Adultery No One Dies a Saint [Completed]

When Atul went to the bed that night, Anvita showed him her mobile.
“Rajat sent me this message.”

It read, “Ur DP! So perfect and hot!!!”

Atul wondered how he got her number.

“He has your number?”

Anvita shook her head. “He had come here when you were gone to the market.”

“For what?”

“To see his fish.”

Atul had gone out at seven o’clock. That’s not the time to see his fish. Which fish was he looking for?

Atul wondered what Rajat was having in his mind. Something was not right.

“What is so dearly about his fish? Aren’t they happy with us?”

He asked annoyingly. Anvita was changing the bed sheet and she did not see his face.

“Of course they are happy. I don't know what a happy fish look like, though.”

She smirked.

“He was really happy. He clicked a lot of pics.”

“Pics?”

“Pics of his aquarium. And of course, its caretaker’s too!”

Anvita said innocently.

“He took your photos too?”

“Why are you talking like this?”

“I am just asking you. Did he take your photos?”

“Yeah! He asked me to pose with the aquarium and I did. But you are acting strangely. You don't like it?”

“I’m not sure if we should trust him. You shouldn’t have let him have your photos.”

“But, Atul, he’s your friend.”

“Yeah, but he’s not a decent person.”

Atul felt it difficult to convey to her. She stared at him.

“Atul, you are talking about Rajat, our neighbour and your friend.”

“Yeah, I am perfectly aware who he is...”

He sat on the edge of the bed.

“He’s not a good person when it comes to ladies. I mean, especially married women.”

“What?”

“He told me he has crazy thoughts about Mohit’s wife.”

“Neeti?”

“Yeah.” Atul nodded. He expected it would make her cautious, but she remained unheeding.

“What’s wrong in that?”

“You still don't know what I am talking about? When you were sweeping the floor at his house, he was ogling at you, very inappropriately.”

He stepped up his accusations.

To his dismay, Anvita blossomed into a smile. “Really?”

“You find that funny?”

Atul was becoming uncomfortable.

“Why didn't you stop him then?”

He did not expect her to cross-question him. He shrugged. “How could I? I was sitting with him and having his booze…”

“So you’d let him do whatever he wants?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Atul’s voice rose suddenly and it now shook her. She fell silent.

Atul took a deep breath. “Try to understand what I am telling you, Anvita. When we were there, he was staring at your chest whenever you were not paying attention. I didn't mind it at that time because, you know, it’s not a big deal as he wasn’t trying to intimidate you. But then you see his message, he thinks you are hot like he told me about Neeti and a couple of married colleagues of him... I didn't feel it then, but now I think that it’s better to keep some distance from him; especially when his wife isn’t around. Do you understand what I am trying to say, now?”

She nodded.

“I think you are right. We can't believe anyone in today’s world. Why we should give a chance to someone and end up regretting it later?”

Anvita was sensible. In fact, Atul felt she was more sensible than him.

“I think you too should keep some distance from him. Why give him chance to disturb our peaceful life?”

She snuggled into him in the bed.

“What are you suggesting? I rarely see him.”

“Next time when he asks you for a drink don't go!”

She had a point and he had to agree with her. His eyes accidentally fell at her fingers just before she turned to switch off the lights.

“Where’s your ring?”

“Oops.”

She touched her forehead.

“I was about to tell you, Atul. I forgot it at Ankita’s house. Please don't be angry. Ankita has found it in the washroom.”

“How are you gonna get it back? Are they coming here?”

“Probably. She said she will talk to Sahil and, maybe.”

Atul did not feel right. Even though he knew it was stupid, he kept pondering if the perversion of his neighbour and the loss of wedding ring are some kind of omens.

The worry about Rajat was, however, faded away just like that. He sent her messages regularly, mainly jokes, though she minimised her replies to a laughing emoticon or a thumbs up symbol most of the time. Still, his devilish predictions about Anvita disturbed Atul. He lived with a steadily escalating sense of foreboding. Something was awaiting him.

Anvita phoned him when he was at his office.

“Ankita said Sahil is too busy to visit us, darling.”

It was understandable. They were soon leaving for Canada. They would be too busy to come and hand over the ring, Atul knew. If they came it would look too bad to leave without spending some time with Atul and Anvita.

“No problem, we’ll get it when we go to see them off.”

He assured.

Atul used to be a happy man at work. He was campus-selected by Wallzec Systems Pvt Ltd and there was no regret ever since. He worked more as an independent arm for the company and his job frequently required him to conduct one-on-one discussions with his clients. He was quite young for the post but his simple way of approach made it work in his favour. More than one clients in the past had commented straightly on it.

