Aarna's pov:

Two days had passed since I swore myself to give back ten folds to that duo. I already had a foolproof plan for Gramps. As for Dhruv, I'll take care of his matter after I am done with Gramps.

Now was the time to initiate my plan. Athayya asked me to give juice to both Granny and Gramps. So while holding the tray, I headed to the lawn where they were sitting to enjoy the evening breeze.

Granny was watering her plants and Gramps was just flipping the book thoroughly. I seriously doubted whether he was reading it or just taking the glance at each page.

I went to them and greeted both of them. Granny smiled at me warmly and took her juice glass. She settled herself on a chair after keeping that water pipe aside.

Gramps didn't respond to my greeting and hadn't even stretched his hand to take the juice. So I pretended to sigh sadly and placed it on a coffee table. Seeing my face, Granny glared at him and he took the glass from the table after rolling his eyes at her.

Once he took the glass, he started gulping the juice hurriedly as if someone was going to snatch it. Seeing that, my plan was going to fail, I immediately exclaimed.

"Gramps, drink slowly. Nobody is going to snatch it from you. Drinking like that is not good for your health." I told him like a good granddaughter but he just scoffed at me and ignored my words.

"Didn't you hear her.? Drink slowly or else you will choke yourself to death," Granny said and he placed that glass on the table without taking any further sip after releasing a huff.

I just bit back my smile and turned to granny to divert her attention.

"Granny, what's that plant.?" I asked her while pointing to the plant which was behind her.

She immediately turned to that plant. I took a quick glance at Gramps and saw that he had completely immersed himself in that book and reading it with an earnest expression on his face.

I took this chance and discreetly poured all the juice in the glass into the plant pot behind me. After that, I placed that glass on the coffee table without his notice and went to granny's side, who was explaining the plant's importance.

"Its name is Lemon balm. It has so many medicinal values. You know, we can even use it in the dishes. It is mostly used in flavoring the ice creams and for spicing up the chicken and fish dishes.-" She was about to continue but Gramps interrupted her.

"What's need of telling her all these.? She only knows how to eat. So it's a waste of your breath to explain everything to her. Come, sit, and have your juice." He said to her in a cool manner and I gritted my teeth at his direct provocation.

"Don't behave like an old rogue." Granny chided him but nonetheless went to sit on her seat and took her juice. Seeing her actions, Gramps too took a look at his glass but upon finding it empty, he glanced at us in surprise.

"Where is my juice.? Where has it gone too.?" He exclaimed and I squealed inwardly in joy. But masking it, I exchanged a glance with granny.

"What are you talking about.? Where will it go.? You must have drunk it. You are really becoming forgetful these days."

"Old lady. Believe me. I didn't drink it. When I placed it here, there is more than half of the juice in the glass. This little brat must have done something with it." He said while pointing at me angrily. I just pretended to step back in fear and went behind Granny.

"God..why are you scaring that poor girl.? Do you think people here are so desperate to drink it from your glass.? Don't be so petty and stop blaming her for these silly reasons." Saying this, granny stood up from her seat while glaring at Gramps and held my hand.

"Come with me, dear. If we stay here, he will make us go insane for sure." She said and before going inside, I took a last glance at Gramps and saw that he was mumbling something while looking at the juice glass skeptically.

"Granny, I have something to say," I told granny once we settled ourselves on the couch in the living room. She nodded at me in approval.

"Granny, two days back I made a cake..right. That day after you all had left, Gramps ate a piece of cake. When Dhruv asked why he was eating it when he clearly shouldn't eat it.? He said that I was the one who forced him to have it when I clearly didn't do it. Dhruv asked him when did I do that as he saw me sitting beside him quietly all the time. But he insisted that I forced him to do it. Having no choice, Dhruv reluctantly agreed to his words." I said to her and she was hearing everything with a frown on her face.

"That old man must be lying shamelessly to have the sweet treats ." She muttered angrily and I stifled my laughter.

"No. Granny, if he was lying, it isn't a problem at all. The problem is, he is not. You know I am doctor..right. I can say his condition at a single glance. He is hallucinating everything. Didn't you see it with your own eyes earlier.? Didn't you notice that he is behaving so grumpy.? You can ask Dhruv about the day's incident too in front of Gramps. He will definitely say that I was the one who insisted on Gramps to have it. If he looked at Gramps and answered your question, then it means he is clearly lying to satisfy his grandpa." I told her with an earnest expression on my face.

"Is it.?" She asked and I nodded at her firmly.

