Abhigya Stories Collection

The Fake Girlfriend

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story. This is a silly, stupid and time pass story.

"What if he really falls in love with me?" Pragya asks worriedly.

"Have you seen yourself?" Niel asks her sarcastically.

Pragya scowls at him through her thick rimmed glasses.

"Shut up, Niel." Rachna tells him.

"Don't you care enough to tell her the truth?" Niel asks her.

"Babes, you really need to ditch the glasses." Rachna tells her softly.

"You know I can't see without them." Pragya mumbles.

"You could get nice frames or contact lenses."

"I like my specs." Pragya tells her wondering why no one seemed to like her black thick rimmed glasses. "And it is the in-thing."

"On your face it makes you look like a nerd."

"I am a nerd."

"You don't have to advertise it. And don't get me started on your silly tshirts and hoodies."

"I like them. I am comfortable in them." Pragya argues meekly.

"You're such a beautiful girl, I don't know why you want to do this to yourself." Rachna tells her shaking her head.

"I am not doing to myself. this is me."

"No guy is going to look at you." Rachna tells her softly.

"I am here to study, not get a boyfriend." Pragya tells her. "And if a man can't love me as me then he doesn't deserve me. if all he wants is a Diva then he can look elsewhere."

"There is nothing wrong in being a Diva." Rachna points out.

"And there is nothing wrong in being me." Pragya tells her raising up her chin proudly.

Niel asks almost in a bored tone, "Anyway are you going to do the dare?"

Pragya turns to look at the handsome guy. She sighs. "No."

"Then you'll have to do the punishment." Niel says with a smirk.

God, she hated him! he was Rachna's boyfriend, Akash's best friend and she is forced to hang out with him.

"Yeah, Pragya. That's the rule." Akash says chuckling.

"What is the punishment?" Pragya asks giving up.

"Do all my assignments and homework the whole year." Niel tells her smirking.

"No way!"

"We had decided the rules before we started playing and you agreed."

"But whole year is too much." Rachna frowns at him.

"Maybe for one day." Akash tells him.

"I challenged her, so the punishment will be what I decide." Niel says.

Pragya frowns at him and asks, "That is why you suggested the game. So I will slave for you for a year?"

He smirks in reply.

"And you dared her to do something that you knew she would not be able to fulfill." Rachna accuses him.

"It was a dare." He says shrugging.

"You are an asshole." Rachna tells him angrily.

"You can start doing my assignments now itself, Pragya." Niel says.

"Take your assignment and shove it up your ass." Pragya tells him furiously. "I'm taking the dare."

"If you don't complete the dare also you'll have to do the punishment." Niel tells her mockingly.

Pragya ignores him and turns around to look for the handsome guy. Finding him missing from his table, she looks around the canteen, and finds him near the counter ordering something. Taking a deep breath, she walks to him.

"Er... hello." Pragya nervously tells him as she stood in front of him.

He turns to her with a curious frown. "Hi."

Pragya gulps as she looked at the boy. He was more good looking up close. Her heart started slamming against her chest wondering how she was going to complete the dare.

"Can I help you?" he asks with a frown.

Pragya turns to look at her friends and sees them watching her. she turns to him, and sees that he had followed he gaze and was looking at her friends. She quickly says, "I love you."

He turns to her with an amused smile. "Really?"

Pragya nods her head, as she couldn't bring herself to repeat the lie.

"And those are you friends?" he asks smiling.

"Yes."

"Raging or dare?"

Pragya eyes widen realizing he had caught her. she quickly turns to go when he holds her hand.

"What are you doing?" Pragya asks him in shock.

"Tell me, raging or dare?"

"I can't answer that. it's against the rules." Pragya tells him.

"It is either raging or dare. You don't have to say which is, you can say which one it is not." He asks her grinning so proud of himself. "Dare?"

"I can't answer that."

"Raging?"

"No."

"Dare it is then." He says smiling ear to ear.

"Why are you asking me this?" Pragya asks him confused.

"Is the dare that you say I love you?" he asks ignoring her question.

"No."

"I have to say I love you too?" he asks her.

"I can't answer that."

He smiles grinning. "Is there a penalty?"

"I can't answer that."

"Do you want to win?" he asks.

"Yes, please." Pragya whispers as she worriedly looked at her friends.

"And will you help in return?" he asks her.

"How?" Pragya asks frowning.

"I was looking for a girl like you."

"Like me?" Pragya asks confused.

"Yeah, nerdy looking... exact opposite of the college beauty."

Pragya scowls at the insult.

"I am not trying to insult you, I am just explaining why I want you."

"Want me?"

"To be my fake girlfriend."

"WHAT?"

"I'm in love and she has been friend zoning me a for a while now. I just want to make her jealous. I feel if I ignore her and shower all my attention on someone exactly opposite to her, she would get disturbed and that would lead to confusion and attention on me."

"Sorry, not interested." Pragya tells him and she turns to go to her friends and sees Niel looking at her with a smirk, so sure of his win. Even if she has to be his fake girlfriend, she wasn't going to let that asshole win.

"Fine! I'll do it."

"Not just for now. till she says yes to me."

"Okay. I promise." Pragya tells him.

"That's awesome. We've a deal." He says smiling. "Now come, let's go put up a show for your friends."

Smiling happily, Pragya starts walking towards the table, when she feels him put his hand on her shoulder. She turns to him in shock.

"Don't tell me you are uncomfortable." He says rolling his eyes. "If it would ease you I'll put friendship band for you. even let you put a rakhi for me."

She chuckles hearing that.

He smiles at her, "So, what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Pragya."

He puts his hand forward for her and she clasps his hand. "Hello Pragya, it is very nice to meet you. I'm King."

"Everyone, meet King, my boyfriend." Pragya says smiling as she made eye contact with Niel.

"What?" Niel shouts in shock.

"Pragya?" Rachna whispers in shock. "Boyfriend?"

"You told him about the dare!" Niel accuses Pragya.

"What dare?" King asks acting shocked. "Am I a dare, Pragya?" he asks acting hurt.

"No... no, King. I really love you." Pragya says cupping his face. "You are so hot; how can anyone not love you?"

"Then what was he saying about dare?" King asks frowning.

"I don't know, King. Ever since I saw you, I fell in love with you." Pragya tells him.

"You stole my line. Even it was love at first sight for me." King tells her smiling lovingly at her. "I love you, Pragya."

"I don't believe it." Niel says.

King turns to him with a frown, "You are not my mother to approve our relation."

Pragya bit her lip to stop from laughing seeing the way Niel had turned pink.

"Come, Pragya. I want to show you off to my friends." King tells her leading her to the table where his friends are.

"You get an extra point for calling me hot." King tells her chuckling.

Pragya chuckles hearing that, she liked him, he was a little shallow but she still liked him.

"Hey everyone, I want you all to meet Pragya, my girlfriend." King announces.

"Girlfriend?" a girl asks in shock as she looked Pragya.

Obviously, that was his crush.

"Is she the most beautiful girl you kept talking about all these days?" his friend asks in shock.

Pragya felt a little uncomfortable with the way they were all shocked, because King was so handsome and she was so ordinary, behenji types.

"Yes, Tanu she is my girlfriend. And Robin she is the one I was talking about. And you know, what is amazing? She proposed me just now. Isn't she amazing? Not scared to go after what she wants?" King asks as he pulled her closer to him.

Pragya smiles at King, deciding to have some fun at the expense of his friends. "I knew you were crazy about me, King. I've been noticing the way you were looking at me all these days."

"Beautiful, courageous and smart, is there no end to your charm, darling?" King asks shocked.

Pragya chuckles, "Won't you introduce me to your friends, honey?"

"Of course, darling. Let's sit first." King says as he pulled a chair for her to sit.

"Chivalrous, I like it." Pragya says with a flirty smile.

King immediately hugs her, "Don't know what that means. It is something good, right?" he whispers to her ears.

Pragya who was shocked at the hug couldn't help smile, poor thing, all he had was good looks, he is so dumb. "Yes." She whispers back.

Pragya spent the rest of the break, chatting up with his friends. She had a great time, giving shock after shock to his friends, with their flirting.

From then on, Pragya spent most of her break time with King and his friends, playing the part of his girlfriend. Even her friends had joined them, and now they were one big gang. Niel was still suspicious of their relation but they had ignored his accusations. And King was on cloud nine because of all the glares Pragya was getting from Tanu.

Pragya walks into the club and looks around for King. He was supposed to meet King there. noticing he hadn't reached, she sits on a table waiting for him to reach. He was supposed to pick up Tanu and come to the club. Pragya orders a pepsi and French fries as she waited for him.

Hearing her mobile buzzing, she checks her messages and sees a message from King.

Change in plans, Pragya. Tanu has stomach pain, so I'm playing nursemaid for her. so, let's cancel on the club. I'll see you in college on Monday.

Pragya groans in irritation.

"What the hell? Can't you inform if you were not going to show up?"

Pragya curiously turns to the table on her left to see a man on the phone. Cursing loudly, he hangs up the phone.

"Got stood up?" Pragya asks him.

He turns to her with a frown. But then his expression softens.

Pragya frowns seeing something she had never seen on the face of a person who was looking at her, admiration.

"Yes." He says smiling.

"Me too." Pragya replies, taking in his handsome features. He was the most handsome man she had seen in her life.

"Abhishek Prem Mehra." He introduces himself.

"Pragya Arora." Pragya replies smiling.

Abhishek's heart skipped a beat seeing the most beautiful smile possible on a face. she not only had the most beautiful eyes and face, she had a beautiful smile to go with it. He had thought of leaving, but now, he couldn't even think of taking a step away from her. what the hell happened to him? he had never felt this kind of attraction to anyone, that too instant attraction.

"So, what plans now?" he asks her.

"I told Mama not to make dinner for me. so, now I'll have dinner and head home. What about you?" Pragya asks him.

"I don't have anywhere to be. If you don't mind, then I can join you for dinner." Abhishek says with a smile.

"I hate eating alone." Pragya tells him smiling.

Smiling, Abhishek gets up and walks to the chair opposite to her and sits.

Pragya pushes her French fries to the middle of the table so he can also have it.

"Do you come here often?" Abhishek asks her.

"First time in a club."

"And you got stood up?" Abhishek asks sympathetically.

"My friend had some important work. Do you come here often?"

"No. during college days, I used to go clubbing during weekend with my friends. But now, busy with work."

Pragya smiles.

The waiter comes and they quickly place their orders. Then they talked about random things.

"I have never stayed in hostel." Abhishek tells her.

"I like it. I can study better. So I stay in hostel during the week and go to my house for the weekends."

"You are the studious kind?"

"D'oh. Shouldn't that be obvious from my look?"

"How is that?" he asks confused.

"The Nerdy Look."

"You're saying that as if it is a bad thing." Abhishek tells her confused.

"Isn't it?"

"I don't think so." He says shaking his head.

"Really?" Pragya asks shocked. "Everyone asks me to work on my looks."

"Whatever the hell for? You are the most beautiful girl I have seen in my life." Abhishek says shocked out of his wits.

"What?" Pragya asks in a shocked whisper.

Realizing what he said, Abhishek looks away muttering, "Shit."

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Luckily the waiter brought their food.

Once the waiter left, Abhishek clears his throat to get her attention. Pragya looks at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I speak my mind. My motto in life has been honesty in the best policy."

Pragya nods.

"Don't ever feel that you are less than anyone." Abhishek tells her.

"I have never felt like that." Pragya confesses to him. "I'm this. And I like being like this. I tell my best friend, if a guy can't love me for being me, then he doesn't deserve me."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Abhishek asks her curiously.

"No."

Abhishek smiles hearing that. Pragya for the first time in her life, blushes seeing that.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Pragya asks him.

"No. was never ready to mingle, till tonight when someone asked me 'Got stood up'."

Pragya's eyes widen in shock as her cheeks heat up with a blush. First time someone was flirting with her other than King. But King didn't count because she knew he was faking it.

"Let's eat?" Pragya asks him.

Pragya has never felt like this with anyone in her life. there was something about him, that made her feel special. As if, she was the most interesting person in the world for him. it made her comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.

Abhishek had started talking to Pragya because he had found her beautiful, but as he spoke to her, he started like her character even more. It was the strangest feeling, it felt like she was what he had been searching for the whole of his life and he wasn't even aware that he was searching for something.

Hearing her mobile ring, Pragya checks her phone.

"I've to take this. It is my mother." Pragya tells Abhishek.

"Hello Mama?" Pragya says on the phone. "I'm just finishing up dinner. I'll come in a bit. Okay, bye."

"Time for you to leave?" Abhishek asks seeing her hang up.

"Yeah, my parents haven't seen me for 5 days, and they sleep early, so I have to go." Pragya informs him regretfully.

"Oh okay." Abhishek gestures the waiter for bill.

"Do you want my number?" Pragya asks him.

Abhishek smiles hearing that. "I was about to ask you for it."

They quickly exchange numbers.

The waiter brings the bill.

Seeing Abhishek taking out his card, Pragya asks him, "Let's go Dutch?"

Abhishek looks at her for a second and then says, "Yeah sure."

Pragya takes out her card and puts it along with Abhishek's card.

"How are you going to go?" Abhishek asks her as the waiter swiped their cards.

"I'll take uber."

"I can drop you." Abhishek tells her as he entered his pin on the card machine.

"Won't that be trouble for you?"

"no. I would love to drop you."

Pragya blushes hearing that.

"Ma'm?" Waiter extends the card machine to her.

Pragya leans over the table and enters the pin.

"Let's go?" Abhishek asks after she had kept her card in her bag.

"Okay." Pragya smiles as she took her backpack and duffel bag from the floor.

They were walking out when Abhishek whispers to her, "It's true."

"What?" Pragya asks confused.

"Your tshirt."

Pragya looks down and sees 'Once in a while someone amazing comes along. And here I am' written on her tshirt. Pragya smiles and looks up at him and sees him giving her a flirty smile.

"Bye." Pragya tells him smiling as she got out of the car.

"Bye, Pragya." Abhishek says smiling. "I had a great time, Pragya."

"Me too." Pragya smiles.

Pragya was talking to parents, but unlike normally, this time she wasn't keenly listening to them, as her attention was still on Abhishek. She wanted to see him again. she has never felt like this for anyone before. The truth was no guy had managed to grab her attention for more than few minutes because she always lost interest in them quickly. Abhishek was different. Hearing her mobile buzz, Pragya checks her mobile. She smiles seeing that Abhishek had messaged her.

Hi.

Hello. Pragya replies.

