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RINA stood gobsmacked, watching in awe, filled with astonishment and surprise. Like what was that? A car? A brand new Bugatti Veyron for her? Holy moly!
She couldn’t even scream out, all she could do was stand and watch with little tears already flowing down her cheeks.
Then as if she realized herself, she sharply turned around and saw him, he was standing behind her as well and watching. She turned back to the car.
“R… Raghav? D… did you say it’s for… for me?”, she stuttered as she asked.
“Yeah baby, it’s for you”, he replied, tilting his head with his hands shoved into his trouser pockets.
“Oh my gee!”, that was when she finally screamed out and ran towards him, then held him in a very tight embrace.
“I love you Raghav, thank you so so much, thank you”, she squeaked.
He laughed and removed his hands from his pockets, then wrapped his arms around her.
“Angel… anything for you”, he said and pecked her forehead.
“Nah”, she said and shook her head sideways, then planted her lips on his, their tongues rolled against each other, it was the perfect kiss she ever had.
They unlocked from the embrace and she ran towards the car, her new car, her new baby.
Then she began going round the car, admiring the ins and out, checking out the doors, the seats, the fender, everything about it. She was so happy.
Raghav smiled and walked up to her.
“Do you like it Rina?”, he asked.
She looked up at him.
“Like it? Come on Raghav…”, she ran up to him and held him in a hug again, “… I love it, I soooo love it. Thank you”, and she rested her head on his chest.
“No tell me, do you really like it? Are you okay with the colour?”, he reeled out questions leaving her the more astonished.
“I doooo”, she pouted, raising up her head to look at him.
“If you don’t I can just order for your like right now you know?”, he continued.
She laughed and rested her head on his chest again.
“I do Raghav, thank you”, she squealed.
He sighed and ran his right hand through his hair.
“I really don’t know your colour, so I just got you black, pardon me if you are not okay with it”, he said.
Ugh! Jeez! How long would she keep telling him that she loves it huh?
“I love it babe, thank you”, she said.
“Well I’m glad you do”, he said and smooched her lips.
She released herself from his grip and walked back to the car, practically idolizing it.
“My gee, take a look at the steering, the wheels, my God! These looks like a runner, my new babyyyy!”, she squeaked then made to open the car door.
Using the car key in her hands, she opened it and lowered herself in, then turned on the ignition.
“It’s enough now, can you please spare me some time?”, Raghav asked from where he stood.
He got no answer as she was already in the car and so couldn’t hear him clearly. He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.
He let her be, he let her have her day and joy to the fullest, he was ready to wait.
After some minutes, she finally came out and closed the door, then ran up to him and hugged him again, he laughed.
“Finally, you are out”, he said.
“What?”, she looked at him.
“Thought you were gonna spend the whole night drooling on a mere car”.
Huh? She squeezed her face, pouting.
“That’s my new baby, not a mere car”, she snapped.
His eyes widened.
“Oh, so what am I now?”.
She laughed.
“I love you Prince Raghav… I love you”, she said and hugged him.
He smiled.
“Alright… alright, can we have dinner now? I’m starving”, he said rubbing his right palm on his stomach.
She sneered at him and laughed hysterically, giving him that silly look.
“Shall we?”, he asked.
She nodded.
“We shall”.
He laughed and they walked back to the tent.
? Next Morning ?
Rina stood in utmost awe as she watched Zaina squealing in her highest voice as she admired her car, making a scene.
She looked around, gosh! They were people watching, just as expected.
They were at the parking lot of Vinam Graphics Designing School, her driver has just dropped her off at the school, and she had alighted only to meet Zaina patiently waiting for her.
Well, she had told Zaina of her new baby, and she had squeaked and chattered on coming the next morning to her school, just to see the car.
?: My goodness, that’s the latest.
Someone squealed so loudly, making Rina roll her eyes.
She was now torn between letting her best friend admire her car, or creating a scene, as more students had now gathered round to have a look.
“Oh my gee! Baby Rin, you are so blessed, blessed with the most sweetest man on earth”, Zaina squeaked as she walked up to her, finally done with admiring.
Rina smiled.
“Come on, I never knew you were serious on coming to my school this morning, just to see my car”, she winked.
Zaina laughed.
“I always never joke, congrats Rin”, she said and hugged her so tight.
She laughed.
“Thank you baby Z”.
“How did mom take it?”, she asked.
Rina giggled.
“She has no other option than to accept it, besides, I think she’s beginning to get relaxed over the relationship”, she licked her lips.
Zaina nodded, smiling.
“Rina, I’m gonna ride that car of yours soon”.
She nodded laughing.
“Sure, sure. For my bestie”.
They bursted into laughter.
“Can you please just take a pose with it, let me get some snaps?”, she asked.
Rina laughed and without a second thought, went to the car and posed, smiling and Zaina took about five snaps.
“Yep, beautiful!”, she exclaimed.
Rina glanced at her wristwatch and her eyes widened in shock.
