Dear Readers,

This is an unedited draft of the book, meaning there will be several grammatical errors, name mismatches, plot discrepancies, and other sematic errors. If that is something you find offence, please do not proceed further.

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Good day,

Swati Sandeep

Aman barged into the office looking like a thundering lion. He had learned that his best business asset and partner was taking a hike from work, right at the time when they were preparing for the launch. The news pissed him off. What pissed him off more was his sister's warning to keep his mouth shut. He did not invest millions to keep his mouth shut. The Brat knew what he was signing up for.

The office was alive with energy, as the air hummed with the steady rhythm of typing keyboards and the soft murmur of conversations. In one corner, the team has gathered around Dheer's desk. They huddled close, their faces animated as they discussed something. Dheer was holding up a marker, pointing at something on the screen, while others nodded in agreement.

"Brainstorming are we?" Aman drawled, gaining their attention.

Dheer put the marker down and offered him a polite smile. "Hey, Aman. I was waiting for you."

"In a hurry to catch the fight? Or should I say private jet?" Aman flashed his dimples, the ever sly smile pasted on his face. Dheer picked up on the undertone, but ignored it. Six months with the man had made him immune to the taunts.

He focused back on his team and handed his second-in-command the laptop. "That's it for today guys. We will continue this on Team meets tomorrow. The difference in time zones is going to be a challenge, but I am sure we can cope. Right?"

The others agreed enthusiastically.

"Are you planning a farewell dinner as well?"

Dheer took a deep breath. The man could not even be subtle about his displeasure. He was sure every employee picked up on his foul mood. Not that Aman was ever in a charming mood. The man and his sass were a royal pain to handle. Especially when he was pissed off.

"Can we talk, Aman?" Dheer crossed his arms across his shoulders and looked at the guy.

"Ofcourse, your highness. I thought I would have to make an appointment."

Dheer ignored him and walked to the conference room. The only private chamber they had in their office. They had an open plan office that helped increase the work efficiency, giving each worker the same comfort space, but it also came with certain limitations. Lack of privacy being one of them.

Once they were inside, Dheer locked the door and shut the blinds. He did not need prying eyes. Aman settled on his chair and picked up the paper weight. The moron never chose a direct conversation. It was beyond his intellectual property. Dheer usually loved to play the waiting game. Letting him steam and stew until he finally had to bow down and talk, but sadly he did not have the time.

"I need to go to India."

"I heard that already." Aman tilted his head to one side with a dramatic flair, showcasing his lack of interest. His neck made a satisfying crack, making him lean back in comfort. He had driven three hours straight to yell at the kid. Aman was in the middle of a meeting in Boston when his sister mailed him about the leave plan. To say he was miffed was the understatement of the year.

"I have personal work there, Aman. This cannot be put off."

"Of Course. Everything is more important than the game launch. That can wait for eternity!" Aman's eyes glinted with displeasure.

"I never said that."

"Your actions show it, Kiddo. FYI this is not your grand daddy's business. I have millions at stake here. You promised me a launch in 356 days."

"And I will deliver the promise."

"When are you busy doing snake dance in India?"

Dheer leaned against the doorframe and prayed for patience. Aman wanted a fight, he could feel that, and Dheer was determined to avoid one.

"I spoke to Akshu, she agreed with the work from home option..."

"You mean work from India?"

"Yes" Dheer walked to him and sat down. He wanted to level the playing field. Aman had the right to be upset. Behind the sass he could hear the anger. Aman hated to fail at anything.

"I take my work seriously, Aman. I said I will launch the game in 365 days and I will. I am going to India for only a month."

"Six months," Aman pointed out. "That is what the mail says."

"That was the worst case scenario. I will get it done in a month. I have everything planned. I will be back by the end of 30 days, and trust me the schedule won't change."

"What is so important that you have to go there, Kid? Do you even know how much it rains at this time of the year? Your Louboutin loafers would commit suicide. Spare them and stay put. Tell me what you need to get done and I will get it for you. You don't have to go."

Dheer shook his head. "I need to do this myself, Aman." He pocketed his hands to hide his nervousness. Although he assured his grandfather, he was already feeling the jitters. He was apprehensive of meeting his cousins again.

"And what exactly are you going to do there?"

Dheer took a minute to pause. It was a family affair. He did not feel comfortable disclosing about it to Aman, but he also knew Aman needed answers. "To close a deal." He said the only thing that came close to the truth.

"You are planning another business there?"

Dheer shook his head. "This is for my Daddu."

"I see, so now you are planning to ditch me and join the old man?"

"Come on, bro. Cut me some slack here. I am not going for a fun ride to India. If it were up to me I would never go there and meet them. That is the last thing I want to do!"

"Them?" Aman's eyes brows shot up in enquiry. He rarely missed anything.

