Chapter 5

3 months ago

Pearl_Oyster

@Pearl_Oyster

A/N: Dear friends, before you go ahead with the chapter I want to say that I will not be able to post the next chapter until Monday since I am travelling this entire week. So, please bear with the delay.

Further, I have been reading all your comments and it adds extra joy to my process of writing. So, thank you for that. I noticed that there were a few comments regarding Arnav's POV. To that point, I want to say that there will be no chapters from Arnav's POV for some time. We will dive into his thoughts at a certain point but it is still away. So, please bear with that too.

Thank you for your time and appreciation. I cannot express how much it means to me

Chapter 5

Khushi sat at her desk, her fingers grazing the edges of her keyboard while her eyes remained fixed on the faint glow of her phone screen. Figures and statistics lay scattered on the laptop before her in neat columns, awaiting her scrutiny but she found herself unable to focus anymore, having already worked for five hours straight. The text message that had beeped into her phone about ten minutes ago had sent her concentration and focus out of the window. She read the text again.

“Are you coming for lunch tomorrow?”

It had been two days since that fateful evening—since Arnav had sat across from her in her home and allowed her the calming solace of his company. It had been both surprising and surreal to see how seamlessly he had stepped back into her life, as though no time had passed at all. Their meeting, their conversation had been so organic, stemming from the connection that she had thought to have withered. She had also been surprised by how he was exactly as she remembered him—grounded, thoughtful, and apparently unshaken by the years that had passed. In addition to the Arnav she knew, she had also found a newness around him—a quiet self-assurance, an ease with which he spoke, and a piercing clarity in his gaze that made her feel like he could see deep inside her soul.

But that was not possible, right?

He could not. She assured herself.

Because if he could, he would have seen the cracks inside her.

Yes, she had healed from the cruelties her life had bestowed upon her but erasing those scars from her existence was not possible. He had seen her how she had wanted to be seen. Resilient and strong, someone who knew their way. Because that is who she is now! She reminded herself again. But, she had to admit that despite the walls she had kept around herself, he had managed to bring down the defenses just a bit and leave his imprint on those walls. It was that imprint which had kept her awake at night longer than she wanted to. His face had refused to go away from her subconscious mind and the feel of his arms around her body when he had hugged her in the conference room lingered. It had been a long time since she had felt that secured.

She stared at the same message again that was patiently awaiting a reply.

"Are you coming for lunch tomorrow?"

It was a simple question but she knew it bore the gravity of a momentous choice. Accepting the invitation meant stepping into his world. It meant meeting the family that has raised him, the people who have shaped him as Arnav Singh Raizada. Her fingers hovered over the screen. If she agrees to meet them, what would they think of her? Would they see her as a fragment of his past best left untouched? Would they ask questions she was not ready to answer? Or worse—would they be indifferent? The thought unsettled her, even though she did not quite understand why.

Before she could compose a response, another message appeared.

“Did you say yes to the lunch yet?”

The assumption in Payal’s message made her shake her head. Her shoulders slumped as the memory of their conversation from two nights ago surfaced in her mind. She had barely walked back into her flat when Payal had emerged from her room, arms folded, eyes sharp with curiosity. “So,” she had begun, her voice measured but carrying the unmistakable hint of eagerness, “I am ready to hear the details of how you ran into Arnav Singh Raizada”.

She had sighed, already bracing herself for the inquisition that was to follow. She had sat down with Payal and recounted the details of her encounter with Arnav — how she had walked into that meeting with Akash and found Arnav sitting there, how stunned she had been, how easily he had recognized her and how he had sent for her after the meeting.

“What happened when you went to see him alone?” Payal had asked.

“We talked”, she had said, knowing too well that would not satiate Payal.

“You talked,” Payal echoed, drawing out the words as she tilted her head. “About?”

She had hesitated before saying, “about life. About where we are now.”

“But not about where you’ve been,” Payal had deftly surmised, her voice quieter.

She had glanced away, the familiar weight settling in her chest. “That is long into the past”.

“Is it really?” Payal had quipped, looking straight into her eyes and continuing, “that kind of thing doesn’t just pass, Khushi. You need to be able to talk about it, confront it and only then it will be in the past. You have never really gone into the details. Not even with me. Maybe you can tell him? He wouldn’t pity you, you know.” She had reached over and squeezed her hand.

The words had pricked her but she had forced a small smile, not wanting to talk about it.

