Natasha

Ever since that night, I made it a point to visit The Chalkè on regular basis. By regular, I meant once a week. I could have been more regular if I wanted to, but this was all I could squeeze out of my daily schedule. I wasn't provided with the luxury to stay at my temporary apartment every night. Besides that, I didn't want to appear as desperate.

I would drop by the club, either late evening or night, request a drink from Rithik. Then we would fall into a conversation, talking about college and normal things in between. This way, I got to know a few more things about him. Like how he only attended his classes three or four times a week at best. This explained how he was able to do his part time jobs without exhausting himself to death and why he wasn't seen in the college more often. He didn't even need to worry about his attendance falling short as his loyal dogs, also known as boy friends, were there to give proxy in his absence. Now that's exactly why I was envious. Oh, and he had a large group of friends. They filled his disadvantage of being the only child in his family now since his sister parted after getting married. He talked about his friends proudly, as if they were his children. Other times, he would recite something funny about them, actually making me laugh. I wonder if any one of his herd was hot and available. I would love to meet them one day.

Naturally, I returned the favor by talking about myself, my ordinary life (minus the hook ups) and my bitches he met that night. While he had one sibling, I was blessed with two. I would often gush about Mitali, my dearest, youngest sister who was still in ninth class. So far, Rithik and I were holding good in the vocational department but I wasn't so sure about the sexual department. Sure, we would tease- flirt every now and then but that was basic. Atleast he was more approachable this time.

On one of my visits, I noticed him surrounded by a group of men. He didn't pay attention to me when I entered so I let him be. I had an inkling they were his proud children. I decided to have dinner and go straight home.

After I was done, I headed straight to the exit. I barely walked a few steps ahead when I spotted a familiar figure slouched at the steps. Rithik was seated in front of a closed shop, busy counting money and tugging it into his wallet. Who the hell has cash these days? The street light shone above, giving a melancholic look to him. I sauntered towards him.

Upon seeing me, his brows shot up and waved his hand. “Well hello to you, pretty, lonely soul.”

“Yeah, hi,” I scrunched my brows at his choice of words, but then I noticed his head wobbling, his slightly bloodshot eyes and his lips twitched out of proportion. The classical symptoms of an alcoholic.

This better be worth my time.

Rithik turned to a side, quickly tucking the rest of the cash into his wallet. I let out a chuckle. “Relax. I'm not stealing your money you worked your ass for. Speaking of work, why aren't you serving drinks? You still have one more hour until your shift ends.”

He raised his head to me with his one eye open. “I requested my boss to free me early today. Surprisingly, he was quite willing.”

“Can understand why, considering the state you're in,” I said while moving my hand to the length of his figure.

He scowled. “I'm not drunk, woman. Just in bliss.” I rolled my eyes. He regarded me for a while until he gestured towards the empty space to his right. “Sit.”

It wasn't a request, it was a statement. I liked when he was dominating. It helped me run my dirty mind. That didn't mean that I wanted them to raise a whip and command me in an abusive manner. I only loved the temporary control I allowed them to have over me. Anyway, I raised a tiny brow before settling down next to him. For a while, we dissolved into a comfortable silence with the sound of few vehicles buzzing in the background. But I wasn't the type to mourn in silence.

“These part time jobs—” I started, curling my palms around my ankle, grounded to the steps while glancing at the street light above me. Few insects were buzzing around it. “Why you do it? You told me that your father works as a loan officer in a private bank. It's good enough job to fulfill the needs of your family. I- I don't think you need this. Unless you are an alcoholic or a drug addict and you need the money to buy the next stock.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hm, let's see. Before this job, I touched alcohol a month ago. Even now, I don't drink the way I did today. I mostly drink to taste. Does that make me alcoholic?” He propped his head to a side, looking doubtful. As I drank his stature, his black jacket and his eyes, I noticed something I haven't before.

“Your eyes?”

