"Why is she upset?" Arnav shifted his attention to Aman and Akash, after watching Khushi leaving the dining room in silent trying to figure out by himself what happened to her.

"We were teasing her that you went on a long drive with your girlfriend and just then you came in with this girl and she misunderstood the whole situation," Akash said.

"What the.. You guys create such crazy situations in my life," Arnav face palmed.

"So you kidnapped Khushi too? Are these two your men?" Lavanya asked frightened, pointing to Akash and Aman trembling.

Now it was time for Akash and Aman to look at each other cluelessly.

"Khushi was having her breakfast on her own, without being forced or tied with ropes. Do you call this kidnapping?" Arnav asked sarcastically staring at Lavanya.

"But.. she was being watched by these two men.. and.. she was wearing men's clothes," Lavanya said with a quivering tone, clutching her bag fearfully.

"She just went upstairs without my permission. And she doesn't have any clothes here, that's why I asked you to bring some clothes for her," Arnav reminded Lavanya sternly.

"Maybe she got intimidated with your eyes," Lavanya stammered, lifting her eyes to meet his intimidating ones, then lowering her eyelashes quickly.

"Just leave my eyes in peace! I didn't kidnap you neither Khushi," Arnav rolled his eyes.

"You kidnapped me and Khushi as well!" Lavanya argued stubbornly.

"Tell me how?" Arnav crossed his arms, staring at her, raising his brows questioningly.

"With your intimidating eyes.. when you said come with me.. I was so scared that I couldn't say no," Lavanya gulped, "You're taking revenge on me and Khushi, right? Because we went behind Meera and told her that your truth. But why are you still angry with us? You didn't want to get engaged, right? We actually saved you from getting engaged with that girl.. otherwise you would never know that your father planned that surprise engagement for you. You should be grateful to us instead of kidnapping us!"

Arnav sighed shaking his head in disbelief, "Now my eyes are kidnappers and they pointed a gun in your head and brought you here forcefully, right?"

Lavanya nodded her head vigorously.

"I think you got yourself kidnapped in your mind girl," Aman said looking at her weirdly.

"I think this girl is terrified of you Bhai," Akash said.

Arnav sighed, taking a deep breath to cool down himself, he looked at a frightening Lavanya calmly this time, but before he could speak anything, Khushi came downstairs giggling all the way and hitting her own forehead as she reached them and wrapped her right arm around Lavanya's shoulder smilingly, gazing at Arnav, "Sorry.. I've understood everything. You brought Lavanya here for me, right? I went to the room, then I sat on the bed and thought it doesn't even make sense.. You and Lavanya can't be dating because you don't even know each other.. and she hates you.. and you're a good man, if you were dating her then you would never flirt with me or any other girl.. I've seen how you ignore all those women who keep ogling at you in office. And when I thought that you brought her here because you know she's my best friend and I will feel comfortable to open up with her about what happened last night with me, then that made sense." 

"Thank God you used your brain!" Arnav sighed in relief.

"Not my brain.. My heart!" Khushi mumbled to herself.

"What happened to you Khushi? Are you okay?" Lavanya asked concernedly.

"Come with me. I will tell you everything," Khushi dragged Lavanya with her to Arnav's room.

When they left, Arnav took his seat on the chair beside Akash chuckling softly and shaking his head in disbelief, "This girl.. Lavanya is crazy.. when I asked her to wear the seat belt.. she must have thought that MY EYES were tying her with the seat belt."

"She's cute," Akash giggled.

"Don't tell me you liked her?" Aman raised his one eyebrow.

"I liked her.. but not in a romantic way!" Akash cleared, "The one I liked in a romantic way disappointed me big time," he sighed sadly. 

"You don't have to think about me Akash."

"It's not just about you Bhai. It's about her relationship with Khushi. Payal didn't even trust Khushi. Her silence throughout the argument between Khushi and her family proved that she believed in her family and Vihaan, not Khushi. She just supported Khushi but she never actually accepted that Vihaan is a bad person and you saved Khushi from ruining her life by marrying him. It disappointed me Bhai. She might not like and trust you bhai, but I expected her to stand by Khushi the way I stood by your side when she and Khushi told me everything at the restaurant that day," Akash explained. 

"I understand.. but Payal seems to be closer to her family, she is an obedient girl who follows her parent's words without questioning them. That's why instead of realizing that her sister just escaped a marriage that would have ruined her life, she prefers following her family's line of thought that if I never stepped in Khushi's life, everything would be perfect today," Arnav said.

Akash nodded agreeing with Arnav, his eyes showed how much upset he was with Payal's behavior.

"Thank God Khushi left that house where people are more worried about their image and reputation in society instead of their daughter's happiness," Aman said frowning.

"Yeah.. and now Khushi will stay with us. We will take care of her, hain na Bhai?" Akash's eyes lit up as he looked at Arnav to confirm.

