Niv & Ved

As soon as Ved opened the door a woman jumped at him and began to trash him.

It took him a few seconds to realize it was his sister Nivedita. She went at him like a cornered cat, screaming and slashing with a cane. Ved tried to catch her hand but it only made her go harder. A brand new DVD player, a porcelain horse and innumerable books piled around the room crashed around them.

After a few whacks landed on him Ved lost all track of the order in which everything happened. Was he screaming WAIT WHAT HAPPENED? Was she screaming back something about an EMAIL? Did he ask her WHAT EMAIL?

It stopped when blood first appeared. Ved caught the smile of a glass piece on his thigh and his pants began to soak blood.

That stopped Nivedita.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" she said, her hair still disarrayed, her eyes still burning.

Ved sat down and looked at the tear in his pants.

"Where is the medicine cabinet?" Niv asked.

"In the bathroom."

She ran into the bathroom inside the bedroom and flung open two doors to look behind the tooth brush stand, the deodorant cans, soaps, shampoo bottles and three boxes of condoms.

Ved was sitting on the bed now.

"Quick, get out of those pants."

He did as told. Niv took the after shave and poured it over the still bleeding wound. It burned like acid, but just as soon began to feel cool. Blood washed away and for a moment they could see the white of his muscle waiting to explode in red again, which it did.

"Try some talcum. It's over there on the dressing table." He said

Niv shook the plastic box and the white powder covered Ved's wound. They stared at it to see if it would start bleeding again. It did.

"May be we have to take you to the doctor." Niv said.

"Nahi, its just a small cut. It'll begin to clot."

Niv dusted some of the powder in a gesture that said sorry.

"You know," Ved said "you used to do this to me earlier too: when we were kids."

"Really?"

"Yeah when you got real angry, you'd go after me just like that and then bandage me with talcum powder."

"I used to beat you?" Niv asked. Ved, without pants sat on the bed while Niv rested on her knees on the floor.

"Yes. Amongst other things"

"What other things?" Niv asked.

"Nothing much. You mostly ignored me – since I was so much younger than you. But once in a while you'd go out of your way to really IGNORE me."

"Really?"

"Yes... this one time... you were in-charge of the morning assembly in the school and on this particular day I was going to play something on the stage. There was a dispute and you said let's give it to the other guy who's been promised. You assumed I'd understand."

"I don't remember that."

"You didn't care."

Niv brushed back her hair and looked at Ved. Of late, looking at her own sons, she realized how young Ved really was when they shared the same school. Then she remembered how awful she was to him and shuddered to think something like that done to her own sons.

"Do you hate me Ved?"

"No!" Ved said "No No... Why'd I hate you? I love you."

The word love triggered the reason she was here. The EMAIL! Suddenly the compassion in her eyes was gone, anger "now loading". She walked out of the bedroom to avoid hitting him.

Outside, it was chaos: Glass, books and wreckage everywhere. She couldn't believe that all this happened in a few seconds. The cane lay orphaned at the bedroom door. A thought flashed in her: she'd just thrashed her 26 year old brother!

Inside the room Ved tried to get back into the pants, but his thighs hurt.

"Do you want some coffee?" Niv asked. She was standing at the bedroom door. "Why are you wearing that again?"

"I cant stay like this..." he wanted to add before you but "yes Coffee will be nice."

"Let it be. It's not something I haven't seen. Stay in your undies."

Ved tried again, failed and decided to wrap a towel around his waist while Niv got around to the coffee. It was his turn to be shocked by the destruction in the living room.

"What email did you get from Usha?" he asked.

"From USHA!" Niv asked. "Why will I get a mail from Usha?"

"You are angry and I thought Usha told you about it?"

"Told me what?" they were talking between rooms through the door between the kitchen and the hall. He was trying to pick up the books.

"We broke up."

"You broke up!"

"Yeah. Didnt you notice. Usha isn't here!"

"I just thought... actually I didn't think. But why did you break up with her. I thought you were in love."

Niv was out now, holding two steaming cups by their ears in each of her hand. They sat at the dining table opposite each other.

"She was the one in love" Ved said easing into a chair with a grunt. "Or she was the one in love with the idea of love. I, on the other hand, was trying to break up with her for the last two years."

"Oh wow!" Niv said "I never guessed. This Diwali I mentioned to Rajesh that you'd be married by year end. She seemed so nice."

