[krish_999]

Okay, finally here I am. I am not thanking you for patience because I know how much I tested your patience. When I said I would come up with the update in three days, I was hoping to post the chapter like a summary - just narrating the event without any dialogues. But then I changed my plan and tried a little more. That's why this much delay.
It's really long, and I don't know if it works or not. I hope it works.
Next chapter (42nd) will come sooner - as compensation.
Keep reading and keep posting.
Krish.

[krish_999]

Chapter 41

Atul

 

After the dinner night at 'Alyssa' Atul hadn’t heard from Radhika. Then one day, he ran into her in a bookstore. She smiled at him from across a couple of bookracks.
For one moment Atul remembered the other night. He remembered Varun lying on top of Anvita; kissing her, trying to invade her.
Atul could not smile even though he wanted to. And he watched the fond gesture on Radhika’s face fading away. She had begun to move towards him, only to stop halfway.
 
Radhika phoned him a day after.
“I thought you have moved on,” she said.
“I have.”
“You didn’t seem to like talking to me yesterday.”
“It was not about you…” Atul stopped, wondering if he should talk further. Why shouldn’t I tell her about Varun? She already knows he has cheated on her. 
“Then what was it?”
Atul was silent.
“Is it varun?”
“Varun? Why do you think so?”
Atul was curious.
“There’s something between you guys. He’s not as enthusiastic to speak about you as he was before that night. Does he know what we did? Did you tell him?”
Her voice had begun to carry the weight of anxiety.
“It’s the other way around, Radhika. Let’s not talk about it.”
Atul said quickly.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s move on. Nothing happened. Trust me.”
He said and disconnected the phone call.
He was done talking about it. At least he thought so.
 
However, fate had other plans for him. When his dad sought financial help due to the mishap at his farm, he was forced to opt for a loan. Twenty lakhs in so few days was difficult to meet, considering his credit history. Presented with a sudden crisis, he approached many lenders and eventually he was there.
He was sitting in the Senior Manager’s cabin, waiting for his turn to be interviewed.
“Atul! What are you doing here?”
He heard her voice, pleasantly surprised, and turned to see Radhika.
“Hi,” he said. He nodded at her with a slight smile on his lips, “how are you?”
Radhika looked really beautiful in her white shirt and navy blue pants. She was lean and the tight fitting shirt had made her look thinner and sexier. When Atul told her why he was there, she smiled brightly and stuck out her hand.
“Do you mind if I help you?”
With her help, Atul was finally able to get the cash in time.
 
He met Radhika at her office on Friday and thanked her.
“Don’t thank me like this. You owe me a treat,” Radhika said.
“Sure, why not? How about a dinner at my place?”
“No, no.”
Radhika playfully pushed him away. “Not with your wife and my boyfriend. It’s between you and me. Only us!”
“I thought you have moved on.”
Atul quipped.
“No, I haven’t. I know something is there you guys are not telling me. I want to know the truth.
It will do no good for you, let me warn you.”
“I am ready to bear the pain if it’s that bad. Can we meet tomorrow?”
“No, tomorrow I’ll be out of town.”
“Where?”
“Southside. Do you remember Nikunj? He’s coming. I’ll see you when I’m back.”
Atul promised. 
Radhika nodded halfheartedly, “okay.”
 
However, the following morning she phoned him.
“Do you mind if I came with you?”
“What?”
“I didn’t sleep last yesterday. I want to talk to you; I won’t get sleep until I did.”
“No, no, Radhika. We shouldn’t get closer than we’re supposed to. It’s…”
“Shut up stupid. Stop behaving like so scared. I won’t eat you down.”
“What about Varun?”
“He’s… he won’t know.”
“No,” Atul shook his head. “No, this is not good.”
Radhika travelling to South Delhi in a cab with him, and then meeting Nikunj in the night for dinner and lunch the next day: no. Atul could see nothing right about it. What about the time between that dinner and lunch? He had only one way to look into it. No!
 
Next evening when he was in a cab cruising towards the south of the city Radhika was sitting next to him. She was wearing a knee-length orange dress and looked beautiful as ever but Atul was invariably upset, in every way though. He could only wish if he had even a distant idea about what had struck Radhika to chase him so obsessively.
“We could have found another way to talk.  I don’t feel it right.”
He rued.
“Blame it on my curiosity, dear.” Radhika held his hand. 
He slowly pulled it free from her soft grip. Radhika didn’t care to pursue.
“I can’t live with it any more, Atul. Please try to understand. I have to know what happened after that night. Varun is behaving weirdly. I can’t even ask him unless he gives me a damn clue! You said it’s the other way. Which way?”
Atul looked away for once, composing his reply in his mind. He was still confused if he should tell her about Anvita’s mistake that eventful night.  He had buried his fears and worries and nightmares of that night, for both himself and Anvita. He had promised her that he would never bring it back to her. And the last thing he would like to happen was a dirty fight and a break-up between Varun and Radhika because of her.
Radhika grabbed his palm again, and he turned to her, slowly.
“I have managed to bury it deep inside me, Radhika. Whatever happened has happened. He said it’s a lapse from his side. And I believe him,” he stopped, abruptly.
Radhika waited for a moment.
“You are talking an alien language.”
Her voice was stern.
“You remember what we were doing in the basement, don’t you? When I went up looking for them after that, I found them in a similar situation. Like, he was… Anvi was lying there… it was on the roof; there is a garden on the roof; she was on the floor, lying like the unconscious, between the plants; and Varun…he was on top of her…trying to…”
“Force?”
“Not entirely. But it was not consensual as well. It was alcohol.”
Radhika’s face had become white. Her piercing eyes made him feel unsure about his words.
“It was alcohol…I believe it to be, honestly.”
Atul added.
“What do you mean on top of her?”
Radhika asked. Atul hesitated.
“Trying to do it…to have his way with her.”
“Holy fuck! He did that? Oh…what a fool I’ve been!”
“No…it didn’t happen. I am not saying it wouldn’t have and they were going to stop and all. But, in reality, nothing of that sort happened… I…”
“You don’t know how crooked he is; you know that?”
Radhika shook her head bitterly. Now Atul had to turn his head to her.
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t get drunk like that, Atul. Alcohol can never get him to do such things. I know what he does when he’s drunk. He must have got her drunk, purposely. Also, I know Anvi very well, she loves you so much.”
Atul suddenly found her funny.
“I know that.”
He said, proudly. I know she loves me so much. Hearing it from Radhika was simply ironic.
 
Atul went on to explain how he had managed to interrupt them.
Radhika was restless.
“These all have happened there! And how come I had no clue. What a fool I have been,” she laughed at herself. “What a fool I have been. I’ve been worried about myself and… you know Atul, what actually boiling inside me? It was that I didn’t get to fuck you that night. I thought he wasn’t confronting me directly because he knew how you rejected me! I thought he was laughing behind me.”
She shook her head sideways, in disbelief.
“How funny the reality is. Varun, you…!”
She sighed.
 
Radhika opted to stay back in the suite after they checked in.
“You go and meet him. I am not in the mood to meet anyone.”
“Radhika…”
“Call me when you are ready for dinner. I’ll join you.”
Her voice was weak, and she looked tired, suddenly.
“Radhika, I told you this because you wanted to know. Whatever happened has happened, and there was no damage. I am confident about it.”
“It’s something new for you Atul. For me, it’s not,” she said blankly.
Atul stared at her for a long moment.
“Then why don’t you leave him?”
“I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t know. I just know that I am not going to live with him forever. I am not his girl.”
Atul felt pity for her, for a moment.
“Yeah, I know what makes you live with him for the time. He’s good in bed, isn’t he?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Radhika’s voice was stiff.
“I don’t want to admit it to myself because he has slept behind me… I don’t want to lose out. It’s a… I don’t know how to tell you this, but there’s a feeling that comes from within that makes me a total bitch. When we break up, I want to be the one on top. He won’t dump me; I won’t let him dump me…”
Words were now flowing fluently out of her. “I will be the one throwing him out and I will tell him yes, I’ve slept around too because he was simply not good enough. I want to tell him there are better men out there. The world is not what men like him believe.”
Atul’s face had now turned red.
“I understand. So that’s why you…”
“No.” Radhika moved forward and grabbed his hand. “No, I didn’t mean that. Believe me.”
Atul shook his hand and moved free from her.
“Enough, Radhika! You have spoken enough. Leave me out of this. Leave me out of your revenge game.”
“My revenge game? Is it my revenge game?”
“Then what else is it?”
“Stop pretending dumb, Atul.” Radhika threw her hand in the air, in despair. “Why don’t you give it a thought whatever happened was intentional?”
“Because I have better reasons to believe otherwise.”
“Better reasons! Atul, you must understand one thing. Doubt is a strange thing. To be confident, you might need to be one hundred per cent sure. But to be doubtful, you just need point zero one per cent doubt. And once you have it, you have to dig.”
“Dig what?”
Atul yelled before he could process her words. Perhaps she is right. But he was not going to agree. He had already yelled at her.
“Digging my relationship with Anvita wouldn’t get me anything good. Anvita and I are not fuck-buddies like you. We are husband-and-wife. I don’t need to dig a hole just because I have point zero zero zero one per cent of a doubt. It is my belief that I shouldn’t dig unless my doubt is crossing the forty-ninth per cent mark. This is how marriage works if you want to keep the relation. I don’t understand how much time you have to give into this. Yes, your side may be true. You boyfriend fucks around. Then it’s your responsibility to leave him. Kick him out. Can you do it?”
“I am going to.”
“Going to! When? I know when. When you have lured husbands like me to your bed, when you have enough fuck buddies to match and outnumber him, then you’ll kick him out!”
“Mind your words, Atul. You are talking too much.”
“You were sucking my dick like a whore that night, weren’t you? Now you are guilty and you want to put it like you have no reason to be guilty.”
“You are taking sides with Varun?”
“You are trying to paint him darker than he seems to me.”
“I really don’t know how to convince you Atul. You are living in a world that is so dark that you can’t see anything. Anything!”
Atul stared at her for long.
“I am happy with this dark world. I am happy that I am not seeing anything. And you stay away from me.”
Atul turned back and walked with his steps hard on the floor.
 
He was reeling in anger. Bitch. She’s a total bitch. At once, she wants to sleep with me so that she can boast to her boyfriend about how she’s done it. At next, she wants to put the blame on Varun for making her do it. One thing was sure. She wants to use me even after knowing how much Anvita loves me.
Atul shook his head bitterly.
He remembered the moments when Radhika had impressed him with her simplicity and affection and friendliness despite their first meeting being so awkward and asinine.
She was a cute girl blessed with a genuine love story.
 
The world is weird than it seems. Atul thought. The world is not what men like me or Varun believe.
Varun and Radhika together is a part of it. Atul was glad that he had learnt it in the right moment and he could save himself from their power battle.
 
---           ---           ---
 
Nikunj Sahni was waiting for Atul in the spacious lounge. He wore a shiny grey suit that struggled to conceal his tummy under it.
“Sorry I kept you waiting for me.”
Atul apologized after greeting him.
“No man. It’s just half a minute. I was just enjoying this view. It’s lovely, isn’t it?”
Nikunj pointed to the beautiful circular fountain outside of the glass panels. With the craftily arranged LED lights around the pond, the fountain looked spectacular.
“I wish you had made it a bit earlier this evening. We had a plan to buy an earring for your family.”
Atul said later when Nikunj was saying how his plan to include his wife on the trip was spoiled at the last moment.
“Oh, you still remember that,” Nikunj patted on his shoulder.
“How can I forget her? I still remember the stories she told us that day. She was lovely.”
Atul said.
Nikunj's phone rang and it was expectedly his wife.
“You saw it? It’s lovely, isn’t it? I am standing in front of it. Let me send you another snap with my friend.”
He ended the call and took a selfie with Atul, the fountain in the background, and sent it to his wife.
 
Atul was hearing the alarm already. For one moment he felt he should have brought Radhika with him.
No, not her. He corrected quickly. He had to move on.
Atul led him to the restro-bar. They settled down on a big couch and ordered whiskey of Nikunj’s choice.
“I don’t drink much; I’m just giving you company,” Nikunj said while they toasted.
“Yeah, I know. But I have come to force you to do something more. In fact, I am just like you.”
Atul had placed his laptop on the curvy edged glass table.
“I am showing you this right now because I don’t want to forget anything later. It’s an improvised structure of what we have discussed. I’ve mentioned you about this.”
“Yeah show me.”
Nikunj placed his drink carefully on the table and turned his attention to the screen.
 
Forty minutes later, as Atul finished the briefing Nikunj nodded slowly.
“You can tell me what you think of it right now. We’re enough drinks past.”
Atul looked at him.
“I know you’re daring me to offend you. Well, I know that I can’t,” Nikunj smiled, “not because you’re drunk to be deaf, but because I’m impressed by your presentation. You are a quick learner.”
He leaned back.
“Tell me, young man. What do you want me to do now? Consider me on your side.”
Atul was smiling already. And he felt hungry now.
“I want you to have dinner with me now. And tomorrow I want you to introduce me to your friend.”
 
Nikunj’s associate Pawan Mehta was the next suitable target to meet.

“I can do that. But what he chose to do with this, leave it up to him only.”
Nikunj said.
“Definitely.”
Atul shut his laptop down and turned to Nikunj.
“Shall we proceed to the dinner? I have found a place.”
“We’re not having dinner here? I thought it’s a nice place.”
“Yes, it is, Nikunj. But I was hoping to include my friend – you remember her – Radhika too. She’s waiting in my suite. I’ll ask her to come to the restaurant. I have made reservations for the dinner; for the three of us. Believe me, you’ll find it even better.”
Nikunj was happy to comply. Atul asked for a cab when he settled the bill. He phoned Radhika after they headed to the restaurant. The phone rang many times and went unanswered. Atul became tensed and he rang up the hotel reception and confirmed that Radhika was still in the room.
“What happened?”
Nikunj asked.
“She’s not answering my calls.”

Atul eventually got her to talk with the help of the room staff.
“I am not coming anywhere!”
Radhika declared and cut the call.
“Anything wrong?”
Nikunj asked.
Atul tried to laugh, embarrassed.
“A small quarrel between us. You know she’s a bit dramatic.”
“Let’s pay a visit.”
Nikunj suggested.
“I want to see this dramatist.”

Atul’s immediate thought was to turn him down. He was wary of Radhika behaving rudely in front of Nikunj. The man was more than impressed with the way Atul presented his world and now, a lot was at stake.
In an unofficial meeting, everything can be tricky; everything can be a factor in moulding an impression. One minus point would easily undo a ninety-nine plus points. The last thing Atul wanted to introduce to Nikunj was a messed up, shaken, dishevelled image of Radhika. The last time when he saw her, she was like an angel, and now she could be a ghost.
 
Atul was looking for a way to avoid this. But he couldn’t find one – nothing came into his mind, and he could only pray for a miracle.
As he stood in front of the door he suddenly thought he had a plan. He hoped he could use Nikunj’s presence to make her behave. I would tell her I want her to come with me now, to shop that earring – that you’ve promised my friend – and then I’ll listen to whatever you say. It’s a deal.
However, it soon turned out to be the other way around.
When the door opened, he was welcomed by a pleasant looking Radhika. She had changed into a high-low, off shoulder dress that not only emphasized her thin and curvy body but also presented an ample view of her cleavage. There was no sign of distress or a quarrel. Contrary to what she had told Atul on phone, she looked she’s ready to go out on a dinner. In fact, she looked racy and Atul couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wondered if she was going to leave.
Radhika greeted Nikunj with a cute smile.
“Hello, Nikunj how are you?”
Nikunj was stunned. Atul was more or less perplexed.
Nikunj walked in and greeted her with his hand extending forward. She dabbed it away and hugged him instead.
“Oh, kill the formality, Nikunj.”
Nikunj spent a moment to study her from head to toe. Radhika stood there like a model, allowing him to scan her with his eyes.
“You seem perfectly normal and in fact, you look absolutely stunning to me. Nothing like he mentioned.”
He said.
“What did he tell you?”
“What did you say, Atul? “
Nikunj turned to Atul. “A dramatist?”
“He’s jealous.” Radhika said, “He doesn’t like me mingle with his friends.”
“What!” Atul spoke up.
Radhika smirked at him. Atul knew she was just trying to ridicule him.
“That’s a lie; don’t fall for it, Nikunj.”
Nikunj smiled at him and turned to her.
“He has the reasons to be so, dear.”
Radhika was enjoying his attention.
“But that doesn’t give him the right to repress me, does it?”
Nikunj’s phone rang and he attended it before the third ring. It was his wife on the other side and he talked for ten minutes as Radhika and Atul stood there and watched each other. Nikunj was telling his wife he was on the way to the restaurant where he was going to have dinner with Atul.
Later they sat together in the drawing room and talked. Atul was, however, relieved that the cloud of anger had dissipated into the air and Radhika was past her gloomy mood.

Half an hour later she brought up the phone call Nikunj had from his wife.
“Why didn’t you tell her about me?”
“Because you are so beautiful and she has seen you.”
Radhika laughed. When she laughed, her dress seemed to have slipped a little deeper into her chest and Atul could see tiny hair strands between the soft melons. It aroused him instantly he had to put an effort to pretend to ignore it.
“That was brutally honest.”
She turned to Atul.
“Did you see that? You should learn from him.”
“Learn what?”
“Learn how to compliment women other than your wife.”
“I have no problem in giving compliments.”
“You just speak, but I prefer men who act.”
 
Nikunj’s phone rang again.
“Oh, no!”
Radhika didn’t hesitate to express her disappointment. Both the men noticed it.
Nikunj talked to his wife and this time the conversation was shorter. He disconnected the call and turned to Radhika.
“Happy now?”
He asked Radhika. She blossomed into a cute smile. Atul could see she was flirting with the old man and he knew he was only making him jealous. Why should I be jealous? He wondered.
 
“Come on let’s go, have dinner.”
Atul suggested later. Nikunj almost shook his head and stopped when he saw Radhika’s reaction.
“No. I am not coming with you.”
She said.
“I don’t wanna go out with him. I just don’t want. Don’t force me.”
 
Atul was annoyed.
“Okay, leave her, Nikunj. Let’s go,” he got up.
“Don’t be harsh, Atul.”
Nikunj said.
“No one needs to show empathy on me, Nikunj. You can go. I am okay alone. I’ll have dinner delivered to me.”
Radhika grunted.
“I am not going to leave you alone. Here. You got that?”
“Now you understand why I called her dramatic, don’t you?”
Atul interrupted angrily.
“Get lost.”
Radhika snarled and looked away. Nikunj shifted closer on the couch and touched her hand.
“Radhika.”
Radhika did not turn to him. Nikunj took her hand and touched under her chin to turn her face to him.
“You hate him. I can understand. You hate him. You don’t want to be with him. But I am also here. And I am asking you and I won’t ask you twice. Do you have any problem with me?”
Radhika looked him in the eyes and nodded.
“I don’t.”
“Then come with me. I am asking you to come with me.”
His phone rang and he answered it before Radhika could respond. Atul was watching them, and Radhika saw him concealing a chuckle. She looked at him and he averted his eyes to the ceiling.
“I’ll call you back when I reach there, honey.”
Nikunj ended the call even quicker this time. Radhika was staring at him when he turned his attention back to her.
“I am sorry, Radhika. I love my wife too much. We are like this.”
“I can see that.”
“So what I was saying, I was asking you to come with me.”
“But you love your Sujata too much. When she calls you, you forget who’s around you.”
“Is that a problem?”
“No. I am no one to say it is a problem. I know her, she’s a lovely woman. I was saying I will be a problem when you’re talking to your wife every now and then.”
Nikunj looked on and shook his head continuously, and took his phone and switched it off.
“I am putting an end to your problem, and for the time, I am submitting myself to the problem that you are.”
Radhika smirked, slightly, locking her eyes with him.
Atul was amazed to see how the momentum shifted in a second. They were smiling at each other. Their hands were in possession of each other’s and they were sitting so close. And more than anything, the man had just switched off his phone for her. And he had mouthed the words his wife would have killed him for.
Is it a new beginning?
Atul felt they were the host and he was the guest in that room. Nikunj had submitted to her completely. When Atul got a phone call from Shreyas, he excused to the balcony while he answered the call. When he returned, Radhika scolded him and Nikunj suggested him to turn off his phone too.
“She’s the boss tonight, Atul. Let’s give up.”
Atul had to keep his phone aside, with its flight mode on.
Okay, you’re the boss.
Radhika agreed to join them for dinner, on one condition.
“I am coming with Nikunj. Not with Atul. Don’t tell me to talk nicely to him.”
“Who’s talking to you, by the way?”
Atul hit back.
“Calm down, Atul!”
Nikunj gestured him to calm down.
Radhika walked to the washroom and got ready in a few minutes. She had touched a little here and there. Atul could see, and her radiant face looked shinier than before.
“Wow. You look fantastic. Atul is a real loser tonight.”
Nikunj commented.
Radhika looked happy with that. She smiled at him.
“Thank you.”
She said.
 
Radhika remained at Nikunj’s side as they proceeded for dinner. She sat with Nikunj in the cab as Atul took the front seat. Nikunj kept talking to her throughout the way and Atul sat a mere listener. During dinner, she discussed her menu with Nikunj only.
When the dinner was over, Radhika refused to go with Atul. Atul was annoyed again.
“What nonsense!”
For one moment he felt for Varun. He felt pity for anyone who would have to endure this type of drama in his life.
“Then you come with me. I too have a premium suit.”
Nikunj suggested.
“No, it’ll be problematic for you. I’ll find a place for me, it’s okay.”
Radhika said.
“It’s larger and spacious. It won’t be a problem to accommodate you.”
“Are you sure?”
Radhika’s response got Atul confused. He didn’t expect her to consider his suggestion.
“You don’t have to do that, Radhika. How much are you taking it? We don’t have to do this.”
Atul interrupted.
“Come on Atul, it is okay. She’ll be safe with me.”
Nikunj said.
“No, Nikunj. I don’t want my friend to become a burden for you. I can handle her. I am ready to apologise to her. I lose, I admit.”
“Your friend is now my friend too, isn’t she?”
“Her bag is in my suite. And you don’t want to keep Sujata in tension. She’ll be worried.”
“I don’t want my bag now. I’ll go to his place.”
Radhika declared.
Atul was helpless. He wished he could grab her hand and drag her to his place.
Bitch. All she’s doing this drama for is to lure me to her bed. She wants to fuck me so that she can tell Varun how she fucked me. For one moment, Atul was ready to do it. She deserves some games. He thought.
“It’s okay, Atul. She’s not coming with you. But you are coming with us. Let’s go to my place now. And later you can decide.”
Nikunj suggested in the end.
Radhika had no problem with that.
 
“What are you doing, Radhika? Are you going to fuck that man? You have nothing else to do?”
Atul confronted Radhika in a low, grunting voice when Nikunj was gone to the washroom.
Radhika stared at him, her eyes blazing.
“You have nothing else to imagine.”
She scoffed.
“And why do you care? What if I did it with him? Will you be hurt?”
Atul was stunned.
“Radhika…”
“Stop pretending that you care for me, Atul. You don’t care for anyone. Not even for Anvita. If you did, you would have beaten the shit out of Varun and thrown him off that roof that night. If you didn’t do it, it is still acceptable, because you might have a cool mind. But it shouldn’t have been the same tonight. You should have dragged me to your bed even if I resisted, and you should have taken revenge on him in every way, or the best way possible in any man’s view.”
She panted, yet in a controlled way. It was visible how she was struggling to hold her composure. Atul was speechless and unable to move. His ego had taken a beating, a brutal pounding.
She was right. Don’t I really care for Anvi? Why did I forgive him so easily?
The fact was that if he had gone heavily on Varun, it would have put Anvita too on blame. What if he began to thrash Varun and Anvita was left with no option than to try to stop him from that? He didn’t want to put Anvita to that test.
For her, getting caught by Atul itself was the toughest punishment. Atul cared only about her. Varun was not who he cared for. What Varun did that night mattered only to Radhika. It was a thought Atul had constructed in his own convenience. And now it was coming back to haunt him, to destroy his peace.
He suddenly felt he too, had a score to settle with Varun.
 
When Nikunj returned from the washroom, Atul refused to follow him to his suite.
“I think it will be better if I kept myself away from her for a while. You take her to your place, and I hope she’s less angry with me tomorrow. Let’s call it a day. It was a wonderful night, Nikunj.”
Nikunj was surprised to see him back off.
So was Radhika.
“Are you sure?”
“Come on Nikunj. I am looking forward to seeing you with Mr Pawan Mehta for lunch.”
Atul forwarded his hand.
 
Before walking away with Nikunj, Radhika stole a glance at Atul, and he blinked his eyes to gesture her ‘it’s okay’. Her eyes stayed a bit longer on his face than he expected, and he felt she acknowledged him with a slight node.
Atul stood there watching them walk away and getting inside the car. They sat together and closed the door. When they were out of his sight, Atul did not really know what to do. He was unsure of the immediate future of the night.
Nikunj, a forty-year-old man and Radhika, a girl fifteen year younger than him; what are they going to do?
Atul hired a cab and he couldn’t help but follow them in his mind. He imagined Nikunj taking her to his large, spacious suite. He remembered how excited Radhika was when she saw his suite in Pune. And she was amazed enough to comment about the size of the bed. “It’s too big for one person!” She had said.
She will be impressed this time too. They will talk, and talk and then what?
Nikunj had already taken the liberty to hold her hand in his, while Atul was with them; and now how far will he go in his absence? When he pulls her toward him, will she resist? She wouldn’t. And he will kiss her. He will taste her lips. He will put his arms around her. He will feel her soft body, her curves, and then he will lead her to his bed.
For a moment, Atul imagined Nikunj taking of his shiny grey suit and then unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his body. His suit might have helped him hide his pot belly so far, but his shirt wouldn’t. And when he inevitably removes his shirt too, it will be a huge disappointment. A man so disproportionate in his body shape in bed with a girl who’s so perfectly built; in fact, Radhika was thinner than Anvita; and when she would remove her dress, the difference in them would be unmistakable. Atul thought.
However, it would be ironically and invariably arousing. Atul couldn’t disagree with the thought for a bit.
And Nikunj will plunge himself in that arousing cuteness. He would hold his huge belly to breathe and then bury his thing inside her. She will be happy; finally, a dick inside her little hole, penetrating her body with her consent. She can now look into her boyfriend’s eyes, and mouth the words she has been longing to; it was more fun. It was more pleasure. It was deeper.
 
When Atul reached his hotel suite he saw his phone lying on the table. He turned the flight mode off and thought of making a call to Nikunj. He wanted to ask him about Radhika. Is she already in your bed? Have you already done it?
The thought made him uneasy, yet hard in his pants. He scratched his crotch and staggered to the bedroom.
Her orange dress was lying across the king size bed.
Atul walked over and he saw it wasn’t just the dress but her bra and panty were also there. Without realizing it, Atul’s heart began to thump hard and he wanted to hold the soft clothes in his bare hands. Radhika had apparently forgotten to put her clothes back in her bag after changing. Perhaps she has done it on purpose. Atul sat on the edge of the bed and took the dress in his hand and brought it to his face. He inhaled, with his eyes closed.
It had the same old aroma. Lavender; the scent of Radhika. Atul let out a sigh and laughed a little. He was acknowledging the fact that he was being drawn to another world. It was a world where reality was a forgotten myth. It was where dirtiness was worshipped with pleasure. He picked up her panty and brought it to his face.  He rubbed it across his nose and lips. The erection in his pants was now hurting. His hand moved down slowly to unbutton his pants and he pulled out his hardness. With one hand he rubbed her bra around his face and neck while he stroked himself with the other hand.
I am submitting to the problem that you are. Nikunj’s words suddenly came into his mind, and he felt he was the one who mouthed them. Yes, Radhika. I am also submitting to you. Take me, make me yours. Atul’s hand followed an addictive rhythm while he sucked at the centre of the bra cups and he imagined he was chewing her nipple. He stroked harder when he licked at the inner side of the panty and imagined he was kissing between her creamy white legs. His dick throbbed under his grip, and it throbbed for her. Then he came. The white stream of cum flew through the air and it made a long line on the shiny floor. It was huge.
Oh my god. Atul felt weak and he lay back on the bed, right next to the orange dress. He grabbed it and covered his face with the soft clothing.
Would they have begun it? Would they have begun to fuck in his king size bed? Would she have begun to suck on his dick?
The phone rang suddenly and Atul was awakened from his dream.
 
“Hello.”
It was Varun on the other side. A pang of guilt crossed Atul’s mind.
“Where are you Atul? What are you doing with her?”
Varun was anxious yet Atul didn’t falter in sensing the arrogance his voice carried.
Atul’s subconscious mind spent a moment to process the implication of his words. One, he knew Atul was away. Two, he knew Radhika was with him.
The next moment Atul was at ease.
“Doing what with whom?”
His voice was calm.
“Atul, I know you are with Radhika. She had called me two hours ago. I’ve been trying to call you since then. What are you doing with her? Revenge? Listen to me…”
“Hey... hey! Varun! Listen to me first. What revenge? You said you didn’t do anything and I believed you, didn’t I? Then why would I take revenge? What for?”
“Yeah, but… but... then why?”
Varun stammered.
“Then what are you doing with her?”
“I am doing nothing with her, my friend.”
Atul spoke confidently. He wiped his dick with Radhika’s panty as he talked.
“I am here on a meeting… on a meeting with a client, on a very official meeting. Radhika met me this evening and she came along as she wanted to talk to me. She wanted to talk about you. She said you are acting weird after that night. What happened to you, man?”
Varun took a deep breath, and Atul could hear it clearly.
“But what is she doing with you? Isn’t she with you now?”
“Not exactly. We parted when we arrived. I had other priorities and I headed straight for the meeting. You didn’t call her?”
“You told her everything?”
“I didn’t want to. But you see, she followed me here, to know the truth. I am a simple person, Varun. I am not a good liar.”
“Oh, too simple person!
Varun mocked him.
“You have seen me that night at Alyssa, haven’t you? I could have beaten the shit out of you and thrown you off that roof. But I didn’t do that. Did I? You know how simple I am. “
Atul tossed aside the small cloth. His heart beats were beating at a normal pace.
Varun spoke after a few seconds delay.
“You should have given me a clue at least.”
“How could I? I was sitting with her and she was firing question after questions like a security officer interrogation, do you expect me to interrupt her like, ‘just hold a second Radhika, let me have a word with Varun before I speak’? The situation was that… Varun, you should know better. Radhika is a very clever girl. You let it slip it, in the first place. Now don’t blame me for what you have done. It’s my simplicity… yes; it’s my simplicity that I’ve forgiven you. Not because I believe you but I believe my wife. I believe she wouldn’t have done such things if she weren’t drunk that night. That is the end of it. Leave me out of the argument between you and your girlfriend… I am fed up with you guys.”
Atul finished and ended the phone call.
However, before he could put it down on the table, it rang again.
“Atul.”
He heard Varun’s voice again.
“If something happens to Radhika, then you must not forget your home and your Anvita isn’t far away from me.”
“What the hell are you talking? Are you threatening me?”
Atul rose to his feet and yelled. His blood boiled in anger.
“I am putting forth a condition, Atul. She had phoned me this evening. But now she is not picking up my calls. I want her back as safe and sound as she was before this evening.”
“That’s none of my business. I have nothing to do with her. She’s not with me, and neither I am interested to chase her for you.”
Atul cut the call and threw the phone aside.
“Bastard!”
Atul ground his teeth in anger.
If something happens to Radhika… It was already happening. If there’s no miracle, Radhika will be a toy in the bed with Nikunj. Atul was now sure about it. ‘You must not forget your Anvita is not far away from me.’ What does he mean? Is he going to meet her? What is he going to tell her?
Atul sat back in the bed, thinking deep. And the more he thought, the warier he became. Because it was possible that Radhika phoned Varun later this night and told him what she’s just done to him. Atul Varun could put the blame on Atul.
‘Atul sold my girl to his boss.’ He would tell Anvita. And Anvita would believe him, because her husband had taken Radhika along with him on his business tour, secretly. Varun could cook up news that Atul’s intention was to lure Radhika into his bed, telling stories of ‘that’ night.
It was also possible that Radhika rang up Varun to tell him she has just slept with Atul.
As his thoughts ran wilder, Atul simply could not settle with a solution. Should I ring up Radhika and tell her Varun is worried about her?
No. That bitch will be happier to hear that.
Atul felt the better option was to call Anvita and tell her the truth. Tell her everything as it is. Radhika came along with me to South Delhi because she found out Varun was hiding something from her. So I told her everything. She got pissed off, and she is gone now. I don’t know where she’s gone.
Atul hoped the story would work for the night.
He was making a call to Anvita and the exact moment, the phone rang. It was Anvita, and Atul for a moment panicked, fearing if Varun has already made his move.
“Hello.”
"Atul, how are you? We have guests. George and Leona.”
Atul couldn’t believe his luck for a moment.
“What happened? I mean how this happened? It's surprising.”
It turned out their car had a breakdown and they were stuck on the road. Atul wanted to laugh aloud. But he controlled his excitement and chose his words wisely as Anvita put her phone on speaker mode.
“George, you must sell your car! Getting breakdown is not a fault, but choosing to do so today, is damn wrong, buddy. I miss so much being there…”
He asked Anvita to take good care of the guests. George and Leona were going to stay over at his house.
When he ended the phone call, Atul was filled with surprise and relief.
No, Varun. You can’t go to Anvita now. She’s safe in my house.
Atul felt his fate was in his favour. No one can harm Anvita. She’s my wife, my love, my life. No one can turn her against me. She’s mine only. And she’s destined to remain so forever.
If it wasn’t like that, George’s car wouldn’t have broken down tonight; and he and Leona wouldn’t have visited them tonight, and they wouldn’t have agreed to stay over. Atul was confident.
It has been like this, for him, forever; so easy.
 
If Atul had slept peacefully that night, it was because he was happy for George was at his home this eventful night.
 
