A Chance Meeting

My friend Ajay and I were returning from a nightclub one rainy Saturday night, when we saw someone lying by the side of the road. At first we thought that it was a drunkard. But as we came closer, we saw that the person was wearing a dress. We stopped the car and went to inquire. All the while, we kept a vigilant eye around us because we thought it might be a set up to make cars stop for thieves to rob the passengers.

As we neared the body, we were relieved to see that she was breathing. But there were bruises on her face, knees and arms. Furthermore, she was covered in mud and we could not distinguish her face well. Gently, Ajay held her shoulder and shook her. She mumbled something then opened her eyes and sat up. She seemed dazed.

Upon questioning, she informed us that she had been kidnapped by three people and was being taking somewhere in a van. Luckily, she managed to jump out of the van. Her assailants tried to stop her but did not follow her far as they saw the headlights of some vehicles coming. She succeeded in hiding herself till they left. Then she came out to find a public phone or someone to help her. Unfortunately, she lost consciousness and fell by the side of the road where we found her.

We helped her to her feet. She walked a few steps and fell unconscious again. On time, Ajay and I grabbed one arm each. We carried her to the car and laid her on the backseat. Then we started to discuss about what to do next. We feared that if we took her to the police, we might be involved in a police case. Even worse: considered as culprits.

But we couldn't leave her like that. Finally, it was decided to take her to my place, to take care of the wounds ourselves (they were superficial anyway) and wait till she regained her senses.

So it was that our unconscious friend was brought to my house.

-*-

Getting her inside the house was not a big problem. The garage leads directly into the house. So no one saw us carrying an unconscious woman, which could easily be confused as dead, inside. We laid her on the sofa.

Fortunately, it was covered in leather. Imagine the dirt I would have had to clean afterwards if it was cloth. But now is not the time to worry about that. Get back to the story.

I took out the first aid box, some warm wet towels and a blanket. Together, Ajay and I wiped her bruises which could be seen on her arms, elbow and knees. I applied necessary treatment to prevent any infection. All this time she was unconscious but winced when we touch or rubbed too hard on her wounds. As we cleaned the dried mud, we realised how fair skinned she really was.

Then we moved to her face. As we started cleaning it, an alarm went off, together with a male voice saying, "Warning! Warning! It's the wife!"

She woke up.

And screamed.

Both of us guys had to move back, fearing damage to our eardrums.

Quickly, I covered her mouth and told her we meant her no harm and that she was safe. Then I informed her where we found her and where she was now. To finish, I again reminded her that she would not be hurt by us.

Slowly I removed my hand from her face, ready to shut her again if she started to shout. She stayed quiet. And we calmed down.

Except the damn phone which kept resounding.

"Yes," said Ajay into the device, moving to another room.

The girl looked around her. I could see that she was assessing the room. Maybe looking for weapons to use in case we attacked her.

"Uttam, you have to drop me home quickly. Emergency dude," Ajay hurried into the room and said. He seemed concerned.

I would have agreed to drive him home but to leave an unknown girl in my house...

I might not have a house when I return...

So how do we do?

"Take the car. Key's on the table."

I knew that if he wanted to tell me about the issue at hand, he would not have said "emergency". So no point in asking.

My friend took the keys and left hurriedly. As I heard the car reverse and speed off, I realised one thing: I was alone with this woman. May God save me!

-*-

Immediately, I retreated to a reasonable distance.

And she curled up on the sofa. Oh my poor sofa! All sullied.

'Attempt to cajole her. Let her know that she has nothing to fear,' I thought to myself.

"Hi. My name's Uttam. Maybe you might have guessed. You are now in my house in Plaine des Roches. We found you in Grand Baie, on the side of the road while returning from a nightclub. You were injured and unconscious. We didn't want the police to doubt us for a foul play; we brought you here to take care of you. We cleaned your wounds, applied antibacterial and were in the process of cleaning the mud on your face when you woke up and tried to tear our eardrums."

'Well done. Some humour is not bad. It will help to settle her,' I congratulated myself.

"By the way, that was my friend, Ajay."

