by Amit Khan
“How can you being with me prove helpful, Shinaya?”
“You are right,” I confessed. “I can’t change the worsening situation. But I think we should face the consequences together. It is better that you have company rather than going alone. And one more thing!”
“What?”
“Carry your revolver all the time…what’s the use keeping it under pillow?”
I took out his Smith & Wesson from my coat pocket and offered him.
“Oh Shinaya!” Tilak hugged me lovingly. “You really care for me.”
“Of course,” I caressed his face. “Who else will do that for you?”
Tilak kissed me and his embrace got tighter.
“Now keep this revolver in your pocket.
Tilak did as I told him.
“I am glad you are here with me, Shinaya and I am so proud to have you as my wife.”
I smiled softly.
He didn’t know what a loving wife I was! And he had no idea such a big trouble he had created for himself by marrying me!
He was not letting me out of his embrace. In fact Tilak pulled me closer. His fingers started working on my back.
He pressed his eager lips on mine. His breathing was getting heavy. His eyes were filled with mischief. Even I started feeling warmth rushing through my body.
“Oh Tilak! What are you doing?” I complained and pushed him away. “Not now. It’s not night and we are not in bed.”
“I know darling…it’s daytime,” Tilak smiled. “Who said we can’t have fun in daytime?”
Tilak wanted to have more.
“Enough,” I said and backed off. “And listen to me carefully.”
“Yes.”
“I am going down to office. You get ready and join me there.”
“Ok boss,” he said with a salute. “As you wish!”
I nudged him lovingly before smiling and leaving.
●
I was more alert than ever.
All that naughtiness, smile and emotional words were a façade.
Sheer drama!
I rushed towards elevator after talking to Tilak.
Next moment I was inside and closed the door.
I pressed ground floor button. Lift descended with a smooth speed.
It was time to play my first card, take my first step in my plan to finish Tilak. It took a couple of minutes for elevator to reach ground floor.
I was in hallway. It was deserted. I walked to the room of my interest. The room right in front of elevator. It was an empty room. I opened its lock. Key was not a difficult issue.
Actually Tilak had a master key which opened most of the locks in hotel. I found the key in same cupboard where Tilak had kept important documents.
I got in and closed the door behind me.
There was a window- a glass window through which lift could be clearly seen.
I took out pistol from my coat pocket and checked its chamber. Four bullets! I set the chamber and closed it. One inch of open glass window; that was all I needed.
Just enough for pistol to do its job.
Then I waited courageously.
●
Few anxious minutes passed by.
Lift moved upwards at ten o’clock sharp. Tilak had called it.
I adjusted my pistol through glass-window and concentrated hard.
Soon Tilak was going to be downstairs.
I felt uncomfortable; bit of choking sensation and cold feet. I focused on red indicator of lift. It lit up after few minutes. Then the panel started flashing numbers.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
Lift was coming down.
My finger caressed trigger of pistol. I stared at indicator without blinking. Lift stopped at ground floor with slight jerk. Door opened. Tilak was standing inside wearing white coat and trouser with a blue tie. He was looking handsome.
As soon as he stepped outside, I pressed the trigger.
Loud gunshot sounded in hallway followed by a painful shriek of Tilak.
I moved fast. I closed the window, pocketed my gun and ran towards door. Within fraction of second I came out and locked the door with master key.
●
Gunshot was heard all over the hotel. There was stampede in that hallway which was deserted few moments back. I was by Tilak’s side looking pale with shock and fear. I noticed that the bullet had pierced his shoulder and there was lot of bleeding. He was suffering.
“Tilak,” I panicked. “Tilak…”
“I am fine,” Tilak supported his shoulder with other hand and said painfully. “Fine. Nothing happened to me.”
Three persons reached before others. One of them was manager and other two were bell boys.
They were horrified with that sight.
“Who shot at you?” manager yelled. “Who was that?”
“Don’t know…” Tilak managed to stand up and said, “I walked out of lift and the bullet hit me from somewhere.”
“I saw the man who fired,” I said in a tone mixed with fear and anxiety.
Manager turned to me.
“He was wearing coat and pant,” I described, “but he was looking like a criminal. I saw him running in that direction.”
I pointed to other side of hallway. Two bell boys sprinted in that direction.
“Is it only the shoulder where the bullet hit you, right sir?” manager observed Tilak’s wound and asked.
“Yes.”
“Thank god.”
There were more footsteps and voices of people arriving in hallway.
Manager looked worried.
“I think,” He said, “the gunshot was heard by many people. Soon there will be a crowd here. If this news spreads among guests, it would mean disaster. Such a shooting incident will be bad for hotel’s reputation, if the word got out.”
“What should we do?” I asked impatiently.
“We can do one thing.”
“What?”
“You take Tilak sir upstairs right now. I will control situation down here. Once everything is settled, I will join you.”
“All right.”
