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

by Sundari Venkatraman

  “I knew it. You will never agree with me, whatever I say.” Amal jumped up from the sofa where she had been sitting next to her husband, walking away in a huff, her husband’s soft laughter following her.

  Anya had climbed up on a tall stool in the kitchen, cleaning the shelves that were out of reach. She removed an old cooking pot that had obviously not been used for a long time. “Mamma,” she called out, “Didn’t you used to make Sindhi kadi in this? Don’t you use it anymore?”

  Amal had walked into the kitchen on hearing Anya’s voice. “Oh that! No beta. Those days we were in a joint family. The pot was required as I used to cook in large quantities. But now, with only the two of us, we...wait a minute! How do you know about the pot?” she frowned at her daughter, “I thought you couldn’t remember anything.” Her voice had gone up by several decibels.

  A startled Anya dropped the metal pot and the sound rang like a gunshot in the kitchen, bringing Gaurav rushing into the kitchen. Anya swayed on the top of the stool, holding her head as if in pain. “Pappa, mamma. I...”

  She would have fallen if Gaurav had not given her a hand, helping her down from the stool. He placed an arm around her shoulders, guiding her slowly to the hall and making her sit on the sofa. “Amal, get her some water to drink,” he called out to his hovering wife.

  Anya had turned pale as memories gushed into her mind. The clouds that had submerged everything, suddenly drifted away as everything came back to her, in colourful pictures with dialogues.

  “Anya, don’t go out wearing such a short dress. People will stare at you.” That was her mother calling out to her when she was barely twelve years old.

  “Don’t talk to the boys, okay. Badima warned me that you always talk only to the boys. Next time I hear something, I’ll wring your ears.” The fourteen-year-old Anya gave her mother a rebellious stare and poked her tongue out when Amal turned her back.

  “I don’t know what you will do, but you have to come first in your class. Look at your cousin Shibu, he’s always at the top of his class.” The constant comparison irritated the hell out of the fifteen-year-old Anya. While she had gone on to complete her MBA with flying colours, Shibu had got married to the woman he had raped. But then, he was a man. He could even get away with murder in the Chhabria family.

  Gaurav spoke to Anya on the phone when she was staying with her uncle’s family, the Madhvanis, in Mumbai. Just turned nineteen, Anya was taking a break after giving her entrance exam for MBA. “Beta, an excellent alliance has come for you. Fix kardhoon? That boy’s name is Dev Wadhwa. He’s an MBA from America. His parents are keen to have you for their daughter-in-law.”

  Anya frowned. She had spent time with Dev only the previous evening, in secret. It had been such fun and she had liked him, a lot. But marriage? No way. There was too much to do in life and she was too young to tie the knot with a stranger. She made it clear to her father that she wanted to study further. “I’m too young pappa. Maybe after I finish my post graduation. Not now, please.”

  Amal had called her a day later to say, “We have booked your return ticket. Come back home immediately.”

  “What? Why mamma? I’m having so much fun here.”

  “Your uncle doesn’t want you to stay there, not after refusing the alliance. The Wadhwas are their neighbours and they are ashamed to face them. Luckily for us, the boy is a farmer. Which girl wants to marry a farmer and live a hard life?” Amal said smugly. “You just come back home.”

  Anya went stiff, opening her eyes suddenly, saying, “Dev.”

  Oh my God! Dev and she had known each other from before. She went hot and then she went cold as she stared into nothing. Anya got up suddenly to pace the floor, marching up and down, her hands locked behind her back. She recalled their tryst to the coffee shop at Kharghar, the long motorbike ride that had led up to it.

  And...and, Anya felt her heartbeat pick up when she remembered her last meeting with Dev, five years ago.

  The younger Anya had been totally floored by the handsome Dev, especially his excellent manners, after the time they had spent at the coffee shop. It was past eleven in the night when she had gone up to the terrace the next night, once the rest of the family had settled down, hoping against hope that Dev would also turn up there. She hadn’t been disappointed when she saw him sitting on his terrace, across the wall. He had turned his phone off the moment he noticed her and jumped over to her side with a smile on his face.

