=haal-e-dil=
Part 33
"Hey beautiful"
"Ah! You scared me"
"I thought there's nothing that could scare my wife, turns out I was wrong."
"Oh hey! That's right.. I am not scared of anything. Especially not you!"
"Oh really?"
"Mhmm"
"We'll soon see!"
Avni was preparing lunch in the kitchen when Neil entered from behind and startled her. After that he followed her everywhere amidst the conversation. He followed her to the fridge and back, to the oven and back, to the sink and back. Once, she turned around carelessly with a knife and it cut through Neil's arm
"Oh my god! Neil! Come here..." Avni kept the knife away in a second and hurried him to the sink. She brought his hand under the running tap and washed all the blood. Since it was a small cut Neil was relaxed. But who will pacify Avni? Or rather say, who can pacify Avni?
Her face presented a horrified expression and Neil couldn't help staring at her with an amused look while she was busy blowing gently on his arm. Pain was foreign to him but was evident in her eyes.
"Keep following me more! I would say, follow me always!" This made Neil come out of his haze.
"Oh so my wifey at least learnt to be sarcastic? One of the perks of having such a wonderful husband" Avni rolled her eyes at his self appreciation.
"Shut up! Just zip your mouth and stand here until I come. Don't move!" Avni ordered him and rushed to grab the first aid box.
"You know Avni.. that saying?"
"What saying?"
"Ulta chor courtwaalon something something."
"Ulta chor kotwal ko daante?"
"Haan yes! Is that kotwal? Hahaha you won't believe this then! All my life I have been thinking it says something about the thief scolding the people of court for punishing him."
"What? Neil, when were you this stupid?"
"Oh hello, it makes sense okay? Besides, i am not tubelight like some people."
"Sometimes tubelights shower you with the brightest light."
"Wow! Never thought of that... actually."
"I know"
"Avni, are you upset that I call you tubelight?"
"No"
"Sure?"
"Yes, and what about the saying?"
"Oh haan! You were scolding me for following you huh? But you know lately, all my injuries are caused by you! So ulta chor courtwalon I mean kotwal ko math daanto!"
By that time, the dressing was done and Avni became silent making him realize what he just said.
"You did not just say that, Neil! How could you???" He rebuked himself in mind and punched the back of his head. Avni's eyes met Neil's at that point. Emotionless were her eyes. That was the only part of her that confused him. He could never read her eyes till date.
Slowly, she returned back to her work. The atmosphere was the same until she was done cooking and was cleaning as the final chore. Just when Neil gathered himself to speak out loud, Shweta burged in. This lady never has the right timing!
"Wow you in the kitchens today how? Nice smells also."
"hehe Mummyji. Aaj bas mann kiya toh recipe book dekh ke kuch banadiya. I hope everyone will like it."
"Very nice ji very nice!" Just when Shweta turned around to leave she saw Neil sitting quietly at the corner table.
"Oye Tillu! What it is you doings there?"
"Nothing Mom."
"You thinks you are the recipe books that Avni looks at? No rights? Then let's go!"
Shweta was smiling from within but she just wanted to trouble her son and daughter in law. So, she dragged her son out of the kitchen unaware that the atmosphere was rather tensed than romantic.
***
After lunch everyone retired to their respective rooms to rest for a while. When Avni got to her room she saw Neil sitting by the window, glowing as the sun shone on him. The earlier scene from the kitchen made it's way through Avni's mind once again piercing her heart everytime.
"Did he really blame her for everything?"
Ever since she was a child, she was insecure. For every little thing that happened in her life, she blamed herself. Present is no difference. Getting the feeling of accusation from the person she least expected a thing like this, surely affected the tiniest heartstring.
Slowly yet silently, Avni made her way towards the bedside which was near to the window Neil was sitting by. No matter how quietly she behaved, he sensed her presence the minute she put her foot inside the four walls.
Without drawing his gaze anywhere else he kept looking outside the window as his lips parted to allow words to flow out.
"I am sorry Avni."
Avni's head lifted and she looked at Neil as the sound hit her ears only to see him in the same exact posture, his back side figure facing her.
"I know that I promised to never hurt you as we took our vows when we got married. I also know that I unknowingly hurt you today."
Posture was the same.
