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“Not until I find the evidence, Krish. Stop fretting,” I bark.
“Fretting? Do you realise this is the first time you’ve taken such a reckless risk, entering someone’s hotel suite from the balcony? Especially when it’s on the 20th floor? My heart was in my mouth the whole time while guiding you through this crazy stunt. I swear I thought you had fallen and died when I didn’t hear your voice for five seconds, Ayaan.”
Yeah, well, I almost did die. But I wouldn’t let that detail slip to Krish.
I’ve checked into the same hotel in Panchgani where Meher and Vishnu are staying. Our rooms are conveniently adjacent to the other, with Meher’s room just a few steps away from mine. Vishnu’s room is at the far end of the same floor. Since Meher is here to meet Asha Devi, I know Pratap Walia has intentionally sent her as a pawn to offer his bribe and convince her to join his NEP party. Using Meher for the task is a clever diversion, keeping the media and the law unaware of Pratap Walia’s unethical tactics.
Meher arrived here in the late afternoon and left her room to enjoy high tea at the hotel café. That’s when I seized the opportunity to search her room, hoping to find out what Pratap Walia had sent her with. Krish had promised to arrange a duplicate key for me tonight, but I couldn’t wait. As soon as Meher left her room, I boldly entered her room from the balcony.
Having adjacent rooms had advantages, especially since our balconies shared a common wall. The only challenge was the lack of support to climb from my balcony to the narrow, three-feet long walkway that connects our balconies. Though Krish was on call, and I could hear him screaming my name to know whether I had made it, I didn’t take the risk of responding, as all my focus was on safely making it to Meher’s room balcony.
Tonight, Meher was invited to Asha Devi’s home for dinner, where I knew this little deal would happen. If I happen to come across any unethical evidence suggesting that she intends to bribe Asha Devi, I will immediately expose it to the media and thwart Pratap Walia’s plans.
I’m at the dressing table, checking the drawers, when I feel a tingling sensation in my nape.Meher is back!
I raise my eyes and catch sight of her reflection in the mirror. There she is, leaning casually against the bedroom door, clad in an elegant off-white churidar with the dupatta gracefully draped over one shoulder. With her arms crossed at the front, and a sly smile playing on her lips, Meher stares at me with a mocking expression on her face.
Damn it, Meher. Why do you have to look so captivating even when I despise the fact that you are standing by your father’s side?
“Do you know I can create a ruckus and report you for showing up in my hotel suite uninvited?” she mocks. “That’s the least I can do to avenge that kissing scandal you leaked to the media.”
I abruptly end the call with Krish, knowing that this conversation requires my full attention and turn to face Meher, meeting her gaze head-on.
“Go ahead,” I retort, a hint of defiance in my voice. “No matter what you or I say, people are intelligent enough to sense that we are still in a relationship.”
“Relationship…” she murmurs, in a mix of hurt and anger. “Are we still in a relationship?”
I don’t realise when I start walking towards her, but I find myself standing a few feet away from Meher by the time I do.
“You tell me,” I goad. “What is our current relationship status, Meher Walia?”
She takes a deep breath and looks at me.
“Complicated!”
She is right! And I’m glad she didn’t deny that we are still in a relationship. Although our loyalties may currently differ, our attraction remains sizzling and undeniable. We are still deeply and passionately dating each other, with no intention of changing that.
I’m about to graze my knuckles over her cheeks when she steps back, her teary eyes now blazing fire.
“Get out of my room!”
Her scream reverberates through the room, fuelling the return of my arrogant side. If Meher thinks that I’ve followed her relentlessly from Mumbai to Panchgani just to retreat from her presence, she couldn’t be more mistaken.
CHAPTER 9
MEHER
My heart thumps as I command Ayaan to leave my room.
“No matter what you do and how you plot and scheme, Ayaan, none of your plans will succeed this time,” I challenge him.
Ayaan advances towards me, his gaze locked with mine, a wicked smile playing on his lips. I take a step back until my back touches the door, and Ayaan pins me between him and the door with his intense gaze.
“The game demands a Queen who doesn’t rely on overconfidence, falsely assuming superiority over the King,” he asserts, his eyes narrowing with resolute determination. “Rather, it requires one who recognises and respects the full extent of the King’s capabilities. As the King...” he pauses, his gaze momentarily drawn to my lips as I lick them before returning to meet my eyes. “The King possesses the ability to dismantle the Queen’s powers subtly, without her even realising it.”
I swallow hard.
“Just wait and watch,” he mutters before walking out of my room. I grab the small vase at the side of the door and throw it down to vent my frustration. I hate his challenges. Whenever he has challenged me, he has managed to emerge victorious. But not this time. For the first time in my life, Dad has entrusted me with a responsibility that has the weight of his entire political career, and I will not fail him. Ayaan again got the whiff of me coming here to meet Asha Devi. That’s why he had stealthily entered my room, driven by the curiosity to uncover the unscrupulous methods Dad intended to employ this time around. Had Vishnu been here, he would have kept Ayaan away from my room. Even though Vishnu had accompanied me to Panchgani, he seemed preoccupied with his phone. He was on a call even when I was enjoying my tea at the café. Although he kept an eye on me to ensure my safety, he was constantly checking his messages and taking calls. I wonder what was keeping him on his toes today.
