Page 8 of A Royal Deception

“Hold onto your panties, Lajwanti. I’ll be there in a minute,” I said as soon as he answered.

“Only my wife calls me that! And where the hell did you go? The Pandit Ji is getting impatient. He doesn’t hold truck with taking so many pictures. Get out here before he doubles the price of the dakshina,” he ordered.

“Hold him off for just a minute. I’m on my way,” I lied.

When I hung up, Shivina was staring at the laddoo in her hand.

“I’m needed out there. Will you be alright? Listen, I’ll support you if you want to press charges against Sangram,” I promised.

She shook her head.

With one last look at her downcast head, I began to walk away, but her words stopped me in my tracks before I got too far.

“How did you know we were in this room?” she asked.

“I was passing by and heard you threaten to scream the place down,” I lied.

She stared at me thoughtfully, and I wondered if she believed me. If she didn’t, she didn’t show it.

“Thank you, your Highness,” she said softly.

“Finish your laddoo,” I said gruffly before I turned around and left the room.

I wondered what she’d do if she knew that I hadn’t stumbled upon them by accident. I had followed them here. Hell, I’d practically leapt off the dais as soon as I saw Sangram lead her off the terrace. I had been held up for a couple of minutes by one of Ma’s cronies, which was why Sangram even got as far as he did. I couldn’t toss the poor old lady out of my way without attracting attention. But now, I was done.

Shivina was safe. And it was time I went back to Ramya…no! Kavya!It was time I went back to Kavya.

CHAPTER 4

SHIVINA

The last thing I wanted to do right now was eat a laddoo, but I forced myself to finish the whole damn thing. Becauseheasked me to finish it. He ordered me to finish it. What did it say about me that a man I barely knew ordered me to do something I didn’t want to, and I felt compelled to do it for his sake? Did that make me a doormat? A pushover?

I sighed heavily as I looked for a tissue to wipe my sticky fingers. At this point, I’d do anything for this beast of a man who looked scary enough to devour me alive but went out of his way to protect a woman he did not know at all.

I shook out the skirts of my poshak and straightened my odhani. It was time to rejoin the crowds. Otherwise, Rani Sa would think I was slacking off. Rani Sa came looking for me when I made my way to the back of the terrace.

“Where have you been?” she demanded suspiciously.

“I was helping the Mirpur staff bring up some more food from the kitchens,” I lied.

“Hmph! I better not find out that you’ve been stealing anything,” she grunted, and it took all my restraint to stay silent.

She was baiting me intentionally because she wanted a reason to kick me out. I knew the miserly royal resented the amount she had to pay for Zarna’s fees, but her husband, the Raja Sa, had a kind heart, and he was worried about how we’d get on in the world without their support. Rani Sa was just waiting for a chance to be rid of us, and I was going to make sure I never gave her an excuse to boot us out of the palace. I could put up with any amount of abuse for Zarna’s sake.

“Ji, Rani Sa,” I murmured, with my eyes downcast.

“Don’t wander off again,” she warned before she stalked off towards the front of the terrace.

She was all smiles as she joined the group at the dais. I craned my neck to see what was happening, and my stomach sank when the DJ turned off the Bollywood dance music and began to play numbers oozing romance. Ugh!

His Highness and Kavya Baisa were about to exchange rings. I wished I didn’t have to see this. For some reason, it felt like an unseen hand was squeezing my heart tightly. I didn’t know why I should mind so much. If there was anyone who deserved some happiness after what he had lost, it was His Highness. So why did the sight of Kavya Baisa sliding a ring on his finger coyly turn my stomach? The laddoo threatened to make a sudden reappearance, and I took a few deep breaths to ease the tightness in my chest.

The guests cheered loudly, and the happy couple gazed at each other lovingly. I blinked back tears as I silently wished him all the happiness in the world.

This was just gratitude, I told myself. For rescuing me. It was just the stress of the past hour that was making me overly emotional.

I took another deep breath and forced myself to look away. The Mirpur staff was starting to set up the dinner buffet. I went over to them and started helping out even though no one had asked me to do anything because I needed something to take my attention off the couple posing for photographs with their families.

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