“Tejaswini is tottering on the line between life and death. I don’t want her curse to fall on you or Jane. Right the wrongs you have done before embarking on a new life with Jane.” His words had made sense completely.
In his haste to be back with Jane, he had handled the breakup with Tejaswini recklessly. He should have managed it better. But what happened couldn’t be undone. All he could do now was to make things as right as he possibly could.
“Tell them what I asked you to say. There is no other way now. We will find a solution once the furore dies down,” his father whispered in his ears as the group of reporters surrounded them with microphones and television cameras.
“Your Highness, what is your reaction to this incident?”
“Your Highness, who is the mystery lady in the photograph?”
“Is it true that you have broken off your engagement with Princess Tejaswini?”
“What do you have to say about the FB post?”
Questions were being fired at him from left, right and centre. Vijay paused, turned around and faced them.
“I'm in no mood to answer these ridiculous questions. But I wish to make one thing clear. Whatever happened today is the effect of the false tales the media has been spreading about me lately. We have initiated legal actions against the tabloid that carried the slandering article. Again, I clarify, I have not broken off my engagement with Tejaswini. Please leave her alone. This is a sincere request.”
With that, he whirled around and walked away ignoring the rest of the questions. He could hear the buzz reach a peak as the journalists shot questions after questions at him hoping for an answer.
Vijay and his father went straight to meet the doctor-in-charge.
“She is out of danger now. We have kept her under observation. She had swallowed a full bottle of sleeping pills. Luckily her friend found her and brought her here before it was too late.” The doctor reassured them and answered all the questions Rudra Dev asked, patiently.
Vijay bit his inner cheek to keep calm. He had never expected this.
He had always considered Tejaswini to be a bold person. The news about him and Jane might have felt like public shaming to her and her family. After all, the photo of her fiancé canoodling with another woman had been splashed across the front page of a national newspaper. He should have been cautious with Jane. It was not fair to her too. He had sent his lawyers to the newspaper office but it had already succeeded in inflicting damage.
He was allowed to enter the ICU to visit Tejaswini for a few minutes. She was sleeping under the influence of the medicines. The sight of her pale figure lying there amid the many machines that were monitoring her vitals sent a zing of guilt spiralling through him. He wanted to apologize to her.
When he came out of the ICU, Tejaswini’s father approached him.
“I'm sorry, son, for the reckless thing that she did. She was never like this. She knew enough not to believe in the press. Don’t know what prompted her to take this extreme step. Please forgive her thoughtlessness.”
“No, uncle. I should apologize. I hope she forgives me when she recovers. But I promise I will right all the wrongs I did. I will wait till she regains consciousness.”
So, he waited outside, along with his father, discussing the happenings of the day together with several other things they needed to attend to. He decided against calling Jane to inform her about the developments. It would be better if he told her about this latest development in person.
It was close to midnight when he was called in to talk to Tejaswini, who had finally gained consciousness.
When he entered the ICU, his gaze met hers. Tejaswini’s eyes were two big pools of grief. They had lost all their liveliness. God, what had he done to the girl?
He hurried to her bed and stood by her bedside. He picked her hand and squeezed it lightly. As though that gesture had not been expected, Tejaswini sobbed aloud.
“Please Tejaswini. Don’t cry. I'm sorry for putting you through all this. You didn’t deserve this.”
“No, Vijay. I'm sorry. I'm so ashamed of myself. I don’t know what opinion you have of me now. I was never this foolish. Tell me you don’t hate me,” she said.
Vijay wiped the tears that flowed out of her eyes and patted her cheeks.
“I don’t hate you. Now rest well and recover. Become the bubbly girl I know. Didn’t anyone tell you that tears don’t suit you?”
She shook her head and smiled. Vijay felt the grip of guilt easing slightly from around his heart. He then spent the next ten minutes teasing her about inventing this new tactic to escape her exams. She denied it vehemently but he laid out the many reasons as to why he thought that was the case. When he came out from the ICU, he was breathing calmly again.
What a tragedy it would have been if she had succeeded in taking her life. He had always been surrounded by strong women. He had never seen any of the women in his family in tears. Either they hid their sadness well or were adept at pushing them away by pretending to be too engrossed with their duties as a royal.
Even Jane was an expert in hiding her real emotions. Poor Jane! He couldn’t wait to tell her what all had transpired in the brief hours they had been apart.
Just the thought of her brought a smile to his face. On his journey back home, his thoughts ran to her constantly. How pretty had she looked at the party! Would she have changed out of that alluring outfit? If not, he would have fun removing it, pausing to adore the portions of her skin it had hidden. Slowly, he would take her as if it were their wedding night, and she his alluring bride.
It was around three in the morning when Vijay finally returned to his room. He quickly locked his door and ran towards the connecting door. He wanted to surprise her. Yet, he pushed open the connecting door silently and entered the dark room.
Something was different. He felt it the instant he entered the room. The light of the moon sifting into the room through the windows shone brightly upon an empty bed. He switched on the room lights just to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him.
