Sundari Venkatraman's Blog, page 4

A to Z April Challenge 2024: I for ISHIKA CHATTERJEE

The heroine of my romance novel called THE FLOUNDERING AUTHOR, Ishika Chatterjee is the commissioning editor of a major publishing house in Delhi. I find a lot of women from Bengal who work for the media, have an excellent command of the King’s language, which is why I gave Ishika a Bengali background.

Ishika is attracted to Jai Wadhwa, who aspires to become a published author. And she sincerely believes that his book is worthy of being part of Cooper Publishing House’s catalogue, the company she works for. But the CEO of the publishing house tries to manipulate Ishika in the worst way possible. 

Does she take it lying down? Never! Ishika is not only beautiful, but one hundred per cent bold. She does something which anyone who is trying to climb the corporate ladder would never dare to do. Read my book to find out how she handles the situation. 

THE FLOUNDERING AUTHOR (available on Kindle Unlimited & Paperback) is the 3rd book in the WADHWAS trilogy, the first two being FINDING ANYA (Dev Wadhwa) and LEO’S DESIRE (Chaahat Wadhwa). Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t allow one book to be placed in two different categories. While Leo’s Desire is the 2nd book in the Wadhwas trilogy, it is also the second book in my Written in the Stars 6-book series.

All the books can be read as standalone novels.  

Story-in-Brief:

Jai Wadhwa aspires to be a published author only to find that the path he has chosen is full of thorns. He’s almost on the verge of giving up his dream when Ishika Chatterjee walks into his life.

The commissioning editor of a major publishing house based in Delhi, Ishika is keen to have Jai’s book as part of Cooper Publishing House India’s catalogue, only to find her path blocked from all directions.

Heartbroken, Jai goes underground to lick his wounds. Will he ever get to realise his dream or is it doomed forever?

While Ishika isn’t one to give up so easily on a project she strongly believes in, she has nothing less than a battle on her hands. And what about the floundering author himself—the one she has fallen in love with? Will he take on the world and launch his writing career or fade away to nothing?

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A to Z April Challenge 2024: H for HEARTTHROB

 

HEARTTHROB is the second book in the Arora Iyers trilogy, which I spoke about in my first blog for the April Challenge 2024, for the alphabet A. 

It is the story of Krutika, who is barely thirteen, and absolutely confident that she’s in love with the sixteen-year-old Darsh, who is her best friend’s older brother.

It is only later that Krutika’s single father gets married to Darsh’s single mother (Once Bitten Twice Lucky). Not for anything does Krutika give up her love, even going to the point of announcing her intention to marry her stepbrother as soon as she turns eighteen.

Is Darsh embarrassed by his stepsister’s announcement? Not really, especially not with the support he receives from his mother and stepfather. 

But what about Krutika’s wish? Does it come true? Will Darsh fall for her, or no? Read my romance novel to know what happens. 

Story-in-Brief:

Krutika falls headlong in love at the tender age of thirteen when she first sets eyes on the dreamy Darsh. That he is barely sixteen seems oh-so-perfect to the barely-there teenager. She never stops loving him when her father ties the knot with his mother soon afterwards.

Darsh has always led a serious life, his responsibilities as the man of the house weighing heavily upon his young shoulders as his birth father never showed interest in his own family. Later, when his mother remarries his stepfather, he could have lightened up, but it never comes naturally to the young man.

With Krutika chasing him blatantly, Darsh really doesn’t have a place to hide, not even in Boston which is as far as he could get, away from Delhi.

How long will he be able to stall the call of destiny? And a determined young lady who has decided to make him her life partner? And what about love? Will he ever find it?

Read this story which is both young-adult and growing-up-together, all rolled up in one; but nonetheless a hot romance.

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A to Z April Challenge 2024: G for THE GROOM SERIES

There are going to be four items for the letter ‘G’.
The first is the title of my book trilogy: THE GROOM SERIES . These three stories are about three sisters from a village in Bihar, India. Not just bold and beautiful, Surekha, Radhika, and Vaishali, are also ambitious.
Daughters of a poor carpenter, the three young women lead their lives exactly the way they choose (all thanks to their father) despite the restrictions placed by society; so far as to even thumb their noses at such hurdles.

