This is a long chapter. Thought of breaking into two but it's all in continuation. It will break the flow. Also caution⚠. If you know what I mean. 😈
Take ur time reading. Here goes nothing...
The first few days post job resignation were a mixbag. One would expect Pallavi to be drowned in depression and despair but instead, she stayed home doing Netflix and chill. The chill part was missing at the time though.
Honestly, home felt refreshing- having food at her disposal, lie down in bed, and do whatever she wanted. She was a free bird. She could also concentrate on a hobby that was ignored like terms and conditions- drawing sketches. But with that aimless freedom came uncertainty, anxiousness, bitterness, and pining. Having already been prisoner to these emotions, Pallavi realized she couldn't do anything but let them be. Atleast until something good happened.
As for Pallavi's meet with Adhvik, she had envisioned various scenarios. With no job, she had lesser excuses to make. Now she did lie to her parents before but only in cases where her friends brought their boyfriends with them.
And now, it was her boy-
No, stop, Pallavi! Getting physical was hardly a definition of boyfriend. A special friend would suffice.
Eventually, Pallavi came up with one excuse that wouldn't sound suspicious. A scenario of two beloved sisters doing shopping. Now what could be more plausible than that.
"But why drag me into this? What am I supposed to do until then?" Deepali whined as she tried to catch up with Pallavi who was dashing off the mall.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't think of anything better. Just 2-3 hours, Deep." Pallavi swiveled her head across the mall, taking a glimpse at all the showrooms around. "Here, an extra five hundred rupee for you. Buy a new dress, watch a movie or something."
"Do I look like a kid in need of hotwheels? Besides, there's no fun in watching movie solo," Deepali grumbled though it went unheard as Pallavi attended the call from Adhvik, informing she would be there in ten minutes. Soon, she left hurriedly to pick an auto from the opposite lane to where her car was parked. Deepali let out a defeated sigh. Seeing her only sister rushing to meet her dear Adhvik awakened something that she would otherwise care less about. "Apna time aayega. Zarur aayega."
And so, the torch of singlehood passed on.
* * *
Nervousness wouldn't cover even half of what Pallavi was feeling at the moment. She hugged herself, trying to control the raging butterflies in her stomach. She was told to reach near Mansur, preferably at the beginning of the road that led to the office. She paced back- and- forth until she spotted a far away figure of Adhvik in red shirt and denim jeans, exiting the gate in his bag pack. Not even the blazing sun could stop them from smiling wide. Their first meet outside of office.
Adhvik sized her from top to bottom in her pink salwaar and leggings. "Hi, there."
"Please don't be late next time. I only came here for a while and I'm being a terrible sister by making Deepali wait."
"Ooh~ there will be a next time too? I like it!" Adhvik's lips twitched in mischief but Pallavi was in no mood for jokes as ushered him to get going. "Fine! Follow me and, uh... stay ten feet away, okay. You know how word spreads around in the neighborhood so..."
"Understood," Pallavi replied, meaning it and distanced away. Adhvik raised a thumbs up of approval before heading down a narrow path, that seperated the main road. She followed suit.
Their pathway was basically a string of two storeyed buildings and houses lined up on both sides. Sounds of the cow mooing escaped from a distance. Indeed there was a cow shed ahead that dwelled three cows. Pallavi pressed her nose, avoiding the stinging smell of their dung kept in piles, just like in the villages. Noisy adults and children scurried around in decent looking clothes while Aunties ogled at her like she was an alien.
The end of the narrow road diverged to a crowded place in what looked like a local market. Shops and street vendors of fruits, vegetables were lined up on both sides. Pallavi had to tread carefully against the troughs, dungs and stones on the road. The excitement she had reserved earlier turned to zero.
"What the hell is this?! Where do you even live?" Pallavi couldn't help but voice out in abhorrence. Sure she wasn't expecting a mansion or high posh society like hers where people drove Mercedes and Audi. Guess expecting a decent two storey building with a decent quiet surrounding was asking too much.
"Yeah, it doesn't exactly look good, does it? Especially for someone like you." Adhvik shook his head.
"Let's just get to your apartment," Pallavi motioned with her hand. Before I change my mind.
The two of them continued straight until Adhvik wheeled to a narrow road to the left. Sounds of cement and drilling machines were heard at a distance. Pallavi stopped momentarily once they reached the clearing. There were two five- storeyed buildings, facing opposite to each other with an uneven road between them. One building was still under construction while the other one vaguely reminded Pallavi of her hostel with open corridors. She noticed Adhvik's back disappearing to the entrance of that building.
