𝓛𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓑𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓼 [*Complete*]

Ch. 03 ⭐

Payel had been trying to rouse Khushi for what felt like the thousandth time, but Khushi seemed completely oblivious, lost in a deep sleep as if in a coma. After returning home so late from Nandini's house the previous night, Khushi was understandably exhausted, and her reluctance to wake up was apparent.

Growing frustrated and annoyed, Payel huffed with her hands on her hips, contemplating how to awaken her sister. Just then, a knock on the door caught her attention. Perplexed, Payel considered the oddity of the situation. If it were Buaji or their mother, they would have simply entered calling out their names. If it were their father, he would have called from outside. That left only one possibility.

Smiling, Payel called out, "Come in, Rajveer bhaiya!"

Rajveer opened the door and peeked inside, curious about how Payel had known it was him. Payel explained, "Amma and Buaji wouldn't have knocked, and Babuji would've just called us from outside."

"Smart!" Rajveer grinned before turning his attention to the still-sleeping Khushi. "She's still asleep? Well, I guess she's not used to sleeping late. We returned around 2 am last night."

"That makes sense, but she reminded me a hundred times that she had to wake up early today. She has something important going on at work," Payel informed.

Rajveer nodded and sat beside Khushi's head, gently running his fingers through her hair. "Khushi, my little one! Wake up, Ruhi! You have to go to work," he affectionately called out.

Observing the tender scene, Payel couldn't help but notice the paternal love Rajveer showered on his little sisters. Smiling to herself, she left the duo and headed to the kitchen.

"Will you go to the mandir[temple] with me?" Khushi mumbled, opening one eye to peer at her brother sleepily.

Rajveer smiled. "Of course. I'll even drop you off at work," he promised.

Excited, Khushi sat up, yawning and stretching her arms. Rajveer playfully ruffled her hair before leaving, instructing her to freshen up quickly as he was hungry and waiting for them to have breakfast together. Khushi, with a toothy grin, jumped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom.

Chuckling to himself, Rajveer remarked, "Buaji gave you the right name... Titliya [butterfly]," before leaving the room.

A few minutes later, it felt like a tornado had touched down inside the Gupta house. Rajveer and Shashi were seated at the dining table, thoroughly entertained by the lively chaos. Khushi, in her usual spirited manner, was on a rampage, darting around the house like a whirlwind. She skillfully stole hot food from the kitchen while simultaneously getting ready, leaving a trail of laughter and commotion in her wake. Garima, caught in the whirlwind, scolded her for her antics, while Payel, stationed at the stove, expertly fried puris for everyone.

"This girl will drive me crazy one day! Why do I have such unruly daughters? One won't let me cook in peace, and the other is behaving like a shape-shifting tornado," Garima complained aloud as she began setting the table.

Amused, Rajveer rose from his seat, nudged Garima to sit beside Shashi, and took charge of arranging the table. "Let them have their fun, Amma. One day, you'll miss these lively moments when they're married," he teased, wearing a mischievous smile.

"Don't encourage your sisters, Rajveer babuwa. They're already spoiled enough. They don't listen to me at all. Just look at how mischievous Khushi is, and Payel? She keeps on cheering her on," Garima pouted.

"Oh, my dear Amma! Don't be upset. You don't look good when you're upset," Khushi chimed in, embracing her mother from behind and playfully pinching her cheeks.