by Simi K. Rao
He was on the balcony hotly arguing with somebody on the phone when she sneaked out. Pumps in one hand, clutch in the other, she raced to the elevator barefoot, her frayed breath not settling till she lost herself in the hoopla of the casino floor.
Like a scene right out of a gangster movie, or for that matter a sci-fi flick, the place was a dazzling kaleidoscope of color, sound, and smoke, a virtual feast for her uninitiated eyes. Long sinuous backs, which leaned tense over roulette tables, clashed with row upon row of robotic human heads glued seriously to the eerie glowing slot machines. The constant drone of beeps, whirrs, and bells peppered by the jackpot roar of coins pouring out was an instant inducement. Caught in the tumult, she frisked through her purse only to discover small change; Shaan had confiscated all the plastic.
“The clever bastard! But of course! What else could I expect?” Feeling furious, bummed, and truly trapped, she barged through the glass doors of what looked like an upscale lounge, an oasis of safety and calm in the midst of a treacherous desert, where she hoped to purge and revamp her unsettled mind.
Or so she thought.
“A beautiful woman should never be left alone. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Whatever gave you the idea, you creep!” Ruhi said.
Without stopping to think, she grabbed the glass of iced hard liquor in front of her and tossed it at the intruder who happened to be a beefy and very much inebriated white man in a loud Hawaiian aloha shirt.
He spluttered, his round pudgy face turning the color of beet. “You screwy bitch!”
She stepped back as a huge paw grabbed for her, missing by several inches.
“What gives you the right to meddle with my woman, you rotten scoundrel!”
A well-placed jab in the solar plexus had the oversized creature doubled up and on the ground in no time, howling with pain.
Her husband then turned to her, unbelievable in a black dinner jacket, his fingers reaching tenderly for her cheek. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, too shaken to speak.
“Your woman is bloody crazy! She needs professional help!” The clumsy oaf hollered as a pair of gorillas in uniform dragged him away.
“Hmm…” Shaan grinned, blocking her way as she drifted toward the exit. “So what did the poor sucker do to invite the wrath of my sweet-natured mate.”
“He…he made a lewd suggestion.”
“So this is how you’ll treat anyone who dares to do the same?” Shaan asked.
His eyes sparkled with mischief while hedging her close to an elaborate gold column.
“Perhaps, I’m not sure,” she said distractedly, putting up an arm to steady herself, having lost all feeling in her legs.
“There…don’t collapse on me now,” he said, bracing her against his own length. “Did you take more than a few sips of the drink?”
“No…maybe I should have.” She stumbled, pushing him away. “It might have helped ease the pain of the thorn twisting in my side.”
“Ruhi!” His hands gripped her tight as he breathed hard, and his lips compressed into a thin straight line, wishing to chastise and love her at the same time. His eyes drew shut for a brief moment. “You are not thinking straight, irrational anger is clouding your judgment. You need to wind down, relax. Perhaps then you will get where I’m coming from.”
Her chin lifted in impertinence. “Oh, go to hell. Give me back my credit cards!”
He laughed. “You can’t wheedle them from me, sweetheart. Remember they are mine and so are you. Don’t expect me to give up on either this quick, especially the latter who happens to be quite enticing. Come now, we have a long night ahead of us.”
Before she could say a single word in protest, Ruhi was swept away into an evening of enchantment.
They were ushered into a theater. Shaan informed her it was a recreation of a Paris opera house with plush red seats, golden statues, a hand-painted ceiling and opera boxes lining the sides.
“Am I dressed appropriately?” she asked, observing the people in the boxes were dressed in period costumes.
He followed her line of sight and grinned. “They are mannequins, no two are alike, and they tend to fool a lot of people. Me too, had I not read about them beforehand.”
She sat in her front row seat grimly determined not to enjoy the show, but her efforts were in vain. Soon she found herself transported into the classic tale of unrequited love. The music by the live orchestra and the singing held her spellbound, and the myriad special effects including the pyrotechnics, the ghostly staircase, and phantom boat made her feel as though she was part of the play.
And to top it all, she screamed in terror, clutching at his arm when a huge chandelier dropped from the ceiling coming to a halt just a few feet above their heads.
***
“So how was it? I saw you had tears in your eyes.”
They were seated at a French restaurant in an exquisite garden setting with live music in the background.
“Yes, I was moved to the core. Love hurts.”
“Not always, I promise.” He placed a warm hand over hers and was pleased to not see her recoil.
“Monsieur, madame, ready to order?” the waiter asked.
“Ladies first.”
She made a face. Everything on the menu seemed terribly complicated and indigestible. “I will have…umm…the salad with Fuji apples, walnuts, and the red wine vinaigrette.”
“I will have the same,” Shaan said, and the waiter walked away with their orders.
“I didn’t know that was your choice, too!”
“Did I say it was?”
“Then why?” she asked.
“It saves time.”
“But I thought you loved whatever I cooked, or so you had me believe.”
“I do, damnit! Don’t act like a petulant child. What I meant to say is, it’s okay in a relationship to have differences as long as we agree on one basic thing.”
“Like what?” she asked, tilting her head to one side while sipping her strawberry daiquiri.
