Ghayab- Avneil SS

Surprise

Hope your Christmas was nice. I will probably end this story in  a few parts. Here is more

Part Nineteen 

When Avni showed up first for lunch the following day, she was surprised to see her Dadi simply brush past her. It didn't really hurt because she knew she had never been her favorite even when her parent had been alive. Had she followed the path Dayawanti Mehta wanted her to in her teens, she would have at least inquired into her health now and not simply ignored her presence.

Avni merely sighed and entered Neela Ma's house only to find her mother pacing the hallway and utterly angry.

"Ma kya hua? Did you and Dadi fight again?," she asked knowingly.

Neela stopped her pacing and blew out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Twenty years ago when she promised a worried Ayesha that she would care for Avni as her own she never imagined she would have to fight Dayawanti to stay out of Avni's life so many times.

She wanted to give Avni what she had given up on several years ago and what fate had unfairly snatched from Ayesha. Avni of all the people she knew deserved to be happy and live a fulfilled life unlike her biological and foster mothers.

For Avni no matter how much Neela tried to hide the tension it always seemed to seep through the cracks of a wall Neela tried to build up over the years.

Avni would be thirty in a week. The time had come to remind Neela it was okay to let go.

"Ma whatever it is, relax. I am old enough to fight my battles," Avni said as she sat Neela down.

"Paagli you are all I have. It is very difficult for me to let her disturb your happiness," Neela spat out.

Neela despite being her foster mother was quite young. She could have married and had children of her own years ago but she still hadn't.

"Ma you have held back your dreams for me. I know earlier it was for both me and Aman, but later on things changed. Maybe you should do something for yourself now," she suggested.

Neela simply glared back at Avni with a mixture of shock, admiration and love. This poor girl had nearly lost everything three months ago. Here she was worried about her.

" You know what I really want Avni?," Neela asked softly.

"Jee Ma boliye."

"Let me mother you even though you are all grown up. Let me be the Nani to your children. My happiness will always lie with you and Neil," she declared.

Avni could not stop the tears from her eyes. How she wished she told Neela to move on years ago. Maybe she would have still had a chance to have a real family. But now Neela had declared that it was her and Neil she cared about.

They hugged each other.

They pulled back as Neil entered.

"Did I interrupt a mother-daughter moment?"

They giggled and tried each other's tears.

" No Neil we were having an emotional conversation. Chalo let's all have lunch," she muttered.

Neela had prepared Indo-Chinese for lunch. Neil praised her cooking and Avni agreed to come over one day to learn how to make it all.

Neela quietly left them alone as she messaged Shweta for updates about the plan. DD called Neil about a case and left soon after leaving Avni alone waiting to say good-bye to her mother.

Neela tried to hide her smile when she met Avni back in the living room. She handed Avni a package and told her to go get ready.

Riya arrived with a hair dresser and stormed into Avni's old room to get her ready.

DD and Ali handed Neil a package which he realized had to be a tux.

" Guys what is this for?"

"It is to celebrate you solving the biggest case of your life Neil!," Ali declared.

Meanwhile Avni could not believe how different she looked. Under Riya and Neela Ma's instructions she had been done up as if she was getting married or something again. The white gown complimented her figure despite her losing some weight the past few months. Now she recalled Bebe was worried about her being too thin this morning. Of course they probably used her old measurements for the gown.

Neela and Riya led her to a church a few hours later. It was now 5pm. Avni gasped as she saw Neil, Ali, DD and the Khanna family already waiting for her there.

This was the white wedding she dreamed of as a teenager. She tried not to cry as she was led down the aisle by Neela.

She looked warmly at everyone before peering up at her husband and whispered , "Did you know?"

He merely shook his head in reply.

The priest had them say their vows. He lifted the veil and kissed her deeply. She blushed as he pulled back, but gave him a chaste kiss on his cheek. His hand caressed her waist and he kissed her forehead.

They had a desi style reception. It was nearly eleven pm when they entered their bedroom. Neil locked the door behind them.

Avni smiled at him as she removed some jewelry and accessories.

"Aap ke irade nekin nahin lagre Acp saab," she teased.

He pulled her in as he helped her out with her dress.

"Are you are ready to be a prisoner in my heart for the rest of our lives?," he asked huskily.

She smiled brightly before caressing his chin.

" If I wasn't I would never agreed the first time around let alone the second," she replied before leaning in for a kiss.