YES, fate did!
Her quiet nature and gentle smile seemed to have woven a magic spell that drew him to her and whenever he smiled at her an overwhelming feeling of joy filled her heart. But his mother’s harsh warning always echoed in her mind, creating a little fear in her mind.

It was becoming a little discomforting working under her sharp eyes and Shanti was relieved when Raj went on a business trip to Europe. In his absence, she was tasked with other duties in the house and heard more than enough at the lady’s brunches and lunches of the exquisite and wealthy girl she wanted her son to marry. Shanti knew those words were meant for her, but they just blew past her as on a windy day. She never cried tears on the thorny path she walked, just living with hope that one day her tired feet could step on a smooth path.

Raj returned a couple of weeks later as preparations began for a satsang to celebrate his parents’ jubilee wedding anniversary. She saw him for short moments given his extra busy schedule and the added tasks she was given, the endless work.

The satsang was a lavish, extravagant affair, over which a priest from India officiated, accompanied by a few renowned bhajan singers and several local kirtan groups. That night Shanti was dressed in a simple sky- blue saree, adorned with inexpensive traditional jewellery and white flowers braided into her long hair to give her an outstanding new look. The lady of the house had surprisingly given her and a selected number of young helpers extra money for an improved ensemble to serve the special guests.

The divine rendition of songs and prayers so filled her heart with spiritual bliss,that it put a happy glow on her face. Raj had been looking at her as she served the guests and once when she took a brief break and looked at the small stage where he was sitting, elegantly attired, with his family, her eyes met his and held for a moment.

That night at the moment as bhajans were sung, a love story was born.

It was after one o’clock in the morning when the household staff was excused to go home and drivers had been dispatched to chauffeur home everyone who were not mobile. Shanti was among the last set waiting and as she sat down tired, her feet worn, one of the security guards came over to her and relayed quietly, “The young boss wants to see you.”

“Oh boy,” she sighed, wondering why he wanted to see her now.

He was standing by his Mercedes Benz in the other driveway and said to her, “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

She was too tired to worry about whether she should take that offer and accepted with relief.

On the way home, he glanced at her and expressed, “You must be tired.”

“Yes,” she said with a little sigh, “I am.”

After a short while, he spoke again, “There is something I must tell you.”

She looked at him questioningly.

“I love how you look tonight, beautiful in a simple and alluring way.”

She smiled modestly and said, “Thank you,” not sure how else to respond.

“And that look in your eyes,” he continued, “a soft, mesmerising glow.”

She gasped silently, not wanting him to know what her heart was saying to her. He turned in the street to her home and a little way down, he stopped the car and turned to look at her.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“No, nothing,” she answered quietly, turned and opened the car door, “It’s late, I have to go.”

He stopped her as she got out of the car, “You can’t walk home. The street is dark. Let me take you home.”

“No, the street is bad, the car can’t go any farther.”

“Then I’ll walk you home,” he insisted and walked with her along the dirt road until they reached where a deep puddle stretched across the street. She stopped uncertainly and without a word he lifted her up and stepped effortlessly over the puddle. Shanti gasped in surprise, but he did not put her down, continuing to walk.

“You can put me down now,” she said.

“No, the street is still bad.”

He was smiling with a little mischief at her discomfort and put her down when they reached her home.

“You’re home safe.”

That what he did was so unexpected that she felt she was battling to keep secret. She was losing and she turned to go, but he held her hand, stopping her.

“Don’t go yet,” he said, pulling her gently, close to him, “Just stand here with me for a minute, just one minute.”

For that one minute, as they stood close, not a word said, their hearts seeming to beat as one, he saw in her eyes that look at the satsang, of pure love, that seemed to stop the world for him.

“Shanti,” he whispered her name, but she pulled away scared and ran into the house.

He stood there for a moment looking at the closed door before leaving. A figure stepped out from the shadows of the house, an evil glint in his eyes and he laughed quietly,
“Very interesting, it seems as though we will hit the jackpot.”

It was Shanti’s step-father!

Shanti closed her eyes, not always in the comforting embrace of sleep, bitter-sweet memories like a stalker in her mind. It would not have been such a worry if she could have forgotten and moved on but she just could not forget that unique feeling in her young heart, the first time she saw him.

And she held onto that love, even in those nine unforgettable months, through her struggles and pain, for inside of her was growing a new life. She kissed the sleeping cherub face of her son and said wishfully, “If only your father knew of you.”

That night when he had lifted her up in his arms and walked down the street, and when he had held her close to him for that breathless minute, it was the first time in her life something had given her that deep, beautiful feeling of joy and comfort. From a little girl, life had dragged her through the mud of hunger, worn clothes and tears. She had prayed silently for something better in life but over the years, not much changed until that night.

Raj began coming home from work at regular periods in the day and calling more often than before for her attendance, just to be close to her. But her shyness and little fear made him keep his feelings casual so she won’t be scared. Her love for him was like the blooms of the spring season when nature unfolded her magic but she had to keep remembering her place.

“Has poverty marked my place?”
Thoughts of hope and pain had flowed in and out of her young mind as she grew up, “If only a strong hand could hold mine, if only you hadn’t died, Papa.”

That tragic loss had left a void in her life and silently, she had lived with that pain, for her uncaring mother and arrogant, wicked step-father could do nothing for her.

He had often looked at Shanti with evil intent as she blossomed into a beautiful young girl, but she had managed to keep a safe distance. Now with Raj in her life, money seemed to be his new focus.

“You’re very good,” he had told her one morning whilst she was making breakfast for her young brothers, “Never thought you were so smart.”

“What are you talking about?” Shanti had asked, puzzled, not liking the tone of his voice.

“He’s a rich boy, so for the time you spend with him, make sure the benefits are good.”

Shanti looked at the man whom she was supposed to call father, with shock and disgust.

“How can you think like that? You’re so evil!”

“Wake up, girl,” he had said in a harsh tone, “Look around you, look at yourself. You’re a poor girl, how long do you think he will stay with you?”

“My life is not your concern,” she had told him firmly, “It never was.”

He continued to make remarks about Raj’s wealth that she ignored and it was a relief to her when he stopped. But her peace of mind was shortlived, for after Raj left on another business trip, his mother accosted her.

“Have you been heeding my warning?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“But I’ve noticed a change in my son, and the way he looks at you. What is that?”

“I-I don’t know, ma’am.”

The lady looked at her closely and said in a disdainful tone, “Whatever it is, do know he can never belong to you. All you would gain is money.”

That statement could have hurt Shanti deeply but she took comfort in the truth, the true feelings she shared with Raj.

“What is with everyone and money?” she questioned to herself, frustrated, “Does simple and true love mean nothing?”

That night she had laid in bed, sleepless, thinking of him, the comfort of his arms, his smile, the tender way he would kiss her, a question in her mind, afraid of the answer.

“Will he ever be mine?”

To be continued…