AvNeil OS: Stare

Rhea

He was doing it again. The staring. The staring that he does everytime he thinks his wife was not noticing. Rhea internally rolled her eyes. It made her sick. Their constant staring, the accidental touches, the wistful smiles. It did something to her. It made something deep inside her twitch.

This was the man she dreamed of spending her whole life with. Granted, she didn't love him but he meant something to her. And she was rather sure she would have fallen in love with him too, had they really gotten married. How could she not when Neil was so easy to love? He would have eventually learned to love her too. Of course she didn't expect great passion and fireworks in their life, but they would have been happy, content. They would have made the most of everyday and stood by eachother. But then of course, nothing in her life would ever go right and hence they were ripped apart by a beautifully haunting hurricane. A hurricane with bright eyes, long hair and a smile that could make ice melt. Avni.

What was so special about her anyway, Rhea almost huffed. She tightened her fingers around the fork in her hand. She wanted to stab Neil in the eyes with it. That would teach him, she smiled sadistically, that would teach him for the way he looks at her. That was it, the way he looked at her. She didn't care much for the fact that he stared, it was how he stared at Avni that got to her. He never looked at anybody else the way he looked at Avni. It was sickening. Neil looked at Avni as if she was the most fascinating thing to ever walk on earth. He looked at her as if he could see everything there was to see in the universe right in her eyes. He looked at her as if every movement she made was magical. He looked at her as if every breath she took matched his. He looked at her as if she was his sun, his moon and his stars.

Sickening, Rhea internally scoffed again. Then she watched Neil again and sighed. What was she even doing! Was she really bent on taking revenge from Avni because she sent her whole family to jail? Or was she simply crying over split milk as Avni got everything Rhea ever dreamed of. A family who treats her as if she's made of gold, a grandmother who adored her and made her favorite dishes, a sister-in-law who idolises the mere ground she walks on and a husband who would fight against the whole world for her. Or was it simply beacuse Neil never looked at her the way he looked at avni? Rhea sighed again.

Aman

Di looked happy, Aman realized contently. Aman, he smiled. He was Aman. Aisha's son, Avni's little brother. Aman. Not Amol. His smile turned grim. He was not Amol. He was not his dadi's puppet. Not anymore. He was Aman. Aman who had missed fifteen years of his life with his Di, Aman whose whole world now revolved around his Di and her happiness. He would do anything to make sure that her smile stayed. As soon as that thought entered his mind, he automatically turned towards the very person who was after his Di's happiness, Rhea. He frowned at her staring at Jiju in a murderous way. Then he noticed his Jiju and immediately a smile lit up his face as he realized the reason behind Rhea's contempt.

Jiju was watching Di like a fool. Aman almost laughed out loud at the image of super cop Neil Khanna in front of him. He lightly shook his head. Love made people stupid, he mused. And of there was anything that he was completely sure of, it was the fact that his Jiju loved his Di. He could see it. Anyone could see it. He could see it in the way Jiju opened doors for Di every time. He could see it when as soon Jiju got home, his eyes searched for Di. He could see it in Jiju's bloodshot eyes and resigned posture as he contemplated that Di had left him. He could see it in when Jiju had ran towards his Di as if she was the only thing that was keeping him together. Jiju loved Di, any fool could see that.

He glanced back towards his Di, who was eating her dinner in silence. And that was when he realized that her hands were trembling. Aman frowned. His Di looked nervous although she was trying hard not to be. Aman was now getting worried. His mind these days went straight into panic mode when he felt Di was in trouble. But then she took a barely there glance towards Jiju, blushing brightly when she noticed him already looking her way. Aman relaxed. Good old butterflies in the stomach, he thought in amusement. Oh my poor Di!! You maybe the invincible Avni Aisha when it came to revenge, but when it comes to the matters of the heart, you're completely clueless. His Di had no idea what she had gotten into. But of course Aman knew. Anybody with eyes would know too.

Aman knew that his Di had a different life. There was no place for love there. Hell, he wondered if she even knew that such a thing was out there. His beautiful, broken sister with a heart of gold. How the world had wronged her! How much life had been cruel to her! How much he himself had hurt her! The constant feeling of guilt that surrounded him became too much then. Aman held his thougts. There was no point really. It was all past and passed. His Di was happy now. She had Jiju now. And he was happy that his Di was happy. Then of course there was the fact that his Di was in love with Jiju. Di didn't know it herself but Aman knew. Aman knew it when Di lingered around the living room when it was time for Jiju to get home. Aman knew it when Di started to learn how to make bindi even though she hated it. Aman knew it when his Di's eyes lit up every time Jiju smiled. Aman knew it when Di came back to them even after she was wronged, with his Jiju's name on her lips.

Aman knew all of this, knew that both his Di and Jiju loved each other. And he would do anything in the world for them. He hoped fate presented him with something, something to do for his Di. Not that it would ever make up for the things he had done. He knew that. He knew that he was beyond redemption for his crimes. But he wanted his Di happy. And this was just about that, nothing else. But yes of course Di had Jiju now, and it that wasn't a surety for her happiness, he didn't know what.

Aman glanced back at Jiju who was yet to take his eyes off from Di. Just hang in there Jiju, he thought, Di may not be as far along as you are but she is on her way, and trust me Jiju when I say this that she is almost there.