Ananya came out of the washroom and peeked into the room to see Arav no where and Neil was examining the room.
"Where is Arav?" Ananya asked.
"He went to bathroom." Neil said.
"Umm....would u like to have coffee? " Ananya asked him.
"Why would u say to Arav that not to bother me like that?" Neil asked seriously crossing his arms.
"He is a kid sir.....he keeps asking something or other. For once u can come but you can't come everytime and what if he gets used to you?" Ananya asked in fear.
"Why can't I come?" Neil asked her frawning making her sigh.
"You'll leave your work, family....and come here just to meet him wherever he ask?" Ananya asked raising her brows at him.
"Yes." Neil said as the matter of fact.
Avni stood dumbfounded.
"Why?" Ananya whispered.
"Can't we do that much for our loved once?" Neil asked her and Ananya stood like an idiot trying to understand what he is saying.
"Do u remember what I said yesterday that u're so naive and innocent?" Neil asked her and avni nodded her head in yes.
"Add stupid and dumb in that list." Neil said and walked out from the room whistling to himself.
It took a minute for her to understand he actually meant and glared at the direction he went.
"Did you just call me stupid and dumb?" Ananya exclaimed following him.
"Yes." Neil said looking at her.
"Mumma, what is stupid and dumb?" Arav asked and she widened her eyes at him.
"No no nothing bacha....it's just...." she trailed off not knowing what to say.
"Champ, would u like to play something?" Neil asked Arav who jumped in his place excited.
Neil winked at her discreetly while taking arav with him to the living room and Ananya glared at him.
Ananya went and prepared milk for Arav and coffee for both of them. When she walked into the living room she froze looking at arav sitting on Neil's lap.
He used to sit like that only on her brother's lap and nostalgia hit her remembering those memories. She stood there staring at them and unknowingly tears formed in her eyes.
Neil glanced at her and saw her looking at them with teary eyes.
"Anany?" Neil called her and she looked at him.
"What happened?" Neil asked concerned.
"Nothing." She walked towards them and gives him coffee.
She gave milk glass to Arav and sat down on the sofa beside Neil sipping on her coffee. Neil looked at her from side and wrapped his hands around her shoulder.
Ananya stiffened and looked at his arms and then at him. Neil pulled her closed to him and she gasped at their proximity. He ignored her glare and sipped coffee while watching the T.V as if it was normal for him.
This was new to her....this feeling, this proximity.....Although she had many male friends, she was never this close to any man in her life. She tried to move away but he didn't let her and she stopped moving.
Neil still didn't remove his hand on her shoulder and she looked at both of them. Him wrapping his arms around her and Arav sitting on his lap this whole thing looking like a picture of perfect family which she craved for after her family demised.
She liked it.
But she knows it better to have any hopes in her life.
"I'll go and take shower." Ananya mumbled and got up from his grip.
Neil stayed quite.
He knows she needs time to accept anything.
He just sat there playing with Arav while she was showering. Ananya came back after having shower and saw them engrossed in a video game. She shook her head at them and went into the kitchen for prepared lunch.
Ananya started prepare lunch and after sometime she felt someone's presence behind her. She turned and gasped loudly looking at Neil. He laughed and pulled her towards him when she was going to get hit by the kitchen slab.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" Ananya asked trying to step away but he pulled her more close to him.
"Watching you." Neil said simply and she looked up at him who was grinning down at her.
Neil got lost into her eyes she got lost in his smile.
"Sir...." she was cut off by him.
"Call me Neil....." He said.
"I can't, you are my boss." Ananya said.
"This is not office." Neil said.
"Leave me." Ananya said softly.
"I can't." Neil said back softly.
Ananya looked at neil strangely and the emotions in her eyes warmed his heart. It is not everyday you can see emotion in he eyes....it's a rare scene and he wanted to cherish this moment.
Neil's phone rang and they both jolted out of their reverie. Ananya went back to cooking and neil went to attend the call.
After sometime when she went to call them for lunch, both were drawned in their video games. She called th for lunch and three of them had lunch while talking and laughing.
Arav took shower and started doing his homework while Ananya washing the dishes and Neil was helping her to dry them.
"Ananya." Neil called and she hummed.
"I know something huge happened in your life....I've seen pain in your eyes all the time....that pain which will never go away." He paused and she looked at him gulping the lump formed in her throat.
"I'm not asking you to share your pain or not asking about what happened....I just wanted to tell u that I'll be there with you in everything and you can trust me if you need anything....anytime." Neil said looking I to her eyes.
Avni stared at neil with tears.
"I know it's hard for you to let anyone in and trust them but I'll wait and believe me when I say I'll be there for you whenever you need me." Neil said honestly.
