Sorry for updating so late. I'm busy with cousins and online classes. After Eid for me always means cousin's time and I was not able to write when they were around. I'm still with them, but loosing some sleep in the night is not a harm if I could sleep till 12😁.

Hope you all will enjoy the second season.

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The next day morning was a bright one as finally Avni and Neil were showing some movements, after a day. They were squinting their eyes and was trying to wake up. DD who was on guard just outside the room, heard the sound of breaking glass and had rushed inside to see what had happened.

Neil, his face bearing a painful expression was looking as if he was forcing himself to lie on the bed and a glass lay broken beneath his bed. His face depicted pain and his shoulders, which were bandaged two hours ago, was now bleeding.

Avni was awake on her bed , and was trying to look sideways to see the source of the sound. She was yet unaware that Neil too was shot yesterday.

Sir! DD almost screamed seeing blood dripping from his bandaged shoulder. He immediately shouted for the doctor.

DD. Neil muttered painfully.

DD immediately shouted for the doctor and rushed to Neil.

Avni was not able to turn easily, so she was still facing the ceiling. But hearing Neil's painful voice, she had guessed that he was injures, very badly even. She started thinking who would have dared to harm him. He was the most efficient and fierce police officer and as far as she knows, he doesn't have any enemies, professional or personal. But Juhi's name suddenly popped in her mind and she started connecting the dots. DD had spoke about Juhi procuring a gun. Maybe she might have done something.

The doctor arrived immediately with a nurse. Seeing Neil awake and blood dripping from his bandaged shoulder, he rushed to him. He removed the bamdage without touching his wound. He filled the syringe with some liquid and injected it an inch below his wound. Neil's body became numb, but the piercing of injection had caused a lot of pain that he screamed. Avni heard it and was not able to control herself, a tear slipped from her eyes hearing him scream in pain.

When Neil was all numb, the doctor started cleaning his wound and layer bandaged it. The doctor left the room when Ashish and Neela rushed inside. Neela rushed to Avni while Ashish went to Neil as he has noticed blood near Neil's bed.

Ashish went to him and called him softly,
Neil?

Sir.

You fine? Is it hurting a lot?

Haa... It hurts a bit.

You want some water?

Yes please.

With his eyes Ashish gestures DD to come near Neil and together they both lifted Neil up, without hurting his right shoulders. Ashish then kept the glass of water in his mouth and he started sipping.

Near Avni, Neela made her sit slowly. As she was hurt on her front Avni didn't face much difficulty in sitting. Neela made her drink the water and made her lie down again.

Maa. Avni called out to Neela.

Neela caressed her hairs softly, crying silently. Her baccha was successful in her revenge, but still God hadn't stopped testing her. She was wounded once again. She knew that now Avni would be facing more difficulty if a breathing problem arises.

But Neil's condition made her cry more. He was shot without any reason. He lost his charming aura and his face depicted pain every instant. Also he was shot unexpectedly. Due to the excitement of completing Avni's revenge all forgot about Juhi and due to this Neil is suffering now.

Neela stood up and went to Neil who was once again sleeping. He was not sleeping but had his eyes closed, he was resting. Neela went to him and sat on the chair beside him. He opened his eyes slowly and saw her, he smiled faintly. Neela smiled with teary eyes at his attempt to make others smile even when he was in such a condition. She caressed his hairs slowly.

Both Avneil were silent. Neil didn't talk because it was a bit difficult for him due to the position he was sleeping in and for Avni she just chose to be silent now.

A while later Shweta Prakash and Bebe entered the room with Ketan and Hetal. Shweta went to her son, while he was sleeping. She looked at him, finally thankful that he was fine at last. She was very shocked when he was shot. She had never imagined such a situation earlier. His job usually involved risks, but she never expected them to be so severe and a part of her didn't want him to continue further, but seeing his passion for his work she won't be able to stop him.

As he was sleeping, Shweta went to meet Avni, who was now talking with Ketan and Hetal. Hearing his part of the story, Avni now feels that Ketan was helpless all these years and she forgave him. Now she was speaking to him just like someone does to their chaachu. He asked sorry for Riya's acts and said that he was not aware about her pushing Avni down the cliff.

Afternoon, Neil woke up, drank some water , had a bit of soup and slept again. Avni too slept as she too felt tired now. It was at night time when they woke up again.

All the time he talked with Avni, Ashish not even once mentioned about Kareem and made sure that she believed that Dayawanti shot her. He had received threats from Kareem thrice now. Alert and always ready to face him, Ashish stood determined to protect his family g, his daughter, whom he had finally found after a lot of struggle and problems.

Now, sitting beside her bed and caressing her hairs, he drifted into the beautiful memories of her childhood, how stubborn she was. But past had it's bad part too, and reminiscing the bad times, he felt angry on himself, for ruining her childhood, for not standing up against his mother, for not able to protect his love. Disturbed by these thoughts and not wanting Avni to wake up he left the room.

Late in the night, Avneil were awake. Neil was lying on hia stomach his face turned towards Avni, while she turned around to meet him. When they looked at each other, Neil smiled slightly as he was seeing her face for the first time that day.

She too smiled back and both of them were now staring at each other.

Tum teekh ho? Avni asked.

Haan. Bas thoda sa dard ho raha hai. Tum kaisi ho? Dors your wound hurt?

No.

Silence prevailed again.

Avni?

Hmm..

Finally we can be together. Ab hume koi bhi alag nahi kar sakta. Humesha humesha ke liye saath rahenge hum.

Avni smiled at him. Both were once again drowning in their own land.

Free from all her stresses finally, she was dreaming about her beautiful future with Neil, a future that he always talked about, about them, their marriage, their children, their grandchildren and all. Drowned in revenge all these years, these were alien things to her and she used to hate it back then. But when she got to know about Neil, she too started believing in all those fairy things, dreaming about her prince charming, her Neil.

But Neil was not dreaming about his future with Avni, he was thinking of Ashish's behaviour. He was strange today. Even DD was behaving weird. He concluded that something was definitely wrong, but could not exactly point out what was wrong. After he gets out from this hospital he would figure it, he thought to himself.

He had never imagined himself being shot. Being shot in the shoulder, he was facing so much pain, and now he was thinking how Avni would have felt when she was shot on her chest, and that too at such a young age. He felt proud of her, for rising again, for fighting for herself, for being strong, for not breaking down.

When it became really late, both of them slept.

So sorry, there is a network issue in the place I currently am in.

Hope you all liked it and don't forget to check the promo of a new short story on Avni+Neil=Avneil.