Avani pov:-

I had a peaceful sleep after many nights... Lot of guilt was uplifted from my head after his assuring words...After the dinner,the nurse changed his saline and told that only one person can stay with him and remaining must leave...

I don't want any of our parents to suffer at this age...I quickly agreed to stay sending them off after lot of insisting...and finally retired on the coach adjoining his bed...

I woke up early in the morning...Thanks to mosquitoes who were constantly biting me....arya is still sleeping with a weary face...His face was bruised and his lip was cut at the edge...It is still red...

I went near him and sat on the chair...I moved his hair back which were falling on his eyes...And I caressed his hairs to which he smiled in sleep...I smiled at his reaction and got up from there...He is getting disturbed by mosquitoes and moving his hand in the air...I cautiously covered his duvet till face and went downstairs to the shop nearby to buy repellent...

Finally I switched it on and went to freshen up...By the time our elders reach here I must be ready...

Slowly arya woke up by 8am by the time,I was reading some news in the mobile...He greeted me good morning...I nodded..

"You look so cheerful today"I said

"Because you're in my dream yesterday"he said...

I just kept mum not knowing what to say...Did he really feel my touch?

"Umm...I want to use washroom...Can you help me get up?"he asked with hesitation

"No.problem arya..."I helped him get up..He could barely use one arm and walking with the help of support...I felt sad looking at him...

I waited till he finished and brushed his teeth...And finally sat on the bed

"I will bring some tea for you...Mom and papa might reach here any minute"I started to go...He held my hand...

"Sorry and Thank you"he said...

"No sorry and thank you between friends right?"I smiled..

He was awestruck...By my words...

I brought two cups of tea..Though I am not a tea person,I wanted to have it with him...

I entered room carefully without spilling it's too hot to hold...I kept my cup on the table and While giving the cup to arya,my hand shook and some tea was spilled on him...

"Omg...I am so sorry..Sorry...Is it burning?"....I tried to lift his shirt off without causing much damage to his skin...

Just then my in-laws entered in the room....shit!!!!!I mentally slapped for their timing...they might think something else is happening...

"Umm...Sorry we didn't see anything.."they panicked going out and closed the door...

I smiled awkwardly at him..He burst into laughter...I was more than angry...And left his shirt..I went cold now..He was literally holding his stomach and laughing....

"Will you stop showing your teeth...Mr.aryan???"I asked fuming...How could he laugh...Stupid..I cursed him mentally...

Finally he stopped controlling his giggles..."I will wipe off that laugh on your face..."I said going out to call them...

"We should have knocked the door before opening"papa said...And Aryan again broke into laughter along with papa....That nerve of him...I turned into tomato feeling embarrassed...

"Shut up you both"my mama glared and they both obeyed like kids...Later I explained what actually happened...all of us laughed at it....After sooo long I am seeing Aryan laugh heartily...Like I have never seen him laugh this much...he looks grea....*Shut it* my heart warned...

So my mama and papa took the charge to take care of him till the evening and almost pushed me to go home...And finally,I came home...I have no strength left within me...Neither physically nor emotionally..I collapsed on bed and drifted off to sleep....

Aryan pov:-
I don't know what came over me...But I laughed on her face..She was so angry still I couldn't stop it.... Finally she also gave in and laughed with me...

I felt that it's all a dream even though it's not... Somewhere inside I am afraid that I might wake up suddenly realizing that it's a dream...

Avani is looking so lively,so happy and very comfortable in my company even though I know that she is acting in front of our parents...she is pretending to be happy to make the elders believe that were a happy couple...

But my stupid heart fails to accept that...It still feels if this is real and she is all mine to cherish...Only if it becomes true...may be one day...

I had a great family day today...My parents entertained me a lot..in the afternoon avani's parents also joined us..I had a long nap due to the seditives...but all along,I missed her around me...I missed her smile...I missed her voice...I missed how she messes up the things..I miss her expressions and her actions...I miss her silence and her mood swings...if you love a person so much,you never think of touching them and kissing them or getting into physical...you only think of their presence with you...a hand to hold on ...and a heart to share...that it..

It's evening and I am desperately waiting for her...I was restless since a half an hour..she must have reached by now...I heard a knock...my parents are all involved in conversation they didn't even hear the knock...

I told my mom that someone's at the door ..she opened..yes I was right...Avani came...with all her grace...bathed and clean...like a daisy...she smiled at me...I was awestruck...lost in her dimples...just looking at her forgetting the world around me...

My dad poked me..."someone has sensors in his body to recognise his love....even before knocking"and everyone laughed...except me...I was simply absorbing her beautiful features..as the smile may fade away once they left...

Avani backed me up saying"I knocked the door papa..."and I loved the way she called my dad papa....

She sat beside me on bed and asked how am I feeling... truthfully saying..better than ever..but I simply said fine....

Our parents retired to their respective houses... leaving us alone...the doctor came on rounds and checked my vitals...Avani enquired about my health...I am happy to see her worried...I have gone crazy right?

