Here's presenting a long but significant chapter which is going to serve as major turning point in AvNeil's journey.!

Have a happy Reading.!!

Myself Hailing from one of the Metro-cities of India, i wasnt unaware of the hustle-bustle and fast paced tempo of life in such cities. But when it comes to Mumbai, you can safely multiply everything by atleast 10 times.

Although Its amusing but partly scaring too.

And that made me want to stop and take a moment of appreciation for myself, that i had managed a decent survival here for 10 long days, all by my own.

However, with big cities, comes big problems.!

Anybody who had spend atleast one night in this ornate city, would definately know "Accomodation" as the biggest Problem swirling here. Sadly, i have not remained untouched with it. More like, i have myself signed up for it.

Having An old college friend Like Angie - as she made me call her instead of her boring name Anjali - is the literal defination of blessing. She had generously extended her helping hand and so her small rented apartment. She has done everything that she could in helping me settle here, with all her wish and will.

Consequently, We had accomodated her two roomed apartment - on Rent-Share basis - in a 15 floored building which is around half an hour distance from "K.I." where i work. In last few days, Angie had become my personal help and guide in channeling my life through the pace of this new city. Afterall, her handy experience of 5 years in Mumbai, calls for some complimentary benefits.

Undoubtedly, She is more than good and friendly with my Aanu, but living with a young child around, is no cakewalk, especially when its your first time. It demands an extreme level of adjustments which Angie had willingly done without even letting it show either in her words or in her behaviour. All for the sake of good old times we had shared back in our college.

I wasnt blind to the changes her carefree lifestyle and nite-parties at home had to suffer, all because of Our Presence. The relocation of her pre-decided Party plan, from home to some club, last weekend was the last chunk in the heap of my already piled up guilt and regret.

That is exactly when i had decided to move out soon.

As much as i want to be selfish - not for the place but for her irreplacable company- i cant overlook the sacrifices that she is doing with a smile on her face. Too much for having a kind and generous heart.

So now i am left with the task of century - "House-Hunting" and a whole long list filled with Brokers's numbers.

Contacting a few of them had re-established my assumption of how much gruelling it is going to be. I had picked out one extremely efficient Broker out of that list, who had shorlisted a few of small apartments - that i can rent - as per my choices and in the perimeter i have provided. All these in a span of 3 days.

He wanted me to spare a day so that i can have a look at the places he had selected and then can decide my preferences and details of our agreement. He was confident that i would like more than one places from his list.

As much as i wanted to push this indispensable appearance of me to this weekend, i was unwilling to drag Aanu into the mix.

My lil girl's life has already been complicated and unsettled for so many unavoidable reasons. She has fallen into a routine with a great deal of difficulty, and i had to be two hundred percent sure before askewing it again.

I can already sense a tantrum-show unfurling with the news of shifting her away from her loveable Angie Maasi reaching her ears. I know i had to ease her out in this decision and have to sweet talk her. Or the last resort of sweetening the deal with either the cupcakes or ice-creams is always available.

And ofcourse i will have to be handy with the ways that can help me in cajoling My Friend for taking this decision without even discussing with her. I just hope i dont hurt Angie's sentiments to the point of no return. Friends like her are too precious to loose.

Including either Angie or Aanu in this new development can wait untill i have actually picked up our new place. And for that, i needed to take a day's leave from office, which surprisingly was not that difficult as i had expected, considering myself to be a new employee.

Like other weekdays, i had dropped my girl at her day-care before i can head out to the Broker and begun with my new mission of house-hunting. Not that i am too enthusiastic about it, but this is something i wanted to get done with before there is even chance of second thoughts.

After few exhausting hours, even before the tick-tock of my wrist watch can display 2 in the noon, the circadian clock inside my body filled me with the desparate need to see certain face enriched with an alluring smile, the mere imagination of which can de-stress me in seconds.

However Neither i am stupid nor do i worship the food of my office's cafetaria to the level so as to appear just for lunch on a day off. But the thought of having an hour full of him was delectable to the point that it had me scampering immediately towards office, not before picking up Aanu in between.

Moreover, the little curious doll that my life is blessed with, would have bombarded me with her innumerable questions, had she been denied to meet her Mr. Handsome for lunch. That was the most reasonable justification my Heart could come up with for my outlandish behaviour at present.

As soon as my searching eyes landed on the sitting area of Cafetaria through the glassed wall from the lounge, i had immediately spotted Neil in his usual table at the far-off corner. He was slightly reclining on his chair with both his legs stretched in front and crossed at ankles, draped in his usual formal dress shirt, absentmindedly sipping through the cup in his hand, he appeared to be little lost in some cavernous thoughts. I couldnt properly see his expressions from this far, but i think i saw a hint of smile on his face.

