Title: Dark Horse: Chapter Four, Stolen Kisses
Rating: PG-13 [mild drug use]

Summary: George and Sitara get closer. He even convinces her to do something. Sitara bonds with Pattie & Jenny. Donovan watches the sun set... but not alone.




Sitara stared into his eyes for a moment, weighing his words. Slowly she relaxed, unwinding from her flight tension. She turned to fully face him, one hand still folded in his, the other still on his mouth. George did not mutter again, but did not lean back from kissing her soft palm either. His soft eyes held hers, waiting for her decision, for her hand to drop from his mouth. He felt her resistance giving away as her body relaxed.

Her hand slowly moved down from his mouth, her fingertips catching his bottom lip slightly. George’s empty hand instantly went to the back of her head. He kissed her.

Gasping, she leaned back, but did not step back, “You promised you wouldn’t do that!”

“No,” he responded softly, his lips still within kissing-distance. “I promised I wouldn’t try.”

“George…”

He kissed her again.

“George, we shouldn’t be doing this…”

His lips touched her closed eyes, “No one is around to see.”

“George, please…”

He kissed her lips gently once more before releasing his hold on her, “Sita… I…”

She pulled away, wiggling her hand free from his. Briefly, he feared she was going to escape back into the complex proper. Instead, she stepped around him and returned to the tree, pulling herself back up onto the low-hanging branch. He did not understand her actions, but it was better than fleeing from him, so George headed over to the tree as well. Rather than stand and balance on the branch, Sitara sat down, straddling the branch, causing her skirt to gather slightly. His eyes swept down the graceful curve of her legs, settling on her bare feet.

“Tell me about the reason you painted your feet and hand so pretty,” he requested, draping an arm over the branch a few feet in front of her.

She lifted her foot, practically placing it on his shoulder, “My father’s birthday was Saturday. I always dance for him.”

George turned, his back to the branch, and captured her foot, “What kind of dance?”

“A Sattriya that my mother used to dance for him,” she replied and then giggled as he traced a faded line with his finger. “Lately, Mistress Manishi has added an additional dance, more like what you might see in musical films from India.”

“Does your mother still dance?” he continued to trace over the patterns on her foot.

“No… my mother died in childbirth.”

His eyes snapped to hers, “Oh, Sita, I am sorry to hear that.”

“I… I never knew her, but I have grand ideas about her. Daddy says I look just like her, only a bit taller and my skin is a bit lighter,” she stated softly.

His fingers slowly began to move and caress up her calf, “She must have been a very beautiful woman because you certainly are.”

She flushed slightly and looked away, “Thank you.”

“My birthday is Sunday. Will you dance for me?”

Her eyes returned to his, “I don’t have any music.”

George smiled, “I meant on my birthday.”

“I… Sunday is two days away. I am expected home then.”

“Were you not expected home tonight?” he countered.

“No. I cannot make the journey that far in a few hours,” Sitara explained. “It takes two days to drive from here to there.”

“Where is home, Sita?”

“Jaipur.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Well if you were to leave tomorrow, as planned, you would return home on Sunday. If you wait until Sunday… really what harm could come from it?”

“I am supposed to call on a customer in Delhi tomorrow,” she declared.

“Do so and return here.”

“George…”

“Please.”

“I haven’t anything to dance in.”

“Get something in Delhi?”

“I don’t have the money for that.”

“I’ll pay for it.”

She sighed, “You don’t like being told no, do you?”

He smirked, “It doesn’t happen often.”

“My father will never allow it.”

“How old are you?” his hands stopped at her knee, having pushed her skirt up to reach it.

“Seventeen.”

“Sweetheart, I think it’s okay if you defy your father.”

“George, this is not like sneaking out of the house at night. This is much bigger than that.”

“You sneak out of the house at night?”

She flushed slightly, “All the time.”

“Why?”

“Because… because I’m not allowed to go out of the house ever, except when I’m dressed as a boy and always attended,” she responded.

