Chapter 9
SAMRAT
Here, I wasn’t the hunter. I was the one being hunted. By matchmaking mamas and their daughters. I’d been dodging dinner invitations as well as other, less savoury invitations.
“You assholes should have warned me that some of your guests have a strong kink for army men,” I grumbled as I stumbled onto the terrace. “Do you know how many women offered me a quick fuck or a handjob in the garden?”
There was a choking sound, and I turned around to see Meher staring at me in horror, her mouth bulging with something.
Knowing her, it had to be something with cheese.
I frowned as that thought popped into my head.
I didn’t know Meher. Not anymore. I really had to stop connecting this woman to the girl I knew eight years ago.
She hastily swallowed whatever she was eating and coughed a little as some of it went the wrong way.
Isha began to laugh at our distress, and soon everyone joined in.
Everyone but Meher and me. We scowled at each other.
I didn’t know why she looked so grumpy, but I had just been propositioned by far more women than I cared to know, and I’d just announced that to the woman I’d been trying to forget for the past eight years.
“So, I take it, your social debut has been as disastrous as Meher’s?” asked Shivina.
Debut? What did she mean? I’d have assumed Meher was ruling the roost as far as our social circle was concerned. At least that’s how it seemed eight years ago.
“Don’t tell me you’re not Jaipur’s little darling anymore,” I drawled sarcastically.
A hush fell over the little group, and I noticed the women watching Meher worriedly. She drew herself up with dignity, even though her eyes shot angry little icicles at me.
“No thanks to your family,” she shot back, and I frowned.
“What the hell did we do?”
“Between you and Nilanjana, you made sure my reputation was torn to shreds overnight,” she spat furiously.
“Babe, you did a number on your own reputation,” I pointed out just as furiously. “Don’t try to pin that on me.”
Meher let out a little scream of frustration before she straightened your spine.
“You know what? You can keep your stupid opinions to yourself, you pompous ass! Go fu…mmmppphhh,”
The rest of her words were muffled by Diya slamming her hand over Meher’s mouth and dragging her away to the other side of the terrace, with Isha hot on her heels. But I got the gist. There was really no point in continuing this ridiculous conversation.
“Shivina, thank you for inviting me. But I think it’s time I took my leave,” I began politely, but she let out a snort of derision.
“Not bloody likely, Major Sahab. Sit your ass down,” she ordered.
“I beg your pardon?” I asked frostily.
“The only person whose pardon you should be begging is that woman out there. But you’re too blind to realise that.”
“I’ll thank you to stay out of my personal life, Shivina,” I said, but instead of getting offended, she laughed.
“One day, you’ll thank me for not doing exactly that. Trust me, Samrat.”
Ranvijay groaned loudly.
“Babe, no! I know you think you’re some sort of desi Olivia Pope, but you’re not. You’re just extremely meddlesome,” he said severely.
“Don’t be rude, Your Stupidness,” she told him, with a wink. “This is the only way to solve both their problems.”
“What problem?” I asked, feeling like this conversation was getting way out of control.
“Samrat, what do you need right now?”
“A stiff drink,” I replied immediately.
“You think you’re funny?” she snapped, and I resisted the urge to salute her.
When she was annoyed, Shivina was scarier than any Commanding Officer I’d ever had.
“Are you serious about reconnecting with your old acquaintances or not? If you aren’t, walk away now, because Meher is dead serious, and I don’t want you messing up her chances at rebuilding her life. ”
What exactly did she mean by that? Why would Meher need to rebuild her life at all? And what exactly did it entail?
“Is she looking for a husband?” I bit out, against my will.
Why did it matter to me if she was? My sympathies were with the pitiful bastard, whoever he was.
He’d never know a day’s peace after he married her.
I didn’t know why I felt the need to hunt the asshole down and bury him deep in the desert where nobody would find him.
Probably, only to save him a lifetime of pain.
“No, I’m not looking for a fucking husband,” exclaimed Meher, joining us again. She had clearly heard my question, and she was not happy. “I’m looking for something much better…independence. So kindly stay the fuck out of my way, Maj. Deora.”
“Happy to oblige, princess,” I shot back.
“If the two of you are done squabbling, I’d like to propose a solution to both your problems,” said Shivina calmly.
“Ooh, I can’t wait to hear this,” said Isha, rubbing her hands together gleefully.
“Troublemaker,” said her husband, Ranveer, fondly.
I rolled my eyes in disgust. These men were completely pussy-whipped. God forbid they bring that energy into my life. I had no intention of allowing a woman to lead me around with a ring in my nose.
“Meher’s problem is that she cannot outrun the shadow of her past,” said Shivina.
When I shot her a sceptical look, she nodded firmly.
“She’s trying to start a luxury safari experience at her ancestral palace in Matta, but these snooty royals have shunned her because of what happened eight years ago. You know how hyper-moralistic they are. She needs to woo them, but she needs some kind of redemption.”
I got what she was saying, but I didn’t like where she was going with it.
“On the other hand, you are hot property right now. You’re a decorated special forces officer and newly minted Maharaja. Single, good-looking, filthy rich, and hence, super eligible. You cannot step out in society without being hunted down like the deer your ancestors used to hunt.”
“A deer in headlights! That’s exactly what he looks like right now,” said Meher sarcastically, and I glowered at her, wishing I could do something to shut her up. Like maybe kiss all that sass out of her.
Whoa! Where did that come from? There was going to be no kissing as far as Meher was concerned.
“Get to the point, Shivina,” I said, wanting to get this conversation over with.
“Let me put it this way,” said Dheer with a sigh. “You’re trying to mingle with these people for a reason. Do you want to achieve your goal?”
“Of course, I do,” I snapped. “And no more details, please. It’s classified information.”
“Whatever it is that you’re trying to do, you can’t do it if you’re fighting off women all the time. You need a decoy,” said Ranvijay. “Much as it hurts to admit that my wife is smarter than I am, you need a way to keep all those women at bay.”
“Including Nilanjana,” Shivina added hastily.
“Fake dating! That is the perfect solution to both your problems,” exclaimed Isha.
“What do you mean?” I asked with a feeling of foreboding that had never led me astray until now.
“You both need a boyfriend/girlfriend to attend parties with,” explained Diya.
“That will give Meher some legitimacy in the eyes of all the judgmental aunties, and it will give her business a boost. Meanwhile, other women will stay away from you because they think you’re taken, and you can perform your task in peace. ”
“But since we can’t find you both partners out of nowhere at such short notice, the two of you should totally fake date each other,” added Isha, with a devilish grin.