Desde sempre e para sempre Chapter 4

Desde sempre e para sempre

Chapter 4 

He was the mother of all bird turds!

As soon as the compartment panel shut, Gael covered his face with his hands and then ran his hands through his hair.

What was that?

Gael: “Bird turd!”

And then he burst out laughing. Great, he was losing it too.

Oh but what a kiss it was! He closed his eyes and growled to get his body to calm down. The blood had rushed to places it shouldn’t have. At least, not with just one kiss…but then it got him thinking…was this after or before…was this when she had grabbed his collar? He had found that undeniably sexy…

Gael Breno Bourgeois! You are from Rio! For a man who spends his day on beaches where the dress code is nothing but sunshine, he was behaving like it was his first kiss! He was not starving when it came to…and yet this girl, this Indian girl…

Gael: “Ai, meu Deus do ceu!!!! Ela é indiana! She is Indian!”

He was probably going to have to marry her. This must have been her first kiss! Oh my God!

He was a bird turd but he was not a coward!

He pressed the button to open the panel and to…he had no idea to do what…

Meanwhile, it took her a few seconds to figure out what had happened and she did not like the outcome of her rationalizing.

So, yes, she had been dying and then SHE had crawled over to beg for his comfort. He had helped her to put on her seat belt and then SHE had grabbed his hand!

Naina: “I grabbed his hand not his face! I didn’t pull him towards me for a kiss…did I?”

She gasped when she realized that she had shamelessly welcomed his kiss and wrapped her arms around him.

Naina: “Why don’t you just pull him by his tie and take him to the nearest restroom!”

The thought itself made her blush to the core.

Naina: “WHAT THE HELL?! Knock on that panel and unleash your fury!”

She nodded having resolved that she was not going to let it slide and SHE was NOT going to think about the kiss! Just thinking about it gave birth to a restless flurry down in her belly…

You don’t even know his full name!

She turned around to face his booth and with all the anger, more for her irrational behavior than for what he had done, she hit the panel. She was fuming and closed her eyes before her fist made contact with…

Gael didn’t even flinch. This was not the first punch someone had thrown at him. But she did pack a solid punch. He deserved that one and he was sure he was going to bruise…

Again, it took her a few seconds to realize that she had not hit the panel. She refused to open her eyes but wailed when realization struck her.

Naina: “Ohhhh noooo!! I…I…did I hurt you?!”

She opened her eyes and pulled her hand away from him which was still fisted. But then she looked at her fist and realized why she had knocked in the first place! A frown took over her face in a matter of seconds and she tried to punch him again…

Gael caught her fist in his hand swiftly: “Oh no, you don’t. That one only when I kiss you again.”

Naina pulled her hand out of his and glared at him. She looked around and whispered very loudly.

Naina: “HOW DARE YOU! You can’t just fight with me and then kiss me!”

Gael: “So I can kiss you if I don’t fight with you?”

Naina: “Yes…NO! STOP IT! LET ME TALK! What you did was…”

Gael: “Was it your first kiss?”

Naina’s eyes grew so big and so brown; he was thirsty all over again.

Naina: “No it wasn’t! I have had better!”

She saw a flash of something in his eyes again. The first time she had seen it was when she had looked into his eyes just before she wrapped her arms around him. That light in his eyes had forced her to abandon everything. She had felt like she was going to die but when he had kissed her, the passion she saw in his eyes had filled life back into her very being. It was like someone had turned on the lights and his eyes…his eyes had turned silver. No longer felt like cement and ash but a sparkle of the purest white gold. Now she had seen it in his eyes again but only for a flash of a second.

Gael: “That felt like it was your first kiss.”

It had been her first kiss but he didn’t have to know that.

Naina: “That’s not the point! The point is that HOW DARE YOU KISS ME?! I don't even know your full name!”

Gael: “And I don't know yours. Look, you came over to my seat. YOU were having a panic attack and I did what I could think of to calm you down.”

Naina: “Is that all you could think of?!”

