Jane swallowed. Did Daniel survive the fire test in his love story? Who was this girl? And what had happened to them?
Jane prayed fervently. Please God, tell me they survived the ordeal.
She didn’t want to even consider the possibility that Daniel had been killed. Every document she picked up after that hence frightened her. She feared she would find a document that would confirm it. It was with immense relief that she closed the last file the researcher had given them. Upon enquiry, the researcher informed them that he had acquired the photograph from an exhibition-sale of photographs from the British Era conducted by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training. It was not even an original print, just a copy.
Jane waited until she got into Vijay’s car to call home. Grandpa Bill was well on the path of mending, her mother informed her. Upon receiving that piece of good news, she shared her own discovery.
“Jane, do you realize what that means? You might already be having Indian cousins. An Indian branch for the Worthington family. How exciting!” Margaret’s excitement permeated into her and she beamed.
“I hope they are all safe and happy somewhere. Do pray that I find them soon, Mum.”
“You will find them, Jane. God bless you, sweetheart.”
Jane disconnected the call and turned to Vijay. In the absence of any new leads, they were both clueless about what they should be doing next.
Chapter 9
That evening, the ambience in the hotel was festive. Vijay had organized a Kathak dance recital in the ballroom of the hotel to cheer Jane up.
Once, while they were in college, he had taken Jane to a dance recital and she had fallen in love with the dance form. She’d looked up the dance form on the internet and told him several things that she had learnt about it. Vijay often wondered if she knew more about India than he did. He had thought it was because she loved him. But no, the girl loved everything about India. And she spent time exploring more about India whenever she got a chance. He had no answers to some of her questions about Indian history or stories from Indian mythology. He knew a few of the famous ones, but Jane often dug up the lesser known ones in her quest to know as much as she could.
Now seated in the front row, she was engrossed in watching the Kathak dancer launch into a prayer to Lord Ganesha, the patron of arts and the remover of all obstacles. If someone asked, Jane would have told them why Ganesha was invoked before every dance recital.
He stood at the entrance to the ballroom, pretending to be playing the role of the perfect host, mainly to avoid being near Jane. Several times during the day, he had wanted nothing more than to crush her to himself and kiss her senseless. God, how he wanted her! Even now, just watching her made him go all glassy eyed. Those blue eyes could kindle a thousand desires inside him.
Even while he had been busy looking for information on Daniel, Vijay had thought long and hard about his current life and the years he had spent with Jane. He was convinced of two things. Firstly, he wanted to break off his engagement to Tejaswini. It would be like stirring the hornet’s nest. His father would be livid. But he couldn’t and wouldn’t go along with the sham arrangement. He had messaged to Tejaswini and invited her to come to the hotel. They needed to talk. The hotel was only a few minutes’ drive from her college campus. She was a final year MBA student at IIM Bangalore. No time better to do this than when Jane was fully engrossed in the dance.
Secondly, he wanted Jane back in his life. He was ready to fight through any opposition, even if it originated from her side. He would do it for them. Many times, during the day, he had read the silent and sublime messages Jane had been sending him. She still loved him, he was convinced of that. Whatever had driven them apart hadn’t succeeded in killing the love that still burned inside them. No wonder he had lived an almost ascetic life till now. No one had had the power to entice him after Jane.
Someone tapped on his shoulders and he turned around. Tejaswini immediately swung her hands around his neck and kissed him on his cheeks.
“You couldn’t wait to see me again, huh? I have an internal assessment tomorrow. I hope I get rewarded handsomely for all the trouble I went through.” Tejaswini beamed at him and batted her eyelashes. Vijay cringed. He hated it when she did that. It seemed so artificial. She could act all graceful and princess-like in front of his family. But when alone with him, she became this overtly demanding creature whom he couldn’t tolerate.
“We need to talk,” Vijay said, removing her hands from around his neck.
“Isn’t that a dialogue that is supposed to appear in our conversation years down the line? But, anyway, what is it that you want to talk about?”
“Not here. Let us go to my office.”
“Office? I had expected you would invite me into your suite, finally.”
Vijay snorted and led her towards his office. His office was tucked at the eastern end of the hotel lobby, conveniently located to suit his needs for privacy.
“But this is perfect too. I have always wanted to visit your office. I like it,” Tejaswini continued, taking in the aesthetically decorated office.
Instead of taking the chair across him as he indicated, she sauntered over to his side and looped her arms around his neck again.
“Tejaswini, please. Listen to me. Don’t make this more awkward than it already is,” Vijay snapped and pushed her hands away.
Tejaswini took a step back and gaped at him.
“Awkward? So that is how you define our relationship. I assure you, your highness, I think of our relationship as a pleasant responsibility. I haven’t even once regretted it.”
“God, I don’t even know how to explain this to you. But I can’t commit to this relationship anymore.”
“Are you having an affair?” Her eyes glowed.
“Yes, if you like to call it that. I have been in love with her since long, long before I even met you. I want to marry her.”
“Who is she? We are already engaged! But, okay, if this is what you want, I don’t mind sharing you with anyone. We royals have seen this happening so often. Indian kings have never been monogamous, have they? But they had only one chief queen. And I will be that to you. It is simple.”
