"Rehne lga aajkal hun, main paas itna tere, saari teri aati-jaati, main gin sakun dhadkanein!"
Reaching back home, Neil was about to unlock his apartment when he heard Avni call out to him.
A - You're coming to the picnic tomorrow, right? - she asked referring to the day-out that their group of friends had planned.
N - I'll get bored, Avnii! Can I just skip? - he sulked.
A - No, you can not! And, Ali, Rhea & Dhruv are coming too. So, you won't get bored. C'mon! - she held his hand as she rubbed her thumb at the back of his hand.
The woman just knew how to get him to agree at everything she wanted!
N - I really want to sleep through the day! - he sulked more.
A - C'mon, Brinjalhead! It will be fun! Please come. - she urged while blinking her eyes.
N - Avnii, I- - he stopped mid-sentence as a thought struck him. Will Kabir be there too? - he asked as he eyes narrowed on their own.
A - Yes! He is a friend too. Of course, he'll come, Neil! - she shrugged unaware of his twisted thoughts.
N - Fine! - he huffed. I'll come. - he told with a grumpy face. Who knows what stunt that lanky gawk Kabir might pull. He had to be there for Avnii, for god's sake! More like for his own sanity's sake, but yeah, let's just sleep over that thought!
A - Now that's a good brinjalhead! - she squealed excitedly as she placed a haste kiss on the corner of his jaw & ran to her apartment.
Feeling a bit better by the kiss, he unlocked his apartment & moved inside.
_______________
The picnic was near the poolside of Ali's farmhouse. It was a closed group affair which included - Ali, Rhea, Dhruv, Kabir, Saisha, Avni & Neil.
Neil was just soaking in the beautiful orange-tinged sky as the sun was about to set while he swam in the pool. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Avni stepping inside the pool as she made her way towards him.
A - Hi! - she whispered as she looked at him.
N - Hi! - he smiled.
A - The sunset is beautiful today! - she said observing how the clear blue water of the pool reflected off shades of red & orange.
N - It is! - he whispered while looking at the way her charcoal black eyes had turned a shade of dark brown as the sunlight reflected off them.
In a haze, Neil brushed back the wet strands of her hair that were stuck to the sides of her cheek. His fingertips didn't leave her hair as they spun themselves around her long black hair & Neil just kept looking at them as if they enchanted him.
N - Your hair are so soft! - he whispered subconsciously making Avni's cheek turn pink.
A - I should go- - her feet slipped on the tiles of the pool as she was standing on her toes, the water was a little deep for her at that side of the pool.
However, before she could slip back & get water in her nostrils, Neil wrung his arms around her waist & pulled her closer to him. Since, she was wearing a crop top, her bare stomach pressed against his bare abdomen & her hands landed on his shoulders as he yanked her closer to himself in an attempt to hold her steady.
Avni could feel her heart racing as she could hear it drum in her ears. Her grip on his shoulders tightened on its own accord as she felt his abdomen muscles fidget against her stomach. She could make out the outlines of his abs against her skin as she inadvertently bit her lower lip while blinking her eyes.
A - You've abs!? - she thought out loud & the moment the words were out, she could see a flicker of amusement pass through Neil's gorgeous orbs.
N - Why don't you check for yourself? - he said making her furrow her brows in confusion.
With a lopsided smirk on his face, he held her hands as he took them off his shoulders & placed them on his chest. Avni inhaled sharply as he dragged her hands along the skin of his chest, slowly descending them to his abdomen. Her hands felt warm over Neil's cold skin & he couldn't shake off the sensation the trail of her touch left behind. But before she could reach below where she assumed his diaphragm lied, a loud call was heard.
Ali - Neil! - he called loudly taking both Neil & Avni by surprise as they jerked back from their positions.
N - What is it, Ali? - he shouted back as he looked his way with frustration evident on his face.
Ali - Help me set-up this table, yeah? Bahut heavy hai! - he exclaimed.
