05-08-2025, 07:13 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-08-2025, 07:14 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 18: Ravi & Kumar (Act 18)
Lina’s footsteps echoed softly in the dimly lit staircase, her heart pounding in her chest. She clutched her purse tightly, her eyes darting around the shadowy corners of the stairwell. The sound of her heels clicking against the concrete steps seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness of the night. She cursed under her breath, annoyed that the elevator was out of service. Of all the nights, she thought, her nerves frayed from the chaos of the evening.
As she reached the second floor, a sudden presence materialized in front of her, blocking her path. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth, stifling the sound. Her eyes widened in panic as she struggled against the grip, but the man’s voice cut through the darkness, low and calm.
“Shh, Lina, it’s me. Ravi. Don’t scream.”
Her body stiffened as he slowly removed his hand, his face coming into view under the faint glow of the corridor light. She stepped back, her chest heaving. “Ravi? What the hell are you doing here? You scared me half to death!”
Ravi leaned casually against the wall, a sly grin spreading across his face. “I could ask you the same thing. Where have you been all this time? I saw you sneaking out earlier, and then you were gone for hours. Care to explain?”
Lina’s mind raced as she tried to come up with an excuse. “I...I just went for a walk. Needed some fresh air.”
His grin widened, and he took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “A walk? At this hour? And why do I feel like you’re not telling me everything? Like how you and Kumar disappeared from the bar earlier? Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
She swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat break out on her skin. “It’s not what you think. We just… needed to talk.”
Ravi let out a low chuckle, his eyes roaming over her body in a way that made her skin crawl. “Talk, huh? That’s not what it looked like to me. And now here you are, sneaking back home in the middle of the night.” He took another step closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You think I don’t know what’s going on between you two?”
Lina’s back pressed against the wall as he closed the distance between them. “Ravi, please. Just let me go. I don’t want any trouble.”
He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. “Oh, but I think you do want trouble, Lina. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sneaking around with Kumar behind your husband’s back.” His hand brushed against her arm, sending a shiver down her spine. “You owe me more than just a handjob in a dirty bar toilet. Don’t you think it’s time you paid up?”
She shook her head frantically, her voice trembling. “No, Ravi, please. I can’t...”
But he cut her off, his lips brushing against her neck as he whispered, “Yes, you can. And you will.”
Lina tried to push him away, but his grip tightened around her waist. “Don’t fight it, Lina. You know you want this just as much as I do.”
Ravi’s grip on Lina loosened, but instead of letting her go, he guided her quickly down the hallway toward his flat. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the soft click of the door as they stepped inside. The apartment was dimly lit, the air stale with the lingering scent of takeout and unwashed laundry. Ravi gestured toward the worn leather couch in the living room, and Lina hesitated for a moment before sitting down, her hands gripping the edge of the seat tightly.
“Where’s your family?” Lina asked nervously, her eyes scanning the messy room. Toys were scattered across the floor, and a single sippy cup sat abandoned on the coffee table.
Ravi sighed deeply, sinking into the couch beside her. “We had a fight. My wife took the kids to her parents’ place. Said she couldn’t handle me anymore.” He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “I don’t blame her. I’ve been... difficult lately.”
Lina felt a pang of sympathy despite her unease. “I’m sorry, Ravi. That must be hard for you.”
He shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor. “It is what it is. But that’s not what I want to talk about.” His eyes snapped back to hers, sharp and probing. “Why did you meet Kumar tonight? What’s really going on between you two?”
Lina’s stomach churned as she searched for the right words. Keep it simple, she told herself. Don’t give him too much. “We just talked, Ravi. I… I wanted to end things with him. I don’t want to betray Rahim. That’s all.”
Ravi leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “And what happened at the bar earlier? I saw you making out with him. Don’t lie to me.”
Lina swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing with guilt. “Okay, yes, we kissed. But that’s it. I swear. We didn’t do anything more.” She hesitated, then added, “Honestly, I regret it. I even regretted… what happened with you in the bar toilet. You were so aggressive, and I just felt… repulsed.”
Ravi flinched as if her words had physically struck him. His expression softened, and he let out a long exhale. “Lina, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you or force you into anything. I’ve just been so frustrated with my job, my marriage, everything.” He paused, his voice growing quieter. “The last time I had any kind of intimacy was when you… when you sucked my cock during that camping trip. I’ve been craving something like that ever since.”
Lina bit her lip, her heart aching for him even as she tried to maintain her boundaries. “Ravi, I understand you’re struggling, but this isn’t the way. You need to focus on fixing things with your wife. Maybe start looking for part-time work. Show her you’re willing to change. That’s how you’ll win her trust back.”
She looked him directly in the eyes, her voice firm yet gentle. “And as for me… I love Rahim. I could never do anything to hurt him. Please understand that.”
Ravi nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his guilt. “I know, Lina. And I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess. Kumar and I… we planned to seduce you tonight. It was stupid and selfish, and I hate myself for it.”
Lina sighed, her expression softening. “I already knew. Kumar told me earlier. But I kept quiet because… well, I didn’t want to make things worse.”
Ravi’s eyes welled up with tears as he scooted closer to her on the couch. Without a word, he leaned his head against her chest, seeking comfort in the warmth of her body. Lina hesitated for a moment before gently placing a hand on his shoulder, offering him the kindness he so desperately needed.
