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

by Sundari Venkatraman

  “Unca Ra’ul, Pepsi,” she told him clearly.

  “Sure, sweetie,” said Rahul. “Why don’t you go sit with Meghna aunty and Rehaan like a good girl? I’ll get the drinks in a minute.”

  “Okay,” Sasha agreed before going to sit at the table.

  Sanjay pulled out a chair for Reema before joining Rahul at the bar.

  Reema sat next to her sister-in-law, moving the water glass out of Rehaan’s reach. She was constantly on ‘alert’ mode with her children around.

  Dinner was a noisy affair. It was 10.30 by the time they finished. Rehaan’s eyelids were drooping. They got up to leave when Rahul put a hand on Meghna’s arm.

  “Let’s go for a walk.” His eyes challenged her to refuse. She eyed him warily as one would a stalking tiger.

  Sanjay had walked ahead with Rehaan in his arms when he realised that the other two were not with them. A smile tugged at his lips when he turned around to see his sister and best friend walking in the opposite direction.

  Rahul enfolded Meghna’s hand in his large one before stepping towards the gates. “Where do you want to go?” she asked.

  “Nowhere special, just getting the feel of this place. It’s been so long.” He smiled down at her. Not seeing an answering smile on her face, he asked, “What’s bothering you?”

  Meghna almost said, ‘You’ before saying, “Nothing.”

  “Why the murderous look? Have I done something that you don’t approve of?” His smile turned roguish, his eyes lighting up with devilry. “The kiss not good enough for the sophisticated Meghna?” He asked, tongue-in-cheek.

  Meghna’s grey eyes turned murderous. “Rahul,” she snarled, “Can we talk about something else?”

  “Hmm—like how sexy you look?” His voice had become a soft rumble in her ear. He moved closer. “How your grey eyes flash like lightening when you’re in a temper, which you’re most of the time.” His smile widened, “Or what gorgeous—”

  Meghna stopped abruptly and pressed her hand against Rahul’s mouth. “Stop it, Rahul.” Her eyes spat fire at him. He caught her wrist to hold her hand against his mouth and kissed her fingers, the mischief not leaving his eyes.

  “I give up.” Meghna tried to pull her hand in vain. “Let me go, Rahul.”

  “Say please,” said Rahul, his voice gentle.

  “Why the hell should I say ‘please’? It’s my hand. Just let go.”

  “And let you attack me again? No way.” Laughter laced his words.

  “What?” squealed Meghna, “Attacking you? Are you crazy! Will you let go of me?” She refused to look at him.

  “Meghna!” She turned her head away. “Okay, if that’s the way it is, let’s go.” Rahul shrugged his shoulders before walking ahead, her hand held firmly to his lips, forcing her to fall in step with him.

  “Rahul, this is ridiculous.” Meghna stamped her foot, not very successfully, not with her arm held fast by her tormentor, her hand pressed to his lips.

  He stopped in his tracks, “What’s ridiculous?” he asked, an innocent expression on his rugged face.

  “Your holding my hand like this.” She pulled hard, trying to extract herself from his grip. He wouldn’t budge. “Let go.”

  “Please,” said Rahul, his eyes compelling her to say it.

  She gave him another glare before turning her head away saying, “Please.”

  “What’s that? I didn’t quite catch what you said.” He almost exploded with mirth, enjoying riling her. She rose to his bait, every time.

  “Rahul,” her voice trembled with fury.

  “Okay, okay,” he let her go finally only to have her turn on him, both her hands turned into tight fists, raining hard blows on his chest.

  “Ouch, stop that, Meghna. I said stop it,” growled Rahul, holding her by her arms. The blows continued to fall.

  “Say Please,” she said, looking at him in triumph.

  “Touché,” he grinned before saying in a pleading voice, “Please Meghna Honey, stop beating me up.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “Good enough?”

  Meghna stopped hitting him abruptly, hearing his fake plea. Her heartbeat soared, sounding like a drum roll when she heard him call her ‘Honey’ in that soft, sexy voice of his. She looked at Rahul as he held her tight fists against his chest.

  “Meghna,” He pulled her to the side of the path and leaned against a huge tree, keeping a loose hold on her.

