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

by Sundari Venkatraman

  He kissed her on the tip of her nose and nodded before leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind him. The girls worked fast and Ruma was ready in lesser time. She looked at herself in the mirror, smiling at her reflection. “Sandy, Tammy, I’m off now. Do get ready and come down soon.” Daadima must have arrived by now, though there was still half an hour to go before the muhurat.

  She ran down the stairs, her bare feet making no noise, and entered the hall. Who was that tall guy, sitting next to Daadima? “Akshay chachu.” Ruma rushed to Akshay Malhotra. Akshay was her father’s cousin, though much younger. “This is a surprise,” she said, hugging him when he stood up.

  Akshay hugged her back, moving her away a few inches to look down at her. “Ruma,” he grinned. “I’m glad that I’m part of this secret ceremony.” He’d already met Lakshman and was totally impressed with Ruma’s groom. “I was just telling Lakshman how lucky he is to wed my favourite niece.”

  Ruma pouted at him, blushing. She turned to Grandma and hugged her tight. “How come Akshay chachu’s here?” Not that she minded.

  Ganga said, “I called him for moral support. I got a bit jittery yesterday at what we’re about to do,” giving her granddaughter a wide smile. “You look gorgeous, my child.”

  Ruma grinned, kissing her grandmother’s cheek. “Thank you Daadima. So do you.” She turned to greet Chanda and Ranveer before going to sit beside Lakshman. They all chatted amicably, waiting for the Pandit to turn up. “How is Sunita? You should have brought her too.”

  Akshay shook his head. “Not if you want to keep this wedding a secret. One of us has to be with Akshara and Suryansh as they’ve become too much of a handful for Mom and Dad to manage. They’ve become very naughty nowadays.” There was immense pride in Akshay’s voice as he spoke about his kids. “And if they come to the wedding, it won’t be a secret anymore,” he grinned.

  Ruma smiled back at him. Both his kids—her second cousins, actually— were adorable. “How old are they now?”

  “Akshara’s seven and Suryansh’s almost four. His birthday is in a couple of months.”

  Lakshman sat back, listening to the conversation between the surprise guest and his bride-to-be. The man had thoroughly grilled him before Ruma came down. If he had been Ruma’s chacha, he would have done the same. But that still didn’t stop him from resenting it. And he didn’t like Ruma’s obvious closeness to her relative. He saw that Akshay Malhotra was probably in his mid-to-late thirties, not all that much older than Ruma. Yeah, he was her father’s first cousin and married with kids too. But Lakshman still felt jealous. Sandy and Tammy’s familiarity with “chacha” was the last straw. Lakshman got up from his chair, feeling restless and irritated. He walked away to stand at the window. He turned when he felt a soft touch, as Ruma entwined her fingers with his. She pressed her head against his shoulder, and said, “Are you nervous?”

  He turned a frowning face to her, a light of battle in his obsidian eyes. “Not at all. Should I be?” His voice was gruff.

  “Laki, is something wrong?” asked Ruma, her smile disappearing. Her bridegroom looked angry. Was he getting cold feet?

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  She knew him better. Uncaring about the others in the room, she placed her arms around his neck, pressing her soft lips to his in a gentle kiss. She nipped his lower lip and whispered only for his hearing, “I love you and can’t wait to become your wife. Do you love me?” She moved away to gaze intensely at him with her melting chocolate eyes, her feelings for him obvious.

  A smile broke out on Lakshman’s tense face at her gesture. “I love you too, absolutely.” He crushed her in his arms, kissing her right back. “And I so want to be your husband.” He didn’t care if he was wearing her lipstick now as it had obviously disappeared from her lips.

  She grinned, wiping his lips with a tissue. “You seemed a bit angry before.”

  “Yeah, I feel jealous of the closeness you share with your uncle,” admitted Lakshman. He was too honest to hide it.

