Title: Dark Horse: Chapter Nine, Expectations
Rating: PG-13 [heavy petting]

Summary: George still wants to rescue Sitara, though he might need saving himself. Sitara convinces Donovan to chaperone a visit to a nearby town with Cynthia Lennon and Kanti Singh.


 


Nuzzling him, Sitara sighed. Words did not tumble from her lips, though they did rumble about in her mind. She wanted to accept his offer, more than anything, but she could not. Mainly because he could not really be offering what he thought he was. She could not stay at the ashram forever, nor did she want to. George would not be staying forever, in any event.

“I cannot,” she finally replied.

“You can’t? Why not? You said you had nowhere to go.”

“You cannot give me leave to stay here forever. You are just a guest here,” she pointed out. “And I do not wish to go up into the mountains with the Maharishi and cater to his every whim.”

His fingers reached up and caressed her cheek, “I am not going up into the mountains either.”

“You will return to London,” she stated.

George kissed her softly, “No, I do not think so.”

“Then where will you go?”

“Perhaps I can convince you to show me around India?”

She smirked, “Are you sure about that?”

“Mmmmhmmmm,” his fingers gently rubbed her upper arm. “I am certain.”

She snuggled closer, “Then maybe I will consider your request.”

“I will of course, pay for it all,” he stated.

“That does not worry me,” Sitara responded.

His fingers kept stroking her gently, “Sita…”

“What?”

“Let’s stay like this forever.”

“While I would not mind that at all,” she kissed him quickly, “Kanti will worry if I do not return before long.”

“Who is Kanti?”

“My best friend and… personal assistant, I suppose,” she responded. “She’s the reason I’m here.”

“How so?”

“Well…”

Listening to her story, George’s brows furrowed. He certainly felt grateful that Kanti talked Sitara into leaving her home, but it concerned him that the two young women had to literally climb over walls to get free. As a Beatle, he certainly understood what life could be like in a bubble, but this was… this was beyond that.

“Sita, is… do you…”

Her hand quickly covered his mouth. His lips moved against her palm. Sitara shook her head, motioning into the forest with her free hand. His dark eyes followed her gesture. In the foliage under the trees, a wild pig rooted around. George’s body instantly tensed, his arms holding Sitara tighter.

Slowly dropping her hand, her fingertips gently snagging on his bottom lip, she whispered, “Relax.”

“But can’t they–”

“Yes,” she breathed. “This is why you need to relax.”

“Why?”

“If you get all tense, it will feel it and that could…”

His arms tightened more.

“Relax, darling.”

Closing his eyes, he took as deep a breath as he could silently. Sitara’s hand dropped from his mouth, allowing both of her arms to fold over his. He opened his eyes and instantly focused on the wild hog. Once relaxed, his arms tightened again. A second pig joined the other.

“Sita…”

“We’ll be okay,” she muttered.

“But…”

“We’ll be okay.”

The two pigs rooted around on the forest floor for a few minutes. The larger one gave up looking for food and snorted at the other. They conversed and nudged each other; the focus of their attention shifting from food to each other. A few more snorts and they disappeared back into the bushes. George shifted some, wanting to get to his feet and get Sitara far from the wild boars, but the girl did not move.

“Sita…”

“We should probably stay here for a minute to make sure they’re really gone,” she whispered.

“I’ve never… there aren’t… England…”

Sitara turned slowly in his lap, her eyes going to his, “I imagine not.”

“They were…”

“Juveniles, a bit more unpredictable,” she declared, touching his cheek softly.

“How…”

Her lips quickly touched his, “I’ve lived in India all my life, sweetheart. I’ve see more wild boars than… well clearly you.”

He chuckled, “Well you handled it with grace.”

She kissed him again, “It’s best to not let them smell your fear. That would surely lead to a goring.”

“Good thing I had you to protect me then,” George smirked.

“Definitely.”

“How long… how long do you think we should wait?”

“Forever,” her eyes held his.

He smiled and kissed her again, pushing it to deepen for a moment, “I think I can handle that.”



Though she promised to not wait up for Sitara, Kanti quickly sat up when the door opened. In the darkness, her eyes focused on her best friend. Unable to see anything without any light, her fingers stretched for the lamp. She clicked it on and pivoted to face Sitara.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” she asked.

The younger girl jumped slightly, “Uh, no, I don’t. And when did you care?”

“Did you have sex with him?”

Sitara whirled around to face her, her mouth open in shock, “Of course I didn’t.”

