Prologue
Singoor Desert, India
The loud and rapid beating of the drums to mark her arrival at the Singoor temple matched the thudding in Aadhya’s chest. It was close to the auspicious time for the marriage. Marriages were a big deal in the region. Despite the rifts between the clans, these events were not interrupted by the other clans—one of the reasons why Aadhya felt good about her soon-to-be husband’s safety—an international businessman who had no idea about the chaos gripping the entire region.
He didn’t need to know. It was a temporary marriage for a year. He needed a wife, and she needed a way to deflect from the Thakvar alliance. Marrying a Thakvar meant becoming part of the region's turmoil forever, which was not what she wanted for herself. The trauma from her parent’s accident wiped out all love for her birthplace.
She stepped out of the palanquin as other musical instruments were played and looked in the direction of the pavilion through her veil. Even with so many people at the temple, she quickly spotted Nakul as he stood tall over everyone else.
She was risking his life by agreeing to get married in Singoor while all the attacks from the savage clans were happening. But she was the Kanwar heir, and she knew she would not budge with the location of the wedding. It had to be in Singoor. She hadn’t asked her aunt what the plan was after the ceremony, but in a day or so, she would have Nakul fake a work emergency and leave Singoor. It was for the best.
Pushing away her thoughts, she focused on the chanting as she walked to the pavilion, a garland in her hands. Her aunt and uncle led her, with some clan women walking behind her closely.
Her smile was hidden behind her veil, but she did not miss her stunning groom. He looked like a Singoor man, dressed traditionally with a ceremonial sword and a turban. He wore a dark red turban and rows of pearls that majestically adorned his broad chest. She was impressed with his resourcefulness in getting a hold of the locally made outfit with the unique handiwork.
Isn’t that why she chose him to be her contract husband?
She held the garland in her hands and placed it around his neck as directed. With holy words being chanted, her veil was lifted. A new shyness suddenly overcame her, and she lowered her eyes.
Nakul placed the vermilion powder on her scalp, following every instruction of the priest. A speck of the red powder fell on her nose, and he gently tapped her nose to dust it off.
That sweet gesture made her smile, and she raised her eyes to meet his. She held his gaze for a brief moment before lowering her eyes. Her gaze lingered on the rows of pearls that she had admired from afar. She took in the details of the gold medallion with the attacking tiger.
Her heart thudded as she trailed her gaze up to his turban. And there it was, a metallic symbol that matched the medallion he wore on his chest, and it shook the ground under her feet.
It was the Thakvar insignia on the turban, and the medallion was unique to that clan.
Did she marry the Thakvar heir?
Chapter 1
A few weeks back…
At A Tropical Island Resort
“Sir, the Kanwar group has arrived,” his assistant’s voice came through the earpiece Nakul had on as he typed away on his laptop.
Nakul Thakvar had a plan to execute, and needed to be carried out without a hitch. He was in the conference room at his resort where the Kanwar heir would spend the next few days. It was his resort, and a great travel deal was offered to one of her friends to ensure Aadhya showed up where he wanted her to.
He had arrived a short while ago and decided to wait at the conference room that overlooked the large lobby area where the Kanwar heir and her friends would check in for their stay.
“Ok. Stick to the plan.” It was an order. Every bit of the plan mattered to get Aadhya Kanwar to follow his path for her to be his Singoor wife.
Nakul shut his laptop and walked to the glass wall of the conference room, from which he could see the young women walk into the grand lobby of his resort. It was an exclusive beach getaway that had to be booked a year in advance, but for Aadhya’s group, all it took was setting up an online bait.
A series of emails that Aadhya ignored, but one of her friends clicked on to get roped into the plan. Nakul could not deny that getting her to do what was needed would not be easy, but he had to get her to. Peace had to be restored in Singoor for his family to be together.
A family torn apart twenty years ago when his father left his wife and young children in San Francisco to move to India. It was his father’s way of protecting Nakul and his siblings from the clan wars, and the chaos that erupted afterShakti,the Goddess who protected the region, was taken away from the region.
As he looked down into the lobby from the upper level, he saw a group of women walk to the front desk. The excitement of the group could be heard through the sealed glass. His eyes fell on one specific woman, and he knew it had to be her, even from behind. He had seen several pictures of her taken by the investigative team as she went about her day.
He zoned in on the tall, slender figure in casual clothes, and her long hair fell loosely to her waist. She stood at the back of the group as her friends checked in, and as if she sensed his eyes on her, she slowly turned, her eyes raising to where he stood behind the darkened glass wall.
Her eyes scoured where he stood before looking away when she heard her friends squeal joyfully. He chuckled, knowing why the group of women were so excited. They were initially given one suite to share; each got a personal one.
Aadhya Kanwar will be placed strategically close to his suite. He saw her smile in response to her friend's joy, but he knew deep down she was worried about having no choice but to agree to the Thakvar alliance.
With the details he had on her, he knew she would not want to make an alliance with a man from Singoor. She aspired to work abroad and knew she would slip away if he didn’t get ahead of her plans. He had no choice but to get her to marry him, and he only had a few days to get her to agree.
