The Wife

contd. from The Wife Ch -2...

The entire weekend following the 'wardrobe malfunction' drained Anushka of tears. Apart from serving the necessary food to Bikash, who seemed all the more distanced from her because of a sudden upsurge in his official work, she kept sobbing.

It was the same while taking a shower, in the kitchen and also while lying on the bed at night. She craved for a magic trick that would turn it all into a fantasy like the ones she immersed herself till recently but never after the torrid incident. The worse part was she could not share it with anyone. What would she tell Bikash? "Mr. Gupta saw your wife butt-naked?" Damn! Bikash anyway went crazy hearing Manish's name and now this! She even dreaded to move out of her flat fearing an encounter with Manish. What if he thought she did it intentionally to seduce him? People draw all sorts of conclusions. She was simply not ready to face him. Not till she knew how to dig a hole in the earth and bury oneself there at will. Simi turned out to be her only option and confidante.

After Anushka told her, over phone, what all had happened Simi tried her best to console her but Anushka didn't calm down. Several messages followed. Then she visited her during the day.

"What is the problem with you?"

"Problem? Someone has seen me butt-naked!"

"So?"

"So? Nothing!"

"I have had a talk with Manish. He said he didn't see anything except your towel on the floor."

"Liar. And why did you have to ask him about this?"

"Stop behaving like a teenager. He didn't cheat you on your virginity. Moreover what's his fault if you walk around your flat semi-naked."

The moment it escaped Simi's mouth she knew it came out rather rudely. Anushka felt further embarrassed. Simi immediately apologized.

"But what do you want to do about it really? File a case or something!" Simi asked. Her concern was genuine. "You can't simply lock yourself in your flat all life."

"I will not move out till I forget it or come to terms with it with time."

"Forget it? Come to terms with it? Trust me, the next moment you see Manish be it tomorrow or days and months later it will all come back to you. And the same old depression shall follow."

"So what should I do?"

"Talk to him."

"I can't talk to Bikash about it."

"Talk to Manish I meant."

"Are you mad? What will I talk to him about?"

"About what happened."

"Do I look like I'll be able to do so?"

"You want me to arrange a meeting with Manish at my place? A party or something where you two can be at ease."

"No. No more parties please. And I don't think I'll ever at ease with him again."

"Then?"

"I don't know."

They intentionally kept quiet as the maid brought in two cups of coffee for them. As she left for the kitchen Anushka asked, "What would you have done if you were in my place?"

Simi sipped her coffee thoughtfully and said, "Honestly, I would have gone to him. And would have told him it was an accident and not to think anything otherwise. Also, not to bring up the subject ever."

"What if he brought it up again?"

"I would slap him hard for it deals with a woman's decency."

Finally something made sense. But would she be able to do what Simi told her?

"You think I should do the same?"

"All I know is you got to do something because this house arrest thing won't last long. Since he lives in the same society nor will the avoidance work for long."

Anushka didn't speak after that but kept thinking about it all through the evening and night. The next morning when Bikash left for office she called up Simi asking for Manish's number. Simi happily gave it to her and wished her luck. It was afternoon when Anushka summoned all her guts to punch the number on her cell and dial it.

"Hello?" She was sure it was Manish. But there was a tumultuous noise in the background.

"Manish?"

"Yes, who is this?"

'This is Anushka."

There was a momentary silence on the other side. Anushka didn't know whether to repeat her name but realized the background noise was decreasing rapidly as if Manish was changing location.

"Anushka?"

"Yes, Anushka Mukherjee from..."

"Of course I know only one Anushka. What a pleasant surprise! Is this your number?"

"Yes this is mine."

"Okay I will save it."

Anushka wasn't sure if she wanted him to save her number. At least she won't save his.

"Okay." She found herself saying.

"So, what's up with you? Sorry I scampered out that day without meeting you."

So it was there. The consolation was she didn't have to bring up the subject herself.

"I called up to say whatever happened that day, was an accident and I don't want you to bring it up ever again."

"Can you shut up for a moment."

"What?"

"No, not you. A guy is screaming on his mobile. Am actually in a meeting. Can I please call you later?"

"Yeah, sure." Anushka didn't know what else to say. As she kept her phone beside her she wondered when would Manish call. She hoped he did so before Bikash came home. She chose to wait.

