Restless Billionaire Read Free

paternal grandmother was nearing ninety and maintaining that she was
clinging onto dear life just long enough to see Aneesa wed.
                 Aneesa
also knew that while the public perception of her family was that they had
untold wealth, in fact, her father had been struggling to keep the family silk
business afloat for some time now. Only she and her mother knew the reality,
which was that this wedding was all but crippling her father financially.
                 And
yet, Aneesa also knew that her father would prefer to face financial ruin than
the ignomy of not being able to pay for his first daughter’s marriage. He was
so proud that he hadn’t even let Aneesa help financially. While her pay packet
was nothing like her Hollywood counterparts, by Indian standards she was a
wealthy woman in her own right.
                 And
how could she have told her parents about Jamal’s secret? They were
conservative and solidly middle class. Respectability was their middle name;
they would be devastated. The pressure in her head and behind her eyes suddenly
increased now in an intense physical pain.
                 She
could feel the weight of Jamal’s gaze from her left and could barely bring
herself to turn to him, anticipating all too well the false adoration that
would be written all over his handsome features. It was a look that he’d
perfected over many years in films. A look that she’d fallen for herself when
they’d met on her first film, and a look that she’d
fooled herself into believing was sincere.
                 No
wonder he’d wooed her so easily, she recognised now with acrid bitterness. He’d
seen her coming from a mile away: sheltered, spoilt, immature and unbelievably naïve. And she’d fallen for his act, hook, line and sinker—seduced
by his smooth good looks and even smoother talking. Not to mention his intense
attention and adulation of her. He’d appealed to all the worst parts of her and
she’d live with the shame of that for the rest of her life.
                 Her
train of thought and self-disgust was cut short abruptly when the priest
officiating indicated for them to stand. They were approaching the most sacred
part of the ceremony, after which Aneesa knew her chances of escape would be
all but gone for ever.
                 The
ends of her sari and Jamal’s long jacket were tied together and they were about
to walk around the sacred fire seven times, while seven blessings were said,
each one for different aspects of their marriage. As they started to walk
slowly around the fire, Aneesa felt again the rising tide of panic. The
numbness was leaving her now and in its place she began to shake and tremble in
reaction to what she was doing.
                 Any
girlish dreams she’d had of falling in love and marrying had long since been
turned to dust. Her eyes were wide open now and with each step she took with
Jamal around this fire, she was hurtling further into a future with no escape
and certain pain and suffering. How could she possibly bring children into a
marriage like that? When their father would be sleeping with their mother
purely to procreate and maintain a façade?
                 In
that second Aneesa recalled the piercing blue eyes of the man she’d seen in the
shadows and suddenly an impulse stronger than anything she’d ever felt rushed
through her. In the midst of the shock and panic she acted with an economy and
sureness of movement that surprised her. She stopped and bent and swiftly undid
the knot that tied her sari to Jamal’s coat. She barely heard his indrawn
breath and his hissed, ‘Aneesa … what do you think you are doing?’
                 Then
she stepped off the dais. Heart thumping she went straight to her open-mouthed
father and took his hand in hers. She was aware that everyone was frozen in
shock and surprise and knew dimly that she had to take advantage of