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Sanjana was shocked. “The resort is the wedding location?”How did that happen?
Deepika laughed. “You and your fiancée got drunk all night and could not wait till the wedding night?” her sister teased, and more laughter was heard in the background.
“The wedding was supposed to be at a different location,” Sanjana managed to say as her voice wobbled. It was supposed to be in a town on the opposite side. Did they change locations, and she had no idea?
“Have you paid any attention to what we all have been talking about? I guess you were too lost in your dreamland,” her sister taunted. “Now get up and get ready. Don’t keep me from seeing my fiancé.”
“But I… so, is this the location of the wedding?” she asked, almost to make sure she wasn’t imagining things.
“Will you please stop asking such stupid questions and get ready?” Deepika’s voice was elevated with annoyance. “They won’t let me see my fiancé until you are ready. Go get dressed fast,” her sister ordered before ending the call.
Sanjana was in a trance as she walked into the bathroom to shower. None of it made any sense to her. Her mother wasn’t pissed, and her sister was acting like nothing had happened when she had run away and put her family in a very precarious position. Even if she showed up at the marriage venue, they should be mad at her for leaving without telling anyone.
Even as she dried her hair, she muddled through the options she was left with—none. There was no running away from the resort. She saw the security at the entrance and the tall walls that were built around it.
Did she have to give in to a forced arranged marriage? Give up her hopes of doing what she wanted to do?
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and as if resigned to the fact that she had no choice but to get married, she walked to the door absentmindedly.
She opened the door fully expecting to see a group of people to help her to get dressed for a wedding she didn’t agree to, but to her surprise, it was the guy who gave her the ride to the resort.
Sanjana gasped at the sight in front of her, and her heart thudded like she had been running for miles. The guy stood tall in a navy pinstriped suit and looked like he walked out of a menswear fashion catalog. “Oh… hi, good morning.”What is his name?
She realized at that moment that they had not exchanged names despite the two-hour car ride. Was he there to rescue her again? Could she ask him for help again?
“Good morning. Can we talk for a few minutes?” His tone was matter of fact, and he was dressed like he was there for a business meeting. Maybe he would give her a few more coupons for her stay?
As if she had known him all her life and not questioning what a stranger who gave her a ride had to say to her, she stepped back, opening the door wider for him to enter the room.
He took a few steps into the space, and she yet again realized how much taller he was than her. She closed the door behind her softly and stood by it, suddenly aware of the robe she had on over a pair of panties and a bra. She pulled the fabric at her neck closer and raised her eyes to his, as her body strummed as if processing how close the man was to her. “Thank you for giving me a ride here.”
He didn’t acknowledge her statement. “I suggest you don’t pull the same stunt again. It won’t be good for our families,” his voice was stern as he addressed her.
“What—” She lost her voice when something flashed in her mind. Her head started to reel when she connected the dots. Her sister’s comments and her mother’s attitude played in her head. They weren’t angry because they didn’t know she ran away and was brought to the resort by her fiancé. “Who are you?” Her eyes narrowed at him.
He let out a chuckle in response to her question. He held his hand out. “I’m Jai, Jaidhev Devaraya. We are getting married tonight.”
Her eyes widened in sheer shock. How the heck did all this happen? How in the world did she end up in the same guy’s car she was running from? She thought she was running away from a marriage with his brother, Bharath Devaraya. She wondered if she would have run if she knew it was the younger of the two brothers she was to marry. No wonder she didn’t recognize him and felt outraged at being tricked by him.
“I don’t want to marry you,” she blurted as angry tears burned her eyes.How dare he fool her?
“I’m not asking. You will marry me tonight according to the plan. Don’t even attempt another run because I have security all around. There is no escape from my resort.” He was outright rude.
Her eyes widened in response to the threat in his voice, and she stood staring at him, trying to think of a kick-ass response. Did he own the resort? It explained how he was readily able to get a fancy suite for her at such short notice.
“How will you stop me from running away after the marriage?” she fired back.
He took a slow yet intimidating step toward her. “If you care about your family and your father’s respect in the community, you will.”She somehow knew he wouldn’t hurt her family. It was only an intimidating trick.
“You can’t threaten me.” She hoped her voice didn’t shake as much as she did on the inside. How was she not supposed to be squirming all over when he stood so close to her?
“Try me.” He clenched his jaw for just a moment before a cocky smile played on his face. “You’ll see how quickly I can mess upeverythingand… still get married to you tonight.”
Such an asshole!
She remained silent, knowing her sister’s wedding was on the line too. She lowered her eyes, unable to come up with something to combat his threats. “The Devaraya Royals are known for their kindness and generosity. I don’t think you would do anything like what you are saying.”
“Good. Let’s just keep up the reputation then,” he said rather bluntly.
