Mami ji wasn't sure if keeping it from them will do any good. Even though according to them it wasn't a big problem. After thinking of every prospective she nodded. "I am sure the problem isn't big!"
Anjali threw her hand in the air as to signify nothing important. "If it was I would have told everyone," she said, sounding casual. "It's all the impact of the accident."
Then her smile faded, it wasn't the truth, she knew it, but by telling this one truth, she was going to make everyone worry when the time for all of them was of a happiness. And she didn't know anyone was going to believe her either.
"What happened? What I shouldn't know!" Arnav asked.
Anjali and Mami ji looked at each other in fear. Anjali smiled nervously. "A surprise, that we are planning..." she said making things up.
"Hmm..."
"How is Khushi?"
"I don't know!"
"Weren't you caring for her?"
"Caring?" he asked, "huh, you gotta be kidding me, I was so tired that I was sleeping as soon as I hit the bed!"
She was relieved for two reasons, first he and probably Khushi really slept through the havoc, and secondly, he didn't know what they both were talking about.
"Chote, you both are going to get married, and you promised you will take care of her..."
He started walking away, "Please, di, we are not married yet. Lord yesterday at the hospital she was a pain..." he said, but stopped from saying anything further when Khushi came.
"I mean...whatever!" he whispered, and cared not to explain himself. From the dinner table he picked an apple, and sat on a chair.
"Khushi, bitiya, how are you feeling?" Mami ji said, and looked at Arnav for muttering hurtful words.
"Ma, I am really well! Feeling much better...I slept really well, that helped too...And I heard a scream last night, what was it?"
Mami ji was scared and looked at Anjali who thought she was in a trouble. "Scream? What scream?" she asked.
"I don't know, as if it was a call for a help. Like a really scared scream."
"Oh...That one...It was Gavy...He had a bad dream!" Mami ji said.
"God knows what she keeps on dreaming about!" Arnav said. Khushi felt like hitting in his chest, that too hard. You are taking too much advantage of your fake memory loss, Mr. Raizada.
She pulled a puppy face, when Mami scolded him. "Chote, you are crossing your boundaries..."
"Mami ji, forget about him, with his memory he has forgotten his manners too!" Anjali taunted. "Khushi, please sit, I get a juice for you!"
Arnav watched her go, annoyed. "Chote, you want some?" she asked, as she forgot to ask him.
He shook his head. "I am having this apple!" he said, showing her half eaten apple.
"Okay!"
He winked at Khushi, she rolled her eyes. He grinned to himself knowing he had pissed her off too."Great, wife becomes more beautiful in anger!" he muttered.
"Chote, when you are going to talk to Karan about the alliance?"
"Very very soon!" he said, and himself made his way to the kitchen.
"Di!" Anjali got scared, and spoon fell from her hand. "Chote...You scared me!"
"Opps sorry!" he said, as he searched her face, he was certain something was wrong with her.
"Di, you look worried, what happened? Is there anything I should know?"
"W-what?" she stuttered. "Nothing, wrong. Why are you asking this?"
He shrugged his shoulder. "Di, I know you so very well that it's not hard for me to guess when you are happy, sad, or worried, or even scared."
She filled the glass of orange juice, he looked at it as she poured, her hands were shaking. "Chote, you worry a lot!"
"Why I shouldn't? You are my sister, who have always been with me!"
She kept the glass of juice on the countertop. "Chote, you are my life. I am always worried about you. So many incidents have happen that I feel something will happen to you! This fear eats me..."
He held her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Di, there is nothing to worry about me. I am really fine..."
"Chote, all I wish is you always stay happy! After I heard about your accident, I thought I lost you. But my prayers were heard and you were okay..."
He smiled, "di, it's all because of your prayers I am safe till date. If you weren't there for me, God knows what would have happened of me..."
"Chote, now don't be sentimental, okay? After Mom dad, you were the only one whom I haven't afford to loose. Anyways, let's go, Khushi needs this juice. She is seriously getting weak day by day..."
"Thanks to you, I mean you are there to take care of her!"
A smile came on her face. "Always!"
"Do you want me to give her the juice?" he offered, and in a hurry he tried to get a glass, but it fell from both of their hands on the floor. They both jumped backwards to prevent their clothes from getting wet.
"Chote! What have you done?" she said angrily.
He bit his tongue. "I am really really sorry, I thought I will help you, but failed. In no time I make another one," he said, and rushed behind the counter, before she had gotten more angry at him.
"Chote, you haven't changed a bit! she said, smiling. "HP, can you please clean this spill?" she shouted.
"Di, don't worry. I have created it, now I will clean it!"
"Hmm...So obedient you are...Looks like you are doing this for Khushi!"
He looked at her and pretended to be surprised. "Not at all, but for you...And please don't start your lecture again on how good she is, and will be this and that for me!"
"Okay..."
"What if I say she was your wife?"
"Sorry?"
"I mean she is your wife!" she corrected herself. Her motive was to start telling him about the past. But here he sounded too shocked for her.
"Di, why did you say that?" he sounded skeptical.
"Chote, slip of tongue!"
"Oh...Anyways, juice is ready for my unwanted wife..."
Anjali hit his shoulder playfully. "You are too much, Chote..."
They both walked out.
He stood in front of Khushi, glass of juice pushed towards her. She looked up at him. "What is it?"
"Can't you see, it's a juice! My di first made it, but it got wasted. She had to make it again..." he lied. Anjali looked at him, wondering when did she make the second time.
"He is lying, he made it," Anjali corrected.
"He made it?" she said, and smilingly took it from his hand.
