For the farce, your mine FF- PART 8 on page 16 - Page 4

"Kam se kam Ali ko toh meri fikir hai, Avni said to Neel, for what seemed like the millionth time.

Although Avni had learnt how to make food after staying with Neel's family for 3 months now, she still wasn't able to make sweet dishes. In her defense, they were the hardest things to cook in a meal. So Ali had made Avni some rasam malai so she could continue to impress Neel's bebe again.

Neel clenched his fist. He didn't hate the fact that Avni couldn't cook. He found it endearing, in fact, that she had tried to learn despite the fake marriage. He didn't mind when her dal was a little overcooked, or when spaghetti was too spicy. He liked it, frankly speaking. Avni's cooking matched her personality, and there's always something about eating food you know someone worked hard for. After three months and his private lessons with her, Avni had become a pro at the basic meals. Neel didn't need Avni to cook any more than needed. He could cook himself, and after his bebe left, he would take over the kitchen work. He just didn't like it when Avni lied about her cooking. She didn't need to, and her lies usually resulted in some new problem forming. He also didn't like it when Avni kept repeating to him that "Ali was the only one who cared for her, when she took Ali's help.

No matter what Neel did for Avni, she never noticed his care for her. Neel had kept the pretense of this marriage, to keep her safe. From Dayawanti Mehta, from the police, from herself. She didn't know the whole reason he decided to help her but atleast she knew that he promised to get justice from Dayawanti. Wasn't that care? He had battled his mum, to give Avni the rights she deserved, for as long as she was his wife. Wasn't that care? He had helped cook and teach her how to cook so no one talks ill about her in his family. Wasn't that care? He had stayed up late at nights, when Avni was sick, to relieve Avni's fever. Wasn't that care?

Not that he was doing all this to prove a point. He only was doing this because he had promised Neela ma---aunty that he would bring Avni justice in a legal way. The other things he did for Avni were just because Neel treated everyone with respect and care. He would've done that for anyone. He didn't do all this because he loved Avni. No. No. He loved only Juhi.

Neel breathed in and out. To let his anger slide. Starting a fight wouldn't get him anywhere. But a part of him just wanted to hold on to Avni's arms and yell at her to stop talking about Ali for once, that he did to care and that...no he couldn't say that. Neel couldn't really describe the restless yet heated feeling. Nor could he squash the feeling. He just didn't act on it. Because following through those actions would lead to unavoidable questions, from Avni and from himself.

"Meri pyari wifey, as much as I would love for you to continue on how my best friend cares about you, let me remind you, tum phir parashaani main par jaaongi. Last time bebe came and you cooked for her, she made you cook every meal for a week. Which ended up me having to eat a larger than needed diet so bebe didn't get any less impressed at you and me teaching you how to cook," Neel voiced, as he walked forward to trap Avni in a kitchen corner.

"Kya Maine kahe tha to keep this marriage going? Main itna parashaan kar rahi hoon toh Mr ACP Neil Khanna ji, mujhe divorce kar lo," Avni retaliated, having argued previously that they didn't need to stay married to get revenge from Dayawanti. It was her go to argument whenever she was in trouble.

"Kya Maine keha tha to sit in the mandap," Neel countered his go to response to this argument, as Avni reached a halt, she could walk back any further, her legs had hit back of the kitchen counter. He continued to walk towards her.

"Lekin-"

"Lekin kyaa wifey," Neel replied closing the space so now that he could feel her irregular breath on his neck.

As Avni was about to open her mouth, both Avni and Neel sprung away from each other as they heard someone behind them clear their throat.

After composing himself, Neel turned to see that it was his maa and bebe.

"Ab pata chala, jab bhi khaana katam ho jaata hain Neel itni jalti se kyun bhaag ta hain. Neel kuch toh sharm kar. Tum baade ho ge hon. Apni biwi si khula aam ye nahi karte," Bebe scolded with a grin on her face, whilst his maa scowled at Neel and Avni.

"Main bas..." Neel flustered.

"Tum toh main bas, main bas hi karte rehna. Main toh humari bahu si milne ayi thi. Avni bahu, mujhe pata nahi tha ki tum rasam malai itni chaangi banati hon. Yeh, thori si bakseesh mar tharaf se," bebe smiled at Avni as she awarded Avni 10000 rupees for the food.

"Iski kya zaroorat thi," Avni smiled, as she took bebe blessings. Avni turned around to smirk at Neel.

"Zaroorat thi. Yeh badon ka arshivaad hota hain. Avni bahu, tumhe gulab jamun toh banana aataein ho ge, na. Tum kaal raat woh bana sakti hon? Mere Neel ki sabse maan pasand he, bebe asked Avni with excitement.

Avni's smile faltered as Neel's smirk grew. Neel tried to control his laughter by looking at the ground.

"Dekh na beta, ye toh ab se hi itna khush ho gaya. Sirf naam sun ne se," bebe added, mistaking the reason for Neel's smile.

"Zaroor, bebe,"Avni replied hesitantly.

As bebe left with Shweta,Neel stopped controlling his laughter in and guffawed at the situation. Avni glared at hi m as she left the kitchen herself.

"Told you so," Neel whispered after Avni already left.

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I'm sorry it's so bad. I'm sick right now so i didn't put in my all.

I might delete this chapter or redo it tomorrow.