Khushi eagerly waited to meet her sweet Aunty but Arnav and Ratna were not seen in the office for the next few days. She never asked the name of the woman who helped her fill her little tummy craving for the Mangoes. Neither Garima told her any details. Khushi was disappointed and relieved at the same time. Disappointed because she couldn't see the sweet Aunty who gave her the Mangoes. She'd ask her name the next she met her, she was determined. And Relieved because she didn't get to face the Lord Governor in the name of Arnav.

Despite all this, Khushi, however, continued her mischief in the office with her father and mother's colleagues.

Two days passed in a jiffy.

A 13-year-old Payal had come to Lucknow with their Buaji and their school had started even.

Garima and Shashi sighed in relief knowing they would be free of their younger daughter's pranks on their colleagues although the said colleagues were so much in love with the little cutie-pie that they volunteered to get pranked by the little devil.

That's the charm of Khushi Kumari Gupta in RR Fashion House, she won the hearts of many in the company.

St. Mary School,

It's the first day for Khushi in the school. She was in her school uniform and two little ponytails adorned with ribbons and a small school bag on her back containing new books. She had joined in the sixth standard and Payal had joined in the ninth standard. While Payal was nervous about the new school and environment and a little worried about how she could mingle, Khushi was super excited about her new school, new environment, and new friends she would be making soon.

Khushi Kumari Gupta, her eyes sparkling with determination, reassures her sister, "Jiji, I am there, na. You just go, attend your classes, make friends, and if anyone dares to make you feel sad, just call me, okay?" She puffs up her chest in pride, "I will take care of them. Nobody can rag Khushi Kumari Gupta's sister and get away with it." Payal, her elder sister, rolls her eyes at Khushi's declaration, a small chuckle escaping her lips, her nervousness now lessened by her little sister's words.

True to her words, Khushi was always there for Payal, even in the previous school, if anyone dared to make Payal cry, Khushi played such pranks on them that the principal would have no choice but to call Khushi's parents to the school and complain. Such was one incident too where a few bullied Payal and Khushi pranked on them.

Shashi and Garima were called to complain about her. However, those complaints were thrown aside when Khushi used to fight and tell the truth about how Payal was bullied by the victim players.

The people bullying Payal were warned and punished with a complaint sent to their parents.

From then on, Khushi got the name 'Rebel' in the school, and no one dared to bully Payal again.

"Okay, come on. I'll go to my class now and you go to yours, okay?" Payal caressed her little sister's arms. They were already informed where their classes were located by a teacher.

"Bye Bye, Jiji. We will meet in the break," Khushi jumped in her sister's arms, making the books in her bag jump too.

Before Payal could hug her back, she was her little sister already running towards her class. Payal released a breath muttering under her breath, "Iska kuch nahi ho sakta."

(she will never change)

She soon made her to the class which was a just few feet away.

Lunch Break,

Khushi with her sister, Payal, and a couple of her new friends found a place to sit and eat their lunch. They found sitting in the class and eating the lunch boring, so Khushi with her friends dragged Payal too since she didn't make any friends.

All of them are sitting in the circle on an open bench, munching on their food and sharing it. Payal was soon comfortable with Khushi's friends who were just bubbly and fun like her sister.

Khushi was super fast in eating and thus, while everyone had completed only half of their box, Khushi completed the whole.

"Jiji, Samyukta, Sruthi, Jeevi, and Anu, I will go roam around and see how's the school, okay? You guys complete your lunch and till then I will be back," Khushi said standing up, excited to see the school. In the morning, she had to go to her class directly and when she was brought here for admission a week and a half ago, her parents didn't leave her alone. Which is why she missed the chance of roaming around and inaugurating the school with her little feet.

"But Khushi, don't-" Payal was about to protest, not wanting her sister to roam around and fall in trouble.

But she didn't get the chance to complete her sentence as an overexcited Khushi planted a quick kiss on Payal's cheek, saying, "I'll be back soon, Jiji."

Everyone knows, where Khushi is, there has to be trouble. It follows her like a shadow. Shadow might leave her in the dark, but the sweet trouble loves Khushi so much that it doesn't leave her in the dark either.

