Dear Passions Enthusiasts,

We are overwhelmed at receiving so many wonderful stories, and we thank you for your enthusiasm and participation in the Passions - Aspiring Author Auditions.

It was a very hard decision to make for our editors, but after much pondering and careful consideration, they have narrowed it down to 5 finalists. Once again, we call upon you to decide the winning entry.

We present to you - the 5 finalists and we want you to vote for the best story.

You can only vote once and for only one story, so don�t forget to read all 5 stories and cast your vote judicially.

May the best aspiring author triumph!

- Team Mills & Boon

Lounging on one of the many deck chairs dotted around the pool in a luxury resort in Goa,Maya looked up at the shadow looming above her. The paperback slid from her nerveless fingers and fell down with a soft thump. She closed her eyes and peeked up again. No, she definitely was not hallucinating. She was looking into the stormy golden eyes of Aadith Varma, one of the hottest, rising, young film stars in Bollywood and to say that he was furious was an understatement. Feigning surprised pleasure she remarked "I didn't know you had a shoot planned here.."

"You and I both know why I'm here and a shoot is definitely not it," said Aadith flatly, as he turned around to drag a lounger close to hers.

His luscious mop of black hair was a tad bit overlong and fell sexily across his forehead. Maya unashamedly let her gaze drift across his broad tanned back, lean hips and tightly muscled legs. Every bit of him was bloody droolworthy admitted Maya to herself. Not that he needed her endorsement, she thought wryly. He already had enough and more bimbos around him to boost his ego, she thought savagely. As he turned to face her, Maya sighed and closed her eyes in pain and was grateful she had her sunglasses on. Normally she had a good poker face which was how she had managed to work with him platonically, as his publicist for five long years. But now with her defenses at an all time low she was sure that he would take one look at her and know her deepest and darkest secret.....her unrequited love for him

Aadith pinned her with a stare and asked heatedly," So, why did you get someone else assigned to look after my PR and more importantly why did you run out on me like this?"

Maya shrugged nonchalantly and replied "You have already worked with Sofia on and off whenever I was not available so I thought you wouldn't mind doing it permanently."

His mouth tightened in anger, "Hmmm... Did you really think I wouldn't mind?" " Well I do, so get yourself re-assigned back to me" he bit out curtly.

Maya shook her head mutinously. "I thought we were friends", persisted Aadith.

"Precisely. Which is why I want to get away, before we are not even that. I am sick to death of either confirming or denying you gazillion relationships. I want a life that is not centered around your relationship status. I�m sorry Aadhi, I don�t want to work with you anymore" raged Maya

Aadhi thought back to the time Maya and he had started working together, when he had been just a couple of films old.They had both come a long way since those struggling days. She was painfully forthright and infuriatingly stubborn but she was also incredibly loyal and one of the few people who never expected anything from him. They had hit it off from the beginning and had become firm friends. She was still the only female other than his sister who remained immune to his charm, he thought ruefully. He couldn�t imagine her not being in his life. Aadhi resolved to get her back by any means.

Maya wanted to make her getaway before he could start working his legendary charm on her so she quickly gathered her sun screen and rose to leave, "Don't go, let�s talk about this" reasoned Aadhi.

"No....Don�t talk me into it again" protested Maya. " Is there a chance I could?" queried Aadith with a wicked grin, "over dinner perhaps?"

His smile always did weird things to her but she hardened her resolve and said "Not tonight. I�m meeting someone else for dinner."

Aadith�s face darkened "Are you here with someone?" "Umm.. No, He is someone I met here."replied Maya.

"You should know better than to pick someone up on a holiday" shot Aadhi. "He could be a murderer for all you know."

"Relax Aadhi, its just dinner and it�s not just anybody. I�m meeting Pranav Gupta the famous author."

"Careful you might end up in one of his books," remarked Aadhi tartly. "If I am that interesting a person to be written about then why not?" laughed Maya and made her way back to her room leaving a scowling Aadhi behind.

"Doesn�t she have more sense than that?" thought Aadhi angrily and quickly wondered why he was getting so worked up over it. Oblivious to all the female attention he was garnering, Aadhi walked towards the pool and dived in cleanly.

Watching him from her room window, Maya thought, if only he had been just a pretty face with a fabulous body she could have chalked it up to lust, but he was much more than that. As his publicist she knew how much he gave of himself to so many causes and so many people and not always for publicity. He was extremely loyal, hard working and generous to a fault. He was also maddeningly protective about those he cared about.

His fatal flaw.....his unending string of girlfriends, just when a girl thought she had him she found herself at the receiving end of a heart break. The latest had been a voluptuous married starlet, whom Maya herself had seen sneaking out of his apartment in the wee hours. That had been the straw that had broken the camel�s back - rued Maya. When Aadhi had stooped so low as to indulge in an affair with a married woman, to defile the sanctity of marriage, the scales had fallen from her eyes. To know that fidelity meant nothing to him had shook her up badly and made her realize that she had been wasting her time, waiting for him to return her love.

A shriek from the poolside broke her reverie and she glanced up at the clock guiltily. If she did not hurry up she was going to be late for dinner.

As the night drew near, she opened the door to Pranav who was undeniably handsome, suave and most importantly interested in her. He let out a low whistle as soon as he saw her and Maya knew that she looked her best. The blush pink gauzy dress made her slender body look sensuous when she moved. Her silky dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves and framed a face that was lovely in its serenity. Her dark eyes glowed vividly above soft full lips.

They had opted to eat outdoors beneath a gazebo that afforded a beautiful view of a velvety star studded sky and the lapping of the waves in the vicinity. Soft music played in discreet speakers. When they had dispensed with their dinner orders, Pranav gazed at her lovely face and enquired "So how come a girl as beautiful as you is here alone?"

