Adultery Knowing My Wife, Knowing Me As Well - part III

[krish_999]

Chapter – Three

 
This story isn’t just about Desai. There are other men too. One of them was Tejas. Looking back I often wonder why I met him and what if I had never met him.
Perhaps it was my destiny.
 
I told you briefly about the demolition drive by the state Govt. I found myself walking into Govt. offices many times a week for submitting and retrieving copies of documents. Many of the government officers were nice. However, one officer had mastered the knack of annoying the general public. The middle-aged woman was very slow with her fingers on the keyboard and even slower to attend the long queue in front of her desk. If somebody requested the lady to be quicker, she would respond by becoming slower. People found it wise to keep quiet and take it as it is.
On the third time of my visit, a man reacted. But his request to her to pay more attention to the job in hand pissed the lady off, and she reacted by threatening to leave the counter. Her reaction irritated the man further. A loud argument broke out between them and the lady refused to resume work. She got up and vanished into one of the rooms at the other end of the office.
However, the man was recording the entire thing on his mobile. When the manager interfered, he was convinced of the trouble he was in. He tried to pacify the agitated man, in vain, before assigning someone else to the desk.
Thereafter the counter worked smoothly.
I was watching it from the queue. I recognised the young man – he was the bachelor who had stubbornly refused to vacate the flat I had liked a few weeks ago.
I did not want to talk to him. However, as the counter moved faster after what he had done at the counter, I received my document like a breeze. I noticed the young man chatting up with someone outside the office. I walked over to him and thanked him.
“I never got anything from here so easy like this; thanks to you.”
The man recognised me as we shook hands.
“You don’t like quitting, do you?” I asked.
“I guess you know that better than anybody here,” He smiled. “Did you find the house of your choice?”
“Still looking for it.”
I said.
I had walked away from him, without even asking his name. But I would learn it very soon.
Next day he uploaded his recording in social media and the whole episode was in the news. The comment section was filled with complaints and abuses against the lady staff. She was suspended by her department within a day.
That’s how I met Tejas.
 
A few days later I met him again at a shopping mall. Meera was getting a hair spa and I was picking up groceries when I came across him.
“I know about a vacant flat readily available. Wanna have a look?” He asked me.
“Sure, it will be helpful,” I said.
Tejas gave me contact details of the house owner. I visited the house the next day. It wasn’t spacious enough.
I phoned Tejas later.
“Your flat is still better in my opinion,” I said.
Tejas laughed, “I have a hunch I am gonna kicked out of my flat any time soon.”
“Yeah, I am seriously thinking about bribing Prasant. You better find a new place.”
I retorted.
Tejas was a happy-go-lucky young man from the state of Gujarat. He came across as a guy entirely different from my first impression. He had finished his MBA from the city a year ago, but he was still roaming around without trying for a job, doing a part-time course for the sake of doing something.
It was a stupid course.
“I am not interested in the course; it is rather to fool my family,” Tejas confessed jokingly. “I am a master in that.”
 
Before I go further into Tejas' involvement in my life, I must add another development that was happening during those days.  It was a weekend when Sam had gone to Mumbai on Friday, and Desai invited Ananya to a party in a hotel on Saturday. But she refused him politely.
She called me immediately and told me about it.
An hour later I received a phone call from Desai. He invited me to the party. I was surprised.
“Are you not inviting Ananya?”
“I did. She is coming.”
I was aware that Ananya wasn’t going.
“She isn’t coming.”
“Leave it to her. You must come.” Desai said.
“Okay.” I agreed.
 
I did not want to tell Meera that I was invited to a party hosted by Desai. I was not interested in attending the party either. However, the curiosity to see Desai's behaviour with other women in the party persuaded me to lie to Meera that I had a small get-together with my colleagues. I reached the place at eight o’clock and I was surprised when Ananya showed up. For once, I felt cheated.
“You came!” I looked at her questioningly.
“He told me you would come. So I changed my mind.”
Ananya said.
I felt like a fool. Desai had manipulated me and he succeeded in bringing Ananya to the party. I wanted to scold Ananya for not confirming with me. But there was no point in arguing over a gone moment. We were already where Desai wanted us.
Contrary to my expectations, Desai was a good host. He walked up to me and Ananya for a brief chat like a cool friend and even encouraged me to stay by her side.
“She’s here only because of you, Krish. Please make her feel home. She’s my friend too.”
I noticed the sense of admiration and respect Ananya exhibited when Desai talked to us. She was totally in a comfort zone with him.
Is it because he’s her boss? Or is it because he’s already more than a boss to her?
I did not want to ponder.
The party went on smoothly, as I and Ananya spent most of our time together. We sat together and enjoyed the live performance by a stand-up comedian hired for the event. The crowd was nice.
Ananya awarded Desai plus points as we returned after the party.
“He is a good guy, I told you.”
“He pretended to be a good guy because I was there.” I corrected her.
Ananya laughed, “Okay, all credit goes to you.”
 
