Tum Bin: a story by outlaw
STATUTORY WARNING
This story contain no graphic scenes of sex
STATUTORY WARNING
This story contain no graphic scenes of sex
ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY
TUM BIN...
[ Without You... ]
Part Ten
_The young man parked the car and got out, looking around... the house seemed oddly quiet, everything still... even the birds in the garden were silent. Giving a shrug he walked up the steps and opened the door, entering the house.
He paused once more... the house was indeed silent... weirdly still... and as he entered the living room, he stopped.
His parents were sitting on the large couch... and his sister stood behind them... everyone silent, every face stony.
"Hey, when did you get here?" he asked his sister, surprised to see her there on a Friday evening, "Didn't get the kids?"
Silence greeted his question, both his parents visibly stiffening.
"Why so silent, huh?" he asked again, suddenly wondering if there had been some bad news - his grandmother?
He saw his father stir, but his sister quickly placed her hand on his shoulder.
"What's the matter?" he asked, now really worried.
"I've packed a few of your clothes," his sister said, tilting her head towards the doorway, the voice barely audible, cold and distant, and as he turned to look, he saw the black and yellow rucksack, his favourite piece of luggage for the weekend hiking trips, "and once you let me know where you've moved in, I'll send the rest of your things over."
"Huh?!" the youth looked back at them, from one to the next, totally clueless.
"Salil, leave the house," his sister said, staring back at him, the eyes cold.
"What's going on?" he asked, uncomprehending, taking a step forward.
"STOP!" his father commanded, the voice freezing.
"Okay, fine, but what's going on? Is this some sort of a silly game or something, huh?" he snapped back, totally baffled, and very annoyed.
His mother reached out and picked up a heavy envelope from the coffee table, throwing it at him, "Game... how dare you? And how could you do this to us? HOW COULD YOU?!" suddenly screaming hysterically.
The cover hit his chest with a dull thud and fell to the floor, the flap opening, the contents peeking out partly - postcards? photographs of some kind? But Salil barely looked at them as he turned his gaze back to his family, "What's going on, will someone please explain?"
"There's nothing to explain, Salil," his sister replied, "Ruchi's parents' were here and they've broken off the engagement, now leave!"
"Ruchi? Engagement?" Salil wondered aloud, looking down at the envelope at his feet.
"Aren't you even ashamed?" he heard his mother's vicious hiss.
And that's when his father rose... rushing forward as a raging hurricane, grabbing his shirt collars and almost hauling him up, "GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, NOW!" he hollered, the eyes blazing.
His sister was instantly by their side, holding their father, "Papa please, your pressure," she pleaded, tugging at his arms, "please, the neighbours, they'll hear... see... please," and then looking at Salil hissed furiously, "What are you waiting for, what more shame do you want to bring to this house? GET OUT!"
"And take those filthy pictures with you," spat his father, turning away, "YOU'RE DEAD FOR US!"
"GET OUT!" his sister repeated through clenched teeth, her hand lashing out, slapping him... Her face an ugly mask, the eyes blazing with unconcealed hatred.
Salil was fuming, his hands trembling as he drove around the city aimlessly... going in circles around Connaught Circus, and then driving down Janpath... before circling the India Gate and returning to Connaught Place once more, parking the car.
His head was reeling, his senses frozen... still stunned. The sudden, fast playing events of the evening still not fully absorbed... the import of what had happened, not yet fully fathomed. And as he cut the engine and leaned back, closing his eyes, his mind went back to events of the past months... the sudden insistence of his family that he get married...
"But mom," he had protested, "I'm just twenty-four; I don't want to get married, not yet!" But he didn't tell his parents his real reason, that he was gay... had been meeting men and sleeping with guys for over six years now. That he didn't want to marry, but knew he would, would ultimately succumb to the constant pressure, and marry. But he wanted a few more years.
Oh, there was so much to try out, so much to experience... experiment... So many desirable young men out there!
"Well, twenty-four is old enough," she smiled at him, "besides, now you have a good job, earning well, it's time you settled down."
"Please..." he pleaded, "not now, maybe, um, after a few years..."
"What will change in a few years, huh?" his father asked, but his mother shushed him, "Is there a girl?" she asked, "Are you seeing someone?"
"No," Salil snarled, desperate like a caged animal.
"Well then..." and that's when he heard that his family had already finalised everything - the girl, the details and even the dates!
Exactly a month and ten days later, on 17th August, 2007, they were engaged at a lavish ceremony - Ruchi and Salil.
