Thank you so much for reading, voting and commenting on all previous parts. Thank you for your love and support😘😘😘.

I am so sorry for making you all wait. I was caught up with my exams and projects. It is the final year so kinda little busy.

Recap: After the leap of 1 and a half years, Arnav had gone to Gurukul for picking up Khushi on her farewell day. She was shocked seeing him and his changed behaviour towards her. They were returning back home, but Khushi got hurt accidentally.

CHAPTER-18

Arnav gently bandages her arm. When he looked at her side, he saw she had closed her eyes tightly due to fear and pain. He chuckles mentally noting the fact that his Doll is still not changed even after so many years. He knows that she was complaining about him seeing her face.

*****FLASHBACK*****

Little Khushi was sitting on the bench in their garden with tears brimming in her eyes. She looked down at her fingers and again more fat tears started rolling down from her eyes. Little drops of blood also oozing out from her fingers.

"DOLL"

"DOLL"

She heard her Annav calling her. She raised her head looked at her right from where the voice is coming. She saw her Annav walking towards where she is sitting. Seeing him more tears started rolling from her eyes. Seeing the painful vision in front of him, he ran towards his doll. He kneeled in front of her and cupped her face. The painful face of his doll made his heart to clench in pain.

Arnav: Kya hua Doll? Meri nanhi si Doll kyun ro rahi hain?

(What happened, Doll? Why my little Doll is crying?)

She didn't answer him instead of that she raised her little fingers towards his face level. Seeing her little finger coated with blood he panicked. He immediately took his handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around her little fingers. He cupped her face and said,

"Ro math meri little Doll. Meri Doll toh brave bacha hain na?"

(Don't cry my little Doll. My Doll is brave na and brave babies don't cry?)

She nodded her head as positive (yes).

He wiped her tears and said,

"Doll, main jaake first aid box lekar aate hain."

(Doll, I will go and bring first aid box).

She frowned seeing her Annav leaving her when she is hurt and in pain.

"Tum mujhe akele chod kar jaa rahe ho?"

(You are leaving me alone na?)

"Nahin meri Doll. Main toh tumhare dard kam karne ke liye toh door jaa raha hoon. Main yun gaya aur yun aaya."

(No, My Doll. I am going away from you to only reduce your pain. I will be back soon).

She is still not convinced of hearing him.

"Achcha Doll, main ne aaj joh rhyme sikhai voh yaad karo. Tumhai rhyme khatam hone se pehle tumhari Annav tumhari samne hogi."

(Doll, recite the rhyme which I made you learn today. I promise I will be back before your rhyme finishes).

She nodded positively.

Pakka Promise. She asked.

Doll promise. He said with a smile.

He gently kissed her forehead and ran back towards her home.

She looked at her right and started singing her rhyme with cute expressions.

One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let go again.

Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right

By saying little finger she raised her fingers and again got remembered that she is hurt and tears started brimming in her eyes.

True to his words her Annav is back at the same time she finished reciting the rhyme. He came back not only with the first-aid box but also with a Teddy bear which he had gifted her. She raised her hand for Teddy but hissed in pain immediately due to the sudden movement. He gently placed her Teddy Bear in her lap, which she named as Mr Dodo. He smiled seeing her happy face.

Arnav smiled seeing his Doll's face. He seated beside her and gently took her hand in his.

He dipped the cotton balls in Dettol and started wiping her fingers after removing the handkerchief tied to it. She was so engrossed in complaining to her Mr Dodo about her Annav that she forgot her pain.

Mr Dodo. Aapko patha hain, yeh Annav haina, voh toh ek bad boy hain?

(Do you know, Mr.Dodo? This Arnav is a bad boy).

Arnav raised his single eyebrow listening to her complaints. She pouted seeing him to talking to her and engrossed in treating her wound.

She again looked at her Mr Dodo when she heard him asking her,

"Why your Annav is a bad boy?"

"Voh nah Mujhe dard mein akele chodd kar chale gaye" She pouted after saying it.

(He left me alone in pain).

He ignored her statement because convincing a hurt or wounded Khushi is really a herculean task.

Ho gaya!

(It's done).

She looked down fingers neatly bandaged.