  Ruma’s laughter tinkled across the room as she shook her head at the man she loved. “Tum bhi Laki. You know I love you too much. Akshay chachu’s more like a brother than an uncle as he’s only fifteen years older than me. And he’s too crazy about his wife to look at another woman in that light.” She hugged him again. “There’s no need to feel jealous of any other guy in my life. I don’t need anyone else when I have you,” she declared passionately. “The wedding ceremony is but a ritual for the sake of society as far as I’m concerned. I’m already yours.”

  Lakshman fell more in love with Ruma at that moment. “As I’m yours,” he said, his eyes glowing with love and passion.

  The Pandit came and the wedding took place over the next one hour, quietly beautiful and wonderfully touching. Chanda missed her parents and other brothers as she watched Lakshman place the sindoor at the top of his bride’s forehead. As Ruma was wary of wearing a mangalsutra in secrecy, they had decided to exchange rings. The matching wedding bands were circles of diamonds, closely set in gold and a gift from Chanda and Ranveer.

  Lakshman wiped his scowl with an effort, mindful of his bride’s words, as Akshay placed a gold chain around his neck and a bracelet on his right wrist. “A gift from the bride’s family,” the man insisted. Lakshman thanked him graciously, “Thank you, sir.”

  “Do call me Akshay,” smiled the guest.

  Lakshman nodded his head, giving the other man a small smile. “Sure.”

  The new bride watched the interchange between her two favourite men and smiled widely. The wedding ceremony over, the bride and groom got up from their seats to take Daadima’s blessings. Ganga pulled them into her arms as they touched her feet and kissed them in turn on their foreheads. “Have a wonderful life, my children. I must thank you for making me part of this secret wedding. It’s been thrilling, I must say.” She was all smiles, glad of having brought the young lovers together. She wasn’t too worried about her son and daughter-in-law’s reactions now. The deed was done and the knot was tied.

  Chanda hugged her brother and her new sister-in-law. “Congratulations.” Ranveer also hugged the two, wishing them well. Ruma’s chattering friends came forward to hug the bride and groom.

  “This is such fun. I think I’m going to have a secret marriage too,” said Sandy. “Our weddings are usually so crowded and noisy that we don’t really know what’s happening. Yours was so classy, Ruma.”

  Tammy nodded. “Truly amazing.” She turned to hug Ruma’s grandmother. “I wish I’d a Grandma like you. So supportive. Ruma’s so lucky to have you Daadima.”

  Ganga turned red on hearing that, hugging Tammy back.

  The wedding brunch was noisy and fun as all of them attacked the lavish and sumptuous spread with relish.

  18

  Lakshman and Ruma were tired and famished after the long journey. The flight to Chandigarh had lasted less than an hour. But the cab ride from the airport to the Birds View Resort in Kasauli had taken a little more than three hours.

  Lakshman had booked a private cottage there that was set far away from the reception and gave them all the privacy they needed. After checking in, they ordered room service. The food arrived fast. The two of them stepped out of their cottage to take a walk after dinner, checking out their surroundings. The place boasted of a number of trees and flowering shrubs. There was a square grass verge and they took a few rounds there.

  They returned to the room after half an hour. “I’ll have a shower, I think,” said Ruma, going into the bathroom. Her heart beat wildly when she realised that they would be making love soon. She couldn’t help but recall the scene at the bedroom in Laki’s factory. Unlike that day, she felt nervous. She had a hot shower, washing away the traces of their long journey. Ruma refused to look Lakshman in the face as she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towelling robe.

  “Hey.” Lakshman lifted her chin with his forefinger. She was gorgeous. He had to control himself from pulling the rob
e off her and making love to her there and then. When she continued to look down, he said, “My darling wife,” and pressed his lips to her cheek.

  She buried her face against his chest, her arms going around his waist, not saying anything.

  “Is something wrong, my love?” he asked, his lips against her ear, the moustache brushing against the sensitive area behind her ear.

  She shook her head. “No.” Her voice was muffled.

  “Are you sure? Why won’t you look at me?”

  Ruma lifted her head off his chest and turned her face up. Her eyelids weighed heavily as she seemed to have difficulty in raising them, looking at him through half-closed eyes.

  Was this the same woman who had insisted on being made love to in his office? Lakshman smiled gently. “What happened? You’re already regretting becoming my wife?” he asked, tongue-firmly-in-cheek.

