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Hey peeps, new here.
Tell me if you liked it, loved it or hated it.
I'm kinda new here so I'd like it if you peeps actively told me what you think about this OS and if you'd like me to write more.
Thanks!😉
At the beginning, Neil doesn't even realize he's doing it. It just comes naturally, like it's completely normal-- Ali, however, has a couple things to say.
"Dude," Ali says across the table to Neil.
Neil tears his gaze away from Avni, who's reading some book or another, Neil doesn't know.
"Yeah?"
Ali pulls a bitchface and curtly says, "A word in the kitchen please?"
Avni glances at Neil with a slight smile on her face.
"Wish me luck," Neil jokes, returning the smile before following Ali out the room.
The moment they're alone, Ali fixes Neil with a stern look.
"Um..." Neil honestly doesn't know what Ali is acting strange about. It's been a quiet week, and as far as Neil's memory goes, nothing talk-in-the-kitchen-alone worthy has happened.
"You know what you're doing, right?" Ali asks.
Huh? Neil's mind runs through what this could possibly be about.
Ali rolls his eyes.
"Ali, seriously, just spit it out."
Ali huffs, crossing his arms. "Avni," he says.
Neil waits for him to continue. When he doesn't, Neil feels a prickle of annoyance and helps Ali along.
"Yes..?"
"She's pretty fragile. Emotionally," Ali narrows his eyes. "Human emotions."
"Okay, and?"
"It's probably pretty hard for her."
Neil waits.
"And it probably would help if things stayed as simple as possible," Ali says.
"I know, Ali," Neil says slowly. He's slightly scared of where this is going.
"I'm just saying, if you're gonna do something, pick someone else, not Avni."
What? Neil thinks.
"What?" Neil asks.
"I've seen how you keep checking her out," Ali says, ignoring Neil's incredulous look. "I don't know if you just want to get some or what, but if you want sex, go to a club."
Wait. Ali thinks Neil's trying to...
"She's had a pretty miserable life and you can't just do this and then pretend it never happened, like you do with other people. She's our friend, she needs us, we need her and I need you not to mess everything up because you can't control yourself," Ali says, on a roll now. Neil tries to get a word in but fails miserably. He's pretty sure Ali rehearsed this entire speech beforehand.
"So keep your bedroom eyes under control," Ali says before Neil interrupts.
"Ali!"
Neil wants to laugh, but he gets the feeling Ali wouldn't appreciate it. There's also the fact that he's confused as hell.
"I don't know where you got the idea that I'm..." Neil pauses, not even wanting to think about it. "I don't like Avni in that way."
Ali raises an eyebrow.
"Honestly, I'm not doing anything. Even if I were, I wouldn't take advantage of her. But I'm not. I mean I'm not taking advantage--"
Neil inwardly winces. He hadn't planned on saying that last bit, but whatever.
Avni chooses that moment to walk into the kitchen, empty coffee mug in hand.
"Everything okay?" she asks, looking at Neil.
"Just fine," Neil replies, taking Avni' mug and putting it in the sink.
"Ali...?" Avni tentatively says. Neil turns around from the sink and sees a very grumpy-looking Ali glaring straight at Neil.
"Nothing, Avni," Ali says, never taking his eyes off Neil.
Neil decides he likes pissing Ali off and says, "You know, I'm gonna take off for home with Avni, d'you think you could make some pie?"
Neil can see Ali transition into full serious mode, and he swears his hair is bristling.Ali grits out between clenched teeth. " Get your damn pie yourself."
Ali opens his mouth, probably to throw a fit about how Avni isn't a game for Neil to play, but Avni herself pipes up from the back of the room.
"I'd appreciate Neil's company," Avni says, shrugging her shoulders. She looks up from her book. "Pie wouldn't be too bad either."
Neil beams at her, thinking something along the lines of, Wow I love you for saying that, but he pushes the thought out of his mind when Ali sighs.
"Fine. I'll get you the freaking pie."
As soon as Ali is out the door, Avni asks, "What's wrong with him?"
Neil sits down across from Avni and shrugs. "He's just moody. He'll get over it."
Neil sits back in his chair, watching Avni thoughtfully, trying to figure out what exactly Ali was talking about. Yeah, Avni is attractive, and true, they look at each other a lot, but that's just manners- you make eye contact with someone when you're talking to them.
Right? Right.
Besides, who wouldn't make eye contact with someone who has eyes as beautiful as...
Neil freezes as he realizes Avni has noticed him staring. He tries to look away but Avni is doing that thing that makes Neil unable to shift his gaze.
'That thing' meaning 'that thing where Avni looks at Neil'.
Neil clears his throat, feeling his face heat up. "Um. So what are you reading about?"
"Nothing I don't already know about. I'm just passing the time," Avni says, not taking her eyes off Neil. "The illustrations are interesting. Quite beautiful, actually." Avni turns the book towards Neil to show him.
"Uh huh," Neil says, still looking at Avni.
A quirk of Avni' eyebrow reminds Neil to look away from her face and to the book she's showing him.
It's an illustration of a dragon and Neil has to admit it's pretty cool. He'd say something about it but Avni reaches across the table towards Neil's unfinished sandwich.
" I'm glad to be here." Avni looks down. "For however long you'll have me."
"Avni." Neil's surprised by the softness of his voice when he says, "You can stay as long as you want. I--" Neil breaks off, rubbing the back of his neck. I want you to stay. "I like having you around."
Avni looks back up, inevitably starting another staring contest. "Thank you," she says.
Neil's grateful for Ali's decision to come back right at that moment with the pie, because who knows what sort of chick-flick thing would have slipped out of his mouth with Avni looking at him like that.
With Avni still looking at him like that.
Neil doesn't feel awkward meeting Avni' eyes for such a long time until he thinks about how natural it feels, which makes him feel awkward, and Ali clears his throat as if staring at Avni is something that takes all of Neil's attention.
"Neil."
Neil turns to Ali. "What?"
"I asked if you wanted apple or blueberry," Ali says tiredly.
Oh. So apparently staring at Avni did take all of Neil's attention.
"Uh, apple."
Ali slices the pie and puts some in front of Neil, then Avni. He pulls a banana out of the bag for himself, ignoring Neil's raised eyebrows.
The rest of the day goes by normally, except Neil has the nagging image of beautiful eyes at the back of his mind that he wills himself to ignore.
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan
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Jodha Akbar
