Avni's P.O.V.

"I don't deserve a chance yet you are giving me."

 His words smushed my heart, I don't know how to convey my hidden emotions in the form of words but I know very well that I can't live without him, so I guess forgiving his one mistake can bring happiness in our lives. If I can somehow win this battle of a complicated web of right and wrong, maybe we both will live a happy life again. I looked at him and his face clearly depicted the stubble efforts he was putting in order to hide his happiness and gratitude. He is still very cautious that I'll take my words back, thus shutting down his little hope of our togetherness. 

"Can I ask you something?"

 If I'm trying to mend our broken relationship then I surely need to expose my inner conflicts in front of him and I know he is the only one who can help me in overcoming the evilness that is surrounding my heart nowadays. All of us have a certain negative energy that scratches us from within when we are in a vulnerable position. I'm already tied within the barricades of that negativity that chokes my happiness and makes me feel like a worthless person who doesn't deserve love and respect. 

"You don't need my permission, Avni." 

"Can I sleep with some other man for avenging my pain?" 

My one question made me feel disgusted, I don't have any sort of intention for doing something as disgusting as this but maybe I'm trying to transfer some of my pain to him from my baggage. I know he has his own share of suffering but I really want him to feel the disgust that I have felt ever since I saw that terrible scene of the hotel room from my own eyes. Neil was shocked and turned his face away, his fists clenching while his entire body was shaking with anger. After a few seconds, he heaved a sigh and faced me. His gaze that held anger a few minutes back was now softened and he cupped my face tenderly. 

"If this is your way of punishing me then I'll accept this punishment but believe me, Avni, you'll get more hurt in this process. You are a good person, Avni, why do you want to lose your goodness for me?" 

He wiped my tears before kissing my forehead. 

"Trust me, Avni, I'm going through this shit phase and I know how it feels to hurt the only person you love wholeheartedly. I don't want you to go through this shit, this is nerve-wrenching but if this is the only way for you to attain your much-needed mental peace then I won't interfere in your decision. I'll take this punishment but my only condition is that you won't feel any sort of guilt afterward." 

His words and body language were contradicting each other. He is trying to assure me that he will bear this torture for my sanity but at the same time, he is shattered from inside. 

"You still need time to accept me back, Avni. Don't haste with your decision for my sake, you need to heal yourself before we heal our relationship. Even though I don't deserve you but I'll keep on waiting for you with the hope that someday we would be ready to give another chance to our marriage." 

The grief reflecting from his orbs made me pinch for hurting him with my words but I'm very helpless and I really don't know how to get rid of this constant torture. Neil was about to move inside but stopped after listening to my words. 

"Just tell me once, Neil that you haven't done anything wrong. Just say that you didn't sleep with that girl, I'll forget everything and I'll forgive you without any hesitation." 

My tears rolled over my cheeks as today I'm feeling very vulnerable and I want to talk to him and also tell him a secret that'll shake his world even more. I'm fed up with keeping everything inside me, I just need somebody today for making me feel worthy of love. 

"It'll take me a minute for misleading you with my words and maybe I can extract some benefits from that for a certain amount of time but after that, we will be again thrown into these dark alleys of depression. I don't want to give you any sort of false hopes, Avni it won't benefit either of us in the long run. I myself don't know what happened that night, so I really don't know how to answer your unsaid questions." 

"Ok, I understand your dilemma Neil but you should also understand what I'm going through." 

"I understand that Avni." 

"No you don't Neil, you don't even know what am I talking about. Every day I'm dying from inside, I have kept a huge secret buried inside my heart for your sanity but now I'm losing my sanity. Help me, Neil, I'm not able to carry this burden anymore. Please free me from this torture." 

I burst into tears and fell down as my legs gave up, Neil was shocked after listening to me but he composed himself and sat beside me and took me into his arms, I let him and cried into his embrace trying to free myself from the barricades of our painful past. 

"Avni, what are you hiding from me? You know right, you can share anything with me. Tell me what is it, I can't see you like this. Please tell me." 

His own voice was strained and I knew he was on the verge of crying. I didn't want to break his heart but I just want to free myself from this trouble. I composed myself and pulled away from his embrace looking at his worried eyes filled with agony. 

"After that night, you remember when I stayed with my friend for one month." 

Neil nodded. 

"During that time, I suffered a miscarriage, due to stress and poor health. we lost our first baby Neil." 

My eyes again welled up and I looked at Neil who was sitting there with a blank look. 

"Neil" 

I called him but he was silent and lost. He was not even moving, he was just observing the stars twinkling in the dark sky. I became worried after seeing his reaction and cursed myself for hurting him but the guilt of keeping this huge secret was eating me up from inside. He is the father, so he has the right to know about his unborn child but no I'm not able to deal with the trauma he must be facing. 