Since we went Dutch today, I want to take you out for dinner tomorrow. Proper dinner. I'm paying. What say?

Pragya smiles excitedly reading the message. She couldn't wait to see him. And she couldn't wait till night to see him. she quickly replies.

How about we make it breakfast tomorrow?

I thought asking out for breakfast would be weird. It's a date then. I'll pick you up from your home?

Hearing the missed call, Pragya runs out of her house after informing her mother. She sees him leaning on his car.

"Hey." She says as she hurried out.

"Hi." He says with a smile. He opens the car door for her.

Pragya was about to get into the car when she notices his eyes on her chest.

He chuckles, "I guess, reading your tshirt is going to be my favorite pastime."

Pragya smiles, she was wearing one of her favorite tshirts, 'I tried being normal once, it was the worst two minutes of my life.'

"I love these type of tshirts and hoodies." Pragya tells him smiling.

"They are very cute on you." Abhishek tells her with a smile as he closed the door.

"Where are you taking me?" Pragya asks him as soon as he got in.

"Do you have any particular place or cuisine in mind?"

"Crepes."

"Let me check." Abhishek says as he took his mobile to search for a crepes place. "Where did you tell your parents you were going?" Abhishek asks her curiously.

"Date."

Abhishek turns to her with a smile. "and what did they say?"

"My mother was almost crying in relief that I was doing something interesting."

Abhishek chuckles.

"What about you?"

Abhishek looks at her with a frown. "I told mom that I don't want breakfast, that I am having from out. She just said okay. she might have assumed that I had gone for some official breakfast meet."

"You are always working?"

"Mostly." Abhishek replies. "This one has good reviews." Abhishek shows her the screen.

"Let's go there."

"When do you have to get back home?" Abhishek asks as he started the car.

"I don't have any curfew at home." Pragya tells him smiling.

Abhishek smiles hearing that.

"So you don't like reading?" Abhishek asks shocked.

"No." Pragya replies as she ate her crepes, her feet up on her chair.

"I am surprised."

"Why? Because of my specs?" Pragya asks curiously.

"You said you were studious, so I thought you are like a book worm."

"I would rather read my text book than some silly fictional stories."

"Hmmm."

"What about you?"

"Once in a while. When I am travelling."

"Do you travel a lot?"

"Due to work, I've to travel quite often."

"When is your next travel?"

"Coming weekend."

"Oh." Pragya's face fall hearing that.

"I would be back in two days. Sunday, I should be back." Abhishek quickly tells her.

"Okay." Pragya replies still a little sad. "Where do you work?"

"We've family business." Abhishek tells her and proceeds to tell her about their business.

"I saw a cycle track nearby; do you want to go cycling?" Pragya asks him. "When we were in Cambridge I used to go everywhere in my cycle." Pragya says smiling excitedly. "I miss that now."

"I think last time I cycled was when I was in school. Let's go cycle then." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"So, how many girlfriends have you had?" Pragya asks as they cycled side by side.

"None."

"None?" Pragya asks shocked.

"I lose interest quickly." Abhishek confesses.

"Oh."

"I am not going to lose interest in you." Abhishek quickly tells her.

"It's not that." Pragya tells him shaking her head.

"Then?" Abhishek asks confused.

"Even I lose interest quickly. I speak to them for two minutes and I realize they are the most boring person on earth."

"EXACTLY." Abhishek says amazed.

Pragya chuckles hearing him.

"So, am I interesting enough?" Abhishek asks softly.

"Yes." Pragya tells him smiling.

"It doesn't make us sound as nice people, right?" Abhishek asks her curiously.

"Do we even care?" Pragya asks him back.

"No." Abhishek laughs.

At night after dinner, Pragya walks into her house and finds her mother glaring at her.

"What happened, Mama?" Pragya asks curiously.

"Where were you the whole day?"

"I told you I was going for a date." Pragya replies confused.

"Don't lie, Pragya. you lied to me that you were going for a date and went for combined study, didn't you?" her mother asks her, squinting her eyes at her. "You knew, I would ask you to stay home if you told me you were going to study and so you lied, right?"

"Oh my mother!" Pragya puts up her hands in exasperation. "At least once be normal. I was on a date."

"The whole day?" Sarala asks in shock.

"Yes."

"Really?" Sarala asks smiling excitedly. "Who is he? When do we get to meet him?"

"After the way you are behaving, never!"

"Why, Pragya?" Raghu asks sadly. "Are we so bad?"

"You're going to embarrass me in front of him. and he is special."

"Awww my baby is finally acting her age."

"Oh please Mama!" Pragya says then hearing her mobile, she checks it to see Abhishek calling. She couldn't hide her blush; she walks off to answer the call.

"Bring him home someday." Sarala calls after her.

"No!"

"Hey." Pragya says smiling.

"Hey... when are you going back to your hostel?"

"Tomorrow evening or day after morning."

"Can you make it day after? Mom just called, some guests are coming over tomorrow, so I can't get out in the morning. Will be able to meet only in the evening."

"Yeah, okay. I'll go day after morning then."

"Great... by the way, did your parents say anything about you spending the whole day with me?"

"No, they were cool. In fact, too cool."

Abhishek chuckles.

"They want to meet you."

"Oh. Isn't it a little too soon?" Abhishek asks her softly.

"It is. I told them I am never bringing you home."

"Why?" Abhishek asks shocked.

"They are a little too hyper."

"Ha ha."

Abhishek smiles seeing Pragya. he walks to her and gives her a cheek kiss, making Pragya blush. Seeing her blush, his smile grows wider. They walk to his car. he opens the car door for her.

"Let's go get you some donuts then." Abhishek tells her smiling.

Pragya chuckles loudly as she looked down at her hoodie. I am just a girl, standing in front of a Salad asking it to be a Donut.

"I am a Donut girl." Pragya tells him.

"Ah, so any particular donut place?"

"I know the place that serves the best donut in the city." Pragya tells him excitedly. "Let's go there."

"Isn't this the best?" Pragya asks him as she bit into the donut.

Abhishek smiles seeing her excitement. Then noticing the tiny fleck on chocolate on her lips, he wipes it with a finger. Noticing she was curiously looking at him, he shows her the chocolate on his finger, then he as casually licks it off.

Pragya blushes seeing that.

"When are you going?" Pragya asks him.

"Friday evening."

"Hmmm. So, we won't meet the coming weekend?"

"I'll get back on Sunday. But don't know, if we can meet. I'll let you know."

Pragya nods.

"You can't get out of your hostel during the week?"

"No. there are girls who jump the wall at night."

"Ah." Abhishek smiles hearing that.

"I haven't done it."

"Let me know when you are in the mood to jump the wall, I'll come."

Pragya chuckles hearing that. "Let's go to the beach?" Pragya asks pointing at the beach. The donut place was opposite to the beach.

"Let's go." Abhishek says as he wiped his hands on a tissue after finishing his donut.

Abhishek lifts up his legs to roll up his jeans. Pragya was wearing a pair of denim shorts, so she just has to remove her sneakers. She removes her sneakers with her feet while she kept her hand on his shoulder to balance herself.

"Do you want my sunglasses?" Abhishek asks her as he turned to her while slipping off his loafers.

She had put up her hand to block the sun.

"I can't see without my specs. I'll be totally useless."

"Since when do you have your glasses?"

"I think 2nd standard."

"When I was small, I so badly wanted to wear specs." Abhishek tells her smiling. "Now, I have slight power, but I don't like using specs."

"Why?" Pragya asks as they started walking.

"I don't know. It is not as fun as I thought it to be in childhood. I use it only when I feel too much strain on my eyes." Abhishek tells her as he took her hand as they stepped into the water.

Pragya interlocks her fingers with his as they stood with waves caressing their feet.

"Do you come here often?" Abhishek asks her.

"Earlier I used to come with Rachna to have donuts. That time we walk in the beach."

"Rachna?"

"My best friend."

"Okay. why don't you come with her now? she is in another college?"

"She has a boyfriend now. they are always together."

"Ah you don't want to be the third wheel."

"It's not that. her boyfriend has a friend. He is an ass. I can't stand him."

"Why? What does he do?" Abhishek asks frowning.

"He is an arrogant prick. One bloody jerk. So full of himself. Thinks he is one stud, and that the rest of the world is so beneath him."

"Just so you know, I can throw a punch." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya laughs hearing that. "I might take you on that offer."

"Waiting for that." Abhishek tells her with a grin.

Pragya smiles hearing that. then she with her leg splashes water on his jeans. Abhishek looks at her in shock, then tightening his hold on her, he bends down and scooping water in his hands, he splashes water on her. soon, laughing happily they were splashing water on each other.

Realizing they both were drenched, they stop splashing water laughing happily. Pragya grabs the bottom of her Hoodie and squeezes it to get rid of excess water. Abhishek takes the ends of her sleeves and squeezes the water for her. she looks up at him and smiles. Abhishek wraps his hand around Pragya and pulls her closer to him.

"I've never felt like this for anyone." He tells her smiling.

"Even me." Pragya tells him smiling happily.

Abhishek leans down and kisses her forehead.

"I am going to miss you when you go to your hostel."

"Even I'll miss you." Pragya tells him.

"I'll try to call you and message you whenever I can." He promises her.

She smiles hearing that.

"Let's get ourselves dried before we head back." Abhishek tells her.

Holding hands, they start walking around the beach.

"Abhishek, one minute." Pragya tells him as she ran to a stall that was selling t-shirt, hoodies and jackets.

Abhishek follows Pragya to the stall. Pragya started looking through the clothes. he also starts looking through them.

"I love this." Pragya tells him as she showed him a t-shirt.

He turns to look at t-shirt she was holding and chuckles.

Don't

Underestimate

My

Brilliance

While Pragya paid for it, he quickly finds one that he liked. Without showing Pragya which one he had chosen, he asks the guy to pack it.

"You didn't show me yours." Pragya tells him as they walked to his car.

"Later." He tells her smiling.

"Okay." Pragya replies suspiciously.

Abhishek stops the car in front of her house. he also gets out of the car with Pragya.

"This is for you." he tells her as he handed her packet.

"For me?" Pragya looks at him surprised. "Thank you."

Abhishek winks at her and leaves. She watched him drive away, then she takes the hoodie out of the packet and curiously looks at it.

Girl: What is the first thing you notice when you look at another girl?

Boy: That she isn't you.

She couldn't control her joy and blush. She happily runs into her house.

Next day, Pragya went back to hostel. She spent most of her time messaging or talking to Abhishek. The only time she wasn't messaging him was when she was in class or acting as King's girlfriend.

Only on Monday when she was acting as King's girlfriend, Pragya realized that she never told Abhishek about King. Even though, she wasn't cheating on him or anything, she still felt that she was betraying him. especially when she realized that she was falling in love with Abhishek. she decided to tell him when they met the next time as she didn't want to do it over the phone.

"Who do you message the whole day?" Rachna asks her curiously.

Pragya wanted to tell her about Abhishek but if she tells her that, then she would have to tell her that King is not her boyfriend. And she couldn't tell her that without talking to King first.

"Cousin sister." Pragya lies.

"King!" Pragya calls out to him as she hurried to him.

"Yes, my darling?" King says as he hugged her.

"King... can I tell Rachna the truth about us?"

"What?" King steps back in shock.

"I feel so guilty for lying to her."

"No, Pragya. you can't tell anyone. This is a secret between us. no third person should know. I don't want it to leak and the news to reach Tanu, then our whole hard work will be ruined."

"Oh okay." Pragya looks down.

"Please don't be upset. Rachna can't keep a secret from Akash. Niel would extract that secret from Akash in no time. and Niel being Niel, he'll look for ways to ruin everything for everyone."

"You are right. I didn't think about that."

King smiles hearing that. "By the way, you've to come to my house on Sunday."

"Why?"

"It's my birthday and there is a party at home. Since, you are my official girlfriend, you've to be there. no excuses."

Since Abhishek wasn't going to be in town, Pragya saw no reason to reject. "Okay. just text me your address."

"Great." King smiles hearing.

"Don't say no." King tells Pragya as soon as he sat next to her in the library.

"To what?" she asks confused. "and when did you start coming to the library?"

"I needed to talk to you without anyone nearby."

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Pragya asks him.

"Make over."

"No way." Pragya replies offended.

"Please, Pragya."

"I'm not interested, King. Get lost."

"It's been days and all Tanu does is glare at you. she is not seeing you as a competition. Please, Pragya?"

"I am this. I won't change for anyone." Pragya tells him glaring at him.

"Just for one day. one party. Then you can go back to your normal self."

"No way, King."

"Please Pragya... think of it, the sooner Tanu gets jealous and sees you as a competition, and believes that she would lose me forever, and confess her feelings, the sooner we can end this charade."

Pragya furiously glares at him though she knew what he was saying was true, and she was getting sick and tired of this drama. And she wasn't sure how Abhishek was going to take her being a fake girlfriend to King. "Fine!"

"I'll pick you from your house on Sunday morning for shopping and then drop you to the parlor for makeover. I'll take you home from the parlour."

"Whatever!" Pragya says in a dismissing tone.

"You are a doll." King tells her as he ruffled her hair.

"And you are a shallow minded ass."

King cheekily grins at her. "So far, I am dumb, illiterate, shallow, desperate and spoiled rich brat. Did I miss anything?"

"Ass." Pragya answers him.

"So you understand why I need you? all I have is good lucks and sexy body."

Pragya couldn't help smiling. "Dog."

King chuckles and leaves, "I'll pick you up on Sunday. Just message me your address."

Pragya was messaging Abhishek as she walked with King while he looked for dress for her.

I'll be reaching by evening. can we meet at night?

I have to go somewhere.

How about later at night? maybe after 11?

Pragya sighs sadly. That is too late. My parents won't let me stay out that late as tomorrow morning I have to go to hostel.

What time are you going?

7ish.

I will drop you?

Pragya smiles reading that. YES!

I missed you too ;)

Pragya blushes reading that.

"Got it!" King says happily.

Pragya curiously looks up and sees the dress. "Why don't I just go naked?" Pragya asks him furiously.

"What? This is nice." King replies shocked.

"I don't wear these kind of dresses."

"You don't wear dresses only."

"Because I don't like dresses."

"Come on, Pragya. you'll be amazing in this." King tells her. "Try it, Pragya. please?"

Pragya snatches the dress and walks to the trial room.

Pragya looks at herself in the mirror. She knew the dress looked good on her but she wasn't comfortable with this kind of clothes. she contemplated on looking for another dress but she had a feeling that none of it would make her look this good, so she decided to just wear it for this one night. She needs to buy appropriate bra for this dress.

