Page 2 of A Royal Deception

“Whaat?” I asked in confusion.

“I’m not sure what you guys are talking about because I just got here, but if a guy said that to me, I’d never marry him,” she snarled.

“Umm, you will not be marrying anyone ever again, thank you very much,” said her husband sternly. “You’re married. To me. And don’t you forget it.”

Isha blew him a kiss, but her smile turned into a glare as she faced me again.

“That is such a chauvinistic thing to say to your future wife,” she scolded.

“But I promised not to interfere in her life either,” I argued.

“That’s even worse,” she said with disgust. “What kind of marriage is this?”

“The kind that’s none of your business, shortcake,” I said loftily. “My bride and I know exactly what we’re getting into.”

“RV, when you say ‘my bride’ like that, you make her sound like… like a thing. Like an idea instead of a real person,” Isha replied softly. “But she is real. With real feelings and needs. Say her name when you talk about her.”

“Umm… fine!” I said irritably.

But when I tried to say my bride’s name, my mind went blank. Completely blank. I knew she was a Dodiya of Sajjangarh. But what was her bloody name? How the hell did I forget the name of the woman I was supposed to marry, I wondered in a blind panic. What was wrong with me?

I closed my eyes and tried to think of her face. Her features. Anything that would remind me. But when I closed my eyes, the image that came to my mind was not that of the woman I was supposed to marry. It was someone who was completely out of bounds. I opened my eyes hastily and swallowed over the dryness in my throat.

Isha and Veer were staring at me in surprise.

“Kavya,” prompted Veer with a fake cough and flinched when his wife turned her solar-strength glare on him.

“I can’t believe you don’t remember your own fiancée’s name. Very badly done, Ranvijay,” she said, her voice laced with disappointment.

It wasn’t what she was thinking. I wasn’t such a heartless bastard towards the woman I was supposed to marry in two days. But Kavya Dodiya was a blank wall who very obviously didn’t care about me either. She was marrying me only for the title and my wealth, and she couldn’t hide it, no matter how much she tried. And I was glad she wasn’t coming into this with stars in her eyes. I was glad because that meant I wouldn’t break her heart with my indifference.

“So when do I get to meet this Ramya?” asked Isha.

“The rituals are about to begin. I’m sure Ramya will be out soon,” I replied, taking care to say her name.

“Kavya, not Ramya,” exclaimed Isha. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Fuck! I’d done it again. What the fuck was wrong with me?

“You tricked me,” I accused her. “Your wife is a menace, Ranveer.”

“That she is,” he said proudly.

The way they smiled at each other was nauseating. I took a sip of whiskey and chanted my fiancée’s name silently, hoping to etch it into my brain.

Ramya… fuck no! Kavya!

Just then, Sangram came slinking up to us with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Bhai Sa, Kavya Bhabhi’s family is lovely! Absolutely lovely! Especially their old manager’s daughter. She seems a little shy. Do you think you could introduce us?”

Before I could think about what I was doing, I reached out and grabbed his collar with one hand and pulled him closer to growl into his frightened little, weaselly face.

“If you so much as look at Shivina, I will pluck your eyes out, you little rodent. You will treat her with as much respect as you treat the Dodiya family. You will not harass the staff. Is that clear?”

He nodded once and let out a whimper of assent. I set him down and smoothed out his collar.

“I’m just being friendly,” he whined. “You don’t have to threaten me like I’m a sex pest.”

---