Undying Love |✔

Chapter 44- Mind Is a Tricky Thing

Avni's mind oscillated between reality and illusion.

Was it Karma she'd seen? And those eyes, although she had caught only a small glimpse of them, she'd felt chills run down her spine. Could it be that he'd seen Avni too? No, no, it couldn't be. It was she who had imagined it all. It was she who was thinking too much. Unless...

Her mind was racing with thoughts- of the hill, of the murder, of the nameless girl and the man who had struggled for their love and yet these vicious people had won again. 

Her mind's moving cogwheels paused in their motion when Aamir's voice met her ears. It sounded distant, but it was enough for her to get distracted from the buzzing thought process. "I know you are probably thinking what I was doing there. First let's head to Amit's house, yeah? I'll explain everything later."

She wanted to say, no, I hadn't been thinking of that, but considering she did want to know his sudden change of heart, she nodded silently without slowing down. She wanted to reach to Amit fast; she wanted to see him, she wanted for him take her in his arms, console her, tell her she was safe and at home.

Yet....the image... it haunted Avni's vision gravely.

Though she might have loathed the act, and all the people present, she was now frightened for reasons unbeknownst to her. She wanted nothing but to be surrounded by the four walls of Amit's house, the aroma of incense sticks she'd come to like, and the way her own erratic nerves calmed down when she caught a glimpse of him.

They passed the well, and in the darkness, everything haunted her. She quickened her pace to keep up with Aamir's strides and kept her head down as she didn't want to see any more unpleasantness.

When they were about to reach Amit's house, she jogged to reach the front door. Maybe Aamir sensed her fear too and followed behind. She opened the door hurriedly and called out to Amit.

"In here!" His voice rang from the back porch, and she made her way to him.

"I was starting to wonder why you were late today...." he said without turning, and if she had been in the right state of mind, she'd have noticed the happiness in his voice, "I've got good news for you..." and now when he turned and saw Aamir, his confusion gave him away.

*

Amit had good news to share with Avni and he was hoping to tell her every bit of it when she got back.

But seeing that she was late, it had made a damper on his mood. Damn, Vishnu, he cursed. That little kid was the reason he had to see Avni go. And Damn the sunset, it was the reason she had occupied his favorite spot and came home late.

Not to be seen as a whiny kid, he had busied himself in lighting the brazier as his mother was busy chattering with other ladies of the neighborhood.

He was preparing to put coals in the brazier when he heard her voice. Finally. God, how much he'd missed her. And he replied with a great amount of enthusiasm.

But all his jolliness turned into confusion when he saw Aamir. He didn't know why he was here. And, when his eyes found Avni's; he saw that her face was rather pale; her usually twinkling grey eyes were dark- almost black and were wide with fear.

His instincts kicked in. He left the coals, wiped his hands from dry cotton cloth, and made his way to them, almost fearful of what he would hear now. Last time hadn't turned out good, and he hoped it wasn't like the last time.

"Why are you here?" He asked Aamir in a tentative tone. It spoke of the uncertainty he was feeling while greeting a childhood friend who'd somehow drifted apart. "And why are you like this?" He asked Avni in a trembling voice.