Neil felt as if he was living the worst life ever. He was a non chalant police officer, forced to take up this job. He encounters Ananya, a mystery, who is quite contrary to him in all means. Ten days, they fall into a hopeless love story after whic...
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"Tillu, it's been 6 days I've been asking you what happened but you just don't answer!" Shweta finally got hold of Neil's ear and swore not to let him pass without telling her anything. Neil thought he couldn't tell Avni's truth to her, but then decided otherwise. His mom was with him now, she'd make him feel better.
He dragged her to his room, shut thedoor and made sure no one was listening. Then he burst into Avni's story, her fake identity as Ananya and Dayawanti's crimes, fight with Ali, fight with Ananya, her being gone. "That bitch!" Shweta swore loudly and Neil couldn't tell who she referring to. Seeing his quizzical looks she hurriedly added "Dayawanti" and Neil sighed in relief.
"Do..do you still...I mean would you still accept Avni? For me?" Neil asked expectantly, he knew he was asking for too much, especially now that she was so called illegitimate. Shweta said nothing for a while and stroked his hair lovingly. "I love that girl Neil and I would like to show her a mother's love. Really. I have no issues to accept her but Bebe won't.. she just wouldn't." She spoke helplessly but Neil didn't care about Bebe's thought. His mom agreed, that's that.
"8 days to go there. I just hope I find her..safe.." Neil whispered, as a silent tear rolled down his cheek. "She would be. I'm sure. And you'll be bringing back to our place after she's done with her studies. Okay?" Shweta spoke, smiling in the end. Neil looked at her and saw a different type of happiness in her voice and an infectious smile. "What?" Neil asked, not getting what she was saying. "Oh stupid Neil. Do you want to remain unmarried forever?" She asked, pulling his cheeks and laughed seeing his wide eyes.
"We never really talked about it." Neil could imagine Avni in a red lehenga, with those pretty jhumkas, she looked too cute. His cheeks radiated heat with the thought of her having as his wife in his room.
"I'm telling you, I'm not accepting anyone else as my daughter in law apart from Avni." Shweta chuckled, too proud of herself, thinking she would see her son's marriage in a couple of years.
"Have you bought some sweaters for yourself if you're going to Britain? It's December." She asked suddenly. "Oh..I didn't think. You know what, I'll just go with Tisca and A-" Neil stopped. Thinking about Ali hurt. A lot.
"Neil you miss him and I'm sure he misses you too-" "Miss him? I don't miss him." Neil knew it was a lie and Shweta knew it. He missed Ali but he wasn't going to talk to him until he apologized. Neil got up, trying to avoid any statements about Ali from his mom. He took out his credit card from his cupboard and drove to Tisca's.
His insides gave a lurch as he saw Ali and her sitting together, sipping from the same mug. Just the sight made him feel strangely alone. "Hey! Neil!" Tisca was the one who noticed him first and got up from the couch to welcome him. Ali remained seated where he was, eyes sticking to the television screen. "Shopping for Britain. Must be damn cold." Neil spoke in a tone higher than he had intended to, trying to get Ali's attention.
"Of course-" She slapped her forehead in realization. "I forgot we were going there on a vacation." Neil heard Ali scoff and all he again wanted to do was break his face. Neil did not want to go on a vacation at this time.
"Okay, let's go." Tisca spoke quickly, trying to divert Neil's mind from Ali. "Dd will also join me." He informed. She shrugged and went to change while Neil took a seat at the couch, careful not to touch Ali.
Neil was dying to start a conversation with him and looked at him through the corner of his eyes but saw he didn't share the same urge as himself so Neil dropped the idea.
DD also came and joined them on the couch; being boys, they didn't bother to get ready but just waited for Tisca to come. When she did, they went to a shopping mall and bought sweaters, jackets, really thick ones because it was December, approximately 0 degree celsius. Neil and DD chose decent woolen sweaters, in bright and dull colours both and Neil made sure to buy a blue coloured one. He had met Avni once in a blue shirt and she loved it. They both had paid for their clothes and waited for Ali and Tisca to finish theirs. Seemingly, Tisca was done with her shopping as well but was fighting with Ali for his choice of clothes.
Neil took a closer look and burst out laughing. Ali was insisting on buying 3 sweaters with monkey printed on it and Tisca was urging him to not do so. Ali won the fight though, and bought them but Neil had a good laugh at his choice.
He diverged from both of them, taking DD with him to visit other parts of the mall. He came across a jewelry showroom and his eyes got stuck on a pair of jhumkas made of gold. He wanted to buy it for her ; he knew she would love it. Moreover, he owed her an apology so this might help. He paid for them and got them gift wrapped in a lovely golden wrapper and tucked them safely in his bag.
All the clocks seemed to have stopped working, time passed so slowly for Neil, eight days felt as if the day of their flight was never going to come. Neil brooded in his office, solving petty cases, while his mind was on her. He tried to look for her on internet but in vain. Finally, a day before his flight, while he was checking his visa, he realized that a lady named Neela Pareikh had adopted Avni. He started searching for her and found out that she was a businesswoman, a hell good one at that. He, however, couldn't manage to call her directly so he approached his Dad for help.
To his brilliant luck, he got to know that Neela Pareikh, was in fact, Prakash's business partner and both were loyal to each other. Prakash called Neela in front of Neil.
'Yes Neela Ji. Actually my son wanted to talk to you." Neil heard Prakash say and he gave the phone to him. Neil took it, feeling really nervous and went out of his dad's hearing range to have a secret conversation.
"Hi Neela Aunty.. I actually....er..-" "Hello Neil. I know all about you, my daughter told me." Neil had never heard a voice so kind and she knew about him already!
"I just wanted to..check on her...Is she fine?" Neil merely whispered, his heart thumping in his chest, he was afraid it might come out any time.
Neil heard Neela sigh on the other side of the phone and waited. "Physically yes. Mentally, no." She replied calmly. Neil was shocked to hear her calm voice. If Avni told all about him, this lady should have been yelling on her to mistreat her daughter.
Neil spoke nothing. He couldn't think of anything else to say.
"She is just distraught. For the first time she loved someone and...it didn't work out so well.." Neela spoke seeing that Neil didn't.
"I'm coming to London tomorrow, to make things right with her." Neil thought this was the best thing to speak.
"You'll have to find us Neil. Find us and I'll know you are the only one for her." This was strange for Neil. He had actually called for two things : to know if his love was alright and where she lived.
"Uh..don't you think you could just give your address to me?" Neil spoke awkwardly. "I could Neil. But if you really know her, you'll find her just like that. You don't need any address. You know what time of the year it is. She'll be there. She's not at our home anyways. And I think you got a fair idea where she is." Her words sounded like an ultimatum, and so was this end of phone call.
But Neil had a new hope to search for her! Because he really did have an idea where she was.
