Flaming Sun Collection 3: Perfect Twins Find Anya (Box Set with 3 novellas)

by Sundari Venkatraman

  Anya’s phone rang. It was Farhan. She asked him if he had arrived before disconnecting and getting up, her coffee forgotten. “Shall we go?”

  They met Farhan outside the hospital gates where he waited in his car along with Arth. “Hello guys,” said Dev, with a smile, while Anya raised a perfunctory hand in greeting, no smile on her face.

  Farhan got out of his car to give her a hug. “What did the doctor say, Anya?” he asked, sensitive to her foul mood.

  She shrugged. “He says I’m fine.” She looked up into his eyes for a second before lowering her gaze as unshed tears shimmered in them.

  “Anya, baby...” Farhan held her closer, pressing her head on his shoulder. “I know I may sound inane, but this too will pass. Tell me something, how do you like living in Dev’s home? If you don’t like it, I...”

  Anya lifted her head, shaking it vigorously. “I can’t think of a better place to live in, Farhan. But again, I don’t know of any better place, either.” Her lips drooped again.

  “Come on Anya. Cheer up. You aren’t going to come to lunch with that sad expression, are you? I thought we were going to celebrate your recovery. Unless you think that being sad will help you remember your past,” he teased, an eyebrow up in query.

  Anya smiled slowly at first, before the smile widened into a grin. She punched him on his shoulder, unaware that she was doing something she always used to do when Farhan teased her. “You’re right. Moping isn’t going to help. And I’ve been making Dev’s life miserable. I’d better apologise to him.”

  “That’s my girl. Come on, let’s go,” he said, opening the backdoor for her.

  She slid in next to Dev and took his hand in hers immediately. “I’m sorry Dev, for being a wet blanket. And thank you for your patience. I...”

  Dev hugged her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Forget it.”

  Arth smiled at her via the rear view mirror. “So, Dev’s planning a weekend party at his place and has invited both of us.”

  “Oh really?! That’ll be awesome. I hope you’ve agreed.”

  “I was waiting for Farhan. What say you, Farhan?” asked Arth.

  “Let’s go Arth. Unless you have something planned otherwise.”

  Arth shook his head. “Nope. Then that’s final. Dev.” He looked at the other man through the mirror, “Thank you for the invite. We’d love to go.”

  “Give me a time and I’ll have Shaan pick you guys up,” offered Dev.

  “By helicopter?” asked Farhan, turning the car and driving away, “That’ll be awesome Dev. Thanks,” he grinned via the mirror.

  They chatted about the farm as Farhan drove them to Copper Chimney in Worli. “Dev grows flowers, tonnes of them, on the farm. But it’s the vegetable plot that I love, along with the strawberry shrubs. There are tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, brinjal, lady’s finger, ribbed gourd, green, yellow and red peppers and even herbs. They taste simply divine,” said Anya, enthusiastically. “Seema aunty is a fabulous cook. Then there are the cats and dogs. You’ll love them Farhan.”

  Dev looked at her with an indulgent smile on his handsome face. It was obvious that she loved life on the farm. He hoped that it was a step in the right direction, before falling in love with the owner.

  “I’m sure I will. Arth’s mom also has two dogs, Sunny and Sandy, just adorable,” said Farhan, “Though I haven’t interacted much with cats.”

  “Kitty and Ginger make a handsome pair. They have given birth to three adorable kittens...”

  “You won’t believe the names Anya’s given them,” teased Dev, “Jupiter, Mars and Venus.”

  Farhan guffawed while Arth squawked, “What?”

  “Now I have to go to your farm, Dev, to make the acquaintance of these kitty planets, if nothing else.”

  Anya gave Farhan a mock glare, even as she punched Dev on his arm, hurting herself more than she did him. “I did offer to change the names, but Dev thinks they are perfect,” she said, grinning.

  “Yeah, that’s true. The little fur balls look like tiny planets for sure.”

  Arth burst out laughing, unable to control himself.

  They got out of the car, while Farhan handed the car keys to a valet and walked into the restaurant, all in high spirits.

  Farhan had turned completely vegetarian after he had moved into Arth’s home.

