“Babe, no! I know you think you’re some sort of desi Olivia Pope, but you’re not. You’re just extremely meddlesome,” he said severely.
“Don’t be rude, Your Stupidness,” she told him, with a wink. “This is the only way to solve both their problems.”
“What problem?” I asked, feeling like this conversation was getting way out of control.
“Samrat, what do you need right now?”
“A stiff drink,” I replied immediately.
“You think you’re funny?” she snapped, and I resisted the urge to salute her. When she was annoyed, Shivina was scarier than any Commanding Officer I’d ever had. “Are you serious about reconnecting with your old acquaintances or not? If you aren’t, walk away now, because Meher is dead serious, and I don’t want you messing up her chances at rebuilding her life.”
What exactly did she mean by that? Why would Meher need to rebuild her life at all? And what exactly did it entail?
“Is she looking for a husband?” I bit out, against my will.
Why did it matter to me if she was? My sympathies were with the pitiful bastard, whoever he was. He’d never know a day’s peace after he married her. I didn’t know why I felt the need to hunt the asshole down and bury him deep in the desert where nobody would find him. Probably, only to save him a lifetime of pain.
“No, I’m not looking for a fucking husband,” exclaimed Meher, joining us again. She had clearly heard my question, and she was not happy. “I’m looking for something much better…independence. So kindly stay the fuck out of my way, Maj. Deora.”
“Happy to oblige, princess,” I shot back.
“If the two of you are done squabbling, I’d like to propose a solution to both your problems,” said Shivina calmly.
“Ooh, I can’t wait to hear this,” said Isha, rubbing her hands together gleefully.
“Troublemaker,” said her husband, Ranveer, fondly.
I rolled my eyes in disgust. These men were completely pussy-whipped. God forbid they bring that energy into my life. I had no intention of allowing a woman to lead me around with a ring in my nose.
“Meher’s problem is that she cannot outrun the shadow of her past,” said Shivina.
When I shot her a sceptical look, she nodded firmly.
“She’s trying to start a luxury safari experience at her ancestral palace in Matta, but these snooty royals have shunned her because of what happened eight years ago. You know how hyper-moralistic they are. She needs to woo them, but she needs some kind of redemption.”
I got what she was saying, but I didn’t like where she was going with it.
“On the other hand, you are hot property right now. You’re a decorated special forces officer and newly minted Maharaja.Single, good-looking, filthy rich, and hence, super eligible. You cannot step out in society without being hunted down like the deer your ancestors used to hunt.”
“A deer in headlights! That’s exactly what he looks like right now,” said Meher sarcastically, and I glowered at her, wishing I could do something to shut her up. Like maybe kiss all that sass out of her.
Whoa! Where did that come from? There was going to be no kissing as far as Meher was concerned.
“Get to the point, Shivina,” I said, wanting to get this conversation over with.
“Let me put it this way,” said Dheer with a sigh. “You’re trying to mingle with these people for a reason. Do you want to achieve your goal?”
“Of course, I do,” I snapped. “And no more details, please. It’s classified information.”
“Whatever it is that you’re trying to do, you can’t do it if you’re fighting off women all the time. You need a decoy,” said Ranvijay. “Much as it hurts to admit that my wife is smarter than I am, you need a way to keep all those women at bay.”
“Including Nilanjana,” Shivina added hastily.
“Fake dating! That is the perfect solution to both your problems,” exclaimed Isha.
“What do you mean?” I asked with a feeling of foreboding that had never led me astray until now.
“You both need a boyfriend/girlfriend to attend parties with,” explained Diya. “That will give Meher some legitimacy in the eyes of all the judgmental aunties, and it will give her business a boost. Meanwhile, other women will stay away from you because they think you’re taken, and you can perform your task in peace.”