That's the relationship between Khushi and the trouble.

Payal sighed hoping and praying for her sister not to land in any problem on the first day of her school.

*

Khushi, who was romaning in the school premises was looking at every class and saw many students were having fun in the ground after their lunch, some meeting their parents who came to give lunch boxes, and some simply sitting and gossiping.

Now this is what Khushi likes, people, people, and people. She'd get a chance to make friends, juniors or seniors doesn't matter in her case.

She could make anyone her friend in a second with her bubbly and charming personality.

So, when Khushi was walking around, ready to make someone her friend, she bumped into the back of a boy.

"What the!" The boy screamed sensing a girl dashing into his back.

Khushi jutted her lips and almost recognized the voice, only seeing his face for confirmation was left.

That had to happen too when he turned around.

"Tree Climber?" It was none other than the infamous 'Lord Governor', the son of her sweet Aunty.

Little Khushi was shocked and a while later, it turned into irritation as she narrowed her little hazel eyes at him, furiously murmuring, "Lord Governor? What are you doing here? Huh?"

He looks at her, narrowing his gaze too. How dumb she is? With such a thought, he spats, "This is my school, I study here, of course, I'd be here if I study here, don't I?" he fumes and adds a word describing her a second later, almost retorting her, "Idiot Ladki."

Khushi gasps dramatically, pointing an accusing finger at him, "Haww!! What did you call me? Idiot? You are an idiot, okay?" Her voice echoes through the corridor, where thankfully there is none.

Not even teachers. A few students were there but they were too far to listen to what they were arguing about. Otherwise, the first day itself would be the complaining day for Shashi and Garima from the principal, and for the very first time, Arnav would be receiving a complaint about him in the home too.

That could have been the eighth wonder of the world. Alas, the teachers weren't there and so were others.

"Well, if I was an idiot, I would have asked you what are you doing here even after seeing the uniform and ID card. But, Ms.Tree Climber, I didn't. Which meant, I am not an Idiot," he smirked with pride as a frown marred Khushi's face.

"Haww!!" Khushi huffed but then pouted knowing he was right. How could she ask him what is he doing here even after looking at the uniform? Her little brain was so shocked at seeing the irritating boy in front of her that she missed noticing the small details.

And now he got the chance to call her an Idiot.

But would she admit that in front of this 'Lord Governor'? Never.

Composing herself, she threw back the words that seemed right to the situation they were in, "If you aren't an idiot, you would be watching where you are going and just not bumping into me. Can't you see when you walk?" she asked, accusing him, pointing her fingers straight into his nose.

Arnav fumed at the girl wrongly accusing him. She was the one who didn't see and bumped into his back and now had the guts to blame him.

"Well, Ms. Tree Climber, now you proved not only you but your brain is a little too. I don't see why would you forget it's you who bumped into me and not the other way around unless you suffer from short-term memory loss."

"My brain is not little and neither am I. Got it, Lord Governor?" Khushi never liked anyone calling her little or commenting about her little self. Only she has the right to call herself little and no one else.

"Don't call me that," Arnav gritted his teeth in anger. He was here in the waiting area, waiting for his mother who would daily come with Lunch Box for him but today she was a little late, so he was pacing here when the little irritating girl bumped into him and also had the guts to accuse him of mistake that isn't his. The name 'Lord Governor' only irritated him.

"Ab Lord Governor ko Lord Governor hi bulayenge na Lord Governer, hmphh!" she puffed up her chest, flames nursing from her body.

(Now a Lord Governor is called Lord Governor only, ain't it, Lord Governor? Hmphh!)

"Chotte? Khushi?"

Both of them heard the voice stopping their argument there itself.

Khushi squealed in joy looking at the sweet Aunty and Arnav frowned looking at Khushi running towards his mother already.

"Stupid girl," he muttered under his breath making his way towards his mother who had bent to the level of Khushi and listening to the blabbermouth the little Khushi had. 

Is she complaining already?

Iss War Ko Kya Naam Doon?

-Poly

06-02-2024

P.S. As most of you requested, turning into a small ss. Will be a quick, light-hearted, funny, and emotional story with very quick and short updates.