Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 67 - Amazement!

Everyone was acting far too silly. First it was Hari Prakash, who stared at Arnav with rounded eyes when he brought them food. He nearly stumbled as he placed the tray on the poolside table.

Then it was Di. Arnav was telling Aarav all about his business, when he glanced up, and saw her craning her neck through his bedroom door.

"Uh — everything okay, Chotay, Aarav?" She asked in a high, false voice, taking in the scene at the poolside table.

Arnav rolled his eyes. "Yes Di, why won't it be?"

"Sure, okay," she ducked out.

"Why did Anjali Aunty call you Chotay?" Aarav asked him. "You're not little."

"She's my big sister," Arnav said, chuckling. "That's what she's always called me."

"Chotay —" Nani walked into his room next, head held high as always. "Laxmi hasn't wandered in here by any chance, has she?"

"No, she hasn't, Nani." She nodded, and lingered for longer than she needed to before leaving.

"Who's Laxmi?"

"My grandmother's pet goat."

"Nannav! My brother! And Aarav! How wonderful, huh, eating dinner together under the stars! Nice, nice!"

"What do you want, NK?"

"Oh? Nothing, nothing, I was just looking for – uh —yes, I was looking for Khushiji, of course! " NK scratched his head grinning sheepishly, and then pretended to remember something as he edged out of the door.

"Nannav?"

"Don't ask."

"Hello hi bye-bye! Arnav bitwa, I just came to tell you..." Mami was looking in now, Mamaji behind her, "that the other children are gone..."

"Thanks, Mami, good to know. Mamaji, did you have something else to say, or was it the same thing?"

"Oh, no, no," Mamaji laughed boisterously. "You two have fun, huh? Eat well. Yes..."

"Why does your Mami say hello hi bye bye? Isn't that an odd thing to say?"

"Honestly? I have no clue," Arnav replied, eyebrows lifted.

"You have a strange family."

"Tell me about it."

"Uhhh, Bhai –"

Akash! And Payal, looking over his shoulder.

"After you've eaten, we thought we'd show Aarav his room. Whenever you're done, though. No rush."

"It's the small guest room next to Di's," Payal added.

"Sure, thanks. I think we might finally get some time to finish, now that everyone has already come by."

The two of them hastened away.

"So everyone calls you different things?"

"Yeah... people at work call me ASR."

Aarav brightened. "Can I call you that? Instead of Uncle?"

Arnav grinned widely. "You absolutely can call me ASR!"

Khushi came in, finally, huffing. "I've sent the children away. You know, they're not so bad, Aarav..." she looked at the two of them at the poolside table, and her gaze softened.

"Are you done? Do you want anything else?"

They shook their heads in unison. "We're done," Arnav said. "Aarav, you want to go check out your room?"

Aarav nodded, so they made their way to his new room upstairs, Khushi following close behind. It was an adult's room, identical to the one Dadi was using downstairs. They could do it up, Arnav thought, looking around. Maybe add some fun wallpapers. Space or something. He had liked space as a kid.

The rest of the family were gathered around the door, with the exception of Dadi. Which was something to be thankful for, she would have killed the mood faster than Khushi could polish off a plate of Jalebi.

It was still a bit much. Everyone was fussing too much, kissing Aarav, smoothing his hair, patting his cheeks, and generally treating him like a doll. The kid was amazingly patient, tolerating all the affections of the Raizada family with a stoic face.

Finally, they left one by one, until it was just him, Di, and Khushi.

"Right, kid. I'll see you tomorrow," Arnav said, and after Khushi had given Aarav's hair a final smoothing, said goodnight to Di and went back to their room.

"I don't know how that kid is going to live in this chaos," he said, shutting their bedroom door behind him.

"Arnav ji..."

He turned around to find her staring at him with that wide eyed expression again.

"What, Khushi? I don't actually eat children, you know?"

"I'm sorry, I just said that so that the kids would stay away from your things."

"I know, it's okay. But honestly, I don't understand why in the world you thought you should invite other children for Aarav to play with, when he clearly doesn't like children."

"He's a child himself!" Khushi retorted. "But, you're right. That was a bad idea. It's just that once he got home, he looked so gloomy. He missed Pushpaji, who looks after the children at the orphanage. Di and I thought maybe my tuition kids will cheer him up. We thought it was just the orphanage kids he didn't get along with..."

"He's not such a bad kid."

"Well. You were the only one who managed to make him smile. Everyone had been trying all evening."

Arnav was surprised by the sudden warm feeling spreading in his chest. No one had ever preferred him over his more affable family members before.

"So... you're Beauty, and I'm the Beast, huh?" He teased.

"Are you saying I'm not beautiful?"

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

She smiled and blushed, and then frowned. "The most beautiful woman you've ever seen?"

Of course she was going to argue.

"But you've seen Aishwarya Rai." She sounded accusatory. It made him snort out a laugh. "And you've seen Salman Khan. What's your point?"

"I never said you were the handsomest man I've ever seen."

"I thought you fell for me because of my good looks!"