Qiara dragged her lips away from Kabir’s, taking in a big gulp of air. Disentangling her fingers from his hair, she brushed them against his chest and felt his heart thundering beneath the wet T-shirt. She wasn’t sure if her knees could support her if she pulled away. But Kabir kept his grip on her waist, and it didn’t seem like he would let go in a hurry. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to, either.
The last person she had expected to see at the station was Kabir. Trying to make herself as inconspicuous as ever, and avoid Safari Suit, she had been shocked to find herself staring at Kabir – looking smoking hot in a black T-shirt that was sopping wet and showcasing his ripped body. The shock was quickly replaced by relief. Then, she’d taken complete leave of her senses, sprinting straight into his arms.
He cupped her chin with his long fingers and raised her face to look deep into her eyes.
‘That was some welcome,’ he whispered huskily.
But beneath the sparkle of mischief, desire flared in his eyes making her insides feel all warm and gooey.
Cheeks burning, she tried to brazen it out.
‘Don’t take it personally. I was just plain relieved you weren’t some gunman trying to blow my head off.’
His hand around her waist tightened protectively.
‘If you ever decide to hire a bodyguard, you’re definitely going to have a long list of applicants for the post.’
That got a short laugh out of her. She slipped out of Kabir’s arms, self-consciously looking around and was greeted with some more catcalls from the amused girls who had stopped to watch them.
Kabir was unfazed and gave a quick wave as they finally went on their way.
She noticed though, despite his humour, he gave off a vibe that was super-alert. His eyes were scanning the people around them.
Taking his cue, she looked around. She spotted a man with a briefcase in the distance and a sliver of apprehension cut through her. Could it be Safari Suit?
‘Let’s get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps.’
Within minutes they were on the bike and roaring down the highway. She wrapped her arms around Kabir’s middle and rested her head against his broad back. She felt as if she and Kabir were inside a bubble – the wind, the gravel, the bright beam of lights from passing cars, bouncing off them as they hurtled down the road towards a safe zone.
They had ridden for more than forty or fifty kilometres when they came upon a small well-lit stretch of road, with a fuel stop, a roadside dhaba, some shops and a small inn.
Kabir slowed down and said, ‘Should we check out this inn? If the rooms are decent we can stay here for the night.’
‘Let’s stop here.’ She got off the bike and drew her fingers through her gritty hair.
Kabir’s gaze remained on hers.
‘Let me warn you though, this place is not exactly the lap of luxury.’
She gave him a withering look. ‘I have stayed in places much worse than this.’
The rooms at the inn were clean and offered a comfortable haven for the night. Kabir attended to the check-in procedures while she followed a boy who showed her to her room. She closed the door asking him to fetch her two bottles of cold water.
Throwing the backpack down on the floor, she kicked off her shoes and collapsed on the bed. She was looking forward to a long, hot shower and she would get to it soon enough. For now, she just wanted to give her aching muscles some rest. She wondered if Kabir would get some grub from the dhaba they had seen outside. She felt her stomach growl hungrily at the thought.
A quick knock on the door and in walked Kabir.
She shot up from the bed, fatigue forgotten. The room just got smaller and the air more rare as he approached her.
‘Do you want to use the bathroom first?’
His words were like an adrenaline shot.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I asked a simple enough question,’ he said, deadpan. ‘They don’t do room service. So I can go and get whatever is available at the dhaba next door while you take a shower.’
She stared at him as if he’d grown a third head.
‘Hey…if you think I’m sharing this room with you, that’s just not going to happen.’
‘We’re sharing both the bed and the bathroom,’ he said, completely ignoring her outburst. ‘You get to use the loo first. I’ll take the right side of the bed, if you don’t mind.’
‘How very chivalrous of you!’
Sarcasm, however, couldn’t douse the sizzle that started deep inside her at the thought of sharing the bed with him.
‘Go find your own room and you can sleep whichever side takes your fancy.’
‘Not possible. The only other available room is on a different floor. And I don’t want you disappearing in the middle of the night.’
