The Last Lust

Episode Two

She switched on the air conditioner, pressed the remote of the television simultaneously, and giggled into the phone. Her friend, Suman, on the other admonished, “Stop laughing…I am telling the truth…it was hilarious in class.”

Reena flipped through the channels, as she continued to chuckle at the latest funny incident from her school friend Suman’s class. It had become a daily routine to check out on each other’s college details. Reena sat on the mini-sofa at the side of her room, placed a pink cushion comfortably on her lap, and slided back to watch the fast moving channels on her television, while she got the updates from Suman; they knew quite a lot of each other’s college friends as well. A large teddy bear, with pink ribbons and flashing brown button eyes, sat beside her.

“Waise, how is Mohit?” asked Suman.

“First class, jumbo and pakka haramzada…” giggled Reena.

“Koi chakkar wakkar to nahin chal raha?”

“Arre na…he is just a friend…you know, poori toli hai hamari college mein…Lalit, Rajan, Rahul and the gang. They are good fun, that’s it…achche log hai…and all from influential families…kaam aayenge kabhi toh!”

“Yeah, that’s true…”

“Aaj apna sadhiyal maar khaate khaate bacha hai mujhse…” she said.

“Sadhiyal?”

“Arre..Rahul yaar…his face is such as if he has just come after having a spanking from his mom!” – again a round of giggles, as she went on to describe yet another incident that she had with her bete noire of college. Though inwardly she had to admit that Rahul did have an unconventionally very handsome face- a sort of raw attraction in those deep black eyes, and a very attractive unruly mop of hair that fell on the lined forehead. But, she never got along with him, despite his being part of the 'gang'... “Sheesh…there are floods again in Bihar…so sad, na!” She made appropriate sounds of disaster, without given any thought; it was expected of her to say these words, she said it! From the other end, she received an equally made up regretful sound!

Her fingers continued to harass the remote control, and suddenly she exclaimed, “Hey Suman, HBO is showing The Mexican…I have to see this now. Brad Pitt ko poori attention deni padti hai, na…bye and will catch up with you tomorrow."

She heard a squeal of delight from her friend and the two exchanged mandatory pleasantries; Reena threw the cordless on the bed, curled up her legs, and paid her ‘undivided attention’ to Brad Pitt! Her room created on demand at her choice was a tasteful assembly in light grey and pink...the plastered walls were light gray, while most of the accessories, including the sofa on which she sat and the curtains, were in baby pink. The sofa was on the furthest end from the door, almost near the attached bathroom. Behind where she sat was the windows draped in expensive curtains, and in front of her, on which she stretched her legs, was the large double bed. Beyond the bed, were the cupboards, again in matching grey and pink, with the dressing table adjascent to it.

Before long, she realized that she was not alone in her room; her grandmother had entered, wobbling a little by the arthritic pain in her left knee; she had entered quietly, and sat on the bed, a forlorn lonely expression lined along with the wrinkles. Seeing her, Reena felt a gush of love for the genial lady, and throwing away the cushion, rushed to hug her and sit by her knee. Before reaching the lady, she pressed the 'mute' button on the remote, and dropped the remote carelessly on the bed.

“Oh daadi, love you so much…” she said, hugging the lady’s knees and planting a soft kiss. The lady placed a soft hand on her head and start massaging it.

“Love you too, my child” her grandmother replied, and kissed her on the head.

Often Reena wondered at the bond that she felt on seeing her father’s mother. It was a unique tug of war within her- between the urge to rebel and the need to succumb.

“Beta…I hope you are not angry with me!” said the old lady, in her cracking voice, which gave the tiniest hint of dignity and strength that had once held fort there as she had been in control of the household, raising her seven children single handedly, in an era when the modern amenities were not available.

Reena gurgled like a baby and cooed, “No…you are my sweetest daadi…but why do you always have to treat me like a baby…I am grown up now”

The grandmother continued to lovingly pat her. “You are only nineteen; I am seventy eight now. I have seen the world fifty nine years more than you; it is not what it seems. One has to be careful…especially in this fast world, where the slips are more!”

