A/N: Thank you so much for your lovely responses. Many thanks to NallyAshlokFan for being the best sound board in the world.

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction whose characters and original plots are owned by their respective authors, I wish I was one of them but I'm not. The plot changes belong solely to me, thank you.

CHAPTER – 3

Forward

Sometime after the Haldi Ceremony of Payal and Akash

"And, you –

Khushi jumped on her toes, held his biceps for support and brushed her lips across his cheek. A loud astonished gasp was heard.

"Oh dear Goddess, what did I just do?" Khushi mutters a stuttering apology before scampering away from him and her embarrassment.

At that very moment, Arnav, his grandmother and his sister were shocked, surprised and elated for their respective reasons.

Did she just do what I think she did?

Oh, thank god! We finally found a match for my-business-is-my-life grandson of mine.

Oh yes! Miss Khushi likes my little brother! And oh, look at him all shell shocked and surprisingly, huh, not exploding? I need to talk to grandma.

Khushi reached the gate and took a deep breath. Her heartbeat was faster again, she really needed to take control of this growing problem. Shit! That was too close.

Just as she opened the door, one arm barred the opening. Khushi could smell him from his close proximity. She needed to get away from him before she made an even bigger fool of herself. She turned fully intending to leave from the open side when she felt both his arms around her, his chest a careful distance away. Khushi slowly turned around while keeping an acceptable distance between two people standing in as close as they were. She didn't meet his eyes though, they were her downfall.

"What did you do right now?" Arnav asked in a low voice.

Think Khushi, think. You can't be a loser in front of Arnav Singh Raizada, lose - the bet! Of course!

"Yeah, so what? I was just keeping up my end of the bet." Khushi jut her chin to make her point.

Bet? Arnav slowly removed his arms that caged Khushi.

"So, this – was for the bet?" Arnav enquired.

"Or what else? Did you forget the terms of the bet?" Khushi deflected.

"Really? You did this "just" for the bet?" Arnav asked in a soft voice.

"Isn't that why 'you' did it?" Khushi replied equally softly.

Arnav leaned into her by placing his hand on the door again. Khushi reels from his intrusion in her space.

"Is that what you think? That I did it for a bet?" Arnav whispers in her ear.

"I don't know what to think anymore." Khushi replies almost inaudibly.

"Think about this." Arnav pressed a light kiss on her neck.

"This is not for a bet." He mumbled across her skin before he walked back inside the house.

Khushi took a deep breath, her thoughts ran in every direction. What did he just do?

xoxo

Arnav continued lavishing Khushi's neck and collar bone with kisses. He licked her skin and sucked on it. He bit her earlobe and breathed into her ear, "I love you."

Khushi palmed his cheeks and proceeded to thoroughly kiss his lips. She sucked on the top lip and switched to bottom and went back to the top because she just couldn't stop kissing him.

"I love you." She kissed his lips.

"I love you." She kissed his neck.

"I love you." She kissed his collar bone.

"I love you." She kissed between his chest plates.

"Khushi," Arnav pulled her up to his face. He dragged a finger down her cheeks, through her neck, to her throat, between her collar bones, down in her cleavage.

"We wasted so much time," Arnav muttered while sucking on the skin of her bare shoulders.

"No, Mr. Arnav, we had a fulfilling life, a happy life. These small changes will make a big difference one day, trust me." Khushi reassured Arnav by pressing her foreheard against his and looking straight in his eyes.

"Hey where are my hugs and tears? I was promised hugs and tears."

"Patience, Mr. Arnav." Khushi smirks.

"Do you think this is really happening? Are we changing the past, Khushi?" Arnav kissed her cheeks.

"This is heaven Mr. Arnav, there's no past or present here." Khushi replied between kisses.

"What if we are?"

"Let's see."

xoxo

A/N: Yes, this one is THIS tiny. Yes, the next one is long-ish.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. You make my day.

All my love

-sri