Nights at the Gas Station

That night when I reached the gas station, I was relieved to see Jill at the counter. Oh thank god she was back. Now Troy could focus his attention on her and leave me alone. I greeted her with a little too much enthusiasm and it surprised her.

"Good to see you too, Sav." Jill said, squirming uncomfortably in my tight embrace. I had never hugged her before.

"I am so happy you're back." I said, letting her go.

"Couldn't stand this place without me, eh?" she said.

"You have no idea."

That night things seemed to go back to normal. Troy seemed to have taken my refusal from the previous night in his stride and he got back to focusing on Jill. They took lots of breaks, maybe to make up for the previous night, and disappeared for their tree-side romps three times that night. I was happy to ignore them and focus on my book. The night went by uneventfully and I was glad things were back to the way they were supposed to be. The next few nights also went by like that and I almost forgot my kisses with Troy as if they had been part of a bad dream.

"Patel wants to see you in his office." Jill said without taking her eyes off the tabloid as I walked in for the shift about a week later.

"He is here?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah. In his office." she said.

I was surprised. Pareshbhai had never been around at night since Troy started working. In fact he hadn't been in town too much, spending a lot of time in Savannah for some work related to his other gas station. And even when he was around, he had never really called me to his office for anything. I knocked on the door.

"Savitri, yes come in please." I noticed the absence of his usual 'dikra' while addressing me. I thought he had forgotten. "Please close the door and have a seat."

I walked in to see Pareshbhai looking at his computer monitor intently with the mouse in his hand. I closed the door as per his instructions, and sat down in the chair in that tiny office space.

"Just give me a second." he said. I sat in silence for a couple of minutes as he kept working on the computer. "Ok done. Yes."

"Yes Pareshbhai?" I said, smiling politely.

"So Savitri. How are you doing?" he asked smiling broadly. Again, no dikra, I noted, my sixth sense tingling a little.

"I am fine."

"You enjoying work here?"

"Yes, it is good."

"And how is Vinit?"

"He is fine too."

"Lot of work, is it? Very tired with work?"

"Yes, he does keep busy." Where was this going, I wondered.

"How are you two doing? I mean marriage wise?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Happy marriage? You happy with him?"

"Yes, I am very happy with him." I said, now thoroughly confused.

"He keeps you happy?"

"Yes, he keeps me happy."

"He keeps you........satisfied?" Pareshbhai asked taking a pause and then breaking out into a suggestive grin.

I stayed silent and frowned at him.

"Well, does he keep you satisfied?"

"Pareshbhai, I don't know what has gotten into you. What sort of question are you asking me?" I said, offense showing on my face.

"It's a simple question, Savitri. Does you husband keep you satisfied?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because it seems like he does not."

"What???" I said loudly, getting off the chair.

"If he kept you satisfied, you would not have affairs with men."

"What nonsense is this, Pareshbhai? I am a happily married woman. I am leaving!" I said, pushing the chair back in anger. I turned around to open the door and storm out when he said,

"Does a happily married woman do this?"

I looked back and he was turning the monitor screen towards me. I watched the scene on it, my heart sinking. The picture was in black and white and was grainy, like surveillance camera pictures usually are. It had been captured by the camera placed inside the store, pointing towards the counter, and thus also capturing the spot outside the glass door.

Troy was standing there smoking a cigarette. Then I came into view. I got on my toes and raised my face towards his. A few moments later I pulled his face down and kissed him. As the tape rolled I realized how long the kiss had lasted.

"I can explain." I spluttered, taking my hand off the doorknob.

"I don't think there is any need to explain." he said. "You are having an affair with Troy."

"No I am not. This was just a mistake."

"A mistake? So you accidentally pulled his face down and kissed him for almost two minutes?" Pareshbhai said, sounding like a cross-examiner.

"No, it's a long story. You see, Jill and Troy."

"Jill? Don't bring that poor girl into this. She wasn't even at work that night."

"No, but it is Jill and Troy who are having an affair."

"What nonsense! You and Troy are. Now I know why when I told you Jill wasn't coming, you asked if Troy would be there."

"Please! I swear. This was a stupid mistake. A one time thing only."

"A one time thing only?" he said and reached out for the mouse. He opened on another file and it opened, showing me locking the door and walking away. It was from the first night Jill hadn't come. "You are not supposed to lock the store, even if it is for having sex somewhere with your boyfriend."

