The silver hands of the antique clock in the grand study were ticking relentlessly toward seven in the evening, and the atmosphere inside was reaching a localized state of absolute panic.
Rajveer sat behind his heavy desk, his sleeves rolled up past his forearms, his long fingers typing furiously across his laptop keyboard while his other hand aggressively signed administrative state decrees. His eyes were scanning spreadsheets and budgets at an entirely superhuman speed. He was a man possessed, driving his administrative assistants and a thoroughly exhausted Vikram to the brink of absolute madness.
"Bhaisa, ye land revenue ka draft dekh lijiye ek baar. Kuch galti hua to," Vikram sighed, holding up a dense folder, his hair a complete mess from running back and forth between archives.
"Tumne dekh liya na. Kaafi hai. Seal laga do." Rajveer barked without looking up, his pen slashing across the parchment.
"Par—"
"Next file, Vikram! Jaldi!" Rajveer cut him off, his voice carrying a dangerous, razor-sharp edge that left no room for negotiation.
The three senior assistants in the room were sweating profusely, frantically shuffling papers, translating state intercepts, and stamping documents as if their lives depended on it. None of them could comprehend why their usually calm, methodical Maharaj was operating with the frantic urgency of a man running out of oxygen. He was aggressively scheduling the remaining workload to tomorrow morning, wiping out high-priority executive tasks in seconds.
By exactly 7:22 PM—thirty eight whole minutes ahead of his absolute deadline—Rajveer slammed his laptop shut, threw his fountain pen into its holder, and stood up from his leather chair. He snatched his dark tailored coat from the rack and smoothed down his cuffs.
"Ho gya Aaj ka kaam. Desk clear kar do," Rajveer commanded, stepping out from behind the desk.
Vikram stood frozen, clutching a stack of unread corporate ledgers, his face a portrait of deep, anxious worry. He immediately hurried behind his brother as Rajveer strode down the grand corridor. "Bhaisa, aap pakka theek hai na? Koi national security ka masla hai? Dekhiye aap hume bata sakte hain!"
Rajveer didn't answer, a small, completely hidden smirk playing on his lips as he adjusted his collar. He couldn't exactly tell his younger brother that the King of Jodhpur was aggressively cutting state meetings because he refused to be a single minute late for a date with his wife.
The moment they descended the grand marble staircase into the main palace hall, the corporate tension vanished, immediately replaced by a spectacular, roaring circus.
Devika was in the absolute center of the hall, and she had completely lost her temper. One of her shoes was clenched firmly in her right hand, while her left hand had an iron, unyielding grip on the back of Jai's heavy shirt collar, locking him in place. Jai was frantically trying to flee for his life, twisting and turning round and round in a chaotic, desperate circle on the polished marble floor to minimize the impact.
The entire family—Dadi sa, Baba Sa, Maa Sa, his aunt, Harsh, Nandini, Avani, and Sugandha—were lined up along the pillars, and couches, thoroughly loving the free entertainment, casually cheering and feeding Devika more ammunition to roast the rascal alive.
Tara was behind Maa Sa, terrified to her bone, knowing she was next.
SMACK.
"Abhi doodh ke daant bhi nahi toote inke," Devika shouted furiously, driving a vicious, resounding blow with the shoe straight onto his bottom.
"Ahhh! Bhabhi, mar gaya!" Jai screamed, twisting frantically.
SMACK.
"Aur sahabzaade ko ishq ladana hai, vo bhi beech bazaar mein!!" she barked, her high ponytail swaying wildly with the momentum.
SMACK.
"Are, humara dimag kharab hai, jo teen-teen bodyguard bhejte hain saath!!"
"Bhabhi, please! Domestic violence ek crime hai!" Jai begged, his face flushed.
SMACK.
"Roz-roz college bunk kiya jaa raha hai, aur himmat dekho kamine ki! Bodyguards ko bolta hai ki neeche hi raho, class ho rahi hai andar. Phir peeche ke raaste se bhaag jaate hain dono tota-maina!!"
SMACK.
"Kuch ho hua jayega! Hum paagal hain jo in logon ki itni fikr karte hain!!"
SMACK.
Harsh leaned against a marble pillar, thoroughly enjoying the carnage as he decided to stir the pot further. "Are, Bhabhi! Teen-teen subject mein fail bhi hua hai, bhanak lagne di?"
Devika's eyes went completely wide. She snapped her head toward Harsh, pointing her weaponized show at him. "Haan! Teen-teen subject mein fail!!"
SMACK.
