Renewed Beginnings

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Avni had lost the custody case.  She just got divorced.  Things were going from bad to worst.  She didn't know if she could handle anything else coming her way.  Avni was tired of all the fighting.  Fighting herself, fighting Neil and anything that was thrown her way.

Mowgli had been gone a week.  Prakash would inform Avni about Mowgli everyday but she refused to call Neil to find out how Mowgli was.   Avni was feeling the effects of not having her child around.  She wanted to see him but always stopped herself.  She stopped eating and taking care of herself.    A few days later, Sunehri found Avni unconcious, luckily DD had dropped by to discuss the kidnapping case, so DD and Sunehri took Avni to the hospital.   

DD had informed the Khanna family that Avni was taken to the hospital, so the Khanna family was enroute to the hospital.  Prakash was so enraged at Neil, that he shouted at him the whole way to the hospital.   All this could have been avoided, but Neil was determined to teach Avni a lesson and make her confess the truth.  He forgot that Avni was stubborn, actually, she was a queen of stubborness.  She wouldn't be confessing anthing anytime soon.

When they arrived at the hospital, Sunehri was completing the forms for admission, when Neil grabbed and looked them over.  He signed the forms after making a few changes.  

Sunehri asked "What are you doing?  Why didn't you let me complete the forms?"

"Cause I am the next of kin.  Avni is my wife.  It is my right to care for her"

"You forgot that you divorced her, you took away your child.  Left her with nothing.  You're the reason she is here in the first place.  Why did you come?  To make sure she dies?" questioned Sunehri.

"Sunehri, please.  It wasn't supposed turn out this way.    I know Avni.  She is strong, stubborn and beautiful.    She would go any extreme to protect the ones she loves, as will I.  I sent her to jail remember.  I knew she was innocent but to keep away from that monster, I had to send my wife to jail.  I had to act like I hated her.  So I know she is keeping a secret from me.   I had to act that I hated her, divorced her and got custody of our child."

"I am dealing with idiots!  Why would you even do that!  What you needed to do was find out what happened all those years ago.  What made Avni so scared that she would leave her family, that family that she had craved since she was a child.  If Avni wasn't gonna tell you, find out from other means.  But what do you do, you broke her.  And I am not sure if she can recover from this" 

"Sunehri Beta, let's not play the blame game right now, what matters is that Avni get better" said Prakash.

The doctor walked out of Avni's room, and asked if Neela was around.  Prakash explained that Neela was Avni adoptive mother who was killed 5 years ago.  The doctor looked abit upset about the news.

"What's going on doctor?  Is Avni ok?"  asked Neil

"Avni's physical state can be cured.  She is malnurished.   She will need a proper diet which needs to follow.   Her mental state is what I am worried about.  She is stressing about her mother.    She keeps on saying that she needs to go to Neela Ma.    She needs to save her.  I believe that she will need to see a psychiatrist, she may be going thru some stressful issues, in where a doctor may be able to help." replied the Doctor

"Can we see Avni now." asked Neil

"Yes, as long as she follows her diet, and gets some rest, she can go home now." said the doctor

"Papa, you guys go home and I will bring Avni."  said Neil

"But Neil"  said Prakash

"Papa, let me bring her home.  We will sit down and talk.  Everyone.  Take Bebe, Ma, and Sunehri home.  DD will bring Avni and I."

A few hours later, everyone from Mitali, DD, the Khanna family, Mowgli and Avni were sitting in the Khanna family room, trying to discuss what was going on.  

"Avni, we have been fighting against each other instead fighting together.  We have a son, a son who needs both his parents.  I was wrong.   I was thinking with anger instead thinking calmly, I made rash decisions, that has effected you, Mowgli and myself along with Mitali.  I loved you before, I love you now and I will always love.  I need both you and Mowgli in my life.   Five years ago, you made a decision, it was your choice and nobody else had any say in regarding that decision.  Now I will make a choice, and you will have no say. You will have to follow that decision regardless of your opionion. If you agree, you willl need to agree now before you know what the decision is.   If you don't agree, I will understand and have DD take you and Sunehri home now."

"But what is the choice or your decision?" asked Avni

"You will need to agree to my terms first either you go home now or you listen to my terms" replied Neil.

After awhile Avni agreed to Neil terms.  She decided to listen to what he wanted.

"Okay, Neil.  I will stay and listen to your decision" said Avni

"Fine, now remember you haved agreed to whatever terms I have decided, if you want to back out, now is the time?" said Neil

Everyone watched as both Neil and Avni talked.

"I said fine.  I am not gonna back out.  Now tell me what you have decided" stated Avni

"Fine.  We, as in you and me, will get married.  Not Mitali and me.  You and I will have a proper marriage, with all the cermonies, traditions and blessings. Maybe our marriage didn't work out as you didn't trust our love or you were scared.  We didn't have any traditions, or blessings the last time, so our marriage was one roller coaster to another.   I want Mowgli to have a proper childhood with both his parents."  said Neil

"Fine.  But I want Papaji to do my Kanayadaan.  He will be my parent.  You can do whatever you want, just tell me what to do and when to show up."

"No Avni.  You need to be involved in every detail.  This is gonna be our wedding not a circus.   You need to learn to how to make decisions together with me. So we are planning this together.   No more thinking you can do everything  by yourself.  Being married means we are a couple.  We make the decisions together.  Remember it's partnership."

"Fine"

Avni walked to Mitali and said "Sorry.  I didn't mean to mess up your life again."

"Avni, you didn't mess up my life.   We only did this to show you that Neil wasn't affected by your return.  We are best friends.  I will do anything he asks within reason.  Besides, my husband would be real upset if I had ended up marrying Neil especially since they are friends"

"Husband?" asked Avni

"Yes, husband.  Your best friend, Ali is my husband.   He is in Delhi right now, with our daughter.  I was in town due a case.  He was planning to come in see you but Neil had asked him for this favor.  We wanted you back where you belonged." said Mitali

"What?"

"Yes.  It's true.  At the time, we didn't know about Mowgli, but that has worked out in the end.  I know you are afraid, but we need to work together as a couple, as parents and as friends." stated Neil.

"Now rest up, tomorrow will be a busy day."

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