  “What do you say we go jogging in the early morning?” asked Rahul, watching her intently.

  “And cool off at the swimming pool. That’d be lovely. Shall we go up to the Fort Hill Garden?”

  “Are you sure? That place is too messy for a comfortable walk, let alone jogging or running.”

  “Not recently, no. It’s all spruced up, way cleaner and greener than before. Why don’t you find out for yourself? Shall we leave at 6.30 am or is that too early for you?”

  Rahul shrugged. “Then I suppose I’d better let you get your beauty’s sleep.” The teasing smile that had not been very far, lit up Rahul’s face.

  Meghna was curious to know how long he planned to be in Mumbai. She asked, “What are you plans?”

  A puzzled frown appeared on Rahul’s face. “You heard me. We’ll go for a walk and swim in the morning.”

  “No, not that. How long do you plan to be in Mumbai?”

  “Oh!” Rahul’s brow cleared. “You want to know when I’m leaving for London.”

  Meghna darted a killing look at him. Jerking her arm from his loose grip, she started walking towards home. “Idiot,” she muttered to herself. “Impossible, incorrigible, unreasonable moron! Just my luck to fall for a guy like him.” She continued to mutter in a frustrated voice as Rahul caught up with her. He stopped her midstride and turned her to face him. She scowled at him, her lips pursed mutinously, her eyes like stormy clouds.

  Rahul stared in fascination. She was beautiful. Temper added lustre to her face and he couldn’t have looked away even if he had wanted to. This must be the reason he baited her all the time.

  “Hmm,” he looked at her thoughtfully, “Now I know where Sasha gets her stubborn streak from. I did wonder as I believe both Sanjay and Reema Bhabhi have a mild temper and Sushma aunty—” he counted off his fingers one by one.

  Meghna slapped his counting hand and snarled, “Enough. Do you hear me? Enough.” She was in a boiling rage. “You’re right. I did want to know when you were leaving, so that I could continue to live my life in peace.” Her chest heaved as she tried to control the urge to beat her antagonist on his chest again, her fists clenched against the soft cotton of his shirt. But something in his expression told her that he was waiting for her to do just that.

  Rahul was enjoying himself too much. Meghna looked gorgeous and she was beside herself in anger to notice his eyes devouring her. He had a strong urge to drag her into his arms and kiss her senseless. All that passion and temper, wow! But somehow he didn’t think she would appreciate that just now. He decided to bide his time.

  “Meghna,” he spoke in a soothing voice, as though he was talking to a wild animal he was trying to tame.

  Meghna looked at him warily, “What now?”

  “Listen to me, will you? I’m sure you’re tired after a long day. Why don’t we continue this conversation tomorrow?”

  Frustrated tears found their way down Meghna’s cheeks. She turned away in disgust. ‘Oh, what was the use?’ She thought to herself. She will never get to know what Rahul was thinking, not in a hundred years. A sob tore at her throat, seeking release. For an instant, she pictured herself becoming an old maid, waiting for him in vain while he laughed his way through life. The tears flowed faster.

  “Meghna,” a gentle arm encircled her shaking shoulders while the other arm came around to hold her in a close embrace. Rahul pushed her head to his broad shoulder and looked at the dark brown head in confusion. What should he do? His feelings for Meghna were powerful, in fact the strongest he had felt towards any woman. But still, was th
at enough for a lifelong commitment?

  He thought of his parents. His poor father! He felt quite sorry for him. It is not that he thought that Meghna was as bad as his mother. But what about his own basic nature? Rajni’s blood ran in his veins. What if he made an awful spouse? The thought kept him awake many-a-night.

  All those nights when he had lain awake, wondering whether Meghna had found another man, if she had fallen in love with someone else. He had waited all these years, giving her a chance to grow up, to meet other people, ensuring that he never spoke to her nor enquired about her.

  But, he mentally shrugged his shoulders, there was a limit to a man’s patience. He had felt a desperate need to see Meghna for himself, find out what she had become and whether she was interested in someone else.

  And now, he was here with the girl of his dreams in his arms. She had grown up to be much more than his expectations, more beautiful, more graceful and sexier than any other female he had met. Rahul’s lips curled in a smile. And he, the jerk that he was, was making her lose her temper all the while.

