"Bhaiya, I need to tell you something," Khushi said nervously as she sat next to him on the swing chair on her balcony. She looked at him, lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the dark sky.

"Hmm batao!" he turned to her, "If you want to talk about your genie, then I'm sorry. I'll be more careful when I mention him. It seems like he affects you so much that you even got mad at your brother for a moment. I noticed you avoiding eye contact with me when I asked him to keep things professional with you," he added in a light hearted tone.

Khushi offered a small smile and shook her head, "No, it's not about Arnav ji," she said, her smile fading as she glanced at him with a serious and slightly nervous expression. "It's about Anjali."

"What did she do this time?" Shyam frowned as he attentively looked at Khushi.

"She came to AR today. She brought Aman to me to make him admit that he was the one who convinced her to help him. But then Aman ended up blurting out that she actually agreed to help him because she wanted me to get married quickly so you would take the next step in your relationship with her. Anjali wanted to marry you so she could get away from her family, but she knew you wouldn't agree to get married before me."

Shyam sat there quietly, taking a moment to process the information he had just received. As the realization dawned upon him, his eyes welled up with tears. He could not believe he could be even more disappointed in Anjali. His heart ached to see that his gentle, kind-hearted, and ever-smiling Anjali had transformed into someone he no longer recognized.

Khushi became concerned as she observed tears streaming down his face. She gently placed her hands on his cheeks and said, "Bhaiya, please don't cry. Now, it doesn't even bother me. I don't care about them anymore. We should forget everything that happened and move on in our lives."

"I love her," Shyam broke down, "I really love her, Khushi. You have no idea how disappointed I was with Anjali when she tried to convince me to let you get back with Aman. Deep down, I kept telling myself that it was just a phase and that she would eventually realize that Aman isn't the right guy for you. I thought she would come to me and admit that I was right, and everything would be okay. But that didn't happen. Things just kept getting worse. At first, I thought she was just being naive, thinking that you and Aman were truly in love and that's why she was upset about you two being separated. But then now I find out that she was involved in all this for her own selfish reasons. It breaks my heart to hear all this from you. It's not that I didn't love her or never thought about marrying her. I just wanted to make sure you were settled in your life and that I was financially stable before I approached her parents and asked for her hand in marriage. I wanted to be able to confidently tell them that I could take care of their daughter. I didn't know she was also silently fighting for me by playing with my sister's life. She knows you mean life to me. Why did she do this to me?"

Khushi gazed at him with tears welling up in her eyes before she pulled him into a tight and comforting hug. Shyam rested his head on her shoulders and wept profusely.

She gazed upwards, attempting to maintain her composure and prevent herself from succumbing to tears upon witnessing the devastated condition of her brother. She noticed two twinkling stars and assumed that they were their parents watching over them. Silently seeking their support for the decision she was about to make for her brother's sake, she gently released the embrace and cupped Shyam's face once more, wiping away the tears from his cheeks. She then urged him to look into her eyes, saying, "Bhaiya, please look at me."

"If you truly love Anjali and your happiness is dependent on hers, I am willing to overlook her past actions and forgive her. I just can't see my bhaiya breaking down like this. I want my old bhaiya back. I can't see you sad like this," Khushi expressed with a subtle determination in her voice.

He responded immediately with a vehement and irritated tone, "Have you lost your mind, Khushi? Do you genuinely believe that I would be capable of spending my life with a woman who deliberately played with your life in order to win me over? I find it difficult to imagine ever being able to forget what she did to you or accept her into my life again."

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I am truly sorry. Please disregard what I said to you," Khushi said with a regretting look, gently rubbing his arm to soothe him.

Shyam sighed slightly, he looked at her seriously, "I was just venting out my feelings to you. We promised to never hide our feelings from each other, right? The fact that I love Anjali doesn't mean that we have to be together in life. Yes, I love her but what she did to us was wrong. Similarly you also loved Aman, but after what he did, you just couldn't get back to him. Now you need to understand this from my point of view. Anjali broke my trust. Instead of speaking to me about her worries regarding our relationship, she chose the wrong way to push me into taking the first step towards marriage."

He let out a sad chuckle, "It's so ironic, right? I used to think Anjali and Arnav were completely different, like one was an angel and the other was a devil. But guess what? The angel resorted to evil means to get me, while the devil came clean and told me everything because he knows how much I mean to you. I wish Anjali had thought like her brother. If she understood how important you are to me, she would never have helped Aman with his plans."

