You Can't Fight a Royal Attraction (15 page)

E
XACTLY WHAT BROKE
through his consciousness he could not say, but all at once he let her go and raised his head. It might have been the collective gasp from the people looking at them or the outraged air wafting from them.

The Maharaja was being wheeled in a chair to the banquet, Viren and Nadira walking along with the entourage. Clearly they hadn’t expected to stumble on them. But what the hell, they needn’t stand and goggle as though they had witnessed the performing of some secret erotic rite. It was just a kiss.

A kiss that had shaken him, taken him across boundaries he normally didn’t cross. And he could see that in Saira’s flushed face too, see it in her
nagin
dark eyes, which were as hypnotic to him as the serpent’s eyes they reminded him of.

The Maharaja broke the silence, raising glaring eyes and a crooked finger to them. ‘Both of you will meet me in my sitting room after dinner.’ To Viren he croaked, ‘Carry on.’

They did and Saira looked back at him. ‘Are you in trouble?’

Obviously. But did he care? ‘Didn’t you hear the man?’ he asked, his mouth curving. ‘He said, “Carry on”.’

He had to acknowledge it had been a stupid thing to do. From his own point of view, not theirs. Just that the whole
day away from her had dragged and the formal meetings with the people had begun to feel like a noose as he continued to receive a smothering number of well-wishers. Curiosity had been only too obvious in their glances. He had needed…
Bhawani
knew what he’d needed but having her so near, his resistance had melted like ice in the open desert and all he had been capable of was caging her in his arms, losing himself in the promise of her passion.

A passion neither of them in their right senses intended to let run its course.

Hey Bhawani.
That wasn’t why he had brought her here. She was supposed to be here to show his relatives he had a life back in Mumbai, that he hadn’t spent the intervening years just hanging around waiting for their acceptance.

Why? When the very acceptance did matter to him more than jewels. Why did he still fight it? Because it hurt to remember their rejection. It had taken years and still it throbbed like a jagged wound which took too long to heal…

Later, after dinner, Viren waylaid him at the entrance of the hall. ‘I told you Maharaj wanted things back to how they were before, bro. You made a mistake bringing Saira here.’

Nadira walked up to them. ‘It wasn’t a smart move if you want to get his approval.’

‘What makes you think I want his approval?’ He raised his brows.

‘What happened six years ago wasn’t fair to you, Rihaan, but we know you well enough to know that you want to be back here.’

‘Are you sure of that, about knowing me?’

He hadn’t meant the sarcastic edge. When he didn’t know himself what vague conclusions filled his mind, how could these people claim to? But Nadira blushed on hearing
the sharp question. ‘Of course we do,’ she said defensively. ‘You were here longer than you were away, Rihaan.’

‘So, knowing me as you do, you have your own theory about how I should act?’ he countered. He gave a disbelieving headshake. ‘For God’s sake, guys…’

‘Don’t brush it off like that. You want to show me you care nothing any more about me. Isn’t that why you’ve brought Saira here? To make her a barrier between us to avenge me for what I did all those years ago.’ She was upset and growing emotional with it.

‘Nadira—’ he warned.

‘You stopped me from saying anything that time too,’ Nadira accused.

Viren looked from one to the other, astounded. ‘What have I missed?’

Rihaan made an impatient movement as he saw Saira walking towards them. He started to walk away from the group, only pausing to advise, ‘Don’t get carried away, Nadira.’ It was a warning not to divulge the secret that existed between them. The past belonged just there—in the past. Now and then it reared its head and gave a roar, unnecessarily upsetting those who wanted to ignore it.

He went and took Saira’s arm to escort her in. No matter what, he wasn’t going to let go of her hand in there. Even though he knew she could take a stand against any king in any terrain, he was still going to stand by her.

Saira looked around the vast sitting room, as resplendent as a seven star hotel. Plush leather sofas. Glass tables. Exotic flowers with stiff petals which almost looked like plastic.

A chandelier, the immense size of which she could honestly say she had never seen before, hung from the centre. Off to the perpendicular arm of the room, a long conference table with chairs looked impressive and official.

The Maharaja was in a large sofa with Maharani beside him.

‘Obviously, we don’t require outsiders,’ he said, indicating Saira. ‘You can go.’

