Bride Lost and Found (The Bride Series Book 1)
Jahaan Singh and Niyati's marriage was accidental but there was a spark in their relationship from the moment they had seen each other at the marriage canopy. While Niyati was not interested in marriage or relationships, Jahaan couldn't lose her to maintain his Royal Tag and family status. Sorting a middle way was their only option left. But what would happen if his Ex Bride returned?
A fun loving, romantic story of a Royal Heir and his commoner destined Wife.
‘An unexpected tragedy has pulled the strings of
the Royal Dynasty of Jodhpur, shocking everyone related to them. His highness,
Jahaan Singh, the 28-year old heir of the Royal Singh family who was supposed
to tie a knot with his childhood friend Princess Lalitha of Mevar, has
mistakenly married a wrong woman. We are yet to find the details of the now
Royal bride of the Singh Dynasty of Jodhpur who fell unconscious in the
Prince’s arms within minutes of realization of this fiasco. Stay tuned for more
updates on this Royally Wrecked Marriage’
While there were vivid of news headlines like the
above constantly displaying on every channel on TV at one side, there were
guests and relatives of the Royals who kept gossiping around at the Wedding
Venue, uninterruptedly about this last minute, shocking change of bride.
“Seriously? Jahaan
Singh can make that mistake? Or did he plan this on purpose?”
“He played with dignities
of two royal families”
“No, he himself was
unaware of the circumstance”
“Poor Princess Lalitha. I
hope she can sustain this cheat”
“She cheated Jahaan and
not vice versa. If she hadn’t eloped, why would this confusion happen?”
Durga, the same elderly
woman who had escorted Niyati, the now Royal Bride and wife to Jahaan Singh, to
the Wedding canopy after she was brought here, mistakenly, slipped away
from amidst the guests, to check on Jahaan. She hadn’t seen him from past an
hour and it started worrying her.
When Jahaan Singh’s to-be
bride, Princess Lalitha eloped, his guards went in search for her and wrongly
got another bride who coincidently had eloped from her marriage, happening
exactly the same day, same time.
Not finding him anywhere
around the venue, there was only place Durga could think of looking him for;
his presidential suite in this Hotel which had been their home from the last
two days, even though Jahaan had reached here just yesterday evening from Paris
where he had been for Business. As she opened the door of his room, she found
him barking over the phone to someone. His anger was palpable. He tied a knot
after all with a stranger. As she walked inside, she could hear the voice of
the person he was talking to over the phone which was on speaker mode. She was
Princess Lalitha of Mevar, his could have been wife today.
“Jahaan, I am sorry”
“Shut up, Lalitha” he groaned.
“Do you even realize what trouble you have caused me and my family’s
reputation? If you didn’t want this marriage to happen, you could have told me
clearly. Why hide it?”
“I was scared” Lalitha
cried from the other end.
“Scared my foot!!” he
scowled. “We know each other from our childhood. And this alliance meant
something to both of us. It was a promise between our families, Lalitha. How
could you be so reckless to break it by one irrational decision like this?”
“I am sorry” she kept
crying yet having no effect on Jahaan’s fury.
He disconnected the call
and turned around. Durga waited for him to calm down before she could raise her
own doubts and spoil his mood further.
“She had left this note”
he showed the piece of paper in his hand. “She left a runaway note instead of
calling me or talking to me once. How ridiculous is that Dayima?”
Durga took the note from
him and read that one liner apology from Princess Lalitha. She might have left
the note in his room for him to read, but it was late. He had already been
waiting at the canopy for her and when none of them could find her in the
Hotel, he sent his guards to look for her and get her back safely. He didn’t
return back to this room since then. Had he come here before, he would have
checked Lalitha’s note and his marriage with an unknown girl would have been
avoided.
“Sir” a young sturdy tall
man, almost Jahaan’s age, stepped in the room. His crisp white shirt with a
black waistcoat glued to it revealed how muscular he was. But nothing between
the two men was alike. “The media is waiting for you to address” he informed.
Jahaan looked at him with
a quizzical stare on his face.
“Vikram, do I look ready
to meet anyone right now?” he snapped.
Vikram, his body guard
turned back to the door to leave when Jahaan stopped him again. “Give me some
time, Vik” his tone mellowed this time.
Vikram was Jahaan’s
personal bodyguard from past 3 years. They shared more than a boss – employee
relationship though. They hit the gym together every day. Whilst Vikram gave
Jahaan health and body building tips, Jahaan gave Vikram ideas on how to start
his own Private Security Business, which was Vikram’s dream from past few years.
