Chapter 9
Atul
When Atul went to the bed that night, Anvita showed him her mobile.
“Rajat sent me this message.”
It read, “Ur DP! So perfect and hot!!!”
Atul wondered how he got her number.
“He has your number?”
Anvita shook her head. “He had come here when you were gone to the market.”
“For what?”
“To see his fish.”
Atul had gone out at seven o’clock.
That’s not the time to see his fish. Which fish was he looking for?
Atul wondered what Rajat was having in his mind. Something was not right.
“What is so dearly about his fish? Aren’t they happy with us?”
He asked annoyingly. Anvita was changing the bed sheet and she did not see his face.
“Of course they are happy. I don't know what a happy fish look like, though.”
She smirked.
“He was really happy. He clicked a lot of pics.”
“Pics?”
“Pics of his aquarium. And of course, its caretaker’s too!”
Anvita said innocently.
“He took your photos too?”
“Why are you talking like this?”
“I am just asking you. Did he take your photos?”
“Yeah! He asked me to pose with the aquarium and I did. But you are acting strangely. You don't like it?”
“I’m not sure if we should trust him. You shouldn’t have let him have your photos.”
“But, Atul, he’s your friend.”
“Yeah, but he’s not a decent person.”
Atul felt it difficult to convey to her. She stared at him.
“Atul, you are talking about Rajat, our neighbour and your friend.”
“Yeah, I am perfectly aware who he is...”
He sat on the edge of the bed.
“He’s not a good person when it comes to ladies. I mean, especially married women.”
“What?”
“He told me he has crazy thoughts about Mohit’s wife.”
“Neeti?”
“Yeah.” Atul nodded. He expected it would make her cautious, but she remained unheeding.
“What’s wrong in that?”
“You still don't know what I am talking about? When you were sweeping the floor at his house, he was ogling at you, very inappropriately.”
He stepped up his accusations.
To his dismay, Anvita blossomed into a smile. “Really?”
“You find that funny?”
Atul was becoming uncomfortable.
“Why didn't you stop him then?”
He did not expect her to cross-question him. He shrugged. “How could I? I was sitting with him and having his booze…”
“So you’d let him do whatever he wants?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Atul’s voice rose suddenly and it now shook her. She fell silent.
Atul took a deep breath. “Try to understand what I am telling you, Anvita. When we were there, he was staring at your chest whenever you were not paying attention. I didn't mind it at that time because, you know, it’s not a big deal as he wasn’t trying to intimidate you. But then you see his message, he thinks you are hot like he told me about Neeti and a couple of married colleagues of him... I didn't feel it then, but now I think that it’s better to keep some distance from him; especially when his wife isn’t around. Do you understand what I am trying to say, now?”
She nodded.
“I think you are right. We can't believe anyone in today’s world. Why we should give a chance to someone and end up regretting it later?”
Anvita was sensible. In fact, Atul felt she was more sensible than him.
“I think you too should keep some distance from him. Why give him chance to disturb our peaceful life?”
She snuggled into him in the bed.
“What are you suggesting? I rarely see him.”
“Next time when he asks you for a drink don't go!”
She had a point and he had to agree with her. His eyes accidentally fell at her fingers just before she turned to switch off the lights.
“Where’s your ring?”
“Oops.”
She touched her forehead.
“I was about to tell you, Atul. I forgot it at Ankita’s house. Please don't be angry. Ankita has found it in the washroom.”
“How are you gonna get it back? Are they coming here?”
“Probably. She said she will talk to Sahil and, maybe.”
Atul did not feel right. Even though he knew it was stupid, he kept pondering if the perversion of his neighbour and the loss of wedding ring are some kind of omens.
The worry about Rajat was, however, faded away just like that. He sent her messages regularly, mainly jokes, though she minimised her replies to a laughing emoticon or a thumbs up symbol most of the time. Still, his devilish predictions about Anvita disturbed Atul. He lived with a steadily escalating sense of foreboding. Something was awaiting him.
Anvita phoned him when he was at his office.
“Ankita said Sahil is too busy to visit us, darling.”
It was understandable. They were soon leaving for Canada. They would be too busy to come and hand over the ring, Atul knew. If they came it would look too bad to leave without spending some time with Atul and Anvita.
