by Tanu Jain
‘He must have suffered so much!’ Meethi said, weighed down by intolerable grief, a dull grey sheen to her face.
Veer turned her towards him and in a voice full of emotion said, ‘He was a very brave man. He was determined to win. He put up a courageous fight and had vanquished the disease but because his immunity was very low he developed complications after he caught a cold.’
‘The doctors should have tried harder!’ she burst out, her eyes dark with anguish.
‘The best doctors were present and there was a specialist from abroad as well, who was very hopeful, but it didn’t happen that way,’ he said, trying to control the emotion rolling inside him at her agony.
‘I failed him. I should have been there!’ Meethi said with broken breath, head bent, tears silently rolling down her cheeks.
Veer drew her close, wrapping her trembling body in his arms, soothing her, and Meethi nestled against him, drawing upon his strength, feeling comforted by his warmth. Gradually her tears stopped and her trembling ceased.
Veer wiped away her tears gently with his thumb and said, ‘I have something for you.’ Dropping a swift kiss on her hair, he turned to retrieve a packet wrapped in silk that he had dropped on the table.
‘What is it?’ Meethi asked listlessly.
‘I don’t know. Baba left this packet for you. It’s sealed. His instructions were that only you could open it,’ Veer said sombrely.
Meethi felt tears prick her eyelids. Her baba had left something for her.
She unwrapped the silk covering and saw that it contained a diary. She held it for a moment, silently feeling her baba’s presence. Veer guided her towards the sofa and made her sit down. He went and sprawled in the opposite chair, giving her privacy to read.
Chapter Seven
SHE OPENED THE diary and on the front page was en-scribed: ‘To my darling Meethi’.
She flipped the page and saw that it was dated around the time she had got married. Her baba began by offering his thanks to God.
Tera Lakh Lakh Dhanyavaad Bhagwan! You have answered my prayers by sending Veer for my Meethi. He is a gem amongst men. I couldn’t have asked for a better man. I know he will take good care of my daughter and will keep her happy.
The next entry was dated around fifteen days after they had got married.
Today Kunwar Saab came and he insisted that he would take me for treatment to a specialist friend of his. He reassured me that I would be absolutely all right. I have been missing Meethi terribly but he lightened my load considerably.
Meethi felt tears pricking her eyelids. She hadn’t been by her baba’s side. He had struggled all alone, depressed and sad.
She turned the page and saw her baba’s sprawling handwriting.
Kunwar Saab has been taking me for regular treatment and he hasn’t told Meethi because I told him not to. I don’t want her to worry unnecessarily. I know I will be fine soon and then I will tell her.
Meethi read the next page, in which he emotionally poured out his feelings.
God has listened to my prayers by sending Kunwar Saab. He is the son I never had. He has done so much not even a son could do, let alone a son-in-law.
Meethi felt stunned at the extent of her ignorance. She had misjudged Veer, wronged him terribly. He had been travelling extensively because of Baba. She had thought him heartless, cold and unfeeling when the truth was that what he had done for her father was a debt she could never repay.
She came to the last page. It was addressed to her. With tears running down her cheeks, she read.
Ladli Meethi, let me first ask for your forgiveness. I didn’t tell you about my illness and I didn’t let Kunwar Saab tell you. I didn’t want to worry you. You know I could never bear to see even a tiny line of anxiety on your brow or a single tear escape your eye. I know I will recover and I will let you fight with me for not telling you and then we will laugh about it. And though I’m sorry I kept him from you when he accompanied me, your desire to be with me always was fulfilled by your husband.
She looked at Veer, her face white. ‘I’m sorry! I misjudged you! I said such terrible things. I was thoughtless and selfish, uncaring and insensitive. You did so much for Baba and I…’ Her voice petered off, the diary falling from her nerveless fingers.
Veer looked at Meethi, and the pallor of her face struck him. He clasped her hands and found they were cold. He was gutted by the desolate expression on her face.
‘Hush! It was the least I could do! He was so brave and courageous. He was my father too! His only worry was that you should be safe and secure, well provided for,’ he said, trying to comfort her.
