Page 40 of A Royal Deception

“That’s exactly why I tried my luck with the operator who organised their desert safari. He’s an event manager who’s quite famous for that sort of thing. But I know him as the creep who used to film couples having sex in the honeymoon suite of a luxury palace hotel. I busted his racket a few years ago and threatened to reopen the case if he didn’t cooperate with me in this case. Turns out he hasn’t quit his old hobbies completely. He sent me screen grabs of the video he recorded last night.”

Raksha opened the folder and pulled out a sheaf of photographs, each one more incriminating than the other. Shivina tilted her head to see the pictures and flushed brightly when she realised what was happening in them.

“Is that Baisa?”

“Yep,” said Raksha, sounding pleased with herself. “Princess Kavya and her seven strippers. She had quite the orgy last night. I’m surprised she could even walk this morning.”

“Eww,” cried Shivina, pushing the photos away. “I don’t want to see that. And you can’t possibly show these pictures to her parents. Raja Sa doesn’t deserve the humiliation, even if his wife and daughter do.”

“Too bad! They invited the humiliation when they chose to deceive me,” I said angrily. “And I can’t wait to deliver it in person. Call for the chopper, Raksha. And tell the battalion to stand down. There’s no place for them in the chopper.”

CHAPTER 16

SHIVINA

When the chopper landed on the grounds of Sajjangarh Palace, the decorations for the wedding were still standing. In the light of everything that had happened today, they seemed a bit macabre, as if Rani Sa was still holding out hope that her daughter would be reunited with His Highness.

I shivered at the thought and wrapped the heavy veil around my shoulders like a shawl. His Highness was still in his wedding clothes, as well, because we hadn’t stopped to change. All my clothes were here anyway, and I only had one thought in mind. I had to get to Zarna before Rani Sa tortured her any more.

I half expected my sister to be waiting for me in the courtyard, but I knew the Dodiyas would never make it so easy. Thankfully, we had brought reinforcements in the form of Raksha and Rajiv, who was a shark of a lawyer on His Highness’s team.

On the short ride from Mirpur to Sajjangarh, I could think of nothing but His Highness’s crazy, impossible proposal.

Of course, I wasn’t considering it seriously. I mean, there was more to me than just a uterus, right? I wanted a real marriage someday. Not right away, but someday when Zarna was all grown up, and I had the time and energy to think about my future.

And yet, when I tried to think of the man I’d marry someday, I discovered that the image in my mind wasn’t that of an unknown, faceless stranger. It strongly resembled a face that had begun to haunt my dreams of late. A face that was currently looking out of the chopper’s window and scowling at something below us.

I’d have to get this marriage annulled, of course. We couldn’t just walk away from it unscathed. Ohmigod, I was going to have to stand in front of a judge and admit to what I’d done. That alone was enough to tempt me into saying yes to His Highness.

I sighed heavily. It was time to be completely honest with myself. I was already tempted to say yes to him. And not because of the money or the title of Maharani. It was because of him. Because he fascinated me like no man had ever done before. I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and just like a dumb moth, I was about to get my wings singed.

I had no business falling for someone who was so out of my reach. But as the helicopter began a descent into Sajjangarh, I wondered what it would be like to be really married to this man. What if I was allowed to reach out and trace his corded forearms? What if I had the right to wind a finger around his and tug him towards me?

And then, I sighed again because I remembered that all such rights would only be temporary, and they’d evaporate as soon as I’d produced his heir. I resolved to end this madness as soon as we returned to the palace with Zarna.

Which in turn reminded me that I had nowhere to take her. Rani Sa was not likely to give me a reference after this fiasco, and no hotel would hire me without one. It wasn’t going to be easy for me to get a job now, and I still had to pay Zarna’s school fees. And I had to rent a flat in a safe locality. The weight of my responsibilities settled heavily around my shoulders, and I stumbled as I climbed out of the chopper.

His Highness put an arm around me to steady me, and I wondered if I could lay all my worries on his broad, strong shoulders. Much good it would do me, though. He only saw me as a uterus, I reminded myself.

Rani Sa, Kavya Baisa and Diggi Mausi were running towards us.

“You’ve come back for me,” cried Baisa, but then, she noticed His Highness’s arm around my shoulder, and her face darkened in anger.

“Where’s Zarna?” I demanded before she could start ranting. “We’re here for my sister.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” said Rani Sa nastily. “We can have both you thieving sisters thrown in jail.”

His Highness held up one finger in warning.

“You’re skating on very thin ice, Your Highness. If I were you, I wouldn’t compound your sins by making wild, unsupported accusations against the Maharani of Mirpur,” he said icily.

“Maharani? She’s a fucking servant,” spat Kavya Baisa furiously.

“She. Is. My. Wife,” roared His Highness, and Baisa and her mother both jumped in fright. “I have been very patient with the two of you, but now my patience is waning. You dared to deceive me at my own wedding? How did you even think you could get away with it?”

“It was her fault,” whined Baisa.

“Yes,” chimed in her mother with a baleful look at me. “It was going so well until you discovered it wasn’t Kavya under the veil. I’m sure Shivina revealed it on purpose. Just to spite my daughter.”

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