My friend, my teacher!

"Baaaaahh.. Baaaahhh.." the one and half years old baby screamed happily after her mother spread on the floor all her toys.

Garima smiled and took baby Khushi's favorite teddy. Khushi's face fell, she raised her small arms to get her teddy back from her mother, "Aaaaa..Aaaaa... Tetty!.. Tetty..!" she cried.

"My princess wants this! Come here.. come Khushi.." she tried to make her daughter walk. But Khushi stayed in same position crying for her teddy.

Garima sighed disappointedly and handled it to her.

"Garima.." she heard voice of her best friend, Ratna who walked in smiling with her four years boy, Arnav.

"Ratna.. app... how are you?" Ratna stood up smiling, and greeted her friend. She ruffled Arnav's hair, "So cute he is!"

"I'm not cute! I'm strong.." pouted Arnav. Ratna and Garima giggled.

"Ayee your Princess is here also!" said Ratna and walked towards Khushi. Khushi crawled and hide her face on the pillow behind her.

"Khushi say hello to aunty.." Garima said. Khushi shyly buried her face on the pillow. Arnav smiled as he found this baby cute.

"It's okay.. She's shy!" Ratna smiled and sat on the sofa. While Garima sat beside her sadly, "I'm really worried about her.. She isn't walking yet.. Could there be any problem?"

"No Garima don't worry.. She will walk, some babies take time to walk.." Ratna patted her shoulder.

*******************************************************

Payal's birthday party..

The kids were running here and there playing with each other and others trying to spoil the cake, they didn't see the time to cut it and eat the cake.

Akash, Anika (Akash's sister), Anjali (Arnav's sister) and Dhruv (Arnav's brother) were playing well until their attention went on Khushi who was sat alone with her teddy in sofa.

They went towards her, and seeing so many people in front of her. Khushi quickly hide herself with the help of pillows.

"Hey baby.. Come here.. Let's play!" Anjali squealed. "I will lift her!" Dhruv said and was about to lift Khushi when Arnav came.

Khushi started sobbing seeing Dhruv's hand coming near her small body.

"Hey leave her alone!" he said and pushed his siblings, "She doesn't like your games.."

"How do you know that?" Anika asked. Arnav hit her forehead, "Because she's baby you fool!"

Anika pouted and they left from there.

"Look they have gone baby.. now stop crying!" Arnav said. Khushi opened her eyes and looked around, she realized no one was there only Arnav.

She smiled shyly and brought her finger to her mouth, sucking her thumb. Arnav slowly kept her hand down, "Bad manners baby.. Ma says goods kids don't suck their fingers!"

"Do you want to play with me?" he asked excitedly. Khushi shyly hugged her teddy.

"Show me your palms!" he said and extended his hand near her, Khushi looked at him. She also extended her hands. Arnav hit softly on her palms; she smiled excitedly and also hit on his palms with fully energy.

Sometime later, Ratna passed from there with Garima. Ratna's lips curved into a big smile, "Garima look.. Khushi is walking!"

Garima looked at that side, and found Arnav showing his palms to Khushi as he took steps back each time she tried to hit his hand, and Khushi giggled taking steps ahead to reach his hands.

Garima's eyes turned teary, she became really emotional and walked towards Arnav, and she pulled him into a tight hug.

*****************************************************

Three years old Khushi ran into her best friend, Arnav's room. She came near him with a bright smile on her face, and ladoos on her hand.

"Arnav.." she called him, "Latto! Latto!" she showed him excitedly.

Arnav lifted her and made her sit on the bed, "Who gave so many ladoo to you?"

"My latto! Mumma cooed fol me!" she pouted cutely and brought her sweets more close to her, in fear that Arnav would take them away from her.

"It's Ladoo Khushi.. LADOO!" he said.

"Latto!" she said and blinked her eyes cutely.

"This.." he took one ladoo from her hand, "This is not Latto! Wrong!"

"Wlong?" she asked pouting, " What Light then?"

"Right is Ladoo!" he said and repeated loudly, "LADOO!"

"Lat..Ladoo!" she followed his words, then smiled, "Light Ladoo.. Wlong Latto!"

Arnav smiled, "Now let me do my homework otherwise teacher will scold me.."

Khushi ate her ladoo watching her friend doing homework.

***********************************************************

"What's wrong Khushi? Garima aunty said you refused to eat? Why are you crying? Tell me what happened.." nine years old Arnav asked to Khushi, as he sat beside her in the swing placed on the garden.

"I'm good for nothing!" she sobbed.

