chapter 7

Chapter start

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" Neil, you go to the room and rest, I am here with her." Avni says this to Neil, sitting next to Aaira Neil is applying cold water compress on her forehead so that her fever subsides.

Aaira wakes up to the worried voices of her parents, upon which Avni gives her medicine, under the influence of which Aaira goes back to sleep but her fever is not subsiding so both of them are putting a cold water compress on her forehead.

" No, I am fine, I will not go anywhere until her fever subsides." Neil replies to Avni and again puts another cold compress on Aaira forehead and Avni looks at him.

Avni looks at Aaira, she had told her not to take so much stress, but this girl does not listen to her, she ruined her health by taking unnecessary stress.

" Avni, you are speaking the truth...was the only reason that you told me due to which Mannat was in a bad mood?" Neil asks in doubt because he cannot believe the reason he has found out, his daughter cannot be so sad over such a small matter that one of her school classmates has come to her college.

" haan Neil, and you can talk to her yourself tomorrow morning if you don't trust me." Avni says, and it's okay sometimes parents have to lie for their children and she doesn't tell the truth because she knows that after knowing the real reason, Neil will not spare that innocent Reyansh.

" It is not a matter of trust, I trust you but I don't like seeing her like this...that's why I'm asking." says Neil

" Don't worry, her fever will go down by tomorrow morning." she says and thus the night passes.

It is morning and Neil is still awake sitting next to Aaira. Avni had fallen asleep in a sitting position during the night, so Neil makes Avni sleep in a comfortable position next to Aaira.

Right now he himself is sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at Aaira. He sees how his daughter's face has turned pale.

Neil changes cold compresses on her forehead throughout the night and her fever subsides now completely, but seeing her condition Neil decides that he will do what his daughter wants, If she wants to change her college then he will get her college changed because he doesn't want to see her in this condition again.

He gets up from the bed and removes the room curtain to let the morning light spread its fresh and positive energy into the room.

But as soon as Neil removes the curtains, Avni wakes up and finds herself close to Aaira who is cuddle up her mother.

She smiles and the first thing she does is move her hand to her forehead where she checks if she still has fever or not and she takes a sigh of relief when she doesn't have a fever.

She separates Aaira from herself and then gets up and sits on the bed

" Good morning wifey." Neil wishes Avni, standing near the window, when he sees that his wife has woken up.

Avni looks at Neil and seeing him in the room and looking at his eyes she understands that he did not sleep the whole night due to worry, she sighs at his actions.

But before she could say anything to him, both of them see some movement in Aaira

"Mom, please close the curtains." Like every day, Aaira makes the same demand from her mother, hearing which Avni and Neil do nothing but smile.

" she is fine now." Avni tells Neil who now comes and sits on the bed in front of her

" Hmm...By the way, my good morning wish." Neil says to Avni showing his cheek to which Avni glares at him

" Mr. Husband, we're not in our room right now." she whispers, letting him know that they're in their daughter's room and she can't kiss him.

" She is sleeping." says Neil to which Avni smiles, till last night this father was so worried but now he has become a naughty husband again.

" Good morning Mr. Husband but the rest of the things you will get in our room as I don't want to give our daughter a chance to tease me." Avni again whispers all these things to him, on which Neil pouts.

And then, Avni shifts her attention from her husband to Aaira and before Avni can wake Aaira up, Neil stops her.

" Let her sleep today, she will wake up when she feels like it." Neil says

"But her college?" Avni says, she thinks that now that her fever has gone down she should go to college as it is her second day today and it is not right to be absent like this.

And it is not that she is becoming a strict mother but she feels that it is not right to be absent in the initial days of college.

" She will not go to college today, let her rest." Avni sighs at Neil's words, this is where the thinking of both of them does not match.

On the other side,

The scene is of Mehra house, where everyone is sitting for breakfast.

Well, Ansh had to face teasing session from his family after he returned from hospital last night, Especially from her mother.

Despite his refusal, when his father Raj told everything to her mother, her mother Simran teased him a lot, taking Advaita's name because the receptionist had also told Raj the name of the girl, so now they knew what the girl's name was.

Now, again everyone is sitting at the breakfast table, Ansh is quietly having breakfast keeping his eyes only on his plate and Simran starts thinking about teasing her son again because her son stays away from girls but today when a girl has come into his life who is claiming to be his future wife then how can she not tease her son.