‘Why would I do that?’
‘Seems like your brain is in shut-down mode. So, here’s a quick recap for you. You have been shot at twice since this morning. You took off and hopped on a train after I told you to stay put and let me sort this mess out. And you have yet to tell me why exactly you decided to cut short your train journey.’
His logic was faultless but the sharing a room business was stressing her out. True, her brain was in shut-down mode, but the reason for that had more to do with his presence in the room.
‘So, you’ve found yourself a bodyguard and I’m totally at your service. And oh, I do accept payment in kisses.’
His long hard look only racheted up the heat a few notches.
‘Stop getting corny ideas. And be warned, I have a habit of kicking in my sleep. You could end up with serious injury.’
‘I have my ways of dealing with said problem.’
That sounded like a tempting promise. She wanted to throw caution to the winds and call his bluff on it.
‘Stop your drama and get us some food. I’m hungry as hell.’
She only wished he didn’t guess her appetite included tasting those sinfully sexy lips which were now curved in a knowing smile.
‘Your wish is my command, Madam.’
He gave her a smart salute and disappeared.
Oh Lord Almighty! All Kabir had to do was turn on the charm and she was lighting up like a Diwali cracker. She had been down that road to temptation and had a few scars to remind her of that ill-fated journey. Next time Kabir did his blow-hot number she would do well to remember that!
The aroma of freshly baked rotis in the tandoor wafted across to Kabir as he waited for the food to be packed. It was well after eleven p.m. and the diners at the small dhaba comprised a few truck drivers who sat around quaffing beer and joking while waiting for their meal to be served.
He dragged his hand through his hair and cursed himself. He should have kept going till they reached Jaipur instead of halting here for the night. While on the road, his mind kept straying to the smouldering hot kiss they had shared at the station. The intimacy of the ride had made it only worse. The warm crush of Qiara’s body against him made him think of all the ways he wanted to ravish her. So much so that if he hadn’t stopped, he would surely have gone off the road. Now, for all those sinful thoughts he was doomed to spend a hellish night – sharing a room with the woman of his dreams with no hope of laying a finger on her. Someone up there definitely had a warped sense of humour!
His phone rang. Zayed.
‘Where the hell are you?’
Kabir would never have imagined he’d actually welcome Zayed’s ranting. He waited for him to finish spewing abuse at him.
‘Are you done? Or do you want to vent some more?’
‘I’m done, you…’
He reeled off a few more epithets and stopped only when Kabir burst out laughing.
‘You know something, Zayed. You’re beginning to grow on me.’
‘And you are seriously cheesing me off. Now tell me what the hell is going on.’
‘By the time I had wrapped up with the cops, Qiara had taken off. But don’t worry. I have tracked her down and we are right now in a small place on the way to Jodhpur.’
‘Jodhpur? What the…’
‘Don’t lose your shirt,’ cut in Kabir quickly. ‘Did you get any info from the gunman? Who’s behind Khanna’s murder?’
‘No, dammit. Thanks to you, the shooter is in a coma. And you, Mr Shorey, are within an inch of losing your job. You’d better haul your sorry ass to Delhi ASAP.’
‘Am touched you’re so concerned about me. Any more leads from the NCA guys?’
‘Let me remind you, you’re supposed to be getting some clues as to what’s going on at Girls Rock! from the girl you’re so happily chasing all around the countryside. Get this, brother: the NCA used Qiara as a stooge to track down Khanna. They obviously had the right idea. She zeroed in on him as soon as she landed here. Now it’s your turn to get the dope. You think you’re up to it?’
A hand slapped down a large packet of food on the table. Kabir paid for it and focused on the job at hand.
Zayed had effectively delivered the cold shower he needed: Qiara was a suspect in the case and he’d no business harbouring sexual fantasies about her.
The hot shower had not only washed away the grit from her hair but also the cobwebs in her silly brain. Fantasizing about Kabir – no matter how hot and desirable he was – was simply not on the cards.
