Five-Thirty AM - XXIX

Gauri Krishnan. Thirty-three years old. Creative Head for Apna TV channel’s ‘Ek Din Zindagi Ka’.

MG Films’ latest venture in TV was Apna TV’s ‘Ek Din Zindagi Ka’ (A Day in the Life), a daily soap that had been sitting in the top five of the TRP ratings since the first week it aired. A new character was to be introduced into the show.

It wouldn’t be a large role, but it would require some amount of acting skills. The channel and the production house had gone through the dozens of portfolios, sent out casting calls, done about twenty look-tests so far, but nothing really caught their attention, and nobody really stood out amongst the lot, and they couldn’t agree on the few that seemed to fit the bill.

Until, that is, Gauri was flipping through a fashion magazine lazily and saw a double page layout for RR for Men’s fashions and she found the perfect face.

His unique green eyes were heightened by smoky eye makeup, his light skin balanced by the pale tones of his suit; his eyes looking straight ahead, aloof, distant and sexy. His lean body and long lines showed off to perfection the tailored lines of his clothes.

A smaller black and white inset had him bare wearing only a wristwatch. His left arm crossed over his chest, holding a woman’s hand on his right shoulder, his head bent, looking back. The light and shadows defined each muscle with loving care, highlighted each bone on his face with care. The photo only showed him up to his perfectly sculpted abs.

Gauri was captivated. This was it!

Two days later, Apna TV made the call to Noel James. 

*****

‘MG Films,’ said Mitul. ‘What does MG stand for?’

He shrugged. ‘I never found out. It seems to be some kind of inside story. But nobody seems to know what.’

‘I see. This was your first series, right? And you bagged the role.’

Noel nodded. ‘Yes I did, but not everything is as cut and dried as that sounds, babe. The channel signs the artist, so there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes before they sign you on. I had to go for a look test. Basically, to see if I fit the look of the character. Both the channel and the production house have to agree that the artist fits the role, before negotiations even start.’

‘So you went for it? How hard is a look test?’

‘Yeah. It wasn’t that hard. I mean, I’d already been enough times in front of the camera to know what made me look good, and how to emote. Modeling does that for you. You learn how to best present yourself, how to speak to the camera,’ he said, without the smallest shred of pride or self-praise. He just stated it as a matter-of-fact.

He paused for a moment, and then went on, ‘since the channel had brought me in as a potential artist for the role, the production house i.e. MG Films had to be convinced I could do it. But the channel always has the last say in the casting.’

‘What’s she like? Gauri Krishnan, I mean?’ asked Mitul, completely absorbed in the story now.

*****

Noel showed up at the offices of Gauri Krishnan at her request. He looked at the woman in front of him as she stood up and smiled, holding out a hand.

She was in her early thirties. At five-nine, she towered over most people. She was dressed casually in a pair of dockers and a white shirt, with running shoes, her hair tied back carelessly in a knot. She wasn’t beautiful in the truest sense of the word - there was intelligence and charm that oozed out of every pore. There was definitely an aura of power around her.

‘Have a seat, Noel,’ she told him.

He sat down, waiting to hear what she had to say.

Pleasantries over, she got to the point. ‘The look test looked good. We’d like to do another one with you, this time with a few of the cast members,’ she informed him. ‘This is just to check if the chemistry between the cast works or not.’

Noel nodded. New to this business, he had no idea if such additional look-tests were required. He figured it was. After all, this was a hit show and the dynamics between the cast would change with the introduction of a new person.

Two days later, she called him, asking him to meet her for coffee. She seemed a little tired.

‘It’s not looking good,’ she said. ‘The production house wants someone with a lot more acting experience. But I want a certain look for it. and you have it.’ She sounded worried, ‘and you fit the image perfectly.’

‘Surely you can make them understand that,’ he replied.

‘I guess so,’ she said. ‘I wish they would make up their minds.’

‘I hope so, too. Anything I can do to help?’ he asked, always a gentleman.

‘Thank you, that’s very sweet of you,’ she replied, reaching out and holding his hand. ‘But I have to handle this myself.’

Noel was surprised, pleasantly so, at the contact. He’d found Gauri attractive to begin with, and couldn’t deny the physical pull he had towards her. He was mindful, however, of the age gap between them, and remained the gentleman, not moving his hand away, but not inviting another touch, either.

‘I don’t know how much you know about this business, Noel,’ she said, drawing her hand away to pick up her coffee. She regarded him over the rim of the cup and said, ‘I’ll be handling the negotiations on your behalf, the money, hours, everything. I hope that’s okay with you.’

He nodded his head. His contract with the modeling agency gave him the freedom to pursue other avenues, and this would not be an issue for him. The only one clause that he had in his contract that was a binding one, was the one for RR for Men. That contract was due for renewal in a few week’s time.

‘The only clause I have to honor is the one for RR for Men’s. And that’s personal for me. The modeling agency contract is up for renewal in a few weeks,’ he told her.

‘RR for Men?’ she asked. ‘Why is it personal?’

‘Because they gave me my break,’ Noel said. ‘I’m not going to dishonor that relationship.’