"Is it correct?" King asks her as she walked out.

"Yeah. I've to buy something. I'll be back."

"I'll get shoes for you by then."

"Oh my, my." King says smiling amazed as Pragya stepped out of the parlor. "You look amazing."

"I better!" Pragya mutters. She had been prodded and tortured for 4 longs hours inside the parlor.

She had seen herself in the parlor. Her hair had been let loose. They had just set her hair with hair spray, leaving her natural curls at the bottom of her. the dress clung to her nicely showing off her figure.

"Let's go get Tanu jealous and insecure, darling." King excitedly tells her.

"Let's go." Pragya tells him.

King was wearing a dashing black blazer, all ready for his birthday party.

Pragya hooking her arms on his, walk into the party hall. The place was crowded with their college mates and some of his relatives. The moment they stepped in, the hall started falling silent as everyone's eyes fell on them.

Pragya felt uncomfortable with the way everyone's attention was on them. she wasn't uncomfortable with the attention, she uncomfortable with the fact that she was getting the attention when she was with King and not Abhishek. The feeling that she was betraying Abhishek was intensifying in her.

"Smile, Pragya." King whispers to her as he waved at his gang.

Pragya forces a smile on her face as she looked at their friends. She could see Tanu looking at her in shock.

"Hey everyone!" King says.

"Is that really you, Pragya? I almost didn't recognize you." Akash tells her smiling. "If it wasn't for your specs, I wouldn't have recognized you."

"Wow Pragya, finally you listened to me!" Rachna says excitedly as she hugged Pragya.

"She listened to me, Rachna." King tells her smiling.

"You look gorgeous, Pragya." Robin tells her looking at her in amazement.

"Thank you." Pragya says smiling a little awkwardly.

"Hi Tanu." Pragya says with a smile since Tanu and Niel were the only ones who didn't speak.

Niel was gaping and Tanu was shocked.

"Hi, Pragya."

"She is looking beautiful, right?" King asks smiling. "From the moment I saw her, I knew, she is a true beauty."

"Shut up, Darling. You are making me conscious." Pragya tells him in a flirty tone.

"You're killing me, sweetheart." King says clutching his chest.

"You are late, King."

"Sorry, Mom!" King says turning around.

"Even Abhi reached before you." Jhanvi tells him.

"I had gone to pick Pragya, Mom."

"Pragya?" Tej asks confused.

"Sweetheart, meet my parents." King tells her.

What the fuck? Pragya turns to look at King in shock. How can he introduce her to his parents?

"Mom, Dad and Bhai... this is the love of my life, my girlfriend, Pragya."

Pragya looks at his parents and sees his parents smiling at her. she smiles back at them.

"She is so beautiful." Jhanvi says beaming as she caressed Pragya's cheek.

"Hello, Pragya." Tej says smiling.

"Hello." Pragya says with an embarrassed smile.

"That is my brother." King tells her.

Pragya curiously looks at King's brother and stops in shock seeing Abhishek. He was typing away on his phone.

Oh my God. No... no... no.

"Bhai." King calls him.

"Just a sec." Abhishek replies as he continued to type. Then he stops and looks up. "Sorry."

Pragya hears a beep on her phone and looks at her phone to see Abhishek's message. She nervously looks back at him.

Abhishek was looking at her with a polite smile. Then he starts frowning as he squinted at her face then she saw the shock on his face when he recognized her.

"This is my girlfriend Pragya, Bhai. Pragya, this is my brother, Abhishek."

"Pragya?" Abhi whispers in shock.

Pragya gulps as she looked at him. this wasn't how she wanted him to find out.

"I wanted to introduce you to Pragya, that is why I asked you to come to the club that day. but then Tanu fell sick and I had to cancel last week." King tells him then he pulls Pragya towards him and says as he looked at Tanu, "She was so pissed that I stood her up. Because of you, she didn't talk to me the whole weekend."

"And these are my friends, Tanu, Robin, Rachna, Akash and Niel." King continues to make introductions.

His parents were talking to them while Abhishek and Pragya stared at each other.

"Excuse me." Abhishek whispers and turning around, he walks off.

Pragya watches as Abhishek walked off. she looks at the message he had sent her.

Pragya, I have to see you. I can't wait till tomorrow. I am missing you like crazy. At my brother's birthday party now, I'll leave here in half an hour. I will come to where you are. Just send me your location.

"I'm going to the washroom." Pragya whispers to Rachna and leaves the door through which she saw Abhishek had exited.

Lifting up her dress, Pragya starts running around the garden, looking for Abhishek and sees him walking off.

"Abhishek!" Pragya calls him as she ran behind him.

He stops and turns to her.

"Please listen to me." Pragya tells him.

"I want you out of here in five minutes." Abhishek tells her furiously. "I don't want you to be humiliated in front of all these people. So, leave in five minutes, I'm telling my brother the truth."

"I wanted to tell you, Abhishek."

"Tell me what? That you were two timing me with my brother?" Abhishek asks her in anger.

"No, Abhishek..."

"How could you do this, Pragya? You were having your revenge on King for ditching you one night? Didn't you realize that I was falling in love with you? that I love you? I thought you loved me."

"I do, Abhishek. I do love you."

"Oh shut up!"

"You've to listen to me, Abhishek."

"I don't want to hear anything."

"Please, Abhishek... give me one chance... I wanted to tell you about King."

"How could you play with us, Pragya? what did you get in return?"

"I wasn't playing anything, Abhishek. I..."

Abhishek cuts her off. "I thought you were different." Pointing at her, he says sadly, "I don't even recognize you. is this the real you? or that?"

"That is the real me, Abhishek." Pragya tells him as her eyes filled up with tears.

"I don't care. just get out of here." Abhishek tells her.

"I don't love, King. I only love you."

"Do you think that would make me happy? That you were playing with my brother's feelings?"

"It is not what you think."

"Your time is running out, Pragya." Abhishek tells her then turning around he starts to walk out.

"King loves Tanu, not me." Pragya tells him.

Abhishek turns to her in shock. "What?"

"King told me I can tie rakhi for him." Pragya tells him.

"What the fuck?" Abhishek asks her in disgust. "What kind of twisted shit is this? What next, you'll tie rakhi for me? don't you realize what you mean to me?"

"I do, Abhishek. Please listen to what I have to say."

Abhishek doesn't say anything as he looked away, unable to look at her face.

"It started with a dare." Pragya tells him and proceeds to tell him everything.

"I thought you were mature and intelligent. And to win a dare, you are doing this?" Abhishek asks in disbelief.

"I couldn't let Niel win and take the punishment." Pragya confesses to him.

"That asshole is a bully. You don't have to do what he says." Abhishek tells her in exasperation.

"I know but I had given my word that if I won't complete the dare then I will do the punishment. I couldn't go back on my word."

"This is some fucked up shit, Pragya!"

"I know. Abhishek I didn't hide it from you. when we were together, the truth is that I forgot about King. It was like out of sight, out of mind for me. but the moment I realized that I didn't tell you about King, I felt like I was betraying you and I wanted to tell you. I thought of telling you when I meet you instead of doing it over the phone."

"Trust me, Abhishek. I want this drama to end as soon as possible. I can't back out now because I promised King that I'll help him till Tanu says yes to him." she gestures to herself, "I did all this, so this drama will get over. I couldn't have anyone say my name with anyone other than you. I love you, Abhishek. Please don't leave me."

Abhishek looks at her helplessly and asks her "Don't you realize what just happened inside? My brother introduced you to my parents as his girlfriend. How could you meet another guy's parents, Pragya?"

"I didn't know, Abhishek. I swear I didn't know. All he told me was that there is a party and I have to come as I was his official girlfriend. I never even dreamt that he would introduce me to your parents."

"You should have told me, Pragya. at least we could have avoided that." Abhishek tells her sadly.

"I am sorry, Abhishek." Pragya tells him as she moved towards him and cupped his face. "Please forgive me. don't give up on us."

Abhishek leans down and takes her lips in his. Pragya wraps her hand around his neck as she kissed him back.

Breathless, they part. "You won't dump me, right?" Pragya asks him.

"I love you, Pragya Arora." Abhishek tells her as he wrapped his hand around her waist.

"I love you, Abhishek Prem Mehra." Pragya tells him smiling happily.

"I know it is too soon, Pragya, we just met but I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Pragya smiles at him and tells him, "I don't think it is soon."

Abhishek smiles hearing her.

"PRAGYA?"

Pragya moves back hearing King's voice.

"I am here!" Pragya calls out to him.

"What are you doing here? They are calling us to cut the cake." King says as he walked towards her and sees Abhishek with her. "Bhai... I was looking for you also. Come."

"Why did you introduce me to your parents?" Pragya asks him frowning.

"Because you are my girlfriend." King says as he darted glances at Abhishek.

"Your girlfriend?" Abhishek asks glaring at him.

"Yeah." King replies with a nervous shrug. "Told you inside."

"YOUR GIRLFRIEND?"

Seeing his brother's reaction, King frowns then he turns to look at Pragya. "You told him?" he asks her in shock.

"Yes."

"How could you, Pragya? I told you, it was supposed to be between us."

"I had to tell him." Pragya tells him glaring at him. "I couldn't hide from him."

"He is the worst, Pragya! he won't lie to save a life and you went and told him?"

"You introduced me to your family as your girlfriend!" Pragya accuses him.

"Tanu was there. I had no choice."

"You mean to say you didn't plan that?" Abhishek asks him frowning.

"Of course not. It just happened."

"Oh really?" Abhishek asks him mockingly. "Then why did you ask me to come to the club then? Weren't you planning to introduce me to your girlfriend?"

"You did say that inside." Pragya says in shock, in her shock of seeing Abhishek, that had skipped her mind.

"Okay... I thought if I introduced you to my family then it would freak out Tanu." King meekly tells her.

"I can't believe you went behind my back, King!"

"Pragya, I knew you wouldn't agree."

"OF COURSE I WOULDN'T!"

"Just let it go na, Pragya... please?"

"What are you going to tell your parents later?"

"It's no big deal. I'll tell them that it didn't work out and we broke up." King tells her shrugging.

"And after that?" Pragya asks him.

"After that what?" King asks her confused.

"How the heck am I going to take her to our parents after that?" Abhishek asks him furiously.

"why would you take her to them?" King asks him confused.

"Because she is my girlfriend."

"What?" King stops in shock.

"You ruined things for us, King." Pragya tells him.

"But how? When did you guys even meet?"

"At the club, last week." Pragya tells him.

"What? Fuck!" King whispers in shock. "Why didn't you tell me you met my brother?"

"I didn't know that he is your brother."

"You didn't tell her your full name?" King asks Abhishek in shock.

"I didn't know your full name, King." Pragya tells him.

"How can you not know?" King asks her shocked.

"Why would your full name make a difference to me?" Pragya asks him with a shrug.

"Fuck, Pragya. So for the last one week you were two timing me with my brother?"

"WHAT THE FUCK, KING?" Pragya shouts in outrage.

At the same time, Abhishek grabs King's collar and pulls him close to him, then glaring into his eyes, he tells him, "She is going to be your bhabhi, so watch what you say to her."

"Bhabhi? So soon? you just met her last week! Fuck that is crazy!"

"And how the fuck is that any of your concern?" Abhishek asks him back.

"It's not." King says as he put up his hand in peace.

Abhishek lets go off his collar and steps back.

King turns to Pragya, and asks her. "Now, what are we going to do?"

"I'll do whatever Abhishek tells me to. I don't want to hurt him." Pragya says as she looked at Abhishek.

Abhishek without a word looks at her thoughtfully.

"Bhai, please... I love Tanu. She is already burning up in jealousy. It is just a matter of time." King requests him.

Abhishek turns to King and tells him, "I don't care that you are in love with Tanu or whoever. But Pragya made a promise to you and that is the only reason, I am going to stand back."

"Thank you, Bhai. you are the best." King says happily as he hugged him.

"You better be careful, King, Pragya is very precious to me."

"Yes!" King says smiling happily. "She is bhabhi."

"Let's go then. Everybody is waiting for us." King tells them.

"You are sure, Abhishek?" Pragya asks him after King had walked off.

Abhishek smiles at her as he took her hand in his, "You gave your promise and that is that all matters for now."

Pragya smiles hearing that. she leans up and pecks his lips. "I don't think I could have ever done this. I can't see you with anyone else."

"Even I can't. I don't know how I am going to handle it. Or how long I can stand it without blowing up."

Pragya smiles hearing that.

"Let's go in." Abhishek tells her.

He starts to walk off when Pragya tightens her hold on him. he turns to her curiously.

Pragya nervously looks at his chest and tells him, "Everyone was saying how amazing I am looking."

"You are looking gorgeous." Abhishek tells her smiling lovingly at her.

Pragya nods as she looked down. Abhishek holds her chin and lifts her face up.

"You are looking gorgeous, but you are not looking like my Pragya. you look like someone else that is not you." Abhishek tells her.

"So, you won't be disappointed if I go back to wearing my silly t-shirts?"

"I'll be heartbroken if you stop wearing your silly t-shirts." Abhishek tells her smiling.

Pragya happily chuckles hearing that. "I am not comfortable in these. I know I look good, but I don't feel myself in these."

"I know, love." Abhishek tells her as he kissed her forehead.

"Hold your horses!" King tells them. "There is a room full of people here."

"Oh shut up, you, selfish brat!" Pragya tells him.

"Don't you know bhabhis are supposed to pamper their devars? Not call them names." King asks her cheekily smiling at her.

Pragya rolls her eyes as she started walking with Abhishek.

"Imagine their condition when they see you tie rakhi for me?" King asks her with a chuckle making Pragya laugh.

They start walking to the hall.

"waise... why didn't you invite me for your brother's birthday party?" Pragya asks Abhishek.

"I didn't know there was going to be a party."

"You mean to say I knew about your brother's birthday party before you?" Pragya asks him surprised.

"And my parents."

"What?" Pragya turns to him confused.

"That idiot threw himself a surprise party." Abhishek informs her.

Pragya chuckles, "How can it be a surprise party when he knew about it?"

"Oh party is for him and the surprise was for us." Abhishek tells her dryly.

"Where were you? everyone is waiting." Jhanvi asks King. "Cut the cake. Come, Pragya." Jhanvi tells her with a smile.

Soon they were standing around the cake singing happy birthday for King. King cuts the cake and takes a piece. He looks around the crowd and his eyes fall on Pragya.

"Pragya, come." King tells her as he gestured her over.