“Like I want to spend the rest of my life with you and no one else. About that, I have absolutely no doubt at all, and I’m sure you don’t either.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Well Ruhi…weren’t you the one who said if it wasn’t me, it wouldn’t be anyone else? And that would be such a waste, especially after finding that we both are exceedingly compatible.”
She flushed but didn’t look away. “That is not enough. You can’t have sex all day and night and do nothing else. A marriage comes with responsibilities.”
“Exactly! And I am pretty sure we can handle both of those together. By the way, you are very blunt with your opinions. I like that.” He chuckled, amused.
“Well…yes, I am. Maybe this is helping?” She stared quizzically at her drink. “What’s in it? It is making me feel weird but a good weird.” She smiled, slightly tipsy. “Everything is a nice hazy blur.”
“Gosh! You didn’t order it virgin. They must have laced it with rum or something.”
“It’s fine. In fact, I like it very much. I want more.” She downed the rest of her drink in a gulp. “Can I have a refill please?” She waved to a passing waitress.
Shaan signaled a subtle no.
“Why? Why can’t I have more? Don’t people drink to drown their sorrows? I want to be happy, too!”
“I’ll make you happy without the assistance of artificial agents, if you’d only trust me.”
She giggled. “Later, but there’s one thing I must tell you before I forget…that you are a knockout kisser!
“My husband is one hell of a kisser!” She staggered to her feet announcing aloud. A few heads turned their way, taking notice.
“Sorry, my wife has had a long day.” He caught her before she took a tumble down some steps, then w
hispered gruffly in her ear, “Ruhi, you are drunk. Let’s go to our room.”
“Noooo! I’m loving this. The night is so beautiful, like a psychedelic dream. Hold me close, dance with me please?” she whimpered wistfully against his chest.
He relented, sighing, drawing her head gently to rest on his shoulder, then swung with her to the tune of a haunting ballad.
Why do these songs always reflect how I feel?
Burrowing his face in her neck, he inhaled deeply of her distinct scent. She was his, every single lovely inch, and he couldn’t let her go.
She stirred in his embrace and planted a tender kiss on his chest. “So nice to be in the arms of your lover, safe and secure, without a care in this world.”
Feeling a familiar thirst stir within as her soft curves brushed against his rugged frame, he pulled her roughly to himself.
She lifted her face to his, her eyes glazed and glorious. “Shaan, I…”
“Yes?” he asked eagerly.
Then without notice, an angelic smile on her face, she slumped unconscious in his arms.
Anguish
Ruhi stood at the foot of the bed, the huge king-sized one with red heart-shaped cushions scattered all over it and watched incredulous as a huge bat swooped down on the scantily clad prostrate figure of a girl dressed in thin muslin.
“She’s dead, drained clean! Nothing’s left in her!”
Ruhi winced as the screeching noise pierced her eardrums. “There she is!”
Her eyes flew open to see the frightening creature pointing to her, bearing a ravenous leer on its masked, disfigured face, yet it was one she would never forget. Those blood-red lips were unmistakable…
“There you are! Yes, you are the one I was looking for!” the creature screamed in horrendous glee.
“No! Never!”
Ruhi rebelled, retreating backwards, almost tripping on the long train of her white diaphanous gown with her body bare underneath. A thick lump formed in her throat as she tried to flee, but her feet had turned to stone.
The tableau changed dramatically, from a cozy boudoir to a dark and frigid sea of mist. Plying alone in a ghostly barge, thick gloomy clouds rising from pitch-black waters, she felt disabled, rooted in a quagmire as the vehicle drifted oarless, splashing sounds gaining in intensity signaling approaching doom. Desperate, she tried to propel the water with her hands but found them encumbered in ice, her feet as well, the boat had sprung a leak.
“Ruhi!”
The fog lifted as she looked up and saw a tall figure in a frock coat hailing to her from the shore. She recognized him as her man, her solitary ray of hope, her only way out. He stretched out his arms to her as the boat sank, slowly yet inexorably.
“Help!” The murky waters pulled her down, stifling the plea in her throat.
“Ruhi!”
She sat up, her entire being drenched in cold sweat, shaking violently with rigors as though coming down from a high fever. Lids heavy, tongue stuck to her palate, mouth as dry as bone. Water. Water! She groped for the bottle she always kept on the bedside table. Strong sure hands propped her up, a glass full of the life-saving beverage was held gently against her parched lips, she chugged it down noisily, the whole entire mug.
“More?”
She shook her head in the negative, her thirst quenched, though still tremulous but savoring the security provided by those strong, capable arms. He hugged her quivering body close, chafing her icy hands and feet as she wound herself into a tight ball, regressing into a fetal state.
Whispering hurried words of reassurance in her ear, he kissed her hair, her face, her cheek, and tasted her mouth. He was now gripped by a fever of a different kind as she murmured something unintelligible against his throat, her lips scorching the base of his neck, urging him on.
Hands stroked her back, making her relax in reflex and stretch her body luxuriously against his. Fingertips traced the sensitive curve of her spine, reaching the indentation in the small of her back then moved lower, palms spreading, squeezing. The flames burnt with increasing fervor as her nails dug deep into his shoulders and the moist heat of her breath singed his torso.
