CHAPTER 15
The helicopter dipped lower, its blades slicing through the thin mountain air as dusk settled over the Jogra valley.
Yamini watched the familiar outline of the palace emerge from the shadows of the snowcapped peaks.
The helicopter touched down smoothly on the private landing pad. The door slid open, letting in a rush of cold mountain air. She stepped out carefully.
“Good night, Your Highness.”
It was the security head.
Despite being much older than her, Jaiveer Tikku didn’t appear tired at all. She had spent most of the day with Pooja, looking at commercial properties to rent for her studio. The security team had followed her everywhere.
Although it was tiring, the hunt for the studio space had felt good. Purposeful. Like something that belonged entirely to her.
“Good night, Mr. Tikku,” she replied with a small, polite smile.
As she crossed the stone steps and entered the Jogra Palace, warmth wrapped around her immediately in the form of heat, light, and the faint scent of incense and polished wood.
The palace staff waiting inside greeted in unison with a small bow, their movements graceful and practiced.
“Maharani,” one of them said softly, stepping forward. “Maharaja has asked us to inform you that he will be returning late tonight. He requests that you have dinner without waiting for him.”
Of course, he wouldn’t have dinner with her.
Yamini kept her expression neutral. “That’s fine,” she said.
“Would you prefer dinner in the dining hall or in your room?” another maid asked.
“In my room,” Yamini replied after a brief pause.
She didn't want to sit alone at that long dining table.
The maids nodded and led her through the corridors, their footsteps quiet against the marble floors. When she reached her bedroom suite, she dismissed them with a polite word and stepped inside alone.
The room was bathed in the muted glow of the setting sun. The heavy curtains framing the tall windows had been partially drawn, revealing a breathtaking view. The mountains stretched endlessly, their peaks dusted in gold and rose as daylight slowly bled into night.
Yamini walked toward the window without thinking.
She stood there for a long moment, staring out at the vastness beyond the glass. The stillness outside contrasted sharply with the restless churn inside her chest.
She turned away.
Her gaze landed, unavoidably, on the closed connecting door.
Her heart thudded.
Images from the previous night surfaced in her mind again, along with the way her body had betrayed her.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath as her face heated. “Stop thinking about him.”
She looked away and walked toward the large bathroom.
A refreshing shower later, she stepped out in a thick toweling robe. The maids had brought in her dinner and placed it on the coffee table next to the scenic window.
The rich aromas of spices filled the air, making her stomach growl.
She thanked the maids and told them she didn’t need anything more for the evening.
They nodded politely and left.
Despite the chaos in her mind, she made a mental note to introduce herself properly to the staff soon.
The dinner was delicious. It was a traditional Jogra dish with layers of meat, rice, and spices with a generous amount of saffron. The dessert was decadent with a generous amount of nuts, dry fruits, cottage cheese in thick sugar syrup laced with saffron and pepper.
She finished it all with a satisfied sigh.
She looked at the clock and saw that it was only nearing eight o’clock.
Too early for bed.
Knowing there wasn’t anything else she could do, she covered the dishes and got up.
She should have gone towards the bed or worked on her laptop. But instead, she went towards the connecting door once again.
She waited, and when she didn’t hear anything, she tried the handle.
It was still locked.
With her face burning, she stepped away, went to her bed, and sat down. She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to steady.
The locked door confirmed what she had been thinking all day.
Bharat Jogra didn’t desire her. He only came to her on their wedding night because he wanted their marriage consummated. He wanted to ensure she didn’t annul their marriage and find another man to father a child to fulfill the terms of her grandmother’s trust fund.
Cold bastard.
Even as she cursed him, a small part of her mind wasn’t entirely convinced. Because, despite his indifference towards her, his touch wasn’t cold.
His touch burned her.