 

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[krish_999]

Chapter 42

Anvita

Anvita woke up a dead soul in the morning. Her body moved like a robot. She grabbed Prithvi’s clothes and shoes and woke him up. She watched him pull his pants under the skirt.
This boy fucked me. Anvita cringed at the thought. Shit. She rued and scratched her hair.
“Promise me you’ll forget it.”
She said when he was ready.
Prithvi shook his head.
“Erase everything. You and I are…. I am a teacher. You are my student. You and I haven’t done anything…”
“Anvita.”
He held grabbed her hand.
“I promise you. I know what we did is wrong. It happened. But nothing happened. Let’s forget it. Let’s not talk about it.”
Anvita stared at him. She felt he is more sensible than her.
“Yeah, right. Let’s not talk about it. Let’s stop thinking about it.”
Because it never happened.
She kept assuring herself until he left. Then she breathed normally. Nobody should know. I am not a good wife. But I will keep it to me. She made a promise to herself.
I will live with Atul. I will die with him only. I am his. He is mine. That’s all.
 
“What happened to your lips?”
George asked her during breakfast. Anvita couldn’t speak.
“What happened?”
Leona took a closer look. Anvita melted in her seat and she felt all the courage she had gathered so far vanishing into thin air.
My lips were savoured and ravaged by a man. Anvita thought she was caught, so simply.
“Looks like you slept on your stomach; with your face down.”
Leona made out. Anvita forced a smile.
“Perhaps. I don’t really remember anything. I was too sleepy when I made to bed.”
“Mmm… you should dip your face in ice water for some time. It’ll help.”
Leona suggested.
 
George and Leona left soon. Anvita studied her face in the mirror. Her lips were screaming a story. She quickly brought some ice water in a bowl and dipped her face in it. Her swollen lips were evidence of her infidelity. But dipping her face in the chilled water was not going to purify her. I would rather need to walk burning coal. She felt she had his taste in her mouth, even after ten minutes of sousing her face in the water.
Anvita stood in front of the mirror, again, studying her face in different angles, trying to figure out the chances of her lips swelling to be spotted.
No. Atul won’t notice it. She assured herself.
She heard the doorbell and froze for a moment. She didn’t expect Atul to return so early. She began to freak out instantly and then calmed down.
No. Anvita, hold your ground. She commanded herself. You had slept with your face down. You don’t know how it happened. She nodded at herself in the mirror and took a long breath.
Be confident, Anvita. She said one last time and opened the door.
There stood Rajyavardhan.
 
He began to smile at her. It was a rare sight Anvita would love to see any other day, but now she was too flustered to make a response. “I need just a look at you in the morning to say what you’ve done in the night,” Anvita remembered his words. Before she could react, she watched the smile on his face vanish without a trace.
Oh my god! Will he believe my story?
“Com..come in…please… dad.”
Anvita blurted out like a person in deathbed.
Rajyavardhan walked in, and Anvita closed her eyes. Her attempts to hold back tears proved to be futile in a few seconds. She had nowhere to hide.
 
Rajyavardhan sat on the couch and Anvita stood at his side.
“What happened, my child?”
His voice was calm. But there was a firm note to his voice that Anvita felt choked her further. She broke into a cry and collapsed into her knees. She did not stop herself at it, and she let it all flow. She cried her heart out.
Rajyavardhan waited silently until she opened her teary eyes.
“What happened, Anvita?”
He repeated.
“I…I erred, dad. I… I betrayed your son. I betrayed you.”
She collapsed further and sat on the floor.
Rajyavardhan sat, motionless, and watched her cry until her tears went dry. Until her cry became sobbing, he waited.
“I let you cry only because I thought it would make you better. Now you are better. Talk, my child. What happened?”
Anvita’s eyes remained stuck at his feet.
“Yesterday… Leona and George had come here.”
Anvita did not know where to start.
“Atul is not here. He’s gone to a business meeting. I have a friend whom I had taught English for a few months during my earlier job as a teacher. Yesterday he had come here. He’s a good boy. He did not have clothes to wear so I gave him my clothes. My skirt and a top. Then Leona and George showed up unexpectedly. Their car had broken down somewhere nearby so Atul asked them to stay over. And I had to hide Prithvi, the boy, in my room, for the whole night. I didn’t want them to see him. I didn’t know what others would think if they saw him in my clothes. Atul doesn’t know about it. Then, after dinner, I went to sleep. He was also there.”
Anvita looked at her room as if it was now a crime scene.
Indeed, it was.
“And it happened. I am sorry, dad. I betrayed my Atul. My husband. his family. My family. You. Everyone. I am….”
Rajyavardhan sat in complete silence for a long moment, watching her. He seemed to be in deep thought. No matter how much calmness he was putting on his face, Anvita knew deep in his heart there will be a man burning in hellfire. The longer his silence, the bigger his violent reaction is going to be, Anvita foresaw.
“How old is he? The boy?”
Rajyavardhan asked.
“Nineteen, I think.”
Rajyavardhan shook his head, thinking.
“Can I have a glass of water?”
His want pushed Anvita out of her flashback mode.
“Oh, I forgot.”
She got up quickly but she couldn’t. She stumbled over the floor before she rose to her feet and then walked to the kitchen.
 
Rajyavardhan did not say a word until he finished the water Anvita fetched for him.
“So, where is this boy, now?”
He asked.
“I sent him early this morning before the guests woke up. I made him promise it was a mistake. It was a mistake. But too terrible to be called a mistake. I can't look at Atul’s face now. I am done as a wife, as a woman. My life is…”
“Do you think Atul will know of it?”
“I am going to tell him.”
Her voice was now firm. Someone inside her was telling her it was the right choice.
“And then?”
“And then I’ll do what he says.”
Rajyavardhan looked at her for a long moment, studying her.
“Come here.”
He gestured.
“Sit here.”
Anvita sat beside him on the couch. He grabbed her hand, carefully.
“You know, I can understand what happened. I can understand what is happening inside you. It is really sad. It should not have happened. Some say, to err is human. But some errors render us inhumane. This is one such mistake that you think the mistake is too short a term to explain it. But we need to look forward, my child. I have so good memories of you that I can't give up on you so easily. You are my daughter. I am going to forgive you.”
Anvita heard his words and she thought she was dreaming it.
“I have reasons to believe it is none other than God who brought me here at this moment, and it is for a purpose. He shouldn’t have brought me here to punish you. You opened the door expecting Atul and if God wanted you to be punished, Atul indeed would have shown up there. But it was me instead, and now let me tell you what is written for you. I am forgiving you for what you did. It was indeed a mistake. And I believe for some part that it was an aftereffect of Atul’s lack of care for you. Otherwise, you could have defended yourself in there. Being with a boy in a bedroom doesn’t make a married woman have sex with him. There has to have some reasons. Desperation is a great weakness and Atul can't escape the blame. I know that better than anyone.”
Rajyavardhan paused as if to allow his words to sink into her.
“If you admit to him you slept with this body and did this mistake, do you think he’s gonna punish you? No. He won’t. Because he loves you. He can't leave you. But he will live with the pain forever. It will then become a punishment for himself.”
It was a revelation to Anvita. Yes, he loves me. Loves me more than his family. More than anything. And he can never leave me. He will surely be angry and hurt. But he will never leave me, for he can’t.
Dad was correct, word by word. Anvita was convinced.
“So don’t ever think of telling him, ever. You confessed to me; I am his dad. I have the power to forgive you. I am doing it.”
Rajyavardhan smiled at her. The same old rare smile Anvita loved to see. This time Anvita was not flustered. She leaned forward and hugged him.
“Dad. I am so sorry for what I did. I am so sorry for this pain.”
Her eyes were teary again and her vision blurred.
He rubbed his palm over her shoulder tenderly.
“I love you, dad.”
She pressed her face down to his shoulder.
“I love you too, my child. My son has a life with you. You both must live on. Try to make each other happy. We, your parents will be happy.”
 
Rajyavardhan had, in fact, come to return a part of Atul’s cash. One of his old friends had returned borrowed money after a long time, and Rajyavardhan immediately decided to ease the pressure off his son’s shoulders, by returning the money.
“That’s how I actually ended up here. See, how God’s ways work for us!”
Rajyavardhan remarked.
 
It was indeed a miracle for Anvita. She too believed that dad’s arrival was not for nothing. He was a messenger. And his message was bright; all the hope was not lost.
Anvita was now breathing normally. Yet there was something that was clouding her mind. Rajyavardhan spotted it sooner than later.
“You still have something in your mind. What is it?”
He was having breakfast when he noticed her thinking about something unpleasant.
“I will have to go out, dad. I’ll be back in an hour.”
She said hesitantly.
“Speak clearly, child.”
His voice was firmer.
“Tell me what exactly is troubling you now. You are not heading to the market, for sure. Are you going to meet someone?”
Anvita stared at him. She had never thought of him coming up with such doubt. Does he think I am going to see Prithvi?
“I am going to a pharmacy.”
“Pharmacy is here. It’s very close to the nearby street. Why do you need an hour?”
“I can't buy it from there. Actually…”
She cringed at her own.
“Dad, yesterday I did not have any protection.”
Her face was down.
“I need to buy an after-pill to avoid the risk of pregnancy.”
“Oh shit!”
Rajyavardhan rubbed at his forehead.
“It’s getting nasty between us, isn’t it?”
He got up, having finished his meal.
Anvita did not know what to say. Rajyavardhan washed his hands and returned to the hall. Anvita walked to the kitchen with the dishes. When she returned, Rajyavardhan spoke.
“What is this after-pill? Is it the name of a pill?”
Anvita blinked.
“You won’t have to go. I will buy it for you.”
Rajyavardhan explained. Anvita felt her knees week, suddenly, for unknown reasons.
“No. dad, you don’t have to…”
“I can go and buy it from the nearest shop.”
Anvita did not want to face him anymore. She wanted to run away and hide her face from him. She was such a disgrace.
“Dad, I can't allow you to do that. I am your daughter-in-law. You are my father-in-law. You, buying an after-pill for me… I can't even think of it… I won’t be ever able to forgive myself for this. I have already done enough that will land me in hell…”
“Stop it, Anvita. Stop blabbering like a child. I am asking you to be practical. Yes, I am your father-in-law, so I am not yet going to let you land in hell.”
Anvita stared at him for a moment, unbelievably. Tears continued to seep down her cheeks. Rajyavardhan rose to his feet and wiped it with bare hands.
“Stop crying, my child. My son loves you. I love you. You are a beautiful girl. It takes hell lot of courage to confess and face the consequence of what you’ve done. You are one brave woman. Let my son be in love with you. Put up a pleasant face. These things will be forgotten soon. Bad things happen, but we can move on.”
Anvita couldn’t hear anymore. She hugged him tight and pressed her face into his shoulder. He held his strong arms around her as if to protect her from demons, and Anvita felt safe.
 
When she moved off him, she smiled.
“Yes. It’s getting nasty between us.”
Rajyavardhan did not smile. But she felt his face was pleasant.
“Tell me about the pill; after pill, you said?”
“After-pill. You can say Unwanted seventy-two. That’s the name of it.”
“Unwanted seventy-two. Okay, got it. By the way, how is it going to help? Are you sure it will work? Don’t you want to see a doctor?”
“It’s a pill that stops pregnancy. It will work if consumed within seventy-two hours after having…I mean, you know, after it…”
Rajyavardhan was visibly surprised.
“Seventy-two hours? That’s three days.”
“Yes, dad.”
“Uff!”
He shook his head.
“That’s too convenient.”
“The earlier the better, though.”
“Still very convenient. Anybody can do anything, and nobody can know anything. There’s a pill for everything. The world is getting innovative day by day.”
He blurted before he was gone.
 
Anvita sat on the couch, trying to believe what was happening. Her father-in-law was fetching an emergency pill for her. She tried to envisage Rajyavardhan walking over to the pharmacy and asking for the pill.
“One unwanted seventy-two.”
He would say.
The shopkeeper will stare at him for a moment. A man in his sixties asking for a morning-after pill deserves some glorious staring, especially in this country.
“Did you mean this?”
The shopkeeper might ask him, showing him the pill, to confirm he hadn’t heard it wrong.
“Do you have any doubt on what you are selling here?”
Dad would raise his voice then, embarrassing him.
A smile came into Anvita’s lips. Somehow, suddenly, she was feeling excited. A deep feeling of fulfilment that she could not really identify was making her satisfied.
The pharmacist will surely think the old man slept with a young woman he was not supposed to. He will try to make out who could that be. A young servant? A young friend’s wife? A friend’s daughter? A neighbour’s daughter? A cousin’s daughter? Or a daughter-in-law?
As Anvita’s thoughts grew thick, she found them turning senseless. It was insanely stupid, she knew already, but she couldn’t stop pondering over the possibility of the pharmacist doubting his elder customer having a sexual relationship with his daughter-in-law. He would be jealous of dad.
She looked at her own reflection on the large TV. You and dad. She remembered his strong built body that obviously beat his age. The shopkeeper would indeed be jealous if he saw me. Anvita knew.
She remembered an embarrassing old dream she once had in that she and dad were making out on top of a herd of sheep at a bus stop. It was weird, and a stupid, strange dream. Suddenly Anvita felt shy. Stop thinking about it, Anvita.
 
Rajyavardhan returned very soon. He had bought two pills.
“If one didn’t work…”
He explained.
“No. It’s not supposed to be taken twice. I only need one.”
Anvita said.
“I know that, my child. The shopkeeper was looking at me with doubtful eyes. So I demanded one extra, just to piss him. I am sure he must have thought like how lucky is this old man. Idiot fellow!”
He said.
Anvita laughed slightly.
“Wow. You are laughing. So the extra pill worked first. Now don’t waste time. Have it before my son arrives.”
Anvita couldn’t believe how casual he had become now. She sat in front of him and took out the pill. She didn’t look at him until she was ready to put it into the mouth. She took a glass of water from the centre table and looked at him; as if to seek permission. It was silly, though, but Anvita felt thrilled by it. Rajyavardhan nodded slightly and she swallowed it. Her eyes remained at him as she drank water. She felt aroused, suddenly.
She had done a crime and she now had a partner in it.
For a moment, she remembered the night before. She remembered how Prithvi was emptying his balls into her. It was a huge load; an unbelievably huge load of a man’s seed. Will this single pill be sufficient to defend them all? It was a worrisome thought.
However, Anvita was confident now. Because her father-in-law was there, watching her, protecting her. He brought me this pill. It can never fail.
 
Anvita breathed easy after that. She talked normally and laughed honestly. And she was her complete self when Atul arrived.
She gave him a warm embrace that panicked him as he saw dad watching from the hall. He began to push her away but then he noticed a slight smile on his face. Is he smiling? Atul quickly moved to him, unbelievably. He stood there awkwardly. Anvita walked behind him and nudged him.
“Smile at him!”
Atul was not sure, yet.
“Sit down, Atul. What are you staring at?”
Rajyavardhan raised his voice.
“I came to return some cash.”
He picked up his small bag and placed it on the centre table.
“It is eight lakh rupees. You can reduce that loan amount.”
Atul’s eyes widened.
“How? How do you…”
“I got some money, from someone I had helped earlier; he returned it. Take it; I don’t want to be blamed by you later.”
“No, I wouldn’t blame you.”
He blurted.
“Are you saying you don’t want the money?”
Atul blinked.
“Take it before he takes it back, Atul.”
Anvita interrupted, laughingly.
Atul quickly grabbed the bag and walked to the room. Anvita followed him. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to tell him she loved him so much.
Before she could do that, he hugged her back.
“I am so happy, I love you so much, baby. “
He said and kissed her.
She opened her mouth and welcomed him.
“I love… you too, my handsome baby.”
She whispered into his mouth. He pressed his body further into her and she felt his hardness poking into her.
“Hey, what is it!”
She moved away, laughing.
“Dad is here. Control yourself.”
She warned.
 
Rajyavardhan returned soon after.
 
The pill had its aftereffects as Anvita suffered from slight fever. She slept early in the night and she was alright in the morning. She was in the kitchen when Atul put up an idea.
“This cash, 8 lakh, let’s buy a car.”
“Really?”
Anvita was excited.
“You are not repaying the loan?”
“I think we are in need of a car.”
 
Atul phoned her that afternoon.
“We are buying a Belano, dear.”
Anvita was so happy. She shared the good news with her colleagues and Ankita. She felt it’s a good beginning. Something good is happening in her life for a purpose. It is going to erase the memories of the bad things. She was ready to forget a bad chapter in her life. She was moving on, embracing new, good events. Nobody can spoil my life. No one. She was confident.
To brighten up her further, Atul came home and said they are going to get the car soon. The model Atul wanted was readily available.
“In a few days, we’ll be driving our own car.”
He said.
Anvita smiled happily. There are only good times ahead.
 
But destiny had other plans for her.
 
Thursday was a public holiday and Atul was gone out.
The doorbell rang at eleven o’clock. It was George.
“Why do you visit only when Atul is away?”
She joked as she welcomed him.
“Shall I go away then?”
He retorted.
“Oh, no. Don’t do that. Come in. Atul will be here anytime soon.”
George smiled.
“Really?”
There was an odd note in his voice. Anvita led him to the hall.
“What would you like to have? Tea, coffee, or something cool?”
“Anything you choose.”
Anvita began to walk towards the kitchen and then stopped.
“Let me make a call to Atul first. He’ll be surprised to know that you’re here.”
“Yeah, but don’t call him yet,” George said quickly. "Surprise has to be a surprise. It shouldn’t be revealed so easily.”
Anvita smiled.
“Oh come on. I don’t know when he’s going to come back. What if he takes too much time?”
“I can wait. I have a lot of time today.”
“You are certainly in a good mood. I can see that.”
“You read that very well.” George smiled at her. “Where exactly is he gone? You have no idea?”
Anvita shrugged.
“Mmm… I don’t know. But there is a small surprise about that.”
She was thinking about the car purchase.
“Really? What is it?”
“No. I don’t want to tell you. Atul will tell you.”
“Hey, I insist you tell me.”
“No way I am gonna tell you that. And you are going to have lunch us, okay?”
“Stop hiding from me, Anvita.” George squinted. “You have nothing to hide.”
Anvita blinked.
“Excuse me?”
George cleared his throat, his smile fading.
“You heard me, Anvita. You have nothing left to hide from me.”
Anvita was now taking him seriously. More than the words, the strange shade on his face puzzled her.
“What are you saying? I am not getting what exactly…”
“I am saying I know how you fucked that boy that night. It was so good, wasn’t it?”
Even before he concluded his slow pace of words, Anvita's mind had begun assuming an ominous message out of it. But only when he finished his words she realised it was nothing but looming hell.
 
 

---------------------------------------000------------------------------------------

[krish_999]

Chapter 43

Anvita

 

“Why did you did that, Anvita? What a lovely couple you and Atul make. You are far from your first wedding anniversary. And you have betrayed him. Do you realize the graveness of your mistake, Anvita?”
Anvita had come back to the hall and George had made her stand in front of him; facing him. When she looked at him tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I…” She was a loss for words.
“I am sorry.”
That was all she could mumble.
“You know what will happen when Atul know of it?”
His words struck her like lightning.
“George…” Anvita felt the earth under her feet shaking. “Please… I beg you. It was a mistake. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Mistake.” George laughed. “You were moaning like a whore, Anvita! I know how you were asking him to move faster.”
Anvita’s face had turned to stone.
“Please don’t tell him.”
George leaned forward.
“Don’t worry, Anvita,” he assured her. “I won’t tell him. Not a word.”
 Anvita could not believe him for a moment.
“You won’t tell him?”
He nodded.
“But only if you give me a reason to protect your secret.”
“What reason?”
“A favour. We should have our own secret.”
“I don’t understand… what favour?”
He touched her face, caressed her cheek as if to wipe off the tears. She turned her face slightly left, eyes still on him.
“I am going to be very honest with you now, Anvita. You already know I like you very much. I want to have an hour with you, in your bed. Do you agree?”
Anvita’s mind went blank. The earth under her feet was now beginning to skid away.
“No,” Anvita moved back and slipped and felled into the sofa. She didn’t care to stand up. “George… Don’t do this to me. I can beg you please don’t do this to me… Please forgive me… It was a mistake… I am your friend’s wife. You are a friend of my father-in-law… what you are doing is wrong. Please allow me to live my life peacefully.”
“It’s just an hour, Anvita, or maybe less. And it will be done. I will be gone forever. You will be able to relax after that. You have nothing to think.”
Anvita shook her head from side to side, “You are testing me, aren’t you? Why are you doing this to me, George?”
“Because I like you a lot. I want to have you, just once. Just once. I don’t want to do any harm to you.”
Anvita’s head was spinning.
I don’t want to do any harm to you. She had heard that line too many times. Why does this happen to me always?
“I am not gonna ask you again. Neither will I force you. But I can give you time if you want…”
 
Atul’s smiling face flashed in her mind. I am so happy, I love you so much, baby. His cute face was glowing with happiness.
Anvita remembered Rajyavardhan’s words too. I love you too, my child. My son has a life with you. You both must live on. Try to make each other happy. We, your parents will be happy.
Anvita sat with her head down, eyes down to her feet yet seeing nothing. She stared at the floor struggling with her emotions. George was saying something of which not a single word made it into her head. She grabbed on the hand rest of the couch with her trembling hands. She knew her fate hung on her answer. And she knew she was not going to surrender meekly. She thought she knew how to save herself from this trap. She was not going to scream high and kick him out of the room, making a scene, for sure. A number of over-the-top and hypothetically possible ways to stop this man came into her mind. But the will to see Atul’s smiling face outweighed them all. How about killing him? Go to the bedroom with him and while he’s preparing to have her, take a knife and pierce it into his heart. Can you do that?
“I have nothing left to think.”
Anvita spoke up. She did not want to think any further.
“I accept your demand.”
George’s face lit up.
“Well, then, let’s waste no time.”
He began to stand up.
“Wait.”
Anvita rose to her feet. “Let me make my bed first. I need to change the bed sheet. And give me some time; I need to be mentally prepared.”
“Take your own time, dear. But, don’t change this dress. You look really beautiful in it.”
She stared at him, her ears deaf to his compliments.
“But you must promise me this won’t happen twice. If you ever mention it again, even a word or a gesture from you, I won’t think twice before ending my life. It’s not worth living like this.”
“You have my word, Anvita. I am doing this because I am tired of my sleepless nights. Your moaning, your cries; you have left me with no passion for anything else. I am ready to throw away everything for this one moment with you. I won’t ask again. If I mentioned twice, you can tell Leona first. Believe me.”
His assurance failed to solace her. It only helped her realize he was also caught in the trap of lust. Just like me, the other day; the trap which renders anyone helpless.
 
When Anvita finally got up and hobbled into her bedroom, she had decided she wouldn’t let him think of a second time. I’ve come this far. It won’t take much to end one life after this. She hoped.
She slowly pulled the bed sheet off the bed and laid another one. She was preparing her to face her fate. She was done with blackmailing.  Rajat had tried enough of that already to her. And she was done with defying it. She had no strength left in her to fight this one. And she had nothing to negotiate with George. She was trapped and she hoped it was just a nightmare. It’s not happening, Anvita. It’s just a nightmare. It will be reversed when you wake up. Someone told her from inside. You’ll endure it. You’ll live this nightmare.
A few days ago she was in this same bed with someone else. Now, another one.
What difference will it make? I am not loyal to Atul anymore. I am not a good wife. I deserve to be punished. Dad had promised her that he wouldn’t let her land in hell. But he has no idea how that hell is coming for me.
 
When she was ready, finally, she cleared her throat.
“George…”
George was waiting for her impatiently. He quickly walked in and smiled at her.
“Relax, Anvita.”
He closed the door and walked over to her. She just stood there like a stone. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer.
“You won’t believe me, I had dreamt of this moment when I saw you first time with Atul. I thought it was just a dream like any other one. I never thought it would ever become a reality.”
He leaned to her and kissed on her mouth. He held nothing back and sucked her lips all the way. It took Anvita just a second to realize how much he was longing for this. His lips were strong and hard, and he was sucking as if to bleed her soft lips. His one hand reached down to squeeze her ass cheeks while the other hand crawled up to her chest to fondle her roughly. Her heart was pounding hard and she could only weep silently in response to this sudden assault.
“Come on Anvita.” George’s voice rose. “It’s no time to cry. You don’t have to cry.”
He forcefully turned her around.
“You make my heart stop, Anvita. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to feel these…”
He ran his hand over her back from the neck to the centre of the hip. He gripped her shoulder with his left hand and slapped playfully over her ass cheeks with the other. He moved forward and pressed his body to her. She felt his hardness already poking behind her.
“Do you feel how hard I am already?”
He whispered in her ears. His hands encircled her from either side and Anvita closed her eyes in despair as he touched her breasts. His lips were at the back of her neck. He breathed in as if to inhale her skin odour. Anvita closed her eyes forcefully as if never wanting to open them again. Helplessness had given way to hatred.
It will be over soon. She was trying to make her believe.
George’s lips behind her ear felt like a nasty worm creeping along her skin. She wanted to shake it off her, and she wanted to crush it under her feet when it fell down on the floor. But…
“Anvita.”
George took a long, deep breath and then moved away. Anvita turned her head to have a quick look filled with a sudden ray of hope, only to see him taking off his shirt. She immediately turned her face away.
No.
She soon heard him dropping his pants down and kicking it aside. A moment later, he tapped her shoulder.
“Look at me Anvita.”
She turned, and he was there, completely nude. His strong body with a thick mix of black and grey hair on his chest looked like a monster to her. If that wasn’t enough, the next moment she saw what he was actually intending to show her. It was his dick that was hard and erect, sticking out of thick growth of hair at its base. It stood almost parallel to the ground as if to challenge her. Anvita felt like fainting. She quickly averted her eyes off him.
George handed her a small sachet.
“Put it on me, Anvita. Please.”
“No, George.”
Anvita could barely speak.
“Do it quickly, Anvita.”
George urged again.
Anvita’s fingers trembled as she tore the packet open and took out the slippery rubber. George stepped forward. His penis twitched when she touched it. She put the rolled rim at its bulgy head and slowly undid the roll. It was difficult, and she ended up wrapping her fingers around him while doing it. He merely stood there and watched her, living the pleasure of being touched by her.
“Had he used it?”
He asked when she was done. She saw his smirk and her eyes sank to the ground. She said nothing. He was referring to Prithvi.
“He hadn’t; I know,” George added.
“It was an accident.”
Anvita blurted out. Does it really matter now?
George held around her and led her to the bed where she had been unfaithful to her husband a few days ago.
“Don’t lie down. I’ll do it from behind.”
He said.
Whatever. Anvita thought and climbed to the bed.
A moment later she was bending forward, on her four limbs. George ran his hand over her back and caressed softly around her ass cheeks.
“I’ve seen a hundred dreams of this moment and I haven’t slept since that night.”
He pulled up her skirt and put it over her. Anvita felt the air in her room had never been cold like this and she started to shiver. He spent a moment to watch her and then pulled her panty down. Anvita felt cold at her inner thighs and beyond. Her heart was pounding hard. Her throat was dry.
At any moment.
George picked up his pants and took out something from its pocket. He knelt behind her and Anvita felt his fingers at her ass crack. Then he poured something in there; something oily.
What is he doing?
Next instant she felt his finger sticking into her hole.
“What are you…!”
Anvita panicked. He patted on her ass cheek lightly.
“Relax. It won’t hurt.”
Before she could think any further, he placed his bulbous head into her ass hole and pushed it in. Anvita cried. It hurt and she cried hard.
“Relax, Anvita. It’s alright.”
George assured her.
Oh, God!
Anvita felt like a hard rod being shoved inside her. His first push itself made her struggle to stay on her limps. Her face dropped to the bed and George held her hip by both hands and rammed again.
“Just a second...!”
The pain was excruciating and Anvita cried. She began to throw her hand to her back in order to stop him from going in further but then she put that hand to her mouth to silence herself, as his dick began to pierce her tight hole. She now knew how the hell was coming down to her. It was painful and humiliating.
It was just the beginning. George pulled back and rammed again; and again. With each of his push the liquid felt to have seeped inside and with each push, she felt his dick penetrating her further; until that moment when she felt she could not take it any further, and she growled.
“Enough, please!”
George paused and caressed around her waist as if to soothe her.
“Easy, Anvita. It’s going to be okay.”
No words would calm down her now. A moment later George was pouring more oil and then he was pushing it again. Anvita gasped for air.
He paused only when he felt satisfied invading her body, and he bent forward to feel her breasts over her dress. He unzipped her frock from the back and slid it off her shoulder along with her bra laces, and brought his hands under her body to free her breasts. He cupped his palms under each of her dangling boobs and squeezed them together.
Anvita was not feeling what he was doing with his hands for she was already dreading the pain his dick was going to give her. She knew it was just the beginning.
And very soon, George brought his hands back to her waist and rammed into her again.
“Aaah!”
Anvita let out a cry and it failed to make it into his already deaf ears as she sank her face further into the bed. Having penetrated her fully, George gripped her waist with his strong arms and started pounding her harder. Soon he was fucking her ass as a man possessed. He was a madman, living his longtime dream.
For Anvita it took time to believe she’s enduring it. The pain lessened with time as George poured a little more lube oil, but the shock of being subjected to this madness drained all the strength out of her. She felt her stomach upside down. Her face was buried in the bed with her hair tousled around, and with his incessant ramming, her body too went down. He cared for nothing and pounded hard into her until he let out a loud groan. He fell over her and panted.
“Oh my… oh my… that’s great…aaah…”
He groaned.
Is it over?
George pulled out of her and quickly removed his condom. Anvita gathered all the strength and sat up, breathing heavily.
“It was so good, Anvita. Thank you so much.”
George squeezed on her shoulder. Anvita threw a helpless look at him. He slowly pushed her to the bed.
“Relax. Just relax. You’ll be alright.”
Anvita was laid on her back and he settled between her split legs.
Anvita knew it was far from over.
George bent down and looked between her legs.
“You have the most beautiful lips I’ve ever seen.”
He was ecstatic. Anvita could only watch as his face dropped down quickly. His lips pressed into her and he hurriedly began to lick her. Anvita stared at the ceiling and just lay lifelessly. He sucked from her pussy lips and darted his tongue into her hole. For a moment Anvita felt it soothing. The pain was now coming down. George had a skilful tongue. It danced in and around her sensuousness and Anvita was left with nothing but an annoying sense of pleasure. She cried aloud in order to make her believe it’s still painful for her.
Oh, God! Why isn’t it hurting now?
Anvita clung to a pillow and twisted around in bed.
“Stop it… George. Please.”
She blurted out.
George was not listening. Her cries and denials were catalysts for him. He ate her with more intent. He split open her hole with his fingers and shoved his tongue into her. Anvita cried louder, trying to repress the growing comfort. Soon she felt her body becoming light and watery, and she let out a hoarse cry, a groan in the end.
“Wonderful, Anvita.”
George got up and quickly wore another condom. Anvita wanted to die.
This is not going to end. She felt.
George turned her again and pushed his dick into her anal hole that was still recovering from the recent assault and Anvita cried with real pain. George rammed hard into her and stuffed his pole deep into her hole.
“Just hold there… dear… aaah…!”
His phone rang, and he paused.
“One second, dear.”
He pulled out slowly and picked up his phone. Anvita panted and swallowed. She didn’t know when this ceaselessly rough torture would end.
“It’s your dear hubby, see?” George showed the phone to her. Atul was the caller. Anvita’s heart sank, and she was beginning to cry. More than the pain of her ass torn open, she was crying in his memory.
“Wanna talk to him, dear?”
George sat on the bed and she moved away an inch in repulsion. It ached behind her as she moved and pressed her seat on the bed.
“Then please keep silence. Let me talk to your hubby.” He said and attended the call.
“I am so sorry, Atul. I am the most horrible host you’ll ever have, I concede.”
Anvita couldn’t hear from the other side.
“I am almost halfway with the task. It’s the only chance I have. It’s an opportunity I’ve been seeking for so long. Don’t be bored, please feel yourself home.”
Anvita doubted if he was trying to convey the truth in an indirect way. The grin that was stuck with his lips was a testimony that he was having fun while talking to a betrayed husband and a friend of himself.
“Thank you for understanding me, Atul. You know you’ll never know how tough it is to have fun with these types of unexpected tasks.”
He laughed a little and cut the phone call and turned to Anvita.
“You know, I lied to him for you. I lied to him that it’s tough. Don’t be sad. It is not tough. It is smooth and I love it, honey.”
He turned her around and knelt behind her once again. A few seconds later, Anvita again lived the pain of his merciless meat piercing behind her. She buried her face again into the bed in an attempt to suppress the pain. If there was something out of all his actions that made her feel narrowly better, it was actually that she didn’t have to face him while he pleasured using her body at his will. George kept grunting and pounded hard and pushed her further down to the bed. Then he let out a groan, louder this time.
“Oh… yes…! Yes… aaah… aaah….”
He allowed himself to unload it all and he held it inside her for five long seconds, living the heavenly moments. When he pulled out, the rubber was hanging with more weight than earlier. He was satisfied.
“Oooh…. Look at this. I’ve never come this hard, baby.”
He pulled it out of him and wiped his dick clean with her clothes.
“I didn’t mean to mess up with your marriage, Anvita. And this is what I ever wanted to do with you.”
He said. Anvita didn’t bother to look up; in fact, she was completely exhausted, her body still shivering from the horrendous torture.
He pulled her up and smooched her again, long and intense. She held her face still, allowing him to suck her lips as he liked. He smiled at her and slowly patted on her cheek in the end.
She had behaved well.
 
When George was gone, Anvita stood in the shower, allowing the cold water flow all over her nude body, hoping it would help her heal.
It’s over. The punishment is over. She told herself. A sense of indifference had crept in her. Nothing in this world could hurt her anymore.
You are punished rightly. You are not a sinner any more.
 
 

---------------------------------000--------------------------------

[krish_999]

...Irony is such humiliation on women's day lol...

