Maya bristled. ‘I don’t want to step on any more toes than I have to. I would rather keep out of his way.’
‘You needn’t worry about that…He will be busy with a business delegation from overseas.’
‘That’s settled then.’ She pursed her lips and looked away.
As the car ate up the miles, the distance between them grew steadily. Maya knew that she should be elated by the opportunity that had just been handed to her. And yet the thought of following through on her plans filled her with dread. Once she took that road, there would be no looking back.
It was with relief that she saw the Doon airport come into view, if only to get away from the conflicting emotions that threatened to drive her crazy.
Rohan escorted them to the tarmac, where a private jet was ready for take-off. Krish handed over the car keys to him. ‘Who’s driving my car back to Delhi?’
‘KD has deputed his personal chauffeur for the job.’
A smiling air hostess took over from Rohan and showed them to their seats inside the plush private jet. It could have been a lavish conference room, complete with a large flat-screen TV, wide comfortable seats covered in cream-coloured leather upholstery and pull-out desks for notebooks and computer gadgetry. As soon as the aircraft took off, the hostess was back with refreshments.
Krish was at his politest best with Maya, though his body language made it clear that he would be happier if he didn’t have to breathe the same air that she did. After the plates were cleared away, the hostess reappeared with a chocolate truffle cake.
Maya stared in shock at the frosting on the cake: ‘Happy Birthday Krish!’ She sucked in her breath sharply. Cold fingers clamped around her heart like a steel vice. If she needed any proof of just how unimportant she was in Krish’s life, this was it. Her eyes stung with unshed tears.
Krish looked irritated at the fuss that was being made but went along with the cake-cutting ritual in as businesslike fashion as possible.
Rohan turned to her, all bright-eyed and eager. ‘Maya, you must feed him a piece of cake.’
Hurt ricocheted through her and her mind protested at this mockery of a celebration. She moved closer to Krish and whispered in his ear. ‘Happy Birthday! It would be best if you give me a list of important dates like this one in future. Or else people might get the wrong idea about us.’
If looks could kill, she would definitely be dead!
‘Rohan and I have some business matters to discuss,’ he said in an icy-cold voice. ‘You might like to rest in the adjoining cabin. If you need anything, the hostess will help you.’
Summarily dismissed! His rejection slammed through her like a body blow. Forcing her stiff limbs to carry her towards the cabin, unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. She dropped into the soft cream cushions, resisting the urge to let the tears flow, to let her pain out. How had she got it so wrong? The thought of his tenderness last night felt like a knife stab deep within her. She’d been so desperate to believe that what they shared would be just as important to him—that theirs was a meeting of the mind, body and soul. How pathetic was that! Brushing away her tears, she wrapped her arms around herself, sinking into the velvet-soft seat. That was when the realisation hit her and she reeled from the pain as if someone had punched her in the gut. She had fallen completely and irrevocably in love with her enemy!
* * *
Krish pushed away the laptop and leaned back in his seat. This wasn’t what he had planned for his thirtieth birthday and it sure wasn’t how he had expected things to turn out. He’d been looking forward to spending time with Maya, showing her the sites and taking her to Sunrise Point. This morning, she’d seemed like the perfect birthday present that had happened to him. And he had meant to tell her that. But the best laid plans often went completely and utterly wrong—especially when KD had his fingers stuck in the pie.
He was also concerned about his plans for SHVP. He might as well forget about them for a while. This was the big deal that KD had been preparing for—if he could pull off this proposed joint venture deal with the UK-based Cosmo International, it would give wings to his global ambitions. No wonder he was keen to get Krish on board. Despite his irritation at KD’s imperial summons, the upcoming negotiations would have at least one positive side-effect. It would bring back some much needed balance to his relationship with Maya. He was thinking far too much about her for his peace of mind.
Determined to act on his resolve, he stabbed the keys on his computer and focused all his attention on the presentation.
* * *
On their return from Deovan, Maya went out of her way to avoid Krish. She’d occasionally catch a glimpse of him at the poolside, playing with Baloo, or zipping off to work in his Prius. And that was enough to cause her aching heart to yearn with longing. Krish made sure he never once crossed her path. It was for the best, she reminded herself sternly.
