I started coughing up the food in my mouth. My mind was reeling.
"Ma'am, are you fine?" The waiter rushed to my side and poured me a glass of water.
Gulping two mouthfuls, I tried to process the information.
"Are you talking about that tall man with the dragon tattoo?"
"Yes, ma'am," he confirmed it, taking the glass back from my hand.
"And he's the vice-captain of the Indian Cricket Team?" my mouth hung with my lips slightly parted and my eyes were as wide as they could stretch.
"Yes. Did you not know?"
"Uh, what, no. Of course I did." I lied, stuffing down another piece of aloo paratha down my throat. I didn't want to look like I'm dumb.
"Thank you, Ma'am, I'll take a leave."
"Please close the door on your way out," I added.
Why did Reena not mention this? He was stinking rich. He wore the Indian jersey too. Damn, I would have looked like an idiot when I was laughing at it. He did say women threw themselves at his feet for fame and money. He urged me to ask him for his name. Probably he had thought I would also throw myself at his feet when I knew who he was. It all clearly made sense now. Though I wasn't really happy about knowing the identity of a client I was going to sleep with for the second time, it didn't make much of a difference.
After pushing the food down into my system, I strolled to the clothing store downstairs to buy something I could wear today considering I didn't have any spare clothes. Thanks to Reena who didn't care to inform me of my extended stay.
The store was perfumed and air-conditioned. I stepped inside, holding my hands out to the petals raining down from the clear ceiling. They were virtual, of course, they were.
In a second I was basked in the attention of the sales staff, "Ma'am, how can I help you?" she offered.
My eyes scanned the place. There were messages and carefully styled images to seduce consumers in those places of the store wherever their eyes may fall. There was everything I wanted and very little I needed. You have a place in this store only if you have the money for it.
"I was just looking for something basic," I said.
"Sure, let me help you," she guided me to an array of tops, tunics, tees, crop tops, pullovers, kimonos, jumpsuits, maxis, minis and more. It was a list that would never end. I pawed over different fabrics and textures.
After an hour of trying out various clothes, I picked out a printed above knee length dress with pink and baby-blue flowers. I would have preferred the big red roses or the orange dahlias: this dress made me look like an expanse of wallpaper. But I wanted something inexpensive. I was just going to be lazing around in the room, I wouldn't need something that would cost my arm.
"I'll take this," I told the woman who was helping me out.
She scanned the clothes and then looked at me, as though I had a bad fashion sense. Probably I did. I don't know.
"Anything else?" She asked.
"No, that should be it."
"Okay." She lead me to the billing.
"Uh, excuse me?" I stopped her.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"I'm with Abhimanyu Raghavan," I said.
"Oh, okay. No problem," she said, packing the clothes for me and offering me my bag.
"Thank you for shopping with us," she flashed her flossed teeth. That's probably as fake as her smile could get.
I took the bag from her and marched out of the store. That was awkward.
I spent the remaining hour left in the bathtub. Sliding into the water, I let it block the sounds around me. The bathtub felt like it would go as farther as I would want it to. Doing a job I do, I never really get time myself. I wake up; cleanse myself for the first client of the day. Let him fuck me. Then scrub the remains of the man so my body is spotless for the next man to fuck me. The cycle repeats. It never stops. Just lying here, idle, without having to think of anything, felt like I was in some deep slumber, only in an exclusive seven-star hotel with more than a hundred options I can choose, from regulating the water temperature, pressure, soaps, shampoos, scents, oils, and massaging sponges. This day was a much-needed break I yearned. The fact that he booked me for two nights was actually a blessing in disguise. It was pure bliss.
I stepped out on the mat, the heaters came on to blow dry my body. Instead of struggling with knots in my wet hair, I merely pressed a button on a box that sent a current through my scalp drying my hair almost instantly. It floated down up to my shoulders in a glossy curtain. I grasped the fresh set of white robe in the washroom and secured it around my body. I twisted the knob of the door and let it open. I spotted the infamous Vice-Captain of the Indian Cricket team back in the room, with his back against me. He pressed a button on his phone and it seemed like he just got off a call.
"Oh, you're back so soon?" I implored.
He turned in my direction.
"I was late by an hour," he said.
"Oh, probably I lost track of time. It was too good a bath."
"Did you like it here?"
"Yeah, it's a nice place, Mr.Abhimanyu Raghavan," I emphasised on his name.
"So you've learnt my name, I see?"
"I've learnt more than just your name."
"I told you, I'm irresistible."
"The waiter wanted to take a selfie with you. And probably I wondered a little too loud why he would want a picture with an obnoxious asshole like you. He then just let it slip," I explained, walking to the couch.
"You seriously didn't have any idea about who I was?"
"No. I didn't. Even you played along."
"I didn't want to spoil it. Your reaction would have been priceless."
"Bad you missed it."
"But seriously, do you not read the news at all?"
A flash of annoyance hit me.
"I'm sorry I don't spend my time in the sports section."
"So you're not into sports?"
