Page 41 of Tiger's Destiny
Loving Kishan wasn’t the problem. He was a great guy. Better than great. He was fantastic. I ticked off his traits in my head.Kishan is kind, handsome, brave, a good kisser, strong, he gives great massages, and he loves me. What else could a girl need? What is my problem?
As I sat there stewing, I heard a noise. An old, wrinkled woman hobbled down the path carrying a large bag. Deep-set brown eyes studied me from a face that had seen too many years in the sun. She smiled and nodded but kept shuffling along with slow heavy steps. White hair peeped out from beneath her bright yellowdupattaand her flowing skirt was marked with stains from the forest.
Just before she passed me by, one of her woven shoes slipped off her foot, and she toppled heavily to the ground. Her bag split open, and brown fruits about the size of small potatoes rolled in every direction. She groaned, and I immediately went to help her stand.
When I deposited the fruit and missing shoe at her feet, the old woman smiled and said, “Thank you. I Saachi. I rest here few minute. Okay with you?”
“Sure. It’s not like I own the log. I’m Kelsey. It’s nice to meet you.”
The woman inspected her bag of fruit, feeling them for bruises and then pulled one out of the bag. “Take. You must try. Sapota. Many grow here. Good to eat.”
Handing me the brown fruit, she grinned, revealing a mouthful of surprisingly white teeth and then ate a piece herself, wiping the dribbling stray juice on her scarf.
Tentatively, I bit into the fruit. The flesh was yellow-brown and the texture was similar to a pear, but the favor was like malt with just a hint of caramel.
“It’s good. Thank you,” I mumbled while turning the fruit to study it.
“Chinese call this heart fruit. You see?” she said and lifted another fruit to show me its shape. “It look like heart. All fall to ground when see you. Mean you broken heart, bruised. Bad luck to walk past you. Why your heart broken? You pretty girl. Strong back. What wrong? You got no mans?”
I laughed dryly. “No, I have too many mans. It’s a long story.”
“What you mean too many mans? I fix problem. Tell Saachi about the mans. They strong? Pretty?”
“They’re both strong and both very pretty.”
“Ah!” She grinned. “Saachi like story about pretty mans.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. Well, they’re brothers. The older brother is named Ren and the younger is called Kishan.”
She nodded. “Good name.”
“Right. Anyway, the younger brother, Kishan, asked me to marry him.”
I flashed the ring on my finger, and she inspected it closely.
“He want you wife? He a good man? Hard work? Lazy mans no good,” Saachi said.
“Oh, he’s not lazy. He’s very brave. He takes care of me. It’s just that . . . I love his brother too. I was with his brother first. We loved each other and then we were . . . apart for a while. During that time Kishan and I became close.”
“Ah,” she said as if understanding. “Happen my friend. Her man go away trip. Not come back long time. Then she marry other. Later her first mans come home but already too late. He go away again. No come back. Not too late for you. You no marry. You go back first mans. You still love him?”
“Of course I still love him. I never stopped loving him, but I can’t go back. He . . . it’s not safe when I’m with him.”
“What you mean? He hurt you? He beat you? Why you no choose him?”
“No.” In a tiny voice, I whispered, “That’s not why I’m afraid.”
She smacked her lips and shifted to a more comfortable place on the log. “You one crazy girl. You afraid handsome man who love you.”
I groaned, stood up, and started to pace. “The problem is he has a superhero complex. He likes to rush off and save the day.”
“That’s good. Brave mans,” she clucked.
“No. That’s bad. Heroes get killed. Every time he tries to save me, he risks his life. He endangers himself constantly.”
“Bah. Is no problem. Only problem your mind.”
“No!” I whipped around. “Don’t you understand? Mr. Kadam isdead! My parents aredead! If Ren dies, that’s it for me. There’s nothing else. The people I love die. I’m afraid that if I let myself love him, really love him . . . it’s like giving him a death sentence.”
