"I will make him knuckle down. That arrogant brute I hate him so much. Since the moment he has entered this house, he has made my life hell. I don't like him, surbhi.....Granny loves him more......" With that she burst into tears. She started to get hiccups as she cried a river.

Surbhi started frantically looking for water but the jug of water kept on the side table was haplessly empty. Just when she was going to descend towards the kitchen down the stairs, a glass of water was put forth her. Her eyes travelled to the owner of that hand and she fumed in anger but kept quite knowing her place in the house.

Arjun smiled seeing yielding to him but Radhika was no less than an explosive at that moment.

"You#Hiccup# What are you#Hiccup# doing in#Hiccup# my room# Hiccup#Get out#Hiccup# Go....."

He brought the glass of water closer to her lips and made her drink it forcefully holding the back of her head. She sipped on the liquid with vigor at the same time shooting daggers at him.

She said in an angry tone, "Why are you here?! Listen if for a minute you think that you are a contender for my affection like granny's then you can't be further from the truth. I hate you!"

He softly spoke, "Radhika, can we talk calmly?! Like without you fighting me or playing tricks to drive me out of the house. Let's get real alright?! You know in your heart that sun rises and sets with you in gram's eyes. She is showering her love and affection on me because she loves me too and I am here after such a long time. That doesn't mean she has unlove you. Think about it when you left the dining table sulking because grams was feeding me and not you. Even she didn't touch her plate at all and because of that even I lose my appetite. You hate me which is fine neither do I like you but because of our petty fights, grams is getting backlash of that. If you want me to go far away and never come back here then I will because I don't want grams to feel torn between you and me. I will leave you and grams alone if that's what you want. Good luck and bye! "

He straightened up to leave but she grabbed his hand. He was startled by her soft touch. Her fingers barely curled around his wrist. His eyes travelled from her hand withholding his to her tear-streaked face. His heart melted like wax, in the bowels of his chest. She had real tears speeding down her cheeks.

She sobbed, "I am sorry....No please believe me I am extremely sorry for being such a bitch to you....Normally I never crab so much but it's just that I felt jealous and hateful towards you. It's not your fault it's mine and I sincerely apologize. Please don't go grams will be so hurt if you leave abruptly. I promise I will be at my best behavior if you stay."

He nodded as a gesture that he is accepting her apology," It's alright. I forgive you and I think we can have some peace treaty between us."

Radhika said in a tiny voice, "I think we should act civil around each other and we'll be fine. We can be friends too."

Arjun oppossed hastily," No you are going too ahead. I don't want to be friends with you. We don't share same interests and there is nothing common between you and me. You are that typical goody two shoes and I am an arrogant brute, ain't  I, Radhika?"

She gnawed her lip and looked earthward feeling remorseful that he heard her badmouthing him but what amazed her was his calm approach to their situation.

"You heard that. OK I am sorry but that one you have to accept is true. You are on a ego trip."

Arjun smiled a goofy smile,"It's called attitude not ego. Anyways I'll think about your idea of we being friends but I don't think so it will work. Better we have a peace treaty."

No we can't have a peace treaty because I have made up my mind that I want to be friends with you. You care for granny so much that keeping aside our bickering, nasty things I said to you and looking pass the tricks I played to make you leave this house, you are here to make amends with me for granny. Even I should reciprocate some way, shouldn't I? Radhika thinks to herself.

She confessed in an innocent cheery tone, "I use to think you are an arrogant brute but that is just a facade of you. I mean that you are a good man. About us not sharing common interests then that is wrong because we both love Granny and we both want to make her happy. We both love her handmade cookies and we literally fight over who gets more. Plus even I wasn't that good to you either so I think we can be friends if we decide to bear in mind that we are doing this for granny. To make her happy and relaxed."

He stared at her for longer than a minute and found out that she was so sincere and serious about this, "I can do that."

Radhika's face lit up like a Christmas tree,"So let's start all over again. Hi,  I am Radhika Sharma."

He returned her smile with one of his own, "Arjun Mehra. I think you'll be honoured to know that I am befriending you."

Radhika chuckled, "Your high-handedness is something I'll have to really learn to adapt to."

Arjun "So let's do something to make our bond stronger."

"What?! "

He raised a pun,"Kiss maybe."

Her eyes widened, "WHAT?!"

He laughed freely, "I am just kidding. Let's bake cookies."

She complied, "Seems more like a fun thing. Let's get started, shall we?!"

"So then lets go to the kitchen?!"

