Hey lovely readers.
How are you all ??
Thank you for the patience .I hope I still have some readers left.
So here you go.
Have a good read.

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All her hardwork for the past few months seemed to have boiled down to this very night ; tonight was her first book release event , well technically it wasn't her book but to Avni it certainly felt like it was. After all it was her first big step; first solid rock to the rock solid foundation that she wanted to stand on . She had been on her feet the whole day ; running from person to person , personally checking on all the arrangements. Everything needed to be just perfect . She didn't care if she missed a meal or two ,or that her feet ached like anything, the adrenaline rush had kept going and going.

With the release party starting in a few hours , she returned home to freshen up and change into something suitable for the occasion in hand. As she made her way up in the elevator ,she quickly dialled up Neela ; her plus one for the party tonight.

" Hi maa !!! So did you reach ?? You will reach on time right ?? Or I can wait up ."

" Avni ! First calm down my love . Breathe .....and then hear me out '' Neela spoke in her usual calm tone and composed manner.

" Hear what out Maa ?? Don't tell me you are not coming " Avni fumed making Neela feel the heat on the other end of the receiver.

" Sorry bacha. Something really important came up. " Neela's guilt on missing her only daughters big day ,was palpable through the break in her voice .

" You can't dump me Mom. Not now. You never have. You must be joking ."

" I would never have done that if the work wasn't important. You know that Avni. It's an important meeting for the blind school that we all have been working day and night for. It was your father's dream. "

" Ummmm. Hmmm. Okay " Avni blurted through pouted lips.

" You know that I love you the most in this world na Avni and I'm so proud of you. Your father would have been proud of you too. "

" Yeah I know. I love you too Maa...so so much. It's okay. I know it's important. But now where am I gonna find my plus one , with less than 3 hours to go."

" Why don't you ask your friend Meera ?"

" I told her I'm taking you and so she made up some plan with her office colleagues. "

" Oh. So now what ? "

"I'll manage something or I'll go without my plus one. You don't worry. Go and rock your meeting ."

" Ok bacha. Now I have to go. Love you. Bye " As Neela pressed the red button on her phone's screen , her forehead wrinkled and her face fell, she pondered over the decision she had just made and prayed it to be the right one.

Avni walked out of the elevator towards her flat when her eyes fell on the next door neighbour's door , the 1 of room no. 71 smiled mischievously at her. With her own wide grin as acknowledgement ,she moved towards it and pressed the bell.

" Come in. It's unlocked " came the voice from within.

" You keep your door open at all times !!?? What if it was a robber ??"

" Robber would knock ??" Neil chuckled as he came out of the kitchen with a coffee mug. " Even if it was a robber , it would still be you !!"

" What ??!! "

" Obviously ! Since you are the only person who keeps knocking on my door at all odd times of the day '' he paused thoughtfully ," even the even time " he chuckled again.

" I don't. "

" Yes you do . "

" No i don't " retorted Avni.

" Yes you do . Now can we come to the point ??"

Avni opened her mouth in protest yet again but the train of words steering out of them changed tracks as soon as her eyes fell on the wall clock.
" Free tonight ?" She asked instead.

" Why ?" he replied casually sipping his coffee sitting comfortably on his sofa.

" Office party.My first ever book release party. Remember the book ?"

" What book ? " He knew exactly what she was talking about ,but it was more fun this way ; irritating her.His coffee mug promptly hid away the leaking smile.

" The book !!! Beyond the mountains!!! How can you forget ?!"

" Oh yes ..Thaaat book " the unusually long 'that' increased the level of annoyance on Avni's face.

" Yes that one ." She calmed herself down by breathing out before speaking again " So will you come with me ?"

" What would I do there ?" His first earnest doubt.

" Free food and drinks...... and many single girls .Lots of chances for you to find a girlfriend ."

" No thanks you are enough for me .!!"

" What ?!" Avni froze at her spot.

" What ?" Neil realised what had just rolled off his tongue .

" What did you just say ?"

