Aarohi's POV:

"So, this is the place", Karthik says, as he parks the jeep into the parking lot of a sweet albeit small motel.

I look around. It's actually very clean and doesn't look much crowded.

And I am quite relieved that the motel is not named something as shady or seedy as "Hotel Decent".

It's simply called "Home." With "Inn" written below on a wooden, circular plate. Well, that's a first.

"I hope that's okay", Karthik says, looking at me tentatively.

I laugh at his expression. "Karthik, relax. You don't have to walk around egg shells while talking to me. I'm the same old Aarohi and you're the same old Karthik."

His face breaks into a relieved grin.

"And besides, I actually kinda like this place", I admit and gesture towards the name of the motel. "It feels like home."

He smiles widely and both of us get down from the jeep.

We reach the reception area, and there's an old woman, probably in her sixties, looking at an old but neat register, a slightly wistful expression on her face.

"Hello", Karthik greets politely and she looks at us and immediately her face brightens.

"Hello!" She sings. "Welcome home." Both Karthik and I smile. I already like her and I can tell that Karthik does too.

"How can I help you, dears?" She asks.

Karthik glances at me quickly before turning to her and I catch a wicked glint in his eye.

This cannot be good.

"Hi", he says, smiling sincerely. "I would like to book a room, please."

"Just one?" She asks, smiling all the while.

I open my mouth to protest but he beats me to it. "Yes, just one. My wife and I are very thankful towards you. We've had a long, tiring journey."

I widen my eyes. That sneaky moron.

"We aren't-" I begin.

Karthik snakes his arm around my waist, and pulls me close, effectively interrupting me.

"My wife doesn't like to admit that she's tired. Has got the energy of a horse, this one!" He laughs and the old woman joins him. I glare at him and fake laugh.

"Could you give us two rooms, please?" I ask the woman politely.

"Oh dear, have you fought with your husband?" She asks, giving me an understanding look.

Karthik's grip on my waist tightens and I squirm in his hold.

I sigh. "Yes, ma'am. You know how they can be. All he cares about is football and his sleep. I need my time as well."

Karthik pulls me even closer, this time, setting my heart on fire. "But honey, I apologised to you a million times about that already. And you said you had forgiven me. I mean, what else was I supposed to do? You were busy shopping and chatting with your friends."

"That's because you would rather watch football than go shopping with me!"

"You know I dislike the idea of shopping. Plus, it was a really important game-"

"Oh, more important than spending time with me?" I interrupt and Karthik looks highly amused. I blush at his gaze. I know both of us are just acting, but it seems a little too real for my taste.

"You two look like you have some issues to sort out, dears", the woman laughs. "But let me tell you this. No marriage is successful without a little fight every now and then. You two make an amazing couple. So hold on to each other. And dear", she looks at me. "If I were you, I would forgive him. He sounds sincere. And he's really handsome." She winks at me and I almost start laughing.

"That's what I said", Karthik pipes up, smirking and I hit his arm.

"Conceited jerk", I hiss.

"Gorgeous bitch", he hisses back and I resist the urge to stick my tongue out.

Our friendship has always been like that. Both of us call each other names, but neither of us means it.

A wide grin settles on my face as I realise how glad I am to have Karthik back in my life.

He takes the key from the old woman and as we walk towards our room, he looks at me and says, "What? Why are you smiling like that? You look like a toad."

I stick my tongue out this time. "I'm just glad to have you back in my life."

He smiles. "Me too, Lizzie. Me too. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

He grabs my hand and we reach our assigned room.

"So, Mrs. Karthik", he says and grins at me.

I roll my eyes. "What, Mr. Aarohi?"

"How is this supposed to work? Am I supposed to carry you across the threshold or something?" He smiles evilly.

I snort. "No thank you. I've got two feet. I can walk."

"You don't say", he mutters sardonically and opens the door.

I step inside but he yanks me back and in one swift motion, he picks me up.

"What the-?" I say, shocked. "Karthik, put me down!"

"Damn you're heavy", Karthik grunts. "But you're not fat. That's weird." He walks inside the room.

"Karthik, seriously, let me go!" I almost yell.

"As you wish."

And he just drops me. The bastard just drops me onto the bed.

"I'm going to kill you!" I yell.

"You will have to catch me first!" He laughs.

Giving out a war cry, I run after him and he starts running in circles around a medium sized table.

The room is actually pretty huge and cozy, and very warm.

"Karthik, seriously, come off it!"

"You can't catch me! You can't catch me! I'm frigging superman!" He sings.

I glare at him. "What are you? A kid?" I try going around but he simply dodges me.

