Chapter 90:
It was the daytime, Avni was standing outside the Mehta house and looking at it she saw the flashes that how Ashish insults her she clenched her fist then clenched her dress. Neil comes to her and saw she is looking at the home, he saw her hand which was clenching her dress. Neil tries to hold her hand, Avni looked at him. Neil holds her hand. Neil nods, he takes her to the door but Avni stopped. Neil turned to her he took a step to her and cupped her face.
Neil: I am with you.
Avni shook her head and her eyes were moist. Neil nods. They heard Neela maa's voice.
Nm: Ashish, let's go to the room when Avni will come she will come to our room.
Avni was looking there. Neil holds her hand and takes her there. Avni saw Ashish is standing in the living area. Aman was also standing there and was looking down, Kareena was standing beside him by holding his arm.
Ashish: No, she will come anytime. Did you ask her when she is coming?
Nm: yes, she said, she is coming.
Ashish: then why she did not reach till now.
Ashish turned his face and saw Avni is looking at him with teary eyes. Avni saw two people are completely broken and they were Ashish and Aman. Ashish goes to her slowly and Avni also took some steps she was looking at him, Ashish was about to fall but Avni holds him. Neil and all were shocked. Ashish looked at Avni. Avni makes him stand. Avni looked down. There was an awkward silence. Avni was looking here and there. Ashish joins his hand in front of Avni. Avni and all were shocked to see that. Avni looked at Ashish. Ashish cries badly.
Avni whispered: Papa.
Avni looked at him with tears in her eyes.
Ashish: please forgive me. Please.
Ashish was bending on his knees but Avni holds him it was difficult for Avni to hold him.
Avni: papa, please don't do this. Please.
Aman wants to go to them but his guilt was holding him back. Arnav and Neil come to make Ashish stand because he just came from the hospital. They hold him.
Neil: papa, please what are you doing? Please get up.
They make him stand. Ashish was crying. Neela maa came to him.
Nm: Ashish, calm down. You just came from the hospital.
Arnav: yes, Papa. Let's go to the room. You need rest.
Ashish sighs. He wipes his face.
Ashish: I am fine. I want to talk to my princess.
Avni and Neil looked at him. Neil turns his face to Avni who was staring at Ashish. Avni looked down.
Avni: pa, Papa. We, we can talk some other day. You need rest now.
Ashish shook his head.
Ashish: already, I have ruined many years, not any more.
Avni looked at him.
Ashish: why princess, why did you do that, why did you endure my bitterness. Why? You did not even say for once that I did not do anything wrong. Why did you tolerate everything, why did you not tell the truth to me?
Avni was looking at him.
Ashish: what not I said to you. I made you away from your family. I even said that you are not our daughter.
Avni looked down.
Ashish: I never left a chance to taunt you. I even snatched the right of attending the last rituals of your sister but you did not utter a single word. Why? Why? Do you know how much you hurt me? You hurt me very much.
Avni: I am sorry, papa.
Ashish: Why did you not say the truth to me, why?
Avni: I had lost Riya, I didn't want to lose Aman if I told you the truth then you would have thrown him out of the house and he would get worse and worse, that's the only way I could get him back on the right track.
Aman was looking at her. He looked down.
Avni: I did what I find right that time.
Avni saw Aman and goes to him she holds his hand and takes him to Ashish.
Avni: Papa, whatever happened was just an accident. Noone's mistake was in it. I admit that Aman's addiction to drugs was wrong but he had left that after that accident by seeing my condition. Papa, if you did not hold his hand today, if you did not keep your hand on his head, if you turn your face today, if you broke all ties with him today then he will again go back to that path. Papa, the past is passed and there is no point in looking back, just forget it and mend the shattered relationships. Riya will get happy by seeing that.
Ashish thinks. Aman looked down.
Avni: Papa, I tolerated everything just because I don't want to see this day. At least, forgive Aman as a reward for my patience.
