Flaming Sun Collection 2: Marriages Made in India (Box Set with 5 novellas)

by Sundari Venkatraman

  Sapna’s hair was thick and fell down to her mid-thighs. They had agreed that it be cut to the level of her hips and layered in waves. After seeing the thick strands falling down on the floor with each snip of the scissors, Sapna shut her eyes, a mite worried. She opened them only when she felt the hot air from the hair dryer. So much of her hair had been shorn off. She looked at her reflection in shock. Was she going to look terrible?

  The beautician continued to dry her hair, brushing it into shape. Once she was done, she removed the cape and brushed away the bits of hair that had fallen on Sapna. “Just a minute, ma’am,” she said, before going and getting a mirror. She held it behind Sapna’s head from different angles so that she could check how her new hairstyle appeared. A slow smile lit up Sapna’s face as she saw how gorgeous her hair appeared. It looked thicker than before and was stylish. She crossed her fingers, hoping that Ram would like her new look.

  She thanked the hair-stylist sweetly, paying her bill and tipping her well. Yeah, Ram had mentioned how important that was.

  The next stop was a facial, again a first time experience that Sapna thoroughly enjoyed. She was glowing by the time they were done with her.

  Hungry by now, Sapna went to the next salon for the foot massage. She munched away at the veg burger that they had ready for her, sipping at a coffee milkshake. The foot massage was pleasant but Sapna wasn’t too happy with the experience.

  The last stop was for manicure and pedicure. This was a wonderful treatment too. Sapna stepped out feeling great, her finger and toe nails painted a vivid shade of plum.

  She decided that she liked the hair-stylist best and would rather learn her skills from them.

  Ram was late returning home that night. Sapna had got back at seven and received a lot of compliments from the rest of the family.

  Meera looked at her daughter-in-law in admiration. “You’re looking more beautiful than ever,” she said.

  Sapna turned red as the twins walked in just then. “Sapna,” said Bharat. “I wouldn’t have recognised you if I’d met you outside on the street,” he winked. Yeah, none of them called her “bhabhi” unless they were teasing her and she was glad it was that way.

  She placed her hands on her hips in a mock threatening stance. “Well, is that good or bad?” she asked, trying to look angry.

  “Good, of course,” replied Shatrughan. “You look awesome. Lucky Ram,” he said, also winking at her, making her blush.

  She poked her tongue at him before turning to look at Lakshman. He gave her a soft smile, putting the thumb and forefinger of his right hand together in a gesture of appreciation. Sapna smiled back at him, happy.

  Lakshman sat back, looking relieved. It looked like Ram’s problems were coming to an end.

  Ram had called to say that he was having dinner with a client. The rest of them had theirs, chatting their heads off. After hanging out with them for another hour, Sapna got up to wish them all goodnight.

  20

  Sapna went over to her bungalow and had a shower. On an impulse, she went into Ram’s bedroom to pick up a t-shirt from his wardrobe. She had a towel draped around her as she checked the shelf where his tshirts were kept, neatly folded. She turned guiltily when she heard the door open, an old t-shirt clutched in her hand.

  Ram gazed at his gorgeous wife, his gaze unblinking. She looked amazing, her new hairstyle looking perfect, framing her oval face, tumbling over her naked shoulders and down her back. He liked this so much better than her braid. Better yet, here she was in his bedroom, wrapped only in a towel.

  He opened his arms wide in invitation. The t-shirt fell out of her hands as Sapna took the few steps to fall into his arms. “At last!” Ram buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, breathing her scent deeply. “You smell so good. Let me go have a shower too.”

  “No,” said Sapna, surprising both of them. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his middle as she refused to let go. She never wanted to be separated from him, ever.

  Ram laughed, lifting her up in his arms, her towel falling down to the floor in the process. Placing her gently down on the bed, he stood back to remove his shirt in a hurry.

  Sapna crossed her arms across her breasts, feeling shy all of a sudden. Ram stopped what he was doing to bend down and pull at her arms. “Let me look,” he said, his charcoal eyes blazing with desire. She couldn’t deny his request as he placed her arms at her sides. He teased the tip of a breast with a finger, his touch gentle.

