Adultery No One Dies a Saint (Completed)

[krish_999]

Chapter 36

Anvita

Atul’s office threw a dinner for its staffs and families.
“Your company has a lot of money to waste on dinners. Mine is in poverty.”
Anvita joked.
“You too had one dinner party, remember?”
“It was so boring, and forgettable to mention.”

The dinner was arranged at a restaurant and there was strictly no liquor. Atul was disappointed. Anvita was happy though.
“Nowadays you are drinking too much; do you think I am not noticing it?”
Anvita pulled him.
“Today is our dry day. All wives can be happy.”
Atul scoffed.
Shreyas welcomed all the staff and their families. After a couple of tracks by a small band, the dinner was served. Anvita and Atul sat with two other couples.

In the middle of the meals, Anvita saw a man slowly walking toward them. He was wearing a black suit that suited him perfectly, concealing a macular body. He walked with a sense of authority, oozing confidence. Confidence, that he owned this world.
All the good feeling about the dinner vanished out of Anvita as she watched him unbelievably, and as he reached to greet Atul, in contrast to her expectations.
“Hello, Atul. How are you?”
Atul began to get up to greet the man and he stopped him politely. Atul quickly turned to Anvita.
“Anvi. This is Maniesh Sain. He’s a Non-Executive Director in our Board. And more than that he’s a great person, someone who the whole company draws inspiration from. There are a lot more to tell about him.”
Anvita could only listen.
She couldn’t even reciprocate her husband’s smile.
“Maniesh, this is my wife Anvita.”
Atul went on to introduce her to him.
“Hello, Anvita. Atul has often mentioned about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, finally.”
Maniesh smiled at her. In his brooding eyes, she saw nothing else. It was like he was seeing her for the first time.
It was not for nothing Mahima had allowed her to be seduced by this man. Anvita knew it in a second. She remembered sitting on this man’s chest and slapping his face left and right. He had cheerfully allowed himself to bear her assault; despite it was not really his fault. Anvita wanted to smile at him as it was the least expected of her by Atul, but she could not. She suddenly felt like a child committed a grave mistake and then made to stand in front of the master, dreading the moment of being caught. She could not even look into his eyes.
“Hello, Maniesh. Nice to meet you too.”
She barely managed to blurt, in the end.
Maniesh soon walked away and Atul smiled at Anvita happily. Anvita saw a sense of pride bringing his face to shine.
Anvita had lost her appetite.

Back at home, Anvita asked Atul about Maniesh.
“You were so happy to see him. What makes him so special?”
“You have no idea, Anvi.”
“He’s not the CEO of the company, is he?”
Atul laughed, “No. He’s the one who can decide the CEO on his own.”
“They why doesn’t he become that?”
“You think a CEO is the most powerful person in a company? CEO is just an employee, to be correct.”
“What is Maniesh’s power?”
“His power...”
Atul chuckled.
“He’s the one who can throw Shreyas out of his chair and who can put me in that place like this.”
He snapped his finger with a laugh.
Anvita wondered if he intended to do that.

That night Anvita remembered Mahima with admiration instead of contempt. Mahima had met him at the dinner party by Teckpo. And she had spent the night with him after her kitty party, presumably. Anvita wondered who would have made the first move between them. Anvita laughed at her foolishness to think of him as Manjot's driver initially. It had taken Mahima just a second to decide that “he seems too good with the girls to be just a driver.” For a moment Anvita imagined him leading Mahima to bed. Mahima would have felt she earned it and excited by it. Anvita was sure.

