Aditya and devyani cuteness #3
She was practically trying to merge herself into the passenger door, her small hands tightly holding onto her handbag as if it were a life raft.
The sight made a soft, incredibly genuine smile pull at the corner of Zaid's lips.
So the fiery little princess actually has a shy side, he thought to himself, thoroughly enjoying the sudden quiet that had come over her.
If the sibling car was a chaotic romantic-comedy, the third car carrying Rivan and Devyani was an absolute silent horror film at least on the surface.
Devyani was sitting in the front passenger seat, completely turned away from her husband.
She had her sunglasses on indoors, in a shaded car and her arms tightly crossed over her knitted sweater.
To make her silent protest even more dramatic, she had pulled out a pair of giant, glowing noise-canceling headphones and slapped them over her ears, ostentatiously bobbing her head to non-existent music.
Rivan sat in the driver's seat, his hands resting on the wheel at ten and two. His face was a mask of cold, unyielding stoicism, but internally, he was losing his mind.
He glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye.
She's still mad, he thought, suppressing a heavy sigh. All because I called her a little kid. After she practically gave me a heart attack in the bathroom!
Unable to take the heavy, dramatic silence any longer, Rivan cleared his throat. "Devyani."
Silence.
She just aggressively tapped her foot to her imaginary beat, looking out the window as if the passing trees were the most fascinating thing on earth.
Rivan reached over with his right hand, intending to tap her shoulder gently.
The moment his fingers even hovered near her jacket, Devyani violently slapped his hand away without even looking at him.
She reached over, grabbed a small notepad and a pen from her purse, scribbled something furiously, and slammed the paper onto the dashboard in front of him.
Rivan picked up the note with a raised eyebrow. Written in big, messy, angry handwriting was
Rivan smoothly pulled the car into the fast lane, keeping his eyes on the road as he reached down into the center console storage compartment.
He pulled out a single, perfectly wrapped box of artisanal dark chocolates her absolute favorite brand that he had quietly packed earlier that morning, knowing her mood swings were as unpredictable as monsoon rain.
Without saying a word, he unwrapped one piece and held it right in front of her face, just above the dashboard.
Devyani's nose twitched through her sunglasses.
Her head slowly turned toward the sweet, rich aroma of chocolate. She stared at the piece held between his long, sharp fingers, her mouth practically watering.
She swallowed hard, trying her absolute best to maintain her fierce, dignified anger.
Rivan, sensing her inner turmoil, slowly brought the chocolate closer to her lips. "Come on, kitten," he murmured softly, his voice dropping into that dark, velvety tone that made her knees go weak.
Devyani's jaw dropped in absolute scandal behind her sunglasses. She ripped her giant headphones down around her neck, glaring at him with pure fire.
"You did NOT just say that again!" she gasped out loud, snatching the chocolate right out of his fingers and stuffing the whole thing into her mouth in one go.
She chewed angrily, her cheeks puffing out like a furious little squirrel. "Mmm-ph! You are the worst husband in the world, Rivan Thakur! Absolute worst!"
"Yet you took the chocolate," Rivan pointed out smoothly, a rare, brilliant smirk breaking through his usual stoic face.
"Because the chocolate is innocent!" she declared dramatically, pointing a accusing finger at his face.
Rivan let out a low, deep laugh, reaching over to quickly grab her hand before she could pull it away again.
He brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against her knuckles while keeping his eyes firmly on the road.
"I love you unconditionally too, my angry little kitten," he said softly, his voice rich with warmth.
Devyani's face instantly flushed a bright, magnificent pink. She tried to yank her hand back, but he held on tightly, interlocking his fingers with hers over the gear shift.
"Shut up!" she squeaked, looking away to hide her huge, unstoppable smile. "I'm still 80% mad at you. Don't think one kiss buys you out of this!"
"Duly noted," Rivan grinned softly, squeezing her hand tightly. "I'll make up for the remaining 80% on the jet."
The tires of the private jet shrieked softly as the aircraft touched down on the tarmac of the Rajasthan airport.
The humid, warm air of India instantly rushed into the cabin the moment the pressurized doors hissed open, carrying with it the unmistakable, nostalgic scent of home.
Devyani was the very first one out of her seat. The long flight had given her plenty of time to completely forget her fake "80% anger" toward Rivan, especially after he had spent half the journey pampering her with warm tea and blanket adjustments.
