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She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Just don’t throw wine on any of the dresses Aish makes for me, okay? That would make me very angry.”
His smile softened. “I wouldn’t do that, not the dress that the future Queen of Devaraya designed for my beautiful wife.”
“That’s right! You don’t mess with the queen.” She laughed, the ease at which they were able to converse gave her a new high. She felt the jitters from the physical proximity, but she had a different kind of excitement just being able to talk to him. “Or her brother, who is doing such cool stuff for his region.”
He held her eyes locked with his. “Is that cool enough?” he taunted.
“It’s awesome! You have no idea. I can tell you why it is so awesome if you get me a glass of wine and some cheese to go with it.” She laughed, walking toward the balcony she had camped in all evening with Aish.
“You leave me no choice.” He scoffed, following her as he texted the staff to replenish the wine and snacks.
Sanjana was glad that evening went the way it did. It was as if that was the kiss her mind and body needed because the rest of the evening, she wasn’t as jittery as she usually was around him.
It was perfect! Less than ten months to go.
Chapter 18
Weeks passed in a comfort zone even as Sanjana continued to fight the internal turmoil. She liked the status quo of her dynamic with her fake husband but somewhere deep inside, she wanted more. And a way for her to pacify that longing was to go online and read the comments on the old pictures of her and Jai over and over again.
Sanjana spent time in the private chambers every morning until he left for the day. She had gotten into the habit of waking up before him just so she could scoot closer to him and go back to sleep. She conveniently set aside the body pillow she had initially used as a barrier. She was happy falling back asleep with his breath on her cheek and waking up to the sound of the water running in the shower.
She spent her day with an intense workout to keep fit to be a pilot and watched training videos online, then eventually wandered into Aish’s studio just around the time they had tea in the afternoons. Her interaction with Jai’s parents was limited as it was with his brother.
The past few weeks, she would promptly return to their private space just in time to have dinner with Jai. She enjoyed the evening spent with the rest of the family, especially because of the kisses he gave her. He had gotten into the habit of texting her before he headed home, and she looked forward to their chats on the balcony. They talked about everything under the sun. It had become their thing, and she didn’t know when the streak would be broken.
And whenever that was, for whatever reason it was, she knew she would be disappointed. She knew he was not obligated to spend time with her, but she almost felt entitled to his time.
Bad place to be in. You could get attached to him,a voice called out from deep within.
“No, I won’t,” she said out loud to her reflection as she stood in front of the mirror inspecting her look for the night. They were heading out for what seemed like a party that started much later than usual. She was glad they did get their time together on the balcony with a glass of wine.
She adjusted the hem of the cocktail dress she had on for the night. It was a ruched dress made from stretchy silk, which hugged every inch of her curves. The neck was square with wide straps, and the way it contoured her body, she felt sexy. The black high-heel pumps gave her the much-needed height boost.
When she saw it was time to go, she picked up her clutch and left the room. She knew it would be a night where they’d end up staying at the penthouse, but she didn’t need anything else. She had gotten used to the ways of her new life rather quickly.
It’s going to take a long time to adjust back to the previous routine,a voice warned, and she paused for a moment.
She shook her head and smiled to herself as she stepped into the living room. She was not going back to the old lifestyle. She was going to be a pilot and travel the world.
“What did I miss?” His question made her look at him, only to realize she was grinning broadly.
“What?” she asked, biting back the smile that wouldn’t go away, overjoyed at the thought of being a pilot.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Let’s go. You can tell me on the way.” She pressed her lips together and wondered if she should tell him what she was so excited about. It should be no news to him what she intended to do after their one-year contract. No point making a big deal out of it.
“How come we’re going to the party so late?” she asked in hopes of diverting the topic. She found it weird to be talking about what she would do after their year of marriage. It would make her sound like she wasn’t enjoying her time at the palace.
She heard his chuckle as he got into the car right behind her. “It’s an event we need to attend but not the kind you’d enjoy.”
Sanjana’s heart leaped with joy. He actually cared about what she would enjoy unless it was a party he wouldn’t be thrilled to attend and was just making her an excuse to be late.
Later that night, she thought her eyes would get stuck in the back of her head at the rate at which she was rolling them in her mind. The people at the party were all strangers, and she had no idea what they were talking about.
Conversations moved from people who were in the market to buy an island to folks planning a birthday party in mid-air. She realized how many people swarmed around Jai to talk to him, and at one point, she was happy to find a quiet corner to sit back and observe people.
The gathering was not a normal party, and maybe that’s why he thought she would not enjoy it. It felt like people were there to talk business, show how successful their companies were running, and get more investors. She had enough of the people-watching and was busy figuring out how to catch a nap in that cozy corner when she saw Jai walk toward her with a beautiful woman looking in her direction, a broad smile on her face.
Finally, a friendly face. She didn’t seem to be the kind who was there to talk shop. Did Jai finally find someone normal to keep her company?How sweet.
