Avneil SS

So close yet so far

"Di, when Bhai will come?" Avni asked for the hundredth time. "It's already past 10, how much time will it take to come home from airport?" she continued without giving any chance for the others to speak.

Anjali sighed and replied "He must have got struck in the traffic, otherwise he would have reached by now Avni."

"Was it really necessary for him to go? Couldn't he send someone else to pick his friend, his friend is not a 5-year-old, is he?" She asked scrunching her nose. Kushi and Anjali just laughed seeing her antics.

"You know right Di, I can't sleep without seeing him, is that friend more important than me?" she pouted causing another round of laughter.

"I know baba, but what we can do, Tillu is his best friend and you both are important to him." Anjali said as she made her sit.

"Tillu! Is that even a name Di?" Avni laughed out, and there it was again the familiarity in the name, but she ignored it again.

"It's not his real name, it's his nickname only his mom, Babe, Nani and me are allowed to use that, not even your Bhai.

'Babe', why this name feels so close to me? Avni thought, maybe there was someone I knew in that name, but who it could be? but she refused to dwell into it more as sometimes straining her mind a lot can led to a killer headache which she is not going to handle well with her already irregular sleep cycle. "Di, I'm going to bed, if he comes tell him that I'm angry with him." Saying this she left for her room while the others just laughed and shook their head. But they all enjoyed this side of Avni, when she first came here, she was very reserved, a smile from her was rare and laugh was a miracle but after she became pregnant, she started to open up maybe because of her hormones, but her behaving like a kid was a delight for them as they all already could guess that she did not had a normal childhood, so they were happy to indulge her and was glad that she trusted them enough to let go of her reserve.

********

Neil and Arnav left from the airport but they were caught in heavy traffic. "How's everyone? Asked Arnav. "Everyone is well" he replied, but Arnav did not miss the way his voice wavered nor the way he squirmed in the seat uncomfortably, if it was any other person Arnav would not care but it was Neil and for him his family is the most important thing and he would never feel uncomfortable with talking about them, especially with him, and all these things are only making Arnav to push for answers but he knew that it was not the right moment.

"How is Di, Jiju and Nani? Mom said that you got married in Aakash's wedding and caused quite a havoc, you didn't even tell me about this." Neil teased before Arnav could ask him anymore questions, as if Arnav didn't know what he's doing, but there's nothing bad at trying, is there. Well, it's not Neil's fault that he didn't know about Anjali's misfortune with Shyam so he did not anticipate Arnav's reaction in the least bit, the way his jaws clenched, the way his eyes darkened and the way his hands formed into fists, these are the signs that shows Arnav's rage, but with what, Neil could not comprehend. "What happened Arnav? Is everything okay with Di?" He could not help but ask. Arnav closed his and took a deep breath trying to relax his posture and control his anger, it was not an easy task, remembering what he had done to his family, particularly to his Di.

"Arnav," Neil called concerned with his friend's behaviour. "It's nothing.... it's just," he took a deep breath and then narrated all that happened from the moment he met Khushi, the way they married, his kidnap and Anjali's miscarriage to till now. "That Scoundrel! Why didn't you tell me anything, I would have made sure that he did not see the outside world his whole life." Neil was appalled, all he felt at the moment was an uncontrollable rage and shame, he could not even think about the things his Di has to go through, he could not even fathom that someone could even think about doing these things to her, she was gentlest and most pure being to ever exist in his life, and he had been unaware of all these things, he was ashamed with himself that he was not there when his Di needed him, when his friend needed him.