My lie to Meera was caught the very next morning.
“You lied to me; you attended Desai's party last night!” Meera was furious. “That too, with Ananya? What is happening here?”
I had failed to suppose that Desai would have invited members of Meera's office too.
“I didn’t want to tell you about I was going to Desai's party. I am sorry baby.” I apologised.
“You shouldn’t have gone.” Meera's eyes were wet, suddenly. I felt bad.
“He’s in my office every other day. He’s partly my boss now. I didn’t want to irk him.” I said.
“What about Ananya? You know I don’t want to see her with you. I am not comfortable…”
“He is her employer. And I didn’t even know she was going to be there until I saw her. I am so sorry baby. My intention was not to make you worry that I was attending Desai's party.”
“Please don’t do such things, Krish. I don’t like it. Next time when he invites you, don’t go.” Meera wiped her eyes.
I nodded. “I promise.”
 
I was availing leave from work frequently due to my need to visit govt. offices for documents. I had chosen to hide the demolition drive from my office because I did not want Desai to know about it. I quoted fake reasons while applying for leave. My manager Lalit wasn’t happy with my irregular attendance and I found myself pleading with him more than once.
Tuesday Lalit refused to sign my leave of absence.
“No. This is not going to work, Krish. Your colleagues are fed up with you. I'm fed up with you. I can’t give you any more leave this month.”
He said sternly.
I rang up Tejas and sought his help. He was ready to help.
“I’ll meet the officials on your behalf. Don’t worry.” Tejas assured.
 
The family of a friend of Tejas was also facing the house demolition issue like me. Tejas' friend had moved to Kolkata after his MBA and Tejas was helping him.
 
Thursday afternoon the govt. officials called all the applicants for a meeting and I somehow managed to leave early from my office. I reached late, but Tejas assured me there’s nothing to worry. The meeting, which began two hours late, was an exhausting experience to sit through. I suggested visiting a beer parlour as soon as the meeting ended.
“I was about to tell you that,” Tejas said.
We were sipping chilled beer in a bar soon after.
When I mentioned how difficult it was to get a house of one’s choice, Tejas was ready to help.
“You liked my flat. I’ll vacate it when you say.”
“But where will you go?”
“I am about to leave this city very soon. I don’t mind if it happened a few weeks earlier.”
“So nice of you for saying this. But I can’t be selfish.” I said. “By the way, I never asked you; why did you rent that house? Isn’t it too big for you?”
“It wasn’t the first one I rented here. The first one was smaller. My ancestral house in Gujarat is very spacious. So I found it very difficult to live in a small flat. Also, the house owner was a stupid he never spent a buck on repairs.  I tell him the tap is broken, the tap is broken for ten straight days and he would show up on the eleventh day with a ten rupees m-seal cake. He would bloody repair it himself – by joining the broken piece. I tell him the fan is slow and he shows up with an oil can. I tell him the hinge on my cupboard is loose and he shows up with a bloody cello tape! All nice, innovative ideas – except that he didn’t know how to repair a thing. I was fed up more with him than his house. I ended up running out of it. The current one is spacious; you can run a supermarket there. But more than that, I love my house owner. You know the first time when I visited the house I had noticed the exhaust fan in the attached bathroom wasn’t working. I mentioned it to Prasant, though I didn’t mind it due to my desperation to move out of the old one. I shifted the very next day. It was summer and I didn’t use the attached bathroom for two months. Then I reminded Prasant about the exhaust fan and he was like, which one? You know what; he had repaired it on the first day itself. I felt like a snail that day.”
Tejas went on. He turned out to be a guy who loved to speak. I kept sipping the beer, enjoying his stories.
 