  Sapna lifted her arms to him, “Come to me, please. You’re too far away.”

  Ram threw his shirt away before taking up her invitation. He bent down to take a nipple in his mouth, suckling on it gently. Sapna moaned, holding his head against her body, her own thrusting closer.

  His large hands ran through her newly styled hair. “You look fabulous,” he said, his lips close to hers.

  “So do you,” she said, holding his face with both her hands. She looked deeply into his eyes. “I’m sorry for…”

  He placed his palm against her mouth to stop her from speaking further. “Don’t be. I love you exactly the way you are, temper and all.” His kissed her then, as if there was no tomorrow, his hands moving roughly over her restless body, her legs thrashing. As they came up for air, Ram raised his head to look at her blushing face, her luscious lips red. “If you’ll just give me a minute, I’ll remove my clothes fully,” he winked, his eyes running down her naked body. “You’ve the advantage over me.”

  Sapna turned redder, if that were possible, but nothing in the world was going to stop her from looking as her husband stripped out of his pants and briefs. She stared avidly, drinking in his masculine form that was so different from hers.

  Ram put out a hand to her, “Come on, let’s go have a shower together.” Sapna’s eyes widened, before they turned mischievous. She got up with alacrity and went into his arms. Ram lifted her in his arms and walked to the bathroom as if she was as light as a feather. They went into the shower cubicle as Ram set the water to the perfect temperature. He started the head and the side showers, making Sapna gasp in surprise and pleasure. This was better than a waterfall, the warm water spraying on their entwined bodies from so many directions. She stood on his feet, going up on her toes to reach out to his face, her lips tracing his chiselled cheeks. She revelled in her newfound freedom as Ram held her close. She explored the shape of his lips with her tongue. Then, she bit his lower lip gently, her tongue immediately stepping out to soothe the wounded spot.

  Ram let her play, as she checked out the shape of his ear. His hands were splayed on her bottom, holding her tight against his masculinity. How many times had he dreamed of this, holding her naked body close to his own! His right hand moved up her back and then her front to cup her left breast, squeezing it gently. Sapna mewled like a kitten, loving the sensation of his thumb tracing the tip. Ram went on his knees, his mouth at her breast, while his left hand stroked her right breast.

  Sapna felt an unfamiliar wetness between her legs, her arms on his shoulders, holding his head as he suckled her breasts. “Ram…”

  When he turned his head and attended to her other breast, Sapna raised her left leg to drape it around his waist. She felt dazed when she felt Ram walk his fingers up her thigh to reach the apex.

  He slipped a finger into her vagina, caressing her gently. Sapna’s breath caught in her throat as she felt strange sensations bombarding her. Her newly painted nails dug into his back as he rocked her in his arms. The rhythm of his stroking hand matched that of his mouth at her breast. Sapna was transported to a whole new world as she felt herself being flung into a vortex, trying to reach out for solid ground. Her world shattered the next minute as she felt her soul soaring into space with a powerful orgasm that stopped her heart from beating for a whole minute, or so it seemed. She fell into his arms, sobbing, her head buried on his chest, her arms clinging to his waist.

  Ram’s hand stroked her back as he held her close. He let her cry for a brief time, before liftin
g her chin towards him. Water continued to fall on them forcefully, as Sapna’s tears mingled with it. “Was it so bad?” he asked, a smile on his lips.

  A small fist hit his shoulder as Sapna giggled through her tears. “Don’t be silly. You know it wasn’t.”

  “So tell me how it was.”

  “Fishing for compliments, are we?” teased Sapna, looking deeply into his black, black eyes. Her grey gaze turned serious almost immediately. “That was the most beautiful experience of my life,” she said, her hand cupping his cheek. “It made me feel proud and honoured to be born a woman, for the first time in my life.”

  “Sapna…” said Ram in a whisper, absolutely touched. “Hey, what are you doing?” as she took the soap in her hands.

  “I want to give you a bath,” she said, winking at him, her wet hair plastered all over. She soaped him leisurely, arousing him painfully.

