Boxset: Destiny Decides.. & Destiny Embraces..

by P. G. Van

  “Yes, I did, and we all did when you were hiding in the shower,” Nick teased.

  “What took you so long Meera?” My mom asked in a teasing tone as it was usually Nate who took forever to shower and get dressed.

  “I had to wash my hair Ma,” I said smiling at her and followed Nick to the main door.

  The air was warm and the weather was cloudy as we stepped out of the house. I took in a deep breath and said, “I smell the rain, Nate. Did you wish for a monsoon wedding?”

  “I did not, maybe you or Nick did?” Nate said getting right back at me without any second thoughts.

  “Guys, you need to let this go and give Sameera some space,” Nick said in a stern voice looking at Nate and Srini.

  “Okay,” Nate said rolling her eyes at us.

  “Thank you baby,” I said putting my arm around Nick as I walked next to him.

  As we got into the massive Toyota SUV, Srini took the keys from the driver and slid into the driver’s seat.

  “Srini, are you sure you want to drive?” Nate asked sounding concerned.

  “Yes, Nethra. Get in with confidence,” Srini said winking at her.

  “Go ahead, Nethra. I am going to sit in the back with Sameera,” Nick said to Nate and got in to sit next to me.

  “Srini, hang on. Don’t go yet,” I said when I saw a familiar car pull up in front of the house. I saw my cousins, Saahi and Maahi, get out of the car and walk towards our car.

  Nate saw them walk towards our car and jumped out to greet them laughing. I smiled and said, “Srini, that’s Saahi and Maahi.”

  Srini nodded smiling as Nate and the girls continued to chat.

  “Girls, get in the car. It is getting late,” I said, as I got out of the car and folded my seat to let my cousins go to the back row in the car.

  “Hi, Nick,” the girls said as they got into the car.

  “And that’s our famous Srini, Nate?” Saahi asked as she settled into the backseat.

  “Hi, Saahi and Maahi. Nice to meet you,” Srini said politely and started the car.

  “Meera, guess who is going to be at the temple for the ceremony?” Maahi asked in a teasing tone.

  I turned around to look at her with a puzzled expression.

  “Anika is apparently on her way to the temple already,” Maahi mocked, looking at Nick and he smiled and shook his head.

  “Nethra, who is Anika?” Srini asked curiously.

  “Anika is my mom’s sister’s daughter and our first cousin,” I told Srini.

  “Maahi, what is it that I am picking up in your tone?” Nate asked in surprise.

  “Nothing,” I said laughing and added, “You know how notorious these girls are at dreaming up things.”

  “Wait, what did I miss? You guys need to give us some more details,” Nate asked with excitement in her voice.

  The girls told Nate and Srini about how they thought our first cousin, Anika, was totally into Nick and how she kept promoting herself to Nick the few different times she had stopped by claiming to help with the wedding preparations.

  “Did she not see the ring on your finger, Meera?” Nate asked giggling.

  “Well, I did introduce Nick as my fiancée the first time she met him,” I said smiling.

  Saahi giggled and said, “But, I think she blocked everyone out completely as soon as she saw you, Nick.”

  “Nethra, your cousins have been totally enjoying my misery when I was merely being nice to your cousin,” Nick said shaking his head.

  “It’s a bit ridiculous that she is flirting with Nick when she knows you guys are engaged,” Nate said shocked.

  “You know how she is; she thinks she can steal Nick away from Meera with her super model looks and her endless wealth,” Maahi snorted.

  “I am going to talk to her and ask her to back off,” Nate declared.

  “Nate, let it go,” I said, as I knew it was not a big deal.

  Saahi laughed and added more to the mix, “Oh and guess what, she told me yesterday that Meera was not a good match for Nick. She also said that she is a better fit because Nick’s financial profile works well with her financial profile.”

  “What?” Nate said in anger and added, “That’s it. I am going to give her a piece of my mind.”

