Chapter 29

Upon reaching home, I hit the shower straightaway, and spent a long time under it, as if trying to wash away the ‘sins’ I had committed the previous night. All of a sudden, I missed my parents. I was beginning to get tired of living alone, and was beginning to feel rather lonely. On the one hand, I was in a position that would be the envy of many, with numerous carnal relationships being established with the women and girls living around the vicinity. But on the other hand, I also knew that I was treading on thin ground, and that the bubble could burst as easily as it had formed.

As I came out of the shower, towelling myself dry, I made up my mind that I would get out of the house at any cost today, and spend the day with some of my friends, whom I had not caught up with in quite some time. With that in mind, I settled down in the couch in the living room, and called up my closest friend. To my disappointment, he was not at home, and his mother had no idea what time he would be back. One after the other, I called up all of the guys who were still in town. As luck would have had it, not one of them was available today.

Cursing my luck, I flung the little diary in which I’d noted down all my friends’ phone numbers, on to the corner table. That’s when I noticed a little piece of folded paper fall out of the diary. Picking up the paper, I realized it was the number of the sales girl Sapna, who worked at the small boutique store run by my father’s friend. I had almost forgotten about her, and in the kind of mood I was in today, it seemed to be a perfect day to catch up with her again. Just as I began to dial her number, I realized that she had told me when she gave her number that she got back from work only after 7 pm. Placing the handset back in the cradle, I sat back on the couch, wondering what to do next.

After a moment’s thought, I decided that I would just go to the store on the pretext of picking up some stuff for myself. Brightening at the thought, I got up and went up to my room to change. Within no time, I was zooming on my bike towards the center of the city, where my dad’s friend store was located. It was nearing half past eleven in the morning when I reached the store. Parking my bike and locking my helmet in place, I walked into the store. The cool air conditioned environment inside was a welcome change to the oppressive heat outside, and just as I walked in, the store manager jumped out of his seat, the usual big smile of welcome on his face.

“Welcome, sir, welcome...” he greeted me effusively, pumping my hand vigorously.

As I returned his greetings, he asked “Today you have come alone only, sir...” a classical salesman’s designed-to-please smile on his face.

“Yes, today I have come alone...” meeting his eye, and returning his smile, “to see if there’s something I can get in your store for myself...”

Before I could complete, he exclaimed “Oh, of course sir, of course, we have many brands here which you will like, I’m sure you will find something to your taste...” grabbing me by my hand and leading me inside. As he led me to the small reception area of his store, he called for a cold drink to be bought for me.

As I looked around, wondering where the sexy Sapna was, I said casually “Actually, I have never ever looked at the men’s section in your store, so it will help if you could get someone to help me select...” my voice even, as I sipped on the cold drink.

“Of course, sir, of course...” he replied enthusiastically. After a brief pause, he added “Shall I ask the same girl who helped you last time, sir, Sapna...” his tone a little odd, and a hint of a smile on his face.

I scrutinized his expression for a brief moment, trying to make out if he had figured out my interest in his employee. Seeing no semblance of ridicule in his eyes, I replied coolly “Yes, that would be fine...” finishing my cold drink, and holding out the empty glass, which he took from my hand with alacrity.

Just as he called out for Sapna, the other young male sales attendant, who was standing attentively there, said to him softly “Sir, Sapna is with that lady customer who came in some time back...” The boy seemed to be of about my age, and seemed to be working here during his summer break to earn some pocket money. Turning to him with annoyance, the store manager said “Arree, you go and tell Sapna to come here immediately, and you go attend to that lady, as she comes here only to waste our time, never buys anything...” the last sentence said with a smile towards me.

“Yes, sir...” the sales boy mumbled, as he hastened up the stairs, probably happy that he could attend to a lady customer, instead the men whom he usually had to attend to. As the sales boy went up, the store manager turned to me, and said in his inimitable designed-to-please style “In fact, only yesterday I was telling Sapna that it has been many days since Jignesh bhai paid a visit to our store...” smiling broadly at me.

I muttered something in response, as I began to walk around the display area on the ground floor, which was mostly for leather accessories, designer watches, and imported perfumes. As I was engrossed in checking out some of the watches on display, I heard a soft feminine voice behind me.

