Temptation in Paradise

by Jyoti Singh

  ‘You look beautiful… totally at peace,’ Sid murmured, placing butterfly kisses on her face.

  Niki opened her eyes and looked into Sid’s. ‘And you look… satiated,’ she said.

  ‘For now… but I have plans for you, my sweet.’ He smiled as he rolled off and pulled her into his side while lying next to her.

  This was the first time Sid had used an endearment like this and in a voice made husky with desire… It gave Niki goosebumps. Her head rested on his chest as she ran her hand over his muscled torso, which rose and fell with every ragged breath, as though he had run up a hill at great speed… Niki took great pleasure in the fact that she was responsible for his excited state.

  ‘I like this,’ she said after a while.

  ‘What?’ Sid sounded sleepy as his breath settled into a more even rhythm.

  ‘Being able to touch you without restraint.’ Niki knew she sounded naïve.

  ‘Hmm… likewise,’ he said, turning to gather her more fully into his arms.

  The early morning, travelling and the release of all the pent-up sexual tension took its toll and they fell asleep, limbs entangled.

  Passion woke them up once more. This time it was a more leisurely coming together. They explored each other’s bodies at an unhurried pace, as if they had all the time in the world. Impatience grew as the hunger for satisfaction surged and then ebbed with gratification. Niki hadn’t known that inside her was this experimental, hungry, sensual woman, who desired and wanted Sid with such lust. Sid seemed as happily surprised as her. This experience of unbridled pleasure gave Niki a new perspective on everything. She suddenly felt as if she could do anything—she felt both soft and strong at the same time. For the first time in her life, she had this bubble in her chest that made it feel as if it would burst with happiness. What she didn’t realise was that it also gave her an ethereal glow, Sid noticed.

  They surfaced from their afternoon delight feeling ravenous. Niki was willing to order room service so that they wouldn’t have to leave the cottage but Sid insisted on going out to try some of the exquisite cuisine on offer at the resort.

  She lazed in bed while Sid got dressed. He had invited her to join him in the shower but, although tempted, she preferred to linger in the afterglow for a little longer. She heard him singing in the shower. He sounded happy. It was a completely different matter that he couldn’t carry a tune. Niki lay back and smiled. This was the best birthday ever.

  Niki wore a full-length light linen printed dress with large hoops in her ears and leather flip flops on her feet. Sid looked dapper in his loose linen trousers and shirt. They held hands as they walked to the much touted seafood restaurant that overlooked the sea. In the dark of the night, all that was visible in the floodlights were the white frothy lines of the approaching waves before they crashed onto the shore. The sound of the sea was like a constant hum in the background. There had been a heavy downpour and the sky had cleared, revealing its secrets. The breeze was moist and cool. Niki turned her face towards it to avoid her hair from flying into her eyes but a stray tendril stuck to her coral lips. Sid gently removed it, replacing it with his lips in a warm kiss. Niki throbbed with a rising surge of desire. It must have been discernible in her eyes because she saw a gleam in Sid’s. He smiled knowingly and Niki was immediately overcome by a certain shyness. By the time they reached the restaurant, the knot of tension had built up and was begging for release.

  Niki tried to lift her mind out of its spiral by shifting her attention to the lovely ambience of the restaurant. It was everything she had wanted from their first dinner. Low lighting, unobtrusive staff—fine dining at its best. They went through the menu. Confused by the wide variety of exotic preparations, Niki just handed over the responsibility for ordering to Sid. He ordered their drinks, which arrived with prawns cooked in a lovely green sauce of fresh coriander, mint and garlic. Niki sublimated her libido by letting the flavours of the food inundate her senses. The main course was the chef’s specialty – Lobster Thermidor – succulent pieces of lobster cooked in herbed cream sauce and placed back in the shell. The food made conversation redundant. Niki savoured every morsel and found Sid similarly enthralled with the meal. For dessert, they shared a walnut torte served with a side of clotted cream at the maître d’s recommendation. Replete, they ambled out of the restaurant and walked to the rampart of the fort at the beach head, its features highlighted by subdued lighting.

