Boxset: Destiny Decides.. & Destiny Embraces..

by P. G. Van

  *****

  Almost twenty-four hours later, we reached San Francisco, and I was grateful for some fresh air and humidity in the air. Before we passed through the immigration and customs, I changed into an Indian outfit, put on my anklets, and looked forward to seeing my new family.

  Nick looked up as I walked towards him and said, “Nice outfit and anklets,” he said and added, “You could have showered right after we got home. It’s only a thirty-minute ride.”

  “I know, but I am coming home for the very first time and need to look presentable,” I said blushing.

  “Great, I don’t have a wife but my parents get a daughter?” Nick mocked.

  Mitch was at the gate waiting for us, and I saw his face light up as soon as he saw us walk out of the gate. He smiled cheerfully at us. Nick went up to him and gave him a brotherly hug, and I heard Mitch say, “Congrats, Nick. I am so happy for you.”

  “Ms. Nick, it is so good to see you and congratulations to both of you,” Mitch said his voice wavering with emotion.

  I laughed and asked, “Am I still Ms. Nick, Mitch?”

  “I can get used to Mrs. Nick,” Mitch said smiling back as he reached to take my tote from me.

  “Mitch, I can carry my own things, and I do have a real name that you refuse to use,” I said giggling, as I followed the two of them towards the car.

  The limo pulled in a minute after we went out, and I waited as Mitch helped the other driver put my big bags in the trunk. Nick held the limo door open for me with a mischievous smile on his face. I got into the limo only to be surprised at how elaborately it was decorated on the inside. I sat in a state of combined shock and surprise. I looked around the limo decorated on the inside with flowers and a series of flameless candles that offered the same effect as a flickering glow of a real candle.

  “Nick,” I said my voice shaky looking at him, as my throat had gone dry. Nick smiled when he saw the shell-shocked expression on my face. Ignoring the perplexed expression on my face, he slid in next to me and brought his lips to mine for a brief kiss.

  “Nick, I love you. You didn’t have to….” My voice trailed off as I looked around the limo taking in the beautiful arrangement of the flowers and feasted on the glow that the candles brought to my heart.

  Nick planted a kiss on my forehead as I buried my face into his chest feeling overwhelmed.

  “Did I earn any brownie points from my to-be wife?” Nick teased.

  “Maybe,” I said looking up at him.

  Nick laughed and put his arms possessively around me as we rode in silence to the family residence.

  “Nick, when do we go to the apartment to get our stuff?” I asked breaking the silence and he smiled and said, “I have asked Raj and Rahul to take care of moving our stuff to the family residence. We should have all our stuff already set up.”

  “Seriously? Raj is your estate manager so it makes sense, but Rahul is the chef and he wasn’t spared?” I asked in surprise.

  ‘I don’t trust any other than the brothers to take care of our personal stuff,” Nick declared referring to Raj and Rahul, who I knew were more like his friends than his employees.

  “Nick,” I said looking up at him and added as my voice trembled, “I don’t know why, but I am feeling nervous.”

  Nick smiled at me and said, “Irrespective of what is going on between us right now, I am still the guy who is crazy about you and I am your best friend. You can bitch about your husband with me if you need to.”

  “Stop being silly Nick,” I said smiling and added, “I don’t know what it is, but I am worried about something.”

  “You just got off a twenty-four-hour flight and are extremely jetlagged so the feeling is normal,” Nick said comforting me and added, “I need you to eat and sleep as soon as we reach home.”

  “Nick, I am planning to go back to work in two weeks,” I said softly and added, “I want to stay home to spend time with my new family.”

  “I am sure my mom would love that,” he teased.

  I nodded in agreement smiling at him and was grateful for his protective arms around me.

  Twenty minutes later, Mitch pulled into the familiar driveway, and I admired the beautiful mansion that seemed to get bigger and bigger every time I saw it. I was reminded of the very first time Nate and I pulled into the driveway, and it seemed surreal that just six months later, I was ready to call the mansion my home.