"What the fuck?" Abhishek whispers in shock at King.

Pragya's eye widen in shock as she looked at Abhishek standing next to King.

King turns to Abhishek and winks at him as he made puppy face. "It is just to show Tanu." King whispers to him.

"I will kill you." Abhishek whispers to him.

"Wow, got a girlfriend and forgot your parents and brother already?" Jhanvi teases him making everyone chuckle except for Pragya, Abhishek and Tanu. Jhanvi gestures to Pragya to come. "Pragya, come."

Pragya walks to King as she worriedly looked at Abhishek and he looked like he was ready to kill someone just then, and his brother was the most likely candidate.

Pragya opens her mouth as King put the cake in her mouth, her eyes on Abhishek who was trying his best to hide his fury. Pragya starts to walk back.

"You are supposed to feed him too, Pragya." Rachna calls out to her.

"What jaan?" King asks her smiling, a second later he felt excruciating pain on his foot.

King looks at Abhishek with a fake smile trying to hide the pain from showing on his face.

Abhishek gives him a tight smile as he put all his weight and pressure on the foot that was now on top of King's foot.

"King?" Pragya calls him to get his attention as she put a piece of cake near his mouths.

King turns to her and opens his mouth for her. Pragya quickly puts the cake in his mouth and steps back.

King turns to Abhishek with a pleading look. "You will fracture my toe, Bhai." King whispers to him.

"Oh, I've every intention of doing that." Abhishek whispers to him.

King makes puppy face at him. finally, Abhishek steps back while he gave him a fake smile. "Happy birthday, brother."

Pragya was sitting with Rachna talking, away from everyone. Jhanvi comes to Pragya.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you, Pragya." Jhanvi tells her smiling as she sat next to her.

Pragya smiles at her as she sat up straight, feeling a little nervous because Jhanvi was really going to be her mother-in-law, one day.

"You both talk. Akash is calling me, it is time for us to leave." Rachna tells them smiling and soon she leaves.

"I didn't know King was going to introduce his girlfriend to us." Jhanvi tells her. "If I had known then I would have got a gift for you."

"There is no need for that, aunty." Pragya quickly tells her.

"You should call her mom." Abhishek says as he sat on the chair next to Pragya as he typed on his phone.

Pragya looks at Abhishek in shock then she turns to Jhanvi and sees her smiling.

"You should, Pragya." Jhanvi tells her smiling.

"Okay, Mom." Pragya says with a slight blush.

"Aww you blush so pretty." Jhanvi says.

Pragya blushes even more.

"As I was saying I would have got you something."

"Seriously, there is no need for that." Pragya tells her smiling.

"That boy is too impulsive. Not like Abhi here." Jhanvi tells her. "Just few days back, Abhi told us that he is in love and one day he is going to bring the girl to meet us. so I have time to plan a gift for her."

"He did?" Pragya asks as she turned to look at Abhishek in surprise and a big smile.

"Why? Only you will tell your parents?" Abhishek asks her grinning.

"Oh you already told your parents about King?" Jhanvi asks smiling.

"They know I am seeing someone." Pragya tells her, not taking any names.

"See, responsible behavior. I don't know what I will do with that boy. You should set him straight."

"It is not Pragya's duty to make King responsible." Abhishek tells her as he typed into his phone.

"Yeah, I know." Jhanvi nods. "So, Pragya, tell me about your parents."

"Papa is a doctor, his name is Raghuveer and Maa is a food blogger, Sarala."

"Raghuveer and Sarala?" Jhanvi asks surprised. "Is Sarala from Bareilly? and your surname is Arora?"

"Yes. You know them?" Pragya asks surprised.

"How do you know them?" Abhishek asks as he looked up at his mother.

"Sarala was my neighbor in Bareilly. we were such close friends. We lost touch after Raghu went to UK to do his FRCS. When did you all come back?"

"5 years back." Pragya tells her smiling. "Mama is going to be so excited when I tell her that we met."

"Yes, give me her number." Jhanvi tells her excitedly.

"Wow this is amazing." Abhishek says smiling.

"Do you know, Abhi that you have met Pragya when she was small?"

"Really?" Abhishek asks as he turned to Pragya with a smile.

"Yeah, she was just a newborn baby then. We had gone to see her. Even King was just a couple of months old. You were about 6 then."

"I don't remember." Abhishek says as he looked at Pragya with an amazed smile.

"You were also a baby then." Jhanvi tells him smiling. "How amazing it is that Pragya and King have met each other when they were mere babies?"

And that stopped Abhishek's smile and tells her pointedly, "Mom, you are talking as if King and Pragya are going to get married."

"I was just being excited." Jhanvi quickly tells Pragya seeing that she was awkward. "I know you just started dating and you have a long way to go before you make such decisions. But my son loves you and that makes us love you. And you are the daughter of my oldest friend, that is just golden."

Pragya nervously smiles at her and tells her, "Aunty... I mean Mom, I am not this. This is for the party. I am not usually this dressed up. When you see me tomorrow, I don't want you to be disappointed."

"However you are, you are perfect." Abhishek says as he looked at her.

"Abhi is right, Pragya." Jhanvi tells her with a smile.

Pragya smiles hearing that.

Jhanvi gets called away and she leaves.

"Mom loves you." Abhishek tells her as he continued to type on his mobile.

Pragya smiles hearing that. "Even my parents will love you."

Abhishek grins hearing that.

"What are you typing so much?" Pragya asks him curiously.

"Nothing. Don't want anyone to wonder why King's brother is showing so much interest in you."

Pragya smiles hearing that. "Imagine if we hadn't moved from here, we might have known each other forever."

Abhishek smiles hearing that as he looked at her.

"Would we have fallen in love then?"

Abhishek looks at her and says with a smile. "I think so."

Pragya smiles at him. "Even me."

"Don't give your mother's number to Mom." Abhishek tells her.

"Why? She looked so excited to talk to her."

"And what is the first thing she is going to tell your mother?" Abhishek asks her as he looked at her.

"That I love King." Pragya whispers sadly.

"Just give one excuse or the other. Tell King also."

"We could tell your parents the truth, right?" Pragya asks him hopefully.

"Then they will tell King and you to stop this drama."

"Hmmm." Pragya nods. "That cake... where you okay?"

"I wasn't."

"I'm sorry." Pragya tells him softly.

"I had my revenge." Abhishek tells her with a shrug.

"I saw." Pragya giggles.

Abhishek chuckles. "How come you are not dancing?"

Pragya looks at everyone dancing. "I can't dance with you and Rachna left. So, I don't want to dance."

Abhishek looks up at her and says, "I don't dance."

Pragya pouts hearing that making him chuckle.

They remained silent for a while.

"Stop fidgeting with your dress." Abhishek tells her seeing her pulling on her dress.

"It feels weird." Pragya tells him with a sigh.

"Let me know when you want to leave, I'll take you home."

"I am ready to leave now."

"Pragya, come dance with me." Niel tells her as he stopped in front of her.

Pragya and Abhishek looks up at him with a frown.

"Get lost." Pragya tells him.

"King is so busy with Tanu, I know you want to dance." Niel says with a flirty smile.

"I don't."

"Who is he?" Abhishek asks frowning at him.

"I'm her friend."

"No. you are my friend's friend." Pragya corrects him.

"Come on, Pragya. we are friends. Let's go dance."

Abhishek furiously stands up, "Didn't she just say that she doesn't want to dance with you?"

"Who are you to say that? don't interfere."

"if you are late to the party, then let me inform you that she is going to be Mehra's bahu."

Niel smirks, "Then what is King doing with Tanu on the dance floor?"

Abhishek steps forward and stares down at Niel, staring into his eyes, "And Why the fuck is that any of your concern?"

Niel steps back seeing the towering man glaring down at him.

"Just leave, Niel." Pragya tells him in a tired tone.

Niel quickly leaves.

Abhishek sits back down.

"Cute." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"What?" Pragya asks confused.

"Your sneakers." Abhishek points at her sneakers.

Pragya grins as she covered her feet with the dress. "King got me a stilettoes. It was one inch high. I couldn't wear it. Don't tell him."

Abhishek gives her a look and asks, "You think he didn't notice when you didn't grow an inch taller?"

"He didn't say anything. I thought he didn't realize." Pragya tells him then leaning towards Abhishek she whispers to him, "he is a little dumb."

Abhishek chuckles hearing that.

"Anyway don't tell him."

"Why are you scared of him?" Abhishek asks with a frown.

"I am not. He will give these puppy looks and that is so hard to resist."

"That is his weapon. Anyway he might have decided not to push you. He might be shit scared of you blowing up on him."

"Let's see who will blow up first, you or me."

Abhishek grins. "I'll take you home then?"

"Okay. I'll just tell King."

"Okay, I'll meet you at the car park. I'll get the car keys and come."

"You didn't show me around your house."

"I'll, next time when you come." Abhishek promises her.

"Okay."

Pragya walks to King while Abhishek went to get the car keys.

"King." Pragya taps on King's shoulder.

"Hey, where were you, darling?" King asks her as he turned to her. "Dance with me."

"No, I am leaving." Pragya says as she looked at Robin and Tanu. "Bye guys. Will see you in college tomorrow."

"Bye, Pragya." Robin waves at her with a smile.

"Bye." Tanu says in a dismissing tone.

"I'll drop her home and come." King informs them.

"I'll go." Pragya tells him surprised.

"No, I'll drop you."

"If she wants to go by herself let her go." Tanu tells him. "Anyway, you've to drop me home."

"Tanu, can you take an Uber instead?" King asks her.

"What? You told me you would drop me." Tanu says offended.

"Robin, please drop Tanu home. I'll drop Pragya home." King tells him.

"that was smart." Pragya tells him grinning.

"What?" King asks confused.

"Asking her to take Uber and Robin to drop her. that is definitely going irk her, especially when you decided to drop me and not her."

"You think so?" King asks excitedly.

"Then why did you say you would drop me?" Pragya asks surprised.

"Because I am dropping you home."

"The plan was for me to take Uber, right?"

"That was before. When you were just a friend." King tells her.

"Huh?"

"Now you are Bhabhi, and devars are lifelong chauffer for Bhabhi." King tells her.

Pragya chuckles hearing that. "For your information, my chauffer is waiting for me."

"Ah, I should have known." King says grinning.

"You go, I'll go." Pragya tells him smiling.

"I'll come with you till the car park." King tells her.

Pragya smiles seeing this new side to him.

"I hear our parents are friends."

"Yeah, by the way mom asked me for my mother's number but we can't give her the number till we end this drama and tell her the truth."

"Okay, I understand. Already Mom?" King asks with a teasing smile.

Pragya grins. "Abhishek and she asked me to call her that."

"You guys are so fast."

Pragya smiles, "When something feels so right, it doesn't feel so fast."

King gives her an impressed nod. "By the way, Bhabhi, that Niel is smitten." King tells her.

"He did irritate me a little. Abhishek scared him off."

"Keep him away from Bhai. otherwise one of this days, he is going to be murdered by Bhai."

Pragya laughs softly hearing that. "Anyway, tomorrow I'll go back to my normal clothes, so he will lose interest."

"he has seen what you have been hiding, he is not going to stop." King tells her.

"He is and will always be an asshole." Pragya says rolling her eyes.

"And that is why I am telling you that Bhai will kill him. if you didn't realize then Bhai is pretty possessive about you."

"Ah your toes should be knowing." Pragya teases him.

King chuckles. "I didn't mean to make it awkward for you. we feed cakes to our friends, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But everyone thinking I am your girlfriend, so it made it awkward. It was romanticized."

"Sorry, Bhabhi."

"It's okay."

Noticing Abhishek standing by the car, she tells King. "Okay, you go."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." King tells her as he hugged her bye. "I forgot to tell you, I am happy you and Bhai are together."

Pragya smiles hearing that. "Bye, King."

Pragya walks to Abhishek. He smiles at her.

"Here." Abhishek says as he offered her a hoodie.

"This?" Pragya asks surprised.

"You were not feeling yourself."

Pragya smiles hearing that. she takes it and wears it.

"It is not cute like the ones you use. I don't wear hoodies much. This is all I had."

"Thank you." Pragya says as she hugged him.

"I'll come at 7 tomorrow." Abhishek tells her as he stopped in front of her house.

"By the way, Mehra bahu?" Pragya asks him with a teasing smile.

Abhishek grins, "I'll propose you soon."

"And how are you so sure I would say yes?" Pragya asks him.

Abhishek turns to her and imitating her, he says, "please Abhishek, give me one chance. Please don't leave me."

Pragya hits him laughing. Abhishek grabs her hand and pulls her close to him.

They happily look at each other and then moves towards each other. Their lips meet and they hungrily start kissing each other.

"I am sorry, I screamed at you earlier." Abhishek tells her as he caressed her cheek.

"Anyone would have done that."

"It wasn't anyone else. It was me. and I should have given you a chance to explain before I accused you."

"It's okay." Pragya tells him as she hugged him.

"I love you, Pragya." Abhishek tells her as he hugged her.

"I love you too."

"You look different." Sarala says as she walked into Pragya's room.

"I had to go for a party." Pragya tells her as she removed the hoodie.

"But you never dressed up like this." Sarala says shocked seeing the dress Pragya was wearing under the hoodie.

"Yeah... I had to dress up for the party." Pragya explains to her as she opened her cupboard to get her night clothes.

"Why?" Sarala asks confused.

"Because it was a party, Mama."

"Hmmm. That is not yours, right?" Sarala asks pointing at the hoodie.

"No, it is..." Pragya was about to say Abhishek's name, then last moment she tells her, "my boyfriend's."

"he was there at the party?" Sarala asks with a frown.

"Yeah."

"Were you not comfortable with this dress? Is that why you wore the hoodie on top?"

"I wasn't comfortable with this and he realized it. So, he gave me this hoodie saying that I wasn't me in that dress."

Sarala smiles and asks her, "When are we going to meet him?"

"I'll bring him home one day. not soon." Pragya tells her.

"We're dying to meet him."

"You'll love him, Mama." Pragya tells her smiling. she was about to mention that he was her friend's son then decided against it, knowing her mother would ask for Mom's number.

"Do you love him?" Sarala asks her with a smile.

"Yes. And he loves me too." Pragya tells her smiling.

"Then bring him home. Why are you hiding him?"

"I'll, Mama. Soon." Pragya promises her as she walked to the bathroom to shower.

King was getting ready to sleep when he hears the bedroom door open. He curiously turns back to see his brother.

