TUSSI JA RAHE HO? TUSSI NAH JAO- Chapter 12 Page 4 up -Avneil SS - Page 2

She was home, and he finally felt like he was too. Everything felt right at place. She was back in their room, and he couldn't help but admire her as she put her stuff back in their wardrobes. He peeked into the wardrobe, and something as minute as her clothes being placed next to his, made him smile. He tried to fight it, not let Avni know how far gone he was in his love, yet he couldn't. Luckily for him, she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts, that she couldn't pay attention to his.

For she was feeling weak, against his stare. She couldn't see him, but she felt his stare igniting every little inch of her body. She felt self-conscious, like every pair of eyes in the world were upon her. Was she standing up alright? Was her saree on her properly? Was her hair okay? Why was he staring?

Luckily for both of them, Bebe came at the right time to dissolve any awkwardness in the room. "Neel, tumse milne DD aaye hain. Waise maine usse bol diye, ki woh apna naam hi badal de. Aisa bhi koi naam hota hai? DD? Lagta hain ki kiski didi se baat kar rahe hon, Bebe ranted. She watched as Neel sprung up from his spot on the couch, as if he just had been caught in amidst an act. Avni was no better, she turned around immediately, like if she had been caught hiding something. Yet, she didn't say anything. Her two precious children (a/n: not related ofcourse) finally were getting in tune with their feelings, she was not going to make it more awkward for them. She wanted great grand children soon and her teasing them at this point will only delay that prospect.

"Neel, DD milne aaye hain, Bebe reiterated, so Neel could actually hear what she was saying. Neel nodded to his grandmother as he left hurriedly.

Work with DD had taken until 11pm, so when Neel returned, he expected everyone to be asleep. Yet she wasn't. She was on the couch, having made a mock bed there, and reading a book.

"Tum abhi tak sohi nahi? Neel asked, slightly startling her, before she smiled in registration that he had returned.

"Tumhara intezaar kar rahi thi, she answered, as she grabbed the jug to pour him a glass of water.

"Tumhe message toh kiya tha, ki mein late aa rahe hoon, Neel replied nonchalantly, lowkey happy that Avni had stayed up for his return. He grabbed the water, his fingers slightly grazing hers in the exchange.

"Pata hain. Tumse kuch kehna tha, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sleep, Avni stated. Neel nodded for her to go on. "Neel, main tumse thank you kehna chahti thi. You could have declared me as a fraud at the start of the marriage, but you didn't. You know the law. You could have gotten rid of me straight away. Yet you stayed and helped me in every step of my justice from Dayawanti. Tumne hamesha meina saath diya. Aur abh bhi dhe rahe hon,Avni expressed her gratitude to Neel.

Neel put the glass back on the table, before guiding Avni to sit on the end of the bed whilst he crouched in front of her. He grasped both of her hands, and held them in his. Looking upto Avni, Neel articulated "Avni, tumhe mujhe kuch kehna ki zaroorat nahi. Thankyou kehne ki bhi zaroor-.

"Neel, zaroorat hain. Meh hamesha tumhe mushkil pe dal dehti hoon. Abhi bhi, tumhe phirse mujhe jelna parega. Phirse mera saath rehna para hain. Phirse mein tumhare pe ek bhoj ban chuki hoon. I'm so sorry Neel, Avni interrupted Neel.

"Avni, tumhe aise kyun lagta hain. You're not a burden on me. You can never be a burden on me. Aur tumne aisa phir kahe, toh mujhse boora koi nahi. Kuch aur nahi, toh kam se kam mujhe ek dost toh maan thi hon na. Dost ko dosti nibaana koi takleef nahi hoti, Neel argued, emphasizing the word dost, maybe because it felt foreign and wrong. He knew she wasn't just a friend in his eyes, but he didn't want to scare her off. Knowing Avni and her thought process, she might react positively to his confession, just as an ehsan to him.

Avni was about to argue back, but Neel squeezed Avni's hands, silently asking her not to fight him on this, and to listen to what he had said.

Avni looked down to Neel's eyes. Koi itna aacha kaise hon sakte hain?Avni asked herself. She squeezed his hands back, silently communicating that she won't say anything more.

"Now that's like a good girl. Waise tum meri baat maan hi rahi hon, toh ek order bhi maan na pare ga. Tum bed main soh rahi hon, aur mein sofa pe, Neel got up, and jumped on to the sofa.

"Neel yeh fair nahi hain. Tumhe bed per sohna peraga. Lekin meh tumse kabhi nahi baat karongi, Avni threatened, stomping to the sofa after Neel.

"Really? Itna bada gift tum mujhe dongi. Wow, thank you Avni, from the bottom of my heart, I tell you, Neel laughed. Miffed, Avni grabbed the cushion beside Neel, and began to hit him with it,. A pillow fight ensued, and if any one would have stumbled upon the couple, they would have been clearly seen their happiness underneath their childish act. For they were together, and that gave a certain piece of serenity and tranquility to both of them.

By the end of the night, they both collapsed on the bed, tired from the chasing around. Agreeing to both sleep on the bed, with a pillow wall of course (suggested by Neel not Avni), they fell into the calmest slumber they had in weeks.