Trouble Has a New Name

by Adite Banerjie

  If she knew Milee, the pint-sized dynamo, she would be bounding into Rayna’s villa the moment she heard the guests had checked in. Patience was a word that didn’t exist in her friend’s vocabulary. She felt a tad guilty about avoiding her BFF, but she needed to gather her thoughts, figure out just how much she should share with Milee. Or else she would be bulldozed into narrating the sordid story of her HTRB moment. One thing was for sure…she might privately wallow in self-pity but she was not about to throw a pity party for the whole world to witness.

  The two-storey villa was just the right combination of lavish, cosy and comfortable. The living room was spacious and impeccably furnished. The huge French windows opened out to a tiny garden, brimming over with bougainvillea in a riot of colours, frangipani shrubs thick with sweet-smelling flowers and decorative palms. A little white marble birdbath with water tinkling from a landscaped wall comprising rocks and lush foliage completed the serene picture. The couple of bedrooms on the second storey opened out to large balconies offering breathtaking views of the ocean. There was an outdoor Jacuzzi pool at the back, shaded by tall palm trees, and a white picket gate led down a short pathway to the beach.

  Unable to resist the temptation, she ran down to the beach, to dip her feet in the softly lapping waves. She had always loved the sea. There was something calming about the rhythmic sound of water lapping the shore. It soothed away the fears that surfaced every now and then, even though she had shoved them into the deepest recesses of her mind for years now. And she wondered why they had resurfaced today. But she wouldn’t let them breach the dam she had so painstakingly erected over the years. Not now. Not ever.

  She had trained herself to think positive whenever those dark memories threatened to take her down and virtually choke the life out of her. It had taken years of practice to not let them overwhelm her. Slow, tortuous, soul-searing practice. But she had done it. She had learnt to bring up happy thoughts at will.

  She scanned her brain for one such moment and found it when she spotted a pink and orange seashell. It reminded her of the large treasure trove of multicoloured stones and shells she had amassed as a kid. Her collection had grown rapidly, as she spent her vacations at the beach with Dad and Mom. Their constant companion on those holidays had been their beautiful Irish Setter, Oona, who loved to chase the surf and kept them in hysterics with her crazy antics.

  Sometimes Robi Da, her elder brother, would also join them. On their return home, she would meticulously clean out the shells and string them into little jewellery pieces. Sometimes a neckpiece, at times a bracelet, and she had even once made a set of dangling earrings for Mom. She recalled how Dad pretended to be jealous and was pacified only after she had made him a tiepin. She smiled at the memory as she clutched the seashell tightly in her fist and found her way back to the villa.

  Neel was more than satisfied with the wedding arrangements. Everything was on schedule, under control. His decision to hire the street-smart Shiva Mani as the manager of his start-up property had been more than validated. He had first met Shiva when he was a greenhorn in the restaurant business. Shiva had taken on the role of his mentor and patiently taught him the tricks of the trade. Neel had always resolved to hire Shiva once he had set up his own hotel project. And that was exactly what he had done, much against the wishes of the head of HR in his company who believed Shiva would be a misfit in a boutique resort set-up, given his background as manager of a chain of low-priced eateries. Besides, he’d warned Neel that, at fifty-three years of age, Shiva was an ‘old dog who wouldn’t learn new tricks.’ But Neel had never doubted Shiva’s capabilities—he was a hands-on guy, who could make do with the available resources and would not panic at the first hint of a crisis. And he had been right—Shiva had more than lived up to his expectations.

  ‘How’s it going? Everything under control?’

  ‘There was a bit of a flutter when the Princess of Junagadh suddenly decided she wanted bird’s nest soup last night and we didn’t have it on the menu.’ Shiva paused dramatically for effect before adding, ‘But Chef Shilpa rescued the situation by offering her shark fin soup instead. Now, the Princess has declared she needs to have the soup at least once every day for the rest of her stay.’

  Neel guffawed. ‘I can always trust you to find a solution. But you and your team had better be on your toes.’

  ‘Not a problem.’ Shiva beamed. ‘At the last count there were three tycoons, a couple of Bollywood stars and a princess and her entourage and now, of course, there are the VIPs who came with you this afternoon. I have set up a dedicated team to look after their needs.’