"What was your reason to choose Pragya as your fake girlfriend?" Abhishek asks him as he walked in to King's bedroom.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, King. Tell me the truth." Abhishek asks him getting angry.

"Didn't she tell you about the dare?"

"Of all the girls in the college, why Pragya?"

"Er..."

"I've been hearing at the party, how everyone was surprised that the ugly duckling Pragya is transformed into a Swan overnight." Abhishek tells him getting angrier by the second. "Did you choose Pragya because it would hurt Tanu's ego that you had gone for the ugly duckling, making her question whether you put both of them in the same level?"

"Not exactly." King says guiltily.

"Do you realize how fucking insensitive and immature you are?" Abhishek asks him furiously.

"It is not that, Bhai. from the moment I saw Bhabhi, I realized that she was a true beauty and all she needed was a little guidance and a makeover. What you said is true and I knew that if it didn't work with Tanu then bhabhi's makeover would definitely work."

"You are a fucking asshole! Pragya has been trying to help you and this is what you think of her? Pragya is perfect." Abhishek tells him furiously.

"She kind of knows, Bhai." King tells him.

Abhishek looks away realizing Pragya was too smart to not figure that out.

"You saw her today. aren't you happy?"

"Happy?" Abhishek asks shocked.

"She looked gorgeous." King tells him shocked at his shock.

"Yes, she looked gorgeous. But that was not my Pragya. that was a plastic doll that you modified to look like what everyone else expects her to be. Pragya is perfect the way she is. Pragya looks heavenly without all this. She is the most beautiful girl I've seen. I don't understand why none of you are seeing it."

King gapes at his brother in shock. His brother thought she looked more beautiful in her normal style?

Abhishek stops and takes a deep breath to calm himself. "Pragya is not a Barbie doll that you or anyone can dress her up."

"I am sorry, Bhai. I didn't mean to insult her." King tells him softly.

"I am warning you, King. Pragya is very precious to me. she means the world to me, if you or anyone hurts her, I don't know what I will end up doing. So, be careful. Don't make me forget that you are my brother."

Pragya happily runs to Abhishek in the morning. She runs to his arms and hugs him tight.

"Let's go." Abhishek asks her as they parted.

"Yeah." Pragya replies as she slid into the car.

"Does your parents know that I am dropping you?" Abhishek asks.

"They know my boyfriend is dropping me." Pragya tells him as he closed the door.

"Your parents don't want to meet me?" Abhishek asks her as he got in.

"Last night, Mama was saying that she is dying to meet you."

"What did you tell your mother?"

"That I will bring you home soon." Pragya tells him. "and it is Mama and Papa."

"Okay." Abhishek tells her smiling as he moved towards her.

Pragya meets him halfway and they kiss.

They part and Abhishek whispers a little breathless. "And, that is why I am in love with you."

"What?" Pragya asks confused trying to catch her breath.

"What else?" Abhishek asks chuckling.

Pragya chuckles, "It's Emma Stone's quote. After last night, I needed this." Pragya says as she looked at her t-shirt. I can't think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.

Abhishek grins. "This is for you." Abhishek tells her as he handed her a cover. "There was this store in the airport. I can't seem to ignore these stores now." Abhishek tells her chuckling.

Pragya opens the cover to find a t-shirt.

FLAWLESS.

I Woke Up Like This.

Pragya laughs seeing that. "Thank you."

"You are not going to change. Are you?" Rachna asks her in shock seeing her look like her old self.

"This is me and I can only be happy being me." Pragya tells her.

Suddenly Pragya feels someone hold both her shoulders.

"hey... hey... I want to talk to you." King tells her.

"Yeah, sure." Pragya replies as she walked away to get some privacy.

"What happened?" Pragya asks him curiously.

King guiltily looks at her and tells her, "Yesterday, Bhai was damn pissed that I was insulting you and treating you like doll by dressing you up. I'm very sorry."

Pragya nods, "It's okay."

"I didn't mean it like that. and I thought you would be happy seeing the transformation on you."

"Abhishek is right, not everyone wants to look like a doll."

"I am very sorry, Bhabhi."

"It's okay, King. And you should know, you can't make me do anything that I don't want to. So, you might have suggested the makeover, but it was my decision to do it." Pragya points out to him.

King nods.

"And you shouldn't call me Bhabhi."

"Bhai said you are Bhabhi so you are bhabhi."

"I know that, but what if you accidently call me that in front of Tanu? Don't take the risk."

"I call you that only when we are alone."

"But still..."

"Okay then I won't. and I didn't mean to come between Bhai and you."

"You didn't. don't worry." Pragya tells him smiling.

"He was so worried." Pragya tells Abhishek on the phone at night.

"Let him be." Abhishek tells her still angry at what he did.

"He does things without thinking then he feels guilty." Pragya tries to explain to him.

"He needs to grow up."

"I know."

"Just keep an eye on him till then, okay? I don't want him to get hurt." Abhishek tells her.

"I'll." Pragya promises him. "Why you never mentioned King to me before?"

"I didn't know you were in the same college as him."

"Ah okay. Do you know, we wouldn't have met if I hadn't agreed to act as his girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I realized that." Abhishek says with a smile. Then he worriedly tells her, "Don't ever mention it to King. If he realizes that we are together because of him, then we can very well sacrifice our life in serving him."

Pragya laughs hearing that.

"So how was college? Were they surprised to see you be yourself?"

"Yeah, some."

"And what about that prick?"

"Niel?" Pragya asks chuckling.

"Yeah."

"He was trying to be nice."

"Hmmm."

"What hmmm?" Pragya asks grinning.

"Nothing. Just remember that I promised to punch him, I'm just eagerly waiting for you to give me the go ahead."

"Awww."

"By the way, I'll come to pick you up on Friday?"

"I just got back to hostel today." Pragya reminds him grinning.

"I just want to clear my schedule on Friday accordingly."

"Ah okay. I don't want anyone to notice you picking me up till we come clean. So, I will meet you either Friday evening somewhere or Saturday morning."

"Let's meet on Friday evening."

"Okay." Pragya says smiling happily.

Abhishek turns to Pragya in the car and whispers to her, as he leaned towards her, "But I want to be closer to you."

Pragya blushes realizing he was talking about her t-shirt. If you can read this, you are too close.

With a sexy smile, he moves closer to her and takes her lips in his.

"King was saying mom was asking for Mama's number." Pragya informs Abhishek as she relished the butter chicken and butter naan.

"Yeah, I noticed. King is dodging it for now saying he keeps forgetting. She asked for your number."

"Did he give her my number?"

"No. he said that he is not going to give your number because he is worried that she will keep calling you."

"Oh."

"She was offended." Abhishek tells her grinning.

"I feel sad hiding from all." Pragya tells him.

"I know."

"My parents are so cool. I never had to hide anything from them. and they are so eager to meet you, they keep asking me why I am not introducing you to them."

"Even mom was asking me why I wasn't bringing home the girl I love."

"I hope we can do it soon." Pragya tells him sighing.

"Even me."

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?" Abhishek asks her as he stopped the car in front of the house.

"The crepes place we went last time, they have pancakes and waffles too. Can we go for that? and then go for cycling after that?" Pragya asks eagerly.

"Okay." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"Hi..." Pragya nervously and hesitantly says on the phone.

"Hey, what happened?" Abhishek asks in concern.

"You know we had made plans going for movie on Friday."

"I remember." Abhishek replies with a frowning.

"The gang has planned to go clubbing on Friday." Pragya tells him.

"Hmmm." Abhishek replies getting a little angry. "So, do you have to go as a friend or as King's girlfriend?"

"King's girlfriend." Pragya tells him softly.

Abhishek furiously sighs. "We get to meet only during the weekend and that time also he has to do this?"

"King said he will invite you."

"Why would I come?" Abhishek asks in exasperation.

"Because I miss you and I want to see you. I told King that I'll come only if you come." Pragya tells him.

"What am I going to do with your friends?"

"Please Abhishek, come. I want to see you."

Abhishek sighs and tells her in a warning tone, "Okay. but Pragya as long as things stayed within your college it is okay, but if it comes to compromising on our time, I am going to lose it."

"I know, Abhishek. Even I don't like that."

"Okay, I'll see you at the club then."

"Okay, your parcel has been safely delivered." King tells Abhishek as they stopped in front of the couch Abhishek was sitting on.

Abhishek gets up and hugs Pragya. Pragya smiles happily hugging him.

"You guys talk; I'll sit elsewhere till everyone else reaches." King tells them and walks off.

"That is a little bitchy." Abhishek tells her pointing at her hoodie as they sat down.

Pragya grins. Hating me won't make you any prettier.

"That Tanu is getting into my nerves."

"How do you manage to have a top with a quote for every situation?" Abhishek asks her amazed.

"This, I was shopping online last week and saw it, so I ordered it."

Abhishek chuckles, "Only you will spend money to show someone that you don't give a damn about them."

Pragya laughs hearing that.

"So how is everything going between Tanu and King?"

"She is making him run in circles. Now, she is trying to monopolize all his time, every time he looks at me, she will interrupt. If I am not there, she doesn't bother about him."

"Really?" Abhishek asks frowning.

"I feel that she gets a high to have a hot guy like King run behind her. it's that high that she is after not King."

"Why didn't you tell him that?" Abhishek asks frowning in concern for King.

"I don't think he is ready to hear that."

"Hmmm."

"She is totally not worth all this."

"Then why are you doing this?" Abhishek asks her shocked.

"Earlier it was for the dare but now, I don't want King to keep running behind her like this. He needs to realize that she is not going to care for him like he wants."

Abhishek doesn't say anything as he thought about what Pragya told him.

"I just feel like hitting this Tanu's head to the wall." Pragya tells him getting pissed.

Abhishek chuckles hearing that. He puts his hand around her shoulder and pulls her closer to him, "You look so cute when you are pissed."

"Really?" Pragya asks him smiling at him as she looked up at his face.

Abhishek was leaning down to kiss her when Pragya was yanked away from his arm. He looks in shock seeing King sit next to a shocked Pragya who was cocooned in his arms.

"What were you saying darling?" King asks her.

"I'll kill you, King." Abhishek furiously says as he started moving towards Pragya.

"HEY! You guys are here!" King says loudly as he waved at Tanu and Robin.

Abhishek stops seeing them, he turns to look at Pragya and sees her looking at him guiltily.

"Sweetheart, Tanu and Robin are here." King informs her.

"Why the fuck is he calling you sweetheart and darling?" Abhishek asks her in a whisper.

"Oh she also calls me those." King softly informs him.

Abhishek turns to Pragya in shock. "You've never even once called me those."

"I find it very cheesy." Pragya whispers.

"Unbelievable." Abhishek mutters as he looked away.

"Hey King... hi Abhishek bhaiyya." Tanu says as she sat down.

"Hey Abhishek Bhaiyya... hi Pragya.... hi King" Robin also says as he sat down.

"Hi." Abhishek replies in a clipped tone.

"Hey... didn't you see Pragya, Tanu?" King asks her. "I know she is a tiny doll next to me, but my baby isn't that tiny." King says as he hugged her tight.

"I need fresh air." Abhishek declares and walks off while Pragya worriedly watched him.

Pragya was getting restless when Abhishek hadn't come back. She takes her mobile and messages him.

Where are you?

She notices that he had seen the message but wasn't typing any reply.

"Hey everyone." Rachna says as she joined them.

"Hey." Pragya replies as she forced a smile on her face, her mind on Abhishek.

Rachna was about to take the place next to Pragya on the couch when Niel beats her to it and sits there.

"Thank God." King whispers so that only Pragya could hear him.

"What?" Pragya turns to him in confusion.

"Now, Bhai would be busy killing him to be bothered about me." King cheekily tells her.

"I am going to kill you. didn't you see how upset he was?"

King winks at her in reply.

"I need a drink." Abhishek mutters in disgust seeing Pragya still sitting with King's arms on her shoulder and King winking at her.

Pragya quickly turns to look at Abhishek and sees him glaring at them. Pragya quickly struggles to from herself from King's hold. Seeing Abhishek's fury, King quickly let go off her.

"You are on my seat." Abhishek tells Niel.

"You can sit there." Niel tells him as he pointed at the seat opposite to the couch.

"I said, you are on my seat." Abhishek repeats.

"He was sitting here, Niel. You should move." Pragya tells him.

"This is not his father's club. We can sit anywhere we want." Niel says angrily.

Abhishek moves towards him, then fisting up his shirt, he pulls him up. Bringing him on eye level, he tells him in a menacing tone "Never go on my father. Never look at Pragya with your dirty intentions. And never mess with me."

Niel gulps in fear.

Abhishek swings him around and dumps him on the couch that he had suggested Abhishek sit. Then Abhishek sits back on his seat ignoring the silence and gaping look the gang was giving him as he waves a waiter over.

Pragya was staring at Abhishek in shock, but he ignores them all and takes the menu card. She turns to look at King and sees him gaping at Abhishek.

King looks at her and whispers, "Thank God."

Pragya scowls at him. "You started it."

King forces a smile then turning to his shocked friends he says, "Let's dance. Come on."

They all nod and get up to go to the dance floor.

"You're not coming?" Rachna asks Pragya seeing that she was still sitting.

"You go, I am tired." Pragya tells her.

Rachna looks at her then worriedly looks at Abhishek, "Do you want me to stay?"

"No, you go. I'll be fine." Pragya tells her.

Nodding Rachna goes off.

"Are you okay?" Pragya asks him once everyone had left and Abhishek and she had placed their orders.

"What do you think?" Abhishek asks her back.

"I know this is hard for you." Pragya tells him.

Abhishek sighs loudly. "It is not easy, Pragya."

"I will put a stop to all of this, if you want me to." Pragya tells him.

Abhishek turns to look at her and tells her, "Let's see for how long I can tolerate all this."

Pragya nods.

"Did I scare you?" Abhishek asks her softly.

"You promised to punch him, I didn't see that."

Abhishek gives her a you-are-impossible look and smiles. Pragya grins at him.

"Is he troubling you?" Abhishek asks her.

"He is trying to get me to dump King, I think. Always talking about how much time King is spending with Tanu and how he is ignoring me and using me to make Tanu jealous."

"Hmmm."

"I just ignore him." Pragya tells him.

"Now, what's up with those two?" Abhishek asks with a frown.

Pragya follows his gaze and sees Tanu and Niel talking as they stepped out of the dance floor.

"Niel and Tanu talking, I am sure it is not good for someone." Pragya tells him.

"Keep an eye on them. be careful." Abhishek warns her.

"Yeah." Pragya nods.

"Where did you?" King asks Tanu as she joined the dance floor.