“What do you plan to do now? He clearly wants to be in your life. Are you going to let him in or are you going to ignore him some more? Although I doubt that he will let you do that” she had said.

Khushi wondered if that were really the case. Does she want to run away? Will he let her?

“Promise me you will not disappear on me again”, his words rang in her head again.

Only she did not want to disappear! Meeting him had been unexpected but it had stirred something pleasant inside her. The friendship they had lost still meant something to him and no matter how much she had denied herself, she too needed it. Exhaling a breath, she finally typed out a reply to Arnav’s message.

‘I am coming. Let me know the time and the address’.

After that, she texted Payal saying that she has agreed for the lunch.

Once both the things were out of the way, she used her practiced concentration back on the work before her.

~~**~~

When she lifted her gaze to look at the time, only half hour remained for work. Since there was no pressing deadline presently, she decided to leave for home on time.

She was still putting her works towards a wrap when the phone on her desk rang.

“Meeting in five minutes, Khushi! My cabin” Rakshit said and disconnected.

She closed her laptop and then walked towards Rakshit’s cabin. On her way, she met Akash who too was going into the meeting.

“Any idea what is the update now?” He asked her.

“We will find out” she said and both of them entered the cabin.

Rakshit asked them to sit down and then began.

"I have received directions from Ms. Kashyap. We need to continue preparing a detailed analysis of Raizada Textiles' manufacturing trends over the last ten years. Along with that, we must track the buying and selling of products between Raizada Textiles and ARA in the last five years. Once we have done that, we have to consolidate our findings with Akansha’s team following which we’ll have another meeting with both the Raizadas to decide how to proceed."

Khushi and Akash both nodded.

“You two can work together on this or separately, that is for you two to decide. But, I am expecting we can come up with the detailed report in two weeks time?” Rakshit continued.

“Two weeks should be fine” Khushi responded and Akash nodded.

“Since it is the weekend, use Monday to figure out how you two will go about this. The support team will be with you, since the data is huge. Take their help wherever needed. And that means you, Khushi! No need to burn yourself out sitting in the office till eleven, okay?” Rakshit said and Akash grinned.

“Sure, Rakshit” She responded, feeling unfazed. If spending a few hours at work gets work done faster, she was always up for it.

“That will be all for today! Have a good weekend” Rakshit said.

“You too, Rakshit” Akash said and stood up to leave.

"Khushi, stay back for a moment" Rakshit’s voice halted her.

She stopped, while Akash shot her a quick glance before stepping out.

Rakshit folded his hands on the desk, studying her before speaking.

"I received a report from HR. Apparently, someone visited you here at the building, and security had to intervene? This was on…Monday?" He said.

Her breath hitched. Shyam! Was the incident reported by the receptionist? She wondered.

"Is everything alright, Khushi?" Rakshit’s voice was even, but there was an unmistakable note of curiosity and concern.

"I do not know the details of this matter but if you need any kind of assistance, I want you to know that we are here to help" He said.

She stiffened immediately, unable to stop the response.

"It was a personal matter," she said, careful to keep her voice steady. "It has been handled. There is nothing to worry about anymore".

Rakshit studied her for a moment longer, then nodded.

"Alright. But if anything like this happens again, do let me know. We want to ensure a safe working environment for all our employees".

She offered a brief nod and quickly exited the room. Outside, she found Akash waiting near the corridor. He fell into step beside her. "What was that about?"

She breathed noisily and took a second.

"About the Monday incident. Apparently, Shyamji’s presence was noted and reported. HR spoke to Rakshit and he was asking if I was okay."

Akash frowned.

“Shouldn’t the HR have spoken to you first? Why would you want to involve your manager in a personal matter” He said, shaking his head.

“I don’t know how these things work. I told him I have taken care of the matter” she replied.

“But have you, Khushi? He randomly showed up. What if he shows up again? What is happening back at Kanpur? Have there been any dates lately?” Akash asked, forcing her to think about the things she mostly kept at bay.

“No dates yet” she answered, eyes down.

“Alright! Let Payal or me know if there comes one! One of us can go with you. On that note, why haven’t you told Payal about this yet?” He said.

Because she has been distracted by Arnav, she told herself.

"I will tell her. I do not want to worry her" she said.

“Come on, Khushi! You know that not knowing will worry her more”.

Akash was right. She should tell Payal. Why hide things from the one person who knew about her history with Shyam.

“I know! I will tell her” she said and then wished him goodbye.

