20.
"So as I was saying," Veer leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "look here—this is the girl Bade Papa was talking about."
He held up his phone, and the moment Aarav saw the picture on the screen, he choked mid-sip, coughing as his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yeah, I told you," Veer grinned, clearly proud of his find. "She's hot, right?"
Aarav raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to laugh. "Excuse me? You might want to take that back before Aarohi finds out you called this woman hot. You do have a survival instinct, right?"
"Who's hot?"
The voice that interrupted made both their heads snap around like they were caught red-handed.
There she was—Aarohi. Arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and a perfectly arched brow raised in suspicion.
Veer immediately gulped, visibly pale. Aarav, on the other hand, snorted and tried very hard to look innocent.
Aarohi stepped forward slowly, like a lioness stalking her prey. Without hesitation, she snatched the phone from Aarav's hands.
"Look, Aarohi, it's not what it looks like," Veer started, already clasping his palms together in mock apology. "Woh kya hai na—peer pressure. Aarav ki sangat kharaab hai."
"Excuse me?" Aarav gasped with mock offense. "You liar! You were the one showing me pictures of random women. I'm the victim here!"
Veer shot him a betrayed glare and lunged at him, attempting to choke him while Aarav burst into laughter, twisting away just in time.
Aarohi simply shook her head, scrolling through the photo with a deadpan expression. "You both are idiots. Absolute idiots."
"But she is hot, actually," Aarohi said thoughtfully, studying the picture on the phone. "And super friendly too."
Aarav's eyebrows shot up. "Wait—you know her?"
Veer, who had gone uncharacteristically quiet, was still staring blankly ahead, clearly lost in some mental spiral.
"Yeah," Aarohi nodded, scrolling through the image casually. "She came home once with Shaurya. I think it was after they got back from abroad. They were in the same university. You and Veer were off gallivanting around Italy at the time, if I remember right."
Before Aarav could respond, Veer suddenly snapped out of his daze and spun toward him, eyes wide. "Meri wali to lesbian nikli!"
With perfect timing, Aarohi rolled her eyes and smacked Veer's shoulder—hard.
"Pagal," she muttered.
"Maine kaha tha Aarohi se...Aarav se door rehna... dono bhai behen ke paap ke beech mein aa gya main".
"Shut up, Veer!" both siblings snapped in sync.
Aarav squinted at the picture, then looked toward Aarohi. "Aarohi, bol na... aur kya pata hai is churail ke baare mein?" he asked, leaning in, still scrutinizing the screen like it held classified intel.
Aarohi snorted. "Bhaiya, honestly? She seemed really close to Shaurya. I remember, every time they talked, he had this special smile—the one he doesn't give anyone else." She said it with a playful glint in her eye, clearly enjoying stirring the pot.
Aarav blinked. "Special smile?" he repeated slowly, his expression darkening just a little. "Shaurya just gives that special smile to me".
"Wahh" Veer added dramatically, rubbing the shoulder Aarohi had slapped. "Shaadi kya ho gayi, already sautan ka entry hone wali hai"
Aarav was quiet for a moment, then muttered under his breath, "Shaurya ko iss videshi churail se bachakar rakhna padega."
Veer burst out laughing. "Jealousy alert."
Ignoring him, Aarav continued, now rolling his eyes. "Aur suna hai... yeh ladki tum dono ke shaadi mein aa rahi hai."
Aarohi nodded. "She is".
A knock came at the door.
"Come in!" I called out.
"Aarav Sir, Rajkumari, and Veer Baba — Shaurya Sir is calling you downstairs," a maid announced, bowing respectfully.
"Downstairs?" I repeated, confused.
"Yes, in the field. Bade Sahab and Rajmata are also present," the maid nodded.
I glanced at Aarohi and Veer, who looked just as puzzled as I was.
"Let's go," I said.
We made our way to the field. As we arrived, I noticed several bodyguards lining the perimeter. One by one, they bowed as the three of us came into view.
Then my eyes landed on him — my man.
Shaurya sat atop a horse, poised and powerful. My breath caught. Just watching him ride stirred something deep within me. My knees felt weak, and all I could think was... if only he could ride me like that — right here, right now.
"Ahem."
I turned at the sound. It was Rajmata. I gave her a sheepish grin before hugging her tightly.
"Apne pati ko hi ghoorte jaoge?" she said, shaking her head in mock disapproval.
"Dadii," I whined, "Shaurya is too busy these days. I hardly get to see him—he's always working! Thoda sa taarna toh humara haq banta hai, right?" I added with a grin.
Rajmata flicked my forehead, and I winced. "Ouch!"
"Badtameez," she mouthed, though her eyes were fond. "You never miss your Dadi, do you?" she asked, crossing her arms. Ugh... she's so cute.
"Of course I miss you, Dadi! I'm coming back this weekend—and I'll be living with you for the next three months till Aarohi's wedding," I said, hugging her again and rubbing my cheek against hers.
She smiled and gently caressed my hair.
"What about Shaurya though?" she asked, now looking toward him. She had that look—the proud-dadi-who-loves-her-damaad look. Yes, I noticed.
"As I said, Shaurya's swamped with work. Just the usual, boring mafia stuff," I said with a shrug. "I'm bored too, honestly. Plus, business has been hectic—there are three big events coming up at the mahal."
I let out a sigh. "Mahal aa jaayenge—easier to manage things from there. Office is nearby too, and Veer will be staying with us."
Rajmata nodded. "Hmm. Both of you are so busy... but make sure you make time for each other too."
"Don't worry, Dadi," I reassured her. "I'll FaceTime him, and he said he'll come stay with me whenever he can."
"By the way, Shaurya ne hume yahan kyun bulaya? Is there anymore rituals? Don't tell me hume Shaurya par gobar pheke maarna hoga." I asked, raising an eyebrow. Soon I felt strong arms wrapping waist. I smiled and leaned behind.
Just then, I heard the sound of hooves getting closer — fast.
I turned around and instantly lit up. My babies.
"Rooh! Golu!" I called out, grinning wide.
The two horses trotted over with excitement, rubbing their heads against me like overgrown puppies. I laughed, wrapping my arms around them, kissing their soft muzzles, and whispering to them like I always did.
"I missed you both so much," I murmured, nuzzling Rooh.
When I finally turned back, I found Shaurya staring at the scene — arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes narrowed.
Ah. The jealous-husband glare.
I bit my lip to hide the smirk tugging at my mouth. He was clearly not thrilled about sharing my affection... not even with horses.
Before I could say anything, Golu gave my leg a gentle but pointed kick — and I stumbled backward, straight into Shaurya's chest.
His arms caught me without hesitation. I looked up, breath hitching slightly at the heat in his gaze.
And right then — I swear — Rooh and Golu exchanged a look and rolled their eyes.
Horse-style.
I burst into laughter, still half in Shaurya's arms.
"They're judging you," I said to him, grinning. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Mr. Shekhawat."
He leaned in just a little, eyes smoldering. "Clothes doesn't look good on you baby."
Okay. Knees? Gone. Sanity? Slipping.
Rooh let out a dramatic snort, and Golu nudged my shoulder, clearly done with our nonsense.
"Alright, alright," I said, laughing again, ruffling both their manes. "Shaurya, why did you call us?"
Shaurya opened his mouth to say something but a voice interrupted.
"Hello guys!".
Everyone looked at the direction of the voice. My breath hitched. It was the same woman Veer showed me a while ago. Then I looked over at Shaurya. He was giving her a smile. The smile that actually reached his eyes.......