by P. G. Van
“Geetanjali, what’s wrong?”
“I have no one except my friends, but I still feel alone when I am not with them… but you…” She pulled back to look at him in the dim light. “You make me feel like the most important person in your life. Why?”
Dheeraj smiled framing her face with his hands. “Right now, you are the most important person in my life.”
“Why didn’t I meet you outside a contract?” She smiled.
“How would it be different?” He winked.
Anjali looked into his eyes. “I probably would have kissed you when you told me I am the most important person in your life.”
Dheeraj smiled, taking his lips close to hers, just a thread apart. “You can still kiss me.”
Anjali moaned as she took her lips to his, pulling him close to her. The way he groaned against her lips did wonders to her nerve endings, and she gave into the moment. The initial apprehension soon turned into an undying desire for both of them. An unexpected need to hold each other and meld their bodies together surfaced as she dug her fingertips into his hair.
“Anjali…” The way he said her name against her lips made her inner depths quiver.
A kiss that had started off as a brush of lips exploded into something uncontrollable and primitive that neither of them wanted to stop. His hands roamed her body, and when he pulled her closer to him, she felt his longing for her against her belly and knew she wasn’t imagining the enthusiasm in the kiss.
Anjali pulled on his shirt like she had no control of her actions, and she heard the pop of the button, and a moment later, Dheeraj pulled back leaving her in a dazed situation. She blinked looking at him for a long moment as his eyes bore into hers, both of them breathing heavily.
Dheeraj stood up and felt his pockets, and it was at that point she realized his phone was ringing. He looked at the phone screen and handed her the phone. “It’s for you.”
Anjali took the phone and saw Lekha was calling her.
“Hey, Lekha.” She hoped her voice didn’t sound too shaken.
“Am I disturbing you guys?” Her friend sounded embarrassed.
“No, not at all. We just finished dinner, and I was about to go to sleep.” Anjali looked up at Dheeraj, and he stood with his back to her running his fingers through his messy hair. She lowered her eyes and continued the conversation with her friend for a few more minutes.
Anjali handed the phone back to him. “I left my phone in my purse downstairs, and Lekha wanted to check on me.”
“I’ll go get your purse.” He was gone before she could tell him she didn’t need her purse, but she was thankful for the thinking space. Anjali had no idea how they went from a casual conversation to a whirlpool of desire that threatened to suck them both in.
“Not good,” Anjali mumbled under her breath and was thankful for her friend’s phone call. She wasn’t sure how to face him after what happened a few minutes back and wondered what was going on in his head. She was shaken out of her thoughts when she heard him ascend the stairs.
Anjali wasn’t sure if he would make eye contact with her, but she was relieved that he smiled at her. He placed her purse on the side table and walked over to hand her a bottle of water.
“Thank you!” She took a few sips of the water and offered him a drink of water, and he shook his head.
“Good night, Geetanjali.” Dheeraj put one knee on the mattress to bend down and place a kiss on top of her head.
On instinct, Anjali wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t….”
Dheeraj pulled back to look down at her. “Don’t apologize for anything. You will be my wife soon, and such bursts of affection will do us a lot of good in public. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Anjali smiled, relief sweeping over her. “Good night, Dheeraj.”
She lay awake for a long time trying to justify the passionate encounter as casual and part of what they had to do but had no way to convince herself it was casual. It was a reminder for her not to get carried away by a fatal attraction.
Chapter 5
The next morning, Anjali’s eyes fluttered open to a distant voice. It was Dheeraj talking on the phone, and she shook her head when she remembered the kiss they shared. She made a mental note not to consume any kind of alcohol while in contract. It was not going to do her any good.
Anjali lay in bed listening to the distant baritone, and the part that perked up her ears was the unhappiness with which Dheeraj’s words flowed out. She was in the guest bedroom of Dheeraj’s house, and his office was right next to her room. It was a Sunday morning, so it surprised her that he was working.
Over the past week, Anjali had spent a couple of nights in his guest bedroom getting accustomed to her surroundings and to what was going to be her home for the next two years. The other nights she had spent at his house were uneventful unlike last night. She got out of bed pulling her long hair into a bun as she stepped out of the guest bedroom. She used the bathroom, and even through the walls, she could hear him talk in an agitated manner.
The clock on the wall showed it was barely seven in the morning when she closed the bedroom door behind her and walked toward his office. Something was going on, and from what she heard, it was about the proposal from the night before.
“Who says it takes forever to find true love. Too bad you haven’t experienced it.” Dheeraj sounded angry.
Anjali stepped inside the office right into his line of sight. The usual smile that played in his face didn’t surface when their eyes met, and she wondered what was going on.
“Listen, I don’t have time for this. Either you believe it or not. I need to go because I can’t keep my fiancée waiting.”
Anjali looked at his deadpan expression unsure of who he was talking to on the phone.
“Yes, the wedding will be soon… as soon as we are able to get everything sorted. I can’t wait to make her my wife,” Dheeraj said looking straight at her, his expression like a rock wall.
