Flaming Sun Collection 2: Marriages Made in India (Box Set with 5 novellas)

by Sundari Venkatraman

  He nodded. “I agree. That’s so important in a teacher. Will you let me apply for a post in your school?”

  Avantika looked him up and down. “You’ll need to qualify first. If you do, why not?”

  “I need a favour. Do you have videos of your shows or maybe even your practise sessions?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I’ll use those to teach myself to dance, to qualify to the standard of a teacher.”

  She looked at him shrewdly. “You think you’ll manage that way?”

  He grinned. “You can find out the next time we meet.”

  “You are serious.” There was awe in Avantika’s face.

  “I am. You don’t know what all I’ve learnt watching videos on YouTube. You saw me bartending. What did you think?”

  “You are a pro.”

  He grinned, thrilled with her compliment. “I practised in front of the mirror after watching a dozen or so videos.”

  “What are you saying?” Avantika was astonished. He must be an excellent learner.

  “It’s all about survival. I can’t take corporate jobs as I keep moving. I need to do odd jobs and I’m not trained for many of them. And then it’s very important not to get bored, so a variety is a must too.”

  “May I ask you something? I hope you won’t be offended. Please tell me if you think I’m stepping on your toes. But I’d really like to know…”

  “Ask away, Avi. I know you love me and it’s not just idle curiosity that drives you,” he said, an adoring smile in his obsidian eyes.

  She blew him a kiss, uncaring that they were in a crowded restaurant. “You need a lot of money to travel and to go sightseeing. While you must be earning on your odd jobs, I’m sure they won’t pay you enough to fund your whole trip. I know you’re fiercely independent. So, how do you manage?”

  “Thanks Avi. I’m truly glad to know you realise that I’m independent.” He blew her a kiss back. “You’re right. Though it might appear to many that I’m just loafing around the world, it’s taken a lot of planning. I have to thank my father for that actually. When he saw that I was interested in travelling, he first made me do a lot of home work. I was barely eighteen at that time. He made me find out the cost of travel, accommodation, food, sightseeing and the options of earning while having fun. I gathered the information from the net as well as from talking with travel agents. I put together many packages, and believe me, the costs nine years ago were much lesser than today. Once I had all the information in place, Pappa sat with me for a long talk. He asked me if I would like him to fund my trips. I knew that it would have left only a tiny hole in his bank balance. But I had already been thinking about all that. I didn’t want to use his hard-earned money for my travel. I told him of my plan to work part-time while finishing my college. Every rupee I earned went into my savings, since I was still living at home. Two years later, my dad introduced me to the idea of investing in shares and mutual funds. He explained all the pitfalls to me and taught me to never do things in haste. It was a lesson for life. I’ve never looked back. Even then, I waited for two more years and,” Shatru turned a bit red when he said this, “I literally amassed wealth. Everything I touched seemed to turn to gold. All my investments doubled, trebled and quadrupled. I kept separating my profits and reinvesting my principal amount. I began travelling only after I turned twenty-two and after ensuring that I had enough money to do what I want to do over the next decade, actually.”

  “So, you plan to travel till you’re thirty-two.” Avantika smiled at him. “That’s just awesome, Shatru. Your family must be extremely proud of you. And you are truly fortunate to have such a wonderful dad.”

  “I am! Well, I’ve this vague idea of ten years, give or take some years or maybe till I’m so saturated with my globetrotting that I want to stay back at home.”

  “And do you have a plan for that time?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I want to do organic farming. I’ve been visiting a number of farms in Italy, Spain and Germany. And actually, India is renowned for organic farming. I’m putting together a list of farms to visit next year, before I begin work on mine.”

  “Okay. So, where do you plan to have your farm?”

  “I’ve a plot of land, in Kotputli, about two hours from Jaipur. It’ll be somewhere I can keep a tab on while living in Jaipur.” He was quite excited sharing his future plans with Avantika. He had never discussed any of these with anyone other than his family before now.

  Avantika couldn’t help smiling in admiration. He was obviously living his life, exactly on his terms. “What an awesome life, Shatru!”