  ‘Don’t forget the bride’s and groom’s relatives and close friends are just as important,’ Neel added with a smile. ‘Now I can go back to Mumbai without any worries. But keep me in the loop. Don’t hesitate to call me any time. Day or night.’

  ‘You’re not going to stay for the wedding?’ asked Shiva, a bit surprised, as Neel pushed back his chair and got up to leave the conference room.

  ‘There’s a lot happening in Mumbai. Need to draw up plans for the new property in the Maldives.’

  ‘Congratulations. I didn’t realise the deal had been announced.’

  ‘Not yet. You and Chris are the first to know.’

  Just then, the tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed Englishman, Chris Taylor, strolled into the room. ‘Finally, my partner and best man has arrived.’

  Pulling Neel into a bear hug, he added, ‘You were so right. I’d no clue an Indian wedding could be this crazy. All those rituals and relatives. My head is reeling already.’

  Neel laughed out loud. ‘It will only get worse.’

  ‘You’re kidding, right?’ Chris shuddered, half in jest.

  ‘You’ll find out soon enough. Here’s a bit of advice—just go with the flow.’

  Chris shook his head as he looked at Shiva and said, ‘Shiva, there’s another challenge coming up for you. We have to accommodate a group of four people.’

  Shiva was his cool, unflappable self. He grinned. ‘More relatives from the bride’s side, sir?’

  ‘No more cousins or aunts, thank heavens!’ replied Chris. ‘It’s a TV crew from the LLC and they want to feature our resort as one of the top ten beach destinations in Asia.’

  ‘The Leisure and Lifestyle Channel?’ asked Neel.

  ‘Yes, the very same.’

  ‘Do you think it is a good idea to have a film crew around at this time? Your guests are not going to like it.’

  ‘Can’t be helped. The publicist managed to pull this off with great difficulty,’ Chris said. ‘We just have to make sure the TV crew is as discreet as possible. And you’re going to do that, my friend.’

  Shiva beamed at Neel. ‘Which means you can’t leave for Mumbai today.’

  ‘Leave?’ Chris looked flummoxed. ‘You can’t leave! You’re my best man, for Christ’s sake, and you can’t abandon me to this…this marriage mayhem! Besides, as the co-owner of the resort, the LLC team will have a ton of questions for you.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Chris. Shiva can take care of the team. It’s best if I go back to Mumbai. It would free up one villa for the crew.’

  ‘Trust me, I know how these guys operate,’ said Chris. ‘Shiva already has a lot on his plate and he won’t have the time to tend to the media team twenty-four-seven.’

  ‘Fine. So where do we put them up?’ Neel asked.

  Chris turned to Shiva. ‘Magic man, any ideas?’

  Shiva pulled out a file. ‘One moment, please.’ He scanned the spreadsheet with villa allocations for the guests as Chris paced the room impatiently.

  Neel stood stony-faced, his arms crossed across his chest as he waited for Shiva to pull a rabbit out of his hat. The LLC team’s arrival had definitely put a spanner in the works. While he had no doubt that a mention on one of their shows would be a tremendous PR boost for the resort, he did not relish the idea of being in attendance at a grand wedding. And the thought of bumping into the infuriating Rayna at every tu
rn was only going to make the situation more intolerable. But how could he leave Chris to deal with the demands of a TV crew at his own wedding? As he gazed anxiously at Shiva, he knew in his heart that, no matter how much he hated the whole idea, there would be no escape for him.

  Shiva shook his head after a couple of minutes. ‘Nope. All booked up.’

  Chris interjected, ‘No problem. I shall talk to Rayna right away and request her to share the villa with Neel. Sorry, pal.’

  Neel shrugged in resignation. ‘I don’t mind. But she isn’t here yet. Decided to take the catamaran to the resort.’

  Chris turned to Shiva. ‘Great, so that’s settled. Shiva, please let me know as soon as she gets here.’

  Shiva nodded and left the two partners to discuss business matters.

  Rayna had just walked into the villa when she heard the phone ringing off the hook. She raced to get it, knowing it must be Milee, dying for a chat.

  As soon as she picked it up, a deafening scream floated over the telephone line, ‘Raynaaaaaa!’

  She winced and pulled the receiver away from her ear. ‘Are you trying to strike me deaf, or what?’