Gathering her belongings, she stepped out of her office and found the office cab waiting for her.

She got in and as the cab began to move through the traffic, the noise of the city outside blurred into the background and the past pulled her under again, dragging her back to the time she had spent trying to keep locked in her memory.

It was the sweltering afternoon in Kanpur, the air thick with the scent of syrup-soaked jalebis wafting from the shop below. The oppressive heat clung to her skin as she stepped into the house. It had been the day of her Master’s entrance exam and the paper had gone well. A flicker of hope was stirring within her—that she just might clear the exam and get admission into the course. It was the only way to escape her predicament.

But, as she had walked into her home and seen the people sitting in the hall, dread had coiled in her stomach.

Shyam’s parents were sitting on the worn wooden sofa, their expressions smug with authority.

A pundit was perched beside them, flipping through the pages of a tattered panchang.

She felt heavily scrutinized as three pairs of eyes looked up to see her.

“Come on, Khushi! Punditji is about to tell us the date” Shyam’s mother spoke, her voice devoid of the affection it used to be laced with when her Buaji was around.

Now, she was direct and less compassionate.

She walked inside, and bowed down to touch her and Shyam’s father’s feet.

Only his father put a hand on her head, blessing her. The man was as silent as they came, always difficult to read.

She settled into a chair beside Shyam who was eyeing her all this while with a clipped expression. Did he remember that today was her exam?

“There is an auspicious date,” the pundit announced, his fingers skimming over the faded script. “One month from today. The stars align perfectly.”

Shyam’s mother exhaled in satisfaction as though all her prayers were met.

“One month it is,” she declared, smiling widely while looking at her son and husband.

But Khushi had stiffened; a chill crawling up her spine despite the heat.

“No,” she hadn't meant to say it out loud but the word rebelled out of her despite the fact that her heart had started beating rapidly in apprehension.

“My results will be out in two weeks. We can decide the wedding date after that” she continued regardless, emboldened by the question paper that was inside her bag. She had done well in the entrance. She could get admission into the course. There was hope.

A derisive laugh cut through the air at her words. Shyam’s mother had leaned forward, her eyes glinting with amusement.

“What results, Beta? Another degree will not turn your sweet shop into a gold mine. You should be thankful we are taking you in at all—and that too without a single paisa in dowry” Shyam's mother had spoken to which his father nodded his head.

Khushi clenched the edge of her dupatta. Her heartbeat thunders in her ears at the words spoken with outright mockery.

The pundit, sensing the shift in the air, gathered his belongings, mumbled goodbye and left.

The moment the door shut behind him, she had inhaled deeply, drawing courage from the silence that still prevailed in the room.

“Buaji agreed to this match, I know. But, back then, no one mentioned dowry. Why bring it up now, knowing I have no one to give it? Don’t you think it is wrong, aunty?”

The silence grew heavy, too quiet because of her unexpected and unwelcomed refusal.

Shyam’s father’s mouth was stern, but it was his mother’s eyes that darkened with something sharper. She looked at Shyam first and then at her.

The tension was thick, crackling like a brewing storm.

And then—A bruising grip clamped around her wrist. Shyam had grabbed her hand.

His fingers dug into her skin as he wrenched her forward, his grip unyielding. “You have said too much, Khushiji” he hissed, and as he dragged her down towards her room, Khushi had noticed the satisfied smile adorning his mother’s lips.

Before she could register what that smile meant or what was happening, she had stumbled; her slipper scraping against the floor, but Shyam did not slow down.

Her pulse pounded against her ribs, panic surging with every step.

“Shyamji” Her voice broke but he pushed her into her room, the door slamming behind them, the lock clicking into place.

She stood unable to move, watching Shyam turn towards her. And before she could see it coming, his hand struck her face.

The slap was sharp, violent.

Her head snapped to the side, and pain exploded across her cheek. She staggered with the force of that slap, her knees buckling as she crashed onto the edge of the bed.

Her ears rang and her vision was swimming.

This could not be happening, her mind raced, unable to process.

But, Shyam was upon her in the next instant, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her further onto the bed. His fingers dug into her flesh as he glared down at her, his breath hot and sour against her face.

“Don’t you dare talk to my mother like that again, Khushiji. The wedding date is set. You will not argue” He ground out the words.

She swallowed back the bile rising in her throat. Her chest heaving as she forced herself to look at him. His eyes were blinded, dancing with anger and power.

“And for the last time, you are not going for another degree,” he continued, his voice low and lethal now.