GROOMNAPPED
I am excited about the fact that I coined the word Groomnapped (Groom + kidnapped). This book follows the story of the feisty Surekha and the handsome Ameya, who is the only son of a millionaire farmer. See what happens when they fall in love. 
This is also about the dowry system which dogs the women of Bihar. The richer the groom, the more dowry is demanded. To thwart this, some have got into the habit of kidnapping young men and forcing them to tie the knot with poor young women at the point of a gun. I have based my story on this, hoping to bring a light-hearted angle to the same.  GOBSMACKED
I simply love this word and was truly thrilled when I could make it the title for my second book in The Groom Series. This is the story of the village-born Radhika, and the city-bred Amit. They fall in love at first sight during Radhika’s sister’s groomnapped wedding; Amit being a friend of Ameya’s. They get married and she goes to live with her husband and his parents in Delhi. 
Things to come crashing when Amit’s mother Shanti ill-treats Radhika. Hating her small-town daughter-in-law, Shanti is determined to break her son’s marriage from Day One. So much so, that Radhika ups and leaves. Amit is unable to forgive his wife (supposedly a courageous woman) for leaving him. Will the hapless couple get together, ever?
GROUNDED
For want of a better word, I had made this the title of the third book in my series, without a clue as to how I was going to play it out. I only knew it was going to be the story of the third sister, Vaishali. Then lockdown happened, and everyone was Grounded; with Vaishali and Avinash stuck with each other as next-door neighbours in a building in Mumbai. He’s totally lost when he’s grounded after returning from abroad, with a time stamp on the back of his hand insisting that he not come in contact with another human being. Having know clue how to even heat water, he is saved from not only starvation, but also loneliness, by his beautiful neighbour. He falls in love, but she’s dead set against marriage. Will Avinash find happiness with the love of his life?
All three books in this series are available on Kindle, and can be read for free on Kindle Unlimited. 
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A to Z April Challenge 2024: F for FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

 

Sachin is a poor little rich kid who goes the wrong way when he befriends people who are only interested in his money. He has a tough time kicking his drug habit, but somehow manages the near impossible feat. 
Grabbing his new life in both hands, he adopts a baby boy and sets up a gym; breaking off with his parents who are simply not interested in their only son, and heir.
Bina is an international model who falls sick. Taking a long break, she goes back to live with her parents; shocked out of her wits when she finds out that she had been adopted when she was barely three weeks old. Heartbroken and unreasonable, she kicks out at anyone and everyone who comes within a few feet of her.
Will the two broken souls be able to help each other out? Read my book FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE to find out for yourself.  

Story-in-Brief: 
Sachin turns over a new leaf… after a quarter century of living the life of an angry little rich boy. After all, his parents don’t give a damn about their only son once they complete their duty of bringing an heir into the world. These days, he has an adopted son to love and care for.
But what about Sachin himself? Is there no one to love him in this big wide world?
International model Bina is not only physically ill, but also suffers from a broken heart when she discovers that her parents aren’t her own flesh and blood, but have adopted her when she was barely three weeks old.
Bina clashes with Sachin when their paths cross, sparks flying as he’s unable to stop himself from falling headlong in love with her.
Will the angry and frustrated Bina, who’s bogged down by self-pity, understand the love she’s surrounded with? Both from her adoptive parents and Sachin, who is patience personified?
Or will she ignore the tug of her heart every time she lays eyes on the handsome hunk?
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A to Z April Challenge 2024: E for EFFERVESCENT KIARA BAKSHI

 

Arjun Mathur, from ARJUN’S PENANCE , isn’t what he used to be a decade ago, when I first introduced the young man in An Autograph for Anjali , the book which belongs to his mother, Anjali. Those days, he was a cheerful, upbeat, supportive son, not only to his adoring mother, but also to his arrogant and insensitive father. Arjun doesn’t lose his cool even when his father is murdered, so much so, that he’s able to forgive the murderer without too much difficulty. But now, Arjun is an embittered and cutthroat businessman, without a shade of compassion. It appears as if he has locked away his heart and thrown out the key.
I realised he not only needed a partner who is sensitive and empathetic, but also someone who is EFFERVESCENT—read bubbly and cheerful; and that’s how the character of Kiara Bakshi was born. Kiara Bakshi is the perfect Yang to Arjun Mathur’s Yin. Read my book, ARJUN’S PENANCE on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, or Paperback, all available on Amazon. 

