"What about your family?"
"hmm?" she looked at him through eyelashes, clearly uncomfortable by his questions.
Zoya smiled setting up her dupatta straight while trying her best to avoid his questions. Aditya observed her carefully, reading everything she said through her words and even those that her body conveyed. He stood next to her revealing his bare chest for her pleasure. He smiled placing his face in the nape of her neck from behind. His arms circling her petite body.
"Do you miss them?" He asked.
Adity felt the change in her breathe and he pulled her close further to give her comfort.
"I don't have any family," she replied through her uneven breathing.
"They died?"
"At least for me." He replied met with a long silence. Aditya didn't dare to move a muscle, his eyes twitched with various emotions. She felt the uneasiness that his silence held thus she removed his hands and cupped his face, " Do you mind if we talk about something else?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I was just interested." she felt the sincerity in his words and nodded to him.
"I don't mind answering your questions, but you are trying to learn that part of my book which I tore it long ago. One day, I will! I will answer all of your questions."
He nodded and patted her cheeks softly. "I am ready to hear, whenever you are ready to speak about it."
She smiled sadly, 'that day is never going to come.' she admitted to herself silently.
Aditya clicked his fingers to bring her attention to him, " Okay?"
"Hmm." She smiled, "You aren't hungry?" She asked, diverting the topic.
Aditya scanned her face for a few seconds, "of course, and I want a dessert too."
He rolled his arms on her again, this time bringing her lips deadly close to his.
"Desert before Meal?" Zoya asked with a raised brow.
"Well, before a meal, after a meal and after a meal." He kissed at every word making her shiver with close proximity.
He paused and kissed her nose before letting her rest her head on his chest. The warmth comforted her and she let the peace wash over her insecurities.
*****
More days passed, Aditya continued to meet with Zoya at his farmhouses or at hotels. In initial meetings, Zoya understood how much he loathed to visit the brothel. He passionately hated meeting her in that room, which is used by many men before him, and which will be used by many men after him. Also, she didn't wish to put his reputation at risk. He belonged to a well-renown family. And she was afraid of the consequences of letting their little secret out. If she had left him to decide, she would have been out of this brothel long ago. The idea to get out of this place into a life with him tempted her. But then she held herself back. As the path that can only bring ill fate and unhappiness to their life, it was better to stay away from it. Or maybe she was too afraid. What if she loses him by the end of this route? Thus, the moment she lived now was everything for her, and she was happy with it.
During the day, he lived his own life and fulfilled his responsibilities. But after scorching daylight, he ran for his peace, his shadow- his Zoya. And that defined their relationship. He was the happiness she craved for, and she was his solace.
"Are you thinking of something?" a deep growl demanded next to her ear.
She was in his arms, under a blanket wrapped around them, watching the sunrise through the huge transparent glass frame.
"You are too quiet today. If something is bothering you, I am here to listen." He brought her delicate palm and brushed his lips.
"Aditya, the news-"
"Oh, I should have thought about it." He sighed as she stepped away from him. She scanned her bag and took a white paper out. Aditya read her face and then at the paper in her hand.
"Zoya, what is this?" He took the paper and stared at it a moment before a wave of hurt passed through his eyes.
"Test Result."
"I could see that, but why? Why did you take the HIV test?"
"Because you wanted to check." She looked back at him confused, He wanted to know this? Then why is he not happy?
His brow squeezed together before he took a deep breath and nodded in negative. "Zoya, I didn't mean that."
"You did. I heard you speaking to your friend about this. And ..." She took a few steps and embraced him softly. "And I am okay, I understand why you wanted to check. And I am happy it's negative."
He peeled her hands away and tilted her chin to stare into her eyes. "I didn't mean it Zoya. There was no need for you to take a test. "
"Are you not happy?"
"Yes, I am. " He pecked her forehead and made her sit with him on the bed. He took her palm and kissed her knuckles.
"Zoya, I am happy that you are healthy and the result is negative. But I want to let you know, that even if the result would have been otherwise, it wouldn't change a thing between us. Understood?"
Zoya's eyes shimmered with his confession. She looked at him and then at the mirror before her while she nodded in yes. Aditya stared back at her through the mirror and smiled.
"Okay, so why were you late? I called you at 7.30, now it is 9.30. " Aditya pouted while adjusting himself so that he could place his head on her lap.
"Madhu Aunty had taken few advances..."
His movement stopped and his breathing became shallow. He swiftly got up and stood before her with his hands across his chest. "Why did you attend them? Why?" His voice sounded restrained as if he is holding himself back.
"Aditya, I had to attend them. The advances were taken." She stared at her feet and then looked away.
"Did I not tell you to not attend any clients other than me? Are my words not important to you..." The mere thought of her sleeping with other men boiled his blood and at the same time churn his gut.
"It is your wish to stay in that brothel, that doesn't mean you can go sleeping with whoever you like. I have booked you for your life, your body, emotions and time belongs to me and only me. Is it that difficult for you to understand?"
