Part 3: HIGH FLAME

Section A: Realisation

In Khanna House. 2 Days later.

Shweta: Neil. Sunn to.

Neil: Mom mei abb busy hun. Badme baat karta hoon.

Shweta: Mujhe Avni ke baare mei baat karna chahti thi.

Neil: Avni ke baare mei kya? Usse kuch hua to nahi?

Shweta: No Tillu. Wo khud doctor hai usse kya hoga. Mei tujhe ye poochna chhti thi ki tujhe Avni pasand hai na.

Neil: Mom ye kaisa sawal hai? Avni meri Angel hai. Mujhe kaise wo pasand nahi hogi?

Shweta: Nahi. Mera matlab.....

Neela: Neil. Shweta ji kaa matlab tha ki Avni ek achchi bahu aur patni banegi na?

Neil (thinks): Bahu..Patni! Kahin mom meri shaadi Avni se karwana chahti hai...really!! (thoda happy mode).

Neil: Wo..wo...mei kaise..bo..bol sakta hun...

Neela: Wo bhi hai Shweta ji. Waise inn dono bohot saalon se dost hai. Ek dusre ko achche se jaante bhi hai. Ek dusri ki choices jaante hai. Inki jodi bohot achhi banegi....dekhlena.

Shweta: Sahi kehe rahi ho Neela.

Neil: Par...ye sha...I mean bohot jyaada jaldi nhi ho raha.

Shweta: Jaldi. Bilkul nahi. Par plan karne mei kya jaata hai. Haina Neela.

Neil (blushes a little): Par...plan...

Shweta: Tillu. Tu to aise kaanp raha hai jaise tujhe shaadi karne ko bola gaya ho. Shaadi Avni aur Krish ki hai...aur laali iske chehre pe hai..

Neil (thinks with anger): What the!!!!! Avni aur Krish! Ye Krish humesha kaise aajata hai bich mei....But seriously!

Neil: What rubbish! (and leaves)

Neela: Shweta ji..dekha aapne? Kaise Krish aur Avni ke shaadi sunke chehra utar gaya.

Shweta: Neela...Mujhe lagta hai kuch jal raha hai...(both laugh).

Neela: Abb Plan no. 2. Avni.

Meanwhile in Police Station. Neil's Cabin. Neil sat on his chair holding his head in hands. He had tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't realise it. He took a pen in his hand and started to grip it tightly.

Neil's POV: Seriously Neela maa aur Mom Avni ke shaadi ke baare mei soch rahe hai...wo bhi uss nalayak Krish se! I can't believe this! Kahin itne saalon mei Avni sach mei Krish se pyaar karne to nahi lag gayi! Isse mujhe kya? Mujhe kyu farak padd raha hai. Mujhe khush hona chahiye. Yes I am happy! (bangs his hand on the table)

Neil: Aaaouchhh...

Neil's inner voice: Bohot dard ho raha hai na?

Neil: Haa..

Neil's inner voice: Kahan? Haath mei ya dil mei?

Neil: Matlab?

Neil's inner voice: Kya tumhe Avni aur Krrish ke shaadi se koi farak nahi padta? Bolo Neil.

Neil (slowly): Nahi

Neil's inner voice: zor se bolo Neil....ki tumhe farak nahi padta.

Neil (little louder): Nahi parta. Tumhe dikhaai nahi deta. Main apni Angel ke liye kitna Khush hu. Dekho mei has raha hoon. (bohot kast se smile karta hai)

Neil's inner voice: Dikh raha hai Neil ki tum kitna khush ho. Tumhaare aankhon mei aansu hai...haath mei chot to bohot choti hai to ye aansu kiske? Maan kyun nahi jaate Neil ki tumhe Avni se pyaar hai....

Neil (throws the pen on his shadow): Nahi karta Avni se pyaar. Hum sirf dost hai. Kyu samajh nhi aata kisiko yaar.

*************

At night In Mehta Mansion...

Avni came home from hospital. Neela and Shweta waited in a room from where Avni had to pass. They saw Avni coming upstairs and started to talk.

Shweta- Neela, tu Riya se mili hai na?

Neela: Haa Shwetaji. Bohot pyaari bachhi hai.

Shweta: Main soch rahi thi ki Avni ki shaadi to Krish se hojaayegi fir mera tillu akela rehe jaayega. To kyun na main Riya ki shaadi Tillu se karwau. U know. Wo dikhti bhi achhi hai and behavior bhi achha hai.Tumhe kya lagta hai Neela?

Avni heard all this and ran to her room. She closes the door of her room.

Avni: Ye sab kya chal raha hai? Meri shaadi Krish se and Neil ki uss make up ki dukaan Riya se. Aur kisine mujhe poocha tak nahi ki mai kya chahti hun? Kya Neil ko ye baat pata hai? Par wo to Riya se pyaar karta hai. Woh toh obviously maan jaayega. Bhagwaan kyun kar rahe ho mere saath aisa? Nahi karni hai mujhe shaadi....par main Khush hu ki Neil ko uska pyaar mil gaya and ussi se shaadi karega...par mera kya! Uss nalayak se shaadi kaise karu mei!

Avni's inner voice comes out as her duplicate.

Avni's inner voice: Kyu nhi kar sakti tu Krish se shaadi? Buraai kya hai usme? Usine tujhe Neil ke jaane ke baad tujhe khush rakha... And Riya mei kya buraai hai. Usne bhi to Neil ki life mei tumhaari kami fill ki thi. Batau Avni. Agar tumhe Krish ki jagah Neil se shaadi karne ko bolte to tu khush nahi hoti? Bolo Avni.

Avni: N...na..nahi!

Avni's inner voice: Jhut. Tum shaadi karne ko tyaar hote. Kyun batau? Kyunki tum Neil se pyaar karti ho Avni. Bohot pyaar.

Avni: Kya tum sach bol rahi ho? Kya mujhe sach mei Neil se pyaar hogaya hai? 

Avni's inner voice: Haan.

Avni: Haan. Mujhe Neil se pyaar hai. I love Neil. Par..par kya wo mujhse pyaar karta hai?

Avni's inner voice: Ye tum khud pata lagao. (vanishes)

Avni: Nahi.Neil mujhse kaise pyaar karega. Wo to Riya se pyaar karta hai

By that time Neil too came home and got to know what his mothers have decided. He didn't say a word and went upstairs to the terrace where Avni was standing.

Neil: Congratulations! Angel. Tumhaari to shaadi fix ho chuki hai.

Avni (becomes upset): Tumhe bhi....tumhaari bhi to hui hai...

There was a moment of silence. It was the first time in their life that they didn't have words to speak up.

Neil: Tum khush ho?

Avni (looked intently at Neil with eyes glistening with tears): Ye sunke kya tum khush ho?

Neil (looks away to hide his tears): haan. Main bohot khush ho. Tumhe bhi khush hona chahiye....

Avni (allowing her tears to fall): Sahi kehe rahe ho...Mujhe khush hona chahiye.

Avni leaves the place and cries in her room. Neil cries in the terrace...

**********************

Hmmm...Inki jealousy ne ulta turn mar liya. Pakad ne ke jagah aur chodd diya...Abb kya hoga?

Hope you liked it.

Target: 120 votes and 50+ comments....

Par...mujhe bada maza aaya Neil ka reaction likhte wakt 😂😂

Thank you.

Nibu 💖