Arshi, NK, Lavanya, Aman, Sheetal - 10 years old
Payash - 12 years old
Anjali and Shyam - 14 years old

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Saturday..

"Ma!" Arnav came to the kitchen, looking for his mother.

"Haan Chote!" Ratna turned to look at him, "What happened? Do you want something?"

Arnav strolled towards his mother, who was chopping tomatoes, resting his folded arms on the counter as he stood next to his mother, observing the way she chopped the tomatoes.

Ratna looked at him smiling, confused with his behaviour, "Kya hua Chote? (What happened?)"

"It's nothing, Ma!" he replied, "Akash bhai and Payal Di are completing their maths assignment. Anjali di is spending the weekend at her friend's house. Khuhi is busy with her dance classes. And I'm bored alone at home."

"Hayee mera baccha!" Ratna made a face, feeling pity of her boy and Arnav with his ASR image consciousness kicking in, certainly didn't appreciate being stared at like that, "Why don't you go play video games or watch TV until Khushi gets back from her dance classes?" Ratna promptly suggested.

"I've done everything I could possibly do to divert my mind, Ma. I'm tired of playing games," he said with a pout and slightly annoyed frown, adorning his forehead.

"Then what do you want me to do? Don't start crying for Khushi and make the poor girl abandon her dance classes to come here and play with you," Ratna narrowed her eyes at him, knowing very well how cranky he can get when he wants Khushi by his side.

"Ma, please! I'm not a baby anymore to cry for Khuhi," he whined, and to divert the topic, he pointed to what she was doing, "Teach me how to cook."

"Hain?" Ratna widened her eyes, staring at him flabbergasted, "Do you want to learn how to cook?" she asked again to confirm she heard him right.

Arnav nodded his head, "Yes. This is something I don't know how to do. I must learn to cook now."

Ratna smiled happily to see his interest in cooking. She patted his cheek affectionately, "Okay, I'll teach you how to cook Matar Paneer today."

"Let me finish chopping tomatoes and cut the onions into cubes, then we'll do the rest together," Ratna said.

"Let me dice the onions," Arnav said readily.

Ratna immediately threw a disapproving glance at him, shaking her head, "No. I can't let you use a knife. You might hurt yourself, plus cutting onions will cause a burning sensation in your eyes."

"Ma, come on! I'm not a little baby anymore. I'm a 10 year old boy now. I promise I will be careful when using the knife. And as for the burning sensation and crying because of the onion, there's no need to worry. I am ASR, I don’t cry that easily,” said Arnav with a proud tone.

Ratna chuckled mockingly, "Chote ek baat hamesha yaad rakhna.. Pyaar and Pyaaz kisi ko bhi rula dete hai, chahe voh Superman hi kyun na ho (Chote always remember one thing.. Love and Onion can make anyone cry, no matter who they are)."

Arnav made a face, "Don't start with your fimly dialogues, Ma. Please let me dice the onions!" he ended with an impatient, excited tone.

Ratna sighed as she passed the chopping board to him, warning him, "Be careful, Chote. If anything happens to you, then I'm the one to be blamed for. Your father and your Nani will come to me only."

"I take full responsibility for what happens to me," he grinned while enthusiastically snatching the knife from her hand and carefully peeling and dicing the onions initially as Ratna guided him. The moment he started to feel the burning sensation, he blinked his eyes repeatedly, first trying to prove to his mother that he could handle this, then ended up shutting his eyes tightly complaining about the burning sensation.

Ratna swiftly approached him, carrying a glass of water. She gently poured the water into her hands and used it to moisten his eyes.

"Ahh!" he tapped his feet impatiently while clenching his fist, trying to endure the irritation sensation in his eyes.

"I told you this would happen, but you didn't listen to me," Ratna scolded him as she poured more water into her hands, tears streaming down her face at the sight of her son in such a helpless state.

"I didn't know onions can be more dangerous than Khuhi pulling my hair," he expressed his displeasure while being guided by his mother to the living room. Ratna had him sit comfortably on her lap, and he promptly wrapped his arms around her neck, seeking solace by burying his face in the crook of her neck. Ratna responded with a tender touch, affectionately rubbing his back and murmuring soothing words in his ear, attempting to alleviate his distress.