Startled by his frankness Maya did not have the heart to fob him off with a flippant reply so she stated truthfully "To cut a long story short I fell for a man who doesn't even realize I�m a woman. A friend is all I will ever be to him."

"So how come a man as handsome as you is here alone?" quipped back Maya. Pranav burst into laughter and said "Touch�, actually I�m just out of a messy relationship and disappearing somewhere alone seemed a good idea at the time."

Maya felt as if someone was watching her, so she turned her head discreetly and found Aadhi glowering at her. She ignored him and turned to Pranav to ask him about his work. He was pleasant in an uncomplicated way and dinner would have been nice if not for Aadhi glaring broodingly all the time. When she got up to leave the table she saw a beautiful girl hanging onto Aadhi�s arm adoringly. She painfully turned away and took Pranav�s proffered hand.

An hour later Maya flashed her card at the door to let herself into her room. She opened the door to find Aadhi in a thundering rage.

"Where the hell did you disappear after dinner?" barked Aadhi.

"Not that it is any of your concern, but we went for a stroll along the beach" replied Maya coolly. "What are you doing in my room and don�t you think you are taking this protective bit too far?"

"If you hadn�t behaved like a simpering fool hanging onto his arm I wouldn�t need to check up on you," snapped Aadhi.

"Don�t tell me you�ve never got together with someone you just met!" muttered Maya furiously.

"Everybody knows holiday romances don�t last" said Aadhi bitingly.

"Maybe I don�t want a romance, maybe I just want a fling" exclaimed Maya witheringly.

At that Aadhi strode slowly and purposefully towards her, and when she saw the look in his eyes her heart began to hammer uncontrollably.

"If all you want is an affair then try me," he said chillingly before tugging her to him.

His cold voice was in sharp contrast to his warm lips. The touch of their lips electrified them both. His lips moved hungrily over hers as if he could not get enough of her. Maya surrendered herself to the melting intensity of the kiss.

Maya slid her hands under his loose cotton shirt and felt his muscles contract under her touch. Her tentative caress drove him wild with desire and he caught her hand in his and whispered into her ears " If you want me to stop tell me right now or it will be too late."

She lifted her eyes glazed with passion to look into his heart wrenchingly familiar face. She was beset with an agony of indecision,"If all she could have of him was his desire and his affection should she grab it with both hands or would this just make her eventual heartbreak all the more crushing?" she wondered.

Aadhi�s heart began to race madly as he watched her struggle with her emotions. He had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Maya now and he was afraid she was going to pull away. He tensed involuntarily when he felt her stirring.

When Maya ducked her head down and pressed a kiss shyly at the open v at his throat Aadhi felt a surge of desire and tenderness well up inside him. He raised her face to his and rained soothing kisses on it.

Whatever the future brought, Maya vowed to enjoy what little time she�d have with Aadhi. Will it be forever or just a fortnight?

A date with a Bollywood star.

Who wouldn�t be excited at the chance? Any girl would dive in headfirst, especially when the date was Zaheer Saxena, the hottest male lead of the year.

Yet Vishakha Sehgal had her smile missing. She tried to fight the fish-out-of-water feeling she�d been having since she�d stepped into the glitzy make-up room someplace in Mumbai. �We�re all done,� the stylist told her, �I�ll go check when you�re being picked up.�

Her stomach felt hollow. If not for the cruel workings of fate she would be getting married today. In a plot twist straight out of the Bollywood movies she thrilled over, her fianc� had fallen for her sister and was marrying her instead.

His parting phone call still rang in her ears. �Sorry Vishakha. I shouldn�t have gone along with my parents choosing you. I knew arranged marriage wasn�t the thing for me. But you being a doctor and all... Anyway, I can�t regret it. Otherwise how could I have met your sister?�

She winced and glanced at the walled mirrors. A slim if busty girl in a svelte midnight blue gown stared back at her. Squinting myopically, she reached for her glasses and slipped them on. Except for her rectangular black frames, she didn�t remotely resemble her usual no-frills appearance.

Winning the Dream Date contest had been exciting. She�d shopped for her engagement dress at a certain designer outlet which offered a questionnaire and happened to answer it correctly, courtesy her addictive interest in Hindi films. She�d however happily put it on the backseat, busy preparing for her more important occasion.

Her wedding.

Her bravado crumbled and she sank into a chair. In front of her family and the gathered relatives, she had kept her chin up, defying their pitying looks. How easily she had assured her mom, �I�ll be fine. Relax. It was only an arranged match. It wasn�t as though I loved him.�

But the blow had been big. She hadn�t loved him but she�d liked him and liked the dream of building a new life. Settling down as her friends said.

If only she�d tried to impress him more. Had she been witty and interesting, with more dress sense...

She knew only to talk shop. Her passion was her work at the children�s ward. Buried in medical books, she had never had time to scour fashion shops or look up the latest trends. Her lively sister might recount how she and her cohorts had pulled a bartender�s leg by pretending to find a bug in her cocktail and getting drinks for free. She talked only of her relief at switching her patient from iv line to oral intake. No contest which a man would find fascinating.

Oh! She gave a silent groan. There she went again. Putting herself down. She needed time to get over this. What she didn�t need was a publicity event to add to her stress levels.

What could a serious-minded doctor say to a film hero? How to spend a whole dinner with him? Two hours when the date would be filmed and clips chosen to be splashed for the public eye.

A mental image of women Zaheer Saxena must date usually cropped in her mind. Sophisticated ladies seen onscreen. Draped in designer labels and saying, �love you all,� with mwahs and dripping confidence.

I have to get out of here. I�d just feel like a crow among swans.

