Chapter 1

Vikas stopped at the reception desk and smiled “Hello Miss Kajal!”

“Hello sir. How are you?”

“I am better now that I am talking to you.”

“Sir...” Kajal blushed “You are such a tease!”

“And you are such a killer beauty in this red dress!” Vikas countered with a wink

“Thank you.”

“I don’t know why Rohit doesn’t use you as a model. You are being wasted here behind the desk.”

“Boss only likes really pretty girls as models.”

“He is blind if he can’t see what a dish you are.”

“I don’t know about that, but I do know he’s waiting for you and told me not to make you wait when you come in.”

“You just want me to leave you alone. You are such a stone-hearted babe.”

Vikas smiled and stepped away from the desk towards the door that bore the legend - Rohit Verma Managing Director.

Behind him Kajal smiled. She was a pretty girl and she always liked how Vikas always had time to flirt with her before seeing her boss. She was not stupid enough to think that the CEO of a big ad agency really wanted to date her. Besides, he was probably already married.

Inside the office, Vikas was sprawled in the big client chair while listening to a project pitch from Rohit.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine. Tell me about your receptionist.” He interrupted Rohit.

“Kajal?”

“Yes. Is she single?”

“She is. But don’t bother yourself with her. She’s not that kind of girl.”

“What kind of girl?” Vikas challenged.

“Arre yaar, I have tried her already. I got her in my office after 2 days of her joining, told her she needs to keep her boss, me, happy otherwise her job will be at risk. You know what she did?”

“What?”

“Next morning I had her resignation on my table. And the phone at her desk was ringing non-stop. I had to apologise and grovel to get her back. She’s a damn good receptionist, but not that kind of girl.”

“That’s because you tried to nail her, you horny pervert!” Vikas declared “I want to date her. I like her!”

“Well, it was my job to warn you. After that, it’s your funeral if you still ask her out.”

“You don’t mind, na?”

“Not at all. Be my guest. I would love to see you fall flat on your face.”

“That’s up to me. Cool.”

While walking out of the office Vikas passed in front of Kajal’s desk then turned back and looked at her.

“Kajal, I am curious about you. Do you ever eat food?”

“Of course, Sir. Why wouldn’t I?”

“No, I don’t believe it.”

“Yes, Sir. I eat food. How can I make you believe it?”

“Have dinner with me tomorrow night so I can watch you eat with my own eyes.”

“Oh! Sir, you are very tricky. You tricked me.”

“So, what do you say?”

“Okay. Yes.”

“Great.”

Vikas took her phone number and address to pick her up from. He was whistling a happy tune as he walked out to his Mercedes.

The next evening, he picked her up at her place in his car.

Kajal was wearing a silky top that had little hearts printed on it. It was so much off-shoulders that it left her shoulders, arms and chest bare above the breasts. It wasn’t very tight but draped nicely over her breasts and torso. It didn’t quite meet her skirt, leaving a gap of several inches, baring her flat belly and her navel. Her skirt was loose and long, reaching almost to her ankles. It was light pink in colour and clung to her legs in a nice, sexy way when she walked without looking obscene.

Vikas whistled when she came out and told her she looked very nice. Kajal blushed and thanked him with a shy smile.

He took Kajal to a fancy Italian restaurant at Nariman Point. The service and food were both excellent and he could see that Kajal was impressed. After dinner, they took a walk on Marine Drive. Vikas gently slipped his arm around Kajal’s waist resting his hand on the bare expanse of skin just above her waist. Kajal didn’t object, she just walked closer to him and let him gather her in his arm. She kept talking about her family, telling the story of how her mother met her father when she was in the college beauty contest and he had snuck in with his friends.

Vikas stopped and faced Kajal. She looked into his eyes as her brought her closer by closing his arms around her. He leaned in and gently kissed her cheek. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her cheek again. She turned her face and kissed him on the lips. They stayed close together like that in a tight embrace and the kiss grew deeper and more passionate. Kajal pressed closer to Vikas, his hands caressed her smooth bare back as he pulled her into him. They continued sucking each other’s lips, their breath mingling together in a hot, erotic blend.

They broke the kiss finally but Vikas kept Kajal in his arms. She stayed closed to him, breathing in his masculine scent.

When he dropped her off at her home it was almost 11 P.M. Her mother opened the door and asked him to come in. She offered to make him tea but Kajal said she would do it and went into the kitchen. Vikas protested a little but didn’t want to seem rude. He sat uneasily on the sofa while Kajal’s mother, Sonali, sat in front of him.

His eyes went around the room. It was decorated with cheap materials but there was a quiet dignity about it. The items were not expensive but they were tastefully arranged and things, most of the time, matched each other.

But his eyes came back to Sonali. If he had to guess her age he would place her on the good side of 40. Still, he knew that Kajal was 25 and had 2 older brothers. Sonali must be at least in her mid-40’s. He looked at her again and admired how beautiful she looked. She had no extra fat, her body was very well-proportioned and her skin looked soft and smooth. Her eyes held the spark of intelligence though he could see that the poverty had taken away some of her confidence.

