Chaand

Summary: bohut hasi aa rahi thi..?

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They are well travelled roads that led them to daulatabadh. Amrit remembers taking that journey once, with Veer by her side - a journey that ended with him filling her parting with Sindoor to keep up appearances and then later swearing upon her to keep her safe as long as she kept to his side.

Neither of them were those people anymore, gradually beginning to trust each other - unwillingly allowing one to step into the turbulent waters of the other's conscious.

No, those Chaar kadam between them had brought them far from that beginning.

Veer holds her hand, fingers entwined with his as the daulatabadh palace came into view. Amrit had napped during the ride at his insistence and realized that Veer did not notice she had woken up. He is reading. A feat that Amrit never managed herself; reading on a moving vehicle.

The letters on his page swirls before her eyes and Amrit shuts her eyes tightly. Veer's mouth tugs sideways and he shuts the book. Placing it on his thigh he turns to her.

"How I envy you," she mutters, face pressed to his shoulder.

"It's unbecoming," he mutters against her hair, enjoying her resulting temper. "For Daulatabadh ki Raani to be jealous of someone for something as trivial as the ability to read while traveling."

Laughing at the look of indignation on her face Veer turns to speak with Shravan Singh.

"Let's take the detour Shravan."

"Chote hukum there's no need to-" the man begins a weak protest to which Veer gives him a pressed liped glare. Shravan Singh lowers his eyes. "Maaf kijiye."

"Iss duniya mein bohut kam log hai jo humein apna maante hai Shravan. They always remain important to me."

Amrit's hand covers his, the gentle touch makes his anger frizzle out as fast as it rose, Veer sighs.

"You are important to me Shravan. You all are. Humne kuch nahi bhulein, aap log bhi matt bhooliyenga."

"Hum kaha jaa rahein hai Veer?"
He turns to her, his eyes rather warm.

"I didn't take you the first time around because patha  nahi tha ke tumhe apna kahein ya nahi." He raises their interlocked fingers pointedly and presses a kiss on the back of her palm.

"Ab koi sawaal nahi. Iss duniya mein ek hi Aisa shaqs thi jisse hum jooth nahi bol paathe. Unhe humare aankhon mein sub dhik jaate. Issi liye tumhe nahi lei gaye unse milwaane."

"Kaun hai woh?"

"Humari dai ma," Veer tells her.

*

Menka is putting out pillows to dry in the sun, incessantly admonishing her girls for having no care for her aching bones, older age or poor nerves.

Gita her second eldest did not mind the slightest as she continued to peel potatoes for lunch.

Sunita her youngest merely shook her head before running out again - as fast as she come, earning a fresh bout of complaining from her mother.

"Let your father come - this time I'm going to -" she straightens, the rod she used to pat the pillows with still in hand and turns to chase after Sunita, only to bump into Veer.

"Ab kaun kambhakat-" the woman began a curse that Amrit has heard numerous times slipping from her husband's mouth. Veer chuckles and taking the momentary confusion bends down to briefly touch Menka's feet. When he rises back to his full height the older woman has gone completely white.

"Haye lords forgive me -" she presses both her hands to her mouth. "Yeh kya paap karwai iss buddhiya ke haato - chote hukum! Raja kabhi praja ke peir nahi choote."

"Bete ma ki peir toh choote hai..." Veer grins at rendering her speechless.

Menka reaches for his face with a shaking hand, touches his cheek and her eyes brim.

"Yug yug jeye aap," she uttered faithfully. "But don't ever do this again. I tell you every time you come and you never listen to me."

"You should know by now I hardly listen to anyone," Veer gathered the emotional woman into his arms. "You've grown weak Menka ma, aren't the two chudails taking care of you?"

Menka snorts and Gita who had risen to greet the prince echoes her.

"Haan ab beta jo aagaye hum chudail ban hi jaayenge."

"Gita," Shravan says warningly. "Zubaan Sambhalke."

Veer rolls his eyes at Gita and turns to Menka instead.

"Let's get you inside, the sun is high up." He helps her across the small yard and into the even smaller house. Gita fusses around and Veer makes Menka sit, before taking her hands in his. "Now, I'm going to introduce you to someone and you have to like her." He reaches out for Amrit and tugs her beside him. "Aap ki bahu rani."

Menka stumbles back to her feet, folding her hands with utter reverence. Amrit reaches out to hold them, shaking her head in a mute "no".

Menka takes a good look at her which makes Amrit blush, Veer wraps an arm around her shoulders, arching an eyebrow.

"Kaisi hai?" He asks. "Aap ki kahaniyo wali rajkumari se toh sundar hai."

Menka chuckles, reaching out to tug at his ear. Veer allows her to. There is pride in his eyes as he introduces Amrit to this woman, there is warmth in her eyes too as she appraises Amrit.

"Ahir doondh hi liya chaand ne apni chaandni ko." She says.

"Menka ma," Veer complains. "Please not that -"

Gita picks up the under current and nudges Amrit with a look.

"Aap ko nahi pata kuwar Rani sahiba?" She asks laughingly. "Daulatabadh ke log inhe daulatabadh ka chaand kehete hai."

The look on Veer's face is priceless that it takes so much effort to swallow her laugh. Veer clenches his jaw.

"It's just a stupid title. Just like they call you Daulatabadh ki daulat."

Menka picks the undercurrent better than her daughter and pushes her inside the kitchen.

"Aap log beithiye, I won't let you go without eating my handmade kheer kuwar sahab. I know that's what you came for."

