Flaming Sun Collection 2: Marriages Made in India (Box Set with 5 novellas)

  Flaming Sun Collection 2

  Marriages Made in India

  (Box Set)

  Romance Novella Series by

  Sundari Venkatraman

  Copyright © Sundari Venkatraman 2017

  Indie-published in 2017 under the banner Flaming Sun

  All rights reserved.

  All the three eBooks in this box set are licensed for your personal enjoyment only. These eBooks may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this box set with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading these books and did not purchase them, or they were not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author-publisher.

  Sundari Venkatraman asserts the moral right to be identified as the author & publisher of all five books in this box set.

  These are works of fiction and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Edited by: The Book Club Editorial Panel

  Beta-Proof read by: Nikita Jhanglani

  Cover Illustration: Unaiza Merchant

  “Good morning!” said a sleepy voice. “What are you doing so far away?” called out Ram, before reaching out with a long arm to pull her to him.

  A startled Sapna gave him a shocked look that was lost on her husband, whose eyes were still closed. His arms went around her waist like steel bands, his breath hot against her cheek. “Sapna…” he whispered in her ear as his hard lips pressed into her petal soft cheek.

  Sapna tried to pull out of his arms, only to have them pull her closer. Her breasts were flattened against his solid chest. Her traitorous body seemed to enjoy the pressure as her nipples perked up. She did her best to hold on to the control that was slipping fast.

  “Ram,” she called out loudly, hoping to wake him up. She couldn’t free her arms that were trapped against her own body, as he held her in a crushing grip. His mouth was busy exploring her face, moving inexorably towards her lips. His eyes continued to remain closed, while his hands moved restlessly at her waist. “Ram…” her voice came out in a whisper, as she felt his tongue trace the edge of her lips. Tortured, she made the final move to capture his roving lips, breaking free her hands to hold his face steady.

  “Sapna…” sighed Ram, kissing her gently, his tongue first tracing her upper lip and then her lower one. He gently bit the luscious curve. Sapna instinctively opened her mouth to let him explore the velvety cavern with his tongue. Shyly, her tongue reached out to mate with his, making Ram groan with need.

  His hands moved restlessly on her body, her nightie bunching up. His muscular legs tangled with her slim ones, making her sigh with pleasure as his hard and hairy skin brushed against her soft and silky one. His hands cupped her lush bottom, caressing it lovingly.

  Sapna suddenly became aware of his hardness pressed against her belly. Coming to her senses, she turned her face away, breaking the kiss. “No Ram.”

  His wet lips continued to caress her, his tongue exploring her shell-like ear. Even as her heart thudded loudly, Sapna pushed against him. “Ram, please, will you stop it?”

  His black eyes opened a slit, desire and slumber at war in them. “Sapna?” If he hadn’t been fully awake before, he was now, as he stared at her lovely face that was so close to his. He slowly recalled what had been occurring over the past few minutes. He had at first thought he was dreaming about kissing the luscious woman in his arms. How had she landed there in the first place?

  THE SMITTEN HUSBAND

  (Marriages Made in India: Book #1)

  A romance novella by

  Sundari Venkatraman

  1

  The astrologer gave Ram’s horoscope his complete attention, a magnifying glass held in his right hand. Meera looked at her husband Mohan anxiously. Why was Vidyasagarji taking so much time? Was there a problem? He had been crystal clear in his predictions when they had brought Chanda’s and Veerendra’s horoscopes to him last year. An inadvertent smile broke out on Meera’s face. It was thanks to this man that their daughter was happily reunited with her husband. A sigh broke out from deep within her the very next minute. What could be wrong with Ram’s horoscope?

  Did her husband know something? Why wasn’t he looking at her? Mohan’s eyes were half-closed as he stared down at his own feet, his calm demeanour in direct contrast to his wife’s restlessness.

  “Ahem!” The couple sat up with a jerk when they heard the astrologer clear his throat. “Ram is your eldest son. And just like Lord Ram, he will always obey his parents.” The old man smiled, his eyes twinkling behind the glasses perched firmly on his sharp, hooked nose that reminded one of an eagle.

  Though Meera and Mohan were aware of this trait of their son’s, they couldn’t help but feel proud when they heard the astrologer say it in so many words. They both nodded their heads. “That’s so true Vidyasagarji,” said Mohan.

  “He wouldn’t have joined your kirana business Mohanji. He must have set up something of his own.” Vidyasagar studied the horoscope some more before continuing, “Does he do something creative or artistic? Hmm…something that also sells well.”

  Meera beamed as Mohan said, “You are right. He’s a jewellery designer.”

  “Oh yes! And must be very successful at it too. Though, your son must have had a difficult time with formal studies. In fact, he must have just about passed graduation.” It wasn’t a query, but a statement and the astrologer was absolutely right.

  Formal education had not been a priority in their village. While their children had gone to school, it had been in the vernacular medium. The sudden move to Jaipur, when Ram had been around fifteen years, had created an upheaval in all their lives, especially under the circumstances. That was when little Chanda’s bridegroom had runaway immediately after the wedding. It had been 2-3 years before the family got back to normal living, accepting that problems were a part and parcel of life. Being the eldest born, Ram had been the most affected by the scenario, next only to his parents. It had taken many years for him to regain his teasing nature. But thanks to the strong family ties the parents and children held, life had slowly got back to an even keel.

