Boxset: Destiny Decides.. & Destiny Embraces..

by P. G. Van

  The group around us let out sounds of endearment as I held my breath and clung to the kitchen counter for support. I heard phone camera clicks as someone around us took pictures.

  “Nick, please get off the floor,” I pleaded.

  “Relax, Sameera,” Nick said looking up at me and added, “It’s easier this way.”

  Nick finally took off one anklet after unscrewing the tiny brass screw that kept the anklet intact and handed it to his mom.

  Nick’s mom looked at the beautiful piece of jewelry and said, “Pammi, look at these anklets. They are beautiful.”

  Pammi smiled and said, “I agree Mrs. B, and I think Ms. Meera should keep them as they fit her perfectly.”

  I smiled at the elderly women and said to Pammi, “PammiMa, jewelry is not on the list of things I can buy at this point.”

  Nick looked up at me his eyes filled with tenderness as Pammi reached out to give me a hug.

  I looked at Nick confused and asked, “What?”

  Nick took off the other anklet handing it to his mom and said, “PammiMa is all emotional because you called her PammiMa instead of Pammi.”

  “Oh, I hope you didn’t mind,” I asked looking at Pammi.

  “Not at all Ms. Meera. Thank you,” Pammi said smiling.

  “Sameera, why don’t you go ahead and change, and dinner should be ready in thirty minutes,” Nick’s mom said smiling at me.

  “I will be out in ten minutes,” I said to her and went back into the guest bedroom.

  The eye makeup was tough to take off with just soap and water. The makeup artist usually used an eye makeup remover to take off the waterproof makeup, and it would come off in just two attempts.

  I heard a low knock on the bedroom door and said, “Come in.”

  Nick came and stood at the bathroom entrance looking at me with his enigmatic expression back on.

  “Nick, stop doing that,” I complained and added, “Looking at me like I am some kind of entity.”

  Nick smiled at me and walked into the bathroom to stand right behind me. He put his arms around me from behind and slid his fingers through the side slits of my tunic to place his palms on my bare skin. I giggled in reaction to the ticklish feeling on my skin as his cool fingertips drew patterns around my navel. In a swift move, he pulled on the drawstring of my leggings and loosened the waistband. He then slipped his cool fingers below the waistline of my leggings brushed his fingertips along my waist chain for a brief second and went lower to find the lacey waistband of my undergarment.

  I arched my body pushing my shoulder into his chest reaching backwards and wrapped my arms around his neck. I moaned as he ran his tongue along the length of my neck. His fingertips were right over my clit, and as he started stroking me slowly and steadily in a circular motion, I let out a cry of pleasure and bit my lip to stop myself.

  “Nick, not here,” I begged as he closed the guest bathroom door and locked it without moving away from me.

  “Yes, here and now,” he said looking at me in the mirror.

  Nick continued the attack with his fingertips as I got moist and hot way down below and as the invasion of pleasure radiated through my body, I trembled internally unable to contain myself. As I was about to peak, Nick stuck his index finger into my mouth between my teeth and continued to worship my pleasure zone. An exothermic reaction triggered from within my body, and I felt sparks flying outward from me. I dug my teeth into Nick’s finger moaning loudly and clung to him as I lost control of my legs.

  “Nikhil,” I said my voice completely out of control.

  “I love you, Sameera,” Nick said as his hand picked up the pace again introducing me to another dimension of vitalization. I moaned and dug my nails into his neck for every peak as Nick continued the exciting invasion. He held me close to him as I let go of my body and let him control the depths of my physical need. My breathing was strained and my chest was heaving very heavily as he released me from his hold. “Thank you, baby,” he said as I looked up at him in daze. He held me in his arms for a few more minutes before planting a kiss on my forehead and said smiling, “We should go before someone comes to get us.” I smiled at him and hugged him to steady myself.

  *****

  “Thank you for the lovely dinner, my one and only fan,” I said to Nick’s mom and gave her a hug.

