"Arrey, Manik saab, aap aaj phir pe yaha?" Rajesh, one of his acquaintances and a villager, his same age. asked as he sat in front of him while he took the bottle from him, pouring it in a glass for him as he awaited his answer.
"Haan toh. Main yaha aa nahi sakta?" Manik asked, chugging down most of the drink in the glass.
"Arrey nahi. Essa kaha bola mai. Bas aapko kam aate the aur ab achanak se roz dikh te hai raat ke vaqt. Aur phir? Ghar par sab theek? Mahir aur Bhabhi kese hai? Maine suna tha woh bache baare main. Bohot hi dukh hua sun kar," Rajesh said while Manik snatched the bottle from him, gulping down the rest of the drink. Rajesh patted his arm, huffing out a laugh while saying, "Par chinta kya karni. Aur bacha ho jayega thode waqt mai. Ye bhi toh do mahine mai hi ho gaya tha."
Manik snorted, drunk, while he mumbled, "Woh mujhe zindagi mai ab haath na lagane de. Ye dusre bache ki baat kar raha hai."
Manik thought he was quiet, but Rajesh heard him clearly. Masking his shock, he said, "Chinta kyu karte hai, Sarkar? Kitna vaqt mana karenge. Ek doh mahine mai theek ho jayenge. Nahi hui, toh aap Sarkar hai humare, aapko ache se malum hai kese sambhalna hai."
Rajesh smirked. It had already been a month since she slapped him and the way things were, he doubted she would ever forgive him. He had tried to be there for her emotionally, but she was totally guarded off towards him and now he was tired of trying and was losing his patience. When Manik gave no reaction to his talks, Rajesh said, "Mujhe ek jagah pata hai, Sarkar. Jaha aapka har gam dur ho jayega."
Manik raised his eyes to Rajesh, having an inkling of what he was talking about, making Rajesh smirk as he nodded and both of them got up.
~~~~
Nandini sat on the charpai with her mother in law, her forehead frowning in concentration as she sewed the torn kurti. She froze, before focusing back on her work as the old lady enquired, "Tere aur Manik ke beech sab theek hai na?" When Nandini gave no response, the old lady said, "Saari umar ussi ke saath rehna hai. Apne rishte ko sudharo iss se pehle ki sab bigad jaaye. Mera beta hai lekin hai toh ek mard hi na. Aur mard k*t*i jaat hoti hain. Inhe kosegi na, toh apni galti ka ehsaas nahi hoga balki ye humse dur ho jayenge. Voh ek baar bahar nikal gaya na aur kuch bhi karega, usse koi kuch nahi bolega. Lekin tera logo ne jeena dushwar kar dena. Logo ki baate uske liye jo khud ka hi na rahe bohot takleef deta hai, beta. Isliye, ek maa nahi ek aurat ke naate bol rahi hu, tu abhi bohot choti hai, lekin baad mai bohot pachtayegi. Joh baat beet gayi usse bhul kar aage badh."
Nandini heard her mother in law's every word, finally raising her eyes towards her as she said, "Mai teri jagah thi ek baar. Bohot marta tha mujhe. Mujhe laga baat na karne se aur gussa rehne se unhe apni galtiyo ka ehsaas hoga. Lekin mai bhul gayi thi, ki iss ghar ke bahar bohot aurate apne Sarkar ko khush karne ke liye tayaar thi. Khair, mere dukh ko kam karne ke liye mere paas mere teen bache the aur umar bhi theek thi ki seh na pau. Par tu abhi sirf athara saal ki hai, joh karegi soch samajh kar karna."
Her eyes held the tears yet they didn't escape as she continued focusing back on her task, understanding her mother in law and knowing there was no escape.
~~~~
The clinking of bangles and anklets echoed in the room as the door creaked open and a woman in her late twenties entered inside. She sucked in a breath, staring at the man on the bed, oblivious to everything around him as he stared at the dim lights with his legs spread out, his head resting against the headboard, looking lost deep in his thoughts. New customer, that's all she knew about the man. Seeing him, she understood why her Amma wanted her to dress up in her best.
With her eyes filled with kohl, a green lehenga complimenting her dusky skin and her lips coated with red color while her long hair flew over her back, she was beautiful. Rumanika.
Rumi, that's what everyone in the kotha called her. The best they had.
But, so was he. Indeed a handsome man. Nothing like her past customers. And she had a whole lot of them in her last ten years. When he refused to look towards her even once, masking the nervousness and pounding of her heart, that was new for her, she put on her best smile.
And slowly and steadily, she walked to the man on the bed, a sudden urge to have his heart all to herself.
YOU ARE READING
Insatiable Desires
General FictionA story set in 1960s where an eighteen year old is wedded off to the Sarpanch of the village who is fifteen years her senior. 🔞 Contains mature content and domestic abuse. Reader's discretion is warned.