Next morning Lalit was enraged when he learnt about my early pack-up on the previous day.
“I am writing a report on this. You might not make it after this month.”
He said. I was helpless.
I remembered my jobless days and it frightened me. That day I subconsciously kept wishing Desai to show up. When I realised what I was doing, it embarrassed me.
 
Saturday, Desai asked out Ananya for dinner. Sam had gone to Mumbai. Before making a decision, Ananya rang me up. I was annoyed and I momentarily forgot the developments in my office.
“You want to go with him to dinner. That’s why you are asking me. If you didn’t want to go, then tell him in the face.”
“He suggested inviting you too.”
“For what? To babysit you?”
“Why are you looking at it as a dinner date? He just doesn’t want to spend the weekend alone.”
“Don’t pretend to be so innocent to me, Ananya. He is well past that age of feeling lonely on a weekend. He’s a corporate lord. There are enough people who would love to act on a gesture to get rid of his weekend boredom. Don’t buy his stupid excuses to ask you out.”
“Then why did he want to include you?”
“Because he knows you wouldn’t go without me.”
I thought I had made my suggestion loud and clear to her. However, she messaged me later in the night.
“I am home; in one piece.”
I moved to the balcony and phoned her.
“What was that?”
“I went to dinner and now I am home. Nothing like you feared happened.”
I did not know what to say. Is she trying to fool me? There was no obligation for her to be honest with me.
“You wanted to tell me this now because you want me to concede I am wrong about him.”
“Exactly.”
“Good luck with that.”
I said and ended the phone call.
 
Ananya phoned me in the morning.
“I am sorry for making fun of you, Krish. I know you care about me.”
“You don’t have to say sorry. It’s totally up to you. It’s your shot.”
“You know I could not refuse him. He was asking me nicely and I felt awkward to say no. I told him I would leave early. He agreed and he kept his word; he even arranged a cab to drop me home safely.”
I knew Desai was trying hard to impress her.
Five minutes later my phone rang again. It was Desai. He wanted to see me.
“We’ll have breakfast at my place.”
Desai sent me his address. I couldn’t believe my fate as it meant I was going to visit the same house where Desai had once taken Meera to. It was almost six months ago but I was never going to forget what Meera had told me about the night. I was going to walk through the same door onto which she was pinned against while he undressed her and smelt and licked through her bare skin. The thought of stepping into a house where she was made to moan like a cheap whore for the whole night devastated me.
But I was not in a position to say no to decline Desai's silly demands. My job was at stake.
It might help. I hoped. After all, it’s just a visit. I tried to calm my mind.
 
But the place turned out to be entirely different from what Meera had narrated me about. It was a villa. The gatekeeper confirmed my name before letting me through. The moment my car crossed the gate I had a clear idea of abundant wealth of the man I was going to have breakfast with. The villa wasn’t particularly a big one. But everything looked meticulously designed enough to make one statement: that the person who lives in this building is insanely rich.
For a moment I could not believe that I had punched that man on his face, a couple of months ago.
Why I am still here? Why do I still exist in one shape? How can this man be so forgiving to me? Questions began to usurp my mind and there was only one answer: because this man can’t let go of my extremely beautiful wife.
Desai was waiting for me. He welcomed me pleasantly and led me to his spacious living room. Contrary to my expectation he was wearing a formal shirt but its front top buttons were undone. His partly visible hairy chest intimidated me. The posh ambience in the house too was making me feel out of place.
After exchanging pleasantries, Desai invited me to the dining hall and we had breakfast.
When we returned to the living room, Desai brought up Lalit’s recent report at work.
"I found your name on the wrong list. What's happening there?"
I knew it was the moment I had been dreading since I was warned by Lalit for my frequent absence from work. I had been told about my possible termination.
Is he going to tell me that I'm fired? I wondered.
"Don't worry. I'm not laying you off." Desai said as if he read my mind. "You are my friend. I have to consider that above all."
“Thank you, Desai,” I said. I felt ashamed for having to thank a man I was supposed to hate forever.
“Anyways, this is not what I wanted to discuss here...” Desai went on. “You know, I often act on impulsion and I feel sorry later. But, what is the use? You have observed many times I come up with drastically impulsive statements without considering where I am and who I am talking to. The only thing I can feel is the need to satisfy my ego by telling you right away what I can do. It is another matter whether I intend to do it or not. It just feels great, you know, to deliver a shock in the face. But I should have realised that it cannot work like that. You are my friend. Aren’t you?”
I nodded though I was now beginning to be cautious. Is he trying to be overly nice again?
I knew my punches might not be strong enough anymore.
Desai wiped his forehead as if trying to recall something. “I am not good with rejection; that’s the problem, Krish. I know you wouldn’t believe me; I am on medication.”
I nodded again. “I believe what you say, Desai.”
“No. You didn’t believe me. In fact… I want you to accompany me to my doctor.”
“Are you sure of it?” I asked. I was surprised by his demand.
“Yeah, she’s been asking me to bring along a friend. I am taking you. You will come, won’t you?”
I did not have a choice.
 
