"Pratap"Nanisa Hukum called out and Shiv stared at her as they all were having breakfast.

"Ji"Shiv said.

"Iti wapas kab aa rahi h?"Nanisa Hukum asked and Shiv was tongue tied at that.

It's been a week and his wife has still not informed him when she will come back.The only time she had called him was three days back and Shiv still couldn't get why she had called him because she hadn't spoken much.

"Unhone abhi hame bataya nhi h"Shiv said and Nanisa Hukum nodded.

They all resumed the breakfast and then Shiv left for his office.

His day passed as usual with attending some meetings and checking some files.

"Rana sa kal aapka polo match h"His PA informed him and Shiv nodded at that,he knew about it.

"Pr Ranima kuch kaam mein busy h aur Ranisa yaha nhi h,chief guest ke liye kise bulaye phir?"He asked him because both Iti and Nanisa Hukum couldn't come.

"Gauravi ko bula lijiye"Shiv said because the member of the royal family was always appointed as the chief guest of these matches.

"Ji Rana sa"His PA said and left.

Shiv sighed and again his wife's thoughts came into his mind.

Was she even thinking about him the way he had been doing?

He himself doesn't understand why his mind is occupied by his wife's thoughts.

She is probably very happy and comfortable with her family,having the best time of her life with them.

Or maybe even now she must be stuck up with a book in her hand.

His lil bookworm.

A smile appeared on his lips imagining her sitting with a book.

He shook his head at that thought and got up to leave the office.Once he reached the palace he freshened up and went downstairs to have a cup of tea.

"Bhaisa kal aapka match h na?"Veer asked excitedly and Shiv nodded at that.

"Hum bhi dekhne aa sakte h na?"Veer asked and Shiv nodded at that again.

"Kitne baje h?"Veer again asked.

"Subah 9 baje"Shiv said.

"Hum chief guest h"Gauravi said teasing Veer.

"Yeh kyu?hum kyu nhi bhaisa?"Veer whined and Shiv chuckled hearing that.

"Kyuki woh aapse badi h"Shiv said.

"Yeh galat h!aap sab hame kabhi kisi cheez mein include nhi krte,just because hum sabse chote h!"Veer whined at that.

"Toh aap Gauravi ke saath hi jaiye na,aap koi chief guest se kam thodi h"Nanisa Hukum said but Veer still shook his head in denial.

"Phir hame kyu nhi banaya chief guest?"Veer asked.

"This match is for women,jo bhi money raise hoga woh women's NGOs and shelter homes mein jayega, isliye hame ek lady chief guest hi chahiye thi"Shiv said and Veer nodded at that then.

"Pr agli baar hum chief guest banenge!"Veer announced and Shiv smiled and nodded at him.

Mumbai,

Next morning,

Iti was sitting with her whole family as it was a Sunday and they all had a lazy morning followed by breakfast.

Her phone pinged and she opened the message and saw Gauravi sending her photo of the polo field.

What were they doing there?

"Bhaisa ka match h aaj,isliye hum aur Veer match dekhne aaye h kyuki Nanisa Hukum bhi busy h aur aap bhi yaha nhi h"

The message was followed by a crazy selfie of the two of them that made Iti laugh.

Her phone again pinged and this time it was a voice note from her only brother in law.

Veer-Bhabhisaaaaaa,hum finally bhaisa ka match dekhne aa gaye,aap bhi yaha hoti toh aur maza aata!chodiye isse,aap abhi bhi match dekh sakti h live,hum aapko link bhejte h channel ki.

As the voice note ended a link was sent immediately and Iti clicked on it.

She could see the polo field and then the camera shifted towards the stage where the chief guest I,e Gauravi was being welcomed.

"Kisse baat kr rahi h tu?"Aashray asked as he peeked in her phone.

"Aapse matlab?"Iti asked instead making him roll his eyes.

"Tu kabse sports dekhne lag gayi?"Kabir asked as he peeked in her phone from the other side.

"Aapse matlab?"Iti again said the same thing.

"Ohhh yeh toh jijosa h!"Aashray said as Shiv was shown now.

"Kya chal raha h tum teeno ka?"Badi maa asked.

"Iti jijosa ko phone pr dekh rahi h"Kabir said.

Everyone looked at Iti who was busy with the phone.

"Hum unhe nhi dekh rahe h,unka match dekh rahe h"Iti said before they all start teasing her.

"Konsa match?"Shivansh chachu asked.

"Polo"Iti said as her eyes again shifted towards the mobile screen.

"Hame bhi dekhna h!"Kabir said but Iti didn't responded to it.

"Mumma isko bolo na hame bhi dikhaye!humne bhi aaj tak Polo nhi dekha h"Aashray said looking at his mother.

"Iti,hum sabko bhi dikha,hum bhi toh dekhe hamare jamai kese Khiladi h"Twinkle dadi said and Iti looked at her then.