  Having never been keen to attend school, Ram completed his college only because his parents were clear that he shouldn’t regret it later on in life. Luckily, during the career consultation organised by his college, he learned about jewellery designing. Joining a private course, he had taken to it like duck to water and had never looked back. Today, he ran one of the most popular jewellery showrooms in Jaipur.

  Mohan and Meera weren’t surprised any more. The astrologer was an expert at his profession. They knew it from before, when he had helped them trace their Chanda’s runaway bridegroom Veerendra turned Ranveer Singh.

  “As you can see, sir, Ram is almost twenty-nine. We want him to get married and settle down. Can you see any prospects of a good match?” asked Mohan. Meera nodded her head even as her husband spoke, total adoration for the man she had married when she herself was a child.

  Vidyasagar nodded his head, signalling his assistant for something. When the man stepped into the back room, he turned towards Mohan and said, “That’s exactly what I was going to suggest. I know of this family who live i
n Pushkar…” Vidyasagar turned to receive the horoscope that his man had brought before continuing, “…Sapna is their daughter. She’s the eldest and is followed by two sons, who are still in school. Let me be upfront. They are a poor family. Chitranjan Purohit is a pandit who’s well-versed in the Vedas. He’s highly blessed by Maa Saraswati, but unfortunately, Maa Lakshmi has abandoned him in totality. His family leads a hand-to-mouth existence with the meagre and erratic income he gets from the pujas he performs. I hope you don’t mind my suggesting this family for your son. But they are really good people. And I can vouch for the girl’s looks and character.”

  Mohan looked at his wife for a second before giving his answer to the astrologer. “It doesn’t matter that they are poor, Vidyasagarji. I have enough wealth to last for seven generations. And by God’s grace, Ram is earning really well. We trust you implicitly and would go with your judgement. If you think this girl is right for my son, we would definitely like to meet the family. I suppose you must have already seen that the horoscopes match?” he asked.

  A rare smile split the astrologer’s face as he gave a nod. “I have. And believe me, Ram and Sapna’s match is something truly made in heaven. You will never regret taking Sapna home as your bahu.”

  Overwhelmed, the couple received Sapna’s horoscope from Vidyasagar with great reverence. They were thrilled that the time had arrived to get their eldest born married. They took leave of the astrologer and eagerly left for home to break the good news to their sons.

  2

  Sapna was lost in the world of dreams, just as her name suggested. Her hands automatically mixed the mehendi powder in the bowl to a smooth paste before she rolled it into handmade plastic cones. Even as her hands were busy, her huge grey eyes, framed by luxuriously long lashes, gazed out at the blue sky beyond the tiny window, a smile on her rosy red lips. She was twenty-five, and still unmarried, much to her parents’ anxiety. But she knew that it won’t be long before the Prince of her dreams would come in a baaraat to carry her away to his palace, after tying the knot.

  Sapna was a diehard romantic. She was glad that she got to study in school, for no other reason than that it had taught her to read, in both Hindi and English. She devoured romantic novels like there was no tomorrow. And then there were the Bollywood films that gave her goose bumps. Sapna never took off the rose-coloured spectacles that she had donned since she was barely thirteen.

  School had been free. But college was out of reach. Not that it fazed Sapna. She learned the art of mehendi and became an expert. She was thrilled to earn money by using her expertise on brides and wedding guests. Her art was in demand and she could help with the household expenses as her father’s income was too less to feed five mouths and educate her two younger brothers.

  While her parents worried themselves sick about finding her a groom, Sapna knew better.

  Her unwavering faith had been proven correct when her best friend from school, Ritu, had fallen in love, with Yuvraj Yash, no less. While their respective parents had been doing their best to arrange a marriage between Ritu and Yash, they had met totally by chance on a flight to Jaipur. It had been love at first sight and they had got married within the month. Now that was what she would call true romance.

  “Maa, I’m leaving for the engagement programme I told you about. I’m doing the girl’s mehendi. I’ll not be home before five,” she called out, packing her mehendi cones in a cloth bag. Checking her face in the mirror and putting on her rubber chappals, Sapna walked out of the tiny house, shutting the rickety wooden door behind her.

  Purnima stared at the door, her dark eyes sad. Her daughter was so beautiful that she always worried of the “evil eye” being cast on her. And now, Sapna was still unmarried at twenty-five. The few alliances that had come their way, had fallen apart even before the boy-meet-girl stage, all because they couldn’t afford a dowry. They had become the ridicule of their neighbours. Their relatives were no less. Even the wealthier ones weren’t ready to help. Anyway, Chittaranjan was too proud to ask anyone.

  Purnima turned towards the stove to get the evening meal together. It was thanks to Sapna’s income that they were having regular meals over the past few years. She also had this niggling worry of how they would survive after their daughter married and went to live in her husband’s home.

