The woman pushed Manish aside and stepped into the house. Manish was torn between thinking logically and his primal instinct to make use of the opportunity offered to him on silver platter.
She looked gorgeous in the red dress she wore; the dress that highlighted the curves of her body; perfect at required places. He could not take his eyes off her body. He had already seen what was beneath that dress but he would have loved exploring it again; only if…
The only if thought was interrupted as the woman placed her hand over the sensitive part of his body and kissed him on his lips. He kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her. However, the very next moment he stopped and pushed the woman away from him. ‘what are you doing here?’ he asked her.
‘isn’t it obvious’ she whispered, walking closer.
‘you are too dressed.’ She said trying to take off his tie.
She looked gorgeous in the red dress she wore; the dress that highlighted the curves of her body; perfect at required places. He could not take his eyes off her body. He had already seen what was beneath that dress but he would have loved exploring it again; only if…
The only if thought was interrupted as the woman placed her hand over the sensitive part of his body and kissed him on his lips. He kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her. However, the very next moment he stopped and pushed the woman away from him. ‘what are you doing here?’ he asked her.
‘isn’t it obvious’ she whispered, walking closer.
‘you are too dressed.’ She said trying to take off his tie.
Manish stepped back. She looked at him, surprised. He had never refused her before.
“You have to leave.” He said, worried that Pallavi would come back any moment.
She looked around the house taking in all the preparations.
“Who is she?” the woman asked. Manish did not reply.
“Call me when you get bored of her.” She said and walked out of the apartment.
The very next moment Pallavi appeared at the door. Manish watched her closely, waiting for some kind of reaction. It was obvious that she had seen the woman walk out of the apartment but had she heard what the woman had said?
‘who was she?’ Pallavi asked, her voice revealing how she felt – jealous and angry.
‘a friend of a friend’ Manish replied, too quickly.
Pallavi walked inside the apartment and closer to Manish. She watched him without saying any word and then she wiped the lipstick off from his lips.
She turned around and started to walk out of the apartment.
‘shit’ Manish muttered under his breath and reached out to hold Pallavi’s hand. Pallavi stopped.
‘she wanted more than just to kiss me but I asked her to leave.’ Manish explained. It was not a lie.
Pallavi turned around to face him. She read his face and then looked down. He was thankful that the ‘little him’ had not reacted to the woman’s touch; in fact, he was a little surprised as well.
When Pallavi did not say anything further he let go of her hand. She was not looking at him and he could not stop himself from looking at her. Pallavi had taken efforts to look beautiful. Not that she really needed to, he thought.
‘you look beautiful’ he said and walked closer to her. Placing one hand on her waist he titled her chin with another and kissed her on the lips.
It took a moment, but finally Pallavi kissed him back. She stepped back as she felt the hardness against her thigh.
‘fuck’ Manish whispered. Ashamed and surprised. The little fellow was so quick to stand for Pallavi. What was happening to him.
Pallavi smiled and then as she saw the look on Manish’s face she began to laugh. Manish laughed with her.
Pallavi looked around, she had not noticed the preparations earlier since she was too occupied with her emotions.
‘let’s eat’ Manish said and walked to the dining table. He waited for Pallavi and then pulled out a chair for her.
He brought the casseroles to the dining table and served lunch; first in Pallavi’s plate and then his. He opened the bottle of wine and poured it in the glasses.
‘bon appétit’ he said and waited for Pallavi to take the first bite.
Under different circumstances he would have skipped meals and taken the woman to the bed; but in Pallavi’s case he wanted to do it differently. The thing was – even he was surprised by the decision he had taken.
During lunch he kept thinking about what he had done and asked himself why he had done that.
‘you are a wonderful cook’ Pallavi said and Manish had to put an end to his thought-process.
‘I am sorry for earlier. It ruined the moment, at least for a while.’ Manish said.
When Pallavi did not respond he added, ‘She is the one interested in me, she does not mean anything to me.’ He wondered why he was giving explanations.
“And what do I mean to you?’ Pallavi asked, finally she had gotten the chance to ask him what was in her mind for a long time.