Taking out her phone from her bag, she plugged it into the socket to charge it and dialled Sam. The phone kept ringing and just when she was about to call off, Sam’s voice came through.
‘Qiara?’
‘Sam! What’s up?’ Qiara tried to sound cheerful.
‘Qiara, I’m so sorry. I hope you will forgive me.’
And then she started to sob loudly.
Hearing her mentor break down sent a chill down her spine. Practical, unflappable Sam was crying! What the hell was going on?
‘Sam, calm down. You are making no sense at all.’
In between hiccups, Sam gave the news that delivered a blow to her gut.
‘The day after you left,’ explained Sam, ‘the office was sealed. I’m virtually under house arrest. They have installed cameras in every room. They’re listening in on this call too.’
‘Who? The NCA?’
‘Yes, they were the ones who gave me an ultimatum, to send you to Delhi in search of Khanna. They believe Girls Rock! is in league with Khanna and is involved in trafficking of women…’
She broke down into sobs once more.
Sam’s revelation came as a shock. How could they make such allegations when they had busted their butts to help women in distress? What if Khanna had really been involved in women’s trafficking and was using his ill-gotten moneys to fund their programme? Were the Shooter and Safari Suit part of the trafficking gang? With Khanna already dead, and Reshma gone, Girls Rock! was now caught between a rock and a hard place. It was such an unholy mess. Poor Sam was probably being grilled to an inch of her life by the NCA investigators. As for Reshma, she dared not think about the poor girl’s fate. God alone knew how many other girls were at the mercy of these barbaric men who profited from the buying and selling of women. She dropped the phone and collapsed on the bed. Panic rose like a tidal wave within her and the sobs wrenched out of her like water breaking a dam.
Kabir knocked at the door but there was no response. Had she gone to sleep? It had been a long, rough day for her. Taking out the key from his pocket, he opened the door.
She lay on the edge of the bed in a foetal position, clutching the quilt in a death grip. Her petite body shook with soundless sobs.
A tremor of fear zinged through him. Had someone tried to get to her?
Dropping the food packet on the nearest surface he raced to her side. Kneeling by the bedside he touched her arm softly.
‘Qiara, are you OK?’
She turned her face to him and his heart wrenched at the fear in her eyes.
‘What’s happened, sweetie?’
She grabbed his hands and her fingers were shaking.
He pulled her up and hugged her to his chest, rubbing her back in a soothing motion. She buried her face in his neck. Something had spooked her badly. He couldn’t figure out what. Slowly, the shivering and sobs subsided. Pushing her gently down on the bed, he sat thigh-to-thigh with her. He’d never seen Qiara so rattled or even shed tears, no matter what the provocation. He spotted her cell phone lying on the floor. He tried to pull away from her and reach out to pick it up but she wouldn’t let him go. She climbed on to his lap and he wrapped his arms around her.
‘Sam…Sameera called. People are spreading such lies about Girls Rock! How can they even think we’d put the lives of young girls at risk?’
He couldn’t bear to see her in such a state of distress. He wanted to wipe away her tears and make everything right. His feelings resonated in his voice as he spoke. ‘We’ll get to the bottom of it. I promise you.’
She looked up into his face; her eyes glistening with tears. ‘But how? Khanna is dead. And, Reshma is…oh God, I can’t even bear to think what they have done…’
‘You need to tell me everything, Qiara, or I won’t be able to help you. Who is Reshma? And what’s her connection with Khanna?’
She nodded and sighed. Taking a deep breath, she squirmed off his lap. He wanted to drag her right back but resisted the urge. She was wearing a cotton camisole over a pair of striped pyjamas that made her look like a school girl. Except that the tempting glimpse of her cleavage and the bounce of her breasts was playing havoc with his breathing.
‘Reshma is a twelve-year-old girl who lives in Jyotinagar, a village near Jodhpur. Her school is part of a programme that we’ve been conducting for a few village schools in north India.’
Totally unaware of the effect she was having on him, she started pacing the room as she talked.