Vijay stared at her, unable to believe what she was telling him. What sort of life was she suggesting? Anger welled inside him.
“Relax, Vijay. You can carry on with your affairs. But you will marry only me. I'm ready to offer whatever the other girl gives you. Try me, I might be better in the bedroom than her.” Tejaswini slipped off the left sleeve of her top and sat on the arm of his chair. She ran her fingers through a stunned Vijay’s hair and pressed her bare shoulders against his.
Vijay was about to push her off when he heard a gasp and the scuffle of running feet.
Looking up, he caught a glimpse of Jane, running away.
He swore and pushed Tejaswini away. This had turned to be a disaster. Jane had almost begun to trust him again. And then this had to happen.
“Tejaswini, please go away. I'm in no mood to humour you. Get out of here immediately. Know this, I can’t marry you. I can’t commit myself to a relationship I cannot honour.”
“So, are you going to make a mockery of this engagement? I won’t go without putting up a fight, know that. Love or not, I have dreamed of a life with you. My family’s dignity is also at stake.”
“I'm sorry. But I cannot marry you. I'm freeing you. Whether you wish to agree with me amicably or you want to put up a fight, depends on you. Goodbye, Tejaswini.”
Vijay walked out of his office leaving behind a fuming Tejaswini. He had to find Jane before she staged another disappearing act. But he knew that even if she did, this time, he would follow her to wherever she disappeared.
Chapter 10
Jane half walked and half ran back to the ballroom where the dance recital had taken a break before the commencement of the next segment. She’d wanted to understand the full meaning of the dance and had wanted the lyrics of the song, to which the dancer was d
ancing, translated. When she’d seen a recital last time, Vijay had told her the story behind the dance and the gestures and the performance had become a memorable one. She had gone in search of Vijay to get him to help her this time too. But, it had been a mistake. The scene she had witnessed had pierced her heart like a dagger. Her limbs were still shivering.
Her reaction only confirmed one thing. She had not gotten over Vijay. But it was too late now. However, she couldn’t afford to get her heart gain control over her. She needed to remain level-headed. Finding Daniel had to be her priority. Vijay was anyway out of her league. Why did she even think otherwise?
Jane took a deep breath and concentrated on the graceful moves of the dancer. But within seconds, her thoughts wandered back to the scene she had witnessed in Vijay’s office. Someone came and sat beside her and even without turning to look, she knew it was Vijay. She should talk to him. She had no right to intrude upon his privacy. She turned to him with a smile and their eyes met. Vijay’s gaze seemed to search her face. She felt blood rush into her cheeks, this time from embarrassment.
“I'm so sorry. I shouldn’t have walked in like that. Do forgive me.”
“Jane, it was nothing. You need not apologize. Do tell me why you came in search of me. What happened?”
“Actually, I wanted to know the meaning of the lyrics. The dance seemed incomplete because I couldn’t understand the lyrics. Be a good boy and explain it to me now.”
“Sure. But are you okay?”
“Of course, I am. Why shouldn’t I be?”
Vijay flashed a grin. Dimples appeared on his chin and something broke inside her; she would never be immune to their charm. She loved how innocent they rendered his face.
For the next half an hour, Vijay explained the lyrics and the dance to her. The dance suddenly became meaningful and so much more enchanting. However, it disturbed her to accept the truth that the happiness she was feeling had more to do with his presence than with the dance. Perhaps she wanted to amass whatever she could get in the short time that they had together. She didn’t want to let his private life affect her attitude towards him. He was her friend, nothing more. She concentrated hard on what Vijay was explaining.
The dancer onstage was performing a recital of Krishna Leela, based on the butter stealing episodes from Lord Krishna’s life. The dancer beautifully enacted the role of the toddler Krishna with vivid expressions. Little Krishna’s joy of stealing and eating butter was endearing. Jane couldn’t help but smile.
The dancer also articulated his fear of being caught, but how, at the same time, he also wanted to prove to his friends that he was courageous. And then when he got caught and was taken to his mother, he gave umpteen reasons as to why he couldn’t be the butter thief. ‘O Maiyya mori, main nahi makhan khayo,’ little Krishna sang, explaining his reasons one by one.
The magic of the dance and the man beside her suddenly made her want to have a little toddler of her own, who would be mischievous and adorable like little Krishna. The vision of a toddler with deep dark brown eyes and silky black hair toddling towards her emerged in her mind and her heart squeezed hard. She wrung her hands and forced herself to return her attention to the recital.
After one more segment, the dance ended. Vijay invited her to have dinner with him and she didn’t refuse. She was determined to stick to being friendly and nonchalant. Vijay seemed to begin but abandon his sentences. She took over and directed the conversation to Daniel, fearing he would begin to talk about the girl she had seen with him. She didn’t wish to hear any such confessions.
“I have sent the photo of Daniel with his wife and that of Grandpa Bill to the detective agency we use. They will surely find some clue.”
“I hope they find something soon. Once I join work, I might not find enough time to pursue the matter.”
“When do you have to join?”
“In a week.”
“I'm sure we will find Daniel by then.”