"Iske baap-janam mein koi fail nahi hua! Aur ye!!"
SMACK.
"Aukat thi tumhari itne bade college mein padhne ki! Vo to vo log Baba Sa ke dost the bolke admission de diya. Varna karam kiye the tumne aise!!"
SMACK.
Rajveer stood at the base of the stairs, his arms crossed over his chest, his strict king persona completely melting into a deeply amused, breathless smirk.
Jai finally broke away from her grip with a desperate, wild wrench, sprinting up the grand marble staircase toward his absolute last hope. He lunged blindly behind Rajveer, ducking his lanky frame and nearly making him trip over his own shoes on the steps.
"Bhaiya, bachalo!! Kis Hitler se shaadi kar li hai aapne!! Haye, maar daala re!!" Jai wailed dramatically, his hands clutching onto Rajveer's dark tailored coat from behind like a shield.
Devika stood at the base of the stairs, her chest heaving as she slammed her shoe onto the marble floor with a resounding clack and smoothly slid her foot back into it. She pointed a sharp, threatening finger up at the steps. "Ek second ke andar neeche aa, varna hum upar aayenge!" she shouted, her eyes flashing with absolute, terrifying authority.
"Bhaiya!! Please!!" Jai whispered frantically into Rajveer's ear, using his last bit of leverage. "Aise joru ke ghulam ban ke mat khare raho! Mard ho aap, mard! Dikha do is aurat ko, inki limit!"
Rajveer didn't even break his posture, but a highly amused, dark smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. He rolled his eyes, cutting his gaze toward his youngest brother from the corner of his eye. "Abhi unse maar padi hai. Bakwaas band nahi karoge to humse bhi padegi," he replied with a smooth mask of mock-strictness.
Jai immediately let out a dramatic, trembling pout, staring up at his oldest brother with wide, pathetic puppy eyes. Rajveer looked down at him, his heart melting just a fraction at his baby brother's ridiculous face, though he refused to let it show.
He cleared his throat, his tone dropping into a truly serious, unyielding frequency. "Jao apne kamre mein. Aur aaj ke baad humne suna ki tum phir se bodyguards ke bina bahar nikle ho, to college jaana band!" he ordered firmly.
"Haan!! Bahut badhiya Veer!" Devika shouted enthusiastically from the center of the hall. She was casually downing a glass of cold water that Sugandha had rushed to bring her, nodding in absolute, triumphant agreement with her husband's verdict.
Jai let out one final, defeated whine, completely outmaneuvered by the King and Queen. He let go of Rajveer's coat, shot a terrified glare at Devika's shoes, and practically flew up the remaining stairs to lock himself safely inside his room before anyone could change their mind.
Vikram stood a few steps down, letting out a long sigh of relief that the family circus was drawing to a close, while Rajveer casually checked his luxury watch—it was exactly 7:35 PM.
After Jai went away, Rajveer looked down again to find Devika now pinching the ears of the second mischievous child, Tara, smirking while the girl was busy coaxing her."Bhabhi, bhabhi, bhabhi! Pyaari bhabhi, meri sabse acchi bhabhi, please chhor do na!" Tara pleaded frantically, twisting her body to match the angle of Devika's iron grip.
"Accha? Ab hum pyaari ho gaye? Jab college bunk kiya ja raha tha, tab yaad nahi aayi apni pyaari bhabhi?!" Devika countered, her voice rich with a dangerous, mocking sweetness. Her eyes flashed with pure amusement, a triumphant smirk plastering her face as she gave Tara's ear a tiny, disciplinary twist.
"Bhabhi, vo toh Jai ne behkaya tha! Hum toh seedhe-saadhe bacche hain!" Tara lied shamelessly, folding her hands in front of her chest to coax her further, completely throwing her boyfriend under the bus without a single millisecond of hesitation.
---
Under the absolute cover of the dark, moonlit night, Rajveer and Devika had executed a flawless mission, successfully slipping Harsh and Nandini past Maa Sa's eyes entirely undetected. They had silently dropped the newlywed lovebirds off at their destination, leaving them to their private celebrations, and were now tearing down the smooth, empty highway toward the city's vintage movie theatre.
The powerful engine of Rajveer's black luxury car let out a low, satisfied rumble as it cut through the cool desert wind. He sat comfortably behind the wheel, his white shirt sleeves folded up his forearms, his expression completely relaxed.
Sitting right beside him in the passenger seat, Devika was a vision of absolute, radiant beauty. She had quickly changed into a breezy, midnight-blue chiffon saree that elegantly caught the passing neon streetlights, her long hair left completely open to dance wildly in the breeze rushing through the glass.