  “You girls should stop now and behave like twenty-something girls,” I snarled and added looking at Nate, “Nate, it’s a waste of your energy. You know she is a twenty-five-year-old baby. Just let it go,” I said hugging Nick’s arm.

  Nick shook his head smiling and planted a kiss on my forehead.

  Chapter Two

  Srini pulled into the parking lot of the temple a few minutes later. Srini’s parents and a few of his relatives already gathered at the main entrance of the temple.

  Anika approached us as we stepped out of the car with my aunt and uncle following their only daughter. My mom and stepdad arrived a few minutes later with my grandparents and a few other relatives. We headed towards the main entrance of the magnificent temple built using only marble stone.

  When we got to the main temple, we were directed to use a portion of the open-air prayer area that was designated for the ceremony. Srini and Nate sat ahead of the group with the temple priest for the pre-wedding ceremony.

  Halfway through the ceremony, I looked around admiring the beautiful architecture of the temple built using only white marble, for probably the thousandth time. I looked around at the other devotees that were at the temple that morning.

  As my eyes wandered, they met dark round eyes of one of the most beautiful babies I had seen in recent times. The baby was in a cute pink onesie with a pacifier in her mouth. She was probably nine months old as she was sitting on the marble floor without any support. She was sitting next to a man who was engrossed in a deep conversation with the woman sitting next to him.

  The baby kept looking at me as I waved and smiled at her. She tried to crawl towards me, but the man put his hand around the baby and pulled her back as he bickered with the woman. The baby reached for the phone in the man’s arm, and I looked surprised as he swatted her hand away without even looking at the baby.

  I leaned forward to get a look at the woman sitting next to the man. The woman seemed to be in her late thirties. I looked at them as they continued to quietly argue with each other. I wondered if they were both nannies for the baby, as the woman was holding a bag that looked like a diaper bag. The bag looked very classy with an overall checked print, and it took me no time to recognize the print of the famous British brand.

  "Anika, look at that bag. Don't you have a similar bag?” I whispered.

  "Yes, it's a Burberry,” she said confirming my guess.

  I looked at the man and the woman and the way they were with the baby; I knew deep down that something was wrong. They both looked tensed but at the same time, the baby seemed pretty comfortable around them. I looked around for a few more minutes wondering if the baby’s family was at the temple performing a ritual.

  The man’s phone rang, and he stepped away to answer it leaving the baby with the woman. I knew that something didn't add up as the woman completely ignored the baby and kept looking at her phone as if she was expecting a call. I wanted to do something before it was too late.

  I leaned onto Nick's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Nick, cover me,” and stood up to walk towards the baby. We were seated ten feet away from the baby, and I saw the pacifier in her mouth fall to the floor as I approached her.

  Nick stood up looking at me with a puzzled expression, but I gestured him to stay in his spot.

  I walked over to the baby picking her up and said in an extremely playful voice, "Hey, you dropped your pacifier. It's only been two weeks since I saw you and you already look bigger,” I said taking her into my arms. The woman stood up with a shocked expression on her face.

  "Remember, you and mommy came to meet me for lunch,” I said as I cuddled the baby in my arms.

  I looked at the woman who looked at me as if she saw a ghost in
broad daylight and asked looking at the baby, “Is mommy inside the temple?”

  “Are you her nanny? She had a different nanny when I saw her a few weeks ago?” I asked in a confident voice looking at the woman.

  She mumbled something that I could not comprehend and tried to take the baby back from my hands in a hurry. I pushed her aside and put my arms around the baby protectively. I saw the petite woman stumble as she took a few unsteady steps away. She gained stability and as she tried to drag the baby from my hands, Nick came to my side in a flash.

  “Nick, take the baby,” I said in a firm but low voice. I handed the baby to Nick taking the woman by her hand and asked, “Where is the guy who was sitting next to you?” She tried to free her hand from my grasp and bolt, but I held her to the spot by holding both her hands together.