About to remind him that he had sent for her, she was interrupted by Rihaan. ‘She stays.’

‘Obviously,’ which seemed to be his favourite word, the Maharaja said, ‘you’re prepared to make things difficult for yourself. I have allowed you to come back, honoured you, and still you bring shamelessness to my region.’

‘Allowed me—’ Rihaan’s fists clenched. But he said with what Saira could only feel was admirable control, ‘Let’s dispense with the preface and get to the point. My kissing Saira has offended you, not because I was pushing social mores. All evening you’ve been hinting without being upfront about what you really want to say. So get on with it and let’s know the real reason.’

Saira saw a muscle twitch in his cheek and was suddenly angry with these stupid people for causing this tension in him.

‘You forget that your purpose in being back is to make amends. Piece together what was torn before. Yet you bring this girl here and then you embarrass yourself with her!’ announced his father.

Viren spoke up, trying to lighten the atmosphere. ‘Now,
Hukum
, let’s not forget he comes from a different society now, where kissing in public is much more acceptable.’

‘Thanks for the defence, Viren, but it’s misplaced.’ Rihaan shook his head in disgust. ‘I can’t understand why I need to have an excuse to kiss the woman I want.
Hukum
seems to think it’s to defy him. Nadira thinks it’s because I wanted to prove something to her. But it’s none of that. I kissed her—’ his gaze veered to her, warm and full of feeling ‘—because I wanted to. And by God I’ll do it again, if it takes that to convince you.’

He wouldn’t! But he was already putting an arm like an iron ring around her. Inexorably, he drew her to him and planted his mouth full on hers. It wasn’t deeply passionate but feeling transported her nevertheless. His scent stole into her brain and she closed her eyes briefly, revelling in his declaration. No one had done that for her. Claimed so passionately and uncaringly that he wanted her. She tried not to get carried away. It could be just an outlet for the frustration his relatives were bringing out in him, but, as he drew away, his gaze met hers, his eyes brilliant with banked desire, and she melted all over again for him.

The effect of the lip-lock was cataclysmic. Viren half cut off a shout of laughter, Nadira looked scandalous, the Maharaja’s eyes bulged and the Maharani began to fan him with her
palloo.

‘I don’t intend to show you people anything,’ Rihaan said more quietly, yet with no less force for all that surface placidity.

‘But you’ve shown us, nevertheless,’ the Maharaja burst out, and the Maharani hurried to soothe him. He tempered his voice. ‘Just like last time, you have flouted my wishes, making mincemeat of my word.’

‘Your word?’ Rihaan was suddenly very still.

‘Here I was thinking you had repented. Nadira has waited so long for you and still you bring this girl with you from Mumbai…’

‘So all this elaborate reunion was just to get me here to fulfil your vow?’ Rihaan demanded. ‘Turn six years back and three hundred and sixty degrees?’

‘Why not? If it matters to me, then why doesn’t it to you?’

‘So what exactly was that expulsion clause—a knock on my head so I come to my senses and finally agree to your conditions?’

Rihaan’s face hardened, his hand curling and uncurling
in anger. Or was it pain? Saira cursed the entire congregation silently, especially his father. How could the old fogey not see how his words affected his son? About to tell him off for being so unreasonably stubborn, she had to hold her peace as Rihaan spoke.

‘I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you again,
Hukum.
It’s no more feasible now than it was then.’

‘Why not? Just think how Nadira has waited, even when you broke her heart…’

‘He didn’t.’ All eyes turned to Nadira. She stepped forward a little. ‘With your permission,
Hukum
, I want to say something about that.’ She looked at Rihaan. ‘He wasn’t to blame for what happened. I was.’

‘Nadira, it’s all over now.’ Rihaan’s voice had a weary edge to it.

Despite the warning, Nadira was determined to plunge ahead. ‘I let myself be stopped the last time from telling the truth and it has haunted me ever since. I thought it wasn’t possible for Rihaan to be brought back or I would have spoken sooner. Rihaan refused to marry me because I asked him to do so. I was in love with the
koachwaan’s
son—a typical case of the princess falling for the proverbial stable boy. I… we planned that he would study and become your secretary and that would raise his station a bit and then maybe I could confess…’ She bit her lip. She was trembling, Saira saw. It was shocking to realise the power that the man she saw only as old and frail wielded.

