Arshi FF: Jeene Laga Hoon (NOTE pg. 68) - Page 10

The gang had decided to sleep off the bhaang effects that night. Their usual gathering around the campfire was cancelled as each of them went into their designated tents and knocked out. For the next eight hours, there was nothing but silence from them. The only sounds came from the soft waves from the lake and the rustling of the leaves in the trees. It echoed like a lullaby through the two tents, calming the restless hearts of the intoxicated group.

They woke up later than usual the following morning. It was decided that the town would most likely be recovering from the madness of yesterday, and going there would be pointless. So they agreed to stay at the campsite. Because of the lovely, slightly warm, weather, the lake beckoned them. The cool water to play in, the awesome food NK cooked by the fire, the friends to have fun with, it was a wonderful way to spend the day.

After NK had made a huge breakfast for the gang, which they ate happily. They sat for about an hour and just talked. The first thing everyone asked was if Khushi's hand was okay, to which she replied that it was much better and that she had perfect movement in it. They, then, all changed into their swimming suits. Khushi was initially hesitant because all Lavanya packed for her were bikinis, albeit modest ones. However, she knew that she should take a chance as she had done yesterday. It would be fun, and the guys weren't going to do anything. With that she put on a deep red bikini. Lavanya had worn a navy blue bikini, while Payal wore a green-and-white striped one. As they came out of their tent, they were left speechless by what they saw. Akash, Arnav, and NK had swimming shorts on...just swimming shorts. Their toned muscles and abs were on full display for them. They couldn't believe how cut and built these guys were. They had packs...six packs, which were perfectly defined. Akash had his hands behind his head, and his arms were flexing. The girls were gaping and almost drooling at them. When the guys turned to look at them, the result was no different. Lavanya, Payal, and Khushi were all wearing modest bikinis, revealing the small figures. However, the curves were clearly there and clearly in the right places. As they all realized they were staring at each other, a moment of awkwardness ensued causing them to look away from each other.

NK was the first to ease the tension as he let out a flirty whistle, "Well hello there, ladies."

Khushi, Lavanya, and Payal laughed. Leave it to NK to ease the tension by flirting. Surprisingly it worked. Khushi looked over at the lake. The sun was reflecting brightly on it, causing her to look away. She had taken off her glasses and put contacts on, but the glare was too bright for her to look directly at the lake. She shielded her eyes by placing her hand on her forehead.

"I wonder if the water is cold," Khushi said.

Arnav looked at her a smirked mischievously. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he was checking her out for a good five minutes. He couldn't help it. He was a man, after all. And she was wearing his favorite color, red. However, her inquiry sparked his devilish side.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," he said.

Before Khushi realized what he meant, Arnav pulled her and lifted her over his shoulder.

She let out a scream, "Arnav! What are you doing?!"

"Checking to see if the water is cold," he responded casually.

"Wait! Arnav, no! No!"

But it was too late. Arnav ran to the dock and jumped into the lake with Khushi. They were underwater for a few seconds before their heads popped up. Khushi looked at him in shock. She couldn't believe that he had done that. Arnav smiled at her, trying to feign innocence even though he was as guilty as anyone could be. Yet, she couldn't be mad at him. It was just too funny.

"I can't believe you did that!" Khushi laughed. "What if the water was cold?"

"Is it?" he asked.

"...No."

"Then don't worry about it!"

By now, NK, Lavanya, Payal, and Akash were standing at the edge of the dock, watching the two of them in the lake.

"Sooo...how's the water?" NK asked.

"Not bad," Khushi answered.

"Is it bothering your contacts?" Akash asked. "I don't want it to bug mine."

"It's fine," she said. "But could you help me out?"

"Sure."

Akash knelt forward and extended his hand out to her. Khushi moved forward and held his hand. He was going to pull her when he suddenly felt himself being dragged down. Before Akash could figure out was was happening, Khushi had pushed herself away from the dock and pulled Akash down with her into the lake! He came up a few moments later and looked at her in disbelief. Lavanya, Payal, and NK were laughing. Khushi grinned.

"Chasmish!" Akash said. "I can't believe you did that!"

"I couldn't help it!" Khushi replied. "The opportunity just presented itself."

"You could've at least done it to NK."

"No. He makes it too easy."

"Well enough of all this trickery!" Payal said as she began backing up. "Look out! Here I come!"

