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“Ma’am, for tonight’s dinner, I set out a co-ord set in navy blue. Carrying this clutch will add a pop of color to your overall look,” Radha, her designer, said enthusiastically.
Sanjana looked at the woman, who was probably her age, and scrunched her nose. “I’m eating dinner with my family, and I’m going to be walking over to the other side of the palace. Why do I need a clutch?”
Radha shook her head. “They are your family, yes, but they are the king and queen.”
Sanjana couldn’t disagree. She remembered what her father had once told her when she was a kid and had refused to change out of her jammies to go to a friend’s place for dinner.
Dressing well when going to someone’s home is a way of showing them respect. Like the occasion is important for you, and you make an effort to be presentable.
Later that evening, Sanjana was with her team, her hair being curled in the dressing area by her closet, when she heard movement in the living room. “That’s theYuvraj, let’s wrap it up soon.” She looked up at the clock, and it was a minute before five.
Very punctual, she noted.
A few moments later, footsteps sounded through the bedroom. The team hurried like an animal would attack them at any time and relaxed a bit when they heard the sound of water running.
“We have less than ten minutes,” Radha called out as she brought out the bright pink clutch and a pair of heels for her to wear for the evening. “Ma’am, these are in your size and have been stretched for a comfortable fit. Let me know how this pair works for tonight.”
“Sure, thank you!’ Sanjana smiled at her through the mirror as the team gathered their things and left quietly. She sat on the small stool admiring her hair and how it was curled. She loved the waves her sister had, and her hair was done that way for the evening.
She liked how she looked, and that brought a smile to her lips. She was shaken out of the self-admiration mode when she heard the water stop. She had an hour before they had to be at the main dining hall and didn’t know what she was going to do all dressed up.
Minutes later, she heard him call out to her. Was there another procedure she had to follow for an hour before they showed up for dinner? She reached for the clutch, and from the weight of it, her phone was already placed inside. Slipping on the heels that were a bit taller than what she was used to, she went out of her dressing area. She noticed that was one area he never walked into, so she assumed it was her private space.
“Ready to go?” he asked, making her glance at the large clock on the wall. As if he read the puzzled expression, he added, “I thought I’d give you a little tour of the palace grounds before we go to dinner.”
A tour sounded good, that too by the Yuvraj himself. “That sounds good.” She smiled and followed him out of their space, wondering if the shoes she had on were appropriate for her to walk. She hesitated for a moment and decided to go barefoot if they got difficult to walk in.
She followed him to the lower level of the residence, where the formal living and dining spaces were set up to entertain their guests. They stepped out of the main entrance, and she saw a golf cart waiting for them. One of the staff members handed Jai what looked like a key and smiled at them.
She had only seen a golf cart, never having been on one, and she found it fascinating to see Jai get behind the wheel of the vehicle. She bit back a smile as she slid in next to him. “Do you know how to drive?”
He let out a laugh looking out of the gardens. “Nice. Just because I don’t do it anymore doesn’t mean I don’t know how.” The smile lingered on his face, and that got her excited. She liked to see that gorgeous face light up, and it felt good to do that.
Why are you trying to impress him? Stay away from that stuff.
She had to remind herself she had a task at hand to achieve her dream job at the end of one year. Be nice to the family, let him kiss her, and that’s about it. A year will go by quickly.
*****
The tour of the gardens had her eyes widening at every turn at how ecologically friendly everything was set up. From solar panels to recycled water, he had her impressed with everything he had implemented around the palace. If she thought she made him smile when they started, he had her impressed by the end of it.
Don’t be, a voice warned her.
The dinner was a very casual affair, and she didn’t feel overdressed. It was fun because everyone in the family showed up in their best outfits paired with smiles.
His brother was quiet and only listened for the short time he was with them. Surprisingly, all the talking was done by Aish and her father, the king. Sanjana never realized the king was so easy to talk to.
Amidst the chatter, Jai’s father leaned to his side and asked, “Sanjana, how is your preparation for the Civils coming along? She was shocked to be hearing the inquiry from him and to top it off, he added, “You know I secretly took the examination to see if I would get selected to the Indian Police Service?”
The rest of the family laughed like they had heard that story a million times, but for Sanjana, it was a blow. It was becoming more and more evident that the reason the alliance was made for her to marry the prince was because she was pursuing the civil services.
She needed to break the news about her no longer pursuing civil services to Jai. But what if he terminates the contract sooner because that was the reason for the alliance? She didn’t know what it meant to end their contract before the full year had elapsed. At that thought, she decided to give it time before she broke the news to anyone.
Sanjana was so lost in thought she didn’t notice Jai getting up and walking over to where she sat. He bent down and kissed her on her cheek, making her jump and look up at him, shock in her eyes.
“Baby, it’s just me.” He winked and looked at the rest of the group, and added, “Only I get to kiss my wife. No one else does.” His words got a good laugh out of the rest of the family. Like he wanted to probe her, he leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek again, making her blush.
And for the rest of the night, she felt his lips where he had kissed her and could only wonder what it would be like to be kissed on the lips again.