“My eyes? The fuck happened to my eyes. Did I become a vamp?” he asked puzzled and as if on cue, started rubbing them with his fist. He probably thought something got into inside it. But wouldn't he feel itchy then? Stupid fella. Must be really drunk then.

“Nothing happened. It's just that I always thought your eyes were pitch black. Not dark brown,” I clarified. I glanced into those eyes again that were dark chocolate brown under the light. It's surprising how I didn't notice, when I was noticing him all along.

“Many people miss out on that detail, actually. My eyes are nearly black. They only show their true colors in bright light. Like a vampire,” he said, trying to appear wicked by showing his teeth.

“This is almost like unlocking a mystery. Only someone who knows you close enough is allowed to know.”

He met my gaze. “Unlike your beautiful eyes that's open for everyone to see. Kinda wasted if you ask me.”

I felt wasted but that was only because of his gaze and not his words. I knew better. “Not at all. It only works in my favor,” I said. Like, right now. I waited for him to add something else but when the fucker didn't, I voiced out myself. “You still haven't answered my question.”

He shot a drunkard smile and looked away. “Money...” he murmered to the silent air. “I want money. Lots and lots of it. And I'll do anything to get it.”

There was such a conviction and danger in his voice that almost caught me off guard. His jaws were taught, his palms clasped and his eyes intense, burning holes in the ground. I've never seen him this determined before. “I don't get it. Not the wealth part but the part time job one. You can just finish college with a flashy GPA and get yourself placed. You'll be handsomely rewarded.”

He snorted, finding no meaning to my statement. “Oh, shit college and their placement companies. They will only take in the best ones, or 'favorites' as they put it. Atleast this college does,” he said, air quoting favorites with his fingers. “I know this cos' I've heard it from my seniors. It might be easier for someone like you but not me, uh, uh! I'm far from best. It's a fuckin' marathon to fetch the average scores you know.”

It was a bit harder for me to grasp whenever someone said studies were difficult for them. Yes, it was never easy to begin with, but not impossible either. You just had to be a regular to score. I bit back the remark.

“You can still get a job afterwards,” I stated the obvious, getting his attention as he scrutinized me. “Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting you to quit this job or anything. I'm just curious. Actually more from what you said.”

“Pa has been working in the bank for as long as I remember, Ma has cooped herself in being a housewife while my sis has settled down. We have a three bedroom apartment, a Swift Dzire car that has been kicking it's shit engine for seven years, a run down garage. It's been like that for years and years. No change. No significant evolution,” he said and let out a frustrating sigh. “Honestly, I'm sick of of it. Sick of watching some of my rich uncles living off a high. How many times did I have to adjust? How many times did I hear a 'no' from my father? He deserves more, but luck is not in his favor.”

He ran his hand through his hair wearily before turning his head to my direction. “Coming to your question— Yes, I can make things much better with my future and I will, but for now, I want more. It's been better now.”

“Everyone wants to live off a high, including me. It's natural. But you're fooling yourself if you think these part shit jobs upgrade your financial status. It's like trying to break a freaking window with a pencil.”

“Of course I'm aware of that. This is just a cover up.”

“Huh?” My brows knitted together. Just then I recalled him counting the money notes earlier. Something didn't add up. When he remained silent, I asked again. “What's that supposed to mean?”

He chuckled before turning to me, then leaned his head closer, forcing me to look at him, too. I drank the sight of his sheepish eyes and his lips that were a shade of red. “I'm drunk, not dumb, Natasha. Doesn't mean I'll spit out everything you ask me to.”

“You...” I drew out slowly, inching more closer and watched as his gaze flickered to my lips, “have a point. I shouldn't be asking. What you do doesn't matter to me.”

The air seemed a lot more charged all of a sudden. Everything came to a standstill except the sound of our breaths and the plummeting in my chest. It sounded deafening to my ears. I swallowed that air, waiting in anticipation.

