Naamkaran – The tale of Avni’s sacrifice – Part 9

Avni woke up well before dawn. I need to get ready for the fast. [looked at Neil, who was sound asleep still] My first ‘Karva Chauth’… She got up and ready in no time, and headed to the kitchen. Bebe was waiting for her it seemed.
BEBE: beta, I knew you would come. yeh le. Muesley. tujhe pasand hai na?
AVNI: Thank you Bebe. But why did you wake up so early, I would have had something. And need to make something for Maa Ji too – and wake her up.
BEBE: I have made enough for both of you. Go and see if she’s up.
Avni smiles and leaves…

The morning arrived with the newa of case being registered against Gurumaa of Jaguda for human trafficking and illicit business, and the ACP being reinstated in office and put back in charge of the case.
NEIL: [looks at the newspaper angrily] Who is leaking this information to the press…? We had decided to keep this out of the media to safeguard the girls. I need to tighten the security for everyone now. And if Avni is right, Pandit’s son is out there somewhere and will be following this news. Avni… Avni… [He looks around for Avni, but finds Juhi instead] Juhi, I am heading out for some urgent work. Tell Avni to be careful and not to go out until I’m back. ok? You too. Stay home.
JUHI: What is the matter, Neil?
NEIL: The news this morning. [hands the paper to her] This didn’t come from the police sources. That means someone else is following this case. That cannot be good.
Neel heads out. Shweta comes to Juhi and asks her what the matter was.
AVNI: Neil… [bumps into Juhi as well] Juhi, I heard Neil calling me.
JUHI: Yes, he did, and just left for something urgent. He gave me this [handed the newspaper to the ladies] and said you need to be careful, and that we should not go out of the house until he is back.
SHWETA: But this is good news. What’s wrong with him? He hasn’t even had breakfast.
“He is surely worried about Ragini Pandit’s son” – thought Avni.
JUHI: Avni, come have breakfast.
AVNI: No Juhi. Today is Karva Chauth, can’t have anything all day. But come, I’ll sit with you. [turns to Shweta] And don’t worry Maa Ji. DD must have called for something, as always.

The ladies spent the day in prayers and Bebe told them some wonderful stories from mythology. Avni’s mind was turbulent all the time, but she didn’t show any signs of it, at least she thought she didn’t. Papa returned home in the evening. Still a long while to go for the moon to arrive. Avni, dressed up in a beautiful red saree, was not waiting for the moon. She was waiting for Neil, her mind still unsettled… “Where are you Neil, I am worried about you. oh God, bring Neil back to me safely…”

Neil was safe, and on his way back home. In fact, not too far from home, when he finds the road blocked with some barricades. He asks DD to stop the jeep, and looks around, finds no one in sight. He gets out of the jeep and moves towards the barricades. DD curbs the jeep. A bike speeds in from behind the jeep, a masked guy fires a shot at Neil, which misses him narrowly, fires again. DD, who first went running after the bike which rode around the barricades, turns back when he heard Neil collapse behind him.

Precap
A diya goes off…
Avni’s eyes drown in tears as the preist says “destiny cannot be denied. it is a miracle he survived the first night you lived as husband and wife”