“No problem, we’ll get it when we go to see them off.”
He assured.
--- --- ---
Atul used to be a happy man at work. He was campus-selected by Wallzec Systems Pvt Ltd and there was no regret ever since. He worked more as an independent arm for the company and his job frequently required him to conduct one-on-one discussions with his clients. He was quite young for the post but his simple way of approach made it work in his favour. More than one clients in the past had commented straightly on it.
“Had your boss chosen to send someone else in your place, my job would have been very easy to reject this proposal.”
And another time, “I thought I was preoccupied, gentleman. But how can I reject someone like you?”
What inspired him was obviously the fact that he was loved at his work.
After his wedding vacation, his life was expectedly going to be busier. Work was piled up in his absence.
His boss Shreyas, in fact, had offered him help. “Do you want some help to clear your table?”
Atul politely refused. “It’ll take too much time to explain the connections, Shreyas.”
“Ask me, when you need it.”
Shreyas shook hands with him.
“And plan a dinner for us. The whole office is waiting.”
Though Atul was not directly answerable to Shreyas, the latter was in charge of the office. Shreyas was a well-spoken, kind-hearted person.
At noon Anvita phoned again. Atul was away from the office, waiting for a client representative in a coffee shop. When the meeting was over, he got a phone call from Sahil.
“Are you in Model Town?”
Sahil asked.
“Are you watching me?” Atul looked around automatically.
“No. Anvita had called Ankita. We are also in Model Town. If you are also here, it’s not far from home. Let’s go home and get your ring.”
Sahil gave him his exact location and Atul hailed a cab immediately.
It was a coffee shop. Ankita was waiting for him. Sahil was not there.
“Where’s Sahil?”
Atul wondered.
“Someone kidnapped him. Talk to him.”
Ankita gave him her phone. Sahil was at the other end.
“I am really sorry Atul. One of my friends showed up at the last moment. I could not avoid him; he’s impossible to negotiate. I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay.”
Atul said. When the call ended he turned to Ankita.
“So what’s the plan? You guys were having coffee here at noon?”
“Forget it. We can have lunch. Can't we?”
Ankita said enthusiastically.
Atul had earlier noticed her increased enthusiasm to chat with him since the dinner at her house. During her telephone calls to her sister at night, Ankita would ask Anvita to give the phone to Atul,
just to say hi. Once he asked deliberately, “Who’s this?” and she said “It’s your ex! Remember me?” Their light-hearted chit chat every night had brought him closer to Ankita than to Sahil.
When she suggested the lunch Atul was not surprised. He looked around.
“Here?”
“Of course, not here... I know a place.”
She led him outside and took him to a restaurant a few kilometres away. He sat behind her scooty and wondered if some cop stopped her for not wearing a helmet. He liked her hair flying into his face though it was actually annoying.
Ankita was wearing a white t-shirt and long floral skirt. She and Anvita were alike in appearance, though it was easy to say who was elder among the two. Ankita had her smile, mannerisms and movements exactly like that of Anvita.
Atul had asked her once.
“Why are you copying your sister’s style?”
Ankita laughed.
“She’s the one copying me. I am the elder one, don't you know?”
Of course, he did.
“If she’s copying you, then she’s doing it better.”
“I know that, lover boy!”
In another occasion, during an earlier visit to Anvita’s house, Atul had noticed them working together in the kitchen and noticed how they looked like one another from behind, except that Ankita was slightly thinner. Or perhaps it was because Anvita had a slight plumper ass.
When he mentioned it to Anvita she simply took the news to her sister. And Ankita was in a rage.
“How come your husband noticed the size of my ass, Anvi?”
“I don't know. But it’s really true.”
“Shut up. Tell him he only knows of his wife!”
Anvita had put the phone on speaker. It was a good laugh then.
Now, sitting behind her, Atul’s eyes descended down through her back. It made him uneasy. Not because he disliked it, but because he caught himself looking down too often.
They sat at a two seated table at a corner of the restaurant. Many seats were vacant, and Atul was sure the bill was going to be accordingly pumped up, compensating the empty tables.
“We were planning for a grand party before you leave. Anvita will be sad.”
Atul said when they finished ordering.
“Only Anvita will be sad? What about you?”
“What about me? Why would I be sad? I owe you nothing.”
