Chapter One

His words were still ringing in her mind. She sat at her table, munching away on jalebis. Payal came into the room and looked at her sister, and tapped her shoulder.

"Khushi? Khushi? Tum tik ho na?"

Khushi bit into her jalebi.

Payal sighed. "Khushi it's okay! So what if we didn't win at the Sangeet? It's okay."

Khushi stood up that moment. "Nai Jiji," she pouted. "It's not okay!" She bit her jalebi. "If we had won then that beautiful idol would be right here in front of me." She bit her nail and mumbled "and nor would he ever ask me to marry him."

"Tumne kuch kaha," Payal asked.

Khushi moved her hand away and shook her head. Both got ready for bed and turned off the lights and laid there.

"Jiji," Khushi said.

"Hmm Khushi."

"Can you tell me something?"

"Kya Khushi?"

"How did you know you loved Jeejaji?"

"Khushi!"

"Batao na!"

"Well... I just did. And the whole suicide thing made my heart go wild that instant."

"Oh..."

"Why Khushi?"

"Just asking..."

"Well its not the same as yours." She laughed. "No stars falling, that's for sure."

Khushi remembered back to that day when she thought stars were falling and she was catching them in her dupatta. She remembered how Arnav was throwing them up and she kept catching them, until he snapped her out of her reverie and she felt kind of stupid. He managed to do that to her; he managed to make her feel funny. He managed to make her heart race up and go "dhak-dhak, dhak-dhak!"

Dhak-dhak! Dhak-Dhak!

Her heart was doing it now and she shut her eyes. She held onto it until it stopped and she got aggravated. "Ji-"

She turned and saw that Payal was already asleep. Khushi got even more irritated and got up to make more jalebis.

Lost in thought, Khushi made her jalebis, her hands already mastered of this art. She couldn't help but wonder why Arnav would ask of such a thing.

*~*

"Marry me, Khushi Kumari Gupta."

Khushi pushed him away and gaped at him. Arnav looked really serious, yet loving at the same time.

"W-why would you... a-ask me of su-such a thing?"

"You said you'd do anything. Don't tell me that the great Khushi Kumari Gupta is backing away."

Khushi looked away. "You have to give me some time," she said after thinking about it.

"Why?"

"Arnavji, this about the matter of my future!"

"True, but this is the matter of the bet."

Khushi still looked away.

"Tell you what - I'll give you the night. Tomorrow at the mehendi, you'll tell me. Oh yeah, and your two options: say you'll marry me and I'll tell everyone, or..."

"Or?" She looked up at him.

"Or I'll do something so bad, you'll regret saying no to me."

The gleam in his eyes had disappeared and the infamous Arnav Singh Raizada appeared. Khushi looked away and nodded.

*~*

Khushi thought about her being his wife, the same thought she had played days ago, going through her head and how he had said she looked like an auto. That brought her back to reality and she looked at all the jalebis that she had made and were on the tray.

Her eyes widened instantly. All of them said Arnav and she couldn't believe what she had done. This is what her instincts now did: make Arnav jalebis.

Khushi cooled them down and ate them all down and then looked at the ones being made. Those said Arnav as well and she freaked out. "Hai Devi Maiya, yeh maine kya kiya," she squeaked.

She placed them on the tray and just as she was about to dig in, there was a knock at the door. She took the tray and muttered to herself. "First these jalebis, now some psycho at the door."

She opened the door and her eyes widened again. It was him, the real Arnav, standing before her. She gulped and stood frozen while Arnav smirked his sexy smirk. He noticed the tray and looked at the jalebis. Khushi was too busy panicking, not realizing that he was looking at it.

"So, you are remembering me."

Khushi scrunched her eyebrows.

"Jalebis... that too in my name?"

Khushi's eyes widened even more and he looked at the tray. She quickly ate them and Arnav looked at her humorlessly.

"Jalebis," she asked, munching, "what jalebis?"

Arnav smirked and leaned in, but Khushi placed the tray in between.

Arnav looked at it and then at her, her cheeks stuffed with Jalebis. "Won't you allow your future husband close to you," he smirked.

Khushi stared into his eyes.

"I hope you're thinking wisely Khushi. You wouldn't want bad faith, would you?"

Khushi gulped.

"And I know you're a very sanskari type, so if a man were to..."

Khushi understood his point. "You wouldn't."

"You know I'll do anything."

Khushi swallowed down the last bits of jalebis.

Arnav smirked. "See you tomorrow future Mrs. Raizada." 

He turned to leave, when Khushi spoke.

"Is that why you came?"

Arnav looked back at her to see her curious doe-like eyes. He went back to her and went through his pocket and took out her earring. Khushi remembered how he gestured to them and she slightly blushed. She slowly crept her hand out to take them and Arnav placed it in her hand. She brought her hand back in and looked away.

"Good night Khushi," he said softly.

"Good night Arnavji," she slightly smiled.

And Arnav left.