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

by Sundari Venkatraman

  “Did you never want to get married Dev?” she asked, turning her head on the pillow to look at him.

  “Every time I thought of settling down with a wife and family, it was your face that came in front of me. With so much to do, I didn’t bother to do anything about it.”

  “It was meant to be, wasn’t it?” she smiled.

  “Finding my Anya, yes!”

  THE END

  MR. PERFECT

  A romance novella by

  Sundari Venkatraman

  1

  Saloni had just stepped out of her bedroom at her parents’ home in Delhi when she was startled to see her sister Ruma walk across the wide corridor and into the bedroom her fiancé was put up in. She frowned as it was way past midnight, but a smile soon overtook her features. Well, Ruma and her betrothed, Lakshman, were actually married in secret. Yeah, she had got to know all about it the moment she had arrived from Chicago a couple of days ago, her husband Manish and six-month-old son Mitesh in tow.

  Saloni sighed inadvertently, the depth of yearning for physical contact hitting her so suddenly. Manish was fast asleep, snoring lightly. They hadn’t had sex in the six months since their baby was born. She had tried hinting at first and then even asked him outright, but it looked like her husband wasn’t going to play ball.

  “Saloni, have you checked yourself in the mirror recently?” he had asked, a sarcastic smile on his handsome face, “You’re as shapely as a pumpkin. Can you blame me for not wanting to have sex with you?” This was four months after Mitesh was born and Saloni had been craving her husband’s touch. It had got lonely after her mother went back to India, confident that Saloni could manage her month-old baby since she was a full-time homemaker. Well, she did manage her home and child well; just as well as she took care of her doctor husband, who was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, only he chose not to. But was it too much to expect some adult company and touch? Manish seemed to think so.

  Saloni went red, shrinking within herself. She did look into the mirror after he left the house to party with his bachelor friends. Had she become bloated? She turned this way and that but couldn’t see that it was so bad. Her stomach was flat, same as before the baby was born. Her breasts had filled out, but then, she still breastfed her infant so that was to be expected. Being a little more honest with herself, Saloni admitted that her thighs were thicker than before. But then, motherhood was about all these changes, wasn’t it? And Manish being a doctor, shouldn’t he understand it better than the others?

  Saloni sighed. Yeah, she was a little rounder than before, but she definitely did not resemble a pumpkin.

  That conversation had been the end of it. Manish never wanted to make love with her. Saloni had grown so bored with her own company, with no one to talk to—well, she did talk a lot to her infant son, but he only cooed back to her—that she couldn’t wait to get back to Delhi for a break. “I can take only a couple of weeks off. You stay longer if you want to. Just don’t forget that I’m not of much use in the kitchen and it would be better to have you back to make my meals. So, don’t take too long,” was her husband’s advice before they boarded their flight to India.

  As if her only role in his life was to cook his meals! Saloni wanted to scream in frustration, her face going red with temper, though she didn’t say anything. That she didn’t utter the words didn’t really stop Saloni from thinking it. The few times that she had protested, Manish had sulked, refusing to talk to her for many days at a time, making her feel lonelier than ever. The absolute silence during those times had almost driven her nuts.

  Today, Saloni felt envious of her younger sister as she saw Ruma rushing into Lakshman’s arms. Wasn’t she lucky?!

  A yell sounded a few seconds later, breaking the silence of the tranquil night. Saloni rushed into her bedroom to see Mitesh sobbing and Manish calling out to her at the top of his voice, not having stirred from his position on the bed. “Where the hell were you? Can’t you keep the brat from crying for a few hours? I haven’t had a peaceful night’s sleep since he was born. Tch! One responsibility you have and even that you can’t manage properly.”

  Couldn’t he see that his shouting made the baby howl all the more? Saloni lifted Mitesh from his baby cot and held him close to her breast, soothing his back as she spoke to him softly. “No no, sweetheart. Don’t cry.” She changed his diaper swiftly before feeding him. Hiccupping softly, Mitesh calmed down, going to sleep as he was dry and well fed by now. Saloni brushed the thick curls back from the baby’s forehead, looking at him with love shining in her eyes. For all her marriage was worth, she could never regret it since it had given her little Mitesh.

