Hey you guys! This chapter is dedicated to my crazy best friend Rakshitha aka Kallu. You are totes amazing! <3

CHAPTER 22: Fix You

I was discharged two days after the birth of Amartya and Shaurya. Their birth had definitely been a big distraction for me to stop myself from thinking about that wretched night.

My wounds slowly turned into faint little scars over the week and I found myself laughing along with my family and friends instead of crying.

I would never be left alone, even for a second, as there would always be someone visiting or Vihaan, who would always be sitting in the corner of the room day in and day out.

Vihaan and my family were the sole reason I was alive. Without them, I would have been completely lost. The fact that my family were there for me throughout, and the fact that I had a man like Vihaan, who loved me so passionately that he was ready to give his life for me, really made everything else seem small and inconsequential.

At home, the twins had completely taken the spotlight. They were the most adorable babies ever. Adithya had completely taken the ‘Dad’ word to a whole new level. All Bhavna did was sleep, giving Adi all the dirty work like feeding the babies, changing the diapers and the crucial task of making them go to sleep. Now, usually we’d think that the men would complain; but not Adi. He took on the task with open arms (except the nappy changing, for which he’d bribe one of the younger siblings to ‘do the needful’).

As much as I’d love to help with the twins, my tasks were restricted to only talking gibberish to them, since I had the most humungous cast on my left arm.

“Don’t worry, Avni Akka,” Rutu said that evening, when we had gathered in the garden, “We’ll decorate it a little bit and it’ll look much better!”

To my horror, within the next hour, my entire cast was covered with stars, and random scribbles, including Avni+Vihaan in all nooks and corners. Once they done, they left looking rather pleased with the crap that they had written. Amrita added a few ‘Non-girly’ elements which meant writing ‘System of A Down’ and a few of their lyrics running along the free spaces. By the end of it, the cast looked like a battlefield in which both the sides had lost.

While she happily was scribbling, humming to herself, a realization hit me that Ammi was uncharacteristically quiet today. No scratch that, she had been quiet for a few days.

“So, how has college been these days?” Ammi was studying Psychology in Christ University. I for one felt that her course was one of the most exciting things I had ever heard. She could read people like an open book and always knew what was on everyone’s minds.

“Good,” She said and continued humming.

“How have things been otherwise?”

“Uh, like they have always been?” She said raising one eyebrow suspiciously.

Amrita was never the typical girl, in any way. Being Amay’s shadow since day one, she was the biggest tomboy I had ever seen (much to Rutu and Naina’s as well as Ma’s horror). Trying to understand Ammi was a task I had never accomplished in all these nineteen years.

“Okay, just spit it out already.” Ammi said after a moment’s silence.

“Spit what out?” I asked casually. She’d caught me.

“I know there’s something running in that injured head of yours. Let’s hear it.” She said, closing the marker pen.

“Did something happen between you and Dev?” I blurted.

“What makes you think that?” She asked, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

“You seem to be acting very different ever since that dinner at the Rao’s. I just thought of asking you, that’s all.”

Ammi didn’t reply. Instead, she looked down and began pulling grass.

“So there is something.” I said softly.

“Dev is going away to USA for two years.” She whispered.

“I heard.” I replied.

“Two years, Avni. Two freaking years.” She looked so hurt.

“I didn’t know you guys were so close, Ammi.” I had always seen them together all the times our families met, but I never knew or realized that they were as close as this.

“We were, okay? He was like one guy who didn’t see me as ‘one of his bros’ or whatever. He was one guy who took me seriously and we really clicked. He was my friend. He wasn’t one of Amay’s friends who just hung out with me since we were a package. And now he has to leave.”

I was so speechless. I didn’t know this side of Ammi- her vulnerable side. She teared up a little as she sat silently looking up at me.

“Do you want to meet him before he leaves?” I ask her.

“No, it’s okay. I think it’ll be worse for me if I have to see him again. I think we’re better off this way.” She sniffed.