Gael: “I was not going to hold your hands and sing a song for you.”

This was officially the most he had spoken to anyone in over a month!

Naina: “Shah Rukh Khan would have done that!”

Gael: “And that is precisely why this was your first kiss.”

Naina: “You know who Shah Rukh Khan is?!”

Gael: “Look, I just want to tell you that it was just a kiss and you are not going to get pregnant; so there is no need for you to get so hormonal about it! There is no need for me to marry you. I mean, I am not going to marry you. Just forget it happened. Okay?”

This time it took her a whole minute to wrap her mind around this one. But when she did, she grabbed a bottle of water in front of her and poured it all over his head.

Naina: “I bet this reaction was not amongst the other stereotypes that you have about Indian women in your head!”

Gael was having a hard time believing what had just happened. But he was having an even harder time believing that he actually realized he deserved that one…too.

Naina swiftly got up as soon as the seat belt sign was off and was about to turn around and leave when…

Gael: “Sorry.”

Naina: “For what?”

Gael: “I am not going to apologize for the kiss. I saved your life.”

Naina whirled around: “You saved my life?! What if I was really having a heart attack? Was your kiss a kiss of life? Was it going to pump my heart back on?!”

Well, it had pumped much more than the two beating hearts…

Gael: “You were not having a heart attack.”

Naina: “And you know a lot about heart attacks?”

He did. Once when he had held a gun against…Gael grabbed a bunch of napkins and started wiping his face when the plane lurched due to turbulence and Naina crashed into her seat again. The seat belt sign was back on but Naina grabbed his hands again, panic written all over her face.

Gael: “Is this where I start singing 'Humpty Dumpty' or are you having a heart attack this time?”

Her life was too important for her to say anything back at him. She just closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing and squeezing his hands with all her might. That kiss was very welcome now. Why had she made such a fuss? It was only a kiss!

Gael leaned in closer: “Imagine that everyone is naked around you.”

Naina swiftly opened her eyes and looked around.

Damn, Gael had not thought that one through. His Aaji was in a booth of her own and not visible and since there was no one in the First Class apart from him…

Both of them looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Naina: “I am pretty sure this is considered to be sexual harassment.”

Gael: “Not if the view is anything but harassment…”

He had wiped his face and hair by now. There was a click as a panel slid open and Aaji came into view.

Aaji: “Quite a bumpy start….Naina? Oh good! You two made up!”

Naina stood up: “I am going for a walk.”

Gael: “Three rows down and there is an exit to your left AND your right. Tell me if the weather is any good out there.”

Naina: “Was that a joke?”

Naina walked away. She wanted to stretch her legs and see people, other people, to get him and the indecent images of him out of her mind!

As soon as Naina left the First Class,

Aaji: “Was that a joke?”

Gael: “Of course…I mean she can hardly walk out…Aaji, I know what you are thinking and stop it.”

Aaji: “I can’t even remember the last time you have…”

Gael: “I make fun of Leo all the time.”

Aaji: “BRENO! I can’t remember the last time you were sooo…”

Gael: “Let it be, please.”

Aaji: "BRENO! why do you have a bruise under your eye?!"
Gael: "I don't know. I was drinking water and..."
Aaji: "You forgot how to drink water from the bottle?"

She had noticed that his shirt was wet.

Gael: "The turbulence..." 

Desde sempre e para sempre Chapter 3

Desde sempre e para sempre

Chapter 3 

Aaji: “Breno? Are you okay?”

Aaji was the only one who called him “Breno.” She tugged on his arm to pull him down and checked his forehead. “Are you unwell?”

Gael: “Aaji! I am fine, please, not here! I am not a kid anymore! I grew up a long time ago!”

Aaji: “Hmmmm…much too early. But, for me, you will always be the charming boy running around in your favorite beach shorts that Leo and Davi had accidentally dyed pink!”

Gael instantly remembered her pink…he cleared his throat.

Gael: “I don’t think that was an accident.”

Aaji: “They were only 4!”

