chapter 42

Chapters 43 - 46 are updated on ScrollStack.

Chapter start

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" Mumma, I said yes to Reyansh...we are together." Aaira says and this does not come as a surprise for Avni, she knew that things are from both sides, but now her only worry is Neil

" You said you won't have any problem...so are you happy now?" Aaira asks her further to which Avni smiles

" Hmm, I really don't have any problem, I am happy, what can be better than finding love in a childhood friendship." Avni says on which Aaira sees her little confused as both of them are not childhood friends, maybe they are, maybe not. She's confused

" Yes, I know he was your childhood enemy for don't know what reason but for him you were a friend, so now I'm happy that finally you forgave him." Avni says and also seeing this thing of her daughter she remembers her own time.

She and Neil have been together since she was growing up. Yes, it is a different matter that they were neither friends nor there was any love between them but there was definitely an unspoken bond.

With time, she also found Neil in such a form who first became her friend and then her life partner.

" Bachha, I am happy but Neil..... Avni continues

" Mumma, I want to tell everything to Papa too, I don't want to hide this thing from him and I will do whatever he says next." Aaira says on which Avni smiles

" And I know papa will never say no to me, he will say yes." Aaira says in hope

" And I am saying NO." Avni and Aaira's eyes widen when they suddenly hear Neil's voice.

He had gone to office, when did he come back? And did he hear everything? And he has a no for Reyansh?

" Neil... Avni calls out his name but before she can say anything, Neil comes close to them both, inside the room.

" What were you two talking about, you and Reyansh ?" Aaira gulps at her father's question and suddenly stands up and clings to her mother, holding her hand on which Avni sees her

" Papa... Aaira tries to say something but Neil cuts her off.

" Don't say a word, and you will say "no" to him. You both can't be together." Aaira is shocked at his words.

Well she had expected something like this but not a straight no like this.

" But why papa? What is the problem? You also like him na ? How much you love him." Aaira asks.

Obviously Neil's love for Reyansh is not hidden from anyone so why is he refusing him, asks Aaira.

" So ? Just because I like him doesn't mean I'll like him with you.

And the problem is not him but the problem is boyfriend.

I said no and no boyfriend means no boyfriend." Neil tells her to which Aaira and Avni looks at him

" Neil... this time Avni tries but Neil silence her too.

" No Avni, and I don't want to hear anything more on this topic and you will say "No" to him." Neil says this to Aaira and leaves from there on which Aaira looks at her mother who is a little confused at this time because she doesn't understand whose side she should be on

" Mom... Aaira says

" Relax, I will talk to him..." says Avni and follows Neil followed by Aaira.

Well, Aaira did say that she will do whatever her father says but that doesn't mean that she won't try to convince him, She will try to convince her father for Reyansh and if all her efforts fail then she will finally do what her father wants because she cannot go against him and neither would she ever like to go against her father.

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" Neil, you should try to understand things once before imposing any decision on Aaira." Coming into the hall from behind Neil, Avni tells Neil this

" What should I understand Avni, and you, what do you mean that you are happy for both ?

we have already talked about this, and I will not change my decision, No boy will come into her life..." Neil says on which Avni sees him and he continues

" And I never imposed any of my decisions on her but this, this thing cannot happen and both of you will have to accept this." Neil says

" Neil, I know why you are saying this,

But Neil, things change with time, it is not necessary that what you want will happen, She is growing up... Avni says but before Neil can say anything about this, he sees Aaira who is coming down the stairs and coming closer to them

" Papa please..." Aaira request making her baby face but before Neil says anything or anyone else says anything

Suddenly, a person arrives in the Khanna house who, like Neil, has a problem with Aaira having a boyfriend and he is none other than Raj.

Raj and Simran enter the Khanna house but are a little shocked to see the scene in front of them and wonder why all three of them look so serious.

But before Raj and Simran can ask him any questions, Neil's parents also come out of their room into the hall and now the whole family gathers together.

" kya hua hai ? Tu itna paresaan kyon hai ?" Raj asks Neil who is unable to keep calm at this moment despite trying to do so, after knowing this new information about his daughter

" Ask her what she has done." Neil tells Raj pointing at Aaira which confuses everyone.

