Falling For a Bollywood Legend Read online

  There Aadith caught sight of her leaning against the car. A mild breeze was playing havoc with her loose curls. She looked like a gypsy in a magical land, thought Aadith whimsically. Classy, flirty or folksy, she managed to steal his breath away each time he saw her.

  But he was surprised to see her there without the others. ‘Why haven’t you joined them in the procession?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t really like crowds,’ replied Nina shortly.

  ‘If you can’t stand crowds, then what are you doing here? This place is going to abound with people soon. You’d better leave now,’ he commanded arrogantly.

  Nina threw him a baleful glare. ‘I’m not going to bail out in the middle of an event. I need to be here in case something needs to be done.’

  ‘Fine, in that case have one of my security detail stay with you. You’ll be a lot safer with him around.’

  Her eyes flashed with irritation as she protested heatedly, ‘Don’t be absurd. I don’t need protection. I will be too conspicuous with a security person standing next to me—moreover, you need them much more than I do.’

  Aadith sighed in displeasure. She was the most exasperating woman he’d ever met. ‘Why do you always have to argue with everything I say? Can’t you just accept my offer and say thank you very much?’

  ‘I don’t need anyone looking out for me. I can take care of myself, so thanks, but no, thanks!’ she retorted tightly.

  They stood glaring at each other, not giving an inch, until the sudden blast of music heralded the arrival of the procession. Nina chose that moment to slip away and found a spot close to the exit to keep out of the way of the surging crowd. Before Aadith could send someone to find her the event organisers guided him and his guests to a small dais from where they could watch all the events unhindered.

  Aadith felt restless as he scanned the crowds for a glimpse of her striking red skirt. She seemed to have disappeared within seconds. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn? he cursed. He instructed one of his security detail to keep an eye out for her.

  Men and women dressed in various traditional costumes made a pretty picture. The intoxicating scent of different flowers mingled to leave the air heavily perfumed. Participants from each state performed their own unique dance and drama. Aadith could feel the vibrancy and excitement in the air. Drums rolled and the audience went into raptures after each performance. Colourful lights, beautiful costumes and heavenly music made for a wonderful evening.

  Yet Aadith could not give it his full attention. Nina’s face when she’d confessed her fear of crowds was nagging at the back of his mind. He couldn’t wait for the show to finish and it finally did to thunderous applause.

  He really was a handsome devil, thought Nina. He radiated a lethal sex appeal that invariably made women swoon over him. She watched him distribute scores of presents to the couple and to the others amidst ecstatic cheers from the crowd. As the event drew to a close she made her way to the exit to see the happy couple off.

  The participation of a superstar at the event had drawn a huge number of people creating a mild furore. As Aadith and the couple headed towards the exit where she stood waiting for them she felt slightly sick at the sight of so many people thronging them. She turned pale and started shivering.

  As they drew nearer Aadith could clearly see Nina swaying. When the crowd surged closer to get one last glimpse of Aadith, she felt as if they were closing in on her and blacked out.

  Aadith saw Nina fall to the ground in a faint, and his heart stopped for a second. He knew he had to get to her before the rest of the crowd following him did. He made a mad dash to where she was and gently lifted her limp form into his arms. The photographers went crazy at the sight of him playing a good Samaritan but he paid them no heed. He got Nina into one of their waiting cars and left the venue in a flash.

  Independence was all right, but carrying it to extremes made no sense, he pondered as he waited for Nina to return to consciousness. Why did she fight tooth and nail to give an inch? he wondered curiously.

  Nina opened her eyes to see Aadith anxiously peering down at her. She felt groggy as she fought to keep her eyes open. The last thing she could remember was him walking towards her after the show.

  ‘How do you feel?’ he asked gently.

  ‘A bit dazed, but all right.’

  At her disoriented look he explained, ‘You fainted.’

  Nina felt chagrined and almost groaned out aloud when she realised that she was half lying on him. She struggled to sit up, her face suffusing with colour. ‘I … I’m sorry,’ she said, trying to move as far from him as possible.

