Kushi rushed out of the Shaantivan keeping a tight reign on her tears.

No. She can't let them out. Not yet. Not when he is so close.

As soon as she was out the compound she slumped against the tree and let the tears out.

Her heart ached

Why?? Why does he still has the power over her??

Didn't she decide that she will never let him affect her anymore?

What happened to all those promises she made to herself.

And him!

Why does it matter to him if she was engaged or not.

Why couldn't he simple leave her alone.

Chalo maiyya ke bavan bavan

Kushi picked up her phone, wiping her tears and clearing her throat.

"Ji Buaji?"

"Where are you Sanka devi? Advaith bitwa ka phone aya. They will be here soon nandakishore" Buaji said

(Advaith called)

"I'm coming buaji" Kushi said and hang up

"No Kushi. You are going to meet Amma and Babuji after months. And you are meeting Advi after years. Don't let that Arnav Singh Raizada spoil the day for you" Kushi gave herself a prep talk before rushing home.

As soon as she entered home, she saw her parents and Advaith in the living room.

"Amma, Babuji" she rushed to her parents and hugged the life out of them

Then she turned to Advaith and rushed towards him

"Advii" she squealed and was about to hug him, when he raised his hands as if to ward her off

Kushi's smile faltered seeing that

"Advi?"

"This shirt is so expensive Kushi. Don't spoil it" he said and Kushi sucked in a sharp breath

"What??" She asked in a broken tone

"I know we have been close in the childhood Kushi. But things have changed. I'm here only because my mother forced me to. I have a status to maintain" Advaith said

Status

Aukaat

The word she hates the most.

She stumbled back, not expecting to hear the same word from her childhood friend

A friendship she had always cherished, though they had not been in regular touch.

Suddenly she heard Advaith and looked up at him

"Look at your face jalebi. Okay, I admit I didn't expect such an extreme reaction. I was bracing myself for punches and kicks" Advaith said chuckling, though he was confused by the pain he saw in Kushi's eyes

The Kushi he knew would have scratched his eyes out for saying that.

Kushi attempted a smile

"Come on jalebi. Now give me my hug" Advaith said stepping towards her, but she stepped back unknowingly making Advaith frown

"How are you?" Kushi asked politely

"Come on jalebi. I was just joking okay"

"It didn't feel like that though" Kushi said

"Kussi?? Sab teek hei bitiya?" Garima asked

(Kushi? Everything alright dear?)

"Haa Amma. Sab teek hei. I will change and come" with that said Kushi rushed towards the room

(Everything is alright)

"What happened to her? I was only joking" Advaith said

"She must be tired. She has been running around making sweets and cleaning the house ever since she heard you all are coming" Payal said with a smile

A while later, Advaith came into the room to see Kushi sitting on the bed and lost in her thoughts

"Jalebi??" He called her

Kushi looked up without answering

"Come on. Cheer up. I was only joking." Advaith said with his puppy eyes

Kushi didn't respond.

"Sorry" Advaith said holding his ears

Kushi laughed out loud

"You think only you can play the prank?" Kushi asked covering up the momentary lapse with a mischievous smile

Advaith rolled his eyes

"I should have known you would not have changed in all these years. Dramebaaz" Advaith said ruffling her hair

"Okay. Now tell me, what have you brought for me from America?" Kushi asked in excitement

Advaith gave her and her family, the gifts he brought for them

"Kushi. Momma gave you this" he said forwarding a small velvet box

"What is this?" She asked

"Open and see" Advaith said

Kushi opened the box and saw a very pretty ring, with a small single diamond in the centre surrounded by precious stones

"Wow. It's so pretty. But it must have been expensive. There was no need for this" Kushi said

"This is your mother's Kushi" Advaith said softly

Kushi looked up at him in surprise

"Amma's?" Kushi asked

"Yes. The year after we left, we had come home for the vacation. A month before their accident. Amma and Gayatri maa had ordered for similar rings to be made. They got it only after the accident. Amma kept Gayatri maa's ring with her. She wanted to give it to you when you grow up." Advaith said

"Thank you" Kushi mumbled

"Why don't you wear it" Advaith said and Kushi nodded happily, wearing the ring on her left hand ring finger.

