by MV Kasi
To hell with higher studies.
Life at Oxford was mostly booze and girls anyway with classes and exams thrown into the mix. He was doing well with business school to be able to graduate well ahead of schedule.
He groaned internally, thinking of the argument he’d have to have with his brother regarding the move. Although, Abhay was only a couple of years older, Dev considered him as a father figure and not just his older brother. Even though Dev put up a fight sometimes, he respected Abhay enough to follow his advice most of the time.
It’s obvious that Grandmother needs us. Abhay will have to agree.
His thoughts were distracted when he heard rustling in the trees. Immediately he grew alert. Throwing the cigarette down, he crushed it with his boot while he watched the dense trees surrounding a part of the lake.
He had only taken a couple of steps towards the trees to investigate, when he saw a girl rushing out into the clearing and running towards him.
He was about to reach for his gun, but he noticed the girl appeared unarmed. As she got closer, he also noticed she was very pretty and quite young.
Not that young, he realized when she stood within a few feet of him. She seemed to be around his age.
“Well, hello there,” he said with a smile.
When the girl didn’t respond, he stopped checking out her tempting, curvy body that looked very attractive in the simple and plain ethnic wear. He looked at her face. She appeared tensed and worried.
He gave himself a mental slap. He wasn’t supposed to check out or romantically associate himself with any of the local girls in the Singham province. Abhay had warned him about that not too long ago when Dev began dating girls back in London.
Until then, Dev had not looked at any of the local girls in a romantic sense. But the beautiful, sweet and innocent face of the girl combined with a sinfully tempting body, simply took his breath away.
The distinctive golden tan of the girl with thick, dark and long eyelashes along with the full pink lips indicated she probably belonged to the settlers who had come to their province and also the neighboring provinces a few decades ago. The women among those settlers were exotic looking and beautiful. They were also highly coveted, but unfortunately the settlers had very high moral codes that did not allow for any marriages or any kind of romantic association of outside their class.
It wasn’t like Dev was really looking for any long-term romance. He just wanted to flirt and have harmless fun. At most, he might convince her to kiss before the summer holidays ended and he returned to London.
He looked into her unusually beautiful eyes. He knew most of the settlers had green eyes. But this girl had brown eyes. And they were quite unique. Many different shades of brown coexisted within those almond shaped eyes, making it was difficult to look away from them.
“Hi, are you lost?” he asked, continuing to smile. He had been told by a lot of his girlfriends that his smile was quite lethal. He believed them, since it had always worked for him in the past.
But his smile didn’t seem to melt her. “Please, help me!”
“For a pretty girl like you, anything. What help do you need?”
Her eyes began to reflect fear. “We need a place to hide. My aunt’s men are after us.”
Dev frowned. He shook his head slightly and focused on the situation rather than her face. “We? Who are we?”
“My… boyfriend and me. We need to hide right now. Please, help us.” Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, making them even brighter.
Shit, she had a boyfriend. Dev was hugely disappointed about the fact. Pushing aside the feeling, he decided to be a gentleman and help a damsel in distress.
“You and your boyfriend can hide there.” He pointed at the small cottage by the lake. “There is a small room in the cellar that is hidden under the bed.”
“Thank you!” she said gratefully, before turning towards the trees. “Raghav. Come quickly!” she called out in a louder voice.
A nervous looking boy of similar age came out of hiding and stood next to the girl. Dev asked them to follow him. He took them inside the small cottage his family owned, along with several others around the lake and the estate.
He pushed aside the bed and opened the shutter on the secret hideaway. The girl went in first before giving her boyfriend the clearance. Only then did the boy go inside to join her. When she was about to close the opening of the hideaway, she looked at Dev. “Thank you,” she softly said before closing the shutter of the hideaway.
Dev stared at the closed shutter for a few moments.
What a waste. She could definitely do a lot better than the guy who needed her protection.
With that thought in his mind, he pushed the bed back in its place, concealing the opening completely.
He went out of the cottage and lit another cigarette.
***
Barely a few minutes later, Dev heard a commotion. He saw a group of men coming out of the trees. Immediately, he put a hand into his pocket, touching the gun, in case it was needed this time.
None of the men pulled out a weapon. As they came closer, he saw the tense looks on their faces.
“Did you see a young girl around eighteen years, running away with a boy?” one of the men asked.
“Nope.”
The men tensed even more listening to Dev’s reply.
Dev wasn’t sure whether they were Prajapatis or Senanis. They hadn’t asked him either. All of them seemed preoccupied with trying to find the runaway couple.
“We would like to look inside the cottage. It’s very important that we find them as soon as possible.”
Dev shrugged. “Be my guests.”
The men returned within ten minutes after having searched the small cottage thoroughly.
They were about to leave, when Dev casually asked them. “Why are you searching for them?” Even though the girl had a boyfriend, he was fascinated by her. He was curious to know who she was.
“The girl is Sabitha Prajapati,” a man replied, looking fearful. “Harshvardhan Prajapati’s daughter and also one of the heiresses to the Prajapati Estate. Neelamma wants us to find her.”
