Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
SHIVINA
T his man would be the death of me.
The Rani of Sajjangarh turned her gimlet gaze at me when the edge of the tray in my hand poked her in the small of her back, and I quaked in my Kolhapuri chappals as I dragged my eyes away from the bridegroom and steadied the tray.
It wasn’t that I intended to stare at His Highness so openly. For some reason, every time our eyes met, it was impossible for me to look away. It was as if his eyes cast a spell on me. Damn him and his Harry Potter eyes! They were going to get me fired from my job!
Ranvijay Singh Rathore was the most beautiful man I had ever met. Actually, he was more like a mountain than a man. He was huge! I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes. And he was built like a tank, with those wide shoulders and powerful arms. And that stubble, uff! I had no idea a bad-boy stubble could be such a turn-on. I shuddered at the thought of how it would feel against my skin.
Get a grip, Shivina, I said to myself as the women in front of me began to move again.
I passed my tray along the line to Kavya Baisa’s aunt and hung behind as our entourage followed her to the dais. The rules at the palace were very clear. Servants had to stay out of sight at all times, and I was never allowed to forget that I was nothing more than a servant. It didn’t matter that my father had been the estate manager for years. After his death, my sister and I were treated as burdens on the royal family and tolerated only because of my father’s service to the family.
I knew my place and had never aspired to be anything more to them. If I had my way, I’d walk out of the palace and make my own way in the world. I had a degree in hotel management, but I had no work experience because my father had died soon after I graduated. That was a little over a year ago. The new estate manager had moved into our little house overnight, and I’d had to beg Rani Sa for a place to stay for the sake of my younger sister, Zarna, who was only thirteen at the time.
Zarna was brilliant. A genius, even. And someday, she was going to be an astronaut. The Dodiyas paid for her fees at the expensive school she attended. After my father died, Rani Sa gave us a room in the palace and agreed to keep paying Zarna’s fees as long as I made myself useful in the palace.
That was the only reason why I swallowed my pride and put up with Rani Sa’s insults and Kavya Baisa’s slaps. I couldn’t deprive my sister of an excellent education just because they treated me badly.
But if they ever discovered that I had the hots for Kavya Baisa’s fiancée, they’d burn me alive. I wisely kept my eyes averted through the traditional meet and greet, where both sides exchanged sweets and presents.
I had assumed the actual ring exchange would happen after that, but Kavya Baisa wanted to take pictures. While the photographer urged the happy couple to pose together, Baisa wanted some solo pictures before the natural light went down at sunset. Strangely, His Highness didn’t seem to mind that. I wondered what kind of man he was to walk away from his fiancée so willingly without a backward glance. A quick glance at his hard profile almost made me feel sorry for Kavya Baisa. He looked like a man you wouldn’t want to cross. Ever.
I had heard a lot about him from Rani Sa. His Highness was a hotshot lawyer who had lived in the US for years. Apparently, his first wife was ethereally beautiful, and everyone said he still mourned her untimely death. Maybe his grief had turned him into stone. Mine sat like a ball of agony and fear right in the middle of my chest. I missed my Baba’s love for sure. But more than anything, I missed the security of his presence. I had no idea that his death would mean the death of my freedom as well. For overnight, I had turned from his pampered older child into little more than a bonded slave.
Kavya Baisa was busy with her pictures, and I was no longer needed, so Rani Sa nodded at me - a sign for me to disappear until she called me. I made my way to one of the stone benches at the back of the terrace and admired my surroundings. Mirpur Palace was beautiful, way more beautiful than Sajjangarh Palace, which was a showpiece rather than a home. This place retained a cosy feeling even though it was one of the stateliest homes in the country. The yellow sandstone of the palace glowed in the light of the setting sun. I settled my odhani over my head and wished Rani Sa had allowed me to wear something other than this drab sky-blue poshak that made my skin look dull.
My phone buzzed in the pocket of my skirt, and I snuck it out slowly to see if it was Zarna. To my surprise, it was a message from the recruiter for a big hotel chain in Jaipur, offering me an entry-level job at their new hotel. It was tempting to jump at the offer, but I forced myself to be sensible. The salary she offered was decent, but it wasn’t enough to cover the rent in a good neighbourhood.
All I could afford was a small two-bedroom apartment in a very seedy area in Jaipur. Even if Zarna was in school for half the day, she would still be alone at home for the rest of the day. I knew from my training days that the hours in the hotel industry were very long. How could I guarantee my sister’s safety if I had to leave her alone every day while I went to work? And how could I even afford her school fees on a starter salary?
With a sigh, I placed my phone in my pocket and looked up when all the guests cheered loudly. What was happening? Maybe they were finally getting on with the ring ceremony, and we could get out of here soon. To my dismay, the photographer requested His Highness to join Baisa for their engagement pictures. Ugh! Was this evening never going to end, I wondered.
The couple posed with the beautiful palace in the background.
“Hukum, smile,” ordered the photographer cheekily, but that only made His Highness glower at him fiercely.
I wondered what it would take to make the grumpy Maharaja smile. An act of God, probably, I decided with a smile of my own. As if he could hear my thoughts, he turned that glower on me across the terrace, and my heart leapt into my throat when his angry gaze burned into me. I wanted to get up and run, but for the life of me, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to run away from this beast of a man who glared at me like I’d stolen his family’s crown jewels or if I wanted to run right into his arms.
“He’s very handsome, isn’t he?” murmured someone next to me.
I turned around in surprise and found the Yuvarani of Jadhwal staring at me thoughtfully.
“Khamma ghani, Yuvarani Sa,” I murmured, making sure I kept my eyes on the ground.