“Zaina, I’m late, I need to get going”, she said and walked towards her chauffeur.
“Sir, you can go now. Be back on time to take me home”, she said to him.
“Alright ma’am”, he nodded and hopped into the car, turned on the ignition, them zoomed off.
The students around couldn’t just help gawking at her car, her new baby, she smiled.
“Rina, you can actually drive, so why did you ask for a chauffeur?”, Zaina asked.
She splayed her right hand on her forehead.
“This is my new baby, I don’t want anything to happen to it. It should be under the watch of someone while I’m away”, she replied.
Zaina laughed and hugged her again.
“I need to get going, we will celebrate later in the day”, Rina said.
She nodded.
“Have a nice day Rin, and congratulations once again”, she said.
“Thank you Z”, then she stood and watched her walk to her car, her driver already sitted, and immediately they zoomed off.
Rina sighed and turned to walk away, and the first person she bumped into, was Sukhi. She winced.
“My goodness! Must I bump into you?”, she shouted.
He smiled sheepishly.
“Yeah, because I love you”, he said.
She made a face.
“Oh please, cut the crap. I don’t like you”, she said and made to walk away, he held her back.
“What!”, she exclaimed.
“Chill Rina, I saw that. Congrats”, he said.
She heaved.
“Thanks, and I think you really need to know who got that for me, my sweetheart did so I think the best thing for you to do, is to stay away from me”, she blurted and walked out, leaving him in surprise.
His mouth fell wide open in shock. Did she just say her sweetheart? Crap!
*
*
Amaya barged into the living room to find Priest sitted well comfortably on the couch with his head laid backwards on the headrest, half smoke cigarette was stucked in between his fingers.
He walked up to him.
“Hey Priest, where are the others?”, he asked as he walked up to him.
Priest snapped his head towards him and puffed out smoke.
“Hey Amaya, you are back?”, he asked ignoring his question.
“Yeah I am, where are the others? I just found out something”, he said and sat next to him.
“Oh, they are out for an operation”, he sat up.
“What did you find?”, he asked.
“A new update from a Shimla blood, it can get us what we need”, he said as he scrolled through his phone.
“Oh really?”, Priest asked and moved closer to look into the phone.
“Yep”, he replied shortly.
“What is it then?”.
“Here look, the trending photos of a lady Prince Raghav got a car as a gift for”, he said and showed him the phone.
Priest took it and true to what he just said, it was photos of a lady posed in front of the killer car.
The caption read: Awwn, Prince Raghav always mesmerizing my baby.
“Huh? Who posted this?”, he asked giving the phone back to him.
“That’s Zaina Sachin”, he replied.
He furrowed his brows.
“Zaina Sachin? Isn’t that Prince Zashil’s betrothed?”, he asked.
Amaya was taken aback as he looked up from the phone and stared at him.
“You mean Prince Zashil of Kuru kingdom?”, he asked.
“Sure, who else?”.
“So, there isn’t any connection there then, gosh!”, he said disappointedly.
“Come on, they are best of friends you know, I mean Zaina and the lady here. There can be a connection”, Priest said.
“Okay, so how?”.
“I think there must be something going on between this lady and Raghav, why would he get her a car?”, he shrugged his shoulders.
Amaya sighed.
“It can be just a fan though”.
Priest shook his head.
“I don’t think so. Bugatti Veyron for a fan? Think well”, he said.
He slowly nodded.
“I’m still sceptical about this because his sister Prisha, can be his weakness. He so love that girl”, he said.
Priest sighed so deeply.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.
“You are right. In that case then, we have to get so close and find out who really his weakness is”, he puffed in some smoke.
“Good, how we going to do that?”.
“Let the others return, then we will figure it out”, he replied relaxing into the couch.
Amaya smirked and nodded, saying nothing.
*
*
*
Queen Arya groaned as she hurriedly packed her clothes and few belongings into a bag. She had just gotten a bad information back from home.
Mrs Roshan, the mother of her son’s betrothed and best friend has just called and told her of how her daughter has been crying since Raghav has refused anything to do with her since the dinner party.
She never wanted it to happen this way. If not for her husband whom she had left the palace to come look after, her son’s marriage with Vidya would have been done with, long ago.
Without pre-informing them back at the palace, she packed her few things and left for Shimla kingdom.
***
Raghav sat in the garden behind the palace busy with his laptop as usual, Prisha sat on the opposite busy with her phone as well.
Suddenly, she bursted into laughter, laughing so hysterically making Raghav looked up from his laptop.
“Why the hell? You are distracting me”, he said.
“I’m sorry Maharana”, she said, still laughing and looking into her phone.
“Jeez, you are still laughing”, he shouted, then looked up from his work.
She abruptly stopped and looked at him.
“Hey bro, chill. Don’t expect someone to always carry a long face, ahh”, she said.
He scoffed.
“What the hell is making you laugh?”, he asked, turning back to his laptop.
Huh? She was surprised he was showing concern, like willing to partake in the fun. Well, she shrugged.