Here you go, an excerpt from my novel, to let you know more about the Effervescent Kiara Bakshi:
Kiara knocked on the door and entered when a voice invited her to, “Come in”. Entering, Kiara blinked when bright sunlight hit her face, almost blinding her as she looked at the person sitting behind the huge office desk, working on his laptop. But she couldn’t see beyond a vague outline. Presuming he must be the MD, she said, “Good morning, Mr Mathur.”
“Please have a seat, Ms Bakshi. Mudit should be here soon. We’ll start the meeting immediately after that.” Arjun didn’t look up at the woman who walked forward to sit in one of the visitors’ chairs in front of his desk.
“Thanks,” Kiara responded in a soft voice as she settled down in the chair. Blinking a couple of times, she got adjusted to the brightness before staring at the man behind the desk. He wore a dark blue suit teamed with a pristine white shirt and a silver-grey tie which had blood red motifs. His hair was brushed back neatly from his broad forehead, his eyebrows dark and thick. She couldn’t see his eyes as he was engrossed in his work. But she couldn’t miss the heavy eyelids and long, curling eyelashes any woman would die to have. A strong jawline, lean cheeks which were clean shaven and a square chin with a tiny cleft right in the middle made up the rest of the man’s face. As for his lips—Kiara’s gaze went wide as she ignored his thin upper lip when she noticed the sensual lower one. A man of infinite passion! She suppressed the giggle which rose in her throat, bringing her gaze down to her hands as they lay on her lap. For one with a chirpy nature, it was difficult to sit quiet and remain solemn. 
But Mudit had warned her. He had told her how serious his boss was; that Arjun Mathur wouldn’t tolerate her lively sense of humour. Indeed! Forget about his tolerance level, it looked like the man wasn’t even aware that there was another person sitting right across his table.
“Coffee or tea?”
“Huh?” Kiara looked up, startled. “You said something?” Her mouth opened in a moue when she looked into his honey brown gaze and felt herself drowning in it. Oh my God! If his lips were drool worthy, his eyes were heart wrenching for want of a better expression. 
“Ms Bakshi!” Arjun raised his voice to get her attention, a frown of irritation on his forehead. The woman was dumb or what? 
“I’m sorry! You were saying?” Kiara reined in her racing thoughts to ask him.
“Will you have coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, please.”
Mudit walked in after knocking, saying, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Arjun, Kiara.”
Arjun waved him into the seat next to Kiara even as he lifted the phone to ask for three coffees.
“Hey, what’s up?” Kiara gave Mudit a grin, her gamine face lighting up when she saw his friendly face. It was such a relief after staring at the MD’s grim countenance over the last five minutes.
“All good. I’m glad you could make it despite your busy schedule, Kiara,” said Mudit warmly.
“Shuddup! Don’t be so damn formal.” Kiara gave him a familiar pat on his forearm just as Arjun turned towards them.
“Arjun, this is Kiara Bakshi. I know you both have met, but let me give you some background. Kiara and I have been neighbours forever. And I can tell you she’s the best hacker there is. She…
Arjun lifted a hand to stop Mudit mid-sentence. “This is the ethical hacker you spoke to me about?” She looked like a kid out of school. What the hell would she know about hacking? Arjun looked at her properly for the first time after she entered his cabin. With corkscrew curls which tumbled down her slender shoulders, her dark eyes dancing with mischief, her lips in a permanent pout, her pixie face was maybe the cutest he had ever set eyes on. But that was all the more reason for him to know that she was absolutely unsuitable for the work he needed done. “But… but she’s a kid. I don’t think she will do justice to…”
“Just a minute here.” Kiara raised her left hand to stop Arjun mid-sentence even as she gripped Mudit’s forearm with her right, not at all keen that he defend her. Facing the managing director of the Mathur Group of Industries head on, she continued, “I don’t plan to tell you my age. But my credentials should speak for themselves.” She turned to Mudit. “I sent you my bio. Haven’t you shared it with your MD?” Again, before Mudit could reply, she said, “Okay, I see I have to prove myself here.” She quickly took out her laptop and placing it on the table, booted it.
“Listen, Ms Bakshi, I don’t have the time for this…”
“Five minutes. I just need five minutes of your time. You can throw me out after that.” Kiara didn’t look up at Arjun when she spat out the words, her focus on her laptop screen. Barely three minutes later, she smiled when Arjun’s phone pinged. Looking him straight in the eye, she said, “I think you have mail.”
With his frown growing deeper by the second, Arjun checked his phone. There was a mail saying that he had signed into his email using a new device. Clenching his jaw, he glared at the grinning Kiara. “What does this mean?”
“I just hacked into your email account.”
Arjun jumped up from his chair, snarling, “Get out. How can you bring her here, Mudit? You…”
Kiara lifted her hand, once again stopping Arjun mid-sentence. “You wanted to know if I am a good hacker and I just proved it. Shouldn’t you be welcoming me with open arms instead of chucking me out of your office?” 
Arjun spluttered, having a difficult time holding on to his temper. But he couldn’t deny the logic in her words. Her black eyes danced even as her wide lips stretched even wider in a grin. Arjun bit his lip hard to stop the sudden smile which threatened to break out on his face. Yes, he had to agree she was good. But that didn’t mean he was going to welcome her with a smile. With a tight look on his face, he admitted, “You’re right, Ms Bakshi, welcome on board.” 
Kiara thrust her hand across the table, “Let’s shake hands on that. And thanks, Arjun Mathur.” She was impressed by the way he had admitted she was right.
Arjun, who had already turned to speak to Mudit, looked at her outstretched hand. Not having a choice, he took it in his to give it a shake, startled by the shot of electric current which passed from her hand to his. He quickly snatched his hand away and plopped down on his chair with a thud. 
What the hell had happened just now?! 
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A to Z April Challenge 2024: D for DANCE WITH ME