  A security guard who was stationed a few feet from us picked up on the action and came to help me as the woman continued to struggle to get away. I looked at the other guard that came to help the guard that was holding the woman captive and said, “This woman has kidnapped the baby, and she has a partner. I saw him go in that direction. He is wearing a light colored shirt and white pants.”

  “Ok, madam. We will look for him,” he said and went in the direction that I had pointed out.

  “Sameera, are you sure the baby is kidnapped?” Nick asked taking the baby into his arms.

  I smiled and said, “I will ask for forgiveness if they are not kidnappers.”

  I picked up the baby’s pacifier that had fallen to the floor and said to Nick, “Hang on to the baby; I am going to go wash the pacifier off at the sink.” I took a bottle of water and walked to the sink. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a man moving slowly towards Nick and my cousins who were gathered around him as they interacted with the baby.

  My mouth went dry as I saw the man approach Nick with rage in his eyes. I started to run towards Nick and called out, “Nick, look to your left.”

  Nick turned to look at me instead of looking to his left. I saw the man pull out what looked like a kitchen knife as he walked towards Nick. I watched in awe as Nick took the man by his wrist with one hand while holding the baby safely. He twisted the man’s arm and held him away from the baby.

  I felt as though I was moving in slow motion. I saw Anika shriek and run away when she saw the knife in the man’s hand. I gathered momentum as I ran towards the man and rammed into him from one side. I went down over the man, and he hit against the marble floor.

  I took a deep breath to gain composure and took advantage of the fact that I was over the man and sat on him pinning his hands to his sides as he fought back.

  “Don’t move,” I commanded looking at the man I was sitting over as he kicked grunting loudly.

  “Sameera, are you okay?” Nick asked holding the baby in his hands as Srini came to help me hold the man from moving.

  A few minutes later, the police arrived and handcuffed the man. I told the police officer my observations and told him that I was positive the baby had been kidnapped. I gave him my contact information and told him that we would be taking the baby with us.

  The police officer initially objected to us taking the baby. He insisted that the baby be taken to the police station, but Srini’s dad was able to get in touch with his friend in the police department to get permission to take the baby home with us.

  I picked up the baby’s diaper bag that was on the floor on one side. I looked at my hand where I felt a burn and realized that the guy had managed to nick my arm with the kitchen knife. I wiped off the blood and was relieved to see that it was a superficial cut. I walked over to where everyone was with the police enquiring about the situation.

  Nick looked at me with a grim expression as I approached him.

  “You will never ever pull a feat like that ever again,” he fumed in a low voice.

  “Nick, it’s for the baby. Look, she is so happy in your arms,” I said putting my arms around him as I planted a kiss on the baby’s delicate fist and added, “Let’s take her home. It’s going to be a while before Srini and Nate are done with the ceremony.

  Nick nodded in agreement, and I walked over to where my stepdad was talking to the priest and whispered, “Dad, Nick and I are going to take one of the cars and go back home. Could you please make sure the police officer has our information?”

  My stepdad smiled at me and said, “Okay. We will be home in an hour,” and added smiling at me, “I still don’t know what exactly happened, but let’s talk when we get home.”

  I got into the back seat of the car holding the baby’s diaper bag as Nick got into the car holding the cheerful baby with utmost care.

  “Nick, the baby looks perfect in your arms,” I beamed at him and whispered, “I want one of our own.”

  Nick laughed and brushed his lips against mine and mocked, “How about we get married first, baby?”

  “That’s just mean, Nick,” I whined.

  Nick looked at the baby and said to her, “This is my fiancée, Sameera, and she says she loves me but doesn’t want to get married to me. What do I do with her?”

  The baby looked at Nick and smiled. She looked at me as if she knew whom Nick was talking about and babbled. I smiled at the baby and took her into my arms.

  “You are the cutest baby ever,” I said to the baby as she waved her hands at Nick.

