Royal Arrangement

2) KABIR ~ Underestimation

I woke up to the Alarm buzzing in my room. I never ever in my life used an alarm, I never needed to. My eyes adjust to the darkness of my room. The scent of Jasmine, henna and the heavy Bangles invaded my nose. I looked down gently, only to find my 'wife' lying next to me. Her hand clutched the hem of the blanket. She was a mere inch away from me.

That's when I realised, it was her phone that kept ringing. I groaned as I stretched myself to forward to pick it up. I switched it off and that's when I saw the time, it was barely 5 in the morning. I had hardly slept for a couple hours and my sleep was disturbed.
I got back in my old position and I looked at her.

Her cold features were calm, rather innocent when she was sleeping. I still didn't know why she even said yes to this whole arrangement when I literally gave her multiple offers to step back from this marriage.

I sighed as I took in the scene, her sleeping next to me in my t-shirt, in my bed, so comfortably. She herself had crossed all the distance she had put when she slept on the edge. A little shift and she'd be against my chest. I frowned staring down at her. I never knew I'd have to witness this, marrying a brown girl. I thought my father would give in to me marrying someone I'd love but being single for way long didn't prove to be in my favour anyhow.

"It's just as long as I get you to sign the divorce papers. Then I swear I'd never step in this Royal Mess again." I muttered under my breath and I turned my head towards the ceiling. My eyes were heavy. I gave in to the slumber.
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I stepped out of bathroom dressed in my formal, tailored Kurta. It was a pastel yellow crème shade and I had no choice but to abide by my mother's rules. First thing I bumped into was Nalini. She wore a somewhat same shade saree with some mirror work. Her one hand holding the back of her blouse as she turned towards me in surprise. "Oh, good  morning." She whispered avoiding my eyes. Her wet yet medium length hair were pushed on one side.

Her face was bare of makeup and she finally looked up at me. "Can you send Trisha when you pass by her room?" She asked, uncomfortably holding onto the back of her blouse. I shifted my eyes to the mirror and I saw it, the undone strings. I looked back at her and she was waiting for my reply. The same calm yet such an awkward look on her face.

"Do you really think I'd like to disappoint my father by heading down all by myself. That too on the very first day of This?" I gestured my hand to us, not really wanting to say the word 'wedding' and she shifted, considering my words.

"Turn around." I told her and she did without a word. I saw something I failed to notice before. Her small three letter tattoo rested on the back of her spine. It said S-K-Y. I gently held the strings. I breathed in as my fingers touched her skin.
I noticed her flinch just slightly as I pulled them. Before I could even begun to tie them she shrugged gently.

"It's not tight enough." She said abruptly and I looked at her through the mirror. Her brown eyes stared at me and her cheeks were tinted red. Was she blushing? Or was she embarrassed?
I pulled them again and I looked up at her again. She was biting her lip, still staring at me. I moved my hands and every-time they brushed her skin, it got on my nerves, the building tension.

"How long would you take?" I asked as I walked to the bedroom. She followed me out but stopped in front of the dressing mirror. She murmured something under her breath. I frowned. "Say it clearly." I threw her a glare and she returned it. Before any of us could say another word we heard a knock on the door.

I opened the door and I saw Abhishek and Trisha. The troublesome twins.

"Good  morning." They smiled sheepishly and I wasn't in any mood to return it. I blocked their view inside as I stood tall against the door, barely opening it. "You guys have never once paid me a visit in early mornings, in my room,  in the last two months I have been here. What do you want?" I raised a brow at them. I could guess by how Trisha tried to peek inside, it had nothing to do with me.