Scorpio Superstar (Written in the Stars Book 1)

by Sundari Venkatraman

Handing one cup to Chandrakanth, Varshini said, “Ranju never wakes up before nine. She usually works late into the night.”

  Chandrakanth gave her a startled look, even as he refused to acknowledge the acute sense of disappointment he felt. So what if he couldn’t meet her now? He could do it later in the day. But Chandrakanth couldn’t help feeling a terrible sense of let-down however much he tried to talk himself out of it.

  Sethuraman continued to chat as they all sipped their coffees. “We are all your avid fans, you know. We watch every movie of yours, several times. The latest one, Munnetram, was simply superb. When is your next release? Ranju didn’t talk about an announcement.” The older man looked eagerly at the star’s face.

  “The shooting’s almost over. Just one last phase to be completed at Ramoji Film City, which should begin by the end of this month. They are planning to change the title and that’s the reason it’s not been announced yet.”

  “Oh yes! We read about the change of title in the newspapers. What’s the story? Tamannah is the heroine, right?” Parvathi was as talkative as her husband, it seemed.

  Chandrakanth nodded his head. “That’s right, aunty. I’m happy to know that you all like watching my movies. Tell you what? I’ll get my man to send you all tickets to the premiere at Chennai. You must attend, if it’s not too much trouble, that is.”

  Varshini jumped, clapping her hands. “That’d be awesome. We’ll definitely do that.”

  “Done.” Chandrakanth raised a hand in high-five to the teenager before getting up. “Thank you so much for the coffee aunty. And nice meeting you uncle.” He shook Sethuraman’s hand. “And thanks Varshini. Tell Ranjini I’ll call her later.”

  “May I please click a selfie with you?” Varshini finally asked the question that had been running in her mind from the second she had been introduced to Superstar Chandrakanth.

  Having already taken a step in the direction of the door, Chandrakanth stopped and turned back to Ranjini’s sister and smiled. “Why not?”

  Varshini stood next to him and clicked away happily, truly excited by the prospect. Even Sethuraman and Parvathi took a couple of pictures with their morning guest before all three of them went to the gate to see him off.

  It was only on reaching home that Chandrakanth opened his phone for the first time that morning to see the message from Ranjini, the one she had sent at 2.30 am. A smile on his face, he sat back to check out the contest link. She had been doing his work, so she must have definitely had him on her mind.

  Yes! Chandrakanth got up to get ready for the day after sending her a reply. “Let’s meet for lunch.”

  Varshini was too excited about having met the superstar face-to-face and that too in their own home. The reality of his presence hadn’t struck her when Ranjini had told her the earlier day about their meeting and her excitement over it. Varshini kept jumping up and down like a bottle of fizzing soda, impatient for her elder sister to wake up. Checking the cuckoo clock in the hall for the umpteenth time, Varshini decided to wake Ranjini as it was 8.30 am. After all, there was only so much patience a teenager could have.

  Walking into Ranjini’s bedroom, Varshini shook her awake. “Ranju, get up. Oh please get up. I have to tell you something. You know...”

  “Whad! Whadaryoudoin?” Ranjini woke up with a jerk, sitting up against the bed headboard, her hair falling over her face, her sleepy eyes half open and her lips pouting.

  “Guess who came home in the morning?!” Varshini danced around the bed, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Varshu!” Ranjini’s voice came out as a croak, her throat all dry. She lifted the bottle that was sitting on a side table and, unscrewing the lid, drank half the water in it. Putting the bottle back in its place, she shoved the hair out of her eyes to stare at her sister. “What’s set you off like a Diwali cracker?” Ranjini asked, her voice full of laughter as she stretched her arms above her head.

  “Superstar Chandrakanth! He came home!”

  “What?!” Whatever bit of sleep that had kept her eyes half shut left Ranjini as she sat up straight with a jerk, her arms falling down. “You’re joking.”

  Varshini gurgled with laughter, thrilled beyond measure that she had managed to shake up her self-possessed elder sister. “The truth. Ranju, Chandrakanth’s pictures don’t do him any justice. He’s simply stunning in person. I...”

  Ranjini gave her sister a knowing smile. “Didn’t I tell you so yesterday? He’s that and more. But why did he come, did he say?” A small frown puckered her forehead. The last thing she had done was send him the contest link but he hadn’t seen it at night. She took her phone and checked her WhatsApp. “Let’s meet for lunch,” said a message from him.

  Her eyes glowing with anticipation, she looked at Varshini who was saying, “He said he came to meet you. You never told me you were so close to him.” Varshini pouted at Ranjini.

  “What? Close to him?” Ranjini laughed softly. “I don’t know about that. But he wants to meet me for lunch. Be a good girl nah Varshu and get me a cup of coffee. You know I don’t feel completely awake without one. I...”

  She was halfway to the bathroom when Varshini interrupted. “But Ranju, wait a sec. Are you really going to have lunch with the Superstar of Tamil Cinema?” Her eyes were wide and impressed as she stared at her elder sister.

  Ranjini grinned. “It seems so,” she said mysteriously, before shutting the bathroom door on her younger sister’s protests.

