It had been six months since she disappeared.   Neil thought if Avni was in jail at least he could protect her there, but that plan failed miserably.   He failed as a police officer, as a husband and as a son.  The Commissioner and Neil had a very good plan.  Sara was supposed to keep her under her wings while he tried to find evidences that proved that Vidyut killed Juhi not Avni.

Avni escaped from jail barely a week after she entered it.   Two months ago, while he was chasing a lead, Avni came to the Khanna House with Misty and Kareena.  Avni had explained to Papa that Vidyut had kidnapped Misty and Kareena's boyfriend had tried to sell her to the bar owner.  She had, also, given him a pen drive with multiple evidences for Vidyut's illegal dealings.

Vidyut, Ballu and multiple of people were arrested and sentenced but Avni never returned.   Her family, my family, all were waiting for the day when she would come back home.

Avni had disappeared into thin air.  Neela Ma was correct in saying that Avni wouldn't show herself unless she wanted to be seen.   But I am  as stuborn as her.   I will find her if it is the last thing I do.   I refuse to accept defeat.  

Papa was supposed to be a chief guest at the orphanage that he was supporting  when he had fallen ill at the last moment.   He was gonna cancel,  when I decided to fill in for him and take his place.

The orphanage was not too far, just outside of Mumbai.  The children had program, they sang and their teacher, Alia, was to dance for the audience.  When Neil looked at the dancer's face, he saw that it was Avni.  He had finally found Avni.  He thanked his luck stars that his Papa had fallen ill, and he had decided to take over for his Papa.  He ran towards the stage and when the curtains came down, Neil grabbed Avni, and put handcuffs on one wrist, while the other cuff was attached to his wrist.

"What's going?  Who do you think you are?  Let me go!!"  yelled Avni.

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Khanna?"  asked the head mistress of the orphanage.

"She's my wife, Avni.  She disappeared six months ago"  answered Neil

"I am not your wife.  You, yourself wiped off my sindoor and tore away my mangalsutra.  So leave me alone"  stated Avni

"No!  I've been looking for you for six months.  We all have been worried sick about you!  Now that I have found you, I am never letting you go!!"  yelled Neil.

"Avni?  Her name is Alia."  stated the head mistress.

"No.  Her name is Avni Neil Khanna.  She is my wife and I am going take her home"  stated Neil.

Neil then picked her up kicking and screaming and took her away.  

"How dare you?" yelled Avni.

"Just shut up, Avni"

"No!  I won't shut-"

 "Avni, NOT ONE WORD or you will see a side of me that you will wish to never have seen-"

"Let me go, Neil!"

"Avni, I am warning you-"

"But"

"Avni!"

Neil had reached his car and open the drivers side and pushed Avni thru.   He got in after her.   Avni shut her mouth, and didn't say a word to him.  She kept on looking out the window.  Neil kept on glancing at her through out the drive.  

He called Neela Ma to meet him at the Khanna House.

As he parked the car, he pulled her towards him.

"Let's go" said Neil

"I don't want to be here.  I want to go back." answered Avni

"No Avni.  Let's go.  Everyone is waiting for us." stated Neil

"I don't want to meet anyone.  Why don't you understand" cried Avni

"Avni, be quiet and let's go" stated Neil

Avni gave Neil a dirty look and slide over to get out of the car. 

As they ran the doorbell, Avni noticed a few things, the house had been repainted, the flowers planted in the yard, were her favorite.  

As the door opened, she noticed that the whole family was standing in the entrance.  Misty ran forward and said, "Angel, where did you go?  I missed you!"

Avni kneeled down to Misty's level and hugged her.  "Oh Baby, I missed you too.  How have you been?  Are you enjoying yourself?  Not having anymore nightmares right?   No more Sir.  Are you happy?  You have your Superman with you"

"But you weren't here.  Where were you?" asked Misty

Avni gave Misty another hug, even though she was still handcuffed to Neil.  "Baby,  I was hurt.   I needed to stay away from everyone.   I needed to heal.  I was living with other children that needed me."  stated Avni.

"What about me?"  asked Misty.

"Baby, I left you with Superman and our family.  I knew if I couldn't take care of you, they would.  I needed to be with the other children, they needed me and I needed them.   They are like you and me.   They have been hurt,  and they needed to be healed.  Just like I needed to be healed."  stated Avni as she got up.

"Are you healed now?"  asked Misty

"Yes, baby.  I am almost healed.  Your angel is almost healed." 

Kareena couldn't wait any longer, and ran towards Avni.

"Bhabi!!" Kareena yelled as she ran into Avni's arms. 