Today she cooked Rice with some curry. Actually I couldn't identify what the curry was...but it tasted salty....she fed me with her hands...I had a hard time controlling tears...

Everyone says that a real man don't cry...only a weak man does...but for me a it takes a whole lot of courage to express your emotions...

She looked at me and smiled warmly..."I will do this the whole week...don't cry everyday...I will feel bad"and she bent her head low...

"I told you that it's not about the food..."I said and smiled admist of struggling tears....

Later she served herself and started eating...she never initiates a conversation..so I did...asked her about her day..I told her about mine...

This is how a normal family does...

She told me how difficult cooking was...how she failed thrice in cooking this curry...and her earlier cooking stunts with Arjun... slowly tears pooled her eyes

She left the plate midway and stood up while wiping her tears...she couldn't control anymore...I felt very sorry for her....poor girl how much struggle she is going through...

She went and stood in balcony still crying looking at the sky...

Avani pov:-

He asked me how was my day...Its then realised that it's been ages since someone asked me how was my day...
He told me how he enjoyed with our family...and it's my turn...

I tried hard enough not to cry but thinking about our days when I whined to cook for Arjun and he used to be afraid and scary to eat my food....

Flashback

"Meri maa...it's the third time I am making you learn how to cook dal...."Arjun whined

"It's a simple dish avani....but still you are doing it as if you are a scientist and you are in ur labaratory....

Don't run away...they are just curry leaves getting fried in the pan....the oil is getting spilled a little because of the moisture....Avani....

You are behaving like you are in a army and you are shooting the enemies.....

God !!"Arjun said giving up his hopes....

"Shut up mr.arjun .....if you don't stop your pravachanam ( speech ) I will throw this dal on ur face....

Now keep ur speeches shut and start ur explanation....."I said strictly

Finally the dish is completed yipeee...I was jumping with happiness....

"Thank God ... finally I am free...."Arjun sighed in relief.... going to the living room... shrugging his shoulders

No way I said pulling him by his shirt..."who will taste this .....?" I said pouring the dal which is just like a water ......in the sticky rice.....

"Maa....!

Save me .....from this scientist..."he yelled running the whole house....making my tummy hurt with the laugh....

Flashback ends ..

those memories which made me smile once are breaking me down now....

I could barely control my tears...I came to balcony unable to face Arya and give him more pain...I looked at the moon in the sky...

"Why arjun?why did you come into my life?why did you show me your love?why did you make so many memories?now why did you leave me alone?

I am trying arjun..I am trying a lot to get distracted from you...just to make the person who is thinking I am his life happy...I am trying so hard to not think about you ..about us...but why does my every thought.my every action end with you?

Why are you giving me so much pain?"I cried clenching my heart..

I found Arya hand on my shoulder...he is standing behind me with supporting sick in the other hand and plate placed on the bench...

"The food is getting cold"he said looking elsewhere...

"Sorry arya.. that just...I.."I started to reason out...

"You can cry infront of me Avani...you can be yourself with me..you need not hide any emotions..."he sat on the bench placing the plate and water in the middle..

Aryan pov:-

Her every tear is breaking my heart...not only seeing her pain but also realising they are for him..

I can't help her in anyway...all these emotions must be dealt by themselves...

I brought back her plate but I couldn't see into her eyes afraid that I will breakdown causing her more guilt and pain...I don't want to do that..

   I placed the plate on the bench and sat there...she looked at me with teary eyes...i assured her that she can cry infront of me... bottling up emotions does even more damage...

     She tried to calm down silently wiping her tears..I placed my palm on hers and gave a gentle squeeze...that's it....she broke down with hiccuping voice
 
    she told me about how much she missed him...how they planned life together and how sorry she was for me...

     All I did is listen to her ..she don't need any suggestion right now...she needs someone to listen to her pain...after half an hour,she drank water..after an hour,she finally stopped crying and ate her food in silence...

    Cleaned the plate and came back to me...we sat in silence...a comfortable silence where as our hearts had different thoughts but are destined together...

     Finally she looked into my eyes I looked into her...she smiled at me and I smiled at her...a smile that's struggled through tears...a smile which appeared because there are no more tears left in her eyes to cry...

     we kept looking into each other for eternity... behind those glassy eyes and her worry some face I can see a chirpy girl yearning for love...we both are same yearning for love but of different persons....

Hello my dear readers!!!!how are you all? finally we could give you an update despite our messed up schedules...a weekend gift for you...I suppose😉😉😃😃🤣

So we have an important announcement to make....we have reached 100 followers now and more than 50k reads for "Pelli pustakam"....yippeee.....all this wouldn't have been possible without your constant love and support that you guys showered on us....a huge thanks from bottom of our hearts...you guys are awesome and constant supporters on our low days and your likes and comments make us so moved and make us write more and improve our writing....

Thanks a lot!!!!

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Varsha