"Which floor is it?" Pallavi asked Adhvik while climbing the stairs to the second floor.
"Third." came the distant voice of Adhvik who was a flight of stairs ahead of her. Great, just great!
Needless to say, Pallavi was panting by the time they reached, in contrast to Adhvik who didn't even break a sweat. She barely had to climb these many stairs since her building had an in- built lift. Her stomach dropped as Adhvik opened the lock to his door. This was it. After cancelling their previous plans for the last three times, they were finally here.
To Adhvik's apartment.
Or more like a single room. It held a decent kitchen in one corner, a bed with a cupboard in another and a bathroom in the third corner. There were two windows with one of them covered by a cooler outside. An open rectangular wooden shelf was placed on the white wall between the bathroom and the kitchen. It was divided into three racks. The bottom- most rack hosted a few pairs of shoes and slippers while the second last rack retained basic accessories such as wrist watch, powder bottle, notepad, belt, razor along with a two small potted plant kept on either corner. The topmost rack was transformed into a space for prayer with miniature statues and photos of Hindu Gods such as Lord Krishna, Ganpati, Shiv, Mahalaxmi and Durga Devi. A diya (small lamp) made of copper and an incense holder was kept in the middle. The residual ashes of incense spread on the newspaper that was laid on the rack surface.
Pallavi already felt close without his physical proximity. A man's apartment was as personal as a woman could get. She excused herself to the toilet cum bathroom once she was done looking.
Except the door had a broken lash.
Now Adhvik assured she could go in without him peeping at her. When she still doubted, he replied seriously. "You trust me, right? You trusted me enough to come to my room alone. Then trust me again when I say I won't look at you."
Pallavi had nothing else to say after that as she went. True to his word, he didn't peep. Soon after, she took a seat on the rightmost corner of the single bed.
"Here," Adhvik walked up to her with a glass of water. Surprisingly, Pallavi gulped them all in one sitting. After placing the glass on the kitchen table, he joined her to sit on the bed as well.
On the leftmost corner.
They were seated on the farthest ends. Guess Pallavi wasn't the only nervous one. Silence followed.
"Lo- look what I bought," Adhvik attempted to crack the awkward ice between them by opening the zip of his bag to reveal two golden beer cans and a packet of salted peanuts.
Pallavi shook her head in dismay. "I don't want to return home on a drunken state, Adhvik."
"Don't worry, these are light beers. Besides you hardly get drunk anyway," Adhvik commented cheekily, pressing on the can opener, accompanied by a pop sound.
The next few excruciating minutes were spent in their mouths engaged in small talk and beer. Adhvik conversed about the things happening in office and the construction of the new one that was close to completion. Just sitting besides Adhvik in the comfort of his home was an inexplicable experience for Pallavi.
Five minutes turned to ten and then twenty. None of them talked dirty, forget making a move. The air around them thickened, rendering it harder for Pallavi to breathe. It was painfully obvious by now- they were way too nervous.
"It's okay, Pallavi." Adhvik spoke as if he read her mind. He shook his head. "Look, we... we don't have to do anything. You can have this beer and leave. No pressure. Just relax."
"Okay..." Pallavi meekly nodded, taking another sip of the cool, golden liquid. That was a bit assuring. His words notched down her nerves a bit. But when it did, she saw the harsh reality of their situation.
Going home after doing nothing was like manufacturing a mobile without making it run. It would render all of their flirtations, thoughts, previous plans and the excitement useless. For what purpose did Pallavi shave off her bikini area and get her body waxing done? No!
She was not okay with this.
"Then do something about it," replied Adhvik after Pallavi voiced it out. Funny how they had addressed their motives for the first time since they entered the apartment. Pallavi's brows knitted at his vague answer. "Create a sensuous atmosphere first."
Pallavi's eyes widened as she reached an epiphany. Adhvik hadn't made the first move because of her. He wanted her to be comfortable first. If she wasn't, she always had the option to go home. She was overcome with emotion. No way she was going to let it slip away. Not when she had dreamt of this happening for several months and had wet dreams about it. She had to make them come true. Now.
Pallavi drew a long breath.
"Give me your hand," she ordered, her heart palpitating. Adhvik quietly obliged, extending his palm towards her. She intertwined her soft fingers with his rough ones while Adhvik repeated her gesture, tightening their hold. Funny how a simple gesture of holding hands- something they had done countless times before had a completely different affect now. Understandable since they were in a closed room. Not a public place but a private space meant for the two of them.
