An Unlikely Affair Ch. 01

"I am sorry Arindam, Vice Chancellor dragged me to an unscheduled meeting and I just could not get away." Ms. Sen explained as we walked down the corridor towards the main exit. "I hope you are not waiting for long."

"It's ok, Ms. Sen, I kept myself amused." I said light-heartedly.

"I had to park my car at the far end today, I was a bit late in the morning" She growled as we made our way through the car park - it was a bit of a trek to be honest.

Ms. Sen was wearing a beautiful dual colour Art Silk saree with self-motifs, accompanied by a matching long sleeve black blouse. The soft silky fabric of her saree seemed to be floating on her body; it accentuated her lush curves beautifully. As she walked a little ahead of me, I watched in admiration the generous expanse of her buttocks oscillate, covered in the silky fabric of her saree, in a magical rhythm of her walk. I almost gasped aloud at the sight of her swaying butt cheeks making their presence felt by pushing against the soft fabric of the saree.

She slowed down as we reached a white BMW sedan. I was right about her hailing from a rich family then, I thought.

"You don't use air condition in your car?" I politely asked as Ms. Sen began to pull away from the car park. Although it was January but Kolkata was still quite warm and humid.

"I wish I could, but I am asthmatic and air condition aggravates it even if I am exposed to it for a short while."

The car moved at a snail's pace through the heavy early afternoon traffic on the EM Bypass. We were trying to make small talks to distract ourselves from the road congestion. I couldn't help but take a liking of her face. She was as elegant as one could be without being drop dead gorgeous - her shapely nose was prominent in the profile view with her large but shapely nostrils.

"I just realised I never asked you where you leave - so very rude of me."

"You probably would not know that part of the city, I live near Khanna cinema."

Ms. Sen made a casual clicking sound with her tongue, which I guess was meant to be an overwhelming evidence of her grasp on the city geography. "Of course I do, most of my cousins are from North Kolkata. Looking at the traffic tonight, it would be hard work for you to travel back home."

"I hope not, I was planning to take Metro to Shobhabazar and from there I can walk." I let out a silent sigh watching the movement of her ample thighs silhouetted against the saree as her feet were perpetually busy on the clutch and the break trying to negotiate the busy traffic.

We turned left into a small road off Southern Avenue and stopped immediately in front of a high walled detached duplex house. Two security guards opened the metal door and greeted Mr. Sen while watching me quizzically. Ms. Sen drove through the small driveway and parked under the porch.

"You don't have any maids or servants?" I failed to hide my surprise when I saw Ms. Sen opening the main entrance with her keys rather than tugging at that fancy looking doorbell.

"Well, I have a cooking maid if you like, she comes in the morning. I usually don't need anyone in the evening. The security guards are here all the time though." She dropped her bag and the keys on the table near the door. "Let's go to my study."

Sagarika's version

I felt his glances at my rear as I was climbing the stairs towards my first floor study. It made me uneasy for a moment; you have been on your own in this house for far too long and now you are just spooked with someone else present with you- I told myself and dismissed the thought.

"You must be starving, I certainly am." I pronounced.

"I am not too bad actually."

"Rubbish, you probably didn't have anything since lunch. Let me go and check what we have in the fridge."

Arindam was admiringly observing the floor-to-ceiling book shelves that adorned the four walls of the study. "Wow, it is almost a library! You read all these books?"

"Most of them belonged to my late husband to be honest, but love for books is one of many things I shared with him." I said with a hint of sadness in my voice.

"I am really sorry for your loss Ms. Sen."

I was pleasantly surprised to see his soft side. There was genuine affection and sympathy in Arindam's voice which touched my heart. "Thank you Arindam, I was at loss without him but I finally feel that I have managed to get over that very difficult period of my life. And by the way, you are more than welcome to take as many books as you want, as long as you return them." I added with a friendly smile.

"Oh, really Ms. Sen?" His joy reflected in the sparkle of his eyes. "thank you so much."