  ‘The crowd wasn’t even near you when you fainted,’ stated Aadith, looking at her steadily.

  Nina bit her lip; she didn’t want to talk about it. ‘The couple!’ she exclaimed. ‘Did you get them back safely?’

  ‘Yes, they are happily on their way home in one of the other cars. Now stop trying to change the subject,’ he instructed.

  Nina could see the questions in eyes and knew he wasn’t going to let her off so easily. She knew there was no sense prevaricating. ‘It’s just a hang-up from my past,’ she muttered unwillingly.

  ‘Your past?’ repeated Aadith incredulously.

  ‘Yes. I got lost once in an open fair that my parents took me to when I was small. When I couldn’t find them I panicked and thought they had abandoned me in the crowd. Luckily for me that wasn’t the case, though it took them a long time to find me.’

  Despite her casual words Aadith could see that the incident had affected her profoundly. The shadows in her eyes darkened. Something in his heart squeezed. It had been a long time since he had felt something like this and it jolted him. He recalled that her childhood had been a messed up one just like his own. He remembered how her parents had always favoured his friend and ignored her for the most part. He wished he had paid her more attention then.

  Watching her collapse to the ground was not something he’d care to see ever again. When he thought of how easily she could have been trampled by the crowd, he felt doubly angry.

  ‘If you knew how badly crowds affect you, why didn’t you tell me earlier?’

  ‘A publicist afraid of crowds? You can’t really expect me to advertise that fact to all and sundry, can you?’ responded Nina with a return of her usual spirit.

  A nerve pulsed in his tightly clenched jaw and his grey eyes glittered stormily. ‘For a supposedly sensible woman your actions today were everything but that. Why would you refuse my offer of help? What do you have to prove?’

  Nina impatiently pushed a length of her hair back from the paleness of her face. ‘Will you let it go already? What happened today was a one off thing. It’s bad enough that I fainted for the whole world to see without the added humiliation of you conducting a post-mortem about it.’

  He looked at her unwaveringly. ‘You don’t have to be strong all the time, Nina. It’s OK to ask for help sometimes,’ he said softly.

  ‘I didn’t get where I am now by asking for favours,’ she said shortly.

  ‘Neither did I, but carrying your independence too far will only isolate you.’

  His eyes on her felt as if he could see straight into her soul. It was terrifying. She never let anyone close enough to look past the efficient façade she’d cultivated. To have him of all people looking past her barriers made her incredibly nervous.

  ‘Do you moonlight as an amateur psychologist in your free time? When I want life tips from you I’ll ask for them,’ she snapped rudely.

  ‘I don’t need to be an amateur psychologist to see how much you hold back. Do you ever just let yourself go? Be spontaneous and live for the moment?’

  ‘Like you perhaps?’ she asked mockingly. ‘Don’t forget you came to me, to help you deal with the consequences of you living-in-the-moment.”

  ‘No doubt I’ve taken a wrong turn here and there but, tell me, is the straight road with never a bend all you want out of life? Take an off road with me. You will ne
ver know if it is going to be right or wrong unless you take it.’

  Aadith knew he’d promised himself he wouldn’t press her, but when he knew they’d be good together, then why not? he thought remorselessly. To see her looking so wan and fragile made him want to crush her to him and keep her from harm.

  He stilled. His stray thought just now had surprised him. He could understand his need to persuade her into an affair, but the protective instincts that she seemed to create in him left him worried. He didn’t want emotional entanglements. What he wanted from her was an affair pure and simple, until it stopped working for either one of them.

  ‘I know you want me and I want you just as much. I’m not asking you for for ever. Just tomorrow, or the next day or the next week until whatever it is that’s between us runs its course. Do it. You may surprise yourself and enjoy it,’ he urged.

  Nina smiled at the irony of his words. She didn’t doubt she’d enjoy it. She was just scared she’d like it too much when all he promised was only the next day.

