Chapter 119:

The sun rises and the new day starts. The birds were hovering over the Khanna mansion and Neil entered the mansion, he was wearing a t-shirt and trousers. Neil entered his room and found it empty. Avni was not in the room, even the door of the bathroom was open. Neil thinks.

Neil came downstairs after getting fresh and wished the morning to the family. They wished him back.

Shweta: Tillu, where is Avni?

Neil was shocked.

Shweta: she did not wake up till now?

Neil thinks then he makes a serious face.

Neil: she was not in the room.

Neil pulled the chair.

Bebe: she was not in the room? What do you mean that she was not in the room? Where did she go?

Neil: I don't know. Aur waise bhi aaj kal konsa wo mujhe bata kar kahin jati hai. ( and anyways, nowadays, she goes anywhere without informing me.)

Neil sat. The Khanna family looked at him. Neil have the paratha on his plate and poured the juice into the glass. Shweta sat. Neil was about to eat the morsel.

Shweta: don't know where Avni has gone at this very morning.

Neil stopped. He thinks and he keeps the morsel on the plate.

Neil: ab, aa, I remembered that I have to make an important phone call. So... Excuse me.

The family was looking at him. Neil looked at them then he goes.

Bebe: he loves her a lot still he is behaving that he doesn't care.

Shweta smiled.

Shweta: right, Bebe that's why he could not even eat one bit.

Bebe nods. Shweta was smiling.

Prakash: but where did Avni go?

Bebe and Shweta looked at him. They think.

Neil was sitting in the room on the edge of the bed and was thinking about Avni.

Neil: Avni, where are you? Where you have gone? I hope you are fine.

Neil thinks. He closed his eyes then someone keeps a hand on Neil's shoulder. Neil looked up then he turns his face and was shocked to see Avni. Neil gets happy but he makes an angry face and looked down. Avni looked at him emotionally. She sat with him. Neil was angry with her so he got up but Avni holds his hand and was looking down. Neil looked here and there then he sat back. Avni was crying, Neil heard her sobbing and he closed his eyes. Neil can't take her crying. He squeezed his eyes. Avni keeps her forehead at Neil's upper arm and cries. Neil turns his face to her and his eyes were teary. Neil cups Avni's face and sighs, what happened. Avni keeps her hands at Neil's hands. Avni could not control herself more and she hugged Neil and she cries badly. Neil was stunned.

Avni: Neil, our child, Neil. We lost our child. Why? Why has it always happened to me? Why? Why, do I always lose my dear ones? Why always me? Why? Why does that happen to us? Why? Why? Why? What was our fault? What was our mistake? Why we, Neil? Why?

Avni cried. Neil's eyes were teary, he was caressing Avni's hair. Avni was crying and Neil let her cry he wants her to take off all the burden from her heart only after her wounds will get healed. Avni stopped crying and sobbed. She moved back and was looking down. Neil cups her face and wipes her tears then he holds Avni's hand in his hands.

Neil: Avni, are you ok?

Avni nods. Neil sighs and he looked down. Both were silent. Avni looked at Neil then again she looked down. Neil was holding Avni's hand in his hands.

Avni: I am sorry.

Neil looked at her. Avni also looked at Neil.

Avni: I am sorry, I hurt you. I was so lost in my grief that I forgot that, that was your child. You have also lost your child please forgive me. I am very bad, I am not a good wife. I...

Neil: Avni, nothing is...

Avni interrupts.

Avni: no, Neil, let me say.

Neil sighs.

Avni: it is like this, I am a bad wife whenever I need you, you were always available for me but I, I always ignored you. You were also in grief but you pressed it in your heart and you thought about me, you keep me at the front but what did I do? I hurt you. I was so lost in my grief that I could not see your wounds, your grief. You always fulfilled your responsibilities towards me but I always failed in that. I never cared about your feelings, about you. Please forgive me. I am sorry please forgive me.

Avni was crying. She sobs.

Neil: Avni, nothing is like that. You always supported me, you are my strength, my support system. Whenever I need you, You were always available for me.

Avni shook her head.

Avni: No, I was not.

Neil: yes, you were and about the grief then you were also in grief, you were fighting with your inner soul. You...

Avni interrupts.

Avni: you were also in grief but you consoled me, you tried to make me move on. You were patient with me but what did I do, I created the walls around my heart and made myself like a stone.

Neil: you were in trauma.

Avni: whatever you say but I did wrong with you and that is true. We both had to become each other's strength but I wanted to be alone, I pushed you away.

Neil: It was not your fault, the situation was like that.

Avni wipes her eyes.

Neil: ok, just leave this topic now everything is fine right so let's just close this chapter.

Avni was looking at him.

Neil: Ok, tell me, where did you go?

Avni looked at Neil. Neil was waiting for her reply.

Avni: woh, I went to the orphanage.

Neil frowns.

Avni: to give all the things of the baby.

Neil was shocked.

Neil: what?

Avni nods.

Neil: but why?

Avni: because I have realised that we can not get anything by holding the past, we should let go of that. If we want to move on then we have to forget the past.

Neil was looking at her.

Avni: I have learnt from you that memories are made by heart, not by preserving things. Things only give us pain and the thing that gives us pain we should keep that away from us.

Avni looked at Neil.

Avni: Once if I think about me then I can preserve the things. I am habitual of holding the pain but those things were giving you pain and I did not want to give you pain.

Neil smiled and he cups Avni's face with one hand.

Neil: and you still think that you don't care about me?

Avni looked down.

Neil: we both are each other's strength. Avni and Neil are incomplete without each other and are complete with each other.

Avni smiled. Neil smiled and hugs Avni who also hold him. Neil sighs. They closed their eyes as they got peace after so many days. Avni opened her eyes.

Avni: Neil.

Neil: hmm.

Avni: Can I ask you something?

Neil frowns and he moves back. They broke the hug. Neil was looking at each.

In Avneil's room, there was a peaceful silence. Avni and Neil were laying on the bed and Avni's head was on Neil's head who was holding Avni in his protective arms. Neil starts caressing Avni's hair who closed her eyes, Neil also closed his eyes. They were in the same clothes. They were silent as sometimes silence talks louder than words. After sometime.

Avni: thank you, Neil.

Neil frowns.

Neil: thank you? Thank you for what?

Avni: for fulfilling my wish. I am feeling peace after so many days.

Neil smiled.

Neil: me too.

Avni smiled.

Avneil opened their eyes. Neil looked at Avni and he kissed her forehead. Avni smiled. Soon they slept as they felt peace.

Shweta and Bebe were coming to their room they stopped at the door to see Avneil sleeping. They smiled and looked at each other then they looked at Avneil again.

Shweta: Finally, everything is sorted between them. Thank God.

Bebe also thanks to the God. They looked at each other and Shweta carefully closed the door so that Avneil can sleep peacefully without any disturbance though it was the time of the morning but still they let them sleep.

Avneil were sleeping and they were lost in their dream world.