Chapter 3

Dhruv kept Ruhi busy on the call when she stopped for breaks and to fill up gas in the car. Usually, when flying to meet him, she couldn't get out of the airport fast enough to run to him. But as she drove to the parking lot of his condo, she gave in to the temptation of looking Rafael up before walking to the main door. 

It was chilly in Atlanta at 55F. She went back into the car and spelled Rafael's long name in the search bar. Her heart jumped out of her chest when she saw his picture. The same hazel brown eyes, shrewd and sparkling with the sort of gaze that can make people forget to breathe and a lot more. Memories of her trip to his dad's summer home thirteen years ago flooded her.

She was twelve, and he was sixteen. Rafael's dad owned a place in Coonoor, a beautiful Indian town high up in the mountains called the Nilgiris or the Blue Mountains.

Ruhi's family visited Coonoor when her dad wanted to complete a tea estate deal. Until his diamond business took off, he ventured into several side businesses, trying his luck here and there. While he was busy with contracts and negotiations, Ruhi went sightseeing with Adira and her mom for a few days.

Summer showers cut their trip to the waterfalls short, and they returned to the guest quarters of Antonio's place. Adira and Ruhi spent the rest of the afternoon playing Call of Duty until Ruhi got thirsty and went to the kitchen to grab a water bottle.

She saw a tall figure in a tight black t-shirt and Bermuda shorts walk out of the dining area and take the stairs. The sight of his muscles moving in his back as he climbed up to his room put her stomach in knots. He was so hot from the back, making her curious and excited about how his face looked. She followed him in a trance and stopped outside his room to watch him throw the water bottle he was carrying at a girl sitting on his bed.

The girl who caught the bottle was wearing the most revealing blouse and tiniest skirt Ruhi had ever seen until then. Her parents were extremely conservative, and she was sure they would throw her out of their home if she even thought of ever wearing such clothes.

Rafael moved next to the girl and sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard and watching something with her on his laptop. The girl stroked his thigh, and he responded by moving his hand under her skirt and cupping the back of her neck with his other hand. She leaned back, allowing him to capture her lips in a deep kiss while they rubbed against each other's bodies.

Ruhi gawked at how sexy the scene looked and admired his brawny arms and the way he wrapped them around the girl. He pulled his t-shirt over his head, tossed it on the floor, and reached for her skirt again. The girl moaned and clutched onto his arm as he moved her panties aside and rubbed her. Ruhi forgot about being quiet and gasped out loud at this. 

Two pairs of startled eyes suddenly peered at her, and she froze. She could have run and pretended like she saw none of it. But the way his stare seared through, she was spellbound and couldn't look away from him. She gulped as his naked chest approached closer. He placed a hand on the door for support and looked down at her.

"Yes?"

Ruhi looked up into his eyes and her cheeks turned hot. He knew the effect he had on her, and that made her turn a darker shade of red.

"Who the hell is she?" The girl in skimpy clothes walked up to him and demanded an answer.

"I don't know. Must be the chauffeur's daughter."

"Your driver's daughter is nine. I'm twelve," Ruhi said with a frown.

"The fuck I care. Get the fuck out of here." He slammed the door shut, leaving her outside in a mortified state.

Ruhi panicked at the idea of Rafael getting the girl pregnant. She thought it was her duty to rescue her from his spell, from taking the wrong step and regretting her entire life. 'Men are charming pigs who think with their stick,' her mom told her many times, 'it's the woman who must be sensible at all times.'  

Little unstable on her feet, she almost tumbled down the steps, landing on her head. Long after returning to the guest room, she was still spaced out and shaking like a leaf. 

"She looks so pale! Saw a ghost??" Adira mocked her, drawing her mom's attention to Ruhi, who was staring at the computer screen without blinking.

"Ruhi... Where are the water bottles?" Her mom asked.

When Ruhi heard the words water bottle, she remembered how she wanted to feel the hot guy's biceps beneath her fingers as he played with the bottle, going up the stairs.

"RUHI! Snap out of it. What's wrong with you?"

"The charming pig... um, I mean, Uncle Tony's son is in the house," she mumbled.

"Yes, he's here for the summer holidays."

"I meant to say, he's here with a girl. She's wearing a skirt this short," she pointed to her thighs, drawing a line with her hands high above.