But, try as she might, in the privacy of her room she could not hide the fact that she was miserable. That she craved him with a ferocity that made her feel sick to her very bones. But she was determined not to wallow in self-pity. No matter how much it hurt, she knew that there would never be any future for her and Krish. They were never destined to be a couple—and even their marriage was always meant to be in name only. Her unrequited love wasn’t going to change anything between them. She needed to get out of Krish’s life and fast—the sooner the better. Preferably before Krish had any inkling of what she was going through. Unrequited love she could deal with; his pity would absolutely kill her.
But, for now, she wished she could just blank off all emotion, empty her mind. And there was only one way to get relief, even if it was for just a short while. She strapped on her dance shoes, put a CD into the music system and closed her eyes. As the music flowed over and into her, her mind began to relax and her body moved to the pulsating beat. Soon, she was immersed in her dancing and, as she let herself go, she revelled in the stillness of her soul that only dance could bring.
* * *
When Maya swept into KD’s office the next day, she was greeted by the affable and efficient Sheetal Mal-hotra, who ushered her into a bright, spacious room overlooking the lawns. Her temporary work station had everything that she needed—laptop, photocopier and printer and a freshly brewed steaming cup of coffee. Her first priority would be to finish the SHVP designs for Krish.
After the first few minutes when she struggled for concentration, she was soon immersed in her work. As the concepts that she’d shared with Krish began to morph into designs, she created page after page of drawings. Each stroke of the pen felt like a soothing balm on her aching heart. She soon lost track of time until Sheetal knocked on her door to inform her that Natasha was waiting for her in the lobby. Krish’s bubbly cousin had decided to pay her a surprise visit—to see how the new bride was doing.
Sitting across from her, she gave Maya a long, incisive look. ‘Dark circles under the eyes don’t suit a “glowing” bride!’ And then she added with a wink, ‘Or should I say it’s obvious that you two love birds haven’t found any time for shut-eye?’
Maya laughed. ‘Don’t you know about the JV deal that Krish is working on? I haven’t seen him at all since we got back.’
Natasha rolled her expressive kohl-lined eyes. ‘Oh, you poor girl! It’s amazing how stupid my brilliant cousin can be! Let me call him right now.’
As Natasha frantically dug into her bag for her phone, Maya caught her hand. ‘Hey, Nats, I was planning to head out to the greenhouses. Want to join me?’
Natasha perked up instantly. ‘That sounds fun. I haven’t been to the greenhouses in years.’
Over the next couple of hours, Maya was given a guided tour of the climate-controlled greenhouses with Sheetal rattling off facts and figures about cut-flower exports, sales growth and the fierce competition, while Natasha filled her in on family anecdotes.
On Maya’s request, they stopped at the rose greenhouses. The sight was breathtaking, with lines of pots bearing
roses in an astonishing range of colours extending as far as the eye could see.
‘Our roses are the most sought after.’ The pride in Sheetal’s remark was unmistakable. ‘We grow some of the most exotic hybrids.’
‘Do you also grow lavender roses?’ Maya asked, trying not to let her voice betray her anxiety.
‘The ones that we grow are purple roses. Lavender roses, technically, should have both the scent of the lavender and rose. We haven’t quite mastered that yet.’
‘Oh, but I do remember Suvarna Aunty would have fresh cut lavender roses in her room every single day,’ Natasha piped up. ‘I can never forget the scent, though it has been so many years since I actually held one of those roses.’
Maya felt a jolt of shock hit her as Natasha elaborated, ‘Now that you mention it, there used to be this botanist who worked here in those days. And, after he left, the lavender roses also disappeared.’
‘Do you remember his name?’ Maya asked as she fisted up her suddenly clammy palms and stuck them in her trouser pockets.
Natasha frowned in concentration as she tried to remember. ‘He was a Bengali man, wore these big round glasses…Sinha…maybe Shome, or something like that. I vaguely remember there was some kind of scandal.’
