"I mean just wow! She threw punches on him." Niam praised her as he started showing her moves.
"But I loved the way she threw him on the ground. The last moves were the best." Navya added as she took a bite of her chocolate.
It's just been few weeks with Avni and my children already love her. From the time I picked them from Avni's flat, they are just talking about her.
Sometimes it happens that you meet a person, you look at them and you know they are someone special. Avni effortlessly made her place in my heart on the very first day and now she easily became Niam and Navya's favorite.
The doorbell rang and I came out of my thoughts. Niam was busy showing some fighting steps to Navya. "Papa, someone is on the door," Niam says as the doorbell rang for the second time.
"Yeah. I'm going." I reply before moving towards the door, maybe it's DD I had asked him to join us for dinner tonight.
As I open the door my lips stretch in a big smile seeing Avni standing at my doorstep. I kinda love to watch this girl, she's just so pure.
"Hey." She passes me a small smile. "I hope I didn't disturb you?" Her hairs flow in the air, that bright face in the dark corridor looked so fascinating.
"Neil?" She calls out my name. "I just came to give you Navya's bag." She forwards her hands holding Navya's bag.
"You never disturb me." I don't know why those words came out of my lips but it felt right, I forward my hands to take the bag. My hands brush on hers passing a shiver down our spines, I see her closing her eyes for a while before pulling her hands away from me.
"Thank you" I whisper smiling. "Why don't you join us in?"
"Uh, no thanks! My friends are waiting for me to have dinner." I nod at her, trying to find some other reason to get her in.
"Bye," She turns on her heels to leave, the voice of her heels filled the air.
"Avni," I call her out, she turns around to look at me and raises her eyebrows waiting for me to continue. "Niam and Navya would be happy to see you. They are just praising your fighting skills from the time they came home."
"Really?" Her face brightens up as she walks towards me. "I hope you won't mind if I spend a little time with them?"
"What kind of question is that now? I already asked you to come in." I roll my eyes at her before holding her wrist and dragging her with me.
Closing the door behind us, we both moved into the dining hall.
"Woah! Nav, look who is here." Niam screams excitedly as he runs towards Avni and hugs her waist.
"Ms. Beautiful, uh no, I am going to call you Ms. Powerful from now on." Navya giggles before jumping from the couch and hugging Avni.
"That's so sweet of you." Avni wraps her arms around them, her expression clearly says she is at peace now.
"Did you get ice cream?" Navya pulls out of the hug as she pouts. She and her love for ice creams!
"Sorry cutie, I just came to give you your bag." Avni holds her ears cutely apologizing to her. "On next Sunday we all will have ice cream at my flat. Okay?"
"Yay! Thank you." Navya jumped in her place. "Come here." she gestures to Avni. Avni bents down to her level Navya whispers something in her ear and pulls out batting her eyelashes.
"Okay! I'll try." Avni looks at me, "Sometimes businessmen are strict than math teachers." I frown at Avni's remark.
"Hey! What do you mean by that?" I fold my arms raising my eyebrows at her.
"Papa, Nav said in her ear that you don't let Navya go alone to Ms. Strong's flat." Niam shrugs at Navya.
Avni and Navya look at him shocked as he heard their whispering conversation too. Well, sharp ears my boy has.
"How did you know?" Navya's mouth agape as she glares at her brother.
"I could hear you." Niam shrugs at her. "Besides Ms. Strong, I wanted to ask something you"
"Yes, go on." Avni smiles at him.
"Will you teach me the last moves you used on that bad guy?" He asks with hope in his eyes.
"Of course why not, that's called Taekwondo." She looks at me as if asking through her eyes if she can teach him, I blink my eyes at her with a small smile.
"Even I want to learn," Navya declared excitedly.
"Can we start now?" Niam looks so joyful to learn this.
"You have been awake from the morning, playing, attaining classes, and so on. Now you should rest okay?" I move towards them and sit in front of Avni who is sitting down at Niam and Navya's level.
"I think your Ms. Powerful and your Ms. Strong." I look at Navya then at Niam. "Is also tired," I add looking into Avni's eyes.
"However I think we can sit and play some games." My eyes flash with a twinkle. "Some game through which we can get to know each other."
"Really?" Navya asks surprised, I nod at her.
"Wow, Papa. Are we going to play all night?" Niam questions excitedly.
"No, No, not all night." I glance at the clock. "Maybe till 9:30 or 9:45"
"This is going to be so fun! Come on, let's play." Niam and Navya run inside their room.
"Come on," I speak once my kids leave their room, getting up I pull her up holding her hand.
"You have put me in such a tough situation, Neil." She rolls her eyes at me. "Zar and Myra are going to shout at me for being late and I can't destroy Niam and Navya's excitement."
"Never mind, I'll talk with your roommates." I shrug, as that's not a big deal.
"Yeah as if they'll listen to you. They are not as calm as they look." She shakes her head chuckling lightly.
