Avantika got up early at 6 am and got ready as soon as she could though she slept late at night. Nikhil was still sleeping on bed covered half with blanket.

Avantika came out of washroom adjusting the plates of her purple embroidered saree. She saw nikhil sleeping like a kid and she smiled a little.

She went up to him and gave him blanket properly. She then went to the dressing and wore her magalsutra and then filled the vermilion between the partition.

She went down and helped monisha and kavya to prepare for pooja. It was the festival of Gangor. Siya prepared the sweets.

It was nearly 8:30 when nikhil came down still in his t-shirt and trousers.

"Maa...where is my orange juice??", nikhil asked rubbing his eyes. He was still feeling sleepy.

"Your juice", avantika handed him the juice.

"Thanks!!", he said and then whispered back in her ears, "When did you get up??".

"At 6", she replied.

"Stop kidding", he blurted.

"No, really", she told.

"Is something special today??", he asked a little louder and monisha heard it.

"Oh wow.....nikhil you must grow up now..you are married and you should start remembering all the important dates and events", monisha scolded.

He felt a little embarrassed and said, "Sorry ma"

"And you are not even ready yet", monisha said.

"Do we have to go anywhere??", he added his question.

"Ohh god...what should I do with this boy", monisha said hitting Nikhil's forehead.

Avantika giggled and nikhil gave him an angry look. Avantika controlled and looked down.

"Today is Gangor. Avantika and siya will go their homes and they will come back in evening. You and abir have to go to drop them there as well as to pick them up in the evening", monisha told.

"Maa if bhaiya is going then will drop avantika too", nikhil said.

Monisha widened her eyes giving him an angry look.

"Okay fine. I am going to get ready", he said.

As he went, monisha and avantika bursted out into laughter and gave each other a clap.

After doing the pooja, nikhil dropped avantika.

As she climbed up the stairs, her heart started beating fast. She didn't want to see his father as really hurt her a lot.

As she reached the door, she clicked the doorbell and nandani came and opened the door.

"I am sorry avi. I wasn't able to attend your reception", she said hugging her.

"It's Okay bhabhi", avi replied releasing the hug.

"Come inside", nandani said.

As soon as avantika stepped inside, manik came in front of her and scared her. She screamed loudly. Manik laughed aloud. He loved teasing her sister.

"Bhaiya!! You are so bad!!", avantika blurted

"Sorry but I love to tease my chipkali"  (lizard ; he calls her with this name to tease her)

Avantika took a cushion from the sofa. Manik ran ahead and avantika chased him.

"Oh God!! They still behave like kids", radha sighed.

Radha stood in front of manik, stopping him from running. Avantika took an advantage of this situation and hit him.

"Manik, your sister has come here for the first time after her marriage and you are teasing her", radha scolded.

Avantika touched her feet and then hugged her .

"How are you maa??", avi asked.

"Nothing is like before beta....we all miss you", she said placing a hand on her cheek.

"Where is papa??", avi asked

"He isn't at home....he had some important work at office....don't worry he will come back soon", radha told.

"Avi.... have prasad (it is a devotional offering to god which afterwards shared by the devotees)", nandani gave some prasad to avantika.

Manik and avantika sat on the sofa. Nandani and radha went to kitchen to prepare tea for avantika.

"How is everything going??", manik asked.

"Fine", she said.

"And nikhil??"

"Ya....he's good"

"He has to be otherwise I would kill him for not keeping my lil sister happy"

"Ohh bhaiya....really he is very good...at first he seemed to be rude but he is not.....I think he was uncomfortable first but now we are like friends"

"Friends or like friends??"

Avantika and manik chuckled. By the time nandani and radha brought tea and some snacks.

Avantika sipped the tea but didn't take snacks.

"Have the snacks too avi", nandani insisted.

"No bhabhi....mummy jii has already sent me after having breakfast...if I eat a bite more, I would burst", avantika replied.

"No you will have to eat it....look at yourself....how fragile you have become!!", radha told putting forcefully the snack in her mouth.

"Maa....it has been hardly 3 days that I have gone from here".

"But seems like years. We were longing to see you", radha replied.

Avantika smiled a little hiding her pain of being separated from her family.

_______________

In the evening, nikhil came to pick her from there. He had thought that he would stay there for few minutes but radha stopped him there only. It had been 1 hour since he was there.

"No mummy...it's enough", nikhil said.

"You haven't eaten anything", radha said putting more kheer in his bowl.

Till the time Madhav came back. Nikhil stood up and touched his feet. He hugged him.

Avantika also sat up from her place and went to touch his feet. Madhav put his hand on her head. As she stood up, he cupped her cheek.

"I missed you my princess", madhav said.

Avantika resisted and stepped back.

"If you really cared for me, you wouldn't have said what you said on my wedding day", she snapped and went to her room.

Manik followed her while nikhil and Madhav sat in the hall, having business talks.

"What are you doing avi??", manik asked.

"Just picking out the things which I forgot to take", she replied while taking out her stuffs .

"Avi....please forgive dad", he requested.

"No way bhaiya....if I am in this situation right now...it's all because of him", she said .

"But you are happy with nikhil", he said.

She sniggered, "Happy!!....I wanted a husband who would love me like no other....maybe abir was also not the right choice for me...but at least he was better than nikhil".

"Avi...matches are made in heaven... everything happens for a reason"

"And what about my feelings??".

"Do you still like abir??"

"Maybe"

"You have to move on. He is married to siya and your husband is nikhil"

"That I know and I am trying to"

"So please forgive dad too....he sits alone all the time remembering you"

"You remember what he said....that if I won't marry nikhil, he would never see my face again"

"But at least......"

"I am getting late bhaiya...I should go now", avantika said taking a bag in her hand. She moved out.

"Let's go nikhil", she said.

Nikhil nodded. They bid goodbye to everyone and went back.