‘I asked him to take the refusal on his own head.’ Nadira’s voice nearly broke. ‘I was scared to come out and say I wouldn’t marry him. But if I had known what would come of it, I’d never have stayed quiet.’

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that resulted.

For a whole minute no one said anything, the Maharaja probably finding it hard to swallow the enormity of what
he had done to his son. Then the Maharani said to them, ‘Please, this is too much for him. You must all leave. I can’t allow him any kind of strain. Viren,’ she added, ‘do have the doctor come out and have a look at him.’

‘I’m fine,’ the Maharaja contradicted her. ‘But naturally I will need to think over these developments. Nadira, you have blundered badly in hiding the truth from me for so long. You will have to account for it.’

‘I’ll do whatever you require of me.’ She was almost in tears.

It was a quiet troop that stomped out of the chamber. Saira began to feel somewhat like a ticked off teenager.

Nadira stopped her when she would have gone on. ‘You must think me excessively foolish and a coward as well. But I was very young at the time. Only eighteen and facing down Maharaj just wasn’t in me. But I did want to tell him even then.’ She gave a half sob.

Rihaan put an arm around her, giving her a squeeze. ‘Don’t worry about it, Naddy.’

Wiping the corner of her eye, she went down the corridor. Rihaan turned to Saira. ‘The truth is, when I found what
Hukum
planned to do about me in return for my breaking the engagement, I became determined not to bend even a little. Naddy was practically shaking in her shoes. She was running a temperature, wanting to speak but too damn scared to risk it. I think she’d have married me rather than face
Hukum.
I was so burnt at his indifference towards me, I was like: let it be. Let it happen. I don’t need them if they don’t need me.’ He shook his head. ‘Maybe it’s a relief to have it all out in the open after all.’

Saira murmured her agreement, allowing him to take her hand and lead her to her bedroom, but in her mind a plethora of questions grew. If he hadn’t refused Nadira then had he wanted to marry her? Had he protected her, saved
her from the Maharaja’s wrath, taken it onto himself, all because he loved her?

In fact the woman whom he had spoken of, the one who had put him off love, once and for all, was it Nadira?

‘Was it her you were talking of that day at the beach?’ The question tripped out, the desire to know too strong to be denied.

His grip on her hand tightened. ‘When I talked of trying out love, yes, it was her I was talking about. At one time, I thought it was love.’ He shrugged. ‘Certainly it stung a lot at the time when she opted out of the engagement. But was it love… or just bruised pride?’ He exhaled. ‘She formed part of the perfect vision—a wife by my side… a dream of making an ideal life at the palace, hopes of going into administration… bringing changes, helping people in the true sense of the word if I won the elections.
Hukum
had done one term and chances were high that eventually people would accept me.’ He turned to her. ‘Then she told me she was in love.’ He shook his head. ‘It practically shattered me at first. I had been studying in England and I couldn’t digest that, behind my back… we weren’t formally engaged, but it was pretty well understood it would happen. Everyone knew
Hukum
had given his word. And his word was law. After I came back, we had a ring ceremony which was widely publicized to develop a feeling of confidence and stability in the people. Her confession of love coming just a few days before our wedding… that was definitely a hit in the solar plexus. But I accepted her feelings and nursed my hurt ego back to health.’ He grinned, then slowly it faded. ‘Accepting being turned out of Prabhatgarh… that was far tougher.’

A silence fell as they assimilated his words. Saira tried to control the dizzying sense of relief that spread like warm honey infusing her veins. Rihaan didn’t have feelings for Nadira after all. She chided that gleeful reaction. Surely
it shouldn’t matter who he felt anything for. She wasn’t waiting for her chance…

She almost gasped out loud at the denial which was surely an acknowledgement in reverse.

She had no interest in a relationship. That was what she had told herself so many times. But how could she help the tug on her heart when she was near him, the irresistible draw on her senses?

The way he had stood by Nadira in the past, protected her from
Hukum’s
anger, aroused her admiration even more. Only a strong man could shelter a woman like that. And Rihaan was strong, both in muscle and in will.