Something began to ignite inside her. A knowing spark. An aching need. An odd kind of silence enveloped between them. The kind that was loud.
Pallavi stared and stared as Adhvik consumed the peanuts one by one. His demeanor seemed calm, except for his thumb that continued to trace circles on the back of her hand. None of them dared to look at each other then. None of them left their hands either.
Pallavi's heartbeat was oscillating, just like the bright curtains by the window that blew high and low with the wind. When the curtains blew away for the second time, Pallavi rose, moving her hips to close the wide distance between them.
With one single peck on his lips.
The curtains lowered down.
It wasn't a proper kiss but a peck. Yet both Pallavi and Adhvik felt it. Felt their lips making a soft contact for the first time. It was as if they had waited a millennia for this moment.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" Pallavi exclaimed, covering her face and swaying her legs in haste. What did she just do? Did that really happen? Holy cow, she just kissed him!
The first kiss in the twenty- six years of her life.
Adhvik chuckled, running a finger to his lips to confirm it himself. Indeed, it was his first, too. They had managed to break the ice.
Pallavi exhaled when she felt the mattress sink besides her. Adhvik had already placed the cans and peanuts aside to shift closer to her. He pushed her hand away to reveal her embarrassed stricken face. He smiled a gentle smile at her.
That is until Pallavi giggled.
"What are you doing, idiot?" He chuckled himself. "Don't giggle, you are ruining the moment."
"I- I can't help it lol!" She was way too nervous.
Pallavi averted her eyes, drawing slow breaths as she felt his finger tips grazing her body- from her lower back to all the way up, bringing goosebumps. His hand
went inside her kurta to cup her bra covered breasts. Her heart thundered.
She giggled again but Adhvik chose to ignore this time. He instead threaded his fingers between her hair, chinning her up to face him. The sunlight cast a reflection upon them as they drew closer until he pressed his lips against her pink ones.
Again.
And again.
Warm breaths fanned against their faces as they parted. They smelled of alcohol- sweet and pungent. All their attraction over these months condensed to this moment as they tilted their faces to kiss, moving their wet lips against each other for the first time. Adhvik placed a hand over her wildly beating heart and continued to kiss her. Pallavi had to support herself to the bed with an arm behind her as he kept leaning onto her, deepening the kiss with his tongue. At times their noses intervened, other times their lower lips met in an uneven fashion. It wasn't perfect by any means but they continued struggling to match the rhythm.
Before long, Pallavi was laid down on bed with Adhvik on top of her. It overwhelmed her to feel the weight of his body on her. He lowered the neckline of her top to kiss her bare shoulder, earning a surprise breath. For a few seconds, he continued to cup her boobs until he straightened up to slide her top up.
"No!" Pallavi stopped him abruptly by the hand.
"Why, aren't you liking this?"
"Not that. My..." Pallavi averted her eyes, too self conscious of her vulnerable position right now. "My waist is not pretty to look at. It's full of stretch marks and fat and no guy has ever seen it before so I don't know how you'll react, I don't know what's your type so I never want you to be-"
"Pallavi," Adhvik stopped her rambling with a finger on her lips. He looked at her softly and smiled, "Hey, it's okay."
"But I-"
"I don't care about those things. I never did so relax. It's okay. It really is..." And with that he retracted to his previous position.
Pallavi tried to protest but her own voice got smaller and smaller as she felt him lifting her top to expose her bare stomach to thin air. She raised her arms to cover her face, her self consciousness getting the best of her. Her abdomen rose slightly as Adhvik grazed his fingers through her bare skin and kissed her navel, making her gasp for breath.
Pallavi opened her one eye, dreading to see Adhvik's reaction but when she did there was nothing remotely close to disgust in his eyes. Instead, they looked at her in pure wonder and admiration. She was glad to be wrong.
Adhvik resumed lifting off her top, revealing her pink bra and a thin golden chain that submerged between her breasts. Eventually Pallavi assisted in wringing her top off, rendering her vulnerable once again.
Pallavi stopped him when he was about to touch her again. She pouted, tugging the hem of his red t-shirt. "Not fair, you remove your top, too."
"Eager, are you?"
"Not as much as you, I'm sure."
Adhvik smirked right back at her before pulling his shirt over his head. Pallavi sat up, not missing the chance to ogle at his chocolate bare chest. She had been meaning to see it ever since he showed a a photo of him in a grey vest. She ran her hand from his broad shoulders all the way to his chest, feeling the contours of his skin and body hair. She didn't stop as she explored his waist and back, noticing him close his eyes on the impact. Neither did she miss the bulge on his jeans.
