This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real lives of anyone shall be considered a mere co-incidence.
Also, this story series contains strong language, forced and graphic kind of sexual acts. If you don't like those, you shall skip this story.
Finally, I'm sincerely thankful to my editor SlaveGirl70. Without her the story wouldn't be what it is now.
*****
"Please Mr. Shah, give me some more time," Reema pleaded.
"You are already six months behind on your rent, Ms. Chawla," Nikhil informed her. "Even your deposit is not enough to cover that. How long can I wait?"
"I beg you. Please try to understand," Reema pleaded. "I have a little girl to look after and I still haven't found a new job. I'll pay you as soon as I find one."
"That's what you have been telling me for the last six months now. I've given you enough time already. If it were someone else, I would have shown them the way out already," he explained. "That little princess of yours is the only reason you are still living here."
"I appreciate that sir, I really do. Just a little more time and I promise I'll have your money," Reema pleaded with tears in her eyes.
"Alright, I'll give you one more week, Ms. Chawla," finally he relented. "I hope you won't make me throw a child out of her home."
"Thank you Mr. Shah, you are very kind," Reema said with an exaggerated gratitude.
"Don't disappoint me next time."
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One thousand, eight hundred and five rupees. It was all the money Reema Chawla had now, hardly enough for a mother of a growing daughter.
Yana was seven now, and so beautiful. She deserved all the happiness in the world and more. But Reema was unable to provide any more. She even had to deny some of her daughter's smallest requests.
The young child was unable to understand why ma said no all the time lately.
Did she not love her anymore? Only uncle Nik would bring her new stuff now. He had loved her for as long as she could remember...
Reema once again scanned through the newspaper for the help wanted ads. But she couldn't find a single half-decent company hiring. It had been like that lately.
With the global recession, India too had suffered a flood of job cuts. Lots of people like Reema had lost their jobs. She had been applying everywhere possible, unsuccessfully. All the companies had become so picky. Unless you could pay a bribe to the right people or spread your legs for them, the chances were next to zero.
She was frustrated and angry all the time, it seemed. Even at her daughter, at times. That had never happened when she was employed. She loved her child, more than anything in the whole world. Her daughter was the only reason she was alive today. If it weren't for Yana, Reema would never have come out of the depression caused by the sudden disappearance of her ex-husband eight years ago.
Reema had married her college sweetheart, Raj, right after college. It went against the will of her family. Her family was totally old fashioned and they didn't approve of her marriage to a man from another caste. They were quick to disown her. She'd sacrificed everything she had for him.
Soon after their wedding, Raj got a job opportunity in the US, about which he never informed her. He just left her alone one day, leaving a letter that asked her never to look for him.
That day, she had been planning to tell him that she was pregnant with his child. Reema was so happy—and then she was devastated. He was her whole world and he left her like an old toy that he no longer wanted to play with. She might have taken her life, if not for the new life growing inside her.
Reema shook her head to clear her mind. She did not need to think of that ungrateful bastard. There were far more important issues to think about. She had to somehow find a job and take care of her baby.
Nikhil had been fair to her so far. He was a decent man. Well, as decent as a man can actually be. He has always been kind and helpful—more than a landlord needed to be. Once, she had entertained the possibility that he may have had a crush on her. But he never suggested anything romantic. Not that she was going to trust any man again, not after what her ex-husband had done.
She knew she was late on the payments. But she had been his tenant for five years. He could have had a little more patience, until she could find a job—If not for her sake, then for Yana, at least. He seemed so fond of the little girl. What was it with him always bringing her new stuff? Even today he had brought her a teddy bear. Reema didn't understand him, and it added to her frustration.
"Ma, can we go out for ice cream?" Little Yana asked hopefully, appearing in the doorway.
"Sorry baby, not today. We'll go some other day, okay?" Reema said, making an excuse.
Reema hoped that her daughter would let it go. There was no way she could afford an ice cream when she hardly had enough money for both of them to get by for the next week.
"Okay mommy," said the little girl, dejectedly. Reema thanked the gods, silently.
"Come here baby. Ma will make your favorite milkshake," said Reema, taking her daughter's hand and guiding her to the kitchen.
She felt bad for her daughter. Reema was denying even her smallest demands now. Trying to substitute them with something else.
It had become so frustrating. She rued the day she lost her job. She had known job cuts were coming. But she was so confident of her work that she never gave into the advances of her lecherous boss. He would look at her like a predator. Like all her male co-workers did. She could feel their stares from distance, crawling across her skin.
