A contract lay open on his lap, untouched. The brass key stayed in his jacket pocket. It had not left him since the pagdi ceremony.
He looked ahead.
At nothing.
Below, the view changed. Sand spread across the earth, pale and endless. Then, inch by inch, Rajasthan rose to meet them.
Somewhere ahead, a woman he had never met waited in his Haveli. In his space. With no intention of making any of this easy.
His jaw set.
Good. Easy had never been the point.
Chapter 6
The Jaipur sun hit hard at noon.
Abhinav stepped off the private jet and felt the heat press against his face. Even through his sunglasses, the glare cut through. It felt harsher than Dubai. Cleaner. Unforgiving.
His charcoal suit, perfect for Dubai’s glass towers, felt misplaced here in a way he could not name.
Behind him, Sarita descended slowly, one hand on the rail. Silver threads in her sari caught the sun with each step. Fatigue still lingered, yet there was more strength in her than before, as if the air itself had begun to settle her.
Naina came last. At the bottom of the stairs, she paused and took in everything around her.
“It’s so bright,” she muttered, lifting a hand to shield her eyes. “And hot. Why did no one warn me it would be this hot?”
“It’s Rajasthan,” Abhinav replied. “What did you expect?”
At the terminal exit, Devendra stood waiting, hands joined.
He was older than Abhinav had imagined. Lean, composed, dressed in a white kurta with a Nehru jacket. His posture spoke of years spent serving a house with dignity. His eyes were observant.
Abhinav had threatened this man’s livelihood on the phone two months ago.
Devendra gave no sign of it.
Abhinav removed his sunglasses. “Mr. Chauhan.”
“Welcome, Hukum.”
Devendra inclined his head, precise in his greeting. When he turned to Sarita and Naina, his face softened.
“Thakurain Sa. Bai Sa. Welcome.”
Sarita folded her hands at once. “Devendra ji.”
Naina stepped forward and extended her hand, then caught herself and drew it back, folding her hands instead. The hesitation passed in a heartbeat. “It’s lovely to finally meet you. We’ve heard so much about you.”
A warm smile touched Devendra’s face. “You humble me, Bai Sa. The cars are ready.”
Abhinav put his sunglasses back on.
The drive from the airport should have passed without notice.
It did not.
Jaipur rushed past the tinted windows in flashes. Pink walls. Crowded crossings. Scooters weaving through narrow gaps. Old archways. Temple flags. Fruit carts spilling colour onto dust-lined roads.