“Uh huh.”

“Do you want to check just like my father did?”

Her lips parted slightly, but she quickly smiled, “Maaaaybe.”

Sitara rolled her eyes as she began to remove her jewelry, “We kissed, yes, but we did not have sex.”

“Do you want to?”

Quickly spinning back to her best friend, she flashed a smile, before turning back to making ready for the night, “No, of course not. I’m a good girl.”

“Of course you are,” she pivoted to lie on her stomach. “Do his kisses make your p… heart race?”

“Mmmmhmmm,” she removed her dress and pulled a cotton sleep shirt on. “They do.”

Kanti patted the bed, “Well sit down and tell me all about it.”

She quickly plopped down on the bed, “Well…”

Chatting for a while, the two girls eventually gave into the late hour, turned out the light, and curled around each other in bed. As Sitara fell asleep, her head on Kanti’s shoulder, the older girl smiled. Her fingers gently played with her charge’s hair. Even if George was not the one for Sitara, Kanti was pleased with the turn of events. The girl was growing up, just in time.

They woke late in the morning and headed down to communal breakfast. However, most everyone had already eaten and headed off for the day, some to play music, some to listen to the Maharishi, some to meditate. The two women thought nothing of it and snagged breakfast from the kitchen before heading to eat with the monkeys. They chatted happily about nothing and everything, not needing to conceal what they discussed.

Grinning upon noticing Sitara under the dining canopy, Cynthia trotted over, plopping down next to the Indian girl. She waited until the conversation ended. Before Sitara could say anything, the blond woman embraced her tightly. Kanti chuckled awkwardly, certainly not expecting that kind of affection. The British woman quickly started to chatter, rattling off questions but not waiting for answers.

Sitara’s hand clapped over Cynthia’s mouth, “Shhhh, Cyn. I’m here now. And I’m not leaving any time soon.”

“I am so relieved! It has been just dreadful since you left,” she claimed once Sitara’s hand dropped from her mouth. “John… is still ignoring me. And the other girls… I’m just glad that you’re back.”

“I’m glad to be back too,” she smiled. “Perhaps you would like to leave the compound and go shopping with me and Kanti?”

“Oh yes, definitely,” her eyes lit up.

“Great. I’ll go make sure it’s okay with the Maharishi. Kanti, can you head back to the room and get my purse?”

“Yeah, sure,” she glanced over Cynthia quickly. “Meet back here?”

“No. Let’s meet down by the gate,” she smiled. “I’m sure we’ll get leave.”

“I’ll meet you there too,” Cynthia hugged Sitara once more. “I’m so glad to see you again.”

The three women parted, going off in different directions. Shaking her head slightly, Sitara headed to find the Maharishi, expecting he would be lecturing. It felt nice to be missed by not only George and Donovan but also the women at the compound. The other women talked excitedly the previous night, but thinking back on it, Cynthia had been absent. Making a note to ask the blond woman about it, she approached the Maharishi’s lecture area.

The guru finished his lecture and his students dispersed. Her eyes briefly landed on George, who acknowledged her, but did not part from conversation with his wife. As she was not there for him, her attention quickly shifted away. The happy guru noticed her and slowly made his way through his students to the young Indian woman. Though she merely wanted to ask his permission to take Cynthia on their voyage, the Maharishi waved her to join him and headed inside.

Sitting on a padded bench, he motioned for Sitara to join him. A bit cautious, she sat next to the older man. He remained silent, glancing her over. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she said nothing, merely waited until he indicated she could speak.

“How does your father feel about you being here?” he asked evenly.

“I know not. As I said on the phone yesterday, I did not tell him I was coming here.”

“He will look for you, no?”

Sitara shrugged slightly, “I guess.”

He reached up and touched a curl on her shoulder, “You are a very pretty girl, Sitara. He will not just leave you to wander about the country without looking for you.”

“I guess.”

“You will make someone very happy one day – soon perhaps.”

Her eyes dropped down from his, “Maharishi, I just want…”

“A very pretty girl.”

“Would it be alright if Cynthia comes with Kanti and me today? We will be back before nightfall.”

“But of course it is!” he chuckled jovially as his hand dropped her hair. “Where do you think you will go?”

“Hardiwar,” she replied, shifting slightly away from him.

“You should not go unescorted,” he declared.

Sitara sighed, “The three of us will be fine.”