" Kya hua bachha ?" Raj asks Aaira to which Aaira looks at Raj but then at her mother Avni

And again Avni gets some old memories when she was standing in this situation, between Neil and Raj, so at this time she is able to understand the condition of her daughter's heart very well.

But somewhere Avni also knows that her daughter is not like her, her daughter is not a timid girl like her, Avni knows that her daughter knows how to say things bluntly and openly, which she couldn't do when she was in a similar situation with her brother in the past.

" Mamu, I have a boyfriend." Aaira says without hesitation, which makes Raj's eyes widen, and Neil sighs after hearing this from his daughter again.

But suddenly everyone's attention turns to Simran, who instead of being shocked, expresses happiness.

" Really ?" Simran asks her happily, to which Aaira too smiles seeing her bua happy.

But before this Aaira says yes to her Bua, Raj and Neil glare at Simran seeing her happiness on this things

And there Simran suppresses her smile when she feels the gaze of her husband and brother on her as she knows how serious this matter is for them.

But again she cannot stop herself, before asking Aaira the next question

"Baby who is he, what is his name?" asks Simran.

Well, Simran is happy to see her niece finally going against the No boyfriend policy imposed on her.

" Bua, Reyansh..." Raj gets more shocked hearing this and he looks at Neil

" Humara Reyansh ?" Asks Simran at which Aaira just nods yes

" Wow, he kept his word, what he said in childhood seems to be coming true today." Simran says

" But I will not let this happen." On hearing Simran's words, Neil says to which everyone looks at him.

" No one is anyone's boyfriend, and Mannat you will say "no" to him, and I really don't want to hear anything more on this topic so stop all this right here." Neil adds.

" Bachha, Neil is right and what was lacking in our love that you.... Raj says

" Mamu, It is not like that, I know you all love me a lot but I also need someone in my life, jis se main apne dil ki baat kar saku." says Aaira

" Dil ki baat ? Wo kya hoti hai ? whatever you want to talk about, talk to us." Raj says this to which Avni and Simran look at him.

And on hearing Raj say this, Aaira looks at him, now she cannot talk everythings with them.

And Simran also gives a look to Raj, her husband was not so stupid that he could not understand what Aaira meant by DIL KI BAAT.

" Papa... Aaira tries again

" NO " Neil gave the same answers again

" Papa, but what is the reason ? Did Mamu and Nanu also refuse you in the same way for Mumma?" Aaira asks a question to which Avni's eyes widen a little

" Aaira, you can't question him like this..." Avni warns her

" why mumma ? And papa, whatever the reason may be...but my story is still okay: it has the childhood sweetheart and a little hate-love trope, but your love story was of the

best friend's sister trope. Yours was more risky, So when your best friend, Mamu agreed for you and Mumma

then why are you objecting to my love story ?"

Due to not being able to understand anything how she convince her father, Aaira suddenly starts saying all these things which all the people standing there get a little shocked after hearing it,

Even Simran too, and wondering why she is suddenly saying of all this.

" And Mamu, did Papa also reject you when you said that you love Bua? No, right?

Daadu, did you tell Mamu not to become Bua's boyfriend?" Aaira asks her grandfather standing there, to which Raj and Neil look at her.

" Nahi bachha." Prakash replies by glaring at his son Neil, indicating to him that he is being stubborn for no reason.

" Look, they did not refuse, it was their own decision, why did Dadu not refuse Mamu, why did your Nanu not refuse me..." says Neil

" But I am refusing him for you and this is my decision, do you understand?" says Neil

" But papa....

" Mannat, it's enough now." Suddenly Aaira flinches when she hears her father's loud voice for the first time.

" Neillll...." Raj warns him that he cannot talk to her like this.

Meanwhile, Neil was talking softly to Aaira despite being upset but seeing her increasing stubbornness for Reyansh that how she is talking for him, even he did not understand when his voice became loud.

But now when he sees Aaira he gets shocked and feels pain in his chest seeing tears in his daughter's eyes because of him.

In a fit of guilt he takes a step towards her but before he can say anything, Aaira runs away from there towards her room and Neil closes his eyes in a fit of guilt

" Had ho gyi tum dono ki, kya tum dono kabhi badloge ?" Simran questions Raj and Neil

" Aur tum, bahut Jaan Jaan karte ho, apni Jaan ko support nahi kar sakte uske decision me ?