  4

  Ranjini was ready and waiting when a car honked outside the gates of Vrindavan. Today, she wasn’t disappointed as she noticed that it was Chandrakanth who was at the wheel of a black Scorpio when she stepped out of the gates.

  He got out when he saw her and stepped around to greet her, a long-stemmed, single, red rose in his hand. “Hey!” His intense coffee brown gaze ate her up as he checked out her sexy figure in the outfit of dark blue jeans and a white, full-sleeved, hip-length top of some silky material.

  Colour bloomed in Ranjini’s cheeks when she took the rose from him, surprised to notice the drops of dew still clinging to the petals. Had he just picked it up from a bush?! She was zapped. “Hi!” Ranjini gave him a smile as she checked him out in turn, with an equally bold gaze. He was truly the tall, dark and handsome guy of any girl’s dream. And those potent brown eyes that reminded her of molten chocolate gave her goose bumps whenever she felt his gaze on her. “Sorry I missed you in the morning. I…”

  “Your day starts late.” He gave a nod. “I didn’t know.” He opened the passenger door for her.

  Ranjini got in to wear the seat belt even as he settled in the driver’s seat, before saying, “Yours obviously begins early. I heard you came home at seven.”

  He nodded again, gunning the engine. “Five, on most days.”

  Ranjini grimaced. “I rarely go to sleep before 2 am.” Was there any common ground at all?

  “No harm.” Chandrakanth gave her a soft smile. “You’d been working late on my website.”

  “Oh yeah! You saw?”

  “Yeah, after I got back from my run.”

  She couldn’t fathom much from his expression about what he thought about the link she had sent him. She supposed he would tell her in his own good time. “You go running every day?”

  He turned to give her an intense look before returning his gaze to the road. “Almost.” He didn’t tell her that he used to be a fat and overweight teenager, mocked by all his peers.

  Ranjini shuddered. “I s’pose I’m too lazy for that kind of activity. I spend most of my hours in front of my laptop and phone, of course.”

  “You’re fond of technology.” It was a statement.

  “Oh absolutely!” Ranjini replied with enthusiasm. While many of her classmates had opted to study arts and commerce, she had been adamant to go for a degree in engineering and had been brilliant in her class. She had been picked up by TCS on campus.

  They chatted desultorily, on and off, both appearing absorbed in their individual tho
ughts. “Where are we going?” asked Ranjini, after they had been driving for more than twenty minutes.

  “To Ooty. Do you like Chinese?” Chandrakanth turned to look at her, his hands tightening on the wheel as he felt his heart jump into his throat when he took note of her perfect profile.

  “My favourite, only vegetarian though.”

  “You’re vegetarian?” Chandrakanth was surprised, even if he didn’t show it.

  “Only me. Everyone else at home has non-veg.” Ranjini gave him a mischievous grin. “My mom’s given up on me.”

  “Hmm. Fond of animals, are you?”

  “Love them.”

  “You’ll like Ludo.”

  “Who’s Ludo?” Ranjini looked at him, enquiry on her face.

  “My beagle, he’s six months old.”

  “You’ve got a dog?” There was reverence in Ranjini’s voice. There had been no mention in the media, who had managed to unearth every little thing about the superstar.

  Chandrakanth gave her a small wink, saying, “Yep, the media isn’t aware of that yet.”

  Could he read minds? Ranjini gave him a startled look. “Can we unveil Ludo on your website first?”

  “Why not?” He shrugged. Just now, he was ready to do anything to please Ranjini.

  Ranjini clapped her hands in joy, reaching out to her phone from where she had left it on the dashboard.

  “Nope.” Chandrakanth was quicker as he reached for her phone before she could, pulled open the glove compartment and placed it inside. “I want your attention on me.”

  Had she heard that right? Ranjini looked at him with a scowl as Chandrakanth drove into the gates of Rose Garden International in Ooty. They got out before he handed the keys to a valet, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I have only a few hours to spare,” he grimaced. “I don’t want you typing away furiously into your phone during that time.”

  “Are you always so autocratic?”

  “Huh?!” He looked at her as if he didn’t quite understand what she meant and Ranjini forgot her question the moment she felt his scorching gaze on her, her throat choking up. With a shrug, she matched her steps with his as they walked into the reception of the hotel, through a back door and then on to the circular building behind, that housed the hotel’s restaurants. Chandrakanth walked left, towards Noblesse, the Oriental restaurant. Vivek had called ahead to book a table for two. The maître d' came forward, recognising the star. “This way, sir, madam,” he said, guiding them to a corner table, close to a window.

  “Thank you Raman,” said Chandrakanth, reading from the man’s nametag. “Give us a few minutes and we’ll place our order,” he said firmly before pulling a plush chair for Ranjini himself. He waited for her to sit down, before pushing the chair closer to the table and settled down in the chair opposite.

  “Would you care for some wine? Or maybe a cocktail?”

  “Hmm.” Ranjini opened the menu to check it out. “I’d like a margarita.”

  He raised a hand to Raman and placed the order for a margarita and a large peg of Black Label whiskey on the rocks.

