Love you all...
"Neil!" Avni shouted. She was standing taking support of the wall, closing her eyes tightly and hugging herself.
As Neil heard her scream, he got up up with a jerk, pushed the bedsheet and jumped out of the bed. Within seconds he reached her.
"Avni.. Avni what happened? You Ok?" he asked holding her from shoulder.
He held her hands which made her open her eyes. She was scared with something or someone.
"Don't be scared just tell me.. What happened?" he asked her tugging her hair strands behind her ear and cupping her face.
"Tumhe kya farq padta hai?" Avni's scared expressions were replaced by sad one.
"Okk I m sorry.. I won't hurt you again.. I shouldn't have shouted on you.. I m really sorry. Now please tell me.. Why are you so scared?" he said moving his hand from her cheek to her hairs.
"Tumhe nahi bataungi" Avni pushed his hands away from her face and looked out of the window crossing her hands.
"I said na.. Sorry yaar Avni.. Aaj ke baad kabhi tumpe gussa nahi karunga.." he said going round and standing in front of her.
But Avni didn't looked at him.
"That's ok if you don't wanna tell me. Now go and sleep" he moved towards the bed.
"If I slept there... I won't ever woke up!" she said holding his hands.
"Matlab?" Neil was confused.
"Matlab.. I saw a lizard crawling on the couch." she told him pointing towards the couch.
"Wait a sec!" Neil took his hand out of her grip, stepped back and laughed out loud rolling on the bed.
"Lizard!! I mean seriously!! Yeh to breaking news hai" he said trying hard to supress his laughter holding his stomach.
"Neil!! What's so funny?? She could eat me?" she said clenching her fists and frowning at him.
"Eat?? Wo itni choti si aur tum itni moti si... I mean badi si?" he said sarcastically.
"I meant to say bite... And by the way did you just called me moti?" Avni raised her eyebrows at him.
"Main to bas..." Neil tried to defend himself but couldn't come up with a convincing line.
"By the way.. How could you see that lizard in darkness without any light?" he was standing in front of Avni within fraction of sec and asked her pressing his hands together like interrogating the prime suspect of a crime.
"Dekho!! Help karni hai to karo.. Warna apni ye policegiri mujh pe mat jhado" Avni tried to cover up the loophole of her foolproof plan.
"Phir bhi.. It's so dark to spot a five inch lizard?" Neil was in his supercop mode and wasn't ready to let go off even the meagre points.
"Tum mujhe dekh pa rahe ho na... To maine bhi lizard ko dekh liya" if he's supercop then Avni is no less than an advocate.
"You're comparing yourself with a lizard?" Neil trapped Avni in her own words.
"No!! I m comparing my eyes with your eyes" she said looking at his eyes.
Neil was spellbound by her eyes which were glittering in the dark surrounding. He moved towards her. Close... More close... Held her hand.
"Come I'll check.. You must have mistook some shade to be a lizard" he said pulling her close to himself and making her walk towards the couch with him.
"Don't switch on the light... She might get afraid and can attack us!" Avni instructed like a professional as she walked behind Neil holding hands.
"Avni she's a lizard.. Not dinosaur. So please keep your attack theory to yourself." he said looking back at Avni tilting his head to one side in a teasing manner.
He tried to move forward but Avni held him back.
"Please don't! We'll check it in day time." she said in a pleading tone.
"So what do you want now?" Neil was confused.
"I'll sleep on bed." Avni said it gathering all her courage and closed her eyes.
"Fine" Avni's eyes shot open as she didn't expected him to agree so soon.
But her delight was short lived as Neil moved towards the couch with his pillow.
"Wait wait wait... You can't sleep on couch?" Avni pulled the pillow he was holding towards herself.
"I know your heart is at right instead of left... But dimaag to center me hai na? Na tumhe khud couch pe sona hai.. Na tum mujhe sone de rahi ho" Neil said pulling the pillow back towards himself. Avni was holding the pillow tightly so she also got pulled towards him. Neil doesn't realise when he involuntarily speak things that only Neil Khanna would have known. Even Avni thought them to be a coincidence earlier but now she notice everything.
"Mera dil bhi right position par hai aur dimaag bhi" she said bringing her face close to him.
Neil pushed her back with pillow.
"I mean we can share the bed" Avni said trying to look as least excited as she could.
"Koi zaroorat nahi hai... You sleep on bed, I'll manage on couch" he said giving her deathly glares by his eyes.
"You're already hurt... I don't want to be a sadist wife, who torture her hurt husband by making him sleep on couch" she pushed him on the bed.
Neil's blood boiled hearing the word "husband-wife".
"Im not..." Neil tried to stand up.
"Dekho ab naraz mat hona... Galti se bol diya maine... Aur tumne abhi to kaha ki tum mujhpe kabhi gussa nahi karoge.." Avni pulled him back on the bed making puppy face.
Neil clenched his fist and controlled his anger as he didn't wanted to hurt Avni again.
"Good Night" Avni lied on her side placing all pillows under her head deliberately.