“Good,” he whispered. Then he smiled— That same heartthrobing smile he wore at the bar last year and just like that, I knew his answer. He put a good amount of distance between us and got up, stretching his arms. “It's getting late. Shall I drop you or—”

“I love a good challenge,” I blurted out, cutting him off mid- way. He raised a brow, regarding me with puzzlement. I got up as well and smoothed out the back of my jeans. I strutted my way towards him and waved him goodbye. “I'll go by myself. Thanks for asking. Bye then.”

*

It was minute but there seemed to be a change in his attitude when I visited him, a week after. Not sure if it was a positive one. Sure, he still seemed friendly and all but there was something off about him. Like he was aloof and distracted. It wasn't sexual distraction either. More like frustration. I didn't get why. He only talked about money and financial status of his family. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal, was it? I simply overlooked that change, trying to be as chatty as I could, though I couldn't help but feel defeated.

However things took a one eighty degree turn when I visited him next time.

He was with a girl.

And he wasn't just with the girl, talking to her like a bartender would. They were laughing and smirking amongst themselves as if sharing a dirty little secret while their fingers intertwined in a sensuous manner. The girl was dark skinned with long straight hair tied to a clutch. Her modest attire fitted well with her skin and her slim figure brought the smartness in her. I could hardly make out their voices but they were definitely flirting. Now that I think about it, I hardly knew anything about Rithik's love life. I never asked him whether he was single or not. I already assumed he was, since I never spotted him getting cozy with a woman until today. What if the girl next to him was his girlfriend or a potential one? Was that why he wasn't making a move on me? I would just be an imposter then. There was only one way to find out. I approached him casually and tapped my fingers against the bar slab to get his attention.

“The usual one please,” I spoke when Rithik averted his eyes from the girl to meet mine. Will he pretend not to know me or introduce me?

“Oh, hey. Nice to see you.” He said, cheerfully, although it seemed forced rather than genuine. His eyes quickly assessed me from my skin colored top to my brown capri before returning to my face. “How was your day?”

“My drink, Rithik,” I reminded him instead, gesturing to the stack of bottles behind him.

“My apologies,” his brows shot slightly. He directed his attention to the lady next to me whose existence I temporarily forgot. “Do you want some more? You know the pineapple one.”

“Sure. Thanks dear,” she said with a sugarcoated smile then suddenly looked at me. I didn't know what to say so I shot a small smile and looked away. Looks like he wasn't going to introduce me to this one. Either he was his girlfriend or his casual girl. He began to prepare his drinks in silence. While he wasn't exactly looking anywhere but for some reason, there was this undeniable tension radiating off him, almost rattling my nerves. I felt that last time too, and wondered if it was my mind playing games with me.

“Here,” he offered the first one to me. I took the glass from him, our fingers grazing against each other in the process. A tingling sensation shot up my arm. I was about to remove my hand when Rithik shockingly surprised me by enclosing his large fingers around mine

“Actually, I forgot this,” he said, extending his other free arm to the basket of fruits. He picked a red cherry and popped into my drink, never leaving his hold on me, never mind the disproportional rhythm of my heartbeat.

“Thanks,” I muttered, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. That's exactly when he left his hand. He glanced at me in a casual way as if he never, intentionally or unintentionally, made that move on me. Soon he got back to work, preparing the cocktail for his lady accomplice. Knowing there was no point in being a kebab ki haddi (bone in meat) between the two of them, I left him.

Only to find myself a new partner.

They say when a man shagged a woman, he was called as a stud. It was true, actually. A man will be more willing to thrust his dick in, than a woman, spreading her legs for a man. I pitied the men sometimes. It was much harder for them to get a woman, solely for physical fulfillment. On the contrary, it also led to betrayal and lies, that surfaced in many relationships.

Even I wasn't easy to fall prey for. People often misunderstood the concept of those who hooked up. Just because I was willing for sex, didn't mean I would prefer to fuck anyone with a dick. Maybe few would prefer that way but not me. You could line up fifty men and I'd probably find only three men, fuckable enough for me. I had my own tastes, thank you very much!

