This is for all the readers who had to wait ages for this story to come back, especially:
srithu  AksArshi 🩷🩷

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Delhi..
Shantivan..
Early in the morning..

"Muski.." Arnav sat on the bed, yawning, and called out for his wife.

"Your Muski has arrived," she entered the room with a radiant smile gracing her lips, her eyes sparkling with delight.

Arnav reciprocated her smile and rose from the bed to approach her. Standing near her, he gently cupped her face and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, as was his custom, to wish her a pleasant morning.

"Khushi-morning , my Pikachu!" she too wished him wrapping her arms around his neck. Arnav lowered his head a little so that Khushi could plant a sweet like her favourite jalebi sugar syrup kiss on his forehead.

Then he went to the bathroom, and Khushi moved to their closet to choose clothes for him.

"It's time to consider a change from your traditional black suits. Today, I will choose this grey color suit for Mr. Pikachu," she said to herself as she carefully placed the three-piece grey and white suit on the recliner, ready for her husband.

She hurriedly went to the dresser to select a wristwatch for him, but unfortunately, it slipped from her hands and fell to the floor, breaking into small fragments.

Khushi let out a soft gasp, her eyes widening in dismay as she beheld the shattered fragments of his wristwatch. She hit her forehead with her palm, a gesture of self-reproach for her inadvertent clumsiness.

She patiently waited for Arnav to come out  of the bathroom so that she could explain the situation to him.

After a while, he came out, a towel wrapped around his waist. Noticing her tense expression, he approached her with concern, "Muski, what happened?"

With a hint of guilt in her voice, Khushi extended her hand towards him, presenting the broken watch. She apologized, "I'm so sorry, it accidentally slipped from my hand."

Arnav took the watch from her hand and placed it aside. He then caressed her hand, checking if she had gotten hurt. "Why did you touch a broken watch, Muski? There could be pieces of broken glass that could have injured you," he said with concern.

Khushi glanced at him with a gentle smile. She is fully cognizant of this man irrevocable and unconditional love for her, yet he consistently astounds her with small gestures such as this that hold immense significance for her. "Are you not mad at me?"

Arnav stared at her in disbelief. Did she honestly think he'd get mad at her over that watch?

"Forget about that watch, Muski. You're more important to me!" Arnav said, kissing her palm. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"No.." Khushi nodded sideways, "Hurry up and get dressed. I'm starving," she added, pouting.

"Ji madam!" he smiled gently before heading towards the recliner to collect his clothes. Khushi chuckled as she lay comfortably on their bed, scrolling through her Instagram page while waiting for him.

He got dressed and then opened one of his dresser drawers. He took out a gift for her that he had hidden there the night before.

"I find it intriguing that some people prefer to start their day by reading gossip on social media platforms, much like how one would read a traditional newspaper," he remarked with a hint of amusement as he turned to check what she was doing, completely unaware of the gift bag he was holding in his hand.

"I don't spend all day on social media, I'm just using my free time," Khushi said defensively, dropping her phone on the bed and sitting up straight. She noticed the gift bag in his hands and asked curiously, "Who's that for?" forgetting that she was supposed to be offended by his teasing.

"It's for you, meri jaan," he said as he sat beside her on the bed and handed her the bag, "Open it and let me know if it's the one you desired."

Khushi's eyes illuminated with excitement as she graciously accepted the bag from his hand and opened it to discover a nude and rosy-shaded eyeshadow palette. She placed her gift on the bed and extended her arms to give him a warm, tight hug, expressing her gratitude with a cheerful, "Thank you so much, Pikachu. You got me exactly the one I wanted."

"You don't need to thank me for this. It's my duty to fulfil all your wishes," he whispered to her, wrapping his arms around her and dropping soft kisses on her shoulder.

She rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his arms, "How did you know I wanted this eyeshadow palette?"

"I saw you looking for it online, so I thought I'd get it for you," he said.

Khushi smiled, her heart filled with warmth as she came to the realization that her husband pays meticulous attention to everything she does. He takes notice of even the most minute details and aspects about her, which makes her feel cherished and special in his presence.

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At the kitchen..

"Looking good, right?" Akash, the middle Raizada sibling, asked their loyal employee, HP.

