If she hated him again?

Part 14

Avni allowed herself to be pulled. She was so lost for words and actions as Neil brewed up all her memories up above. Finally something brought her to her senses. The first ride. The Carousel. It seemed pretty stupid for two parents to ride on that dunky horse. But Neil didn't seem self conscious. He was so shameless or maybe just eager to discover her. Avni tried sitting, scoffing and turning red in embarrassment by each passing moment. When things turned pretty embarrassing for her she got up and dragged him along with her. "Hey..I was about to.." He started. "Neil. Stop. And shut up. That ride isn't meant for us." She chided him for his stupidness. He just put that annoying grin on his face and continued. "Avni look this park and all the rides and meant for all of us. We can easily sit and ride along in a circular motion, protruding out our legs and screaming Yaa hoo.. See just like this." He did a funny movement and Avni decided to play along for a while. Maybe this would make her more open. And she didn't want Neil to think of himself as an outsider to her. She nodded and they again tried. Avni started to smile and it soon changed into a full fledged laughter. She didn't know when she was changing into her sophisticated personality. Seeing his stupid grins, she laughed even more and started kicking his legs while he dodged and soon they both were looking like swordsmen on a kiddy horse. So funny.
The next ride.
Neil was about to take her to the dark ride but Avni refused because of the dark and Neil agreed to her fear. Cancel. The next one was pretty horrifying for her. The drop tower. She was so much afraid of the heights, that while going upwards she was continuously muttering curses to him in Islamic, her mother like mother tongue which Neil Obviously failed to understand but laughed seeing her so scared. When they reached the final height and it stopped for a while and both of them knew what was coming. A sudden drop and a lot of screams from her side which Neil understood like "NEIL IF WE DIE, I'M GONNA KILL YOU." The Ferris wheel went pretty romantic for them as they kissed when they reached the topmost height and Neil clicked their picture with the sun setting behind them. "Do you have something sharp?" She asked out nowhere. "Don't you dare try to kill me." Neil gasped. Avni held a disgusting face and took the pen Neil handed over and quickly scribbled their names beneath the seat as both of them stood shoulder to shoulder, seeing the world descending and ascending in an oscillation. Avni really didn't behave like this to him. Ever. She was behaving so carefree unlike her. The embarrassment she had intitially slowly disappeared. She was lifting the walls of her heart which had confined her feelings to herself only. For the first time, she didn't object.
Then they went to a simulation game where in the set up was to fight. But instead of fighting the zombies, she deliberately hit him and chuckled. Oh wifey is so naughty. Now I know Mowgli is not entirely onto me. Neil thought as he dodged her kick. Okay she's maybe angry at me for thinking like that. She couldn't let go of her fighting passion?
Xx
The last ride. Avni's breath was hitched to go onto it. Half of the tracks were beneath the water. Water. Her greatest fear. The day she was shot. If it hadn't been her body floating till tge shore, she would have been as good as dead. Death. The word Neil hated to listen from her mouth. "Neil I can't." She hissed. "Believe it's a simulation Tris. You need to face your fears. We can't just dwell them on us and forget to live. You're my Katniss. Just go." "What about the-" She started but this time he cut her off. "Water? I'll be there at your side." He squeezed her hand reassuringly. She still looked unsure. "For me.." He pushed her more to which she finally had to agree. As they reached the crest of the first track and the water covering the lower tracks, she began shivering. It felt the same. After 25 years of that incident nothing changed. Her words echoed all around her. What did you say? Your mother, where does she live? In your heart right? Then you should be shot there only. As she felt the trigger press, the coaster began to descend. She didn't wave her hand around for Neil to grasp her. But he did, but her hand was so cold, so numb, she couldn't even feel. The warmth that he always provided, faded for her. The trigger pressed, aa a searing pain went on her chest, that time the bullet, this time the slapping water. She was falling down, into the water, with no one to save her. Her chest became tight with the fear of herself dead. Then she didn't remember who she was, where she was as the cold air approached her face sending the same old shivers down her spine. She was in a hospital the pensieve memory was so vivid, she was living in it. All the experiments done on her, the doctor announcing her to be in coma. She struggling for her life for one and a half years. Such a long time in coma
Still not being normal. The bullet wound aching at every small interval of time. Nausea at every place. Not having friends for 5 years (I have experienced this one.) She opened her eyes as nausea hit her again. She still didn't know who she was. With whom she was. She looked at the person holding her hand. For some moments she couldn't even recognise the person before the ride got over. She automatically did what she did then. She released herself from him and started moving alone.
Why is she giving me that look? That look made his heart stop for a while. Like she didn't know him anymore. He followed her behind, wanting to talk to her. She headed to a secluded corner like she did when with Ashish. "Avni." He spoke but no effect. She sat down and so did he. She touched the bullet mark, suddenly burning red hot. She again gave him that quizzical look but came to her senses holding her head. "Stop it!" She shrieked squeezing her eyes shut. "Now that I know more about you, I am finally at peace. What about you?" He made an attempt to talk. "Like I can still not rise above the skeletons in my own closet but I can still make the lives around me richer. I think I may have escaped the weight of my past, though the scars are as fresh as ever." She replied, still shaking. Neil wrapped his arms around her. It was almost midnight. "Remember I said your birthday exists." Neil said as his watch beeped. He handed a small locket to her and made her wear it lovingly. He hugged her and whispered in her hair. "Happy birthday Avni."