SECRETs (Not edited)

Past 8

  "Are you serious?" I asked Avni once we were out of the building and I took the job of driving the bike. I couldn't trust Avni with this, while she was already working on the brilliant idea of getting us killed.

"About what?"
Avni asked, sounding lost in her own train of thoughts. It was seriously pissing me off.
"WHAT THE FREAKING HELL ARE YOU THINKING?" I shouted, stopping the bike.

Hearing that, Avni shook her head, as if she was getting her mind cleared. Hope so, she gets that ridiculous data of joining the ISB out of her head too. Will save me a lot of energy, that would be wasted otherwise in persuading her.

"It wasn't important. Why did you stop? Get moving." I started up the bike knowing well enough that she wasn't going to open her pretty little mouth.

"I am joining in."
I heard Avni mumble after a few minutes. That data didn't get erased?

"You what?" I asked shocked, looking at Avni from the rear view mirror. Gone are my energy.

"I am joining in with the agency." she repeated seriously, "and you are not.q " she ended.

"Wow!!" I smirked.
"Who are you to take my decision? How could you even think, I am going to let you go in there alone? You have to be insane to even think that in your wildest dreams."
I couldn't even explain how I was feeling. She had no idea what she means to me and she choose to walk off?

"You are going to listen to me Abhi. And I don't want to hear a 'no'" she said firmly.
"I know you don't want to join in. And so I request you, not to push yourself in because of me. I desperately want to do this. There are reasons behind it. You don't have any."

"Ya right, you seem to hold in quite a lot of secrets, Avni. And no, I have a reason.." I scowled accelerating the bike, fuming in anger.
"For the first time, I felt myself connecting to something other than hardware. And that's this. Don't bloody think that you are the only one dying for adventure, I am loving it too. I just don't show. I am joining in too, whether you want it or not."

"Do whatever you want." she started after sometime. "But don't dare say later that, I dragged you into this. You have a freaking choice to leave."

By that time, we had already returned to college. Before I could open my mouth to defend, she jumped off the bike and went towards her room. I am not letting you go sweetheart.

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**AVNI**

  Avni was lying flat on the bed of her hostel room, staring wide eyed at the white ceiling. Her eyes getting watery, but that time she let it flow. Those were her tears, that she didn't want to hold anymore. She never showed that weak side to anyone.. She was strong.. and she always will be, no matter what others thought, no matter what her father thought.. her mother knew that she was strong- her strong Avni, her strong baby.

"Maa, where is dad? When will he come?" Avni called out to her mom.

"He is at work, dear." her mother answered back from the kitchen.
"Go to bed. No need of waiting for daddy. He will come."

But Avni was Avni, she dragged a chair near the main door and sat on it, looking at the clock on the wall, she pointed her little finger towards it, counting the time.

Soon later, she heard the doorbell ring. Avni hurriedly jumped down from the chair, and rushed towards the door.
"I am coming." she shouted, jumping to reach the door lock.

Her mother came beside her and opened the lock, patted her head softly and smiled before turning back to the kitchen.

When Avni saw her dad enter, she squealed in delight and started twirling herself around him, displaying him her new pink barbie frock.

Her dad looked at her grimly and without a word went to his room and slammed the door shut.

Avni jumped at the noise and stopped dancing. She stared at the closed door, wondering whether to go in or stay put. She turned her head, starting to go to her room when, she saw her mom standing at the kitchen doorway, watching her. She rushed to her mother's arms.
"Is daddy tired? Angry? Should I go to him?" she asked.
Her mother shook her head "No baby, I will look into it. Now be a good girl, go to your room and sleep. Okay?" her mother kissed her forehead, and went towards her room.

Avni stood in the hallway for a moment and then decided to bade her parents goodnight. Once outside her parent's bedroom, she heard her mother's voice mentioning her name. She leaned her head against the half open door, straining her ear to listen to her parents. Thinking they were planning her birthday. 

"Why do you behave like that with Avni?" she heard her mother ask. Not her birthday planning then.
"Why are you behaving so cold to her? She needs your love too. She is our daughter."

"Ya, right." her father growled. "She is our DAUGHTER. That's the f*cking reason I hate her. I never wanted a daughter and you know that well enough. She is such a weakling. She couldn't even protect herself from the neighbour who almost raped her."

"Why blame her for that? She was just nine." her mother asked exasperated. "How could she have protected herself?"

"And now? She is twelve but yet she is a coward, totally unsociable."

"Can't you see? She is scared, she is not brave enough to face this world. Don't you see she opens herself only to us. She hardly laughs. She is drowning herself in darkness. If we don't support and help her, who will? " her mother cried.
Avni could feel her eyes tearing. She couldn't forget that terrible day nor that neighbour. She thought she could hide her pain well enough. But she forgot, that her mother knew her inside out, how could she hide it from her?

"Haa!! So what?" her father started coldly.
"I always wanted a boy. A male heir to carry out my name. But you gave me a good for nothing girl. I hate her. For all I know she might end up in the brothel some day."
Avni could feel the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She never knew that her father hated her so much. She thought he was tired, every time. She thought maybe one day he will love her.

"Its you!! YOU ARE WEAK..NOT SHE. SHE IS STRONG. She is my strong Avni. Just wait till she grows up. She will show you what she can really do. She will be far better than you. She will...." before her mother could complete, her father raised his hand and smacked her mom right across the face. Her mother fell down crying. Her father pulled her up and threw her on the bed.
"This will teach you not to speak back." he growled tearing her mother's dress.

Avni ran back to her room. She couldn't bear to see anymore. She couldn't bear the hatred anymore. Her father hated her.. her mother cried because of her. Her father was treating her mother like that neighbour treated her. She sat down on the floor of her room, wrapped her arms around her knees, laying her head on her lap, she cried. She is strong- she is her mother's strong Avni. She will show her father. She won't land up in the bad place that her father said. But how could she do that alone. No! She wasn't alone. She had her Maa. Her mother will help her. She will be her guide.

Five days after that incident her mother died, with that she lost her guiding light. She lost her only hope. 

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Avni felt her eyes becoming heavy. Her head ached with the painful memories. She would be a secret agent. She would be the son her father wanted- she loved her father. She would prove herself to her to father. Maybe then, she will be loved.

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Ta da!! What a longgggg update lovely readers.

Another secret got unfolded. I know it was depressing but Avni's life isn't a fairy tale after all. I updated a long chapter as I won't be updating for a long time as my exams are knocking and it will enter even if I don't open the door.

Please do vote, comment and share. I love your support and love whatever you comment. 

Thank you Soumili for the awesome encouragement.. Love you..

Happy Reads!!