“Had your boss chosen to send someone else in your place, my job would have been very easy to reject this proposal.”

And another time, “I thought I was preoccupied, gentleman. But how can I reject someone like you?”

What inspired him was obviously the fact that he was loved at his work.

After his wedding vacation, his life was expectedly going to be busier. Work was piled up in his absence.

His boss Shreyas, in fact, had offered him help. “Do you want some help to clear your table?”

Atul politely refused. “It’ll take too much time to explain the connections, Shreyas.”

“Ask me, when you need it.”

Shreyas shook hands with him.

“And plan a dinner for us. The whole office is waiting.”

Though Atul was not directly answerable to Shreyas, the latter was in charge of the office. Shreyas was a well-spoken, kind-hearted person.

At noon Anvita phoned again. Atul was away from the office, waiting for a client representative in a coffee shop. When the meeting was over, he got a phone call from Sahil.

“Are you in Model Town?”

Sahil asked.

“Are you watching me?” Atul looked around automatically.

“No. Anvita had called Ankita. We are also in Model Town. If you are also here, it’s not far from home. Let’s go home and get your ring.”

Sahil gave him his exact location and Atul hailed a cab immediately.

It was a coffee shop. Ankita was waiting for him. Sahil was not there.

“Where’s Sahil?”

Atul wondered.

“Someone kidnapped him. Talk to him.”

Ankita gave him her phone. Sahil was at the other end.

“I am really sorry Atul. One of my friends showed up at the last moment. I could not avoid him; he’s impossible to negotiate. I am so sorry....”

“It’s okay.”

Atul said. When the call ended he turned to Ankita.

“So what’s the plan? You guys were having coffee here at noon?”

“Forget it. We can have lunch. Can't we?”

Ankita said enthusiastically.

Atul had earlier noticed her increased enthusiasm to chat with him since the dinner at her house. During her telephone calls to her sister at night, Ankita would ask Anvita to give the phone to Atul, just to say hi. Once he asked deliberately, “Who’s this?” and she said “It’s your ex! Remember me?” Their light-hearted chit chat every night had brought him closer to Ankita than to Sahil.

When she suggested the lunch Atul was not surprised. He looked around.

“Here?”

“Of course, not here... I know a place.”

She led him outside and took him to a restaurant a few kilometres away. He sat behind her scooty and wondered if some cop stopped her for not wearing a helmet. He liked her hair flying into his face though it was actually annoying.

Ankita was wearing a white t-shirt and long floral skirt. She and Anvita were alike in appearance, though it was easy to say who was elder among the two. Ankita had her smile, mannerisms and movements exactly like that of Anvita.

Atul had asked her once.

“Why are you copying your sister’s style?”

Ankita laughed.

“She’s the one copying me. I am the elder one, don't you know?”

Of course, he did.

“If she’s copying you, then she’s doing it better.”

“I know that, lover boy!”

In another occasion, during an earlier visit to Anvita’s house, Atul had noticed them working together in the kitchen and noticed how they looked like one another from behind, except that Ankita was slightly thinner. Or perhaps it was because Anvita had a slight plumper ass.

When he mentioned it to Anvita she simply took the news to her sister. And Ankita was in a rage.

“How come your husband noticed the size of my ass, Anvi?”

“I don't know. But it’s really true.”

“Shut up. Tell him he only knows of his wife!”

Anvita had put the phone on speaker. It was a good laugh then.

Now, sitting behind her, Atul’s eyes descended down through her back. It made him uneasy. Not because he disliked it, but because he caught himself looking down too often.

They sat at a two seated table at a corner of the restaurant. Many seats were vacant, and Atul was sure the bill was going to be accordingly pumped up, compensating the empty tables.

“We were planning for a grand party before you leave. Anvita will be sad.”

Atul said when they finished ordering.

“Only Anvita will be sad? What about you?”

“What about me? Why would I be sad? I owe you nothing.”

“How come you forgot the dinner so easily?”

“You are a bad host and a bad company.”

“That’s a serious allegation.”

“It’s not an allegation. It’s the truth. Do you remember what you did that night?”

“What did we do?”

“You did – you didn't do anything at all – that’s what you did. No drinks, no music, no dancing, no fun.”

“We had it all; if my memory is intact.”

“I did it all; if my memory is intact.”

“But you can’t blame us for that. How do we know you would drink on the first meeting with your sister-in-law?”

“I am not blaming Sahil. He might not be aware but you were aware of everything I and Anvi do.”

