AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But he blamed Nivy for this blip in judgment. That’s right. It was all her fault. And when he got back home, he was going to warn her to keep her meddlesome nose out of his business, he decided. This was what you got for listening to sisters who were starry-eyed in love. You ended up getting a reality check when you least needed one.
“Aryan, is everything all right? What are you doing here?” asked Rani Ma, when she caught sight of him.
That was a good question. What exactly was he doing there?
Thirty minutes ago, he was glowering at Arshia, who had arrived at their house bright and early as if she was a part of their family. She had insisted on helping Nivy dress for the function. When Aryan led Nivy to the little mandap that they had set up in the garden, she had squeezed his hand hard.
“What the hell is that cow doing here? Get her away from me before I cold-cock her with one of those little pots of haldi,” she had hissed.
“Ma insisted on inviting her.”
“I’m so telling Jessie,” she had said, with an evil grin.
Aryan had ignored the pang in the region of his heart and tried not to react, but some of his feelings must have shown on his face.
“What? What did you do know?” Nivy had demanded.
“Nothing. Why do you always think it’s my fault?”
“Because it always is,” she had shot back.
“Why are the two of you squabbling today of all days, you duffers?” their mother had asked, with a fake smile and a warning gleam in her eyes.
After the haldi was done, Nivy had beckoned to him, and when he sat next to her gingerly, trying to avoid the yellow goop that coated every inch of her body, she had swatted him upside the head.
“This had better not be about the photograph with Yash.”
“I’m an idiot,” Aryan had admitted sheepishly.
“Yes, for a variety of reasons. But mainly because for such a smart man, you’re incredibly blind. That girl has loved you for years. Probably even before she knew what love meant. And you have consistently thrown that love in her face, Aryan,” she had said, seriously.
“It’s not that simple, Nivy. I love her too. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. But I don’t know if we can overcome the differences between us.”
“What differences?”
“She’s a princess, for fuck’s sake. If I marry her, I will be labelled a fortune hunter forever. And her money will always be a bone of contention between us. It is too deep a chasm to cross, Nivy.”
She had stared at him icily.
“Excuseme? You’re talking to the woman who’s marrying Jessie’s brother, the Maharaja. Veer can buy and sell our whole family a million times over. Does that make me a gold digger too?”
“I’m just worried that when she realises that I can’t give her the life that she’s used to, she’ll leave me, Nivy,” he had said softly.
“Go and talk to her, Aryan. Sure, she’ll be mad at you, but if I know my Jessie, she’s probably checking her phone obsessively, waiting for you to call. Don’t let pride and these silly prejudices stand in your way. Go quickly. I’ll cover for you,” she promised.
Aryan realised Nivy was right. Nothing mattered but Jessie and their love for each other. He snuck out of the function and drove over to the palace. But the sight of Jessie cosying up to Yash hit him with the force of a sledgehammer.
CHAPTER21
JESSIE
Was I hallucinating? No! That wasn’t possible. Yet. I’d only had one glass of champagne.
But why would Aryan attend Veer’s haldi instead of Nivy’s? Before I could walk over, my mother accosted him, and I was too far to hear his explanation. Not that I cared. He could go suck face with Awful Arshia for all I cared, I decided, walking in the opposite direction.
I was going to act as if I hadn’t seen him. Which was a good plan, except that I hadn’t contended with Yash’s need to make mischief. He turned me around and marched me over to Aryan.
Before any of us knew what was happening, he had towed my mother away, claiming that the old Rani of Atari was throwing a hissy fit because she wanted strawberries with her champagne.
