A little thing called FIRST LOVE ft.Avneil

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The next morning, Avni walked quietly into the kitchen, the cool air a brief solace from the restless sleep that had plagued her. As she reached for a glass of water, Neela hurried in, bustling around in the midst of her morning rush.

"Avni, I'm running late. Could you please help me with the vegetables? I'll start cooking soon," Neela asked, her tone fraught with urgency as she glanced at the clock.

"Of course, no problem," Avni replied, a soft but firm response that almost felt automatic. She set the glass aside and moved toward the pile of vegetables, her fingers working quickly as she cleaned them. For a moment, the kitchen felt like a familiar rhythm—a quiet escape from the storm inside her.

As she grabbed a brinjal to cut, the knife slipped and sliced across her skin, right at the edge of her nail. She gasped in pain, pulling her hand back, the sting sharp and immediate.

"Avni!" Neela's voice was filled with concern, her eyes widening as she rushed toward her daughter. "Are you okay?"

For a split second, Avni felt the world pause. The throbbing in her finger, the sight of the small cut—everything else seemed to vanish. The weight of what had happened with Sanjay, the suffocating fear, the feeling of helplessness—it all dissolved, even if just for a fleeting moment. All that existed was this cut, this ordinary pain, something she could control.

She looked up at Neela and forced a smile. "I'm fine, Maa. It's just a small cut. Nothing to worry about."

Neela's face remained tense with worry, but Avni waved it off. "I'll manage, really. Besides, I'm bored of sitting around all day. Let me help you. It'll be good for me to do something." Her voice held a lightness that felt foreign, as if she were trying to convince herself as much as her mother.

"Avni, but—" Neela began, the worry still clouding her voice.

"Please, Maa," Avni interrupted gently but firmly, not allowing space for further concern. "It's nothing. Let me do this."

Neela sighed, her protective instincts battling with her daughter's quiet determination. But seeing the resolve in Avni's eyes, she relented with a nod, though the worry didn't leave her gaze.

As Avni resumed cutting the vegetables, her hands moving steadily despite the bandage around her finger, she felt a quiet resolve build within her. It wasn't just about the vegetables—it was about regaining control, about doing something with her hands, something that made her feel like herself again. Even if the pain of that night was still there, lurking beneath the surface, for now, she could handle this. One small cut, one step forward.

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As the sun began to rise higher in the sky, Sunheri made her way through the streets, phone in hand, as she directed Neil toward Avni's house. Neil had never been there before, so Sunheri was guiding him step by step.

"Take the left here," Sunheri instructed, glancing around to ensure she was leading him the right way.

Neil, on the other side of the call, was walking quickly, nervous energy in his every step. His mind raced, thinking about Avni, about what she must be going through. The tension in his voice was clear. "How is she doing, Sunheri?"

Sunheri hesitated, glancing down at the ground. "She's... not okay, Neil. She zones out a lot. She's quiet. But don't worry, we'll get through to her. We have to."

Neil's silence in response spoke volumes. He was worried, more than worried, and Sunheri could feel the heaviness of his guilt even through the phone.

"Turn right at the end of this road. Avni's house is the second one on the left," Sunheri added, her voice softening as she neared the house herself. "I'm almost there. Wait for me outside."