AVNEIL

Chapter 1 - Part 2

       He reminded her of someone.

     "You ruined my car." he jabbed his finger at her.

     Then it struck her. Neil Khanna.

     Her face turned pale, her stomach cringed, and the images from her high school years flashed before her eyes and made her blood boil inside. She was scared and angry at the same time but didn't show it. Couldn't even, too transfixed to make any movement.

     Please don't let him remember me. She prayed.

     "You wrecked my car, are you freaking blind?" His eyes travelled from her tousled hair, washed up jeans and down to her dusty sneakers. His upper lips curled up and gave her a dirty look.

     "It was an accident, the car just came out of nowhere." The words came out almost with difficulty.

     Neil took out his phone. "What's your name?"

     "Avni Ayesha ." Shoot. She would have given him a fake name. Her lips were quick to answer before her brain could work on a lie.

     A flash of light from his phone blinked at her. "Did...Did you just take my picture?"

     "Just in case I may need a wanted poster...or a mug shot." He disappeared right back into the car.

     She felt her stomach tighten and swallowed a string of profanities as she watched him drive off. Avni pushed her broken down bike along the pavement back to the familiarities of her neighbourhood. The street was barely wide enough for two cars to pass in opposite directions and when people parked, it was an obstacle course for pedestrians and drivers alike. She sauntered along the derelict buildings that stood like rows of broken teeth and stopped in her tracks in front of a building.

      The roof had been neglected for decades passed its intended life span, the building was far more than old but utterly dilapidated, and Avni noticed the birch wood door was left hanging on a single hinge. When everyone saw ramshackle all she saw was her restaurant. She had pleaded with the owner to wait for her while she gathered enough money to buy the building and have refurbished it to her dream restaurant.

      Everybody will come far and wide to taste the food of Chef Avni Ayesha. Her smile soon faded when she recalled the event of earlier that day. If only she made her delivery, then her savings would have increase but now she had lost her most valued customer and met Neil Khanna again. Could this day get any worse? According to her daily horoscope it was supposed to be the best day of her life but it turned out to be anything but that.

     Anger boiled deep in her system, as hot as lava. It churned within as she continued her way to a small diner, huddled despondent among the huge city buildings. She tossed her bicycle helmet onto the table and took a seat in front of the girl. Mitali, her best friend and only person she could vent to.

     "Good you are back. You won't believe this so, I was on my way to the orphanage today and Isigned you up for this date contest." Mitali's voice went high with excitement.

      "That jerk!" steamed blew off from Avni's ears. "What a rich brat, of all the people in this town, I had to meet him again.

     "Avni had two moods, today must be dialled to bad, which doesn't happen as often, and days like this Mitali would donate her ears if she could.

      "Someone is having a bad day," Mitali murmured putting the television on mute. Then noticed a scrap on her elbow. "What happened to you? Did you fall from that metal scrap you call a bicycle?"

     Avni turned to look at the grazed up elbow, she must have injured herself from the accident, and it had happened so fast that she didn't realized she was hurt. "The brake failed and I hit a car."

     "You did what?!"

      She gave a dismissive wave. "Never mind, he deserve it anyway. Because of that jerk I lost my customer. The only one that happens to eat my pastries from that rich neighbourhood. I swear he is bad luck."

     Mitali shifted in her seat. "I don't understand didn't you just say your brakes failed, why are you blaming someone else?"

     "I never told you this but the real reason I drop out of school was because of him, Neil Khanna." Avni leaned forward and explained everything to her friend. How much Neil would make fun of her in school and verbally bullied her. School was the only place she had to escape from her father but he successfully made it hell for her.

     "He practically made me an outcast in school."

     Mitali blinked a couple more times before she spoke. "Neil as in the heir to Khanna industries and most wanted bachelor, that Neil?"

     "Yes, as in the jerk that didn't even have the courtesy to remember me."

     Avni sworn, if they met again, she would make him regret what he did to her in the past. People like Neil and her father were the reason she became the woman she was, closed off. Scared to love and trust.

     She expelled a short breath, pushed off some loose hair from her face and was determined not let her the rest day be ruined by him. Besides what are the chances that they would ever come to face to face with him again?

     "Mitali, did you mentioned something about signing me up for date?"

     "Did I?" Mitali played with her necklace. "No, I said a late contest why would you think I said date?" She glinted at the magazine that sat on the table displaying Neil's picture, closed it,and curled it up into a tight tube. Thankfully Avni was too deep in her own world and hadn't realise there was a contest on which the winner would go on a date with Neil khanna.

      Unfortunately, for her, Mitali signed Avni up on a date with her enemy.

     "Oh!" Avni banged the table.

     "Jesus Christ!" Mitali jumped.

     "Ali is coming back tomorrow." Avni beamed.

     "Really? It's been a while since he came back. You must be excited." Mitali noticed the look on her friend face was like that of a child on Christmas morning. Avni had long since been head over heels for Ali and it pained grace that her feelings were not reciprocated. How can a man be so oblivious? Or does he really not consider Avni as a woman?

     "I know what you are thinking? Look I'm perfectly happy even if he doesn't know about my feelings, Ali has done a lot for me as long as I can stay be his side I will be contented."

     Mitali forced a smile. She had nothing against Ali, he was a very good man but he definitely didn't seem to be the relationship type. Avni had lived a hard life and she wanted for her friend is to experience love for the first time.

     She looked down to the folded up magazine she had hid. Maybe Neil Khanna can do just that since they have met. But Avni already hates him. Should she then inform her about the contest? No. besides what are the chances that Avni might win?   

TO BE CONTINUED...

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