  “But you are crazy about chicken,” protested Anya. When the men stopped eating to stare at her, she asked, “What?”

  “You remembered that I used to love eating chicken,” said Farhan softly.

  Anya pressed both her hands to her mouth, her eyes rounded in shock. “I did, didn’t I?” she said in a whisper, turning to look at Dev who was sitting next to her. “I suppose my memory is returning, in bits and pieces.”

  “Exactly,” said Dev, recalling the doctor’s advice about getting Anya to familiar people and surroundings. It was also the reason why he had invited Farhan and his partner to spend a weekend at Wadhwa Farm.

  “How are you placed after lunch, Farhan, Arth? I’d like to visit Anya’s apartment with her,” asked Dev.

  “I can take you as I’m free the whole day,” said Farhan.

  “I’ll take an OLA to my shop. I need to get back,” said Arth.

  “Do you guys plan to stay over?” asked Farhan.

  “I haven’t really thought about it,” said Dev. “It’s just that the doctor advised me to let Anya visit places from her past. I thought that the apartment would be a good place to begin with.”

  “You are absolutely right. And if there’s no need to rush back, you should probably stay back at the flat for a day or two.”

  Dev nodded. “Actually, why not? What do you say Anya?”

  Anya had a worried look on her face as she tried hard, delving into her mind to see if she remembered anything about her home from the ‘other life’ as she thought about her forgotten past. Wiping out her frown with an effort, she said, “Let’s do it.”

  17

  Anya felt choked as her heart beat like a drum when they stood outside her apartment while Farhan dug into his pocket for the keys. Opening both the outer and the inner doors, he let her walk in first.

  She took a hesitant step inside, wondering if her memories would rush back to her at that very instant. The living room looked neat and clean, though it was obviously not lived in. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, looking around curiously at the same time. Dev had walked in right behind her, giving her his silent support, while Farhan opened the windows and the door to the balcony.

  There was a two-seater sofa against a wall and two cosy single sofas placed adjacently on both sides. A few coffee tables were strewn about while a wall unit contained a flat screen TV, a music system and a bookshelf crammed with books. There were a couple of framed photographs near the TV. Anya saw that one was of Farhan and Arth and another was of herself with two other women. Nope, neither appeared familiar.

  Farhan held her elbow to show her the two bedrooms. One was in a sunny orange and leaf green theme. “This one is your bedroom.” The bed was big enough to accommodate four people, piled up with pillows and cushions. There was a wardrobe and a dressing table with a few items of makeup, but nothing that brought a flicker of memory.

  The other bedroom was in stark black and white. “This one used to be mine,” said Farhan, a smile on his face.

  She looked up at him, “Not anymore?”

  Farhan shrugged. “I live with Arth at his home. Let me rephrase that before he kills me,” he grinned. “We live together in our bungalow at Versova.”

  Anya smiled at him companionably as they walked back to the hall. In the meanwhile, Dev had switched on the refrigerator in the kitchen and put back the veggies, eggs and meat they had bought at a nearby food chain, along with some provisions, enough to last them for a few days. He had switched the kettle on and was spooning instant coffee into three mugs.

  Anya was surprised that Dev knew his way around a kitchen, what with so many people
to do his bidding at his farm. Was she glad to have the man on her side! “Thank you Dev,” she said softly, her eyes glowing up at him, a slow excitement catching up within her as she realised that they would be alone at the apartment that night.

  Farhan got up the moment they finished their coffee, carrying the mugs to the kitchen and rinsing them at the sink. He came out and said, “I’ll be off then. Will there be anything else you’ll be needing? What about a change of clothes for you Dev?” he asked. “Would you like me to buy something?”

  Dev shook his head, pointing to his backpack that he had left on a table. “I have all I need.”

  “Okay then.” Farhan hugged Anya before shaking Dev’s hand. “I’ll be in touch. The house keys are up there,” he pointed to a small shelf on the wall unit. “See you guys.”

  After the door shut behind him, Dev said, “I’m sure you’d like to rest for a while.”

  Suddenly feeling beat after their hectic day, Anya nodded. “Yeah, please. I’m sorry to be such a poor hostess, Dev,” she said, giving him a weak smile. “Will you be okay? I...”

