Helloo Alll...
Kaise ho? First of all, I would like to thank you all for liking and encouraging me to write further. I just thought it will be a one shot but thanks to you all, that it turned out to be SS.
Thank you so much for supporting me. Without much ado, read on for the next part.
Part 5
""Sunehri, Avni kaha hai? Kahi nahi dikhri" He asked with concern when he couldn't find her anywhere in the house.
""Kyu? Reh nahi jaara uske bina?" She asked with a grin.
""Arey yaar, mein seriously puch raha hu. Kahi nahi hai. Kaha chali gayi?"
""Relax Neil. Yahi kahi hogi"
""Arey, it is past 12 and she is nowhere and you are not concerned at all?"
""Oh. Is it? Then you will find her on terrace, talking to her mom. Today is Neela aunty's death anniversary."
""Shit! How did I forget that? It completely slipped my mind. Ok bye. I'll go see her" He immediately left the place without giving sunehri time to respond.
He slowly made his way up the stairs without disturbing her and found her under the moon light shining like a star. Her saree waving with the air and she stood with her hands folded and her eyes plastered on moon. He reached her in few steps with his hands in his jeans pockets and stood beside her.
""Akele akele kya kar rahi ho?" he asked.
""Neil please, mujhe thodi der ke liye akela chod do" she said with her voice chocking.
""Mere saamne rone ke liye sharam arahi hai kya?"
""Why will I cry?" she asked placing her hand on the railing.
Without any delay he held her hand with both of his' and made her face him.
""Avni, listen to me. The more you try to shut it, the more it will haunt you. Cry it out. Let it go. Do you want to know how I survived after you left me? I tried to do the same at first, shut it inside but that didn't help me. I used to cry everyday looking at your pictures. Talking to stars as if they were you. I cried until my tears dried out. Until my heart made peace with reality, that you are gone and never going to be back in my life. It was very hard. The only girl who made her way to my heart, the only girl whom I ever wanted to be with, the girl who was my wife, life, my everything left me to rot in hell. I was angry at myself for not saving you. For letting vidyut rule our lives. For letting him scare you. For everything. Later one day, it stuck me that how will you feel looking at me crying from the other side. You will not be at peace. That day I decided that I will never cry and live my life with the memories that you gave me. The memories that we made together. And here I am, standing hale and healthy in front of you."
He said with pain in his heart and tears in his eyes which made Avni hug him tight. She started crying the moment she landed in his arms. She couldn't control herself and she didn't know whether she is crying because she has lost her Neela maa or because she has hurt Neil to great lengths by leaving him. Any which ways she is letting her pain go away from her. She now has Neil by her side to hold on to but she don't know whether he will be there with her forever or not.
She didn't say word while Neil hugged her tight trying to assure her that he will be there for her no matter what, only if Avni understood.
""Avni" he called her out after few minutes.
""Hmmm" she just mumbled still holding on to him tightly as ever with no intentions of leaving him.
""I don't mind hugging you like this but don't you think we should go down?"
She released him halfheartedly and nodded in agreement without looking into his eyes. He understood that she didn't want to leave and held her hand when she started walking away from him. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him with a what happened'' look.
""Ice cream kahogi?" he asked with glint in his eyes.
""Abhi??"
""Haan abhi"
""Neil, adhi raat ho chuki hai. Pagal hogaye ho kya?"
""Arey yaar, seedhi seedhi jawab do na, khaana hai ki nahi?"
""Haan lekin itni raat ko safe nahi hai"
""Koi baat nahi, agar koi ladki mujhe chedne aagayi tho tum hona mujhe bachane ke liye." He said making her hit him on his chest with a smile on her face.
""Kuch bhi bol dete hona?"
""Arey kya kuch bhi? Itna handsome banda aadhi raat ko bahar jayega tho ladkiya tho peeche aayenge hi na?" He questioned with a genuine concern on his face.
""Nautanki, chalo ab. Ice cream nahi khaani?" She gave the permission to go.
They started walking on the empty roads. Avni folded her hands while Neil is trying to close the distance between them. He slid his hand across her waist and pulled her closer still walking. She didn't stop him instead rested her head on his shoulder still walking on the empty road. He smiled at her gesture but didn't tease understanding the emotional position she is in right now. He didn't want to spoil the moment but the smile faded off of his face when she moved away from him after a while.
""Kya hua?" He asked with a disappointed face to which she signaled her to an ice cream vendor not very far from them and asked him to get it.
He quietly walked towards the ice cream vendor and came back with two cones of ice creams. She smiled looking at her ice cream.
""Why are you smiling?"
""Tumhe mera favorite flavor aaj bhi yaad hai?"
