Neil: More than being brother and sister, we were best... No, only friends because had I been her best friend.... (He grew silent)
Anger was clearly visible in his eyes... She wondered why?
_______________________________________
He took a deep breath to calm himself.
Neil: She used to understand how I feel, what I think, what I'm going through... All by herself.. maybe that's how siblings are like... When I was out for my detective training, I decided I'll learn mentalism as well... Which took extra years of me staying away from my home, my family... But it was my decision and I didn't want to crib about anything... That's how I am... you know me...
She smiled and nodded...
Flashback (on the call)
Nisha: So tell me bro how much do you miss us??
Neil: Miss who? You? Hahahahaha... I'm very happy to stay away from a devil like you.
Nisha: Ahhh you liar.. you even miss my 'oh so lovely' photography.
Neil: Tere liye bilkul perfect naam hai yeh.. devil!!
Nisha: You are no less .. and stop pretending... I know you miss all of us.. infact you miss the whole Mumbai!! So, aapki yeh jo "I'm not affected" wali baatein hain naa, mujhpe nahi chalengi!!
Neil: How do you get to know it everytime?
Nisha: Ab mai hoon hi itni amazing!!! 😎
Neil (chuckled): I don't know.. I am actually enjoying these new things, new environment, new knowledge... But family is family.. Ofcourse I'm missing mom dad.. home... Mumbai...
Delhi is cool but...
Nisha: Hey!! Mera naam kyun nahi liya? Mujhe miss nahi kar rahe?
Neil: I told you already... I'm very happy to stay away from you!!
Nisha: Yeah yeah... One day you'll miss me and won't be able to meet... Tab dekhenge!!
Neil: What?
Nisha: When I'll get married!!
Neil: I pity that boy already!!
Nisha: Shut up bro!! You're the worsttt!! MOMMM LOOK AT HIMMMM
Flashback ends
He had a smile on his lips which clearly failed to hide the sadness in his eyes this time. Mini held his hand to assure him to speak further.
Neil: My parents were of those kind... They wanted both of us to be independent, not just financially or emotionally you know... But also be independent of our decisions, and take responsibility of it. They never imposed their choices on us, instead they forced us to think, introspect and take decisions by ourselves. Tum jaanti ho about me, my journey... Whereas Nisha wanted to be a photographer, toh woh Patiala shift ho gayi.
Mini: Is that the reason... Tumhare Patiala aane ka?
Neil: Yes...
Mini: And, on that day... too?
She kind of hesitated to bring in the topic of the day they met first because she knew he too, doesn't have good memories attached to it, but she also wanted him to get relieved of all those suppressed feelings, so she asked him. Neil noticed that hesitation in her expression..
Neil: You don't need to have second thoughts before asking anything to me, Mini... And about that day, yes, I came there to meet her. She was staying in the college hostel and as I told you, she was very outgoing... She used to go to parties, gatherings, shopping, night outs... Which is all fine.. until she became irresponsible. I was unaware of all this but when I visited Mumbai during my vacations...
Flashback (over the call)
Neil's dad: Look Nisha, you are very precious to me and I want the best for you always. Please understand, you need to be very careful these days with people.
Nisha: But dad, yeh toh mai humesha se karti aa rahi hoon naa... Then what's the problem now?
Neil's mom: Problem yeh hai ki tu apne batchmates par jitna trust karti hai, utna woh deserve nahi karte beta. You yourself need to take care of you.
Nisha: Oh God!! What's wrong with both of you? I'm not a kid anymore, I know public dealing. Anyways, I don't wanna talk about it!! Bye. (Disconnected)
Flashback ends
Neil: Uske friends se mile the mom dad. And you know how parents are... They just get to know how a person is in a single glance. So they tried to warn her but in vain. And I... I was not taking any action because mom dad always told me to give her all the space and to not interfere in her matters... Though this time I desperately wanted to... And how I wish I would have done that but....
Tears rolled down his cheeks... But he wiped them off ... Looking down...
Neil: Then one day, she didn't call at the usual time.... We thought she might be busy with her projects, we tried to contact her but the number went off. Mom dad were tensed... Dad, being a bureaucrat, tried all the possible sources, through which we got to know that she had gone out with her friends a day before, but the venue was unknown. We waited till the evening... But there was not a single message from her side... Then I decided to go to Patiala. She told me once that her whole group goes to a mall quite often.. I tried looking for her... But... I found you.
He smiled amidst the tears. As the realisation sinked in, Mini just felt that she has fallen in love with him all over again... He was so disturbed that day because of this huge problem in his family, but still when he saw her in that condition, he chose to help her first. He never left her alone that day... Gave her hope that all will be fine, when he too needed to hear it from someone. Her eyes welled up as she wondered why people weren't as kind as him? So selfless, so pure.... It was like she wanted to say a lot ... Utter thanks to him for a thousand times more but words didn't come out... She just stared blankly at him...
Neil: When I was in that basement, I recieved a text from Papa about her location...
Mini: You got it before we met... Why didn't you just leave Neil? You wasted so much time in dropping me home... Things could have worsened...
Neil: Mini ... Tumhe wahan chhod ke mai Nisha ko bacha bhi leta toh for what? I would have blamed myself for my entire life.. and anyway, I was not late.. you know that party club near your home in Patiala...
Mini: Are you talking about that Hangover Discotheque?
He nodded....
Neil: She was all alone there with 5 bloody creeps.. and I was just on time... Papa had already informed the police and they also came .. we were about to save her but... That incident shocked her to the core...
Mini closed her eyes as she literally felt her pain... Hell!! She had been through similar situation... Even worst..
Neil: Later, humein pata chala, some people started fighting in between the party... because these 5 were literally messing with every girl out there... All of her friends ran away, leaving her alone in that drunken state... I know it was her mistake, she should have been careful but .. friends do have some responsibilities, don't they? (Mini nodded) and to hell with friendship.... for the sake of humanity, but no!! People are so selfish that their whole world revolves around themselves only. Infact, they are not humans, just selfish robots who are programmed to work for their own survival. (He shaked his head in disgust) I brought her back to Mumbai.. in this house... amidst her family.. But she was not able to forget that.. touch, those flashes... Those faces... And also the betrayal of her so called friends, they left her when she needed them the most.. Lekin usse zyada, woh iss guilt mein thi ki usne mom dad ki baat nahi maani.. though we never made her feel that way... We gave her all the space yet made her feel special.
Mini: Phir?
Neil: Phir....
The sadness in his eyes was evident.
Precap: The tragic end of Neil's family.
Happy Reading ❤️
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'Cause You're My HOME | A MiNeil Fanfiction | Patiala Babes | SouNoor
Fanfiction"She tried calling him, but she lost her voice as soon as she realised she doesn't even know his name... All she could see was HIM, going away from her... Not even for once he turned, he just walked and walked until she couldn't see him... And at th...
