Chapter 48

Ria met-up with her uncle at the café right on time. Keith had dropped her a little earlier and had parked away but he was keeping a watch on her. She couldn’t find him in the little crowd but she knew he was very close and somehow that gave her an assurance. She didn’t know why but she was nervous as never before and hoped to hell her uncle wouldn’t catch her… he was someone who read her like an open book…. Of course, besides Gaurav. Her uncle was on dot time an attribute which she highly respected.

Her uncle was staring at her as he stirred the sugar. Ria smiled as she sipped her filter coffee feeling like the old times when she would go out with Chitthappa whenever he was in town. Though rare, she treasured those moments. “What is it chitthappa? You are staring…”

“..Ummm …nothing…just that you look…Radiant… You have a strange glow on your face…” he smiled pointing at her face.

Ria blushed as she remembered waking up that morning to Gaurav’s mouth on her wet core. He had sucked and nipped her folds as his expert tongue maneuvered itself into her soft dents and inserted two of his fingers inside alongside. He thrust them in and out numerous times till she raised her hips off the bed… screaming her climax. Before she found her breath, he was lapping up her juices and as she had thought she had reached the bottom of her pinnacle he had slammed into her shattering her within a couple of thrusts before he screamed his release inside her womb. She was thoroughly sated and couldn’t get herself to leave the bed… all her anxiety about meeting her uncle had dissipated. She had informed Gaurav about the meeting but he hadn’t reacted…only kissed her head last night.

 Then Gaurav had got her coffee in the bed… Ria realized she was smiling coyly.

Her uncle cleared his throat. “…. hmm…. Earth to Ria… so what’s it that you wanted to discuss…did you see the files I gave you last time…?”

Ria straightened in her chair. “…Um chitthappa, um… how well do you know Abdul Ansari…?” she further continued very softly. “… um… as a friend…?”

Her uncle stopped smiling and had that all business look about him now, though his face seemed to have lost a little colour “…Looks like you read the files on the pen drive. But how do you know about my connection to Abdul Ansari…”

“Let’s say chitthappa, I have my sources too…” She bent forward and held his hand “…Look chitthappa, I know you mean well. But… but I strongly believe in my husband…. I know he is speaking the truth…” Ria spoke softly choosing her words carefully. Her uncle kept looking at her in a neutral expression and withdrew his hands folding them close to his chest as he sat upright. She sighed and continued, “…Chitthappa, don’t look at this case personally. Think professionally and tell me… aren’t there any loopholes in the case…? Everything from the beginning looks like a frame up… Weren’t all witnesses too easy…? All the CCTV recording in Dubai selectively damaged or not admissible due to stupid laws, Saquib turning a hostile witness after claiming to actually witness domestic violence and murder…? The foetus charred to such an extent that DNA couldn’t be retrieved for testing… Chitthappa…how convenient can things get…? Gaurav almost died… that day… Why would he jump into the fire that too backward… if he had pushed Shilpi into the fire…? He was under trial and in custody for months which scarred him for a lifetime… All this for no fault of his…”

Her uncle looked around him and whispered. “… Stop…Ria, you need to stop this RIGHT NOW. You are NOT an investigator… got it? You…are in danger. Just…. leave that man for God’s sake… He is nothing but TROUBLE…  You can have great alliances for you. I will find you a life partner…someone lot better than him… “. Ria only stared at her uncle as if he was a stranger. He looked fatigued and rubbed his eyes. Her uncle was exasperated as he spoke, “…Ria, Abdul Ansari… he is a dangerous man. He is no longer on the force… And…. Saquib…is his son. Someone whom he loved more than life itself and for whom he had given up a lucrative career… This…Gaurav’s case in Dubai, apparently severely ruined Saquib’s reputation and his only chance of making money…. To pay his debts. By default, Abdul came under scanner too… Gaurav’s parents hired the top tech guys to bring down all online information pertaining to the case… so its highly classified. When Saquib turned hostile, the prosecution was shame faced… so they investigated the father son duo and unearthed huge drug dealings and hawala transactions. There was no proof against Abdul but inspite of his efforts, Saquib served time…three years… when one day he ODied in the prison… Abdul has already lost his face and job for aiding and covering his son’s offences but after Saqib’s death he… he lost his sanity and now… Ria… he is out for revenge. He… he wants to get to Gaurav and ruin him just like Saquib….”

“…Did he…did he arrange for that rape case …here…?” Ria asked suddenly.

Her uncle nodded and said in a resigned voice. “… I found out all this yesterday… Abdul has escaped Dubai and is now a fugitive. He may have arranged it all here…. Ria, he wanted to get Gaurav in jail by hook or crook… That woman Swara…she was an easy lay and her boyfriend was an addict. It was very easy… She named Gaurav as told. For all you know the rape was fake…. Do you know the main hospital cameras were tampered with on that rainy night…? Abdul had thought Gaurav would be there since he hadn’t arrived home….” At Ria’s shocked expression he said, “…Yes. He has been watching Gaurav’s movements… But being a fugitive, he has to be extra careful. What he didn’t expect was Gaurav visiting the old hospital building right that day and the surprise element in this….”

“…That was …me…” Ria whispered. But she looked up at her uncle. “…But chitthappa? Why does he want Gaurav in jail?”

“…Because he wants to kill him this time…avenge his son…” Her uncle spoke without emotion.

Ria was shivering suddenly. In a trembling voice she asked, “… Is he insane? He came all the way from Dubai…as a fugitive just to ki…kill Gaurav…? Is he not in danger too…?”

Her uncle rubbed his face. It was as though he had aged suddenly. “…Baby, Abdul is a very dangerous man. He is a specially trained operative …I know his capacity. He was the best in our lot during our years in the US. He was a decorated officer in Dubai… till he went rogue. He was the best in his field but blind love for his son ruined his career and eventually he lost his son too. So, he doesn’t care about himself… He just wants …revenge. Ria…baby…listen to me carefully. You have become a cog in his wheel…. You should leave Gaurav immediately…. That’s the only way he will leave you alive… I will see how I can involve law enforcement….”

Ria was teary as she spoke. “…Chitthappa, Gaurav is my life…my…. my everything. If I leave him…I won’t survive anyways. So… I as well stay with him. I will fight for him…”

“…DONT BE A LOVESICK FOOL Ria…” her uncle said in a strangled voice controlling his fury. “…When it comes to Abdul, no one can save Gaurav and you…not even that watchdog of yours who at this moment is on a call…. If I can spot him, Abdul can too….”

Watchdog? She had heard this word before… yes… Sujatha had used the term for Keith. Suddenly it dawned on her. She raised her palms to stop her uncle from speaking. “…It was you chitthappa…wasn’t it…? You sent Shilpi’s sister to contact me… You wanted to distract me and make me hate Gaurav….”

Her uncle didn’t deny any accusation. He just sighed and said, “…I only wanted to protect you…I thought I may not able to convince you on my own…so I used the sister. I helped her get evidence…. She was disillusioned anyways…”

Ria was overcome with anger, “…Chitthappa, you used her. That wasn’t fair. How did she land up in Pune…? Did you have a hand in that too…?”

Ashok just stared at her without any expressions. Ria stood up to leave.

Ashok stood up instantly. “…Baby wait…. It’s dangerous. Please… Stay away from him…”

Ria was curt even as tears streamed down her cheeks. “…No chitthappa. You know me well… I won’t quit now. And….Gaurav is not alone in this mess. But you…. stay away… you have helped enough…. DO NOT INTERFERE ANYMORE…”

She turned around and left the cafe. Swara’s words ringing in her ears now made sense… for once she felt for that woman…

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Ashok stood rooted to his spot. He had tried his best. He had to save his niece. He had to do something….

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“…Gaurav, please come home …as soon as possible. I have something to tell you… very important.” Ria frantically spoke to Gaurav on the phone on her way back home.

“…Ria…Ria…. relax sweetheart. I have a couple of meetings and then I will be home. Just about three hours from now……”

“…. But it’s dangerous and Abdul….”

“…Ria …RIA…Relax. Just go home and stay there. I have instructed Keith. He will be there with you, till I reach…. Ok?”

“…You don’t understand Gaurav….chitthappa said, Abdul….”

“…. RIA JUST STOP IT NOW… I have this under control Ok…? I want you to stop worrying. Just go home and relax….” Gaurav said sternly.

Ria was silently crying.

“Ria…?” Gaurav sounded worried.

“…Um…yeah…ok. See you later.”

Ria was looking out of the car window even as Keith tried distracting her. Tears kept coming and her heart was thumping with worry.

Keith didn’t speak a word till they reached home. As soon as they were in, Keith locked the doors and activated the alarm. He got out his suitcase and typed some keys on the small keyboard. She heard some beeps. He then put on the headphones and sat on the couch. He gestured her towards him. She saw Manek on the split screen of Keith’s laptop. The next half an hour they discussed Abdul and their different options. She shared what she had learnt from her uncle. Keith and Manek didn’t seem surprised. But at the end of their conversation, she was a nervous wreck…. She longed to see Gaurav …to be held by him.

She excused herself and went into her room.

She was lost in thought when her phone buzzed indicating an incoming message.

 It was from Sujata. What the hell did she want now…?

“We have to meet TODAY”

Ria typed,

“No, we don’t. I am not going to be a part of this anymore.”

Sujata replied…

“I have Pooja with me.”

WHAT?

Ria shuddered. Why hadn’t they thought about her family? And… Pooja was pregnant… her heart was about to gallop out of her chest any moment. But then Sujata hadn’t sounded dangerous…in fact she had seemed concerned about Ria.

Ria went into her bathroom and called back on her number and Sujata immediately answered the call.

“So …we will meet after all…” Sujata said chuckling.

Ria was angry and felt guilty as well…. Pooja was in danger because of her… was she? Her throat was choked with emotion. “… look Sujata, Just leave Pooja out of this. She has no connection to this in any manner…”

“Oh…Just shut up Ria.” Sujata’s tone was different. “…I don’t care about anything. But if you want your sister safe, then meet me at my time and location…”

“Ok …ok…Fine…I will do as you say …but I need to confirm my sister is ok… please Sujata…” Ria said desperately.

“I have sent you an email attachment. Take a look and call back” saying, she disconnected.

Ria came out of her bathroom and immediately booted her laptop. She was shaking with tension and was now worried sick about her sister. She soon opened her email and saw the attachment. She clicked on it after inserting headphones as she couldn’t risk Keith hearing anything. She gasped. Pooja was tied to a chair. She was unconscious but didn’t have any injury marks visible on the video… thank God… Ria prayed the baby was fine…. Her clothes were intact…thank God. The room was painted white and didn’t have any furniture except that chair. Ria checked the time on the video…it was taken half an hour ago.

She immediately went back to the bathroom and called Sujata.

Before she could say anything, Sujata abruptly said, “…Now…listen CAREFULLY. I am not going to repeat this. Tonight, come to the la Cordona on BG junction at 10PM sharp.  COME ALONE.  La Cordona is a huge boutique filled with people….MY people. Take a dress to try from Rack 8. Pick the black dress suit on the second row. Step into the trial room number 4 in the second row…  It has another door which opens in the corridor behind. There is a back door right in front. Wear the new dress suit. It has a stole with it. Cover your head and wear your sunglasses. You can escape the cameras and come to the waiting car outside. It’s a Black coloured Honda ascent. An important point for you…. Do NOT carry your mobile phone and Do not …I repeat…DO NOT try anything stupid or you won’t see your sister again. I will see to that….”

“…No no… no….Please don’t…. I will do as you have told. I swear…” the call was disconnected.

Ria stepped out the bathroom. Her hands were trembling as she placed her phone on the nightstand.

She had to do something… Gaurav would be at home at that time….how could she go out then…? She had only an hour or so… to plan before he arrived…and whatever she did now, she had to escape Keith. She started thinking…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 47

Ashok Chandran rubbed his face as he took a sip of the bland coffee from the vending machine in the local CBI office in Mumbai. He was in the secluded cabin where he normally spent time when not on missions. Him being undercover most of the time he had to be a rarely known entity. Very few people in the department knew he wasn’t the store clerk cum transporter he was shown on the records to be. He had always loved this life… living on the edge. The adrenaline rush fuelled his passion for martial arts as well as gave him a direction in life… he always felt he was born to do this!

 From childhood he had been a restless soul always in pursuit of the unknown. He remembered the early days of their growing up years where he used to trail his older brother Narsimhan to school passing the fields on the way. His brother who always had a short temper had a tough time controlling him and dragging him back while he scampered around or climbed trees. Right from then he was good at camouflaging himself. Once his father and the entire village had been on a searching spree while he was hiding right in his house under their noses and revealed himself only when his father in despair had admitted to permit him to visit the local fair if he was found soon. Their mother had died when Ashok was barely two years old and it was a good ten years before their father remarried. They had two half-sisters who studied in the local girls’ school in their village near Warangal. Their step-mother had been a kind lady unlike the proverbial nasty ones. He had been the brilliant of the lot extremely competent in technological know-how and had got a scholarship when he was barely 18 years old to study in the prestigious MIT. His father and Narsimhan anna had struggled to make ends meet till his brother got a bank job. He had worked night shifts in the emerging IT companies and though it barely gave him anything money-wise since he was underaged, the technological experience was invaluable. He finally saved up to make it to the US and rest of his education was completed with the aid of the scholarship and the side jobs that he took up… he always had the excess energy so worked shifts in the local gyms… it was during one such job that he was approached by a federal officer who was also working out in the gym. The US government was conducting a special ops program where they trained and recruited people from other countries who were on special visas as students or working or… immigrants. They underwent intensive training for the next year where they were well paid and this was where Ashok found his calling. The money was good which helped fund his sister’s wedding and built a good home for his parents.

Post intensive training in the pentagon, they were bound for 5 years to the feds and were sent on secret missions across the world. If they got caught their identities were anyways fictitious and since they weren’t US citizens, they were in a no man’s territory as their country of origin would have no clue in their activities. So, The Feds were safe. He didn’t have a problem because he thrived on these stints. While most of the recruits left within 2 months of the initial training, Ashok burgeoned and continued till the end. The next five years were the best of his life where he travelled extensively all over the world on different projects for uncle Sam.

He barely visited India twice and further extended his contract every five years. So totally after about 18 years his contract was terminated and he returned back to India and joined the CRPF… but that was a short stint and his high credentials weren’t unnoticed by the CBI. He was immediately recruited for special missions and today at 55 years of age he was still active in service. His fitness was always top notch…. However, his personal life was non-existent not that he never wished for one… Especially when Ria had been born, he had fallen in love with the baby when he seen the picture sent by his brother. She had kindled the fatherly embers in his heart which he had thought never existed. But he didn’t have the time and energy left for a family and he didn’t want his future spouse and children to suffer because of his absence… So, he had confined himself to a life of perennial bachelorhood.