“I cannot keep you here against your will, Sitara, but I do believe someone should go with you. There are a number of young men among my devotees who would love to escort thr–”

Seeing Donovan walking across the compound, she sat up straighter, “Donovan can come with us.”

He followed her eyes and nodded slowly, “You may ask him.”

“Thanks,” she chirped and bolted out of the room after the folksinger. “Don!”

The curly-haired singer stopped and turned. His eyes met hers and a smile instantly lit up his face. He quickly offered his hand, his lips touching Sitara’s hand once her fingers slipped into his. Smiling slightly, she tugged him away from view of the Maharishi. Not understanding her discomfort but noticing it, Donovan strolled silently with her, waiting for an explanation.

“Have you plans for the day?” she asked.

“I’m supposed to be meditating.”

“Oh,” she dropped his hand. “I suppose you want to get to that.”

Rather than grab her hand again, his arm quickly circled around her waist and pulled the dancing girl close, “No, I do not.”

Her lips parted as her eyes focused on his. She did not say anything, but felt the energy shoot between them. Before she could protest, not that she would have, his other hand buried in her dark hair and pulled her into a kiss. Her arms remained by her side noncommittally, but her lips parted to allow him to briefly deepen the kiss.

“I would much rather be with you,” he muttered against her mouth, before stealing another quick kiss.

“Good,” she breathed. “Come to town with me?”

Donovan smirked, leaning back a bit more but not releasing her from his embrace, “Of course, love. I’ll just ask the Maharishi.”

Sitara’s hands quickly grabbed his, as he stepped away, “No need. I already cleared it with him. The others are probably waiting for us.”



Walking behind the three women, Donovan puffed on a cigarette. Though brought along as a chaperone, he did not mind. Being with Sitara alone would surely follow the outing. He did not mind sacrificing his time to get more of hers. It would work in his favor.

Stepping away from Kanti and Cynthia, Sitara turned and flashed a smile at Donovan. His eyes met hers and he returned the smile. She approached him and slipped her hand into his empty one. She hardly glanced around the market before pushing up on her toes and gently kissing him. Donovan’s brows rose in surprise but he happily accepted her sweet kiss, dropping his cigarette into the gutter.

“Thank you for coming with us,” she muttered softly. “I know it cannot be that much fun shopping with girls.”

“When the girls are as pretty as you, it is far more fun than you think,” he stated before stealing another quick kiss.

She instantly flushed, “We shouldn’t let them get away…”

“Or maybe we should so we can be alone,” he winked, but stepped back.

His hand remained holding hers as they turned back to trail behind the shopping women. The smile on Sitara’s face remained, widening slightly whenever Donovan squeezed her hand or stepped a bit closer. While she would claim the purpose of the outing was to cheer up Cynthia more than anything, she too enjoyed being out. Moreover, being with Donovan was more than just pleasant.

“Should we grab some dinner before heading back?” the folksinger suggested.

“That would be nice,” Sitara agreed to it. “What did you have in mind?”

He shrugged, “Something different than back at camp, I suppose.”

“Hmmm. We’ll see what we can find.”

The four continued strolling about town, purchasing small trinkets every now and then. Eventually they settled around a table in a nice restaurant. Both Donovan and Cynthia eagerly ordered non-vegetarian dishes, making the two Indian women chuckle. All four talked circles around the table, like four old friends. Yet unnoticed by all three women, Donovan subtly moved closer and closer to Sitara as the meal progressed.

With desserts and wine set before the women, Donovan lit up a cigarette. He was careful to lean away from the table, blowing the smoke away from the ladies. His free hand casually rested on Sitara’s leg, near her knee. When she did not protest, he moved his hand slowly up her thigh. Her eyes went to his as he squeezed her thigh gently, but she remained silent. Flashing him a quick smile, Sitara dipped her spoon into her dessert and offered it to the folksinger.

Donovan discarded his cigarette quickly and opened his mouth for the bite. His lips closed around it. Very slowly, Sitara pulled the spoon free. Her eyes remained locked with his, waiting for his reaction. His mouth curved into a happy smile as he swallowed.

“That is amazing, Sita. What is it?”

“It’s called Rasmalai,” she answered. “A pudding for lack of a better explanation.”

“We should have this back in Rishikesh.”

“I don’t think the guys know how to make it,” she spooned another bite into Donovan’s mouth.

