THE BETRAYAL
CHAPTER TWO
This is the second of twelve chapters in this story. It doesn't have the same degree of sexuality as the other stories. It serves as character development. If you want to get straight to the sex, you can skip this chapter and not really lose anything to the plot.
Banners waved in the breeze. They were almost as bright and colorful as the roses adorning Asha's booth. Gajras hung from the eves of the stall and assortments flooded the tables. Sunlight drifted across Asha's fingers as she trimmed a ribbon and fastened it around a cluster of marigolds. People in suits came and went through the plaza. Some tourists. Others were regulars. Always busy.
Yet it wasn't enough to keep her mind off of her suitor and what he could mean to her family. Hari wasn't anything like Neha's father. Maybe that was a good thing. She snipped another ribbon before her gaze shifted from her work. When she saw him standing not three feet away, her eyes went wide.
"I didn't mean to alarm you," Hari assured her, noticing her jump. His dark hair was smoothed back. His voice was warm as the pleasant temperate morning around them. Asha's hands tightened on fragile stems. Why was she so nervous?
Hari wondered if it was too much for her, but his gut told him to come. Rarely were his instincts wrong. Especially about women. He often knew what they wanted before they did. Women craved spontaneity in a man and thoughtfulness. Still, Asha was more conservative than he was used to.
"No, not at all," Asha told him. Her usually dependable fingers struggled with the ribbon. She could smell faint cologne. Was he wearing it for her? She still wasn't used to being the subject of his attentions or anyone's for that matter.
"You're far from campus," she mentioned, attempting to sound casual.
"All done for the day. It was a nice walk. Not too far," he replied. "I wanted to see you. Before the weekend, I mean."
"Oh, I see," Asha responded. She was at a loss. He kept his distance, respectful as always. She admired that about him, but even with the distance, she was undone. She wasn't ready to confront him. Not on her own. This time, Neha wasn't there to fill in the gaps of their conversation or be one of the few things they had in common.
"I suppose you'll never want me to bring you flowers," Hari said in attempt to lighten the tense silence between them.
"I would accept flowers," Asha told him with a smile. She could feel heat in her chest.
"Ah, but how could I be sure they would meet your standards?" Hari asked. "Maybe, I should start over. I want to give flowers to someone special. I heard that you are an expert in this area. Perhaps, you have suggestions for me?"
That brought another smile to her lips. She didn't let it get far but he could see it budding at the base of her long cheek bones. The flirtatious compliment and inquiry had her fingers tumbling over to the next cluster of flowers. Customers walked in then. He gave her a knowing look and a wistful grin.
"Well, I didn't come in here to distract you," he told her. 'Didn't you?' she wanted to ask him. Could she manage to flirt after all this time? But the moment passed. "I'll see you at dinner," he told her.
She nodded. He bowed back. It was subtle but courteous. He walked away but her chest was tight. She could just let him go, but that didn't feel right.
"Lilies," Asha blurted. Her hands jerked as she resisted the impulse to cover her mouth in embarrassment.
The customers looked confused. Hari turned toward her, trying to hide his triumph. He already knew her favorite flower from Neha among other things, but it was more rewarding to hear it from Asha herself. To know that he was getting through her walls.
"If you want my- recommendation," she finished, her voice faltering ever so slightly at the end. His smile was bright as the sun peeking from the hazy sky.
"Thank you," he told her. "She gives the best recommendations," he confided to the customers before leaving. They looked bewildered as he rounded the corner, not understanding why he was leaving empty handed. It seemed like ages before Asha's fingers steadied again.
~
Could she get used to him in her life? Asha found herself thinking this as the months passed in their courtship. It was her right to take it slow. Rushing a marriage was the same as encouraging regret. It was different, being older and having been married once before.
A few weeks had passed since the day that Hari walked with her and Neha by the Yamuna. They strolled by one of the northern sections, where it was less polluted. Still, it was bittersweet. Asha longed to see it run clean like a polished jewel, to live long enough to witness wild flowers returning to its banks. The barren shores left her heart aching, almost as much as seeing men and women praying in its murky waters.
Hari talked about the research being conducted on campus and recent discoveries that had been made. Neha chimed in. He nodded at her suggestions and questions, listening intently to her. It made something warm inside of Asha to see her daughter comfortable around him.
Hari noticed that Asha was lagging behind and waited until she was in front of him to resume talking. The regard for her was causing a stir within her but not nearly as much as his proximity was. Asha felt a breeze from behind. Her skin tingled where she expected him to touch her. His hand hovered just inches from the small of her back.
The moment passed. He was gesturing again. Asha was grateful for him giving her space, especially in public but there was a fragment of her left wanting. Wondering what it would be like. It was a relief that he wasn't acting like he owned her just because they were dating. It put her at ease knowing he wasn't the domineering type, expecting more from her than she was ready for.
They came to a staircase leading up to a bridge. Hari offered Asha his hand. She hesitated. Neha was already halfway up the steps. She looked back at them as if telepathically asking her mother what was taking so long. Asha looked up at Hari.
There wasn't a shred of uncertainty in his gaze. Only patient confidence. Asha placed her hand in his. Her heart clenched upon contact. She didn't expect him to have such an effect on her. His chivalry was welcome after so many years of rejection and even scorn.
Neha looked away from them. She saw what was happening between them. Maybe Hari was pretending, but her mother wasn't. She was learning to trust again. The sight made Neha joyous, but also made her ache with jealousy and guilt.
A grin teased Hari's lips, so faint that it almost went unnoticed by Asha who lowered her gaze. It wouldn't do to have him see through her like this, she thought to herself. For him to know that there was a longing growing as sure as clouds gathering before a summer storm.
It was only when his hand let go that she realized how long it had been since she'd been touched by a man. Not only that, but Hari was not just any man. He was lean with the demure of a lion at ease, and he was circling her. Not as prey, but as an equal. How rare that was.
~
Asha hung up the phone with her mother. It was official. He had asked for her parent's permission. They had not only given it, but her mother implied that rejecting him would be a shameful disaster. He would, of course, propose to her. She was dazed. It didn't feel real. After years of living a certain way, of raising Neha on her own.
Her life alone was safe, predictable and on her terms. She learned to live with the stigma, the exclusion. They had enough of an allowance to be comfortable and Neha had a whole life ahead of her. A life of promise.
That was all she needed. Until now. Was she truly foolish if she refused Hari's offer as her parents suggested? Selfish even for denying Neha the chance at having a father figure in her life? They already seemed to be so close in only a few months' time.
"What's wrong, mom?" Neha asked when she saw the look on her mother's face.
"Nothing," Asha said, but Neha's expression changed.
"It's about Hari, isn't it?" Neha was giddy, seeming much younger than her age in that moment at the prospect. "Admit it, mom. You like him!" There was an edge to Neha's voice. One that Asha couldn't interpret.
"I- don't know what to think," Asha admitted. It was true enough. She didn't need him, but did she want him? She thought of how he helped her up the stairs by the river. Of all the compliments he had given her over the months. He told her she was elegant. He had met no one so poised and collected. Hari told her that she was a rare beauty. All his compliments sent color to her cheeks and made her feel young again. She wasn't prepared for the rush she'd experienced from a brief touch, but there was something missing. She couldn't quite figure out what it was.
She couldn't help but think back to Neha's father. How one look from him could ignite her. He hadn't needed words. There was a pull between them. How he'd made her feel unique and complete. Hari didn't make her feel the same despite his efforts, but perhaps it was because she was only meant to experience that level of attraction once. In any case, how could she be so picky?
"I think he is very admirable," Asha managed under her daughter's scrutiny.
