Better Late than Never l FF l A/N pg 3

-Tabs

So After much deliberation, the general idea is that the story takes place in 3 time periods: 2006, 2011, and 2017; Avni's Childhood, her teens and her adult life. In each part/update; you'll get a bit more information about who she is and how she is who she is. So without further ado,

April 11^th 2006

Neil: AVNI! AVNI! KAHA HO TUM?!

From where she was crouched, Avni could hear Neil screaming her name but didn't reply. She just wanted to be left alone; raising her hands to cover her ears, she attempted to block out Neil's voice. Alas, God had blessed Neil with vocals as high pitched as a banshee.

Avni: "ARUGHH! Yeh ullu ka banda mujhe akela kyu nahi chor de tha She whipped around mid rant when she heard him behind her.

"--Ullu ka banda nahi, Ullu ka patta

"Jo kuch bhi hai, let's not complicate things. You're just an Ullu. An owl. Got that ? She placed her tiny hands on her hips, but like she had seen Neela Ma do on countless occasions.

"Seriously? Seriously? Aik toh main tumhe...Tumhe! Avni Ayesha Mehta save karna aata hoon, and you have the audacity to yell at me? " He narrows his eyes at her and she flits hers away, knowing she shouldn't have behaved like this.

"Neil! Avni Mili? They heard Neela Ma ask from below. "Ji-" "-Nahi They said in unison. Avni scowled at Neil and started her trek back down the hill.

" Ab Chup kyu ho? Kuch toh bolo Avni.

"Firstly. Don't use words that I don't understand the meaning of

"like?

"Aud...Aud...Acidity wala word

" ACIDITY!! HAHAHA Neil stopped walking and held his stomach while continuing to howl. When he finally stopped laughing and wiped the tears away from his eyes. He noticed Avni wasn't there. He glanced around in the bushes before rounding the end of the trail and seeing Avni is Neela's Arms.

Avni looked at Neil walking down the pathway and pointed at him with her index finger, accusingly.

"Neela Ma! SEE SEE! I told you he was laughing at me. Its not my fault he uses big words I don't understand. And then he yells at me too.

"HAW! Neela Masi! She's lying. Besides, who cares how strong my vocabulary is when I have to save her from getting lost every time.

"LOST! My jooti!

Neela covered her mouth with her pallu to muffle her smirk. These two were like a old married couple, except that they both only came up to her waist in height. She was pulled from her thoughts as she felt a tug on her sari.

"Neela ma, tell him na! It is my house and my backyard. I will not get lost. So he can stop following me.

"Bacha. I know. Its not Neil's fault, I had sent him up to get you because you couldn't hear my voice or Ayesha's...Okay Neil, your job is done, you can go.

She tapped his shoulder with love as he sprinted away to rejoin whatever game he had been playing before. No matter what he was doing, he always came running when the matter was about Avni. She turned her attention to Avni again.

" Okay. Tell me. What happened? Why were you in the woods

"I...i...I didn't want to be home and you weren't home either so I just wanted to be alone for some time

"Alone? Why bacha? Wasn't Ashish home?

" Papa was. But I don't want to be with him

Neela now understood the whole matter. She knelt down so that Avni and she was the same height and began to explain to her that no matter how angry or upset Avni gets she can't go to the woods alone because it is dangerous.

"Now listen Avni. I know you are very intelligent. You need to understand that your papa has left a lot for you. He loves you no matter how angry or upset he may seem with you. Okay?

"Magar Neela Ma! All I asked him was to help me with my project. I needed to draw a family tree. And no one was helping me. Avni cast her eyes downwards.

Neela internally sighed. She needed to have a conversation with Ayesha and Ashish. It can't keep continuing on like this.

April 11^th 2011

She woke up to the temple bells ringing. Glancing to her bedside she grabbed her glasses before turning to the other side and bowing down to the the statue in front of her. When she got up from her prostrating stance, she glanced at the calendar. April 11^th. 2011...5 years.

There was a knock at the door. It was her favorite. No. Her only grandchild. Juhi came and touched Dayawanti's feet.

" Dadi Ma, aap uth gayi? Chalo that's good. Now please hurry and get ready. Aaj Pooja hai na.