"Nope! I'm Salman's fan!" He laughs and starts singing. "Main toh Superman, Salman da fan (I'm Superman, Salman's fan)!"

"You are going to be dead meat once I catch you!"

"Try a little harder, short legs!" He teases me.

"God, you're so infuriating, Karthik!" I shout in anger.

He stops and grins at me, and I almost bang into him.

"Gotcha!" I yell in victory, grabbing his hand.

He just waves his other hand in dismissal. "That was just me pitying your pathetic condition."

"Ha! Whatever, loser! I caught you, anyway."

"You caught me ages ago, Aarohi", he smiles.

"What?" I ask, discombobulated.

He sighs and shakes his head. "Nothing."

"Damn, you're talking in riddles again, huh? That little habit has persisted over the years, I see."

He laughs. "Come on, let's grab a shower. Both of us stink. Especially you. It's like there's a skunk in the room."

I gasp and hit his arm. "I do not stink! Atleast I'm not wearing an overwhelming deo spray. What is it this time? 'Babe Magnet'?"

His ears turn red. "That was just once! Mehul and Kaushik forced me to put it on!"

"Yeah, yeah", I grin. "You sure became an anti-babe magnet that day in school." I laugh at the memory.

"Not true", he denies. "The babes were just too shy. And, you stuck to me like a leech."

"Oh thank-"

He interrupts me. "But then again, you weren't really a babe. So you don't count."

I glare at him. "Go take a shower, asshole."

He laughs. "Don't get offended, Lizzie. You know you aren't "babe" material." He airquotes the word babe.

I cross my arms. "Oh yeah?" I say, scowling. "What "material" am I, exactly?" I airquote the word material.

He smiles warmly at me. "The ungettable, beautiful, the one you take home to mother, material." He winks and I blush furiously.

He laughs and switfly pecks my forehead. "Be right back. Don't go anywhere."

I nod. He smiles and goes into the bathroom.

I swear, this boy will be the death of me.

I sit on the bed and look out the window. It is dark and I can see most of the city from here. The streetlights somehow make the entire view picturesque.

Who knew my life would change so dramatically in the last four days.

Although I didn't like most of the changes, I was just glad for the one change that is currently taking a shower.

Lost in my own thoughts, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair around my finger, I am shaken out of my reverie by a loud shriek issuing from the bathroom.

I turn around in shock just in time to see the bathroom door banging open and Karthik running out, screaming his lungs out, a towel dangling dangerously from his waist.

"Snaaaaaake!! Oh my Godddd!! Snakeeeee!! Aaaaaaah!" He's yelling his guts out and that makes me scream so loudly that he shuts up and looks at me in horror.

"Kaaaaaarthik!!!"

"What?" He asks, shocked.

"Stop yelling for God's sake!" I say, standing up and then immediately close my eyes. "And, er, please, can you just-?"

"Whaaat?" He asks, urgently.

"Your towel is slipping", I deadpan.

"Oh", he says. After a small pause, he continues, "You can open your eyes."

"Are you sure? The last time you said that, you tricked me."

I can hear him huffing. "Just open your eyes, Aarohi. I promise- aaaaaaah!"

And that makes me open my eyes.

He yells and comes and stands behind me, shivering from head to toe.

I start laughing. It's highly adorable. Sure enough, I can see a small reptile, about the size of my fist, sligthering along the carpet.

I control my laughter. "Karthik", I say, faking fear myself. "W-what are w-we going to d-do? It's so h-huge!"

I shake my head in amusement.

Karthik and his phobia of snakes. I always found it funny.

Karthik says, "I know right! Do something, please!" Karthik grabs my waist from behind, still shaking.

I turn around to face him, and see that his eyes are closed. "Karthik, go sit on the bed. Be a good boy for me, okay?"

He opens his eyes and glares at me. "I'm n-not a boy! I-I am a man!"

I suppress my laughter. "Ofcourse you are", I look him in the eye and tell him seriously. "You're superman. Now go sit on the bed."

His eyes widen in terror and he whisper-shrieks, "It's right behind you!"

He then flings onto the bed, and stands on it, dancing on his toes.

I laugh heartily and pick up the snake the way dad had taught me. I am pretty used to wild animals. On a whim, I had also volunteered to work in a zoo, and learned so much about them. I have handled pythons; this tiny little snake is a piece of cake.

"Come here, little fella", I coo and take it out of the room, and release it outside in the trees. I can see the old woman sleeping. I wonder how she can be sleeping, especially after Karthik's screams were loud enough to wake the devil.