N - Coming! - he huffed. Gym membership ke paison ko charity mein kyun nhi de deta yeh! - he mumbled under his breathe making Avni laugh. Meri baat par hass rahi ho? - he asked as he heard her laugh.
A - Nhi. Tum par hass rhi hun! - she played along while she looked at him with her teasing eyes!
N - Aisa hai kya? - he asked as he yanked her closer by her arm. All mischief fled her eyes as it got replaced by nervousness & her body felt tingles.
Avni just blinked her eyes when she felt her heart thumping against her chest. It was the first time that she could see the desire in Neil's eyes that she had in hers.
Before Avni could process if it was happening for real or if she was dreaming again, Neil grazed her cheek with his as he inched his face closer to hers.
N - Looks like you'll have to pay for laughing at me! - he whispered in her ear making her shudder as his breathe fell on her neck.
Satisfied at her reaction, he couldn't wipe off his smirk as he got out of the pool & moved towards Ali.
However, Avni was still in a trance, & probably that was why she didn't realise when Kabir entered the pool. Laughing to himself, he shouted her name in her ears as he called out to her, startling her.
K - Kabhi toh Neil ke khyaalon se bahar aaya kar! - he teased earning himself a glare.
Avni only answered him by splashing water on his face & then it was outright war. The two flunk their hands at the surface of the water as they splashed it on each other.
Once done with setting the table, both Ali & Neil made their way towards the pool when Neil halted in his steps abruptly as he saw Avni laughing with Kabir in the pool.
N - Ali, tu hockey-stick laaya hai? - he asked as he fisted his hands on his sides.
Ali - Pool-side picnic par hockey-stick kyun lekar aaunga, Neil? - he asked in confusion.
N - Hm! Toh koi ball laya hai? - he asked with a frown on his face.
Ali - Nhi! Par tujhe kiska sar phodna hai? - he asked while stifling a laugh when he saw him glaring at Kabir who was with Avni in the pool. {*No! But whose head do you want to smash?*}
Neil turned his head towards Ali so rapidly that he feared he had crack a bone. Glaring at his dimwit friend, he walked away as poor Kabir became the only target of Neil's hard stare.
N - Avnii, C'mon give me your hand. Come out! - he spoke softly as he looked at her.
A - But Neil, I've just come! - she said.
N - You'll catch cold. It's windy. Give me your hand, please! - he pressed as he extended his hand for her to hold.
Though reluctant, she still held his hand as she came out of the pool & rolled her eyes at him. Neil immediately wrapped a towel around her head as he wiped her face & hair.
K - Hey, Neil! Give me a hand too! - Kabir asked.
N - Come out on your own! - Neil couldn't help but bark as he walked Avni towards the pool chair.
Ali - Take my hand, buddy! - Ali offered his hand to Kabir as he laughed at his best friend's antics!
K - What did I even do, man? The guy hates me! - he grimaced.
Ali - You didn't do anything! It's just that he gets a little territorial sometimes! - he told.
K - Sometimes? -both of them laughed.
______________
It was night now, all of them were sitting around the bonfire when Avni slipped her hand in Neil's & gestured him to come with her. Though he was confused, but followed her nonetheless as she led him up to the terrace.
N - Why are we here, Avnii? Everyone is down-
A - Look! - she put her index finger on his lips as she gestured him to look up at the sky.
Avni removed her finger from his mouth & pointed it towards the sky making Neil turn his head up.
Thousands of stars shone in the sky like a million fireflies at a distance. Beautiful, but unattainable!
Neil's lips stretched up in a bright smile when he looked at the starry night sky & felt the summer air brushing his face. Avni could swear her eyes twinkled more than the stars when she watched him so elated & relaxed.
Yeh aaina hai ya tu hai?
Jo roz mujhko sawaare!
Itna lagi sochne kyun?
Main aajkal tere baare!
