She knew.
She supposed she had always known of their feelings for each other, since they were never particularly good with subtlety.
It wasn't the first time she had noticed, of course. She had known for ages that they had feelings for each other, ever since the little girl moved into the apartment across from them. At the time, she had been 21 to the 10 of her little brother, and had immediately taken to the little seven year old with the sparkling hazel eyes.
She had watched her grow up along with her brother, and the little girl had quickly become something of the younger sister she had always wanted.
When they were little, she followed him everywhere he went, absorbing everything he said, and did everything he asked. They were always at each other's throats while their eyes said something else entirely. When she got older, she still followed him, but only with her eyes. There was a sudden shyness where there hadn't been before, her cheeks reddening at the mere sight of him, despite the caustic words she flung at him.
He was no less, his eyes remaining on the shadow of her figure long after she had left the room. He went out of his way to irritate her, pushing her buttons with a special glee and delighting in the infuriated way she would whirl around to face him.
She shook her head, rolling her eyes up to the skies. They were perfectly mature when they weren't with each other, but the sight of the other seemed to turn them into bickering five year olds.
They were, the epitome of one of those trashy romance novels she always read, the ones that he never stopped making fun of her for.
"Do you really want a... tall man, with a thick mane of blond hair and ruggedly handsome stubble lining his cheeks?"
He would read, snatching the book out of her hands. Initially, the younger girl had been mortified, but had quickly realized that reading the vivid sex scenes aloud would garner a much more amusing reaction.
A slow, amused smirk spread across her face as she looked at her phone again, grinning at the text that flashed across her screen.
They thought they were being so sneaky, didn't they?
They had conveniently forgotten that she had been there, done that.
She commended their terrible efforts though.
Khushi: Again?! Really?! I don't have that many scarves, and concealer won't do it this time. I'm never letting you near me again! P.S.: Meet me on the terrace.
It was rather obvious what Khushi had been referring to, and the text clearly wasn't intended for her. Had her little brother not picked up Khushi's phone when she called at 2 AM, they might have been more successful at hiding it.
But instead, she had been greeted by his sleepy, irritable voice.
It was apparent that neither of them had realized that she had finally been given concrete evidence of their not-so-secret relationship, remaining blissfully oblivious of her gleeful knowledge.
She stopped still when she reached the terrace, intending to catch them in the act. She could see her little brother standing, tapping his foot impatiently as he glanced at his phone. She heard running footsteps as Khushi appeared, her hair flying as she skid to a stop behind him, holding a bag.
"You've kept me waiting for fifteen minutes, Khushi. And it's my birthday, so I am at full liberty to do what I want to you, especially since you haven't even given me my present..."
"Will you just wait for a minute? I have your present right here."
Khushi held up the bright green bag, grinning up at him. He took it from her hands, reaching into it to pull out something sparkling and silver.
She squinted, trying to discern what it was. Arnav looked at Khushi incredulously, holding it up.
"A kiss? You bought me... Kisses?"
Khushi's eyes sparkled in excitement, a pleased smile on her face.
"Yes. I gave you kisses. I'm a broke student, and I figured..."
She trailed off sheepishly, shrugging. Arnav shook his head, throwing his hands up.
"You and your puns."
She bit her lip, looking at him apologetically.
"Do you hate it? I'm sorry, I-"
He suddenly reached out, pulling her flush against him as she gasped in surprise, her hands pressed against his chest. He leaned down until his lips were just brushing hers, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips.
"I like other kinds of kisses, the kinds that a broke student wouldn't have to pay anything for."
Khushi wound her arms around his neck, looking at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"You mean, you'd prefer the dark chocolate ones? Or maybe the cherry? Or the-"
She was cut off by the press of his lips against hers, the cool foil of the Kiss pressing against her cheek as he brought his hand up. He pulled back, leaving her breathless as he murmured against her lips.
"Shut up, Khushi. You owe me the right kind of kisses."
He bent his head down again, the bag dropping to the ground and scattering shiny, silver drops of chocolate onto the ground.
She turned away with a small smile as she walked back down the stairs.
Some moments... shouldn't be interrupted.
********
She swung open the door of their apartment to reveal Khushi, standing with a male sweater in her arms. The younger girl immediately flushed, clearly not expecting her to be there.
"D- Di! I didn't know you were back! Arnav was studying with me last night and left his sweater... um... I thought I'd..."
She watched with an amused smile as Khushi floundered under her knowing gaze, the pink hue darkening to a deep red. She took the sweater from her hands, calling out to Arnav as Khushi stepped in.
"You might want to tell your boyfriend to be a little bit quieter when he sneaks in at 5 AM, and tell him not to pick up your phone at 2 in the morning."
Khushi's eyes widened comically just as Arnav walked into the room, freezing as he heard the last bits of her statement. She grinned wickedly at the mortified couple, laughing as she walked out of the room. She paused at the door, turning back to face them.
"Oh, and by the way, Khushi... you have a little something on your neck."
She tossed them a wink, grabbing a Kiss from the bowl on the side table as she left, popping it into her mouth.
*********
Note: I'm thrilled that you were confused. This one's for you, Di. I couldn't not write you something!
For tricking me into believing you had forgotten. For making me cry on my birthday because I just couldn't believe that someone would do that for me. For me! For remembering everything about me, for knowing me better than I know myself sometimes. For answering my inane questions about the most awkward shit. For being my cheerleader, my lioness.
For being you, damnit. For making me sound like a freaking broken record all the time because I just can't get enough of telling you how much I love you, because it is truly overwhelming sometimes. And for making me cry again, as I say this all for the millionth time (DAMN YOU.). Here's to many more birthdays with you to help me celebrate them.
Thank you.
Hamesha,
Your Choti.
Haven For Her
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Current Affairs
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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