Where was she? Was she with Kritika? Were they having a girls’ night together? Maybe they were. He decided to check. Just as he was about to walk towards Kritika’s room, which was at the end of the corridor, his eyes fell on a folded piece of paper on the coffee table. It was held in place by a paperweight shaped like a beautiful Easter egg.
He picked it up and opened it to find Jane’s neat handwriting. What surprise had she planned for him? He plonked onto the couch and began reading.
Vijay,
Whatever happened today has opened my eyes. I'm leaving.
I'm unable to cope up with the bizarre happenings and way of life of your family.
I feel suffocated and humiliated.
Please don’t come in search of me and torture me further.
Let it be a clean break this time.
Goodbye,
Jane
What? He laughed aloud, fully assured that she was playing a prank on him. Yet, when he looked around, every nook and corner of the room screamed out to him the truth of her words. She was gone. He reread the letter and the first sentence itself winded him. His father forcefully taking away the ring from him flashed before his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled at the strands. Taking out his phone, he dialled Jane’s number. The call didn’t connect. The computer recording trilled in his ears that the number was switched off.
He couldn’t believe it. Just to assure himself that it was all a joke, he pulled the doors of the wardrobe open, fully expecting to find Jane’s belongings. But the bare cabinets seemed to mock him.
He called Kritika next. After her phone rang for long, Kritika picked it up.
“Where is Jane?” he asked without any preamble.
“Are you drunk? How will I know? She left the party with you. Did you both have a fight?”
He didn’t reply. He just didn’t know what to say. Perhaps sensing from the long silence that something was wrong, she
asked if he was alright.
He was anything but alright. He disconnected the call and began kicking at anything that he found near him. A small decorative bronze statue of a dancer clattered towards the corner first. Next, he threw the paperweight that had held the ominous note in place at the window and it fell out into the garden outside, after shattering the glass window. He picked up the throw pillows on the couch and flung them hard on the floor.
The door to Jane’s room swung open and Kritika entered. One of the throw pillows landed right at her feet.
“Vijay, are you crazy? Why are you creating this mess?”
He glowered at her.
When she didn’t get any reply, she looked around.
“Jane left?” she asked tentatively.
This time he nodded. After thrusting Jane’s note into her hands, he trudged out of the room feeling defeated.
Chapter 20
The long car ride to Mangalore airport and then the long hours waiting in the airport threw revelations upon revelations on Jane.
At the airport, she bought a magazine and began reading it to pass time. It was nearing three in the morning and she had hardly caught a few winks of sleep the entire night.
“These royals beat the politicians in creating scandals hands down, I say.” Jane heard a man comment to his spouse as he was passing by. The word royal caught her attention. Following his gaze, she stared at the newsflash scrolling on the huge LED television screen in the waiting area of the airport. Her eyes widened and she walked closer to hear what was being said.
The news anchor talked about a suicide attempt by Tejaswini, Vijay's fiancée. What a shock it must have been to Vijay!
Her heart went out to him. She felt awful. She should be near him, he might be going through hell. Should she call him? But how? She would call him from Daniel’s home, she decided.
The anchor guided the viewers to the press statement given by Vijay late last night. His fond face made her heart race, but each word he uttered reinforced the doubts sown by Indrani Devi.
Whatever happened today is the effect of the false tales the media has been spreading about me lately. We have initiated legal actions against the tabloid that carried the slandering article. Again, I clarify, I have not broken off my engagement with Tejaswini. Please leave her alone. This is a sincere request.
Really? What did that say about their relationship?
As the news anchor continued to extoll the virtues of the scion of the erstwhile royal family of Sravanapura and narrated the royal love story, which had turned sour due to the interference of the media, Jane felt bile rise in her throat. She closed her eyes to shut out the news and turned away. She dashed to the nearest washroom and cast away whatever was left in her stomach. The retching didn’t stop until she threw away bitter, acrid bile.
Jane splashed cold water repeatedly on her face until she found some semblance of calm. She had only herself to blame. She had welcomed this sure disaster with open arms, caught in Vijay’s empty promises.
What did he gain by playing with her emotions this time? Was this his way of getting back at her? What a fool she had been! All the tall hopes she had harboured crumbled into a heap of nothing.
Taking a deep breath, Jane closed her eyes. She returned to her seat and slumped into it. Someone tapped on her shoulders and she found Raghav with their boarding passes. Their plane would leave in a few minutes.
Their flight landed in Goa at four in the morning. During the hour-long ride to the Daffodil Resort, Jane gave up fighting sleep and nodded off. When she opened her eyes next, their car had stopped in front of the sprawling resort. A giant neon-lit welcoming board declared the presence of its own private beach, lagoon and tropical riverside gardens within the resort.
When she alighted from the car in the courtyard of the hotel, a familiar face appeared at an open window in the porch and Jane did a double take. Grandpa Bill? And then she realized it must have been Daniel. Happiness bubbled inside her and flushed out all the sadness. The door opened and Daniel stepped out, his face lit up with a bright smile. He was a leaner and fitter version of Grandpa Bill. Goa suited him certainly. Or perhaps it was the love of the smiling lady who stood next to him. Jane had no difficulty in recognizing Devika. She looked different but had aged gracefully. Her silver hair fell in curls onto her shoulder and there were laughter lines around her eyes. Her body was slender but fit.