  I knew it was going to be tough to feel at home at this elegant yet extravagant home but with Nick by my side, I knew I could deal with anything and resolve any issues. Nick tightened his hold around me as if he sensed my apprehension about living in the family residence.

  Mitch stopped right in front of the main entrance, and I was excited to see Nick’s mom, PammiMa, and a few other women waiting to welcome us into the house as a couple.

  “New life starts now,” Nick said planting a kiss on my lips, as Mitch opened the door. He looked at the group waiting at the main entrance and smiled, “I missed you guys.”

  “We don’t believe you, Nick.” His mom teased laughing with the others from the entrance as we walked hand-in-hand towards them. As we got closer to the group, I realized Nick’s dad, his brother, Sam, and a few other men were gathered right behind the group of women.

  Nick reached out hugging his mom and PammiMa at the same time and planted kisses on their cheeks as the elderly women fought back tears of joy. I took a step ahead taking Nick’s hand in mine and made him bend with me to touch his mother’s feet to get her blessings.

  “Neel, come here,” Nick’s mom urged Nick’s dad to join her, and we did the same with his dad and got his blessings as well. Nick’s mom performed the traditional welcome rituals and followed up with the typical ragging process that a newly married couple is put through before they are allowed into the house.

  “Who is this girl and what is her name Nick?” PammiMa asked Nick teasingly.

  “Stop it you guys, this is very silly,” Nick objected and tried to walk past them but the women managed to push him back. He rolled his eyes when he saw me giggling and said, “This is the girl I love and managed to get married to and her name is Sameera Vaasi-Swaminath-Bhatia.”

  “Meera, your turn,” Nick’s mom urged smiling at me.

  “This is Nikhil Bhatia, my best friend and my husband and the man I will love forever,” I said blushing and looking away from Nick.

  All the women cheered, and PammiMa was the next one to ask the question.

  “Nick, I have never seen you wear anything around your neck. What is that you are wearing?” she asked curiously.

  A sudden hush fell over the crowd as Nick looked down at the chain that had slipped out of the t-shirt opening at his neck when he bent down to get his parents’ blessing.

  “Well, if I need to tell you guys about this chain you will need to be seated comfortably, but for now I will make it sweet and short. This is the brand my wife gave me before our wedding to let every single girl know that I belonged to her,” Nick said with pride in his voice and I buried my face in my palms embarrassed by my actions driven by jealousy the night of the mehendi event.

  “I am branded for life,” Nick said laughing victoriously as he put his arm around me guiding me towards the main entrance where a few more rituals needed to be performed.

  Sam and his fiancée, Reetu, greeted us, and they said in unison, “Congrats you guys.”

  “Thank you Sam and Reetu. Sam we need to talk,” Nick said giving him the stink eye.

  “Nope, we don’t need to talk. We are good. Ann relayed every single word of your message over the phone,” Sam said smiling at Nick.

  “You guys should get some rest. I am sure you are very tired,” Reetu said softly.

  I smiled at her and said, “I was a little tired as soon as we landed, but I am okay now. Thank you.”

  I barely had any interaction with Reetu before that day, and I had only met her once at the ceremony a few months ago. I looked forward to bonding with
her as she was going to be part of the family soon. Reetu was more reserved and seemed to maintain her distance until she was comfortable with someone.

  I moved around the living room taking the time to talk to everyone that was there to formally receive us and welcome me into the family. Some of them were relatives who I had only seen at the ceremony but had not talked to them at that time. I was talking to PammiMa about the wedding in the kitchen when Nick came up from behind and took me by my hand and said, “We should go upstairs and get some rest before we lose it.”

  “Nick, I am fine, and it’s rude to just leave like this,” I objected, as I struggled to keep up with his pace as he went up the stairs. He led me to the entrance of his wing and said, “This is the house you wanted to be in and it’s yours. I will do whatever it takes to see you smiling at all times.”

