Chapter Four

Dinner had gone by amazingly, just as Anjali had said. Everyone had gotten lost in Khushi’s jalebis and couldn’t stop eating them. Avantika took this as her chance and eyed at Deviyani. Deviyani understood and the two went up to Deviyani’s room. While the family busied themselves in Khushi’s jalebis, Avantika told Deviyani everything.

“He did what?”

“Bhai designed a choli for the one,” Avantika shrieked.

Deviyani shrieked along with her granddaughter. “Oh my gosh!!!”

“I know!!!”

Deviyani sighed. “That’s so sweet of Chote.”

“I know! It’s disgusting-”

Deviyani made a face. 

“What,” she said innocently. “Bhai all romantic? Yuck,” she shuddered.

Deviyani chuckled. “I just hope that the one meant for him is Khushi.”

“So do I,” Avantika sighed. “And I have an idea….”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“Well… what if Khushi wore the choli he made. He just might fall in love with her.”

Deviyani thought about it. “I get what you’re saying but….”

“But what Nani?”

“What if Chote gets angry? You know how hot-headed he can get.”

“Ugh, don’t I,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“It’s a good idea, but it’s too risky. Poor Khushi just might get yelled at.”

“So you mean I went through all of that for nothing?”

“Went through- Avantika, what did you do?”

Avantika held her finger up, telling Deviyani to wait a moment. She got up and left the room. Moments later, she came back in with the red choli in her hand.

“You didn’t,” Deviyani breathed.

“I did. While Bhai and I were going down to dinner, I forgot my phone, so I told him to go ahead. While I got my phone, I also swiped the choli and hid it in my room.”

Deviyani placed her hand on her forehead. “Hai DM… you’ll never grow up will you?”

Avantika tilted her head and frowned. “Why do you and Di keep saying that?”

Deviyani opened her mouth to explain but then she shook her head. “Never mind. Now let me see it.”

Avantika grinned and she shut the door behind her. She opened it up and showed Deviyani Arnav’s work.

“Wow… it’s so beautiful,” Deviyani said. “I never knew my grandson had such good taste.”

“I know right,” Avantika beamed. “And can you imagine how Khushi would look in this? She’d look sexy as hell!”

Deviyani rolled her eyes at her granddaughter’s choice of words. “Yes, she’d look absolutely stunning!”

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if she ever wears it,” Avantika sighed.

“Mm hmm.”

Avantika’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“What,” Deviyani asked as she folded the choli and placed it back in its packet.

“How am I gonna put this back in Bhai’s room?”

Deviyani looked at her. “Well don’t look at me. You got yourself in this mess, now you get out of it.”

“Nani,” she whined.

“Don’t Nani me. Figure it out.”

Avantika bit her lip and thought for a moment. “Maybe Bhai isn’t in his room yet. I should go check and then come back to put the choli away. Yeah, I should do that.”

Without another word, Avantika took off. Deviyani shook her head and chuckled at her granddaughter’s crazy antics. She got up and opened the wardrobe door to take out Khushi’s choli. She had worked on it earlier and she was done with her work. Just as she pulled out the choli, Deviyani heard bleating. In came walking Laxmi with a shoe a in her mouth.

Deviyani gaped. “Laxmi no!”

Laxmi wandered off and Deviyani went after her. As she followed Laxmi around, Khushi caught sight of her. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she watched Deviyani. Tired, Deviyani stopped and leaned against the ledge. She looked down at Khushi’s confused state.

“Laxmi took another shoe,” she explained.

Khushi’s lips formed into an O.

Deviyani shook her head and looked at Laxmi who was chewing on the shoe.

“No Laxmi, stop!”

Laxmi wandered off again and Deviyani sighed and was about to go after her, when she remembered.

“Oh yes. Khushi?”

Khushi tilted her head.

“I fixed up your choli for the party. It’s upstairs in my room. Would you mind getting it?”

Khushi smiled and nodded.

“Thank you dear.” Deviyani looked at Laxmi. “Get back here with that shoe Laxmi!”

Deviyani went off after her and Khushi smiled away at Deviyani’s antics. Going upstairs she went into Deviyani’s room.

Oh no. Naniji didn’t say where she put it. Where am I supposed to-

Khushi noticed the red choli packaged on the bed.

Oh. She kept it out for me. I guess she was planning on calling me to give it to me.

Khushi went over to the bed and picked it up.

That’s so sweet of her. No matter what, Nani always thinks of me, she smiled.

Taking the choli with her, Khushi left the room. Moments later, Avantika came walking back in and shut the door.

“Phew! Bhai’s still not in his room. Thank you Papa for chatting him up into business talk. Now where’s the choli.”

She noticed that the bed was clear.

“Oh no! Where did Nani put it?”

Avantika looked around the room when she noticed the wardrobe door open. She noticed the package sticking out and she went over to it.

“Good thinking about hiding it, though not so well done Nani.”

Taking it, Avantika slipped out of Deviyani’s room and slipped into Arnav’s room. She put the choli where she found it and left, no one ever knowing she had taken it in the first place.

Well, for now.