"I got a call."

"Okay."

"there is something I want to tell you, King."

"Yeah?" King asks smiling happily at her.

"It's about Pragya."

"What about her?" King asks frowning.

"I don't know how to tell you this."

"Just tell me."

"I really don't know how to tell you this." Tanu tells him worriedly.

"Whatever it is just say it. I'm sure all is fine."

"Last Saturday, it seems one of my friends saw Pragya with your brother at the movie theatre."

Fuck!

Seeing Tanu was looking at him, King quickly recovers and says, "They are good friends."

"The thing is she said she saw them kissing. When she said your brother I thought she was mistaken but now with the way he had behaved with Niel I am not sure."

"Your friend must have made a mistake. And Bhai knows that Niel has been pestering Pragya for a while now, that is why he behaved like that."

"But see even now she is sitting with him and not spending time with you."

"She said she is tired. Neither my brother nor Pragya would hurt me. I trust them. don't over think it." King tells her then dancing, he moves towards Robin so Tanu wouldn't talk more on it.

"Where did Bhai go?" King asks Pragya as he sat next to her.

"he got a call." Pragya tells him.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he is. But I don't know for how long. You and Niel are really pissing him off."

"I know." King replies then says in a teasing ton. "By the way, I hear you both were getting naughty in the theater."

"What?" Pragya turns to him confused.

"Yeah, just be careful at least till you are open with your relation otherwise people are going to misunderstand and slander your character and relation." King advices her.

"But King we never went to the movies." Pragya clarifies to him confused.

"Not today last Saturday."

"Saturday we went for cycling then we were just driving around. We were planning to go for movie tonight."

"Cycling?" King asks shocked. "What boring dates does he take you for? And what is with him and cycling?"

"I love cycling. I told him I wanted to go for cycling."

"Ah!" King smiles, "That is why he was on the phone with someone asking about Benz and BMW cycles. He was saying he wanted two cycles. I was wondering from where he got his cycle craze all of a sudden."

"He is getting cycles?" Pragya asks surprised. "He didn't tell me."

"Oh." King bites his tongue. "And I also didn't tell you. act shocked when he tells you."

Pragya rolls her eyes laughing happily.

"He is coming. don't tell him, I told you." King tells her.

Abhishek sits next to Pragya.

"I hear you are looking for cycles." Pragya tells him grinning.

Abhishek turns to her in surprise then he looks at King in anger who was looking at Pragya with his mouth open.

"You have to ruin everything, don't you!" Abhishek asks King.

"I told her to act surprised. She ruined it!" King replies.

Pragya cheekily grins at King.

"I'm going." King says as he started to get up.

"Wait, you didn't tell me who told you about the movie thing." Pragya quickly holds his hand.

"Tanu. She said her friend saw you."

"It's a lie." Pragya tells him.

"What is a lie?" Abhishek asks curiously.

"Tanu told him that her friend saw us making out in the theatre."

"What?" Abhishek asks in shock. "Thanks to you, we have never got a chance to go for a movie. And how does this friend know Pragya and me?"

"I didn't ask her that." King replies then he asks excitedly, "Do you think she is trying to get us to break up as she is jealous?"

"We saw her talking to Niel sometime back."

"Most probably it's their plan. Create misunderstanding and break you both up." Abhishek dryly says. "And each will keep a part for themselves."

"But how did they guess it so right about us?" Pragya asks shocked.

"It wasn't hard to guess with the way Bhai was behaving earlier." King tells them.

"Be happy that I was showing restrain." Abhishek tells him.

Without a word, King looks at Pragya and sees her grinning.

"Tanu, which friend was that who saw me making out with Abhishek at the movies?" Pragya confronts Tanu when they met up in college.

Tanu quickly look at King and sees him looking at Pragya in shock.

"I asked you something, Tanu."

"She might have made a mistake." Tanu replies.

"Oh yeah? And it had nothing to do with you and Niel whispering about at the club?"

"Why are you bringing me into this?" Niel asks her shocked.

"Because I know even you were a part of it."

"What proof do you have? And why would I ever do that? I can never think of hurting you, Pragya."

"Cut the crap, asshole. You have always tried to put me down. But ever since the party you have been hitting on me and trying to create misunderstandings between King and me. you think I am a fool that I don't see what you are trying to do?" Pragya asks him.

"You are misunderstanding me." Niel argues.

"Oh I don't want to even understand you. just get this straight in your head, I have a boyfriend and I love him very dearly. I will only love him. so, don't even keep hopes of you ever getting a chance with me. don't even keep the misconception that I would ever leave him for you. you are nothing in front of him." Pragya furiously tells him then she turns to Tanu and tells her, "Next time you try to create problems between King and me, or slander Abhishek and me, I'll slap the daylights out of you. Come, King let's go." Pragya declares and walks off.

Having no other option, King hurries behind her. leaving behind Rachna, Akash and Robin to handle a humiliated Niel and Tanu.

"What was that?" King asks Pragya in shock.

Pragya sighs happily in satisfaction, "That felt nice. What a relief. Have been holding it in since the night at the club, didn't want to do it in front of Abhishek."

"He would have loved it." King mutters.

"I know, but right now, he is a firecracker that is waiting to be lit, I couldn't take the chance."

"I love her, but I know she was wrong in slandering you and Bhai like that." King tells her.

"Abhishek told me to be honest with you. So... She is not worth it, King. Sooner you realize that the better. She is not going to date you, she likes it when you run behind her. that is all she is going to give you. don't waste your time on her." Pragya tells him.

"No, Pragya, she loves me. that is why she is jealous." King argues softly.

Pragya shrugs in reply. "I told Abhishek that you were not ready to accept the truth. If she loved you, she would have admitted it long back. She is stringing you along."

"Pragya, Mom asked you to come home tonight." King informs her on Friday morning.

"What?" Pragya turns to him in shock.

"She said no excuses that you have to come." King tells her shrugging.

"Why couldn't you tell her that I am busy?" Pragya asks him in shock.

"She wasn't ready to listen to reasons." King tells her.

"I am supposed to meet Abhishek tonight. he is going to kill me if I cancel on him tonight also. Last time, he wasn't happy about meeting at the club."

"This time, it is at home. Chill, I am sure he will be fine." King tells her and walks off.

"Any idea why she wants to see me?" Pragya asks Abhishek on the phone.

"No. I just don't understand why the whole world is after us." Abhishek says in exasperation.

"King was saying Mom was adamant that I come today."

"Hmmm."

"You'll be home, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be here."

Abhishek met her at the door. he happily hugs her.

"Did you find out why Mom wants to meet her?" King asks Abhishek.

"Nope. She is pretty excited though." Abhishek tells them.

"I am a little nervous." Pragya confesses to Abhishek as she snuggled into his arms.

"I'm here, don't worry."

Pragya smiles as she stepped back.

"Let's go inside before Mom comes out." King tells her.

Abhishek and Pragya nod. Abhishek steps back and curiously looks at her hoodie.

Real girls are never perfect. And perfect girls are never real.

They start walking into the house and Abhishek whispers to her, "I believe you are both perfect and real."

Pragya blushes happily hearing that.

"Hello, Mom." Pragya says as she hugged Jhanvi.

"Welcome home, Pragya." Jhanvi says hugging her happily.

"Why did you ask me to bring her home?" King asks her curiously.

"I've a gift for you." Jhanvi tells her excitedly.

"Gift?" Pragya asks smiling.

"I was confused about what to get you, and this idiot had no clue." Jhanvi says as she hit King. "Then lucky for me, I accidently spoke to Abhi about what to gift you. And when I told him I was thinking of getting you handbag he told me that you won't even use it. He said getting you jewels and handbags would be a waste. He suggested these, I hope you like them." Jhanvi tells her as she handed her the cover.

"You called her here to give her gifts?" Abhishek asks shocked. They missed their time together for gifts?

Pragya opens the cover and sees a box, she takes it out and sees a Louis Vuitton sneakers.

"I've been thinking of getting this for ages now." Pragya tells her excitedly. "How did you know I would like this shoe?"

"Abhi helped me pick." Jhanvi tells her smiling excitedly.

"Thank you so much, Mom."

"There is one more there." Jhanvi tells her.

Pragya excitedly looks and finds a hoodie.

I'm not a one in a million kind of girl. I am a once in a lifetime kind of woman.

"She and her hoodie obsession." King chuckles.

"Chup, you are total waste!" Jhanvi scolds him. then turning to Pragya, she tells her, "Abhi told how you are into hoodies and quotes."

"I love them. thank you so much, Mom." Pragya tells her as she hugged her.

"I'll freshen up and come." King tells them and leaves.

"Come, Pragya, I'll show you around the house." Abhishek tells her.

"Yeah, go, Pragya." Jhanvi tells her.

"I was a little worried whether Mom would be disappointed when she sees that I'm like this." Pragya tells Abhishek as they walked around his house.

"Why do you have to be worried? you're perfect."

Pragya smiles and tells him, "It is not that. The first time she met me and the real me are like two different species, so..."

"Okay, understood." Abhishek tells her smiling.

"You didn't tell me you discuss about me with Mom."

Abhishek chuckles, "I don't want her to be shocked when she finds out about us. this way, she will have an inclination."

"Oh, very smart." Pragya says impressed.

Abhishek grins in reply.

"Are you upset that Mom gave gift to me considering that I am King's girlfriend?"

Abhishek shakes his head, "She wanted to give King's girlfriend a gift but today she was more excited about giving the gift to her dearest friend's daughter."

After seeing around his house, Pragya and Abhishek were chatting when King comes to them.

"Mom is calling us down." King informs them.

"Let's go." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya follows Abhishek and King into the living room and stops in shock.

"Oh my God." Pragya whispers in shock.

"Surprise, Pragya." Sarala and Raghu tells her happily.

"Please don't tell me they are your parents." Abhishek whispers to her in dread.

"They are."

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating King?" Sarala asks her shocked.

Pragya was sitting between her parents while King and Abhishek sat opposite to them. all three were speechless.

Seeing Abhishek was about to say something, King quickly keeps his hand over Abhishek's. "Please don't say anything, Bhai. just give me a few more days' time."

Abhishek glares at him in reply.

"I think she didn't want you to be disappointed if it didn't work out between them." Jhanvi tells them. "Maybe that is why, King also didn't give me your number even after I asked him a million times."

"Then how did you get the number?" King asks her shocked.

"I connected her through Facebook."

"What?" King whispers in shock. "You're on facebook?"

"Who is not on facebook?" Jhanvi asks him back.

"Anyway, we have decided that we are getting you both married." Tej tells them excitedly.

Pragya worriedly looks at Abhishek and sees him furiously looking at his parents.

King worriedly looks at Abhishek and sees that he was squeezing the juice glass he was holding and it was a matter of seconds before it broke. He quickly snatches it from his hand.

"We just started dating." King tells them as he stood up worriedly.

"But you love each other, right?" Raghu asks him.

King gulps as he darted quick glances at his brother. "Yes, I love Pragya and she loves me."

Seeing Abhishek going all furious, Pragya quickly starts coughing.

"Are you okay?" Sarala asks in concern.

"Drink water, Pragya." Jhanvi tells her as she hurried to her with the glass.

Seeing everyone's attention was on Pragya, Abhishek hits King's stomach with his elbow.

"Ouch." King shouts in pain.

"What happened?" Tej asks him in concern.

"I bit my tongue." King lies as he held his stomach.

"When one coughs other bite their tongue." Jhanvi says smiling. "How in sync and perfect they are."

"Please Mom" King says as he quickly moved away from Abhishek. "Please stop saying how perfect Pragya and I are. You're making us conscious."

"I understand." Jhanvi nods apologetically.

"We just wanted you two to know how happy we are that you both are together." Sarala tells them.

"I was actually worried about this mystery boyfriend Pragya had. I knew Pragya is smart and brave, so we decided to trust her instincts of this boy she was seeing. But we just couldn't figure out why she would hide him from us, now I realize that she was worried that if the family got involved then things might get messed up for them." Raghu tells everyone.

"That party you attended was King's birthday party, right?" Sarala asks Pragya.

Pragya nods her head in yes.

"It is true that I always told Pragya to show some interest in herself. To groom herself and change her style a little but that day after the party when she had come back in the dress, I got worried for her. I was worried that her boyfriend was forcing her to change and making her feel that she wasn't good enough. Then she told me how you had given her your hoodie so that she can feel like herself. I was convinced about you and your feelings for her." Sarala tells King. "Truth is, I have told her to groom herself but when she did that, it broke my heart."

"I understand aunty, yes, she looked gorgeous that day. But that was not Pragya. that was a plastic doll that was modified to look like what everyone else expects her to be. Pragya is perfect the way she is. Pragya looks heavenly without all this. She is the most beautiful girl I've seen. I don't understand why none of you are seeing it." King utters the words Abhishek had said word by word.

While their parents beamed at King, Pragya turns to look at Abhishek knowing that it might have been him who had said those words about her and sees Abhishek staring at King in shock.

"I just don't understand why you both are not so sure about your love." Jhanvi tells them.

"You love her so much and I know Pragya wouldn't have done that if she didn't love you so much." Sarala tells them.

Pragya looks at Abhishek sadly and sees him watching her sadly. They both sigh softly.

"Dinner is served." Jhanvi informs everyone seeing the servant gesture to her.

Everyone soon starts to head to the dining room. seeing the opportunity, King starts to leave with his parents when Abhishek casually steps in front of him blocking his way. Seeing that Abhishek had his eyes on Pragya and not him, King quickly moves to his right to go and Abhishek takes a step back blocking him again. Realizing his brother wasn't in any mood to let him go, King worriedly stops.

Pragya hurries to Abhishek when their parents left the room.

"You okay?" Pragya asks him cupping his face.

"No." Abhishek replies in anger.

Seeing his brother was busy with Pragya, King quickly tries to run away when he felt pulled back by the collar of his shirt. His shirt coming up and choking him.

"Bhai..." King gasps.

"I'm giving you 10 days to end this drama." Abhishek warns King.

"Okay." King gasps.

"Pragya, after dinner, I'll see you in the terrace." Abhishek tells her.

"Okay." Pragya nods.

"You go; I want to talk to my brother."

Pragya quickly leaves to join their parents.

Abhishek joins everyone for dinner.

"Where is King?" Jhanvi asks him curiously.

"He was on the phone, he is coming." Abhishek replies.

"By the way, next Friday is Abhishek's birthday and we are having a party." Jhanvi informs Sarala and Raghu

"I don't want a party." Abhishek quickly says as he looked at his mother, Pragya and he had already made plans to meet up.

