Meeting your partner's family has to be the scariest thing ever! I don't know if it was the same for everyone out there or just me, but it was terrifying, I was literally having a panic attack, my palms were all sweaty, my heart was racing and I felt like I was going to pass out despite knowing that it was his mother in the first place that tried to fix us up.

It was still so scary, being around so many people from his family, his brother, his sister in law, his parents, I didn't even know how well to explain this strange feeling I was having at the moment but I was just pretty much scared that everyone was going to judge me.

They would look at me and think I wasn't right for Arnav, or something about me wasn't right for their family, or they would have some sort of problem about me, maybe the way I lived my life, or my work or just anything.

I was just too paranoid, I always thought of the worst thing possible in such situations and right now I was just thinking that they were going to hate me even though that might not be the case, I just couldn't stay positive in such things.

"Look who's here." Arnav smiled brightly as everyone turned to look at us. Relax Khushi, breath in and out, they're going to love you.

"Khushi!" Barkha stood up and rushed towards me, followed by Sonali, they both greeted me with hugs and by this moment, I was supposed to be relaxed right, I was supposed to feel okay, they were happy to see me here, but I wasn't, I was still so nervous.

"I'm seeing you after so long, where have you been lost?" Sonali asked.

"Just busy with work." I replied.

"Finally you got some time off work and decided to pay us a visit, I'm so happy to see you here." Barkha said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her, we both sat down on the sofa beside each other while I just kept looking at Arnav, this was way too scary for me than I imagined it to be, I don't even know why I was so scared.

"So... how have you been?" She asked.

"Good..." I smiled a little.

"You sound different than your usual self, is everything okay?" Barkha looked at me worriedly, okay was my anxiety too visible? Was I making it obvious that I was nervous?

"I'm fine." I nodded.

"Okay, you just seemed rather reserved than when I met you first, you were talking too much and just being so happy and yourself, you seem somehow scared today and so silent, it's so unlike you."

"It is... she's like that because she's scared you're all going to judge her." Arnav looked at me, okay how did he know that? Was I making it too obvious?

He walked towards me and sat down beside me making it so awkward, everyone looked at us in confusion and he looked at me and then slowly put his hand on mine and smiled trying to cheer me up.

"Why so?" Samar asked as him and Sonali looked at each other gesturing if either of them knew why.

"Because... she's not here just as someone that planned Sonali and Samar's wedding, she's here because I asked her to come. I have something to tell you." Arnav said.

"We're listening." Amar looked at him seriously, oh God this was so scary.

"Khushi and I are dating, we're together and so I thought I'd finally tell you all about it." Arnav said.

"Really?" Barkha almost jumped up like a happy kid which made me smile a bit, I also saw a smile form up on Amar's face which meant he was happy to know this too.

"Aww, I was shipping you two since my wedding." Sonali said.

"You were? Asha and I were literally trying everything to make them spend time with each other, I guess it finally worked." Barkha laughed happily, oh she was too happy about this.

"I wonder how you managed to keep this a secret from us, especially me." Samar said to Arnav.

"Well, I'm good at keeping secrets, but no more. That's why I'm telling you about this, I like her, a lot and she makes me so happy, she makes me smile and laugh, it's like finally finding peace." Arnav looked at me once again and smiled as we shared a short eye lock.

He was being so sweet, and telling them what he felt for me, honestly it was quite reassuring after the incident after our date, but I did feel like he was putting his best efforts and maybe he was right, I had to trust him a bit and maybe one day, he was going to fall in love with me.

"Aww, that's so sweet." Sonali pouted and she looked at Arnav, she was genuinely happy for him, it was like his family members had been waiting to see him happy like this and it was finally happening.

"Okay now relax Khushi, none of us is going to judge you, just be yourself." Barkha said.

I knew that, but who would tell the anxiety creeping inside me that they won't judge me? It was hard to make it believe it. Anyway, I took in some deep breaths and tried to relax, maybe not today but someday in the future I was going to be comfortable enough to be just myself and not be scared of being judged.

"Come on, I'll show you around the house to help you relax." Arnav said as he stood up and held out his hand to me, I held his hand and stood up and he took me on a house tour, I had seen a bit of the house when I came here a few times before, but he showed me all the rooms, the kitchen and everything.

We then went upstairs where he showed me the rest of the rooms, obviously I had been to Samar's room when I came to see Sonali once, and I remember I had been to his room too.

He took me to his room the last, showed me the bathroom and the cupboard and everything. While he was showing me around, I made sure to look out for pictures, maybe he had some pictures of him and Sonali around or just Sonali, I didn't even know why I was looking for them, but I didn't find any and that made me a bit relaxed.

I think I was getting too insecure when it came to him and Sonali, even though she was here now, it was just hard for me.

"Someday in the future, hopefully this will be our room." He smirked making me laugh, it was good to know that he was thinking of a future with me.

"Then let me tell you so you can be prepared, I'll need a much bigger bed."

"It's okay we can use the floor." He winked at me.

"Idiot!" I laughed as I turned away from him blushing, I mean a little bit of romance with him and the kissing was the furthest I had thought of so far, but he was already thinking too far.

"I'm just kidding, we'll get a new bigger bed for you so you can sleep peacefully." He said.

"Look at us talking as if we're getting married tomorrow."

"Not tomorrow, but someday in the future right?"

"You think about it? I mean us being together for long enough to be ready to get married to each other?"

"Yeah I do, why else would I be in a relationship if that's not the goal?"

"Aww, I like when you're this romantic." I smiled at him.

"This is just a preview, just wait and watch how my romance unfolds with time." He smirked as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, I bumped on his chest and looked at him nervously.

"I just want you to know I am trying so hard to make us work, and I'll do everything to make sure you're happy, all I need is a little time okay?"

"Okay." I nodded.

He bent forward and slowly kissed me on the lips, I was amazed by how many different kinds of feelings I felt whenever he touched me and kissed me.

"Okay, we should head back downstairs before the guess something fishy is happening here. And relax, you know everyone in my family loves you, no one is going to judge you for anything so just be yourself, remember that's the girl that I like so much." He smiled

I nodded as we walked out of his room and headed downstairs where his family was waiting us.

"So... should we have dinner?" Barkha asked.

"Yes, I'm hungry." Samar said as he stood up and literally rushed to the dining table as if the food was going to run away, we all laughed and followed him to the dining table.

Arnav and I sat down beside each other, while a few of their workers started bring the food and placing it on the table.

When everyone was busy looking at the food and in their own conversations, he slowly slid his hand to mine and held it, I looked at him and smiled nervously.

"I have to call Asha later and give her the good news, I'm sure she will be as happy as I am." Barkha laughed.

"Yeah we both know what you two were up to, it was so obvious." Arnav said.

"As long as you two are together, who cares. She's going to be so happy for you, this is what she's been wanting for you after..." Barkha stopped mid-sentence and looked at me and then at Arnav.

"It's okay mom, she knows about Sona." Arnav said.

"She's just wanted for Arnav to be happy ever since Sona passed away, she loves him more than I do." Barkha smiled.

I just faked a smile and tried to look relaxed when I really wasn't relaxed, I wasn't evil or anything but every time I heard Sona's name, it burnt some sort of fire inside me, I just hated how it was making me feel.

Maybe someday, I was going to be okay with listening her name being mentioned because clearly everyone in this family knew her, so they were going to mention her once in a while, it was wrong, they should, I just didn't like how it made me feel though.

Was I ever going to be okay with it though? Or was I just lying to myself because I was so attached to Arnav?