N - You know, my Mom loved watching night sky. - she heard him say. I don't remember much as I was quite young back then, but I have blur memories of her making me fall asleep under the stars while we used to stargaze together. Dad used to join us too! - he told with a soft nostalgic smile on his face.
A - She is watching you. From up there. - she smiled at him as she pointed at the stars. Won't you smile at her? - she put her hand on his which was lying on the boundary wall of the terrace.
Instead of looking at the stars, he looked at her & smiled. A simple smile, nothing extraordinary about it, but Avni could feel her heart flutter at the way his eyes looked into hers. As if they wanted to consume her. His eyes held so many emotions in them & she could feel herself drowning in their depths.
Neil wasn't someone who spoke a lot, but his eyes did. And, she didn't know how but could somehow always read them, like she had been doing it since ages.
Tu jheel khamoshiyon ki
Lafzon ki main toh lehar hoon,
Ehsaas ki tu hai duniya,
Chhota sa main ek shehar hoon!
A - Neil? - she called.
N - Hm? - he looked back at her.
A - Kyun na hum apna koi taara chune? - she said. Uska naam AvNeil rakhenge! - she announced, making a gleaming smile spread on his lips.
N - Dekho! Woh wala kaisa rhega? - he pointed to the brightest star while she just nodded smilingly while looking at him.
And in that moment, standing under the shining stars that resembled fireflies, she loved him! She didn't know if it was love at first sight when she almost had his head broken in two halves, or if it was when she had heard him sing for the first time, or if it was when the first time she couldn't sleep over a guy, or if it was when she had seen him crying during his panic attack, or if it was when he was persuading her to accept his apology, or if it was the way he got jealous of Kabir, or if it was the way he smiled at her right now! She didn't know when & how she fell in love with him. But the reason didn't really matter to her. What mattered was that she loved him, to the moon & back! She loved him even when they were poles apart. She loved him even when he despised small talks & she loved blabbering, she loved him even when he literally lived off of music & she couldn't get a single rhythm correct for her dear life, she loved him even when he didn't love her back, probably only thought of her as a friend. She loved him. Simple & clear! No conditions attached!
Main rait hoon, tu hai dariya,
Baithi hoon tere kinaare!
She wrapped her arms around Neil's waist as she put her head against his chest & held him tight. He hugged her back as a long breathe left his nostrils.
A - I don't want you to love me back, Neil. Not now at least! I'm willing to wait. But I want you to be happy. I understand that your past will always be a part of you, but I want your present to be happy. And, I'll do the best I can in order to bring that to you! - she thought to herself as she inhaled his smell & closed her eyes as she relished it.
Hoga mera bhi asar, tu agar
Padh le, main teri kitaab hoon!
N (thinks)- Mom, can you really see me from up there? Avni says you do! - he looked up at the sky as he put his chin on the top of her head while still hugging her. It's been so long that I've avoided having this conversation with you. But I want to tell you today! I feel really happy with her, Mom. Is it wrong? Am I being selfish? Am I doing Juhi wrong? I don't know. There are so many questions & I've no answers to them. You know, I'm not usually rude to people, but whenever I see Kabir around Avni, I just can't help but think how good they look together. He is a good guy, Mom. She actually deserves someone like him, who is as sunshiny as she is. She doesn't deserve me, & I'm being selfish enough to keep her! I shouldn't be doing this, right? Do you think Juhi would hate me if I actually move on? Ali & Rhea say that Avni is perfect for me! Par woh toh sabke liye hi perfect hai na, Mom! Main uske liye sahi nhi hoon! Will you be disappointed if I tell you that I want to cry? I really don't know what to do, Mom! Please, help me! - he blinked his eyes to fight back the tears that were daring to fall down his eyes. He tightened his hold on Avni as he pulled her more onto his chest.
Seene pe mujhko sajja ke,
Jo raat saari guzaare,
Toh main sawere se keh dun,
Mere shehar tu na aa re!