The story obviously doesn't match the on-going one anymore as in my story Neil already knows about the reason behind Avni leaving, but I hope you still like the ending.. It is about Neil and Avni only in this chapter and how I had imagined the story unfolding... I am really happy at the trust Neil had on Avni's loyalty in today's episode because I never thought that Neil would ever question her character, so am happy his character remained true to the sketch..
Challenging Destinies: AvNeil OS
Neil's Room
Neil sits in his room, looking at the pictures of his past. The picture of Avni's perfect family stops him in tracks and he keeps staring at Neela Ma for a long time, and the smile on Avni's face, that was that bright only on that night.. "Neela Ma, I couldn't fulfil my promises to you.. I couldn't keep Avni happy... But Neela Ma, she left me, made me think she was dead.. I lived in guilt and pain for 10 years while she found a purpose in our son! What do I do Neela Ma? I know I am not Avni's Neil, but I don't think I can be him also anymore... She lied to me about my son, lied to him about me.. She lied to me about her death.. So many lies Neela Ma, even before our marriage, the only reason I hated Avni was because of her habit of always lying to me! What do I do!!" .. Neil breaks down crying on his bed and sleeps off clutching the picture, tossing and turning with every bittersweet memory playing in his head..
Sukoon Ghar
It is morning 11AM now. Both Avni and Mowgli have gotten up very late due to their night adventures and which is why they are the only ones home. Avni makes breakfast for Mowgli, forgetting even leaving the home last night. She has a disprin for her headache, thinking it was a stress headache, and comes and sits with Mowgli in bed, feeding him.. "Mumma, I want to know about my dad. Please Mumma.. You don't want me to go to him or meet him, I am okay with that, but I really wanna know more about him.. How was he? Was he handsome? Did he love you, like I love you? And was he.." Mowgli starts off his rapid fire, only to have Avni interrupt him, "Mowgli! How many questions do you ask?", "Mowgli's questions about his dad keep increasing, but remaining silent is only increasing his curiosity.. What if he one days asks someone besides me, like Sunehri, and what if she tells him about Neil? No, I have to be the one who tells my son, he deserves to know the kind of man my Neil was, after all, I want him to be like him one day.. Mowgli doesn't need to know the name to love his father.."
Avni breaks out of her thought line with Mowgli's voice continuously asking questions, "Ok Ok! I will tell you about your dad, but on two conditions.. You won't ask me his name or where he is, and you would eat your breakfast. Ok?". Mowgli is more than eager to agree as he wants to know more about his father. He sits on the bed cross legged and starts eating the poha happily, staring at Avni expectedly.. Unknown to Avni and Mowgli, Neil had come over to seek answers from Avni, he couldn't continue being in dark and also, he had to ask Avni about the video and see if there was a way to prove the video wrong.. He wasn't gonna leave his dad's safety over chance...
Neil walked outside the room when Avni was putting conditions in front of Mowgli.. He seethed in anger seeing Avni hiding his identity from his son, but stood where he was, wanting to admire his son at his cute antics, and also, he wanted to hear what Avni had to say.. He figured it might help him find some answers..
Avni smiles at her son lovingly and brushes back his hair, "I met your dad at a beach.. He thought I was in danger, and like the superhero he was, he jumped to save me, which ended up actually pushing me over the cliff and into the water, him with me." Avni smiled at the memory while Mowgli laughed at the scene in his head, "Dad was trying to save you or drown you? He was so funny!". Avni smiled knowingly to her son, "Yes, he was funny, and yes, he was trying to save me, it was just that I hadn't needed saving.. We ended up fighting over this only, whether he was saving me or trying to kill me, and from there started our fights.. I didn't trust your father then, but then he helped me save my mother from danger, and I slowly started believing in him.. We weren't even friends, but if anyone insulted me or upset me, he would stand tall like my protector.." .. "Dad was so cool na Mumma? I like him already, after all he didn't let my Mumma cry! I love Dad! Was he handsome Mumma?"
Neil listened to the story with baited breaths, seeing the memories playing in front of his eyes.. He heard Mowgli's line of loving his Dad and tears of joy started flowing down his eyes.. He was happy that Avni was telling his son all nice things about him, but he wanted to hear the end.. Unknowing to his brain, his heart wanted to hear Avni's side of their love story...
Avni cupped her son's cheek, "He has such a handsome son, so he must have also been very handsome no! And true, he never let me cry, he was the reason behind all my smiles" She kisses him on his cheeks and sits back again.. "Circumstances led us to getting married, but you know, I lied to him about who I was when we got married.." Mowgli interrupts and asks sadly, "Like you lied to me?" .. Avni smiles sadly, "Yes baby, I didn't have an option then, and I didn't have one now also.. I had to seek justice for someone I loved, so I didn't realise that lies have a very small age.. Your dad was very angry at me, but he still supported me, stood by my side and fought my battles with me, as my partner.. You know, he also had a funny nickname at home, like you do.." Avni tickled Mowgli a little as she said so...
Neil lets out a small laugh, careful to not make any sound and just enjoy the story.. He was as enthralled by the retelling as Mowgli was.. He sat down outside the door with his back against the wall, focusing only on Avni's voice...
Avni takes in a deep breath and wipes the tears flowing out of her eyes, "We won the fight, not because I was that strong, but because he became my strength, and his superhero powers made everything right.. He then got badly injured, and Mumma got very scared of losing him.. She broke all odds and together, your Dad and Mumma fought his injury, making him all good again... Between our fights, our jealousy, our care, we fell in love with each other, but before we could confess, your Dad had to solve another mystery, save many lives... So Mumma decided to join you Dad, whether he wanted my help or not!" The tone of authority in Avni's voice warmed both Neil's heart and Mowgli's heart.. He saw the fearless Avni, who fought the world when he was in hospital, standing in front of him, his Avni..