He wriggled his brows at her, "Time to get you topless, babe."
Pallavi faked a shriek, covering herself, "My, my how heinous of you!"
"Yeah, I'll show ya!" He growled, posing an attack on her while she chuckled. His hands went behind her back in an attempt to unhook her bra but failed. He struggled again and again until she laughingly unhooked the bra herself. Though she quickly covered her chest with her arms crossed.
A few playful push and pulls later Pallavi's bra was off. With a sharp intake of breath, she observed the way Adhvik gaped at her naked breasts like a piece of meat, meant to be devoured. He barely wasted time in cupping and sucking them, making her groan in pain when his teeth met her skin. He explored her body on a random, eventually tugging at her jeans to pull them down. It was like he was losing his mind.
But Pallavi wasn't. It was enjoyable, yes but pleasurable, not so much. Odd. Her vjj should have been leaking for him by now.
Though things did heat up when it got down to touching their private parts. It was an inexplicable experience-- both for Pallavi and Adhvik for obvious primal reasons. Even though she had seen on porn movies several times, seeing and touching a man's dick was a whole lot different. Especially when it belonged to someone she knew and crushed on. She observed his face contorted in pleasure as she touched him that way. While her legs squirmed when his fingers explored her rigorously between her legs.
Though things didn't always go as expected.
"Ouch, n-not there! Your nails hurt."
"Eeks! Careful. That's my dick you're touching, not a rod."
They took a time out in between due to nature calls. Pallavi received a message from a bored Deepali asking what she was doing and when she will return.
'A lot is happening Deepali.
A lot! Like oh my Godd! 😱😳
I'll return in another hour.'
With that, Pallavi threw her phone aside and got back to a naked Adhvik. Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention the part that they were both stark naked now.
This time she got on top of him. Surprisingly she was feeling more confident than before. She placed wet kisses on his neck and chest, earning a sensuous groan from him. At one point, Adhvik circled his hand around her head only to undo her ponytail. Her long black hair cascaded down her waist with some curls in front, compelling her to look into his eyes.
For the first time, Adhvik stared at her- her naked bosom, her slightly fair soft skin, her curves and lines that shaped her back all the way to her twinkling eyes. Few bangs fell down to her eyes as she blinked. He cupped the face that looked down on him in wonder. "I swear you... you look breathtakingly sexy."
All her life, Pallavi was built with a mindset that no man would like what was inside her clothes. Just because she was fat. She thought she could only bare her nakedness after she lost weight. But Adhvik saw her in all her glory-- stretch marks and all, and still called her sexy. Those words did to her what it did to an artist after receiving an award- An overwhelming recognition. His words penetrated her soul leaving her with nothing but love for him and herself. His earnest eyes told her he meant it. And this meant the world to her.
"Thank you," She summarised thousands of feelings into one, smiling with an emotion she didn't knew she felt before.
It was a while after that. There came a point when Adhvik had enough. He urged her to have sex but Pallavi wasn't ready. He promised to be gentle, to stop if it hurted too much but she didn't give in. It boggled on how he wanted to be inside her so badly while she didn't feel a thing. She actually felt no urge to have his dick inside him. She just wasn't ready. Did he do something wrong?
It took every fiber of his being to not fuck her there and then. He couldn't. It was her decision after all. Instead, they simply assisted each other, resorting to orgasming by themselves. Pallavi observed him as if watching a flower bloom before her eyes. While Adhvik fingered her, hoping her to orgasm as well. While she loved the feel of his fingers against the most erotic part of her body, he just wasn't doing it the way she wanted. Neither did she had the guts to direct him. Eventually she took the matter into her own hands. Literally.
* * *
"I can't believe this..."
"I can't either...."
Can you blame them? They were lying besides each other- bodies mingled, legs tangled, fingers intertwined. None of them had their clothes on. Pallavi received a string of unread messages from Deepali but with Adhvik's fingertips tracing her ass and side, she didn't read them. Right now, she was immersed in another plane with just her and him as she leaned onto his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was as if she was floating on water from a quiet lake kissed by the morning sunlight. Not to mention the scent they were emanating from their slightly sweaty bodies. Was cuddling this heavenly?
"Who would have thought I'd be here with you like this? I mean I thought but I didn't actually... you know..."
"Bitch."
"Ah, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."
"Bkl."
"Life surprises you in the most twisted ways..."
