TEMPEST LOVE

Chapter Four

"Hi Chaaya! long time,” Kartik greeted her.

“What are you doing here Kartik?”

“Ah well, if Vicky can come visit you, so can I. Right Chaaya?” Karthik asked in a sardonic tone.

Chaaya's face went pale at his words and she let him in.

Kartik stepped inside the flat and studied the interiors of the flat.

“Nice. Very cosy,” Kartik remarked with approval.

“What do you want Kartik?” Chaaya asked, aware that his compliments were loaded with sarcasm.

“Wrong question dear. I want many things from you, but right now a cup of coffee maybe,” he said.

Chaaya was exhausted physically as well as emotionally after Vikram's visit, but she did not show her feelings to Kartik. He was the last person in whom she would confide anything.

When she brought the coffee, Kartik was in the balcony viewing the distant sea. The wafting smell of coffee pulled him back into the living room.

Sipping his coffee, he studied her face. “You are still as beautiful as ever; only look a little older,” he declared with a smirk.

“Thank you,” she replied, waiting for him to explain his purpose of the visit.

“Why have you kept in touch with him? I asked you not to. That was part of the deal,” he said.

Chaaya was waiting for this question, because as soon as he mentioned Vikram's visit, she knew he was going to bring up the topic.

“You know, I don't have to explain anything to you. Still, I will give you an answer, just for your satisfaction. If I had not stuck to the deal, he would not have got married. And now that he is married, the deal is null and void,” she explained with impatience.

“No, my dear Chaaya. The deal is for lifetime and if you break it, well…” he shrugged his shoulders threateningly.

“Well what Kartik? What are you trying to say?”

“I will tell Vikram the truth and I can't guarantee your safety,” the words finally came out.

Chaaya frowned and glared at him. “Go ahead. I have nothing to say. He already hates me and when he knows the truth, he would never want to see me again, so you are welcome to expose me,” she said, knowing very well that Kartik would not dare to do what he threatened to, because along with hers, his truth would also be revealed.

Kartik was taken aback by her words. She seemed bolder and more beautiful now than she was three years ago. After she went out of Vicky's life, he planned to keep in touch with her, but she disappeared out of everyone's radar. He had asked his private detective to search for her and it was only a couple of days ago that his detective was able to locate her.

“How did Vicky come here if you did not keep in touch with him?” he persisted.

“How do you know that he was here? You are keeping tabs on him or me?” she asked in return.

Kartik laughed. “Always the shrewd and sharp Chaaya! I was coming to see you when I saw him leave this building,” he explained and waited for her reaction.

“Listen Kartik, the past is past and I have no intentions of revisiting it or making the same mistakes. We are not in touch with each other and I am the last person he wants to see. So, all your threats and warnings do not make any sense. I just want to be left in peace. Married men are not my cup of tea and don't worry about my safety,” she replied firmly.

Kartik nodded and stood staring at her. Then very tentatively he asked, “If you need any help,” but Chaaya did not let him finish his sentence.

“No, I don't want any help. Thanks and Goodbye…,” she opened the door and waited for him to leave.

Kartik sighed. He needed to work harder. He was not letting her go this time. He came near the door and paused, gazing at her face.

“Just a word of caution Chaaya. There are powerful people watching every step of Vikram and if he makes one small error, his life could be in danger. Remember this,” he warned and began to caress her cheek with tentative fingers. She turned her face away in revulsion.

His eyes flared with anger at her obvious rejection, but he left without saying anything more.

Chaaya banged the door shut and double locked it. She drew the curtains close and slumped on the bed with exhaustion.

Vikram boarded the plane and felt a sense of hopelessness and despair after his meeting with Chaaya. His heart felt heavy. He did not want to leave her behind and go back to India. His mind and heart were at crossroads. But his ultimate conclusion was that Chaaya did not care whether he lived or died. This thought made him feel so abandoned, that he felt like ending his own life. Why was she the only one who had such an effect on him? Why could he not fall in love with his wife? Why could he still not get over Chaaya? He realised when he was at her flat that he was ready to forgive her betrayal, if only she would come back into his life. He could not understand this desperation. All he knew was that his life ahead without her looked bleak and desolate. If three years ago, he had lost the will to live, today he actually felt like ending his life.