I helped Tilak support his shoulder and entered the lift with him. As door was closing I saw the two bell boys return.
“Did you find that bastard?” manager asked them.
“There was no one in that direction.”
“He must have escaped.”
I pressed uppermost button and elevator began sliding up.
“Didn’t I tell you?” I said as soon as lift moved. “You must be careful now. Sawant Bhai is desperate. He has targeted you.”
Tilak nodded in agreement.
●
Tilak was resting in bedroom. There was still some pain on his face.
Manager and two bell boys were present. They had just come up.
“It was a narrow escape, today,” manager said buttoning his coat absent-mindedly. He looked disturbed.
“What happened?” Tilak asked.
“All guests were sure that they heard gunfire. I convinced them that it was not. I had to try very hard. Finally they accepted that there was no gunshot.”
“Then what sound was that?”
“I explained them that it was a car backfire. It sounds exactly like a gunshot. Sounds like a blast sometimes! They believed me. One of the customers was still not convinced.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he heard a man scream. If it was a car backfire how was it followed by a scream?”
“Then?”
“I told him that he had misunderstood.”
“Did he accept?” I asked.
“Not easily. But then I asked him ‘would everything down here be normal had there been a bullet fired in premises? Do you see any chaos?’ he calmed down after hearing that. No more questions came from him.”
Indeed it would have been a greater disaster.
The manager pulled up a chair and sat beside Tilak.
“Have you called any doctor?”
“Yes,” I said, “I made a phone call. Doctor will be here soon.”
“Perfect.”
Manager started observing the wound closely. Bleeding was stillcontinuing, although not very profuse.
“Can you move your hand?”
“Yeah,” Tilak moved it slightly to check. “I can. Pain, that’s all there is!
“Everything will be just fine. Thank god the bullet grazed past you and is not stuck in the muscle or hit the bone. Otherwise it would have taken months to heal.”
“I will be back,” I said suddenly.
“Where are you going?” Tilak asked.
“In a minute…wait.”
I walked out of bedroom. When I returned, there was a meter long piece of cloth in my hand.
“What will you do with it, madam?” manager asked.
“I will tie this on his shoulder on upper side of wound,” I explained like an expert. “That way poison will not spread in body. It will also help stop bleeding. Till doctor arrives, it will help control the damage.”
“Very good. That is very thoughtful,” manager admired me as I moved beside bed.
“Raise your hand very slightly and slowly.”
Tilak obeyed.
I passed the rope underneath and tied the rope on upper side of wound.
It showed effect immediately. Bleeding slowed down and then stopped. I swabbed away remaining blood on Tilak’s shoulder.
I was so busy attending him that no one would have believed that it was me who had shot him.
I was nursing the wound that I had given him.
●
It was time for an important move. Like playing a trump card!
It was an important and planned move.
Everyone was in bedroom and they were going to be there for some more time. I came out and reached drawing hall.
I picked up receiver and dialed Tilak’s number.
I was going according to my plan.
There was ring on other side.
Tilak’s weak voice was heard. I placed a thick cloth on mouth-piece.
“Is this Tilak Rajkotia?” I tried to sound like a man.
“Yes, I am.”
I laughed.
I was speaking in heavy tone and the cloth was adding more hoarseness. So my voice was unrecognizable.
“Who are you?” Tilak asked.
“I am the person who just fired a shot at you.”
“N…no!” Tilak trembled. “Why did you…what have I done to you?”
“Nothing. But you have disappointed Sawant Bhai and I work for him.”
There was no reply from other side.
“The bullet that hit you in shoulder, Tilak Rajkotia,” I growled, “could have gone straight through your head bursting it like a pumpkin. Don’t think I missed my aim. I never miss. This is a second chance Sawant Bhai is giving you.”
“What chance?”
“If you plan to live a long life…then hand over the hotel and penthouse to Sawant Bhai.”
“You people…have you gone mad?”
“No we haven’t, but I think you have lost all your senses, you moron,” I continued my threatening manly tone with the choicest of swear words that I had learned at the Foras Road. “Along with wealth, have you also lost your mind? Listen carefully, Tilak Rajkotia. If you do not hand over your property to Sawant Bhai soon, many your body will be riddled with bullets.”
“But…”
I did not care to continue.
I simply disconnected it.
My job was done.
●
I came back to bedroom. I could sense the prevalent panic.
Tilak was in bad shape. Not just the wound! He was in a shock and sweating heavily. Phone was still in his lap.
“What happened?” I asked innocently. “Why are you all so disturbed?”
Nobody said a word.
I walked closer to Tilak and asked him softly, “What happened? Please tell me.”
“Someone working for Sawant Bhai had just called.”
“And?”
“You were right, Shinaya,” Tilak sighed. “It was Sawant Bhai’s man. He shot at me.”
“What are they saying now?”
