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Rudradev froze.

Completely.

For a moment...

he didn't even blink.

His eyes remained fixed on Sitara.

As if his mind was trying to process the words he'd just heard.

She wants a husband...

Just not me?

His jaw tightened slightly.

A long silence passed.

Then, very slowly...

Rudradev raised one eyebrow.

He looked at her as if she had just said the most unbelievable thing he'd ever heard.

"...What?"

His voice dropped dangerously low.

"Not me...?"

Sitara nodded and continued with complete sincerity.

"Mujhe toh sirf mere Watchman Ji hi chahiye."
(I only want my Watchman Ji.)

She frowned at Rudradev.

Then pointed toward him.

"Yeh..."

She waved her hand dramatically.

"Kabhi Chor Ji ban jaate hain..."
(Sometimes he becomes Mr. Thief...)

Another wave.

"Kabhi Rana Sa ban jaate hain..."
(Sometimes he becomes a King...)

She looked utterly confused.

"Aur ab bol rahe hain ki pati bhi hain."
(And now he's saying he's my husband too.)

She shook her head dramatically.

"Bahut confusing aadmi hain."
(He's such a confusing man.)

A tiny pause.

She folded her arms and pouted.

"Mujhe yeh Scare-Scare Husband nahi chahiye."
(I don't want this scary-scary husband.)

Then she looked at Meera with the most innocent puppy eyes.

"Mujhe mera Watchman Ji hi chahiye."
(I only want my Watchman Ji.)

Silence.

Complete silence.

Virendra looked at Rudradev...

Then at Sitara.

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Beti..."

A pause.

"Usko promotion milte-milte..."
(By the time he got promoted...)

He shook his head dramatically.

"...Watchman se King ban gaya."
(...he went from Watchman to King.)

Kabir slowly looked at Aryaveer.

Aryaveer looked back.

That was enough.

Both of them burst into laughter.

Even Meera couldn't stop the small smile tugging at her lips.

And Rudradev...

simply stared at his wife.

For the first time in his life...

he had no idea how to defend himself against someone...

who wasn't even trying to insult him.

Sitara blinked.

She looked from one face to another.

Completely confused.

Why was everyone laughing?

She turned toward Meera.

Her voice was small.

Completely serious.

"Maa Ji..."

Her brows furrowed.

"Mere husband toh Watchman Ji hain, na?"
(My husband is Watchman Ji, right?)

She pointed at Rudradev.

"Phir kyun bol rahe hain ki yeh mere Pati Ji hain?"
(Then why is he saying he's my husband?)

For three whole seconds...

Nobody knew what to say.

Not because her question was difficult...

but because she had asked it with such absolute certainty that nobody had the heart to tell her how ridiculous her conclusion sounded.

Rudradev...

slowly turned his gaze toward every elder at the table.

His expression became unreadable.

His voice, when it finally came, was calm.

Too calm.

"What exactly have all of you been telling my Gharwali... about me?"

No one answered immediately.

Dada Ji clicked his tongue.

He looked genuinely offended.

"Humein kyun dekh raha hai?"
(Why are you looking at us?)

He folded his arms.

"Humne usse kuch nahi bola."
(We didn't tell her anything.)

Then he looked Rudradev up and down.

A dry smirk appeared on his face.

"Aur waise bhi..."
(And besides...)

He shrugged.

"Tere baare mein bolne layak achha hai hi kya?"
(What good is there to even say about you?)

Rudradev stared at him.

Dada Ji stared right back.

Not even slightly intimidated.

Virendra nodded without hesitation.

"Bilkul."
(Absolutely.)

Vikram immediately raised a hand.

"Main bhi innocent hoon."
(I'm innocent too.)

Meera sighed.

"Is baar sach mein kisi ne kuch nahi kaha."
(This time, truly, none of us said anything.)

One by one, the other elders nodded.

Rudradev's eyes narrowed slightly.

He looked from one face to another.

No one looked guilty.

No one avoided his gaze.

For once...

they were actually telling the truth.

His gaze slowly shifted back to Sitara.

