Page 23 of A Royal Deception

Shivina.

The woman who had haunted my dreams since I met her. The woman who had deceived me on my wedding day.

My gaze burned into hers with the force of all my hatred. She tried to look away, but I grabbed her chin and made her hold my gaze.

“Why?” I asked gruffly.

“Jamai Sa, it was just a huge misunderstanding,” began Kavya’s mother, hurrying to my side.

I held up a hand without even looking at her.

“I’m not asking why you lot did this. I’m talking to the woman who married me downstairs. Why didyoudo this? Why didyouhelp them betray me?”

She had no answer.

“She’s just a paid hand, Jamai Sa,” scoffed Kavya’s mother. “She’s nobody. Please listen to me. It was just a small mistake on our part.”

My heart felt like a hand was squeezing it tightly. A paid hand.She had betrayed me for money.

So she wasn’t any different from Kavya, after all. Good thing she showed me her true colours before I enshrined her on some lofty pedestal.

I turned to Kavya’s mother, and she quailed before the expression on my face.

“Why do you keep calling me Jamai Sa?” I asked mildly.

“Because… well, because you are my Jamai Sa,” she stammered.

I nodded towards Shivina.

“Is this your daughter?”

“Chee, no! She’s a servant in our palace,” she replied, throwing a scornful look at my bride.

“Well, since I am married to her,how on earth can I be your fucking Jamai Sa?” I roared.

She took three steps back and tripped and stumbled at the fury in my voice.

“RV, calm down. Let’s talk this through,” said Isha, who had followed me into the room, but I ignored her.

“How dare you people think you could get away with deceiving me?” I asked softly, trying to hold onto my temper.

“Baby, it was just a small mistake. We can correct it right away. I’ll go home with you after the bidaai, and we can get married in court as planned,” said Kavya, coming to stand by me.

“That might be slightly difficult because, you see, unlike you Dodiyas, my word means something to me. I made seven vows to this woman in front of the agni, and I intend to fulfil them all,” I promised grimly.

Shivina blanched at the threat in my voice.

“Hukum,” she began hoarsely.

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped. “Don’t ever call me that, Rani Sa.”

She looked like she was about to faint when I addressed her as Rani Sa. But that’s what she became when she chose to marry me. And that’s what she would be for the rest of her life. That was the price she had to pay.

“What the hell do you mean?” demanded Kavya. “I’m the woman you were supposed to marry.”

“Then you should have been at the mandap as planned,” I retorted, and she backed down immediately.

“Baby, I know you’re upset with me. But don’t take it out on Shivina. She’s way out of her depth right now. Just look at her. She looks like she’s about to throw up.”

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