Warning: If you're not comfortable reading the happenings of a brothel, you should start reading somewhere from the middle of this chapter.
"I am not your personal whore, we're done. Get off me!" I tried to shove the sickening man away from me.
"I paid money for you. You got to please me now."
"You paid only for having sex with me once and we're done!" I bellowed, doing my best to free myself from his grip. Though he could be passed as a decent looking gentleman who drove a Mercedes and wore a lakh's worth suit, all he wanted was sex.
"You're a whore. Your job is to please me. Come here!" He demanded, tugging me by my hand.
"Let go off me, you bastard!" I strived to make an escape.
"I'll pay you more, come here," he groped my boob.
This was it. I dug my teeth right into the wrist of his hand that held mine, and made sure it was a pretty hard bite that would leave a bruise.
He shrieked in pain and let go of my hand.
I used the minute to get on to my feet and dress up. While he was still in pain I stormed out of the room as quickly as I could and sprinted to the lobby in my brothel.
"What's that noise? Ah? Looks like your client is satisfied a little too much?" Reena winked at me. "For your excellent service, I'll set more money off from the debts Suraj owes me."
How I wanted to kick the living shit out of this woman who called herself the owner of this brothel.
"Ma'am, did you not make it clear to him that I wouldn't sleep with a man more than once?"
"I didn't find it necessary, Mehr. He's stinking rich. He'll pay for the number of times he wants to have sex with you. Let's make the most out of it."
"Ma'am, but I can't."
I sleep with men who pay me for it. So what difference does it make if I was going to sleep with the same man twice, he was going to pay me for it too. That's probably what's going on in her head.
I don't want to invest any part of myself in anyone who pays to sleep with me, sleeping with the same man twice will make me know his likes in bed, two times will stretch out to three, then four and many more. I would start getting myself emotionally attached to him. I would start playing by his rules. I don't want to make that grave mistake ever again.
"Alright alright, I have never understood this issue of yours. I'll ask Anika to get done with this man," she nodded her head in denial indicating she didn't like my attitude.
Although she can be mean sometimes, she does bend her rules for me whenever I tell her it's beyond what I can do. I didn't have a mother growing up. But Suraj-my stepfather told me she died giving birth to me. He couldn't be nice about it because I put an end to their illegal love affair. When he sold me to Reena I was thirteen, and had just hit my puberty, I didn't have a hint as to what menstrual cycles were, and what they meant. Reena made me understand my physical changes, helped me create a family, sent me to school, and helped me make good friends. She was my mother. But then I hadn't the slightest idea what was going on in this place until my turn came. I couldn't say she made my life here easy, mostly she was getting me used to it so I wouldn't freak out when my turn came.
Then I wasn't even aware why women dressed the way they did here in the brothel. I was of the perception that since it was a different place, they followed a different culture altogether. I was young and naïve.
But the moment my boobs developed completely as that of a woman's, Reena put me into business. Precisely, she waited until I looked like a temptress. I see the shades of a mother in Reena at times. But most of the times, I just want to strangle her neck.
"No! I want that woman!" A man's loud voice brought me out of my trance. I spotted Reena talking that poor excuse of a man into sleeping with Anika rather than me.
"Have you looked at that woman? She's a fucking seductress. Look at her body. I want her. Not this woman!" he threw insults as though Anika was dying to sleep with him.
Has he had the chance to ever look in a mirror?
"Mister, keep your voice down! I know what Mehr is, that's why she's expensive. With that being said, you can use her only once. She's booked for the night."
I am not being objectified at all here. I love this job.
"I want her. End of st-"
"You just want to shove that dick of yours in a vagina. It really doesn't matter whose it is. Anika is available, if you want to take her, pay the price and she's yours. Else, just calm your balls down and leave this place right now," Reena cut him off. She can show a man his' place. She respected no client of hers. We all see why men come here, either they are cheating on their partners, or just too old to get laid, or just cannot find a woman to shag. So they get their work done with their money.
"If I don't get that woman, I don't want anyone else!" He yelled at the top of his voice and stomped out.
"Look at the audacity of the man who is cheating on his wife."
"He's married?" Anika implored.
"Did you think virgin boys were dying to have sex with you?"
"Oh," her voice fell.
"You need to learn the tricks of the business. It's been long enough. And dress properly; reveal more of your skin. If you had done it, that man would have slept with you," Reena showered her last words of wisdom and wandered away.
Anika stretched her foot in my direction, "so all what Reena Ma'am said. Is that true?" She queried.
Anika was innocent. Not everyone here liked their jobs. Most of us do it for money. Anika has lived here only for three months. Her husband sold her in return for another friend of ours who worked here at the brothel. Reena wouldn't let go of a potential worker who can make her money until she got something in return. The greedy man instead sold his wife. Since Anika was from a rural town, there was no sense put into her that she was not an object that can be exchanged in some stupid barter. All she knew was to obey her husband. My stepfather did a similar thing to me. The only difference was I was a kid when I was sold. By the time I comprehended what my stepfather had gotten me into, it was too late to do anything about it. Who could have helped me? The cops? Yeah, sure. If only Reena hadn't bribed them.
I chuckled, "honey, you have no idea."
"But Mehr, how are you putting up with three men in a day?"
"Other women here do more men, Ani."
"But I am not able to sleep with more than one man. I feel exhausted after the first time."
"Ani, we are not having a contest here."
"But I want to be able to get off this place faster."
"It takes time. Look, I remain detached to every man I sleep with. I let them do me for the money they pay and that's it. You just want to use my vagina, just use it and leave. Don't ask me for a doggy style or a sixty-nine or even a blowjob. That's not what you paid me for. Go fuck your wives then. "
"I am scared to refuse, Mehr. What if they shout at me?"