Raj sees the mischievous smile on Simran's face and understands her thoughts, upon which he signals her not to do anything, but Simran is Simran who's not going to listen to her husband.

" Toh Ansh, main Pandit ji ko bulaaun shaadi ki date fix karne ke liye ?" On hearing his mother's words, Ansh looks up from the plate and sees a mischievous smile on his mother's face.

" Mom please, ho gya, ab bas." Ansh speaks in irritation.

" Arre bas kyon, main toh truck bharkar mithaai baantungi, bhai mere bete ki shaadi hone waali hai, kal ko mere grandchildren aayenge, unki bhi shaadi hogi....Haaye...." Simran says dreamily to which Ansh sees his mother And the whole family just smiles at Simran's antics, she will never change.

" Mom ye kis tarah ki baate kar rahi hai...?" Ansh says in disbelief, how far ahead his mother is thinking.

" Toh main kuch galat thode bol rahi hu....? Shaadi toh hogi na tumhari, bachche honge na tumhare bhi." Simran says

" bilkul sahi bola mom aapne aur fir main banunga ekdam cool chachu...." Aarav coming from behind says and then he sits next to his grandfather to save himself from Ansh's blow, he was getting ready for his college so he got late for the breakfast table

And there, Ansh glares at Aarav when he says this

" Mom please ab ho gya, aur us ladki ko toh main chhodunga nahi...bahut galat harkat ki hai usne." Ansh speaks in anger

" Haan mat chhodna use...., use meri bahu bnaa de ab bas..." Simran says and as she keeps teasing him like this, Ansh thinks he should remind his mother that she is his mother

" Mom, beta hu main aapka, iss tarah ki baate karengi aap mere saath ?" Ansh finally says this in the hope that his mother will stop teasing him from now on

" Nahi beti ji, main bhul gyi thi, maa-baap toh gen-z ke hai, par beta humara 70 ke dashak ka sharmila ladka hai." Simran says glaring at him.

" Mom.....

" Kya mom, pta nahi kaun thi par kitni bold ladki hogi...., ye sab karne ke liye himmat chahiye jo us me thi, aur yehaan ek humara beta hai jo ladkiyon ke naam se bhi sharmaa jaata hai....aise to mil gyi mujhe meri bahu...." Simran taunts him by saying this to which Ansh sighs.

" Daadi aap mom ko kuch bolti kyon nahi...." Ansh asks Neela, his grandmother, to say something to his mother about all this but Ansh probably doesn't know that his mother doesn't feel shy in front of her in-laws so why would she feel shy in front of her son before saying anything

" Bachha waise Simran beta kuch galat nahi keh rahi....tujhe us ladki ke baare me sochna chahiye..." Ansh gets shocked at his grandmother's words, will anyone in this house help him or not?

" Okay, I am leaving now..." Ansh is about to get up from the table without finishing his breakfast.

" Have your breakfast quietly...okay I won't tease you anymore but finish your breakfast." Simran says, on which Ansh doesn't say anything further but completes his breakfast following his mother's orders.

At the Khanna house.

Aaira gets ready for her day and comes down to the hall where her mother, grandfather and grandmother are sitting and they all smile seeing her.

" Ab meri bachhi kaisi hai...?" When Aaira sits next to her grandmother, Shweta asks her this question

" Ab main theek hu Daadi." Aaira replies to her grandmother

"Mom, where is Papa?" Aaira asks seeing her father absent

" Papa is here princess." Aaira looks in one direction hearing her father's voice and sees him holding a plate in his hand

Actually everyone else has already had breakfast because Aaira slept late today and just now at around 10 o'clock, she came out of the room, and as Neil knew that she was awake, he himself made his daughter's favorite breakfast today which was pancakes just like her mom likes it, with strawberries and chocolate syrup.

For Neil, it is not difficult to please these mother daughter duo as they both have almost similar tastes which is a good thing for him because that way he never had to remember different things for both of them.

A smile comes on Aaira's face when she sees her favorite breakfast and Neil also smiles after finally seeing a smile on his daughter's face after yesterday

" How are you feeling right now?" Neil asks, sitting next to her on the couch, facing her.

" Now I am fine, Papa, and after seeing this breakfast, I am even better." Aaira replies to which Neil smiles and then he starts feeding her with his hand and everyone else sitting there does nothing but smiles watching the father-daughter moment.

