A week passed by peacefully, and gladly this time Arnav actually avoided me just as much as I avoided him, the only times I really saw him was in class or in the hallway making out with random girls.

Everything was so peaceful and normal just like it had been before the storm named Arnav had entered my life.

I passed my exam and topped the class as usual, I concentrated on my classes better even though he always sat around me but at least he never spoke to me.

I mostly kept myself busy, I was either in the class or in the library studying so I could avoid any dramas with Arnav and his other friends.

Not that Karthik and Damon ever really tried to talk to me but Stefan was now kind of a friend to me and I really couldn't avoid him much.

"I thought I'd find you here." I heard a voice, I lifted my head up from my books and found Karthik standing in front of me.

Okay this was weird, way weird. Since they joined, I had talked to all the boys apart from him and now he was here talking to me, why?

"Why were you even looking for me?" I asked in confusion.

"This isn't something I usually do but I thought I could really use your help." He pulled a chair and sat down facing me.

"What help?" I asked curiously.

"Actually it's about Bonnie. You see in the beginning I thought I could just be friends with her, but now I realize I really don't want to be just friends with her, I can't stop thinking about her at all, and she told me very clearly that nothing could ever happen between us.

I've tried all I could to stay away from her but I don't know, she's like got into me. Can you tell me what I can to do for her to trust me at least?" He asked.

"Okay this is surprising. You could have asked for help from Caroline or even Katherine, why me when you all boys clearly hate me?"

"We don't hate you Khushi, I mean maybe Arnav does and Damon doesn't like that Stefan likes you because he thinks you aren't the right one for him but seriously we don't hate you and I thought you'd be the best person to ask for help, I mean I saw the way you fought those guys for her that day which makes me believe you can do a lot for your friends so that's why." He smiled genuinely, honestly I had never expected Karthik to be like this.

"You know Bonnie is really different, she isn't like me or Katherine or even Caroline, she's been more of a simple kind of a girl, she likes to stay away from trouble completely and you my dear, you have trouble written all over you."

"But you are the same as us, you also have trouble all over you but she's still friends with you."

"And she's also friends with you. Look I'm going to be honest with you because I love my friend, she did tell me she liked you but you being the bad boy and your history scares her, so if you really want her to trust you, find a way to make her believe that you won't ever hurt her, not physically at least because emotionally, we all hurt each other even when we don't want to."

"Why would she think I would ever hurt her physically?"

"Your reputation Karthik." I said looking at him like duh, you should know this dude.

"Okay I get it, I think now I know what to do, now before I leave can I ask for one more favor from you, please don't say no." He smiled, he looked really cute when he smiled.

"We had a dinner planned tonight and Stefan is bringing Caroline and Damon also asked Katherine, Arnav is also coming so I'm sure he would be with someone too, so I asked Bonnie to come but she refused, I really wanted her to come, I mean if she doesn't spend time with me she wouldn't really know me would she?

So can you please try to convince her? And in case she wants to bring you along you can come too, you're invited." He smiled.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere where Arnav is but don't worry, I'll make sure she comes without me." I smiled at him.

"Thank you so much, I'll appreciate your help forever." He smiled and walked away excitedly, now the question was, how was I going to convince Bonnie?

It was like suddenly I had gone from being a bad girl to a match maker, I was staying away from Stefan so he could spend time with Caroline and be interested in her instead of me and now I was also going to convince Bonnie to go for the dinner, what really happened to the old Khushi?

*****

When I arrived home I found mom in the kitchen cooking something while Ayush sat on the counter talking to her.

"What's up, why are you cooking at this time?" I asked as I walked in the kitchen.

"Your brother is hungry, would you like to eat?" She asked.

"No I don't feel hungry, but can we talk after you are done cooking?"

"Actually I have to go somewhere in a while, I'm sorry I can't." She looked at me sadly.

"Don't think I don't know you're avoiding me mom, I know there's something you're hiding from me and I'll make sure I find out what it is." I said as I walked to my room angrily, why was she avoiding me so suddenly, and what was it that she was trying to hide from me.