He remained silent for a moment, “Then how did you end up here, dressed as a woman?”

Sitara bit her bottom lip, “He doesn’t know I’m dressed as a woman. And I left my escorts in Delhi.”

“Now why would you do something like that?” he smiled slightly, rubbing her knee.

She leaned down and kissed him quickly, “The past two times so I would not be hounded by them when spending time with you.”

“Or Donovan,” he added.

“The initial time,” she ignored his words, “is because I had more tea than normal from the warehouse. Apparently you guys drink more than his normal visitors.”

“I am glad for that. That first day that I saw you… you took my breath away,” George stated.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked into his and leaned back up, “Oh really?”

“Yes,” his hand left her knee and gripped the tree branch.

Holding onto the branch, George bounced it slightly. Confused, Sitara giggled some. A moment later, he pulled himself up onto the branch in front of her. With a smile, she backed up on the branch towards the tree trunk and turned so she no longer straddled it. Her right hand curled over the tree branch between them. Once settled, George’s hand covered hers. Both of their eyes dropped to their hands, watching his thumb idly trace over the back of her hand.

“So will you stay and dance for me on my birthday?”

Her eyes went to his, “You’re not going to let me tell you no, are you?”

He smirked, “No, I’m not.”

She looked away, into the night forest, and listened to the creatures of the night. Glancing at George, she shook her head at his smile and turned her attention back to the forest. His soft thumb’s continuous caress made it difficult to make a decision that did not involve following him wherever he asked. However, he was not asking her to go anywhere, just to stay. It was nothing like sneaking out at night. She had never openly rebelled against her father’s wishes. She did not have any clue what could happen if she did. As George kept caressing her hand, she realized she did not care how her father chose to punish her transgressions.

“I will,” she muttered. “But if I am to dance for you…”

“I will see that you have everything you need,” he responded with a smile, leaning over to kiss her gently. “Everything.”



Plopping down at the table, breakfast in hand, Donovan could not have concealed his smile if he tried. No one asked him about it, keeping mostly to themselves. Their unspoken questions were answered when Jenny appeared a few minutes later, kissed him, and sat beside him. The men exchanged knowing glances; the women rolled their eyes.

A few minutes later, George joined the breakfast diners. Pattie watched his movements, hoping to find some explanation as to why he did not come to back to their shared quarters until late. He gave no indication at all, merely chatted with the others while sipping tea and eating breakfast. With a sigh, she pushed aside her thoughts and turned to chatting with Jane about the upcoming birthday party.

With the early morning breakfast meal complete and the daily itineraries in hand, the group fractured off. Some went to meditate for a while, some went to play music, and some went to find a quiet place to read. With the eating area empty, the monkeys came out of the forest to clear away anything remaining. Coming upon this scene, Sitara shook her head with a smile and headed to the kitchen to scrounge up something to eat and a few more scraps for the monkeys.

Heading to his quarters to retrieve his guitar after speaking with the Maharishi about an early morning dream, George halted near the dining pavilion. In the center of the table sat Sitara. Monkeys sat around the young woman chattering up at her. As he moved closer, a bit nervous that she might be in that position due to the monkeys becoming overaggressive with her, he stopped again. Softly, she sang in Hindi, tossing food to the animals. Her actions reminded him of the fables of the pied piper.

The monkeys balked when her song and food ended. With some pleading from the Indian beauty, the animals scampered off. Only then did her eyes lift and meet his. A smile quickly lit her face and she stood up on the table. George eagerly offered his hand to her, smiling as her soft hand slipped into his and she jumped off the table. He squeezed her hand, not releasing it.

“Seems you have a thing with monkeys,” he commented softly.

“I actually have a pet monkey back home.”

“Oh really?”

“Sundar. Daddy gave him to me when I turned fourteen,” she responded. “Shouldn’t you be doing something with the Maharishi right now?”