 

DANCE WITH ME is the title of one of my romance novels. This is the second book in the series called Bollywood Bros, and is available on Kindle, and can be read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
This is the story of award-winning dance choreographer, Rajiv Chandhok, who is from an old Bollywood family based in Mumbai. He decides that a love match is not for him when he sees the trauma his younger brother Vivaan (Hero, Sing For Me, Bollywood Bros, Book 1) undergoes when the latter falls in love. 
Rajiv speaks to his parents and persuades them to arrange his marriage in true Indian style. 
Does that mean his arranged match will fair better than his brother’s love match? Read the story to find out what happens. 

Story-in-Brief
An arranged marriage...
At a meeting set up by common friends of the family, it’s instant attraction for Bollywood choreographer Rajiv from Mumbai, when he sets eyes on the beautiful Inaaya from Raipur. Inaaya feels drawn to a man for the first time in her life when she meets Rajiv.
Deeper feelings invoked…
The duo falls under each other’s spell during the few times they meet even before they tie the knot, but are still not sure enough to admit their feelings for one another.
Then the axe falls… creating a rift between the couple 
Despite that, the physical desire between them rages on. But is that enough? Will the hapless duo ever connect on other levels? Or will they go their separate ways?
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A to Z April Challenge 2024: C for CHIRAG BHATIA

 

In this post, I am introducing you to a protagonist from my book, called AQUARIUS REBEL , which is from my Written in the Stars 6-book series. 
Chirag is not only a handsome hunk, but an intelligent and successful businessman who owns and runs an ad agency in Delhi. The youngest of three siblings, the commitment-phobic Sagittarius is happy to let his older sisters provide the grandchildren for his parents to play with, while he himself prefers to lead the life of a fun-loving bachelor.  
It’s deep attraction at first sight when he meets Shreya from South Africa at a party ( Leo’s Desire ) held at his friend’s place. It isn’t long before they enter into a rocking affair which lasts the better part of four years, as they continue to be in a long-distance relationship.
He doesn’t want to commit to long-term (read permanent)… until he receives Shreya’s wedding invitation, to someone else. 

