❝ ᴍɪsʜʀᴀᴊɪ, ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴍʏ ʜᴜsʙᴀɴᴅ ɪs ʜᴀɴᴅsᴏᴍᴇ. ʏᴇᴛ, ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʜɪᴍ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ᴀᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ, ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ❞

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"Dadabhai-" started Shakti slowly, as he was afraid to ruffle his brother's feathers in the wrong way. He knew he was done for, from the moment Jagmal opened his mouth. They were not allowed to meet her prior to his permission.

Shakti's voice broke his trance. He was not going to loose his patience in front of a kid. He smiled towards Jagmal though the innocent question of his put his mind reeling.

"Do you know the name of your bhabhimaasa?" Adhrik asked with curiosity which was reflected in other's eyes too.

"No. Everyone referred to her as Baijisa. But when she took care of me and bhai Shakti like ranimaa, I simply called her as bhabhimaa. While bhai too did so out of respect," explained Jagmal.

"Was she the one to ask you to do so?" he inquired further as he wanted to know if she was keen to make her own place in his family.

"No, dadabhai. She explained to me about the game of secrets you're playing with each other. If I would have revealed my name, she would have identified us as royal family and especially, you. Thus, I am chotu bhaiya and bhai Shakti is bade bhaisa for her. While she is our bhabhimaasa," said Jagmal.

He actually made Adhrik realized that she respects his idiotic decisions and shows her displeasure by doing the same.

"Hmm..." started Adhrik, "So you want your bhabhimaasa to live here with us?" He asked Jagmal while everyone was listening to their conversation including Maharana.

"Yes, I do." He answered. Adhrik smiled at him and fed him one more morsel from his own plate.

"But I have a complain against bhai Shakti," announced Jagmal with an adorable pout while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

While all others listened to him curiously, Shakti looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Bhai Shakti is older than bhabhimaasa by a year, yet he acts like a kid and steals her attention from me. Scold him dadabhai," ordered Jagmal.

"She is my bhabhimaasa too, bhai Jagmal," retorted Shakti while making a bad face, making others including Adhrik laugh.

"Dadabhai, are you angry with me?" asked Shakti finally after some light talks.

"Depends, on the reaction I get from the actions you took." Adhrik answered dryly while Maharana chuckled.

"Welcome to married life, son." Jested Maharana and the dining room was filled with laughter from the royal family.✍︎

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While standing at the balcony of his chambers, Adhrik relished the feeling of picturing the beautiful starlit sky above whereas prospering kingdom of his below.

His thoughts revolved around the talk with his brother at the dinner though. On one hand where Veer baisa was acting irresponsible towards her duties, Baijisa on the other hand not only fulfilled her duties but took care of his brothers as her own.

"Baujiraj." A familiar voice of his best-friend broke his thought induced trance.

"Ah Chakrapani, you must have come with reply from Baijisa." Adhrik stated with such anticipation which surprised Chakrapani for the first time in seven years.

"Did the letter require any matter of urgent attention, my lord?" Inquired his friend.

While Adhrik shook his head in negative, Chakrapani couldn't help but ask further, "Then how come you expect to get a spontaneous reply?"

"She never fails to write back, even if it's for confirmation of the letter being received," explained Adhrik in a clipped tone, "Now hand me the answer Mishra," he ordered.

His harsh tone conveyed his impatience and irritation towards his friend's investigation.

"Baujiraj, today I sincerely brought no reply back," Chakrapani answered.

"This is not my place to say, but I would humbly like the permission to suggest," asked Chakrapani when he noticed Adhrik's eyebrows furrow. Adhrik nodded curtly.

"Every relationship is based on trust and expectations. You both have immense trust in each other. Yet, every woman has certain expectations from her husband, which she is never vocal about," started Chakrapani slowly while gauging his mood and expression with every sentence.

"Baijisa, never showed her expectations but she too is a woman though immensely strong one at that. After marriage, the husband's family is considered a lady's only family. Baijisa doesn't need materialistic pleasures, but mental support and strength from her husband," explained Chakrapani.

"Your behavior towards your wife, is nothing but obnoxious. It takes the efforts of both individuals for a successful relationship. You need her more than you can ever imagine. When a queen breaks ; no one can save even the king, let alone the kingdom. Just think -" he was interrupted by the heavy tinkling of the anklets.

"Mishraji, I know my husband is handsome. Yet, you need to leave him alone at night, for me," a soft pitched voice rang through the balcony belonging to Kunwarani Veer baisa.

Though Adhrik didn't appreciate the interruption without his permission, never mind the highly inappropriate tone even if it was meant as a joke, he didn't react.

"My sincere apologies to kuwaranisa. Living amidst the campsites and battlefield, we often forget the customs of the palace and our dear friend here being married," Chakrapani stated while taking his leave stressing on the word marriage, advising Adhrik to ponder over what he said.

The lady with grace and elegance of the princess which she was by birth trudged towards the balcony and sat on the chair behind Adhrik in the sitting area, who was facing the balcony.

By her informal behavior, Adhrik deduced her lack of royal atticates though being one throughout her life.

"Why were you absent from my formal welcoming ceremony at the gates and today's royal dinner?" His cold question dripped with demand cut through the still night air.

"I was getting ready for you, banma." She replied with a sugary undertone. Banma, a word used for lovers by concubines, made him clench his jaw tightly.

He then understood, she was groomed to be a perfect royal wife. Who share a comman goal ; to earn the husband's attention and bear his offspring. To be better than the rest.

But that was not what he expected from his queen, who would rule beside him.

He wanted someone who can fight wars by his side and protect his fort when he protect his borders. Who can take decisions beside him.

And not someone who just prays and cries for his well-being and is always desperate to pleasure him when he lives in his palace.

"It's Kunwarsa to you," his sharp voice was enough to send chills down the soldiers' spines. But apparently, his wife was not bothered much.

"Hmm...Kunwarsa, the wars have made you harsher it seems," she replied while batting her eye-lashes and biting her lower lip. The unconcealed act of seduction made him feel revolted.

While squaring his shoulders further and clenching his jaw tight, he replied in a low warning tone, "While staying in the palace being irresponsible amongst the concubines, you have become more and more shameless."

It was not even a few moments into their conversation and he could feel the onset of headache. This was not what he expected to come back to, yet he was not surprised.

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sʜᴀʙᴅ ᴋᴏsʜ :- ᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʀʏ

ᴊɪ/sᴀ : ᴜsᴇᴅ ᴀs ᴀ ᴛᴇʀᴍ ᴏғ ʀᴇsᴘᴇᴄᴛ.

ʙʜᴀɪ : ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ.

ʙʜᴀʙʜɪ : sɪsᴛᴇʀ-ɪɴ-ʟᴀᴡ.

ʙʜᴀʙʜɪᴍᴀᴀsᴀ : sɪsᴛᴇʀ-ɪɴ-ʟᴀᴡ ᴇǫᴜɪᴠᴀʟᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ.

ʙᴀɴᴍᴀ : ᴜsᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀ.

ᴍᴀʜᴀʀᴀɴᴀ/ʀᴀɴᴀᴊɪ : ᴋɪɴɢ.

ʀᴀɴɪᴍᴀᴀ : ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴏʀ ǫᴜᴇᴇɴ ᴡʜᴏ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʀᴇғᴇʀs ʜᴇʀ ᴀs sᴜᴄʜ.