Gael: “Those two were born with mischief waiting to be unleashed.”

He guided her to her seat on the plane.

Gael: “John booked the entire First Class for us so we have our privacy…”

Aaji laughed: “This is not how we traveled…”

Gael: “As much as you would like to pretend that things have not changed, they have. Back then we could not afford to buy a ticket so easily and today I can buy the Airline. I am your grandson, if I can compromise, then so can you.”

Aaji: “You can never compromise. It is just not in your system. Coming to India is not a compromise. This is sympathy because you know I am dying.”

Gael: “You are an old witch who knows how to play with emotions very well. If you ever say that again I will push you off this plane!”

Aaji: “I have always wanted to sky dive!”

Gael: “Keep doing what you are doing and I will make your dream come true.”

Outside, in the boarding area

“This is the last call for Miss. Naina Malhotra…”

“Oh my God! Oh my God!”

“What?”

 “I messed up! I gave her a seat in the First Class!”

“What?! BUT THE ENTIRE FIRST CLASS IS RESERVED!”

“I hope she doesn't show up…”

Naina ran into the scene, her hair flying, a complete mess…she had lost track of time trying to choose the best whiskey for her Dadi. Personally she despised whiskey but her Dadi loved it. Fortunately she had been able to pay for the bottle and make it in time for her flight.

Naina: “Naina Malhotra!!! Present!”

She kicked herself mentally! She was not in school anymore!

The agents at the boarding kiosk looked at each other. Mutually, they reached to a consensus. Gael’s reputation was enough to scare the daylights out of them. There was no way they were going to be the ones to break the news to him. The in-flight staff was going to have to deal with that. Besides, there was nothing they could do! The flight was all booked and Gael and his grandmother were not going to occupy all the First Class seats…As long as Naina Malhotra’s seat was assigned to the other end of the world and she kept to her side…

Both of them prayed a silent prayer and shut the boarding gate as soon as Naina was on the plane. God be with them.

Aaji: “I have only one dream, Breno.”

Gael: “I know. To be in India with your people, with your soil, with your potholes…”

He stopped speaking as soon as he sensed something. Something unnatural and foreign to him and something that he was sure he was not going to like…

Naina walked into the First Class with all her duty free shopping bags.

Naina: “Its okay. I can find my own seat. You don’t have to walk me to…”

Air Hostess: “Ma’am, I think there is a mistake. Hang on...”

Naina pulled out her boarding pass to check her seat number.

Naina: “I am sorry, is this seat 3C? I think you are on my seat….YOU?!”

Gael looked up. He didn’t have to look up to know who it was. He could recognize her voice in his sleep.

Naina looked past him and gasped in delight: “Nani! How are you??”

Aaji: “Ahhhh Naina! You won’t believe me when I say that I really missed you!”

Naina: “Oh! How sweet! I know I have that effect on people so I am not surprised…Sir, I would be happy to exchange seats with you if you would like to sit with your Nani.”

What in the world was wrong with him? Why did he lose control of all his communication abilities every time in her presence?

Naina: “Is he always like this or is he shy around girls?”

Aaji was looking at Gael keenly who was openly staring at Naina. What was wrong with him? She believed she had taught him some manners. He was always polite and well-behaved but right now, and even earlier, he was openly staring at this girl…

Aaji: “Breno!”

Naina: “Breno?”

Gael who had finally found his voice lost it all over again when he heard her say his name. No one called him Breno except for his Aaji. Not even his brothers. It had always been very private, his middle name.

Gael cleared his throat: “I…”

Aaji: “Actually I took Breno’s seat!”

Well, hell. Every time he tried to open his mouth these two women rendered him speechless. He never spoke much but he was trying for crying out loud! Let the man speak!

What was his Aaji even talking about?

She got up from her seat and practically pulled Naina into the seat she had just vacated. Naina had been surprised too and didn't realize what was happening.