"Kareena,  What's the matter?  You're safe now, right?" asked Avni

"I missed you!  And I didn't even say thank you!" said Kareena in tears.

"I missed you too.  Why do you need to say thank you.  You know I thought of you as the same as Aman.  You are my little sister.  You two are the same for me.  Pagal!!"  said Avni

"Oye, Kareena.  Let me meet my granddaughter too!!  She is not only your sister in law."  said Bebe.

"Bebe"

"I am very mad at you."

"Why"

" You disappeared.   I had no news of you!  Do you know how I felt knowing that my granddaughter is out there and I have no idea."

"Sorry Bebe. I won't do this again.  Can I have a hug.  Please.  I missed having you hugging me and scolding me. "

Bebe hugged Avni.  Avni had tears in her eyes.  She looked at Neil, asking him with her eyes, to release the handcuffs and he ignored her.

"Ma, Mummyji"  said Avni

"Avni beta, if you do this again, I am going to very angry with you but I do understand it.  So no more otherwise I will become the old Mummyji.   Now give me a hug, I missed you" stated Shweta.

As Avni hugged Shweta, she said, "Ma"

"Avni beta, do you know how I lived these six months.  If anything happened to you, I wouldn't have survive.  I am your mother.  You are not allowed to leave me. Ever again!!" stated Neela as she hugged Avni.  

Avni looked towards Prakash.  She knew she had hurt him when she came back two months ago, and quickly disappeared on him.  "Papa, I hurt you very much, didn't I? "

"Avni beta, yes, I was hurt, but I was more hurt that you were hurting and I couldn't do anything about it.  I never treated you like you were my daughter in law.  To me you were my daughter.   My daughter was hurt and hiding, and I couldn't do anything."

"Papa, I know.  But Papa, I needed to do this myself.   I have been fighting since the day I was born.  I don't know how to deal with things.  I need to be by myself.  I needed to find myself.  I was lost.  I was back in jail.  I was the lost, and hurt eleven year old, who was told that she killed her mother.  When she knew that her own grandmother had commited the crime.    All I knew was I was back jail the corrupted police officers whipped me.   Told me that I shouldn't be alive all because I was illegitimate."

"Sorry Papa.  Please forgive me"  as Avni cried in Prakash's arms.

Neil slowly turned her around and picked up.  "Sorry everyone, but I am going take her to our room.  She's tired and exhausted.  And we still need to talk"  and walked away.

Neil took Avni to their room, and unlocked the handcuff on his wrist only to locked against the bed railing.  Avni glanced towards Neil.  "Neil, let me go.  You can't do this.  Why are you doing this?"  asked a tearful Avni

"I am not letting you go until we have a talk and resolve this problem.  I was keeping you safe and you disappeared.   Six months!!  I didn't know whether you were dead or alive.   And then I find out you went straight to the devils lair.    Vidyut shot Juhi and framed you!!   We knew it, so I was trying to protect you and what do you do?  You escape from jail.   Then you go straight into the fire pit and got evidences.  Why couldn't you just wait for me?"

"Cause Vidyut already had a plan to kidnap me from the jail, and I wasn't gonna let him win.   I was gonna win this fight on my terms, and I did. "  

"Why didn't you come back here afterwards?" asked Neil

"Cause you arrested me.  I wasn't sure what your feelings were for me.  My Neil loved me.  You weren't my Neil.  My Neil didn't hid things from me.  We were a partnership."

"I was trying to keep you safe.  Vidyut had said either jail or sent you to him.  I wasn't gonna let him destroy you.  I figured I could keep you safe in jail, while I find evidences.  That is why I changed your mangalsutra.  I wasn't gonna let that break.  The sindoor that I put over the one that you had put on.  I wiped the one put on you but not the one that you had put on in my name.  I told you whatever may happen, whatever may be done, I will always love you." Neil said as he unlocked Avni's wrist.

He grabbed Avni's hands and said, "I had asked Neela Ma's permission to save anyway I can.  I don't regret what I have done.  I will always keep you safe whether you like it or not.  This is my love.  You had accepted and you have accept it now.  It will never change.  I know you are angry with me and that's okay, but i had promised you that I will never let anyone come between us and nor will I let you leave me especially since I know you love me.  And I know when you love someone you will never stop."

"Yes, I still love you.  I will always love you,  but I am very angry with you."

"I'm okay with you being angry with me.  But not with you leaving me.  So promise me, that you will never leave me.  I won't survive it"  stated Neil.

"I won't leave you.  Happy.  Can I sleep now.  I'm tired."  said Avni.