FF- Strings, Tying us Together Parts #1-10

Khushi pranced around their room looking for things here and there. She took a set lying on the bed to check if it matched her saree and looked good. After staring at the mirror for 10 minutes making pouty faces, she decided that the set indeed did not look good. Frustrated she went over to the cupboard to get more sets out to see if anyone of them would match. Phele toh hume koi farak hi nahi pardth tha. Aura b dekho! Pure 2 ghante se hum taiyare ho rahi hain! Abhi tak kuch accha nahi lag raha hain, she thought to herself, dejectedly sitting on the dresser chair.

That is when she heard someone cough behind her. She whipped around surprised that someone was in their room. Coming face to face with Di, Khushi breathed a sigh of relief. Anjali had a huge smile on her face making Khushi wonder how much of her silliness she had seen. She was just going to muster her courage and ask Di how long she had been here when, as if she was reading Khushi's mind, she started to speak.

"Hum bas abhi hi aaye teh. Chinta mat karo, " Anjali said smiling.

"Arrey Di! Hum chinta kyun karengai. Ab aap aagayi toh hamari maadtath kar digjye! ( Now that you have come please help me!), " Khushi begged.

"Khushi tum bhi na, ek dum paagali ho. Chalo baatho, " Anjali said hitting Khushi on the head gently.

Khushi turned around to face the mirror once again and Anjali walked up to her. She started to play with her hair trying to put it in a way to make Khushi happy.

"Accha ji, aap hume ek baat toh baatiye, aap itna saj kyun rahi hain? Ko special a ne wala hain kya?" Anjali questioned smirking upon seeing Khushi turn a bright pink, "Arrey hum bhi nah! Ek shaadi shuda laadki apne pati ke liye hi toh itna saaj gi nah. Ha nah Khushi??" she ended stressing the word pati more than necessary.

Khushi could easily see where this was headed. She was going to get her leg pulled today but it did not matter since today she was ecstatic. The day had finally come. Arnav was actually coming to a pooja being held at home and he was coming willing! Well sort of. That is what she had told everyone though no one had actually believed her. They had all questioned her about how she had gotten him to actually state to the whole family at breakfast today in the morning that he would be attending the pooja. It had seemed like he was telling everyone that he was going to be attending a meeting and not a family affair which made it clear that he was not coming on his own will. If Arnav was doing something against against his will then only Khushi could have had something to do with it since he did not listen to anyone. The only time or person he listened to was his wife since she was as ziddi as he was and could make him do pretty much anything she wanted though no one ever mentioned that in front of him.

Khushi guessed Di had been thinking about the same thing since she questioned her how she had made Arnav promise to come to the pooja. Khushi once again told Anjali that she had nothing to do with it. She was as shocked as the whole family was when he had announced that in the morning. But Di blew her off and asked Khushi if she thought she was crazy.

"Hume maalum hai ki apne hi kuch kiya ha. Nahi toh Chotey aur pooja?? Kabhi bhi nahi! "Anjali scoffed.

Hearing this Khushi felt the need to say something in his defense. She did not know why but she could never actually hear anyone say anything against her Arnav. It bothered her when people said anything against him. It felt as if someone was poking needles in her heart. Shyaad ishe ko pyaar kehathi hain, she thought smiling.

"Ab Di, jab woh aa rahi hai toh sab unko itna parshaan kar rahi hain. Aur aagre nahi aate toh sab unko parshaan kar teh hain, " Khushi told Anjali pouting slightly.

Anjali laughed at hearing what Khushi had said, thanking Devi Maiyya once again that her brother had finally found someone who loved him so much. Anjali knew that her brother loved Khushi just as much as Khushi did him. Khushi meant the world to him just like she does. Anjali knew that Arnav loved both of the women in his life and would do anything to make them happy. That is why he is coming to the pooja. To make Khushi happy I guess. Good for him! He needs to realize that it is not going to be his rule in their marriage in every situation.

"Accha baba! Sorry hum apke pati ko kuch nahi kahenge, " and before Khushi could protest and probably tell her that Arnav was her brother too she handed Khushi a set, " Ligya, yeh apki liye. Humne dukan se liya tha kyunki hume bhoot pasand aya tha aur apki upar yeh bhoot accha la geh ga! Aap chinta mat kariye, Arnav ko bhi bhoot pasand aayega promise! "Anjali commented watching Khushi turning redder.

This girl is so easy to tease! I just love Chotey for marrying her, she is perfect for him and this family, Anjali thought all grins.

"Waise Khushi baato na. Kaise manayeh Chotey ko pooja mein aane ke liye? ( How did you make Arnav say that he will come to the pooja), "she questioned once again.

"Arrey ab apko kya baatien Di ( What should I tell you). Apke bhi ko toh her cheez ek business deal legthi hain! (Your brother thinks everything is a business deal!)," Khushi said exasperated.

"Kya?" Anjali questioned confused.

Khushi realized what she had just said and shut up quickly turning to face the windows, hoping that Di could not see her face which was turning even redder.

Anjali did not miss the sudden color that was filling her face up. She giggled to herself thinking, Oh! So that is how she got him to come, a deal. Well I know my Chotey, kuch accha hi deal mein manga hoga Khushi se. Look at her turning into a tomato. Deciding to let Khushi get dressed she told Khushi that she was going to go downstairs to make sure everything was okay.

Khushi breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Di say she was going downstairs. Chalo bache gayeh!, she thought. But then Anjali called out to her again. She waited anticipating the worse.

Anjali laughed internally as she saw Khushi suck in a big whoop of air. When she just said, get dressed quickly since the guests are arriving, she saw Khushi sigh.l

Khushi thought that now she was off the hook when at the door Di turned around once again.

"Aur hain Khushi, aap blush maat lagiye ga. Aap waise he itne pink hain aaj, koi zaaruat hi nahi legagiye ( Khushi do not apply blush since you are so pink today there really is no need)," laughing when she saw Khushi turn even more red at her comment, leaving the room shaking her head to allow Khushi to finish dressing up.

Khushi watches her and scolds herself about almost telling her about exactly why Arnav was attending the pooja. She did not want the world to know about the deal she had stuck with Aranv to make him to come the pooja, but the deal had ensured that Arnav come to every pooja held in the Raizada house which made Khushi happy. She grabs the set and opens it up to see a pink set to match her pinkish- red saree with white mixed in. It was beautiful since Arnav had gotten the saree for her himself. As she put the necklace around her neck, which looked amazing just as Di had said it would, Khushi thought about last night in bed about her deal with Arnav.

Precap: Arnav snakes his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him, making her back crash into his hard body. Her right arm wrapped around his neck and her left hand fell on his chest to soften her crash into him, her body now lying flat on the bed with him laying next to her balancing himself on his left arm.