He had asked her to come to a hotel room, which he had booked under a fake name. That bastard! He had managed to get her ousted from the job after she declined. He even had the audacity to give her the bad news himself. That fucker had some nerve!
She should have filed a complaint against him right when he had propositioned her. But she had just ignored the incident like it was any other of the usual occurrences. Now, she didn't know how things would turn out if she filed a complaint. Some of her colleagues mentioned that the man had connections. Right up to the top. And with his word against hers, she didn't stand a chance.
Yet, she had been proud of herself. She had stuck to her principles, even at the cost of her job. She had long ago decided not to let another man touch her. She was proud of herself, until recently.
Ever since her savings had dried up, she had started fearing for her daughter. Every man she knew, it seemed, now wanted to get into her panties and some even into her daughter's. From the store merchants to her neighbors—they all knew about her money problems and they all wanted to exploit the situation.
A thought had made its home in her mind lately. A sick thought,
I could have avoided all of this, if I had spread my legs when it mattered. I could have saved myself from the job cut, from all the money problems, from all the other men. I could have fulfilled my daughter's every wish—but only if I had whored myself to a powerful man.
Anyway, she thought herself incapable of such a low act. Her upbringing never would have allowed her to even consider it, plus she would ever be able to bring herself to touch a man again. Nevertheless, that option was no longer available, so she had to move on and find a new job. For herself and her daughter.
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Reema was sitting in the lobby when the receptionist called out her name. It was time. She stood up and walked determinedly towards the office door. She was nervous and she was desperate. It was the fifth day since Nikhil's visit and she knew she had to get this job, no matter what.
The receptionist let her in and closed the door behind her.
"Good morning sir," she greeted both the men who were going to interview her. "My name is Reema Chawla."
The two men were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful woman who had come in for the interview.
"Take a seat, Miss Chawla," said the man on her left.
Reema took a seat across them. "Thank you."
She handed over her resume as he asked for it.
"So, Miss Chawla, I believe you understand the nature of this job?" Asked the man on her right while the other one glanced through her resume.
"Yes."
"So, tell us, why should we consider you for this job?"
Reema found it weird that none of them had introduced themselves to her. She answered nonetheless. She couldn't risk coming across as a rude person.
"I'm well qualified for this job. I have had good experience in this particular field, and I'm the hardest worker that I know."
Reema thought she had answered that question quite sincerely but for some reason the guy asking her questions looked amused.
Right then, she saw the man on her left write something down on a piece of paper and pass it on to the other man. The man on her right seemed even more amused after reading the note.
"If that is the case, then why were you fired from your last job?" Asked the one on the right.
She knew it was going to come sooner or later. Yet, she could feel her heart sink. Somehow, she stayed calm and replied calmly.
"I believe they just wanted to cut down on the numbers."
"Then, why this remark? It says, 'non cooperative and disobedient to the senior colleagues'."
It was going downhill rapidly for Reema. She had to come clean.
"The senior in question propositioned me, to which I, of course, declined. He took it out on me by getting me fired."
"So, did you file a complaint against him?" He asked.
"No, but..." He cut her off before she could complete her response.
"I'll tell you the truth, Miss Chawla, as I see it," he said in a firm voice. "The truth is, you are in fact a non cooperative, disobedient woman. A woman, who is used to getting what she wants; using her physical appearance to her advantage."
Reema was speechless. The remark had caused her trouble in the past too, but never had she been talked down like this. Looked like she had blown her last chance. She felt like she was going to cry.
"That is not right," she mumbled.
"There is no place for a woman like you in this office, who thinks that the only way of working with men is synonymous with manipulating them. You are used to blaming others for your mistakes, just like you blamed an ex-colleague to hide your shortcomings. You are not fit for this job. Please leave."
Finally, Reema broke into tears. "I am not like that sir, I promise. Please give me a chance," she said between sobs.
The man on her left rose from his seat, walked around the table, stood by her and handed her few tissues. "I apologize, Miss Reema, on behalf of my colleague. He sometimes forgets that women are soft at heart and one should be gentler with them."
"Thank you," she said in a weak voice, not looking at him.
"But you also must understand that we cannot offer you a job. We need someone more cooperative," said him.
"But I'm very cooperative, sir. Please give me an opportunity to prove myself," she pleaded hopefully.