And with that, Payal ran forward and did a cannonball into the lake. Lavanya followed in suit, and finally NK joined. NK walked into the water rather than dived in because he didn't want to mess up his hair. Obviously that wasn't going to do with Lavanya. As soon as he entered the water, Lavanya splashed him, completely soaking him and messing up his hair. This sprung a water fight between them. While Payal and Khushi swam around, and Arnav and Akash relaxed on their backs, NK and Lavanya began messing with each other. NK even went as far as going underwater and grabbing her leg to scare her. Every now and then, the rest of them looked over at the two when they heard screaming and shouting.

It wasn't long until everyone joined in the water fight. The afternoon soon turned into evening, and the sound of rumbling stomachs caused them to get out of the water. NK had managed to catch some fish, which he fried over the roaring evening fire as everyone changed. The smell of the sizzling fish made everyone's mouth water. It was true that NK ate more than all of them, but it was also true that when it came to cooking, he was the top chef amongst them. It wasn't long before the food was done and the once growling stomachs ceased and became satisfied. By then, the evening had drawn to a close, and the night had rolled in.

They were all sitting by the campfire, completely exhausted after spending the entire day in the lake. It was fun, but it definitely took a toll on all of them. Lavanya and Payal had brought their sleeping bags out from the tent because they felt that they may not make it to the tent later. Akash and NK were leaning on separate logs and Arnav was laying on one of them, looking up at the sky. Khushi, who had put her glasses back on, was sitting on a log and braiding her hair loosely. The conversation had died down as they took in the crackling sound from the fire. Apart from that, there was no other noise. Lavanya laid her head on Payal's stomach, who was laying down.

Lavanya was the first to break the silence, and she directed the conversation to NK, "You know, NK. I gotta admit, you can actually cook pretty well."

NK popped the imaginary collar of his T-shirt, "Thank you. Surprising that you gave me a compliment."

"It's not that shocking."

"Yeah it is," Arnav said. "Apart from the teasing, you never compliment him."

"Oh shut up ASR. And I bet you didn't even know that NK could cook before this trip," Lavanya retorted playfully.

Akash adjusted his glasses and looked at the girls, "Actually, we do. Apart from me and Bhai, there is no one else who knows about it. It's sort of like his big secret."

"No way!" Payal exclaimed. "NK, why would you keep something like that a secret?"

NK shrugged his shoulders, "It's not something I go around telling people. When I was younger, I used to watch my Ma cook. I guess I just got interested in how she did it all, and I asked her to teach me. I've been doing it ever since."

"So you cook with your mom? That's so cute!"

"Hey! Don't go around telling people! It's a secret!"

"Hmmm," Lavanya said. "Interesting. If that's NK's secret, then what are Akash and Arnav's secret?"

Akash grinned, "Hey hey hey! When did we decide we were going to start sharing secrets? Isn't the whole point of a secret to keep it...a secret?"

"It is," Payal agreed. "But we can share a few. After all, we are all friends right? If it makes you feel better, I'll share one."

"Bhai, what do you say?"

Arnav nodded, "I don't see why not. It's not like any of us have a dark secret, like murder...right?"

Payal smirked, "Weeelll..."

Akash, Arnav, and NK's eyes widened, and Payal burst out laughing.

"It's a joke guys. Chill. No murder or anything like that." she sat up and looked at the guys. "Khushi and La already know this one. When I was younger...I umm...I used to have a shrine dedicated to Salman Khan in my closet."

Akash fell on his side laughing, "A shrine? Are you serious? Like with candles and everything?"

"No! Not candles. But i did have a bunch of stuff he autographed and photos."

"When we found out we did not let her live it down for almost a year," Lavanya laughed.

"There was no way I would've let her forget it," NK added. "If you followed him around and went through his trash, I would say you had a serious problem."

"I didn't go that far," Payal defended. "But I got rid of all of it once I got into my second year of high school."

Akash finally stopped laughing, "Thank God. Imagine if your future husband found that stuff in his closet."

Payal blushed, "Can we just move on? Akash, it's your turn to tell us something."

"Hmm, well I guess my secret is that I have a superpower."

Lavanya and Khushi's eyes widened, "You do?"

He nodded, "I have this weird ability to remember everything."

"An eidetic memory," Khushi said.

"Exactly."

"So do I."

"What? No way."

Payal nodded, "Way. Khushi can remember almost everything she reads. It's uncanny."

"So the chasmishs have superpowers?" Arnav said with a smile. "That's quite a shock."

