Different Senses (48 page)

“Don’t even think about it,”
Tara said, wagging a finger. “If you two get married, I’ll be queen
of the school. Maybe even of Hegal. I plan to milk it for all it’s
worth.”

I buried my face in the cushion
Yashi had tossed away from him.

~~~~~~~~

Tushar’s ex was still on the
loose, but there had been no more threats or attacks, and I hoped
whoever it was had been spooked. Or just given up maybe, when he’d
seen he hadn’t been able to stop Tushar performing. We all took
precautions, of course, and concertgoers were all searched for
weapons, but as the last concert approached, the tension in all
three of us lessened. Unwisely, most likely, but it wasn’t possible
to live stretched to the limit without constant reminders of the
threat, and our mysterious assailants weren’t cooperating.

On the night of the final
concert I packed for my weekend away, planning to surprise my lover
by taking him to a luxury resort two hours from Hegal by maglev
that very evening. Then all I had to do was spend some precious
time with my nephews before their bedtime, and then with their
parents. I brought up my plans to start looking for land in earnest
once I came back to Hegal, but we got talking about Tara trying to
decide whether she should stay teaching or whether now would be the
time to move to home-based work, writing materials for use in
schools, something she’d been wanting to do for a while. “The thing
is, I’m worried about being bored. You know what it’s like, Javen.
When you were off for all those months.”

“I didn’t have a job, and I
didn’t have the right attitude. I could have been doing so many
things with that free time.”

“But if I’m working from home,
I’d have to be here.” Her phone went. “Sorry. Mind if I...?” Yashi
and I waved at her to go ahead. “Hello, Hita. What? Hang on.” She
turned to me. “Javen, switch on the media screen. Something’s
happened at the concert hall!”

I jumped up to find the remote,
and switched it on. “Which channel?”

“All of them. Look!” Police and
other emergency vehicles surrounded the concert hall, and a
reporter was in the middle of talking about what had happened.
Something about an evacuation. “She says there was a bomb.”

Beloved
reason.
“I’m going down there. You guys
stay here.”

“Javen, it’s dangerous.”

“And it’s my lover. I’ll call
you.” I gave Tara a quick kiss on the cheek, and Yashi a grim
smile, before rushing out to the garage and into my auto.

I called Ursemin’s number, but
it was busy. I tried Shardul. “What’s happening, do you know? I
heard it was a bomb.”

“Not a bomb. A bomb threat. No
one’s in danger.”

“Oh. I’m halfway there. Where
are you?”

“
At home, of course. What
can I do? For that matter, what can
you
do?”

“I don’t know, I just wanted to
be there. It’s a natural reaction.”

“Of course. Talk to you later,
Javen.”

Now I felt like an idiot, but
it was close enough to when the concert would have finished that
turning around and going back to the house was a waste of time. I
could drop Tushar off for a shower and return for my bags
later.

I had to park some distance
away from the concert hall, because the police had closed off a
number of streets. Everyone was relaxed though, so the threat was
either not real or dealt with. “Why can I hear music?” I asked one
of the cops preventing vehicle access to the parking area.

He grinned. “Go see for
yourself. I’d take a look but I’m on duty.”

Even more confused, I followed
my ears. As I drew closer, the press of emotions from a huge number
of people made my head throb—but why weren’t people angry? Or
worried or even just curious? All I was getting was...happiness.
Excitement, even lust.

What in the name of sanity was
going on?

I rounded a corner, and I had
my answer. Tushar up on a makeshift stage constructed from two
large recycling containers, and on the ground in front of him,
