Chapter 01:

It was a time of night, and the cloudburst rain was running. Nothing was visible due to the rain. The sound of thunder was echoing everywhere. The raindrops were playing with the ground. A foot was kept on the wet ground and a lady passed holding an umbrella in her hand. She was wearing a pajama with a kurti. The sound of rainfall and thunder was all around and except that there was no sound.

Suddenly there was light everywhere due to the lightning of the sky and a lady was shown who was sitting on the swing bowing her head down and holding the swing with her both hands.

If anyone saw her sitting there then that person will surely run from there thinking of her as a ghost. She was completely drenched and the water was dropping from her silky hair and chin. She raised her head and her deep eyes like ocean caught the attention because they were red because of crying maybe for hours and were telling the story of deep grief and pain. Her skin was white and now her cheeks and nose were red because of constant crying. It can be easily guessed from her face that his age is close to thirty. Her hands had wrinkles not because she was an aged lady but because she was wetting there for an hour and sitting there don't know for how long. She was lost in her deep thoughts. She was drenched completely and her all energy has drained.

Some sentences were echoing in her ear again and again and were hitting her wounded heart again and again.

The lady heard the sound: I am just fed up with you... I feel suffocated... I feel suffocated with you.

Then she heard the sound of a child: I don't want to live with you... I hate you... I feel suffocated with you. I hate you, Mamma. I hate you... You are so bad.

Is her love toxic? Does she not deserve love? Does she not deserve happiness? Why life is so cruel to her?

These were the questions that were roaming in her mind and like always she got no answer. A lady came and stood near her holding the umbrella in her hand. She was of her age. The rain slowed down but was still running.

Lady: you are sitting here. How long I have been looking for you?

The lady saw that there is no effect on the first lady.

Lady: Avni, tum ab tak Neav ki baton ko dil per liye bethi ho? Avni, Neav to bacha hai us ne ghusse main keh diya hoga. (Avni, till now, you have been sitting with Neav's words in your heart. Avni, Neav is a kid, he must have said that in anger).

Yes, the lady is Avni.

Avni nodded.

Avni: jaise us ke papa ne kaha tha che (6) saal pehle. (As his father said six years ago.)

The lady felt bad.

Lady: ok, at least get up for now, and let's go home. Why are you setting here? It was running Cloudburst. See you have drenched completely. You will fall ill. Come, let's go home and change your clothes then we will think about this matter and will find some way.

Avni gave no answer. She had not raised her head for a second.

Lady: Avni, I am talking to you. Come on, get up.

When the lady saw that Avni is not moving then something struck her mind because she knows Avni when Avni was 15 years old. She knows everything about Avni.

Lady: is this the same place you were used to telling me?

Avni nodded while suppressing her lips. She looked at the chains of the swing and held one side's chain.

Avni: It is the same place, the same swing on I was sitting almost 20 years ago. The night was stormy just like it is now. At that time many questions were in my mind and the answer was zero and today also questions are in my mind and the answer is zero.

Flashback:

20 years ago, the cloudburst was running and the scenario was the same. A girl of ten years old was sitting on the swing. The same grief and pain were on her face. A lady came to her holding an umbrella in her hand.

Lady: Avni, what are you doing here?

Avni looked up at her and said nothing. The lady held her hand.

Lady: come on, get up, and let's go home. You are completely drenched. You will fall ill. Come, let's go home and change your dress. Come.

Avni jerked her hand and her mother was shocked. Avni got up and ran from there.

Flashback ends.

Avni came back to reality because of the thunder. Avni looked around and then again she looked down.

Avni: that day, I asked a question to my mom and today my son asked me the same question.

Flashback:

1. Avni was a kid.

Avni: mama, why our family is not like other normal families?

Her mother got shocked.

Avni: Why doesn't Papa live with us?

Her mother was looking at her and she was feeling defeated. She felt as she loses as a mother. She is not able to give her a happy life.

2. Now, Avni was standing at her mother's place and her son was standing at her place.

Neav: mama, why our family is not like other normal families?

Avni got shocked.

Avni: Why doesn't Papa live with us?

Now, Avni can understand her mother's pain. She was looking at her son and she was feeling defeated. She felt as she loses as a mother. She is not able to give her son a happy life.

Flashback ends.

Avni was thinking.

Lady: come, let's go home. Neav is alone there.