“Ammi, do you have any feelings for him?” I asked her, scared of what her answer might be.

“I don’t know, Avni. Amay is the only guy who I have been close to all my life. Now Dev has entered, and he is as amazing and as close as Amay is to me. I am so confused.” She said.

With that, Amrita changed the topic. I took it as her way of telling me that she didn’t want to talk about him anymore, so I didn’t want to bother her with more questions.

*****

October 18

Vihaan visited me every day without fail and spent at least an hour with me. His importance in my family had increased a million times.

“I would save your life every day, if I had to, Avni.” He always says when I bring up that one topic.

Personally, I hadn’t dared thinking that I could ever love a person as much as I loved Vihaan. That kind of thought used to scare me before. But now, it all seemed silly to me, since loving Vihaan was as easy as breathing.

He and I had this unspoken bond. We both knew what it was, what it meant, but never had any reason to talk about it.

Every time I see him, a sense of calmness floods through me, and everything is so much simpler. I know it sounds crazy for a person to be saying so much about a person after being with them for just six months, but as they say, all it takes is one moment.

One moment to fall in love with your soul mate.

One moment to realize that from now on, there’s no looking back.

Today evening was as beautiful as any other. It was a typical Bangalore evening. I would be turning 25 tomorrow, so I was definitely in a very good mood. Birthdays were something I was always excited about ever since I was a child. None of the birthdays in our house would go without celebration. But this time, looking at what had happened and the state that my hand was in, I was in no state to party. Just a quiet dinner with family would fit perfectly.

At 8 pm sharp, I heard Vihaan’s car come to a halt in our drive way.

Hearing his footsteps made my heartbeat quicken. Gosh, what’s happened to me?

“Hi Ajji!” I heard him exclaim. Ajji was his number one fan now (not that she wasn’t before as well).

“Vihaan Chinna! Come in! Come in!” Avni has been waiting for you.” She giggled.

Sure I have.

“Oh really?” Vihaan joked. “Hi , love.” He said to me with the most intoxicating smile.

I could have died of heart failure.

“Hi Vihaaaaaan!” Rutu and Naina exclaimed as let out hysterical giggles before bolting straight to the garden, snorting with laughter.

“Hi girls,” He said while he looked at them with a confused expression.

Ajji dragged him to the living room and made him sit on the couch next to me.

“Tell me, what will you have? Tea? Coffe? Snacks?” She asked, evidently excited.

“No thanks, Ajji.” He said politely.

“Oh saving your appetite for later, is it?” She asked, wagging her eyebrows at him.

“What’s happening later?” I interrupted.

“NOTHING.” Vihaan said quickly. I didn’t miss the look he threw at Ajji.

“Vihaan?” I aksed. I wasn’t born yesterday.

“Nothing, Avni. I just wanted to take you for dinner.”

“Why is today so special?” I asked. Now I was definitely curious.

“Nothing like that! It’s just your birthday is tomorrow...” he trailed off.

He was definitely up to something. Vihaan was horrible at lying.

Ajji interrupted and shooed me to my room to wear something nice for whatever Vihaan had planned.

Without further ado, I ran to my room and within 20 minutes, I had managed to don on my favourite blue long skirt with a white tank top, accessorized with matching earrings and necklace and left my hair to do whatever the hell it wants.

As I walked down, my heart fluttered with excitement. This was the second time he was surprising me and the first was a major successful picnic. I could only imagine what he has in mind.

He was merrily chatting with Bhavna and the babies and did a double take when he saw me.

“Tell me how it goes!” Bhavna shouted as we walked out holding each other’s hands.

“Tell you how what goes?” Clearly I was missing something.

“Nothing, Avni! Let’s go!” He said running his hand softly down my back.

As we reversed out of the house, it looked like my entire family had huddled at our front window to watch us go.

What the hell was everybody up to?!

After five minutes of driving, it looked like we were headed towards Indranagar.