Manish's sms came at eleven thirty at night. Bikash was beating his fingers hard on his laptop sitting by the dinning table while she was watching television. She picked up her mobile to check the message. It read: Is it too late? Can we talk?

She nervously glanced at Bikash who was too busy to return her look. How would he react if he knew the one man he loathed was messaging his wife at this hour? She messaged him back: Bikash is at home. We can't talk.

She was about to send it when she realized why is she making it all sound like some kind of unscrupulous activity. She erased the message and retyped: We can talk via messages.

And send it to Manish. A second later his reply came:

Okay with me. What were you talking about in the afternoon. I didn't get you.

Anushka was confused whether Manish was feigning his innocence or if he indeed was innocent.

She replied: About the towel dropping thing.

She read the message three time before sending it. Her heart had started to beat harder now. She had deliberately silenced her mobile lest Bikash heard the constant beeping. She kept staring at the mobile phone awaiting a response from Manish. It came in the next instant: Should I be honest with you?

Anushka's heart sank. The message only meant he had seen her butt-naked contrary to what he confessed to Simi.

She nervously typed: I would appreciate your honesty only.

Her mobile beeped the next instant: Promise?

Yes.

I am guilty.

That means you...

I indeed saw your bare back. I am sorry.

Anushka simply didn't know what to write next. Or should she at all. She deleted all the previous messages and sat still. Never will she be able to face Manish again. Fantasies were one thing. And she was pretty bold in her fantasies but reality is something else all together, she now realized.

What happened? It was Manish again.

She deleted the message. A minute later she saw his name on her cell. He was calling her. She didn't pick up. The call happened again. The same response. And again. After three full rings no further sms or call came. Anushka didn't sleep that night nor was she thinking anything. Somebody had made her so hollow that nothing occurred to her anymore. She only lay like a corpse all night beside her husband.

A week later she finally stepped out of her house to buy some cosmetics from the market. She was alert about not being sighted by Manish. Nothing happened. On Sunday she accompanied Bikash to the supermarket to buy all the monthly items. By the time they drove back to their apartment it was eight in the evening.

"You go ahead, I'll park the car and come." Bikash told Anushka. She obliged.

As she carried few bags and waited for the elevator to open she admired herself in the full length mirror on the wall opposite the elevator. Each floor of every building in the society had a full length mirror for design purpose. Though she had been avoiding mirrors intentionally of late but looking at her reflection after a long time she felt happy. She was wearing a maroon kurti and a black legging. All her curves were deliciously defined. As the elevator door opened she was appalled to see Manish in it. He was surprised too. Though he was coming down and ideally should have moved out at the ground floor but seeing Anushka he didn't move. Then he came out. She moved in. He moved in too. Anushka immediately placed one foot in-between the elevator door so that door doesn't close.

"I am really sorry Anushka."

"This is not the time Manish. I am with Bikash. He will be here any moment. You please go." Anushka was genuinely worried but them talking like this in the open.

"First your promise you are not angry with me and we can continue to be friends?"

"I will make no such promises. You leave now Manish." Anushka's heart was in her mouth. If Bikash saw them anything could happen next. "Bikash will be here. Leave. please."

"Okay I'll leave but you promise you will come to my flat or I will visit your flat and we will talk about it. Please!"

"Manish, what are you doing? I can't talk."

"Promise me. Just promise me and I will leave."

"Okay, I promise. now leave."

A frantic looking Manish was about to thank her when Bikash appeared. He looked first at Anushka and then at Manish who by then had popped out his mobile phone and was perusing it as if nothing had happened between Anushka and him. Bikash entered the elevator shooting a disgust look at Manish. He didn't care. Anushka could feel her heart beat loudly. She only hoped it wasn't loud enough for Bikash to hear. Manish got down at his floor without creating any scene. The moment Bikash and Anushka stepped onto their floor she received a message from Manish: Tomorrow afternoon my place or your place?

It was only at night Anushka replied after thinking a lot about the matter: Your's.

She was sure to end the matter the next day.

Manish opened the door right after the first bell itself.

"I swear if you had not come today I would have visited you in the evening. Welcome!" He said with a smile. Anushka didn't respond. She looked around in the corridor that comprised of four flats a floor. There was nobody. Someone could have easily seen her through their peephole from behind the main door of their respective flats and she wouldn't know. But then this was something she had to do. Moreover, it wasn't midnight that she was visiting Manish. The latter closed the door the moment Anuhska entered.