"No.. You will go back home Akash. Your mother will create a scene if she doesn't find you home," Arnav reminded him.

Akash looked away crossing him arms like an annoyed kid, "Back to that boring house where nobody talks to me."

"Try to understand Akash.. Someone doesn't want us to play 'kabab me haddi' while he's with his lady love," Aman said teasingly.

Arnav narrowed his eyes at Aman, "Shut up Aman!"

"Oh.. so that's the matter.. then it's okay I can bear that boring house if it helps these two to come closer to each other," Akash winked.

Arnav rolled his eyes, pouring juice on his glass as he hadn't eaten anything till now. He had to get up early to bring Lavanya with clothes for Khushi while she was sleeping. But she woke up before he reached and found the solution herself by wearing his clothes. He loved seeing her in his clothes. She looked even more beautiful, glowing and someone intimate to him. He also liked the fact that he didn't have to go upstairs and explain to her about the girlfriend misunderstanding, she trusted him and came back with clear thoughts.

"Did I tell you that ASR changed the canteen menu according to Khushi's favorite dishes? And he also added ice cream and jalebis on it?" Aman started gossiping with Akash, teasing Arnav who ignored both of them, having his breakfast as if he wasn't listening to anything both were saying.

"And he also gave permission to Khushi to call him Arnav.. she's the only one who calls him by his name in office," Aman said side glancing at Arnav teasingly, waiting for his reaction but Arnav didn't let them feel the taste of victory, as he continued expressionlessly eating his sandwich. 

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

At Arnav's room.

"I can't believe they didn't trust you," Lavanya whispered in disbelief, caressing Khushi's hair, who was resting her head on Lavanya's lap, they were settled on the bed.

"Even I didn't Lavanya," Khushi said in low tone.

"And Payal? How could she blame Arnav when he actually saved you from Vihaan? Is she stupid or what? They think you would be happily married to a man who was cheating on you if Arnav didn't came in your life? It's good Arnav sent that scoundrel to coma otherwise if I had found out that he was cheating on you with his neighbor, I would have killed him with my own hands," Lavanya blabbered angrily.

"I was also upset with Jiji when she blamed Arnav for everything wrong in my life. Does she really think I would have been happy if I married someone I know nothing about? Someone who is fake to me? I feel so grateful that I came to know the truth before I married Vihaan and I expected my family to feel the same, but they didn't. Seems like Vihaan won their trust completely and now even in coma, he's making them dance to his tunes. But I can't really blame them Lavanya as even I was blind in his love, without even trying to know what happened that night.. who was at fault and who wasn't.. I blamed Arnav and never for once doubted Vihaan. I was ready to fight for his justice without even knowing the whole truth. I was also blind like my family, but DM send Arnav in my life.. he removed the blindfold Vihaan had used to cover my eyes and hide his wrongdoings from me."

Khushi kissed Arnav's shirt that she was wearing under the pretense of kissing her shoulder as she mumbled to herself with closed eyes, "My teddy bear."

"I feel like banging each one of your family members head on a wall and shake them vigorously to see if they get some sense in their minds," Lavanya said burning in anger that she failed to see what Khushi just did with Arnav's shirt, "And I also feel like banging my own head on a wall for behaving like a stupid in front of Arnav. I thought so bad of him. He just wanted to help you and I thought he kidnapped us. I'm feeling so embarrassed and guilty right now," her face fell down as she looked at Khushi guiltily.

"It's not your fault. You wouldn't have hated or thought bad of him if I didn't fill your mind against him in past. I will explain Arnav why you behaved like that and also apologize to him," Khushi said as she sat straight on the bed and side hugged her friend.

"No.. I will apologize to him only. You don't have to do that for me," Lavanya spoke determinedly. 

"Okay," Khushi nodded.

"Oh.. I completely forgot your clothes," Lavanya hit her forehead, then picked her bag from the side table and opened it taking out few clothes of hers, "You decide what you want to wear. I didn't know what you would like to wear so I brought salwar kameez and kurti with pants."

Khushi nodded uninterestedly. She was fine and comfortable with Arnav's clothes, she didn't want to change.

"By the way, why didn't you brought your clothes with you?" Lavanya asked. 

"I was going to pack my bags but then I was reminded that everything I have belong to them.. I bought nothing with my money so I didn't feel like taking anything of that house with me," Khushi smiled sadly.

Lavanya shook her head, gritting her teeth, cursing Khushi's family in her mind, "It's okay. You don't need anything from them also. Everything that is mine is yours also. You just ask me what you want and I will give it to you, okay? And don't come up with those selfless TV serial actress dialogues that you don't need anything and you don't want to trouble anyone and all."

Khushi nodded smiling faintly.

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

At the living room.

Khushi and Lavanya came downstairs and joined the boys at the living room.