Gael stood up automatically as soon as Naina sat down causing her to frown. What was with him? She put her bags on the seat next to her…Was he allergic to her? First he couldn’t speak and if she tried to get any closer, not if she tried but when the circumstances got them any closer, he ran the other way!

Was something wrong with her?

She tried to sniff herself to check whether she reeked…

Aaji: “SIT!”

Gael was caught off guard as his Aaji pushed him back. All lies! The old witch was not frail!

At the same time, Naina, who was busy sniffing herself, stopped: “NOT MY TRUFFLES!”

She sprang onto his seat as he came crashing down….More than her truffles were crushed…

Naina screamed and Gael practically fell on the floor more so because of her scream than his reflexes to prevent himself from crushing her.

The in-flight staff and Aaji were just staring at the two of them amidst the commotion. Aaji knew his temper; she could see it in his eyes. The rocket was about to take off any moment now and she quickly stood in between them. So much for trying to get them to sit together... She quickly handed Naina’s bags to the air hostess.

Aaji: “Why don’t you go ahead and get the plane moving?”

The staff scrambled out and then the real volcano erupted.

Gael: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE FIRST CLASS?!”

It was the way he had said it that did not sit well with her. Agreed she was only bumped up owing to the circumstances and she really could not afford to pay the fare for a First Class ticket but he did not know that and he had no right to judge her when he didn't know anything about her!

Naina got up: “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY? DID YOU BUY THE WHOLE FIRST CLASS?!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the seat belt sign has been turned on…”

Aaji: “Breno…”

Gael: “Aaji, sit down and stay out of this!”

Aaji knew when to keep quiet and sat down on the closest seat next to her. But she had not taken into account that the woman next to her had a worse temper.

Naina: “NO! DON’T SIT DOWN! STAND UP!”

So powerful was her out lash that Aaji automatically stood up! There was a sharp intake of breath as Gael tried to grapple with the fact that she had just ordered his Aaji, HIS Aaji but then she threw him a curve ball!

Naina: “HOW DARE YOU ORDER HER AROUND!? Nani, you should only sit down if you feel like not because a…bird turd…likes to uhm…throw tantrums!”

Absolutely forgetting that she had ordered his Aaji just a millisecond ago, Gael was taken by something else…

Gael: “Wait a minute, did you just call me a bird turd?!”

Since that was the bigger problem here…

Naina sneaked a look at Aaji who was just staring at them her jaw dropped. Poor woman was going to have a heart attack but she had to set the imprudent boy straight! She walked over to him and pulled him by his collar because that was as far as she could reach easily  He was a head taller than her and she was wearing her tallest heels! 

Gael only obliged because he was shocked. No one dared to touch  him let alone pull him by the collar…he simply didn't know how to react to that. If it were anyone else but her, he or she would have been dead right now, literally. It was a good thing he had decided to let his entourage fly with John. She turned his face away with her hand so she could whisper into his ear.

Naina: “Bastard! I called you a bastard!”

Gael hid a smile. She didn't want to swear in front of his Aaji. How charming…

Gael: “You called me a bastard?! Do you know who I am?!”

That was NOT  a whisper!

Naina: “OH! TO HELL..O with you!”

Gael gave her a weird look shaking his head. He walked over to Aaji’s seat and swiftly buckled her in. He put her headphones on.

Gael: “This might get ugly. You pay attention to the safety instructions in case of an emergency and someone needs assistance…” He switched her TV on to the in-flight safety instructions video playing on the screen.

Naina ran over to Aaji: “Here, this is the manual with the safety guides in case you need to resuscitate someone in case of an emergency…”

Gael and Naina glared at each other while Aaji tried her best to stop herself from laughing. Gael noticed it and pressed a button pulling Naina out with him as a compartment panel slid shut providing Aaji a private booth all to herself.

Naina took a deep breath. She was not at home. They were on a plane! There were other passengers beyond the curtains who had probably heard her scream! She should stop behaving like an imprudent little girl herself! 

Naina: “May I see your boarding pass please?”

Gael: “Just shut up and sit down.”