I have read all the criticism written by many readers here but I am not replying to any of them because I am confident of winning them back. Every event is happening exactly as I have planned long ago. If there's one thing that actually worries me, that's the fact I have still not recovered my writing flow even after three chapters. The part which involved the communication between Anvita and her FIL was actually written a few weeks ago.

Now coming to the above-quoted line from your comment; it definitely made me stop and rethink my action. At first, I felt yes, it's such an irony that this painful episode came on International Women's Day. Then I thought (for my own comfort) that the Women's day was yesterday. Your particular line made me sit and think, to be honest.
The fact is that I have never thought Anvita as a perfect woman. Neither she is a whore. She is just a woman. 'Just' doesn't mean 'weak'. I'd like to say Atul/George is 'just' a man. Like Rajyavardhan told her, to err is human. And what makes a woman/man strong is the will to undo/deal with that error. The so-called woman's day doesn't guarantee safety to any woman on earth, does it? Everyone, whether it's man or woman, lives with the possibility to fail and fall. But what makes one different from the pack is the will to get up and win.

I am not saying Anvita is the woman with that will. I am saying that this error might not be enough to write her off. This error might not be enough to write off any woman. Any error might not be enough to write off anyone. Because, in the end, what matters is what a particular mistake did to them.

Thank you for making me log in back and write a few lines here. You made me think about something I wouldn't otherwise have.
Thank you for all others too, for reading and commenting. I welcome negative and positive comments alike because they make me help improve myself. That's actually one of the great things about Xossipy: you get what your readers think about your story, almost immediately.

Krish.

[krish_999]

...My comment on women's day was mostly for pun , Please don't read too much into it. We all know none are safe if its Women's day or not...

Well, my comment was mostly based on the woman's day line. Please take it easy.
Otherwise I don't comment on the plot.

[krish_999]

Chapter 44

Atul

 

Radhika returned only in the morning. She looked pleasant. Atul could not believe this girl was so nerdy last night. He was looking for signs, and he was staring at her.

“What are you looking at?”

“Where were you last night?”

“You don’t know?”

“Varun had called me and he was really pissed off. He said if something happens to you, then he won’t spare Anvita too.”

Radhika stared at him and then laughed.

“He said that?”

“Not the same wording but I got his point. It was that.”

“And what did you say where I was?”

“I told him the truth. I don’t know.”

“You didn’t know I was with your boss?”

“He’s not my boss.”

“But you knew I was with him, didn’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t sure. You’re unpredictable.”

Radhika smiled.

“So you don’t think I was with him.” Her eyes bulged. “You have a heart of gold, I can say.”

“But you were very bad to call him and tell him that you were with me.”

“Don’t worry; I will never tell anyone anything that jeopardizes you. And I am sorry I misbehaved.”

“I am sorry too.”

Radhika smiled fondly and hugged him. He hugged her back. He felt good. It was a friendly hug, finally.

“So how did the night go?”

He asked later.

“I know what you are implying, smartie!”

“Good. Then tell me.”

“I am not telling you anything because it’s not your concern.”

Atul didn’t bother to ask again. He knew she wouldn’t tell him.

Radhika collected her bag from the bedroom.

“Where are my clothes?”

She asked.

“In the bathroom,” Atul said. “I was angry when I saw it in the bed. I threw it in the bathroom.”

Atul had put them in a bucket. He had cleaned his cum stains off it.

Radhika smiled.

“You are unbelievable. I thought you’d at least have some respect for my clothes.”

Atul laughed.

Respect!

Yeah, I paid a lot of respect and it was spilt on the floor. He thought.

 

Radhika packed her wet clothes in her bag and left soon.

 

Nikunj phoned him.

“Atul, let’s do breakfast with him. I think it’s better than a crowded lunch.”

Atul was very happy. He got ready and picked up Nikunj from the hotel in an hour.

Atul asked about Radhika.

“She’s a fantastic girl, Atul. I’m so glad that we met. Otherwise, I doubt my life would have been so wonderful.”

He was genuinely impressed by Radhika. He praised her a lot, but he never told Atul what he exactly wanted to know.

 

Pawan Mehta was a handsome man in his fifties. His spectacles helped him cut his age a few years but the maturity he carried with his movements reversed it. He introduced his friend to Nikunj and Atul. Her name was Nida Mahmood.  She wore shrugs over a sweatshirt and looked a little plumb with a nose ring and no makeup at all. She looked very attractive, especially the way she had done away with any kind of makeup caught Atul’s attention. He didn’t fall for it though, as he quickly turned his attention to his main target, Mr Pawan himself.

Atul did not intend to spoil the morning vibes with a technically heavy presentation. He rather spoke lightly about the facts he thought would bring a change in the relationship between the firms. Nikunj was sitting silent and he smiled at his associate when Atul finished.

“I told you what this young man has.”

“Right. You are right.”

Pawan Mehta nodded.

Nikunj had pulled the right string. Atul wondered if it was his presentation or the present that worked better.

 

“You must send us a communication. The door is open, gentleman.”

Pawan Mehta shook Atul’s hand before they parted.

Atul thanked Nikunj.

“I am so glad that we met, Nikunj. This is wonderful.”

Nikunj shook hands with him.

“Believe me, young man. We are destined to do a lot of good things. Together.”

 

-----        -----        -----        -----       

 

It was like life was changed overnight when he was back at home. He was welcomed by his dad with a bag of cash.

“I came to return some money. I don’t want you to blame me later.”

Atul looked at Anvita in surprise.

More than the cash it was the fond smile what caught his eyes. It was rare and it was going to make him smile a lot in the future.

Finally, someone is ready to acknowledge him.

Atul didn’t want to repay the loan with that cash and erase that rare smile. He wanted to cherish the memorable gesture for a long time.

“Let’s buy a car with this money.”

He told Anvita.

 

Next day he went to meet Pradeep at his showroom. Prithvi was there. He looked nervous.

Atul knew exactly what the boy was worried about.

“Just chill, Prithvi. We both know what happened. I am sorry I played a prank on you.”

Prithvi’s face paled even further. Atul patted on his shoulder.

“I can understand why you are so nervous. It’s okay because I never took it seriously.”

Prithvi looked stunned. “Are you sure?” He hesitated.

Atul shook his head. “I know I should have told you the truth when I learned the woman you had mentioned was actually my wife. Instead, I chose to have a little fun with you. I didn’t tell you that I was married. I am sorry about that. How did you find out she’s my wife, by the way?”

“She…she had told me.” Prithvi stammered. “In the very beginning when I saw you together. But I didn’t believe her. There was a misunderstanding. I believed she was married to someone else and I thought she was trying to fool me. Later I realized she was right.”

“How?”

“Last time when I saw you, you were wearing a shirt that I was familiar with. It was a gift from her, and I had seen her shopping it.”

“Is that it?”

“Yeah, it was like, oh, what a stupid I was. I should have believed her when she told me this in the beginning. There was a lot of confusion on my part, and in fact, I felt bad for not taking her seriously. If that’s not enough, it was even more idiotic what I did after that. I am sorry I fell in love with your wife. I have a lot of friends but I found none to confess it other than you.”

Atul shook his hand in the end.

“Leave it. I came to tell you something else. I am buying a car. Like I had promised, I am buying it from your shop.”

Prithvi took him to the office. His dad, Pradeep got up from the chair and greeted Atul.

“Hi, Atul! My friend, how are you? Prithvi has told you about his brother’s marriage, hasn’t he? You must come with your family. We have planned great programs on the eve.”

Atul accepted his invitation happily.

Pradeep promised the delivery of the car in a week. Atul phoned Anvita.

“We are buying a Belano, dear.”

 

Prithvi followed him up to the road.

“How’s Anvita?”

“She is fine. You are not in touch with her?”

Prithvi coughed.

“No.”

Atul smiled earnestly.

“Visit us when you find the time. Anvita will be happy to see you after so long.”

Prithvi nodded.

“This Sunday is okay? How about lunch?”

“Sunday? Yeah, okay. Fine.”

Atul shook his hands and walked away.

 

-----        -----        -----        -----

 

Wednesday, Shreyas was excited to greet Atul.

“You’ve made it, Atul. They’ve replied. We’re off their blacklist.”

He was ecstatic. “It’s just fantastic. I don’t know how to celebrate this news. Come to my cabin Atul, let’s talk.”

He guided him to the chair in his cabin. “I want you to oversee all the communication with them. This project is huge. I want you to assume whatever liberty you want to have. Take anyone in my office for granted. Make them run. I’ll still be indebted to you.”

Shreyas went on.

“I don’t want everyone. I just need you to send a photographer to our warehouse. I need some photos that don’t look like an advertisement; you know the real looking ones.”

Atul was convinced that being simple in the approach is the way forward with the new client.

Shreyas was too happy to comply. Next morning when Atul reached the warehouse the photographer was waiting for him. It was a holiday and Atul got his photos without any fuss.

 

While returning, he was walking into the metro station when George spotted him. Atul was happy to see him. He thought of George as a man who saved him from a stressful event.

“Leona is coming to pick me up. Why don’t you come with me? Let’s have lunch at my home.”

George invited him. Atul agreed instantly.

“Why not!”

George’s flat wasn’t far away from there.

Leona drove in very soon. She waved at Atul.

“Hello boy!”

Atul grinned.

“Choose your words wisely, lady. Show some respect when you greet men!”

“Oh, you’ll complain to your wife? Is that what you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna make her call you aunty.”

“Holy cow! Please, I beg you, don’t remind me of that.”

Leona laughed.

“She called you an uncle, do you remember, George?”

“Eh..what?”

George seemed to be lost in thought.

After the quick banter got in the car and barely moved when George got a phone call.

“What? Now? You mean now?”

He shook his head and turned to Leona.

“Stop the car, Leona.”

“What happened?”

“I need to get down here.  Atul, I’ll be back soon. You go with Leona and I’ll join you before lunch.”

“What happened?”

“Urgent issue. Can’t avoid, sorry.”

“Come on George, it is okay. We’ll wait for you.”

Atul assured.

“I’ll be there soon, and we’ll have lunch together.”

George promised and stepped out of the car.

“Leona, take good care of him, dear.”

He reminded his wife before walking back.

Atul shifted to the front seat. Fifty minutes later, he was stepping inside Leona’s flat. It was nothing like Atul remembered from his last visit. Newspapers, magazines, clothes, glasses, snacks plates, and everything collectively seemed to contribute to the mess.

“I’m sorry, Atul. This is an unexpected visit. The whole house needs rescue.”

Leona hurried to the hall and picked up piled up clothes. She grabbed the newspapers and magazines. Moved chairs back into its place.

“It’s okay. I have no problem with a little disorder. All you need to do is ignore when I make fun of you later.”

Atul said.

“Yeah, that’s exactly I’m worried about.”

Leona stopped only after she felt content with her efforts. Later she prepared him some drinks and they settled on the couch in the hall.

Leona removed her shrugs before sitting with him. Atul looked away quickly, but not before he saw her perfectly shaped soft melons. Her tight t-shirt only helped them look better.

Leona smiled.

“Show some respect. I am taking off my clothes and you are looking away.”

Atul laughed.

“I’m sorry, senior.”

He widened his eyes and pretended to stare at her boobs. Leona was perfectly comfortable with his tease.

 

George did not return even after one hour. Leona had got busy in cooking. Atul watched TV and then he phoned him.

“I am so sorry, Atul. I am the most horrible host you’ll ever have, I concede.”

George apologised immediately.

“We are gonna have start lunch here. What’s your stat? Shall we wait or not?”

“I am almost halfway with the task. It’s the only chance I have. It’s an opportunity I’ve been seeking for so long. Don’t be bored, please feel yourself home.”

“I am not bored at all, friend. Relax. I’m alright here.

“Thank you for understanding me, Atul. You know you’ll never know how tough it is to have fun with these types of unexpected tasks.”

Leona was smiling at Atul when he put down the phone.

“What did he say? Is he coming?”

“He said he’ll take some time. So he asked me to have fun with you until then.”

Atul joked and regretted immediately.

“He asked you that? Wow! This is why I love my husband so much.”

“But you are too busy in the kitchen. What fun are you offering me?”

“Come here. I’ll show you what’s in the offer.”

“No. I’m alright here.”

However, Leona meant her words. She grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen. She was almost done with her cooking. She took some gravy from the steaming dish and offered him to taste.

It was delicious.

“How’s it?”

“Just like you. Hot and delicious.”

Leona’s eyes grew wide.

“Wow!”

She turned and kissed on his cheek before he could move away.

“Stop taking advantage of me, senior.”

He warned.

“You heard what George asked me.”

“What?”

“He wanted me to take good care of you.”

“He’ll go insane if he knew how you interpret his words. He has no idea how clever is his wife.”

“He won’t mind if I had a little fun with you here.”

Atul was stunned.

“Do you really have any idea what you are talking?”

“We aren’t newly married like you. We can afford a little fun.”

Atul forced a smile.

“We aren’t newly married. We are only two and a half months from our first anniversary. But I know no one can afford such little fun.”

He blurted out while he returned to the hall.

 

Leona followed him when she finished cooking. She sat on the couch with him, very close. Atul's mind grew nervous. Not because she was getting closer but he was sensing a hard-on.

Leona took his hand.

“Honestly, I never thought I’ll ever have a chance to sit with you like this and talk.”

“You are intimidating me. I have a feeling that you have something in your mind.” Atul said. “I really don’t want to cheat on Anvita.”

Leona laughed aloud.

Atul was perplexed at her reaction but he couldn’t look away from her face. Her eyes had an alluring charm that told him how excited she was at the moment.

“Who is making you cheat on her? I have no plan to lure you to my bed. Do you have any such plans?”

“If we go by the momentum, I fear we’ll be in there.”

“You fear. I like how you put it. Like you are kind of helpless.”

“I’ve been in situations like this many times before…it’s life. And only I know how lucky I was to save myself from that. But I don’t think I’ll be able to do so every time.”

“Really? Then we are perfectly matched. I like to be in that situation. That’s fun.”

“How exactly?”

“Like this…”

She leaned to him and kissed him. Atul moved back a little, but he couldn’t help much as he felt her lips on his. He kissed her back. She leaned further, pressing her body to him. He opened his mouth and she pushed her lips in and he sucked them together. She brought his hand to her breasts and he, as if he was just waiting for it, began to caress her. Leona let out a soft moan into his mouth.

They were making out.

Atul was going to pull up her T-shirt and dive into the softness he was fondling until then, and then he suddenly sat up as though awake from a dream.

“No… No, Leona.”

He panted.

Leona looked at him with a sense of admiration.

“You are really a good kisser.”

Atul shook his head.

“This is exactly where I don’t want to be.”

He began to get up. Leona gripped at his wrist.

“What happened?”

Atul stared at her.

“What not happened? “

“We were just kissing.”

“Just kissing? You mean just kissing? I don’t understand you, Leona.”

“I told you. We won’t do anything serious.”

“What do you mean by that? Doesn’t this make you regret later?”

Leona glared at him.

“Leona, I told you. I often find many get confused around me. What makes it even worse is that they all are as close to Anvita as they are to me. Like you. You know how much we love each other but you still want me to cheat on her.”

Leona shook her head.

“No. it’s not like that. I don’t know about others but I am not doing anything that’d risk your life.”

“Then what were we doing just a moment ago?”

“Please don’t get me wrong Atul. But I like the feeling to be held in arms. George is a bad lover. Never mind, I am not comparing you to him. Neither I am dissatisfied of him. I am merely saying why I like you. I know how much you love Anvita. We talk regularly, over phone…”

“That’s what puzzling me, Leona.”

Atul interrupted.

“I know you will never push me to bed and take advantage of the situation.”

“This is exactly what I don’t understand. You are ready to kiss me and…and…and if you stop before the final barrier and you think you haven’t done anything. Is that really right thing to do?”

Leona laughed.

“What’s wrong in having a little fun? A little hide and seek? It’s fun.”

“But it is also cheating, isn’t it?”

“Everyone does cheating in their life.”

Leona took a deep breath. “If I tell you about George, he cheats his customers. He sells old stocks with new tags. He cheats his customers. My milkman, I know he’s adding a little water into the milk. He cheats his customers.”

“Come on.” Atul laughed. “They are not doing it with their dear ones.”

“What does make one dear and another one not? George shakes hands with his customer after selling the old collection. The milkman puts on a brotherly smile when he delivers the milk at our doorstep. How do you differentiate this from that?”

Atul shook his head.

“No. you are finding loopholes in other’s lives but that doesn’t undo your actions. You have to be faithful to your spouse. That’s your responsibility.”

“I am not diverting your attention to other’s way of life. You see, suppose I am travelling on the metro and I spot a handsome guy and I suddenly feel attracted to him. There are some aspects in him that draw me to him. We don’t know each other and I am not looking for an adventure but I am excited to see him, I am aroused simply because he exists in my world. I am enjoying that feeling. For a very short duration, I have fallen for his charm. I am helpless. And then I go home. I would forget him in a couple of days. What do you expect me to do now? Prove your loyalty and tell George about it? Tell him that I saw this stranger and I was sexually attracted to him? No, the logical answer is no. I believe everyone is like that. Maybe we are married and we have a happy life, social life, everything. But we have to have our little secrets. The milkman is never going to accept he’s adding water.”

“You can’t compare this to that. He’s doing it for a living.”

“And George? He has made this much wealth. Now he can stop. Do you think he’ll ever stop? No. Nobody stops cheating. Everybody does it, while some look at it a bit differently.”

“So you are perfectly okay with this…”

“That’s the actual point where it makes a difference. I said a little bit. A little water. Some old stock. No one can forgive or ignore if the line crosses by a big margin. I don’t think George is thinking only about me. It’s okay for me. But if I learn that he is having an affair with one of our staff, then I can’t forgive him. There’s a line. That line is important. You should keep that in mind.”

Atul stared at her for long.

 

So here’s a woman, he thought, who thinks it’s okay to play with fire as long as it doesn’t burn one’s hand. He remembered Radhika. She wanted to play with fire and leave a burn mark as proof to make a statement to her unfaithful boyfriend. Then there’s Ridhima who had every reason to be unfaithful.  She hadn’t had sex for years, she wanted to have it and she was closest to it. However, she still chose to value their friendship over lust.

The memory of Ridhima had brought a smile to Atul’s face.

 

“It’s also about safety.” Leona went on. “You know last year, we had visited the Taj Mahal. It was the weekend and the crowd was huge. We were stuck in the crowd and then, then I felt someone touching me. George was two feet away from me, and this man behind me was trying to touch me. I could have stopped him but I didn’t. Instead, I chose to enjoy it. He groped my ass and fondled everywhere, but I was like, it’s okay. I really felt good, to be honest. A total stranger.  I don’t know that guy. If I knew anything of him, it was that he was not going to do anything dangerous to me. I enjoy that moment. Even in our shops, when I am alone, our staffs ogle at me. I know they are dreaming about me. And I give them enough to dream.”

Atul sat staring at her for long and nodded.

“Yeah, I got it. We know sugar is bad for our health. But we still use it because we like the taste and we think it won’t make us ill overnight.”

 

A little fun is not that bad. Atul was never gonna believe her theory no matter how much she talked.

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. Maybe her husband sucked in bed.

He forwarded his arms to her.

“Come; let me have a little fun with you. But I won’t make you surrender to me.”

Leona laughed.

She hugged him and he hugged her back.

“I like the way you hold me.”

She said.

“George doesn’t hold you like this?”

“Hm…hmmm!”

“Then what does he do?”

“You wanna know, really?”

She parted and looked at his eyes.

“Tell me a few of your secrets.”

“He’s a bit rough. He doesn’t believe in hugging and kissing. He’s like an animal sometimes. Only in bed, though.”

“What does an animal do in bed?”

“Animals prefer to mate from behind. He’s a bit unnatural.”

“You mean…”

He eyed down at her.

“Exactly. That’s his favourite. The secret is that his first wife Rose Mary had divorced him because of his crush for such things.”

Atul was stunned.

“What about you?”

“I like it.”

She smiled innocently.

“Lucky him.”

“What about you.”

“What do you think?”

“No, I don’t think so. You are like my first husband.  I still remember him how lovely he was in bed. He would kiss me everywhere and I loved it.”

“Then why did you get separate?”

“Other reasons; we were not compatible socially. His family had no value for me.”

 

Their chat went on. Atul was careful enough to keep it within the safe zone this time.

However, when George finally showed up, Atul couldn’t help but felt a pang of guilt. He ate lunch with the man, trying not to remember the warm taste of his wife’s lips.

 

When he reached home, he found Anvita gloomy. She was in bed.

“What happened?”

He sat on the bed and asked.

“I don’t know. Feels like a fever.”

She sounded tired.

“But don’t worry. I’ve taken PCM.”

She was alright by morning. When Atul got to wake up, Anvita was getting ready to go to the park for her morning jog.

 

He was still in bed when his phone rang. It was his dad. He sat up instantly.

Atul’s grandma had fallen ill. Dad wanted Atul to come and stay with him for a week. Atul wanted to obey him but his work schedule was tight. When he expressed this, dad was instantly annoyed.

“If you do not have time for your own family, then leave you stupid job and come back here. I will give you a job at my dairy farm!”

Dad barked at him and cut the phone call. Atul knew he had messed it up again. He knew the conversation was far from over.

When Anvita learned of the situation, she was ready to help.

“I can take a week’s leave. I will go if you want.”

Atul stared at her.

“Are you sure you’ll manage alone there?”

“I won’t be alone. Mom is also there. Dad is also there.”

Atul was amazed by her confidant.

 

Anvita took five days of leave from the office and left for his hometown.

“Don’t worry. I will be alright there, baby.”

Anvita said when he sat her on the Volvo bus.

“I know you will be.” Atul smiled. “It’s me I am really worried about.”

Anvita pulled him closer and landed a light kiss on his lips without being noticed by co-passengers.

“I will miss you.”

 

Saturday Atul had a visitor. He was making coffee in the morning when the doorbell rang. He was surprised to see Neeti at the door with a bowl of sweets.

“What a surprise, Neeti. No morning can be sweeter than this.”

He smiled.

“When is Anvita coming back?”

“Weekend, hopefully.”

“So, how are you managing? Do you cook?”

“I am trying. Come, try my coffee!”

Atul invited her and to his surprise, she accepted it.

“Okay. Let me see how your coffee is.”

They sat on the couch and talked. He asked about Mohit.

“Out of town.”

She said.

Rajat was home the previous night, Atul remembered suddenly and he took a close look at Neeti. She noticed it.

“No.”

She shook her head blankly.

Atul blinked. “Excuse me?”

Neeti smirked.

“I mean, I didn’t do that.”

“You didn’t do what?”

“I was alone last night.”

For a moment, Atul was at loss for words. Then he shook his head.

“Okay. I am not pretending. I am happy for what you said.”

“I have been thinking about stopping to see him. I think I have moved on, now.”

“You did? That’s good.”

Atul said quickly. Neeti looked at him in the eyes. He felt she had something to tell him. However, she said nothing.

When the coffee was over, she got up.

“Leave the cup. I’ll take care of it.”

Atul said courteously.

She, however, took both the cups to the kitchen and washed it.

“What are you having for the breakfast?”

She asked, studying the kitchen.

“Still thinking…maybe outside.”

Atul said honestly.

“May I help you?”

“Thanks. But no, I will take care…”

“You have bread here. Shall I make a sandwich for you?”

“Come on, Neeti. I’ll find something.”

Neeti did not wait for his nod. She grabbed the bread packet and began to work. Atul watched her moving swiftly around. She looked at him a couple of times and smiled at him. As she faced away from him, his eyes involuntarily fell at her back. Her plump yet curvy back caught his attention. Her ponytail hair had left a lot of her shoulder skin for him to stare at. He tried hard to look away.

Apparently, Neeti had quick hands. She made four pieces of sandwich and they had breakfast on the dining table.

“This definitely is one of the most surprising breakfasts I’ve ever had.”

Atul said pleasantly.

“Me too.”

She smiled at him.

“Shall I make you dinner too?”

She asked him before she began to leave, later. Atul politely refused the offer.

 

Anvita phoned. Grandma was doing well. In fact, she was so happy to see Anvita that she believed seeing her itself cured her.

“How is Dad?”

Atul asked.

“He’s fine. He’s happy you sent me.”

“I sent you? It was your choice, Anvi. I am so happy to have you, baby.”

Atul said happily.

 

Neeti visited again, on Monday. Atul had just returned from work when she knocked at the door. She quickly walked in and closed the door.

“I’ve come to seek your help.”

She spoke surreptitiously. Atul stared at her for a moment.

“Ask me.”

“I made a mistake. Yesterday.”

“What mistake?”

She began to say something and paused for a moment.

“Are you drunk?”

“I had dinner at a bar.”

Atul said.

“Okay. It’s no problem. I want you to help me come to Rajat’s apartment. I’ve dropped something is there. I want that back.”

In a second, everything was clear like water.

She dropped something is Rajat’s apartment. For that, she had to have gone there first. There could be only one reason.

“Oh, you stopped seeing him, right?”

He asked scornfully. Neeti’s face was down.

“I…I am sorry.”

“You don’t need you to say that to me. You better…”

“Mohit disappoints me every time. What else I am supposed to do? I am not strong enough.”

Her voice was weak. Atul glared at her again.

“Okay. What did you drop in there? Your dignity?”

“My wedding ring, actually. I had removed it and kept it on his bedside table. I forgot about it. Mohit will be back tomorrow and he’ll notice.”

“He’ll notice just that?”

He laughed lightly. Neeti ignored his sarcasm.

“Will you help me? You know his lock code, don’t you?”

“I can tell you that.”

“No. I am scared to go in there alone.”

“Have you told Rajat?”

“No. Don’t make it complicated, Atul. Let’s do it quickly, please.”

Atul thought a moment and decided to help her.

“Okay. Let’s sneak into your boyfriend’s apartment.”

He walked out with her and opened Rajat’s apartment door. Neeti stopped him from switching on the light.

“What if someone notices the light?”

She doubted.

Atul had left his mobile phone in his apartment. Without any source of light, there was just darkness when the front door was shut. They could not even see each other.

“Oh my God.”

Neeti grabbed his hand quickly.

“Why are you so scared? You’ve come here many times, haven’t you?”

He asked as her grip became firmer.

“I am scared of darkness.”

Her voice was very near, and Atul thought he felt her breath on his neck. He could feel her smell. He felt his heartbeats beginning to pick up.

“I think I better go back and get my phone.”

“Please, don’t go. What if someone spots you?”

She had a point, Atul thought.

“Which room?”

He asked.

“That room.”

She pointed to the room and Atul had no idea.

“Don’t show me, Neeti. Tell me which one is…”

“S...sorry.  The one on the right.”

They slowly moved forward. Atul wasn’t sure where the sofa was.

“This is quite unnecessary. I should go back and bring my mobile phone. It won’t be seen from outside.”

Atul suggested.

“Please, stay with me.”

Neeti said and moved forth only to rightly bump into something. She began to stumble over it.

“Oh my…Sofa!”

Atul held her quickly from falling and his arms were around her in a second.

“See… I told you.”

“Are you not comfortable with holding me?”

She asked.

“Why I shouldn’t be comfortable? I am very comfortable in holding you with both my hands.”

He said, trying to make light of the sensual tension building inside him.

“Then hold me close.”

She grabbed his right hand and held it around her. He touched around her hip and he knew the softness rubbing against the side of his chest was her breast. He felt her body warm and it was making his body warmer too. He wondered if she was gone insane with fear.

They walked around the sofa and made their collective way to the room, still in a half- embrace, and he opened the door. The room was equally dark, if not thicker. Atul was secretly happy about it, and he also felt ashamed of it. The little fun moments.

His hand remained around her hip as they moved forward.

“Where is the table?”

“Here. I think.”

She moved his to a side and found the side table. She quickly ran her hands over it.

“Found it?”

He asked.

“No.”

“No?”

“It’s not here.”

“Now what?”

“Uh…then it will be in the bed.”

“You said you kept it on the table.”

“That’s what I usually do. But I am not sure of yesterday…”

She said quickly. Atul laughed lightly.

“Usually…huh? These are the usual things for you?”

“Stop making fun of me and help me.”

Neeti’s voice was filled with worry. Atul moved to the bed and began to search, running his hands on it. The bed was a mess, he felt.

“It’s a complete mess. You guys were wrestling here?”

He heard a giggle.

“Are you laughing?”

“Yes.”

Neeti’s voice was closer than before.

“We were wrestling.”

“You said you quit something.”

He felt her hand on him and then it moved up and touched at his face.

“Wait. Are you searching me? Really?”

“No. I am doing something else.”

Her voice was closer than ever, and next moment he felt her lips on him. He could not say a word as she kissed him. Her arms were around him and her breasts pressed against his chest. She pushed her lips into his mouth and he kissed her back on an impulse.

Half a minute later, Atul managed to free his mouth from hers.

“What are we doing, Neeti?”

“I’ve found the ring, Atul.”

“Oh, you did?”

He felt a pang of disappointment deep inside him, against his wish.

“Good. Let’s leave, then.”

He tried hard not to sound disappointed. He began to move and she held around him.

“No. let’s stay here.”

“What!”

“Let’s stay here for some time. It feels good.”

Atul could not believe his ears. Suddenly, he felt a sense of fear grappling him.

“What are you saying, Neeti?”

“Atul…”

He felt her fingers on his face. She touched his forehead, nose, lips and chin.

“I am saying let’s stay here. In this darkness.”

Her breath hit on his neck.

“You are scared of darkness, aren’t you?”

“Not anymore.”

She kissed him again. A second later, Atul’s arms were around her. His hands moved around her, feeling her curvy back. He opened his mouth and she darted her tongue into him. She pressed herself more into him and he fell on his back on the bed. She kissed him more. Atul lay there, seduced.

“Neeti…”

He whispered in a tired voice.

Neeti’s lips soon moved to his neck and she unbuttoned his shirt. Her lips trailed down to his bare chest, and she sucked on his nipples. He felt his hardness hurting itself inside his pants already and he struggled hard not to moan. She licked around his chest, and her hair fell over his front naked body. He ran his fingers through her hair and he felt an urge to grab her up and kiss her again. He licked his lips in the darkness.

“Neeti…”

Neeti’s lips moved to the right to his armpit and she raised his hand. His shirt was obstructing, and she removed it quickly to bare his torso completely. Then he felt her lips at his armpit.

“You smell great, Atul. I want to swallow you.”

Neeti whispered.

Atul could not believe how impressed he was at this woman. He had forgotten Anvita.

A moment later, she sat up over him and took off her churidar. Then, next second, he felt something falling on his face. It was her bra.

“Oh…! Neeti…!”

Atul took a deep breath, feeling the bra over his face.

“mmm…”

Neeti cooed softly.

Atul raised his hand and touched her breasts. Lightning passed through him as he felt the naked softness at his fingertips.

“You want this?”

Neeti moved upward and bent down. Atul felt her softness on his face. He grabbed them with his hands and sucked her nipples, one by one. Neeti allowed him to feast on them by bringing each of her melons to his mouth one by one. She grabbed his hands and brought them to her chest, invitingly.

They rolled on the bed, many times, licking each other’s body. He was drooling precum when she pulled down his pants. He let out a moan as she wrapped her finger around it; and another, as she guided it into her mouth. Soon she was sucking him furiously. He reached and held her hair, slowly.

“Neeti… stop it.”

He pulled her up, and she sat up.

“Let’s not do this. This is wrong. Neeti…”

He blurted out and rose to his knee.

“What happened?”

He could sense her disappointment from the voice.

“This is wrong… I can't do it.”

“You are so hard…you are ready. Stay, Atul…”

“This is wrong.”

He repeated.

“It is not wrong.”

“I can't cheat on Anvita.”

“She won’t know, I promise.”

Her fingers were again around his hardness. She stroked him and kissed at his neck again. She brought his hand to her breasts again. He felt his body weak again. And finally, she bent again and pushed it into her mouth.

“Oh, God!”

Atul cried. His defence was completely down. He soon heard a voice from her.

“Use me.”

She grabbed his hands and made him hold her head. He held her head and slowly moved his hip back and forth. He could not believe that he was fucking this woman’s mouth. She was asking for it. His dick moved in and out of her slippery mouth and it made a dirty noise which only raised the heat. In a few seconds, he was at the edge, and off it, and shot his cum load into her throat with a groan.

“Aaah…”

It was so unexpected and early that Neeti was totally unprepared for it. She pulled away jerkily and his cum was everywhere.

“Oh my God! Here we come!”

She cried.

Atul was embarrassed. The darkness was the only solace for him.

“I am sorry.”

His penis twitched and sprayed a few more drops. Neeti knew it soon.

“Stop it.”

“I have.”

Atul panted.

“You’ve got me surprised. I was totally unprepared. I am sorry.”

She laughed.

“Me too. Are you okay?”

“Oh, God. I am like… I’ve got it all over my face and my chest…”

“Oh… I am sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

She reached for him and began to suck him again.

“No. no. let’s stop it. Neeti, please listen to me.”

He moved away quickly.

“You are disappointing me, Atul.”

Atul had risen to his feet, off the bed. He pulled up his pants.

“Yeah, I know. But I have no choice. I am in better control of me now. Please understand me.”

Atul searched on the bed for his shirt and found her bra. He handed it to her.

“Wear it, Neeti, for God’s sake.”

When she was dressed he held her close.

“I am sorry if I gave you false hope.”

She pushed him away.

“Don’t be. You’ve used me till you had your fun. Let me go now.”

Atul knew she was trying to tempt him further. He moved away quickly.

“Yes. We are leaving.”

He held her hand and made his way to the door and walked out. Neeti did not look at him at all and walked toward the stairs.

 

Atul went to the room and shed his clothes. His dick was limp and still smeared with Neeti’s saliva, and his own precum.

His night was going to be remorseful.

He took his photo from the table and looked at Anvita.

“I love you, baby.”

He kissed at her eyes. His eyes were teary.

“I will never fail you like that.”

He promised.