She�d meet Zaheer Saxena at the venue, a posh Mumbai hotel and make suitable apologies.

She was so not up to this today.

�What does she mean she can�t do it?� Zaheer frowned at the event manager, impatiently flicking back a cuff to glance at his broad strap gold watch. He had a script recital at eleven tonight, with a bare two hours for this dinner. And this supposed to be star-struck girl was throwing tantrums?

He�d had it with tantrums. And other wiles females seemed to have in their arsenal for achieving their whims. His leading lady had been giving him hell on the sets, her latest notion being that she wanted them to practice a certain scene in his bedroom.

�Here she is. If you want to talk...� The manager tailed off, leaving the room as a woman entered it.

Zaheer glanced up. A dolled up woman stood there. Glossy mouth. Dusky skin tinted with luster. Eyes seductively darkened. He smelt danger instantly, his bloodhound instincts awakening. Why gear up and then bow out? Definitely some ulterior motive here. Was she looking to ask him for a break in Bollywood? After years of shaking off determined and devious females, their roundabout ways of doing things no longer surprised him.

�Is there a problem?� Impatience laced his voice.

�Er no, Mr. Saxena. I mean yes. But it�s nothing to do with you. It�s all my fault.�

Her voice was breathless and she seemed to be focusing on his shirt button. Disconcerting. Women didn�t avoid looking at him.

His gaze slid on her. The dress fit her to perfection, outlining sensuous curves. He felt awareness jerk up the tension in his body. Sudden and unreasoning. Why this flare of attraction heating his blood? Nothing special about this woman after all. Just another made-up face looking to be in the limelight.

Or not. Why had she refused?

�Why don�t you sit down and we can talk it over?� he suggested.

Vishakha couldn�t believe she�d heard the gentle note in his voice. He�d been so curt before. The moment she�d stepped in here she�d been surrounded by a prickly awareness of him. A raw powerful aura that oozed from him like oil from her mom�s buttered paranthas. He wore a black dinner jacket with a metallic blue sheen and dark trousers that buckled on a lean waist, showing off his superb fitness. His hazel eyes narrowing on her had caused her breath to constrict. He always wowed her on screen but she�d expected it to be cinematic magic. Up close he was more rugged, the laughter lines adding to his charm, making him more real somehow. Dark brown hair, streaked with lighter colour waved low to his collar.

No screen hero this, that she could fantasize about and then safely forget once she was out of theatre.

She kept standing. �Sorry. I shouldn�t back out like this. But you can find someone else. Any girl would be glad to do this event.�

�Your name has been announced. People are waiting to see a doctor interact with me.� He pointed out.

�PR people have talked to me. I just wanted to apologize to you personally. I can�t do this.�

�Why not?�

�Because...I�m not well.�

His gaze swept over her. �You look fine to me.�

�I have a headache.� Vishakha realized suddenly that those who weren�t used to making excuses shouldn�t attempt to lie.

�Oh, really?� His deep voice drawled. Her pulse bounded at the resonance of it. How many times she had delighted in its husky whispers to the heroine.

Now that velvetiness had an edge.

She bit her lip. �I�m not being clever. I am just not prepared to do this. I�ve already told the organizers I am ready to sign away to whoever they pick up. This is for publicity only so it can�t matter much.�

�It does to me. I don�t have the leisure to hang around for the changes and if it�s cancelled, I would have wasted quite a lot of time. What�s eating you anyway? You knew what was planned.�

�I�m really not up to facing cameras.� She held back a sniff.

�You should have thought of that before.�

�I know.� She should have thought of lots of things. Like not opting out of her date with her fianc� when an emergency had popped up at the hospital. Had that night been the one when he�d decided he preferred her sister?

Unbidden tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Great, now she was losing it in front of him.

�If you don�t have a valid reason, you better stop this dithering.�

He hit a nerve. �And just what do you call a valid reason,� she demanded, the threatening tears taking over. �Is losing my fianc� to my sister on the verge of my marriage reason enough?� She felt her vision filling with hot tears that spilled onto her cheeks. Oh, why couldn�t the floor just drop out from under her?

Zaheer stared, for a second nonplussed at the woman crying in front of him.

�Sit down.� he told her. When she didn�t move, he led her to the leather sofa. �Take this�. She was wiping her eyes with her hand and he proffered his hanky. Something about the bowed head and shaking shoulders touched him. Her grief was genuine, not the crocodile shower more usual in his experience. Tears were just another of a woman�s weapons. He knew that. So why was he letting her get to him? �I�m sorry,� she mumbled, �It�s been so awful.�

�What is it, tell me?�

The gentleness in his voice was completely undoing. Vishakha tried to wake herself up from the fantasy. The dream of someone like him sweeping her off her feet belonged to the celluloid, not reality. Surely she knew that by now. �My fianc� ran away with my sister. Oh yes. So dramatic. Only I�m on the other side of the fairy-tale. The dumped girl instead of the heroine.� Oh, how sad that sounded. She shouldn�t pour out her story to him.

But she was. �I just wanted to get away from the wedding. I thought my coming here and looking glamorous would show everyone I wasn�t wallowing over him. Stupid of me. Who would be watching Bollywood current news in the middle of a fat Indian wedding anyway?�

His mouth curved, �And here I was thinking you want me to pave your path into films.�

Despite herself she smiled, �Are you crazy? I feel comfortable around injections and stethoscopes. Not the beauty in bottles stuff. I guess my fianc� didn�t like that.�

�He is a fool.� The light shone on her dark strands and he had the urge to touch them to see if they were as silky as they looked. He did so. Softly stroking, enjoying the texture rich and smooth.

