Chapter 17

Chapter #16

"It's absolutely perfect, no one could have done a better job, Naomi."

"It's just indicative of your work that I had such beautiful imagery to work with, Ra."

"Yes, but you were instrumental in capturing it all and arranging it in such a way..."

"Editing, Ra, not arranging."

"See I don't even begin to understand what you do, only that you have done the most marvelous work!"

"Betas, why don't you just accept each other's compliment graciously, and stop there?"

The two young women turned to see Daadi in the office doorway smiling at the two of them.

"Come Daadi and see the website, it's fully updated now."

Rachna was about to give up her seat to Daadi, when Naomi got up . "Wait let me get up instead. Daadi, why don't you maneuver through the site and see if anything immediately jumps out as wrong, or if you see anything that doesn't make sense. You can be my live tester."

"Okay, Beta, but I'm sure it's perfect."

Naomi watched with a smile as Daadi and Rachna focused on the website, the older woman's exclamations of joy music to her ears. Between the efforts of the two of them, Rachna of course responsible for the bulk and more important aspects, it was a mind-blowing site if she did say so herself. It seemed that nothing awry had been discovered thus far, and Naomi soon got distracted and decided to take a closer look at the transformation of the office into the design workshop for Banaras Beauty. It would do for now, but in all likelihood Rachna would soon have to move back into the main studio, especially if the line of queries that she had received just based on the press write-ups were any indication. She wandered over to Rachna's table drawn by a fabric swatch there. It was absolutely beautiful. It was pale lavender, not a solid color as it was integrated with silver threading and accented with iridescent beadwork. Depending on the way the light hit it, it could almost show as white. She picked it up, amazed by the intricacies of the fabric and then looked around frowning. None of the mockups she had were using this fabric, so she wondered why Rachna had it out. Of course,' she thought, her new client in Mumbai. The daughter of a very prominent family had seen an article on Banaras Beauty and had immediately fallen in love with Rachna's designs, nothing less would do, and thus she had become the first official client of the new line. Naomi admired the swatch one last time before putting back on the table.

"Do you like that fabric?"

Naomi looked up to see Rachna standing beside her, and then noticed Daadi had left as well. "It's absolutely gorgeous Ra, your client is lucky, no matter what you fashion from it, it is guaranteed to be beautiful by virtue of the fabric itself. Not to say that your design won't blow them away, anyway. You must be pretty excited about this."

"I am, truly I am, but.. I know it's probably for the best considering, well everything, but I would prefer not to be away from home for so long."

"Is it too late to change the arrangements? I mean they were willing to come to you."

"No, it's probably better to leave the arrangements as they are, that way the first lot of visitations will go smoothly. I expect that it will be pretty emotional for KT anyway, and he doesn't need to have two antagonistic women around him while he is trying work through this, but..."

When she fell silent, Naomi reached out and held her friend, "No worries, Ra I will be here in whatever capacity I need to be, okay. Whether it need be for Aryia, KT or even the little boy..."

"Sanjay, his name is Sanjay."

"Right even to help Sanjay acclimatize."

"You know I have to keep repeating his name so I can accept him as a real person, and not just this random interloper in our lives. I have to keep remembering that none of this is his fault, but Naomi I'm so ashamed of the thoughts I have been having about an innocent child."

"I can't even imagine how you feel Rachna, just know that I am here for you, for all of you, okay?"

"I know you are, and you can't imagine how much I appreciate it. I know you will take care of things while I'm away, but I can't still help but feel as if I am being forced out of my own home, away from my husband and daughter."

"Well if you're not going to cancel your trip, there's only one solution. Drop everything right now and go spend time with your husband and daughter while you can. Kidnap one or both of them go enjoy yourselves. I'm sure that KT will be up to it, and Aryia, well she's game for any fun you offer."

Rachna wiped her eyes, and nodded, "I know that I should, but I'm just so angry and so sad at the same time. I just never would have expected that something like this could ever happen to us. And the lies, how do I get over his lies, Naomi?"

