The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal by Adite Banerjie Read Free Book Online

him hard with lust for her. It wasn’t going to be easy to keep his libido on a leash, but he’d do it until she was ready to concede that a platonic marriage was not what she truly wanted.
    It was a done deal. He leaned back and caught the eye of the waiter, who rushed forward with a bucket of champagne. As the waiter popped the cork and poured the champagne for them, Krish clinked his glass against hers and murmured softly, ‘Congratulations to us.’
    * * *
    The next couple of days were a whirlwind of activity. Krish had arranged a session for her with celebrity fashion designer Ritu Kumar. Maya felt like a Bollywood superstar with a whole team of girls waiting on her, taking her measurements, fussing over her, asking her opinion on fabric, colour, jewellery, lingerie, make-up, accessories. They modelled a mind-boggling array of ensembles for every imaginable occasion that a new bride might find herself in while she sipped on a cooling mango drink in luxurious comfort. She was mesmerised by the elegant Tussar silks, the rich Banarasi brocades, the gorgeous organzas and the splendid chiffons.
    And then came the most stunning piece: the wedding ensemble. The rich red and gold
lehenga
in gorgeous silk with delicate
zardozi
embroidery on the blouse was a handcrafted masterpiece. The elegant gold jewellery and the gauzy chiffon
dupatta
with just a touch of shimmering gold on it added the glitter that could turn an ordinary girl into a princess at her own fairy tale wedding. Maya gasped at the exquisite ensemble. It was perfect for an ecstatic bride starting a new life on a rock-solid foundation of love…not for some faux bride in a made-for-revenge marriage!
    Wardrobe makeovers were no walk in the park. After hours of mixing and matching, endless trials and alterations, a tuck here, a stitch there, Maya finally had a closet full of stunning clothes, accessories and shoes that would put Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor’s trousseau to shame. Next was an appointment at a five-star spa-salon. All the stress melted away as the masseuse massaged her tense muscles with fragrant oils. The aromatherapy worked its magic even as professional hands styled her hair, gave her a facial, manicure and pedicure.
    Her palms and feet were covered with intricate henna tattoos. She smiled enigmatically as the henna artist sighed that the rich, deep colours of the tattoos on her smooth, soft skin were proof that her groom loved her deeply. As if! She stifled the laugh that burbled up at the thought of her impatient, supposedly besotted groom cooling his heels while she was undergoing the bridal treatment!
    As she emerged from the spa, all aglow and picture perfect, Krish took in his breath sharply. He wanted to whisk her off and make long, languorous, passionate love to this goddess standing in front of him. He fought back his desire to snatch her up right there and then and give her a hard, desire-filled kiss. He didn’t want to feel like this.
    â€˜How do I look?’ She twirled, her silky shoulder-length hair falling perfectly around her heart-shaped face, her eyes all sparkly bright.
    She was surprised to see his shuttered look as he curtly said, ‘You look fine. We’re getting late. Come on.’
    Maya took another quick look at Krish’s face as he drove through the traffic. She wondered if he had already begun to regret this whole charade.
    She looked out of the window as they passed by the India Gate grounds, where a few urchins were diving into the pond to beat the heat. She envied their gay abandon and their in-the-moment happiness. It reminded her of the brief periods of joy she had shared with her father. Those rare days when her father’s gentle and fun-loving nature would surface from under the haze of his alcohol-induced gloom. Those were idyllic days—Papa had taken up a job at a local school where he taught eighth graders. When he would return home in the afternoons, they would set off