Khushi sat in Mami's car with Anaisha cackling because Mami won't stop tickling her.
"Grandma stop it, it's too ticklish. " Anaisha squealed as another round of uncontrollable giggling followed.
Khushi looked so happy seeing her little princess enjoying the warmth of her grandmother.
She was delighted she had Mami and Maithali as her unwavering supporters because they and Shashi are the only people she trusts in the whole world.
She was still sceptical about Arnav's reaction to Anaisha realizing he is her father.
And also about bestowing a chance to Arnav like Mami said but she decided to take it slow.
Flashback.
"Any please stop crying." Khushi tried to console her but she won't stop and it was breaking her heart making her think she was a bad mother.
Maithali moved closer to the mother-daughter duo sitting on the couch in their apartment and sat on the dining table facing them.
"Anu baby...... That boy doesn't know what he was saying..... You are not a bad girl and your father doesn't want to meet you because he thinks you are a bad girl..... In fact, he had already met you and wanted to win you over and make it up to you for not coming to visit you all these years. " Khushi looked at Maithali shocked but didn't say anything because she knew where this was going and she had no other choice than to let it be.
Anaisha on the other hand stop crying and stared at her aunt confused.
"You see this woman here. " Maithali asked pointing to Mami who smiled and waved at her and she waved back shyly. "She is your grandmother and the aunt of your father...... Lad Governor is your father. " Maithali revealed and Anaisha's eyes widened in shock.
"Anu baby...... Your aunt Mai is right, Lad governor is your father and years ago, he hurt your mother because of some people...... He was afraid you will hate him too that's why he stayed away until now...... " Mami explained and Anaisha got off her mother's lap quietly and looked back and forth at the three anxious women because she had a neutral look on her face.
That expression turned into a full-blown smile and she started dancing silly.
The trio burst out into laughter and Anaisha run-up to Mami and hugged her.
Mami picked her up with tears of joy in her eyes and kissed her all over her face making her giggle.
"Love you, grandma. " Anaisha exclaimed enthusiastically and hugged Mami back.
Mami moved you to the couch and sat by Khushi and place Anaisha on her lap.
"How do you feel knowing Lad governor is you, daddy? " Mami asked and she smiled.
"I feel so happy and I also have a grandma and aunty Mai and Amy is also my uncle right?. " She replied giggling adorably and Mami nodded but frown after a few seconds making all of them confused. "But I don't have a grandpa. " She pouted looking so sad.
"And who told you don't have a grandpa..... You have two grandpas. " Khushi replied and she clapped and squealed loving the fact that she has two grandpas.
"I want to meet daddy. " Anaisha demanded and the smile on Khushi's face plummeted and Mami knew it was better for her to handle it.
"You will tomorrow.... In fact, we will surprise him at home tomorrow...... I will come early in the morning and pick you, Khushi and Maithali up and then go to see daddy...... It will be a surprise. "
"Yay..... I love surprises. " Anaisha squealed enthusiastically and Mami smiled and kissed her.
Anaisha got down and stared at them.
"I have to go and make a present for daddy now. " She revealed and run off to her room.
"Thank you Mami and am sorry for offending you like that. " Khushi admitted guilt and Mami shook her head and kissed her forehead.
"Don't be my dear...... It's a normal reaction and I understand you but you also have to understand Arnav...... The boy has been so disappointed by me and the family that he stop opening up to us...... It's a regret I and Manohar will never forgive ourselves for...... Each time he talked about his interest Nani ended up belittling him..... When he wanted to be a designer, Akash, Anjali and Nani mocked him and that is why I sold all my pieces of jewellery to make up for the way I abandoned him and focused on Anjali instead-but look how they leech off him...... I and Manohar were the only ones who believed him but the damage was already done...... He became unwilling to open up and share anything because of the experience he faced and feared it will be used against him..... It took years for him to open up to me and Manohar...... The world may think he is strong and undefeated but Arnav has a soul of an innocent boy who is dying to be released with being judged or it used against him which only you were capable of bringing out and it scared him..... Please don't hold it against him and I am not trying to excuse his horrible behaviour towards you...... I know you love my Arnav and he loves you and am not asking you to be together now but give him a chance to know the Arnav I know and I promise you, you won't be disappointed. "
Khushi nodded and Mami smiled and left to handle the restaurant and asked them to take care and will pick them up in the morning.
Flashback ends.
She smiled recollecting how Mami revealed the extent Arnav had gone to protect them, from placing bodyguards in her apartment complex to Anaisha's school and at the restaurant just for them to be safe.
But what alarmed her the most was the brutal way Arnav had beat up Rudra to an extent that he has been hospitalized.
And surprisingly she didn't feel sorry remembering the abuse he put her through.
This made her love him even more but the fear in her heart about getting hurt by him won't leave her alone.
The honking of the car broke her thought and she looked up to find the majestic huge gate of RM opening as the car entered.
She was back here again after so many years and she knew this was her destiny now and she couldn't run away from it.
She watched Anaisha marvel at the mansion in front of her in awe.
They got down and was greeted by the shocked faces of the Prakash brothers who had just returned from the market and were offloading the things they brought.
They all left the things and took turns in hugging their good friend and she reciprocated and introduced Maithali and Anaisha to them and they were shocked but happy.
They all moved into the house with Mami walking ahead of them.
"Chiku? " Mami yelled out immediately she entered the house.
Akash, Payal, Nani, Anjali, Shyam and the Gupta women were sitting in the lounge having tea and they were taken back by the yelling and joy on her face.