 

Next morning when he was getting ready for office, he could not find his wristwatch. He was getting late, yet he searched his room and hall, only in vain. He thought of the possible ways to lose it. He knew it was the bar.

That’s a good reason to visit the place, once more.

He smiled at himself.

 

The following morning he was leaving for office when he met Neeti in the lift. He could not really face her.

“Good morning, Atul.”

She said and smiled at him like last night was merely a dream.

“Good morning.”

“Thanks.”

She said with an alluring smile that Atul would wish to hate.

“What?”

She showed him her fingers. Her wedding ring shone like her eyes.

“For this, thanks.”

He stared at her for a long time.

“You are most welcome.”

 

The evening he visited the bar. He had no intention to look for his lost wristwatch as he quickly engaged himself with his favourite scotch whiskey. He followed it with dinner before hiring a cab to return home an hour later. He was changing clothes when the doorbell rang.

He looked at Anvita’s photo.

“Not anymore, I promise you, baby!”

He walked to the door and opened it.

Rajat was standing there, with a wicked smile.

“Lost something?”

He held up something: his lost wristwatch.

Atul blinked.

“Whe…where did you find it?”

He had the answer even before he finished asking. The night before, as Neeti was taking his shirt off, it would have felled on the bed. In Rajat’s bed.

Atul’s smile vanished in a second.

“You know where I found it, don’t you?”

Rajat smirked.

“Oh. You found it in your house! I am sorry Rajat. Neeti might have already told you about it. She wanted to pick up her wedding ring from your room. So I helped her to find it and I might have dropped my watch accidentally.”

Atul was sure Rajat was not going to believe it, and he was right. Rajat laughed.

“Is that it?”

Atul was too stunned to reply.

“Cut the shit, man. I know what you did in my room.”

“What did I do?”

“My bed was a mess when I came this morning. There were cum-drops on the floor and on the bed, buddy. And you are really asking me what did you do, really?”

Atul could not say a word. Rajat walked in and closed the door and turned to him.

“You are not a saint you pretend to be, my friend. I’ve told you that!”

 

  

                              ---------------------------000-------------------------------

[krish_999]

Chapter 45

Atul

 
“I told you, buddy! You are not as innocent as you claim to be. All you needed was a perfect opportunity, and see it yourself how you’ve shown your real face.”
Rajat said.  Atul wanted to jump on him and smash him right there, on the couch.
Then he will learn I am not a saint for sure.
“It’s not like how you put it.”
Atul defended. “I was drunk yesterday. Besides that, it was dark in there and I lost control of myself…”
“Come on, stop it, my friend. I’ve met Neeti and she confessed everything to me. I know everything you guys have done in my bed. She told me how you sucked on her tits. They taste so good, don’t they?”
There was no point in defending now; Atul knew. He won’t even believe that I didn’t fuck her.
“Rajat, I…”
Rajat interrupted him. “Stop it, Atul. You better be thankful to me. You’ve got your wristwatch back. Do you have anything? I am running dry.”
Atul opened a bottle of whiskey. He thought Rajat might have dropped the subject as he talked very friendly and cracked usual jokes. But he soon came back to the subject.
“You know, I keep going back to Neeti for I do not have other options. Pooja still hasn’t recovered. She’s needs rest. It’s understandable. But how long can I be alone? I deserve some fun, don’t I?”
“Yes.”
Atul nodded. Pooja had caesarean delivery two months ago. The child was underweight and under constant medication.
“But your case is just selfishness, let me be honest, buddy. You have one on the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She’s away for two days, and you want this one. What are you really, boss?”
“Come on, Rajat. I am begging you. Just drop that topic. It was a mistake I shouldn’t have done. I am trying to get it over mentally. Just drop the topic.”
“Okay. I will drop it but you’ll have to admit that Neeti is a hot woman and it was so good when she sucked your dick.”
“Yeah. I admit that. She told you everything. What’s left there to tell you?”
“There is something she didn’t tell me but I understood.”
“What is it?”
“That you came early and easily.”
Atul was too stunned to react.
Atul was shocked.
“Wait, Neeti didn’t tell me exactly that, but she wanted to say you didn’t fuck her at all. The reason, you finished too quickly. What’s actually wrong, buddy?”
Atul knew Rajat was cornering him. But he did not know how to defend himself.
“You had told me about this friend, with sort of premature ejaculation problem... There’s no such friend. It is you.”
Rajat declared and Atul had to admit it.
“No. There’s no such problem now. I am doing well.”
Atul said with a weak voice. Rajat refilled his empty glass.
“What happened with Neeti suggests otherwise.”
“I wasn’t ready. She was taking advantage of me.”
“A man is always ready, Atul. He should be. You bring me a woman like Anvita and you know what I would do? I’ll fuck her for one hour nonstop before I get there. She’ll cry in pain but she’ll say in the end that it was a pleasure. That’s what I am talking about.”
Atul took the glass and finished it in one go. Rajat was studying him.
“I am not aiming that, Rajat.”
“But you’ll be happier if you could, won’t you?”
Rajat poured another drink for him.
“Maybe.”
“You know what is your real problem? You are not sharing. You know, these types of problems are not discussed outside, except with the closest ones, the trusted ones. Luckily you have me. Now you need not tell anyone. I’ll help you. But you must admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“Admit that you have this problem. It’s not going to help you if you keep beating about the bush.”
Atul stared at him for a long moment.
“It’s between you and me, Atul. I never hide anything from you. If you want to see the difference between what I do and what you do, I’ll hold a show for you. I’ll let you watch when I fuck Neeti next time…”
“No. that’s not necessary.”
Atul said quickly. He was scared of watching someone pleasuring a woman for so long and good.
“That’s your choice. But you got my point, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me, do you have a problem?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now tell me what exactly it is?”
Atul took a long breath.
“Uh…I…I am too aroused whenever I go to bed.”
“How long do you last? You do get inside?”
“What?”
“I mean when you do it with Anvita, are you able to put your stuff inside her?”
“You are kidding me. I am not that bad, bro.”
“Okay. But how about her? Does she like it?”
Atul was not comfortable to talk anymore. But he had no other options.
“Yes. I guess.”
“You guess? Don’t you look at her face when you push it inside her?”
“Yeah, I meant yes. She moans.”
“That’s good. And does she moan when you push it deep? How is she? Very tight or lose?”
“She’s good. I mean, tight but not so tight.”
“What I meant to ask is, if it’s too tight or too loose, it’s not good.”
“No, it’s good. Perfect, I believe.”
Atul could not believe he was discussing his wife’s private parts with his neighbour.
“Does she take you in her mouth?”
“Umm.”
“How often?”
“Very often.”
“She likes it, right?”
“You are having fun, aren’t you?”
“Fun? She takes your dick in her mouth, damn! Who’s supposed to have fun?”
Rajat laughed.
“Tell me what I should do?”
Atul asked, finally.
“Did you try what I told you?”
Atul stared at him.
“I told you to let her go to other men, remember?”
“Yeah. I remember. But I am not comfortable with that, Rajat.”
Atul shook his head slowly.
“It’s not like what you think. I am not asking you to push Anvita to someone else’s bed. What I am telling you is, you need to handle your level of excitement. That’s the clue here. And there is no better way than this to achieve that. You have to let her go to dates with others.”
“Dates?”
“Yeah. Coffee date, lunch, dinner, etc. all the silly, safe things only. A little sexy chat, a slow dance in a pub…”
Atul looked on. He was not going to do any of those, though.
“You must allow her to mingle freely with other men. Let them rub their body against her, like in a crowded bus or a train. I know you won’t like it. That’s what we want. It’ll bring down your arousal. Your body will protest against producing more hormones. You’ll produce less cum; lesser cum means slower ejaculation. Do you get my point? Eventually, you’ll be fucking her like I would; longer and longer without stopping until you want to. I mean, imagine how happy Anvita will be with you pound her for a good twenty minutes nonstop?”
Atul’s eyes grew wider. Rajat had his attention completely.
“She will love you more and more, you have no idea how!”
Rajat was growing inside his head. Atul shook his head.
“And let me warn you of one thing. If you do not act now, she will cheat on you. See what Neeti did with Mohit. She thinks you are attractive and she’s willing to go to bed with you. You barely did anything to seduce her.”
Atul remembered Neeti’s words. Mohit disappoints me every time. What else I am supposed to do?
Atul felt sick in his stomach.
“Actually, the worst thing about cheating isn’t the sex but the fate of a husband that he has no idea his wife is sleeping behind him. That is the worst part. Mohit has that fate. He’s lost it yet he has no idea.”
Rajat took a long sip from his drink and Atul remained silent. “Let me tell you a secret. We are close friends; I have no problem to admit this. You, know, I am not that smart when it comes to ladies. Maybe I pretend to be smart but I really have no idea how to impress them. It was just my luck that I got to enjoy with Neeti. You know if I wasn’t there, Neeti would have gone to someone else. She needed someone, that’s the truth, whether it’s me or you or someone else. Do you agree with me or not?”
“Yes.”
Atul had no answer to that question. Or any question that Rajat was to ask.
“So tell me, what’s your plan to save your Anvita fucking behind you?”
Rajat asked in the end, and Atul threw his hand.
“You are making me upset, bro.”
“I know that. But if you don’t act now, my friend, you will lose her.”
“I don’t know. Really, I… I… How do I… But what will Anvita think of me if I make her…”
“What is in there for her to think? You are letting her, but you should be discreet with your plan. All you need to do is, to act like you have seen nothing. Like, in a pub, you can leave her alone. I am sure a woman like Anvita will be sought to dance with by many handsome men. When someone takes her hand, and dances with her, you just stay back hiding somewhere. You don’t have to fear because a pub is a safe place. I mean, no one can cross the line too far in a pub.”
“But he can kiss her... feel over her body…”
“So what? Isn’t that okay?”
“No. I can't watch Anvi like that.”
“That’s my point. That’s the exact feeling that’s gonna fix your problem. If a man kisses her, you let him; because you don’t like it. And keep watching even if she returns the kiss. Allow him to touch all over her body. It’s okay. Because kissing and touching and fondling are far better than having your Anvi lying in someone’s bed with her legs spread apart and still, you have no idea. Do you agree with me or not?”
“Yes.”
“So, what I am suggesting you is, you must take her to a crowded pub this weekend and try it.”
“Okay.”
Atul said slowly, already envisaging it. Maybe, I’ll see her just interact with someone.
“No. you are not sure of it, Atul. Okay. Let me come with you if you are too scared. I’ll keep an eye on her from a distance.”
“But I am still scared, Rajat. What if…”
“Oh come on, Atul. You can't be such a coward. You need to act. Your cowardice will only help you lose her. Mark my word. One day she’s going to come home and tell you that she’s found a better one if you don’t act now.”
Rajat’s words pierced into his heart and he was unable to speak.
“Don’t lose her, Atul. Not when you are my friend.”
Atul took a deep breath; his mind and body still weak.
“In a pub, there will be a lot of men, total strangers. How do we know who’s gonna…”
Atul asked.
“Why should we know that? It could be anyone.”
“But I think I will be better if I knew the person who’s going to…you know.”
Atul hesitated.  Rajat shook his head.
“That’s good thinking; because we can have an arrangement with him, like a promise that he will not go too far, right?”
“Yes. That will be safe.”
Rajat thought for a second.
“I can get one or two of my friends easily. But there’s a glitch.”
“What is it?”
“They will know there’s a problem. It’s not good. We can't be sure that they won’t tell their close friends and then so on until it’s a talk in the neighbourhoods that you last for just seconds in bed.”
Atul shook his head. “That’s right.”
“And my advice is that we must not involve a third person, apart from me and you, in the whole thing.”
Atul agreed quickly and he fell thoughtful. Rajat studied him carefully before he spoke again.
“You know, I am not sure how you’ll take it. I think I can be your saviour.”
Atul stared at him for a second.
“How?”
“I mean, I can be your wife’s date, if you want.”
Atul glared at him.
“I know what you are thinking,” Rajat said, “that I am kind of volunteering to do it.”
“Not exactly.”
“Come on man. Do you think I’ll do something to Anvita? I must be the dumbest to so, especially when I know you are watching me. Do you agree with me or not?”
“I wasn’t thinking that.” Atul shook his head. “Anvita will never agree to do such things with you.”
“What things? We are not doing anything. Because I know why we are doing this, I know where we should stop, right?”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
“What you need to do is to imagine worse things about me.”
“Worse things, such as? “
“Like, imagine me with Anvita. I won’t be pissed if you think I am the worst thing ever happened to you, if it helps you, man. Go ahead and think I’m a pervert.”
Atul wondered if he should tell him Anvita thinks of him exactly that.
“Oh come on, you are my friend. I can't think of you like that.”
“Why not?”
“No. Stop it.”
Atul shook his head in refusal.
 
Atul was done talking. He got up and straightened his arms.
“I need to think about it, Rajat. I’ll see you tomorrow. Take the bottle with you.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve had enough. Keep it with you.”
Rajat said and left.
When Atul went to bed he tried to imagine Rajat and Anvita looking at each other in a pub.
No, it will never happen. Atul decided quickly.
 
Atul woke up hearing his phone ring. There was sad news for him. George had an accident when he visited dad’s farmhouse. The mill was being repaired after it was destroyed in the recent fire accident. His right hand was trapped in the machine and crushed.
Atul visited him in the hospital. His right hand was cut from the wrist. Leona was there along with family members and friends. Atul felt sorry to see Leona’s sad face. He felt a pang of guilt too, for the accident happened at his dad’s farmhouse. He left the hospital very soon.
 
-----        -----        -----        -----        -----
 
Atul was browsing through the photographs from the warehouse when he noticed some packages kept aside for consignment. He got curious and checked the consignment records. The consignee was Chetak Engineering.
He quickly consulted Shreyas.
“Why this model is still being moved by us? We don’t have it, do we?”
Shreyas checked the documents and shook his head.
“This is just a few. It’s okay.”
His casual reply annoyed Atul.
“No. it’s not okay, Shreyas. It’s not what I’ve been promoting. We haven’t covered them in our contract. We shouldn’t be sending it when we have an upgraded model listed. It’s…”
Shreyas interrupted him. “I told you, Atul. It’s okay. It’s just a few. It won’t make a difference.”
Atul glared at him.
“Atul, it better not be your concern. We have a lot of these in our stock. We have to get them moved. Leave these things to me. I am in charge here. Why don’t you stick with what you got on your table?”
“You are not in charge of me, Shreyas. I got you these deals, good deals. Is this what you make of those deals?”
“Are you threatening me, Atul?”
Atul stared at him.
“I have no such intention, Shreyas. You said it right. It’s not my concern.”
Atul got up and walked away. He was not the guy who’s gonna argue a lot.
When he was back at his desk, he quickly grabbed his mobile phone and began typing a message.
 
-----        -----        -----        -----
 
Atul was expecting Rajat when he returned home. He needed to talk.
“So, have you thought about it?”
“Yes,” Atul said. “I still don’t think it’s practical, Rajat. Anvita will never allow this to happen.”
Atul was confident because he knew of the lesson Anvita had learnt from Varun.
“Let’s say we’ll help her feel okay about it, like, maybe a couple of drinks can get her into it. So leave it. Tell me about you. Are you ready to play with your mind?”
Atul spent a moment to think.
His ego didn’t allow him to respond positively.
“Let me tell you this clearly, Rajat.” Atul sighed. “I’ve seen Anvita embarrassing someone who sought her hand during a party. Don’t blame me if you end up getting the same dish served to you.”
Rajat grinned.
“Then I suggest we’ll avoid the public place.”
“Then?”
“What about your house?”
“You think she’ll give you any attention in my own house? I mean, other than a friend?”
“Let’s do a party.”
Atul shook his head.
“It won’t work. I know.”
“We won’t know unless we try. If we succeed, it’s your luck.”
Atul thought deeply about it. It was complete nonsense. Perhaps he wants to touch her hand and dance with her. Later he would masturbate thinking over it. He would think of making love to her and wank all night. What else can he do?
We won’t know unless we try. If we succeed it’s your luck.
While he’s dreaming of her, I’ll be in my bed, with her. Doing all the things he could just dream; making Anvita cry out an orgasm by pumping her harder than I ever did. Atul was astonished by the strength of erection he was already carrying.
 
Anvita returned on Wednesday. Atul's grandma had recovered. And her father-in-law had a change of heart.
“Dad felt I should not disturb my job.”
Atul was staring at her. He was spellbound by how ravishing she looked.
Anvita looked far from the tired figure he had sent home a few days ago.
“What happened?”
Anvita noticed him.
“You look gorgeous. I missed you a lot baby.”
He did.
And he wanted to take her to bed right away.
 
“You smell bad.”
Anvita pushed him away in bed that night. “You are drunk.”
“But I still love you.”
Atul pulled down her panty with his hand to her knee, and then pushed it down to her ankle with his leg before mounting her with his throbbing erection poised at her entrance.
“Take me in.”
He whispered.
“It’s too early.”
She chuckled.
“I can't hold, baby.”
He hurried. He felt her hand on his dick and she adjusted herself under him, spreading her legs wide and then locking him between. His dick throbbed under her grip and then she guided him inside her. He started pumping her and there was no way he could pause. Anvita’s breathing began to turn heavier; her arms crawled around his back. A minute later, Atul was shooting inside her.
“Oh my….”
He lost his breathing for a moment.
Later, he had rolled off her, lying on his back. Anvita lay by his side, her hand rubbing through his bare chest. He was disappointed. He had rushed it.
A little more of it would have been a lot of fun.
He turned to Anvita and hugged her with passion and guilt.
“I love you.”
Anvita whispered in his ears, adding more to his guilt.
 
He was already thinking about having a private party at his house.
 
-----        -----        -----        -----        -----
 
Atul and Anvita were in the fruit market. Anvita had selected pomegranate from a stall and moved on to the next one. Atul stayed back to settle the bill and when he turned to Anvita his eyes fell on a tall guy standing beside her. Anvita was leaning forward to select from the apples and the man was shamelessly ogling at her cleavage. His height was helpful in giving him a perfect view from the top and Atul was sure his eyes were trying to dive deeper into her dress. Her bright yellow dress was loose enough to give him ample view as she leaned forward. When she stood up Atul noticed her thin bra strap on her right shoulder. It was visible and Atul was sure that it would give any man to dream about. 
Atul wanted to move to her and urge her to pay a little attention to herself. But the fruit vendor in front of him was still struggling to find change for him.
The tall guy had lost his perfect view of her assets. He took two steps back and turned his salacious eyes to her back. The man was leering at her back from her shoulder to legs. A man joined him and the tall guy whispered something to him, apparently turning the new guy’s attention to her.
Atul cringed at the sight of the strangers. Their eyes were gliding down her back slowly as if scanning her for exact measurements. If they were allowed, they would kneel behind her and start licking around her creamy calves, which were visible and now their foremost interest.
Anvita looked at Atul and noticed him looking beyond her. Her eyes shrank and she turned on her heel. They guys didn’t expect that. But the tall guy stood his ground and smiled at her generously.
Anvita gestured a ‘What?’ at him. He winked and moved to the vendor. He was quite taller than her and Anvita was not hesitant to acknowledge that. She watched him for a moment before turning back to Atul.
“Come!”
 
“That guy was leering at you.”
Atul said later.
“Who, that handsome guy?”
She asked cheerfully. Atul was dismayed by the fact that she found the lecherous guy handsome.
“The tall guy.”
Atul said bitterly.
 
Anvita’s beauty was often a point of attraction for the opposite sex and it was not a new thing for Atul. He actually enjoyed when others envied him. And he was cool with it so far. But the tall guy incident was different, now. He was supposed to hate him. And that hate was supposed to change him.
 
That night when he went to bed, he tried to remember the tall guy.
He looked at Anvita’s eyes and tried to remember how she was looking at him, admiring his height.
No, these eyes are mine. They can admire only me.
Atul leaned on her and kissed on her eyes. Anvita smiled at him lovingly.
“What happened to you? Why are you looking at me like this?”
“You have beautiful eyes.”
Anvita laughed.
“You noticed?”
Her lips were open.
That man would have imagined kissing her; sucking her lips into his mouth.
Atul's lips met with hers. His touched her breasts and fondled her dearly; like he would have dreamt. Atul bent down and pressed his face between her softness. Anvita unzipped her dress and slid it off her shoulders and lay back. If I were him, would she have lain like this? Would she have smiled like this? Anvita slowly pulled her bra cup aside, and offered him her light brown nipples. He would suck on it with his dirty mouth. No! Atul licked her tits and they were protruding. She is excited. Does she know who I am? Does he know she’s ready to welcome him?
For a moment, Atul remembered how she was looking at him at the market. Admiration.
“Who, that handsome guy?”
Atul knew he was handsome. Handsome and tall. Anvita was right. And she was watching him with a different look in her eyes. Perhaps she’s dreaming of him. Shit! Atul cringed.
Anvita smiled at him and slid down her panty. She lifted her feet and threw it aside. Oh, my! She’s hurrying it! Atul saw. Don’t do it, Anvi.
“Anvi…”
“Come…”
She invited.
No. Anvita… don't do this to me.
Atul's body was already between her legs. And she pushed down the waistline of his boxer and grabbed his hardness with her right hand.
“You are so ready.”
She mumbled.
So are you.
She was guiding him into her centre.
Stop it, Anvi. Control yourself. You are a married woman. Don’t you love your husband?
Atul pushed lightly, carefully, and Anvita grabbed at either side of his hip, pulling him down, helping him enter her.
Why do you want to do this? Don’t you love your husband? Doesn’t he love you?
“Anvi…”
“Mmm…kiss me…”
No.
Atul lowered his body and met her lips, sucked them together. Her lips were softer.
I’ve never kissed lips so soft like this, dear. And he pushed. She moaned slightly into his mouth. She was slippery than ever. Your husband has no idea we are doing this.
“It feels so good.”
Anvita whispered; her lips made a circle around his neck.
No. You can’t do this.
 
Atul felt he was standing alone in the lift. When its door opened he walked to another door; the door of his house. He pushed it slightly and walked in.
Where is Anvi?
Atul threw his bag into the couch removed his shoes and kept it on the shoe rack. One of the shoes fell down. Why can’t you just keep it right? Are you nervous? Do you think something bad is happening to you? There is nothing to worry about. Everything is perfect. Relax.
“Anvita…”
He called but his voice didn’t come out. It’s okay, relax. He strolled over to his bedroom and pushed open its door. There, in the bed, he saw him.
The tall guy.
No!
Anvita was lying under his naked body. Her legs were in the air.
“Aaah…!”
She moaned.
She loves it so much. No!
The man was pushing into her, harder and slower, helping it reach deep inside her. Oh, no! Anvita!
“It’s soo good. Oh my god!”
Anvita cried. And she grabbed Atul hard, tight, bringing him back to present.
“Huuuh….”
She was about to cry. She was panting. Atul couldn’t understand what was happening. He pushed harder into her and groaned. He felt it flowing out of him and he felt so good. Heaven was coming down. And it was draining the strength out of him. He lay on top of her. She kissed him hard. She opened her mouth and ran her tongue all around his mouth.
When he settled down, she laughed.
“Oh my god. It was so good.”
She hugged him tightly. He saw love in her eyes. He felt being loved.
“Did I make you come?”
“I don’t know! I am not sure. But it was so good. I love you.”
He rolled aside and hugged her as she stood up.
“I love you too.”
She grabbed his face and kissed all over his face. It was so lovely; so memorable.
 
It was so lovely and memorable but Atul woke up the next morning with guilt. He felt ashamed of imagining Anvita with a total stranger whose face was already fading from his memory. He scolded himself for weaving such a nasty dream in his mind.
Don’t do that, ever again.
Then he saw her face, sleeping so peacefully.
Her beautiful face made him stare at her for long. And without knowing, a smile blossomed into his lips. He remembered how excited she was. She was so happy. Perhaps for the first time, he had taken her almost there. If he had held back a little longer, she would have reached there. Just a little longer.
 
Throughout the day Atul pondered over that ‘little longer’. He knew it was his nasty fantasy that helped him last that long. But he was scared of reality. He had seen the admiring eyes of Anvita.
No, I can’t dream of him.
 
That evening he went to the fruit market again. And he went alone. He wasn’t looking for anyone. But when he returned without seeing ‘anyone’ he felt somewhat relieved.
 
Atul remained anxious in the night. He couldn’t initiate sex.
Next day, he sat with Rajat and told him the incident.
“You should do it more often, dude. You see how it works?”
“But I can’t. I am scared.”
“You are not scared, Atul.” Rajat dropped a couple of ice cubes into his glass. They were in a bar. “You are insecure.”
Atul glared at him.
“I don’t want to play with fire. If Anvita got even a hint that I dream of this person…”
“Don’t be so childish, bro. you better accept that no woman is prudish in today’s world. Your Anvita might also be having such fantasies. When you are making love to her, she could be fantasising about doing it with someone else; for example a film star.”
Atul was already shaking his head in rejection. He remembered Leona.
“Perhaps she could be fantasising herself as someone else making love to you as you did.”
Atul stared at him. Rajat's eyes were locked at him and he went on.
“Then, do you blame her for that? No. because all she wants is to keep you happy. That is also called love, isn’t it?”
Atul nodded slowly. Rajat snapped.
“Now you understand my point. You are doing it for her. Let her fantasise for you. And you fantasise for her.”
“But I am worried about that stranger.”
Atul said.
“I know that’s a problem. There’s a risk if we involve a third person. That’s why I suggested that you can take help from me.”
 
Atul knew it was wise not to listen to his dangerous ideas. Rajat was no expert. But at the same time, Atul was unable to dismiss the possibilities.
What if it worked?
He remembered how disappointed Neeti was. That was just once. For Anvita, it was the same every time. If she’s not showing it, she’s too gentle. He thought.
But there could be another way. I should better see an expert. A doctor. Isn’t that the better option?
 
“What do you say?”
Rajat interrupted his thoughts.
Atul took a long pause trying to turn his refusal as gentle as possible. When he finally opened his mouth, he said something else.
“Yes. Let’s do it once.”
 
 

------------------------------------000-------------------------------------

[krish_999]

Krish_999,

Holi is around the corner, one of the most erotic festival of India, I wish if you can blend the festival of Holi in a few episodes with lots of erotic teasing and foreplay and without disturbing / drifting away from the story line, would be a great bonus.

Also thanks for your efforts.

I hope you are not writing atul's cuckoldry act with rajat as holy party. you character never showed any festival celebrating event.

No, guys. I can't bring the Holi festival to this story. It's too late for that because it's already July in the story. ;P

[krish_999]

Update is coming tomorrow, guys.

[krish_999]

Chapter 46

Anvita

Anvita's day was silent and filled with darkness. More than the body pain she was exhausted by the feeling of being robbed of something, even though she was unable to figure what it was. She skipped lunch and crawled under the blanket. Right before she could hide her body under it her eyes stuck at the ceiling. Suddenly she was there, again.

A few hours earlier she was staring at the same ceiling, and somebody’s face was buried between her legs.
It was George!
Anvita cringed when she remembered the humiliation. And it was not going to be forgotten very soon. The pain of being assaulted was nothing compared to the pain of being humiliated.
George was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He crept in and took away what he wanted.

Even though Anvita tried to compose her by believing she was righteously punished for her betrayal, very soon she began to see the other side of it. George who himself a husband has no right to assume the power to punish her by committing the same mistake of being unfaithful to his spouse. It was idiotic to see his horrendous act as a punishment in the first place. She was such a fool and Anvita could only blame her.

Anvita's blood thirsted for vengeance. But she did not know how. She was as helpless now as she was when he had pushed her face into her bed. There was nothing she could do except hating him more and more. And she hated Prithvi too.
By evening her body ache got worse and she took medication. When Atul arrived, she avoided him.
 
Next morning she took the pain to get up early and made it to the park for jogging. She hadn’t jogged since last Friday.
Forty minutes later she was sweating. She felt her body was recovering. Right when she finished, she saw Rajat approaching her. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel intimidated. That is past, she thought.
"Good morning, Anvita,” Rajat said. “Glad to see you back”
"Glad to see you too."
She said boldly, and blatantly. Rajat looked at her in surprise.
“Are you?”
His eyes shrank. Her openness perhaps beat his expectation. She was not afraid anymore.
I have lived bigger torture than you are.
“So, ready to talk with me?”
“What is it you want to talk?”
“You know what I want to talk.”
“Let’s go to a coffee shop this evening. I’ll try to find time for you. I’ll leave my office earlier.”
“I am glad you said that but I like to have a little privacy, Anvita.”
“Privacy for what?”
She was careful enough to maintain eye contact. He moved an inch closer. Anvita was watching him and she put her hands on the hips. She didn’t want to move back at all. She was done running.
“Your body language says something isn’t right, Anvita.”
“I have started considering everything is right with me, Rajat. I and Shreyas were friends, too close. But I’ve never slept with him. I have kissed him a couple of times but I’ve never crossed the line. I have never cheated on Atul. That is my confidence.”
She took a deep breath.
“But yes, I know you can feed whatever you want to my husband, and I know I have to be worried about it. Whatever I do, whatever you name it – talk or discussion or whatever – I am not gonna cheat on him. I’ll choose death before that. But if you are hell-bent to have your way with me, I want you to make it simple. Why are you forcing me? I don’t know how you are manipulating Atul with your sweet talks, but why don’t you convince him to make me sleep with you?”
Rajat stared at her, unable to blink. Slowly a smile blossomed into his lips.
“Let’s say if I did convince him, would you say yes?”
“If that’s what he wants me to do, then I will listen to him.”
Anvita couldn’t contain her surprise that Rajat was seeing a possibility in that. She knew the moment Rajat tried to convince Atul about this, in whichever manner, Atul will learn his intention. After that, Rajat will never get a chance to blackmail her. Atul will never believe his stories.
Rajat looked away and walked around her as if watching the other people over the park. Anvita had a feeling that he’s having a good look at her body. She stood firm until he completed one circle around her.
“I know you are throwing the ball in my court, Anvita. But this is a very good suggestion. I am done chasing you like a mad dog.”
Anvita liked him calling himself a mad dog. She laughed a little inside.
“But when it’s happening, I won’t be taking you to coffee shops. I’ll be taking you to your bedroom and in your bed, I’ll be making you scream in both pain and pleasure in your own bed. You know I have fantasised you a lot of times. You wouldn’t have forgotten how I had poked my rod over your bum that day; next time I’m gonna stuff that inside you, that too when your face is pushed down to your marital bed. So don’t change your words when it comes back to you.”
Anvita wanted to spit on his face.
 “You have my word, Rajat.”
Anvita turned and walked back.
 
 
When she heard of Atul's grandma’s illness, Anvita felt it’s a blessing in disguise. She wanted to move away from her memories where George and Rajat and Prithvi shared space. She badly needed a break. When she implied her willingness, Atul was very happy. He didn’t really expect her to go anywhere near his father.
 
When Anvita arrived at Atul's hometown, she didn’t bother to phone Rajyavardhan. She took a taxi and reached the house. Atul's mom and grandma – especially the latter - were really happy to see her. Grandma sat up from the bed despite ill, only to share a fondly hug with Anvita.
“God bless you, my child.”
Grandma said in her fragile voice. Anvita felt calm. She felt she was finally at a place where she can forget her painful memories.
 
Rajyavardhan was gone to work at his farmhouse and he returned only at night. It was only then Anvita realised how she had been longing to see him. She watched him from a distance and looked down quickly when she realised it was now his turn to look at her, study her. And she began to feel her heart thumping.
“How are you, child?”
Rajyavardhan’s voice came after a long moment.
“I am fine dad.”
She said.
She was surprised at her own voice. It was not the voice of a woman whose pride was demolished by her husband’s friend. It was rather the voice of a woman who was confident that she could move on. She looked up and locked her eyes with him. He nodded.
“Good. I am glad you came.”
That was all he said to her before he went to his room.
 
When Anvita went to bed, she was happy that she didn’t look or sound like a woman needed saving. She fell asleep easily and earlier than she expected.
 
Anvita woke up in the middle of the night. It was raining heavily outside. The monsoon had made it to the north and it had brought thunder and lightning along with it. Anvita lay alone in the middle on her bed, and she felt terrified of both the darkness of the night and the roar of the heavy pouring. She pulled the blanket over her head, trying to escape from it.
It was for the first time in her life that she feared lightning. As she waited for the rain to end, she realised one thing. She was alone and she needed saving.