"Nanav, do you think if I wore glasses I would get an awesome superpower like them?" NK asked.

Arnav looked at him for a minute before looking at everyone else and saying, "I'm not even going to answer to that. He's just making it way too easy."

"Alright Mr. Hotshot," Payal said before yawning. "What's your secret?"

"I don't really have a secret. My life is like an open book."

"Liar," Khushi said.

Arnav was surprised by Khushi, so was everyone else.

"You're lying. Everyone has a secret. You just don't want to admit it."

"...Well I guess there is one thing."

"Nanav?" NK said.

"Bhai?" Akash said. "You have a secret?"

Arnav nods, "I actually have this stash of sweets in my room. I have this serious sweet tooth, and Di would kill me if she ever found my stash. She thinks I will get diabetes."

"All those sweets and you are still a player ASR," Lavanya chided.

"Oh whatever La. What's your secret?"

Lavanya yawned and closed her eyes, "Easy. Yesterday during Holi, I put extra bhaang in Khushi's drink. That's why she completely let loose and lost her senses and punched that guy."

Khushi gaped as everyone's jaw dropped staring at Lavanya. That was certainly unexpected. Khushi smacked her arm playfully.

"La!" she said. "I can't believe you did that! What if that guy-."

"No no no!" NK interjected. "You shouldn't be mad. I'm so glad Lavanya did

that! Because if she didn't my face would have been deformed by now."

"I'm sure Arnav would have saved you," Khushi said looking at Arnav, who nodded.

Arnav then spoke, "She's right. I would have, but by the time I would've gotten there the guy would've gotten one blow to NK's face."

NK held his face preciously, "Thank God La extra spiked your drink, Chasmish. My face...my beautiful face."

Akash stifled a laugh, "That's not a sight any of us want to see in the morning."

"Oh whatever Akash!" NK laughed.

The laughter died down and silence filled the air once again. Arnav, who was staring up at the night sky, looked over and found everyone had fallen asleep. Khushi was laying on the log adjacent to him. Lavanya and Payal were in their sleeping bags on the floor, Lavanya with her head on Payal's stomach. Akash was sitting on the ground, leaning his head against the log Khushi was laying on. NK was also on the ground with his head against the log Arnav was laying on. He didn't realize when everyone else had fallen asleep, but he knew one thing...that sleep seemed to elude him tonight.

Arnav's gaze went back up to the night sky, where the stars were brightly shining. In Delhi, it was so difficult to see stars like this, but the view here was amazing. Thousands of stars were visible. He began wondering if he would get a better view from the mountain top. It wasn't that far, and he'd bet he could get some nice shots of the stars from there. He wouldn't be gone too long, so he didn't see the harm. Slowly, Arnav got up from the log and carefully went into the tent to get his camera and flashlight before heading up the mountain to find a clear spot to look at the sky. He began treading through the forest. The fallen sticks cracked beneath his feet, and the leaves crunched as he continued up. His flashlight aimed ahead of him, lighting up his path.

The sound of a twig snapping behind him stopped Arnav in his tracks. He froze like a statue and waited to see if he heard something again. After a few moments of silence, the leaves began rustling behind him. Because there was no breeze, he knew that there was no reason for the rustling. He spun around and aimed the flashlight behind him. Apart from the owls that began to hoot, there was no one behind him. Arnav sighed, realizing that is was probably nothing. He turned back around, only to get the scare of a lifetime.

"BOO!"

Arnav jumped a few feet back and fell on his back. In front of him was the silhouette of a figure with hands up in the air, trying to imitate a bear's stance. The hands dropped and a fit of laughter followed. Arnav paused and recognized the familiar laugh. He grabbed his flashlight and pointed it at the silhouette. To his surprise, he found Khushi bending forward and laughing at him. She had her flashlight in her hand, pointing at him.

"What the!" he said. "Khushi?!"

"Hahaha. When you hear noises behind you in the forest, you shouldn't look back," Khushi explained.

"That's not funny! You almost gave me a heart attack! I think my heart just stopped altogether!"

Khushi controlled herself but stifled her laughter. Arnav sat on the dirt ground for a few seconds in order to catch his breath. He couldn't believe she had done that. Once he calmed himself, and his heartbeat regulated again, he looked up at Khushi, who was smiling down at him and holding onto the sleeves of her black oversized sweater. He was still in shock that this was Chasmish. Seriously, what had happened to her? She wasn't the reserved girl anymore! Since the day of Holi, she had been this carefree spirit. He was glad to see her this way because she seemed to have needed it.

