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Arjun and Vihaan were sitting together. Both lost in their own thoughts.

Arjun, thinking about Lakshita. His expression softens immediately.

Her soft smile. Her shyness.

An immediate smile crept on his lips.

And Vihaan? He was thinking like a spy about Krittika. His expression? Full on interrogative mood.

His eyes narrowed. Arms crossed over his chest.

Vo aayi kyu thi? Lengha dikhane to nahi ho aayi hogyi? Ye rajkumari... ha hame ...Hame gadha boli ...Unki himmat ....Nautanki kahi ki Khudke kitne nakhre hai aur hame bolti hai. Daal mai kuch to kala hai nahi nahi puri daal hi Kali hai.

Vihaan looked at Arjun with narrowed eyes and said,

"kya soch rahe hai ap?"

Arjun came out of his thoughts and cleared his throat while saying, "kaha? Kaha bhi to nahi" but heat crawled up till his neck.

Vihaan smirked and said, " aree ap to sharma rahe hai?"

Arjun's eyes widened , " kya kuch bhi"

Vihaan grinned,"Hmm hmm kya baat hai? Bhabhi ke baare mai soch rahe hai na?"

Arjun's face burned. He shoved Vihaan playfully while saying, " ham nahi sharama rahe hai"

"Vo to dikh raha hai" Vihaan said with a wink.

Arjun looked away, " aree bas kijiye"

Vihaan laughed while saying, " par hamne to kuch bola bhi nahi"

Arjun cleared his throat and suddenly Vihaan spotted Lakshita. His grin turned into wicked and he called out her, " Bhabhiiii"

Lakshita froze in mid step , her face burned. Meanwhile Arjun? Facepalm himself. Already regretting his life decisions.

She turned. Vihaan ran towards her. Arjun followed him with slow steps. Blush crept up till his neck. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

He went near her and bowed dramatically making her giggle while saying, " Namaste Bhabhi apka devar hazir hai"

Arjun rolled his eyes. Vihaan stood beside her and casually slid his arm around her shoulder like a brother catching her off guard but she didn't stop.

He grinned and said, " Dekhiye bhabhi agar apko ye Yuvraj pareshan karte hai? To hame bataiyega"

She nodded while giggling. Arjun shook his head in disbelief.

Vihaan groaned dramatically and started to say, " apko pata hai? Vo Rajkumari Krittika jiii Nautanki kahiki .... Kal aayi thi thumk thumk kar"

Lakshita's eyes widened mirroring Arjun's eyes. As he kept talking, " Hana hame yakeen hi nahi hua pehle. Pata tha kuch to chahiye tha maharani ji ko nahi to kyu aati bolti hai ham lengha dikhane aaye hai" Vihaan mimicked Krittika's tone, " aur hame hame gadha boli , matlab khud to itni nautanki karo aur hame bolti hai"

Vihaan kept talking blissmilly unaware that Krittika was standing right behind him, arms crossed over her chest, jaw tight and glaring at his back.

Arjun's gaze went behind him and his eyes widened in horror. He tried to shush him but Vihaan kept on going. Then he looked at Lakshita pleading to her silently to look behind. She blinked and glanced behind, her eyes widened, her jaw dropped She looked at Arjun and slowly slipped from his side and Krittika came to her place. Now Vihaan's arm was around her shoulder unaware he kept babbling. She looked at him with narrowed eyes. Arjun and Lakshita were trying so hard not to laugh.

Lakshita cleared her throat and said, " Par Devar jii ham to yaha hai"

Vihaan froze. He looked at her and gulped as he looked beside him. Krittika glaring at him like she could burn his soul. He quickly stepped back . Hands in air in surrender.

Krittika smiled too sweetly but her glare? Could melt the steel.

And she said, " boliye boliye ham sun rahe the"

He gulped nervously and said, " nahi vo to bas-"

" Hamari nautanki, kese ham thumak thumak kar aaye bataiye"

He looked down suddenly, finding his legs very interesting.

Arjun and Lakshita? Trying and failing miserably to control their laugh.

Krittika smirked and said, " aur vese bhi gadhe ko gadha nahi bulayege to kya hi bulayege?"

Vihaan looked offended now. Arjun choked out laughter but clamped his hand over his mouth to suppress it. Lakshita's eyes widened at Krittika's bluntness and Krittika? Well she looked proud of herself.

