Redemption of Royals (Royal #1: Book 3) | ✔

25

-• a decision •-

Taranya

Agastya gets off the car door the moment he sees me. His face lights up and I reveal a smile of my own. Dumping my stuff on the ground, I rush to fling myself in his arms. His arms wound tightly around my waist. Pulling away, he kisses my forehead, and the top of my head before hugging me back again. "You've no idea how badly I wanted to do this yesterday," his big build sways us side to side.

"Then why didn't you?" I ask, my jolly voice muffled against his dark hoodie.

He huffs, and then unexpectedly deepens his voice to say the next words, "Chauhans have a reputation to uphold. I expect no misbehaviour and tomfoolery, especially from you, Agastya."

I burst out laughing, pulling away to look at him. "Yuvraaj Bhai doesn't sound like that!"

"He does!"

"No, he doesn't." I insist. "He's sweet."

Agastya gasps. "Tara!" Dramatically, he holds my shoulders and shakes me violently. "What has gotten into you? Remember, he breathes, he's scary! He exists, he's scary! I thought we agreed on it?"

I laugh softly. "We did." Then my hand rises to cup his face. "Are we okay now?"

He sighs. "You know I can't stay angry at you for long. I was hoping my disagreement to your decision will make you rethink. But it still happened. You still got married to the most undeserving man in this world. So, I just have to make amends with that."

"I'm sorry." I rest the side of my face on his chest.

"Why am I kind of unsettled that you did not defend your husband when I called him undeserving of you? Not once, but many times."

Words fail me.

"Because I'm undeserving of her." The familiar, deep voice speaks, stiffening me even more. I pull away to stand straight. Shourya walks out and commands the guards to give us some privacy. They obey immediately. "Because every man on this earth is undeserving of her. Isn't that what you think? And that's valid. As a brother, I too used to think Yuvraaj did not deserve Sara Di either."

I hold back a scoff. As if ever knew Sara personally.

"That's a worst example to say. You know they're not together anymore, right?" Agastya counters.

"That's on him. All I'm saying is your feelings are valid. And so is her not defending me needlessly. It's when we arrogantly defend a new relationship that we automatically feel this undeniable need to put that relationship above every other so we can prove the people around us wrong. But that's not right. She treasures her relationship with you guys. She wouldn't want to invalidate your concern by unnecessarily standing up for me. I don't even want her to."

I look at him speechless. Sometimes, like now, and a rare occurrences in the past, remind me how exceptionally eloquent and understanding this man is. It's his greed that always defeats him.

Agastya goes quiet too. My brother may not be best in debates, but he's stubborn as hell. So for him to not look down on Shourya's perspective with a scorn or a scowl is surprising. Must be because for the better part of their argument, Shourya was actually trying to make Agastya realise that his argumentative words and shallow judgements weren't just based on empty arrogance or superiority complex, but rather on insecurities and fear.

"How did you convince Yuvaan Bhai?" Agastya asks.

I frown at Agastya.

"I visited him at his gallery." Shourya replies.