Credit: Angel_Jot.

Why in God's name did people get married in the summer, Krishika winced as the hot air blistered her soft white skin! She made her way out of the huge shamiana (wedding tent) and picked up her lehenga and crossed the garden towards the sprawling bungalow.

She would not have attended the May wedding if it had not been the marriage of her dear friend Anshu. From the first day of college she and Anshu had become the best of friends and today was her mehendi. The groom, Rohit, was settled in Australia and was the only son of a family friend. He was a nice looking boy and a true gentleman. But not the type I would marry, she grimaced.

She grinned to herself. And what is your type Ms. Krishika Sahai, she asked herself! Someone who would sweep me off my feet, someone I would fall crazily in love with, someone who would love me with equal passion, she thought dreamily, glancing at the mehendi on her hand.

The house was empty as all the women were out in the shamiana applyingmehendi. Only the caterers were busy preparing lunch in the kitchen. She climbed up the stairs to Sunita aunty, Anshu's mother's room, her heels clicking on the marble staircase.

She opened Sunita aunty's drawer with the key she had given her and took out the rare red diamond set gingerly. It was the family heirloom which aunty wanted to show to her relatives and friends.

It was so hot! She decided to splash some cold water on her face. She put the jewellery box on the bed and walked up to the bathroom door and pushed it open. She stopped dead in her tracks!

A tall lean man had emerged naked from the shower and was in the process of tying a white bath towel around his waist !

For a second, Krishika stood gaping at the man, her throat dry! He had strong broad shoulders and she could see the muscles rippling on his back as he shook the droplets off his hair!

Suddenly she found her voice.

"Thief! Thief! Help!" she shrieked.

The man turned, his handsome face bearing the look of great astonishment! He strode across to her and was about to say something when she screamed again. The man immediately clamped his big palm on her mouth and encircled her dainty waist drawing her flush against him! She struggled to get free but he was too powerful!

"Are you stupid or what, girl?" he growled, his brown eyes flashing, "Why would a thief take bath in a house instead of looting it?

Krishika gulped! He was right. But who was he? As if he had heard her silent question he growled,

"I am Aaryan, Anshu's brother, just arrived from the United States. Will this do? Or shall I give you more information to convince you I am not a thief ?!" his eyes held a tinge of amusement.

Anshu's elder brother! She had seen his picture. He had long hair and a beard. But this man in front of her had a slight stubble on a strong jaw. His nose was long and sharp and his wavy hair was cropped short. His eyes were glittering and his lips were curled in amusement. Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed at him.

"Do you like what you see?" he smirked at her, and removed his hand from her mouth but did not slacken his hold on her waist.

She became aware of his hard muscles pressing into her body and a tremor ran down her spine. She pushed him away, her face red, "Wha...What do you mean?"

"I mean do you find me attractive? Most females do, you know." He was now smiling charmingly at her, enjoying her embarrassment.

Her heart leaped in her throat. "No, no...," she croaked, "I don't do what most females do!"

"Yes I can see that," he said thoughtfully, "You are different."

Was that a compliment, she thought, blinking hard. Why did she hope it was!

"And what might be your name, beautiful?"

Now that was a compliment! She couldn't help blushing under his direct gaze.

"K...K...Krish..." she stammered and lost her voice midway.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes danced, he bowed his head and said in a husky drawl, "Kiss?"

Krishika's heart skipped a beat and raced madly at his flirtatious look! OMG! What's happening to me?

"And now will you leave or do you want me to dress in your presence?!" he smirked at her.

"No thanks! I have seen enough of you!" she retorted and stamping her foot walked out of the washroom.

His throaty laughter followed her.

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"What took you so long Krishika? Did you have any problem in finding the jewellery box, dear girl?" Sunita Rathore smiled at Krishika.

"No, no problem aunty. Here it is." She said handing the box to her.

"Awww! Its beautiful," one of the women pounced on the box and opened it in a jiffy.

"Hey sweet girl," the woman beckoned her. " Please wear the necklace and show us. No point asking Anshu. She is already wearing too much jewellery." And before she could protest Krishika found herself donning the family heirloom.

