Neil switched off his alarm as soon as it went off and blinked his eyes a few times to adjust to the unnatural sunlight that was gracing his room today. He looked out of the window, which was ajar. The clouds still lingered but the sun shone, bright and painting the gray clouds in its lovely golden hues.
He felt Avni snuggling more into his neck and felt mushy instantly. They were still hugging each other tightly before she woke up and decided to do as she wished. He drew random patterns on her smooth skin and smiled. He had only dreamt of waking up next to her, it finally came true today...
Avni woke up a few seconds later and Neil felt her heart picking pace when she realised what position she was in with him. He gradually loosened his grip around her and watched her detach a little to look at him.
"Good morning." Neil spoke his favourite conversation starter. "Good morning." She replied timidly and sat upright. "I won't mention last night, okay? Please take all the time you want. I know, you — we rather, weren't thinking straight." Neil added hastily, sitting too.
"Just consider that...I don't know...a one night stand or something.." She muttered, getting out of bed and walking towards their closet to grab some clothes. "I'm not going to insult our love like that." Neil spoke firmly. Why did she have to mention that?
"Look at me." Neil said as he dressed himself too and walked up to her. "It's not necessary for you to name everything right? We had a moment and now we're picking up from where we left...that's all." He spoke, trying his best to have a grip on his voice.
"I'm...I'm sorry...I gotta leave." She hissed and started walking. "You're hurting yourself too." Neil whispered and went into the washroom, banging the door shut more forcefully than he usually did. Avni opened the room's door; she was feeling suffocated in it right now.
"You're...here?" Neela asked, making Avni jump. "What are you doing here?" Avni asked. It was half past six and her mother was always present at the most unusual of times. "I just returned from the airport missy." Neela replied, narrowing her eyes.
"Isn't that brilliant?" Avni asked, trying to slip away. "Can we talk about this?" Neela asked, stopping Avni. She held up Neil's shirt and her pendant still hooked to it : which they had carelessly dropped on the stairs.
"Can we talk about why you were standing in front of that room and not mine?" Avni asked, crossing her arms. "Waking you both up. I was about to come to yours after this." Neela spoke defensively.
"You should be waking me up first mom. What's wrong with you? I'm your daughter!" Avni stomped her foot. "I'm sorry ! I just give special treatment to people who actually listen to me!" Neela spoke loudly in the mother-ish way she did.
Avni snatched the shirt from her hand and went to her room, slamming it shut too. "Doors aren't sound proof! I will talk with you! You're literally wearing his shirt too!" Neela made it clear by shouting this and knocking Avni's door simultaneously.
"Idiots!" She remarked and went downstairs, yelling for Bheema to make breakfast.
Avni and Neil came out of their rooms at almost the same time and went down towards the dining table where Neela was already sitting. Neil gestured her to not say anything to Avni. Neela frowned and tried to protest but Neil, for the first time, almost glared at Neela Ma causing her to shut up.
The three of them ate in silence. Avni was the first to finish it after which she went up again to change into her work clothes. "What happened?" Neela asked. Neil set down his toast and dug his face in his hands.
"Just consider me your friend right now and say it! How else am I supposed to tell you what to do?" Neela asked, frustrated. "Fine! Fine I'll say it! We had sex last night and I thought maybe she'll diffuse the tension between us just a bit but she called that...a one night stand?! It's just a sheer insult to us both!" Neil vented it out, feeling helpless again.
"Do you want me to scold her?"
"No. That hardly helps. I know she said that to put me off but still-"
"It's okay to vent it out sometimes Neil. Maybe make her come after you now, for a while? Till you cool yourself too?" Neela suggested, sipping her orange juice.
"I don't see that happening."
"Oh she will. She's a confused soul right now." Neela said bracingly, shushing herself when Avni came down and stood near her, waiting for Neil to finish up.
He soon did and got up to grab the car keys, Avni walked out towards the car. "Hold on, did you use protection?" Neela asked as Neil was leaving too. He looked at her blankly and rolled his eyes when she said, "Brace for impact."