musicians and dancers. Now I was closer I could hear him singing.
Unamplified, so only the instrumental music carried further than
this, but the crowd could hear him because they were clapping and
dancing, swaying to his catchy song and the insistent rhythm of the
drummers.

Of course. He hadn’t wanted to
disappoint his fans, so he’d taken his show to the people. I looked
around and saw smiling police officers, and a number of reporters
and cameramen recording the happy crowds. I moved away, not wanting
to be part of the show, content to watch Tushar doing what he did
so well—charming the pants off everyone.

My phone went. “Javen, it’s
Lalit. I wanted to let you know there might be a delay in getting
away tonight.”

“I’m here, watching him. What
happened?”

“Where are you? I’m over to the
right of where he’s singing.”

“Can’t see you. Too many
people. I heard there was a bomb threat?”

“Yes, direct to my phone. The
police said it was serious and cleared the place. But Tushar jumped
up on those bins and started to sing, and the dancers joined in
and....”

“Suddenly we’ve got Hegal’s
biggest street party. He sure knows how to turn bad things to
good.”

“He’s an amazing talent.”

“Know who sent the threat?”

“No. The police are trying to
track it but it could have been made from anywhere. At least it was
the last show.”

“And I figure people will think
they got the best of the lot. How long will he keep this up?” Two
elderly people dancing in each other’s arms, jostled me, lost in
the music and the moment. I moved out of their way.

“For at least an hour. And then
I’ve arranged an interview live with the news channels. So...I
don’t think you can leave tonight. And in fact, it would be good
for his career if he could be here this weekend.”

“But I’ve booked and paid for
it all.”

“Please, Javen. Someone’s
trying to wreck his career, and I want to make sure that doesn’t
happen. You can go away next weekend, I promise. Please?”

“Lalit, you can work him too
hard.”

“I know, but he wants this.
It’s not just me.”

I looked at Tushar singing his
heart out, and felt the affection and enjoyment pouring out of the
crowd towards him. “Okay. But next weekend, no compromise.”

“Of course. Damn! That’s the
festival. I forgot, Javen.”

Damn it, so had I. “Okay.
The weekend
after
.”

“Without fail. Swear on my
mother’s life.”

“I believe you. So, I guess
there’s no point hanging around this evening.”

“No. It’ll be very late by the
time he’s finished. I’ve arranged for him to be in a hotel this one
night to avoid disturbing our hosts. He’ll call you tomorrow.”

“All right. Can you let him
know I called and...well, I called.”

“Of course, Javen. He’ll make
it up to you.”

The disappointment was hard,
but when I remembered how many times I’d blown Kirin off because of
work, I supposed this was no different. I called Yashi. “Hey, plans
have changed, and I have a fully-paid up luxury weekend I can’t
use. Want to take the family away for the weekend, my treat?”

“Javen, you can’t! That hotel
was expensive.”

“So? I can afford it. I’m
sending the details to your account, and I’ll be home soon. The
kids can sleep all the way there.” I gave him the booking
reference, and the time they needed to be on the maglev. He could
make it easily, and the boys would love it. Tara could do with a
break too. “Don’t worry about the house. Just pack, go, and I’ll
watch everything.”

“Owe you one, brother.”

“Don’t be stupid. Go.”

Tushar was still giving it his
all. After this performance, and running the press gauntlet, even
he would be too tired for sex. I felt like a bad boyfriend for not
hanging around, but having to worry about me was a stress he didn’t
need. I walked back to the auto, and with luck I’d see my family
before they headed off.

Oh well. Penalty of dating the
famous. Now I could start land hunting sooner than I planned.