When Ratna was assured he feeling better, she said, "Now sit and rest here while I finish up lunch, okay?"

Arnav promptly disengaged himself from her embrace and turned to face his mother, shaking his head, "No way, Ma! I'm the one who's gonna cook matar paneer today. You promised to teach me, and I'm feeling much better now!"

"Chote, just sit here and rest! Seeing you cry in pain has left me all jittery! I don't want any more kitchen mishaps, okay?" she straight away refused his entry in the kitchen.

"But I want to learn how to cook, Ma! This time I promise I'll be a good student and follow your rules. Please!!" he implored with a sheepish grin.

Ratna sighed, her resistance melting in the face of his cute bunny smile. "Okay, fine," she conceded, "Let's go."

Arnav smiled at her.

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

It was lunchtime, and Ratna enthusiastically invited everyone to the dining table. She proudly announced that her son had prepared today's special dish, matar paneer. After sharing the details of her son's culinary efforts with the elders, Ratna proceeded to the living room to call the children. She found them engrossed in playing video games and asked them to join the family for the meal.

Payal, Akash, Aman, NK, Lavanya, and Sheetal respectfully rose from their seats and obediently accompanied Akash to the kitchen to wash their hands before joining everyone in the dining hall. Only Arnav remained seated, his head bowed.

"Chote! Do you need special invitation to join us for lunch?" Ratna asked sarcastically when she noticed he stayed behind.

He looked up at his mother and whined, "Khuhi is not here. How can I have lunch without her?"

"She'll be here soon. Go have lunch with Akash and your friends. She'll join you later. They came to spend the weekend with you, right? It's not cool to leave them hanging," His mother gently stroked his head, encouraging him to join his friends.

Arnav stubbornly shook his head and said, "Akash and Payal are there to take care of my friends. I'm going to wait here for Khuhi."

Ratna knew it's useless to convince him to have lunch. He won't eat until he sees Khushi's face now. She then left the place and attempted to contact Garima to inquire whether Khushi would still be joining them for lunch. But she didn't get any reply from her friend.

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

Arnav was deeply engrossed in playing video games when he suddenly paused, his fingers stilling on the controller. His attention was drawn to the melodious tinkling sound of her anklets, specifically the orange-colored ones that he had gifted her to strengthen their friendship. 

"Nav!" he heard her calling him from behind with her chirpy like tone.

His lips immediately curved into a smile which he was quick to hide when she walked around the sofa to reach him.

Her smile lit up when she saw him, and she hopped over to sit next to him, "Why are you here? I went straight to the dining room, but you weren't there."

Arnav smiled sarcastically, "Of course, you always put food before me. I'm the fool one who skipped lunch with everyone because I wanted to wait for you."

"Come join my dance classes then you'll understand why my poor mind can't think of anything else but food after I'm done," she pouted, "But still.. as soon as I realised you weren't with everyone at the dining room, I came here to look for you first, Mr. Complaint Box!" she explained, narrowing her eyes at him.

He looked at her poor small exhausted face and he already knew if he doesn't stop their argument at this moment, then he'll have to bear this hungry kitten incessant blabbering throughout the day.

"Theek hai, Miss Chatter Box!" he promptly got up from the sofa and held her hand, taking her to the kitchen to wash their hands.

"But why did you take so long to get here?" he asked on their way to the kitchen.

"Because Amma and I were stuck in traffic, and guess what? She didn't have any snacks in the car and I was so hungry," she paused in her explanation the moment she noticed Arnav rolling his eyes, "What?" she frowned at him.

"That seems like a rather unconvincing explanation," he said in a playful manner, acting skeptical towards her justifications.

Khushi responded with a stern gaze, "Well, I don't possess any magical powers to make the surroundings cars fly in the air and clear the path ahead for us." 

"So, you've figured out that your princess magic wand doesn't work in the real world, huh?" he asked, trying to hide his amusement.

Khushi smiled through her gritted teeth as she showed her hand to him in a threatening way, "Nav you are well versed with my jungli billi avatar when I'm hungry, right?"

Arnav chuckled taking a step back as he knew she wanted to attack his hair, "Haan haan. Go and wash your hand. And stay quiet here only. I'll be right back."