“You will marry me and serve me as a wife should.”

Wife!

The word seemed to mock her and she was triggered into action. She used her shaking hands to push against his chest, trying to shove him away, but he did not budge. His grip tightened at her response, his fingers bruising. And then—

His lips curled into something twisted.

“Why are you so keen on going back to college, Khushiji? You already spent so much time away in Delhi with that Akash guy. What is going on, Khushiji? Huh? I hope you are still a virgin” His mouth had lowered to her ears, and her struggling hands froze hearing the words.

“I hope you have not given away what is mine to take. I have been a good man – waiting to do it right” He continued and her stomach lurched, the vileness of his words repulsing her to the very core.

“You belong to me, Khushiji” he murmured, tilting his head, his gaze burning into hers. “Your Buaji promised you to me. You would do well to remember that”.

She stared at him, his words tightening her gut and making it churn at the same time. But he was not finished.

“I remember how you were looking at the TV that day! He barely remembers that you exist. It was foolish of you to tell your Buaji that you hope to meet him someday” Her eyes stung and her face became red as he referred to the conversation he had once overheard with her Buaji.

“I am the only man who should be in your thoughts, Khushiji! Not Akash! Not that Arnav Singh Raizada who shits gold. Good charactered women are supposed to be devoted to their husbands, Khushiji. Not running around like—"

“Let me go, Shyamji” she had gasped, unable to hear anymore, wanting him to stop talking.

He had only chuckled. A slow, mocking sound that scraped against her skin like sandpaper. And then—He leaned in, inhaling deeply, his nose grazing her hair and the side of her neck.

She had recoiled violently, nausea clawing up her throat. A shudder racked her body, but she was frozen, trapped under his grip.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, he released her.

Straightening the sleeves of his shirt that was crumpled now, he stepped back, his expression smoothing into something eerily composed.

“You will not step out of this house for the next month,” he stated, his voice calm, calculated.

“I will handle the shop and the wedding preparations. If I find out you have left—”

He smiled then, but it was not warm. It was a promise. A warning.

“Well..Let us hope that it does not come to that” With that, he turned and unlocked the door, walking out proud of himself for having handled her.

The door was still ajar and she could hear the murmuring of his mother’s voice.

She closed her eyes, her pulse hammering, her skin burning where his fingers had gripped her and her cheek throbbing where his palm had struck. But it was nothing compared to the storm that raged inside her. Nothing compared to the terror that was sinking into her bones. Her life was finished.

The cab jolted to a stop, snapping her back to the present.

She inhaled sharply, trying to compose herself. Slowly, she raised her phone and noticed the text message from Payal.

‘Are you home yet?’ She exhaled slowly, forcing her fingers to unclench as she typed a response.

‘Will reach home in ten minutes’.

Home! Her own home. Where she will be safe and in control of her life. She told herself.

Once the cab stopped under her building, she walked up two flights of stairs and got into her flat. She sat down on the couch, putting away her laptop and handbag. She was still debating whether to make tea when her phone began ringing. Her heartbeats slowed when she noticed Arnav’s name on the caller screen.

“Hello” she received the call.

“You are still here!” He said, voice relaxed. She could not stop her lips from twitching into a smile.

“It is my phone, Arnav! Of course, I will be here if you call” she responded, putting her feet up on the table in front of the couch.

She heard him release a breath.

“Yes, but I did not have your number for so long. Pardon me, but I will take some time getting used to having access to you every time I call” the genuineness of his admission made her feel good.

It was something she too was getting used to. Seeing his name flash on her screen in form of text and calls was still surreal.

“Okay” She simply said.

“Yeah! Anyway, I called to say that I was stuck in meetings back-to-back ever since you texted your approval for the lunch. And I wanted to speak to you on call after seeing your message. I am excited to see you tomorrow. I will be picking you tomorrow at twelve from your flat. Is that okay?” He asked, and it sounded like he had already made up his mind and the ‘is-that-okay’ was thrown in so that she does not feel pressured.

“I can come by myself if you send me the address”, she replied, not wanting him to come all the way just to pick her up.

“I know you can come by yourself, Khushi. But, Ma is going to give me an earful if she finds out I did not pick you up for her invitation. Now you would not want me to get rebuked, would you?” He said, voice light.

He was right there.

“Okay, twelve tomorrow. I will be ready”, she said.

“Great! I will see you then”, he said.

“Bye” she replied and put the phone away, finding herself worried about what she should wear.