I always find these three girls, Avni, Zaria, and Myra very mysterious.
"Stop talking, come on, it's already 9!" Navya shouts from her room.
"Let's go or she's going to shout like hell." I and Avni giggle at my remark.
✧✧✧
As decided we are playing a game of 21 questions. Navya and Niam sit on Niam's bed while Avni and I occupy Navya's bed.
There's not a lot of space between my kids' beds, it's a decent distance through which we can walk.
This is my chance to get to know Avni.
"So, let's start with the introduction." Niam claps his hands. "Myself Niam Khanna"
"My name is Navya Khanna," Navya says cutely.
"Neil Khanna," I speak looking into Avni's eyes.
"Avni Parikh." She looks into my eyes too, maybe even she's trying to know me.
"Favourite color?" I ask smiling at everyone.
"Black, because that's so cool," Niam replies.
"Pink, because that's cute!" Navya reacts cutely again.
"Red, because that's dangerous!" The words come out so dangerously from Avni that I flinch a little. "Pink was my favorite in childhood." She glances at Navya and smiles.
Seeing Avni's eyes at me I speak. "Uh, nothing particular. I love all colors because life has all colors. Pink as cuteness, blue as a nature lover, black as dark and hopeless life, red as danger." I glance at Avni. "And romantic," I whisper low enough for Avni to hear. She simply looks at me then rolls her eyes.
My phone rings, the screen flashes DD. I excuse myself and leave to the living room since I wanted to talk something serious with him.
After our talk, he informs me he'll be here in a while. Just when I am about to go back into the room. A phone's ringing voice stops me, I look at my phone which is not ringing.
Then I notice Avni's phone on the couch, 'Zar' shows the screen. At first, I thought to give Avni but then I thought maybe she's calling Avni to have dinner so let me talk and let her know Avni will have dinner with us tonight.
As soon as I answer the call a loud voice reaches my ears. "What the hell are you doing there Avni?! Don't tell me you are having One Night Stand? Because being in a relationship is not your choice."
I look at the screen a little shocked, "Avni?! Are you like, uh, doing romance?" I hear another voice, that's Myra.
"Uh, sorry". I utter not knowing what to answer her, a low chuckle leaves from my lips.
"Excuse me, Mr. Khanna, can I know what you are doing with Avni?" Zar questions mockingly.
"Uh, she means what you are doing with Avni's phone?" Myra says covering up her friend.
"Let me answer both. The first answer, I was just playing a game with Avni and my kids. The second answer, since Avni is in the room with Niam and Navya I answered her call."
"That's great. Will you please send her back or kindly give her phone back?" Zar questions in a bittersweet tone.
"Can she come back after having dinner with us?" It somewhat feels like I'm asking permission with my in-laws to go on date with their daughter, I chuckle at my stupidity.
"What makes you think we will accept your request?" Myra shoots a question at me.
"Because I am your neighbor now." I shrug, it's as simple as that.
"You are sending her or I should come and take her?" Zar's sharp voice amuses me, Avni was right she's not as calm as she looks.
"What's the problem if she eats dinner with us? What matters is she should eat." I frown.
"Mr. Khanna, Avni loves kids. So she has completely forgotten there's some important thing to be done. Kindly send her down or I'm going to destroy your car which oh-so-coolly is parked in the basement." I raise my eyebrows at Myra's threat.
"I am sending her," I answer quickly.
"Good boy." I hear them say in unison.
"But that's not because you'll destroy my car. I'm sending her because there's some important thing to do." I add and hear silence from the other side. Disconnecting the call I reach the room.
"Avni." I enter in only to find Avni giggling loudly as Niam and Navya tickle her. I stand for a moment to see that beautiful happy face.
"Ok...ay.., Sto...p now!" She tries to speak between her laugh as she notices me.
"But that's fun!" Niam and Navya share High-Five as they giggle.
"Here." I pass Avni her phone. "Zar and Myra had called. They are calling you down, you forgot there's some important thing to do"
"Oh shit! I'll have to leave." She gets up hurriedly.
"Sorry, guys we'll play this game next time. Bye." She kisses Niam and Navya's cheeks and exits the room while I follow her.
As we reached the door she stopped and turned around with a shocked expression. "I hope Zar and Myra were not rude?"
"Umm... Maybe!" I chuckle recalling our conversation.
"Did they say something to you? Inappropriate?" She raises her eyebrows.
"Nothing serious." I shrug and give her a small smile.
"Well, I know they can't be sweet but since you are kind of our neighbor you'll have to bear their bittersweetness." She smiles at me and opens the door.
I exit out with her. "I can go myself." She chuckles slowly realizing I'm here to walk with her to the elevator. I simply smile and shrug.
Reaching the elevator she looks at me, "Good night, Neil." she turned on her heels and enters the elevator.
"Good night, Avni," I reply as she enters, I stand there till the door closes and the elevator moves down disappearing her.
I look down and shake my head smiling to myself. It was 'Our first good night with each other.'
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