"Not nice. She was overbearing. For example...if I liked a book or a movie she'd force herself to like it. And then spout the most elementary drivel about it."

"Thats sweet."

"Not when you have to live with an artificial smile day in and day out. We were incompatible."

"Please! You couldn't get your hands off her all Diwali when you stayed with us."

"May be... but we weren't exactly... you know... rummaging the sack."

"Yeah? Why?"

There was something unusual about Niv asking him about his sex life. She was usually very very coy about sex. Ved, on the other hand, had never been coy.

"She was cold in bed."

"Really?"

"Yup. She'd pretend to be all honey- honey about it. But that too was fake."

"You could make that out?" Niv asked looking straight at him.

"Yeah. Most men can."

They both gulped another sip in silence.

"So wait." Ved said "Usha didn't write all this to you?"

"No."

"She didn't tell you that I kicked her out?"

"Nope."

"Then what was that trashing all about? What was that email you were screaming about?" Ved asked getting angry himself.

"You really don't know?"

"NO"

"It was the email YOU wrote Ved." Niv said looking at him.

"I wrote! I wrote you an email that got you this mad! Why would I write to you when we stay in the same city and I could pick up a phone and talk to you, or even better come over?" He said and then "And what email is this that got you this mad!" he gestured at the room around them indicating destructive rage.

"You'd have done the same. Do you want to read it?"

Ved got up, disappeared into his bedroom and came back with his laptop. He signed in and handed over the email sign in page to Niv.

"Show me."

Dear Niv,

You will not like this mail. After this, you might even hate me. Despise me. But I'll die if I don't tell you this sister. So here it goes...

You see...

Shit I can't even type it. But I will.

You see Niv, I am attracted to you. Read that again. It's not respect, not love or any of that jazz. I am ATTRACTED to you. Simply put, I think you are sexy – FUCK!able. There I said it.

I already feel better now.

This is not an impulse sis. I think your thighs, things you hide behind acreage of saree, your navel, your breasts that perhaps behind those binding blouses are spilling, and your juicy lips - unbelievable. I want to bury my face in the mound between your thighs and taste your cum. I want to suck your paps and scrape my tongue against them. I want to sheath my sword deep inside you and bleed white inside. In short I want to fuck sis.

Am sending you a pic of my organ to encourage mutual interest.

Yours and waiting

Ved

He read it loosing color in his face. Underneath the mail was a pic of his penis as seen from his point of view. He'd taken it lying down looking at an erect shaft. Looking at it now dropped his temperature. He buried his eyes in his palms and stared at never ending darkness.

"Ved..." Niv said after what seemed like several minutes. "Did you guys share passwords?"

Ved shook his head indicating a YES.

"Perhaps you should now change it." Niv said smiling.

"I am going to kill that bitch! That Bitch! That fucking bitch!"

"Easy there Tiger. No harm done."

"What do you mean? I don't know who else she is sending this stuff to. This can ruin me!"

"Yes, that it can. You know now that you mention it like that and I know the truth. I think it is a bloody great revenge, devious and spectacular. She had a villainous mind under that cold body."

Ved was furiously at his laptop by now. He was changing his password and drafting a mail to everyone in his list about a break-in in his mail id.

Niv went on "It takes a special kind of mind to come up with something like this. Boy she must really hate you."

"I'd expect something like this from her sis." Ved said.

Niv decided that this situation was at its end. She could leave now. Ved had more important stuff to attend to.

"Can I use this bathroom Veds? I think I can still make it to work today."

"Sure... go ahead."

Niv went back into the bathroom. She picked up a bar of soap and washed her face. In her bag there was a stick of lipstick and a tiny bottle of forehead crimson. Carefully she outlined her lips, her juicy lips and outlined a large "O" on her forehead. An image from the time earlier today came back to her. She opened the cupboard and looked at the three pack-of-cards size boxes of condoms in her brother's closet.

Coming out into the destroyed room she asked Ved "Why would anyone need three packs of Condoms Ved?"

Ved looked up at her. She looked fresh, a tiny whiff of lime came to him.

"It was a binge purchase. I bought it happy that Usha was gone. Too optimistic?"

"Yeah. Listen I have to go. I am sorry for the misunderstanding. I'll pay you for the restoration."

