Temptation in Paradise

by Jyoti Singh

  Samar looked up over his reading glasses and said, ‘Niki…’

  ‘Please don’t tell me to go away; I have been waiting all morning and I really need your input to get started,’ Niki continued.

  Samar’s office was compact, with the desk facing the door and a wall-to-wall bookshelf behind. In front, there were two chairs and beyond that a sofa. Niki dumped her laptop and papers on the desk directly in front of one of the chairs and stood with her hands on her hips.

  ‘Good morning, Niki.’ She recognised the deep timbre immediately and turned around to see Sid lounging on the sofa with his laptop.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Her voice was strident.

  Samar jumped in to rescue Niki from herself. ‘Niki, I believe you have met Sid. He has funded our little company and just came in to do a pulse check.’ His eyes flashed a warning.

  ‘Yes, I know, but what is he doing here today?’ Niki spoke to Samar while looking at Sid, whose eyes were dancing with laughter.

  ‘Like I said, a pulse check. He does do that from time to time, you know.’ Samar’s voice was resigned. When Niki got this way there was no reining her in.

  ‘Then how come we haven’t seen him before?’ Niki continued.

  ‘I am right here. You don’t have to talk about me in the third person, Niki.’ Sid waved his hand.

  ‘Fine… how come we haven’t seen you here before?’ Niki directed her question to Sid.

  ‘Samar and I are in touch all the time. I just decided to pop into the office today because I was already in the building. Satisfied?’ Sid was unflappable.

  Niki settled. Obviously, he hadn’t come to check up on her. It surprised her that she was annoyed not to be the reason he was here. Or could it be…?

  She turned to Samar and said, ‘Fair enough. Can we discuss the Wave project now?’

  The next couple of hours were spent in hashing out the logistics and financials of the project with Samar. Niki was very conscious of Sid’s presence and could periodically feel his eyes on her. Towards the end, Sid had moved to the chair next to Niki and pointed out a few things she had missed, which she found annoying. Grrr!

  She left Samar’s office with her arsenal of laptop and papers, saying, ‘Thank you. I’ll get the project charter in place by tomorrow.’ Sid was still there and she resented the fact that while she was all flustered, he was an ocean of calm good humour.

  On his way out an hour later, Sid stopped by Niki’s desk. Purvi was on alert as soon as she saw this tall, handsome man. She was quick to put two and two together.

  Sid was carrying a laptop bag on his shoulder. Putting his hands up in mock surrender as Niki looked up, he said, ‘I come in peace. Just wanted to know if you would like to grab a bite.’

  Niki was conflicted. The project charter would need all her attention and would probably have her working late into the night. She really wanted to leave for lunch but the team would get the wrong impression that she was skiving.

  She decided to decline his offer. ‘I am really snowed under today, Sid. Could I take a rain check?’

  ‘Snow, rain… didn’t know the weather played such a major role in your decision making. I’m sure you will eat at some point. We’ll keep it really short. Come on; I have already cleared it with Samar,’ Sid insisted with a smile.

  Her wavering weak will did not have the power to resist but, Niki being Niki, she tried. ‘That was awfully presumptuous of you. Why did you ask Samar without first asking whether I would go?’

  ‘Niki, everything does not have to be complicated. Can you save the rest of the argument for the drive?’ She detected a thread of irritation in his voice.

  ‘Okay! Where are we going?’ she asked as she picked up her oversized handbag and followed him out of the office. Many eyes were on them and Niki did not look forward to the questions she would be asked when she got back, given that Purvi had probably figured out that Sid was the man she had met last night.

  The elevator was filled with people and operated without a hitch. Sid and Niki exchanged a conspiratorial glance and looked away, smiling.

  Venky was waiting with the car and obviously knew where they were going. Niki slid into the back seat with Sid.

  ‘You are now free to finish your argument or are we done?’ Sid asked when they started moving.

  Niki didn’t want to argue. ‘It’s moot, isn’t it? I am here and, just like you planned, we are going to grab a bite. Would just appreciate a heads-up next time, that’s all.’