However, he had made friends in the special op’s unit… especially one special friend… Abdul Ansari. The man was a sniper and just like he never missed his targets, he had a great eye for detecting loopholes… may it be hidden landmines in the north Korean forests or the local country laws. The man was brilliant and that’s what connected them. Abdul and Ashok were sent on many missions together and they had forged a strong bond over the years. Unlike him, Adul who was basically a Bangladeshi by birth, had moved to Dubai even before his contract had ended. He had married and had a son… Eventually the craving to be around with his son and the regret of missing his growing up years began to take its toll and he had resigned a year before Ashok’s contract ended. Because of the identity concealment clause in their agreements, they couldn’t keep in touch and over the years Ashok hadn’t bothered. He was a loner and liked to stay so…

However, all that had changed when Narsimhan had told him about Ria’s tryst with the judicial system. He had been worried and always felt Gaurav wasn’t good news. He was never wrong and finally his subtle searches had got him the reports spread on his table as he tried to sip his now cold coffee. He stood stretching his limbs as he threw his coffee into the attached sink. He felt bitter… not jut with the awful coffee but the bitterness emerging from helplessness of not being able to separate Ria from Gaurav was eating at him… He washed his face with cold water trying to relieve the thudding of his heart. He was never ever scared on any missions… not even when he was caught by the guerrillas in the amazon forest where they had gone to catch a dreaded terrorist hidden and protected by them., not even when he was in the team assigned to infiltrate Baghdad… but now it was Ria….the daughter he never had but someone he loved more than life itself. The only person who could bring the mighty Ashok to his knees… His brother never appreciated his good-hearted older daughter… but Ashok knew Ria was special. He now knew why Gaurav would want Ria in his life… She was a balm to a man’s broken soul and anyone would be lucky to have her in his life. But Gaurav wasn’t what Ria knew him to be… the man was surrounded by darkness and he wondered how much Ria knew about his dark past in Dubai.

He had taken it upon himself to gather intel. Finally, yesterday he had also got the call he was wating for. Though he couldn’t speak to Adbul, the man’s office got in touch in reply to the cryptic message he had sent them. He had gotten the needed information even earlier but had to cross check everything…. Yesterday was the corroboration. He had tried his best to dissuade Ria and had hoped to convince her to let go of the man and return home. But that had failed and what he had got to know had terrified him to the core and even now as he stared at the information before him a chill ran down his spine.

He was always undeterred and fearless… but this was about Ria and now by association with Gaurav her life was at stake too. He paced along the narrow confines of his stuffy cabin… he had to put his years of training into use… he had to protect Ria at all costs.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 46

The next few days were filled with the newly married bliss as she called it. Gaurav took her to Ooty for an official honeymoon as he called it. They spent four days in a private villa, enjoying the scenic beauty of the Nilgiri hills which was directly visible from their master bedroom. The caretaker arrived early morning and cooked for them and they never felt the need to venture out. Their union had been explosive without any emotional overlays or any kind of stress inhibiting them from merging into each other. The first two days and nights were spent in exploring each other and on the third day they went to explore the hillside!! Ria had lost count of the number of times she had climaxed and the number of locations in the villa they had newly christened with their insatiable rendezvous. She didn’t know she had so many erotic zones in her body… But the best moment of all for her was when he had entered her as they watched the sunset one evening. She had shattered along with the dusky rays bringing along the soft glow which filled her heart with joy and hope for a bright future.

Gaurav was opening up to her. He shared his childhood and college days, everything from his chronic alcoholism to how he had cleaned up. His dreams of practicing surgery along with his charity which was not as good as he wanted it to be… He spoke about his extended family, his cousins and old colleagues. He also spoke about his paintings and the gleam in his eyes as he spoke about his surgical days was something that brought tears to her eyes and she resolved to get him to practice surgery, come what may. For the first time since she had known him, Ria saw this youthful fun-loving side of his and she enjoyed it so much she wished he would be like that forever. She didn’t want the honeymoon to end; she knew the grim reality that awaited them back home.

On the last evening they had a candle lit dinner on the patio specially arranged by Gaurav and her eyes well up at his gesture. She knew he was a man of few words and this gesture was something huge from his end. He had got her a gift… really…? He had brought her a beautiful necklace… it was extremely thin and was barely visible on her neck but she loved something so intricate but she loved the pendant the most. It was a tiny ruby shaped into a rose on a thin gold leaf… He had kissed her head as soon as he had tightened the clutch around her neck. She hadn’t felt more cherished in her life.

That night, when they were just satiated, they actually spoke on the forbidden topic. Ria decided to voice her concerns and doubts as well. She had her head on his chest toying with his chest hair which he hadn’t shaved on her insistence. She had found it too alluring and hot when it touched her bare front. She looked up at him. He had his hand in her hair and with those dreamy eyes that gave her erotic dreams he smiled. “Gaurav…I have been thinking…” He had just recently told her about the letters in Arabic post the vandalism and the gift received at home… Her coital bliss was upturned whenever she thought of those.

“About…what…?” Gaurav asked her turning towards her.

“…Um… Guarav if someone has gone to such lengths to leave those letters, it has to be someone very powerful from Dubai…”

“…We are trying Ria… our tech guy Naren is trying his level best… even before my… trial had begun… But we haven’t been able to get the connection as yet…” he sighed.

“Look… Gaurav my gut feeling tells me there is something going on… there is a strong connection to what had happened six years ago and this recent case….” She said.

Gaurav stopped moving his hands in her hair and stared at the opposite wall. He had that shadow over his face after a long time and she hated putting it there…  but she had to get information…if she had to convince Ashok chitthappa to help them. If someone had the contacts and resources, he did… But Gaurav was shutting again and she had to convince him before everyone else.

Ria took his face in her palm and looked into his eyes. “Gaurav, I have already told you… don’t care about your past. You love me… and that’s what matters most. But we can’t have a normal life with the sword hanging on your head…. You know it… I want to clear your name….” He wanted to object but before he could speak, she shook her head and continued. “…You were innocent then and you are innocent now…. In spite of the media trial You probably don’t know this but Sujata is after your blood…. She… she had met me with the intention of getting more dirt. Gaurav…I dint think she was lying. She was probably manipulated by Shilpi just like you were…from the looks of it. My suspicion is… there is someone else at the helm of things… the ringmaster, who is pulling the strings. Whatever it was, Sujata wasn’t telling the truth either. She didn’t even mention the recent court case so I don’t think she was involved in that… My uncle too has the same set of records that she does…There has to be something we are missing….”

“…. It’s Saquib…” Gaurav said softly. Ria sat up straight. She waited to help him gather his thoughts. He looked at her as he continued, “…. Saquib was in a relationship with Shilpi because he wanted something from her. Namely her money… my money. He was an addict and always wanting money for his next fix. Dubai laws are strict and drug peddlers are not easy to find. It costs a bomb. When Manek had researched him at that time, he had found Saquib was sleeping with other women as well but there was something different about his relationship with Shilpi… I think it had to do with property. It would have set him for a lifetime of fix… Manek had threatened him then with dire consequences if he didn’t speak the truth…. The loss of reputation amongst his clientele was an important factor too as also the laws in Dubai is unforgiving for such proved crimes and he was a Dubai citizen. I think we will have to widen our horizons of trace… but Ria…? ” He sat up suddenly. “…Ria I don’t want you getting involved… I can’t lose you… if they… I mean… they are dangerous… You have to be careful till I can get concrete information…”

“…Gaurav… I promise you I will be careful and Keith is with me all the time, isn’t he…? So, rest assured. But… I can help in finding out information… in my own way… without calling for attention… please… let me help Gaurav… I am involved whether you like it or not… I was involved right from the time I gave you my heart…” He held her tightly to him kissing her head as they saw the last sunset for this trip.

“…Gaurav…?”

“…Yea…”

“…I need a list…” when he looked at her in confusion she chuckled and said. “…a list of all the names from Dubai that you can think off… look … let me look at it from a fresh perspective …Ok..? Maybe something that’s missed your eyes might have missed…?” she looked hopefully and Gaurav nodded.

Ria knew what she had to do after reaching back home tomorrow… She had to talk to her uncle.

The next day after they reached Pune, Gaurav went to the hospital to complete some pending administration work. Ria had vowed herself to help him get back to surgical practice. But first she had to clear him completely in the in the eyes of the world. She would see to it that there would be no further hurdles in his path. Gaurav had also promised to share Manek’s findings with her.

She texted a number she was given to contact her uncle. Within two minutes she received a call from a private number. Gaurav was in a meeting and she had just got off the phone with him so this was definitely her uncle.

“Hello chitthappa?”

“Yes baby…Are you alright?“

“I am absolutely fine chitthappa and want you to be fine too…”

“What does that mean?” He sounded stern.

“Chitthappa, we have to meet… I don’t want to discuss this on phone. “

“Ok baby. How about tomorrow morning 10AM? Elinoa Mart at Tirang circle…? They have a lovely cafe. I will wait for you there.”

“Ok done, chitthappa. See you.”

She hung up. She hadn’t felt lighter in days. This was step one for today.

Now for step two. She checked the list of all the names Gaurav had given her…he was finding out information on Saquib. She however looked through the names and one name which caught her attention was Abdul Ansari. Wait she had heard… no… seen that name somewhere… She rushed to her room and unearthed the packet given by Sujata. She read through the paper cuttings and realised Abdul Ansari was the officiating personal from the law enforcement who was on Gaurav’s case and he had been extremely vocal about Gaurav’s involvement… had Gaurav checked him out…? She had to check…before she met her uncle. She had to try and everything reeked of a sinister plot… but why? Gaurav had warned her not to directly interfere as it was dangerous. She knew that too. But she wasn’t worried about herself; she was more concerned about him now, if Sujata’s threats were to be taken seriously and then there were those Arabic notes… She was thinking as to who would help her without calling for attention or revealing things to the media. Immediately she got her answer… KEITH!

She rushed to the Kitchen. Keith was on a call which he ended on seeing her. He smiled. “Yes, Ria…do you want something?”

“Um yes… I need your help.”

“OOKkaay…” he sighed. He folded his hands and looked at her, waiting.

Ria called him to the living room where she had laid her laptop and had spread the paper cuttings.

“I need your help about finding information on Abdul Ansari….” She held up her hands before he started to refuse or plead ignorance. “…. I am aware you know about the Dubai case involving Gaurav. Keith…he is in danger yet again. It’s my gut feeling… that the recent case was not a mere coincidence after so many years. Especially after you received those notes… I think you may have deduced it by now…” Keith nodded slightly and was frowning looking at the papers spread before her.

“…Ria… wait right here…” He went to the garden and brought back a suitcase with him. When he opened it, Ria saw some high-tech equipment in it. It looked like a recorder with headphones and cables…straight out of a Bond movie that she had seen! He connected some cables and soon she saw someone on the screen. The picture was distorted but she knew without asking that it was Abdul Ansari in his uniform. But in the picture, he looked very young and It was then she read the date. It was taken 20 years ago.

Then Keith called Manek and asked him to send information on Saquib, mainly his recent picture. He got it immediately. He enlarged Saquib’s picture on the screen of whatever hi-tech equipment he was using and used some software where he appeared aged and so very familiar…oh God he looked like Abdul Ansari. Ria was confused and looked at Keith who was frowning had not spoken to her till now. Finally, Keith cleared his throat and said, “I had this doubt when I went through these files two weeks ago…”.

Ria was surprised…”But… I didn’t have these files then…  Wait…who exactly are you Keith…?”

 Keith smiled and said, “…Ria I am not at liberty to reveal my identity… but … to you I am your friend and that won’t change… got it…?”. When she nodded, he continued “…. I have been working on this case for last few months. I wanted to do so earlier but Gaurav sir had forbidden me. He wanted his past to remain…. just that…. his past. But… I couldn’t rest and started investigating on the sly. Then that recent case happened… I knew something was wrong and his past was poking its head… especially after those notes. So, I started to investigate in coordination with Naren and Manek. I can’t reveal how I got the information earlier but this is it….” He pointed towards the screen. “There is something… some connection between the two. Saquib and Ansari…. I need to find out what it is and that will be the final nail in the coffin for this case….” He said confidently.

Ria was euphoric too. She said, “Keith, I am meeting my uncle tomorrow. He is …um…. he has the resources to help us find more…”

 Keith interrupted, “…. I know who he is, Ria…. Just for your information, he is an old friend of Abdul Ansari…”

Of course. That’s how he dug out information. That means those guys maybe knowing about her as well. That’s why Gaurav had asked her to lay low. Ria sighed and continued, “Keith, I want to straighten up things with my uncle. Not just …um …because he is CBI but also because he hates Gaurav… That’s personal for me. Gaurav has been totally misunderstood for years and that has to end. He should be free to lead his life. If there is anyone who deserved happiness, its Gaurav. So please help me and let me dig more. Since my uncle knows Abdul Ansari personally…so maybe he can throw light on something we are missing…” She looked hopefully at Keith.

Keith nodded and smiled. He placed his hand on her head and said, “I always knew he made a great choice…”.

 That evening Gaurav was tired but in an upbeat mood. Ria and Keith updated him on everything they had discussed earlier in the day. Naren was working hard to dig deep into Dubai systems without raising red flags in their security system. But Naren was a pro at his work and an asset at this juncture. After Keith left, Gaurav didn’t waste time in dragging her into his bedroom which he now referred to as their bedroom. He gently undressed her and they stood in front of the full-length mirror in his room. She had only worn the now permanent new necklace. He untied her hair and spread it across her shoulders. She blushed and looked at him through the mirror. He was staring at her intently. He got his hands forward and cupped her breasts as she threw her head back and moaned…heat pooling in her core instantly. That night his passion broke all barriers and she almost passed out with the magnitude of her orgasmic frenzy.

They were both tired to the bone and slept together with their limbs entangled and hugging each other…. Ria smiled as sleep claimed her in his arms… finally it was time…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 45

Gaurav started at the beautifully laid table with his favourite spread. His vision kept blurring every now and then but this time it was because of relief flooding every single cell of his body. He was at ease for the first time in about six years and didn’t have to guard his six anymore… After his crying bout which lasted for about half an hour, he was exhausted and hoarse…God he had bawled like a baby… wasn’t he supposed to be strong…? He always thought he was, after having survived that inferno in Dubai. But it was Ria who made him realise he needed release as well… Till now staying strong was his only option but now he had a choice too… not to hold up the fort or pretense of everything being fine. But most of all he was relieved because… Ria was still there. She hadn’t been loathing or run away… which would have devastated him. Though it made him feel week in the knees where she was concerned, it stopped threatening his sanity now.

 He had people look at his back in the exclusive VIP gym he frequented and give him pitiful or ugly looks. They would comment behind his back… literally, loud enough for him to hear. It was as if it put them off. He had struggled for years and endured great deal of pain to get his muscles to be mobile…. Through workouts and rigorous physiotherapy. Being unable to bear the stares he had a home gym built and had started to workout at home. He had thought at least his extended family, his cousins… at least a couple of them with whom he was close before Dubai, would understand him but they had all blamed him for the disgrace in Dubai and shunned him. His cousins called him a privileged bastard who didn’t value his inheritance. So he had found the easier way out and had severed all ties with his earlier world.

However, Ria’s reaction had surprised him. She had been rock solid as he had vented out. His own upsurge of emotional outrage had stunned him… He didn’t know he had so much emotion pent up inside… he just couldn’t stop. He had thought he had cried enough to sustain a few lifetimes when in jail and often after his nightmares or whenever things would get too overwhelming. Last six years he had controlled everything around him, stayed totally away from his family and old friends. It had helped him retain his sanity to an extent. But it was only when Ria had entered his life that he had actually begun to live.

