by KASI, MV
Embarrassed at getting caught staring at the man, Srishti smiled stiffly at the woman.
"I wish I was young again. I would grab on a man like him and make sure, I'd never let him out of my sights," the older woman said with a dreamy sigh.
If he flirted with every woman like that, then she would definitely need to keep him in her sight all the time, Srishti thought a little meanly.
The thought seemed to startle her.
God, have I really become bitter? Why can't I look at a good looking guy and simply enjoy the scenery, rather than be condescending or snobbish.
She recalled how she used to dream of loving and then marrying a man who was just like her father. Romantic, sweet and considerate.
Gaurav had initially been all of those. But she had taken him for granted and lost him.
Sure, she felt that he should have fought harder for them and not given up so easily.
Well, I don't see you rushing in and trying to win him back in a movie style, her mind taunted.
God, that was true. Because she knew that even if she were to win him back, she wouldn't or couldn't change her lifestyle. She would still work long hours and pursue her dreams. She wanted someone who understood that.
Carrying the shopping bags to the taxi, she continued her journey to the holiday home.
Soon, the taxi stopped in front of a huge two-storied holiday home in middle of a forest. The views around were breathtaking. Even someone like here who was more of a city mouse, couldn't help but gasp at the sheer beauty around her.
As instructed, she found the keys in a small potted plant next to the main door. Opening the door, she went inside, taking in the living room with a large sectional placed in front of a glass wall overlooking the greenery.
The taxi driver placed her bags inside.
"Do you need taxi services during your stay madam?" he asked.
"No. I don't," she replied.
"I don't intend to go out anywhere," she said.
"Ah... I see. I'm leaving my card here, just in case you do need taxi services," he said, placing a card on a coffee table.
Thanking him and giving him a generous tip, she closed the door shut after he drove away.
It was mid afternoon already, and she felt really tired and sleepy. Somehow she managed to drag her luggage upstairs into a closet and take a quick shower before crawling into one of the four bedrooms on the top floor.
She remembered that she had promised her mother she'd call after she reached the holiday home. But her eyes refused to cooperate and remained shut.
I called her from the airport. She'll know I'm okay.
With that last thought she slid into a deep sleep.
CHAPTER 9
Rana returned to the holiday home in the evening. Parking the tuk tuk in the front, he carried the groceries inside the house.
He felt quite refreshed after spending most of his afternoon and evening lazing around and boating in a lake.
It's already been two weeks since he had arrived to Kandy, but it felt like he just got there and wanted his holiday to last longer. He could almost get used to living such a leisurely life with nothing and no one to worry him.
As soon as he finished loading the groceries in the fridge, he began cooking a simple meal for himself. The home had come with a caretaker option, but not wanting to risk being identified or wanting to converse too much, he had sent the caretaker away.
After he was done, he was just about to sit down for dinner, but he paused when he heard a creaking sound from upstairs.
He didn't quite know what it was, but he heard that sound again. Leaving the dinner uneaten on the table, he got up and grabbed a cricket bat that was placed in the living room closet along with other sports accessories.
He saw that the main door was closed shut and nothing was missing from the living room. He began to head upstairs where the four bedrooms were located.
First, he went into the room he occupied.
Turning on the light, he noticed nothing odd or missing. Apart from some cash in the local currency, he didn't carry anything valuable.
Turning off the light, he headed towards the other rooms located on the other side of the stairs.
As soon as he opened the door on one of the bedrooms, he could smell a faint subtle perfume.
A woman's perfume.
Shit. Did that psychotic female trace me to back here?
He turned on the light and saw a small lump under the bed covers. That lump was moving about restlessly on the bed, causing it to creak.
Barging towards the bed angrily, he dragged the bedcovers away.
Only to be shocked.
And then disappointed.
It wasn't Sweety Reddy which was a relief. But he was shocked that it was the woman he had seen earlier in the store.
When he saw her that afternoon, he had felt an instant attraction towards her along with a strange feel of familiarity. And so, even though he was supposed to lay low, he tried to talk to her and find out where she was from. But unfortunately, he had tried too hard, and she blew him off immediately, making him even more intrigued.
But now, he was disappointed that she turned out to be another psychotic fan like Sweety Reddy. It was a shame. Because even though she had looked like an uptight woman in her three piece business suit, she was gorgeous. Her body language had screamed at him to keep away and she warned him to not talk to her. But he couldn't help himself.
Even now, after knowing she was an overzealous fan looking to score with him in an innovative way, he couldn't help but look at her and be fascinated by her.
She was curled up on the bed with a sleep softened face and in what appeared to be just a simple cotton night suit. Which was odd. Since most of the overzealous fans slipped into his trailer or hotel rooms wearing the sexiest of lingerie.
Hardening his shaking resolve towards the woman on the bed, he decided to do what he normally did with such females. Kick them out of his bed.
"Hey! Wake up. Time to get out of here," he said tiredly.