She cautiously walked to him as he ended the call. “Everything okay?”
Dheeraj nodded and picked up the newspaper and handed it to her. “Everything is perfect!”
Anjali’s eyes widened at the half page picture of her and Dheeraj kissing with the title of the article, ‘City’s Most Eligible Bachelor—TAKEN!’ She blushed and kept staring at the picture unable to believe it was her. The picture was beautiful, and it captured the tenderness of the moment.
“Wow, this is… I don’t know why I kissed you.” She looked up at him feeling embarrassed, but not for kissing him when they were in public.
“Geetanjali, that was perfect. You made it look so real. The social media is on fire.” He laughed, easing her state of shyness.
She laughed. “When will you stop calling me Geetanjali?”
“Never… it’s such a beautiful name. Why would you chop it?”
“My grandma was the only person who called me by that name. I…”
“Do you not like being called Geetanjali?” His voice was soft.
“I like it, and you say it the way she used to. It reminds me of her, but it’s such a mouthful.” She grinned.
“I like traditional names, and I don’t mind long, beautiful names.”
“Thank you,” she said coyly.
“Ready for breakfast? We need to discuss the wedding ceremony, so we can announce the date and make arrangements.”
Anjali shook her head. “I can’t eat yet. I need a double dose of green tea, and I need to go for a run.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I can run with you.”
“Will you take me to my apartment? I need my running gear.” She scrunched her nose.
“That won’t be necessary. You have everything you need here… in the master bedroom. Come with me.” Dheeraj took her hand in his and led her into the master bedroom. She stole a glance at the massive bed she would soon start sharing with him, and a weird tingle passed down her spine.
“You couldn’t tell me you had pajamas for me last night?” Anjali scowled, looking down at the ankle length slip she slept in last night after shedding off the top layer that had embellishments.
Dheeraj smirked. “I… I wasn’t thinking straight last night.”
Anjali smiled and looked at the closet to hide the blush that surfaced on her cheeks. “You seriously bought me running shoes? Oh, and you got me these?” She held the pair of running shoes she had tried on in the store multiple times but had walked away with sticker shock every single time.
“Do you not like them?”
“Are you kidding, I’ve wanted these shoes for so long.” She laughed.
“That’s what I thought, too—”
Anjali didn’t let him finish. “How did you know I wanted these shoes?”
Dheeraj chuckled but did not respond.
Anjali took a step closer to him. “Listen, Mr. Varma… I need you to stop snooping around like this. None of my friends knew my full name until you told them, you bought a pair of shoes I’ve been coveting, and only the sales guy knows how much I liked them and…”
Anjali’s eyes widened when Dheeraj placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. “I got it. No more poking around, and I only did what was needed to prep for the contract.”
“Why did you need to know what shoes I wanted?” Anjali shook her head.
“Let’s drop it. I promise, there will be no more stalking.”
She pulled back slightly. “Nothing more than what was needed for the contract?”
“I have no history of mental illness if that’s what you are implying.” He laughed.
“Well, I needed to be sure I wasn’t getting into a contract with a weirdo.”
“It’s a virtual contract bound only by your words.” Dheeraj’s voice was gravelly.
“A promise is a promise.”
“There’s a reason I stalked you, Geetanjali. It’s because I had a feeling you would honor your word.”
“Too soon to tell, don’t you think?” She winked.
“When all else fails, I always go with my gut, and I’ve never been wrong.” His eye sparkled at her.
Anjali smiled. “Let’s go get some fresh air.”
Dheeraj’s house was built in one of the hilly areas of the city, and he owned enough land for him to have an area to trek uphill.
“You ready to run up that hill?” he teased.
“I’ll race you to the top.”
“Bring it on…” Anjali laughed tightening her ponytail and started running even before he could adjust his shoelace.
“I wasn’t ready to race,” he called out from behind, and she continued running up the slope.
“You snooze, you lose,” she taunted and saw him run toward her. She had a head start, but he was closing in, his long legs helping him move faster than her.
“Hey there, stranger, or should I say cheater?” he said as he came up right behind her.
“I didn’t cheat, you just weren’t paying attention,” she said between breaths.
“That’s right… I was so distracted by your morning beauty.” His words were weighed down by mockery, but her step faltered, and she slowed down, and he ran past her turning back to look at her, a smug look on his face.
Anjali growled in reaction to the tease in his smile and ran faster. Every time she’d try to catch up, he would chuckle and pick up speed annoying her further. She ran with all her might up the slope, and when she was close to him, she tried to grab his hand to make him slow down but ended up grabbing onto the fabric of his t-shirt throwing him off balance.
Anjali had no idea what happened next, but when she opened her eyes, she was on top of Dheeraj, and he was on the muddy running path, a ball of dust surrounding them.
“Oh my God, what did I do? I’m sorry.” She got off his chest and started dusting her clothes.
Dheeraj sat up, a look of disbelief in his eyes and a moment later started laughing. “You are unbelievable and extremely competitive.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to trip you. Are you okay?” She gave him her hand to get him off the ground.