  2

  Aarav Chopra crossed the threshold of the Malhotra home for the first time since Saloni got engaged to Manish Chawla, that too only because Ganga Malhotra, Saloni’s grandmother, had invited him personally for Ruma’s wedding. No one refused the matriarch, more because of the respect with which she treated people.

  His eyes fell on the infant in a pram and he couldn’t resist going closer to check the baby out. His steel grey eyes went wide with shock as he saw Saloni’s features imprinted on the baby face. OMG! This had to be her child. He looked at the young girl who was in charge and asked, “What’s his name?”

  “Mitesh,” said the girl shyly, eyeing the tall stranger warily.

  Aarav went on his knees beside the pram and smiled widely at the baby, who gave him a toothless grin in reply. “Hello, little man.” The baby caught hold of the finger that Aarav pointed at him, gurgling with joy, slowly pulling it towards his mouth.

  “No no, little man. Not that,” laughed Aarav, pulling his hand away from the baby’s face. “I don’t think so.”

  Mitesh screwed up his face, getting ready to bawl when Aarav lifted him out of the pram to hold him against his chest. “Naughty little man,” he said, shaking his head at the baby, touching his finger to the button nose.

  Mitesh forgot to cry, gurgling again, his little hand catching hold of a fistful of Aarav’s dark hair as the man bent down to bestow a kiss on the tiny forehead. “Ouch,” laughed Aarav, as the little one tugged hard.

  “Oh my God! I’m so sorry,” said Saloni, gently prising the baby fingers off Aarav’s hair. She laughed softly, looking up at the man as he raised his head, a startled look on her face as she recognised him. “If it isn’t Aarav Chopra! Where have you been all these years?” She gave him a wide smile, ignoring the tingle she felt in her fingers as they came in contact with his silky hair.

  Aarav looked as if he had been punched hard in his solar plexus. Yeah, he knew her face; he had even dreamt of it day and night since he was a little over twenty and she had been barely seventeen. But it never failed to hit him—her breathtaking beauty. Her large brown eyes with curling dark eyelashes, her silky soft cheeks that were on the chubbier side, her pert nose that pointed up in the air whenever she raised her head a few inches to look up at him and her determined little chin—the whole package aroused him painfully while his heart battered against his chest, his stomach churning as it joined the melee. She had put on a bit of weight but it sat well on her 5’8” frame, only adding to her womanly shape. But, Aarav sighed, she belonged to another man, one who had fathered this adorable baby.

  He smiled now. “Hello Saloni! How have you been? Your little guy is simply gorgeous,” he said, bending down to kiss the baby’s cheek, only to have his hair caught again by a little fist. “And naughty too,” laughed Aarav as the baby’s mother pulled the fingers off gently once again. Only, that brought her a little too close for comfort, making Aarav’s body tighten with need. He handed the baby to Saloni in a hurry, a trifle desperate to get away from her.

  Mitesh started crying the moment Aarav let him go. Saloni laughed, patting her son on his back as she placed him on her shoulder. “There, there, Mitesh darling. So jao! Come along inside, Aarav. The wedding ceremony should begin any minute,” said Saloni, holding him by his arm and pulling him inside the house
.

  Aarav went, drawn by both the mother and the son. Shit! He was falling in love with her all over again. Why couldn’t his heart just accept that she was a married woman and a mother at that? But no, his heart didn’t seem to care, not one little bit. And this time round, he hadn’t just fallen for Saloni, but her little son too.

  “Hello Aarav beta, I’m so happy to see you. Thank you for coming at such a short notice,” said Ganga, pulling him into a hug as he bent down to touch her feet.

  “How have you been Daadima?” he said, hugging her right back. “And from when have you started thanking your grandchildren for showing their affection?” he teased, kissing her on her cheek.

  Ganga laughed. “As smart and cheeky as ever,” she said, taking him by the hand and introducing him to Lakshman, the bridegroom.

  Neither Ganga nor her husband Shantanu—who was no more—had ever been bothered by the fact that Aarav’s father Tejpal Chopra used to be their driver till the day he retired. It was Shantanu who had recognised the fire in the younger Aarav and had helped him channelize it, ensuring that he got the right kind of education.

