Adultery Beloved Mother

[your_harem_manager]

Rakesh leaned forward, the chair protesting under his shifting weight. His polished leather shoes gleamed against our cracked floor tiles. "My aunt," he began, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "is very ill." He paused to sip the tea Mother had served, his pinky finger extended like some British sahib. The chipped rim of the cup left a wet smear on his upper lip. "She keeps male servants during the day, but at night..." His gaze slid to Mother's bare feet, toenails painted with chipped vermilion. "She needs a trustworthy woman to sleep beside her."

The silence stretched like the skin over Father's too-sharp cheekbones. Outside, a stray dog yelped. Rakesh set down his cup with deliberate care. "Rich women have fears," he continued, rubbing his thumb along the edge of the table where Mother's hand had been moments before. "Thieves. Bad dreams. Forgotten medicines." His eyes gleamed in the dim light. "She'll pay handsomely, more than you make teaching those brats."