  ‘Aadith, if it makes any difference I’m sorry I refused your help. You were right, all I had to say was thank you. Let me do it now. Thanks for rescuing me,’ she said.

  Their gazes caught and held for a long moment. It wasn’t a yes. It wasn’t a no. It just spelled truce.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE BUZZ OF her mobile phone woke Nina from a deep sleep. Her boss’s name flashed across the screen. Had he heard about her disaster yesterday and was calling to tick her off? worried Nina as she answered the phone.

  ‘Well played, Nina. That was a wonderful trick you used. I’m impressed,’ boomed his voice heartily. ‘More than the campaign we devised, this stunt of yours has worked wonders for Aadith’s image.’

  Nina felt bewildered. She didn’t have a clue what her boss was talking about. She could just about make out that he was pleased with her work. ‘He’s made headlines again and after a long time on a positive note, I should add. The media is all agog to find out more about the mystery woman he rescued last night.’

  Nina rolled her eyes and thought in disgust, Just what I need at the moment.

  ‘Maybe you should give an interview to the press and play it up a bit?’ mused Mr Samuel.

  She stepped in before he could get carried away with the idea, ‘No! I … I think we should carry on the mystery a while longer.’

  ‘All right, we’ll go with it for the moment,’ he agreed after a pause.

  Nina heaved a sigh of relief at his words. She brought in the newspaper that was lying outside her door and turned to the entertainment section. The headline screamed ‘Prince Charming in real life too!’ above a big photo of Aadith carrying her in his arms. He couldn’t have looked any more dashing than that, thought Nina sourly, while she looked all mussed and wan.

  Her mobile beeped with a text from Aadith. ‘I hear we made headlines!’ signed off with winking smiley face.

  Trust him to find it funny, she thought in annoyance. She grabbed the paper to peruse the rest of the article. It elaborated on Aadith’s role as a prince in his forthcoming period movie, the publicity campaign for it and, of course, intense speculation about the identity of the woman in his arms. At least one good thing seemed to have come out of her fainting spell, thought Nina tartly.

  They were due to fly back to Mumbai at noon and hadn’t scheduled anything for the rest of the day. The rendezvous with the last couple was slotted for the following evening. Travelling with him was not an option after yesterday’s episode, decided Nina. It would draw undue attention to both of them. She quickly rescheduled her flight for the following day and called Aadith.

  ‘Since we don’t have anything planned for the day I’m going to fly back tomorrow.’

  ‘Are you sure you don’t need your prince around today?’ he teased. His deep voice sent shivers down her spine.

  ‘About as much as I need a ton of paparazzi descending upon me,’ she retorted blithely. ‘The Mumbai airport inevitably has paparazzi hanging around, and I think it would be better if we weren’t seen together so quickly.’

  Aadith knew she was right but she sounded as if she couldn’t wait to get rid of him and it irked him no end. He didn’t need her fawning over him but couldn’t she at least manage polite interest? he thought, piqued.

  Had he come on too strong yesterday? Had he pushed her too far? he wondered. The trouble was he hadn’t had to persuade a woman to be with him in a long while. He had women falling over him, yet the only one he wanted didn’t seem to want him as much. This excessive passion he felt was not something he enjoyed. He needed to get her out of his system. Maybe space would help, he mused.

  He cooled his tone as he arranged to meet her the following evening for the final part of the campaign.

  Nina headed out to Delhi Haat to pick up a few trinkets for a couple of her friends. She usually loved Delhi. The clean, wide streets, the sheer variety of mouth-watering food and the happy coexistence of historic old buildings with swanky new skyscrapers. But it just didn’t do anything for her right then.

  After spending the past couple of days almost exclusively in Aadith’s company, it felt disquieting to be on her own suddenly. There was never a dull moment with him around, she acknowledged uncomfortably to herself. She wondered what he was up to. She felt an inexorable need to hear his voice. She reached for her phone a dozen times to call him.

