"I'm running late" thought Kajal as she walked hurriedly out of Mulund station. She had started early at seven o'clock from Savita's place, gone to Mahim to run some errands in connection with her Saudi visa application and was now returning to her own small, one bedroom apartment.
Her father Popatlal had bought it for her as a wedding gift. It was situated in a large, spanking new apartment complex around twenty minutes' walk from Mulund station. In fact, construction work in the apartment complex was still not finished. Contractors' crews continued to work and construction material and debris lay scattered all over the place. The building in which Kajal's apartment was situated was almost finished, and although it was not officially completed, the builder had offered to allow apartment owners to take possession in case they wanted to proceed with interior decoration work. Since Kajal was going to move to Saudi Arabia to join her husband as soon as the visa papers were processed, she had decided to put some basic furniture in the apartment before her departure. Accordingly, she had taken the keys from the builder and bought a few pieces of factory made furniture, to be assembled in situ, and a few other essentials and knick-knacks.
The apartment was on the seventh floor. Electricity supply had just been connected to the building and the elevator had recently been commissioned. Water supply was still dodgy and irregular. Of the forty odd apartments in that building, hardly half a dozen owners had taken possession, interior decoration work proceeding sporadically. The remaining apartments were still locked, their keys safely with the builder.
Being on the seventh floor, there was plenty of breeze blowing, offering welcome relief from the muggy summer heat of Mumbai in late May. Also, the view from the windows was spectacular.
****
Kajal's long weekend with Shyam had been rudely interrupted with the unexpected, early arrival of Savita's husband Kantibhai from his tour. Fortunately neither of the two sisters was with Shyam when Kantibhai arrived, otherwise there would have been hell to pay.
The few hours she had spent in Shyam's arms had only served to whet Kajal's appetite. Sex with Shyam had been everything she had dreamt about and more. He had made her experience carnal pleasure of an intensity she couldn't even have imagined. Like a drug, she had found herself getting addicted to sex. She had been surprised and taken aback to have felt a sharp twinge of jealousy when Shyam had decided to take Savita that Saturday afternoon, after having spent a night and half a day with herself. She had never felt anything like that earlier during the long dalliance Shyam had had with the two sisters before Kajal's marriage. It appeared that having had sexual intercourse with Shyam had aroused her proprietorial instincts, however inappropriate they might be. After all, he wasn't her husband. She had in fact "stolen" him from his rightful wife Renu. Moreover, she was fully aware that Shyam had been fucking Savita long before he had fucked herself and she never had a problem with that before. In fact, she well knew that Savita had offered herself to Shyam in place of Kajal in order to safeguard Kajal's virginity prior to her marriage. However, a woman's heart isn't always logical. Kajal was determined to have Shyam to herself again for the next night when Kantibhai's arrival had put paid to her plans.
Her unsatisfied hunger and the knowledge that she had only a few more days available in Mumbai had driven her to take the matter in her own hands. She had knocked on Shyam's door the next morning, heedless of Kantibhai's presence at home.
"Shyam Bhaiya, merey naye ghar mein kuchh furniture jodna hai aur aise hi chhote mote kaam bhi hain. Kya aap meri madad karenge?"
"Shyam Bhaiya, there is some furniture to be assembled and a few other small errands to be run in my new apartment. Will you please help me?" She'd asked him when he opened his door, yawning and rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
He had counted his blessings at not having been caught by the sudden arrival of Kantibhai the previous evening. Although he regretted that his tryst with the sexy Gujarati sisters had been interrupted, at least for now, he knew better than to push his luck too far. He had slept like a log the whole night, recuperating after the long, hectic hours he had spent servicing the hot sisters. Kajal's sudden appearance at his door that morning was completely unexpected. Kajal's words immediately cleared his head and he became alert and wide awake.
"Thik hai. Lekin aaj nahin. Kal mein factory se seedhe tere ghar pahunch sakta hoon."
"OK, but not today. Tomorrow, I can come to your place directly from the factory." Shyam had responded after a brief hesitation. He had some other important work lined up for that day. Moreover, he didn't want to take a chance of the two of them being seen moving together. Kajal suppressed her disappointment at the delay and reluctantly acquiesced. She knew better than to have an argument with Shyam. She handed Shyam a set of keys to her apartment and gave him the address.
