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

by Sundari Venkatraman

  Meera mock glared at her husband. “What will you do if Bharat or Shatru likes one of the girls?”

  Mohan nodded. “I’ll give them my blessing.”

  8

  Dia never stopped loving Bharat. She worked hard at being happy and almost succeeded. That one night with him had given her such wonderful memories that would have to last a lifetime. And she wouldn’t let her parents talk about marriage. Thank God, the Mathurs lived in Meerut while she had shifted base to Mumbai. No way was she going to marry the guy they chose when she was in love with another.

  Dia had kicked up enthusiasm with great difficulty when her younger sister Pia organised a family trip to Jaipur. It had been more than two years since the four of them had been on a holiday together. Twenty months younger than Dia, Pia worked for a cosmetic brand in their marketing department and was based in Delhi.

  The idea was to spend some quality time as a family. Their parents, Paresh and Daksha, were both enthusiastic about the trip, especially as they had planned to spend a day at their best friends’ home.

  Dia vaguely recalled the plump Meera aunty who used to be their closest neighbour so long ago. She remembered they had a houseful of children, four boys and a girl, if her memory served her right.

  So, on the first day, they went sightseeing to Pink City in the older part of Jaipur, painted that colour in the honour of the Prince of Wales’ visit in 1876. They toured the Hawa Mahal in the Pink City that had a whopping 953 windows built over five storeys. The next stop was Birla Mandir, the temple dedicated to Laxmi-Narayana at the foot of the Moti Dungri fort. Their final stop had been Chokhi Dhani, a five-star restaurant set in the middle of a village-like ambience – with rustic decor and a number of village artisans to enthral the visitors in the likes of those from Rajasthan.

  Tired, but happy, the family called it a day before going to Amber Palace the next day. The girls insisted on going up the fort by elephant. Laughing, Paresh and Daksha also went along. It was truly adventurous and they got to see more of the fort that way. They had hired a guide for the tour of the palace and had a wonderful time travelling down history.

  The third day was spent shopping for Jaipur silks and cottons. The women thoroughly enjoyed themselves while Paresh patiently tagged along with them. They also bought a couple of gifts to take with them to Mohan and Meera’s home.

  Their last day was to be spent at the Maheshwaris’ home. Paresh and Daksha looked forward to meeting their old friends after more than a decade, while the girls were rather indifferent, not really knowing what to expect. They tagged along as there wasn’t much of a choice, giggling to each other as they chatted on their way in the cab after breakfast.

  Both Dia and Pia were utterly impressed when their taxi entered the wrought iron gates with a name board that said Nakshatra, to drive towards the sprawling bungalow. The garden was so beautiful with trees and flowering shrubs that were pleasing to the eye. As the vehicle stopped on the portico, their hosts stepped out to greet them. Mohan opened the front door of the taxi, taking Paresh’s hand, his eyes wet with emotion. The men hugged while Meera greeted Daksha equally enthusiastically.

  Dia and Pia said “Namaste” to Mohan uncle and Meera aunty, looking further as some more people appeared at the entrance. Walking up the few steps, they entered the hall that seemed full of people.

  Dia turned pale when she noticed Shatrughan, the youngest son of the family. Her shocked gaze desperately studied his features, finding them so familiar. And then she noticed his black eyes, realising that he wasn’t the man of her dreams. Her heart beat slowed down painfully, colour returning to her cheeks even as she noticed another man striding down the staircase from the first floor.

  Blood rushed to Dia’s head as her heart thundered yet again, even faster this time. The adrenaline rush left her weak and pale, her hands trembling in the aftermath.

  “Sorry I’m late,” said the newcomer. “Hello, Paresh uncle, Daksha aunty. I’m Bharat. And you must be Dia and Pia…” He stopped in his tracks, staring at Dia, his jaw dropping. He was completely unaware when Pia shook his hand, his gaze refusing to leave Dia’s pale face. Was he dreaming or maybe imagining things? It couldn’t be his Dia.