His mind went back to the day when he met her for the first time…

At 25 years of age, he had the world at his feet. He had been chosen to play one-day matches for the country. His efforts to improve the power crisis in his home town, by giving contracts to companies producing solar energy, was well received by the residents and the state government and, along with his cricket practice, he was also setting up his own company to improve the general welfare of people in his hometown. After all, he was the next in line as the head of the noble family. Long ago, Neelbharatgarh was ruled by the royal family of Shekhawats who were closely related to the ruling Rajput Royals of Jaipur. When royalty was abolished in India, many of the members of the Shekhawat family migrated to different places. Only the direct descendants of the royal clan continued to stay in the palace. Vikram was one of them. The family owned farmlands and estates. Vikram had dreams and plans to set up factories to increase the employment opportunities in the town and district, he literally owned. But his game kept him too busy to focus on these matters.

Right from childhood, Vikram had been very good in sports. His special interest was cricket and he excelled in it. He was always chosen to play the important matches in his school and college. He started playing for his state and from there; his journey to the national team was swift and smooth. There was none of those proverbial struggling days for him, but his game improved with every match.

He was asked to shift to Mumbai from Neelbharatgarh, bag and baggage, for the betterment of his game and he reopened the family's bungalow in South Mumbai to stay in. He settled down to the fast life of Mumbai and enjoyed the long days of toiling at the ground with his fellow mates. His team mates looked up at him with awe; his royal background only adding to his aura. His education in UK and his subsequent training in US had also made him a man of the world and his mother was proud of his achievements.

One weekend during the monsoon months in the city, his family had come down to purchase textile and garments. The director and the chairman of the textile company wanted him to accompany them for the selection. The collection was going to be displayed in a star hotel and he drove down to the hotel on a wet day.

It was pouring as if the heavens had opened their doors. Thankfully, the international hotel had an enclosed porch where the valet helped him park the car. He strode towards the lobby entrance when somebody rushed into the porch from the gate. He was too busy checking his mobile and she was too busy squeezing and wringing out the water from her hair. They banged into each other. She swore and he caught and steadied her shoulders. They looked up into each other's face for the first time.

Time stood still. The world seemed to fade away. It was just the two of them.

Somewhere he heard the distant rumbling of thunder. Or was it his own pounding heart? He was not sure.

She swore again and stepped back from his hold. His eyes moved over her. She was wet and drenched to the skin. He noticed her wet lock of hair pasted to her forehead and her eye makeup was smudged and dripping down like black tear drops. It made him grin and she raised her eyebrows.

“Why are you grinning like that?” she asked, picking up the bag that had fallen down. He bent down and helped her collect the scattered items -- lipstick, scarf and diary. There was also a lacy black tiny bra that had slipped out of the bag. He was going to pick it up when she snatched it and stuffed it into her bag. It made him grin again.

“You are grinning again like an i***t. Haven't you seen women's clothes before?” she asked and he noticed that slight husky drawl in her voice. They stood up and he asked, “Don't you carry an umbrella?”

“It does not match my style,” she replied grandly and straightened her clothes.

He was astonished by her answer. “It does not match your style? Pardon me, but I did not know that umbrella was a fashion accessory. I thought people carried it to protect themselves from rain,” he replied

“Oh so funny you are!” She made a face at him which made him smile again. She turned and rushed into the hotel, leaving him gaping after her. He shook himself out of the spell and observed the bell boys and guards smiling at him. He walked into the hotel and was directed to one of the suites.

The Director and the chairman met him and his family too joined them. Vikram was least interested in the display of textiles, but out of respect and courtesy, he made his presence.