Neela laughed and did a little prayer as she watched her kids leave, shaking her head when she heard Neil warn Avni about not asking the latter's mom for a beer ever.
The car ride didn't escalate their moods either. All the wrong songs seemed to blaring from all radio stations today. At one point, when Aye Udi Udi was on, Neil changed the station saying, "Such an old school song isn't it? No place for it nowadays. Hookups and stands are the new norm."
The station change brought The Breakup Song. "Oh you'll love this song!" Neil said sarcastically and turned up the volume. Avni asked him to shut up and took out her earphones to not hear him. Her playlist didn't help either because the first song was "Chaar dina da..."
Avni angrily took out her earphones and threw them in the backseat. Neil shook his head, turned the radio off and drove silently.
They entered the police station and Neil was greeted with a case from midnight. "It's your turn for interrogation." Neil told Avni and walked off to his cabin. Avni frowned a little; Neil knew it was Rawat's case and he wasn't accompanying her?
Avni mindlessly followed the protocol and was assisted by Rawat, who still maintained his distance. The criminal didn't last on his initial stand very much and that was the end. As Avni was leaving the room, she faintly heard a voice she did not want to hear.
It was Ragini Pandit being transferred here momentarily. DD had told her a few days back that both Vidyut and Ragini would be in this prison for a while and after their trials, they would be shifted again.
"Hey...when is their interrogation scheduled?" Avni asked Rawat. "In a few minutes — Vidyut, that is." He replied. Avni nodded and proceeded towards the room again but she was stopped by him. "You're not on this as per the schedule." Rawat pointed out, handing her a sheet.
"What are you saying?" She asked, scanning the schedule and saw that it was indeed not her duty. In fact, she was relieved of her duties for the rest of the day. She felt a blow to her heart; she liked working. It kept her sane, without it, she did not know how she would pass her days without not breaking down.
She walked to Neil's cabin and saw a sight that made her very uncomfortable. Neil and Mitali were discussing a case, Vidyut rather. "Hey Avni!" Mitali said, smiling genuinely at her. "Hey...C..Can I join you while you interrogate Vidyut?" Avni asked both of them.
"No." Neil replied plainly, without even looking up from his file. "Why not?" She countered. "You know why." He spoke simply once more. "I work here. This is my job." Avni reasoned.
"If we're playing that card, then listen. You've just joined work and Vidyut is a literal psycho. It would be loads better if a better interrogator handles this." He said firmly, finally looking at her.
Avni bowed her head, grudgingly said, "Yes sir." and retraced her steps out of the cabin. "Seriously?" Mitali asked, looking at Neil in disbelief. "I don't want her anywhere near that man." Neil said firmly. "Then there's a way you should let her know the same. This was not at all necessary. Just shut your anger out, okay? Forget whatever happened in the morning!" Mitali almost ordered and hit Neil's head with the file in her hand.
"Ah there's the most charming lady." She stopped in her tracks when she heard Vidyut said that.
Turning on her heels she found him grinning in the devil may care attitude that he always did. He was being taken to the room and had spotted her leaving. "Shut up bastard. I would love to be your nightmare one day." Avni replied dangerously, walking towards him.
"With a gorgeous face like that, you might as well be my death." Vidyut complimented, enjoying the fact that he was provoking her. "Let me be that today then." Avni said quietly and grabbed his collar.
A series of gasps and protests erupted. DD who was standing the nearest, tried to drag Avni away. Then right before Vidyut could touch her — in his defence or his ill intentions, Neil wrapped his arm around Avni's waist and pulled her back forcefully.
"You wait for me Vidyut. It's not over yet." Avni said dangerously, panting too. "I'll always wait for you." He replied, laughing. Avni pushed Neil away harshly and stormed outside, leaving him in a bit of shock.
She had never done that before. Neil felt slightly guilty about not letting her do what she wanted to before and decided to talk to her properly regarding that after his duty today.