I accompanied Desai to his doctor that noon. After Desai's session, Dr Maithrei called me into her cabin. The forty-year-old, spectacled and a bit chubby in shape doctor in her spacious consulting room instantly had a calming effect on me. Her face was cute and voice, soft. I wondered if Desai chose her for reasons other than professional competency.
Beautiful. Tick. Friendly. Tick. Married. Tick.
“I have tried to have a session with Mrs Desai. But he never considered my requests. And he’s never been a regular visitor. For me the subject is vast but the information is scarce, to make a proper study. That’s why I asked him to let me talk to a friend at least. He told me that you know him very well. How close are you with him?”
Dr Maithrei spoke to me as if I was Desai's best friend.
“He recently slept with a colleague who's married to his friend. I am the only one among his friends with whom he has shared this information so far.” I said blatantly.
Dr Maithrei stared at me for a moment and then smiled.
“Alright, then. You are the right person who can help him.” She said.
She went on with a questionnaire about Desai's behavioural pattern. I was beginning to feel like Desai was a walking psycho.
“As far as I can say, he can’t take rejection.” The doctor told me in the end. “He’s got a larger profile than I can imagine. It’s very dangerous for someone powerful like him to live with this condition. He needs help but he’s alone; that’s the issue. My recommendation is that you brief the people coming in contact with him not to express rejection in the face. If you don’t want to do something that he seeks, don’t make it obvious straightaway. Instead, you can agree with him first. Whether to do it or not is your choice ultimately. You can delay doing it or convince him that you are trying to do it, or even tell him that you have done it. It’s all in your hands. My advice is that it is always wiser to agree with him.”
Her advice was ridiculous. 
When I finally came out of the cabin I was wondering whether I had truly become Desai's companion. I knew deep in my heart that I hated Desai. But now I was feeling like Desai needed help, though I did not know about how. I hated myself for empathising Desai even for a moment.
“What did she say?”
Desai asked me while coming back.
“She didn’t say anything. She ran a questionnaire about your behavioural pattern. Most of them were yes or no questions.”
I said.
 
Desai took me to his villa and we had lunch together. His servants were there. But their silence and blank faces almost made them invisible.
“I am bored with spending my time here and in the office, Krish. Next week we’ll go out for lunch.” Desai suggested. I agreed. I remembered Dr Maithrei and wondered if it was her advice that made me instantly agree with Desai.
 
I told Meera about Desai stopping my termination.
“It looks like he wants to make you feel indebted,” Meera commented.
“I am not indebted,” I said defiantly. “I will survive without this job. I hate him. It’s my bad luck that he became my boss.”
“Don’t think too much about him, honey.” Meera grabbed my palms. “He doesn’t deserve to be discussed here.”
I smiled at her and nodded.
 
Two days later, Desai summoned me to his office.
“Krish, there's a resort on the south side of the city; we’ll have a long drive and have lunch and return before sunset. The resort is run by my friend.”
I looked at him apprehensively, wary that he had something in his mind.
“Alright.” I shook my head. “Who else is coming?”
“Ananya can come, can’t she?”
I wasn't surprised. I knew where it was heading.
“Ananya? Will she come?”
I doubted.
“I don’t know. You will convince her to come, won’t you?”
I remembered that Ananya had almost rejected his dinner offer a few days ago. I could now see the larger picture of things where Desai had been taking the long route for a reason. But what is he trying to do? Is lunch at a distant resort going to satisfy him? Or does he have something big - something nasty – in his mind? Many questions popped up in my head in a second.
I felt the trip was just an excuse to get Ananya to agree to his terms. I just did not know what was going to happen at the resort except that it must be something worse than I could imagine.
“Will you do that for me, Krish?”
Desai asked again. I was still caught in a web of thoughts.
“Yes,” I blurted.
 