Then where did she get all this from?

Before he could ask, Meera gently touched Sitara's cheek.

"Taru..."

Her voice softened.

"Kisne bola tumse... ki tumhare husband Watchman hain?"
(Who told you... that your husband is a watchman?)

Sitara answered immediately.

As if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Palak."

Nandini leaned forward.

A small smile tugged at her lips.

"Taru..."

"Yeh Palak kaun hai?"
(Who is this Palak?)

Sitara smiled immediately.

A genuine, innocent smile.

"Meri dost."
(My friend.)

Anika suddenly gasped.

Her eyes widened.

"Ohhh!"

She snapped her fingers.

"Garden wali!"
(The one from the garden!)

She looked around at everyone.

"Bhabhi roz shaam ko jisse baat karti hain..."
(The one Bhabhi talks to every evening...)

"Uska naam Palak hai!"
(Her name is Palak!)

Sitara nodded enthusiastically.

"Haan!"
(Yes!)

Then, as though she had finally found the missing piece of the puzzle, she continued.

"Palak ke husband bhi Watchman Ji hain..."
(Palak's husband is a watchman too...)

She looked at Rudradev as though the answer were obvious.

"Toh maine socha..."

A tiny pause.

"...mere husband bhi Watchman Ji hi honge na?"
(...so I thought my husband would be a watchman too, right?)

She nodded confidently.

Then she began counting on her fingers, completely convinced that she had enough evidence to prove her point.

"Din bhar duty karte hain..."
(He works all day...)

One finger went up.

"Raat ko bhi duty."
(Duty at night too.)

A second finger.

"Ghar pe nahi rehte..."
(He doesn't stay at home...)

A third finger.

She looked directly at Rudradev.

"Phone bhi nahi karte."
(He doesn't even call.)

A fourth finger.

She looked around at everyone with complete innocence.

Then gave a tiny, satisfied shrug.

"Toh Watchman hi toh hue na?"
(So... he's obviously a watchman, right?)

For three whole seconds...

Nobody spoke.

Nobody laughed.

Nobody even blinked.

The entire Rajvanshi family simply stared at Sitara.

Not because they were shocked by her conclusion...

but because she had explained it with such absolute confidence that nobody knew how to argue with it.

Kabir slowly looked at Aryaveer.

Aryaveer looked back.

The corner of his lips twitched.

He quickly looked down.

"Bhai..."

Kabir whispered.

"Logic toh hai."
(There is logic to it.)

Aryaveer nodded solemnly.

"Haan."

A tiny pause.

"Galat aadmi pe apply ho gaya bas."
(It just got applied to the wrong man.)

Anika looked away.

Even Virendra's shoulders moved slightly as he tried to contain himself.

Rudradev simply stared at Sitara.

His jaw tightened.

"Palak..."

He said the name so quietly that Daksh immediately adjusted his spectacles.

Rudradev had dealt with politicians.

Criminals.

Billion-dollar deals.

None of them had ever caused him this much trouble.

And then there was Palak.

A woman he hadn't even met...

yet somehow, she had already turned his own wife against him.

Rudradev slowly looked at Sitara.

She was sitting there with the proud little expression of someone who had just solved a very difficult mystery.

So that's what happened.

Palak's husband is a Watchman.

And apparently... I am one too.

His jaw tightened again.

"Wonderful."

Sitara looked at him for a long moment.

Her expression turned serious.

She pointed a trembling finger straight at him.

"Aur aap..."
(And you...)

She narrowed her eyes.

"Aap mere husband banne ki acting kyun kar rahe ho?"
(Why are you pretending to be my husband?)

She shook her head firmly.

"Main aapko jaanti bhi nahi."
(I don't even know you.)

She pointed at Rudradev again.

"Jab mere asli Watchman Ji wapas aayenge na..."
(When my real Watchman Ji comes back...)

"...main unko sab bata dungi!"
(...I'll tell him everything!)

A dramatic pause.

Then, with complete certainty 

"Woh aapki bahut pitai karenge!"
(He'll beat you up badly!)

