ArShi One Shots [compiled]

OS | Banke Laal ji aur Hum

"God Arnav ji! Okay, let's go!" she threw the cushion placed next to her at him before getting up and putting her sandals on.

"Jiji! we're going for a walk! Let Amma know!" she yelled at her sister before walking out the door to be followed by her husband. She had started walking ahead of Arnav but stopped two houses down to walk up to him and hold his hand. Arnav smiled seeing her frown as she pulled him alongside her towards the end of the street.

It took about walking two blocks down to reach small storefronts. They had just stepped towards the store when someone took Khushi's name without her even looking up. He looked up to see the source of the voice.

"Khushi ji!! Aap! Yahan!!"

The man speaking looked about close to his age, give or take with a year or two's difference. He had soft curls that were pushed back by a hairband to stop falling on his forehead but his hair cut in itself appeared similar to that of a mullet. The man had grey-colored eyes and a surprisingly proportionate body that could have him cast in a Marvel film. and a horrendously sweet smile. If only his teeth weren't as red as they appeared to be, Arnav would've called up the agency he was partnered with to recruit the man in front of him as a model.

"Namaste Banke ji! Where did your mustache go?" Khushi replied to the man in front of them with fake enthusiasm. Arnav felt her grip loosen on his hand and made sure to tighten up his on hers. Regardless of the ways that Arnav knew he was a better choice for Khushi than the man standing in front of him, he wasn't ready to give his place next to her up as easily without having been introduced.

"Khushi ji, I shaved it off when I found out that you got married!" the man replied somberly, pretending to be teary-eyed.

"Oh." Khushi's reaction was underwhelming to both the men, her husband, and poor Banke Laal. Arnav darted a look towards Khushi before making a face at the man's expressions.

"Khushi ji, you've come to my store after so many years though. Tell me what I can get for you?"

"Six paans!" Khushi fluttered her eyes at the man while her hand was still held by her husband.

"kya kar rahi ho!" Arnav had noticed and nudged her shoulder.

"kya?" she responded as if she was oblivious of her terrible flirting skills. Banke Laal ji moved with the speed of lightning in creating not six but twelve sweet paans. He wrapped them up in old newspaper pieces before filling up a small paper bag with them and handing it to Khushi. Arnav was quick to take the bag before Khushi's fingers could brush Banke Laal's hand. Khushi gave him a weird look before turning around to leave.

"Wait—how much?" Arnav finally addressed Banke Laal.

"It's nothing for Khushi ji!" Banke Laal replied smiling through his pain. Arnav rolled his eyes and dropped a 500Rs note in front of the man. Khushi was about to question why Arnav was keen on rejecting free food when she finally remembered the tale she had once cooked up about Banke Laal ji and herself being in a secret affair when an ex-girlfriend of her husband had stepped into their lives. She uncomfortably chuckled at Banke Laal ji as she exited the store with her husband in tow.

"—so, Arnav ji, remember when I told you I had a secret affair with Banke Laal." Khushi started as they headed back towards Khushi's home, "well I was just kidding. There was nothing going on in between us at all!" Khushi clarified.

"I know," he said without looking ahead.

"Oh, you do?" she questioned confused. "How?"

"There was no way you would've had a relationship and been quiet about it," he replied as if he knew what he was talking about.

Khushi felt offended, "What does that even mean?"

"I knew you were lying about having an affair when you told me because you felt weird about me having girlfriends before Lavanya!"

"I like Lavanya ji! She's sweet! How is she?"

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to her in a year—but Khushi," Arnav was curious to know if she did flirt with Banke Laal for free food as frequently as Payal insinuated, "did you ever pay this man for anything you got from him?"

"erm...I don't remember. It's been too long." she clarified. Arnav pursed his lips knowing full well that that meant that Khushi hadn't ever paid. He didn't like what this meant. The past two-something years, he hadn't worried much about someone from Khushi's past popping up knowing full well that Khushi hadn't ever loved anyone besides him but now, this Banke Laal had turned out to be very much real and rather handsome and age-appropriate as well. Arnav felt secure enough to not entirely feel as jealous, and looking at Khushi's hand in his was comforting but Khushi having admirers was something that never sat right with him at all. His wife was only his to admire.

In a few more minutes, they entered back into the house and Arnav tried getting Khushi busied into spending time with him rather than leaving him with questionable thoughts surrounding the kind of suitors or admirers Khushi had before him.

About two days later just while Arnav and Akash were loading the car with the presents Guptas had handed over for the family back in Delhi, Arnav spotted a nervous Banke Laal ji lurking around the corner of the street while eyeing him. He made deliberate eye contact with the man which led him to slowly step forward and walk up to Arnav. Akash curiously looked on at the interaction.

"You're Khushi ji's husband?"

Akash peered at the man standing before them. He was quite good-looking and could easily pass for a model. He concluded that if the man wasn't wearing a paan-stained kurta, he would've maybe taken some workout routine tips from him.

"Yeah!" Arnav had replied to Banke Laal a little too gruffly.

Banke Laal handed Arnav a plain necklace with a heart pendant hanging off the chain. "I got this for Khushi ji. I was going to give her at her sister's wedding but then she disappeared." The man appeared teary-eyed. Arnav uncomfortably looked at Akash at the reminder of Payal's broken wedding but then refocused his attention at Banke Laal.

"Please take this!" Banke Laal insisted. Arnav slowly took the necklace, "I love Khushi ji with all my heart but I know that Devi Mayyian made you her soulmate. Not me. Please take good care of my Khushi ji!" Poor Banke Laal had silent tears streaming down his face. Arnav stepped back in apprehension as the man left. He turned to look at Akash who was quite literally laughing at him.

"Shut up!" Arnav bellowed at his brother before mumbling an 'unbelievable' and slipping the cheap necklace into his pockets.

The brother's wives soon stepped out of their house after bidding adieu to their parents. Akash was quick to narrate the details of the awkward encounter to the two while Arnav sat in grumbling and mumbling under his breath as they made their way home. He made a mental note to never dismiss Khushi's craziest stories just because they seem outlandish to him. He held onto Khushi's hand all throughout their flight and drive back home. Banke Laal might have big feelings, but Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada was still his wife, and that's all that mattered.