  Her eyes opened wide as she shook her head vigorously. “No, of course not. Don’t be silly. I…” She stopped, seeing his grin. “You’re pulling my leg.”

  Lakshman laughed softly. “What else to do? You can’t go all shy on me on our wedding night,” he declared, his black eyes roving her lovely features.

  Ruma felt the heat of his gaze and shivered. She raised a hand to caress his rough cheek. “I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

  “Hmm.” He nibbled at the corner of her mouth. “And what if I disappoint you?” he asked softly.

  “What?!” Ruma jerked her head away and stared at him. Was he maybe teasing her again? But he looked so damn serious. “How could you disappoint me?” she asked.

  He smiled as he shrugged wide shoulders. “Exactly.”

  Light dawned on Ruma’s face as she blushed a soft pink. “Oh!”

  “Hold that thought. I’ll be out in a jiffy,” he said, walking into the bathroom.

  Ruma rummaged in her bag to remove a cotton nightshirt and pulled it on. She brushed her hair and checked herself out in the mirror, turning first this way and then the other. Not bad! Yeah, she was busty, but otherwise her figure was near perfect. Okay, maybe the thighs could be slimmer. Still, not bad at all. She twirled in front of the mirror and stopped, her breath catching in her throat when she saw her husband walking out of the bathroom, wearing a towel around his waist. She stared at him, her eyes rounded. His chest glistened with droplets of water. Fascinated, she walked up to him, bending her head to lick a drop that was sliding down his stomach.

  “Ruma…” Lakshman’s hand went to her hair, pulling her head up to his. He kissed her fervently, locking his tongue with hers. His arms went around her as he pulled her close, his hands caressing her lush bottom, squeezing them gently.

  Ruma went on tiptoe, standing on his feet, giving him better access. She couldn’t miss the bulge pressing against her stomach. She drew a caressing hand down his chest and reached his waist. Encountering the towel, she gave a soft laugh. Looking up at him mischievously, she asked, “I hope you aren’t going to stop me this time?”

  Lakshman grinned at her. “I’d never say ‘no’ to my wife.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her back on the pillows, joining her. One hand toyed at the neckline of her nightshirt, while the other caressed a cheek. His tongue traced the pulse at her throat, leaving a hot trail as he moved down her body. Ruma felt breathless at the assault on her senses, tracing a caressing hand on his cheek. “You shaved,” she exclaimed, enjoying the smooth texture against her palm.

  “Hmm.” he nuzzled against the curve of her breast, taking small bites. Ruma whimpered, loving the sensation. Her nightshirt felt too hot against her skin. Lakshman lifted her up to a sitting position and gently removed her clothing, his eyes feasting on her. “You look beautiful,” he said, bending down to kiss a silky shoulder.

  Ruma held his head close, her hands weaving into his dark curls, her body shuddering in arousal as she felt his tongue trace a path down the middle of her chest. His hands had curled around her breasts, the thumbs tracing her turgid nipples. Heat pooled between her legs as she thrashed them restlessly. Lakshman moved, to lie sideways next to her, his mouth at her right breast. She could feel his smile against her body and asked, “What?”

  He lifted his head to give her a twinkling glance and said, “This is the discriminated breast, right?” before bending down to continue with his caresses.

  Ruma forgot to smile as she felt his teeth graze the tip of her breast, arousing her to fever pitch. He nipped, he stroked and sucked at her breast, his hand moving down her body, even as he moved to give the same attention to its twin. His hand stopped when it reached her navel, his finger tracing the strange object. “What’s this?” Lakshman got up to look at the miniscule diamond stud that graced her belly button. “Why didn’t I notice this before?”

  She smiled at him shyly. “Do you like it?”

  “You look damn sexy with that little diamond on your navel.” He bent down to kiss her on the spot, his tongue dipping into her navel, even as Ruma choked on her next breath. “Does it hurt?”

  She shook her head. “Not now, it doesn’t. It hurt like crazy for a couple of days after I got it done, though.”