Next morning when she finished helping grandma in her daily chorus Anvita headed to the farmhouse. It was half a kilometres from the house. She walked along the narrow road through the sugarcane fields, praying it did not rain until she made it to the farmhouse.
The workers were yet to arrive for the repair work which was still under progress. Rajyavardhan was pulling down a plastic sheet off the building materials.
“What are you doing here, child?”
He asked, seemingly still busy with his task.
“I... I came to see you.”
Anvita hesitated.
Rajyavardhan turned and took a soft look at her. Anvita began to look away and then resisted the urge. His eyes stayed for a long time on her face and it made Anvita nervous, no matter how soft his eyes were. She wished if she could read his mind. She wished if she could read his mind so that she knew what he was seeing when he looked at her.
“Come.”
Rajyavardhan led her inside the farmhouse. Anvita followed him, walking between the big sugarcane crusher machines that still bore the evidence of the one-month-old fire accident. Rajyavardhan guided her to a room at the far end. Its door was completely destroyed in the fire. The first thing Anvita saw inside was a wooden cot at the side of the room and she stopped.
“Sit down.”
Rajyavardhan gestured her towards the chairs near the desk at the other side. Before she sat, he took a rag and dusted the chair.
“Now tell me.”
Rajyavardhan asked.
“What's troubling you?”
Anvita couldn't look up and face him. And it took her a moment to gather her strength.
“George... George uncle had visited me Thursday.”
She began to speak and then she was crying. From inside.
“He came after ensuring Atul was away. And he told me he knew about...”
She explained her ordeal. Rajyavardhan stood in front of her, watching her from the top angle.
“I wish I too had your eyes, dad. If I had a distant vision of what he was inside, nothing of this would have happened. I could have at least put up a fight. I could have kept a knife under my pillow. I was never thinking about how he would to it. It didn’t matter to me then. I was hopeless except for it would be quick and it would be over soon. I was only thinking about not letting Atul know, and not letting it happen again.”
Anvita's lips trembled, as she felt defenceless and she felt she would collapse on the floor any moment. Yet her eyes refused to shed tears.
“Now…”
She sighed.
“When you to told me…when you made me believe I could still have a life, it made me happy for one thing more than anything. That Atul should not know about this. He would forgive me but then I wouldn’t forgive myself. You were right about it. But now….”
Anvita looked up a second at his face, and the lack of any form of emotion at Rajyavardhan’s face perplexed her. She could not speak further.
A few moments later, he spoke.
“Go on…”
He was listening.
“I don't know where to look now. I failed you again. Destroyed. Punished. Humiliated. Shamed. I don't want to live like this. I’m just a hopeless creature. Hopeless is only a term. I am lost too.”
“Anvita.”
Rajyavardhan spoke.
“Tell me one thing that you still do not seem to have made up your mind. What are you seeking from me?”
Anvita was stunned by the coldness of his voice, and by that of his stare. And she hated him immediately. She wanted him to burn her with his blazing eyes. She wanted him to show no mercy. She perhaps wanted him to punish her in such a way that what George did to her might be forgotten.
Perhaps he knew a thing about punishment. Perhaps he knew everything. He was like a God who’s hard to impress.
“I am seeking from you…permission. I want to confess to Atul. It’s not for me. It’s for…for.”
Anvita was going to cry. But her tears were dried up.
“I can’t see him walk into our house with Atul. While torturing me George answered Atul's phone call and he talked to him. The blatant way he used their friendship, our friendship, makes me yearn for revenge and choke me with helplessness. I don’t want Atul to look at him the way he does now. I can’t bear that sight anymore. I am ready to let go of my life for that.”
She blasted.
“Calm down, Anvita. You need to calm down.”
That was the only thing he spoke to her and it put an end to the conversation. She took her time to bring her back to breathe normally.

The silence between them seemed to have its own power upon Anvita, as she felt it creeping into her mind. It was spreading through her body. She felt blank.
Eventually, they heard workers arriving at the farmhouse and Rajyavardhan opened his mouth.
“Go home Anvita. Just go home.”
His voice was still cold. 
 
Anvita was disappointed as she walked quickly out of the farmhouse. But she knew the conversation was not over.
When Rajyavardhan came home for lunch Anvita kept an eye on him. She was looking for cues. She thought it would have made her better her if he chided her with a gesture. But he was absolutely normal and she hated him more.
 
That night when she went to bed she remembered the cold look on his face and tried to make out a meaning out of it, in vain.
 
Monday evening one boy came running from the farmhouse. There was an accident during the trial run of a repaired machine.
"Uncle's friend from the town is injured. He's taken to hospital and uncle has gone with him."
The boy said.
"O my God! It seems our misery is never going to end." Sangeeta cried. "What's wrong with our fate? And who's this friend from town?"
"I don't know." The boy said. "His name is George, though."
Sangeeta cried even more.

However, Anvita had heard it. George?

"Child, pray to God that he's alright."
Sangeeta told her.
 
For a moment, Anvita felt happy. It is not misery, mom. She thought. He deserves some pain and I'm just happy it happened at our farmhouse.
 
Rajyavardhan returned late at night. It had started to rain again.
“How is he now?”
Sangeeta asked nervously.
“He lost his right hand, cut from the wrist."
He said.
“Wha…oh God! How did it happen? O my God, why test us like this?”
Sangeeta began to cry. “There is something wrong with our fate. Else why in the first place he was there in our farmhouse today? He could have come here to meet you, couldn’t he?”
“It has nothing to do with our fate, Sangeeta.”
Rajyavardhan said. The calmness in his voice disturbed his wife.
“He lost his hand.”
She gestured to her hand. “His right hand. What will he do now? And what will we do? Do you have money to look after him? You’ll have to give him a lot of money as you spent on our workers in the accident, won’t you?”
“Nobody gets anything. Not this time.”
Rajyavardhan declared in his stern voice. “He showed up in a place he wasn’t supposed to. And he laid his hand on something he shouldn’t have.”

Anvita didn't know what her father in law and mother in law talked to each other after that. She had heard enough and she was wise enough to understand what he meant.
She turned on her heel and almost ran to her room.
“He laid his hand on something he shouldn’t have.”
Rajyavardhan had glanced at her for a fraction of a second when he said that, and Anvita was glad she didn’t miss it to a blink.
She wasn’t sure what was happening to her, but she cried. Finally.
 
Tears rolled down through her cheeks and it fell to her chest. Justice wasn’t served. She had no idea if dad had anything to do with George’s accident. But one thing was sure. Dad had made a response. He let her know he was angry.
She heard a knock on the door. Rajyavardhan walked in. Anvita wiped her tears off her face quickly though there were enough tears along either side of her neck, leading to her breasts.
“He won’t walk into your house with or without your husband. He won’t even come anywhere near. You understand?”
Anvita nodded, obediently.
Rajyavardhan turned back.
“You spoke to him?”
Anvita asked.
“I reminded him what he did. And I asked him if he had any idea what I was going to do to him. And yes, he begged for mercy.”
Rajyavardhan paused, in his usual manner.
"For what he did to my daughter in law, I should have sliced his dick with a knife. Instead, I gave him a choice, to choose from his thing cut by me or his hand put into the crusher himself. I gave him a choice and I named it mercy. I hope it makes you better. Sleep well and wake up a good girl. Don’t bother to think about confession and other bullshit."
 
The rain had suddenly gotten heavier. So did the thunder and lightning. But Anvita wasn’t scared anymore. She lay in her bed, and couldn’t find sleep. She remembered the story she had heard from the neighbours about dad. He had broken the legs of his son as well as his neighbour’s son for some silly reason.
He was so angry, the neighbours had told her.
But he was not showing even a hint of anger yet. And he asked George to sacrifice his hand to save his dignity. He will now have to remember forever why he lost his hand. Anvita wondered what would make a man put his hand into a machine himself. Fear? Damn fear, it must be.
Anvita felt calm. Justice was served.

However, one thing still perplexed her. She was spared for her mistake. Not even one gesture of anger. Or punishment.
Is my punishment coming soon? Or, is he have a soft corner for me?
Anvita felt good to think about it. She closed her eyes and imagined Rajyavardhan’s angry face. Despite the fear of a violent response from him, she wished if he took her in his arms and comforted her.
 
Next morning Anvita woke up cheerfully and ran to the kitchen. She did house chorus with great enthusiasm. Sangeeta was saying she’s so lucky to have such a daughter in law yet so unlucky to have a son who chose to keep her away from her. Grandma was feeling better now. She said she’s ready to fake illness in order to make her stay with them for more days.
 
Rajyavardhan was ready to go to the farmhouse and Anvita was always around him. Her love and respect for him, which now she felt was always there, had only increased. Whenever he came near her, she felt an urge to show it. She was an obedient child. She stood up every time and her heart beats began to beat faster whenever his eyes turned towards her. She wouldn’t look him in the eyes, but she knew whenever he looked at her, his eyes were stuck to her eyes only. Secretly she wished if he moved his eyes to other parts of her body so that…so that I can have a look at his eyes.
 
Anvita headed to the farmhouse that day again. But this time she couldn’t escape from the sudden pour. She was drenched when she reached there, and Rajyavardhan was a bit angry. He threw a sharp gaze at her.
“What are you smiling at?”
He scoffed.
“Nothing.”
She mumbled and stood with her eyes down to his feet. Even though she was not looking directly at him, she was aware of where his eyes were. Her white kurti was completely soaked and it revealed her body shape in its perfection. Anvita herself could see her bra visible through the now semi-transparent clothing. As her father-in-law's eyes took time to move off her, she learnt quickly the feeling of respect giving way to an inane sense of pride. She felt her purpose of being a woman is justified. She felt aroused.
"Go, dry your clothes if you don't want to fall ill."
Rajyavardhan suggested.
Anvita went to the room and removed and wrung out her kurti while stood outside, turning away. 

Anvita knew he will come to her in her sleep, in her dreams. And she spent the whole day waiting for that moment.
That night when she went to bed, she couldn’t find sleep as the warm memory of being caressed by his brooding eyes crowded her thoughts. She felt her body warm despite the cold weather and she rolled in bed as if to resist the urge to do stupid things in the darkness. She wished if he came in her dreams and did whatever he wanted to do to her.
However, when she woke up, in the morning, she couldn’t remember any such dreams.
 
Perhaps Rajyavardhan read her mind – because he could do so – Anvita thought, for he decided to send her back to Atul.
“Your grandma is alright now, child. You must go. He’s alone there. He needs you more than us. Go to him and earn the love you deserve.”
Anvita shook her head
“Thank you, dad. Thank you for everything. I can’t wait to go back to him.”
“Good.”
He held her close and she felt safe. Everything was alright.
 
Anvita reached her home and she looked at her bed. She was surprised to know that her guilt – the insuperable feeling – was now gone.
"He won’t walk into your house with or without your husband. He won’t even come anywhere near."
She had a guardian who can protect her from demons.

Atul was very happy to see her back. That night when he initiated sex Anvita couldn't keep her father-in-law out of her mind.

The day Anvita reported at work Varun phoned her in the evening; after so many days, and Anvita initially thought to leave it and then answered it.
“I want to meet you. I’ll wait for you on the road. Spot my car.”
He sounded a stranger to Anvita, though she wasn’t bothered. She was not going to see him. But he persisted.
“What do you want?”
“I want to talk, it’s urgent, please.”
“Not in the car.”
She said.
“I won’t take you anywhere.”
His voice became harder.
“I just need to talk; it’s urgent.”
 
Anvita spotted his SUV a few meters away from the bus stop. She walked over and knocked at its window. Varun gestured her to pull the door open. When she sat in, he started the car without saying a word.
“Tell me where we are going.”
She demanded.
“Just a minute, Anvita.”
After two minutes he pulled into a service road and parked the car under a tree.
“I and Radhika broke up.”
He said, without looking at her.
“Do you expect me to fix it?”
"No, I don't. But you must know what happened."
“Why?”
“Because you have no idea!”
Varun said disgustedly. “Last time when I saw you, you were crying in the name of your husband. You can't cheat on him because he’s the epitome of loyalty. Fuck. What shit!”
He ranted.
Anvita’s face was red.
“Varun, if you have something to tell, speak directly. I have no time for your fucking shitty drama. “
“Drama? Does it look drama to you? Fuck you!”
“Fuck you too, moron!”
Anvita clenched her teeth and began to leave.
“Atul has fucked my girlfriend. Do you know that?”
And she stopped.
“What?”
“Yes. You heard me. Your hubby is not as humble as you think. He betrayed me. Betrayed you. And you are still shouting at me.”
Anvita didn’t want to bear this nonsense anymore. It is his new trick to get back to me. She opened the door and jumped out of the car.
“Anvita, stop. You can ask Radhika. She was with Atul and his business friend in a hotel suite two weeks ago. And Radhika, she’s a whore, she’s not my girlfriend, she needed two men to please her. One of them is your husband, she confessed it to me. You can ask her.”
Anvita froze.
“No, I won’t believe it.”
“Ask her, Anvita. And you will know who are double-faced. He’s not only a cheater but also a pimp who has sold his friend’s woman for his benefit. Tomorrow he’ll sell you.”
Anvita turned. Her eyes blazed.
“Stop barking like a filthy dog, Varun. If he’s a cheater, you have no right to berate him. Because you are also a cheater. Didn’t you try to get into my pants? Didn't you blackmail me emotionally to get some nasty pleasure? Did you think about him at that moment? Did you think about your woman? You deserve what you got, moron!”
Anvita slammed the door and turned on her heels and walked away.
Varun opened his door and shouted.
“Mark my words, he’s gonna sell you too.”
Anvita upped the pace of her walking. Varun was still shouting behind her. She didn’t want to listen to him.
No, Atul didn’t do it. She assured herself. She remembered the tears she shed after her night with Prithvi. That wasn’t for a man with a double face.
The bus stop was far, there were hundreds of long steps to be covered to reach there. And with each step Anvita took, she felt the ground beneath her foot becoming shaky.
Did he just do it?
She remembered many nights. Especially the nights when Dad was home and when she had initiated to go to bed with Atul. He had a thousand excuses to avoid her. The same person who was too excited to control himself at her presence was unable to even kiss her passionately, let alone have sex. He was tensed all the time.
But Anvita knew he wouldn't do anything like Varun said.
Can there be smoke without fire? Two weeks ago, when Atul had gone to South Delhi, it was the night everything turned upside down. Anvita didn't not need much reasons to think of the day even worse. She sat on a bench and phoned Radhika.
“Two weeks ago, when Atul was at south Delhi, you were with him?”
Radhika took a second to respond.
“Varun spoke with you?”
“Answer me.”
Anvita's voice was trembling.
“Anvita, we should talk over this, face to face.”
“Will you tell me or not?”
Her voice rose.
She heard a long breath from the other end.
“Yes, I was with him but…”
Anvita disconnected the phone.
 
Her heart burnt like a forest. It was spreading all the way and nobody was there to put it out.
Holy shit! Anvita wanted to scream. But being in a public place, she felt like a person who does not know how to cry.
Everything reveres here. She thought. This is the punishment. No! Anvita shook her head. No. Atul won’t do it. He’s not like me. He’s not like Varun. He’s not like Rajat and Shreyas and Prithvi and…
"Atul is the good guy. He’s the epitome of goodness." Somebody had told her once. But.
Anvita couldn’t really gather her thoughts into one place. No. somebody’s trying to fool me. Somebody’s too envious. She decided.
Her phone rang. Radhika.
She is calling me to tell she played a prank on me. Well.
“You lied, didn’t you?”
Anvita asked.
“Listen to me carefully, Anvita. I wanted to know what happened between you and Varun at Alyssa. That’s why I went with him. And I didn’t go to sleep with him, if you believe me.”
She said and disconnected the call.
Anvita was stunned.
 
An hour later, they were in a coffee shop.
“I suggested this place only to assure you one thing. Nothing like you worry had happened.”
Radhika said.
“Atul told me what Varun was trying to do with you. I have no interest to discuss that with you now. I have got enough of that. What I am telling you is strictly about Atul. We didn’t spend time together in his suite. I was upset when I heard the truth and he alone went to meet his friend. Then, later, I went with his friend after dinner. But I told Varun something else – exactly what he told you - and it's all lies."
“But why? Why did you say that?”
“Because I am a woman. I too have feelings. You know something about my boyfriend. Atul knows about it. Varun knows what he did. Everybody knows everything – what happened and what not. But where am I? In darkness!”
Radhika’s voice was low but it didn’t hide her anger. Anvita felt for her.
“I am sorry. I was drunk that night. And it left me too embarrassed to talk about it.”
“I know. Atul told me.”
“But he didn’t tell me about your meeting.”
“That you should discuss with him.”
Anvita stared at her and reached across the small coffee table and clasped Radhika’s hand.
“I am sorry Radhika. When Varun told me Atul took you and then sold you to his friend and all…”
Radhika laughed.
“You thought Atul was a pimp?”
“No. I didn’t believe it.”
“Do me a favour. Let Varun think Atul did it, and you’re pretty cool with it. Varun deserves it. He’s not what you think, Anvita. You know him for longer but I know him better. He’s a…leave it.”
Radhika breathed normally now. Anvita told her what Varun told her, word by word.
“I am not surprised.”
Radhika said.
“In fact, I didn’t have sex with anyone that night. But to be honest, I was really angry and I would have done something stupid with Atul if he had wanted. You are very lucky. He had all the chance in the world to show some anger and use me. But he didn’t. He said he was happy that he didn’t lose you that day at Alyssa. I actually went with Nikunj – his friend – only to make Atul jealous, but he was still very much unfazed. He earned my respect, Anvi. Please don’t doubt him.”
Radhika was full of praise about Atul.
 
Anvita was not going to confront Atul now. But she told him about it.
“I should have told you Anvi. But I didn’t feel good that Radhika knew about what happened at Alyssa. I thought it would further embarrass you. I didn’t want to tell Radhika about it. But she got doubtful from Varun’s behaviour. And we were all weren’t really speaking to each other since then, so her doubt was justified. She stalked me to South Delhi and I was left with no choice. Varun was pissed off when he learnt this. He phoned me that night and threaten me. But Radhika had already left with Nikunj. They had become good friends. And I still have no idea what they did that night. I don't really care whether she slept with him or not.”
Anvita was convinced that Varun was just playing some crooked games with her. Perhaps he was just venting his anger at Atul. He’s always been jealous of him. Perhaps he wanted to get something from her.
Well, I have stopped doing stupid things. You fool. Anvita thought.
 
When she held Atul tight and kissed him fondly, Varun’s words flashed in her brain.
“Mark my words, he’s gonna sell you too.”
The words made her laugh.

Next morning, when she went for jogging, she was expecting Rajat. But he didn’t show up. Perhaps he too must have realised his blunder.

Then one day, during dinner, Atul suggested.
“This Friday we are giving Rajat a dinner. We have never invited him to dinner. He's very keen to join us. Let’s do it.”
 
 

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[krish_999]

Krish, waiting.....

Waiting for the update Krish. Please find some time and kindly post an update.

I understand guys. Update comes tomorrow.

[krish_999]

Chapter 47

Atul

Atul's friendly equation with Shreyas was invariably damaged when he questioned the latter's apparent malpractice. Atul couldn't believe Shreyas was willing to trade the company's reputation to avoid answering questions from the top which was expected if the quantity of idle products outgrew the permitted limits. Atul wished he could convince Shreyas to move on; he could move on if he admitted his mistake. But Shreyas was rather covering it up by distributing the outdated products among his clients.

However, Atul was left to wonder why none of the clients reported the issue. Atul didn't want to find out because he knew it wasn't his business. He had nothing to do it. 
Even if somebody found out and shot back at Wallzec, it would never bring harm to me. Atul thought.
But it invariably caused malaise in him when he returned to work. He was losing interest in the task at hand. He had prepared the proposal to GLS Engineering; so much brain and creativity were put into the project and Atul was hoping only the best outcome out of it. The thought of one man who would spoil all those efforts to benefit his personal agenda felt disgusting to Atul.
 
However, when he contacted Maniesh he disagreed to regard Shreyas as corrupt.
"There are no credible sources to prove any wrongdoing, Atul."
Maniesh said.
“Shreyas asked me to mind my own business. But I would like to believe it is my business. I have a chair here; when I am keeping my ass firm on it, it means only one thing; that I represent Wallzec. I am not a saint to be honest with everyone. But you must be sure who you’re lying to. I can’t bear someone playing this game with Wallzec.”
Atul ranted.
“I suggest you keep calm for a while, Atul. I’ll go through his recent dealings. Until then you keep doing what you are doing. Stick to your task. Don’t make it lose your concentration. We need good guys like you.”
Maniesh assured him.
 
That evening Rajat phoned Atul and they headed to a bar after work. Soon they were discussing their dinner plan.
“I think I should bring food myself.” Rajat said. “I don’t have a good feeling about having Anvita to cook for the dinner.”
“It’s not you giving us the dinner, bro.” Atul said. “We’ll give you chance when you bring back Pooja.”
“That’s for sure, but that’s a different thing.”
“How?”
“This is a date, right? I am your wife’s date.”
Atul did not like how he said it. He pushed it down though.
“Yeah, you are.”
“So obviously I am looking forward to making Anvita happy. I mean, genuinely happy.”
Atul remembered how they were discussing Anvita the other day. Even the most private matters between them. Here it’s coming back, again. Atul cringed.
“What happened?”
Rajat was studying him. Atul took a long sip from the beer jug, bringing the liquid level down to its bottom.
“I really hate discussing these things with you.”
He admitted.
“That’s what our aim is. But I want you to promise me one thing. I know whatever I do will make you hate me more and more. But please, don’t hit me. Because no matter what happens I will never bring harm to you; I want you to believe that. You push her to me and leave her with me, but I won’t do anything stupid that will ruin your life. You must remember it always, no matter what we speak or behave in front of Anvita. Do you agree with me or not?”
“Yeah, I do agree.”
Atul was calmed down by him every time he doubted his plan.
“I am playing this game only for you.”
Rajat added.
“Yeah, I know.”
Rajat ordered more booze.
“If the food is yours then the drinks should be my right. You can’t stop me.”
“That’s agreeable to some extent. You can bring one bottle. But I’ll have my own inventory.”
“Come on, I have a very special item for the party. I won’t tell you the brand. It’s rare and I know you’ll like it.”
“As you wish.”
“But I want you to control your drinking habits. It weakens you in bed. Two days in a week maybe, but not more than that.”
Rajat had many pieces of advice to keep him concentrate on his quest to satisfy his wife sexually. Atul agreed to everything.
 
“I think Anvita has a really bad impression on me, Atul. Because of my…you know this little thing with Neeti. Only you can help me with that.”
Rajat admitted her.
“How can I help you?”
“I think I should gift her something…something that she will like.”
“Do you have something in your mind?”
“How about a dress?”
Atul laughed.
“You want to gift my wife a dress?”
“I think it’s a great idea. I should buy her a beautiful dress. And I want her to wear it and show us.”
“What’s the point?”
“I don’t think I am gonna enjoy too much if a man gifts my wife a sexy dress and then makes her wear it. I am a bit jealous type, especially if that dress looks great on her and if she likes it very much. I’ll be dying in jealousy.”
“So will be me.”
“That’s the point, exactly.”
Now Atul got it.
“You are putting me in a difficult situation.”
“Later that night, when I am gone, you make love to Anvi. She mentions you she likes the dress when you are taking it off her. It will distract you. That’s a great idea.”
Rajat did not need to say anything else to convince him.
“And I want you to help me choose the dress.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Because only you can select according to her taste and body shape. You help me with that, and I’ll make the payment.”
Atul was not really perturbed by his idea. The idea of his wife being gifted by his friend didn’t actually upset him so much. In fact he was wondering if Anvita would wear it on the dinner night.

Next day Pradeep phoned Atul.
“Your car is ready, pal. Drive it home. When are you coming?”
Atul was at work.
“Right now.”
He said.
That evening he went home driving his own car. Anvita was excited.
“Let’s go for a drive. I’ll drive.”
She said.
That night they went for a late night film show. Anvita took the driver’s seat.
 
Rajat took Atul to a fashion store as they had agreed. Rajat first selected a bright yellow dress that was too short in length.
“Anvita would look great in it, wouldn’t she?”
Rajat asked.
“It’s too short. I don’t think she would accept it.”
Atul didn’t want his wife to wear it and allow Rajat relish by looking at her.
“Come on we’ll persist and she’ll accept.”
Rajat suggested.
“Even if she did, she won’t wear it for us. She’ll refuse to wear it. I know her.”
Rajat selected another dress that was an off-shoulder dress. 
“It would show too much of her…umm…cleavage.”
Atul hesitated.
“Come on. Do you have any problem with that? Who doesn’t show it?”
“She doesn’t.”
Rajat stared at him and then shook his head.
“Okay. If you say so.”
“I suggest we choose something that makes her comfortable.”
“It should also look sexy. You have a sexy wife, buddy. You must appreciate the fact.”
“Let’s go for another one, Rajat.”
“Okay. Then make a choice yourself. What would you like me, I mean your wife’s date, gift your wife on her first date?”
Atul looked around. His eyes stuck on a mannequin on display. 
“That one.”
“A lehenga?”
Rajat was disappointed. Atul felt good watching his disappointment.
“Yeah. Anvi likes lehenga. It’s her favourite. If you gift her something like this, I can guarantee you she’s gonna like it.”
“Is that so?”
Rajat walked to the lehenga section and after twenty minutes he made his selection.
“This one.”
It was a light pink colour net lehenga choli. Atul could already imagine her stunning look wearing it.
“We’ll have to get the blouse stitched to shape. But it’s no problem. I will get this one done if you bring me one of her blouses.”
Rajat suggested while making payment. He took the garment with him as they walked out.
“It’s your responsibility to support me when I ask Anvita to wear it. Do you agree with me or not?"
"Yeah, definitely. But you should not tell her that it's me who helped you to buy this.”
Atul said.
“Done. Deal.”
Rajat shook his head.
 
That night Atul scanned Anvita's wardrobe for a blouse and he secretly took it to his neighbour.
“So let’s do it this Friday. Good?”
Rajat shook his hand.
“Good.”
Atul nodded.
 
When Atul mentioned the dinner idea to Anvita, she was stunned.
“Dinner? For Rajat? Are you crazy?”
“What happened?”
Atul tried to play it down. “It’s just a dinner with him, baby. Our home. He’s coming over; what’s the big deal?”
“He’s a jerk. That’s a big deal!”
“Come on I know why you hate him. He too knows that.”
“What is it?”
“It’s his affair with Neeti, isn’t it?”
“Please Atul. I have no interest in this dinner.”
“Actually he was inviting us to his place. I thought it would be a great pain for him. And it’s not right to allow him to host us a dinner when his wife is not there. So I said we’ll do dinner at his place after Pooja’s return. And I invited him. Please don’t say no.”
Anvita shook her head.
“I don’t…”
Atul held her hand. “I gave him my word. Please don’t embarrass me.”
Anvita stared at him for a long moment.
“I am not embarrassing you, Atul. He’s a big tease. I hate the way he looks at me.”
“So what? It’s just looking. Ignore it.”
“I can’t believe you are saying this. I still remember the day we had an argument over him when I allowed him to take a couple of pictures of me.”
“That was something else, Anvi. He came and took your pictures when I wasn’t here. I wasn’t comfortable about it then.”
“And now?”
“He won’t intimidate you when I am around. I can promise you that.”
Anvita glared at him and slowly shook her head.
“So you want me to sit through a dinner with Rajat.”
“Yes.”
Atul turned her to face him. “Like you have sat through George and Shreyas. And be nice with him, for a couple of hours.”
Anvita was not looking at him.
“Okay. As you say.”
She nodded.
 

When the project presentation for GLS was ready, Atul was asked to run it for Shreyas. It was strange for him to come up with the demand.
And he wasn't impressed when it was shown to him.
“You need to exclude these photos, Atul. They don’t look professional. And also your idea weighs too much on simplicity. It seems you’ve forgotten what we are selling. Make it a bit complicated, I tell you. That’s what we must look like.”
Shreyas's critical attitude foretold Atul one thing. He didn’t believe in him anymore. 
Atul had enough faith in his way, and he stuck to his plan though.
 
Next day Atul’s colleague Aakash approached him.
“I’m told to handle the GLS project, Atul. Mail it to me.”
“What?”
Atul turned his head slowly and stared at Aakash for a long time. Aakash smirked.
“Shreyas.”
He said.
“That’s unbelievable.”
Atul rose from his chair and pushed his way into Shreyas's cabin. 
“What’s happening here, Shreyas?”
Shreyas looked up.
“Take a seat, Atul.”
He moved in his chair. “I told you. Your work still seems like… it lacks the punch.”
Atul felt an urge to punch him on his face.
“Forget the punch and weight of my work, Shreyas. You tell me one thing. How much chance did you have when you put me on the GLS project?”
“Atul…”
“Did you really believe Wallzec would be off their blacklist just like that?”
“It was a miracle, Atul. I admit that. But now I don’t want to lose the advantage.”
“You don’t want to lose the advantage. And you think Aakash is the one who’s gonna help you with that, not me. Do you really wanna say that?”
“Atul, I am not going to go on like this with you. You are spoiling your team’s work with your ego. Just hand over the project. It’s okay. Aakash will handle the remaining work.”
“What remaining work? It’s over. All we need is an invitation from them. And I’m not gonna let it go at this stage.”
“You’re defying me, Atul. I must remind you.”
“I know why you’re defying me, Shreyas. Let me tell you one thing with all respect; remind yourself that you can’t dictate me. I’ve put some effort on it, and I’ll be the one who’s gonna see it through.”
“There will be consequences if you lose it, Atul.”
“Hell!”
Atul scoffed. “Not even you believe what you said, do you? Consider it a lottery I bought you. If it hits the prize, you may give me some credit. But if it doesn’t hit the prize, it’s your bad luck, Shreyas.”
“You’re pissing me off, Atul.”
“I am already pissed off, Shreyas.”
Atul got up and left.
 
Atul was annoyed by the extent of enmity Shreyas was bringing between them. There was no doubt why he was doing it. He no more wanted Atul to be in the front.

When Pawan Mehta invited Atul to do the presentation in front of his associates at GLS Engineering Ltd. he didn’t wait to conform to Shreyas. He booked the morning flight to Pune.
The day coincided with the same Friday he had promised to dine with Rajat.
Anvita was very happy when he shared the information with her.
“Go Atul. You worked so hard for it. You deserve to get the contract.”
She said.
Atul phoned Rajat.
“We’ll have to cancel tomorrow’s dinner buddy. I have to be in Pune tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s so bad.”
Rajat said. “So, when are you coming back?”
Atul wasn’t sure about it. But he was not going to admit it. “I’ll be back tomorrow, but it will be late in the evening.”
“Okay. I wish you all the best for your work and have a safe journey. How about Saturday, by the way?”
Prithvi's brother Parthiv’s wedding was on Sunday.
“Saturday is not possible, Rajat. We have to attend a friend's marriage. It’s on Sunday but we can’t skip Saturday’s functions. We’ll do our thing next week. Let’s mark on Friday.”
“Friday.”
Rajat agreed.
 
Friday morning Atul landed in Pune and he headed straight to the office of GLS Engineering. Pawan Mehta greeted him with a pleasant welcome.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Atul.”
“Pleasure is mine, Mr Mehta. And I am really honoured by this invitation.”
Atul replied courteously.
Later, Pawan led him to the conference room.
The conference room had an imposing ambience in the form of size and design. The men who formed his audience were equally of great stature, and Atul needed only to make a quick scan through their faces to understand the scale of opportunity he had. Nikunj’s face was there among his audience. With his face full of enthusiasm, Nikunj gestured Atul to calm down and proceed to the screen, and Atul felt he didn’t want Atul to acknowledge their friendship in front of other associates in the room.
Atul realised one thing immediately. This was the biggest moment in his professional life.
“Allow me to help you, sir.”
A man near the desk collected his laptop and connected it to the server. He did his job in a few seconds and Atul thanked him.
Soon, Atul was on his job. The serious faces he had to face weren’t meant to help him. But he had done his homework perfectly. After one and a half hour that included the question and answers session, he was asked to leave the associates for discussion.
Atul waited in the lobby, his heart pounding hard with anticipation. He couldn’t forget the favourable expression on Nikunj’s face that grew only better during the presentation. He was betting favourably on it. Atul wondered if it was really the content of the presentation or his friendship with him that brought the predefined approval.
Friendship or the pleasure he had with Radhika? Atul couldn’t decide. He thought about the night in South Delhi. Despite what Radhika had recently told Anvita, Atul still didn’t quite believe her. Nikunj was very impressed with her. Or is he still looking for an opportunity?
 
Half an hour later came the good news. The men returned to Atul and they were as enthusiastic as him.
“We like what you’ve shown us in there. We like the genuineness in your workflow, young man. Let’s move on to the ground. Let’s have this deal, exactly the same one.”
The Managing Director Mr Malhotra assured him. Atul felt his feet were not touching the ground.
 
Atul had tea with the members later. His conversation with Nikunj was strictly professional. Later he took him to his office.
“I told you Atul. We are gonna do a lot of good things together.”
He proceeded to have lunch with Pawan Mehta who discussed why the board favoured his project. They visited the GLS’ warehouse in the afternoon. The visit turned out to be an eye-opener for Atul. In a few minutes, he understood what GLS was about and he was already seeing their warehouse filled with Wallzec equipment.
Nikunj wanted him to have dinner with him. Atul politely refused.
“I can’t miss my flight today, Nikunj. I’ll surely join you next time.”
 
Atul was on his way to the airport when Maniesh phoned him.
“I have run a thorough check, Atul. I need your help now. Are you in Pune?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good. I have one doubt and it’s a major one. You struck a deal with Chetak Engineering a few months back. Right?”
Atul was sure he still remembered it.
“Right.”
“Before that, they weren’t showing any interest in us. Any idea?”
Atul could not reply.
“We were ignored for more than a year without any fruitful communication. And then you went all out after them and brought them back. There was a reason why they chose to keep us away. Ever wondered?”
Atul remembered himself having the same doubt in the past. But he had never asked Ridhima about it. That was because he had made her promise not to discuss work matters during their time together.
“I will get in touch with them.”
Atul suggested.
“It will be great if you went to your friend, Atul. Meet her personally. We don’t want to communicate this matter in an official manner. You are very close to her, and you can ask her in a very…you know, personal way. Do you get my point?”
“Yes, I get that.”
Atul said.
 
Atul had to make a plan first. He was not going to walk into Ridhima's home just like that. He phoned Ridhima.
She was still at work.
“I am also at work. Not in Delhi but in Pune.”
Atul said.
“Really? You’re here?”
“Not there. Here. Pune is not Mumbai.”
He quipped.
“Stop non-sense. Pune is here. We must meet.”
“I have a flight to catch. Are you asking me to cancel it?”
“Won’t you come?”
Ridhima's voice was becoming softer with each word she spoke. It was an easy guess that she was dying to meet him. Atul wondered if it was the right idea.
“Let me check if there’s a flight for me.”
Atul said.
“Hold on. I will do it for you.”
Her voice turned lively.
 
Unfortunately, there was no flight available from Pune to Mumbai.
“The last flight was at 5.10. Shit!”
She was disappointed.
Atul was thinking about morning flight. If I made it to her in the morning, I could still leave by noon…
“Atul, may I tell you another option? Mumbai isn’t far from Pune.”
“You mean, by road?”
“It’ll take less than three hours.”
Atul laughed.
“How can I say no to you?”
“Thank you.”
Ridhima said excitedly.
 
