Page 50 of A Royal Deception

Then she stared at me suspiciously.

“What’s wrong with your face?” she asked.

I felt my face, and nothing seemed out of place. I ran to the mirror to check, and again, I found nothing.

“What is it?” I asked in confusion.

The corners of Shivina’s lips turned up in a slow, wicked smile that made my heart slam into my ribcage.

“Nothing. I was just surprised to see the ferociously grumpy Maharaja smile for a change,” she replied before she sauntered out of the room.

I turned back to the mirror and realised she was right. Iwassmiling.

Which was surprising, seeing how my life plans had been overturned just a day ago.

A few hours later, we were all on the terrace where I’d got engaged to Kavya barely a week ago, enjoying a leisurely breakfast after the morning’s round of rituals. Shivina was wearing one of my mother’s outfits because she had refused to touch the clothes Ma had bought for Kavya.

“Uff, she’s so stubborn,” said Kumudini Kaki Sa, sounding horrified as she threw herself into the chair next to me. “Beta, she threatened to attend the puja in her pyjamas. It was only when Didi Sa offered her a never-worn lehenga from her collection that she calmed down and agreed to dress like a Maharani. I know you mean well, Ranvijay beta, but think again. For the sake of your family’s pride, think about whether this is the kind of woman who should raise the next Mirpur Maharaja.”

Diya, who was sitting next to me, put a hand on my arm to contain my outburst, but I refused to rise to Kaki Sa’s bait because Shivina didn’t look upset about the issue, and neither did my mother. I was surprised to see my aunt at the puja because I thought she’d left the palace in a state of high dudgeon last night, but she’d clearly chosen not to cut off all ties with the palace. As long as she’d left Sangram back home, I had no objection to her presence in my house.

“I’d say that’s exactly how a Maharani should behave. You can’t expect her to wear Kavya’s rejects, Kaki Sa. And she showed my mother immense respect when she agreed to wear her clothes. What more do you expect?”

“But… but…”

I held up a hand, and my aunt froze at the icy smile on my face.

“Shivina will only add to the family’s pride, Kaki Sa. Unlike some people who are born into royalty but choose to behave like trash. I hope Sangram is doing well this morning,” I said meaningfully.

Kaki Sa pursed her lips and looked away before she rose from the chair with a muttered excuse. I turned to Diya, who was munching on a huge plate of chopped watermelon slathered with what looked like mayonnaise and chilli oil. I shuddered at the sight, and she smiled sweetly as she offered me a piece.

“That’s disgusting,” I said, trying not to gag.

“It’s delicious,” she insisted, munching away happily.

“If you’d stop eating for a minute, woman, I need your help.”

“I can help you even while I’m eating,” she retorted. “Because, unlike you poor men, women are capable of multitasking.”

Just then, Isha stomped over to our table.

“Diya, you fluffy-headed freak! You locked me in the tijori room,” she said angrily.

Diya looked up from her watermelon in surprise.

“No, I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did!” insisted Isha. “You promised Nandini Aunty you’d lock up the room after we cleaned up the pieces of jewellery she wanted.”

“And I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but you forgot I was in there. I turned my back for one second to make sure we hadn’t left any jewellery out in the open, and the next second, the door slammed shut, and I realised you’d locked me in. It took me ages to get out of there because you took my phone with you, too.”

“I’m so sorry, babe. Blame it on pregnancy brain, but I got this sudden craving for watermelon as we finished up in there, and I made straight for the kitchen to request a plate of the cut fruit,” said Diya sheepishly.

“Pregnancy brain doesn’t give you the right to almost assassinate your best friend, you moron,” grumbled Isha as she took up a seat on my other side.

“If this is an example of your multitasking, I’m so screwed,” I said in dismay.

---