“I’m fine. All you had to do was ask me to slow down but…”
Anjali let out a cry when she saw the way his elbow was scraped, and she didn’t have a single scratch from the fall. “Dheeraj, you are hurt… let’s go back.”
“For this scrape?” He snickered.
“No, please… you are bleeding. Let’s go.”
“Geetanjali, you are a medical professional. You know this is superficial.” Anjali’s professional knowledge told her it was nothing, but something inside her made her antsy. She felt the burn he was feeling in the form of guilt.
“No, let’s go. You can’t ignore it.” Anjali took his hand and literally dragged him down the path they had climbed for barely fifteen minutes.
“You and I are never running together again. We should work out in the gym if we are together.” Dheeraj laughed.
Anjali wasn’t listening to him. She was lost in her thoughts of how every single nerve turned raw when her body crashed on top of him. She chastised herself that even in a time of crisis, her mind and body decided to dwell on the sensations.
Anjali stopped as soon as she saw one of the sprinklers running. She placed his arm under the water to wash off the dirt and blood.
“Look… it’s nothing.” Dheeraj smiled as she continued to inspect his arm for other scrapes.
Anjali looked up from his arm, a thin film of water gathering in her eyes. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
He interrupted her. “Stop… breakfast time.”
“Give me ten minutes. Look at my clothes.” She looked down at her dusty, partially damp t-shirt and yoga pants.
“You look very presentable, and your clothes match mine. Let’s go. Mr. Jimmy is on duty this morning to make us our first breakfast as an engaged couple.” Dheeraj laughed.
Anjali laughed. “Very romantic.”
“That’s the word I was thinking of,” he teased.
“Hey… so, who took that picture?” she asked as she walked next to him.
He frowned. “The one in the newspaper?”
She nodded. “Did you hire someone to…”
“If you are wondering if that was a PR stunt… no. There was a page three journalist at the bar last night, and he lapped up all the activity.”
“Oh… I didn’t realize you were famous.”
“I don’t know about famous but somewhat known, maybe.”
“Well-known I would think. Do you have paparazzi?” Her question was genuine.
“Not anymore. I used to when I was into modeling.”
She almost swirled to look at him. “You are a model?”
“I was… not anymore.”
“What were you a model for, and why did you give it up?”
He shook his head running his fingers through his hair. “I did when I was in college for a men’s clothing line… suits to be specific… not the other kind of clothing.”
Anjali laughed going down the stairs ahead of him. “Will you wear one of those suits to our wedding?”
“Yes, whatever my dear fiancée likes,” he teased.
“I would like that.” She winked sitting at the breakfast table across from him.
“Hold on tight, the fun is about to begin.”
*****
“Dheeraj, I hope you have a few minutes to chat,” Mr. Singh, his lawyer and advisor, asked on the phone.
“Yes, sir. I always have time for you.” Dheeraj was on his way back from Anjali’s apartment.
“Not enough time to tell me you were planning to get married?”
Dheeraj laughed picking up on the annoyance in his lawyer’s voice. “I figured it would be best to tell the woman I
intend to marry first before I told anyone else.”
“Dheeraj, I hope you have discussed a prenuptial agreement with the woman you intend to marry.”
Dheeraj couldn’t risk discussing the arrangement with anyone else, not even his lawyer, not because he didn’t trust him but to keep it a well-kept secret.
“I love her, Mr. Singh. There should be no need for a prenuptial.”
Dheeraj heard the older man take a deep breath. “Listen, Dheeraj. Love makes some people stupid but not you, not someone like you.”
“Mr. Singh, there will be no prenuptial agreement. If you have a way to secure the trust, then do it. I don’t really care for anything else.” Dheeraj’s voice was firm.
“How do you know this woman is not being set up by someone?”
“She is not. Look through the background check for the past five years. I fell in love with her at first sight, but I made sure she wasn’t some junkie.”
“Thank goodness for that. I still think you need to ask her for a prenuptial, and if she agrees, then you can be assured it is true love.” Mr. Singh wasn’t ready to let go.
“My love is true, Mr. Singh. I will be questioning my own confidence of how I feel about her if I asked her for a prenuptial agreement,” Dheeraj said, smiling to himself that he had something in place already, just not in writing.
“If… If something were to go wrong, how will you hold her down?”
Dheeraj took a deep breath. “I trust I have a good lawyer, so I trust him to secure my assets. If she did walk away with what is mine, you know I am capable of making sure she will have nowhere to go.”
“Understood.” Mr. Singh seemed relaxed.
“Where are we with the real paperwork… the one I care about?”
“My team is working on the details. It will take some time.”
“Mr. Singh, I prefer you work on getting those details sorted out because that, to me, is of the utmost importance. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Dheeraj.” Mr. Singh’s voice was wobbly.
“Thank you. Please say hi to Mrs. Singh for me.” Dheeraj ended the call curtly.
Chapter 6
“Anjali, this is complete madness,” Lekha said in disbelief, looking at her in the mirror.