A little thing called FIRST LOVE ft.Avneil

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Neil entered the hall, his eyes scanning the room as he greeted Neela with a respectful bow and took her blessings. His gaze darted around, but the one person he was searching for was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Avni?" he thought, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face.

Just then, Swetha called him from the kitchen. "Neil! Come here for a moment."

He walked over, curiosity etched on his face. "Yes, Mom?"

Swetha leaned closer and said softly, "Avni is in the garden with your father."

Neil frowned slightly, confused. "What are they doing in the garden?" he wondered aloud. Without waiting for an answer, he headed toward the garden door, his curiosity piqued.

As he stepped into the garden, the sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the breakfast table where Prakash and Avni sat. From the door, Neil could only see Avni's back and Prakash speaking to her.

Prakash noticed Neil standing at the door, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity. Catching Neil's eye, Prakash gave him a meaningful look and said, "Go and talk to her. She needs you."

He placed a reassuring hand on Neil's shoulder and walked back toward the house, leaving Neil to sort out whatever was bothering Avni.

Neil hesitated for a moment, watching Avni from behind. Then, with resolve, he walked over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Startled, Avni turned quickly, her heart skipping a beat when she saw him. "Neil!" she exclaimed, trying to mask her unease.

"Avni," Neil began, his voice calm but probing, "what's going on? What were you and Dad talking about?"

Avni quickly averted her gaze, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "No... nothing," she stammered, clearly flustered. "Just some boring business talks."

Neil's brows furrowed. Her tone, her body language—everything about her screamed that she was hiding something. If this had been any other day, Avni would have retorted with her usual defiance, something along the lines of, Why should I tell you? But this overly defensive response only deepened Neil's suspicions.

"Avni," he said softly, stepping closer, "if something's bothering you, you know you can talk to me, right?"

"There's nothing to talk about," she replied quickly, her voice unconvincing. Avoiding his eyes, she grabbed her bag and hurried toward the house, leaving Neil standing there, watching her retreating figure.

Neil remained rooted in place, his mind swirling with thoughts. "Something is wrong," he muttered to himself. "Avni wouldn't behave like this if everything were normal."

Determined to find out the truth, he turned and followed her back into the house.

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After lunch, Avni sat quietly at the dining table, waiting for the right moment to excuse herself. Finally, she leaned toward Neela and whispered, "Ma, I'll leave now. I have a meeting in the evening."

Neela nodded. "Okay, go."

Avni stood up, brushing her outfit smooth. She smiled at everyone and said, "Bye, everyone."

Just as she turned to leave, Neela's voice stopped her. "Arey, Avni! If you take the car, how will we get home? We all came in one car, remember?"

Avni paused, realizing the oversight. "Oh... right. Okay, I'll just book a cab instead. Riya, here—take the car keys." She handed the keys to her sister.