To let you know more about CHIRAG BHATIA, I bring you a sample chapter from my book:
PROLOGUE
Ambika and Sunil Udhas have great pleasure in inviting you to the wedding of their daughter SHREYA, with… 
“NO!” 
His face draining of colour, Chirag Bhatia shouted the word as he forcefully threw his cell phone on the sofa in one corner of his office, not far from where he was standing at the window. His heart thumped heavily, sweat forming on his forehead and upper lip as he fumed. He had just got to know that Shreya, his girlfriend of four years, his fuck buddy, the woman he was having a long-distance affair with, was getting married. The invitation was a forward from her younger sister, Aadhira. 
But why? How?  And no, Chirag didn’t want to know the date, or the name of the man who was the bridegroom. That wasn’t the reason for him losing his temper. Chirag had been sure that Shreya wasn’t keen on marriage, same as himself. And she had been thwarting all her mother’s efforts to push her into wedded bliss. While he lived in Delhi, India, she was based in Durban, South Africa. But the distance hadn’t mattered during the four years they had known each other. In the beginning, all Chirag had been interested in, was a brief fling. Shreya was not only beautiful with a gorgeous figure, but she was also extremely intelligent and Chirag had been totally drawn to her right from the start. He had been confident that their affair would run its course. But it hadn’t, not even after four years. 
Then why the hell had she agreed to marry some other man? Chirag was all set to blow his top. Agreed, he hadn’t shown interest in tying the knot with her. But neither had she. If she had… Chirag paused for a few moments. What would I have done if she had told me she was interested in getting married? He shook his head to himself, not very sure. Would he have offered to marry her? Was he ready for marriage? From the day Shreya entered his life, Chirag had not glanced at another woman, at least not in a flirtatious light. In fact, he had not even felt an urge to check out women, young or old; beautiful or ugly; not after meeting Shreya.
Did that mean he was in love with her? Chirag did not know. 
One thing he was clear about though—the roiling jealousy he felt at the pit of his abdomen, for the man who was planning to marry Shreya. NO!!!
“Hey, is something wrong?” Nishaan Ahuja (Hero, LEO'S DESIRE ), Chirag’s bestie from childhood, walked into the office cabin, startled to see the way Chirag punched his fist into a wall.
“Yes, damn it! My world has fallen apart,” shouted Chirag, turning to glare at Nishaan as if it was all his fault.
“Eh? How come?”
“Shreya is getting married,” said Chirag, his tone suggesting that the world was coming to an end indeed. “So?” Managing to curb a smile, Nishaan gave his best friend a curious glance. He could read all the symptoms of a man in love in Chirag. Only, he had been denying it for all of four years. It looked like the time had come for Chirag to face the truth. 
Chirag was all set to jump down Nishaan’s throat. “What the hell do you mean by that? Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Nishaan shrugged. “Of course, I did. You said that Shreya was getting married. But so what?”
Chirag reached across to catch Nishaan’s jacket collar in both his hands, shaking him, not very successfully. “My Shreya is getting married,” he shouted, his black eyes thunderous as he glared at the other man. 
Nishaan clamped his hands around Chirag’s forearms to pull his hands off his collar. “Is she? Your Shreya, I mean?”
“If you weren’t my best friend, you’d be sporting a black eye by now,” growled Chirag, stepping away from Nishaan, just so that he wasn’t tempted to punch him. Such was the heat of his temper! Couldn’t Nishaan see how terribly hurt he felt by what he saw as Shreya’s duplicity? How could she go behind Chirag’s back and get married? It was only six weeks ago when they had spent four blissful days roaming the streets of Paris, and spending each night making torrid love in their hotel room. She had not breathed a word to him of her plans even at that time. What kind of a woman did that make her? This was betrayal at its height! 
He began pacing the length of his office, his face grim as he wondered about how to deal with the situation. That he still wanted Shreya was obvious. Their love affair was over by no means. And she couldn’t simply walk out on him like this. 
Nishaan plonked himself down on one of the visitors’ chairs in front of Chirag’s desk and called the office kitchen for some coffee and sandwiches. “I’m famished,” he declared in the way of explanation when Chirag turned to glare at him with a raised eyebrow. 
“Feel free,” said Chirag, highly sarcastic. Not that it mattered. Nishaan was always welcome in his office and did not have to ask Chirag’s permission for anything. But right now, Chirag needed a punching bag and Nishaan was available.
Nishaan didn’t bother to respond to Chirag’s sarcasm as he watched his friend pace the office angrily, a serene expression on his own face. 
Chirag came over to sit in his office chair when an office boy brought a tray with coffee, along with cheese and chicken sandwiches. “Why are you so quiet?” he asked Nishaan.
Nishaan shrugged. “Didn’t want to disturb you as you appeared deep in thought.”
“Deep in thought, my ass,” growled Chirag, keeping his coffee mug down violently, uncaring when some of the beverage sloshed over into the tray. “I’m going to kill Shreya with my bare hands,” he snarled some more.
“To what purpose?” asked Nishaan calmly, an eyebrow rising in query as he glanced at his friend’s enraged face.
“Huh?” Chirag frowned at Nishaan, trying to wrap his head around the latter’s words. Finally comprehending, he snapped, “Just for the pleasure of it.”  “I thought humping Shreya gave you pleasure enough. What has changed?” asked Nishaan, biting into a sandwich with relish. 
Chirag, who had picked up his coffee mug once again, paused in the middle of carrying it to his lips, to glower at Nishaan. “Do you think it’s funny?” he bit out.
Nishaan shook his head. “Of course not. I’m only trying to understand the situation here. You never wanted to marry Shreya, did you?” he asked gently.
Chirag swallowed the coffee with difficulty as he felt something clog his throat, unfamiliar with the emotion driving him. Realising that he might gag if he had more of the beverage, he returned the mug once again to the tray and stared at Nishaan unseeingly. Suddenly recalling that the other man was expecting an answer from him, he said, “I don’t know, yaar. I really don’t know.” 
Chirag had never associated Shreya and marriage in his life. But then, he had been having so much fun with her that he had not given marriage a thought. Luckily, his parents hadn’t either. It was a good thing he was the youngest of three children, and a male at that. His parents had been busy getting their daughters married off; and later, helping them with the birth of their children. Chirag had three nephews and one niece from his two sisters. 