HP gave a polite smile as he chose his words cautiously, not wanting to offend Akash by criticizing his cooking abilities. "Bhaiya.. dikhne mein toh.. Meethi Paratha round, triangle ya square shape hoti hai.. voh.. ye radiating sun shape.. pehle hi baar dekha hai.. par mujhe pakka yakeen hai maze ka bana hai (Bhaiya, I'm certain it must taste delicious, but visually... Meethi Paratha is usually round, triangular, or square in shape. This is the first time I've seen it in the shape of a radiating sun. Nevertheless, I'm sure it's wonderfully made)."

Akash paused his dough-rolling with the rolling pin to examine its shape. He was disappointed to see that instead of the perfectly round shape he had intended, the spikes at the edge were not well-defined and sharp, giving it the appearance of a radiating sun.

"Then you're not a good master chef. Why am I following all your instructions and still not able to make a perfect round shape?" He looked at HP accusingly.

"Bhaiya, cooking requires experience. I am trying my best, but what can I do when your hands are more accustomed to handling a laptop than a simple rolling pin?" HP shrugged, defending himself politely.

"HP, I know cooking is your thing, and I'm  not exactly good at it. But you don't have to make me feel bad about it," Akash pouted, feeling offended. "Bhabhi said it's been a while since she's had meethi paratha. So I thought I'd surprise her by making it for her. I watched a bunch of recipes on YouTube before I started, and it looked so easy. But now I'm sweating, just trying to make them round. I hope I don't burn them while roasting on the tawa."

"Arey bhaiya aap toh serious ho gaye.. main hu na yaha.. tension nahi lene ka (You became serious.. I'm sure.. don't take tension)," HP said to lift his mood, "And if not round shape, we can try square shape meethi paratha. It will be easier for a beginner like you."

"Your last line sounded like you are mocking me. And if you knew that square shape would be easier, why did you let me struggle here?" Akash narrowed his eyes at him.

"Bhaiya," HP exclaimed in surprise, "You were the one who came here looking all confident and informed me that I needn't be concerned about Khushi bhabhi's breakfast, as she would be enjoying your handmade meethi paratha today."

"Alright, I must admit that I was overly confident in my cooking abilities," Akash silenced him, feeling deeply embarrassed at that moment.

"Non-existent!" HP added with a gulp, making Akash narrow his eyes at him, "It appears that you have been focusing on improving your taunting abilities rather than learning new recipes. Why did my bhabhi have to crave for meethi paratha? Why didn't you make it for her earlier?"

HP pouted, "Bhabhi didn't even bother to tell me about it. You know, if she had just let me know she was craving meethi paratha, I would have made it for her right away."

Akash melted seeing HP visibly upset that Khushi didn't express her desire to eat meethi paratha to him, "You know her, right? This desire arose after we watched a movie together last night. She noticed the dish on a character's plate, and it reminded her that it had been a long time since she had last enjoyed it. But, it was quite late at that time, and you were asleep, so she refrained from disturbing you."

"I barely slept last night. I was chatting with Bela the whole night," HP giggled shyly.

"Oye, oye!" Akash smiled teasingly, "When are you bringing her home to meet the family?"

"When I hear "Jaa HP Jaa.. Jee le apni zindagi (Go HP Go.. Live your life)" from Om bhaiya. I would feel a sense of hope and encouragement to introduce her to everyone here if he had approved our relationship," HP sounded disheartened.

"Stay positive and don't lose hope," Akash said in a supportive tone, "With the backing of your bhaiya and bhabhi, you'll be able to persuade OP without much difficulty. Trust me." 

"Haan..Voh toh hai.. When I had a heart-to-heart with Arnav bhaiya about this, he asked me to try and convince Om bhaiya myself first. Arnav bhaiya said he'd step in only if needed, as he didn't want to  Om bhaiya to feel pressured into accepting our relationship out of fear." 

"He's right," Akash agreed.

"At times, I can't help but feel that Bela may have been Om bhaiya's long-lost love in a past life. This could potentially be the reason behind his opposition to our relationship," HP whispered to Akash with a look of horror on his face.

"Kuch bhi HP," Akash laughed it off, "Take a break from your tragic love story and help me with this square shape meethi paratha before Bhabhi comes down!"

