During the first semester

"Maa.. just see what bhai did to me when I was sleeping.." Ayan walked to the dining room, complaining about Arnav to his mother.

Arnav walked past Ayan and sat on his chair earning an angry look from his little brother.

"What is this Chote?" Ratna asked shocked to see Ayan's clothes wet.

Khushi, who was helping Ratna in setting the breakfast table, also looked up at Ayan and pressed her lips trying to suppress her laughter after seeing his state. Siblings are always like this, finding ways to torture each other and blame each other for everything, but at the end of the day, sometimes they're the Best Friends you keep searching around the world.

"Ma he threw the water from the jug on me," Ayan cried.

"Haha go on and make me the villain in Ma's eyes," Arnav laughed sarcastically making Ayan pout frowning at him. 

"Ma he told me to wake him up early today because he wants to study, better say memorize the topics few minutes before his exam. I did try to wake him up in every way I could but he didn't, so I just threw water on him. Now if I didn't wake him up on time, he would have cried and get angry with me," Arnav explained and shrugged.

"But you shouldn't have done that to me. What if I got an heart attack?" Ayan asked dramatically.

Khushi smiled at Ayan's drama as soon as he got caught, keeping an empty plate on Arnav's side of the table for him. Arnav looked up at her and smiled mumbling a thank you to her.

"Shut up Ayan. Don't speak rubbish. Go and freshen up now and come to have breakfast. Then you'll study for your exam," Ratna scolded him making her way towards the kitchen.

"Ma this is not fair. You're always defending your favorite son," Ayan whined running back to his room.

Arnav chuckled shaking his head at his little brother.

"Should I bring you tea or coffee?" Khushi asked timidly.

"Coffee," Arnav replied. Khushi nodded.

Meanwhile Nani came to the dining room and took her seat at the breakfast table.

"Khushi.." Arnav called her as soon as he remembered something in his mind.

Khushi turned to him, "Ji (Yes)."

"Tomorrow is Aman's mother birthday. Do you want to go to her birthday party with me?" Arnav asked.

Khushi hesitated, unsure what to reply to him. She looked at Nani seeking for permission through her eyes.

Nani glanced at Arnav, "But Khushi bitiya doesn't even know your friend's family. What will she do over there?"

Khushi went back to the kitchen to bring coffee for Arnav sadly.

"What do you mean by that Nani? She will enjoy and mingle with other people other than us. She came here to study but that doesn't mean you will keep her locked in the house and let her step outside only for college. Let the girl breath! Do you guys even care to notice how she's still shy and nervous around us? She's not comfortable here with us because you guys keep watching her moves 24*7 like she's about to commit a crime. For God sake, she knows what she is here for and she won't do anything that will spoil both families reputation. Stop doing this to her Nani," Arnav voiced out his thoughts angrily.

"Hello hi bye bye.. early in the morningwa you two are fighting like two chirping birdies!" Mami said, taking her seat with her husband beside her.

Arnav looked down at his plate, trying to control his anger now as he didn't want to turn his argument with Nani into an entertainment movie for his Mami.

"What happened Ma? Any problem?" Mama asked worriedly staring at their serious looks. Mami immediately shifted her attention to Nani to hear attentively what happened between grandma and grandson that they seemed to be fighting early in the morning.

Nani was irked by Mami's curious look, she nodded sideways to her son with a slight frown adorning her forehead, "There's no problem. I'm just talking to my grandson. It's normal to have disagreements.. It doesn't mean I'm into a street dog fight with my grandson." She said the last lines as a taunt to Mami who is always exaggerating in her interpretations of what's happening around her.

"Hello hi bye bye.. I pukara (called) them chirping birdies, not sadak doggies (street).. Sasuma is bol-ing (talking) as if I bejjati (insulted) them," Mami muttered to herself, looking around the table, "Hello hi bye bye.. Breakvrat (Breakfast) mein kya hai tonights (today)?"

"Today hota hai.. tonights nahi," Arnav corrected her nonchalantly.

"Hello hi bye bye.. Tum (you) wrongs Arnav bitwa," Mami said, glancing at Akash who just made an entry in the dining room and took his seat beside Arnav's chair, making Arnav clench his fist under the table and fake a smile to his elder cousin brother, who just took the seat he had mentally reserved for Khushi, "Akash bitwa tells him.. It's ekdum correct to say tonights and not today in breakvrat times."

"Today is generally used for daytime and tonight is used for evening/night time Ma," Akash said.

Mami widened her eyes embarrassed, "Hello hi bye bye.. you teaches me wrongs English Akash bitwa."