Gauri regarded him with hooded eyes, as she sipped her coffee. She knew Rishik Rathod only by reputation, never having met the man. The fact that this was a personal thing, was something she stored away in her memory for future use, if need be. She’d analyze it later. She also realized that Noel was really innocent. But damn! he was hot! she thought, and she would have the pleasure of moulding him. She smiled at him.

‘It’s not a problem. We’ll work that in,’ she said softly, patting his hand one more time.
*****

‘It was two weeks before the final look-test was held,’ Noel continued, his eyes far away. ‘Gauri kept me updated with what was happening. We’d meet over coffee or in her office, and then it moved to dinners.’

‘So you were dating?’ she asked, feeling a bit nauseous about this, but wanting to know, nevertheless.

‘I wouldn’t call it that,’ Noel said, carefully choosing his words. ‘We’d meet mostly for business reasons, but were becoming better acquainted, more familiar with each other.’

‘Where did you live then?’ Mitul asked curiously.

‘With Dev. I still didn’t have a place of my own, so I bunked with him,’ he explained. ‘He was working as a marketing manager for a multinational, and doing well for himself. So he already had the place he has now.’

Mitul nodded.

‘So Gauri and I would meet, she would tell me about the character, how she saw it build up, how it would play out. She wanted it to end up being a part of the series.’ His gaze lifted to her, as she sat there, totally absorbed in him, chin on hand, listening intently.

For a moment, he forgot the past. This was his present, his future sitting in front of him, and he was lost, just gazing into those intenses brown eyes.

‘Noel!’ she blushed, looking away, ‘stop looking at me like that!’

‘Like what?’ he murmured.

‘That. That look on your face. Continue with the story,’ she waved her hand at him as he laughed.

‘You left after six months, didn’t you?’ she brought it back on track. ‘How come? If Gauri wanted the character to continue, why did they send him away? why did you leave?

‘You’re jumping the gun here, babe,’ he said seriously. ‘But first, I need some more coffee,’ he got up, picked up the two mugs and walked to the kitchen. He needed a little time to compose himself. To be able to tell her about those six months, and how she would take it. The memories would be painful and it would be hard, but it had to be done. There was going to be full honesty between him and Mitul, he’d decided. It was the only way to be.

****

Noel’s appetite for this role was now whetted to the full. He really wanted it. Somewhere inside him, the need had grown to start this acting business. He had also begun looking forward to meeting Gauri more frequently. And she seemed to be reciprocating.

They had finished dinner one night, and were sipping their coffees when she asked him outright, ‘how bad do you want this role, Noel?’

‘I guess I really do,’ he said, smiling. Tonight, something had changed in the dynamics of their relationship, shifted. He wasn’t sure what it was. She’d sat next to him at the table, and hadn’t missed an opportunity to touch him. He knew he wasn’t reading more into her signals. They were loud and clear.

‘I know, baby,’ she smiled, the endearment slipping easily off her tongue, as she reached out and palmed his cheek. ‘Show me,’ she said, her eyes sparkling with invitation, her meaning unmistakable. Gauri was definitely coming on to him.

They drew up at her house in her car. She parked it, and said, ‘Come on in.’

Noel sent a quick text to Dev, ‘don’t wait up for me,’ before he followed her in.

Her house was beautiful, he had to give her that. It suited her personality. The warm, inviting, yet modern look was a perfect frame for her.

‘Make yourself comfortable, I’ll make some coffee,’ she said. He sat down to wait for her, relaxing against the comfortable chamois of the couch.
*****

‘I didn’t go home that night,’ he said.

He’d shifted to the far side of the sofa, looking at the floor. He turned to look at her.

Her eyes were closed. He watched as she swallowed, the heartbreak clear on her face. He wanted to reach out, tell her it was all in the past. The memories were clouding his mind, but he kept quiet. She opened her eyes and he saw the sparkle of tears in them. It was hurting her. He felt an ache in his chest, a physical pain that reflected the pain in her eyes. Unknown to him, his eyes were pleading with her to understand.

All this had happened before he had found Mitul.

Before he had even known of her existence.

Before he fell in love with her.

Would she hold it against him? Would she let it affect them? their future? For a future with her was all he wanted.

*****

Gauri came back with the coffee and placed it on the table, before sitting down next to him. Close to him. She handed him a cup, bending forward to pick it up, the neckline of her shirt providing him a clear view of her cleavage. Her hands brushed his as she handed the cup over.

Noel felt the tension in the air, sparking between them. He took a sip of coffee, keeping his eyes on her, then reached out for her cup and place it back on the table. With a swift move, he hauled her into his arms and kissed her.

Her response was instantaneous. Her mouth opened and her tongue dipped into his, her fingers flying over his shoulders, a low moan of pleasure filled his mouth. He lifted his head as she kissed his throat, licking a path of fire along his nerves. She pulled the shirt out from the waistband of his shirt, running her hands underneath, along his shirt, till she heard him groan.