Ankita stared at him a moment.

“What do you mean everything?”

He caught a spark in her eyes.

“You know everything, don't you?”

He was smiling perfectly matching to hers. She looked down and then watched her surrounding briefly before answering.

“Yeah. I think I know most of it.”

He knew she was talking something entirely different to what they were discussing a moment ago.

“Then what did you do? You arranged for nothing...”

“I sent you in at the right moment, didn’t I?”

She smirked. Atul’s eyes were locked into hers.

“I didn't get it.”

He confessed.

“Start eating.”

She indicated the food. The order had arrived. It was drool-worthy stuff indeed.

“Nice restaurant,” Atul said.

“Bring Anvita here one day.”

“I had brought her here before marriage, to a number of restaurants here though not this one.”

“You did?”

“You don’t believe me?”

“If you say a restaurant, it’s hard to believe. If you say a hotel, I would believe.”

She had a mischievous smile on her face. She looked more beautiful now.

“You know you are talking about your sister, don't you?”

“You are two shameless creatures, you should know that...”

“What did we do? It’s impossible to talk with you.”

“I really envy you. I too should have had a love marriage. My bad luck...”

“What is wrong with arranged marriage? I always thought that’s better...”

She stared at him.

“I can't believe this. I have never met anyone – among youngsters - who’d prefer arranged marriage. Love marriage is fun, isn’t it?”

“Why?”

“You get to have all the fun before the marriage, don't you?”

“And what is wrong with arranged marriage?”

“That’s boring. You meet the man and talk a few words, and then get married. It’s boring.”

“Yours was boring?”

“Of course that’s what I am saying. I didn't get to have any fun.”

She mocked a sad face.

Atul leaned forward.

“You are telling me only half the picture, dear. Let me tell you what is what. Suppose you have nine potential candidates in your circle to be your partner. Love marriage is selecting one from that circle and then getting to know of him.”

“Getting to know – is that it? You have all the fun.”

Ankita interrupted.

“All the fun – I know you meant sex. Why don't you just say the word, my sis-in-law?”

Atul’s voice was low but it was enough. She reached him under the table and kicked him.

“Of course, I meant sex!”

“Let me explain how arranged marriage functions. In your case, you too had those nine potential candidates from your social circle. And you were free. And you did all the fun – I mean all the fun – with any of the nine men; you could go with one this weekend and another next week, and you still didn't feel any need to be committed. In the end, suddenly your parents introduced the tenth man to your life – the very fortunate one Mr Sahil – to you and asked you to get married. That’s how you got married. Now tell me, who had more fun in the marriage game?”

Ankita leaned back and bit her lips.

“You know what, in just a few words, you made me look like a slut.”

“It’s possible. It’s not a nasty word these days. It’s smartness. You know you call your closest friend a slut in her ears, she’ll smile at you.”

He shrugged. She stared at him and shook her head.

“I can't take this much. I never thought like this. Is it how you seduced my sister?”

“Does Sahil know about your past?”

“About what?”

“About your nine-member circle.”

“I am your sister-in-law. How can you talk so dirty about me?”

She had a grin around her beautiful lips. Her eyes just got shinier.

Atul had for long a feeling that his sister-in-law was just looking for an opportunity to flirt with him. This was the moment when it was realised. She could be swayed like this and she was total fun. But it was wrong to engage her further and Atul knew he wouldn’t dare to do it. He was enjoying every moment he spent with her. Food was finished. She had chosen ice cream for dessert, it came late and he grabbed it before she could.

“That’s mine.”

She said. He ignored her.

“You already have had all the fun. Let me have at least this.”

He teased her.

“You cheat!”

She said helplessly.

“By the way, you earlier called us shameless creatures. Why?”

He asked.

“You wanna know? Then give me my ice cream.”

She smirked. She could have ordered another. He knew she wouldn’t. She wanted his.

He took a spoonful and forwarded it to her. She leaned forth and swallowed it. It was enough to understand where it was heading.

She was not looking at him directly for a moment. It was so obvious that she was trying to look like she wasn’t doing it.

“What happened? You didn’t like its taste?”

He smirked.

“Stop giving me that look.”

She complained. Cuteness was still gathering at her face. Atul did not look away.

“You didn’t like it, ice-cream?”

“I liked it.”

She admitted with a coy smile.

“Want more?”

She shook her head sideways, slowly.

“Now tell me what prompted you to call us shameless.”

“I will never tell you why.”

“What! But you promised.”

“I lied.”

She laughed.
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