There were times when Jahaan lost control over his anger but Vikram never took
it to heart. He knew his Boss was just going through tough times.
“I will hold them for some
time” he informed patiently and left the room.
Jahaan rubbed his temple.
“I feel screwed. Lalitha
shouldn’t have ditched us at the last moment. She had a problem with the
wedding, I knew. But I never thought she would elope like that.”
“Is she safe? Where is
she?”
“She left the country. She
said she needs time to understand what she wants to do in life. But she is
fine”
Despite the tragedy Jahaan
faced today, his humbleness towards Princess Lalitha didn’t surprise Durga. Jahaan
and Lalitha had been childhood friends and they shared almost every little
detail. That’s why their parents thought they would make a fine couple.
“You took care of Lalitha
after her parent’s death, she should have at least considered that” Durga
exclaimed.
“She was my responsibility
Daayima, she still is. I will ask my sources to keep a tab on her. I don’t want
Lalitha to end up in any kind of troubles. The media is going to hunt her down.
It’s good she left the country for a while.”
His selflessness got a
smile on Durga’s face.
“And what about the girl
you got married to?”
Jahaan got speechless for
a moment. In all this he had forgot about that girl.
“What about her?” he
asked. His low deep voice threatened Durga. Jahaan was famous in his family for
taking erroneous decisions due to his short temper. So, this time before he
could conclude anything, Durga interrupted.
“Jahaan, we need to take
some stand over this incident before people get to talk about it and spread
more rumors.”
Jahaan nodded in
agreement. His family’s reputation is at stake because of one silly mistake
from his guards and he won’t let it slip out of his hands and become an excuse
for people to mock. They want answers, he will give them.
Chapter 2
She blinked twice, thrice
and then continuously for few more seconds to feel her own mind coming out of
the dark silent zone it was in before. A strong beam of light, coming from the
glass window pricked her eyes and as she glanced at the place around, everything
became crystal clear. She recollected the difficulties she faced in eloping
from her wedding, then the guards picking her up and bringing her straight to
the royal wedding Canopy which she mistook to be one of hers, the pleads she
made to the groom thinking it was the old Zamindar which obviously went unheard
and the most shocking turn of events when she realized that she just got
married not to the man her foster parents were forcing her to, but the Royal
Heir of Jodhpur, Jahaan Singh.
The memories made her jerk.
She got up startled and disoriented looking around to find a clue where she
was. It looked like a posh Hotel room. How did she end up here? She tried to
put some more pressure on her brain and the last part of her memories which she
missed recalling, hit hard again. She had fell unconscious in Jahaan Singh’s
arms. How on earth did that happen?
“No. No. No Niyati. Stay
calm. This is not the end” she talked to herself. “Think of the brighter side,
you are saved from marrying that lusty Zamindar”
However hard she tried to
convince herself, it didn’t work. Her heart fluttered like a Dolby music system.
“There is the door. All
you need to do is run” she muttered again. “yes. I got to run”
She hurried to the door
which opened from the other end and before she could do anything about it, she
bumped with the man who came inside the room.
“Not again” Jahaan cursed,
holding Niyati in his arms.
Niyati had shut her eyes
in the fear of falling down but when she heard his voice, she opened them wide
and got back on her feet. Jahaan Singh stood before her tall and strong. The
power of his muscular body and the control he had on his face made it
impossible for her to think rational. She had seen him before only in Magazines
and photos on social media. Her friends would praise him, swoon over his
personality while she never showed interest in even glancing at his profile.
“Who sent you here?”
His question broke her
trance.
“What?” she had no clue
what he meant by that.
“I asked, who planted you into
my life? Don’t tell me you have no idea about what I am asking because I am not
a fool to believe this is a coincidence”
Niyati lost her temper.
“You think I am paid to do
all of this? Only because you are a Royal and I am a commoner?”
He didn’t respond.
“I was happily running
away from this town, your guards kidnapped me and got me here. Why don’t
you go and ask them?”
“Don’t teach me what to
do?” he strode to her.
“I am telling you what
actually happened” she snapped. “You call it a coincidence or confusion, I
don’t care. But I got nothing to do with it.”
“Lie” he groaned. “You
said you were running away? But why in a bridal dress? I am sure it isn’t
comfortable running in such a heavy costume”
“Because I was eloping
from my marriage”
He opened his mouth to
cross question that but then he paused. Her marriage?
