Boxset: Destiny Decides.. & Destiny Embraces..

by P. G. Van

  “Okay, I will. Let me know when you are done with your emails, and I have an interesting proposition,” I said winking at Nick.

  Nick caught his breath and whispered, “I am listening, love.”

  I laughed and said, “Don’t get excited too much Mr. Bhatia. It’s not that kind of a proposition.”

  “I am not interested in anything else,” he breathed against my ear and caused a tingling sensation on my skin with his mustache.

  “Nick,” I laughed pushing him away and whispered, “Finish up your work now so I don’t have to go to bed by myself.”

  “That’s it,” he said and closed his laptop and put it away as he pulled me to him.

  I felt the burn on my waist as he dug his fingertips in and felt the warmth on my cheek as he caressed my cheek with his palm. I looked into his eyes and smiled as he took his lips to my forehead. I felt my heart rate triple at the simple gesture of pure love. Thrills of pleasure rippled through my body with his facial hair teasing and tantalizing my skin as he left a flurry of kisses along my cheek.

  “Nick, let’s not start on something we can’t stop,” I whispered as my lips trembled.

  “I know, but I can’t stop,” Nick confessed sliding his lips lower leaving a flurry of kisses along the way.

  “Nick, we need to talk. I will make it up to you later tonight,” I urged.

  “If you want me to stop, then stop pulling me closer,” he mumbled against my neck.”

  I took a deep breath and pushed him away gently to look into his eyes. His eyes were clouded with desire and sparkled at me.

  “You have no idea how irresistible you are. It’s a good thing you are my husband,” I whispered giggling.

  “I want to keep this look, and we should ride in the limo starting tomorrow,” Nick said laughing and added, “I don’t know why we stopped taking the limo to work.”

  I laughed remembering our adventures in the limo and teased, “If you let me shave you tonight, I will make it an interesting night.”

  Nick smiled mischievously bringing his lips to mine and said against my lips, “Deal.”

  I smiled as he pulled back and asked, “What did you want to talk to me about, Sameera?”

  “Have you talked to Sam?” I asked curiously.

  “Yes, for a few minutes this morning,” he said in a cool voice and added, “He wants to stay home for a week before going back to work.”

  “Is he doing okay?” I asked with concern in my voice.

  “Surprisingly, yes,” Nick said in a flat voice.

  ‘So, on to the proposition I was referring to earlier,” I said smiling and added; “I think we need to create a distraction for Sam.”

  “What are you suggesting we do, Sameera?” Nick asked curiously.

  “We need to set Sam up with Rhea,” I whispered and added, “I think they like each other.”

  “That’s too soon. Sam will take forever before he starts seeing someone else,” Nick said shaking his head.

  “Not with Rhea,” I said giggling and added, “Apparently, Sam said Rhea could call him Samraat.”

  “Wooow, What?” Nick exclaimed.

  “I know, and Rhea likes good looking lawyers,” I said giggling.

  “Looks like you are pretty sure about this matchup,” Nick teased.

  “Yes, I am planning to talk to Sam later today,” I said cheerfully.

  “You need to tread very carefully, Sameera,” Nick warned and added, “What time is my salon appointment?”

  “After dinner,” I said nipping at his lower lip and smiled as I felt him shudder.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Sam, open up?” Nick said knocking on Sam’s private wing entrance at the family residence later that day.

  “Are you ready with the plan?” Nick whispered, and I nodded.

  Sam opened the door and said smiling, “You can come in only if we are talking about your wedding.”

  “Yes, we need to talk about that and it’s too bad you missed our wedding again, Sam,” I said following Nick to the living room.

  “You are going to have to watch the videos, Sam. I am not paying for another wedding,” Nick teased winking at me.

  “Nick, you are not paying for anything. It’s my mess you cleaned up, and the least I can do is pay for it,” Sam said sounding dejected.

  “Sam, not happening,” Nick said adamantly.

  “I have an idea,” I chimed in cutting through their silliness and added smiling at the brothers, “Let’s have an arm wrestling match. You and Nick. Winner pays for the wedding.”

