AvNeil SS: Deadly Games - Chapter 6 pg 12 Updated - Page 7

Chapter 5

"Careful," Neil warned, holding my hand as he led me down a wooded path. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Large oak trees lined both sides and a winding path was tucked neatly in between. We had been walking for a few minutes now, with no destination in sight. "Where are you taking me?" I asked, suddenly worried that we were straying away from his home. He turned back, a twinkle in his eye. "Have faith. We're almost there." I bunched my long, white dress in my hand, attempting to keep it as clean as possible despite the dirt we were walking through. Neil hadn't been lying. In just a few moments, I spotted a small clearing. From the top of the hill where his house had sat, we had made our way down, all the way to the beach. Stretching for what seemed like miles in front of me was a beautifully wooded dock. As expected, being nearly midnight, the beach was entirely isolated - the only sound coming from the ocean waves thrashing restlessly against the shore. Large orange lanterns framed the entirety of the dock, completely illuminating the night. I had never seen something so magnificent in my life. I would have stood there, simply gazing at the view around me for several minutes longer if I hadn't felt Neil's light tug on my hand.

"Come on," he urged. He walked with me to the edge of the dock where the water was the deepest and sat down. Gently, he lowered his legs into the water, shuddering slightly against the chill. He then looked at my still standing form and patted the spot next to him. "Sit," he said. I followed his orders, sitting, but not brave enough to face the iciness of the water. For a few moments, we sat in silence. For those few moments, I was Avni - the real Avni. I was just a girl, enjoying the evening with a nice man at the beach. I closed my eyes, wondering what my life would have been like if I had had a happy, normal childhood like most kids were blessed with. Would I have had friends? Would I have known how to be happy? Would I have been able to simply sit back and relax without having to worry about what would happen the next moment, or what Vidyut's next assignment would be? Perhaps I would have had someone in my life - maybe like Neil - who would take me on beautiful dinner dates to lovely restaurants. I would have had what every girl my age has.

I was suddenly broken out of my thoughts by Neil's voice. "She was my girlfriend," he said. It escaped his lips so quietly that I nearly missed it against the sound of the waves hitting the shore. I froze. I opened my eyes, turning to him. He was looking at me, as if waiting for me to respond. When I said nothing, he continued. "The woman you saw in the portrait was my girlfriend." He clarified. Understanding dawned upon me. He was referring to the painting I had noticed earlier at his house. Strangely enough, the topic of his girlfriend - or perhaps ex-girlfriend - made me uneasy. It wasn't that I had a problem with it per se - it was more so that I wasn't sure how to react. "She left me for someone else," he added finally. He picked up a pebble beside him, staring at it aimlessly for a few moments before throwing it into the water.

"Did you...did you love her?" I asked in a whisper. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to hear from him. He looked at me thoughtfully and seemed to contemplate his answer before he responded. "I don't know." He said. It was a strange answer. I never thought there were "maybes" in love. But what did I know? "I think we could have built it up to be love." He admitted. I sat in silence, simply staring into the depths of the water. "Do you know what the specialty of ocean water is, Neil?" I asked without meeting his eyes. He shook his head, stunned at the sudden change of topic. I motioned to the waves in front of us. "These waves have a special relationship with the sand. As hard as they may try, the water and the sand can never be together. But nonetheless, every time the water and the sand part ways, the waves steal a part of the sand...slowly...piece by piece...grain by grain... The sand is broken down...it's affected...it's damaged. And that's just how the world works. The sand is destined to lose itself to the water. That's love." I turned to him. "Love is another word for pain. It kills you from inside...destroys you completely."

He was quiet for a moment. "I disagree," he finally said. "I think love is beautiful. It's pure. And it's strong enough to handle anything." I shook my head. "What makes you say that?" He smiled. "You gave me the example of sand and water right? I'll give you the same example. Have you ever built a sand castle Ananya?" I frowned, wondering what he was getting at. Upon receiving a nod in response, he continued. "Why do we always build sand castles near the water? Because when the ocean waves hit the sand, it is not only the sand that gives up a piece of itself to the water. The water too gives itself selflessly to the sand. It is the combination of the sand and the water that generates the mould with which sand castles are built structures which are strong enough to withstand repeated hits of the ocean's waves. That's what love is, Ananya. It's two people who give each other support, strength and a lifetime of happiness. It is the most raw of emotions. We give ourselves entirely to someone else with the trust that they will accept and love us in the way we are. What can be more pure than that?"

I sat quietly, absorbing his words. "And what happens if that person breaks your trust? What happens if they break you...inside and out...till you have nothing left?" He looked at me, a sad smile now lining his lips. "You build yourself back up and know that someone else will walk into your life one day and give you the love, support and happiness that you deserve." I looked at him in silent wonder. How was it possible that someone's heart could be so brutally wounded and yet still be strong enough to believe in the concept of love? Despite having received seemingly all the answers, there was still one question which was nagging at me from all directions.

