Falling For Him (A Celebrity Romance)

by P. G. Van

  “Yes, he was such a good man.”

  “You are blessed with good people in your life.” Veer smiled.

  “Including you.” She kissed his chin making his smile widen.

  “I know bad things happened in the past and your father… you don’t hate him. I saw the tears, and they were tears for him.”

  She looked at him for a moment and nodded. “I don’t know why, but I couldn’t hate him when I saw him.”

  “Did you have good memories with him?”

  She nodded, fighting back the tears, and she bit her lip to stop the sobs.

  “If your mother and father had issues with their relationship, it doesn’t mean you need to hate him, and that he doesn’t love you.”

  She went silent on him for a few moments like he hit the nail on the head. “He was a good father and a husband, too… I don’t know what went wrong.”

  “Things happen, and it always takes two hands to clap.”

  “My mother, now that I think back, was very insecure because my father was in the broadcasting business and was always surrounded by beautiful women.”

  “Your father may have signed the adoption papers, but it looks like you are very much a part of his life… Aryan seemed happy to see you.”

  “I… I felt that affinity, too, what I feel for Siri or even more. I cannot be angry with that kid, it’s not his fault.” She sniffled, and he wiped the moisture from the edge of her eye.

  Veer took a deep breath. “I’ve always wanted to have a sibling, but my mom had health issues when I was a child, and they decided not to have another child.”

  “You can adopt Siri as your sibling.” She smiled.

  “I’d rather have Aryan. He is the little brother I’ve always wanted,” he teased.

  “Sure… and… I love you so much for being there for me. If I were there with my mom or Siri, they would have forced me to go talk to him, and I know I would have hated myself for doing that…”

  “I would never want you to do something you don’t want to,” he said softly.

  “I feel so much better after talking to you. It was too much to keep in and not talk about.”

  He patted her softly for a few minutes. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yeah,” she said, looking at him.

  “Was it your father who took you to all your favorite places or was it your uncle?”

  “My father… and after my mom passed away, I didn’t want to go anywhere near them until I was in college. I went back because I wanted the memories even if I didn’t have those people in my life.” She smiled, her eyes rolling shut.

  “I’m sure they are beautiful memories… sleep tight, love.”

  “Yes, they are.” She shut her eyes and hugged him as she succumbed into a blissful state as he enveloped her with his warmth.

  *****

  Ariya woke up alone in bed the next morning. She looked at her phone, and it was 7:30 a.m., and she had a message from Veer telling her he was out for a run. She rolled in bed looking out of the window at the beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay.

  She was drained physically and emotionally from the previous night, but she felt relieved—relieved that she shared everything with Veer and nothing about her was an unknown to him. She pulled a robe around her and walked into the kitchen craving coffee.

  She made coffee and sat at the dining table enjoying every sip she took. Her mom and sister were still away, and she didn’t call them back after returning from the hospital. She smiled as she dialed her mom’s phone number.

  “Hi, Ma,” she said, cheerfully.

  “Hi, sweetie. How are you doing? Jai was very happy to see you.”

  “I’m good, Ma. I was sad when I saw him,” she confessed.

  “I’m glad Jai is feeling better, he gave me such a scare.”

  “Yes.”

  “You should have talked to him, it would have…”

  “Ma, you know how I feel about him.” She snarled.

  “I know, but he is your father and my brother.”

  “Why are you suddenly reminding me about our relationship with him?”

  “Life is too short, sweetie. I was so guilty I kept you away from him, you know how much he thinks about you.”

  “Ma, I am not having this conversation after all these years. He betrayed my mother, and I can never forgive him for that.”

  “Sweetie…”

  “Ma, Please. Not now.”

  “Okay… I know Siri doesn’t want to invite her uncle to her wedding, but when I am the one paying for it all, I’m thinking I should invite my brother.” Her mom sounded adamant.

  “I don’t need this now.”

  “Think about…”

  “I need to go, Ma. Bye.” She hung up without another word and threw the phone on the table.

  She picked up her phone when her phone beeped a message.

  Siri: I heard everything. If that man is attending my wedding, I am eloping, and I’m taking you with me.

  Ariya: I love you!

  Siri: Anytime, sista!

  She had a wide grin on her face when the elevator doors opened, and Veer walked in, his t-shirt drenched in his sweat and his skin glistening.

  “Morning, sunshine.” He walked over to where she sat and pulled her into his arms.

  She laughed when he rubbed his sweaty face against the fabric on her chest. “You badly need a shower.”

  “I need you to shower with me.” He pulled her to him.

  She slowly took her lips to his chest to suck away the bead of sweat that rolled over his hot body. “You’ll need to make love to me before I shower with you.”

  He growled in response, and she felt his fingers dig into her flesh, making her blood course through her veins to meet the fast-beating heart.

  Chapter 22

  Ariya stepped into her hotel room they were staying at for the past few weeks. The TV show was being shot in the third and final city, and they had two more weeks of the series to shoot.

  Veer was away on a business dinner with the network executives, and she got back from hanging out with the crew in a nearby bar. She missed hanging out with Veer. She remembered her friends talking about wanting some alone time when in a relationship, but for her, the alone time she wanted was with him.