Silence. She observed me for some time. I guess she was judging my sincerity in what I told her.

"Beena."

"I suppose that's your name. I think you might want to have a warm bath to remove all that dirt on you." Then, continued as she nodded her head. "The bathroom is upstairs. I don't have any lady's clothes but you can use the bathrobe hung in the bathroom. Come, I'll lead the way."

She recoiled further on the sofa.

Seriously, I was considering throwing that furniture away.

After a few seconds, she made her decision. She opened her arms, put her legs down and stood up. She looked a bit uneasy on her feet but soon steadied herself. She followed me up the stairs by holding the staircase strongly. From time to time, I looked behind me to make sure she was alright and didn't need any help. She did fine.

I led the way to the bathroom, opened the door and waited for her. She entered the small room, all the while inspecting everything around her.

"You will find the things you need in the little cabinet," I said and moved away from the door.

Almost instantaneously, I heard the lock on the door. I made my way down the steps and into the living room.

'Oh God! Look at all the mess she has made on the floor too!' I screamed in my head. 'Who's going to clean all that? Obviously me! Who else?!'

I set about mopping the floor. Then, my poor ruined sofa. Luckily, it was only dirt and it came off easily. Still, I would have preferred not having to do it in the first place.

'Speak about helping some stranger.'

To be honest, I am a freak of maintaining cleanliness and tidiness on my property. I prefer everything to be at its place before and after use. Without being on the obsessive about it. I think...

-*-

Oh! By the way, did I tell you that our unknown guest had no underwear since the beginning? Yep, she is naked under her clothes. At least, I'm sure she has no panties on.

How do I know?

Well, remember she was recoiled on the sofa? She was in the foetal position and her clothes did not cover her privates well. Neither did her legs.

Wonder what might have happened before and during her kidnapping. Or was it something else?

What did I get myself into?

-*-

Finally, I finished cleaning. I looked around. Everything was as clean as could be in such short time and each object was where it should be. I left the room to put away the cleaning stuff.

When I returned, she was on the sofa again, in the same foetal position. Her head was on her knees which were tightly circled by her arms. Her fingers were long, thin and well manicured but not varnished. She had fine, little, well manicured toes which enhanced her small feet.

I must say, she is a knock out beauty. At the beginning I thought she was fair skinned but in fact, it is white. Her black hair was humid from the bath and hung in curls around her face. The shape of her face was triangular. It was beautiful; big rosy cheeks, a fine nose and two light green eyes. Her lips were pink and thin. They were made for kissing.

I stop my description of her here.

She seemed in deep thought and wasn't paying attention to her posture. Her feet were slightly apart again and again displaying her intimates.

I walked in the room and sat on the sofa to her left. This way, I would not be distracted by her feet and what's on display.

After I sat, I started talking to her.

"Would you like to inform someone?"

"Nobody must know that I am not in my house," she simply said.

"HUH!" was all I could think of to express my surprise.

Nobody must know that I am not in my house. What's this now?

"Am sorry but I don't understand. Why don't you want anyone to know you are not home? You went through such a traumatic situation. You must be having someone who is looking for you. I'm sure by now or by morning your absence will be noticed."

She kept quiet.

What did I get myself into?

This kept coming to my mind. Like the notes of a song which I was starting to dislike.

"To me, this is a surprising situation. You were abducted. You were harmed. You succeeded to escape. You fell unconscious in a ditch. You are taken to a strange place. By two people you don't know. If I were a girl and in your situation, I'd do anything to get away from this place and look for some place secure."

"This place is not so bad."

Excuse me! Did she just call my house 'not so bad'! I spend half my salary to maintain this place perfect. And she says 'not so bad'! What does she think of herself! Calm down, boy. She knows not what she says. She is in shock.

But then she adds...

"This place is not as luxurious as mine or big. Nor secure, as it seems. Normally, I would never stay in a place like this but I can't really complain. Can I?"

I swear I turned red trying to hold in my breath. And temper, of course.

'Did she get a knock on the head too? And that has caused mental trauma?'