  ‘Where have you been? I must have tried your mobile a million times.’

  ‘Yaar, don’t ask. It’s a long story.’

  ‘Tell me, tell me. I’m dying for some gossip.’ And, just as suddenly, she piped up, ‘Hey, the resort staff said you have checked in as a single guest. Where’s your boyfriend? Oh, dear, I have forgotten his name.’

  Rayna wished she could obliterate Sid from her memory banks just as easily. But then life would be too easy, right? ‘Sid’s away on a shoot.’

  ‘What a bummer!’ Milee groaned. ‘This would have been the perfect holiday to kick off your new relationship.’

  Rayna shook her head in exasperation. Milee could be like a dog with a bone at times. She had to gently break it to her friend that Sid had done the text-and-exit act. ‘Milee, we need to do one of our OOO sessions. I have a lot to tell you.’

  ‘One-on-one? Goody!’ exclaimed Milee. ‘My villa or yours?’

  Rayna smiled, getting into the easy chatter she and Milee had used from the day she had moved into the house adjoining Milee’s in the small town of Agra. ‘You decide,’ she said.

  ‘Yours. My place is a madhouse. I need to get away from my sisters, cousins, mamas and maasis or I’ll go stark raving mad.’

  ‘OK, calm down right now. Let’s meet up in fifteen.’

  ‘Too long. Five minutes!’ Milee exclaimed. ‘No, make that two.’

  ‘I need to take a shower, Your Highness.’ Rayna laughed. She looked out longingly at the Jacuzzi, which for some strange reason was swirling and bubbling away. ‘For your sake, I’m willing to forgo a dip in the tempting Ja—’

  She froze in mid-sentence. Emerging from the pool was a bronzed Greek god, with washboard abs and pecs toned to such exquisite perfection they would make the Goddess of Chastity swoon with desire. He walked to the stone bench, turned his back towards her and picked up the towel. Heat unfurled through her as she set eyes on a sexy butt draped in the briefest of trunks, leaving little to her already overactive imagination. Bronzed Greek god here would give John Abraham’s scorching Dostana act a run for his Bollywood billions. The target of her admiration towelled his thick dark hair and turned to face her. Her mouth went dry as recognition slammed through her. OMG! Orange Juice Dude!

  Realising she was still hanging onto the phone, she raised it to her ear. Milee was going hysterical at the other end of the line.

  ‘Hey,’ she said and, before Milee could rage on, added, ‘there is a guy in my villa. Can you tell me what’s going on?’

  ‘Oh, crap! I clean forgot,’ exclaimed Milee. ‘I should have told you earlier, but there’s a slight problem with the accommodation situation. You don’t mind sharing the villa with Neel, do you?’

  Neel. So that was what the Greek god was called!

  ‘Milee, what do you mean?’ She was finding it so hard to focus with Neel’s stunning semi-naked torso just a few metres away.

  ‘C’mon, Ray, it’s not as if you have to share a bedroom. There is more than enough room in the villa. Honestly, if I wasn’t so in love with Chris, I would be hitting on Neel myself.’

  Rayna nearly choked. He was eminently hit-able and that was exactly why she wouldn’t risk sharing the same air space with him. ‘Milee, will you please stop fooling around?’

  ‘Ray, what’s the matter with you? You have a sexy villa-mate, your own boy toy so to speak, and you’re complaining? Consider this my wedding gift to you.’

  She heard Milee howling with laughter and sarcastically bit out, ‘Ha ha! I don’t need a boy toy, OK?’

  The words were out before she could stop them and unfortunately the said ‘boy toy’ was now within hearing distance. His brows arched upwards and he gave her a withering look that made the heat rush to her cheeks.

  ‘OK, you wait for me there. We need to talk,’ she said in a loud whisper before banging the phone down.

  ‘Were you discussing me, by any chance?’ Neel asked as she struggled to regain her composure.

  ‘No,’ she squeaked. Clearing her throat, she asserted, ‘Not that it’s any of your business. It was a private conversation and eavesdropping is simply rude.’

  ‘If you want to have a private conversation, you should keep your voice down.’

  She bristled and decided the situation demanded a change of tactics. Whoever said attack was the best form of defence had got it right!