Khushi gave a slight nod in agreement, accompanied by a soft sigh, "Life is so unpredictable, bhaiya. I never thought our lives would change so much.. that I would break my engagement.. that I would distance myself from Aman and Anjali, the two people I was really close to.. and that I would get closer to Anjali's brother, the one I only used to hear bad things about, the one I hated with all my heart."

"No way would I have believed someone if they had told me this would be the current situation of our lives now," Shyam chuckled softly, shaking his head as he discreetly wiped the corner of his eye.

"Bhaiya," Khushi shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears as she motioned for him not to cry or let this bother him anymore, "You only told me that in this world we will meet people who will break our trust but we shouldn't let them shatter us entirely. This is life and we need to keep moving forward, haina?"

"Aur aaj pata chala hai ki gyaan dena aasan hai, par usse follow karna utna aasan nahi hai! (And today I realised it's easy to give advices but not so easy to actually to follow it)," He averted his gaze, reluctant to meet her eyes, lest he succumb to tears once more in front of his younger sister, "Life was perfect... with you, me, Aman, and Anjali! Why did they betray us in such a manner?"

"I wish I could just close my eyes and wake up from this nightmare.."

"But I don't want that anymore, bhaiya. This reality is way better than my past life, because in this reality, Amma and Babu ji sent a special gift for me. And that gift is Arnav ji," Khushi contemplated but hesitated to express her thoughts, acknowledging that while her life had changed for better after learning the truth about Aman and Anjali, the same could not be said for her brother's life.

Shyam stood up and gently ruffled her hair before he turned to leave. Khushi held his hand as she looked up at him with concern in her eyes, "Kahan jaa rahe ho? Idhaar raho mere saath (Where are you going? Stay here with me)."

Shyam shook his head slightly, "I need to sleep. Tomorrow will be a demanding day."

Khushi knew he was lying. He just wanted to hide his vulnerable side from her. He didn't want to fall weak in front of her. The truth is he was fighting his emotions internally, he is finding it hard to accept the betrayal by the woman he genuinely fell in love with.

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

Raizada Mansion..

Arnav opened his bedroom door, expecting Mohan Kaka to enter with his office bag. Instead, he found Mohan Kaka standing there with a mischievous grin, holding the shirt he had given him to put in the laundry basket.

He raised his brow questioningly, "What?"

"Do you happen to have this perfume with a jasmine-like scent?" Mohan Kaka asked.

Arnav frowned before he realised from where this jasmine scent talk came from, "Oh so you've decided to act like a suspicious wife and sniff your husband's shirt today?"

Mohan Kaka giggled, shaking his head, "Nahi toh.. I was just wondering if my Arnav beta is finally seeing someone!"

"No. Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai (It's nothing like that). Neither am I seeing anyone, nor do I intend to, Kaka," he said in serious tone.

Mohan Kaka face fell, "Aise toh na bolo, beta. At some point in your life, you will have to get married. You can't go through life all by yourself. We all need someone to share our ups and downs with."

"I don't think so," Arnav replied in a brief reserved tone that translated into his disinterest in having this conversation.

"Maybe this girl with jasmine-like scent you let get so close to you will change your mind in the future," Mohan Kaka said, showing him the shirt in his hand.

"No, she won't. She's just a friend. You kept bugging me to make a friend, right? Khushi is that friend for me," he maintained his stance.

Kaka smiled hopefully when he heard the girl is Khushi, "Okay, now she's your friend.. but what if.."

"Kaka please!" Arnav furrowed his brow, becoming increasingly irritated by Mohan Kaka's persistent behavior, "I don't wish to get married in my life. I get that you've this beautiful idea of two people deeply in love coming together in matrimony, but it is not a path I choose to follow."

"Beta, please understand that not all marriages are like your parents,"

Arnav shut his eyes momentarily, raising his hand in a dismissive manner, "If you don't want me to misbehave, then get out of here. I don't want to talk to you right now."

Mohan Kaka gulped, wishing he hadn't riled up Arnav when he was in a good mood, "I'm sorry, beta. I didn't want to make you angry."