"No need to thank me Arindam, I would only be glad to know that they are not just gathering dust here." I said gazing at out our vast collection. "But first things first, let me go and bring some food."

I turned around without realising Arindam was standing right behind me and my upper arms brushed against his shoulder. This sudden proximity made me jump as if an electric shock had jolted through me. I was suddenly feeling very nervous and utterly confused at my overreaction. I stepped away and found him staring at me, I had to look away first.

"I am sorry." I awkwardly fumbled. He didn't say anything but the intensity of his eyes made me feel a little uncomfortable.

I thought about what just happened once more while placing some fruit cakes on a plate downstairs in the kitchen. I could not fathom why I reacted so awkwardly to what was really an accidental and innocent contact with Arindam's shoulder. I took deep breaths and composed myself before returning to my study - I needed to do my job.

"Right, before we start, I just wanted to say a few things." I began, sitting down facing Arindam and placing the plate on the coffee table between us. "Look, when I offered to help you in my office last week, I could sense that you were not immediately at ease with the idea. And I am not sure if you are now either."

Arindam kept quiet, looking at me attentively. "I just want you to know that it is not some sort of a project of a bored middle aged woman trying to erase her guilt for being rich. I honestly feel that you are a very promising student who needs to improve his linguistic skills and I think I can help you. But the only way this is going to work is if we are honest with each other. So, if you don't believe what I just said, you need to tell me right now."

"I totally understand where you are coming from Ms. Sen. I am not going to lie; I hate whenever someone offers me something for free." He stopped momentarily to wash the fruit cake down with some water. "But I can also assure you that I would not have come here tonight if I had any doubt about the sincerity of your proposal.

Arindam continued. "I am really sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. It was nothing personal against you, it's just that I can't easily trust someone. But I do trust you Ms. Sen, a lot, I think you are different from everyone I have met in my life."

His intense stare was making me uncomfortable again. "No matter how flattering that sounds, Arindam, I don't think that is quite true; but thank you anyway. And by the way, not all rich people enjoy a bump less ride, I certainly had my fair share of difficulties."

I regretted my comment immediately as I saw sadness cast a shadow on Arindam's face. I must have scratched a sleeping wound. I rushed to change the subject. "Should you not call your father and let him know that you would be late?"

"Nah, he would probably be too drunk to even notice that I am not there; or he would be itching to teach me a lesson if he is not drunk enough." His voice was calm as well as full of contempt.

I gasped. I felt a pang in my heart as Arindam recollected his tormented childhood and youth - growing up without a mother; his father, first becoming perpetually depressed, then an alcoholic, losing his job in the process and finally turning into an abusive monster; how all their relative turned their faces away when they were in desperate need for financial as well as emotional support; how his childhood was robbed as he had to play the dad to the monster child that his father was becoming; how he gritted his teeth and achieved exceptional grades in the school and secured a prestigious Govt. grant that paved his way into the university; how worried he was that his family savings were getting eaten away to fund his father's alcoholism; and how his ungrateful father kept abusing him despite everything he did and was still doing. The worst part of it was that he still could not leave his home because he knew that his father would not survive for long without him. No love remained in his heart for his rather, but he still had a sense of duty towards him, the only family he had. He could not share his pain with anyone either, he felt that would bring upon shame on him and make him vulnerable.

I winced in pain. A sudden surge of emotion was choking my throat. The truth was that I did not have capacity to fully gauge how much he had to endure. My only consolation was that he probably felt a little relieved after venting out all that emotion and sorrow that had pent-up inside him for years.

I didn't know what to say to him. I could not find words that were adequate enough to offer him any solace. At the same time, I could not help but admire his maturity that was way beyond his age, his determination and his mental courage. I just leaned forward and gently placed my hands on top of his that were resting on his knees. "I know that I can't take your pain away, but I am glad you trusted me with your grief even though you know me only for a few months."

I felt his body tremble at my touch. "I don't know why but I felt that I could trust you completely." Arindam almost whispered, his voice quivered with emotion.