"That short?" Her mom covered her mouth with her hands.

"Wait, is he making out with her?" Adira asked.

"Making out? Where are you learning such words?" Her mom yelled at Adira.

"We only know the words, Mamma. That girl is getting pregnant out there," Ruhi blurted out.

"Oh, my God. He doesn't have a mom to raise him well. His dad has no time for him. We have to let him know."

Rest all was history. Antonio was furious and scolded Rafael in front of everyone while Rafael threw a death stare at Ruhi. Her dad was done with acquisitions and signing the papers, and they left that place the next morning.

She crushed on him for months after going back to her hometown and then gradually forgot about his existence. Her heart skipped a beat every time her dad said tea estate or Coonoor for the next few years, but she didn't dare to ask who Uncle Tony was or what his son's name was.

"Hello, ma'am!" Dhruv tapped on her car window, breaking her away from her thoughts.

"My lease doesn't end until Thursday, so you don't have to sleep in the car." He teased her, pulling her into a tight hug when she stepped out and slipped her arms around him.

"I missed you so soo much!" She pressed her lips against his and was near tears.

"Hey! It'll be fine. Stop worrying so much." He brushed her hair out of the way and planted a light kiss on her lips and turned to examine the car. 

He let out a whistle and thumped on its back in approval before grabbing the bags.

"Looks much better than the picture. We will take your car for dinner tonight and I'll drive," he said.

"Sure, feed me first. I'm starving."

*********************

It started pouring when they thought about getting ready for dinner.

"I'm not really hungry after eating all that biryani. Maybe we can order a pizza late at night. Let's get this packing out of the way." Ruhi walked into the cluttered study room and grabbed some boxes.

Dhruv got up from his nap on the couch and turned the TV back on.

"I'll make some chai first." He checked his phone for messages and walked into the kitchen.

The minute he was out of view, Ruhi unlocked her phone, trying to find more information about Rafael and Alisha. She was looking with Dhruv after lunch, but he got insecure when she told him about her trip to Coonoor. She left out as many details as possible and didn't expect him to give much thought to her pre-teen encounter.  

Dhruv's dad was in the textile business, and they were pretty well off. But he got all bothered and started comparing everything with the Carvalho opulence.

"A filthy rich dude with a perfect life and hobbies. As if that wasn't enough, he has to look good too? How does he find time to stay so fit and athletic? Does he do any work besides fucking women, racing cars, and going to the gym?" He sighed in exasperation.

He asked her to relax, but he was the one hyperventilating. 

"Let's hope he wouldn't call me. Looks like he's in a committed relationship, not a fuck boy anymore." she tried to reason.

He got irritated when she was lost with her phone, searching and reading up about the issue with Alisha's dad and all the litigations. Her mom had told her last week about some dad's friend getting cheated on and losing millions of dollars, but she didn't pay attention at that time because her mom always had such stories. She had to put the phone away until Dhruv went to sleep, but she was tired and passed out before he did.

"Stop secretly reading and come out." He set two cups of tea on the coffee table. 

"Well, it's a good sign he hasn't called yet."

They both felt better when another day passed, and they didn't hear from Rafael. But then, her parents called and within twenty minutes, Rafael's dad talked to her.

"Looks like the wedding will happen no matter what," she said to Dhruv, feeling scared after talking to Rafael's dad. She remembered how intimidating Uncle Tony was, especially when scolding Rafael.

"What did the fucker say?"

"That he will ask Rafael to call me, and he will. He gave me Rafael's number. I told him I have a boyfriend, but he's worse than my parents and disregarded it completely."

"Looks like Rafael doesn't want to talk to you. Will he be up for faking the whole thing?"

"What? A fake wedding?" Ruhi's mind was racing with ideas when she heard him.

"Yes, these businessmen will go whichever way the wind blows. And paying your parents a big chunk of fortune to shut your mouths and getting a divorce is likely in the future. Why not fake it right from the beginning?"

"Wow, Dhruv. I love this idea. I can be with you then." She engulfed him in a bear hug.

"Text that asshole to not be a chicken and call you. We will sort this out together."

Ruhi typed into her phone furiously, hoping Rafael would cooperate and not tell on her to her parents.

"Text sent." She reached out for the teacup. "Oh my God! He's calling me. What do I say? Write my lines down, Dhruv!"