Chapter 3

Then Leila moved off and went to talk to Maurice, who everybody called Mo, and Angela. The two had been a couple since their first day of classes freshman year, and all their friends were waiting for wedding invitations. As it turned out however, the couple had to leave just soon. Everyone wished them good night as they left, and greeted several late comers at the same time. In all the commotion Shamshaire did not see who entered, and really did not care. He had just finished his third scotch and was primed for a short nap right there on the couch.

His head had lolled to the left side, onto the corner of the couch when an electric shock ran through him. He felt a hand on the back of his neck massaging and another on came over his shoulder and onto his chest. Shamshaire was paralyzed completely and his mind stopped functioning. All that mattered at that second were the hands. He knew whose hands they were and he was powerless to resist them.

He felt a breath on his ear and hear, "My Lion, forgive me please, please. I need you."

Shamshaire's face screwed up into a ball of pain. He stifled his tears as best he could but the moistness at the edge of his eyes grew.

"Please, my dear Leo," the voice whispered again.

All he could do was nod slightly, and that was all it took. The hand around his chest left, but the one massaging his neck did not. Kaylin came around the near side of the couch and sat on Shamshaire's lap. She was wearing the blue, scoop neck top she knew he loved and tight blue jeans; she had dressed to please him.

"My Leo," she said, and pulled his lips down to hers. Shamshaire came alive and wrapped his arms around Kaylin and hugged her tightly as he could. His tongue plunged deep into her mouth driving, pushing, pulling, and taking. There was urgency and longing their kiss and the animal passion that was roused in Shamshaire was amazing.

He broke the kiss and dropped his head down to Kaylin's chest kissing her between the breasts. During their kiss she had broken out into a soft sweat and as Shamshaire used his tongue he reveled in her taste. He breathed in her smell, more precious to him at that moment than air, and nuzzled her skin, softer than he remembered. Finally it was too much. Letting out a bestial half roar, half grunt he lifted a panting Kaylin in his arms and moved towards the bedrooms.

By now everybody was watching him and as he tried to open the door on the left Ariel shouted to him, "The right Leo, the right! Use the guest room."

Several people laughed at that but Leila who had also been watching the scene unfold broke out into tears and buried her face into David's shoulder.

"Why didn't you stop them? How could you let them do that here!"

"Leila did you see the look in his eyes? Anyone who tried to stop him would have ended up dead!"

"I, I have to, I can't stay hear and listen to them, you know..."

"Yeah, I know. Ariel! Hey, I'm going to drop Leila off, hold down the fort!"

"Will do!"

As Leila and David were leaving Shamshaire nearly ripped off his shirt and pants, and then did the same to Kaylin. Their need was great and they didn't waste time with foreplay. Shamshaire simply pulled Kaylin to the edge of the bed and entered her. He started slamming away immediately each thrust more powerful than the one before. Kaylin, matching him stroke for stroke, neared her edge soon, and wrapping her legs around Shamshaire let out a guttural moan that embarrassed every single person in the living room. Shamshaire though, just kept pounding away but when Kaylin's second orgasm took her, her pussy spasmed and clenching Shamshaire's cock and he went wild. Ramming harder and faster as Kaylin's body trembled as if under a personal earthquake, Shamshaire finally exploded and let out a roar that frightened even his girlfriend.

Somewhat sated he fell onto the bed next to Kaylin and once again they began kissing and touching. This time however, Kaylin, recovering quicker, took control and pushed Shamshaire to on to his back on the bed and straddled him. She took his member in her hand and ran it along her open pussy until he was mostly hard. Then holding him steady, she lowered herself onto him until she was fully impaled. They both sighed when her pussy hit his groin.

Leaning over him, her lips, just barely, not touching his Kaylin whispered, "My Leo." Then she clamped her mouth against his and they started to move together. Shamshaire was back in the place he longed for; he was the closest he knew to heaven. To be inside her, to surround her with his arms, to feel her full weight on him, her nipples scratching his chest, to Shamshaire this was the greatest place he could ever be; it was worth the risk.

The phone rang in the mid-August Sunday afternoon. Leila, who had just come home from work dropped her purse on her dresser in front of the mirror and picked up the phone.

"Hello, may I please know who is calling?"