She looked up, a sparkle in the brown eyes. �I don�t want sympathy, Mr. Saxena!�

�Zaheer.� he commanded, softening it with a smile. �For a doctor you aren�t very good at analyzing, are you? This isn�t sympathy but desire.� He leaned down and touched his lips to hers, catching her by surprise. Sensation shot down his nerves, enhancing the tension in his body as he felt her unbridled response. Blood raced through him and he deepened the kiss, letting her upper body mold to his.

Vishakha felt the contact run like wildfire through her veins, the heat of his mouth singeing her lips. She drew away. �What must you think of me?�

�I think you�re beautiful.�

�You�re mistaken. This,� she gestured to herself, �isn�t me. This is what I look like.� She fumbled in her purse and put on her glasses.

�I can see what you look like. There�s nothing wrong with you except� she looked up, startled at his words, �your specs need to be cleaned.� He slid them off and wiped them and put them back. He smiled and her heart flipped in her chest.

She looked down, �I�m sorry to spoil your program but I really can�t face the cameras tonight.�

�We�ll have still shots for the publicity. After all, you did win the contest.� He drawled softly, �You�ll have your date, madam. It will be an intimate dinner for two at my place. If you don�t object?�

Her heart jumped once and started racing as she took in the tenderness in his eyes.

�Not at all.� She said breathlessly, �In fact I think it should be implemented with immediate effect. Or as we medicos say stat�.

The party was on in full swing. The glittering Ball Room at Hilton Hotel was chock-a-block with the beautiful people of New Delhi society. Entrepreneurs and politicos, corporate honchos and models, fashionistas and aspiring social climbers mingled with ease as champagne flowed and a live band played. She sipped her Cabernet Sauvignon and looked around. She saw her own reflection in an ornately carved mirror and almost didn�t recognise herself. Was this uber-confident woman in the sinfully sexy dress the same Maya Shome who was always ribbed in college for her no-nonsense tee-and-jeans uniform?

The men could not keep their eyes off her and the jealous looks of women said it all. She looked the part she had set out to play. That of a seductress. She had her eyes fixed on her target: Kamalkant Dev or KD, as he was known to friends and foes alike. For KD, it was a double celebration � his 50th birthday and coronation as the Chairman of the Dev Group of Enterprises.

The wily businessman had, after a long struggle with his younger brother, grabbed the lion�s share of the family business that spanned multiple enterprises including airliners, automobiles, rice mills, retail outlets, and hotels. Reflected in the mirror, KD glanced at her even as he talked to a clutch of his sycophants. He couldn�t keep his eyes off her black halter dress that dipped dangerously low, revealing acres of her silky smooth skin. She smiled to herself � men were so predictable! She had planned and strategized for months for this moment. Now that she had his attention, it was time to make her move.

�You seem to be in quite a rush?� She turned around to face the owner of the gruff voice. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, he was good looking in a dark, scruffy sort of way. Dark strands of thick black hair fell over his forehead and his mane brushed down his collar. He gave her a lazy but thorough look-over. A frisson of excitement ran through her even as she tried not to show her annoyance at being stopped from reaching her quarry. She gave him an equally insolent look, taking in his weather-beaten jacket and genuinely worn-out � not fashionably distressed � jeans. �You seem to have wandered into the wrong party,� she said huffily.

Before she could move away, he caught her arm. �Maybe, I am in the wrong party, but I think I have found the right girl,� he purred.

�Excuse me?� She couldn�t quite ignore the way her body was reacting to his touch and voice.

�Call me Krish��

�Can I have my hand back please?�

�It�s all yours,� he smiled and let go of her arm, which was still tingling from his touch.

�Maybe I should do my good deed for the day and show you the way out?� she offered.

�Nah�� he drawled, sizing her up. �I have a feeling I�m going to enjoy this evening.�

�Well, you will have to do that on your own, Mr. Krish� while I go and find some suitable company,� she countered.

�You know what they say about not judging a book by its cover? The same goes for people, too, Mona Lisa!�

He was indeed annoying but he oozed an easy charm. You better watch out, Maya! she cautioned herself. But her curiosity about this tall, dark and attractive stranger won over her eagerness to walk away.

As a liveried waiter came around with a tray of beverages, Krish chose a glass of fresh pineapple juice. At Maya�s surprised look, Krish reacted with a humorous �I-am-a-saint-don�t-you-see-my-halo?� gesture before giving her a devilish wink. �I am no Saint. More of a Sinner, I would say.� He gulped down the juice and then bore his bedroom eyes into hers before purring into her ear: �But I hate stereotypes.�

Maya�s heart caught at her throat and her toes curled with pleasure. His whispered words were like endearments muttered in the intimacy of a bedroom; his dark-lashed eyes more heady than the Cabernet Sauvignon she was sipping. She shook her silky mane, to get a grip on herself.

�OK, so let me guess. You are a gate-crasher and� oh my god!... you are a terrorist!�

His laughter complemented the foot-tapping Latino beat that the live band had begun to play. He caught her hand, touched his lips to her palm in a feather-soft kiss: �Ready to tango, my gorgeous Mona Lisa?�

Maya�s heart dived into her stomach as his husky voice issued the challenge.

She let loose a laugh that sounded like a beautiful stream gurgling down a mountainside. �You sure you are up to it?� she countered, looking pointedly at his well-worn sports shoes. Krish was at his courteous best, �After you, Ma�m.� 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-ends 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 into the passionate ritual of doing the tango. Swirling and twirling. Perfectly in tune with each other. Sexy and intimate, the two danced in perfect unison as the crowd watched enthralled. As Maya�s curves fitted into his perfectly lean and muscular body, they looked like they had been practising the tango for years. Not missing a beat. Enjoying every pulsating moment as their bodies twirled as one. The sizzling hot dance ended with a flourish, and Krish planted a kiss on her mouth. Maya�s heart, still thumping from the energetic dance, did a somersault as she pulled herself away amid the thundering applause.

