Khushi was sitting in the lawn area adjoining the Fashion Department of Indraprasth Institute of Fashion and Fine Arts. She was watching something on her tablet when someone tapped her shoulder. She yelped in surprise, taking a defensive stance on instinct.

"O- Woah! It's just me, Jane.. don't murder me please." Jane stepped a little away from her best friend.

"Jay.. You scared the sh*** out o' me. Class over?" Khushi asked curiously as Jane settled on the freshly trimmed grass next to her.

Jane nodded, "I missed you. Why didn't you come?" 

Khushi smiled apologetically, "I.. wasn't in the mood for Professor Vishal's boring lecture on the HISTORY OF THE ART OF FASHION DESIGNING, I was in the library ." 

Jane smiled, "It happens. I got notes so you'll not have to worry about missing out either. I'll lend you mine. Did you see the others?" She asked

Khushi shook her head, "Just that Khadoos Singh Raizada, He was in the library for a while too." 

Jane almost chuckled, "What did Arnie do now?" 

Khushi frowned, "Nothing." She said confused, then realising why jane asked the question, she added "I just like to call him Khadoos Singh Raizada, 'cause of reasons?" 

Jane laughed.

"You and Arnie are the human embodiment of Tom and Jerry." Jane said 

"No."

"Yes you are. You always keep fighting, yet if you don't see each other for one day, you'll probably start to panic." Jane said teasingly.

"Nothing like that." Khushi said as a tinge of pink coloured her cheeks.

"Aww are you blushing K?" Jane squealed. Khushi glared at her. "Okay.. I'm stopping. I'm stopping."

Khushi smiled.

They sat like that for a few minutes, "Bambolina, are you okay?" Jane asked Khushi who promptly nodded in affirmation.

"Why?"

"You're just really quiet. You're not sick or something right? You didn't pull another all-nighter did you?" Jane asked anxiously

"No.. God no. I'm just homesick I guess. Missing my Mum and Dad." Khushi said in a quiet voice. "Mum's a little down on the health side."

Jane held her hand, "Is everything okay?"

Khushi nodded. "Yeah, it's all good. It's probably just a flu or something. I'm just restless because she is handling everything alone." 

"I've always been around her even when Kartik and Dad weren't. When Kartik went off to Harvard Business School for his education, when Dad had to travel due to business, I was always there and now.. I'm here because of her stubbornness and I'm just really worried." Khushi said sadly.

Jane pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, Mumma will be fine alright. You don't have to worry. Let's meet the others in the cafeteria."

"We have class Jay." Khushi sighed.

Jane shook her head, "It's Tuesday bambolina. No class before lunch hour." She reminded her.

Khushi's eyes immediately brightened. 

"I'll check with the other pranksters. " Jane said taking her phone out of her bag.

***

As soon as the duo entered the cafeteria Khushi was showered by the other three into hugs and kisses while Arnav stood at a little distance from them, content in watching the scene unfold

Khushi giggled softly, as she hugged everyone back. It was a tradition of sorts between them. Whenever Khushi entered a room, one or all of the Raizada Siblings would hug the life out of Khushi (with the exception of Arnav who would occasionally pull her into a short side hug.)

"You'll never stop doing this, will you?" Khushi asked with a huge smile on her face.

"Never, after all you're all of our favorite." Aron said with a lopsided smile.

"Why did you call us so urgently?" Alok asked 

Khushi looked incredulously at Jane who grinned cheekily.

"This bambolina needed pampering. She's.. upset." Jane pointed to Khushi who sighed.

"I didn't need pampering and I'm definitely not upset." Khushi attempted to say as she was dragged towards their usual table and showered with a million questions at once.
 
"What happened?"

"Khushi.. you're okay right?"

"You look really pale, did you get enough sleep last night."

"Were you up the whole night?" 

"Guys. I'm perfectly fine." Khushi assured them "I was not up the whole night either."

Arnav sighed. "That's a relief." 

Khushi rolled her eyes.

"You pull all-nighters pretty often, don't you dare look at me like that." Arnav said sternly.

Khushi sighed, "I've said sorry." She spoke innocently "hundreds of times for that one day."

"And?"

"I haven't pulled anymore all-nighters either. Promise." She pinched her throat as a proof of her sincerity.

"Stop tormenting her Arnie. She is not a child." Aron defended her.

"Pulling three all-nighters in a row and collapsing on me due to exhaustion was so not a grown up move Aron, and I'm not tormenting her. I'm only worried. I do not want her to pass out on me ever again. She didn't even tell me why she had to stay up for three nights straight." He said firmly, not wanting to remember the three hours of pure, unimaginable and unexplainable terror that he had gone through as the IFFA's resident doctor checked up on her.

