A Scandalous Proposition by MM George

the corner
of her eye.
    “Come on, Mira, giving up so easily? Where’s all that feisty
spirit?”
    “What did you think?” she retorted weakly. “I like to blow
myself up when I get bored?”
    “That’s better.” he commended. They stood at the window,
looking out at the park.
    “What about Chachi?” ventured Mira after a while. “Reema and
Tarun?”
    “All clear,” he turned to smile at her. “I had taken Dadi
into confidence before getting the two of you to stay at Dewan Kutir. Her only
condition was that she check Reema out for herself before she agreed to the
match. She told Chachi that she knows your family well and that she herself
could not hope for a better wife for Tarun.”
    “And…?”
    “Chacha did his bit of urging, too. He’s really fond of both
of you, you know. Surprisingly enough, Chachi did not need too much urging,
which speaks a lot for Reema’s exertions on her behalf. Maybe Chachi had begun
to get a hint of what was coming. You know her—she never bears a grudge for too
long. Now she’s throwing herself headlong into the wedding preparations. When I
left home, she had Panditji over to check for auspicious dates as soon as
Tarun’s last exam is over.”
    “But, in that case, Reema shouldn’t be staying there now.”
    “Mira,” Ranbir said patiently. “You are not solely
responsible for your sister. You have a mother. Your aunt and uncle are here.
If they have no objection, why should you? Dadi has said that she will come
back here once the engagement ceremony is over.”
    “Ohh!”
    “You know,” Ranbir said reflectively. “Those boys of Dhruv’s
have done me a great disservice. You seem to have lost all your verve and fire.
All burnt out, my dear?”
    She shook her head slowly. “If it’s all sorted out,” she
asked, “why are you here?”
    “Aha, I was wondering when you would come to that,” the
twinkle in Ranbir’s eye deepened as he folded her into his arms.
    “What are you doing?” stammered Mira. “Ma might come in.”
    “She knows,” said Ranbir wickedly.
    “She knows? What does she know?”
    “That there’s going to be a double wedding next month. It’s
going to be the talk of the country!”
    “But you haven’t… you don’t…”
    “Yes, I do, and, yes, I will,” he said gently, going down on
his knee. “Miss Mira Talwar, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
    “But Ranbir,” she wailed. “You don’t love me!”
    “No histrionics, my love,” he said firmly. “It’s too late
for that and, really, this is not the most comfortable of positions.”
    Mira’s was dumbstruck. “Why?” she whispered.
    Ranbir got up and took her in his arms again. “My love, when
I saw you being carried into the ambulance, lying so still on the stretcher, my
heart stopped. The ride to the hospital had to be the worst I have ever
endured. I realized that my life had no meaning without you. And when the
doctors were still deciding how badly you had been hurt and refusing to tell me
anything, I could have killed someone right there. I couldn’t imagine a life in
which your eyes were not constantly flashing at me, your tongue was not
constantly throwing challenges at me, and your body was not constantly melting
against me!”
    Mira closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was
hearing. “You still haven’t said you love me!” she said mischievously, holding
her face up to him.
    “Well, you still haven’t said you’ll marry me!”
    “I will if you will,” she returned.
    “I love you more than life itself, jaan . Now shut up
and let me kiss you!” And she did.
    ≈
     
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
     
    MM George is the pen name of Mimmy Jain. Mimmy lives in
London and edits stuffy academic books and journals when she is not dreaming up
frothy romances.
    Mimmy has