‘Sometime last year, Ranveer Khanna joined the programme as a sponsor and he was so impressed with our work he started encouraging us to focus on it. His donations helped us reach out to more schools across South Asia, and Reshma became one of our most prominent students. She was supposed to be the face of our campaign at our tenth anniversary celebrations. Suddenly, a few months ago Khanna went MIA and the funding started to dry up. Khanna stopped responding to our mails and phone calls. On top of that, the NCA raided our offices and began asking us about Khanna, our financial dealings with them. As if that wasn’t enough, Reshma also disappeared – and no one knows where she is.’
Kabir kept his gaze away, concentrating on her words. ‘Was it your idea to come to Delhi?’
‘The NCA was breathing down our necks. I thought this was the only way to get some answers. Besides, Khanna has always interacted with Sameera. There would be no reason for him to refuse to meet me if…’
‘If you didn’t tell him you worked with Girls Rock!’ Kabir finished her sentence.
‘I didn’t see what else I could have done in that situation,’ she shot back.
She stopped in front of him and his gaze strayed to her breasts for a brief second before moving up to her face.
‘Yes, and the NCA used it to their advantage. They were hoping you would lead them to Khanna.’
Qiara wrung her hands in worry. ‘I can’t stop thinking about Reshma. Her parents don’t want to report her disappearance to the police.’
‘Well, there may be any number of reasons for that,’ Kabir snapped, as his rigid control threatened to slip every time he glanced at her. ‘Let’s get back to your meeting with Khanna. Did you confront him about his backing out of your programme?’
‘You see, I was pretending to be a freelance researcher studying the impact of donor-funded programmes on children’s education. As soon as I mentioned Girls Rock! he clammed up; maintained he was never associated with our organization. He was about to throw me out of his office when, well…you know the rest.’
‘What about the donations he made to your programme? Surely you have receipts for those?’
‘Of course we do…everything is above board. We’ve provided the NCA investigators with all our records.’
‘Who’s Rishi Mathur?’
At his question, her eyebrows shot up. ‘How do you know about him?’
He gave her an amused grin.
‘How do you think I caught up with you at the train station? Believe me, if I had psychic powers, it would have helped me enormously in my line of work.’
This was probably the first time in his career that he’d had to focus so hard on an interviewee’s responses. Geez, he was breaking into a sweat, just trying not to think of her pert nipples that were within caressing distance.
‘That’s one evasive answer. How did you know about Rishi Mathur?’
He let out a long exaggerated breath.
‘The receptionist at the guest house told me about him, after you fled from there.’
She gave a sheepish shrug.
‘I wasn’t exactly planning to flee from the scene but I was worried the police would…’
‘…accuse you of murdering Khanna? Oh come on, I was not going to throw you to those ‘wolves’!’
‘You weren’t?’
She stopped right in front of him, her lean thighs brushing lightly against his. God Almighty, please gimme a break here!
‘Rishi Mathur,’ he growled at her. ‘Who’s he?’
‘He is our go-to guy for anything that needs to be done in India. He’s a freelancer who works with NGOs and we use him whenever we have events happening here or donors coming for visits. He’s well connected and he was the one who suggested I should be able to track Khanna down at the Polo Club.’
‘So did you meet Rishi when you landed in Delhi?’
He didn’t dare get up from the bed lest she could see the impact she was having on him. He clenched his hands at his sides to keep them from reaching out for her.
‘Yes, he came to the airport to pick me up and reach me to the guest-house, which his office had booked for me. He also helped me get my train ticket.’
‘What made you hop off at Bandikui Junction?’
‘There was this guy on the train, in the next coupe,’ she grimaced. ‘At first I thought he was just one of those creepy fellows who stare at you like they have never seen a woman in their lives.’
Kabir’s jaw tightened involuntarily. He would have happily wrung the guy’s neck for so much as looking at her. The emotions zinging through him caused him to nearly miss what she said next.
‘I heard him speak to someone on the phone about me.’
‘You heard him say your name?’
He picked up her cell phone from the floor and handed it to her.