  As they stood looking out to sea, a light mist floating up from the waves crashing against the walls, Sid reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet pouch.

  ‘Happy birthday, Niki,’ he said as he handed it to her.

  ‘Oh, Sid, you’ve given me more than enough already!’ Niki was overwhelmed.

  ‘Come on; how many times are you going to turn thirty? Open it…’ Sid encouraged.

  Niki did as she was told. Sid had that power over her right now. Inside the pouch she found a delicate charm bracelet in platinum. She looked at the charms and smiled. There was an elevator button, a laptop, a memory stick, a backpack, an aeroplane, a coconut tree—it was essentially a brief history of their time together. He had taken the trouble to get the charms specially made and the thought of his going through the time and effort for her made her heart well with love.

  ‘This is so beautiful, Sid. Thank you,’ she said as she leaned over and kissed him.

  ‘Want me to help you put it on?’ he asked.

  ‘Please…’ She put out her wrist and watched as Sid deftly linked the two ends together. For Niki it felt like a union above and beyond the physical.

  Sid took a hold of her hand and said, ‘Let’s walk back along the beach…’

  The tide was low and the sand lay exposed from the rampart to where their cottage was. Niki took Sid’s lead. They removed their footwear and let their bare feet sink into the sand as they took each step. It was a magical night. From one weekend to the next they had gone from the highs of the mountains to the lows of the sea in terms of geography even as their relationship had soared to new heights. It made Niki feel brave enough to do what she did next.

  As they walked along the shore, she spotted a small bay recessed from the floodlights. She walked towards it with a new determination. She waded along the edge, feeling the bottom with her feet. The slope was gradual, the water warm and calm, the surrounding rocks taking the brunt of the waves from the sea.

  Sid stood back, watching her with hooded eyes. Niki walked towards him and stopped a few steps away. She dropped the straps of her dress from her shoulders. It pooled at her feet. She stepped out of it and removed her underwear. Wearing just the bracelet and her earrings, she walked slowly to the bay and into the water.

  ‘Are you coming in or not?’ she said when the water reached the curve of her breast. Sid hesitated before quickly stripping and following her into the placid bay. Niki understood that this was against Sid’s better judgement. He seemed to like the safety of the shore but her naked body disappearing into the water must have tempted him enough to overcome his reservations.

  When Sid reached Niki, she turned towards him and said huskily, ‘Let’s make a memory, Sid.’

  There was no holding back. He reached for Niki, firmly bringing her to him as the sand sank under their feet. Their naked flesh pressed against each other, Sid swooped in to plant a kiss on Niki’s mouth, bringing her closer. A moan rose in her throat. The sea swallowed their sounds as the rhythm of the waves swayed them and the kiss deepened. Sid moved one hand to her breast and with the other lifted Niki to his chest. Buoyed by the water and freed from the grip of the sand, Niki opened her legs to maintain her balance and encountered Sid’s manhood. The union was seamless. He slid into her warmth even as Niki wrapped her legs around him. They moved together, rising and falling with the waves. The sea proved unable to put out the fire of their passion. They reached the crescendo, peaking together. Sid moaned into Niki’s neck as she clung to him in the aftermath of their passion. When she found her voice,
Niki said throatily, ‘And that, my dear, is how you make a memory.’ Sid sealed it with a soul-stirring kiss.

  They emerged from the sea like two gods of love, a little drunk with the heat of what had just happened and carrying the glow of satiation, for the moment. They slowly dressed each other, then walked in a half embrace back to the cottage.

  The night was still young in their eyes. They showered together this time. The day had been a sensory exploration beyond Niki’s expectations and it was still not done.

  ‘Let’s go dancing,’ said Sid while drying Niki with a large fluffy towel.

  ‘It’s been a long day, Sid.’ Niki wasn’t sure she had the energy.

  ‘Come on; it’s your birthday, remember? How about adding some more memories?’ His eyes shone with a newfound enthusiasm.

