The Holiday Affair: A Match Made In Hell Novel

by KASI, MV

  "Gaurav. Stop. Listen to what I'm saying." She looked into his familiar face. The face she had built her girlhood dreams around. "I did love you. I'll probably always have a soft corner for you, owing to the history and memories between us. But over the years, we have grown apart. Please accept it."

  "No. I can't. I want you back—"

  "No. You don't. Think rationally, Gaurav. You only want me back because it's not working out with your current fiancée. Nothing has changed since the last time we have broken up. My work will continue consuming majority of my life for a while. You want someone who is always 'on' and 'there' for you. That girl is not me. It can never be me. There are other girls who are smart and talented, and who have a better work-life balance than me. You'll be happy with someone like them."

  "But I still love you Srishti," he declared with a torn look.

  "You probably do, because we are so used to each other from the past ten years. But you also have a healthy dose of resentment towards me. It will always crop up each time I miss an appointment or refuse to join you to a family gathering or something. I can't keep defending myself and try to make you happy by killing my own needs and ambitions."

  He was quiet.

  "And this guy can? Do you love him?" he asked, not mentioning the name of who the 'he' was.

  It was her turn to remain quiet.

  And then, she answered him truthfully. "Yes. I do love Rana. I know it's too soon. But he makes me happy and he seems to be happy with me too."

  Gaurav looked defeated, but nodded quietly.

  "I want you to be happy too, Gaurav. We all owe it to ourselves. And it's also okay to take time to find the right person."

  "I know," he said softly. "I want you to be happy too Srishti. And if... if...Rana is the one that makes you happy, you should give him a chance. I'm sorry about the scene I just caused."

  Srishti smiled. "I've never seen you act jealous with another man before."

  He sighed. "I guess I panicked. I was miserable with Pinky and my parents are pressurizing me to get married and so I came to you as always to rescue me."

  She smiled. "You can always come to me to rescue you, Gaurav. But just not for marrying you," she teased.

  He laughed softly. "Thank you for not making this hard for me, Srishti. I know I should have defended you and called out Pinky when she spoke that way about you."

  She had let those gossip articles affect her. But not anymore. Rana made her feel confident of herself.

  "That's fine, Gaurav."

  And then she picked up her bag from her desk. "I've got to go. Will you be okay then?" she asked.

  "Yes," he said. "I'll see you...I guess when I see you next."

  She smiled. "Sure. All the best Gaurav," she said.

  "Same to you, Srishti," he said.

  She hurried outside, even though she knew Rana wouldn't be waiting for her outside her office room. He would probably be licking his wounds in private at his home.

  CHAPTER 28

  Srishti arrived in front of Rana's main door and rang the bell several times. Neither did he answer the door nor did he pick up her hundredth phone call.

  Removing her credit card and a pen from her purse, she spent the next few seconds unlocking the door.

  After the door got unlocked successfully, she slipped inside quietly, and locked the door behind her. Climbing the stairs, she went towards his bedroom on the middle floor.

  She hated hurting Rana, but the scene with Gaurav, a while ago, was unfortunately unavoidable. Maybe she could have handled it in a different way. But she didn't want Rana to be inside the room during what she had to say to Gaurav. Even though Gaurav had caused her pain over the years, he deserved the respect of an old friend while she killed all the hope of a possible relationship between them.

  Just as she drew closer to Rana's bedroom, she stopped in front of another room that had the door closed shut. She had known Rana for less than a year, but she knew enough about him to go hunting for him in his media room.

  She tried turning the knob and luckily it was unlocked and she could enter inside.

  There were loud sounds of skin hitting skin as a huge screen showed two players punching the crap out of each other in a boxing game.

  Srishti winced at the bloodied mess she saw on one of the player's faces.

  Probably the one Rana was punching the crap out of.

  "I hope you are not imagining that other guy is me," she said softly.

  He didn't reply.

  She knew he could hear her and even see her, even though he had his virtual game headset on.

  "By the way, your security sucks. You need to invest in a better front-door locking system. Maybe I should place a special order for you to get the security drone installed at your house and not wait for it to be released into the market."

  He still didn't reply.

  She walked towards a cabinet and took out the other virtual headset and placed it on her head. And then with the press of a button, she entered into his virtual world.

  He froze during a mid-punch he was throwing at his opponent, which was now her.

  "Come on Rana, go ahead. Don't stop now," the guttural voice of her persona said.

  Her virtual persona was of a 300 pound muscled man who was half a foot taller than the persona he had chosen.

  Rana's persona didn't reply.

  "I know what I did in my office upset you. And I'm sorry about that."

  It was quite odd and funny to see huge man going towards the relatively smaller man, trying to hold his hand while a rowdy crowd was cheering around them to kill each other.

  The smaller man shoved back the bigger man. "You chose him over me!" He stared up at her, his virtual persona having a tormented look.

  She had designed some of these games and was involved in testing them. So she knew the persona's expressions reflected the player's feeling at that time.