""Yaad karne ke liye kabhi bhula hi nahi"
She started eating her ice cream like a kid without saying a word. He is stealing glances trying to concentrate on his ice cream. While he was looking at her child like face, his ice cream fell off from his hand bringing him back from his trance.
""Oops! Tumhari ice cream tho gayi. Ek kaam karte hai, phir se chalte hai, woh wahi hoga." She said turning around.
He held her hand and made her turn around.
""Kya hua?" she asked.
""Hum share karlenge" He suggested.
""Main apna ice cream share nahi karungi" she said making a puppy face enough for him to melt.
""Koi baat nahi, tum apna ice cream kha lo aur main apna khaa lunga"
""Woh kaise? Tumhara Ice cream tho gir gaya" She asked with an innocent face and took a bite from her dessert.
Neil leaned forward towards her lips to have his share of ice cream. Avni understood his intentions fast enough this time and jerked behind to which he moved forward reducing the distance between them.
""Sunehri tum?" She asked with a shock on her face looking behind Neil to which he immediately moved back feeling embarrassed.
He didn't find anyone behind his back but he heard Avni's giggles. He immediately turned towards her with a frown on his face and she ran before he could catch her.
""Avni ki bachi, ruko tum" He ordered her which she royally ignored.
She ran everywhere on the empty road laughing and trying to evade him but he was no less than her and followed her on every step and finally caught her breathing hard.
""Neil, chodo mujhe" She tried to get out of his grip still laughing and catching her breath.
""Kabhi kabhi aise has liya karo" Saying he left her hand.
She didn't reply instead finished her ice-cream in silence. They resumed their walk post that and suddenly Avni started feeling cold and started rubbing her arms with her hands.
""Feeling cold?" He asked.
""Haan"
""Tho phir jaldi chalo, dheere dheere kyu chal rahi ho?"
She stood at her place without moving forward with her mouth open in disbelief. He stopped when he realized that she is not beside him and looked backwards and asked what has happened.
""How rude?" She complained.
""What?"
""Kuch nahi" She didn't say anything else and started walking.
""Oh please, don't expect me to offer you my jacket like some movie hero"
""Why not?" She asked.
""Because I am no Sharukh and you are no Kajol"
""Then who are we?"
""I am Neil and you are my Avni"
""Kya fayda, mujhe ek jacket bhi nahi de sakthe tum" She whined again.
""Ek option hai"
""Kya?"
""You can hug me" saying he extended his arms with a smile.
""Kuch bhi" She started walking again.
He caught her wrist and pulled her back and hugged her tight.
""Neil, kya kar rahe ho? Hum beech sadak pe khade hai" She reminded him that this is no place for romance.
He hugged from side and half covered her with his one side of the jacket and started walking towards home. As they walk towards their destination with each other in their hearts, nature has planned something else for them. It starts pouring all of a sudden making them drench within minutes. Avni looks around trying to find a place to shelter themselves till the rain stops and she runs towards it when she finds one. She looks back at Neil who is in no mood to hide. He opened his arms as if he is welcoming the rain and is enjoying the rain looking at sky. He asked her to come to him with gestures. She didn't budge and stood there where she is standing.
Neil ran towards her while she tried to escape but alas! He soon reached her and picked her up in his arms and walked towards road making her drench completely.
""Neil, neeche utharo" She asked while swimming in air.
He laughed at her antics and made her stand on ground but didn't let go off her.
""Neil hum bheeg rahe hai, chalo ghar chalte hai"
""Dance?"
""Kya?"
""Pleaseee" He asked with his puppy face to which she couldn't decline.
He slid his right hand across her bare waist and held her right hand in his left and danced to the tune of their heart beat. His eyes did not leave her all the while and Avni looked at him feeling his gaze on her. She looked into his eyes which had the desire to kiss her. She slowly moved her hand away from his shoulder and took her pallu and pulled it from behind and moved it towards her head and extended it onto him covering both of them. Neil remembered how he has done the same thing on Janmashtami with her.
""Ab maan bhi jao meri maa"
She nodded in disagreement.
""Acha? Itna guroor huh? Hmmm, tumhe pata hai, main yah ape apna sar poch raha hu aur bahar logon ko kya lag raha hoga? Ki andar kya horaha hai? Zara socho"
And then he drags the cloth in which they were covered and ties it around his head and moves away.
He smiled remembering the incident and this time he didn't want to move away. His heart didn't want to. He closed the distance between and them and kissed her lightly on her lips. She didn't resist this time instead wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him towards her. Neil smiled across her lips with her action and deepened the kiss tightening his grip around her bare wet waist.
That's it for now folks. Didn't proof read. Hope it met your expectations. Mr. Flirt Khanna will be back in next chapter. Wait for ittt.