" Papa, you didn't go to office today?" Aaira asks her father while chewing the morsel in her mouth and Neil is ready to feed her the next morsel

" No, today is my whole day for my princess. No work today." Neil says which makes Aaira happy

" It's good then I will be able to do all my work comfortably today as I am going to be ignored by both of them today." Avni pretends to be jealous and says this while Neil and Aaira look at her and before they can say anything, Prakash says

" Koi baat nahi puttar, Neil will spend time with his daughter, you spend time with your parents, how can anyone ignore my daughter like this." Prakash points towards himself and Shweta and says that she will spend time with both of them today, to which Avni smiles and Prakash takes Avni in a fatherly hug.

"Daadu, this is not right...you are also my......." Before Aaira can complete her sentence, Avni cuts her off.

" No, You stick to your Papa... don't cast eyes on my Papa." Prakash Sweta smiles at Avni's words and Aaira pouts while Neil smiles seeing this.

And in that way, they spend a good family moment.

After some time, Neil and Aaira are sitting in the room and Neil decides to tell her that he is ready to change her college

" Princess, tell me where you want to take admission and now you will not go to that college where you are not interested." Neil says this but at the same time Avni also enters the room and hears all this from Neil.

She is just at the door, and Aaira, hearing her father's words, looks straight at where her mother is standing

Neil also looks at Avni and gives her a smile and Avni comes inside thinking something and sits on the bed, Neil and Aaira are on the couch

While looking at her mother, Aaira remembers yesterday's conversation with her and from that she understood that she will not change her dreams for anyone, she won't let anyone's presence overpower her.

" Papa, first of all please forgive me, I spoke to you very rudely yesterday." She apologizes to Neil for her tone yesterday as it was probably the first time she spoke to Neil in that way

" No need to apologize....don't I know my princess? Yesterday you were in a bad mood, So it's okay...Papa doesn't feel bad about any word of his Mannat anyway." Neil says to which Aaira smiles.

" So now tell me, which college do you want to go to?" After her apology, Neil asks her his earlier question to which Avni waits for Aaira's answer

" Papa, I don't want to change college." Avni smiles at Aaira's answer and Aaira looks at Avni who gives her a look that, that's like my strong daughter. On which Aaira smiles

And seeing this thing between them, Neil also understands that this miracle is done by Avni, she changes Aaira's decision.

" Papa, I don't want to change college. Whatever happens, I will handle it. I am your daughter and cannot be weakened by anyone's presence." Saying this, Aaira hugs Neil and Neil puts his chin on her head and looks at Avni and both of them look at each other and smile thinking what kind of mature things their little one is talking about today, she is really growing up now.

On the other side

The scene is of xyz's college

Reyansh whose conversation with Aaira yesterday which was perhaps incomplete, And hoping to convince her once again, he waits outside Aaira's class so he can try one more time

The bell rings signifying the end of class, Reyansh sees all the students coming out and almost the whole class has come out but he doesn't see Aaira anywhere

One last girl is leaving the class and though he is hesitant to talk to other girls except Aaira, but for the sake of Aaira he stops that girl to ask her if Aaira is inside:

" Excuse me " The girl stops but suddenly seeing him properly her eyes get stuck on him as to why such a handsome boy has stopped her.

" Yes " She comes a little closer to him and speaks, upon which Reyansh takes two steps back in hesitation

" Is Aaira in the class?" Now he says Aaira instead of Mannat because only the family members know the name Mannat

" Who Aaira?" the girl asks disappointedly that he stopped her to know about some other girl but at the same time, as it is only the second day of college, she doesn't remember everyone's name, so she doesn't know who Aaira is

And when the girl asks who is Aaira, Reyansh understands that she might not know her and that is why he speaks further

" No one. You go, sorry for wasting your time." Reyansh tells her and the girl leaves from there and then Reyansh himself looks inside the class where he sees the whole class empty

" Where would she be? Maybe she hasn't taken this class and is with Aarav." With this in mind, Reyansh calls Aarav to ask where he is so that he can join him, to which Aarav tells him that he is in the canteen.

Coming to the canteen, Reyansh gets disappointed again when Aaira is not even with Aarav and now he doesn't understand how to find out from Aarav where Aaira is.

He cannot ask him about her directly.

But suddenly when some time passes in their conversation, suddenly a thought comes to his mind

" Aarav, are you not getting late?" Reyansh asks Aarav

"For what?" Aarav asks

" wo...wo...your sister.... Reyansh says half of it when Aarav gives him a look to which Reyansh gulps

" I was saying that college time is almost about to end, so like yesterday, you will have to drop her at the college gate today also, no ?" After saying this, Reyansh takes a breath, what if Aarav takes his words the wrong way?

