by Kamy Chetty
Arranged By The Stars
By
Kamy Chetty
Cover Design by: T’heniel Chetty
Edited by: Nas Dean
Copyright © 2014 by Kamy Chetty
Smashwords Edition
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of author, Kamy Chetty.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.
Kindle Edition :ISBN 978-0-473-29402-1
EPUB: ISBN 978-0-473-29401-4
PDF: ISBN 978-0-473-29403-8
iBook: ISBN 978-0-473-29404-5
Soft Cover: ISBN 978-0-473-29400-7
Table Of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
About The Author
Discover More Books by Kamy Chetty
Arranged By The Stars
Kamy Chetty
Do the stars really determine our destiny?
Scandalised ex-beauty queen, Ashwariya Kapoor will marry by arrangement. It’s a matter of honour and duty. The families have decided. Now the wait is for alignment of the stars and the wedding can proceed. But is it meant to be?
Billionaire Doctor Kieran Kanna doesn’t fix people. He works with software. So when his father takes ill, he faces his greatest fear. Working with people. Add to that, his not-so-bright idea of having a fake fiancé—Ash—to face the woman he walked out on … it’s bound to be a Bollywood drama.
The undeniable heat between Ash and Kieran goes beyond the cosmos. So is it possible for the stars to be wrong? Or can the stars change if the right person comes into your life?
About the Author
There hasn’t been a time in her life that Kamy hasn’t been writing or dreaming up some magical story. As an avid reader, it wasn’t long before she realised the characters living in her head were not normal and not everyone wrote and directed imaginary plays during boring history classes.
Originally from South Africa, Kamy now lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her family. Her two teenagers make her proud every day and keep her grounded, the two dogs keep her sane when nothing makes sense. She loves to hear from her fans so please do write to her.
She can be found at:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Acknowledgements
In everything we do in life, we don’t always succeed. We sometimes get things wrong and sometimes we make mistakes. The important thing is to own those mistakes and do better next time. So I want to acknowledge all the people who have helped make this book possible. To the writers I have read and have empowered me with the knowledge that has helped me continue writing. To the editors who have rejected manuscripts and told me why the book didn’t work. You showed me a way to fix it.
To the many readers who have liked my work and have encouraged me to keep writing, I write for you.
For Shalene Nandlall, my first fan and my best fan. This one is for you.
To my editor Nas Dean, who continues to bring out the best in my writing, and keeps me on track. Nas—you are amazing in every way, I can never thank you enough.
This one is for you Dad.
The man who loved me unconditionally and has always believed I was capable of more than I ever imagined. Love you always.
Chapter One
Kieran Kanna snapped the blue velvet box closed, as the waitress peered over his shoulder for the fourteenth time. Cupping the back of his neck he massaged the thick cord of bulging muscle. He could name ten places he would rather be. This was not one of them.
The waitress brushed back her thick black hair as she settled her curious green gaze on him. She tapped the notebook with the pen she held in an impatient rhythm. “Are you ready to place your order now, Dr Kanna?” Her hand moved and before he could stop her, she fingered the box he’d left on the table. “I could come back if you’re waiting for someone.”
He couldn’t tell if she was sympathetic or curious. Like she’d pushed a button below his skull, the area between his shoulder blades tightened. The last four days of avoidance were at an end. Luxury hotels in Goa with ex-beauty queens to wait on you, was a good place to hide, but life always caught up with you in the end.
“My usual please.” Her lips lifted in a bemused smile and he had to wonder why an ex Miss India would be waiting tables at a posh hotel.
“Can I get you anything else, sir?” she asked.
Was it five years ago or six? Something about a crooked judge. He’d been living in London for so long that Indian news didn’t usually matter, but that time it did. When she prompted him, he lifted his chin. “No. You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”
She filled his water glass and a drop spilled. She ignored it, not her usual behaviour. On a scale of one to ten, she rated a twelve as a meticulous waitress.
“Sorry Dr Kanna, but that is one of the oldest pick up lines in the book. I will get your order and maybe you should work on the proposal,” her gaze went to the blue box.
Kieran placed his hand over the box and squeezed tight. If only she knew the story behind this box. He grunted acknowledging the overstepped boundary.
The hotel restaurant was cool and air-conditioned, which was a requisite for the humid weather in Goa. He tugged at the tie he wore and swore softly. He should have changed into something more comfortable. His phone buzzed and he curled his fingers to hide the slight tremor as he answered.
The only words he heard were: Kieran. Your father. Hospital.