  “Hello,” said Dia, placing her hand in his, trying hard to blank out her expression. She hoped no one had seen her response to first Shatrughan and then to Bharat, the man she loved with all her heart.

  Luckily, everyone was talking at once and nobody noticed Bharat’s and Dia’s reactions to each other.

  Bharat blinked before saying, “Hello,” in his gravelly voice that came out in a rough whisper. His eyes ate her up, having missed her with every cell of his being. Two years had gone by! But he still remembered the few hours they had spent together with absolute clarity. He let go of her hand when she pulled at it, becoming conscious of the rest of their families. At that moment Bharat realised that the universe would give one exactly what one sought deeply from the heart. He gave Dia a wide smile and a small wink before turning to talk to the others.

  Dia went to sit on the sofa, her legs feeling too weak to hold her. She gratefully accepted the glass of water a servant brought on a tray, gulping it down her parched throat. How?! How was it possible that their paths had crossed today when they never so much had set eyes on each other even once during the past two years? She felt dazed. And she could see from the expression in his melting brown gaze that he remembered her. Wasn’t he a Casanova? He must have bedded a dozen women after they parted ways. Then how was it that he remembered a woman he had met for barely a few hours? She held her hands tightly together, curbing the need to bury her face in them.

  Her past had come back to bite her, it seemed. What would he do?

  9

  While the day rushed ahead for the others, it moved at a snail’s pace for both Bharat and Dia. Neither of them was inclined to move within a few feet of the other. But that didn’t stop Bharat’s gaze from following her movements. She seemed to get along well with everyone else, chatting comfortably. But her smile was strained. Maybe only he could see it as he was totally attuned to her.

  It was past ten when the Mathurs decided to take their leave. Dia got up in a rush, her relief obvious to him. Just as she was going to book a cab, Bharat got up from the sofa to say, “Shatru and I will drop you all at your hotel.”

  Shatrughan looked at his twin’s face and immediately nodded. So did Mohan and Meera. “That’s a good idea, Bharat,” said his father approvingly.

  Paresh looked at the young man and said, “That’s really nice of you, Bharat. Are you sure it’s no trouble?”

  “Not at all, uncle,” said Bharat, refusing to look in Dia’s direction. If he didn’t catch hold of her in private today, she’d definitely slip out of his radar again. That’s one thing he wasn’t willing to risk.

  They all got into the Maruti Ertiga after a flurry of goodbyes, Shatru taking the wheel with Paresh beside him. Bharat offered to sit right at the back, letting the three women take the middle seat. As they rode to Hotel Anuraag Villa, Dia could feel the back of her neck prickling with nerves as she felt his gaze on her. Her hands were clenched into tight fists. The slight headache that had begun from the moment she set eyes on Bharat, had slowly developed into a heavy clanging in her head. Her appetite had been almost nil through both lunch and dinner while she had sat on pins, as if awaiting the explosion of a time bomb. The ride lasted for barely twenty minutes and Dia couldn’t wait to get away from him.

  They all got down from the car. Just as Dia turned to leave, she felt a masculine hand tug at hers. “I’ll be waiting. Come down once your parents are settled,” he said softly, for her ears alone. Pia turned to give them a curious look, but walked ahead with their parents. Dia’s eyes reminded him of a deer caught in headlights and a gentle smile appeared on his features as he pressed her hand reassuringly. “See you.” She rushed into the hotel after the rest of her family.

  Shatru looked at his brother curiously. “Do you think she’l
l be back?”

  Bharat nodded confidently. “Oh yes, she will.”

  Shatru grinned, slapping his twin on his shoulder. “Shall I make myself scarce then? I think I’ll go visit my friends.”

  “Go on and take the car with you. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  “You’ve caught it bad, have you?” teased Shatru.

  “Really bad,” grimaced Bharat, walking through the reception into the garden to wait for the love of his life.