"No no sis. Come on. You helped me here. Everything you broke was stuff Usha had bought. Except the books. I'll redesign now."

"There you go! Good boy." Niv walked to the door and Ved followed her. They didn't hug before Niv disappeared down the corridor. Ved closed the door and looked at the broken glass and the books and sighed. He was still in his underwear.

The door knocked again! This time Ved looked out the peephole. It was Niv again. He opened.

"What did you forget?" he asked looking around.

"Just now, you said something very strange. You said that you'd expect something like this from Usha. On my way down I thought that was such an odd thing to say. Why did you say that?"

"I don't know. I think I meant that I expected something from a mind like hers. Villain – like you said."

"No Ved. I think you meant something else. I think you still mean something else when you say mind like hers. You know something about her thinking that made her write this particular mail to me! What the fuck is it?"

"You better sit down Niv."

Niv pulled a chair and sat down. "Tell me."

"Are you sure you want to know? You might not like what you hear."

"Why are you talking like that. Ofcourse I want to know. Just go on."

Ved pulled another chair and sat down on the table. They were back to the positions from before she left.

"Remember how I told you that Usha was always cold in bed. Well that wasn't entirely true. She was good sometimes. But she needed to be in the mood."

"Go on."

"You see Niv... Usha had a very quirky side to her. She liked to stage incest."

"Stage incest?"

"Yeah. She'd... uhm.... ask me to pretend to be her brother sometimes. She'd ask me to go out and come back acting like her brother. There were detailed instructions about what I would say, what I would do and how we would lead into bed."

"Wow!" Niv's eyes had lit up. She crossed her legs.

"Yeah. I had to remain in character all the time. I had to call her Sis and she'd call me by her brother's name. When I entered her during these fantasy enactments, she'd be ready – wet and lubricated."

"Wet and lubricated! God Ved... where'd you learn to speak like that!"

"We are all adults here Sis. You know what it means."

"Wow! So do you think Usha and her brother?"

"You know I didn't ask her that. It was a conscious choice. I didn't want to know."

They sat in silence as the fan in the room whooshed around in circles.

"I need some more coffee" Niv said and went back into the kitchen.

From inside she began to ask him questions.

"Why did you go ahead Ved? I mean why didn't you say no."

"I don't know Niv. May be I realized instinctively that this might be the best sex we ever have. Or maybe I'd have tried anything to make us work."

"I still can't believe that face could hide all that history."

Ved stretched his legs under the table and leaning back sat with his eyes closed, relaxing his head on the chair.

For Niv it was like someone had pumped hot blood into her. She was sweating again and the goose bumps on her arms made her want to itch.

"How long did this go on?" she asked coming back into the room with two more cups of coffee.

"I don't remember. But I know we did that about 12 times. No the last two times...About 10 times."

"You were her brother these 10 times?"

"Yes."

"Was she ever your sister?" Niv asked and Ved heard it just like that. It was like someone slipping out a wallet while you are watching.

Ved sat silent and looked at his sister. She wanted his answer.

"Yes she was." Ved replied.

"Shit." Niv said.

"It was only twice Sis. I promise and..."

"You thought of me?"

Ved got up and in anger pushed back his chair. " Why are you doing this? What's the matter with you! Get out now!" he said.

Niv got up, and standing there stared coolly back at him. "Dont be melodramatic. Just fucking answer my question. Did you think of me while fucking your ex-girlfriend?"

Ved looked at her in surprise. He had warned her. "Alright yes, I did."

It was Niv's turn to get angry. She slapped him hard. Ved didn't flinch this time. He stared right back at her.

"Where did you do it?"

"How does it matter?" Ved said sitting down. "You weren't supposed to know. I wouldn't have told you."

"It's a simple question! Where did you guys do it? Here, in your bedroom?"

"In your house. During Diwali!" Ved said.

"Is that why you couldn't get your hands off her? Oh god. All that time... while I was lighting diyas and feeding you, you watched me and felt up your girl friend? Fuck you!"

Put like that Ved understood his position veered on creepy. He was clearly in the wrong here.

"I am sorry sis." He said trying to touch her.

"Dont call me that. You pervert. And don't touch me!"

"Niv please."

"Niv please what?" she said "Niv please what Ved? Every-time since those two days that you have met me you could have pictured me naked and thought all those things that Usha said in the mail. Those are your thoughts aren't they?"