"I said leave," Arnav said through gritted teeth, pointing to the door, "And don't ever bring this up again," he added seriously when a frightened Mohan hurriedly turned to leave.

When Mohan Kaka left, he slammed the door and marched to the poolside. He paced back and forth until he calmed down. He knows that Mohan Kaka's intentions are in his best interest, but, Mohan Kaka is not fully aware of his past life. While his parent's marital life did influence his decision to distance himself from the topic of marriage, it is mainly due to the incidents that occurred in London that has deterred him from pursuing any romantic relationships in his life.

His phone emitted a chime, indicating the arrival of a message. It was Khushi inquiring if he could spare some time for a conversation. He found himself fixated on his phone, his gaze unwavering, before making the decision to shut it off and put his phone back in his track pants pocket.

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

On the other side, Khushi patiently awaited his response, noticing the blue tick that indicated he had read her message on WhatsApp. When she realised it's been more than five minutes and he didn't reply. She thought, "Maybe he's busy talking to Anjali. I shouldn't bother him now."

She took her phone again to type a message to him, saying:

Sorry to bother you.
I know you're probably busy, so we can chat tomorrow.
Good night!

She had hoped that he would at least respond with a "Good night," but it seemed that he had already gone offline.

She carelessly threw her phone on the bed and left the room to get some jalebis. Then she sat in the living room, thinking about her brother. It was heartbreaking to see him like this. She understood his pain because she had been through the same thing with Aman. It's hard to forget the people you used to love with all your heart.

Buaji saw her munching jalebis while deeply lost in her thoughts. She approached Khushi, keeping her jug of water on the table and sat beside her niece, "Hey Titaliya. What happened? Why didn't you sleep till now? Did you forget you've to go office tomorrow?"

Khushi looked at Buaji and immediately went closer to rest her head on Buaji's shoulder, sobbing silently, "Bhaiya theek nahi hai (bhaiya is not well)."

"Kyu? Kya hua? Ab tak toh theek hi tha! (Why? What happened? He was fine until now)," Buaji asked concernedly.

Khushi was uncertain about sharing this matter with her Buaji, as she was concerned that her outspoken and dramatic demeanor might worsen the situation. But then Buaji was her mother figure and the elder one in their family, that's why Khushi felt compelled to confide in her, as she was the only one who could help her in taking care of Shyam.

She shared with Buaji all the events that had transpired in their lives and it made Buaji furious to hear Aman and Anjali played with her kids life for their selfish reasons.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I'm going to your office tomorrow and I'm going to give those two a piece of my mind," Buaji said furiously.

"No, Buaji. It's done and over with. We've decided to forget about them and move on with our lives. I need your help in taking care of Bhaiya. He's really upset and broken. I can't bear to see him like this, Buaji. We need to do something to cheer him up. If we keep talking about Aman and Anjali, and bring them back into our lives in any way, it's not going to help Bhaiya. It'll only hurt him more," Khushi said.

"Hmm.. You're right," Buaji agreed, yet she was still seething with anger as she contemplated about Aman and Anjali's wrongdoings.

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

Raizada Mansion..

"Arnav, won't you join us for dinner?" Arvind asked as soon as he saw his son passing by the dining area.

"No,"

"Dear, please take care of yourself. I believe the doctor advised you against skipping meals, didn't he?" Ratna asked.

"I wish you were there in London to remind me to not skip my meals, Mom!" he replied tauntingly making Ratna roll her eyes at him, "Not again!"

Arvind keenly observed Arnav, and it became evident to him that Arnav held some form of animosity towards them. This was starting to get visible through his persistent taunting and reminders of how they as parents abandoned him in London.

His train of thought was interrupted by a message he received on his phone. He glanced down to check who had messaged him and couldn't help but roll his eyes as he read Aman's urgent request for a conversation with him.

"He must be in need of money," Arvind thought as he deleted his message.

"Where's Di?" Arnav asked.

"Backyard. It seems like you two have decided to skip dinner tonight," his mother replied.

Although he did not miss his lunch or dinner today because a woman with mesmerising hazel eyes did not allow him to, he did not feel the need to clarify this to his parents.

He made his way to the backyard, his mind consumed by the memory of her pretty hazel eyes. Her eyes are beautiful, full of life and expressive. Her gaze exudes a blend of innocence and playfulness. Perhaps she was unaware, but her hazel eyes conveyed her thoughts without the necessity of spoken words.