"So are you planning on helping me up?" he asked as he extended his hand out to her.

She nodded and took his hand in hers and pulled him up. Once he was on his own two feet, Arnav dusted himself off of all debris. He then looked at Khushi, who was watching him curiously.

"What are you doing up here anyways?" she asked.

"I wanted to see the stars from a higher view. You know, away from the campsite, in an open area," he answered. "What are you doing here? When I looked over, you were fast asleep."

"I was falling asleep, but then I heard movement and woke up. I found you walking into the forest by yourself."

"And you decided to scare the life out of me?!"

"Well, yes. That was to get back at you for taking me in the lake with you. But..."

"But?"

"I figured you might want some company."

Arnav smirked, "So Khushi Kumari Gupta...aka Chamish...wants to spend time with me?"

Khushi turned beet red, "Wait..w-what? I didn't mean it like that! I just- I-I- You-."

"Khushi relax. I was just teasing you." He turned back to his original path. "Come on. Let's go."

Arnav continued forward, but this time he wasn't alone. Khushi was now by his side, ready to see the beautiful starry night of Manali.

**********

Wasn't that adorable? The gang is bonding so nicely! Let me know what you think by leaving your lovely comments and feedback below!

Next update: The starry night of Manali and the deep Arshi conversation! You don't want to miss this!

Thanks for reading!

Ch 6: Loved how Arnav doesn't just let it be after the incident. I mean he being a new friend and all could have not given that much importance to Khushi's feelings and would have just been his normal self like how Akash and NK became. But no, he takes the effort to get to know her, understand her and try to make her feel better. Their convo by the fireside was very well written. The way he comforts her, listens to her insecurities and yet makes her understand a couple of things was beautifully handled. He makes her see herself from his POV. And that really was very touching.

Ch 7: I liked how the driver of the bus answered the friends' queries with a "yes yes and no". Now I don't mean to be a party pooper but I felt that there was way too much in quite a short period of time. I understand why you did it and all, not complaining, just being truthful. Having said that, I did enjoy reading about all the fun the gang had on Holi. Was great to see Khushi finally embody Happiness/Joy. But what took the cake was the way Arnav rubbed off all the excess powder on him back on her. Glad to see everyone had a good time. Uff ye NK bhi na. Has to get into some sort of trouble. LOL Khushi punched a guy! Definitely a memorable Holi!

Ch 8: This was a beautiful line "The only sounds came from the soft waves from the lake and the rustling of the leaves in the trees. It echoed like a lullaby through the two tents, calming the restless hearts of the intoxicated group." Made me feel close to nature. That was a really awkward moment but trust NK to make it ok. Khushi in a red bikini! Man I wish I could have seen Arnav's face as he stared at her! Akash questioning her about the contacts had me laughing. NK didnt want to mess up his hair and so he walks in to the water. That dude never fails to crack me up. It was fun to read about their secrets. The night trek to the mountain top was one of my fav scenes from the movie. Waiting for the deep conversation to happen!

I am loving this ff...

Gang's bonding it's superb...

Waiting for more...

It didn't take long for them to find the perfect opening within the forest. It was a ways away from the campsite and up the mountainside. Arnav and Khushi treaded out of the forest and onto a soft, grassy field. It was odd to find such a sight so high in elevation. There were no flowers blooming here, just green grass that came up their calves. As they stepped out of the trees and through the grass, Khushi had realized that it got shorter as they continued forward. Soon enough, they were near the edge of the mountain cliff, and the view of night sky was not disrupted by anything. Khushi and Arnav stopped a few feet away from the edge and took in the sight. Thousands of stars illuminated the night. A misty belt trailed above them and went on for miles. It was as if there was a river flowing through the sky. From where they stood, the half moon was no bigger than their thumbs. However, its light radiated brighter than all else. Khushi and Arnav stood, holding their breaths, with the fear that if they took one then the beauty before them would vanish.

"This is beautiful," Khushi finally said.

"Yeah, it is," Arnav agreed. "Sometimes you have to get away from the city to see things like this."

"That's true. This would never be seen in the city. It's...breathtaking."

"Yeah."

