The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal (2 page)

Maya felt her toes curl in the face of his appraisal. He was smooth. Very smooth. ‘Besides, these roses would be quite difficult to find.'

‘For KD, money is of no consequence.'

‘It's not just the money. To grow them in hothouses, you need skilled professionals,' she pointed out.

‘No doubt you are in the horticulture business.'

She shrugged. ‘It's obvious, isn't it? And you…work for KD?' she enquired.

‘I'm a boring management consultant. Unlike your work, mine is totally devoid of any charm.'

Maya laughed. ‘I once tried to get a job at KD's gardens but was rejected.'

‘Not enough experience?' he enquired.

‘Sadly, you can't show a diploma certificate for home-grown skills.'

‘Ah, a daughter of the soil! Who would have guessed?'

‘You mean you actually thought I'm one of the lotus-eating women whose passion is to stalk rich men at Page Three do's like this one?'

His eyes danced with amusement. ‘Nope, you're nothing like them. You're more like that lavender rose—exotic and rare.'

Her heart flipped again at his easy charm and her hands were getting clammier by the minute. ‘I may not be the Page Three type, but you definitely need to brush up on your pickup lines.'

His heartbreakingly sheepish smile almost did her in. ‘Worth a shot, anyway.'

His glance took in her now empty glass and he was all chivalry. ‘Let me get you some more…Cabernet Sauvignon, if I'm not wrong?'

She smiled. ‘Quite the connoisseur, aren't you?'

He shrugged those invitingly broad shoulders. ‘Comes with the territory. Hey, don't disappear. I will be back in just a sec.'

This would give her an excuse to get away from him. Or wait. Maybe he could introduce her to KD? He definitely seemed to know a lot about KD's operations. He intrigued her. His supreme confidence indicated that he couldn't be just another employee. His demeanour was that of one who was used to parlaying sexy banter with sassy women. Not her type at all.

But did she even know what her ‘type' was? All through her college years, she'd found it difficult to mix with her classmates, most of whom came from rich families. She'd been the odd one out—the orphan with no influence or money. Not that her classmates weren't friendly. Just that she never felt quite comfortable with them. Or they with her. Her world was so different from theirs. She now realised that her self-preservation emanated an aloof vibe. So she never got invited to the weekend visits to the mall or the movies. She was never welcomed to their homes for their birthdays and they never gossiped to her about their dates and boyfriend woes.

As for going out on dates—there had been no time for the fun things that girls her age did. The scholarship she had won was only enough for fifty per cent of the tuition fees. To keep body and soul together she'd worked two part-time jobs: as a waitress at a local pub and as a dance teacher in a posh Delhi neighbourhood.

Quite often a guy at the pub would make a pass at her. Most of them, of course, were sloshed and pretty offensive. Once in a while though some cute guy would try and buy her a drink. But her self-preservation instinct made sure she stayed cool and aloof. Her touch-me-not demeanour was a douche of cold water on any amorous feelings that a man might have harboured.
I would put myself off with that attitude,
she thought wryly.

‘So, what's with the Mona Lisa smile?' Krish was back. And her heart did yet another somersault at his sexy drawl. Now, where did that come from? It seemed like her self-preservation instinct had taken the day off.

‘Just thinking that you have really mastered the art of charming small talk.' Her thick eyelashes fluttered down to hide her emotions.

‘Good! That means you were thinking of me and find me charming.'

She couldn't take her eyes off his cleft chin. She wanted to run her fingers over it—an urge she barely managed to control.

‘Nah, wrong conclusion. You're just not my type.'

‘And what
type
would that be?'

‘You know—the oh-I-am-so-gorgeous-that-women-can't-help-but-fall-over-me type.'

His sexy throaty laugh made her want to do just what she said she wouldn't—fall all over him! She couldn't believe she was flirting with this charming devil. It took all her willpower to drag her eyes away from his superstar handsome face and scan the room. She needed to track down KD fast, if only to put some distance between herself and Krish's mesmeric eyes.

‘You know what they say about not judging a book by its cover? The same goes for people too!' he drawled as he grabbed her hand to get her wandering attention. The live band had struck up a Latino beat. ‘How about a tango, Mona Lisa?'