"I am glad that you did. I want you to know that you can always confide in me and I promise that I will never break your trust."

I ended up telling him about the difficult days that I went through after my husband's death; how my daughter suffered from my depression. I hadn't disclosed the very personal tales of my grief to anyone outside my close family, but I felt comfortable sharing it with him - it only felt natural after he opened his inner self to me.

It was already 9 PM and I was conscious that Arindam had a long journey home. "We didn't get to study today but I am glad that I know you a bit better after today." I said.

"I am glad too, Ms. Sen. I feel a lot relieved and if I may say, a little less lonely too."

I felt emotional again. "Good, and here is one more thing, it may sound a bit strange to you so do tell me if it would make you uncomfortable, but when you are here, I would like you to call me Sagarika Auntie or just Auntie - whatever you prefer. Ms. Sen sounds way too formal and we have already shared a lot of personal stuff with each other." I said in holding my breath in.

"Oh, I would love that, honestly." His eyes sparkled and I sighed in relief; for a second I thought he would find my emotional outbreak silly.

"Good, it's settled then. You better get going now, I don't want to you to land in any trouble at home. We will start again from Thursday. I usually get home by six, so any time after that is fine. I'll let my security guards know as well."

"Ok Auntie... Oh my god, it feels so amazing to call you Auntie!" Arindam exclaimed.

I could not help but smile. After digging up too many wounds during the evening, it felt nice to see him happy. "You better get going." I warned him again.

He stopped momentarily at the door and turned around. He smiled fondly at me and I felt his intense gaze again. "Good night Auntie, I really like you."

I was taken aback by his comment but I tried to put a smile on my face. Something inside me drew my eyes to his lower abdomen and I was stunned to notice that he had what looked like a powerful erection. My head went into a haze as I saw him disappearing through the door.

I was already overwhelmed that night and I needed to sleep to clear my head. But the images from previous night returned to my head when I woke up next morning. I was still confused. Was he sexually attracted to me? Was he turned on all evening? Did he think of me as an object of love? Of lust? Or both perhaps? I could not be sure; I didn't have much experience with boys of his age when I was his age anyway. Then I remembered my absurd overreaction when my arms innocently brushed against his shoulder. Why was I so unnecessarily conscious? Was I thinking of him as an object of desire or love in my subconscious too? After spending just one evening at home? It seemed beyond belief.

My life was just back on track, the last thing I needed was to risk it by embarking on a relationship with one of my students - one that I knew only for a few months. 'Hang on', I said to myself, why was I even thinking about a relationship with him? My stomach clenched up in knots imagining what Sumita would make of all this. I shook my head to clear the images of his intense gaze, his body trembling at my touch; his erection. It had to be the lack of intimacy over last few years that was causing this silly mid-life crisis, I hastily concluded. I decided to focus on my work and not let anything distract my mind.

Everything was fine for the next day and half. That I didn't have to deliver any lecture to Arindam's class certainly helped maintaining my composure. I had a long chat with Sumita on Skype and that helped too. I was so glad that she was doing brilliantly at the university. But as soon as Thursday evening arrived, I started feeling an uneasiness in my stomach.

"Sorry Auntie I am a bit late. I met one of my friends on the way." Arindam fondly smiled as he entered the house.

"No problem Arindam, how are you? Everything ok?" I waved at the onlooking security guard and closed the main door.

"Just usual, how are you Auntie?"

"I am not too bad either. Now, let's not waste any time today." I tried my most serious voice. "We didn't get done much on Tuesday and have a lot to cover."

I felt his glances on my buttocks again as I was climbing the stairs and this time I was certain. The uneasiness in my stomach was rising steadily. I let him settle on the chair in my study and went downstairs to bring some food.

"So here is how I think we should go about it." I felt his intense gaze on me but I purposefully avoided any long eye contacts. "The Element of Style is one of the best books I have come across on the subject of mastering English writing skills. We will go through each section of the book; look at some of the contemporary fictions to understand how the practices suggested in the book have been followed and adopted by different authors; and then we will finally come back to your essays and assess how they can be improved. How does that sound?"