“I didn’t want to marry
that 50-year-old Zamindar my parents were forcing me to. And I was even
successful in my mission until your guards stopped me and got me here.”
He went blank. Was she
telling the truth?
“I thought they were the
Zamindar’s goons. When I came here, I even pleaded you not to marry me and
allow me time to settle the debts. But you didn’t care”
She wasn’t lying. He knew.
She had begged him while they sat together to perform the wedding rituals. He
was deaf to her pleas because he took her to be Lalitha and was absolutely
frustrated on her for eloping from the wedding like that. He didn’t even
realize her voice was anything but Lalitha’s. How could he miss that?
“Shit” he groaned. He was
equally responsible for this confusion.
“I am innocent” she
continued.
“And married” he added.
Oh yes. How was that going
to change now? She looked at herself in the side mirror. The Mangalsutra
(Marital chain) was hanging around her neck and the Vermillion filled brightly
on her forehead partition. She wanted to cry but that would do no good. She was
stronger than this.
“Look” Niyati turned back
to him. “Whatever happened was a mistake. We don’t have to carry this baggage
further. Let’s just go outside and”
The door knock paused from
whatever decisions she was about to take for them. It was Vikram again,
Jahaan’s bodyguard.
“Sir”
“Give us 10 minutes
Vikram”
“Sure, Sir”
“And” Jahaan added. “Was
there another marriage happening in this town today?”
Niyati frowned.
“You don’t believe me
still?” she argued.
“WAIT” he gave her a
strict glare not to interrupt them.
“You wait” she argued
again.
“What the hell!!” he
clenched his jaw but she didn’t care. She turned to a highly confused Vikram
who was staring at the two.
“Nandan, that’s the name
of the Zamindar here” she informed Vikram. “He must have tortured my foster
parents because I eloped. Go and check if you think I am lying”
Vikram looked back at
Jahaan who nodded in agreement and then he slipped away from the room.
“Forget it” she shrugged.
“Where were we then?”
Before she could continue
blabbering, Jahaan held her forearms and pinned her to the wall behind. All her
strength couldn’t defeat his actions because he was too powerful and masculine
for a thin woman like her.
“You are not allowed to do
that. Respect the man whom you married, not only because he is your husband but
also because he is a Royal and we Royals are very peculiar about our policies”
he groaned.
Niyati felt intimidated.
Husband? Royal? Yeah, he is both to her. She didn’t mean to disrespect him, but
she is not used to taking orders either. She is a free bird with free will.
“I don’t have to learn
your policies because it will be a waste. I am here to leave. And so will I.
Just ask your guards not to stop me this time”
“Leave?” he barked. “You
think this is all a Joke?”
“Yes, it is. What else is
this for you?”
“Marriage” he shouted. “And
that isn’t a joke Girl”
“Niyati” she interrupted.
“My name is Niyati and I am a woman not a small girl whom you can act as a
guardian for. I know my rights. I didn’t want this marriage, neither you would
like me as your wife. Why extend this? Let’s end it here and now”
“How?” he crossed his
arms. “How should we end this, NI..YA..TI”
The way he spelled every
syllable in her name tickled her body. His voice was something… Whilst her
silly heart wanted to process more of him, her mind took control. She shook her
head and focused on the problem.
“Simple. Go out, tell your
people you don’t believe in this marriage neither I. People will understand and
leave”
“Rubbish” he scowled. “How
insensible is that. Now whatever you are, I have many things to handle. The
media is already loving us, I am not going to spoil that more.”
“So, what do you suggest?”
“We stick together for a
while” he declared.
“Rubbish” this time she
snapped using a similar tone as his. “I won’t be a scape goat because you have
to handle your Royal tag. And don’t forget, if I can elope from my foster
parents and that Zamindar’s goons, I can run away from here too, without
letting you know”
His face turned red. She
was openly challenging him and he couldn’t bear that.
“You go anywhere, you will
be stalked, tortured by people because they have seen your face. They know you
now. You are just not a common woman, Niyati. You are Mrs. Niyati Jahaan Singh.
And that will always drag you into troubles if you don’t stick to my plans. Do you
understand”
He has a point. Because
this fiasco has been out in the media, running away and settling in another
city will still be problematic. Jahaan read her face.
“Looks like you have
finally understood my point” he added.
