St. Mary School, Mumbai.

'Excuse Me'

The boy turned around, he is sitting at one of the bench in the corridor of their school.

Boy 'yes!!!'

'You are Arnav Mallik from 10th Std. Sec. B, right?'

Arnav 'Yes, so?'

The girl smiled before feeling nervous held a letter in front of him who raised his eye brows.

Arnav 'what is it?'

Girl 'Voh Lavanya Di asked me to give you'

Arnav 'hmmm, and do you know what the letter is about?'

The girl shaked her head in no, Arnav 'What is your name?'

Girl 'Khushi Gupta, Class 8th Sec. A'

Arnav 'So Khushi, can you do me one favor?'

She felt confused but nodded in positive. Arnav 'read it for me'

Huge hazel eye met his chocolate caramel one.

Arnav 'What? Read it or I'll tear it into pieces'

Khushi 'Nahiin, Lavanya Di will scold me if you do so'

Arnav 'then?' he drawled suggestively.

Khushi 'I'll read it for you' she started reading the letter, time to time looking at his reaction which was nonchalant, simply boring.

Arnav 'So what do you think she wishes to conveys?'

Khushi 'that....that she likes you...and is asking you out?'

Arnav 'I should reply something right'

Khushi nodded her head, Arnav 'here take this pen and write what I say'

Khushi 'huh?'

Arnav 'common don't waste our time'

Khushi took the pen tentatively, Arnav 'Write it "I don't like you and Go to hell"'

Khushi 'haww'

Arnav hiding his smile 'will you write what I said?' he looked at her narrowing his eyes. Khushi nodding at him wrote what he said. She then looked at him unsure of what to do.

Arnav 'give it to her' she again nodded her head. She was going to leave when he called her.

Arnav 'Khushi!!!'

Khushi 'Ji!!!'

Arnav 'do not do this type of work hereafter. I should not see you delivering any letters or messages from now'

She looked at him astonished. He flickered her nose smiling 'and you are cute' he left her towards his classroom as it is time for his next class.

Khushi touched her nose, a shy smile appeared on her face listening to his compliment *and you are cute*.

Few days later,

Library, Arnav looked around for a place to sit with the book he had borrowed to complete his assignment. His eyes landed on someone and smiling left to take a seat beside her.

He gazed at her before sitting to see her nose buried in book. He cleared his throat lightly.

She looked up 'Aap?'

Arnav smiling softly 'Khushi right? And what aap? This is library and I'm allowed to read the books like you are doing I guess. You see I'm also a student here.'

Khushi flustered 'mera matlab voh nahiin tha'

Arnav 'leave it. Assignment?'

Khushi shaking her head 'No, voh final exams are coming na so preparing for it'

Arnav 'hmmm nice' both looked down into their book. Each of them concentrating on their work.

Few minutes later, she stood up. Arnav 'What?'

Khushi 'Voh my next class is going to start'

Arnav 'Ok...ay!!! Will see you next time'

Khushi nodding her head left, he looked at her retreating back, and then shaking his head went down to complete his assignment.

'Khushi!!!!' Arnav shouted in the empty corridor of the school.

Khushi turned towards him, he came running to her, heaving slightly he looked at her who looked at him questioningly. Arnav 'you are leaving?' his tone had accusation which sadly Khushi could not get it.

Khushi 'yeah, Papa got transferred to Delhi'

Arnav 'is it necessary for you to go?'

She looked at him incredulously 'yes, how can my parents leave me behind?'

He 'Will you? Will you come back?'

Khushi pouting 'Don't know'

Arnav 'Khushi!!!' she looked at him.

He took something out of his pocket, Khushi looked at him wide eye when he made her wear it, and it was a beautiful silver chain.

Khushi 'Arnav?'

Arnav 'this is for you. Promise me you will never take it away from your neck'

Khushi looked at his demanding eyes and his out stretched hand. His eyes so hopeful she in a daze kept her hand in his. He pulled her in a tight hug before leaving her, planting a soft kiss on her cheek 'I'll miss you!!!'

Khushi stood shock looking at his retreating figure.

After 8 years,

'Excuse me!!!'

He turned raising his eyes brows. She stood there looking here and there flushing.

'What?'

He looked at her hand holding a piece of neatly fold paper. And then looked at her, she started in a tensed voice 'you are Arnav Singh Raizada, MBA first year na'

Arnav 'Yes!!!'

She looked up troubled, then extending her hand to him 'Voh Sheethal ji asked you to give this'

He laughed, then sobering up at her confused face, he with his lopsided smile 'Khushi Gupta you will never change'

Shaking his head he came near her, so close making her tremble 'Wh....What?'

He cupped her cheek before brushing his lips with hers, few seconds later he pulled away from the kiss and looked at her dazed look 'you got my answer'

Khushi 'haww' she closed her mouth with her hand.

He laughed again saying while flickering her nose 'and you are cute'

Khushi stood looking at his retreating back with wide eye, he after going few steps came back to her 'and if don't remember me I'm the same boy all those years back to whom you came to deliver one of the bimbos love letter'

She stood shock at the information.

A month later,

'Arnav ji!!!'

'hmmm'

Khushi 'how did you know it was me that day?'

