20-02-2023, 04:55 PM
"Jay and Veeru?" Reena chuckled as Mansi sat in front of her, face in her hands.
She was doing her best not to cry.
"Haven't you seen Sholay?"
"I wasn't thinking straight."
"And really, one lakh rupees?"
"They said they were bankers from London."
"By now you should know that men will say anything to get a woman in bed."
Mansi nodded and looked up.
"Now do you see the value of the service I provide? Why my commission is worth it?"
She nodded again.
"I vet all clients. No one is going to force themselves on you. No one is going to stiff you on your payment. And most importantly, you stupid little bumpkin, no one is going to record you on film!!" Reena yelled the last part. "Jesus, I mean it's not even like we are in 1999 when no one knew that there are cameras all around. This is 2016. Everyone has camera phones."
Mansi finally started crying. Bawling, more like it.
"Do you at least remember the room number?"
Mansi nodded, and between sobs, said,
"434."
Reena picked up the phone.
"Hi Carol...who is staying in 434? Who? Okay, I see. And they are from...okay. Alright. When they come back, let me know."
Mansi had stopped crying by now and looked up.
"Your so called London bankers are insurance salesmen from Delhi. Here for a conference. They conned you and you got conned."
"I am so sorry, Reena aunty." Mansi said.
"Hmmm...anyway, it must be time for your daughter to return from college. Go home. I will take care of this. I will get the recording back. And I will make them fork up a more... reasonable amount. Not one lakh. But reasonable."
"How?"
"You leave that to me." Reena said. "All it takes is a couple of phone calls."
"Thank you so much, Reena aunty."
Mansi got up to leave.
"Mansi."
"Yes?"
"Two days later. Mr. Reddy."
"Yes, aunty."
"He has a couple of specific requests though. First, you need to be completely shaved down there. Second, you are to be completely naked when he comes into the hotel room."
"Okay aunty." Mansi blushed. Completely shaved? She had never done that before.
But then she had never done a lot of things before. Was she doing the right thing? Should she still get out of this mess? What if Amar found out. And that's when she again remembered that painting. Drowning Girl.
--
The End
She was doing her best not to cry.
"Haven't you seen Sholay?"
"I wasn't thinking straight."
"And really, one lakh rupees?"
"They said they were bankers from London."
"By now you should know that men will say anything to get a woman in bed."
Mansi nodded and looked up.
"Now do you see the value of the service I provide? Why my commission is worth it?"
She nodded again.
"I vet all clients. No one is going to force themselves on you. No one is going to stiff you on your payment. And most importantly, you stupid little bumpkin, no one is going to record you on film!!" Reena yelled the last part. "Jesus, I mean it's not even like we are in 1999 when no one knew that there are cameras all around. This is 2016. Everyone has camera phones."
Mansi finally started crying. Bawling, more like it.
"Do you at least remember the room number?"
Mansi nodded, and between sobs, said,
"434."
Reena picked up the phone.
"Hi Carol...who is staying in 434? Who? Okay, I see. And they are from...okay. Alright. When they come back, let me know."
Mansi had stopped crying by now and looked up.
"Your so called London bankers are insurance salesmen from Delhi. Here for a conference. They conned you and you got conned."
"I am so sorry, Reena aunty." Mansi said.
"Hmmm...anyway, it must be time for your daughter to return from college. Go home. I will take care of this. I will get the recording back. And I will make them fork up a more... reasonable amount. Not one lakh. But reasonable."
"How?"
"You leave that to me." Reena said. "All it takes is a couple of phone calls."
"Thank you so much, Reena aunty."
Mansi got up to leave.
"Mansi."
"Yes?"
"Two days later. Mr. Reddy."
"Yes, aunty."
"He has a couple of specific requests though. First, you need to be completely shaved down there. Second, you are to be completely naked when he comes into the hotel room."
"Okay aunty." Mansi blushed. Completely shaved? She had never done that before.
But then she had never done a lot of things before. Was she doing the right thing? Should she still get out of this mess? What if Amar found out. And that's when she again remembered that painting. Drowning Girl.
--
The End