Khushi trailed behind him as he entered the restaurant, where he promptly settled the bill and departed. She pursued him once more, meekly uttering his name, but he disregarded her entirely as he approached his car.

As he was about to open the car door, she held his hand, preventing him from doing so, "Please listen to me once," she pleaded with tears in her eyes, her lips quivering.

"What? What should I listen from you?" he turned to her, folding his arms as he stared at her coldly.

Khushi looked at him with teary guilty eyes, "I know I messed up. I shouldn't have agreed to help Lavanya. She asked for my help to get close to you and I acted like a fool. I'm really sorry, Arnav ji. At that moment, I just thought she might be the right woman for you and I imagined that if you had someone like her by your side, you'd be happier and learn how to enjoy life a little more. I'm really sorry."

"Why do you think she's the one for me?" he asked in a sharp curt tone.

"I know that this may sound absurd to you at the moment, but you belong to a higher social class, Arnav ji. When I look at you, I presume that you would desire a partner who shares a similar background as yourself - someone who is beautiful, intelligent, and affluent. And that is precisely how I perceive Lavanya," she pursed her lips, feeling embarrassed and guilty to admit her thoughts to him.

"I see. This is how you perceive me," he said, breaking eye contact with her. Hurt and disbelief were evident in his eyes as he turned to open the back seat door.

Khushi shook her head firmly. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she paused, curious about his intentions. She quietly observed as he opened the back seat door and took a spare black color coat from his car.

He went up to her and put his coat around her as he noticed her freezing after getting soaked in the rain. They were standing close to each other, and he was staring at her intensely with a hint of pain in his chocolate brown eyes, "Didn't you realize I treat you differently than everyone else? Can't you see that I let my guard down when I'm with you? Even though I tried but I always failed to maintain a strictly professional relationship with you, unlike with others. You want me to be happy and enjoy my life, but you don't get that-"

Khushi did not require him to say anything further, for she was aware of his impending words. Without a moment's delay, she embraced him, her arms encircling his neck as tears streamed down her face. "I'm really, Arnav ji. My actions caused you pain. I thought I was acting in your best interest, but I now recognize that I overstepped my boundaries. I'm no one to decide who is suitable to be your life partner. Please forgive me. Sometimes, I act impulsively, believing that I'm making the right decisions, only to later realize my errors."

Arnav's hand momentarily halted mid-air, reflecting a slight loss of composure as he found himself on the brink of reciprocating her embrace. Typically, when someone oversteps boundaries as Khushi did, he would promptly and decisively sever ties with that person. However, he was finding it hard to apply the same approach with Khushi. He genuinely listened to her explanation, attempting to comprehend the reasons behind her uncharacteristic behavior at the restaurant. Despite her words, he felt increasingly irritated with her when he discovered that she had agreed to help Lavanya in getting close to him because she believed Lavanya was the ideal woman for him. Nevertheless, when she embraced him, it had a calming effect on him, and he found it increasingly difficult to resist her heartfelt apologies.

It was at this point that he came to the realization that anyone, even those we hold dear and allow into our lives, has the potential to cause us emotional pain. While it may be relatively straightforward to sever ties with people towards whom we feel indifference, the task becomes considerably more challenging when the person in question is someone close to us.

This is the reason why he could not remain upset with Mohan Kaka for long.. and now, this 'little firefly' sobbing in his arms, repeatedly whispering sorry in his ear.

In the end, he relented, raising his one arm to gently stroke her hair, while the other securely held her waist, reciprocating the embrace.

"Don't repeat this again," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

Khushi nodded, hiding her face in his neck. Her voice, though muffled, reached his ear, "Never again.. now that I know I'm special to you, I'll never allow any other woman come close to you."

Arnav's heart raced. Did this woman even hear herself? Did she understand the implications of her words? If she intended to prevent any other women from approaching him, it implied that she envisioned him as her sole life partner. Did she truly mean what she said, or did she utter it without careful consideration?

He rubbed her back to provide warmth as she continued to shiver from the cold while thinking about her words. Khushi nestled closer to him, seeking comfort and warmth in his embrace.