  "I didn't choose him over you. I owed it to him—"

  "I don't know why you bothered coming here. You made your intentions quite obvious that I was just someone to pass time with. Just like you did during our holiday affair. I was fool who kept coming back for more. Not anymore!"

  "That's not true!" the bigger man said, even as the smaller one began walking away.

  The bigger man more or less leaped over the smaller man's back and held him captive. Then he turned the smaller man around to hold him in a bear hug.

  "I did fall for you during our affair. And again when we met as our in our real selves. And it's not just because I thought you were hot. You make me happy. But both the times, I felt I didn't deserve you because I couldn't make you happy."

  The smaller man blinked. "Okay, this is getting really weird with a huge guy looking like he wants to both burst out crying and also jump my bones. Put me down now, so I can pause the game. And let's take off our headsets," he instructed.

  Laughing, she took off the headset and looked at him as he took off his.

  But he didn't smile back. "What's this bullshit you are spouting about you not making me happy?" he asked her seriously.

  She pulled him towards her and kissed him long and sweet.

  "I was scared," she confessed when they pulled apart. "I'm still scared. I know you think it's a non-issue, but I'm worried about you hating me. I love you, but I'm more scared of you hating me than not loving me back."

  "I love you too," he declared, stroking a finger over her temple along her hairline and then over the indentations of her cheeks. "And I can never hate you."

  "You say that now, but you don't really know much about me or all my faults," she said in anguish.

  "I've known you for almost a year. What else do I need to know about you?"

  She stared at his face, trying to read his face.

  "I have goals. And a lot of aspirations that I've worked very hard for. And sacrificed for."

  "Why is that a problem? I've always told you that I love watching you meet those goals. And I want to help you i
n any way I can."

  She shook her head as insecurity began to tear at her again. "Gaurav had told me the same thing, before he realized what the reality of being with someone like me was actually like. And when he broke up with me, I was sad. And maybe hurt. But I was not devastated. And I could continue my life as before. But with you...I know it's different. It's not a very great thing to admit, but, if this thing between us doesn't work out, I know I will not be the same. Ever. You have the power to devastate me."

  He touched her cheek gently. "I won't ever knowingly hurt you, Srishti. I feel equally strongly about you."

  "How are you so sure it'll work out between us? You still don't know all my faults."

  "Hey, they can't be that bad," he teased gently.

  "They are!" she told him. "You are a popular actor who needs to socialize a lot. And I...well I don't spend time with people in our social circle, let alone outside it. I come off as aloof, which is simply a nice word for bitchy. And while I'm not happy that people around me think I'm a bitch, there is nothing I can do about that. I don't have time or energy to make small talk during hundreds of parties or even pretend that I have anything in common with most of them."

  "I know that already. I get it. You are busy, and I'm not asking you to spend time socializing with me while wearing my ring on your finger."

  She paused. "Then what are you asking me?"

  He held her arms. "To give us a chance," he said simply. "To be together for our sakes and not just for our parents or anyone else."

  She saw the look on his face and began to panic again.

  "But I have other faults too!"

  He smiled. "Oh yeah?"

  "Yeah, I'm a bed hog. I've heard couples fight over that on a long run," she said, desperately.

  His smile turned wicked. "You are more than welcome to hog my bed anytime. Is that all?" he asked.

  "No. Wait. There's children!" she blurted.

  "Okay," he said slowly. "What about them?"

  "I've always wanted children. But I don't know if I can have them until I've achieved what I wanted with my company."

  "Hmm...At least you said children, meaning plural. I want more than one too. And I can wait however long you want. I'll be busy for a few years as well, until I cool down and probably do limited assignments when I'm ready to start a family."

  "It's not that simple, Rana. Being a parent is definitely not going to be easy with our goals and schedules."

  "I know parenting is a tough job. Take me for example. I work extra hard to prove to my father that I can succeed even without his encouragement. And you work extra hard even when both your parents have encouraged you. So, no matter what, our kids are going to turn out the way they are meant to be."

  God, how can he make it so easy for her? Why wasn't he demanding terms of his own?

  "Any other things you want me to be aware of? Or can I just go ahead with the next plan of action?" he teased.

  She bit her lip uncertainly. "Also, marriage. I don't know if I'm ready to be tied legally until we are both absolutely sure. We both have a lot of money and we have powerful families who have been friends, and the implications—" He placed a finger over her lips, to stop her from her nervous rambling.

  He smiled. "Baby, take however long you want. But know this, I'm not giving up on the chase. Ever. Expect me to keep proposing you, until I wear you down."

  Her lips wobbled at his declaration.

  And before she could make a fool out of herself by bawling like a baby, his stomach rumbled audibly, due to their missed dinner.

  He swatted her ass. "Okay. Enough chit chat for now. Time for my next plan of action."

  "Ouch! What is it?" she asked him curiously.

  "I'm going to get you naked, tie you up, and then order myself some dinner," he said.

  She burst out laughing."That was your next plan of action? You are such a romantic asshole," she retorted.

  He grinned, and then had to oomph when she launched herself at him.