  “Meghna,” Rahul stroked her hair gently. “Calm down, Baby. I’ve three weeks’ leave and I want to spend the time with you, getting to know you, the new grown up Meghna.” There, it was out, the actual reason for his trip to his hometown in India.

  Meghna raised her head to look at him with tear-drenched eyes, hope beginning to dawn amidst the grey clouds. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really.” Rahul turned his gaze away from hers, reluctantly removed his arms from around her and moved away a couple of inches. “Look here, Meghna. I don’t want to make promises. I’m scared of commitment, to be truthful. But, I feel this frightful urge, need, call it whatever, to get to know you better.” He puckered his brows as he thought of the right words to express his feelings. “You’re so different from the adolescent I left behind. I’ve given you enough time and more to find yourself a partner. Since you haven’t found anyone—”

  “How do you know?” asked Meghna, fixing her grey eyes on his face, watching out for every single nuance in his expression.

  Rahul jerked his head in her direction and stared at her for a few seconds, his brown gaze intense. A slow, satisfied smile spread on his face as he watched the colour run up her cheeks. “I’m sure you wouldn’t kiss me the way you do if you’re interested in someone else.”

  She had no reply to this.

  “So, my Meghna, please bear with me for a few weeks. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. We can get to know each other and,” he shrugged his shoulders, “let’s take it from there.”

  Meghna thought about what he said. It was reasonable enough. She needed time too, without any commitment. This man in front of her, this stranger, was quite different from the Rahul she knew from her childhood. She agreed that it made sense to wait.

  She gave Rahul a small nod of agreement and put her hand trustingly in his large one as he thrust it out.

  “Right,” he pulled her into his arms, “let’s seal the pact,” and proceeded to kiss her thoroughly. Meghna linked her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to give better access to his marauding lips and hands. She sighed with pleasure as he plundered the depths of her lips, seeking to quench his thirst, an undying craving he had acquired from the day he kissed the sixteen-year-old some years ago, a longing only this woman seemed to have the power to assuage. He buried his face against her soft, scented neck, his body shuddering with passion, trying hard to bring himself under control. Thank God there weren’t too many people passing by at that time of the night, not that it seemed to bother the couple on the threshold of rediscovering each other.

  “Is this a part of the ‘getting to know each other’ process?” asked Meghna in a soft voice.

  Rahul stared at her in wonder. Was this the same lady with the stormy, tear-drenched eyes? A gentle, teasing light shone from her eyes, her cheeks flushed with excitement, her slightly parted lips swollen pink from his kisses.

  He recovered from his trance to reply, “Yeah, why not?”

  “But Rahul, is it fair?”

  Rahul placed his index finger on her lips, shook his head and said, “Don’t deny me this. I’ll go crazy not touching you, kissing you. Please Meghna, don’t say ‘No’. I’ll not hurt you, I promise,” he pleaded roughly, not used to requesting things, always having had his own way.

  Meghna looked at him with a smile on her face. She thought to herself, ‘what difference will the next few weeks make to my feelings?’ None, unless she fell more deeply in love with this handsome hunk. Alternately, there was a chance that he might fall in love with her. The hugs and kisses were a bonus. Why miss out on them? Probably the memories will be her only companion in the years to come if Rahul went away, leaving her.

  Meghna shook herself out of her stupor. What had come over her? She would be crazy to allow him to kiss her whenever he pleased. That would be madness. And what would happen if and when he upped and left three weeks later? Would she ever recover from the loss? She shuddered at the thought. Her features hardened as she reached a firm decision.

  “No.”

  “No?” Rahul scowled, not sure that he heard her right.

  “No, Rahul. I don’t want you to touch me and kiss me whenever it suits you. Let’s get to know each other by all means. But hands off!” Meghna did not mince her words.

  “Meghna, don’t be silly. Didn’t I tell you that I’ll not hurt you in any way?”

  Meghna gave him a bitter smile. He obviously didn’t understand how a woman’s mind worked. “No, Rahul.”

  “Now who’s being unreasonable? What’s the harm in a few kisses? And they give us such joy too. Don’t you dare deny it.” Rahul was losing his cool, slowly but surely.