"Yes. Beta. I am coming

As she saw Juhi leave the room, her eyes went back to the calendar. 5 years. 5 years since those two ..the wicked awara aurat and her beti... stole her son from her. It was high time she claimed him back.

"DUGGA DUGGA" she raised her hands.

April 11^th 2017

Avni Ayesha Mehta woke up when her phone rang in the middle of the night.

She rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the dark. Enough to make out the time. 3:27 AM

This time!? Her heart leapt into her throat as she picked up her phone and slid her thumb over the answer button. Aman!

" DI! DI! ARE YOU THERE?! HELLO DI? AVNI DI

"AMAN! Let her take a chance to reply. You probably scared her in the middle of the night. Sorry Avni. He doesn't have patience to wait and I don't have Patience to deal with him." She heard Neela Ma's voice and teasing flitting laughter.

Avni took a deep breath. They were okay.

"Aman. You totally freaked me out. Bol! Kya hua.

-----------

I write a lot of dialogue. So let me know if the color coding helped. or its not needed 😆

Neela

Avni

Juhi

Neil

DW

Anmol

PART 2: Continued Below. See post #3

But nice to read the bond of Avneil :)

Neela is Neil's maasi

Neela and Ayesha are together .

Ashish and Ayesha are together

Everything is a shock .

Wasn't planning on posting this, but hope it will clarify a few things till the next chapter 😉

Continued from PART 1

April 11^th 2006

Neela walked into the Mehta living room, angry but composed. Ashish was sitting with a glass of wine in his hand. She looked at the clock far behind him. 4 PM. Walking up to him, she pulled the glass out of his hand and downed it in one go.

"I need another glass, you want one?

"NEELA! What nonsense is this?

She chuckled but sarcastically. "What a surprise, I was going to ask you the same question. 4 PM? Seriously? What happened to the Ashish Mehta I knew? The one that swore to me, that he would protect my best friend

"Neela. I'm trying okay. I am. He shook his head dejectedly. And looked Neela in the eyes...I don't know what to do...I am broken. I should have just stayed away.

Fire in her eyes, Neela clapped loudly. " WOW! Should have stayed away. Who do you think you are? Huh? These people. They are my family. And If anyone hurts my family

"They are my family too. In fact, they are the only family I have left...wasn't I your family too?

Neela sat down on the couch and turned to face Ashish. " Ashish you were. But you left it all. Remember? All those years ago...I'm not saying that it is better for Avni and Ayesha without you, but they are angry. You must remember this. Time heals all wounds but you must not only give it time but also treatment.

Ashish sighed and looked at the bar table behind them. " You mean Avni don't you? That's why you were so upset.

"I love her like my own child. You know, I had to have Neil hunt her down from the woods? The woods?! What 12 year old goes to the woods to spend her time there? Neela asked bewilderedly

"it's not the woods. Its like a backyard. Just a big one Ashish mumbled under his breath.

"Like father, like daughter She smiled. "All she wanted was to do a project with you. Kids are precious. They have to be handled with care...I've sent her to her room for now. Talk to her. Before. Ayesha comes home. She said pointedly and began to gather her items to go.

-----

Ashish Walked toward Avni's room. Peeking inside, he saw her coloring on some kind of drawing board. Making an attempt-probablyat whatever the project was.

"Hey superstar! What are you doing

Avni looked at him, mouth hardened and gripping her crayon even harder, didn't acknowledge his query. But he knew his daughter, pretty soon, tears started leaking out of the corners of her eyes. All pretext abandoned, she ran up and jumped into his waiting arms. Sobbing loudly.

"Sorry beta! I really am He ran his hand down her hair and back in an attempt to console her. Once avni finally calmed down. He got her a glass of water and sat down besides her.

"Papa, Do you hate me?

Shocked, Ashish could only gap at Avni. Neela had been right. He had to explain it to her properly.

"NO! NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! He exclaimed as he hugged her tightly. " You are my superstar. I love you. Always have and always will.

"But you left us. Why did you leave us. Did you not love me and ammi anymore?

"I was lost beta. I got distracted but never did my love for you or your mother decrease. Mera pyaar kabhi kabhi bhi kaam nahi hua.

