Avni had gone missing for almost 48 hours now .

 For first half of it Neil had gone crazy dialing her number every five minutes or so , until her unavailability to take the calls started driving him insane ...that's when he stopped . He could stop his fingers from re-dialing her number but couldn't stop his mind from wondering about her and her sudden disappearance .How could she just leave without even meeting with him once. Not even a call or a message . After everything that happened how could she just leave ? Didn't she know by now what she meant to him or how much she mattered to him ? She did ....she did....then why would she leave ? Was it his mom's harsh words that had forced her to take such a drastic step ? Was it guilt ? Had his mom guilted her enough to leave him ? Can she even do that to him ? After everything that happened between the two of them ....could she just leave him like that ? Logic told him to wait till morning but when it came to Avni when has that ever worked for him ?!!!! He paced his apartment mindlessly checking the time and intermittently checking on Avni's apartment lights to lit up again bringing everything back to normal but darkness is all he found .Between all the pacing and quiet waiting he didn't know when the morning came . But as soon as daylight encroached on his shut lids he ran to check on her again but she wasn't there.

After having a cool shower and a hot cup of coffee his heart finally took a backseat and let his brains take over the steering wheel. He needed to think about it clear mind without letting his emotions in. It must have been something important.........more than just guilt , for her to go away without even a last word. It must have been some kind of emergency .........maybe it had something to do with her family ......her mom in particular ........yes that would have to be it . It was the only logical explanation for her sudden disappearance. The only thing that could break the Avni he knows and loves would have to be related to her mother. But how did she just disappear so fast in the middle of the night ? She must have needed some help or must have told someone . There were only two people with her last night when he left her.........Meera and Aarav ......one of them had to know something about it.

Dressing up quicker than he ever had....he ran out to catch up with Meera before she left for work. Fortunately for him , he caught her just as she was coming out of her apartment.

" Meera !"

" Neil ? What are you doing here this early in the morning ? Are you here to talk about Avni's party ? I really don't have the time for that now."

" No !! Why would I talk about it ? Never mind .Have you heard from Avni ? I mean she hasn't been home ." He tried his best to cover up his restlessness.

"Oh yeah....you don't know. Avni got a call from her home  right after you left, after which she panicked and decided to leave for her hometown immediately. She didn't tell us the details but her mom is unwell is what I picked up from her incoherent mumbling. So Aarav drove her to the airport and she managed to get on the next flight somehow . That's all I know ." She could see the strain on his face being lifted slowly .

" God !! It must have been something really big for her to leave like that . Is everything okay now ?" His guess was right but hearing the details made his heart sink with worry both for her and Neela Maa.

" I don't know yet . She hasn't called since she left ."

"She hasn't been returning my calls or texts either ." He couldn't stop himself from saying it aloud.

"Oh do not worry. I am sure she will once everything is alright over there . Besides I think her phone might be dead ....must have forgotten to charge it or something."

" You are probably right. She will probably call once everything is normal back there , Anyways I.......I should go now ."

" You okay there ? You look a bit distressed ."

" Nothing .......nothing I am okay. I will see you later ." He rushed back to his place to avoid any questions he didn't have answers for or the ones that he didn't want to answer yet.

Today it has  been twenty fours since he last talked to Meera and still there was no news of Avni .

.................................................................................................................................................

Avni glanced over at her phone which sat motionless on the far off table as she prepared food in the kitchen for Neela. She wasn't much of a cook herself but that wasn't going to stop her from making a simple soup for her sick mother. She remembered how fast everything had transpired that night after Neil had to leave abruptly . When her housekeeper called her to inform her mother had passed out and hit her head , for a minute she couldn't think or move or even breathe. As she regained her consciousness she knew she had to leave . Her mother was her whole world and she needed her . Without thinking ahead she left . Aarav had been kind enough to drive her and get her a seat in next available flight. After everything that happened he didn't even for a moment hesitate to help her out, for that she would be indebted to him always.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

Neil stared into the phone in his hand, swapping through the few pictures he had of her or them together , lamenting on their time together , wishing in he had realized his love a little earlier , wishing he had the courage to tell her in time , wishing he hadn't left her that day. After having shared so many moments together ,the lasting last memory he had of her was with tears in her eyes and hurt inside.

" You are still obsessing over that girl who conned your family ?!!!!" came his mom's shrill voice. After having waited for a week for her to return back he couldn't bear staying in that apartment anymore......not without her around . The very apartment that had felt like home for these many years haunted him in her absence , making him move back to his paternal home. What hurt the most was her silence ; he knew for a fact that she had been in contact with both Meera and Aarav but for some reason she had been avoiding him completely. He didn't know what to make of her complete abandonment.

" She did not con anyone. I did. Please stop accusing her mom. As if you haven't done enough damage already . She isn't even here to hear your harsh words , so please spare her now."

" Wow Neil ! You are still defending that girl against your mother !!! God knows what witchery she has done on you ! Stole a son away from her mother !" Shweta wiped out a tear that escaped from her eyes.

" Mom please !! How can you say such things about the girl who has shown you nothing but love and respect. I have told you a hundred times now.......... I had told her to do it. She lied because of me , she never had any intentions to hurt you ."

" But she did hurt me.....us....everyone in this family , with her lies . And now she is hurting you by ghosting you. She is not returning back Neil......even I have told you this a hundred times now but you keep putting her above me. "

" That is not what I am doing mom."

" Then why do you keep waiting for her still? Its been more than twelve days now . You keep staring at that phone like a hopeless romeo. She didn't even have the decency to call you once. Ran away as soon as her lies were caught . She has made a fool of you just like she did with us ."

" Mom I beg of you, please stop it......please. You don't want me to call her......I won't but please stop with your words."

" Fine . I will stop on one condition."

" Whatever you want I am willing to do it . Just stop accusing her."

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Neela placed her hand on her daughter's hand with utmost affection and looked her in the eyes " Are you Avni you want to go ahead with your decision."

" Yes Maa ." She smiled meekly encasing Neela's hands with hers assuringly " This business is my responsibility too . I am your daughter .........if I won't step up then who will ."

" But sweetheart , what about your dreams ? I cannot do this to you." Neela shook her head disapprovingly.

" Maa !!! I am not giving up on my dreams , they are just taking backseat for a while . Right now I need to do this ......for you.....for us......for our family."

" But Avni...."

" Maa please .......no more arguments on this. I am doing this and that is it . Come its time for your medicines now ." She helped her mother up and lead towards her bedroom .

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Words from the writer :

Sorry guys for being this late . I know some of you guys have been waiting for a very long time. So I am posting the unedited version of the chapter here. Hope this gives you some closure. I will edit it as soon as  I get a little more time from my busy schedule. The next chapter will also be in the unedited version. So kindly ignore the mistakes and hv a good time reading.

Love 

Pebbles