"I can't excuse what he's done, Ra, I just know that he loves you so much and that he is so scared of losing you and Aryia over this matter. I know it's still fresh, but you are going to have to take a step in some direction at some point. Instead of being with me crying about how much you are missing your husband, go to him, or get him to come to you, just spend some time with each other. Hell Ra, if for nothing else, imagine how much it will irritate Auntie!"

Genuinely laughing, Rachna shook her head, "I still can't believe that you went there with her!"

"Please, as if she didn't deserve it. Look, just go and have a good time with your family, just give me heads up if you need me to take care of Aryia okay."

She shook her head in response. "Not necessary, she's going to come with us. You deserve some off time yourself. Maybe while I'm deciding if I am going to beat or kiss my husband, you can use the time to track down your Rajeev, I'm sure you already know his schedule for the day." She laughed when her friend blushed. "I'll go as long as you agree to go have some fun too...deal?"

"It's a deal."

In his studio, failing miserably in his effort to concentrate, Kabir's stomach dropped as he saw who was calling his mobile. Had she taken to just leaving home without informing anybody, or was it just him that was unware of her whereabouts now?

"Rachna, are you okay?"

"Are you busy?"

"Never for you; you know that."

"Will you run away with me, well with Aryia and me to be precise?"

"Where are we going?"

"Does it matter where? I just want to spend the time with you; I need to spend some time with you. Please don't say no."

He was already walking out the studio when he saw Rachna heading to him. She stopped on sight of him, but he continued, he couldn't stop, not until she was in his arms.

"You didn't answer; why didn't you answer me?"

"I couldn't, not without making a total fool of myself in there." He held his wife in his arms feeling as if he was a drowning man who had just been thrown a life preserver. "Anything you want we will do okay, I will gladly run away with my ladies. "

"I hate you so much right now," she whispered into his chest as he held her.

He held her tighter at her words. "I know, just let me love you enough for both of us until you feel better."

Daadi turned from watching her family leaving, to see their little miracle worker bouncing down the stairs, ready for an adventure of her own it seemed. Her curly ponytail bounced in the back of her baby blue baseball cap which coordinated with the tracksuit she wore. Placing her mobile in her backpack, she headed for the door, smiling in anticipation for where she was headed, or more precisely to whom she was heading,' Daadi thought. It was so evident, to her at least, that their two house guests were totally smitten with each other. She wondered how long it would take them both to come to this realization.

"Coach, are you sure she isn't your girlfriend; she sure acts like one."

Rajeev looked down at the little boy who had spoken, in between tastes of his ice cream. "And how would you know how a girlfriend acts?"

"I have one at school, of course, and she acts just like her."

"Really and how is that?"

"Well even when I am playing with the other boys she doesn't mind coming to watch me play, even if I don't pay any attention to her. And you know what, she likes staring at me too. Most of the time I pretend not to notice, but I do. And she smiles a lot too, especially when she gets my attention. Sometimes I smile back, but even when I don't she doesn't get mad."

"Hmm, I guess I'll have to think about this a bit."

"Ooh this sound like a serious discussion; what is it you have to contemplate?" Returning with two cones, Naomi smiled up at Rajeev and handed him one. All of a sudden the little boy he had been talking to nudged him and not so subtly eyed her. "Okay, this is obviously some very important manly talk, so I will stay out of it." Naomi took a seat on the grass beside the group of young hockey players, who had readily accepted her intrusion at their practice today. She was sure that the offer of ice cream after their play had helped pave the way for her acceptance, but they were an adorable bunch, and she couldn't resist them. Nor it seemed could she resist their coach. He hadn't seemed to mind that she had shown up unannounced, and in fact that he had seemed pretty unaffected by her arrival. Perhaps that should have bothered her a bit, but truthfully, she couldn't think of anyplace she would rather be spending her free time. Soon though it was time for the youngsters to be on their way, and with a quick cleaning of sticky hands and faces, Naomi was waving her new friends goodbye as they boarded the van that had come to collect them. She stepped back when Rajeev went to speak to the driver, and noticed when the same little boy dashed to the front to speak once more to his coach. Even more confusing was when the youngster indicated towards her and Rajeev nodded back.