****
Shyam smiled bemusedly to himself as he went to Kajal's new apartment early in the morning next day, after having come off duty at the end of the night shift. "Kajal has changed quite a lot after her marriage", he thought. Earlier, she used to be so shy and inhibited, he would never have imagined Kajal taking the initiative. "After returning from her honeymoon, she has felt emboldened enough to arrange to spend the night with me in Savita's bedroom, and has now arranged another tryst in her own new apartment. Wow!", he thought. Shyam found himself liking this bold & assertive new Kajal even better than the old shy one.
He was well prepared to spend the whole of the next day with Kajal, if possible. He had carried a change of clothes and his toilet kit with him when he'd started from home the previous evening. As usual, he'd had breakfast on his way from the factory. Kajal had thoughtfully filled a couple of buckets with water the previous evening so that Shyam could bathe in the morning even if the piped water supply failed. Upon arriving, Shyam brushed his teeth, bathed and changed into a fresh white cotton kurta-pyjama outfit. Humming under his breath, he ran his fingers over his stubbly chin, trying to imagine how it must feel to Kajal, knowing well how she loved it rasping against her soft skin. He decided not to shave.
Shyam did a quick survey of Kajal's apartment. It had been swept and mopped, but still smelt of paint, cement and wood chips. A few pieces of factory made furniture lay packed in boxes, waiting to be assembled. There were a few towels, a thin cotton mattress, pillows and sheets. There was a rectangular dresser mirror lying on the floor, waiting to be mounted on the wall. In the bathroom were a couple of buckets and a small metal stool to sit and bathe on. In the kitchen there was an earthen pot full of drinking water & a couple of glasses. In short, it was all pretty basic stuff that would enable someone to spend a few hours in reasonable comfort.
There were no curtains and anyone looking in would have had a clear view of the inside. However, the apartment was on the seventh floor, the closest building was quite a good distance away and moreover, hardly anybody had moved in. The probability of anybody actually peeping in was small. Still, Shyam didn't want to take chances. So he dragged and positioned the mattress with its long side along the outer wall under the window sill. That way, even a determined peeping Tom wouldn't be able to see what's happening on the mattress, he thought. Spying the mirror, he had a wicked thought. He ripped off the protective paper wrapping and then positioned the mirror resting on its long side, wedged between the wall and the mattress. Having spread the sheet on the mattress and slipped pillowcases on the pillows, he looked at his watch and lay down on the mattress with the morning paper, occasionally looking at his own reflection in the mirror. Kajal should be here in a half hour, he thought, a faint current of excitement running through his body. He was tired after a long night at work; a good breakfast and a bath had put him in a mellow mood. He soon fell into a deep sleep.
****
Kajal was dressed in a light Kolkata cotton sari and a white, modestly cut half sleeved blouse. She wore her long, luxuriant hair in a single thick plait. A little strand of fragrant white mogra flowers decorated her plait. Except for a touch of eyeliner and dash of sindoor in the parting of her hair, she wore no makeup. Her flawless brown skin had a satiny sheen and her walk had a jaunty bounce to it. She was happy, healthy, full of vitality and looked it.
Although her sari had been smartly starched and ironed when she started from home in the morning, by now it had somewhat wilted and crumpled in the humid Mumbai heat. Her face glowed and beads of sweat trickled down her neck & throat. Her blouse had developed dark, moist circles of perspiration under her arms.
"Oh God, what will Shyam Bhaiya say! He must be furious with me since I'm almost two hours late" she thought to herself, her steps quickening until she was almost running, panting and excited. She managed to regain some breath as the elevator took her up to the seventh floor, so that by the time she entered her apartment, she was only slightly out of breath, but sweating profusely.
Complete silence greeted her as she entered. She felt a twinge of anxiety for a moment when she thought that Shyam hadn't come or, even worse, had gone back after waiting up for her. Relief flooded through her as she saw him deep asleep on the mattress. "Thank God!" She thought to herself.