Deep furrows formed on his forehead as he strained, fighting the animal instinct to tear away the flimsy fabric that covered her silken skin, resisting the impulse to bite, slurp, and satiate—cravings only she could satisfy. Aching to thrust himself deep inside her most sacred sanctum, wanting to put a stop to their endless argument.
Let her know without a doubt that he belonged to her and her alone. Finish the task that had been postponed due to his appalling mistake. The torment, the agony, the unrelenting pressure of waging a constant war to keep his passions under check.
He rolled away from her loving embrace, his soul screaming in anguish. Love hurts!
***
They left early the next morning. Shaan willingly parting with a hefty rebooking fee, unable to contemplate spending another night in the same bed or even the same room. The turmoil had driven him to near exhaustion.
Sitting side by side in the waiting lounge in awkward silence, their eyes were drawn to a young couple kissing casually nearby.
She squeezed her jean-clad legs together while he flopped around seeking a position of relative comfort without butting his knees on the seat ahead.
Give up!
“These bloody airlines are making us sweat for five hundred bucks a piece!” While my wife has me running a thousand-mile hurdle! Casting an infuriated glance at her while she keenly dissected the wing of the airplane with her x-ray vision. What the hell is wrong with me?
“I’m sorry.” He handed back her credit cards.
“It’s all right. You keep them. They are yours.”
“No, as my wife, they belong to you, too,” he said, pushing them into her hands. “I shouldn’t have taken them away. Just as I asked you to trust me, I need to trust you, too. Rules should apply both ways.”
“I think you were right in what you did. I wasn’t in my senses at the time. I was afflicted with a fever, a delirium of sorts. I may have carried out the threat.”
“So you didn’t mean to do it?”
She shook her head. “I too need to keep my side of the bargain.”
Phew! A breather finally. She has had me on tenterhooks. Now it’s my turn.
He remarked casually, “So… I’m a knockout kisser?”
“Huh?”
“You said it,” Shaan said.
“Did I? Oh.” She dropped her gaze, a fiery warmth spread from an inner realm, a sweet flame.
“Tell me, you enjoyed it?” he persisted, his breath teasing her curls.
“What will you have to drink, ma’am?” the stewardess asked.
Crap!
“Uh? Hot tea with a slice of lemon,” Ruhi said.
“And you, sir?”
“Coffee, no cream,” Shaan answered.
Ruhi nudged his elbow. “Don’t stare at her like that. You are making her uncomfortable.”
“I wasn’t staring at her, even if I was, would it bother you?”
She sucked in her bottom lip, butterflies in her stomach. Shut up!
He turned back to her smiling, the simmering decoction sitting abandoned on the tray table. He didn’t require any stimulants. “I’m waiting. You didn’t answer my question.”
“I was just fibbing, having fun at your expense!” Her cheeks turned aflame.
Oh my god! She blushes!
He felt like a teenager on his first date. “Then I won’t kiss you again.”
“What?”
Gypsy eyes widened with surprise, lips parted. Then she looked away in a rush while he chuckled at her confusion.
***
Back in familiar digs, hungrily attacking some Pad Thai, Ruhi mumbled with a mouth half full, “This is delicious! Thanks for stopp
ing on the way.”
He nodded.“I was hungry, too. Remember we missed breakfast.”
“You were in such a hurry to check out. Why? When we waited close to two hours for the flight?”
“I was worried about the length of the security lines.” He sighed, recollecting the near disaster averted last night. “Anyways, we are back where I said we would be today. See? I kept my word.”
She sensed he was hiding something from her but didn’t hasten to pursue, savoring their informal peace accord. “I’m sorry for my abominable behavior. Truly it was inexcusable!”
“It’s all right. You were in a troubled state of mind,” he said, rushing to console her.
Pounding a dainty fist on the table, she said, “No, I was like an unruly child throwing her first tantrum whereas I should have kept my wits and not let external influences bother me no matter how persuasive and strong they were!” Her face crumpled at the painful memory.
He reached to cover her hand with his. “Ruhi, what did she say? I bet most of it is half-truths.”
“Please don’t ask. I don’t want to revisit that encounter, just that it wasn’t very pleasant.”
“I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault you’ve gone through this hell. I promise never again,” he said, giving her fingers a tight squeeze.
She blinked, smiling weakly, and pulled her hand gently from under his.
Abruptly he stood up, seeming flustered and emptied the rest of his chow down the disposal.
“But you said you were hungry!” She looked at him in apology.
“Not anymore,” he said, tossing the empty container in the trash.
“Where are you going? Isn’t this a long weekend?”
“I just got an idea I need to implement before it escapes my mind. I’ll be back in a couple of hours or so. Till then, get some rest. Don’t worry about dinner, perhaps I will try my hand at it tonight.” Quickly grabbing his wallet and keys from the counter, he slipped on his sandals and dashed out of the door without looking back.
What’s wrong with him? What did I do now? she thought, drawing up the kitchen blinds hoping for a hint but he, seeming to be in an exceptional rush, banged shut the door of his car and sped out of the gates.