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

Anjali was setting up her camera to capture a beautiful night view of their backyard when she felt someone's presence behind her.

She turned around and saw her brother. He was staring at her with those cold, dead eyes of his.

"After messing with people's lives like they're The Sims characters and you're the one with control over their lives, you're just chilling and taking pics like nothing happened?" Arnav asked tauntingly.

"Look, I know Khushi probably told you everything already. But I don't want to talk about it. I feel bad enough as it is. So please, just leave me alone!" Anjali said in a dismissive tone.

"Oye Miss, you already made a huge mistake by trusting a snake. If your dad finds out what you did behind his back, you have no idea what he'll do to you or the Gupta family. So, drop this attitude and let's sit down and figure out how to fix this mess. I'm the only one who can help you right now," he said heading towards the three seat outdoor sofa.

"I don't need your help," she spat out, "Just leave me alone, Arnav. I don't want to talk to you about anything."

He gestured for her to sit next to him with a stern gaze. Anjali found herself unwillingly complying with his demand.

"So.. tell me. How can you help me? Can you somehow convince Khushi and Shyam to forgive me? Is there any way you can help me marry Shyam?" she folded her arms, raising an eyebrow to him challengingly.

"I can't believe you can be so dumb.. You think marrying Shyam is gonna help you escape from here?" he chuckled mockingly, shaking his head.

Anjali frowned not liking his mocking tone, "This is why I don't like to talk to you. You act more like an enemy, than a brother to me. Because you never treated me like your sister, I had to find a family in Shyam, Khushi, and Aman, who became like a brother to me."

The moment she expressed how she felt he never treated her like his sister, he remembered Khushi's words advising him to talk to her calmly, as only then would she be able to understand him as well.

"After the stunt you pulled with Aman, you totally deserved to get in trouble. But I'm still here, ready to help you out of this mess," he said with a stern gaze, "And I won't help you get Khushi or Shyam's forgiveness, nor will I help you marry Shyam either. I'm here to offer you a practical solution to your problem."

He saw her sulking and narrowed his eyes at her, "Marriage isn't the best solution at this time. You are financially dependent on your parents and do not have a steady income of your own. To make it worse, the person you wish to marry is also not financially stable in his life. Even if you choose to elope and marry Shyam, Dad will find you guys in no time. And he'll make sure that you won't get to see even a glimpse of Shyam for the rest of your life."

Anjali was apprehensive about her father's reaction upon learning of her romantic feelings for a middle-class man. She was aware that her father is very much capable of doing what Arnav had hinted at. Nevertheless, she harbored a glimmer of hope in her heart that if Shyam were to formally propose marriage, her father's initial reservations could be overcome through persistent persuasion, ultimately leading to their union.

"And the only solution you could come up with is to make me work for my father's company? That'll make me even more dependent on him, won't it?" she asked sarcastically, "I never joined AR because I didn't want to end up like you and Dad. I wanted to chase my dreams. He thought I'd give up and do what he wanted, but I've resisted so far."

"Sitting at home and sulking isn't the bravery act you think it is," he also replied in the same tone making her glare at him, nearly giving up of this conversation.

He sighed, "You wanted to turn your passion for photography into a career, right? This is your chance to gain real-world experience, earn your own money, network with people in the industry, and boost your confidence. Plus, you'll get more exposure and recognition for your work. I don't want to cage you in AR. I see AR as a way to set you free. If you make a name for yourself in this field, Dad won't have as much control over your life. Everything you do in your life will be subject to media scrutiny, which would prevent Dad from imposing his decisions on you."

"Even if you choose to seek employment elsewhere, Dad will leverage his professional network to impede your efforts. And if you remain idle and succumb to self-pity, you are allowing Dad to have full control over your life. That's why AR is the best and safe solution for you at the moment," he said.

"Am I making sense to you?" he asked when he realised she went quiet suddenly.

Anjali looked at him startled before she nodded her head, lowering her eyes as she acknowledged in a low guilty tone, "Yeah, you're right. That makes sense."

"I hope you'll take your work seriously in AR now and not try to bother Khushi there," he said seriously.

Anjali looked at him, offended. "Don't act like you care about Khushi. She was my friend first. You came here and stole her from me."

