Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters from India Box Set (The Malhotra Bride; Meghna; The Runaway Bridegroom)

by Sundari Venkatraman

  “Must be thieves wanting to rob the rich. They must’ve been lying in wait for a lone car to pass by.” It was too pat a reply and he refused to meet her eyes.

  “No, Akshay,” replied Sunita seriously. “I don’t think they were common thieves. They came nowhere near the car. If they were thieves, they would have taken my jewellery and your wallet.

  He had underestimated his fiancée’s intelligence.

  “Well—” he automatically shrugged his shoulders and winced in pain as his right side convulsed in protest. His forehead broke out in a sweat and Sunita apologised immediately.

  “I’m so sorry, Akshay. You’re obviously in pain and here I’m giving you the third degree.” She moved as she spoke. “I’ll call the nurse. I’m sure she’ll give you something to ease the pain and you can get some rest.”

  “Sunita,” He called out. His voice was fainter than earlier but stopped her in her tracks. She turned around and went to him. “Don’t call the nurse. I don’t want to be doped. I can’t think clearly.” He frowned.

  She caressed his cheek and pushed back the strand of hair that had fallen on his forehead. “Akshay, take the medicine just this once. You need to heal.”

  “No.” She raised her hand to ring the bell for the nurse despite his protests. He tried to give her an angry look but it was lost as his face twisted in agony. He gripped her fingers tightly, gritting his teeth hard as the pain was excruciating by now.

  The nurse walked in and understanding the situation administered an injection without uttering a word.

  She left the room with a smile and wave at Sunita. She watched Akshay’s frown ease little by little as the medicine took effect and the hand holding hers fell back on the sheet. She pulled the comforter that had slipped down his bare chest right up to his shoulders, switched the main light off and went to lie down on her cot, mulling over her talk with Akshay.

  It was obvious that there was more to the shooting then he was ready to admit. She was surprised that he had an enemy, one who wanted to mortally wound him. She shook her head. ‘No, no,’ she told herself, ‘that can’t be.’ Akshay was too nice a guy.

  Fifteen

  Sunita woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows, the curtains pushed aside to let in the morning. She turned her head to see Akshay propped up in a sitting position. She returned his smile shyly as he wished her a cheerful, “Good Morning sweetheart!”

  “Good Morning!” replied Sunita before muttering, “Excuse me,” and rushing to the bathroom. She must be looking a mess.

  She washed her face free of make-up and hand-brushed her teeth, feeling sorry she hadn’t woken up earlier. It was almost ten. Akshay was up and fresh despite his operation while she had slept like a log. ‘Silly me,’ she scolded her mirror image as she brought some semblance of order to her tangled brown locks.

  She stepped out into the hospital room, sniffing appreciatively as the fresh aroma of filter coffee greeted her nostrils.

  “Compliments of Puja Aunty, Doctor Uncle’s wife! They live behind the nursing home. I’m not sure you’ll remember them, but they came to our engagement yesterday,” said Akshay as he pointed to the two steaming ceramic mugs standing on the side table.

  “Oh, lovely,” said Sunita as she went to pick up the coffee, her eyes avoiding Akshay’s bold gaze. She was scared of even looking in his direction as his bare chest was visible again. His kurta was obviously in no state to be worn.

  “Just a minute,” he placed a restraining hand on her arm, “haven’t you forgotten something?”

  “Yeah. I was just coming to that. How’s your wound?” she stared studiously at his arm.

  “Damn my wound!” She turned her startled gaze to his face as she heard her fiancé swear so vehemently for the first time since she met him. He pulled hard at her arm, making her lose her balance. She fell on his chest, and his left arm went around her to hold her tightly against his chest. “Look at me,” he ordered. His strength was obviously restored.

  She obeyed him instinctively, saying, “Careful, Akshay.” He bent his head and gave her a passionate kiss that left her breathless and trembling.

  “That’s better.” He smiled at her red face and thoroughly kissed lips with immense satisfaction, saying “You look beautiful,” which only made her blush all the more.

  She tried to get out of his embrace. The shock of lying on his hair-roughened chest made her reel. And also there was the small matter of the unlocked door. What if someone walked in? “Let me go, Akshay,” she told him.

  His eyes shone with mischief, his eyebrows touching his hairline.