  ‘You are the one who is intruding, Mister. By the way, don’t you have to get back to Mumbai? Not worried about getting fired? Or couldn’t you resist the temptation of enjoying all this luxury, especially when you don’t have to pay for it?’

  He simply shrugged as his eyes bored down into hers. ‘My turn to say none of your business, lady! Get this straight… You can rant all you want. Fact is, we are sharing this villa and the sooner you get used to the idea, the better for both of us.’

  She tried to keep her eyes from straying to his scandalously sexy chest, speckled with a light covering of dark hair. She was appalled to hear her voice tremble slightly. ‘No way. You’d better make alternative arrangements.’

  ‘Not happening. The resort is chock-a-block with guests. If it outrages your modesty to share the villa with me, you’re most welcome to shack up on the beach.’

  He paused to savour her stunned expression and grinned wickedly. ‘You should try it…it can be quite beautiful under the starlit sky.’

  He turned around and, whistling a jaunty tune, padded up the stairs to one of the bedrooms.

  Incensed, she stormed out, banging the door shut behind her. Greek god or not, she wasn’t about to bow to him in mute obeisance!

  CHAPTER THREE

  FROM THE MOMENT Neel had landed at the island, things had careered out of control. Weddings had a way of getting out of hand, no matter how meticulously you planned them. Or was his own bitter experience with a long-ago, high-society, razzle-dazzle wedding making him so restless? Whatever, he had a nasty feeling this was only the beginning of his troubles.

  Much like it had been seven years ago, when he had, against his better judgement, allowed his mother to arrange a match for him. Papa had left behind a huge financial debt and Meera’s increasingly volatile behaviour only added to their worries. Only twenty-three years old, barely out of hotel management college, and he had had to take charge as the head of the family. He was running ragged—his dreams of going abroad for his studies had been shattered and he’d been forced to take up a low-paying job at a five-star hotel to support the family. As Meera’s condition continued to deteriorate, he’d reached the end of his tether.

  That was when he’d met Pia, daughter of Papa’s closest friend, Ravi Gupta. She had dropped into their dark, grief-streaked lives like a ray of sunshine, full of laughter and fun. Pia and Meera bonded instantly and soon became inseparable. Meera’s tempestuous mood swings began to abate. His m
other believed Pia had worked some kind of miracle. She would breeze in and out of their house at all times of the day and night and his mother started fantasising about her as a prospective daughter-in-law. Her enthusiasm had rubbed off on him too.

  Or maybe he already had a giant crush on Pia, who hadn’t left him in any doubt that she found him attractive. The few times he’d wanted to take her out on a date, she would turn coy. Much to his annoyance, either Meera or one of Pia’s cousins—a guy named Manish—would accompany them on their outings. Yet, for the first time in over a year, he felt carefree and young once more. Not like a man bent over with the responsibilities thrust upon him. But who knew the dreams they had begun to weave around Pia would be shattered so brutally?

  The insistent buzz of his mobile phone shook Neel out of his unwelcome reminiscences.

  ‘Yes, Chris,’ he snapped curtly as he tried to shake off the last vestiges of the memories that clung to him like a shadow.

  The LLC crew had arrived, Chris informed him. ‘Sure, I’ll be with you in two minutes.’

  His jaw tightened at his lack of control. Even after so many years, the memory of Pia bothered him. This wedding was messing with his mind.

  Milee’s villa was a hub of activity. Relatives swarmed all over as they prepared for the ceremonies and rituals. Rayna greeted Milee’s cousins, aunts and uncles, who were delighted to see her and wanted to know what she’d been up to. Finally, her friend rescued her and locked the door to the bedroom. Milee bombarded her with questions at a rapid-fire pace. Getting a word in edgeways would be impossible, so Rayna just let the barrage subside before she said, ‘Are you done? Or is there anything that you haven’t asked?’

  Milee burst out laughing. ‘Oh, Rayna, I have missed you. It’s been so long since we last met.’

  ‘Yes.’ Rayna rolled her eyes as she leaned back against the cushions. ‘Like, ten days ago at your bachelorette party in Mumbai!’

  Milee waved her hands dismissively. ‘Doesn’t count. I was talking about an OOO, not the booze-laced tamasha the party turned out to be.’