As she sat on the sprawling sofa in the drawing room she looked around. It didn't look like a flat without the touch of a woman. Everything was clean and well kept. She noticed the windows were shut closed and the curtains were drawn tight.

"Want some water?"

"No, its okay."

Manish sat opposite to her in the one-sitter sofa.

"I am sorry Anushka." He said.

"I understand you are sorry but after today you have to promise me we won't talk about the incident and you won't ever do what you did at the elevator yesterday. Promise?"

"What did I do in the elevator?"

"Manish, let's not make it bad. You know what I am talking about. I felt harassed."

"Apologies again. But you were resonsible for it."

"Me?"

"Yes. If you had not avoided me I wouldn't have been so frustrated and depserate."

"I guess you know why I avoided you. You have to understand I am a married woman."

Manish looked straight at her as if he was reading her. His mobile phone rang. He picked it up, told the caller not to disturb him and cut the line all the while looking at Anushka. Feeling strange she averted her eyes.

"You say you are married, but what do you have to say about this?" Manish handed his mobile phone to her. As she took it with a clueless look on her face she saw he had opened his saved message inbox for her. There was a conversation in the form of sms saved in it between Simi and Manish. Anushka read on as Manish sat quietly staring at her visage.

The messages read:

Are you kdding me? Did Anushka really say that?

Oh yes! She did. She said she would not mind doing it with you.

You mean Anushka Mukherjee right? The wife of Bikash Mukherjee?

Yes, yes, yes.

What else did she tell you?

Anushka didn't read the rest though she knew it was a long conversation. Simi had told him about their own private discussion. She started to sweat though the air conditioner was on.

"Its not how it sounds like. Simi kept on pushing me."

Manish smiled and said, "All I know is you too had amorous thoughts regarding me. Isn't that true?"

"That's true but-"

"Then why all this moralistic fuss Anushka?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have amorous thoughts regarding me and so do I. From the moment I saw you in the elevator the first time around."

"Manish, don't repeat what you just said and I shall pretend you never said it."

"I want to make love to you Anushka."

His eyes had that hunger that only a lover can have. It scared Anushka. She stood up and moved towards the main door. It was better for her to leave before it led to something which even she wouldn't be able to stop. But before she could reach the door Manish held her hands and pulled her towards him. She fought and fidgeted.

"Leave me Manish! Now!"

He left her. She looked at him as if she didn't expect him to obey her.

"Look Anushka, I am not a bad man. And I understand you are married. But you also got to understand we both want to make love to the other."

Anushka only wished if she was a good liar then she would have said no on his face. She kept mum.

"Can't we keep it our own little secret? I am tired of jerking thinking about you."

Somebody was using the words to her face for the first time. Funnily enough it aroused her. She kept quiet for a moment.

"I need to think about it Manish."

"Its not your career that you need to think about it. Its a moment that you need to live or forget."

"But Manish..."

"Look Anushka" Manish's tone had suddenly turned too grim, "If you don't do what I request you to then I will have to report to your husband about the entire issue."

"You are blackmailing me damn it!"

"No. I am only saying there is no other option anymore. Don't tell me you wanted one either." Neither of them moved for a moment.

'Come, sit down first." Manish said. She let go of his hand and then followed him. They sat down this time beside each other.

"When will Bikash be home?"

"By seven-seven thirty."

"That gives us" he checked his watch, "Four hours."

"For what?"

"Don't be a kid now."

He was setting up time and she had not even said yes to his fuck proposal. Yet she was helping him in a way to set it all up. Guess, its better not to think anything, she wondered.

"Its happening fast Manish."

"It needs to happen fast Anushka."

"What about Bikash? I can't cheat him point blank!"

"In a way he is responsible for this as well. Tell me if he had satisfied you or given you the time you require would you have fantasized about other men? I think he deserves to be cheated. Its not the ancient times anymore where a woman would have to sacrifice everything for the sake of a husband. Now she has the right to obey her sexuality. To oblige it."

There was a long silence.

"We are only losing time Anushka." Manish reminded her.

"Alright. But it will happen my way." For a second she couldn't believe she actually said it. For the first time she felt how much she too wanted this to happen. Just she wasn't as brave enough as Manish probably because of her marital status. But wasn't Manish right? Isn't Bikash as much a culprit in this as she was?

