Episode 4;
Scene 1:Pareikh Mansion.
Avni was lying on her bed ,thinking about how she kissed Neil ,she wanted to feel his lips ,she wanted to kiss him again ,till now she looked upon him as a friend but after their kiss her deepest desires started arosing .
Avni:What is happening to me why am I thinking about Neil ,he’s just a friend but maybe a bit of attractive friend , dammit Avni what are you saying there’s no place for love and romantic attractions in your life ,no you don’t love Neil he’s just your friend.
Thoughts kept drifting into her mind and finally she drifted into sleep.
Scene 2:Neil’s Studio Apartment.
Neil:What has happened to me , till now i only had a crush on Avni but when she kissed me I felt like everything stopped those 5 minutes felt like I was in heaven ,have I really found my true love ,my soulmate ,my perfect match , oh god what am I saying I barely know Avni from like 3 days ,yeah but I promise you Avni that I will make you fall in love with me but before that I want to kiss you again, dammit what am I saying oh God help me please
Thoughts kept drifting into his mind and finally he drifted into sleep.
1 month passed , They both met every day ,had some fights but very small fights ,Avni met Neil’s family and though Neil’s grandma hated him she liked Avni but when she came to know about Avni being illegimate she started liking her even more but still Avni and Neil were not able to see what others were able to see though they both had some feelings for each other they were not able to see that they were falling in love , they were not able to see that before they met they were two broken souls but now they were healing each other .
Scene 3:Chamko cafe.
Neil : Avni, are you fine,I am seeing that after you got that call ,you are a bit disturbed is everything fine.
Avni:Yeah.
Neil:Are you sure.
Avni:Yeah.
Neil:Really.
Avni:I SAID I AM FINE CANT YOU UNDERSTAND .
Neil:I am sorry .
Avni:No I am sorry I shouted on you I got a bit frustrated.Btw I have to go home bye.
Neil:Oh,She forgot her file,I should return it to her .
Scene 4:Pareikh Mansion.
Avni went to her room ,then she got a call the man on the phone said I have sent you the video which was recorded by Ashish Mehta and then cut the call when Avni saw it she dropped her phone and ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
She suddenly felt short of breath, she tried breathing but it seemed the air around her had become very hot and heavy. Each breathe was painful and Avni realised she was having a panic attack.. She started hyperventilating. Last few times when the attack had come then Neil was there, he had known what to do. The first time Avni had this attack was as a child when Dayawanti had locked her in a dark room. Since then it had been many times but each time either Neela Ma or Neil had been there. Avni realised how much she had started depending on Neil since they became friends.She was panicking but with Neil’s memory she remembered when Neil had asked her to take deep breathes and to close her eyes. He told her that it was a full proof magic trick to combat sadness and pain.
Avni closed her eyes and took the support of the nightstand. She was still hyperventilating but slowly she was calming down and trying to take deep breathes. It was working but not as well when Neil told her what to do!
It had been five minutes since the panic attack had set in. Avni thought she was in control as she hyperventilated but at a slower pace. She stood up to get some water to feel better, and then it happened. With a push from her hand as she stood up, a bone china showpiece on the nightstand fell and broke into many pieces. She got startled suddenly and then she felt as if she was swimming alone in a deep dark place….
A blackness enveloped her – the panic attack had not gone, it was lurking inside her and was growing. She felt ALONE.
Avni tried to get back to bed but her legs were not obeying her and taking her elsewhere. Suddenly her legs gave way and two strong hands lifted her. Before Avni became unconscious she could smell Neil’s cologne and his carrying her to the bed. And then she dipped into complete darkness and all consciousness went away. Avni was unconscious.
Neil walked towards the house and then to Avni’s as he thought to give her the file He was thinking that Could she not see in his eyes how hopelessly He had fallen in love with her? Neil decided that today he will confront Avni about his feelings for her..
As Neil approached the door of Avni’s room, he heard something breaking inside. Neil walked inside the room taking a left towards the sound and looked at a thousand pieces of bone china that laid shattered on the floor. And then his side eye caught Avni. Neil had a sixth sense for danger and emergency situations. However with Avni every sense of his became slow and diffused. As he turned right to face Avni, he was alarmed!
Avni’s eyes were half closed and she was looking at some horizon and clearly could not see that Neil was in front of her.
Neil (with his voice rising with each consecutive word he uttered)- “Avni! Tum thik to ho! AVNI?!”(Are u OK?)