What did she do that both of them are reacting like this that no means no." Simran scolds Raj for not supporting Aaira in front of Neil

" Look, whatever you say, Neil is right and she will be fine soon but this stubbornness of hers cannot be fulfilled." Raj says, on which Simran sighs and she knows that whatever she says will not have any effect on these two men in this case.

But at the same time simran knows her niece, even though she has run away sadly at this moment, she knows how to get her wishes fulfilled from both of them.

Neil looks at Avni who is standing quietly amidst all this, however she knows that Neil doesn't want to go away from his daughter that's why he is refusing, But this is also true that no matter how much he wants that no boy should come into his daughter's life but one day someone will come in Aaira's life, no matter how much Neil denies it.

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" He did not do the right thing, I trusted him with my daughter and he betrayed me." Neil says and Avni sighs at his words.

Neil says this because he really trusted Reyansh blindly in Aaira's case.

At this time both of them are in their room, however Raj and Simran stay with everyone for a while and then go back and after their departure Avni and Neil are in the room.

Well, Neil also went to Aaira's room to talk to her, but she had locked the room in anger. Apparently this is the first time Neil has raised his voice at her and she is feeling bad.

" What betrayal ? Neil now you are over reacting...Reyansh is a good boy."

" Huh, Good ? That is why he snatched my daughter from me." Avni face-palm herself after hearing these words from Neil.

" Neil, nobody is snatching your daughter from you, it is just friendship between them." Avni says

" Friendship? He's her boyfriend..." Neil reminds her, to which she sighs.

" So? You are talking as if you have never been anyone's boyfriend." Avni says glaring at him

" Now don't talk like her...I was different." says Neil to which she looks at him

" Why ? And Neil, please understand, Reyansh is a very nice boy, till yesterday you loved him so much and today you are talking like this.

And see, if it was someone else in place of Reyansh, then probably I would not have told you so much, but he is Reyansh, We have seen him since childhood, such a gentle and quiet kid he is.

So just think about things once with a cool mind." Says Avni

" I don't want to think about anything, and you both do whatever you want to do.

I will not say anything, who listens to me." Neil says this and sits on the bed sulking like a grumpy child at which Avni sighs.

" Neil... Avni too sits next to him on the bed, cups his face, and thinks of trying to convince him again but she is shocked when she sees tears in his eyes.

" Neil, why are you crying now?" Avni says in concern to which Neil chokes

" Nothing has happened, go and tell her that I have no problem with her boyfriend, she can do whatever she wants to do...." He says but now seeing him like this she understands that something else is bothering him

" Neil, what happened?" She asks

" I said na, nothing." Says Neil.

" Neil, please tell me, what happened to you? I know you are worried thinking about something else..." Avni cups his face and asks him while looking into his eyes on which he too is unable to control himself.

" Today she has a boyfriend, tomorrow she will marry him and then go away from us." Says Neil

" So what, I will stay with you." She says consoling him

" But what will happen when I am not with you." Avni gets shocked at his words

" Tomorrow when I will not be with you both, then who will take care of you both, you will be alone, she will be somewhere else with her husband, I don't know how he will take care of her, who will take care of you." He says on which she sees him

" And my only worry is that who will take care of both of you if you both live separately, You both will stay together, only then will you be able to take care of each other in my absence." Neil says all this to in his choked voice and her eyes fill with tears on hearing this, but she composes herself.

And now she understands why he is so worried, why he doesn't want Aaira to be separated from them, but she had no idea that he keeps thinking about all this so much.

" Neil, First of all, he is Reyansh, he will take care of your daughter and you have shown trust in him so keep that trust, he will not break your trust." She says on which he sees her

" And as for me, I am not at all angry with you for what you said because no one is immortal, death is the ultimate truth." she says

" But the day you even think of leaving me, my breath will stop before that." She is just about to complete her words when he puts his hand on her mouth and stops her from talking such nonsense but Avni removes his hand from her mouth.

" Avni cannot take even a single breath without her Neil but yes, whatever happens in the future, before that we have to find a good partner for Aaira who can take care of her after us and trust your Avni, Reyansh is perfect for her.

He will take care of your daughter just like you have taken care of me, your daughter. just give him a chance." Avni tells him this on which Neil sees her thinking something.

