Flaming Sun Collection 3: Perfect Twins Find Anya (Box Set with 3 novellas)

by Sundari Venkatraman

  Ignoring Ansh, Sanya gave Arth an embarrassed look from under her long lashes, her cheeks flaming. What must he think of her?! And she had been hoping to make an impression on him. Damn it! She hadn’t waited all these years to meet the love of her life only to make a fool of herself. Oh, she so hated Ansh!

  “Hi Sanya,” said Arth, his voice soft and melodious, soothing her nerves. He held her hands and looked her up and down. “You’ve grown up to become a beautiful young woman,” he complimented sincerely.

  Sanya blushed delightfully this time, her temper vanishing. Arth thought she was beautiful. It looked as if it was still possible to restart their relationship on a right note. She refused to acknowledge Ansh’s presence as she monopolised Arth throughout dinner. Ratna and Shantanu watched on in amusement as Sanya ignored Ansh while talking to the rest of them.

  For once, Ansh was quiet, just studying Sanya. He was glad that he had cancelled his meeting with Suren.

  She felt his keen gaze on her and did her best to ignore him. It wasn’t easy as her body seemed to be equipped with a special radar that picked up signals from Ansh. Whenever he looked in her direction, she could feel her pulse picking up and her nipples perking up. Sanya gritted her teeth as she was determined to woo Arth, the angelic man of her dreams. To hell with the physical reaction that she felt for Ansh! It was but the temptation of the devil.

  Arth was keen to know everything about her—what she had done from the moment she left Bombay with her parents to settle in London. His gentle questions in a soft voice brought forth a spate of answers. Sanya put her heart and soul into the dialogue and almost forgot the existence of the others. Not that the parents minded. She talked as if she had never spoken in all the nine years since her departure. But then, she had never felt as close to anyone in London as she felt towards Arth. She even mentioned how she was confused about her future. Arth was all attention as he heard her out, a gentle smile on his face.

  Oh boy, but he was so handsome! While he resembled Ansh closely, Arth’s features were gentler, the smooth skin shining with good health. His sleek, straight hair looked glossy and the ponytail suited him perfectly. He was lean without being muscular and appeared fighting fit. More than anything else was the calm expression that would make just anyone comfortable to be in his company. Sanya had appreciated it as a kid and did so all the more now. She basked in his attention and felt so happy to be home. And didn’t they say that home was where the heart was?!

  6

  Sanya woke up to the chirping of sparrows and the squeaks of squirrels on the mango tree right outside her bedroom window. Smiling as she stretched, Sanya got out of her bed to push the lacy curtains in pastel yellow to one side as she peeped out. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon, covering the whole area with a misty glow. The peace went directly to her heart every time she woke up to it in the mornings. She knew it must be barely 6 am; her parents would be amazed as back home she rarely woke up before noon.

  Sanya couldn’t recall where the past four days had gone. Time flew on wings and she cherished every moment of her stay with the Sharmas. Sanya made her bed before going into the bathroom to have a quick shower. She pulled on a pair of denim shorts and a white collarless t-shirt. Wearing her shoes and running a brush through her hair, Sanya stepped out of her room to begin yet another lovely day at Panorama.

  She ran down the steps—she scarcely walked in this house, it seemed—and stepped out of the double doors into the garden. The doors were always kept wide open in welcome. Sunny and Sandy came racing to greet her. She returned their boisterous welcome with a “Good morning guys!” before jogging ahead. Sanya knew where she was going—to the glasshouse where she knew she would find Ratna aunty. This structure within the compound was diametrically opposite to where Sanya’s room was located.

  Ratna had two greatest loves in her life—that is, beside her husband and sons—her dogs and her plants. The second morning after she arrived, Sanya had walked around in the garden and happened upon the lady as she was tending to the exotic plants that she kept in the specially constructed glasshouse, where the requisite cool temperature was maintained at an even rate. Soft music played 24/7 from strategically placed speakers. Ratna insisted that this helped her plants grow better and the flowers bloom larger.