Nishaan glanced at the pathetic expression on Chirag’s face, feeling rather sorry for him. He could make out that his friend was on the verge of discovering that he had fallen in love with the woman he had been having an affair with. That the relationship had lasted for more than four years must have told Chirag something before now. But it was obvious that Chirag had chosen not to give the prolonged time frame too much thought. And despite being Chirag’s closest friend, Nishaan didn’t think it was his place to point things out to the other man. Nishaan was sure he didn’t want his head bitten off for his efforts. The funny part was that Chirag was the one with the sunny nature. But he appeared driven just now, all set to explode in frustration. “Want to go for a drink?” asked Nishaan.
Chirag stared at Nishaan, a faraway expression in his eyes. Right now, he wanted to be alone as he tackled his abject misery at what he considered to be Shreya’s treachery. Forgetting all about Nishaan, he went to get his phone from where it was lying on the corner sofa to check the date of her wedding. A deep sigh shuddered through his lean frame when he saw it was to be held after three months, and in Durban. He scrolled up the invite to see if there was any information about the bridegroom. He clenched his jaw hard when he noticed that it was someone called Reyansh Bhargav based in Durban itself. Grr!
“Chirag?” Nishaan tried to garner his friend’s attention.
Chirag looked up from his phone blankly, as if wondering what Nishaan was doing in his office. Suddenly recalling that the latter wanted to go out for a drink, he said, “You go on, yaar. I’m not in the mood,” his mouth drooping at the corners.
Nishaan was torn, wondering if he should leave Chirag alone in this melancholic mood. But then, he respected that the other man wanted to be by himself. The reason why Nishaan had gone over to Chirag’s office was to share some news from his side; that he and his long-time girlfriend Chaahat Wadhwa, had finally set a date for their wedding. But Nishaan realised that the present time was not the right one to share his good news with his best friend. It will wait, as the date was set for two months from now.  
“If you’re sure,” said Nishaan, getting up. He walked across to Chirag and patted his shoulder. “I’m sure things will work out for the best.”
“From when did you become a philosopher?” asked Chirag, glowering at the other man.
Nishaan gave him a grin. “From the day I met my match.” And he left.
Chirag jumped to his feet, his mind working in a frenzied fashion. His friend Nishaan Ahuja had been a gay bachelor; actually, he still was. Only, these days he had a steady girlfriend in Chaahat. In fact, Nishaan and Chaahat had been together for five years, all because the two of them were in love. They were even planning to tie the knot soon. 
He paced back and forth, a deep frown on his forehead. “I don’t want to be disturbed,” he snarled when someone knocked on his door before opening it. Seeing his second-in-command, the vice president of his company, he barked, “Go home, Vikrant. I want to think.” He didn’t bother to find out if Vikrant Bakshi (Hero, IS THIS LOVE? ) followed his order as he continued to wear down the carpet with his furious pacing. 
“Are you sure, boss?” asked Vikrant, stepping inside to stand next to the door, his legs at ease, and his massive arms crossed over his equally massive chest. While his eyes smiled, he kept his expression stern as he looked at Chirag. The two men went a long way, and had become friends over the years. 
Chirag stopped pacing to glare at Vikrant. “About what?” he snarled. 
“You’re being rude.” 
Chirag sighed, extra loudly. “What do you want?”
It was nothing very important, and Vikrant didn’t want to bother his boss about it, not when it was obvious that Chirag was upset about something. “Forget it. I think there’s trouble in paradise?” asked Vikrant, lifting a thick eyebrow in query.
“Do you think it’s any of your business?” asked Chirag, going to stand in front of the younger man. They both were equally tall and big built as they stood toe to toe.
“The last time that happened, it was my business,” said Vikrant, giving Chirag a cheeky smile.
“Just go, Vik.” Chirag quietened down to speak softly.
“Want some advice?” asked Vikrant.
“Will it be of use if I tell you that I don’t?” Right now, Chirag wouldn’t mind the other man’s advice—after all, Vikrant Bakshi was extremely adept at trouble shooting.
Vikrant laughed softly. “Why don’t you put yourself out of misery and make Shreya Udhas your wife?” His words were gentle, but spoken in a firm voice.
The colour disappeared from Chirag’s face, leaving it pale and haggard. “You seriously think so?” he asked, a stunned expression in his eyes. “Of course, yes, Chirag. Why will I tell you so if I didn’t believe it’s the solution for your unhappiness?”
“Why did you never tell me before, you bastard?” asked Chirag, a pathetic expression on his face. The few times the thought had arisen in him—that maybe he wanted a more permanent relationship with Shreya—he had squashed it mercilessly, every time.
“Why? Because I would like my head to continue to remain attached to my neck; and I would like to keep my job too; in that order. I’ll see you, boss.” Vikrant took an about turn and would have left the cabin, only to stop when he heard Chirag’s anxiously whispered words. 
“But it looks like it’s too late.”
“What? Why?” Vikrant turned right back to face Chirag.
“Her marriage is already fixed with someone else,” said Chirag, his voice bitter as he stared unseeingly at the wall.
“Oh!” Vikrant’s eyes went wide in shock. Thinking on his feet, he said, “When is the wedding?”
“In three months.”
“There’s still time then.” There was utter relief on Vikrant’s face as he looked eagerly at his CEO.
“For what?” Chirag looked at the other man with dull eyes. 
“To stop that wedding and marry her yourself.” Vikrant spoke in an enthusiastic voice. “All the best, boss,” he said, before leaving the cabin. 
Chirag plonked down on the visitors’ chair which was closest to him, burying his face in his hands. Is that what he wanted to do? To make Shreya his wife? He thought of his best friend Nishaan Ahuja. Nishaan was in a happy space—had been from the time he met Chaahat. 
Chirag lifted his face suddenly to stare at the door. He had met Shreya four years ago, and had not looked at another woman after that. Chirag, the man who used to flirt with women of all ages, one who had always had only brief love affairs, had stopped giving other women a second glance. All because Shreya had become the centre of his existence.
And today, receiving the news of her forthcoming marriage, had shaken Chirag to the core of his being. How much ever he wanted to blame Shreya, he didn’t really have the right, did he? He had made no promises to her. Nor had she made any to him. There was no commitment between the two of them, as they met whenever they could and had fun, both in and out of bed.  
But that still didn’t stop him from feeling as if she had made a fool of him. Worse than that, he felt such a deep and unfamiliar anguish in the region of his chest, as if his heart was being squeezed, hard.
Chirag gasped loudly, when his mind threw up the most bizarre possibility. No, he wouldn’t admit even to himself that this was not the first time he had thought about this being the case.  
Have I fallen in love? 
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A to Z April Challenge 2024: B for THE BANSAL LEGACY