Avni gets up and walks a few steps away, "Your Dad and I managed to save everyone's life, but we made enemies.. Enemies we didn't care about, we would have saved those people either ways... But those enemies, they were relentless.. Your Dad and I fought against them, together we were always stronger, but then one day, everything changed.. A storm came, and Mumma had to choose, to allow your Dad to be alive, even if away from Mumma, or put him in danger, possibly killing him.. But Mumma loved your Dad even more than she loved herself, so she walked away from his life.. I was happy that he was breathing and living somewhere, but would have died if anything happened to him because of me.." .. All three people in the story have tears of pain running down their faces... Mowgli gets up to wipe his Mumma's tears, "That's why you are not telling me who he is? Because if anyone found out, they will kill him?".. "Yes baby" replies Avni, wiping her son's tears away too..
"Mumma, can I ask you one more question? Last one, I promise!" came the curious son's question to his mother... Avni could never say no to Mowgli and told him to ask away.. "Mumma, do you miss Dad? Do you still love Dad? After all these years?" .. Avni freezes at the question and Neil waits outside the room, shocked at the question, his heart racing at the answer that would change his life once again... Neil's brain warned him to leave or at least announce his presence, but his heart had waited too long for these answers, and they jammed his feet in spot..
Avni smiled at her son, with fresh tears lying in her eyes, "You miss those you forget, your Dad lives in me with each breath I take.. It won't matter if you had asked me this 10 years ago, today or 10 years from now, I would always love your Dad with the last dying breath in me, no matter if he changes or starts hating me..." She cupped his face, "And you are my gift from him, my last memory of him and who I was only with him... I love you so much!" Mowgli cutely wiped his mother's tears again, pouted, just like his father, and asked "More than Dad na?".. Avni started laughing at her son's antics and pulled his ear, "Just like your Dad you are! Jealous person!" ... The mother-son duo started tickling around and having fun inside the room, unaware of the man standing outside the door, breaking and rebuilding himself every second..
Neil's world started revolving the minute he heard Avni proclaim her love to him... He couldn't stand still with his heart pounding so hard and his head woozy, "Avni loves me! She loves me! After all these years, after all the fights, after all my rudeness, she still loves me! What have you done Avni! What have I done!".. Neil ran his hands through his hair, gripping at the ends in frustration.. He decides to leave to clear his head, but destiny again had different plans for him... Just as he was about to turn and leave, look away from his only true love and his son, DD came behind him, calling out in a normal voice, "Sirji! You here? That too in the morning? All OK?"... Neil turns around annoyed while Avni turns around shocked, trying to figure out if Neil heard everything or not.. Neil mumbles an excuse and is about to leave when, "Superman!" came the enthusiastic scream of his son who came running and launched himself in his arms..
Neil looked at Avni while Mowgli chatted away about wanting to go to the beach with his superman.. The bloodshot eyes, the remnant of tears and the pain in his eyes gave Avni the answer she needed... He heard everything! And with that settled in her fear of Neil taking Mowgli away from her in his hatred.. She unknowingly starts shaking and crying, something which is noticed by both Mowgli and Neil... Mowgli climbs down from Neil's arms hurriedly and rushes to his mother, wiping her tears and asking her to not cry as Mowgli would never leave her... Neil speaks for the first time that day, not sure if taunting was the way to go but "Mowgli would never be apart from his mother. I promised him that, and I can't or rather don't break my promises!" .. His eyes conveying, almost begging Avni to trust him in that at the very least..
Mowgli thanks and hugs his superman, before DD, reading the unsaid emotions in the room, takes Mowgli with him to greet Sunheri who just returned from grocery shopping...
Neil walks towards Avni, closing the door behind him... As Avni gets scared of Neil's anger and hate, she starts walking backwards till her back hits the wardrobe door.. Neil puts his hands on both sides of Avni's face, caging her in her position, "When will you stop running away Avni? When will you start telling me the truth? Trusting me? Was I that bad a husband that you couldn't ever trust me also?", came the anguished words of the man who spent 10 years of sleepless nights staring at his wife's pictures... Avni keeps shaking her head no with fear filled eyes.. "I heard everything, I know everything, I know why you left 10 years ago" .. This declaration moved the ground from under Avni's feet and she whispered, "How?".. "You got drunk last night, and when I came to find you at Ayesha Ma's grave, you told me everything yourself, thinking I was a hallucination.."
Avni stares at Neil, horrified, but before she can say anything or react, her body gives up, the entire emotional trauma catches up to her and she falls on her knees, sobbing and crying horribly, repeatedly saying sorry... Neil, whether it was any Neil, could never see Avni crying, so he also drops to the floor, hugging Avni and letting her cry in the sanctuary of his arms, "We have a lot to talk about, a lot to sort, a lot to do.. I still don't know if I forgive you or not, if I can forgive you or not.. But, let it all out Avni.. Cry the tears you have been holding inside you for 10 years, and then, then we'll start putting the pieces together... Pieces that save Dad, pieces that save me and pieces that can maybe save US also.." ...
He continues soothing Avni, crying with her.. The tears he hid for 10 years also joining the ones Avni was shedding, the pain, the guilt, the anger, the hatred and the most important, the love, all being expressed by the people who just didn't have words anymore...
*-- THE END --*
This is the end of the story for me.. I know some of you might have been hoping for a reconciliation, but I don't want that to happen till Neil and Avni repair the damage of 10 years... Till they find the sukoon they both desperately search for, before letting go of all the anger and hatred and then finding each other with only love between them...
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