***       ***       ***

 
The resort was a two-hour drive from the city. Desai drove the car and I sat next to him while Ananya sat in the rear seat. After one hour, I offered to take the wheels but Desai refused.
“I want to finish this drive. You can take the wheel when we return. How about that?” Desai asked.
I agreed.
“What about you, Ananya? Do you what to drive?”
He looked at her through the mirror.
“I don’t know how to drive this thing.”
Ananya said.
“Ok. We’ll learn a bit before next time.”
Desai's casual assurance left me wondering if Desai was planning the next trip already. I was anxious about the outcome of the trip. Desai though smiling outside was plotting inside to make his wish come true. I wished if I could read his mind for a second.
 
Desai went on to tell a story from his teenage days when he drove a car for the first time. His dad was adamant that he was too young to sit behind the wheels and had prohibited him to so. But his dad’s driver was a Good Samaritan. He couldn’t deny the young man’s wish. A week’s secret training was enough to help the latter learn the skill, but the duo was caught in the act soon. Dad summoned the driver and fired him instantly.
“When I bought a new car four years later, on my own, I didn’t need a driver. I used to drive it myself. But I called my old friend and appointed him as my driver. He worked for me for eleven years but he never had to drive my car when I was in it.”
“Eleven years of free salary?”
I asked.
“Eleven years of gratitude.”
I couldn't help but like the story instantly.
“Where is he now?”
Ananya asked.
Desai spent a moment before he replied.
“He’s no more.”
 
The resort we ended up wasn’t the one Desai had mentioned ‘run by his friend’.
“I must have got confused. This cannot be that one.” Desai said as he stepped out of the car.
However, the resort turned out to be a spectacular experience. Though located by the highway, it was quite spacious. The moment we crossed the entrance, my eyes fell at the unique looking cottages at one side of the resort. I doubted if Desai would be plotting to take Ananya to one of those suites. However, Desai made it clear that we were going to have just lunch, while we were welcomed by the resort staff.
That is when I began to enjoy the place. Apart from the beautifully arranged dining halls and courteous staff, there was much more about the resort. The whole place had a calming effect on the visitors. All the cottages were surrounded by small gardens filled with beautiful, unique plants. Apart from that, there was a large lawn and a pond as its centre of attraction. In the pond, there was a life-size statue of an elephant emerging from the water. Behind the elephant were an artificial waterfall and creatively planted flowers that no one would miss.
For the menu, the resort had set its standards. It did not serve liquor except for some wines brewed their own. Desai let Ananya choose the wine for all. The multi-cuisine Lunch was expectedly lavish and delectable.
 
After lunch we walked through the lawn and sat by the pond, enjoying the waterfall. Desai's stories helped Ananya open up further.
By the end of the day, I was convinced that my apprehensions about Desai were wrong. Having run out of options to manipulate Ananya, Desai was now trying to impress her genuinely, I felt.
Ananya was apparently impressed with the effort Desai had put in. When she was asked about the resort, she said she would like to thank him for inviting her. I had to admit that she was right. Desai was becoming an enigma for me. At one moment he was the creepy, intimidating monster whose only goal is to sleep with the woman he wanted; the next one he was the calm, wise and friendly gentleman who was also uber-rich.
Today he wasn’t carrying the stinky beedis in his suit. I could not find a single trait in him that would put a woman off.
Ananya was wearing a printed kurti with jeans and had been looking gorgeous than ever. However, Desai had mentioned about it only once, that too very casually, when we picked up her from her place. I was aroused when we sat with her by the pool, as my eyes accidentally fell on her cleavage. I was sure that Desai wouldn’t have missed the sight but there was not a single creepy gaze or a desperate note from him.
As though Desai had finally revealed how meticulously impressive he can be, I found it ultimately disturbing.
If I can be impressed, why not Meera?
 