Krish gave her an intimate wink, took her hand and bowed theatrically. �Still wondering how to slot me, Mona Lisa?�

Before Maya could retort, she found herself staring into KD�s grim face. �How like my son to steal his father�s thunder! But at least you are enjoying yourself!�

Maya froze. Omigod! Krish was the son of the man she hated most in the whole wide world! And she thought she had meticulously researched each and every family member in the Dev household. Where did this Krish sprout from? Not only was she totally clueless, worse still, she was dancing with the enemy. And enjoying it!

Now, 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?�

Maya recovered her poise quickly and flashed a million-watt smile. �Many happy returns of the day, Mr. Dev. I am Maya� Maya Shome�We have not met before but you may be familiar with some of my work. I am Kavita Dayal�s student. She couldn�t make it as she is not keeping well. But she does send you her warmest wishes.�

Krish cut in smoothly before KD could react. �Dad, remember Kavita�s landscaping marvel for the British High Commission? That was based on one of Mona� Maya�s designs.�

Maya looked as if the carpet had been pulled from under her. He seemed to know all about her while she was completely clueless about him! Not only were her emotions overwrought after their sizzling-hot number on the floor; now her mind was buzzing with questions to which she had no answers.

KD�s next words were a polite brush-off: �Hmm�good! You have been monopolising my son, Ms. Shome. I�m afraid he has to attend to other guests as well. But please stay�enjoy the party!�

As if on cue, a girl in her late teens, dressed like a Barbie doll in bridal finery, appeared. �Happy Birthday Uncle! Hope it�s your best ever!� she tinkled, reaching up to kiss his cheek. KD dropped his curt demeanor and hugged the bedecked Barbie: �Thank you Amisha beta!�

Turning to Krish, Barbie batted her eyelids coyly: �I hope you have had enough of romping around in the Himalayas, Krish. Welcome back to civilisation.� Maya tried to pull away from the group but Krish�s strong grip around her waist wouldn�t let her. He smiled at Barbie: �Hullo, Amisha.� And then turning to Maya, �For once, it�s good to be back.�

As KD bristled, Krish said: �Dad, there�s something you need to know about Maya.�

Maya�s heart stopped for a nano-fraction of a second.

�Maya is my fianc�e.�

Krish�s words sent shockwaves all around. KD�s face turned stony as he glared at Krish. Barbie stared at Maya, her eyes, deep pools of intense hatred. And a cold dread swept through Maya. Krish was looking at her � a challenge in his eyes.

�Are you out of your mind, Krish?� KD bellowed.

�You should be happy, Dad. I have finally found the girl I want to spend my life with.� His arm around Maya�s waist tightened, pulling her closer to him: �We are getting married next week.�

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

Prologue

Taj Lands End, Mumbai 2006

People said it was a match made in heaven. The groom glowed in a navy blue designer salwar-kameez that looked as dark as black. With dark wavy hair that brushed the collar of his Satya Paul couture-wear and glittering cerulean eyes that reminded one of shining sapphires, David Miguel Est�vez Diaz cast a spell all-around.

The bride for her share was resplendent in the traditional Indian wedding ensemble of brightly sequined red sari and sparkling bridal gold jewellery, Suvidha Bhosle with her light-brown curls and almond-shaped hazel eyes made a stunning picture standing beside her husband.

Gossips milling in the aftermath of the wedding recounted the air around the couple to be �shimmering and sizzling with chemistry and promise...you know what I mean!� The couple had no concept of time, space and the gossipers. Entrenched in their love and passion for one another, each knew that the other was biding time to make a polite and circumspect exit from the festive revelry.

Chapter One

K-Communication Centre, Mumbai Present

�About time, now for you to start thinking about deadline completions, Suvidha�, Mr. Chitale remarked to Suvidha. Mr. Chitale of the clich�d paunch and bald plate with bifocals that made his eyes appear two sizes larger than what they really were.

Working for one of the swankiest corporations in her hometown of Mumbai, Suvidha felt that while she did have a good pay and good perquisites the exorbitant expenditure and the perennially rising cost of living seemed to have made her life quite difficult. Some of her close friends who had migrated to other cities on account of increasing costs had started to talk about the benefits of migration. And hearing them talk about their new-found favourite cities, her parents had also started to voice their opinions about migration to Pune � their hometown.

Compounded with her irritation to submit the necessary audit files to the Chartered Accountant within the deadline and her parents� sudden desperate desire to migrate; Suvidha�s patience seemed to be crumbling in supersonic speed. If only she could procrastinate dealing with personal issues and concentrate on the audit files. She would be making her boss happy and lighten the CAs� work by a factor of one. One day at a time, she told herself, repeating the chant like a mantra the same way she did when she spent three hellish and discordant years being married to the esteemed David Miguel Est�vez Diaz.

Chapter Two

C�rdoba, Andalusia Spain

David Miguel Est�vez Diaz was pissed off and royally, at that. His corporation Diaz Communications had failed to gain an entry in the communications fray opened in the country of India. For a man who disliked failures, David felt that he had been awarded with more than his share of them in the past five years. First his marriage, then the death of his parents and now this outright refusal; he was sure that the fates were conspiring against him.

But irrespective of fates, he was determined to succeed this time. He had a lot riding on this contract and he wanted to make this his biggest career success. It would be the first time that a Spanish company would be entering the unchartered territory of India and he didn�t want to lose out on the opportunity. After all he introspected; he had a lot more riding on this apart from his professional interests like vengeance for instance.