  And here he was, going slow, because it was her first time. “Sapna…”

  “Shh…” she placed a soapy finger on his lips, her tongue poking out as she concentrated on reaching across his wide shoulders. Her hands moved down as she went on her knees in front of him, her eyes going round when they encountered his tumescent manhood. Ram watched her watching him, growing harder. Sapna touched him in wonder, her fingers tracing his shape. She moved forward suddenly to kiss him there and heard Ram groan.

  Startled, she moved away to ask innocently, “Did I hurt you?”

  He pulled her up into his arms, increasing the speed of the showers. “Playtime’s over. Let’s get on with business,” he said in reply, his voice guttural.

  Sapna’s face fell. What had she done wrong?

  He bit her lip and kissed it better immediately. “My dear innocent wife, you’re perfect. But my body craves you.” After washing off the soap, he dried them both in a hurry and carried her back to the bed. He placed her down gently and joined her. “I hope I don’t hurt you too badly, but it’s tough the first time for a woman,” he said apologetically.

  Sapna didn’t care. She was confident he wouldn’t hurt her more than was necessary. She was finally convinced how much he loved her. Unable to stop herself, she caressed him with her hand, making him groan again. “You’re going to be the death of me, woman,” said Ram, spreading her legs wide. Without further ado, he entered her in a single stroke, and watched her mouth open in a small shriek. He paused, holding her face in his hands. “I’m sorry.” His body had a mind of its own as he moved inside her. Sapna’s eyes opened wide in wonder as she felt him. It was even better than when he had stroked her with his finger. Seeing the expression on her face, Ram moved again, pulling out before thrusting into her again. Catching on, Sapna held on to his shoulders as he pounded into her, forgetting to be gentle. At that moment, “gentle” was the last thing Sapna wanted. This time, they reached out to the stars together, Ram exploding within her, seconds after she had another intense orgasm.

  They clung to each other, having no words, Ram’s face buried in her damp hair spread across the pillow. It had been truly worth the wait.

  Their breathing came down to normal and Ram moved to the side, still holding Sapna close. He brushed away the hair from her face with a gentle finger to ask, “You okay?” He looked serious for a change.

  Sapna grinned at him, “Never been better.” Stretching lazily, she caressed his cheek, her thumb tracing his masculine lips. “And you?”

  Ram grinned back. “Simply awesome. I enjoyed every moment of making love to you.” He took a bite of her thumb, making her heart go crazy.

  “Ram,” she pressed her lips to his in an adoring kiss. “I think I’m in love with you.”

  Ram’s smile disappeared. She’d better not joke about this. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded her head slowly, her gaze never leaving his. “I want to spend the rest of my life in your arms. I want to have your babies. I want to grow old with you. More than that, I want your happiness. I want to fight and make up with you as often as I can. And…” her voice turned into a whisper, “I want to make love with you, every day. Do you think it is love? I don’t know any other…”

  Ram swooped down to kiss his wife, overwhelmed. It looked like they both wanted the same. “I adore you, my darling wife.”

  He sat up and pulled her along with him. “Did I tell you how lovely you look? I like your hair,” he said, running his fingers through it. Lifting her hand, he admired her painted nails, kissing her fingers one by one.

  “Don’t miss my toes,” she said, thrusting a foot close to his face, her eyes mischievous. Her throat choked as he bent down to bite the pad of her big toe, his eyes clinging mischievously to hers. “Ram…”

  He kissed her toes before placing her foot back on the bed. “No more for a couple of hours.” As she looked disappointed, he placed her hand against his manhood and said, “I’m ready. But you should give your body some time to recover, I think. Or, you’ll be unable to walk tomorrow.”

  Light dawned in her eyes as she blushed at his words, her fingers refusing to let go of him.

  “So, how was your day? Have you decided where you want to train?” he asked.

  Sapna shook her head, her face buried on his chest.

  “Didn’t you like any of the salons?”

  “I liked the hairstyling place. But…”

  “But what?”

  “Forget it,” she said.

  “Sapna.” Ram placed a hand under her chin to look at her face. “What’s wrong then?”