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" Papa ne mnaa kar diya..." Aaira tells Reyansh on the phone which Reyansh is not surprised to hear

" hmm, to ab ?" He asks because he is a little afraid that this girl might take her steps back again because he knows that even though she said that she loves him, but he also knows what her parents mean to her and he likes this thing about her that she puts her parents first.

" ab Kya ? Unhe mnaana padega..." She says this and hearing this a smile comes on Reyansh's face that at least she did not think of taking a step back.

" So you are really serious about us?" asks Reyansh

"Why? You are not?" asks Aaira

" When did I say that, actually I still can't believe that all this is true, you are with me, The girl who used to fight with me is today fighting with everyone for me, so maybe this was just a dream." he says slightly teasing her to which Aaira smiles

" Hmm, so we will do one thing, when we meet next time I will bite you again and take you out of your dream then maybe you will believe me..." She says to which Reyansh smiles on the other side of the phone

"So when are we meeting for this auspicious work ?" asks Reyansh

" Soon, very soon." she says to which he smiles

"By the way, is Neil uncle really angry?

I don't know how will I face him now? He will surely beat me up, till yesterday he was hugging me, now he won't even like to see my face." Reyansh says in fear

"Nothing like this will happen, Papa's anger melts away in 2 minutes..." Aaira says, and does nothing further but both of them continue their conversation.

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It is night time

Neil is sitting on the couch in the garden, lost in his thoughts, gazing at the sky.

But suddenly he comes out of his thoughts when he feels Aaira beside him, who comes to him and sits with her head on his shoulder and her hands in his arms.

A smile comes on his face that after he said all that, maybe even after scolding her, she came to him

Perhaps this is the first time she has come to him.

Well he went to her room but she did not talk to him then but maybe now her anger has cooled down that is why she came to him without his persuasion.

" I'm sorry papa." Neil hears this from her but he doesn't say anything.

" Papa, I will do whatever you say, you want me to say "no" to Reyansh, right? Ok, I will say no to him because you are important to me, your happiness is important and no matter who is in front of me, I will always choose you." Neil smiles at her words while thinking something.

" But Papa, I also know that I am important to you too, my happiness is important to you and along with you my happiness is also Reyansh, so you won't tell me to stay away from him." Aaira says and Neil's smile increases further on hearing this and understanding his daughter's words very well that even though she is speaking but these words are not hers. These are her mother's words.

Really, Not only his daughter, he also has a very good teacher who teaches both of them things from time to time.

This afternoon his wife explained a few things to him and now she has taught her daughter the same things that she herself had used to convince Raj for him, how to get your point across by twisting your words.

" When you know that your happiness is important for me then okay stay with your happiness, I have no objection." Neil replies to her which brings a big smile on Aaira's face

" Really?" Aaira asks removing her head from his shoulder and turning towards him as she sits cross-legged on the couch to which Neil looks at her

" yes." He says calmly making her super happy

" I'm sorry, I shouted at you today." He says while cupping her face to which Aaira smiles.

" It's okay, it was my mistake." She says to which Neil smiles slightly.

" Do you even know what love is, that you are doing all this to be with him?"

Suddenly Neil asks her this question to which she looks at him

" I don't know what love is papa but I just know that it feels good to be with him, Being with him makes me happy. Yes, I know there was a time when I used to complain about him to you, but that was all a misunderstanding.

He never thought bad about me, rather always thought good about me.

He always responded to all my bad behavior with a smile.

When I stay with him, I feel safe just like I feel safe with you.

And No one can take care of me like you do but whenever he is around me he takes care of me in every way..." she says on which he sees her silently and she continues...

" And I don't know what love is but I always dreamed of someone like you in my life who would love me the way you love mumma and believe me Papa, no one can be completely like you but he has many of your qualities and I like those qualities of his and maybe this is what is called love, when the mere presence of a person gives you comfort, and he gives me that comfort just like your presence." Neil hears her words and smiles.

" Your mom is right, you have really grown up." Neil tells her after her lengthy explanation to which she pouts

" But for you I will always be little Lily, right?" Aaira asks happily

"Always." He says and does nothing further but hugs her.

And then there, standing far away, Avni, who always admire the bond between these father and daughter, smiles seeing them like this and at the same time, Neil also notices her, who is standing at the door of the house and watching both of them.

Their eyes meet and both smile.

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