  “Hey, I was hoping you’d turn up.”

  Anya pressed a hand to her stomach, trying to still the butterflies that seemed to be kicking up a storm within. She felt choked when she looked up at Dev’s classic features, excitement pounding within her. She pressed the other hand against the first one so that it wouldn’t be obvious to him that she was trembling. Only she wasn’t aware how her glowing brown eyes gave her feelings away to the man standing too close to her. Doing her best to tone down her gasping breaths, Anya whispered with a challenging tilt of her head, “Were you?”

  Dev grinned at her. “You mean you weren’t expecting me?”

  She shook her head, biting her lips to stop the answering smile that was waiting to burst forth. “No.”

  “I’ll go then,” said Dev, turning around, without taking a single step forward.

  “Please don’t,” said the young Anya, stopping him with a hand on his arm.

  He caught the trembling hand and turned back to her, the smile disappearing from his grey eyes when he saw the expression on her face. “Anya...” His touch as light as a feather, Dev traced the side of her face, appearing fascinated with the curl of dark, silky hair that clung to his forefinger.

  She stared up into his eyes, her lips parted, her white teeth gleaming in the soft moonlight. Would he kiss her? Maybe he wouldn’t. Anya eyed his masculine lips, the upper one thin and the lower one broad and sensual. What would it feel like?

  Dev took her small chin between his thumb and forefinger, bringing her face closer to his. “Anya...you don’t know how tempting you are. I...”

  Not really aware of what she was doing, Anya went on her toes, placing her hands on his shoulders for support before pressing her lips to his. A sigh shuddered through her being when she felt his hard arms going around her as he gathered her close. Her breathing stopped when she felt his damp tongue trace the shape of her lips. Sensations flooded her body as if all of her nerves ended right there at her lips. She was lost for she knew not how long before Dev shifted away with a jerk, moving her body away from his.

  “My God! Anya...” he shook his head.

  She could see the colour running up his cheeks. Was he embarrassed? Why had he stopped? Didn’t he like the kiss? For Anya, the kiss had literally rocked her world. Would he kiss her again?

  “Good night Anya.” Dev walked away from her, jumping over the wall and rushing towards the stairs with a small wave.

  Anya had felt absolutely dejected, her young heart crushed. Dev hadn’t wanted to kiss her again.

  That was the last time she had met him in private before her father had called her back home.

  Dev was the reason why she had never found a boyfriend. He was also the reason why she hadn’t wanted to get married when her parents wanted her to. He was her first crush and he had spoilt her for all other men. Thanks to Farhan she had escaped being tied to someone she didn’t love.

  Anya shook her head, amazed at how destiny had brought Dev and her together. If that were so, she must actually thank her lucky stars that she had met with the accident that Friday morning. Coming to a decision, she turned to her parents. Anya took a deep breath before she started to speak to them. No, the days of hiding things from her parents were gone. It was time to be truthful. If they accepted her, well and good; if they didn’t, well, there wasn’t much she could do about it.

  “Mamma, pappa. I remember everything now,” said Anya, a serene smile on her face. She told them everything—why she and Farhan had got married, why they had got divorced, how Dev had care
d for her after the accident. “Dev Wadhwa, the farmer, the alliance we refused—he’s the same guy you met at the hospital, holding my hand. There are farmers and there are farmers, pappa. Dev has twenty-five, no, thirty acres of land and he simply mints money. He lives with his grandmother in a sprawling bungalow. He has forty-plus people working for him. Even I work for him as his marketing manager.” She paused for breath, happy that both of them were listening to her without interrupting. “Dev and I are in love with each other. He wants to marry me and I would love to. But I wanted to visit here just in case I could recall my previous life. And I did that only because Dev suggested it.” She gave them a wide smile. “And it worked. And you know what? I’m so glad I got to spend time with you both, mamma and pappa.”

  She got up again. “I want to go back to Karjat today. What I would like is for the two of you to visit Wadhwa Farm and stay back for our wedding and give us your blessings.” She went on her knees in front of her stunned parents. “Please, will you do that for me?”

