A long update to open this thread and this is for Mrina and Rima, for being the best spammers of my FF thread šš Can you pretty please stop nagging me now? šš¤£
The mere thought of associating Khushi's name with someone other than him created chaos in Arnav's mind which by now had heated to the maximum possible level. He lifted both his hands and pressed them against his head in attempt to find out how to prevent the worst from happening. He could not believe that his own family was actually siding with a potential adversary, whoever they were planning to select as Khushi's groom. And what if Khushi herself accepted that her Amma goes ahead with finding someone for her? This question reverberated in his mind and he boiled in anger within.
Grabbing his mobile phone, without even a Hi, he immediately started ranting to his heart's content, hardly giving time to Khushi to intervene in between.
"How could you do this? You yourself said the other day that you were not ready and now you changed your mind? How can you even think of marrying someone whom you don't even know? Spending your life with a person you hardly know?" Arnav blasted.
"Arnav, wait a minute. What are you taking about? What's with this marriage thing? And above all, why are you talking to me on such a high tone?" Khushi asked, seemingly unaware of the accusations levied upon her.
"Di and Nani are busy looking at a series of pictures to select a potential groom for you. They are actually helping Aunty. You didn't know?" Arnav slowly lowered his voice, realising that Khushi had no idea of whatever was happening behind her back.
"What? Of course, I did not know! How could they? Amma didn't even tell me anything. Everyone knows about it, except me." Khushi told, taken aback by Arnav's revelation.
"Khushi relax, we'll find a way to come out of this mess. Just answer this question: do you want to get married any Tom, Dick or Harry? I mean everything is happening against your wish, right?" Arnav tried to reassure himself that Khushi had no intention to even think about anyone else.
"A big No, I am not ready for this arranged shaadi business. I already told Amma about this, but looks like she's adamant on it. What will I do now?" Khushi asked. "I need to talk to her and clear everything"
"Cool" Arnav let out.
***
"Amma, how could you do this?" Khushi asked, crossing her arms and sporting a sulking face. "You didn't even tell me anything and just went ahead. This is so unfair"
"Khushi, whatever I am doing is for your best. Do you think I can imagine my daughter spending the rest of her life serving her mother and her little nephew and sacrificing her own happiness?" Garima replied.
"But you all are my happiness. I can never find someone who will love me as much as you do" Khushi expressed.
"Are you sure?" Garima searched for an answer to her question.
"What do you mean?" Khushi asked.
"Nothing. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that Aman and his family are coming tomorrow." Garima revealed to a surprised Khushi, who upon asking who they were, "They are coming to see you. Who knows he might be my son-in-law."
Khushi stood still, dumbfounded by how things were moving at such a fast pace that now she even had to meet perfect strangers. She spent the whole night rolling sides on her bed, praying for a miracle to happen.
***
"Why were you not taking my calls yesterday? Did you manage to talk to Aunty?" Arnav asked Khushi over the phone.
"Actually Arnav, some people are coming to see me today" Khushi said.
"To see you for what?" Arnav asked.
"For a marriage proposal" Khushi let out, earning a religious silence on Arnav's side who took some seconds to digest this piece of news.
"Meet me in an hour at the university" Arnav said, already hatching a plan in his mind.
***
Arnav was impatiently waiting for Khushi to reach as fast as possible, and as soon as he spotted her coming towards him, he took her by her shoulders instinctively before finally realising what he was doing and moving his hands away.
"I have a plan" Arnav let out, causing Khushi to raise her eyebrows and almost bursting out of laughter.
"Arnav Singh Raizada has come up with a plan. It's actually me who always comes up with tactics to neutralise every single thing or person coming in my way" Khushi snorted.
"But this time mine is the best. I guarantee it. See the most simple thing to do is that you should make that idiot reject you. You are so good at that ā¦ turn him crazy with your antics to such an extent that he himself will pray never to get a wife like you" Arnav smiled at his own comment.