  Lakshman grimaced, pulling her body close to his. “Aww, you poor baby. If it’s any help, it looks damn cute.”

  She raised a hand to trace a path down his chest, the nerve-ends on her palms crackling with electricity. She walked her hand down his flat abdomen to reach out lower. Encountering his towel, she looked up at him. “May I?”

  Lakshman nodded, his gaze sizzling all over her body. He shut his eyes as a groan left him when he felt her touch on his shaft. Her fingers stroked him in a feather light caress, making him painfully hard. He put his hand on hers to stop her.

  “You don’t like it?” she asked, looking at him with eyes the colour of melting chocolate, her lips in a sinful pout.

  He smiled, a pained expression on his face. “I love it. But you’re going too fast. Now tell me, are you a virgin? Not that it matters to me. Only, I don’t want to hurt you if it’s your first time.”

  Ruma pulled him close, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. “No man has seen me in my birthday suit,” she whispered.

  Lakshman hugged her tightly, burying his lips on hers. His tongue stroked her lips, seeking entry before tangling with hers. He gently sucked on her tongue, driving her nuts. Ruma pressed closer, revelling in the feel of his rough chest against her soft, swollen breasts.

  He traced a hand down her stomach to touch her thigh, caressing her from hip to knee. When they came up for breath, she asked, “Do you think I’m fat?”

  “Hmm.” He was busy nipping her ear lobe when he heard her. “I love your shape, exactly the way you are. Why?” She forgot to answer with the sensations flooding in her as he nibbled on the pulse at her neck.

  Ruma decided to explore too as she traced a tongue on his ear lobe. When she heard him moan hungrily, she got bolder and took a bite, loving the taste as her tongue flicked out to ease the pain. Her eyes glazed when she felt his hand touch her mound, caressing it gently.

  Lakshman parted the lips of her sex to gently stroke a finger within. She was all wet and ready. He moved, preparing to enter her. “I’ll try my best to not hurt you, though you might feel some pain.”

  Ruma didn’t care. She needed him to do something, urgently. Her legs thrashed wildly, her hands moving on his back. “Laki, I need you. Please…”

  He positioned himself above her, lifting her left leg to drape it around his waist. He entered her in one hard stroke and paused, hugging her close as he heard her scream. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” he said, kissing her on her forehead, then her nose and her cheek.

  She felt the pain reduce and moved restlessly, her body calling out for more.

  And Lakshman moved, in and out, in and out, his heart and lungs bursting with the pressure building up in his body.

  Ruma gasped, picking up the rhythm as she clung to him, wrapping her other leg also around his waist. As the tem
po built up, she thought she might stop breathing. Was she dying? If she was, she was surely going to heaven. And then the stars exploded behind her eyelids, even as she called out his name. “Lakiiiii…”

  Lakshman came apart a few seconds later, his body convulsing as he spilt his seed within her. He fell against his wife, his breath coming out in a whoosh. That had been explosive.

  “Did I hurt you badly?” he asked softly. They had been lying quietly in each other’s arms, her hand stroking a line down his shoulder.

  Ruma opened her eyes to look at her secret husband and smiled. “Nope. Not all that much.” She pressed her lips to his throat where a pulse was beating hard. “Is it too soon for an encore?”

  19

  Ruma hugged her secret deliciously to herself as she took an OLA cab from the airport to her home on Sunday evening. The past three days had been the most beautiful ones in her life. What a honeymoon!

  They had barely stepped out of their room, only for a walk each day. Was she lucky to have a lover like Laki! She stopped counting the number of times they made love after the first three. She felt refreshed and alive even after sleeping barely 3-4 hours a day. She placed a hand over her mouth to stop the giggle that wanted to surface, checking quickly in the rear view mirror to see if the driver was watching.

  It was back to work from tomorrow. She was also joining the cake decoration classes. She had been watching a lot of Youtube videos over the past couple of months, checking out cake designs for different occasions and varied recipes. The subject truly excited her and she was glad that the business model had already been set up by Laki. Another couple of months max, and she planned to shift to her secret husband’s home.