  She said, “Please.” He let her go with obvious reluctance, his eyes laughing.

  Sunita lifted the coffee mugs and handed him one before drinking from the other. “You must be hungry. Let me find—”

  “No need, Sweetheart. I’ve already had breakfast. This is my second round of coffee. Just ring the bell when you’re ready for breakfast.”

  “You must’ve been awake for a long time,” she said in a contrite voice. “You should’ve woken me.”

  “You looked too cute sleeping that I didn’t have the heart. Anyway, you needed the rest after the trauma you underwent last night.” It was his turn to feel regretful. She looked at him with a question in her eyes. Guessing her intention, he forestalled her saying, “Later, Sunita. Not now.”

  She frowned at him but kept quiet. Tanuja and Raj walked in as if on cue.

  “Good Morning, Akshay, Sunita,” called out Raj cheerfully. “How are you, Son?” he hugged him affectionately.

  “Super, Dad,” smiled Akshay while holding his hand out to his mother.

  “You gave us a fright, Akshay,” said Tanuja, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

  “Aw, Mom, I’m absolutely fine. Even God won’t dare to take me away from my mom.” He smiled at her lovingly.

  “Sorry for being late, Princess. I know you need to go home. But escaping the newspaper reporters took us so long,” said Raj.

  “Oh, damn!” swore Akshay for the second time that morning.

  “Home for you Sunita. Your parents must be anxious.” Raj’s expression was grim as he recalled his conversation with Gokul Rishi early that morning. “Let me drop you first. The police will be coming any minute and I’d like to be with Akshay when they talk to him.”

  “But Uncle, hasn’t Kamat come?” asked Sunita.

  “Yes, my dear. Thanks to his skilful driving we managed to deflect the nosy reporters on our trail.”

  Raj gave Tanuja a worried look. He did not want to say anything demeaning about Sunita’s father.

  Sunita caught the look and said in a pseudo-cheerful tone, “You’re worried about Pappa. Please don’t be. I can handle him. And Dadaji will also be there. Let Kamat drop me home. You please stay here with Akshay.”

  Raj was relieved on hearing the word, ‘Dadaji’.

  “If you’re sure, dear?”

  “Of course, Uncle.” She turned around to look at Akshay. His smouldering eyes invited her closer. She went to him hesitantly, “Bye, Akshay.”

  “I s’pose I’ve been a bad teacher. This is not how you say bye to your fiancé,” he murmured in her ear. She slid a warning glance towards his parents. He raised his head to place a short, sweet kiss at the corner of her lips, ignoring her frantic gestures. “Bye, Sweetheart. I’ll be seeing you when?” There was a question in his voice, his frustration obvious that he could not rush to her when he pleased.

  “Sooner than you expect,” came the prompt reply as she stroked a finger down his cheek, hoping fervently that her body was blocking the action from her parents-in-law’s view. He dragged her finger to his lips and kissed it. He finally let go of her with a sigh when her eyes begged him to.

  “Bye, Uncle, Aunty.” She left the room in a hurry and rushed to the waiting car.

  HER FATHER BEGAN SHOUTING THE MOMENT SUNITA STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR. “Stay where you are. Don’t you dare step inside my house.” Sunita’s face flame
d as she felt Kamat’s gaze. But he was too decent a driver to interfere and drove away as she gestured to him to leave.

  She turned to look at her father’s furious face. His eyes were bloodshot with temper and appeared on the verge of popping out of his face. Her mother was standing at the other end of the hall, wringing her hands. She also noticed that Sandhya and Raghu Jeeja were there. ‘What are they doing here?’ she wondered, ‘and where is Dadaji?’

  “Pappa,” she began in a soothing tone.

  “Don’t Pappa me girl. I am fed up. Do you hear me?” People within a half-mile radius must have heard his roar. “I am fed up with you. How dare you stay out during the night? How dare you? An unmarried girl! How do you expect me to hold my head up in society? You shameless chit! There’s not one responsible bone in your body. I don’t want to have anything to do with such a daughter. Just get out and stay out.”

  Sunita squared her shoulders and looked her father straight in the eye. She was no more a playful innocent. She had grown up fast during those few minutes when the onus of saving Akshay’s life had lain in her hands.