Maya felt her blood turn cold. She waited with bated breath for Natasha to continue.
‘We were so young then. All I remember is that he was a very gentle, kind person. He’d call me Naughty Baby. You see, I’d be the one who’d get Krish into all kinds of trouble.’ Natasha laughed at the memory. ‘Anyway, it was all so long ago.’
Maya smiled even as her eyes threatened to water. ‘A pity you don’t grow lavender roses any more. They are the most majestic.’
Natasha nodded. ‘Suvarna Aunty would say there is nothing more mysterious or enchanting than a lavender rose.’
‘She was right. Sheetal, if you have any documentation on the lavender roses, could you please send them to me?’
‘I remember coming across some documents about a lavender rose project when we were computerising our records last year,’ Sheetal said as they drove back to the office. ‘If I find anything on it, I will definitely send them across to you. Of course, if they are more than ten or fifteen years old, they would be in the store room. But let me warn you, most of the stuff there is in pretty bad shape.’
The greenhouse visit had completely unsettled Maya. She recalled the lines from Papa’s diary:
The most ill-fated moment of my life was when I met KD and agreed to work on the lavender rose project.
Would she find the documents that she was looking for? Would she finally be able to hold them up to KD and demand answers from him? Nervous tension coiled inside her as she realised that she couldn’t waste any more time fretting over her stalled relationship with her so-called husband.
Her cellphone pinged as a message hit the Inbox. It was from Krish: ‘Party tonight @ KD’s. 8 p.m.’
Maya’s fingers flew on the keypad as she couldn’t resist returning a jibe: ‘Yes, Master!’
Later, in her bedroom, Maya threw open the wardrobe, eyeing the row upon row of designer evening dresses. Well, she didn’t need a fairy godmother. Krish had already paid for a closet full of designer-wear that would make Cinderella go green with envy…and he was now demanding his money’s worth. Why quibble when she’d been fully aware of the terms of the contract? But, instead of sticking to them, she had gone and messed it all up for herself—by losing her heart to him.
She picked an ensemble that would make her look like the diva of the party. Tonight she would fulfil all her promises to Krish. She would be the glamorous wife that she’d signed up to be. And perhaps, for the only time in their marriage she would not be playing the role of a head-over-heels in love woman but actually living it. Her heart fluttered painfully at the thought that never again would she be so close to Krish. Never again would he look at her with something akin to tenderness—even if it was only for display—and that was all she could have. Tonight, she would also keep her promise to herself. It was the aftermath that would haunt all of them—the Devs as well as her. There would be time for regrets and she would get there soon enough. Now, it was time to deliver on her promise.
CHAPTER NINE
AFTER ALMOST ROUND-the-clock negotiations, Krish had pulled off one of the biggest joint venture deals in the country. Steering DGE and one of the top brands in the hospitality industry worldwide—Cosmo International—into a win-win partnership was no mean feat. It definitely was one of the toughest assignments of his career and he had closed the deal in record time.
And yet the thrill of success eluded him. He usually was not averse to celebrating his hard-fought-for success, but this time round his heart was not in it. Frankly, if it was left to him, he’d give tonight’s party a miss. But he knew KD would not stand for it—and this was one celebration that would definitely be over-the-top even by his father’s hard-partying standards.
Then there was…Maya. Since their return from Deovan, he’d willed himself not to think of her, or about that night when she’d come to him like the proverbial moth to a flame. He’d driven himself to the point of exhaustion, scrupulously avoiding her during the day and only returning from his gruelling meetings late into the night. But no matter what he did, how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop her from invading his dreams. And now, as he approached her, the intensity of his need for her came roaring back—burning bright and insistent.
She looked like a vision that his fevered brain had thrown up. So much for mind control!
Maya—stunning as ever—faced him with a dazzling smile that was as fake and bright as the candles in the crystal chandelier in KD’s mansion. ‘Congratulations. You have landed quite a coup with this deal!’
He inclined his head. ‘Thanks. But a deal is just a deal…Sometimes you close it, sometimes you don’t.’
‘You don’t sound too thrilled.’