She lied to Avni. Her boyfriend was with Neav. She can never leave Neav alone because she loves Neav a lot.

Avni looked at her friend. Avni thought and nodded.

Avni: hmm, let's go. I have to make everyone fine.

Her friend frowned.

Avni: I have to clean the mess that I have created.

Lady: what do you mean?

Avni looked at her and then she sighed deeply. Avni got up.

Avni: let's go.

Again the heavy rain started. Avni turned and start going. Her friend was looking at her.

It was raining heavily outside the beautiful mansion. The raindrops fell on the nameplate and the "Khanna Mansion" was written on it. The mansion was lit with numerous lights. The curtains of the room were flying because of the wind and a man was walking and fro in the room. he heard the thunder's sound and he turned to hear the thunder. He was of age 33. His height was quite good and his skin complexion was white. His hair was black and his eyes were blueish. He has a different aura especially his eyes were very attractive. Anyone can get attracted to him just by seeing in his eyes maybe, Avni also got trapped in the charm of his eyes and lost her heart.

He was handsome and girls still drools to see him but right now his precious smile was missing and tension was clearly visible on his face. He thought and turned.

Man: I don't know where Avni will be at this time. How was she?

The man sighed.

Man: Today, Neav hurt her a lot. He shouldn't have talked to her like that. It must have freshened her old wounds. The wounds that I gave her six years ago. I admit that I am angry with her because she hid the truth from me but I can't see her in pain.

The man turned his face and saw a picture of Avni kept on the side table. Avni was smiling in that picture whole heartily. He went to bed and sat. He took the picture frame and caressed it.

Man: how happy we both were together. Pata nahi kis ki buri nazar lag gai humain, humari khushiyun ko. (Don't know whose bad eyes fell on us and on our happiness.) I admit it was my mistake, I shouldn't have said those hurtful words to you.

The man suppressed his lips and cried. He squeezed his nose.

Man: but the mistake was also yours. How can you hide such a big thing from me? You also did wrong with me.

The man sighed.

Man: I hope, you are fine.

He looked at the picture frame.

On the other side, Avni covered her son with the duvet and looked at him. He was just like his father whether we talk about looks or habit. His everything was just like his father. That was also the reason that Avni loved her son unconditionally. Of course, she loves her son because he is her blood but he always reminds her of her husband. Avni bent to caress the hair of her son but she again recalled his words "I am just fed up of you... I feel suffocated... I feel suffocated with you."

Avni's hand shook and she looked at her son with tearful eyes. She wiped her tear before it fell on Neav. Avni stood and wiped her tears. Avni sighed.

Avni went to the window and looked there. On the other side, her husband was also standing at the window. Both were looking at the rain and sighed. They smiled to think about the day when they met for the first time. Tears formed in Avni's eyes so Avni jerked her hair slightly and wiped her eyes. She didn't want her tears to fall. Avni sighed. They thought.

Eight years ago:

A bus stopped at the stop and people got down from it. A bag fell on the ground and a girl climbed down the bus and a bag was cross her shoulder. She sighed and looked around. It was Avni.

Avni thought. She was looking younger and more beautiful but her precious smile was also missing there and the pain was on her face.

Avni: dus saal... dus saal bad is shehar main wapis ayi hun. dus saal beet gaye lekin yeh shehar bilkul bhi nahi badla. Aaj bhi bilkul waisa hi hai (ten years... after ten years I have come back to this city... ten years have passed but this city has not changed a little. Still it is exactly the same.)

Avni thought.

Avni: this city gave me uncountable wounds and snatched my everything from me. Now, again destiny has brought me here I just hope that this time, it shows some mercy on me and give me the reward for my patience, not the new wounds.

Avni thought and sighed.

Avni: come, Avni, let's go to start a new life in your old city. And then you have to go to your work for you have come here.

Avni took her bag and moved from there.

An auto stopped and Avni got down from the auto and took out her bag. Avni paid the man and turned to her home. The home where she spent the ten precious years of her life with her mother. The time was no less than a roller coaster. Avni and her mother had made their small home their paradise but people were so jealous of their small world that they didn't leave a chance to shower their hatred on them because Avni's father was not with them.