Although, she was wearing a simple saree and blouse, Vikas found himself imagining how amazing she might look if she had proper beauty treatments and dressed in nice clothes. He hurriedly changed his mental track as Kajal walked into the room with tea.

Over tea, they talked about general stuff. Sonali was interested in asking about what Vikas did. She was pleased to hear that he ran his own ad agency. Sonali herself worked in a local company as an administrator for a small salary. Vikas noticed that in all their conversation while Sonali acknowledged their financial difficulties, her overall tone was always of gratitude that they were able to survive. Kajal’s job, of course, was their largest income and Sonali said more than once that she was proud of her daughter.

When Vikas left it was getting close to midnight. Kajal came to the door to see him off. Sonali bid him farewell in the living room itself. It seemed like she was giving them privacy for a proper goodbye.

Vikas took advantage of the darkness and privacy just outside the door and pulled Kajal to him. She flowed into his arms and gave him a kiss. This was much less heat-and-fire than their kiss earlier but held a softness that made Vikas feel all warm and happy inside.

For their second date Vikas took Kajal to the planetarium. They watched the “Stars and Planets” show and held hands in the dark auditorium. They walked from exhibit to exhibit and talked about random topic, both personal and general. They had food in the planetarium cafeteria and lingered there in each other’s warm company.

Today Kajal had worn a sleeveless top with no back except for a couple of straps tying in a knot. Her skirt was long below her knees but had slit each side that afforded a glance of her milky white legs when she walked or sat down.

More than once Vikas had complimented Kajal on her long, shapely legs which she accepted with a slight blush. When they left the planetarium the Sun was setting. They got in Vikas’ car. He put his hand on her bared leg and looked at her. She looked right back into his eyes. As if on a cue, they leaned into each other and their lips joined in a hot, fervent kiss.

Somehow the kiss didn’t turn into a make-out session, but as they both sat back in their own seats, the sexual tension in the car was palpable. Vikas started the car and slowly drove out of the planetarium parking.

They went to the Band Stand and sat watching the waves. Kajal told Vikas about herself. She was 10 years old when her father had died after a short illness. Her mother had raised her and her 4 siblings. She had 2 elder brothers, one elder sister and one younger sister. Her mother, Sonali, was educated, beautiful and smart. She came from a higher family than her father. They had had a love marriage that antagonised both their families.

After her father’s death, her mother, instead of begging for support from either family had gone to work herself. She worked in an office in the day time and on weekends she worked with a friend who used to give her little modeling assignments. She was young and pretty, her fashion sense was good and she had made good enough money with the modeling to educate all five of her children and feed them and clothe them.

Vikas thought about Sonali. From what he had seen he could easily believe that she must have been model material 15 years ago. Even now she was a very nice looking woman with clean skin and high-class, beautiful features. He found his thoughts wandering and brought them back forcibly to focus on what Kajal was saying.

When the Sun dipped past the view and it started to get dark they got up to go back.

They had barely got on the road when it started to rain. Then a little down the road Vikas’ Mercedes suddenly stopped. Vikas tried the self again but it wouldn’t start. This being the rush hour on a Saturday evening, there were no taxis or autos free. They waited for 15 minutes in vain before Vikas suggested that they could walk to his place which was only a few minutes away. Kajal agreed.

He got 2 guys from the road to help him push the car into Bhabha Hospital’s parking. He left it there saying he could get the garage to come out and tow it the next day. They started to walk.

It is said that Bombay’s rain can never be trusted. They had not gone far before the rain, that had been not much more than a drizzle so far, turned heavy and started soaking everything in sight. They tried to outrun it but in the few minutes it took for them to reach his flat they were both drenched.

“Now you will say, ‘Oh, change your clothes or you will catch cold!’” Kajal said in a mocking tone reciting a common dialogue from many Hindi films.

“No, I won’t.” replied Vikas.

“Huh? You won’t ask me to change my clothes?”

“Nope.”

“But I might catch a cold!”

“I am sorry but I don’t have any female clothes in the flat.”

“Oh. None?”

“None. I don’t have a girlfriend or wife, so no need for them.” “So, you won’t say “Wear one of my shirts!”?”

“No, no. You are quite safe. I won’t say anything like that.” Vikas assured her.

“But I want you to say it.” Kajal bit her bottom lip.

“Okay. Kajal, why don’t you get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold? You can wear one of my shirts.”

Kajal smiled.

A short while later she walked into the living room wearing one of Vikas’ white shirts that reached to her thighs. Her legs were bare and so were her feet. Vikas smiled and offered her a hot brandy toddy that he had prepared while she was changing. He himself was wearing a tshirt and pyjama bottoms.

Sitting side by side on the sofa they sipped their toddies and talked about general things. Conversation was sketchy, however, and the air was thick with sexual tension.