  She smiled when she saw her sister’s name flash on her screen. “Hey, stranger.”

  “So sorry, I’ve been so busy with work, I didn’t get a chance to call you back the last two times.”

  “Siri, it’s okay.”

  “How do you manage to live in a hotel room for most of the year?” Her sister teased.

  “Just like how you endure the long flights when you travel for work.” Ariya retorted, playfully.

  “Whatever.”

  “So, one more month to go before you before you become Mrs. Bhat.” She was happy and excited for her sister especially after discovering love for herself.

  “Yes, I’m excited, but I’m stressed about the wedding.”

  “Why?” Ariya asked.

  “I have this super important project, and mom wants me to go a week before the wedding date.”

  “The Jaipur Palace Hotel will take care of everything… why does mom want to go early?”

  “I don’t know, and I need you to talk to her. I already told her Uncle Jai can’t come to the wedding.” Siri seemed to be on edge.

  “Siri, I’ll talk to mom about going there a week early and see if it would help if I went with her.”

  “No, you can’t leave me here and go with mom. You are going with me.”

  She laughed at her sister’s orders. “Okay, Bridezilla.”

  “Are you bringing the dude you’ve been secretly seeing?”

  “Maybe… I haven’t decided yet,” she teased.

  “Why are you being so secretive with me?”

  “Well, for one… I want you to stay focused on work and the wedding prep and not try to set up double dates and make brunch plans.”

  “Yeah,
Yeah…”

  Ariya laughed.

  “When do I get to see you? I haven’t seen you in ages because I was away when you took a break almost a month back,” her sister asked.

  “I’ll see you on Sunday. I am coming home this weekend.”

  “Why don’t I get to see you on Saturday?” Her sister didn’t appreciate waiting.

  “I… I… ummm… I’m meeting his parents on Saturday night.”

  “What the heck, and I don’t get to meet him?” Her sister fumed.

  “Siri, he told me he would come spend an entire week in India for the wedding, and I don’t want Mom to start thinking about my marriage… not until you are married.

  “So… you guys talked about getting married, and you didn’t tell me?”

  “Gosh, no. I’m just saying… I mean, if he asked me to marry him, I won’t object.” She smiled.

  “Oh my God… my baby sister could be getting married soon,” Siri squealed.

  “Okay. Stop. Don’t get carried away.” She laughed.

  “How exciting. Give me a clue. Is it that photographer?”

  “I told you it’s not Dominic.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Is it that director dude?”

  “Siri, we are done here. I will see you on Sunday.”

  “Bye, miss you!”

  She hung up, smiling to herself, foolishly in love with him. She had never once thought about marriage, and now she could see a life with Veer, a happy life.

  *****

  Ariya ran her hands over the soft silk maxi dress she had on for the evening. She was going to meet Veer’s parents for the first time, and she was nervous. Veer strolled in whistling as she stood staring at herself in the mirror.

  “You look hot.” He grinned looking at her in the mirror.

  “Oh no, should I change?”

  “What? Didn’t I just say you look hot, why would you change?” He scrunched his nose.

  She took a deep breath. “Veer, I’m nervous about meeting your parents.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I don’t know… I’ve never done this before.”

  “Me, neither. My parents are super excited to see you.”

  “I am, too, but…” Her words were lost in his mouth as he pulled her into a kiss. She moaned when his hands roamed her body exploring every curve the dress hugged. He pulled back and looked at her as they caught their breath.

  “You look beautiful when you look at me like that.” He grazed his lips against hers.

  She smiled and felt the blood creep to her cheeks.

  “Let’s go.”

  Almost an hour later, they turned onto a private road that went up the hill leading up to tall metal gates. She could see a big house through the gates, more like a mansion, and the entire place was surrounded by high concrete walls.

  “How many people live here?”

  Veer laughed. “Just my parents, but the space comes in handy when I want to throw a wicked party.”

  “Do you spend time here at all?”

  “Not really.”

  She smiled looking at the lanterns that hung on the poles that lined up the winding driveway. “Looks so nice.”

  “My mom is a sucker for Chinese art and culture, and my dad throws a Chinese theme party every year.” Veer rolled his eyes, but she found what his father did to be a very sweet gesture. It reminded her of what her father used to do when they were still a happy family. The times when he would hide the gift he got for her mother under Ariya’s pillow so that she could give it to her mom, first thing in the morning.

  “Are we early to the party?” she asked looking around the huge entrance.

  “Not really… maybe everyone is outside.” He took her hand and led her up the stairs. He scanned his phone on a device on the side of the entrance and pushed open the massive door.

  “Ma, Dad… where are you guys?” he called out walking through the opulent living space. He stopped in the middle of the living room and looked around. “Are they messing with me?”

  “What?” Ariya asked taking in the beautiful interior. She wished she had brought her camera to take pictures. She loved to take candid pictures and believed in capturing the natural beauty of the moment.

  “I know where they are.” He chuckled and led her to one side and down a small flight of stairs to a well-lit, open plan room. He walked toward one end of the large room, not letting go of her hand. He pushed open a heavy door and stepped inside, Ariya right behind him.