Calm down, boy.

"What do you think of yourself, woman!?" I finally lashed out. "I assure you that insulting your host and saviour like this could lead to you spending the night outdoors."

"Oh, as the princess of this state, of course."

'Yep, that's mental problem. Definitely.'

"Your Highness. Please allow me to say something," I said with all reverence due for a person of high ranking. "You are now in Mauritius and this country has become independent 47 years ago and a republic since 1992. So you being a princess of this state is totally impossible. I would suggest you received a knock to the head and lost sense of reality."

"Are you calling your princess insane?"

Exactly.

"Yes ma'am. As a matter of fact, I am."

"How dare you!"

And she jumped on me. Literally. With hand in front and manicured nails as weapon, she scratched my face and neck. I managed to spare my eyeballs. Narrowly. I had fallen on the floor and she was all over me. Hitting with her knee and feet as well as using her hands in the fight. The only words that came to my mind then were 'wild cat'.

Somehow I managed to catch her hands with mine and block her legs in between mine. But the position we were in led her whole body be over mine. I could feel her upper body pressed on my own and in between my legs I felt her privates onto my penis. By this time we both realised the situation we were in. Yet, she managed to hit me with her knee onto my balls.

It hurt like hell. Releasing her, I placed my hands in between my legs and rolled in pain on the floor. She immediately retreated to a corner of the room. In anger and suffering, I ran after her. I only had one idea in mind: vengeance. She had to suffer as much as I am.

We ran around the living room with me finally catching the tail end of her bathrobe in my hands. Quickly I gave a sharp pull on it. She continued running ahead of me for a few steps. Then, shrieked loudly.

-*-

It was at that moment that I realised that I was still holding the robe which had come loose while running and then off her when I pulled on it. I stared at the piece of clothing in my hand for some time. When I finally raised my head, she was crouching behind the sofa. Her arms were trying to cover her breasts. From where I was standing I could only see her head and back only.

"Give it back to me!" she demanded.

Realising the upper hand I had on her, I decided to maximise on it.

"So, you think my house is just 'not bad'. And you are the princess of this country?"

"No, I was just fooling around with you. Your house is beautiful, well maintained, beautifully decorated and in pristine condition. Also, I am not a princess. That was just to pull your legs. Please give me the robe now."

I pretended to be thinking on it. But then I had already decided what to do next.

"Ok. I'll give it to you. But, you have to come out from behind that furniture."

She looked surprised by my condition. "And to think that I started thinking you were a nice guy. Please, let me get the robe back. Be the gentleman that you are."

"You don't accept my condition? Ok. Then you will have to answer my questions."

"What questions?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Beena."

"That I know. Who is Beena? What does she do in life?"

"Really? You don't recognise me? Don't you read newspapers? Look carefully at my face. Try to remember where you saw my face."

"What the..." I started but then changed tactics and instead asked, "Do you remember who you are? Apart from the name?"

"OMG! Really! You haven't realised who I am?" she seemed in great trouble believing that I don't know who she is. The way she says it, it seems people realise who she is everywhere she goes and she doesn't need to introduce herself. "Do you have a newspaper? Or better, you have internet access?"

She looks around her while talking. No doubt looking for a newspaper or a computer. Of course she won't find any of it here. I don't buy newspapers but read them on my laptop, which at the moment is in my study. Quietly, I fetch the laptop from there, all the while wondering why she seems so offended I haven't comprehended who she is.

When I came back she was still behind the sofa, covering herself with the drape I use to cover that sofa.

"Here," I said, handing the switched on device to her.

She immediately took it from me and opened a browser. I stood behind her as she typed in the search bar: Beena and her family name.

-*-

Even before she pressed enter, I had made the connection. But it was hard to imagine that the person in my living, sitting with my laptop on her exposed legs could be the daughter of a king. Not a real king but the king of business nonetheless; one of the richest men in the country, from the richest family on the island.

No doubt the bitch found my house 'okay'. She has been used to luxury all her life. And she called herself the princess earlier. Bloody hell! What did I get myself into?!