“Bro, I can’t believe this people are actually adding more years to my age”, she said.
“Huh? People? What people?”, he asked.
“Fans. An online debate is going on here, they are asking who the lady you bought a car for really is. Some are saying it’s me…”.
“Huh?”, he looked up, cutting her short.
She laughed.
“How can the lady be you?”, he turned back to his work.
“I don’t know bro, I didn’t know when I grew so fast”, she was still laughing.
He scoffed.
“They are at loss as to who the lady is”, he said.
“Yeah, actually”, she nodded.
“Hmph, who the hell released the photos online?”, he rhetorically asked.
She rolled her eyes.
“Zaina. Rina had said she wasn’t the one”, she replied.
“I remembered telling her not to go nuts about it”, he said.
Hmph. Seriously? She crumpled her nose, keeping mute.
Just then, they heard the screeching of cars at the garage few metres from them, and they looked up, then glanced at each other.
“Expecting someone?”, Prisha asked in her usual manner.
He shook his head.
“No… I’m not”, he said and sat up, dropping the laptop on the table.
Huh? Who then is that? Prisha sat up as well.
Instantly, the queen walked into the garden, they gasped. What the hell? What is she doing here?
“My darlings”, she squeaked walking up to them.
Hmph, they scoffed.
“Mom? What are you doing here?”, Raghav asked getting up.
She laughed.
“Oh come on honey, I can return anytime I want to”, she said and they hugged.
“Welcome anyway”, he said and pecked her right cheek.
She smiled and turned to Prisha who just sat there in total disbelief, watching.
“Come on honey, welcome your mom properly”, she said.
Prisha managed a smile and got up, then held her in a tight embrace.
“Welcome mom”, she muttered.
“Thanks baby”, she said and unruffled her hair.
“So mom, how is dad? Why are you here?”, Raghav asked.
“Chill son, your dad’s condition is still as it is, I told you”, she said and sat on one of the seats.
He scoffed.
“So, why are you here?”.
“You left dad”, Prisha said, pouting.
She turned to her.
“Come on, you make me feel guilty”, she said.
“You should mom”, she said, Raghav stiffened a laugh.
Huh? She turned to her, then looked away.
“Well Raghav, I’m here for something very important”, she said.
“Huh? More important than dad? That you couldn’t give us a call?”, Raghav asked.
“I wonder”, Prisha said.
“Hey hey hey… enough of this kids, I can return whenever I want to, I don’t need to give a call or something”.
Prisha scoffed then looked away.
“Alright fine, what’s the important thing?”, he asked, laying more emphasis on the important.
She sighed.
“It’s about your childhood friend”, she said.
The two siblings snapped their heads at her, making her startle.
“What did you just say mom? I didn’t get you”, Raghav asked.
She scoffed.
“I didn’t speak with water in my mouth Raghav. Vidya has been worried that since the dinner party, you haven’t spoken to her”, she said.
“Sorry to chip in mom, speak to her like how?”, she asked.
“Speak to her as he is supposed to. Vidya is your betrothed, someone I singlehandedly selected for you Raghav, why do you want to render my efforts useless?”, she ranted.
Prisha laughed.
“Wait mom, is this the reason you returned?”, she asked.
“Stop it Prisha, stop it. I am not talking to you, you do not talk when adults are talking”, she snapped at her.
“Mother?”, Raghav called and she turned to him.
“I don’t like her, I need to put it plainly to you that I don’t like her, and will never do. The earlier you tell her that, the better for her”, he said.
Her face expression changed instantly.
“What the hell you saying?”, she asked.
“You heard me right mother. If she’s thinking we will ever get married, then she’s building castles in the air”, he blurted.
Jeez, Arya flinched.
“What has come over you Raghav?”.
“What has come over me is you leaving dad at the hospital, and coming down to tell me of some rude bitch, trying to reap where she didn’t sow together with her mom”, he hissed.
“Jeez! Raghav!”, she shouted.
“He is right”, Prisha snapped and looked away.
“Raghav, you must do what I tell you to. Vidya is your betrothed and you both are gonna getting married few weeks from now”, she shouted.
Raghav laughed.
“Jeez mom! Do you take me for a kid you can play around? I’m not getting married to her, and that’s final”, he banged.
“Final!”, Prisha supported.
“You must be joking. Look Raghav, I will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning, and she will be coming to spend some weeks here, take it or leave it”.
“What!”, they exclaimed in unison, glancing at themselves.
“She would be what?”, Raghav asked.
“You heard me right, I would be inviting her to the palace to spend some weeks, come on, you two get to know each other so well”, she said.
Raghav hissed and got up, then began packing up his laptop and phones from the table.
“Crap! I can’t believe this is actually the reason you came home, nonsense”, he spat out and walked away.
“You are such a disappointment mom”, Prisha said and got up, then followed Raghav behind.
Arya watched them in anger as they walked out of the garden, walking out on her.
“You better accept it. Vidya is on her way here”, she smirked.