"Listen Ani, that man who just left demanded me to sleep with him twice. I drew my line there because I can't take it another time. He wouldn't listen, he started making a fuss and wouldn't let me go. I bit him hard right into his flesh and I made my point."
"So I should bite a man if I cannot take more."
"What!?" I hooted with laughter. "No, relax, you'll learn soon."
"But just remember; remain detached, that's the mantra."
"Mehr!" I heard Reena call me.
"You should go," Anika said.
"I'll see you in a bit."
When I went to find out what Reena wanted, I found her at her desk, counting a stack currency notes.
"Ma'am?" I interrupted.
She looked up from her notes, "Oh Mehr, you're here. I called to tell you about your client tonight."
"I thought you were lying about it."
"As if," she jibed at me.
"Okay, so at what time will he be here?"
"No, you'll have to go to his place. He lives at IGC grand."
"At what time am I expected?"
"He asked for you at 11 tonight."
"Okay, I'll be there." I was going to take my leave when I heard Reena chime in again, "Mehr, wait."
"Yea?" I turned on my heel.
"He's a celebrity. Dress carefully, use good fragrances, pamper your body. You want to look good for him, don't you?"
"I have slept with celebrities before, what's so special about this man?"
"He seemed really demanding. In fact, he was so stubborn that he wanted only you despite me telling him that you weren't available for the night. He paid five times the price I usually charge just to get you available for him."
"That's so much pressure," I ridiculed.
"Mehr," she laughed, "now that's enough, you have only a few hours left to get yourself dressed."
"Alright." I marched to my room, locking it behind me.
I stripped down and stepped slowly into the tub, turning the water on high and letting it beat over my head. I closed my eyes to the water as the heat soaked into my skin burning the remains the previous man left on my body. I finished my bath after using all the best smelling bathing lotions and shampoos.
I walked on my toes into the room not wanting to make it wet. I unwrapped the towel from around my body and wiped it dry. I let my hair air dry itself. After giving my body all the moisture it needed with all the creams available in the world, I slipped into the little black dress that Reena had arranged for my night. It sat right over my lingerie, revealing the right amount of skin, but still not putting all of it on display. The dress seemed like it was the smallest of sizes. It clinched my body like it was my second skin. Reena had complete knowledge about all our sizes because she was the one to dictate the quantity of food we were to eat at a meal. She knew how to keep her stock in trade.
Slapping some makeup on my face, I put on a pair of black stilettoes and took myself off my room. It was almost about time when I had ticked all the things on Reena's 'before sleeping with the client' list.
"You're dressed?" Reena's head turned in my direction when she heard my stilettoes click against the marble floor.
"Umm, you smell good," she added.
"I had to. Thanks to your list," I derided.
She cracked up, "I like your how you're funny."
"Of course you do," I rolled my eyes internally.
"Acha listen, the client's car is waiting outside. The driver will take you to his hotel. My car will be there to get you whenever you want to return."
"Okay."
"And wait, take this," she stuffed a phone into my hand. This was the phone she handed every worker when they left to the client's place. We all lived in such a technologically advanced place where we were not allowed to use phones.
"Alright, I'll leave." I headed to the porch where I caught sight of the car that was waiting.
When I took my seat in the car, the driver gaped at me with an infamous look on his face.
"I understand you know who I am, can we leave now?"
"Oh yea, sure," and the car purred to life.
The streets of Mumbai had a lot to wow me even during the wee hours. It was still as busy as a day. I have always heard Mumbai had a rich cultural heritage, but I haven't visited many places in Mumbai myself. When I was young, I lived in a slum with my stepfather. After he sold me, I stepped out of the brothel only when I was to visit a client.
I let the window run down and the air brush my face. I yearned for freedom. The wind ran its fingers through my hair as I let a smile escape through my painted lips. This was where I wanted to be, out there and open, without having to dress up for a man, without having to sell my body for money. As the wind murmured its music in my ears, it felt like I was there, reaching for something.
"Ma'am."
I jerked in reflex.
"We're here," the driver said.
"Oh, sure." I threw the door to the car open.
"Madam, don't stop on the way. Just head to the second floor, Room 203. Sir is expecting you. "
"Alright." I got out of the car and closed its door shut behind me. Taking the elevator, I arrived at the second floor.
I walked along the hallway looking for Room 203. Exactly then the room presented itself to me. I extended my hand to press the bell. Just as I was about to, the security guard watching over butt in, "has Reena sent you?"
"Uh, yes?"
"You can wait inside, Ma'am. Sir should be out any minute." He twisted the door knob giving me access to the room.
"Alright." I set foot into the room.
The second I entered the room, I heard the shower running. I figured what he was up to. But this room was huge and didn't look like a hotel room at all. It looked more like a guest suite in an Italian palace. No kidding, this man was rich.
The bed was king-sized with pure white cotton sheets that looked Egyptian maybe? There were knee pads lying carelessly on it. He had his own desk, a thirty-six-inch TV with video and DVD, a sprawling leather sofa, and, on the other side of the room were the floor-to-ceiling windows beyond which was his own private terrace. Everything was in marble and handcrafted tiles. I shuddered to think how much it might cost a night. There were few cricket kits standing against the wall. Next to it was an array of cricket bats stacked up against each other in the order of its height. I picked up the most huge cricket bat of them all. It was heavy. I held it with both my hands and try to swing it.
Soon enough I heard the washroom door open, its creaking noise brought a chill to my spine.
Heyaa! I am really nervous about this chapter. I hope you guys liked it. *fingers crossed* I know this is going to be a very sensitive plot, I tried to do it as much justice as I can. I tried to be as sensitive as I can. I hope you guys are too.
Please don't forget to leave your votes and comments. I would really love to know what you guys think. The next chapter will be updated on Thursday.