In a few days, Shashank came up with his dinner plan, in one of the top luxury restaurants around, a forty-kilometre drive from home. Anvita wore a chocolate colour tight sheath dress that ended two inches above her knee. Atul dropped Anvita at the restaurant and returned. Anvita was sure he was going to visit a bar but she felt that’s the only option he had.
Next time I won’t involve myself in this type of dinner. Anvita decided.
Shashank was waiting for her at the lobby. He was so happy to see her.
“You look gorgeous than ever, Anvita. Just perfect; I am so grateful to you for your presence.”
He showered her with compliments.
The guests began to arrive. For Anvita, it proved to be a mixture of surprise, shock and hatred. First one was Shreyas.
“I hope I don't have to introduce Shreyas to you, Anvita.”
Shashank said. Shreyas was equally surprised to see her. Anvita was slightly embarrassed too, anticipating him asking how come she ended up Shashank’s PA or something. But Shreyas was purely formal and it eased Anvita.
It’s a formal dinner. I am not dancing around my boss. Anvita assured herself. Another guest arrived and Shashank introduced her to him.
It was Sudheer Misra; a forty-year-old, well dressed and clean shaved man. Anvita shook hands with him as they greeted each other.
After that, Shashank took Anvita aside.
“Anvita, we are a team tonight. I would appreciate if you watch me carefully and follow the way I get along with the guests. If I shake hand with one, you do the same. If I embrace him, you too, allow him to hug you. It’s just a pleasantry; I know you shouldn’t have to be briefed on that. And I want you to select a hot drink. You can choose your limit yourself. However, at any cost, your safety will remain my primary concern. I guarantee you that, no matter what.”
Anvita shook her head to his assurance.
With next person, Amish, another man in suits, Shashank shook hand and Anvita too shook hand with him. Amish was a middle-aged man just like Shashank, and he was in awe to see Anvita. She later saw him casually checking out her, especially her legs, while he mingled with the others.
When the next guest arrived, Shashank was thrilled. Anvita, however, was put in a difficult state when the men hugged like close friends. Before she could make up her mind, Manjot’s eyes fell at her; and they shone at her.
“Hello, beautiful!”
He reached and embraced her. Anvita hated it and brushed her cheek softly against his face with a bright smile to make it obvious to all the others that they both knew each other before. Even out of her embarrassment she noticed the envious face of all the other men except Shreyas who maintained a straight face.
The last man to arrive was the least expected. And Anvita could not quite believe it.
Why the hell does he show up everywhere he is not expected? Anvita wondered.
Shashank welcomed Maniesh with a warm embrace and then introduced him to Anvita. Before she could move forth to allow him to hug her, he forwarded his hand to her. Her eyes widened, genuinely, as she responded to him.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Anvita.”
He just said.
“Me too, Maniesh.”
Anvita said calmly.
During the dinner, Shashank directed Anvita to take the place between himself and Manjot. His intention to please Manjot was quite successful. Manjot was happy to sit with her and talk with her. In between, he leaned toward her to say intimate things, mostly to her discomfort.
“You look so hot, Anvita.”
“Which perfume are you using? I can't have it enough.”
“Don't touch that dish. It’s gonna spoil your lipstick.”
“You know your hair makes me wanna touch it.”
“Thank you for wearing this dress. You have beautiful legs. Just wow.”
So went his compliments.
Anvita was in no mood to pay attention to any of those, though she smiled pleasantly at him. She felt choked between the men. One was her boss. Another was her husband’s boss. Yet another was more like a stalker. If they weren’t enough, there was this man, who doesn’t know where to stop it.
While Manjot was outright flirty, Anvita was aware of being watched by Shreyas.
I would tell him later. Anvita thought.
Maniesh was completely ignorant of her presence at the table. He spoke nothing to her, and he did not even look at her once. It was quite annoying for Anvita. She knew it was deliberate. And as dinner progressed she felt an urge to earn his attention, at least a glance. She raised her voice during the conversation and laughed louder to Manjot’s jokes. It made Manjot happy, and Shashank content, for sure; but it did not earn any attention from Maniesh.
As the dinner came to an end, Shashank thanked her.
“I will consider you as an asset for me, in a very positive sense. I am so happy I have you around.”
He told Anvita when everyone left. He also arranged a cab to drop her home.
She picked up Atul along the way.
“How was the dinner, baby?”
Atul asked her, his tongue thick.
“You’re too drunk, Atul. You should put some limit to this.”
Anvita said, studying him. Atul struggled to hold his eyes open. He blinked at her.
“I am okay, Anvi.”
“I can see that. Do you know who was among the guests at the dinner? One was your boss Shreyas and other was his boss.”
“Maniesh? Really?”
Atul was excited.
“Yeah. But he did not talk to me. He seemed a serious type of guy.”
“Did he recognise you?”
“How can he not recognise me? But he did not ask me anything personal.”
“Perhaps he might have forgotten you.”
Atul said thoughtfully.
Can he forget me? Anvita wondered. Well, I can't forget him. She thought embarrassingly..

