Misc. Erotica After the Ashes

[krish_999]

Chapter – Nine


Lying awake, Anjali found herself thinking about what had happened.
The memory disturbed her. She had believed she hated Vikram in that moment. Yet the pleasure he had given her was overwhelming. It was more intense than anything she had known before.
She wondered if she really hated him as much she wanted to. She was forced to ask questions to herself.
Had Vikram ever done anything wrong to her before? No. After Vinayak’s death, he had not tried to contact her or intrude into her life. Even when he had the chance to truly force himself on her, he hadn’t.
Instead, he had remained strangely calm, simply telling her what he wanted. There is sense of weirdness in him, which made him look different from Vinayak. Or anyone who's looked at Anjali with a sense of infatuation. There's desperation in Vikram, but that's not for physical intimacy. He's at the most trying to get a yes from me. He's bold in his attempts, that's it.
But the same sense of calmness he carries makes him look calculative and dangerous.
That calmness unsettled Anjali more than his boldness.
Anjali closed her eyes, uneasy with the direction of her thoughts.
Was Vikram really the man she had decided he was?
Or was she only trying to explain something her body had already accepted?
The more she thought, Anjali felt mentally exhausted. The heaviness inside her refused to lift. She felt as though the walls of the house were closing in on her. She needed air and space - distance from everything.

At breakfast, she told Madhav, “Dad, I'm planning to take a trip for a few days.”
Madhav looked at her. “A trip?”
“Yes, a solo trip. I just need some time alone. Somewhere quiet.”
He nodded before replying, “You could take someone along. It might help.”
Anjali shook her head immediately. “No. I want to be alone for a while.”
Madhav studied her face for a few seconds, as if trying to read something beneath her calm tone. Finally, he nodded.
“Alright,” he said gently. “If that’s what you need.”
Before she started planning the trip, she wanted to know something from her father. After breakfast, she phoned Manohar.
“Are you alone?” she asked.
“Yes. What happened?”
“Why did you tell Vikram?” she asked directly. “About Dad and me. About that night.”
It was the first time she had openly admitted it. Until now, even mentioning that night had felt soaked in shame. But today, the shame seemed irrelevant. The secret was no more a secret between her and her father.
“I told him nothing,” Manohar said, sounding genuinely confused. "I want you guys get married, not fight."
“He said he knows what happened between Dad and me.”
There was no reply from the other end for a few seconds. Anjali waited. Then Manohar spoke.
“Did he give you details?” he asked.
“No.”
“Then he’s guessing,” Manohar replied calmly. “Did he mention any details?” he asked again.
“No.”
“Then he’s testing you. If he sensed something unusual between you and Madhav, he may have pushed to see how you’d react.”
Anjali’s mind raced. Had she ever behaved strangely in front of Vikram? A glance? A silence? She couldn’t remember anything specific.
“Did you deny it?” Manohar asked.
She hesitated. “I didn’t confirm it.”
“That may have been enough,” he said. “Silence can sound like confession.”

Anjali felt the weight of that settle inside her. If Vikram had been bluffing...
Had she just given him the truth herself?

"And then? What did he say?" Manohar asked curiously.
"He said he still wants to marry me," Anjali said softly.
"Oh," Manohar sighed. Anjali could be feel the sense of relief in his voice. “I didn’t tell him anything, dear,” he went on. “I don't know anything. Have you done anything with Madhav in front of him?"
Anjali was stunned. "What are you saying daddy? What would I do with Dad in front of Vikram?"
"I mean... Hugging and all. Or sitting very close."
"Don't be rubbish daddy." Anjali scoffed. "Have you ever seen me doing that?"
"But I've seen you walking out of his room. You were half naked." Manohar said bitterly.
Anjali was speechless for a moment. She hated her dad for saying that again.
"Daddy..." She paused a moment to gather her thoughts. "I told you it had happened out of a momentary fall."

Even as she was saying, she remembered that she had walked into Madhav's bedroom with complete will and had sex with him. And then, another day, she had grabbed his hand and walked into her room to make love, even making him contemplate a future with her. She hated herself for having to hide it all. There was no choice other than to pretend it never happened.

"I didn't mean to hurt you again, dear," Manohar said. "Anyways, it doesn’t matter, does it? Vicky still wants to marry you. That should mean something. He’s not like others. He knows your past, your mistakes… and still, he sees a future with you. That’s rare, Anjali.”
Anjali said nothing. She rememebred the forceful kiss and intimate experience she received from Vikram in the previous weeks. The phone call was intented to know if her father was hiding somethign from her, but she ended up realising that it was her who had hidden a lot more from him.

Anjali didn’t have the patience to wait. She called Vikram. “How did you find out?” she asked without greeting. She didn't pretend to deny it anymore.
There was a pause from the other end before he replied.
“Find out what?”
“Don’t play games,” she snapped. “You said you know what happened between Dad and me. So tell me - how?”
She heard Vikram exhaling slowly. She pressed the phone closer to her ear as if to listen to his heartbeats. She felt she had to do this conversation in person.
“We’ll talk about it,” Vikram said.
“No. We’ll talk about it now.”
“Anjali,” he said calmly, “this isn’t a phone conversation.”
Her grip tightened around the mobile. “Why not?”
“Because I want to see your face when I answer.”
Anjali couldn't say anything. She suddenly felt she wasn't the one who's asking questions. She's the one who's being asked questions.
“I’ll tell you later,” he continued. “Don’t overthink. I can’t stop thinking about you, even when I’m drowning in work. I’m coming to the city for a friend’s birthday. Come with me.”
“I don’t know...”
“I’ll pick you up. I’ll drop you off. You’ll be safe. I promise.”