Dev was about to take another puff from his cigarette when he completely froze.
Harshvardhan Prajapati.
The man who had brutally killed Dev’s mother, Arundhati Singham, leading to the temple massacre that also took the lives of Dev’s father, brother and many other innocent victims.
The girl was the daughter of the murdering bastard.
Images flashed in Dev’s mind along with the smell of burning flesh, overwhelming his senses. Hate and bile rose as he recalled the pain and agony of losing both his parents and younger brother. All because of the Prajapati family. Especially Harshvardhan Prajapati.
“Have you looked under the bed?” Dev asked grimly. “There is a small room hidden underneath.”
The men’s eyes lit up before they hurried back inside.
Less than ten minutes later, there were screams and sounds of struggle coming from the cottage.
“Let us go! Leave us alone!” Dev could hear the girl’s shouts as she was dragged out by two men. She was sobbing and struggling to escape their hold. Meanwhile, her boyfriend stood passively, looking terrified and resigned as one of the men held him.
The men stopped in front of Dev. “Thank you for telling us where they were. We are new to this place, but we heard death would be preferable to what would have happened to us if we hadn’t found them.”
The girl stopped struggling for a brief while and her eyes widened with comprehension as she looked at Dev.
Dev kept his eyes locked on her shocked face. “It was my greatest pleasure to help,” he answered grimly.
“Let’s go! Our ride is here,” one of the men said.
Dev saw a jeep coming through the clearing and it stopped right in front of the cottage. A man jumped out from it and came running towards them. “What the hell are you all doing on the Singham lands? Let’s get
out before we are all killed!”
“Singham?” The man holding the girl asked in shock. He turned and looked at Dev with a tensed look. “What is your name?”
“Dev Singham.”
Everyone visibly tensed even more. Dev knew he was taking a huge gamble when there were five Prajapatis against him.
“Shit, he is one of the Singhams. We can’t harm him, or Neelamma will order our executions.”
The men stared at Dev for a while before nodding grudgingly and walking away from the cottage to the jeep.
Just before the girl was pushed into the vehicle, she turned and looked at Dev. This time, her unusual eyes were filled with hate.
As their eyes met, Dev felt a strange stillness settle over him. He felt spellbound as a feeling of strong premonition began to take over. A warning screamed inside his head that Sabitha Prajapati was going to be of a huge significance in his life, and that she would rip it apart and turn it upside down, changing him forever.
With great difficulty, he shook off the illogical feeling. And then, keeping his eyes locked on Sabitha Prajapati, in a deliberately casual manner, he blew another smoke ring into the air.
CHAPTER 2
SEVEN YEARS LATER…
Sabitha was at the dining table, having breakfast with her grandfather in the Prajapati Mansion.
On a few rare mornings, when her grandfather was able to make it, she tried to spend an hour or so with him. She usually updated him with the general progress and events occurring within the Prajapati Estate and the province.
“… I think this will be good for all of us, Grandfather,” she told him softly.
As usual, her grandfather approved or disapproved with his eyes—the only way he had left to communicate. After the Singhams had shot and killed his wife, they had shot him several times in his back, badly damaging his spine and completely paralyzing him.
Since then, a lot more killings had happened in the Prajapati and Singham families.
Sabitha shook her thoughts away from the past. She hated delving into it.
She continued with her breakfast and was almost done when she heard a huge antique clock on the wall strike seven. Dabbing her mouth with a clean napkin, she snapped her fingers, pointing to her cup.
One of the men, who hovered around the large dining table, jumped to attention and came towards her with a steaming pot. “M-madam. C-coffee,” he stammered.
Sabitha gave him a curt nod to go ahead, but the man was so nervous, his hands trembled and he spilled the coffee outside the cup and onto the table.
Immediately, his eyes widened further in terror. “I-I’m so s-sorry, m-madam,” he frantically said.
Sabitha frowned at the mess, especially at the few drops that had spilled on her shirt from the table. The man began to clumsily dab the spilled coffee with a napkin, making it an even bigger mess. “P-please! Don’t k-kill me! I’m so s-sorry, m-madam!”
“Get this fool out of here,” she ordered softly.
The next instant, two men appeared and escorted the loud, sobbing man out of the dining hall.
When the sobbing noise faded, Sabitha frowned. “Who was that, Dhruv?” she asked. She didn’t have to turn to know Dhruv was standing right behind her. Dhruv was her bodyguard who also doubled as her personal assistant. Unless he was instructed by her, he was always close by.
“New recruit, madam,” Dhruv replied. “I’ll make sure he’s not allowed inside the household until he’s ready.”
Sabitha nodded and got up from the chair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Grandfather.” She kissed a wrinkled cheek lightly before walking to the main door.
She tried to wipe away the stains of coffee with the wet napkin that was offered to her. “Shit, these stains are not going to disappear, and I don’t have time to change now. We have to be there at nine.”
Handing back the wet napkin, she strode to the SUV that was waiting for her outside.
