Choti Si Duniya - ArShi FF

Interlude II - 10 years Sneak-peek

Khushi smiled to herself, as she freshened up and went to her daughters' bedroom. There lay their princess! Khushi went to their wardrobe first, like every day, picking out the clothes for her darling-daughters to wear. And then went near Aru!

After their wake-up cuddling, Arohi finally noticed the clothes her Maa had picked up for her.

"Haww. Mamma how do you know I wanted to wear this jeans today?" she asked, surprised. She had decided to wear this particular one today and had forgotten to tell Khushi about it. but looked like she didn't need to!

"Because your mamma knows you since the time you were a size of an apple-seed in my tummy." Khushi affectionately caressed Aru's cheek. Really, it seemed like yesterday when she and arnav had seen their babies as tiny dots on a sonogram, in doctor's office and they both had teared up hearing their babies' heartbeats. But now, all their 3 kids had grown up and how!

"But still, how you get know, every time, ki mujhe kya chahiye?" Aru wasn't convinced still.

"Jab tum ma banogi na tab pata chalega hmm?" Khushi used her usual answer, much to Aru's irritation!

--*--

Amidst the morning run, Arnav was looking at his kids with proud. His son was growing up to be a fine young man, with a hint of stubble on his fair cheeks and a cute little mustache!. Like Arnav had said to Khushi many years ago, he had let Kavish follow his own desire. Which meant skipping school many times to attend sports tournaments. It seemed to finally pay off as Kavish was selected for Delhi's state-cricket team for under-18.

Then his attention wen to his other kid, Pari! She had come a long way indeed! For most of her early childhood days Arnav and Khushi had visited so many doctors in India and abroad to get her speak! But even at 4 years age when pari still could speak only a few words, they accepted she was a differently abled child. Arnav had made another important decision then, home school her! And man, did that prove something? Her teachers soon realized she was a bright child with very good attention span. And then cherry on the cake was when she started speaking more about 2 years ago!

It was again his and khushi's decision to admit her in the proper school now, and her interview had gone well. He was still reminiscing the past when pari's question pulled his attention,

"dad, will you teach me how share market works?" Pari asked and did not surprise Arnav at all! He had already understood this child of his was going to follow his footsteps in business!

--*--

Khushi welcomed her other 2 kids and her sweating husband with a smile and gestured them to be quick with shower and join for breakfast. After all, they had to make a special visit at A.R. today. Every year, before Christmas, A.R.'s employees got a treat from Khushi (and now joined by her kids) with Christmas sweets (earlier jalebis, now cookies were added on Aru's insistence).

Finally they all were having their breakfast, when Pari nervously asked Khushi,

"Maa is it ok if I don't go?" Spoke the nerd of the family, Shriya aka Pari!

"beta kitni padhai karoge? Have fun too sometimes na?" How khushi wished Pari became more social, and her other 2 kids became a little interested in studies!

"umm no mamma, I don't want to go. Please?" saying so Pari whispered something in Khushi's ears, making khushi's eyes widen. They had recently given lessons about menstruation to both the girls and pari just said she had stomach-ache! Did that mean-? Khushi didn't want to leave her alone!

So Khushi stayed back with Pari while it was decided that Kavish, Piya and Aru would go in a separate car, driven by Mohan! Kavish had already decided to try his luck and ask Mohan if he could rive for some patch of the road.

--*--

A shiny black Tesla model-Y stopped just in front of the main lobby of AR, only VIPs were allowed to bring their cars till here, all others were always directed to basement parking.

"Who is it?" an employee asked

"That's ASR's son and daughter. The elder girl is Akash sir's daughter." The other older employee explained to the young one. ASR's kids had frequently visited the office but some employees had still not seen them so close.

Piya went to meet Akash, while Aru and Kavish barged in Arnav's cabin after a soft knock, as was their mamma's habit!

"Hey dad" Aru rushed in and hugged him, as Arnav had just ended the call he was speaking on.

"Kavish did you ask Mohan to let you drive again?" Arnav asked Kavish, making it clear it was Mohan he was speaking to. He always used to check on Mohan when he drove the kids.

"Psst, don't worry papa, I am going turn 16 in just 5 months, I will have a leaner's permit soon"

"Yeah, but not yet. I don't want you take risks ok?" Arnav tried to reason

"chill papa, we are good." Arnav shook his head, turns out his kids were not 'perfect' either and he had to be prepared for some teen-ager's attitude issues!

--*--

Finally that evening, when everyone was chit-chatting in the hall, Arnav noticed Arohi was lost in some thoughts and then left from there. Arnav felt weird and followed her to her room.

There he found his princess staring at herself in the mirror, with a frown. This got him worried so he stepped asking, "Princess what is it?" Arnav asked and Arohi looked at him with a sad face

"Papa, why am I not beautiful?" one good thing was their kids never hid anything from them, sharing whatever was bothering them.

"WHAT? Kisne kaha?" Arnav asked but he and even Khushi were aware the difference in their twins' looks. While Pari was a fair and skinny girl, Aru was a little chubby and a bit lighter on skin tone. And even if that didn't make either of them less beautiful for their parents and family, some people had insensitively started passing remarks. Like when Anjali's mother-in-law suggested they use haldi-face pack for Aru to make her fairer like her sister or some of their friends who would openly complement Pari on her looks. It was good that Pari didn't bother about her looks, but Aru seemed to get offended. After all, she was a young girl and struggling with insecurities was a first step in teenage!

"Aru do you know why I love your Maa?" Arnav used after thinking a bit.

"Erm. Because she is beautiful?" bingo, so Aru WAS bothered about her looks! Made Arnav's answer easy!

"that she is but that was not just why I love her so much! Your ma possesses a most beautiful heart, a heart that only knows how to love, how to trust and how to make everyone happy. And I see you just like that princess." Arnav said, and by then Khushi too had come there, following the father-daughter. She had heard arnav and was proud of the way he was talking to their daughter.

"and aru, do you know why I love your dad so much? Its because the way he fiercely loves and protects his family. That makes him beautiful! I have seen same passion in you shona, not just now, even when you were just a baby. you know what that means? You ARE BEAUTIFUL!"

"Yes, real beauty lies in your heart princess, never forget that. So both our daughters are prettiest, ok?" Arnav said caressing her head. Hopefully, this did help to curb Aru's insecurities on her looks!

Finally as Arnav and Khushi called it a day, they still had a bunch of issues to discuss. Like Kavish had expressed his will to study in Scotland and also attend cricket coaching while there but Khushi had put her foot down. No kid of hers was allowed to leave the house until they turned 18 (only Pari would take this offer later when she got admission at Harvard's for undergraduate program), or like Aru spending so much time in watching movies and Pari spending equal in her books! But they knew things will fall in place, like they had in last 20 years!!!

--*--

A/N - Phew!! A LONG ONE!. Hope you all liked it :) There will be another interlude later, 20 years into the future with arshi in their 50s and their kids in mid-twenties. I will include Anjali and Pratham's future in that one. And maybe, another, 40 years into the future, where arshi celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with their kids married and their 5 grandkids around :P But all in good time 😊

Wish you and your dear ones a very Happy New year! See you in 2022, with more arshi-licious updates. stay tuned, tc :)