‘No, he was describing me to someone. I don’t think he mentioned my name, but I got spooked.’
‘The guy who was stalking you could be anybody. He may be the accomplice of the killer.’
‘Yeah, I figured. So, I pretended to the ticket collector I was not Qiara Rana but travelling on her ticket. He’d no option but to march me off the train at the nearest station.’
He was trying his best not to let his emotions get the better of him but was failing spectacularly.
‘Rishi was setting you up and you fell right into his trap,’ he growled.
Clearly, that thought had not struck her and her eyes widened.
‘But why?’
‘Don’t be naïve. Rishi organizes a train ticket for you in a flash. He has you tailed and if it weren’t for providence…’
‘Give me some credit, for God’s sake. I did manage to get off the train,’ she fired back.
‘What if I hadn’t come along? Have you thought about that?’
He released his breath angrily and threaded his fingers through his hair in frustration. Her eyes were fixed on him and the expression in them was of pure fear – at the thought of what could have been!
That was enough to make him come undone. Grabbing her by her shoulders, he pulled her to him.
‘You gave me a mighty scare, you minx. Never ever do that to me again!’
He nuzzled the base of her throat, taking in the warm scent of her. The sharp intake of her breath made his blood pound harder as she inched closer to him.
‘Why?’
Her voice was a whisper and her soft lips parted sensually in invitation.
His resolve was melting under the heat of her sensuousness. He crushed her mouth with his…sucking, nipping, biting, tasting. His tongue dug deep into her hot mouth, their breaths mingled and he was lost in a tidal wave of sensations.
‘You’re scrambling my brains, Qiara. And if you continue like this, I won’t be responsible for my actions.’
For a couple of heart-stopping moments, she just looked up at him with those large, honeydew eyes.
‘Kabir.’
He dipped his head and trailed his tongue over the sensitive spot at her throat. She arched into him, her taut nipples pushing against his hard chest.
His hand reached for the soft curve of her breast and he thumbed the hard peak through the fabric, drawing a deep groan from her.
‘Kabir,’ she panted, ‘This doesn’t change anything between us.’
He was beyond restraint, beyond reason, beyond sanity. He pulled her up on to his thighs. The rub of her silky skin against his hardness was driving him crazy.
‘I know.’
His tongue snaked a wet trail along her earlobe.
‘And I’ll never forgive you for leaving me in the lurch,’ she gasped.
‘I know that too.’
Tugging the camisole over her head, he flung it away before finding the tip of one hard bud with his mouth. His tongue circled the rose-tinged aureole and her breath was one long, soft, erotic whimper.
He sucked her nipple and felt desire crash through him like a sweeping storm.
‘Oh goodness me,’ she moaned, fisting her hands in his hair, dragging him down on top of her. ‘Why do I want you so bad!’
She drew his head up to look into his eyes and her breath hitched at his passion-drenched gaze.
He caught her lips with his, crushing their petal softness, sucking at them hungrily. His tongue flicked deep into her mouth and as the passion enveloped them both, their bodies moved to the rhythm of their desires.
He’d never been in such exquisite agony; lust rampaged through him like a herd of frenzied wildebeest. He wanted to make her his at this very instant. Yet he craved to see her go wild with longing for him, to cross every barrier they had erected between themselves, to erase every angst-filled moment he had spent over the years, to banish all the hurt and pain till there was nothing but this evanescent oneness.
Using every ounce of restraint he possessed, he slid down her body, the friction of their heated skins making her body buck with sweet sensations. Her body arched up to him and her sweet-scented thighs wrapped around his middle.
He wrought his magic on her with his touch, caresses, nips and bites. His fingers created havoc as they found her erogenous zones with precision.
She burned with longing. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pleaded.
‘Kabir, please…’
‘Not long, my sweetheart.’
She was sucked into the vortex of passion. She was scaling heights of passion she had never thought possible. She was at breaking point, hanging by a thread, clutching on to the precipice. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he found the core of her femininity. She lost all sense of time and place as he took her right over the edge, and a starburst of sensations exploded within her.