  He smiled. “Yes, it is. I thank my lucky stars every day, and my parents, of course. Actually, we are from a farming community. We shifted to Jaipur when I was eleven.” Shatru stopped when he realised that maybe he was talking too much about himself. “That’s enough about me. You tell me more about yourself.”

  “You know I’m from Bengaluru. My parents live there by themselves in a sprawling bungalow. My brother, Vidyut, is elder to me by four years. He’s doing his Masters at Princeton University. My parents weren’t too happy when I shifted to Mumbai to pursue my career. But they’re broadminded and didn’t stand in my way, since the opportunities are way more here.”

  Shatru nodded. “And you’ve made such a success of yourself too. I’m so proud of you, just as your parents must be.”

  Avantika blushed a deep red, nodding her head slowly.

  “And how and when are you planning your school?”

  “In a couple of years or so. By then, I’ll wind down all my present projects.”

  “Won’t you miss the shows? Can’t you do both of them?”

  “Missing my shows…well, I’m enjoying them while at it. I suppose I just don’t know how to miss something that’s not there. Maybe because I’m too involved in what I’m doing at any particular time. Am I making sense?” She looked at him, wondering if she sounded crazy.

  “Absolutely. I know exactly what you mean. I love my family. But when I am out of the house, I don’t pine for them. Isn’t that what you’re saying?”

  Avi grinned. “Exactly.” She was thrilled to know that he could relate to her. Not many could.

  “Will you be my long distance girlfriend?” he asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

  Avantika’s face glowed. “Try and stop me.”

  They left the restaurant, hand-in-hand, glad to have found each other.

  12

  Avantika sipped on the sweet water directly from a coconut as she sat back on her bath towel, mesmerised by the waves. She was on a holiday at Villingili Island, Addu Atoll, in the Republic of Maldives, where Shatrughan was a surfing instructor these days.

  The past year had been hectic but wonderful, as they had savoured every minute they got to be in one another’s company. Avantika had made it a point to spend at least a week with him every couple of months, in whichever part of the world he was in at that point in time. She had been to Brisbane, Istanbul, Egypt, Johannesburg and now Maldives. She had even managed to put up dance shows at Brisbane and Jo’burg along with her troupes. Thanks to Shatru, her performances had gone international.

  She lay back on her towel, soaking up the sun that was gently sliding down the horizon, the book she had been reading, lying on the side, forgotten.

  Avantika opened her eyes when she felt the cool droplets of water on her skin. It was evening and her lover was on his knees beside her, his hair spiked under the influence of sea water. His gold earrings glinted in the setting sun as he grinned at her supine form.

  “Hey!” said Shatru, his hand caressing her abdomen, “Do you wanna go for a swim?” He’d been busy with his avid surfing students while she’d been relaxing on the beach.

  She took his hand and placed it against her breasts, smiling as she got up to kiss him on his lips. “Hmm…yes.”

  Shatru held her close to his naked chest, only a pair of figure-hugging swimming trunks covering him. His large hands caressed
her bare waist, even as his lips traced her skin from neck to shoulder. He moved down to take a bite of a luscious breast before he slapped her bottom mischievously. “Come on, let’s go before it gets too dark.”

  They raced towards the sea, diving headlong into the warm waters. It was simply fabulous as they swam along with the myriad fishes, ducking each other time and again.

  “I’m hungry,” said Avantika, after a while. “Let’s go.”

  Shatru lifted her up in his arms, one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees, rising up from the seas like a Greek God.

  Avantika watched him in the twilight as they towelled themselves. He had tanned to the colour of dark honey and looked delicious. Unable to resist, she hugged him, kissing him on his chest. They walked to the guest house that Shatru had hired for the season, showering together before going out for dinner at Palm Village, a local restaurant.