Naina: “Where?!”

Gael: “On my head!”

Gael stormed to his previous seat and collected his stuff. He dumped it all on the seat in the row ahead of hers. His aaji was in the same row but he needed his space. Aaji had started it and so she could sit on her own and think about what she had done!

When Naina had not moved at all, he looked at her exasperated.

He grabbed her by her hand and forced her onto her beloved seat 3C! She didn’t say or do anything. Frustrated beyond words, he pulled the straps of her seat belt and buckled her in tight.

Gael: “Here! Now the whole row is yours! When we are up in the air, you may roll around from seat A to seat E!”

He turned around and sat down on his seat and signaled the air hostess to get them up in the air ASAP.

Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

The only reason Naina had lost steam earlier was because she had felt the plane move. She had remembered that she was on a plane, about to take off and her fear of flying had seeped into her being.

Oh no! What was she going to do?! She tried to sing in her mind, she tried to think of Shah Rukh Khan but no, nothing happened! Her heart was beating so fast she felt like it was going to burst, she could not breathe, her knuckles had turned white…She tried counting and could not get past 5…1,2,3,4,5…what comes after 5? She was going to die…the plane paused for a bit and the engine started roaring. She knew what comes next. The momentum and then…She would not survive…

She looked around, there was no one around! The only reason she survived flying all these years was because she would be in the economy class and there were always people around her. She would always find someone to chat with to ease her fear and pain. She couldn't see Aaji because the compartment secured her in her booth. There was no access to her…There was only one other person.

Oh to HELLO with it!

She swiftly unbuckled herself and staggered to the seat next to him. Fortunately, he had not isolated himself in his booth. The plane was building momentum now…He looked around as soon as he saw her collapse on the seat next to him. She was struggling to put the seat belt on and as the plane moved towards take-off she got worse. She was gasping for breath and pale; she looked like death. There was no doubt that she was having a panic attack. He reached over and put her seat belt on. Breathless, she grabbed his hand with a death grip and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Naina: “S..ssttoopppp the…the…pp…lane!! I..I..c..canttt…”

There was no point talking to her or holding her hands. It would not work. Oh to hello with it!

He leaned forward and with his free hand cupped the back of her neck tilting her face up as he dove in. Her lips were the softest and the sweetest he had ever tasted.

What was this? A sympathy kiss? Was he trying to divert her attention? What was he doing again?

She welcomed his kiss, obviously lost in trance and pulling him into it along with her, leaving all rationality behind on the land as the plane finally took off, slowly and steadily rising up in the air. His lips met hers, hot and hungry…he had heard about make-up sex and they had been fighting just a minute ago…He stopped thinking as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

Now, this was no longer a pity party. He was no longer trying to comfort her. He was having a real party and he was not doing this out of sympathy but rather out of pure desire. He pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss while her fingers ran through his hair and found the back of his neck. She stroked tenderly easing the knots at the back of his neck and upper shoulders –

Gael pulled out so fast, Naina lost track of time and space. But it came back to her within a few seconds. She gasped and covered her face with her hands but before she could react any further Gael pressed a button which engineered the panels to pop out protecting himself in the booth from the scorned lady’s wrath. He had taken advantage of her vulnerability and now he was being the coward and running away from confrontation.

Why was the world scared of Gael Bourgeois again?

Desde sempre e para sempre Chapter 2

Desde sempre e para sempre

Chapter 2 

Gael: “Mr. Moretti, it pains me to have to make this call to you, especially, when I am up in the air right now trying to enjoy a glass of the famed 64 year old Macallan Single Malt Whiskey. My men have paid you a "friendly" visit and my understanding is that you have not held your end of the bargain yet. ‘Yet’ because ‘no’ is never an option when you deal with the Bourgeois. You see, Mr. Moretti, you have been in this business longer than I have and you know reputation means everything. Now, in the next 5 minutes, I want the money transferred to my account with interest. Otherwise, my men know what to do and your reputation is not the only thing you will be concerned about. Have a good night at Baglioni. Mrs. Moretti would have loved to join you but I see you have different needs. Before you do whatever it is you want to do with that young lady in red, I strongly suggest...”