I return to our room and see Karthik sitting on the bed, the towel still wrapped around his waist, his head between his knees, shivering. I close the door quietly and tip-toe across the room.

"Boo."

He screams again, this time, grabbing my arm and both of us fall on the bed. Somehow, I manage to fall on top of Karthik and he yells in pain. "Aarohi, you're kneeing my junior!"

My eyes widen in horror and I quickly get up, "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

But my hand slips and I fall on top of him again, this time, my body aligning his perfectly. I can feel each and every contour of his abs and his hands fall on my waist.

Both of us lie like that for a minute, saying nothing.

Tha air around is charged with thick sexual tension, and our breathing is becoming rugged by the second. My head is on Karthik's chest and I can hear his heart beating very fast.

It has never felt like this with Karthik before.
My own heart is running like Usain Bolt.

What the hell is going on?

Slowly, I lift my head up and look at Karthik. I can see him looking at me, his eyes very dark. I gulp loudly.

And then I can feel his hands trailing my waist in a tantalising manner. His fingers skim over my waist, and slowly, he pulls a teeny tiny portion of my shirt up, his hands now traveling on my bare skin.

My breath hitches and his eyes become even darker, and he leans forward slightly.

And then, without missing a beat, that asshole starts tickling me mercilessly.

I scream and laugh continuously, pleading Karthik to stop, but he just continues, laughing along with me as well.

"Stop-Karthik", I say finally. "Can't-breathe-"

He stops immediately and breathing heavily, I roll over and fall next to him on the bed, both of us out of breath.

After a minute, we look at each other, and start laughing again. He sits up and offers me a hand, still laughing, and I grab it and sit next to him.

He looks at me, grinning. "That wasn't very nice."

"Boo hoo", I tease him. "The bad boy's scared of snakes. What a loser."

He raises his eyebrows. "I don't remember you being so cocky in the fun fair, when you were locked in the house of mirrors." He grins wickedly at me, and the smile from my face drops instantly, as I remember the fair that me, Karthik and our parents had gone to, in the seventh grade.

"Sh-shut up."

"Atleast my phobia is manly", he says. "You, are scared of clowns, for God's sake."

An involuntary shiver passes through me. "They're so creepy!" I say indignantly.

In the seventh grade, Karthik and I were in the house of mirrors, and we couldn't find our way out, when a clown came to rescue us. And due to the effect of the mirrors, I saw clowns everywhere. I started bawling so loudly that Karthik had to shoo the clown away and give me a piggyback ride out of the house.

I am highly terrified of clowns. They give me the creeps. That's why I'm so scared of the Joker in Batman.

"Boo hoo", Karthik teases me. "Little girl's scared of clowns."

I glare at him. "You shut your mouth otherwise I'm bringing that snake back. You know I can do it."

He immediately shuts up.

I then get up and proceed to take a shower, and he assures me that he would be dressed by the time I come back.

Unlike my mom whose shower lasts an entire weekend, I prefer to take bath quickly, just like my dad.

So after my quick bath, I step outside the bathroom to see the most adorable sight ever. Karthik is curled up on the bed, sound asleep, lying on his stomach, his black hair falling on his eyes.

I smile as I approach him. I grab a pillow so that I can sleep on the couch. As I turn around, something-or somebody, yanks me back.

"Karthik?" I ask, unsure. I thought he was sleeping.

"There's plenty of room on the bed", he mumbles, and pauses and continues, "And I don't trust the snake. It might come back. I'm scared. Please sleep next to me?"

I shake my head in amusement and plop myself next to him on the bed. He immediately turns and snakes a hand around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Keep your hands off me, Pratap", I scold him and he sighs.

"Shut up and sleep, beautiful. I'm very tired and we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

I huff and pluck his arm off. He doesn't resist. I then turn off the bed lamp and within no time, both of us fall asleep.

~•~

"Gooooood morning, sunshine!" Somebody yells in my ear, and I open my eyes immediately, to see Karthik standing next to me, in a white buttoned up shirt and blue jeans, his sleeves rolled up, and three top buttons open. Now, isn't that a wonderful sight. I avert my gaze.

"The fuck do you want, Karthik?" I mumble, extremely annoyed, closing my eyes again. "Leave me alone. I want to sleep."

"It's 7 a.m.", he says. "And if we leave now, we'll be able to reach by evening. I've packed your breakfast. I've already eaten. You just need to get dressed and brush your teeth. You can eat in the jeep."

I yawn loudly, stretching my arms over me. "Damn you, Karthik."

I open my eyes and see him looking at me with a pained expression on his face.

"Er- what?"

"Your shirt", he says simply, his voice thick.