In her hand, she held a wooden spoon loaded with Belgian chocolate ice cream towards his face, from a tub resting comfortably on her lap. Rajveer didn't break his focused gaze from the dark road ahead, but a slow, highly captivated smirk broke across his face. He obediently opened his mouth, letting his wife smoothly feed him the cold, sweet treat.
"Hmm. Kamal hain aap, sach-much," Rajveer murmured, his voice low and thick with pure amusement as he chewed. "Agar Maa Sa ko pata chala ki aap Harsh ko is tarah se bhaga kar ice cream kha rahi hain, to usi chappal se ab aapko maarengi!"
Devika burst into a loud, melodic chuckle that echoed beautifully inside the quiet cabin of the sports car. She casually took a bite from the spoon herself, her eyes glistening brightly under the soft glow of the dashboard lights. "Aap apne bhai ko bacha sakte hain, apni jaan ko nahi bachayenge," she countered playfully, her lips curling into a brilliant smile.
"Are? Aapko kaise pata chala ye baat? Humne to kisi ko nahi bataya ki aap humari Jaan hain!" he said smoothly, his voice dropping into a thick, incredibly warm register.
Devika paused, her eyes widening slightly as a spectacular, theatrical expression took over her face. "Ohooo!! Kya baat hai! Bada pyaar aa raha aaj apni biwi par! Kahin nasha kar ke to nahi aaye?!" she said dramatically, waving her spoon through the air with a grand, rolling gesture.
He hesitated for a single, heavy moment, his fingers tightening slightly against the leather of the steering wheel as his eyes darkened with an intense, quiet devotion.
"Bilkul. Aapke aankhon ke nasha hain!" he said instantly, the blunt, romantic confession leaving his lips without a single trace of his old, icy restraint.
This made her laugh even more happily. Unable to contain the sudden rush of warmth flooding her chest, she reached across the console, her soft fingers gently pinching his dimpled cheek with pure, unadulterated love. "I love you!" she said softly while giggling, her voice a tender whisper against the rumble of the car.
Rajveer turned his head sharply toward her in absolute shock, his eyes widening in complete disbelief. His hands gripped the steering wheel a fraction tighter as his gaze raced over her face, scanning her expressive features to see if she was merely playing another one of her mischievous games or if she was truly serious.
But she was damn serious. Her big, almond eyes held a clarity that shattered the last of his executive defenses.
"Huh?!!" he managed to find his voice and ask, the syllable escaping his throat in a breathless, choked gasp. This woman has again managed to make the King of Jodhpur speechless.
Devika closed her eyes in sudden, overwhelming shyness, a brilliant, radiant smile still playing beautifully on her lips as her ears flared a deep shade of crimson scarlet under the car lights. Then, taking a dramatic, deep breath to steady her jumping pulse, she reached over and rolled the passenger window down fully.
As the rushing night wind violently whipped through her open hair, she leaned halfway toward the frame and shouted with all her strength, all her heart, into the empty desert night: "I love you, Rajveer Singh Rathore!!! I love you!!! I love you!!! I love you!!!"
The declaration echoed magnificently against the vast, open sky, completely drowning out the highway noise and leaving him entirely captured by the wild, untamable cyclone of his wife's love.
He violently pulled the car to the side of the empty highway, the tyres crunching over the desert gravel as he slammed on the brakes. Yet, his shocked eyes never once removed themselves from her face. Devika was still leaning slightly out of the open window, her fingers clutching the door frame, her cheeks flushed a brilliant, burning crimson as she tried to hide from his piercing gaze, suddenly shy after her thunderous confession.
She turned her head to look back at him just as the car came to a complete halt. The harsh highway streetlights illuminated her face, her big eyes glistening beautifully with love and happy tears. A few unshed drops threatened to spill over her long lashes, but true to her resilient nature, she was effortlessly stopping them with a radiant, breathless smile.
"Par kyun?"
His response came in a rough, uneven whisper, slicing through the quiet cabin of the car. The sheer vulnerability in the his face made her let out another soft, melodic laugh.
"Kya matlab kyun?" she asked, tilting her head as the cool night breeze swirled her open hair around her shoulders.
"Humne to... kuch kiya nahi aapke liye," Rajveer choked out, his chest heaving under his white shirt, his analytical mind completely failing to calculate the logic of her devotion. "Hum... hum to chhor ke chale gaye the aapko, akela... Saat saal. Phir bhi hum kyun?"