  “My pleasure, Sameera.” Nick’s mom said and added, “Thank you for the beautiful dance.”

  “I am glad you enjoyed the performance,” I smiled at her.

  “Nick, are you coming back home after you take Sameera home?” Nick’s mom asked.

  I looked at Nick, surprised at his mom’s question but did not say anything. “No, Ma. I need to go back to the apartment.”

  “I barely get to see you these days,” his mom whined.

  “I know Ma, sorry,” he said hugging her.

  I watched Nick and his mom interact and felt that their relationship was more like a father and daughter relationship where Nick was the loving dad. As we stood in the foyer in front of the elevator, I smiled to myself listening to Nick give the entire staff instructions about how to take care of his mom starting with food to planning out her week. Nick was totally babying her, and she seemed to be fine with that. I found that dynamic very interesting, and it also seemed like Nick’s mom was closer to Nick than with his siblings.

  “When will I get to see Sameera again Nick?” his mom asked smiling at me.

  “I don’t know, Ma. You should ask her,” Nick said tossing the question over the fence.

  “Mrs. B, all you need to do is make your special Chicken Tikka Masala and Chai every day, and I will move in with you guys,” I said laughing.

  “Deal,” she said shaking my hand and said teasing Nick, “You can take over Nick’s wing as he barely lives here anymore. It’s not as fancy as his city apartment I guess.”

  Nick’s mom and I looked at Nick and started laughing at the same time, and Nick shook his head smiling and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “Let’s go, Sameera,” Nick said urging me to move and to stop ganging up on him with his mom.

  I stepped into the elevator with Nick and remembered that I had left my jewelry I wore to the ceremony at his house, in his closet.

  “Nick, can we go to your room before we head out?” I said without giving him any context.

  “Easy my love, stop being so impatient,” Nick teased.

  “Nick, I wanted to go so I can take the jewelry that I left in your closet the last time I was here,” I said rolling my eyes.

  Nick laughed and said, “They are in our apartment.” Oh okay,” I said a bit taken back with the way he said ‘our apartment’.

  “Nick, what about my stuff?” I asked as Nick opened the back door on the passenger side to put my gym bag on the seat.

  “In the car. Raj picked up your stuff when we were eating dinner, and he should have put them in the trunk. I will be sure to check before we start,” Nick said opening the passenger door for me.

  “Nick, you don’t need to open the door for me,” I said blushing.

  “I don’t need to but I want to,” he said planting a kiss on my forehead and added, “You made my mom glow like she has never before. How can I ever thank you enough?”

  “Nick, you are making a big deal out of this. Let’s go,” I urged him.

  Nick closed the passenger door for me and checked the trunk to make sure my bags were in the trunk with the stuff I needed for the upcoming week.

  Nick pulled out of the driveway and merged onto the highway headed to San Francisco. I looked at Nick and could tell that something was bothering him. I may not have known him for that long, but I could tell something was bothering him. Either I had to figure it out or he had to tell me at some point. As we drove in silence, I looked at the man who changed my life in such a short period of time and had literally and figuratively swept me off my feet. I smiled to myself thinking about the things that I had done for the first time ever, first time in many years
, and the things that I did that I would have never thought of doing. I wondered if it happened when people fell in love.

  “Nick, is everything okay?” I asked ten minutes into the drive as Nick had not uttered a single word.

  “Yes, I am just playing back my mom’s expressions in my mind over and over again,” he said smiling.

  “Nick, I feel like there is something I don’t know. What is it that is making you so emotional?” I asked with concern in my voice.

  “Yes, there is, and I will tell you as soon as we get to the apartment,” Nick promised.

  “I am seriously worried now,” I said looking at him.

  “It’s all good. Don’t worry, Sameera,” Nick assured me.

  “Okay,” I said in a soft voice.

  “What do you want to do tomorrow?” Nick asked excited about being back in the apartment.

  “Hmm…not sure,” I said and asked Nick, “What do you feel like doing?”