‘So that was why he was in a hurry to get me married. Did he tell you about his illness after our marriage?’ she asked, her voice just a whisper. A crippling thought struck her. Had Veer felt deceived?
‘No, he told me right at the beginning when I went to ask for your hand in marriage,’ Veer said, puzzled as to where Meethi’s questions were leading to.
‘Still you married me! You probably felt you couldn’t take back your proposal after he told you,’ she added in a desolate voice.
Veer was aghast at the convoluted way Meethi’s mind was working. ‘Why would I take back my proposal?’ he asked.
Meethi remained silent.
‘Meethi, Baba had been honest with me about his illness. He could have hidden it and not told me but it wasn’t in his nature to deceive and lie. And that is why when he told me I decided to get married simply and quickly so that he could start proper treatment as early as possible. He was adamant about not beginning treatment until you were married,’ Veer said gently.
‘I thought you were ashamed of me and that is why you married me in a temple,’ Meethi said with guilty discomfiture.
Veer knew he would have to tell her, although he hadn’t wanted to.
‘Meethi, I married you in a temple because I didn’t want to unnecessarily burden Baba financially. His financial status was not very good and he had been very straightforward about it. But he was adamant that he had saved quite a bit for your dowry and wedding and he would spare no expense. So, to avoid unnecessary expenditure, I insisted on marrying you in a temple. Otherwise, he would have wasted his entire savings on an ostentatious display for our wedding!’ Veer said, the words coming out with difficulty.
‘Why didn’t you tell me any of this earlier?’ Meethi asked with a catch in her throat. She had misjudged him on many counts.
Veer remained silent and then said, almost shamefacedly, ‘I am not used to explaining my actions. I know it is chauvinistic of me but I didn’t want you to be bothered by money matters so I didn’t tell you. I am extremely sorry, Meethi! I now realise that I behaved like the male chauvinist pig you once called me.’
‘I was blind not to have seen what Baba was facing. He had to go through so much torment because I was his daughter. If I had been a son, he would’ve been happier. And you also wouldn’t have been landed with me. I had become a burden on him and now I am a burden on you,’ Meethi said, passing a hand across her eyes in despair.
Veer’s face darkened. ‘Baba loved you! You were never a burden on your father. You were the ray of sunshine in his life and so precious that he wanted to protect you and keep you safe. His only fear was that if you discovered about his illness you wouldn’t agree to marriage. And he didn’t want to leave you helpless and alone in the world. He wanted to provide for you, to leave you well cared for, and that is the only reason he hid his illness from you. And I admired him for his attitude. He was the noblest man I have ever met—honest, upright and the father I didn’t have,’ he said with strong emotion in his voice.
His words shook Meethi and touched her heart deep inside. Veer had loved her father. And he had been there for him when he had needed him the most. Her baba hadn’t been alone in his time of need. Veer had been there for him. Some of her anguish lessened.
Veer continued, ‘And you are not a burden on me! You are my wife. Our lives are intertwined,
and we are bound together in the eyes of law, society and your God. You are my duty, my responsibility, just as I am yours. We will be equal partners from now on. So there should be no more talk of being a burden!’
But he knew he hadn’t managed to allay Meethi’s fears. It would require some TLC to bring her around. But not here, not now.
A sudden idea struck him, and he smiled in relief. He would take her to their villa. There were no distraetions there and he would prise each and every thought out from her mind and allay her fears and insecurities.
Meethi saw him smile, mocking her, she thought. Her mouth drooped and she turned.
Veer looked at her desolate face and pulled her towards him. ‘Meethi, what will I do with you?’
He locked his hands at the base of her hips and lifted her up, kissing her soundly on her soft lips at first and then his lips tenderly parting hers, his tongue skimming inside and curling against the roof of her mouth. He wanted to bind her to him, banish her pain and chase away the shadows in her face.