I sighed. "Neil, can I ask you a question?" He nodded. I clenched and unclenched my dress, fumbling slightly with my words. "Why are you doing this? I mean you bought me ice cream yesterday, and then invited me to the beach house today...and now you're suddenly telling me about your girlfriend. Why?" I heard him exhale. He pushed himself down against the dock, now in a horizontal position, churning his feet in slow circles in the water. He clasped his hands together and used it as a pillow for his head. After what seemed to be an eternity, he finally answered. "I don't know, Ananya." Turning his head slightly to face me, he continued. "You're different. You're strong and brave - inside and out. I noticed that from the first moment I saw you. You're fearless. And don't laugh - but in a strange way, I feel connected to you...like a moth to a flame. I don't really have a reason or purpose behind treating you to ice-cream or inviting you to my beach house tonight. I don't have a hidden agenda, if that's what you're wondering. I guess I just want to get to know you. Does that make sense?" No, I thought. None of this makes sense. This is entirely screwed up. I need to figure out a way to save you from Vidyut, and here you are, telling me that you feel a connection between us. Acknowledging my silence, he groaned. "Okay, look - that came out really weird and cheesy. It's not like I think there's some cosmic relation between us or anything - I'm just interested in getting to know you. Let's just leave it at that," he pleaded, clearly embarrassed. I nodded, accepting his answer for the time being. Without understanding why, I exhaled, pushing myself down onto the dock to lie down beside Neil. His arm was extended, providing my head with a make-shift pillow. I closed my eyes. According to Neil, love was two people who were able to provide each other support, strength and a lifetime of happiness. But I had seen first-hand that love was the cause of destruction...pain. How can one emotion be both the cause of immense joy and also unbearable pain? It was entirely psychotic. But Neil believed in it. He thought there was a person out there for him - a soulmate - who would mend his broken heart. He deserves it, I thought. Neil deserves happiness. He's a good person inside and out, and his ex-girlfriend must have been some next level crazy to have left him for someone else. As my heart fought to differentiate between the two contradictory effects of love, my mind was immersed in an altogether different struggle. Though I tried hard to stay awake, the peace I felt with my head tucked neatly in Neil's shoulder was something I hadn't experienced in a long time. I didn't realize when I fell asleep.

Two hours later, I found myself lying on a large four poster bed in an even larger bedroom. Around me, I noticed a mirror, night stand and closet. A small sofa was placed in the corner of the room, significantly adding class to the dcor. While I was disoriented for a few moments, I soon recalled my evening with Neil at the dock and assumed that he had brought me into the guest bedroom to complete my sleep. He had also made sure to cover me with a thin, white blanket. I turned to the mini alarm clock on the side table. In blinking green letters, it read "2:00 A.M." I had slept for a good two hours at least. Panicking, I quickly pushed the quilt off of me and hopped off the bed. I felt sick to my stomach. I had fallen asleep in Neil's arms. That wasn't okay. I was surpassing all boundaries. After our conversation last night, my betrayal to Neil felt even more real. He had already had his heart broken once, and I didn't want to be the reason for a second heartbreak. If he knew that I worked for Vidyut...he would hate me. I had no doubt in my mind. And in all honesty, I was welcoming of his hatred. I had experienced hatred from various people all my life and had grown accustomed to it. What I wouldn't be able to bear is the hurt and the pain that I would inevitably see in his eyes. He trusted me. He had told me some of his deepest secrets tonight. I knew about his family, friends...and now his ex-girlfriend. For some god forsaken reason, he had blind faith in me. If he found out that I was here on Vidyut's command...that I was a criminal... No. I thought, quickly supressing the disturbing possibilities. Neil will never find out about me. This is temporary. I have 28 days left until Vidyut needs Neil's dead body. That means I have exactly 28 days to figure out a way to save Neil...and 28 days until I'll be out of his life forever...just 28 days of betrayal left.

I straightened my dress, quietly stepped out the bedroom door and headed down the long set of spiraling stairs. I was leaving. Quickly opening the front door, I headed to my car, started the engine and drove off. My hands were shaking. Things were moving too fast. And I was feeling things I shouldn't be feeling. Like happiness...and hope. And I didn't have room in my life for any of that.

Twenty minutes later, my car reached a screeching halt in front of my isolated house. Rushing up the steps to the porch, I entered, finally allowing myself a breath of relief. I needed a plan. I needed to beat Vidyut at his own game. And I needed to do it quick, before things got out of hand. He was blackmailing me with my past. He wanted to expose me to the media - tell them that I had committed those murders. He wanted to destroy every part of me that was left. And I had no doubt in my mind that he would do so if I didn't complete his assignment. I paced back and forth across the living room floor. I didn't have many options. If I told the police about Vidyut's crimes and attempted to get him arrested, I would be caught as well - for following through with Vidyut's criminal activities. And not only that, his arrest wouldn't be permanent; I knew Vidyut - he was a powerful man. With his connections and financial prowess, he would be out in less than a day. And then he would come after both me and Neil. I could tell Neil about Vidyut's motives. But I wasn't sure it would result in a different outcome than the previous option. Neil was a police officer first and foremost. And as I had learnt during our very first encounter, Neil believed in punishing criminals - and that included me.

And suddenly it dawned on me. Vidyut was using my past against me. He was using that fact that I couldn't remember what had happened that night. He was using the fact that despite not knowing anything about the murders, the public believed I was at fault. So then there was only one way out of this mess. I had to figure out what had really happened that night. I had to prove that it wasn't me who had killed my family members. I felt my hands turn cold at the mere thought of reopening the chapters of my past that I firmly closed. But Vidyut was blackmailing me with my past...and the only way to stop him was to reveal the truth about the murders. Whether I liked it or not, I was going to figure out who killed my family.

End

So that was it for this chapter! Hope u liked it!😳 Please leave me with your precious likes and comments (and any predictions you have for upcoming chapters😆)