It was safe to assume that he lived somewhere nice but since she was going to his home, she did not want to overdress. Wearing her usual kurta with Jeans might be too casual. Suddenly, she stood up and walked over to her room. Opening her almirah, she stared at the clothes.

"Lunch at home," She murmured to herself, scanning the items neatly stacked one over the other.

"What about this?' she thought as she noticed a bright yellow colour Anarkali kurta with matching trousers. There was a matching, chiffon dupatta to go with it. The entire outfit had embroidery with white colour thread. She decided to wear that and put in on the chair in front of her table. She was closing the almirah when she heard footsteps and turned to find Payal smiling at her, standing in her doorway.

"What?" she asked, as Payal raised her eyebrows at the kurta she had selected for tomorrow.

"Nothing! Just happy to see you making good use of my gift" Payal replied and walked towards her room, clearly just back from her boutique.

The kurta had been the most recent gift from her when she had joined Raizada Textiles. An hour later, she ventured into the kitchen and found Payal making chilly paneer.

"That smells good" she said, peering into the wok.

"I know!" Payal beamed.

"What should I do?" she asked her.

"You sit down and tell me about work. Akash said you two will be working on some kind of merger between AR Textiles and ARA" Payal said.

"It is not a merger, per se! But, yes, the two companies are trying to come together. As far as my understanding goes, ARA has become a big brand and in future, it is going to be difficult for Arnav to manage ARA and take charge of AR Textiles as well. Mr. Raizada said as much in the meeting that day. So, I think the plan is to merge ARA's fabric production section with the older company so that production takes place at only one factory. ARA will continue designing its own clothes, though! It will be efficient, in terms of cost and other resources" Khushi provided, based on the initial data she had gathered in the last two days.

"Hmm! What about the other child? Mr. Raizada has a daughter too, right? Can't she take over the older company? Arnav is already running ARA" Payal asked.

"I don't know! She might not be interested in this. From what Arnav said that day, she is into performing arts! Kathak, to be precise" She supplied more information and Payal nodded.

"So, you are meeting him again tomorrow. And his family!" Payal said, drawing out her words.

"Yes" she replied, unsure where Payal wanted to take this.

Definitely some place where she would not want her to!

"It is clear he has told them about you", Payal added.

"I think so too! Although, there is not much to say. Except that we were friends and were abruptly separated when he got adopted" she said, forcing a small laugh.

That was all. There were no promises of looking after each other, at least none that mattered now or survived the onslaught of time.

"Right" Payal said, her gaze knowing and she had to look away.

"I will serve," she said and got busy putting out the plates.

Once they were seated at the dinner table and Payal had clicked a picture of the food, sending it to Akash, she decided to broach the other uncomfortable topic she had kept at bay.

“On Monday,” she started, stabbing a piece of paneer with her fork but not bringing it to her mouth, “he showed up at my workplace.”

Payal, mid-bite, stilled. “Who?” she asked, frowning. “Didn’t you meet Arnav on Tuesday?”

She didn’t say the name, but she didn’t have to. The silence was heavy, and when she finally lifted her gaze, Payal had already read the answer in her eyes.

“That piece of sh*t Shyam?” Payal’s voice hardened, anger crackling in the air like a live wire.

She nodded.

“What the f*ck!” Payal nearly slammed her fork down. “How the hell did he find out where you work? And how dare he? Tell me you punched him in the face, Khushi.”

She let out a dry chuckle, but there was no humour in it.

“I couldn’t do anything. It’s my office. I had to remain quiet.” She hesitated for a second, then added, "I did have security escort him out. But the receptionist at the front desk must have reported it to HR because Rakshit heard about it. He asked me about it today.” Payal rolled her eyes.

“Having the security throw him out is not good enough! He needs to rot in jail for what he did to you. And this Rakshit? I do not like him. He tries too hard to be cool. I still remember how he was trying to flirt with you at the new year party” Payal raged on.

“Rakshit is okay! That was a one-time thing, and he backed off when he realized I was uncomfortable. Even apologized for it. He is not the problem.” She hesitated, fingers tightening around her fork. “It is… Shyamji. Now that he knows where I work, he can come back anytime. In fact, he said he would. I don’t know what he wants.”

“Of course to intimidate you so that you will drop the charges against him and back out of the case. He is a stinking bast*rd” Payal said, making a distasteful face.

“When is the next hearing?” She asked.

Khushi shook her head.