After returning from the toilet, Kajal stood before the open windows of the living room, stretching herself and enjoying the view as a fresh breeze blew over her sweaty body.
Her father Popatlal had bought it for her as a wedding gift. It was situated in a large, spanking new apartment complex around twenty minutes' walk from Mulund station. In fact, construction work in the apartment complex was still not finished. Contractors' crews continued to work and construction material and debris lay scattered all over the place. The building in which Kajal's apartment was situated was almost finished, and although it was not officially completed, the builder had offered to allow apartment owners to take possession in case they wanted to proceed with interior decoration work. Since Kajal was going to move to Saudi Arabia to join her husband as soon as the visa papers were processed, she had decided to put some basic furniture in the apartment before her departure. Accordingly, she had taken the keys from the builder and bought a few pieces of factory made furniture, to be assembled in situ, and a few other essentials and knick-knacks.
The apartment was on the seventh floor. Electricity supply had just been connected to the building and the elevator had recently been commissioned. Water supply was still dodgy and irregular. Of the forty odd apartments in that building, hardly half a dozen owners had taken possession, interior decoration work proceeding sporadically. The remaining apartments were still locked, their keys safely with the builder.
Being on the seventh floor, there was plenty of breeze blowing, offering welcome relief from the muggy summer heat of Mumbai in late May. Also, the view from the windows was spectacular.
****
Kajal's long weekend with Shyam had been rudely interrupted with the unexpected, early arrival of Savita's husband Kantibhai from his tour. Fortunately neither of the two sisters was with Shyam when Kantibhai arrived, otherwise there would have been hell to pay.
The few hours she had spent in Shyam's arms had only served to whet Kajal's appetite. Sex with Shyam had been everything she had dreamt about and more. He had made her experience carnal pleasure of an intensity she couldn't even have imagined. Like a drug, she had found herself getting addicted to sex. She had been surprised and taken aback to have felt a sharp twinge of jealousy when Shyam had decided to take Savita that Saturday afternoon, after having spent a night and half a day with herself. She had never felt anything like that earlier during the long dalliance Shyam had had with the two sisters before Kajal's marriage. It appeared that having had sexual intercourse with Shyam had aroused her proprietorial instincts, however inappropriate they might be. After all, he wasn't her husband. She had in fact "stolen" him from his rightful wife Renu. Moreover, she was fully aware that Shyam had been fucking Savita long before he had fucked herself and she never had a problem with that before. In fact, she well knew that Savita had offered herself to Shyam in place of Kajal in order to safeguard Kajal's virginity prior to her marriage. However, a woman's heart isn't always logical. Kajal was determined to have Shyam to herself again for the next night when Kantibhai's arrival had put paid to her plans.
Her unsatisfied hunger and the knowledge that she had only a few more days available in Mumbai had driven her to take the matter in her own hands. She had knocked on Shyam's door the next morning, heedless of Kantibhai's presence at home.
"Shyam Bhaiya, merey naye ghar mein kuchh furniture jodna hai aur aise hi chhote mote kaam bhi hain. Kya aap meri madad karenge?"
"Shyam Bhaiya, there is some furniture to be assembled and a few other small errands to be run in my new apartment. Will you please help me?" She'd asked him when he opened his door, yawning and rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
He had counted his blessings at not having been caught by the sudden arrival of Kantibhai the previous evening. Although he regretted that his tryst with the sexy Gujarati sisters had been interrupted, at least for now, he knew better than to push his luck too far. He had slept like a log the whole night, recuperating after the long, hectic hours he had spent servicing the hot sisters. Kajal's sudden appearance at his door that morning was completely unexpected. Kajal's words immediately cleared his head and he became alert and wide awake.
"Thik hai. Lekin aaj nahin. Kal mein factory se seedhe tere ghar pahunch sakta hoon."
"OK, but not today. Tomorrow, I can come to your place directly from the factory." Shyam had responded after a brief hesitation. He had some other important work lined up for that day. Moreover, he didn't want to take a chance of the two of them being seen moving together. Kajal suppressed her disappointment at the delay and reluctantly acquiesced. She knew better than to have an argument with Shyam. She handed Shyam a set of keys to her apartment and gave him the address.
