Tiger's Voyage (13 page)

I’d firmed up from all my workouts with Kishan, and it showed. My waist was smaller, and my arms were toned. My hips were still about the same size, which made me look curvier. Nilima had outlined my eyes with dark blue liner and dusted my lids with sparkling gold shadow. I looked like a woman, not a girl anymore. I felt … desirable. I stopped tugging at my dress, dropped my hands, and smiled.

I’d never thought of myself as beautiful. I always chose comfort over style. But tonight, I was pleased enough with my appearance that I might even be able to stand up to Ren and Kishan. With that thought, I picked up the gold-painted fan that came with the hair combs, looped its cord around my wrist, and walked confidently down the stairs.

I was met by Nilima and Mr. Kadam, who looked dashing in a simple white suit and a mallard-green silk shirt.

“Oh, Mr. Kadam! You look nice. But where are Ren and Kishan?” I asked.

“They went ahead. They’ll meet us at the fountain.” Mr. Kadam offered us each an arm and continued, “Thank you for the compliment, but nothing compares to you ladies. I’ll be the envy of every man at the festival.”

Mr. Kadam helped us both into his Rolls and complained only briefly that we couldn’t take the McLaren, as it only seated two. Soon we were whisked away to the Star Festival, and I felt like Cinderella arriving at the royal ball.

The town was brightly lit, and people roamed the streets in colorful clothing. Wires with brightly colored paper lanterns ran between the buildings. Papier-mâché globes with long, dangling streamers hung over the entrance arch to the festival, and garlands of flowers and strings of lights were draped around an open-air dance floor.

Nilima and I each took one of Mr. Kadam’s arms. With the air of a proud father, he walked us to the wishing tree, picked up two colored strips of paper, and handed us each one.

“Write your wish on the paper, and tie it to the tree,” he instructed. “If you make a wish at the festival and you have the proper faith in the stars, your wish will be granted this year.”

I wrote my wish and followed Nilima to the tree, which was adorned with thousands of colorful papers. We found a good spot to attach ours. Then, it was time to meet the brothers and get something to eat.

We wandered among the groups of people as we headed toward a large fountain in the center of the town. It shot water in high arcs and was lit with rotating colored lights. It was beautiful. Mr. Kadam led us through the crowd, parting the throngs of people so Nilima and I could follow.

Kishan greeted Mr. Kadam and Nilima and then turned to me, exhaling in a husky breath, “You look … lovely. I have never seen anyone quite so beautiful.”

He wore dark navy slacks and a long-sleeved burgundy shirt with thin navy vertical striping. His dark rakish hair and glinting golden eyes were magnetic, instantly drawing the attention of several young women nearby.

Kishan bowed his head and offered his arm. “May I escort you?”

I laughed. “I would be delighted to be escorted by such a handsome young man, but you’ll have to ask Dad.”

Mr. Kadam smiled. “Of course. As long as you bring her back before the lantern ceremony.”

As Kishan pulled me away, I asked, “So … where’s Ren?”

“He took off when we got here. Said he had to do something.”

“Oh.” I couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed even though I was in perfectly good company.

“Come on. Let’s get something to eat,” he said.

We walked past stand after stand of delicious foods. Everything imaginable was being sold, even candy. One woman had an entire stand of candy roses. Many of the vendors were offering little tastes or appetizers like tapas. We chose treats from several places.

We had spicy peach chutney on crackers, samosas, and little cups of
baigan bharta
, which turned out to be eggplant charred over a flame, peeled, and mashed with yogurt and spices. There was also a variety of Chinese appetizers, egg rolls, wontons, and dim sum. I even found curried popcorn—but turned it down.

Kishan laughed as I wrinkled my nose. “How can you enjoy India when you hate curry? It’s like living in China and hating rice.”

“There are plenty of other foods and spices here that I like, just not curry.”

“Okay, but that leaves me with very few options left for feeding you.”

“It’s probably better that way. I don’t want to pop out of my dress.”

“Hmm,” Kishan looked at me and teased, “perhaps you need to eat more, then.”

Soon we ran into Mr. Kadam and Nilima. Ren, however, was still missing.

Nilima took my arm. “Let’s go to the lantern ceremony.”

“What do we have to do?”