He didn't miss the look of surprise on her face as she countered, ‘Tango, huh? Trust me, you don't want to make that move!'

‘There are no wrong moves in tango. Only new ones.'

The arrogant challenge and the supercilious look in his eyes were Maya's undoing. ‘You sure you are up to it?' she countered with relish.

Her wild side kicked in. She headed for the dance floor, Krish a step behind her. She could feel his warm breath on her back; his masculine scent enveloped her, making her nerve-endings tingle.

Starting off like a couple of combatants on the dance floor, Krish and Maya moved to the beat of the music, intuitively anticipating and syncing their movements with each other. Maya was soon absorbed in the passionate ritual of doing the tango. Swirling and twirling…Sexy and intimate, they danced in perfect unison as the guests watched, enthralled. As Maya's voluptuous curves fitted into his lean, muscular frame, they looked as if they had been practising the tango for years. Not missing a beat. Enjoying every pulsating moment as their bodies twirled as one.

* * *

KD stood at the top of the stairs, surveying the scene before him. On his fifty-fifth birthday, he could look back with pride on a career studded with milestones: youngest rising entrepreneur at twenty, most ambitious successful takeover bid at thirty-two and chairman of a Fortune 500 group by the time he had hit fifty years. The Dev Group of Enterprises' stocks had continued their reign on the top of the stock exchange even as competitors struggled to ride the tsunami-like waves that had hit the economy. DGE's brand equity was at its pinnacle and his own personal worth put him among the richest men in the country. And they were all here to raise a toast to him—the doyens of Corporate India, the glitzy Bollywood stars, the movers and shakers of the political world.

He had vowed to anoint his son as heir to his business empire on his fifty-fifth birthday. He still had a few hours to achieve his target—of overcoming opposition to his well laid out plan from his recalcitrant, rebellious son and reluctant heir to DGE.

A lot hinged on this one move for KD. The next phase of expansion for DGE needed not just an infusion of financial investment but also fresh young blood to harness new opportunities. Who better than a Dev to stand at the helm of the group and help it scale greater heights? Part of the plan involved the takeover of the Mittal Group. Mittal's hospitality business had been in trouble for some time. KD was well aware of the fact that a couple of his rivals had made lucrative offers to Surya Mittal, whom he had known for well over twenty-five years. But Surya Mittal was an astute businessman who would not be content with top-dollar alone for a company that had been nurtured by his family for three generations. Selling out would make him look like a loser and KD knew Surya well enough to realise that he would do anything to save his personal reputation and family prestige.

Not one to let an opportunity go by, KD had made Mittal an offer he couldn't refuse—he'd asked for his daughter's hand for his only son. The matrimonial alliance would pave the way for a friendly takeover of Mittal's company. Mittal had jumped at the chance to salvage his incredibly fragile business situation without losing face. From KD's point of view, the marriage-cum-business merger would bolster DGE's prime position as the market leader in the hospitality sector and would provide him with the perfect opportunity to rope in his recalcitrant son as heir to his empire.

KD spotted Viren Saxena, his college mate turned trusted flunky, escorting Surya, his wife, Amrita, and daughter, Amisha, towards him. Viren had stuck with him through thick and thin, and had virtually become a part of the Dev family. He couldn't imagine DGE without Viren. Or, for that matter, even taking a personal decision without first discussing it with his confidant. And, for now, only Viren was privy to the deal he'd struck with Surya.

KD approached the Mittals, arms stretched in welcome. ‘Surya, Amrita…it's so good to see you!' As Amisha bent to touch his feet in the traditional mark of respect, KD hugged her. ‘
Jug jug jeeyo, beta!
God bless you, my child.'

After exchanging pleasantries, Amrita and Amisha turned away to greet other acquaintances. Surya looked anxiously at KD. ‘I hope the plan still stands.'

‘Of course it does,' KD reassured him. ‘Tonight is the perfect occasion to announce the coming together of the Mittal and Dev families. We're going to be not just business partners but
samdhis
!'

KD hailed a drinks server and picked up two glasses of Scotch, offering one to Mittal, who raised it in salute. ‘I'm honoured to be your in-law.'

As they discussed the details of the imminent announcement, Surya's attention was drawn to the dance floor, where a couple tangoed with passionate abandon. ‘Seems like the party is off to a great start…KD,
woh ladki kaun hai
? Is she one of the supermodels who featured on your calendar last year?'

