The Runaway Bridegroom (25 page)

   She opened the lock with trembling fingers and placed the card key in its slot as the lights went on. Before she could move further, Ranveer had entered the room, locked it from inside and dragged her into his arms. Holding her close, Ranveer placed a finger below her chin to raise her face to his. Chanda’s eyes automatically closed when he placed his masculine lips to her soft ones in a loving kiss.

   Time stood still in the room as Ranveer kissed her passionately, his hands moving restlessly on her back. She was wearing too many clothes, it seemed to him. Without taking his lips off hers, he managed to remove her denim jacket. Chanda’s hands seemed to move of their own volition as she began to pull down the zip on his bomber jacket.

   Ranveer lifted his head to look down at the blushing Chanda as he pulled his arms out of his jacket. With an arm around her shoulders, he walked towards the bed. Reality struck Chanda as she saw the four-poster looming in front of her. She stopped in her tracks and tried to wriggle out from under his arm around her shoulder. What were they doing in a bedroom when she was married to someone else? Damn Lakshman! He had promised to find her errant husband and organise an annulment, immediately. She still couldn’t understand how Ranveer managed to find her. Only her brothers had her contact address. This was just too much!

   Ranveer refused to let go as he gathered her once again in his arms. As he was going to kiss her again, Chanda turned her head away and his lips settled against her temple where her pulse was beating wildly. She shuddered as his tongue slowly traced the curve of her ear to reach her earlobe. Her nerves sizzled as she felt his teeth nipping her earlobe.

   Chanda gathered her scrambled willpower along with her strength and finally managed to break Ranveer’s hold on her. Before he realised what was happening, she had moved to the other side of the bed, putting as much distance between them as was possible in the hotel bedroom.

   “What are you doing here, Ranveer? How did you find me?” asked Chanda, her voice hoarse with emotion.

   While Ranveer felt bereft not holding Chanda in his arms, he couldn’t stop grinning ear-to-ear. “Why Chanda? Were you hiding from me?” he asked, teasing her.

   Chanda was amazed to see this side of Ranveer. She had always seen him as a serious person who rarely smiled. Here he was, grinning like a Cheshire cat. What could have happened to make him behave this way? And there was his possessive attitude! He behaved as if he had absolute right to kiss and cuddle her as he pleased. Of course, as far as she was concerned, he was the man for her and she loved him. Chanda turned red at her own thoughts. But he didn’t know that. What gave him the idea that he could act as he was doing just now? Chanda was confused. She had given Ranveer’s cell number to her brothers. But surely, they wouldn’t have contacted him and told him where to find her, would they?

   Before Chanda was aware of what was happening, Ranveer had moved to her side and was again too close for comfort. “Chanda,” he whispered passionately, “I missed you so. Why did you leave so abruptly? I’ve been worried, you know.” His arms had snaked around her once again and Chanda felt mesmerised by his soft voice in her ears. Not able to protest any more, she buried her face on his chest. She loved him too much and had missed him terribly too. Not quite in her control, Chanda’s arms moved around Ranveer’s waist as she held on to him.

   “Chanda, I love you so much. Will you be mine?” said Ranveer, his lips pressed against her ear once again.

   Chanda shuddered. How could she become his? She wasn’t free, not to become his or anybody else’s, for that matter. What a snarl! It was not like Chanda to be dishonest. She decided then and there to come out with the truth. It was one thing being faced with her father-in-law and not wanting to say anything. It was another thing to come clean with the man she loved.

   Chanda raised her head to look at Ranveer. For the second time that night, she placed a hand against his lips to stop him from kissing her. “Ranveer, I’ve something to tell you. I—”

   Ranveer’s mouth split in a grin despite her fingers pressing on it. “I’ve something to tell you too. Let me—”

   Chanda shook her head vehemently. She didn’t want to hear his proposal of marriage before confessing her married state. Ranveer paused as he realised that Chanda was keen to say something before he did. He nodded his head, letting her talk.