Before she could ask where he was heading to, he had already vanished from the kitchen.

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

Two minutes later, Arnav walked inside the kitchen with Ratna by his side.

Ratna couldn't help but smile as she observed the scene before her. Khushi, her little one, was dancing to the catchy tune of "Oo Jaane Jaana," imitating the iconic moves of her favourite actor Salman Khan. Ratna stood there, admiring her innocent joy and carefree spirit, unaware of the presence of others around her.

Arnav smiled, shaking his head as he whispered to himself, "Silly girl!"

"I told you to remain here quietly, but it appears that the concept of silence is not familiar to you," he said tauntingly as he walked towards her making Khushi halt on her moves as she pouted at him.

"And I told you I'm hungry but it seems like your newspaper ki dukan brain is taking an eternity to process this," she retorted, glaring at him.

This caught Ratna's attention, prompting her to intervene before they became embroiled in their incessant bickerings. She informed Khushi, "He actually came to call me, my angel. He has a surprise for you."

Khushi beamed with excitement as she swiftly approached Ratna, side-hugging her, "A surprise for me? What is it?"

Ratna smiled and caressed her hair, "Yes, your bestie made matar paneer for the first time. He asked me to save some for you."

Khushi's eyes widened as she pulled away from the hug and looked at Arnav. "What? You cooked for the first time, Nav?"

In no time she was in front of Arnav demanding answers from him, "Why didn't you tell me anything? I can't believe you cooked matar paneer. This is not fair. You didn't even call me to see you cook for the first time."

"You were stuck in traffic and your magic wand doesn't have the ability to make cars fly so you could get to me faster, remember?" he reminded her of the taunting words she used first with a provocative grin on his face.

Khushi grabbed his hair in her fist. Arnav grimaced in pain, yet he chuckled and urgently addressed his mother, "Ma, please feed this jungli billi or she'll eat me today."

Ratna sighed, "Stop fighting, you two. I'll quickly heat up some food for you. Go sit in the dining room." 

"Ratna aunty, you saw it yourself. He's the one who always starts fighting with me," Khushi pouted, releasing her grip from his hair.

Ratna nodded agreeing with her, "Bohot badmash hai ye ladka. Don't let his teasing get to you, okay?"

She bobbed her head, glad that Ratna supported her. Then she gave Arnav a victorious look and walked away, acting all high and mighty.

On her way to the dining room, she stopped abruptly and gasped in surprise when she realized that her best friend had cooked for the first time. This was a moment that deserved recognition and appreciation from her side and here she was acting angry with him. In no time, her anger dissipated, and a broad smile replaced it.

As she turned to return to him, she found him standing motionless a short distance from her with a knowing look, the expression that conveys that regardless of their arguments, they will always find their way back to each other.

Her eyes twinkled as she rushed back to him and pulled his cheeks affectionately, "Nav you cooked for the first time in your life. This is such a breaking news!"

"I have some experience in the kitchen, having prepared sandwiches and toasts for you in the past. However, this is my first attempt at preparing a proper meal," He clarified, feeling slightly offended and embarrassed by the way she phrased it, as if he had never set foot in the kitchen.

"It's the same thing. It's your first time in the kitchen. And I can't tell you how much  eager I'm to taste this special meal prepared by Chef ASR!" she giggled excitedly, dragging him by his arm towards the dining room.

"I regret requesting Ma to save some matar paneer for you," he rolled his eyes, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Chal jhoota! I know you were dying to tell me all about your first kitchen adventure and make me try your culinary masterpiece," she playfully poked his cheek, her laughter filling the air.

Arnav shook his head and pulled out the chair for her to sit, "Sit down. I wonder how you have the energy to talk so much even when you're hungry!"

She sat on her chair, and he took his seat next to her.

Lavanya watched Arnav take his seat and complimented him with a sweet smile gracing her lips, "Arnav, the matar paneer you prepared was exceptionally delicious!"

After she made the first move, Akash, Payal, Aman, NK, and Sheetal all joined in to praise his first attempt at cooking.

"Thank you," he responded courteously, managing to smile and conceal the discomfort he was experiencing due to his friend Khuhi playfully stepping on his foot. She became jealous when she realized that everyone had the opportunity to savor his homemade meal before her.

