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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The car comes to a halt, and before I can stop her, Vaidehi steps out.
What have I done?
I follow her inside the mansion, but my legs feel heavier with every step. The moment I sink onto the sofa, the weight of my actions crashes down on me.
I was seven when I was adopted into this family. It took years—years of swallowing my fears, of proving to myself that I belonged—to finally trust them. And if there was one thing I was sure of, it was this: I would never be a burden. I would never be the reason this family's name was dragged through the mud.
Yet today, I threw all of that away.
Because I couldn't control my anger.
Because I let jealousy blind me.
I hit Ayush. Right in front of dozens of guests. A public scene like that could cost us—our business, our reputation. I know my family is still back at the hotel, cleaning up the mess I created, apologizing to the guests on my behalf.
And worst of all?
I kissed Vaidehi.
"This is a mistake," her words echoed in my mind.
I have let myself ruin everything.
I pace around the hall with my heart pounding in my chest, each step heavy with the weight of all the incidents that happened today. The stillness of the night was shattered by the low rumble of engines outside - my family was home. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't face them, not tonight. Not after the shame I had brought upon them.
And this... this is why I should stay away from Vaidehi.
Around her, I lose myself. I forget everything that matters, the things that I have held so sacred for so long. My family. My responsibilities. She pulls me into her orbit, and suddenly, I am no longer grounded. But not anymore. This ends tonight.
I stop at the door of my room. Her room too. My knuckles rap against the wood, and the door swings open faster than I expect, and there she is standing in the doorway, eyes narrowed. She lets me in but doesn't say anything, conveniently going back to whatever she was doing.
Did the kiss mean nothing to her?
"I'm sorry," I say, my voice low but firm, as I reach for something—anything—that will make her stop, make her look at me.
Vaidehi pauses for a second. My heart clenches with that brief hesitation, but then she continues removing her earrings in front of the dressing table, as if I hadn't said a word.
Sometimes, I don't know what to do with her. Her indifference slices through me, sharp and unforgiving. It feels like a slap—like I don't deserve even her anger, only this cold dismissal.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" My voice comes out harsher than I intend, frustration tightening my chest.
She finally turns to me, her movements sharp, her expression set in stone. Agitation flickers in her eyes, but there's something else beneath it—something I can't quite place.