  Niki was completely incapable of saying no to Sid today, so she agreed. She wore a graphic black and white printed miniskirt with a loose white shirt. It was strange for her to get ready in the same space as Sid. He, on the other hand, had no such compunction. He dressed around her with an easy familiarity. Niki liked it. In fact, she thought, she could very easily get used to it.

  The club was just a short distance away from the resort. As they entered, Niki felt the pulsating bass vibrate through her body. Coloured laser lights and strobes matched the rhythm of the music. Sid led her directly to the dance floor. She remembered how the man couldn’t dance nor, for that matter, carry a tune but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that he was here with her, she loved him and was having the time of her life.

  Niki had no clue as to the time they returned to the cottage. The sky was turning light so they laid down in the hammock and welcomed the sun. They spent the rest of the morning in bed… Sid finally giving in to her request for room service when they got hungry.

  His phone had been ringing off and on since they had arrived. Sid always took the calls outside Niki’s earshot. She presumed it must be related to his work; he was, after all, a very important man and she couldn’t expect him to put his life completely on hold for her.

  ‘We can’t spend all day in here, lazy bones. Come on… let’s go out,’ Sid said after finishing another of his calls.

  ‘Aw… must we?’ Niki’s body was protesting from all the new uses it had been put to. She discovered she had muscles in parts of her body she had not been aware of… and they hurt.

  Sid was not one to give up. ‘I found out at reception that we can hire a motorcycle and ride it around Goa… Move— I can’t do this without you.’

  All Niki heard was that Sid couldn’t do something without her. That was enough to motivate her. She roused herself from inertia and got dressed. She wore a pair of khaki shorts with a bright pink top and matching flip flops. Riding a motorcycle in new environs would actually be fun, she told herself. By the time they left the cottage, Niki had found her energy and enthusiasm matched Sid’s.

  They hired an Avenger 250cc. It was a lower ride than she was accustomed to but it made it all the more exciting because, being tall, Sid had to mould himself to her back while riding pillion. They drove up to the lighthouse near their resort first. Standing at the pinnacle of a small hill, the view was breathtaking. Despite the motley crowd of tourists, Sid did not shy away from public demonstrations of affection. He held her hand and hugged her often, even stealing a kiss or two as they admired the way the sea met the horizon in a seamless mist of monsoon grey.

  The next stop was Anjuna beach, popular with foreign tourists and well known for its rave parties at night. The tiny village that covered five square miles was bounded by a hill on one side and palm-lined white sand on the other. The Jewel of Anjuna, ‘Ozran,’ a black rock formation overlying a cove of white sand, graced the view from the café where they sat drinking beer and enjoying the local Goan and Konkan cuisine. Later, they walked to the flea market and wandered through a network of stalls selling souvenirs. Sid bought Niki a lovely pair of turquoise earrings set in silver, while she found an interesting T-shirt with a funny slogan on its front for him. They laughed as Sid immediately changed out of his linen shirt and into the T-shirt. Niki’s heart warmed. It was sweet of him to be so appreciative of her gift, especially since Niki was very conscious of how imbalanced the economics of their relationship were. She did not dwell on it too much because she was living her fantasy in real time. Just as she did not dwell on the fact that Sid excused himself a short while later to take a call.

  Niki wandered alone onto the beach. The sun was setting amidst swaying palm trees. She walked along the beach, letting the frothy waves kiss her feet. She had travelled a fair distance when Sid caught up with her, jostling her deeper into the sea.

  ‘That was a long call…’ Niki complained.

  ‘Just one of those things,’ Sid dismissed summarily.

  ‘All okay?’ She felt a twinge of irritation but let it pass.

  ‘Working on it,’ he replied, a little distracted.

  Niki tried to catch his attention. ‘They light bonfires on the beach at night and play trance music—are you up for another evening of dance?’

  ‘Why not?’ he said unenthusiastically.

  ‘It was just a suggestion. We don’t have to… Anyway, we have to return the motorcycle.’ She felt petulant.

  ‘Hey! Don’t sulk… Of course we’ll stay and dance… and don’t worry about the Avenger; we have it till we leave.’ Sid was contrite.

