Chapter 3

‘What about this dress?’ Natasha asked Jayant, her new boyfriend.

‘I don’t know, just pick up whatever you want, I’m getting pissed!’

‘Just a moment, baby…two minutes.’ Natasha examined the dress from top to bottom. Felt the fabric with her fingers, checked the zipper and finalized it.

‘I’m buying it.’

They approached the payment counter and Jayant paid for her.

‘I love you, Jay! I just can’t wait to marry you…’ Natasha kissed him gently on his cheeks and Jayant smiled.

Jayant Sahni was the son of a prominent MLA of the city. His father, being a high graded official and an important personality, was a reputed man in the city and Jayant was free to do anything because of the strong back of his father. Freedom loving and open minded guy, Jayant had many girlfriends in past, and Natasha was his numberless girlfriend, as he left keeping a count of girls in his life after his twentieth girlfriend.

‘What about a date tomorrow?’

‘Of course, why not? Where?’

‘My home, my bedroom, where else?’ Jayant winked and gently pulled her nose.

Natasha laughed, she was always ready for such dates, but she would always lie to her parents about her whereabouts. Akanksha’s maternal aunts were all simple and homely, and could never even think in their wildest dreams that Natasha was such an extrovert and outgoing girl.

‘I’ll tell mom that I’m going movie with a friend, and you pick me up from the mall tomorrow, fine?’

‘Perfect!’ Jayant kissed her forehead and went.

Natasha called up her few friends, told them to handle the situation in case someone from her home called to confirm about her, and then she called up Jayant and confirmed her plan.

‘Natasha, there’s a little problem.’ Jayant called her in the evening.

‘What?’

‘We can’t meet at home, Dad hosted a party for tomorrow, there’s a bit change in schedule. You remain ready at the same time, and we’ll go to another place. It’s a hotel, and I have bookings done.’

‘Cool! That’s perfect, I’m okay with anything, till you are with me, baby!’ Natasha blew a kiss over the phone and disconnected. She started searching for some seductive dress to wear for tomorrow.

‘I’m ready Jay, where are you?’ Natasha was standing at the mall entrance, with the phone stuck to her ear, and her sight glued at the watch. It was 11am already.

Within minutes, a shining black BMW screeched to halt near the mall, and the window mirror was lowered down. It was Jayant, who signalled Natasha to come. Natasha jumped over the stairs and hopped in the car.

‘You look gorgeous baby…’ Jayant said, and drove off.

On the other side, Akanksha was ordering breakfast on phone.

‘Verma-ji, today is Tuesday, so don’t send eggs, I don’t eat non-veg on Tuesdays.’

‘What? Are you some 15^th Century woman? Believing in such old myths?’ Shrey came out of the bathroom, wiping off his head with the towel. Luckily today he had covered himself up properly.

‘Wipe my back, sweetheart!’ Shrey called up Akanksha.

She got up and held the towel from his hands. She gently turned him, and started wiping his back. He turned towards her, and kissed her on her lips.

‘What Shrey? Don’t start in the morning now…’

‘Haha, I’m not doing anything, sweetheart. I got an important meeting to attend at 12. It’s already 11.’ Akanksha looked at the clock, Shrey groped her from behind.

‘But that doesn’t means I can’t love my sweetheart?’ he kissed her on her cheek.

‘Please…go!’ Akanksha pushed him to their dressing room.

Shrey dressed up and within a few moments, a servant was there with the breakfast. Shrey had his fixed menu, but since Akanksha was new, so she had to order daily.

‘Come on, your food has arrived.’ Akanksha said, and poured some juice in the glass.

Shrey came out in a rush, ‘Sweetheart, just tie the tie, please.’

He picked up a sandwich and a glass of juice in the other hand, while Akanksha was tying his tie in her own neck. After making a knot, she transferred it to his neck, and tied it up. Shrey finished up his breakfast in haste, Akanksha made him wear the coat, he kissed Akanksha on her forehead and left for the meeting.

Natasha and Jayant reached the hotel, ‘Come on, let’s go!’ Jayant held her hand, and took her along. They took the elevator and reached fifth floor. A tune beeped and the doors split open. Jayant and Natasha both came out and Jayant took out the card from his pocket. He swiped the card at the door knob, the door opened, and they went inside.

Just in moments of entering the room, Jayant started undressing Natasha. They kissed, hugged and in wild ecstasy they reached the bed, half naked already. They made passionate love for the next hour and when they both were completely exhausted, Natasha climbed on top of him and started cuddling.

‘Will you marry me?’ Natasha asked him.

‘What’s wrong with you? Why this marriage fever, all of a sudden?’

‘Because I envy Akanksha, my cousin. She’s married and super-happy! I want to have a life like that too, and very soon. I’m tired of this hide and seek, we can’t do anything openly, we always have to lie and above all, I can’t even go with you for a long trip. They went to New Zealand, and that too for three weeks.’

‘So? You want to go to New Zealand? That’s it?’

‘No, Jay! You won’t understand. I want to go to New Zealand, but with everyone’s permission, and not by fabricating everything and being dishonest.’

‘It’s not dishonesty, darling.’

‘I understand, but since I’ve seen them both together, I can’t think anything beyond marriage. Please do something, Jay!’

‘I’m just 24, and I’m not marrying till next 4 years at least! And you’re just 19, why do you want to rush into things now?’

‘You love me?’

‘What kind of question is that?’

‘Tell me, do you love me Jay?’

‘Yes, darling. I love you…’

‘Then what’s the problem in marriage? It’s not about age…’

‘Yes, it is about age, Natasha. It definitely is!’ Jay got up, dressed up himself, and told her to wear her clothes as well.

Natasha didn’t argue any more. She just wore her clothes, and got up. Jayant swiped his card in the door knob and the door opened. They both went out. Jayant dropped her back to that mall from where he picked her in the morning, and she went to her home.

Shrey went home after his meetings too, ‘Akanksha! Sweetheart?’ he climbed up the stairs shouting on the top of his voice.

‘Yeah, you’re back? What happened? How was your day? What about the meeting?’

‘Wow, wow! Hold on…come with me…’ Shrey took her inside, ‘Is Natasha dating anyone? You know about the guy?’

‘WHAT? What are you saying?’

‘I saw her today, and she was coming out of a hotel room, with a guy. Hotel A, I was there for the meeting, fifth floor. Look…’ Shrey had clicked some quick snapshots, Akanksha could clearly see Natasha, but she didn’t recognise the guy. She was shocked and her mouth was left wide open. A tear rolled out of her eye, ‘My sister…Shrey…’ she hugged him. Scared and terrified for Natasha…