MY GIRL NEXT DOOR

CHAPTER 25 : A PIECE OF MY HEART

                                         Avni ran up the stairs as soon as she was dropped home by Aarav. Normally a normal Avni would have waited patiently for the elevator to come down but today she was impatient to get as far away from the awkward family dinner as possible. Of course she stopped running after she reached the first floor and took the elevator going up.

By the time she reached her floor , her mind was overflowing with hundred different thoughts about just one person; the one who was too busy to call her back the whole day. She could sense his silence was an indication of an upcoming storm and she needed to talk some sense into the otherwise rational lawyer , before he did something rash or foolish. With that thought making her heart beat even faster , she knocked on his door . There was no response. She knocked again and still no answer. Her third , fourth and fifth attempt also received the exact same response ; that is no response at all. Determined as hell that she wasn't going away without giving him the "talk" she banged on his door yet again.

"That door is locked !!" She had been so caught up in her own web of thoughts that his arrival from behind her had gone totally amiss.

" You are covered in sweat !!" The instance she turned to see him , it was evident from his sweat drenched shirt and air pods that he had been out for a run . " Who the hell were you running from at this hour ? or should I replace the 'who' with a 'what'?" . Her eyes had questions and her mind suspected something bad had already surpassed .

" I went for a jog , to get some fresh air .You should have told me that I wasn't allowed to do that , before I went out ." He pushed past her to unlock the door with her eyes still interrogating him . " Am I grounded now ?" he mocked , but the usual tease in his voice was absent which didn't go unnoticed.

"I need to talk to you ." She made herself crystal clear with an all assertive tone in her voice.

" Now ? Can't this wait till the morning ? I am very tired ." His door was already unlocked but he wouldn't open it ; he knew opening the door meant a long conversation cum argument with Avni which he wanted to avoid at all costs. The last thing he wanted for her birthday was a fight two nights before it.

" Nope. This cannot wait . We are doing this now , not later , not tomorrow. Now open the damn door." She was equally adamant as he was.

" My apartment is a mess right now .Everything is lying around like exploded garbage."

" I have seen worse . Open it."

" But I don't want anyone to see my place like that. My personal belongings are lying everywhere.....things you don't want to see." It was a cheap shot but he knew he had to say something .

" Great. I don't care. Will you open the door for god-sake, Neil ?" He was definitely testing her patience but she wasn't the one to give up so fast either.

" I also have a friend over . For all you know he might be in his comfy boxers and you might make him all awkward ."

" You lock your friends inside every time they visit ?!!!" He was not getting her to leave with all his lame excuses.

" He was asleep when I left , so.." . He could see her frustration right on her face , he hoped it was enough to make her leave.

" Fine. You don't want me inside the house , so be it. You know what, whether or not you open that door , we are having this conversation. Start talking ." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared him down like cop ready to get the truth out from the guilty .