He spoke gentlmanly, "After you. "

She hopped down the stairs and he followed her. He watched how she skipped one or two steps at a time and jumped on the next adjacent one. He liked how she was a kid at heart. Shows how innocent and uncontaminated she was. When he entered in her room to call her for breakfast, he heard from her words how incandescently angry and hurt she was. He felt a troubled and bothered seeing her bawling her eyes out. So he decided to say his goodbyes to grams for her sake but then she talk him out of his decision to go away with her simple and sweet magic. He also did a meticulous observation of her room. It was feminine, neat and tidy and it might sound offending but it was too girly and pinky. She had a lot of teddy bears and barbie dolls in her room which made him feel like he entered the room of a school going girl instead of a fully grown up woman.

Now finally their cookies were in the oven after a lots of banter and mouth sassing on silly things. Time and again she would look at her wrist watch and mutter under breath," How much time more."

He amusingly asked, "Radhika, are you making cookies for the first time?! "

She shook her head, "Nope but its definitely a first time with you so I am keen to taste them."

He point out, "I thought we have made them for Grams."

She clarified," After her."

He decided to change the subject, "Ok. So what do you study?!"

She was mortified, "Study?! Oh hello! I might look younger than my age that doesn't mean you can kid me. I graduated last year so now job hunting."

He spoke, "I thought you are in college yet. How old are you?! "

She castigated him, "You are not supposed to ask that."

He scratched his jaw stubble the way he did when he was lost in deep thoughts and going by his gut feeling,"Let me take a guess. 21 or maybe 22 you can't be beyond that."

She looked shocked at his correct answer.

He gave her a smug look, "By the look of you face, I think I am right, ain't I, Radhika?!"

She mumbled, "Yes."

As there was nothing more to talk so she asked the same question, "How old you are?! "

He replied in a cynical tone, "27 turning 28 next month."

Her eyes lit up thinking about a birthday bash, "Wow! we'll celebrate your birthday here."

He said in a cryptic tone, "I don't celebrate my birthday."

She asked out of shock, "Why?"

His face was utterly deadpan,"My dad died on the same day."

She felt something warmth for him taking birth in her heart, "I am so sorry."

He replied coldly, "Its fine. I don't like talking about it. Can we talk something else?!"

She couldn't understand why his mood changed from the free spirited and fun loving Arjun to this cold-hearted prick. Although she believed truly that it was just a facade to hide wounds.

She gave in to his request, "Sure. You know granny is really fond of you and you adore her. Initially I was upset and jealous but now I am happy that granny has someone else to love. Sometimes I feel so scared when she does not talk and just lies down on the bed with her eyes fixed on the the ceiling. I have no one except her and she means so much to me. I cannot bear to think of her dying..." Her voice chokes and tears welled up in her brownies.

In a minute, he reached out for her and comforted her with coaxing words.

"Sshhh. Don't cry its alright. I know how hard it is for you. Just stay strong, keep her happy and spend as much as time together."

She wiped her tears and her sniffle, "I am sorry."

"For what? You have nothing to be sorry about."

She stared deep into his mesmerising eyes, "You know, Arjun you are not that bad."

"Radhika first you called me a good man now you demoted me from good man to not that bad types. I mean seriously decide what you think of me."

She gave a honest answer, "That you are good and not that bad at the same time. I don't like you but I like you also."

He shrugged, "You are talking gibberish. I didn't understand a word."

She preached like a charlatan, "In the words of great Oscar Wilde," Women are meant to be loved not to be understood."

His eyes widened in shock, "You want me to love you?! "

She quickly corrected herself, "As a friend."

Radhika carried the plateful of cookies to the dining area and said enthusiastically,"So shelf Arjun and the awesome shelf Radhika have prepared this scrumptious cookies for everyone. Hope everyone likes them and even if they don't still its obligatory to eat them. Granny, I have been very grouchy lately and I am very sorry for that. Hope you forgive me and Arjun, you too. "

Arjun smiled, "Radhika, I have already forgiven you. "

"Thank you, Arjun."

Radhika turned to Granny and confessed in sheer innocence which Arjun prayed stays untainted as long as it can. Her face was a picture of her thoughts. All out in open. Nothing to hide. No fake modesty only sweet innocence that shone in form of warm glow on her face.

"Granny, I love you so much and I cannot accept my gratitude for what you did for me. I can never repay that in this life. You took an orphan under your wing..."

Granny raised her voice a bit, "Shut up! You aren't an orphan and there is nothing in my being that tells me that you aren't my family."

Radhika apologized, "I am sorry, Granny."

