RISHTAA: An Arranged Love (IPKKND AU) **ON HIATUS**

Chapter 18: Arnav

The next day, breakfast was a blur of activity. Arnav wove his way around the women in his family to sit at his customary place on Nani's left.

"Chhote! I'm so glad you're here," Di turned to him, her arms full of saris, "Quick, pick a sari for Khushi-ji."

Arnav turned to the pile she set beside him, nodding absently at HP as he placed a plate of buttered toast and a glass of orange juice in front of him. First, he rejected all the pastel colours, cutting down the options to just four. He rubbed fabric between his fingers.

"This is too rough," he rejected the cotton blend.

"The Managing Director of AR Designs is making an appearance," Di commented to no one in particular.

"The netting won't fall properly when she's wearing it," he rejected a turquoise blue sari.

The choice was down to a pink and purple sari in chiffon or a red one in georgette.

"The red one," Arnav decided, letting the soft fabric slide through his fingers as he admired the thin gold border with threads of green.

"Excellent," grinned Di, "now we can pick matching jewellery."

He watched Di and Mami open and close jewellery boxes at the other end of the dining table as he polished off his toast. They showed him when they were done.

"Not diamonds," he shook his head, "Give her the set with the garnets, she likes bright colours."

"Chhote knows his future wife very well," Nani smiled at him.

"Mmmm," Arnav agreed absently, his mind racing to the next occasion, "Her engagement ring can't be diamond either. Not white diamond. I was thinking a yellow diamond. Her favourite colour is yellow."

He looked up from his plate to find his entire family gaping at him. "What?"

"It's just ... we've never ..." Di stammered.

"You wanted me to get married, right?" he frowned, "Isn't this what husbands do?"

His only answer was a stunned silence.


"Unbelievable," scowling, he retreated to his bedroom.


He was sliding into his jacket when his phone chimed with a text message.

'When will you be here?
'

Smiling, he typed out a reply.


'1 hour. You miss me?
'

Khushi's reply was almost instant.

'No.'

He was still smiling when he returned to the dining room, where Nani, Mami, and Di were busy wrapping the gifts. In addition to the sari and jewellery for Khushi, there were saris, bangles, and necklace sets for the women in her family, and a kurta set for her father. Mami, worried for Khushi and Payal's wedding photos, had also arranged for two makeup kits.

"Aakash," Arnav disturbed his brother as he ate, "can you drive everyone to Laxmi Nagar? I have to see to an errand but I'll meet you there."

"What errand, Chhote?" Nani had overheard.

"Just ... something ... I'll see you there."

-----------

He was happy.

While contentment and satisfaction were familiar companions, found in successful acquisitions and increased profits, happiness had always been for others. It was Di's smile and Aakash's confidence and sometimes even Nani's praise. The mere promise of Khushi, however, had changed everything.