!" She sobbed.
"Avni, shh, it's okay," Neil comforted her. It broke his heart to see her in tears. Those big curious eyes which held so many secrets should always shine with happiness, never sadness. His wife had been through too much for child who was supposed to be protected by a father. As her breathing got somewhat regulated, he wiped her tears and kissed the top of her head. "That's like my girl, don't you ever cry for all this. And the way you can repay me for everything, is by accepting me and loving me with all your heart Avni. I promise I won't ever let you down like the man who was always supposed to keep his promises to you. I will keep your heart safe Avni, I will." Neil spoke as his eyes teared.
She murmured his name and embraced him tightly all over again, as to confirm her answer. "I love you so much Neil," she finally spoke the words she'd been afraid to say all her life.
"I love you too, wifey," Neil said and kissed her forehead, her temple, her cheek. Tilted her chin with his thumb and kissed her lips. Softly, slowly. There was no rush, they had the rest of their lives for this.
She leaned forward and rested her head into his chest. Neil ran his hands down her spine, and frowned suddenly. He remembered the kitchen, his plans to surprise her.
"Come on," he said softly kissing her dampened hair, "I was making you dinner."
Her eyes lit up, delighted over such a little thing. Then her expression clouded, "God, I hope we didn't burn it!"
"If we did, I don't regret anything one bit," Neil grinned.
"Me neither," she smiled right back. He grabbed her by the hand and led her to the kitchen. He didn't want to ever stop touching her.
The sauce was simmering in the low flame, and nothing reeked of smoke, safely enough. Avni hopped unceremoniously on to the platform as she looked at him do such a simple task with the same amount of concentration he might use to solve his cases. "What are you making? It smells delicious!" Avni grinned.
"Pasta," He said with a laughing breath, knowing how limited the cooking skills of both of them were. He stirred the sauce once, and moved to stand between her legs as his hands moved up from her knees to her hips. He didn't ever want to stop touching her. "I was going to make a salad too, but I got distracted."
"Distracted huh, that's too bad," Avni blushed.
"A real tragedy," he agreed with fake sincerity, smirking at her. He'd planned to set the table too, put out nicer cutlery, light a candle or two, give her some semblance of romance. Maybe some softly playing music too. But she looked so good sitting there on the island with mussed up hair from the rain and him running his fingers through them, lips freshly swollen from his kisses. She was poking at the ingredients like they were each a mystery, and he couldn't imagine wanting to spend this night any other way than he already was.
"So," Avni picked at a jar of red chilli flakes and stared at them, "Is this your way of saying that you're gonna be the one cooking for the rest of our lives?"
He chuckled and rubbed his hands over her knees. Rest of our lives. He loved the way she said it. "I think it's safest that way," he teased.
She swiped a hand at his shoulder, "You should give me more credit you know, I can order in the perfect dinner, also make toast, salads and cereal."
"Only one of them counts as cooking sweetheart," he smirked and leaned in to firmly kiss her mouth.
"But you can eat all of them!" she retorted and rested her head on his shoulder. For a moment there, she seemed entirely happy and content laying there, and then grew quiet. He held her for a moment, and kissed the top of her head, "Hey," he said softly, "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Avni straightened up and looked at him, "I'm just, worried about Ali, you know. He broke up with Rhea, which is obviously the better thing to do what with all her stupid tricks, but I think she made him really happy, Neil."
Neil nodded. He couldn't argue with that. "I know."
She continued softly, "I just, don't like how he's been so unlucky in love. First there was me who he waited and pined for so many years and I ended up falling for his best friend," Avni smiled a little, "And then he'd almost gotten better when Rhea came in and now it'll be worse, Neil. He really did love her. Not because of some unhealthy attachment, and..." She shrugged and grew silent, but he could guess at the second half of her sentence. Now it was her turn to be happy while her best friend had faced too many losses in love, and she felt responsible too. "I just want him to be happy, you know? Like how I am, with you."
His heart fluttered. This was the same Avni who had decided to never ever believe a man ever again. And here she was, baring her heart all out to him. Could he have been any luckier?
"I know," He reverted to the topic, Ali was his best friend too. "But all we can do is be there for him, he has to figure out how to be happy for himself, Avni," He cupped her face.
Avni gave a half hearted nod and started swinging her legs back and forth as he moved away to check at the dinner. "It's just..." She continued loudly after a moment. "Everything's going crappy all at once, but my mouth actually hurt all day long because I couldn't stop smiling. It's messed up. Ali is broken, Aman tried to commit suicide. Like one day I could just wake up to find him gone, Neil. Dead. And I couldn't stop smiling."