But she still felt better because of Manohar's denial. At least he didn't betray his daughter. she felt sorry for doubting him. That night she flet normal, having dinner at home.

That Friday evening, he arrived in a premium cab, dressed in a white linen shirt and blue chinos, looking sharp and effortlessly charming. Madhav opened the door, and to Anjali’s shock, Vikram greeted him warmly - as if nothing had ever happened between Anjali and her father-in-law. There was no contempt. No judgement.

“Evening, sir,” Vikram said casually, as Madhav nodded back.
As the men broke into a freindly conversations, Anjali felt heat rising in her cheeks. Eventually, Vikram turned to her and acknowledged. “You look gorgeous,” he said with a warm smile. Anjali blushed, unsure if she should respond.

At the party, Anjali expected the teasing, the touches, the slow creeping of intimacy that had defined their last meeting. But to her surprise, Vikram did none of that. He introduced her as a close friend, laughed with her, and treated her like a confidante - not a conquest.
When she asked about it, he smiled, “I haven’t told anyone about our plans. I’ll only speak of it once you accept it completely. Not before that.”

The respect in his tone unnerved her. It made her feel seen… and desired, not as a body, but a person. It was entirely different from the experiences she had with him when they met earlier. In all those times, they were alone.
The lights at the party shimmered above them as soft music filled the background. Vikram stood beside Anjali, holding a glass of juice, his eyes fixed on the dance floor, though his thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

Then, out of nowhere, he turned to her and said, “It was at a birthday party like this… you broke my heart.”
Anjali looked at him, surprised.
“That evening,” he said, voice softer now, “it was a few days after you told me you were in a relationship with Vinayak. I was coping with the rejection. And then came this party.... he had come there too. That was the first time I saw you together.”

Her memory stirred. She remembered that party clearly. A lot had happened between her rejecting Vikram's proposal and accepting Vinayak's. She had fallen in love, and their relationship was just flourishing. She had even spend a couple of warm nights with Vinayak.

“You had even danced with him,” Vikram added, looking away. “I didn’t stay till the end. I couldn’t. I told my friends something silly and left the scene.”
Anjali lowered her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Vick
y. I had no idea you felt that way.”
He smiled faintly. “You don’t have to apologise. You were in love with someone else. And now… you’re with me. That’s all that matters.”
Anjali looked at him, warmed by the gentleness in his voice. For a moment, she felt seen. She felt understood. And she realised how far they both had come from that distant evening.

By now, Anjali was expecting Vikram to make a move. She waited for his hand to brush her waist, for his lips to find hers in a drunken whisper. But he kept his distance.

Yet by the end of the evening, as they drove back under city lights, Anjali was battling an unexpected emotion - disappointment. She couldn’t understand it. Why had she longed for his touch? Why had her body anticipated being undressed again? Why had she worn that silky soft dress that revealed her shapes and curves perfectlyknowing exactly how easily it would turn him on? By the time he dropped her off at home, she was burning with a frustrated desire. She couldn't tell what was happening to her. She couldn't look straight into his eyes. The hunger had grown in her without warning, without invitation. Madhav received her, and after having a chat with her, he went to sleep. Anjali felt it was strange that she hadn't thought about Madhav all this evening. It was sure that Madhav wasn't who she was craving.

That night, the dark visuals of the ceiling in her room brought back memories of the other day with a vengeance. The strange sensation she had been hiding between her thighs demanded attention. While trying to find a cozy posture to fall into comfort, her hands first slipped between her thighs, and slowly sneaked inside her palazzo. She closed her eyes as if admitting defeat, and let her fingers touch the tip of her clit. The other hand's fingers went into her mouth, and she sucked on them, remembering how Vikram had sucked on her clit the other day. Her crazy mind reproduced Vikram's scent around her, and the fingers inside her panties dove further deep into her pussy. She moved it back and forth, in search of some warmth. But no matter how hard she searched for it, it wasn't working. The warmth she had felt under Vikram’s tongue, the release he had given her - her fingers couldn’t match it. She lay back, breathless and angry with herself.
What have I become? Is this how grief fades? Having waves of desire and regret?
She questioned.

Eventually, she pulled Vinayak’s photo back into her chest, held it tight, and wept.

As she lay in anger and frustration, the thought of Vinayak slowly began to take over. It struck her - how silent he had become in her memories. Once, his voice echoed in every corner of her day. But now... now it was just a whisper, fading.
She had already broken too many rules she once believed in.
No. Not anymore.
Anjali sat up and shook her head. She walked to the window and stared at her reflection in the glass. She forced herself to meet her own eyes. Tired eyes, torn - but still searching for strength.
She whispered, “This won’t happen again. I won’t let Vicky do that again. I won’t let him touch me like that again.”
Her fingers curled into a fist.
She had made a vow.

But she had no idea how determined Vikram was ,to break her resistance, to take her to his bed, and to make her cry out his name in pleasure.