I look down, confused, and see that my shirt has gone all the way up to my bra, leaving my stomach exposed.

"Oh crap, sorry", I say, turning slightly red, and pulling my shirt down.

"No problem", he says, his voice rough. I look at him and he takes a deep breath and says, "Go get dressed. I'll check out and wait for you in the jeep. I'll grab your bags."

"Aye aye captain", I say lazily and get my ass up, tottering across the room.

After I am dressed, I head downstairs to see Karthik laughing and talking to the old woman. Both of us smile and assure her that we would be back, *cough* with our children *cough*, soon.

We then sit inside the jeep and leave, waving at the sweet old lady.

I immediately grab my breakfast and munch hungrily. Karthik puts on some music.

"What about lunch?" I ask, biting the delicious sandwich.

"Damn you can only think of food, I swear", he laughs. "The nice old lady made aloo ke parathe (potato rotis) for us."

"She was really sweet", I comment.

"Yeah she was", he agrees. "She asked us how many kids we were planning to have."

I start laughing loudly. "What did you tell her?"

"Five", he says, unashamedly, and I blush.

"Five kids? God bless your future wife", I laugh. "She's a human, not a vending machine."

He shrugs. "I love kids, I love the process leading to kids- you do the math."

I snort. "How do you know you love the process anyway? Who have you done it with?"

"We are so not discussing my sex life", he shakes his head. "And it doesn't matter. I'm a guy, Aarohi. I'm wired to love the process."

I seethe. "So it's okay to discuss my sex life and not yours?" I demand angrily.

"You're a girl. It's different", he shrugs nonchalantly.

"How so?"

"Well for one, guys are assholes. So you need to be careful. And two, you might get pregnant."

"God you're so infuriating!"

"I try."

"You know, you and Raveena make the perfect couple."

He snorts. "Oh please. I regret that one date we had. She's disturbing, I swear."

"What did you guys do?" I laugh.

"Honestly? I was there to enjoy the food and the silence because I wasn't going to talk much, but no, she had to go spoil it by talking nonstop and ordering a salad for the both of us." His face contorts in disgust. "Eurgh, salad. I mean who eats salad on a date?"

"Serves you right for going out with a witch like her", I laugh.

"Oh yeah I learnt my lesson alright", he agrees. "And do you know what she was talking about? Clothes. And shoes. And make up." He shudders.

I snort. "You're such a guy."

"Well pardon me for retelling my harrowing experience", he says nastily. "You try going out with her, you'll understand."

"No thank you, I have better things to do."

"Like sleep on the beach."

"Hey!" I say, insulted.

"Alright, that was a low blow", he yields. "But seriously, I have no idea how anybody could date her. Raveena makes my old paralysed neighbour interesting. All he does the entire day is sit on his chair and gawk at a rose bush."

I laugh. "Oh yeah, I remember that old dude."

"Ofcourse you do", he says, nodding. "He used to offer us chocolate chip cookies before he went senile."

"Yeah", I smile remembering.

"Speaking of going senile", he says, looking at me suggestively. "Your infamous Youtube video has been taken down. You can thank me whenever."

I laugh and hit his arm. "Thank you", I say, smiling.

"Why, you're welcome", he says.

That melodramatic moron.

"I don't know if you're family's seen it or not", he says.

"Guess we'll find out soon", I say, biting my lip, very worried.

"Hey", he says, grabbing my hand and looking at me. "Don't worry, it's all gonna be okay. I've already informed them that we've left."

I offer him a small smile. "Thank you. You're my saviour."

"Anytime, babe", he smiles softly.

"So", I say, searching around for a topic. "How're your folks? I haven't met them in a long time."

"Ofcourse you haven't", he says, his face grim. "You kept avoiding the family dinners, remember? They miss you by the way. A lot. Especially mom. They don't know what has happened but they know I screwed up." He finishes sheepishly. I keep my expression stolid. "Although mom did tell me that you visited them a couple of times when I wasn't home."

"Yeah I did", I admit. "I missed them a lot too. Especially the twins. How are they?"

"Atharva and Shivam? They've joined dad, haven't they? I mean, didn't you know?" He asks.

"I did", I say. "I heard my parents talking."

"Yeah well, they're all grown up now. They miss their squirt a lot", he smiles at me sadly. "I'm sorry about all that has happened."

"Stop apologising. Whatever happened, happened. It's all okay now", I smile at him.

He smiles back. And then he laughs. "Oh I forgot to tell you. My entire family is searching for suitable brides for both of them."

"What?" I ask shocked. "But they're just 24!"