Words he had been expecting for six months, but preparation in this instance was not necessarily a good thing. Without thinking he took his jacket from the back of the chair, and rushed out of the restaurant. Guilt burrowed into his insides. He should have known something was wrong. His first stop should have been his parents’ home. What he shouldn’t have been doing was hiding out like a coward, gathering courage to face his old life again.
He barely remembered the ride to the hospital. There were so many things he could have done better. Like he could have been home more. Helped his father more. Been more of a son and less of a failure. Maybe if he’d came home earlier, three weeks ago when his father had asked him to.
He rushed into the hospital and went straight into the intensive care unit. He knew to expect the worse. He was a doctor but it was always different when it was one of your own and that never changed.
Kieran stood at the door and watched his mother as she sat by his father’s side. She looked tired. Different, and a lot older. His hands curled into tight fists at his side. Was he to be blamed for this?
He knew what to expect. His father was in a serious but stable condition. Doctor speak for, we don’t know how this will play out but we’re hoping for the best.
“Kieran, beta, you’r
e here,” Julie Kanna noticed her son and her eyes filled with tears as her arms reached out for him. “Your Papa will be so pleased.”
“Ma.” His throat choked up and he couldn’t say anything more.
He’d been avoiding his parents for so long that all the hurt inside was too fresh and he was scared it would break him. He held onto her until she pulled away from him to kiss his cheeks.
“It’s okay, you’re here now. How was your trip?” she wiped her eyes with the end of her sari.
Unable to lie to her, he took hold of his father’s hands and kissed them. How could he tell his parents he’d been here for a few days and couldn’t face them? “What happened, I thought he was doing better?”
It had been at least a year since he’d seen his parents, but his father looked different, smaller as he lay there in that hospital bed. Anil Kanna was never a man who could be considered small by anyone’s standards.
“A few weeks ago he had a mild heart attack and the doctor told him to take it easy.”
The muscles in his neck tightened and squeezed painfully. A few weeks ago he was opening another branch of his business in Brussels. “Mild heart attack? You didn’t tell me.”
“You were away and your father hates interrupting your work. He was going to tell you in person when you came for the meeting.” The brave face she tried to put on wasn’t fooling him.
His father’s tired figure lay on the bed. He was a little too still, causing him to move closer so he could make sure he was breathing. He turned to his mother, looking for the tell-tale sign that would tell him there was more to this than she told him. In his gut he knew his father wasn’t resting. “How long has he been unconscious?”
The smell of hospital was strong and made him realise how long it had been since he’d been in a clinical setting. He wasn’t used to this queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. “You should have called me.” His father’s hand was cool when he touched it.
His mother rubbed his shoulder. “You’re here now. That’s what’s important. Your father will be so pleased that you’re here to take care of the clinic.”
Kieran’s fists clenched until his nails scraped his palms. That’s exactly what he didn’t want to do. His eyes closed briefly as he thought of a solution. This shouldn’t have happened to his father. He should have been closer, known what was going on with his family. How was he going to tell them he wasn’t the best choice to run the clinic?
“He should’ve called when he had the heart attack. I could’ve arranged for a doctor to relieve.” He sat beside the older man. Growing up his father had been so larger than life, now he looked like a shadow of his former self. What had happened since he’d last seen him?
“He knows how important your business is. Your father would hate to take you away from your work. For a while, he had Latha to help him out.” She held his hand in hers.
Kieran slowly pulled his hand away as he watched the monitor above his father’s bed. This was his fault. He made himself unavailable. He hadn’t flinched at the mention of Latha’s name. Now was not the time to find out why she wasn’t here or why she hadn’t taken over the clinic.
The tap at the door made him turn and he recognized the well-known cardiologist, from his photo in medical journal articles. He rubbed his right arm as a sensation of pins and needles flickered like a low current along his arm.
Julie stood and greeted the doctor and then introduced him as the cardiologist in charge of his father’s care.
The long explanation the man gave came down to one thing. His father was in critical condition and needed surgery. He wasn’t strong enough to have it now as he had a fever, but if he were to survive this, then he needed to have surgery.
“Ma, why didn’t he have the surgery before, when this first happened?” the muscles in his neck tightened and he reached over to massage away the discomfort. There would be no convincing his mother of the right thing to do. Like a dutiful wife she would go along with her husband, and never question his decisions.
“He had some urgent business to take care of. He thought he could have medication until things settled.” Julie clutched her husband’s hand and looked from the cardiologist to her son stubbornly.
The cardiologist made a few notes in the chart. “We will monitor him closely and as soon as his fever breaks, I will speak to the anaesthetist. He needs this surgery urgently. I can tell you with certainty that the drugs we give him will not be as effective as going in and getting rid of that clot while restoring blood supply to his heart.” Before he left, the cardiologist had one more comment that hit Kieran with a bolt of reality.
