The next evening began on a rather tricky note for Avni.
First, she was literally caught off guard when Vishal had sent her a bouquet of violet orchids, which were her favorite, and if that wasn't enough, he had also sent her a red-colored bodycon dress, all at the hands of his chauffeur.
She didn't know what all of this could even possibly mean.
She was treating this as something trivial, but she was taken aback when she realized this guy who she considered to be one of the acquaintances from her college life, practically remembered her favorite flowers and flower color as well!
She tried to look as less alarmed as possible, but it wasn't really her day, as sharp at 7 p.m. Vishal was at her doorstep, and like a gentleman took her to his car, before they finally made it to Aqua Blue Resto-Bar.
For someone like Avni, even the remotest idea of a date was, well, remote.
And here, this guy didn't leave a single chance to shower her with compliments.
Yes, it was after ages that she had actually dolled herself up, donning a beautiful figure-hugging knee-length dress that exposed her long milky white legs, and its neckline left a little yet lot for imagination. She flaunted minimal make-up, but the natural glow her skin always had, made her undoubtedly the center of attraction that day as she had stepped inside the party, with Vishal.
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But in reality, it wasn't even the impact of all of this combined that was giving her a tug in her chest somehow.
It was the sight of a certain Neil Khanna, who had practically been an object of concern for her for days now, standing visibly close to his ''date'' for tonight: Arya Grewal.
She didn't know why, and she didn't know how: But Neil was the guest of honor of this event, and quite evidently as she found it, the women were totally going gaga over how could a police officer look this hot!
Decked in a black tuxedo, he was busy sipping his drink, while Arya was ogling him like she would eat him any minute now.
''And how the hell does it matter to you, eh? Let her gulp him or kiss him, who cares!''
That's how Avni chided and calmed herself somehow.
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Little did she know that though her object of concern slash distraction was standing with his date, it was she who had occupied his mind like a magnet drawn towards another.
Being shocked would be an understatement the moment Neil saw Avni enter the venue with that 'loser' Vishal, as he would refer to him today.
Yes, apparently, this was one of the hidden talents that Neil Khanna unveiled, albeit unknowingly. For persons he hated, he had an abundance of adjectives or nicknames as you call it!
For a moment he couldn't even react or think, going instantly on a brain freeze as he saw his wife wearing a knee-length red dress, that exposed not just her legs but a little of her cleavage too.
And while that hit him in the gut somehow, the next second, he was furious, simply over the fact that it was the loser Vishal standing close to her.
''Avni! I thought only your memory is gone, but looks like you have lost your sanity too! What the hell are you wearing, that too with that effing Vishal right beside you!?''
He muttered to himself, all the while ignoring the advances that Arya was trying to make towards him.
The girl was a very junior-level personnel in his station, who looked like she had the biggest crush on him, which he realized only sometime back, but unfortunately, she was the only one available for being his fake ''date'' today, so he had to make do with it!
''You know sir! You look really nice in this attire!''
She said to him, fluttering her lashes, while all Neil could do was roll his eyes.
''Ek toh ye Avni, and upar se ye panauti!''
He cursed under his breath, and thankfully, right then the announcement inviting everyone on the dance floor was made.
He was totally not looking forward to dancing, but one look at Avni, who was being taken to the dance floor by Vishal, and his less than a second old vow was broken as he asked Arya to accompany him to the dance floor.
Arya was gleaming with happiness at the thought of dancing with this handsome and suave ACP, completely oblivious to the fact that the ''mission'' her sir had told her about as a context of bringing her here, was nothing but making his stubborn wife ''jealous.''
But well, it seemed like whatever he was proposing, was only getting disposed by the almighty, as every second that passed by, it was him ending up being the incessantly jealous one.
He flinched at the sight of Vishal's hand on Avni's waist, while the latter had her hand on his shoulder, and all he felt like doing was, taking his gun out and emptying all the bullets into Vishal's head.
But the sanity in him, err, whatever was left of it, refrained him from doing so, and he controlled himself, albeit with a lot of difficulties.
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For Avni, it seemed like she was suddenly ushered to this unknown arena of inexplicable feelings bubbling from the very pit of her stomach, and then disappearing sporadically.
She didn't fathom what the hell was going on with her.
On one hand, she was not really liking this dancing session with Vishal, mainly due to the very fact that she had always been a terrible dancer, and secondarily, it was feeling a little odd to dance with this guy, who was literally behaving like they were Royalty dancing in the Buckingham Palace, after a royal, lavish wedding.