For once in his life, he wished he met a normal female he was naturally attracted to. And not such weird females who played elaborate games and wanted to use him to score and brag about to her friends.
The woman on the bed didn't stir. She was pretending to sleep or was really asleep.
He shook her shoulder and shouted, "Wake up!"
The woman slowly opened her eyes and blinked, smiling at him sleepily.
Oh shit. With her dimples, she looked even more gorgeous. Really such a shame she turned out to be a psycho.
"Look lady, I don't know how you found me. But I'm really not interested to—"
Before he finished, she let out a blood curdling scream and scrambled up the bed.
"What the hell?" he asked, wincing and covering his ears with his hands.
She was still screaming and was also looking around for something.
Rana felt irritated.
"Stop! You are going to burst my eardrums," he commanded her.
Instantly she stopped the screaming. Now instead of panic, her expression turned to that of anger. She lunged towards him, and snatched the bat from his hands, and held it up over her head in a threateningly manner, using both her hands.
"How dare you break into my room! Have you been following me, you bum! Don't think I will be an easy target for you. I'm going to crack open your bloody skull!" she exclaimed and moved towards him.
He frowned at her display.
"Yeah. Yeah. I've heard this before. So you don't have to put on an elaborate act," he said tiredly.
"You did this before!" she shrieked in outrage.
He sighed tiredly. "Look, I appreciate the enthusiasm for such a different approach. But I'm too tired. Just do as I say." He wanted her gone so he could have dinner and relax with his games.
"What!"
"I'm requesting you to listen to me and—"
Before he could complete the sentence, she swung the bat on his he
ad and it hit him quite hard.
"Son-of-a—" Before he could complete his curse, she swung again.
This time, he was prepared. He held both her arms.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he demanded.
"Breaking your damn head so you would lose conscious or die," she hissed viciously, struggling hard to pull away from his grip.
"Lord save me from such crazy females," he muttered as he tried to pry the damn lamp away from her hands using his free hands. But she clung to it way to tightly.
"Let me go!" she screamed.
Meantime the phone on the night stand rang, interrupting the tussle.
Letting go of the bat, but still holding both her hands, he answered it.
"What?" he barked.
"Uh oh, you don't sound that relaxed. How is your holiday going?" his cousin asked.
"Super. Another crazy female ambushed me here and this one is even trying to crack open my skull as a foreplay apparently," he grated out as the woman struggled even more.
"What?" his cousin asked laughingly, thinking it was a joke. "Okay. I won't interrupt you in whatever bedroom games you are in middle of, but I wanted to let you know that the investigation so far is looking positive. We found two ex-boyfriends of Sweety Reddy who will vouch that she was similarly obsessed with them before they broke up with her."
"Great," said Rana in a dry tone.
"Just lay low big guy. I'll see you in two more weeks," his cousin said before hanging up.
Sighing tiredly, he placed the phone receiver back and turned back to the woman.
She had stopped struggling and was staring at him oddly.
"Now what?" he asked.
"Are you staying here in this place?" she asked in an uncertain tone.
"Yes. For the duration," he replied.
"But...but..." she fumbled and then shaking her head as though getting rid of any sleep or cobwebs from her brain, she stared at him with a frown.
"You are the caretaker?" she asked.
He frowned as he thought that there was the slightest of possibility that she wasn't a frenzied fan, but rather a tourist who ended up at this house due to a reservation mix up. Abhinav had told him that the place wasn't listed for visitors yet.
"Hold on," he said, letting go of her hands. Then keeping a wary eye on her so she wouldn't attack him again, he called up the agent who had booked the place for him.
"Good evening, Mr. Rahul, how may we help you? I hope you are enjoying your stay at our—"
"Can you check whether the place has been booked," he asked.
"Of course it is. Mr Sethi, our property manager had specifically put in a request on behalf of you to book the entire holiday home—"
"I said, check!" Rana growled out.
"One moment sir," said the man.
Then less than a minute later, "Uh...Mr. Rahul. I don't know how this has happened. This place wasn't supposed to be listed. But there is a reservation made by one Miss Sapna Kumar. Please don't mention this to Mr. Shah. I'll figure this out. I'm new here and—"
"Fine. I won't mention anything. I'll call you back," he said and ended the call to stare at the woman.
"Okay, Miss...Sapna Kumar, I guess there has been a mix up. So I believe you. You didn't break in," he said.
"How generous of you to believe me," she snapped at him.
He sighed again. "Look, I wasn't prepared for anyone to be—"
"That's fine. I should have mentioned that I don't really require your services."
"Oh?"
"I know it's late. But I'll pay you for the trouble if you can leave right away."
"No. "
She watched him with narrowed eyes.
"Listen to me and think about it, properly. I'll offer you double the amount you'd make if I would have availed your services for this place for a week. But you'll have to leave in the next few minutes," she offered again.
He paused. But not for the reason she might be thinking. Something about her assumptions rubbed him the wrong way.
