Chapter 4:Moaned By Machine
Four days before, Rohan had left for Oman; the home was calm again. Another peaceful Mumbai night had caused the area to quiet. The dishes were clean, Aryan was sleeping.
But inside Pooja, something changed.
She had not forgotten Rajan's touch, the hotel suite, the whispered filth--it lived barely under her skin. Random moments made her flush and her breath caught at the recollection of his hands sliding under her top.
Then came Raju's remarks--crude, acerbic, but still strangely relevant. Your beautiful body; customers will go mad for you...
That night, she stared at his phone number for a long minute. It was a strong draw. One call. Perhaps he would link her back to someone. Perhaps she could once more experience that wonderful rush of being desired like that.
Then came the dread as well. Raju was erratic. Unreliable. Should she contact him, he could exploit her. Next time, he might not let her stop. He could destroy everything.
With a sigh, she put her phone down and locked it.
Not by means of him. Not once again. I want anything different. Perhaps something more safe.
Maybe something more safe.
Curled under her cover later that night, she was casually watching a YouTube DIY video when an ad appeared: "Feeling lonely at night? Chat filthy with our AI (artificial intelligence). No grievances. Nobody nearby. Only you and your wants.
She stopped moving. Her heart raced.
Just talk? Not actual people, no danger.
It seemed absurd.
She still pressed.
The app appeared clean, anonymous. It requested a name.
She wrote:
Mira
Mood: Interested, Alone
Moments later, a message showed.