Neil held the file closely while walking out of the Police Station towards his car. He settled inside the car and gave a look to the files before driving towards his condo.
The Dark Room, Neil's Condo,
Neil placed the files on floor and made himself comfortable near Avni's photo frame. He was well aware that the files had some information regarding the incidents which happened in his absence. Maybe today was the day when all his questions would be answered. Those questions which were ignored by everyone. Those questions whose answers were denied to him.
His first question was, How did Ayesha Maa died? Why did Avni disappear? What happened to Ayesha Maa's unborn child? What happened that Neela Parikh adopted Avni? Most importantly how can the police confirm so confidently that Avni died when they didn't even find her dead body?
He still remembers that day when he returned from the workshop. How he was all excited to meet Avni after whole 15 days. Who knew that the 15 days would convert into 15 years and still he wouldn't even get a glimpse of her?
He remembered how joyfully he entered his house only to find his family crying and wailing. The sight of Ayesha and Avni's photos with garlands around them still haunts him. He closed his eyes remembering that fateful day.
Flashback:
As the car got parked outside the Khanna Mansion, a 14 years old Neil jumped out of it. He ran inside the mansion hoping that his Avi and Ayesha Maa would be inside waiting to welcome him. The excitement of meeting his Avi after whole 15 days was clearly visible on his face.
Instead of the sight of Avni and Ayesha welcoming him he met with the sight of his family dressed all white crying and mourning. He froze at the spot, all confused about his surrounding. His heart felt an unknown fear. His heartbeat, so loud that he could hear it.
He took slow and small steps and moved forward only to see Avni and Ayesha's photo with garlands. He was shocked would be an understatement. It felt as if the ground slipped under his feet. He was not able to believe his eyes, It was just 15 days ago when everything was fine, then what went wrong. He fell on his knees gaining the attention of his family.
Shweta and Bebe rushed towards him and gathered him in their embrace. Bebe hugged him tightly while he remained motionless, his eyes still glued at the photos of Avni and Ayesha.
Shweta- Tillu. Tillu--
Neil-(interupts)- Mom yeh kya tamasha laga rakha hai? Hataiye yeh sab. Yeh mala hataiye Avi aur Ayesha Maa ki photo se. Mom what spectacle is this? Remove all this. Remove these garlands from Avi and Ayesha Maa's photos.
Shweta- Tillu beta yeh-- Tillu son this--
Neil-(interupts)- Yeh kya mom? Maine kaha hataiye yeh sab. Nahi hataengi na? Toh thik hai main hi hata deta hoon. What this mom? I said remove all this. You won't remove this? Fine then I will do it.
He quickly comes out of Bebe's hold and lunges towards the photo. He pulls the garlands harshly and was about to rip it into pieces when his mother held his hand firmly. He looked at his mother with teary bloodshot eyes.
Shweta- Tillu yahi sach hai. Teri Ayesha Maa aur Avi ab iss duniya mein nahi hai beta. Hamne khud Ayesha ki laash dekhi hai. Tillu this is the truth. Your Ayesha Maa and Avi are no more. We saw Ayesha's dead body.
Neil- Aur Avi? Iska toh koi saboot nahi ki Avni bhi Mar chuki hai. Bhale hi aap logon ne Ayesha Maa ki laash dekhi par Avi ki toh nahi dekhi thi na? Avi zinda hai. Mujhe pata hai meri Avni zinda hai. And Avi? You don't have a proof that even Avni is dead. Although you all have seen Ayesha Maa's dead body but you didn't see Avi's dead body. Avi is alive. My Avni is alive.
Bebe switched on the TV and dragged Neil towards it. She made him face the TV on which the news of Avni being dead was being flashed. It was being told that Avni first killed her mother and after being in the custody of police for 10 days, she died when she was being transported to the court for a hearing.
Neil grits his teeth angrily. He glared at the TV and takes few steps back. He picks up the vase from the nearby table and smashes it on the TV breaking it into pieces. Everyone flinched at his action. Ali rushes to hold Neil back but gets pushed away by him.
Neil- Abhi bhi mujhe Avni ki dead body nahi dikh rahi hai Bebe. Main jaanta hoon woh zinda hai. Aap logon ko viswas karna hai toh kijiye warna mat kijiye. Mujhe farak nahi padta. Lekin aaj ke baad agar maine Avni ki tasveer par yeh haar latakte hue dekha toh mujhse bura, koi nahi hoga. Samje aap sab. I still can't see Avni's dead body,Bebe. I know that she is alive. You people believe it or not. I don't care but after today if ever I saw this garland hanging on Avni's photo then you all will see the worst of me.
With that he crushed the garlands in his hand and threw it on the floor. He then picked up Avni's photo and was walking towards his room when he stopped infront of Ali and gave him a disappointed look.
Neil- kam se kam tujhse mujhe yeh umeed nahi thi Ali. Tune kaise yakeen karliya ki hamari Avi Mar chuki hai? At least I didn't expected this from you Ali. How could you believe that our Avi is dead?