When he shifted his attention to her, she was already casting murderous glances at him.

"I swear the first thing I did right after I made matar paneer was request Ma to keep some aside for you," he earnestly clarified with a sorry look.

"It's okay.. It's not your fault. I was the one who reached late," she said understandingly, yet her face fell at realising if she had reacher earlier she wouldn't have missed to see her best friend cooking and then everyone in the family and their friends eating his handmade food together.

"It's not your fault either, Khuhi. Your nonfunctional magical wand is to blame for this," he pulled her cheek playfully.

And the smile returned to her face.

"By the way, I also haven't eaten my own food yet. So we will try it together first," he confessed to cheer her up.

Her smile widened as she nodded her head vigorously.

Ratna came and quickly put their plates in front of them, telling them to eat their food. Then she sat next to her best friend, Garima, to keep her company. The adults had already finished eating, and only Garima, Arshi, Payash, and their school friends were left in the dining room.

Arnav fed Khushi a bite, "Eat first.. and tell me if you liked it or not?"

Khushi ate from his hand, taking her time to provide feedback. She initially made a teasing face, pretending to be about to vomit, which confused Arnav since everyone had praised his cooking. Concerned, he patted her back and inquired, "What happened, Khuhi? Is it that bad?"

Unable to continue her act after seeing his seriousness, Khushi smiled and reassured him, "Relax, Nav! I'm just joking."

Arnav sighed in relief but then narrowed his eyes at her, "That was poor timing for a joke! I'm already nervous, and you-"

She interrupted his grumbling by placing a sweet kiss on his cheek and giggled cheerfully, "It's perfect, Nav.. I loved your matar paneer."

Khushi noticed his evident effort to maintain composure and uphold his ASR demeanor in front of everyone, which elicited a genuine and hearty laughter from her.  

"Your cheeks are getting red Nav!" she teased him, poking his cheek with her index finger.

Arnav palmed her cheek prompting her to look down at her plate, "Eat your food, Khuhi.. Weren't you famished?"

"Stop whispering and focus on your food. You can talk and play later," Ratna instructed, giving them a curious look before turning back to Garima.

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

During their lunch, Arshi and Garima were joined by Shashi, who had completed his work and arrived at the Raizada Mansion.

After completing their lunch, Garima, Ratna, and Shashi joined Aryan, Manorama, Manohar, and Nani to watch a movie in the living room. Meanwhile, the children went outside to play in the front yard garden.

After being eliminated from the musical chairs game, Khushi sportingly accepted her defeat and made her way towards her and her best friend's four-year-old blooming orchid tree, known as the "Arshi Tree." She sat down and leaned against the tree to take a rest.

Upon Khushi's elimination, Arnav lost interest in the game. He intentionally refrained from occupying a chair during the next round, ensuring his own elimination so that he could join his Khuhi.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Khushi eyed him with suspicion as soon as he sat next to her on a grassy surface.

Arnav shrugged, "Do you think really think I've any interest in playing musical chairs? I only joined because of you, but now that you're out, it didn't make any sense to me to continue playing this boring game."

Khushi cried, "It's not a boring game, Nav. It's one of my favourites."

"And it's only my favorite when you're playing with me, otherwise it's just a boring game," he admitted, casually plucking the grass blades.

Khushi gently nudged him with a smile gracing her lips. He turned to look at her, raising his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"What is it?" he asked.

Khushi glanced behind them at their tree before turning her gaze back to him. "Arshi just said, 'Aww, Nav is such a cutie'!" she exclaimed with a hint of amusement in her voice.

And when he glared at her in response, she immediately shook her head, indicating that she wasn't the one saying it. She was merely voicing out their tree thoughts to him.

"Arshi lives with me. She knows calling me a cutie ruins my ASR image, so she wouldn't dare to say that," he rolled his eyes.

Khushi turned to hug their tree possessively and said, "Arshi is my best friend, not yours. Therefore, she will listen to me, not you!"

"And we both think you're a cutie!" she said firmly.

"Hmm!"

Khushi grinned when he accepted defeat. She rested her elbows on her thighs and cupped her cheeks with her hands, staring at him curiously. "By the way, what made you cook today?"

"I wasn't doing anything so I went to the kitchen to keep Ma company. When I saw her cooking, I got interested," he said.

