At Last (IPKKND Secret Romance #4)

Chapter 9: Damaad

Dream about me.

Khushi sat cross legged on the bed, her phone held tightly between both hands and his words echoing in her mind. She shook her head, chiding herself for irrationally missing him, and tried to concentrate on the messages from her sister.

Khushi, did you give Amma my message? How is everyone there?

Yes, Jiji. Amma smiled. She likes Jija-ji! Everyone is fine, Babu-ji ate by himself.

That's wonderful, thank Devi Maiya for her blessings. Amma likes your Arnav-ji too.

Yes she does :) She didn't even get angry that he visited. He had dinner after Bua-ji caught him in our room.

What!? Khushi! What did you do? My jeth-ji would never sneak like that.

Yes he would. He was my Arnav-ji before he was your jeth-ji, Jiji. Remember New Year's Eve?

One day, you will have to tell me everything, Khushi ki bachchi.

Nahi!

She was distracted by a soft knock, and looked up to find her mother hovering uncertainly in the doorway.

"Khushi ..."

"Amma!" Khushi rushed up, her mind already whirling with a hundred reasons for this late night visit, "is Babu-ji okay?"

"Yes, he's fine, calm ... calm down."

Khushi pressed a hand to her heart, feeling her pulse calm slowly, "Oh."

"You worry too much," her mother admonished gently, "we're fine. Arnav-bitwa and Aakash-bitwa are doing so much to help."

She nodded and led her mother to the bed, where they sat side-by-side. Amma smiled at the stars.

"I used to worry about what I'd say to my sister. I always wonder if I've given you everything she would have."

Khushi's heart twisted, "Amma ..."

"But now I can meet her with my head held high. I doubt even she could have found you a better match than the man who was here tonight."

Amma gave a watery giggle, and Khushi followed with a hushed sound that was more sob than laugh. She squeezed her mother's hands tightly between her own, her phone briefly forgotten.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, Amma" she said softly.

Amma's hand fluttered in the air between them, "It's all forgotten. It will be a great story to tell in a few years. Anyway, it's not as if you eloped."

Khushi's eyes widened in horror as she tried to imagine it. Her mother laughed again.

"Look at you, behaving as though it really happened."

She quickly reached for another subject, blushing.

"Arnav-ji and I will never watch movies together," she sighed dramatically, "he doesn't even like Pakeezah!"

"Hmm," Amma grinned, "he didn't take you to see films like your heroes take your heroines? Those ... what do they call them? Dates?"

"No!" she pouted, "he didn't do anything like that. Oh, no. He took me to a fair one time."

Khushi twisted and lay her head in her mother's lap.

"Aloof, boring, angry," she listed fondly, "you know how he is."

"Smart, respectful, honest," Amma countered, "I know how he is."

"You like him more than you like me!" her accusation came swiftly.