"Excuse me, have you ever considered Khushi as a friend? You should reflect on that," Arnav responded with a hint of exasperation in his tone.

"I know that I did wrong to her, but that doesn't mean I never value our friendship. They were like family to me," She responded with a mix of irritation and melancholy in her voice, and her eyes began to well up with tears. It seemed like this was the moment she realized she had lost the only people who truly accepted her.

This was the first time Arnav understood the close bond between Anjali and the Guptas. He experienced this warm and loving family vibes from them today. Shyam being the responsible, caring, and protective brother to Khushi. Khushi, the vibrant and mischievous youngest member, brought life and joy to the family. Buaji, the dramatic aunt, mirrored Khushi's personality with her exaggerated mannerisms. The heart warming siblings bond and Khushi and Buaji funny banters during their dinner time certainly made him feel positive vibes from them.

And Khushi, he was at a loss for words to describe her. She is a real Sweetheart. He understood how anxious and distressed she was about having to reveal Anjali's truth to her brother, yet she never allowed her emotions to show when he was at her home. This was his first visit to her home, and she made every effort to create a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere to ensure he felt comfortable and at ease with her family.

No wonder his sister loves them so much. 

While he was deeply engrossed in his thoughts about Khushi, he failed to notice Arvind's arrival. Arvind quietly joined them and took a seat on a single sofa while Anjali escaped from there to collect her camera and other stuff.

"What are the siblings up to these days?"

His question made Arnav alert. He frowned slightly, "Matlab?"

"Well.. I heard you hired your sister as the head of the AR photography department. And you didn't even bother to tell Dad about it. I may be retired, but you should still keep me in the loop about important  developments in AR, Arnav," Arvind said, intently staring at him.

"I was still trying to convince her to join AR. That's why I didn't tell you. Today, she surprised me by accepting the offer," Arnav explained.

"But, you are also aware that I never desired for my daughter to work as a mere photographer in my company. AR belongs to Anjali as much as it belongs to you, Arnav. I don't want Anjali to work under you. I want her to work with you. Do you understand?" Arvind said in a scolding tone.

"Don't worry. That's the plan. Let her pursue her passion. In time, she will come to understand her position and responsibilities in AR," Arnav replied in an assuring tone.

Arvind smirked, "Brilliant my business man. Keep it up. This is what I expect from a sharp minded person like you."

Anjali, after gathering her belongings and preparing to return indoors, briefly glanced at her brother with a look of disappointment. Her brother, engrossed in a conversation with their father, failed to notice that she overheard their conversation. Anjali felt betrayed after realising he wasn't trying to help her, but impress their Dad.

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

Next day..

Khushi's face lit up as she noticed Arnav emerging from the elevator. He briskly traversed the hallway, making his way towards his cabin. She continued to gaze at him with hopeful anticipation until he briefly directed his attention in her direction. With a gentle smile, she raised her hand in a friendly wave, silently uttering "Hi."

He shook his head, indicating to her that she should concentrate on her work, "Focus on your work, Miss Gupta."

His tone was a bit cold and indifferent. Again he hide her Genie with his ASR mask. She couldn't help but wonder where she might have made a mistake this time. Until yesterday, everything seemed to be going well between them.

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

Sometime later..
At the auditorium..

The employees were invited to the auditorium to formally welcome Anjali to the company and introduce her as the new head of the photography department. Arvind, Arnav, and Ratna joined Anjali on stage to deliver congratulatory remarks.

Anjali was standing in the center of the stage, profoundly engrossed in her thoughts. Although she was finally realizing her dreams with her parents' consent to pursue her passion for photography as a profession, it did not transpire in the manner she had envisioned. Firstly, she never desired to pursue photography in AR, as it felt like gaining freedom while still being confined within a cage. Secondly, her parents did not genuinely agree for her to become a photographer, they merely accepted it with the expectation that she would eventually ascend the ranks and become a co-CEO, sharing responsibilities with Arnav. Even though her brother persuaded her to accept his offer, after overhearing his conversation with her father, she harbored doubts about his intentions. Lastly, she had imagined celebrating this moment with Khushi and Shyam, but they were distant from her and had no desire to see her anytime soon.