" What ?!!" He tried to mislead her with his innocent 'I- don't- know- what- you- are -talking -about ' look.

"Neil !" She was not ready to be fooled by his 'whats'.

"Okay okay. I meant.... I'm happy with you as my 'pretend girlfriend' . I have enough on my plate right now.No need of a new one.....atleast for now."

" Cool. So come for the free food then. I'm pretty sure it would taste better than noodles made by you "

" Hey !!! I don't cook noodles daily. " He protested. Internally he was relieved that Avni didn't make it a big deal. Though his mind was curious to know what made him say those words. The mind was sure it wasn't its doing , then who or what dared overtake it ? Heart ! That's it. It was the heart's doing. But the more pertinent question his heart taken control of his words ? since when has his heart been betraying him ?....for her ?

" Then what ? Pasta alternatively?" She smirked breaking him out of his reverie.

'' I know how to make eggs too" and like that he added his egg making skills to his cooking resume .Before she could mock his cooking skills again he quickly pulled her to a stop " Don't " .
"Fine I'll go " he agreed.

" Great .Be ready by 6.30 .Theres no dress code . "

" But why do you want me there ? And will they allow me inside?"

'' Have you forgotten that I had gone to Mr Sinha with you. If he doesn't see you there , I'll have to spin more lies and then some more and I would get entangled in the mess eventually." She didn't feel like telling him that he was apparently her 3rd choice for a plus one. There was no reason to feel bad about choosing her mother and her friend over her landlord but then Neil had become much more than that to her and so the overwhelming feeling to hide the truth.

" Won't me going there do the same?'' he asked a little confused .

" Nope.A few of my frnds know the actual story. Also I have a plus 1 invite ....so you will be my plus 1 for the rest of the guests." She smiled as she let out a part of the truth.

" Fine . But we can't stay till late. I have a early flight to catch tomorrow."

" That's okay. We can leave after the official book release. Don't have to attend the after party. "

Having come to an agreement with Neil , Avni finally took off to her own flat to get ready for her big day.

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Avni had managed to reach on time for the event despite taking a bit too long to find the perfect dress ; a mauve off shoulder ,body con dress. She had paired it with matching wedges and clutch. The credit for the entire look went to her Mom ,who had foreseen the need and packed it regardless of her constant protests against it. She had decided to let her hair down just the way she liked it.

The oval conference hall where the event had been organised looked lit up to the maximum. Everything looked chic and sophisticated ,just the way it was outlined. Everyone was ready at their spot, the violinists had begun playing the soothing tunes , the photographers were clicking away everything that mattered ,the paparazzi were waiting patiently for the interviews to start and the catering staff was catering to every guest efficiently . The guests had started arriving. The office staff was hurrying everywhere except for Miss Anna who was missing from the scene and so was their boss whose arrival was awaited.

In one lighted corner of the room a table was set with the very first copies of the book ; the book signing was supposed to happen after the release.
Huge cutouts of the book cover were on display ,but covered by silk curtains for the time being.

Neil stepped besides a lost Avni , suited up with navy blue suit and a light purple shirt ,paired with dark purple tie.

" Shall we ? " he asked.

She just nodded in response and they both stepped inside , together . Avni noticed a few known heads turn at her entry .She knew very well the heads were just curious about the man besides her , source of some hot office gossip .

Few minutes into the party ,the hall looked full with people . Neil had lost Avni the moment she met her colleagues and they introduced her to her work.

Half an hour later it was time for the book release. Mr Sinha walked up to the centre stage and revealed his book.The curtains were drawn back on the cutouts revealing the fiery book cover. Mr Sinha's introduction to the book was met with huge round of applause . He then courtesiously introduced Avni and urged her to speak a few good words ,which she obliged to happily . Everyone clapped as Avni gave her reader's perspective of the book , but among the crowd of clapping hands she searched for just the one ; Neil clapped till the claps died down giving her the assurance that she did great.

Next on menu was the book reading which was followed by the official interviews followed by food and drinks.Neil had been sitting all alone at the open bar , repeatedly checking his watch for it to strike 9 ,when he heard a familiar voice call him out .