"King had a party for his birthday, we believe in equality so even you will get a party."

"I am not a kid, Mom. And what kind of a silly excuse is that?"

"Still we are having a party." Jhanvi insists.

Abhishek sighs loudly as he looked at Pragya. and sees that she was messaging under the table. He quickly looks at his phone.

It's okay. I just want to spent your birthday with you.

Abhishek looks up and sees Pragya gesturing him to say yes.

"Okay, fine." Abhishek tells his mother.

"Great." Jhanvi says smiling.

"And don't go introducing Pragya as your daughter-in-law or King's girlfriend at the party before you get permission from her." Abhishek warns her.

"Yes... yes." Jhanvi quickly nods.

Few seconds later, King comes and everyone gasps in shock.

"What happened?" Jhanvi asks him in concern as she hurried to him.

King was blinking his left eye as it was watering and the area around his eyes was starting to change color. "I walked into the door." King tells her.

"How many times, I've told you to take your eyes off the mobile?" Jhanvi asks him. "Come and sit." Jhanvi tells him and quickly asks a servant to get an ice pack.

Pragya looks at Abhishek and sees him looking at King with a satisfied smirk.

"Can we tell our parents the truth?" Pragya asks Abhishek as she snuggled into his arms.

"How will your parents react?" Abhishek asks her.

"My parents are cool, but they would never let me fake a relation." Pragya tells him.

"Even my parents."

"I just hope King realizes that Tanu is not the one for him."

"Maybe he should learn it the hard way." Abhishek says sighing sadly.

"He is going to keep running behind her and she is going to string him along then." Pragya tells him worriedly.

"I know. That is why I am just letting it be." Abhishek tells her. "Just 10 days. Not more than that."

Pragya nods.

"We should go before they realize we both are missing." Abhishek tells her.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Pragya tells him as she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Don't think we can meet." Abhishek tells her softly.

"Why?" Pragya asks confused.

"Your parents are going to wonder why King didn't come inside the house when he came to pick and drop you."

"I'll meet you somewhere then."

"Won't your parents wonder the day after they met him, he is now no longer coming to pick you up. They are going to wonder what went wrong."

"We can ask King to pick me." Pragya hopefully tells him.

"Let's not cement this drama any more than it already is in their mind."

"I hate this." Pragya tells him as she hugged him tight.

"I know."

Abhishek had stopped all his business tours during the weekend and made all his travels during the weekday so he could spend time with Pragya and now even that wasn't enough. This fake girlfriend thing was starting to cost them dearly.

"How come you didn't go out with King today?" Sarala asks Pragya curiously as she sat next to her on the couch.

"I felt like staying home." Pragya tells her. "Felt like I haven't stayed home in a long time."

Sarala smiles hearing that, "That is true. Full weekend you would be out."

Pragya smiles and hugs her mother. "I miss you, Mama."

Sarala hugs her happily.

"Were you happy to reconnect with your old friend?" Pragya asks her smiling.

"Of course. it felt like ages since we spoke to each other." Sarala tells her then guiltily she says. "I should have kept in touch with her. I just got so busy that I wasn't able to."

"They all are very nice." Pragya tells her smiling.

"Yes."

"Did you get a chance to talk to Abhishek? He is also very nice." Pragya asks her wanting to know what her mother thought of Abhishek even though she had seen them talk.

"He is also a nice boy. Jhanvi was saying he is planning to get married soon."

"Really?" Pragya asks surprised, Abhishek had told her that he would be proposing her soon but after that they never spoke about it.

"Yeah, he is in love with someone. Jhanvi hasn't met her yet, the girl is busy with something, he would introduce them once she is free."

"Hmmm."

"I know you and King are young. And you both might not haven't even thought about marriage." Sarala hesitantly tells her. "it is true we would love to see our children married, but only if you both are sure of it. Don't think that our friendship would be affected if you both decide that you are not suited for each other."

Pragya nods her head.

"Okay, you study then." Sarala tells her with a smile as she gestured to the book Pragya was holding.

Pragya nods and was about to study then she turns to her mother and says, "Mama, this month my credit card bill will be high. Please just tell Papa."

"High? How high?" Sarala asks her curiously.

Pragya cheekily grins at her in reply.

"Did you buy a hoodie store?" Sarala asks her shocked.

Pragya chuckles and tells her, "No, I bought my boyfriend a gift."

"Gifting your boyfriend with your father's money? Not nice." Sarala cheekily tells her.

"Well, my father told me not to do part time job. And doesn't he say that whatever is yours is mine?" Pragya cheekily asks her back.

Sarala chuckles hearing that and asks her, "Jhanvi got you gifts, shouldn't we also get King something?"

Pragya looks away hearing that. "if you are getting then you should get Abhishek also."

"Of course, he is also Jhanvi's son." Sarala says. "What does King like?"

Other than Tanu and partying what did he like? Pragya sighs. "We'll get him something later, Mama. I'll tell you."

"Okay."

"You'll be coming for Abhishek's birthday party, right?"

"Yes. Do you have any idea what he likes? So we can get him something useful."

Keeping her book aside, she grabs her laptop. "Come, let's look for an apt gift for him."

Sarala chuckles with a curious frown as she sat next to Pragya, "You weren't this excited to talk about King's gift. Did you both have an argument?"

"No. Abhishek's birthday is this week, that is why." Pragya justifies.

"Okay, I spoke to my friends and I'm ready." Pragya tells Abhishek on the phone.

"Ready for what?" Abhishek asks with a chuckle hearing the determination in her voice.

"To jump the wall."

"What?" Abhishek asks shocked as he sat up, his heart slamming fast.

"Yeah, I want to be with you on your birthday. So pick me up Thursday night from my hostel."

"Okay. and where are we going?" Abhishek asks her excitedly.

"Where can we go? Nothing would be open after midnight." Pragya says thoughtfully.

"Pragya, I'll bring you to my house? is that okay?" Abhishek asks her.

"What if your parents catch us?" Pragya asks shocked.

"They would be sleeping by then. We can sneak in and sneak out before anyone sees us."

"But if someone sees us?" Pragya asks worried.

"I would rather have my parents catch us than police or moral policers." Abhishek explains.

"Okay, then we'll go to your house. I'll stay the night and you can drop me before they wake up."

"Oh ho." Abhishek flirty smiles.

"What oh ho?"

"Staying the night and all... Do I need to get condoms, Pragya Arora?" Abhishek asks with a flirty smile.

"What high hopes you have, Abhishek Prem Mehra?"

Abhishek chuckles hearing that.

"First let's get to second base before you decide to go full tornado on me."

"you serious?" Abhishek asks in a shocked nervousness.

"I don't know." Pragya blushes.

"Let's see." Abhishek says with a flirty smile.

"Okay, I am going to climb the wall." Pragya whispers on to the phone.

"You sure you can do it, right?" Abhishek asks her worried.

"Yes."

"Please be careful."

"Don't scare me."

"I am scared." Abhishek replies.

"Don't be. Now cut the call." Pragya tells him and cuts the call.

She climbs up the tree like how her friends had told her and then she keeps her leg on the wall, taking a deep breath she holds the branch tight and she lifts off her other leg from the tree and quickly keeps it on the wall.

"Careful!" Abhishek whispers from down.

Pragya lets go off the branch and carefully sits on the wall, her legs dangling as she looked at Abhishek.

"I'm going to jump, you will catch me, right?" Pragya asks him.

"Yeah."

"Come closer."

Abhishek steps closer. "Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah. You'll catch me right?" Pragya asks a little worried.

"Yeah. Jump."

Pragya checks her mobile and sees 13 more seconds for it to be 12. She puts her mobile in her shorts pocket. Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes Pragya jumps down and falls into Abhishek's waiting arms.

Abhishek gasps and huffs catching her. "We need to cut down on those pancakes and donuts."

"You dog! I jumped a wall for you and this is what you say?" Pragya asks him as she hit him as she got on her feet.

Abhishek chuckles, and takes her lips in his kissing her hungrily. "I love you."

"Happy birthday." Pragya wishes him against his lips as she hugged him.

"thank you." Abhishek whispers with a smile as he cupped her face, "this is the best birthday ever."

"Let's go before someone sees us."

"Let's go."

"Will anyone find out that you are not there?" Abhishek asks her.

"I told Rachna that I would be sneaking out. I didn't tell the reason and all. Just that I am sneaking out so that she can cover for me."

"Okay."

"Hold my hand, I'm not turning on the lights." Abhishek whispers to her as he walked into his house.

"Okay." Pragya quickly holds his hand and follows him behind.

Abhishek keeps his hand on the wall, as he walked so the walls could guide him to his room and Pragya holding his other hand followed him closely.

"PHEW" Abhishek sighs as he opened his bedroom door. "Get in."

Pragya quickly runs in. Abhishek gets in and closes the bedroom door. locking it, he fumbles for the switch and a second later the room was filled with lights.

"Happy Birthday!" Pragya says excitedly sighing in relief.

Abhishek smiles and turns to her. then he stops as he read her hoodie. He sighs feeling touched.

"Do you really mean that?" he asks her softly.

Pragya smiles realizing what he was asking, "It's custom made." Pragya tells him smiling lovingly.

Abhishek looks at her hoodie again to read it.

What's so special about him?

Nothing, it's just that there's nothing special without him.

Abhishek felt his heart heavy reading that. he walks to her and leans down he takes her lips in his kissing her hungrily.

Pragya wraps her arms around his shoulder and kisses him back in equal vigor.

Abhishek leads her to the bed and they fall on the bed with him on top of her. Abhishek leans down and kisses her neck through the small opening of her hoodie while his hand roamed inside her hoodie.

Pragya runs her hand over his biceps feeling his kisses. Wanting to touch him, Pragya puts her hand inside his t-shirt.

Abhishek leans up and pulls on her hoodie, Pragya sits up so he can remove it. He removed hers, while she removed his t-shirt. They look at each other feeling a little nervous and excited. They move towards each other and kiss. Abhishek's hands go behind her and unhooks the bra. Pragya shrugs it off her body. They both fall on the bed as Abhishek moved down kissing her.

"We should stop." Pragya breathlessly whispers to Abhishek.

Abhishek looks up at her then crawling up, he lies next to her. resting his head on his elbow, he with his finger draws pattern on her stomach.

"I am so crazy about you." Abhishek tells her softly.

Pragya leans up and kisses him on his cheek. her breast brushing against his chest.

Abhishek sucks in his breath, "You should wear your top."

"Even you should." Pragya tells him as she caressed his chest.

Abhishek quickly holds her hand to stop her. Pragya blushes seeing that. she passes his t shirt, then picking her bra, she wears it. Abhishek wears his t-shirt. Seeing Pragya taking her hoodie, Abhishek quickly holds her hand to stop her. Pragya curiously look at her.

"I thought I'll do it after we tell everyone the truth." Abhishek tells her. "But I feel like, I want to do it now."

"What?" Pragya asks curiously smiling.

"One second." Abhishek tells her and getting up from the bed, he walks to his cupboard. He opens it and takes something. Then he walks to her and gets on the bed. Abhishek sits next to her and makes her wear the hoodie he got.

Then he smiles at her expectantly. Curiously, Pragya looks down at the hoodie and sees.

Grow old with me, the best is yet to be.

Pragya smiles reading that, she looks at him happily and sees him smiling happily at her. "Yes." Pragya tells him happily with a hint of tears in her eyes.

Seeing the tears in her eyes, his eyes fill up. "I love you, and I will love you forever and ever."

"And I'll love you forever and ever." Pragya replies and soon their lips meet.

They hug happily and stays like that for a while.

"I didn't give your gift." Pragya tells him remembering.

"I've everything that I ever wanted right here in my arms." Abhishek tells her.

Pragya smiles hearing that. she hugs him tight.

"Here." Pragya hands him a small gift wrapped box.

"Thank you." Abhishek says smiling and opens the gift.

He finds a Mont Blanc wallet in it with his name engraved on it.

"I love it." Abhishek tells her smiling. "But no quotes?"

"I didn't want to engrave the quote, so I wrote it." Pragya tells him as she opened the flap and showed him a small card.

Smiling happily, he takes out the beautifully handwritten and decorated card.

Everyone says you only fall in love once, but that is not true, because every time I see you, I fall in love all over again.

Abhishek smiles and looks up at her.

"And I mean it." Pragya tells him as she held his hand.

"I know because I feel the same." Abhishek tells her.

Smiling happily, they peck their lips.

"You didn't give me an engagement ring." Pragya says as she lay on his chest.

"I gave you a hoodie." Abhishek points out.

"Hmmm."

Abhishek chuckles, "Will give it when we tell our parents about us and have an official engagement."

"Our parents will accept us, right?" Pragya asks him softly.

"Of course. getting them to agree for a court marriage would be the tough task."

"Why court wedding?" Pragya asks him as she leaned up to look at him.

"I don't think we can have a big fat Indian wedding with the bride wearing a hoodie and jeans." Abhishek tells her.

"You want me to wear hoodie for our wedding?" Pragya asks him smiling happily.

"If you wear saree, you would be uncomfortable and you won't feel like yourself. And I won't feel like I am marrying you." Abhishek explains.

"That's true." Pragya tells him smiling. "Actually, Mama might find it romantic."

"Ah then I hope she will convince my mother and they both will convince our fathers."

"And if they aren't convinced."

"We'll elope." Abhishek tells her grinning.

"You are mad." Pragya chuckles hearing that.

"I am wondering what quote you'll have when we get married." Abhishek tells her grinning.

"Most probably it would be 'I am getting married.'."

"Hmmm."

"No, I know." Pragya says excitedly.

"What is it?"

"it would say "And, he is mine." with an arrow towards your side."

"I love that." Abhishek tells her grinning.

They spent the rest of the night talking. Then early morning he dropped her home.

"hey!" King says with a smile as he sat down.

Niel furiously gets up and walks off seeing King.

"What happened to him?" King asks curiously.

"He is just heart broken." Akash informs him.

"Pragya never promised him anything. he is just plain jealous." Rachna points out.

"But why?" King asks curiously.

"I told Akash about Pragya and he told Niel and Tanu." Rachna hesitantly tells him.

"What about Pragya?" King asks curiously as he looked at everyone at the table and sees Tanu looking away in fury. "And where is Pragya?"

"If one doesn't sleep at night then they would sleep during the day." Akash says in a teasing tone.

"Will you stop it?" Rachna asks him in exasperation.

"What?" King asks confused.

"Pragya is sleeping. She said she will join by 3rd hour."