“Your father is in a critical condition and there is not much we can do but wait. That is not new information to you. Make the best of this time and be prepared of what is to come.”
Kieran’s arm grew numb and no matter how much he rubbed, the dead sensation was impossible to deal with. It had been years since he’d felt that dull ache in his arm, which surprised him. That feeling was only there when he tried to practice medicine. Kieran watched his mother pace a path in the small room and he leaned against the wall. He was a stranger in this room.
Julie brushed her husband’s hair off his forehead and turned to her son.
“Kieran, don’t worry. You are here now, and everything will be okay.” Her gaze held the adoration only a mother who believed she had a God for a son would have.
He met his mother’s gaze and dropped his chin. His father might not recover and his mother would have to face that fact. Fast. There was no miracle cure and the next twenty-four hours would be crucial.
Kieran looked around the modest hospital room finding the air thick and stale. The room was too white and without that hint of colour, it was too overpowering. Although the monitors were placed on shelves, so the medical staff could easily access them, the cords hung down like overgrown weeds waiting to be clipped on a humid summer’s day.
The reality of this situation, made his shoulders slump. Kieran shut his eyes, as the room embalmed him with its sounds and smells. It was all too real now that he was here.
With tired hands he rubbed at his face. It was time to step up and do the right thing. It was time to run the clinic even though it was his worst nightmare. He couldn’t possibly fail his father this time. Not when it was his fault he hadn’t seen this coming.
He took his father’s hands in his and kissed him on his forehead. “Papa, I won’t let you down.”
His mother tsked as she stood next to him. “He is going to be fine and it will only be for a while. You will manage with the clinic though, won’t you? If only Latha were here it would have been so much better.”
The question stung. A lot. “I can manage, Ma.” Kieran’s voice softened.
He’d given up practicing medicine because of his failure. His insides raw from the friction of emotion, he hadn’t been ready for the full impact of his mother’s words. He couldn’t blame her for asking the question, after all he never told his parents why he chose a different path than the one he’d dreamed of all his life.
With a leaden heart he turned to leave the room.
“Excuse me, Dr Kanna?”
He wasn’t ready to see the high-heeled waitress with the dark hair standing in front of him. For a moment he forgot about what lay ahead, and remembered instead how green those eyes got when they sparkled.
He couldn’t understand why she stood with both her hands on her hips, giving him a narrowed glance that could only belong to a diva. He shrugged and the corners of his mouth turned up. Who knew walking out on a coffee bill would get him into this much trouble?
Chapter Two
“This is not the time. Couldn’t you have charged it to the room?” Kieran Kanna’s head lowered and she barely heard his next words. “Silly girl. Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”
Silly girl, my bloody— Kicking her temper into gear, Ash flung out her arm, palm side up with the blue box nestled safely in it. “I thought you mig
ht miss this, so I cut my shift short, probably lost my job so that I could return it to you. So yes, I thought you might be in the middle of something,” her gaze went beyond him and into the room. “Just not this.” He let out a small huff and had the decency to look apologetic.
She froze to the spot realising this was not a marriage proposal he’d been planning and she’d walked into something a lot more serious. She took a step back and the icy gaze from him made her stop. Another look around the room made her want to apologise and leave. Inside the room were an older couple, had to be his parents. The man who was an older version of the man in front of her was ill. She jumped when the monitor beeped and Kieran dropped his gaze. As the seconds became more uncomfortable Ash scoured the room looking for another way out.
The woman who had to be Mrs Kanna gave her the top to toe look before sending her quizzical gaze to her son. “I know you. You’re Ashwariya Kapoor, I’m correct, aren’t I?”
Ash knew better than to cringe or deny her past. Everyone in India knew her. If they knew her then most likely they would know the scandal that followed her. Her lips thinned and she straightened her spine. “Yes, I am. Pleased to meet you.” She didn’t extend her hand for the niceties, which was a good thing because silence was all she got in return.
Kieran Kanna came closer, and tugged at that too tight tie that she often had the urge to pull off. The what-are-you-doing-here gaze he tagged her with made her realise how inappropriate this visit was.
She had no right to be in this room when his father was so obviously ill. “I’m sorry.”
“Kieran, why is she here?” the older woman spoke in a husky whisper.
Pushing her hair off her face, Ash wished she had thought this through. The room was getting stuffy. As inappropriate visits went this was in her top five. She thought about the blue velvet box in her hand and then looked at the three people in the room. Definitely not the right time for this. Slowly she backed out of the room, hoping that somewhere there would be a portal that could open up and swallow her.