“I do not know! I will get some communication from the court whenever it is scheduled. I think Shyamji has some influence. He is using it to draw out the hearings” She mused, the thought that had occurred to her several times in the past three years.

“He will get what he deserves! I know that” Payal said and then scanned her face.

“I am fine! I was rattled that day but I am okay” she answered, knowing the question that was about to come from her friend.

Payal studied her for a long moment before nodding. Then, without another word, she scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Khushi’s shoulders, pulling her into a brief but fierce side hug.

~~***~~

The following day, Khushi found herself fidgeting at the strike of twelve in her living room. She was dressed in the yellow kurta and waiting for Arnav to pick her up. He had texted her that he would be reaching any minute.

"Calm down, Khushi. It is just lunch," Payal remarked lazily from the couch, her eyes fixed on the flickering screen of her phone, where a web series played at low volume. Payal sounded amused, as though her nervous energy was entirely unwarranted.

Khushi huffed in response, tapping the side of her phone against her palm.

"I know that," she muttered, pacing to the mirror by the wall and checking her reflection for what felt like the tenth time. Her cheeks looked slightly flushed—whether from the warmth of the day or the restlessness inside her, she couldn’t quite tell.

"Stop staring at yourself. You look gorgeous," Payal added without looking up, her tone half-exasperated, half-teasing.

Khushi made a face but obeyed, putting her phone away with a resigned sigh. Only few seconds had passed when she heard the doorbell ring.

She exhaled, pressing her palms against her kurta to smooth out invisible creases before stepping toward the door. As she reached the door, her fingers hovered over the doorknob for a brief second before she pulled it open, smiling.

Arnav stood at the threshold, dressed in a navy-blue button-up with sleeves rolled to his forearms. For a moment, she was surprised to see him in that casual attire, exuding effortless charm.

She noticed as his gaze flickered too, going over her in quiet appraisal before settling on her face.

"Can I come in?" he asked, his voice warm, smooth.

“In?” She asked.

"Yes! I would like to say hello to Payal before we leave, assuming that she is home since it is a Saturday" He answered.

She nodded, then stepped aside.

She watched as he entered the apartment with an easy familiarity this time. He walked straight into the hall and found Payal who was still lounging on the couch, her legs crossed, her phone momentarily forgotten.

"Hello!” He said while Khushi stood in the corner watching the broad teasing smile develop on Payal’s face as she looked Arnav up and down in a slow, assessing glance and said, “You definitely look more handsome than I thought you would. I didn’t get to look properly the last time”.

Arnav laughed, the sound warm and affable.

“Thank you!” He answered, taking the compliment with so much ease that it made Khushi smile too.

“It is nice to be looking at you after listening about you so much” Payal said as Arnav settled on the velvety-stool.

“All good things, I suppose” He said, arching a brow and looking at her briefly before turning back to Payal as a glimmer of amusement flickered across his face.

“Some good some not so good! It is hard to get Khushi talking but she did open up about the mischiefs you two managed at Vaatsalya” Payal replied, eyes glinting.

Arnav’s smile broadened and he looked at her again.

“Wasn’t it you mostly doing the mischief and I managing it for you, Khushi?”

“Really?” Payal leaned forward with interest.

“Most definitely! I will share some of the stories with you in detail..with Khushi’s permission of course! It is too early to get on her bad side” He continued.

“Aww! Looks like someone is a little scared of Khushi,” Payal said, smirking.

"You and your conclusions" Khushi decided to intervene lest the conversation turn awkward. Payal had a knack for it.

"What? I would like to know the mischiefs you were up to when you were younger. Because now you are just too boring, Khushi" Payal teased but the comment hit some nerve she didn't know she had. Her eyes dulled and she gave a plain smile.

"I leave the fun bits for you" she answered but both Payal and Arnav had seen the nano-second response where her face had fallen.

"I didn't mean.." Payal tried to say, her face apologetic.

"I know" she said, breathing consciously.

"All right! I would like to stay longer but everyone at home must be waiting" Arnav said and learned forward towards Payal, extending his hand.

Khushi smiled when Payal fist-bumped Arnav's hand instead of shaking it.

"Sure! Catch you again later, Mr. Raizada" Payal answered cheekily this time.

"That is my father! Please call me Arnav" He said.

"Sure thing! Bye, Arnav! Bye, Khushi" Payal said and turned towards her phone again.

Khushi looked at Arnav and then the two of them stepped out of the flat together.