“Trying to” she snapped. “But
I won’t be here for long. I have plans”
He rolled his eyes.
“Until I handle things my
way and you make your plans more concrete so that next time you don’t end up
being a stranger’s bride, lets stick to this marriage”
Her jaw dropped. Is he
still blaming her for their marriage?
“Deal?” he extended his
hand towards her. She looked at his face and then his arm. He seemed to be a
quick decision maker. Hopefully, he will sort it out soon.
“Deal” she placed her hand
in his as he closed his thick fingers around her thin ones and shook it hard.
Chapter 3
“Give her some clothes Dayima and jewelry. Just dress
her up and don’t leave her sight. I don’t trust her. There is enough mess already
and I need her by my side”
Jahaan’s strict instructions to Durga only made
her smile this time.
“What is that smile for?” he asked.
“I haven’t seen you so flustered ever” she
replied.
“I feel harassed. First Lalitha, then the media
and now this woman… Niyati” he rubbed his forehead.
“Jahaan” Durga caressed his arm. “Don’t take
stress, things will be fine. And I have already sent clothes, food and jewelry
to Niyati. I will go meet her now and get her downstairs for the media
interview.”
“Thanks”
Durga was about to leave but she stopped and returned
to him.
“I am sure this marriage is God’s wish. Something
bright is coming your way, Jahaan and you should embrace it”
Jahaan had no clue how to process this. He just
smiled back at her and headed for a shower.
∞∞∞
The food was delicious. Niyati was impressed how
the chefs personally took care of her likes and cooked her favorite meal. She
was very hungry. Running for her freedom had killed all her energy which now
started filling in again. That’s the best thing about being a part of the Royal
family. You get anything and everything in abundance. Though she was never
denied of proper food and lifestyle by her foster parents all these years, she
always felt they were feeding her only to use her some day for their own greed.
And it happened. They sold her to the Zamindar to settle their debts. She
wondered what the Zamindar would have done to them by now.
Durga stepped in the room, breaking Niyati’s
stance. Niyati didn’t realize her until she spoke to her.
“I thought you are dressed for the Interview”
Durga mentioned.
“You are the same woman who escorted me from the
car till the wedding canopy, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I am the same old woman”
Niyati sat down on the bed.
“All these are for me? I am not used to such
clothes”
“You will get used to them slowly.” Durga sat next
to her. “Every Royal bride wears such outfits at least on their wedding. You
should wear it too”
Niyati chuckled.
“Are you a Royal too?” she asked.
“I am Jahaan’s Dayima. You can say I am his
caretaker. I have looked after him ever since he was one year old”
“Seriously? Wow”
Niyati liked the softness in her voice. And the
lady also seemed to be kind and gentle. A total motherly figure.
“He is a lucky man” she commented.
Durga cupped her face.
“Whatever circumstances got you and Jahaan
married, I am sure it will be fruitful for both of you. I have my blessings on
you two”
She kissed Niyati’s forehead making her body ache
with affection for the old lady. She had never been held so warmly by her
foster parents.
“Now come on, the media is waiting for an
interview. Jahaan wants you down soon. Let me help you dress up”
Unwillingly Niyati obeyed her orders.
∞∞∞
“Princess Lalitha is safe and she will be back
soon” Jahaan explained the media on being questioned about her. “I don’t hold
any grudge against her. She is my best friend and will continue to be the same
hereon. Nothing will change between us.”
“And what about the woman you married? Is she
going to be considered as the Royal bride or ..” one of the interviewer asked.
As Jahaan turned to his left, he saw Dayima
getting Niyati, his bride, down. She wore the Royal attire like every bride of
their family would on this auspicious day. Niyati was fair, thin and had a
flawless skin, radiating beauty and attitude on her face and her body language.
He was so engrossed in admiring his bride that he almost didn’t care the media
had stopped taking his pictures and taking hers instead. He loved being the
center of attraction but tonight, looked like he didn’t mind.
Dayima stopped at some distance and gestured
Niyati to go ahead and take the seat next to Jahaan. All this was like a
nightmare for Niyati but she kept her focus and did as told. She headed to
Jahaan Singh and met his extra ordinary gaze. She had seen that kind of look before
on a man’s face for her. Men swooned on her beauty whenever she was out in
public. That was one of the reasons why the Zamindar was so desperate in making
her his wife. But never in her dreams she thought of a Royal Prince falling for
her charms.