   Chanda moved out of his arms to walk to the side table. She poured water from the jug into a glass and drank some as her throat felt dry. How to tell the man she loved that she was married to someone else? It was the most difficult situation she had ever faced in her life. Her brothers weren’t here to protect her now. Chanda straightened her shoulders and turned to face Ranveer who was looking at her mischievously. Well, he had wanted to put her out of her misery and tell her the truth. But obviously, she wasn’t ready to let him do so. He waited patiently for Chanda to talk.

   Chanda didn’t have the guts to look up at Ranveer’s face as she confessed, “Ranveer, I came to Mount Abu because my—” her voice choked and Chanda took another sip of water. “I—” she couldn’t go on.

   “Would you like to sit down?” asked Ranveer solicitously. He could see that she was terribly nervous.

   Chanda shook her head and continued valiantly. There was only one way to say it. “Ranveer, I’m married,” she declared, her voice shaking nervously. What if he walked out of the room and her life forever?

   “I know, to me,” declared Ranveer, hooting with glee.

   Chanda didn’t register his words as she was feeling miserable. She was sure that she would probably never set eyes on Ranveer again. That’s why she had wanted the annulment to happen before declaring herself to him. Talking about her love as a free woman was one thing and saying anything about it as a married woman was something else again. This was surreal!

   Chanda refused to raise her head and look at Ranveer. She expected him to leave any minute now. What she didn’t foresee was his walking towards her, his arms outstretched. Was she imagining things? Chanda looked up to catch the wide smile on Ranveer’s face and was astounded. She must have gone crazy!

   “Chanda, oh my God, Chanda! You didn’t hear me,” said Ranveer, his voice shaking with mirth.

   What could be so funny? And what had he said? Chanda thought back in retrospect and heard his words in her head once again. When she had told him she was married, he had replied—he had said; Chanda recalled the words with crystal clarity, “I know, to me.”

   Her jaw dropped in amazement as she looked up at the grinning Ranveer. She shook her head as she said, “You can’t be—you’re not—”

   “I am. I’m Veerendra Singh Choudhry alias Ranveer Singh, your errant husband from childhood,” said Ranveer. His confidence level dropped down as he ceased to smile. What if she booted him out? She had every right to.

   Chanda felt torn. One part of her wanted to hit out at him for running away immediately after marrying her. Another part of her gloried in the fact that her husband and the man she had fallen in love with were one and the same. She hugged her own body that trembled in shock. How could this be so?

   Ranveer walked up to her and gently pushed her to sit on the bed. He pulled a chair next to the bed and sat on it as he didn’t want to crowd her. She was obviously stunned at the news. While he had had time to absorb it, she hadn’t had any. Over and above that, she had been feeling guilty about holding back the truth from Ranveer. Poor baby!

   Ranveer told her the whole story - about his running away to begin with; then finally to how he had found the truth from Abhimanyu who had met the private detective hired by her brothers and later how Ram and Lakshman had contacted him and given her new phone number and Mount Abu address. Chanda sat there in a daze, trying to absorb so much information at one go.

   “I’m very sorry that I ditched you Chanda. That was my only regret in the whole scenario. I did my best to run away before the wedding, but I just couldn’t manage it. It’s because of me that you had to undergo so much trouble. But let me tell you the truth, I still don’t think it was wrong to run away. I’d have made a terrible husband to you as a kid,” he said.

   Chanda looked at the handsome and proud man sitting in front of her. There was no denying the fact that she loved him with all her heart. That she was already married to him was an added bonus. So why be upset? A small smile tugged at her lips. If they had remained together as man and wife fourteen years ago, they would neither of them be what they were today.

   The separation had made totally different people out of them. They were both well educated. He had his own software company and had made such a success out of it while she was getting the best possible education and was planning a career at the end of it. All that wouldn’t have been possible if they had stayed together as man and wife. They would have been living in a small town and probably bringing up their kids there right now. Maybe she should just thank God for small mercies and put the past behind her and grab the future that was awaiting her with the man she loved.

   But Chanda had a condition. She so hoped that Ranveer would agree to it.

   “Ranveer,” she said softly, her black eyes glowing as she looked at him. Ranveer returned her gaze, his velvety brown eyes adoring her, waiting for her to say something. “Can we get married again, please?”

   Ranveer got up and swung her up in his arms. “Most definitely, my love! Anything you say. As long as you let me be your husband.”

The End