Sanjay turned his car into a small dirt pathway that was cleared to the side that opened up into a big clearing made for parking. Some cars and a couple of minibuses were already parked there. They looked out of place in this place surrounded by lush greenery. Here too the ground was damp and muddy due to some recent rain. I groaned at the thought of walking through this in the fancy stilettos with pointed heels I was wearing. It would be even more of a task to walk up the stone pathway that leads up to the resort buildings.
As I stepped out of the car, I was momentarily taken aback at the feeling of sudden chill that assaulted my senses which was very different from the comfortable coldness of the air conditioner inside the car. I shivered as I got caught in the cool breeze that was blowing outside, feeling it punishing me for daring to come here in this skimpy dress that left so much of my skin in open contact with the air. I felt that coldness on the bare skin of my arms, neck, and belly like the prickling of tiny needles that were injecting chilliness into my very veins.
I looked at Sanjay jealously who was shrugging on a thick jacket over his already thick full sleeve t-shirt not even bothering to offer it to me even though he has clearly seen my predicament. Instead, all he gave me was a smug YOU DESERVE IT FOR BEING SO DUMB look.
I huffed and quickly picked up my duffel bag and started walking ahead of him with ginger steps so as to not get my saree dirty on my way towards the resort. We must have walked a few yards when I realized something was amiss.
“Oh Shit !! Sanjay !!” I said coming to a sudden halt. “I think I left my phone inside the car.” I said disgruntled with myself for making yet another dumb careless mistake. He threw me another exasperated expression.
“For God's sake Deepika!! Are you determined to waste as much of my time today or what?”
“If you are in such a hurry just give me the keys and go on ahead. I will walk back and get it myself.” I said staring daggers at him.
He looked like he wanted to argue. Then he just threw me the car keys which I scrambled for a bit awkwardly to catch, dropping my bag into the muddy ground in the process. Sanjay picked up the bag quickly before it got even dirtier and said sarcastically.
“I will carry this. Please don't leave those keys inside the car as well. We need it to go back.”
“HA HA very funny” I retorted and stomped away turning my back to him. Inside I hoped he would wait until I came back. I didn’t want to enter the resort alone. Still, my ego didn’t let me turn back and look. Not until I have reached all the way to the car.
And he was nowhere to be found. In fact, I seemed to be the only living soul in the parking lot now. I took a deep breath, opened the car door, got inside, and just screamed, at the top of my lungs, venting out all my frustration and beating the hell out of the steering wheel.
That felt good. I sighed and rested my head against the steering wheel for a while gathering myself. Suddenly there was a knock on my window. I looked up startled. A blurred face of a man loomed outside the fog-tinted window. He rubbed on the glass trying to remove the fog to peek inside. I cursed myself under my breath and lowered the glass. I thought there was nobody within earshot and the car would muffle the noise from going outside too much. Clearly, I was wrong.
“Are you alright mam?” the man asked concerned.
“Oh yea ! I am good. I was just…..ummm....it's just….a cockroach !! a cockroach jumped on me and I got scared” I answered flustered and embarrassed scrambling to find excuses for my odd behavior.
“Deepika? Is that you?”
I started at being addressed by my name and did a double take at the man. It took me only a few seconds to recognize that handsome face.
“Faizal?? “ I asked in surprise.
“Wow. So it is you.” A gorgeous grin spread across his face happy at being recognized by me. Faizal used to be my senior in my old college. Though we have never interacted with each other much we have always been very much aware of each other’s existence. He used to be one of my secret admirers. I smiled widely at him and got out of the car.
“What are you doing here?”
“Was about to ask you the same thing”
“I just arrived here with my husband. He organized a getaway here for his colleagues. He went inside ahead of me a few minutes ago. I left my phone here in my car, so had to rush back.”
“And got attacked by a cockroach while you were at it?” he asked laughing.
“Uh ..huh.. Yeaa..it just flew at me out of nowhere. Must have flew inside when I opened the door earlier to get out.” I answered animatedly complete with action hoping he would buy it.
“So it must be still inside. Do you want me to get rid of it for you?”
“Oh don’t bother. I have killed it. By the way you haven’t said what you are doing here.” I asked trying to change the subject.
“Oh! I am here on an office trip as well. “ He said nonchalantly.
Then suddenly his eyes grew wide as he noticed the car beside me.
“Wait a minute! This is Sanjay’s sir’s car. Don’t tell me you are his wife.” he said looking at me in wonder.
“As a matter of fact, I am. How do you know ….ah !! “ I trailed off as it suddenly dawned on me that Faizal must be working at my husband’s company as well.
We were now both looking at each other with newfound wonder now. If only I showed more interest in Sanjay’s work affairs I would have found out about my secret admirer from college working at my husband’s office.
“I am surprised you not only recognized me but know my name as well,” Faizal said pleased.
I smiled back at him a little embarrassedly. I couldn’t blame him for thinking that. I used to be pretty arrogant back in my college days due to my popularity and good looks. I was very much aware of most of my open and secret admirers and I spent all my college years pretending they didn’t exist or treating them as though they were beneath me. I took great pride in dating the rich and popular guys of the college and enjoyed the vanity that came with it. Faizal was one of those silent admirers that preferred to watch me from distance longingly. He has never dared to approach me either probably because he thought I was out of his league or because I always used to hang out with the popular crowd in college. A pity since he was one of the very few whose attention I actually used to enjoy. That is why I easily remembered him though we have never talked to each other before.
“Could tell you the same thing.” I teased.
