As the Raizada and Gupta family gathered in the living room, discussing about upcoming Diwali preparations. The room buzzed with laughter and conversation, the warmth of familial love evident in every word spoken.

Just then, Aryan came running towards his mother and complained, "Mumma.. I called Abhi bhaiya to play game with me but Bhaiya doesn't have time for us anymore, all thanks to his busy schedule.", his small voice filled with genuine hurt.

"Beta, you should not trouble bhaiya.. You know how much work he has right?" Garima tried to explain her son

"Aru.. Come here.. You didn't even meet me properly and straight away ran to your Abhi bhaiya's room" Aarti made him sit beside her kissing his cheek

"Aru.. I'm here to play with you" Arnav tried to cheer him up

"But i wanted to play with both of you" Aryan's mood didn't seem to change

"Aryan.. Your Abhi bhaiya runs a business, he is not a small kid to play with you" Sashi told with a smile

"Come Aru.. Me, you and Arnie can play hide and seek until the dinner is served" Khushi called him but he still didn't budge

Abhinav came to the living room and straight away went to Aryan, kneeling down to his level, Abhi ruffled his hair affectionately. "I'm sorry, Aru. I got an official call. I promise to make up for my absence. How about we spend all of Diwali together? Just you, me, and lots of sweets?"

Aryan's eyes lit up with excitement, but before he could respond, Arnav chimed in. "He's right, Aru. Even though we're in the same house, I hardly get to spend time with Abhi bhai. He's always working."

Arnav pouted making Abhi side hug his brother and Aru joining them

Aarti's face clouded with sadness as she looked at her elder son. "Abhinav grew up sooner than expected after his father's demise. He's been our pillar, taking care of us."

"Maa.. I'm alright.. I love doing what I do" Abhi told sighing on his mother's worry

Sashi and Garima exchanged a look of relief, thinking their decision not to burden the Raizada family with Aryan's health issues was the right one. They didn't want to add more stress to Abhinav, who already had so much responsibility on his shoulders.

Aarti, however, shifted the conversation to a lighter topic. "I am concerned about Abhi's marriage. He needs to marry soon and enjoy his life. And then there's Arnav. I can marry him off too, so I can finally rest in peace."

Arnav's expression turned stern as he reacted to his mother's words. "Maa, don't talk like that. I won't let you go anywhere, even if I get married." His tone was a mix of fake anger and genuine concern.

To lighten the mood, Arnav added with a smirk, "I'll make sure my wife takes care of you and does all the chores so you can rest."

The room erupted in laughter, but Aarti was not backing down. "I know Abhi will like my choice for him, but I doubt Arnav. With the way he is, he will probably select his own bride, and who knows if she will do all the things he mentioned. Seeing Arnav, I suspect he'll bring home a modern bahu."

Garima's eyes darted to Khushi with worry. She knew her daughter loved Arnav, and these discussions about his marriage must be hurting her. Garima made a mental note to talk about Arnav and Khushi after Aryan's health stabilized. She was confident that Abhinav's marriage would take time, and Arnav would wait until his elder brother was married.

Breaking the tension, Aarti shared, "Abhi, I've seen a girl for you when I was in Delhi. In fact, that's what I was talking about, to Sashiji and Garima, before all of you kids joined us here"

Abhinav looked at his mom with astonishment.

"Abhi.. Do you have any girl in your life?" Sashi asked without beating around the bush

Abhi looked at Arnav, Khushi and Aryan who were eagerly looking at him, then something in his expression made khushi frown and she nudged Arnav.

"Come let's go and play" said Khushi

"What? We are talking about such an important topic, and you want to play?" Arnav frowned at her

She pinched his arm without anyone's notice making him shout "ouch"

"Aru wanted to play.. You forgot?" She stretched each word and signaled him to bring Aryan with him

"Okay. Let's go Aru" All three of them went to Arnav's room giving space for elders to talk

"I want to be honest. I liked a girl named Nisha" Aryan started slowly making all of them shocked

Aarti was flabbergasted, she never knew her son liked a girl. She thought she was friendly enough with her sons, for them to share everything with her

"But.. You never told" Aarti was curious

"No problem, beta. Thank God you told us now. It's good we found out about it before we could proceed with the alliance Aarti selected for you," Garima said supportively.

"I think, you didn't hear me properly Aunty. I said 'liked'.. Not anymore" Abhi told with a sigh

"What do you mean beta?" Sashi seemed concerned

"Uncle, I was at college that time. Even though I proposed Nisha, I wanted to become stable before revealing it to all of you and her family. But guess, fate had other plans, when I was busy building an empire. Her family couldn't wait for her marriage because she had two more sisters who were to be married next. And that's how I lost her" Abhinav detailed everything

"She is married?" asked Aarti with shock

Abhi simply nodded his head.

"Then why are you saying all of this now? When you didn't say it before? Why now? What does all this mean?"Aarti started sobbing

"Maa relax, I didn't mean to upset you. It's just, I wanted you to know what I'm going through. It's been a year, since she's married. And trust me, I forgot her but it was necessary for me to say all of it before entering any new phase" He comforted his mother

"Abhi. I was so scared, that you will refuse to get married. I want you to have every happiness you deserve. Take your time. We will only talk about your marriage when you are ready. Ok?" Aarti asked with hope

"Maa. I'm okay with whatever you think is good for me.. If you think this girl you saw in Delhi is good for me, then I'm ready to meet her" He told making his mother hug him with happiness

Sashi and Garima smiled with relief, seeing that Abhi had emerged from the distress he faced.
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Meanwhile, in Arnav's room, Aryan ran to play one of the video games Arnav had.

"Khush? What should we play?" Arnav teased her, knowing fully well Khushi just wanted to give space to the elders to talk.