The evening was taking a mesmerizing form as the sun began to sink below the horizon. I switched seats with Desai while coming back. As our car cruised through the long and straight highway lane, the sky above us looked like a stunning canvas. The sky on our left was turning red while the right was still blue.
“It’s beautiful, right?” Desai turned to Ananya.
“Yes, it is.”
I could sense the excitement in her voice. I glanced through the rear-view mirror and saw her applying lipstick. She smiled at me.
“I often dream of this moment – I mean evenings like this – when I reach home after hectic work in my offices. To turn dreams like that into reality, you need like-minded people around you. Right?”
Desai asked.
“You are right, Desai,” I said.
Half an hour into the drive Desai asked me to take a diversion to the farming fields spread along the highway.
“Let’s take a diversion here, Krish. We are seldom blessed with such moments. It would be a loss not to explore its beauty now.”
“Do you know this place?”
“I have been to these farms a long time ago. But I don’t remember exactly where it was.”
We turned to a narrow road and it led us deep into the sugarcane fields. The trees along the road decreased in number but the greenery remained, thanks to the vast farms that stretched beyond our eyeshot.
Eventually, we stopped near a big tree. Desai stepped out first and stretched his arms.
“Wow! This is great.”
I and Ananya followed.
While the sugarcanes at the left side of the road looked mature enough to be harvested, those at the right side were much younger. The former had an apparent height of three metres, while the latter was just above one-metre height.
I thought about the possibility of Desai disappearing into the taller canes with Ananya.
“Let’s take a walk into these canes.”
Desai announced, validating my fear for the first time in the day.
“No. I am a bit scared,” Ananya said. “See it’s becoming darker in there.” She pointed to the dense canes as she spoke.
“So what? We are with you. Aren’t we, Krish?”
Desai looked at me.
No. I am not going to help you here.
“I am a bit tired after the long day, Desai. Let’s remain here only. The sunset is beautiful to watch from here.”
I sided with Ananya.
“I can agree with you, Krish. You look tired of course,” Desai said and turned to Ananya. “But we are not walking to the darkness. Do you see that hut over there?” he pointed to the small farm hut on the other side. Seemingly built a hundred metres from the road, the hut with its grey shade against the green farm and orange sky looked picturesque.
“Let’s take a walk there, Ananya. Krish will wait here. Just for five minutes.”
Desai suggested.
“Are you sure? I am scared if somebody showed up and started shooing us away.”
Ananya hesitated. But she was smiling.
“Krish will manage. If somebody comes, just give us a signal before he catches us sneaking into his hut, buddy.”
Desai told me and stepped into the small path toward the hut.
I leaned against the car and watched them walk away. It was the first time of the day when Desai tried to get Ananya alone. In fact, there was no such opportunity. Suddenly I felt I did a mistake by not accompanying them to the hut. My gut feeling told me that Desai was going to reveal his true colour once he gets into the hut with her. I felt my heartbeats rising, and it made me restless as I saw Desai disappearing into the hut with Ananya.
Suddenly I felt alone.
What have I done?
I let out a sigh. I had made a mistake. Are they going to come back just like that?
I felt I was worrying too much. Just being in his company doesn’t mean she would let him do whatever he wanted with her. I tried to calm down.
Wait, you can follow them and stop it, can’t you? I asked myself and decided to follow them after five minutes.
I heard someone talking and turned to my left. I saw three men and quickly realised they were coming toward me. One looked in his fifties and the other two looked under thirty.
“What happened here?”
The old man asked me from a distance of twenty metres.
I threw a hurried glance toward the hut before I turned and gave them my attention. “What?”
I pretended I didn’t hear him.
“Why are you standing there? Car punctured?”
“No,” I said quickly and thought for a moment. “You need a lift?”
“Lift?” the old man laughed. “I don’t need a lift. I live here. This is my farm. Where are you from?”
I realised the trouble that I was in. Big trouble if Desai and Ananya chose to emerge from the hut. The old man was indeed a proud owner of the farms and he would not forgive anyone hanging out to his farms without his permission. That too, a man with a young woman. I calculated instantly and prayed in my mind that nothing goes wrong.
“I am from the city. I was going back there. My car engine heated up… so I thought I would wait here till it cooled down. I stopped here seeing the farm. It’s beautiful.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Are you alone?”
The man moved further close and he was looking into my eyes. His eyes were deep yet piercing into mine.
I could not say yes or no. I only knew I was not going to tell him that I was with a man and woman and they were already in the hut. But I also feared they would show up any time.
“Yeah, I am sort of like that now – alone - as my family is at hometown. It’s down south in Kerala where we don’t get to see sugarcane farms. I can’t tell you in words how excited I am. Which one is yours – the young ones or the mature ones?”
The old man shook his head. “All are mine, son. My name is Tulsiram. These two assist me in the farmhouse. It’s over there, a couple of hundred metres from here.”
I was pretending to be looking around and watching for signs of Desai and Ananya.
“So you saw me from there and came to ask me, right? Forgive me I disturbed you from rest.”
I said.
Tulsiram smiled. “Nothing like that, my dear. We were here to see our canes are not invaded by boars. Sometimes they wander into the farms from the other side of the highway and become a nuisance. They need to be checked regularly.”
He sent his assistants to the farms. One of them went straight toward the hut. I was petrified. I did not know what to do or say. I could only pray that the man did not find Desai and Ananya in the hut. I realised I should have told the man the truth from the beginning.
Tulsiram began to speak in detail about his farm and family. He was father to two sons and one daughter. All of them lived with him.
“You should not keep your wife in your hometown. You should bring her with you. You have such a big car, why can’t you keep your wife with you?”
Tulsiram opined.
“She has a job there. That’s why. I am trying to get transferred there.”
I said.
“That’s nice. A wise decision, son. You should visit my house. I will introduce my family to you. Come with us.”
Tulsiram invited.
I smiled. “I would like to visit but I am sorry. I am expecting a call from my company and my mobile phone is put on charge in the car. I can’t leave now. I promise I will visit your house next time.”
He was convinced. “Next time…alright. I will have jaggary from these canes by then. I will gift you some. You are from Kerala, right? You will be surprised when you taste our jaggary. It’s the best.”
“Then I will surely visit, Tulsiram Ji.”
As the men who went to search for the wild boar returned, Tulsiram asked them to cut a few canes into pieces and had it placed in the car.
“Take it, for the memory of me and my farms.”
I thanked the old man. I regretted having to make so many lies to him.
Tulsiram left with his assistants and they disappeared into the darkness rather quickly. That is when I realised how much time had passed since Desai and Ananya were gone to the hut. The hut was hardly visible now. What the fuck are they doing? I wondered if they had seen the men chatting with me and so they remained in the hut. I took out my phone and dialled Desai's number.
“Have the men left?” Desai asked me.
“Yeah, they left.”
I was relieved that Desai had seen the men and had chosen to stay back in the hut.
 