Though late, she had coaxed him to have dinner with her. He hadn’t even known when Ria had transitioned form being someone he fancied, liked, cared for, loved, married… to someone who took care of him. He knew she had something to do whenever he skipped breakfast and Karuna had already arranged something before he opened his cabin. Her sweet gestures like preparing his favourite dish even though he knew that wasn’t her forte… making him paint with a gusto he didn’t know existed and more than everything else she made him want to get back to being … a surgeon. he hoped someday he would… Now, she was sitting next to him, to his left and he used every opportunity to feel her shoulders, neck and thighs…. More so for making himself believe that she was actually there… She had changed into a simple cotton night gown which was doing things to his manhood he couldn’t even fathom before. but she could be wearing rags and he would be still attracted in the same way. He knew she was his now and he was hers in every sense of the word.

There were still some things left unsaid and he intended to rectify them as well. He was definitely worried his past had followed him here and was getting it investigated thoroughly but so far there had been no evidence of anything and he hadn’t been able to connect the dots… but Ria’s blind faith in him had touched him… overwhelmed him…his eyes welled up as he saw her serving and telling him stories of how she had to coax Keith to help out with the recipe. He blinked the moisture away and smiled as she regaled him with her adventures of cooking Punjabi food.

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Ria knew Gurav was still overwhelmed… in fact she was trying to distract him with her petty chat over dinner but though he smiled she knew he was still a mess inside… God… she was a puddle of emotions brimming up and threatening and overflow anytime. The man had endured so much pain and more than that, he hadn’t been able to tell it all… She was honoured to be with him when he did and she was glad she could now understand him better. Asking him to rest, she had rushed to the kitchen with the pretext of getting something and had been trying to hold back her own tears.

As Ria was winding up in the kitchen, Gaurav walked in. Sensing him she turned around with a smile plastered on her face. He held her hands and slowly pulled her towards him.  “…uh… Ria…Uh…”

Ria held his face and looked at him with love shining in her eyes. “…Gaurav, you can tell me anything. You know that, right…?”

He nodded and looked down at his feet uncertainty etched all over his beautiful face. “Uh…move in with me …I mean, in my bedroom. I… I had always hesitated because of my…. uh…” He looked away and dropped down his hands.

Ria hugged him. He still was looking away sombrely. “Gaurav, come with me.” She took his hand and pulled him to the living room.

She gestured him to sit on the couch as she kneeled before him. She held his hands and looked into his eyes. She softly said, “Gaurav, look at me please…” When he looked at her, she continued with a soft smile. “…. You know why I love you….” He frowned. “…. I love YOU…you as the person with a beautiful heart…. your beautiful soul. Your body may be tainted according to you. But…. but…. if you look at yourself through my eyes, you will see yourself as a man with dignity… A man, who can be trusted with one’s life… A man who would move the sky and earth to protect his loved ones, a man who has given a new lease of life to battered women and children in form of Parijath… not just humans but a defeated horse like Shiva too was nurtured back to his current fitness by your Midas touch…that’s what you are Gaurav…a strong man with an indomitable will… and I believe all your life trials have only polished you to emerge as the gem so precious and rare…your glow lights up so many lives. For what it’s worth…I am a living example of a plant which has bloomed because of you.  So… look beyond your scars. To me you are the most handsome man on earth. As for your body… you know what it does to me isn’t it…?” she smiled with a naughty smile and he smiled back enhancing his dimples even as tears shined in his eyes as he shut them and bent to kiss her head… Oh how much she loved him!

The clock chimed 11PM as she pulled his hands and took him to his bedroom. She undressed him slowly. His night shirt was off his shoulders and he pushed it to the floor. She didn’t allow him to close the lights and he didn’t insist either. His chest had few scars too which she kissed as his breath hitched…she was proud of having the effect on him. She went on her toes and kissed his neck, chin and right ear. As he tried to grab her, she nodded her head and whispered, “…No… Not yet…it’s my turn tonight…” He grunted and dropped his hands down to his sides. He was breathing heavily…his arousal prodding her stomach. She pushed him behind till he reached the cot and made him sit as she climbed the bed. She moved on her knees behind him and kissed his bare back, moved her tongue on his welts…. She licked and kissed every uneven bit of skin that was present. He was stiffening every time she did that, his gasps the only audible sound in the silent room… but relaxed when she pressed his arms and blew where she rode her tongue. She reached up his left shoulder. She took his ear lobe in her mouth and sucked on it. He gripped the edge of the bed tightly on either side. “…Just wait…” she whispered. She moved back and removed her gown. She was now all bare as she reached his back again and rubbed her chest to his back relishing the feel of his body skin on skin. He was trembling now as she got down form the bed and moved before him. She gently pushed him on his back as he lay flat on the bed and climbed on him.

She took his right hand and kept it on her right breast. He pinched her nipple and she moaned in pleasure. She took his left hand and made him prod her apex even as he greedily pushed one eager digit into her wetness. She was dripping her juices and was close to reaching her pinnacle as her breath quickened by what he was doing. But she was determined as she leaned forward and looked into his eyes. She spoke softly with a slight tremor in her voice. “…Did… did you feel that…? The wetness…? That is what your body did to me… But more than that, you …as a whole have claimed me…. every part of me. Gaurav…I am yours… all yours…” she spread her hands indicating the same.

Gaurav immediately flipped her over and he was on top. He shed his remaining clothes and kneeled gloriously naked over her… for the first time. She saw emotion in his eyes and knew what this coupling meant for him. She raised her hands and holding his shoulders, pulled him towards her. He kissed her with such passion that she saw stars behind her eyelids. His tongue was always amazing but today it was different and there was no hesitation of any kind… as if all the barriers between them had been washed away. Barely a few seconds into the kiss, he thrust into her core…. slowly…. till he touched her womb. Her breath stopped. He pulled out and thrust again. Soon his pace increased… as they both climbed the peaks of passion together and crashed down the precipice wrapped in each other’s arms, and mouths fused…

Ria must have fallen asleep… A prodding on her bare ass cheeks woke her up. She groaned as she felt fingers in her softness and she was shivering with arousal. Gaurav, who was spooning her when they slept, thrust his finger in and out of her core from the back. As she wiggled her back his rod thickened its girth threatening to pierce anything that came in its way. He ran his tongue within her ear and sucked and bit her auricle. She hissed as he blew on the quick nip. She was breathing hard and was now desperate as she took left hand behind and grasped him. He swore and raising her left leg… with a single thrust he entered her. Within a minute they both screamed their release and as they slowly made their way down the slopes of ecstasy, they lay beside each other on their backs with their fingers intertwined.

Ria glanced at the bedside clock. It was 4 AM. She wasn’t sleepy at all. She stole a look at Gaurav. He was staring at the ceiling with a frown.

“Penny for your thoughts….” She asked breaking the silence.

He sighed and turned towards her on his right. She turned on her left facing him. He held her face and said, “You know Ria… I would have died that day…”

What…? That made her alert.

“When?” she asked getting up on her elbows.

“…uh…The day you met me in jail…” he trailed off lost in thought. She touched his hands on her face and held then in front close to her chest. He continued, “…. I was in jail …again…for something …I didn’t do….and …and just before you had come there was a fucker in the same cell who tried to …But…I fought him this time… I didn’t give up Ria… He was injured and they took him away… Manek was struggling to move me to another cell before that. I didn’t understand how they could detain me in a cell with such a criminal while I wasn’t even tried…When Manek met me before you came in he said… our lawyer wasn’t able to get the bail….and that we were likely to… uh… face a trial….and I had to be in custody till then…”

Ria rubbed his hands which had turned cold. She gave him the encouragement to continue. He looked past her at the wall and said, “…All those moments from those years ago swam before my eyes then…. I… I got a pa… panic attack which was so bad… I… I couldn’t breathe…. I thought… I would die…really…. I had lost consciousness…. but then…. you arrived. I dint want you to see me at my most vulnerable moment and… though I sent you away, you gave me hope…hope to fight. Someone had stood for me. Knowing the truth alone is not enough. You stood for the truth. You were fearless and all those days leading to the trial in Parijath, I blanked out everything except your presence. In a way Ria…” He looked into her eyes and continued. “…you saved me not just by testifying in my favor but by giving me a chance to believe… a chance to love… I never thanked you sweetheart…. so, thank you for everything…. For coming into my life and for… staying…”  tears fell on the pillow below his head as he tried to look away and she wiped them.

They lay still for a while and then she asked. “…um…Gaurav…?”

“…yea…”

“…What’s the story of that…um Red Room…?”

He frowned as he looked at her. “…Do you… really want to know…Ria…?”

“…Yes Gaurav… it had been a part of you for quite a while… so its fair I try to understand it…”

“…Let it go Ria…” he hugged her to him. “…it doesn’t matter anymore…”

“…Um… I … I wanted to … get my fear… um…” She stuttered not sure how to put her point across.

“…Ria… what did that asshole do to you…?” he held her face as she asked with a soft voice but she could see the sparks of anger shining in his eyes.

“…Um… he… he threatened me… he would tie me up…gag me… if I didn’t surrender myself…I …I  I was scared for days…” He hugged him tight. Though she didn’t cry anymore the memories of the evening still scared her.

“…That bastard…so Ria… was that the reason you were alarmed to see that room the other day…?”

She nodded into his chest.

“Ria… look at me…” when she did he continued. “…BDSM is a lot more than than the regularly projected dominance and submission… it depends on one’s perception and needs…if you consider its deviant then it is…at the end of the day its just a preference… a choice some people make… for me,…it was an outlet to my emotions since I didn’t know any other way…”

“…So…Gaurav… what exactly did you do there…?”

“…I wont be able to actually tell you Ria… but if you give me  a chance someday I will take you back there… to teach you…make you experience a sexual pleasure of a different kind… and I promise you… it will only be fun and exciting… very much unlike what you may have read…”

“…yes Gaurav… I would want that… someday. But… you know what Gaurav…?” he raised an eyebrow smiling and Ria was in tears as she said, “…Gaurav…I wouldn’t trade-in a life with you… for anything else. I love you…”

They kissed like there was no tomorrow. Ria knew she had a lot of work to do and her priority was to clear Gaurav’s name… not just before the court of law if need be but even before the people who had written him off… He deserved a chance to love…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 44

Gaurav had stopped pacing and sat on the little love seat at the foot of the bed his back towards her. She knew he was struggling with a lot… the entanglement of miseries making it difficult for him to surface from the nightmarish quicksand. But Ria was in no hurry… she had waited for this moment for a long time now and was more than sure about her decision to stand by him being the right one and for once in her life she didn’t bother about any worldly opinionated balance not tilting in her favour. This man loved her and she loved him back and their bond was based on mutual respect and trust…not to be broken by the waves of his past lashing on them. She hugged her legs close to her body.  Gaurav was staring at nothing and after a poignant pause he started to talk.

“…I was a new surgeon…just finished my MS a year ago. I had always wanted to be one. I literally grew up in that hospital….” He turned around to see her. “… You remember we spent the rainy night in July …?” She nodded slightly as he continued looking away again. “…I had interned there… as well after studies… It was blissful after what I had started off with… I… I had taken to the bottle hard as a rebellious teen and had to…well… clean up my act and I did… I hoped my parents would be proud…. Nana- Nani would be proud…” He stood and started to pace slowly. “…Well within a year I had to join the Dubai unit of the Chopra group because they wanted someone to do both admin as well as clinical work. My parents couldn’t trust anyone but me and I was thrilled… though it broke me to leave nani alone behind now that nanu was no more… I was getting a chance to get back to horse riding as well… And then my stint in Dubai began… I did it for four years. Our hospital was at its pinnacle point….” He spoke with his voice filled with pride. “… My surgical unit was the best in the country. I was young and full of energy. We had patients from all over the world. Work was my life and I enjoyed every moment. My aim was to return back to India someday and start my charitable surgical unit on the same land where Parijath now stands. When Dhiraj…. my maternal uncle’s son finished his MBA in hospital admin, I handed over the Admin reins to him and plunged into clinical work … full time….” He stopped pacing and stared at the blank wall lost in thought. “…. It was the best phase of my life. My parents were proud and they had retired. The Dubai Unit was founded by them and they were glad I had taken over completely. Everything was great…Ria, I … I had a wild life too…a small part but my own… I got back to equestrian sports and soon had my Derby team. The money we made was channeled back to sponsor students who wanted to study medicine but couldn’t because of the fees… they in turn had to work for a few years at the hospital outreach programs to pay off the debt….it was a win-win situation for all of us…”

 “… all was going great till the day Shilpi walked into the hospital as the newly appointed nurse for the trauma unit. I was attracted to her like every other virile male in her radius. I rarely had time to party or socialise except when our team won any derby event. One day we hosted a party for becoming the runner ups, at the hospital premises… right in the lobby. We kept an auction for certain paraphernalia, souvenirs acquired over a period of time and the proceeds were to fund our new exclusive paediatric surgical unit… it was to be attended by the big-wigs of the Dubai social circles and we were expecting a huge collection…” He stopped and turned towards her. “…Ria…it was that day of the party that I actually saw Shilpi. She was like an… angel walking down the Heaven’s stairs. Those beautiful eyes lit up a chiseled face and genuine smile… she was a doll… a well-made porcelain figure with all correct sensuous proportions… her hair… it crowned her beautifully…” He rubbed his face and in his downcast eyes Ria almost read the ashen regret filling him along with his deep trembling sighs recalling a horrible memory.

“… I loved the attention she was giving me as we danced…. We had earlier worked together on few cases. She was a quick learner and in the past fortnight, she had assisted me on almost all my surgeries. We didn’t have the time to date or something…it was just…some sort of carnal attraction. We had just met up twice before that party day, nothing great…. just catching up on case together… in the cafeteria…. Just spending time… talking about the surgeries. So I didn’t suspect anything that party night… One moment the auction was on and after that I have no memory… she…Shilpi…she lost her virginity to me as she claimed later when I came to beside her on some bed in one of the hospital closets. I…I was apparently drunk that night at the hospital party…and I never get drunk. Just a peg here and there…. Even that night I had just one drink I remember but it was spiked… Shilpi had admitted to that later after we were married… I didn’t remember the night at all. But the morning after… things had changed between us. She started to look at me with accusing eyes. ….”

He started pacing again. “…. I decided to let things settle and avoided her. I wanted to keep our relationship strictly professional. But Shilpi started stalking me… She was everywhere… in the hospital wards, in the locker room, Cafeteria….every-fucking-where. That started drawing attention on us as a couple from all areas. A month later, my parents had come to visit the hospital. Shilpi met them in private and showed them a video that she had recorded of our… night together…I wasn’t aware of any such…I always wondered why she didn’t threaten me with the video… She told them, I had ruined her life and had taken advantage of her and then threatened to make the video viral….”

Ria hoped to hell, his parents would have spoken of a police complaint or something of the sorts but what she heard next …shocked was a tiny word for what she felt. He spoke his voice cracking “… A lot of money rode on the hospital’s success and already there was unwanted gossip doing the rounds… So, my parents decided to do damage control in an old-fashioned way…and asked me to marry her. They didn’t see anything beyond the hospital reputation…. I had grown up with my grandparents and my parents weren’t involved with me emotionally at all… So, this decision didn’t surprise me. Shilpi was thrilled but I was suffering in silence. I didn’t feel anything for her anymore. The bitch… she had conned me. She actually admitted that to me once …can you beat that…? I didn’t know what she wanted at that time. We got married with all the pomp and splendour my parents planned to demonstrate to the world how very charitable they were to get a poor girl for a daughter-in-law… the event was covered by media and everyone saw the beautiful couple but no one… not a soul could hear the shattering of my heart and dreams…and I do not know what she had told her folks but they despised me from day one….” He started to pace again.