Vihaan narrowed his eyes and said, " Acha to ham gadhe aur ap kya apsara ho?"

She nodded smugly. Vihaan scoffed and said, " apsara to nahi par nautanki zarur ho"

Arjun leaned down a little to whisper to lakshita, " ye dono to Miya biwi lag rahe hai" . And she couldn't deny it.

Vihaan smirked as Krittika looked offended. And then she said, " v vo mashil haina? Nahi nahi vo godha bhi apse acha dikhta hai"

At that? Vihaan's jaw dropped, Arjun barked out laughter. Leaned ahead holding his stomach while laughing. Lakshita also couldn't control it and laughed.

Krittika looked smug and then Vihaan said, " ham yodha hai"

" Nahi ap buddhu hai"

" AP-"

" Dono bhai behan ek jaise"

" Hawwwww ap jyada bol rahe hai"

" To ap kya kam bol rahe hai?"

" Dekhiye-"

"Dikhaiye"

Vihaan and Krittika were so close, nose touching, glaring at each other like their existence was offending each other.

And they both looked away at the same time. Krittika said, " vese bhi ham jiju se baat karne aaye the"

Vihaan scoffed and said, " haa to ham bhi bhabhi se baat kar rahe the"

She glared at him and said mockingly, " to kijiye na apni bhabhi se baat"

Vihaan glared back at her and said, " kar to rahe the ap aagyi tang adane"

She looked at Arjun and said, " jiju vo apke bade bhaiya aane vale hai"

That made Arjun and Vihaan freeze.

She added, " aur sagai ki baat shuru ki gayi hai"

Arjun nodded and glanced at Vihaan who also looked at him.

Because—

If Adhiraj is coming? It wasn't normal but planned.

In the Afternoon , Krittika was downstairs in the garden. Walking, lost in thoughts.

The sky was filled with black clouds, windy, leaves rustling. Krittika exhaled. Taking a deep breath, she hugged herself.

Suddenly a drop touched her cheek, she looked up with surprise. Rain had started, drizzling.

The smell of mud , so nostalgic, so muddy after the first rain touches the mud. The smell is so different.

The rain poured faster. Her head tilts up. Eyes closed, feeling calm for the first time.

A smile touched her lips. For the first time, she wasn't thinking about anything else, just enjoying herself.

She felt free, joyful as if after ages. But she was unaware that someone was watching her.

Vihaan.

He was standing in his chamber's balcony, watching her, mesmerized by her beauty, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He suddenly felt something in his chest. A warm feeling he never felt before. Too sudden, too strong? He couldn't acknowledge it.

But then he quickly looked away remembering oo ,he was angry? But he couldn't stop but admire her. She looked so free and careless it made him almost smile.

Arjun stood near the window of his chamber.

Dark clouds had covered the sky.

The cool breeze entered through the open windows, carrying with it the fresh scent of rain.

His gaze unknowingly drifted towards the palace gardens.

There...

She was.

Lakshita.

Walking slowly beneath the drizzling sky.

A small smile unknowingly found its way to his lips.

She looked peaceful.

Free.

For the first time since they had arrived in this strange kingdom.

His gaze softened.

But...

The smile disappeared almost instantly.

Because suddenly he remembered.

His elder brother.

Yuvraj Adhiraj Aryavansh.

The Crown Prince of Aryavansh Kingdom.

The man everyone respected...

And feared.

Adhiraj wasn't loud.

He never needed to be

His silence alone carried authority.

He was the kind of man who observed everything, missed nothing, and rarely questioned twice.

Tall.

Broad shouldered.

With sharp features that looked as though they had been carved from stone.

Jet-black hair framed his face effortlessly, while piercing grey eyes held an intensity that unsettled even the bravest of warriors.

There was something dangerous about him.

Not in the way he carried his sword...

But in the way he carried himself.

Calm.

Calculated.

Patient.

A master strategist.

The kind of man who never lost control over his emotions.

If he desired something...

He wouldn't ask for it.

He would simply make sure it became his.

Arjun exhaled slowly.

He knew his brother.

Better than anyone.

And that was exactly why...

A strange uneasiness settled inside him.

Because Adhiraj never travelled without a reason.

If he was coming to Chauhan Palace...

Then something far bigger than they realised was already in motion.

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I know is baar late hua

Vo studies ki vajah se delay hua hai. Do tell me how's the chapter? Chota hai par majja aya na?

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