Riya and Neil heard some noises  coming from bedroom. Neil immediately ran towards the room and opened the door.

Neil - Avni. ( shocked )

There she was lying on the floor, screaming for help as the flashes of recent happenings weren't leaving her. She grabbed her hairs and pulled them harshly indicating her vulnerability, her face was tear stained and her eyes were overflowing with tears. Her trembling lips which were struggling to form any word, the pain written all over her face was enough for conveying how much she is suffering. Her brain is showing no mercy on her as it is forcing her to drift back into those nasty moments that are worst than a nightmare. That unusual trepidation even after facing the worst is making her weak over her knees. What else can be expected from a broken girl, who just started her journey towards her happy perfect life, as they say  even perfection possess imperfections. Beauty always comes with beast and happiness always knocks your door after an intense struggle but the question is, she have struggled for so many years, she have gone through worst phase, the mental and physical torture that have the ability to  quiver anyone's soul have played the worst role in her life. Still, her happiness demands struggle ? Maybe, this time the struggle is destined for the person who is her constant. When others left her, he stayed with her. He is like a shield who will protect her throughout his life but at the end, he is also a human.

He is like a rock who can stay stiff for protecting Avni from the outer world but her tears can introduce cracks within that rock, it can initiate the breaking process of that hard rock  and her pain acts as the intense radiation that can shatter the rock into several pieces. Though, he tries  his best to keep her happy but he himself is undergoing a struggle every minute, every second after connecting with the fragmented Avni  which is nothing much than a severe bruise which can be cured by Avni's smile. Avni is his only remedy just the way he is hers.

Avni - No....no... ( screams ) leave me....

She pulls her hairs roughly and bangs her fists with the wall in frustration, her yellings were full of pain. A pain that can't be described in words, a heart to heart connection can analyse intensity of that agony cos heart strings connects souls not bodies. Souls can feel where our senses becomes senseless.

She was shivering in fear but with each passing second, her breathing was becoming abnormal. She saw precisely assumed Arjun standing there with an evil smirk, forwarding his dirty hands towards her face.

Avni - Go away. ( screams )

She held the decorative piece lying there and threw it in his direction.

But her mind showed it's another devastating creation in the form of Arjun's laughter which is nothing less than a stinging pain for her ears. Her mind replayed the scene when she lost her daughter.

Avni - My Aahana. ( crying and screaming ) No no.... don't do this ... ( crying ) ... she is a small kid .... don't.. don't ( panting heavily ) don't do this... please....

She burst into tears and started hitting herself in helplessness. She rubbed the bruise on her forearm mistakenly and screamed in pain. Maybe this pain can't justify her mental affliction still it was enough for crashing Neil's world.

Neil was stunned after seeing her condition. His tears weren't stopping their flow, for few minutes he was standing there totally numb but as soon as he heard her screams, he didn't think twice and was about to go towards her but Riya held his hand stopping him in his tracks.

Riya - Neil she is very aggressive at this moment, she may harm you. ( worried )

Neil - I don't care, right now she needs me.

Saying this he moved towards her but as soon as Avni saw him she clasped  within herself like a ball in fear. Fear of going through all the torment once again.

Avni - Go away.... ( screams )

Neil - Avu..

Avni - Leave me leave me.... ( crying ). They have already killed my Aahana now they will kill me. Nooooooo !! ( screams ) go..... go....

Neil - Avu... ( softly )

Avni took the remote lying on the nearby table and threw it in Neil's direction but Neil somehow dodge it. He sat beside her while she was shifting backwards. Her limbs were trembling in fear, the innocence that always steal his heart was missing from her face. He felt as if someone is continuously stabbing him after seeing her condition.

Avni - Don't come near me. ( whispers while shivering )

Neil - Avu listen to me .... ( he caressed her hairs )

Avni held a small flower vase and smacked it on his forehead. If she was her Neilu's Avu at this moment then she would have never harmed her Neilu but she wasn't that happy Avu whose life was revolving around her newly found merriment, she was that devastated Avni who have suffered domestic violence, marital rape, rejection from her biological family, miscarriage and what not.

Riya - Neillll... ( worried )

Neil held his forehead which was covered with blood. Fortunately, wound wasn't deep as Avni haven't applied much force while hitting him still blood was continuously dripping from the bruise and the pain was unbearable, still Neil maintained his calmness and wrapped a  handkerchief around his wound. For him, Avni was his priority at this time cos she was already in trauma and don't know what she's doing. Neil again started consoling her but she was trying to move back.

