What The Eyes Don't See

9 | The Stench of Passion

Anay was blown away by that outright assessment. A part of his brain, the one governed by hormones, told him that was what he wanted to do. The night was long and lonely and with him was a beautiful woman making the first move.

"What do you say? You know a woman does not ask twice."

"Well, okay. Let's go."

They sat in near silence as the cab stopped by his building gate. He led her into the compound of the old building and got into the elevator. Her finger brushed against his and he felt his adrenaline beginning to pump. He led her to his house. As he thrust the key into the door of the apartment, the neighbor's door opened. Renee stepped back for no particular reason; she had nothing to hide from the neighbor.

"There was some mail for you in the evening," the elderly woman who stepped out of the neighbor's house told Anay. She had a couple of letters in her hand. Eying the girl behind him, she said, "Here they are."

"Oh yes... okay, thanks," said Anay as he grabbed them.

"Welcome. It is too much night. Have nice sleep," the woman said and popped inside her house.

Anay pushed the door of his house open and entered. Closing it behind Renee, he said, "Well, we are here."

"You certainly have creepy neighbors!" she said.

"Forget her," said Anay. "She is Mrs Shetty. Lonely elderly woman has little to look forward to in life. Holding on to the neighbor's mail and giving it to him is an adventure for her at this age."

She smiled and pulled him on the couch.

Anay let himself be led. "Let me at least turn on the lights..."

"Why? I am so turned on. Isn't that enough?"

He chuckled as her fingers worked their way on him.

***

Lost in the perfume of her hair, he let himself go with the moment. He kept his arms on the back of the couch and relaxed. Now and then, he felt like touching her, but somehow he could not will his hands to move to touch her. He looked at her head going down on him. In the darkness, all he could see of her was her straight silky blonde hair, dearly cared for at expensive salons. Then he felt her on him, and he almost lost consciousness.

But unknown to him, just a few feet away in the corner of the room at the far end, the one that was hidden away from the ambient streetlight that wafted into the room, something was happening. If he had stepped into that spot at that moment, he would have felt the shivering cold localized at that spot. Then, slowly, as if due to some invisible force, the air in that corner began to whirl, taking some of the dust particles with it. Noiselessly and invisibly, they swirled around, causing a sort of mini typhoon.

And from within that twister, something could see the two young people having the time of their lives. As they moaned and sighed, the wind began to spin faster, as if beset with some kind of fury. It then glided ahead, the bodiless entity shrouded within. It came out of the shadow of that corner and floated toward the partly bare bodies of the two people. It came behind the couch and stayed just behind Anay, barely grazing the nape of his neck and his shoulders.

Anay quickly turned to look. There was that feeling again. The cold, the darkness within the darkness. He could see nothing with his eyes, but his brain—oh, his brain! It conjured a million images, none of which he wanted to be true.

"Did you sense something?" he asked Renee.

She only grunted.

Just then, his phone rang and he jumped off the couch with a shriek.

"What the fuck, Anay? What's wrong with you?" Renee asked, almost falling off from her precarious position on her knees.

Anay gestured her to keep quiet. The call was from Shanaya. Turning his frown into a smile as if she could see him on the call, he cleared his throat and said, "Hi, Shan."

"Anay, I am feeling so bad about today, ya!" Shanaya said. "Look, I'm not a prude, but you know... we have just met. I like you. I like you very much, but let's just give it time, okay?"

Anay's attention was focused only on her voice; he paid scant attention to the words. His smile grew broader and he disconnected with "Sure! Let's talk tomorrow. Good night."

"What was that about?" Renee asked.

Anay now looked at the woman beside him. She was half-naked, in the middle of an act that he had been enjoying till just a moment ago but now found utterly despicable.

"It was Shanaya," he said truthfully.

"And she put a smile on your face, I see."

"It's okay, Renee. It's cool."

"No, it's not. How dare you take her call when I am here sucking your dick? What do you think I am?"

"Renee... it's not like that."

"Fuck you, Anay!" Renee fumed. "Seriously, fuck you! You are the biggest bastard I have ever met. I hope you go to hell."

"I'm sorry, Renee," Anay said, covering himself up. "I should have told you in the cab. Maybe you are right. I have feelings for her. And I am sorry I brought you home. I think this is not right. I cannot do this with Shanaya."

"The fuck do you mean? Am I a disposable condom to you?"

"I'm sorry. What can I do to make this right?"

Behind them, the swirling of the wind had stopped. The thing that was entrapped in it was now silent.

Renee rose and grabbed her clothes. She took her purse and furiously stormed to the door. "Never again cross paths with me, Anay Ghosh!" she screamed. "It won't be good."

Anay heard the door close with a bang. He then settled into the couch, a wry smile coming over his lips, thinking over what the woman of his fantasies had just told him on the phone.

Right behind him though, the blue eyes in that cloudy darkness blazed with a newfound rage.

***

Oh, damn! Do you think Anay should have brought Renee home? Really? What about Shanaya? Let me know, let me know!

Well, I hope the excitement is building. Let's proceed to the next chapter...