This is not happening.
The taxi driver is long gone and I check the address on the printed piece of paper. Rustic cottage on the east side of the village. Near the Durga temple. Even though the air carries a chill in the air a trickle of sweat trickles down my back.
Just get the signatures from the owner and get the hell out of here.
I suck in the smell of the gardenia flowers that litter the path. There?s no way in hell I'm staying here after dark. Unless I want to be buried in this bucolic wilderness. 'Ya, Allah! If I make it alive out of here, I promise to pray more.'
The walk uphill causes my legs to protest, once, at the door, I take a second to fix my hair and smooth my jeans. The big yellow file sticks out of my bag. The Vuitton bag rustles as I tug at the file, it reads, "Lake Odisha Resort."
I stare at the red door and knock.
Tap. Tap.
"It's open." A deep voice thunders.
The cottage exterior did not lie, inside is a bare concrete floor with a bamboo cot and few essentials. He sits cross-legged and when he moved his cotton tunic rustles. "Have a seat."
His blue eyes follow me as I struggle to sit on the mat next to him. He rubs his beard and says. "Zee, you haven't changed much."
Daniyal.
The man whose heart I broke eight years ago, we were so in love. His almond brown eyes make my skin prickle, even now. I swallow. When did he become Dan the billionaire curmudgeon? "Daniyal, How'd you end up here?"
"Right. And I should tell you this, why?" His crooked mouth twists into that lopsided grin that still does a number on my heart.
"Well, if not then an autograph will do. So I can get out of this hell." I pull out the Manila folder and slide it on the floor next to him.
He crosses his arms. "Still have that ice castle around your heart, I see." Then he tips his head in the direction of the file then scoffs. "Sorry, princess, no can't do."
He closes his eyes and does a downward dog, his biceps flex, and yeah I sneak a peek at him, his bulging muscles and wide shoulders were always my weakness. Show Off.
"Dani, please. You realize this project could help so much with creating jobs for the locals." I scoot closer now hoping to get my point across.
"Have heard that before." He settles in criss-cross applesauce pose as I call it and closes his eyes to meditate.
I don't think Yoga is a bad thing but his dedication to it unnerves me a little bit, especially because this journey to this remote part of India had taken me a few days. I am a dealmaker.
"Maybe we can make a deal?" I say.
He positions himself upright and says. "Who's terms?"
"Compromise?" I shudder even as I say it.
He chuckles and his whole body shakes. "Someone's desperate. How far are you willing to go?"
His eyes have that mischievous gleam I know so well.
I realize then how close we are and move back a little. "Not that much."
I jolt upright and dust off the jeans. Maybe this is a foolish idea with our history, I wish I had done more research on him and not trusted my assistant.
"Hear me out Zayna."
Hearing him out seems crazy, weird. But there was a time we spent all the moments of our lives together. My skin tingles just thinking about it.
He waves a hand. "Z?"
"It better involve me getting into a hot bath in my hotel room quickly, with a signed agreement in hand."
"I like the idea of a hot bath." He smiles that gorgeous smile that always makes my knees wobbly. "But, not so fast sweetheart. Gotta give somethin to get somethin."
"Well, this was nice," I say, even though I want to throw something at him for wasting my time.
His voice is that gravelly kind, the one that makes my pulse quicken. "Z, please if you promise to stay one week here, you will see why I don't believe in spoiling this place with a resort. So here's my deal, stay with me for a week and if you still don't like what we're doing to save the ecosystem, I'll sign the papers and you're free to go."
I give him a wry smile. "Say what now? You think I'm still that stupid twenty-three-year-old who believed in every word that came out of your charming mouth. Nah. How do I know you will sign the papers?"
"'Coz I'll sign and postdate them now. And before you get any ideas, if you leave before the contract is null and void. I'll send this to my lawyers and they'll make it ironclad."
All my promises to the community leaders about getting all the young people jobs at the resort ring back in my head. They want jobs and preserving the environment is secondary to feeding their families. What have I got to lose?
Everything. But I can't lose.
"Ok. But please tell me I don't have to stay here. Surely, there is somewhere else I can stay for a week." I point to the floor with a yoga mat. Man, he is taking his granola-hipster vibe to another level.
"It's not bad. I'll tire you out so much, you won't notice the ground or the bugs.? And he gives me that devilish grin again.
He was right.
Six months later.
He and I work on the little greenhouse behind the cottage and we have with the help of local ornithologists? built a small preserve for the rare stork that flies here during the summer months. We've bought a lot of surrounding land to preserve the habitat.
So yeah.
This is my love and horror story.
I checked in to this cottage and never left.
Topic: Week 2- The Love Nest (Read 710 times)