"There is no need to be happy about."
"Chote, atleast worry she is sick!"
"Whatever!" he said, "I am going to the gym!"
Khushi was shaking her head. "See yourself, di. Your brother is acting too mean!"
"Don't worry, soon he will stop his tactics...After the marriage!"
"Anyways, enjoy the juice! He has made it!"
***
He hugged her from behind, before she had escaped. "I am not talking to you, do whatever you feel like!" she said.
"I am sorry, baba. I won't say mean words..."
She tried to free herself from his grip. "No means no!" she said, and decided she wasn't going to give in this easily. He tightly kept her locked in his arms. "Okay, what I have to do for a forgiveness?"
"No forgiveness for you...You are taking too much advantage of this situation..." He tried to nudge her neck with his nose and lips, but she blocked her face.
"Sorry, I am not going to let you touch me!"
"Hmm...Think twice. I will make you beg me..."
"Huh!" she said and he freed her. She faced him, and kept her hands on her hips. "Let's see who makes whom beg. Now you excuse me please. I have better things to do."
"This challenge will cost you," he muttered, at her back.
"Let's see!" she said over her shoulder and left the room.
He grinned to himself.
***
"Di, there is a phone for you..."
"Who is it, Chote?"
"I don't know!" he said, shrugging his shoulder. "Lady said she wants to talk to you..."
"Oh okay!"
She picked the phone from her room and Arnav hung the receiver that was in his hand and left.
"Hello!" Anjali greeted.
"Hello!"
Anjali didn't know who was she. "Sorry, mam, may I know who is this?"
She sounded way too old.
"Your death!"
"What?" Anjali almost shouted.
"He is back, I heard. And you are his target..."
Anjali's mind was reeling in fear. "He is not going to spare you!"
Old woman said, and laughed before she cut the phone. She wanted to keep the receiver down, but couldn't.
"Hello, who are you?" she asked.
"Anjali!"
"Huh!" she gasped, it was Karan standing behind her. She immediately hugged him and gulped in fear. Her heart thumped harder.
"Anjali, what happened?"
She was too scared to say anything. "Is everything alright?"
She struggled between nodding and shaking her head. "Everything is fine!" she instead muttered.
Realising she had hugged him, she moved back. "Anjali, you don't look fine. Do you want me to call, Arnav?"
"No, no...You immediately called me, I got scared..."
"Oh! I am so very sorry, Anjali. I didn't mean to scare you! I just came to meet you!"
"Did you have to say something?" she asked.
"Yeah..."
***
"Arnav talked to me about your and my alliance! I have no problem in marrying you, but before that I want to know if you want to get married to me..."
She was still thinking of the phone call.
"Anjali, what happened? You look disturbed!"
"No! Nothing...Karan, I know you are a very nice guy, we have studied together in a college. You always had been my best friend, after Rahul...Instead of you asking me this, I should have asked you if you want to get married to me..."
"You are saying as if you are a criminal..." he said. "You have been my best friend too. Having a life partner like you will change my life for forever. Of course in a positive way..."
"I am not sure, if I ever be able to keep you happy!"
"You are really nice, Anjali. I had doubts if you will accept me or not. But I guess I have my answers!" he said and got up the bed.
"Chote, is really worried, he wants me to get married soon. Even I want his tension to lessen and him get married to Khushi."
He smiled. "I talk about the engagement!" he said.
She looked down as if she was shy or may be worried if her decision to get married to him was right. But fear of Rahul was eating her nerves, having Karan by her side to protect her would help, she thought. May be soon she will talk to him about his fears.
Should she tell him atleast about Rahul, she gave it a thought.
"Rahul, can you trace phone calls?"
"Of course, but whose phone call you want to trace, and why?"
"Uh...I got a call from a mad guy, he was talking nonsense, just want you to know who he was..."
Karan looked really angry. "You just give me his number!" he said.
Anjali took the phone and showed him the ID. "Karan, if you find anything about this person tell me first..."
"Sure, but looks like it was done from a local STD. It's hard to find who actually called. But if next time this person called, immediately text me, we will trace the call then!"
"Sure!" she said, and wasn't sure if that woman was ever going to call her back.
***
"Attention everyone," NK announced. "I have a good news to share..."
"What is it?" Dhruv asked.
"Anjali di and Arnav bhai'a engagement with their respective partners is in three days, that is this coming Saturday."
Arnav winked at Khushi when no one was looking at him. She was happy but she looked angrily at him.
"We are so happy!" Mami ji said, and they congratulated the couple.
But everything wasn't this smooth, when Lavanya shows up.
NK first sees her, his smile vanished from his happy face, and he patted Akaash's shoulder to tell him about the unexpected guest. And the news of her standing at the door of RM spread like a wild fire. Too bad they wouldn't have even been asked her why she had showed up back in their lives.
"Hey, La!" Arnav said, and went to receive her.
***
I KNOW YOU HAVE MANY QUESTIONS AND CONFUSIONS, BUT JUST BARE WITH ME, IT IS ALMOST THE END OF THE STORY...MAX FOUR TO FIVE CHAPTERS...ALSO, THE RELEVATION PART WILL BE ON THE BLOG (PRIVATE) AND THE INVITATION WILL BE SENT TO THE READERS WHO CURRENTLY READ THE STORY!...BUT THEY HAD BEEN THE MOTIVATORS...(PRETTY FAIR TO THE PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED AND HIT LIKE WITHOUT FAIL SINCE STARTING) THROUGH PM PLZ SEND ME YOUR EMAIL IDS...I WILL SEND THE INVITATION...
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