The morning light broke through the sheer curtains of the royal suite, but it was the familiar, energetic clatter of glass bangles that truly pulled Rajveer out of his deep slumber.
He opened his heavy eyelids lazily, blinking against the glare. At the grand mahogany dressing table sat Devika, already fully dressed and radiating the kind of effortless grace that always made his chest tighten. Today, she looked like a portrait from a vintage royal era. She was draped in a striking saree of deep, classic hues, paired with an old British-style blouse featuring elegant half-sleeves that pinned her look with timeless sophistication. Her long, thick hair was styled in a beautiful half-open cascade, with the top sections pinned neatly at the back while the rest fell over her shoulders in soft, silky waves.
As she leaned closer to the mirror, Rajveer's eyes tracked down to her bare collarbones. Nestled just below her sacred mangalsutra was the delicate, custom-crafted gold locket he had given her during the mehendi function.
A quiet wave of immense pride washed over him. On his very first day back from Europe, Devika had boldly issued a rule: Every time you step outside the palace gates, you cannot return empty-handed. You must always bring a gift. Rajveer, who had never bought a gift for a woman in his life, had been incredibly nervous. After the off day at fair, he had quietly slipped in and left the velvet box on her dressing table with a tiny, handwritten label: "Hume saza manzur hai".
She hadn't said a word about it to him, but seeing her wear it every single day since then made him feel exceptionally proud of his choice.
"Good Morning, Raj!" Devika wished him brightly through the mirror reflection. She was carefully applying a sharp stroke of deep black kajal to her waterline, snapping him entirely out of his thoughts.
"Good morning," Rajveer replied, his voice thick and raspy with sleep.
He glanced at the antique clock on the nightstand. 7:00 AM. Rajveer groaned internally. They had only managed to get a meager two hours of rest. The entire night had been spent down in the hidden palace cellar, handling a brutal, tight-lipped interrogation of Hooda to completely dismantle his remaining gang network. Rajveer was absolutely exhausted, but his wife was up, glowing, and ready to conquer the day. Does this woman ever sleep?
"Kahan ja rahi hain aap itni subah-subah?" he asked, his strict tone completely melting into a raspy wave of husbandly concern.
"Nandini ko theek se khana banana nahi aata!" Devika replied with a fond smile, referring to Harsh's new bride who was facing her first morning kitchen rituals. She turned around fully to face him, the vintage drape of her saree accentuating her bubbly yet regal stature.
She walked over to the edge of the bed, looking down at her messy-haired prince with a softness that could thaw the harshest winters. "Aap so jaiye. Hum utha denge."
Before he could pull her hand or argue, she gave him a reassuring wink and glided out of the bedroom, her anklets chiming softly down the corridor.
Rajveer stared at the empty doorway for a moment, a helpless, deeply affectionate smile tugging at his lips. Following his wife's strict orders, the Crown Prince of Jodhpur gladly pulled the heavy velvet blanket back over his face and fell straight back to sleep.
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The persistent, rhythmic knocking on the door pulled Rajveer out of his second round of deep sleep. He blinked his eyes open, tracking the sound toward the entrance of the suite.
Devika was standing there, leaning her side playfully against the heavy wooden door frame. Her hands were clasped together in front of her, and her face was illuminated by a remarkably sweet, teasing smile. "Good morning again, Veer!" she greeted him, her voice dripping with amusement.
"Good morning," Rajveer mumbled sleepily. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, running his fingers through his messy, uncombed hair as he sat up. He glanced at the antique wall clock. 10:00 AM. He had managed to snag another three hours of solid rest, and his body finally felt human again.
"Sab khane par intezaar kar rahe hain, jaldi aaiye!" she ordered gently, before turning around to head back downstairs to manage the post-wedding hustle.
Rajveer swung his legs over the edge of the bed and smiled. There, right on his bedside table, was a steaming mug of black coffee—exactly how he liked it, freshly made and placed there by Devika, a silent ritual she never missed. He took a slow sip, letting the warmth wake him up fully, before walking over to the dressing table. Laid out perfectly was a crisp, tailored three-piece suit. Beside it lay a silk tie that perfectly matched the unique, classic colour of Devika's saree. He chuckled softly at her this habit.
Ten minutes later, Rajveer walked down the grand marble staircase. The sounds of clinking cutlery, loud laughter, and the usual sibling teasing echoed from the royal dining hall long before he even reached the threshold.