"Fine" Neil lied on the other side.
"But don't you dare cross the line" he said placing the only pillow he was having between them.
"waise bhi aaj kal mujhe tumhare iraade nek nahi lagte... Aur tumhari niyat par mujhe bharosa nahi" he muttered as he laid on the edge of the bed.
"I can hear it all" Avni said opening one eye and looking at him.
"So what?? Main apna dard bhi zaahir nahi kar sakta" he said with melodramatic tone.
"Nahin.." Avni said closing her eyes.
"You're so mean.. Khud ek choti lizard ke saath nahi so sakti... Aur mujhe itni moti lizard ke saath sona padega" Neil said turning towards her.
Now Avni had it. She threw a pillow at his face and sat on the bed facing him.
"Kyunki mujhe lizard pasand nahin" she shouted.
"Aur meri to jaise favourite hain??" he sat and shouted at a pitch matching to that of her.
"Haan!! Tumhe lizard kyun pasand hongi.. Tumhe to butterflies pasand hai na... Isliye to kar rahe the tum us Rhea se shaadi." Avni leaned on him with each word and Neil moved back accordingly.
"Pasand.. Aur Rhea.. Mom ki pssand thi wo. Isliye kar raha tha main wo shaadi. Aur kuch yaad ho to tum beech me ayi thi... Ohh sorry tum beech me to aa nahi sakti... Space kam hogi na tumhare according." Neil now moved up and Avni moved back accordingly.
Now Avni bacame seriously angry.
"How can you call me moti... And that too comparing to Rhea?" she held his collars.
"Maine kab kaha?" Neil pointed out smirking at her.
"You said na I can't fit between you two" she replied.
"Ohh I underestimated you.. You're not that dumb" Neil said sarcastically.
"Moti and dumb!! Now I'll tell what this moti will do" she moved onto him and was about to sit on him when he shouted.
"Avni.. Avni.. Avni.. I m hurt yaar.. Was just kidding.. Sorry.. Don't sit on me.. Not because you're heavy.. But because the wounds are still sour.. You see" he stopped Avni by raising both his hands like a thief surrendering to police.
"I m sorry.. I didn't realised. You ok?" Avni realised that her shaking and pushing must be hurting him.
They both lied back on their respective sides. Avni smiled to herself reminiscing what just happened. Neil smiled looking at the ceiling.
"Tumhare man me laddu phoot rahe hai?" Avni asked turning her face towards him.
"What??" Neil asked.
"Mujhe awaaz aa rahi hai" Avni said laughing.
"Man me ladoo nahi phoot rahe.. Mere dimaag me goliyan chal rahi hain" Neil replied and drifted to farthest corner.
After sometime Neil fell asleep. As he tuned he was about to fall as he was sleeping on the edge of the bed but Avni held his hand tightly and pulled him back.
"Thank you" he said to Avni.
"koi baat nahi.. Hisaab 1-0 ho gaya.. Kabhi bhi pay back kar dena" she said pulling him close to her in the cente of bed.
Neil gave her a confused look.
"I know tum pehle bhot baar mujhe bacha chuke ho... But scoreboard aaj se start karte hai" she told him.
"Good Night" Neil said expecting her to leave his hand.
"Good Night but I'll not leave your hand. Phir se gir gaye to I'll feel guilty..." she tightened her grip on his hand.
Neil freed his hand and turned away from her.
After sometime Avni tapped on his shoulder.
"Neil.. I m scared. Please face meri side kar ke so jao.. Tumhe dekh kar mujhe darr nahi lagega" she said raising her shoulder at last line.
"Acchha.. Aur mera kya... Tumhe dekhkar main darr ke mare mar gaya toh?" he teased her.
"Main itni scary lagti hoon?" Avni's face fell.
"Just kidding... I have never seen a beautiful girl like you..." he said smiling at her.
At midnight, Avni was sleeping hugging the pillow they used as border. By mistake Neil placed his hand on her waist. Avni's eyes shot open. She felt a burning sensation at his touch. She stopped breathing for sometime.
Before she could react, Neil pulled her closer to him. In seconds her body was moulded to him. They both lied in a perfect question mark shape with a pillow crushed between them. Neil was asleep but Avni was more alert than a normal person. Although they were having pillow in between them but she could still feel his chest rising and falling against her back. Their breath were in unison but the heartbeat was incoherent. Neil's heart was calm and normal but Avni's heart was jack hammering under her ribs that could come out any time.
Avni's POV
The world around felt like melting away. Everything felt right, smelt right like I always belonged next to him. I stared out of the window, Moon came out of the clouds and moonlight splashed down it's watery silver glow illuminating us. Although It wasn't first time that he was touching me even then I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. His calming presence like a lone star in an otherwise empty sky, makes me slowly close my eyes, my body quietly switching off; lets my soul run free in the land of dreams. I wish I could extend this night so that I could stay close to you for longer.
Thank you guys for bearing it..
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Fan Fictions
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