"Go and play video games with Aru. Like you always do," she mocked him.

"Ttchh... Aru is playing online with another player. Why? You don't want to play with me?" he asked, making an innocent face.

"Stop it, Arnie. I felt like Abhi bhaiya was feeling embarrassed to talk in front of us, that's why I took both of you here," she revealed.

"Accha, I thought you wanted to play the game we used to play when we were small," Arnav smiled teasingly.

"Which game? I don't remember," Khushi hid her blush and tried to go towards Aryan, but Arnav held her hand.

"Ohh? So you don't remember? Forgot how we used to play that Husband and Wife game?" he reminded her, raising an eyebrow.

"Arnie, we were very small then to understand what Husband and Wife meant. We just used to imitate our parents," Khushi clarified.

"Yeah, I know. Still, we used to have so much fun. Remember, you used to make food for me with your kitchen set? And I had that laptop toy which I used to carry around like I was working on it?" He dwelled in the past.

"Yeah. And you were always late for dinner. I used to wait for you every time," she complained as if it was real.

"Really? Then who gave me the long list of things to bring home? Obviously, I was going to be late," Arnav retorted.

"Arnie, you're talking as if you really brought all the groceries for me to cook!" She giggled.

"I think you forgot everything, Khush. You really gave me a list of snacks to bring before I came to your home every day," Arnav reminded her, wiping off her smile.

"Yeah... So what? Why are you saying all this now?" she chided.

"Just... Good memories. But I think you forgot most of the moments, and you say you are a topper," he loved to tease her.

"I remember everything," she couldn't bear to hear anything about her memory.

"Really? Even the kisses we used to pass?" he asked, smirking.

Khushi's cheeks flushed as she recalled those innocent pecks. "Arnie, we were kids" she protested, though a hint of nostalgia warmed her voice.

"I know Khush.. But they were still special moments" He smiled watching her flushed face

Khushi's heart skipped a beat as Arnav's words sank in. A warm flush crept up her cheeks, and she felt a sudden, inexplicable fluttering in her stomach. It was as if a thousand tiny butterflies had taken flight, filling her with a giddy, nervous excitement. Her pulse quickened, and her breath caught in her throat, making it difficult to speak. She had always felt something special for Arnav, but hearing his words now, in this moment, brought all those buried feelings rushing to the surface.

Her mind raced with a mix of emotions: surprise, joy, and a hint of fear. Could it be that Arnav felt the same way? The thought made her dizzy with happiness, yet a part of her was scared to hope too much. She had loved him silently for so long, cherishing every small moment they had shared, but she had never dared to dream that he might reciprocate her feelings.

As she looked into his eyes, the world around them seemed to fade away. All she could focus on was the intensity of his gaze and the tender way he spoke her name. Her heart swelled with a blend of love and longing, and she knew that this was a moment she would never forget.

"Yayyy.. I won" Aryan's voice brought them out of their stupor

"Come Bhaiya.. Now it's your turn" Called Aryan making Arnav move towards him.

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Both families gathered around the dining table for dinner. The room was filled with laughter and the aroma of delicious food prepared by Aarti. Arnav and Aryan took their seats beside each other, with Khushi across from them, stealing glances at Arnav whenever she thought no one was looking.

Aarti served everyone generously, her eyes twinkling with motherly pride and affection. "Eat well, everyone. I want to see clean plates tonight," she insisted.

"Khushi bitiya, have some more paneer. It's your favorite."Aarti served her

"Thank you, Maa," Khushi replied

After everyone enjoyed the meal, Aarti cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "I have an announcement to make," she began, her tone serious yet excited. "So you all know, I met a lovely girl from a very respectable family in Delhi and I've been thinking she might be a good match for our Abhinav."

All eyes turned to Abhinav, who looked up from his plate with mild embarrassment. There was a moment of stunned silence before Arnav and Aryan burst out laughing, causing Abhinav to blush deeply.

"Finally, Abhi bhaiya!" Arnav teased. "You're going to get married. Maybe then you'll stop being so serious all the time." Arnav imitated his brother's serious face making everyone laugh

"Yeah, Bhaiya," Aryan chimed in, grinning. "We'll get to see you blushing like this more often."

Abhinav tried to maintain his composure but couldn't help but smile. "You two are impossible," he said, shaking his head.

"Bhaiya, its about time you let someone else take care of you," Khushi added, "So, when do we get to meet her?" She asked to Aarti

Abhinav shook his head, trying to maintain his composure. "It's just a proposal, Khushi. Nothing is decided yet," he said, though a faint blush crept up his cheeks.

Aarti laughed, "We'll meet her family after Diwali and see how things go. But I have a good feeling about this."

Sashi and Garima exchanged pleased looks, happy for Abhinav. Garima reached over and patted Aarti's hand. "It's a wonderful idea, Aarti"

Arnav and Aryan high-fived, adding their own jokes about the wedding, making the atmosphere even more jovial.

Arnav quipped, "Abhi bhai, you better be ready for the wedding!! Aru and I have already planned the dance performance for your sangeet."

Abhinav groaned, "Oh no, not you two. This is going to be a disaster."

Arnav leaned in closer to Aryan and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "I bet Bhai is secretly excited. What do you think, Aru?"

Aryan grinned, "Oh, definitely. He's just trying to act cool about it."

The whole table erupted in laughter, with Abhinav rolling his eyes but smiling. "Alright, alright, that's enough teasing for one night."

The night continued with stories, jokes, and plans for the festival, but for Khushi, the highlight remained the silent, stolen glances she shared with Arnav across the dinner table. But little did she know, it was the calm before the storm.

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Love, ❤
Uzma