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I wished I could go back in time and pound the life out of her father for treating her so badly. As for her grandmother, I hoped there was a very special place awaiting her in hell.
“I can’t change the past, Isha. But I can do my best to make sure no one ever treats you like that again,” I swore.
She shook her head and snorted in derision.
“That’s not possible unless I lock myself in a cage for the rest of my life. People are always going to make comments about me, Veer. It comes with the territory. People have certain expectations from a fabulously wealthy princess, and I don’t meet those expectations, which makes me a soft target for criticism and trolling. But that’s not on me. It’s on them. And since I’m learning to fight my own battles, I can tell them so myself, thank you very much. I don’t need you or anyone else to fight my battles for me.”
“I’m sure you don’t because you’re a warrior princess,” I said, with a crooked smile. “You don’t need anyone as long as you have Basanti by your side.”
She could say what she liked, but I was going to fight her battles with her, like a malevolent shadow who decimated the enemies that got too close to my princess.
“Stop worrying about me, and work on your saviour complex,” she said drily.
“I don’t have a saviour complex,” I said, rolling my eyes at her feeble attempt to change the subject.
“Pfft! You’re sacrificing your freedom just to save your people. What is that if not a misplaced saviour complex?”
“You make my very heroic act sound weird,” I complained. “I’ll be crying all the way to Vidhan Bhavan.”
“Such a Laajwanti,” she scoffed, reaching for her omelette sandwich.
“What does that even mean?”
“You, alright? It means you!”
We bickered until we reached the hospital, and by the time we pulled up in the guest parking lot, I was pleased to notice that Isha had finished her full breakfast. It wasn’t my personal victory, but for some reason, it gave me just as much joy.
I was smiling when we entered Diya’s room.
“Wipe that smirk off your face,” she snarled in welcome.
“What’s bitten you?” I asked in surprise.
“Why are you going ahead with this damn fool idea? I know Isha is an idiot, but I expected better from you,” she scolded.
“Hey!” cried Isha. “I’m not an idiot!”
“Yes, you are! You’re so obsessed with a pile of bricks that you’re willing to sacrifice your future for it.”
“Wow! Way to make me feel special, Diya!” I commented.
“And Gulab Mahal might be a pile of bricks for you,” argued Isha. “But all my hopes and dreams are tied to that house. Just like Veer’s hopes and dreams are tied to his people. So stop being little Miss Judgy and stay out of our business.”
Diya’s gaze softened as she stared searchingly at Isha.
“Ish, I just want you to be happy. And I don’t think you can be very happy with… him.”
CHAPTER 15
ISHA
Ismiled mistily at the woman who had been my best friend and soulmate since we were three years old and fed each other mud patties in that fancy forest preschool in Mount Abu.
Only she knew what I had been through and how Veer’s contempt for me had shaped my life over the past nine years. I hadn’t expected her to choose me over her brother, but she had just openly taken sides in this tussle between him and me.
I pulled up a chair next to her bed and took her hand.
“I have a plan,” I whispered. “I’ll be fine.”