“Sanjay,” she addressed the man waiting next to the SUV. Sanjay had been working at the Prajapati Mansion for a while—almost three decades. He was the caretaker of the estate and handled issues within the province.
“Yes, madam?”
“About the discussion we had last night… I want you to go ahead with it.”
“But madam, we had also discussed that it’s very risky, and that—”
“Do it.” Her soft order cut him off.
Sanjay inhaled sharply, but he didn’t protest further. He nodded his head. “I’ll be done by the time you return home.”
“Good,” she said before climbing into the SUV. “Let’s go.”
***
As soon as the SUV drove out of the Prajapati Mansion’s tall, iron gates, Dhruv began to brief her about the day’s schedule and the details surrounding it.
When Dhruv finished, he had a small frown on his face. “I’m not sure if this will work out, madam. All of our people hate the thought of working with the Singhams. Personally, even I think—”
“Stop.” Sabitha’s quiet order cut off whatever Dhruv was about to say. “This project is critical to our people. And I want you to take the lead responsibility for maintaining peace as the work progresses. Understand?”
“Yes. I understand, madam.”
“Good.”
Sabitha looked ahead as the SUV was driven along the dusty roads towards the canal construction site. She knew what Dhruv had voiced was a legitimate concern. It wasn’t going to be easy for the Prajapatis to be working alongside the Singhams. But like she had just said, the project was critical for the Prajapatis—not just for their development, but also for their future survival.
The drought had taken a toll on the people. Unlike the Singhams, the Prajapatis did not have good access to drought-resistant crops or other modern technologies.
A feeling of guilt and helplessness rose within Sabitha for not being able to provide such things to her people. Unlike Abhay Singham, she did not have the necessary education or even the contacts to bring such developments to her people. All she could do was pump in money to get basic necessities such as food and water transported to the Prajapati province along with exporting the ethnic goods.
But the way things had been happening lately, she knew with it wasn’t a sustainable plan. Her share of the Prajapati money wasn’t entirely bottomless. But it was all she could do.
Until now.
With the canal project finished within a year or so, there would be water for the crops. And the manufacturing units would ensure the people were properly employed and busy, keeping them away from the feud.
Only if the Prajapatis and Singhams don’t kill each other first.
It was going to be hard to maintain peace. But she was determined.
Sabitha looked ahead as the SUV drew closer. Soon, it stopped in front of a large temporary structure, right next to the Singhoor Dam.
Immediately, her eyes were drawn to a figure of the tall, well-dressed man.
Standing outside at the construction site—lording over everyone—was the person she absolutely hated.
Dev Singham.
CHAPTER 3
Sabitha stepped down from the SUV, feeling the palpable tension in the air.
After Anika Prajapati and Abhay Singham’s wedding, the relationship between the provinces had improved significantly. But whenever Dev and Sabitha came together, people braced themselves for fireworks.
Tamping down the need to shoot the man in front of her, Sabitha walked towards him.
“Singham,” she greeted in a formal tone.
“Prajapati,” Dev Singham’s deep voice greeted back in a similar tone.
On the outside, they both appeared civil for the sake of their people. Hundreds of families depended on what would transpire between the two of them. For that reason, Sabitha shook the extended hand offered to her. A large, tanned and surprisingly rough hand enclosed hers.
Sabitha felt her skin crawl with the brief, firm shake. At least she told herself it was disgust she was feel
ing, and refused to let any other thoughts bombard her mind.
Dev Singham showed her a polite hand. “Follow me,” he said and led the way to the large structure.
As she walked behind him, Sabitha gave his attire a quick cursory glance. He was dressed formally in an expensive shirt and trousers. The top few buttons of the dark blue shirt were open due to the warm weather outside. An expensive pair of shades sat on his nose, concealing his eyes along with his expression from the world outside.
Even though Dev Singham looked as though he stepped out of a magazine cover with his extremely smooth and polished looks, Sabitha knew he was a violent, blood-thirsty bastard.
Her people feared him. And most of them were also in awe of him.
A few years ago, when Dev Singham and his brother had moved back to their ancestral home, despite Neelambari’s orders, not to attack the Singham family, some of the Prajapati men had still gone ahead and attacked the Singham brothers. At that time, they were riding on the Singham lands with just their grandmother.
The Prajapati men had thought they were easy targets. But Dev Singham had responded by going at the Prajapati men with an axe. And because of the way he was dressed at the time, the Prajapati men apparently mistook his skill with a weapon.
Sabitha had personally seen the aftermath of what Dev Singham had done to the Prajapati men.
Since then, Dev Singham had bloodied that particular axe several times in a gruesome way. Until Abhay Singham intervened. To avoid more such bloody battles, Abhay Singham had sent his brother to the city.
Sabitha knew that unlike his cool-headed, sensible older brother, Dev Singham was a hot-headed, cocky, arrogant and brutal bastard. He was also a privileged playboy who was used to the luxuries and comforts afforded to him.
Even though she had heard that he managed several such projects and units before, Sabitha had severe doubts about Dev Singham’s capability to be able to manage the entire project without his brother intervening multiple times.