Manish knew that this question would arise eventually but he did not know he would have to confront it so soon. He had given Pallavi the opportunity to ask the question and now he could not dodge it; he had to answer.
‘I might have had sex with a couple of other women but you are the only one I have made love to. You are the only woman I have bathed with and cooked for’ Manish said, realizing that it was true.
Pallavi tried her best not to cry. She nodded and said ‘you are the only man who has made me feel so special’ and then she took a sip of wine. She could not look into his eyes – she wanted to enjoy the moment, dwell in the feeling he had given rise to by saying what he had just said. She did not want to look into his eyes to find any hint of regret or doubt in them; she knew that would shatter her completely.
Manish watched Pallavi as she sipped her wine and ate her lunch silently. She looked beautiful, she was beautiful and there was no doubt in his mind now that he would have committed himself to the relationship had Pallavi came into his life before Mansi. But, she had not. It was true that Pallavi was the only woman who had awakened something inside him but it did not matter as compared to the account he had to settle with Mansi. ‘That’ was a priority over all the other things. But, he would not let that stop him from enjoying the moments he shared with Pallavi now.
They finished their lunch in silence and did the dishes together. He washed them and she wiped them dry and placed them in the cabinet. It felt good to work together like this, like a couple.
After they finished the dishes Manish picked her up in his arms and took her to bed.
He undressed her, taking his time to cherish the moment. He could feel the heat radiating out through the fabric of her dress.
After undressing her he asked her to undress him and watched her as she worked through the layer of his clothes. He took in the whole of her. The fairness of her skin, the blushed face, the trembling fingers and the parted lips.
They’d had sex so many times before but this time was so different than all the other times. Both of them were not in a hurry to get it over with.
He was not in a hurry to get inside of her. He remembered the flavoured condom he had bought earlier. On second thought, he decided not to use it.
Pallavi noticed the hesitation and asked him about it. He said it was nothing and started to kiss her but she insisted.
He opened the drawer, took out the condom and showed it to her. She laughed. And, just like that his desire to get inside her peaked.
It had not happened to him before. He had not felt aroused seeing a woman laugh. He remembered another woman’s laughter, from not long-time ago. That laughter, in fact, had killed his erection.
Pallavi’s laughter was different. It meant something more than he wanted to accept.
Perhaps, he was falling in love with Pallavi, he thought as he watched Pallavi put the condom on him and then he could think no more.
After Pallavi was done, he kissed her passionately. He had never considered it before but he did now. He took off the used condom and put on a new one. It was time to heed to Pallavi’s needs. He kissed her and entered her making sure that she got the pleasure she deserved. For the first time he said the words he never knew he would ever say to any woman.
‘I love you’ he whispered as he came into her and surrendered himself into Pallavi’s arms.
“You have to leave.” He said, worried that Pallavi would come back any moment.
She looked around the house taking in all the preparations.
“Who is she?” the woman asked. Manish did not reply.
“Call me when you get bored of her.” She said and walked out of the apartment.
The very next moment Pallavi appeared at the door. Manish watched her closely, waiting for some kind of reaction. It was obvious that she had seen the woman walk out of the apartment but had she heard what the woman had said?
‘who was she?’ Pallavi asked, her voice revealing how she felt – jealous and angry.
‘a friend of a friend’ Manish replied, too quickly.
Pallavi walked inside the apartment and closer to Manish. She watched him without saying any word and then she wiped the lipstick off from his lips.
She turned around and started to walk out of the apartment.
‘shit’ Manish muttered under his breath and reached out to hold Pallavi’s hand. Pallavi stopped.
‘she wanted more than just to kiss me but I asked her to leave.’ Manish explained. It was not a lie.
Pallavi turned around to face him. She read his face and then looked down. He was thankful that the ‘little him’ had not reacted to the woman’s touch; in fact, he was a little surprised as well.
When Pallavi did not say anything further he let go of her hand. She was not looking at him and he could not stop himself from looking at her. Pallavi had taken efforts to look beautiful. Not that she really needed to, he thought.
‘you look beautiful’ he said and walked closer to her. Placing one hand on her waist he titled her chin with another and kissed her on the lips.