"I am delighted and honored to welcome my beloved daughter to AR. There is no greater joy for me than to witness my children carrying forward the company that I have dedicated my life to building. I have worked tirelessly, day and night, pouring my heart and soul into making AR one of the most prominent companies in India. It is my fervent wish that both my children will uphold my legacy and lead AR to even greater heights of success. Today, I am thrilled to introduce my daughter, who has a passion for photography, as the new head of our photography team. I have utmost confidence in her talent and abilities, and I believe that she will bring fresh perspectives and creativity to our team. To our fashion photography team, I must forewarn that you guys are in for an exciting and challenging journey ahead, as my talented daughter is ready to make her mark. I am confident that she will inspire and motivate you all to reach new levels of excellence," Arvind stated, concealing his resentment at having to introduce his daughter as the head of the fashion photography team with a proud, emotional smile on his face.

Ratna managed to smile and clapped along with the other employees who were seated in the auditorium chairs, although she felt a sense of embarrassment within.

Arvind bestowed a tender kiss upon Anjali's forehead, offering his blessings as she embarked on this new chapter in her life. Anjali, with her eyes closed, felt a surge of emotion, even though she was aware of his reservations regarding her decision. Nevertheless, she yearned for a moment like this, where he would proudly acknowledge and praise her talent for photography to the world.

Following Arvind, Arnav courteously approached to offer his sister a side hug. When inquired if he would be interested in delivering a speech in her honor, he politely declined and retreated, gesturing his mother to deliver a speech for Anjali instead.

Aman sat in a far corner of the auditorium and watched the seemingly happy family on stage with a heavy heart. He yearned for his father to acknowledge him in front of the world and proudly welcome him in AR, just as he had done for Arnav and Anjali. He longed for the same love and care that his father had shown to Anjali and Arnav. His dad always looked at him like he was something to be ashamed of. He only got a job as a personal assistant to the head of design because his mom fought for him. His father never really wanted him.

He always made feel unwanted, except by his mother. This started with his own father and later extended to his classmates, who treated him differently due to his inability to provide information about his father. His teachers and neighbors engaged in derogatory behavior towards his mother, ridiculing her and excluding her from social gatherings. But then, Khushi came into his life and changed everything.

She never treated him differently even after learning that he did not have a father. She was always kind, loving, and caring towards him. He spent the best moments of his life with her alone. He felt the love, respect, and acceptance that he had always longed for from her only.

This is the reason why he is so deeply and passionately in love with her. The reason he so earnestly desires her return to his life. 

He acknowledges his responsibility for ruining their beautiful relationship. The fact that she chose to continue working as his stepbrother's personal assistant despite everything he did to her was the catalyst for his actions. At that moment, his anger and insecurities clouded his judgment, impairing his ability to distinguish between right and wrong. He perceived Khushi as following the same path as others, abandoning him because he had nothing to offer her and choosing his stepbrother due to his handsomeness, wealth, and perfect family. The Raizada siblings possessed everything that rightfully belonged to him, and now his stepbrother sought to take Khushi away from him. He found this unacceptable. Consumed by anger that day, he feared losing Khushi to Arnav. In his rage, he made a grave mistake by uttering hurtful words to Khushi, which ultimately led their engagement getting called off by Khushi.

When he finally came to his senses, he realized he had lost the most important person in his life. His Khushi. It made him feel totally helpless and desperate. He wanted her back in his life, no matter what. But in his crazy attempts to get her back, he made some really dumb mistakes that totally screwed up his chances with her for good.

But he still didn't give up. He never will. He wants his happiness back in his life.

Shifting his attention from the stage, he redirected his focus towards Khushi, who was seated in the center of the auditorium, engrossed in typing something on her phone. He rose from his chair and quietly walked over to join her, taking a seat in the empty chair next to hers.

He gulped as he gazed admiringly at her, dressed in a striped jumpsuit. She looked exceptionally stunning in contemporary attire. He had previously deceived her by claiming that such clothing diminished her innocence and natural beauty, as he felt insecure about the possibility of other men noticing his woman and potentially losing her to someone superior to him. 

Khushi lifted her gaze from her phone and directed it towards him, her brow furrowing in a display of confusion, "What are you doing here, Aman?"

"We were all called to watch Anjali's welcoming ceremony here, you know!" he replied sheepishly, trying to sound cute and innocent.

Khushi disregarded him and maintained her focus on the stage. Her gaze met with Arnav's, who had his intense stare fixed upon her.