They stayed in each other's embrace, in a comforting silence, completely unaware of their surroundings. Even failing to notice Lavanya who was heading towards her car and caught them in each other's arms. Lavanya felt a sense of betrayal as she witnessed their intimate hug. She had believed Khushi was genuinely helping her, but it became apparent that Khushi had ulterior motives and was interested in Arnav herself.

And.. Arnav is a talented actor. His portrayal of a businessman who is not interested in women and is only focused on business is so convincing that she genuinely believed him. However, now she caught him hugging his own PA so intimately. What does that mean?

With a disapproving expression, she opened the car door and entered the driver's seat, clenching her teeth in determination, "Fake, cheap people.. idiots. I swear this is the last time I'm working with you, ASR!" She swiftly departed from the parking area, internally cursing them.

It was then Arnav noticed her car leaving at such a high speed, and he automatically became aware of his surroundings. Realizing Khushi was still in his arms, he slowly withdrew his hand from her waist and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Get in the car. You seem to be shivering. I'll turn on the heater for you."

Instead of ending the embrace, Khushi tightened her hold on him, pressing her cheek further into the crook of his neck. With a slight frown and a sulky pout on her face, she clung to him and asked, "Aap abhi bhi naraz hai humse? (Are you still upset with me?)"

Khushi was uncertain if her behavior was a result of not speaking to him for a week or if it was her typical response when those close to her were upset with her. Whenever she and her brother fight, she usually tries to make it up to him by spoiling him and being extra affectionate until she feels like he's truly forgiven her.

Nonetheless, it felt natural to embrace him and attempt to comfort him. She experienced no discomfort while in his arms, and her mind did not remind her of his superior position, unlike in the past when she would mentally reprimand herself for behaving inappropriately with her employer.

"No. I kept Di's plan a secret from you before and then I ghosted you for a week without saying anything. So I guess it's okay for you to hurt me back. I shouldn't act like I've never hurt you before," He responded honestly, acknowledging that Khushi had made a positive impact on his life, transforming it from a state of monotony to one filled with joy. It would be unfair to end their relationship due to a single error, especially considering that he had also made mistakes and caused her pain in the past, and she had given him another chance.

His words caused her to abruptly end their embrace as she gazed up at him with pain in her eyes, tears welling up. "Don't say that. Life isn't about getting even. You don't think I wanted to hurt you back for what you did, do you?"

Arnav shook his head, "No, I didn't mean that.." but he couldn't say more as he watched her open the back seat door and get in the car, looking away with a frown adorning her forehead.

And he knew his words hurt her. Anyone staring at her could easily read her feelings. Her hazel eyes were truly a reflection of her inner feelings. 

He followed her, opening the backseat door and sitting beside her, maintaining a certain distance between them.

"If you sit here, who's gonna drive the car?" Khushi turned to him, asking in a sarcastic angry tone.

"Is it necessary for genies to physically control the steering wheel in order to drive the car?" he asked teasingly.

Khushi rolled her eyes. Then sat in silence, refusing to speak with him.

Arnav exhaled deepy, "I didn't mean what I said Khushi.. it was more like a self reminder that I shouldn't act like you've done something unforgivable as I've hurt you in the past too."

Khushi paused to reflect before deciding to let go of the matter. She did not wish to continue the argument with him. She had already spent a week without speaking to him, and the recent incident at the restaurant had brought her to the brink of losing him. Only she knows what she went through when he distanced himself from her, his eyes turned cold as if he was staring at someone he no longer care about.

She glanced at him and made a pout, showing her long, damp hair to him. "Look at my hair. It got all wet in the rain. And I just wasted money at the salon."

"I'll make it up to you," he said earnestly, watching her mourn over her ruined hair.

Khushi raised her brows curiously, "How?"

"I'm taking you to the salon tomorrow," he said casually.

"Nah, I'm busy tomorrow," she said with a smile, looking away.

"You knew Miss Kashyap was interested in me from the moment we met, didn't you?"

Khushi looked back at him, confused for a moment, as she realized their conversation was taking a different turn. When she registered his question, she simply nodded her head, "It was clear to everyone during our first meeting that she was completely enchanted by you."

"I knew it too and I was intentionally avoiding her," he confessed.