She folded her arms.

"Isliye..."

She pointed toward the main door.

"Aap abhi se acting band kar dijiye."
(So... stop acting right now.)

The hall fell silent.

Kabir slowly turned toward Rudradev.

He pressed his lips together, desperately trying not to smile.

Aryaveer leaned slightly toward Rudradev.

A grin slowly spread across his face.

"Bhai..."

He patted Rudradev's shoulder.

"Congratulations."

A tiny pause.

"Aapko apni hi biwi ke... imaginary pati se pitne ka warning mil gaya."
(Your own wife just warned you that her imaginary husband is going to beat you up.)

Kabir finally lost the battle.

A laugh escaped him.

Virendra quickly turned away, hiding his smile.

And Rudradev...

For the first time in his life...

found himself competing... against a man who didn't even exist.

His own imaginary replacement.

Rudradev parted his lips to speak.

But 

Sitara immediately raised her hand.

"Chii...!"

She leaned back slightly.

"Mat boliye!"
(Don't speak!)

Rudradev fell silent.

Again.

And somewhere behind him...

Kabir quietly muttered,

"...Bhai, this is getting worse."

Aryaveer nodded.

"Much worse."

Rudradev slowly turned his head toward them.

Both immediately looked away.

Sitara folded her arms, still glaring at him.

Then she began mumbling to herself.

Not quietly.

Of course not.

Just loudly enough for every single person at the table to hear.

"Ek saal baad aaye..."
(He comes back after one year...)

She glanced at Rudradev.

"...aur seedha bolte hain..."
(...and the first thing he says is...)

She lowered her voice and perfectly imitated his deep, commanding tone.

"'Main tera pati hoon.'"
(I'm your husband.)

She immediately scrunched up her nose.

"Chii..."

Rudradev's eyebrow twitched.

Sitara ignored it.

She dramatically looked toward the ceiling.

"Kanha Ji..."

Her voice turned heartbreakingly innocent.

"Mera kya haal kar diya aapne?"
(What have you done to me?)

Kabir lowered his head.

Aryaveer bit his lip.

Neither dared look at Rudradev.

Because they already knew this was getting dangerous.

Sitara turned back to the man in question.

She pointed at him accusingly.

"Mr. Rana Sa aur Chor Ji..."

She wagged her finger.

"Yeh 'main tumhara pati hoon' wala dialogue..."
(This 'I'm your husband' dialogue...)

She waved her hand dismissively.

"...bahar jaake kisi aur pe try kijiye."
(...go outside and try it on someone else.)

She placed both hands proudly on her waist.

"Mere upar nahi chalega."
(It won't work on me.)

A tiny, victorious smile appeared on her face.

The smile of someone who had just cracked a complicated case.

"Main Sitara hoon."

A confident nod.

"Itni bhi bholi nahi hoon."
(I'm not that innocent.)

Rudradev stared at her.

Not a word.

Not a blink.

Nothing.

He had faced armed men without flinching.

Negotiated with people who could make governments nervous.

Yet somehow...

a woman standing in front of him with her hands on her waist was proving significantly harder to handle.

His own wife had officially decided he was a fraud.

And she looked extremely proud of herself for it.

Kabir turned his face away. His shoulders shook once.

Aryaveer immediately elbowed him.

"Control."

Kabir whispered through his teeth.

"I'm trying."

Virendra, meanwhile, looked at Sitara with complete sympathy.

He patted her shoulder.

"Beti, don't worry."

He pointed casually toward Rudradev.

"Agar yeh husband pasand nahi hai..."
(If you don't like this husband...)

A pause.

"...toh naya le aayenge."
(...we'll get you a new one.)

Sitara's eyes widened.

Her entire face brightened.

"Sachi...?"
(Really...?)

Rudradev slowly turned his head toward his father.

Very slowly.

Virendra suddenly felt the temperature in the room drop.

Rudradev smiled.

It was not a friendly smile.

"Dad..."

His voice was dangerously calm.

"Should I start looking for a new husband for my mother..."