“How come you forgot the dinner so easily?”
“You are a bad host and a bad company.”
“That’s a serious allegation.”
“It’s not an allegation. It’s the truth. Do you remember what you did that night?”
“What did we do?”
“You did – you didn't do anything at all – that’s what you did. No drinks, no music, no dancing, no fun.”
“We had it all; if my memory is intact.”
“I did it all; if my memory is intact.”
“But you can’t blame us for that. How do we know you would drink on the first meeting with your sister-in-law?”
“I am not blaming Sahil. He might not be aware but you were aware of everything I and Anvi do.”
Ankita stared at him a moment.
“What do you mean everything?”
He caught a spark in her eyes.
“You know everything, don't you?”
He was smiling perfectly matching to hers. She looked down and then watched her surrounding briefly before answering.
“Yeah. I think I know most of it.”
He knew she was talking something entirely different to what they were discussing a moment ago.
“Then what did you do? You arranged for nothing...”
“I sent you in at the right moment, didn’t I?”
She smirked. Atul’s eyes were locked into hers.
“I didn't get it.”
He confessed.
“Start eating.”
She indicated the food. The order had arrived. It was drool-worthy stuff indeed.
“Nice restaurant,” Atul said.
“Bring Anvita here one day.”
“I had brought her here before marriage, to a number of restaurants here though not this one.”
“You did?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“If you say a restaurant, it’s hard to believe. If you say a hotel, I would believe.”
She had a mischievous smile on her face. She looked more beautiful now.
“You know you are talking about your sister, don't you?”
“You are two shameless creatures, you should know that...”
“What did we do? It’s impossible to talk with you.”
“I really envy you. I too should have had a love marriage. My bad luck...”
“What is wrong with arranged marriage? I always thought that’s better...”
She stared at him.
“I can't believe this. I have never met anyone – among youngsters - who’d prefer arranged marriage. Love marriage is fun, isn’t it?”
“Why?”
“You get to have all the fun before the marriage, don't you?”
“And what is wrong with arranged marriage?”
“That’s boring. You meet the man and talk a few words, and then get married. It’s boring.”
“Yours was boring?”
“Of course that’s what I am saying. I didn't get to have any fun.”
She mocked a sad face.
Atul leaned forward.
“You are telling me only half the picture, dear. Let me tell you what is what. Suppose you have nine potential candidates in your circle to be your partner. Love marriage is selecting one from that circle and then getting to know of him.”
“Getting to know – is that it? You have all the fun.”
Ankita interrupted.
“All the fun – I know you meant sex. Why don't you just say the word, my sis-in-law?”
Atul’s voice was low but it was enough. She reached him under the table and kicked him.
“Of course, I meant sex!”
“Let me explain how arranged marriage functions. In your case, you too had those nine potential candidates from your social circle. And you were free. And you did all the fun – I mean all the fun – with any of the nine men; you could go with one this weekend and another next week, and you still didn't feel any need to be committed. In the end, suddenly your parents introduced the tenth man to your life – the very fortunate one Mr Sahil – to you and asked you to get married. That’s how you got married. Now tell me, who had more fun in the marriage game?”
Ankita leaned back and bit her lips.
“You know what, in just a few words, you made me look like a slut.”
“It’s possible. It’s not a nasty word these days. It’s smartness. You know you call your closest friend a slut in her ears, she’ll smile at you.”
He shrugged. She stared at him and shook her head.
“I can't take this much. I never thought like this. Is it how you seduced my sister?”
“Does Sahil know about your past?”
“About what?”
“About your nine-member circle.”
“I am your sister-in-law. How can you talk so dirty about me?”
She had a grin around her beautiful lips. Her eyes just got shinier.
Atul had for long a feeling that his sister-in-law was just looking for an opportunity to flirt with him. This was the moment when it was realised. She could be swayed like this and she was total fun. But it was wrong to engage her further and Atul knew he wouldn’t dare to do it. He was enjoying every moment he spent with her. Food was finished. She had chosen ice cream for dessert, it came late and he grabbed it before she could.
“That’s mine.”
She said. He ignored her.
“You already have had all the fun. Let me have at least this.”
He teased her.
“You cheat!”
She said helplessly.
“By the way, you earlier called us shameless creatures. Why?”