But something that made her feel more uneasy than ever was, the sight of Neil Khanna dancing with his ''date'' who had her hands roaming all over him, like he was her personal property.
Her rationale once again prompted, ''How does that even matter?''
But there was this unknown, unexplored, an unusual part of her, that could feel a tug at her heartstring at the sight in front of her, immediately sending her into a frenzy as her own voice echoed in the back of her mind, her voice that vaguely said, ''Tum sirf mere ho Neil.. Sirf mere!''
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As soon as that rang in her mind, her eyes went wide, rendering her immobilized for a while before she heard Vishal clip his fingers in front of her, breaking her reverie, but deep down, she was as puzzled as ever.
Both of them were soon greeted by some of Vishal's uncle's guests, and all Avni could do was flash a fake smile, greeting them, her insides constantly pushing her to reason with herself, what did this sudden episode even mean?
Little did she know, Neil had witnessed the change in her expressions minutely and knew that she was once again having an episode from her lost memories, and he honestly didn't know if he should feel happy or sad about it.
Yes, he was happy, because even though slowly, she was at least taking baby steps towards regaining her lost memories, but a part of him felt extremely sad, knowing very well how these episodes would often take a toll on her health, and like always, her health was something he could never compromise with.
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Dinner was already served in a buffet, and while everyone was enjoying it and being in complete awe of the new place, Avni's appetite was long lost and all she was doing was fiddling with the small quantity of salad she took in her plate.
When she couldn't hold it within herself anymore, she excused herself from Vishal and the two guests that were around them, and headed towards the rest-room.
It was high time she had a little chat with herself.
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She kept her sling bag on the counter in the rest-room, and looked at her reflection in the big, wide mirror on the wall.
She was looking beautiful, there was no doubt about it, but deep inside, she knew, she hadn't ever faked so many smiles, the way she did today, this whole evening.
The whole purpose behind agreeing to Vishal's invitation was to get herself distracted from whatever mess she was caught up with after she lost her memories, but she didn't know why, whatever she was trying to simplify, was only getting further complicated without any forewarning.
She took a deep breath as she splashed some cold water on her face, and as she stood there, waiting for her face to dry up, she felt her heart beat slowly return to normal, but not before the episode she last saw, rang once again in her mind.
Was it really her voice that she heard in her head?
If yes, then why?
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She knew she would lose it if she spared another second thinking about it, and so, regaining her strength, she fixed her hair, put on some lip gloss, before walking out of the rest-room.
She had hardly taken three strides, when suddenly she came face to face with Vishal, who gave her a wide smile, which she returned albeit with a lot of reluctance.
She really wanted to go home now.
But it was not her call for this moment, as a visibly drunk Vishal told her, in the most honest tone ever, ''You know, Avni? You are the most beautiful girl in the world!''
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For Avni, it wasn't a statement she had heard too often, for her entire life was vested into only revenge and focusing on her missions.
Was she even supposed to feel something when she heard this compliment from Vishal?
She couldn't even contemplate that, as she heard Vishal say further,
''You know, back in Mount Carmel College, I always had a crush on you! Like, a really BIG crush! But you were never interested in anyone.. you were just different.''
Yes, she knew she was different.
If not anything, at least this much about her past still remained intact with her.
But she didn't comprehend where was Vishal actually getting at with this.
She suddenly felt the urge to just leave now more than ever, and she tried her best to say that he should get some rest and she would leave. but Vishal didn't give her a scope for it, as he held her hand, and got closer to her, so much that his face was only inches away from hers, as he whispered,
''I had always wanted to kiss you, Avni! Can I?''
Avni squirmed in his hold and tried her best to withdraw herself from him, but before she could even make an effort, a loud thud echoed in the air and the next thing she knew was, Vishal was lying unconscious on the floor, shaken visibly by the punch that Neil Khanna had landed on his face!
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To say Avni was shocked, would be an understatement.
Her eyes went as wide as saucers seeing Neil stand tall in front of her, his face displaying a strange kind of anger, that she didn't know really was exactly directed at whom.
And the next thing she knew was, he had dragged her a little away from that corridor, grasped her shoulders, and remarked, ''You keep boasting about handling things all by yourself, isn't it? Wow! This was a demo, I guess!''
She knew he was angry and if that wasn't enough, the mocking essence in his tone only furthered her agitation, as she fought back,
''I can very well handle things by myself! You were not needed here!''