A smile of satisfaction and gratitude touched Manish's face. "Done. I promise nothing will happen that you don't want. In fact nothing is happening that you never wanted."

"Can I use the bedroom?"

"Sure. Its all yours. I am all yours."

Anushka tried to smile and ambled towards the bedroom and closed the door behind. It was a cozy room and just like the drawing room the windows here too were shut from all sides. Good for her. Sitting on the bed she wondered if this is how people commit adultery. In the afternoon. While visiting someone's place for something else. And end up in the bed. She looked at the bed. Simi's words buzzed her mind. Anushka for once accepted the fact Manish and she would definitely look good naked on the queen size bed. The question now was: how good.

Just to calm his nerves Manish had poured himself some Whiskey from his small bar at the corner of the drawing room. He looked at his watch again. Twenty minutes had passed and no communication had happened between Anushka and him. Finishing his drink he thought of knocking on the door when it opened. There was an instant rush of blood on his penis. It hardened up.

"You can come in." He heard Anushka say. He slowly sauntered toward the bedroom and finally entered it.

At one corner Anushka was standing with a bedsheet wrapped around her. She had loosened her hair. Manish noticed the blue kurti she was wearing, along with the white legging, a black bra and a black panty was on the floor next to the bed. The fact that Anushka was stark naked inside the bedsheet-wrap made his penis throb. She was already looking at him.

"You are looking so beautiful Anushka. So damn desirable."

"Talking will only make it difficult Manish." She said and let go of the bedsheet. Simultaneously she closed her eyes tight. Manish couldn't believe his eyes. He adjusted his penis a bit and stared at the ethereally sculpted piece of meat. Anushka was covering her breasts with her left hand across her bosom and with the right she was hiding her pussy. Manish noticed her palm was just about hiding the pussy. Though he could tell she had it trimmed.

"Won't you remove your hands?" Manish said his throat dry.

Anushka opened her eyes and nodded. "I am feeling shy." A woman like Anushka standing naked while covering her privates with her hands was the sexiest and the most erotic image Manish had ever seen anywhere. She only turned and stood against the wall veiling her front. Her back was right there in front of Manish. This time it wasn't for a trice but for eternity.

From the shapely shoulder to the curvaceous back to her succulent butt, Manish's eyes were adoring the divine creation that Anushka was. An example of how well distributed fat should be. He stripped himself naked in no time and went and stood behind Anushka. His presence and his soft breaths gave her goosebumps. He took the air conditioner's remote from the bed table nearby and switched it off.

"Why did you switch off the AC?" Anushka asked slowly comign to terms with her rapid breathing.

"I want to sweat it out with you."

Manish grabbed Anushka's butt. They were full. There were round. And they were erect. The moment he grabbed them the butt muscles tightened itself. Then slowly the tension was released. Manish kept caressing her butt all over as if he was making sure it was all real. Anushka was quiet and had her eyes closed facing the wall. Minutes later she started perspiring. A drop of sweat dropped down from her nape to her back and was about to reach her butt when Manish's tongue stopped it. Sticking his tongue out he not only wiped the sweat drop off but also started puppy-licking her entire butt.

If Anushka's mind was a burner, Manish's lick were matchsticks with its head burning vehemently. She wanted him to go on and on and so was he. Finally he stopped and parted her butt cheeks with his hands. Anushka missed a beat. Manish stared at her anus.

"Whatever it is do it fast. I can't take it slow." She said.

He spat on her chocolate-brown puckered hole. It was a weird feeling of lust and disgust. Lust because someone was interested in her dirt hole and disgust because someone had spat on her. She tried hard to conceal her reaction. Manish only rubbed his saliva all over her anus moistening it with his finger. Then he suddenly bit her butt cheek hard. A shriek escaped Anushka as she brought her hand back and held his head. For the first time an image of Manish eating her butt while she was standing naked facing the wall formed in her mind. She felt wet like never before. Manish licked her down to her feet. Then licked up on the other leg till her butt again. He stood up and holding her shoulders turned her. Since she was already looking down the first thing she noticed was his raging penis: big, bad and throbbing. She was determined not to make any comparisons with Bikash's. She owed him this much. She freed herself from him and scampered to the bed. Never before she had been this naked with a man. Manish came to her and stood with his penis facing her. She held it in her hands. Then made a grasp and started feeling it up and down. It soon turned into a massage as if it was her way to admire it.