  Sam and Nick burst out laughing, and I scrunched my nose at the mockery in their laughter and said in a cool voice, “I can pay for my own wedding.”

  “Nick, let’s do this,” Sam said laughing.

  Sam and Nick had similar builds, but Nick was at least a couple of inches taller than his older brother. I texted Ann while Sam and Nick figured out where they wanted to arm wrestle.

  Me: Bhatia boys arm wrestling @ Sam’s

  Ann: For real?? I am coming

  Sam’s private wing was slightly different from Nick’s private wing, and his section was equipped with a fully functional kitchen and a smaller patio area.

  Ann joined us squeaking like a little girl. Nick and Sam settled down at the granite top dining table for their arm wrestling match. She went straight to Sam putting her arms around him and said, “Sorry I had to do the baby reveal without you,” and asked, “Are you doing okay?”

  “I was doing fine until these newlyweds decided to crash my solitude,” Sam said smiling at me. I noticed that Sam had shaven his beard and mustache that he had grown for the wedding.

  “Rules?” Nick asked stretching out his neck.

  “Winner pays for the wedding,” I said giggling.

  “That’s no fun. We need a variation of the game,” Ann suggested winking at me.

  “How did we get roped into this again?” Nick wondered out loud shaking his head.

  I looked at Sam and Nick sitting at the granite table and said, “Simple arm wrestling rules, but you can engage your arms only for three minutes. While your hands are clasped, Ann and I will ask questions that you will need to answer immediately and you get a point for each question you answer. End of the game, if you still have your arms engaged, the winner would be decided based on the number of correct answers.”

  “Ready?” I asked as Nick and Sam clasped their palms rooting their elbows on the granite counter top table and looked at each other intently. From where I was standing, it was very clear that Nick had a clear advantage over Sam with his longer arms and his handgrip size. Sam’s arm mass was slightly more than Nick’s so Ann and I looked forward to a fun match between the brothers.

  Ann held her phone in the record mode and I said, “Start,” Nick and Sam engaged and held their hand positions steadily clenching their teeth.

  “Ok, first question. What was Ann’s first boyfriend’s name?” I asked winking at Ann.

  “Rick,” Nick said in a strained voice.

  “Ann’s wedding date,” I asked.

  “April 29th,” Sam said as he pushed Nick’s hand back.

  “Wow, you remember that,” she said with surprise and asked looking at me, “Meera, why are all the questions about me. You can ask questions about anyone we know.”

  “Why don’t you ask a few questions?” I urged.

  “Seriously?” Nick snarled and added, “We are dying here, and you want us to respond to questions.”

  ‘How much older am I than Meera?” Ann asked giggling.

  “Six,” Nick said looking at Sam.

  “Five and a half,” Sam said smiling.

  “Five and a half is correct,” Ann cheered.

  “Who is Meera’s best friend?” Ann asked winking at me.

  “Me,” Nick said laughing.

  “Scratch that question, I meant best girlfriend,” Ann clarified.

  “Rhea,” Sam said softly.

  “Rhea’s favorite coff
ee?” I asked looking at Sam.

  “She doesn’t drink coffee,” Sam said quickly.

  “How old is Rhea?” Ann asked.

  “Twenty-four,” Nick said struggling to hold his grip.

  “Which year was Mitch deployed in Afghanistan?” Ann asked.

  “2003,” Nick called out and Ann nodded.

  “What was Rhea’s major in grad school?” I asked.

  “Business marketing,” Sam called out.

  “Where was Rhea born?” I asked wondering when Sam would realize what we were doing.

  “Pittsburgh, PA,” Sam called out.

  “Does Rhea like good looking lawyers?” I asked giggling.

  “Yes,” Nick said laughing and looking at Sam.

  “Who is going to take Rhea on a date next Saturday?” I asked my heart pounding in my chest as I wondered if I crossed the line.

  Nick did not respond and looked at Sam. He smiled and looked at me and said, “Samraat Bhatia,” and in one sweep he smashed Nick’s arm on to the granite counter top.

