The Challenge
In the middle of the flight, Kiara woke up to go to the washroom. When she returned, she was too lazy to push her way into the middle seat. And with Rishaan readily offering to shift seats, the seating arrangement changed. With 20 minutes still remaining for the flight to land, a sleep starved Kiara took another power nap, this time holding Rishaan's right hand more firmly. Rishaan's other hand, though, nervously moved to touch Diya's. Her heart skipped a beat. Diya pulled her hand away. But a defiant Rishaan held her wrist again, this time firmly and more reassuringly. The changing behavioral dynamics between the three perhaps gave out a foreboding of what was to come in Goa.
When the flight landed at the Dabolim Airport, Rishaan felt uncanny...his excitement seemed replaced by an unknown fear that he found very difficult to decipher.
Rishaan recalled the day he had taken the challenge to take his wife Kiara, and Diya together for a Goa trip. Kiara did not know that he was having an affair with Diya. But soon after he realized that it was easier said than done. His friends had made him accept the challenge in a state of inebriation but then he found the idea appealing and edgy so he did not withdraw.
The problem began when he shared the proposal with Diya. She blurted out, “Have you gone mad? Do you really think we can pull this off? What was the need to show your bravado and involve me in your challenge? Any way I am not able to explain to myself why I am having this affair with a married man. Then you go and do this stupid thing.”
It took a lot of coaxing and cajoling to convince Diya but he did. They will go in the same plane but will not disclose their relationship.
It was easy to convince Kiara to go for a short holiday to Goa, as she did not know the whole thing. Though she had pulled off two full-nighters at work and wanted to sleep off the whole weekend, Rishaan told her that she could catch up on her lost sleep in Goa.
Since they had booked the tickets at the same time, three of them were seated in the same row. They boarded the plane at T-3 in Delhi and Diya took the window seat, Kiara was in the middle. There was some trouble in the take-off so plane got delayed by an hour. Both started chatting. Diya was uncomfortable in the beginning but Kiara was a smooth talker, she put Diya at ease. Kiara started telling Diya about her previous holidays in Goa and how they enjoyed the city.
Rishaan could notice that Diya was not enjoying this conversation. She was under the impression that Kiara was a lousy, nagging and homely woman, an impression that Rishaan himself had created. Diya could barely control her anger when Kiara whispered to her how caring and doting a husband Rishaan had been throughout. He started repenting his decision to take up this challenge.
Finally the plane took off and he let out a sigh of relief when Kiara shut off her mouth and went to sleep. She rested her head on his left shoulder, grasped his left hand firmly and dozed off. Sometime later when his eyes met Diya’s, she was visibly upset and mumbled curses to him. She made lip signs to say loving, doting husband and her facial muscles helping her convey the tone of satire and disgust in her mind. She mocked the way Kiara was resting on his shoulder and gripping his hand. He used all politeness and humility that he could summon to make conciliatory gestures. But her fuse had blown off already and she turned her face away from him towards the window. Her bigger fear was that they might be caught by Kiara as Rishaan would not be able to control himself. Now he could realize that he had committed a blunder by bringing the two women in his life together. Envy, jealousy and possessiveness were in full display overshadowing the excitement he had wished for. It was difficult for Diya to digest his close moments with Kiara, in person.
“Rishaan, I think that is our bag on belt.” said Kiara loudly and he was shaken out of his reverie, “and you know what I made a friend on the flight, Diya. Coincidently she is also staying in Whispering Palms. Hope you don’t mind if we share a cab.”
“Yeah, of course” is all he could manage. He was not able to decide if this new friendship was good or bad for the three of them.
They checked in and moved to their rooms.
“Diya is a sweet kid” said Kiara.
“She is 19, and far better in bed than you” thought Rishaan and nodded.
“Shall we take her along to the beach” she asked.
“Let us have a threesome and make this trip worthwhile” his mind dreamt but thinking of Diya’s angry mood he replied, “Let her enjoy on her own. Don’t drag her along. Moreover we are her to enjoy ourselves, right.”
She seemed pleased by his answer and gave him an instant reward, right there. After love making, they got dressed in beachwear and strolled to the Candolim beach.
In the evening, he told Kiara that he is going to the bar for a quick drink and will be back soon. She was half asleep as she waved okay.
The moment he entered Diya’s room, she started shouting at him, “You know what I have been going through. I feel like a slut spoiling the life of such a woman. She is exactly opposite of whatever you told me about her. She trust you completely and is proud of you. What did you think you will achieve by bringing us together, prove your manliness. Well, you have me thinking if I should be in relation with you at all.”
Rishaan let her vent her feelings. He had managed similar situations with her in the past. She was in a tricky situation being in love with a married man and that too without any commitment of a marriage. She had never raised that topic and he never bothered to talk about it.
After she had cooled down, Rishaan took her in his arms and let her cry for sometime. Then they made passionate love and laughed about the whole challenge. He even told her about his threesome dream.
Next three days were fun. Rishaan was having the time of his life. He was even wondering if he should think of having a third woman in his life, the stud and playboy that he had become.
It was their last day in Goa. Rishaan was laughing at himself for being apprehensive and cautious. He had shared his triumphant images to his friends on whatsapp. Photos of the three of them together. He had won the bet after all, a difficult one at that. And now they will have to sponsor his all-expense paid trip to Thailand, another round of fun and frolic. He went to sleep with dreams of his trip to Pattaya.
He woke up with a jerk, when he heard Kiara shouting his name out loud. She was looking at his phone. He feared the worst and his fears came true. Kiara had seen the photos and comments he had sent to his friends. She was furious and her face was red with anger.
“She is almost half your age. I wanted to have a daughter like her and you are boasting about her as a victory. You creep, this is what you wanted the whole time. Did you seduce her on the plane or you used your charms in Goa to have your way with her. She is a child for god sake, you pervert.”
Oh so there was nothing in the whatsapp about their affair, lucky me, he thought.
She started packing her bag and kept repeating the same things.
He asked, “What are you doing? Why are you packing your bag? Our flight is tomorrow morning.”
“You really think I can stay married with you after this stunt. You think marriage is a game. You have been a flirt, I know. I took it as part of life. But after this cheap action, I can’t stay a minute more with you.” She said.
He was dumbstruck. Everything was going on smoothly. What the hell happened? They had the best days of their life, okay, he had. But this was nothing big. Why was she talking of marriage and all. Few whatsapp photos, that’s it.
He tried to defend himself and said, “These are just few innocent photos I sent to my friends group. What is the problem in that?”
“You don’t see problem in sending photos of your wife and a young girl in bikinis to your friends? Why don’t you send nude photos, you asshole. And then you write, my trophies. That is what we are to you. Symbols of your manhood, you bastard.”
He realized that things had gone out of hand. He tried to play another card, “Well you see guys make such jokes among themselves. And as for Diya, it was she who was after me. I tried to be away from her but you also asked me to take her along. I knew her intentions the moment I saw her on the plane for the first time. She forced me to have sex with her. She blackmailed me saying she will accuse me of harassment and sexual advances.”
Kiara laughed, “Is that right? You liar. While you were asleep, I went to her room and she told me all about your relationship. She also told me all that you have said to her about me and her guilt after meeting me. By the way, she asked me to tell you that she is leaving for Delhi and never to call her again.”
Kiara picked up her bags and said, “I am going to my parents and you will receive divorce papers soon. You can play with yourself from now on, you pervert.”
Rishaan was alone now and wondering what had happened to his life in last 4 days, just because of a challenge.
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