“Meet my bride, Niyati Jahaan Singh” Jahaan
introduced her the moment she stood next to him. The media kept clicking them
together. Niyati was stunned by the attention everyone was giving her. Here she
had decided to elope and lead a simple private life but everything had turned
the opposite.
Jahaan Singh handled the rest of the interview in
his own stylish way, without caring for all the allegations and poking
questions raised by the reporters. All he wanted was to face them and stuff
their notes with enough lines which could maintain the dignity of his family
and hers. The Royal tag meant everything to him and he would do anything to
keep it that way.
________________________________________________
“Let me be very specific His highness” Arun Mehta, Niyati’s father, put his glass of orange juice away and focused back on Jahaan Singh sitting opposite to him.
“Nothing is free in this world. Not even a wife. You want a wife; you have to buy her problems too” he adds.
Jahaan was good at reading people’s mind and the moment he saw this couple; he had realized what category they fit in. They were greedy for money and fortunately he had that plenty. Yet, he was prepared for worst.
“Be specific Mehta” he growled.
“You want to keep Niyati with you, please do. We will not have a problem but what about the debts that we have to settle down? You can see how well breed Niyati is. We kept her that way. And we paid a lot for her education and upbringing. Who will pay for that?” Arun continued to put his demands.
“And you are forgetting the embarrassment she put upon us yesterday. The whole town is mocking us that we couldn’t handle our daughter and let her fled on her wedding day” Rekha added supportive words to her husband’s yet to be made proposal.
“Yes” he agreed. “The embarrassment and torture from the Zamindar cannot be forgotten”
“Let’s stick to the main point, Mehta. Quote your price” Jahaan snapped.
The Mehta couple looked at each other and grinned. Finally, they were getting a fair deal to make and they would use it to the fullest.
“Mrs. Singh. No one is going to cut your leg. It’s a hairline fracture. You will be alright in a week or two. But until then no walking”
“Oh” she sighed in relief.
He wrote some medicines which Durga immediately asked the servant to get.
“Complete bed rest, am I clear?” Durga warned her once the Doctors left. “I will check upon Jahaan”
“You don’t have to tell him this, Daayima”
“I already have. And he has started for home”
It sounded like an alarm. Jahaan Singh, leaving all his work aside and rushing home to check upon her injured leg? Is that a good sign? She hoped so. The sedatives started kicking and she preferred resting for a while before the real hurricane named Jahaan Singh returned and gave her an earful.
∞∞∞
Hairline Fracture? The term was a combination of both relief and panic. Jahaan Singh analyzed the plaster of his wife’s leg while she snored peacefully on the bed under sedation. There was a bandage on her forehead too but just an inch longer. She really had a bad fall off Misty. He sipped his coffee which Daayima prepared the moment he reached home.
“What else did the Doctor’s say?” he asked Durga who was standing next to him.
“She can walk once the plaster is removed in 2 weeks”
“Diet restrictions?”
“None”
“Hmm” he sipped his coffee again, without moving his gaze from Niyati’s face. Even in a condition like this, she looked gorgeous. Damn! What was he thinking?
“You must be tired. I will sleep with her in this room and you can get your share of sleep in the other” Durga insisted.
“No, I will be fine here”
“But Jahaan?”
He didn’t argue and neither did she. There were streaks of worry all over his face for his wife which Durga knew would fade only when he stays in the same room and looks after her. She had always loved that quality in Jahaan. He had been a perfect gentleman in taking care of people he loved. She left the room quietly.
EXCERPT 1
“Such a royal discomfort” she murmured to herself.
“Indeed” he replied. “Wish you had a decent weight”
“Excuse me? I was the slimmest girl in my college”
“And how long was that? 10 years?”
She cursed something inaudible. How dare he teased her about her age?
“I am just 22. And let me guess, you are 35?”
He halted.
“45” he lied. “Does that satisfy your ego now?”
She wanted to argue further but when he lied his age to that extent, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“45? Hmmm” she mumbled. “Is this your wig then?” she touched his hair.
“Stop touching my hair. I don’t like it”
“As if I am dying to touch them” she frowned again and looked away from his face.
REVIEWS
Reviewed in India on 27 December 2019
Reviewed in India on 26 December 2019
Reviewed in India on 16 May 2020
Madhu will u update any stories today or only precap or no update
ReplyDeleteMadhu waiting for your reply
DeleteOnly precap for Lawful Sins 2 today. Will post it in an hour :)
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