"Mkl."
Pallavi brows furrowed, "Why are you cussing me like this?"
"Oh, I'm not done yet." Adhvik confessed, grinning wickedly at her. "Madarchod... Behan ki Lodi... Kutti... Randi... Saali... Maa ki l-"
"Haramkhor saale!" Pallavi cussed back, slapping his back and he winced in pain. "How fucking dare you! Do I look like a randi to you? You motherfucker, you dickhead, bhosadike...."
He raised his arms in defense while she beat him again and again. To an outsider, it might seem like she was abusing him but upon looking closer, both were being playful, smiling wide. His colorful choice of words meant the same.
"Oh no, oh shit! I need to go..." Pallavi's eyes widened when she noticed some more missed calls from Deepali, accompanied by few WhatsApp messages in CAPSLOCK. And capskock were never good. It was as if Deepali knew Pallavi was too lost in her world and needed a message in capslock in order to snap out of it. How did she know her so well? Moreover, there was a miss call from her mother.
Pallavi was about to get up when she was dragged down by a pair of strong arms holding her in place. Her lips twitched.
"Don't go away yet," The shocking words were spoken by a brooding Adhvik.
"You just want to feel my boobs squishing against your chest." She squinted her eyes at him.
"True that and it's heavenly," He replied, cupping and kissing them once again.
"Look, I need to go okay. Ma has called me too. If I don't answer them, they will call me again, plus I left Deepali for far too long." Pallavi muttered to rise up only to be pulled down by him. Again.
"First promise you'll come here again. Kahaani abhi baki hai, meri jaan (Story is far from over, my life)" He improvised a Shahrukh Khan dialogue while squishing her cheeky face between his hands. By story, he meant sex.
"Ia whal," Pallavi managed to reply with her duck face and they shared a laugh. They kissed for one last time before she was finally allowed to get up and wear her clothes. It took a while to find them. She could feel his intense gaze on her as she searched for her undies and wore them. "Stop staring!"
"You aren't that fat you know... Main thing is this," He grabbed hold of her round belly, startling her. She blushed profusely and got away to cover herself. "Healthy too. Aree why are you covering yourself now- Wait!"
"What?"
"We forgot one thing. For fuck's sake how can we forget thaaat?"
"You mean...?" Her mind clicked with the same thought. "Naked dance."
Both shot a knowing look like two devils who were about to do something heinous. Pallavi took Adhvik by her hand making him stand and then...
I'm too embarrassed to go into details. Just know that they jumped, shook, moved their hips and someone possibly moved his willy as well. What followed was spurts and spurts of laughter, echoing in the four walls of the room. They laughed at their funny poses until there were tears in their eyes. Soon after, they left the room.
* * *
Pallavi couldn't help but notice something odd as she and Adhvik passed through the corridor. She pouted, crossing her arms.
"What?" Adhvik craned his neck back, puzzled.
"Back then you were not willing to let me go. We were so close and now you're walking five feet away from me. Not fair!"
Adhvik let out a visible sigh. They were almost at the the height of the stairs that led to the second floor. "Fiiine!"
He held his arm out.
"What?" Pallavi asked skeptical while walking closer.
"Take it. Take my arm..." He raised his arm slightly. Is this what Pallavi thought it was? She hesitated for a second before sliding her arm under his. He linked their arms together before extending his other arm towards the stairs. "Shall we?"
"Y- yes." She managed, her heart coming undone.
Her heart leapt through her chest as they walked down the flight of stairs together, linking arms. Step after step, she felt his arm and sides brushing against hers. The sun was gradually setting, casting a ray of orange light their way. They looked like two people, walking alone in the sunset. Perhaps she was overwhelmed by everything that happened today or perhaps it was her dopamine release.
Whatever it was, it couldn't stop her.
Stop from resting her head on his shoulder with a enormous smile on her face. Her smile was no less than a sunflower that blossomed.
Adhvik peered back at her in wonder before returning her gesture with a smile of his own. He still wasn't aware of the story behind her smile but even he could tell that she was happy. Guess he was too, and that's all it mattered. Unfortunately they had to unhook their arms after they reached the ground but not before clicking few selfies. Their first photo outside of their office life together.
Adhvik and Pallavi were walking ahead, unaware of the journey they were taking together. A journey that would take them to places unknown.
And this was just the beginning.
* * * * ** * *
Welcome to part 2 of the story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Its my favorite, too. ❤ Comment your thoughts. Next chapter will be up this Sunday. Look forward.