He did not take part in the discussion, because he did not have any clue about clothes or fashion. He was however impressed with the designs and fabrics. The production house had arranged for a show where models would display the garments in their unique style.

The lights dimmed and music played. The first model came into the room and displayed the garment with style and class. Vikram sighed. He checked his watch. He had to go for a meeting with the Council of Cricket Association. There was also a press conference coming up and the team was going to be briefed about it. He waited for the show to get over. He checked his mobile phone for messages. The models sashayed down the ramp, but he was glued to the mobile. The fashion show came to an end soon. The lights came on and all the models walked in together amidst applause. Vikram looked up. The models were lining up in a row and he casually glided his eyes over them.

Then suddenly he caught his breath.

There, she was, the girl who banged into him in the porch. The wet and drenched girl was nowhere. Here stood a stunning and beautiful woman in a black and silver gown. Her hair was brushed back and styled into a bun. Her bare arms were rested on her waist.

Vikram was transfixed. He could not take his eyes away. He wanted to catch her attention, but she was smiling and talking to her partner. And then she slowly turned her head and smiled at him. Vikram fell under her spell. He did not believe in love at first sight or in fairy tale romance. But he did fall head over heels in love with Chaaya right at that moment.

The press conference after the event was a blur; the meeting with Cricket Association was a distant memory. All he could think about was her. He tried to meet her that day, but she had already left. He spent days trying to trace her. With the kind of influence he wielded, he could easily get people to locate her. And from then onward, it was like an obsession for him. He wanted to meet her all the time, take her on dates every day and spend every moment with her. He did not care if his game suffered in the process. He did not care about anything, but her. She made him go crazy.

He knew he was liked by women for his personality and charm. He also dated some women when he was in UK and USA, but he was never in any serious relationship. No one had ever affected him like Chaaya did. He loved her more than anything else in his life. He wanted to propose marriage to her after three months of dating her. But she blew it away by confessing to him that she wanted to break up with him.

He still remembered the day when she tore his life apart. It was again a rainy day and they were sitting in the boat club, gazing at the sea, which was barely visible through the pouring rain. Vikram was trying to form the question in his mind. He wanted to ask her to marry him. He was going away on a tour to Australia and he wanted her answer before that. He had already expressed his feelings to her, but he was still on tenterhooks. He wanted the moment to be magical. He wanted to cherish it.

He took deep breaths now as the announcement for the landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal was made.

Yes, that moment could never be wiped away from his memory. After that fight in the boat club, their relationship spiralled down into a pit of misery and ultimately they broke up.

He felt betrayed and defeated after she broke up with him. He went into a depression and lost the will to live. But then, Vikram Singh Shekhawat was a fighter. He shook himself out of the despair. What kept him going was the need to unleash his revenge. He redirected all his energy into his game and emerged a super achiever. The country started loving him and the world was admiring him. His mother was proud of him and his father stopped taunting him. Fans wanted to click pictures with him and talk show hosts competed with each other to have him in their show. But he wanted to see Chaaya one last time to gloat about his success. He tried to get in touch with her. He wanted to tell her that he was not a loser. He wanted her to see that her betrayal had not affected him much. But Chaaya had vanished. There was no trace of her in the city. He knew she was somewhere watching his rise in the game. He knew she was hiding herself away from him. He wanted to hurt her like she had hurt him. And in a fit of what he felt was vengeful vindication; he married his childhood friend Urvashi.

Both of them knew he was on the rebound. But it did not matter to Urvashi. They liked and respected each other, which kept their marriage going.

When they got married, both of them needed a safe haven in which to hide their pain from the world. Their marriage was a sham, but only he and Urvashi knew it. To the world, it was a match made in heaven.

Little did anyone know that Vikram was matched forever to Chaaya -- in mind, body and soul. Vikram came out of the terminal exit to wait for his car. He was expecting his driver to pick him up.

But he was in for a shock. It was not his driver, but his wife who came to pick him up…