Salil flipped on the overhead light and picked up the envelope - it was of stiff paper, unmarked, probably hand delivered. He took out the photographs... his heart suddenly slamming with horror as he saw them.
It was the previous Saturday, 18th August, and less than twenty-four hours after his engagement to Ruchi...
He was at Ketan's pool-party, stripped down to his tiny briefs (like the rest of the guys - at least in the initial hours, when things were more sober), dancing away. They were drunk, all of them... and high... wild and libidinous... walking in and out of the house as they engaged in steamy sessions of otiose copulation. Splashing around in the pool till someone else approached, heading for the house once more, and any available room... ending up sharing space with other equally stoned couples, sometimes two or three pairs to a room... the night finally unfolding in a no-holds-barred orgy - just determined phalluses seeking desperate, drooling orifices!
Someone had been taking pictures, and the person had paid some extra attention to Salil... catching him with his most obscenely outrageous moves... lip-locked with seemingly every man at the party... Even completely naked, swaying his bare buttocks at the camera as he looked back over his shoulder... And there were even ones with him in the actual act, distinct and clear, in various combinations... over or under... Another wreathing body in the tangled mass of human flesh!
Ketan sat on the couch, rolling with laughter, hollering, "With compliments from your bro-in-law, eh?" between guffaws.
Salil watched him silently, teeth clenched, his rage soaring.
"Dude, he really caught you in all your best moments!" the man roared, shaking all over.
That was enough, Salil rose suddenly and rushed over, grabbing Ketan's shoulders and holding him down, hissing, "Who took the pics?!"
"Chill, dude," Ketan spluttered between snickers, "just told you, your to-be bro-in-law."
"Who, my 'bro-in-law'?!" Salil shouted.
"You're hurting me," Ketan complained, now a bit more in control.
"Who's my 'bro-in-law'?" Salil repeated, ignoring what Ketan had just said, the hands viciously tight on the shoulders.
"Ruchi's cousin..." Ketan simpered, bursting out laughing.
"Ruchi's cousin? Who's he, and where did he come from?" Salil snarled, uncomprehending, still holding Ketan down.
"He hit me up at your engagement party, dude, and I invited him over for Saturday night."
"How come you never mentioned him?" Salil demanded, "or your invitation to him, huh?"
"There was nothing to mention," Ketan retorted.
"What's his name?"
"You should know, he's your bro-in-law after all!"
"Name!" Salil hissed.
"Mukesh..."
Mukesh - Salil nodded, quickly recalling being introduced to the man, before the ceremony. The man had been friendly and courteous, and they had made some small talk, yes... recollecting him mentioning that he too worked for a software firm, just like Salil. But he simply couldn't remember any further detail, though he was sure that Ruchi and her parents had given him all the details, about all their relatives present on the occasion...
"How come I didn't see him at the party," Salil said.
"Uh, he came in a bit late," Ketan shrugged, "you were probably too gone by then..."
"Where does he live?" Salil asked.
"Why," Ketan grinned, "you want both brother and sister, eh?"
"Shut up," Salil snapped, "where is he?"
"How the fuck should I know, huh? He must have gone back to his work by now, said he was here for his cousin's engagement."
"Where?!"
"Um," Ketan tilted his head, "he mentioned Hyderabad I guess..."
"And where does he work - firm?" he asked, the details refusing to come back.
"He's some kinda software guy, like you," Ketan answered, naming a certain big company.
"Ah, yes, of course, thanks," Salil said, releasing Ketan.
"Where are you off to, huh?" Ketan enquired, the eyes suddenly hooded.
"Fuck you!" Salil spat, heading for the door.
"That's what you did last Saturday, and so did your bro-in-law," Ketan grinned, spreading his legs wide, and lifting them high, "he's hung, dude, and knows how to use it, you'll love it!"
He sat in the car... seething...
'Now what?' he wondered... It was pretty late, so, where could he go?
Yes, he could have stayed back at Ketan's... fucked the slut all night, but no, he was in no mood for that, not right then...
A hotel? Perhaps...
Reaching back he picked up the rucksack, opening and peering in... there were six sets of his clothes - three office wear, and three regular; half a dozen of his boxers, a couple pair of socks, his razor and toothbrush, and the basic toiletries... He threw it back with a disgusted grunt, slamming his fist against the steering wheel...
And suddenly an idea struck him...
Well, if his engagement was off, and he had been thrown out of his home, then he was free to do anything... and why not? Fuck the job, he'd go to Hyderabad and track that fucking bastard down!