  3

  Ram looked at his parents in askance. “Why the sudden plan to get me married?” he asked softly, a smile in his voice.

  “You are twenty-nine, Ram,” said his father Mohan. “It’s high time you get a life-partner and set up your family. If we had a choice, you know we would’ve arranged your marriage the day you turned twenty-five. But we were all waiting to get Chanda settled. Well, it’s been almost a year since she’s happily married to Ranveer. I think the time’s perfect for you.”

  Meera kept nodding as she heard her husband talk. “And there’s Lakshman who’s twenty-seven. I’m sure he must want to settle down with a wife too. You are the eldest, and that’s why we went to the astrologer to look for a prospective bride,” she said.

  “Hahn Lakshman, yes,” nodded Ram. He recalled Ruma, the receptionist at Ranveer’s office. Lakshman had seemed interested in her. Hey, could she be the reason why his younger brother had been making regular trips to Delhi? And here he had been thinking that Lakshman was visiting Chanda. A grin pierced his face as Ram said, “Okay, I think you know best. Tell me what you want from me.”

  “That’s my boy,” said Mohan, an answering smile on his face as he looked at his handsome eldest born. “We need to go see the girl and her family at Pushkar. They don’t have a telephone, so we’ll just go there and stay in a hotel and send word for a meeting.” He had thought about it for a long time before arriving at that decision. “Since it will be just the three of us, I thought I’ll ask Chanda and Ranveer to join us too.”

  “Why not take Lakshman and the twins too?” asked Ram, his tongue-firmly-in-cheek. “The more the merrier.”

  “Don’t be silly Ram,” answered his mother seriously, not catching on that her son was teasing them. “We don’t want to confuse them by taking four young men to their home. They won’t know who the prospective groom is.”

  Mohan looked into his son’s eyes deeply, not giving his opinion on the subject. Ram had acquired his mischievous nature from his father. “Get serious Ram. To continue, I’ll call Chanda tomorrow morning and will find out when they can join us. Once they are here, we will leave for Pushkar the same day. We can return the next day after seeing the girl. Is that fine with you?”

  “So, we see the girl and come back home, that’s it?” asked Ram. While he tried to tease, he was actually feeling nervous.

  “Ram,” said his father impatiently, “we can plan these things only up to a point. I’ve not even had the chance to speak to her father. This meeting will be the first. Let’s see how things pan out.”

  “Won’t it make better sense for you and Mamma to go visit them, Pappa? Why let me tag along at this point?”

  “Ram, the wedding is yours or ours?”

  Ram grinned, “Logic!”

  “Now stop arguing and arrange to take a couple of days off the coming week,” said his father firmly.

  “Okay Pappa,” said Ram, like the obedient son that he was. He sat with them in the living room for the next hour, pretending to watch TV. Not really interested in the drama serials, he just sat there, staring at the large screen, his mind in a quandary.

  He got up to go to his room at 11 pm, pretending to be sleepy. He wasn’t really surprised that his brothers weren’t around. His father must have shooed them away, to talk to him in private. A deep sigh shook him to the core of his being as he went into his room. Feeling restless, he went down again by the staircase at the back, let himself out from the backdoor and took a stroll around the garden.

  Taking deep breaths, Ram walked on the paved pathway, feeling peace steal over him as he took in the luxuriant shrubs and trees that surrounded the garden set in a couple of acres.
The night was cool with a gentle breeze blowing, soothing his nerves.

  Getting married was a major decision, and it looked like it was out of his hands. Yeah, he would like to have a partner. But he wondered how his life would change after marriage. For the better, he hoped. He wondered what kind of a woman he wanted to tie the knot with. Someone affectionate, who would get along well with his family, was his first thought.

  Well, his father was smart that way. He had already constructed two duplex bungalows in the compound of Nakshatra, the main house they all lived in now. These were for Ram and Lakshman. The plan was to construct a couple more in the future, for the twins. So, while they would all be living in the same compound, they would also have their independence. But it would still be nice if his wife got along well with all the members of his family. They were a close knit unit and he was keen that they continued to remain so.

  But what about Ram himself? He had an easygoing nature in general. But getting together with a stranger would mean a lot of adjustment. Did he have it in him? Another sigh broke to the surface as he turned back towards home. Only time would tell.

  Marriage was the biggest risk a guy took in his life, it seemed.

  4

  Chanda woke up from a deep sleep when her cell phone vibrated at 7.30 in the morning. Well, it had been the monthly party at RS Software the earlier night and they had been late getting home. She saw it was a call from home. She was too cosy in Ranveer’s arms, her back pressed close to him, her head resting on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. Looking at him from the corner of her eyes to make sure that the call hadn’t woken him up, she gently prised his arm from around her. Getting up, she took her cell to leave their bedroom, so that she could talk to her mother without disturbing her sleeping husband. Only to be pulled back to bed by the same masculine arm that she had just taken off her.

  A smile lit her features as she turned around to look at her husband of less than a year, even as she spoke into the phone, “Hello!” His eyes were closed, the thick lashes resting on his cheeks. He looked simply gorgeous, the morning fuzz adding to his attraction.