The Raizada siblings along with Khushi entered the Raizada Mansion engrossed in a banter. 

"No how dare you Aron, how can you ever say that. Take it back!!" Pragya exclaimed 

"I will not, It is the truth." Aron stated stubbornly.

"No. It's not. How could you ever say that HARRY POTTER BOOKS ARE OVERRATED!" Arnav supported his little sister.

"I agree. Harry Potter books are not at all over-rated. They are gold." Khushi piped up. Jane and Pragya grinned at her, appreciating her support while Aron looked at Khushi accusingly, giving her a 'You betrayed me' look. 

Khushi shrugged. "You've been outvoted by 5-1 Mr. Bakshi. It's better that you accept the divine truth. Harry Potter and everything to do with it is pure and golden. No one can convince me otherwise." Khushi said flatly.

Aron sighed in defeat. "Whatever you guys say. I'm going to my room to change." He said before taking off towards his room.

Arnav shook his head fondly at Aron as he vanished inside his room. Pragya and Aron left for their rooms next, "We'll be back in a few minutes." They both chorused and vanished behind the doors of their rooms next. 

Jane looked at Khushi, "Do you want to change. I bet I can look for a couple spare night-dresses in my junk wardrobe." She offered. 

"I'm good, you go on." Khushi smiled at her pushing her in the direction of the stairs.

"You sure?" Jane asked

"I've been to your home a million times before Jay, I'm going to be okay. Now skid off." Khushi insisted. Jane shrugged and looked at Arnav, who presumably nodded his head to ease his sister's worry before she also left.

Khushi walked towards the couch in the living room and sat on it looking tired. "When will you guys stop treating me like a baby?" She asked Arnav who had settled next to her after telling one of the servants to bring two glasses of water for them.

"When you'll stop behaving like one." Arnav deadpanned.

Khushi looked at Arnav wearily, Arnav smiled at her. "They've never had people to pamper. Me, Alok and Pragya are almost the same age but I've always been their big brother. I've always pampered and I'm definitely not complaining. I enjoy doing things for them, but since I've been pampering all of these idiots all their lives, they've never had the chance to pamper anyone else. They finally have someone and they're using the opportunity that they have to Its fullest." Arnav explained.

Khushi nodded with a small smile. 

"I'm really lucky." Khushi said softly

Arnav nodded, "You are. Not everyone can win the affections of the Raizadas." He said teasingly.

Khushi chuckled, The servant came with glasses of water for Arnav and Khushi, Payal, Lavanya and Anjali following behind.

"Khushi, Arnie! You guys came back!" Lavanya and Payal exclaimed in unison while Anjali smiled at the pair from behind her sister in laws.

Khushi stood up from the couch followed by Arnav and they both swiftly made their way towards the three ladies.

"Hum jung pe nahi gaye the Anya mami. (We were not in a war Anya Mami)" Arnav said smirking at Lavanya

Khushi chuckled, while Lavanya frowned.

"Where are the others?" Payal asked 

"They are in their rooms, changing into casuals." Arnav informed her. 

Aron and Pragya came out of their rooms, "There they are, the other two must be coming too."

Payal nodded. "I'll get your snacks and beverages while you wait for the others." She said softly.

Arnav smiled, "You'll never change, will you Mami?" He asked amused.

Payal shrugged. 

Arnav chuckled, "I'll come with you." 

"Me too." Khushi chirped in.

***

Anjali sighed for the nth time since they had entered the kitchen while putting the batter for onion fritters in the oil and frying it. Khushi was doing most of the work while Anjali guided her and made sure that she didn't accidentally end up hurting herself. Arnav was making coffee in the coffee machine.

Khushi turned to her and showed her the plates filled with pakoras, "You know Anjali aunty, back home mum used to make all these Indian snacks for me and Kartik. We used to love it, and now I even got to make them with you." She told Anjali excitedly.

Anjali smiled at her excitement and regarded the snacks with a critical eye. 

"You've never made them before?" Anjali asked curiously.

"I've seen mum do it though, and you were here to help me too." Khushi said as Anjali heard the slight nervousness creep into her voice.

Anjali nodded approvingly. "They're looking very good." She assured her.

"They smell amazing too, Aman is pretty much gobbling them up." Lavanya said seriously.

Khushi blushed. 

"There. Now we know they taste amazing as well. Aman is like a child when it comes to food, there's hardly any pleasing him." Anjali said with an almost proud smile on her face.