“But I do understand the good and the bad. And you also know that life is journey that needs to be taken with the full heart, else we will lose out”

“That’s what you think… don’t pretend to be older than what you are; it does not suit you, it does not befit you. In the end, it will only hurt you…you have only stepped into the journey; you have not seen it fully as yet! Don’t talk about life and death like an adult; enjoy this youth but with full caution. You are nineteen year old; you should remain like a nineteen year old only; and I know that some of the things that you are doing is not fit for a nineteen year old. I am scared for you”

Reena looked up, into the sunken but radiant eyes. “But daadi, at nineteen you were already a mother!”

The tug of war was beginning again, and Reena felt the urge to thwart the need to succumb.

“My child, I never said that what we did was always correct…but, whatever correct things we did, at least follow that. In the end, I assure you, you will be happy!” She pulled the girl down to her lap and hugged her.

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The “auditorium”, a compact white structure, at the end of a busy market, was a favorite haunt of many aspiring musicians; built by Mohit’s grandfather originally as a community hall, the same was converted into a small theater cum recording center, once the communities divided and get-togethers reduced. NDMC found the profits dwindling as people started preferring the hotels and banquet halls with ready made catering and decoration services more convenient for the marriages and parties. The structure was pulled down and the swanky neo-architecture with steel and glass came up a couple of years back, eating up the green space around the hall that had seen some of the finest weddings in its heydays, including that of Mohit’s parents.

At the end of the building was the large practice room, where ‘the gang’ practiced for their new music album; the recording for most of the songs was done. The room, with its high-ceilings, and tall windows, had a polished wooden floor, with posters and photographs of major foreign pop-stars adoring the walls, beneath slim brass horizontal lights. On the center of the room were large decorative tubelights that were on, and adding to the heat of the room, which the three forlorn airconditioners were trying to desperately clear. A dull smell of cigarrette smoke lingered.

Largely empty, a few chairs were carelessly strewn, with a small table with glasses of water and a purifier standing on the right side of the entrance. On the opposite end, where Mohit, Rajan and a girl stood discussing the next note, stood a sophisticated synthesizer, on its bright shiny steel stand, right next to the huge drum-and-cymbal set behind which Lalit sat carelessly playing a few strokes. Next to it, on two joined mini-tables, was a hi-fi music system. Against one of the tables, an electric guitar stood, dazzling in its blue metal. A cluster of wires and leads intertwined and jumbled near them.

“Ok, you got the next step, Deepa?” Mohit asked the girl; her reactions told she did not, yet, she nodded, her mouth chewing furiously at the bubble gum; she placed a hand on her hip, just over the free space between her checkered skirt and her loose white top that ended in a knot below her breasts.

Mohit looked at the knot; disinterestedly, Deepa’s eyes moved from his face to the knot and then to his crotch; a bulge was distinctly visible; she smiled…these men! All the same…at the same time her chewing speed increased as she realized the wetness below her- yeah, man, it would be interesting to get fucked by this guy!

Lalit gave a few knocks on the drum, looked at the combustive eyes of Mohit and Deepa, and smiled inwardly- there, one more conquest for our stud! He looked at the other end of the room; Rahul was smoking a cigarette, blowing away the smoke out of the window that he had partially opened.

“Hey, Rahul…what’s up? Why so sad?” Lalit called out.

Rajan who was trying to fix up something on the system, crouched next to the low table on which it sat, turned and said, “Maybe Sharma took his ass yesterday!” A low laughter ensued. “Or maybe Reena gave a blow…not job, but on the head!”

Rahul smiled, and called out, “Bastard!”

Deepa walked past Mohit, her hand lightly touching the rising mount on his jeans; he smiled…the bitch! She will be under me tonight!

“Hey guys! Cut the crap out, and first tell me what this shit song all about is!” called out Deepa, her pout prominent, a twang in accent audible, and walked up to Rajan, and stood in front of him, “And what the hell are you doing!”

Rajan looked at the deep brown chocolaty legs extending up before him. “I had recorded a piece yesterday, just setting it up…and this song, I dunno a shit myself about it…dad was listening some days back…found it good…ok…just two minutes more”

Lalit laughed at both. “You guys are nuts! At least know the song that you are remixing. It’s from a new film of apni Ash baby…Raincoat…and the song is Mathura nagarpati kaahe tum videsh jaao!”

Rahul called out. “Bahnchod, Its not ‘videsh’…”

“Whatever!” Lalit replied back. “At least I have heard the original seriously once!”

“Yeah, whatever…” chewed Deepa, staring down at Rajan, who looked up and winked at her.

