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She didn’t have a moment to talk to him after. He left with his parents to collect his prize. Akash remained by her side, and they watched the prize distribution ceremony from the balcony.
When the winning horse’s and his owner’s names were called to collect the trophy, Rohan led his parents forward. He made them accept the trophy on his behalf as he stood to the side.
Her heart melted seeing this warm, caring side of him. The world thought that Rohan was cold and hard, emotionless even. But she knew better. Rohan hid his true self behind a carefully constructed mask. He pretended not to care when the truth was that he did care. He cared deeply. Her heart tripped. She wanted to be at the receiving end of such devotion. And now, she had a chance to perhaps have that. She wanted him to be her Prince Charming.
Her phone beeped.
I’ll send a car to fetch you. Akash too. My home is far. I’ll feel safer knowing you have company on the way. See you tonight – RB.
Her chest swelled, reading his message and the underlying concern in his words. She took in a happy breath. She could do this. Tonight would mark the beginning of their story. She only hoped it ended the way she wished it to.
12
As promised, a black Jaguar had been waiting for her when she’d stepped out of her apartment building. Akash had already been seated inside. They’d been on the road for over an hour now, passing through miles of farms and forest land. Few homes were interspaced in between. Up ahead, she saw several bright lights on the right. The car turned into a huge gate and stopped behind a row of waiting cars. The guards were checking names on an iPad before allowing anyone to proceed.
They gave their names when their turn came, and the car moved forward. She looked around. Tall trees lined the way forward. Interspaced in between them were dozens of tall sconces with a fire burning on the top. It was all very dramatic and opulent. They passed by empty pastures, horse training rings, and several blocks of one-storey buildings and sheds until they turned a corner and a massive house came into view.
Akash whistled. “Fuck! I knew he had a massive home. I knew it was far, but this…this is something else.”
“It is,” Jiya whispered, mesmerized by the sheer grandeur of Rohan’s home. Neatly trimmed shrubs lined the driveway to the house, and a huge round fountain was placed dramatically at the centre of the circular driveway.
The house wasn’t old. In fact, it was quite modern, a mix of lightly colored stone and glass facades with clean lines and sharp edges. None of the typical Roman pillars and arches that she’d seen in other mansions were to be seen.
Bright yellow lights glittered inside the house, filtering through the various glass windows, making it glow like the sun. Against the background of the dark night, it was a sight to behold.
The car didn’t stop in front of the house. Instead, it circled right around to the back, where it halted behind a line of cars entering a portico of what looked like a back entrance.
It took them a few minutes as they waited in a queue to reach the entryway. She stepped outside and exhaled, feeling overwhelmed. She’d been to grand houses before. She was surrounded by people who were rich and well-known, but this was…this was… Words failed her. She looked in every direction, noting how the palatial house sprawled on every side.
A whirr of blades made her look to the right. A helicopter landed in a lit field a little distance ahead of her.
“Oh fuck…” she breathed out.
Akash chuckled. “A bit much for you?”
“You can’t even begin to imagine.”
“I hope you know that he comes to work in a helicopter,” he said, guiding her inside the house. “There’s a helipad on top of the office building.”
She gulped. “Actually, I didn’t know that.”
“Well, considering that it took us an hour and a half to reach here, do you think he’d waste three hours a day on the road when he could be using all that time to make more money?”
It made perfect sense. She knew Rohan was rich. But this was wealth beyond imagination. It made her feel out of sorts. She thought she was prepared for Rohan. She thought she knew at least bits of him. Only now she realized that what she knew was too little.
Akash took her arm and led her inside the foyer, where they waited in a queue to hand their overcoats to a uniformed staff member. Another attendant guided them further inside. They entered a huge ballroom with panelled walls covered with silk wallpaper in pale grey. Sheer white curtains with silver sashes lined the ceiling-to-floor glass windows, and round tables set with chairs in white with silver centrepieces and candelabras were set at the sides, leaving the centre of the room for people to mix. It was all opulent and rich.
She gasped, feeling like a fish out of water. All around her, hundreds of fashionably dressed men and women mingled with one another. Uniformed staff moved around serving drinks and appetisers. They further crossed the ballroom and stepped onto a pool deck, where more guests mingled.
A bar was set up on one end, and a live band was playing at the other. And in between the two was an Olympic-sized pool. Several small alcoves with wooden tables and chairs comprised the seating areas, many occupied by his guests. Outdoor heaters were stationed everywhere, providing the necessary warmth on this cool February evening. Large outdoor plants added the perfect green to this mix.
In front of her, Rohan’s house glittered under the plethora of lit lights. The entrance to the main house from here was guarded by two security personnel, indicating clearly that the main house was off-limits to the guests.
Her heart skipped. It was all just too much.
Doubt crept into her. What did he see in her? She was rich, thanks to her sister’s hard work, but she was not this kind of rich, like him or the Sehgals—the family her sister had married into. She stared at the crowd, immediately recognizing two popular film actresses. They were interacting with some known socialites and social media influencers, whom she followed as well. To her right was a popular news anchor. Each of these ladies, she knew were single and very eligible. Rohan could have any of these gorgeous women. For sure, they’d be willing to go to any lengths for him. Then why did he want her?
Her heart rebelled at these thoughts, but the question lingered. And just like that, the answer to that question became a burning need.
