Good morning and a very happy Diwali to you all! 😃 Play safe and have loads of fun and a great year ahead! Hope for the best for you people!On with Chapter 3.
CHAPTER 3 : THE ONE WITH THE SECOND ENCOUNTER
"Marry me, Avni." It was like Avni was screaming inside but no one could hear her. She didn't want to marry Laksh, not after what he had done. If she was honest, well with herself, she could tell you that she had moved on. After getting out from prison Laksh had made a beeline to his house and then to Avni's, to propose to her. To ask her hand in marriage.
"No." It's a funny word, Avni always thought. It crashes dreams, makes your mouth go dry... but sometimes its what you want to hear. Sometimes, even in the word that literally means negative, you can see the positive.
"No?" She didn't want to break Laksh's heart, but she had to. She couldn't keep up with the charade any longer. She showed up in the visiting time to meet Laksh so that he wouldn't feel lonely.. but she didn't want to. She could never forgive him for the things he had done. The ways he had wronged her.
"I can't marry you, Laksh. I love someone else."
And maybe she did.
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Neil Khurrrana carried on with his life. He knew, after releasing Lakshya Mehrotra from prison, he would have to life without seeing the beautiful women who the jerk got to call his girlfriend. Neil wasn't ready for that kind of commitment, but neither was he ready to see them marrying. The information which Lakshya had happily offered when they were releasing him.
"I am going to propose to her. And I am pretty sure she is going to say yes."
She was going to say yes, and the jerk who didn't deserve her would get her for eternity. And Neil would be alone.. all alone.
"Sir." Siddarth, one of the people working here, came in and saluted. "Your presence is needed."
"What happened?"
"It is concerning Mr. Mehrotra." He knew how much Neil hated him. Whether or not he knew the actual reason, or even Neil knew, he didn't know.
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"I need to see the Inspector, right now." Avni demanded as she moved inside the police station. As soon as the storm had hit, well not literally, she couldn't think of another place to go. This was the only place where she could find help, the only place worth coming.. The only place where she could find him.
"Avni?" The voice made her heard stop. She turned around, slowly as ever, and saw Neil Khurrana, Inspector, standing right behind her.
"I need your help." She pleaded with her eyes
And she knew he understood what had happened when his eyes turned hard and he gestured the office, "Follow me.
OoO
"Tell me, what is wrong?" Neil didn't sit across from her. As he sat her down on the seat before his desk, he sat himself down on the edge of the desk. "I'm sorry I didn't ask, is there anything we can get you? Some food, coffee, water?"
"Water would be great." Avni said against her parched throat. "I ran all the way here."
"Siddarth, some water please!" He snapped at the frightened looking police officer and then turned to me with locked jaw. "What happened?" Neil's voice changed. So much so, it made Avni's head snap back and stare into his eyes. Did he care more than I thought he would? Avni had been hesitant in coming so early in the morning. She felt that he would already be bombarded with cases and she didn't want to add to the trouble. She felt he wouldn't care.. maybe she was wrong.
"I came home last night to see that Laksh was there." She gulped.
"I'm listening." Neil leaned down a bit and Avni felt flustered at his proximity.
"He was...He asked me to marry him." She shook her head, not wanting to relive that awkward moment. "He then went outside. When I followed him to his parents' house, which was a few houses down in the opposite lane, I saw something that raised one's suspicion."
"What did you see?"
"He had a bag in his hand.. and I think it was..."
"Drugs."
"I don't know for sure. But some kid was outside his house and they were looking around all the time, making sure now one was seeing them probably, as he handed the kid a zip-lock bag of some powdery substance in it and the kid handed him a wad of cash."
"Did you know the kid?" Neil pressed on.
"Not personally, no. I've seen him around in the neighborhood a couple of times.. he was a good kid. He went to the school in our neighborhood. I don't know what happened."
"Okay." Neil nodded. "Anything else?"
"Neil..." Avni started, remembering he had asked her to call her Neil the last time they had met, getting almost dizzy also remembering the smile. "I don't feel safe."
"Safe from what? From that jerk who getting right out of jail started his business again? Let me tell you Avni, he can't hurt you, okay?" Neil stands, looking angry. He starts searching for something on his scattered desk. Files, papers, folders, what not.. until he found some cards. Holding one out, he said, "This is my number. And wait.." He pulled out a pen from the pen holder and scribbled down numbers on the back of the card. "This is my personal number. You don't feel safe, you see anything that raises suspicion.. you call. If you can't, call the police or come here. Okay?"
"Thank you." Avni replied, taking the card from his hands and feeling the tingles hit her fingers as theirs meet. Nothing had cared so much for her..
"You're not alone Avni." Neil started. "I'll send someone to check on you every morning, in the afternoon, and at night. Lock all your doors. I'll get someone to install an alarm system in your house."
"You don't need to do all that..." Nobody had cared this much for her and it shook Avni from the core. She felt like she didn't deserve it, like she was overacting, like she was making a big deal out of nothing and raising more suspicion than ever.. but she really needed this right now. So even if she didn't deserve it, she was going to keep it.
"Oh but I do, Avni." Neil leaned over the arm chair Avni was sitting in. "I really do."
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