  10

  Dia wished her parents ‘goodnight’ before walking into the room she shared with her sister. She refused to meet Pia’s eyes, rushing into the bathroom. Splashing water on her face, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her expression was tense, her eyes bloodshot. But how long could she hide in the bathroom? She was sure Bharat was capable of coming up to the room. Wiping her hands and face on a towel, she stepped out of the bathroom to see Pia sitting on the bed, waiting for her.

  “What’s up? Having trouble, Dia?”

  Dia shook her head. “Not really. I’m going down for a while. I’ll see you soon. You go ahead and sleep if you want. I’ll take the key with me.”

  Pia went close to her sister and put an arm around her shoulders. “Is everything alright? Can I help you in some way?”

  Dia gave the other girl a pathetic glance before looking down at her feet. “I don’t think anyone can help me.” She walked out in a rush, taking the steps two at a time. It was time to face the brooding man waiting for her downstairs.

  Bharat got up when he saw Dia walking towards him. The main lights had been switched off as most of the guests had settled down for the night. There were a few candles burning on the dining tables in the garden, giving them all the privacy required. He pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her shoulder, his body shuddering with emotion. “Dia…” he groaned, “You don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

  The tension of the whole day disappeared as Dia felt his arms go around her. This was exactly where she belonged. She had known that since two years. But…right now she didn’t want to think anymore as she hugged him back tightly.

  He raised his head to look down at her pinched features. He traced the outline of her face with a finger, looking deeply into her eyes. “My life hasn’t been worth living without you.” He bent down to press his lips to hers. When he felt her tongue peeping out to taste his mouth, he groaned again, kissing her hungrily. They fell back on the garden sofa, as he held her close, his trembling hands running over her back.

  It was a long time before they came up for air. Dia pressed her head against his chest, listening to his heart thud loudly. Did he really mean what he said? It was so difficult to believe her ears.

  “Why did you disappear like that, baby?” he asked lovingly. “Did I upset you in some way? I thought we connected so powerfully.”

  Dia raised her head to look up at his melting brown gaze, wondering if she had been wrong about him all this long. He appeared so sincere. She shook her head. “I don’t really know. Bharat, you are a super model, moving in exalted circles.” Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own, pushing the shirt flap out of the way to trace his collarbone in a caress. “I’m from an ordinary working class family, going to a 9-5 job. We…”

  Bharat grinned. “Do you know I work 12-14 hours on some days? And many of the weekends too. I’m not trying to impress you or anything, but modelling is a damn tough job. No complaints, but it’s also work at the end of the day.” He kissed her nose. She looked so adorable.

  She looked at him in awe. Even presuming what he said was true, he moved with people way out of her league. And there were the girls who fluttered about him like bees around honey. He was too handsome for his own good. Today, she’d met all four brothers and still felt that Bharat was the best looking of the lot. That was saying a lot since each one of them was a hunk. But then, she could be partial as she loved him from the bottom of her heart. Without realising what she was doing, she opened a couple of buttons on his shirt, stroking a soft hand on his rough chest. It felt so good to touch him again after so long. And an inadvertent smile appeared on her face as she recalled his clean-shaven chest in the advertisement for briefs.

  “I’m sure you know what I mean,” she said, reaching up to kiss the cleft on his chin.

  “Nope,” he shook his head, the curls on his head bouncing, wondering about her sudden smile. “Why don’t you tell me?”

  She raised a finger to twist a curl around it, exulting in the silky texture. “Bharat, you enjoy your affairs with so many women. I…” She stopped, seeing him shake his head again. “What?”

  He smiled softly. “I used to, before I met you. Will you believe me if I tell you that I’ve never been to bed with another woman after you? I don’t want to.”

  Her silver gaze studied his velvety brown eyes searchingly, wonderment slowly dawning on her face. What if he was telling her the truth? “But Bharat, it was you who told me that you have affairs regularly.”

  “Yeah, I did. But that was before I met you. I love you, Dia.”

  Her eyes went wide, the pupils dilating, appearing almost black. “Are you serious?” she gasped.