For a while, they sat there in silence, the weight of their choices and regrets hanging heavy in the air.
Lina’s footsteps echoed softly in the dimly lit staircase, her heart pounding in her chest. She clutched her purse tightly, her eyes darting around the shadowy corners of the stairwell. The sound of her heels clicking against the concrete steps seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness of the night. She cursed under her breath, annoyed that the elevator was out of service. Of all the nights, she thought, her nerves frayed from the chaos of the evening.
As she reached the second floor, a sudden presence materialized in front of her, blocking her path. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth, stifling the sound. Her eyes widened in panic as she struggled against the grip, but the man’s voice cut through the darkness, low and calm.
“Shh, Lina, it’s me. Ravi. Don’t scream.”
Her body stiffened as he slowly removed his hand, his face coming into view under the faint glow of the corridor light. She stepped back, her chest heaving. “Ravi? What the hell are you doing here? You scared me half to death!”
Ravi leaned casually against the wall, a sly grin spreading across his face. “I could ask you the same thing. Where have you been all this time? I saw you sneaking out earlier, and then you were gone for hours. Care to explain?”
Lina’s mind raced as she tried to come up with an excuse. “I...I just went for a walk. Needed some fresh air.”
His grin widened, and he took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “A walk? At this hour? And why do I feel like you’re not telling me everything? Like how you and Kumar disappeared from the bar earlier? Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
She swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat break out on her skin. “It’s not what you think. We just… needed to talk.”
Ravi let out a low chuckle, his eyes roaming over her body in a way that made her skin crawl. “Talk, huh? That’s not what it looked like to me. And now here you are, sneaking back home in the middle of the night.” He took another step closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You think I don’t know what’s going on between you two?”
Lina’s back pressed against the wall as he closed the distance between them. “Ravi, please. Just let me go. I don’t want any trouble.”
He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. “Oh, but I think you do want trouble, Lina. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sneaking around with Kumar behind your husband’s back.” His hand brushed against her arm, sending a shiver down her spine. “You owe me more than just a handjob in a dirty bar toilet. Don’t you think it’s time you paid up?”
She shook her head frantically, her voice trembling. “No, Ravi, please. I can’t...”
But he cut her off, his lips brushing against her neck as he whispered, “Yes, you can. And you will.”
Lina tried to push him away, but his grip tightened around her waist. “Don’t fight it, Lina. You know you want this just as much as I do.”
Ravi’s grip on Lina loosened, but instead of letting her go, he guided her quickly down the hallway toward his flat. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the soft click of the door as they stepped inside. The apartment was dimly lit, the air stale with the lingering scent of takeout and unwashed laundry. Ravi gestured toward the worn leather couch in the living room, and Lina hesitated for a moment before sitting down, her hands gripping the edge of the seat tightly.
“Where’s your family?” Lina asked nervously, her eyes scanning the messy room. Toys were scattered across the floor, and a single sippy cup sat abandoned on the coffee table.
Ravi sighed deeply, sinking into the couch beside her. “We had a fight. My wife took the kids to her parents’ place. Said she couldn’t handle me anymore.” He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “I don’t blame her. I’ve been... difficult lately.”
Lina felt a pang of sympathy despite her unease. “I’m sorry, Ravi. That must be hard for you.”
He shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor. “It is what it is. But that’s not what I want to talk about.” His eyes snapped back to hers, sharp and probing. “Why did you meet Kumar tonight? What’s really going on between you two?”
Lina’s stomach churned as she searched for the right words. Keep it simple, she told herself. Don’t give him too much. “We just talked, Ravi. I… I wanted to end things with him. I don’t want to betray Rahim. That’s all.”
Ravi leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “And what happened at the bar earlier? I saw you making out with him. Don’t lie to me.”
Lina swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing with guilt. “Okay, yes, we kissed. But that’s it. I swear. We didn’t do anything more.” She hesitated, then added, “Honestly, I regret it. I even regretted… what happened with you in the bar toilet. You were so aggressive, and I just felt… repulsed.”
Ravi flinched as if her words had physically struck him. His expression softened, and he let out a long exhale. “Lina, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you or force you into anything. I’ve just been so frustrated with my job, my marriage, everything.” He paused, his voice growing quieter. “The last time I had any kind of intimacy was when you… when you sucked my cock during that camping trip. I’ve been craving something like that ever since.”
Lina bit her lip, her heart aching for him even as she tried to maintain her boundaries. “Ravi, I understand you’re struggling, but this isn’t the way. You need to focus on fixing things with your wife. Maybe start looking for part-time work. Show her you’re willing to change. That’s how you’ll win her trust back.”
She looked him directly in the eyes, her voice firm yet gentle. “And as for me… I love Rahim. I could never do anything to hurt him. Please understand that.”
Ravi nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his guilt. “I know, Lina. And I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess. Kumar and I… we planned to seduce you tonight. It was stupid and selfish, and I hate myself for it.”
Lina sighed, her expression softening. “I already knew. Kumar told me earlier. But I kept quiet because… well, I didn’t want to make things worse.”
Ravi’s eyes welled up with tears as he scooted closer to her on the couch. Without a word, he leaned his head against her chest, seeking comfort in the warmth of her body. Lina hesitated for a moment before gently placing a hand on his shoulder, offering him the kindness he so desperately needed.
For a while, they sat there in silence, the weight of their choices and regrets hanging heavy in the air.
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