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"Kya Neil? Itni acchi party hai aur tum? Ekdum boring!" Avni said as she hit him on his chest. Neil looked at the officers around him embarrassed. A few smiled at him, while others looked away.
"Kya musibat hai? Kyun le aaya main iss party mein?" Neil said as he pulled her out of the venue hall.
Neil had promised Avni to help her find the police man who had helped Dayawanti 15 years ago, and so had brought her along with him for a celebration party of the Mumbai police. But somehow, Ananya had laid her hands on alcohol and now, both were stuck in this intoxication, she literally, he figuratively.
He helped her in the car, and soon the car was out of the party venue's parking lot.
"Neil, pyaar hota hai? Tumne kahan tha hota hai, main nahi maanti!" She said and laughed.
"Bolo na!" She said cupping his face.
"Haan hota hai, ab chup betho!" Neil said, irritated.
"Dard?"
"Jo ab tum mujhe de rahi ho!"
"Nafrat? Jo Dayawanti Mehta meri maa se karti thi?" Avni said and looked at him. "Main unhe tabaah karungi, tumhari kasam!" She said and kept her hand on his head. She jerked his head and laughed.
"Unhe tabaah karne chali, madam mujhe maar degi pehle. Hey Bhagwaan!" He said to himself and focused on his driving. Then it struck him that she would be alone at her house since Madhavi had left the job while Neela was at Mehta House.
"Ab iss musibat ki pahaad ko apne saath le jaau? Nahi!" He mentally screamed and looked at her. She was telling him about her mom, Aisha.
"Waise, kya tum humesha aise gussel the, ki Riya and family ke saath ho jaate ho?" Avni asked him laughing.
"Nahi, tumhare saath hota hoon gussel."
"Kyun? Maine kya kiya? Main toh tumhe itna pasand karti hoon." She smiled at patted his cheek.
He looked at her. Did his heart just skip a bit?
"Tum mujhe pasand, kya?" He asked, trying to confirm whether he had heard it right.
"Haan, main tumhe pasand karti hoon, I like you. I like your kaali billi eyes. Pata hai, mann karta hai ki tumhari aankhon mein dekhti rahu, I know sounds crazy, but sounds cute too. Nahi?"
"Philala toh tum cute lag rahi ho," Neil whispered to himself and smiled. Wearing a red evening gown, minimal makeup and kohl in her eyes only made her look beautiful.
"Tumhe main acchi lagi?" She asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Bolo na! Bolo!" She shook him
"Haan baba haan, ab ruko, pahuch gaye hum." He said and stopped the car.
"Main nahi utarne waali! Mujhe batao, main tumhe kyun acchi lagi?"
He only wished he could tell her why, but he knew, once she would sober up, she would bounce back to her revenge, ignoring the unsaid feelings and the unsaid relation between them.
He got down from the car and opened the car door for her.
"Nahi utrungi! Kya kar loge?"
He sighed and picked her in his arms. She locked her hands around his neck and rested her head o his chest.
"I like the sound of your heartbeat, you know?"
He chuckled. He liked this innocent crazy Avni, and not the harsh Ananya.
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