"What makes you think I'll jump at the chance to take your money even if I haven't earned it?" he asked.
An uncomfortable looked flashed on her face, before she shrugged.
"I'm assuming most people wouldn't turn down a chance to make some quick money without doing anything illegal for it," she said, eying his faded t-shirt and ripped shorts.
Okay, now he was obviously pissed with her assumptions.
"Wow. You have such good worldly knowledge of people like me," he remarked with slightly widened eyes as though he was shocked.
She looked uncomfortable again, but she was distracted when her stomach rumbled audibly.
"Also, before you leave, if you can pick up or order some dinner for me, I'll pay you extra for that effort too," she offered.
Gorgeous or not, she was getting onto his nerves with her snobbish and queenly attitude. He wasn't her freaking minion, even though he hadn't told her that he wasn't the caretaker.
She headed towards the closet and pulled out her purse. Then lifting her large eyes towards him, she turned abruptly, until her back was facing him.
The damn woman apparently didn't trust him or want him to see how much money she carried.
"Here," she said, placing a bundle of cash in his hands. "The rest of it I'll have to draw out from a bank tomorrow, since I don't carry valuables or much cash when I travel," she said pointedly.
He almost rolled his eyes at her show. She would make a miserable actor.
"I'd like to try the local food. And spicy is fine," she told him before disappearing into the bathroom and shutting the door.
Crumpling the cash in his hands, he walked out of the room and headed downstairs, muttering, "Damned spoiled brat women."
His own stomach was rumbling with hunger too. He wanted to eat before he could think of anything.
He definitely couldn't kick her out without raising suspicions. So he needed to figure out a way to convince her to find another place, or find another place for himself.
CHAPTER 10
Brushing her teeth and freshening up, Srishti went downstairs, hoping the man had ordered or already picked up some decent food. Her nap had refreshed her, although she still felt slightly groggy. But the past week had been quite hectic and she had been missing on a good sleep for a while.
As she went downstairs, her stomach growled again with the smells emitting from the kitchen.
"Ohhh you had already cooked," she said in surprise, looking at the vessels in the sink.
He didn't reply. He was filling a jug with water.
She sat on a chair which had a plate placed in the front. Then taking a generous portion of the fragrant rice and curry, she began to eat.
She knew she was being a pig, eating like she hadn't eaten a while—which was true because since the previous day's lunch and a light snack on the flight, she hadn't eaten anything else.
"This is quite good. You are quite a decent cook," she complimented as she took her third serving.
"I'm glad you approve," he said drily and began to serve the leftover food in his plate. "I better get to it before it's all gone," he muttered, taking the seat opposite to her.
"You weren't kidding when you said you eat a lot. You seriously intended to eat all of this for dinner?" she asked.
"Look who had been paying attention to me at the store," he said, raising an eyebrow, reminding her of how she had put on an act earlier, as though she was ignoring him.
When she didn't look embarrassed like he probably expected her to, he sighed, "No. I cooked for two days. It was supposed to last me for tomorrow as well."
"Hmm. Good thing you made enough then. Because by tomorrow you'd have to carry this food over to some other place," she said.
He didn't reply.
"Is this a local dish?" she asked as she bit into a piece of shrimp cooked along with a spicy vegetable curry.
"Yes," he replied.
Five minutes later, she push
ed back her chair with a satisfied sigh and got up.
"I really appreciate your help. By the way, you don't have to clean up. I'll clean this up in the morning," she said.
"Thanks," he said drily.
She headed back upstairs to call her parents to let them know, she had arrived safely.
***
Almost an hour later (Most of the calls with her parents were that long), she ended the call, promising to enjoy her holiday.
She wondered if the man had left.
"Hello," she called out loudly.
There was no response.
Maybe he left. She hadn't paid him in full, so he'd probably be back in the morning.
"Hello, uh...you there?" Crap, I didn't even bother to ask his name.
She couldn't recall it either. The women at the store addressed him by his name. So he must be known to the local people.
Did he really leave without telling her?
She went outside towards the rest of the bedrooms to check. Two were empty.
The other one which was away from the remaining bedrooms had the door closed.
She knocked on the door and when there was no answer, she opened it slowly.
There were clothes strewn about a large bedroom and two large travelling bags placed next to a wall. The bedroom was obviously the master bedroom. There was a huge glass, covering almost the entire wall. It must be overlooking the same view she could see from the living room below when there was light.
When she had arrived, she had been so tired that she simply picked the first available bedroom she saw. But now, she was irritated that he was still currently occupying the master bedroom and hadn't left.
Through her irritation, she realized that the water was running. The door was left open slightly. She marched towards the bathroom and called out. "Hey...you..."
There was no reply.
Irritated that he was ignoring her, she opened the door slightly wider.
The entire bathroom was filled with steam, with barely any visibility. She was about to step back, but her eye caught the sight of a large mirror towards the right, that wasn't covered by the steam. And in the mirror, she had a good enough visibility to the shower cubicle on the opposite side.