As he stepped into the dining room, the chatter dipped for a split second. "Good morning, Bhaisa!" Jai and Vikram chimed in unison, while his father nodded warmly from the head of the table. Rajveer offered a calm, collected nod in return, greeting everyone as he approached his usual spot.
Devika was already standing by his designated seat, waiting for him. The moment he neared, she gracefully pulled out his chair with a bright smile. But Rajveer didn't sit down at once. Instead, he reached out, his hand firmly grasping the back of the chair right next to his, and pulled it out for her. He looked down at her with a quiet, unyielding intensity, signalling her to take her seat first.
Devika's ears instantly flared a light pink. Caught off guard by his silent, gentlemanly dominance in front of the whole family, her bold tongue failed her. She bit her lower lip and sat down, completely flustered as Rajveer smoothly took his seat beside her.
"Tum pakka kar logi na, Nandini?" Devika asked, quickly diverting the attention away from her blushing face as she looked at the new bride. Nandini was currently busy shuffling back and forth from the kitchen, proudly serving freshly made, piping hot parathas to the family.
"Ji, Bhabhi! Main kar lungi. Do minute baith jaiye aap," Nandini reassured her with a grateful, respectful smile.
"Bhai waah! Kya khana banaya hai Nandini ne!" their father exclaimed, taking a hearty bite of the breakfast and making the new bride smile shyly with pride.
"Are, ye to kuch bhi nahi hai!" Devika chimed in admiringly, her bubbly energy returning in full force as she gestured toward the kitchen. "Abhi jo kheer ban rahi haina, sab ke sab katore chat te rahoge, dekhna!"
"Kya baat hai, Bhaisa? Aaj aap bahut der se uthe?" Sugandha teased Rajveer. She leaned forward over her plate, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Haan. Kal raat theek se neend nahi aayi," Rajveer replied smoothly. He took a calm sip of his juice, his strict face completely blank.
"Kyun? Kya kar rahe the?" Jai chimed in shamelessly. He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, throwing a meaningful look between Rajveer and Devika. The entire dining table immediately broke into Knowing smiles, turning their attention towards them.
"Vikram ki bandi dhund rahe the!" Devika snapped back in a split second. She didn't even look up from her plate, her lips curling into a wicked smirk. The family chuckled instantly. Vikram, who had been peacefully chewing his paratha, froze, hiding his face in his hand as his cheeks flushed red.
"Mili hi nahi!!" the other siblings chanted in perfect harmony. They completed the joke right alongside Devika, who threw her hands up in her characteristic dramatic hand movement.
Rajveer let out a rare, genuine smile at the chorus. He looked over at the utterly embarrassed Vikram, highly amused by his wife's quick deflection.
"Pata nahi kahan chhupa ke rakha hai Vikram ne!" Devika teased further, leaning forward to keep the spotlight directly on her brother-in-law.
"Are, hume nahi lagta aisa kuch hai!" Dadi Sa interjected. Her tone was thick with playful sarcasm. Vikram snapped his head up, looking at his grandmother and nodding aggressively in absolute hope that she was saving him.
"Ab chhedna band kar do, maasum ko," Dadi Sa continued, patting Vikram's shoulder before dropping the real anchor. "Rishta dekhte hai koi. Vo Vijay ki badi beti theek rahegi."
"Kya? Kyun?!" Vikram shouted out at once. His voice cracked in pure shock. The moment the words left his mouth, he realized it was a massive trap. He quickly ducked his head down, aggressively focusing back on his food while trying to melt into his chair.
The entire table burst into a roar of laughter. "Kya? Kyun?!" the siblings mimicked in unison, howling at Vikram's defensive reflex.
"To ab kya buddha hoke shaadi karega?" Devika scolded teasingly, waving a spoon in his direction. "Sharm kar lo thodi, Vikram. Harsh ne bhi love marriage kar li. Aur vo do saal chota hai tumse!"
"Humne to soch liya hai. Jai ke saath hi shaadi kar denge iski," Maa Sa announced from across the table, shaking her head in fond amusement.
Jai practically jumped out of his chair in excitement, completely misinterpreting the statement. "Humari shaadi!!!" he yelled out.
