Hope you'll like it..
AVNI'S POV
As I opened the glass door pushing with all might left inside me, I finally got to see him. Although the temperature of room was quite cold but I felt a fire burning inside me on seeing him in such a pathetic condition. He was lying on a white bed with three leads attached to both his wrists and left ankle, several multicolored leads were attached to his heart to monitor his condition, the white bed was spotted by dried blood strains, no..not strains it appeared like a full bucket of blood has been drained on the bedsheet. He was still wearing the black suit, i brought him. Although the white shirt is not white anymore but still he managed to look devilishly handsome.
As the door noise reached his ears he opened his eyes very slowly and smoothly. He tried to smile seeing me but i could feel the reluctancy of his cheeks to be moulded the way he wanted. Still he managed to twitch his dry lips upwards, making them appear like a smile.
I entered inside the room, stealing my breath. I was surprised when i felt the moisture in my eyes, as i thought that my all tears have been finished. Suddenly, I felt like a paper doll and i was afraid that i may get soaked and tear apart if the water in my eyes fell on my cheeks. Before i could draw in the air my body required, I melted. I could feel my body shaking.
I stepped forward, not ready to blink as he might disappear if he did so. I felt like I'll just die if he left now. I need him. I wanted to scream "I love you" but when i tried to speak up, my voice falters into unintelligible croaks. Seconds passed, he was still staring me with his dark honey eyes and a struggling smile. I was still suspended between grief and joy. My brain was struggling to comprehend that he isn't one of the pictures, I kept in my room, that he's real. He's fine. My heart which stopped beating the time he was shot, was resurrected back to life that too in an extremely excited state.
Not being able to speak, i glanced into his eyes asking him to say that "he's fine".
"You.. Ok na" all he asked struggling with the pain he was having in his chest each time he spoke.
I expected him to tell how's he. Instead he asked am i fine. Was I really fine? I had nothing to reply... Nothing at all.
I kept walking and when the ground between us erased, I couldn't recall.
END OF AVNI'S POV
Avni sat beside him still holding her tears in her widely opened eyes. She took his hand into her. The hands which always reassured her a safe world held her in tough times, felt so lifeless and were pricked with drip needles.
"I kept my promise na.." Neil said smiling wider than he's comfortable.
Avni recalled the time when he left saying that he'll return because now she was sure that he's her Neil only.
Then she recalled his words at the poolside..."I'll be safe. Don't worry I won't die".
She nodded her head which made the tear escape her eyes.
"I m sorry Neil. I crossed all lines of selfishness." she said.
Neil asked her not to cry by moving his head as he wasn't able to lift his hand.
Avni placed her head on his shoulder, intertwined her fingers with his.. tightly and shed silent tears recalling the moment he was shot.
"It is hurting na Neil??" she asked lifting her head.
He made a puppy face, pressed his lips together and nodded his head twice in quick succession.
Avni tried to touch his bandaged gun wounds with her shaking fingers softly so that she don't hurt him.
"Ouchh.. Aahh" Neil screamed as Avni touched his wounds.
"Oh! I m so sorry Neil.. I.. I shouldn't have.. You ok na" Avni cupped his face leaning onto him and tears again welled up into her eyes.
Neil continued his "Aahh and Ouchh" and Avni was blowing air like a child.
"Nautanki band!! Koi dard nahi ho raha hai" vishakha said in a serious tone who was till now silently witnessing the scenerio.
"Your body is still under the anaesthetic effect. You won't be feeling any pain right now. So stop this overacting." she said removing her mask and stared Neil with a caught you look.
Avni frowned at Neil who should have beeen smiling smiling shamelessly at his lame trick but he was staring the doctor with a straight face.
"Do i know you?" he asked rudely.
Avni never saw Neil being this much rude.. that too on such a small thing.
Avni didn't knew the doctor personally but as far as they have interacted she found her to be very nice and genuine, she felt bad for her and looked at her.
Vishakha's eyes were filled by tears now. How can he forget her. She never thought in her wildest nightmare too that one day she'll have to tell him that they do know each other.
The fever, the fear, aches and tiredness couldn't make her weak but his few words made her feel like that she can't stand for one second more.
Slowly she stepped back and turned to leave.
"Chubby!! I guess.. You owe me a sorry?" Neil's voice stopped her at the threshold.
"You owe me your life...twice" she said turning around and wiping her tears with the coughs of her shirt.
Neil's eyes were twinkling due to the moisture in them. Vishakha walked towards him but stopped at a arm distance from the bed.
"Then you're free to take it away" Neil said looking into her eyes.
"You know.. That just a thought of seeing you dead.. Is enough to kill me.. twice" again few tears dropped down her eyes.
"Dad told me that you had partial amnesia... So i thought" she couldn't speak further.