“…After marriage she decided to stay at home and I was more than happy to get away from her. I immersed myself completely into my work. Slowly the derby slipped away from our hands as I was in no position to pay attention… I was kind of depressed and angry… A couple of months passed where I totally avoided her. But she…she didn’t care. She splurged on clothes, make-up, shoes, and gadgets…. whatever she liked. I didn’t object because she would pick up huge screaming fights if I did. I…I just wanted some peace of mind. And….” He stopped looking at Ria and said, “…. I never ever slept with her after that party night as she claimed. We had our separate bedrooms…” Ria nodded to encourage him to go on.

He was pacing… again…this time a little agitated. “….one day, about five months into the marriage I finished my work early and was coming down with a flu. I decided to take a break and reached home early. I… caught her in her bedroom with another man…I later came to know he was Saquib, her physical trainer. I wasn’t angry at her cheating on me as such but was upset about her not honouring the sanctity of the marriage. I was happy to get the breakthrough I was looking for to get out of the marriage. I prepared the divorce papers and gave a generous one-time settlement. She was not in agreement. She wanted a share in the hospital. It was as doing very well… and it would have been a perpetual source of income for her…I would have been paying more alimony than taxes… the bitch knew it… But I didn’t agree since it was my parents’ dream project and had to remain in the family only. We started quarreling daily after I got back from the hospital. It was a living hell for me. She wasn’t agreeing to any kind of monetary settlement. I told her in clear terms… she was welcome to stay married but refused to give her a penny… I blocked my credit card that I had given her. She became… physically abusive. One day Saquib was home when she threw a night lamp at me, but I dodged it and it broke. She cut herself with the glass on purpose. Saquib became the witness of domestic abuse. She threatened to press charges, if I didn’t agree to give her what she wanted in a particular time frame. Saquib was hand in gloves with her… so… I got hidden cameras installed at home….”

Gaurav stared into space for a while his face going through various motions of reactions to whatever thoughts were going on in his head.  He spoke with his voice quivering. “…One day all of a sudden, she announced in the media that she was two months pregnant. I was shocked to receive congratulatory messages…  My parents told me to work out things with her for the sake of their grandchild…. Another feather in their cap…” He ran a hand through his hair and Ria shook her head. Her parents were angels in front of his. “…Ria,… I didn’t have the heart to tell them right then it wasn’t mine…. not that they would believe me anyway… no one did anyway…I was the proverbial black sheep in the family after all… On the professional front my work was getting affected. I couldn’t concentrate and would always remain stressed. Her sister Sujata, kept calling and accusing me of being a monster…of torturing her sister….  I eventually blocked her number. I wanted to escape from the situation. I started applying for visitation to different hospitals across the country. They were more than happy to accommodate me. Luckily, my younger cousin just finished specializing in paediatric surgery and I could transfer the new department work under his supervision. My parents were not happy but relented. This was smooth. I was always away and Shilpi was enjoying herself with Saquib. I caught all of it on camera for a period of two months and was happy to use it against them later. The DNA test would prove the child wasn’t mine. I had it all planned out…”

“…One day when Shilpi was six months pregnant, she called me. I was in a conference in Geneva. She was crying uncontrollably on the phone. She was constantly apologizing and said she was all alone… apparently Saquib had left her. She threatened to kill herself. I had decided to end things then and there after reaching home. It was show time…” He sighed and she saw his hands were shaking and he clasped them to keep them steady. Ria’s heart went out for him but she didn’t want to break his flow. “…But… but when I reached home, she was standing with Saquib in the living room. Both were drunk… imagine Ria… she was a nurse and pregnant yet drunk… She smiled that vicious smile of hers and got some papers out of a file. She told me to sign the papers or get exposed in the media for domestic violence. She said she had proof… can you believe that? I then told her about the hidden cameras and that I had proof too that she was a lying bitch. She lost it…. Saquib was furious too. He broke the liquor bottle and raised his hand to take a swipe at me. But he was drunk and missed it. Shilpi had lit candles in the house… something about aroma therapy she had said. The bottle dropped the candles all over. One fell near a silk table cloth which caught fire. I ran to extinguish it but Shilpi held my hand tightly and asked me to sign the papers first…. I was … scared Ria… she was pregnant… and using all her might… one wrong move from me and she would get hurt… but Saquib promptly joined her. They both made me sit on a chair and…. coerced me …as I watched the furniture burn. The fire was spreading and they were laughing like drunken idiots. I tried my best to move but Saquib was a body builder and even though he was drunk… I was no match for him…” Gaurav was now trembling all over and Ria was finding it difficult to hold herself back.

“…Soon more than half the room was on fire and Shilpi started to cough badly. She let go off me. But being drunk she lost her balance and fell…right into the raging fire… My cameras along with the hard disk were damaged by the fire already so the recording was lost… and those days I didn’t know much about getting any backup…. Saquib and I watched with horror as she was engulfed in flames. I turned towards Saquib to tell him to do something but he was wailing. He suddenly recovered and pushed me into the flames. I fell on my back… I tried to pull her out but it was over by then and I …I …got …burnt too….”

Gaurav was shaking and his tears flew like a melted glacier now as he recounted the horror. Ria wanted nothing more than to hug him but controlled herself. She knew it was important for him to vent out. He continued with a strained voice. “…. I lost conscious. The next thing I knew, I was in my hospital surrounded by my parents and the police. I had received about thirty percent burns to my body mainly my back and limbs and needed a few surgeries. These took about two months after which I was immediately arrested for murdering my pregnant wife… Saquib was the main witness who claimed he had seen me hit her many times and I had pushed her into the fire…. The body was charred beyond recognition and the fetal remains couldn’t be used for DNA analysis. I spent the next six months in jail. …. If I thought I was living an awful married life this was even worse. Ahmed Ansari the chief investigating officer was sure I was the culprit. He had some kind of a crusade on for tortured women. He was… thirsting for my blood. He wanted me away for a lifetime. I was kept in a lock up which I had to share with dreaded criminals…one of them…was…a… ra…ra…rapist. He ….”

Gaurav held the bedpost tightly and closed his eyes.  He said softly, “…. He… He raped me….at least once every day… My surgical scars were infected due to frequent fights in the prison. My parents paid a bomb to my lawyers to try to pay the authorities to keep me in a separate cell…. They didn’t know about… r..r…rape…I haven’t told a soul… Eventually after about two months, they kept me in solitary confinement till my hearing started and also during the trial. It was a tiny room with just a 6 by 6-inch window which was grilled. I had shackles on my hands and legs as if I was a dreaded criminal. But I preferred that to being violated….” He paused and paced again. “…. Saquib was the main witness… Shilpi had already made arrangements to press domestic abuse charges if things hadn’t worked out with her threats. So, everyone from the local grocer to the laundry man to the maid testified against me. My mistake was I had never observed what she did behind my back. The CCTV recordings that were salvaged were held against me saying I was a suspicious husband. I couldn’t place a camera in her room because she had kept it locked all the time… So, I needed a miracle. My wounds were bad and medication provided in jail wasn’t working. I thought…. I wouldn’t make it out alive. Then Manek arrived and he did the trick… he did what no one else my parents hired could do… He broke Saquib…. He got his account hacked by one of our start-ups…Naren, who was then a student…He proved that Saquib was a repeated womanizer and a drug addict. Saquib would have lost his career and face and the punishment for continuous lying in the court of law… so he agreed to speak the truth. I even got it made clear to him to withhold information of him banging my wife since it would be scandalous for my parents and family. He was happy to oblige as he was with Shilpi only for the money milking cow that she was for him… and the case turned in my favor….I was out of jail but not free. I was asked to resign from the hospital board. My parents and rest of the family shunned me because of the scandal I had caused… My career was ruined and, in few months, I came back to India where my career had begun. But I couldn’t get myself to practice anymore….”

Gaurav straightened again and walked towards the window. “…I spent years in therapy to get my muscles moving….I had developed contractures after the burns. I was scarred for life in many ways. I… I couldn’t get it up…” He stopped pacing and looked at her. “…I couldn’t for the life of me get a boner. For months… I tried meds, I tried BDSM…  a little to arouse me and though I enjoyed it for a while …it couldn’t do what I set out for… Ria… nothing worked…. My mind was scarred beyond repair…. Then to get strong both physically and psychologically I started working out. I slogged it out daily. It helped me tide over the day along with admin work in the hospital. But nights were…BAD. I had nightmares of the prison…of what they did to me also of the fire… Therapy didn’t help there so I stopped seeing my psychiatrist. I became a total recluse and avoided public. My parents used their influence to block out all online information linking me to the murder. For that I was grateful.” He stared out of the window, watching the black night probably finding similarities between his life painted in the same shade… would he have the daybreak?

Ria wondered what kind of cold parents Gaurav had, who believed in a video shown by a con-woman over their own flesh and blood… who preferred their stupid reputation over their son…? He was doomed not because of anyone but because of his own parents. Ria’s eyes filled as she thought, irrespective of the uncommunicative apathetic parenting, and in spite of life throwing him such curve-balls Gaurav had turned out not a hard rock but a gem of a person… an invaluable gem… her gem. She waited with bated breath for the rest of what was to come…

He sighed looking down at the floor. “…For…over five long years…. FIVE… I have been living in a lifeless body. I was just breathing, eating and sleeping…that too whenever nightmares permitted… Ria, I suffer from PTSD…Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I tried BDSM too because though it didn’t arouse me it helped me dominate a willing woman. Yes Ria… there were women initially when I got back to India… I had to be man enough…you know… at least I thought… so I took them to the bungalow… but… Ria… they were just bodies…I …. I… don’t even remember their faces…. Nothing but just my struggle to get going and failed miserably…I was a total failure on all counts…I was totally broken…i gave up after a month of trying and then started going alone… solitude became my new friend…”

“… I thought I had to resort to my state for life. All that changed when I saw you…. when you came to the hospital as an intern for the first time. I was attracted to you instantly and the day I handed the certificate…I got …I got a semi hard-on for the first time in three fucking years. You became the medicine I needed…. It wasn’t just physical. There was more to it… I had started to mend… for the first time. Every time I saw you in your campus… when I got you f…followed in college, I felt alive. Ria… but trust me… I didn’t want to stalk or something… I was desperate to get well… I never intended to cause any harm… I didn’t want to get involved… because I was too scarred in every way for you…You were this innocent and I was ….well… I tried not to seek attention…  I even tried to drive you away when you joined our hospital. It was so terrible… the way I behaved. I wanted you to hate me… But your thoughts kept me going …morning to night and then night to morning. I started sleeping better…. Nightmares came but their intensity had reduced….you did to me what medicines and therapy had failed…” He looked down as he held the bed post.

Ria spoke softly for the first time since he began talking, “…Did you… did you get a nightmare …. That night…. on the couch?”

Gaurav nodded…He looked at her and said, “…I… my nightmares… in the Chimera state… I scream and lash out… something I couldn’t do in prison… its dangerous for anyone sleeping next to me… so I didn’t want you here and sorry I… I …in the bungalow that day I raised my voice… But I was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea…I couldn’t tell you everything and I didn’t want you to witness that dark part of me Ria… I would have scared you off… but then you did…That’s my story Ria…. All out in front of you. I am scarred….and I am still broken in many ways as you have seen… I have my mood swings…probably not what you may have wished for in your husband… so… If you wish to le…leave me….”

“…I want to see you…”. Ria quickly said trying her best to prevent her tears from flooding out.

“What…?” Gaurav appeared aghast. He rubbed his face and looked away… “…Ria… Its not good…I …”.

“…Gaurav….I just…I want to see you…please” Ria softly said not moving.

Gaurav moved towards the night lamp. He switched it on as well as the other night lamps in the room. He switched off the main lights and the room was filled with a soft glow. He stood with his back to her and slowly removed his t shirt. He then took off his full sleeved inner vest. He opened his fly and pulled his pants down and he was only in his boxers. Ria could only make out his silhouette. He then suddenly switched on the light right above him. He stood with his head bent.

Ria gasped as she took in the sight before her. His back…if one could call it a back…had welts all over. Mostly scars and ridges, hardened or fried skin…some red-like, some pinkish and some purple or was that black? It was like someone had carved a world map on his back and done a poor job of it. The same was seen throughout on his triceps…arms on either side. His hamstrings and calf muscles too had burn marks where the skin had probably melted. Ria was crying softly holding her mouth as she looked at the broken agonized man in front of her standing with his head bowed. He was shaking…was he crying?

That’s it… Ria rushed to him and hugged him from behind burying her face in his back. He collapsed down in front of her. She went in front of him and kneeled before him holding him tightly to her. He initially resisted but gave in and hugged her back. He put his forehead on her shoulder and sobbed. Ria just held him and rubbed his back her tears blurring her vision as well…. He was crying hard now as she rocked him. Her heart was in tatters to see him like that. Gaurav had endured so much. Everyone despised him and he just bore it all. But she… she had no more doubts about his innocence.

It was a promise she intended to keep. As her doubts melted away, and the waves of anguish caused her tears to flow uncontrollably, she promised she was going to give up everything and do everything she could and beyond, to stand beside him and clear his name.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 43

Ria was treading on eggshells when Gaurav was around. Her anxiety had touched the ceiling in these two days and she had been extra clumsy when Gaurav was at home. For instance, last night at dinner she had dropped the serving ladle four times throughout and just couldn’t ingest a single morsel with his hawk eyes trained on her, watching her every tiny bit of movement and expression. She had added extra spoons of sugar to her coffee which she had prepared post dinner… and had to discard it. This morning she had startled as she had heard him enter the drawing room for breakfast and had dropped the ceramic cup and saucer unit on the table spilling the hot coffee on the parathas kept for him. He hadn’t said a word and just walked back into his room. He had left for office soon without the breakfast and she had texted Karuna to see that he took it in office. Her guilt weighed her down so terribly it was getting directly proportional to her apprehensiveness… and that had risen to epic proportions. Gaurav too wasn’t his normal self and barely spoke to her in the last two days. They had dinner together and retired to their respective rooms after he got back from work. Keith too was behaving strangely quiet. She tried making small talk with him but he barely responded. She missed Gaurav terribly but she also missed her camaraderie with Keith. What was brewing here?

Today she was to meet the lady in the mall. After Gaurav left for work, she told Keith about visiting the mall for shopping. He however only nodded and returned back to his cooking. Ria wanted to shake him and make him talk to her but currently she had other priorities so she just sighed and went back to her room. She was very anxious about hearing so-called secrets about her husband though this time, she was better prepared. Somehow, she was not ready to accept that he was some low life criminal. She had known him enough for what felt like a lifetime. Irrespective of his mood swings she couldn’t believe he would be even remotely violent…let alone kill someone in cold blood.

She had made up her mind. She trusted him wholeheartedly, irrespective of the contrary evidence she found today. She hoped she could prevent anything untoward happening to him. She loved him too much to be a bystander as he got caught in any kind of judicial whirlwind. She had to know the enemy well before she could do something for him.

Keith drove her to the mall by 10.30A and she shopped at a ceramic store for replacing the crockery she had broken… while being vigilant about Keith’s location. He always followed them even when she was with Gaurav, but she could never see him. However, the last time she had been out with Preeti to help her with her wedding shopping, she had seen him stealthily watching them from behind the newspaper as he had tried to camouflage himself in the crowd. Even last week when she had been to the local hardware store to select the tiles for her center, she had seen him check out the perimeter and make himself invisible but then she had known his position immediately… She chuckled holding the intricately designed cup towards the light pretending to check it out as she saw Keith standing behind the large panel right outside the shop. She was getting good at this!