The following evening Anvita and Shreyas met over a coffee at a café near Teckpo office.
“Your company seems very liberal. You have come this long for just a coffee.”
“Who wanna miss a coffee with you? It’s worth a thousand mile’s drive.”
“That’s too much of flattery.”
Anvita beamed.
Shreyas was watching her eyes with utmost enthusiasm.
“Flattery? Have you forgotten how your boss was priding himself because of you? All the men were jealous of him and I think he deserved it.”
“Come one, all were heavyweight businessmen. They can't be floored by just me.”
“May God save them all from falling in love with you!”
“Save them all! Are you including yourself too?”
“I have already fallen. I am kinda recovering.”
“You are not desperate like others; that is what I like about you. I like gentlemen only.”
Anvita said carefully.
“How about Manjot? Is he a gentleman?”
Anvita’s smile faded in a second.
You asked!
“Manjot. He’s a monster. I hate him.”
“But yesterday you didn’t seem to hold the same opinion.”
“I always had this opinion. But he’s very close to Shashank. If you promise me you won’t tell anyone about this, I have something to tell you.”
“I promise. Tell me.”
“Okay.”
Anvita looked around and leaned forward.
“Shashank and I had once visited this Manjot in his office. For some business deal, and I was gone to the washroom in between; when I came back – I know you’ll find it strange -  they both were gone…after their talk. I had spilt something on my dress so I took too much time in washroom perhaps, and I could not really find them anywhere. Somebody sent me upstairs in search of Shashank. When I went there – it’s a conference room – oh my god! I can't tell you what I saw. It was so dirty. He’s a creep!”
Anvita shook her head.
“What happened?”
Shreyas was curious.
“He was with a staff, a woman. She was like a thirty-something, you know, and what he was doing to her was horrible.”
“Tell me.”
“You can guess.”
“Come on I don’t want to guess this type of things.”
Anvita looked around again.
“She was on her knees.”
“On knees?”
“Not completely. But almost on knees. I mean bent down, her head was at his, at his waist level…”
“Giving head?”
“Sshh..!!”
A café boy had walked near them and Anvita feared he heard Shreyas.
Shreyas leaned closer.
“Was she?”
His voice was low. Anvita shook her head.
“No, it was more. He was forcing her to do it.”
“And you saw it?”
“I saw it and he saw me too. That’s the worst part. I fled from there without wasting a fraction of a second. Later…”
“Are you sure you saw what you saw?”
Shreyas interrupted.
“Come on; one just needs a single look to understand such things, right? I started to shout whether he's forcing her and he yelled at me. Later, he told me not to tell this to anyone. I haven’t, except you, now.”
“Not even Atul?”
“No.”
“Why? You must have told him…”
“No way. I don’t want him to lose respect for my job scene. I’ve just joined.”
“But you told me.”
“You made a promise. If you tell this to anyone else, I’ll never speak to you.”
“Okay. I am not gonna tell anyone, believe me.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I can make Atul promise that. He’ll simply laugh at it and tell his friends, I fear.”
“Good thinking.”
Shreyas admitted. Anvita leaned back in her chair.
“I have hated to see him since that day, but your friend - unfortunately my boss - is so close to him, I am tired of this man actually. I don’t want to see even his face. He looks ugly and after this incident, he looks uglier. Yesterday Shashank had briefed me that I must behave friendly with him.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know. He’s trying to please him.”
“He’s using you.”
“Maybe. But what can I do?”
“You can say no.”
“But he’s not forcing me for anything. My hatred for Manjot is my personal thing, isn’t it? Otherwise asking to be friends with someone the company has business interests with is quite acceptable. Shashank isn’t forcing me to do anything. He maintains it is part of my training.”
“Shashank is a veteran. He can be a good guide for your career. But I would suggest that you must be careful to choose what you want to learn from him.”
“Right. So far he has not asked me anything unethical.”
“Good then, so far! By the way, Atul has asked me to dine together; he’s very happy after the AGM. I had given him a lot of space; especially on the first day.”
“Really?”
Anvita gave him a suspicious look.
“You have something in your mind.” Shreyas said.
Anvita smiled.
“You sent him alone on the first day for a reason. Now you’re getting dinner for that again! How clever!”
“No, it’s not that way. You know he suggested the dinner, and I haven’t responded. I thought I should ask you first.” He revealed.
“Why asking me?”
“I don’t want you to feel it’s my idea and I don’t want you to think I am trying to get close to you again.”
“Come on, forget it all.”
Anvita said.
“This is all I wanted to hear. I was really worried every moment I thought about dinner. I want to dine with you. And the last thing I want is to have you feeling that I am playing clever games with you.”
“Hey, I was joking.”
“I know.”
He nodded gladly.
“So I am going to confirm to Atul. Will you cook for me?”
“Dinner will be outside, won’t it?”
“No. I want to dine at your home. I will have what you cook.”
“That’s a very bad wish.”
“Please.”
“Okay, I will consider that.”
She smiled.

Anvita was amused how Shreyas was going to convince Atul for partying at his house. Would he say I would like to have the dinner cooked by your wife?
The following day Atul called her when she was at the office.
“Shreyas is coming for dinner this weekend.”
“Coming to where?”
“Our house.”
“Dinner at our house?”
“Yes. He’s not interested in going to a restaurant. Anjali is gone to visit her family.”
Oh, that’s his excuse? Anvita grinned.
“ Okay. So, what do we do? What’s your plan?”
“Let’s get the food ready by Nandini.”
Atul suggested.
“Come on, it’s just the three of us. It’s a shame if we hire someone for that.”
“Then what? Will you cook?”
“I think I will. I don’t cook so bad, do I?”
“No, you cook great, baby. I thought it will be a pain for you.”
“If it’s just him, it won’t be. But you must tell him not to come with over-expectations.”
“Come on. I know your skills. So you will cook.”
I will cook, definitely. Anvita said in her mind.
She now understood why Shreyas spoke to her beforehand. He wanted to have me cook for him, yet it must look like the choice is mine.

------chapter continues