(✔) A Marriage

EPISODE 57

Avni: aahh!!

Neil immediately worried and pulled her back to himself.

Neil: kya hua avni?

Avni: baal...

She made an innocent pout pointing at her hair which were were up in a bun.

It was prerna who did her hair for today evening. Putting her long locks in a bun was indeed a tedious task. She stabilized it with a number of pins which were troubling avni now.

Neil closed his eyes and sighed.

Avni: kholo inko..

Neil: haan main karta hoon tum yaha raho...

Avni smiled and placed her head on his shoulder. Neil smiled.

He carefully pulled out the pins from the bun and placed them on the table one by one. After the last pin was out he ran in fingers through her dark hair untangling them. Avni hummed and rubbed her cheek on his shoulder.

Neil carefully tried to place her on the bed. Avni laid back and looked at him. Neil smiled at her.

He wanted to go and freshen up and relieve all of his tension and stress. Seeing avni laying peacefully he was about to get up when she held his hand pulled him back.

Avni: tum phir se jaa rahe ho...

She pointed at the dangle drop earrings which were the next one on the list to trouble her. Neil rolled his eyes and smiled.

He carefully leaned and took out her earrings one by one. Avni threw a content smile.

Neil: ab so jao avni... Tum thak gyi hogi...

Avni: aaj mera birthday hai... Par tum... Aaye nahi...

Her words fumbled as she tried to complain. Neil felt a pinch in his heart. He knew he was the reason she cried on her birthday. He cannot undo what's already done. But the guilt of spoiling her birthday will always be with him.

Avni: Galat baat hai. Main angry hoon... Par gussa nahi aa raha...

She pursed her lips. Neil wiped the tears made in his eyes.

Neil: I'm sorry avni... Is baar nahi kar paya... Lekin i promise... Sirf ek din aur hai... Uske baad mera saara waqt tumhara hoga... Har lamha har pal sirf hum honge...

Avni hummed in response but in reality she was fast asleep by now.

Neil: do din mein diwali hai... I promise ki is baar diwali ki aatishbaazi hum ek saath dekhenge... Ek dusre ke haath mein haath de ke... Sirf hum dono, apne pyaar ka izhaar karenge... Sirf hum...

He pressed a gentle kiss on her hand that rested in between his hands.

Seeing her smile in sleep he leaned and kissed her forehead lovingly.

Changing to his night suit he laid beside her holding her in his arms securing her. Kissing her hair he closed eyes and surrendered himself to sleep.

*******

The dawn sunshine hadn't even showed a single of its rays when a sleeping Neil frowned hearing the phone ring.

He groaned in frustration and lazily searched for the phone with his left hand while the other one was holding avni close to him.

Grabbing the phone he cleared his vision. It was the DCP, Akhilesh Rawat. He got confused seeing him calling at this time of night.

Neil: DCP sir subah subah 3 baje.. Huff!!