FF: The Tempest, chapter 11 - Epilogue, p 32 - Page 6

Chapter 3

Ahem sat back in his business class seat as the plane taxied for takeoff back to London. He had a hectic but productive time. He had secured all projects he had prepared for. His kaka, Chirag, was elated with his excellent work.

Ahem felt he had a spring in his step throughout his journey. He enjoyed the local hospitality and won business hearts easily. His presentations left each company fully confident that Modi Industries was the company for them, with the handshake sealing the deal.

What gave him this bounce?

He thought back to his conversation with his mother before boarding the flight. She was enlivened by the upcoming arrangements. Just as she was about to mention the girl's name an incoming business call was beeping, cutting his talk short. To date he had no idea who his mother settled for him but he was sure her choice will be the best not only to meet his family's social standing but also to his family. So it could not have been this.

He thought about his short meeting with Jigar at the office at mid morning on the day of his flight. All they had talked about where the pending matters that needed attention whilst he was not there. Jigar was not his quirky mischievous self rather he had shown having to greater sense of responsibility than ever before. So it could not have been him.

He recollected waking up in the early hours of the morning just before sunrise. He had realised that he had slept for the better part of the night. She had gone but her scent lingered on the pillow. He hugged the pillow and drew in long breaths in not wanting to miss any of the moments he had with her.

Hugging the pillow something stuck in his mind making him clench his heart tightly. He shot his eyes up to the ceiling and his blood ran cold through his veins when he realised something. Something had just dawned on him. He did not use any protection the previous night!  He realised that the moment transported him to a world never ventured before making him to completely forget this. How careless of himself to do this, he reprimanded himself. He had to find her to know that she is okay, but he had thought of doing this on his return.

It had to be her that had made him breathe life into himself. Every night on his travel when he had put his head on the pillow she entered his mind. He thought of her, her face, her eyes, her innocence, her softness and the pleasure he had. The more he had thought about her, the more he could not let go of her. This was not the case with the other ones. She was different. She was heavenly, beautiful and endearing. She was divinely supreme. She captivated his imagination night after night. He resolved that he had to find her.

With this Ahem opened his briefcase and took out the invite he had found on the side table. He opened it and reread it, searching for clues hoping the cryptic words would reveal something but there was none found.

Ahem was looking forward to attending the youth conference held in his suburb of Wembley, meeting young adults who have big dreams of making a difference in the world. He believes in change and progress. He decided to focus his talk on his journey taken to where he is now and what his aspirations are for the future.

Between arriving in London and this event his engagement will be taking place leaving him with no time to set the wheels in motion to find her, he pondered anxiously.

His mum, Kokila Modi, has been insistent on getting him married and had gone seeking a wife for him. He knows his mum very well.  She will do anything for him as she has always been his pillar of strength. Whilst his dad, Parag Modi, was around but it was his mum that brought him up, made sure he attended the best schools and universities, making a man of him. He owes everything to her. She is known for her high religious morals and is a popular and renowned socialite in Wembley. It was through her that got him to be the guest of honour at this youth conference.

May be she would be at this conference, thought Ahem. She left the card behind so it is likely that she has something to do with the Yuvak Samaj. He won't know until he gets there but that will be the start, he encouraged himself.

He returned the card to his briefcase, switched his seat light off, lowered his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

He replayed the whole scene again from the time he opened the door to him taking her into the house, finding her standing at the window in his bedroom as though she had been there all along waiting for him. He replayed slowly the tender moments. He knew every part of her body like the back of his hand. He still possessed that deep hurt when he realised it was her first time, like it happened yesterday, but what followed on was rapturous for her too as it was for him. Once wasn't enough for him, he wanted more.

It wasn't only the lovemaking that was wonderful it was her look in her eyes of innocence never seen in a girl before, it was her demeanour and it had to be this unspoken aura about her too. Just holding her in his arms felt like his want to protect and safeguard her from the world. She was like no other, a paragon of virtue, and he had to find her.


