Silver Screen Dream (11 page)

I put it on, dabbed on a little perfume then decided to go the whole hog and applied some makeup. As I hovered the dark red lipstick over my mouth, the door rattled as the mad Djinn banged on it.

“Come on, come on, come on. This whole thing has taken me too much time to organise. We’ve got to go, we’ve got time zones to cross and dimensions of reality, and it really does get all kinds of complicated. We don’t have time for you to get all girlified.”

“All right, all right, I’m just finishing off.” I swiped on the lipstick then bit down on a slim piece of tissue to fix it. I winked at myself in the mirror, took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door.

“Hey, you look quite presentable,” Johnny said with a smile. Well it could have been a snarl, it was hard to tell with the volume of teeth the man housed between his lips. “Right, so no time like the present then, we better get going. Just hold on to my hand.”

“Hold your hand?”

“Yes, we need to be touching or this won’t work. Just close your eyes and think of England. Actually, think of Mumbai. It’ll help.”

I couldn’t quite believe I was doing it, but I followed his orders. I closed my eyes and I thought of Mumbai. More precisely, I thought of Rahul in Mumbai and, with my free hand, touched the amulet at my neck whilst I clung to the cold fingers of the strange man who’d broken into my home.

“Okay, Laura, I’m sorry for all this. I’m going to help make it better.”

Johnny was the only other being present in the room—well, at least that had made himself known so far—so I had to assume the words of comfort and apology were spoken by him. I was just wondering how I felt when a wall of heat hit me. My dress wafted around me as a strong wind blew. I covered my eyes as something fine like dust bombarded my exposed skin. It didn’t last long, and all the time I was aware of Johnny’s hand in mine and the necklace around my neck. Both made me feel safe. I’d have laughed at the irony if I hadn’t been scared to the point of inactivity.

I have to say that, judging by the faces of the crowd around me when I opened my eyes, I was probably the least surprised of everyone on my arrival. I was on a lawn, surrounded by many people, all of whom, apart from looking shocked, were dressed alike in bright colours. I was sheltered from the heat of the sun by a tent—I believe it was a
mandap,
which is a special awning for just such occasions. It was mostly white but there were flowers and petals and ribbons in strategic places all around. The sun was fading over the trees in the distance—it was apparently late afternoon in Mumbai—and the ceremony was bathed in a soft, golden hue that seemed as if the heat from the sun had turned into a colour and settled around us all. I was hot and disorientated and felt just a little bit sick.

“Laura,” a familiar voice called me.

I turned to look at him. Rahul sat on the other side of a small fire that burnt in an intricate iron brassier. He was wearing a
Sherwani.
It glinted gold in the light with accents of red. The high collar framed his handsome face that peeked out from beneath the traditional turban.

“Dear God, it’s true,” I gasped and let go of Johnny’s hand as I realised I still gripped it tightly.

“What’s going on?” the beautiful woman sitting opposite Rahul snapped.

I quickly worked out she must have been Malati, the bride. She looked stunning in a sari of cream edged with dark crimson and covered with intricate needlework in gold thread.

“What is happening here?” she demanded.

“Malati,” Rahul said as he stood, “this is the woman I love.”

There was a gasp from the gathered crowd, and, as I looked around, I realised Johnny had disappeared. I was centre stage and everyone looked somewhat pissed off. I gulped.

“Hello,” I smiled. “Erm, I think I’m here to stop the wedding.” I was pleased that my Hindi was good enough to make myself understood—and to understand what others were saying.

“What?” A loud growl erupted from close by and a tall, imposing, older man strode forwards. “What are you doing here? This is a private function.”

“Yes, I-I’m terribly sorry,” I stuttered. “But I heard Rahul is actually in love with me and I had to come and check to see if it was true.”

“Is it true?” The beautiful bride also stood up, her bangles jangling together harmonically. “Do you really love this woman?” She looked at Rahul.

So did I. I’m not sure which of us was more eager to hear his answer.

“I love her,” he said and strode purposefully towards me. “I really do love her.”

Again, shocked gasps surrounded me, and I heard the scuffles of movement as two burly guys stepped forwards.

“But you are engaged to Malati, you snake,” the father exploded. “It has been decided for as long as my daughter has lived. Your father promised me the day would come when our families would be united.”