  Aarav conversed with Laki before Ruma arrived and the couple needed to go sit in the mandap as the wedding rites began.

  Aarav went around, chatting with Akshay and his wife Sunita, paying his respects to Raj and Tanuja Malhotra, before returning to stand next to the pram. He couldn’t help but be fascinated by little Mitesh who cooed at him, lifting his arms and legs up in the air as if in invitation. “What?” Aarav whispered to the baby with a wide grin, “Do you want to pull my hair or do you want to bite my finger?”

  Mitesh gurgled, catching hold of Aarav’s finger once again. Saloni arrived just then, holding a man by the hand. “Aarav, I’d like you to meet my husband, Dr. Manish Chawla. And Manish, this is Aarav Chopra...”

  Manish’s jaw dropped. “The Aarav Chopra?” he asked in a reverent whisper, his eyes wide.

  Aarav got up from his knees, unable to resist lifting the baby in his arms and stood tall in front of the other man, disliking him on sight. But then, there was no surprise there. He would have hated anyone who was married to Saloni. Now he nodded, saying, “Yes.” He didn’t even bother to shake the other man’s hand.

  Saloni looked from one to the other, confused. “What do you mean?” she asked her husband. “Who do you think Aarav Chopra is?” She asked, her hands on her hips.

  “Women!” fumed Manish, an impatient expression on his face. “You are an idiot Saloni! Why don’t you read the newspapers some time? Aarav Chopra has single-handedly set up his diverse group of companies and his name is listed among the top 100 richest people in India. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?” He turned to Aarav and said, “I need a picture of you with my kid, buddy. I promise you that this will go viral on social media.” Manish took out his phone and clicked away speedily, not even waiting to find out if the other man was okay with it.

  Aarav didn’t really give a damn, holding Saloni’s baby close to his heart as he laughed, saying, “Saloni knows me from a different time, Dr. Chawla. Of course I don’t need to tell you that she stood first in Delhi University during her MBA finals. An idiot couldn’t have done that.” He walked away, handing little Mitesh to his mother, refusing to be moved by the baby’s cries. He needed to get away or he might just choke the life out of Manish Chawla.

  3

  Saloni wasn’t sure if she hated herself or her husband more as she stood watching him sleeping deeply. She brushed away the tear that fell down her left cheek, only to have another one following it. She was so tempted to smash something or at least scream the place down. But she didn’t want to wake either of the men in her life. It was a good thing that Mitesh was a peaceful baby, crying infrequently. But even those rare occasions triggered off her husband’s temper.

  What the hell! Saloni fumed as her mind drifted into the happy days of the past, before Manish came into her life...

  Saloni Malhotra had been twenty-three and floating on cloud nine when she got to know that she had passed her MBA finals with flying colours. She had always wanted a career, keen to be a mover and shaker in the world of business.

  Saloni walked into her home, thrilled to share the information that she had topped in the university. “Mamma, Daadima, I have some awesome news. You know what? I came first.” She grinned from ear-to-ear as her grandmother Ganga swept her into a hug while Rati stood back to watch her with a small frown.

  “I’m so proud of you, beta. And so would your grandfather be if he’d been alive.” Ganga kissed her elder granddaughter on her forehead.

  “I just can’t see the need to study so much,” declared Rati, “In the end you are going to be running someone’s home. What a waste of time and money?!”

  “How can you say that Mamma? I have already received three offers from big companies. I’m going to talk to Pappa and maybe I’ll also call Akshay chachu and consult him as to which is the best offer. I...”

  “Are you mad Saloni? Just forget it. I’ve already chosen an excellent NRI groom for you. The Chawlas are coming to see you the day after tomorrow. Manish Chawla is a doctor who is based in the USA and is earning in dollars. You’ll have a wonderful life.” Rati smacked her lips, excited at the prospect of organising the wedding of her eldest born.

