Avneil FF

Chapter 25

Apologies for the late update, but I just haven't felt like writing these days! I didn't want to leave the story incomplete so I'm updating this part. Its not turned out great but at least it's completed now.  Also a small part of this chapter was inspired by a scene and dialogues from another TV show I really enjoyed- EKDV. So there could be some resemblance to that scene. 

The next morning avni was up super early. She was on a mission afterall! She knew that Ali worked on Sundays too but only from 10 to 2. So she had to make plans around that. She knew that Ali was very upset and she was in for an uphill task but she had to start somewhere. So early morning she had set off and she was outside ali's house ringing the doorbell. But he looked throught the peephole and saw it was her and went back in without opening the door.

Avni banged on the door- Ali, please open the door na! dekh jab tak tu mujhse baat nahi karega main shor machaungi so please come out na!

Accha dekh I have something for you

Ali, I'm sorry. Open the door ya!

Finally a neighbour popped his head out of the window in the adjoining flat and said- madam ye kya Sunday subah subah noise pollution kar rahe ho! Yahan baaki log bhi hai! He yelled at her and went in.

Avni looked around exploring her options and then got to it. She put all the stuff in her backpack and scaled the wall using the pipe outside to ali's first floor apartment and tried opening the window to his room, but it was latched fom inside. She banged on the window....ali! she yelled.

But ali just looked at her, shook his head, pulled the curtains and left the room.

Avni came back down and went to the door again. She slid in many notes wih sorry scribbled on each of them under the door but ali was not opening the door.

After sliding in 20 notes she was now at a loss. As per her plan by now ali would have opened the door, but he was not budging. She sat on the railing knowing that he had to come out before 9 because he would go to chamko café to get things ready.

Finally when the door cracked open and ali came out, avni rushed to him but he was too quick. He whizzed away on his bike.

Avni followed him to the café and tried following him around but he sternly told her not to bother him during business hours. But avni was not bogged down. She got all the café workers and soon even some customers to hep her out. Every half an hour ali would be handed a sorry note, flowers, ladoos, etc by one of them! But ali was not showing any signs of melting.

Meanwhile neil had also come to the café to see what was going on and he looked at avni who frowned and nodded her head. Neil quickly texted her to keep trying and that he would try to talk to ali meanwhile.

Avni tried her next trick. A few minutes later they all heard music. Everyone looked here and there till they realised that it was coming from above. Avni was on top of one of the branches on the tree near the pond in chamko café.

Avni played Sorry by Justin Bieber and stood on top of the branch holding a sorry placard with one hand and holding her ear with the other pouting at ali.

Ali-loudly said, arey kya bakwaas gaane bajate hai log! Such poor taste in music -he taunted loudly

Avni immediately changed the track to some old favorites- things that both Ali and Avni grew up listening to- Backstreet Boys, ricky martin, etc.

Ali was getting nostalgic listening to all their old fav songs but he was keeping up the facade.

Neil meanwhile went up to ali and said yaar, maaf karde na. bechaari kabse sorry bol rahi hai. Shes up on a tree yaar...gir vir gayi toh, he told ali worriedly

Ali- oh please. Tu uski side mat le! She's a pro at climbing trees. She wont fall, she will only push others off! Fracture hote hote rah gaya tha mera he said shaking his head! (he mentally smiled at the childhood memory of when avni had by mistake pushed him off the tree when they were 8 years old!)

Avni was running out of ideas now. She had thought that ali would definitely have melted by now but he was not even looking at her. She climbed back down and marched to ali. She pulled him harshly by the collar and yelled- problem kya hai teri, kabse sorry bol rahi hoon! what do you want me to do haan? I know that I didn't discuss with you about the investors but I was only trying to help!

Ali- Exactly Avni he yelled back- you are not sorry. You still think you were right. I don't want to be your charity case!

Avni- was angry now- ye kya charity charity laga rakha hai haan? Tujhe seriously lagta hai ki I'm helping you because I think of you as a charity case

Ali- YES! He screamed

Avni- yelling back- Well you are wrong! I was doing everything because I felt like I'm a terrible friend...ever since I came back with all the drama in my life you have stood by me but I haven't done anything for you. So I was just hoping that I could also be of some use to you too...the investors I suggested your business to didn't know you were my friend. I just casually told them about your cafe. They genuinely saw potential in your proposal. I know that you feel like you are getting their investment because I recommended it but that's not the case. They had been checking out various places and yours was just one of them...Ya I told them about your cafe but that's all I did! Everything else is because of your hardwork...they want to invest in you Ali. Ya I know I should have mentioned it to you but honestly I didn't think that far...

Both of them just stared at each other silently for a while. Ali let her words sink in...he didn't know that she was feeling guilty that she wasn't a good friend...but he still felt cheated that the investors didn't find him and had been guided there by Avni's suggestion.

Ali- in a firm tone- Avni I don't like taking your help

Avni- angrily- oh really? You're talking as if you have never taken my help in the past! You don't LIKE my help na...so why didn't you say so jab bachpan main tum mujhse apna homework karavte the, Meri "help" ke bina toh tum aaj tak 3rd standard main hi hote! Meri "help" ke bina tum aaj tak supporting wheels laga ke cycle chala raha hota! Bachpan main tum haq se mere paas apni har choti badi problem leke aate the..tab toh kabhi nahi kaha ki I don't LIKE your help! Toh ab kya hogaya?! She finished her rant !

Ali stood speechless.

Avni just sat down on a nearby chair holding her head in her hands

Finally Ali broke the silence in a soft whisper- After you left I had no one to help me avni. Mujhe apna homework khud karna padta tha, apne exams main khud paas hona padta tha- he chuckled ruefully... pahle jab bhi problem main hota sochta tha ki avni hoti toh kya bolti, kya karti. It took a really long time but I finally learnt to do things myself because you weren't there.

Avni- got up and held ali's hands- But now I'm back Ali... I have been back for a while now. And now roles have reversed. Ab main har baat pe tujhe help ke liye bolti hoon and you never need me at all! I miss the way things used to be yaar....I know that this time tumhaare self respect ko maine thes pahunchayi because I didn't discuss it with you and I am truly sorry Ali but please don't label my care and concern as charity and pretence! Please...tum toh mere best friend ho...She finished with tears

When ali noticed the tears in her eyes he couldnt stop himself from giving her a hug. Accha..shh... please rona band kar yaar! – he said to her while still holding her.

But avni was still sniffling

Ali- avni please stop crying varna tera husband mujhe jail me daal dega tumhe rulane ke jurm main! He joked

This got avni to crack a smile and she pulled back and gave him a whack before she hugged him back.

Neil had been watching with a smile the friends finally resolving the conflict. He was highly amused at how avni had finally fought some more to actually resolve their fight! Everyday she proved to him why she was an ajooba! He had a big grin on his face looking at them.

Ali- looked at neil and said- vahaan khade rah ke smile hi karega kya? Come here, group hug- he called to him and neil joined in too.

and All's well that ends well!