Even I started gazing at the stars beautifying the night sky trying to find my child among them but I got startled as I felt Neil burying his face into my navel and crying his heart out. His painful cries broke me in pieces and I caressed his hair trying to console him but he was shattered beyond repair. Neil kept on crying, while I tried to calm him down but it was of no use. we both cried over our loss and I knew very well that this incident will have a huge impact on Neil. 

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Next morning. 

Neil's office. 

Neil's P.O.V

I tried to focus on my work but last night has taken a huge toll on me. I still remember the night when Avni came back to me after one month. That night was horrible, to say the least, and what makes that night even nastier was that she was dealing with the loss of our baby all alone. 

(Flashback)

Neil was sitting inside his room drowning in the pool of guilt, it's been one month since that incident, the incident that tarnished the purity of their bond. Avni has been staying in her friend's house for one month, Neil tried to contact her but she totally cut him off from her life, he thought about giving her some time before he try to mend his relationship with her. He was lost in his own world until he heard some voices from the living room. He immediately went outside anticipating Avni's arrival but he got angry as soon as he saw Ashish (Avni's father) dragging her inside by holding her hair. Neil clenched his fists in anger and ran toward them pushing Ashish away from her and caressing Avni's head for soothing her pain. He wiped her tears lovingly before pushing her behind him standing in front of Ashish glaring at him in anger. Avni's mother was standing beside Ashish crying silently looking at her daughter's condition. 

"What is the meaning of all this, Mr Mehta?" He asked in a low menacing voice startling Ashish. 

"Neil, I know what happened between you both, and believe me it's okay. You are a man and it's okay to lose control sometimes but this immature girl doesn't understand how lucky she is to get a husband like you. This spoiled brat is running away from her husband and I can't tolerate this type of disobedience. I won't allow her to spoil our family's name as well as her relationship." 

To say Neil was shocked would be an understatement, he didn't expect this sort of reaction from Ashish. To say the least, he expected that when Ashish will get to know about this mess, he will take Avni away and will throw divorce papers in his face. He never predicted this type of reaction and he wasn't ready to deal with this kind of man who is ready to sacrifice his daughter for his own happiness. He felt Avni shivering behind him, she is scared and at this moment he doesn't want to start a battle with Ashish, he just want to throw him out so that Avni can calm down. 

"What kind of father you are? Your daughter needs you at this time and you..." Ashish cuts him off. 

"Neil, this brat is playing the victim card, keep her in your control, she is getting a life that many girls dreams about but look at her, thankless girl." 

"Enough" Neil growled like a wounded lion making Ashish flinch at the intensity. 

"I have not given you the right to insult my wife in front of me that too in my house. so stay within your limits Mr. Mehta or else I won't hesitate to cross mine." Neil said in a dangerously low voice making Ashish gulp down in fear.

"Whatever happened between us, we are mature enough to handle that. I would advise you to keep your nose out of our business. Now get lost from here." 

Ashish was intimidated by Neil but before going he glared at Avni who was standing behind Neil. 

"I won't interfere in your matter Neil but Avni you must remember what I said earlier, I'll spoil your entire business and life if you try to do something stupid."

Neil clenched his jaw and held Ashish by his collar. 

"How dare you threaten her in front of me?" 

saying this he threw him out of his house while Ayesha followed him.

"Don't bother to come back here for your own good." Neil barked at him before closing the door. 

Neil came inside and saw Avni sitting on the floor, he sat beside her and cupped her face filled with tears. His heart clenched after seeing her condition, her face had fingerprints making him conclude that Ashish has slapped her, Neil really wanted to punch him for doing this to his own daughter. He tried to speak with Avni but Avni was just looking at him blankly. He became worried and got an icepack from the kitchen pressing it against her swollen cheek. 

He could only assume what Avni is going through presently as the two important men who should treat her like a queen have made her life trash. As he was observing her, she became unconscious in his arms making him even more worried. Neil tried waking her up but upon getting no response, he carried her inside their room and called a doctor. After checking her the doctor attached a saline drip and informed Neil that she is having body weakness. Neil caressed her head and went for preparing something healthy for her. 

After gaining consciousness, Neil tried to make her eat something but Avni removed the needle from her hand and went out of the room. Neil tried to talk to her but she went inside one of the guest rooms and closed the door. 

That was the day when he realized that he has lost his soulmate. 

(Flashback ends)

Neil's eyes welled up after thinking about that painful night but soon his trance was broken when the door of his cabin opened and a lady entered inside, the lady who is solely responsible for this entire mess in his life. 

On the other side, Avni sat inside her car and started driving toward Neil's office. 

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Next update: Maybe, "A Tale of Love" (not sure though).

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