"Kushi. I need your help" Advaith said

"What help??"

"I'm new to Delhi. I don't know the places. So I will need your help"

"You want to go sightseeing? I have been here only for a few months Advi. I haven't seen the places myself" Kushi said

"Not sightseeing. I'm here on official purpose Kushi. Not on vacation. My company has sent me here to set up a branch here in India. I'm the incharge" Advaith said

"Oh. What company do you work for?"

"D-fab. I work in the fashion industry."

"You are a fashion designer??" Kushi asked appalled.

"No. I did business management. I'm here to set up the company. Hire designers. Find more clients. All sort of base works" Advaith said and Kushi nodded

"I will help you. As it is, I'm out of job now" Kushi said

"I can't hire new employees now. We have a team from Mumbai joining for the work. As soon as the company let us hire new employees, I will make sure to give you a job" Advaith said

"We will see. First you set up your office" Kushi said

***

Shaantivan

It was a little while after Kushi left, the Raizadas heard the loud crash coming from upstairs startling them from their gossips

"What was that?" Anjali asked alarmed

"I don't know di. Let me go and check" Lavanya said

"We will also come. HP, please come with us" Nani ordered, worrying who could it be

As they reached upstairs, they saw a visibly furious Arnav Singh Raizada kicking the tea table, which crashed the next moment, lying broken along with another huge flower vase

"Chotte?? Chotte left home a while ago right? When did he come back?" Nani asked as they hurried towards the poolside.

"Chotte. Stop it. What are you doing? What happened to you?" Anjali cried seeing her brother going out of control.

Arnav Singh Raizada was always in control. Yes, his anger and rage is infamous, but he never loses control.

Never had he lost control like this before.

"Oh chotte. You are bleeding" Anjali cried seeing the blood gushing out of the laceration in Arnav's palm

Arnav Singh Raizada was not listening to anything

His mind and heart was elsewhere.

"Lavanya ji. Please get the first aid box" Anjali said as she led Arnav towards the recliner and made him sit there.

Lavanya hurried back with the first aid box and Anjali did the dressing.

"Why chotte? What happened? Why did you do this?" Anjali asked scared at Arnav's behaviour

"It hurts" he mumbled in daze and Anjali mistook it to be the physical pain of the injury.

"Ofcourse it will. Did you see how deep the injury is. Itna gussa?? Aisa bhi kya hua jo tumhe itna gussa dilaya?" Anjali asked.

(This much anger? What happened to make you this angry?)

"Hello hai bye bye. Lagta hei phati saree ki shakal dekha hi Arnav bitwa ke gussa saatve aasman pahunch gayi" Manorama said, not realising how close she has been to the truth

(HHBB, seems like Arnav bitwa's anger has reached the seventh sky, just by seeing phati saree's face.

"Don't. Don't ever take her name in this house" ASR said in a deceptively calm voice. But the coldness in the was evident, making a shiver run down the listener's spine

"I need some space" Arnav stood up from the recliner briskly and walked out of the room and the house, leaving his family bewildered

"HHBB. I was joking. Aisa kya kiya phati saree ne aaj?" Manorama asked in confusion

(What did Kushi do today?)

"She dismissed him today, when he called her upstairs to talk something. And the ASR inside chotte came in full form. His ego might not have been able to take it, being dismissed by a girl" Anjali said, shaking her head in disappointment at Arnav's behaviour.

"He hates her. He keeps saying, he do not want to see her face, he do not want to talk to her, he do not want to hear anything about her. And yet, when she came today, he wanted to talk to her. I don't understand him Anjali bitiya. Kya chahta hei chotte??" Nani asked feeling confused out of her wits.

(What does chotte wants?)

"Honestly Nani, when it comes to Kushi ji, I don't understand chotte either. I mean, how could someone hate Kushi ji?" Anjali shook her head

"Well, let's hope that it will get better now that they won't be seeing each other often like before" Nani said

"Yeah. I wanted to ask her to help with the engagement preparations, then decided against it. Chotte will keep insulting her and I just couldn't stand it anymore." Anjali said guiltily

"Khair chodo ye sab. Let's call the Pandit ji and ask for an auspicious date for the engagement"

(Leave all that)