Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

Twenty Questions

"Good morning," Anjali said cheerfully as she met Arnav and Khushi on the staircase.

"Morning Di," they chorused back.

"The event planner is coming in after breakfast. I can help you with your unpacking after that, Khushi Ji."

"Oh, I'm already done."

"Already?"

"Yeah, someone woke me up at 6:30 so I could do it."

"Chote, really?" Anjali admonished.

"You said to wait until the weekend and I did, Di. You didn't specify a time."

"You're incorrigible."

"And you love me for it." He glanced at Khushi. "Both of you."

She stumbled on the step, and he caught her arm before she could fall.

"Are you okay?" Anjali asked, alarmed.

"She's fine," Arnav answered. "She was just 'falling' for me."

Anjali groaned.

"What?" Arnav defended. "It wasn't that bad."

"It was awful. I thought you got over your pun phase in seventh grade."

"Well it's back now."

"Unfortunately, I can see that."

Khushi slowed down so Anjali could walk ahead and then whispered to Arnav, "Stop taking advantage of her presence."

"Taking advantage? To do what?"

"To flirt with me."

"A man has every right to flirt with his wife."

She nudged him with her elbow, then sped up to join Anjali.

Arnav grinned. She was softening. There was hope for him yet.

His good mood dissipated when he saw that Subhadra was already sitting at the breakfast table.

As Khushi sat down, Subhadra said, "Bahu, tell me about yourself."

Khushi tensed. So far, she had little to no direct conversation with her daadi-saas and she wasn't looking forward to changing that.

She started pouring herself juice, and asked with forced nonchalance, "What would you like to know?"

"What does your father do?"

Khushi deliberately set down the jug. "He was a halwai, but he passed away when I was young."

"A halwai?" Subhadra was aghast.

"That explains where you got your talent from, Khushi Ji," Anjali said.

Khushi smiled. "Thank you."

"Talent? It's not a talent to make mithai," Subhadra interrupted. "It's so middle class."

Arnav bristled. "What's wrong with being middle class?"

"Nothing," Subhadra said hastily. Her presence here was dependent on Arnav's goodwill, and he seemed to be ridiculously protective of his wife. "Tell me, girl, where were you educated from?"

"I did my college exams privately and got my professional degree from Mumbai Law School."

Subhadra narrowed her eyes. "How could you afford to go there? Even if your father was alive, he couldn't have afforded that."

"I was a scholarship student."

For once, Arnav was grateful for his Dadiji's intrusiveness. It gave him the chance to learn about things that Khushi had never told him. Not that he'd ever asked. Why hadn't he ever asked?