  She smiled when the chef came over to their table to take Shatru’s order. By now, the locals knew Shatrughan’s vegetarian inclination and adapted their cuisine to suit his tastes. Avantika ordered Thelui mas—fried octopus that was pretty spicy, Dhon riha—tuna curry that was flavoured with mango, coconut, ginger and cinnamon along with a plate of steaming rice. Shatru ordered Banbukeylu harisa—a vegetarian curry of breadfruit that was steamed and flavoured with coconut, onion and chilli. Coconuts were abundant to the region and were used in almost all dishes. Being from Karnataka, Avantika was used to the flavour and loved it. They completed their meal with Dhonkeyo kajuru—a banana cake that was deep fried, flavoured by fresh vanilla. They drank Raa—the local toddy taken from palm trees that tasted a bit sour by late evening.

  The distance back to their guest house wasn’t much and the two of them decided to walk back by mutual consent.

  Arm-in-arm, Shatru and Avantika walked along the shore, a soft breeze blowing from the sea. She was dressed in a halter neck top in white, teamed with a black sarong with white batik print on it. She had left her hair loose, the silver hoops dangling from her ears the only ornaments. She turned to kiss his dragon tattoo, before leaning on his shoulder.

  Shatru stopped suddenly, kissing her on the top of her head. “Avi…”

  “Hmm…” She buried her face on his chest, her arms going around his waist.

  “Will you marry me?” Shatru had been toying with the idea since the last six months. He knew that she was the woman for him, the one he wanted for his life partner. Would she agree?

  Avantika raised her face to look up at him, her eyes shining brightly in the moonlight. “I thought you’d never ask.” She threw her arms around his neck to press her lips to his. “Yes, please.”

  Shatru hooted with laughter, lifting her high up in his arms, thrilled with her answer. “Tell me when.”

  “Today?” she winked at him.

  He laughed again. “How I’d love to. Would you like to have a big wedding, with all the works? Band, baaja, baaraat?”

  She wrinkled her nose at him. “I’d love to. Will you mind?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all, my sweetheart. Whatever you want. Only, let’s do it fast please.” He bent down to kiss her hard. “I want to belong to you, exclusively.”

  “Like I want to be yours,” said Avantika, resting her head on his chest. “When are you back in India?”

  “The surfing season will be over by the end of this month. I should be home in the first week of November.”

  “I’ll talk to my parents. They will want to meet you before we can set a date.”

  Shatru nodded. “Done. I’ll go with you to Bengaluru as soon as I get back, right? And we both will fly back to Jaipur to meet my family.”

  Avantika smiled. “I love you, Shatru.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart, with all my heart.”

  13

  Shatru opened the door into SaRa Salon and stopped when he heard a wolf whistle.

  Looking up to see her brother-in-law, a laughing Sapna went forward to hug him. It was her assistant Tara who had whistled on sighting the handsome hunk.

  “How are you, Sapna?” asked Shatru, hugging her back, waving a hand at Tara in acknowledgement.

  “Life couldn’t get better.” She was too happy with her lot, an adoring husband, a mischievous little pixie for a daughter and the wonderful Maheshwari family.

  “Little Samaira has become so big now,” he grinned. “She looks a lot like you.”

  Sapna smiled. “Yeah, hasn’t she? And naughty too. She’s thoroughly spoilt,” she said affectionately. Being the only grandchild in the Maheshwari household, her 16-month-old daughter Samaira was the apple of everyone’s eye. “And what’s up with you? How have you been?”

  “I’m good. I’m planning to meet Avantika’s parents in Bengaluru. I…”

  “High time,” said Sapna, her smile widening as colour rushed up Shatru’s manly cheeks. “So, has she agreed to marry you?”

  He nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes! I’m planning to go to Ram’s shop to buy her a ring, after I get a haircut.” His eldest brother Ram was a jewellery designer who owned a huge showroom called Nakshatra Jewellery.

  “That’s awesome! But are you sure you want to cut off your lovely locks?” asked his sister-in-law, showing him to a salon chair that faced a wall of mirrors.

  Tara came forward. “Let me have a go at Shatru’s hair, Sapna,” she requested, eyeing him through the mirror, giving him a wink.

  Shatru swivelled in his chair to look at Sapna with comical horror. “You aren’t going to let this trainee touch my hair, are you?” He was well aware that Tara was trained from a London institute, but he never could resist pulling her leg.