It took a moment, but finally Pallavi kissed him back. She stepped back as she felt the hardness against her thigh.
‘fuck’ Manish whispered. Ashamed and surprised. The little fellow was so quick to stand for Pallavi. What was happening to him.
Pallavi smiled and then as she saw the look on Manish’s face she began to laugh. Manish laughed with her.
Pallavi looked around, she had not noticed the preparations earlier since she was too occupied with her emotions.
‘let’s eat’ Manish said and walked to the dining table. He waited for Pallavi and then pulled out a chair for her.
He brought the casseroles to the dining table and served lunch; first in Pallavi’s plate and then his. He opened the bottle of wine and poured it in the glasses.
‘bon appétit’ he said and waited for Pallavi to take the first bite.
Under different circumstances he would have skipped meals and taken the woman to the bed; but in Pallavi’s case he wanted to do it differently. The thing was – even he was surprised by the decision he had taken.
During lunch he kept thinking about what he had done and asked himself why he had done that.
‘you are a wonderful cook’ Pallavi said and Manish had to put an end to his thought-process.
‘I am sorry for earlier. It ruined the moment, at least for a while.’ Manish said.
When Pallavi did not respond he added, ‘She is the one interested in me, she does not mean anything to me.’ He wondered why he was giving explanations.
“And what do I mean to you?’ Pallavi asked, finally she had gotten the chance to ask him what was in her mind for a long time.
Manish knew that this question would arise eventually but he did not know he would have to confront it so soon. He had given Pallavi the opportunity to ask the question and now he could not dodge it; he had to answer.
‘I might have had sex with a couple of other women but you are the only one I have made love to. You are the only woman I have bathed with and cooked for’ Manish said, realizing that it was true.
Pallavi tried her best not to cry. She nodded and said ‘you are the only man who has made me feel so special’ and then she took a sip of wine. She could not look into his eyes – she wanted to enjoy the moment, dwell in the feeling he had given rise to by saying what he had just said. She did not want to look into his eyes to find any hint of regret or doubt in them; she knew that would shatter her completely.
Manish watched Pallavi as she sipped her wine and ate her lunch silently. She looked beautiful, she was beautiful and there was no doubt in his mind now that he would have committed himself to the relationship had Pallavi came into his life before Mansi. But, she had not. It was true that Pallavi was the only woman who had awakened something inside him but it did not matter as compared to the account he had to settle with Mansi. ‘That’ was a priority over all the other things. But, he would not let that stop him from enjoying the moments he shared with Pallavi now.
They finished their lunch in silence and did the dishes together. He washed them and she wiped them dry and placed them in the cabinet. It felt good to work together like this, like a couple.
After they finished the dishes Manish picked her up in his arms and took her to bed.
He undressed her, taking his time to cherish the moment. He could feel the heat radiating out through the fabric of her dress.
After undressing her he asked her to undress him and watched her as she worked through the layer of his clothes. He took in the whole of her. The fairness of her skin, the blushed face, the trembling fingers and the parted lips.
They’d had sex so many times before but this time was so different than all the other times. Both of them were not in a hurry to get it over with.
He was not in a hurry to get inside of her. He remembered the flavoured condom he had bought earlier. On second thought, he decided not to use it.
Pallavi noticed the hesitation and asked him about it. He said it was nothing and started to kiss her but she insisted.
He opened the drawer, took out the condom and showed it to her. She laughed. And, just like that his desire to get inside her peaked.
It had not happened to him before. He had not felt aroused seeing a woman laugh. He remembered another woman’s laughter, from not long-time ago. That laughter, in fact, had killed his erection.
Pallavi’s laughter was different. It meant something more than he wanted to accept.
Perhaps, he was falling in love with Pallavi, he thought as he watched Pallavi put the condom on him and then he could think no more.
After Pallavi was done, he kissed her passionately. He had never considered it before but he did now. He took off the used condom and put on a new one. It was time to heed to Pallavi’s needs. He kissed her and entered her making sure that she got the pleasure she deserved. For the first time he said the words he never knew he would ever say to any woman.
‘I love you’ he whispered as he came into her and surrendered himself into Pallavi’s arms.