Atul phoned Anvita and explained the need to go to Mumbai.
“It’s really urgent, Anvi.”
“It’s okay; but you will return tomorrow, right?”
“In the afternoon. I won’t be late. We will go to Prithvi's house together. I promise.”
“Okay. But if you are late, I won’t go. You must remember that.”
“I know baby. I will be there on time.”
Atul promised.
He was surprised to hear Anvita saying that. She had been very excited to talk about that function. But lately, it seemed like she has forgotten her old student and friend. Perhaps she’s concentrating more on her work. Atul thought.
 
Atul reached Ridhima's flat at eleven o’clock. She welcomed him with a warm smile.
“Come in.”
She looked a bit tired except for her eyes. She was in a black top and long skirt, and she looked a homely woman, far from the image of a boss lady Atul was expecting to meet. When Atul walked in, she closed the door and hugged him tightly. Atul was stunned by her sudden reaction. He waited for a second and then embraced her with his arms shrinking around her. Her body was soft and Atul had to force himself to move from her.
“You look handsome...like, wow! I can’t believe you are here. It’s a miracle.”
She blabbered like a child who’s been presented a toy she was waiting for long.
Atul felt awkward for he could not take her to bed and say something romantic to her. He felt worse that he was actually there for his boss wanted him to be there.
"You look lovely. I'm so glad to meet you again, Ridhima."
He said looking into her eyes.
Ridhima led him to the hall that was exactly as he remembered of his previous visit. She noticed him looking around.
“Your house is just as I remember.”
“You visited only once.”
“But I remember a lot from that visit.”
Ridhima smiled, locking her eyes to him.
 
Atul took a shower and then they had dinner.
“Thank you for this dinner. I can’t believe we are having dinner together like this. This’s special.”
He said.
Ridhima talked excitedly during dinner. She asked about Anvita. She asked about his work. When Atul asked about Sudhakar, her face paled a little.
“Nothing more to tell. You remember him. Very hard to deal with, and so is to talk about.”
“What exactly is his problem?”
Atul asked when they settled on a couch in the hall.
 
Sudhakar Sachdev was a real estate businessman. A bad one. He was often hit with huge losses that mounted his debt and initially Ridhima helped him. But he was never in the right place. He could never differentiate a good property from a bad one. Sometimes even Ridhima could predict he was going to make a loss with his current deal. The more she learnt about his bad purchases the more she became critical of him. He responded by picking up fights with her. Her refusal to help him financially only helped those fights happen frequently.
“His argument was always based on the fact that I can never bear a child for him, so I must help him find peace in other ways.” 
When she finally became tired of it, she stopped helping him at all. He started to allege that she left him when he needed her the most. 
“The wound never healed after that.”
Ridhima sighed.
 
Atul could easily relate to her story.
“My dad’s story is almost the same. He blames me all the time. He blames me for his losses whereas his losses were, in fact, the outcome of his own actions. I believe I have nothing to do with it. My dad is my responsibility; there is no denial. But my dad’s business, it is his own responsibility.”
Atul said.
Ridhima was compassionate with his dad, though.
“Your dad may be wrong, but not entirely, Atul. He too was a son once, we must remember. And you too will be a dad one day. Every parent speaks the same language, I believe. So, who knows, you’ll be like your dad one day. Maybe it’s the sense of loss that’s making them use harsh words, hoping it would bring his son back to him and listen. But what they don’t realise is, it does only the opposite.”
Atul nodded slowly.
“You are very wise to tell me this.”
“Everybody is wise when it comes to other’s lives.”
Ridhima laughed at herself. She was in pain.
“But in my own life, I am stuck in a point where there is no return and no forward. Stuck, completely.”
“You can move on.”
“My conscience is not letting me.”
Ridhima paused and Atul watched her eyes become wet. “I can’t give him a child, so I deserve this all.”
Tears rolled down and her lips quivered. Atul moved and held his arms around her.
“Come on. Don’t do this. You are…”
Ridhima turned to him and pushed her face into his neck and wept. Atul could feel her tears making his cold skin wet. He felt sorry for her. He slowly stroked her arm in silence.
Ridhima took her time to compose herself.
“I am sorry Atul.”
“Don’t be. It’s alright.”
He consoled her.
“I make a sorry figure, don’t I?”
“No. you are suffering because you chose this. You chose to be at the receiving end, Ridhima, because you believe you have a reason to do that. And it makes you a strong woman. The weak and the sorry must have left the country by now.”
He wiped her tears. Ridhima sat like a child and allowed him to make her look normal again. He smiled and planted a light kiss on her lips.
“Here you go. Okay again.”
She smiled.
“It seems like I was looking for a man’s chest to lean on. I really feel better now.”
“You can lean on me more if you want.”
Atul quipped.
“Don’t tempt me. I am a lonely woman. You’ll regret it.”
“Really?”
“Just kidding.”
“But you are tired of being alone.”
“I am scared of being with someone.”
“I know someone who could do something about it.”
“You friend, huh? Are you trying to set me up?”
Her voice was becoming filled with excitement and Atul could sense it.
“Yeah. It’s actually a double deal. You get a man’s chest to lean on or do whatever you want, and I get to please my boss...oops, my friend.”
He stuck his tongue out.
“You clever...!”
Ridhima grabbed a pillow and threw it on him. He grabbed her hands and held her down to him. She laughed aloud.
“Thank God, you are laughing again.”
He said.
“Thank God, I am laughing again.”
Ridhima said, still laughing.
 
Later she asked him if they could settle down on the couch for the night.
“It’s really warm here.”
Atul looked at her in surprise.
“Also I don’t want to sleep alone. I want to talk to you even in sleep.”
“Mmm… that’s a great idea.”
Atul agreed.
Ridhima brought a blanket and they settled down on the couch. Atul was surprised he was not getting hard. Ridhima was lying in his arms; he could feel her softness pushing against his chest. But he was still not getting aroused. It was unbelievable. He wondered if he had developed erectile dysfunction. However, he was glad it was like that.
“What are you thinking?”
Ridhima asked in a low voice. He could see her eyes blinking, in the dim light in the hall.
“I was thinking about you. You are very special, in a nice, nice, nice way. We would have never met in real if your company hadn’t shut the door for my company for one long year. It seems it was our destiny to meet, right?”
“Very true.”
“What exactly was the reason for you to cut us from your business? I never asked, in fact.”
“It’s because your company was careless with the consignments. There were instances when the delivered models turned out to be different from the contract. What made it tricky for us is that we could install them for our installations. But later we would find it difficult to provide service maintenance in case of a problem in future.”
“Why didn’t you report to us?”
“We reported. Many times. And every time we sure got the replacement. Wallzec was quick with that, I must admit.”
“So, the problem solved?”
“Not really. We can report only about those malfunctioning ones. But we don’t know about those models which haven’t shown any symptoms. So we always have to endure that risk. It affects our reputation in the long run.”
Now Atul knew what the real problem was. Shreyas, that bastard. It was Shreyas who messed it up, Atul was sure, by distributing a small number of out-dated technologies among the large consignments. Most often it goes unnoticed by the consignees, or at least he thought so.
“I’ll look into this.”
Atul promised.
“No, you can’t. It’s not one man’s solution.”
“What about now? Are we good now?
Ridhima hesitated. “Don’t feel bad, Atul; you guys are still the same.”
“Then why are you still dealing with us?”
“I…We chose to overlook it.”
“Why?”
Ridhima fell silent. Atul wondered if she fell asleep. He touched her face slowly and looked at her eyes. She was awake.
“Why did you overlook it?”
She locked her eyes into his. She smiled. “I thought you would have understood it.”
Suddenly the penny dropped in his mind.
“Me?”
His voice had risen a little. Ridhima touched his face.
“Yes, you. I could ignore it for you.”
Atul felt weak. He felt cheated. He felt anger. He wanted to kill Shreyas for this humiliation. But at the same time, he realised how much Ridhima values her friendship with him. She really cared for him and it was a testimony. He felt blessed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to get fired. It’s not your fault and you have nothing to do with it. You don't have to deal with this. You are just an employee.”
Just an employee. I am lying on a couch with the MD of a multi-crore company. And I am still an employee. Thanks to Shreyas, the filthy scum.
“Thanks for telling me this now. I promise you I’ll fix it. And I promise you I won’t get fired.”
He said.
Ridhima smiled.
 
Atul was determined to keep his promise. He phoned Maniesh in the morning and explained the issue.
“You must do something, Maniesh. The last lot to Chetak Engineering is I think already on its way. It’s better only if you hold it and verify. And I’ve just got us a deal with GLS. I don’t want they…”
“You got GLS?”
Maniesh interrupted him.
“Yeah. I was in Pune to meet them.”
“That’s fantastic, Atul! I can’t believe, I am on my feet now. Are you serious?”
“Come on Maniesh… you are just…”
Ridhima walked into the hall and heard him.
“Who are you talking to?” She asked.
“It’s Maniesh. I was discussing…”
“Who’s over there?”
Maniesh asked.
“It’s Ridhima. Do you remember my friend?”
“Very well. Can I speak to her? Put me on speaker…”
Atul put the phone on speaker mode.
“Ridhima, this boy, he’s really special. He’s just got us one hell of a deal. What do you think about how we should celebrate it?”
Ridhima sat with Atul and leaned toward the phone.
“Maniesh. I think it should be a party on the short term and a professional recognition for the long term.”
“We’ll do the short term at the earliest. How about a party – a very personal one - tonight?”
“Great.”
“Can I assume your presence? Please don’t say no, I beg you.”
Maniesh's voice was filled with energy; Atul felt he was screaming out of excitement.
Ridhima was thinking. Atul knew what she was going to say.
“No. Don’t agree to him. I have to go back.”
He said.
“You mean dinner?”
Ridhima asked Maniesh.
“Yeah, dinner. Let’s go out and have a blast. Let together screw this boy. I mean, he should remember this day. What do you say?”
Ridhima gave Atul the eye and smiled.
“I am in.”
She said.
 
Atul was perplexed when the conversation ended.
The day was about to take a U-turn. Maniesh was asking to party with him. And he had managed to bring in Ridhima. The more Atul thought, he saw a dangerous pattern throughout Maniesh's interaction with him.
He knew what was wrong about Shreyas. But he said Atul must meet Ridhima personally for her feedback. And when he did it, now he wants to throw a party for him. It was very easy to bring in Ridhima into this.
Atul still remembered what he had told him during the AGM.
“I want her to kneel in front of me; I want her beautiful lips around my dick; giving me head, making me rain. And I want her to worship me as any other women do.” 
And he remembered him lying on top of Ridhima's half-naked body in his bed.
"I want you to make her ready. But don't tell her I'm coming. Let’s give her a surprise.” He had asked Atul.

He wants to get her. This party is only a device to get her into his bed. Atul was sure.
He looked at Ridhima. She was smiling at him.
"Party time! You know I wanted to party with you yesterday, but you were very late. Now see, we are gonna have a blast tonight."
She was very excited.

He couldn’t really make out if it was him or Maniesh who's gonna have a blast that night.
 

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[krish_999]

Update will come tomorrow

[krish_999]

Chapter 48

Atul

 
 
Atul was perturbed by the gut feeling that Maniesh had been playing a devious game with only one aim: Ridhima. More than his game plan Atul was worried about the lack of resistance from Ridhima. He was convinced that it would be a matter of time for her to fall for his charisma and follow him to his bed. The fact that Ridhima was apparently excited to meet Maniesh only annoyed him further.
This time I will have no reasons to stop them. Atul cringed when he realised the possibilities of the night. He remembered Maniesh making out with her in his bed. He was on top her and her bare legs had wilfully locked his bulky body down. He was eating her lips and playing with her naked breasts.
 
He had nailed it. He had the woman. Seduced. Completely submitted to him. It was just a matter of time before he could have shoved his manhood inside her and broke her self-induced chastity forever. But he could not. Because Atul had stopped him.
“We shouldn’t do anything we would regret later. Let’s go, Ridhima.” He had knocked on the door and had them leave the bed in a hurry. Maniesh was hugely disappointed. He must have sworn to recreate the same night, only to finish what he had come so close last time. Can I stop him tonight?
Atul had never been so unsure.
 
Ridhima noticed his thoughtful face while having breakfast.
“What happened to you? You’ve become gloomy after we talked to Maniesh. Are you not happy with him coming between us?”
“Is he coming between us?”
Atul looked into her eyes.
“No way.” She said innocently. “I don’t want anyone to come between us.”
“Why?”
“Because you and I are like…emm…we are not friends. I mean… I don’t know if there’s a correct term for it. In fact, I don’t want to put you on any list. I think you are another version of me. You know me as much I know of me as a very intimate person. You are a person I can share how I fantasised you last night and still be professional in our workplace. No one can come between us.”
“Did you fantasise about me last night?”
Atul was amused.
“I was just giving you an example.”
“You mean you didn’t? Not at all?”
Ridhima smiled shyly and her face said it all. Atul was immensely pleased.
“I can’t tell you how good I feel to hear this from you. I…”
“But you were really cold down there, last night.” She giggled, albeit shyly. “Weren’t you?”
Atul was embarrassed. But he did not try to cover up.
“Did I make you feel bad about yourself?”
“Yeah, a bit. Then I felt it’s okay. After listening to my sad story, it’s actually a very humane thing not to have an erection. It actually proved you’re not a dickhead.”
“mmm….” Atul shook his head slowly. “You know I’m embarrassed but you make me feel good about the same thing.”
They laughed together.
“So, are you not looking forward to the dinner?”
Atul asked.
“I am looking forward to having a great time with you but not at the cost of your family.”
“You are not interested to meet him, at all?”
“What about you?”
She was looking at him in the eyes.
“I am scared, to be frank.” He tried to laugh, trying to sound it like a little joke. “If something happens to you like last time.”
Ridhima stared at him for a long time and smiled.
“He’s your boss. If you just played a passive stand, he would be very impressed.”
Atul face turned red.
“I am not gonna play a passive stand. I either stop him or carry you to his bed.”
“Wow…that’s something. Well…” She leaned back in the chair with a pregnant pause. “I’d prefer the latter. It would be really hot. But don’t leave me there alone.”
Atul knew she was being playful.
“I won’t. I will hold your hand to comfort you and I will keep telling you it’s okay and it will be over soon.”
Ridhima laughed.
“Very soon. That was really rude to think of your friend...”
“You have no idea how hot you look dear. I’m damn sure he won’t last much longer.”
“But he’s very strong. Haven’t you seen his muscles? He could load for another attack.”
“I will hold your hands, and remain your side as long as you wish, don’t worry.”
Ridhima's smile vanished slowly but her eyes stayed on him.
“You don’t mean anything you said, do you?”
“I hate to think of it, I told you,” Atul admitted. “But it won’t hurt me if you chose to do it. If you think it’s gonna be fun…”
“It will benefit you…”
“You are pissing me off.”
“No, I am serious. He is very attracted to me. He will be dying to get close to me tonight.”
“I can’t believe you are talking like this. The thought itself is scary for me. I’ve seen enough.”
“Scary…yes. But not in a bad sense.”
“You are testing me, aren’t you?”
“I haven’t met a man like him for long. He’s the perfect one to have a little fling. He’s a big catch. Chetak Engineering is a small company in comparison with Wallzec. The odds are in favour to go for a blast as he mentioned.”
“If you have made up your mind, why are you asking me?”
Atul was no more enjoying the breakfast.
“I would like to have your opinion.”
Atul shook his head slowly.
“I’d like to say no. Not when I am with you. Because I fear he would feel indebted to me because I arranged this all. You know I’ll rather be jobless than to trade our chemistry for his approval.”
A smile slowly blossomed into her smile.
“What?”
He was perplexed.
Ridhima cleared her throat.
“We talk to each other so often. I really like those telephonic conversations. I often compare them with the mail we send. I can see you holding back yourself. That’s a sign of not being needy. It’s rare to meet people like you, Atul. You could have used me that night when we partied with Maniesh. You can still do it tonight. If you ask me, I will go out and sleep with him. I like him, he’s desirable. But I have met a lot of men like him; I know how to say no to them. You are the person whom I can’t say no to. Because you stop yourself before I have to. Everyone is ambitious and opportunities drive them crazy. You are different. You have not even once tried to use our friendship to influence me. Yesterday you promised me something and that’s a testimony to this. From the day we met, you make me strive to become younger like you. You are a source of strength for me.”
“You are praising me too much, Ridhima. I am gonna fall in love with you.”
“Then I can’t stop at all.”
Ridhima flushed.
 
 
Ridhima was busy in the study room taking some official calls. Atul phoned Anvita and told her about his plan to stay over at Mumbai. She became angry.
“No, Atul. This is ridiculous. Whenever you go on a trip you promise me something only to forget it in a few hours. Why does this happen to me every time?”
“Honey it’s really difficult to avoid these kinds of situations. Maniesh is coming to have a conference with me and the MD of Chetak Engineering. If I don’t stay the conference won’t happen. It will be very embarrassing to let go of this opportunity.”
“Maniesh! Maniesh! Why are you giving him so much value?”
Anvita fumed.
“You can break your promise every time you are on a trip but you can’t break one with him.”
“He expects that this task gets done by me. I have to fulfil that.”
“How you talk about him make me feel bad about you, Atul.”
“Why? He’s a great person. You should know more about him.”
“You should know a little about him too. I haven’t told you about him. I had met him and I know a thing about him, even before you introduced him to me. He’s not an honest and humble person that you think.”
Atul was stunned.
“What do you know?”
There was a silence before Anvita spoke.
“During my initial days at Teckpo, I had accompanied my team during a meeting with another company. That’s when I met Maniesh for the first time. He was there but I didn’t know who he was. He came out creepy. He bumped into me and spilt his drink on my dress perhaps accidentally. When I came back from the washroom I was lost and due to some mix-up, my team had walked out too soon. Maniesh tried to trick me and sent me to the upper storey looking for them. There I accidentally witnessed the MD of this company – his name is Manjot –sexually harassing one of his employees. I was shocked and I fled from there. He saw the trouble and called my team back along with me. Manjot took me to talk alone and he threatened me not to speak a word about what I had seen. I was shocked when he mentioned yours as well as Shreyas’ name. He knew about you and I was really scared to tell you about this all. But then I understood who Maniesh is. He was very close to you and it must be him who tipped off Manjot about my personal life…”
“What was he doing with his staff?”
Atul interrupted her.
“He was forcing her…to have him in her mouth. Leave what Manjot did. Let me tell you about Maniesh. After this incident, one day, while coming back from work Manjot stopped me. He told me very ridiculous things…like very derogatory remarks. I don’t want to recall what he said but I can tell you he was implying to sexually exploit me. The thought of him looking at me gives me creeps, Atul. And you know, Maniesh was at the driving seat in his car. He heard every word Manjot told me. Later when you introduced me to him at your official dinner he was like from some other world. If he had any care for you, if he was a man, he would have come to me and apologised to me. But he did not. He may come across as a striking personality but he is far from that. I hate it when you speak nicely of him, Atul. I don’t want you to any favour at the cost of my happiness.”
Her anger was gone. She was sad now.
“Did he – Manjot – meet you after that?”
“A couple of times I had seen him at official functions at Teckpo. But I avoided him carefully. Apart from that I never saw of him.”
Atul took a deep breath.
“I think I should ask Maniesh about it.”
“No. Don’t dig up old things, Atul. If you ask him, Manjot will know that I broke my promise. They are partners in business and they are friends. Please. I told you this because I want to warn you about him.”
“You should have told me earlier, Anvi.”
“I am sorry Atul. I was really scared. You should see his face. He’s an animal. He can do very bad things to us. Promise me you won’t mention a word to Maniesh.”
“Okay. But I can’t pull out of today’s event. It is very important that he meet the MD of Chetak Engineering. I haven’t told you about the issue of Shreyas. He’s trying to fool me and everyone. I can deal with him after today’s meeting.”
After a moment of silence, Anvita spoke in a calm voice.
“Okay. I don’t want to put you in trouble. But I am also skipping the function.”
“You don’t have to miss that, Anvi… I know how excited you are to attend the function. Prithvi will be very disappointed if none of us showed up. I will call him and tell him why I cannot make it. But you must go.”
“No, please don’t force me, Atul. I am not going.”
“I will be sad if you talk like this.”
“Don’t be.”
“I won’t be if you listen to me Anvi. Please, please go. I will ask Prithvi to pick you up if you want. He will be happy to do that.”
“No. no.”
Anvita said quickly.
“Don’t do that. You are embarrassing me, Atul.”
“He’s your friend too. What’s the embarrassment in this?”
Anvita fell silent for a couple of seconds.
“Anvi?”
Anvita sighed.
“Okay. Okay, then.”
“Thank you so much, Anvi. Shall I tell you to pick you up from our place?”
“No. Don’t do that. I can drive. I’ll make it there myself.”
“That’s my girl. I love you, baby. See you tomorrow.”
Atul ended the call and sighed.
 
 
Ridhima had noticed him talking in his tense voice. She asked about it when she returned after the shower. Atul looked up and his eyes lit up. Fresh out of the shower she looked youthful and her face glowing. She was patting her dewy hair dry with a towel. She was not only in her homely avatar but also very comfortable in her skin to walk out in front of him. Wearing a kurta she looked down to earth yet beautiful as ever.
“You look stunning.”
Atul said.
Ridhima flushed.
“I know.”
She touched at the tip of his nose.
“I asked you why you were gloomy again, well, before seeing me.”
“It’s family. I told you about a wedding eve bash at a friend’s wedding. Anvita is angry for me not making it.”
“That’s very sad. My gain is her loss.”
Ridhima was genuinely saddened.
“But it’s okay. I’ve got her convinced.”
“Do you really wanna do this?”
Atul could not answer her.
He did not want to do it. But he had to do it. The meeting is important.
Ridhima stared at him for a moment and shook her head.
“Let me handle this.”
She phoned Maniesh right away.
“Maniesh, I must apologise to you for this. I’m afraid I won’t make it for dinner due to some very personal commitments.”
“You have absolutely no reason to apologise, Ridhima. In fact, I would like to thank the almighty because I too have just found me in the middle of an unavoidable commitment. But I am very disappointed how this has messed up a great opportunity to have fun.”
“So am I.”
“I made a promise to Atul and now it’s embarrassing. I was thinking about lunch. How about that?”
Atul could hear Maniesh's voice. Ridhima looked at him and he nodded.
“It’s a good idea.”
Ridhima said.
“I’ll send you the address very soon. Shall I pick you up from your place?”
Maniesh offered to send his car for her and Ridhima refused, politely. He asked if Atul was still with her.
“He was here half an hour ago.”
She said.
“Anyway it’s no issue; I will get to him.”
She ended the conversation and turned to Atul.
“Happy now? You are home tonight.”
 
Atul was about to phone Anvita.
“I suggest you do not tell her that you’re going to make it in time.”
Ridhima said.
“It will be a great surprise for her.”
“It will be.”
Atul nodded.
“It’s actually a surprise for me.”
Atul hugged her happily and thanked her.
 
Atul got Maniesh's phone call very soon. Atul assured him he’s not disappointed at all.
 
Atul was glad that Maniesh did not call off the meeting. It was going to be a perfect deal for Atul. He was going home, Maniesh was no more a threat and the meeting was still happening.
But he still had a gut feeling that Maniesh could be playing his cards right to get close to Ridhima. He’s definitely going to have his way with her. Atul thought. He remembered the ultra-luxurious world inside his apartment. And he remembered the spacious bedroom and the king-size bed and the shiny quilt on it. And he remembered many more things of his apartment before he cut down his thoughts.
 
Ridhima phoned her driver and gave him the time to leave for the restaurant Maniesh had messaged. She then relieved her servant Neelam.
“I’m having lunch outside. You don’t have to cook anything for now. Dinner, at the regular time.”
She instructed.
Neelam shook her head obediently and left soon.
 
Ridhima went to her room and returned with a small bag.
“I have something for you, Atul.”
It was a blazer.
“It’s for you. I bought it two months back.”
She said.
“When I found it I remembered you. I thought it would suit you. I bought it right away.”
Atul could not stop smiling at her. He wore it and it fitted him perfectly.
“You have a knack for selection.”
Atul said.
“I love this.”
Ridhima smiled.
“Will you wear this for lunch?”
“I am wearing it for lunch, sweetheart!”
Atul was embarrassed instantly for addressing her sweetheart. It was odd and he couldn’t believe how it came out of his mouth.
“Sweetheart, huh?”
Ridhima's eyes shone brightly.
“I am sorry it slipped out of my…”
Ridhima put her finger across his mouth to stop him.
“Don’t apologise. I don’t mind it.”
“I don’t know how it came out of my mouth. I don’t remember saying it ever. Not even to Anvita.”
He blurted.
“It is still sweet.”
She said.
Atul felt he was staring at her and he averted his eyes.
 
“Let’s get ready. What do you want me to wear?”
Ridhima asked. Atul shrugged.
“I’ll have to see your wardrobe first.”
“Then come and have a look.”
She led him to her bedroom. Quite spacious though, its furniture and other accessories were minimalistic as was the case with the whole house. Atul's eyes fell on the neatly kept bed and Ridhima noticed it. Atul felt an urge to respond.
“Your bed doesn’t look like you sleep on it. It’s too neat.”
“Maybe. I just sleep on it.”
Ridhima quipped.
“I can see that.”
Atul retorted.
 
Ridhima slid the wardrobe door open. It was another example of neatness and orderliness.
“Blue and white are your favourites.”
Atul noticed.
“So I’ll choose this one.”
He pointed at a white top and blue pencil skirt.
When she wore it and finally walked out he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He looked at her from head to toe and she seemed not only comfortable but also pleased with his staring.
“You know, I want to take you in my arms and choke you with a kiss. You look so hot.”
Atul commented.
Ridhima looked at him in surprise. And her eyes outshined her gorgeous smile.
“Who’s stopping you? Go ahead!”
Atul waited no more. He pulled her closer and kissed her. He thought he would stop after a second but once their lips met, they both refused to move back. A moment later, he was pushing his mouth over hers and sucking her soul out of her. When he stopped, she panted slightly. Then she moved forward and kissed him again before he could move back. She parted her lips and allowed her tongue dart into his mouth and he sucked her warm lips and tongue together. A violent force had taken control of him and Atul felt an urge to have a go at it with her. He cupped her face and looked deeper into her eyes. Ridhima was panting. She was ready to surrender.
“You are a dream every man would love to cherish, Ridhima.”
His voice made him quickly realise how much he had fallen for her. And he was not regretting it.
“I don’t fancy being in the dream of every man but you.”
Ridhima whispered and her arms around him became tighter.
“I love the way you look at me, Atul. I dream of how you would hold me and I wish we could do a lot more than that….”
Her words pierced right through his heart and made him realise what he was doing. He couldn’t move. Ridhima was studying his face and she quickly moved.
“I am sorry… Atul… I…”
Atul hugged her, in an attempt to save them both from the awkwardness.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
He mumbled.
 
Ridhima quietly began to walk to her room.
“Ridhima.”
Atul stopped her and took her into his arms.
“Are you okay?”
She was avoiding his eyes.
“There is something. I can read it in your eyes.”
“Then read it completely and tell me what it is.”
She looked up.
“I am confused about myself. I got carried away. I should have thought you are a married man.”
“But it was okay. Nothing happened. We had it under control.”
“I don’t know. I have this feeling like I am doing something very bad to you. Not you, your…”
She stopped, unable to finish.
“Anvita?”
Atul was stunned to know she cared for Anvita more than he did at the moment. It was his moment to regret but he was not feeling it. He was secretly ashamed.
Perhaps I empathise too much. He assured himself, quickly. He forced a smile to his lips.
“You know what I want to do with you?”
He touched the tip of her nose.
“I want to carry you in my arms to your bed and make love to you. I want to give you all the love I can ever give any woman in this world. Even at the moment, I am dying to do it. But unfortunately, I can’t do it because I have already given my word to someone else. But it is okay to dream. Somebody had told me this; it is okay to have such dreams. It is okay to have secrets. It is okay to dream about people you are not supposed to. I want to confess one thing. I have fantasized about you.”
Ridhima was studying him as he talked slowly and her eyes shone in surprise in the end.
“Have you?”
“It was awesome. You have no idea.”
“Tell me more about it so that I can believe you.”
“No. you won’t believe me if I told you how crazy you were in my fantasy.”
Ridhima's mouth was left open and she was shy to face him now. She had suddenly forgotten her age.
“You are not a saint as you make everyone believe, are you?”
“Well, don’t you have fantasies about me?”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“Come on. Don’t be so harsh to me.”
He sat her with him on the couch.
“Tell me. How do you see me in there…emm…normal or aggressive?”
“Normal.”
Atul looked deeper into her eyes and he knew she was lying.
“Well, I see that I am very aggressive.”
Ridhima giggled sheepishly.
“Not every time. But yes, there are times when you become very aggressive.”
“What do I do when I become aggressive?”
“Enough sharing! We have a lunch to attend. We are going to be late…”
“Fuck lunch. He can wait. Tell me, you said nothing.”
“Tell me about yours.”
“Well. Okay. Emm… you and I make out on a regular basis. Like, whenever I think of you, we happen to be making out.”
Ridhima laughed.
“Liar!”
“I am not lying. There’s a difference between your thought coming to my head and me thinking of you. When I think of you, I think very fondly about you. The business and our responsibilities do not exist there.”
“Maybe. But I loved it.”
“But you laughed.”
“No. I loved it. I am just shy.”
“Shy?”
Atul smirked.
“You have no such thing when you show up in my dream.”
“Same goes for you too.”
“And you never hesitate before pushing me down on anywhere, like this couch, and you pull down my pants before I have my choice.”
“That’s really like me. I always do that, don’t I?”
She quipped. Atul ignored her and took her hands in his hands.
“And you hold me in these beautiful hands.”
She began to pull her hands back and bit her lips.
“Look at me.”
Atul said.
“No, I don’t want to look at you.”
She admitted.
“Okay, no problem. Turn around.”
He made her face away from him and sat behind her before he pulled her closer and had her in a complete embrace. He held her right palm with his right hand and brought it to make her hold his left index finger.
“Like this, you hold me.”
“Like this?”
She held his finger firmly.
“Like this, but it’s not like this. You know what I mean. It’s a little bit thicker and longer and…and you seem to like it very much.”
She couldn’t control her laugh and she shook his finger left and right in an attempt to cause him to pain lightly.
“No. not like this... you shake it quite well in my dream. You are in fact an expert.”
He said.
Ridhima turned her face and pinched at his cheek.
“You dirty fellow. You are such a…”
“Come on… keep holding it. I haven’t finished.”
“Okay.”
She quickly grabbed his finger again.
“Tell me now.”
“Do you really have no idea what do you do it from here?”
“You naughty!”
“Tell me.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Show me.”
Ridhima slowly stroked her hand up and down on his finger.
“It’s very small.”
She giggled.
“It’s just an illustration. The actual piece grows longer and thicker as you do it.”
“Haha…”
“And then you bring it close to your mouth and kiss at its tip.”
So saying Atul brought his left hand to her mouth and touched her lips.
“And then you slowly make these soft lips form a circle around it. And I have no choice but slowly push it into your mouth like this…”
He was pushing his finger into her mouth and she was not smiling now. His lips went inside her mouth and he could feel the warmth of her tongue around it.
“Do you like its taste?”
“Mmm…”
Her reply was a moan.
“Good. And then you begin to suck it, right?”
“mmm…”
Again a slight moan. Atul tilted his head and planted a soft kiss at the side of her neck. He could see her chest moving her cleavage and he had to repress his urge to turn her around and kiss her.
Ridhima had started to suck on his finger and he could feel her tongue dancing around it.
“You have a knack to do it. I love the way you move your tongue.”
Ridhima quickly pulled his finger out of her mouth. She turned and smiled.
“What?”
He asked.
“You too, are very good with your tongue in my dreams.”
She revealed, her eyes dreamy.
“How?”
“Down there.”
Atul moved his hand downward.
“Here?”
Ridhima grabbed his hand tightly and stopped him.
“You know where I mean, don’t have to demonstrate.”
Atul was astonished as well as aroused by the revelation. He wanted to kneel down in front of her and split her legs apart and press his mouth to her love centre.
“I would love to do that, in my dream. I would love to lick you till you say enough.”
He whispered.
She turned and looked at him again.
“Will you?”
“I promise.”
He said and she brought her lips to his again. This time it was like they knew what they were doing. There was absolutely no sense of urgency or panic and more evidently there was no remorse.
She turned and leaned further to him and her lips parted to give him further access. His one palm rested behind her neck and he slowly sucked of her warmth. His erection was now aching.
As if instinctively, he began to caress her breasts with his left hand and she merely cooed into him further. When he finally parted she was all love.
“Atul…”
She smirked, her eyes smitten with love and lust.
“Please tell me to stop.”
Atul blurted out, his lips almost touching hers.
“I wish I could never tell you that.”
Before their lips would meet he hugged her and pressed his face down to her shoulder. She hugged him back tightly.
“I will dream of you tonight.”
She whispered.
“Me too.”
“What are you going to dream?”
“I can’t tell you. But it’s going to be very…dirty.”
She giggled.
“Make me do everything you wish.”
The doorbell rang, forcing them to separate.
The driver had arrived.
Atul kept thinking about the kiss throughout the drive. He was sure it was going to be tough to get rid of the hardness he was carrying. Ridhima too kept giving him the eye, giving him hints of how aroused she had become.
 
They arrived at the restaurant on time. Wearing a cool black suit, Maniesh looked nothing short of a high profile celebrity. He welcomed them each with a warm embrace. He thanked Ridhima especially for deciding to join him for the lunch.
The lunch was delicious and Maniesh was at his witty self. He was a gentleman and the perfect host. Atul wondered if Anvita was really talking about him. There could be some confusion. He dared to think for a moment. There was not even a single gesture toward Ridhima that would make Atul wary.
Atul could feel the sense of satisfaction and he was thrilled with joy by the time they parted.
Ridhima hugged Maniesh and he planted a light kiss on her cheek in the end.
“I hope to see you soon.”
He told her.
 