"Why are you talking like this? Has something happened in school?" he asked worriedly, wiping her tears with his thumb.

"I can't run! Every time there's a running competition.. I always lose, I'm always the last to reach.. Why?" she sighed disappointedly, "Everyone makes fun of me.. they're already know I'm a loser!"

"For a small thing like this you're crying as if failed in exams!" he rolled his eyes smiling at her cuteness.

"You look like those friends of mine in school who always taunt me!" she said frowning and looked away.

"Khushi if you want to best in something, then you've to repeat it till you get tired, till you know that you've become perfect on that.. Only then you will achieve it, otherwise don't keep praying to DM expecting some miracle from her, DM helps those who help themselves.." he said.

She looked at him, and both smiled staring at each other. In no time, both were running around the garden. Arnav was always winning and Khushi was becoming disappointed, still he was always telling her to not give up.

It was becoming dark now, they were very tired still did one more round. This time, Khushi won the running competition.

She screamed happily while Arnav sat on the swing sweating like hell, still he had that fresh smile for her. Khushi ran towards him and jumped on him, hugging him tightly, "Thank you Arnav!"

"Am I one of your friends who taunt you now?" he asked raising his one eyebrow.

She nodded sideways smiling sheepishly, "Sorry.." she held her ear cutely.

************************************************************

"Mumma this is not fair.. I want to cut my hair!" 15 years old Khushi followed her mother to the kitchen, "I want new hairstyle Mumma please!"

"No Khushi.. You have such a long and beautiful hair.. I won't let you cut your hair, that too for such a bakwaas hairstyle.." Garima scolded her.

"Mumma that's the new style now.. all my friends have that hairstyle.. I also want it!" Khushi said stubbornly.

"No means NO!" Garima shouted.

"Okay fine.. I won't eat till you agree for it!" Khushi said with moist eyes and walked to leave when she bumped with Arnav.

"Kya hua?" he asked cupping her face, she looked down.

"Dekha na Arnav.. she wants to cut her hair for some stupid hairstyle just because all friends had the same.. Please make her understand!" said Garima chopping the onions.

"Now you will say don't cut your hair.. You have so beautiful and long hair, hain na? What's wrong in having new hairstyle? My hair will grow again na.. Why don't you understand me?" she cried and buried her face on his chest.

Arnav smiled, he stroke her hair till she calms down and when she did, he asked: Tell me one thing, if all your friends decide to smoke, would you smoke also?

She nodded sideways, "Nahin.. I'm not mad to do that! Smoking is not good for health, you taught me that then my teacher also said same thing only.."

"Then why are you becoming mad now? You don't want to cut your hair because it was your decision, but because they influenced you too.." he said.

"Hmm.." Khushi nodded her head understanding his meaning, "I want to eat ladoo Mumma, and now this is my decision!" she said and went running from there.

Arnav and Garima giggled.

*******************************************************

"She left me!" 18 years old Khushi cried on her friend's shoulder, her mother died one week ago in an accident and she still can't believe this. All of sudden, her happy world, her news happiness of joining college and being in the same college as Arnav, everything seemed dark. Her world seemed to end, she didn't know how would she live without her mother, was it even possible?

"She didn't.. she's in our hearts Khushi!" Arnav hugged her tighter, as few tears left his eyes also.

"How will I live without Mumma?" she looked up to him, with moist eyes.

"You have me!" he said wiping her tears away. He lifted her and put her to sleep, pulling the blanket he covered her body properly.

"Do you want to listen to some story?" he asked taking a book, she nodded her head reminding herself how her mother used to make her listen to stories before she slept. And now Arnav was doing the same.

When he finished narrating the story, he kissed her forehead, "Sleep my Princess.. I'm here only!"

***********************************************************

"Thank you! I want to say few words to someone special in my life.. My husband!.. No, my friend.. my teacher.. if I won this fashion competition today and made a name for myself in this fashion industry then it's only because of him.. If he wasn't there to guide me when I was a little baby, then I wouldn't have reached here.. You know, it wasn't my mother who taught me how to walk, it was my Arnav who taught me.. He's the best teacher anyone would get, and I'm lucky I've this teacher for me to all my life!" she said smiling, with the award on her hand.

As everyone clapped for her, she went running to him, to his arms where she feels secure, "I'm proud of you.. I love you!" he said.

"I love you too ASR!" she whispered.

"It's Arnav for you!" he whined, how much he hates when she calls him ASR, she giggled and kissed his cheek, "My Arnav!"