“You’ll see,” Nilima said with a laugh. “Come on.”

A crowd of people had gathered by the bridge already. The local festival organizers stood on a raised platform and welcomed the crowd. Mr. Kadam translated.

“They bid us welcome and hope we enjoy the festivities. Now he’s talking about the great history of our town and of the accomplishments we’ve made this year. Ah!” Mr. Kadam clapped his hands. “Now it’s time for fathers with eligible daughters to come and pick a lantern. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Boxes of flower-shaped lanterns were opened and handed out to fathers with unmarried daughters. Mr. Kadam brought back two. He handed a pink one to Nilima and a white one to me.

“What do I do?”

“You describe the man you wish to marry,” Mr. Kadam explained.

Panicked, I sputtered, “Out loud?”

“No, on paper or in your mind, if you wish. Then each maiden takes a turn and places the lantern in the fire if she feels the man she seeks is near or on the water if she feels he is far away.”

I glanced up at Kishan, who winked at me meaningfully.

“Oh,” I swallowed thickly.

Nilima turned to me. “Are you ready, Miss Kelsey?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Because the announcer has just asked all single women to step forward.”

Nilima caught my arm, and we walked together to the front where all the girls were standing. At the ring of the bell, everyone lit their lanterns with tiny candles. When the bell rang again, the throng of giggling women moved forward and one by one made a choice in front of the cheering crowd.

A wooden aqueduct had been set up near the fire; its stream of water carried the lanterns to the nearby river. Nilima said the aqueduct was built recently so the women’s fancy shoes wouldn’t get muddy. It also made the choice more dramatic because no one watching knew whether the fire or the water would be picked until the last minute.

I stood in line and scanned the crowd for Ren but still didn’t see him anywhere. Kishan was all grins though. Nilima went first and placed her lantern in the water. I watched it float down the channel and then stepped forward and deliberated on the significance of my choice.
Fire
or water?
I thought briefly about Li in Oregon and sighed thinking how easy my life would have been had I chosen him, but then I remembered why I didn’t. Li was not the man I loved.

I would do anything to go back and relive that time with Ren. How desperately short those happy weeks were. I looked at Kishan again and smiled back at him. I knew my choice was in India. The man I would pledge myself to was here. I threw my lantern into the fire with conviction and heard Mr. Kadam and Kishan cheer.

After the ceremony, Kishan asked me to dance, and Mr. Kadam and Nilima joined us. Dancing with Kishan this time was much different than when he first came home. Though still unpolished during the faster songs, he was a very smooth slow dancer. He cradled me close, holding me possessively while swaying, barely moving to the music. There was nothing for me to focus on except him, and I found it hard to resist the handsome man and the sparkling invitation in his eyes.

Kishan scowled unhappily when the dance was over and explained it was the local custom to dance with a girl for only one song, return her to her father, and then get back into line so that other aspiring suitors would have a chance to impress the girl’s parents too. Nilima had a group of men clamoring for her attention, but to my surprise, there were also several young men lined up for
me
. That made Kishan very grouchy.

Mr. Kadam seemed happy to orchestrate the whole affair and introduced me to several people, translating when necessary, which wasn’t often. Most of my “suitors” spoke English. Kishan stood near Mr. Kadam and glared at the men, which scared many of them off. He danced with me as often as he could and tried to intimidate everyone else who tried.

It didn’t look like Ren was going to come. I resigned myself to that and resolved to be happy without him.

Kishan brought me back after our fourth dance and then asked Nilima for a turn. As Mr. Kadam left to get me a drink, my golden fan slipped off my wrist. I looked at it on the ground and stamped my foot in frustration. There was no way I could bend over in my tight dress to pick it up.

A warm voice behind me purred silkily, “Allow me.”

“Ren!” I turned to him with a smile and sucked in a breath. He wore white slacks and a fitted blue pinstriped shirt open at the throat. The shirt was night-sky blue, the same color as my dress. He smiled, and my heart started thumping.

He walked a few steps and crouched down to retrieve my fan—then froze in place. His eyes followed the slit of my dress. Though he didn’t touch me, I felt his gaze caress me, moving up my bare leg slowly and purposefully from my ankle to the top of my thigh. I swayed, feeling a little light-headed. What Kishan could accomplish by holding me close, Ren could do with his eyes alone. He stood slowly and openly admired the rest of my costume, before finally settling on my face.

