“I have missed you, Karishma,” Akash hissed as he kissed her once again. She just smiled in return. “You haven’t, it seems,” he said with a tinge of disappointment.

Getting into bed with him was a bad idea, Karishma thought to herself. In last two years, she hadn’t had much time to think about people beyond her family. Her father had suffered a paralysis attack soon after she had started her masters. His job as an accountant with a small private firm hadn’t left them particularly well off. After paralysis he had lost even that. Kunal was too young. Karishma had considered trying to get a job right away. But finishing masters would give an advantage, they had decided. They dug into savings, and supplemented it with the tuitions she gave. But they often ran out of money for her father’s medicines. Meanwhile, her mother had started showing signs of Asthma and other breathing troubles, for which she wouldn’t even see the doctor. Where was the money? Things were better now that she had a job and…

But she had to give him a satisfactory answer right now. “It’s not that, Akash. Just that… our paths had separated. And I had things to take care of.”

“You haven’t, then!”

“Akash! We had decided…”

“Forget it. Do you want to get some dinner? We could go out, or order in.”

“No Akash. I need to be home for dinner. Mummy is expecting me.”

“Will you call me when you are free? My work is taking off very slowly. So, I am still quite at leisure.”

“Sure. I will.”

She put on her clothes and leaned towards him for a kiss. “Bye Akash.”

“Bye Karishma.”

—

Siddhartha hugged her, when Krystal walked into his hotel room. “It’s good to see you,” he said warmly.

“Same here,” she wasn’t faking. Despite telling herself not to do so, she had grown comfortable in their bizarre relationship. Was it because it was too convenient for her? All the money without having to sleep with him? Or was there something about him that attracted and comforted her? He might want sex any day. And she wouldn’t have the right to deny him. Why didn’t he want it? Among other things she had considered the possibility of him being gay, or even impotent. But she had felt his arousal at times, when he held her close, or when they cuddled. Why then? It was a mystery she was dying to solve, but was afraid of taking the first step towards. Except for the uncertainty, it was comfortable as it was.

“I haven’t had dinner. Would you like to go downstairs? To the restaurant?” he asked.

She hesitated. She had met him for coffee under exceptional circumstances. But going out with him was not a part of the deal.

He sensed that. “Or I could just order room service.”

“No!” she interjected, “Let’s go.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah.”

He felt his coat pocket after locking the door. “I forgot my phone. Give me a minute.”

“Yeah.” She waited outside while he got the phone.

“Karishma!” she jumped in surprise on hearing the name, “What are you doing here?”

Her mouth went dry and she stared at him tongue-tied.

“What’s up? I came here to meet a client…” he was oblivious to her condition.

“I am sorry to keep you waiting, Krystal. I didn’t remember where I had kept the phone…” Siddhartha came out apologizing. Then noticed Akash and fell silent.

“Krystal?” Akash looked at both of them confused, and then the realization dawned on him. “Oh my God! You are a… Unbelievable.” His face reddened in anger. He shot a hateful glance at her and strode off.

“Are you okay?” Siddhartha asked her.

Karishma took a deep breath and said weakly, “Give me a minute.”

He nodded.

She ran after Akash. He was still waiting for the lift.

“Akash. Listen to me.”

“No. Thanks. I don’t have to hear any explanations.”

“I’m not offering any explanations. I only need a favour.”

“Sure. You would be an expert in asking for those…”

“You will not understand what I am doing and why. But please. Don’t tell anyone.”

He smiled sardonically, “Don’t worry. I have better things to do than discussing the lives of whores with people.” The lift had come and he walked into it. Karishma swallowed the insult and fought the urge to cry out in her defence. But what could she say?

Siddhartha was in the room when she came back.

“I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to come out with me…”

“It was my choice,” she found her voice failing and coughed to clear her throat.

“If you want to leave…”

“Aren’t we going to the restaurant?”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. She wasn’t meeting his eyes all this while. He stood hesitating for a moment; then went along with it. “Let’s go.”

She was touched when he tried to lift up her mood with his office stories and jokes while eating. She didn’t leave directly from the restaurant, although it was time, and came back with him to the room. She kept the envelope he had given her for the day on the table and said, “I really appreciate, Mr. Sen, that you tried to make me feel good. But it is my job to cheer you up and give you a pleasant company. Not the other way round. I can’t take this tonight.”

He frowned and thrust the envelope back in her hands, “I pay for the company of a woman, not that of a robot.” She couldn’t hide her tears as she quietly walked out of the room.

—

“Have you seen the time? What kind of tuition goes on so late in the evening?” her mother was furious. Her timing was becoming a matter of contention between the mother and daughter for a while now. Karishma had dodged it till now and had avoided talking back to her. But today she was already exhausted – emotionally as well as physically. She couldn’t hold back.

“Mummy. At least I run this house. I make sure that you and Papa get your medicines and Kunal pays his school fees. I am not like you. You couldn’t earn a penny after Papa lost his job. Don’t judge me by your standards.”

She locked herself in her room to avoid her sobbing mother and didn’t come out until morning. Even then they didn’t talk. She quietly had her breakfast before leaving for school.

—

To be continued