After some failed attempts, Neil finally held her shoulders and pulls her within his embrace, snaking his arms tightly around her petite figure. She was whimpering badly, her cold skin finally got some warmth from Neil's muscular body. He was rubbing her back in order to calm her but she was trying to push him away from her. She started punching his broad  shoulders with her tiny fists but he didn't left her.

Avni - You all will kill me. ( crying ). My Aahana is already dead.

She kept on pushing him away but he was stubborn enough so all her efforts were in vain.

Neil - It's me Avu, your Neilu. ( softly )

Avni - Everyone will kill me. ( bitterly )

Neil - I am there with you. You know your Neilu won't harm you. Come on try to remember me. ( caressing her hairs )

He gathered her shivering body in his arms and made her sit on his lap. She wasn't facing him whereas his eyes weren't able to face the intensity of pain her eyes were holding.

Avni - ( whispers ) He...he.... will.... kill me..... he will kill me.....

Neil held her face and caressed her cheeks lovingly while tears were continuously flowing out of his eyes. Avni finally looked into his eyes and her mumblings came to an end. She became silent and kept on looking at him. Neil joined his forehead with hers and led the silence engulf them into their own isolated world which was away from this cruel world which gave them nothing but pain. Avni's mind changed it's way of thinking instead of getting all those filthy flashbacks, her brain pushed her into those small moments of happiness where she was happily living with her Neil.

Neil closes his eyes in order to feel her calm soul while Avni also followed his action. Their eyes were filled with numerous tears while their hearts were burdened with endless pain and grief. After few minutes, Neil opened his eyes and saw Avni sleeping peacefully. He snuggled her more into him, peppering innumerable kisses on her face. She clinged to his chest like a baby while he kept rocking her back and forth, she was in a deep slumber and he clutched her tightly within his lap as if she is the most precious possession he is having with him.

Riya admired the entire scene with tearful eyes, happy for her friend who finally got happiness in her life.

Neil got up from the floor with Avni in his arms and placed her on the bed. He covered her with a duvet and kissed her forehead lovingly. He sat beside her holding her hand.

Riya went into the living room for fetching first aid box. She came back into the bedroom after few minutes and found Neil crying bitterly depicting his helplessness. Riya immediately went towards him for pacifying her broken friend.

Riya - Neil, please don't cry. Avni needs you the most. If you will become weak then who will handle your Avu.

Neil - I failed as a husband Riya. Have you seen her condition ? ( hurtful voice )

Riya - I have seen her trust Neil.

Neil looks at her in confusion.

Riya - Yes Neil, she trusts you alot. Did you notice how she became calm when she actually felt your presence around her. Only you can handle her at this moment and she trusts you alot Neil.

Neil - I just want her to be fine. I miss my old Avu who was brave enough to scare the hell out of me. ( smiles sadly ). No doubt, my Avu was brave when she was living in that hell but this society, her family broke her terribly. ( teary eyes )

Riya - Time will heal everything Neil. Don't worry.

Neil nods.

Riya - Neil, I need to dress your wound.

Riya did Neil's dressing while he was lost in his own world thinking about his further actions.

》》》》》》》

It's been half an hour since Avni is sleeping, Neil is sitting beside her all this, holding her hand tightly within his and caressing her hairs lovingly. Riya is sitting on the couch with her face buried within her palms thinking about the current situations.

The doorbell brought them back from their trance. Riya went for opening the door. She found DD standing there with worried expressions. She led him inside and they both marched towards avneil's bedroom.

Neil looked at DD expecting some clue from him regarding Avni's culprits. DD felt bad after seeing Avni's condition. He was on the verge of crying but composed himself.

DD - We need to talk Neil.

Neil nods.

He was about to get up but Avni held his hand tightly mumbling in her sleep. Her whispers were almost inaudible so Neil leaned closer to her face in order to listen what she is trying to convey.

Avni - He will come again.... ( shivering voice ) he...no....no......

Neil entwined their hands more tightly as a gesture of assurance that he is there with her, she's not alone. He placed a soft kiss on her temples removing all the scary thoughts and dreams that are disturbing her peaceful sleep.

DD - You sit beside her, she needs you. I will sit here. ( pointing towards the couch )

Neil nods.

DD - Actually.....

》》》》》》》

Here it ends, do drop your views.

I am working on, "His Fangirl" update. Will update that book very soon.

Much love
Thanks 💖