 

THE BANSAL LEGACY is one more book trilogy which surrounds the lives of the three Bansal siblings—Rohit, Rhea and Ritvik.
They belong to a hotelier family, beginning their lives at a hotel run by their parents in Mahabaleshwar. All the young Bansals have enjoyed working at the family hotel during their school and college breaks. The hotel legacy runs in their blood.
Rohit Bansal goes on to build and run SIMHA INTERNATIONAL , a 5-star hotel in Mumbai. Between catching a thief, and ensuring not to lose control of the ownership of the hotel to another director, Rohit finds solace in the arms of Tasha, his duty manager. Both have been hurt from previous relationships. Will they trust one another enough in the long term? 
Rhea Bansal doesn’t give a damn about the challenges faced by a woman who wants to grow big in the hotel industry. She goes on to set up ROSE GARDEN INTERNATIONAL in Ooty, having fallen in love with the hill station during a holiday. Jamie Scott from Australia, arrives in Ooty in search of his past. Desire sparks between the two right from the beginning. Read this romance novel to see if Rhea would trust a man enough to agree to spend the rest of her life with him. 
The youngest Ritvik Bansal grows into his own when he sets up MAHARAJA INTERNATIONAL at an old palace in Udaipur. Fearing women want him only for his looks and money, the embittered Ritvik decides to father a surrogate baby, much to his family’s shock. This is a couple of years before he meets Sia, the head of the beauty salon at his hotel, and falls headlong in love. There’s more to Sia than meets the eye. Will the CEO of the 5-star hotel be able to persuade her to become his? 
THE BANSAL LEGACY trilogy is available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback. They have all been Kindle bestsellers for many months after release. 

