Ghayab- Avneil SS

Relief

Merry Christmas everyone ! Here is my gift to you!

 Part Eighteen

As she brushed her teeth and washed her face she suddenly felt overwhelmed and wanted to release her stress from the last few months. She was terribly tired. She turned on the shower recalling how Neil and her had gotten drunk last year on Holi. But with the good came the bad. She recalled the kidnapping attempts and the afternoon of the train explosion. So many people had died. Why had she survived? Was it her fault that all those people had died?

She had been in there quite some time. Neil grew concerned and knocked on the door.

"Avni tum theek toh ho?"

He realized the door was unlocked. He opened it finding her getting drenched under the spray. He turned off the shower and pulled her up.

Avni snapped out of it as she felt her husband's arms around her and drying her hair. She slipped on the robe he offered her. He led her outside to their bedroom.

He sat down kneeling in front of her. He caressed her cheek and she looked directly into his eyes.

"Did I hurt you?"

He thought asking her that one question had hurt her. That wasn't the case.

" Nahin Neil. Woh tumara haq tha. I feel sad all those people died possibly because of me," she muttered.

Neil shook his head.

" It wasn't your fault. Vaise you may have forgotten but I was able to retrieve some footage from the train. You saved a lot of lives too that day," he assured her.

He pointed to her scar on her forehead.

She sighed. He could be very much right. After all she had sustained a major head injury.

His Avni was so selfless. She had sacrificed so much for the safety of everyone else in her life. She needed plenty of rest and to clear her stress.

To lighten her mood he decided to get her ready himself today.

"So what will wifey wear today? How about this dress? Remember this one?," he asked with a bright smile.

She smiled.

"That is the dress I wore for my pug phera. We both got late with one thing or the other. Neela Ma was lecturing us. Everyone including Ali, Riya and Aman were so quiet as she was talking to us."

Neil laughed too.

They all behaved like Neela Ma was their strict school teacher.

After they composed themselves she ushered him to freshen up. Avni smiled at her clothes and accessories. She was sure Shweta and Neil had kept her things safely for her while she was away. They all had faith she would return one day.

Neil returned to an empty bedroom. Avni had worn the dress he had picked out for her. A moment later as if on cue she returned with a cup of coffee.

She looked beautiful dressed up in his choice. Her neck adorned her manglasutra , wrist a watch he had once chosen for her, and gold loop earrings.

He walked over to her and took the cup from the tray. He sipped it and placed it aside. He cornered her against a wall. He stroked her hair and moved an errant strand from her face. He placed small kisses over her face and neck.

She pecked him on his lips and indicated towards his coffee. He grinned sheepishly at her.

Avni went to tidy her makeup before heading back towards the kitchen. Bebe was teaching her how to make some of Neil's favorites.