Addiction (series 2) - Avneil

Coming back to life..

Avni woke up early next morning with the sun rays dancing on her eyelids. She looked around and saw Neil was not in the room, she assumed he went for his morning jog. That is something he never seemed to miss! No matter in how good shape he was, which was very good! Avni recalled the way Neil had jumped from the first floor balcony and landed like a cat pawed commando in the building where Raghu Pandit had kept her and other girls captive.

She remembered how gallant he looked while rushing back to the building to eliminate all criminals. She also recalled how zoned out and tired he had looked while covered in thick blood that did not belong to him, during his first raid against Raghu Pandit's operatives. And she realised that everything had a cost. Neil had sworn to defend common man against evil magnates like Pandit, but he also had had to sacrifice some part of his normal life for that. 

Neil's life was not his own, it was devoted to the service of the helpless like those girls who were being pushed into flesh trade. And Neil did not mind in putting their lives before his. Avni now recounted many heroic times when she had seen Neil perform above and beyond his duty! 

Avni did not have any higher calling in life. Apart from taking revenge from Dayawanti. But it was something that kept her alive. She had introspected and acknowledged that if she had not needed to take revenge from her grandmother for murdering her mom and for trying to murder her and for kidnapping her brother, she would have not been alive. For she had died from the inside after her mom died.

Avni came out of her thoughts and realised she is hungry, which was of course a good sign! And then she had an idea, that she should make breakfast for herself and for Neil! She whacked her brains for recipe ideas and then decided to make poha. She decided to go downstairs to get fresh ingredients. She did not have her phone on her, but she thought she will be back much before Neil comes back! She left a note for him in any case by the side of the water bottle, which he was sure to use once he came in.

As Avni entered one lift, Neil came out of the other! He checked the time and wanted to wake up Avni to take her medicines timely. He was always in a better mood after his morning run but he entered the room to find his smile vanishing.

The small room was empty. It seemed Avni was out of the bed. He checked the washroom, which was open with no one inside. Neil rushed his hand through his hair. He could not think of one place or reason that avni might have had in leaving the place. Neil had not had a chance to talk to Avni, even once after their break down last night, post his mom's visit. So he had no clue how Avni felt and what she was thinking. Neil decided to go out and look for her, ask the watchman, try to understand where she might have gone. 

As he pressed the button for the lift and waited, he thought of messaging DD but then kept the phone back to decide to check himself first for Avni. Raghu Pandit was eliminated and there was no immediate threat to Avni. Except ofcourse his mom killing her with her nagging, Neil's head hung in shame and despair as he ruminated on his mom's bad behavior towards his wife. He resolved to solve it soon!

And then the lift opened and Neil in his hurry and thoughts almost banged into Avni!