Page 26 of Trapped By the Maharaja
“You’ll regret this, Ram,” she gritted.
He leaned close, his shadow falling over her. Her pulse spiked in fury and something she refused to name.
“I have regretted a lot of things when it comes to you,” he said darkly. “But this contract marriage won’t be one.”
Her heart raced at his words. But before she could reply, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Ram commanded.
It was the lawyers and the assistant returning with the contract.
Sanjana’s heart thudded as the freshly printed contract was placed in front of her.
“Please review and sign, Dr. Shetty,” the lawyer said.
Sanjana stared at the contract. She was tempted to rip it into pieces. But she knew Ram would simply get another copy printed. She also knew the consequences of not signing the contract. Ram was ruthless to do just as he had threatened.
Her hands never shook even during the most critical surgeries, but they trembled right then as she picked up the shiny pen and signed her name on the contract.
As soon as she placed the pen aside, Ram’s assistant took the contract as though he was worried she would tear it apart or cause another scene.
“Thank you, Dr. Shetty,” Reema Choudhary said with a barest hint of relief in her voice. “The contract is now legally binding. We’ll give you a copy as well.”
Sanjana’s eyes flew to Ram’s face. She expected to see victory, but he watched her with an unreadable look.
“When will the wedding take place?” she asked, hoping she could change his mind by then.
“Tomorrow,” he replied. “I know that it’s your day off at the hospital.”
Her breath caught. Tomorrow. Less than a day to surrender her life. His gaze held hers, dark and steady, as if daring her to defy him one last time.
“My team will get in touch with you for the wedding preparations,” he stated coolly as though he was discussing a business deal.
Sanjana realized it was a business deal for him. His life would remain unchanged, while hers would be changed forever.
CHAPTER 11
Devara Temple
The heavy red and gold silk saree clung to Sanjana, weighed down with the antique gold jewelry that shimmered in the early morning light.
Sanjana felt trapped as she was led from the helicopter toward an ancient temple on the hilltop.
“Where am I?” she demanded.
But the two burly bodyguards remained silent as ever. They hadn’t said a word since the moment they had escorted her from her apartment at sunrise.
Her eyes felt tired and groggy. After signing away her life in the form of a marriage contract, she had returned home the previous evening. She had lain awake with her eyes open, heart pounding, hoping desperately to find a way to escape the unholy agreement.
She had just closed her eyes in exhaustion when she heard the insistent knocking on her apartment door. She had answered it, thinking it was an emergency from someone in the building. But instead of a worried neighbor, it was a group of well-dressed women.
“Dr. Shetty, we are here to prepare you for the wedding ceremony,” one of them stated.
Before Sanjana could react, they had stepped inside and taken over her space. She tried to protest, but she was told that they were merely following instructions and that they would get into trouble if she didn’t allow them to complete their task before the allotted time.
Not wanting innocent people to get into trouble because of her, and also because she had signed the contract, she followed their instructions.
She was told to take a quick shower, and when she emerged, the living room had transformed into a bridal dressing room with palettes of makeup, velvet-lined jewelry boxes, fragrant flowers, and fabric bundles in hues of crimson and maroon.