"We had a project due and I was having really bad nightmares." Khushi confessed in a small voice. "I'm sorry I know I really scared you people." 

Arnav shook his head, unwilling to let that day's memories torment him anymore.

"Alright guys, let's get back to the topic at hand, why are you guys fighting over something that happened two months ago?" Alok became the voice successfully bringing an end to the banter between his two siblings. 

Arnav and Aron nodded.

"What happened then?" Pragya asked, her eyes shining in concern.

"I'm just missing my mother." Khushi said quietly "It's nothing important." 

"Of course it's important bambolina." Jane argued passionately.

Khushi looked at the five siblings and smiled in gratitude.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for being the way you are, I don't know what I would've done without you guys." Khushi said sincerely. 

"You don't have to thank us Khushi, because we are your family too. We are always going to be there, no matter what." Alok said smiling softly at her.

Khushi smiled back.

Arnav, who was sitting next to her on the table shifted uncomfortably.

Khushi shifted a little in his seat to face him. "Are the emotions getting too much for you?" She asked mischievously 

Arnav only smirked in response, glad to be able to see her brighten up, even if a little, because of him. "I'm glad you noticed, but don't worry, I've started to grow used to being in your slightly annoying presence. When you are involved, there's always an overloaded of everything." He teased with a straight face.

"Guilty as charged, my lord." Khushi shot back with a sheepish smile. 

"Although you seem to have misspoken a word or two, I have always taken pride in the fact that my presence is endearing, and not annoying at all." Khushi said glaring playfully at Arnav as the others held back their grins.

Arnav rolled his eyes at her, "You have a great and impossibly unrealistic imagination, let me tell you." He said sarcastically.

Khushi shrugged.

***

The last lecture for the day had just ended for Raizada siblings. Jane, Aron and Khushi were waiting for them in their Seven-Seater sedan. It was Jane's turn to drive and thus the said girl had already made herself comfortable in the driver's seat and was drumming her fingers on the steering wheel as they waited for the others to come. 

"You should've let me bring my own car, now you'll have to take a completely different route home, whilst dropping me off at mine." Khushi grumbled from the back seat.

"Hush you bambolina, We're going home. I mean I'm going to take you to the Raizada Mansion aka Shantivan aka our personal heaven. Choti Maa and Bua have strictly ordered me to bring you home." Jane informed her best friend.

Khushi shook her head, "Did you tell them that I was missing my mother?" She asked.

"I may have." Jane shrugged non-committally

"One of these days Jay, I'll be very tempted to kill you." Khushi said in a warning manner. 

"Oh you won't bambolina, and if you do, I'm pretty sure you'll never find a better best friend." Jane said pridefully.

"Why do you call me Bambolina? What does that even mean?" Khushi asked confused as Arnav and the twins clamoured into the vehicle, Arnav taking the front passenger seat, Pragya and Alok in the middle row and Aron with Khushi in the last.

Jane Khushi and Aron greeted the other three and Jane started to drive towards their shared destination.

"Bambolina is Italian for little doll and since you're a cute little barbie, I call you bambolina. The nickname fits you just fine." Jane answered her best friend's question from earlier.

"She's a cute doll alright." Aron said smiling softly at her, causing a certain occupant of the car to fume while a certain other blushed a slight pink.

"Khushi's coming to RM with us?" Alok asked as soon as he realised that they were taking the usual route towards home. 

Jane replied in affirmation. "She is already all the ladies' favorite. Choti Maa and Bua said she could even stay over tonight." Jane said excitedly.

In a matter of seconds, the vehicle echoed with squeals of excitement.

"Guys. Stop it, you're not five year olds." Arnav chided his siblings softly.

Everyone pouted but quieted down nevertheless. 

A few minutes later, the spell of silence was broken.

"We're having a girls night." Pragya exclaimed.

"You'll be in your respective bedrooms by 12:30 and if I find even one of you awake after that you'll not get hot-chocolate for a month." Arnav threatened.

Pragya and Jane groaned in protest while Khushi sunk into her seat with a small smile on her face.

She had found herself a family in a place she was always scared to call her home.
Miles away from her parents and her blood family, she had found herself a place where she belonged just as much as she did at her parent's.

And boy was she happy?

I don't think that question is too difficult to answer.

I am so sorry people. This one was supposed to come out ages ago. On Christmas, then on new year's but finally I managed to drag my lazy self out of a literal hibernation to draft this.

Everyone, I hope 2020 treats you right. Happy new year and I hope you started your year and decade right.

Okay.. Arshi are finally friends, I took a little leap coz I didn't know what to write to fill in for those months. I hope no one minds.

The story has moved a little forward.

How did you like today's update?

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Love
Vinny & AR