Arnav adjusted the lens on his camera and began clicking photos of the sky. Each picture turned out beautiful, but it never captured the true essence of beauty he was beholding, which he had expected. He glanced over at Khushi, who was looking up at the sky with a smile on her face. She was completely lost in the scenery, and Arnav just had to take a picture. He took a few steps back so the silhouette of her was visible in the image. She was standing and staring up at the vastness of the sky. Arnav clicked the photo. Khushi heard the clicking sound and turned around to find him walking back up next to her. He continued to fiddle with his lens while she watched him. At this point, she had gotten used to him taking pictures, whether it was of her or something else.

"Arnav," she said.

He stopped messing with his camera and looked at her, "Yeah?"

"Do you want to be a professional photographer? Is that what you're studying?"

He shook his head. Both of them sat down on the ground. The grass beneath them was no higher than their ankles now. Khushi sat down in a pretzel, while Arnav drew his knees up to his chest and rested his arms on them. His camera was now placed next to him. When she looked at him, she could tell that there was more to his answer than the head shake. She gave her full attention to him, and he had noticed as he looked at her.

"Photography is just a hobby of mine," he said. "It inspires my creative side. I'm actually studying Business. I want to be a businessman."

"Really?" Khushi said as she placed her cheek in her hand. "A businessman? I would have never guessed that."

"And why is that?"

"Because businessmen are serious, and, well, you're not."

"Well, I'm on vacation. I am not thinking about my studies. This is my relaxation time. I can be serious."

"I don't doubt it. Is there a reason why you want to be a businessman?"

Arnav looked down for a moment before looking at her. In that split second, his aura had completely changed. The atmosphere was still calm, but seriousness seemed to seep in. Khushi straightened up a little, but her gaze didn't deter from him. She was curious now that she had asked.

He answered, "To be honest, my father was a businessman. A successful one. I always looked up to him. It was because of his success that my Nani, Di, and I never had to struggle financially. Even after...his death."

Arnav waited for Khushi to ask, like everyone else had done before her, how his father had died, but she said nothing. She was waiting for him to continue with an assuring smile, and he did.

"We are actually pretty well off. But anyways, I want to be a businessman like my father."

"And once you become a businessman, what would you like to do?"

"I want to travel. I want to discover every corner of the earth. I want to make a name for myself, here and around the world. But most importantly, I want to take care of my family. My Di, Nani, and Akash are the closest people to me, and I want to provide for them so they will never have to struggle."

"Wow. That was deep."

"Thanks."

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think that there is much more to you than meets the eye. And that you will make a name for yourself. People will know your name all around the world. The Great Arnav Singh Raizada, a.k.a. ASR."

The confidence with which she had stated what she thought touched Arnav. No one had ever believed with such conviction that he would be able to fulfill his goal. He couldn't help but be amazed that Khushi, the girl he had just met, felt closer to him than others around him. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, which made her raise her eyebrow in confusion.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"I mean, when we first met you were so quiet. Then suddenly, you changed into this carefree person during Holi. It's like you have multiple personalities. And now you have this serious tone when I told you about what I want to do with my life."

"Honestly, you made me realize that I should stop feeling sorry for myself and enjoy my life to the fullest."

"...You're talking about the conversation by the campfire the other night, aren't you?"

Khushi nodded, "I should stop holding back and just enjoy my life. Live in the moment, you know?"

"Yeah. I get you. And you seem to be having much more fun now. Nothing seems to be holding you back."

"I know. It feels different, but a good different."

Arnav moved his hands behind him and leaned back on them, "You know it's weird."

Khushi brought her knees up her chest and rested her head on them. Her gaze stayed on him, curiosity evident in her eyes, "What's weird?"

"We're practically strangers and yet I've told you more than I've ever told anyone."

"Really?"

"Even NK and Akash don't know about this stuff about being a businessman. I've never told anyone. I wonder why I'm telling you all of this."

Khushi laughs, "How would I know?"

Arnav gave her a lopsided smile, "So Khushi, tell me about your dreams."

"I'm studying Medicine. I want to be a doctor."

"Oh yeah. I remember that. You were telling Akash that when he hurt his hand during the hike."

"Yeah. I've always wanted to be a doctor, ever since I was a little girl. I've just wanted to help people."

"Your parents must be very proud."

"...I hope they are."

"What do you mean?" Arnav frowned. "Do they not tell you?"

Khushi smiled sadly, "My Amma and Babuji died when I was eight. They were in a car accident."

"Khushi, I'm sor-."

"I lived with my Buaji since then, but she died too...Two years ago. I've been alone ever since."