The way Veer's eyes gleam at the mention makes Amrit think that he had indeed came for the kheer, nothing else. Once they are alone though she turns to him teasingly.

"Chaand!" She says. "Dear me - I don't think I'll ever set my eyes upon you and not think about that. Daulatabadh ka chaand!"

"Biwi sahab..." his voice is warningly soft. Amrit giggles and jumps to her feet, walking away from the threat as she explors the sweet little house.

Menka had a lot of things going on. She had butter churning, chillies put out to dry. There were baskets of marigold that were waiting to be strung together. Amrit picks one up and twirls the butter gold bloom in her fingers, looking over her shoulder to grin at him.

"Kitna pyaara naam hai! Daulatabadh ka chota chaanda."

Veer rises with the grace of a predator, with a look in his eyes to match. As he approaches Amrit hits him with the flower and for good measure a few more. He catches the last one in his hand and his other arm swathes around her waist tugging her against him.

"Arre," Amrit complains. "Koi aajayenga!"

"Aane do," Veer says unconcerned. His eyes narrow and bore into hers. "Bohut hassi aarahi thi?" His voice tilts dangerously and Amrit not the least bit intimidated, giggles.

"Chhodiye na chanda..." she says flirtatiously, fluttering her lashes before bursting into laughter.

"Now you've done it." Veer tells her simply. The basket of flowers topples when he presses her against the wall. Into the shadows between carved panels on the walls.

There is a staircase leading to a terrace on the side, sunlight streams in stealthily from the opening above their heads.

"Will you say it again?" He asks, dipping his head to breath down her neck. Her throat arches compellingly towards him as her eyes flutters shut. Yet she is unwilling to submit so easily.

"Kya? Chanda?"

"Biwi sahab -"

Her eyes are mischievous beneath long lashes drawn. That look leads his senses on a tantalising dance. Veer brushes the marigold in his hand along her bare midriff, all the while nuzzling her jaw. Her breath hitches satisfyingly, scattering from her half parted lips.

When she opens her eyes their wine tone had deepened into velvety night. There is mischief there as well as invitation. He could drawn in that gaze and never come up for air. Their noses brush, prolonging that inevitable kiss just as Menka calls from inside the kitchen.

"Chai ban gayi hai..."

Veer presses his forehead against her and Amrit giggles trying to move past him. He holds her back, a hand splayed on her bare midriff.

"Humne jaane ke ijazat nahi diye," his words are decadent against her ear. Amrit shudders against him when his hand moves calculatively up her stomach, trailing tantalisingly closer to her heaving bossom.

Amrit's hand snakes around his wrist and instead of pulling away holds his hand there, against her skin.

"Jaana kisse hai?" She asks. "Haan ab Menka ma aayi humein dundhthe dundhthe toh bata dijiye yeh hukum kiss ka tha." She turns challenging eyes on him and draws a finger along his jaw, scratching, taunting. "Chanda!"

"Kuwar sahab!" Menka sounds so close that Veer's grip falters, Amrit slips out of his hold laughing at him as she went. Veer reaches out and takes her hand in his. He no longer tries to stop her but there is a promise in his eyes, the kind of promise that made heat coil at the pit of her stomach.

"We are here," he speaks on her behalf all the while his thumb drawing circles on her palm.
Menka gives them a knowing look, but says nothing as she fusses over them. Shravan lets her do it, all the while lingering in the background like a faithful shadow.

Amrit sits back and allows Veer to bask in all that affection at the same time marvelling how well he knew of this family. Menka and Veer talked about everything from her back pain to Gita and Sunita's schooling. It is only after they had shared a few anecdotes about various scraps Sunita got into that Veer's eyes grew serious.

"I'm sure Shravan has already told you," he begins. "Currently I hold the seal of Daulatabadh estate."

Menka nods, her eyes filling with rightful pride.

"As we all wanted."

"Menka ma, I want you there."
The older woman's lips tremble.

"Kuwar sahab - hum kaise? You know how -"

"Both of us know those accusations were baseless. They wanted you out, so they framed you well. Hum kuch nahi kar paaye. Par ab hum kuch kar sakte hai. Aur aap se yeh maang rahe hai. Ehesaan smajhkar hi sahi - kar dijiye. I want you there for the duration of our stay. I want you with the Kuwar Rani. If you can spare her, Gita too. In the past there were incidents where her security and privacy were compromised by her own staff."

Menka's face darkened.

"I know who -" she mutters. Veer nods briefly and turns to take Amrit's hand.

"I want you to take care of my wife. Please, I don't know who else to trust."

Menka reaches out to take his hands, she does it rather reverently that Amrit feels her throat tightening.

"Of cause I will come, Kuwar sahab."

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Tadddddaaaaa...!

Scroll down for the first look of my new Amveer story, coming soon on wattpad!

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"It is too late now. Good night, little lamb..!"

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Love and war justifies everything. For Veer Pratap Singh life has always been a bit of both. When he spins a web of beautiful lies, and catches at the centre of his sugar coated deceit the light of his life, a war where neither can win begins.
An alternate take on AmVeer marriage, where the deception runs deeper and emotions run thick and the truth would end up drawing blood from both hearts.
It cracks and shatters - scatters into pieces - yet Kanch si mohabbat dazzles while it lasts. A piece of a fragile forever, a love like glass.
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First Chapter will be avaible on Wednesday 8th September.
Don't forget to check it out!

Thanks for reading! Thoughts are welcome!