"Hayye! Its gorgeous" the women cooed. "Will you give this to Anshu?"

"No, Aaryan and Anshu's father made a duplicate one for Anshu before he died," Sunita Rathore sighed. " I will give her that one.The one Krishika is wearing, is the original one, to be passed down from generation to generation. So I have kept it for Aaryan's wife."

That was funny! She was wearing the heirloom meant for his wife!

Sunita aunty was carrying on about her beloved son.

"He has arrived from the U.S, at last. I hope he comes back home permanently now that the branch of Rathore company he set up in the U.S. is doing roaring business. High time he got married! "

"There he is!" one of the women remarked seeing Aryan approaching them. "You will live a hundred years, son! We were just talking about your marriage. These ornaments are for your wife."

Krishika cursed herself for lifting her eyelashes, for he was looking straight at her.

"Beautiful..." he whispered softly. Krishika's face turned crimson and she looked away.

Thankfully for her, Anshu called out to him, "Bhaiya, come and see my mehendi !" and he moved away.

Krishika quickly took off the ornaments and fled to the kitchen on the pretext of asking the caterers to lay out the lunch.

She was in the kitchen talking to the caterers when Aaryan entered and made a beeline for the refrigerator, opening it wide and scratching his head.

He must be hungry after the long flight she thought and blurted out, "Do you want to eat something? They are just laying the lunch. But I can prepare something for you if you want."

He turned slowly and drawled, "It's nice to know you are so worried about me!"

Before she could open her mouth to protest, he said in a sugary voice, "You have already given me a grand reception. I don't want to trouble you anymore."

She knew he was laughing at silently at her and exasperated with his irritating behavior she walked out of the kitchen and made her way into the dining hall to switch on the air conditioners.

A few minutes later one of the catering boys brought her a glass of nimbu pani (lemonade).

"Oh thank you just what I needed to keep me hydrated," she said gleefully.

"Aaryan sir is great! The kitchen had become a furnace and we were sweating profusely, so he made this drink for all of us! Imagine!" The boy grinned and rushed back to the kitchen.

"That's really nice of him," she said aloud, sipping the drink.

He spoke up behind her, his eyes glinting in amusement, "Are you complimenting me? "

She swivelled around. "No. Why should I?" she said defensively.

He shrugged his shoulders, made a grumpy face like the heroes of old black and white movies and walked away.

What superb acting, she gritted her teeth!

She remembered then that she should have thanked him for the lemonade but he just seemed to rub her the wrong way!

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The sangeet cermony was in full swing and she had just finished her second dance number when she saw him again.

He had just walked in, looking deadly in a light grey suit. He caught her looking at him and raised his eyebrows. She promptly made a face at him and turned away, closing her eyes to shut him away.

"Are you trying to picture me without clothes again?" his voice sounded behind her.

She turned about immediately. "How dare you!" she opened her eyes, flashing daggers at him

He immediately lifted both his hands in mock surrender, and teasing her said, "Has anyone told you how beautiful you look when angry?" He asked her in all seriousness.

Before Krishika could retort Anshu's voice sounded above the din, "Bhaiya!Where did you meet my dear friend, Krishika?"

"I met her in the washroom, Anshu!" He said, looking at Krishika admiringly. She had let her hair loose and was looking lovely in a simple mauve coloured saree with gold trimmings.

Anshu, lifted her gorgeous pink and gold lehenga, and doubled with laughter.

"Really bhaiya you are too much! It is not that hot that you have to meet people in washrooms!"

Krishika tried not to blush and excused herself for her next dance item, dragging Anshu in tow.

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The next morning Krishika was hurrying towards the tent with a silver utensil full of haldi for the haldi ceremony when she bumped into a beautiful female.

"Oh my God, you spoilt Sunita aunty's saree!" the woman wailed looking down at her stained white saree.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean too..." Krishika apologized.

Hearing the commotion, Sunita aunty came running.

