HIS REPLACED BRIDE

16. Jhanvi

The two excited souls were successful in their mission and reached their destination which was the classroom. The classroom was filled with diverse people from many countries. Scanning the classroom they found two adjacent empty seats and walked to them. Soon a middle-aged woman walked through the door and the class fell into silence. She started explaining about the curriculum for the semester.

They made a few friends in the classroom although Khushi was hesitant to talk with them seeing Jhanvi's extroverted nature she felt at ease. Soon the time has come to leave the college. They were standing outside of the college.

"How are you going home, Khushi?"

"My husband will come," Smile appeared on her face, as she remembered Arnav and how encouraging he was to her this morning.

"What!!!!
Are you married?" Khushi's trance was broken by Jhanvi's shout.

Khushi nodded with a smile. "I can't believe it.
You are young and married. If my grandmother got to know then she would start searching for grooms" Her eyes widened in shock, as she could imagine her grandmother's hands full of the groom's photos.

Khushi laughed seeing her expression. "By this I realized, we were talking like long-lost best friends but the truth is we know nothing about each other" Khushi nodded as she couldn't agree more.

It had been only a few hours but Khushi started to feel comfortable with Jhanvi. Although she attended high school, she never got a caring friend as her sister Sheetal made sure she would not make any friends. Her whole life Sheetal made sure she was alone in school. As Sheetal didn't like Khushi attending the prestigious school with her for this reason she even argued with her parents but they couldn't do anything as Khushi's school expenses were taken care of by Madhumati.

At a young age, Khushi tried to make friends and felt depressed as she was always alone in class and during lunch hour. Once a girl initiated a friendship when she was in eighth grade. She felt happy and started to care for her but in a few days, that girl stopped talking with her.

When Khushi confronted her, the girl replied, "I don't want to be your friend after you snatched my boyfriend." Khushi was confused when hearing her as she never talked or crossed paths with boys.

Later she got to know that her boyfriend, who is their senior saw Khushi with that girl and fell in love at first sight. After a few days, that boy started to follow and soon she learned about the rumours Sheetal spread about her. Since that day she never tried to make friends in that school.

Today, once again overcoming her anxiety and nervousness, she decided to give friendship a chance in her life. Upon the arrival of Arnav and Arshad, her lost hope in relations started to grow in her dried heart, and she felt Jhanvi was that friend she longed for in her life.

"Where are you lost, Khushi?" Jhanvi stokes her shoulder pulling her out of the past.

Khushi forced a smile bobbing her head sideways. Suddenly, they heard a barking sound. A wide smile appeared on Jhanvi's face as she walked towards the dog, which jumped from an old man's arms.

"Mr Tom" Jhanvi shouted and the dog jumped in her arms. She turned to Khushi, "Khushi, meet my jaan Mr. Tom" For the first time in her life Khushi didn't know how to react.

She parted her lips and said hesitatingly "But, it is a dog Jhanvi" She saw that the old man was face palming.

Jhanvi frowned replying. "Khushi, you are my friend so I am forgiving for calling my dog a dog."

"Jani, do you want to scare off your friend on the first day?" He turned to Khushi. "Child, my granddaughter is perfectly fine but only in the matter of this" He pointed to Mr Tom as he continued. "She goes berserk if anyone calls it a dog. I request your understanding"