"Pehle college khatam karo dono miya-biwi!" Devika at once barked at him, shutting down his excitement instantly. She was referring to Jai and his girlfriend, who were both still struggling through law school. "Humari shaadi?!" she mimicked, distorting her face in mock disgust.
Just then, Harsh barged into the dining hall, a massive grin on his face. "Good morning!!" he shouted cheerfully to everyone. He was about to confidently slide into his designated seat when Devika's voice sliced through the air.
"Khabardaar! Piche! Piche! Piche!!" she scolded. She pointed her finger sharply at him like a commanding officer.
"Nayi naweli biwi subah se kaam kar rahi hai kitchen mein. Aur Babu Saheb ko sone se fursat nahi!" The elders and siblings all nodded in absolute agreement, enjoying the groom's sudden trial.
"Jao, madad karo uski!" she ordered authoritatively.
"Are, to aap kar dete madad!" Harsh countered playfully, crossing his arms and throwing an eyebrow up at his bhabhi.
"Vo madad karne de tab na!" Devika countered back without missing a single beat. "Use ab apna pati chahiye, to hum kya karen?!"
Nandini, who was just walking out of the kitchen with a fresh batch of parathas, caught the last line. Her face turned a fiery crimson, and she looked at her hands with shyness, while the entire Rathore family erupted into laughter yet again.
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Nandini finally emerged from the kitchen, carefully balancing a heavy silver tray loaded with small ceramic bowls of the highly anticipated kheer. Harsh followed closely behind her like a lost puppy, completely absentmindedly holding onto a tiny piece of her glittering saree pallu.
The moment the sweet aroma of cardamom and saffron hit the air, the entire table cheered like excited children. But the celebration cut short in an instant. Nandini's foot caught the heavy edge of a rug. She tripped, lose her balance, and the entire tray left her hands, crashing violently onto the marble floor.
The dining hall erupted in immediate chaos. Devika didn't care about the spilled dessert or the broken ceramic; she jumped out of her chair in a flash, rushing toward the trembling bride. "Are, kuch nahi hua! Kuch nahi hua!" she chanted reassuringly, wrapping an arm around Nandini's shoulders.
Both Devika and Harsh frantically began checking Nandini's hands and feet, asking if she was okay or hurt anywhere. Nandini just nodded silently, her lower lip quivering as big tears welled up in her eyes out of sheer embarrassment.
Sensing the rising murmurs of concern from the family, Devika stopped everyone with a single, strict hand movement. "Shaanti!" she commanded authoritatively, signalling to the table that Nandini was already distressed enough and didn't need a crowd fussing over her.
"Koi baat nahi! Aao, tum baitho yahan," Devika said softly. She gently wiped the tears from the young bride's cheeks and guided her to a nearby empty chair.
"Aur hai to kheer kitchen mein!" she suggested with a hopeful tilt of her head. Nandini instantly nodded, her tear-filled eyes lighting up with a tiny bit of relief.
While Devika managed the bride, Rajveer and Harsh didn't even hesitate. The future king and the groom immediately crouched down on the floor together, using their bare hands to quickly pick up the sharp, broken pieces of the bowls to ensure no one stepped on them. Avani had already dashed out of the room to grab a mop alongside a palace servant.
"Tumhari koi galti hai bhi nahi!" Devika chimed in loudly, deliberately trying to divert Nandini's attention and take the pressure off her. She turned a sharp glare toward the floor. "Sab is gadhe ka kiya dhara hai. Ek kaam nahi hota dhang se!!" she mockingly scolded Harsh for hovering too close to his wife.
Rajveer looked over at his younger brother, and the two men shared a quiet, knowing grin as they cleaned up the mess together.
"Are, main to kehti hun kya majboori thi is pyaari si bacchi ki jo isse shaadi karni padi!!" Dadi Sa chimed in perfectly, catching onto Devika's plan to cheer the bride up.
The collective teasing finally broke Nandini's distress. She rubbed her wet eyes, a shy, soft smile breaking through her tears. "Accha dikhta hai," she murmured in a low, incredibly shy voice, looking down at her hands.
The dining table burst into a roar of affectionate laughter at the innocent confession. Harsh proudly puffed his chest out from his spot on the floor, throwing a triumphant look at his siblings.
"Accha bhi dikhta hai to bade ghaate ka sauda tha!!" Devika countered instantly with a wicked laugh, giving Nandini a playful nudge that finally had the entire family—and the new bride—giggling in unison.
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