Insatiable Desires

Chapter 17

His gaze settled at her finally as she walked confidently towards the bed and when she was about to settle beside him, she froze as he pointedly looked at the floor. Her eyes met his as she lowered herself on the floor. When he continued staring at the lights above, she softly asked, "Hookah peeyenge?"

A hum was the only thing she received before she raised herself on her knees, picking the hookah from a nearby drawer and preparing it for him. Manik quietly observed her fingers working delicately yet expertly. As she kneeled beside the bed and raised the pipe towards his lips, she swallowed, her gaze turning dazy as they fixed on him as his lips wrapped around the pipe and he took in a drag.

Letting out the smoke, she continued holding it for him from time to time as he smoked it in silence until she froze as he enquired, "Tum kitne saal se ho iss dhande mai?"

"Das saal," Rumi quietly and truthfully whispered. Her breath hitched as it was for the first time he turned his gaze to hers. His eyes raked over her, making her squirm because it was not in a desireful way but an observant one.

"Kitne saal ki thi? Athara? Unnis?" Manik asked with a frown.

"Athara saal ki," Rumi replied. Manik hummed quietly. When he didn't speak up anything else, looking lost in his thoughts, the silence filled around them. Not expecting any response anymore, she was about to hold the pipe in front of him when he asked, "Tumhari marzi se aayi thi?"

Rumi huffed out a bitter laugh and asked, "Iss dhande mai kaun khushi khushi jaata hai sahab?" Manik quietened down at her question and a minute passed by before she quietly said, "Meri Maa ne mujhe bech diya tha. Usse paise chahiye the. Aur panch ladkiyon mai se ek nahi bhi hogi toh kaheka dukh."

Silence settled around them before he enquired, slightly hesitant, "Aur yaha aake kya hua?"

"Aapne kya mujh se sawal jawab karne ke paise diye hai?" Rumi asked, and when she got no answer, she sighed and replied, "Jis ke liye ye hai jagah vahi hua tha Sahib. Pehli baar zabardasti. Ek assi saal ke mard ne meri izzat cheeni thi, bohot royi thi mai uss raat," Manik looked at her as she narrated her story, looking far away, as if thinking everything, "Aur uske baad jab har raat koi naya mard aata, toh kuch waqt tak bohot cheekh ti thi aur roti thi. Sehn nahi hota tha ye sab. Lekin jab pata chala ki yaha koi nahi hai apna, aur apna banane ke liye apna jism bech dena pad ta hai, ussi din se Rumanika se mein Rumi ban gayi. Aur ab dekho, pure kothe mai mera naam chalta hai."

Manik gave no response and she stared at him as he drowsily stared around before his eyes closed and he fell asleep. And Rumi continued staring at the mysterious man, not knowing whether to be happy or disappointed that he fell asleep.

~~~~

Manik groaned as he blinked his eyes open, his head pounding due to the hangover as he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. As he was about to get up from bed, his eyes fell on the woman on the floor. Looking at her sleeping figure, his mind conjured up with last night's memories and he sighed before getting up. Without a glance backwards, he walked out of the room with the intention to never return back again.

~~~~

Nandini blinked her eyes open, waking up. Sitting up, she looked around drowsily, trying to get rid of the sleep until her eyes fell on the other side of the bed which was empty. She frowned but wasn't much concerned as she got up and collected a yellow saree, walking to the bathroom to take a bath and get ready for the day.

By the time she came out, her wet hair falling over her back and her saree half draped since she still had to pleat it up and the blouse was undone from back. She froze as Manik stood in the middle of the room until he looked up, his eyes involuntarily raking over her, trying to rein in his urges.