Neela woke up to the continuous sound of door bell. She checked the phone and it was 23:15. "Iss waqt kaun ho saktha hai" She murmured to herself and went to open the door. Seeing Avni along with Ali surprised her. More like shocked her. She looked at both Avni and Ali separately and finally her gaze moved onto Avni's bags. Ali excused himself as Nanno called and he had to leave immediately. A confused Neela led Avni in and locked the door before joining her in the living room.
N: Yeh kya hai bahcha?
A: Maa jaise ki aapko pata nahi hai. Yeh shaadi ek samjota thi. Dayawanti Mehta ko unki asli jagah pohuchaane ke liye. Ab voh badla poora hogaya toh mein Neil ke upar bhoj kaise ban sakti hoon.
Neela saw the pain in Avni's eyes when she said the last line. Her voice reflected the pain she was going through inside.
N: Par bahcha..Rishta judgaya hai toh nibhana toh padega hi na
A: Maa aap ye chahti hongi. Neil ye nahi chahtha.
Avni's voice cracked as she stopped. She was trying her level best to not cry. To stop tears from flowing. Nevertheless, nothing escaped Neela's observant eyes.
N: Aur tum? Tum kya chahti ho?
Neela asked in a soft voice quite sure of what Avni wants but still aware of what her answer would be.
A: Mein jo chahti hoon woh kabhi aasaani se hua hai?
Neela stopped beating around the bush. It was time she said this directly to her darling daughter. For her happiness, she has to do this.
N: Avni. Maa hoon mein tumhaari. Mujhse jhoot bologi? Aankein dheki hai apni? Saaf saaf dhikai dheyraha hai ki kitna dard chup hai tumhaare andhar. Neil ko khone ka dard, Usse dhoor jaaneka dard, Uska saath naa hone ka dard. Uska pyaar..
Avni cuts off Neela without letting her complete any further.
A: Maa...
She couldn't continue what she wanted to say. All the emotions she had bottled up inside her refused to stay there. She cried bitterly hugging Neela who was trying to calm her down.
N: Chup ho ja bahcha. Aise rote nahi.
A: Maa maine kabhi nahi socha ki meri zindagi mein mujhe kabhi kisise pyaar hosakti hai. Lekin aaj mujhe ehesaas hogayi hai. Jab mein Neil ke ghar se nikli thi toh mujhe bohot bura laga Maa. Tab mujhe laga ki itni dino se reh rahi thi toh bas ek attachment hai aur kuch nahi.
Neela smiled listening to Avni. She was content to know that the walls Avni had created around herself were crushing down. What Neela feared the most was Avni having the same fate as her mothers. Tonight, she got a new hope. Avni was still hugging her but her sobs had silenced and now she was just looking into space. Neela sat with Avni's head on her lap, caressing her hair just like Ayesha used to do until Avni fell asleep, pearls of tears stuck to her eyelashes.
At Khanna house, Neil was feeling restless. He thought it would be easy once Avni was gone. But he was wrong. How many times am I going to be wrong? He thought to himself. This is not what he wanted. Or was it? He fell asleep, tired of being the referee to the game between his brain and his heart.
Two hearts,
Beating within a cage of ribs,
Struggling to synchronize a beat,
Two hearts,
Reaching for a last embrace,
Wrestling to beat in rhythms,
Two hearts,
Stuck within miles of endless despair,
Trying to find a cure,
Two hearts,
One of mine and one yours,
Waiting to be loved with honesty.
Hussein Ali
In the middle of the night, Avni woke up with a jerk with beads of sweat on her forehead. Her eyes were wide and heartrate was maximum. She was on the sofa since last night and Neela who was sleeping in a sitting position next to her also woke up.
N: Kya hua bahcha?
A: Ayesha Maa.. Mamma aayi thi. Mamma ne mujhse kaha...
Avni was breathing heavily. It was difficult for her to say even a word.
N: Kya kaha? Batao Avni.
A: Mamma ne kahaa ki jo bhool unse hui thi mein woh naa karun. Iss ka kya matlab hua Maa?
N: Bahcha. Ayesha ji ne ek hi bhool keethi zindagi mein. Apni pyaar ko qurbaan ki dusron ke liye.
Neela analysed Avni's face as she said that. Avni was too speechless to respond. Is that what her Ayesha Maa wants? She wants her to force herself on Neil?
A: Nahi Maa. Mein aisa nahi karsakti. Mein itna khudkarz nahi bansakti. Neil mujhse pyaar nahi karta.
N: Teeke phir. Jo tumhaari marzi Avni.
Neela went away to her room leaving Avni in a pool of emotions. It was good in one way. She needed her own time to ponder over her always weird life.
As light peeped through the drawn curtains of his room window, Neel opened his eyes. As usual his eyes searched for Avni before getting hit by the fact hat she was no longer there. Slowly, he checked the phone to get the biggest shock of his life. A message from Neela that affected the thinnest strings of his heart.
"Neil, Avni is admitted. Our own hospital. Jaldi aajao.
He didn't waste a single second before heading out to the hospital. He nearly met with enough accidents, was on the verge of falling off a bend in the road, speeding through the busiest highways but finally managed to reach the hospital within few minutes.
As he raced through the corridors he was constantly praying to save his Avni. To save his wifey. To not snatch away his love from him. AGAIN.
"Neil! He stopped running at the sound of the voice. He won't ever mistake that voice. Not even in a crowd. It was Avni. He turned back to see a hale and hearty Avni who was now hanging on to him. Hugging him. Crying bitterly.
A: Tum teek hona Neil. Kuch hua toh nahi naa. Mein bohot darr gayi thi. Zindagi mein mujhe jo kuch se pyaar tha woh mujshse cheen liye gaye. I cannot afford to lose you Neil. I love you. ❤️
Neil was lost for a moment. Avni was hugging him but his arms were just as they were beside him. He wanted to absorb what Avni just said. Was she serious? They pulled out of the hug.
N: Avni, I am fine! Mujhe toh Neela Aunty ka message aaya tha ki tum yaha admitted ho.
A: Kya? Par Maa ne toh mujhse kahaa ki tum...
She stopped mid sentence when she realized what was happening. He smiled looking at her face.
A: I am.. I am sorry Neil. Tumhe mujhe jhelne ki koi zarurat nahi hai. Yeh Maa bhi na.
Avni was about to turn around and go when Neil hugged her from behind and kept his chin on her shoulder.
N: Chod ke mat jaao Wifey. Iss bhaar khud ko nahi sambhal paunga.
Avni couldn't control herself. She turned around and hugged him with full force that he had to go four steps behind.
N: Love you Mrs. Avni Ayesha Neil Khanna ❤️
Avni tightened her grip on the back of his shirt and came even closer.
A: Love you too hubby!❤️
Neela was watching them reunite from a distance with tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her face.
N: Ayesha ji. Meine aapse kaha tha na ki humaari beti koh woh pyaar milega jo kabhi hum chaahte the. Milgaya aaj usse. Dhek rahi hai naa aap?
~~~
THE END
Comment your thoughts lovely AvNeil-ians. Waiting for them. Not proofread so there might be mistakes. Any tomatoes and chappals are welcome. 😆😳
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