Daniel spread his arms in welcome and Jane ran into his arms. When his warm hands closed around her, she sobbed in relief. It felt like being back in Grandpa’s arms.
“Welcome to our home, Jane. You don’t know how happy I'm to see you,” said Daniel. Devika came forward, patted her cheeks and embraced her.
“Grandpa Bill wants to see you! Please let us all go as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Jane. I have booked tickets for all three of us for an early morning flight tomorrow. Finally, I have decided to make use of the visit visa I had applied a month ago from Bangalore.”
“God, it must have been then that Clara, Grandpa Bill’s goddaughter, recognised you!” Jane said, connecting the dots.
“Oh, was she Bill’s goddaughter? The woman nearly gave me a heart attack. Hearing a stranger addressing me as Daniel, I almost ran off from there. I thought I was going to be caught finally.” Daniel shrugged and shook his head as though just remembering it made him nervous. Jane quickly explained all the drama that had transpired in Surrey after Clara’s revelation.
“So, you were planning to visit us?” Jane asked.
“I was planning ever since Devika’s brother passed away. Last month, I decided it was time. Indrani found an agent in Bangalore who helped me get the papers ready.”
If Daniel had turned up at their home, she would probably have never met Vijay again. And she would not have been heartbroken again, Jane thought, pain making it difficult for her to breath.
Raghav left for Sravanapura after spending a few minutes to rest and refresh himself.
Jane drank a cup of coffee and ate a sandwich. While she ate, Devika sat with her and they talked. She was pleasantly surprised by Devika’s posh British accent. She revealed she had acquired it because all her governesses had been English. Also, she had roamed frequently all over Europe with her family before marriage and hence she was well-versed in French and German as well. They, in fact, had residences in London and Paris, among other places.
“I wish to hear more about your childhood. I thought Indian royals, especially the women, rarely left India.”
“Oh, no! My grandfather and father were liberals. They roamed the world and we were given proper education. By the late nineteenth century, Indian royals were often part of the London season. Many of the marriages were fixed there. My father found my mother during a ball in London, if the tales are to be believed. We used to love travelling because it gave us a reprieve from the strict rules and regulations we had to follow in and around the palace while in India.”
“Fascinating! Tell me more about your childhood. And your memories of London.”
“Later, child. Now go and rest. You appear so tired.”
Devika led her into a spacious and cosy bedroom and ordered her to rest till it was time for breakfast. Jane fell onto her bed and sheer exhaustion overtook her. Hours later, she woke up to birdsong and distant sounds of waves crashing.
The memories of the previous night came to taunt her immediately. Jane took a deep, calming breath and tried to concentrate on what lay ahead. She got up and walked into the bathroom. The bathroom mirror reflected a tired and unhappy girl who was still dressed in the party outfit she had worn last night. She didn’t want to be that girl who had dreamed a magical dream. The dream was over. She peeled off the garment and tossed it into a laundry bag in the room.
Jane stood under the warm shower and allowed its warmth to surround her. Her treacherous heart yearned for the warmth of two strong hands instead. She allowed herself to shed stormy, heart-wrung tears. One last time, she promised he
rself, allowing the tears to be washed off with the bath water. She wouldn’t mourn the loss of her love. She had done it once, and that was enough. This time, perhaps it had not been love. She hardly knew what it had been. It must have been lust. Why then couldn’t she brush it off like a one-night stand that had been magical while it lasted?
She pulled on a T-shirt, and capris and wandered into the main lobby of the resort. Even then, all she wanted to see was Vijay’s fond face, to hear his voice, run into his arms and forget everything. It was happening all over again after a gap of three years. The first time it had been brutal, it would be harder this time. Her heart had learned that it could have a second chance and now yearned for another.
Handling heartbreak was never easy. She squeezed her eyes shut but it failed to shut out the memories of love. Could she forget how he always made her feel special, desirable, and innately good?
“Jane, you are up. I was coming to check on you. Come, let me serve you breakfast.” It was Devika, coming out of the resort’s office. Jane greeted her with a hug. Devika talked non-stop, telling her about her sons and grandkids. She had two sons. One of them was into the hotel business and the other was a heart surgeon. They had three resorts and had plans to expand their business further.
“I'm amazed by how you people managed to remain undetected all these years. You were up against a powerful family.”
“Oh, we would have been caught within hours if Indrani hadn’t helped us. Using her influence, she helped us to reach here where she had powerful relatives. For a long time, we lived in and around Goa moving from house to house, never staying in the same place for long. When the fire died down eventually, recognizing the scope of tourism in Goa, Daniel started a bread and breakfast. Oh, by the way, he is not Daniel Worthington anymore. He is now Subodh Roy, a Bengali Anglo Indian settled in Goa.” Devika laughed after declaring that.
A Royal Affair Page 10