  "Luckily, I happen to be as romantic as you," she said, wrapping her legs around his waist and her hands around his neck, reminding her of the first night in Kandy when he carried her shirtless on his back.

  "What else are we lucky in?" he asked huskily.

  "Oh a lot. But first, you are going to get really lucky tonight. Really, really lucky," she stressed.

  He smiled, carrying her to his bedroom. "That I will be baby. Tonight. And forever."

  EPILOGUE

  10 YEARS LATER

  Srishti had just arrived at the location where a movie shoot was taking place.

  She was no longer surprised looking at the bustling activity around her. Over the past ten years, she had been to enough shoots, premieres and talk shows to feel the familiarity of it all.

  "Mrs. Bugati, please follow me," a familiar man smiled before leading her inside.

  Yes. She was Mrs. Bugati now.

  When Rana proposed to her again on her thirtieth birthday, she had almost said no. For the tenth time.

  Sometimes it still scared her how incredible Rana was, and she would be terrified that she would screw it up somehow. But he constantly reminded her that this was it. And that he and she were it. Forever.

  In terms of their married life together, she was more than content with how things went on.

  Ten years ago, when they had decided to be together, they also knew that they couldn't be 'on' all the time. Considering how hard they both worked, they didn't have time or energy, to play equally hard.

  They didn't go out on dates to swanky nightclubs, or eat out in fancy restaurants, or even take expensive, exotic holidays like most couples in their social circles. Instead, whenever they were together, they preferred spending time, turning off everything. They cooked simple meals together or went on bike rides together, spending time talking to each other about topics they both enjoyed.

  Srishti's thoughts were interrupted when she felt a tug on her dress.

  "Mamma, where's dada?" a small boy's voice asked impatiently.

  She looked down and smiled at her four year old son, Nitin. Picking him up, she pointed towards the general direction of the sky, from where Rana was expected to land using a parachute.

  "Dada is going to fly down from the sky soon," she said.

  Nitin's eyes danced in excitement. "Can I join him in the next jump?" he asked, literally bouncing in her arms.

  "No! Remember the several talks dada and I had with you both? Whatever you watch on T.V or the movies should not be tried at home when it's not safe."

  "Aww. But when will I get to do what dada does in all the movies? It's so much fun," he whined.

  "Maybe you can try this when you are eighteen...No wait. When you are thirty," she improvised.

  "Thirty! I will be old like you and dada by then!"

  Srishti grinned. "Well, only old people are allowed to perform such stunts."

  While she tried convincing her son to hold off on what she considered as dangerous stunts (although Rana had repeatedly told her that he wouldn't perform the stunts unless they were completely safe), her four year old daughter, Nethra was standing still next to her, taking in her surroundings quietly.

  Sometimes, she still couldn't believe how different the twins were. While Nitin was a daredevil, always getting into various scrapes at school, and wanting to just play outside, Nethra was a quiet little girl. Rana doted on her, and called her his little genius, who was always observing things, asking questions and wanting to build something on her own, few of which were advanced beyond her years.

  For the millionth time, Srishti felt thankful about finally realizing her dreams of having a happy and healthy family.

  She was also thankful to her mother, her aunt and her mother-in-law who had helped her and had given her advices over the years that she totally agreed with, and found very useful.

  "You can have it all. You just can't have it all at once," her aunt had said. And it was quite true.

  Even thoug
h she and Rana had gotten married almost two years after their parents arranged their match, she knew she couldn't think of starting a family, until she knew she could carve out time from her busy work life to dedicate time towards it.

  Both her parents and Rana's parents were quite supportive of their decision to wait.

  Her mother had said, "With every choice you make, you have to sacrifice something, and that's okay. But at the end, you have to have an answer for those choices you made. And make sure you'll be happy with them."

  She was more than happy with her choices. Maybe she didn't start a family at thirty like she had planned when she was a young girl, but it gave her a chance to strengthen her bond with Rana as a wife and a partner, before she became a mother, and her priorities shifted.

  And speaking of priorities, her mother-in-law had a very interesting take on them. "No one can spend a hundred percent of their full potential on just one activity. And if someone is doing that, then they are not leading an interesting life. We all compromise and set priorities. We also have to cope and trust and then rely on others for help. No one can sustain being successful by trying to be a perfectionist or a control freak for a long time."

  When her company grew and stabilized, she was able to delegate some of her work to her trusted executives. And even when the twins were born, she badly needed both her mother's and mother-in-law's help. And they were more than happy to help out with their grandchildren.

  Her thoughts were interrupted again when the crowd broke out in a wild cheer.

  "Dada!" Nitin pointed at the sky excitedly, where a small blue dot was slowly growing larger.

  For the next few minutes, there was deafening cheer and activity as cameras clicked away and people got to see their favorite actor perform his own stunt for a movie.

  As always her heart was thumping both in slight worry and also with an adrenaline rush, until Rana with all his safety gear landed safely, and was covered by a parachute.

  A couple of minutes later, he crawled out and waved at the cheering crowd.

  After signing autographs, he headed towards her.