Page 44 of A Royal Inconvenience

“Nope,” I said bluntly. “We’re not doing the big, fat, Indian wedding. We’re getting married in court.”

“That’s not for you to decide,” snapped Ma. “You still have elders in your family who can make those decisions.”

“This is our wedding, and we’re doing it our way,” I insisted.

“Right now, you seem to be only doing it your way,” said Veer’s mother snidely. “Does my son not get a say in it?”

I was taken aback because I hadn’t thought he’d care. I gave him a sidelong glance and he was trying to hide a smile.

“Ohmigod! Please don’t say you want a big wedding, Veer,” I begged. “I can’t do it! I refuse to be paraded before thousands of people all of whom will find faults in my outfit, my hair, my makeup. Don’t put me through that, please!”

“First of all, you’ll be a gorgeous bride, and I dare anyone to say otherwise,” he said softly.

Hmph! Of course, he’d say that. No one was going to come out and tell me I looked like a troll until after the wedding was over.

“Secondly,” he went on. “I don’t want a big wedding either.”

“Ranveer Sisodia, if you think you can cheat us out of a rollicking good wedding, you’re out of your mind,” wailed his mother. “You’re my only son. I’ve been planning your wedding since before you were born. Do you kids not care about our feelings at all?”

“Of course, we do, Aunty,” I replied soothingly. “But I care even more about Veer’s political aspirations.”

She shot me a suspicious look.

“Hain? What do you mean?”

“Veer is still recovering from the last scandal, Aunty. I don’t think we should give the media any reason to crucify him further. A big wedding will just cement his spoilt billionaire image in the eyes of the voting public. Instead, a royal who opts for a no-frill, court wedding will impress them much more. Everything we do from now on should be aimed at bringing home the votes,” I said, trying to sound like the dutiful political wife.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want a big wedding,” she complained.

She wasn’t wrong, but I could hardly say so.

“Well, it works to both our advantage, Aunty!”

“Actually, there’s a small flaw in your plan, Isha,” said Veer, and I shot him a glare hot enough to fry him where he stood.

This wasn’t the time to find flaws. This was the time to go along with what I said because I abso-fucking-lutely refused to have a big, fake wedding. I’d rather save the dhoom-dhamaal for my real one. If I ever married again, it was going to be for love, and that wedding was going to be spectacular. I couldn’t care less about this one.

“Please explain, Your Highness,” I said through gritted teeth.

“The will states that you need to be married within a month after the will was read, right?”

“Yes,” I admitted unwillingly.

“Well, you need to give a month’s notice to the court before you get married. We’ve already wasted precious days getting to this point. If we wait another thirty days, you will have crossed the stipulated time,” he pointed out. “Ranvijay isn’t the only person around here who can read a legal document, you know.”

I clenched my jaw hard enough to grind my teeth to nubs and held back a scream of frustration. Why could I never catch a break?

“But I do have a simple solution for our problem,” he added helpfully. “Nowhere in the will does it say that the marriage needs to be registered in court within thirty days of the will reading. And temple marriages are as legally binding as court marriages. So I suggest we get married in your kuldevta’s temple in a simple but traditional little ceremony with only the immediate family in attendance. The voting public will lap it up, as will the media.”

I was so relieved I could have kissed him, and from the smug look that he shot me, the arrogant bastard knew it too.

“Fine! But we want a grand reception in Jadhwal after the wedding,” stated his mother.

Veer held my gaze fiercely as he replied to her.

“After I take oath as CM, Ma. We’ll invite the whole world to tell them that Veer Sisodia has found his happy ever after.”

I knew what he meant and I looked away pointedly because I refused to make false promises. I had never promised him forever because one year of my life was all I could spare for him.

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