“Hey devi maiyya. Who introduced this tradition of fasting for every silly matter? I can feel the rats running all around my tummy, begging for some poori and jalebi” Khushi looked at the devi maiyya idol on her table and complained, as her sister helper her drape a peach lavender coloured saree.

She looked absolutely gorgeous in it.

“Oye sanka devi. Stop complaining. If you keep complaining like this, your fasting won’t have any effect. You have to do it wholeheartedly” Bua ji called out from the living room, exasperated at hearing the same complaint from her niece for the hundredth time this day.

“See, I starved for no reason. I couldn’t eat and neither would my fasting be received by devi maiyya” Khushi said grumpily.

“Paagal” Payal mumbled under her breath with a chuckle.

“Aren’t you two done? Advi will come now. He said he will take us to the temple” Garima came inside the girl’s room.

“We are ready, Amma” Payal said.

Garima looked at her girls and her heart filled. Her little girls had grown up. The two girls she didn’t give birth to. But the daughters of her heart. It’s time to hand them over to two eligible boys, who would look after them well.

“Nazar na lage” Garima said and took some kajal from her eyes and applied it behind the girls’ neck.

“Amma, how many hours more for the moon to come” Khushi asked. Garima rolled her eyes and walked out of the room.

*****

By half past four in the evening, Arnav and Akash reached Shantivan.

“Di, get ready quickly” Arnav said and hurried to his bedroom to get changed.

Anjali watched her brother hurrying away in confusion and she then turned to Akash who had come in along with Arnav.

“What happened to him? Where is he taking me?” Anjali asked.

“Temple” Akash said and Anjali looked at Akash as if he just said he is an alien.

Akash chuckled.

“Khushi ji is coming to the temple. It seems there is some puja” Akash said and Anjali chuckled.

“Ah I see. Since you also accompanied chotte, I guess Khushi ji is not the only one who is attending the puja” Anjali teased and Akash flushed and hurried to his bedroom to get changed.

Shyam was hurrying out when Anjali blocked his way.

“Shyam ji. Let’s go to the temple. Chotte is taking us” Anjali said and Shyam tried hard to keep his annoyance from showing on his face.

“Rani Saheba, I have to meet a client. It’s urgent” Shyam said in his most modest voice.

“Shyam ji, why don’t you listen. I have something very important to say about chotte. He has changed a lot. He is in..” Shyam didn’t let Anjali complete.

“Rani Saheba, I need to go now. I will listen later” Shyam said and hurried out from the house, tired of hearing her chotte puraan for the last few years.

"He didn't even listen to me. I have been trying to tell him about chotte and Khushi ji since he arrived." Anjali mumbled under breath and went to get ready.

****

Arnav parked the car and hurried up the stairs. He stopped for a moment at the spot where he broke her fast on the last teej day.

"Di, hurry up" Arnav grumbled seeing his sister stopping to chat with some lady.

"Earlier, I had to emotionally blackmail you to accompany you to the temple." Anjali teased and Arnav rolled his eyes.

As they reached the temple Arnav stopped on his tracks. He felt his heart skip a beat, seeing the lavender gorgeousness in front of him. The lights from the diyas lit around her reflected on the mirror works on her saree, making her glow more.

Arnav couldn’t take his eyes off her. He so wanted to tie a mangalsutra around her neck and carry her all the way back to Shantivan.

Khushi clutched her heart when she felt the very familiar dhak dhak of her heart.

She didn't need to be told. She knew he was here. And for some reason, she wasn't even shocked. Somehow, she had expected him to come too. She didn't know why.

She looked up and their eyes locked. Everything around them disappeared for a moment.

"Arre Anjali bitiya" Bua ji exclaimed seeing the Raizada siblings there unexpectedly.

After the day they came with the proposal, it's the first time they are meeting.

"Bua ji, how are you?" Anjali engaged herself in a conversation with Bua ji and Garima.

Arnav kept following Khushi with his passionate gaze.

When he realised no one was paying attention, he went and stood very close to her.

Khushi shot a glare at him, but it had no effect on him. He was so damn mesmerised.

Khushi in saree is another . Something that always tests his control. He remembered the last time he saw her in a saree. On diwali night. If he had been a bit more smarter back then, things would have been different. Khushi might already be his wife.

"You look gorgeous, Khushi" Arnav said huskily and Khushi felt her heart beat pick up its pace.

She looked around, worried anyone might see the way he is behaving.

"Mr Raizada, please move. There are people around" Khushi hissed at him and a smirk appeared on Arnav's face.

"You won't mind if we are alone?" Arnav teased and heat crept up her cheeks, making her much more beautiful.

Arnav groaned seeing that. He ached to bite her rosy cheeks and taste them with his tongue.

"Don't wear saree until our marriage, Khushi" Arnav said huskily and Khushi shot a confused look at him.

"I might lose my control. So better stick to your salwar kameez. That's better for your own safety" Arnav mumbled and pinched lightly on the exposed part of her waist. Khushi felt a current pass through her spine and she sprang away from him and shot an angry look at him.

Arnav smirked and winked at her, making her more angry.

Khushi moved away from him and stood next to her sister.

Advaith who turned around saw Shyam coming up the stairs and frowned seeing him stop on his tracks and him going pale.