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"Pikachu," Khushi called him as she stopped on the stairs and excitedly tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. When he turned to look at her, she closed her eyes and pointed in the direction of her face, "I wanted to show you the eyeshadow palette you gifted me. I tried it out," she said, opening one eye to peek at him, "Don't mind the uneven eyeliner shape okay. I'm still practising to improve my skills."

Upon observing her closing her eyes while on the stairs, his swiftly encircle his arms around her to ensure her safety and prevent any potential risk of a fall down the stairs as he's well aware of his wife's clumsy nature.

"Bohot pyaari lag rahi ho, meri hoor (You look lovely, my fairy)" he complimented her, placing a soft kiss upon her cheek once her petite form was enveloped in the comforting embrace of his arms.

"Boring insaan!" she rolled her eyes while raising her hand up to his chest, playing with his shirt buttons, "You should have commented on the shade of my eyeshadow and how it complements my features. Although I don't mind you referring to me as your hoor, I would appreciate it if you could be more specific in your compliments, Mr. Pikachu!"

"This nude mauve shade complements your hazel doe eyes and coordinates beautifully with your cute red stripped dress - the one I brought for you from my business trip to Germany. It truly enhances your natural beauty, which is why I called you my 'hoor'!" He spoke confidently, with a challenging tone, "Aur details chahiye? About your earrings, watch or shoes?"

(Khushi's look)

Khushi giggled sheepishly, pecking his lips, "No, you show off-man! You don't need to prove to me that you know me better than anyone else."

Arnav shrugged his shoulders with a look that conveyed, "You asked for it."

"Uff.. Bas isi attitude pe to hum fida hai," Khushi dramatically put her hand on her chest and stared at him with heart eyes.

Arnav chuckled softly, swiftly lifting her in his arms, "Chalo.. tumhe bhook nahi lag rahi thi? (Let's go.. weren't you feeling hungry?)"

Khushi pressed her lips together, bobbing her head up and down, sheepishly nodding in agreement.

"Tumhare liye toh pet puja aur bak bak karna hi sabse important hai na! (After all, eating and talking are the most important to you)," He remarked in a playful tone as he descended the final set of stairs with her in his arms.

Khushi's mouth opened in big 'O' shape, and then glared at him, "You'd better stop talking to me in your and your Munna Mogambo sarcastic code language, okay? Put me down now!"

She kicked her legs in the air dramatically to force him into letting her to stand on her feet, and it worked in her favour. As soon as he put her down, she walked ahead, flaring her nostrils. "I'm going to stay with Akki and Bunny."

"What the," Arnav, in a state of disbelief, trailed behind her like a lost puppy, expressing regretfully, "I was merely engaging in playful banter with you, Muski. It has nothing to do with Aman, I swear!"

Khushi briefly glanced back at him as she stamped her feet on the floor in the name of walking, "You continue to support Munna Mogambo of yours, huh!"

"Muski yaar. I didn't say anything in his defense!"

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Khushi went into the kitchen and saw Akash, NK, and HP there. She quickly went to Akash and gave him a side hug. She was pouting at Arnav, who came in after her.

"Bhabhi!" Akash gently placed his arm around her shoulder while glancing at Arnav, who was attentively gazing at his wife, "What happened?"

"Your brother is making fun of me!" Khushi complained.

NK approached Khushi and respectfully touched her feet, seeking her blessings. Khushi affectionately ruffled his hair, and he stood beside her, possessively guiding her away from Akash's grasp. He then began massaging Khushi's shoulder to relax her muscles, "Tell us what bhai did to you?"

"He said all I care about is food and talking," Khushi said.

"Haww! How can he say this to you?"

Arnav gave his brothers a disapproving look in response to their exaggerated reaction.

"If we are playing the add fuel to the fire game, then why should I stay behind?" Arnav said, his competitive spirit was ignited now, "May I explain why I was the only one available to have lunch with you yesterday? These two went to Aman's apartment. He had renovated his kitchen and invited us for lunch at his place. However, I declined his invitation as I did not wish to leave my wife alone for lunch."

Khushi looked at Akash and NK with disbelief, silently seeking an explanation.
Her jaws dropped when she noticed their visible nervousness and embarrassment for concealing this information from her, "I didn't expect you two would betray me for that Munna Mogambo too." 

"It's nothing like that.. we're not on his side Bhabhi you know that.."