  “I don’t know, babe,” Nick said shrugging his shoulders.

  I laughed and asked, “What do normal couples do on a Sunday?”

  “Would you consider Srini and Nethra a normal couple?” Nick asked in a teasing tone.

  “Of course, I do,” I said mocking him.

  “What do they do on Sunday’s?” Nick asked curiously.

  “Nick, how am I supposed to know? It’s not like I crash their date nights every time. The time we met was the only time I was a third wheel,” I said laughing.

  Nick smiled and said, “I am sure we will figure it out.”

  “Nick, does your mom know that I moved in with you?” I asked curiously.

  “Yes, she does,” Nick said with an even tone.

  “She does?” I asked and added, “Then why was she asking you not to go to San Francisco?”

  Nick laughed and said, “It’s my mom’s weird way of asking us to stay with them,” and added reacting to the way I jerked in my seat, “obviously in my wing.”

  “That is really sweet of her,” I said smiling and added, “but I am not sure how I would feel about that idea.”

  Nick laughed and said, “It’s weird, trust me,” and added, “There is a reason why I have the apartment in the city.”

  “It’s not entirely weird,” I said thinking out loud, “I know a lot of Indian families that live in the joint family setting, and there are advantages and disadvantages.”

  “Do you think you can be part of a joint family?” Nick asked in response to my comment.

  “Well, I think I can, but I am not sure if people would want to be with me in that joint setting,” I laughed.

  Nick smiled and said, “I am big on privacy and independence and not having to think twice before I do anything.”

  “I am totally with you on the privacy and independence but not sure I follow the thinking twice part. What do you mean?” I asked curiously.

  Nick cleared his throat and said, “For example, I wanted to take you into my arms and kiss you right after your performance, but I could not because my parents were in the room.”

  “Well, respect for the elders in the family is what kids in a joint family learn without having to be told. It is known that children from joint families have great social virtues and make a difference to the community.” I said in a calm voice and added, “Plus, you did what you wanted to do eventually.”

  Nick laughed and said, “My mom is big on the joint family stuff and managed to have Ann and Sam live on the estate, but I am not sure if I can survive.”

  “You will be fine. You just need to have a tiny bit more confidence in the system,” I said smiling at him.

  *****

  We pulled into the underground parking lot of the apartment almost forty-five minutes later.

  “Nick, let me hold my bags,” I demanded as Nick started carrying all my bags to the elevator.

  “The bags are not heavy, and I am fine,” Nick said refusing to give me my bags.

  I took a few quick steps towards the elevator and punched in the codes so the doors were open by the time Nick reached the elevator.

  As the elevator doors closed, I said to Nick in a mischievous tone, “Please be nice to my bags.”

  Nick looked at me with a puzzled expression as I put my arms around him taking his lower lip between my teeth. He groaned, and I heard the multiple thuds as he dropped the bags and put his arms around my waist.

  “I am sorry, babe,” he said as he took my upper lip between his teeth.

  I pulled away laughing as the elevator reached Nick’s floor and said, “I knew you would drop my bags.”

  “Yeah, that was a tough choice, your bags or your body,” Nick mocked as he grabbed my bags and stepped out of the elevator. He turned on the privacy mode using the keypad and turned to look at me.

  I put my arms around his waist and said softly, “I liked what we did in the guest bathroom.”

  Nick took a deep breath, put his arms around my waist, and whispered in my ear, “I am glad you did, babe.”

  “Nick, are you ready to talk about what was bothering you when we were at your parents place?” I asked in a calm voice.

  “Let’s go upstairs and change,” he said his expression going cold.

  “Nick…” I paused as he turned to look at me with pain in his eyes and said, “Okay, let’s go change first.”

  Nick and I quietly brushed our teeth and got ready for bed. I put on a t-shirt and a full-length pajama so I didn’t cause any distractions. I truly intended to address the reason behind the pain I noticed in his eyes all evening. I put my robe on the side table and got into bed. Nick came out of the bathroom a few minutes later running his fingers through his hair with a smile on his face.