~~~~~~~~

Tushar called me breathlessly
at lunchtime the next day to apologise for wrecking my plans, and
to thank me for being so understanding. “Did you see the interview?
Did it sound okay?”

“
Sweetheart, you stole
the nation’s soul. If you haven’t convinced half of us to convert
to
udawa
I’d be amazed.”

“But I just said what I felt. I
don’t hate them. I forgive them, but I wish they would stop because
it’s hurting other people.”

“Tushar, do you know how rare
such statements are?”

“No?”

I laughed. “You’re adorable.
Can I come over now?”

“Oh, I wish you could because I
miss you. But a rich man up north has asked me to perform at his
daughter’s birthday party.”

“What man?”

“Um, some mining person? I
didn’t catch his name. It’s all been arranged really fast, and he’s
flying me, all the dancers, and the musicians up to his estate in
an hour.”

“Wow. What’s that costing
him?”

“A lot of money, I know that.
Apparently he offered whatever price Lalit asked. I wanted to see
you but I couldn’t take the chance away from the others. It’s good
for them.”

“Of course it is. Good for you
too.”

“Well, yes. No security
worries. No Javen though. I feel terrible. I ruin your weekend and
now I won’t even see you.”

“Hey, it’s only a couple of
days. I’m going with you to the festival next weekend and Lalit
promised me faithfully your sweet little arse is all mine the
weekend after. So be ready because I will be very, very desperate
by then.”

He chuckled. “We’ll be tearing
each other’s clothes off. Just you and me? No one else for three
whole days?”

“Four, and yes. No managers, no
phones, no interviews.”

He sighed. “Sounds like
bliss.
Malu
, I have to go.”

“‘
Malu’
?”

“Ask Shardul-ji.”

“Such a brat. Have a good time,
sweetheart.”

“I won’t. You won’t be there.
But I’ll do my best.” He blew a kiss down the line to me. “I’ll
call you as soon as we’re back.”

Ditched again. I messaged
Shardul.
“What does ‘malu’
mean?”

“
Lost your new
dictionary?”

“
Want definition from
dictionary of Shardul-ji.”

“
Very well. ‘Malu’—insipid,
sickly, trite endearment used by rogues to tempt women into bed.
Assume worst of anyone using it.”

Bastard. He knew very
well who’d used it.
“Want to
have lunch?”

“
Thought you had
plans.”

“
T invited to perform for
rich man up north.”

“
How sad. Don’t feel like
being replacement entertainment. Dirty weekend not
happening?”

“
In two weeks. Ursemin
promised on life of his mother I can take T away then.”

“
U expanding into pandering.
How exciting.”

“
You are very rude.”

“
Yes. Also
very busy. Find another playmate.
”

Not an unexpected response, but
I hadn’t seen him as a replacement. I hadn’t had a chance to have
lunch with him in a couple of weeks, and prickly sod though he was,
he was also one of my dearest friends. I hoped he’d eventually
accept what was happening with Tushar because losing Shardul from
my life would hurt very badly. Though I wouldn’t give up Tushar to
keep Shardul happy. No one had the right to ask that of me.

I didn’t see Tushar for three
days. At least, not in the flesh. Every time I read a news page or
watched a media feed, either I’d see his face, an interview with
him, or hear a reference to him. Kind of how my relationship with
my father worked these days, which wasn’t a precedent I wanted to
follow.

His caravan swept into Hegal
after a triumphant and much-reported stint at the estate of the
filthy rich owner of Denge Consortium, Kaushik Denge, but I only
had time to meet him at the air transport hub and give him a hug
and a kiss—to the delight of the waiting reporters—before Ursemin
dragged him away for a guest appearance on one of the media
channels. “See you tonight?” I asked.

He looked at Ursemin, who shook
his head. “Another party booking down on the coast. Two nights. I’m
sorry, Javen.”

“Oh well. I hope you’re banking
some of the money and not spending it on loose men and drink.”

“
I never
drink
,”
Tushar protested.

“But the loose men?”

He smacked me on the shoulder
then rubbed up against me. “I’m only loose for you,” he whispered,
which had a regrettable effect on my libido, but fortunately wasn’t
overheard by any of the reporters.

“When you come back, your cute
little arse is mine.”

“Always yours!” he called
before twirling for the benefit of the cameras and giving the
waiting press a big smile.

I went back to work, grumpy and
horny. Madan and the kids kept clear of me, though Madan did offer
the opinion that my Tushar cranky face was nearly as frightening as
my Shardul cranky face. I asked him if he wanted to see my Madan
cranky face and he decided he had business outside the office for
the next hour.

If I hadn’t known better,
I’d have sworn Ursemin was trying to keep us apart, because as soon
as Tushar returned from the coast, Ursemin had him booked solid for
shows and interviews and promotions. All I could hope for was the
night before he was due to perform at the midyear festival in Arni,
because he had to sing at sunrise, and so we were all staying in a
local hotel the night before.
That
, Ursemin wouldn’t be able to
cancel. The invitation to perform was of profound religious
significance for Tushar, as well as an extraordinary honour for one
so young.