LITMIR.BIZ

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      The car purred to a stop in front of an imposing building. Vikram shook Gauri. She was in for a shock, he thought with grim satisfaction. But Gauri didn’t awaken.

      The sedative must have been really powerful, Vikram thought wryly. He got out of the car and lifted Gauri in his arms. Shaking his head at the durban who rushed to help him, he turned to go inside. He entered the lobby and turned towards an entrance marked ‘Private’ on the side of the reception hall. A waiting lackey produced a card and opened the door, which swung inside noiselessly to reveal a plush carpeted gallery which led to his suite of rooms.

      Soon he had deposited her on the bed and stood looking down at her sleeping form. In sleep she exhibited vulnerability and innocence, which he knew was deceptive. Women, he had learnt early on, were conniving and unscrupulous and his father’s numerous mistresses, Gauri’s mother and even a couple of his girlfriends had only reinforced his belief that they could cheat and deceive with ease for their own selfish interests.

      Gauri, too, had been adept at twisting people around her finger. He remembered sourly how she just had to look with her huge doe-like eyes at Madhav or Kaka Maharaj and they would be like putty in her hands. He, too, had not been immune to her wiles.

      Face tightening with displeasure, he turned away from her. He desperately needed a shower.

      Gauri rubbed her eyes sleepily and opened them slowly—they met unfamiliar surroundings. Suddenly, remembrance struck and she sat up with a jerk, unsure if the events of the night had been real or a nightmare.

      She looked around and saw that she was in a huge luxurious bedroom, on a king-size bed which had pristine white sheets. Vibrant silk curtains hung in front of what seemed huge French windows with a love seat placed in front of them.

      Filled with desperate panic, she walked out of the room, her feet sinking into the thick carpet on the floor. The room seemed to be part of a suite of rooms and opened into the sitting room. She looked around with foreboding and suddenly saw Vikram sprawled on a sofa. She encountered his hooded eyes. So it had been for real and not a nightmare.

      She looked at him in uneasy silence.

      Vikram broke the silence. ‘Well, you certainly slept soundly. How’s your head now?’

      Gauri didn’t answer his softly worded question. She couldn’t. Her throat seemed to be closing up. The knock she had suffered yesterday was the least of her fears. Her carefully ordered life seemed to be slipping out of her control.

      ‘Where have you brought me?’ she asked angrily, all her worry and frustration coming out.

      Vikram looked at her speculatively, deciding how to tell her. ‘Don’t you recognise where we are?’ he asked, eyes glinting with an unidentifiable emotion.

      ‘No,’ Gauri murmured, her dread increasing at the superior smirk on his handsome face.

      Vikram went towards the curtains in the sitting room and opened them with a flourish. They slid open to reveal achingly familiar acres of glorious green.

      ‘Mogragarh!’ she gasped. ‘You’ve brought me to Mogragarh!’ Her face blanched in horror. There was ringing in her ears and for a moment she feared she would faint again.

      She almost tottered. How could he do this to her? She had vowed never to return here and he had brought her back.

      Gut wrenching emotion filled her and she lashed out in anger. ‘How dare you bring me here? You took advantage of me and kidnapped me. I’ll die before I set a foot outside. Take me back or I’ll …’

      But she couldn’t complete her tirade because Vikram slowly sauntered towards her and said with soft menace, ‘Or what? What will you do? Don’t forget it’s me you are dealing with. Not your besotted father or brother! And you know how angry I can be if crossed. Now, just do as I say or I will not be responsible for the consequences.’

      But Gauri was not ready to obey his dictates. He had virtually kidnapped her and deceived her and brought her to Mogragarh and she would never forgive him.

      She looked around wildly, bent on escape, and rushed out of the room not knowing where she was going, intent on just running away from Vikram. Seeing her trying to escape, he cursed fluently and followed in hot pursuit. He would bring her to heel. She was too wilful and headstrong. But this time she wouldn’t have her own way.

      Gauri was running, trying to get her bearings, but the surroundings had changed beyond recognition. Unable to recognise which part of the palace she was in, she just kept on running, opening a succession of doors. She heard Vikram following swiftly and knew that this was her only chance to escape because once he caught her it would all be over.

      But soon she reached a gallery which was a dead end. There were locked doors on either side but, apart from that, nothing. She thudded to a halt, her heart in her mouth.

      Vikram thundered to a stop behind her. He was awash with rage and the sight of her defiant back did nothing to mollify his temper. He caught her and turned her around with a harsh, ‘I told you not to act smart with me.’

      Gauri threw back her head in a show of bravado. She would not let him browbeat her. She looked at him scornfully and said, ‘Don’t think you can dictate to me. I will do as I please.’

      Vikram met her scornful gaze and tried to control the multitude of emotions erupting inside him. She had wreaked so much havoc in everyone’s life but was unchanged. She remained the same headstrong and selfish girl, unrepentant of her behaviour. His grip on her arms tightened and he rapped out, ‘You will do as I say. Do you understand? I don’t tolerate disobedience from anyone!’

      Gauri said heatedly, ‘Other people may put up with your autocratic behaviour but I will not! You cannot tell me what to do and what not to do.’

      Her defiant eyes shot sparks at him and her disobedient pout inflamed him further.

      ‘You have grown even more insolent. If I had my way I would have cured you of this insolence years ago,’ Vikram snarled.

      Gauri looked at Vikram and felt anger flooding her at his disgusted tone.

      What did he know of her life here?

      She had been browbeaten and dictated to all her life. All the years she had been here had been spent being submissive and compliant, especially to her half-sister and her grandmother. She had been forced time and again to put her family first, even when it had meant huge sacrifices on her part. But she would no longer give in. The past six years had changed her and she was no longer a submissive and cowering girl, desperate to fit into the family which had adopted her grudgingly. She was grown and independent and capable of making her own decisions and would no longer be at anyone’s beck and call.

      Hands clenched tightly and with a rebellious glint in her eyes, she replied with angry emphasis, ‘Thank God then that you had no say in any of my matters. Even now you have no right to tell me anything. It is none of your business what I do with my life.’

      Vikram was enraged at Gauri’s words and wanted to shut her up. He jerked her towards him roughly and, bending his head, took her mouth, kissing her angrily.

      He wanted to punish her for her defiance. He couldn’t resist her pouting lips or the desire that was plaguing him. He plundered the sweetness of her lips with punishing heat and his tongue flicked forcefully in the moist cavern of her mouth. Her lips tasted heavenly and, despite his fury with her, his kiss softened.

      Gauri had not the slightest idea of his intentions and the suddenness of Vikram jerking her towards him took her by surprise. Her stunned gasp was quickly muffled by his hard and hungry mouth and she stood paralysed in his clasp, helpless under the onslaught of his punishing kiss. But not for long. Her stunned shock gave way to a wild surge of heat which began from the tips of her toes and travelled right through her body. Scorching rays of desire assaulted her insides and her body felt on fire.

      His marauding lips nibbled and caressed hers and his tongue stroked inside her mouth. Her body felt as if it was on sweet fire and she felt

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