9.
PRESENT~
"BIG PAPA!"
Vayu banged both fists dramatically on the guest room door of the Shekhawat Mansion, his face scrunched up in frustration, messy curls bouncing with every stomp on the white marble floor.
A maid nearby flinched, holding a tray of ironed uniforms.
"Arre Vayu baba! Shaurya Sir must be sleeping! Jaldi tayyaar ho jao—school jaana hai."
But Vayu crossed his arms and stood stubbornly.
"Nahi jaaunga! Big Papa ko bulao!"
And with renewed rage, he slammed his tiny palms against the door again.
The maid looked around helplessly, muttering under her breath:
"Yeh chhota shaitaan mujhe har baar us sher ke ghuftay ke paas kyun le aata hai..."
At that very moment, Veer walked in, sipping lukewarm coffee and wearing his usual gym shorts and dad-face.
"VAYU!" he groaned, approaching the scene.
"Beta, Mumma ne bola tha zidd achhi nahi hoti. C'mon, I'll drop you to school. You'll get extra time on the iPad."
"NO! BIG PAPA!" Vayu declared, promptly sitting on the floor like a toddler on protest.
Veer sighed. He gave the maid an apologetic look and did what any panicking dad would:
He grabbed his son upside down by the legs. A signature move indeed.
"Enough of this! We're going. Now."
But Vayu wasn't the one to stop so easily.
"BIG PAAAAPAAAAAAAA!!" Vayu screeched.
CLICK!
The guest room door creaked open.
And there stood Shaurya Shekhawat—half-asleep, shirtless, hair utterly disheveled, eyes narrowing under the soft glow of the morning light. His presence alone silenced the hallway.
The maid stared. In fear and awe.
Veer froze.
Shaurya looked... mildly homicidal.
"Really?" Shaurya said, voice low and gravelly.
"You're dangling my nephew upside down at 7:30 AM?"
Veer immediately straightened Vayu and set him down gently as if it was all part of a dance routine.
"It's not what it looks like. He was... levitating."
Shaurya didn't blink.
"Big Papa," Vayu sniffled, wiping his own tears as he launched into Shaurya's arms.
Shaurya picked him up, already melting.
"What's wrong, little one?"
"I go to school with you today. Not Papa. He chays weird things."
Veer groaned.
"Wow. Mera hi khun mujhe dhoka de rha hai."
Shaurya smirked.
"Hmm. And why do you want me to drop you today?"
Vayu lit up.
"Pari Ma'am wants to chee you!"
"Kyu? Aapne koi badmashi ki?"
"NO! Vayu is good boy! And... and my friends want to meet you too! I told them you're a chuperhero! You have muscles and fly and fight monsters."
Shaurya blinked.
"I do all that?"
Vayu nodded fiercely.
"And you never cry. And you can make unlimited choco milk."
Veer snorted loud.
Shaurya chuckled, pulling Vayu closer.
"That's some resumé."
Veer groaned again. "Bhai, aap ise bohot hi jyada bigaad rahe ho."
"Tu bhi bigda hua hi hai". Shaurya shots back.
Shaurya looked down at the boy in his arms.
"Okay. Today, Big Papa's on school duty."
Vayu squealed in joy, hugging him tighter.
The maid sighed in relief.
Veer, defeated, just muttered as he walked off:
"Aarohi ko bolna parega dusra bachcha paida krne ke liye, yeh wala to Shaurya bhai ka ho chuka hai".
As Shaurya's sleek SUV rolled up to the school gates, it was as if the world collectively pressed pause.
One door opened.
And then he stepped out.
Black shirt perfectly fitted. Jawline sharper than policy. Sunglasses low on his nose, face unreadable except for the faint hint of protectiveness as he turned to help Vayu down.
The boy leaped from the car like it was a spaceship, immediately latching onto Shaurya's hand.
"This is my kingdom," Vayu declared as he puffed out his chest. "I rule here."
They hadn't even crossed the sidewalk when the ripple effect began.
Parents at the drop-off zone froze mid-sentence. Mostly moms. Some dads. A few teachers lingering by the staff door. One mom—Mrs. Mehta—dropped her child's entire tiffin box and didn't even blink.
"Who is that?"
"That can't be a dad. No way."
"Is that... a celebrity?"
"I swear I saw that man somewhere- umm Shaurya Shekhawat -"
"SHAURYA SHEKHAWAT?!!?!!"
"I think I just—never mind."
Some stared. Some smiled. Some blinked like owls in daylight. One audibly said, "Holy hotness."
Shaurya, naturally, walked like none of it mattered. His attention was on Vayu, who was now swinging their joined hands like he was parading Iron Man into school. Which, to him, he was.
Pari Ma'am stood near the classroom door, clipboard in hand, eyes scanning her roster—until they landed on Shaurya.