"Sab kuch yaad nahi that doesn't mean... Ki sab kuch bhool gaya..." he said smiling at her.
"Unfortunately I still remember you.. Unlike you!!" Neil said with complaining eyes.
"Neil.. I m sorry.. I didn't knew about Ayan uncle" Vishakha said apologetically as she sensed that he's angry with her for not being with him.. When he needed her the most.
"Kaisa pata hota tujhe... Tu to busy thi apni life mein. But Ayna.. Uske baare mein bhi nahi pata tha tujhe" Neil was again getting furious at the lame excuses of his friend.
Vishakha was bit scared at the mention of Ayna. She paused for sometime.
"Tu mujhe baad me daant lena, first introduce me to your wife" she said pointing towards Avni who was watching them both in confusion.
"she's not.. We're just.." Neil tried to explain Vishakha.
"She's crying for you from last night, she's in her wedding dress with blood filled in her hairline which is of course yours, she said you're her husband, you were calling her names even in unconscious state, you reverted back so fast on seeing her as if you were never shot... And last but not the least i was witnessing your eye romance from last half hour but you didn't noticed... Ab tum dono convince ho gaye ya main aur bolu?" she said hitting him lightly.
"Ouchh" Neil tried to divert the topic.
"Your body is under anaesthetic effect.. Pain nahi ho raha hai" Avni reminded him.
Both the ladies were in fits of laughter on seeing his expressions.
"Avni she's my childhood friend... My love... But unlike you and Ali hamari story ka koi romantic angle nahi hai" he said smirking.
Avni smiled at Vishakha who was trying her level best to plaster a fake smile on her face and hold back the tears forming in her eyes.
"I think you should relax now. Main aur tumhari Avni thodi der me wapas aate hain" she said with much difficulty due to lump formed in her throat.
She held Avni's hand and pulled her out of the room. Avni was reluctant to leave him but Neil gestured her to go.
Vishakha literally dragged her out.
"You all can meet him" she informed the family and dragged Avni with her to the room in which she was staying at the hospital and her luggage was kept.
She locked the door and was panting. Avni could feel that she's furious at something and has difficulty in breathing.
"Uummhh... Please sit" vishakha said composing herself.
She opened her luggage pulled out a picture of her and Ayna hugging Neil from both sides.
"You must be knowing her?" she asked Avni.
"Ayna?" Avni recognized her.
"Huhh.. Me and Neil were best friends from childhood. Just like Dad and Ayan uncle. I lost my mom when i was born. I was very close to Neil's family and his mother. But after his mom died, they moved to USA. We were separated but couldn't be parted. I always visited him twice or thrice in a year." Vishakha was telling her everything like it was happening again in front of her eyes.
"Neil ko sirf Ayna dikhayi deti thi lekin mujhe wo dono" her eyes welled up.
"Ayna was his sister but was no less for me. She was our sister, our toy, our daughter, our everything." she started weeping.
"one year before Neil was shot four bullets... Almost same condition like today... Even worst. Ayna was also shot to save an already shot Neil. Neil thinks that she died on the spot.. But she was alive. Neil and Ayna were before me in the same condition. We didn't had any surgeon in that area. I was asked to choose.." she kneeled down on the floor hugging the picture tightly.
Avni was also having tears in her eyes but she couldn't move to console Vishakha.
"I chose him... Maine Neil ko chuna... Ayna 13 ghante tadpi... Aur mere aakhri baar usse milne se pehle hi usne dam tod diya.." she screamed.
"You must be thinking that why am i narrating all this to you?" she asked wiping her tears.
"Because i want you to know ki maine Neil ko bachane ke liye Ayna ko kho diya... Not because what he told you that we are friends... But because i love him damn it" she screamed at her highest pitch.
"Maine Ayna ko us insaan ke liye kho diya... Aur apne liye ek guilt se bhari zindagi chuni, jisme main roz ek nayi maut marti hoon... To mujhe itna haq to hai ki mujhe pata ho ki wo insaan hai kon?" Avni was shocked to listen her words.
"Abhi jo usne kaha... Shayad main samajh chuki hoon ki wo kon hai.. But main tumhare muh se sunna chahti hoon. Please say something... He can't be my Neil because he... He thinks me to be just a friend. But my Neil loved me too Avni.. Please tell me!! Please" Vishakha joined her hands in front of Avni.
"He's my husband. IPS officer Neil Khanna." Avni said as he hugged a completely broken Vishakha.
Avni was suspended between grief and joy. She couldn't feel any emotion.
As Avni walked towards an enlightened world having Neil with her. Vishakha's world was dumped into darkness...without any ray of hope...
PRECAP: NEIL BACK TO HOME...
Sampoorna