Khushi didn't dare to ask why, because she knows how Arnav gets when someone pushes him to talk about his feelings. But surprisingly, this time he was the first one who took the initiative to open up to her.

"I don't have anything against Miss Kashyap. In fact, I've never really thought of her in that way. That's why I try to keep things professional between us. But you once told me that I push people away who try to get close to me, and that's true. I do that on purpose, because if I let someone become a part of my life, then I would have to disclose every aspect of myself, including my past, to that person. And I used to feel that I would never be emotionally ready to share about my life to anyone," he said, although his face remained composed, seemingly devoid of any visible emotions, deep within, his heart palpitated rapidly as it was the first time he was willing opening up about his past to someone.

Khushi observed his mannerisms as he spoke. He paused momentarily, as if contemplating the best way to express his feelings. He avoided eye contact with her, and his gaze was downcast, fixed on his hands. He rubbed his hands occasionally, appearing nervous.

She closed the gap between them, holding his hands in hers, giving them a gentle caress to ease his nerves.

"Khushi.. I want to tell you something," he gulped, his throat feeling dry.

Khushi nodded attentively.

"It's related to my past, and it's also the reason why I have not allowed Miss Kashyap or any other women into my life," he said, looking up at her seriously before gazing away and staring at nothing in particular. "It was my 18th birthday, and I was in London at the time. Since everyone knew I was Arvind Raizada's son, they all considered me a friend, but I never felt truly close to anyone during my college days. I hadn't planned to celebrate my birthday, but I was informed that my father was throwing a grand party for me. I had no choice but to accept it. I was unaware of my father ulterior motives behind this birthday celebration."

Khushi's brow furrowed slightly, and her heart palpitated with trepidation as she sensed an impending revelation that filled her with unease.

"When I joined college, many girls were attracted to me.. they considered me a handsome mysterious boy, because I was the introverted type, never seen in friends groups, always sitting alone in my desk. But as I rejected many proposals from these girls, rumours began to spread around my college that I had never dated or slept with anyone. This allowed my classmates, especially the boys, to make fun of me, calling me gay and bringing girls to me to tease me."

"My father found out about these circulating rumours. He was well acquainted with the college dean and professors. That's why he came up with a plan to shut people's mouth. At my 18th birthday party, he sent someone to spike my drink and the next day I couldn't remember anything about what had happened the night before. I just found a girl lying next to me in my bed. And I didn't know what to feel at that moment.. to see a random girl sleeping with me.. someone I knew nothing about.. this wasn't what I had planned for my first time, I wanted to take this step in my life when I feel completely ready for it, with someone I love and trust.. but it was all ruined.. I slept with a stranger and I didn't even remember anything about my first time nor I was ready for it. The girl I slept with simply woke up and put on her clothes and left as if nothing happened. She refused to talk to me and that made me feel disgusted of myself and guilty for sleeping with her in my drunk state. And I still feel guilty whenever I think about that night.. it was a nightmare for me while everyone else celebrated and congratulated me for it. No one took it seriously.. only I was feeling awful."

"Why would a father do that to his own kid?" Khushi was infuriated after listening to what his father did to him on his special day, his birthday.

"Because the rumours spreading in my college infuriated him. He wanted my name clear. If at 18, I didn't have a girlfriend and never slept with anyone, then apparently I wasn't man enough in his eyes," Arnav replied, "He raised me that way. He wanted me to do all the things he thought a 'real' man should do or know."

Khushi gritted her teeth helplessly, she wished she could barge into Arvind Raizada's mansion and slap him hard across the face for causing Arnav so much pain in his life, ruining his life experience in the name of teaching him how to be a man.

"And that's why I'm not so willing to get into a relationship in my life. That night changed everything for me. And.. even if I let someone into my life, I will have to share everything that happened to me. And I'm not ready... to feel judged. My past is filled with moments that left a deep scar on me. Even I feel nauseated and disturbed of revisiting my past life, so imagine if I brought someone into my life, what would she think of me.. the kind of family I have.. won't she judge me? Won't she regret being in a relationship with a man with a dark past like mine? It's not only about that unfortunate night.. there are dark secrets of my family too."