It was precisely why it was much easier for a woman like me to shag a man, especially a one night stand in a place that was reeking of youngsters. It didn't came as a surprise when few men shot flirty looks my way as I passed them by the club. I just had to throw a responsive smile at one of them and boom, my work was done. Though a one night stand wasn't what I was aiming for. He would just be my temporary catch. If I wanted to catch on a bigger fish, I had to trap the smaller one first.

After finding the small fish in the form of a skinny man, I requested a drink, to which he happily complied. While on the bar, we made a small talk, getting on with our petty introductions. I didn't even bother to remember his name. Overall, he seemed like a bundle of nerves, which was becoming less cute and more annoying by the second. I decided to name him 'Virgin' inside my head. Cowards were totally against my type.

We ordered our drinks from another bartender since I didn't want to catch Rithik's attention directly. Whether he had noticed me or not, I didn't know. After emptying our glasses and plates, I suggested a fun ride at the club.

Virgin and I soon joined the dance floor, getting carried away with the music. His virgin eyes held such interest for me while my eyes  wandered across the club, waiting desperately for someone. I had a feeling he would come here. His lady companion was a surefire proof of that. I waited and waited at what seemed like an endless span of time. My resolve forced to betray my faith but I wasn't the one to give up.

So when Rithik actually stepped foot in the club, alongside his partner, I was lost in a haze. Even better when he made his way to the dance floor. He was no longer in his job attire. Our eyes met on the way but I made it look casual by looking away and focusing on Virgin in front of me.

Throughout the dance, Rithik and I kept stealing glances at each other. None of our partners seemed to have noticed that, fortunately. At one point, the Rithik duo were so close that if I were to say something out loud, he would hear it. The song was nearing its end. I grabbed the opportunity and sorta hugged Virgin, facing Rithik behind his back. The song died, bringing my breath to a momentary halt.

“Hot.”

Rithik raised a brow in amusement while I smiled wickedly in return. Unfortunately, the magic soon wore off, the moment Virgin opened his lousy mouth. “You think so?”

I pulled away from Virgin, breaking my eye contact with Rithik as well. “Yes, you are, uh... you just need to be more bold and confident. There's nothing more sexier than a man who walks with his coat of confidence. Confidence, not over confidence.”

His face lit up as if I just gave him an orgasm but then he remembered my advice. He braced himself with a stone like face, making me snicker. “Yeah, that's better, I guess,” I assured him half heartedly. Maybe I just made his day... or night, whichever way it was.

Gradually we moved away from Rithik and I busied myself with my partner. When I was sure that Rithik wasn't moving away from the dance floor anytime soon, I did a favor and got away from there.

“Wha- where are we—” Virgin stopped mid- way to clear his throat. “Where do you want to go next, my lady?” He corrected himself and I giggled again. If anything, atleast his attempts were hilarious.

“Oh, we are moving to a very interesting place. You'll love it, darling,” I said, placing a finger on his chest. Hopefully that included Rithik as well.

I scanned my eyes around the place and found a corner, not too far away from the dancefloor. It led to a narrow hallway towards the darker parts of the club. I grabbed his arm and led the way. We made a small conversation while I pretended to look around, secretly letting Rithik know where I was.

When I was sure Rithik had my attention, I grabbed a nervous Virgin by his shirt, pulling him close. His eyes widened foolishly as if I just proposed him. “Woah, are you going to... Wait a second, lemme prepare myself,” he paused, bringing his hand near his mouth and then smelling it. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

When we finally got down to kissing, I made sure to angle myself in a way that would be easier for Rithik to see. Virgin, however already had his eyes closed while his mouth was trembling as if he just tasted heaven. Our mouths moved in a slow frenzy but atleast he smelled bearable. For a moment, I allowed myself to close my eyes, slightly bothered by the prospect of people watching us, including him. Eventually, I opened them to find Rithik.