His wife � he had still not signed the divorce papers � had the audacity to run from him after robbing him of his family jewellery. He craved revenge and it was as if the opportunity had landed on his lap. If he were to be honest with himself, he realised that he could not begrudge the machinations of destiny on this. If the contract went through, his company would be directly in collaboration with K-Communications. K-Communications, where his wife now worked and continued the farce of her innocence to the rest of the world. Not for long now he thought cynically, that bitch Suvidha was going to get her deserved comeuppance.

Chapter Three

�Are the contracts all set, Suvidha? Representatives from Diaz Communications will be here any moment now and I don�t want any problems in the contract terms whatsoever�, Mr. Chitale repeated for the nth time to Suvidha. Globalisation had come to K-Communications� doors when the Spanish Diaz Communications bagged the contract to jointly market revolutionary telecom services to the Indian customers.

The media was agog with the benefits that the deal would bring about, transformation of opinions of countries like Spain and Germany towards the Indian consumer market and the presence of India in the whole picture of consumerism and globalisation. But what the press didn�t know and Suvidha thought she did was that Diaz Communications was her husband�s � the word still rankled � company and as far as she knew David, he was coming to India with a more than professional agenda.

But let him come, I am prepared to take anything that she throws at me; she reiterated mentally. She would not let his smooth-talking and charming ways affect her. The man was a lying, two-faced cheat who had destroyed her peace of mind and left her on the brink of a complete mental collapse. �Marry in haste and repent in leisure�, her grandmother had told her when she broke the news of her nuptials to the dame. But cloaked in the euphoria of finding her one true love she had overlooked the fact that she hardly knew anything about the foreigner who had bumped into her outside Cafe Leopold in Colaba Causeway. She had just taken him at face value and was still paying a heavy price for it. �Poke me and I shall not fail to let you know about your tyranny David�, she vowed.

Chapter IV

�Please tell me, Ms. Suvidha or is it Mrs.... about how you think your company can come up with an agreement that meets both our organisations� needs?� David said opening the dialogue pleased to see that his wife was distracted. Her intelligence and shrewdness apart, he knew that her weak point was her lack of focus and he was determined to make her pay the price � even if it meant her losing her job.

Her face going red, Suvidha didn�t know what to reply. As the head of operations in her company, it was her duty to go through the agreement papers and present the most appealing features of the deal to their potential collaborators. But one look at her handsome husband and it seemed that all her professional brilliance had deserted her. She found herself tongue-tied and blithering like an idiot like she was a criminal before a firing squad. Mustering up her courage she tried again, �Umm...as per the terms of the agreement, while K-Communications retains 51% of the share, Diaz Communications has been offered the carte blanche to come up with any new ideas and schemes. In such a case, the corporation would get the lion�s share of the turn-over arising out of the said scheme. And it�s Ms. Suvidha Bhosle�, she repeated after an afterthought.

�When you say �lion�s share�, what is the exact percentage? Mr. Chitale, I don�t know how other companies operate in your country, but in my country, if a staff is incompetent or lacks initiative, we just do away with that person. From my interaction with your Ms. Suvidha Bhosle, it seems to be that she is a person who curries other things with her superiors, than her professionalism�, David coldly stated once her feeble explanations were done. His coldness and the crude way of putting her down had Mr. Chitale fumbling while Suvidha left like she was mowed over by a two-ton truck.

David gave himself a mental pat on his back and over the course of the three-hour meeting, through his constant barbs, ensured that Suvidha was left in a lurch, thoroughly. He wanted her on the streets foraging for money. Her thievery had to be brought to light and he wanted what was his, beyond that he had no use for this lady to whom he was married.

Chapter V

Suvidha had a gut feeling that the summons to Mr. Chitale�s office the next day would not be good news. But she didn�t expect it to be an outright sacking and just like that without any adherence to her employment contracts, she was out of a job. Looking at the situation now, Suvidha decided that it was high time that she confronted the lion in his den or rather his hotel room.

�Look, who�s here. Mi Esposa. The woman who betrayed me and then absconded with my family jewels. The woman whose whole life is a pretence and whose whole existence, a lie. Welcome back.� David asked scornfully.

�Why?� Suvidha was proud of the way she held her head aloft. �What did I ever do to you? I didn�t even ask for alimony � �

�Enough! Basta! You have the gall to ask me for alimony after you stole the Diaz family heirlooms? Alimony, when you told my sister that you married me for my money and not for love, as I otherwise thought. How shameless you can be, whore? If it were for me, I would drag you through the courts of Spain and ensure that you slave for my family for years without any reprieve. But since I promised my mother on her death-bed, I won�t harm you. Just return me my family jewels and you will get your divorce.� As he told her these words, David was surprised to note that the sexual tension which had always plagued their conversation was back. Now that he thought about it, he felt maybe he could sleep with her one more time, exorcise her and then get her out of his system.

As she heard the bitter rancour spill out of her husband�s mouth, Suvidha more than paled. But she had one simple matter to clear, about everything else from there on; David could gain the truth from his beloved sister. �Ask your sister about the Diaz jewels. As far as I know she the one who had pawned them off. She even took great pride in telling me, about you being a father to her friend Estrella�s children. And if you take me to the courts, Senor Diaz, I will prove that you are nothing but a two-bit bigamist.�

Saying so, Suvidha left the room priding herself on her poise. And sitting in his suite, after his wife�s confident departure, David began to question himself. What if, his sister had been lying and his wife was telling the truth? Annabelle and Estrella were close enough and he knew that both would lie for each other. What if their lies had destroyed his life? Dialling his sister�s phone, he realised that he needed answers to hitherto unquestioned questions.

