LIES

51. THE GIFT

It had been  2 weeks since Neil came back to Birla mansion, and so much happened since then yet things had been the same for Neil, and he made sure to apologize to everyone he upset in the past couple of days, and to his surprise everyone went easy on him, well almost everyone, harshwardhan birla still haven't talked to him but he didn't insult him in the meantime so Neil will take it as progress but as Abhimanyu said to him its nothing but his act to come in good books of everyone again

And there is Nishta who cried as much as his mother, she initially didn't talk to him until Neil had to make a promise of never leaving without informing her ever again, oh yeah a nasty fire broke out in the hospital end of the last week when Neil finally decided to join the hospital, on the very same day that happened and Neil has been busy with that only, so many lives are affected by that accidental fire, Neil has been managing the rebuilt of that affected part or area of the hospital and just this morning he got appreciation claps and nod from his family for the hard work he is been putting into this project, even harsh uncle clapped for him that too genuine one.

Among so many changes, one thing hasn't changed for him, the radio silence between him and aarohi well not complete silence, as soon Neil entered his room after entering Birla mansion and his heartfelt apology to everyone he messaged her
"All went well here considering the situation, I think I will be fine here"
Aarohi quickly sent a thumbs-up with a message immediately after
"Glad to hear that, now I think we shouldn't talk here or anywhere for a while"
"I think we can be friends here and talk however you want; complete cutting off is not friendship; we could be just friends. That's all I am asking ", Neil replied with desperation visible through his words.

"you know we are more than that, a lot more than what just friends are. Your hugs were a little more warm and a little longer than they needed to be Your eyes, were a little too honest your words a little too genuine, and the way you looked at me every time, was  a little too pure for us to be just friends"
"we can never be close and settle for just friends, that's not us, so it's better we don't stay in touch anywhere " replied aarohi pouring everything into words, and that's the last conversation they had, which  Neil couldn't even reply

He just read her message and did not reply, not even a single thumbs up okay, which bothered aarohi in the initial hours, they may had eye contact in the hospital, and Neil and aarohi both reached out to each other after the fire and asked if both were ok, just a nod that's it for them

Aarohi needed to do this for herself, not because of what happened but also to protect Neil from her and the pain coming with it as she knew she was again going to that forbidden path, and she didn't want to drag Neil along with her.

Akshara didn't ask Neil about that conversation between him and aarohi, not that she is still suspicious but because of how finally things are coming back to normal, and even for a week if it's going to be normal then she will take that, she planned on asking or interrogating him after sometimes, but with the fire incident in hospital, she has been caught into it abhi hand is injured kept her busy itself and not seeing Neil around much made that completely slip her mind.

It's Neil's birthday today, and this year it's different, Everyone at his home wishes him well, and he also being aware of a surprise party happening at night, it's written all over the faces of his family members

As the day unfolded, Neil found himself enveloped in well-wishes and warm gestures, an outpouring of affection that felt foreign, yet strangely comforting. His mother orchestrated a pooja, a tradition that was held each year, but the thing that made his 25th birthday different from the previous one was, For the first time, his father, Harshvardhan Birla, extended genuine wishes, a gesture that seemed to carry a weight of unspoken sentiment. There was a moment that, held a significance he couldn't quite describe.