Neverthless, my bouncy kid had soon broken him off from his imaginary world with her enthusiastic squeal and had straight away landed in his arms. Its such a warm feeling to see him regard Aanu with so much love and affection. Its as if i can feel it radiating in the ambience around them.

That is making me more curious to know what exactly went wrong in his past that he chose to be a Bachelor. This man certainly deserves a family of his own.

Amidst the process of settling myself in my chair, the first thing that came to my notice was The Indian platter, which happens to be my daily order and not Neil's. The fact that he had ordered my choice of lunch as if either expecting me or missing me, made my cheeks bulge with the wide smile that i find hard to contain within me.

But it soon reshaped into a frown as an innate sense of concern took over, seeing his ingenious plan of skiping the meal and fill himself with liters of coffee. That didnt settle well with me. Insanely driven by an impulse, i started to eat from his plate, purely with the intention to have him eat something too. While the lunch box that i was carrying, remained closed and hidden in my handbag.

His reactions were priceless as he registered the fact that we were actually eating from the same plate. It wasnt a big deal, as i thought, untill the accidental touches and grazes of his fingers on my hand started to tease the logical part of my brain and my sanity.

The unceasing vibrations of my phone served to be a welcomed distraction, but just when i was about to pick up the call, Neil gently tugged at the pulp of my index finger - that was in the process of breaking a bite of chapati - with his own finger and shook his head in no, saying, "My Bebe used to say that we should never disrespect Food. All other things can wait till we finish it."

While his finger tugged at my index finger, his thumb slowly begin to draw continous circles at the back of my finger. I am sure he had no idea of what his subtle gestures were driving me through. Now i know what a big deal it was to share lunch with him.

As we had finished with food and My talkative daughter took care of the silence between us, The broker called me for the fourth time. I shuffled myself away from the audible range of Aanu, and Neil if i may add, to take the call. Though i could still feel his persistant gaze following my movements.

He must have sensed the tension my whole frame is generously ozzing, as evident by his suspicious and worried gaze on me which otherwise remains soft and warm. I just looked away and tend to avoid his drowning gaze which would unwind me in no time.

Deciding on meeting the broker in half an hour to continue my mission, i had disconnected his call and spinned on my toe only to meet with Neil's hard chest, startling the hell out of me. A frightened gasp leaves my mouth as The force disbalances me to the point that i was on the verge of hitting myself to the floor and damaging my self-respect along with few muscles and bones maybe.

Before any of my presumptions can see the light of reality, a pair of strong arms wound around my waist and pull me towards the safety of his embrace. Either his pull was too hard or my body is too fragile, that i landed on his chest with a thud and my nose-tip dug on the flesh of his cheeks slightly feeling the roughness of his trimmed stubble.

Honestly, his mere presence is enough to make me feel those sparks that exist mainly in romance novels, and here he has wrapped me in almost a hug with both his hands fanning out on my bare waist and his warm breath tingling the sensitive skin near my jawline.

How effortlessly he has left me with an onslaught of zillion butterflies in my stomach and the paced-up rate of heart that can challenge any Scientific researches.

What followed after breaking away from him was an obvious awkward moment between us, where his gaze found the floor and i had subtly sweeped through our surrounding. The lunch-time was about to end and hence there were only few sporadic eyes to witness our epic accidental trip-fall-catch moment.

The awkwardness doesnt last long as his concern took over soon.

"Avni, i am sure you are facing some troubles. I want you to share it with me considering me as a friend. I can and i want to help you. I know its not easy to trust someone you have hardly known but gimme a chance atleast."

I wanted to stop him with his incessant ramblings in trying to convince me, as that was unnecessary, but i couldnt stop staring him with aww. I had long forgotten the pure feeling of being cared, and now when he is liberally making me feel it, i just want to dive in those emotions.

"Neil, stop it.! You dont need to explain me."

"Then, tell me what it is.?"

"Umm, I am actually looking for a small apartment for us. I was living with a friend but now i want to move-out."

"Ohhh." He streched as if thinking over something deeply.

"And while you may have some magic wand of your own, this is something you cant help me with, unless you are a Broker" i tried to lighten the situation.

He didnt respond and convinced me to believe that he didnt hear me. His thoughtful smirk remained unflinched before a soft smile embraced his lips, as if he has decided on something.

"Only If you are not specifically wanting to live alone, You can share my Apartment."

______________________________________

There is more to this Part, as it was already going too long, i decided to break it.! Also, Avni's life in last 10 days esp in office is yet to be told.

Eish, They are soon going to live together.! 😍😍

This is going to be more of a Flat-mates story than Office-colleagues, as it was planned from start. Was that expected.? Is it exciting.?

Also, any query or criticism regarding the story so far.?

Do share share ur thoughts.!