KEDAR NATH PANWAR II, the prince of Garhwal, is the half-British, half-Indian prodigal son and the constant head ache of the royal family, who is unexpectedly exiled to the Aldridge-Heaton residencial school in Dalhousie by the king.
HIMANI ARORA i...
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Prince Kedar felt nothing that night when he took home that girl with blonde highlights and the most luscious lips wearing a glittery-black halter top from the club. How old was she? Twenty four? Twenty five? He didn't know. He didn't want to know. He wanted to get far away from the horrible thoughts in his head that would not leave. He wanted to forget the world just for one night and wipe away the smears and traces of reality. Nights like that helped him take the weight of the crown and an impending coronation off his shoulders. A royal guinea pig. He often thought.
The click of the door unlocking and the girl's slight giggle were the only sounds as they stepped into his dark and cold apartment.
'Hold on.' Kedar said as he took his hands away from her waist to pull out a cigarette from his pocket. The cigarette hung from his lips, and the flame from the lighter slashed the darkness like a knife.Faint footsteps emerged from the shade as he lit the cig. A hand-steady and swift-delivered a forceful blow, sending the cigarette away from his mouth across the room.
'What the h-' He almost said, as the lights turned on and three shadows in the dark came into life. His hazel eyes widened. His father, Ravindr Nath Panwar, stood close to him-the one who slapped away his cigarette, the one who once used to be the crown prince, just like him. A few feet away stood Princess Zoya, his older sister, and Prakash Chauhan, his father's private secretary, with their eyes wide open as if something bad was about to happen. Ravindr's hands rose. Another slap, but this time it landed just above his left jaw. As an initial response, the corner of Kedar's lip curled into a slight smile. An audible gasp left the girl's mouth, who was standing just behind him. Kedar stood there like a statue with his hands down, rolled into fists while not touching his face, where it hurt like a thousand bee stings. He knew how bad it was; his father himself had descended from his luxurious life in Nainital to Delhi just to slap him.
'Kedar, what's this?' Zoya whispered from behind, just like a light breeze was blowing. He raised his right hand so as to stop Zoya. He didn't explicitly say that he wanted to hear nothing out of the mouth of Kedar, the one who has brought shame to the family, but he surely meant it.
'Prakash.' He called in his voice, which remotely resembled the distant rumbling of thunder.
'Your highness.' Prakash stepped forward.
'Ask him where his equerry is.'
'Sir, where's your-'
'I sent him home early.' Kedar replied before Prakash could finish his sentence.
Ravindr clenched his jaw. 'Then make sure he stays home the rest of his life. Sent his dismissal letter now.' Prakas nodded. 'And make sure this woman doesn't say anything to the public.' His gaze landed on the girl, with blonde highlights on her hair.
'Yes, sir.' Prakash said and cajoled the girl outside, and the flustered woman followed him.
His father's gaze fell on Kedar, and its heat melted his flesh and bones. 'Pack your bags.' He said, and stormed outside.
'What were you thinking?' Zoya ran to him as soon as their father was out of sight, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "How old is she?" She asked, raising her already arched eyebrows.
'Over twenty, I guess.'
'God!' Zoya let out an annoyed groan while rolling her eyes.
'For god's sake, you just turned eighteen.' Her yell penetrated his ears like pinpricks. 'I thought you were grieving mom's death, but you were doing this the whole time?'
'Can we just not talk about it now?' His voice rose.
'Okay.' She paused. 'But what's all this? Bringing some random girl home. You're just a kid.'
'I'm not. Okay. I'm an adult. And you say I'm a kid, do you realise that I'm just a kid while you put me on a pedestal as the crown prince for the public display? Do you think about it, Zo, that I'm just like any other normal human being who might want to lead a normal life without the paparazzi following me everywhere I go?'
Zoya sighed as if she had heard this a hundred times. 'I understand. But not everybody gets the kind of life you're living. I'm older than you, and I'm not worthy to be the queen. So, look at the brighter side.'
Kedar scoffed, making his wavy hair fall to his forehead. 'They would never make you the queen. They discriminate against every woman like you and mom in this family, but you are still a loyal dog to the monarchy.'
'Watch your mouth, Kedar.' All the colours on her face watered down, proving his point. 'Go get ready. We're leaving tonight.'
'Where? I ain't coming wherever you're taking me.' He asked.
'Home.'
'What? Nainital. You're kidding, right?' He pushed back his hair from his forehead.
'I'm not going. I like it here.'
'It's not your call. Dada has made his mind.'
'What? Am I to spend my time there even before the coronation?'
'I don't know. The king has decided something. He'll tell you in person once we reach there.'
How was the prologue guys?
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