Everyone nodded then and Iti sighed but nodded.

They turned on the TV and Iti told them which channel to play on YouTube.

Gauravi was giving a speech on the TV as she was the chief guest.

"Yeh Shiv ki choti behen h Gauravi,aur woh jo unke saath khade h woh Veer h,unke chote bhai"Iti couldn't help but tell that to her family.

The family nodded as they watched the TV waiting for the match to start.

Each team was shown and Shiv too appeared on the screen riding on his horse.Iti looked intently at him,so did her family.

"Ghode pr bethkr khelte h polo?"Aashray asked as he didn't knew how polo was played.

Iti nodded her head at that.

The match was kind of interesting for all of them because they hadn't watched polo ever,though they didn't knew the rules and all but watching their son-in-law playing it was the only thing that mattered to them.

"Jijosa kitne cool h!!!kya lag rahe the woh godhe pr!!!!mujhe bhi khelna h yeh papa!"Aashray said and Nirvair shook his head at his words.

"Usne bht pehele se practice ki hogi iski,tab jaakr ab woh perfect hua h ismein"Nirvair said and Iti agreed with him because Shiv does practice often.

"Wese bhi uske liye godha bhi chahiye hoga,jo hamare paas nhi h"Hriday added then and Aashray pouted hearing that.

They again focused on the TV as the prize distribution was being done and Shiv came on the small stage which was built and took the mike to speak something.

"Thank you so much everyone.....I would like to thank the whole team,it was a collective effort,we all had worked and practiced hard for it....thank you so much Rajkumari sa"Shiv said as he received the trophy from Gauravi making her smile at him.

"Bhaisaaaaaa!Hame pata hi tha aap hi jeetenge!"Veer said as he excitedly hugged his elder brother who laughed at his actions.

Everyone chuckled at his actions as they saw them on the TV screen.

Iti smiled seeing Veer's antics.

He was a drama King for sure.

"Yeh toh lagta hi nhi ki royal family ke log h,ekdam hamare jese hi toh h"Badi maa said and Iti nodded at that.

Though they did belonged to the royal family they acted as normal people do,just with a lil extravagant touch in their life.

"Wese manna padega hamare jamai h toh bade smart,kyu Iti?"Iti's badi maa said making Iti feel shy.

She didn't say anything to that and ignored it as if she hadn't said anything.

"Hum apne kamre mein jaa rahe h"Iti said as she got up and literally ran before they all could tease her more.

They all chuckled at her retreating figure.

As soon as Iti went to her room she locked it and settled on the bed and continued watching the after match scenes.

Shiv was shown a lot on the screen and her eyes were glued to him.

Has his beard grown in the past one and a half week?

She had last seen him when he had come here to drop her.

His hair also seemed a lil longer,they rested neatly on the back of his neck,a few strands falling on his face which he moved back with his hand.

The host again began speaking and Iti then turned off her mobile.

Should she congratulate him?

She should right?

She took her mobile back and turned it on and decided to message him because she didn't knew what she was supposed to speak to him over the call.

"Congratulations Shiv👍"

She sent it and then kept her phone aside and picked up the book which she was reading currently.

A knock on the door distrubed her and she went and opened the door.

Smiling at her father she let him inside as he gave her the cup of hot chocolate he had got for her.

"Ab jab aap yaha aayi h toh neeche bethiye na sabke saath,kya hrr waqt aap apni kitabon mein dubi rehti h Iti?"Hriday kind of scolded her because she has been locked in her room since the past 2 hours.

"Hum neeche hi toh bethe the subah se,abhi aaye the upar papa"Iti tried defending herself and Hriday shook his head at her antics.

They both started as Aayat entered the room and settled beside Iti on the bed her husband sat opposite to them.

"Kya baatein ho rahi thi aap dono baap-beti ki?woh bhi hamare bina?"Aayat asked and Iti smiled at that.

"Kuch nhi,papa hamesha ki tarah hame daant rahe the book padhne ke liye"Iti said.

"Aap waha bhi yahi krti h?koi aapko daant ta nhi din bhar books padhne ke liye?"Hriday asked because here atleast the family would ask her to keep her book aside and Iti would listen but knowing his daughter he knew that if nobody asks her she can read the whole day.

"Hum kaam bhi krte h papa!ab hum Shiv ke hotel business ka finances dekh rahe h,pure din books nhi padhte hum sacchi!"Iti said and Hriday nodded at that because he knew about it as Iti had only told him about it.

"Aap sach mein waha khush h na?"Hriday couldn't help but ask for the nth time.

"Sab acha h papa,aap itni tension mat lijiye"Iti said and both her parents didn't missed that she hadn't said if she was happy or not.

But they can't expect her to get comfortable with them so soon.Iti was reserved and took time to adjust.They just wanted her to be happy.

"Aur unke ghar mein acha toh lag raha h na?"Aayat asked this time.