  “Try and stop me from entering my home, Pappa,” her chin rose in defiance. “This happens to be my Dadaji’s house. You can’t stop me.” She stepped over the threshold.

  Gokul rushed forward with a raised hand and only the combined strength of Raghu and Leela stopped him from slapping his younger daughter. She turned around to see Grandpa Ratan coming down the staircase. Nothing had prepared the old man for this kind of atrocious behaviour from his son.

  He gathered his pet granddaughter in his arms before asking, “How is Akshay, my child?”

  “He’s much better, Dadaji.”

  “Don’t take that cursed name in this house,” screamed Gokul.

  “But he’s my fiancé, Pappa.” There was no tremor in Sunita’s voice.

  “Not any more. I’ll not let my daughter marry any man dumb enough to get shot at.”

  Sunita distinctly remembered her father-in-law not divulging this fact to her father. She wondered how he had got hold of that piece of information.

  “What shame to have his name splashed on television! What a scandal! Bah! I’ll never be associated with the Malhotra family, ever.”

  “But, Pappa—”

  Gokul rattled on as though he hadn’t been interrupted, “So what if he’d been threatened by a gangster? He should have paid the money quietly. What do twenty-five or thirty lakh of rupees matter to a billionaire? He refused and see what’s happened to him. Idiot!”

  Sunita blanched as she understood the reason for the shootout last night. But her eyes turned fiery when she heard her father call Akshay an ‘idiot’. Gokul didn’t notice the fire building in his daughter’s eyes.

  “Akshay is not an idiot,” every syllable was bit out clearly. Sunita was not his daughter for nothing. She had a temper to match if not better his. She was relieved that one mystery was solved.

  “Aur nahi toh kya? Of course he’s a fool. Why risk his life? Idiot,” reiterated Gokul. He was glad that he had finally got under his daughter’s skin.

  “And keep paying hard-earned money to scoundrels every time they cracked a whip for the rest of his life?” she hit out at her father, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Akshay’s not the fool.” Her tone clearly indicated who she thought the fool was.

  “That’s all water under the bridge now.” Gokul’s voice cooled down considerably. “We’ve nothing to do with the Malhotras anymore. I have decided on a first class alliance for you. The boy—”

  “What?” shrieked Sunita. She couldn’t believe she heard right. “What nonsense are you talking, Pappa? I’m betrothed to Akshay.”

  “You’re only engaged and thank God for that. We can cancel it. I’ll not live in fear of my daughter being widowed due to someone’s stupidity.”

  Sunita’s face turned white on hearing this. Had he gone crazy?

  She decided to reason with him once again, “Pappa, please think it over. What in case I was already married to Akshay?”

  “Exactly,” Gokul replied triumphantly. “Exactly what I’ve been telling you, my girl. I’ve spoken to Raj Malhotra informing him of my intentions. I—”

  Gokul was shocked when she stamped her foot in fury. He had no idea his daughter possessed such a fiery temper. For that matter, she hadn’t known either.

  “I never asked to be married. I never wanted to meet Akshay Malhotra. I didn’t ask to get engaged to him. You,” she pointed a trembling finger at her father, “You introduced him into my life, you pressurised me into an engagement and now,” her slight body shook in a fine fury, “you expect me to break off the relationship just like that?” She snapped her fingers.

  “But you only got engaged because I told you to. Now I am telling you to break it off. So, what’s your problem?” Gokul’s temper rose again as he followed his own line of illogic, refusing to understand his daughter’s view.

  “What do you take me for, Pappa—a robot without feelings? I’ve my dreams too and they are built around Akshay. I refuse to break off my engagement,” her voice rang out clearly in the hall.

  “What nonsense are you talking, Gokul?” Dadaji spoke for the first time since the argument between father and daughter began. He had been watching the interchange, dumbfounded at the overnight change in his granddaughter.

  Gokul chose to ignore him and continued to speak to his daughter. “I’m telling you that I’ve already broken it. I’ve told Raj Malhotra off in such a way that they will come nowhere near us.”

  “Not you, maybe. But they won’t ignore me.” Sunita spoke defiantly, her poise wavering. She had not known the Malhotras for long. But surely they will not ditch her. Her father had succeeded in breaking her self-confidence.

