Chapter 12

Chapter #38

**PING**

...Seatbelt fastened, and about to be on my way.

After a distracted drive home, Shaurya hesitated at the threshold of his home when he got the notification. He read the incoming message and then checked his watch. Exactly 10:30 PM which, according to his calculations, meant it was one o'clock in afternoon in New York. Switching his attention back to his phone, he noticed that in the time it had taken him to contemplate the time difference the green light that had shown Mehek's active status on Messenger had shut off. The call for all electronic devices to be switched off must have been made, indicating that the flight's departure was imminent and it was practically on time. That meant that in fourteen hours give or take, she would finally be back in the country. Fourteen incredibly long hours, he brooded as he pocketed his phone and entered the house.

In a move quite unlike him, Shaurya found himself hesitating before the altar positioned just inside the dimly lit foyer. Feeling woefully inadequate, he stopped in front of the spotlighted idol of Devi Maa, an explicit appeal on his mind. He had never experienced the urgency that he felt right at this moment, and before he could give any more consideration as to why he did, he found himself , eyes closed, uttering a simple litany, that Mehek be safely returned to all of those who loved her. Repeatedly, he petitioned for this until his whispered pleas were suddenly disturbed by the chafing sound of a match being struck. Opening his eyes he looked down to see the newly lit diya, and knew immediately who had come to join him.

"Prayer for a loved one is never a bad thing, beta, and need not keep to a set schedule." Karuna said from his side as she held the thali in her hands. She smiled at her child. "Her flight has just departed, and I too yearn for her safe return," she offered, announcing her own reasoning for being there at this time of night. "Chalo," she said, urging him to continue as he was, while she joined him and added her own prayers for the young woman who had come to mean so much to both of them.

 

Later in the kitchen, Shaurya accepted the light repast his mother offered him, with a shake of his head. He would have gone without, if not for her insistance that he eat, upon discovering that he had not since that morning. "It was a busy day," he said in an attempt to justify his lapse.

"Of your own making, I suspect," Karuna said as she stared intently at her son.  Although she imagined him much improved than before, she had never seen him so disconcerted. It was so very unlike him. "Did you have the chance to converse with Mehek at all, beta?" 

"Hardly. With her flights times rather tight, and I not the only one reaching out to her, there was no real time to."

Karuna nodded. She would have expected that the Sharma family would also be anxious today as well. "Nevertheless, we know that she is on her way, and I am sure she will be thrilled to see you tomorrow when she lands."

"No I don't think she would, Maa. Actually she's asked that I not come to the airport, as she is expecting her family to be there to meet her. It's unlikely that I would be welcomed by many of them. While they are unmistakably thrilled for the recognition and opportunity Mehek has been afforded, my involvement is still looked upon as extremely suspect."

"They wouldn't be entirely wrong, beta. Hopefully though, by the time our dinner together concludes, the Sharmas will be more assured that all of this does not portend the disaster in the making that they envision."

Shaurya choked on the bite he had taken, and was grateful when his mother placed a glass of water in his hand. He sipped some and then looked to his mother for an explanation for her out of the blue announcement. "Dinner? Maa...what?"

Karuna grinned cheekily at her son. "Ah Beta, I cannot wait until the day my bahu comes home to me. You are bcoming very high maintenance nowadays. Any worse, and I will definitely need reinforcements. Now come on and finish your meal and leave the dinner arrangements to me."

********

 

"Welcome back Miss Sharma."

With a genuine smile, Mehek shook her head and took back her passport. "Thank you," she replied before she passed through the immgration checkpoint.

Home at last, she thought...well just about. All that she had to do was to collect her luggage and then meet her family members, who she was certain were already waiting at Arrivals. She yawned twice as she headed for baggage claim. The flight hadn't been as restful as she had hoped, so she would definitely need the couple of days that she had before she began this assignment of hers. Today was guaranteed not to count, as sure as she was that her family would have some expectations of her: specifically concerning her abrupt departure last time, and what this new venture of hers would entail. And of course, Shaurya Khanna's involvement in both.

