After just a few minutes of throwing sloppy blocks and missing their marks, both Jai and Avani entirely gave up. They collapsed straight onto the thick training mattress at once, groaning in dramatic exhaustion, which immediately earned them a barrage of fierce scoldings and curses from Devika.
"Dono ko maarenge das, ginenge ek! Chalo, khare ho!!" she barked authoritatively, waving her blade in the air. But the two youngest had completely thrown in the towel; they didn't move a single muscle.
Suddenly, a mischievous spark caught Jai's eye. He subtly cut his gaze toward Avani, Harsh, and Vikram, signaling a secret, tactical plan through his eyebrows.
The rest of the sibling brigade caught on in a split second, returning aggressive, celebratory nods and hidden thumbs-up under the benches. Before either Devika or Rajveer could figure out the sudden shift in the room's atmosphere, Jai scrambled off the mat and trotted over to the stone bench. He leaned down, whispering a highly confidential, ridiculous request straight into Devika's ear.
Devika's eyes narrowed into a sharp, calculating look as she tried her absolute best to stop a massive smirk from breaking across her lips. She maintained a strict, unyielding mock-glare at him to behave, but Jai wouldn't let up.
"Please, please, please!" Jai whispered, frantically begging with his hands folded while darting his eyes back and forth between them.
Suddenly, Jai spun around to face the entire room, clearing his throat loudly as he announced, "Chaliye, hume ek zaroori kaam yaad aa gaya. Jab tak Bhaiya aur Bhabhi practice karenge!!"
On his command, the entire sibling brigade stood up in a single, fluid motion and began sneakily scurrying toward the heavy double doors. Devika's jaw dropped at their audacity, and she shouted after them, "Tumhare zaroori kaam humare joote kha ke hi pure honge, bacchu!!"
Jai didn't face her, running away toward the corridor alongside a giggling Nandini and Sugandha as he shouted back teasingly, "Din-bhar maar-dhaat waali baaten karti rehti hai ye aurat. Kya asar hoga chote baccho pe, kabhi socha hai?!"
"Tu? Chota baccha? Aaine mein shakal dekhi hai?!" Devika shouted back at the top of her lungs, a bright, bubbly smile breaking across her face as she stood up from the stone bench.
"Hum apni baat kar bhi nahi rahe the, Senorita!!" Jai bellowed one final time into the hall, throwing her a dramatic wink before slamming the massive teak doors completely shut, locking the couple inside the training room alone.
"Kamina!!" Devika murmured softly under her breath, staring at the closed door with an incredibly fond smile.
Once the running footsteps of the siblings faded completely into the distance, a profound, loaded silence settled over the massive training hall. Devika turned her frame fully toward Rajveer, her eyes dancing with that same, untamable fire as she signaled him to come over to the weapons rack, where she was busy choosing a traditional sword.
"Dekhen Hukum sa, aapko kya sikha sakte hai hum," she said smoothly, her fingers running over the leather grips until she chose a perfectly balanced, heavy steel sword for him.
Rajveer's heart did a slow, warm flip in his chest. A genuine, relaxed smile broke across his features as he stood up from the stone bench, closing the distance between them. "Aap hume bhi sikhayengi?" he asked, his deep voice dropping into a quiet register meant only for her.
"Ji, bilkul! Yahan ke Maharaj hain aap. Sabse acchi talwaar baazi aapko hi aani chahiye!" she said with an intense, quiet sincerity, handing him the heavy hilt with immense, loving care.
Rajveer looked down at the weapon; the intricate engraving on the steel handguard bore the exact custom, traditional geometric designs as her own sword—it was definitely her secret, thoughtful choice for him.
The concrete wall of his strict, icy persona dissolved completely under her gaze. Without a single trace of hesitation, Rajveer stepped back to the stone bench.
He casually took off his tailored coat and pulled his silk tie loose, tossing them onto the marble surface. Leaning down, he meticulously folded his white shirt sleeves up his forearms.
---
The grand training hall was entirely silent now, save for the echo of their rapid, elevated breaths and the soft, tired giggles that bounced off the high sandstone ceiling. Swords lay forgotten on the edge of the mats, their gleaming steel reflecting the warm afternoon light. They were both lying lazily on their backs right on the center mattress, the sheer exhaustion of the playful battle pinning them down. They had started with a serious, traditional sword fight, but the structured lesson had somehow dissolved into a completely chaotic, breathless tickling match.