"Manu..... Where have you been? And Chote is back and I didn't know? " Nani asked looking hurt and Mami was fuming at the audacity of the old hag to still feel hurt when she has never cared about him.
"You would have known if you have paid attention to him but why would you if your favourites are in front of you. " Mami taunted glaring at her and Nani looked away ashamed.
"Mami why are you shouting like that? " Arnav asked as he walked downstairs with Aman.
Akash scowled seeing Aman and it pissed him off but he kept quiet.
"I have a surprise for you. " Mami squealed joyfully and pointed to the door.
Arnav looked up and was shocked to see Khushi at the door and so were the others.
She loved so beautiful that Arnav couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Daddy? " A familiar voice called out shocking everyone, especially Arnav and Aman.
A little face peeked out from behind Khushi revealing a smiling Anaisha.
Arnav was stunned hearing Anaisha call her daddy and he looked at Mami who nodded with tears in her eyes.
He immediately comprehended they had told Anaisha the truth.
He rushed up to her and so did she and he scooped her up and hugged her as of his life depended on it which it did.
He broke the hug and Anaisha kissed him on the cheek.
" Hi, daddy. "
"Hi, baby doll. " Arnav replied with tears of joy.
"Grandma told me why you didn't tell me you were my daddy but that doesn't matter anymore...... We are together and that's all that matters. " Anaisha said and wiped his tears.
Arnav was so overwhelmed with emotions and amazed by how his barely three years old was so mature for her age.
"Oh..... I have a surprise for you..... You do like surprises right? " Anaisha asked to confirm and Arnav nodded and she giggled. "Me too. " She squealed and Khushi moved closer to them and removed a sheet of paper from the brown envelope she was holding and gave it to her.
Anaisha then gave it to Arnav who smiled with his lips shaking seeing the gift his daughter gave him.
"Do you love it? " She asked and Arnav kissed her all over her face making her giggle because of how ticklish his beard was on her skin as he placed her down and kneeled to her level.
"I love it so much and I will frame this and put it in my office but it won't be enough. "
"But why? " Anaisha asked innocently and Arnav smiled.
"Because I want to have some in my office and at home and in my car so that everyone will know and see how much my baby doll loves me. " Arnav replied and Anaisha smiled and nodded.
"I will write as many as you want but you will have to take me and mummy out for ice cream...... Do we have a deal? " Anaisha bargained with her hands stretched out shocking all of them and making Maithali, Mami, Khushi and Aman laugh seeing his shocked manner.
Arnav exclaimed his famous what the but as he shook her hand in agreement.
"Like father like daughter...... The two of you love deals. " Aman said in between laughs and Arnav chuckled.
"Hi, uncle Amy. " Anaisha said as he walked up to Aman and he picked her up.
"Hi to you too..... I am so happy you are here and I will spoil you with a lot of gifts. "
"Yay." She exclaimed exuberantly and hugged Aman by his neck.
"Khushi," Payal exclaimed in shock and everyone turned to them.
"Daddy, who are they? " Anaisha asked.
"They are nobody. " He replied shocking the others, especially Anjali whose fear of losing control over Arnav was heightening.
"Anu baby..... Why don't you go to Daddy's room with Maithali and Aman..... I and your parents need to speak in private and after we are done, we will go to my restaurant and have lunch over there okay. " Mami said to Anaisha and she nodded.
Maithali threw a glare at the Guptas who were taken aback as she walked with Aman upstairs.
Immediately they disappeared, Khushi turned to her so-called family with an indifferent look on her face.
"What? " She asked rudely and Payal was startled hearing her speaking rudely to her.
" You are asking us what instead of explaining how you and Arnav had a child..... Did you cheat on Rudra beta? " Garima asked looking around Khushi in disgust and she moved closer to her and whispered.
"I am not like you who cheated on her husband with another man. "
Garima was shocked hearing this but the others were curious to know what she said to her.
"And I don't have to explain myself to you and you don't have to still pretend you are my aunt when you are not. "
"Hello hi bye bye.......Khushi?...... What do you mean by she is not you aunt?" Mami asked looking at her and she sighed.
She then disclosed that she was the daughter of Shashi's friend and Garima was never related to her and it was all an elaborate lie the two women made up to prevent people from questioning her adoption.
"What more secrets are you and your family hiding that we don't know. " Mami questioned Payal who froze.
"Enough Manu..... They have every right to question her because no matter what happened, they are still her family. " Nani scolded Mami rolled her eyes at her and turned to Arnav. "Chote how could you do this...... How cou..... "
"Enough," Khushi yelled and marched up to Nani who shuddered to see her angry avatar. "Don't you dare lay any accusation at him...... I won't stand for any slander against Arnav from you or from anyone..... What we do or how we conceived our daughter is none of your business and be warned Mrs Deviyani Singh Raizada..... I won't tolerate anyone questioning my daughter's origin because I and Arnav were single when it happened...... He got involved in a fake relationship with Lavanya just to get you and your so-called granddaughter off his back about his marriage...... Before you dare judge us you better look in the mirror and if you had never committed any sin then you can judge us but until then, I and Arnav don't owe you or anybody any explanation..... Back off or else. " Khushi warned shocking all of them except Mami who was smirking enjoying their scared state and Arnav was looking at Khushi so proudly for defending him.
Khushi moved closer to Arnav and held his hand and they walked upstairs with Mami following them.
Anjali was shocked to her core seeing Khushi and it turned to tears seeing Shyam fuming in anger as he walked away which confused Nani and Akash.
She knew she had lost Shyam and Arnav for good but she wasn't going to give up easily.
To be continued.
Precap: Khushi and Lavanya face off.
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