  Gaurav held his wife’s hand when she would have protested, shaking his head at her. “Yes Anya beta. We’ll do that. Do you have to get back today itself?”

  “Yes pappa. Dev has been too worried about me. I want to get back and give him a surprise.”

  “I understand,” said Gaurav. “You have our blessings.”

  “Thank you pappa.” Anya got up to kiss her father on his cheek, before turning to her mother, bending down to give her a kiss too. Amal touched her cheek in wonder, having never been an affectionate person. “Okay guys, I need to rush. Let me pack and get myself to the airport.”

  She got out of the Mumbai airport at five in the evening, hiring a taxi to Karjat. Jumping into the cab, Anya gave the driver the directions before calling Farhan. “Hey, guess what?” she said with a smile in her voice.

  “You remember,” he declared.

  “Yes!”

  “Where are you?”

  “I just got into a taxi outside Mumbai airport. I’m on my way to Dev’s farm. He’s in for a surprise.”

  “You mean he doesn’t know yet?”

  “Nope,” said Anya, grinning from ear-to-ear. She chatted with Farhan for some time before disconnecting. She willed the car to eat the miles faster than ever as she couldn’t wait to see Dev again. It was a good thing that they always talked in the mornings. He wouldn’t try to reach her now, or her surprise would turn anti-climax.

  It was eight when Anya’s taxi entered the farm gates. The driver jumped out to open them, driving inside. “You can shut them on your way back,” she instructed him, excitement making her pulse flare up. She could see the bright lights of the farmhouse even from this far. It took them all of five minutes to reach the portico.

  Surprised to hear a vehicle at that hour, Dev got up and went to the door. He was amazed and thrilled to see Anya getting out of the taxi. “Hey,” he called out, a wide smile of welcome on his face.

  Anya turned to him, glad when the taxi took an about turn and moved towards the gate. “Dev.” She rushed into his wide open arms, clinging to him, pulling his head down for a much-needed kiss. She smiled suddenly when Dev lifted his head as they came up for air. She hadn’t imagined it when she had found Dev’s kiss familiar when they first made love at her apartment.

  “This is such a wonderful surprise, sweetheart. How come you decided to return so suddenly?” With their arms around each other, they stepped into the doorway.

  “I remember Dev,” she said. Her voice, though quiet, was feverish with excitement.

  “What?! How?!” He stopped midstride, turning to her.

  “Oh Dev! Isn’t it a miracle that we’ve met again, after all these years?” She hugged him tightly, burying her face on his chest. “I never forgot you, especially your kiss.” She lifted her head to look up at him, her chocolate eyes shining with love. “You know something? You were—are—my first crush, and the last. I never could stomach the idea of marrying any other guy. And Dev,” she pulled his head down to whisper in his ear, “I’m so glad you never married.”

  Dev crushed her closer to his body, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Every woman who came into my life fell short of my expectations as I kept comparing her with you, my darling Anya. You had totally bewitched me.”

  “But Dev,” Anya’s eyes darkened with remembered hurt, “You went away after kissing me. What did I do wrong?”

  “Wrong?” Dev lifted his head to look down at the love of his life, a small frown on his face. “I don’t understand. That was the most perfect kiss I had ever shared with anyone in my life.”

  “Then why did you walk away immediately after? I thought you didn’t like kissing me.” Anya’s voice trembled with the memory of her hurt.

  “Oh Anya!” Dev pressed his forehead against hers. “I’m terribly sorry if that’s the impression I gave you. My sweetheart,” he whispered into her ear, tracing the shell-like shape with his tongue, “Your kiss plucked at my heartstrings, too hard. Will you believe me if I say that I ran away scared of the emotions you invoked in me?”

  Anya’s eyes went wide as she looked at Dev. He had appeared so confident, even that many years ago, that she couldn’t imagine him being scared of anything. But again, she could relate to what he was saying. While the kiss they shared had been absolutely exciting, Anya hadn’t been ready for any kind of commitment at that time either. She grinned at him teasingly. “Dev Wadhwa ran away scared. Are you sure you want to marry me now?”