"Are you mad? You want me to belittle myself? And you are so mean saying that I am good at this, but it's okay I take it as a compliment" Khushi replied.
"That's the only scenario that is sure to work. Just think about it" Arnav added.
"Can I ask you something? Why are you so interested into helping me? I feel that you are even more concerned than me about this? Anything you want to say?" Khushi asked, thoroughly enjoying how Arnav was acting like a possessive and jealous boyfriend. She mentally slapped herself for putting Arnav and boyfriend in the same sentence, but there was no way she could deny that right now Arnav was truly behaving himself in that way.
"It's just that ā¦ I am your friend, right? And I want the best for you" Arnav answered, and murmured to himself "Levels higher than a friend Khushi"
"A friend, yep right" Khushi confirmed much against her will.
***
Khushi was in her room getting ready in a Salwar suit when she heard a knock on the door. Quickly rushing to open it, her mouth hung open when she saw Arnav standing in front of her, holding a packet in his hand which he immediately handed to her.
"What are you doing here? I told you to send it to me through the courier boy. They are going to be here at any minute" a panicked Khushi said.
"What's in this packet? And I am going to be here ā¦ just to be sure that you are on the right track. Don't worry I'll make myself so small that no one will even see my presence." Arnav replied in a sweet tone.
Khushi was overwhelmed by mixed feelings: on one hand, she felt wary of whether she would be able to manage in front of Arnav's eyes, but then the fact that he was here with her gave her immense support. She prompted him to stay with Rahul who displayed an inhabitual behaviour that day, and Arnav took the responsibility of finding out what was bothering him while Khushi was getting ready.
"Hey little champ, everything okay?" Arnav asked.
"No. I don't want Momsy Buddy to ever leave us. Why are these people coming to steal her from me?" Rahul innocently expressed, his eyes reflecting honesty.
"Your Momsy Buddy can never and will never leave you. And I will not let anyone separate her from you. This is my promise to you." Arnav affirmed, sealing his promise with his usual hand gesture with Rahul.
"Can I get another promise?" Rahul added, holding Arnav's hand tightly.
"Anything you want" Arnav smilingly replied.
"You promise never to leave me too? That you will always remain with me and my Momsy Buddy? We love you like this, no, even more than this" Rahul extended his arms horizontally.
"And I love you both more than my life. I promise we will always be together. Forever" Arnav yet again made a promise that he was sure to fulfil.
***
The guests soon made their entry, with Aman and his parents warmly welcomed by Garima who immediately ushered them to the living room where Rahul and Arnav were already sitting, impatiently waiting for Khushi to come. Garima offered them tea, while laying emphasis on the fact that Khushi prepared it. And before they could even start to drink the tea, Khushi arrived, earning her shocked looks from everyone, including Arnav.
Gone was the salwar suit, and finally Arnav realised the content of the packet that Khushi had asked him to get. There Khushi was coming, dressed in a glittering top coupled with a mini skirt, looking awkward but still trying her best to show confidence while walking towards the guests whom Garima had told her to properly greet. But it seemed that Khushi was hell bent at portraying herself like her total opposite so as to increase the chances of rejection. She extended her hand towards each one of them, uttering a Hi, instead of her usual Namaste, shocking Garima to no limits.
Arnav's eyes had opened wide at the sight of such a rebellious nature of Khushi, and he was in awe in front of her new form that had totally transformed her. He tried hard to suppress his laughter seeing Khushi act all modern, which was clearly not his normal Khushi. And he glanced at Rahul whose mouth was hanging open, and immediately pressed his finger against his chin in an attempt to close it. Arnav looked around and observed with pure delight that Aman and his family were completely dumbfounded to find Khushi so different from what they had heard.
"Please have some tea" Garima said, trying to make them forget the dress episode.
The next minute had the guests almost spitting what they had drunk, with Aman's mother standing up, and ready to fire.