"I taught you correct thing Ma, maybe you got confused when to use tonight and today," Akash shrugged.

Nani chuckled mockingly, while Mami kept narrowing her eyes at her son for embarrassing her in front of everyone. Arnav kept scrolling his instagram page, avoiding eye contact with Mami as he didn't want her to feel bad for it.

Meanwhile, unknown to Arnav and Nani, Khushi and Ratna overheard their conversation in the kitchen. Khushi was smiling to herself while making coffee for Arnav. She felt so good when he took a stand for her in front of Nani.

Ratna looked at Khushi with a small smile, feeling pity of her, when she heard her son speaking how Khushi is still not comfortable with them, she realized that indeed he was right, "Khushi bitiya."

Khushi stopped smiling immediately as she stood straight composing herself, lowering her eyelashes, "Ji aunty! (Yes)."

"Do you want to go to Aman's mother birthday party? Dekho beta.. tell me what you really want. Don't think about my mother's permission. I'll convince her to let you go, if you want," Ratna said, caressing Khushi's head affectionately.

Khushi gulped, she opened her mouth to speak but couldn't utter a word. Ratna gestured her to speak what she wanted, stammering she replied, "I.. I.. voh.. I don't.. know."

"If you don't know, then who will know beta? Tell me.. yes or no?" Ratna asked again.

Khushi looked down, biting her lower lip, she nodded her head slowly.

Ratna smile a little, patting her head gently, "Don't be scared of us okay. I'll talk to Ma. She'll definitely let you go with Chote to his friend's mother birthday party. Aur waise bhi.. I'll say to Ma that you're going with Chote, not any stranger.. so there's nothing to be worried about."

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

Khushi and Ratna joined everyone to have breakfast at the dining room. Khushi served coffee to Arnav then took her seat far from him as it was the only chair available for her. 

Ayan was getting scolded by the elders for eating with his books on the table.

Mama and Akash engaged themselves with the hospital discussions and patients cases, while Ratna was sharing to Mami and Nani about an accident where 8 people were injured in a collision between a car and a truck that occurred when she was on her way back home yesterday from the bakery shop she works for.

Khushi was silently having her breakfast when her eyes randomly met Arnav's who had been staring at her for a long time, it seems. She quickly shifted her gaze towards her plate, awkwardly tucking few strands of her hair behind her ear while Arnav looked at his phone placed beside his plate on the table, he pretended he was checking some messages on his whatsapp. 

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

Ayan was pacing around the living room with a book in his hands as he kept memorizing the topics for his exam, when Arnav approached him dressed in his formal clothes, he pulled Ayan by his school shirt collar from behind, to stand close to him, "Listen.. Don't even try to act like a multitasker and touch your books while cycling on the roads. Do you get that? Be careful. Exams ki tension mat lo (Don't take tension because of your exams).. You'll pass, if not with flying colors.. then drowning colors bhi chalega (will work too).."

"Because my life is more important to you, haina?" Ayan added smiling at his elder brother.

"No, I'm more worried about the money I'll have to spend with your hospital bills if anything happens to you," Arnav replied sarcastically.

"Chal jhoota (Liar)," Ayan laughed at him.

Arnav shook his head, "Go and say to your Khushi didi to come downstairs when she's ready."

Ayan whined, "Bhai, I'm studying.. I only have few minutes left to go to school."

Arnav patted his back, "Arey ja na.. you'll only take few seconds to do what I'm asking you to. But if you keep standing here and crying about it, then you're the one to be blamed for wasting your study time."

Ayan went running to Khushi's room, finding his mother on the way, he stopped her, "Ma! Please keep praying for me until I finish writing my exam paper. Please please.. don't forget to pray for your son while baking cakes for your costumers."

Ratna kissed his forehead, patting his head gently, "My prayers are always with you mera baccha. You'll do well in your exams, don't worry. If you get good marks, then your favorite chocolate pastry confirmed!"

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

Arnav hurriedly went downstairs to the shoeshine man who does this business in a corner outside of his apartment's gate to shine his shoes.

Mama and Akash were leaving in their car to the hospital, they waved at Arnav bidding goodbye to him. Arnav waved at them, "Bye. Have a good day!"

"Sir ji I'm new here.. please tell your family members to come to me.. I promise.. I'll make their shoes shine bright like the sun," the boot polisher, Sunil said with a bright smile on his face.

"Haan bataunga na (I'll tell them).. but first make my shoes shine like sun, then I'll promote your business with genuine feedback," Arnav replied, gesturing him to continue his work.

