The Braille Club Undone (The Braille Club #3) (3 page)

The Braille Club Undone

The Braille Club, London. Two Years On. Guy was working on new fingerprint security and they were trialling it in the Elite Suites. A scanner at reception copied the thumbprint, and that was sent wirelessly to the door lock recognitions system. Only the clients thumb would unlock the door, no more lost keys. They hoped to use the technology throughout the club.

Virinder

Virinder sat before Guy in his swan persona, his outward calm in stark contrast to his inner turmoil. Again, he wondered why he was here, but of course, he knew. He was running scared, his arranged marriage getting closer and closer.

“Everything seems in order,” said Guy. “If you’d like to follow me, I’ll show you the club and the facilities. You can book your sensory lessons direct with The Braille reception.”

The club was everything he had hoped for and more—he was mesmerised. For the first time since the nightmare of his arranged marriage had started, he experienced a rush of pleasure. After the tour, he sat in a beautiful lounge within the club and ordered tea. The membership had been expensive but he saw it as a lifeline. He needed to collect his thoughts. His bride to be, Noor, was a beauty. His family were proud and excited for him but he did not share their enthusiasm. Something in Noor’s dark eyes made him shiver. He had met her only once and a sixth sense set alarm bells ringing. When she smiled, her beauty charmed those around her, but not Virinder, he felt only dread. He had tried earlier to bring caution to the proceedings but his mother hushed him. When he tried to speak with his father, he had gotten angry.

“Virinder,” he said sharply. “We have been patient; we have given you a fine education and freedom until now. It is time for the next step. This is a good match,” he said confidently. “What is it that worries you?”

Virinder couldn’t verbalise what he felt, so settled for the truth.

“I don’t like her,” he replied, feeling foolish.

“Nonsense, she is beautiful and will make a good wife for you,” said his father dismissively.

Virinder dropped his gaze and tried to reign in his increasing panic. Trapped, he paced around his father’s study.

“I won’t marry her,” he said defiantly.

“Virinder, in
this
you do not have a choice,” his father’s voice was cold. “You will not shame this family. Do you understand?”

He nodded dejectedly unable to reason with his father in this mood. Fear clawed at his insides. The net was closing and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Virinder?”

He could hear his mother’s voice calling him. She was hovering outside in the hallway. He looked at his father’s set expression and with reluctance slipped out the room.

“Virinder, there you are.” His mother’s face was anxious. “Noor will be here any minute. You’re not even ready,” she exclaimed.

“Mother, I am ready,” he said quietly.

“Surely you’re not wearing that?”

Virinder glanced down at his baggy black jeans and shapeless black t-shirt and shrugged.

“Put on a shirt at least,” she pleaded.

Annoyed, Virinder walked towards his room. All this fuss, he wanted to scream, but the thought of The Braille Club and his scheduled sensory lesson calmed him. He had been there earlier that day. Virinder hated his body. His doctor officially confirmed he was clinically obese. He worried his weight would prevent him from joining the secret club and had spent many anxious weeks waiting. When nothing arrived after several months he resigned himself to the fact his application had been rejected, and then his membership arrived. Scarcely able to believe his eyes, he had activated his card and arranged his orientation tour. Hope soared through him that perhaps it wasn’t too late for him.

Virinder had been bullied since that, “fine education,” as his father had put it, had started. As a much-wanted son, he was spoiled. His older sister, Zita, was as thin as a rake like his father, but he was more like his mother. Her plump face radiated happiness. He had gone from a chubby toddler to an even chubbier boy. His mother struggled to get a school uniform to fit him and he had found it tight and uncomfortable to wear. The only time he saw his mother cry was at the hands of his father; another bully. Virinder remembered his father’s shout of outrage.

He had been almost five years old and had been playing with his cars when he knocked his father’s book from the table. The blow that resulted caught him completely by surprise. The sting of his father’s hand across his legs left him gasping.

“Pick it up,” said his father.

Shocked and afraid, Virinder’s legs almost gave way. His father’s hand tugged him upright and shoved him towards the table. He started to cry and in his panic rushed forward. He tripped over the book and fell. When he awoke, his mother’s tear-stained face made him reach out his arms. It was the first time he had ever been in a hospital and he clung to her in confusion. He didn’t remember falling. The doctors assured his mother he would be fine, a bump to the head, although worrying, rarely resulted in any long-term effects. They were wrong. When he saw his father, Virinder shrank away from him. His mother looked at Maalik sharply but said nothing. He knew then what his father was. Virinder never forgot the incident and spent the rest of his childhood comfort eating and avoiding his father. His father never struck him again. Whether that was because Virinder was never alone with him or from guilt, he didn’t know. His mother wasn’t so lucky. The remembered conversation still stung.

“Nina.” His father’s voice had been sharp and cold. “Virinder must lose weight. You will put him on a diet.”