It had been entirely started by Devika. Rajveer's mind had allowed him to counter every single one of her martial arts moves, trapping her completely within his long arms and closing off every possible opportunity for her to counterattack. Backed into a corner, she could have used any of her advanced training skills to break free, but she chose an entirely new, mischievous way instead. She had boldly used her fingers to aggressively tickle his waist, catching him completely off guard to create a distraction.
It had worked flawlessly. The sudden, unexpected sensation had made him flinch, giving her the exact window she needed to slide out of his strong hold while he recovered from the utter shock of the unconventional attack.
The exact millisecond the realization hit his brain, Rajveer's strict, frozen mask shattered entirely. He turned around, his eyes narrowing into a dangerous, dark smirk as he braced himself against the mat. "Accha ji! Humse cheating?!" he growled out playfully, his voice full of a quiet, unyielding challenge.
Devika was already scrambling backward across the mat, trying to put some distance between them. Her face was a radiant, dimpled mask of pure, mischievous joy, her eyebrows raised high as she raised a finger sharply at him, warning him to stay back.
But Rajveer didn't give her the chance to retreat. With the lightning-fast reflexes of a predator, he lunged forward across the training mat. His arms shot out, firmly and possessively grabbing her waist from behind before she could even reach the edge.
Devika let out a loud, ecstatic squeal of happy panic, her laughter ringing through the empty room as she frantically squirmed to break his iron hold. Rajveer effortlessly lifted her weight against his chest, her legs kicking helplessly in the air as he trapped her completely within his warmth.
---
Rajveer suddenly remembered the strange whisper that had triggered the siblings' sudden, strategic retreat. He shifted his weight, turning his head sideways on the training mat to look at her. "Jai ne aapko kya bola tha?" he asked curiously, his voice filled with a quiet amusement.
Devika looked back at him, her big eyes flashing with a wicked fire, a brilliant, incredibly shy smile pulling at her lips.
"Us kamine ki zaban zyada chalne lagi hai, sabak sikhana padega!" she spoke out playfully, looking up at the high ceiling for a brief second before turning her gaze directly toward him again. She leaned a fraction closer into his space, her smirk widening.
"Usne kaha tha ki, 'Kya rakha hai is ladai-jhagde mein? Aapke pati ke paas aaj time hai, bacche paida karne pe focus karo!!'"
Her bright giggle grew even more melodious as she watched the immediate effect of her words. Rajveer's strict, future-king persona disintegrated into absolute, unadulterated shock. His eyes went completely wide, his mouth dropping open as his brain went entirely blank.
He stared at his wife, speechless. His youngest brother was barely twenty years old, a law student who still couldn't cook instant noodles by himself, and his ideas? My God!!
Seeing her husband look so thoroughly scandalized, Devika couldn't control herself. She rolled onto her side, clutching her stomach as she howled with laughter, her high ponytail swaying against the mat.
---
While the chaotic, breathless tickling match was unfolding on the training mat inside, a highly covert and equally ridiculous operation was happening right outside the heavy teak doors.
Jai and Tara were pressed tightly against the polished wood, their ears glued to the keyhole as they busy eavesdropping on the couple.
"Ye log to khali khel rahe hain!" Jai whispered to Tara, his voice dripping with pure, unadulterated disappointment as he heard his brother's deep laughter instead of anything scandalous.
Tara snapped her head around, looking at him in absolute disbelief. The soft, romantic smile she had been wearing while watching the laughing couple through the crack completely vanished, instantly replaced by a mask of pure disgust. "To tujhe kya chahiye?"
Jai leaned his shoulder against the door frame, crossing his arms as his face turned genuinely sad and stressed. "Haye! Hum chacha banenge na, Tara?! Hume inke baccho ke saath khelna hai!!"
Tara gave a dramatic shudder, turning her attention straight back to the keyhole while muttering a blunt reply. "Chi yaar, Jai!! You are disgusting!"
Just then, a towering shadow fell over the plotting duo. Harsh had slipped down the corridor entirely undetected. Without a single second of warning, his large hands shot out, firmly gripping and pulling both of their ears simultaneously.
"You BOTH are disgusting! Sharam nahi aati?" Harsh scolded in his finest imitation of a strict, older-brother voice, though his lips were twitching.
"Kaahe ki sharam, Bhaiya?" Jai rattled out instantly, his eyes flashing with a wicked mischief despite his burning earlobe. "Hum to jab paida hue the, Upar waale ne kapde tak nahi pehnaye the!!"
WHACK.