Khushi had pretty much became a daughter to the Raizadas ever since they had met her for the first time in the fashion show. The Raizadas had come to fall in love with the girl in the short amount of time that they had gotten to know her in. 

Lavanya took the tray of fritters from Khushi. "Come on, out of the kitchen now, at this rate you'll be stuck here all evening making fritters for everyone. I'm sure you have other plans for today." She said softly.

Khushi nodded her head, looking back at Arnav who had by now laden a huge tray with six mugs of steaming hot coffee. He nodded in her direction and the duo made their way towards the hall where the other four were waiting for them.

Arnav set the tray on the coffee table and took a mug for himself, following his lead the others also took their mugs and settled into a conversation.

"The snacks are yum, aaj mujhe kiske haath choomne hai? Who has made these? (Whose hands should I be kissing today?)" Aron asked in his usually dramatic manner. Arnav rolled his eyes at his little jest. 

"Seriously, these are awesome." Pragya spoke through her full mouth.

"Khushi has made them, you should learn something from her. Ek woh hai, aur ek tum ho. Kabhi kitchen mein per bhi nahi rakha hoga. (There's she and then there are you guys, I bet you haven't even stepped into the kitchen, ever!)" Arnav teased his sisters. 

Pragya and Jane scowled at him, Arnav laughed at their expressions. They pouted cutely causing Khushi to coo at them and pull both their cheeks one after the other.

***

The five pranksters (yes khushi is a prankster too!) sat huddled in the bed of their favorite room watching Arnav as he worked carefully with the maintenance of his namesake aka ASR Sr.'s terrace garden.

"This is your Bade-Papa's terrace garden?" Khushi asked thoughtfully.

Jane nodded. "We were in Australia for 
the most part of our lives but we would come here for vacations and other functions, and I remember seeing Arnie and Aman Uncle working together in the terrace garden whenever we visited. Anji Bua, Aman Uncle and then Arnie, they've always made sure that this little garden of Bade-Papa is always well cared for because this poolside was his favorite place in the house." Jane explained to Khushi who had a smile on her face. 

"I feel that this place was a very important part of a story." Khushi said softly.

"Indeed." Arnav said entering the room. "ASR and KKGSR would have had so many stories to tell about their very own poolside had they.." 

Pragya nodded. 

"And they would have pampered us to the limits too." Alok said with a naughty smile.

"Am I not doing enough?" Arnav asked slightly offended.

"You're our Arnie, and you're doing for us exactly what he had done for his brothers and sister but I'm sure had they not died, Bade-Papa and Masi would've loved us like their own. Bade-Papa would have loved you so much, that.. that-"

"I know.. I've heard so many stories from Mumma, the way ASR Sr. loved his brothers and sister, he would've loved us like anything." Arnav agreed.

"Arnie and Bade-Papa are so similar in so many ways. I'm sure whenever he will fall in love, it will be just like him. After all, go big or go home. Woh pyaar hi kaisa jiski koi hadd ho (what love is that, if it's bound by limitations.)" Pragya said softly.

"Badi-Ma was really pretty wasn't she? Uss behad pyaar ko deserve bhi toh karti thi Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada. (KKGSR deserved that limitless love.)" Jane said suddenly, diverting everyone's attention to the life-size portrait of ArShi. 

The portrait was a painting of Arnav and Khushi that Anjali had insisted on being made post-mortem. A dream, and yet it was so real to the inhabitants of the house as if it had indeed happened, as if even this portrait told a thousand stories. There were other pictures of the couple too, smaller which rested on either sides of the portraits which occupied central space. Khushi took a framed picture of Arnav and Khushi and caressed them with a fond longing, as if remembering a cherished memory from a past life.

"They were beautiful together." Khushi said replacing it on the side table.

"I know right, they are the best Raizada couple in existence." Jane said proudly.

Khushi smiled, "How did.. How did they die?" She asked uncertain if she could or couldn't ask the question, "if you don't mind me asking."

Jane shared a look with her cousins, they smiled.

"You're as much a part of this family as we are Bambolina, you can be as curious as you like." Jane assured her.

"It's a long story, ASR Sr was kidnapped by someone, and Khushi somehow found out that he was in a problem. She wanted to save her and was almost successful too but then the goons of the kidnapper attacked ASR and Khushi. They were fighting and Khushi somehow fell off a high cliff. She was found dead twelve hours later." Arnav explained to her.

"ASR followed soon after. He had a nervous breakdown fifteen days later and he died in his sleep I think." Aron added sadly

Khushi wiped her tears, and sniffed. "I.. I don't know.. why.." She said through a clogged throat. "Excuse me." 