  Nick stood up to hug his older brother and said, “Good game, Sam.”

  Ann and I celebrated the last response to Sam’s question and said, “Samraat Bhatia is taking Rhea Khanna on a date next Saturday.”

  Sam smiled sheepishly and said, “Nick, since you were a sore loser, I am paying for your wedding.”

  “Whatever, Sam. I feel like this game was rigged from the get go,” Nick growled looking at me.

  “Meera, I had fun,” Sam said smiling at me.

  “Sam, you have broken all of your past moping period records. The last moping phase lasted two months?” Ann asked poking fun at Sam.

  “Do you have Rhea’s phone number Sam…raaat?” I teased winking at Sam.

  “I actually don’t, and I am sure you will give it to me,” Sam said putting an arm around me and added, “I had a great time with Rhea that day. Every conversation I had with her was very refreshing and fun.”

  “You are welcome, Sam!!” I said smiling at him.

  “How long has it been since the three of us actually spent time on a weekday at home?” Sam asked his eyes lighting up with joy and added looking at me, “You are the catalyst we so badly needed, Meera.”

  I laughed and said, “I am so glad to hear that Sam, and I have texted you Rhea’s phone number,” and added winking, “She is waiting for your call, but don’t tell her I told you.”

  “I will call her later tonight,” Sam said smiling at me and added, “I am very glad with the way things turned out. Now I can see how Reetu was not really a fit for our family.”

  Ann and I exchanged looks but did not say anything and Nick chimed in and said, “Sam, we don’t need to talk about it now.”

  “No, I need to, and I want to know if I had turned a blind eye to her shortcomings and kept looking for the positives,” Sam asserted.

  “I knew she wasn’t right for you,” Ann declared looking at me.

  “You knew and didn’t say anything? Why?” Sam asked surprised.

  “It didn’t matter to us because we knew you loved her,” Ann said in a calm voice.

  Sam shook his head and said, “I kind of saw this coming and was completely surprised when Reetu was good with picking a wedding date.”

  “Sam, how long have you felt that things weren’t going well,” I asked looking at Nick as he glared at me. I took the opportunity to get more information on Reetu to see what she might know. I knew I would hear it from Nick for bringing this topic up with Sam.

  Sam shook his head and said looking at me, “We have had our ups and downs, but I will tell you that since you guys got married, she has been in a world of her own. She would barely spend time with me claiming that she was busy at work but would end up doing things by herself.”

  “Sam…” I said and stopped when Nick interrupted me and said, “That’s enough questions for today, Sameera.”

  Sam looked at me and then at Nick and said, “What is going on guys. I feel like I am missing a piece of the puzzle here. What is wrong?”

  I sat in silence looking at Nick and Sam looked at Nick and said, “Guys, I am lawyer, and I know when people are withholding information. Nick, Meera speak up.”

  “Nick, I am not going to utter a word if you choose not to say anything,” I said in a low voice.

  “Great!!” Nick said clenching his teeth and said, “Sam, Reetu didn’t show up for the wedding not because she had cold feet. We are starting to think that she has other motives, and Sameera Sherlock Holmes seems to think that it might be about the chain I have around my neck.

  I looked at Sam and saw his face go pale and he finally said, “That’s it. That’s when everything started.”

  “What?” Nick asked looking at Sam and added, “What are you talking about Sam?”

  “Reetu had a nervous breakdown the night you guys came back from India. She woke up in the middle of the night shivering all over saying weird things about how beautiful the chain looked in person and that paintings didn’t do it justice,” Sam said in a shaky voice.

  It was my turn to feel the blood drain from my face, and my mouth went dry at the thought that Reetu knew more about the chain, which meant she knew something about RajaRam.

  “Nick, call her,” I commanded.

  “Meera, are you okay?” Sam asked as Nick got up to take me into his arms.

  “I am still missing something,” Sam said shaking his head and asked, “What are you guys not telling me?”