“He was sweet today.”
Ridhima commented while they drove back.
Later, Ridhima followed him to the airport to see him off.
“Don’t forget to dream about me.”
She quipped as she hugged him one last time.
“You too, sweetheart!”
He smiled and walked to the entry gate.
 
Atul could not stop smiling even after boarding the flight. He kept dreaming of going back to Ridhima and continuing from where they had been stopped. He wondered if he would have taken Ridhima to bed had the driver not showed up in time. Perhaps. A pang of regret now passed through his mind.
However, it did not take away his arousal. He was definitely going to live Ridhima's fantasy.
He was going home. He thought of Anvita and thought of making love to her. he thought of her beautiful eyes and lips. He thought of her fingers firmly around his dick. He thought of her warm lips forming a circle and taking his dick into her mouth. He thought of his face pressing between her inner thighs.
 
Atul did not forget to purchase a fancy earring on board for Anvita. She will be happy to see me. Now she’s going to be happier. He kept visualising her face when he would show up at the place.
He felt an urge to make a call to her but he stopped himself.
 
It was dark enough by the time he reached the venue of the wedding. Prithvi's father Pardeep welcomed him with a warm embrace. He took additional care to introduce Atul to his family and friends. Everyone was very friendly to him. Everyone seemed to have met Anvita. In fact, everyone seemed to have been impressed by her. Atul mentioned it to them.
“Anvita is with us since evening.”
Prithvi’s mother said.
Atul's eyes continuously kept wandering to have a sight of Anvita. However, even after one hour since his arrival, he could not find her. It was strange but everyone who has met her seemed to assure him the same thing.
“She is here only. She was just here. I saw her.”
The time passed, and Atul turned nervous with each minute. His brand new Belano was found in the parking area. But Anvita was not found.
As a matter of fact, Prithvi was also missing.
 
 

------------------------------000--------------------------------

[krish_999]

Please increase the frequency of updates. A weekly update kills the excitement. The waiting becomes too long.

I will keep it in mind. Thank you.

[krish_999]

Krish, when can we expect the update?

Possibly day after tomorrow

[krish_999]

Chapter 49

Atul

“Anvita told us you were gone to Pune.”
Pradeep told Atul.
“Yeah. I didn’t think I would make it. Luckily I did.”
“Thank you so much for coming, bro.”
Parthiv, Prithvi's brother said.
“I haven’t told Anvita that I am coming. She was not happy when I hinted I might not make it.”
Atul revealed.
“Wow. She is in for some surprise!”
However, Atul soon learnt that he was the one in for a surprise. Atul was led to the welcome hall and was served with drinks. He met Parthiv’s family and friends.
As the initial rush of meeting new people was subsided Atul phoned Anvita. The ring went unanswered.
“She must be with the girls doing the makeup.”
Somebody suggested to him.
An hour had passed since his arrival and he still could not get a glimpse of Anvita. He asked many, and everyone seemed concerned about it but nobody knew exactly where she was. Pradeep had led him to the program hall and provided him with a place among the front rows. Atul looked around the crowd enjoying the event, but couldn’t spot the face he had been dying for.
The music was impressive. The crowd was dense, and they cheered for each number. Atul was getting increasingly restless in his seat.
Pradeep was ready to help him.
“Did you try to call her?”
“She’s not picking up.”
“Okay, no problem. I’ll send someone to look for her. I think she’s with Prithvi's friends. Some girls from his college have also come.”
He said.
“And you know these girls never finish their makeup.”
He laughed at his own joke. Atul had to force a smile.
Pradeep returned to him after some time.
“Your car is in the parking; her phone is also in the car. So she must be here only, right? The crowd is large and that’s why it’s difficult but she’s going to join you soon, dear.”
He assured.
“Where is Prithvi?”
Atul queried.
“He’s very busy with his team.”
Pradeep said.
“We have a power supply problem due to some unexpected issue. We were all scared if the program would be interrupted but fortunately, we managed to make alternative options just in time. Prithvi is busy coordinating with them. I will tell him to meet you. You can ask him in case you need anything. Please do not hesitate.”
“No, it’s okay. I was just asking. The arrangements look very good.”
Atul said.
The sudden downpour in the early evening had caused an unexpected power breakdown. Many of the decorative light works were still being fixed as the main supply was gone. There was a state of mayhem going on behind the shine and sheen of the wedding’s festive mood, Atul could tell. A lot of friends and well-wishers of the host family had thrown helping hands to make sure the music program went on uninterrupted and was most enjoyable, especially to the female audience.
Pradeep’s assurance turned out to be futile even after fifteen minutes. Atul walked out of the hall and met Prithvi's friends. One of them, Pawan, knew Anvita in person and he recognised Atul as well.
“She went to your house.”
He informed.
“We were looking for an inverter and she said she could help.”
Atul had an inverter, purchased after the fire incident at his apartment complex a few months ago.
Prithvi, Mukund and two others are gone with her.
“When did they go? I’ve been here since 8 o’clock.”
“Don’t worry; they must be back on their way now. They have my i20.”
Pawan said.
He tried to call on Atul's phone but was found ringing from nearby, put on charge. Eventually, he managed to contact one of Prithvi's friends who had accompanied them.
“We have the inverter and we are coming back.”
Atul could hear the voice from the other end of the phone.
“Where is Anvita?”
Pawan asked.
“She’s also coming. What happened?”
Atul felt relieved and only then he realised how nervous he had become. He couldn’t really understand why there was so much drama happening around him at the moment. It was a wedding eve; a highly enjoyable musical night was on; everyone was enjoying with the exception of just one person; him. An inexplicable dread that had mounted him was finally eluding him.
Finally.
“Can I talk to Anvita?”
Atul asked. He could sense an upsurge of excitement in his own voice.
“She is not in the car. She went back to her house, perhaps they forgot something, I don’t know. Prithvi said it's nothing and they are coming.”
“That's alright.”
Atul said quietly.
That's not alright, damn! That's not good news! Only Atul could say. For one moment, he wished he was just imagining the whole thing. They didn't say she stayed back with Prithvi. But, hey, what?
Why did they stay back? What’s going on? Questions began to arise and tension began to mount, once again. All of a sudden an unexpected fear began to shape up in his mind, and it shaped his mind.
A night that was high on excitement; a woman who had been a dream of many; a boy who was aching to be her lover; a home that was lonely; if a devil was in command, it could be his favourite moment. All it might take was a momentary slip, and the outcome could be irreversible. Atul knew it in a second.
He had lost his patience and excitement altogether.
Atul borrowed a bike from someone he had befriended.
"A friend wants to meet me urgently. I'll be back in a few minutes."
He experienced a hard time to pretend all is well with him and his world. He stuck to the shortest route and fastest gear, and in thirty minutes he was stepping into the Darshan Apartment complex. The first thing his eyes fell at was Prithvi’s bike, in the parking lot.
Atul’s heartbeats began to rise. He checked his watch. Forty minutes. And they are still inside. The realisation only helped him fall further deeper into his scary suspicions. But his mind was split in opposite ways. At one moment he was terrified of the doubts about the unthinkable becoming true. And the next moment he was ashamed of his dirty thoughts; having doubted his wife’s integrity. It was not the first time he was having doubts about her, suspecting the worst, but the truth had proved him wrong, every time. Perhaps I am doubtful because of her beauty, or my insecurity. I'm insecure, as Rajat once told me. He thought.
He knew his doubts were not going to be true, and in a few seconds, Anvita would be standing in front of him, laughing at him, having pulled a clever prank at him.
Atul’s conscience was split into two. His optimism ruled ninety-nine per cent of it but the pessimism of one per cent was made him go weak at his knees. He felt both nervous and powerless when he stood inside the elevator. And when he reached in front of his apartment he questioned himself. Should I really intrude? What if they are doing some chit chat and what if they are already walking out of the house? What will I say why I am here?
He was not going to admit the truth for he was not so shameless. There was no justification for him to borrow someone’s bike and rush home to check what his wife doing with her friend who was also her former student.
Prithvi’s dad had assured him many times. “Prithvi will take care of her. Don’t worry, my friend.”
How many times did he assure you? And you still came running here. To do what? And why?
There was no justification.
Atul’s eye fell at the opposite door. Yes! An idea struck him instantly and he spent no time thinking.
He unlocked the number lock and sneaked into Rajat’s apartment. He closed the door quietly and hurried to the balcony. He climbed on the pabangt and leaned to the balcony of his apartment hall. The light was switched off in the balcony. Atul climbed down carefully and moved surreptitiously. He peeped into the hall through the gap between the floral curtains.
Prithvi was sitting there; in the well-lit hall, well dressed and well behaving. He was alone, calm and looked like he was waiting. For Anvita.
Atul crawled through the floor and got up at the other end of the balcony to jump across the one-metre-gap carefully into the pabangt of the bedroom balcony. He crawled again towards the window and looked inside the room through the glass pane.
Anvita was there, in front of the mirror. A breeze swept through Atul’s mind and he was at peace. Wearing a long gorgeous gown, Anvita was nothing short of a divine angel. Atul couldn’t really take his eyes of her marvellous figure. For a moment, he wanted to break into the room and carry her to the bed and choke her with his kisses. The thought, accompanied by the absolute lack of visible evidence to prove wrongdoing, instantly brought a light smile into his lips.
Anvita was retouching her makeup; her dress was sans any wrinkles, as perfect as Anvita would prefer to wear for the function. It appeared like she was back from the washroom. So that’s why they stayed back? It was no wonder why Prithvi looked impatient. Atul felt bad for doubting over his wife’s faithfulness. He felt ashamed that he questioned his wife’s friendship with his friend, once again.
The gown Anvita was wearing was intact. She seemed to have checked it to perfection and walked to the hall. Atul waited at the balcony, allowing them to leave. The light in the apartment was off, without much delay. Atul returned to Rajat’s house and went to the bedroom balcony. He certainly did not want to risk running into them, and he waited for them to leave, with his eyes fixed at the exit gate of the complex.
Prithvi and Anvita took more time than expected to show up at the road, and Atul began wondering whether he should walk up to them and say ‘hi’. He knew it was a foolish idea.
Everyone at the wedding venue knew he was there an hour ago. It was not nice to have come here, doubting my wife and her innocent young friend. Atul was cursing his decision with his growing impatience. He was already dying to meet her in person. For that, I need to be there first.
He spotted Prithvi’s bike on the road; Anvita was sitting behind him, careful enough to keep her dress in shape. She had her right hand on his shoulder. However, Atul noticed the gap she maintained between her and Prithvi. Atul smiled with a sense of pride.
The bike soon disappeared from sight. Atul ran out of the apartment and started his bike and rushed to the wedding hall.
When he reached there, Anvita was expectedly waiting for him. She looked worried. It didn't surprise Atul though; as he was sure she would be told by many about his arrival and then sudden disappearance.
“I had gone to meet a friend.”
Atul said apologetically and then smiled.
“I thought I would surprise you, but I ended up surprised. You look gorgeous, by the way.”
Before Anvita could say anything, he pulled her toward him and hugged her. Her body felt warm and Atul felt complete. And he was aroused in a moment. He wanted to hug her tight and kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so hard that he would spoil her lipstick. He was getting hard in his pants. He took a long breath and smiled at her again.
“Your perfume kills me; especially today. I missed you a lot baby.”
Anvita’s eyes began to turn wet.
“Hey.”
Atul hugged her again;
“I missed you too, Atul.”
She whispered.
He caressed her shoulder, slowly.
“I know that baby…”
He said.
Anvita took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
“I have a surprise for you, anyway.”
Atul said and the same moment he remembered something. He had taken the small gift box when he was waiting at Rajat’s balcony and he had forgotten it on the pabangt, there. His head went blank for a second. I can't tell you I've just forgotten it there.
“It is a very intimate one; between us only. I’ll tell you when we are home.”
Atul smiled.
He was already making a plan to retrieve the gift once they returned home later.
Prithvi walked up to Atul and welcomed him with a warm embrace.
“Thank you for coming. Anvita said you couldn’t make it.”
“Well, I did.”
Prithvi shook his head.
“Yes, you did.”
He led Atul and Anvita to the music hall. The number of people dancing in front of the stage had grown very high. Prithvi invited Atul to the dance floor but Anvita stopped him.
"I don't want to spoil my dress."
Later he led them to the dining hall and got the space for them to dine despite the large crowd. Prithvi's conscious efforts to keep him at ease, like a responsible member of the host family, made Atul regret doubting him.
Throughout the night, Anvita kept asking Atul about the surprise.
“Can't you tell me now?”
“Give me a clue at least?”
Atul had a tough time keeping the secret. He wanted to reveal it but he did not want to say he forgot it at Rajat’s balcony.
“Well, you owe me a sorry.”
He said when they were leaving.
“What?”
Anvita looked tensed, suddenly.
Atul laughed.
“You were angry when I said I wouldn’t make it. But I made it, just in time, didn’t I?”
Anvita shook her head.
“Yes, you did. Just in time. I owe you an apology and I’ll do it in my style. First, you reveal your surprise.”
She said.
Her focus remained on the same even after reaching home. Atul’s plan to distract her for a few minutes so that he could retrieve the gift was not going to work; Atul leant it quickly.
“Tell me now.”
She stood in front of him and looked into his eyes.
She was impatient. She was tired and sleepy yet she was eager to know. Atul looked on and saw her lips quivering. They were asking for some attention. Atul moved forward and kissed her. He was going to forget the gift and he was going to gift her himself, wrapped in love.
He was going to make love to his beautiful, faithful wife.
“This is the surprise, my love.”
He whispered and took her in his arms to the bed and climbed on top of her. He bent down to shower her with kisses and suddenly he remembered Ridhima. He remembered how he was kissing her. He remembered how she was moaning to his light touches and how she was ready to surrender.
Atul darted his tongue into Anvita's mouth and then sucked her tongue. He felt it tastier than he ever felt and he turned crazy in a few seconds. He panted and mauled her breasts over her dress.
“My dress. You are ruining it.”
Anvita complained.
“Then get rid of it.”
Atul laughed.
Anvita looked at him in disbelief.
“You are crazy.”
“I am crazy for you. Get it off!”
He urged her, deliriously.
They got up and undressed in a matter of seconds. With an increasing sense of hurry, they watched each other shedding clothes. As he dropped his brief, his erection jumped out and she watched it in wonder.
“You are so crazy.”
She said.
“I am crazy.”
He pushed her back into the bed and bent over her and sucked her tits. They were erect and beautiful. His tongue inched toward her navel through her milky toned stomach and he licked all over it. She laughed. He touched between her legs and soon pushed a finger inside her. She let out a soft moan.
Anvita was wet and it was no surprise to him. He closed his eyes for once and he saw Ridhima sitting in the couch with him, sharing her darkest fantasy about how she would love to subject her with his love. And she wanted her to be crazy. Atul was even crazier.
A moment later Atul was bending down and pressing his mouth into Anvita’s love centre and for the first time in his life, he was learning the taste of it. Sour, sweet, tangy, he could not really decide. He did not want to decide. He loved it. He pressed his face further into her and licked harder. As he went on, he felt her legs opening up further. And her hand was touching behind his head. He was welcome.
“Oh my god. Oh my… you are crazy… you are mad.”
She blurted out, her voice hoarse and sedate with pleasure. Juice kept flowing out and Atul lapped up it all. He reached her breasts with his one hand and pushed another hand between her legs. She cried a little.
“You taste so good, honey. I never knew it could be this good.”
Atul said.
Anvita couldn't mouth a verbal response as she had learnt the tone of what was coming and she was ready to surrender to it. Atul lifted her legs in the air and bent down again to bring his shoulder under her feet and then pushed his tongue between her molten lips.
“Aaah!”
Anvita's response was a jerk and she tried to grab his hair, but she never meant to stop him. He spread her labia with his fingers, exposing more of her clit and gave a long upward lick to drive her into a frenzy. She was soft and wet all the time and Atul was not finding a reason to pause let alone stop. He continued licking upwards and let his tongue lick over her vaginal opening as well as the soft lips. His tongue glided into deeper and flipped inside her and she arched her hip inward in response.
“Atul…!”
Her cries were clues for him to continue. His tongue danced in and out of her. At times he touched her with the flatness of his tongue and at other times he penetrated her with the tip of it.
“Oh my God…please…!”
Atul began stroking the underside of her clit with a flat tongue. It was too much to bear for Anvita now. She grabbed his hair and her whole body shuddered.
“Huh!”
It was a cry and she pushed Atul away in a jerk and next moment she pulled his hair back and pressed his head down between her legs. She cried.
“Atul…”
Atul was shocked and embarrassed to hear her crying but he couldn’t take his head up and stop, because Anvita was pushing his mouth down to her pussy. It was a sign. He had brought her orgasm. Atul licked her with increased vigour and thirst, and he was so happy he had done it. Finally.
She pushed his face into her and let him swallow it all. Perhaps she didn’t want him to see her crying with the sudden burst of pleasure. Atul was happy to keep his face down between her forever.
“O my God. That was so good. You surprised me like hell. “
She broke into a satisfying smile later.
When he kissed her she pulled her face back.
“What?”
“You taste different.”
“Do I?”
He laughed and kissed her again. This time she didn’t resist. He wasn’t kissing her anymore. He was eating her lips.
A minute later, she pushed him back and grabbed his pole, which was already leaking pre-cum. She pushed it into her mouth and sucked it without a hint of discomfort, and Atul watched in wonder as she began to move her head back and forth. In a minute he was coming and he moaned. She pulled out and held his dick right in front of her face, as he spurted his thick cum out; cum drops fell at her lips and chin and then at her breasts. Anvita looked up at him and panted. A moment later, she was laughing.
“Wow. We are one dirty couple.”
Atul was smiling and panting. In his mind, he was thanking Ridhima. It is because of you.
“Yeah... Yeah. I love it when we are dirty.”
Anvita licked her lips, tasting his cum.
“You are more than I dreamt of, ever.”
That was what he heard of her before he slipped into sleep. However, it was indeed a night that he was going to cherish for long.

In the morning they woke up early and began to get ready for the wedding. Atul watched her walking out from the shower and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Anvita smiled at him.
“What?”
He winked at her and pulled her to the bed. Soon, she had her legs split again, and Atul had his face sunk between them, sucking her deep, and working hard to bring her to a morning eruption.
“You are getting so dirty, and you know I like it.”
She said.
She then pulled him down his trousers and stuffed her mouth with his hard meat. A few moments later, he was moaning in pleasure as he let the stream of hot cum flow into the back of her throat, and she swallowed it all. Then he knelt with her and kissed at her spoilt lips.
“I love you.”
He said.
In one hour, they were ready and leaving for the marriage.
When their car was leaving the complex, Atul saw Rajat walking in through the gate. He waved at Atul and Atul waved back at him. The car moved past him quickly but not before Atul noticed the pregnant look that the man bore on his face. And he was certainly looking at Anvita.
Is he thinking about the date?
Atul wondered.
Perhaps he’s dreaming of her.
Atul was not angry at the thought.

Atul was happy. He was excited. He thought he had a perfect life. Perfect love. He knew he had finally opened a door that he had been in search of.
What he didn’t know was that the world around him had, in fact, opened a door for him he wouldn’t endure even in a bad dream.

                  -----------------000---------------

[krish_999]

Chapter 50

Anvita

 
When Atul came up with the dinner plan for Rajat, Anvita had quickly sensed something wrong about it. It was a tricky game played by Rajat, she was sure. But she could not find how. Even her protest went in vain. Atul seemed to have suddenly had developed a soft corner for him.
He must have listened to his stories of desperation. Anvita thought.
My wife is ill. It's been like this, so sad, for me, forever. I have forgotten how women laugh with my jokes. Blah blah blah. Please invite me to dinner.
Anvita had a bad feeling about Atul inviting him for dinner. Varun's warning was still in her head.
“Mark my words, he’s gonna sell you too.” His laughable foretelling was now making her nervous.
And she could blame only herself; because it was her reckless adventure with Shreyas that cornered her to a defensive mode whenever Rajat made a move.
 
Rajat had not been seen for a few days and Anvita had begun to wonder if he had given up. However, Saturday morning when she ran into him in the market, she saw a different Rajat.
Anvita had parked her car at the other end of the busy market road. Having finished shopping, she was walking back to the car with a fairly sized vegetable bag when Rajat showed up out of nowhere.
"Let me help you," he offered to hold her bag. She refused.
"Come on Anvi. Don't be so rude to me."
He literally snatched the bag and Anvita let it go.
"I'm not rude. I am paying respect to your reputation."
"Reputation?"
"I don't want anyone to see us together and cook up stories. I know it can't be good stories."
Rajat laughed a little.
"My bad reputation could've been undone if yours was too good. Sadly it isn't the case but you don't have to worry; nobody knows a thing, not yet!"
Anvita's face reddened.
“Give me the bag. I'm alright myself.”
She said stiffly.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, Anvi. These are our little jokes. Between us.”
“There is no 'us thing' in your jokes. I thought you had accepted what I told you the other day.”
“Of course, I have. I'm talking like a normal person. Do you know what's wrong with you? You fear me a lot more than I deserve.”
“I don't fear you.”
“Then come with me. Let's have a coffee.”
Anvita stopped walking.
“Leave me alone, Rajat.”
She extended her hand to the bag in his hand but he ignored her completely and turned to left.
“This one is good. Let's have a coffee and leave in peace.”
Without waiting for her he walked into the shop. Anvita thought about snatching the bag from him and walking away.
It might attract other's attention. Anvita thought. She looked around, nervously, and followed him.
The cafe was not much spacious. Rajat helped her sit on the corner table. He sat across her and kept the vegetables in the chair at his left.
“I must be dreaming about it. You and I, sitting in a café like this.”
He said with a smile.
“If you're dreaming, I insist you wake up and go home. Your wife must be waiting for you.”
Anvita shot back. She didn't really care to look at his face. A boy came to their table and took the order.
“My instincts are telling me something else.”
Rajat said.
“Now we have coffee. Next week we'll have dinner. And...”
“How did you trick him?”
Anvita interrupted him.
“I didn't trick him. He wanted to invite me.”
“Liar!”
“I know it's going to be surprising but it's true. In fact, I was more surprised than you. I always thought he didn't want me to come near you. Like, he never tells me when he goes out of town. Yesterday he told me he'd return by evening but he didn't. If that nature of him is to be believed, he hates me. But he doesn't. He likes me. He's my friend, Anvi. You must respect that.”
“You're a fake.”
Anvita said disgustedly.
“He wants my help to do better with you. He knows that you're not completely satisfied... You know what I mean...”
“Enough!” Anvita grunted and rose to her feet. “Give me the bag. I have no time for this nonsense.”
“Please Anvi. You asked me how this happened and that's why I'm telling you this. Please sit down.”
He begged.
The boy returned with coffee for them. Anvita waited a moment and sat down.
“Please have coffee.”
He said.
She merely held the cup by its handgrip and sat idle. Rajat waited for a moment.
“Please have the coffee, Anvi.”
“Don't call me Anvi. Anvita is the name.”
Her voice was stern.
“Anvita. Okay. Anvita, I got it,” his voice was as soft as he could make it. “Now please have the coffee.”
“I will have it when I want. Don't worry, I won't throw it away!”
Her voice was a sudden burst and Rajat held up his hands instantly.
“Okay, okay. I got that too.”
Anvita suddenly felt she could now make him lick her feet if she wanted. Like a dog.
“I'm not trying to intimidate you. We have an agreement, Anvita. I'm only looking forward to dinner. There is nothing else.”
“Why are you looking forward to the dinner? Do you think you have a chance? Do you think you can give Atul some drinks and then have your way with me?”
“Look at me, Anvi. I mean Anvita. Look at me. See how happy I'm just because I'm having this coffee with you. This is the first time. It's just a coffee but it makes me happy. Actually, you have already put me in the list of perverts that's why you're seeing everything in a bad light. I'm not trying to seduce you.”
“I'm not going to believe it.”
“That's the sad part.”
“You're such a liar. How can you say you're not trying to have your way with me?”
“I have quit, Anvita. I have quit chasing you.”
Anvita looked at him in disbelief.
“You were right. I thought really about it. There is no point in trying to seduce you when there's a chance that it would hurt my friend. But it doesn't mean I have forgotten you. You're still my dream girl. It's not my fault. If you ask our neighbour Shashank uncle about you, he'll also admit having a naughty dream about you. Of course, a secret one. You are so beautiful. You have the power to control men. I see that no one can escape from you. It's as simple as that.”
Anvita thought she smiled a little and regretted it.
“If you don't want to hurt your friend then why are you here, forcing me to have coffee with you?”
“It's just a coffee. I told you.”
“Then promise me, you'll never mention a word about Shreyas to me in future.”
“To you?”
“Yes, to me. I have stopped seeing him now.”
“When did I mention him? It was long ago.”
It was long ago. Anvita admitted. It existed only in her mind.
“Have coffee now, please.”
He said again.
“I told you I will have it. Why do you keep pushing me?”
“Because I want to see you accept something that is offered by me.”
Anvita stared at him and then took a sip from the coffee. She was disturbed by him watching her lips. She kept the coffee down and licked the wetness off her upper lip.
“Stop staring me like a creep. This is why I hate you the most.”
She complained.
“I'm just paying a compliment. I envy Atul the most for he owns your beauty. I often dream of myself being in his place.”
There he starts it again. Anvita didn't say anything.
“When he said he's disappointed with his own performance, I felt really sad. I can see it in you. You should help him.”
"I told you..." Anvita began to say and paused, "what you mean by I should help him?"
“He's getting depressed. You know that, don't you?”
“No.”
“Come on, you're not being honest with you. If he can tell me, you can also tell me. Tell me one thing. Come closer...” He leaned forward and lowered his voice further. “He finishes too early when you have sex with him, doesn't he?”
Anvita hated Atul for a moment. Damn! Why the fuck is he talking about it with this man?
“Please. I don't what to talk about it.”
Anvita hated her own voice for it was so weak.
“You must talk, Anvita. I asked him to see a doctor but he's too shy to do it. And he also thinks it's not much a problem as long as you're not complaining. But it's not true. If you're not complaining it doesn't mean he's alright but you're compromising.”
Anvita didn't dare to open her mouth for she feared she would reply affirmatively.
“That's why I said you must help him.”
“How?”
“I know what I'm gonna tell you might shock you. But you have to let it sink in.”
Rajat took a long breath before he continued.
“As far as I have learnt, Atul is a bit different. He is okay with you having a little fun with other men.”
“What rubbish!”
Anvita's voice had risen.
“Sshh!” Rajat reached across the table and placed his hand over her palm. “Listen completely, Anvita. I'm not trying to trick you. You can observe it by yourself. He's okay with you wearing slightly revealing clothes. I think he wouldn't have opposed if you told him you want to go on a date with his boss, Shreyas. Of course, he wouldn't like you to sleep with other men but a little fun is okay.”
Anvita kept moving her head sideways in disagreement.
“It's hard to believe. But you can see the proof.”
“I can see where you are taking it, Rajat. Do you think I'm a fool? You want me to have a little fun with you during dinner, don't you?”
“Not exactly my point. But dinner is another proof. He knows that I'm attracted to you. Still, he invited me to have dinner with you. He could have done it in a restaurant. But why at your house? Because he's okay with me appreciating your beauty.”
“How exactly you're going to do this - the appreciating my beauty - thing?”
“You'll get to see it next weekend.”
Anvita was speechless. Her palm was still under his hand.
“Get your hand off me,” she said slowly.
“I knew Atul was not home last night. But I didn't try to disturb you. Tonight too, he might not return. But I'm not going to knock on your door. You have to trust me. I'm sorry I told you terrible things last time when we met. What I said was my dream. I can do those things. But I don't want to hurt you. Please be my friend.”
His hand remained firm on hers as he spoke. Anvita tried to pull it back but his grip got firmer only.
“Somebody will notice. Will you leave my hand or not?”
She regretted implying she was worried more about getting caught than being touched by him.
“We're not doing anything wrong, Anvita. I'm just holding your hand.”
He brought his other hand and took her palm into his both hands. Anvita looked around, helplessly. There was nobody to notice them.
“Next weekend Atul might allow me to take your hand in my hands. And you can see him getting excited. You'll have proof of what I said.”
“You're definitely having a plan. Are you going to get him drunk?”
“No. Not at all. I have already told him to control his drinking habits. Excessive drinking causes sexual problems like less erection and quick ejaculation and lack of interest etc. I am really sad he's not giving you what you deserve.”
Anvita wanted to get up and run. However, a part of her mind wanted to listen to what he was saying.
“So I have put forth a suggestion for the dinner. He'll have just two rounds of drinks. After that, we'll keep the bottle away.”
Anvita looked at him in disbelief. “Will you?”
“I promise you that! “He pressed her palm between his hands. Anvita had stopped pulling her hand back.
“You're taking advantage of me. When will you free my hand?”
“I will free it when Atul ask me.”
“What?”
“You have nothing to worry Anvita. You're helping him.”
“How is it gonna help him?”
“Help him get excited. I told you he's different. But there are many men out there like him. They like their wives getting closer to other men. And they fantasize their wives doing wild things with others. When I'm gone after the night, he might think of me having sex with you. And he'll be happy and it will help him.”
“That's ridiculous. I hate Atul doing that.”
“But it's a fact. He gets very excited whenever I speak of how I sleep with Neeti and how she loves to hit multiple orgasms by me. That's how I got the clue that he's a voyeur. I think he would like to watch me having sex with her. It's just a deduction but I won't suggest him until I get permission from you.”
“No!”
Anvita's response was quick and even before that, she had grabbed his hand back.
“Don't ever do that.”
Anvita remembered how excited she was when she had discovered Neeti's affair with Rajat and shared it with Atul. Little she knew it would result in this! She cringed at the thought of him watching a woman having wild sex with his friend. For a moment she hated Neeti.
Rajat smiled.
“No. I won't do that. You can trust me, Anvi.”
Anvi! Anvita let out a sigh. She slowly freed her hand from him and took the coffee. It had become cold.
“Shall I order another one?”
Rajat offered.
“No. I have to go.”
“Okay but remember one thing. Don't confront him about whatever I've told you about him. It's gonna hurt his pride and we don't know how he'd react.”
Anvita nodded slowly.
"Alright," Rajat said. "I might come across as a creep who's taking advantage of your situation. But I want you to promise me one thing.”
Rajat spoke with a hopeful look on his face.
“You should stick to your words. If Atul tells you it is okay, I mean just once, then... then promise me you won't hate him for that.”
Anvita's heart nearly stopped.
 
She had expected him suggesting her to sleep with him if Atul allowed it. But instead, he wanted her to treat Atul affectionately and forgivingly. She couldn't believe Rajat was less concerned about her willingness. Did he just assume it? Did he just assume I would allow him to have sex with me?
Anvita couldn't get the thought out of her head even after she returned home. She had never forgotten Rajat's words.
"I won’t be taking you to coffee shops. I’ll be taking you to your bedroom and I’ll be making you scream in both pain and pleasure in your bed. You wouldn’t have forgotten how I had poked my rod over your bum that day; next time I’m gonna stuff that inside you, that too when your face is pushed down to your marital bed."
It was a mad man's wild fantasy verbalised out of desperation. Anvita had thought.
"You have my word." She had firmly replied. She had hoped Atul to never believe Rajat's stories. But it turned out the latter never needed to tell him those stories. It was Atul who was to become a storyteller. His stories were of lovemaking with his wife. What type of husband would speak like that? What type of husband would want to watch how his neighbour fucked his friend's wife? A voyeur?
Anvita sat on the edge of her bed and ran her palm over it.
Your face pushed down to it.
Anvita couldn't really believe the irony of his choice of words. A few weeks ago she had lived the pain of it. Her face was pushed down to this same bed while a man intruded her dignity without showing a bit of mercy.
Anvita wanted to run to Rajyavardhan and beg for his mercy. "Dad I fear I am going to sin again. Your son is making me sin. Please don't hate him. Please don't punish him."
Anvita was crying. She stood in front of the mirror and cursed her beauty for the first time in her life. Everyone wanted a piece of her.
 
"If you ask our neighbour Shashank uncle about you, he'll also admit having a naughty secret dream about you. You are so beautiful. You have the power to control men."
Rajat's words flashed in her mind.
Is it really the power to control? Anvita wasn't sure. But she was sure Shashank uncle can also have a naughty dream about her. Like she had once dreamt of her father-in-law, he could also dream about her.
Anvita turned around and glanced at her curves. She looked like a model. Everyone's dreaming of her. Everyone wants to grab her and make love to her. Everyone wants to bury their manhood between her legs. Every man. Every dick. With different sizes and length.
"Mark my words Anvita. He's gonna sell you too." Varun had told her once.
Anvita laughed at her own destiny.
If there was one man who was the most responsible to keep her from doing anything wrong, he was apparently seeing nothing wrong in it.
She still hadn't believed Rajat. But she had already started hating Atul for it.
  
Anvita was in the kitchen when Atul phoned. And she was angry when he said he wouldn't make it to the wedding Eve.
“No, Atul. This is ridiculous. Whenever you go on a trip you promise me something only to forget it in a few hours. Why does this happen to me every time?”
It was not that she hated showing up alone at a crowded wedding celebration. It was rather about facing Prithvi by herself. She had been successful in distancing from the memories of the one night stand with Prithvi. Anvita feared facing him in the absence of Atul would bring those memories back. She imagined her sitting on a dining table having a friendly chat with Prithvi, and she hated the idea.
 
However, the truth was that she was not completely hostile to Prithvi. In the deepest part of her heart, she knew she was still friendly to him. Because like her, he too thought he did a mistake. He knew what he had done and he took the blame.
A few days earlier he had phoned her to confirm she's attending the wedding.
"As you said, I'm trying my best to forget everything. I promise I'll never make you remember anything of it. And this will be the last time I spoke about it."
Anvita was cool with his way of talking.
He was never a creep. He was not the one who'd make a nasty remark about the unforgettable night. Anvita was confident but the same confidence eventually freaked her out.
She felt she was thinking fondly about him; getting closer to him without being in touch with him.
Not again. She had been reminding her.
She was not going to attend the wedding Eve without Atul's presence. And her anger escalated when Atul said he's staying at Mumbai for Maniesh. She was frustrated. But somehow she was calmed down by Atul, even though she insisted she wouldn't attend the evening function.
"Please don’t force me, Atul. I am not going.”
Atul was not happy with her decision.
"I will ask Prithvi to pick you up if you want. He will be happy to do that.”
“No. no.”
Anvita said quickly.
She knew it would be embarrassing. Prithvi.
Anvita fell silent for a moment and then changed her mind.
"Ok. I will go."
  
