61
I dropped my sunshine, my Katha, my son Nirmay, and our Sheraa home with every layer of protection wrapped around them - I made sure of it. I held her face for a second longer, kissed her forehead, and made her promise not to step out of the mansion until I returned.
Because now... now I had to deal with the fucking trash that dared to attack me when I was with my family.
The rage burning inside me wasn't normal. It was something darker, something ancient. The devil within me - the true Dattatriya Agnivanshi - had risen.
I stepped into my blacked-out armored car and called the Opposition leader. The moment he answered, I didn't wait.
"You pathetic piece of shit," I growled, my voice like a razor slicing through steel. "You tried to shoot me - me - with my pregnant wife and my son there? Are you insane, or are you just that ready to die?"
There was silence.
"Dattatriya, I-"
"Shut your fucking mouth," I spat. "You thought this was politics? You thought this was some campaign stunt? You tried to end my family. I am going to erase your name, your bloodline, and every idiot that stood behind you."
"Please, let's talk-"
"I don't talk. I end." I snarled and hung up before he could grovel further.
I exhaled once. Sharp. Cold. My jaw was clenched so tight it hurt.
I called Ojhal next. "I want every hiding place of the opposition leaders. Every bunker, every estate, every sewer rat hole they've crawled into. And Ojhal-"
"Yes, boss?"
"Put a bomb in their main base. I want it gone. No headlines. Just ash."
"Done," he said without hesitation.
I walked into my office in Jaipur, the one no one dares enter without permission. The door sealed behind me as I strode to the monitors. Dozens of screens showed my men moving like ghosts-black outfits, silenced weapons, coordinated precision.
My eyes were cold. My heart? Already a battlefield.
I sat down, lit a cigar, and watched.
And then-
BOOM.
The entire screen lit up with a golden burst of fire and smoke as the Opposition's main mansion exploded into flames.
The fuckers inside? Gone. The walls of their legacy? Gone. Their pride? Their lies? Fucking gone.
A slow smirk crept onto my face.
"You threatened my wife... my son... my unborn child?" I whispered.
"I warned you once."
I leaned back in the chair, eyes still glued to the burning ruins on screen.
Let them burn.
Let the world watch.
This... is what happens when you play with fire. When you come for me.
The gates of the Choudhury mansion swung open as I stepped in, my coat slightly burnt at the cuff, the scent of smoke still lingering around me - remnants of the war I just ended.
And there she was... my sunshine.
Sitting on the giant velvet sofa, legs curled under her, eyes wide as saucers, mouth slightly open in shock as she stared at the giant TV screen.
Her delicate hand caressed her swollen tummy absentmindedly, while Arya bhabhi calmly peeled oranges beside her and popped one slice after another into her mouth like this was just another Thursday.
I smirked.
Typical news channels - always late to catch up.
I walked toward her silently, steps soft despite the storm inside me. She didn't even look up until I was right in front of her. I leaned down and kissed her cheek, one hand gently cradling her face. She blinked in surprise, eyes locking with mine.
"Hi, sunshine," I murmured, voice warm now, far from the devil that roared minutes ago.
Her jaw dropped further. "You... You did that?"
I just smiled. "You really expected me to do nothing after they tried to shoot you and our baby?"
She looked at me, half in awe, half in disbelief. "You actually bombed an entire mansion..."
"They shot at my family," I said simply, brushing my knuckles against her cheek. "I sent them a message. Loud and clear."
Arya bhabhi just nodded sagely like she'd seen it all before and handed her another orange slice. "Deserved it."
But just as I was about to sit beside her-
She suddenly scrunched her nose, eyes narrowing.
"You smoked?!" she yelled, recoiling instantly.
I froze. "Shit."
"I can smell it on your coat! And your hair! And-eww-your face! Go away, you smelly man!"
"Sunshine, it was just one-"
"GO. SHOWER. NOW." she growled with a glare that could murder a god.
Arya bhabhi was trying very hard not to laugh, pressing her fingers to her lips.
I raised my hands in surrender, already backing up. "Okay! Okay! Going!"
"And use lavender soap, not your weird musky mafia one!"
"Yes, ma'am!" I called as I turned and made a break for the nearest bathroom, hearing her mutter under her breath:
"Mad man goes bombing people and comes back smelling like burnt leather and sin. Ugh."
Still...
She was safe.
My child was safe.
And for that - I'd burn down the world again.
I came down after the longest, hottest shower of my life - lavender-scented and scrubbed until my skin nearly peeled off - only to witness what might have been the strangest scene ever in the history of the Choudhury mansion.
All three of the legendary, feared Choudhury brothers... doing a ramp walk.
Ramp walk. In the living room. With music blasting. And Adya cheering like it was a fashion week finale.
Bhairava was strutting in a silk dhoti with a dupatta over his shoulder like a royal demon-turned-model.
Gyan had a bloody lehenga on, lifting the skirt slightly as he walked with full model expression.
Dyan wore a red Banarasi saree with sunglasses, his face stone-cold like he was walking into a battlefield, not a catwalk.
"What the actual..." I mumbled, stunned, as I moved toward the sofa.
I sat beside my sunshine - the source of all this chaos - and kissed the little heads of my precious devils: Nirmay, who grinned at me while munching on a banana; Sheraa, who was half asleep with his huge head on Nirmay's lap; Jayash, who was clapping and yelling "Buuiiiiii!