  She ran up to her room, tears pouring down her cheeks. She didn’t even look at Dadaji. She shut the door behind her and went to the bathroom to have a hot shower which helped clear her head. She came to a decision as she stepped out. She hastily dried herself and pulled on a pair of jeans and top. She threw a couple of sets of clothes into a bag in a haphazard fashion as she waited for her hair to dry. She ran a comb through the length and pulled on a pair of sandals in a hurry.

  She had decided to leave the Rishi residence, permanently. That’s what she would have done after marriage. Why not now? Dadaji will surely understand.

  She lifted her bag and went to the door to open it. Nothing happened. Sunita rubbed her right hand down the side of her jeans to rid it of moisture. Surely, that’s why the lock hadn’t opened. She tried again but the lock wouldn’t budge. She’d been jailed in her own home. Panic welled in Sunita’s throat as she hastily curbed the urge to scream. She had misplaced her cell-phone in the ruckus last night and had no way to connect with the outside world.

  She thought of Leela, Sandhya and Raghu. None of them had the guts to defy her father. Her Dadaji? Poor Dadaji! Maybe he was locked in too.

  Her thoughts turned to Akshay. There was no way she was giving up the man she loved, unless he wanted her out of his life. But Sunita was not worried on that score. Surely he would miss her and wonder what happened to her.

  Sixteen

  Akshay’s nerves were frayed. He had been up only a few hours and already felt tired. The doctor refused to discharge him, not for the next twenty-four hours anyway.

  Two policemen had grilled him thoroughly about last night’s incidents. He hadn’t minded as he wanted the criminal caught and behind bars ASAP.

  He also explained to the police yet again of the threats he had received over the past week, although he had already filed a FIR. To top it all, each newspaper had printed its own version of the incident, none based on facts. ‘Damn and a double damn.’

  He felt drained. “Please give me your mobile, Dad. I need to call Sunita.” He frowned. “I’m not sure what happened to mine.”

  Raj handed over his cell to Akshay. “Both your phones were lying in the Audi, Akshay. The police have retained them along with the car
.”

  Akshay dialled Dadaji’s number rapidly. The phone rang once, twice. Akshay stopped counting. Dadaji was obviously not in his room. He very reluctantly rang the residence’s common phone.

  It was picked up on the second ring and it was Sandhya who answered. “Hello, Sandhya, it’s Akshay.”

  “Hello, Akshay. Sunita—”

  Gokul snatched the phone out of Sandhya’s hand. “Who’s that?” he barked. “We don’t know any Akshay and there’s no Sunita living in this house.” He banged the receiver down.

  Akshay turned pale as he switched off the mobile to look at his parents’ face.

  Raj’s face portrayed his anxiety. He hadn’t even told Tanuja what had transpired during the early morning call from Gokul Rishi.

  “Akshay,” he placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “You must get your strength back before taking on the world.” Right then, Raj couldn’t see any difference between the gangster and Gokul Rishi.

  “But Dad, Sunita must be worried out of her wits. Poor sweetheart! How do we contact her?” His voice shook. He just didn’t have the stamina to deal with yet another problem.

  “Relax, son. Let me handle this.” Raj patted Akshay’s shoulder, his face grim. He went out of the nursing home, deep in thought.

  “Saabji.” It was Kamat, speaking in Hindi. “All’s not well at Sunita madam’s house. Her father was very angry. He asked her to get out of the house.” He kept his gaze respectfully down.

  “Why didn’t you bring her back with you, Kamat?” asked Raj in the same tongue, realising the situation was probably worse than what he anticipated.

  “Saabji, Madam was upset. But she wanted me to leave. I waited outside their gates for some time. Everything seemed to be quiet and so I came back.” Kamat was a loyal employee who had been with Raj since 20 years.

  Raj patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Kamat. You did right. Let’s go to the office.”

  Raj Malhotra was a self-made billionaire and his was a perfect example of a rags-to-riches story. His billions had not come to him by fluke. It had taken a powerful combination of intelligence, business sense, hard work and an infinite amount of patience to build his business empire. He had built his fortune honestly without resorting to any cut-throat practises. His competitors treated him with healthy respect. His enemies changed their minds after clashing with him but once. It’s easy to break a dishonest man as he tends to be weak. But to break someone of Raj Malhotra’s integrity was just not possible.