  “Is this some a joke?” Veer growled at the elderly couple who were busy playing a game of billiards. The couple ignored his question and walked toward them smiling.

  Ariya smiled at the woman who had the same eyes as Veer. “Ariya, we meet finally.”

  “It’s so good to meet you, too.” Ariya smiled hugging the elderly woman who looked fragile and then at his father who gave her a bear hug.

  “Ariya, I wasn’t convinced you were real until a second ago,” his father teased, running a fist into Veer’s arm.

  “Ma, where is everyone?”

  His parents exchanged looks and smiled at Veer. “Your mom wanted a low-key party, so it is just the four of us.”

  “What? All the decorations, and it’s just us?” Veer shook his head in disbelief.

  “We wanted to spend more time with you and Ariya.”

  “Fine, suit yourself. Happy birthday, Ma.” Veer smiled, planting a kiss on her cheek and pulling out a small box from his jacket pocket. His mom took the velvet box and looked at him, mischievously.

  “A box this size, is this for Ariya or me?” His mom asked making Ariya blush and Veer ran his fingers through his hair. His mom opened the small box and pulled out the beautiful heart-shaped pendant with a thin chain.

  “It’s beautiful, sweetheart. Thank you.” She kissed Veer, affectionately.

  Ariya smiled and opened her clutch and reached for the small package she had packed for his mother. “Happy birthday. This is for you, and I will say, I did not know about your affinity to the Chinese culture until I saw the lanterns outside.”

  “Thank you, Ariya.” The woman gingerly opened the packaging and looked up when she saw the two porcelain sculptures inside the transparent box.

  Ariya smiled at her. “As per the Chinese culture, the butterfly signifies beauty, elegance and long life and the cricket is—”

  “Fighting spirit,” Veer’s dad said, putting an arm around his wife.

  Ariya smiled at the sweet couple, and something inside her burned with longing, a longing to have the relationship the couple had. She knew Veer’s mother endured a lot when she was fighting cancer, but she knew she could not have done it without the support of her husband.

  “Thank you, dear. I love it.” She put her arm around Ariya.

  “You are most welcome, Mrs. Thakur.”

  “Oh dear, please don’t call me Mrs. Thakur. You just crushed all my hopes of having grandkids by calling me by that name. You can call me Sejal for now.” The elderly woman laughed making Ariya’s cheeks heat up.

  “Ma, what are you doing?” Veer shook his head.

  “I would like to show Ariya around. Are you guys going to hang out here?”

  “Yup, I’ll win this game for you, Ma,” Veer called out taunting his dad, and his father snorted.

  “Bring it on, son.”

  Veer’s mother took her by her hand and led her to a study and opened a shelf with a glass door. “You added two new animals to my Chinese collection, and I love them.”

  She watched as the elderly woman gingerly placed the colorful butterfly and cricket on the glass surface. “What would you like to drink?”

  “I’m fine… water is good.”

  “You are making me think about grandkids again, Ariya.”

  Ariya laughed completely at ease at how straightforward the woman was with her.

  “Don’t get me wrong, dear. This is the first time Veer has brought someone home and introduced us to a woman. I have my hopes up, and I just
can’t contain my happiness.”

  Ariya smiled. “Veer has been busy with the animal kingdom to bring a girl home.”

  “I never thought he would find someone until he got out of what he is doing, but my prayers have been answered.” The woman smiled, but something twitched inside Ariya. She was happy and confident with their relationship, but she wasn’t sure if Veer had given marriage much thought. He was still planning his transition from his current profession to taking over his father’s businesses.

  “I was surprised to find out he was moving away from what he loves to do most.”

  “That silly boy loves his father to death and that man, I thought he was spoiling him, but Veer turned out to be more than what we could ask for. He crashed his father’s sports car and was so devastated by Enzo’s death, he told his father to give him ten years. I never expected Varun to agree, but he did.”

  “Veer told me about his plan, and I was surprised. I see the bonding between them.” Ariya smiled.

  “Veer was born to care for the animals, and it worries me that he will be unhappy, but Varun says, you helped Veer figure out what to do.”

  Ariya looked surprised. “Me? Not me.”

  “It was something you said. He told me he was talking to you on the river cruise and you gave him ideas.”

  Ariya laughed shaking her head. “I cannot take credit for it. They are all his ideas.”

  “I know you will keep him happy,” Veer’s mom said making a lump form in her throat. She smiled unable to speak.

  “I wish he would continue to do what he loves to do and not walk away to keep the promise he made to his dad,” his mom said in a soft voice. “He still thinks this was his passion from the time we lost Enzo, but he told me he wanted to be an animal doctor when he was nine.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yes, and it pains him so much he doesn’t talk about Zoey. She was a beautiful thing, and when she had her litter, she had complications and died, leaving behind a premature puppy. Veer cared for it day after day, nursing it with a bottle, keeping it warm, but it didn’t make it. Poor baby was so sad no one could save the puppy, he told me that night that he was going to be an animal doctor.”