Yesterday, 01:43 AM
(This post was last modified: Yesterday, 10:39 AM by Steel. Edited 5 times in total. Edited 5 times in total.)
Story
Sharath had already decided this would be the last time.
He sat across from Rakesh on the open terrace of a late-evening lounge. The music stayed low and the lights were soft enough that people could talk without raising their voices. Rakesh was busy tearing a piece of chicken from the bone, sauce shining on his fingers, completely at ease. Sharath watched him and felt the familiar mix of old habit and quiet embarrassment.
They had been close once. During their college days, they shared rooms and stupid nights that stretched until morning. Rakesh had always been the louder one, the one who knew people, the one who never cared what anyone thought. Sharath had liked that about him then. Now it just felt heavy.
Sharath had gotten a job in city planning, has a clean apartment, and a beautiful wife whose name carried weight in her circle. Whereas Rakesh was.. well, there’s no delicate way to put it. He was a pornographer. He ran a site named “Premium Maal” that claimed to show how kinky and slutty women are when doing things they were not supposed to do on camera. Sharath had opened it once, out of curiosity, and closed it within minutes as he had been disgusted to see Rakesh himself on thumbnails in many of the videos.
Sharath wasn’t sure why anyone would want to see porn starring Mr. Rakesh Kumar. He was broad shouldered but looked ugly, with his hair pulled back roughly, messy beard that never looked properly trimmed, shirt left open at the top showing chest hair. The kind of careless, unpolished look had left a bad taste on him. Not that the women on the site were anything to complain about. They tended to be some of the most gorgeous women Sharath had ever seen... barring his wife Kusha, of course.
It didn't make any sense. Rakesh tend to not only attract and date total smoke-shows, but he managed to talk most of them into appearing on his gross website. Who was the last girl he had been with? That curvy mallu? Oh, right, her name’s…
Rakesh looked up and said through a mouthful of fries. “You’re quiet today.”
“Um.. How is Nidhi doing?” Sharath asked, more out of politeness than real interest. If this was the last time they met, he might as well ask.
Rakesh raised an eyebrow, chuckled and licked his thumb. “She’s good, yaar. Making solid money from the videos we shot. Viewers love her.”
“So you two still dating?”
“What? Oh.. nah, we broke up months back. Honestly, I only went out with her because I needed a curvy chick for a few scenes near Kerala Backwaters. Once the shoots are done, what’s the point?”
Sharath felt the familiar discomfort settle in his stomach. He had always avoided pushing too hard on this part of Rakesh’s life. But right now, when he was considering cutting Rakesh off entirely, maybe it made sense to cut the bullshit. "I don't know, Rakesh", Sharath said with a twist of his lips, "It seems shady to push women to..."
Rakesh’s cheerful expression faded into a cold, blank stare. "Don't go there, man. No one’s forcing anyone. Girls don't film for my site unless they are completely, one hundred percent on board. You want me to put Nidhi on the phone right now? She'll say the same thing."
"No... I was just saying..." blustered Sharath awkwardly, suddenly wishing he hadn't opened this can of worms. He had never seen Rakesh upset like this. It was actually, strangely, a little intimidating.
Rakesh pushed his plate away and wiped a napkin over his greasy mouth. "Ask," he said in a flat, hard voice, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his gut. "Everybody asks in the end, although it took you longer than most. I don't mind talking about it. So ask."
Sharath hesitated, licked his lips, then shrugged. He was curious, after all. "Ok, fine. How do you do it? How do you get such hot women when you...?"
He trailed off, but Rakesh finished his sentence. "When I’m a low class ugly bastard?"
Sharath felt heat rise in his neck. “I didn’t mean that.”
Sharath had already decided this would be the last time.
He sat across from Rakesh on the open terrace of a late-evening lounge. The music stayed low and the lights were soft enough that people could talk without raising their voices. Rakesh was busy tearing a piece of chicken from the bone, sauce shining on his fingers, completely at ease. Sharath watched him and felt the familiar mix of old habit and quiet embarrassment.
They had been close once. During their college days, they shared rooms and stupid nights that stretched until morning. Rakesh had always been the louder one, the one who knew people, the one who never cared what anyone thought. Sharath had liked that about him then. Now it just felt heavy.
Sharath had gotten a job in city planning, has a clean apartment, and a beautiful wife whose name carried weight in her circle. Whereas Rakesh was.. well, there’s no delicate way to put it. He was a pornographer. He ran a site named “Premium Maal” that claimed to show how kinky and slutty women are when doing things they were not supposed to do on camera. Sharath had opened it once, out of curiosity, and closed it within minutes as he had been disgusted to see Rakesh himself on thumbnails in many of the videos.
Sharath wasn’t sure why anyone would want to see porn starring Mr. Rakesh Kumar. He was broad shouldered but looked ugly, with his hair pulled back roughly, messy beard that never looked properly trimmed, shirt left open at the top showing chest hair. The kind of careless, unpolished look had left a bad taste on him. Not that the women on the site were anything to complain about. They tended to be some of the most gorgeous women Sharath had ever seen... barring his wife Kusha, of course.
It didn't make any sense. Rakesh tend to not only attract and date total smoke-shows, but he managed to talk most of them into appearing on his gross website. Who was the last girl he had been with? That curvy mallu? Oh, right, her name’s…
Rakesh looked up and said through a mouthful of fries. “You’re quiet today.”
“Um.. How is Nidhi doing?” Sharath asked, more out of politeness than real interest. If this was the last time they met, he might as well ask.
Rakesh raised an eyebrow, chuckled and licked his thumb. “She’s good, yaar. Making solid money from the videos we shot. Viewers love her.”
“So you two still dating?”
“What? Oh.. nah, we broke up months back. Honestly, I only went out with her because I needed a curvy chick for a few scenes near Kerala Backwaters. Once the shoots are done, what’s the point?”
Sharath felt the familiar discomfort settle in his stomach. He had always avoided pushing too hard on this part of Rakesh’s life. But right now, when he was considering cutting Rakesh off entirely, maybe it made sense to cut the bullshit. "I don't know, Rakesh", Sharath said with a twist of his lips, "It seems shady to push women to..."
Rakesh’s cheerful expression faded into a cold, blank stare. "Don't go there, man. No one’s forcing anyone. Girls don't film for my site unless they are completely, one hundred percent on board. You want me to put Nidhi on the phone right now? She'll say the same thing."
"No... I was just saying..." blustered Sharath awkwardly, suddenly wishing he hadn't opened this can of worms. He had never seen Rakesh upset like this. It was actually, strangely, a little intimidating.
Rakesh pushed his plate away and wiped a napkin over his greasy mouth. "Ask," he said in a flat, hard voice, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his gut. "Everybody asks in the end, although it took you longer than most. I don't mind talking about it. So ask."
Sharath hesitated, licked his lips, then shrugged. He was curious, after all. "Ok, fine. How do you do it? How do you get such hot women when you...?"
He trailed off, but Rakesh finished his sentence. "When I’m a low class ugly bastard?"
Sharath felt heat rise in his neck. “I didn’t mean that.”
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