" Rey, she is not a kid...yesterday was her first day that is why I picked her up from the college gate and drop her...and will do it in future too but that is not necessary because i know she won't like it." Aarav says

" Yes, what you say is correct, but she was nowhere to be seen today..." on this, Aarav again gives him a look on which Reyansh sighs

" Why are you giving me such a look, I just asked like that... You guys are always together that's why..." Reyansh finishes his sentence with fear and Aarav looks at him

"She hasn't come to college today..."

" Why?" comes Reyansh's immediate reaction to which Aarav gives him another look, Aarav cannot understand why he is showing so much interest in his sister today.

" No, I mean college started yesterday and she is absent today...your sister is a bit strange." Reyansh says it in a way that Aarav doesn't take his words the wrong way

" Look, don't say anything about her, she's not strange, she's very special....And she is just unwell so that's why he is not here today." Aarav tells him and on hearing this Reyansh gets worried, she is unwell but now how can he ask further what happened to her ?

On reaching college, when Aarav calls Aira to know when she is coming to college, he comes to know about her health from Avni who picks up his call when Aaira was sleeping.

"Did you notice na yesterday that she was in a bad mood...she fell sick as soon as she reached home." Without Reyansh asking, Aarav tells him further in the flow itself which forces Reyansh to think something.

" She looks strong but she is very sensitive at heart, don't know what happened to her in college yesterday that she got stressed and fell ill, Now, after college, I'm going to meet her." Aarav tells him further but his luck is so bad that he cannot even tell Aarav that I will also come with you to see her.

" I hope she gets well soon." Reyansh says just this much to Aarav's entire statement and gets up and starts leaving from there.

" Where are you going?" Aarav asks him.

" I have one last class left, I will meet you later." Saying this, Reyansh leaves from there thinking something.

It is night time, the scene is of Reyansh's house... Sitting at his study table, Reyansh is staring at his phone and he is dialing a number again and again but he is unable to gather courage to make the call

Throwing his phone on the table he covers and wipes his face with both his hands and takes a deep breath and then takes his phone in his hand again and gathering some courage, he finally makes the call and keeping the phone to his ear, he waits for the person on the other side to pick up the call

On the other side

Aaira is all set to sleep.....she has a happy smile on her face as she had a good day today, First she spent the whole day with her father which is no less than a therapy for her, she watched movies, played games, her father cooked for her and she helped him in it.

So as the evening approaches, both her brothers reach home to brighten her mood with whom, after spending time, all her sickness seemed to have vanished.

Aaira opens her quilt and is about to lie down on the bed, but just then, her phone rings, she makes an irritated face because she is not a call person, she doesn't like too many phone calls and especially not at a time when she is about to have her beauty sleep, she would give up her life to sleep, she loves sleeping so much.

She picks up her phone from the side table and sees that the caller ID is showing as a private number, she gets more irritated seeing the unknown call but she still picks it up.

" Hello " she says and on the other side Reyansh finally takes a breath when he hears her voice

" Hello " Aaira says again when she does not get a reply from the other side and she gets confused as to which dumb person is calling her at this time and why did he call when he doesn't know how to speak

" Hello, Can you hear me, who are you?"

Aaira speaks again upon which Reyansh's heart starts beating faster, he is trying to speak but his voice is not coming out

" Why do you all call when you don't want to talk...." Saying this, Aaira is about to disconnect the call but she stops when she suddenly hears a deep yet sweet masculine voice from the other side.

" Hello " Reyansh finally musters the courage to speak but realises that the phone gets disconnected the moment he speaks.

He closes his eyes in despair, he had called to ask about her well being but this girl disconnected the call as soon as she heard his voice, He tries once again but suddenly he hears from the other side that the number you are calling is currently switched off.

He sighs at her stubborn behavior.

" Control Aaira, Don't spoil your mood because of anyone...Good night, have a good sleep." Wishing herself, she lies down on the bed, covers herself with the quilt, and goes into her beauty sleep, disturbing someone else's sleep.

On the other hand, in despair, Reyansh is still sitting at his study table and opens one of his books and stares at its pages and suddenly a drop of tear comes out of his eyes and falls on his book.

To be continued..........

Words count : 3930