  “Very funny,” grumbled Tara even as Sapna laughed, going back to her station. Tara ran a gentle hand over his hair after turning his chair away to face the mirror. “So, how would you like me to style it? Just a trim or…?”

  Shatru was actually reluctant to lose the length of his hair that touched his shoulders. But then, he wanted to cut down the Bohemian look to make an impression on Avantika’s parents. From what he’d gleaned from her, he realised they were a bit on the formal side. “A trim I think. Something that I can pass off as a corporate look,” he said, smiling at her through the mirror.

  Tara nodded, spraying his hair generously with water, before taking her scissors to snip at it. It was twenty minutes before she used a hair-dryer and brush to set his hair to perfection. She whistled again after giving him a final once over, bringing her thumb and forefinger together in a gesture of appreciation. “You look awesome, dude.”

  “Thanks, Tara,” he pressed a few hundred-rupee notes into her hand. He blew Sapna a kiss, saying, “See you later. I’m off to meet your husband.” He left to take the ten-minute walk to Ram’s jewellery showroom that was in the same area.

  Walking in, he returned the greetings of the staff, going directly to Ram’s cabin at the back of the shop. Checking through the glass window to see that Ram was alone, Shatru walked in after a cursory knock.

  Looking up, Ram got up the moment he saw his youngest brother. “Hey, stranger,” he said, giving him a warm hug. “How have you been?”

  “Awesome, bro. And you?”

  “Splendid,” smiled Ram. “Did you go home?”

  “Yeah, and met your young madam too. She’s become so tall.”

  “She has nah?” Ram’s smile got wider. He was proud of his daughter.

  “And I met Sapna too. Just got a haircut from her salon.”

  Ram sat his brother down on a chair before picking up the phone to ask for two cups of coffee. “How was your trip this time? You’ve tanned a lot, and looking fit.”

  “Yeah, the sun and sea have done me a lot of good. I’m planning to get married, Ram.”

  “Finally,” grinned Ram. “To Avantika, right?”

  Shatru nodded. “I want to buy her a ring.”

  “Perfect.” Ram lifted the intercom again to ask an assistant to bring some rings to his office. Turning to Shatru, he a
sked, “Any preference?”

  “Diamond solitaire.”

  Ram nodded, before speaking into the phone again. He disconnected before saying, “So, one more wedding in the family. What about Avantika’s parents? You said they are in Bengaluru, right?”

  “Yeah, I’m going the day after tomorrow to meet them.”

  Ram nodded. “And when are you bringing Avantika home?”

  “Soon after. You’ve all met Avantika and know her, sort of, while I’m still a stranger to her parents.”

  “That’s true,” said Ram before calling out, “Come in,” to the knock at the door.

  An office boy brought a tray with two mugs of coffee, giving Shatru a wide smile of welcome. Behind him walked in a shop assistant with a large display tray containing rings set with diamond solitaires.

  Ram thanked them both, indicating that they leave everything on his table. Picking up a cup of coffee, he walked to Shatru’s side to pull the tray of rings closer.

  “They all look amazing, Ram. All your designs, I presume?” When Ram nodded, he continued, “You’ve got better and better at this.”

  “Thanks,” said Ram, a smile on his face. The advent of the two women in his life seemed to have made him more creative than ever.

  Shatru drank his coffee, looking at the tray, running his eyes over the rings one by one, before he paused on the sixth row. Finishing his coffee and placing the mug aside, he bent over to lift a two-carat solitaire set in a plain gold band. “This looks perfect, Ram. I’d like to have matching ear-studs and a necklace that would go with it. Do you have something suitable?”

  “I know exactly what you want. I’ll go and get the stuff myself.” Ram walked out and returned almost immediately, carrying a jeweller’s box. He opened it and showed it to Shatru.

  The latter’s eyes went wide, seeing the twin rows of solitaires, strung together in a gold necklace. “This is perfect, bro,” he said, before checking out the ear-studs that had a single stone each. “I’ll take the lot.”