ready for us, Your Highness,” his driver, Kariff, said.
Maazin nodded. “Let’s go and fill this van with supplies and their doctors. The southeast region is in dire need of supplies and medical help.”
Kariff nodded and drove the van toward the large plane that had dropped its rear door to make a ramp, ready to start unloading its precious cargo of medical supplies and doctors to aid them.
Kariff parked close and Maazin got out of the van. He opened the side doors and the back so that Kariff and a couple of the other men he’d brought with him could start loading up.
“Who should we be reporting to?” a female voice asked, which sent a shiver of recollection down his spine. He knew that voice. He knew it well because it was burned into every single neuron in his brain. Just the mere sound of her voice fired them off, bringing every bitter-sweet memory to the surface.
Maazin turned around and came face to face with someone he’d never thought he would see again.
His blood froze and everything around him stopped. He couldn’t quite believe his eyes and he wondered if he was dreaming. It was like she had walked right out of his dreams, like nothing had changed, like time had stood still. She hadn’t changed one bit. Her rich, dark brown hair was tied back in a braid, just like the first day he’d met her. Her skin was still a warm, rich tawny color.
Her deep brown eyes widened and her red lips, lips he remembered so well the taste of, dropped open for a moment and a subtle pop of coral colored her cheeks. She was just as shocked as he was.
Jeena.
In an instant he remembered when he’d first seen her. She’d looked so out of place and uncomfortable on the polo pitch.
She’d worn a long emerald dress and high heels as she’d teetered on the grass, trying to flip over a divot.
He’d been so entranced by her and had wondered who she was...
“You’ll fall over, trying to flip those divots in those heels.”
She looked up, embarrassed. “Pardon?”
Maazin knelt down and took her foot in his hands. “May I?”
She pursed her lips and nodded. He removed her shoe and pried off the large chunk of turf that had been impaled on the end of her stiletto heel. He replaced the shoe and then stood, steadying her in his arms, catching a scent of her perfume.
Jasmine and vanilla. It was intoxicating and he was instantly drawn to her.
“Thank you... Your Highness.”
“Ah, so you know who I am.”
“Everyone knows who you are,” she whispered, and wouldn’t look at him.
“Well, I am at a loss. I don’t know who you are. I have never seen you at one of these events before.”
She smiled. “My name is Jeena. I am here with my friend as her guest.”
“And who is your friend?”
“Aishraya Raj.” Jeena nodded in the direction of her friend. “Her husband is a diplomat, but I’ve known Aishraya for a long time.”
Maazin smiled and bowed at the waist. “Well, allow me to welcome you to our little match...”
Maazin tried to calm the pulse that was now thundering in his ears. She had been the only one to truly see him.
The world thought he was this playboy and he let everyone believe that. The tabloids, his parents all believed it and it had got him off the hook of so many responsibilities, but Jeena had seen past that.
He had been so in love with her. He’d wanted to marry her, even though he had always been afraid and not interested in marriage because he’d felt it would tie him down, just like his royal duty.
And he hadn’t wanted to drag Jeena into a life of protocol.
She had been free. Which was why he’d wanted her.
Jeena had left him. Left him without a word, and it was because of her leaving that he’d gone to that party to drown his sorrows and then called his brother Ali to get him.
And that had cost Ali his life, because after she’d left, Maazin had decided to take the bad boy road everyone thought he traveled. Ali came to sweep his indiscretions under the rug and died trying to cover up his mistakes.
It had destroyed him when Jeena had left. It was his own fault, though, because he knew he’d driven her away. He didn’t deserve her and he certainly didn’t deserve anything now. He knew that.
“Maa... Your Highness.” And she curtseyed.
He was angry that she had almost addressed him with familiarity, like he wanted, but had then changed it to a formal address and curtseyed in deference to his station, which he hated.
Were they such strangers?
Yes. They were now. She’d left. He’d never left Kalyana. He’d never left in the dead of night, not telling anyone where he was going. And when he’d tried to find her there’d been no trace of her. It was as if her whole life in Kalyana had been erased.
She’d cost him so much.
You were the selfish one. She cost you nothing.
“I’m surprised that you’ve returned to the country you abandoned with such ease,” he snapped.
Her expression hardened. “My apologies, Your Highness. I’m the lead surgeon on this relief mission. I’m representing Canada and I’m here to deliver your supplies and lend my services to your country.” She turned on her heel and walked away.
She was a doctor?
Maazin was shocked, but as she stormed away he couldn’t help but smile to himself. She still had that spirit he’d admired in her.
That fire.
That had been hidden under the surface, something she’d tried so hard to control, but he’d known what a strong woman had been under that demure exterior.
It’s what he’d loved so much about her then.
Now, to see her standing her ground, it surprised him, but pleasantly so.
It woke up a piece of him he’d thought was long gone and as he watched her walk away, giving out orders, he knew that working with her would be a challenge.
One he hadn’t expected.
