AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When they did, the first place they would check would be the vehicles traveling to the city. Panic gripped her at the thought of being spotted and taken back for the wedding scheduled for the following evening.
“Stop,” she called out even before she realized what she was doing. Like her body had a mind of its own, she stood from her seat and waved to the bus’s conductor.
“No more stops till we reach the city,” the man called out from the very first row.
In her frenzy, Sanjana held her bag close to her body and said, “Sir, please let me off to the side. I have an emergency, and I must get off this bus now.”
“There are no other bus stops around here,” the elderly conductor said, genuinely concerned about her safety in a rather remote area, as it was late afternoon.
“I have someone picking me up,” the lie came out naturally. “It’s an emergency, please.” She hoped her plea would get the man to make an exception.
The man hesitated for a moment and called out to the bus driver. “Stop at the next highway restaurant.”
“Thank you so much, sir.” Her plan was to head back to the city where she was training to take the Indian Administrative Services exam. What she didn’t think about was that nothing was stopping her family from finding her in her apartment and forcing her to come back to marry the prince.
She was grateful the bus stopped at a highway restaurant where people were around. She saw from the bus that there were families who had stopped for a break, and that gave her the comfort that she was getting off at a safe place. She held her bag close to her as she stepped out of the bus and coolly walked toward the restrooms.
Sanjana had switched off her cell phone so she couldn’t be reached or tracked. She spent a few minutes in the restroom before stepping out and chantingact coolin her mind.
She walked past the empty restaurant tables to the billing counter where a woman was seated. “Hi, my phone died. Can I please make a phone call?”
“Yes, you can use this phone.” The woman pushed a landline toward her and added, “If you have a charger, I can plug it in for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, quickly grabbing the phone and conveniently ignoring the second part of what the woman said. Her phone was fully charged, just not turned on.
She tried to reach one of her classmates at the training center to ask if she could stay at her place for a few days. It had been a while since she had gone to the coaching center, especially after she didn’t pass the entrance exam for the Indian Administrative Services. There was no way she would go back to her apartment, especially if her parents had sent someone to look for her.
As guilt started to settle in again, her classmate’s voice interrupted her thoughts about her parents. “Hi, Diya, this is Sanjana,” she said, holding the receiver close to her mouth.
“Hey, Sanjana. How are you? Are your sister’s wedding preparations going well?” Diya asked, and Sanjana bit her tongue before she said anything further. She could not go back to the city where she had been attending the exam coaching, especially since she had announced to everyone she knew in that city about her sister’s wedding over the weekend.
“It’s going very well. I called to check on the class schedule for next week. I was planning to start training again.” Sanjana had to make up a lie yet again. If only she had enough time to think through an escape plan. “Can you please email it to me? I’m planning to extend my stay and want to make sure I’m not missing anything important.”
Diya laughed. “Don’t worry. We just started the revision. Take your time. Enjoy the wedding.”
Sanjana spoke for a few more minutes to calm herself and think of her next steps. She suddenly had nowhere to go but still did not regret her decision to run away from an unwanted marriage. She needed a place to stay for the night, and she needed to find it fast.
She ended the call and smiled in the direction of the woman behind the counter, who was thankfully busy with a customer. She felt weak in the knees as she walked to an empty table and sat on the bench. She could not risk turning on her phone to call a cab or find the nearest hotel where she could stay the night to think about what to do next. She needed to stay under the radar until her sister’s wedding was over.
She felt a twist in her stomach that she was missing out on her sister’s wedding. The most anticipated family event was ruined by these random royals who approached her father for her hand in marriage. Why? She still had no idea, and she didn’t care. The day was supposed to be her sister’s special day, not hers.
Sanjana was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice the man who sat at the table across from her. She raised her eyes to meet mysterious dark eyes trained on her. She held his gaze, half-annoyed and the rest in amazement.
She took in the intense eyes and the stunning face of the man still staring at her. “Can I help you, sir?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t sound as shaky as she felt.
He looked at her for a long moment before one end of his mouth twisted up. “A dozen empty tables around you, and you sit at my table?”
“What?” She looked around. “No one was at the table when…” her voice trailed off when her eyes fell on a bottle of water and a small plate with a local delicacy.
She stood up, somewhat embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” She was losing it, and she needed to think fast. She needed a place to stay for two days and needed it fast.
He shook his head. “Not a problem. Please sit. I’m not bothered by you sitting across from me.” A slight smile played on his handsome face, and she felt heat creep up her cheeks.
“Okay,” she said, sitting back down but at the end of the bench. It was better to be with someone than be by herself.
“Where are you headed?” The man’s question made her gasp, but she hoped it wasn’t too loud.
Stop being so jumpy! Act cool.