“I’m sorry, Narendra, but I’m afraid that wasn’t my father’s decision to make. It’s mine, and I don’t want to marry Malati.” He turned to her then. “I’m sorry, I really don’t.” He stood closer to me and wrapped an arm around my waist.

Finally, I felt something familiar in this strange event in such a foreign place.

“I’d really like to marry Laura,” he went on. “Well, one day, if she’d like to, of course.”

“I would love to marry you one day.” I smiled up at him. “Even though you disappeared without a trace and sent a very unsavoury character to my home to bring me here and scared me half to death in the process. Even though you’ve done all that, I do love you. I think I always have.”

There were a few sighs and ‘awws’ from the assembled friends and family. I’m sure to them it seemed as if they were watching a film plot unfold before their very eyes.

“I don’t care if you’ve loved him since before you were born. He is my Malati’s
mangetar
and he cannot back out of that.”

“
Pita,
what about what I want?” Malati walked over to her father and placed herself between him and Rahul.

“You want this,” Narendra said to her, but it was as if it were a command, not just an affirmation of truth.

“No, I’ve never wanted it.” She turned to Rahul and smiled.

He nodded and smiled back. I have to say for a jilted bride she was taking it all in her stride.

“I have never wanted to marry, Rahul,
Pita
. I’ve never wanted to marry any man.”

“Oh, not this again,” Narendra sighed. “Not now, not with everyone here.”

“Why not?” Malati snapped. “Why not? I have hidden it away for so long, but not any more. I have done everything you’ve asked me to for the good of the family. I’ve gone along with this madness because you drilled it into me that it was what I had to do. No, no more. I am not going to make the worst mistake of my life today. No.
Pita
, friends, family, I am Malati and I don’t want to marry any man because I am a lesbian and I love a woman.”

At this stirring speech, a slim lady screeched and ran under the
mandap.
There was crying and hugging and intimate kissing between the two. I didn’t know if I should clap or turn away and give them their privacy. Malati’s father’s shoulders drooped, and he sighed deeply.

“So, Narendra,” Rahul exclaimed to the man and slapped him on the back, “it seems Malati has just rejected me. I’m not going to force a lady into a marriage she doesn’t want, you must understand that.”

Narendra slowly nodded.

“Malati is your daughter, she deserves to live her life in freedom and love, right? And those two have been in love for a long, long time. Let them live their dream. I know your love for her is greater than your love for your business!”

“Rahul, I thought I was doing right by her. I wanted her to grow up with a stable man behind her, to have a comfortable and pleasing life. I only ever wanted to make her happy.”

“Alisha makes her happy,” Rahul replied, “and has done for many years.”

Malati broke from her kiss with Alisha but stayed wound in her embrace. “He’s right,
Pita
. I have loved Alisha since I met her four years ago. She means the world to me. Don’t be upset, please. I’ve always wanted to please you.”

“Malati, you please me just by your existence, sweet child. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

The assembled crowd let out another contented sigh as father and jilted yet happy bride embraced.

“Look,” Rahul said. “To show there’s no hard feelings I shall pay all the bills for this beautiful occasion, how’s that? Then we’ll call this engagement off, leaving Malati and me free to marry whoever we like.”

I saw many emotions pass through Narendra’s face in the next couple of seconds, but in the end he smiled and nodded.

“You cannot say fairer than that,” Narendra said. “I am sorry for any distress I have caused you.”

“Forget it, it never happened.” Rahul waved his hand to emphasise his point.

Narendra walked away, and his daughter and her lover smiled and waved at us before they followed him. I was glad my happy ending was enabling someone else to pursue theirs, too. I really hadn’t wanted to break anyone’s heart.

Rahul guided me in the other direction, his arm still wrapped around my waist. “Hi,” he said as we found a quiet corner of the garden.

“Hi,” I replied, and he pulled me into an embrace.

“I have never been so relieved to see someone in my life before. Thank you so much for coming.”

“Well, what else could I do?” I smiled. “I thought I was going to die anyway, so I just did what the psycho-burglar guy told me to do.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, but it was kind of an emergency.”

“I honestly don’t know if I’m coming or going, here. It all seems like a dream. Maybe I was drugged or something, but a Djinn? I don’t know if I can believe in that.”