It got to me like wet spitballs in my hair. We didn't have the sources to know what was happening in the world. Most of the times, we are just focused on moving on from some physical assault or molestation by a senseless client. We just keep pushing through each day hoping we'll get to that day when we can finally flee the brothel.
"I'm sorry if my life has been all about fucking one man after another and making it to the next day. For a life like this, I can warrant you that I won't need to know about sports," I spat.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I understand where you're coming from."
I took a deep breath, "it's alright," I said.
"Order anything you want for dinner. Just call a caesar salad for me. I'll be back after a shower." He shut the door to the washroom behind him, and a few seconds after which I heard the water flowing.
Untying the robe, I put on the clothes that I had purchased and gave a rough brush to my hair. Looking through the menu, I ordered a raajma chawal for myself and a Caesar salad for him. I switched the tele on and started flipping through the channels. My brothel had a tele. But it was operated only by Reena. She turned it on only when there was some urgent news that might put her business at a loss. This was the first time I was operating a tele myself.
Precisely then, the bell rang. "I'll get it," I heard him leave the washroom, he charged the air up with his minty aftershave.
He brought the food back in and placed it on the table facing the couch.
"Suit yourself," he said, getting his hands on his Caesar salad. He took the other end of the couch munching on few veggies from his salad.
On the table, was my raajma chawal, warm steam growing from its surface. The other items in the menu sounded too Italian I didn't even want to try. This was the food that sounded like home. I took the first spoonful of it. It was warm, soft, burst with flavours. I closed my eyes devouring it.
"You just groaned," he laughed, chewing on his food.
"The food is too good." though I don't remember groaning, the food tasted so rich I would have done it subconsciously.
"But Abhimanyu-"
"Abhi is fine," he corrected me.
"I just groaned while eating. You suck on your thumb when you're asleep."
Staring wasn't the word, he bore a hole in my head, as though he would kill me if I let the word spread.
"There, got right back at ya, didn't I?" I chuckled, taking another spoonful of my food.
"I don't suck my thumb," he shrugged it off.
"Oh, you did. I'll click a picture the next time."
"You want a next time?" He cocked his eyebrow up at me.
"Of course I didn't mean that." I rolled my eyes, gulping the food down my throat.
"But why do you not sleep with the same client twice?"
"None of your concern," I dismissed him off.
"I didn't mean to intrude."
"It's fine. It's just that I've been through a lot and pardon me if I'm not comfortable laying out my entire life story to a stranger who paid for sex."
"I was just curious, alright. Take it easy."
"You paid the money for me, you're getting the second time. For what it's worth, that should probably do it, you shouldn't bother about my life,"
"Damn right, yes." He snapped, drawing my half-eaten food from my hand with such force, setting it down on the table.
In one quick motion, he held my feet, tugging me forward until my breasts crushed against his chest. One second, his hands were already working its way to my panty, his tongue flicked over the nape of my neck; the next, his hands were on my waist, he pulled me closer with. He nudged my legs apart with his knees, spreading me as he gripped my hips, tugging them up, up before he sheathed himself deep in me with a single stroke.
I moaned at every glorious inch of him, rising onto my forearms as my fingers grappled into his shoulders. The rest of the night was just something I could have never imagined.
***
I tossed and turned. A lingering haze of sleep sat somewhere at the back of my mind but was too far away to reach, floating in the pool of what happened that night. At that moment, I knew this was going to be a long night.
I pulled up my duvet and rolled towards the brighter side of the room, he was still asleep. The sun was out. I was up, with not a second's sleep. Was I way too out of line last night? The way he held me, he was angry. It was something I told. Probably he was never turned down like that. Or was it me? I couldn't get it out of my head.
Mehr, he's just another client. You just said whatever you had to and he did whatever he had to. Don't let it bother you. Just let go. You can't stay here. You should leave now.
I moved swiftly up from the bed and paced across to the couch. I arched forward to take all my clothes lying on the floor to dress up. Like a shot, I heard a noise in the room. I arose on my feet.
It was the security who had let me into Abhimanyu's room the first night. I was mortified and froze to the spot. His eyes grew wide as it travelled down my body.
In reflex, I brought the dress in front of my naked body in an attempt to preserve my dignity. His eyes grew wide looking at my state.
"Sorry ma'am," the security mumbled and I watched him leave, closing the door on his way out. How the hell is he given access to the room? I felt my face radiate heat like a hot pan. I wanted the earth to swallow me up right there.
"What happened?" Abhimanyu yawned, gaping around the room.
"I think the security just saw me naked," I said, biting my lips.
"It shouldn't bother you that much. You have had hundreds of men look at you like that. You should be used it."
Heya! So why is Abhimanyu reacting the way he is? What's up with him? How is Mehr going to react to his words now? What's going to happen next? Keep guessing.
I hope you like it. Would love to know what you feel about this chapter.
The NEXT CHAPTER will be updated on WEDNESDAY. Please don't forget to leave your votes and comments.