At the time of the night, the Khanna mansion was shining with lights. It was decorated beautifully from the outside and inside as well.

Neil was finding Avni but didn't get her. He goes to Shweta.

Neil: Mom. Did you see Avni?

Shweta: yes, I saw her going that side.

Neil: ok, thank you.

Neil goes.

Shweta: what happened? Tillu, Till...

But Neil goes, he didn't hear her.

Shweta: strange.

Shweta turned and smiled to see a lady.

Neil climbed the stairs, he entered the room and he stopped at the door by holding both sides and he called Avni.

Neil saw Avni who was sitting on the couch and counting something on her fingers. Neil sighs by closing his eyes.

Neil came to Avni while saying: thank God, you are here.

Avni looked at him and smiled.

Avni: Tilluuuu...

Neil was surprised to see him.

Avni waves her hand: Hiiii...

Neil: Tillu?

Avni nods by closing her eyes. She got up and came to him while stumbling. Avni was about to fall but Neil holds her.

Neil: Avni.

Avni: oops, sorry.

Avni stood.

Neil: be careful, Avni.

Avni looked at Neil by blinking her eyes.

Avni: Tillu.

Neil: Avni, don't call me, Tillu.

Avni looked at him by making a crying face. She cries. Neil gets irritated.

Neil: where did I get stuck?

Neil looked at Avni.

Neil: Avni, Avni, stop crying.

Avni: you always do this. You always scold me whether it was my mistake or go but you have to scold me always.

Neil feels bad.

Neil: ok, ok, I am sorry. Now please stop crying.

Avni: first holds your ears.

Neil: God...

Neil holds his ears: I am sorry, now happy.

Avni smiled and she wipes her tears. Avni shook her head and keeps Neil's hand down.

Avni: now, I am happy.

Neil smiled.

Neil: ok, Avni, now you sleep. Come.

Neil holds her arm and turns but Avni holds Neil's collar and turns him to her. Neil was surprised, he looked at his collar then at Avni.

Avni: one minute. I want to talk to you.

Neil: what do you want to say?

Avni: why did you let that lizard come near you?

Neil frowns.

Neil: lizard?

Avni: yes, that lizard Juhi.

Neil widens his eyes then he laughed.

Neil: Lizard. Like seriously, Avni.

Avni nods by closing her eyes. Neil chuckles. Avni gets sad. Neil stopped laughing.

Avni: you know, Neil, when Juhi kissed you here.

Avni touched Neil's cheek with her finger.

Avni: then I felt a pain, a sharp pain here. (Avni points at her heart.)

Neil feels bad.

Avni: very sharp pain. As if something broke there. Do you know, what did break?

Neil had no reply. Neil smiled fakely.

Neil: you can also kiss me here.

Avni glared at him and tighten the grip. Neil holds her more carefully.

Avni: what do you mean by "you can also"? Only I can kiss you, it is only right, no one can come close to you and kiss you. No one has the right to touch you and kiss you.

Neil smiled. Neil pulls Avni to him who flinched.

Avni: ouch.

She looked at Neil who was looking at her lovingly. Neil plays with the hair on her face. Neil looked at Avni.

Neil: then kiss me.

Avni blinked her eyes then she shook her head. Neil frowns.

Neil: why?

Avni: that lizard Juhi kissed you so I will not kiss you until you will not wash your face. Go and wash your face. Go.

Neil palms his head.

Avni: In fact, go and take the shower that too two times.

Neil looked at Avni astonishingly. Avni pushed Neil to the side and she stumbles. Neil was looking at her. Neil holds her wrist and pulls her to him.

Avni: aah.

Avni looked at Neil by making a pout. Neil smiled.

Neil: she kissed my cheek. You can kiss me somewhere else.

Avni frowns. She thinks by tapping her chin. Avni looked at Neil who smiled to see her.

Avni: where?

Neil points at his lips.

Neil: here.

Neil makes a pout by closing his eyes. Avni looked at him she slapped his lips. Neil opened his eyes. He frowns.

Neil: what happened?

Avni shook her head.

Neil: why?

Avni: because I don't want it.

Neil: Why? We are married. We did not even consummate our special night.

Avni looked at him. She lowered her gaze from Neil as she was lost. Her eyes got moist. Neil was shocked.

Avni: marriage, first night, special night.

A tear falls from Avni's eyes that sinks Neil's heart. Avni wipes her eyes. She looked at Neil and was hurt.

Avni said with a frown on her face: isn't our first night of marriage passed?

Neil was looking at her. Avni was also looking at him. Avni thinks.

Avni: oh yes, we didn't celebrate our first night. You did not come.

Avni laughed. Neil was looking at her.

Avni laughed: you did not come.