"I know", he laughs. "But apparently it's better to start searching early, according to all the women in the family. Mom doesn't agree. Dad doesn't bother, because he knows that at the end the twins'll do what they want to. The twins are just ignoring them. I think it's just a matter of time before both of them come clean to my parents about their respective girlfriends. It's a good thing they're fraternal twins, otherwise it would have been difficult to distinguish them from each other."

I laugh. "Yeah. I didn't know they had girlfriends, though."

"Oh, they do. Since about a year, I guess. Vinita and Vanisha. Two best friends. Not twins. They're pretty cool. We're close. They think of me as a little brother, just like Atharva and Shivam consider you as their little sister", he smiles.

I smile back. "I love them. They're really cool. I'd love to meet them both, by the way. Vinita and Vanisha, I mean."

"Yeah, ofcourse", he nods his head.

Both of us sit in silence for a while, the music playing on in the background.

And then Karthik suddenly says, "Hey, remember this song?"

I nod my head. "How can I forget?" I laugh as Khuda Jaane from Bachna Ae Haseeno plays on the stereo.

Karthik and I had danced an elaborate, monkey dance on this during our school farewell. Everybody had laughed as we had made complete fools of ourselves.

"Good times", Karthik laughs. "Come on, sing with me!"

He then starts singing before I could protest.
I join in too and both of us laugh and sing together, in various pitches, completely destroying the essence of the song. People driving around us are looking at us as though we have lost our minds, but we hardly care.

"Ke ban gaye ho tum mere Khuda", Karthik finishes in a bass voice as I sing the same line in a soprano.

We laugh hard. This is the kind of fun we have. And that's how we spend the entire journey. Laughing, recalling memories, singing, translating songs, stopping to eat once, and then again continuing with our monkey business.

That's why Karthik, was, is and will always remain my best friend. I have the most amazing time with him.

"Remember that time when you made pancakes?" Karthik sniggers. "Pancakes or panrocks?"

"Shut up! Atleast I didn't add salt in my coffee!" I remind him.

"I didn't have my hair dripping with yolk, either!"

"Remember the time during Holi when somebody threw cowdung on your shirt?" I laugh heartily.

"Oh shut up! Remember the time during our first grade school play, when you really had to pee so bad, that you rushed out, knocking Rahul along the way? The poor boy fell down so hard that he cracked two of his teeth."

"Hey, you can't really control your bladder at that age! Atleast I didn't get sick during Essel World!"

"One time that happened! I had just had two glasses of juice, what do you expect?"

~•~

"If someone like you enters my life (aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aye)", Karthik sings, translating the Hindi song. "Then he'll be the dad! Then he'll be the dad!"

"What?" I start cackling with laughter. "Then he'll be the dad? What the fuck? Those aren't the lyrics!"

"She clearly sings: Toh baap banjaye (then he'll be the dad)!" He argues indignantly.

"No, you moron! She sings: Toh baat banjaye (it will be great), not baap banjaye (he'll be the dad)!"

"Ohh. I always thought it was a perverse song."

"You and your dirty brain!"

~•~

"Superman!"

"Spiderman!"

"Superman!"

"Spiderman!"

We are having a heated "debate" as to which superhero's the best, since we are stuck in traffic and have nothing better to do. Karthik naturally says Superman, while I vote for Spiderman. I've always had a crush on that little nerd weirdo.

"Dude", a guy in the car next to us looks at us as if we've lost our marbles. "What is wrong with you? Batman. Anytime."

We look at him and then at each other.

"Superman!"

"Spiderman!"

The guy drives ahead, shaking his head in disbelief.

Karthik looks at me, "Batman?"

I keep my face poker straight. "Batman it is."

~•~

"Mere piya (my love)", Karthik sings in a nasal voice. "Mere piya gaye Rangoon. Kiya hai wahan se telephone (my love's gone to Rangoon. He called up from there)-"

Suddenly we are showered with 50 paise coins from the jeep passing by us in full speed. The guys from the jeep turn around and boo us.

We sit stunned for a minute.

Karthik then breaks the silence. "Atleast it's not cowdung."

We look at each other and start laughing.

~•~

"Hey, Aarohi", somebody is shaking me awake.

I open my eyes groggily. Karthik is looking at me carefully. "We're home."

I look ahead and see my huge bungalow. Karthik gets down and grabs my bags. I help him.

We reach the door and I ring the bell. I can hardly think. I've never felt so numb.

The door opens.

"Oh my God, Aarohi!" My mom flings her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

I look past her to see my entire fucking family smiling at me.

The Royals are here.

"Jesus", mutters Karthik under his breath.