PROLOGUE: Part 2
~ ISHIKA ~
Ishika's grandfather and Suryapratap Singh Rathore had been rivals ever since her grandmother's dramatic elopement. It was a well-known fact in Jodhpur, although people rarely spoke about it out of respect for the royal family.
The tale was a classic story of love and hate. Ishika's grandmother had been engaged to Suryapratap, but she had fallen head over heels for Ishika's grandfather and had run away with him on the day of their engagement.
The story, no matter how many times she heard it from her grandfather, never failed to fascinate her. It was a beautiful love story, but because of it, anyone in her family was forbidden from going anywhere near the Rathores.
As a sweet angel to her grandfather, Ishika respected his wishes with all her heart.
"Oh please, Anant Uncle aur teri jaan lenge? (Anant Uncle will kill you?) Impossible! Pata hai na, vo tujh par jaan chhidakate hai... (You know he dotes on you...)" Saanvi said, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
"Arre, maana ki main unaki laadali hu, (Hey, I know I'm his favorite,) but I can't ignore his rules," Ishika countered, her voice dropping. "Guys, you have never seen his anger. Trust me, you never want to face that side of him."
She shivered dramatically, hoping to close the topic. But Mehak, who had been quiet, stood up abruptly.
"I suppose there's nothing else to say. I'll get going then." Mehak stood up, trying to leave.
Ishika took a hold of Mehak's hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Why can't you understand?" she pleaded. "I can't go. Even if it's the Party of the Century."
Mehak sighed with a roll of her eyes. "You're such a drama queen. It's just a party, Ishu."
"Yeah, right," Ishika muttered, slumping back. "More like the dress rehearsal for my funeral."
Saanvi and Aanika shook their heads, but then Saanvi's eyes lit up with a dangerous glint.
"Wait, you've heard of Hukum Mrityunjay Singh Rathore, haven't you?" Saanvi leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He's going to be there. And oh my god, he is so handsome! If I could just have him for myself, my life would be complete."
She swooned, fanning herself with a napkin.
Ishika chuckled. She had seen pictures of the Rathore scion in the news-sharp suits, cold eyes, always looking like he wanted to buy the photographer's soul. "I'm sure he's a very... nice man," she said politely.
"More like eye candy for the female population," Mehak drawled, finally sitting back down.
Saanvi pouted. "You're missing out. He's a literal Prince." Ishika just smiled at Saanvi's theatrics, amused by her friend's over the-top antics.
"Prince or not, it's better to stay away from him," Aanika whispered, her playful demeanor fading for a second. "I've heard he's very dangerous."
"You're so scared of him, yet you want to crash his party," Ishika said, not believing her friend's stupidity.
"Leave her alone, she's a scaredy-cat anyway," Mehak cut in, her gaze fixing on Ishika. "Do you have any real reason for not going?"
"I just want to stay home and read," Ishika groaned, resting her head on the table.
Aanika laughed. "You're such a hermit."
Ishika glared at her. "I'm not a hermit. I'm just selectively introverted."
"Whatever you say," Aanika said, shrugging. "But you're coming to the party, whether you like it or not."
Ishika looked at their expectant faces. She knew she was defeated.
"Okay, fine," she sighed, throwing her hands up. "But we leave whenever I say. I don't want my family to know about this."
The three of them nodded furiously, grinning like Cheshire cats.
"Pata hai aadhe se jyada Jodhpur waha hoga, (You know more than half of Jodhpur will be there,)" Aanika mused, looking dreamy. "Ho sakta hai hamare soulmate hamein waha mil jaye. (Maybe we'll meet our soulmates there.)"
"Madam, aap bhul rahi hai, aapka ek boyfriend hai. (Madam, you are forgetting you already have a boyfriend,)" Saanvi reminded her, narrowing her eyes.
Aanika's face fell. "I broke up with him."
"WHAT?" The scream was unanimous.
"But... it was such a beautiful relationship," Ishika stammered, shocked.
"He cheated." Aanika's voice was barely a whisper.
The atmosphere at the table shifted instantly. The playfulness vanished, replaced by a cold, united fury.
"That bastard," Ishika hissed.
"Son of a bastard." Mehak bawled.
"Fatherfucker." Saanvi snarled.
"So, when are we getting rid of him?" Ishika asked in a deadly serious tone, her voice dripping with venom.
"Don't scare us, Ishika." Aanika protested.
"Aur hai kaha vo haraamkhor kutta? (And where is that bastard dog?)" Ishika couldn't help but ask, her anger evident in her voice.
"Germany," Aanika informed the group.
"Bhaag gaya, aur tujhe pata kese chala iss bare mein. (Ran away, and how did you find out about it?)" Saanvi spoke in a murderous tone, her fists clenched.
"Jaane do yar. (Let's just forget about it.)" Aanika tried to change the subject as she was starting to feel uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Ese kese jane de, usne hum se panga liya hai. (How can we let him go like this? He has messed with us) he'll pay for his crimes," Mehak insisted.
"Agreed," Saanvi and Ishika said at the same time.
"We will definitely devise a plan for that on our next Saturday meet." Ishika decided.
"Fine, I'll tell you then what happened." said Aanika, everyone nodded in unison.
*Pika pee Pika pee Pika Pika Pikachu* Ishika's phone rang. Ishika checked her cell to find her Mumma calling. She picked up the call.
"Hello... Haan... (Yes...) Okay, I'll be there." she said.
"Guys, Mumma called, and I need to leave as it's already 8:30." Ishika started to pick up all her stuff.
"I also need to leave now. My father asked to come early. I forgot all about it. Let's go together. I'll drop you." Mehak said.
"Okay," Ishika said. They both left first, leaving the other two bickering.
~ MRITYUNJAY ~
The city lights of Jodhpur twinkled far below, irrelevant specks against the darkness.
On the 60th floor, the silence was heavy, broken only by the furious typing of Shreya, Mrityunjay's executive assistant.
She pressed the phone to her ear, her voice a hushed whisper. "I'll be out in five minutes, honey. I promise."
"I've been waiting for half an hour, Shreya," her boyfriend's voice crackled with frustration. "This is happening every night."
"I know, I'm sorry," Shreya glanced nervously toward the massive double doors at the end of the hallway-the doors to the CEO's cabin. A sliver of light still spilled from underneath them. "The new intern messed up the filing system. I have to fix it now, or tomorrow will be a disaster."
"Leave it for tomorrow," he argued. "You work too hard."
Shreya let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Me? No. I'm working way less than him." She lowered her voice even further. "Do you know he sometimes sleeps here? It's crazy. He's in there right now."
"Just come down fast," her boyfriend sighed.
"Five minutes," Shreya whispered. "I have to go before he hears me."
She cut the call, her heart racing. She wasn't scared of the work. She was scared of the man behind those double doors-the man who didn't know the meaning of rest, and expected the world to keep up with his pace.
To Be Continued...