"I wasn't having sex with him."

"Really? So why is it that you come back..." he moved the cursor on the media player window "..a good fifteen minutes later. And he comes in right behind you. And it seems like you are having some sort of a lover's tiff."

"Lover's tiff? Please Pareshbhai...." I started and then stopped. I glared at his smiling face for a few seconds and said, "Anyway, it is not any of your business."

"None of my business? When you are leaving my store closed, costing me business, to go have sex with your lover, it is my business that suffers."

"I don't want to explain myself to you. I am leaving. Consider this my resignation." I said haughtily, getting up.

"Resign if you want. I don't care. I am going to call Vinit and show this to him though." Pareshbhai said, playing his trump.

"No." I said, the haughtiness leaving my voice. "Don't do that."

"Why not? The poor guy seems to be slogging his ass off at work, and here it seems like his wife is letting any Tom, Dick and Troy fuck her in the ass. Even an ex-convict."

"An ex-convict?" I asked, recoiling in horror.

"Yes, that's why he is so qualified to guard this place at night. He has been to jail a few times. He is reformed now. But still, letting an ex-convict fuck you in the ass..."

"He has not fucked me in the....he has not fucked me at all!"

"So when you took off after locking the store. Or later when you disappeared again for a long time, were you two playing cards?" Pareshbhai asked in a menacing voice.

"No, it was not that."

"Shut up! I have gone back and forth with you long enough. Sit down!" he said, raising his voice. I meekly sat down on the chair. "Now, do you want your husband to see all these clips? Do you?"

"No."

"Then you understand that I want something in return."

"I will work for you without any pay." I said, trying to appeal to his commercial side.

"Oh come on. You know I am going to want something more than that."

"What?"

"I am an old man but I have needs." he said, winking.

"Pareshbhai! Please!" I said, shocked.

"Oh don't act so shocked. Your name might be Savitri. But as we know, you're no Sati Savitri."

I couldn't say anything in response. Instead, I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Oh don't try the crying drama on me." Pareshbhai said. "Stop acting like your honor is at stake. All I am asking is that I get what Troy gets."

"But Troy doesn't..."

"I don't need to know what you and Troy do. All I want is you. To myself. One night."

"I can't. Please Pareshbhai, believe me, I have never slept with Troy. Just kissed him a few times."

"A few times? First you said it was a one time mistake." he said triumphantly.

"Please. Don't do this. I will do anything you want. Anything else." I said.

"Savitri, this discussion is going nowhere." he said grabbing his forehead with his right hand. "Let me make it plain and simple. You do what I want. And you know what that is. One night. Tomorrow night. After that, I delete the files. If you refuse, I will show all these clips to Vinit. The decision is up to you."

"Please..."

"Stop with the pleading. It won't work. Tomorrow night, same time, I will be here. I want you to come dressed in a sari, with a sleeveless blouse. No pants or tshirts or anything. A nice sexy sari. If I see you dressed in a sari, I will take it as a yes from you. If not, well, Vinit will be there to drop you off anyway. I will just take him to the office and show him the clips."

"But Paresbhai."

"You may go now." he said with a note on finality.

I got up and walked outside, feeling as if an atom bomb had been dropped on my life. The tension on my face must have been evident, because Jill saw me and asked,

"Are you okay, Savvy? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine." I said getting behind the counter.

"What did he say to you? Did he do something?" she said, getting worked up.

"No Jill, it's fine. Please, mind your own business." I said in a rude tone that I immediately regretted. Jill looked taken aback because I had never spoken to her like this. She also seemed hurt. It seemed like she was going to say something in response, but she stopped herself.

We both got to work, serving the customers, without talking to each other. But I kept trying to compute the calamitous trap i found myself in. What could I do? If I refused to go along with Pareshbhai, he would show all the clips to Vinit. And Vinit would also conclude that I had been sleeping with Troy. My absences on the tape for long time clearly suggested that. On the other hand, giving in to Pareshbhai. Yuck! It made me almost retch at the thought for a variety of reasons - being unfaithful to my husband, with a man much older than me, whom I had been thinking of so far as some benevolent uncle, and who was old, fat, bald and ugly. How could I do it?