"Yeah," said Neil sadly. The news had blindsided him, hitting with the force of a truck, and he didn't even consider Aman as family yet, everything too fresh in his mind. It hurt to imagine the toll it had to be taking on Avni.
"And if he dies," she continued, still swinging her feet violently. "I'll be dead too, Neil. I came back from the dead, literally because I wanted him back. You weren't even in my plans. So now I'm married, and Aman tried to commit suicide, and I broke Ali's heart." She laughed to herself, bending forward and burying her head in her hands, sounding nervous. Frazzled. Neil ran back to her, and ran his hands up and down her arms. She'd been kind enough to leave their cold war out of her litany of stresses. but he knew that had played a part in wearing her down as well.
"Avni," he murmured.
She looked up. Her eyes were damp with tears, but she was smiling. "And all I really want to do is not think about any of it right now and be happy. I just want to be happy for tonight," She sighed and pushed at her hair. "That's horrible, right?"
"No, it's not," Neil said, "You can be happy tonight. You deserve it. We can be happy tonight."
"I am happy tonight, Neil, all because of you." She smiled.
He smiled right back at her. "Good," he said, "Will you get the plates out?" She nodded in the affirmative and stood up to rummage the drawers for cutlery. He paused to watch as she bent over, following the way down to her waist that was exposed by the sari she wore. Something tightened in his gut, and he felt suddenly, fiercely possessive. She was beautiful, and he would never have to share. She was his wife.
He returned to setting the food on the table as she put the plates out. Very domestic, in utter silence. Something that they'd do for the rest of their lives. "You even got wine? You're being very perfect tonight," She grinned at him. "I did, and it's merlot, your favorite," He smirked remembering their discussions about themselves during college, and how she blushed when she told him how she outdrank every classmate of hers under the table in her degree class, but had later refined her choices to include milder drinks.
They ate their dinner while constantly chattering about nothing and everything. Words never stopped short, even when the plates got empty while clock ticked for hours. He pulled her into his lap while drinking the last of their wine, they sat drinking it in slow, long swallows while the storm grew louder. Her hair was thick and messy, some wild tresses framing her face. He toyed with a lock of it, winding her hair round and round his thumb, and leaned in, kissing her hungrily. She tasted like wine and tomato sauce. Her lips were redder than both. He ran his tongue along the inside of her mouth, and sucked on her lower lip, eager to know every inch of her body. To have her in his arms. Avni. His wife.
"We should move this to the bedroom," Avni panted as she rested her forehead on his.
"We should," Neil grinned.
She stood up, and walked a step on shaky legs, an obvious effect he had on her, before he picked her up in his arms. She didn't look even mildly surprised, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He walked the distance to his room, with his wife in his arms as she constantly fidgeted with the hair at the nape of his neck, and miserably failed at making him lose his balance with her kisses. He set her down on the bed, and voraciously attacked her lips, his hunger for her in full force. She responded with equal desperation, just as much eager to have this intimacy between the two of them. Their tongues battled for dominance, as his hands frantically roamed the expanse of her body, craving the touch of her smooth skin. Now that he knew how it felt to touch her, even a second of withdrawal made things worse. He needed his fix. Now.
Eventually, Avni pulled away from his lips, and rested her head on his shoulder, compliant. But Neil was far from done. He trailed his lips down her jaw, her neck, her cheeks, behind her ears, anywhere he could reach. He couldn't seem to stop. One taste and he needed it more. More. Avni's chest heaved beneath his as she seeked his lips for hers again, but he was having none of that, as he continued nipping at her neck.
"Neil..." she moaned out, frustrated. One hand reached out, and he could feel her fingers giving his hair at the back of his neck a sharp tug, bringing his lips back on her. He groaned, the little pain urging him on.
"We need to get you out of these wet clothes, wifey," Neil smirked.
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Hours later, as the two collapsed back onto the bed, chests heaving while tufts of air escaped their mouths, their eyes locked and the both of them grew very still. The world was perfect, and he saw it all shining in her eyes. She snuggled closer, and he put an arm around her waist, entrapping her. Avni traced the edge of his earlobe and rubbed her foot up and down his leg as she made a low sound like a purring cat.
For a long time they lingered without words. Breathing, letting, idly caressing while the storm raged outside the Windows. Lightening spilled its flash across their skin. They listened to the thunder and the rain. But none of reached inside the house. It was a bubble. A tiny perfect world where everything was serene and the only thing he felt was how much he loved her. Avni. The woman that was his wife.
They listened to the rain until their eyes closed. He fell asleep wrapped in nothing but her arms. She wore nothing but the token of her commitment to him.
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