"Tum uske saath shaadi kar rahi hon. It wasn't a question. Or maybe a question he already knew the answer to. A clarification perhaps. He was too in disarray to decipher his own actions.
She nodded in silence. Not breaking her gaze from the streaming water.
"Say whatever you say about me, lekin tum toh mujhse bhi aage hon, tum aise ladke ke saath shaadi karne wali hon, jisse tum khud pyar nahi karti.
"I do love him, Neel.
"You're not in love with him though, Avni, are you? Phir ye naatak kyun?
"Main toh yeh pyaar pe hi yakeen nahi karti. Lekin Ali karte hain. Jab meine usse haa kari, tumko uske chaira dekne chaiye te tha. Itna khush meine usse pehle khaabi nahi dekhen.
"Yeh bhi ek taraf se dhoke hua na Avni.
"Mujhe nahi pata.
"Okay. This not true, ya. Just a hypthetical. Suppose, tumhe mujhse pyar ho gya, aur main bhi tumhe thora bhot chahne laaga. Tabh? Tum phir bhi yeh shaadi karongi, ja tumhe itni himit hogi, ki tum mujhse pyar karo.
She looked at him with confusion. Avni looks at him for several moments, conflict swirling in her eyes. What would she do in the given hypothetical. Neel's eyes were fixed on her; resolved and determined to find out her answer.
But the moment was broken with the sound of a phone call. Avni kept her stare at Neel before finally lowering her gaze and looking for her phone. It was her fiance. She looked back at Neel. Neel blinked a couple of times, before he built back up his resolve, and took the phone from Avni's hand and picked up the phone, talking to his friend way too excitedly about the upcoming wedding of his ex-wife.
~~~~~
DDLJ inspired.
Anupamaa