Would Vinit understand and believe me if I told him the truth? Maybe he would have if I had told him right away. But I had kept him in the dark for over a week. Why would he believe me now? Served me right for being so reckless and stupid. Maybe I had no choice. But if I did hold my nose and just give in to Pareshbhai for a night. Would it end there? He said just one night, but what was to stop him from blackmailing me again?

"How do I know it will be just one night?" I walked into the office, closed the door behind me, and with my arms akimbo, asked Pareshbhai.

"What?" he said, looking up from the screen.

"If I agree to what you want. How can I be sure it will be just one night? What if you keep asking over and over?" I said.

"I give you my word. It will be just one night."

"But how can I be sure?"

"Do you have a choice but to trust me?" he said in an annoyed voice. "Just go back to work. I am not in a mood for this nonsense. You heard me earlier. Either come dressed in a sari tomorrow, or don't. The choice is yours."

"But how can..."

"How can how can how can... well you can't. You just have to take my word for it. Now get back to work, Savitri." he said getting up. "I am going home now so you don't bother me again."

I sighed and turned to leave.

"Oh and I forgot. Make sure you wear your mangalsutra like a sati savitri is supposed to."

The rest of the night I could barely pay attention to anything happening around me. Fortunately, Jill was still upset with me so I didn't have to bother talking to her. The customers narrowed down to a trickle in a couple of hours. And I weighed my options, going over and over the consequences of either choice.

When Vinit picked me up, he was already on the bluetooth in a conference call. He stayed busy for a couple of hours after we got home. I tried to sleep, but I could not. I was distracted all day. I stayed up all day even as Vinit slept, agonizing over my options.

"Wow! You're looking so hot!" Vinit said when I got ready and came out of the bedroom. "A sari? Is there a special occasion tonight that I don't know about?"

"No, I just miss wearing saris. So I wore it today." I said the line I had rehearsed a hundred times since I made up my mind to take a chance with Pareshbhai.

"Why do you look so sad?" he asked, in a worried voice.

"I am just missing India a lot. Missing home." I said sincerely. "I wish I had never come to America."

"Awww, it's okay Savitri." Vinit said, taking me in his arms and kissing me gently. "Just a few more month and it will be all over."

"I love you, Vinit."

"I love you too, Savitri."

When Vinit dropped me off at work, Pareshbhai was standing at the door. He smiled and waved at Vinit, who returned his wave. I watched Vinit drive away and thought to myself "this is it. the die is cast." As I walked into the store, Paresbhai turned around and headed to his office. I walked in behind him. He noticed me only when he reached his desk and turned around.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, I am here." I said abjectly.

"So? Go outside and help Jill at the counter." he cryptically said.

I went to the counter. Jill was eyeing me with surprise, probably dying to know why I was dressed in a sari, but still holding the grudge from the previous night.

"Jill, I am sorry I snapped at you." I said, trying to mollify her.

"Umm hmmm." she said, still looking cross.

"Please, forgive me."

"Okay." she said tersely. I knew Jill. She stayed mad for a while. But once she got her apology, her anger melted away in a few hours. Of course, I didn't know what was going to happen tonight.

Honestly, I had expected that there would be no one in the gas station. Pareshbhai wouldn't dare making any moves while Jill or Troy were around. So I was convinced he would give them the night off, then take me to his office, and have his way with me. But that clearly was not the plan. I got to work serving the customers, waiting for the hammer to fall.

"Savitri." Pareshbhai said in a worried voice walking to the counter, "Vinit just called me."

"He did?" I said, panicking. Why hadn't he called me?

"He said he thinks he might have left the stove on at home."

"What??" I asked, confused. Why would Vinit leave the stove on? He never even boiled water.

"Yes, he thinks he might have left the stove on. He asked me to take you to your house and check on it."

And it dawned on me. This was a ruse to get me away from the gas station without Troy or Jill suspecting anything.

"Okay." I said tentatively.

"Come on. Let's go quickly." he said almost rushing out the door.

I looked at Jill. She had a confused experience on her face. Even she was not dumb enough to believe all that had just happened. If Vinit had left the stove on, why wouldn't he call me? I am sure she smelled something fishy. But I had no choice. I walked out of the door and got into Pareshbhai's car.

"Obviously, Vinit did not call." he said, leering at me as he drove out of the gas station.

"Shocking!" I said sarcastically.

"So don't worry about the stove." he said.