“I have wanted to do this forever.” Vihaan stated.

The car ride was extremely pleasant. Vihaan refused to let go of my hand as we sang to some of my favourite songs on the radio. I tried to sing in tune, but Vihaan had entered his zone and was demolishing the song in a high pitched cacophony. He didn’t even bother to sing the right words.

We drove up to a large sight which was under construction. My expectations of a pre-birthday dinner went down the drain right away. However, I refused to let any of my thoughts ruin this perfect evening.

“Come on,” He called out, holding his arm out. I took it at once and walked along with him towards the entrance of the building.

“What is this place, Vihaan?” I asked.

“Just something I wanted to show you.” He said and walked me towards a tree which was completely lit up with fairy lights. Under the tree was a small table for two with small little candles on top. Tiny lanterns were hung from random parts of the tree and were also littered on the ground.

I was speechless.

“This is...” was all I could say after about 3 minutes of staring.

“All for you.” He finished. He took my hand and led me to the elegant table.

“You planned all of this? All by yourself?” I had still not gotten over the beauty of this setting.

“Yeah.” He smiled and kissed me softly on my forehead. “The food isn’t cooked by me, though. I had it all ordered.” He chuckled.

“This is so perfect, Vihaan.” I said as he sat opposite me. I held his hand and looked straight into his twinkling eyes.

“This is just the beginning.” He smiled and served me the most delicious smelling Indo-Chinese food.

Realizing how hungry I am, I quickly dove into the starters with full enthu.

All Vihaan did was look at me like I was a zoo animal.

“Wha?” I asked with my mouth full of hot soup.

“You are so adorable.” He chuckled. “I love you.”

“Aww. I luw you thoo.” I mumbled.

*****

I could look at her forever.

Avni was my anchor. After all the horrors she has faced over these few months, how she stands on her two feet still surprises me. I am so in awe of her.

Every day is a new day, a new experience. And every day, she manages to make me fall more and more in love with her.

Tonight had to be perfect. It had to.

Tonight, we were sitting under what took around 2 days for me to get to its nearly perfect state. My house.

After a beautiful dinner, I took Avni by her hand and led her into the house.

She had no idea where she was, of course.

“Where are we?” She asked.

“You remember when I told you about the house I was building?”

“Of course!” She said. “Wait, is this it?” Her eyes were wide with excitement.

“Do you like it?”

“Like it? It’s beautiful! I can’t wait to see it when it’s complete!”

She walked around and gazed at the house in what I hoped was wonder.

With ten minutes left for 12 am, I took her to the terrace, nearly passing out of excitement.

As she opened the door, I heard her gasp.

Gosh, I hope she likes it.

I had spent around three hours decorating the terrace just before picking her up.

Nothing excited Avni more than fairy lights; and so I took this opportunity to cover the entire place with them.

“What is all this?” She asked with the biggest smile on her face as she walked around the terrace.

“This is all for you, love.” I said, with my heart hammering against my ribs.

I took her to the corner, which was lit brighter than the rest and also decorated a little more with tiny candles around.

11:59pm.

“This is so beautiful.” She said as she gazed at the silhouette the tall buildings created in the sky.

With thirty seconds on the clock, I took her arm and turned her around.

Her eyes were full of wonder.

“Avni, to say that you are the woman of my dreams would be an understatement. You are not the woman of my dreams; because never in my dreams did I ever think I would get to spend the rest of my life with a woman like you.” My voice was trembling as I knelt down.

With the shakiest hands ever, I produced a small box from my pocket and opened it.

I heard Avni gasp again when she saw the ring I had bought. She covered her smile with her right hand as a tear slipped out of her eye.

“Avni Kashyap, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey you guys!

FINALLY! I really enjoyed writing this chapter for you'll! :)

I will not be updating for around a week, guys. :( Engineering is whopping my ass :(

Thank you guys once again for reading and for all the love! Please Vote and do comment! I love reading your reactions :)

Until next time, A <3