Chapter 24:
A car was moving to its destiny. Neil and Avni were sitting in it. They smile to think something.
Flashback:
It was a time of late night. Avni sat on the bed she was tired as she had to complete her work because the second day they had to go for a trip she rests her back to the bed and sighs. Avni closes her eyes and she heard the sound of something she frowns and opens her eyes she looks here and there but no one was there she thinks and shakes her head she again closes her eyes and feels some moment in the balcony. Now she was sure that something is fishy. Avni opens her eyes and thinks she saw a shadow behind the curtain of the door and is shocked.
Avni: someone had broken into the home. Who can it be?
Avni thinks and widens her eyes.
Avni: thief.
Avni thinks and gets up slowly she picks the vase and slowly goes to the glass door of the balcony and opens the knob of the door by pressing her lips she opens the door and someone entered the room. Avni hides with the wall. Avni faced the back she was about to hit the man but it saw her shadow and holds her arm on time and pinned her to the wall. It happens in a bit of moment that Avni could not register it she opens her eyes and shocked to see the person it was Neil who was also shocked to see her. Their eyelock but soon they get their senses.
Neil: you?
Neil was shocked and taking it as a chance Avni bits his hand. Neil leaves her and winces and was jerking his hand.
Avni: what are you doing here?
Neil looks at her.
Neil: I came to.
Neil looks at her and stops to see her she was wearing a shirt and trousers and looking uber cute he forgets what he was about to say.
Avni snaps her fingers in front of his eyes.
Avni: o hello.
Neil came back to reality.
Avni: where are you lost and what are you doing here?
Neil: ab.
Avni: Don't say that you came to take advantage of me.
Neil: what?
Avni: see, I am not like those girls who spent time with fiance before marriage.
Neil: o hello, I am also not like those boys. I came to talk to Aman but by mistake I.
Avni: what Aman? Don't tell me you are that?
Neil gets confused.
Neil: that?
Avni: don't you feel ashamed Aman is your sister's love and you. Chii.
Neil widens his eyes.
Neil: Chii Avni, how can you think like that?
Avni: Really Gorilla? Means you do and I can't think that. I never thought that you.
Neil shocked.
Neil: shut up Avni, Kareena and Aman fought for a silly reason and Kareena did not have dinner because Aman is angry with her so I came to take Aman as Kareena wants to meet him.
Avni: oh.
Neil: yaa.
Avni recalls something.
Avni: but wait, Aman and Kareena are together right now.
Neil: what?
Avni: yaa. Aman asked me to manage as he is going to make Kareena eat something.
Neil: and Kareena send me here.
Avni was about to say but she hears the knock on the door. Avni and Neil were shocked.
Neil: oh no.
Avni looks at him.
Avni: what?
Neil: what, what if someone sees me here then?
Avni: then what? Then you will go from here after meeting family.
Neil: have you lost your mind? I am in your room at midnight what your family will think?
Avni: you have to think about it before coming.
Nm: Avni.
Avni and Neil look at the door.
Neil: oh shit.
Avni: aye, mind your language.
Neil looks at her.
Nm: Avni.
Avni: coming mamma.
Avni was about to go but Neil holds her arm. She turns to him.
Neil: are you mad, where are you going?
Avni: to open the door.
Neil: first tell me where I go.
Avni: I don't know.
Neil: what?
Nm: Avni.
Avni: yaa mamma.
Nm: what happened, open the door?
Avni: leave me.
Avni frees her hand and was about to go.
Neil whispers: where do I go? at least tell me a place to hide.
Avni: did I call you here? No. Then?
Neil: yaar Avni, please what will she think of me?
Avni: how I know? OK, let me open the door then ask her what she will think about you, ok.
Neil glares at her.
They hear the knock on the door.
Avni goes.
Neil: Avni.
Neil looks here and there to seek a place to hide.
Neil: What do I do? Crazy girl.
Avni looks back at him she smiles to see him and opens the door.
Nm: finally. What you were doing, why you took so much time to open the door?
Avni: Actually.
Avni turns back and saw Neil is not there she smirks and smiles she turns to Neela maa.
Nm: what?
Avni: I was on the phone. Any way you say, you came this time? Do you have any work?
Nm: yaa, but I heard someone else voice.
Neil was standing on the balcony by leaning against the wall. He shocked.
Avni: ab, I switched on the speaker as the voice was not clear. Actually, I thought, there is some problem with the phone so I switch on the speaker.
Nm: oh.
Avni: yaa, you say?
Nm: Sonia said she saw a shadow on the balcony.
Avni: means someone had entered the home.
Neil was listening to them.
Neil: she is such a drama queen like she doesn't know.
Avni: mamma, my balcony's door is open what if someone had entered the room.
Neil shocked.
Nm: Avni, relax. Security is outside how can someone come.
Avni: then how he came?
Neil shocked he palms his face.
Nm: who?
Avni looks at her and realized what she said.
Avni: ab, no, nothing.
Nm: since when do you get frightened of thieves?
Avni smiles.
Nm: ok, come let me check.
Avni: yaa, please.