To that, Neil let out a frustrated sigh, before retorting, ''Oh, I can very well see it, Avni! You were amazingly handling that ass*ole, right?''
She could feel his rage blended in his tone, and so, trying hard to muster some rational words, she replied, ''Stop it, Neil! And anyway, he was drunk! And besides, he asked me before even trying to kiss me! I am sure as he gains consciousness, he would be sorry for he did!''
Avni wasn't even sure of what she was uttering anymore, and for a fraction of second, she was out and out oblivious to what unexpected event was all set to greet her the next moment.
And it did.
As Neil averred in a tone no non-sense, ''But neither am I going to ask your permission for this, nor am I sorry for this!''
Her brows frowned and before she could even register what he meant by that, he pinned her to the wall as he slammed his lips on her, catching her completely off guard, as an intent chill ran down her spine, making her heart stop for a moment, as fresh adrenaline gushed through her veins, not just at the shock of what was happening to her, but at the unbridled pleasure she was suddenly overwhelmed with, as she could feel his entire body blanket her, while his lips explored hers.
He held her from the waist while her hands gradually rested on his arms for support, and she didn't even realize, when and how she had parted her lips, giving him access to explore more of the nectar that the insides of her mouth were, and he wasted not one second before plunging his tongue deep inside, kissing her like a man long-starved, refusing to let go of her even for a tiny second.
A million things ran through her mind right then, the answers to which she barely knew, but all she could understand was, she was enveloped in a feeling that could never be explained in words, and that scared her to infinity and beyond.
Her conscience flashed just one question at her, which was simple yet so complicated.
It was a paradox.
''Moments ago, you refused to be kissed by Vishal, because you felt it was wrong. Then what is so right about this intimacy with Neil?''
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She could feel her heart thud loudly against her ribs, realizing there was just so much about her unknown to herself, but this man, making love to her lips, was unlayering her, second by second, minute by minute, and it wasn't too late before she unconsciously ruffled his hair with her fingers, pulling him closer to her.
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This was it.
Neil knew it that they universe indeed works in mysterious ways, and right at that moment he knew, that no matter how far they drifted, or where they were, she was his one and only true soulmate, for whom who could go to any lengths, defy all perimeters, for he loved her wholeheartedly, and harbored a passion for her that for the first time had unleashed his own animal instincts.
She tasted divine, just like he had always imagined her to be, and he knew, if he didn't stop now, he would take her then and there, regardless of the place they were in.
If it were in his hands, today he would not have let her drift even an inch away from himself, but reality had to sink in, and so, running short of breath, they both parted from each other, but their breaths were still labored.
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He could see how Avni's cheeks were all crimson, her lips swollen as a proof of being thoroughly kissed, and the gratification he got at that sight was inexplicable.
This was his Avni.
Only his.
Only he had the right to be close to her.
To kiss her.
To make love to her.
He wanted to pull her close again, when suddenly they heard the sound of some footsteps with some people chatting among themselves.
Avni looked alarmed, and he too felt a little alert as he saw her hair was a little disheveled and her dress needed to be fixed.
No, there was no way he was going to let anyone else see her in this condition.
That right was solely his.
And so, without a second thought, he removed his coat and covered her with it.
For a change, she didn't argue, as she pulled the two sides of the garment close, and buttoned it.
They started walking from the spot, with Avni leading the way and him following her, both saying nothing, but their insides speaking volumes, when suddenly Neil bumped into an elderly man, who flashed him a surprised but joyful grin.
''Oh! It's so good to see you ACP Neil Khanna!''
The man greeted him, while Neil only reciprocated with a surprised but small smile.
His attention was solely on Avni who was now standing a little away from them, and he couldn't wait to get rid of this small talk with one of the retired Goa police personnel, with whom he had once worked previously.
''It's good to see you too, sir! How are you?''
He asked the man politely.
''Oh, I am good! You tell me? How are you? And where is your wife? I heard you visited Goa with her on a mission a few months back? Should have visited me! We would have had a good time!''
As soon as those words escaped his mouth, Neil was rendered speechless as he looked at a wide-eyed Avni, who looked anything but all right, as she presumed him to be a married man, which technically he was, but she didn't know, to whom.
Before he could even come up with a legit answer for this retired senior officer, he watched Avni give him her sternest look before she lashed out of the spot, leaving him desperately helpless yet again.
**
Health and Fitness
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