Dheer let out a deep sigh. "It's a family thing. One month, Aman. I will be back."

"Somehow I find it hard to believe. What if you find a chick there and decide to settle down? What will happen to my millions?"

"Are you for real, Aman. I am telling you that it's a personal business. I am going over to meet my fam... cousins. Once I get the job done I will come back."

"What is the guarantee?"

"What guarantee did you have when you invested in my dreams?" Dheer challenged. "Why are you acting like a moron now?"

"I was born a moron. Ask Akshu if you don't believe me. And I don't invest in invisible properties. You bro are my greatest asset. I am not letting you go."

"I don't need your permission to go anywhere. I am not your slave."

"You would make a pathetic slave. What kind of slave does not even know how to make a decent coffee?"

"Did you hire me to prepare coffees for your lazy ass?"

The door opened and Akshu bargeed inside looking like an angry lioness. "Can you two stop yelling at each other?" She hissed under her breath as she shut the door behind her. The men shot her annoyed looks. She walked to them and bashed their heads together.

"Ouch!" Aman pulled back annoyed. "Can you stop acting like a headmistress?"

Akshu whacked him hard on the back in answer. Aman stifled his curse, not willing to earn another one. "Did you forget that I am your elder brother?"

Akshu picked up the paperweight and Aman raised his hand in surrender. He was a moron, not an idiot. "Peace, princess. I am sorry I yelled at our golden boy. Do you want me to apologize?"

"His grandmother is in the hospital, Aman. Did you even care to ask about her condition?"

Aman flushed with guilt. His little princess knew where to hit.

"Did you ask him if he needs any help? Or are you hell bent on behaving like a slave driver?"

He makes a pathetic slave. The retort on his lips died down when he saw the spark in her eyes. She had adopted the golden boy since day one. The kid had always been off limits and that was the reason why he gave him so much trouble. He was jealous that his princess gave the kid more attention, but did not wish to accept the truth.

"Akshu calm down." Dheer held her hand and made her sit. "It was not his fault. I yelled first."

Akshu did not spare him either. "And what got into you? Did you leave your brain in the freezer? The entire staff could hear the two of you. Why bother coming into the room when you cannot act decently?"

"This room should be sound proofed." Dheer muttered under his breath.

"I second the sentiment, kiddo." Aman could not hold back the retort.

"Sound proof walls cannot drown your voices. You two are worse than loud speakers. Now sort this out. I do not want any fight in my office."

"Our office" Aman and Dheer said together and earned another sharp glare.

"Your office, princess" Aman conceded before she could chew their heads off. "We will handle this like mature adults. I promise."

Akshu doubted it very much.

Aman looked at Dheer and flashed him a very insincere smile. "Go anywhere, bro. I don't mind at all, but I have one condition."

The smile put Dheer on the edge. "What condition?"

"I will tag along."

"What?" Dheer's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You heard it right, bro. If you want to go for a vacation on Mars, I will foot the bill gladly. As long as I tag along."

"I don't want you to foot the bill, Aman."

"But you can't get rid of me kiddo. Like I said I believe in keeping an eye on my assets. I cannot risk you being snagged by someone else. Wherever you go I follow."

"Like the dumb dog in the dumb commercial?" Dheer could not hold back the retort.

Akshu held her head. The two of them were well matched. She knew Aman never went back on anything he said, and Dheer was equally stubborn. The two of them together anywhere were a recipe for disaster.

"Dogs are dumb, I am not. Discussion time over. Go pack your bags, daddy will be there to babysit you."

"Say that one more time and I will punch you." Dheer hissed under his breath. Aman smiled, congratulating himself on riling up the kid. It took a lot to ruffle the prince's feathers.

"Good thing I have cosmetic insurance" Aman ran his tongue around his teeth, wondering if he should get a few of them replaced for fun.

Dheer was close to delivering his promise but Akshu held his hand and made him sit. There was no use losing temper, yet. By the end of the trip, she was sure they would both deck each other. It was a given.

"Don't let him get to you. When are you planning on starting? I can make the arrangements."

Dheer shook his head. "I am taking the jet."

"Then give me a lift, it would save a lot of pennies." Aman drawlled again.

"Ask him to shut up, Akshu. Please."
"That will not work, Dheer. And he needs to go to Mumbai on Business. He is only trying to get on your nerves."

Dheer shot Aman a dirty look. He made it sound as if he was following him around.

"We are opening a new restaurant downtown. Mom wants the best chef. Last time when she went to Mumbai she met this guy and fell in love with him. Aman is going to get the man for mom. It's his Christmas gift."

"Are you going to kidnap him?" Dheer shot Aman a dirty look.

"Maybe. How is that any of your business, Kiddo?"

"And how is my personal life your business, Aman?"