  ‘So there will be a next time, eh? The way you came at me, I thought I should run for cover every time you are in the vicinity,’ Sid replied, smiling.

  Niki landed a friendly punch on his arm and said, ‘You’re teasing me, Sid.’ The arc of awareness from this playful touch was enough to wipe the smile off her face. She looked confusedly at Sid and saw a muscle twitch in his jaw. He was not immune. Suddenly, short of breath, Niki sat back and turned to look out of the window on her side.

  She didn’t look at Sid even as she asked, ‘Where are we going? You said we’d keep it short.’

  ‘You’ll see in just a bit,’ Sid assured her.

  Venky pulled the car in front of a quaint marquee in what looked like someone’s lawn. Niki’s attention was piqued.

  They entered the marquee and everyone seemed to recognise Sid. A waiter led them to a small sink where they washed their hands, after which they were quickly seated at a table covered with a plastic sheet. Banana leaves were placed before them and the service started almost immediately. Sid said with amusement when Niki looked around for cutlery, ‘You have to eat with your hands.’

  There was no time to chat as rice, lentils, tempered salads and vegetables were served on to their banana leaves, accompanied by cool buttermilk to wash down the spices. Sid ate with accustomed ease and guided Niki to do the same. The food was delicious.

  When Niki was replete Sid showed her how to fold her banana leaf to signal that she had finished. He was right; it had been really quick. Another visit to the sink and they were on their way out.

  ‘How on earth did you find this place? What is it called?’ Niki asked curiously as they returned to the car.

  ‘It has no name; I just know the proprietor who runs it. It’s what you could call a travelling udupi—South Indian food on the go and a new location every week. As you know, we have a radar for finding our own cuisine wherever we go.’ Sid winked.

  ‘It was really good. Thanks for bringing me. Only problem is, now I am going to have real trouble concentrating. I could seriously do with a nap.’ Niki covered a yawn and Sid nodded in agreement.

  The ride back to the office was in comfortable silence. Venky stopped outside her office building and Sid got out of the car to say goodbye. It was awkward as they toggled between an informal hug and shaking hands. Niki went with the hands and smiled. ‘Thank you for the lovely meal.’

  ‘Any time,’ Sid said as he slid back into his car.

  Niki gave up on her tendency to over-analyse what had happened. It had been fun and now it was time to get back to work. What she would do with this knot of sexual tension in her pelvis was quite another issue.

  ‘How do you even call him reclusive? Karma Lounge one day, yesterday the office; he even took me out for lunch and today dinner here… That is not a recluse; it’s a social butterfly…’ Niki told Tanya the next day as they readied her home for dinner.

  ‘It is unusual for Sid, I admit, but it’s a good thing, isn’t it?’ Tanya replied.

  ‘Guess so, but he doesn’t quite fit the description you gave me.’ Niki was whining. She hadn’t heard from Sid after their lunch together. She had expected at least a text later in the evening. On what basis, she wasn’t sure, but the expectation was there. When he didn’t, her mind had run riot about how he might be painting the town red. That plus the X-rated dreams she was having had her agitated. Even as she helped Tanya, her mind kept jumping forward to how the evening would unfold.

  ‘I think, as
usual, you are trying to find something wrong with him. Let it go, Niki; he’s a good guy,’ Tanya said. She added, ‘By the way, I have also invited our neighbours, the Shahs; we owe them a meal. So there will be Sid, you, the Shahs and Tushar and me—six people in all.’

  All preparations done, Niki headed for a shower. She had picked a beautifully embroidered short-sleeved tunic in a light green muslin to wear with matching cropped pants and embellished flat slippers in silver. She took time to apply her make-up and brush her hair into a shiny halo. A spritz of perfume and she was ready to go.