Tara delivered a swift, embarrassing slap straight onto Jai's arm for the ridiculous logic, desperately trying to twist her head out of Harsh's firm, laughing hold on her ear.
"Tujhe to, saale, Bhabhi hi theek karegi!!" Harsh muttered, completely losing his battle to suppress the urge to smile. He tightened his grip playfully and physically pulled the bickering duo entirely away from the training area.
---
In the kitchen, Devika and Rajveer walked in together to fetch a quick glass of water after the training session. Devika reached up to open the top wooden cupboard, but the moment her eyes scanned the inside, she closed her hands into tight fists, irritatively gritting her teeth.
"Ye teeno mard na, Rajveer! Hum auraton ko satane ke liye humesha neeche waale glass nikalte hain!!" she complained loudly. She pointed an accusing finger at the completely empty bottom shelf. Because of her smaller stature, her hands weren't quite reaching the higher rack where the remaining glassware was stacked.
Rajveer smiled quietly at his younger brothers' petty mischief. He stepped up right behind a hopping Devika, closing the small distance between them, and effortlessly reached into the upper cabinet to grab the glasses for her.
He truly didn't understand why this simple, helpful behaviour of his suddenly caused her ears to turn a brilliant, crimson red. His brain didn't realize that he was standing incredibly close to her right now—his chest was pressed nearly against hers, and his crisp white collar had brushed right against her lips during his attempt to reach for the shelf.
Devika took the glass from his hand without making eye contact, quickly spinning around to march over to the opposite counter to fill it from a water jug. She took a deep breath, controlling her racing pulse in an instant, and walked back to hand him the filled glass with her usual, bright smile.
Rajveer, however, had already pivoted back into executive mode. He was busy trying to redo his silk tie with one hand while simultaneously typing an important message on his phone with the other.
Devika watched his fumbling fingers for a second. She took another deep breath to boost her courage, reached out, and firmly caught the hand he was using to fix the knot. She placed the heavy water glass into his palm, forcing him to hold it, and then stepped directly into his personal space. Her fingers began to smoothly redo the tie for him. She bit her lower lip nervously as she focused on the silk, earning a deep, intensely captivated look and a slow, breathless smirk from Rajveer, who completely stopped typing to admire his wife.
A sharp, sudden knock at the kitchen door instantly broke the quiet spell between them.
Harsh was leaning casually against the door frame, watching the scene unfold with an admiring, genuinely loving smile. "Romance ho raha hai?" he asked teasingly, throwing an eyebrow up at his older brother.
Devika didn't even drop her hands from the tie. She threw a mock-bored, deadpan look over her shoulder at him, replying with zero hesitation, "Koshish to yahi ho rahi thi. Bako! Kya hai?"
Harsh's brilliant grin grew even wider at her raw, bold answer, and he confidently stepped inside the kitchen.
Devika walked back over to the counter, casually filling another glass from the jug and handing it to Harsh.
He took a grateful sip before dropping the update. "Jai ke college waale tang kar rahe hain baar-baar. Abhi bhi unka phone aaya tha. Unhe aapse HI milna hai!"
Devika instantly dropped her shoulders, letting out a genuine, exhausted sigh. Harsh returned an identical, knowing look of pure solidarity.
"Jai ke guardian abhi hum hi hain," Devika explained smoothly, turning her face to answer Rajveer's silently questioning eyes. "Maa aur Baba Sa busy rehte haina,"
Then, her characteristic chaotic energy flared right back up. She began complaining passionately, her hands executing wild, exaggerated movements through the air. "Aapka bhai, Rajveer! Naak mein dam kar diya hai usne! Ab hume pata chal raha hai bechari Maa Sa pe kya beet ti hogi, humare kaand jhelte-jhelte!!"
Both the Rathore brothers let out a synchronous chuckle at her dramatic epiphany.
"To isme naya kya hai! Vo to abhi bhi aap se tang aa jaati hain!" Harsh teased ruthlessly, earning a swift, stinging slap right on his shoulder from a scowling Devika.
"Accha aur..." Harsh suddenly remembered his main operational motive. His face instantly shifted into a sugary, innocent mask as he stepped closer, gently nudging her shoulder with his own to coax her. "Humari pyaari Bhabhi!"
She fixed him with a sharp, narrow-eyed, calculating look.
"Humara ek chota sa kaam kar do na!!" he begged.
"Kyun? Hum tumhare baap ke naukar hain?!" she fired back with a flashing smile, mimicking his sugary tone perfectly because her brain already knew exactly what he wanted.