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

After Ayan came to inform Khushi that he was downstairs waiting for her, she hurriedly grabbed her things and left her room, rushing towards the door to go downstairs when Nani called her making Khushi halt on her steps.

"Khushi bitiya!"

Khushi turned to face Nani, she looked down, "Ji Nani."

"You have my permission to attend the birthday party," Nani said with an expressionless face.

Khushi looked up at her startled for few seconds, before looking down again and nodding her head, "Thank you Nani."

Nani nodded her head slowly and walked away. Khushi smiled a little to herself before opening the door to leave. Ayan came running towards her, "Khushi didi.. wait.. don't close the door.. I'm also coming downstairs with you."

Khushi nodded as she watched him wearing his shoes on the way and holding his school bag clumsily. They both descended the stairs, Ayan looked at her nervously, "Khushi didi..  main na bohot nervous hu exam ko leke.. Mujhe nahi pata main acche se likh paungi ki nahi papers (Khushi didi I'm very nervous for my exams.. I don't know if I'll be able to write my exam papers well or not)."

"It's normal to feel like that when it's your exams dates. But if you've studied every topic and you trust your preparations before the exam, then you'll be able to clear your exams with good marks," Khushi said.

Ayan smiled sheepishly at her. Khushi smiled knowingly at him, "I know you've studied for almost 30 minutes. You can still pray that your exam paper covers all the topics you managed to memorize in these 30 minutes."

"Haan!" he pouted, "You'll pray for me na Khushi Didi."

Khushi nodded her head, "Of course I will. But promise me that you'll study properly today when you come back from school for your next exams. If you need my help, then I can give you tuitions too."

Ayan smiled as he agreed with her idea, "Done.. I promise!"

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

Ratna took a bottle of water from the fridge while instructing HP what he had to cook for lunch today when Mami walked in the kitchen, "Hello hi bye bye.. You don't borrys (worry) Ratna. I'm yahin (here).. I will decides what khana khazana (food treasure) will be cooks tonights.. oh sorry.. todays like your son teaches me."

Ratna nodded with a small smile, "Okay," saying this she left the kitchen hurriedly to talk with Nani about Khushi and then leave to the bakery shop as she is the one getting late for work today.

Mami rolled her eyes once she left, "Bye bye.. She bhinks (thinks) just because she working in cakery dukaan (bakery shop), then she's the boss lady of every kitchenwa hmph! Only Manorama Raizada is boss lady of this Raizada kitchenwa!"

HP, who heard her self talk, shook his head in disbelief as he continued to wash the breakfast dishes.

Ratna went to talk with Nani, but she was relieved to know Nani agreed to let Khushi attend the birthday party already.

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

Arnav gave money to Sunil after he was done polishing his shoes, "What's your name?"

"Sir.. my name is Sunil.. but everyone calls me Sunny because I make their shoes shine like Sun, so they named me Sunny," Sunny giggled as he explained enthusiastically to Arnav.

"Okay Sunny.. Give me your phone number.. I'll share your contact with my office colleagues, if they need your service, then they will call you," Arnav said as he took his phone out of his pant pocket to save Sunny's number. Sunny readily gave him the number, thanking Arnav for helping him in his business, "Thank you so much sir. May God bless you with everything good in your life."

"Thanks Sunny.. Same to you," Arnav smiled as he kept his phone back on his pocket and walked a bit to check if Khushi was coming or not. Thanks to Sunny's prayers, he saw Khushi standing near Ayan as she watched him take his bicycle parked in the apartment yard.

They walked towards him, Arnav wished Ayan good luck for his exams and then left with Khushi.

On the way to Khushi's college on foot, Arnav offered to hold her bag for her, but Khushi declined, replying to him that she could manage. What followed next was Arnav trying to communicate with Khushi as he showed her places like shops and restaurants he often frequents and earned acknowledgement nods and monosyllabic replies from Khushi.

Tired of trying to engage her in his mindless conversations and receive curt answers from her side, he decided to stay silent as they were half way to college.

"Voh," Khushi looked at his side, "Nani gave me permission to go to the birthday party with you," she spoke, shyly playing with the books in her hands.

"Really?" asked a surprised with Nani's change of decision, Arnav.  Khushi nodded her head in response.

"That's great. After your college classes are over, let's go shopping and buy Aunty a gift, okay?"

Khushi nodded again. Silence prevailed again until they reached the college. She said goodbye to him and walked towards Lavanya, who was waiting for her and Arnav walked towards Aman's car, who was waiting near the college to go to the office with him.