"Hi Leila, it's Dan. How has the summer treated you?"

"Oh Dan, hey. I'm good. What about you, we haven't talked in a couple months."

"Yeah, it's been a while. Listen, I need you to do something for me. This is real big okay, real big."

"Uh, well, tell me and I'll see."

"Promise me Leila."

"Dan, I don't know what you are up to but you call me after two months and with your reputation you actually expect me to promise you something without knowing what I am getting into?"

"Leila, I swear it's nothing bad. In fact it's probably one of the smarter things I will have done in a while."

"I don't know what you're talking about Dan. Get to the point or get off the phone."

"Fine, fine. It's about your best friend who happens to be one of my best friends also."

"Who?" Leila asked, although she felt she already knew the answer.

"Shairu, who else?"

"What about him, we haven't talked since David's party."

"Yeah I heard about that. One hell of a mess he made of things."

"You've lost me again. Could you please quit playing the damn games and tell me what's going on."

"Kaylin did it again. She-"

"What!?"

"Yep. Pretty much the same thing too."

"Oh my God, what happened?"

"Shairu's research group had him working twelve hours a day for almost fifteen days straight. Apparently Kaylin got too needy and had a fling with some engineering grad student." "So how did Shairu find out?"

"Well, most of the people he works with are grad students or post docs. He was at some lab barbeque when he heard the son of a bitch bragging about bagging some sophomore chick. The asshole was giving out details and Leo of course recognized the name and description of his girl."

"Shairu didn't do anything stupid did he?"

"Oh you bet your cute ass he did. He broke the fucker's nose and almost got fired for it."

"Did the fellow press charges?"

"No, Leo's bosses convinced him not to, but it doesn't end there. That very evening Leo went to Kaylin's place and broke up with her. Someone who knows one of Kaylin's neighbors told me that the neighbor could hear the screaming clearly through the wall. The neighbor almost called the police 'cause she thought that Shairu would beat up Kaylin."

"Shairu? He could never hit a woman!"

"I know, and he didn't. He screamed a lot, broke a vase, and kicked a table leg but that's it."

"Shit, I wish he had called. How long ago was this?"

"It happened three weeks ago. He didn't call me either. I heard from Ariel 'cause he works at the Lab too. When I went out to see him a week ago, cause it had been a couple of weeks anyway, he looked like shit. His mom said he's barely eating anything. All he does is go to work, come back and read."

"I wish he had come to me."

"Yeah so do I, but the both of you are idiots in that way." "What!"

"You know why he didn't talk to you about it. I know everything that happened that evening, he told me."

"What when?"

"Later that night. I got a bit of pot in him and-"

"But he doesn't drink or do drugs."

"That's the least of what he did that night, but those details aren't important. And as for drinking, from what Carl told me, Shairu packed away a lot of hard stuff the night of David's party. He couldn't take it." "He hasn't binged again has he?"

"No he won't with his parents around but he's like a damn zombie. I was over there again day before yesterday and his brother and I tried to get him to come to the movies with us and a few girls. He just kinda stared at me, as if I wasn't even there."

"You should have just dragged him along."

"Yeah right, you know how strong he is. He may not look it but he packs one hell of a punch."

"So why are you calling me? What am I supposed to do? Go visit him? You know how weird that would be."

"Well you have to do something. That night he also told me that he had wanted to ask you out from the first time he saw you but that his fucked up second rule and your honor stopped him. That's how much he wanted you; he had it so bad he didn't trust himself."

"Then why the hell did he start up with that bitch? He broke his rule for her, not me!"

"I don't know everything. But you and I both know that he has these old ideas of being a gentleman, and respecting certain things and all this other bullshit. You know why I think he fell so hard for Kaylin. Because he pushed all the feeling he had for you onto her, that's why!"

"Then why did he run away from me!!"

"I don't know. But you can bring him back, you have to. I looked in his eyes that day and the fire was gone. You know, that craziness that always reminded us that we could never know what he would do. It's gone. That ability he had to laugh so loudly and wonderfully that it made you happy just to listen to - it's mute. His parents are so worried they're considering sending him to India over the next semester. They say some time in an untainted part of the world would do him some good."

"Oh no! They wouldn't do that. What about his degree."