"Finally!" Devyani cheered, practically skipping down the airstrip stairs.
Rivan walked a few paces behind her, his posture straight, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding tarmac out of pure habit.
Waiting on the asphalt was a line of sleek black Maybachs, surrounded by security personnel who immediately stood at crisp attention the moment Virendra Thakur stepped off the jet.
"Welcome back to India, Sir, Ma'am," the head of security announced, bowing respectfully as the staff quickly began transferring the luggage from the aircraft into the trunks.
"Everything arranged at the estate?" Samarveer asked, stepping alongside Virendra.
"Yes,sir . The Thakur Haveli is fully prepared, security perimeter is live, and the staff is waiting for your arrival."
Zaid stepped down from the stairs, adjusting his designer sunglasses as he looked around the bustling private terminal. "Well, Devu," he said smoothly, sliding his hands into his pockets as he walked up beside her.
"Your grand Indian wedding countdown officially begins now."
Devyani beamed, wrapping her arm around Zaid's shoulder. "And you, Mr. Chief Guest, are coming straight to the pre-wedding preparations. No escaping to your hotel room for 'work calls.'"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Zaid chuckled gently.
As the family gathered near the open doors of the waiting convoy, Virendra turned around, clapping his hands together to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, listen up," Virendra declared, putting on his stern patriarch persona. "The drive from the airport to the Haveli is long, and traffic is going to be a nightmare. Let's get moving."
Aradhya stepped up, nervously pulling her handbag closer as she glanced toward the car where Zaid's luggage was being loaded. "Uh, Papa... who is riding in which car?"
Meanwhile, Aradhya found herself standing awkwardly close to Zaid near the passenger door of the second SUV.
Ever since the seatbelt incident back in the first drive, she had been hyper-aware of his every move and the flight hadn't helped, given that he had spent two hours calmly reviewing documents while she pretended not to stare at his side profile.
Zaid held the car door open for her, bowing slightly with a smooth, gentlemanly tilt of his head.
"After you... Miss Aradhya," he murmured, his voice laced with that same low, magnetic cadence.
Aradhya's breath hitched again, the butterflies instantly returning with a vengeance. "Y-yeah, thanks," she stammered, quickly ducking into the cool interior of the SUV to hide the sudden heat rushing to her face.
Payal, who was trailing right behind her, caught the whole interaction and covered her mouth to muffle a massive laugh. She nudged Rudraksh, whispering loudly, "Did you see that? Her brain literally short-circuits every single time he uses her full name!"
The grand convoy slowly pulled out of the private airport gates, merging onto the busy highways of Rajasthan . The vibrant sights, the roaring traffic, and the colorful chaos of the city passed by their tinted windows.
Inside the lead car, Devyani leaned her head comfortably on Rivan's shoulder, her fingers lazily playing with his watch strap.
"Pati ji?" she asked softly.
"Hmm?" he replied, resting his hand over hers.
"Are you ready for the next few days?"
Rivan looked out the window, a small, confident smirk gracing his lips as he squeezed her hand softly. "Kitten, I think I can handle a few wedding functions."
"Oh, you poor naive man," Devyani giggled, closing her eyes.
.
.
.
.
The long fleet of luxury SUVs finally ground to a smooth halt right in front of the towering, ornate iron gates of the Thakur Haveli.
As the heavy doors unlocked, the family stepped out into the courtyard, stretching their legs and taking in the majestic, familiar air of their ancestral home. A profound sense of peace and celebration seemed to settle over everyone after the long journey.
Inside the grand entrance archway stood Samar Thakur the revered patriarch alongside Rajmata, looking resplendent in her traditional attire.
"Welcome home, children!" Rajmata announced, her eyes beaming with joy as the family poured into the courtyard.
One by one, the younger generation stepped forward, bending down respectfully to touch the feet of Samar Thakur and Rajmata to seek their blessings.
After bestowing her warm blessings upon Devyani and kissing her forehead, Rajmata stepped back, her expression suddenly shifting into one of absolute, unyielding authority.
She locked her sharp eyes directly onto Rivan.
"Now, listen to me very carefully," Rajmata commanded, her voice ringing clearly across the grand marble foyer.
"From this exact second until the final pheras of the wedding, Devyani and Rivan will not share a room. They will sleep in completely separate wings of the Haveli, and I do not want to catch you sneaking around, Rivan. That is a strict warning and the absolute end of this discussion!"