Page 9 of A Royal Deception

I tried not to look at His Highness again because I refused to ogle another woman’s fiancé, but I could hardly refuse when the Mirpur housekeeper asked me to serve at the head table. I could feel his eyes on me when I offered him some kebabs from the platter that a waiter held for me, but I kept my eyes on his silver plate.

“Thank you, Shivina,” he said gravely.

I bobbed my head in response and moved on to Kavya Baisa, who shook her head without a word. But before I could move to the next person in the row, I went sprawling to the ground. The waiter next to me had the presence of mind to hold on to the kebab platter. Otherwise, the heavy tray would have landed on the head of one of the VIP guests.

His Highness leapt to his feet.

“Are you okay?” he asked in concern.

The waiter helped me up, and I nodded slightly, wincing at Rani Sa’s furious expression as she stood up and came rushing towards me.

“Shivina! What are you doing? I’m so sorry, Jamai Sa. I shouldn’t have sent this girl anywhere near your table. She’s completely useless. Bewakoof!”

The Mirpur housekeeper came up to us calmly and took over from me, and I didn’t look at any of them as I walked away, holding on to the tattered fragments of my dignity. I wasn’tuseless at all, but who would believe me if I told them the truth? That the beautiful but vicious bride had tripped me on purpose.

Kavya Baisa had stuck out a dainty little foot and tripped me just as I was about to move to the person next to her. I wondered why she felt the need to humiliate me like that. She had everything. She was rich, titled, loved and pampered, and now she was engaged to a wonderful man. What more did she want?

I went back to the big kitchen that occupied most of the space at the back of the palace. The housekeeper came in soon after and headed straight to me. I braced myself for an earful because I had violated the cardinal rule of most palaces. Servants should neither be seen nor heard. We had to move like mice - discreetly and quietly. If we had been in Sajjangarh, Rani Sa would have slapped me hard, but she had to be on her best behaviour in her Jamai Sa’s palace. I had no doubt the housekeeper would do the needful on her behalf.

She came up close to me and studied me for a minute.

“Eh ladki, tell me the truth. What happened to you out there?” she demanded.

“I’m sorry, Mausi,” I replied. “I tripped. I’ll be more careful next time.”

I wasn’t going to waste my breath defending myself because what was the point?

“Hmm… I’m not one to be disloyal to my Hukum,” she grunted. “But the truth is the truth. Is it true that Hukum’s new fiancée tripped you? The waiter told me so.”

I stared at a corner above her head and kept my face blank.

“I have no idea what happened,” I insisted.

She shook her head in exasperation.

“Watch your back with that one, beta. She seems to get her kicks out of torturing the servants. Well, she won’t get any joy out of that in this palace because my Rani Ma will not put upwith such behaviour, and neither will my Hukum. Now, go make up a nice plate for yourself and join me at my table. I want to hear all about you.”

She was so motherly that I couldn’t keep up my poker face. I unbent and followed her to a massive, scarred wooden table in the back of the kitchen. Sannata Mausi served me a heaping plate of food and sat down next to me to make sure I ate it all. It was delicious, but it tasted like dust to me because I just wanted this miserable day to end. I wanted to go home to our room in the palace and curl up in bed with a good book, with Zarna in the matching single bed next to me.

“There’s nothing to tell, Mausi,” I said with a weary sigh.

But she was an expert at interrogating people, and with the skill of a CID Inspector, she ferreted out every little detail about me.

“I knew you were far too educated to be a servant. Why don’t you go out and get a job that’s suited to your skills?” she demanded. “Be brave, beta. Everything will fall in place as long as you’re willing to take the first difficult step.”

“It’s not as easy as that, Mausi.”

“But it isn’t even as difficult as you think it is,” she countered. “Sure, your life will be hard for a bit, but it isn’t easy even now. At least you’ll have your self-respect.”

She made a good point, I realised. Maybe it was time to move out from under Rani Sa’s thumb. I refused to work for someone who treated me like dirt. I had done nothing to deserve the humiliation that Kavya Baisa had dished out today. Sannata Mausi was right. She did get her kicks from torturing me. How long would it be before she and Rani Sa turned their eyes on Zarna?

“I’ll think about it,” I promised.

I stayed out of sight until it was time to leave, and it was with a huge sigh of relief that I climbed into the mini-bus that wastransporting the staff back to Sajjangarh. The royal family had already left in their posh cars. I didn’t see His Highness again, which was a good thing. I was a little miffed that he hadn’t come to the kitchen to check on me, but why should he, I asked myself sternly. I was a nobody, and he was engaged to Kavya Baisa.

And my attraction to him was one-sided. After all, I could hardly be the first woman to be so fascinated with him. He was probably used to it by now. And he had done nothing to encourage it. If I read something more into his kindness, that was my problem. He would have done the same for any woman who was being attacked.

It was past midnight when we reached home, but Zarna was still awake when I trudged into our room.

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