Raavi - When The Crowned Princess meets The Mafia King.

Ikhtiyar

Raavi POV

I was sitting by the swing overlooking the green mountains, visible from the palace with a book in my hand unable to focus with everything that was going on. Alexander would be landing on Indian soil anytime soon.

Dad was still acting like he didn't know anything about my relationship to my face and everything was normal.

"Bro..." Tejpartap came to me, as I shut the book.

"What..."

"Ouch, someone's grumpy." He says, as I look at him with widened angry eyes. "Sorry, just... I have somewhere to be in 20 minutes and I still have to get ready."

"So? What are you doing on my section of the palace? Go get ready."

"I... My car has a flat tyre, can you please change it?" He says handing me the keys to his Camero.

"We have people for that." I say as his mouth falls open as if he's offended.

"That's my baby. Nobody touches my baby except family. You know the rules." He says, as I shake my head.

"Fine, the spare tyre better be in the trunk!" I say getting out of the swing as he smiles his vicious little smile.

++++++++++++++++++++++

After I googled and searched if a pregnant woman should change a tyre, I was almost done with the chore when my eldest brother showed up.

"What are you doing, Raavi? Should you even be doing this?" he says, somewhat angry.

"Oneee minute.... And here done." I say dusting my hands, to stand up and ready to remove the jack as he picks me up in his arms like I weigh nothing and places me aside and far from the car, using his body as a shield. "You just had a major surgery!"

I say as he puts pressure on the bar to remove the jack not even looking at me.

"Where's the prince?" He says clearly irritated. One thing mom says is never have two boys in the same house, it's like a death sentence for the parents. I didn't want Tejas' sore mood because of me, to start a wrestling match between the brothers.

"Hey, Are you done Ra..." The devil enters checking his cards in his wallet as Tejas looks at his younger brother.

"What kind of man makes a girl do this stuff?" He says, as Tejpartap takes a step back reading the fire in his eyes.

"Come on, since when is she a girl?" he says as Tejas' jaw twitches at the not funny joke. Well, thankfully this joke aged and won't be used again because this had me losing patience since I was in first standard. "I... I was late and... But bhai, you were the one that taught Raavi how to change a tyre" he says as I gesture with my hand cutting over my throat so he could sense his mood and shut up.

"For situations when no male member of the house is available." He says opening the trunk and throwing the equipments, used.

"Now leave." He says as Tejpartap raises his eyebrows at me, to ask if I knew why he was so different today.

I knew why he was so angry at the world, because I was infact the reason. His little sister had grown up and done something so unimaginable that he was hurt, deeply. But he loved me so much that he wouldn't say out loud.

I shook my head, as Tejpartap sat in the car and zoomed away as Tejas looked at me.

"I'm flying to meet your Romeo, tell Dad I have a job interview there and that I'll be back day after tomorrow." He says, leaving as I was close to tears at his tone.

"Bhai..." I say as he turns to look at me. I run to him and hug him tight letting those tears out. "I'm sorry." I whisper as he lets out an exhale.

"We are under CCTV surveillance in the garage, control yourself." he says wiping my tears as I sniffle and nod.
"I will make this right."

He says, as I murmur an 'I love you' that goes unheard as he walks away.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tejas had taken my cell phone with him, on the pretext of getting it repaired even it was working okay. But it was fine. I felt like this is the minimum that could happen. Atleast he was talking to me.

"Raavi, eat something child." Mom says at the dining table as I realized I was just playing with the food on my plate at dinner. I took a bite of the roti with Palak paneer hoping to feel Nausea but it wierdly tasted good.

Palak or Spinach is iron rich and my body accepting it after hating it for the course of my entire life, meant I might be iron deficient. I need to go to a gynaecologist and get tested to start prenatal supplements, if and when required.

I ate some, and then moved to salad. I looked at the dessert on the side and it was shakkar or jaggery powder mixed with Desi ghee. Mom put it infront and with a stern eye told me to eat it.

I did eat as much as I could and then was ready to come upstairs. "Bro, you came home for like 45 days and you've been stuck to your room. Everything okay?" Tejpartap asked as I smiled deciding to change my mood.
Stress wasn't good for me.

"She's going out for a walk with me and Hercules, and then you can have her. Play carrom or fortnight or whatever." My mother intervened as I nodded.

"See you in half an hour." I tell him, as he nods.

The walk was slow as Hercules felt different and overly protective towards me in stance, his ears erect and his actions alert.

"Thank you mom." I say looking up at her as she looks at the guards stationed around the garden as a gesture to not talk about it.

"He senses it you know." My mom says, pointing at Hercules and I nod as I smell the roses in the air even though they had shut down, and not in bloom but the fragrance was palpable even at night. We walked past them to go to the tulips.

"He grew up in Iceland, Norway and a good part in Denmark for most parts of his first 18 years. He barely remembers Iceland and Norway since he was little, but Denmark, especially Copenhagen. Oh and he promised to take me to the tulip fields in end April." I tell mom in a low voice as the cold winter breeze blows she smiles.

"He sounds like a nice guy." She says, as I nod.

"I hope Tejas bhai feels the same."

"Does he have a reason not to?" She asks as I shake my head.

"Alexander is... He's amazing." I say as Tejpartap runs to join us.

"Broooo, I'm here. Hey mom, Can I walk with you or are you discussing designers and lipstick shades?" he says as I blow a raspberry.

"Why would we discuss designers, are you planning to get married?" I say diverting the question back to him.

"Naa... Too young for responsiblities." He says, as I chuckle and my mom speaks under her breath.

"God bless this kingdom." She says, as I laugh and Tejpartap frowns, and trying to look upset with mom.

"Mrs. Ekansh Sandhu seems touchy today?" He asks me as I take a deep breath.

I think she can take only one kid disappointing her in one day.

"Chess?" I ask as he looks at mom.

"Without the queen?" He says, using the same flirty tone that dad does, when mom's upset. Mom lets out a laugh and slaps his arm.

"Sudhar jao." she says as we all laugh and then I feel a tingling at the back of my neck, like we were being watched.

(Improve yourself.)

I turn to look at dad standing on the window of his study, as he diverts his eyes and walks away without meeting my eye.