Gael disconnected the phone before Mr. Moretti could say anything. He could sense just how terrified the man was without him having to say a single word. This was just another caveat of his job; one which he would never allow Leo and Davi to be a part of. It was a dirty game. A dirty game his father had started…

A mere 5 minutes later, John knocked on the door.

Gael: “Come in.”

John: “Sir, I have made the required arrangements in the First Class of that plane and also at the Hotel in Mumbai. Mr. Moretti transferred the money. What would you like me to do? The usual?”

Gael: “No. Dispense 50% of it for the usual. The remaining, I want to use it for Mumbai.”

John: “Have you thought about which one?”

Gael: “No. I am planning on doing some research myself once I get there.”

John: “Sir, Gustavo got shot in Russia.”

John was looking at Gael waiting for him to react in some way. Anything. But he never did. His steel grey eyes betrayed nothing. Absolutely nothing. They never did. 

Gael: “Gustavo should be transported to Napoli, right away. I want Edgar from Rio sent over to Moscow and I want him to do whatever it takes. Make sure Gustavo’s family is there to meet him in Napoli once he gets there. Now, once we get to Mumbai, I want to meet the people who have been trying to set shop with us. As you know very well, I am old fashioned and if I want to get into bed with them, I would like to meet them, face-to-face.”

John: “Yes, of course.”

John walked out of the room and wiped his forehead. He knew exactly what Gael’s business entailed. He knew every single dirty secret.

He picked up the phone and waited for the person to pick up on the other end.

Flashback:

Gael: “Mr. Holmes, do you have what it takes? I want you to think about this very carefully because once you cross the line, there is no turning back. Here is my card. Give me a call. You have the whole day to decide. But remember, its either here where I stand or there, where you stand, right now. Either way, you have a great future ahead of you only if you decide to pull your head out of the darkness that you have created around yourself.”

Present:

John: “Ciao…”

Naina finally reached the airport. This was not how she had imagined it to be. She was a diplomat for crying out loud! She knew she was not going to be able to sway like James Bond but at least she should be able to walk with a cool demeanor and have all doors of special service opened for her as she, the diplomat, glided past them…but here she was lugging her suitcases and panting heavily as she made her way to the counter for check-in.

Agent: “You are 10 kgs overweight Ma’am.”

Naina: “I know! It’s not even Christmas yet and I have already feasted on all of Santa’s cookies!”

The agent who was an elderly lady, to Naina’s disappointment, was not buying it. If it were a guy, Naina knew she could have flirted her way through anything but…

Agent: “I mean your bags, Ma’am.”

Not even a smile to acknowledge her quip! She could have at least sympathized with her for gaining a few kilos! That part was true!

Naina: “Oh! I am sorry. You know I am going back home after two years and I am quite excited…”

Agent: “That will be $250…”

Naina: “$250!? I could check in 5 more bags with that much! Look, MA’AM, I am checking in two bags. Can’t we put it all together and adjust…”

Agent: “MA’AM, you are 20 kgs overweight if we put it all together. Maybe you SHOULD have stayed away from Santa’s cookies.”

Naina gasped.

Manager: “He will be here in 15 minutes! All agents in position. His secretary has mentioned that he never does this and he has asked me to make sure that he is on his way to security in mere seconds. Our team is already waiting at the security to take over….”

Naina: “Manager! You know what, excuse me, MA’AM, I would like to speak with your manager…

The young manager turned around having recognized her voice.

Manager: “Mrs. Malhotra.”

Naina: “MISS Malhotra. Sir, this is not done…”

The manager was already sweating. She looked like trouble, a darn beautiful trouble…but Mr. Bourgeois was on his way. Mr. Bourgeois’ reputation preceded him and he knew he didn’t want to upset the man even in the slightest. Maybe they were just rumors but he didn’t want to take the chance: “Sorry, Miss Malhotra. We will upgrade you to First Class!”