  Saloni looked at her mother, her brown eyes open wide in shock. “Mamma, I want to have a career, not get married. I’ve just completed my education and I...” She turned to look at her silent grandmother who was watching her daughter-in-law in turn. Ganga never interfered with Rati’s decisions, even if she didn’t agree with most of her views. That way, peace reigned in the family. While Ganga was still working as a consultant at their family business, Rati preferred to remain a housewife. But Ganga was okay with that. She led her own life, letting Rati lead hers, intervening only on rare occasions under dire circumstances.

  “Don’t be stupid Saloni. Where’s the need for you to earn? By God’s grace, we have more than enough. You are already twenty-three. People have started asking me why you aren’t married yet. I feel ashamed at times, especially when my friends at our kitty parties talk behind my back.”

  “How would you know if they are talking behind your back?” asked Saloni, sarcasm tingeing her words.

  Ganga continued to watch quietly, even though the same question had come into her mind too.

  “Don’t you dare talk back to your elders Saloni. I have already invited the Chawlas and they will be here at 5 pm on the day after tomorrow. Just get yourself prepared to settle in the USA. You get married and work there. I don’t think Manish will have a problem with that.”

  “But Mamma, I’m not interested in shifting to the USA. Why are you forcing me?”

  “What nonsense is this? You will have to shift to the USA because that’s where your husband is living. Where am I forcing you?” Rati had begun to scream now.

  “Can you hear yourself Mamma? I am not married and I have no husband. Why the hell should I shift out of Delhi? I love living here and I don’t want to go anywhere else, unless for a holiday.” Saloni kept her voice decibel down only out of respect to her grandmother. She was too angry with her mother by now.

  “But you will be and soon, if I have my way. Manish is here on leave for twenty days. In fact, he’s arriving in Delhi only tomorrow. He will meet you the very next day. Pappa and I have already spoken to his parents. He has also seen your photo and is keen to marry you. The wedding will need to happen within two weeks and...”

  Saloni shuddered. “How long have these talks been going on? Why did you never consult me regarding this?”

  “Aaj kal ke bachhon mein sharam naam ki cheez nahin hai,” declared Rati vehemently. “You were busy with your studies and it’s the parents’ duty to fix the daughter’s wedding. Why should we consult you about this? Don’t you have the confidence that we’d find the right man for you? My parents never asked me if I wanted to marry your father. I hadn’t even spoken to him before our marriage. B
ut then, as I mentioned, we girls in those days were shy about discussing such things. But you people...”

  “Spare me the lecture Mamma. This is beyond irritating.” Saloni left the living room abruptly, walking up the stairs of the duplex to rush into her bedroom on the first floor and locking herself within. She quickly sent a WhatsApp message to her sister Ruma. “Mamma’s screwing my life. I need to talk to you desperately. Get home fast and come over to my room.”

  She heard a soft knock on her door about forty-five minutes later and opened it to let Ruma in. “What happened Sal?” Ruma stared at her elder sister whose eyes were red with crying. “I thought you were going out to celebrate your MBA results.”

  “Ruma!” Saloni fell into her sister’s arms, howling. “Mamma has arranged my wedding with some NRI from the US.” She went on to repeat everything Rati had said. “How the hell can I get out of this? I...”

  Ruma looked at Saloni, her face pale with shock. “But how can she do that? You want a career, right?”

  “Exactly! And how many times do I explain that to her?” Fresh tears rolled down Saloni’s cheeks.

  “But wait a minute. Maybe, just maybe, we can try to turn this to your advantage. I know you’re keen to live in Delhi. But working in the USA can’t be bad as so many of our people shift over to build a career there. Why don’t you meet this guy first? If you like him, then maybe your life’s sorted, though differently from what you had imagined. You know Mamma! She’s too stubborn and always gets her own way. Go along with her plans and check this out. With your kind of marks and all that, I don’t think you’ll have a problem landing a job in Chicago.”

  Saloni looked at her sister, her tears having dried up now. She slowly nodded her head. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. It’s not a bad idea.” She smiled now. “Not a bad idea at all. You’re the one with the solutions, Ruma. Thanks.” She bumped her fist with her sister’s. “Do you want to go out for dinner? My treat!”

  “Yes,” said Ruma, throwing an arm around her sister.