"; Vardha crawling like a rocket towards the saree twirls; and Karna chewing on one of Sheraa's whiskers.
I raised a brow. "What is happening here?"
Sunshine didn't even glance at me. "Saree ramp walk."
I blinked. "You made them do this?"
She turned her head slowly, looking right at me - dangerous glint in her eyes - and then, with the sweetest tone: "And now... you too."
My soul left my body. "WHAT?"
"Go, wear saree and join ramp walk," she said, stuffing an orange slice in her mouth.
"Sunshine, no."
"Yes, sunshine, yes."
"But... I'm the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. A mafia don. An Agnivanshi."
"So? Bhairava bhaiya is a mafia don too. Gyan bhaiya runs half of India's underworld. Dyan bhaiya kills people in his sleep. They're still walking in sarees."
I opened my mouth again-
"You don't love me anymore," she said, voice wobbling, lips quivering, eyes filling with tears as she looked down at her tummy and rubbed it gently.
Oh. No. Not that look.
I turned and suddenly saw all the Choudhurys glaring at me. Hard. Even Arya bhabhi and Swarna bhabhi narrowed their eyes. Even Adya looked ready to disown me. Even my own son, my traitor, Nirmay looked at me, folded his arms and said, "Dada... go."
I sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll do it."
The room erupted in celebration. Sunshine's face lit up like Diwali. "Yayyyyy!"
Before I could backtrack, Adya literally dragged me away to change. She handed me a midnight-blue saree with golden embroidery and started wrapping me up like a gift basket.
Within minutes, I was back.
Me.
Dattatriya Agnivanshi.
Mafia boss. Chief Minister. Mafia slayer.
In a saree.
On a ramp walk.
Walking beside Bhairava, Gyan, and Dyan while the entire Choudhury household cheered.
Nirmay was dancing and clapping.
Sheraa was howling like he was at a concert.
Jayash yelled, "DADA PRETTY!!!"
Sunshine looked like she was about to explode with joy.
I looked up at the ceiling and muttered, "God, if I die today... let it be quick."
And yet...
One look at her laughing like a maniac with a glow on her face I haven't seen in weeks, one glance at my son, howling with joy... and I smiled.
I could burn kingdoms, raze enemies, rule empires.
But if wearing a saree brought this much happiness to my family?
I'd walk the ramp a thousand times over.
It was nearly 2 AM.
The whole Choudhury mansion was deep in slumber. Even the notoriously nocturnal Dyan was passed out on the swing in the garden with Vardha on his chest. Bhairava snores were shaking the guest wing, and Gyan had kicked off his sherwani somewhere in the hallway and vanished into Adya arms.
And me?
I was in the kitchen, sitting cross-legged on the counter, feeding my pregnant, moody, glowing, sleepy-eyed sunshine ice cream out of the tub.
She was curled into my chest, oversized t-shirt barely covering her baby bump, hair a fluffy mess, one hand holding a spoon and the other rubbing her tummy.
She blinked up at me. "I wanted chocolate brownie."
I looked down at the tub. "This is chocolate brownie."
"No. This is double chocolate brownie. I wanted triple chocolate brownie."
I squinted. "Triple doesn't even exist."
She narrowed her eyes. "Do you love me or not?"
I scooped another bite. "Triple brownie it is, jaan."
She took the bite with a satisfied hum. "Good. Also, I want pickles now."
I sighed. "We just had pickles with curd rice twenty minutes ago."
"I want it again. With ice cream."
I paused. "Sunshine... you know how illegal that is, right?"
She glared.
I stood up. "Okay okay! Ice cream pickle fusion - coming up!"
As I turned to the fridge, I heard her giggle. "You know what?"
I turned my head with a smile. "What?"
She poked my arm, her eyes shining despite the dark circles. "You're not as scary as people think."
I raised a brow. "You sure? I literally bombed a building afternoon."
"Yeah, but now you're feeding me melted brownie ice cream at 2 in the morning. In a Hello Kitty spoon."
I glanced at the spoon in my hand and groaned. "That's Nirmay's-"
"Cute." she interrupted, giving me that dreamy smile. "You're my big soft smelly wolf."
I chuckled, walking back and feeding her another spoonful. "Smelly again?"
"You always smell like power, politics and rage." She sniffed me. "And sandalwood. I like it."
"Thank god."
She leaned her head on my shoulder. "Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"No matter how many babies we have..." she said, yawning. "Promise you'll always feed me ice cream at 2 AM?"
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. "Even if we have a football team of kids, I'll still be your midnight ice cream guy."
She snorted. "That's hot."
I grinned. "I know."
Just then, Sheraa padded in quietly and rested his gigantic head on her feet.
Followed by Nirmay, who waddled in sleepily holding his pillow. "Mama... Dada... icey-cream?"
She gasped. "My baby's awake!"
"Come here, trouble," I said, lifting him up and kissing his cheek.
And so at 2:13 AM, in the kitchen of the Choudhury mansion, one snow leopard, one sleepy boy, one pregnant queen, and one deadly mafia king sat together on the floor sharing a tub of ice cream.
Life was chaotic.
But it was ours.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Do vote