15

Once again, I had the thing I always wanted—true love.

The two-week-long leave from work that I got sanctioned was over, but I wanted to spend some more quality time with Alia. There was so much I wanted to know about her, so much I wanted her to know about me.

My Restaurant Manager was not an easy going person, only I knew how I managed to get that leave for two weeks. And now, getting an extension was almost impossible. But once again, my dear friend Mahesh came to the rescue. He got a fake medical certificate made for me and I was in the seventh heaven.

In the next three days that Alia and I spent together—only days, not nights—I realized she was one of the best women any man could get. She was caring, a sort of possessive, which I loved, and extremely innocent. I loved the way she used to get angry on small issues but that anger would always end with a chocolate and a smooch.

With Alia in my life, all the damages done by Tara were getting repaired. My alcohol consumption went down drastically—from a peg every hour to a couple of pegs per day—and Alia also made sure that I did not smoke more than three cigarettes a day.

It was safe to say—life was perfect, again.

But then, there are a few people who are born with the most fucked up luck ever. People who do their best—but get screwed again and again because of LUCK.

I was one of them.

On the fourth day of our relationship, I convinced Alia to stay with me all night. She lied to her parents that she would be staying at Kamna’s place and we reached my room at around 10 p.m., after the dinner.

‘This place is weird, you have to move,’ Alia complained looking around.

‘I will.’ I grabbed her from behind and kissed her neck.

‘Shift to Borivali, near my place—please.’ She turned to hug me.

‘Alright,’ I said and took my phone out of my pocket. Making a call to Bilal, I told him to pass the message to my landlord that I would leave that room on the last day of the month.

‘But why, brother?’ Bilal asked.

‘Cause I am shifting to Borivali,’ I said and cut the call.

‘I love you.’ Alia kissed my lips. The soft kiss was soon turned into a heavy smooch and I pulled her in the bed. It made an irritating sound as we fell into it. It was too weak for two people. ‘And you got to get a new bed too,’ she laughed.

‘What would I do of a new bed?’ I teased her with my hand on her back. She was now lying on me. ‘Will you sleep with me in it?’ Taking my hand down to her waist, I kissed her again.

‘Of course. Like we are sleeping now—kissing.’ She winked. I could see she was breathing heavily though.

‘Only kissing?’ My hand reached inside her jeans.

‘Hey . . . stop.’ She rolled down from me. ‘Only kissing and hugging,’ she made it clear.

‘But why, baby?’ I covered her body with mine. I was losing myself. ‘Don’t you love me?’ I kissed her neck.

‘I do—of course. But I’m not going to let you do that before we get married.’ She pushed me back.

‘Alright . . .’ I pulled myself together and fished the packet of Marlboro Hard and the lighter from below the mattress. I had a habit of keeping it there.

Soon after I placed the cigarette between my lips, she jumped back over me. ‘Why do you need a cigarette when you have me?’ She snatched the cigarette out and placed her lips on mine. I held her shoulders and broke the kiss.

‘I will be honest. You are sitting on a very sensitive part. Plus, when you kiss me, it becomes really hard for me to control myself,’ I confessed. ‘So please maintain distance if you want to be safe.’

She looked into my eyes, displeased. I thought she would get mad—but she smiled. ‘You will not cheat me ever, right?’ She had seriousness in her tone.

‘Never in my life,’ I replied with sincerity, and I meant it.

‘You will not leave me?’

‘Never.’ I shook my head in assurance.

‘Well . . . in that case, I am all yours,’ she smiled.

‘I know you are mine,’ I started but she placed her finger on my lips. Her sudden motion stunned me. I wondered what she was planning. However, I did not wonder for long as she started unbuttoning her shirt.

A rush of strange feeling passed through me. It felt like I was losing all my senses. With every button, she drove me crazier. I just stared at her fingers. And after a few tremendously long seconds, I was staring at her bare waist.

Slyly, I looked up, soaking in her perfect body with my eyes. She had a perfectly carved body.

She now sat with her opened-up shirt, her black laced bra teasing my hormones. She must be expecting that I would do something, but I was too shocked and surprised. My expressions must have given away my feelings for she smiled—smitten, and dropped her shirt. I saw it fall carelessly next to her heels.

She then let her hair loose. They fell beautifully on her shoulders. I hated that they covered her cleavage. I pushed them back and traced her bra-line with my fingers. She had a beautiful mole on her cleavage too—it was seducing. I let my fingers linger around it.

‘I hope you are happy now?’ she asked, grabbing my fingers and kissing them—or if I must say, licking them. I abruptly lost my control all together and before I knew it, she was in my arms and I was kissing her furiously. I kissed her deeply and when she broke, to catch her breath, I realized I had already pulled her under me and she was pinned down.

As I kissed her again, I scanned her whole body with my hands. She was marvellous! I wanted to kiss her more, but there was a long list of other things—fantasies—to be done as well. I lifted her and unhooked her bra. She gave the wickedest smile ever. It was encouraging. I kissed her left shoulder, dropping one of the straps of her bra. She moaned, full of passion. I had just taken my lips to her right shoulder when her phone buzzed.

‘Keep doing it—but don’t make any sound,’ she laughed, trying to pull her phone out from the back pocket of her jeans, which was not an easy task as I was lying on top of her.

I continued with my kisses.

I kissed her shoulder, her cleavage, her stomach—but then, all of a sudden, her moaning and seductive responses were gone. I heard her talk, but I did not bother stopping—I was busy feasting on her body.

Yes . . . no . . . it’s fine . . . yes . . . She was responding gravely. I thought it was her dad on the phone.

After a minute or so, she dropped the phone in bed and lay still. I was expecting her to moan again, wrap her arms around me, encourage me to go on—but she went rigid.

‘What’s wrong?’ Her expressions drained me of all the feelings I was having in the moment. I saw a tear escape her left eye and disappear in her hair. ‘Hey . . . what’s the matter?’ I asked, worried, quickly sitting up.

She sat back with me and sniffed.

‘I am sorry,’ she cried and left the bed.

‘Please tell me what happened?’ I too left the bed and took her in my arms. But she pushed me away.

‘Who was on the phone? Your dad?’

She just shook her head dismissing the question. ‘I am sorry,’ she cried and pulled her shirt from the floor. Before I could understand what the hell was wrong with her in a single phone call, she began dressing up. ‘I am sorry . . . I am just . . .’ she did not even finish her statement and started to run out of the room.

‘Alia—wait.’ I held her hand midway.

‘Please. Let me go. I beg you,’ she cried more and more. I tried to pull her to me to hug her and help her calm down, but she pulled her hand back and ran away from me.

A few seconds later, my phone rang. It was an SMS. And it was from Alia: I am sorry. I will call you when I am fine. Please give me some time.

Panic raced through me— why does she need time? Time for what? And who the fuck called her? Hundreds and thousands of thoughts crossed my mind in that one moment.

I dialled her number, but her phone was now switched off.

Having been left with no other option, I fell in bed and did not realize when I fell asleep, waiting for her call.