  “Well, you heard me. There isn’t much else to discuss. I agreed with you when you said that we should get to know each other. Why can’t you respect my wishes?”

  “But, Meghna,” Rahul’s voice switched from anger to persuasion in matter of seconds, “be reasonable, Honey. Please—”

  Meghna dug her heels in and pointed a finger at his chest, “You listen to me. Either you agree to keep your hands to yourself or the whole deal’s off.”

  Rahul studied her face for a few seconds in silence trying to find any kind of softening in her expression. Finding none, he said with a complete lack of enthusiasm, “You haven’t left me with a choice,” the irritation obvious in his voice.

  A very small triumphant smile formed on Meghna’s face as she replied, “Smart of you to notice.”

  Rahul glared at her before continuing to walk towards home. Meghna fell into step beside him before asking, her voice very sweetly innocent, “Are you sulking, by any chance?” She just managed to hold back her mirth.

  Rahul turned around and fixed his brown eyes on her. They were glowing with temper, the colour of molten honey. “I don’t sulk,” he told her clearly.

  “Okay then, my mistake,” agreed Meghna cheerfully, tucking her arm into his.

  Eight

  Meghna was up at six in the morning and got dressed in a pair of denim shorts, a red t-shirt and sneakers. She wore her swim suit under her clothes and carried a large bath towel in a beach bag.

  She made coffee and waited for Rahul to appear. It was twenty minutes past six and still no sound from behind his door. She knocked a couple of times and when there was no response, opened the door a few inches to peep in.

  Rahul was lying sprawled on the bed, on his front with the covers askew. Meghna moved towards the bed for a closer look at the angelic face with the mocking eyes closed in sleep. His lips were parted slightly. A lock of dark hair that had fallen on his forehead made her hands itch to push it back in place. He looked so big and handsome and at peace, his long lashes resting against his hard cheeks, his breath coming out evenly. His exposed back was tanned to an even brown, hard muscles rippling under his skin. Meghna stared at his sleeping form, fascinated, her hands clasped tightly together to control the urge to touch him.
/>
  She moved closer and called out, “Rahul.”

  There was no change in the rhythm of his breathing. After calling out a few more times, Meghna placed a hand on his smooth shoulder and shook him awake. Her fingers automatically curled around his shoulder in a caress as she whispered, “Rahul,” once again.

  “Good Morning.” Meghna started guiltily as she found a pair of honey brown eyes gazing at her steadily. She removed her hand off his shoulder abruptly, colour spreading on her cheeks as he said, “The hands off warning applies to me only, I s’pose.”

  She refused to rise to the bait as she replied, “Good Morning, Rahul. It’s time to leave.” She looked at a point beyond his shoulders, not daring to meet his eyes.

  Rahul looked at his watch that lay on the side table and said, “Oops, we’re running late. Just give me a few minutes, Honey.” Meghna fled the moment he placed his bare legs on the floor.

  Rahul gulped down the coffee Meghna offered him before leaving the flat carrying a backpack. They kept their bags in a locker at the club house and left the compound by the back gate.

  Rahul looked around curiously, noting the various changes that had taken place in the area during his absence. They reached the Jawaharlal Nehru Hill Garden within a few minutes and entered the gates to climb the steps.

  The moment they reached the upper level, he could see the difference. The whole place looked so green and refreshing in the morning light. The eastern sky was alight although the rising sun itself was not visible from their vantage point. Rahul automatically took Meghna’s hand as they walked left to make a clockwise round of the hill, sticking to the path.

  Rahul was unusually quiet. He hadn’t uttered a single word since they left the flat, in fact. Meghna kept watching him from the corner of her eyes. Although she had told him very strictly to keep his hands off, one small part of her mind lived in the hope that Rahul being what he was, wouldn’t take her too seriously. She had never worn such brief shorts to the garden before. Today, she wore it with the sole purpose of catching his attention. And here he was, lost in thought and probably admiration for the renovated garden, seemingly unaware of her presence, let alone her long bare legs. Perversely, Meghna felt disappointed and angry. It irritated her that he was so oblivious to her while she couldn’t seem to look away from his long, muscular legs exposed by the figure hugging black shorts that he wore.