"Pareshbhai, I agreed to what you said. And I am trusting your promise of one night only. But if you expect me to take you to my house, and in my bed..."

"Oh shush!" Pareshbhai interrupted. "I am not taking you to your house."

"Oh. Ok." I said and fell silent.

Ten minutes later, I was standing in the dinky lobby of a cheap motel. Pareshbhai was talking to the receptionist, with cash in his hand. I thanked my stars that he had not chosen an Indian-owned motel. The sight of me and him in a motel room that night would have set tongues wagging in our tiny Indian community.

"Okay, let's go Savitri." Pareshbhai said putting his hand on my bare arm. I cringed at his first touch, noting that I would have to accept much worse. As we walked to the elevator, I could see the receptionist eyeing the two of us with barely concealed surprise. An ugly old man like him with an attractive young woman like me. Why wouldn't he be surprised?

We took the elevator to the third floor. When we got out I saw an old man making out with a young woman near the ice machine. They ignored us as we walked by, but watching them probably made Pareshbhai feel more confident and he pressed his fingers into my arm hard, pulling me closer to him.

The room was pretty basic. A normal kingsize bed, two couch chairs, a TV and a small fridge. The room looked reasonably clean. The only thing was it seemed a little warm. The air conditioner had not yet been turned on.

Before I could notice anything else in the room, I felt Pareshbhai roughly push me towards the bed. I fell on it on my back and bounced a little. He pounced on top of me and pulled my sari's pallu down. He stared at my blouse-covered breasts hungrily, but did not go for them. Instead he started kissing and biting my bare arms. Instinctively I struggled, when my ears rang out with the slap on my face.

"Listen you fucking raand. You're here as a whore for me. Stop resisting."

Instantly, tears sprang to my eyes.

"And don't you fucking cry."

He put two fingers inside the neck of my blouse and pulled hard, breaking the tiny metallic hooks.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Treating you like the whore you are." he said pushing the open flaps of my blouse to either side. He then pushed my bra up over my breasts and said, 'Why should that black asshole be the only one who gets to enjoy these?"

And he bit them hard, making me cry out even louder.

"Slut, I told you not to act like some Sati Savitri. I am sure you don't cry when that Troy fucks you. So what's wrong with me?"

And he got back to attacking my boobs. He bit them hard, without any concern about hurting me. Tears were still running down my cheeks. After a couple of more minutes of my crying, Pareshbhai let go of my boobs and stood back.

"Okay, we aren't doing anything else until you fucking stop crying. I am not going to made to feel as if I am forcing you. If you don't stop crying, I am calling Vinit and telling him all."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop." I said wiping off my tears.

"Good. Now get up and take that sari off." I took off my sari and stood there in my petticoat, my breasts on display with the bra cups bunched over them and the blouse open.

Pareshbhai came over and pulled the cord for the petticoat. Once it was loosened, he put a finger in the waistband and pulled it, making the petticoat fall at my feet. He stared at my milky white legs and gently put his hands on my bare waist just above my panties.

"Fantastic! Just fantastic!" he said, sounding a little breathless.

He then put his face between my boobs and started rubbing his face against them, making them jiggle from side to side. He also took my mangalsutra locket, which was resting in my cleavage in his mouth a couple of times and sucked on it. That sacred symbol of my marriage being sucked like a piece of candy seemed perverse, but I guess appropriate, given the situation I had gotten myself into. As he played with my boobs, his bald head gleamed in the dim light under my face and the few remaining hair on the side of his head brushed against my skin.

He took one hand off my waist and reached behind me to unhook the bra clasp. He fumbled with it, tried to squeeze it open. But he clearly did not have the expertise to do it one handed. So with his face still rubbing against my boobs and my mangasultra in his mouth, he reached up with his second hand, and with a lot of effort, finally managed to unhook the bra. I raised my arms as he pulled the bra and the blouse off and threw it by the side.

Then Pareshbhai moved his rough hands down my naked back, until they were on my panties-covered ass. He squeezed my ass cheeks a couple of times, and then I felt his fingers slide inside the waistband of my panties. I cringed, and fought back tears as I felt the touch of his fingers against my bare ass cheeks. Here I was, a happily married woman, standing almost naked in a dingy hotel room as an ugly fat old man's face was buried in my boobs and his hands were buried in my panties.