Doll, Tumhe yeh chhott kaise lagi?

(Btw Doll, how you got hurt?)

She smacked his head with her other hand.

Ahh! Arnav gently rubbed his forehead while glaring at her.

Tum nah bilkul bhi ek budhu ho. Yeh sawal tumhein pehle poochna chahiye tha na?

(You are so stupid. You should have asked this question before na?)

Voh na.... She gently placed her head on his shoulder. Tum ne jo gulab mujhe di thi na. Payal di ko who chahiye thi. Maine mana kiye dene ko. ( Little tears started flowing from her cute little dove-shaped eyes.By rubbing her nose which is red due to crying).Toh unhone mere haath se voh rose cheen liya aur mujhe usski kaate chubi.

Again fat tears started rolling down from her little eyes. He immediately wiped her tears and side hugged her.

(That na........ Payal di wanted the rose that you had gifted me. When I refused to give her na, she forcefully snatched it from me. And the thorns pricked my fingers).

Arnav got angered hearing this. He decided to teach Payal a lesson for hurting his Doll.

Annav...

Haan little Doll. He gently caressed her hair and looked at her.

(Yes little Doll)

Dard ho raha hain.

(It is paining).

His heart clenches in pain seeing his Doll's pain.

Doll... Tumhein bahuth dard ho raha hain?

(Doll, is it paining a lot?)

Haan....She pouted sadly.

(Yes)

To tumhari dard kam karne ke liye mein ek magic kar tha hoon.

(Then, let me try some magic to reduce your pain).

Her eyes twinkled hearing it.

He gently took her wounded hand and gently kissed her little palm and then he kissed her bandaged fingers with care enough to not to hurt her.

Doll, yeh magic kissie hain. It will heal your wound soon.

(This magic kissie will heal my Doll's wound soon).

Sachchi.

He tapped her nose and said Muchchi.

She pouted seeing his laugh.

*****FLASHBACK ENDS*****

Ho gaya!!!!

(It's done).

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him with emotions which he was unable to read. She tries to withdraw her hands away from him. But he didn't let her do that. He looked at her face and smirked.

She knows something is fishy knowing his smirk. She knows that whenever he is going to do some mischief he will smirk like this.

She finds it very difficult to understand what is going on in his mind.

He slightly pulls her arm towards him without causing her pain.

Dard ho rahi hogi na???? He asked with his oh-so-innocent face.

(It must be paining, na???)

She is becoming nervous about seeing his new avatar.

She nodded her head as no then yes.

Haan yah nah???

(Yes or no???)

Nahiiii......He raised his eyebrows like unbelievable.

Hamara matlab.....Hamein thoda dard to ho raha hain. She said nervously not knowing why he is asking all this knowledge. He never cared for her this much for the past few years. He always ignored her pain. She looked away to not let him know her pain.

( I mean..... I have little pain only).

Then let me reduce your pain. By saying this Arnav pulled her arm towards his mouth and tries to kiss her wounded wrist.

Khushi looked at him with astonishment written all over her face. The shock would be an understatement for what she is feeling now.

She immediately came out from her shock and snatched her arm away from his hold before his lips touched her bandaged wrist.

He immediately raised his head and looked at her face confused. Khushi looked at him with widened eyes. She is utterly confused not knowing why he is doing all this.

He raised his eyebrows like asking her what happened?

Ab hum bachche nahi rahe Arnav.

(We are not kids anymore, Arnav).

He looked at her shockingly. Now, he understood that his earlier thought was wrong about she not being changed.

She is changed......

Everything changed.......

Nothing is the same as before........

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Hello sweethearts❤️️,

Hope you all are doing fine😊😊????

Sorry for being invisible for so many days. I am very much busy and stressed these days. Exams and projects are making me stressed. I am really sorry for not updating these days.

About the update, I am writing it after a long gap. So, I am not sure about the outcome. Hope you will enjoy the update. Please do read, vote and comment. Eagerly waiting for your reviews.

I have only written flashback and a small part. I forgot about what I have planned for the story. Give me some time I will be back with a better update.

Any idea about Arnav's reaction towards Khushi's change?????

Love❤️️,

Aaru.