The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal

by Adite Banerjie

  Krish watched as emotions flitted across her expressive face. She had listened to him intently and he knew he had been right about her. She was ambitious. He had chosen his bait carefully and yet he wasn’t fully certain that she would bite. He couldn’t help but marvel at the way her golden-brown eyes changed colour with her emotions. One minute they were soft and glowing, the next flashing with flecks of amber. He wondered if they would be chocolate-fudge brown when she was in the throes of passionate love-making. He felt himself going hard and immediately backed off mentally. It wasn’t a good idea to take that thought any further. He needed to keep this relationship businesslike.

  Maya knew he’d glossed over his motives for going through with such a cold marital arrangement. But she wouldn’t press for details. As long as she was in control, there was nothing to worry about. She would never put her personal interests in the hands of a man—definitely not this arrogant devil! She looked at him defiantly and declared, ‘I have a couple of conditions of my own.’

  ‘Let’s hear them,’ he instructed.

  ‘This marriage would be strictly in name only. Or the deal is off.’

  Krish laughed. The soundwaves reverberated inside her, making her feel all warm and fuzzy.

  ‘You mean leave sex out of it?’ Krish’s dark eyes seemed to pick out her body vibrations even before she could. ‘Are you absolutely sure about that?’

  Maya seethed. She wished she could wipe that all-knowing look off his face. If only she didn’t feel this strong surge of attraction for him—but that was her secret to keep. ‘I’m sure you can find a discreet way of taking care of that side of things for yourself.’

  He clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. ‘You haven’t been paying attention, jaaneman.’ Maya was back to worrying her lower lip and Krish leaned across the table to run a finger across her mouth. ‘I’ve told you before that I’m a one-woman guy. And I don’t share what’s mine.’

  Her lips tingled at his touch, even as his words held a deep, velvety promise that made her breath catch. Breathe, Maya, breathe! She pulled away and stuttered, ‘I…I mean it…No sex or the deal is off.’

  The twinkle in Krish’s eyes belied his serious tone. ‘Look, I’m a reasonable guy. Let’s compromise. We can go with your condition for the first couple of weeks and then we will put it up for review. Fair enough?’

  ‘I’m not going to change my mind,’ she warned.

  ‘We’ll see about that. Now, what’s the other condition?’

  Maya grasped at the change of topic like a drowning person to a life jacket. ‘After your project is set up, there is no reason for us to stay married. Say, a year from now, we should file for a divorce.’

  His response came hard and fast. ‘No way! This marriage is for keeps. Once we do the saat pheras, we stay married. For ever. No exit options. Is that clear?’

  Maya stared at him in disbelief. His whole demeanour had undergone a transformation. Gone was the laid-back, sexy charm and in its place was raw, emotion-filled intensity. His eyes burnt with a fiery determination that frankly scared her. If she didn’t know better, she would have mistaken his attitude for possessiveness.

  She couldn’t help but wonder at the irony of it all—here was a guy who was offering her a sham marriage that came with a till-death-us-do-part clause. No exit options. If that was the price she had to pay to gain entry into KD’s world—so be it. She was certain that once she was inside the security barriers on enemy turf, she would find the evidence to bring her father’s destroyer down. That would be her moment of triumph and it would also pave the way for her exit from this sham marriage. There was no way Krish would want to stay married to her once she ruined his father, and there was no other option open to her…She’d made her choice and she would have to live with it. As for the rest, she would leave that to her destiny.

  She picked up the pen that he’d placed on the table along with the legal contract. Grasping it tightly so as not to betray the slight tremor in her fingers, she signed on the dotted line. ‘There, it’s done.’

  Signed. Sealed. Delivered. He relaxed and a wave of accomplishment washed over Krish as he put his signature on the document alongside hers. He had to give it to her. Few women would have had the guts to do what she had done, but then she had nothing to lose. She was on the threshold of a new life—one that was full of promise and opportunities. Honestly speaking, the scales were tipped in her favour. But he could afford to be generous. This deal was his only ticket to freedom. Freedom to lead his life the way he wanted to, without his father breathing down his neck and dictating his every move. As heir to the Dev empire, he would be condemned to live like a puppet on a string.