  Dev laughed, getting up to give her a hug. “You go on. I’ll be absolutely fine. I’m carrying my work along with me.”

  She nodded again, stepping into her bedroom, leaving the door ajar. She opened the wardrobe to find a pair of pyjamas and t-shirt. Changing in the bathroom, she crashed on the bed, going to sleep almost immediately. She was totally out to the world when Dev checked on her a few minutes later, pulling a comforter over her and tucking her in. He couldn’t resist pressing his lips to her left cheek, smiling when she mumbled in her sleep, something that sounded like ‘Dev’. Well, a man could live in hope.

  18

  It was past eight when Anya woke up to the muffled sounds of someone reading the news on TV. She went to the bathroom to splash water in her eyes, becoming wide awake. Wiping her face and brushing her hair, she stepped into the hall to see Dev lounging on the sofa, watching TV.

  “Hey,” he called out with a smile on seeing her, “Come and sit down,” he patted the sofa next to him.

  She went and sat next to him, snuggling against his shoulder. “You smell good. Did you just have a bath?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” he said, his arm snaking around her narrow waist, pulling her closer. He did wonder how he was going to get through the night staying alone in the apartment with only the desirable Anya for company.

  Anya sat with him for a few minutes before getting up. “I’m hungry Dev and so must you be. Let me see what I can put together. I wonder if I used to cook...”

  Dev got up too. “Don’t worry for tonight. I already have dinner ready,” he said, walking towards the kitchen.

  “What? You can cook?” she asked, astounded.

  Dev stopped in his tracks to look at her, a bushy eyebrow up in query. “What’s so surprising about that?” he asked, grinning.

  “You have so many people waiting on you, hand and foot, at the farm. I was even surprised that you could make instant coffee, actually.”

  Dev laughed. “What you see on the farm is a different life. I have my work that doesn’t leave me time to make my own meals. Seema aunty has the skills and she needs the remuneration, same as with all my other employees. It works for all of us as we play to our strengths. But as for me, I refuse to be dependent on others to get my things done. If that makes me arrogant, well, that’s what I am.”

  Anya looked at him in awe. “Arrogant? From which angle?” she asked, walking with him to the kitchen. She stopped to draw in a deep breath, closing her eyes to concentrate. “You have made Rawas fish curry Sindhi style along with basmati chawal. Oh yum! Shall I make some salad to go with it?”

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I sliced a cucumber and tomato. Then there’s pineapple raita that I’ve left in the fridge.”

  “Oh Dev, you’ve been so busy while I’ve been sleeping the evening away,” said Anya, feeling terribly guilty.

  “Why don’t you do the washing up after dinner?” he offered.

  Her eyes lit up. “Done.”

  “That’s my girl. Come now, do you want to take all the food out to the hall or shall we serve our plates from here?”

  “Let’s serve our plates and take them over.” Without thinking, she lifted a hand to open an overhead cupboard to remove two plates. She opened the drawer on the right, under the kitchen platform to remove a few bowls before opening the middle one to take out spoons and forks. Dev watched in fascination as she didn’t hesitate even once, going about it as if she had been doing it for a long time, which she must obviously have been. The human mind was truly amazing, with so much information buried in the subconscious. He was glad that he had acted upon Dr. Adnani’s advice.

  He served the raita in two cups and the fish curry in a couple of larger bowls. Serving the rice on the plates, he placed the lot on a tray, taking it to the living room.

  Anya followed him with the salad, salt pepper shakers and cutlery.

  “Would you like to watch a movie?” he asked.

  “Bollywood? Yes, please.”

  Dev connected his phone to the TV and they watched Baby, an Akshay Kumar thriller, through the Hotstar app.

  They ate their way through the food, polishing everything off. “You cook almost as well as Seema aunty,” said Anya, grinning at him.

  He bowed his head in acknowledgement, smiling at her rapt face before turning his attention back to the film.

  Half an hour into the movie, Anya said quietly, “I’ve seen this film before.”

  Dev paused the film using the remote and turned to give her his complete attention. “You remember seeing it?”