Veer’s tenderness as he claimed her mouth and deepened the kiss assuaged the hollowness inside her. As he gently nipped and sucked at her bottom lip, warmth stole up in her, and she swayed into him.
His hands on her hips moved soothingly, spanning them, and Meethi felt desire ignite and spark. Locked against him, lifted up by his powerful hands, Meethi felt intensely vulnerable and she trembled under the sudden onslaught of strong emotions. He had done so much for her and her father. And she had severely misjudged him. He kissed her for what seemed like forever.
So caught up was she in the swirl of emotions that she failed to register that Veer had pulled away her sari and was busy with the buttons of her blouse and her petticoat. He lowered her gently on the floor, and her petticoat slithered down to pool at her feet, and her breasts jiggled gently as he pulled off her blouse. He pushed her down on the bed.
Meethi stared up at him, her heart pounding, as he came over her, his huge and powerful body shorn of clothes and the tenderness on his face bringing a lump to her throat.
He rained tiny kisses on her jaw, her earlobe, and flicked his tongue behind her ear, and Meethi melted with a groan. Her hands crept around him, and one hand strayed into his hair while the other clutched his shoulder tight.
Veer had wanted to comfort Meethi but was soon lost in the sensual fog which always seemed to envelop them. He kissed her jaw and then moved lower over her throat, her collarbone, then her shoulders and finally her magnificent breasts. Since her return, his lost libido had resurfaced, and he seemed to be in a state of permanent arousal around her.
His finger dipped to rub at the sweet spot between her legs and Meethi arched and thrashed about. She was wet and ready. Wanting to assuage the desperate hunger filling him, Veer slid into her, his tight erection thrusting in deep. Their movements grew more and more hurried, and he climaxed with mind-numbing pleasure drenching him.
Veer’s tender lovemaking had made Meethi feel cherished, and she snuggled into the protective haven of his arms, feeling the agony inside her melt away.
As he gathered her close, enfolding her in his warm arms, a rush of protective emotion swept through him.
He looked down at her and saw that she had fallen asleep. But sleep didn’t come easy to Veer. He would have to be very careful and considerate with Meethi. He had promised her father that he would take care of her and he had failed. He would rework his approach, rein in his domineering tendencies and convince Meethi that their marriage was worth nurturing.
Chapter Eight
DAWN WAS BREAKING when the alarm that Veer had set went off. He looked down at Meethi, who was burrowed into him. He hated to wake her up but it was time to leave. He gave her a tender kiss, nuzzling her neck.
Meethi opened her eyes and found herself naked in bed, her legs entwined with his. Veer pushed back a lock of her hair, tucking it behind her ear, and Meethi flushed.
‘Get ready—we’re leaving in an hour,’ he said mysteriously.
‘Where…?’ Meethi asked, but Veer simply dropped a quick kiss on her mouth and shook his head, saying, ‘It’s a surprise.’
Having showered and eaten, Meethi went outside and was staggered to see a silver-grey Maserati waiting. She didn’t remember seeing this car earlier. Veer had a penchant for fast, expensive cars and possessed an enviable fleet. He’d given her two cars—a Beetle and a BMW coupé, despite her voluble protests at his extravagance, and he’d made her take driving lessons. She had loved teasing him for this one weakness, making him turn ruddy with embarrassment.
She looked at Veer, an eyebrow raised enquiringly, and he gave her a wily grin and said with fetching guile, ‘It’s not for me! I bought it for Baba so that he would find it easier to travel.’
Meethi smothered the exasperated smile that threatened to break through and sat in the car.
Veer drove like a dream. He preferred to drive himself, dispensing with the driver, who would follow behind in a second car with the bodyguards. Initially, they had always travelled to her marital home by car. She had loved those long drives, sitting next to him, occasionally fighting over what music to play, the scenery whizzing past. He drove very fast, at full throttle, testing the car’s speed and endurance, but she had always felt safe with him.
She stole a glance at him, at his strong, capable hands gripping the wheel tightly, and wondered anew at the vagaries of fate. Why had their paths collided? What had brought two such disparate people together? What bond connected them? Her emotions seesawed, questions gnawing away at her. And she couldn’t find any answers.