"Can you two stop fighting for a second and listen to me?" Akshu lost her calm and yelled.

"The room is not sound proofed, Akshu. Keep it down." Both Aman and Dheer said together and then shared an amused look. They were too similar, that was why they clashed so much.

"Tum dono ka kuch nahi ho sakta. (No one can save you two.) Fight to your heart's content. Break each other's bones, just don't kill each other. We start at 6 tomorrow. Make sure you get your lazy asses to the airport on time."

"You are coming?" Dheer and Aman looked at her in disbelief. She had a vacation planned with her friends. A campaign trip that she had been panning for days.

"Ofcourse I am. I cannot trust the two of you to behave. You need a babysitter. I am the only one available."

Aman shook his head. "Tere trip ka kya? (What about your trip?)"

"We will plan it some other time. I am not sending you to India alone, Aman. Last time you went you almost crashed your car."

"Almost, princess, that is is the operative word."

Akshu did not dignify the statement with an answer. Rather she looked at Dheer. "We can fly together or I can call in our jet."

Dheer shook his head. He did not mind taking her along anywhere, it was the moron he did not wish to humor. Since they were a combined package, he had no choice but to agree.

"I will make the arrangements. Six is a little early...."

"It's not." Akshu insisted. "It's a 15 hour flight. If we start at six we reach by 7.30 IST. That should cover the jet lag for us. We are going there on business, not on a picnic. It's best to be prepared. Make sure you are on time. I don't like delays."

"I don't like you." Aman muttered under his breath, but did not dare to voice a protest. She walked out the same way she came in, as if she owned the damn place. Dheer shook his head, and sat down. He needed a moment to strategize. If they came along there would be questions, he would have to be more careful. Things were getting better and better. He needed to be on his toes.

Dev came back from the college, feeling famished. The training session left him exhausted. The new guitar teacher was a strict instructor. His arms were hurting because of the practice. All he wanted to do was go to his room and sleep it off, but he was surprised to find his Bhaiya at home. Usually Dhruv was at the restaurant at that time.

Dev was happy to have him home and rushed to hug him. Dhruv almost staggered under the boy's weight but caught himself at the last moment. He turned around and pulled Dev into his arms.

"Aap aaj ghar pe kaise? (How are you home today?)"

Dhruv grabbed the backpack from Dev's hand and made him sit down. The kid looked exhausted. "Did you have football practice again?"

Dev looked down and nodded his head. It was not a complete lie, he was on his college football team and often stayed back for practice.

"Go change. You must be hungry. I will make something for you."

Dev shook his head. He had grabbed KFC on the way. He opened his backpack and pulled out the bucket. Dhruv's nose crushed in disgust but he did not comment. He was not available at home to make evening snacks. The kid needed to eat. Some compromises were a must.

"I will make salad for dinner."

Dev rolled his eyes. It was an overkill. "Chicken is healthy, Bhaiya." Dev said as he reached for the big leg piece. Dhruv swatted his hand away.

"What?" Dev flashed him an annoyed look. He was allowed to have whatever he wanted for snacks. That was their deal. He would stay away from fast food for lunch and dinner as long as he could eat whatever he pleased at the snack time.

"Wash the germs off your hand."

Dev let out a dramatic sigh. "They are clean, Bhaiya."

"That was not a suggestion, bachcha. Go wash your hands."

Dev gave a dramatic sigh and got up. He knew there was no use arguing with his Bhaiya. Dev quickly washed his hands and came back for the chicken. Dhruv was seated at the table working on his laptop.

"Aapne jawab nahi deya, Bhaiya. (You did not answer me, Bhaiya) How are you home so early?"

"Amit was vacating today." Dhruv looked up from the laptop. "I had to come back to take the keys."

Their penthouse was being rented as no one used it. It was a good source of income and Dhruv never let go of any opportunity to earn. The rent paid 30% towards their EMI. That was a big cut.

"Do we have another tenant?"

Dhruv shook his head. "I will have to get the painting work done, but I am posting an ad for the same. Hopefully we will get someone soon."

"I can ask around in the college. Kids hate dorms. They would be happy to have a comfortable place."

Dhruv nodded his head. It was not a bad idea. The penthouse had direct access, as the stairs opened towards the kitchen garden. There was no lack of privacy. Anyone who rented the palace was free to go in and come as they pleased.

"Is the rent the same?"

Dhruv nodded his head. He needed the amount to pay towards the EMI. A 30% cut was huge. He was desperate to find another tenant but did not show it. Dev did not have to know about the financial strain. He and Dhriti could take care of it.

"How was your day?" Dhruv asked after posting the day. Dev bobbed his head, eager to share the details. Though he could not tell about the classes he could share his experience.