At 11AM sharp she sat in the last corner table as told in the message. She took out her novel and pretended reading it as she sipped her fresh lime soda. She knew Keith was somewhere around watching her… but this time though she felt his eyes on her she couldn’t make him out and she didn’t want to call for attention. She tried to act casual though she was a bundle of nerves inside. Just like the lady had messaged, the small restobar got filled with student crowd. Only the seat across hers was available for the shaky old lady who walked in wearing a green gown, with a huge bag in one hand and a walking sick in the other. She looked around as if searching for a seat and then came up to her.

“Hello dear…” the lady spoke in a shaky voice. “…may I sit here?” She gestured to the empty seat across Ria.

“Yes sure…” Ria spoke softly. She tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible.

The old lady…at least that’s what she looked like… pretended to glance on the menu. She had placed her bag on the outer edge of the table. She held the menu card with her right hand and slowly put out her left hand ahead. It had a packet. It was concealed by the Menu card on the top and a huge bag on the left. No one would have noticed. Ria shifted her book to her right hand and bent forward. She slowly took the packet from the lady and slipped it into her bag kept beside her on her seat. She then continued to sip her soda. The old lady had ordered tea and sandwich and gestured as though offering Ria. To anyone else watching them it would have looked like two strangers being cordial to one another.

Ria nodded and accepted a small sandwich part. As she ate the old lady spoke gesturing around as if she was talking about the weather.

“My… name is Sujata Chaudhry. The packet contains proof about the kind of a monster he is. He had lured my sister, married her, and then she got pregnant. But he had a roving eye and often cheated on her. She went into depression and soon became a liability for him. He killed her… actually burnt her alive…. She was six months pregnant with their child. …” The lady sighed to control her emotions. “…. We had a witness to the heinous crime. Everything fell into place and Gaurav was to go away for a long time… but fate had other ideas. The witness tuned hostile all of a sudden and refused to complete his testimony. He was dismissed and Gaurav’s lawyers spun the case around in his favor. He spent only six goddamn months in prison… But Ria… you have a sister too… so you will understand these emotions… he… that man…he deserves to rot in hell for what he did to my sister. My father had died long ago and mother died with the shock of my sister’s death. I became an orphan overnight….” she wiped her tears and pretended to laugh as though telling a joke. Ria was shocked to hear everything but pretended to smile…if she had thought keeping up the pretense before Gaurav was tough this took the prize. And this woman knew about her… everything about her… how come…?

The lady continued. “…. when that man was acquitted, I made it my life’s ambition to find ways to punish him. I moved to Pune last year. I had a business in Dubai which I had to wind up. I couldn’t stay there anymore…. My sister was an innocent …just like you. She fell for the wrong guy and paid with her life. I don’t want that happening to you… She was convenient for Gaurav, his Casanova lifestyle and whatever crap he was into. What he didn’t expect was for her to get inquisitive about his…er… extra marital activities. My sister would call mom and cry for hours on the phone… about the ways he would torture her. My mom would tell her to stay in the marriage, to hang on. Marriage was sacred she used to say… I wish my sister had told me… I would have gotten her divorced. At least she would be alive. Her pregnancy was the last straw. Her torture increased. She stopped meeting us altogether. And then….one day a neighbor called us about smoke coming out of their house. She was dead before we knew it. Charred beyond recognition… we lost her…”

Ria had seen the pictures. She nodded and just then her phone buzzed. It was a private number… It was either Gaurav or her uncle and she was in no mood to speak with either of them…. She couldn’t show her weakness now. She disconnected the call and checked the time. It was over an hour in the mall now and Keith would get suspicious. Ria rose and shook hands with the old lady. “…I…um… I have to leave now… its getting late…” The lady nodded in understanding.

Ria was quiet on the ride home and Keith didn’t speak either. She came home and shut herself in her room opening the packet given to her by the lady. It had similar articles and photos like in the pen drive. All evidence available pointed to Gaurav’s role in murdering his wife…. She immediately hid them in the corner of the drawer in her wardrobe.

Somehow… Ria was not convinced and her intuition told her the real story was something totally different. The lady who acted weird didn’t mention anything about the recent court case…. But she knew a lot of Ria’s personal information… it was clear she was fed the information. But who would do it? Sujata would have surely followed the court case…. Ria had always known Gaurav was framed in the recent case and she had always known there was a lot more than what was projected. Swara too now seemed like a pawn and the poor woman was dead… or was she killed…? Sujata may be accusing Gaurav because she had lost her sister. It was way too personal. But her uncle…. why would he blame Gaurav? Her uncle never spoke anything without being sure about it. Ria was getting a headache… She wanted this to be a bad dream…

Her mobile pinged with an incoming message. It was from Sujata.

‘Nice to meet you dear. I hope you saw the evidence. Leave that man. He doesn’t deserve you. I worry about you dear. Take care.’

Ria didn’t want to reply to her. She ignored the message and was lost in thought. Once again, her mobile buzzed with an incoming message. It was Sujata again.

“If you need any help to leave that bastard, let me know. I will arrange what is necessary. We have to take our revenge….  Get whatever you can lay your hands on. Any file, folders, pen drives…anything. Call me soon.”

The incongruity of the situation intrigued her. She was now surer than ever of Gaurav’s innocence all those years ago. She found so many loopholes in the stories mentioned in the articles, she wondered why her uncle didn’t catch them. Maybe his judgment was clouded by his love for his niece. But her verdict was further tilting in Gaurav’s favor…was it because she loved him? No, it was more than that. She believed in him.

She had made her decision, once for all…

That evening Ria prepared Gaurav’s favorite dinner of paneer butter masala and naan, as an amused Keith looked on. She wanted to break the ice and talk to Gaurav today… actually talk. She wanted him to trust her…to be able to tell her about his past. But most of all she wanted to come clean about what she had been shown and told. She was worried for his safety and wanted to warn him about the possible danger…

Gaurav came home earlier than usual looking very exhausted. He only nodded at Keith who couldn’t wait to leave as soon as he arrived. What the hell…? Ria smiled at him and went to the kitchen to heat up the dinner and then got busy laying the table and his favorite spread, while he was in his room freshening up. She looked up and saw him standing across the table in his polo neck t shirt and black trackpants, staring at her with a blank expression….but the pandemonium in his eyes not hidden from her. She forced a smile and said, ” Um… why don’t we have dinner…I have…prepared your favorite paneer….”

“…I am NOT hungry Ria. I don’t want anything….” He abruptly stopped her mid-sentence and picking up a water bottle, started walking towards his room.

Ria ran on the other side of the table and held his hand to stop him. “…wa…Wait….Gaurav… please …don’t do this…”

He shook her hand off. “…Don’t do what Ria?” He stared her down.

Ria was an emotional wreck for a while now and she wasn’t able to take it anymore. “P… please have your dinner… ” she whispered.

“…or what? You will complain to uncle dearest or…wait a minute…to the CBI…?” He said with a stern voice and hands on his hips. Though his tone was of anger his eyes were full of hurt. Then before she could say anything he continued, “…oh no …no…wait… you have other well-wishers, too… namely Miss Sujata Chaudhry sister of Mrs. Shilpi Chaudhry-Chopra. So… did she give you some special tips…? How to live with a monster of a husband or even better… send him to jail…?” He was breathing heavily and his hand fisted in his sides.

Ria closed her eyes. So, he knew about her uncle and her meeting with Sujata. She whispered, “…That’s…that’s not fair…”

“You know whatis not fair Ria…?” He spoke suddenly startling her. “…Getting conned into a marriage is not fair… Getting cheated by your spouse is not fair….” He started walking closer towards her. “…Losing your career for which you have slogged your guts out is not fair… Losing your family’s trust in spite of your innocence is not fair…” He came even closer, almost touching her and she hit the wall behind. He spoke with emotion clogging his throat, “… Spending time… in prison… for NO fault of yours is… not fair. Being looked down with contempt…. blasphemed all the time… again, for NO fucking fault of yours is NOT FAIR...” His voice broke as he kept his hands on the wall on either side of her face and bent down till, he was so close she could feel his breath. She closed her eyes. He whispered. “…and… not being trusted by the… by the woman you love more than life itself….is JUST NOT FAIR…”

He loved her… oh God Almighty… finally…

As his words sank in she was beginning to savor the moment …when she felt wetness on her cheeks. She immediately opened her eyes and saw that he had bent his head hunched over her and was crying with his eyes closed. That broke her heart so much and she lifted her hands to cup his cheeks. He opened his eyes and abruptly moved back as if jolted out of his reverie. Her hands dropped to her sides. He was breathing heavily and turned his back towards her.

She knew it was now or never. “…I never ever doubted you Gaurav…” she said loud enough for him to hear. “…But…I need to know the truth. The real truth… about the man I love, greatly respect and believe in…”

He abruptly turned around. “…What…what did you just say…?”

Ria went up to him and cupped his face and this time he didn’t move away. “…Gaurav…in case it hasn’t been obvious all this time…I just said, I… love you. We all have our baggage Gaurav… But I trust you enough…. that you will tell me about your past someday… Your story, your truth… I will wait for that…”

Gaurav slammed his mouth on hers and kissed her hard. It was as if he was unleashing pent up emotion in that kiss. She was overwhelmed too and put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. After what seemed like an eternity, he lifted his head up and hugged her. He kissed her head. They stood like that for a while. He then held her at an arm’s length and said, “…uh…Ria…I…I don’t deserve you… but… but it killed me to think that you …would leave me….”

Ria shut him by keeping a finger on his lips. With tears she said, “I am NOT going anywhere…even if you push me away. This marriage… this has always been real for me…. I …I… love you. With all my heart…”

He held her hand and pulled her to him.

“…I love you too darling…always have…tried not to… but…I find myself in you… I love you so much it hurts…” He kissed her again. But this time it was gentle. He lifted her as he continued to kiss and took her towards his bedroom. He dropped her on the bed but didn’t take off her clothes. He just released her salwar and tore off her panties. He opened his trouser, freed his cock. He positioned himself above her. Seeing his intensity Ria was so overwhelmed she closed her eyes reveling in the moment. She too needed this, so much like her next breath…

“…Open your eyes Ria… I want to watch those beautiful almonds when you come”. She almost climaxed just hearing those words. Before she thought about anything, he slammed into her and went still. His face was contorted as he looked at her. He slid out and slammed in again and again…. grunting with some kind of raw energy. Finally, she came with a loud cry and he emptied himself into her as he screamed out hoarsely …”…I-LOVE-YOU-RIIAAA…”. He fell on top of her and she held him tightly to her not wanting to let him go.

As they came down from their pinnacle, he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. She lay in his arms on her side facing him and drawing patterns on his shirt.

“…Ria…” he uttered softly.

“Hmm…?” she was too satiated to say anything.

“…I …I want to…tell you everything…uh… about my past…” He said.

She raised herself on her elbow to look at him. “You don’t have to tell me anything now if it troubles you…. You take your time… but just remember…I love you…all of you. Your past will not change anything…“

 He sat up straight. He stood and went towards his bedroom window.

“No Ria… you are my wife…. My best friend… my li…life… Your trust means the world to me. It’s…just that…. I am a package. My past is ugly…I… I am… ugly. You may not like what you hear and…see. But….but…its time…I think you should know. …” He turned towards her and without giving an eye contact he continued, “…If…if…if you chose to le..le..leave me…. I won’t stop you….”  He sighed and started pacing slowly.

Ria sat still waiting for his turmoil to boil and overflow… he needed his space too to vent out and she was giving his just that…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 42

Ria was in a confronting mode… she spoke to herself to pep her up even as her eyes filled and she had to shut her eyes taking in deep breaths to keep them at bay. Her gut feeling told her Gaurav was not in the wrong but probably was himself wronged. She visited the terrace garden to be amidst nature for a while and went back to her room and switched on her laptop. She inserted the pen drive given by her uncle…and with trembling hands she clicked on the first file.

The next hour Ria was immersed in reading the contents of the pen drive. It had four files and she opened each one reading each and every line. There were newspaper cuttings, online news articles, pictures of his partying, pictures of his marriage… Pictures of a glowing mother to be… pictures of a charred body… and pictures of his arrest with a hood covering his head as he was led away by the police. Ria shuddered as she saw it.

There were articles on the trial too. All led to the fact that Gaurav was the killer and he was to face a tough sentence. Suddenly the lead witness turned hostile and Gaurav was acquitted. There were many follow up articles from a couple of other newspapers which painted him a villain. Ria rubbed her eyes as she read the last article…

‘The secret life of the Chopra group scion‘

The article mentioned his love for flamboyance, BDSM… unnatural sex and portrayed another side of him. The clinical psychologist who had been interviewed said something about the subconscious interference in his day to day life and the practice may have created a monster. Apparently, Gaurav suffered from some kind of a psychological condition where he couldn’t separate real and virtual. The article also spoke about the need to contain such people in shackles and institutionalized as they posed a massive danger to the society and women at large.

Surprisingly Ria wasn’t crying instead her blood boiled and she was analytical. She wanted to view everything with a clear mind.

As Ria closed the laptop she remembered the moments spent with Gaurav before and after their marriage. Though he was mean towards her before the rainy night he had never demonstrated any kind of behaviour mentioned in those articles. She herself belonged to a field where she was trained to identify such behaviours… That particular night had changed everything. Was it all a show as her uncle said?

She remembered that day at the bungalow … when she had suggested they stay in the same room. He had been angry all of a sudden and spoken in a terse voice that she had not heard before. Then the red room… it had terrified her. But he had been understanding and had never brought up the topic again. He had taken care of her when she was injured. He had been a caring husband…. all through their marriage so far. How could someone be so fake? No… She thought aloud…her conscience pushed her to believe in him. She sighed and stood up to use the washroom when she suddenly remembered the texts she had received in the first couple of days of her marriage. The text had warned her too. Everyone spoke about Gaurav’s secrets. Besides, there was this issue of him not sharing a bed after sex… not sleeping with her through the night. She was yet to see him unclad …for crying out aloud.

Then… there were those nightmares…

Her husband was indeed a mystery. It was time she found out the truth about him, especially now that his past was to be raked up in a very horrid manner if Chitthappa was to be believed. Gaurav didn’t still seem to be ready to share anything as yet and she had to know so-called facts from other avenues before coming to any judgement of her own. It was now important for her to start with a blank palate and fill it with her own colour combinations.

Ria scanned through her SMS history and unblocked that number. She then messaged,

‘Does the offer still stand?’

Immediately there was a reply…

‘Thank God. Yes, it does.’

Ria typed,

‘Shall we meet then?’

After what seemed ages there was a reply,

“yes… meet me the day after tomorrow at the central mall food court at 11AM. It’s busy at that time. Come to the Pick me up restobar, take the table at the left corner and order a fresh lime soda. An old woman in green will join you as the place gets full. I will arrange for it. That entourage of yours won’t suspect a thing. “

That was planned well, Ria thought

‘Fine … see you day after @ 11AM’

Finally, the sender had typed,

‘yes… and please delete these messages for your own safety’

Ria shuddered as she deleted the message thread. Was she doing the right thing? Was she actually suspecting her husband? She felt anything but virtuous at the moment…even as Swara’s words kept ringing in her ears… and a surge of insinuation ran through her body and she eventually went to bed with the feeling laying heavy on her heart.