" Ah Neil !!"

" Mr Sinha!!!!! You remember my name ?!!" He turned to see Mr Author smiling at him.

" I have a pretty good memory for someone my age. Quite surprising I know " he chuckled.

" No. That's not what I meant. You must be meeting a no. of people on a daily basis. "

" Ha ha !! Not often. Buying a house on the outskirts has its benefits you see " he laughed " besides the obvious inspiration thingy going on "

Neil smiled as well. " Congratulations on the book release .I heard its being made into a movie. Can't wait for it " he tried being enthusiastic about it.

"Oh thank you . Movies spoil the book though. So they have agreed to let me sit through the whole process if I wish to. I'm not a filmmaker but I certainly would like that." He paused as Neil nodded like the topic interested him. " You know I could use a good lawyer " he winked.

Neil choked a little on hearing that but got his composure back almost immediately " how did you ?"

" I knew you weren't a writer , then I saw your photo in an article in Youth India. "

" Oh "

" Anyway ,so how is your story progressing ? " his smirk was back on.

" My story ? " Neil looked at him confused , the man knew he wasn't a writer , then what was talking about !

" Your story !! " he emphasized on the 'your' . " Your and Miss Avni's story !! It looked interesting to me."

" Sir there's nothing like that " Neil counteracted.

" Keep saying that to yourself " he laughed a hearty laugh before being called in for some official work. He left after leaving a friendly pat on Neil's shoulder and a low pitched " think about it " in his ears.

It was 15 mins to Cinderella ...err...Neil time ; the watch on Avni's wrist said 8.45pm and still there was no sign of Mr AK. The mysterious aura around him was one of the reasons she so eagerly wanted to meet him ; the other reason being her curiosity to meet her actual Boss. Finally putting a stop to her racing heart ,he arrived with Anna by his side. Standing behind the assemblage of people waiting to meet him ,she couldn't make out his face . From what she could perceive ,he was a well built man, tall , broad shoulders , black short hairs with a slick and stylish hairdo. He wore a royal blue three piece suit with a white shirt .

AK made his first stop to greet Mr Sinha before attending to the press . While the two quickly answered away the questions put fortn , Avni was pulled aside by a colleague to discuss about the book signing.

She quickly made her way back into the hall as soon as she was finished with the arrangements ,only to find an empty centre stage. With flocks of people in every direction ,finding an unseen face was next to impossible. As she concentrated on finding their dear author , a quick tap on her shoulder made her jump.

" Avni !!! '' Anna spoke distinctively " Meet AK."

Avni had been too preoccupied in her search mission and Anna's interruption that she had missed the person standing next to her immediate boss ; her real boss . She was in for a bigger surprise than she had expected on looking up.

" AK....Aaaa.....Aarav Khuranna !!!! "

" Avni Mehta !!!!" he smiled like she remembered it ,heart melting one. " You are the Avni who got us this book deal !!! Wow I can't believe it !!! "

" You guys know each other !!! " spoke a shocked Anna , who was left ignored by the two long lost acquaintances.

" You remember me ? Heck you know my name !!!" Avni was more taken aback by his words than she was moments ago seeing him in person .

Anna had by then taken a step back and was standing with some other colleagues who were waiting in line to meet AK.

" Of course I know you.You were the..."

" Nerd ....of course "

" No..... You were the cutest girl of the class !!" his smouldering eyes were set on Avni , with his charming smile broadening.It wasn't a slip of tongue. He meant the words he said .He stood there unabashed , not caring for what others thought of him.

''AK sir is flirting or am I just seeing and hearing things '' the remark was distinct enough to warrant Aarav 's attention yet indistinct to guess who it originated from.

He cleared his throat and shifted his attention to Anna.
" Have you checked on Mr Sinha ?? Have you reviewed the press reports ??? And yes Let's get the book signing over with fast. ''

"I'll review the reports now and get the signing started immediately " replied Anna like the prompt employee she was.
His orders and Anna's redistribution of works ,dispersed everyone almost immediately including Avni.