Devika looked at him, her expression softening into a gaze of pure, unadulterated adoration. She didn't let the weight of his guilt settle into the space between them.
"Kyun? Vo to hume pata nahi," she said softly, her smile widening as she leaned closer into his personal space. "Shayad pichle janam mein aapne bahut pyaar diya hoga hume. Isliye to is janam mein hume aap par bahut pyaar aata hai!"
As she spoke, her soft fingers reached up, absentmindedly styling a stray strand of his messy black hair back to its proper place, her touch gentle and grounding.
Rajveer just looked at her, trapped in absolute, breathless silence. He was a man utterly conquered today, staring at the conqueror as if she were the only entity that mattered in the entire universe.
This breathtaking trance was abruptly shattered by the loud, shrill ringing of his phone, the digital sound echoing violently inside the cabin.
Rajveer stiffened. He snatched the phone from the console, glanced at the glowing screen, and silently cursed the caller under his breath with a dark fury. He swiped the screen, bringing it to his ear. "Kya hai tujhe, Vikram?" he barked, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy frequency.
He listened quietly to the urgent briefing on the other end, took a slow, deep breath, his broad shoulders squaring as the reality of his crown slammed back down onto him. He cut the call and turned his head back to her, his eyes swimming with a sad, deeply apologetic pain.
Devika's sharp instincts took over in a split second. She looked at his face and immediately understood that their escape was cut short. She gave a small, understanding nod, her smile remaining perfectly warm as if telling him that it was absolutely no big deal.
"I am... sorry!" he murmured, his deep voice thick with genuine guilt, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel.
"Are yaar, koi baat nahi! Hum to puri zindagi aapke hi hain, kabhi bhi chale jayenge," she cheered him up instantly. She tapped his arm playfully with her fingers, signaling him to shift the gear and start driving back toward the palace.
---
"Tumhare paas ek acchi vajah honi chahiye!" Rajveer nearly shouted, slamming his palm flat onto Vikram's wooden desk with a resounding crack that made his younger brother visibly flinch.
"Ji... bilkul hai... Bhaiya!" Vikram replied hesitantly, a rare trace of genuine fear surfacing in his voice as he took a cautious step back.
Rajveer aggressively pulled out a nearby chair and threw himself into it, slumping back like a thoroughly stubborn, deeply annoyed child as he crossed his arms and threw his chin forward, gesturing sharply for his brother to continue.
Vikram swallowed hard, tracking his brother's rigid posture and heavy breathing. "Aap sahi mein theek hain na?" he asked, his tone shifting into deep, anxious concern.
"Kya hum lag rahe hain theek?" Rajveer answered, his eyes drilling a cold hole through him.
Vikram slowly shook his head in a firm, definitive no.
"Aadhe raste se vapas aaye hain hum! Kitni khush thi Devika! Had hoti hai! Chote-chote kaam khud nahi dekh sakte?! Doodh peeta bacche ho?!" Rajveer scolded him fiercely—the first time since his return that he was speaking this honestly, this comfortably with his younger brother.
"Ooooo... Date thi aapki!" Vikram breathed out, a massive wave of relief washing over his face as the ridiculous realization finally clicked in his brain.
"Ji janam. THI!! Ab bakoge, kya hua hai?!" Rajveer growled, almost cursing him under his breath as his fingers angrily adjusted his open collar.
"To pehle batate, hum disturb nahi karte!" Vikram muttered, his eyes instantly flashing with a running, mischievous tease. But the moment his gaze met Rajveer's icy, killer glare, Vikram's survival instincts kicked in. He cut his smirk off instantly, pivoted on his heel, and aggressively turned his laptop screen to place it directly in front of his older brother.
Rajveer leaned back, looking at the display with a completely bored, thoroughly irritated expression. But within a single millisecond of reading the dense medical script on the screen, his entire body locked. He sat violently upright in his chair, his hands snapping forward to grip the edges of the desk as his jaw hardened into steel.
"Ye doctor ne bheja. Us waqt vo dari hui thi. Dada Sa ki post-mortem ki report hai," Vikram explained, his voice dropping into a low, terrifyingly serious register that caused the playful atmosphere of the room to evaporate entirely.
"Isme... Isme ye kyun likha hai ki heart attack induced?!" Rajveer asked, his raspy voice shaking with a sudden, dark fury as his eyes rapidly scanned the chemical breakdowns highlighted in red.
"Ji! Unka heart attack induced tha. Kisi ne chemical deke kiya tha," Vikram delivered the final, devastating blow.
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