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"...Khushi I am NOT saying that stupid dialogue." Arnav said, as he tried to digest the cheesy line Khushi had just used.
"WHAT? How dare you call it a stupid dialogue! It's the most classic dialogue of all time!" she huffed.
"Says who?" He quirked an eyebrow.
"Me along with the rest of the world. That's one against six billion. What now Arnav Singh Raizada?" she smirked.
"Please don't test my patience Khushi, I don't have time for your lousy sarcasm. Can we just decide what we're going to say to Mami before she creates a Word War III?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you Arnav ji! We convince her with these filmy dialogues. Then tell her how her 'Akash Bitwa' will be marrying his 'heroine' and they'll live like a happily married couple! Just like it is in movies!" she smiled.
"Do you have any idea how insane you are, Khushi?"
"Well, someone has to be the insane one in this friendship...don't you think?"
"...Friendship? We're friends?" asked a shocked Arnav.
"Hai Devi Maiyya, please give him some brain cells." she muttered as she left the pool area. Teaming up with Arnav Singh Raizada would be nothing different than talking to a rock.
----
"Mami...I-I have something to tell you..." said a nervous Arnav as he approached Mami. This was the millionth time he asked himself why he was doing this.
Giving a glare to Khushi he started,"Mami...woh, aapko toh pata hai naa ki upar se..."
Damn it. What was he saying? Everyone looked at him strangely as if he was the one who'd gone insane. Stupid Khushi Kumari Gupta. The things she made him do.
He glanced at her once again to see if he was saying his 'lines' properly.
She was indicating some type of bonding? And suddenly it clicked.
"...uh woh mera matlab, jodiyan upar se banke aati hain, jaise Akash aur Payal ki. Aur vaise bhi, iss duniya mein koi na koi hum sab ke liye bana hai. Toh mujhe lagta hai ki aapko maan lena chahiye Mami..please?" he asked with pleading eyes.
Everyone stood there in silence. No one could believe that this was Arnav, no one ever imagined Arnav saying these words. Anjali had a wide grin on her face, she had already realized that these lines were definitely not originated by him. She glanced towards Khushi, and realized that she had been signaling him to say all these things. She silently laughed at this current situation.
"Arnav bitwa...eeh tum ka bol rahe ho? Jodiyan? Akash? Payal? Humka kucho nahin samajna! Hum iyahaan se jaat hain!" she screeched as she started towards the door.
Arnav was about to cry. This was too much melodrama for him. He felt like he was stuck in a 'saas-bahu' serial.
Everyone trudged after Mami as she made a fit of the whole Akash and Payal situation. She was about to step out of the house when Arnav himself stopped her.
"Mami, aap nahin ja sakti. Aap hi sochiye, agar aap chali jayengi..toh Akash bhaut akela pad jayega, hum sab ko aap ki bhaut yaad aayegi. Aur phir aap kahaan jayengi? Jitna aaraam aapko iss ghar mein milta hai, aur kahin mil sakta hai?" Arnav asked.
Mami now looked like she was coming back to normal. Arnav was right, where would she go if she left the house? Who would comfort her? She didn't think twice.
"Arnav bitwa, tum theek kahat ho, hum kahaan ja sakat hain apan logan ko chod ke. Tum theek kahat ho bitwa, laagat hai ki Akash aur Payal hi ek dusre ke liye banat hai. Tumra laakh laakh shukriya bitwa, humka iy baat bataane ki." She smiled at him, and turned to all the family members to let them know that she wasn't leaving.
Khushi was impressed. She never expected Arnav to say such meaningful things to stop his Mami. She smiled at him and gave him the thumbs up. Maybe Jiji was right, he wasn't that bad at all.
----
"I told you my plan would work!" she whispered behind him as he looked out the window from his pool area.
He gave her a genuine smile. No matter how stupid her plan was, it did work.
"Yes it did. Thanks Khushi." he smiled.
"Hey! Dosti mein no 'thank you' aur no 'sorry'" she declared.
He chuckled. "Ab yeh kaunsi film ka dialogue hai?" he cheekily asked.
"Maine Pyaar Kiya"she replied.
"What?"
"The movie's name...it's called 'Maine Pyaar Kiya', come on Arnav ji, that's a classic!" she said.
"Khushi you know I'm not that knowledgeable in Bollywood movies."
"Yeah I know, but don't worry, now that I'm here, I'll make you watch all my favorite ones!" she beamed with a smile.
"Anyway, it's time for me to go, Bua ji must be waiting for me at home...I'll see you tomorrow. Good Night Arnav ji!" she turned to leave.
"Hey Khushi."
"Yeah?"
"Friends?" he held out his hand.
"Arnav ji, we're already friends! Remember?" she asked, bewildered.
"I know, but just to make it formal." he smiled. She took his hand, she felt a giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Good night Arnav ji."
"Good night Khushi"
----
That night Arnav, for the first time in 12 years put on "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" his favorite Hindi movie.
"Pyaar. Pyaar dosti hai. Agar woh meri sabse achi dost nahin ban sakti toh main usse kabhi pyaar kar hi nahin sakta. Kyunki dosti bina toh pyaar hota hi nahin. Simple. Pyaar dosti hai."
Arnav smiled at Shahrukh's dialogues. He couldn't help but think of what Khushi said earler. He looked at his hand that he shook with hers.
"Pyaar dosti hai." He whispered, all the while smiling at his hand.
CID
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin
814