Anvita chose to wear a purple gown. She watched herself in the mirror and turned to her right to have a glance at her back. The round swelling of her ass was too obvious. She could see why men wanted to have a feel of it. If Rajat saw her like this, he might think of breaking his promise. "I'm not going to knock on your door tonight." Anvita turned and averted her eyes off her.
 
When she left her apartment, she glanced at Rajat's door. It was locked. She felt a pang of disappointment and then she felt ashamed of it.
I'm glad he's not seeing me. She assured herself and hurried towards the elevator.
 
It was drizzling when Anvita started the car and soon it became heavy pouring. She was worried if it would mar the Eve. She arrived at the wedding place before dark and saw the lights were already lit and the venue looked admirably ready to welcome the guests. So were the hosts.
Prithvi walked toward her before anyone else, and Anvita was quick to realise he wasn't the one who lived in the past. He greeted her and introduced her to his whole family and friends. They were in awe at her; many couldn’t take their eyes off her, and everyone wanted to know who she was. This prompted Prithvi to remain with her for longer than she would have liked, but he was sensible about it. He barely interacted directly with her. His eye contact never lasted long enough to make her uneasy. It was like he knew the risk involved with being in her proximity.
And during all this, Anvita could see how he was trying hard to hold back himself. When they got some moments for themselves, he finally expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you for coming, Anvita. I mean, I really thank you. If you didn’t, I could never have forgiven myself.”
“Atul wanted me to come. He had promised you and didn’t want to disappoint you.”
Anvita said.
Prithvi began to say something and swallowed it. Anvita noticed.
Is that remorse?
“I wish he too were here.”
Prithvi said.
It was an honest remark and Anvita liked him instantly.
 
Prithvi later took her to the first floor and introduced her to his college friends. All the girls were busy with makeup and gossips. Anvita joined them as Prithvi got busy with the arrangements.
Apparently, there was some problem with the power supply. Frequent, short blackouts threatened to mar the fun of the night, while the lights kept flickering to the annoyance of all.
An hour later, Anvita saw Prithvi calling aside a friend and going back disappointed. He was looking for an inverter to help the setup team as the music program was about to kick off. Anvita was ready to lend her help.
“We have a new inverter at home. It’s fully charged. If you know how to take it…”
She told Prithvi and he was really happy to accept her help.
Anvita handed him her car key.
“The apartment key is in the car.”
She said.
Prithvi gave her a blank stare.
“You are not coming with us?”
“Should I?”
“No. I mean, not a problem but…”
He suddenly did not know what to say.
“Okay, okay.”
“Is there any problem?”
“No, thank you.”
He walked away with the key.
Anvita watched him for a moment.
“Prithvi, wait.”
She walked up to him.
“I am also coming.”
“No, it’s okay; I’ve got my friends.”
“That’s good. But I think I should come with you. I don’t want you to be mistaken for burglars by my neighbours and get beaten up tonight.”
He smiled at her thankfully. Anvita could hardly return the smile though. She was nervous without realising it, and she left her mobile phone in her car as she retrieved her house key. Anvita slid into the rear seat with Prithvi while two of his friends sat at the front as they headed for her home. Two friends followed them on Prithvi’s bike.
 
As the car took a sharp turn to the left, everyone in the car swayed to their right, and Prithvi’s hand landed on Anvita’s hand that was resting on the seat. She grabbed him and sat tight.
“Easy, Mukund!”
Prithvi warned his friend in the driving seat. Anvita noticed he was completely ignorant of her hand.
“What happened, bro? It’s just a turn.”
Mukund responded. As the boys soon slipped into a friendly blame game, Anvita was drawn into her own world and she was consumed by the first ever body touch she was having with Prithvi since long. She wanted to pull her hand back but his complete disregard to it perplexed her. She thought that pulling her hand would be making a statement of hatred she had for him and if she went for it, it would be a direct reference to the past. Anvita could neither keep it nor shake it and she turned her face away from him and pretended to watch the moving streets. However, she could not ignore the current passing through her hand.
At another turn, she grabbed him again and this time her eyes fell at him involuntarily. Anvita could not take her eyes off him, and their eyes were locked. They stared at each other for three seconds and all it took was those three seconds, as Anvita saw a dark figure lying on top of her, pushing his slippery meathead into the most private space of her body, in her bed. It was dark, but she now realised how clearly she had seen his eyes shining at her. Anvita was transported to a memory she wanted to bury so dearly and was brought back as he took his hand back after the three-seconds-stare, and the next moment she wished he kept it a little longer.
Anvita was embarrassed as she realised it was Prithvi who had eventually ended the body contact as well as the eye contact. And she blossomed into a blush.
 
At her home, the boys quickly got into work. Anvita served them lemon juice. Prithvi was silent for now, and his eyes crossed with Anvita’s eyes and locked with hers more often. Anvita noticed him wiping his face with towels. Something was happening.
While walking to the kitchen Anvita’s eyes wandered into her bedroom and stuck at her bed. Her heart skipped a beat.
It was the same bed where she had done it with him; where she had verbalised her intimate pleasures into his ears.
“O my God! I am dying…!” she had moaned; crying with pleasure she until then thought would never find her.
While coming back she stopped and deliberately looked into her bed. She wanted to go inside and have a close look at it. She wanted to close the door and lie down in that bed, with her eyes closed. She wanted to make her believe it was still her bed. The bed she slept every night with her loving husband. The same bed.
No. it’s the same bed you mated with a boy in your husband’s absence. Anvita heard a voice from inside her. It’s the same bed you asked him to give you all of him.
Anvita turned her eye and Prithvi was looking at her directly. She walked forward, with her head down and stood next to him; she felt his eyes were still on her, and she couldn’t really look up to face him.
 
The boys had removed the inverter.
“Let’s go.”
They carried the batteries to the lift and Anvita locked the door half-heartedly. While moving around in the parking lot as the boys loaded the batteries in the car, Anvita’s dress got stained with some dust.
“Oh, shit!”
Anvita cried. She was disappointed at her carelessness.
“It’s just a little.”
Prithvi said.
“But it’s visible clearly.”
Anvita said in a disappointed voice.
“You can wash that part, can't you?”
Prithvi pointed.
“You can iron it, then. It’s a matter of a few minutes.”
There was a strange tone in his voice that made Anvita stare at him in the eyes.
“Okay.”
She said slowly.
Prithvi got the bike key from his friend and asked him to leave with Mukund.
“We’ll be right behind you, guys.”
Anvita walked slowly toward the lift. She was silent while it went up. She was suddenly alone with him and she was aware of it. She and him.
When she unlocked the door, she found her hand shivering, for reasons unknown. She walked in and switched on the light in the hall and then walked forward only to stop after a few steps as she heard the door closing behind her. She froze, staring at the empty house. She turned slowly. He was there, and he was coming to her. Inches apart, their eyes were locked into each other. In his eyes, she saw her own reflection, glowing at her. She was seeing herself. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few long seconds, with each one escalating her heartbeats.
"Prithvi..."
She couldn't complete the word as his mouth was already on her and then they were kissing. Anvita closed her eyes and pushed herself into his arms. He opened his mouth to kiss her and his arms went around her as if to never let go. A minute later, both were panting and still staring. She felt she was kissing him for the first time ever. It was indeed something new. Her chest moved visibly as she breathed heavily.
“Anvita.”
Prithvi spoke.
Anvita couldn’t speak a word now.
He held out both hands to her and it was an invitation. Anvita knew what it was. And she didn’t want to decide. She already was living with a reply. A moment later, she was walking into her bedroom hand in hand with him and they stopped only by the bed. She didn't care to switch on the lights in the room. But the light from the hall made everything visible enough. She looked at her bed and she knew what she wanted.
“Prithvi…”
Anvita began to speak and he stopped her.
“Shhh…”
He placed his finger across his lips to silence her. His eyes stayed on her and began to undress, starting from the shirt. Anvita watched him take it off and then began to follow him. She reached for the zip behind her and pulled it down. She slid the dress off her shoulder in a hurry. Prithvi’s shirt had gone and he pulled down his pants. Anvita knew of the existence of his hardness yet she didn’t take her eyes off his face. She slid her dress further to let it fall to the floor slowly and then pulled up her camisole to reveal her body clad in just a bra and panty. Prithvi didn’t move his eyes off her face either, and he slid his jockey down. His erection swung forward in the air. Anvita saw it though she was not looking at it, and she wanted to turn away before it touched her. She still could not move her eyes, and she tossed aside her bra, boldly leaving her full bosom in his view, before sliding down her panty to the floor.
Prithvi stepped forward and held her hand.
“Come.”
He whispered. Anvita carefully stepped aside from her gown.
This time, when their lips met, there was no holding back. Anvita pushed her tongue into his mouth straight away, as she couldn’t contain the urge to be met with his. Latching on to her lips, Prithvi darted his tongue into her mouth. To her own surprise, Anvita wasn’t taken aback. Instead, she found her mouth open to let him dance with her tongue and she allowed him to suck for long. Instinctively, she too began to suck him back.
Prithvi’s hardness was poking into her. He laid her on the bed and his hands found its way to her breasts. She felt good as he fondled her. She had nothing in her mind except for a feeling that she was about to reach a place she had been waiting for long. Soon her tits were inside his mouth and she moaned slightly as he sucked them lovingly.
“You have beautiful breasts.”
He whispered.
“I know.”
She smiled.
Prithvi reached between her legs and she spread it willingly, and he pushed in a finger inside. Her lips quivered and he quickly calmed them with his entire mouth. Her hand reached down and held his hardness in her hand and she slowly stroked him.
“O my God. You are touching me.”
He smiled a little. She wasn’t shy anymore.
“Stupid.”
She said.
He bent down and pressed his mouth between her breasts but she pulled his head by the hair.
“Come up…enough.”
She moaned.
Prithvi lay on top of her and she guided his hardness into her wet hole. Her mouth came open as he pushed it in, and he kissed her hard as he pushed into her as deep as he could. Anvita closed her eyes, savouring the heavenly feeling of his manhood filling her. She spread her legs as much as she could, and he began to move. This was all she needed, and she knew it now. She was corrupt, and she was okay with it. She had surrendered to her carnal urges. Slowly and carefully, Prithvi made his way in and out of her, and she loved it every way. His eyes were locked into her, and he kept kissing her eyes, her nose, and everywhere on her face.
Anvita loved the way he sucked her tongue whenever she let him. She grabbed his hand very soon and her breathing got heavier in the anticipation of an orgasm.
“Anvita…”
Prithvi placed his palm under her head and lifted her face to engage her in a long passionate kiss, as he upped his speed and force, and it was evident that his movements were beyond his control. Anvita was in the hands of a passionate lover and she loved every moment of being there. She had begun to thrust back into him with his pounding, and she was gearing up for a heavenly moment. Prithvi began to pound harder and a few seconds later, he was shooting his load deep into her with a suppressed groan. He pushed harder and held it there, panting into her mouth. 
Anvita was taken aback by the sudden stop of everything. She felt it was abrupt and she felt a sense of disappointment taking over her body.
It's alright. She calmed herself.
Prithvi had filled her and moved off her quickly. Anvita rolled away and ran to the bathroom. She was oozing it out. When she came out with a towel around her body, he was still waiting there.
“What are you waiting for? Are you not done?”
She asked.
“I am the luckiest person on earth.” He began to hug her. She moved away.
“No.”
She picked up her clothes from the ground.
“Don’t take it easy with me.”
She warned him.
“What?”
He was puzzled. Anvita took a moment to reply.
“We did it again. Yes. But that doesn’t mean anything, okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we don’t have to complicate anything. We are not a couple. We are not lovers.”
“What are we? Friends with benefits?”
His voice was hard and she stared him for a moment.
“No, not that too. We are ex-teacher and ex-student. That’s it.”
He kept looking at her. Anvita ignored him and took the dress to the washroom and washed the stain off it. When she returned he had worn his clothes. Anvita began to iron her dress.
“Do you understand what I said?”
Anvita asked him.
“Yes.”
“And agree?”
“Yes… but…”
He paused, prompting Anvita to turn her head.
“Is this gonna happen again?”
“No.”
She said without thinking. It wasn’t possible to think. She was not sure about it. But she felt better when Prithvi walked out of the room, albeit disappointed.
If one thing amazed Anvita then it was her lack of remorse. She was completely normal.
Yes. I did it again. Atul will never know. She said in her mind and she was calm, yet. A part of her mind doubted if it was because of what Rajat had revealed to her; that he might be okay with some sort of adventure. 
No! Anvita chided herself at the thought. It was not only foolish but also an outlandish idea. What she did was not some sort of adventure but a brutal form of betrayal. No man could forgive it.
Anvita finished ironing and wore the dress. She stood in front of the mirror and checked herself. She had to rework her makeup. She took her time, erasing every bit of evidence of her deception.
When she was done with her mind and body, she walked out. Prithvi stood up. He was pleasant and smiling.
“Why are you smiling?”
Anvita asked.
“I was thinking about what you said. You are very right about that.”
“Why do you think so?”
“It will keep us in peace.”
Anvita smiled.
“I knew you are a clever boy.”
“Student.”
He corrected and she smiled again.
“Let’s hurry.”
 
Anvita stood outside the lift as Prithvi went to bring the bike.
“Anvita mam.”
She turned to see Rajneesh, the DG operator of the complex.
“Atul sir has parked his bike in front of the generator room. Please tell him to move it from there. He has locked the handle as well.”
He pointed to the DG Room.
“Which bike?”
Anvita turned and saw the bike.
“That one.”
“That’s not Atul’s. And he's not...”
“He brought it. He parked it over there.”
Anvita was startled.
“When?”
“Half an hour ago… I saw him from the gate and he went up before I could tell him.”
“He…went up?”
“He went to the lift…”
Anvita didn’t want to hear anything. She had gone blank.
Prithvi stopped his bike in front of her.
“Come on. Let’s go,” he urged.
Half an hour ago. Anvita felt like fainting. When did he return from the trip? Why did he come here without telling her?  Her mind had begun to throw countless questions.
“Just a minute, Prithvi. I am coming.”
She said and hurried into the lift. Her heart was pounding hard as she reached her front door which was still locked.
Where did he go? Anvita’s eyes fell at Rajat’s door. It was still closed but not locked. Her mind ran back in time and it took her just a second to make out the possibility. Is he in there? And she knew why.
Anvita unlocked her door with her shivering hands and hurried to the balcony. She switched the light on and checked the floor dreadfully.
Shoe prints. Shoe prints of Atul.
“Shit!”
She cried. Shoe prints were leading to the other end. Anvita barged into her bedroom and made to its balcony. Shoe prints were over there too, leading to the window; right under the window. She checked for a gap and knelt down and peeped through. She saw the bed. Perfectly.
Anvita couldn’t breathe. She leaned forward and banged her forehead on the wall.
Everything ends here. She thought.
And she recollected her earlier thought. I did it again. Atul will never know.
When she was beaming in confidence that he will never know, he was already watching it. He was watching his wife getting fucked by a friend in his own bed.
When Anvita came out of the house, she stood in front of Rajat’s house. He’s still inside; crying over his loss. She knew. She wanted to go to him and fall into his feet. But she didn’t dare to face him.
She wobbled to the lift with a complete sense of loss.
Everything ends here.
“What happened?”
Prithvi asked her when she returned to the parking.
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
She said quickly and sat behind him.
 
Back at the wedding place, the first message she received was that Atul had arrived there two hours ago and he was looking for her all the time. Now nobody knew where he was. Only Anvita knew and she did not tell Prithvi. He got immediately busy with other stuff. And she waited for Atul with an ever-increasing dread.
 
Ten minutes later, Atul flew in. The moment Anvita saw him, her heart stopped. She had no idea about how he would react.
Would he call her a slut and beat her in front of all the people? Prithvi will come to stop him, and he’ll beat him too?
However, to Anvita’s surprise, Atul walked up to her with a happy face.
“I had gone to meet a friend.”
He was apologetic. Anvita was losing her grip on the happenings. It’s not real. You are dreaming about it.
Then Atul said.
“I thought I would surprise you, but I ended up surprised.”
He was still smiling.
“You look gorgeous, by the way.”
No, it’s not a dream, it’s real.
Atul stepped forward and hugged her. He hugged her tight and she felt he was not going to free her from his grasp. Yes. I surprised him. I shocked him. And I look gorgeous for I was in bed with another man an hour ago, behaving like a whore.
Atul let her go finally and smiled at her dearly.
“Your perfume kills me; especially today. I missed you a lot baby.”
Now Anvita knew what he was doing. He was communicating in a language only she could understand. He knew what she did. And he is screaming it out at her face, without saying a word. Her perfume – the odour of another man or his cum – kills him.
Yes. It will kill him. And his words will kill me, inch by inch. Anvita knew.
Her eyes began to fill with tears. Atul hugged her again, showing the greatest amount of affection.
“I missed you too, Atul.”
Anvita whispered. She was ashamed of the lameness of her own words.
“I have a surprise for you, anyway.”
He said later and she wasn’t surprised. I know. I had a chance to undo what I had done once to you. But I chose to repeat it.
“It is very intimate. Between us only; I’ll tell you when we are home.”
He added with a voice that didn’t carry even a distant trace of sorrow. Anvita was baffled.
How can you put up such a straight face? How can you smile like that? Why don’t you grab a knife and stab it into my throat? How are you pretending so happy? Anvita had no answer to any of her questions.
 
Prithvi showed up and hugged Atul. Anvita watched in silence and the men greeted with each other with utmost feigning. One knows he just bedded other’s wife. And the other knows he’s just been cuckolded. And it was Anvita’s misery that she knew that both the men knew.
Everything ends here. Anvita thought again.
Anvita noticed Prithvi and his friends being unpretentiously caring to Atul. It was so obvious to her why he was doing it. Prithvi's every single action was screaming out what he had done with Anvita. The lack of repulsion from Atul despite this perplexed Anvita. 
He has a plan. Anvita knew.
“What’s the surprise?”
She asked him when they proceeded to the music hall.
“I’ll tell you later.”
He maintained his stand. His silence was killing her. She saw death. It’s better to die than face him asking me why I did it to him.
When they were walking from the dinner hall Anvita found them alone for a moment.
“Can't you tell me now? Nobody’s here.”
I want you to pull me aside to a corner and slap me.
Atul’s reply was a smile.
“It’s not for nobody. It’s for you, baby.”
Anvita cried inside. Yes. It’s for me.
Anvita was already thinking of ways to kill her. Sleeping pills? No. it’s too gentle. Jumping in front of a train? Hanging to death from a ceiling fan?
“You owe me a sorry.”
Atul said when they were in the car, beginning to leave. Anvita looked at him and he laughed.
“You were angry when I said I won’t make it. But I made it, just in time, didn’t I?”
Anvita merely shook her head. Yes. Just in time. You were there, while I was…
Anvita swallowed. It was only a matter of time before I found a better way to end this life.
“Yes, I owe you an apology, and I’ll do it my way. First, you reveal your surprise.”
Anvita blurted.
I want you to drag me to the bathroom and push my face deep into the water, choking me, hurting me, making me gasp for the very air that helps me stay alive in this world that you have built for me with pure love. Anvita wished she had the strength to speak up.
 
It was when they reached home, Atul finally began to show how disturbed was him. Anvita was observing him through the corner of her eyes and she caught him suddenly clueless and distracted. Anvita was tired yet she was not going to sleep.
“Tell me now.”
She looked into his eyes. Name my punishment.
Atul at first tried to look away, however, when he did look at her, it was Anvita who bore the brunt. His stare would now make her nervous. Atul moved closer, adding to her worry. Before she could make a move, he kissed her. She was taken aback at the sudden response. Atul’s lips were firm enough to lock her. And bleed inside of her.
His hand was behind her head and he sucked her lips as if to quench his thirst. Anvita did not know what was happening.
“This is the surprise, my love.”
Atul said when he broke the long lip lock.
It was hell crashing down upon Anvita.
No. This isn’t what I deserve.
The truth was unbelievable and incomprehensible. Atul was leading her to the bed, ironically a place where she had been unfaithful to him a few hours earlier. He kissed her all over her face and neck and breasts. He pushed his tongue into her mouth like a teen and Anvita realised how aroused her husband had become.
No!
Atul’s hand had made its way to her breasts.
“My dress... You are ruining it.”
Anvita protested. She wasn’t concerned about her dress. But she couldn’t think of anything else to say. Atul laughed it off and mauled her further.
“You are crazy.”
Her voice was filled with disappointment that only she could fathom. What she wanted was hatred, not love. Pain, not affection.
“I am crazy for you, get it off!”
Atul admitted as if to make his stance clearer. The clouds of doubts were fading away. Anvita didn’t hesitate when he told her to undress. When he pulled down his brief, she wasn’t surprised. Perhaps she was anticipating it even before she could admit it.
“You are so crazy.”
She whispered; her eyes dazzled and bewildered. And she felt an unknown force taking over her body. She let him push her to the bed and suck on her erect tits. She lay completely naked on her marital bed where she had been lying under the naked body of another man with his dick buried deep inside her pussy. Anvita couldn’t get enough of amazement when his tongue trailed downward and licked her navel. She let out a moan as he pushed a finger between her legs. Anvita was wary of his finding her extra moist inner sides, but she knew it would be expected. All she wanted to know how he would deal with it. Atul took her by the shock of her life as he bent down to bury his face between her legs.
And it was different, she learnt again. It wasn't the first time when she had known the pleasure of a man's mouth over her pussy; Shreyas had kissed her down there and Prithvi had simply eaten her, but none of them was like this! It was her husband, finally.
And with that, she closed her eyes and faced the question she had been unconsciously restraining until the moment.
Are you really not angry?
Anvita quivered as the very first touch of her husband’s tongue caused a tickle at her entrance. Atul was pushing harder and Anvita’s legs opened up further. Her husband was trying to feed himself with the sperm of his wife’s lover.
What are you, Atul? Anvita wanted to scream.
But she did not want to know the answer to it. Because she was willing to accept it, at the moment.
Her hand moved behind his head and pushed him down to her. He was licking through it and swallowing it all.
“Oh my god… oh my… you are crazy… you are so mad….”
She soon cried with pleasure. He made her.
Then, he pushed a couple of fingers into her.
“You taste so good, honey… I never knew it would be this good.”
Atul said.
Anvita couldn’t utter a word in response to him, even though she spent a moment wondering how he’s so honest with himself.
Anvita remembered what Radhika had told her. You are lucky. Atul had all the chance to use me but he didn’t. When I went with his friend he was still very much unfazed. He earned my respect. It was now turning out to be not a blessing but a weakness in his character, just as Rajat had made out. He’s different… Men like him fantasise their wives doing wild things with others… he’s a voyeur…
Every claim that he had made about Atul was turning out to be true for Anvita. Atul had definitely watched her making out with Prithvi. Wasn’t it what drove him mad enough to eat her pussy as he had never done? It is. Anvita was sure.
For once, Anvita wanted to hate her husband. She wanted to rebuke his character and push him out of her bed. But she was not going to do that. He still loved her. And she was left with no choice other than to embrace him with his one imperfection. He’s a voyeur and he is aroused of being cuckolded. He loved the truth that his wife had committed adultery. He was suddenly fond of providing oral pleasure to her because he just found out she was fucked by another man a few hours ago. He was slurping her pussy just because he knew it was possibly filled with another man’s cum.
He was lapping it up and Anvita was helplessly conquered. The fact that Atul was tremendously skilled with his tongue was only making her fall for it in no time. And she was moaning with pleasure and she twisted her body, arched it back, as he flipped his tongue while inside her.
“Aaah!”
Her voice had risen, beyond her control.
As he licked upward across her pussy with the flat tongue she was effortlessly lifted to frenzy, and a magical feeling suddenly unearthed in her mind. She was transported to a place she had disappointedly vacated a few hours ago with another man. She was on the verge of an orgasm.
“Oh… my…”
She was hit with both guilt and pleasure, and she could not hold it anymore. Every emotion – the fear, the wonder, the pleasure – that had been dominating her unconscious mind so far since that evening was coming together to blow her brain and she burst into a loud cry, as she allowed her body to bath in the sudden joy of a scintillating orgasm. Anvita cried her heart out and she pushed his face down, in a desperate attempt to save her from the immediate embarrassment. Fortunately for her, Atul was absolutely pleased with her response as he greedily swallowed all of her juices.
Looking at him through her blissful eyes, she was beginning to feel thrilled to see him swallow her juices; perhaps mixed with Prithvi’s. The sight was a pity, but it undeniably, helplessly, aroused her and she was caught up with a kind of satisfaction she had never felt in her bed before.
She panted heavily and hoarsely and pulled him up to lay him on his back. She grabbed his cum-leaking dick and helplessly gave in to a memory of holding Prithvi’s hardness. Against her will, she made an instant comparison of the size of what was in front of her at the moment to that of what was still hanging in the air somewhere in her still vivid memory; and she felt ashamed of the way her dirty mind worked. She would have felt disheartened and collapsed if not for the result of the inevitable comparison which assured her that both men were visually equal in length and girth. Anvita opened her mouth and stuffed it with her cuckolded husband’s dick to begin sucking hard, and it was a complete surrender. Very soon he responded with a groan. She pulled out and watched him cum, shaking him vigorously. Thick, white streams of his sperm spurted out and she was happy to bath in it – all over her face, neck and breasts. Anvita couldn’t stop laughing, suddenly; perhaps, out of shame.
“Wow. We are a dirty couple.”
Atul was watching her in disbelief.
“Yes. I love it when we are dirty.”
Anvita looked up and smiled at him, licking her lips.
Dirty. Yes. I am a dirty slut.
She felt a mysterious thrill that arose out of the fact that it was the same bed where she had been mating with another man, a few hours ago.
“You are more than what I dreamt of, ever.”
Anvita said as they lay in one another’s arms.
 
The thrill wasn’t going to fade away from her mind, as Atul carried her to the bed in the morning and ate her pussy again.
“You are getting so dirty, and you know I like it.”
Anvita admitted as his tongue assault brought her to her second orgasm in six hours. And she didn’t think twice to return him the favour with her mouth by pushing his hardness into the back of her throat. She bobbed her head back and forth until it began to hurt her lips. Luckily he was brought to the edge without much delay. This time she didn’t pull out and instead, allowed him to unload it all into her mouth.
The ache she had begun to feel at her lips faded as he kissed her lovingly.
 
As they were leaving for the wedding, Anvita saw Rajat entering through the gate and she suddenly felt nervous. She didn’t want to look at him but there was an urge to look at him to see if he was looking at her. Trying to appear as casual as she could, she glanced at him, only to be fixed with his eyes. She desperately wanted him to look away first, as he was already waving at Atul. A faint smile appeared on her face out of embarrassment, and then he responded with the slightest nod and a smirk before turning away. Everything happened in a few seconds, but it was enough to fill her with dread. She quickly regretted acknowledging him.
 
In the wedding hall, when she met Prithvi, he walked closer and smiled at her pleasantly.
“How are you?”
He asked her in a low voice.
“I am fine.”
Her voice was perfectly natural. Even she was surprised. This is life!
While posing in front of the camera with Atul to her right and Prithvi to her left, Anvita was smiling deliriously. She was dreaming, against her wish, to go back to bed again.
Later, she felt it again, as she watched Atul and Prithvi in a conversation. She felt the itch to be there, in her bed, her legs split. The only confusion was about who was the first to be invited.
I love it when we are dirty. Atul’s words echoed in her mind. She was dirty. She was getting dirtier. Perhaps I would invite them both. She chuckled.
She couldn’t keep her mind off it as she suddenly became aware of the wetness down there. She felt weak in her knees and grabbed tightly around a decorative pillar of the hall.
When she was home, after the function, Anvita found her riddling with questions over where Atul is taking it. She was confirmed with the idea that Atul knew of her adultery, even though he hasn’t openly admitted it. But his affection for his cheating wife had only grown.
Anvita kept wondering about the possibility of Atul confessing the truth. No, it will be an insult to his ego. Anvita thought. It’s gonna hurt his pride and we don’t know how he’d react. She decided that it was wise to keep it as it was.
Then that night, after another wonderful session of oral fun, Anvita was lying awake in her bed when the ultimate doubt hit her mind.
Will he say yes to Rajat too?
 

 --------------------000---------------------

[krish_999]

I have got addicted to this story. It feels as if it's a part of my life now and I have to know what is going on in Atul's & Anvi's lives each day.

I as a reader I simply can't thank or praise Krish_999 enough that he is providing us with this kind of amazing story and that also for free of cost. Honestly I would pay to read such content because I truly can see how much effort Krish is putting in this story. Now I cannot even use this line that you are one of the best authors Krish because I feel you are nonpareil in your field & you are actually THE BEST author who always delivers consistently. I have never read stories like yours anywhere on the internet.
Your stories are not just sex stories, they are much much more than that which actually unconsciously affects your mind too . The way you turn us on  with all those character conversations and realistic sexual scenarios is simply commendable. I absolutely salute your rhetorical skills.

But I have to be honest here and I personally do not enjoy Atul's other part of life which is linked with people like Ridhima or any other woman (I always read that part hurriedly :/ , though i know you give your 100 percent in that too but what to do ,I do not find it exciting unless our protagonist Anvita is there).
I am always up for the part where Anvita is mentioned and her perspective of the story is which I really enjoy the most and look forward to. Her encounters and conversations with all the different characters like Rajat, her boss, Maniesh etc just give goosebumps  and keeps us on the brink of excitement.
Talking about characters , I have to say her encounters with this "boy" Prithvi isn't exciting because I feel that Prithvi is like a kid who is too young for Anvita and he is childish which actually does not turn you on.He tends to get Anvita physically only by requesting or persuading with love/care which is really kinda unexciting. This is just my personal viewpoint.

For me if asked , the guy who turns the situation the most exciting is Rajat (man) because though Anvita hates him, still somehow he is cunning/smart enough to get him around her which is really an achievement , although his earlier blackmailing Anvita part was not at all expected of him (it was such a turn off and the same goes for George's part). banging Anvita was really not expected or needed.They Way Rajat makes his way cunningly towards Anvita is admirable and infact exciting and the same goes for Maniesh, we all are waiting how he would proceed with Anvita when she already knows that he is such a lecherous guy who is just after her body. lets see how smartly he breaks her resolve and able to befriend Anvita in future. (Hoping Anvita is hard nut to crack for him, lately she has started physically  submitting herself very easily. One has to just kiss her somehow and and she is ready for you. Is that what real Anvita is ??has she become so weak now?? I hope not. )

Till now the most exciting and turn on part was of Varun and Anvita in his car. (OMG the way you described that part of Anvita spitting on him and still making out with him was something unique(although Anvita succumbed to his request very easily but yeah he had played well and chose the way of emotional words which somehow affected Anvita and she did a favour for him ) .This car incident made me remember your last story which made you the star in the the world of erotica). Hope he tries to get back at her without blackmailing her since he has got one advantage which he used last time that is  having  "big fat dick" which I guess Anvita got intrigued to.

I have seen that a few readers here are hell bent on to find out who was in the video having sex with Anvita and they keep naming different characters of the story. I don't know but its that really needed?? Its really an irritating thing to do although its understandable that we all are curios to find out his name but I feel at some point , unconsciously it puts pressure on the Author and he might have to change his script just to avoid the suggested names by the readers. I feel we should go with the flow of the story and just enjoy it without putting any pressure on the Author. He knows what he is writing.

A few here are calling Anvita a slut/characterless and Atul a person of no reed/cuckold. I wanted to ask those people if you are here to see Anvita in a sati Savitri role? or the story to end with a happy note that nothing physically happened with Anvita. If that is so then you probably shoudn't be here reading an erotica.  I guess we all are here for an erotica otherwise this thread would be a waste.
we all know how much Atul and Anvita loves each other and that is what the most important thing is .I do not find Anvita a slut because if she were a Slut, she would sleep with any character of the story without any logic (just like a pornography or most of the sex stories) . Here she always fights back and its the cunning characters of the story may it be Rajat,Varun,her boss or anybody ,who makes their way to her for her body. She herself never approaches any guy, does she?? she is not filled with lust for any body. Her husband is not able to satisfy her, still she does not go out looking for men for sex. Such is her character. She loves Atul and only Atul and talking about Atul, does being a cuckold makes you a person of no reed ?? That is so illogical. If Rajat is able to generate cuckold feelings in Atul  then I guess it would be a win win situation. I just imagine how wonderful it would be if that actually happens. Though It would be a real challenge for our  Author here which actually is he is forte.

I feel Erotica is only complete when it has both sex and emotions involved based on realistic life approach and I have seen only a rarest of rare author could this. hats off to our author here. I really respect the way he takes out his precious time for all us readers. Salute you !!

Now we all are curious because its Anvita part which has to come now .....  waiting for the update

Overwhelmed to see such detailed comment. Thank you for finding time to pen this one. And I must thank all others who've added valuable comments every day. It feels good to see new comments whenever I return to the story and it's a huge inspiration to continue. 
About the plot points, I am opting out to comment anything for now. However, it is not meant to say I do not welcome plot suggestions. Even though I do not deviate from the storyline after reading the suggestions, I must admit that they are very helpful in finding loopholes in the story.
I know I am going a little slow now it's mainly because of the fact that the story is entering the final phase, and I have to often go through the previous chapters to avoid leaving loose ends. It's a process I think most of the writers can understand. Anyways, I will try my best to post one update in five days maximum.
As I have mentioned earlier, I welcome both positive and negative feedbacks.

Looking forward to more comments and thoughts.
Keep reading and keep posting.
Krish.