A pause.

His eyes shifted toward Meera.

"...and a new stepfather for myself?"

Virendra froze.

For exactly one second.

Then he immediately wrapped an arm around Meera's waist.

"Haramkhor!"

(You brat!)

He pulled Meera closer.

"Meera ko beech mein laane ki himmat bhi mat karna."
(Don't you dare drag Meera into this.)

His expression became dramatically protective.

"My Meera belongs to me."

A beat.

He glared at his son.

"Only me."

Meera closed her eyes.

Not again.

Rudradev's mouth curved into a faint smile.

"Then don't make plans for my Gharwali either."

His gaze moved toward Sitara.

She was still watching them with innocent curiosity.

His voice softened just slightly.

"Woh abhi mujhe samajhne mein thoda waqt legi."
(She'll need a little time to understand me.)

A pause.

His eyes remained on her.

"Lekin meri Gharwali hai."
(But she's my wife.)

His smile deepened.

"She belongs to me."

A beat.

"Only me."

Sitara stared at him.

For a moment, she actually looked like she was considering his words.

Rudradev caught her gaze.

A faint smirk touched his lips.

He knew that look.

She was thinking.

That was dangerous enough.

Sitara's left hand slowly moved to her waist.

Oh no.

Her right hand pointed straight at him.

"Aap Rana Sa hain..."

She narrowed her eyes.

"...itna jhooth bolna achha nahi hai, okay?"
(You're Rana Sa... lying this much isn't good, okay?)

Rudradev's smirk disappeared.

Completely.

Sitara continued.

"See, Mr. Chor Ji aur Rana Sa..."

She flipped her hair.

"The Sitara that you see?"

She pointed proudly at herself.

"Main bahut smart hoon."
(I am very smart.)

She tapped her temple.

"Aur mere Kanha Ji bhi keh rahe hain ki aap mere Pati Ji nahi ho."
(And my Kanha Ji are also telling me that you are NOT my husband.)

She nodded firmly.

Case closed.

Court dismissed.

"Isliye main aapko accept nahi kar rahi hoon, okay?"
(That's why I'm not accepting you, okay?)

She gave him one final suspicious look.

Then flicked her hair and walked away with her pooja thali.

Rudradev watched her disappear.

His eyes followed her until her figure finally vanished beyond the doorway.

Silence.

Kabir's lips twitched.

Aryaveer's shoulders shook once.

Finally

"Bhai..."

Aryaveer walked over and patted Rudradev's shoulder.

His face was far too serious for the words that followed.

"Aapne ek saal ka gap cover karne ki koshish ki..."
(You tried to cover a one-year gap...)

He shook his head sympathetically.

"...Bhabhi ne poora syllabus hi reject kar diya."
(...but Bhabhi rejected the entire syllabus.)

Kabir immediately snorted.

"Bhai, introduction bhi dobara dena padega."
(Brother, you'll have to give your introduction all over again.)

Anika nodded thoughtfully.

"Introduction?"
(Introduction?)

She glanced toward the door.

"Pehle toh yeh prove karna padega ki aap Chor Ji nahi ho."
(First, you'll have to prove that you're not Chor Ji.)

Aryaveer raised one finger.

"Phir Rana Sa."
(Then Rana Sa.)

Kabir raised another.

"Phir Pati Ji."
(Then Pati Ji.)

A pause.

All three looked at Rudradev.

Aryaveer gave him an apologetic smile.

"Long process hai, Bhai."
(It's going to be a long process, Brother.)

Everyone spoke together.

"All the best, Bhai! May God help you..."

Kabir grinned.

"...because Bhabhi is beyond your syllabus."

Rudradev slowly turned his head toward them.

One look.

That was enough.

Kabir immediately straightened.

Aryaveer suddenly found the ceiling fascinating.

Anika became very interested in her plate.

Virendra, however, had absolutely no intention of saving his son.

He pointed at Rudradev.

"Bada aaya husband..."
(Look who's calling himself a husband...)

Rudradev's eyes narrowed.

Virendra folded his arms.

