Page 70 of Trapped By the Maharaja

Inside, the pace quickened. Staff hurried along the corridors, voices low but urgent. The palace felt less like a home and more like a stage being set for a performance that could not fail.

At the entrance Rukmini-amma along with Lalita and Kumari appeared. The elderly housekeeper bowed slightly. “Maharani, Rajmata arrived this evening.”

Sanjana’s steps faltered. “Suchitra Devi is here already?”

“Yes,” the housekeeper nodded. “The cook is preparing all of Suchitra Devi’s favorite dishes for dinner tonight.” There was pride in her tone, the kind reserved for someone who had served the same household all her life.

Sanjana nodded faintly, murmured her thanks, and continued forward, her heels clicking against the marble.

The living room had been transformed into controlled chaos. Ladders leaned against gilded walls while decorators adjusted drapery. Florists carried armfuls of roses and jasmine, their fragrance trailing through the air. Event organizers moved with clipboards in hand, their pens scratching furiously.

At the center of it all sat Suchitra Devi.

Regal in emerald silk that shimmered under the chandelier light, she radiated composure. Her voice was calm but firm as she issued instructions, and staff scattered instantly to fulfill them. No one lingered near her unless summoned.

Then her gaze lifted and fell on Sanjana.

Sanjana’s breath caught in her throat. Suddenly, she was acutely aware of the simple dress she had worn to work, which was practical and unremarkable within the opulence of the palace. Her hair was still tied back from the day, and her face bore the faintest trace of fatigue.

Suchitra Devi said nothing.

But in her silence, Sanjana could feel the weight of disapproval.

Forcing herself to move forward, she inclined her head respectfully. “Good evening, Your Highness.”

Devi’s chin lifted a fraction, her acknowledgment measured and regal.

“I’ll just freshen up,” Sanjana murmured quickly, “and join you soon for dinner.”

There was no verbal reply, just that calm, unwavering gaze following her until she stepped past the threshold.

Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, Sanjana hurried up the grand staircase and then along the corridor to the master bedroom suite. Only when the door closed behind her did she let out the breath she’d been holding.

Her plan came rushing back to her. The only lifeline she had left. She had only hours before the announcement tomorrow. Before that, she must speak with Suchitra Devi privately.

She must ask Suchitra Devi’s help to break the contract marriage. And Suchitra Devi will be more than happy to help break the unsuitable marriage.

Taking a deep breath, she hurried across the master suite.

She stepped into the walk-in closet, the vast space sprawling like a boutique with silks and chiffons arranged by shade, and brocades gleaming under the soft glow of recessed lights. There were also gold-threaded lehengas that belonged in a magazine. Everything felt too much and too opulent. She ran her fingers over the fabrics, searching desperately for something that wasappropriate to wear for an informal family dinner, but at a palace.

Her mind raced as she debated between two silk dresses, one green and one deep blue. She decided on the blue. Taking it out, she kept it aside. She took off her cotton dress and placed it in the laundry bin. She was about to take off her bra and panties when she heard the soft click of a door.

She froze.

The bathroom door opened, and Ram stepped out.

Her heart lurched violently into her throat. She has assumed he was still in the city and would return much later in the night. He must have come early because of his mother’s visit.

She stared at him. Water glistened across the ridges of his chest, and a towel slung low around his hips. Her eyes moved helplessly over the droplets sliding over his collarbone, catching the light before trailing down his abs, disappearing into the edge of the towel.

You are a doctor. And it’s just a human body.

Even as she desperately tried to reason with her brain, her mouth suddenly felt dry, and she wanted to trace the water droplets with her tongue.

“Ram...” she said. Her voice came out in a shocked, breathless tone.

He had stilled and was watching her with a hooded gaze.