Arnav 'I knew, I just knew. Your eyes, your hazel eyes had captivated me. Do you remember the final match happened between our School and St. Joseph School when you were studying in our school?'

Khushi 'yeah, we won it'

Arnav 'yes, I saw you jumping in happiness. Your eyes twinkling, and the same time a spark lit my heart. And that was the day I had fallen so hard for you. You were so cute and I liked your cuteness very much. I used to look at you secretly during school days. And like luck for me, you like a fool came to me with that Lavanya's love letter'

Khushi 'haww I'm a fool?'

Arnav 'aur nahiin toh kya you are doing the delivery of message and letter even here too. I had asked you to stop all this right'

Khushi 'haun in school you were there but after I came here no one were there to support me. And I had to follow seniors and these high rich brats order otherwise they will not let me in peace'

Cuddling her close to himself, he looked at her with all the love in his eyes 'now I'm here so you will not do such things'

Khushi 'I had stopped'

Arnav 'really?'

Khushi 'yes, I know whatever happens you are there na'

Arnav 'how can you be sure?'

Khushi 'because I have seen you warning Lavanya Di all those years long back and I know you would have done the same to Sheethal too. You know now days Sheethal always keeps her distance from me and I know it is because of you'

Arnav smiled 'voh toh karna hi tha'

Khushi 'agaye batayina'

Arnav 'What?'

Khushi 'that letter incident, you were telling na and then the topic changed to some other route'

Arnav 'hmmm then you came to me and I had made you to write the answer. It was a chance for me and I took it because after that I was able to talk to you whenever I felt like. But then at the end of the year after final exam you left'

Khushi 'I did not want to go but papa and mama wanted to'

Arnav 'I've bought you a chain with the savings of my pocket money. And rest you know'

Khushi 'why you did not tell me you liked me then?'

Arnav 'I wished to but you know na how you always makes excuse to run away from me. I thought to give you some time and get comfortable with me.'

He took the heart shape of the chain in his hand looking at 'you never once parted with it'

Khushi 'No!!! it was such a lovely gift and I could not able to take it away.'

Arnav 'after you left I was lost, one year went slowly and painfully. And then there was a huge argument of my dad with his brother. We came to know later his brother had cheated him and took all the property in his name. Papa disowned Malik name and took my mother's maiden name Raizada. We means Dad, Mom, Di and me, shifted to Delhi. Dad started the business from scratch with the help of my Maama ji. Business took well and he built a new empire AR, Corp and Ltd., it took him three years to bring the company to a position where people can say with closed eyes AR brand is the best. I was not with him then, as soon as we had reached Delhi he had sent me to boarding school and then sent me to abroad for my UG degree. Even though he struggled he did not let go of the dream he had for me to send me to abroad for my higher studies. And my being excellent in academics made his dream to come true a little easy. Di had pursued her higher studies in Delhi Arts and Science College. I have a cousin brother Akash, my maama ji and maami ji's son. No one knew about you, my crush on you but Akash found it. It was my third semester leave when I came from US to India. He is like a pest who at the end made me to join FB. He was suggesting his friends to me and what I saw was literally a shock. God help me do you know what I saw; I saw your name in his friend list. I tried to see your profile to confirm my doubts but it was protected and only your friends will be able to see. I had no option but to ask Akash his log in id and password. He did give me but curiosity got better of him when he saw me browsing through your profile. You have changed but your eyes even though hidden behind this glass could not hide from me. Then rest you know Akash Raizada and his girl friend Payal Mehra literally pounced on you. You do remember that they had all of sudden started becoming more close to you in FB one or the other always chatting with you. *Khushi looked at him wide eyes, nodding her head* That is because my brother found out I've feelings for you and he wanted to bring us together. Rest you know with their intervention it was easy for me to know where you are, what you are doing, etc. Dad wanted me to complete my MBA too in Harvard but I stood my ground of coming back to India and study here, in this college where you are. Akash and Payal helped me lot'

Khushi 'haun, I never knew what is happening around me'

Arnav 'because you are too nave for your own good'

Khushi 'but then why did you not gave me friend request'

Arnav smiled at her softly 'wished to but could not dare to give, lest I spill my feelings to you which I want to show in real, face to face'

Khushi 'And that pappi (kiss), you did wrong you know'

Arnav 'hmmm but I could not control myself seeing you before me and the situation was such that it was second time you brought someone else prem pathra to me when all I wanted was yours'

Khushi 'what if I had slapped you then?'

Arnav 'you did not then nor all the time when you were running away from me in this whole month while I stole lot of pappi's from you'

Khushi 'haun'

Arnav 'now don't behave as if you did not like my pappi's'

Khushi blushed, Arnav smirking 'bolo'

Khushi 'I love it'

Arnav 'achha only my pappis and what about me?'

Khushi nodding 'you too, I love you too'

Arnav pecking her lips smirked in proud seeing her turning to his favorite color red 'Main bhi!! I love you' hugging her close he laughed hearing her muttering pouting 'again a pappi? You always do this without giving me any warning'

Arnav 'tumhein pata hain na tum pagal ho par bohut cute ho'

Khushi 'Janthi hoon'

Arnav 'and you are mine. Only mine'