She smiled against his hair, as he nuzzled her neck. He wanted to take it slow. It was the first time for them, and he wanted to enjoy every minute of it. She tugged on his hair, lifting his face up, smiling as she saw the flush high on his cheekbones. He brought his mouth down on hers, his tongue reaching into every warm recess, showing her what he wanted. He stood up and pulled her up with him, his hands on her hips, pulling her close, letting her feel him.

‘Which way?’ he murmured against her ear.

They kissed their way to her bedroom, only stopping when they reached the bed. He stepped back and slowly unbuttoned her shirt, watching her full breasts, heaving under the flimsy bra she had on. He pushed the shirt off her shoulders and she let it drop, her eyes downcast on her fingers which were in turn slowly sliding each button out of its hole. She gave a deep sigh as his chest came into view, and he shrugged the shirt off, letting it fall to the floor. He slid his arms around her waist, fitting her feminine curves over his rock hard arousal.

She moaned in pleasure, fumbling with his belt, sliding the zipper down. Slowly she kissed his chest as his hands fisted in her hair. She trailed down, stopping for a moment at his nipples, nipping and sucking at them.

He let her take control, it was all about her today, he thought, his eyes half closed as he watched her make her way down his body.

She peeled back the jeans and boxers revealing him in his full male glory. He gasped as she touched him lightly at first and then gripped him firmly in her hands before licking the tip delicately with her tongue. He almost jumped out of his skin at the touch. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up.

‘Not yet,’ he was breathing rapidly. ‘Not just yet.’ He dragged her closer, both of them making short work of her clothes.

He went to pull her to the bed, but she stepped back. ‘Come here,’ she grabbed his arm and led him to a chair.

This was the first time he noticed the odd dune shaped chair in the corner. The back was a curved hump, with a dip in the center, and another lower hump in the front.

‘What’s that?’ he asked, pausing between kisses.

‘A tantra chair,’ she said, seating him in the dip. ‘Put your legs on both sides,’ she instructed.

He sat down with his back against the high side. She sat down facing him, and suddenly Noel knew what this chair was for. It was a sex-chair for lack of a better word. The curves fit perfectly into the human form, giving support where needed to get maximum pleasure. For a moment the thought disturbed him, but Gauri lay back against the chair, her full naked body like a feast before him. He couldn’t resist it, he was too far gone.

He kissed her breasts, sucking them hungrily, her moans driving him on, his hands kneading them, her moans loud in his ears, his eyes closed, all his sensations pooled into his tongue.

He slid down her body, till he came to her core. She jerked as his tongue found her, stabbing into her, his thumb twirling around her nub, stroking her. Her moans were louder now, asking him for more, and more. He dug his fingers into her hips, holding her still, driving his tongue mercilessly into her, until she screamed as she came.

He waited until she had calmed down a bit, gently licking her as she shuddered once more. She raised herself up and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him, tasting herself on his lips, rubbing her dripping core against his painful erection. He wanted to be inside her, but suddenly he remembered.

‘No protection,’ he gasped.

‘I’ve got it covered,’ she said, before lifting her hips and taking him into a warm, tight, world. He shuddered with the sensation of skin against skin, inside and out. He bent her back again, not moving out of her, standing up and moving rapidly into her. Her voice in his ears urging him on, faster, harder.

He could feel himself almost there, straining to reach the peak, he pushed his hand between them, rubbing against her, hard, pressing down, until he felt the muscles begin to tighten around him, sucking him in deeper.

She screamed her release again into his ears. Frantically, he pushed harder, thrusting deeper with her spasms until he gasped and finally crested, spilling himself inside her. 

*****

‘I didn’t go home that night.’

Mitul watched Noel’s back as he stood beside the window, his head leaning against the glass, his arms folded across his chest. He hadn’t said anything more since that damning statement.

She couldn’t see his face, so she didn’t see the expression of self-disgust on it. Nor the bitter tears that he wouldn’t let fall. Her mind was still trying to come to terms with his having been intimate with another woman.

Granted it was before he came into her life.

Granted it was before she knew of his existence.

Granted it was before she fell in love with him.

But it didn’t lessen the pain and sense of betrayal. She was still a virgin, still saving herself for her Prince Charming. Somehow, she’d expected her Prince Charming to wait for her to come into her life, too. Their first time together would be the first time for both of them. Like every girl she had those beliefs, those dreams.

Except her Prince Charming had turned out to be a man - as human as human could get - complete with flaws and foibles; and like a real man, he’d made mistakes, and had slip-ups.

Would she be able to live with him with that knowledge?

Noel had been taken back to those days. He’d really begun to care for Gauri. But he’d been too naive to see her for what she was. A sexual predator.

He turned around to look at Mitul.

He saw her sitting quietly, curled up on one end of the couch, a lost look on her face. He wanted to reach out, hold her, and never let her go. Instead, he stood there, trying to read her face, because he couldn’t see her eyes. They were turned away as she fiddled with her writing pad.

Finally he cleared his throat, and she looked up at him. He was shocked at the torment in her eyes. As tormented as his were. They were dry.

No! His mind roared. No. Mitul. Don’t. Please. Don’t.

****