Ashish looked at Aman he keeps his hand on Aman's shoulder and caresses it. Aman cries he hugged Avni. Avni caressed his hair.
Aman: I am sorry, Di because of me you have tolerated a lot. Please forgive me. I did not know that you loves me this much.
Avni smiled faintly. Avni breaks the hug and cups his face.
Avni: You are my brother if I will not protect you then who will protect you, hmm.
Aman smiled with teary eyes. Avni wipes his tears and kissed his forehead. Aman hugs her.
Ashish: I am sorry, princess.
Avni and Aman break the hug.
Ashish: you are right. Aman was not at fault if someone was wrong that was me. I failed as a father.
Avni shook her head.
Ashish: yes, I failed as a father I couldn't stop my son from going the wrong path. I always claimed that I know you more than any other person but no, I was wrong. I was wrong. I knew that you can do anything for your family but still I believed in your lie. Why could I not see the truth in your eyes?
Avni: because you had many expectations from me. That's why you reacted that way.
Ashish: It was my failure.
Nm: not only yours.
Avni and all looked at her.
Nm: it was my failure too. I also failed as a mother.
Avni: no, it was not your fault. Neither you both were are at fault nor Aman. It was the situation which was not in our favour.
Neil looked down and nods.
Ashish: princess, I am guilty for my all deeds if possible then please forgive me.
Avni: I said, papa that it was not your fault. Let's just forget everything.
Ashish: can you forget that?
Avni: I can but on one condition.
All looked at her.
Ashish: what?
Avni: give me back my old papa.
Neela maa and all had tears in their eyes. Ashish hugged Avni whose eyes were teary. Neil wiped his tears and smiled.
Neil: if your reunion is done then can we sit. My legs are aching.
Avni and Ashish breaks the hug and all smiled. Avni wipes her eyes. Ashish goes to him and holds his shoulders.
Ashish: thank you so much, Neil, for supporting Avni, for standing with her.
Neil: Papa, you are embarrassing me. Avni is my wife. It is my duty to support her, to stand with her.
Ashish: Avni did the right decision she could not get a better partner than you.
Neil: papa, I am lucky that Avni came into my life.
Avni: now your legs are not aching.
Neil: I am praising you and you are taunting me. Papa, you are right, I am a good husband and your daughter... your daughter is a dragon lady whenever she talks she only throws the fireballs at me.
Avni opens her mouth and all smiled. Neil looked at Avni and narrows his eyes. Avni also do the same then they smiled. Neela maa sighs.
Later, Avni was sitting with Ashish and feeding him soup. Neil was looking at her by standing at the door. Arnav and Aman were also sitting there. Neela maa comes and stands with him she smiled to see her family happy. Neil looked at her they smiled to see each other and again looked at Avni.
Nm: I am seeing Ashish this much happy after some many years. After that incident, he had changed a lot.
Neil looked at her.
Neil: now everything is fine so just forget that bitter past.
Neela maa smiled.
Nm: come.
They went to the room.
Avni: mamma, your husband is just like kids. He is throwing tantrums on soup.
Ashish: aye.
They smiled.
Avni: what?
Ashish rolled his eyes.
Aman: Jiju (Neil looked at him) please sit. They will fight like this.
Neil: no, it's too late now we have to go.
Avni looked at him. Ashish looked at Avni.
Neil: Avni.
He signed her let's go. Avni nods.
Ashish: ab Neil please let her stay here for some days.
Neil was shocked. Avni was looking at him.
Ashish: after five years, everything is fine now please let her stay here. She did not even stay once after your wedding.
Neil: ab, aa, I don't have any problem if Avni wants to stay here she can stay.
Avni was looking at him she looked at Ashish then at Neil she was in dilemma about what to do. On one side, she wants to spend time with Ashish because she craved for father's love for five years and on the other side is Neil she gets the time to spend with difficulty. She doesn't want to break the heart of any one of them. She saw that Neil and Ashish are looking at her. Avni thinks.