"What are you talking about? Why are you blaming yourself for what happened that night? You were not in your senses, Arnav ji. It's your father who should feel guilty for ruining what was supposed to be a special moment in your life for his selfish reasons," she cupped his face, forcing him to look into her eyes.

But Arnav wasn't ready to face her yet, so he gave her a tight hug and buried his face in her hair. He never thought he would actually gather courage to share with someone what happened on his birthday night, he planned to keep it a secret for the rest of his life. He always felt ashamed and disgusted whenever he thought of that night. It's something he wanted to forget as if it never happened to him.

However, Mohan Kaka's insistence on broaching the subject of marriage and Khushi's subsequent urging for him to dance with Lavanya to get close to her inadvertently triggered the resurfacing of those unsettling memories.

Khushi gently ran her hand through the back of his thick hair, her eyes brimming with tears, "Arnav ji.."

"Don't say anything. I simply wanted to communicate and express my inner turmoil to you. The day before I began avoiding you, I had a disagreement with Mohan Kaka and ended up raising my voice to him. He adamantly insisted that I would eventually need to get married. This topic triggered me, and as is my habit, I chose to shut myself off from the world. In the past, my aloofness did not bother anyone. But now with you and Kaka in my life, things are different. For perhaps the first time, I felt a sense of unease in my decision to be alone. I also felt guilty for keeping you in the dark, Khushi. I felt restless in my own space because I missed your presence in my life."

"I missed you, Khushi," his voice, slightly muffled, reached her ears, causing her heart to beat faster. They were embracing each other so closely that they could feel each other's heartbeats.

Khushi released herself from the embrace and gazed at him silently, her eyes conveying a myriad of emotions. She blinked, seemingly attempting to comprehend the weight of his words.

"What happened?" Arnav panicked as she pulled away from his arms. "You said we should talk about our feelings, remember? Fifty-fifty, right?" he asked feeling awkward now.

Khushi gently shook her head with a slight smile, "It's nothing.. I just didn't anticipate you admitting that you missed me."

Arnav responded with a soft "hmm" while averting his gaze, causing her smile to grow wider as she realized her Genie was actually feeling bashful at the moment.

Khushi approached him with a slight hesitation, as if she was contemplating whether it was appropriate to do so. After a moment of consideration, she pecked his cheek and quickly said, "I missed you too." She then swiftly jumped to the front passenger seat, to hide her red cheeks from him.

Arnav froze, his lips slightly parted in surprise as he had not anticipated receiving a kiss from her. A subtle smile graced his features as he regained his composure, swiftly replacing it with his impassive expression as he proceeded towards the driver's seat.

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

While driving back to Khushi's house, they remained in silence throughout the journey.

Arnav experienced a profound sense of relief after candidly sharing his emotions with Khushi. He openly expressed his anger and irritation regarding her encouragement of his relationship with Lavanya, shared a glimpse of his past, and confessed his longing for her during the week they avoided each other. The mere act of communicating his feelings and allowing someone else to understand his inner turmoil brought him a comforting sense of ease, liberating him from the burden of keeping everything bottled up within himself.

However, what truly overwhelmed him was Khushi's response. He observed in her eyes the resentment she harbored towards his father when he told her what he did on his birthday party. This sentiment mirrored the very emotion he sought to find in his mother's eyes when he confided in her about his father's misdeeds. His mother always made excuses for his father's behavior. And he always felt like no one really got what he was going through. But with Khushi, it was different. He finally found someone who didn't think his traumas were silly, who didn't think what his father did was nothing serious as it was his age to get a girlfriend and experience intimacy with her. 

As for Khushi, she felt as if she understood Arnav better now. The way he used to royally ignore the ladies interested in him, which earlier she thought of as him being rude and thinking highly of himself, now made sense to her. It was never about him enjoying breaking these women's hearts, it was always about his reluctance to get into a relationship with someone with the baggage of his troubled past.

Upon his allusion to his family's dark past, she understood that he was referring to his father's infidelity, having inadvertently overheard their conversation at the workplace. However, she refrained from pressing him to divulge further details,
as she didn't want to pry, she wanted him to feel at ease and tell her about his past whenever he feels ready for it.

