Addiction (series 2) - Avneil

Old eyes.

Fatima bano was grieving every Sunday on her daughter's grave. All these years no body had disturbed her. It was the one place, her heart cried itself out to the elements, to her Allah.. That why were the pieces of her heart snatched away from her. Why was her sweet grand daughter taken away from her at such a young age?

Neil - "Aunty ji. Aap thik to ho na?"( Are u OK Aunty?)

Fatima had taken off her glasses while grieving. Now she put them back on as she took in Neil's appearance. He look like a well educated and well to do young man. Why was he here? And why was he interested in her pain?

Fatima - "Haan beta..bas apni zindagi ko kos rahi hoon. Allah ne sab kuch diya, par moi aulaad ko hi cheen liya.."(Yes son. Just cursing My life. Allah has given me everything but taken my child from me)

Neil - "Aunty ji. YE sab bhagwan ki marzi hai.."(All this is God's will)

Fatima looked at him with her experienced eyes. She was in pain and he seemed like an honest person. Behind him a simple - looking girl was standing at a distance with her eyes downcast , maybe his wife as she was wearing bridal symbols.

Fatima - "Beta.. tum iss buddhhi aurat ke gham mein kyun shareeq hona chahte ho? Aur aisi jagah pe kya kar rahe ho? Tumhari poori zindagi bachhi hai..Meri beti.. meri beti Ayesha tumhari hi umra ki thi jab uska intkaal ho gaya.."(Son. Why do you want to participate in this old woman's grief? Your entire life is left. My daughter. My daughter ayesha was of your age when she died)

NEil - "Aunty.."

Fatima - "Mujhe sab nanno kehte hain beta.."(All call me nanno, son)

Neil - "To phir Nanno.. ye sab ishwar ki marzi hai. Aap itne upset mat raho. I know it is easy for me to speak, par.. I want aap khush ho jao."( Then nanno. This is God's will. Dont stay so upset....I want u to be happy)

Nanno - "Ishwar ki marzi? Galat mat samajhna beta, par mujhe allah ne mehroom nahi kiya meri aulaadon se. Par ek shaitaan ke bande ne kiya.. ya phir sahi bolun to shaitaan ki bandi ne.. Uska naam shayad suna hoga tumne. Bahut ameer businesswoman hai wo. Dayawanti Mehta. Bahut charities chalati hai apne naam pe, khairaat baantti hai. Par uska asli chehra itna khaufnaak hai, ki main ab bhii apni beti aur naati ki shakalein yaad karke dahal jaati hoon.."( God's will? Don't misunderstand me son but God did not take away my child. The devil did. Dayawanti Mehta. Who runs charities but I know her real face. Even today I shiver remembering my daughters and grand daughters faces)

Neil was slightly surprised. It was suspected by him but now confirmed that Nanno was related to Avni , she was her maternal grandmother. Also that Dayawanti was a murderer and therefore her paternal grandmother.

Nanno's bridge of patience had broken, she had no one to share her emotions with and this graveyard was her one respite where she came weekly to vent out her emotions. She found a shoulder to lean on in this kind young man who was trying to understand an old woman's pain.

She continued - "Itni si thi meri Avni , meri Avni Ayesha. Bahut pyaari bachhi thi. Apni ammi se bahut pyaar bhi karti thi, itna ki usne apna naam khud hi rakha, apni ammii ke naam se jodkar. Aur karti bhi kya wo, uska baap Dayawanti ka beta Ashish Mehta tha. Usne kabhi meri poti ko accept nahi kiya. Wo nazaayaz hi kehlaayi duniya ke saamne. Par moi Avni ka dil bahut bada tha.. Wahi dil jisme, jisme uss daayan Dayawanti ne goli maari. Aur mere jeevan ka aakhiri chiraag bhii bujh gaya. Main kahan nahi gayi, maine kisne saamne apna sar nahi jhukaya.. par Dayawanti ameer thi"( My avni was so small. My avni ayesha. Very cute kid. She loved her mom alot. Kept her name herself, containing her mom's name. What else could she have done. Dayawantis son was ashish Mehta who was her father. She never accepted avni as his child. Entire world called her a Bastard. But Avni had a large heart. The same heart in which that witch dayawanti shot her with a bullet. And took the last light from my life. I did everything I could to try and get them justice but dayawanti was rich..)

Neil - "Nanno.. kanoon apki help kar sakta hai"(law can help u now too)

Nanno - "Beta iss budhiya ko bol rahe ho? Kanoon se mera purana waasta hai. Maine police station ke chakkar lagaate hue kitni chappalein todi hai. Beta kaanoon bik chuka hai, Dayawanti ne khareed liya. Uss case ka in-charge har sachhaai se waaqif tha. Par uska muh paison se bhar diya Dayawanti ne. Ab mujhe bas qayamat ka intezaar hai beta, uss Dayawanti ki zindagi mein. Itna to vishwas hai ki usko apne paapon ki sazaa isi janm mein milegi. Par kanoon se nahi, mere haathon. Main marne se pehle uski jaan bhi le ke jaungi. Mera jeevan to khatam hai beta, par uss paapi ka vinaash karke hi jaungi"(You're telling this to this old woman? My slippers broke circling police stations. Dayawanti  bought the entire system. But I'll do the justice myself. Before dying I'll kill her and then only leave this world)

Neil could not speak much. He decided to introduce himself - " Nanno, main Neil Khanna hoon, ek police officer. Aur mera ye vaada raha aapko , ki aapki beti ke kaatil ko main jail mein pahuncha ke hi dam loonga"(I'm Neil a police officer. And I swear I'll get you justice)

Fatima was surprised. She had not expected Neil to turn out to be a cop. But she kept quiet now. She did not want to start another thread of hope in her life when there was none.

Neil decided something now. It was time that Avni gets some share of the love that she deserved. He went back and held Avni's hand and brought her in the front and said - "Nanno, this is my wife. Iski maa bhi isi kabristaan mein dafn hain. Wo bhi un se milne aati hai. Achcha hua ki main aaj aa gaya iske saath, aapse mulakaat ho gayi"(this is my wife. Her mom is buried in this cemetery. Good I came with her and met u)

Avni was dumbfounded. She was very emotional on seeing Nanno but had avoided meeting her till now. She did not want to surprise Nanno in a harsh way. But she realised there was no reason now to hide her identity. Dayawanti already knew her name, and rest will be known soon to all.

She said - "Nanno.."

And then Nanno kept her hand on her mouth, extremely shocked. She felt she knew this girl. No, it could not be! She extended her hand to touch Avni's face and Avni held her hand by her cheek.

Nanno looked shocked and then she hugged Avni as she cried.

"Ya allah. Shukriya ki mujhe ye din dekhne ke liye bhi zinda rakha. Main Ayesha ki qabr ke paas maatam manaane aayi thi. Par mujhe ye khushi de di tune yahan."(Thanks to allah I am alive to see this day. I came to grieve but got this happiness instead)

And she hugged Avni and both wept for what seemed like a long time. Neil looked at this, not untouched by the scene and happy that his decision was correct to introduce the true identity of Avni to her Nanno. He truly loved Avni, and he wanted her to feel the love from as many people as possible.

As Avni hugged Nanno, she looked back at Neil, and he could see her gratefulness in her eyes.