Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
DHEER
I took Diya by the arm and dragged her towards the waiting car. The sooner we got into the bulletproof vehicle, the safer we’d be. She came with me unwillingly and I shoved her into the backseat before I went to stow the bazooka safely in the boot of the car.
My men directed the backed-up traffic until it started flowing smoothly again. The cowards had waited in the safety of their vehicles as Ayush’s men had attacked an innocent woman. And now, they sped on their way without a backward glance. I wondered if any of them had recorded the incident on their phones, and whether they’d have the balls to post the videos online. But most of these vehicles were truck drivers who knew not to stick their noses into what didn’t concern them, and the rest were locals who knew how to keep quiet about what happened in their city.
“Have someone tow the Rolls back to the palace,” I instructed as I got into the car.
My poor Dhanno had taken quite a beating today, but she was a sturdy car. She’d be back to normal with a bit of TLC. I couldn’t say the same about Diya, though. She stared unseeingly outside the window as we drove back to the palace. She had been attacked for the second time in twenty-four hours. And still, she had fought back. I couldn’t imagine from where she dredged up this strength.
I reached out and gently squeezed her hand, and her fingers curled around mine for a few seconds before she pulled her hand away. I got the message loud and clear. Diya still hadn’t forgiven me for betraying her nine years ago. She would take my help because she needed it, but nothing more.
Well, it wasn’t as if I wanted any more either, I reminded myself. For some reason, that sounded a bit hollow. I shook the thought off and smiled as I realised that one good thing did come out of this whole mess. Diya would never marry Ayush, and if that wasn’t a win, I didn’t know what was.
“Did you speak to your parents?”
“I spoke to them last night,” she replied dully.
“Veer is on his way.”
She turned around in surprise at that.
“Did he call you?”
I nodded ruefully at the memory of that angry phone call.
“For the first time in nine years,” I replied sadly. “He still hasn’t forgiven me. And neither have you.”
She straightened in her seat and finally met my eyes.
“And we never will,” she informed me coldly. “So keep your hands to yourself, you cheating bastard.”
“Or what?” I asked drily.
“Fuck around and find out,” she invited with a feral smile.
The smile drew my gaze to her plump lips and I wondered how she’d react if I traced her smile with my tongue.
“Don’t even think about it,” she hissed, reading my intention in my gaze.
I smiled slowly and her glare intensified. Before either of us could move, the car drew to a halt, and I realised that we had reached the palace.
The valet rushed to open the door and Diya got out of the car without a backward glance. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that she was a guest in my house and that I had no business messing with her. When I followed her out, I was surprised to see her mother standing by the front door. And the Maharani of Jadhwal wasn’t alone. The Rani of Mirpur, Nandini Devi, stood next to her, looking very worried as they both hugged Diya in turn.
“Are you okay? Why did you run off without telling anyone?” demanded Diya’s mother angrily. “We’ve been so worried about you.”
“I was trying to get home,” replied Diya defensively. “I could hardly stay here. Ma.”
“Why not? Isha is your friend, after all,” said her mother, pretending she couldn’t understand what her daughter was saying.
“Yes, but Dheer isn’t,” hissed Diya, shooting me an angry glance.
“None of that matters in an emergency,” grumbled her mother.
“Her Highness is right,” I said smoothly. “What matters is that Diya is safe.”
“For now,” said Nandini Devi. “I’m so sorry, my dear. I had no idea the Goels were such thugs. I would never have introduced you to that monster if I had known.”
“That’s alright, Your Highness. It’s not your fault,” said Diya stiffly.
“Oh, but I feel so guilty about it. If only I could fix this mess for you somehow,” replied the Rani Ma mistily.
She glanced at me and the misty look in her eyes was replaced by a crafty one that I didn’t trust one bit.
“Why don’t we head inside?” I asked hastily. “I’m sure we’re all ready for a hearty breakfast.”
“I couldn’t eat a thing! Not when my baby’s life is in danger,” wailed Diya’s mother, casting me an accusing glance.
“We’re easy targets for Ayush’s snipers if we stay out in the courtyard for too long,” I said bluntly, and she stepped back into the house at my words. Diya and I followed her in.
“Breakfast is served in the dining room, Your Highness,” said Ramsingh, with a bow.
“And the family?”
He tilted his head towards the dining room in response. That meant Diya’s mother was about to come face to face with my grandmother. They shared a very hostile relationship since I had flaunted Raksha at Diya’s birthday party nine years ago, and I braced myself for the fireworks that were to follow.
My mother would do her best to keep the peace, but she was no match for the combined belligerence of my grandmother and Diya’s mother. However, my mother had an unexpected ally in the Rani Ma of Mirpur, who exerted her powers of diplomacy to the fullest, and between them, she and my mother managed to keep the warring parties at opposite ends of the breakfast table.
But in doing so, they placed Diya to my right. I saw them share a conspiratorial glance and glowered at my mother for her less-than-subtle scheming. She had always wanted me to marry Diya and had been heartbroken when I let her down.
Well, she was destined to be disappointed because Diya didn’t even look at me throughout the meal. I mean, I didn’t expect her to be overcome with gratitude, but she could at least have acknowledged my existence once in a while. I did risk my life to save hers, I mused, as I tore into an omelette viciously. She kept her eyes on her scrambled eggs and stayed out of the conversation unless spoken to.