Gopi sat alone on the bed in her small back room of her mami's terraced house in Wembley. Mid afternoon her mami had arranged for the neighbour to come over to apply mehendi on Rashi and her hands for the engagement the next evening.

Her mami took her under her wing after both her parents died in a car accident when she was five. She was staying over at her mami's place on her Christmas holiday when the accident took place. Her parents had gone to visit their close family friend in Manchester. When returning to London their car collided with a truck and overturned killing them instantly. Black ice on the road was blamed for the accident.

Her mami provided her with the most basic of accommodation and lifestyle. She was spared of any luxuries or valuable presents for her birthdays and festive occasions. She was told that life was hard and she had to earn her keep. This meant after school she had chores to do that kept her busy till late at night leaving little time for her to complete her homework or study for tests and exams. Weekends meant more chores.

Regardless of doing these chores no matter how tough and enduring they were at times, especially the spring cleaning times just before the festive occasions, Gopi felt grateful to have a place to stay in. She gave up asking for special things in the first year of her stay when her mami told her emphatically that she was just doing her duty to keep her in her house and that she was neither her mother nor father to provide anything extra for her.

With Rashi getting involved in the Yuvak Samaj mami wanted her to join too to give Rashi companionship. This was the only small respite that Gopi had. As a result Gopi learnt to make the best use of her own time.

It was through her interaction at the samaj when Gopi was noticed by Kokila Modi. She had many conversations with Mrs Modi and had helped in much of the samajic work. She had heard of Mrs Modi's family as she had fondly spoken of them and their whereabouts.

She was told of the joint family living the Modi's enjoyed. She had lived with her mota bhabhi, Hetal Modi, wife of Chirag Modi, and their son, Jigar, and Baa. Her own family was made up of her daughter, Kinjal, who was away at university and her son, Ahem.

Little did Gopi ever imagine her being chosen to be married to Ahem. She felt she was nothing compared to him – he had everything and she, well, an orphan. What else was there to tell? How was she to be the wife of The Great Ahem Modi? she asked herself.

Gopi looked at her intricate mehendi design. She is finally going to meet him tomorrow evening at his family's home for the engagement. She has never been inside the house before but had walked past it once only by chance because Rashi insisted on doing this. The house was in the wealthier side of Wembley. It was an overbearing three storey detached house with a large front and driveway leading up to their front entrance. Soon she will be living there.

She cast her mind back to that faithful day when she had met him. It was a whirlwind moment of wanton desire from her, she had ever experienced. She was captivated by his being and felt besieged by his appearance hypnotising her to yield to him. Yet he shown her that he cared, that he can be tender and gentle, and that he has the capacity love and protect. She felt this in his touch, heard it in his voice while making love and seen it in his eyes.

That evening she returned home and pretended that everything was normal to her mami and Rashiben. It was only when she was having her bath that night when she noticed a deep red mark just above one of her breasts. She smiled caressing the area, reminiscing of her time with him. This love bite was her only thing she took away of him that day. As the days went by she watched it fade away to nothing leaving just the memory of her time with him.

She would wake up perspiring every morning having dreamt of their lovemaking. What replayed was his closeness to her, his touch, his voice, his kisses and his restful look while he slept. She missed all of this. Once wasn't enough. She wanted more.

Tomorrow night she will get to see him again. Will he remember her? What will he think of her now having spent that afternoon with him just a month ago? Will he cast her aside having already had a taste of her? Will he reject her and stop the wedding? Gopi's mind clouded beginning to spiral her into depression.

She knows that her mami will get upset should anything untoward happens. How will she save her face from society? The thought of her mami and her pending emotional blackmail worsened Gopi's state further.

That night Gopi talked to her kanaji then cried silently, much like many other nights. It was her only solace of calming herself down by bringing her to a state of relinquishment. Her kanaji was her only true friend who listened to her. With this Gopi fell asleep.