Samaira's POV:

As I lay in my bed, joining my hands before my chest, I reel in the sensation of Josh Hudson's voice. It wiped all my earlier irritation of the guy. He loved the girl and still was not able to tell her that he loved her. Can it happen in the country like the US? The country is most liberated, most individualistic. Had it been difficult for him to confess her love? Probably.

I sigh and look at the clock on the side table. It is late. I should sleep. Then again, when I close my eyes, Josh is there with his voice, his soul. I rub my hands together as if to get a grip on myself. Clearly, he didn't like the intrusion. Though, the way he looked at me after the song, it said so many secrets about each other. It felt like a connection.

"Really, Somi?" I scoff. "Don't you have an assignment to focus on?"

Saying that aloud brought me back from the strangest night I had witnessed. Josh will leave tomorrow. I will complete my project and get back to Mumbai with Veer. I remind myself sternly and close my eyes to sleep.

*

The fragrant from a steaming cup of chai registers in my brain. I flutter open my eyes and adjusted my view. Kamla stands with a tray and it looks like she is calling my name for some time. The large floral print on her Sari distracts me momentarily.

"Didi?" Kamla says louder. "Uth jao!"

"Haan. Where is Josh?" I ask, staggering up to a sitting position. Sharp sunlight bathed the room in white. For a second, I was unaware of my presence here in the old mansion.

"Firangi saab left with Sameer saab an hour back. I didn't know Sameer saab coming in the morning," she started blabbering the rest of her speech in Marathi.

"What do you mean?" I say completely blank and then look at the time. Oh shit! It is ten in the morning! "How did I manage not to wake up at my time?"

"I was going to wake you up in the morning. But that angrej told me not to. He said you were tired, didiji," Kamala explains hurriedly and keeps the chai on the table.

"He left already?" I ask. The disappointment in my voice surprises me. No goodbyes. I swallow and move out of bed. How can he just go without saying a thing? I feel a pit in my stomach at the thought of not seeing him again. Why it bothers me? He was just a stranger, isn't he? A stranger who was an obstacle in my work. Nothing more.

I can feel Kamla's gaze following me. Before I can get into the bathroom, she says, "He didn't yet take his bags with him. He said he will come back to collect it."

I look over from my shoulder to show her my forced indifference to the matter. Though a sigh of relief leaves out of my throat. At least, now I would see him one last time. The thought brings a wave of disappointment. "Okay. I will come down in half an hour. Please let me know if he comes back in the meantime," I say and get into the bathroom.

When I bathe, I think about Josh, the way his breath was mingled in mine when he pinned me to the wall in the middle of the night. It brings Goosebumps all over my skin. I was attracted to Josh, I am admitting. It felt like fire and ice. He melted me in a way that I did not know that side of me. His touch burned my skin, awakening a woman within me. I bite my lip and close my eyes. I try focusing on the warm welcoming water on my skin, but all I can think is the incredible sensation Josh subjected me to. And with that strong sense of guilt rushed through my body, making me nauseous. I just got out of a marriage, I have a kid to support. Where is all this coming from?

I shrug and proceed to dry myself. When I stand in front of the wardrobe, I am confused with what to wear. This is unlike me. Perhaps something in red color. I eye the only red top I had from the neatly folded pile. My breath quicken as my imagination goes to the memory.

"God! Get a grip, Somi. He is leaving," I hiss in an undertone. Groaning, I pull the top from the pile and ignore the dishevel I cause by doing that. Another damn first!

I meticulously dress pulling the satin sleeveless top over me and changing into my best fit Levis jeans. I try to even out the dark circles I recently acquired with a light cream, not entirely pleased the results. Frowning at my own reflection, I put a gloss on my lips and try the eyeliner. "Shit, shit, shit!" I curse.

The eyeliner is spread and that mean I need to work from the start. I again redo the makeup and remove my glasses for my own good. I try smiling to see how I looked. Still the same, dear! My conscious smirks. I finally drag myself out of the room and look forward to the goodbyes with the handsome stranger.

*

I pace on the front porch after calling the local landscape designer for the front garden. I remind myself again and again that I am going to discuss shrubs and flowers with Sameer and not see Josh packing his bag and leaving. I check the time, it's nearly noon. They have not arrived yet. What is taking them long? Where are you, Josh?

"Madam?" a voice calls.

I turn irritably and see one of the electricians standing in the doorway. The white cement dust looks ghostly on his tall and lean form.

"There is a situation in the basement," he begins, awkwardly putting a hand on the door frame.

"What situation?" I say scrutinizing the white dust encompassing the thin man.

"A part of the wall collapsed when tried fixing the generator set," he explains in a reduced tone. "We will need to call a laborer who can fix it."

"Leave that part to me," I say, gritting my teeth and without further ado, I follow him to the basement. As soon as I enter I cough, the room is full of the dust cloud. On the back of the room, rubble is piled up, narrowly missing the green Genset. I spend close to fifteen minutes surveying and instructing Sunder and his team for what is to be done. Finally,  when I get out of the damp room, I see my limbs and clothes pasted with the dust. Cursing at my condition, I begin to climb up the stairs.

