#cheating
Namita rang the door bell and waited anxiously outside Rahul's house. When she didn't get any response, she wondered if he was home and was about to ring the doorbell again but just then Rahul opened the door.
"Hey," Rahul said, without any excitement, as he stood there in a white bath towel wrapped around his hips. He was bared chested and his well-built upper body fully exposed, and his hair wet with droplets dripping down, "I was taking a shower," he said without much of an expression.
"I figured," Namita said looking him up as she inhaled the scent of his shampoo, "Umm.. Sorry I didn't call but thought I just come over and talk to you in person."
"Sure, come on in," Rahul said opening the door wider and letting her in.
Namita stepped inside and walked to the living room as Rahul closed the door and followed her. As always, she was dressed elegantly in a saree.
"Sit," he said gesturing towards the sofa as he pulled a wooden chair for himself.
Rahul sensed that Namita wasn't sure on how to start the conversation, and so he asked her, "Did Maya sent you?"
"No, I didn't tell her. But this is about her," Namita said, and there was an awkward silence as they both kept staring at each other.
Maya and Rahul were in a relationship. They had been dating for close to a year now. Namita was Maya's neighbor, and even though Namita was way older than her, they were like best friends. They were so close that they never had secrets and spoke to each other about anything and everything.
"I didn't mean to slap her," Rahul said, breaking the silence, "It just happened in the heat of the moment and I told her I am sorry. But she wouldn't listen and she just walked out saying we are done."
"You shouldn't have hit her," Nandita said sternly as she glared at him, "Anyways, whats done is done. I have talked to her and she is ready to forgive you. But I want your word that you will not hurt her again," Namita insisted.
"I am not the kind who hits his girlfriend, and I had apologized right then. But she is the one who decided to break up, not me. She should have understood me..."
"Understood you? What about understanding her?," Namita retorted, interrupting him"
Listen, if she is ready to let all this go and come back, I am good. Otherwise I am done with this relationship," Rahul said sternly.
Namita was quiet and she thought for a few seconds before saying, "I am not here to argue with you about who is right or wrong, or to take sides. But there is something that you need to know about Maya. I know she hasn't told you this because its not something she likes to talk about. Before you, she was in another relationship, a toxic one. His name was Deepak and he was into BDSM sort of things. He used to tie her up, spank her, you know those kinds of things. And she came to me saying she wasn't sure about doing it. I told her to talk to Deepak and see if both of them could work out something based on mutual interests. And she did that, and Deepak agreed not to go overboard and Maya could say no whenever she wanted. Everything was good and Maya had also started to enjoy his dominance but as it progressed, Deepak kept trying her limits and it got to a point where she refused. Deepak was furious and he slapped her several times. Maya came to me again and I told her that time to break up with him, and that's what she did. And when you slapped her, those memories are haunting her again. Now, I hope you understand why she is so hurt?"
"Hmm. So you didn't talk to Deepak and try to sort things out for them, like how you are here now?"
"No. I didn't talk to him because he was toxic for a girl like Maya."
"But he was not toxic for a woman like you?" Rahul asked curiously.
"What?!"
"Deepak stays in an apartment on CHG Marg, right?"
"Do you know him?" Namita asked anxiously
"No, I don't. But you do. You are the reason why they broke up, and you are still guilty about it. And that's why you are here, to make up for what you did to her earlier," Rahul said calmly.
"WHAT NONSENSE?!" Namita asked in anger, as she got up from the sofa, "How dare you accuse me??? I am done talking with you," she continued as she stomped her way to the front door and paused by the door, "You don't deserve someone like her. I'll make sure Maya will never call you again."
"OK, but I'll give her a call anyways to say goodbye," Rahul said walking towards the door.
"Whatever," Namita said, opening the front door and walking away.
A few minutes later, Namita returned to Rahul's doorstep and knocked.
"Maya can not handle another break up," Namita said softly when Rahul opened the door.
"I don't know what would hurt her more, breaking up with me or her finding out that you were the reason she had to break up with Deepak."
"Rahul, I don't know how you found out about us and I know you wont believe whatever I say. I never meant to hurt her. Things.... things just happened... I have this fantasy of being dominated and abused in bed, and when Maya told me about Deepak's fantasies, I couldn't resist and I ended up texting him without Maya knowing. And one thing led to another and in a matter of a few days, I ended up in his apartment...."
"Do you still see him?" Rahul probed.
"No... I stopped seeing him after his break up with Maya."
"Hmm.."
Namita stepped closer to Rahul and took his hands, "Maya should never know. I'll do anything you want" she pleaded.
"Anything I want? No limits?" he confirmed.
"Yes, I am all yours," she said.
Rahul tapped her arm gently, "Ok. Go back home. I'll text your task and let's see how serious you are."
"Sure, whatever you want," Namita replied with her head lowered.
"Go now.."
Rahul watched her leave and grinned.
"What a bitch," he heard Maya's voice from behind him as she appeared from their bedroom in a bath towel wrapped around her chest.
Rahul looked at her and hugged her. She rested her head on his bare chest. "Now you believe me?" Rahul asked, caressing her wet hair.
"Yes, I do. And I wouldn't have known all this if you hadn't told me about seeing her at CHG Marg, and going to his apartment yesterday. For a moment I felt sorry for her but she lied again saying she stopped seeing him," Maya said in frustration.
The two of them had faked the incident about Rahul slapping Maya to extract the truth out of Namita. It was Rahul's idea and so far he has been loyal to Maya. But Namita's revelation and the expression on her face when she said she is all his, sparked something in him.
Back at her apartment, Namita waited anxiously for Rahul's text. Even though she had told Rahul that she was willing to do anything to save Maya's relationship, the thought of being used by Rahul made her wet.
But how far would he go, she wondered, biting her lower lip.....