"Let's wait for him then." She said.

After a while, Gramps came inside and sat on the opposite couch to us. He kept on huffing at us to annoy us more. We just ignored him and waited for Dhruv.

At 8'O clock, Dhruv came home and was about to head to our room directly but granny stopped him and called him.

"Dhruv, Answer my question..okay." She said and he just looked at her in confusion but nonetheless nodded his head at her.

"That day, did your Grandpa eat the cake made by Aaru.?" She asked him and I saw that Gramps shifted in his place nervously after hearing her sudden question.

Dhruv immediately glanced at Gramps and when Gramps looked at him deeply, Dhruv nodded at him briefly. All the while, Granny and I were watching their actions with our hawk eyes. When Gramps noticed our gaze, he pretended to squat the flies with his hands, much to my benefit.

"Yeah. He did but Aarna was the one who insisted him to have it." He said and I just wanted to laugh out on his face. He always blurts out the answers in the unexpected situation but this time it was in my favor.

After hearing his answer, she immediately looked at me and I just gave her a look 'I told ya'. She nodded at me and asked Dhruv to sit with us

"I think what you have said is right. Can it be cured.? Do we have to consult a doctor.?" She asked me in a fearful tone.

' Sorry, granny for making you worry unnecessarily but if I didn't do it, I have to put up with the Cocky attitude of that Gramps all the time.' I apologized to her in my mind.

"No need for that. It's not that serious as you are imagining it to be. He just has to follow the proper diet and physical activities are a must and should. About his diet, I'll handle it. He has to eat vegetable salads a lot and has to avoid all his favorite food. They are so oily which will do no help for his condition. We will try this for some days. If his body is coping up with that diet perfectly, we will continue it. If not, then just a physical exercise will do." I said to her in a professional tone.

"Okay. Do what you think is best." She said with a sigh and I nodded at her while smiling smugly at the confused Gramps. I saw that Dhruv stood up from his seat and was heading upstairs with a small smile on his face.

"Can anyone tell me what's happening here.? Are you talking about me.? If it is, why should I stop eating my favorite foods.?" He asked while furrowing his brows.

"Nothing. You are suffering from something. We are talking about the remedy."

"What!! I am suffering from something.?? Why didn't I know about it then.?" He asked while pointing to himself in disbelief.

"Yes. You are. Don't worry. It will get cured soon. Aaru will help you." She assured him.

"Old lady. I am fit and fine. Don't believe that brat's words. She is clearly lying to you." He exclaimed.

"I said stop blaming her. She is helping you. Cooperate with her well. You should be happy that you got such a good and caring granddaughter-in-law. Instead of that, you are blaming her sincerity. What a prudent behavior." She shot back at him angrily and went to her room.

"Girl..what are you planning to do with me.? Can't we just let bygones be bygones.? " Gramps asked while sighing helplessly as if he was a victim of fate's play and I just give him a sickly sweet smile.

"That won't do. From tomorrow onwards, You are only allowed to eat healthy food. So say goodbye to all your favorites. See...I love you, Gramps. That's why I want you to maintain good health." I told him innocently while stressing the word healthy but all I had said to him was completely true.

He doesn't follow any proper diet and he is quite fond of all the junk food. So it's time for him to change his habits. Since this was my family now, I had to take care of everyone generously.

"Be ready sharply at 5:30 tomorrow," I told him and he grumbled in return.

"a.m or p.m.?" He asked me while giving me a not-so-innocent look and I just glanced at him, mentally rolling my eyes at his silly jesting.

"5:00 a.m," I told him

"What! Didn't you say 5:30 in the morning? How come you change your words so quickly.?" He whined like a child.

"My dear Gramps, when you know, it is clearly a.m., why did you ask that silly question.? Anyway, be ready at 5:30 a.m. An instructor will come to guide you." I informed him.

"Are you not the one who is going to guide me.?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Naah. I won't give up on my beauty sleep even for this world." I said to him and went to our room to deal with Dhruv.

"You did a good job. We are all tired of convincing Gramps to follow a healthy diet." He said after he saw me entering the room

"Don't thank me. It's payback for what he did that day. I am not doing this for anyone's good. I just want to let him know the consequences of messing up with me." I told him while avoiding his gaze.

"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night." He said before marching into the washroom.

"Hey!! Don't think I have forgotten your deeds. So just wait for your turn." I shouted and I heard him say 'waiting' from inside.