"The new teacher is a royal pain, Bhaiya. He gives me the creeps."
Dhuv gave him a gentle whack on his head. "Koi apne teacher ke bare me aise baat karta hai? (Does anyone talk that way about your teacher?)"

Dev rolled his eyes. "If you suffered under the man, you would have known it. He is a total...Hitler." Dev changed his words at the last minute, not willing to earn more whacks.

"You need a Hitler to set you right." Dhruv shook his head in amusement. "Don't crib, beta. A teacher always tries to offer the best for a student. If they are harsh, it is to ensure that you have a bright future. No gain without pain."

Dev nodded his head. It was true, but he was no saint.

"By the way, did you check out our new neighbor?" Dev gave Dhurv a teasing wink.

Dhruv shook his head. He had seen the new neighbors moving in but did not have time to greet them yet. There was only one vacant home in their community and it was finally purchased.

"She is hot" Dev's eyes turned mushy. "Looks like a princess. You should definitely check her out, Bhaiya. She is your type. All gharelu types."

"Tughe ehassas hai ke tu apne bade Bhai se baat kar rahe hai? (Do you realize you are talking to your older brother?)" Dhruv shook his head. The boy did not know how to shut up and had no filters around him.

"Are to kya? (Then what?) I did not say anything wrong. You told me that I could discuss girls with you."

"I told you that we could discuss your attractions." Dhruv shook his head. He wanted to encourage Dev to talk about his infatuations, the boy assumed he could discuss every girl he saw. Dhruv had no experience of dealing with teenagers. Each day was a learning curve. He often wondered how his mom managed with two teens at once. It only increased his respect for his mother.

"So you need to know about every chick I like, but your girls are off limits?"

"Chiks are baby chickens, Dev. Improve your vocabulary. Do not use such words to describe girls. How would you feel if someone called you a pup?"

Dev cringed. Dhruv always knew where to hit.

"And I never said that my feelings are off-limits. I am currently not interested in a woman."

"Why?" Dev's eyes widened in surprise. "You are 31, Bhaiya. You need to settle down. I want a Bhabhi."

"What you need right now is good bashing." Dhruv shook his head. "Rest for sometime and study. I have to leave for work."

Dhruv got up, but Dev grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving. "Why are you changing the topic? I am very serious, Bhaiya. Mughe Bahbhi chaye. (I want a Bhabhi.)"

"Aur kis market me milege mughe tere yeh Bhabhi? (And in which market can I get your Bhabhi?)"

Dev rolled his eyes. "Open your eyes, Bhaiya. Ladkeyon ke kame thode he hain? (There is no shortage of women.) All you have to do is pick one."

Dhruv shook his head. "It does not work that way, bachcha. Marriage is a commitment. You don't randomly choose anyone. The person has to be the right one for you. One wrong decision can ruin your entire life. It's best to wait until you find the right one. And it is best to wait until you are ready. I want to offer my wife a carefree life. She would not have to worry about bills or EMI's. She would not have to worry about a safe future." She does not have to struggle to raise my children. Dhruv kept the last part to himself. Dev was too young to understand the complexities of marriage. Dhruv had seen his mother struggle, he would not offer such misery to another woman.

"And we have to think about Dhriti first" Dhruv ruffled Dev's hair to take away the disappointment. "Until she settles down, I will not look for a bride."

Dev's eyes became shadowed. "If she marries she will have to go to her home, Bhaiya. She will leave us behind."

Dhruv felt a pang in his heart. It would be hard to let her go, but they could not run away from the realities of life.

"She will go to a new home, a new family. She will have two families to rely on, Bachcha. That should make us happy, not sad. You need to remember that even your Bhabhi or the girl you one day choose for yourself will be someone's sister. We cannot be selfish."

Dev buried his face into Dhruv's warmth. After he lost his mother Dhriti had taken the place. He could not let his mother go. Dhruv understood his pain and offered him all the comfort he could. Letting go of their angel would not be easy. He could only pray that the man who took Dhriti's hand in marriage would treat her well. Their angel deserved the best. The man would have to treat her like a princess and be a perfect gentleman. He would have to be kind, sweet, generous, and a great cook. He would have to be patient and understanding, above all he should have the patience of a saint. His angel had a temper. The man needed to have a lot of gentleness. Dhruv had a lot of expectations for his Jijaji. He would not let any moron waltz away with his angel. The man would have to prove his worth first, and Dhruv was determined to find the best!

1- What do you think about the following characters in this episode

A- Aman

B- Dhruv

C- Dheer

D- Dev

2- Whose bond do you like until now?

3- What do you think will happen when Dheer comes to India?

4- Which character has you frustrated.

5- Will Dheer win?

Open for plot requests- [DM To Insta account. (Swati. sandeep.books)] Kindly refrain from posting requests here. Any plot request made in the comments section will not be included. Let's keep the plot a secret.