"The way they see it, and I have to agree, is that his course work will go to hell. They figure his cousins and all will cheer him up. They know why he's been like this. He came clean about a week after he had it out with Kaylin. I have a feeling that they are secretly hoping he'll get attached to some girl over there."

"He couldn't, no!"

"It might happen unless somebody does something."

"I don't know what to do."

"Neither do I. But we have to do something." There was a pause then in the conversation. Each could almost hear the other think. The silence was loud, deafening.

"Dan, I need to do some thinking. Can I call you back?"

"Of course, just please, don't abandon him."

"How can you say that knowing as much as you do about us? I couldn't abandon him if my life depended on it."

"Shamshaire here, go ahead," he said in a monotone voice as he answered his cell phone on the warm Sunday morning.

"Shairu? Hi, its Leila."

"Leila," he began, some animation now in his voice. "How are you. It seems like forever since we talked."

"Yeah, it does doesn't it. Listen, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"Anything." It was not said with enthusiasm or trepidation. He simply stated a fact. "I'll do anything for you," he repeated, and he meant it. Her voice was magic, like cool ointment on searing wounds.

"Great. I would like some help moving furniture, and well, I could really use your muscle."

"Sure, when should I come over," this time his voice betrayed his enthusiasm.

"Well, it's just past nine right now, so how about say, ten fifteen."

"Okay, I'll be there. Oh, and Leila, it'll be really great seeing you again. It's been too long."

"Yeah. See you later. Bye."

'You don't know how long Shairu, not in the least. Now, what the hell am I going to have him move?' mused Leila as she hung up the phone.

Pulling into the driveway of the house Shamshaire felt his heart skip a beat.

'Why am I getting like this? Sure it's been a while since I've seen Leila but it's not like there's anything else between us. At least I don't think so.'

Ringing the door bell he waited. As he stood there in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals he looked around and noticed that none of Leila's housemates' cars were around. 'That's curious, ' he thought, 'I doubt they all go to church.'

The door opened and Leila, dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt led Shamshaire to her room.

"So how is Shakeel," Leila asked, not wanting to ask the typical "how are you."

"Great actually," Shamshaire started, sounding more like his normal self. "He's got a girlfriend."

"Really? Does she got to school with him?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Leila had talked to Dan several times since he first called her about Shamshaire.

"No. She's somebody I met around Berkeley. I gave her Shakeel's cell number and told her to call him. She did and they really hit it off."

"That's great. It's good to hear that he's getting out instead of spending his whole life in front of a computer."

"Yeah," by now they were in Leila's room and Shamshaire was looking around, trying to figure out what rearrangements Leila had in mind

"Hey, Shairu, how about catching up over a coke first? Then we can get down to work."

"Uh... sure. A coke sounds good," there was hesitation in his voice. If Leila asked him about Kaylin he knew he'd break down again. There was no question of if he would tell her the truth; he could no more lie to Leila than he could to himself.

"Great, I'll be back in a sec, just wait here." Leila left for the kitchen downstairs. Shamshaire looked around the room. It was obviously Leila's. Everything was neatly in order. There were no clothes lying about or clutter on her desk. His eye caught a picture of her and her family. With her in the picture was her father, a businessman and mother, a housewife. He had met them once the previous year at Eid, they had liked him, but seemed a bit wary; Leila had told him that they were wary of any male friends she had. They had trusted him and Leila enough though to let her go camping with a group of friends in Yosemite. When Shamshaire had asked her why they were worried about camping when she could be doing god knows what in her own bedroom since her parents were in Mill Valley, she had simply replied that they felt if she were in a room they were paying for with their memory all around she would not "disgrace" them, but out in the middle of no where, her inhibition might also be lost.

'Illogical as hell. But who knows; when I'm a father I'll probably hire a PI to tail my daughters.' Just then he thought he heard a faint tinkle.

'Huh, naw, it couldn't be.' Then he heard it again.

'Well, what the hell.' He followed the sound out to the hallway.

'Would Leila wear payal?' The sound was unmistakable now, the sweet ring of the anklet bells rang in his ear, and the otherwise silent house acted as a megaphone for the delicate chimes. Shamshaire descended the stairs slowly, and the first thing he noticed was the smell of jasmine in the air.