I headed to my room and settled down on the bed as I dialed Bonnie's number, I put it on speaker and placed it on the dressing table while I took of my make up, I had tried to find her in school to talk to her regarding Karthik but she was nowhere to be seen so I thought I'd call her later.

"Hey." She said as she received my call.

"Hey, I was hoping I could talk to you."

"About what?"

"About Karthik. Look don't say anything let me talk first. He came to me today and he told me how much he really liked you, I know you are scared because of his reputation and all but I really think he deserves a chance to prove himself.

Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves Bonnie and I really think you both would be happy together so why don't you stop avoiding him and go to the dinner he invited you to, at least try getting to know him." I said.

"You know what, you are right, everyone deserves a chance and I'm ready to give Karthik a chance but are you ready Khushi?" Bonnie asked.

"Ready for what?" I asked in confusion.

"To give Arnav a chance?"

"Bonnie, we both hate each other, neither do I want a chance nor does he, why would you even ask such a question." I laughed, seriously she was being ridiculous if she thought there was anything between me and Arnav, for the past week we weren't even on talking terms.

"Really? How come he's been secretly looking at you the whole week? That guy likes you Khushi and you're just being you, avoiding each and every guy that ever likes you, do you want me to start counting the number of guys that have showed interest in you and you just pushed them off? I don't understand one thing Khushi, why do you push every guy that likes you away?" She asked.

I dint need a reminder of it, I myself had never thought of counting but maybe if I counted I'm sure I wouldn't even manage to count them all.

"No Bonnie, he hates me and I hate him, we can never like each other." I said.

"That wasn't the question I asked." She said in a stern voice.

"I don't know okay, I don't know why I've been pushing them all away, maybe the strong Khushi is actually scared of something for once in her life." I said trying to clear the blurry images in my mind.

"You know, you deserve a chance at love and so does Arnav, he really isn't a bad guy Khushi and I really think he likes you, so let's make a deal, you'll give a chance to Arnav if you want me to give Karthik a chance." She said.

"That's stupid, I'm not interested in him like you are interested in Karthik." I said angrily, why was she forcing me for this?

"Why are you trying to set me up with Arnav? Did he ask you to do it?" I asked feeling irritated."No he dint, and if you both really hate each other why worry? Come to this dinner and prove it to me that you aren't interested in him even a bit and I'll drop the topic forever."

God! Why did this girl have to be so stubborn, and why did she have to force me for this? I had promised Karthik that I'd make sure Bonnie goes and now if I wanted her to go, it meant I also had to go!

"Fine I'm coming, pick me up from my place because I'm in no moods to drive myself there."

"Deal, be ready at 7." She said as she hung up, I turned around and found mom standing there.

"All this time I thought you never liked someone, now I learn that my daughter has been pushing away guys. You know I brought up you to be this strong woman who dint need a man to do anything for her, but that dint mean I brought you up not to love a man Khushi.

You told me you did believe in love so why have you been pushing every guy that comes to you away? How are you going to find love if you never give anyone a chance?" She asked worriedly."Like I told Bonnie, I have no answer and until today I thought I was never going to find an answer but I guess the answer to the question you asked lies in the reason you are avoiding me.

Why are you avoiding me mom, what is it that you are hiding from me? What is it that you think I can't handle? I am strong, like you brought me up to be, I can handle anything and everything." I assured her.

"How about we make a deal? I heard your conversation with Bonnie, and I agree with her, so if you promise me to not push away Arnav like you've pushed away so many other guys, I promise to give you the answer of this question." She said.

"I hate him mom."

"If you hated him you would never tell me that you liked him touching you Khushi, you should have hated that too but if you liked it that means that there's a part of you that likes him even a little bit and I want you to give it a chance."

"Fine, I'm only doing this because I need answers." I said angrily.

"Good, and you're wearing the dress I bought for you that day at the mall for dinner tonight."

"No way in the hell I'm wearing a dress."

"Fine then I'm not giving you any answers." She said as she walked away. Why did everything have to be so difficult and why was everything making me so angry?