Her pen froze mid-tick. Her mouth opened. No sound came out.
Shaurya approached with steady steps, lowering his sunglasses just slightly, eyes glinting with calm danger wrapped in charisma.
"Good morning. I'm Vayu's Big Papa," he said smoothly.
Pari's neurons committed mutiny.
"G-g-g-good—Sir—Big—I mean—Welcome! Hi! I mean Hello! I mean—yes, yes of course!" she stammered, fumbling the clipboard and nearly knocking over the hand sanitizer stand.
Vayu tugged her saree proudly.
"I told you he was real! He's a superhero and he can fly and has a black car."
Pari laughed nervously. "Yes, you did. I just... didn't expect... um... this level of realism."
"So is he behaving well?" Shaurya said with a blank face.
"Y-yes, he's too cute just like you- uhmm i mean a cat.. yes a cat! Uhh he's bit of a prankster but we love him". Shaurya just nodded.
Behind her, two other teachers had now joined the gawking committee. One of them literally dropped the attendance register. Another pulled out her phone and pretended to check messages but had opened the camera.
Shaurya crouched beside Vayu.
"Be good today. No pranks."
"Okay!"
Then Vayu leaned in and whispered, "Big papa, why are they looking at you?"
Shaurya raised an eyebrow, glancing casually at the gathering of star-struck women. Some of them started waving at him flashing their 4k smile.
He stood up.
Pari Ma'am, gathering every bit of professional decorum she had left, cleared her throat.
"We're really honored, Mr. Shekhawat. It's rare to see such... active guardianship."
Shaurya gave a tight smile. "He's not just a responsibility. He's mine."
His tone was gentle. But in it was something ancient, something fiercely protective. The mafia in him never disappeared—it simply quieted for Vayu.
"Double pakka promise you'll pick me up?" Vayu asked.
"Triple pakka," Shaurya whispered.
As he turned to leave, a gust of air caught his shirt just right. Two teachers sighed. One dad instinctively pulled his wife closer.
The Shekhawat Mansion was alive with its usual quiet grandeur—the soft clink of cutlery, rustling drapes, and distant footsteps echoing through marbled halls. In the center lounge, Veer sat going through some files while Aarohi dictated notes on the palace event lineup.
Shaurya, lounging in an armchair with a cup of black coffee, was scrolling through something on his phone when Vayu came running in like a storm in tiny shoes.
"Papa! Papa!" Vayu tugged at Veer's sleeve with both hands, his eyes sparkling.
"Kya hua, bachcha?" Veer set the file aside immediately, ruffling his son's hair.
"Our school's going on a trip! Pari Ma'am said it's with parents also. Will you come with me, Papa?" Vayu asked excitedly, cheeks flushed.
Veer blinked. "Trip? When?"
"Next week! Full three days!" Vayu grinned wide.
Veer exchanged a quick glance with Aarohi. "Vayu... I don't think I can. I have work, beta. Bohot saari meetings hain," he said apologetically.
Vayu's smile faltered. "But you're always busy," he muttered, head hanging low.
That hit harder than it should have.
Veer immediately knelt to Vayu's level and cupped his face gently. "I'm so sorry, champ. I know I haven't been around as much. But Papa loves you, hamesha. And Mumma bhi busy hai—she's handling everything for the palace event".
He kissed Vayu's forehead, then stood up and gave him one last pat on the head before walking away silently, guilt heavy in his eyes.
Vayu remained quiet, shoulders slumped, eyes on the floor.
Shaurya watched the entire scene in silence.
Without a word, he reached out and gently pulled Vayu onto his lap, settling him against his chest. "Ab kya hua mere tiger ko?" he asked softly.
"I really wanted to go... with someone," Vayu mumbled.
Shaurya exhaled slowly, fingers brushing through the boy's curls.
"Main hoon na," Shaurya said calmly. "Big Papa chalenge aapke saath."
Vayu blinked up at him. "Sachchi?"
Shaurya gave a small nod, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Pakka".
Vayu jumped and hugged him tight. "YAYYYY!"
Shaurya chuckled, then raised an eyebrow. "Waise... kahaan jaa rahe ho aap log school trip pe?"
Vayu turned dramatically. "Udaipur!"
The name made Shaurya's smile freeze just slightly.
Udaipur.
Of all places.
For a moment, he didn't speak. Just stared into the empty space beyond the arches of the living room.
That city wasn't just another location—it held things. Memories. His past. The place which he tries to avoid at all cost.
Yet somehow... it always found a way to pull him back.
"Udaipur..." Shaurya said under his breath, almost like the word had its own weight.
Vayu didn't notice. "Pari Ma'am said we'll see palaces and peacocks and lakes and ride boats! And I'll show you to my friends again—this time I'll say you're also the King of Udaipur!"
Shaurya gave a quiet smile, though his eyes were darker now, thoughtful.