“It’s done…” and proceeded to snap a few keys, on the system, and then got up; as he did so, he nearly brushed past the extended mounts of Deepa.

He rubbed his hand, and said, “Yeah, it’s a slow song, and I have just jazzed it up to suit everyone. And its traditional…so Deepa, in the final shoot, you will be in a ghagra choli…just the sexy horny doll from the village, right!”

“Ghagra choli” squealed Deepa, “How exciting…” Her twang was even more prominent as she drawled out the words.

“Ok… get this now. Lalit, you give the beats…Mohit, the keyboards please…and Deepa, when I sing ‘mathura nagarpati’ you gotta push out your chest out like this…” He made an obscene thrust forward, “there is a loud ‘hey’ here, so raise your arms, and now see my hand movements as it goes to ‘kaahe tum gokul jaao’…ekdum traditional movement, picked it up from a programme on DD yesterday” He made a ‘bharatnatyam’ style mudra and moved it towards his crotch, parting his legs, and then giving a pelvic thrust forward. “Then you turn, and sit down with your leg stretched outward, and look out with your bosom thrusting out…I will ensure a good shot when we do the final shoot tomorrow!”

Mohit shouted, “Jhakaas man! Deepa if you get this step right, we shall put it on the promos as well…guaranteed sell out, I say!”

Rajan smiled, pleased. “Ok, Rahul…the guitars please!”

Rahul latched the window, walked back to the gang, and picked up the electronic guitar; Lalit adjusted himself on the seat, and Mohit played a few introductory notes on the keyboard.

Rajan moved back to the system, and Deepa towards the centre of the room; she gave one quick shrug of the shoulders. Rajan called out, “Ready, one two…start!”

Immediately, Lalit started the beats, and Mohit played on the keyboards with Rahul providing the guitars, Rajan started to sing the song, and Deepa gave the exact movements and much more…her breasts seemed to be on an independent dance, and her legs, when stretched out had an unusual gymnast’s flexibility; but the best she gave was the ultimate horny look, her eyes intoxicated, and her dark tan brown face shining under the lights!

As soon as the finished the piece, Rajan pressed a button on the system…a strange sound, like a dog’s howl, but much subdued came full blast from the amplifiers!

When it ended, Rajan pressed the ‘stop’ button and looked at the gang expectantly. “What say? Isn’t it the perfect sound to place here after the first lines?”

“But what is it?” asked Rahul, skeptically.

“My mother fucking bitch was howling away yesterday, so I just recorded that…” Rajan gave the explanation, beaming and smiling at his ingenuity, “and changed the tenor and sharpness and added the beat to it on comp yesterday night…it will sound mind blowing, I say man!”

Deepa picked up a hand-towel from a chair, and came forward wiping her face. “You got some brains, man!” she said, and stopped near Mohit, who stood leaning on the keyboard, and placed her arm on his shoulders. Her eyes were, however, on Rajan, who returned her knowledgeable look.

“Hi Guys!”

They looked up, and saw Reena entering the hall. She wore tight jeans, but this time with a pink T-shirt, and as she walked up, everyone in the room noticed the small, round peak of her nipples pointing forward; she walked with a deliberate 'cat-walk' style movement, accentuating the sexiness that was not only oozing out, but spilling out! Her eyes froze as she saw Deepa leaning over Mohit.

“Hi Deepa!” she called out, steely.

Mohit noticed the sudden frosty tone, and distanced himself slightly from Deepa, and welcomed her with a grin. “You looking wow today Reena!” he remarked, as she came forward and shook hands with him. Their eyes arrested in a sharp look.

“So, how’s the practice going, guys?” Reena asked, looking away from Deepa, who had noticed the gap between her and Mohit but did not say anything and continued to chew on her gum. Bitch, she swore under breath.

“Hi Reena…so you got free from Mrs Kamla finally…” laughed out Lalit.

Reena growled, jokingly, “Don’t talk of her, puh-leaaase! She ate my head up with her bakwaas; but ya, got her work done fully…see, me is such a sweet girl otherwise” As she spoke, she looked at Deepa with disdain.

“Whatever!” drooled Deepa dismissively, and went up to Rahul, and said, “Nicely played, Rahul!”

