Rebel Hard (Hard Play #2)(96)

“I really want you to wear my ring.” Solemn, intent words.

He could have anything he wanted from her when he got like that, his love an open secret in his voice, his eyes, his hands.

And that was how she found herself ring shopping with her sexy hunk the next morning, while trying to avoid being spotted by any aunties who might be prowling the malls and boutiques.

At one point she hissed at Raj to hide. “Babita Auntie’s just over there.”

Since Raj was too big to take advantage of the potted plant behind which she’d ducked, he bent down and pretended to tie his shoe, face averted from Batty Auntie’s sharp eyes, until the danger was past.

“Phew.” Nayna pressed a hand to her racing heart. “My mother wouldn’t talk to me for a year if Babita Auntie learned we were ring shopping before Ma saw my ring.”

Over the time that followed, she tried on lots of pretty rings, but nothing spoke to her. “I want color,” she’d told Raj before they began. “Nothing too traditional.”

“Any ring you want,” he’d said, but in the end, it was Raj who found it. “Nayna, did you see this one?”

The tears came again the instant she laid eyes on the ring he’d pointed out, because he’d listened to her. This was no sedate, elegant, expected diamond. Set in two twists of platinum, it was a deep, deep pink ruby positioned at a sharp angle and bordered by equally angular diamonds cut to refract light.

“Yes,” she whispered. “That’s my ring.” And this was her man.



* * *



It was past eight by the time they pulled into her parents’ drive that night. Raj had arrived late after being held up on a site due to an emergency. The good news was the outcome had been positive. And now he looked incredible in formal black pants and a crisp white shirt under a black jacket. She kept staring at him.

“You like the suit, huh?” He smiled that quiet, sinful smile at her as he came around to open the door.

Smoothing her hands down his lapels, she sighed. “I like the suit.” Another unnecessary smoothing. “But I also like the jeans and the tool belt—and the naked.”

Hands on her waist, he scooped her down to the ground. “You can have the naked later. First, let’s do this.”

He closed his hand over hers, hiding her ring. Not that it mattered. The instant they walked into the lounge hand in hand, Raj in a suit, his hair neatly combed, and Nayna wearing a pretty dress, her parents started grinning like cats who’d gotten into the cream. Aji did a slightly better job of not looking delighted, but it was a lost cause.

“Ma, Dad,” Raj said, addressing her parents as they’d asked him to, “we’ve come to ask your blessing on our official engagement.”

Her father was up and shaking Raj’s hand a second later while her mother kissed Nayna’s cheeks and cried happy tears. “Oh, I knew you two were meant to be.”

“Yes, you should listen to your elders,” her father added.

Told-you-sos heroically suffered, Raj and Nayna went to Aji and knelt before her so that she could put her aged hands on their heads. “I wish only happiness for you,” she said in Hindi. “Also, many great-grandchildren for me.” Leaning in as Nayna’s parents laughed, she whispered, “Tawhiri is winning that race. You two better start with triplets.”

“There is one other thing,” Raj said after the first celebration was over. “We’re not going to rush our wedding. We’d rather focus on Madhuri’s wedding first, then make plans for ours.”

“Discussion” ensued.

Raj didn’t budge. Neither did Nayna.

“I want a wedding that’s mine,” she said. “And I want to have time to figure out exactly what that entails.”

“We’re not compromising on the number of guests,” her father finally said.

“No, Nayna, beta.” Her mother held up a hand before she could argue. “You can have the wedding on the date you choose, and we’ll do it how you and Raj want, but we’ve waited a long time for this. We plan to invite everyone we know.”

Nayna glanced at Raj. He gave her a “best offer we’re going to get” look and they both nodded. “Deal.”



* * *



Exactly two weeks later, Nayna kissed her sister goodbye at the airport. A giggly Madhuri, mehndi on her hands from her wedding the Saturday past, waved until she and her equally delighted husband were out of sight. She’d made Nayna promise to involve her in all the wedding preparations for her and Raj’s wedding—there was no question but that Madhuri and Sandesh would be flying back for it in six months’ time.

“I don’t think I’ve recovered from your sister’s wedding yet,” Raj murmured as they walked out to his truck. Her parents walked ahead. Aji had said her goodbyes at home, plenty of tears included.

“Tell me about it.” Nayna’s feet ached still from all the running around she’d done pre-wedding. “But she got her dream wedding, complete with glittering chandeliers, that enormous waterfall cake with the perfect topper, and arriving by Rolls-Royce—and that makes me happy.”

Raj squeezed her hand, which she’d slipped into his. Her hands, too, bore mehndi designs from during the lead-up to Madhuri’s wedding. “I want this,” she said, lifting her hand so he could see the red-brown lines of the delicate work.