"Okay I admit..I saw you sitting here and thought I'd come over and apologize again for hurting you," Aman said.

"Aman, cut the act. You said sorry for hurting me and promised to give me space. But look at what you did behind my back. You had the nerve to get Anjali to help you win me back," Khushi glared at him.

"Haan toh main aur kya karta? (Khushi, what else could I do?) I love you yaar.. main nahi reh sakta hu tumhare bagair.. I tried.. I tried living without you but it's suffocating, meaningless.. I didn't know what to do. So I called your best friend and asked for help.
Khushi when you broke our engagement.. I was feeling lost and helpless.. and I ended up making mistakes. I admit it.. but trust me, my intentions were not malicious. I really love you. You tell me.. was it so easy for you to forget me? Don't you think about me anymore?" he looked at her regretfully.

"Your actions made it possible for me to forget you, Aman!" Khushi replied firmly, staring at him emotionlessly.

"Don't say that, Khushi.. You've only ever loved two people the most in this world, me and your brother!" he shook his head, staring at her hurt, "Have you been able to let someone else take my place in your life?"

At that very moment, she directed her gaze towards Arnav, who was standing on the stage, his unwavering attention still fixed upon them. Her heart started beating faster and loud.

"Nahi na.." Aman replied on her behalf, "Do you know why? Because you still love me Khushi.. you're just upset with me. Let's just forget everything that happened and give our relationship a second chance."

"I don't love you anymore, Aman! Stop it.. stop forcing me to give this relationship a second chance," Khushi snapped at him, "Aur hai koi.. jo meri dil ki bohot kareeb hai (and there's someone.. who's very close to my heart)," her tone softened.

Aman could sense the gentleness and warmth in her tone, the one he yearned for her to address him with once again in this life. However, she was now speaking in this manner for someone else. And the moment she mentioned that there was someone close to her heart, he noticed how she cast a longing glance towards Arnav before rising and departing from the auditorium.

His heart shattered. Tears instantly filled his eyes. Did she really give her heart to his stepbrother, Arnav?

On the other hand, Arvind observed his son's lack of interest in his sister's welcoming ceremony. When he followed Arnav's gaze to ascertain the cause of his distraction, he noticed the same woman he had previously brought home, his personal assistant, and beside her, his son Aman. He pondered whether his son's attention was focused on Aman or his personal assistant. Either way, it was a matter of concern for him.

Anjali was a bit hesitant to speak as she was experiencing stage fright due to facing such a large audience for the first time. Therefore, she kept her speech short and simply expressed her gratitude for their presence.

The welcoming ceremony concluded the moment Khushi departed much to Arnav's relief. He swiftly descended the stairs and followed her discreetly.

Arvind lost track of Arnav as some employees went on stage to congratulate Anjali, while others rushed out to get back to work. Then, the media people asked him to take pictures with Anjali and Ratna, and it ended up distracting him.

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Arnav barged into the elevator and asked Khushi who was pressing the 15th floor button, "Kya kar rahi thi tum uske saath?(What were you doing with him?)"

"Aap se matlab? (What's it got to do with you?)" she retorted, folding her arms across her chest, "Focus on your work, not on my personal life Mr.Raizada," she added intentionally to remind him of his own words.

Arnav clenched his jaw, maintaining direct eye contact with her. Khushi boldly reciprocated his gaze and proceeded past him as the elevator doors chimed open, signaling their arrival at their designated floor.

"What the f***," he muttered inaudibly to her. Why does she look so breathtakingly gorgeous today, and why did he only realize this during their intense confrontation and eyelock moment?

She proceeded towards her cabin and observed him heading to his cabin. On his way, he was frantically searching for something in his coat and pants pockets. He uttered an expletive when he was unable to find what he was seeking. She surmised that he was searching for his cigarette packet. It seems that this man seek solace in smoking when he's stressed.

Was he like this because he saw her with Aman?

And so, a whole week passed and neither of them made the first move to fix their problems. They took the 'focus on work' thing way too seriously!

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The update was becoming longer, and unfortunately, I could not add the teaser part here. It will have to wait for the next update.

I know you guys are giving me this look here 🤣🤣

I'm really sorry about that. I wanted to write the teaser part with a fresh mind, so I decided to save it for later.