There were too many things she wanted to say at that moment but she let the silence talk while her eyes teared up at her reflection. He has left her once again with the darkness.
"Don't leave me," she whispered in an inaudible voice, tracing the invisible wound on her face, her chest, and her lips.
****
A few hours ago...
Zoya slipped her feet through the stilettos and checked her image in the mirror for the last time. She didn't like making Aditya wait too long. She wore her happiness through her smile. The excitement to meet Aditya was quite obvious on her face. Zoya picked up her purse and came down of stairs, just to meet Madhu on her way with a worried expression.
"So you are leaving already?" Zoya heard Madhu asked, and she stopped on her tracks and faced Madhu.
"Yes," Zoya whispered weakly.
"I know you are booked, but I want to request you." Madhu's nervousness began to frightened Zoya. She quickly nods for Madhu to continue.
"It still more than an hour left, I will ask Mushir Bhai (driver) to drop you at Aditya's place. But for now can you please attend to this client. He is too powerful and we cannot afford to say him no."
"But Adity-"
"It's still some time right? It won't be very long, I understand what you must be thinking but I tried...I tried to offer some other girl on your behalf, but that man is adamant to only have you for the evening. Can you do this for me? Please Zoya."
Zoya could hear the desperation in Madhu's voice. Zoya wanted to deny it but then, Was she really in a position to say No against the woman who practically owns her? The answer was obvious. She glanced at Madhu and nodded briefly; immediately Madhu sighed in relief.
Zoya took the address, her cell phone which Madhu provides her girls whenever they leave the brothel for a client visit and left to meet the man. All her way to the client's place, she felt guilty. Aditya has strictly said no to her to attend any man other than him. Yet she was betraying him. She hung her head low throughout the ride. Even the beautiful valley that they passed through didn't interest her today.
As soon as the car halted with a screech, she looked out through her window at a huge bungalow laced with armed Men dressed in black. He has to be VIP, she concluded. No doubt Madhu was so nervous to decline him. She raised her hand to turn the knob of the car when she saw Mushir's hand-stretched at her.
"Here." he pointed out the phone in his hand.
Zoya nodded and took the phone, placing it over her ear.
"Hello."
"Be careful Zoya, don't make any stupid move there. Whatever he asks to do it without an objection. We cannot afford to make him upset. People like him are too dangerous to toy with."
"Yes." was all Zoya managed to say in her nervousness. It was not like she was dealing with a VIP for the first time, but it was indeed the first time for her to see Madhu being so worried over a VIP client.
Zoya handed back the phone to the driver, quietly and walked out of the car inside the huge bungalow.
On entering the bungalow the first thing that caught her attention was a woman same age as hers standing in her bikini, smiling at her. Zoya smiled back out of courtesy. The woman asked Zoya to Hanover her bag and phone as she won't require them for the next one hour. Zoya quietly followed her instructions and walked behind her with her head hung low.
After a few turns, the woman halted pointing at a room. "Take a bath here and wear clothes that are kept in. You can use anything you want to make yourself presentable for him."
It was a very strange request Zoya have heard from a client so far. However, she excused herself to just get it over with. Meeting Aditya was all kept running in the back of her mind and border to meet him, she needs to finish with this client as fast as she can.
It took her 10 min to get ready with the clothes that were given to her. Once she was done, she stepped out of her room only to meet the woman from before.
"Perfect." She eyed the bikini that she had asked Zoya to wear.
"Follow me."
The woman made a sexy walk and leaded Zoya to a lavish bedroom when she saw an old man in the late 40s already waiting for her.
The man smirked eyeing Zoya from head to toe meanwhile the woman swayed her hips and walked towards him. She threw her arms around him and kissed briefly on her lips before whispering something in his ears. The man laughed and gave a brief nod before she marched back to Zoya and winked at her. Zoya not too sure of what is expected from her, remain rooted in her place.
The man stirred the glass of whiskey in his hand and walked up to the bed, asking Zoya to join her with him. Zoya did as she was told and soon she found him pouncing over her aggressively as if it was not the sex of lust but some sort of punishment.
***
When he pulled out of her, she was glad it has finished. As soon as he rolled away from her she sat straight and looked for her clothes. they were scattered around on the white marble floor. Zoya noticed the rich smell of an expensive cigarette. She didn't have much of smoking experience but thanks to her VIP clients she could easily identify the expensive smokes. Zoya glanced at the wall clock and gasped. It was already past the time she has promised Aditya.
Zoya quickly slipped into her dress and was about to leave when the old man voice boomed through the wall. She immediately stopped in her track.
"You are really a good fuck as everyone says." he started and the compliment made Zoya flinched reminiscing a long lost memory.
"But no matter how good you are, you must not cling to anyone for money. That takes away all the beauty from you." she squeezed her brow at the remark.
Little did she know, there was no turning back after knowing the truth!