“Soon. When do you intend to go to town?”

“After the delivery arrives, so that I can call my father to confirm it and to tell him I will not be home as expected.”

“Come with me. I will get you money for your dancing garments,” he declared, tugging her away from the dining area.

Only releasing her hand once they entered a room and he stepped over to speak softly to a man she did not know, George stole a kiss. Sitara instantly flushed, her eyes glancing around to see if the stranger had seen. As the man had his back turned to find the money, he saw nothing but her blush as he turned back around. He said nothing as he handed over a small purse to her. George thanked him and led her from the room.

“If that’s not enough, let me know.”

“And how would I do that if you’re not with me?”

He paused in thought for a moment, “Well you could just call here.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

“Come on, love. Let me play for you before you go?”

“I would love that, but don’t you need to be somewhere?”

“Um…”

“Lecture, perhaps?”

He smiled sheepishly at her and rubbed the back of his neck, “Oh yeah.”

“Go to your lecture, George. I’ll find you later.”

His fingertips brushed hers again, though he did not fold her hand in his. He nodded once and turned to leave. George managed two steps before he turned back around, picked up her hand, and kissed her knuckles. Sitara giggled softly before pulling her hand free and pushing him away.

“Go, George.”

“Okay, okay. I’m going. I’ll see you later.”



As the car neared the complex, the two girls ducked down, hiding themselves from the crowd outside the gates. Not put off by the crowd as she had driven the crowded streets of Delhi already without incident, Sitara pushed through the fans slowly. Guards appeared from the ashram, helping keep the fanatical girls from rushing around the car as it passed through the gate. Parking as far from the gate as possible, she turned off the car and glanced into the backseat. Pattie and Jenny quickly discarded the blanket over them and sat up.

Grinning and giggling, the three girls carried parcels up to their quarters. All three headed directly to join the rest of the crew at dinner. As they had wandered Rishikesh for Sitara’s dancing costume, they had missed an entire day of lectures and meditation, but neither Boyd sister regretted it at all. The day had been filled with shopping and girl talk instead. Even Pattie volunteered for henna on her hands when Sitara got hers touched up. It was an odd feeling to be surrounded by girls her own age, who were not paid to be around her. She would daresay they were… friends.

With a few necklaces for the other girls who did not venture out with them, Sitara sat next to Cynthia and across from Jane at the table. Though both Pattie and Jenny were gushing about their travels to their men, both men watched the Indian woman for a few moments before focusing on their own women. Both Jane and Cynthia professed their thanks and snapped the necklaces on. Attention shifted to John as he began to tell a random story about Germany that had nothing to do with anything.

After dinner, the large group fractured into smaller groups. Some went to meditate, some to play cards, some to play music. Sitara struggled to decide whom to follow. Pattie and Jane disappeared, and Jenny sat down with Cynthia with a deck of cards. Not seeing a place with the women she bonded with, her eyes turned to the two men she knew best. George was deep in conversation with Paul, both with guitars in hand. She had no place there.

With a sigh, she decided to go back to her room and practice the dance routine, possibly with the new costume on. She did not know the musicians who would play on Sunday, so that could complicate the performance. If she practiced enough that evening and Saturday, she should be prepared for any inconsistencies in the music. She hoped. At least it was a way to fill the time when the others were out doing whatever they were doing.

Halfway back to her temporary apartment, Sitara jumped as Donovan stepped out suddenly in front of her. Her green eyes went to his and she smiled sheepishly. He chuckled and reached out for her, apologizing for startling her. She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before slipping her hand into his after another apology. Donovan instantly kissed her hand.

“You had your hand repainted,” he commented.

“I did,” she responded.

Donovan paused for a moment, “You weren’t going to bed, were you?”

“No. Everyone seemed to have things to do, so I figured I would practice a bit.”

“Meditation?”

“No,” she shook her head slightly. “Dancing. I’m still here because I’m dancing for George on Sunday.”