Granny said endearingly, "Come here cupcake. Sit beside me and I'll feed you with my own hands."

After feeding a bite to Radhika, Granny raised her hand to feed Arjun but he refused, shaking his head.

Radhika smiled, "Arjun, I won't be jealous if you have one bite from granny's hands."

Arjun stated, "I don't have a sweet tooth like you, Radhika. I ate one and its enough. You can have the rest."

Radhika gave him a million dollar smile, "Really?! You are so sweet just like this delicious cookies."

Arjun rolled his eyes at her, "She is crazy Grams."

Radhika banged her little fist on table in anger, "How rude of you! I called you sweet and you call me crazy. "

He laughed, "that's because you are. A crazy kiddo. "

She shoot up like a rocket from her seat and charged herself towards him.

She warned, "Don't. You. Dare. Call. Me. A. Kiddo! I'll empty this glass full of water on your head if you don't take back your words. "

She grabbed a glass full of water beside him as her bait for his sorry.

He smiled evil, "I'll like to see you try."

Without much preamble, she emptied the water in the glass over his head making him all wet.

His nostrils flared in anger, "What the fuck? Sorry grams for cussing but you should scold this little vixen."

Grams spoke, "Arjun, you challenged and said you wanted to see her try. So I think she took it sportingly to prove to you that she could do it."

Arjun stared in disbelief at Grams, "I can't believe you are taking her side Grams."

Grams chuckles, "I am just stating the obvious. Anyways you kiddos don't involve me into your fights."

Radhika spoke in a full on attitude tone, "She is so right, Mr macho man. You shouldn't go complaining to granny. Fight your own battle."

He wolfishly grinned, "So you want me to fight you? I'll show you how much of a macho man I am."

He marched over to her before she could take to her heels, he caught hold of both of her hands and pinned them behind her back. Soon her feet lost the contact to the ground as he lifted her up in air, her back facing his front  his hands enclosed around her waist tightly to hold her in place. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered," Say you are sorry and loud."

She screamed as if he was throttling her. If she wasn't laughing hysterically, anyone would have misunderstood the situation.

She was practically screaming the place down, "Granny, save me granny....Arjun put me I said put me down!"

"First say you are sorry."

She played dumb, "Sorry for what?!"

He said firmly, "You want to play that game, Radhika? Think about it. I have no problem carrying you around with me because you are underweight and it does not even hurt my arms to hold you."

Radhika was practically seething, "Granny! Granny, save me from this monster. I am your only grand daughter, ain't I? What if he drops me and I fracture my limbs?"

Granny gave blind eye and deaf ear to both of them, "Like I made it clear to both of you that I am not going to butt in your fight. As for him dropping you down then he won't do that."

Radhika screeched, "GRANNY!"

Granny grimaced, "Radhika, do you want to make me deaf in a day?!"

Radhika tried softer approach,"Arjun, please put me down."

"First say that you are sorry."

She cleaned the words between her teeth, "Ok fine I am sorry. Happy now?!"

"Very happy."

She commanded, "So now put me down."

"Here you go. "

He finally puts her down. She heaves a sign of relief and stares enraged at both of them.

She whined, "I hate both of you! Arjun, you are such a......"

Arjun said cheekily, "Try try Radhika. Try your level best to curse me but the truth is granny's upbringing is engrained in you which does not permit you to curse."

Granny cajoled her, "Sweety he was just teasing you. Even you emptied a glass full of water on his head, didn't you?! Common now don't be a sour loser. You'll get many chances to get even with him. Come sit here with us."

She nodded,"Only for you Granny."

She sat herself down on the chair beside granny and continued munching on the cookies

"You guys will make a fabulous couple. "

Granny's gutsy comment knocked the wind out of her lungs. On the otherhand the sweet cookies suddenly tasted bitter to him.

So this is it for today. Tell me how much do you like the lead pair. I tried something different this time. I always made Arjun's character somewhat grey but this time he is a pretty good guy but hey guys hang on... Not goody two shoes thats the title reserved for Radhika only. So tune up with this story too and I hope you give it the same love you have given to other stories of mine. Any questions? You can ask me anytime. So first the story will progress through flashback than will slowly heed to the present of both the characters. You will witness lots of drama, friendship, love dose, heartbreak in this one. If the story is written by Asshna its supposed to be dramatic because I personally enjoy drama though not much in real life. Well to my loyal readers and voters and commenters. This shouldn't be a surprise to you, should it? New readers please vote and tell me your opinions. Will like to hear from you too. So for now lots of love. Take care.