  “Never more so,” he growled, nipping at her ear lobe. “If I remember right, you still haven’t accepted my proposal of marriage.”

  “Ask me again,” she commanded, confidence brimming in her eyes as she looked up at the man she had fallen in love with.

  Dev lifted her high up in his arms, shaking his head at her, a wide smile on his lips. “No more asking. We’ll be married in three weeks.”

  “Masterful, are we?” Anya giggled, bending down to claim his lips in a sizzling kiss.

  Epilogue

  Dev and Anya were married on the farm three weeks later with Daadima’s blessings as she sat next to the bride and groom, grinning from ear to ear, in the open courtyard, with the sun shining down on them. While both sets of parents, Farhan, Arth and some close friends attended the wedding, the bride and groom were happiest with the presence of all the farm workers, their four dogs and five cats.

  The wedding feast was lavish. Seema and her team were given an off so that they could enjoy the wedding ceremony and an outsider had been given the contract. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, blessing the couple with a long, married life.

  While Dev wasn’t anywhere near to forgiving his parents, Anya had worked hard at bridging the gap. Yes, it would take time and they might never get all that close, but they were at least on speaking terms.

  While Karishma and Durgesh Wadhwa still couldn’t see the wisdom in farming, they were absolutely impressed that their son had become a billionaire and even graced the pages of newspapers and magazines. The grown up Jai and Chaahat knew for a fact that their elder brother was a supreme success. They even planned to wangle a holiday job with him come summer.

  Gaurav was extremely happy that his daughter had finally settled down. More than anything, the boy seemed very decent and was obviously rich. He had strictly warned Amal against throwing tantrums. But she still managed to say in a loud whisper, “Is Anya stupid or what? How can she invite her ex-husband to her wedding? What will Dev think of her?”

  While Gaurav was also worried about the fact, he decided not to say anything. Farhan had been right. They were all adults and should be allowed to live their lives the way they chose to.

  After the wedding lunch, Shaan transported the married couple by helicopter to Ravine Hotel in Panchgani. He gave them a drop and left almost immediately to return home.

  Dev had booked a valley facing room in the hotel for three days. While they planned to go on a proper honeymoon to Europe in March, they didn’t step out of the r
oom on all three days, ordering all their meals there.

  Dev and Anya were sharing a bottle of chilled sparkling wine, in bed, as they gazed at the luscious green valley below. Anya sat between Dev’s widespread legs as he leaned against the headboard. He nibbled on her neck and shoulder between sips of wine. Anya returned the compliment by munching on his fingers. Placing his hand against her breast, she stretched luxuriously, pressing her back to his hard chest. Turning on her side, she whispered into his ear, “Aren’t I the lucky one?!” Anya paused as she took a deep breath, inhaling Dev’s masculine scent that was so uniquely his. “I love you Dev,” she told him, her cocoa eyes twinkling with happiness.

  “That you are. I love you too, babe,” he said, laughter in his grey eyes.

  She punched him on his shoulder, giving him a mock glare. “You meanie. You missed your cue to say how lucky you are.”

  He shrugged, giving her a hard kiss. “But of course I am.” He reached a hand to caress her bottom. “It’s just that you look gorgeous when you get into battle mode.” He bent down to take an engorged nipple into his mouth, suckling her softly at first and then hard.

  “Dev...” she moaned. “I want you inside me, now.”

  He pushed her back on the bed to climb on top of her. “I can’t have enough of you, sweetheart.” He took her hand and placed it against his throbbing shaft.

  She rubbed a delighted hand on him, saying, “You are always ready!”

  “You bet I am.”

  They made long and leisurely love, riding the waves together to reach an incredible climax. Anya lay in Dev’s arms, spooned against his body, his leg straddling over both of hers.

  “I’m still finding it amazing, how we met each other after all these years,” said Anya, wonder in her voice.

  “Tell me about it,” he said, nuzzling the back of her neck. “That day when the accident happened, I was shocked beyond words when I saw you lying there, pale and still. I think I stopped breathing for a minute before I discovered that your pulse was beating.” He shuddered, recalling the incident. He had never spoken about it to her.