  Tanya had a beautiful home. After their parents had died, neither felt comfortable living in the huge house they had left behind. When Tanya took over the business, she had discussed options with Niki and they had decided together to sell the house and start over. Niki had used to live with Tanya until just two years ago when she started working for Knowledge Networks and thought it was time to move out and test her independence. Tanya had kept her room as it was. She still called it ‘Niki’s room’. Niki knew it was so that she would always feel welcome, no questions asked. It was her safe place, a haven when things became difficult to deal with on her own. Not that Tanya knew all of Niki’s demons. Some were buried too deep, others were too embarrassing to discuss and yet others would just hurt Tanya if she knew.

  She walked out of her room and down the gently curving staircase that led to the foyer. She had a few stairs to go when she noticed Sid arriving. As he looked up at her, she felt the knot of sexual tension tighten. She held her breath and stood still for a beat before moving forward to greet him.

  He looked really dapper in his ethnic tunic and pants, paired with leather sandals. He had brought flowers and a bottle of Australian Shiraz. He set them down on the console and bent to hug Niki. There was no awkwardness this time. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

  Sid breathed in Niki’s fragrance and felt a surge of sexual awareness and something else. He hadn’t felt this way in a long time. In fact, after Gauri, he had deliberately kept things light with the opposite sex. Withdrawing and throwing himself into work was his defence mechanism. The conversation with Tanya the other day had brought back memories of his time with Gauri. It had started so well and then reached a point when it was hard to remember the good times. Although he did not want to experience those complications and heartache ever again, Niki made him feel things that were new and different. He felt new and different but one question bothered him—for how long?

  ‘You look lovely,’ he said honestly.

  ‘Thank you. As do you.’ Niki blushed shyly as she stepped back. ‘Come this way,’ she said, leading him to the sitting area.

  Sid followed, hungrily watching the light sway of her hips. The room was beautiful and low lighting gave it a warm glow. There was expensive art on the walls. Sid remembered that Tanya had told him her parents were collectors. The beige silk sofas were accentuated with colourful cushions in earthy shades. He recognised the tree of life in the carpet that anchored the room.

  There was no one else there yet but Niki played the perfect hostess. ‘Tanya and Tushar will be down in a minute. In the meantime, can I offer you anything to drink?’

  Sid declined, saying he would like to wait till everybody was there. There was an awkward moment when neither could decide whether to continue standing or sit down. Then Sid lowered himself onto the corner of the three-seater sofa. Niki followed his cue and took the other corner, with her body angled towards Sid. She sat quietly with her hands in her lap. The low light silhouetted her, making it hard for Sid to read her expression.

  ‘So did you take a nap after you got back to the office yesterday?’ Sid asked with a smile.

  ‘Are you kidding? It took all my willpower to stay awake. Had to pull an all-nighter to get the charter done. I closed it with Samar today,’ she replied.

  ‘I took your advice and had a nap. Felt better for it, given I had conference calls until three a.m.’ He had fought the urge to text or call Niki, especially since she had featured strongly in his dreams and he was primed to say things that were better left unsaid… at least for now. Tanya had mentioned that Niki was skittish after their parents’ death and he didn’t want to crowd her, but it was not an easy thing to do. He had questions – about those silver lines he’d seen on her legs, about what she was interested in, about what she looked forward to when she woke up every morning… but Sid was a patient man. He could wait.

  Niki smiled a little too brightly, he thought. Not that he minded; he was having trouble tearing his eyes away from her anyway.

  The mood changed as Tanya and Tushar entered the room. After the introductions, there was an air of bonhomie and good cheer. The neighbours arrived and the chatter of conversation filled the air. They opened the bottle of Shiraz, which was the perfect accompaniment to the meal Tanya had prepared. At the table, Sid enjoyed the gentle ribbing between Niki, Tanya and Tushar. He didn’t have any siblings so the entire tableau was very entertaining.

  He caught Niki’s eye a few times and the warmth enveloped him in a feel-good haze. As the evening drew to a close, Sid offered to give Niki a ride home.

  ‘Oh! That’s not necessary; I’m staying the night.’ Her smile was relaxed.

  The neighbours left first. Tanya and Tushar held back as Niki walked Sid to his car. There was no Venky.