  Niki corrected her mood. ‘Great!’ she said and smiled.

  Sid smiled too. ‘Hello, Sunshine!’ and, just like that, all was well.

  By the time they walked back to the main part of the beach, darkness had descended. The firelit beach resonated with music and bonhomie. They joined in the fun, moving from group to group, dancing and drinking late into the night.

  They came back to the cottage in the wee hours, using the hammock again to greet the sun.

  ‘Time to pack,’ said Sid, nuzzling her neck.

  ‘Hmm… I don’t want to leave.’ Niki wanted to give in to the surging passion.

  ‘We don’t have to but Samar may start questioning your work ethic,’ Sid goaded.

  ‘You are such a spoilsport, you know,’ she whined.

  Sid manoeuvred himself out of the hammock and held out his hand to help her do the same. ‘Much as I would like every day to be your birthday… it’s time to come back to the real world.’

  Niki took his hand, wondering if his sudden need to return to reality had anything to do with all the calls he’d been receiving and making. Nothing about getting off a hammock was graceful and Niki proved it by barrelling into Sid’s chest as she disentangled herself..

  ‘There you are,’ Sid said, a gleam of mischief lighting his eyes.

  ‘Oh, stop it!’ Niki laughed as she made her way into the cottage after giving Sid a kiss that stirred his loins. He followed.

  An hour of passionate lovemaking later, they scrambled to get packed and ready.

  ‘I’ll hop into the shower first, while you pack,’ Sid said as he rose from the rumpled bed.

  Niki watched his naked back and gave a low wolf whistle.

  Sid chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Niki set about gathering her things. Sid was singing in the shower again. It was the most beautiful sound.

  His phone buzzed and vibrated on the nightstand. It must have been on silent. She ignored it at first. It stopped. Then it started again. Curiosity got the better of her and she reached for it. The caller’s name was visible. It said: Gauri.

  Niki’s mind went into a spin. She held the phone until it stopped then, against her better judgement, she checked the call log. There were six calls from Gauri over the past two days. She went into the texts and her heart stopped. She scrolled to the beginning of the conversation and checked the date. It was the night of her birthday. I need to talk to you it said.

  She sat down on the edge of the bed. The shower had stopped but the singing had not. It had suddenly become the ugliest sound in
the world.

  Sid came out whistling, the large resort towel wrapped around his waist.

  ‘Hey! I thought you would have finished packing by now…’ he said before he took in Niki’s stillness. His voice immediately became concerned. ‘Everything all right?’

  Niki silently held up his phone and his face hardened, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

  ‘This is an invasion of privacy, Niki,’ he said solemnly.

  ‘Privacy?’ Niki’s voice was high with emotion. ‘Really? That’s what’s bothering you right now?’

  ‘You had no right…’ His voice was flat and emotionless.

  ‘I understand… I am not your wife or girlfriend… I have no rights and obligations… but I want to know why?’ Niki was breathing hard and fast. Her whole body shook with anger.

  ‘It doesn’t concern you.’ Sid looked uncomfortable.

  ‘She is your ex… she’s calling you… and you’re taking her calls when you are with me. It does concern me.’ Niki was having trouble regulating her emotions.

  ‘It is not what you think, Niki. She is just going through something and she needed to lean on me…’ He reached out his hand to placate her.

  ‘Don’t touch me.’ Niki recoiled. ‘After all these years, you are trying to tell me she has no one else she can call and “lean on”?’ Her words had biting emphasis.

  ‘Keep things in perspective, Niki. We were together for three years at a time when relationships tend to define who you are… It was just easier for her to share her problem with me.’ Sid had used some twisted logic to rationalise the situation.

  ‘So, do you have feelings for her?’ Niki asked directly.

  ‘I will always have feelings for her—don’t you get that?’ Sid sounded exasperated.

  Her world collapsed around her. ‘Then what are you doing with me?’

  ‘It’s not like that, Niki…’ Sid only just realised the import of what he had said.

  ‘You didn’t answer my question… What are you doing with me, Sid?’ Niki could hear the sound of her heart breaking.