"Your little friend isn't mad at me I hope?"

"Not at all, actually he was just giving me some needed advice."

"Care to share, or is it a secret?"

"Maybe later, right now we have somewhere to reach."

"We do?"

They drove for about fifteen minutes before Rajeev turned what seemed to be an active construction site. There were a number of units on various stages of completion, but he passed them until he came to an area that was as nearer to completion than any of the others. Here the buildings differed slightly from previous units and then looking ahead, for the second time Naomi fell in love with a building.

"Please, please tell me we are stopping there, she said pointing at the looming structure."

She squealed when they did. "Rajeev is this really your building; this is your new place?" He nodded and her eyes lit up even more. "Oh God it's perfect, you were absolutely to right to get it."

He parked and followed her hasty exit from the car. "Calm down, the building isn't going anywhere."

"Oh shush, you know you want to show it to me."

Having finalized the last of the finishing materials, Rajeev shook the developer's hand. Completion would be soon at hand, and once the final walk through was completed to everyone's satisfaction, he would be ready to move in. Naomi still hadn't rematerialized from the rooms she had gone to look at, and knowing that she hadn't finished her tour, he queried if they stay a little longer.

The gentleman smiled in understanding. "It's always best to make sure that one's partner is happy before things are finalized, so please take your time. The door will automatically lock once you leave so, please take all the time you need."

"Thank you, Namaste."

"Namaste."

"This some bachelor's pad you've got here Mr. Agrawal. That balcony is to die for. I would spend all my time on it."

He met her as she entered the room, and went and took her hand, leading her to the other end of the flat. "If you like that one, why don't you come and have a look at this."

They walked down a small hall and turned into what had to be the master bedroom. The first thing she noticed was the closet space, always a good thing she thought, and then the balcony, private to the room. She stepped out on it, moving over when he joined her. "Oh goodness, I've changed my mind! This is definitely heaven, I would so never leave this one. And the view back here. They've done such a wonderful job with the landscaping."

"So I gather you like it then?"

"I love it, you really chose well. You must be so excited that it's going to be finished soon. Such a short time and you will be moving... oh." She looked up at him, her eyes suddenly moist and then she walked back inside.

He followed and reached for her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just realized how used to you I've become, and soon that will be over. You will move in here and I won't see you as much."

He turned her around and raised her face so she was looking at him. "There's no law that says you won't be able to visit."

"And that will just be asking for trouble; no I couldn't come over, well definitely not alone." She averted her glance, embarrassed in having even said this. Perhaps it wasn't the same for him, but she knew her own feelings, and what a temptation he was becoming for her. She stepped back away and started to walk away from him. "Let's just forget about it, and go back home, okay?"

"Naomi wait." Expecting more resistance from her, Rajeev pulled her back to him a little more forcibly than he would have resulting in her colliding with his chest. He looked down at her, the apology dying on his lips when he became lost in her beautiful green eyes. The came together, each reaching towards the other until their lips met in an intimate expression of their burgeoning feelings. He reached to remove her cap, the cute accessory now a barrier to his actions, while she in turn stood on her toes as she encircled his neck bringing them all the closer. She held nothing back in her kiss , meeting him full measure when he became more insistent in his quest for a response. Somehow her small whimpers not of distress, definitely not distress, finally got through to him. He pulled away from her, his eyes closed as he tried to extinguish the desire that had erupted so suddenly. He put his hands up to his eyes. "I'm sorry, that shouldn't have happened."

He finally opened his eyes when she didn't respond. She stood there flushed, her fingers to her kiss swollen lips. Her breathing was still erratic when she smiled ruefully and finally answered him. "But I'm not, and that's the very reason why I won't be able to visit."

[NOCOPY]

crtkelly2016-05-24 07:12:58