Naina: “I…WHAAAAAT? First Class?!”

Manager: “Like I said, I am very sorry for the inconvenience we have caused you. You don’t want to take the money so this is the only thing I can think of…”

Naina: “Oh! I will take it!”

Who was she kidding? Even with the money she was getting for free she would not have been able to afford the First Class. First Class? She would not have been able to afford it ever! In the new Airbus? Wow! You know “simple” things could easily sway her. She was only a human and when opportunity knocks on your door, you open it even if it is the Mafia.

Manager: “If you would please step over here at the First Class check-in, we can get you on your way to security in no time.”

Naina quickly went to the First Class check-in counter.

Naina: “I think I am a bit overweight.”

Manager: “No. I think you are perfect.”

Naina flicked her hair with her hand; her bangles jingled and she smiled her charming smile. Oh, men…it always worked.

Manager: “Uhhhh, I am sorry I mean...mean your bags are fine. First Class passengers have extra allowance.”

All of a sudden there was a lot of commotion as a group of people made its way to the Air India check-in counter. All men dressed in impeccable suits, with glares on, they had to be bodyguards!

Naina: “Is Shah Rukh Khan or anybody famous flying on this plane too?!”

Manager: “Here is your boarding pass. You are all set. Have a good flight! Excuse me!”

The Manager rushed to attend the celebrity. Naina stood on her toe tips to get a peek at the celebrity surrounded by his entourage but she could not see anyone she recognized! She couldn't see the person they were trying to hide!They were all white! Shah Rukh Khan or none of the Bollywood men she loved were white. Whatever, it must be some business group travelling to India for a conference. Just because they were all in suits with glares on didn’t mean that they were bodyguards…but then again when did every man from a business group look so fit?? But then she found something else that caught her interest. She narrowed her eyes with malice as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She bent down slowly and reached forward to pull something out of her carry-on luggage next to her. She was just about to pull it out when everything happened at the same time.

All of a sudden she was on the floor and one of the guys of the entourage had her flat on the floor while the rest held her at gunpoint.

The man who was holding her down: “Pull your hand slowly out of your bag and drop your weapon…”

Naina was not scared. She was an IFS officer but his tight grip was hurting her and tears started running down her cheeks. She closed her eyes in pain.

“LET HER GO! NOW! LOWER YOUR GUNS!”

The man quickly sprang back as the others lowered their guns.

Naina opened her eyes and lost her breath. She instantly closed her eyes again utterly overwhelmed. 


Gael who had reached forward to help her up instantly dropped her as soon as he looked into her eyes. He blinked, shaken to the core. 

Naina reflexively opened her eyes again when she hit the ground. So much for helping her up…

Naina: “Ouch! I…” His eyes…They were…They were rigid stony eyes the color of…cement! Cement? Was that a word to describe eyes? There was no twinkle; there was no luster, unlike anything she had ever seen. They were just lifeless, cold and she felt like they had sucked the life out of her…

He felt like he had lived his life. He felt like he had conquered everything. So powerful was the sensation that he had to let go. He couldn’t hold on to her. He could see all the emotions of a lifetime dancing away in her eyes. So happy, she was so happy and he felt like he had stolen everything from her. His touch had robbed her of her soul. A color richer than his Single Malt Whiskey, a mixture of the finest whiskey and the finest cognac, a rich warm brown with flecks of lustrous golden rays in the iris…he wanted to drink it all…just a sip would serve as an elixir enough to quench his thirst. Just one sip and he would feel complete. He had tasted all the fine liquor in the world but this was what he was waiting for…all his life…

Aaji: “Are you okay?”

Gael and Naina looked away. 

Gael: “I am sorry.”

His voice! While his eyes had sucked away her soul, his voice had filled life back into her being. A smooth baritone, calm and clear, profoundly intelligent…unforgiving, cold, unyielding…sexy, strong...Wait a minute! How had she managed to come up with so many adjectives describing his voice just on the basis of three words?!