Harsh threw his lower lip out into a highly dramatic, trembling pout. "Pleeeeease."
Devika rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, then smoothly glided back to Rajveer's side while dictating Harsh the absolute price of her help. "Bartan kitne saare hain dekh rahe ho? Maasum servants se kitna kaam karvayen, accha thode hi lagta hai!"
Harsh let out a massive, dramatic huff of pure defeat, crossing his arms as he demanded, "Acche se bolo!"
Devika turned to him fully, a devastatingly sweet, dangerous grin spreading across her lips. She lunged forward, her fingers catching his cheeks and pinching them tightly—viciously tightly—until his face contorted.
"Are mere cutiepie!! Bartan dho do pleeeeeease!!" she squealed in a high-pitched, mock-affectionate baby voice.
The moment she released her grip, Harsh immediately began aggressively rubbing his glowing pink cheeks to soothe the sharp pain, glaring at her with a helpless, amused smile. Giving up the battle, he rolled up his sleeves, walked over to the sink, and actually started washing the massive pile of dishes under her absolute authority.
Devika didn't wait around for him to change his mind. She swiftly grabbed Rajveer's forearm, locking her fingers securely through his, and pulled the tall amused King entirely outside the kitchen doors, giggling like a victorious schoolgirl as they walked down the palace corridor side by side.
---
"Ab ye kya tha?" Rajveer asked the moment they stepped out into the quiet sanctuary of the grand arched corridor, his voice laced with absolute curiosity.
She let out a soft, bubbling giggle, turning her frame slightly toward him as they walked. "Mahashay ko date pe jaana hai apni biwi ke saath. Aaj unki koi to anniversary hai," she explained.
She paused for a brief second, her dark eyebrows furrowing tightly as her brain scrambled to process the exact milestone. "Uff! Pata nahi!! Ye log to har cheez ko anniversary kehte hain—first meet, first gift!" she added, throwing her hands into the air in a display of pure, dramatic exasperation.
"To? Inhe aapse kya kaam hai?" Rajveer asked, his mind totally puzzled by the logical link between Harsh's romantic date and his wife.
"Maa Sa ne mana kiya haina in dono ko mehal se is hafte bahar nikalne ke liye. Koi to Shani ghum rahe hain, pata nahi!" she said casually, shrugging her shoulders with an unbothered air.
Rajveer's mind finally connected the pieces. A slow, incredibly amused smirk broke across his features. She was going to sneak the newlyweds out of this royal lockup.
Suddenly, Devika's quick paces clicked to a halt against the polished marble floor. She spun around to face him fully, her eyes locking onto his face as she asked a completely unexpected question. "Accha. Aap aaj raat free hain?"
He paused, mentally reviewing the heavy spreadsheets of state files and administrative ledgers waiting on his desk. " Schedule dekhna hoga. Kyun?"
She didn't hesitate for a single fraction of a second, her answer coming out fluid and bold. "Hum bhi chalte hain!"
Rajveer blinked once, his mind completely failing to track her wavelength. "Kahan? Phir kahin humla ho raha hai?" he asked in serious, defensive panic.
Devika burst into a loud, melodic chuckle that echoed beautifully off the high stone walls. She leaned forward, her lips curling into a brilliant smirk. "Nahi, akalmand! Hum date ki baat kar rahe the! Hum dono kahin akele gaye nahi na," she teased, her voice dropping into a soft, intensely affectionate register.
The blunt realization slammed into Rajveer's chest like a physical weight. He genuinely wondered if he had always been this much of a idiot, or if this lady had truly cast some black magic over his soul.
"Par agar aapko aaram karna hai to—" Devika started saying softly, her animated smile slipping just a fraction as she completely misunderstood his profound, stunned silence as a sign of hesitation.
"Bilkul chal sakte hain. Hum aath baje tak free ho jayenge!" he interjected instantly, his deep, raspy voice leaving zero room for her to back out.
The brilliant, radiant beam returned to Devika's face in a spectacular flash, her eyes dancing with an absolute, breathless happiness that settled deep into his heart.
With their midnight plan locked in, the King and Queen of Jodhpur naturally separated to conquer their respective battlegrounds for the afternoon. Rajveer turned on his heel towards his home-office for another long marathon of council meetings, while Devika pulled out her leather utility belt and jacket, as she glided toward the courtyard to visit Jai's college—ready to see exactly what kind of ridiculous new stunt her youngest brother had played this time.
---
Write a comment ...