“Hard cheese, I exist whether you like it or not.” Johnny walked past and winked at me. “Now I’m off to find the food. I don’t think I need to see what’s coming next. Shout if you need me.”

“Thanks, Johnny,” Rahul said. “I appreciate it.”

“No worries, buddy. It’s what I do,” Johnny called over his shoulder and waved as he walked away.

“I don’t like to agree with Johnny, but this time he’s right. He exists whether you believe it or not. I know it’s difficult to get your mind around, but you’ll soon get used to it.”

“I’ll take your word for it, love.” I smiled again. I’d accepted so much that day, one more thing didn’t seem worth arguing over. Even if that one thing was the existence of a magical being who granted wishes.

“Laura, I’m so glad you’re here,” he sighed. “I was so worried about you.”

“Same here. I didn’t know where you’d gone. I thought you’d used me.”

“Oh, hell no. I meant what I said before. I do want to marry you, one day, if you’ll have me. I love you. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere if it wasn’t for two very gruff and very insistent guys who kidnapped me from my own hotel room.”

“Are you just going to let them get away with that? It’s all kinds of illegal.”

“I know,” Rahul sighed, “but to be honest, I don’t care anymore. All’s well that ends well, and I’ve got you. I’ve just been freed from an arranged marriage that has hung over me for years and I’m now with the woman I love. I do love you, you know, and I do want to marry you.”

“I love you, too.” My eyes stung as tears pooled just above the lower lids. The emotions of the day had caught up with me. “And I would be honoured to be your wife.”

If I’d thought I’d experienced a real lover’s kiss before, I was very wrong. This kiss was something special. We gripped each other desperately, kissed deeply and passionately because we were there and we were together and so much could have happened to pull us apart. We had survived such a huge trial so miraculously, and that kiss celebrated all of that.

“Now, my future wife, how about we go and find somewhere to be alone together? I do believe we were rudely interrupted in the middle of our…what’s the word?”

“Fucking?” I suggested.

“I was thinking of the word ‘courting’ but yeah, that works, too.”

We laughed and disappeared away from the crowds of whispering people. We wanted to be together immediately, so instead of going to his posh house on the other side of town, we walked along an exotic street to a hotel with a bed made for two and with no hint of a Djinn in sight. It was surreal. I had dreamt all my life of being in Mumbai. I’d wanted to be there, to experience it all. I’d take photos, write a diary and record every scent, sight and experience for posterity. But that night I didn’t look left or right. I walked straight ahead, completely set on my destination. All I wanted was to reach a place where I could properly embrace my lover and confirm the fact he really was there and it wasn’t a dream.

It will sound so clichéd to you, but that night our lovemaking was something extra special. We were in love and both of us had admitted it. It was time to explore the depths of that emotion.

“You look so beautiful in that dress,” he gasped as he slammed the door shut behind him, “but I want to see you out of it.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “I want you to see me out of it, too.” I walked over to the hotel bed. It was a simple and small room, but there was cool air conditioning and clean sheets and I had always been a girl of simple needs.

We disrobed, pulling at material and tugging at folds until our bodies were uncovered and we could embrace properly, skin to skin.

“I’ll never grow tired of your nakedness,” he sighed as he pulled me down onto the soft bed. “I’ll want to sample it regularly.”

“I think that can be arranged,” I laughed as he gently ran his fingertips across my cheek. “As long as you’re naked, too, I’m happy.”

 “That’s what I love,” he said, gathering me closer to him and running his fingers over my shoulder blades, “a woman who is easily satisfied.”

There was a lightheartedness to our coupling. The intensity was still there, but there was a celebratory air of joy and fun that led to much laughter and many smiles. I might have only been parted from him for a matter of a single day, but I had thought it was going to be forever. I revelled in the happiness of being with my soul mate. The last time we’d been together, I had pretended I was the lead in a Bollywood movie. But this time I knew it was something better. I didn’t want an imaginary story any more, I didn’t need a script. I wanted what I had. My life was better than any made-up tale. I laughed, and the ecstasy quickly built inside me. It wasn’t a time for teasing or for slow, leisurely explorations. Our need was much more urgent than that. I wanted him inside me and he knew it. We were perfectly attuned, and I soon felt the comforting and arousing weight of his body on top of mine.