The next morning Avni and Neil were on a train to Venice. Their final destination before they headed back home. Avni was a bit bummed thinking that their holiday was drawing to a close. Neil sensed her mood during her train ride and pulled her close and whispered- wifey, cheer up! We still have 2 days before we head back!Avni- hmm I know. But I don't want to go back. She said like a little childNeil- hmm...me neither. But unless we go back how can we plan our next trip?Avni- next trip?Neil - yeah, and next time let's do something adventurousAvni- trek to kheerganga! She said enthusiasticallyNeil - waah, what an idea sirji! meri company ka tum par bahut accha asar horaha hai!Avni- oh hello! These are my original amazing ideas. If anything my company has had a good influence on you mr.dcp!Neil- ok fine! He said bumping his head against hers. Neil- don't worry wifey, we have many more trips and adventures ahead of us...this is just the beginning. Infact I have a proposal to makeAvni- kya?Neil- we should take minigetaways for a weekend every 2 months and atleast once a year we should plan something bigger like this- a whole week! Whatsay?Avni- you have a deal mister she said holding out her handNeil used it pull her closer and pecked her lips- deal sealed! Now tell me what's our plan in Venice.And that was enough for Avni to launch into all her plans for the next 2 days and Neil just listened to her with a soft smile playing on his lips.3 hours later they reached Venice and headed to their room. The house belonged to an elderly couple, the man worked as a pastor in the local church. They were extremely warm and Avni and Neil instantly bonded with them despite the language barrier.After helping themselves to some breakfast made by the lady they set off to explore Venice. As they set off they could see why this was such a popular tourist destination especially for couples... thankfully they were here off season so it wasn't too crowded. But this city built on water just oozed romance in its vibe. No wonder the legendary lover Casanova once upon a time resided here!They began by enjoying the view from the ornate and landmark Rialto bridge. Next they headed to the beautiful St.Marks Basilica. At the square they enjoyed feeding pigeons together and Neil was in full DDLJ mode...except instead of playing Raj he was imitating Bauji and teasing Avni in the baritone voice of Amrish Puri! Avni couldn't help but laugh looking at his antics...his voice was actually scaring away the pigeons when he said Aao! after they headed to Doge's palace on the way back they stopped by shops with the Venetian masks on display. These were so beautifully carved and looked so pretty. As they looked at it, Avni and Neil were reminded of the masquerade party in Goa held by vidyut. And suddenly Neil decided he should be spontaneous so he purchased two masks for them and pulled her onto the sidewalk where there was a local musician playing some tunes. He went down on one knee asking her for a dance and the next thing you know they were both dancing on the street wearing Venetian masks! Avni blushed as she remembered how she had dreamer of something like this even then. Neil was truly her better half and he was making all her dreams come true, some of them even without realising it! As he dipped her, Avni and Neil were lost in each other's eyes for a few seconds. Neil placed a chaste kiss on avni's lips. They snapped out of it only when they heard the cheers of the others who had gathered to watch them. They bowed and curtsied , both of them blushing, and thanked the musician and bought him a gelato! . A tourist who had witnessed their impromptu dance performance and had clicked a picture of them on his instant Polaroid camera walked up to them and offered it to them. It was a picture perfect moment captured by him...Both avni and neil were very overwhelmed by his sweet gesture.As it neared sunset, Avni and Neil headed to enjoy the gondola ride. The setting could not get more romantic than this. Just them, enjoying a private gondola ride as the skies turned an amber hue, the water looking ethereal due to the reflected rays. They took a tour of the grand canal which lasted close to an hour. Both Avni and Neil lost themselves to the moment. They were so absorbed in enjoying the view and each other's company that they even forgot to click pictures. As they got off the boat and started walking back up suddenly they heard a voice calling out to them. It was one of the local artists who had walked upto them and handed them a quick sketch that he had made looking at them - of a couple sitting on the gondola as a souvenir to remember this occasion by. He even refused the cash they offered for the sketch, just greeting them in Italian and walked away. Avni and Neil were touched....it was almost godsent. They had forgotten to click a picture but a stranger had given them something to remember this moment by....it was like divine intervention! Avni and Neil were just basking in the contentment of just being with each other. There was no need for words also, it was just a comfortable silence. They hadn't found the need to say anything to each other since the beginning of the gondola ride...they just walked hand in hand. They had both enjoyed an absolutely delightful day and were looking forward to the last day of their Italian sojourn.