Ghayab- Avneil SS

Banter with me, but you will marry me someday

Part Ten

She tried not to look in his direction. She was angry. Yes she had hidden her real identity but here he was as one of the suitors her grandmother had chosen. She had half hoped that they if they were to ever meet again, it would not be because of her Dadi!

Neil knew she was upset. He realized now why she had hid her true identity on the trip. Avni did not spare him another glance throughout the ceremony. There was light refreshments served after the ceremony.

He asked for two glasses of champagne. He headed over to Avni and handed her a glass.

She looked at him skeptically.

"Dadi dekhri hain lelo," he urged.

Avni rolled her eyes and took the glass.

" Vaise I don't really drink.."

" The poor Scottish guy whose beer glass you broke, would beg to differ," Neil chimed back.

" You mean dirty Marty? The glass was empty," she hissed.

"But you knocked it over after having a glass of roseca ," he retorted.

"Mana tum ne mere liye bauth kiya hai. Please don't follow Dadi's instructions to woo me, so she can increase her company value with your family's," Avni declared.

Neil looked at her with understanding.

"Acchaji. So this is why you are upset. You seemed fine before you knew who I really was," he chimed.

Avni sighed.

" I don't know why I am still talking to you but I wanted to find love naturally and not through some forced arrangement by my Dadi!,"

Avni chugged her champagne and turned to walk away from him.

Neil grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him.

Dayawanti smiled at glee at them. Perhaps Avni would finally agree to an alliance.

"Yeh tum kya kare ho?"

"Dekho meri taraf," he demanded.

She looked up into his eyes unwillingly.

" Banter with me all you want, but one day I will marry you," he declared.

"Why would you want to be with me? I just told you my dadi.."

" I would have wanted to marry you even if you weren't Dayawanti Mehta's granddaughter," he declared.

Aman called out for Avni in the distance.

She turned to go answer him,Neil pulled her back to him.

He lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed her hand.

" I will see you at dinner later today. I will be telling your Dadi meri taarf se haan lekin, Avni ko waqt dena chahta hoon. I want to you want this relationship just as much as I do. I don't care about any business deals. I actually work in a different line of work," he stated.

She pulled her hand back and looked at him curiously for a second. She turned to leave his side. This time he let her go.

Avni had planned to sit next to her brother at the graduation dinner that night, but her dad struck again and she had pushed Aman's friends in between. Neela would host a dinner in Mumbai. Avni's gang of friends including Ali and her cousin Riya would be there. Avni prayed her dadi would not question the closeness between Neil and herself earlier. If Dayawanti Mehta had it her way, she would make Neela's party tomorrow night their roka ceremony.

Dinner went well, with Dayawanti inquiring about Neil's role is his family business. Avni had to admire how Neil skillfully avoided revealing that he didn't exactly work with his father.

But her amusement was short lived as then they were skillfully asked to go for a stroll to get to know each other. Aman was busy with his friends. They were all ready to party the night away. Aman was unsure when he would get to see them again.

Avni decided to not bother her brother and joined Neil outside.

"How is your leg?," he asked.

"Still swollen, we can walk. I am ok," she muttered.

"Avni I want to admit something," he stated.

She turned to face him.

" I didn't know your real name was Avni until we left Capri," he admitted.

"So you didn't join the tour to get to know me?"

" I had no idea who you were before Barcelona," he declared.

She looked at him stunned.

" Will you ever tell me why you were on that tour?"

Neil smiled.

"Agar tum mujhse phir se milo gi apni marzi se, toh shayaad main batao dunga," he teased.

"Theek hai. Lekin tum mujhse koi game maat.."

"Nahin khel lunga, I swear," he said making the sign.

She smiled slightly.

"I can't promise anything right now but here we can at least be friends," she offered him her hand.

Neil smiled and shook her head.

He would never give up on her. He didn't know it then but there would be some trying times ahead in their lives.