"But Ratna aunty cooks every day. Why did it only catch your attention today?" Khushi asked innocently.

Arnav gave her a poker look, "Because I just realised that cooking is a basic survival skill."

"Really?" her curious hazel eyes blinked.

"Yeah, imagine I'm lost in the jungle, starving, and a wolf shows up. I gotta be ready with a recipe to cook that wolf and eat it, right?" he said.

Khushi understood that he was being sarcastic with her. She rolled her eyes and replied, "That wolf will make you his meal first!"

But then she felt her heart sink when she realized the implication of her words. What would actually happen if a wolf were to eat her friend?

She immediately rested her head on Arnav's shoulder, tugging at his shirt as she shut her eyes tightly and muttered to her DM to always keep Arnav safe from such dangerous situations in his life.

"Do you really want to know why was I interested in cooking today?" he asked to divert her attention, knowing she was scared what if the words she uttered come true.

Khushi opened her eyes and looked up to him, nodding her head.

"I was bored without you!"

Khushi smiled warmly as she raised her hand to pull his cheek affectionately, "I missed you too, Nav. I was counting the number of cars ahead of us in the traffic and estimating the time it would take for me to reach you!"

Arnav glanced down at her with a smile of surprise on his face, then he affectionately ruffled her hair.

"I've got a secret to tell you that I asked Ma not to share with anyone," he said embarrassed, "I was cutting onions and I started crying like a baby. My eyes were burning so bad!"

"What?" Khushi sat up straight, shocked. She forced him to show her his face, then tenderly placed her palms over his eyes. "Does it hurt?" she asked, concerned. Her eyes filling with tears imagining the pain and burning sensation he must have felt due to chopping onions.

"Not anymore. I'm fine now, Kiwi!" he replied in a soft tone.

"Why did you chop onions? You should've asked Ratna aunty for help. You're not a cooking expert yet," she scolded him affectionately, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Arnav knew she was already crying so he held her soft like cotton hands to uncover his eyes. As soon as he caught a glimpse of her, she furrowed her brows at him. "You're not allowed in the kitchen anymore. Did you hear me? This is the first and last proper meal you made. And from now on, I want you to stay far, far away from onions. Got it?"

"Okay," he nodded gently wiping away the tears from her eyes while whispering to her, "You don't need to cry for such small things," making her suspicious as he agreed easily.

"But our Arshi partially disagree with you!" he said glancing at their tree.

"Why?" she pouted.

"Arshi thinks you're right about me staying away from onions, but she doesn't want me to stop cooking forever. I know I should ask for help from the elders for the risky tasks, but I'll learn how to do it myself eventually."

Khushi eyed him with a hint of skepticism, expressing her concern, "But I don't want you to get hurt, Nav!"

"Khuhi, we shouldn't allow the fear of getting hurt to prevent us doing what we enjoy, right?" he asked, gently caressing her cheek in a comforting gesture. "Ma said that onions and love have the power to bring tears to anyone's eyes. So, does that imply we should refrain from expressing love to others simply because we fear getting hurt?"

"Stop getting philosophical with me when all I want to do is murder that stupid onion that made you cry," she made a face, hitting on his chest with her tiny hands.

"Well, looks like that onion has made itself at home in your tummy!" he laughed.

Khushi gazed at him dangerously and Arnav knew his hair was in danger now.

"Listen.. Arshi is saying something else," he quickly pointed to their tree to divert her attention.

Khushi frowned, "What now?"

"She says Khuhi needs a personal chef who can cook for her anytime she's too lazy and tired that her peanut-sized brain can't think of anything but food!" he said with a playful smile.

Khushi smirked, her eyes lit up, "Arshi's idea isn't that bad!"

"You already made matar paneer. Now, you'll ask Ratna aunty to teach you how to make my favorite jalebis. I'll be there with you to keep an eye on you and make sure you're safe, okay MY Personal Chef ASR?" she demanded excitedly.

"Done deal!" he pinched her nose, "Kiwish (Khush) now? (Happy now?)"

Khushi bobbed her head, her eyes twinkling as she smiled bright at him, "Kiwish!!"

"Nav.. ek aur baat," she looked at him, making a cute puppy face.