Lavanya looked at Arnav and held her ears smiling sheepishly, "I'm sorry!"

"My intimidating eyes accepted your apology!" Arnav teased her making everyone giggle and Lavanya smile embarrassedly.

"So did she trust you or like your family.." Arnav asked to Khushi, but Lavanya interrupted him, "I trust my best friend only. In fact, I was thinking to take her with me to my house."

"No! Khushi won't go anywhere, she will stay here with me," Arnav's tone turned cold and serious as he gazed at Lavanya, "I don't have any problem with you Lavanya but your parents might have the same line of thought of Khushi's parents. They might hurt her and that is something I won't tolerate. Khushi is better here with me."

Khushi looked at him fondly, her heart warming at every word he kept saying and explaining the reason why he wanted to keep her with him to Lavanya.

Lavanya nodded understandingly. Akash and Aman smiled seeing how Arnav was caring towards Khushi.

Arnav got up from the couch and signaled Khushi to follow him. Khushi went behind him.

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

At Arnav's room:

"You need to change these clothes," Arnav said pointing to his clothes.

Khushi looked at herself, then at him embarrassedly, maybe he really didn't like her wearing his clothes, "Okay.. I will change. I'm sorry.. I just-"

"You can wear my clothes at home but now you are going with Lavanya to AR boutique to buy clothes for yourself so you need to change unless you don't have a problem walking out with my clothes," he cut her, explaining the reason why he asked her to change.

"Oh!" Khushi nodded with realization tone.

"Take my credit card and buy whatever you want. Apart from my boutique, there are other shops in the mall.. You can buy clothes, foot wear, undergarments, night clothes, other accessories and make up in other shops as well," Arnav said handing his credit card to her.

Khushi looked up at him and nodded sideways, "No, Arnav.. I can't accept this from you. I will buy things for myself but with my own salary, not your money."

"You know yesterday night I came to your house to return your laptop and sketchbook after seeing your designs. You did a great work and I approved all your designs for my fashion show. So you can take this as your salary only," Arnav said.

"You're just doing this to make me accept your money," Khushi pouted.

"Do you think I would have risked approving your designs for my fashion show if they weren't up to the required standard?" Arnav raised his brows questioningly.

"You wouldn't but-"

"You deserve it Khushi. Even after going through difficult times in your life, you took your work seriously and you didn't let me down. Your designs scream your talent, hardwork, determination and passion for this field," he said with sincerity in his tone.

"Thank you," Khushi said shyly, lowering her eyelashes. Arnav held her hand and kept his credit card on hand, "When someone gives you something from the heart, then don't refuse it. That hurts!"

Khushi looked up to him to speak but he had left already from there.

"Is he upset with me?" she thought biting her lips worriedly.

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

Few minutes later.

Lavanya and Khushi sat at the backseat of the car, Aman was settled at the driver seat and Akash at the front seat beside him.

Khushi was staring at the farm house waiting for Arnav to come out, but when Aman started the car, she turned her head towards him and asked, "Arnav is not coming with us?"

"Bhai already left Khushi. He has an urgent meeting with Khuranas and he needs to talk with Sheetal about your designs. They need to start working on them," Akash replied.

Khushi's face fell, she looked at the window side, her eyes moistened a bit.

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

Sometime later..

At Arnav's cabin.

"How was the shopping day?" Arnav asked to Aman who just walked in the cabin and took a seat at the opposite chair.

"Boring!" Aman replied curtly.

"Why?" Arnav asked curious. He thought they would have fun while shopping as it was like a jungle party with two monkeys, a sherni and a squirrel.

"It was fun and exciting for me, Akash and Lavanya. But boring for Khushi because you weren't present there. We showed her everything but she wasn't interested in shopping because she was thinking about you, ASR," Aman said sarcastically.

"Why are you talking like this?" Arnav frowned.

"Because I've noticed that you keep pushing Khushi to us because you think she feels comfortable with us, she enjoys our company, she feels happy with us but it's not true ASR. Last night, you asked me and Aman to console her and today you brought Lavanya to stay with her and then you ask us to accompany her for shopping. Okay, she laughed because of us, but she could only eat and sleep peacefully with you. You brought Lavanya to stay with her and go shopping with her, but she's there unhappy without you. She wants to stay with YOU not US, ASR," Aman explained.

"Where is she now?" Arnav asked with no expression on his face, but his heart was happily dancing hearing what Aman said. He indeed thought that it was better for Khushi to stay with people she likes and is comfortable with at this moment, like Akash and Aman, her new friends and her best friend, Lavanya. He didn't realize that he was the one who now occupied a special place in her heart.

"They're still at the mall. We decided to take a break for lunch. And unable to look at her sad baby face anymore, I came here to take you to the mall," Aman said.

Arnav nodded as he got up from his chair grabbing his phone at the table.

