Free A Scandalous Proposition by MM George Page A

hands and wiped away her tears. “But I was—and
that’s all that matters. Always remember, you are just like Tarun for me, and I
will always be there for you, just like I am for Tarun.”
    Mira could feel the comfort and reassurance emanating from
the man and tears came unbidden to her eyes. She let out a long sigh. With
Ranbir standing by her, her timid little sister need never be afraid any more.
Suddenly, she felt Reema had taken a huge step away from her and towards the
Dewans that night. Even though she knew it was inevitable, it unsettled her.
     
    ***
     
    It was that feeling of being unsettled that found her pacing
the terrace later that night. The party was over and Mrs. Bagchi was
supervising the servants in clearing things and putting them away. Reema, still
shaken, was in bed. Mira had sat by her, gently stroking her head as she
watched her drift off to sleep. But for Ranbir’s timely intervention, she could
have had a far greater misadventure than the scare she had had.
    She sighed as she leaned against the parapet, her mind
wandering idly as she contemplated the changes that were taking place in her
life. The terrace had become a place of refuge for Mira. She loved the solitude
it afforded her and the wonderful green view it offered her of Delhi. She let
the slight breeze, with its hint of coming chill, soothe her mind, drawing her dupatta a little tighter around her to ward off its nip. Diwali was round the corner,
winter close behind. She turned away from the parapet and found herself
colliding into a broad chest, encased in an exquisitely cut jacket.
    “You?” she stuttered, shaken by the brief contact.
    “How is Reema?”
    “Sleeping now, but she was a bit disturbed,” she replied.
    “I can understand that. She’s been through a scary
experience, but she’ll get over it.”
    “Thank God you reached there in time,” shuddered Mira. “I
couldn’t have handled those men by myself.”
    “I’ve asked Tarun to check who they were. They were
obviously gate-crashers or guests of other guests, because Tarun doesn’t know
them.”
    Mira looked up at him. Ranbir’s face still showed anger. It
was obviously a big thing with him that such a security slip had occurred at Dewan
Kutir. She had been surprised at the gentle yet firm way in which he had
reassured Reema, stemmed her tears.
    “Thank you,” she said, “for what you did for Reema.” He
remained silent. “You know,” she continued shyly, “if this had happened even
two months ago, Reema would have wanted to go home at once to Ma. Today, she
has not talked of it even once. It’s all thanks to you. I think she feels safe
with you.”
    “It was the least I could do,” he said finally as they stood
near the parapet, gazing meditatively at the horizon.
    “What do you think?” asked Mira after a moment. “Will Chachi
agree to their getting married? She seems to have softened a bit towards Reema,
but….”
    “We’ll have to wait a little longer and see,” said Ranbir,
flexing his hands before him. “I’m going out of town for a couple of days, but
when I come back, we’ll move things one way or the other.” Mira looked at him
enquiringly and he continued after a pause, “You see, Chachi thinks she knows
what kind of daughter-in-law she would like—smart, sophisticated, beautiful and
able to handle herself in society.”
    “In short, everything Reema is not?!”
    “More importantly, everything Chachi herself is not. She
sincerely believes that Chacha would have been much more of a success if she
had been more able to handle the social side of his business—like Dadi does.
And now she doesn’t want Tarun to face a similar handicap. What she doesn’t
understand is that Chacha loves her deeply and holds none of her supposed
shortcomings against her. Neither does Dadi.” He turned towards her, his eyes
softening slightly as they took in her troubled countenance.
    Mira sighed and turned around so that her back was to the
parapet,