****
Shyam smiled bemusedly to himself as he went to Kajal's new apartment early in the morning next day, after having come off duty at the end of the night shift. "Kajal has changed quite a lot after her marriage", he thought. Earlier, she used to be so shy and inhibited, he would never have imagined Kajal taking the initiative. "After returning from her honeymoon, she has felt emboldened enough to arrange to spend the night with me in Savita's bedroom, and has now arranged another tryst in her own new apartment. Wow!", he thought. Shyam found himself liking this bold & assertive new Kajal even better than the old shy one.
He was well prepared to spend the whole of the next day with Kajal, if possible. He had carried a change of clothes and his toilet kit with him when he'd started from home the previous evening. As usual, he'd had breakfast on his way from the factory. Kajal had thoughtfully filled a couple of buckets with water the previous evening so that Shyam could bathe in the morning even if the piped water supply failed. Upon arriving, Shyam brushed his teeth, bathed and changed into a fresh white cotton kurta-pyjama outfit. Humming under his breath, he ran his fingers over his stubbly chin, trying to imagine how it must feel to Kajal, knowing well how she loved it rasping against her soft skin. He decided not to shave.
Shyam did a quick survey of Kajal's apartment. It had been swept and mopped, but still smelt of paint, cement and wood chips. A few pieces of factory made furniture lay packed in boxes, waiting to be assembled. There were a few towels, a thin cotton mattress, pillows and sheets. There was a rectangular dresser mirror lying on the floor, waiting to be mounted on the wall. In the bathroom were a couple of buckets and a small metal stool to sit and bathe on. In the kitchen there was an earthen pot full of drinking water & a couple of glasses. In short, it was all pretty basic stuff that would enable someone to spend a few hours in reasonable comfort.
There were no curtains and anyone looking in would have had a clear view of the inside. However, the apartment was on the seventh floor, the closest building was quite a good distance away and moreover, hardly anybody had moved in. The probability of anybody actually peeping in was small. Still, Shyam didn't want to take chances. So he dragged and positioned the mattress with its long side along the outer wall under the window sill. That way, even a determined peeping Tom wouldn't be able to see what's happening on the mattress, he thought. Spying the mirror, he had a wicked thought. He ripped off the protective paper wrapping and then positioned the mirror resting on its long side, wedged between the wall and the mattress. Having spread the sheet on the mattress and slipped pillowcases on the pillows, he looked at his watch and lay down on the mattress with the morning paper, occasionally looking at his own reflection in the mirror. Kajal should be here in a half hour, he thought, a faint current of excitement running through his body. He was tired after a long night at work; a good breakfast and a bath had put him in a mellow mood. He soon fell into a deep sleep.
****
Kajal was dressed in a light Kolkata cotton sari and a white, modestly cut half sleeved blouse. She wore her long, luxuriant hair in a single thick plait. A little strand of fragrant white mogra flowers decorated her plait. Except for a touch of eyeliner and dash of sindoor in the parting of her hair, she wore no makeup. Her flawless brown skin had a satiny sheen and her walk had a jaunty bounce to it. She was happy, healthy, full of vitality and looked it.
Although her sari had been smartly starched and ironed when she started from home in the morning, by now it had somewhat wilted and crumpled in the humid Mumbai heat. Her face glowed and beads of sweat trickled down her neck & throat. Her blouse had developed dark, moist circles of perspiration under her arms.
"Oh God, what will Shyam Bhaiya say! He must be furious with me since I'm almost two hours late" she thought to herself, her steps quickening until she was almost running, panting and excited. She managed to regain some breath as the elevator took her up to the seventh floor, so that by the time she entered her apartment, she was only slightly out of breath, but sweating profusely.
Complete silence greeted her as she entered. She felt a twinge of anxiety for a moment when she thought that Shyam hadn't come or, even worse, had gone back after waiting up for her. Relief flooded through her as she saw him deep asleep on the mattress. "Thank God!" She thought to herself.
After returning from the toilet, Kajal stood before the open windows of the living room, stretching herself and enjoying the view as a fresh breeze blew over her sweaty body.