"Perfect."

We started with the first chapter, 'Elementary Rules of Usage'. As the evening went on, I was increasingly impressed with not only his ability to quickly pick up the grammatical rules and techniques but also with his understanding as to how they can be applied. I asked him to study a chapter from 'The Old Man and the Sea' and see if he can identify how Hemingway followed, adopted or deviated from the rules stated in the book.

I examined his face closely while his eyes were fixed on the book. I realised that all these months, I never watched him closely. His face looked different when he didn't feel necessary to keep his guards up; it still retained the innocence of youth. He had beautiful long curly hair that bounced around untamed with every movement of his head. His jawline was strong and prominent, a contrast against his thin lips. His eyes were particularly attractive. I felt a tug at my heartstrings as I watched the light brown pupils follow Hemingway's words. His lean body, unsurprisingly, looked fit and healthy - he had to work hard just for his survival in this world. He was a few inches shorter than me but so were most of the men anyway. I felt small beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I kept looking at him; my resistance was fading.

"Auntie, I don't think great authors always played by the rule." Arindam remarked putting the book down after finishing the chapter.

I snapped back to reality. I sat up straight on the chair crossing my legs. "You are probably right. But that's the beauty of any language - there are rules but if you are clever and skilful enough you can bend them to your advantage - not too dissimilar from the rules of life actually."

He glanced towards my leg a few times discreetly but could not fool my eyes. Women always have a sixth sense, especially when it comes to men watching them. My leg was probably exposed a little bit due to my sitting posture. Was the sight of my leg turning him on? It surely seemed so. I felt a sudden urge to make myself more desirable to him. I pushed my right thigh higher on my left thigh, knowing my saree would hike up exposing more of my left leg.

"Perhaps initially we should look at business literatures only, they tend to follow these rules more strictly." I suggested. He was distracted. His glances towards my leg were now more frequent and his gaze intensified once more. Was he aroused now? The thought sent a shiver down my spine; I wanted to see.

"Why don't you pick a business management book from the shelves and we can look at the writing style and see if that is more in line with the rules described in the book." My heart was beating fast.

He stood up awkwardly, clearly trying to hide his erection. I resisted looking till he reached the far corner of the room, looking up the shelves to find a suitable book. The bulge in his trousers was prominent even from a distance. My skin bloomed with heat flew from the top of my chest to down below. My resistance had fallen completely. He finally picked up a book and held it in front of him to hide his excitement as he strode towards me. I looked in the other direction but the image of his erection was still very much there in my head.

"Oh, it's already nine, time really flew." Exclaimed Arindam looking at his watch.

I sighed, it certainly did. "You better get going then, don't want any trouble for you at home. Take these books with you, you can study at your leisure; we will look some of your essays on Tuesday and analyse how these rules could have been applied there." I tried my best to keep my demeanour although linguistic elements were the last thing in my mind. I was certain he was not thinking about grammar rules either.

Neither of us spoke while walking down the stairs to the main door; he was still using the books to hide his erection. I wasn't sure if I gave away my excitement. We smiled at each other tenderly when we reached the door. I watched him walk down the driveway and then disappear beyond the high walls. I felt a sudden sadness as I closed the door.

I reflected on the events during the week as I rested my head on the pillow later that night. In spite of all my attempts, I could not shut Arindam from my mind. The aching in my heart and the moistness between legs were evidence that I was attracted to him; emotionally and physically. And if my judgement wasn't terribly wrong, I was certain that Arindam felt the same about me. My mind was not doubt-free though; I was almost twice as his age and I was not sure if I was misusing my position of trust. But I was certain that I would not hurt or harm him in any way. I didn't know how everything would turn out at the end but I made a promise to myself that if things didn't work out, I would do whatever is best for Arindam. One thing I knew that it would be a bumpy ride but I was ready for the fight. I was being honest to myself and to Arindam; I didn't care about conventional wisdom; I had enough of being a conformist girl.