  “Ahh, there is the face I love,” I said looking at him and patting the bed inviting him to join me.

  Nick dimmed the lights and got in bed. He sat next to me planting a kiss on my forehead.

  “Nikhil Bhatia,” I said in a firm voice that definitely surprised Nick and added, “I am not going to ask you again. You need to tell me what was bothering you today.”

  “I was not really sad but was dealing with a lot of emotions,” he said smiling trying to lighten the mood and added in a soft tone, “I have not seen my mom as happy as she was since the time she was diagnosed with a heart condition.”

  “What heart condition?” I asked catching my breath.

  “It’s a genetic disorder that was identified just about a couple of years ago,” Nick said in a soft voice and added, “She had her open heart surgery the beginning of last year and has been doing pretty well but has not been herself.”

  “Oh no, I had no clue Nick. I am so sorry,” I said hugging his head to my chest.

  Nick continued with pain in his voice, “I had given up hopes on her going back to being the person she was prior to her illness, and today I saw the glow and the twinkle in her eyes when you danced for her.”

  I tightened my arms around him in an effort to comfort him.

  “Thank you, my love,” he said his voice almost a whisper and added, “Nethra told me how hard it was for you to dance after your dad passed away and for you to put on a show for my mom….” His voice trailed off, and I felt him shudder.

  “Nick, take a deep breath,” I said my voice shaking and added, “You are my rock, and I cannot see you like this.”

  “I love you, Sameera,” Nick said looking into my eyes and added, “It would take me a lifetime to thank you for giving me my mother back.”

  “Nick, please. There is no need to thank me,” I said softly running my palm on his back and added, “You were the reason I was able to put on the dance outfit and perform for your mom. Nothing in this world bothers me when you are around.”

  “Sameera, I am sorry,” Nick said in a shaky voice and added, ‘I am sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most.”

  He took a deep breath and continued, “You were there for me every step of the way, but I was too busy doing my own thing when you were dealing wit
h the biggest tragedy in your life.”

  The memory of the days when I wished and hoped Nick was around resurfaced from my subconscious, and I started to shudder. The pain from my loss surged, and I hugged Nick fighting back tears.

  “Nick...” My voice trailed off as I started to cry uncontrollably in his arms. Years of my refusal to show weakness and not wanting to shed a tear came crashing as I sobbed my heart out.

  “It was horrible, Nick. I thought about you all the time. I was so angry that you left,” I said sobbing.

  “Sameera, baby. I know, and I am so sorry. Please don’t cry. I can’t see you like this,” Nick said planting a kiss on my forehead.

  “I had no hopes of seeing you ever again, Nick. I told myself I could no longer have happiness in my life,” I said weeping and pulled away to look at Nick and added, “I didn’t have any hope until you came back into my life. What took you so long? I am still pissed that you didn’t come see me right after the reunion.”

  Nick pulled me into his arms and stroked my back as I continued to vent, “Nate and mom were such a mess, Nick. I don’t know how I pulled through those few months before we moved to live with our grandparents.”

  “You did a good job of taking care of everyone around you baby,” Nick said softly planting a kiss on my forehead.

  “Nick, I didn’t realize how badly I needed you in my life until a few weeks ago. Please don’t disappear on me again,” I said steadying my voice.

  “I won’t, baby. I promise,” Nick said in a calm voice.

  “Nick, if...” My voice trailed off as I felt the deep twist in the pit of my stomach, and I took a deep breath to ease out the pain and spoke with my voice barely audible, “Even If things don’t work out between us, please don’t take away my best friend from me.” My entire body shuddered at the thought, and I buried my face in his chest. I felt the tears run down my cheeks uncontrollably as I lost all control of myself. Nick placed his hand gently on my shoulder to push me away so I was facing him. I did not have the courage to open my eyes to look at Nick.