Chapter 5 - Transitions
As soon as they arrived home, Kriti went to shower and change clothes.
A pair of lovely new suits were hanging in the front of her closet, which made her smile. She didn't call for Choti, she wrapped a sari herself and went to find Sunil.
She found him sitting by the pool and perched on the edge of his chaise. "Thank you for the suits."
He kissed her softly on the lips. "You can't wear the same thing every day. I hear it went well."
"From your father?"
"Lowell. He called me himself."
"I have to tell you, Sunil, there's a terrible price--"
"--We pay the price no matter what," he interrupted. "Unless I find a way out."
"Do you want a way out?"
"I can't believe you'd wonder!"
Kriti flashed back to the closet, weeks ago, to Choti's mouth filled with Sunil's cock, her own astonishment. She measured her words carefully. "I think that you've been taught to crave having power over others, taking what you want when you want it."
He looked into her eyes for long seconds, seeming to search. "You aren't wrong. I've also been on the other side of that power. I know what it feels like to be used."
***
The week passed with a spate of work, which Kriti found extremely pleasing. The Thakur rode with her each day to the factory but made no demands, he was absorbed in phone calls, the newspaper, or emails the whole way. Once, he returned with her; twice, Sunil did. Still, she could not relax into a routine, found herself always expecting to be brought to the Thakur's office at any moment. Perhaps that's what he wanted.
One morning late in the week, none of the men appeared at the breakfast table. Having already taken a vigorous swim, Kriti ate her fill with gusto. She was just finishing when Faaz came in.
"Memsahib, I am to take you to the factory when you are ready to leave."
To cover her surprise, she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. "What time does the Thakur prefer?"
With a little bow, Faaz clarified, "I am assigned to you, with the time at your preference. The Thakur has gone to the club."
How utterly delightful. "I'll be ready in twenty minutes. Thank you, Faaz." He nodded and left. A day at work without her tormentor hardly seemed possible. There had to be a catch. What it might be, she didn't want to imagine.
The ride to the factory was uneventful, completely pleasant. She comported herself with her usual modesty. She could only hope that Faaz understood her bondage. She also took care not to take out her phone. He might be kind to her, but he answered to the Thakur.
Without worry about a specific appointment hanging over her head, she threw herself into work and suddenly, it was lunch time. She looked up and Sunil was hovering in the lab doorway. She smiled at him, reflexively.
"Would you like to have lunch together?" he asked.
She resisted the urge to glance at her colleagues. "Of course!" she replied. Although she felt apprehensive, it wouldn't do at all to reject lunch with her husband, particularly in front of others. Stacking her notes neatly, she followed him out the door.
"I often take lunch on the upstairs terrace if it isn't too warm."
She hadn't been on the roof before. It overlooked the countryside, and the relative greenery provided a cooler breeze. The Thakur had kept the factory remote while still within easy shipping distance by rail and truck.
A sailcloth awning stretched above the table and chairs, providing shade. Two workers were pouring nimbu pani and unstacking tiffins full of fragrant dishes. Kriti found herself ravenous again, but she took modest portions as usual.
They ate in companionable silence for a time. There were so many things that Kriti wanted to discuss, but without knowing
which
Sunil had turned up for lunch, she felt wary.
Finally, Sunil laid his fork aside and drank deeply. He sighed. "The work you're doing is so helpful. I realize, if father doesn't, that we would have spent something like twenty-five percent more for the certification team so far if you hadn't been brought in."
"I'm glad." Quietly, she wished that she could request a salary, the better to increase her future options.
But this is how family works
, she reminded herself.
Glancing to ensure that the workers had gone, Sunil rose and set a chair against the door to the stairs. Returning to the table, he said, "Father sought to shock me with his tale of
success
with you." He put up a hand as Kriti started to protest. "I know. I've tried not to think about it when I'm not forced to watch. It's cowardly. You're the one being... violated, whatever the insane justification in his mind."
Kriti listened without comment. It was better for Sunil to reach these conclusions on his own.
"I have some ideas," he continued. "None of them are quick, save running away."
That didn't sound tragically bad to Kriti. If they fled together, her honor and her family's would remain intact.
"I'm not ready to abandon all that I've built here," Sunil admitted. "That might sound cruel, or at least selfish. If we go now, I'd be starting over. And the Thakur would strive to poison my network to make it even harder."
Kriti considered her words with care. "I would gladly start over with you."
Sunil looked at her a long time, his eyes soft.
She knew he wasn't strong enough. Not yet. "In the meantime," she said, "I'll do the best I can. Please don't hold it against me."
He drew her up by the hand and into his lap. Feeling safely alone, she sank into his kisses. Soon, his hardness pressed through their clothing against her rear. She focused on remembering how attractive he had, at one time, been to her.
His hand glided to the hem of her skirt. "May I?"
The simple question was oddly arousing. "You may."
He shifted the cloth up and caressed her ass. She slipped a hand between them. Sunil groaned aloud. Kriti thought,
Well, we're married, it's the one relationship that shouldn't shock anyone.
Impulsively, she stood enough to straddle him. He quickly wrestled his trousers open. She took him inside slowly, enjoying the sensation, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Ah, you're so wet." Both hands clasped her ass, keeping her tight against him.
"Turns out that I like being asked," she replied.
He smiled and drove up into her. They moved together fast and hard. Sunil wasn't quiet. Kriti swiftly felt the peak rising and she came in record time, clinging to him. Sunil soon followed. They dissolved into laughter trying to use the cloth napkins and water glasses to clean up.
The rest of the workday felt easy. She was full of endorphins, back in the swing of problem solving, and the team camaraderie was her bonus. She felt in an exceedingly good mood as Faaz handed her into the car.
"Is there anywhere that memsahib would like to stop?"
That took her off guard. She thought fast. "Do you know where lunch came from today? Sunil ordered it and the flavors were outstanding."
Faaz thought for a moment or two. "He does have a favorite in the town here."
"Do they sell their spice blends or chutneys?"
"Hm, I believe so."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to bring some back for Cook." It was an innocuous errand that would help establish a pattern, and she'd familiarize herself with the town.
After a quick stop, packages stowed, as Faaz drove slowly through the streets, Kriti took note of the various dwellings, particularly the nicer few. This was likely where Sunil had been staying, close to the factory. She had to admit twinges of jealousy, whether because she hadn't let go of the notion that he was her newlywed husband, or because she envied his freedom. She tried to shake off the feeling before it spoiled her relative contentment, at least for the rest of the drive.
Once home, Kriti took the opportunity in a quiet house to purchase a bus ticket online through a burner email address, and printed it, carefully clearing the internet and printer buffers. It went into a plain envelope and then into her stack of saris. She phoned to preorder a pair of flats from her usual shop in the nearest town and told the clerk that she'd like to try them on in the store rather than have them delivered. Stopping to pick them up would provide cover for grabbing cash. The shop had a restroom in the back and the sundries store next door had an ATM. She hoped that its back door wasn't kept locked.
"Kriti?" Raj called from the hall. She stepped out to meet him, query on her face. He somehow looked excited and dismayed all at once. "That fellowship--I didn't get it."