His accent! A bit of Italian, a bit of Spanish, a bit of British, a bit of Brazilian…hard to say who he was or where he was from…how was that possible? But he made those three words sound so sexy that she practically moaned only to be saved by the elderly lady in a saree…

Aaji: “Beta, are you okay?”

She looked past him, which was very difficult to do so especially because he was openly staring at her. He had looked right into her soul that much she already knew but now was he looking through her clothes too? She blushed and looked down. 

Dammit! She was wearing a white top! And she had only realized that the lighting and his proximity helped him see right through her white top; helped him see the hot pink bra she was wearing underneath…Naina sat up straight and quickly draped her shawl around her shoulders covering her front. 

Gael instantly shut his mouth. What was wrong with him? He was no teenager! God Dammit! Aaji is standing right next to you let alone your entire bodyguard unit, he thought. And you have seen much more than what that plunge bra tried to hide…Stop behaving like you have just hit puberty! 

Aaji smacked him on the side: “What are you doing!? Help her up!”

Gael instantly helped her up. Naina was standing up before she could even deny his assistance…how had that happened? Well, she should thank him…

Naina braced herself and looked at him one more time: “Thank you.”

And he felt at peace, instantly. Her voice, it was like all the problems in the world had been solved. He felt like he was back in Rio with a glass of whiskey in his hand while his children…

Children? HIS children?

Aaji: “Beta, did you get hurt? I am sorry you had to...”

Naina: “Nani, I am okay, thank you. I am sorry I created a lot of inconvenience for…you all seem so important!”

The man who had pinned her on the floor spoke up: “Sir, she was reaching for something in her bag and she was looking in your direction…”

Naina: “You mean this? Bhaisaab, why would I want to shoot this handsome young man? I mean the world already has a very few of them to begin with and the womankind would banish me if I were to harm Prince Charming over here.”

She pulled out the bag of cookies in her carry-on: “I just wanted to give my new friend a gift.”

She walked over to the agent she had previously encountered: “Ma’am, it won’t be Christmas until we all indulge in some extra cookies. Merry Christmas!”

The agent couldn’t help herself this time. Naina’s smile was disarming across gender and age and her bubbly attitude just filled merriment everywhere she breathed. 

Naina: “There you go! I knew there was a smile hiding somewhere in there!”

Aaji burst out laughing: “Oh! This is why I have missed India! The people…beta, you have made me laugh with joy on just meeting you for the first time! Would you be kind enough…”

Naina: “Uh-huh! And that’s how I know you have lived away from India for a long time.”

Aaji: “How do you know?”

Naina: “Because where I come from, Nanis don’t request, they command.”

Aaji smiled: “Tell me your name, my child.”

Naina: “Naina.”

Gael: “Your eyes…”

Naina looked at him. This was the first time he had spoken after “I am sorry.”

Aaji: “Eyes are the windows to the soul. Clichéd but true.”

Aaji: “I am…”

Gael cleared his throat: “We must leave. We are getting late.” 
What had just happened? While he was busy making children…what the hell?
He pulled his Aaji away and turned his back to her instantly dismissing her. His entourage followed him. 


Naina felt scoffed at. She turned around and started walking away. As far as she could get from him. How dare he? It was his fault! Who did he think he was? Maybe she should have tried to assassinate him! It was probably because he was so rude that people wanted his head on a platter! And the way he treated his grandmother! He had cut her off and practically manhandled her away from her! How rude! She hoped she never met him again; never ever in her life! No wonder his eyes reminded her of cement! He was nothing but a lifeless, emotionless statue! His eyes were windows alright but through them she saw nothing! He had no soul! She felt bad for his grandmother. Such a kind soul only to have a grandson who was a monster!

Naina: “What the hell!? Naina, are you okay? Why are you getting so worked up? It was just a guy and it was just a 10 second long encounter. Relax! Calm down! Since when did you start taking stupid encounters so seriously? You are probably never going to meet him again!”