Pehli Nazar Mein

I.

Author's P.O.V

The Rajputs

A gleaming black car rolled along the roads of Jaipur, all pedestrians moving to the side to give way for it to pass. No other vehicle crossed the road except for the black Rolls Royce, six more cars following it and leaving the onlookers in awe.

A few minutes later, the same Rolls Royce, followed by the other cars entered a gate. And beyond that gate was the most elegant, expensive looking place one could ever imagine. It was no less than a palace, with its high walls, intricate designs, large expanse and several men carrying guns lining its entrance.

The cars soon came to a stop, a man got down from one of the smaller cars and headed towards the Rolls Royce. He opened its gate and stepped aside to let whoever was sitting inside to come out of it.

The shoes came out first, black, polished, made of expensive leather. Then the legs of the person who was sitting inside. Then his torso, clad in an all black tuxedo. And next, the person himself. It was a tall, handsome man who held himself with an elegance which one could associate only with someone who belonged to royalty. It was evident that power followed him wherever he went. His lips were set into a thin line as he ordered people who were already swarming around him, giving each of them a task.

The man was Avyansh Singh Rajput, the crown prince of Dhundhar and Mewar regions of Rajasthan. His family owned the largest diamond business of the continent, and twenty-eight year old Avyansh was the CEO of their company that managed all diamond sales. He was a perfectionist, a man completely devoted to his work. He didn't have time for other 'useless' things , or as he said, never cared enough to find love or make friends. But, he loved his family with all his heart and would do anything for them. He would never let anyone hurt his family, not even a scratch, not as long as he was around.

He walked through the passageway between the huge garden, and up the marble steps of the mansion, and soon disappeared behind the gates that led inside.

In the other side of the same mansion, the scene was completely different. There was a large rink, made of solid concrete, and someone glided smoothly over it. It was evening, the sun about to set below the horizon, the sky full of pink and orange hues and there was a rustle of the wind. Someone was skating in the rink, so fast it almost looked like a blur. And this blur of a person was Rajveer Singh Rajput , twenty four years old and the younger brother of Avyansh Singh Rajput.

He skated swiftly, feeling the rush of the wind in his ears, his knees straining and his back hunched, his eyes focused on the path in front of him. He loved the adrenaline he got from the activity. Faster, skate faster- his brain echoed with the thought and nothing else. But soon enough, he felt that he needed to stop, his lungs begging for air. He took a sharp turn and brought himself to a stop, the wheels of his skates screeching.

Sweat dripped down the sides of his handsome face, not too different from his brother's. But he had a glint in his eyes, a mischievous one, unlike his brother. He took off his helmet, dropping it on the ground beside him. His thick brown hair were messy and he ran a hand through them, panting a bit. He sat down on the edge of the rink, closing his eyes so that his lashes rested on his now pink cheeks.

____

At exactly eight at night, it was time for dinner. The Rajputs emerged from their respective chambers, meeting down in the grand dining hall. A long dinner table was present in the centre of the room, various delicacies sitting on top of it. Everyone was present in the room, except for one person- the king himself, Maharaj Adhiraj Singh Rajput.

All members of the family indulged themselves in a pleasant conversation, waiting for the king to arrive before they started eating. Suddenly, the wooden door of the room was swung open, and standing right there was the Maharaj. Everyone stood up in respect, bowing their heads to greet him. The kind raised his hand, motioning for everyone to sit down.

Servers were brought in, to serve everyone their food, whatever they wished for. Just as dinner was over, the Maharaj asked everyone for their attention. Heads of all the family members turned to him, ears perked up in attention.

"Hame aap sab se ek bahut zaroori baat karni hai" the Maharaj said, folding his hands together on the table.

(I have to talk to you all about something very important)

"You all know my good friend Rajiv Malhotra, the iron and steel trader, don't you?" He asked and everyone nodded in response.

"Well...he has a daughter. A very beautiful and talented daughter who is of marriageable age. He expressed to me his concerns about her marriage just a few days ago. And after a lot of thinking, I've decided that any one of my sons would be the perfect match for her"

The whole table went silent. The Maharani, Nandini, looked at her husband in surprise, not being aware of any of this. Randhir and Padmini sat up straighter in their seat, lips slowly spreading into a smile, probably thinking about how they'd be fortunate to see their great-grandchildren before they passed away if everything went well. Vamika heaved a big sigh, knowing that this effort of her father to find an agreeable match for her brothers might go to watse too, like the countless ones before.

Avyansh and Rajveer looked at each other, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Avyansh pursed his lips, looking straight up at his father. Rajveer gulped, voice hesitant as he asked "one of us?"

"Yes. One of you. And, even though it's a ritual that the older brother must get married first....I have decided that you, Rajveer, must be the one to marry her" Maharaj Adhiraj said.

"What? But....me? I am sorry but this doesn't make sense...why?" Rajveer asked.

"Well, you tell me, how much is your sports gig earning you?" Maharaj said, but continued before Rajveer could answer "I know it's not enough. And not even close to what your brother is earning our family by managing our diamond business."

"I am sorry, papa, but I am participating in international competitions, I have an established career in the sport" Rajveer said, his tone polite, trying to explain to his father.

"Yes, I am aware, but I hope you understand it doesn't suit our family background. You could be doing much, much better if you were managing a business, or even helping your brother in his. But no, even after explaining to you countless times, you're still pursuing...what is it called- yeah, skating. We don't lack the money or the resources to let you pursue it, but we expect better. We expect you to be as successful as your brother on your own, not just winning a few medals."

"Alright...but what does it have anything to do with marriage?" Rajveer asked in response to his father.

"Well, my friend Rajiv, as I've already told you, has a huge and still expanding iron and steel business. He hasn't been well lately, and he is concerned about what might happen if he, God forbid, passes away. He has an only daughter, who even though is smart and well educated, is still unmarried, learning how to manage such a huge business, and will need assistance for the same. So, if you marry her, not only will Rajiv's concerns be taken away but you'll also get a share in their business. And our family, we could very well help her out in her ventures. It's a fair deal, advantageous to both sides. Once that is taken care of, we will begin looking for a bride for Avyansh"

Avyansh coughed, looking down at the table. Rajveer didn't know what to say. His parents had never stopped him from pursuing his passion, but they were skeptical about it being his career, his entire life. He just nodded, knowing it was best to not 'argue' with his father anymore.

Maharaj turned his gaze away from Rajveer once he went silent, looking around at everyone "Tomorrow, Rajveer, Nandini, Avyansh and Vamika will go to meet their family. I don't feel the need to go because I know Rajiv very well, but I wish for the rest of you to get acquainted well with their family"

Everyone nodded, and Padmini raised her hand to pat Rajveer on the head fondly, smiling at the thought of him getting married.

____

A/n: Thank you for reading the first chapter. Hope you liked it <3