Reaching with her pudgy little hands, Ashish felt Avni wiping his tears. He grabbed them and kissed them both.

"Bacha. I am going to tell you a story okay? It's the story of your papa and your Ammi. Ready to listen?

Such an interesting read!

So many tangled relations...How are Ashish, Neela, and Ayesha related? Why does Avni not like being alone with Ashish? Ayesha is alive?

Juhi is RPz granddaughter😆. Is Ashish RPz son & Avni her granddaughter too??? Is RP an amalgamation of DVM & RP??

And lastly, why did Aman call Avni so late at night?

Phew, so many questions!! & I want the answers now! (throwing tantrum😆😆)

Neil & Avni are childhood bickering friends👍🏼

Update soon...pretty please!😃

Mostly, the characters are the same but the relationships dynamics are not. Hopefully the second part cleared up a little bit of the family confusion.

Thank you for reading

April 11^th 2006 Part 3:

Ayesha Haider always considered herself to be a strong woman. But like every other human, she also had a weakness; her want, her desire for a family. A proper family. After losing her parents at an early age, she grew up in Bhopal with her mother's khala and when she came to Mumbai. She met Ashish.

They say love makes even the mightiest fall and Ayesha was only human. So she fell. For the boy whose mother would never accept her, for the man who technically never married her, for the father of her daughter. But when he left to go back to his mother, leaving Avni and her all alone, Ayesha wiped her maang of the false sindoor and took off her mangalsutar. She looked at her daughter and vowed to live for her and her alone.

But Ayesha Haider wasn't heartless, so Ashish came back years later, begging and growling for forgiveness; she had reluctantly given in. Not for herselfneveronly for Avni. She consoled her wounded heart. Yet, somehow, someway, Ashish Mehta had never really left her heart. The more time he spent around them, the more deeply she longed for him. The way he had made her feel, The way he took care of her and how much they had been in love. Once upon a time.

------

"Once Upon a time, there was a princess, from Bhopal and a city boy... Ashish sat Avni down on his knee and began to narrate his story. He stopped when he felt a presence behind him. Ayesha.

He turned around to see her lithe figure leaning against the door frame. Her open hair bellowed behind her and her face had a forlorn expression. As if, she was reminiscing or recollecting from the past.

She blinked. And for the first time in the several months, since he had come home, she smiled at him.

Ayesha pulled away from the door frame and walked toward them. Folding her legs underneath and sitting down across from him, she reached out toward Avni, who got up to hug her mother.

"How was my Pari's day today? I heard you took a trip to the woods...Maine aapko mana kia tha na

She mock pouted. "Its all your papa's fault. He just had to move us

"Pagal ho kya? I couldn't let you continue living in the chawl, not after Ashish stopped mind burst to see her eyes glistening with laughter.

"Arre baba. I was just joking. I love how quiet how cottage is, no shor sharba no galliyoon ka shor either

April 11^th 2017

"Di! I PASSED! Came the ear splitting loud reply.

"CONGRATS AMAN! I knew you could do itAman! What shor is that in the background? Avni could hear the sound of dhol ( drum) in the background

"Hold on Di, I will move to the back room...Yes Di better now?.

"Yes. Magar woh shor kia tha?

"Dhol tha di

"Dhol?

"Yes, to tease me and meri tang (leg) ko keech na ka liye, Neil, Karan and Ali had brought a dhol. We are going out to celebrate but I wanted to tell you before.

Neil. Her breath hitched. The reason she was here, so far away from her family. From her brother. No. Stop it Avni she told herself. You cannot think of him. He is off limitsnever forget.

"Di? You listening na? I wanted to tell you first. You have always supported me. And even when I failed last year, you didn't yell at me. Sirf Aap ho Di. Sirf aap.

Avni felt her throat closing and warm tears rushing into her eyes. She silently nodded her head.

"Aman. Agar mama papa bhi hotay to kitna acha hota na

----

Are those gasp I heard 😆

* note; Eventually we get to AvNeil but the story faces all the characters

Neil calls neela masi? Ayesha is here.. neela too..

Later, avni stays away from neil?