That night as she slept, she heard a soft tentative knock and she knew it was him. A quick glance at her cell phone told her it was 3AM. She pretended to sleep…though the only thing she desired… was to be in his arms. He didn’t knock again and she slept off again after a long time, tears soaking her pillow as she did… her heart broke into a zillion pieces.

The next morning Ria woke up at 8AM wondering how she would face him today. A look at her swollen eyelids in the washroom vanity mirror made her wonder if he would doubt her? As far as she was concerned, he read her like an open book. She hoped she could hide her emotions from him for a couple of days at least…she had to be strong if eventually she had to get deep into this mess and unearth the truth. She joined him for breakfast and gave him a bright smile. She sat away from him across the table getting busy with the motions of scanning through the newspaper or making small talk with him trying to keep up their regular camaraderie. His eyes followed her movements from the go but he barely spoke to her.  She asked him about his trip… He brushed aside the topic and kept staring at her as she picked at her food. She was hiding her heart but discovered she didn’t have the skills for it, not when she was riddled with anxiety and she was split wide open.

After breakfast Ria excused herself saying she had to work on finalizing designs for her center and left for her room. Thankfully Gaurav didn’t stop her and he soon left for work too.

***************************************************************************

Something was amiss…. drastically fallacious… with Ria’s demeanour.

Gaurav mulled over what had ensued that morning … in fact well before that, as he stared into the laptop screen at work. For the last hour he hadn’t done anything constructive at all. He had postponed a couple of important meetings and since Karuna was back from sick leave she handled the rescheduling like a pro. At least something was going well for him. The hospital was all set to get a special humanitarian award which would increase the share price and also lure the best practitioners to join their other branches… something he always wanted. The charity surgeries were being talked about often but he saw to it that the hospital name in general was out and not his. He would now get some more funding for the noble cause. He had first got the news yesterday in Kolkata and had immediately wanted to share it with Ria… He had been thrilled and wanted to celebrate with her especially since he planned to cut short his visit and surprise her at night. But she hadn’t answered her phone or replied to his messages and then Keith had told him about her being upset…

Though Ria tried to keep up a facade of normalcy before him, he knew something was troubling Ria. He only wished he knew how to find out… Keith was trying too but couldn’t do more without making her suspicious. He had mentioned about her ‘uncle’ being there when he had dropped Ria at her home yesterday. He had apparently spoke to a nosy curious neighbour who was only too willing to spill information about Ria’s family and the new visitor. Ria had informed him earlier evening about visiting her parents but failed to mention the uncle…. Did she do it on purpose or was she clueless as well…? She was a different person today. Gaurav knew about her relationship with her parents well by now and though she missed them occasionally, she wouldn’t be affected by them to this extent. The uncle had something to do with it and he was sure now. He had to find out…  After an hour of trying unsuccessfully he called Manek.

“Ya….” Manek answered. He sounded haggard.

“What’s up buddy? You sound like shit.” Gaurav chided. He knew Manek was a new father and was struggling with the sleepless nights. Megha was suffering from Low BP after a tough labor. He felt like a jerk for troubling him…but he could think of no one else.

“Go fuck yourself buddy… (yawn)… so what is it…?” Manek asked sounding sleepy.

“I need some classified information…on Ria’s paternal uncle. I have only managed to find out a first name. Ashok. Ria doesn’t have any active social media accounts. Naren is MIA so got his right hand man here to get on it but needed you to cross verify as well… I got a grainy picture from Pooja’s social media page. I am sending it on your email address. Can you help out on this …?”

“… I will get to it (yawn) immediately. Naren is here in Delhi working on your case man…and that’s a blessing… I will coordinate with him…Give me an hour… two max….”

“… Oh great… thank God…Ya… thanks. I know you will do it. Call me when you are done. I will make it up to you man!” Gaurav rubbed his face.

“Ya…I will hold on to that the next time this little bundle wakes up fresh at 2AM. Her Gaurav uncle can pacify her…”

“Ok…ok…” Gaurav chuckled, “I give up…bye…”

He disconnected the call and saw Manek’s profile picture. He had held his day old daughter  and proudly stared into the camera. Gaurav wondered if he would ever get that chance… would he be a good example for his child. As soon as he thought about a child, a picture of a heavily pregnant Ria swam before his eyes… and he rubbed his face again as pangs of desolation clutched his heart.

He had to settle this unseen tension between them…then open up his life before her. She deserved to know…everything. But could he handle her rejection? No… He didn’t think so. He shuddered at the very thought.

The hour long wait for Manek’s call was a test of his patience. He paced across the room in his office when not going through his reports… He almost called Ria about ten times. Each time, he stopped the call even before it connected. He knew Manek-Naren combo would find out information for him. Meanwhile he was drowning in despair…

Soon his phone rang….it was Manek.

“Hmm…” he answered.

“You are not going to like this…”

“…just tell me” He was impatient.

“Her uncle is Ashok Chandran… a decorated CBI officer mostly involved in highly classified missions….”

Gaurav’s heart was thumping. This definitely couldn’t be good…

Manek continued “…He was the batch mate of… Lieutenant Abdul Ansari… when they were training in high combat years ago in the US. On returning to India, he joined CBI after a brief stint with the CRPF. Rather he was selected due to his super tactical skills and he mostly works undercover. Abdul Ansari apparently returned back to his country Dubai and joined their police force…special crimes… does it light a bulb?”

Of course, it did. Abdul Ansari was the chief investigation Officer when he was almost convicted. He still remembered Ansari’s thunderous reaction when he was acquitted… the man had declared he would find Gaurav from any corner of earth he would disappear to and destroy him… Gaurav started to palpitate like he always did whenever he remembered or dreamed about those days.

“…Gaurav… you there…?”  Maneks voice got him back on track.

“Go on…” he whispered.

“… it’s like this. The uncle gets in touch with Ansari’s office clandestinely when he finds out about your link in Dubai. Being in CBI and known to Ansari has its perks… Ansari’s office gives him, dirt on you. Both…the documents as well as his very colourful personal opinion of you… Uncle returns home and meets Ria. Now, I am sure something must have happened or you wouldn’t have called me. …you need to watch your six, buddy… be careful. The uncle is one determined soul. I spoke to someone on Ansari’s team…. confidentiality maintained of course and off the record. What he said was not good. Ansari is planning vengeance to somehow get you in trouble…just like he promised… Naren is digging deeper to check other connections… I will need to look more into this…”

Gaurav stared into space as he heard Manek.

“…Just so you must know, Sujata…Your…er… wife Shilpi’s sister has been in Pune for a while now over a year actually… She has been asking around and digging dirt. Naren got an alert on the search engine activity two weeks ago and yesterday as well. You need to pull up your socks man…. Tell Keith to be vigilant…. I will be there ASAP. Naren had posted extra men outside your high-rise…We will handle this…don’t worry. Ok…?”

“…Yeah… thanks…” Gaurav said and disconnected. It was an overwhelming deluge of anger, resentment and helplessness. But what worried him more was Ria’s reaction to everything that transpired in his past as well as whatever would happen in future. That was the main reason he couldn’t open is past before her. He couldn’t make out anything from her behaviour today. He was so lost… and would be even more if she left him….

He didn’t think he could survive this fresh shipwreck…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 41

Ashok chitthappa disconnected the call… that was very typical of him whenever he called which was rare. Ria kept staring at the screen saver which had a funny click of Gaurav and her in one of their moments and she smiled seeing his face that had lightened up. She hoped it remained like that. She sighed thinking of her uncle.

Chitthappa her father’s younger brother was a CBI special agent and worked on highly classified cases. In fact, only her father and she knew he was with the CBI and for everyone else in their family, he was worked for an MNC. A confirmed bachelor, he had devoted his life to law enforcement. He had lived in the US for years where he had gone for higher studies in forensics but somehow had a slight change of career when he returned to India. She didn’t know the details as he had never shared them with anyone but she had only known that he was with the CBI for the last ten years or so. His absence from family events was chalked out as working abroad on classified projects for his company. So, no one doubted him. He had always adored Ria lovingly calling her ‘baby’ and had wholeheartedly supported her. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in town when she had needed him the most. He could never be reached unless he wanted to stay in contact and that was probably one of the reasons, he never had a family of his own… he was married to the CBI. Nonetheless, she was longing to meet him and….her parents. She wondered what he wanted to discuss that was so important. But for today she was focused on her impending dinner date with her husband.

That evening Ria was dressed in blue jeans and her favourite pink silk blouse… she had got it when Gaurav had taken her shopping last week and he didn’t know she had sneaked in this one among the others! She rarely used makeup but that day she used a light pink shade on her lips. She left her hair open which flew in the breeze as she waited at the gate with Keith for Gaurav to arrive. Gaurav came in a different vehicle that looked like a …OMG… a limo… the driver got out and Keith took over. But not before opening the passenger door for her at the back and shutting it after she got in. Gaurav was already there on the back seat and as soon as her door closed, he dragged her towards him and holding the back of her head, crushed his mouth on hers. She gasped and looked away feeling aghast that Keith may have seen and heard them. But she was relieved to see the shutter separating them from the front of the car was up. Gaurav however was unconcerned and chuckled as he continued ravishing her lips. His hands moved beneath her blouse and pinched her tits just the way she loved it and she moaned into his mouth. She touched him through his jeans tentatively…but this time he didn’t push her hand away,

Ria dared a little more as she pulled away and went on her knees before him. She had to struggle to fit herself between his legs, giggling to relieve her anxiety considering what she was about to do. She kept looking into his eyes, and in the dark car interior, his face was shadowed with various patterns from the passing lights… She slowly freed him from the pant and the boxers. He sucked in a breath as she rubbed his length and kissed the tip. He wheezed in air as he looked at her with his beautifully shining eyes… and then…she took him into her mouth. He held her hair as she continued to suck him and lick him along the hard length… just as she had once read about. As she sucked him thoroughly, licked his salty pre-cum and lapped at his tip, she felt him grow further hard and knew it was time… He tried to pull her away but she didn’t budge and in the next moment he shot his load into her throat grunting in a strained voice as she swallowed him almost gagging in the process. She licked her swollen lips rubbing her mouth to her sleeve on the side and like a satiated kitten came up and sat next to him. He held her close as she snuggled into him. It was then she realized…. she couldn’t imagine a life without him… she was addicted to this man!

Gaurav informed Ria over Thai dinner in a magnificent restaurant, that he was leaving for their Kolkata office early morning next day for the audit and appraisal work and he was to be gone for a day or two max. Ria was crestfallen but informed Gaurav about visiting her parents. He was a little apprehensive but relented since she was very chirpy and positive. Ria felt guilty not telling him about her uncle but decided she would talk to him after he got back. They barely slept that night as they were on a video call with Manek who was in Delhi to be with Megha. She had gone into an early labour and was taken for an emergency C-section. Manek was frantic and wanted them to be on call all the time Megha was in. Ria put all her professional skills into use to try and calm him down as Gaurav held her close which in-turn brought down her anxiety. She liked Megha a lot and was praying for a safe delivery while counselling an hysterical Manek. It was strange to see a huge wild beastly Manek reduced to a mushy emotional mess with the thought of his wife and child being in danger. Finally, baby Mehek Manek Chaturvedi made her grand entry in the wee hours of the morning bringing great joy and relief to the entire family. Manek cried like a baby seeing the tiny bundle so did Ria as Gaurav held her and though she didn’t see tears in his eyes, she knew Gaurav was shaken too.

  Gaurav left early morning by 5AM as she slept out her exhaustion in her bedroom and she did feel his peck on her forehead before he left. Keith was home early that morning and he was to drive her to her parents’. Ria was missing Gaurav already and she decided she would confess her feelings to him after he got back. If he said it back to her it would be for the best but if he didn’t…. well she didn’t want to think right now. She knew he felt deeply for her as well and for now that was enough. She was in a great mood today after she had a video call with the exhausted new parents Manek and Megha and their little bundle of joy Mehak. She didn’t want to dampen it….

By 11AM she was at her parents’ home. She was merrily chatting away all the way with Keith who personally dropped her at the door and went back to the car. Pooja answered the door with a tentative smile. Ria hugged her and was almost in tears with the familiar fragrance of her shampoo. Pooja too seemed pleased and tightened the hug… she looked radiant, the glow of the life growing inside her bringing out her beauty even more.

“BABY…” her uncle roared. Ria rushed into his arms and he lifted her hugging her. He kissed her forehead and releasing her held her at an arms distance. He had aged a lot since she had last seen him over two years ago… his salt and pepper hair was now totally white! But he was fitter than all of them put together. “…. Oh my God….my baby is so beautiful. Are you… are you happy there? Does…he takes good care of you dear…?” He asked frowning.

“Of course, he does Chitthappa. He is a wonderful husband.” Ria said with a glazed look.

Her parents came in and there was a little hesitation but she hugged them. Her appa didn’t want to speak to her but Chitthappa was in a complete state of reconciliation. He openly reprimanded her father for choosing Vikram who was absolutely a bad match for her and after some little tears and small talk, they sat for lunch. Ria was happy to be back in familiar surroundings and realized how much she missed her family… however they were. After lunch, they all sat together and discussed Pooja’s Seemantham (traditional baby shower) plans. Her mom wasn’t feeling too well and went for a nap. Pooja went to her room to rest and to chat with her husband and it was just Ria alone with her father and uncle in the living room. She longed to hear from Gaurav… whether he had reached safely and how the work was… she knew he hated admin work. But before she reached her phone in her clutch, chitthappa spoke, “Ria…?” He called her by her given name only when he was very serious. “…I have some things I need to discuss…about… about your husband…”

“What…? Gaurav…? How do you know him chitthappa?” Ria asked

“Well…when your father emailed me about your marriage to Gaurav and the court case fiasco before that, I decided to do a background check on him…” He gave her a look which told her he could do it easily since he was with the CBI. Of course… She nodded pensively.

He continued, “… I had to dig-in very deep and call in for favours from friends and got some… disturbing information. I had to get back here… ASAP…” He got up, went towards his backpack and took out a file. He gave it to her and indicated her to read it. Ria felt her heart pounding. She remembered Swara’s talk and that anonymous SMS series she had received early in her marriage. She couldn’t get herself to open the file and sat still.

Her father who was quiet so far spoke up. “Why don’t you tell us Ashok, what is this all about? Her brains don’t function when it comes to that man. So, you tell us. I want to know… “.

Her uncle stood up with hands in his pockets. “…Ria,…Gaurav was in prison… almost six years ago for murdering his… pregnant wife. He was in jail for about six months as an under trial before he got acquitted for lack of proof…. The man had burnt her alive, Ria…. This was in Dubai….There were also instances of domestic violence and a case had filed against him as well…before he did the deed…” Ria was stunned to silence as her uncle continued, “…He then returned to India and headed the admin of the group of hospitals here in Pune, where he still chairs the operations. He had it easy because of his influential family….” Her uncle fumed as he continued. “…He… this Gaurav… is a womanizer of the highest order…. He had this flamboyant life style back in Dubai…into some deviant sexual crap too…I have heard…” She sucked in a trembling breath remembering the bungalow. “… Do you know why he married you Ria…? because you were an unsuspecting easy target…. He had to repair his image after that court case…”.

Ria had enough… she stood up and held out the file to him. “I…I… don’t believe all this chitthappa …”

Her uncle took the file but held up his hand and gestured her to sit.