  Realising the futility of trying to shop when all her thoughts were centred upon Aadith, she gave up and headed back to the hotel.

  Aadith was in a dreadful mood as well. Why couldn’t he drag his thoughts away from Nina? Was he so used to instant gratification from women that the hesitation she showed posed a challenge to him? But it was not merely her reluctance that drove him wild; he desired her with a ferocity he hadn’t experienced since he’d been a teen. He hated the fact that he felt stirred at the mere thought of her hot, luscious body and full pouty lips. She was like a fire in his blood.

  Seduction had gone awry. Persuasion hadn’t worked, and neither had flattery. Nothing seemed to work in his favour where Nina was concerned. The only option open to him was to grit his teeth and ignore her for the few remaining days they’d be working together, and hope that was more successful.

  Nina chose a slim-fitting black jumpsuit that had a modest front and a plunging back. Delicate gold hoop earrings and a chunky gold bracelet provided the bling for the evening. Just the thought of seeing Aadith again put a bounce in her step but she dared not question it.

  The Nubans were the final couple they had chosen. They were in their mid sixties, retired and done with all their responsibilities. They’d both worked all their lives and hadn’t taken the time to appreciate each other. It had always been a dream of theirs to go on a cruise, so Nina had booked them a short overnight cruise to Goa. Aadith was going to join them for dinner on board and then see them off.

  Aadith spied Nina the moment he climbed on board. He reminded himself to play it cool with her. But he caught his breath when she turned her back to him. The plunging back of her outfit revealed a smooth golden back that was infinitely tempting. He swore softly … It was going to be one hell of a long evening.

  He sauntered over to where they stood and introduced himself to the couple.

  ‘It’s wonderful to meet you in person,’ said Mrs Nuban with a wide smile.

  ‘I think they saved the best couple for the last,’ complimented Aadith in return. He was at his charming best during dinner and put them completely at ease with him. He restricted his conversation with Nina to the barest minimum.

  ‘It was you in the papers yesterday with Mr Varma, wasn’t it?’ asked Mrs Nuban suddenly, staring at Nina.

  Nina’s eyes met Aadith’s across the table and she felt an electrifying jolt. It was the first time he’d bothered to meet her eyes since he’d arrived. He shrugged, leaving Nina to answer the question.

  ‘Yes,’ replied Nina without elaborating further.

  ‘I bet you were thrilled that
he turned out to be your knight in armour,’ persisted Mrs Nuban, gesturing towards Aadith. She was undeterred by Nina’s obvious reluctance to talk about it.

  ‘Not Nina! For her a knight simply won’t do. She’s waiting for Prince Charming,’ replied Aadith with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

  ‘That is the problem with your generation. You keep searching for the perfect job, the perfect house and the perfect man without realising you waste your life searching for perfection. It does not land on your lap. You have to work at perfection. Look at us! Mr Nuban and I barely knew each other when we got married. We took a leap of faith and what you see now is what we’ve worked at until it was perfect for us,’ said Mrs Nuban as her husband reached for her hands lovingly.

  Aadith wanted to hoot, ‘Hear hear’ out loud. Mrs Nuban couldn’t have argued his stand better had he paid her. Wasn’t that what he’d been telling Nina all along? To seize the chance? But he doubted Mrs Nuban would support him if he told her he wanted Nina to indulge in an affair with him.

  ‘Yeah, some people never realise what they are missing out on until it’s no longer within their grasp,’ finished Aadith, adding his two cents’ worth. The look he sent Nina made it clear he wasn’t going to wait around for ever for her decision.

  Damn! He was the master of words. He could turn anything around to suit him, thought Nina gravely. But somewhere deep down what they were saying made sense. But did she have the courage to take the leap when all he was offering was a temporary liaison? She didn’t know.

  The conversation seemed to flow over her head after that until Mrs Nuban drew her attention back. ‘I’ve enjoyed the comedy in all your movies Mr Varma, especially in Pyaar aur paisa. Which one is your favourite?’ she asked Nina eagerly.