"It's alright Ronita, it was just an accident. I will give you another saree. You go to my room, I am coming!" she pacified the girl.

"Aunty I am sorry...," Krishika began, wringing her hands nervously.

Sunita patted Krishika's back and whispered confidentially, "Actually you throwing haldi at Ronita is a good sign! Maybe this time Aaryan will agree to marry her! She is his very good friend and business associate after all!"

What! Krishika almost died of shock! Her heart sank... into oblivion... He was marrying this girl...

She deliberately avoided him and his girlfriend during the haldi ceremony. She spent the rest of the day with Anshu in the beauty parlour, helping her to dress up for the wedding.

"Is something wrong Krishika? You have been looking quite down all day." Anshu asked her while returning home from the salon.

"No, nothing," Krishika lied. Then smiling said, "Maybe the thought of losing a friend is taking its toll on me...I will miss you in college!"

Anshu giggled. "Not as much as Princy! Wait till he finds out I got married during the summer vacations," she said referring to their draconian Principal. The two girls high-fived and guffawed.

As soon as she stepped out of the car, she saw him standing at the gate, looking so striking in an embroidered prussian blue kurta-pyjama. Her heart lurched. Damn him!

While he helped his sister out of the car, she ran inside the house to avoid him.

But he caught up with her as she was climbing the stairs to her room.

"Why are you avoiding me? What have I done?" he held her by the elbow and jerked her towards him, his furious eyes, boring down into hers.

"Leave me alone!" she hissed at him, pushing him away.

She saw Sunita aunty gesturing at her from the corner of her eye and was relieved to get away from him.

Sunita drew her aside and requested, "Krishika will you please check if the flower decorators have done up Anshu and Rohit's room properly?"

"Yes Aunty," Krishika murmured listlessly.

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The room was lit with hundreds of scented candles. The intoxicating smell of roses and rajanigandhas filled the room. The flowers formed a beautiful mesh around the huge bed with its silken white sheets. The newly weds would spend their first wedding night here. Their suhaag raat!

Soon there will be another marriage in this house, she thought. His! A lump formed in her throat. Her head throbbed. She wanted to go far far away from this place!

"I think we need to talk," a familiar husky voice stated from the doorway. Krishika touched her palm to her temple. She felt giddy.

She would have crashed to the floor if a strong pair of arms hadn't broken her fall.

He lifted her up in his arms easily and placed her on the red rose petals on the white sheets.

"Aaryan, we must go. The wedding must have started," she whispered shakily.

He ignored her appeal and demanded to know, "Krishika...what's wrong with you? Shall I call the doctor?"

She saw him bending over her , the flickering candles highlighting the concern in his dark eyes.

And suddenly she could not hold back the tears anymore. They fell shamelessly down her cheeks.

Aaryan turned ashen.

"My love...what is it, please tell me?" he pleaded in a distressed tone, stroking her hair.

Did he just call her "my love"! She gathered courage. "R..Ronita?" she questioned him between silent sobs.

"Ronita?!" he sounded amazed. "What about her? I can't understand...," he said confused.

And then suddenly as realization dawned upon him, he said in a soft voice, " Ronita is a good friend and nothing more. You know my mother. She is always trying to fix a match for me!"

Then he asked her gently, a little hopefully, his gaze penetrating her very being.

" Were you jealous of Ronita, Kiss?"

"No, why should I be?" she retorted sullenly, wiping her tears, lifting her chin.

"Yes you shouldn't. Because in two days flat I have fallen madly in love with a girl who barged into my bathroom ..."

Krishika looked at him incredulously! He loved her! Did he mean that!

Aaryan cupped her face and said in wry humour, "Kiss, I know this is madness. But Darling, you can't have a name like that and not be kissed, you know."

She giggled, her stomach knotted in anticipation of her first kiss.

"Its getting hot in here, Aaryan," she whispered.

"Maybe we should take a cold shower!"Aaryan winked at her as his lips swooped down to claim hers in a passionate kiss, sealing their love for all times to come.

-------------The End---------------

Hope you liked it!😃

wiwy2014-05-28 23:23:59