He asked.
“You wanna know? Then give me my ice cream.”
She smirked. She could have ordered another. He knew she wouldn’t. She wanted his.
He took a spoonful and forwarded it to her. She leaned forth and swallowed it. It was enough to understand where it was heading.
She was not looking at him directly for a moment. It was so obvious that she was trying to look like she wasn’t doing it.
“What happened? You didn’t like its taste?”
He smirked.
“Stop giving me that look.”
She complained. Cuteness was still gathering at her face. Atul did not look away.
“You didn’t like it, ice-cream?”
“I liked it.”
She admitted with a coy smile.
“Want more?”
She shook her head sideways, slowly.
“Now tell me what prompted you to call us shameless.”
“I will never tell you why.”
“What! But you promised.”
“I lied.”
She laughed.
The lunch was over. He sat behind her once again on the scooty and this time he found liking it even more. Once she put a sudden-brake, he lost a bit of control and held around her hip.
“Careful!”
Atul requested in an effort to erase the embarrassment of putting his hands around her. But it was never meant to erase the warm feel of her soft belly. He wished if there were more sudden brakes. The ride kept Atul on the edge, and when they reached home, he felt ashamed for thinking like a teen.
Ankita unlocked the door and welcomed him inside. He walked in and sat on the couch. However, he refused to have any kind of drinks and hurried her to relieve him.
“Cut the formality, Ankita... I have a busy day.”
She went to her room and brought him Anvita’s ring. He began to leave.
“Are you really leaving?”
“I have to. I am still at work.”
She was disappointed.
“We won’t meet any time soon.”
She seemed to be in a dilemma. Perhaps she wanted him to stay until Sahil arrived. He grabbed her hand.
“Yeah, I know. But it’s okay. We’ll surely make up for it when we meet next time. Tell Sahil.”
He sandwiched her soft hand between his palms. “And we’ll have our next date even better.”
“So that was a date.”
There was a strange look in her eyes. She did not try to retrieve her hand from him.
“It was a date; a very good one. I will miss you.”
He said and opened his arms as a welcome gesture. To his surprise, she pushed herself into him as if she was waiting for it. He embraced her, his arms around her warm body. His arms touched behind her hips and he felt hers around him too. A few seconds later, he felt she was not willing to part herself from him. He held her and slowly detached her from him. She looked up, and he saw her eyes wet.
“What happened, Ankita?”
“I...It’s nothing...” she tried to smile and failed in it miserably. He wiped off her tears as it rolled down.
“What’s happening, Ankita!”
He hugged her again and patted behind her shoulders, unable to contain his surprise.
“I…” She sniffed, “Nothing.”
He wiped the tears slowly off her cheeks and touched over her lips. She looked up, into his eyes. He slowly touched over her lips and wiped off a drop of wetness. Soft, tender lips and inviting eyes; Atul knew where it was taking him.
“I feel like I am being seduced.”
He said with a slight smile.
Now her smile was more genuine. He held around her and walked her back to the hall and sat on the couch. She sat very close to him, unwilling to move away. A sense of awkwardness suddenly crept in the air. But there was something in it, something warm, that kept both of them from moving away.
“I… I am so sad we are leaving…”
Ankita spoke finally.
Atul was not surprised now. It was common for anyone to be disheartened when they were about to leave their home; no matter how many time they’ve lived that moment in the past. Atul ran his hand over her hairs as if to console her.
Ankita took a deep breath, “I will miss you both.”
She grabbed his other hand and smiled.
“I will miss you too… and both of you...”
Atul said.
“You are a wonderful husband to my sister. You are…”
She paused as if thinking what to say. She pressed her lips together and took another deep breath. She looked at him fondly.
“Anvita is lucky, you know. She is very lucky to have you. She’s my cute little sister. She deserves the best. I know you will keep her happy always.”
“I will, Ankita.”
“In fact, I am a little jealous. She loves me too much she won’t mind it. You know you are a fabulous lover. And everyone in my family speaks so highly of you.”
“Stop praising me that much, you’ll ruin me.”
Atul complained, jovially.
“I’d love to do that, though.”
She blurted.
“Excuse me?”
“Just kidding,” She laughed a little. “I had wished to visit you with Sahil before we returned to Canada. But then we got so busy.”
