Heya!!

Hope you all are doing good.

**********
Chapter 2

**********

Next morning Neil got ready to leave for kashid.

Neil: pata nahi aaj ka din itna ajeeb kyu lag raha... Shayad nayi jagah jaane ki wajah se aisa lag hai.. (Shrugging off)

Here in kashid, avni got ready to go for daily work.

She passed through the hall.

Sirat: oye neilanjana... Breakfast to kar ke jaa..

Avni nahi... Mera man nahi hai

Sirat: kyu?

Voice: chup chap yaha baith....

Avni and sirat both looked at the direction of voice.

It was samar.

Avni: yaar samar bhook nahi hai mujhe

Samar: haan theek hai.... Maan li teri baat ab chup chap yaha baith.

He made avni sit and served her breakfast.

Avni silently had some and left.

Samar: (sighs) is ladki ka kya karu main? Kyu yeh aage nahi badhna chahti...

Sirat: itna kuch saha hai usne Samar kaise bhool jaye woh sab kuch? Anyways Tu bata tera office kaise chal raha hai?

Samar: theek hai... Ab main chalta hoon.

Saying this he went.

Sirat went to do the paperwork of the orphanage.

Kids were at school.

It was nearly afternoon when Neil reached kashid.

He removes his sunglasses and looks around.

Neil: kuch to hai is kashid ki hawa mein. Aate hi itna sukoon mil raha hai (sighs)

He puts on his glasses back and sat in the car.

Avni on the other side was walking on the road.

Wind blows and hits her.

Avni: aaj ki hawa itni badli badli si kyu hai? Aisa lagta hai tumhe chhu ke aayi hai (smiles)

Neil's car and avni both cross each other.

Neil feels something and looks out of the window.

Same time avni dropped her file and bend to pick it up.

Neil could not see avni.

Neil went to the hotel and checked in.

Neil: kya ho raha hai mujhe yaha aate hi ek ajeeb se ehsaas ne mujhe gher liya hai.... Tum yahi kahi ho.... Dil bol raha hai (looking at his phone wallpaper which had avni's face)

Avni went to meet kartik.

Kartik: hey Ms. Neilanjana I hope aapke final designs ready hai...

Avni: ji haan... Chaliye main aapko dikha deti hoon.

Kartik: this way... (Showing her the way to his cabin with hand)

both went to his cabin.

Neilanjana stood up to show him the designs but she felt dizzy.

Kartik immediately rushed towards her.

Kartik: are you okay?

Avni: ji... I'm fine Mr. Goenka. Bas aise hi...

Kartik: it's okay... Yeh lo paani

He made her drink water.

Kartik: aapki tabiyat kharab hai hum venue pe kal chalenge... Abhi aap please araam kijiye... Mera driver aapko drop kar dega.

Avni: uski koi zarurat nahi hai Mr. Goenka I'm fine main chali jaungi.

Saying this she went.

Kartik: pata nahi kyu yeh neilanjana ko dekh ke aisa lagta hai jaise pehle kabhi dekha hai isko. Shayad mera vahem hai..

He gets a call.

Kartik: nahi aaj nahi... Haan kal Haan Haan cool breeze resort mein hi milenge... (Smiles)

Neil on the other hand called his client.

Neil: yes Mr. Gupta hum kal mil sakte hai... Ji Haan... Okay cool breeze resort main aajaunga.
He hung up.

Neil: huff... Meeting to fix ho gyi... Ab kya karein?

After sometime Neil went to the beach to enjoy the setting sun.

In sukoon house,

Avni: nahi baccho aaj nahi..

Kids: please jaan didi... Please na.... (Innocent faces)

Sirat smiles looking at them.

Kid: jaan didi please na... Humne apna saara homework kar liya le chalo na...

Avni: (sighs) accha fine... Chalo...

All the kids cheered.

Soon they left for the beach.

They all were enjoying the water and the sand.

Avni sat looking at the setting sun.

She recalled that dreadful evening.

Flashback:

Neil was laying unconscious on the stretcher.

He was injured.

He breathed heavily.

Neil: avni... Meri avni andar hai...

DD held him in order to stop Neil from going in that burning house.

Neil: DD chhod mujhe... Maine kaha leave me (shouts)

He pushed DD and went into the house.

His pain and anguish can be seen from his face.

The Neil who always used to think rationally, today he was behaving like a mad man dying for his love.

Avni had seen all this standing behind the tree.

She wanted to run towards Neil and engulf him in a tight hug.

She wants to comfort him.

She wants him to comfort her.

She wants to love him but....
She saw vidyut sitting there.

Her blood boiled.

She clenched her fist and left that place with teary eyes.

Flashback ends

Avni shuts her eyes as tears rolled down.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned.

It was sirat.

Sirat: kya baat hai avni? Aaj khelna nahi hai?

Avni looks on as after such a long time someone had addressed her as avni.

Avni: (teary eyes) mujhe nahi pata sirat. Aaj kuch ajeeb sa lag raha hai.

Sirat: kya?

Avni: aaj subah se Neil mere aur bhi kareeb mehsus ho raha hai. Aisa lag raha hai woh yaha hai... Mere aas paas.

Sirat: jab dil mein hai to usse zindagi mein bhi le aa avni...

Avni: sirat kyu tu ek hi baat baar baar bolti ha... Maine kaha na main nahi jaa sakti... Main gyi to woh raakshas (demon) mere parivaar ko taba kar dega... Unhe meri wajah se tabaah hote dekhne se behtar hai ki main mar jau...

Sirat: mooh band kar le apna warna main.... (Angry)

Avni: sorry..

Sirat tried to divert her mind.

Sirat: waise pata hai avni... Daisy kya keh rahi thi?

Avni: kya?

Sirat: keh rahi thi ki woh apni shaadi ke baad tujhse milne aayegi...

Avni: daizy 5 saal ki hai sirat.

Sirat: Arrey par usne yahi kaha aur pata hai...

She continued blabbering one or the other thing just to keep avni away from thinking about her life.

Neil sat their feeling the breeze.

Neil: man to kar raha hai ki yai aake bas jau.... Sukoon hai yaha.

He was hit by a ball.

He turned.

Some kids were playing there.

Kid: bhaiya... Ball do na..

Neil smiles and looks at them.

Neil: ball chahiye? (Kids nod) to lelo...

Saying this he kicked the ball and started playing with them.

He slipped and fell down.

The kids laughed.

He also had a hearty laugh.

Maybe this was the effect of being close to his heart.

He laughed heartily after a long time.

Soon everyone left for their respective places.

Neil went to his hotel room and opened his laptop.

Neil: good evening mere listeners. Ummeed karta hoon ki aap sab sahi salamat apne apne dil ke paas hai.... Aapki jaan aapke saath hai. (Smiles) aksar suna tha ki jagah badalne se zindagi badalti hai... Par mere liye to jagah badalne se ehsaas badle hai... Aaj ka din aisa lag raha tha jaise ek naya chapter ho meri zindagi mein. Khair meri baatein to chalti rahegi... Suniye ek payara sa gaana...

He played Tu har lamha...
(Actually these songs are from my personal collection... The ones which I love 😘😘)

So... How was it?

Hope you liked it.

Take care.