No. But some of them could be his ecstasy words while he was in her.

"I am sorry." Was all he said.

Tears rolled down Niv's cheeks. Ved felt heavy, like a stone had just sunk into his heart.

"I feel vulnerable Ved." Niv said looking at him "I feel like a common slut." She wiped her face with the back of her hand. Then sniffing up she asked "Tell me did you get a hard on a little while ago while I bandaged you? I was rubbing your thighs with talcum. Not far from your penis. Did it stand?"

Ved was shocked. But he understood why she'd asked.

"Be fair Niv." He said "I wasn't exactly set up for a hard-on you know!" Ved said in anger.

"Oh... great!" she said throwing up her hands "So if it wasn't for me screaming at you, you would have had a hard on! Great!"

"That's not what I meant."

"No thats what'll happen to you everytime. Now everytime you walk into a room I will think of you thinking of me naked. And you will know I am thinking it. We are doomed to a lifetime of double guessing Ved."

"You know you are paranoid Niv? A few moments ago when I knew you had seen my penis I could have reacted the same way. But I didn't."

"Cause you were busy picturing me naked. You will always have an upper hand now."

They stood looking at each other in silence. This day today was beginning to change and redefine the rest of their lives.

"I cant ever be in the same room as you now. I can never be sure you aren't ogling me." Niv said.

"Listen Sis" Ved said trying to cry "I am sorry and I am sorry and I am sorry. I have never looked at you like that. I never will. You have to trust me."

"Would you?" she asked looking at him.

"Yes Niv."

"Well I am not so brave Ved. In fact I am not so clever. I am a lawyer remember. I work with proof."

"How can I prove something like that Sis? How can anyone prove something like that?"

Niv looked at him and said this: "there is one way Ved. One way I can know for sure that you have no dirty thoughts for me in your head when you next look at me."

"What's that? I am ready to do anything to prove it to you Niv."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Niv. I am 100% sure."

"Well..." she began "since we cant be sure you are not thinking about me naked, we can try negative affirmation. It means that the only way I can be sure is by knowing how you look when you are excited by my nudity. If I know what silly grin – what facial tick you develop by such thoughts, by the process of simple elimination I can be sure when you are free of the aforementioned thoughts."

"What does it mean?"

"It means that if I know how you look imagining me naked – I can be sure next time when you claim you aren't undressing me in your thoughts."

"How do you propose to achieve that?"

"Do you have an erection now?"

"What?"

Niv imitated Ved's earlier dialogue. "We are all adults here you know. Do you have an erection?"

"No."

"Good. Then strip and get one thinking of me."

"What?"

"You heard me. Do it and I will leave. Do it and I'll know how to spot it a mile away. You will know I know and we can go back to our old relationship. As long as you promise never to bring it up."

"Why strip?"

"Oh you want me to take your word for it?"

Ved looked at her carefully. Sitting there in a green saree she stared back at him with tiny beads of sweat on her forehead. It reminded him of squeezed lime.

"Its not like I haven't seen your penis. This will be a view from further away."

"You are sure we can go back to being normal after this?"

"Yes. Its the only way that doesn't involve dragging the rest of the family to chastise you."

Ved got up and moved towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"I cant strip here."

Niv followed him.

"Close the door." He said. She did. Ved stood in the middle of the room for a minute turned around and said: "Now I feel that I must warn you about something. My cock, once erect, controls my head. It will tell me to seduce you and through me will present to you inescapable scenarios. Once you start this process, only you are responsible for the consequences."

"Blah-blah. Get on with it boy. I aint interested the least bit in fucking you."

"I warned you." Ved said and dropped his underwear. He pulled out of his shirt in a single movement and settled on the bed, his head rested against some pillows. A shrunken piece of muscle hid between his legs. Once settled he began to flip flop his penis.

Niv pulled out a chair and sat down watching as if this was happening inside a cinema.

Ved compartmentalized his mind. There was the one part that rushed excitement at the thought of his elder sister sitting and watching him naked. This he doused with the other side that remembered the physics from his day job.

"Why is it taking so long?" Niv asked after watching him fiddle for a while.

"I don't know. Perhaps I am scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Whats the matter – doesn't Rajesh ever take time? Is he always ready with his unsheathed sword for you?"