“This is ridiculous,” he complained. “Everyone knows Meher and I haven’t seen each other since that night.”
“How?” asked Veer.
“Excuse me?”
“How are people supposed to know what goes on in a couple’s life? Do the two of you have cameras live-streamingevery move you make? People can assume what they want, but that doesn’t make it true. If anyone asks you about it, just tell them it’s none of their business. You’re together now, and that’s all that matters,” explained Veer.
“And you guys thought I married him just for his looks,” teased Isha.
“Who thought that?” demanded Veer, throwing his arms out in challenge.
“Dude, you’re the ugliest creature I’ve ever seen in my life. I can safely say I never thought Isha married you for your looks,” said Diya, and Veer ruffled her hair in reply.
“That’s a nice thing to say to your only brother,” he chided.
“Well, I agree with everything you said just now. Which is a surprise,” she replied, rolling her eyes.
I was used to this bickering, but Samrat was starting to look impatient.
“What Veer means is that you and Meher have a very strong history. So it won’t be too surprising to our acquaintances if you take up with each other again after all these years. Second chance at love and all that,” said Isha.
“And it’s all for show. You don’t have to speak to each other in private if you don’t have to,” said Dheer.
Diya nudged him in the ribs, and he let out a sharp exhale of protest.
“Of course, you have to spend a decent amount of time together in public to make it look authentic. But I’m sure you can do that without killing each other,” she added hastily.
“I’ll hide the Durga sword just in case,” said Shivina, with a grin. “Seriously, though, this is the perfect solution for both your problems, and I deserve an award just for thinking about it.”
“Let me make this perfectly clear to all of you,” I said firmly. “I don’t care how perfect it sounds. I will not spend one minute more than I need to with this man. I don’t like him. I don’trespect him. In fact, I have nothing but the utmost contempt for him.”
They all went silent at that, and a muscle ticked in Samrat’s jaw as he stared at me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was hurt by my words. But I did know better. I knew he did not care about what I thought of him.
“That’s a little harsh considering I’ve done nothing to hurt you, whereasyou…well, we won’t discuss it anymore. All I can say is that this plan will not work,” he replied curtly.
“Umm, Meher, I’m not sure you realise this, but you practically pitched your business plan today to several people. I know at least three people at the party whose lands border the same leopard reserve that yours does. How are you going to feel when they start the same kind of luxury safari that you’re planning, and you see people flocking to their hotels because they were smart enough to maintain social relationships with the people who matter?” asked Shivina. “You have the first mover advantage right now. Don’t lose it because your ego cannot take a backseat to your intelligence.”
That one statement of hers stung a lot more than it should have.
This wasn’t about my ego. Far from it. This was about my heart, and the fact that Samrat had stomped on it and smashed it to pulp eight years ago, and instead of apologizing for his actions, he was doubling down and making it look like I destroyed our relationship.
I wanted nothing to do with him because in the course of just one evening, he had ripped open all my wounds, and every conversation felt like he was rubbing salt into them. He had undone eight years of healing with just one accidental touch. How the hell was I going to survive an extended fake dating charade without getting completely destroyed in the process?
“I’ll do it,” Samrat said suddenly, and I turned to him in shock. Was he out of his mind?
“What?”
“You only have your safari at stake, Meher. I have a lot more at stake,” he said grimly. “During my last operation before I retired from the army, I lost my best friend and second-in-command to an ambush, and I finally have the chance to avenge his death. My ego doesn’t matter more than my mission. I don’t care who I work with, as long as the job gets done. Because that’s what we will be doing. Working towards our different goals, but together.”
He sounded so indifferent to me that it actually put me on my mettle. If Samrat could be indifferent to me, then I had to show him that I was even more indifferent to him. He wasn’t as important as he liked to think. I had moved on long ago.
“This relationship is only for show?” I clarified. “I don’t ever want to be put in a position where I’m forced to marry him.”
“Heaven forbid,” Samrat muttered, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
Every part of my brain warned me not to do this. It practically rang sirens through my skull to say I was headed for danger. But there was a stubborn part of me that refused to let him have the upper hand. If he was willing to use me despite almost hating the sight of me, I could do one better. I was going to use him right back. And I was going to show him his real place in my life. I was going to show him that he meant nothing to me.
And in the process, I was going to heal myself once and for all. The Samrat I remembered used to worship me as much as I worshipped him. He was the great love of my life. It wasn’t easy to forget the man who had given me nothing but love ever since he entered my life. But this Samrat? He was an obnoxious jackass, and there was no chance I’d ever fall in love with him again.
