Page 37 of Claimed By the Maharaja
Samar’s jaw tightened. “And Ma?”
“I’ll inform Mouj after.”
The pause that followed carried weight, but not resistance.
Ram spoke first. “We’ll be there.”
That settled it.
No one asked why. Because Bharat did not act without an outcome. And once he decided, the rest aligned.
Bharat ended the call. The screen went dark.
He remained still for a few seconds. Enough to reset. But not enough to lose momentum.
He pressed the intercom.
“Imran.”
Imran entered within moments, tablet already in hand. His movements were efficient, his expression composed. His gaze swept the room once, taking in details with the quiet precision of someone trained to read environments, not emotions.
“Your Highness.”
“Have the legal team initiate the marriage contract,” Bharat said. “The wedding is in two days.”
There was the briefest pause, betraying surprise. But no hesitation. Adjustment.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Coordinate with legal, the priest, security, and witnesses,” Bharat continued. “Limit information to essential personnel only.”
“Understood.”
Imran hesitated for a fraction of a second before asking, “Do you want me to inform Her Highness, Rani Suchitra Devi?”
“No.”
That was final.
Imran inclined his head and turned to leave, already issuing instructions before the door had fully closed behind him.
The office returned to silence.
Bharat leaned back slightly, his gaze shifting toward the window that overlooked the plant.
Below, movement followed structure. Workers moved in lines. Vehicles followed designated paths. Systems operated within defined limits.
Order.
Princess Yamini Gaur did not belong to that kind of order.
She moved without sequence, spoke before filtering, and acted before fully considering the outcome of her actions.
Five years had changed her in visible ways. She was leaner now, more self-contained, and harder at the edges.
But the underlying pattern had not disappeared.
He closed his eyes briefly, not to rest, but to reconstruct the events from two weeks ago.