  Sanya opened the door to hear the gazal maestro Jagjit Singh rendering “Hosh walon ko kabar kya…” while Ratna hummed along. She was bending over a pot with a large plant that was almost the size of a small tree. Ratna smiled as she called out “good morning” to her houseguest. She had always liked the little girl who used to hang around with her twins all those years ago. And she liked the grown up woman even more. There was a soft spot within Ratna for the single child.

  “Good morning Ratna aunty!” Sanya returned the greeting, looking around her with interest. The glasshouse was a riot of colours and fragrances. There were so many flowering plants—many imported from cooler climes—and Ratna knew each of them by name. Not an easy feat, it seemed to the young lady who recognised only the gladioli and orchids as she had seen them at flower shops. The rest were all strange to her. Sanya had spent the past decade living in an apartment. She had not appreciated the greenery surrounding the area. Living with Ratna was a unique experience.

  While Sanya liked the view, she didn’t feel the passion that Ratna obviously had for her plants, not just the ones in the glasshouse. The house was set in three acres of land and the compound was filled with trees—mango, chikoo, coconut palms and gulmohar were the ones Sanya could identify. There were many flowering plants including hibiscus in myriad shades of the rainbow and oleanders and roses—hundreds of them. The vegetable plot was nearer to the kitchen and grew most of the stuff used in the Sharmas’ kitchen. Jaya’s pride was the herb garden where she had been allowed a free hand. The cook-housekeeper had a variety of greens that she used in the dishes she made. Ginger, curry leaves and coriander greens were plucked fresh before they went into the pot.

  Sanya jogged around the perimeter of the garden—a three-foot wide concrete border set aside for this very purpose, stopping from time to time to take deep breaths of the clean air. She felt so energised and raring to go after taking five rounds.

  Sanya’s next stop was at the kitchen. The aroma of coffee beckoned to her as she scrubbed her shoes thoroughly on the doormat before entering Jaya’s domain through the back door.

  The cook was instructing Deepa, the maid, about the way the veggies needed to be cut. Her broad face broke into a wide grin as she noticed the young lady who walked in. “Sanya,” she called out in greeting as she poured a mug of coffee for her, adding milk and sugar to it, just the way Sanya liked it.

  “Thank you Jayaji,” said Sanya with a smile as she took the mug from her. She sat at the dining nook, out of Jaya’s way, and asked, “So, what’s for breakfast?”

  Jaya replied enthusiastically, “Dal pakhwaan aur moong halwa. You will like that, nah?” she asked anxiously as she still wasn’t completely aware of the guest’s tastes. With a heart of gold, Jaya was always eager to please everyone.

  “Oh, that’d be super. In fact, I just love food. Tell me, Jayaji, you’re such a great cook. Can you teach me? I’ve always thought of learning to cook, but have never had a chance,” Sanya said as she sipped the hot coffee.

  Ratna walked in just then with a huge bunch of flowers that she had cut from the garden. She placed them on the table where Sanya was sitting and instructed Deepa to get her some vases. “You’d like to learn cooking?” asked Ratna, looking at Sanya in amusement.

  Sanya nodded her head vigorously. “I think that that’s what I wanna do. I’ve been thinking hard about the career I would like to take up. Nothing I did at school or college interests me, aunty. Being in the kitchen with Jayaji amidst the aromas floating around this place gives me a terrific high. What do you think, aunty?” she asked.

  “I think it’s a great idea. If you like something, you should definitely try it out. I love gardening, watching
seeds sprout into young plants and grow into trees while the flowers start out as buds and bloom all around me in brilliant colours. Ask me to boil water and I’ll probably set the kitchen on fire,” said Ratna, laughing at herself.

  Sanya’s jaw dropped in astonishment as Ratna continued, “Yeah, I realised within a few months of my marriage that I can’t cook even if my life depended on it. Shantanu for one was glad that his didn’t. I don’t think he would have lasted long if he had had to survive on the meals that I turned out. And I’m sure you can guess how it used to be in those days. Every girl had to know to cook before she was married.”

  Sanya couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Then how come you didn’t learn cooking before you got married?”