Words were different.
Pain was more.
Both the hearts were beating separate, though rythm was the same.
Feelings were similar. Yet one accused and one was guilty.
Neil accused his heart for saying something that he never even thought of in the first place. How was he supposed to convince her that he never meant what he said, for he was only joking?
Avni's heart was guilty. She took him seriously and as usual took all the blame on herself. She had always considered herself to be a bad luck, unfortunate. Today she got another reason to justify that. Though her heart understood him, how was she supposed to convince her mind?
After several minutes of utter silence, Neil stood up from where he was and moved towards Avni. She kept her eyes fixed on his face and moved with his every action.
He sat beside Avni and pulled her in for a side hug without a word. She didn't object it either.
"You know Avni? I don't want to have any misunderstandings between us. Especially when we are going to go on our honeymoon. I really don't want the atmosphere to be like this. I know I have hurt you... but trust me. I didn't mean that all I have gone through is because of you. I would rather say the courage that I got to overcome those things is because of you. You are my strength, Avni! And never ever think otherwise! I love you with all my heart. I never knew I had it in me to love someone this much. I can survive any hurdles of this life, but not your silence Avni. Speak to me..."
All this while Avni was holding back her tears. As soon as he finished she no longer could suppress them. She burst out crying in his arms and hugged him back, burrying her face in his chest. She was crying because of nothing but relief. Her heart once again won her. All those voices speaking in her mind against her husband instantly stopped as the voice of her heart speaking for him got stronger and louder. Deep down she always had the trust.
"Avni... I am sorr.."
"Shhh!" Avni gathered herself and put a finger on his lips not allowing him to complete his apology.
"No more words." Saying that she hugged him again smiling through tears.
"Thank you Avni. For understanding. And believe me or not.. I'll make it up to you as soon as possible... which could be even now." The naughtiness of his voice came back and Avni immediately pull herself away from him.
"What do you mean?" She asked slightly taken aback.
"Oh you very well know!"
"No,..I.. umm.. I don't!"
"Oh yes you do.. "
Avni was slowly moving herself away from him and he was getting closer to her. And just when she was about to get sandwiched between him and the headboard, she backfired him.
"Bebe!" Saying that Avni ran away from the room laughing. Neil was shocked at first but later realized that it was just an escape from him which made him smile. Nonetheless, both were relieved that the tension was all sorted between them.
***
At night, Avni was packing her bags for the early morning flight when Neil entered the room.
"Hey wifey.. not packing my bags?"
"DIY"
"Hein?"
"DO IT YOURSELF"
"Hein?"
"Khudh Kar lo!"
"One minute, I understand English okay? See!"
"Then why are you going all "hein hein"?"
"Because why do I have to pack my bags when you are here?"
"Do I look like your maid?"
"Don't tell me you are Bheema's twin!"
"NEIL!!"
"AVNI!"
Avni hit him with a cloth hanger and he fake screamed and fell on the bed laughing his heart out. Meanwhile Avni got back to packing his bag as well.
That night both of them slept early because they had to leave for the airport at 4.a.m.
***
"Take care, Mom. Papaji Take care of yourself and mom as well. Bebe, eat your medicines on time and no cheating with meals huh? Nanno, don't miss me too much, I'll be back soon. Aman, mere bhai! Apna aur Nanno ka dhyan rakna okay? Ali! Tujhe sab sambhal na hai yaha! And Neela ma.. see you soon."
Neil kept watching as his wife bid everyone goodbye after making them hear an earful from her. As they both greeted and hugged the family and headed in to the airport their fingers intertwined.
"Judging by the rate in which you were scolding everyone, I thought you would do the same to me and head all the way to your honeymoom all by yourself."
Avni gaped at Neil at his lame remark and shook her head.
"Now which wife on this whole wide world would forget her husband on their honeymoon?"
"You! No one can trust you!" Neil didn't spoke his thoughts aloud though and chose to smile away the almost rhetorical question.
"Oh dear Greece! Here we come!" Neil exclaimed much to Avni's amusement.
As the flight took off in to the sky that was nothing less than a colourful painting due to the sunrise, Neil and Avni anticipated the time ahead in Greece that was waiting for them at the end of the journey.
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kumkum Bhagya