“…I am not done here…Ria. His dead wife’s sister is fighting even today to get justice for her departed sister and unborn nephew or niece who were killed by the bastard…” Her uncle raised his voice. “…Very soon maybe in the next six months… the case may be reopened in Dubai. The lady has apparently managed to find new proof… So… this marriage to you was an image correction…to prevent subsequent deportation if need be… Since officially he is an Indian citizen and now a family man. The case may drag on and he won’t lose anything… He has married a simple girl who wouldn’t ask questions…”

Hot tears streamed down her face; her chest clenching with pain. “No… No don’t say that…” she pleaded.

Her uncle kneeled in front of her. He held her hands and gently asked, “…Baby, what do you know about him? Has he ever disclosed anything about his past, his family…? Do you know…. his family has kind of disowned him…? no one in his extended family too talks about him or is in touch with him except for matters related to administration. He is only involved in running the business….He doesn’t even practice surgery anymore…” He uncle sighed. “… He was acquitted then, but everyone present during those months of trial in Dubai, vouched for the fact that he had arranged to pay-off witnesses or destroy them. As for this recent trial…. he didn’t have to do anything. You saved his hide and he just had to marry you….”

Ria interrupted, “… No chitthappa… I agree, I don’t know anything about his past but in this current circumstance… he was indeed with me the entire time that night. It was the truth. He…he saved my life. He wasn’t… wasn’t even agreeing for my involvement. I insisted… As for getting married…he has been very accommodating. He has never raised his voice let alone his hand… He has been nothing but a doting and a caring husband…” Her voice was quivering.

Ashok sighed. “Look Ria…” He said sternly. “…I am not going to sit still while you ruin your life with this bastard. I will try everything possible in my ability to get dirt on him. It’s personal for me. You are the victim now…”

Ria stood up, swaying a bit as her head reeled and she had to take support of the dining table. She couldn’t wait here anymore. “…I..I am going home. I will not tolerate anyone calling my husband names and accusing him of something he didn’t do.” She said defensively.

“Fine Ria …” Ashok continued. “…. Here, take this pen drive. Keep a cool head and go through the files on it. It’s all a compilation of whatever Gaurav has been accused of… Whether you like it or not… I will be watching him. And baby… If…. if you are in any kind of danger…. I mean even if you feel like it then just give me a call…. on this number…” He kept the pen drive in her clutch along with a chit where a number was written and handed it to her. Ria took it with trembling hands and started to leave. Her father was surprisingly quiet but her uncle finally said, “And baby…?” She turned around. “…Be careful ok?” Just like what Swara had told her…

Ria didn’t react and stepped out of her house. Keith was there quickly and she got into the car. The entire drive back home she was trying to control her tears. Keith kept looking at her in the rare view mirror but if he sensed anything amiss with her mood he didn’t comment. On reaching home she rushed to her room and locked herself in. She bawled into her pillow as she thought of everything her uncle had told her about Gaurav…. Her pent-up emotions having their way with her… Thinking about Gaurav made her miss him even more. She had to talk to him… she picked up her phone. It was on silent mode so she had missed calls from him. 11 missed calls.

She was clogged with emotions and knew he would recognize those in her voice in a jiffy. So, she decided to text instead. But she already had messages from him.

‘Hey….trying to call you…all ok at home?’

After half an hour there had been another message…

‘Ria, are you alright? Hope you aren’t upset… eat lunch on time…’

She was in tears again when she read the third and the last message which she had received an hour ago.

‘Ria, I am getting worried…. Keith doesn’t know anything either. …call me ASAP ok?’

Ria was crying now…how could a considerate human like Gaurav be a murderer…? As if he had received her telepathy her phone rang. It was him…

“H… hello?” she answered. She knew Keith must have informed him she was back and also that she was upset. She tried to keep a clear voice.

“Ria… are you alright?” he sounded frantic.

“I am fine… Just a little sore throat”, she tried to cover.

“Ria… I know… you are upset… hey… hey…” He said when he heard her sob, though she tried to control it. “… What happened sweetheart? Just…tell me…darling, don’t cry…”

“… I…. I’ll call back later… bye “. She disconnected, immediately switching off her phone and cried her heart out.

Ria must have dozed off for a while when she was awakened by a knock. Keith called out. “Ria…open the door please. Sir… is worried. He is on the line. Please talk to him once…”

Ria tried to stand but her crying bout had exhausted her. She dragged herself to the door Keith raised an eyebrow seeing her state but he didn’t say anything and handed over the cordless phone to her. He left her alone to speak.

“H… H… Hello” She spoke on the phone returning back to her bed.

“Ria…I am so worried. PLEASE talk to me. What is it? Did something happen there? Look… we will sort things out… ok…? I promise you… But… stop worrying dear. Don’t… don’t cry ok…?”

“Yeah…” she whispered.

“Look… I am catching the earliest flight available and will reach there ASAP. Keith will be there till I reach. …. Just take care till then…. alright…?”

“Ok…”

After the call, Ria went to the washroom and freshened up. She wasn’t able to get the mental conflict out of her head… every time she calmed herself down, the memory of her Chitthappa’s words brought fresh tears. She had tea, hoping to clear her head when Keith informed her that Gaurav would be reaching only after midnight. It was 5PM now and she had time till night. She decided to clear things in her head and there was only one way to do it…

Her thatha always said, it was easy to ignore the problems… but one couldn’t change what one refused to confront… and today, she was going to confront this problem head-on…

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 40

As they reached home that evening, Ria stepped into the house and walked towards her room. Though things had lightened between Gaurav and her, her heart was still heavy and she wasn’t able to take her mind off what had unfolded at that bungalow…

“Ria…?” Gaurav called out to her as she was about to enter her room. “…uh… can we talk…? Please…?” He looked pained, extremely out of place and that was the last thing she wanted.

“..Its… its…OK Gaurav… you aren’t obligated to tell me … anything…I mean…”

“…No…No…I … I want to…but… Ria… I need… uh…” she saw him rub down his face and the rate at which he had been doing it, she hoped he didn’t wear his handsome face out.

She walked up to him and held his hands. “Gaurav… listen to me… I … I never intended to make you uncomfortable… but just… just keep it in mind…  I am right here… whenever you are ready to talk… I am here…”

“…Ria… it isn’t good… Its…” He looked away.

“…hey look at me Gaurav…” she held his face loving the grizzly feel of his day-old stubble. “…we are friends first…isn’t it…?” He nodded as he continued. “…So, no judgements… Ok…?” He nodded slowly this time. “… Gaurav… you didn’t judge me when you knew about my life… so rest assured I won’t either… I don’t promise I can help you in any manner Gaurav, but I am here…”

He pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly. “…Thank you, Ria… that’s all I need… and …I am sorry about today… I … I displaced my anger on you and that was uncalled for… and Ria…?” when she looked up into his eyes, he continued, still holding her close. “… whenever you are ready… uh… will you tell me about what Vikram did…?”

Her eyes filled and she shuddered as she thought about that day and hugged Gaurav digging her head into his chest as the citrus fragrance so synonymous with Gaurav now, calmed her racing heart. “ Ria…” she looked back at his face blurred by her unshed tears as he held her face. “…I promise you I am going to teach that asshole a lesson he will never forget… he will never lay his filthy hands on an unsuspecting woman ever again…”

“…Let him go Gaurav…” she whispered sniffling away tears. “…he is not worth it…” she covered his hands over her face and leaned to one side. She then turned and kissed his palm. He hugged her again kissing her head… another gesture she loved so much… that showed what a caring man he was. She wished with all her heart that he would find the same peace that she had achieved…someday. “…um… GAurav…?”

“…hmmm…”

“…About that…um… red room…I…I was … scared…I… can’t…” she spoke into his chest.

“…Its ok Ria… let it go… its not worth it either…”

The next two months were sheer bliss for Ria. She had never been so happy in her life. They had a routine. Every day, after a breakfast together, Gaurav left for the hospital where he continued to work in admin while she spent most of her time designing her new centre and also doing online consult, interviewing staff etc. They had visited Parijath twice and Kalyani had been thrilled to welcome her into their fold. She had almost finalised the staff for her centre which was to be inaugurated next month if everything went as per schedule. Gaurav had been enthusiastically supporting her having taken the back seat. They had once stayed there overnight where Gaurav had dragged her to the stables post dinner to show her the newly remodeled home she had seen last time. This time there was a proper bedroom and as soon as she saw it, Gaurav wasted no time in taking her then and there on the beautiful double bed. Talk about proper introductions… They stayed there that night falling asleep late into the night as they talked amidst the horse’s hoots. Gaurav told her it was Shiva calling for his attention as she chuckled. Even before she fell asleep, she knew when Gaurav got up to leave the room… but by now she had got used to it and had accepted it…

Back home, Keith was always around and was becoming her best friend and guide. Gaurav would call at least twice daily from work and they had ‘stuff’ to talk about, that never seemed to end. They spoke about work hiccups, achievements, drags and encouraged each other to improvise. Every call would leave her missing him… wanting him. Whenever he came home early, she would coax him to paint and realized he had genuine artistic talent. He was also smiling more often these days. Nights were filled with passion which only increased with every passing night. She didn’t even know she had so many pleasure points on her body. Or it must have been Gaurav….rather…his touch. However, they still slept separately… They usually had sex on the couch in the living room even as a movie played on in the dark, their combined silhouettes painting shadows on the wall…, once in the kitchen when she had gone hunting for tea but hadn’t found and he had come to help out….finishing the act against the kitchen counter… or her room, from where he left after she slept. She avoided going to his room as she didn’t want him to move out to sleep on the couch…But Ria was now used to it and though she longed to wake up with him like that night those months ago, she decided to let go.

Overall life was great but she only had one regret. She wanted to smooth things out with her parents…. She didn’t expect anything but just wished to be on talking terms. But they never answered her calls and Keith advised her to give them some time.

She also missed touching Gaurav…without his clothes on. She wanted to ‘see’ him though he had never undressed before her. She knew he had a great body which she had seen when he wore figure hugging t shirts. She knew he rose with the roosters and worked out diligently. She had seen those super abs and biceps whenever he flexed his hands… or picked her up to have his way with her… She wanted to explore that wonderful body but he never let her touch him more intimately. She decided to break the ice and go overboard tonight as she waited for him.

Like every evening Gaurav came home by 8PM. They had his favourite dinner of jeera rice and daal fry which she had prepared specially for him. She wore a new nightgown she had purchased recently without him knowing… it was an off-shoulder gown and moulded her heavy assets pretty well at both ends. She had paid a bomb for it but it was all worth it when she saw him drooling at dinner and she knew it wasn’t the food. His heated gaze at dinner almost made her come right there and she had to rush to the kitchen under the pretext of winding up stuff as he finished eating. As she stood panting hunched over the sink staring aimlessly at the tap, he grasped her from the back… when had he arrived…? His hands roamed around her belly feeling the satin and also heating her insides as they traversed a tortuously slow path upwards and soon rose higher to cup her mounds. Her breasts were straining against the cloth barriers and she wanted his touch and …his mouth on those ultra-sensitive peaks…

He lifted her squealing body over his shoulder and took her to his room. He didn’t switch off the lights as he usually… did whenever they went missionary. She was euphoric …was this the day…she wondered…. He pushed her on the bed and followed on top covering her. He kissed her as he played with her pebbled nipples straining through her gown and she almost came again. She never wore her panties at night and this dress didn’t need a bra…but now she wanted to get rid of the only remaining barrier between her body and his hands. He did the needful and soon she was writhing and moaning below him as he sucked her areola and tugged at her aroused nipples. She almost had a blackout when she shattered hitting the sides of the bed as she did. As she was getting her bearings back, he moved down towards her core. He had never given her the mouth… He bent her legs at the knees and held them apart as he watched her apex and then stared into her eyes… she knew what he wanted… her trust and she smiled. She was thrilled to see his expressions change like a kid getting his favourite candy… And she was his sweetmeat treat today… that thought itself sent waves of pleasure crashing through her veins. She was so aroused that she could feel her juices flow down her crevice. He bent down and blew at her clit as she shivered and she could feel the build-up of yet another orgasm. He kissed her clit and entered her with his tongue. As he thrust in and out, he also lapped up her juices. She tightly clutched the bed sheets on either side and moaned…. within moments she cried out his name as she went the deep bright end over and over… She was drained out totally but was moonstruck all over again when she looked at him heavy lidded. He was staring hungrily at her licking his lips, as if he had eaten his favorite pie but wanted more. She was amorously turned-on and couldn’t wait for him to be inside her. As if reading her thoughts, he slid his pant a little to release his arousal and before her next thought, he held her thighs and plunged into her wetness. Within a few strokes he pinched her nub and she rose her body…reaching a crescendo where the waves crashed at her repeatedly till, she fell back on the bed…. he followed her with a huge roar as he emptied himself inside.

Ria woke up with some kind of a noise totally disoriented. She then realized with a disappointment; she was in Gaurav’s cold room…alone. The night lamp was on beside her bedside and she checked the time. It was 2AM. Probably Gaurav was using the uncomfortable couch she thought, guilt eating her up. She thought of waking him up to get back here and she would return to her room…. It was then she heard it.

“No …please don’t…. NO… NO…” Gaurav was in agony…. Ria remembered hearing this on her first night in this house. She quickly put her gown back on and rushed to the living room. Gaurav was lying on the couch his face contorted in pain, the scar shining in the dim night light and he had held his hands tightly in a fist. He was sweating profusely; his clothes were wet and in the glow of the subtle light, she saw he was crying. Her heart broke…she couldn’t let him live the nightmare. She gently touched him to wake him up. “Gaurav….hey… wake up…”

Gaurav got up with a start and looked blankly around him. He rubbed his face and sat up on the couch looking away. She sat next to him on his right. He didn’t look at her but turned his body away. ” Gaurav… Want to… talk about it?” she almost whispered keeping her right hand on his lap as she gently rubbed his back with her left.

Gaurav didn’t respond. He gripped her hand on his thigh tightly as if his life depended on it and stared widely at the opposite wall. Ria didn’t say anything but just kept running his back and hugged him from the side. He turned towards her and held her face in his hands. “…Ria…I… want you…. I …r… right now…please…” His voice cracked on a whisper…

Ria wasted no time in pulling him towards her as she kissed him. He pushed her down on the couch devouring her mouth and dragged his hands on her thighs upwards raising her gown. She circled her legs around him in the confines of the couch and within the next two seconds he slammed into her. He rocked into her with an intensity she had never seen and she raised her hips to match his thrusts. She hugged him tightly towards her as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He kept biting her there and sucking the area to relieve the tinge. She climaxed soon, followed by him screaming into her neck and spilling inside her….

They lay in that position for a while and though he was on top of her he was careful not to put his weight on her. She held him to her gently rubbing his back…offering all the comfort she could given the limited knowledge she had about his nightmares, but she had her’s enough to know they were unnerving enough…

Ria woke up in her room where Gaurav had dropped her into last night after their rendezvous on the couch. He had kissed her passionately for what seemed like ages and hugged her… then reluctantly leaving her room. Ria wanted to coax him to spend the remainder of the night with her but knew he wouldn’t agree, besides she was exhausted and had been asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She now looked at the wall clock. It was 9AM…. She sat up with a jolt. Gaurav must have left for work and she wanted to make sure if he was Ok. She changed and rushed to the living room. Keith was in the kitchen ready with her coffee and his perennial smile that lightened up her mood and told her to check her messages winking at her.

She ran back to her room and dug out her phone smiling as she skimmed through her inbox.  Gaurav had indeed left her a message.

