AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She was an adult, and he had no business interfering in her personal life.
Aryan swerved around the bilious looking car and drove away without looking back.
CHAPTER3
JESSIE
Ihad known Deep and his sister since I was a little girl. Their father, the Maharawal of Tejpur, had stood by our family through our worst times.
When my father died, our family was thrown into a maelstrom of gossip and conjecture, with the media hounding us for quotes, and the local police hounding us on behalf of every low life politician who wanted to grab our properties.
Deep’s father had helped us keep the wolves off our backs. He had stood guardian for Veer, and trained him to run the family estates. Unlike a lot of royal families, who disappeared into oblivion after the last ruling member died, the Devgarhs only went from strength to strength under the Maharawal’s guidance. Which meant that our family owed him big.
If only his children weren’t the complete worms that they were.
To be honest, Deep wasn’t half bad. He was just the most cowardly person I knew, who wouldn’t even step into a room if he spotted a cobweb. It wasn’t a fatal character flaw, I told myself, merely a quirk. Quirks were good. They added some colour to a boring personality. And Deep’s personality needed all the help that it could get. So who was I to grudge him a few quirks?
While I could talk to Deep without feeling the urge to commit random acts of violence, his sister was another cup of tea. Her Highness Anika Dogra was the foulest, vilest creature to ever walk the earth, and if demons were real, she would be sitting on a throne made of corpses, ruling the underworld. Or maybe, the minions of hell would mutiny and find a way to throw her out because I didn’t think even demons would be able to spend time with her without wanting to peel their own fingernails off one by one.
“So good to see you, Jessie,” said Deep, looking at me with those droopy eyes that made me wonder if he spent all his days stoned.
I summoned a smile and went down the stairs to meet him.
The first time that I’d had met him, I had been three years old, and I had exclaimed that he looked exactly like the frog in my favourite fairytale. Here he was, all grown up, and he still looked like a frog. And even if I kissed him a million times, there was no possibility of him turning into Prince Charming.
“Likewise, Deep,” I lied.
What on earth was he doing here, and why had my mother not warned me?
“I just dropped in to pay my respects to your mother. I was in Devgarh for the polo match, and thought I’d look you guys up,” he said.
Ah yes. The Devgarh Polo Match.
“Is the Tejpur team participating this year?”
He stood up straight, drew his tummy in, and smiled proudly.
“Oh, yes! As you can see, I’m in good form this year. We hired a Belgian coach for the team, and I spent the whole summer whipping my boys into shape. I think it’s safe to say that the Devgarh team has finally met its match,” he declared.
As if.
I knew the Tejpur boys and I knew my brother’s team. A new coach wasn’t going to make any difference. Veer and his team were so going to massacre these pretty boys.
“May the best team win,” I said, with a polite smile.
“Listen, um… Jessie, I was wondering if you’d like to have lunch with me at the Club tomorrow.”
The smile on my face froze and I blinked once. Twice. And again. Trying to think of an excuse. Then I realised that I was being silly.
Not five minutes ago, I had been thinking of moving on. Finding a guy and getting on with my life. And Deep had turned up as if on cue. It seemed like fate was trying to tell me something. Offering me an opportunity to turn my life around.
My mother would turn cartwheels at the idea of finding me a husband, and I was sure she’d activate her formidable network to find the perfect match for her little princess. While I baulked at the idea of marrying a complete stranger, I had known Deep since I was a little girl. If I couldn’t marry the man I loved, I could settle for someone I knew well. In time, our friendship would deepen into something stronger. Maybe.
I took a deep breath and told myself to be brave. Life was offering me a new beginning, and I would be a fool if I didn’t grab it with both hands.
So I nodded.
“Sure. I’d love to have lunch with you,” I said, with a shaky smile.