  The night was warm and fragrant with blossoms. It was quiet in the gated community. Niki turned to look up at Sid. There was no question about what came next. No words were exchanged as he pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her delectable mouth. There was no resistance from Niki. She melted into him with a sigh. Their hands were chaste but their thoughts and bodies were not.

  Sid ended the kiss with a deep moan. He delicately pushed a stray strand of hair from Niki’s upturned flushed face. Her eyes were languorous pools of desire and betrayed a glimpse of vulnerability he had not seen before.

  ‘Niki, Niki,’ he breathed her name, then released her gently. ‘I should go…’ The statement almost sounded like a question. Niki stood silently, her face bemused.

  ‘Have dinner with me tomorrow?’ Sid asked.

  ‘Affirmative,’ Niki replied. He slid into his car and drove away whilst watching Niki shrink in the rear-view mirror.

  Tanya and Tushar were waiting for Niki in the foyer.

  ‘So, Niki, did he…?’

  ‘Shut up, Tanya… I’m going to bed.’ Niki started to climb the stairs. She had a lot to process. It was not like her to make a physical gesture before she had sorted her emotions, but Sid had a way of making her do uncharacteristic things. When she was around him, it was as if the real Niki checked out. She didn’t quite know this stranger who took her place.

  Tanya and Tushar shouted in unison, ‘Sweet dreams!’ There was humour in their voices.

  Niki changed and got into bed. The text came as she slid under the covers: Goodnight, Niki! She did not reply. Tomorrow would come soon enough and she would have to face Sid with the confusion that reigned supreme in her mind. What she really needed was a sheet of paper to examine all the aspects of the problem—a mind map of whether she wanted to let Sid into her private world. That was her engineer’s brain. Sid had obviously already got under her skin and maybe she had got under his but that did not have to mean anything. They were both single and adults, after all. Determined not to let Sid invade her dreams again, Niki shut her eyes and tried to think of the Wave project.

  It didn’t work.

  Chapter Four

  ‘I thought we were ready to leave. Why did you park your car?’ Niki was confused as she stood in her building’s foyer wearing a full length black dress with a scarf around her neck. She had taken the liberty of completing the outfit with black stiletto sandals that wrapped her narrow ankles tantalisingly and gold filigree hoops in her ears. It was her go to outfit when she did not know where she was going for the evening. Not too formal yet dressy enough not to look shabby in any environment.
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br />   Instead of answering her question, Sid looked at her and said with the ease of familiarity, ‘You look lovely but that outfit will not do.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Niki was offended. She definitely did not know him well enough to allow him to speak to her like that.

  ‘It’s my fault. I should have been clearer. We’re not taking my car. It would be better to take your motorcycle…’Sid explained.

  ‘Okay. Let’s take this from the top. We are going out for dinner, right?’ Niki was getting increasingly frustrated by the minute.

  ‘Check,’ Sid replied.

  ‘So where on earth are we going that we need a motorcycle, not a car?’ Niki’s voice shook with suppressed anger.

  ‘You do realise, it is Friday night and it tends to get really crowded in this urban village we are going to… so it is much better to use your motorcycle to beat the traffic. Also, I was quite looking forward to going for a ride on that thing with you.’ Sid’s smile was edged with a hint of mischief.

  ‘When you said it was a surprise, you could just as well have explained all this to me… This dinner plan may not be such a good idea after all.’ Niki started backing off. This man was insane to think she would go out on Friday night with helmet hair, accompanied by some delusional but very handsome man, also with helmet hair. This was not what she had looked forward to all day, especially after last night.

  She had not slept well at all, tossing and turning, trying to make sense of how easy it had been to slip into Sid’s arms and let him kiss her. Almost as if she had been doing it forever. There were no questions, no doubts, no awkwardness—it had been fluid and seamless. She had relived the sensation of his lips on hers and his subsequent moan at the end of the kiss through the night, wondering what had come over her. The next question was how she would face him today. Luckily for her, although they spoke once during the day to firm up plans for the evening, nothing in Sid’s voice or words gave any sign that he had been affected as deeply. Who knew—this might have just been par for the course. She was there and he felt the urge to kiss her, so he did. End of story.