"She doesn't even know how to prepare a proper tea?" she asked on a tone which was slightly elevated. "I think that one of the basic things that anyone should learn is the difference between sugar and salt"
"Salt?" Khushi repeated to herself, and looked at a grinning Rahul who winked at her and then at Arnav, "Thank you little Monster"
"What are you planning to do after marriage? You do know how to take care of a house I hope" the next typical question came.
"What's with these weird questions?" Arnav suddenly interrupted, "Khushi is not a machine that will do all household chores. Getting married does not mean that she will become the house's slave. So the answer is that Khushi will work like any other girl, or might even pursue some additional studies to specialise herself in a particular field"
Khushi felt some tears paving their way into her eyes and she battled with herself to prevent them from falling. Every time she heard such kinds of kind words coming out of Arnav's mouth, she felt blessed to have him in her life, and she was sure that Arnav was the perfect life partner anyone could wish for.
"I think that we should be going now" Aman's mother told before being interrupted by her son who demanded to meet Khushi in private.
At that moment, both Khushi and Arnav had worry plastered all over their faces, but as soon as Arnav blinked his eyes showing her support, Khushi felt all boosted and walked towards the terrace, accompanied by Aman. Awkwardness was getting the better of herself when she noticed him staring at her, hardly uttering any word.
"So Khushi, I want an honest answer. What do you think of me?" Aman asked.
"Okay ā¦ so honestly speaking, I don't think anything of you" Khushi replied, shrugging her shoulders and showing complete disinterest.
"But what if I say that I am ready for this marriage proposal?" Aman let out.
"Then I think it will be a very bad idea" Arnav said, coming from nowhere and letting Khushi heave a big sigh of relief.
"And may I know who you are? Since long, I have been noticing you and we have still not yet been presented. Are you Khushi's brother?" Aman told.
"What the ā¦ What about Khushi making you her brother?" Arnav angrily retorted.
Dreading a fight between the two, Khushi out of the blue came up with the most absurd revelation ever upon seeing Rahul standing at the threshold of the terrace.
"I can't marry you, becauseā¦. because he is the father of my child" Khushi stated hurriedly while pointing at Arnav.
"What! You have a child?" Aman shockingly asked.
"I have a child?" Arnav repeated, raising his eyebrows and totally amused by Khushi's hilarious statements.
"You see that little boy over there. Rahul, come here. He is our son, and the next one is soon coming" Khushi added, rubbing her tummy.
"You are one crazy family." Aman indicated before leaving the terrace as fast as possible, leaving them alone.
When Khushi and Arnav were gloating over their victory together with Rahul on the terrace, Aman and his family were leaving the Gupta House, but not before Garima asked for forgiveness for her daughter's madness.
"You have nothing to worry about. We were expecting something to happen that would stop this proposal from moving forward. And remember, this was just a game planned by you and Anjali bitiyaan. The Raizadas are our close friends, and the fact that Arnav has never seen us made things even easier. I am sure you soon will get good news" Aman's family ratified.
"Not only Khushi is crazy, but Arnav is equally mad. I guess they are made for each other" Aman stated before leaving.
"I just hope that my crazy children soon pour their heart out and get their well-deserved happiness" Garima murmured as she received Anjali's and Nani's call who congratulated her on their first victory. They had actually thought that maybe Arnav would have confessed his love out of jealousy, but apparently both were equally stubborn. But they still had hope that this bogus marriage fixing brought Arnav and Khushi one step closer to the final climax.
On the terrace, when Rahul left both Arnav and Khushi alone, Arnav did not let go of the opportunity of teasing Khushi about her dress and her lying skills, which made Khushi blush like anything. She was about to go and change her clothes when she stopped and looked sincerely at Arnav.
"Thank you for having sided with me all throughout" Khushi expressed.
"I had a selfish reason for doing this" Arnav said before leaving a curious Khushi who kept thinking about this particular sentence.
Arnav murmured to himself "We are meant to be together. There can be no one between us, and tomorrow at the farewell party, I shall prove this. Finally the time has come, Arnav."
Chapter 18: Farewell Party will be up this Saturday š
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