Chapter 2

Sorry!
I had to go out today for the whollleee day so I couldn't update, neither could I type too much.
This is a short part, but its extension + Next chapter will be posted tomorrow for sure!

Please maaf kar do 😭

Chapter 2 ~ Jalebi B(h)ai

Arnav stared at Khushi, who was sleeping next to him. He knew had cozened up to her during the night. When he had opened his eyes, he felt her tight grip on his hands, and saw grey spots on the white sheets of the pillow.

She had cried gripping his arms, and he wanted to know why. Desperately.

But if he asked, would she tell him? Of course not. The woman's mind was as complicated as a Jalebi.

Jalebi!

That gave him an idea. Maybe he should make some for her. He didn't remember her eating jalebis in a long time!

He silently unlocked himself from her grip and tiptoed downstairs at four in the morning.

He stood unsurely in the kitchen, which felt like a whole new world to him. He suddenly felt stupid. He had no idea what the ingredients were, nor where they were kept.

After fifteen minutes, his eyes fell on a thick yellow cloth, peeping out from behind the oven. Further examination told Arnav had found the batter that Khushi had saved for 'emergency-upsetting-situations'!

Perfect!

He thought with a smirk. All he had to do was move this in circles over hot oil!

He lit the stove and pressed the cloth above in boiling hot oil. Maybe he put too much pressure, because it almost POURED out.

"Darn it, no!" he muttered, and loosened the grip slightly.

He moved it in circles, and it took him some time to realize that it was supposed to be in a spring kind of pattern all over the pan.

And thus, began a long day for Arnav.

He had made one batch of jalebis, and bit into one.

Ugh! This was supposed to be sweet!

Oh right! I didn't make that sugar syrup!

Half an hour later, ignoring the slight muffled sounds, he had made three batches of jalebis and feeling he'd go crazy if he made anymore looking at those things circling and circling.

He splashed cold water on his face and turned around to wipe his face. After that, he set the jalebis-which were a varying shades of yellow, orange, brown and black- onto a white plate with one tulip arching over its circumference.

Yellow shades and red compliment themselves quite well!

He dusted his hands of, took the plate in his hands and turned around, and to his utter horror, Mami was standing there in pale green face pack, her hair in rollers and her mouth wide open.

-ET-

*

Anjali groaned in her sleep as her cellphone rang.

"Hello?" she muttered sleepily.

"Hello, Anjalilji?"

Anjali's sleep flew out of the window. "Amitji?"

"D-Did I wake you?"

"No no. Tell me…" she whispered.

"Wo…"

"Yes?"

"H-Have you thought of divorce?"

"Divorce? Of course! I have to divorce him, but Amitji at this time of the day you-"

"I am sorry Anjaliji. Its just that a very good lawyer friend of mine has landed in Delhi today by the four o'clock flight. He wanted to leave by afternoon again, so I thought if you agreed, I could convince him to stay back. He is good with divorce cases."

"Oh, I see. DO ask him to stay."

"I will. Well, see you soon…"

"You too. Bye…"

And Anjali cut the call, only to be startled by Mami shriek. "BHAAT BHUNDERJ!"

*

Arnav and Mami had a staring contest, before Mami's eyes darted to the plate of jalebis, the saucepan, and the bowl of syrup. She stared at Arnav's face again, which had not yet recovered from horror.

"Mami, I just-"

"Hein? Bhaat eej you doing in the rasoi at early morningwa, hein?" she asked.

"Wo Mami, I… Jalebis…"

She stared at him for a moment before screaming "BHAAT BHUNDERJ!"

Arnav cringed.

Damn! ASR, get ready for the most embarrassing day of your life!

*

Fifteen minutes later, Mami was busy explaining to a shocked family how she had woken up for a glass of water and was horrified to see Arnav stealing jalebis!

Khushi was looking at him suspiciously, while the rest had amused and shocked looks.

"I WAS NOT! I was making them!" he said, closing his eyes in exasperation.

He opened his eyes again at the pindrop silence…

"Y-You made them?" Khushi said with a very un-Khushi voice.

"Why not? Arnav Singh Raizada can do anything!" he said.

"Including messing my kitchen!" Payal wailed, looking at the batter-splattered wood of the kitchen cupboards and the shiny sugar stains on the once perfectly polished granite.

As Arnav turned to glare at her, Akash mouthed holding his ears 'hormones', though Arnav could see Akash's mouth dipping in muffled laughter.

After a little more leg-pulling, the family members left one by one, smiling and shaking his heads, while Payal kept complaining about how much she'd have to clean up.

"Why?"

Arnav turned around to see Khushi standing there with a perplexed look, hands crossed.

"What?" he asked.

"Why did you make jalebis?"

"For you." He said plainly.

"And why would you do that?"

He sighed and walked to her. She stepped back, till she hit the slab.

He leaned close to her, cupping her face. "Why is it so hard for you to believe that I love you?"

"I don't WANT to believe anything you do anymore!" she said, her voice shaking. She wiped her moist eyes angrily. "For all I know, you are probably trying to avenge your sister's broken marriage!"

"What? That doesn't make any sense!"

"You'd probably act like loving me, and then unceremoniously tell me you love someone else and break our marriage by smirking at my face saying that this was how it felt when trusted relationships broke!" she cried angrily, her tears making her angrier.

Arnav looked at her with disbelief and rage. "How dare you! How can you think like that?!"

Khushi pushed him away, laughing bitterly. "The very same way you thought ofme like that!"

She turned herself away from him, and started walking up. She stopped midway and turned. "Don't do all this. The Contract and my conditions still hold good…" she said, her voice cracking.

Arnav couldn't believe his ears!

Had he really just heard all that!

He looked at the jalebis, and smirked.

It was time to do things the ASR way!

He'd have to twist situations!

*

Arnav sat in his cabin, going through the files. Most of the time, his mind was wondering about his next step. He HAD to change her mind… He just HAD to.

He didn't notice Akash coming in with a stupid smile on his face.

"Good Morning Bhai."

Arnav looked up. "Oh, hi Akash."

"Well, you are Jalebi Bhai of the family…Nice ring it has… Jalebi Bhai and Jalebi Bhabhi…" he said, proud of the new nickname.

Arnav's eyes narrowed to slits. "You did NOT just call me that…"

"No, of course not! I nicknamed a brother of mine who got up at four in the morning and made jalebis for his angry wife!" he sniggered.

PLEASE READ THISSS 😭 OS | Choosing Di Over Love (Not What You Think. Do Read)

Precap: Chapter 3- The ASR Way