The sight I saw was something I could never forget for a long while. Intense would hardly cover the feeling. His gaze pierced through me, holding me prisoner, despite being ten good feet away from me. His face was expressionless but his eyes told a sinister 온라인카지노게임. I could finally see what I wanted him to see in me all along— Lust. Desire in its naked form. His partner's back was facing my side as he held her by his arms, his eyes fixated on me. I couldn't hold my gaze for long as I tilted my head to keep up with the kiss. I ran my hand through Virgin's hair, pulling him closer and kissed him, more firmly this time. A sense of warmth rushed through me as I imagined Rithik instead. It was maddening. Virgin pulled away to lean his head below my face and began showering kisses down my neck. I let out the slightest of moans and took that chance to look at Rithik again. He smiled at his partner getting involved in a slow dance then hugged her again, only to look to me like a hawk, turning to its prey. Except that hawk was metamorphically tied, unable to do anything but watch the scene unfold in front of him.

Yes, Rithik, keep eye- fucking me this way. I hope you fantasize me to the point where I won't let you sleep tonight. Succumb to your desires. Think about me when you jerk off. I hope I devour your mind, just like you did mine.

I never intended to make him jealous in the first place. That's old school. Instead, I wanted to let him know what he was missing out. I wanted him to enjoy this sensuous show. I held my gaze at Rithik one last time, feeling the corners of my lips lift, before going back to Virgin again.

Soon I broke away from Virgin's embrace. I stole a glance at the dancefloor but Rithik was no longer there. His absence wasn't surprising. I had already anticipated this. Moreover, I was tired.

Virgin continued to make his hilarious attempts to take things further but I was in no mood to. He was simply a pawn to my masterplan of seduction. Surprisingly, he didn't seem too disappointed at my rejection. Instead, he took it positively. “Thank you, Natasha. This was a memorable night.”

“It was, Adit. It was.” It was the truth. Just not in the same way as him.

*

I visited Chalke, a week later as per the ritual. Curious to know Rithik's reaction, I marched straight to greet him, behaving as casual as I possibly could.

He was checking something through the shelves while I was busy checking out his back, imagining him shirtless. He let out a sigh of frustration before turning around to face me.

“Everything alright?” I asked while glancing between him and an array of bottles behind him.

“Yeah,” he answered half- heartedly. His eyes swept through my body but it was so quick, I thought I must have imagined it. After some more searching and soft curses later, he gave up. He faced me his hesitation evident as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, I need you to do a favor.”

“Sure. My hands are delicate, if you must know,” I said, displaying my hands in front of him.

“No problem. It's a small task for a small hand.” He smiled, pointing a finger to my palms. “One of the liquors is out of stock here. It's called Cointreau. It's made up of sweet and bitter orange. Just put up a word to anyone in the kitchen to fetch a Cointreau for me. Tell them it's in the second storeroom. I would have gone to fetch it myself but no one's taking charge of the bar at the moment. I even called the waiters you know but those lousy bastards turned a blind eye towards me.”

For a moment, I was distracted by the intellectual sound his vocal chords made but I snapped back. “Fine, will do.”

The fresh aroma of various Indian dishes filled my nostrils as I entered the kitchen. I managed to grab someone's attention, telling him what Rithik needed. Now I didn't know whether he mistook me as a new worker or knew that I was Rithik's friend. Instead of fetching me the liquor, he directed me to the storeroom to get it myself. Maybe I should actually steal something to aware them of their foolishness.

I switched on the lights. It was a small room, stocked with packed food items on the slab, unidentified cartons and shelves. I walked to open the shelf that was labeled as liquors. It was divided into two sections. I skimmed through the lower section of bottles but couldn't find the orange colored liquor he requested. Why was I doing this again?

I was finding it hard to reach the upper section due to my impressive height of 5'4 feet. They just couldn't have mounted this shelf lower, could they? I thought about standing on the narrow slab to reach the higher shelf but quickly dismissed the idea. I almost gave up when I heard footsteps approaching.