"I have countless wounds that a simple ointment will not be able to heal it, Miss Gupta."

The meaning of his previous statement became clearer to her today.

She kept sneaking glances at him, and when he caught her, he was like, "What?"

"Why are you so quiet? Speak up or do you want me to rub you out of a lamp, Mr. Genie?" she said quickly to hide her embarrassment at being caught by him.

"What do you want me to say?" he shrugged.

"First tell me if you have forgiven me from the bottom of your heart?" she asked.

"See.. you didn't even realize you were acting like Di. You were pestering me to dance with Lavanya like it's gonna magically make me fall for her. It's just like how Di kept nagging you to give Aman another chance," Arnav acted as if he was taunting her, reminding her of deeds.

"Yeah, you're right," she said, looking at him with guilt. "I'm sorry... I guess I became the very person I criticised."

"Khushi, I already forgave you a long time ago. I was just teasing you," he pulled her cheek making smile a little before she pouted sadly, "But you're right.."

"And you realised you were wrong. That's it. It's enough. Chapter closed!"

They exchanged a brief glance, their lips curling into soft fainted smiles.

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

Khushi's house..

Khushi knocked on the door with Arnav next to her. She was in a hurry because she wanted Arnav to change out of his wet clothes and have some hot tea so he wouldn't get sick. When her Buaji opened the door, she asked Arnav to come in, but he was being stubborn and said he needed to return home immediately and would change upon his arrival.

"Hayree NK, come inside, you two! Look at them, they're soaked to the bone from the rain," Buaji shouted, calling Shyam to see Arshi's condition. "Come on, hurry up and change those clothes before you catch a cold," she urged them with concern.

Arnav shook his head, "Buaji it's ok-"

However, Buaji disregarded his words and firmly grasped his arm, leading him into the house. She guided him to the living room while repeatedly calling out to Shyam to bring a fresh towel for Arnav.

Shyam swiftly emerged with two towels, presenting one to Buaji while he seated Khushi on the sofa and proceeded to dry her hair with the other towel.

Arnav and Khushi seemed like two little kids being taken care of by Buaji and Shyam.

Even though he was curious to know how his sister ended up getting drenched in the rain with Arnav, he decided to ask her the details later, for now focusing on her health, as he asked to go to her room and take a shower with warm water.

Then he looked at Arnav and said, "You can go take a shower in my room and put on some of my clothes."

Arnav was on the verge of declining, but Buaji's piercing dangerous gaze made him stand with a defeated look. Khushi's family was the kind of people who couldn't take no for an answer.

Buaji abruptly pushed him from behind, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise at her sudden and rough behavior. Shyam looked at Buaji with a disapproving glance, while Khushi covered her mouth with her palm to hide her laughter.

"Go, chotuwa," Buaji encouraged him, "I'm sure Shyam's clothes won't fit you, but it's better to wear loose clothes than to catch a cold."

Arnav gave a slight nod. It looks like Buaji had fun teasing him by comparing him to her precious Shyam.

Khushi approached Arnav and said, "Arnav ji, follow me, I will guide you to bhaiya's room."

After leading him to Shyam's room and showing him the bathroom, Khushi excused herself to freshen up and change into her pajamas in her own room.

"Look, this is how you deal with this Chotuwa. He just pretends to be angry to scare you all, but he's actually a softie. He wouldn't dare go against me," Buaji giggled victoriously.

Shyam gave her a disapproving look, "Stop calling him chotuwa. He doesn't like it."

"Hayree NK.. chotuwa is such a pyaara baccha. He won't mind it," Buaji grinned sheepishly making Shyam shake his head in disbelief. 

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

Arnav was the first one to emerge from the shower and joined Buaji and Shyam in the living room. Shyam politely inquired if his clothes were a suitable fit, to which Arnav could only respond that he could manage, as it was evident that Shyam's white kurta pajama appeared slightly loose on him.

Buaji giggled and affectionately pulled his cheek, addressing him as "Chotuwa."

"Hey, Chotuwa, what do you wanna watch on TV?" Buaji asked, grabbing the remote to change the channel to his liking.

"Anything's fine," Arnav replied casually, not wanting to trouble them to change the channel just for him.