Avni looked at Neil and she holds his collar and tears fall from her eyes.

Avni: I, I waited for you. Seconds passed, minutes passed, hours passed but you, you were nowhere. There was no sign of your.

Neil looked at her sadly.

Avni said lostly: I thought, now, my Neil will come, now he will come but ( Avni looked at Neil) you did not come.

Avni wiped her tears and squeezed her nose. She wipes her tears. She stumbles. Neil holds her. Neil cups her face.

Neil: Avni, I came but...

Avni: but I had slept before that. You should awake me but what did you do? You changed your clothes and slept by leaving me sleeping in a sitting position.

Neil looked down.

Avni: you even left me with the people after the welcome rituals.

Neil thinks.

Avni: You did not think that she came here by leaving her home, her family. She must need me but no, you left me there. Even on the way, I was upset, I thought, my Neil will console me but you ignored me as I don't exist.

Neil looked at her with guilty eyes. Avni thinks and she holds his collar.

Avni: do you remember, that night when we had dinner on the terrace?

Neil nods.

Avni: I wanted to ask you a question?

Neil nods.

Neil: And you asked that question.

Avni shook her head. Neil frowns.

Avni: I wanted to ask that why did you marry me?

Neil was shocked.

Avni: did you really love me or was that just attraction?

Neil looked down as he was not able to match eyes with Avni. Avni was looking at him.

Avni: you are showering your love on me now but why I could not be able to see that in the past. In fact, you hurt me. You always accused me and you know, every time, I felt my head heavy and felt dizzy because I tried to control my emotions, my breath and when I release my breath, I felt like, like horses are running in my mind. The sound was like dhas, dhas, dhas, dhas.

Neil felt like he dug the ground and bury himself in that. Avni looked at Neil. She stumbled backwards.

Neil: Avni.

Neil goes to her and holds her arms. Avni looked at him. Neil was looking at her. Their eyes were locked. The tears filled in their eyes. Neil cups Avni's face and was crying.

Neil: I hurt you really very much?

Avni nods innocently. Neil suppressed his lips. Neil looked away and sighs while crying. He squeezed his nose. Neil looked at Avni.

Neil: I am sorry, I made your life a living hell. Because of me, you suffered a lot. Just because of me, you became silent. But, but today, you say your heart out. Just say everything that is in your heart and then we will start a new life. Say out everything.

Avni looked at him. She was about to say but she stopped. Avni smiled.

Avni: no, now, I have no complaints, now you have become my (Avni pulls Neil's cheek) cuuutte Neilu who scolds me for my betterment.

Neil smiled. He wipes his tears.

Avni: Now I am fighting with my inner soul. I am stuck with many questions.

Neil: ask me those questions, maybe I help you.

Avni: for that, you have to be with me but you never sit me.

Neil feels bad.

Avni: you always jumped here and there just like frogs.

Neil makes a face then he smiled.

Neil: anything is in your mind that you want to say to me?

Avni nods.

Neil: say.

Avni: why does that lizard always cling to you?

Neil smiled.

Avni: Does she think you are a wall? Yes, she has some mental issues.

Neil was shocked, he thinks.

Avni: I think, she thought you as a wall by seeing this (Avni touched Neil's chest who looked astonishingly at his chest and Avni) strong, steel like chest.

Neil looked at her with a frown and was smiling. Avni touched Neil's arms.

Avni: and these strong iron arms. She must assume you a wall by seeing this well-built body.

Neil smiled.

Avni: that's why she clings to you, I am telling you.

Neil: don't you like that?

Avni shook her head.

Avni: I felt like (Avni acted to press her neck) I press her neck.

Neil: then why didn't you ask that to me?

Avni looked at him.

Avni: because that was of no use.

Neil was shocked.

Avni: do you remember that you asked me why do I not show my right on you?

Neil nods.

Avni: because when I did that you scold me.

They looked at each other.

Avni: Remember, our marriage reception.

Neil thinks.

Avni: I showed my right on you but you scold me and asked me that I am nothing in front of Juhi.

Neil holds Avni's arms.

Neil: Avni, I was mad, I was stupid, idiot that I did that but now I have realised my mistake and now I will never do that. Never.

Avni: never?

Neil cups her face: Never.

Avni: promise?

Neil: promise.

Avni smiled then she makes a sad face. Neil was looking at her.

Avni: you will not break your promise this time, right?

Neil shook his head. Avni smiled and she keeps her head on Neil's chest and holds his arms. Neil hugs her. Avni closed her eyes and smiled but Neil was crying. His heart was aching. Till now he realised his mistake but today, Avni told him, her heart out.

Note: I have started a new story Kismat with my characters. It is not Avneil story.