Mehek saw when she reached the assigned carousel for her flight, that the bags had yet to be unloaded, so while she waited, she took out her mobile and switched it on. As if she had been waiting, Mehek registered an incoming call from Kanta Chachi, and connected the call immediately. "Namaste Chachi. Haan I'm here. I just need to collect my bags and will be right down." Noticing that the conveyor had started, she quickly disconnected, so that she could send a single message before it became too late to do so.

***PING****

...I've landed and  am about to grab my bags. So tired...will see you ASAP.

 

Straight away she noticed that her message had been read and a second later she got a heart eyes emoji in return that had her giggling and shaking her head. She really couldn't wait to see him, but first things first. It appeared that fate wanted her to deal with her family sooner than she anticipated, as her two cases were amongst the first to appear. She grabbed them and pulled up the handles, deciding that a luggage trolley was unecessaary. "Thik hai, Mehek Sharma, let's get the show on the road."

As expected, it was an eager Kanta Chachi who waited for her inside the terminal, and despite the serious conversations she knew that she would be having with her and the others, Mehek could not help but quicken her step when she caught sight of her aunt. In short order she had reached her and  immediately offered her respects to the woman who was more a mother than her aunt. As proof of this, welcoming arms stood ready to embrace her when she rose. "Mehek."

"Namaste Chachi."

"Beta, how are you?"

"Tired but glad to be home."

"These are all of you bags," the older woman asked, as she relieved her niece of one of them so that they could meet Ravi and Jeevan who were waiting with the car.

They were just about to exit the airport, when a summons came over the PA system for Mehek.

********

Clueless as to why she had been summoned by Air India, Mehek followed by Kanta Chachi approached the Lost and Found Counter she had been asked to  come to. Upon arriving, she identified herself and handed over her ID and boarding pass, to the young woman as requested. After inspecting them, The worker behind the counter made a quick call after which, she went to the end of the counter and used her access card to open it. "Miss, if you could follow me to the back office, please. We just require you to identify the item before we release it."

Mehek realized that something was off when she was led into a seemingly empty office located immediately behind the airline's Lost and Found counter. Still unable to recall what she may have left on board, she turned to question the worker who had brought her here. "I think there has been a mistake," she began as she pivoted, only to find herself completely alone. Or so she thought. Behind her, from the direction of the secondary egress she had spied when she had entered, she heard the opening a door. She spun back, unable to hold back her exclamation. She wished she could say she was surprised, but honestly, she wasn't... he was Shaurya Khanna after all.

"Namaste Jaan. Welcome home."

There was a glint in his eyes that she easily recognized as he began advancing on her. She stood shock-still for a moment, before she reacted, and retreated, castigating him as she did.

"We agreed, Shaurya...You were not to come and meet me at the airport...You knew my family would be here...You were going to give me a chance to speak to them first..." She pointed behind her. "Kanta Chachi is waiting just outside, she..." Her sentence ended on a gasp, when he reached out the distance between then and enthusiastically wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her to him. Her hands had flown up in front of her defensively, coming to rest on his shoulders, but truly, he had her mesmerized as his free hand went up and into her hair, brushing it back over her shoulder.

She shivered at the act...she couldn't help it even if she tried. His determination knew no bounds, but he was asking for trouble by being here...as if he cared.

She changed her tact . "I've been travelling for twenty-two hours," she complained. "I'm a mess."

"You look beautiful, Mehek," he countered before he lowered his head and began nuzzling her neck, where her collar lay opened, leaving a damp trail as he made his way up with his lips and his teeth that scraped along spots she had no clue were so sensitive until this moment.

"Stop," she begged...I haven't even had the chance to freshen up."

Since he didn't pause at all, Mehek suspected her excuse to have fallen on deaf ears and was glad that, at the least, she had the foresight to use the travel tooth-brush the airline had provided shortly before the flight touchdowned. The hands that had ineffectively held him at bay, mindlessly reached up to surround his neck, and she quickly licked her parted lips as she anticipated the kiss that would come next.