Their food arrived and Jane forgot everything other than the aromatic dishes that waited to be tasted. When she paused in between, she looked up and found Vijay’s gaze focused on her. His expression was so tender, so intimate that a deadened part of her heart stirred to life once again, yearning for more. She wanted him to tell her that whatever she had seen was an illusion, that she had misunderstood what had been happening. But, he remained silent. Painfully silent. She pulled herself together and instead praised the taste of the cauliflower sabji that she had voraciously devoured.
After dinner, Vijay walked Jane to her room and she quickly bade good night to him and closed her door. Then she stood staring at the closed door, thinking. Would he have come in if she invited him? If he did, it would have been a mistake, for she would have fallen into his arms. Her desperate heart wanted to feel the adrenaline rush that only his warmth could provide. Chiding herself, she walked straight to her bed and climbed in without bothering to change into night clothes. She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight anyway, she was sure of that.
Jane lay in bed reminiscing about the day that had passed. What a roller-coaster of a day it had been! First, the revelation about Daniel and then the arrival of Vijay’s girl! Who was that girl? His girlfriend? Curious, she typed his name into the Google search box. She was sure the Internet would throw something as to the identity of the girl.
The trending news about him itself shattered Jane. The girl was not his girlfriend, but his fiancée. Princess Tejaswini of the Royal family of Bihar. He had got engaged two weeks ago. They were to be married in June, two months from now. He had found himself someone who matched him in every way. The girl was very pretty. She was also his family’s choice.
Jane wiped her wet cheeks as she sat up cross-legged on her bed. She hugged herself and allowed herself to sob. But her misery increased with every teardrop she shed.
In a bid to calm down, she began counting backward from hundred. By the time she reached eighty, she was determined to put all this behind her. She could handle this. She needed to handle this. This mindless yearning should stop.
Chapter 11
Bangalore, April 12, 2009
In the morning, Vijay messaged her.
Brilliant development. Are you ready for a long journey? Pack an overnight bag. I will tell you all the details when we meet.
Keeping the phone down, Jane sat on her bed not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Spending another day with Vijay would be sheer torture now that she knew he was engaged. He would never be hers again. But her mission had taken a promising turn if she could believe Vijay’s message. Steeling herself, she pushed away from the bed and walked into the bathroom to get ready.
Jane stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were swollen and red from all the tears she’d shed last night. She splashed water on her face and then took a long soak in the bathtub with a cold towel covering her face. When she stepped out of the tub, the tell-tale signs of a difficult night no longer existed on her face. This time, when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she smiled satisfactorily.
Jane called up room service and ordered a lavish breakfast. Yet when it came, she picked at the food and pushed it around the plate. Her appetite had vanished. She felt exhausted and weak. Yet, she didn’t want the day to go waste. She would go with Vijay to wherever he wanted to take her. She dressed in her most comfortable jeans and her favourite black top. She decided against blow drying her hair mostly because she didn’t have the energy to torture her poor curls. Instead, she applied some hair serum to allow it to curl up naturally.
Vijay greeted her in the hotel lobby. His eyes lit up when he saw her.
“You look like my old Jane.” His use of ‘my’, instead of gratifying, irritated her. Why was he doing this? He had a fiancée. He had no business kindling the old flames inside her with such remarks. It was pathetic that his one remark could still restart a fire in her core. A pulsating pull, a zing that demanded attention. She felt the beginnings of a headache. She had nothing to say
to him. After long moments of silence, he cleared his throat.
“I forgot. I have news for you. I have found out who the lady in the photo is. I think we are very near to finding out where Daniel is.”
“Who? Where is she?”
“We are going to Mangalore. That is where the answer is. I will update you while we travel.”
Vijay refused to answer any further questions and led her to his car, which was being driven by a chauffeur that day. Would she find Daniel by the end of the day? A thrill raced through her.
Once they were settled in the car, Vijay turned to her.
“Yesterday night I was pondering over that photo. Just on an impulse, I used Google image search on the girl in the picture. And guess what? The photo threw up many images that had some similarity with the original image. Most of them were black and white pictures from the early 1940s. But the interesting fact was that the majority of the photos were about a yesteryear dancer and film actress called Rukmini Rai. I looked her up. She had disappeared from the art scene after some controversy. And the most important thing that I found out was that she married a foreigner. His name is not mentioned but he was a captain in the British Indian Army.”
Jane squealed with delight.
“Thank you, Vijay. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“Thank Google and whoever created it. I merely made use of the miracle engine.” He grinned.
Jane smiled, unbeknown to the fact that more surprises awaited her. When they stepped out of the car at the airport, a small jet plane awaited them. Vijay led her towards it.
Obviously, their family owned a fleet of jets for private use. She had never seen the inside of a private jet. The spacious passenger area could seat nine people. It had ample room for private one-on-one discussions or business meals. The aircraft cabin was high enough for Vijay to stand though she felt if he raised himself on his toes the slightest bit, his head would touch the ceiling. The luxurious cabin had handcrafted seats and the side panels were covered with white. The roomy seats could be reclined up to 180º and could be converted into flat beds.
A Royal Affair: The Sravanapura Royals Page 5