  She looked at him, her face pale, nodding slowly. “I can remember every scene as it unfolds. But if you ask me where I watched it or who I went with,” she shook her head, “I can’t recall anything. If you want me to tell you what happens in the movie after some time,” she shook her head again, “I have no answer to that either. What do you think? Am I making any progress or is it all just wishful thinking on my part?” she asked him pathetically.

  Dev looked into her shadowed brown eyes keenly. “No, it’s not wishful thinking. You are able to recall in bits and pieces. You removed the plates, cups and spoons from their drawers without pausing to even think for a second.”

  “What?” Anya jumped up from the sofa, her eyes wide in astonishment. “Dev, I...oh my God! You’re right. I opened the right shelves and just took them out, didn’t I?”

  He got up too, hugging her. “So there you are, sweetheart. It’s taking time, but your memory’s coming back.”

  “Oh Dev, I so hope you’re right,” she said, burying her face on his chest.

  “I know I am,” he said, crossing his fingers surreptitiously. “Anya...”

  She lifted her face to look up at him, her eyes damp with unshed tears.

  “Don’t sweetheart.” He pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. “Please don’t hurt so.”

  Anya raised a finger to touch her lips, giving him an odd look.

  “What?” asked Dev.

  She shook her head at him. For a second there, his lips on hers had seemed familiar. Anya gave a mental shrug. It was probably wishful thinking on her part.

  They watched the film till the end, arguing amiably about the story and acting.

  “Would you like to have some green tea?” asked Anya.

  “We didn’t buy any,” said Dev.

  “But there’s always some stock in my kitchen,” said Anya, giving him a small wink. “Yeah, that’s another thing that I recalled. Sudden pictures flash in my mind, like the teabags just now.”

  He nodded, following her into the kitchen. She switched on the kettle and washed the vessels efficiently. “The teabags are there, on that shelf,” she pointed, even as Dev removed a couple of mugs.

  He made the green tea and they carried their mugs to the living room.

  Anya sipped at hers, her brown eyes watching him intensely. “Dev...”

/>   “Hmm.” He looked at her, his grey gaze holding hers with equal intensity.

  “I...” She kept the half-drunk tea on a table before scooting closer to him.

  Dev kept his mug away too, meeting her halfway. “Sweetheart,” he whispered, his forefinger tracing the line of her oval face in a gentle caress. When her lips trembled in response, he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth and was startled when he felt her tongue peep out to trace the shape of his lower lip. Groaning, he gathered her in his arms, giving in to temptation.

  Anya slicked a damp tongue over the outline of his lips, loving his masculine taste, before nipping his lower lip. She smiled when she heard him groan again. Her smile disappeared when she felt the thrust of his tongue, seeking entry into her mouth. She let him in with a moan and was excited beyond measure as he explored the contours of her mouth. She tangled her tongue with his, enjoying the sensation, her hands running through his hair, pulling his head closer. Her breasts felt heavy even as her nipples turned into hard pebbles, thrusting into his unyielding chest. She mewled like a kitten, rubbing her body against his, revelling in the contrasting textures.

  Dev lifted his head to look at the woman in his arms, her head thrown back and her eyes closed, her long, curling lashes resting on her flushed cheeks. He bent down to trace a damp tongue on the pulse beating wildly at her throat, the same one that had been not as strong on the day of the accident. He traced the line of her graceful throat with his lips before moving down further. Holding her close with his left arm, he stroked the length of her back with his right hand, his left hand curving on her slender hip before lifting her on to his lap.

  Anya clung to him, raining kisses wherever she could reach, her hands restless on his back. “Can you please get this damn shirt off?” she complained, pulling the tails out of his tailored shorts.

  Dev laughed, backing away to oblige her. He didn’t bother to remove the buttons as he pulled the shirt off his body.

  Anya stared at his mile wide chest, her brown eyes shining with excitement. She reached out her left hand to hold on to his muscular shoulder, her right hand running on the hair-roughened skin with relish. Colour ran up both their cheeks as Anya pressed her lips to the centre of his chest. “Dev, you are smashingly handsome,” declared Anya.