Chapter VII

�I am sorry, mi esposa. Please forgive me.� How simple did these words sound but to David they felt like hailstones. He had judged and crucified his wife, destroyed her professional reputation and made her a pariah. And just like he had to clear his wife�s name, he realised that he wanted her back. He had to make her forget about the divorce. She was his for all eternity, just like he was hers. He just had to convince her.

After sending her parents to Pune to meet their relatives, Suvidha heaved a huge sigh of relief. Her worries about a job had started to show and her parents� weakening health gave her no choice but to send them off for a minor vacation on account of Ganpati festivities.

The ringing of the doorbell on a Friday afternoon perplexed her. Her parents would definitely not have reached Pune and even if they had changed their mind to return back home, it would take them another couple of hours to get back home. Peering into the peep-hole, Suvidha got a shock of her life. Her husband was standing and he looked like he had taken a worst beating of his life. After debating with herself for a couple of minutes, she opened the door an infinitesimal inch.

The door had opened and David knew that he had to thank his wife�s fair-mindedness for that. He would not return back to Andalusia without her, he had vowed and time had come to make good of that. �Please forgive me, mi vida. I made a huge mistake�, he begged.

�I didn�t know my sister lied. I didn�t know the truth. I thought she wouldn�t lie to me. Estrella�s children are not mine. Her husband is dead and even she didn�t know Annabelle lied. Come back with me. We can start again, mi Corazon.� David decided to go for a complete break. He couldn�t do anything else, he had already hit rock bottom. From here on, they only way was up.

�We could never start again. We didn�t know each other then and we still don�t know each other now. A marriage does not make a relationship work. It was your sister this time but later on, it will be your cousin or your friend. I will be always an outsider. You talk about working things out; you didn�t even invite anyone for our wedding five years ago. What�s the guarantee that I�ll get to see your friends and relatives this time around? I think, signing the divorce papers are the best option that we have.� Suvidha told her husband though her heart was breaking.

�Things will change. I didn�t invite anyone for the wedding because I didn�t anyone to feel jealous of me. I loved you then and I love you now and I will prove it to you.� Saying so, David started to come towards her, but Suvidha sensed his intent and moved aside. �Fine, I will compromise. Let�s begin like any new couple starting out. We�ll date and get to know about each other. At the end of six months, if things do appear different, we will remain married and if they don�t you can just sign the papers.� She told him. �I will make it work. It�s a promise.� David vowed, as he had so many times these past few weeks.

Epilogue

Six months had gone so fast. David couldn�t believe his eyes. For the past six months, he had taken his wife out, shared conversations and realised that he had no reason to regret his decision to stay married to her. But while things were looking up, he still faced the guilt of making her lose her job. They had not spoken about her sacking, but David felt that he had done an enormous wrong.

But as things do get put into position, their life was also put into place. Suvidha got a call from an international content management firm who wanted her to manage their affairs. Since she found that she could do that from anywhere, she and David moved to Andalusia. They had a baby boy and David knew that the fates which he had thought were conspiring against him had brought him his wife and now his child � Miguel � named for his father.

She sat still as fifteen people buzzed around her. Not unlike bees, she thought to herself, smiling. Three were fussing with the cameras, four were working with the lights, two others were talking to who she assumed was the photographer, making sure he was kept happy; and the rest had their attention focussed on her. They moved stealthily around her body, positioning the lavish lehnga she wore so it could catch the light just so, touching up her make-up, ensuring she looked perfect for the photo shoot. Her one hundred and fifth photo shoot, if one were to bother counting.

�How are you feeling Mira? Good? Not too uncomfortable, right?� her agent asked her, hovering in the sidelines.

�I feel very uncomfortable.� Mira said, her eyes flicking to Sandhya�s pacing body without moving another muscle. It was an art she had had to master, �Don�t worry though, it�s all a part of the job.�

Sandhya caught her eye and let out a peal of laughter, her brown eyes laughing with her, �Well how very normal of you.�

Mira let her lips curve slightly, �You�re right. I make life way too easy for you. Shall I think of some ridiculous impossible-to-achieve task to send you off on?�

�Would that leave you alone with me by any chance?� A male voice cut into their conversation, deep, strong, with a light Australian accent. Both women looked toward the sound, Mira causing a few people to cry in alarm when she did.

The man�s eyebrows rose as he watched people scurry to correct whatever imperfections Mira�s movement could have caused her. Mira frowned but said nothing, her brown eyes taking in the man before her. He was tall, tanned, and lean. He wore a simple white t-shirt over low-waist jeans, his flat stomach evident. Despite his ruggedly handsome looks, his eyes were what really caught her attention. While the rest of him seemed to scream dangerous, giving him an almost �vagabond� look, his blue eyes were warm and intelligent, completely contrasting from what seemed to be his general personality. They seemed to smoothen out all of his hard edges. Those eyes appraised her now, admiration in them. He turned to her agent, smiling, �Hi, I�m Vince Cooper, the photographer for the shoot.� He said, holding out his hand, a strand of his jet black hair falling over his face. Mira glanced back at the man standing two feet from Vince, a nervous, edgy look about him, the man she had mistaken for a photographer. No, he was no photographer; he was a photographer�s assistant.

Sandhya seemed to snap back into reality, straightening in a jerky action, a plastic smile fixating on her face as her brown eyes stared agog at the epitome of masculine perfection standing before her. She took his hand, shaking it meekly, �Sandhya Sharma.� She said, introducing herself, �I�m Mira�s agent.�

�Mira.� Vince said, seeming to roll her name off his tongue, sending a shiver running down her spine, to her annoyance. He glanced at her then, his blue eyes amused, seeming to know the affect he was having on her.