KD's indulgent smile froze on his face as he whipped out, ‘
Pehle kabhi dekha nahin
, never seen her before.'

* * *

Maya felt a twinge of regret when the sizzling-hot dance ended with its customary flourish. The tango was a dance that required synchronised moves. And she was amazed how effortlessly this perfect stranger had guided her. So much so that she had lost herself in the passion of the dance. Now he was raising her arched back gently. Their lips were a heartbeat away from each other. Maya closed her eyes, savouring the moment. Unable to resist her inviting lips and the sweet sensation of having this gorgeous woman in his arms, Krish threw caution to the winds and brought his mouth down on hers, teasing her lips and drawing a passionate response even as he heard her gasp of surprise.

Thunderous applause broke around them. Her face flushed a delicate pink as she pulled away from Krish's embrace. But he wouldn't let her go. Giving her an intimate wink, he bowed theatrically to the applause. ‘Still think I am not your type?'

Before she could retort, Maya found herself staring into the face of a stranger. Krish turned around to see who had caught Maya's attention. It was Rohan.

‘What is it, Rohan?' Krish barked.

Rohan mumbled, ‘I'm sorry but I have to speak to you in private.'

Krish excused himself to Maya and glared at Rohan. ‘Make it quick.'

Rohan whispered into Krish's ear. ‘I just overheard a conversation between KD and Mittal…'

Maya gazed around the ballroom. She thought she spotted a Bollywood star holding forth as the people around him hung on to his every word. There were celebrities sprinkled like confetti all around, she mused, and wondered if she'd even get a chance to speak to KD. Krish seemed too preoccupied and she'd lost the chance to ask him for an introduction to KD.

That was when she saw him, marching down the hall straight towards her. Maya froze. She'd seen his picture in the newspapers and on television, but the shock of coming face to face with the man whom she had vowed revenge against still hit her like a body blow. She felt the bile rising as her emotions churned with every step that he took towards her. He stopped just a few feet away from her as Krish spoke up. ‘Hello, Dad!'

KD acknowledged the greeting with an imperceptible nod as he bit out sharply, ‘How like my son to steal his father's thunder! But it's good to see you having a great time.'

Dad? Son?
It took Maya a couple of seconds before realisation swept through her befuddled mind. The surge of hot emotion was tamped by the realisation of cold fact—Krish was the son of the man she hated most in the whole wide world!
Oh my God!
How could she have missed such an important detail? She'd researched the tycoon's family history but nowhere had she found any mention of a son. Yes, she'd seen the rare article about KD's reclusive late wife, Suvarna, a descendant of the royal family of Dungargarh.
But…son?
And how on earth had she winded up dancing with the enemy, not to forget locking lips with him?

KD was sizing up Maya. His hostility was perceptible but he had too much savvy to let it affect his demeanour. ‘Won't you introduce me to your lovely friend, Krish?'

Taking a deep breath and calming her jumpy nerves, Maya flashed a weak smile. ‘Many happy returns of the day, Mr Dev. I'm Maya.' Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to say that it was a pleasure to meet him.

Krish cut in smoothly. ‘Dad, remember Kavita Dayal's landscaping marvel for the British High Commission? That was based on Maya's design.'

Maya looked as if the rug had been pulled from under her. How did he know that she worked for Kavita Dayal? And why hadn't he said anything to her? What was his game? Her brain was buzzing with questions to which she had no answers.

KD barely acknowledged Maya's presence. ‘Krish, come with me. I have an important announcement to make.'

Krish mentally thanked Rohan for tipping him off about his dad's imminent announcement. He'd known for some time now that Surya Mittal was in financial trouble. Heck, the whole industry knew it. KD had not only grabbed the opportunity but he'd played a master stroke—one that would ensure he'd keep a firm grasp over Mittal's business interests under the guise of a family wedding. The only problem with this cosy little arrangement was that it was
his
fate being decided upon and he had no intention of becoming a pawn in his father's chess game. It also meant that his plan of pitching his proposal to Maya was about to go down the tube. KD's two-birds-with-one-stone strategy would mean the death of his own dreams, of his plan to get away from his father's clutches and establish his own enterprise. Unless…