“Randheer, what’s going on? Why are we embroiled in such an ugly affair?” demanded my grandmother imperiously.
I smiled at her coldly.
“What kind of a Rajput would I be if I ran away from the scene when Diya was being attacked? Besides, the Trikheras and Jadhwals have been allies since the sixteenth century,” I reminded her.
She made a face as if she’d spotted a mouse running across the snowy white tablecloth.
“It’s a pity you didn’t teach your daughter to be more ladylike, Raji,” she said snidely. “Why did she have to go tramping all over Goel House at all? All of this could have been avoided if she had only behaved like a guest and stayed in her room.”
“I’m sorry I’ve put you all to so much trouble, but I’m not sorry I witnessed Ayush’s crime,” said Diya defiantly. “At least that poor woman won’t be forgotten so easily. I won’t let her be forgotten.”
Dadi Sa opened her mouth to breathe fire like the old, scaly dragon that she was, but Nandini Devi fended her off by offering her some juice, and Ma stepped into the breach.
“Dheer… beta, what is the situation with the Goels right now?” she asked.
I wanted to reassure them all and tell them that I had everything under control, but one look at Diya’s determined face told me that she still hadn’t understood exactly where she stood. I bet she was dying to go back home and stir up more trouble with whatever police officers her father had in his pocket. I decided to go with the truth.
“The Goels have declared war,” I informed the table.
They all turned to me in stunned silence, until Diya snorted in derision.
“War? They aren’t a country to declare war,” she scoffed.
“They might not be a country, but they do have an army, Diya,” I said grimly. “An army of coked-up thugs who have nothing better to do than intimidate the villagers.”
“What does that even mean?” she demanded. “What do they want?”
“They want you. Correction, they want you dead. Ayush Goel’s mother has put a bounty on your head. Fifty lakhs to whoever kills you and brings her your body as proof of death.”
She went pale at my words, and her fork slid out of her hand and fell on the table with a clang.
“I knew that woman was a nasty piece of work,” hissed Isha, as she put an arm around Diya’s shoulder. “But we’ll keep her safe, right, Bhai Sa?”
“We will… as long as she stops running away from our palace,” I clarified. “I cannot guarantee that I will get there in time to rescue you next time, Diya. You were lucky I saw you speeding down the driveway this morning and came after you.”
“Please! That gold-plated bail-gaadi of yours cannot speed anywhere,” she mumbled.
I was glad to see that fear hadn’t dulled her sharp tongue, although I deeply resented the slur on my Dhanno. I took a deep breath because I refused to squabble with her in front of both our families like a preschooler.
“Dhanno kept you safe today, and you know it,” I bit out. “And you wouldn’t have been in that position if you hadn’t run away from the house like a thief.”
My grandmother tutted under her breath at this evidence of further bad behaviour and Diya’s mother glared at her.
“I wouldn’t have had to run away at all if you hadn’t held me hostage, Your Highness,” snapped Diya. And why are you suddenly acting like the vidhaata of Trikhera? Keeping me safe is not your responsibility. My father will come down here with a police escort and he’ll get me home safely.”
“Do you even understand what is at stake here, Diya? Ayush Goel is not your garden-variety criminal. He is the heir to the multi-billion dollar Goel empire. If he goes to jail on a murder charge, their shares will crash overnight and the empire will come crashing down because the investigation will blow open all the dirty secrets about how they make their money. They aren’t going to let you put their very existence at risk,” I explained as patiently as I could. “And a police escort means nothing. They run the local cops like errand boys. And Ayush’s father has more dirt on every cop in the state than they have on him. If you’re not careful, your police escort will gun down your entire family on the drive back to Jadhwal and blame it on highway bandits.”
She drew in a sharp breath as the gravity of the situation finally got to her.
“Isn’t there anything you can do, beta?” asked Ma worriedly.
“I’m trying my best, Ma. I’ve told Kirori Ji to make it clear to the Goels that Diya is under my protection.”
“But why should I need your protection at all? We live in a civilised country. Are you telling me there isn’t one agency in the whole country that can keep me safe?”
“People like the Goels operate a parallel, underground ecosystem in the country, Diya. They have cops, lawyers, judges and politicians on a monthly payroll. You cannot win against them so easily. The only thing that can scare them off is someone even more powerful than them,” said Nandini Devi.
Diya turned to her in disbelief.
“Your Highness, are you trying to tell me that the Goels will be scared of Dheer? But why?”
“Because they know what I’m capable of doing to them,” I said quietly.
“And what is that?” she demanded.
“I’ve had a few run-ins with the Goels before this, Diya. They know I will hunt them down if they touch what is mine.”
“So now we just have to convince them that you belong to Dheer,” said Nandini Devi happily.
“Excuse me?” sputtered Diya. “I’m a person, not a possession. And I belong to no one.”
“If you’re as smart as you like to think you are, you will see sense in what the Rani Ma is suggesting,” snapped Diya’s mother.
“Dheer and I haven’t set eyes on each other in nine years, Ma,” argued Diya.
“Uff! None of that will matter once you’re married. You have the rest of your lives to get to know each other,” said Nandini Devi smugly.
Diya and I turned to stare at each other in horror, and then at her.
“ What ?” we yelled in unison.
“It’s the perfect solution. And the only way to keep her safe, Randheer. You have to marry her!”