Ali- Neil meri baat sun-- Neil listen to me--
Neil-(interupts)- kuch nahi sunna mujhe. Tu bhi aa gaya yahan pe inke tamasha mein shamil hone safed kapde pehen kar. Bina kuch soche samjha kuch bhi karte ja rahein hein sab log aur tu inka saath de raha hai. Wahh!! I don't want to listen anything. You also came wearing white clothes to take part in this spectacle. They are acting without thinking or understanding anything and you are supporting them. Waow!!
With that he ascended the stairs and disappeared into his room without sparing a glance at any of his family members.
Everyone was dumbstruck seeing Neil's anger. They expected him to get sad, emotional and even cry but this. This was totally unexpected from him. He never behaved this way. This was the first ever time when the family faced Neil's wrath.
Neil entered his room and closed his the door harshly. He sat down while leaning on the door. He was holding Avni's photo tightly near his heart. He was certain that his Avni is alive and he was going to bring her back by hook or by crook. With that determination he closed his eyes remembering Avni.
Flashback ends:
Neil wiped his tears and caressed Avni's photo. He grabbed the file and started digging up the pointers. He had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well.
Screen shifts to Mehta Mansion,
Avni was standing outside the mansion with a smirk adorning her face. She leaned on her car while thinking about the multiple colours that the people living inside the house have shown her.
She was looking ravishing in a white ruffled top and grey culottes. Her hair was left open with curls at the end. Her mind wandered towards the thoughts of her brother. She reminisced the promise she made to her mumma on her death bed. She walked towards the mansion only to be stopped by the watchman.
Avni- Riya Mehta se milna hai. I want to meet Riya Mehta.
The watchman obliged to it and opened the gates for her. She gave him a small smile and set her foot inside the Mehta Mansion. Avni entered the Mansion and the first ever thing that caught her sight was Ashish's huge portrait hanging in the hall.
Already she was anxious about being inside the Mehta Mansion and then seeing her so-called father's portrait was doing no good to her. She looked at that portrait and her mind drifted towards the day she dreads to remember.
Flashback:
It was the day when Avni lost her mother. She couldn't believe what happened just in front of her eyes. She herself saw Dayawanti Mehta suffocating her mother with a pillow. It was just sometime before that her mother took a promise from her. A promise to make her brother Aman into a good human being.
Avni was just outside the morgue where at the present her mother's dead body resided. Her father, Ashish Mehta had rushed into the morgue to look at his beloved lover one last time. His cries were audible to Avni. Avni knelt in front of the morgue as she was not allowed to enter it. She lost her mother just an hour back. At this moment she wanted to hide herself in her father's embrace but what happened next was completely unexpected for her.
Ashish walked out of the morgue with a hard face. His eyes were bloodshot while he was gritting his teeth. He moved towards Avni and held her harshly by her arms. Avni was shocked at his behaviour when she looked behind him to see Dayawanti Mehta walking out of the morgue while wearing an evil smirk on her face.
Ashish- Avni, tu aisa kaise kar sakti hai? Apni maa ka khoon? Avni, how could you do this? How could you kill your own mother?
Avni was rooted on her place now. She couldn't believe that this was her father saying this right on her face. How could her own father believe that she killed her mother? Shouldn't he show trust on his own upbringing?
Avni was all chocked up. Her voice was long lost. She can't argue with her father at this moment. She wanted her mother. She wanted to hide herself behind her. She wanted her mother back. Right now she wants to scream out that it wasn't her but Dayawanti Mehta who killed her mother but again her voice betrayed her.
Ashish- Yeh kya kiye tune Avni? Kyun? Pehli baar mujhe lag raha hai jo mere aur Ayeshudi ke beech tha woh pyaar nahi tha, ek bhool thi warna tujh jaisi aulaad humse paida hi nahi hoti. For the first time I feel like whatever it was in between me and Ayesha, it wasn't love, it was a mistake. If it would have been love, then a child like you wouldn't have been born out of it.
while saying these harsh words to her Ashish pushed her away from him leaving deep red marks on her arms. She stood there like a statue bearing all the accusations, taunts and what not. Her world came crashing down when her father called up the police. This was the love and trust for her that he promised?
She looked on as a bunch of police vans lined up outside the hospital. Only to take her into custody. With the corner of her eyes she could see the media being present there. She was also well aware that her father didn't had enough guts to even accept that the woman who died a few hours ago was the woman he loved and also the mother of his children.
She let out a sad smile as the Senior Inspector stood in front of Ashish. Ashish looked at her one last time but the look she gave him was more than enough to send chills down his spine for the rest of his life.
Her pale and tear stricken face, red bloodshot eyes and her lips curled up slightly with a smile he couldn't decipher at that time. Avni shook her head slightly, regretting about how many times she had forgiven him for his mistakes. How many times she had shown trust on him only to be disappointed in the end.
As a child whose mother just passed away, her only comfort was her father. She expected to lean onto his shoulder and cry her heart out but that shoulder was snatched away way too ruthlessly from her. Despite her father standing just few feats away she felt like an orphan.