  Like his mother had. But she had chosen to be a ‘puppet’, out of her love and devotion for a man who had no use for them. Like a forgotten old rag doll, she would be dusted from time to time and brought out to play the role of beloved wife, only to be thrust back to lead an isolated, lonely existence. Despite KD’s repeated rejection of her, she’d never wavered from her chosen path. She had put her faith in the power of her love to transform KD. Sadly for her, that had never happened. And it had taught Krish an important life lesson—love was an overrated emotion that only brought tears and pain in its wake. He’d made sure that it never played a role in any of his relationships with women.

  Sex, of course, was a different matter. And he could feel it in his bones that Maya, despite her desire for a platonic marriage, was attracted to him. He could feel the vibes, the crackle of electricity between them. She could deny it all she liked, but he could read her body language. The way her eyes changed colour—turning soft and liquid—when he touched her. Just the thought of her, all soft, warm and chocolatey-eyed in his arms, was enough to make him hard with lust for her. It wasn’t going to be easy to keep his libido on a leash, but he’d do it until she was ready to concede that a platonic marriage was not what she truly wanted.

  It was a done deal. He leaned back and caught the eye of the waiter, who rushed forward with a bucket of champagne. As the waiter popped the cork and poured the champagne for them, Krish clinked his glass against hers and murmured softly, ‘Congratulations to us.’

  * * *

  The next couple of days were a whirlwind of activity. Krish had arranged a session for her with celebrity fashion designer Ritu Kumar. Maya felt like a Bollywood superstar with a whole team of girls waiting on her, taking her measurements, fussing over her, asking her opinion on fabric, colour, jewellery, lingerie, make-up, accessories. They modelled a mind-boggling array of ensembles for every imaginable occasion that a new bride might find herself in while she sipped on a cooling mango drink in luxurious comfort. She was mesmerised by the elegant Tussar silks, the rich Banarasi brocades, the gorgeous organzas and the splendid chiffons.

  And then came the most stunning piece: the wedding ensemble. The rich red and gold lehenga in gorgeous silk with delicate zardozi embroidery on the blouse was a handcrafted masterpiece. The elegant gold jewellery and the gauzy chiffon dupatta with just a touch of shimmering gold on it added the glitter that could turn an ordinary girl into a princess at her own fairy tale wedding. Maya gasped at the exquisite ensemble. It was perfect for an ecstatic bride starting a new life on a rock-solid foundation of love…not for some faux bride in a made-for-revenge marriage!

  Wardrobe makeovers were no walk in the park. After hours of mixing and matching, endless trials and alterations, a tuck here, a stitch there, Maya finally had a closet full of stunning clothes, accessories and shoes that would put Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor’s trousseau to shame. Next was an appointment at a five-star spa-salon. All the stress melted away as the masseuse massaged her tense muscles with fragrant oils. The aromatherapy worked its magic even as professional hands styled her hair, gave her a facial, manicure and pedicure.

  Her palms and feet were covered with intricate henna tattoos. She smiled enigmatically as the henna artist sighed that the rich, deep colours of the tattoos on her smooth, soft skin were
proof that her groom loved her deeply. As if! She stifled the laugh that burbled up at the thought of her impatient, supposedly besotted groom cooling his heels while she was undergoing the bridal treatment!

  As she emerged from the spa, all aglow and picture perfect, Krish took in his breath sharply. He wanted to whisk her off and make long, languorous, passionate love to this goddess standing in front of him. He fought back his desire to snatch her up right there and then and give her a hard, desire-filled kiss. He didn’t want to feel like this.

  ‘How do I look?’ She twirled, her silky shoulder-length hair falling perfectly around her heart-shaped face, her eyes all sparkly bright.

  She was surprised to see his shuttered look as he curtly said, ‘You look fine. We’re getting late. Come on.’

  Maya took another quick look at Krish’s face as he drove through the traffic. She wondered if he had already begun to regret this whole charade.

