Page 147 of Tiger's Quest
Kishan flipped through some more. “Why didn’t you take a camera into Kishkindha?”
I shrugged but Mr. Kadam explained, “I didn’t want to burden her with too many heavy objects. She needed water and food.”
Kishan grunted and said, “I’m definitely getting a copy of this one,apsaras rajkumari.”
He handed the camera to me. It was the one of me in the gossamer gown with fairies “hair clips.” I looked like a princess with glowing skin and bright eyes. My hair hung in soft waves down my back, and I could just make out a pink fairy peeking around a lock of hair to see my face. Mr. Kadam looked over my shoulder.
“You look quite becoming, Miss Kelsey.”
Kishan laughed. “You should have seen her in person.Quite becomingis an understatement.”
Mr. Kadam chuckled and went to get his bag from the car.
Kishan rested a hip against the table. He cupped his hands, brought up a knee, and looked at me with a serious expression. “In fact, I’d say that I’ve never seenanythingmore beautiful.”
I shuffled my feet nervously. “Well, it’s always startling when someone gets a makeover. A fairy makeover would be all the rage at the salons.”
He gently took my elbow and turned me toward him. “Themakeoveris not what made you beautiful. You are always beautiful. The makeover just accentuated what was already there.” He lifted my chin with a finger, and looked into my eyes. “You are a lovely woman, Kelsey.”
Kishan put his warm hands on my bare arms and rubbed them lightly. He tugged me closer. His eyes darted down to my mouth. As he lowered his lips to within inches of mine, I deliberately pressed my hands against his chest and admonished, “Kishan.”
“I like the way you say my name.”
“Please let me go.”
He lifted his head, sighed, and said softly, “Ren. . . is a lucky,luckyman.”
He reluctantly slid his hands from my arms and then stepped over to the window.
I busied myself by gathering toiletries and pajamas. Kishan watched me quietly for a minute, and then announced, “I think I need a makeover too. A hot shower is calling my name.”
Still nervous, I said, “Yeah. Me too. A hot shower is going to feel heavenly.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Would you like to go first?”
“No, you go ahead.”
His eyes twinkled as he regarded me, “It would be more heavenly if you told me you wanted to conserve water.”
My mouth opened in shock. “Kishan!”
He winked at me. “I didn’t think so. Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
I was saved from responding by Mr. Kadam’s return.
By the second day, Mr. Kadam and I had compared notes on the vision of Lokesh. He had noticed the tattooed servant helping Lokesh too, and he thought his appearance was distinct enough to track down where the man was from. Mr. Kadam had also planned to discreetly investigate Lokesh’s office in Mumbai.
The air was so muggy outside that we probably could have filled our water bottles just by hanging them out the window. We passed temples with golden cupolas and busy people working in their fields, drove over swollen rivers and through flooded roads, but all I could think about was getting back to Ren. In fact, the only thing that interrupted my thoughts of Ren was Kishan.
Something had changed between us in Shangri-la, and I didn’t quite know what to do about it. Spending all those weeks with Kishan didn’t help. He was moving past flirting and was starting to make serious overtures. I had hoped that he would lose interest.
Originally, I had thought that the more he got to know me, the less he would like me. But I seemed to have the opposite effect on him. I did love him, but not in the same way he felt about me. I’d learned to rely on and trust him. He’d become a good friend, but I was in love with his brother. If I had gotten to know Kishan before Ren, things might have been different. But I hadn’t.
Thoughts kept nagging at me as we drove.Was it just luck that I met Ren first? That we had the opportunity to fall in love? What if Kishan had followed me to America and not Ren? Would I have made a different choice?
The truth was that I didn’t know. Kishan was a very attractive man, both outside and in. There was something about him, something that would make a girl want to wrap her arms around him and keep him forever. He was lonely. He was searching for a home, for someone to love him, like Ren was. He needed someone to take him in and let the wandering, lost tiger rest. I could easily envision that person being me. I could see myself falling in love with him and being happy with him.
But then I thought about Ren who had the same qualities that I loved about Kishan. Ren also needed someone to love him, to quiet the restless tiger. But Ren and I fit together so much more easily, like he was made especially for me. He was everything I could possibly wish for wrapped up in a gorgeous package.