"Hmm bolo," he looked at her suspiciously.

She leaned closer with an excited look on her face, "Do you know how to make some special food for Rocky?"

Arnav glared at her, "I am still learning the art of cooking for humans and do not have any experience in preparing meals for dogs."

"Ask Arshi na.. She seems to be giving you some really good advice today," Khushi said teasingly.

"Acchaa," he pulled her closer to him, made her lay on his lap and started to tickle her stomach, "I agreed to be your personal chef, Kiwi madam, not your dog Rocky's!"

"He's your friend too," Khushi giggled and tried to slap his hand away to stop him from tickling her.

"No, he's my enemy!" he smiled lightly, tickling her even more, making Khushi scream and laugh loudly begging him to spare her from this tickling session.

Her cheerful laughter reverberated through the air, drawing the attention of NK and Lavanya, who had recently been eliminated from the musical chairs game. They watched Arshi from a few steps away.

Lavanya let out a sigh, expressing her sadness. She found it challenging to suppress her feelings of envy towards Khushi. Arnav, a member of their friends group, had always held a special place in her heart. Her desire was to become his closest friend. Despite Arnav accepting her friendship, Lavanya couldn't help but feel that their connection lacked the same depth as the friendship he shared with Khushi.

"Arnav is like a totally different person when he's with Khushi. Normally, he's all serious and quiet, minding his own business. But when Khushi's around, he's all smiles and playful."

"That's literally the meaning of her name. Khushi.. she makes everyone happy when she's around," NK said admiring his friend.

"Do you notice anything different between your friendship with Khushi and Khushi's friendship with Arnav?" Lavanya asked, curious if she was the only one who felt that way.

"Nah, not really," NK said after thinking about it for a bit. "Khushi acts the same with all of us. She's sweet and caring to everyone. Actually, I think she fights with Arnav the most out of all of us. He seems to get on her nerves the most."

"So, you're saying she likes him the least out of all of us?" Lavanya raised her eyebrows.

"I think so," NK nodded.

"Then why are they always together?"

"Their families have known each other for years, so Khushi automatically became friends with Arnav," he replied.

Before Lavanya could start feeling hopeful because of what NK said, Khushi came running like a little butterfly and hid behind them while shouting, "Leave me alone, Tom!"

Arnav, who was trailing behind her, halted in front of Lavanya and NK, positioning themselves as a barrier between him and Khushi. He flashed a playful grin. "You better surrender, little Jerry. It won't take much time for me to catch you!"

"No, first promise me you won't tickle me anymore," she shook her head vigorously.

"Promise!"

Khushi looked at him suspiciously before she reluctantly took a few steps towards him, "Pakka promise?"

"Haan na.."

As she approached him, Arnav playfully jiggled his fingers, a mischievous smile gracing his lips. Khushi gasped, recognizing that she had fallen for his trick. She attempted to flee once more, but he swiftly drew her closer. Khushi made a crying face while lightly slapping his hands away to escape his hold, "Aah Mumma.. stupid boy!!"

Arnav chuckled softly while wrapping his arms around her waist, giving her a big hug instead of tickling her. He lifted her off her feet as he whispered 'Silly girl!!' in her ear.

Khushi smiled brightly in his embrace when she realized he kept his promise. He wasn't going to tickle her after all. 

"Tom and Jerry are inseparable friends," Lavanya smiled sadly as she whispered to NK proving to him that she was right about Arshi's friendship.

"Wrong, they're the best of enemies!" NK stubbornly stick to his point making Lavanya sigh as she asked, "Do they really look like enemies to you right now?"

"Didn't you see how Khushi asked Arnav to leave her alone? He's the one behind her," NK argued.

"And now she's the one behind him," Lavanya state.

NK frowned confused before he turned around to see what was happening. Arnav and Khushi had vanished from their immediate vicinity, and now, in the distance, Khushi could be seen leaping onto Arnav's back, playfully demanding a piggyback ride from him around their Arshi Tree.

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

This one is for my friend who's missing her Nav and Khuhi.. Starry0502 hope you like it!! 🙈🙈

PS. No hate to the kids please! Arshi gets jealous when one of them pays more attention to their other friends. Lavanya is feeling the same way.

Next update: Jugnu.