  “Thanks Nick and should I brace myself for another surprise?” I taunted smiling at him.

  Nick laughed and shook his head as we stepped into the familiar living room and took in a deep breath turning around to put my arms around him.

  “Sameera, I think I see what you were talking about,” Nick said without giving me the context. When I looked at him with a perplexed expression, he added in a soft voice, “Mom and dad are extremely happy, but I feel as though I eloped and came back with my bride. Not a good feeling.”

  “I know exactly what you are talking about,” I said to him in a flat voice and added, “Exactly what I have been feeling from the moment I realized we were getting married without them.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Nick went back to work the day after we returned from India, but I wanted to take the time to settle into my new home and to bond with my new family. Being at home gave me the opportunity to spend more time with Nick’s mom. The time I spent with her helped alleviate my guilt slightly, but I constantly feared about something happening, something similar to what happened to Jasleen and RajaRam. It had been a week since Nick and I returned from India, and we barely saw each other as he worked late on most of the days.

  He was gone by the time I woke up in the morning and was on his computer after he came back home. We texted each other during the day, but I kept to myself as I sorted out my emotions and settled into my new home.

  “Meera, I need a break,” Ann said out of breath during the cardio Bollywood workout and went to grab her water bottle. Ann and I were in the exercise-yoga studio.

  The studio was about fifteen feet by twenty feet and had beautiful hardwood floors with wall-to-wall glass doors that showed off the perfectly landscaped side yard of the massive family residence. The studio was part of the custom gym that spread over the entire ground floor and was equipped with weight racks, treadmills, and other total body workout equipment.

  Besides the gym equipment, there was also a sauna, a steam room, and a Jacuzzi. The workout area was built on the same level as the garages and was equipped with the high-end audio and visual electronics for making a workout routine more enjoyable.

  Ann and I had started working out together a couple of days ago, and I was totally enjoying her company.

  “C’mon, Ann. No breaks. You can do it,” I encouraged smiling at her.

  Ann laughed as she rolled out the yoga mat and said, “You definitely know how to keep people moving, Meera.”

  “Are you ready for some core strengthening exercises?” I asked flattening my back on my yoga mat.

  Ann took a deep breath and said, “Yes, in two minutes. Please.”

  I laughed and said, “Okay, relax. Close your eyes.”

  A minute into our relaxation, I heard the studio door open and almost immediately I felt his presence. I opened my eyes and turned to find Nick walking towards me with a smirk on his face.

  “Ann, mom wants to see you. She says it’s urgent,” Nick said looking down at Ann who still had her eyes closed.

  Ann sat up instantaneously and asked, “Why?”

  “You need to go ask her?” Nick said shrugging his shoulders.

  “Meera, I will be right back,” Ann said as she sprang up and walked out of the studio.

  Nick walked over to where I was lying down on the mat and looked into my eyes. He looked cool and casual in a soft cotton t-shirt and a pair of dark cargo shorts.

  “How was your day?” I asked smiling at him as I sat up.

  “Good and yours?” Nick asked formally.

  “Good,” I responded mimicking his tone.

  “Why do I get the feeling that you have been avoiding me?” Nick asked taking me by surprise.

  “I am not,” I said sounding defensive.

  “You have been hiding in the studio the past few days, and I barely saw you all week,” Nick said in a firm voice and added, “We can’t go on like this. If you are pissed off because I didn’t show up at the ceremony the other day, either you let go or figure out a way to deal with it.

  “Nick...” My voice trailed off as he bent down to take me by my shoulders and pulled me into his arms and added in a gruff voice, “The past week has been worse than the time you were away from me in India.”

  “Nick, I know you have been busy since we got back, but it was our first ceremony as a couple,” I said softly looking into his eyes.

  He looked at me with his eyes boring into mine and said, “I am sorry. I won’t miss any more ceremonies at home. Please give me my Sameera back. I want the woman that promised me endless PaniPuris for life.”