"Bhabhi, please hear us out. We only went there because..." Akash and NK tried to explain, but Khushi pulled away from NK's grip and left the kitchen.

Akash and NK directed accusatory glances at Arnav, who simply shrugged with a devilish smirk in response.

"This is not fair Bhai. Bhabhi was upset with you, not us."

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend like you two weren't having a blast stirring up trouble for me!" Arnav narrowed his eyes at them as he turned to leave to pacify his wife.

Akash swiftly took the plate containing meethi paratha and NK promptly went to the refrigerator to fetch chocolates for Khushi. The Raizada brothers rushed earnestly to appease their Bhabhi.

HP, who had been a quiet observer in the situation, chuckled silently as he observed Khushi's impact on the Raizada brothers. No one would believe the prominent figures of India's business world, the owners of AR fashion company, run around like crazy in their house trying to please this little firecracker who came into their lives a few years back.

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"Don't come to me. Go and stay with your Aman. Let him have the chance to say 'Munna Mogambo khush hua' to my face," Khushi pouted, folding her arms across her chest as she stood in a corner of the living room, facing her back to the Raizada brothers. 

Arnav was the first to rush to her, pulling her closer to him from behind. He pressed soft, urgent kisses on her hair, expressing his sincere apology, "Sorry.. sorry. No one here would ever want to replace you with Munna Mogambo, Muski!"

Khushi's lips curved into a light smile as she endeavored to maintain her composure. However, the growing radiant smile on her face revealed that her husband's simple apology had already melted her heart.  

Akash and NK stood before her, their ears held in their hands as they gazed at her with expressions of remorse.

They then hurried to her, "Bhabhi, I woke up early this morning to make meethi paratha for you. Do you recall how much you were craving for this yesterday while watching the movie?" Akash offered her the plate, promptly bringing a bite of the meethi paratha to her mouth.

"I didn't make these chocolates, but I found them in the fridge and thought you might like them bhabhi," NK eagerly opened the chocolate wrapper and offered it to Khushi with a sheepish smile.

Khushi was now completely overwhelmed with all the love and pampering she was getting from Arnav, Akash, and NK. She spoke while munching on the food being fed to her like she was a little baby, "Bas bas (enough).. I can't believe you guys took my nautanki (drama) seriously. I am not upset with the three of you. Actually, I'd feel bad if you two ditched Aman to have lunch with me," she then turned to face her husband, giggling sheepishly, "And Pikachu, you know I love pretending to be mad at you so you'll spoil me."

"Pagal ladki!" He gently pressed his forehead against hers, letting out a soft chuckle.

Akash and NK, feeling relieved, joined Arshi for a warm and affectionate family embrace.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Arnav broke tbe hug, volunteering to answer the door while gesturing to his brothers to continue feeding Khushi, who had earlier expressed her hunger.

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As he opened the door, he was taken aback by the sight of the person standing before him. He found himself unable to move, as if rooted to the spot. A profound sense of numbness engulfed his entire being, leaving only tears to well up in his eyes.

It was his older sister. The one who left him to shoulder the responsibilities of his brothers single-handedly when he was merely 14 years of age. The one who deserted him a week after the unfortunate demise of their parents. The one who never turned to look back at him after she got married.

She threw herself in his arms, but he remained motionless, experiencing a profound heaviness in his chest and a sudden sense of suffocation. This was not the familiar and warm embrace he had shared with his Muski and his brothers just a moment ago. This embrace induced a suffocating sensation within him and rekindled those distressing  memories of his past in his mind.

"Chote!"

He shut his eyes tight, holding back a tear that threatened to escape. It had been years since he had last heard her affectionately call him "chote." He had yearned deeply for this moment, hoping that one day his sister would return to him and his brothers. However, as time passed, he gradually learned to live without her presence. At this point, he wondered if it still held the same significance.

"Shyam ji divorced me!"

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Let me know your thoughts about the prologue. The plot and characters of the story have undergone changes, but the core remains the same. It is the tale of three brothers (Arnav, Akash, and NK) who were abandoned by their older sister, Anjali, a week after their parents' passing as she had to move abroad after getting married to Shyam. Subsequently, a little girl named Khushi entered their lives and brought about a change as she turned their nightmarish circumstances into a life filled with joy and contentment.