She was so glad to be home, she thought just as his mouth reached its destination.   

For an indeterminable length of time, Mehek remained lost in the moment: awash in the heat that they generated as they became reacquainted through touch and taste and pure emotion. Only when Shaurya squeezed out what little breath she had left, when he pulled her even tighter against the hardness of his body, did she recall where she was, and who awaited her a door away. Still, it was with a heavy degree of reluctance, that she pulled herself away. "We agreed..." she breathlessly complained, before she fell hard for the blatant love emanating from his eyes as he stared down at her. "Oh Shaurya," she whispered, as she drew him back to her to hug him. "You were so wrong to have come, but I am so happy to see you."

One minute: he promised himself as he held her. Just a little while longer of her being in his arms before he would let her go, until they could legitimately meet again.  "I couldn't stay away Dost. Even this morning I had resolved to stay away, but as you can see that didn't quite pan out." And now, he thought, even this chance was rapidly approaching  an end. He kissed her forehead, before painstakingly loosening his hold on her.

"That's not good Shaurya. You've only increased the chance of detection in doing this, which will look bad for both of us. And this idea of calling me here of all places...what am I going to say when Chachi asks what I had left behind? I don't even have my luggage that I can pull something out and...oh..."

Amid her complaining, Shaurya took from one of his pockets a small velvet pouch. "Just because a plan is spontaneous, does not mean that it's not well thought out," he answered her, nodding toward the small bag whose contents had spurred this impromptu scheme. He smiled when she took it from him and released the drawstring. "I would hope that you would bemoan the loss of something like this on your flight," he said of the gold lotus flower bangle she extracted. He took it from her, wanting the privilege of making her wear the gleaming bracelet. "It's not an exact match to your earrings, but close enough that anyone would think them a set," he insisted as he placed the newly purchased piece on her wrist. While she admired the bracelet, which did bear a striking resemblance, to her Diwali gift from him, Shaurya took her hand  up to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her open palm. "Your real welcome home gift."

"Nahi, my second present, Shaurya." Her hand moved from his mouth to his cheek "I will always treasure you over anything you may gift me. No matter how beautiful it is."

"And yet she wonders why I can't stay away from her. A man would be a fool to deny himself," he mocked.

"A man will be a fool, if he doesn't leave and get out of the airport before me," Mehek answered back, realizing that she had to go before Kanta Chachi became suspicious about what was taking her so long. She thought about thanking him, but realized that the notion was too trite for the steps he had undertaken today. "But a woman would definitely be fool not to  appreciate a man who would take the extra steps to make her feel so special. I will be counting the minutes until we see each other, but please just go Shaurya."

"Thik hai, but call me should you need me Mehek. I will drop everything..."

 His support meant the world to her and she raised up on her toes to kiss his cheek to let him know. " Thank you for the offer, but go, before I give into the temptation to take you back through this door with me Shaurya."

"Okay, but don't forget what I've said Mehek. I will come at a moment's notice." He imagined she would not leave until he did, so he finally stepped away. Beside the door he had come through he stopped once more. "I adore you dost."

Mehek smiled, even more determined  not to lose this man, and blew him a final kiss goodbye. 

After thanking the young woman at the counter, Mehek held  her arm up for Kanta Chachi to see the bangle she now wore. "I  guess I am more tired than I thought, Chachi.

"Hmm, it is good then that the cabin crew are so observant."

Mehek thought about the flight attendant who had  repeatedly admired her earrings during the flight. "Haan, they are," she replied, feeling that at least that wasn't a lie. She wondered how far Shaurya had made it, and if he had left the hall yet. She hoped so, since there was little she could do to delay their departure now.  She had to trust that he was as good as he said he was. "Shall we go, Chachi?  I know there is much we need to discuss."

Chapter 39

[NOCOPY]

crtkelly2018-09-19 01:52:10