  “Ram, they are asking for two lakh rupees to train me in everything. It’s way too much money…”

  Ram laughed softly. “Is that the issue? You do want to pursue this line, right?” When she nodded, he said, “Then money shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “But…Ram, you’ve already spent so much on me and my family…”

  He pressed his forefinger to her lips, shutting her up. “You’re my wife and your family’s mine. Don’t you dare suggest otherwise.”

  “But…”

  “Okay. Let’s do it like this. I’ll give you an interest-free loan. You can pay me once you set up your salon. Does that work for you?”

  Sapna nodded her head vigorously, loving the idea. “Perfect,” she said, throwing her arms around him. “I love you!”

  Her Prince had found her!

  THE END

  It was at least another half an hour before Shikha returned to the party. She directly walked up to her husband and kissed him on his masculine lips. “Forgive me?”

  Abhi pulled her close, kissing her deeply. “Always.”

  “Did I tell you that you’re the best thing that’s happened to me?” she whispered in his ear, nipping at his earlobe.

  “Shikha,” growled Abhi, “Are you even aware of what you’re doing to me? Position yourself in front of me till I gain control or I won’t be responsible for the consequences.”

  Shikha gave a tinkling laugh, her hand on his fly, tracing his shape delightedly. “How did I ever imagine you were a staid guy?”

  Abhi groaned. “Take your hand off, woman. Please!”

  Shikha laughed again, kissing him. “How I love to hear you beg.” She winked at him.

  She turned right around and got a waiter to get her another drink, much to Abhi’s chagrin. “Will you lay off the drink, Shikha?” he frowned.

  “Why? You can’t afford it or what?” she challenged him, a shapely eyebrow up in query, sherry brown eyes dancing.

  “You’ve already had four large pegs.”

  “You’ve been counting.” The smile left her face.

  “Do you plan to get drunk?”

  “Arre yaar, Abhi! It’s our wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime event. I’m only celebrating. Give me a break,” she protested.

  “The way you’ve been knocking down the drinks, anyone would think that you’re in pain rather than celebrating.”

  HIS DRUNKEN WIFE

  (Marriages Made in India: Book #2)

  A romance novella by

  Sunda
ri Venkatraman

  Prologue

  Abhimanyu looked up when Shikha walked into his cabin.

  “What’s up? How come you’re still at work?” asked Abhimanyu, surprised to see her.

  Shikha settled down comfortably on the chair that Samrat had recently vacated. “You tell me. You appear happy about something and I see that you’ve been conducting a number of strange meetings while the boss is away. What are you up to?” she accused, her body language aggressive. She was miffed that Abhimanyu hadn’t allowed her to be a part of anything that day. After all, she was Ranveer’s secretary and needed to know what was going on in the company.

  Abhimanyu grinned, unfazed. “Will you go out for dinner with me? Any place of your choice,” he tempted.

  Shikha glared at him, refusing to take the bait. “You haven’t answered my question Abhi. Are you doing something that you shouldn’t be?” she asked again, dying of curiosity. Wouldn’t she be thrilled to find that Abhimanyu had feet of clay! He strutted around giving the impression of Mr. Perfect and Ranveer seemed to trust his executive assistant completely.

  “What do you want to know?” asked Abhimanyu, busy packing his laptop into its case. He was done for the day and was leaving whether Shikha went with him or not.

  “Who were all those people who came to meet you today Abhimanyu? You’ve been secretive and now you look like the cat that’s got the canary. What’s up?”

  “I don’t think it’s any of your business Shikha. Shall we leave? That is, if you want to go out to dinner with me. Otherwise, allow me to leave,” said Abhimanyu, getting up from his chair.

  Shikha gnashed her teeth in frustration. “Sit down Abhi,” she ordered. She waited for him to seat himself before asking, “Why did you have to meet the two guys today afternoon? They had an appointment with Ranveer and I was going to meet them in the boss’s place. Couldn’t you keep your big nose out of it?” Anger boiled within her as she glared at Abhimanyu. The whole of yesterday and today morning she had been looking forward to get to know the two men and Abhimanyu had spoilt her chances.