  She looked out of the window as they passed by the India Gate grounds, where a few urchins were diving into the pond to beat the heat. She envied their gay abandon and their in-the-moment happiness. It reminded her of the brief periods of joy she had shared with her father. Those rare days when her father’s gentle and fun-loving nature would surface from under the haze of his alcohol-induced gloom. Those were idyllic days—Papa had taken up a job at a local school where he taught eighth graders. When he would return home in the afternoons, they would set off to the riverside. She would swim in the gentle waters while he caught fish for dinner. Later, he would make the most scrumptious meal: rice, fish curry and paayesh, the wonderful rice pudding that she so loved.

  They pulled into the driveway of the five-star hotel where Krish had arranged to meet the Brahmin priest who would conduct the wedding rituals. Krish had already reserved the hotel lawns, which would serve as the venue for the marriage. Maya was surprised to see that the lawns had already been decorated with red and gold silk and papier mâché banners and curtains. The tastefully done decorations contributed to the feel of a traditional wedding mandap even as they provided privacy from prying eyes. As Krish instructed the hotel manager on the arrangements, a portly, shaven-headed Brahmin priest in spotless white dhoti-kurta arrived. The Brahmin handed over a list of items that were needed for the wedding ceremony to Krish before bustling away. Maya sighed with relief. Finally, she could go back to her barsaati and spend a few quiet hours by herself. But she was surprised when Krish led her into the hotel lobby.

  ‘Where to now?’ she asked him in bewilderment as he walked towards the bank of elevators.

  He punched the button and said coolly, ‘Suite number 103.’ As the elevator doors swished open, he offered politely, ‘After you, Maya.’

  Once they were settled in the plush suite and Krish had ordered some coffee and snacks, she turned to him. ‘Do you mind telling me what we’re doing here?’ Krish sank back into the soft leather sofa, an enigmatic expression on his face. Unable to contain her irritation she said, ‘I still have to go back to my apartment, pack my stuff and take care of some urgent chores. So if we’re all done here…’

  She got up to leave but Krish caught her arm and pulled her towards him. She landed on the sofa right next to him as he said, ‘One question at a time, jaaneman. As to why we’re here…We need to discuss logistics.’

  There was a knock on the door and a bell boy walked in bearing all their shopping bags.

  Krish continued, as he tipped the bell boy, ‘It’s just more convenient for us to change into our wedding finery here.’

  Maya nodded, wondering why she hadn’t thought of that herself. ‘So, are we done now?’

  He turned towards her and she felt a frisson of energy zap through her as his thigh touched hers. ‘No, not yet. We still have to work on our story.’

  ‘Story?’

  Krish gave her a sardonic smile. ‘Yes, the story of our whirlwind romance. We don’t want anyone to think our wedding is just a cold and calculating business transaction, do we?’

  The buzz of warmth evaporated in a flash. ‘You mean we need to come up with something that will convince your father?’

  ‘And every member of the Dev family. The minute they hear about our marriage, they will descend on us…and you’d better be prepared. They have interrogation skills that would put hardened cops to shame.’

  Oh God! She hadn’t thought about that. She had been so focused on KD that she had clean forgotten that the Devs would have an army of snotty rich relatives. Feigning sympathy for KD’s misfortune at getting an unsuitable daughter-in-law, they would fawn or fret. The very thought threw up a vision of vultures swooping down on a carcass. And she was the carcass!

  Krish didn’t miss her look of apprehension but he knew she could handle herself. ‘So, any ideas about where we met?’

  Shaking off the vision, which felt like a bad omen, she said, ‘Since you are the ideas guy, why don’t you come up with something? I’ll just go along like the docile little bride I’m supposed to be.’

  Krish rolled his eyes. ‘Docile? You’ll never manage to keep that façade up, so don’t bother.’

  For the rest of the evening they traded plausible situations for their oh-so-romantic meeting and falling-madly-in-love storyline and came up with something that would hold up under the scrutiny of his suspicious relatives. Maya squirmed at the fact that her new life was starting on a foundation of lies and deceit. But then, this was not about her. It was about Papa, whom the Devs had ruined in their lust for power and money. And to get to the truth she would lie till she went blue in the face!