Avni got emotional and tears formed in her eyes. Avni heard the laughter of her and her mother. Avni took her luggage and went to her home. Avni saw the name plate and the name was faded because of the dust. Avni wiped the dust with her hand and Avni and her mother's name shown. Avni wiped it. "Avni and Asha's home" was written on it. Avni caressed that. Avni turned to the door and took out the keys. She opened the lock and then she opened the door. Avni coughed and she waved her hand to take away the dust. Avni entered the room and she hear the giggles of her and her mother. Her mother calling her name.

Avni's mother: Avni.

Avni turned her face and saw that a girl is running and the lady is chasing her. It was Avni and her mother. Avni smiled to see that and soon they vanished. Avni's smile faded. Avni looked around. Avni moved forward and looked at the home. Avni heard the crying and she moved to the door of the room and stopped there. Avni saw a girl sitting near the bed folding her legs near her chest. Her face was buried in her arms. Her mother sat beside her and was crying. Her mother kept her hand on Avni's knees.

Avni's mother: Avni.

Avni looked up.

Avni: now I will not go to play outside. I will not go to school. Everyone makes fun of me. Children laugh at me.

Avni's mother: why do they laugh at you?

Avni: because my papa is not with us.

Her mother felt bad.

Her mother: papa went to his work. I told you that...

Avni: no, you are lying. You always say that he will come next month but that next month never came and will never come. You are a liar. You are a cheater. I don't want to talk to you.

Avni got up and went and her mother was looking at her sadly. Avni gave a way to the kid Avni and saw that the kid Avni passed by her. Avni looked at her mother who vanished. Avni moved to the bed and sat there on the floor. Avni cried.

Avni: I am sorry, Mama. I am sorry.

Avni squeezed her eyes and cried: I am sorry. I am sorry.

Avni cried her heart out.

It was the time of night, the roads were floating with the vehicles. People were enjoying themselves in the nightclub. Some were dancing, some were sitting on the couches. Avni was sitting at the counter and she looked around.

The man gave her the juice that she ordered. Avni thanked the man and held the glass. Avni looked around.

A boy entered the nightclub. He was wearing sneakers with blue jeans and a white shirt and a black coat. Avni turned and the boy caught her attention. The girls who saw him they lost their hearts. The boy removed his specs and his charming eyes spelled on the girls and they stopped at their place. Avni also got lost in those blue eyes. The boy saw Avni and his eyes stopped at Avni and stared at her for some time without blinking his eyes. Avni and the boy were looking at Avni and they felt a connection to each other. The boy came back to reality when a boy and girl passed by him and he saw them. The boy thought and he looked at Avni. He came inside and looked around. He saw the counter and then he came there. The boy looked at Avni and Avni was just looking at him. The boy looked at the counterman and kept his arms on the counter.

Boy: one beer, please.

The counterman nodded. Avni was still looking at the boy. The boy looked around and he felt that Avni is looking at him so he looked at Avni. The boy rolled his eyes and sighed.

Boy: God, the girls of nowadays.

The boy shook his head. The counterman kept the mug on the table. Avni came back to reality.

Man: your beer, sir.

Avni and the boy looked at the man.

Boy: thank you.

Avni looked at the boy who held the mug and rolled his finger at the edge. The boy looked at Avni and smiled. He looked away and then he looked at Avni.

Boy: Miss, there are many other handsome boys here. Try your luck on them.

Boy whispered while turning to his mug: I am not interested.

Avni felt embarrassed so she looked at her glass and sipped her juice. The boy noticed that and smiled. Avni didn't look at the boy again. They sat there for almost fifteen minutes. The boy was looking here and there. He looked at Avni.

Boy: you came alone?

Avni looked at the boy.

Avni: what? Did you say something? Sorry, I didn't hear.

Boy: I asked, you came alone? I mean... your friends or boyfriend?

Avni smiled.

Avni: I don't have any friends here.

The boy frowned.

Avni: I am new here.

Boy: oh, ok.

Avni smiled and looked at her glass. The boy was looking at a particular place.

Two men were sitting at some distance on the couches and they shook hands with each other and one man passed the bag to the second man and the second man also passed the bag. They opened the bags and the boy was shocked. He turned his face and a man was sitting there wearing a wig of long hair. He nodded and the boy got angry. Some men and ladies were present there and he nodded to them and they signed each other. The boy got up and he took out his gun. The boy fired three shots in the air and Avni kept her hand on her ear and closed her eyes tightly. Everyone started running from there and two men who were doing a deal. They got up and looked at him shockingly. The boy was looking at them angrily.