My heart beat a frightened tattoo as I wondered if she had seen me lusting after the man who was a close friend of hers. I knew how palace grapevines worked. If this princess told anyone that she caught me drooling over Kavya Baisa’s fiancé, the news would find its way to Baisa’s ears, and I shuddered to think about what she’d do to me in retaliation. Baisa was not a kind woman. And her mother was even worse.
“Call me Isha,” she replied, and I had to restrain a snort of disbelief.
As if!
Rani Sa would skin me alive if she heard me address the princess so familiarly. I knew my place.
“Can I help you, Yuvarani Sa?” I asked pointedly, and the princess smiled gently.
“Have you eaten, Shivina? That’s your name, isn’t it?”
I was perplexed by the smile on her face. Why was she being so friendly? It was freaking me out. And how did she know my name?
“The staff will eat after the guests have eaten, Yuvarani Sa,” I said warily. Didn’t she know the ways of a palace?
Just then, someone called out to her, and she hissed in annoyance.
“I’m coming,” she replied loudly before she turned and winked at me. “Don’t move, Shivina. I’ll be right back.”
“But… why?” I asked in confusion. “Is there something I can do for you, Yuvarani Sa?”
She shook her head with a smile.
“I just want to get to know you better.”
“Me?” I asked suspiciously.
She nodded before she walked away to meet the person who had called out to her.
I shrugged off the odd conversation and looked around, trying to keep my eyes off the couple who was still being photographed. But as if pulled by a magnet, my eyes wandered back to His Highness, and I felt a pang in my chest when I saw him staring into Kavya Baisa’s eyes.
I wanted to look away, but I forced myself to keep looking at them because I wanted my heart to understand once and for all that this man was promised to another woman. I had no right to lust after him, even from a distance.
Someone cleared their throat next to me, and I was jerked out of my reverie. It was the creepy-looking man who had been trying to get friendly with me earlier. His Highness’s cousin, Prince Sangram Singh.
“Khamma ghani, Hukum,” I murmured, taking a discreet step away from him, but the pest came even closer. His elaichi-scented breath wafted over my face as he leaned forward, making me gag.
“The Rani Ma has given a few more presents for Kavya Bhabhi Sa’s extended family. Will you help me distribute them, Shivina?”
It wasn’t what he said. It was the way he said it that made me uncomfortable. Still, I had no choice but to do as he said. Rani Sa would be furious if she found out I had refused to help her Jamai Sa’s cousin just because he gave me the icks.
“Of course, Hukum,” I replied, forcing a smile.
“They are in one of the spare bedrooms down that corridor,” he said with a grin, and again, I wanted to throw up because every fibre in my being told me not to go into an empty bedroom with this man.
“If you just tell me where it is, I’ll find it, Hukum,” I said feebly.
“No, no! I have to show you. Come along now,” he insisted, leading me indoors.
I cast one desperate look back at the guests, wondering why no one had noticed this happening right under their noses. I couldn’t raise my voice and refuse to go with him because that would humiliate the Mirpur family, but there was no way I was going to let this motherfucker molest me, I decided.
The corridor was empty because all the guests were outside on the terrace. I didn’t even see any staff hanging about. Just my luck, I thought despairingly. I’d give anything to see another human being right now. Even a chance burglar trying to get his hands on some of the family’s jewellery. But we didn’t bump into a single soul.
“I’ll take it from here, Hukum,” I said, trying my luck one last time.
“Oh no! I couldn’t allow you to wander around all alone. It’s a huge palace, and you could get lost for days,” he replied unctuously.
Sangram pushed open the door to a bedroom with a quick look around and gestured for me to enter.
“The stuff is right there on the big table, with a list of recipients. You need to distribute those presents carefully,” he said.
I knew there were no presents, but I couldn’t say so without insulting him, so I entered the room reluctantly. As expected, the room was empty save for the trays of sweets piled on the big table, ready to be distributed among the guests after the ring ceremony.
“There’s nothing here,” I said and turned to leave, but he barred my way.
“What’s your hurry?” he asked with a laugh that sent shivers up my spine.
“I think I can hear my Rani Sa calling me, Hukum,” I said shakily. “I must go.”
“I don’t hear anything,” he replied, with a shrug, reaching out to place his arm around my shoulders.
“Don’t touch me, Hukum. Or I’ll call for help,” I threatened, backing away.
A sly light came into his eyes.
“And what’s that going to achieve? You know you’ll only get into trouble with your Rani Sa. Come on, now. I’m just being friendly.”
“I don’t want to be friends with you,” I spat. “Let me leave before I scream the place down.”
“But I’m just talking to you, Shivina. There’s nothing to scream about,” he replied huffily. “Besides, who’s going to believe you anyway?”
“I will,” snarled His Highness Ranvijay Singh Rathore from the open door.
Sangram turned around with a frightened yelp.
“Bhai Sa, I was just…”
But His Highness didn’t allow him to finish his sentence. He grabbed him by the collar and shook him like a rat before he threw him across the room.
“I know what you were doing, you swine,” he growled, advancing on the smaller man. “I warned you not to mess with her. You didn’t listen to me, and now it’s time to pay the price.”
“I’ll tell my mother,” cried Sangram. “And yours! She won’t be happy to hear you’ve been assaulting your brother for no reason.”
“Try it, I dare you! When my mother hears that you tried to assault a woman in our palace, she will slap you harder than I ever could,” retorted His Highness, just before he raised his arm to punch the snivelling rat.
But before he could land the punch, Sangram ducked and ran out of the room. I thought His Highness would follow him out, but he turned to me instead.