  “Some starters, sir? Ma’am?”

  “Paneer chilly?” Ranjini looked at Chandrakanth enquiringly.

  “Yes, get that too.”

  “Yes sir.” Raman left them to place the orders.

  “I’ve invited your family to the premiere of my new release,” said Chandrakanth, remembering suddenly.

  “You have? Does the invite include me?” she asked, a smile in her huge black eyes, her tongue tucked firmly in cheek.

  “Let me see.” Chandrakanth looked away for a couple of seconds before turning his searing gaze on her. “As my wife, would you really need an invite?”

  Ranjini just stared at him, rendered completely speechless. “Are you mad?” When she finally spoke after two full minutes of absolute silence, her words were a fierce whisper, even as longing tore at her heart. He must be joking, of course.

  Chandrakanth didn’t reply immediately as a waiter brought their drinks and starter. After the man left, he lifted his glass of whiskey and raised it in a toast. “To the woman I want to wed.”

  Ranjini continued to gape at him, her appetite having deserted her. “It’s not funny, Chandrakanth.”

  He took a sip from his glass before placing it down carefully, his heated brown gaze never leaving hers. “Who said I am joking? I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

  Ranjini shut her eyes for a few seconds, hoping to get away from the pull of his magnetic gaze. Was he hypnotising her? Of course not! She gave a small shake of her head, her arms crossed tightly against her body. This couldn’t be happening. Maybe she was dreaming and would wake up soon. Was it a subconscious wish that the superstar propose marriage to her? That must be it. Every young woman, at some point or the other, wished to wed a famous actor. Meeting Chandrakanth in person must have triggered the deeply buried thought. That must be it. She would wake up to find herself in her bed.

  Only partly convinced of her theory, Ranjini opened her eyes a slit and wasn’t really surprised to find herself in the 5-star restaurant, with Chandrakanth sitting across from her, sipping calmly from his glass of whisky. Talk of having nerves of steel! Did the man feel any kind of emotion ever? She glared at him now, her black gaze glowing with temper. She refused to utter a word. Two could play at this game. She lifted her glass to sip at her margarita and was glad that at least the drink was to her taste. Well, it wasn’t that Chandrakanth wasn’t to her taste, but...

  Ranjini giggled, unable to stop herself. The situation was totally bizarre and warranted her mirth, definitely.

  His intense gaze bore into hers fierily. “Do you find it funny? My marriage proposal?” His voice was a soft growl.

  “Is that what it was?” The worst of shock had worn off by now. Ranjini sat back to enjoy her drink, spearing a piece of paneer with her fork and popping it in her mouth. She was anything but calm as her eyes clung to his, finding herself drowning in the molten heat. She had never felt anything like it before. The area around them was buzzing with energy, stringing her nerves.

  “What else?” he asked, catching her hand and moving the next piece of forked paneer towards his mouth and taking a bite, his gaze never leaving hers.

  Talk about being a man of few words. Ranjini looked down at her empty fork before looking at his mouth as he chewed the starter. She shut her eyes at the sudden urge to place her lips on his. Now where the hell had that come from? She shook her head again. She wouldn’t have been so surprised if the man had offered to have an affair. But marriage? What nonsense! They barely knew each other. At least she knew the actor, if not the man, while he knew zilch about her. Was he going senile at twenty-nine? Maybe too much success at so young an age had shot his nerves. Yes, that was probably it.

  She opened her eyes before saying, “I didn’t hear you proposing marriage.” She raised an eyebrow, trying for an arrogant expression and failing badly.

  “Is that what the problem is? Do you want me to go on my knees?” His lips twisted to one side, in the semblance of a smile. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

  Ranjini’s eyes went wide in astonishment as the star went on one knee, down on the carpet in front of her, taking her hand in his. She stared at the bent head in front of her as he pressed his lips to the back of her hand, burning her skin in the process. “Ranjini, will you do me the honour of wedding me?”

  How the hell could she say ‘no’ to that now?!

  5

  “Chandru!” Words got stuck in her throat as he lifted his head to look at her with his coffee coloured gaze. Now why the hell had she called him that? That was how she thought of him privately—Chandru. But he didn’t need to know. She...

  “What did you just call me?” His gaze was sharp as he asked the question, his voice a rough baritone. Chandrakanth, CK, Superstar—he had many names, but no one had called him ‘Chandru’ except for his mother. Not that Chandrakanth planned to tell Ranjini that.


  Nowhere to hide, Ranjini repeated softly, “Chandru.” She couldn’t have uttered another word to save her life just then.

  He smiled now, gently, his whole face lighting up with it. “You know something? No one’s called me that. And I like it.” He paused. “So, will you marry me? You’d better decide fast before my knee gives out.”

  It was his wink that finally swayed her. It was sly and made him look so young and mischievous, totally approachable and human, unlike his superstar status. “You mean I have a choice?” He didn’t let go when she tried to retract her hand from his.

  “Not really. I’ll only continue to pursue you.”

  Ranjini gave a soft laugh. “Now this I must see.”

  Chandrakanth got off the carpet to stand towering beside her. “Are you going to play hard to get?”