“Maalik, he is only a child. He must eat to grow,” she said nervously.

He heard a slap and his mother wince.

“Do as I say, Nina. No son of mine will be fat. It is a sign of weakness.”

“Yes, Maalik,” she whispered.

Virinder could not see his parents from his position in the larder store. It was a large walk-in cupboard full of his favourite thing...food. The shelves were stuffed with treats. He had been getting a snack when he heard them and froze. He was frightened of his father, none more so than at that moment. Normally when his father looked at him, he barely concealed his look of disgust. Virinder tried so hard to please him but never seemed to get things right. He wanted to rush out and protect his mother but instead shoved the bread into his mouth to stop himself bawling as he listened to his mother weep.

His school days were filled with terror and humiliation. The school prided itself on its multi-racial students, but somehow being fat seemed to cross all divides. He was a target—picked on by all. Meanness and money made his tormentors particularly cruel. He was miserable and struggled to make friends. No one wanted to be associated with him. As if being fat was contagious. He saw the disapproval in his teachers’ faces. His only respite was his love of chess. There, he was appreciated for his skill and tactics. Virinder realised he was extremely good at board games and moved quickly to online gaming. Xbox and its wide variety of games became his life and his escape. He spent hours playing them, finishing most of his new games within a few short hours. That’s when he got interested in designing his own game platform. He was smart, grateful for the gene that made him academic, while cursing the gene that made him fat. He shuddered, thoughts of what his life would be like if he had been fat and stupid didn’t bear thinking about.

He studied IT at university while honing his own game design. He met and struck up a friendship with Cara. She had a face full of metal and wild black hair. A misfit like himself, she was wonderfully caring under her hard exterior. She volunteered to help him with his project. Cara was just as clever as Virinder and together they decided to go into business. She had great ideas for the game’s design. Jointly they developed what they thought was the right recipe. There was something in it for all abilities. The beginners could enjoy the game on a one-dimensional level, while the more serious gamers could unlock hidden zones where the difficulty kept them interested. The game was called Time Traveller. Gamers could travel to the future or to the past and enter that time. They must search and recover items deemed critical before their enemy got them. When launched as an app, the game was an overnight success. Virinder thought financial independence from his family would set him free; it did not.

He looked at Cara’s fierce face. The piercings through her eyebrows, ears and nose always made him wince. “Were they painful to get in?” he had asked her when they’d first met. She was so brave. Nothing and no one intimated her.

She merely shrugged. “It was more painful for my parents,” she snorted. “They’re appalled by their daughter’s appearance,” she laughed. Looking at Virinder intently she said, “You need to stand up for yourself.”

“It’s not that easy,” he sighed.

“Yes, it is,” she replied firmly. “Take control, Virinder. What can they do?”

Virinder shook his head sadly. “My father would disown me. I’d never see my mother or sister again. I can’t abandon them, Cara. They deserve more than that.”

Cara sat beside him. “So you’re just going to marry this woman you don’t even like?”

Listening to her words, even Virinder thought he sounded weak. “Yes. I don’t have a choice. My family wants the marriage,” he sighed.

“Fuck your family, Virinder. They’re not the ones getting married; they can’t force you to do something against your will.”

Virinder gave her a sad smile.

“Okay, why don’t you like her?” Cara huffed.

“I just don’t,” replied Virinder.

“You know, I didn’t like Danny when I first met him. I thought he was an idiot. Maybe when you get to know her...”

“No,” he interrupted. “She loathes me just like the rest of them. I’ve seen her look at me.”

“Virinder,” said Cara softly. “You are a lovely man, stop judging yourself. If you’re not happy with your weight, do something about it.”

Virinder knew she was right but he was miserable. “Cara, I’m still a virrr-gin,” he stammered. “I know nothing about pleasing women.”

Cara put her hand on his arm. “Virinder, I’ll speak to Danny. I think I might have something that will interest you.

“What?” said Virinder dejectedly.

“A club. It’s hard to describe,” said Cara.

“What good is a club?” said Virinder.

“It’s a secret club,” said Cara smiling.

Virinder looked at her closely. Cara had alternative tastes to match her alternative style.

“Before you say it, no, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

Virinder's cheeks grew hot. Cara could always see right through him.

“No, the club is posh and it has a really expensive membership. That’s if you’re accepted, but as I said, I’ll speak to Danny.”

Danny, like Cara, was part of this new uber rich set, although his parents were much more relaxed. His dad was involved with the music industry. Danny had a face full of metal too.

“I’m not sure,” Virinder mumbled.

“What do you have to lose?” asked Cara perceptively.

The conversation seemed such a long time ago now. Danny had sponsored Virinder, and the rest was history. Secretly, Virinder was both terrified and completely out of his comfort zone. His thoughts turned to Noor and his stomach turned over. Why could he see what no one else could? She was a fake. Her facade didn’t fool him. Years of mistreatment and taunts had made Virinder sensitive to a certain type of person. Noor was a bully, he recognised the characteristics immediately, but she was clever, masking her true nature from his family.

