BOOK 1 OF THE UNEXPECTED SERIES
In a world where tradition clashes with modernity, Vaidehi is a modern-day princess bound by society's rigid expectations.
Saransh, a brooding prince with a shadowed past, one he's not keen to reveal. Despite his nobl...
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We had arrived in Panna yesterday evening, greeted with grandeur by the king and queen themselves. Their hospitality was overwhelming, their smiles too polished, as if they had rehearsed for this moment. We were currently staying at their luxurious hotel, and tomorrow, I was supposed to meet their daughter—my future wife.
The thought alone made my mood darker. This entire arrangement felt like a burden I hadn't signed up for, yet one I couldn't escape.
This morning, in an attempt to find some semblance of peace, I left the hotel. The constant questions from my family had become unbearable: "Did you see Vaidehi's picture? Isn't she beautiful?"
Yes, her name was Vaidehi—a beautiful name, no doubt—but I couldn't bring myself to see her pictures. This whole arrangement meant nothing to me. It was forced, and while I would go through with it, I had no intention of entertaining this relationship. I couldn't bring myself to lie to Maa Saa or Kaki Saa, so I did the next best thing—escape.
Another reason for my early departure was my brothers, Raj and Rudra, and more so, Himanshu, my self-proclaimed best friend, who had managed to invite himself on this trip. As he so eloquently put it, "How could I miss the chance to annoy my boo-boo right in front of his future wife?". Yeah he called me "boo-boo" for lord knows what reason, cause I definitely don't look like a giant teddy-bear. He is menace in human form. It was a miracle he had survived this long, relentlessly annoying me, without even a scratch on him. I often wondered if his irritating antics were some divine test of my patience.
Finally, after lot of searching, I found myself at a cafe with a good wi-fi. I had planned to get some work done—something productive to distract me—but I should've sensed it was going to be a bad day.
The waiter messed up my order, giving me iced coffee instead of black. Annoyed, I briefly entertained the idea of suing the whole place along with the waiter, but ultimately decided to act normal. I was on my way to change the order and collided with someone. A girl.
The coffee in my hands splashed all over the her, and the box she was carrying flew from her hands as she stumbled backward. That's what happens when people collide with me.
I looked at the dazed woman, only to get blindsided myself. I just couldn't take my eyes off her, she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen.
Long hair cascading like waves, eyes squished and startled, a small frown forming on her lips as she processed the situation—everything about her is captivating.
Cute.
What are you thinking? You are about to get married to another woman, my subconscious mocked me, dragging me back to reality.
I blinked, shaking off whatever magic spell she had me in, and focused on the situation at hand. The coffee I had spilled on her was already staining her dress, a growing patch of embarrassment, or maybe annoyance, coloring her cheeks.
