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My mother closed her eyes briefly and muttered something under her breath.
“Can I say eww?” I said in a hushed whisper.
Isha giggled and my mother opened her eyes to glare at me.
“That eww happens to be the only heir to the Goel billions, Diya. At your age, you can’t afford to turn your nose up at such a healthy fortune,” she scolded.
“I don’t need his fortune, ma. I have my own,” I retorted.
She took a deep breath and glared at me one more time before she walked away from us. For once, I was glad of my mother’s royal upbringing which forbade her from creating a scene in public.
“Didn’t I tell you you’d meet a man who would see you for the amazing woman that you are?” crowed Isha.
“Well, I can promise you that Ayush Goel is not that man. Even his father’s billions can’t make up for his lack of personality, Isha.”
“I know he’s no prince. But maybe you’ll feel differently after you get to know him better,” she argued.
“I don’t need a prince, Isha. But I refuse to marry a toad,” I said angrily.
“Listen, I know he sneezed in your face when his mother introduced the two of you, but you can’t hold that against him,” she said severely.
“It wasn’t the sneeze that bothered me as much as the line of white powder trickling out of his nostril,” I replied.
“Eww! Really?”
I nodded and she deflated visibly.
“Fine! Forget about him, but stay and enjoy the party,” said Isha defeatedly.
“Ugh! Fine! I’ll stay, but I reserve the right to whine about it.”
“Brat,” she teased.
“Accha, what was that about?” I asked curiously.
I had known Isha since we were babies, and I could tell when she was hiding something from me.
She turned a blank face to me.
“What was what about?”
“Why did that woman talk about your family as if she hated you guys?”
I was careful not to take Dheer’s name, but Isha knew what I meant. And she was hiding something, for sure.
“I don’t know. Maybe she has something against royals,” she said vaguely.
I wasn’t fooled for a minute, but Ayush accosted us before I could interrogate her further. Isha made a quick escape and left us alone, and I vowed to get back at her for this betrayal.
I tried not to yawn in Ayush’s face, but it was tough because ohmigod! He was the most boring person I’d ever met!
I looked around the ballroom as he droned on about his favourite topic - himself. The Rani Ma of Mirpur seemed to have invited every royal of marriageable age in the country to her party. I wondered if she was running some sort of royal matchmaking agency. Then I gasped as realisation dawned on me.
My mother had forced me to attend this party, but she had brought me here under false pretences. The annual Mirpur Royal Gala, my ass. This was the Mirpur Marriage Mixer, I thought furiously.
Just then, a murmur of excitement spread through the room and everyone turned to face the door. I wondered if Rani Ma had invited a Bollywood hottie because nothing else could justify this level of excitement. And then, the crowd parted and I drew in a sharp breath.
It was him.