“What else? They are pressurizing me to hand over this property to them. They are saying…’This was just a trailer…’ Next time they will finish me, they say.”
I sat down on bed and pretended to be disturbed by the events.
“If you ask me, sir,” hotel manager said, “you should report this incidence to police. Officially you should tell them about Sawant Bhai and file a report against him.”
“No,” I immediately reacted. “Going to police is not sensible.”
“Why?” manager protested. “What’s the harm in that? If we file a case then Sawant Bhai will be on back foot. It will teach him a lesson and send a message that such actions will not be ignored. This city is not his playground where he can send anyone with a gun and open fire at respectable people.”
“Still I think, it will not be good to take this matter to police,” I insisted. “Police can hardly help in such cases. And filing a report will harm us.”
“What?”
“We will be officially Sawant Bhai’s enemy.”
Manager remained silent.
“Shinaya is right,” Tilak agreed with me. “We can’t go to police. There is one more serious problem in that. Filing a detailed report will be like suicide.”
“What?”
“How can you not see it? So far very few people know about my bankruptcy. If we tell police everything, it won’t take long for this entire city to find that out. Media will feast on it.”
The matter offFiling a police case was adjourned there and then.
That was good for me.
Doctor arrived with his bag. As soon as he came he gave instructions and got busy in treating the wound. Even he was mentioning F.I.R. He kept on telling us that treating patient secretly in such a case is illegal.
●
19
Sex to Nirvana
That night was a dramatic affair.
Dramatic and memorable.
I was in deep sleep when Tilak woke me up. He pulled me near and brought me to senses. He said he wanted me.
It was a satisfying feeling for me.
That night I felt like his wife for the first time. Only a husband can say that to his wife. Nobody has to wake up a call girl. She is ready for her customer all the time. If customer wakes her up for sex that means her business is running well. After all it is her way of making money for living. Just like other people have other businesses.
Anyway, Tilak waking me up was an opportunity for me.
Tilak was already charged up. I could feel the heat of his body. The only other guy I had seen with so much heat was Sardar Kartar Singh.
“You are in mood today,” I rustled in his embrace.
“Yes, I am,” Tilak said. “I want you tonight. Want you like crazy!”
“Who’s stopping you?”
I smiled.
It is true though that even during those hot sensuous moments I had not forgotten that slap. Because of that slap all that was left in my mind for him was hatred.
Tilak was on fire. He was kissing me all over. He was stronger and harsher than ever. We were glued to one another. It was impossible to make out who was holding whom.
My body was pinned hard against his chest. It was such a pleasure.
My condition was strange.
I was making love to the guy I hated. I was playing with the body that I had fired at.
“You know what?” Tilak kissed me again and said.
“What?”
I curled against his chest. I did not want him to realize my true feelings.
“Darling,” he said while playing with my hair. “There is only one way to control a beautiful woman.”
“What is that?” I asked suspiciously.
“Well,” Tilak to
ok a deep breath and confessed. “Nobody knows it. Even I don’t know.”
I could not help laughing.
His fingers were tickling my back. I was feeling hot flushes rising inside my body.
Suddenly Tilak pulled the knot on my gown. Tilak stared at me as if he was looking at it for the first time. My breathing was getting faster and hotter. It felt like molten lava of desire was running through my veins.
Tilak continued to take off my clothes one after another. For a moment I resisted to entice him further and then gave up the resistance.
“Everytime,” Tilak caressed my overflowing breasts and said. “Everytime you look more beautiful.”
“That’s how a woman should be,” I kissed him and said, “everytime more beautiful. Everytime like new. Everytime satisfying.”
He pulled me near. His warm breaths were scalding my body.
Oblivious to everything else I was enjoying his intimacy. Those moments were magical. His adorable naughtiness was working well for me. My heart was racing against his.
Soon Tilak got impatient and made me completely naked.
●
I had not had sex in many days.
Today I was playing with all my skills.
May be having that pleasure very early in life and then doing it so many times had led to a weakness in me. If I did not get intimate with a man for two to three days, I used to get restless. It was like any other addiction. Just like an alcoholic craves for his drink or druggy goes crazy for his joint. Last few days I was struggling. Tonight as soon as Tilak touched me, I got out of control.
Our game was advancing when suddenly I folded my knees and pulled him up so that I could feel him up close. I hugged him so snugly that he may have almost choked.
I was unstoppable.
“What’s on your mind, darling?” Tilak asked.
“I want to kill you.”
“You already have, my dear.”
“No,” I firmly repeated. “I really want to kill you.”
Tilak laughed at my words. He thought I was kidding.
“You know what,” he caressed my back and said, “Nymphomaniacs talk like that during sex. Do you know what nymphomaniac is?”
“No.”
“Nymphomaniac means a woman having abnormal and uncontrollable sexual desire; a woman who is satisfied by nothing else. She would gets overexcited and talk obsessively during love-making.”