He squeezed her leg again as she pulled her spoon back. They continued to share the dessert. While both Cynthia and Kanti noticed, neither said anything. The older Indian woman thought it slightly odd, but reserved judgment. She was very wary of Donovan, but could tell Sitara was keen on him, so she remained silent. 

Meanwhile, Donovan’s hand gently rolled towards her inner thigh. Sitara gasped ever so slightly before slipping a spoon into her lips, letting him pull her leg closer to him. His fingers squeezed her thigh gently before wiggling further up her leg. He boldly cupped her sex, causing her to drop her spoon loudly in the empty dish, her eyes darting to his.

“Shall we head back?” he grinned and leaned back, dragging his fingers over her leg.

“Yes,” Sitara replied, her voice a bit unsteady.

They gathered the day’s purchases, paid for their meal, and headed back out into the streets. As the sun disappeared over the horizon, different kinds of people wandered about the streets of Hardiwar. Fewer women and more swarthy men chattered, some shouting propositions at the small group. Donovan could not understand their words, but could tell by the way Sitara’s hand clutched his, the meaning behind most of them. He was about to shout back at a particular insistent annoyance, but Kanti rattled off something in their language, silencing the man. A moment later, she hailed a cab, ushering the other three into it.

With tight quarters in the small, old vehicle, Sitara ended up in Donovan’s lap. Concealing his smugness, he attempted to chat with the other two women for a few moments, but quickly discarded it when the car hit a bump, causing Sitara to squeal and wiggle in his lap. Kanti opted to ignore him and shifted in the seat until her back faced the pair, focusing her attention on Cynthia.

Allowing one hand to leave her waist, Donovan squeezed her thigh again. Sitara shifted slightly, her legs parting. His hand rubbed her leg for a moment before daring to cup her again. Before she could gasp at his touch, Donovan guided her mouth to his and kissed her. Kanti glanced over her shoulder, smirking upon noticing their kissing. Her eyes swept down Sitara’s body and instantly widened upon Donovan’s hand. She glared at the folksinger and grabbed his wrist, plucking his hand from her best friend’s body.

Donovan stopped kissing Sitara and met Kanti’s angry eyes, “Don’t worry, love. There’s plenty to go around.”

“Don’t even,” she hissed.

He pulled his hand free, “She’s not complaining.”

“Stop. Now,” Kanti declared.

“Sita,” Donovan whispered in her ear, “do you want me to stop?”

“I… yes,” she breathed, turning to lie fully back against him. “You should stop.”

His hands settled around her waist, “As you wish.”

As the cab reached as far as it would go, the four stumbled out. Kanti remained with Donovan as he paid the fare, leaving the other two women to retrieve their purchases from the trunk. Folding her arms across her chest, she tapped her foot as she stared at the musician. He chuckled and turned away, shaking his head. Her fingers shot out, grabbing his shirt to keep him from walking away.

“You be careful, Donovan. Sitara is a good girl,” she muttered.

“Don’t you worry, love,” he patted her cheek briefly. “I will take very good care of her.”

“Don’t you dare hurt her,” Kanti stated. “If you do, I will serve your balls to Krishna on a silver platter.”

He laughed, “You are feisty, just like I thought.”

She slapped his hand away, “This is your only warning, Donovan.”

Before he could say anything else, Kanti stepped away, turned, and hurried to catch up with the other two women. Rather than join the group immediately, Donovan pulled out a blunt and lit it. He inhaled deeply, watching the three women head towards the bridge across the Ganges. He had known Sitara’s return would chase away his boredom. He was certainly correct.


Seeing Sitara approach the compound with Cynthia, George quickly snubbed his cigarette and headed down to intercept the group. He noticed something different about Sitara, but quickly vowed to not say anything about it. Instead, he greeted her quickly, offering to carry her packages. Her eyes went to his and her demeanor instantly changed, relaxing.

“Hi,” she muttered, letting him slip the bags from her hands.

“I missed you,” he stated softly.

“I thought you would be meditating all day,” she replied.

George quickly stole a kiss before Kanti and Donovan neared. The slightest taste of wine touched his lips, instantly explaining her slightly off aura. He turned and headed towards the apartments, trailing behind Cynthia.

“Just because I was, doesn’t mean I did not miss you,” he responded to Sitara’s earlier statement in a whisper.

Her eyes glanced at him, “I bought you something.”

“You did? I mean, you didn’t have to.”

“I know, but I wanted to. I’ll just put everything away and we can go sit somewhere?” she suggested, reaching for her packages as they neared the apartments.