He shrugged. ‘I’ve just closed a mega-deal, the DGE brand name is all set to become a global powerhouse and I’ve got a sexy wife to flaunt at the celebratory party. So, what’s not to love?’
‘Right, at least I know where I stand in your list of priorities.’ Her flippant words were in stark contrast to the deep anguish that she felt at his words.
Krish’s BlackBerry buzzed. As he turned away to take the call, Maya exhaled the breath that she hadn’t even known she’d been holding. From the minute Krish had stepped into touching distance, a mass of contradictory emotions roiled inside her. Hurt at his insensitivity, anger at his arrogance and longing that burnt a hole in the pit of her stomach. Anger is good, Maya. Adrenaline and anger—as long as they didn’t desert her tonight, she would be fine.
She caught a glimpse of herself in the ornate mirror across the room. She had picked her ensemble with care—a sequinned lavender choli blouse that exposed her back with only a dainty knotted gold string holding it in place. The matching Asian-style pants in a darker shade of purple with gold highlights alternately shimmered away from and clung to her curves. And the make-up—it had to be perfect. She’d never spent so much time in front of a mirror, masking the dark rings under the eyes. The touch of glitter around her kohl-lined eyes gave them a mysterious smoky look that added to the effect that she wanted to achieve—that of a trophy wife to Krish’s upcoming business tycoon persona. She knew she looked stunning and it had given her self-confidence a huge boost, never mind the fear and doubt that gnawed away at her insides at the thought of following through on her plan.
She turned her attention to the party and surveyed the glittering hall—the very same one where she had been introduced to the Dev family and friends. Today, it looked different—the décor was Indian, with rangoli decorations in bright festive colours on the floor and tiny earthen lamps placed strategically all over the room. Red gold silk drapes separated the buffet tables that were yet to be laid out with the array of Indian delicacies. To one side there was a raised platform where musicians were playing classic
al Indian music.
It could have been a scene straight out of a nawab’s mehfil and Krish looked like an imperious prince in his impeccable charcoal-grey silk Nehru suit. The guests were sipping the best of wines, cocktails and whiskys and nibbling on cocktail snacks served by a small army of servants.
A crisp English-accented voice hailed Krish, who snapped his phone shut and turned to welcome Mike Andrews, CEO of Cosmo International.
‘Pleasure to meet you, Maya…You’re one lucky guy, Krish!’ Mike’s voice had a hint of envy as he raised Maya’s hand to his lips before releasing it.
Krish wrapped his arm possessively around Maya’s waist, pulling her close. ‘You can say that again. I count my blessings every day.’
She felt an almost physical pain in her chest at his words—if only he meant it!
‘Really?’ she pouted. ‘Difficult to believe after you have ignored me for the last five days.’
Mike laughed. ‘Ah! I think I may be partly to blame for that. I had no clue that my new partner is still on his honeymoon!’
‘I guess I will never hear the end of this.’ Krish smiled, but Maya knew he was far from amused. ‘Mike, you will have to excuse me for a bit. I need to talk to Frank before he leaves for London. Maya, would you please give Mike a tour of our lawns? He is quite the gardening buff.’
Maya bristled at what sounded far too close to an order for her liking. ‘Of course, it would be my pleasure.’
Krish’s brow furrowed as he couldn’t help but notice that Mike wasn’t at all immune to her charms. Mike winked at Krish. ‘Take your time while I enjoy your lovely wife’s company.’
‘See you soon,’ Krish bit out through clenched teeth as Maya glared at him, then shot Mike a sweet smile and took his arm and led him to the gardens. A sharp stab of possessiveness twisted his gut. He looked away and resolutely made his way towards Frank.
* * *
Mike had gone to the bar for a Scotch refill and to fetch her a Margarita. She hadn’t missed the look in Krish’s eyes when she had taken Mike’s arm and had instantly felt a thrill run through her at the possessiveness he’d unwittingly displayed. Big deal! As if that made an iota of difference to their situation. She was still the one who was hankering to be in the circle of his arms, feel the warmth of his body next to hers. And he was still the one keeping her at arm’s length.
The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal Page 11