However, Buaji was not satisfied with his response. She furrowed her brows slightly and said, "Arey aise kaise.. I will switch between the channels, and you can tell me when to stop on the channel you feel like watching, okay?"

Fortunately, before Buaji could begin changing channels, Khushi arrived, hopping like an excited bunny as she enthusiastically exclaimed, "A new episode of Crime Patrol!"

"Genie, do you like Crime Patrol?" she turned to ask him, but then she blinked twice, noticing him in her brother's white kurta pajama. It was the first time she had seen him in a kurta pajama, and it made him look even more handsome.

"I never watched it before," he replied.

"It's a real life crime cases series.. Khushi's favourite," Shyam explained.

Khushi swallowed hard, nodding her head with a weak smile. Arnav, clad in a pristine white kurta pajama, effortlessly diverted her attention, causing her to momentarily forget about her beloved television series.

"I'm gonna make tea for everyone," she said happily and quickly left the room to calm down her racing heart.

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

After serving tea to her brother and Buaji, she invited Arnav to join her for tea on the balcony of her room. She wanted to show him her room and her favorite spot in the house, her balcony.

"So, what did you think of my room?" she asked as they settled in on the balcony, each holding a cup of tea and taking in the view.

"It appears to be a child's room," he remarked in a playful tone, turning his gaze back to her room adorned with stars and a moon-shape lights hanging from the ceiling, soft toys resting on her bed and atop her cupboard, a vibrant purple wall showcasing photographs of her and her brother alongside posters of her favourite actor, Salman Khan.

"HAWW," Khushi opened her mouth in a big 'O' shape, playfully hitting his arm, "If you don't have anything nice to say, just keep your mouth shut, okay?"

Arnav let out a soft chuckle as his eyes casually fell upon the hair dryer on her dressing table.

"I said I'd make it up to you for your ruined hair, remember?" he asked her as he got up from her swing chair and walked back inside her room, keeping his tea cup on the small side table.

"Haan," Khushi pouted turning to see where he was going, "But I can't go with you tomorrow to the salon.. it's Aina's birthday tomorrow and she invited me to her place to celebrate her birthday."

Arnav retrieved the hair dryer and silently beckoned her to approach.

Khushi's eyes widened in surprise as she understood his unspoken suggestion.

"Come Khushi.. sit here," he said softly, indicating the bed with a pat after noticing her motionless stance on the balcony.

Khushi couldn't contain her excitement as she dashed inside and happily plopped down on her bed, giving him the green light to blow dry her hair. He demonstrated utmost care and gentleness while blow-drying her hair, delicately untangling any knots with his fingers, repeatedly asking her if it was causing her any pain or not.

She gazed at him and smiled affectionately, "After you have finished, it will be my turn to blow dry your hair, alright?"

Arnav shook his head, "I don't need it."

Khushi pouted, "This is unfair.. don't you recall our 50-50% agreement?"

"So, this is your way of making me agree with everything you want now?" Arnav asked smirking.

Khushi nodded, a triumphant smile on her face.

After some time, Shyam entered Khushi's room to express his surprise that she had missed the new episode of crime patrol. However, to his astonishment, he found his sister giggling happily while playfully directing the airflow from the hairdryer towards Arnav's face. Arnav was seated on her bed, shaking his head at her playful antics.

"Dinner's ready," he said, clearing his throat.

"But bhaiya, we already had dinner together," Khushi replied.

Shyam's face fell, "You didn't even have the courtesy to let Buaji and I, who were patiently waiting for you, know that you had already eaten dinner outside?"

Khushi looked at him, surprised by the accusation. She explained that she had sent him a message to inform him that she would be home late due to an unexpected meeting.

"And since when did a business meeting mean having dinner outside the house, Khushi?" He was momentarily taken aback as he mentally realised that he hadn't checked his phone to see her message, but then he refused to admit that she was right.

Khushi looked at her brother walking away, baffled.

Arnav cleared his throat with a knowing look, "He's jealous!"

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

Finally it's here. Let me know your thoughts about his update. Please don't forget to comment and vote 🙏. Thank you so much for the support and for every reader who keeps reminding me to update Jugnu 💜.