Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 61

Avni lay on her bed thinking about her day. The sensations she had felt. The rush, the thrill and her emotions. How come she trusted Karan so inexplicably? In her heart she had known he would never harm her despite his earlier rudeness. How had he softened towards her? He didn't even know her. The bond he shared with his siblings. The love and respect he had for his mother. He was an angry person but his anger had always been justified. Unlike Sahil's. He was an angry person too but his anger had never been justified. She sat up as his image flashed before her eyes. Somehow she didn't feel scared today. She just felt sad today. For him.

Avni rose from the bed and walked towards the window. It was dark outside as she stood by the sill and peered outside. In the past two weeks she hadn't had a single nightmare. A migraine yes, but that had been brought on by a different reason. Why was she not fearing thinking about Sahil today? What had changed? Or rather who? Where was this calm courage coming from? Had she always possessed it? If so, why hadn't she used it before? She was reminded of what Karan had told her. She would find the reason and the courage inside her to stand up for herself someday. Right now maybe she wasn't standing up for herself but she was realizing the power that resided in her. Deep in the recesses of her soul. She realized she wasn't scared of seeing Sahil's image again. Something she hadn't been able to do since...since he had gone away.

She felt moisture in her eyes. Karan had slowly filled her with confidence. She was not all the way there yet but she had started. She was healing. In the dark dank months of the past couple of years she had lost hope, she had forgotten how it was to feel, to smile, to laugh. What it meant to have friends? What it meant to be free? She still couldn't go back down the memory lane to everything that had happened. The fear was so deep rooted she couldn't find it in herself to open the gates yet but she will, she had to if she wanted a better future. A future devoid of fear or harshness. She sighed. For now, her present was full of one name. Karan.

When she had hugged him today it had been so spontaneous she had surprised herself. She had definitely surprised him. Avni smiled as she remembered the look on his face. He hadn't been expecting it of her. She hadn't been expecting it either but it had felt right. Her experience had released so many emotions she had kept tightly leashed inside she couldn't have explained it to anyone. She was still in wonder. The whole experience was nothing less than a life changing event for her. She was starting to believe in herself again. Believe in her dreams and what she could achieve. She was capable. That whatever had happened was just a minor setback and nothing more. She was coming to believe in it. In just a month she had a new perspective on everything. If only she could repay Karan in some way for what he had done for her. She bit her lip.

Manya had casually mentioned Karan's upcoming birthday next week on Wednesday. But he wasn't going to be here he had said. And Manya had been upset. She had been too but...since Karan hadn't been able to attend office a single day this past week he was leaving Sunday evening and would be there the entire week. Though he had promised to treat them next Friday. Avni wasn't sure how she would survive an entire week without him here, not seeing him or hearing his voice. But she did have his sketches. What could she gift him? She thought about it. What did he like? Okay, so he loved books but he had so many how would she know what title he didn't have? No, books wouldn't do at all. Clothes. But he must have plenty or he could always buy what he wanted anyway. He was an ardent fan of adventure sports but she couldn't gift him anything in that. A gift should be special. It was his thirty first birthday. And it would be a first ever she would give him. Maybe even last considering she would leave in a couple of more months. Though the thought of leaving here dampened her spirits she looked at the positive side of it. It was sixty days. Sixty days of getting to know him better. Maybe they could have a lasting friendship. In her case it was different. She was falling in love with him and she had little doubt she could avoid doing that. It would bring her heartache when she left here but that was later. Coming back to the gift she pondered over it. And then it clicked. Yes, she smiled as she thought to herself. It would do perfectly. It would be a surprise. But she couldn't come up with anything else. He would always remember her every time he would see it. She couldn't have been happier with herself. But it would require a lot of work. It needed a lot of time. But she could do it.

With that she went back to her bed and lay down again mentally making a list of things she would need. Soon sleep took over and she snuggled into her blankets. It was getting chillier in the nights now. She would need a thicker blanket. Her dreams constituted of her running in green meadows with abandon. Laughing as the sun shone over her. And the silent man watching over her with a smile on his face.

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