"Haa pr itna bada mahal h unka mumma,hamare ghar se bhi bht bada h,aur rehne wale sirf 3 log,ab toh Gauravi aur Veer aa gaye h pr phir bhi sirf 5 logo ke liye bht badi jagah h"Iti said and the two nodded.

The Sehgal's had a huge family and so Iti was used to being surrounded by all of them,not having anyone around might be difficult for her.

"Koi baat nhi dheere dheere aapko accha lagne lagega waha"Aayat said because even she had eventually adjusted with this huge family.

Iti then laid down on the bed and kept her head in her mother's lap.

"Hame wapas nhi jaana mumma"Iti said and both her parents got worried hearing that.

Was she ill-treated there?

Had someone said something to her?

"Kya hua beta?aapse kisi ne kuch kaha?Shiv aapko thik se treat nhi kr rahe h kya?bataiye hame hum sab thik kr denge"Hriday said as he moved closer and caressed her hair.

"Nhi,aisa nhi h"Iti said looking at him.

"Phir kya baat h beta?"Aayat asked in her gentle loving tone.

"Hame aap sabki bht yaad aati h"Iti said and her parents sighed.

Being a girl's parent,this was the most herat breaking thing for them.Giving away your daughter to someone else.

It is difficult not only for the girl but for her family also to live without her,having spent her whole life with them she would definitely take time to get used to their absence,so would they.

"Aapke papa aur hum bhi aapko bht yaad krte h"Aayat said as she looked at her daughter.

"Aap udaas kyu hoti h,jab chahe tab aap aa sakti h yaha,aap hi ka ghar h yeh"Hriday said and Iti nodded at that.

"Aur agar nhi aa payengi humse milne toh aapke papa aur hum aa jayenge aapse milne,aur wese bhi aapke nani-nanu,dadi,aapki dono bhui sab toh wahi h na?unse toh mil sakti h na aap?"Aayat said and Iti nodded then.

"Acha bataiye aap kya khayengi dinner mein?wahi banayenge hum"Aayat said changing the topic.

"Hum pizza khane bahar chale mumma? please!!!"Iti said as she hadn't had pizza since coming from Udaipur.

"Thik h chaliye,hum sab bahar chalte h"Hriday said surprisingly and Iti smiled widely hearing that.

"Toh hum jaldi se taiyaar hote h"Iti said as she got up and moved from the bed running into the bathroom making her parents chuckle at her antics.

As soon as the family got ready they all walked out of the house where there cars were lined up.

Iti was about to sit in her father's car when Shiv's security head who was appointed here to take care of Iti's safety walked towards her.

"Ranisa,aapke liye woh gaadi taiyaar h"The man said and Iti looked at him and then the car which was parked at the end.

She didn't wanted to go alone,she wanted to go with her parents instead.

"Nhi,hum hamare papa ke saath jayenge,uss gaadi ko yahi rehne dijiye aap"Iti said but the man was adamant.

"Ranisa woh gaadi bullet proof h"The man insisted.

"Hamari beti hamare saath aa jayegi aap log takleef mat kijiye"Hriday intervened then.

"Sir,Ranasa ke clear instructions h ki Rani sa ki safety mein koi kami na ho"The man said.

Iti was getting irritated now.

Can't be understand a simple thing?

She wanted to go with her father.

"Haa toh aap log dusri gaadi se hamare peeche aaiye,pr hum apne papa ke saath jaa rahe h"Iti said but the man was still not listening.

"Itna keh rahe h woh toh aap uss gaadi se aa jaiye Iti"Aayat said but Iti shook her head in denial at that.

"Rani sa please uss gaadi se chaliye,aapki safety ki baat h"The man again insisted.

It wasn't as if people are going to shoot her!

She wasn't even that popular.

She bet nobody even knew she existed before she married Shiv.

"Kya hua?"Shivansh chachu asked they hadn't settled in their cars yet.

"Yeh hamari baat nhi maan rahe h Shivansh chachu!"Iti complained as usual.

"Sir,Rana sa ke strict orders h ki Rani sa yahi car use kare"The man said the same thing to Shivansh too.

"It's okay,abhi she's with family we have our own security "Shivansh said but the man was so adamant.

He would just follow what Rana sa had told him.

Iti had enough of this man for now!

She immediately took her phone out and called Shiv,only he could make this man understand now.

But Shiv didn't pick up the call.

She frowned at that.

She tried again,yet he didn't picked it.

After trying for 4-5 times she gave up and sighed in frustration.

"Ranisa"The guard said.

"Humne ek baar keh diya na nhi aayenge uss gaad

i mein toh nhi aayenge!"Iti said as she turned and sat in her father's car slamming the door loudly.

Iti was pissed not only at the guard but also at Shiv because he didn't picked her call.

What if it was something important?

The guard shook his head and went and sat in the car and followed their car.