Head over Heels ☑️

Chapter 33-Khushi

🎶 Sooyan - Guddu Rangeela

Life couldn't have been better.

Khushi hummed—off-key and unapologetically—as she spun lazily on her revolving chair, the gentle whirl matching her buoyant mood.

Belatedly, she noticed a thin stream of watercolor dripping down her wrist, a wayward streak of violet snaking toward her palm. She sighed and reached for a cloth, only to smear more of it across her skin, turning her forearm into an accidental canvas.

Still, it didn't bother her—not today. Her little bubble of contentment shimmered like a soap film in golden light, fragile but stubbornly persistent.

This semester had wrung her dry. Between lectures, deadlines, and navigating life as a "secret Raizada," she barely had time to breathe, let alone visit her family. Her hum took on a triumphant edge as she planned for her winter break—right before her breath caught.

A message from Gauri lit up her screen; "Results are out!!"

Hai Devi Mayya. Of course the results would drop right before the evening aarti—how poetic.

With only a split second of hesitation, Khushi logged into her university portal and hit print, refusing to peek at the screen. The printer groaned to life with a mechanical whirr, the sound oddly dramatic, like a drumroll on jagged nerves.

She snatched the paper the second it came out, folded it into three neat sections as if it were a formal letter from the President—and dashed down the stairs.

"Arre, careful, Khushi-ji!" said Anjali, stepping back as Khushi barrelled down the stairs.

"Di, my results are here!" Khushi gasped, biting her lip and brandishing the neatly folded paper.

"Ooh, exciting!" Anjali sang, taking the paper. "Come, let's take Devi Mayya's blessing before we open it."

Khushi nodded solemnly as they made their way to the temple, just as Nani and Mami joined them. The bell rang melodiously, its vibrations running down Khushi's spine like a spiritual massage. The incense, meanwhile, wafted through the air like nature's own anxiety reliever.

Nani dabbed a pinch of vermillion onto the paper, murmured a soft prayer, and then handed it back.

"You open it, please, Nani-ji," Khushi said, suddenly very invested in not being the one to uncover her fate.

"Nani, this feels like we're opening a lottery ticket," Anjali giggled.

Hari Prakash, who had been loitering in the background, immediately sprang into action. In a flash, he returned holding Nani's half-moon reading glasses with the reverence of a man delivering sacred relics.

With dramatic flair, Nani unfolded the paper and adjusted her glasses.

"Let's see... 90... 92... 94... aggregate—92%! Grade A!"

Khushi's heart somersaulted. A round of excited squeals and clapping erupted. Even Hari Prakash did an impromptu jig in the corner, arms flailing like an overexcited bhajan backup dancer.

Khushi, still dazed, bent to take Nani's blessings before turning to Mami.

"All these numbers better pay off," Mami said, eyes bulging dramatically. "I expect a world-class designer saree from you. None of that small-town chikankari nonsense!"

"Hasn't Payal-bitiya already gifted you half a wardrobe?" shot Nani.

"Yes, Sasuma," Mami said with a flip of her hand. "But now Bahu No.2 must also share the burden. I'm not getting any younger—I need fresh embroidery!"