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A to Z April Challenge 2024: A for ARORA IYERS

 

ARORA IYERS is the title I have given to my book trilogy which includes my novels surrounding the Arora family and Iyer family coming together to take the surname of Arora Iyer.  

ONCE BITTEN TWICE SHY is the story of Deepshika Arora and Karan Iyer. Both have been unhappily married and go through the trauma of divorcing their spouses. This story is essentially about the second chance they take with each other…

…along with Deepshika’s teenage children—Darsh and Myra; and Karan’s teenage daughter—Krutika Iyer. 

It is not only the coming together of two adults, but their three children.

HEARTTHROB

Krutika Iyer falls in love at thirteen, with the handsome Darsh Arora, even before their parents decide to tie the knot. You must read the book to find out how the now married single parents—Deepshika and Karan—deal with a situation which could become truly awkward when Krutika insists on marrying Darsh (She is 13 to his 16) the moment she becomes an adult. All this, while Darsh has no romantic interest in his stepsister…

…until much later. But will they be able to lead a natural life as a couple, without any kind of awkwardness?

CALL OF THE HEART

Myra Arora Iyer meets Tarun Sawant on a cruise ship. The young and intelligent businesswoman falls headlong in love for the first time. As for Tarun, he’s a love-them-and-leave-them type, not keen on a permanent relationship. And he has his reasons for the same. 

Though he doesn’t show any interest in continuing with their relationship, Tarun is astounded by his own reaction when Myra leaves the ship. But is he ready to do anything about it?  

This trilogy books are available on Kindle, and are all Amazon bestsellers.

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A to Z April Challenge 2024: THEME REVEAL

 

I used to be a voracious blogger some years ago, writing about every subject close to my heart which included book reviews, film reviews, food recipes, topics on spirituality, things that touched me, and more. Soon, this evolved into writing and publishing short stories, and serialising my novels. 

All this was before I became a self-published author. Subsequent to becoming a self-published author on Amazon, I have removed the stories and novels from my blog. After that, my blog has been dedicated to book blitzes, and occasionally reviews. 

I have also participated in A to Z April Challenge for a few years, having successfully completed the challenge only once, in 2015.

I am determined to go the whole way this year and have a theme all ready. I will be taking my readers through the various self-published books (68, till date) and characters (1099, till date), their journey following the English Alphabet. 

Looking forward to interacting with as many bloggers/writers as possible from around the world in 2024. And I wish everyone of us the very best in participating in this blogging challenge. 

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