'One of the other girls must be back.' Shamshaire thought, 'But I didn't hear a car.'

The front door was directly across from the bottom of the stairs and looked undisturbed. Then he heard the sound again, as if teasing him. It seemed to be coming from the family room of the house, which was down a short hallway behind the stairs. All his depression temporarily forgotten as his curiosity drove him, he stepped slowly into the hallway.

"Leila?" He said into the air, probing. His only answer was a jingling of bells. By now his heart was pounding. Ever since he was a boy payal and jasmine had been a weakness of his. He had once sworn to his brother and father that any girl he married would have to wear payal to the wedding.

He came to the end of the hallway and stopped. Somehow he feared what might be in the room. Would it be Leila or maybe Kaylin? What would he do? This past year had been the hardest of his life, could he take any more?

All those questions fell to the wind because right then heard payal and as his pulse quickened, and his stomach lurched he knew he had to go on. Stepping into the room he looked to the left. At the far wall was a fire place. Against the right was a couch and in the left wall was a window facing east, into yard of the house. The light streamed in through the blinds and sheer white drapes and onto the something unimaginable standing in the center of the room.

"Hai Allah!" Shamshaire said under his breath, "Perfect; absolutely perfect."

As Shamshaire stood statue still just inside the room, Leila stood posed in front of the fireplace. Her arms were locked above her head; her hips cocked to her left, Shamshaire's right, caused her chest to just out to her right. A bunch of jasmine blossoms was tied in her long black hair, a gold pendant hung on her chest from a gold chain, and around her ankles were silver payal; she wore nothing else except a shy smile.

Shamshaire drank in her perfect form. The rays of sunlight let in by the blinds played tiger stripes across her flawless skin. Her breasts were perfect mounds, exactly the right size for her for and ending in delicious brown nubs. Her stomach was flat but not muscled and looked inviting, and her mound was completely bare. She was the spitting image of a Hindu goddess, statuesque yet supple at the same time. His eyes wandered and then he suddenly turned and moved to leave.

"Stop!" Leila commanded, and Shamshaire froze.

"No, Leila. I have to leave. This has to stop before we, I-"

"Before you what? Shamshaire," the use of his full name visibly startled him. "Before you loose control? I thought that's what you always wanted. You told me so once. You said you would know you were truly in love when the mere thought of the girl would cause you to forget everything else. How do feel right now?"

"I, I..."

"Turn around. Face me," and Shamshaire did as ordered, slowly and with fear. "Good. Now come to me, and stop a foot away." Again, he did as ordered. He was trembling now, and a cold sweat had broken on his forehead.

"Leila I-" But putting a finger to his lips she quieted him.

"Ssh, you foolish boy. Quiet. I'm not letting you talk your way out, nor am I going to let you run away again. I know everything. I am your Leila, be my Majnu."

Shamshaire by now had tears running down his face, and when Leila's hand caressed his cheek he pressed his face against it, her touch was soothing beyond belief. He felt his knees buckled for the second time in his life and with her hand still on the side of his face he collapsed. His arms went around her waist as he buried his face in her stomach. All the pain, all the tension, all the anger of the last year broke through finally and his emotion gushed out.

Instead of guiding him lower on her body, Leila dropped down into a crouch until her eyes were level with his. Her hands cupped his face and with her mouth just away from his she whispered, "No, no. I don't want a kneeling lion." And still holding his head she stood up bringing him with her.

"This pendant on my breast, do you know what it says? It says Shaire. That's you, Lion, near to my heart. My strong Shairu. The Shairu that could pull a twenty hour shift at the beam line, the Shairu that resisted a tempting fifteen year old, the Shairu that at thirteen years old stood up to a mentally abusive father. Don't look so confused. I know everything now. Dan is a better friend than you know and Shakeel loves you more than you realize. The Shairu I want is strong and whole. You be my Lion and take care of the rest of the world for both of us, I'll take care of you."

Then she kissed him. It was soft at first as Shamshaire slowly was brought back to life by Leila's lips and tongue. Her hands never leaving his face, she probed him, danced with his tongue, and sucked slowly sensuously on his lips. She did not touch him other wise, she simply joined with him at the mouth.