"Pehle yeh prove kar... ki tu asli husband hai."
(First prove that you're actually her husband.)

A pause.

Then his expression brightened.

"Nahi toh..."
(Otherwise...)

He looked toward the doorway.

"Meri beti ke liye itne handsome aur educated ladkon ki line laga dunga..."
(I'll line up so many handsome and educated boys for my daughter...)

He gave Rudradev a smug look.

"Tu bas dekhte reh jayega."
(You'll just have to stand there and watch.)

Kabir's hand immediately went up.

"Papa Ji, shortlist main bana doon?"
(Papa Ji, should I make the shortlist?)

Aryaveer joined him.

"Applications kab open ho rahe hain?"
(When are the applications opening?)

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then a slow, dangerous smile appeared on his lips.

His gaze shifted toward Meera.

Then back to Virendra.

"Maa..."
(Mom...)

Virendra's smile disappeared.

"Naya pati dhoondhne..."
(To find a new husband...)

A pause.

Rudradev's smile deepened.

"...kab jaa rahi ho?"
(...when are you going?)

The room went dead silent.

Virendra blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then immediately pulled Meera closer.

"Haramkhor!"
(You brat!)

He glared at Rudradev.

"Subah-subah mera BP badha diya."
(You've raised my blood pressure first thing in the morning.)

Meera sighed.

"Bas..."
(Enough...)

She looked at both of them.

"Tum dono kabhi nahi sudhroge."
(Neither of you will ever change.)

Rudradev remained where he was.

His eyes followed the doorway through which Sitara had disappeared, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary.

A slow breath left him.

A wife who called him Chor Ji...

then Rana Sa...

and somehow still refused to believe he was her husband.

The corner of his lips lifted faintly.

What an introduction to married life.

His gaze remained fixed on the empty doorway.

For a man who had faced enemies without blinking...

his own wife had managed to leave him completely speechless.

A faint smirk returned to his lips.

Perhaps...

this marriage was going to be far more interesting than he had expected.

One by one...

Everyone left the dining hall.

Still smiling.

Still whispering about the morning's chaos.

Soon...

the hall slowly emptied.

Only the faint echoes of laughter remained.

Daksh Pratap stood there.

Like a statue.

He had watched everything unfold in complete silence.

For the first time in years...

he genuinely questioned reality.

What... just happened to Sir?

Reyansh walked over, folding his arms.

A grin spread across his face.

"Daksh..."

A pause.

"Twenty years."

He glanced toward Rudradev, who was still staring at the doorway through which Sitara had disappeared.

"Have you ever seen him lose?"

Daksh remained silent.

His gaze shifted toward Rudradev.

Then toward the empty doorway.

A long pause.

He adjusted his glasses.

"No."

Another pause.

"...Until today."

Reyansh chuckled.

He shook his head.

"I don't think Madam defeated him."

Daksh looked at him.

Reyansh's grin widened.

"I think..."

He pointed toward Rudradev.

"...she reformatted his entire operating system."

Daksh adjusted his glasses again.

His expression remained completely blank.

"Sir has negotiated billion-dollar deals."

A pause.

"Handled politicians."

Another pause.

"Scared criminals."

One more pause.

His eyes shifted toward the doorway.

"...Madam rejected his marriage proposal..."

A tiny pause.

"...after the marriage."

Reyansh stared at him.

For two seconds...

he said nothing.

Then

he threw his head back and burst out laughing.

"Daksh!"

He could barely catch his breath.

"That was actually funny!"

Daksh frowned slightly.

"I wasn't joking."

That only made Reyansh laugh harder.

He looked toward the Rajvanshi mansion, still shaking his head.

"This house..."

A grin returned to his face.

"...is going to be very entertaining."

Daksh looked toward Rudradev one last time.

Then quietly added,

"...For everyone except Sir."

Reyansh nearly lost his balance laughing.

"Exactly!"

Daksh simply adjusted his glasses.

And for the first time that morning...

even he looked like he was beginning to wonder how long Rudradev would survive this marriage.

____________________

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