" Avni. I am still talking " his words were enough to let Anna know that Avni needed to stay.

" Oh " Avni stopped immediately. She stood transfixed as he continued .

" I was saying....you are still the most...."

" Avni...it's almost Nine.."
Avni turned to Neil's voice as an automated reaction, breaking the moment with her only true crush without even realising it.

" Yes. I'm coming. Oh I almost forgot. Neil meet my boss...AK...Aarav Khuranna " she emphasized on his name making weird expressions with her eyebrows , trying to make him realise it's the same Aarav she had told him about.

" This is my friend Neil...Neil Khanna " she turned to face Aarav again.

" Neil Khanna ,its a pleasure meeting you. Have heard a lot about you ." He extended his hand towards Neil courtesiously.

"Oh. Good things hopefully !" said Neil shaking his hands .
It is then that he noticed Avni's stunned expression and her mouthing the words " Aarav " to him. Like a jolt of lightening it stuck him , its Aarav , the person Avni had a crush on. And just like that , his heart felt a sudden jab , as if something had hit him there , followed by a feeling of tightening around it. An explicable burning sensation rose somewhere close to where his heart was ; as if his heart was ablaze.

Shoving aside the unfamiliar unpleasant sensations he looked at Avni .

" Aarav we have to leave now " said Avni reading Neil's eyes.

" Party is still not over .Why don't you guys stay a little longer ?" Aarav looked hopefully at Neil.

" No actually Neil has an early morning meeting tomorrow. So... "

" Oh I understand. But you don't have an early day tomorrow ....Avni !! Stay !!"

Neil didn't like where this conversation was headed. He wanted to protest but it wasn't his decision to make and he wouldn't make it for her .

" But...I... " Avni looked defencelessly at Neil ,who looked defeated as well. He wanted to have the authority to put down the proposition but he didn't have any.

" I will personally drop you home ......in time , safe and sound " Aarav insisted.

But instead of an concrete answer , all he got was more silent unspoken exchange of words between her and Neil.

" Neil I'm a good guy." He had shifted the force of his compelling words on the more suitable person. " Avni knows me from college. Trust me. You can take my no. just in case you want to check in on us ."

He didn't know Aarav but Avni did and it was her decision that mattered to him. So no matter how much he wanted Avni to turn him down ,he asked the it anyway " do you trust him ? ."

Avni replied in positive , which was what he had expected of her ,yet wished otherwise.

" Okay then " ignoring the faint objection of his confused heart, he decided to leave ." Bring her back home in time,just the way I'm leaving her " his tone was stern and his face serious. His message being delivered clean and clear , he threw one forced smile at Avni before dragging his legs out of the hall.

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It was 10.30 pm already and there was no sign of Avni yet.The restlessness inside manifested in his pacing steps from the window to his door , which was left ajar on purpose. He kept checking from his phone to his watch , but never actually sent a message enquiring about her.

Every minute that passed added to his anxiousness. 10 minutes later he heard the screeching halt of car tyres. Rushing to the window , he saw Avni all in one piece , stepping out of the car, followed by Aarav who walked with her into the building.

His restlessness was expected to settle down but instead he felt all the more eager and anxious.To add to it ,his burning sensation resurfaced. Minutes later he could hear the elevator open ,followed by her laugh. Peeking through the agape door he could see her standing by the her door. The open door also showed him Aarav's reluctance to go away so soon. After toiling for another minute or two, he finally left , calming down Neil's restless heart.

He looked on till he could no longer see her behind her closed door. Peace found his way back to his heart. Closing the door behind him ,he went to his bed.

The closed doors opened again , just enough to peek through them ; Avni stared at Neil's closed door for a long minute before locking them them again.

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A/ N :

Hey guys !!
So how was it ??
There might be errors as I was in a hurry ,so feel free to let me know if anything is wrong.

So what do you think the title meant here ?

Thank you so much for the overwhelming 150 votes and 100 plus comments on the last chapter.
Loads of love.