“Thought so,” Rithik said, catching on the distance between the upper shelf and me. He shook his head in dismay as he walked up to me. “No worries. I'll do it,” he added. Before I even had a chance to step aside, he extended his arms to the upper shelf, not bothered with the fact that his body was pressed against mine. The bottles made a clink sound with his hands but my mind was no longer at the task. Suddenly the room felt a lot claustrophobic than before. I couldn't find it in me to move an inch. Not with his right leg brushing against my left, and certainly, not with the scent of his cologne. The heat of his touch was beginning to cloud my senses. This must have been the closest I've gotten to this man.

“Found ya,” he muttered to himself with an audible breath and lowered his arms. I nearly froze when his right arm brushed against my thigh. “Natasha?” He called softly.

I whirled my head to him, my heart running a mile at the lack of distance between us. That's when I came to realization— He wasn't shifting away either. We caught ourselves in the moment. I waited for him to make a move. My mind was screaming at me to initiate but I dreaded the rejection.

Rithik's jaw clenched as his gaze dropped to my plump lips while I stared at his. A moment too soon, he backed away, leaving a breath and I closed my eyes in disappointment. He took the bottle with him and walked away wordlessly while I stood there, hopeless.

Seconds passed by. I remained in the same spot, not aware of Rithik's presence at the exit of the store room. Not until he groaned out loud.

“To hell with this!”

The next seconds flew by so fast, my mind could barely register it all. At one moment, he was at the door, at second, I felt my body being pressed against his. He came in like a whirlwind— sudden and hurried as he threaded his fingers between my hairs at the back of my head, arched my neck up and claimed my mouth with his. My hands immediately flew backwards to the slab for support. My eyes widened at the suddenness of it all. However, when my body welcomed the warmth that his kiss carried, I kissed him back.

His lips were soft yet ferocious, igniting my senses. I could feel the hardness of his chest as he pressed against me; felt his right leg crossing between my legs, making me spread them more. He reacted by letting out a groan at the back of his throat and removed his hand to cup my jaw. It filled me with an aching need, wanting to be fulfilled. The fact that he wanted this just as much, only fuelled my desire. Instead, I simply satiated myself with the fact that one of my fantasies was becoming a reality. That I was finally kissing Rithik Arora. 

I had the urge to run my hands on his hair but I couldn't, lest I fell back. I couldn't risk breaking this moment. It was like I was tied up just like he was that night. I was at his mercy this time. So I only did what I could— I nibbled at his bottom lip, catching him off guard then slipped my tongue inside his mouth, making him groan once again. He tasted like fruit punch, sweet and lasting. He tasted like alcohol, bitter and intoxicating.

He tasted like addiction.

Eventually, he pulled away to rest his forehead against mine, his hand still cupping my jaw. Our breaths fanned heavily against each other as we continued to remain in close proximity. I was thankful for his other arm, holding the side of my waist since I was finding difficult to support my jelly legs. My heart calmed down when he dropped his hands, moving further away. Funny how none of us were making an attempt to leave the room. Instead, we were simply staring, silently reliving over what transpired few seconds ago. I looked into his dark brown eyes, desperately wanting to know what he was thinking. Somehow it got my heart racing once again. A voice seemed to be calling his name, from somewhere far, far away but he never bothered to respond. It was almost like we were blocked from the outside world.

Almost.

“Rithik, what the hell man?!” Someone shouted from outside the door. “I was calling for you. What are you doing here? Don't tell me we are out of  Cointreau.”

Rithik's jaw clenched before he opened his mouth. “Don't worry, I found it. It was a little difficult but my friend here assisted me.”

“It was a pleasure assisting him,” I added and we shared a smirk at our inside joke.

“Whatever, just hurry up, okay?” the voice at the door said and that was when we lost our eye contact. The bald man gave us a look before going away. Rithik followed himself after. I probed my lips with my fingers, feeling the after effects of his kiss and smiled.

There were three types of guys in my world. Guys who wanted me, guys who I wanted and the want that was mutual. No doubt the third category was the most favorable but that's not where the fun lied, no— It was the game in converting the second category to the third.

As for Rithik and me, it was just the beginning.

*
Dedicated to mrunalt97

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