"Is she alright?" King asks in concern.

"You are talking as if you don't know." Akash chuckles.

"Know what?"

"That Pragya sneaked out of the hostel last night." Tanu points out to him frowning suspiciously.

"What?" King asks in a shocked whisper then he looks at everyone at the table.

"Why are you acting so shocked?" Akash asks him curiously.

Turning to Rachna, King furiously tells her, "What kind of a friend are you Rachna? Pragya trusted you and you are going around and telling everyone! disgusting."

"I only told him."

"Why does he get a free pass to know all your best friend's secrets?"

"It's not that." Rachna quickly says.

"If it was you then Pragya would have never revealed it to anyone. You don't deserve her friendship." King furiously tells her as he stood up.

"King, when he asked me where Pragya was, it accidently slipped out. I didn't mean to tell him."

"Whatever your explanation is save it! If you cared for her then you wouldn't have told him because you know very well that he would go tell Niel everything. And that guy can't be trusted with anything."

"Don't let Pragya know that you were talking about her behind her back." Then he tells them all in a warning tone, "If I hear anyone mention this then it won't be good for you all."

"King!" Tanu calls out to him.

King stops and turns around.

Tanu stops in front of him and asks him, "She wasn't with you, right? I saw you were shocked."

"Stop it." King tells her in a stern tone.

"I knew that she was cheating on you. you were the fool who thought she was more than what she is. She is a lying cheating bitc..."

"Shut the fuck up! Don't you dare say a word against Pragya. I'll not tolerate it." King furiously tells her. "She is family. So watch what you say about her."

"You are still defending her." Tanu tells him angrily.

"I am and I will always defend her because I know her. She is perfect and she is no cheat." King tells her. "If you bad mouth her once more then you won't be my friend anymore, Tanu." King warns her and walk off.

Evening, at the party, Abhishek was sitting by the bar counter and watching Pragya dance with Rachna. Every few seconds she would look at him and they smile at each other happily.

"Wow, now she is announcing to the world?" King asks as he sat next to Abhishek.

"Where were you?" Abhishek asks him curiously as he turned to his brother.

"Drive." King tells him. then he says again, "Such announcement everyone is going to think it is about me."

"She and I know it is about me." Abhishek replies as he looked at Pragya.

She was wearing a custom made t-shirt that said, 'It's amazing how one day someone walks into your life and you can't remember how you ever lived without them.'.

"I really thought you would wear a hoodie today."

"Why would I wear that?" Abhishek asks him curiously.

"For her."

"Hmmm... I could wear a hoodie to please her, but she would be like 'That is not you, Abhishek' because she knows that I am not a hoodie person or someone who wears my thoughts on a t-shirt. It won't make her feel special, it will make her upset that I am trying to be someone that I am not to impress her."

"I've been selfish, haven't I?" King asks sadly.

"You have been." Abhishek agrees. Then seeing how upset King was, he says, "You were able to be selfish because we allowed it. If we wanted, we could have stopped it a long time back."

"Why didn't you?" King asks him softly.

"You are my brother, at first I wanted you to get love like I found with Pragya. then later, Pragya told me that Tanu is just using you and you need to realize that she is not in love with you. if we reveal the truth then it would make her all the more arrogant and make you run behind her forever." Abhishek tells him then says with a shrug, "You can say we were trying to protect you from Tanu."

"I am starting to see that she doesn't care for me." King tells him.

"I am happy that you are finally seeing the truth and I am sad that you are hurt." Abhishek softly tells him.

King nods and says, "Bhabhi was with you last night."

"How did you...?" Abhishek asks him in shock.

"Rachna, she accidently told Akash." King replies.

Abhishek turns to look at Pragya and sees her happily dancing.

"She doesn't know that they all know now." King informs Abhishek. "I didn't tell her."

Just then Pragya turns to look at Abhishek, and he quickly smiles at her.

"I'll tell her later tonight. not now." Abhishek tells King.

King nods. "it took me a while to realize it, that Tanu thought bhabhi cheated on me and she was more interested in badmouthing her and telling me how Bhabhi wasn't worth it. She didn't even care that I could be heartbroken."

Abhishek softly pats him on his shoulder.

"I don't want to do this fake girlfriend thing anymore. After the party, we'll tell our parents." King tells him.

Abhishek smiles, "I'm so glad that you are seeing her true colors and is over her."

"It is not because of Tanu, it is for Bhabhi." King clarifies as he happily waved at Pragya who was curiously looking at them.

"What do you mean?" Abhishek asks him and immediately he realized why, he hadn't connected the dots as he was busy thinking about King. "They all think..."

"That Bhabhi was with me last night." King finishes for him.

Abhishek furiously sucks in a breath as he looked at Pragya.

"I have never been more disgusted in my life. and I realized how selfish I had been. I am sorry, Bhai. I didn't mean for that to happen." King tells him sadly as he looked at Pragya. "The more I drag this on, that much Bhabhi is going to be misunderstood and her character would be tarnished. I don't want that."

Abhishek frowns seeing Tanu dancing close to Pragya and a second later, Pragya falls down.

The moment she fell down her specs fell off her face. with blurred vision Pragya starts patting and searching for it on the floor. And someone stamps on her hand. She shouts in pain.

"Niel, take your legs off." Rachna tells him as she hit his leg.

Niel looks around as he dug in his leg, "What? Where?"

"Niel, get off her hand." Akash tells him.

"I don't underst..." Niel starts to say and was cut off when he went flying with Abhishek jumping on him.

"GET OFF HER, YOU ASSHOLE!" Abhishek furiously screams then he punches Niel squarely on his face.

Niel screams in pain and Abhishek continues to throw punches on him and a few seconds later, King was next to them and punching Niel furiously.

"You go to Bhabhi. I'll take care of him." King tells Abhishek as they both kept punching him.

"Pragya..." Abhishek whispers in worry and turns around to see her holding her hand and still kneeling on the floor with Rachna.

"Pragya... you okay?" Abhishek asks her as he helped her up.

"He did it purposefully. I tried pushing his leg off, he kept..." Pragya tells him as she put up her hand.

"I know, love." Abhishek tells her as he looked at her hand and sees that her skin has been scrapped cut.

"My specs... I can't see, Abhishek." Pragya tells him worriedly.

Abhishek looks down for her specs and sees it broken.

"It's broken, Pragya."

"I can't see without it."

"Do you have spare?"

"I have one each at home and hostel."

"Okay." Abhishek looks around and sees Rachna. "Rachna, can you please ask one of the staff here for my car keys and first aid box?"

Rachna nods and hurries off.

Abhishek looks at Pragya and sees that she was closing her eyes tight to clear her vision then opening them and because of that her eyes had started watering.

"Stop straining your eyes." Abhishek tells her.

"I can't see."

"We'll get your specs soon. just relax."

"I can't because everything is a big blur." Pragya tells him helplessly.

"I understand but don't stress yourself." Abhishek tells her. "Is your hand paining you?"

"It's stinging."

"I should have killed that bastard." Abhishek says furiously.

"Did you punch him?"

"I did."

"I didn't get to see it!" Pragya moans sadly.

Abhishek couldn't help smiling hearing that.

"Are you okay?" King asks her as he came to her.

"Yeah." Pragya nods.

Abhishek furiously turns to him and tells him, "If you have to make someone jealous to make them realize their love for you then it is not love!"

King steps back hearing him.

"I can't wait till the end of party. That drama ends NOW!"

"Abhishek?" Pragya worriedly calls him.

"It has gone on for too long." Abhishek tells her then turning to King he points are Tanu, "Get that girl out of here now!"

"Bhai..."

"You and I know very well that she pushed Pragya! we saw it!"

"Yes."

"Pragya, are you okay?" Sarala asks her as she hurried to her followed by Jhanvi, Raghu and Tej.

"I am fine, Mama." Pragya tells her.

"King, why don't you take her inside." Jhanvi suggests him seeing that Abhishek was hugging Pragya.

Abhishek quickly tightens his hold on her.

"Abhishek?" Jhanvi softly calls him in shock.

"I love her and she loves me." Abhishek informs his mother.

"What?" their parents ask in shock.

"Abhishek bhaiyya." Rachna comes with the key and first aid box.

"Thank you, Rachna. King..." Abhishek takes the car keys and gestures King to take the first aid box. "Give me Dettol."

King nods and opens the box, then taking the Dettol bottle, he dabs a small piece of cotton on it and passes to Abhishek.

"It is going to sting a little, okay love?" Abhishek asks her.

Pragya nods as she mentally prepared herself for the pain. Abhishek dabs the cotton on her hand and Pragya flinches in pain. Abhishek bends down and gently blows on it as he cleaned it up.

"Look at them. I was right about them." Tanu says in disgust.

"Why the heck is she still in our house, King?" Abhishek furiously asks his brother.

"Tanu, I warned you not to say anything against her!"

"What is happening here?" Raghu asks them at his wits end.

"We love each other, Papa." Pragya informs him.

"HA!" Tanu shouts.

"Shut the fuck up, Tanu." King furiously tells her.

"What about King?" Sarala asks shocked.

"I never loved King. I have always loved Abhishek."

"What are you saying, Pragya?" Jhanvi asks shocked and hurt.

"Pragya is the one I told you about, Mom." Abhishek informs her.

"Then King and Pragya..."

"King is in love with Tanu and she was ignoring him, so he asked Pragya to be his fake girlfriend to make Tanu jealous. The only relation between them is of friendship and Bhabhi-devar one." Abhishek clarifies.

"But didn't Pragya get that make over for King? Isn't that what you said Sarala? That if she didn't love him so much then she wouldn't have done it."

"Pragya did that for me." Abhishek clarifies as he finished cleaning Pragya's wound and takes a band aid. "She didn't want anyone's name said with hers other than mine. So, she agreed for that make over so that Tanu would be jealous and confess to whatever feelings she has for King and she could end this fake girlfriend drama. She didn't do it for King, she did it for me."

"But King loves you, right? that day he said..." Sarala starts to say

"After King got me the makeover, when Abhishek was angry, King asked him whether he wasn't happy with my transformation. Abhishek said those, King just repeated what Abhishek had said word for word." Pragya tells them.

"Everyone thought I was King's girlfriend, and that is why I didn't introduce you to my boyfriend. Because Abhishek is my boyfriend and not King."

"Fiancé." Abhishek corrects her.

"Yes, fiancé." Pragya says smiling.

"What?" Raghu asks shocked.

"Last night, I proposed and she accepted." Abhishek informs them. "Okay, we'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" Sarala asks shocked.

"Pragya's glasses broke. So we are going to your house to get the spare specs." Abhishek explains.

"But we still haven't understood everything." Tej says quickly.

"Dad! Pragya can't see anything. she is struggling and she is the priority now!" Abhishek tells his father frowning angrily at him.

"You knew everything about her." Jhanvi says in shock.

"yes." Abhishek agrees.

"And Pragya was more excited about getting gift for you than King."

"Because Abhishek is my love, not King." Pragya explains.

"Who has the house keys?" Abhishek asks as he puts his hand forward.

Raghu quickly takes out the key and hands it to him.

"We could go home now." Sarala tells Raghu.

"No, there are a lot of things we need to clear." Jhanvi tells them.

"We'll come back soon." Abhishek promises. "And King is here, he will answer everything."

"And King..." Abhishek tells him in a warning tone, "I don't want her and that piece of shit in our house when I get back."

King nods looking at Tanu and Niel who was sitting on the floor clutching his broken nose, split lips and black eye. With that Abhishek leaves with Pragya.

"So you were acting to be her boyfriend because you were in love with me?" Tanu asks smiling victoriously.

"I was in love with you. not anymore. You hurt Bhabhi and that is unforgiveable. Get the hell out of my house." King tells her furiously then turning away from her, giving his back to her, he looks around and sees four set of angry eyes glaring at him and the eyes of all their classmates also glaring at him and then people he didn't recognize also looking at him in shock.

Well karma is a bitch! There is no bigger punishment than to admit and explain to all these people the extent of his desperation and delusions.

"Love, you alright?" Abhishek asks her as he buckled in her seat belt.

"I am fine. Were our parents angry?" Pragya asks him worriedly.

"They were shocked. Don't worry, they will come around after all it is their dream to see their children married." Abhishek tells her grinning.

"I wanted to slap that Tanu, but I can't see and my hand is all punctured up." Pragya tells him sadly.

Abhishek smiles hearing that.

"Now, I have to wait till Monday to do it in college."

Abhishek leans towards her and kisses her hungrily. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"I do, I guess it is just about how much I love you." Pragya replies smiling.

"Bye Dad and Mom." Pragya waves at them.

"Bye Pragya." Tej tells her smiling.

"Bye Pragya, have a nice time." Jhanvi tells her smiling.

Pragya smiles at her.

"I can't understand what joy you get in riding cycle in this hot sun during this summer." King tells her.

"It is fun." Abhishek answers for her. "You won't know it till you experience it."

"Oh please, I don't want to be sweaty and tanned like you people." King tells them. hearing his mobile ring, he checks the phone and then cuts the call.

"That's it. Stay strong." Pragya excitedly tells him as she lightly punched his chest.

"She is desperate." King says in disgust.

"You were running behind her desperately. Now she is running behind you. I say you guys are even." Abhishek says rolling his eyes.

"Can't believe I thought she was nice." King says shuddering.

"Anyway we are getting late." Abhishek tells Pragya.

"Yeah, let's go. And King, be here in the evening. My friend is coming over and I want you to meet her."

"Why?" King asks confused.

"Because Purvi is hot."

"Okay then." King agrees smiling.

Abhishek rolls his eyes yet again.

"And I think you guys will get along amazingly." Pragya tells him.

"Let's see about that." King calls out to her and then adds, "God, you're becoming cheesy day by day."

Abhishek chuckles realizing what he was saying, and he looks at Pragya's sleeveless t-shirt.

Blessed by God

Spoiled by my Husband

Protected by both

*** The End ***

I don't know whether you guys found this story cheesy and stupid, I just felt like writing a story without any crying hehehe.

Btw for a short while I did toy with the idea of Abhishek actually being Tanu's brother, and because of that Pragya can't tell him the truth about her being King's fake girlfriend so he can woo Tanu, then I realized it would be a misunderstanding galore and angsty one, so I made Abhishek King's brother instead.

Pragzzzzzzz had asked me for a story where heroine is best friends with hero's brother, and everyone thinks that they are in love, and hero is in love with the heroine and he is being possessive about the heroine... this is my version of that story idea.

Please vote and comment.

- Lazy