  Fifteen minutes later, the driver pulled into the driveway of my grandparents’ house. Nick got out of the car and came around to take the baby from my hands.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked smiling at the baby, as I followed Nick into the house. I looked inside the diaper bag and found a few bottles of baby food and formula. I left the baby with Nick in the bedroom and went to the kitchen to warm up some water for the formula. I changed the baby’s diaper and took her into my lap to feed her the formula.

  Nick looked at me as I rocked the baby to sleep in my lap. After a few minutes, I took the baby over my shoulder and continued to rock her.

  “She needs to burp,” I said to Nick when he looked at me in surprise that I was moving the baby while she was asleep. I placed the baby on the bed and placed a few pillows around her. Nick had been observing me all along as he sat on the chair next to the bed.

  I walked over to where he was sitting and sat on his lap, and took my lips to his and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “How do you know what to do with babies?” he asked softly.

  I smiled and asked, “Do you remember Sruthi, my other aunt’s daughter?”

  Nick nodded and I said, “Sruthi was born when I was eight, and I was just fascinated with her. My aunt took full advantage of my enthusiasm and let me take care of her. The summer I spent with Sruthi when she was a baby was the best.”

  Nick smiled and put his arms around me and said, “You are a complete package, love.”

  I smiled resting my cheek on his chest and closed my eyes as we sat on the chair.

  I woke up to a distant police siren and heard multiple cars screeching to a halt right outside the main entrance of the house. Nick was napping in the chair with his head on the backrest while I sat on his lap. The baby was still asleep when I left the bedroom to check on the commotion outside.

  I heard the doorbell ring as I approached the main door. I opened the door to find a dozen people at the door. There were four men in uniforms with guns in their hands, just behind the men stood a woman in her late twenties, and an elderly man who had his arm around her. It looked like the woman had been crying. I knew instantly that she was the baby’s mother from her features.

  “Hello,” the police commissioner’s office gave us your address. Do you have my granddaughter?” the elderly man asked politely.

  “Yes, we do, and she is napping. Please come in,” I said inviting the group into the house. One of the four men in uniforms stepped in with the family members and the others stayed outside the door. The baby’s family members stayed in the living room while I led the mom to the bedroo
m where the baby and Nick were napping.

  I opened the door slowly to find Nick and the baby on the bed playing peek-a-boo.

  “Hey, you are up, already?” I cheered looking at the baby and added as I stepped aside, “Look who is here.”

  The baby looked at the woman rushing to her and smiled.

  “Sameera!!” the baby’s mom called out to the baby. Nick and I looked at each other in surprise when we realized that the baby’s name was also Sameera. I watched in silence as the mom showered her baby with endless kisses and hugs.

  “Thank you so much for saving my baby.” the woman said looking at me and added, “I have had the worst six hours of my life.”

  “You are welcome!!” I said smiling and added, “Your baby is beautiful.”

  The woman hugged her baby fondly and said, “I am sorry I did not introduce myself. I am Sanjana.”

  I smiled and said, “I am Sameera and this is Nick, my fiancée.”

  Sanjana looked surprised and said with excitement, “My daughter’s name is Sameera too.”

  I laughed and said, “Yes, I realized that as soon as you walked into the room. No wonder she kept looking at Nick every time he said my name.”

  “That is amazing because the name Sameera is a very significant name in our family,” Sanjana said smiling at us and asked the baby Sameera, “Do you want to go see Thatha?”

  Nick and I followed Sanjana back to the living room. The group waiting in the living room broke into a huge sigh of relief when they saw the baby back in her mother’s arms.

  “Thank you so much for rescuing my granddaughter,” the baby’s grandfather said and added, “I am still in shock that the nanny decided to kidnap Sameera.”

  A shiver ran through my spine at the thought of being betrayed by someone that was trusted with their baby.

  “My dad and I had to take my mom to the doctor this morning and left Sameera with the nanny at home,” Sanjana said looking at me and added in a shaky voice, “I didn’t think twice about leaving Sameera with the nanny as she has been working for us for many years.”