I started wondering what else was in store for me in term of surprises. Suddenly, I grasped that she has escaped a failed kidnapping. And it surely has something to do with money. Ransom maybe. Then, possibly, the kidnappers are still looking for her. Or they have followed my car to my house. And now they are waiting outside for the right time to attack.

What the hell have I got myself into! I may be in danger also. Oh god!

My realisation must have shown on my face because she was looking at me with the unmistakable expression of someone who has the upper hand on someone else.

"Yes, so now you know who I am, I suppose you also realise why I was being abducted and that I was lucky to escape. But don't worry. They haven't followed us. I know because by now they would have already come in to finish the job. And they would not hesitate to kill if necessary." She added the last part with that air of superiority I had started to hate.

Many thoughts were running in my mind. Some about the security measures I had taken to prevent theft in my house. Some for my own security. And some for the ways to kill this 'princess' so that she stopped having fun at my expense. But I need to first calm down and start putting pieces of this increasingly confusing, and dangerous, situation together.

"Now that the introductions have been made, let us return to the fact that you don't want anyone to know where you are now," I said.

Putting my laptop on the table, she stood up and covered herself decently with the drape she was using as body cover. Then she came close to me, raising her left arm. When it was sufficiently uncovered, she turned to show me something.

"You see this," she said, indicating to a spot on her shoulder, "It is here that I have been injected with a tracking device. Wherever I am, my family knows it. It is very precise."

For a second, I started believing her words. But then she broke out laughing. Again, she was making a fool of me. How naïve can I be?

"I knew you were too much into science fiction and spy movies by looking at the wallpaper on the laptop."

And she laughed harder.

I must admit that I did think along those lines. After all, it is a possibility nowadays to have tracking devices implanted in you in cases of abduction. Especially for rich or important people.

But then I had a realisation that she had shown me where she must have been vaccinated as a kid.

"Oh, go to hell dumb woman!"

Just then, the wall clock chimed to indicate it was two o'clock in the morning. And just then she yawned loudly. In so doing she stretched her arms to suggest that she was feeling sleepy.

My heartbeat accelerated because I almost saw her naked breasts as the drape almost fell down. Seizing the opportunity, she snatched the robe which was still in my hands. But I held on to it. I couldn't let go so easily of the little advantage I had on the shrewd woman.

"No, you won't get away so easily," I said and gave a quick jerk on the robe to pull it to me.

Since she held firmly to it I could not make her let go. But what happened was better that what I expected.

-*-

In an attempt to get the robe back, she couldn't handle the cloth she had wrapped herself in. And it fell down. Exposing her naked and glorious body to me.

All I could do was staring and admire her perfect beauty. She was simply magnificent: pure white skin, no freckles, hour-glass body. She had perky breasts, topped by soft, pink nipples. Her circle around her nipple was slightly darker than her skin. She must be size 34.

Further down, all I could take in was that she was shaved. Confirming what I had seen earlier during the night.

When she saw me engrossed in contemplating her body, she let go of the fight and stood brazenly in front of me, as if taunting me to look at her. Her eyes were saying: 'Look as much as you want, you pervert. Look at this body which you can only dream to make yours.'

Finally, I averted my eyes. I threw the robe at her. I didn't care if she took that as a sign of weakness, shame or what else. All I knew was I had taken undue advantage of the situation. My anger against her had disappeared during that time.

"I knew you are a true gentleman. You would not take advantage of a situation. But you needed the upper hand to get some answers," she said after wearing the robe, wrapping it tightly around her and tying it in place tightly.

She came in front of me.

"I'm sorry for leading you on like that. But I needed to assess your intentions. It forms part of the training given to me specifically for this kind of situations."

When she saw the puzzled look on my face, she continued.

"You see, my family knows that we may be targets for people looking for some easy money. So, since young we have been trained in self defence for one on one fight, observing our surrounding as well as our kidnappers. It helps to find useful information which could lead to an escape or later, to recognise our attackers if they were hiding their faces. Every information is useful."

I was wondering whether she was again making fun of me or being truthful. But she seemed sincere.