Arnav felt himself choking up. He had no idea that Khushi had lost so much, and he felt terrible for asking and bringing it up. He wondered how she continued to smile despite losing everyone near to her. It explained why she seemed attached to Payal and Lavanya. They were practically all she had. This feeling of loss was something he felt was something they had in common. He knew, all too well, how she was feeling. Before she looked away, Arnav placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have-."

"You didn't know, Arnav."

"I know what it's like to lose your parents."

"But I thought you just lost your-."

He shook his head, "I lost my Ma...the same day I lost my dad."

Khushi didn't say anything. He dropped his hand and looked away from her. Arnav didn't want to talk about his parents anymore, mainly because he wasn't able to. Ever since they had passed away, he had only been able to tell people that they died, not how. The topic had been sensitive and touchy for him. It just hurt too much. Arnav barely talked to Anjali about it, and she was his elder sister. Although he was coming to terms with their deaths, the loss of his parents was always something that had hit him hard, and he had a difficult time dealing with it. So he did what he knew to do best, bottle it up and hope that it would lessen with time.

Khushi could tell that he wasn't going to go into detail because the old wounds still seemed to hurt him. She knew that feeling, so she didn't push him. She remembered how people continuously asked her what had happened and how she felt about it. Arnav had probably gone through enough of it and she didn't want to ask when she knew exactly how he must have been feeling. But from the way he spoke about the loss, Khushi could tell that he had done what she had in the beginning stages of loss: bottle everything up. From this, she could tell that his parents' deaths was still difficult for him, and she wished she could figure out a way to help him. Khushi suddenly remembered something that she believed would be able to comfort him.

"Hey Arnav," she said. "Do you want to meet my parents?"

He shot a confused look at her, "What? But you just said your parents-."

"They are, but would you still like to meet them?"

He looked at her skeptically, "Sure?"

Khushi smiled at him before looking up and pointing at the sky, "Do you see those two really bright stars in that misty belt? The one on the left is my Babuji and the one on the right is my Amma. Oh and that one a little farther down is my Buaji. She's the one that is twinkling. Even now she is trying to get my attention."

Arnav looked at her before looking up at the sky. Then, in a serious tone, he asked, "Do you really believe your parents and Buaji are up there? That they're stars?"

"Yes. When I was younger, I missed my Amma and Babuji a lot. I would pray to Devi Maiyya to give them back, but when She didn't I was very sad. I sometimes cried for what felt like days. One night, my Buaji took me outside and made me look up at the sky. She told me that my Amma and Babuji would always be with me, watching over me. They're like stars, and if I ever missed them or got lonely, I could just come outside at night and look up, knowing that they are up there looking down at me. After she told me that, I would go outside all the time and talk to them, as if they were really there with me. Since then whenever I miss them, I just look at the stars and I remember that they are always with me."

"Do you think my parents are up there, Khushi?"

She looked at Arnav and saw him lost while looking at the sky. His eyes were searching, as if trying to find the exact stars that represented his parents. They were filled with emotion, specifically hope. Khushi then knew by his relaxing posture that what she had said gave him some solace.

She smiled softly, "Yes. They are watching over you, and are with you...always. And if you feel that they aren't up there, then there is one more place they reside permanently."

"Where?"

"In your heart, Arnav. And that is something no one, not even Devi Maiyya, can take away from you."

He looked at her and smiled, "Thanks Khushi."

"For what?"

"No one has ever been able to make me come to terms with my parents' deaths. But you did it so easily. Not only that, but you've made me realize that they are always with me. So, thank you Khushi."

"Hey, that's what friends are for."

Arnav and Khushi smiled at each other before looking back up at the sky. They didn't speak the rest of the time that they sat there. The comforting silence surrounded them as they sat next to each other, just a few inches apart. Neither of them had realized how open they had been with each other that night, but they were. Unknowingly, a step had been taken. Khushi had taken the first step to comfort Arnav. No one had ever been able to empathize with him on such a level until now, and he would never forget how Khushi made him come to better terms with the loss of his parents. It had meant a lot to Arnav, so much so that he would place a special trust in her, one that no one else would have in his life, but Khushi would never know. That night would be the stepping stone for the progression of their friendship. They just didn't know it yet.

**********

Okay, I seriously love Arshi in this chapter! They are so adorable! Let me know what you thought of the update by leaving your lovely comments and feedback below.

Next update: Arnav's 'allergy' to commitment and a night of lights!

Thanks for reading!