Rudra was in one of his mood swings again. This time, it wasn't about fashion, pranks, or running around in his usual hyperactive state. No, this time, he had a brilliant idea—he was going to buy a pet monkey. And the best part? He was going to hide it from Shivaay and make it his little secret.
The idea came to him while he was scrolling through his phone one afternoon, when he saw a video of a mischievous monkey causing chaos in a park. The little creature was climbing on everything, snatching snacks from people, and making everyone laugh. Rudra's eyes gleamed. This was the answer to his boredom. A monkey would be just what the family needed—someone even more unpredictable and fun than he was.
Rudra knew that Shivaay would never approve of a pet monkey. It didn't exactly fit with the pristine, elegant, and classy Oberoi image. So, he decided to go rogue. Late one night, he sneaked out and found a reputable (or, in his words, "highly qualified") monkey dealer online. A few clicks, some cash, and a lot of excitement later, Rudra had secured a pet monkey.
"Welcome to the family, little guy!" Rudra whispered to the screen as he paid for the monkey, imagining the joy it would bring. He named the monkey Chintu, and immediately began planning how he would hide it in the mansion without Shivaay or anyone else finding out.
The next morning, as everyone was going about their usual activities, Rudra took delivery of Chintu, who was an adorable little ball of energy. The moment the monkey arrived, Rudra made sure to keep it hidden in his room. He even created a little playpen for it with pillows, blankets, and snacks to keep the monkey entertained.
The first day was a breeze. Rudra spent hours playing with Chintu, teaching it tricks, and making sure that no one saw the little ball of chaos.
But that night, things took an unexpected turn. Chintu, who had been in a playful mood all day, decided to go on a rampage. Rudra had gone out for a quick errand and left Chintu alone in his room. When he returned, his room looked like a tornado had hit it. There were clothes everywhere, pillows shredded to pieces, and a trail of snacks leading to the bathroom, where Chintu was happily swinging from the shower rod.
Rudra groaned in frustration. "I'm going to need a whole new wardrobe at this rate." He quickly cleaned up the mess and decided it was time to take Chintu out for some secret training—he couldn't afford to let Shivaay or the rest of the family find out about the mischievous monkey just yet.
But, as is always the case with Rudra's wild ideas, trouble was never far behind.
It was a regular afternoon when Shivaay walked into Rudra's room, expecting to find his younger brother lounging on the bed, watching one of his ridiculous action movies. Instead, he was greeted with chaos. Clothes were scattered everywhere, a few of Rudra's expensive sneakers were missing, and in the middle of the mess, sitting comfortably on top of the dresser, was a tiny monkey, munching on a banana.
Shivaay's jaw dropped. "What in the world...?"
Chintu, having noticed the new arrival, let out a loud screech and scampered up Shivaay's shoulder. Before he could react, the monkey reached up and tugged at his hair, making him yelp in surprise.
"Rudra!" Shivaay roared, carefully removing the monkey from his shoulder and holding it at arm's length. "What is this?! Why is there a monkey in your room?!"
Rudra, who had been in the hallway trying to sneak away, froze. His face paled. "Uh... well, you see... Shivaay Bhaiya, this is Chintu. My... my pet."
"A pet?" Shivaay stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief. "Rudra, are you out of your mind? You're keeping a monkey as a pet? In this house?!"
Rudra tried to play it cool, although his heart was racing. "Well, yeah, I mean, look at him! He's adorable! He's just a little mischievous, that's all. I'm training him to be a therapy monkey."
Shivaay's face twitched. "A therapy monkey? Rudra, this is INSANE! Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? What if he attacks someone? What if he destroys something? Do you think you can just keep a monkey in the house like it's a pet dog?!"
But before Rudra could reply, Chintu, having grown bored of Shivaay's attention, grabbed a banana peel from the floor and hurled it at Shivaay's face. The peel smacked him right on the forehead, and Shivaay's eyes widened in shock.
"Oh, that's it!" Shivaay exploded, wiping the banana off his face. "This is not happening, Rudra! You need to get rid of this monkey now. I CANNOT believe you have a monkey in my house. THROW it out before I do the honours!"
Rudra, still trying to act like everything was under control, smiled nervously. "Okay, okay, Bhaiya. I'll... I'll take care of it, okay? Just don't—don't freak out."
But by now, the rest of the family had gathered outside Rudra's room, drawn in by the commotion. Om and Anika walked in, both looking equally confused.
"Why is there a monkey in Rudra's room?" Anika asked, raising an eyebrow. She glanced from the monkey to Rudra. "What on earth is going on?"
Om folded his arms, surveying the scene. "I think I missed something here. Did Rudra just get a pet monkey?"
Rudra smiled sheepishly. "Yes, yes, I did. Isn't he great? I call him Chintu. He's my new best friend!"
Anika crossed her arms. "Rudra, this is insane. You can't just bring a monkey into the house and expect us to... what? Just accept it?"
Chintu, meanwhile, had become very comfortable with the attention and decided to make his move. He jumped off the dresser and onto the couch, where he proceeded to rip a cushion apart. Fluff flew everywhere, making the situation even more chaotic.
"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Shivaay shouted, his voice a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "Rudra, this is not happening. You're not keeping this monkey here."
Rudra pouted dramatically. "But Bhaiya, look at his face! He's so cute! And besides, he'll be good for my mental health. Think of him as a distraction from all the stress you keep putting on me!"
But Shivaay was already heading out of the room, shaking his head. "I'm done. This monkey is not staying. End of story."
Later that night, after the chaos of the day had settled, Rudra sat at the dinner table, looking a bit down. He glanced up to find the family gathered around, all staring at him with smirks and raised eyebrows.
"You really got yourself a monkey, huh?" Om teased, trying to suppress his laughter. "You know, I thought I was the one with the weird hobbies, but you've taken it to a whole new level."
Anika shook her head, still laughing. "What were you even thinking, Rudra? A monkey?"
Rudra slumped in his seat, clearly defeated. "I just thought it'd be fun! But noooo, Shivaay Bhaiya had to ruin it."
"Of course, he did!" Anika said, chuckling with sarcasm. "He has no appreciation for animals. At least I would've given you a chance."
Shivaay, who had just walked in, overheard the last part and shot her a look. "A chance? He's already ruined half of the house with that damned four-legged thing!"
The family erupted into laughter, and Rudra couldn't help but join in. Well, he thought, maybe next time I'll try getting a pet rock.