“Hey sleepy head… You are even more beautiful when asleep. Am caught up in back to back meetings. May not call… Get ready at 7PM tonight. Will pick you up for dinner. Wear anything casual.

– G”

Wow…this was the closest he had come to typing out a personal message.

She typed a thumbs-up emoji and kept the phone to charge.

As she sipped her coffee, Ria was lost in thought. She had a lot of questions unanswered where Gaurav was concerned but realized that he needed time to open up to her. She would wait. He was warming up to her gradually…. She smiled as she thought of the message she had just read. Gaurav and she had become intimate and shared lots of small stuff like relevant and irrelevant day-to-day topics. She looked at their living room walls now having two framed pictures. One clicked on their wedding day and another of Gaurav sitting in his office. She had loved the picture and forced him to hang it there. There were also a couple of his paintings. She often spoke with Preeti who told her Gaurav was no longer the monster people had thought him to be. In fact, he even smiled at his employees and conversed with them occasionally. Ria had been thrilled with the positive changes in him.

She soon got busy with her daily routine.

After lunch she received a call. Private number. She was waiting to hear his voice and was extremely happy. She closed her bedroom door, last seeing an amused looking Keith as he walked around the house with the vacuum cleaner.

“Hey” she answered the call.

“Ria…is that you baby?”

“Ashok chitthappa…?” Ria asked startled to hear her paternal uncle’s voice. Where the hell was, he all this while…?

“Of course, it’s me baby…“

“Oh my God… I can’t believe it’s you…. So, you finally got the time to call… is it…?”

“…You know baby…duty calls. I was undercover for the CBI. Last eight months…. I couldn’t contact anyone. Couldn’t compromise the operation…. Just wound up everything and reached Chennai yesterday….”

“So… um chitthappa, you know…. um…I am married…”

“In fact, that’s why I want to meet you baby. I am reaching Pune tomorrow. Your appa had mailed me about the turn of events. Pooja’s baby shower date also has to be fixed soon. So, I am coming up there to help….” What? Pooja was expecting…? A sudden thought of her with a belly filled with Gaurav’s baby flashed across her mind making her smile.

“…Baby…? Are you there…?”

“…Um… yes…I wish we could meet…”

“Ria, I HAVE to meet you baby. There is something very important I have to discuss with you. Come home. I have spoken to your appa and he has agreed to let you….”

“…appa agreed…?” Well no one said no to her chitthappa… especially not her father. She was sure chitthappa must have twisted his arm… nonetheless she was glad and hoped she could sort things out to get a closure. She didn’t need any bitterness in her life.

“…Yes, dear he did. He loves you though he has a lousy way of showing it…. Come baby…. Tomorrow, be there in the morning by 11 AM. We can have lunch like old times…”

“Ok Chitthappa… cu tomorrow morning”

“…and baby…?”

“Yes, chitthappa…?”

“Come alone…“.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.

Chapter 39

They drove for a while till they reached the outskirts of the city… Ria was euphoric and probably the happiest in her life. The long drive was spent in stealing glances and subtle touches which were arousing her and from what he saw Gaurav was uncomfortable in his seat too! They discussed playlists and while he loved retro Bollywood, she preferred A R Rahman over R D Burman. Their light banter soaked by her giggles and at times his throaty laughter was something she would cherish all her life…

They stopped outside a bungalow, so beautiful, Ria’s eyes were wide in their sockets. The two storied bungalow was surrounded by thick growth of trees and there was something what looked like acres of woods behind it.  The gentle breeze lifted her spirits further along with her hair and for once she wanted to let her guard down… and become unruly like her locks. There wasn’t any other residence close by and Ria wondered where they were. After they got out of the car, she saw Keith and the other bodyguard come up to them. Gaurav handed over the keys of an outhouse which was apparently behind the bungalow, to Keith and instructed something while she strolled towards the flower garden along the pathway to the house. Oh… her favourite roses and marigold… really…? She had taken quite a few tutorials on gardening from Keith and she tried to figure out the probable process involved in the beautifully fragrant piece of work. Gaurav called out to her and Keith waited till Gaurav and Ria entered the bungalow and activated the alarm.

Ria scanned her surroundings as she stepped into what looked like a set of a film studio… the interior of the drawing room was chic and contemporary and she was transferred to another fantasy world. The entire interior of the bungalow was painted white with blend of pastel shades and filled with appropriate furniture. It was a stunning amalgamation of  colour and texture contrast. There was a huge dining table at one end and she saw there were vessels placed along with the cutlery. Gaurav hugged her from behind startling her and breathed into her ears…the gesture was now turning into her favorite one. “This is my friend’s bungalow. He has lent it to me till tomorrow. It’s well stocked.” he said

She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “But…I haven’t carried any spare clothes…” she said as she moved her hands upwards towards his shoulders. He held her hands and said, “Don’t worry about clothes …you won’t need them …for what I have in mind.”

She was so shy she buried her head in his chest. Laughing he hugged her back and kissed her head. Soon they went to the first floor and he showed her two adjacent rooms. “This is your room and this is mine.” He said waving his hands at the door. What? Separate rooms? After all they had shared? Ria wondered. But she didn’t say anything as she didn’t want to ruin the melancholy called her mood. She stepped inside her room while he retreated into his as she heard his door close. She looked around taking in the interiors…It was beautiful. The windows had floor length curtains drawn over them which gave a cozy finish to the room. There was a huge four poster bed and a love seat at its foot.  But now, instead of feeling elated she was utterly disappointed. Of all the things this wasn’t what she had expected. She wanted Gaurav here with her.  Suddenly she felt determined as her agitated mind settled to a warm comfort and she left the room. She knocked at his door… twice. But there was no response… was he in the washroom? She wondered if she should knock again or wait for him when she heard faint voice rising in intensity intermittently. She hated to eves drop but the curiosity in her couldn’t be contained and she strained to hear. It sounded like a phone conversation so she could only partially hear Gaurav speaking.

“… No… No… I do not need it…”

Pause.

“…Why…? What the fuck…? No… I said No… I stand by my decision. And you can go ahead and do what you want…”

Pause…

“…Oh really… tell you what…? I don’t care… not anymore…Fine…let it come… I will face that as well….”

Pause…

“…I said NO… cant you get that…?…. then don’t…like I said…. I don’t care…”

 Then there was silence. Probably the call was over with and Ria was mortified…she had just eavesdropped a private conversation. She turned to go back to her room when Gaurav opened the door with a jerk.

“… Hey…What’s it Ria? You haven’t freshened up? Didn’t like your room?” he asked tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. She saw his hand tremble a slightly and he looked stricken lost in his own universe full of whatever the turmoil he had concealed from her and the world. Ria held his hand and spoke. “…Um…Gaurav. The room is beautiful… but…Why am I put up in a different room? Why can’t we share a room? It’s huge anyways. It’s not that we haven’t….um …I spent last night in your room back home…um….”

Gaurav rubbed his face revealing the fatigued expressions, the usually not so visible scar now declaring its tenacious presence. “Ria…I…I want nothing more than having you in my room. But…I feel we have moved things too soon. You…you should have your space too. Ok…?”

God… he was exasperating “…I don’t want any space Gaurav. I have had enough of that so far. I want to be with you. To know you….I…”

 “…lets …just stick to this arrangement alright…?” He abruptly said as his hand hid the side wall then with a stern tone he continued as he looked away. “…Just because we are married, we don’t have to stick together all the time…. I need my space…”.

Ria was shocked to hear that tone of his. She was in tears not because he almost yelled at her but because he was hurting and she could see it but not help him.

“…Gaurav… Are you …Ok…?”

“…Just… go to your room… Ria…” His voice cracked into a whisper as he took her name and rubbed his hand over his face.

She could feel him breathing hard and containing his anger, or frustration or whatever that was. Though he was no longer in prison, the metaphorical jail he had locked himself up into was inaccessible to her. She wanted to shake him…  ” Gaurav…I am sorry. But my definition of a married couple who have… consummated their marriage was… that… they shared a bedroom. I guess it was my mistake…. We shouldn’t have come here then… isn’t it…?. You know what…? we should leave…” She abruptly turned towards her room.

In a flash, he held her arm and pulled her towards him. As she resisted, he held her hair with his right hand and her body with his left, turning her towards the wall to trap her. He pulled her hair slightly, so she was forced to look up into his eyes. “…Don’t… you ever do that…Don’t-ever-question-me…I have not wronged anyone… I have always paid debts which weren’t even mine….Don’t… ever doubt my intentions… Don’t…” His eyes were stern slits of black breathing fire… She was trembling with a mixture of sadness and desire. She slowly released her hand trapped between their bodies and pushed him slightly. Suddenly as if out of a trance he left her, with a shocked look on his face and rubbed a hand over his face a little harder this time and looked sullenly mortified. He spoke softly “I am… I am sorry… Ria. That didn’t … come out well…. it’s just…I need my solitude ok…? I can’t… share my room with anyone…. What happened back home was something by chance… it… it won’t happen again…”

Ria looked at him. It broke her heart to see his pained expression. She knew he was just venting out and she was his punching bag… he didn’t even realise he was punishing himself.  She was willing to play the role if it could get him to reveal what troubled him so much that it almost turned him into a monster. Though he didn’t actually hurt her, he failed to take the lid off his agonising past and as she walked towards her room wiping her tears, she wondered who it was on the line…

They had a quiet lunch at around 2PM where he had texted her to join and though annoyed, she didn’t want to miss any chance of interacting with him… But they both didn’t mention the earlier incident but their earlier camaraderie from the car drive was lost. They finished their lunch in silence and as they moved towards their rooms, Gaurav said, “Ria… rest a little. I… I will… will come to get you at 7PM….I have…uh… some work to do.” Ria didn’t reply and went into her room shutting the door behind her.

Ria tried to watch TV for a while but she couldn’t focus. She knew yesterday night and today morning… were too good to be true. Her appa always said, all good things come to an end. Well in her case at least, it was true if todays events were anything to go by. She was married to a sphinx, with whom she was way too much in love. She thought about the events of the last few days as she picked up her phone and saw she had received few messages from her friends wishing her on her wedding. But most of them were from Preeti who wrote about her wedding preparations. She wanted to meet Ria one of the days for her wedding shopping and had asked her to revert back.

Ria didn’t know when she had slept off but she woke up startled with a knock at the door woke her up. “Ria… are you awake?” Gaurav called out

Ria checked her mobile phone. It was 7PM. She had slept for at least two hours. She quickly freshened up in her bathroom and opened the door. Gaurav stood with unruly hair, wrinkled t shit and a lost look in his eyes and her heart was breaking to see him like that. Instinctively her hands cupped his face. “…Hey…you really…ok?” She asked softly. He kissed her palms and lowered her hands. He stared at her with an intensity that made her tremble. He turned pulling her after him and before she knew, she was on the second floor. There was only one door as if there was only one room. That was surprising. Gaurav released her hand and took out a key. He unlocked the huge door and went in first. He then slowly turned and held his hand out for her. She smiled and placed her hand in his and together hand in hand they stepped inside the room. It was dark. Gaurav closed the door with his other hand and switched on the lights. Ria was smiling in anticipation till she looked around and her smile fell. That the room was huge… was an understatement. It had red walls. Red? There was a bed with some kinds of ropes hanging from the ceiling above it. Oh God…

Ria’s heart pounded as she looked around. One wall was lined with different kinds of… whips. There were leather belts of different widths. The other wall was lined with shelves with pretty boxes which were locked. Then there were handcuffs from different materials and finally there were blindfold cloths of different textures. The light was dim and gave out an eerie feeling, rising her anxiety levels. She looked up at the ceiling to see it had little mirrors. She was not a novice and read a lot and her curiosity had once made her read about kink. It had felt exciting in print to try out … but when Vikram had tried to get physical that evening, he had spoken about cuffing her to his bedpost… and gagging her… all with his intoxicated and saturated grey matter… And this room reminded her of just that forgettable evening. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her middle as she began to palpitate.

“Ria…” Gaurav called out to her. “…. You ok?” He sounded concerned.

Ria had enough. She was now angry to the core… she turned and faced him. Breathing heavily with tears running down her cheeks she struggled to scream. “OK…? OK…?  You expect me to be OK with…. with…. all this…?” She waved at the area around her. In an angry strangled voice, she continued, “…Who the hell do you think… you are…? Just because I …I… surrendered myself to you…completely… unlike you. It…it gives you… no right … on me… you GOT IT…? You were worried about… things happening too soon between us…weren’t you…? What is all this then…?” She was breathing heavily and crying even as he looked shocked and pained not able to pacify her. “… do you know…Vikram wanted all of this … And you know why…? to control me…That evening … he… forced… I had nightmares for days…I still do…I don’t deserve this…I have emotions and you can’t trample upon them…” She had gone hoarse as she wiped her cheeks. Gaurav now tried to reach her but she moved back towards the door and held up her hands “…No… Don’t touch me… Don’t… I am leaving this place. I can’t…just can’t…” She opened the door and ran out rushing straight into her room as she locked the door. She threw herself on the bed and cried into the sheets…. Her agonising sobs filling the silence of the room…

Gaurav stood stunned in his bedroom… he had heard he sobs when he had come downstairs earlier and didn’t have the guts to knock at the door. What had happened? Ria was always a sport. He thought she trusted him and shared his passion for intimacy. Though she was inexperienced, she had enjoyed everything so far…. even when he was rough. She had matched him with equal vigour in every step of the way. He wanted to share everything with her…eventually even his past. He wanted to introduce her to this world too which had become an integral part of his life. He was sure she would enjoy it too…and he had plans to pleasure her… at least that’s what he had thought. He wanted her in his life …forever and had wanted her to embrace this important part of his life.

But her reaction revealed something else entirely. Was it him or that bastard engaged to her…? He cursed himself for being so dense… He should have taken it slow…given it some more time. But when she had matched his passion…. matched his energy… matched his thrust…. he thought she would accept this too. He was a fool for ruining the most beautiful element of his life. She was the light in his dark life and he felt as if he just extinguished it.

No… He wouldn’t let things hang like this between them. He had to apologize to her. He had to earn back her trust…even if it meant he had to let go this part of his life. It pained him to think about the scenario but not having her in his life… even the very thought was crushing him.

He quickly went to her room and knocked. “…Ria…please open the door…look…I am sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

The door opened and Ria stood there with red swollen eyes as if she had been crying for a while. She looked so vulnerable that he felt the kick to his gut… He touched her face and wiped her cheeks with his thumb. She rushed into his arms and hugged him tight. He was relieved and held her to him as if his life depended on it. He kissed her head and apologized once again. She moved away and looked up into his eyes. She had stopped crying. She smiled and said, “Apology accepted…. shall we go home?”

He nodded. Peace descended over him as a benign smile played over those sensuous lips.

Ria was quiet on the way home and he longed to touch her, to hear her voice. They had dinner at a simple south Indian restaurant and as expected Ria was happy to have her favourite food. Soon the ice broke and they started having small talk and within moments Ria was grinning at him. He was smiling at her anecdotes too.

Giving up that part of his life didn’t seem trouble anymore. He had her. She made up for everything that was wrong in his life… and only hoped she felt the same for him.

Copyright Disclaimer: All content posted here is a work of fiction and original work based on the author’s imagination. There is no intention to disrespect any person or faith. Any resemblance to any person living or dead or any community is purely coincidental. No part of the content can be copied, reproduced or posted anywhere else either entirely or in parts, without the consent of the author.