The Royal Chauhans

CHAPTER 6

AUTHOR POV

AUTHOR POV

The next day, Vardaan didn’t come home again. Aarohi couldn’t understand why he was ignoring her.

The following morning, during breakfast, Vardaan finally appeared in the dining hall, greeting everyone with a simple, “Good morning.”

Aarohi decided to break the silence. She turned to her parents and said,
“Mom, Dad, I want to rejoin my office. I stopped going because of the wedding preparations, but I’d like to start again tomorrow. May I?”

Her mom smiled warmly.
“Is that even something you need to ask, beta? You can join whenever you want.”

Her dad nodded and added,
“Beta, if you need any help, just tell us. You can start tomorrow. Your office is on the way to Vardaan’s; you could even go together.”

Aarohi nodded in agreement and glanced at Vardaan, but he avoided her gaze completely.

Everyone returned to their routines.

Her eyes wandered to Simba, who was busy playing with a toy. She couldn’t help but smile — Simba was adorable enough to melt anyone’s heart.

She remembered how Simba loved Abeer Bhaiya, who had rescued him, as her mom had told her.

Later, Aarohi went to her room, where she found Vardaan getting ready for work.

She wanted to mention that she planned to go shopping since her best friend Anumita was getting married and she needed to buy a gift.

Clearing her throat, she said softly,
“Suniye.”
(Listen)

Vardaan hummed in reply.

“Anumita, my friend, is getting married, and I want to attend her wedding and buy her a gift.”

Vardaan replied simply,
“Okay, go with the driver and the bodyguard. They’ll be with you.”

She nodded as he left for work.

That evening, everyone was having dinner except Siya, Rakshit, Vardaan, and Aarohi.

Finally, Vardaan and Aarohi entered the dining area.

Suhana smiled and said,
“We were waiting for you two. Where were you? Come, have your dinner.”

Abeer teased,
“Where do you both get so busy?”

Rakshit shot Abeer a sharp glare.

Noticing it, Abeer raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”

Everyone laughed lightly before heading back to their rooms.

⚜

After playing with Simba, Abeer returned to his room, his thoughts lingering on the little dog. He’s my favorite, Abeer mused. When I first saw him, he was injured—badly hurt on his leg. I couldn’t just leave him behind, so I took him with me.

As he entered, he noticed Adrika doing her skincare routine. She was dressed in a sleek black night suit, and she looked effortlessly beautiful in the soft bathroom light.

When she saw him, she stood up and approached him quietly.
“Why didn’t you come last night?” she asked softly.

Abeer wasn’t prepared for the question. Without answering, he started to walk toward the washroom.

But she grabbed his collar firmly.
“Now, tell me—why don’t you ever share anything with me?”

He jerked his hand away sharply, his voice rising with frustration.
“Why should I tell you?”