“Virinder.” He could hear his mother’s call. She was here. Virinder didn’t look at himself in the mirror. He must be strong; maybe she wasn’t as bad as he thought. He reluctantly went to join her.

The Braille Club Undone

The Braille Club, London. Two Years On. The Braille Club has several new zones—Pandora is one of them. New zones means new experiences, and of course new rules. They are sleeker now, those rudimentary days a distant memory. The technology they use at the forefront of their success.

Noor

Noor approached the large house, and the tension of the last few hours with her father slipped away. This was where she belonged, this is what
she
deserved. She played her part well. Virinder’s family was on her side, she had sensed that from the beginning. Her potential fiancé, the thought still thrilled her, was perfect for her purposes. He was fat, shy and awkward. He would be easy to manipulate and control. Noor had spent a long time finding the perfect match. It hadn’t been easy after her father’s fall from grace but her beauty had been her greatest asset.

The Bashir family were willing to overlook her lack of wealth in exchange for her genes. They wanted their son married and made no secret of their desire for a grandchild—correction, Grandson—but all in good time, thought Noor; all in good time. She saw the taxi driver looking at her as she checked her reflection in her compact. Slowly she re-applied her lip gloss. She checked to see if he was still watching. He was. Noor smiled at him. He was young and good looking, just her type.

“What’s your name?” she asked boldly.

“John,” he replied, laughing.

“John, I will need a taxi later this evening. Would you be available?” she smiled again.

“Just ask for me when you call it in. It’s Chaudhry, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she replied, pleased he remembered.

He turned and gave her a card with his number. Noor paid him and promised to call. Squaring her shoulders, she prepared herself. Like any actor, she took a moment to get into character. Her confident, beautiful face changed to the shy and nervous demeanour she had perfected. She smoothed her hair which she fashioned in a long, plain plait. She didn’t want to go too far, so the clothes she wore were fashionable but demure. They would be disappointed her father would miss this special night. She thought of the sedative she’d given him earlier. He’d been asleep before she left and would never know she’d been out, let alone the small detail of her being engaged. She couldn’t risk him spoiling things as he always did. No. This way was safer, for him and for her.

Completely in character now, she rang the doorbell. Mrs Bashir greeted her and ushered her inside. Noor could see the tension in her face and experienced her first stab of doubt. Something was wrong. Where was Virinder?

“Noor, please come and sit down,” said Mrs Bashir distractively. Her gaze travelled upstairs. “Virinder will be down shortly.”

“Where is your father, Noor?” she asked as if she’d just realised Noor was alone.

“He is unwell I’m afraid; he sends his apologies,” said Noor nervously.

Mrs Bashir looked crestfallen as she stood wringing her hands. “You should have telephoned, Noor, and we could have rescheduled.”

Noor pretended to fidget with her hands. Had she underestimated the Bashir family? She needed this marriage. There was a lot riding on its outcome.

“I’m sorry,” Noor hung her head. Mrs Bashir was right. With her father missing it wasn’t proper; she was here unchaperoned, but she was relying on them not turning her away and they didn’t.

She caught movement at the corner of her eye and swallowed the shudder of revulsion as Virinder wobbled across the floor. He was disgusting. His face, which could have been handsome, was lost in fat; blown up and puffy. A large double chin and thick neck made him appear shorter than his 6ft. His head looked out of proportion to his obese body. The loose shirt concealed the worst of his fat. He had his mother’s eyes, the light green unusual. Noor looked away and tried to compose herself. She visualised the taxi driver from earlier and kept his face fixed in her mind.

“Virinder,” she spoke softly and glanced up at him from below her lashes. His response was a cool nod that threw her slightly. The last time they had met, he’d been tongue tied and placid. Noor felt a flash of anger. He should be down on his knees, grovelling at her feet. Well, he’d be there soon enough. Virinder sat as far away from her as possible she noticed with a smile. So, he didn’t like her. Why? Noor looked at Virinder, puzzled. He couldn’t possibly know how she felt. Her performance had been exceptional, even by her own standards. This was even better. No need to evade his advances. Noor had struck the jackpot. A rich husband and no strings attached. Noor smiled. A real smile this time that lit up her face until she remembered about the grandchildren and it faltered. When she glanced up at Virinder his gaze was cold, and she knew then he’d win if she didn’t get pregnant.

Incredible, he was smarter than she had given him credit for, however, he wasn’t smarter than her. She’d seduced so many men. Virinder thought he could resist her—he was wrong. In the end, they always succumbed. It was in their biology; ingrained in their DNA. They were weak and often didn’t think with their brains. He was hers for the taking...whether he liked it or not.