“Oh come on. There wasn’t a single person in college who didn’t know who you were. You were the college beauty queen. I on the other hand was a nobody. “
“Nobody? You are kidding, right? If anybody was anything it was you. Football team captain…. party leader….. How could I not recognize the person who single-handedly organized more than half the strikes that ever happened in our college.” I said laughing.
“Ah! That’s how you know me!” he said, sounding a little relieved. I smiled inwardly. He was still under the impression I have never noticed his stares and sideways glances in college.
“Yes. Still, I must say you have changed a lot. Nothing like the rowdy wiry guy I remember. You look good.“ I said eyeing him appreciatively. It was indeed true. Back when I knew him in college he was a tall wiry guy with a shabby hairstyle and disheveled appearance due to the hapless way he used to wear his shirts with a few buttons unbuttoned at the top. Now however he was looking pretty dapper in a maroon hoodie and camouflage cargo pants. His frame looked bulkier and his jawline chiseled beneath his fancily trimmed beard. His hair was longer, almost shoulder length and looked nicely conditioned. I used to find him quite cute even back in college days. But now he looked downright irresistible.
A slight blush rose in his cheek at the compliment. He ran his hand through his wavy shoulder-length hair with a little shyness and said adorably. “Right back at you. You look even more beautiful now than I remember. ” I felt my own cheeks heating up at the compliment as I felt him eyeing me up and down appreciatively. His eyes paused just a second longer on my exposed hip. For some reason, his appreciative glance at my midriff filled my stomach with butterflies.
“Is that so? “ I asked with a naughty grin and cocked my hips to the side letting my navel come into plain view. I don’t know what possessed me to do that.
A tingle went down my spine filling my belly with butterflies as I saw his eyes widen and darken with desire at the sight of my navel.
“Well, you look quite dashing yourself with your new get-up. Quite a changeover from that old shabby Faizal I remember” I said grinning feeling pleased at finally getting the reaction that craved from someone since morning.
“Yes..well...Ummm...I mean thanks!” he said flusteredly wrenching his eyes from my midsection to look at my face.
The effect I had on him was like a balm to my injured self-confidence. I took a moment to relish in that small sense of power before standing properly and covering my midriff better with my pallu. After all, for all my attraction towards him, I was still a married woman and was here with my husband. I didn’t want to give him any wrong ideas.
“By the way what were you doing outside all by yourself.” I asked changing the subject.
“Oh I just came out to look around and have a smoke. Most of the men have already broke out their bottles and started to drink up there. I didn’t want to get drunk yet. So I thought I would come out and explore the surroundings a bit. By the way aren’t you feeling cold in that?“ he asked indicating my saree.
“Oh yea. I am freezing.” I said crossing my arms and rubbing my shoulder. A cold wind blew at that moment making me shiver even more.
“I hope you have brought some thicker clothes. It's only going to get worse towards the night.”
“Don’t know about thick. But I did bring some spare clothes for the night.” I said thinking of the t-shirt and shorts I had brought along wear for the night. “To be honest when Sanjay told me about this jungle resort trip my brain only registered the resort part and totally omitted the jungle bit. And I had no idea it was going to be high range too on top of that. By the time I realized it, it was already too late. And so here I am at the middle of nowhere looking as though I just came out of a wedding function.”
Faizal laughed “Well the dress may not be suitable for the occasion but it certainly looks damn good on you.” I grinned at him feeling slightly better. “But if you haven’t brought anything warmer I have a spare sweater in my room. It may be a bit oversized for you but would keep you warm.”
“Thank you. I will keep that in mind in case I can’t find anything I can borrow from Sanjay’s luggage bag.“ Just then a strong wind blew making my saree flutter and shift it violently off my torso exposing the full expanse my bare stomach. The large tree whose shade we were standing under swayed making the leaves drop all the leftover raindrops it were carrying over myself and Faizal like a mini 5 sec rainfall.
“Zzzzzzzzzzz…” I hissed involuntarily shrugging up my shoulders and squeezing my eyes shut as I felt the cold drops of water on my face, neck, back, and belly. I just stood like that shivering for a few seconds waiting for the wind to subside. Once it did I slowly opened my eyes to find Faizal standing there with his eyes transfixed on my belly like he was witnessing one of the most beautiful sights he ever beheld. I didn’t have to look down to know what has captured his undivided attention like that. My belly was not only fully exposed but was sprinkled with hundreds of tiny raindrops courtesy of the wind. I could feel some drops still trickling down my curves. I felt paralyzed and rooted on the spot by the sheer intensity of his lusty gaze on my belly, my ego refusing to let me move my limps to cover myself back up as it drank in his attention. I became acutely aware of a single large drop that was moving in a straight line right down the center of my belly and I could tell his eyes were following its path waiting for the moment it reached its destination. Instinctively I slightly pulled in my belly easing the movement of that aspiring raindrop and hissed again in pleasure as I felt it entering my navel. Faizal’s expression was priceless. A look of pure exhilaration and wonder at having witnessed something staggeringly sensual. I smiled pleased and happy at his unabashed show of interest on a part of my body that I held so dear to me and reluctantly adjusted my pallu back in place although haphazardly.
Faizal blinked as though coming out of a daze and slowly looked up to my face and grinned sheepishly seeing my knowing smirk.
“It's probably going to rain soon. We should get inside.” he said more to break that awkward moment than out of any real concern for rain.
“Yea! You are right. Let's go.” I say nodding grateful for that subtlety and start walking slowly towards the resort buildings.
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