“That dress … was a very,
very
good decision. I could write an entire poem on the virtues of your legs alone.
You
are a feast for the senses.”

I smiled softly. “I don’t know about a feast. Maybe just an hors d’oeuvre.”

Ren wrapped my hand around his arm. “Not an hors d’oeuvre. The dessert. And I plan to spoil my appetite.”

He started to pull me off in one direction when Mr. Kadam approached. Ren spoke softly to him and then quickly returned to me.

“What did you say to him?”

“That I’d be keeping you occupied for the rest of the night. We’ll drive back in the Jeep.”

“Kishan won’t be very happy.”

Ren growled softly. “Kishan has had you all to himself for more than half the night already. The rest of the evening is mine. Come on.”

We started walking away when I heard Kishan shout. I turned, shrugged my shoulders, and smiled. He started after us, but Mr. Kadam put his hand on Kishan’s arm. Ren tugged me enthusiastically.

“Let’s go!”

He wove between some people and started moving faster. I had to run in my heels to keep up. I laughed as he pulled me along, my hand still clutching his arm.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

We ducked under a flower garland, around groups of people who gaped at us as we rushed past, and through a park gate. As we neared the grassy center, he asked me to close my eyes.

When it was time to look, I found myself near a wooden bench. Lanterns cast their soft yellow light from the trees nearby, and in the center of a stone patio grew an old mango tree. Little colored paper wishes hung all over the tree, flapping in the light breeze. Ren handed me a sprig of lilac, tucked a few of the flowers into my hair, and touched my cheek.

“You’re a breathtaking woman, Kelsey,” he grinned, “especially when you blush like that.”

“Thank you.” I smiled back. Distracted by the flutter of paper, I said, “The tree is beautiful! There must be hundreds of wishes on it.”

“There are. My hand is still cramping.”

I laughed. “You did this? What on earth for?”

“Kelsey … has Mr. Kadam told you anything else about the Star Festival? I mean, how it originated?”

“No. Why don’t you tell me?”

Ren urged me to sit and took a seat next to me, stretching his arm behind my back. Scanning the sky, he pointed up. “There. Do you see that star?”

I nodded.

“That one is Vega and the other one next to it is Altair. The Chinese version of the story is that Vega and Altair were lovers who were kept apart by the Sky King. He created a great river, the Milky Way, to separate them. But Vega wept so much for her lover that the Sky King took pity on them and allowed them to come together once a year.”

“On the seventh day of the seventh month.”

“Yes. So when the two stars come together, we celebrate their romantic union by placing wishes on a tree, hoping that they will look down upon us in their happiness and grant us our wish.”

“That’s a lovely story.”

He turned to me and lightly touched my hair. “I filled the tree with my wishes, which are all variations on the same theme.”

“What’s your wish?” I asked softly.

Ren twined his fingers with mine, though I knew it burned him. “My wish is that I can find a way to cross that river and be with you again.” He raised my hand to his cheek.

I brushed a strand of his hair gently away from his forehead. “That’s my wish too.”

Ren slid an arm around my waist, drawing me closer.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I whispered.

“Don’t think about it,” he replied. He cupped my face and kissed me tenderly—just barely brushing his lips against mine—but I felt his arm tremble and gently pushed him away. “You’re getting sick. You can stay near me longer if you move away a little.”

“Don’t you want me to kiss you?”

“Yes. I want it more than anything, but if I have to choose, I’d rather have you near than kiss you briefly and have you leave.”

He sighed. “Okay.”

“You’ll just have to woo me with words instead of kisses this time.”

Ren laughed wryly. “‘As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words.’”

“Well, if anyone can do it, you can, Shakespeare. May I read some of your wishes?”

Ren smiled. “If you do that, they won’t come true. Don’t you believe in wishing on a star?”

I stood, walked to the tree, and plucked a leaf. “Shakespeare also said, ‘It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.’ We’ll make our own destiny. We’ll shape our lives the way we want. I want you in my life. I chose you before, and I choose you again. We’ll just have to deal with the physical barriers. I’d rather be around you like this than not at all.”