Avni just stated at him quietly for sometimes.
"I trust you." Ananya wispered.
Neil looked at her shocked and she smiled at his face.
"Yes, if I didn't trust you then you would be no where near Arav. Ananya said and neil grinned at her.
They both went to the living room where arav was drawing something.
"What are u doing champ?" Neil asked.
Arav grinned at them showing his drawing which has three people drawn crookedly and he had coloured them.
"What is this?" Ananya asked.
"We." Arav said excitedly.
"What?" Neil asked.
"These three people are me, mumma and buddy." Arav explained enthusiastically.
"Wow! it's really nice." Neil exclaimed making Ravenglass grin.
Ananya took the paper and looked at it. Arav has drawn a cartoon of three people. He coloured th according to their dress colors they are wearing today and it looked good. For his age, this drawing is wonderful and she liked the thought neil being there in the drawing along with them.
She took the paper and went to a table which is at the corner. She took a plastic frame from a drawer amd placed that drawing in that frame. She decorated it on the table and turned to see Arav grinning at her while Neil had a strange emotion in his face.
He was very much happy that they considered him as a member of their family and now he didn't expect Ananya to accept or trust him. He promised to himself that he would protect them both and never break their trust.
Three of them playing and chatted for sometime. Then Neil left to his home while arav continued to do his homework and Ananya was lost into her thoughts. She felt something change in her today......after a long time she is feeling truely happy.
Neil on the other side reached his house and saw his mother waiting for him.
"Neil, where were you? I'm waiting for you since morning." Shweta asked him.
"Why?" Neil asked.
"I've an important thing to talk to you." She said and she sat beside her on the sofa.
"I have met one of my old friend yesterday after a long time and I have sen her a daughter.....she is very beautiful and will perfect match for you." Shweta said and Neil rolled his eyes at her.
"No." Neil said and got up to leave.
"What no?" She asked.
"I'm not intrested." Neil said bluntly and started walking towards the stairs.
"You didn't met her! atleast you didn't even see her photo......how can you say no?" Shweta shouted at him who is going upstairs.
"Even if I meet her or I see her photo then also it will be a ni from me." Neil shouted back and entered to his room closing the door.
Neil sat on the bed and ran his fingers into his hairs frustratingly. He is angry at his mother how she thought that he will ever marry a girl that she choose for him.....it will be a disaster and he got even more angry that she is doing nothing to sort out his brother's marriage life but instead trying to push him to that hell.
Today he has realised that how much Ananya amd Arav meant to him. He wanted to keep them happy and protect them.
After what his mother did today, he realised that there can never be any other girl other than Ananya in his life. The thought of giving her place to someone ese itself us making him go mad.
He know he loves her.
But now he realised that, he wants to be with her.....forever.
He wants to be his wife and his family.
She is the only girl he wants.
*******
Ananya woke up and made Arav to get ready for school. She was surprised as her nightmares are decreasing and what surprised her more was that she slept peacefully after a long time.
Ananya dropped Arav in his school and drove towards her office, she walked into see no one and she went to canteen to have some coffee.
She had her coffee and looked through Neil's schedule for today. He has two meetings outside the office in some hotels and she started arranging the files for the meeting.
The first meeting with vineeth's company and she smiled at the thought of Neil's jealousy. Her phone pinged with a message and she looked at it to see a message from Neil.
I'm not coming to the office , will go directly to the meeting.....you are needed to be there....stay in the office only- Neil.
She chuckled at his message and typed a reply.
Why sir? -Avni
She waited for his reply.
As I told you, you are not needed there. - Neil
She shook her head and sighed.
She thought of doing some pending work until he come back.
It was already noon and she thought of eating her lunch but just them some chaos surrounded the office.
A girl came to their floor looking around the office and she was beautiful. She stood with attitude with the aura of confidence emitting around her.
Everyone is looking at her awe as if she is some celebrity.
Maybe she is.
She saw office boy attending her to ask her for whom she is looking and then she saw both of them walking towards her.
"You can talk to Ananya madam about it." Saying this office boy went away and Ananya looked at her.
"Are u Ananya?" She asked.
"Yes, how may I help u?" Ananya replied politely.
"I want to meet Neil." She said.
"He is not in the office." Ananya said.
"When he will be back?" She asked.
"May be after his meeting finished." Ananya replied.
"But I want to meet him." That girl huffed in disappointed.
"Please tell me your name I'll inform him after after he comes back." Ananya told her.
"It's Riya." She said.
"From?" Ananya asked.
"I didn't came here for an official meeting.....I come to personally meet him." She said arrogantly.
"I should inform sir about you, that's why I'm asking. " Ananya said.
"I'm his fiance." She said proudly.
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