Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Fifty-Nine

The flight was a little longer than Meredith had gotten used to. She was used to country hopping, and while this was country hopping, they ended up in Mumbai, India. Spending two days here was extreme when the royal couple had done three countries in one day before, but India had been a part of British history, for better and for worse.

In the hotel room, Meredith climbed into bed beside her husband, head aching but the pain was dulling. Since the concussion, Meredith wasn't allowed to drink or do other normal activities for her, but at least she got more sleep. Harry didn't mind because he, too, was able to get more rest. By rest, they meant alone time for Meredith never received one more second of sleep.

The lights turned off under the door, and the five-star hotel suite went to sleep. Other people went to their rooms, and they were left alone. Harry kissed her neck, and Meredith ran her fingers through his hair. Harry's kisses traveled down her neck, going lower and lower. "Do you like this?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Do you want this?"

"Yes." Meredith's fingers continued their movement.

In the morning, Meredith was pulled out of bed and thrown into the shower, as the mornings went. This was the boring schedule: shower, change, makeup, hair, breakfast, schedule, leave. Harry's was better and shorter, but he had a better understanding of the schedule for the most time. As much as Meredith was a type-A personality, she had little or no idea of what was going most days.

Mumbai sprawled out before them as they drove through the city. Before 1995, Mumbai was known as Bombay, which the Portuguese helped build starting during their empire days. The Portuguese pushed heavily for Catholicism within the area, and they built some very highly regarded churches. During the seventeenth century, the English moved in with Charles II of England. In 1947, India gained independence from Britain. In the 1960s, massive expansion and suburbs helped bring the population of Mumbai to over twelve million. Mumbai was the commercial capital of India, and it continued to be a global leader.

The tour through the city was just that. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were shown many of the highlights of Mumbai, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, before heading out to the beach. Beaches in Mumbai were one of the highest tourist attractions. The duke and duchess found themselves standing at the Gateway to India, which was built to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary visiting; they just so happened to be the duke's great-great-grandparents. 

On the beach by Apollo Bunder, the duke and duchess were followed by tourists, paparazzi and other onlookers as they strolled about. By now, everyone knew the duchess loved the sea, but they didn't know she wanted to swim away from everyone watching.

At lunchtime, the duke and duchess were taken back to the hotel, where they changed and had lunch. Meredith slowly ate, picking at her food; she was tired from last night, but she wasn't going to take that back. Jessica noticed and asked. "The flight was long," Meredith replied evenly. Jessica wasn't impressed. Harry had to put his hand to his face to cover that mysterious smirk.

In the afternoon, they changed, and it was almost back to matching outfits. Even in Spring, it was hot, and Meredith was pumped with fluids. Her hair was drawn back into a long braid, and their khakis were both finely ironed.

Driving out and then taking a ferry, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor stepped onto Elephanta Island, also known as Gharapuri Island or Pory Island. It was a popular tourist destination for its caves and its cave temples. These caves opened up into the Elephanta Caves, which a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. There were five Shaivite caves and a few Buddhist stupa mounds that dated back to 2nd century BCE. There were two Buddhist caves water tanks. Three large monolithic of 20 feet (6.1 meters) of Hindu mythologies were carved into the walls: Trimurti Sadashiva (three-faced Shiva), Nataraja (Lord of Dance) and Yogishvara (Lord of Yoga).