It had been a few weeks since I visited my parents at my hometown. Because of overload at work, I couldn't find the right time to make the trip. We had a major family function coming up, and with the date so close by I couldn't find bus tickets anywhere. Eventually, my brother had to request his friend, who owned a tour and travel service, to help me out.
"We told you to book early, but you never listen." Pavit griped. "You are lucky that Jivan could arrange for a ticket for Friday night. The ticket is in his name, but he will speak to the driver about you traveling instead. Now, make sure you reach the bus station on time, Rashi."
I mumbled my reply and hung up. I hated Pavit helping me with anything, because he never let me forget it. Especially if it involved his friends, who he treated like they walked on water. And, Jivan was the worst of the lot, always snide and arrogant.
I reached the bus terminal 20 minutes ahead of departure and walked around looking for my bus number. Spotting the big yellow bus, I double checked the number and boarded. After the driver ticked off my ticket, I made my way down to the end of the corridor, stopping at the last berth. #L39. Surprised, I scanned the seats around to see if there was a mistake. #L39 was a double sleeper, and I was a single traveller.
I called my brother up. "Pavit, the ticket is a double berth. Check na, if there is a mistake."
"How can it be a mistake when Jivan arranged it himself? Must be another lady passenger. Just adjust and don't make an issue." Pavit sounded exasperated, which was not surprising given that I was questioning his lord and master, Jivan.
I rolled my eyes and hung up. Thankfully, it was the lower berth and the wall side, so I quickly crawled inside and stowed my backpack away. These sleeper berths, similar to how they are in trains, were decently comfortable. The left side of the bus was all single berths, and the right were doubles.
I was dressed in loose jeans and a t-shirt, and underneath I wore comfy cotton boy-shorts and a thin wireless bralette. Normally, once I would settle down in my berth and drew the curtains, I would take my jeans off so I could sleep comfortably in my shorts. That is, when I travelled as a single passenger. I debated with myself for a few seconds if should do that now. Finally, comfort won over everything else, and I closed the privacy curtains and quickly shimmied out of my jeans, straining to move quickly before the other passenger showed up. I hoped she would be a nice, quiet lady who wouldn't snore. I tied my shoulder-length hair into a high ponytail, and unfurled the complimentary blanket. I laid down on my wall side and waited, listening to the passengers boarding.
The AC switched on and I sighed with relief. Flipping to lie on my tummy, I stretched out to savor the extra space while I still had it. I was close to dozing off, the gruelling month of work had disrupted my sleep cycle. Snuggling deeper into the blanket, my eyes drooped shut, unable to wait up for my co-passenger to arrive.
At some point I realised this lady had boarded, and she was definitely was not quiet, shaking the entire berth as she laid down. I could tell the bus was slowly moving, probably exiting the terminal, the engine noise coupled with the hum from AC was extremely loud. The lights had been switched off to prepare for the night journey, and the zero watt blue emergency light bathed everything in an eerie glow. Squinting one eye open, I peered into the almost dark cabin, able to make out that she was a very large lady. Her silhouette appeared to be a small mountain looming over me. I groggily wondered if I should greet her or continue to pretend to sleep. I was still deciding, when she leaned over and hooked an arm around my torso and sort of pushed-pulled me towards the wall.
I was so shocked she touched me, that my gasp came out as a croak. "Hey!"
"Hey yourself, Rashi." A deep, throaty voice answered me.
~ This was no lady!
"W-Who... wh-what?" I sputtered, blinking awake, trying to come up on my elbow. The arm remained over me, making it hard to rise up.
"Move over, I need more space." The arm jostled me again.
~ The nerve of this guy! How dare he!
I made a valiant effort to dislodge the arm, but it weighed a ton, and trapped under the blanket, my manoeuvrability was limited. "Listen, you asshole, how-how dare you?"
"I dare quite easily actually. Now, move." The asshole laid down, moving his legs restlessly.
~ Is he fucking kidding me... wait, did he call me by name!?
My heart thudding, I scooted as much as I could, squinting and blinking to see the guy. He finally rested his legs diagonally, taking up my space as well. I struggled to unmummy myself from the blanket, managing to rip it off me.
"Oh sweet! Thanks." He caught the end of the blanket and pulled it towards him.
The voice belatedly registered in my foggy brain.
~ Jivan? Ji-fucking-van? What the hell?
"Jivan? What the hell do you think you are doing?" I rasped, now able to make out his features. His white teeth flashed in the low light.
"Preparing to cuddle you, little Rashi. Since you obviously don't want to move." Jivan snorted.
"There is no more space, I'm already at the wall, you big asshole!" I retorted, fully awake.
"Tsk, tsk. This is not how you thank me for arranging your ticket." Jivan draped the blanket over himself, but it was a single and not meant for a giant jerk, so it slid off me completely.
I clutched at the blanket, trying to get it back on me, and we played tug of war for a few seconds. "You asshole, give it back... god you are such an asshole." I muttered, straining.
"Call me asshole one more time and see what happens." Jivan said quietly.
His warning was lost on me, the surprise of finding him invading my berth was too great. "Asshole, asshole, assho--oof."
I should have expected the arm to come back, which it did, hooked over me again, and then he pulled me hard against him.
Jivan was a big dude, well over 6 feet and built like a bear, he wasn't someone a 5.5 feet nothing like me should poke. But he did challenge me. His arm was a vice, thick and muscled, it effectively nixed my attempt to get the blanket back and also cut off my air. I struggled to breathe normally, not just because of the damned arm, but also because I was flush against the length of this asshole. From my tits to my knees, I was squashed so tightly I could feel patches of heat burning where we connected.
~ GOD, I hate him! Always throwing his weight around, literally!
"If you wanted to cuddle should have just said so." Jivan chuckled.
I squirmed, then instantly froze. Tits to knees, I could feel how unyielding his body was. Even that bit of flesh between his legs felt inflexible.