And then... Yes, he wanted to know, HAD to know... if the creep was himself gay, was at the party... then why did he have to play such a dirty, sneaky trick? If that bastard could out him, well, then he too would out that son-of-a-bitch!
Yes, he'd go to Hyderabad and confront that bastard... and then he'd come back to Delhi and tell his... oh, well, Hyderabad first!
That decided, he reached for the laptop shuttle and took out the laptop, checking for flights to Hyderabad...
He groaned - nothing!
He tried every single airline, but nothing... there were no more flights to Hyderabad that night... And even worse, all seats were taken on the morning flights!
The only seats available were for the late afternoon flight... Well, did he have a choice? None at all... and so he booked his ticket.
Now what - he had a full night and over half a day before his flight...
Okay, he'd organise a few things first - Salil reached back and pulled over the rucksack once more, opening it. He took out the formal clothes and threw them in the back seat, and then picking up the laptop, stuffed it in. Now, a place for the night...
He started the car and drove back, parking opposite his home and then called a cab service. He could have actually parked the car at the hotel instead of driving back all the way home and then taking a cab back to Connaught... but then, the police would be onto him within hours once the unattended car was reported to them, and they would quickly trace him out to Hyderabad... and even worst, they'd contact his home!
"Connaught Place," he told the driver; there were many hotels there, and he was sure he'd get a room easily...
Once he landed in Hyderabad on the evening of 25th August, 2007, the reality of his situation suddenly struck him...
He had come all the way to Hyderabad, with just a first name... and the name of a company... and it was a Saturday evening!
All offices would be closed for the weekend, and his only hope was to visit the office and catch the bastard there. It also meant that the next day, a Sunday, too would be a total waste!
How stupid of him, how very foolish to not have planned the trip properly... Oh, if only he had taken the man's phone number, or his residential address from Ketan.
He enquired at the help-desk and was told that the IT hub was outside the city... yes, far away... And no, the guy at the desk had no idea where the company was located, "Most companies have city offices too!" he said.
Yes, he would get a hotel there, "Anything particular, sir?" the guy asked.
Salil shook his head, "Thanks..." and walked away, cursing himself.
How could he be such a fool... leave Delhi with just names - name of a person and that of a firm - and no addresses!
He went over and sat down in a corner, watching the passengers waiting for their baggage... he needed to sort out his thoughts, plan things... Well, he didn't know anything about the place, had never been there before... a new and strange place. Who knew what it was like...
He fished out his wallet and checked it once, taking out five thousand rupees and stuffing it into his jeans pocket, and then put the wallet with all its contents and the car keys into the inner zip of his rucksack... well, that would keep it safe from pick-pockets, if there were any in that city!
Now, where?
He wasn't keen on going all the way to some distant area, go on a wild goose chase... besides, there were also offices in the city. He'd stay close to the central district, ask the hotel guys, or search the net and then, on Monday he'd find that bastard and kick his fucking butt!
Walking out of the airport he hailed a passing auto-rickshaw and told the man to take him to the central district.
Salil didn't know what the driver understood, but he soon found himself in a street cluttered with stores and stalls, crowded with people and traffic. He looked around, totally confused, wondering where he was, silently cursing himself once more and then began to walk blindly... unconcerned.
He'd been walking for nearly thirty minutes, totally lost, clueless of where he was, or where he was headed... tired and hungry. He hadn't slept well, and neither had he eaten properly... just a coffee for breakfast and a couple of sandwich at the Delhi airport. He needed to eat, anything, but eat, and then he'd get a place to sleep.
He walked in at the very next eatery he spotted...
God, it was teeming with the weekend crowd... families with kids, and groups of friends chattering. All the tables taken!
He turned to go when a boy, barely out of his teens, came forward with a smile, "One?"
Salil nodded, and was led by the waiter to a corner, the only available table, squeezed between the wall and a huge pillar. Salil thought for a moment and then with a shrug sat down, placing his rucksack by the side of his chair, his back against the pillar.
"What would you like, sir," the boy asked, waiting patiently as Salil went through the menu, his face impassive, and once Salil placed his order, the boy quickly turned away.
Salil took the cell phone out of his jeans pocket and placed it on the table, for a moment toying with the idea of calling Ketan, tell him that he was in Hyderabad, and ask him for Mukesh's number... but then decided against it, pushing the phone away.
And as he sat back, the earth shook with a deafening blast... everything going absolutely black...
_
to be continued...
If you like the story, please let me know: outlaw@aol.in
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Copyright © Author, 2007 - 2011