The Duke's Forbidden Lover (Forbidden #1)

Chapter 1.

She did care about him, but truthfully she only partly liked her grandpa, and that part was very small. That wasn't to say that she hated his very being or anything; it was the things he said and did that caused distance between them. She didn't want to dislike her grandpa at all.

But even despising him was hard because she would become guilty right after for feeling the way she did. So, she always did her best to not yell or fire back at him when he got angry.

Which was practically every day.

Nalini was shaken out of her reverie when the nurse had told her to step outside for a little while. Her slow gait and heavy eyes finally registered in her mind. She hadn't realised just how exhausted she was until then.

She had rushed to the hospital right after her classes finished and had to wait an hour or so to hear about her grandpa's condition, which was infuriating.

Nalini sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she flopped into the chair outside his room. Weariness took over and clobbered her very being and she leaned her head against the wall.

Soon, the nurse opened the door and her grandpa limped out the door, changed from the hospital gown to his usual brown cotton shirt and lungi.

He refused to even look at her.

He still refused to look at her even when Nalini shot up from her chair and held onto his arm. He flinched at the contact, but said nothing.

After talking to the nurse and signing a sheet on a clipboard, Nalini guided her grandpa slowly out of the hospital. Immediately as she stepped out, the cool air that had blanketed them in the hospital had left and was replaced by the familiar heat and humidity of Kerala.

It seemed to coil around her body and cling to her skin, making her uncomfortable. Though she had lived here her whole life, she had never gotten used to the weather and most likely never would.

Though, she had to admit: she didn't sweat as much as the tourists did when they came to visit—they would be completely drenched and she would always resist the urge to giggle, feeling slightly bad for them.

Almost instantly as they got out of sight, her grandpa shook her hands off of him and walked ahead causing a sigh to escape from Nalini's lips.

She flagged down an auto-rickshaw and climbed in, relishing the way the wind that came with the speed of the auto, slapped her face and cooled her down.

Turning her head, she noticed her grandpa deep in thought and disregarding the fact that he was sweating profusely. Adjusting her position, she tried to gesture to him that he could take her spot.

"I don't need your pity," he spat.

"Grandpa, I wasn't–"

"If you call me that one more time, I will make you sleep outside." He glared at her viciously. "Do you want a repeat of last night?"

Nalini clenched her jaw, trying hard to not cry or say anything in return. Instead, she shook her head softly and played with the loose ring on her finger. He sighed and massaged his forehead with shaky hands.

She bit down on her tongue, trying to refrain from defending herself. She knew he was a man of his word and that it wasn't just a mere threat.

The air hung heavy with tension before it was sliced through by his voice.

"What do you think about marriage?"

The sudden question startled her. Her eyebrows knit together, causing an evident crease between them. He wasn't looking at her. Rather, he was looking out at the scenery as they went past.