Avni stood like a statue, no response.. and then Neil heard her breathing. Avni’s breathes were laboured. She was breathing erratically as if she was in pain. As if she was trying to calm herself down but was beyond it. Neil was stunned for a second but then rushed towards Avni. His eyes were wide with concern and shock as he did not lose eye contact with her. But what happened next all happened in the split of a second. As he lifted Avni in his arms he felt her going STILL. The breathing had suddenly stopped. Neil rushed with Avni to the bed. He kept her on the bed and then followed the drill. Neil had seen Avni getting panic attacks before but today it was the worst he had seen till now. Neil usually had a cool and calm exterior but today he had broken down just at the first glimpse of Avni hyperventilating. As if he knew already what she was going through!
Neil rushed to get a glass of water and tried to get some through Avni’s soft pink lips. No response! Neil started panicking, there was no one else in the house at this time and he could not leave Avni alone if he went to get some help. As he realised the jam they were both stuck in, he got more frantic and worried. He tried to calm himself down thinking that he has to take charge of the situation or else it will be worse for Avni. But he could not keep the panic away from his voice as he started taking care of her.
Neil (rubbing Avni’s palms furiously) – “Utho Avni. Avni get up! You are a brave girl. Avni PLEASE!”.
He looked and realised Avni was not moving at all! He panicked a bit more. By now, Neil was openly crying. It was all too much. It did not seem to him that Avni was breathing or maybe she was breathing so slowly that he could not feel it. Neil did not know what led him to do it, but he suddenly bent down and put his ears to Avni’s chest at the left side, trying to hear her heartbeat. There was NO SOUND… Neil went mad with grief!
Neil – “Avni! Utho I Love you.AVNI! You are my brave girl. Please utho baby. Avni!” (Pls wake up I love you….wake up)
He started shaking her. And his tears flew down his cheeks and dropped all over her face and neck. Neil did not realise what he was doing. He had to save Avni somehow….
…………
Neil (almost shouting now)- “Avni you cannot leave me. I love you.. I LOVE YOU AVNI!”
Neil bent down his head and his lips met her soft lips. This was the second time he felt her lips but he did not pay any attention to that or to the subconscious electric jolt that connected them suddenly. He pushed open her lips and started giving her artificial resuscitation, trying to revive her breathing. After giving her CPR (artificially trying to make her breathe) 7-8 times, he thumped the center of her chest with both his hands. Then Neil again bent down with his ear pressed to Avni’s chest, trying to find a heartbeat, trying to find some hope in his madness.
Suddenly he felt something, Neil heard a dull thud.. and focused on that, keeping Avni pressed to himself. It was a heartbeat.
Neil continued hugging her and crying, first in shock of this realization and then in happiness. All the time he kept saying – “AVNI get upPLEASE.
Suddenly he felt a jerk, Avni was moving under his weight! Neil immediately removed himself. He had not even realized and probably it was not her panic attack but now him who was suffocating her! He continued holding Avni closely though.
He saw her breathing becoming more pronounced and normal now. Suddenly Neil felt a weight off his chest as he took a breathe, he had not realized it but he had been holding his breathe for a long time now, awaiting Avni to breathe!
And then suddenly Avni gave Neil so much happiness that he could not take it. She opened her eyes slowly!
As Avni opened her eyes, she saw Neil looking at her bewildered and mad. Neil did not know how he looked then! His usually well-styled hair was tousled, his shirt was half out and crushed and tear stains marked his face. Avni felt too weak to say anything but felt comfortable and warm. She realized she was in Neil’s arms. She tried getting up but could not lift herself, she was still too weak!
Neil (in a hoarse whisper) – “Avni don’t! Do not try getting up please. Save your energy. I think you had a very bad panic attack.”
Avni (in a very slow and almost inaudible whisper) – “Neil…”
Neil (putting his finger on her lips) – “Shhh… Avni you must rest! You have gone through such a bad attack today.
Avni – “Sorry Neil, I did not know this would happen..”
Neil – Have some water.
Neil helped her lift her head and made her have some water. A little stream of water trickled down her chin as she could not drink water properly, Neil obediently wiped it off with his sleeve.
Neil :(putting her down on the bed delicately) – “You must rest Avni,Sleep for a while
Avni : ”but..”
Neil – Avni I am here only, don’t worry. Even if I want I can’t leave right now as my mind will not allow me to leave your side. Please sleep. I am sitting here right beside you…
And with this assurance, an already tired Avni felt her eyelids becoming heavier and she slept off. Avni did not have any disturbance or bad dreams that night, unlike the nightmare she had almost every night. As Avni slept, Neil also dozed off after 15 minutes, right there. He didn’t realize how tired he was, physically and more than that mentally and emotionally. He felt spent and exhausted, but satisfied. Avni seemed OK now and it was all that mattered then..
Guys,I hope you all like this episode and I want to say that not the whole episode is written by me from the part when Avni got the Panick attack has been written Jointly by me and my my friend.
—Shia.