  After brainstorming several alternatives, Krish was finally satisfied with the story they had put together. His phone buzzed. Krish listened for a moment, before he instructed, ‘Come up to suite number 103.’ Within a couple of minutes, Rohan was at the door. ‘Maya, meet Rohan Shetty, who works for me. Rohan, this is my fiancée.’

  Rohan’s handshake was polite and his smile genuine. ‘Pleased to meet you, ma’am, and congratulations.’ Maya smiled stiffly.

  Krish turned to Rohan. ‘Have you brought the stuff that I asked you to?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ He placed a leather case on the coffee table. ‘It’s in there…’

  Krish instructed Rohan to pick up Maya from her house the next morning before dismissing him. And then, as Maya looked on curiously, he took out a little jewel box from the case. An exquisite diamond ring sat inside—a delicate cluster of sparkling diamonds encased in a platinum band.

  Krish slipped it on her ring finger. A little fazed, a little overwhelmed, Maya looked into Krish’s face and caught something soft, something warm in his deep, dark eyes.

  ‘This belonged to my mother.’ His voice was husky with emotion and he looked at Maya with warm, fuzzy eyes. But within seconds the warmth disappeared, replaced by a determined look. ‘I expect you to honour this ring and the lady who wore this before you.’

  The ring felt strange on her finger. For the last two days, the preparations for her new life had an unreal, almost dreamy quality about them. It was almost as if it were happening to somebody else and she was just a bystander who was swept away in the craziness of wedding preparations. After the awe came the shock—there was nothing fairy-tale-like about her situation. The cold clasp of the ring quickly brought her back to reality.

  As he took his hand away from hers, she felt the loss of his warmth. He was again his usual self. ‘Time to go home,’ he suggested. ‘Tomorrow is a big day. You’d better get your beauty sleep.’ Maya rose from the sofa, suddenly feeling tired. The day’s events had wrung out her emotions and she longed to lie down in her own bed, disconnect from the world and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Krish suddenly pulled her towards him, close. Too close for comfort. ‘I hope you’re not having second thoughts about going through with this, Maya.’

  She could feel the blood coursing through her veins, pumping energy into every tired cell in her body. She pulled away and her voice was cold as she waved her ringed fing
er at him insolently. ‘The deal is done and I have this as a reminder, do I not?’

  ‘Make sure you don’t forget it. Let’s go then, my lady of illusions.’

  On the ride back home, Maya pondered over the irony of Krish’s words. Lady of illusions he’d called her. She definitely had none. The time for second thoughts too had passed. During the last four years she’d dreamt up different scenarios about how she would avenge her father but never had she imagined that her life would take such a strange turn. In less than eight hours she would enter the home of her enemy as his daughter-in-law! She’d made her choice and there was no looking back. There were bound to be consequences for the path that she’d chosen but now was not the time to think about them.

  Krish cut the engine outside her house and turned to her. ‘Rohan will pick you up at eight forty-five a.m. Sharp. I’m not one of those who subscribes to Indian Standard Time. So make sure you are ready to go when Rohan arrives, please.’

  She ground her teeth at his bossiness, got out of the car and banged the door shut. ‘Goodnight.’

  Krish responded with a sardonic ‘Sweet dreams’ before turning the car around and whizzing past, leaving a trail of dust and leaves in his wake.

  Maya trudged up three floors to the barsaati that had been home to her for the last four years. No sooner had she unlocked the door than a hot blast greeted her. Even with the cooler working at full speed, the walls of her room were as hot as the insides of a furnace. There would be no sleep for her tonight. She might as well pack her stuff and keep everything ready so that she could just hand over the key to the landlord before Rohan came to pick her up. ‘Sweet dreams?’ As if! Life had never been dreamy or sweet for her. And it seemed as if it was going to get a whole lot more nightmarish, given the challenge that she had set herself up for.