Arnav and Khushi's secret romance is revealed to their families!
This is the third in a four-part series set in the Secret Romance AU. I highly recommend reading Happy New Year (Secret Romance #1) and Moments (Secret Romance #2) for context.
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Arnav ignored his sister's laughter as he checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror.
"Chhote, you look fine," she said, gasping for breath.
"Arnav-bitwaa, they aren't going to reject you because you didn't pay enough attention to your hair this morning," Mama smiled from the back seat.
Arnav scowled at them both. Getting out, he rounded the car to help Di down and led her to where the rest of their family waited. Aakash had driven the Hyundai with Payal, Nani and Mami, and Arnav had followed in his own car with Mama and Di. NK had left for Mumbai in the early hours of the morning to catch up with a few friends.
It was late afternoon; maybe an hour away from sunset, and the air had cooled. Arnav donned his jacket with quick efficiency and followed Aakash and Payal onto Bua-ji's porch, helping Di up the steps.
Aakash rang the doorbell before turning and grinning at Arnav.
"Everything will be fine, Arnav-ji," Payal reached over to squeeze his arm in reassurance, and he gave her a small smile in return.
His mind was in overdrive, pre-empting everything that could go wrong.
It felt wrong.
He was vulnerable - acutely aware that he brought nothing but his love for Khushi and a promise to always take care of her. Bua-ji and Khushi's parents held all the power and there was nothing he could do. He had no edge, held nothing in reserve.
Utterly at their mercy.
The doors rattled, unseen hands sliding the locks on the other side, and Arnav took a deep breath to brace himself as Bua-ji swung them open. She smiled at them in greeting, but her gaze was watchful as she took them all in. Her eyes widened when she noticed the gift-wrapped boxes that Mami and Di held. Payal and Aakash bowed in sync to touch Bua-ji's feet, and she and Payal hugged before they stepped inside.
They all filed in after them, Nani, Di, and himself, with Mami and Mama bringing up the rear. Arnav briefly wondered if he should have taken her blessings as well, but he'd never done it before and he decided that it would seem odd if he started now.
He and Aakash swiftly arranged the dining chairs for extra seating, and there was an awkward silence as everyone sat down. Casting his eye around the room, Arnav realised they'd unconsciously taken up the same positions as they had when asking for Payal's hand. There was something poetic about it.
"Uhh, Devyani-ji, it's so nice of you ... and your family ... to visit," began Bua-ji, her tone uncharacteristically tentative.
The families exchanged some meaningless pleasantries, slowly circling around to the real purpose of this visit. There was some rattling in the kitchen but Arnav couldn't see who was responsible for it. He resisted the urge to crane his neck and look. The door that separated the living room and kitchen from the rest of the house opened, revealing Khushi's parents, her mother pushing her father's wheelchair.
Another round of greetings were exchanged and Aunty settled herself next to Bua-ji with Uncle's wheelchair on her other side. Arnav looked at the archway they had walked through and willed it to reveal Khushi.
She didn't appear.
Arnav caught Garima-Aunty staring at him, her gaze piercing.
"Bhai," Aakash whispered, "relax."
Arnav willed his muscles to loosen, willed his jaw and fists to unclench.
It didn't work.
The soft ringing of her payal distracted him and he looked up to see her.
Damn, she's beautiful.
Khushi was wearing the red and pink salwaar suit he'd had made for her and the matching bangles that he'd gifted her. Her hair was unbound and his fingers yearned to twist into it. She'd applied kajal to her eyes to make them look bigger. Her lips were slicked in gloss, pink and shiny and begging to be kissed. Arnav knew he was staring but he didn't care. She met his eyes briefly, a blush forming across her cheeks, and then studiously ignored him as she served the tea she was carrying on a tray. Her hand trembled when she offered him a cup and he wished he could reassure her. He gave her a small smile instead.
Khushi took a seat between her Bua-ji and his Nani. Nani held her hand as she directed the conversation to where it needed to go. Di looked between Khushi and himself, grinning, and gave him a small thumbs-up. Arnav's smile widened.
"Madhumati-ji, Shashi-ji, Garima-ji," Nani nodded to them in turn, "we've come to ask a favour."
"We'll do everything in our power to help, with Nand Kishore's blessing," assured Bua-ji, still smiling, still staring at them all with wariness in her eyes.
"We're here to ask for your Khushi-bityaa. We want to make her our elder daughter-in-law."
Bua-ji and Aunty turned to look at him, aghast, and Arnav met their gazes. He wondered what they saw.
Do they see beyond the impervious suit and knotted tie, under the glitter of the money, through the veneer of assured confidence? Do they see me?
Bua-ji turned to stare at Khushi, who quailed and wrung her hands in her lap.
The silence stretched and became heavy.
Di smiled reassuringly when he looked at her.
"Is this ..." Bua-ji's voice wavered, "Is this a joke?"