Five minutes later, Desai emerged from the darkness.
I was unable to see his face. But as he came closer, I did not fail to notice a sense of achievement on his face. It took me a fraction of second to catch it, and it stunned me. Desai was breathing faster than normal. I had a distant idea of what would have happened in the hut, and I already felt my subconscious mind trying its best not to acknowledge that idea.
“Did you get bored, buddy?”
Desai asked me casually.
I let out a sigh. My heart had sunk.
Desai's casual query had just confirmed that he and Ananya weren’t watching me talking with the old man. They were doing something more exciting in the hut.
There was nothing left to guess. I knew.
Still, I covertly observed Ananya when she opened the door and sat inside the car. I saw a sense of hurry and secrecy in her movements, and a pang of shame in her eyes as she tried to avoid facing me. Her lips, which I had noticed her applying lipstick half an hour ago, were slightly swollen and had certainly lost its glow. I was devastated by the reality that despite all my resistance Desai had managed to have his way with Ananya. I had a faint idea of how Desai would have got his dream fulfilled in a matter of half an hour. He must have forced her to bend on to the wall or something. He must have pulled down her jeans and then pushed his face into her pussy like a maniac to cherish what he was going to take over. Yet another young married woman’s body to feast on; he would have prided himself as he moved behind her and shoved his thick meat deep into her. Intimidated and dominated by his brute power, Ananya would have suppressed all the pain and insult came with the experience as he would only have cared to find out how long she could take it. He would have gone on to the peak of his pleasure and contaminated her with his filthy cum burst in her married pussy. As she regained the hope of relieving herself from the pain after all this struggle, he would have shown his bossy side again by kissing her and chewing her lips like a cannibal to leave those visible bruises; perhaps a reminder for her to spend the night remembering who the boss was.
I felt those marks on her lips could be a hint for me to learn who the boss was.
“How can I get bored? I had company here.” I took time before I blurted and started the car.
 
I had lost my interest in the rest of the journey. Desai kept asking me about the old man and his farm. My replies to all the questions were reduced to a few words. Ananya was completely silent.
 
And I was back into a shell where I was confronted by my worst fear. The man knew how to get what he wanted. No matter how much you resist.
One thing was written on the wall.
If Desai had something in his mind about Meera, then he must have already made a plan to make it happen.
 

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