Turning around, I saw the young salesgirl Sapna standing there, her hands clasped together in front of her, and a pleasant smile on her face. Her eyes were lit up with pleasure, as she greeted me with a “Hello, sir...”

Smiling back at her in return, I replied “Hello, Sapna...” as I put the watch that I had been inspecting, back in the display case. As always, she was dressed in the ubiquitous salesgirl’s uniform of a black women’s trouser, tastefully cut, and a simple white collared and buttoned, full sleeved top.

“Sapna, today Jignesh sir is here to look at some things for himself, so you please attend to him well...” the store manager instructed her formally for my benefit, the omnipresent smile never leaving his face.

“Yes, sir, sure, sir...” Sapna replied, her eyes on me, while she couldn’t help but smile with pleasure at me.

“Please, sir, Sapna will escort you now...” the store manager said, waving his hand in the direction of the first floor, where the men’s section was.

Nodding my thanks, I followed Sapna up the stairs to the first floor. As I climbed the stairs, I couldn’t help notice how sexy her tight compact butt looked inside the well fitting formal women’s trouser that she was wearing. At this distance, I could also make out the outline of her panties through the fabric of her trousers.

This boutique was housed in what used to be a large two storied independent bungalow owned by my father’s friend. Some of the walls separating the rooms had been pulled down to convert into a store. While the ground floor housed the reception and billing area, and the accessories section I mentioned earlier, the first floor housed the garments section, the men’s and women’s sections being separate. Access to the first floor was by way of an ornate spiral staircase from the large hall in the ground floor, and it was on these stairs that I was following Sapna upwards.

Just as we reached the large hall that housed the men’s section on the first floor, Sapna turned towards me and said “It is very nice to see you, sir, after so many days...” smiling pleasantly.

“Same here, Sapna...” I replied, smiling back at her, while I looked her in the eye. We were now in the men’s section which was lined with large racks with rows of men’s clothings lined up neatly by size.

The good thing about this store was that since it was a speciality boutique, and rather upmarket at that, very few people came here. The clientele were mostly regulars, and marketing was purely by word of mouth. Much to my relief, there was no other customer in the men’s section at this time.

As Sapna saw me assess the garments, she said in a hesitating voice “Um, sir, to be frank with you, we don’t have much variety for men here, because most customers here are ladies only...” an almost apologetic tone to her voice.

Deciding it was time to make my move, I moved close to her and said in a soft voice “Sapna, to be frank with you too, I did not come here to buy anything, I came here to see you...” winking at her as I said that.

The color rushed to her cheeks as she heard this, and with an embarrassed smile, she replied “Oh, sir, I thought you had forgotten about me...” her voice low, as she threw a furtive glance towards the door of the hall. She had begun to subconsciously fidget with the collar of her white long-sleeved top; while I took my time taking a good look at her body under her clothes.

She was barely 21, probably just out of college, and had a slim medium-sized body. Her figure was sufficiently curvy, her torso narrowing to a slender waist, and then flaring out into relatively wider hips, adorned by a tight compact butt. Her thighs filled the legs of the trousers well, and she wore a pair of simple black sandals on her feet.

As I appraised her body, I saw her nervously push back a stray strand of hair from her face, the hair being tied behind her head in a simple ponytail.

Moving closer to her purposefully, I placed my right hand on her waist, and said “No, Sapna, I did not forget you...” squeezing the flesh on her waist gently, as I looked her in the eye, a hint of a smile on her face. Had I dared to touch any other salesgirl in a store like this, I’d have probably got a tight slap by now.

But I knew fully well that this girl would do no such thing. Irrespective of whether she liked me or not, given the fact that over my last three visits, I had paid her almost 3,000 rupees by way of tips, I knew very well that she would not do anything to displease me.

“Sir...” I heard her whisper softly, as her eyes flew nervously to the opening of the hall, afraid of either her boss or her colleague spotting us. “Sir...” she continued “I, uhh, get free at 7 pm, after that I am free...” her voice tentative.

“Hmm...” I muttered in response, contemplating on whether I should take up her offer.

“And by what time do you have to get back home?” I asked her, still keeping my left hand on her slender waist.