I’m publishing my first ever Arshi FF to an audience of potentially 0 people :D
Thank you @phati-sari for providing the best collection of fanfiction I’ve ever read! It provides inspiration to others (read: me) to try their hand at writing as well!
This fic takes place just before our favourite duo heads to Buaji’s during their fake marriage track - when Arnav has started temporarily forgetting their issues more and more frequently
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“Yeh lijiye aapke paise”, said Khushi, brandishing an assorted collection of currency notes in his general direction. She took in her husband’s nonplussed expression and offered further explanation – “Wo aapne jo hume Holi ke din 300 rupaiye diye the.. hum lauta rahe hain. Dabba service se jo munafa hua, humne socha sabse pehle udhaar chuka dein. Lijiye! Arre lijiye na.. Aapke hi paise hain”
When Arnav offered no reaction except to look utterly shocked, she took his hand in hers and gently placed the notes on his open palm. “Dhanyawad Arnav-ji”, she said softly before turning to leave, suddenly unaccountably shy under the intensity of his gaze. The role-reversed familiarity of the situation seemed to jolt him into action and he tugged on her withdrawing hand. “Aur interest ka kya?”, he asked in the low voice that always gave her goosebumps.
She turned to find him closer than she expected and was immediately mesmerized by his scent, his eyes, his towering personality.. She wasn’t sure whether time stood still at moments like these or her pounding heart made the seconds seem to stretch forever. Her world narrowed to the honey-caramel of his eyes as he stared intently at her, the heat of his skin as he ran his thumb over her knuckles, the heart-stopping half-smile he tilted in her direction, as the inches separating them seemed to shorten until they were a breath away from each other.
“In.. interest?”, she managed to stammer. “Haan. Poora udhar chukana hai na?” he whispered back. Khushi was rapidly losing her train of thought, not that it would have helped her make sense of his behavior. A sudden idea struck her and she glanced out of the open door and French windows; surely someone must have been watching to prompt her husband to behave thusly.
Their lack of audience threw her already scrambled thoughts in a tizzy and she turned back to him, hoping for…something.. only to find that he had already moved away. He glanced at the sofa, the side table, the pool, the doorframe - anywhere but at her – and then gave her a furious look before slamming her “repayment” on the table and stalking angrily past her and out of the room.
Khushi crumpled onto the bed, thinking about her husband’s erratic behavior. Had she imagined the warmth in his eyes a minute ago, or was it just wishful thinking? No, she decided, that had happened. Just like their conversation during Holi, like his “act” as Ranjha – it was almost like he had memory lapses where he forgot to be the Rakshas and offered her a teaser of what their relationship could be, what she so desperately wished it would be. She let herself fall back on the bed as she contemplated her life. In their sham of a marriage she could hardly tell the difference between real and make-believe anymore. Closing her eyes against the prickle of errant tears that threatened to escape, she admitted the truth for just a moment - if those brief glimpses of her Rajkumar were a fairy tale, she would happily live that lie.
Arnav was not kidnapped from the airport. How does Khushi try to prove her innocence? How does Arnav find out the truth?
Sidenote: Shyam is still horrible but doesn’t stick around for too long. The purpose of the story is to explore more fun, happy and romantic moments of Arnav and Khushi.
Arnav stood in the doorway to his sister’s room. She looked up from her book with a frown.
“What? Why?”
“There’s something I need to follow up in person.”
“You know what the doctors said. Every cent matters now, Khushi.”
The words had taken up permanent residence in his mind; their echo worn and distorted as though he’d returned to the memory too often in the three days since he’d heard them.
“You should find someone else to send,” Di interrupted his thoughts, her tone decisive.
On Saturday evening, following a disaster of a meeting with the Singh family which Arnav had walked out of not twenty minutes after they’d arrived, Di joined him at the poolside. It was a habit they always fell into whenever she stayed in Shantivan. Hari Prakash, on her heels, carried a tray with tea and snacks.
“Nani complained that I made you a sandwich today,” she commented when they were alone. “She thinks I should’ve made you puri instead.
“Nani complains about everything these days.”
He held the cups while she poured the tea.
“That’s not fair, Chhote, you’re not exactly giving her a chance. Why did you just walk away today?”
Arnav tossed the file onto the small table. Across the outdoor setting by the poolside, Aakash raised an eyebrow.
“Bhai?”
“The new secretary said this is the Mehta and Mehta file when she handed it to me. These are the Singhania documents.”
“I might have …” his brother rummaged through a stack of folders. “No, I don’t have it. But I do have the proofs for the calendar photos for you to review. The ones that were delayed.”
It had taken him over an hour to find, despite Mohan’s instructions. He’d been forced to park his car and walk the last hundred meters. Situated at the end of an alleyway and backing onto a residential area, the store was tiny. A yellow and red sign heralded the name, and bi-fold doors announced prices to customers when open.
He’d have dismissed it without a second thought — Mohan’s cousin may enjoy the wares but Nani was sure to have a greater appreciation for the desserts of the larger stores on the main streets — if it hadn’t been for the string of fairy lights hanging above the entryway. A sudden breeze tousled his hair.
Read the entire thing yesterday and my brain is mush. Naturally I’m still obsessed with this Tom Riddle, he’s so insanely hot. He’s like a murderous OCD baby that has a hard time dealing with ✨emotions✨ like a healthy human being. 10/10 I highly recommend.
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