  I smiled looking up at him as I took my lips to his cheek and said against his rugged jawline, “That woman is right here in your arms, but you managed to piss her off a bit so you need to wait for the PaniPuris.”

  “I have an idea,” Nick said as he released me. He walked towards the wall-to-wall closet along the width of the studio. He slid open the closet door partially and pulled out a pair of black punching gloves and a matching set of pads. He walked back to where I was standing and held out the gloves and said, “I need you to beat the crap out of me.”

  “Nick, this is silly. Stop it,” I said refusing to take them from him.

  “Okay, correction. The goal is to punch the pads. I want to see how hard you can punch,” Nick said in a flat tone and added, “I am not asking, Sameera. Put them on.”

  I took a deep breath clenching my teeth and said, “I need to finish my workout with Ann. She will be back any minute now.”

  “We can stop as soon as she is back,” Nick said as he put the gloves on my shoulder making them dangle on my chest and upper back. He slipped on the pads over his palms and challenged, “Show me how pissed off you are at me and if you don’t start right now, I will show you how badly you want me.”

  I looked at him refusing to fall for Nick’s tricks, and I knew he had an ulterior motive behind the boxing exercise.

  “Nick, don’t touch me,” I glared holding my ground.

  Nick laughed viciously and said, “Do you really think I need to touch you to show you how much you want me right now?”

  “Fine, let’s do this,” I said fuming at him and slipped my fingers into the gloves. The gloves were definitely bigger and needed to be tightened at the wrist, and I clenched my fist for a snug fit.

  “Good. I will hold up the pads in different spots just within your reach, and you need to time your punches well if you don’t want to hit me in the face,” Nick said smiling as I did the final adjustment on the gloves.

  “Start,” Nick said and held out the pads as I reached out to take the first punch and added as he felt the first punch, “I did not feel that, show me what you got.”

  I punched the pads switching from right to left and felt the burn in my triceps. Encouraged by the benefit I was getting out of the experiment, I increased the intensity of each blow and Nick continued to tell me that my blows were still too soft.

  “It feels like a kitten is trying to run into the pads. I thought you were pissed off at me for saying that you were being ridiculous and immature at the wedding.”

  I felt the blow in my gut
when I heard him say that, and I took the next blow and could see the surprise in Nick’s eyes at the intensity of the punch he felt.

  “That is much better,” Nick laughed and added, “Did you know I instigated Anika to say what she said to you at the mehendi party?”

  “What?” I asked looking at him in shock.

  “Who said you could stop punching?” Nick mocked and added, “Yes, I have to thank Anika for provoking you that night.”

  I growled at him gathering my strength and took one more blow to the pads. I watched as my fist hit the pads that Nick was holding together right in the middle. The next instant I heard Nick groan in pain as my gloved fist slipped through the gap between pads and hit Nick in his face.

  I felt the sharp pain in my gut when I saw him bury his face into his elbow in sheer pain.

  “Nick, I am so sorry baby. Are you okay?” I asked as I pulled out my gloves.

  Nick started laughing but would not let me inspect his face and hid his face in his elbow. I ignored the mockery in his laugh and yanked his hand away from his face. I winced internally when I realized that I had managed to crack his lower lip on the side and his lip was bleeding. I cursed under my breath as I pressed my thumb against his lower lip to stop the bleeding.

  “This is exactly why I didn’t want to do this,” I glared at him as he continued to mock me with his eyes.

  “A bruise would add such a cool factor to my look,” Nick said, as I held my thumb against his lip and added, “I will be fine, Sameera.”

  I removed my thumb from his lip and was relieved to see that the bleeding had stopped.

  “Nick, can you lick your lip so I can see how badly your lip is cracked?” I asked inspecting his lip.

  “I am not going to, you can do it if you like,” Nick teased with such intensity that I took a step back.

  “I am pretty sure you got some brain damage from that punch because you are being ridiculous,” I sneered and walked over to where I had put my water bottle.