Khushi practically ran into the washroom of the room. The siblings looked at her retreating figure concerned.

"Do you think she's okay?" Jane asked her siblings

"She will be okay. The story must've been too much for her." Alok said sadly.

"Maybe." 

Arnav stared at the closed bathroom door, unmindful  of the words of his siblings, worry clouding his eyes. He walked up to the door.

"Khushi.." He called out to her with a soft knock.

He could hear the sounds of sniffing, making him smile a little at the adorableness of the girl but the worry didn't fade. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked "Do you need help?" 

"I'm fine. I'm coming in a minute. Don't worry Arnav." She answered sounding a lot better than she was a few minutes, making Arnav breath in relief 

A few minutes later, Khushi exited the bathroom and smiled at the group, assuring them that she was indeed okay and that there was nothing to be worried about.

***

The dinner table was set. Three different dishes whose name Khushi had not yet succeeded in pronouncing correctly, rice, chapatis and curd were neatly arranged on the huge dining table. The family was gathered around the table. 

"Do you always eat like a sparrow or is it a special day?" Alok asked Khushi teasingly.

Khushi blushed. Arnav, who was sitting next to her (coincidentally) served some more food in her plate. "Enough. I won't be able to eat that much Arnav." She exclaimed frantically.

"You'll be okay. It's not much." Arnav said sternly. 

Khushi pouted but took a bite of the food from her plate. "Good girl. I hope you finish your greens too." At that, Arnav received a full blown "I'll kill you" glare from Khushi which made him burst out laughing. 

"Arnav!!" She whined.

"Okay.. sorry. Go back to eating." Arnav said softly.

***

After dinner, The girls occupied the hall, banning the interference of the boys in their girls night. The boys sulked but agreed and retreated to Arnav's room. 

The girls made popcorn and cola for themselves before settling on the couch to watch Frozen II amid teasings, popcorn fights and laughter. 

Hours later, the three boys came to the hall to check on the girls.

"It's 1:00 in the m-" Arnav stopped abruptly on seeing the girls fast asleep on the couch. The TV screen was blank, meaning that whatever they were watching was long over. 

Aron and Alok stood on either side of Arnav. "What now?" Alok whispered.

"We take them to their rooms stupid, what else?" Arnav whispered back.

'I'm not going to carry Jane to her room, She weighs a-" Aron was cut short by the glare that he received from Arnav.

Aron sighed. "If Jane wakes up, I'll not let you sleep the whole night." Arnav warned him.

Aron nodded and scooped his sister in his arms. Alok followed his lead and carried Pragya to her room leaving Arnav alone in the hall with a sleeping Khushi. He sighed.

He gently scooped her in his arms, Khushi made incoherent noises. "Shh.. go back to sleep." Arnav whispered quietly. 

Khushi held on to the front of his shirt and cuddled into his chest. Arnav smiled and walked to the guest room next to Jane's. 

After tucking her into the bed, Arnav gently brushed a strand of her hair away from her causing Khushi to sigh in her sleep.

She's cute.

Arnav left the room after switching the lights off, leaving a bed-side lamp on just in case and closed the door behind him.

***

I'm back fairly quick and yet again. I'm not receiving the response that I think I deserve. I know I'm irregular sometimes but guys I'm a student and I have a life which I can't control most of the times. I really wish to see all of y'all interacting with me, tell ne things you like or dislike about the story and characters. So even if it's criticism, I welcome it. Please take out time to respond to my updates. Your comments and votes never fail to make me smile. Please comment.

Ever since I've given Khushi a face in the seventh chapter, I've been receiving comments with people saying that they don't want to read a story with a different Khushi or questions regarding when Khushi will become Sanaya. I assure you it will happen soon. I had given a face to Khushi because there is a track later in the story where the face is going to change, other than that, the face of the character (in this case Khushi) is not important. Let me tell you something, I don't even remember the face that I've given to Khushi, whenever I write Khushi, I imagine KHUSHI FROM IPKKND that is SANAYA IRANI. I know that you feel I've done something wrong by changing the face but if I hadn't, the story wouldn't have made sense later. I hope you understand.

If it really matters to you that much, you can imagine Sanaya in Ashley's place. It won't matter. I was just trying to make my story a little realistic and give my characters their own time to fall in love. I'm sorry if its making my readers sad.

I'm really really sorry guys.

Please don't forget to tell me what you think of this chapter.

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