  His large hands framed her face, “Oh yes, baby! I’m damn serious. The past two years have been the worst in my life. I know it’s too much expecting you to love me too. But let me in your life. Allow me to woo you. Give me a chance is all I ask.”

  Dia smiled, her headache having disappeared completely. “You know that morning, I had to leave early. But I had taken your cell number and was planning to call you. But…” her lips drooped. “I saw the society pages in the newspaper for the first time that day. It had pictures of the party where we met. I…”

  Bharat moved his ear closer to her mouth as her voice had deteriorated to a whisper. “And?”

  “There were pictures of you posing with such lovely women. I really didn’t know what to think.”

  Bharat didn’t even know what pictures she spoke off. After the first few exciting times, he’d stopped looking at such photos of himself. The press liked sensation, but he didn’t much care for that. Well, gossip sold tabloids. “But how could you believe that after the night we spent with each other? Didn’t it mean anything to you?”

  It had meant everything to her. But her feelings were too raw. She needed to know him better before admitting that. “I was worried that it didn’t mean anything to you,” she said, evading a direct answer.

  “Dia…” He kissed her ear, his tongue touching the pulse behind it. “Will you promise not to disappear from my life?”

  “I do,” she whispered, turning to capture his lips in a shattering kiss.

  It was another half an hour before Dia parted from Bharat with great reluctance, turning around to give him another hug. They had already exchanged numbers and now he had her Mumbai address also stored in his phone.

  “I’ll see you on Wednesday,” he promised, his eyes glowing with joy.

  “I’ll look forward to that,” she said, blowing him a kiss as she walked up the stairs.

  When she let herself into the room, Dia tiptoed around, picking her nightshirt from the wardrobe. She hoped not to wake up her sister who was already in bed. She was startled when she saw Pia getting up to sit against the headboard.

  “So,” said Pia, switching on the bed lamp. “Bharat loves you.”

  “What?” Colour flamed on Dia’s face as she stared at her sister. “How…?”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear. But I was worried when you left. When you didn’t return after twenty minutes, I came down to check if everything was okay. That’s when I heard him declare his love for you.” Pia smiled widely. “Congratulations Dia. And do you love him too?”

  “With all my heart. But shh…,” Dia placed a finger on her lips, “He doesn’t know that yet.”

  “But why?” asked Pia, curious.

  “Actually Pia, Bharat has the reputation of being a Casanova. Even he admitt
ed to it when I met him first. Though he insists that he’s changed since he met me and is in love with me, I’m still not sure about him. What if he’s confusing lust for love?”

  Pia saw the wary look in her sister’s face and got up to hug her. “I know what you mean. I really, really hope that everything works out for you. He’s one charming guy for sure.”

  “That he is,” said Dia, smiling, her look of caution replaced by a dreamy expression.

  11

  Dia sat on her bed, leaning against the headboard, and patted the space next to her. “Sit here with me.”

  Bharat didn’t listen as he sat on the floor, crossed-legged, gazing up at her in adoration. He took her hand in his, kissing each finger diligently, nibbling on a couple of them.

  Her heart thudded furiously as she gazed into his melting chocolate eyes as he studied her with a wicked smile on his face, as if…as if he wanted to eat her up whole. “Why are you sitting down there on the floor?”

  He grinned. “For one, I like the view from here.” His gaze ran over her body before returning to look into her silver eyes. “And for another, we need to talk and sharing a bed with you could get distracting.” He winked, making her go red.

  She ran a hand through the soft, silky curls of his head, before caressing a rough cheek, her thumb tracing the shape of his lips. She moaned when he bit her thumb gently with his teeth, making her heart go thumping. “I want you to make love to me.”

  “So do I. But don’t you think we need to know each other better? What if you disappear again once I satisfy you?” While he teased, he was half-serious. He loved her. But maybe she just lusted after him. He still didn’t know what her life had been over the past few years. What if she had taken a lover or two during those days? He personally knew that she was amazing in bed. Yeah, even if it had been the first time for her.

  Dia stared at him in a daze. What was he saying? “Why would I disappear?” she asked.