I just huffed and settled myself on the bed, thinking about what to do. Suddenly I got an idea and went in front of the mirror to do some makeup on my face. I took torchlight after bringing all my hair to my face.

When I heard the clicking of the washroom door, I immediately switched off the lights and took my position to take an action.

After that, I flashed that torchlight onto my face and called his name in a scary tone but I got none as a response.

I again tried calling his name but still, it didn't work out. So I brought that torchlight from my face to my front to catch the glimpse of him. I was startled a bit when I didn't find his presence at all in the room.

"Dhruv. Are you there.?" I called out for him meekly, completely forgetting the fact that I should be the one to scare him but in return, I was feeling scared now.

With the help of the torch, I went to switch on the lights with a thought of giving up on my plan but to my utter bad luck, the light wasn't getting on. I think the power must have gone off.

Suddenly, I heard the rustling sound of leaves along with the continuous sobbing of someone, coming from the balcony. It scared the shit out of me and I started trembling in fear.

"Dhruv, I know it's you. Stop doing that. I am so scared." I pleaded and moved that torch around the room but Dhruv was nowhere to be seen.

Though I wanted to play a prank to see a scared expression on his face, it doesn't mean that I don't fear ghosts. If I knew that it was going to be turn out like this, I shouldn't even think of doing it.

The sobbing sound increased even more. I started to cry in fear of my dear life.

"Please, stop it. I won't do it again. Stop scaring me. Go away...goo. Go to Dhruv. Because of him, I thought of stealing your role. Dhruv...where are you.? Come here. God..please save me." I cried out.

"I will leave you on one condition. Say sorry to your husband. He is a good guy. You shouldn't be playing these kinds of pranks on him." I heard a voice. So without thinking anything, I obeyed the words of that voice.

"Yeah. He is so good. I will never do this again. I am so sorry, my husband with the name Dhruv. Now please leave me." I said hurriedly while wiping my tears and I immediately heard the laughter of someone.

If I was so dumb to recognize that voice earlier, then I would be a big idiot and fool if I couldn't even recognize whose laughter was that.

Suddenly the light came on and I saw that Dhruv was leaning onto the combined door of the balcony and room while holding his phone at his back.

He must have the tripped the circuit beaker. That explains why lights didn't turn on earlier.

He was laughing hysterically. I immediately marched to him and started punching him with my fists. He kept on laughing as if my punches were tickling him.

"Stop laughing," I shouted at him while blowing my nose with my dupatta and wiped my eyes.

"God. How I wish but I couldn't." He said while laughing a lot.

"Dhruv. I hate you. You are so mean." I told him while a fresh set of tears dropped my eyes. Seeing my tears, he stopped laughing, just a little.

"I'll go to my house. I'll complain to everyone that you are bullying me. I can't live here anymore ..boohoo..boohoo." I accused him while sobbing hysterically and settled myself on the floor.

"Stop that. It's so annoying. You are crying because your prank backfired on you..right. So take this as a lesson. Never try to mess with me." I just glared at him while crying slowly.

"But I gotta agree, it is damn hilarious. I am so sorry my husband with the name Dhruv. What's that? Seriously, how many husbands do you have.?..Hahah." Saying this, he threw back his head and started laughing at me.

Seeing this, I immediately wiped my eyes and stood up from the floor. After going inside the room, I locked the door of the balcony from inside.

This caught him completely off guard. Since the door was made up of glass, I can see his every action pretty clearly. He immediately came to the door and started banging it with his fists.

When I ignored him, he came to the window and looked at me with annoyance.

"Hey Aarna, open the door. I don't even have the spare keys. Open it or I'll break it." He asked me but I didn't budge away.

"Aarna, Did I ever say that you are so beautiful.? Especially with that makeup, you are looking exactly like how you look every day when you woke up from your sleep. With your running nose and puffed eyes with smudged eyeliner, you are looking so beautiful just like Actress jyothika in Chandra Mukhi movie. I never complimented anyone in my life except you. So open the door..okay." He asked me and I just rolled my eyes at him

"Then I am so honored if only your words are considered as compliments. You dared to make me waste my precious tears. Just stay there for this night." I told him and shut the window door on his face.

"Idiot..all my image that I have built up till now has gone astray. Just rot there for a while. It's good that I have a thick skin otherwise who will cope up with you.?" I scolded in a mumbling tone and changed into my nightwear after removing the makeup.

Hope you guys liked this chapter.

I recently published a short story with the name "Sourire". So if you guys are interested, please check out that book and let me know your views on it.

Thanks for reading.

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