Just as I reach the landing of the ground floor, I collide with a wall, lose my balance and fall on my butt on the steps. When I see hand helping me to get up, I realize that it was Josh who I collided. I took his hand, but avoid his gaze. I must look like a ghost.

"I am sorry, Samaira. I...." he pauses and pulls me to my feet. In that very moment, again we are close. I gulp. So very close. My hearts pounds in my chest, his cologne has the heady scent. His hands skim down my back for a moment and then stops. "I was coming to meet you..."

Reluctantly, I pull away from the magnetizing man and hastily try to wipe out the dust. I manage to look up, at last, meeting his eyes. Oh, my damn! He smiles down at me, a lopsided smile which I have seen for the first time. My knees go weak and involuntarily I held myself against the wall. The stairway from the basement is narrow, cold and stony. But now with his presence, it is burning hot. I have sweaty palms, yeah. That says something about my situation.

"Samaira? Are you going to say something?" he asks, stepping an inch closer and clouding me with his perfume.

"Yeah," I say, unable to look away. "Wall in the basement. It was all dusty in there. That is why..." I gesture towards my clothes. "Those people need a good training, you know."

"Okay," he nods while still smiling. "I completely understand."

I look down, embarrassed and taking in a deep breath again faces him. "All packed?" I ask in a strained voice. Why in God's name?

"No," he blurts. "Actually we need to talk to you about something important. Sameer is there waiting for you."

"Yeah?" I ask. "Okay. Let's go then." I look at his chest, blocking the stairway in an intimidating way.

He waits and I threw a questioning glance at him.

"You have something on your cheeks," he says and every so slowly touches his fingers along my left cheek, finishing near my chin and dangerously close to my lips. I bite my lower lip unconsciously. "Just a little smudge," he breaths.

After a second or two, he turns and walks towards the eastern facing verandah. While, I stand frozen on the spot, shocked, utterly and completely shocked at my body's reaction. His touch and the intimacy seem to have melted me into a hot liquid.

After taking measured breaths, I collect myself and follow his path. As I enter the foyer, a man in white shirt and white vest came into view. Sameer Deshpande sits browsing through his cell phone, while Josh sits opposite him, tapping his feet and looking at the slanted valley with green tops.

I clear my throat and walk before the duo. "Hello..." Both men look up and formally stand to greet me.

Sameer momentarily grabs my attention with the tall and lean figure, rolled up sleeves and a friendly smile. "Hi, I am Sameer Deshpande," he introduces himself and stretches his hand. "You must be Samaira."

I return the curtsey and shake his hands, admiring the long and elegant fingers.

"Samaira?" Josh says. "Mr. Deshpande wants a favor."

I look between the two men.

Sameer takes the lead and tells me to sit on the chair. "First, Miss Samaira. Thank you so much for accommodating my guest here. And my apologies for any inconvenience caused by the situation."

"Don't mention it," I reply earnestly. Last thirty-six hours were astonishingly eventful. "I am sure that now you sorted it all out, Mr. Hudson would be in a convenient place."

Sameer suddenly looks uncomfortable and exchanges a look with Josh. Josh leans back in the chair and looks away. "Actually, we have a problem. I checked out rooms in Le Meridien, Evershine and other top hotels and resorts. They are all booked. It's the season. We couldn't help it."

"Surely not all hotels and not all rooms are booked?" I respond.

He throws another apologetic nod towards Josh who seems rather resolute and stony. "As a matter of fact, there are some rooms available, but Mr. Hudson's expensive recording equipment... I mean it will be risky to keep it any hotel since it's that expensive and it would be extremely inconvenient for Mr. Hudson."

Josh looks stonier as I watch him. "What are you proposing, Mr. Deshpande? What did you two want to talk about?" I question, completely confused.

Josh leans forward in his sinister mood and declares, "it's entirely his fault that I am stranded here. On top of that, he doesn't have any damn connection in the valley. People actually denied him accommodation. I don't know what politics goes around this small town, but I can let myself be mishandled by all these idiots. Now, the only option for him to give me is to stay here, in this Wilson House for the rest of the month!"

"What?" I exclaim. "I mean, we are not finished here yet."

"Well, he can't help it, now can he? The man is in mountainous debts. I doubt that he even have money for all this you and your firm doing!" Josh scoffs and folds his hands before his chest.

"Mr. Hudson. It's not like that. Who told you?" Sameer blurts defensively.

"Stop with the shit, man. A workman here told me about your notorious debts in your business ventures," Josh taunts. "Let's just let that be. I don't care about your problems. I just want a room like Samaira's ready to live peacefully and another room for my equipment's."

Amidst of all the confusing to and fro arguments, my heart raced at the prospect of spending a month in one roof with Josh Hudson, the magician, the musician.

** hey guys, hope to upload the next update in a couple of days. Stay Tuned...**