�That would be me.� She said through gritted teeth, not liking the way the man watched her as though he were the predator and she the prey. She knew she was beautiful. After all, that was why she had become a supermodel. An internationally-known supermodel. Mira Venkat. Her sharp bone structure, high cheek bones, graceful body, wildly curling long dark brown hair and equally dark, captivating brown eyes were all her claims to fame. They had made her successful, they were the reason she was where she was today: on a beautiful beach in Maldives wearing a heavy, ridiculously grand lehnga.

She waved away the people around her, suddenly irritated, �You have been working on me in this heat for the past hour. I believe that�s more than enough time to achieve perfection, right Sandy?�

Sandhya pursed her lips to keep from smiling as she nodded, recognising one of Mira�s rare flashes of temper, �You heard her, back off. It�s time for the shoot.� She turned to Vince, �I assume that is why you made your way to us?�

�Well yeah.� He said, nodding, �For that and to ask Mira if she would care to have drinks with me tonight.� His eyes moved from her agent to her, their too-blue depths filled with challenge and daring.

Mira�s eyes narrowed as she studied his handsome face, this was one dare she did not want to take. Her lips were forming the words �sorry, no� when her friend and agent quickly spoke on her behalf, �She would love to.�

�I would?� Mira asked, raising a single brow in question, looking to Sandhya.

Vince let his eyes move from one girl to the other and he grinned, �Apparently you would. I will meet you at the bar around seven. Now shall we get these pictures done before we lose the light?�

Mira pursed her lips, nodding, displeasure evident on her beautiful face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Vince walked away from her, making his way to his crew and camera. When she released it and opened her eyes her face was a blank canvas, waiting for the right expressions to be painted on.

Vince positioned himself behind the camera, looking through the lens once, and then again, adjusting a few things here and there, moving the light around until he was satisfied. He let his blue eyes catch her gaze then, �Alright, you�re the bride here. I want a few shots with a little flirty air around you. I think we�ll do that first. The position you�re in is perfect, though you need to do something different with your hands.� He instructed, surprising Mira with how professional he was.

Mira nodded. She did not to be directed to the �tee�. She was sitting on a wooden platform which had been placed over the sand on the beach so water surrounded her on all sides. Her skirt was spread about her in a circle, with her at its centre. Her legs were curled under her so she rose a little from the platform. She let one hand move up so it was beside her face and bent it so her arm covered the bottom half of her face. She then looked up, her kohl-lined eyes looking directly at the lens, at Vince, their gaze inviting. A lot of lights flashed as Vince took his pictures. He peeked out from behind his camera once more, �Now give me something a little demure. Maybe you want to use that.� He said, nodded to the dupatta that her dresser held in her hands.

Mira took the dupatta and covered the top of her head with it, bending her head, her henna-decorated hands holding the ghoongat in place. More flashes went off. Every couple of minutes, Vince would ask her to try a different emotion, a different position, a different look, and without a word Mira would merely follow his instructions, giving him exactly what he wanted.

He didn�t know why but something about her pulled him to her. Even now, when he was at his most professional, he felt an odd tug at his heart and heat rush through his blood whenever she looked toward him with those eyes of hers. Those dark, mysterious eyes which could most definitely be the undoing of the entire male race on Earth. Which man would ever be able to resist her? Not one. The thought put a sour taste in his mouth.

�Okay, that�s a wrap. I got what I needed.� He called out to the crew, and everyone immediately set to work packing up the set. He left his camera to his assistant and made his way to her.

He got to her just before she entered her trailer, her entourage already in and waiting for her. She heard his footsteps and turned before he had the chance to call out her name. The sight of her made his mouth go dry, which was ridiculous. He had seen plenty of supermodels, some even more beautiful than her, so why did she seem to have this affect on him?

�What?� she asked him sharply, her eyes cool.

He tried to hide his smile, �I have obviously pissed you off in some way, so I came to apologise; and to ask what it is about me that you seem to object to.�

Mira narrowed her eyes at him and then shook her head, �It�s nothing.� She said flatly, �Apology accepted. I guess I will see you in the evening.� She started to turn but he caught her hand, making her eyes fly to his face, alarm and curiosity clear in those chocolate brown depths.

He let himself close the gap between them, his arms moving up her arms to her shoulders. One hand moved up to caress her cheek while the other moved back down over her curves to curl around her waist, which thanks to the short lehnga blouse, was exposed. Her skin trembled and grew hot under his touch, but she didn�t move away, only eyed him with wariness, �What are you doing?� she asked, her voice soft.

�I�m taking you out tonight.� He said softly, leaning forward, his breath fanning over her face, his eyes holding hers, �I want to give you a reason to come.�

Her breath seemed to catch in her throat and her eyes widened as the implication of his words seemed to sink in. She tried finding her voice but all that came out was a husky whisper, �I told you I would come, so I will come.�

�Maybe so.� Vince said, allowing a slow grin to curve his lips, �But I want you to want to come.� He murmured, letting his lips cover hers. At first she stayed absolutely still as he kissed her, and then, she seemed to thaw. A moan left her as her hands circled his neck, pulling him down further so she could kiss him back, as thoroughly as he was kissing her. It was a kiss he felt everywhere. From his pelvis, to his pounding head, and beating heart, all the way down to his toes which curled as his tongue possessed her mouth and she allowed him to. She sighed when he finally pulled away, her body moulded to his, her forehead resting against his. She let herself catch her breath before saying softly, lifting her head and looking into his blue eyes, �Well you got what you wanted.� She said softly, her brown eyes alive with desire and need, �I want to come tonight.�

Vince laughed softly, watching as her lips too curved into a smile. She was different, he decided, letting his eyes take in every detail of her face. He was not going to let her go. Not now, not ever.