  Nick tightened his embrace and whispered, “You were right on all along baby. I feel like kicking myself for not taking this seriously.”

  “Nick, Meera. Come sit down and tell Sam and me everything. I am sure we can be of some help,” Ann commanded in a stern voice.

  “I think we poked the bear, and it is time to pay,” Nick chuckled at his sister as he sat across from Sam at the gray granite dining table. I sat next to Nick and Ann sat next to Sam. Nick put an arm around me protectively and said, “I think you should tell Sam and Ann what is going on.”

  I told Ann and Sam a brief version of RajaRam and Jasleen’s story and then the story behind RajaRam disappearing and giving the chain to his teenage son. I told them about the incident in the parking lot and the dream I had that night and then the most recent attack at the hotel the previous day.

  “Holy crap!! Nick why didn’t you tell me anything about this?” Sam scowled.

  “I didn’t think anything of it Sam. They all seemed to be pretty random until yesterday morning,” Nick said in a soft voice.

  “What did you guys discover yesterday?” Sam asked.

  “We found out that Reetu’s cousin was one of the men that had come to either take me or most likely the chain from me,” Nick said pulling me close to him.

  “That bitch, how dare she,” Ann burst out with anger and added looking at Sam, “Let’s sue the crap out of her.”

  Sam put his arm around his sister and said, “What about the incident in the parking lot?”

  “Mitch is checking that out, but we have no reason to think that it is an isolated incident,” Nick said looking at Sam.

  “Sam, what else did she say about the chain?” I asked softly.

  “A few days before the wedding, I almost lost it when she pestered me to borrow the chain from Nick for the wedding as it would make me look royal and grand,” Sam said looking at me.

  “Why can’t she tell us what she knows? Two families for decades have wondered what happened to this man and if she knows about the chain, then I know she will lead us to the answers we are looking for,” I rasped as tears of anger rolled down my cheeks.

  Nick kissed away my tears and said in a soft tone, “We don’t need her to tell us what happened. We are going to start a new kind of search in India even if it requires us to go to India. I am sure it will be sweeter when we find out what happened for ourselves.”

  “I am so glad she is out of our lives,” Ann said sounding disgusted at Reetu.

  “A lot of t
hings make so much more sense now,” Sam said shaking his head as if in disbelief.

  “Sam, I recommend you change all of your access codes,” Nick said in a firm voice.

  “I did that on Saturday night as soon as I got home,” Sam said laughing and added running his fingers through his hair, “Don’t ask me why.”

  “What do you think the link is between Reetu and the chain?” Ann asked curiously.

  “I am not entirely sure if there is a connection but she knows something that we don’t know,” Nick stated.

  “I am starting to think that the curse on our family is real,” Ann said in shaky voice.

  “Ann, these guys would not have had a sister like you if the curse was real, and the Bhatia family was notorious for not having a girl child in the family. Jasleen was born into the family after two generations of not having a girl.”

  “Meera is absolutely right Ann,” Sam said putting his arm around his sister.

  “One thing is for real,” Nick said in a firm voice and added looking at me, “The Bhatia family holds the burden of lost love. The lost love of Jasleen Kaur Bhatia and RajaRam Vaasi, and I feel like this chain will lead us to resolve the hundred-year-old mystery.”

  “Nick, you should put the chain away in a safe place,” Ann suggested in a soft voice.

  “I am not parting from this chain Ann. We are closer to finding out what happened almost a hundred years ago because I chose to leave the chain on,” Nick declared in a calm voice.

  Ann smiled at Nick and me and said, “You two were destined to be together the day you were born. It’s just amazing.”

  “Yes, it is,” Nick said in a soft voice as he brought his lips to my temple.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Thanks Mitch, that sounds like a plan. Keep me posted,” Nick said talking to Mitch on the phone as he walked into the bathroom later that night.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? I thought you liked my imperial look,” Nick teased when he saw me getting ready to shave his beard.

  “I do, but I want the guy I fell in love with back. I want those dimples back,” I teased and added, “I need you to go shower before I get started.”