  “That’s another story altogether. My mother had been planning to teach me after I completed my education. I had been a tomboy throughout and she had been biding her time. But I met Shantanu when I was in my second year at college and the rest is history.” Theirs had been the love affair of the century. And the best part was, Ratna and Shantanu still loved each other as much after thirty-one years of wedded bliss.

  “Nowadays, knowing to cook isn’t a prerequisite to getting married. But if you feel passionate about making food, you should definitely learn how to go about it. What do we know? Tomorrow you might even take it up professionally,” she continued.

  “You think so, aunty?” asked Sanya, her voice excited. She had been vaguely thinking of something along those lines, but hadn’t been sure while wondering if it was a crazy idea. Though, it was obvious that Ratna believed it made sense. Sanya did have a lot of time on her hands. While she had got around Mumbai over the past two days, she had had enough. She wasn’t new to the city and had seen all the sights. Most of the new additions were in the form of shopping malls—nothing that would interest a girl who had been living in London over the past decade. Learning to cook would be simply awesome. She looked at Jaya as Ratna nodded vigorously. “Jayaji, would you mind teaching me?”

  “Of course not, my dear! I’d love to,” said Jaya enthusiastically.

  Ratna beamed, “There, that’s all settled. Jaya, do train Sanya to make just everything you know. Believe me Sanya, that’s a lot. I couldn’t have survived without Jaya. She used to work for my parents and came along with me to my sasuraal.” There was so much affection in Ratna’s voice as she looked fondly at her housekeeper.

  Jaya nodded her head enthusiastically. “Don’t you worry Sanya! I’ll turn you into a fantastic cook very soon.”

  And that’s where Ansh found Sanya about an hour later. She was at the cutting board, chopping spinach for lunch. Ansh grinned as he called out, “Hey Sanya, what’re you doing here in the kitchen? Are you planning to poison us?”

  Sanya poked her tongue out to him rudely as she continued with the job at hand. “Just you,” she said under her breath. Her head was covered with a hairnet and she looked all business as she chopped the spinach finely, just the way she had been instructed.

  “I heard that,” said Ansh as he moved closer. Only he was too close for comfort. His hand snaked around her waist as he asked, “Do you want to go out for dinner today—just you and me?”

  Sanya mentally cursed as her body responded eagerly to his touch. He was too sexy for his own good. His head was a riot of curls. He had obviously just showered and his hair was still damp and she couldn’t help drawing a deep breath as she loved the musky fragrance of his aftershave. She refused to look up at him as she didn’t want him to catch the expression in her eyes. She was determined not to give in to the growing attraction that she felt towards the wrong twin. She was in love with Arth and she intended it to stay that way. Physical attraction wasn’t good enough to base a relationship on and that’s the only thing she had for Ansh. She disliked him intensely otherwise.

  Ansh bent down close to whisper in her ear as she refused to give him a reply. “Hey Sanya, chalo nah! There’s this lovely place at SoBo. They serve such yummy food. I don’t want to tell you more. Come along with me and find out for yourself.”

  Sanya moved the chopped spinach to a bowl before attacking the tomatoes. Her mind was working furiously as she tried to concentrate on the job at hand. But Ansh’s hot breath on her cheek was such a distraction. Couldn’t he see that there were two other people in the kitchen along with her? What would they think of his behaviour? And hers for that matter? She turned her head towards the gas stove and was startled to see that there was no one else in the kitchen other than Ansh and herself. The devil was obviously aware of that.

  She turned accusing eyes to him only to have him swoop down and place his lips on hers. Before she knew it, Sanya was kissing him back, unable to resist any more. She didn’t know how long they were locked in each other’s arms before Ansh let go of her suddenly. He had heard the back door open while Sanya had been lost to the world.

  Sanya didn’t know where to look. “So, we’re on for dinner, right?” asked Ansh, confident that the answer was ‘yes’.

  She looked up at him, her brown eyes glittering with the passion that he had aroused in her.

  Ansh had a difficult time keeping his hands to himself as he noticed her expression.