“Do you want me to wait down here?” he asked, concern in his eyes.

“I…” her green eyes flicked to Cynthia. “Just give me a minute.”

“Okay,” he agreed, handing over her purchases, purposefully touching her fingers with his own. “I’ll wait here.”

Kanti shot a glare at the Scotsman, forcing him to not follow her up the stairs either. He merely smirked and stopped next to George, offering what was left of his joint to the other musician. The other Indian woman breezed past the Beatle, skipping steps to join the two ladies. The three women briefly conversed at the top of the stairs before Sitara descended the steps while the other two headed to the room.

She returned where the two men stood, sharing the last of the smoke. Her eyes darted between the two before settling on Donovan. Wordlessly, she pressed up on her toes and kissed the corner of his mouth briefly.

“Thank you for the splendid day, Donovan,” she muttered softly. “I enjoyed it very much.”

“I did as well,” he smiled down at her.

“Good night, Don,” Sitara declared.

Ever aware of George’s presence, his arms looped around the petite dancing woman, pulling her into a quick kiss, “Good night, Sita.”

He kissed her once more before pulling away, peeking at his friend, and turning to head back to his own cabin. Feeling eyes on him, Donovan glanced over his shoulder and met Kanti’s dark eyes. He grinned and waved at her. While he may not have actually gotten any sex that night – not that he expected it – he was certain he left an impression on everyone involved. That was enough for him.

“I… uh…”

“You don’t need to explain anything, Sita,” George responded, though she could hear emotion in his voice. “Maybe we should just call it a night.”

“No!” she quickly replied. “No, please. I want to spend time with you.”

“You sure?”

Sitara stepped boldly over to him and pressed her mouth to his, “I’m very sure.”

Ignoring the hint of wine in her kiss, George’s arms slipped around her waist briefly. He pulled away, his fingers seeking hers. Purposefully, Sitara grabbed his hand with his gift in hers. George instantly pulled his hand away, looking down to what she held.

She held the item up, a strand of green-stained wooden beads falling between her fingers, “Prayer beads.”

George grinned, “For me?”

She nodded, handing them over, “They’re very basic but… I just thought they might help you find… what you seek here.”

He quickly looped them around his wrist before leaning over to kiss her gently, “Thank you, Sita. This is very thoughtful of you.”

Without saying anything, they strolled about the compound, holding hands. Instinctively arriving at the wooded clearing, Sitara shook her head and guided George away from their tree. Instead, she pulled him back to the compound and up the stone steps to a stone prayer hive. She briefly considered sitting on the edge of the wall, their feet dangling off the stone, but decided to duck inside instead. Dimly lit even during the day, the chamber seemed to be completely dark. The young woman easily sat in the center of the room, pulling George to sit with her, facing her.

Her fingertips covered his mouth before he could speak. She guided his hands to her face, urging him to learn her features with a different sense. George smiled and gently touched her face, smiling more when her fingers did the same of his. Their lips kissed and sucked on their respective fingertips. He had never considered touching so sensual, so erotic, but it did not surprise him that Sitara opened him to things unexpected.

Sitara’s hands dropped from touching him. She continued to kiss and suck on his digits for a moment, before his hands gently caressed down her neck. His hands slipped under her arms, looping behind her back. While he wanted to pull her into his lap, George hesitated, not wanting to push things too far, too fast. However, as soon as that thought crossed his mind, Sitara moved forward and straddled his lap. Her arms circled his neck and her lips touched his briefly. She shifted slightly, wiggling in his embrace, and laid her head upon his shoulder. His arms tightened around her as he gently inhaled her scent.

“Today…”

“Just spending time shopping with the girls,” she explained.

“Donovan?”

“Chaperone,” Sitara declared.

“Ah.”

“He’s not serious about this like you are,” she pointed out. “And we could not go alone.”

“No, of course not.”

“Why is John so mean to Cyn?”

“I don’t know, love,” he responded, fibbing.

“I feel bad for her. She’s so nice and sweet and so devoted to him. But she’s miserable here.”

“I know she is, but luckily you came back just in time.”

She sighed, “I don’t know what I’m going to do when you leave.”

“Sita…”

“I cannot go back home. It was bad enough when I spent the weekend here. My father brought a doctor in to check my virginity,” she admitted softly. “If I go back now…

He tensed, but pushed it aside to squeeze her a bit tighter, “We’ll figure it out, Sita. I promise you.”

“I trust you, George. I trust you with everything.”