Seeing her pensive face, Veer gently eased the car to a stop on the side, turned to her, lifting her chin up and said gently, ‘What is it, Meethi? Why such a sorrowful face?’
Meethi felt her heart lurch at the tenderness in his face, but she shook her head. ‘Nothing! I’m fine.’
‘Don’t fret and worry unnecessarily! Everything will be resolved soon. Our kismet is on track now,’ he said consolingly.
Though some of the darkness vanished from her face, Veer knew Meethi wasn’t completely convinced but he decided not to press the matter further. He would have time later on. ‘No more long faces!’ he admonished, cupping her cheek gently.
He restarted the car but placed her hand, palm down, on his thigh and held it down so that she couldn’t remove it. Meethi blushed, her palm almost scorched by the heat emanating from his powerful thigh. And even after he removed his hand to return it to the wheel, she kept her hand on his thigh, conscious of the muscled power and throbbing energy beneath it.
They arrived in just about three hours. Meethi wondered why Veer had brought her to Delhi. She had her answer soon enough. He drove to one of the most exclusive designer stores in South Extension, exited the car and handed his keys to his driver, who was behind them in another car.
Veer placed her hand on his arm and closed her gaping mouth with an imperious finger and proceeded to enter.
Immediately, she was conscious of the salespeople’s stares and attention. Mortified, she lowered her eyes, feeling miserable that they must be all wondering what he was doing with her. She was unaware of the striking picture they made, with Veer looking heartbreakingly sexy in blue jeans and a grey T-shirt and she dressed in a voluminous churidar kameez, looking ethereally feminine and dainty, the perfect foil for his masculinity.
The owner greeted them gushingly, ecstatic when Veer said he wanted some outfits for Meethi.
‘Ji Maharaj!’ And he fluttered about, clapping his hands and ordering an array of tunics, tops, jeans and skirts to be brought.
Meethi tried to protest. ‘Why do we need these? I already have so many clothes,’ she asked with bewilderment.
‘You told me that you don’t like them! Give them away. I also don’t like your trousseau that the designers put together. We are getting a new wardrobe,’ Veer said, giving her an autocratic look.
Meethi opened her mouth to protest, but the inflexible look on Veer’s fac
e acted as a deterrent. She didn’t want to argue in public so she went along with his request.
After her initial reluctance, she found that she liked the bright, vibrant clothes that were being brought. After trying out a couple of outfits, she caught his gaze on her and the look on his face released a host of butterflies in her stomach. The light in his eyes, the way he dipped his eyes slightly and the unfathomable expression on his face ignited a slumbering fire deep inside her. Mesmerised, she tried on countless clothes, and each time he gave his slight smile of approval she fell deeper and deeper under his spell.
Watching Meethi try on the close-fitting clothes, Veer felt himself harden with need. She looked gorgeous. The tunics cupped her voluptuous breasts, nipped her slender waist and followed the lush contour of her bottom, and Veer felt crucified with desire.
He controlled himself with difficulty. Meethi was changing in the dressing room, and he added a couple of other things—two short dresses, vibrant scarves, some impossibly high heels and a couple of trendy clutches.
They proceeded towards their waiting car and drove a short distance. When she alighted, Meethi was staggered to see a helicopter waiting, its blades whirring. She looked at Veer in confusion and he gave a naughty smile and said, ‘Get ready for another surprise!’
They flew for a couple of hours and Meethi could feel her curiosity killing her but Veer wouldn’t answer. He clasped her hand tightly, an intensely male light in his dark eyes, and Meethi felt the raw energy he was exuding touching her and starting a slow burning inside her.
As the helicopter circled over a spot, Meethi looked down and felt her heart do a strange flip-flop. Veer had brought her to Bavdi Mahal, his villa in the Hariya national forest. They had come here after their wedding, and she had been deliriously happy. The next instant, her heart sank. How would she bear staying here? Past happy memories would mock her and taunt her.