“We’ll meet next time, we’ll hang out together.”
“I even wished you taught some tricks to Sahil. It’s silly.”
She was hesitant now.
“What tricks?”
“I don’t know. I’ve asked Anvita a lot of times, but she gave me nothing except that it was so good.”
“I still have no idea what you are talking about.”
“I am talking about that night. I had heard really good sounds from your room.”
A coy smile ruled her lips. Atul was stunned.
That night, when he had fingered his wife to bring make her squirt. Anvita had really screamed that night. Suddenly he felt uneasy to face Ankita.
“Shit.”
He mumbled.
“No, it’s not shit.”
Ankita giggled, “To be honest, it was too beautiful.”
She moved a little closer and Atul looked into her eyes now.
“How?”
“I’m afraid you’d look at me differently if I told you.”
Atul stared at her for a long moment, lured by her beautiful eyes and alluring smile.
“It’s okay. Tell me.”
She bit her lips and looked down for a moment.
“Since long, I wanted to be able to scream like that.”
She looked down again and grinned. “You know, I don’t know how you’ll take it. I am scared and I am not scared about me but you. I don’t know how to tell you to convey this in such a short time. I am borrowing the foreign style… I…I wouldn’t mind going to bed with you.”
Atul was stunned. He couldn’t say anything.
“I know you’d be thinking I am insane. But...”
She paused and shook her head as if to correct herself.
“Yes…I am insane…. You know I miss good sex. I don’t want to hide it anymore. You know a woman can't live like this forever. Sahil…”
Ankita shut her eyes down and paused a moment.
“Sahil... he isn’t giving me enough. He has never made me scream. I used to think it’s impossible for me, could be my fault. But then I heard Anvita…” She looked up. “I am scared, Atul. I am scared I’ll end up doing something stupid with someone else. I don’t want that.” She cried. She had her face down in her hands and wept. Atul sat there, without even a faint idea how to respond to her.
“I am not going to seduce you. Don’t worry. I’ll never betray my sister.”
She tried to smile and wiped her face again. She took the time to compose herself.
“You should leave. I don’t wanna end up a pity figure in your eyes.”
She got up and he followed her to the foyer.
“So you want me to teach Sahil how to make you do that, huh?”
Atul asked.
Ankita shook her head, innocently.
“I wish. I wish he gave me some…you know…”
“Why don’t you learn it from your sister?”
She laughed a little.
“I tried. But she’s a bit bitchy about that.”
Ankita mocked a sad face, it was cute.
“She never gives me any details.”
“I can teach anyone anything but not Sahil. I’ll end up being taught how a tube light works.”
Atul joked. He was amazed to see he had no hurry to leave now. All it would take him were a couple of steps and a pull on the door handle in order to get out. But, somehow, something was keeping him stay and talk to his sister-in-law. He did not want to identify what it was.
“That’s a sad joke.”
Ankita made a sad face again.
“And it means there’s no other way.”
“No, obviously there’s another way,” Atul smiled.
“Tell me.”
“I am afraid you’d look at me differently if I told you.”
Ankita smiled.
“It’s okay.”
She held her chin slightly up.
“Tell me.”
Atul moved an inch closer. “You know, how about myself teaching you how to scream like that?”
Her eyes widened and it was not the reaction Atul was expecting. He immediately regretted his lame tease.
“I know you are joking.” She said.
“Of course, I am. Silly.”
“I wish you weren’t.”
She said quickly.
Atul’s smile faded in a second. Before he could say anything, Ankita leaned forward and kissed him. It was unexpected, yet unopposed, as Atul stood like a statue. His sister-in-law was kissing him. Her warm soft lips were rubbing against his cold, unmoving lips. Ankita pressed her whole body to him, and he felt the warmth of her chest.
“Ankita.”
He pulled his face back a little.
“You are kissing me.”
She grabbed his shirt and blinked twice.
“I know. Never mind, I can't stop myself.”
And she kissed him again. This time he felt her warmness sneaking into his mouth and spreading all over his body. In a moment of craziness, he embraced her and kissed her back. She opened her mouth and he touched her tongue. His hand caressed behind her and touched her flawless skin behind her shoulder.
“You are ruining me.”
He mumbled but it merely got lost in the heat.
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