Neil was shocked he panicked. Neela maa and Avni goes to the balcony and did not find anyone.
Nm: see, no one is here.
Avni in mind: where he went? I thought he must be on the balcony.
Avni looks around and saw the eyes behind the couch. Avni suppresses her lips.
Avni in mind: enough of a tease now. If mamma saw him he will get embarrassed. Though I will enjoy but let's leave him this time.
Avni: mamma, I was just teasing you. How can someone enter in this tight security?
Neela maa makes a face and smiles she hits her arm.
Nm: naughty.
Neil in mind: she almost took my breath and you are saying naughty.
Neil whispers: ah, my foot.
Neil was feeling pain.
Nm: ok, I am going and close the door and window. No one can enter but still, we can not take any risk.
Avni nods.
Nm: and yes, did you keep that ring in your bag?
Avni was looking at Neil she did not listen.
Nm: Avni?
Avni looks at her.
Avni: yaa, yaa, yaa.
Nm: what happened?
Avni: nothing.
Nm: ok, now sleep it's too, late.
Avni nods. Neela maa goes Avni closes the door and turns. She goes to the balcony and saw Neil is pressing his foot by sitting on the couch.
Avni feels bad. Neil looks at her he was hurt.
Avni: you ok?
Neil: do you really care?
Avni looks at him. Neil's phone rings he takes out his phone and saw it's Aman. Neil keeps that on speaker.
Aman: hello Jiju, please come with Di to the XYZ area we are here. I called Bhai and bhabhi also.
Avneil frowns.
Neil: why you are there?
Aman: ab sorry Jiju, it was our plan if we ask Di to come then she would make thousands of reasons to not join so we make this plan so that you go there.
Neil: what is this, Aman?
Aman: sorry please take Di here, please.
Neil: ok fine. I will come but I can't say anything about your Di.
Avni looks at Neil. Neil cuts the call and looks at her.
Neil: will you come?
Avni nods.
Neil: ok, I am going from here you come from the main door.
Avni: I am coming after changing.
Neil: we don't have that much time, already it's too late. Your family had seen you in this attire thousands of times and about me then I also saw you today so please let's go like this.
Avni looks at him. Neil realized what he said.
Neil: ab I mean, it is nighttime so no one will notice your dress.
Avni nods. Neil looks at her. Neil moves to go.
Avni: stop. Come from the main door.
Neil: but?
Avni: don't worry, no one will judge you. Aman said Bhai and bhabhi are all going there so they must know that you are here and probably they had gone till now.
Neil: and your papa?
Avni: yaa, he will be in the living area.
Neil: then?
Avni: don't worry, he will not say anything to you, now come.
Neil: are you sure?
Avni: yes and maybe he had gone to sleep till now as tomorrow we have to go for a trip. He can't take the chance to miss that trip.
Avni thinks about the drama which happened in the morning. Neil looks at her and frowns. Avni looks at him.
Avni: and top of all that my family loves you more than me. They respect you.
Neil smiles.
Neil: you are jealous of me?
Avni: oh please, Avni Mehta never get jealous of anyone and you, never.
Neil frowns before he asks.
Avni: by the way, how you came here despite the security.
Neil: they know me so they did not stop me as they are instructed to never stop me.
Avni: oh special treatment, not bad.
Neil asked playfully.
Neil: any doubt? After all, I am the would-be son-in-law of this House.
Avni rolls her eyes.
Neil: now can we go?
Avni nods.
Avni: yaa, come, come, let's go, you are wasting time in talks.
Neil shockingly looks at her. Avni goes Neil follows her but they went carefully by seeing here and there and for their luck, Ashish was not there. They came out and saw Sonia and Arnav.
Sonia: thank God, you came we were waiting for you. Now come.
Neil gets embarrassed by thinking that what they think about him.
Arnav: don't worry, Aman told us everything, you don't need to be embarrassed.
Neil looks at him and sighs.
Avni: but every time, this will not be tolerated.
Neil looks at her.
Avni: everything looks good in a limit.
Neil nods.
Neil: I agree.
Avneil looks at each other.
Flashback ends.
Avneil were thinking about that. They look at each other, Neil was thinking about the limit but he agreed with her and he went to meet Aman, not Avni he knows his limits and thinks that going to any girl's room at midnight is wrong even that girl is your friend or fiancee.
Avni smiles to see him. Neil also smiles.
Neil: you had almost caught you.
Avni: so who asked you to come like a thief from the window?
Neil: come on, Avni, I told you that I.
Avni: yaa, yaa, but you can call me.
Neil: like you receive my calls.
Avni: from now I will receive.
Neil looks at her.
Avni: now we are friends, right?
Neil smiles and something came to his mind.
Neil in mind: her thinking, talking, behaviour to elders everything is just perfect. Why my heart not accepting that she was a drug addict. She knows her limits then how can she be a drug addict? I have to find out the truth there must be some way. Some test, something which can prove she was addict or not. I have to search about it.
Neil thinks and looks at Avni who licks the chocolate from her finger he smiles.
Neil in mind: you are so innocent. Just like a kid.
Neil smiles. Avni was enjoying the chocolate.