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

"Khushi at least order something. What is this? Why is your mood off suddenly? Are you still thinking about your family?" Lavanya asked her friend worriedly. They were sitting at a restaurant waiting for the waiter to approach them and note down their orders, but Khushi refused to eat anything stating that she wasn't hungry.

"Thank God his intimidating eyes reached, now see how will they force you to eat," Lavanya sighed in relief watching Arnav and Aman walking in the restaurant.

Khushi looked at her friend confused, "What are you talking about?"

Lavanya smiled and gestured her to look ahead, Khushi followed her gaze, her eyes lit up and a soft smile appeared on her lips seeing Arnav approaching her, his eyes only fixed on her.

When they reached, Khushi was still looking up at Arnav with her eyes twinkling in happiness.

Arnav took a seat beside her while Aman had to grab another chair for himself.

"Bhai now you convince Khushi to eat something. We've been roaming around this shopping mall for almost two hours and she's saying she's not hungry," Akash said in unbelievable tone.

Arnav nodded, he called the waiter who upon recognizing him, came rushing to their table and handed them the menu book.

Arnav placed the menu book on the table for him and Khushi to choose, his eyes went through the menu as he whispered to her, "What do you want to eat?"

"Are you upset with me?" Khushi asked. She wasn't interested in food, all she wanted to know what if he was upset with her or not. She wanted to apologize for hurting him.

"If you promise to accept everything I give to you, then I won't be upset with you," he said. 

"Okay.. I promise," Khushi nodded.

Arnav smiled while reading silently the dishes in menu book. Khushi felt the heavy aching feeling in heart disappear watching him smile.

"Veg or non-veg?" he asked.

"Veg," she replied. Arnav chose the dishes for them, then asked her if she's fine with it and Khushi nodded her head.

They all ordered their food and kept chatting while waiting for it. While Aman, Akash, Lavanya and Khushi were talking, Arnav was staring at Khushi, completely lost in her.

Khushi looked at him, she shrugged smiling, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Arnav shook his head, initiating a conversation with her, "Why didn't you buy anything till yet?"

"I didn't like anything till now," she lied. It would be awkward to admit that she was strangely missing him. She didn't know why was she feeling so attached to him. Her heart was only at peace when he was around.

"Well.. that's an insult to the company you're working for," Arnav said, raising his brows and a half-smirk on his lips.

"Uh.. No! I didn't meant like that.. Your boutique has beautiful clothes.. It's just.." Khushi gulped.

"It's just?" he insisted, his teasing mode on as his eyes shine in mischievousness.

"It's just I prefer to wear the owner's clothes more than the clothes of the boutique he owns!" Khushi played along for the first time, instead of scolding him or ignoring his teasings.

"Are you flirting with me Sherni?" he smirked, surprised.

"Learning from you!" Khushi shrugged, the smile still intact in her lips.

"By the way, Khushi do you want to know who's the girlfriend we were talking about in morning?" Akash asked interrupting their conversation.

Khushi nodded her head curiously while Arnav shook his head finding it something too silly to be shared with Khushi.

"It's Bhai's car," Akash chuckled.

"Car?" Khushi frowned slightly.

"ASR loves to spend time with his car on long drives. He doesn't take anyone to his long drives, that's why we tease him that he goes on dates with his girlfriend," Aman explained.

Khushi and Lavanya giggled. Arnav glared at Akash and Aman who were laughing at his face.

They were lost in their own happy world that failed to notice Vidhya standing outside the restaurant, staring at them through the glass wall smirking evilly, "Arvind definitely wouldn't like to hear that his son planned to cancel his engagement with Meera with his lover, who happens to be the same middle class girl he threatened to withdraw the complaint to save his son. So these two were in a relationship. This girl's parents might have forced her to get married to the man who is in coma now and Arnav beat him up to stop the marriage. After that, they created this police drama so that Meera doesn't get engaged to him. And now both are living happily together. What a plan!"

"I just don't know what Akash is doing with these cheap and cunning people," she left from there angrily, thinking on her way how to keep Akash away from those people.

Back at the restaurant, Arnav leaned closer to Khushi and whispered on ear huskily, "Always keep smiling like this.. forget what your family members said.. they don't deserve you!"

Khushi nodded her head smiling, staring at him with gratefulness, admiration and respect in her eyes for him. She had a family who used to celebrate her happiness but curse and taunt her during the difficult times in her life. But now, she had him holding her hand during the bad phase of her life. This was missing in her life, someone to be by her side during the worst situations of her life. She never had this 'someone', whenever something went wrong in her life, Buaji used to taunt her for the whole day, her parents used to scold her, Vihaan and Payal used to be by her side, not to support her but make her realize that she was wrong. At the end, she always had to apologize for her acts. At the end, no one ever supported her in the family. At the end, they always considered her a talkative foolish girl who keeps making mistakes in life.