Page 30 of The Royal Contract

“Wherever you’re going.” He chuckled as he led her to the waiting plane.

Minutes after they had settled into their seats, her heart was still thudding. Something about the man heightened her awareness, but she pushed that away as the excitement of the upcoming events took over.

Chapter 12

The next morning was crazy as it was the day of packing and heading to the village for the big event. Loads of groceries were being transported to their grandparents’ house for the big event. Everyone in the Bhargava residence was in a mad rush to get the festivities started.

Sanjana stepped out of the bathroom and let out a laugh when she saw that all her luggage, except for her tote, was taken to the vehicles to be loaded for travel. Thankfully, someone thought about leaving her clothes to wear to her grandparents’ village.

She dried off, and with the towel wrapped around her, she held up the clothing and realized it was not a tunic or top but a cropped, fitted blouse and a saree.

“Oh no, not a saree. Please be a skirt,” she said to herself as she opened the fabric and her heart sank. “Shit!”

And the worst part was the blouse had a back opening, and she needed someone to help her with everything. It was at that point she realized she was doomed as there was no one around to help her with the back opening or to tie the saree like at the palace or his penthouse in the city.

The saree was something she had to stand for, and her mom or sister would drape it for her, but at that moment, there was no one around. She anxiously dialed her sister’s and mom’s phones, but none of them answered. She dialed her parents’ housekeeper, and thankfully she answered.

The voice of the older woman was music to her ears. “Sanjana, are you ready to go?”

“Seetabai, I need help with my saree. My blouse is also—” She lost her voice when she heard the bedroom door open, and Jai stepped in. He was fully dressed and ready to head out. She let out a gasp and held her towel closer, but she was loud enough for Seetabai to hear her.

“What happened, Sanjana? Did another lizard show up in your room?” Seetabai poked fun, knowing how much reptiles freaked her out.

“Stop it,” she whispered into the phone as she rushed back into the bathroom, ignoring what Jai was saying to her, but decided to take advantage of his voice in the background. “That was my husband. He wants me to hurry up. Come quickly and help me.”

“Sanjana, I need to finish… hang on, your mother wants to talk to you.” And before Sanjana could plead with the older woman, her mother was on the line. “Sanjana, you are the last one to get dressed. Come out in ten minutes. Papa already asked about you twice.”

“Ma, please, I will be ready in five minutes if you come help with the saree or send me my bag so I can wear a dress instead,” Sanjana was begging at that point.

“No.” Her mother was firm. “We are going to your grandparents for the first time after the wedding. That is the saree your grandma got for you, and that is what you will wear. Now figure out how to drape the saree and come out quickly. Don’t try to look for other clothes in your closet. I got them all put away.”

“But, Ma—” There was no one on the other line, but she called out, “I need help with this saree.”

She stood with her back to the bathroom door staring at herself in the large fogged-up mirror, not knowing what to do. A moment later, a knock on the bathroom door made her step away.

“Sanjana, are you okay in there?” It was Jai. “What do you need help with?”

Oh no! Did he hear her?

“No,” was the knee-jerk response, and the next moment she realized she had no other option but to take his help.

Great! I’m going to ask a guy to drape my saree. Just not any guy but her fake husband and the Prince of Devaraya.

Panic hit her that she might be losing her last option to get ready on time and opened the door slightly. “Jai, wait… don’t go. I need help.”

She heard footsteps before he spoke. “Yeah, what’s up?”

She was embarrassed about what she was going to ask him. “Either you find someone in the house to help me drape the saree, or you need to help.”

He chuckled. “It’s a morning rush outside. I guess if you tell me how I can help, I will.”

Sanjana looked up at the ceiling. How did she even think he would be of any help? A guy. That too, a prince. “Well, I don’t know how to drape a saree, and I…”

Why was she even asking him? If she didn’t know how to wear a saree, how the heck would he?

“Looks like there are tutorials online. Let’s figure this out.” He laughed and added, “If you step out of the bathroom, I might be able to help.”

Sanjana looked down at her towel-clad body and the blouse in her hand. She had to bite the bullet and let her husband help. “Okay, I’m coming out in a minute. Can you please bring me the underskirt from the bed? It’s the one that doesn’t look like a saree.”

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