“Sounds fab. Want to watch the sun set with me?”

Sitara smiled and nodded, “Sure.”

“Excellent. The best view is near the river,” Donovan claimed and began to lead her to it.

“Wait, wait,” she pulled her hand free. “If we’re going to the river, I’m taking off this sari. It’s easier to move through the forest without it.”

“All right,” he responded, watching her hurry away before he said anything.

Unraveling the magenta sari as she reached her room, Sitara tossed it onto her bed without a thought. She considered changing her attire completely, before discarding it and heading back to Donovan. As she approached, he instantly whistled. Not entirely sure what that meant, but feeling a bit self-conscious about it, Sitara wrapped her arms across her stomach. Tossing his cigarette aside, he lifted her hands, letting his eyes appraise her fully. He could see every curve of her body with the slim cut of the black silk top and magenta silk skirt. With a smile, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“Let me take you away, beautiful,” he muttered.

They silently made their way through the ashram. Only twice did they cross paths with others. Donovan was charming, but kept interactions brief. Before long, they weaved down the path to the Ganges River. She was familiar with the holy river, but had never seen it that close to the mountains. It seemed to have more energy, more power. Had the sun not been setting, she would have liked to investigate further. Instead, she let Donovan lead her to an overturned log upon which to sit.

His arm slipped around her shoulder, his other hand grasping hers, “I wish we had more time together today. Where were you hiding?”

“Not hiding. I took care of the party delivery and worked it out with them to deliver the tea from now on. Then I went to town with Pattie and Jenny. That would be why you did not see me today, not that I would take part in the lectures anyways,” she explained.

“Why not?” he asked softly, dropping her hand to play with her hair.

“Because…” her eyes fluttered close as he continued to play with her curls, “…I don’t need the teachings.”

“Why?” he whispered, his lips near her ear.

“I have practiced it all my life…”

His lips touched her earlobe, kissing gently. Tracing the curl down her neck and shoulder, Donovan’s finger softly caressed the top swell of her breast. She did not protest so his hand moved slightly down, curving to cup her breast. The only sounds passing her lips were soft sighs as he continued to kiss and nibble on her ear.

“You are so beautiful,” he muttered, his hand fully cupping her breast.

Her eyes flew open and she quickly stood, stumbling slightly on the rocks. Donovan’s hand darted out to grasp hers before she fell over. Though she allowed him to steady her, once her footing stabilized, she pulled her hand free again. Her emerald eyes flicked to his, anger shooting through them.

“You cannot... I did not… no,” she managed to utter.

“Sita,” he reached for her again, “I’m sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. I promise to behave.”

“I… no. I’m going back,” she declared and stepped over the log, her eyes scanning the dim light for the pathway.

Donovan quickly scrambled to his feet and went after her. Watching as she stumbled on rocks again, he reached out to steady her, but she only slapped his hands away. Not letting her get away, he remained a few steps behind until they were off the shoreline. Once on solid footing again, he grabbed her hand, halting her escape.

“Let me go, Don,” she muttered, turning to meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Sita. I meant no harm,” he repeated.

She could see the sincerity in his eyes, but she was still so very nervous about what had happened. Perhaps if a jolt of energy had not shot through her body at his touch, she would not have reacted so strongly. She did not know what it meant. At all.

“Please let me go.”

“Please don’t run.”

Slowly she nodded and released the tension in her body. Donovan’s fingers uncurled from her hand. For a long moment they stood there, staring at each other as the sun set on the Ganges River. She searched his eyes, trying to understand what she felt by looking at him.

“No one has ever…”

“I promise I will not do it again until you ask me.”

Carefully she stepped forward and kissed him softly, “Thank you.”

He glanced at the river, “Do you still want to…”

“Will it be too dark to find our way back if we do watch it all?”

Donovan considered it, “No. I think I can find the way even in moonlight.”

“Then let’s sit and watch the rest.”