Rahul, who had been tuning the guitar till now, aware of Reena’s obnoxious presence now, suddenly jerked his head up, and looked at Deepa- a praise from her was the most unexpected thing; but seeing Deepa’s eyes still on Reena, he realized the reason behind it…these two girls will never get along ever, he sighed! And, he knew the reason for the chilled behavior – Mohit’s attention. Sometimes he wondered whether Reena beneath the cool ‘friendship’ tag, was Reena secretly falling in love with Mohit? But, alas, he would never know…there was ‘no friendship lost’ between them...He could never fathom the reason for Reena’s dislike ever; but, it had now crystallized into a worse kind of cold war, where even exchange of pleasantries had ceased.

Politely he excused himself, and moved out of the hall; behind him he could hear the gang discussing the next day’s ‘party’.

Stepping out into the strong sunlight of the mid-afternoon, Rahul took out a Gold Flake, and lit it, throwing the match carelessly on the stone courtyard, behind the flower pots that lined the wall.

Even before he could finish a quarter of the cigarette, he was joined in by Lalit.

“Hey, Rahul, baat kya hai? What’s wrong between you and Reena…itna ke, you just walk out when she enters!”

“Nothing yaar…saali samajhti kya hai apne aap ko? I was damn pissed off yesterday- the way she spoke in class…”

“Jaane de na…she’s not that bad in heart- probably immature!”

“Then she should get mature fast…chut mein land ghusa sakti hai toh bheje mein akal bhi ghusa le…” he spat!

Lalit patted his back, “Cool it yaar…aisa toh nahi that you are jealous of Mohit…”

Rahul looked at him sharply. He started to speak but kept quiet. It was quite impossible to judge how and when Lalit could come with such scathing comments, unknowingly, unwittingly. He puffed on the dying cigarette, and threw it away with a strong force, and wondered if this was true…no…he decided, this was not the truth. He was not jealous because of the fact that Mohit could be sleeping with her, but perhaps…

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“Api Chedsi Papebheye Sarvebhaye Paapkrittam, Sarvam Jyanplenaiv Vrijinam Santarishyasi…” said Dadi, and stopped, looking at the forlorn face of her granddaughter. Reena sat on the carpet of her room, while dadi was reciting the Geeta, sitting on the bed, crosslegged, with the holy book open on her lap, and the thick spectacles perched securely on her nose.

“Beti…in this the Lord says that once you have the Knowledge with you… the Knowledge of the Infinite, the Knowledge that the Sages know of, the Knowledge that will eradicate all the past and all the lust in you, and the Knowledge of the Lord…then, even if you are the biggest sinner of the world, you shall still, with this boat of Knowledge, cross the river of your sins…The way the fire consumes the fuel, the same way Knowledge uses up your lust…”

Reena looked thoughtfully. “But what is this Knowledge…what is this sin…what is this lust?”

Dadi smiled. “Beti, anything from this world is lust. We have been sent to this world so that we can understand the Biggest Happiness of the Universe- that is meeting with God. It is God’s way of putting all of us in an agni-pareeksha, so that we can come to Him, who is the Purest, in the most Pure form as well. That is why we must always bow to him, and seek his path.”

“But, I always pray in the morning…and I can’t become a nun at this age, can I?”

Daadi gave a low chuckle. “I have seen you praying; your one eye is on the telephone and the other on the idols! And, the Geeta never states you to leave your path, your doing! It says that you must do your ‘karma’ as it suits your age…so, you are a student now, you should study hard because at this age, this is your duty. No one is asking you to become a nun…least of all the Bhagvad!”

Reena shook her head; it was all too much for her. As of now, the only thing that was running in her mind was the ‘knowledge’ of the fact whether Mohit was romping away with that bitch Deepa.

“Dadi…why is life so tough?”

Dadi closed the holy book, and placed her hand lovingly on her head. “Life is not tough; we make it tough with our thoughts and doubts and confusions. See, if you take your mind off whatever you are thinking and as of now pray and reminisce His name, life is so simple. This is all that God is asking you to do. Just tell me one thing, you go to a beauty parlor every week, don’t you?”

Reena looked up, a trifle suspiciously at dadi…was this start of another lecture on the waste of money? She nodded slightly.

“But what if you don’t go for a few weeks? Would your hair or facial happen on its own? Would the beauty parlor walk up to your house? No, na? So, the same way, we have to go and seek God…”

Reena closed her eyes, and placed her head on the grandmother’s lap…yeah…she had better go now and call up Mohit…was he alone or with Deepa? She had to seek this truth out first!

To Be Continued