  Her reactions were slow. “Huh?” she frowned at him, wondering what he was asking. Her scowl cleared as she recalled his offer. What if Arth was home for dinner tonight and she missed him? He had been out on every evening after the first dinner she had had with the whole family. It looked like she got to see a lot of Ansh while almost nothing of the elusive Arth. Sanya wondered whether she could tempt Arth with her cooking. He would probably have his dinner at home then. Cheered by the thought, she looked at Ansh and told him clearly, “I don’t think so. I’m planning to make dinner tonight and won’t have the time.”

  Jaya overheard the last sentence and joined the conversation. It wasn’t considered strange as she had been part of the family since even before the twins were born. Believing that Sanya was keen to go and was saying ‘no’ because she needed to make dinner, Jaya helpfully said, “But Sanya, you need to learn a lot more before you get to that stage. Why don’t you go ahead with your dinner plans tonight? You can learn the dishes for lunch today. We’ll plan something exotic for tomorrow. I’ll keep it simple tonight. Anyway, it’ll be just Ratnaji and Shantanuji for dinner and they don’t like anything heavy.”

  Sanya gritted her teeth while Ansh grinned from ear to ear. He went over and hugged Jaya. “Jaya aunty’s the best.” His eyes challenged Sanya to refuse now. With no reason to, she nodded reluctantly.

  7

  Ansh left for work sometime later. But his thoughts were more on Sanya than the electronics outlet that he was in charge of. He walked into his cabin to drop his backpack before walking around the huge shop, ensuring that his employees were all available. Customers had already started straggling in despite it being barely eleven in the morning.

  They sold all kinds of electronic goods from various brands—TVs, landline telephone instruments, mobile phones, laptops, personal computers, iPads, ovens, microwave ovens, refrigerators, washing machines, air-conditioners and more. They sold the goods at competitive prices to attract customers who would otherwise be keener to buy everything online. Their advantage was in owning the shop space instead of renting it. The goods moved smoothly, from their warehouse to homes and offices. The Sharmas ensured that the stocks supplied were always fresh. The old stocks were usually sold off in sales that they held every year.

  An hour later, Ansh went to sit inside his cabin with a cup of tea. He had surprised himself with this attraction to Sanya. And today, in the kitchen, he hadn’t even intended to kiss her. Ansh shook his head to himself. She looked gorgeous and sexy. But then, so did many women. They had disliked each other intensely when they were teenagers. She had bugged him with her holier-than-thou attitude, all the more because she had treated his twin, Arth, as if he was a Prince while he—Ansh—was a lowly slave.

  The young Ansh hadn’t liked it and had showed it
to her in many different ways, not enamouring him in her eyes. Well, her attitude didn’t seem very different now. She still seemed to dislike him intensely, while continuing to adore the absent Arth.

  But it looked like he—Ansh—felt differently nowadays. Her provocative behaviour allured him rather than irritating him. He wondered at the change in himself.

  The kiss, for instance—it had simply blown his mind. She had tasted so sweet, so perfect. While he had kissed a few girls before, this was the first time he had almost lost his mind, his pulse beating wildly, making him feel breathless. It was really by chance that he’d heard someone entering the kitchen and had lifted his head just in time. Not that he was terribly worried about what Jaya might have thought. But he didn’t want to embarrass Sanya. And that was another first—his worrying about keeping himself in Sanya’s good books.

  His mind went back to the kiss again. Sanya had responded so enthusiastically. That had really thrown him. While he had instigated the kiss without thinking too much, looking back, it was a wonder that she had kissed him right back and not hit him like one would have believed by the way she treated him.

  Ansh smiled to himself. This was a relationship that was definitely worth exploring. Sanya might insist that she liked Arth more, but it seemed that she was physically attracted to Ansh.

  8

  Sanya stepped down the staircase, all set to go out for dinner with Ansh. She was pleasantly surprised to find Arth sitting in the living room, drinking beer from a can. She rushed over to him, her heart thumping in excitement. She hadn’t set eyes on him over the past two days. It had been terribly disappointing, considering the fact that she was here in Mumbai for the sole purpose of renewing her relationship with the man.