Hotel Sapphire: Chapter 11

Hotel Sapphire Ch. 11

Hotel Sapphire: Chapter 11 For our returning readers: When we last left our characters, Nitin had been forced to unpack his wife's lingerie and a sex toy for her use with another man. He had been sent on a humiliating errand. And when Komal asked him if any of this was worth it...if the promotion was worth watching her be claimed by someone else...he couldn't let go of his ambition. "Just until the promotion," he told her. "Then it ends." But does anything truly end? The game continues. ~BhagiRath Komal Narrates: The dining room of the Royal Bengal Reserve had been transformed for our retreat. The long wooden tables were arranged and lit up beautifully by string lights above. The sliding glass walls let in the night air along with the sounds of the animals. Inside the sounds were different - the clink of glasses and bursts of laughter. The staff of Hotel Sapphire were enjoying themselves. Rahul led me to a corner table near the windows, away from the others. The waiters had already prepared the setting...white linens, glasses, candles. It was romantic and intimate. Exactly what I would have wanted, if only I wasn't acutely aware that my husband was alone somewhere in this same lodge. We sat across from each other, the darkness of the forest stretching out beyond the window behind him. A waiter appeared immediately, pouring wine into our glasses without being asked. Rahul had ordered for both of us...lamb chops, dal makhni, naan...all my favorites. But he hadn't said a word since we sat down. He kept swirling his wine, watching the darkness beyond the glass, his jaw tight. There was something different about him tonight...a seriousness in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. "You're quiet," I said, breaking the silence. "Just thinking." "About?" He took a sip of wine before answering. "About how beautiful you look tonight." I looked down at my plate, and then looked back up at him. "Rahul," I said, setting down my fork. "Why are you doing this?" "Doing what?" "You know what." I kept my voice low, mindful of the staff nearby. "The lube. The dildo. Making him unpack my...things. Making him watch." Rahul's expression didn't change. He took another slow sip of wine, his eyes never leaving mine. "I told you. This is his test." "Is it?" I leaned forward. "Or are you punishing him?" I could see Rahul's expression change for a second. It didn't look like anger. It looked more like...pain. He set down his glass and looked into my eyes. "Let me ask you something, Komal." His voice was quiet, controlled. "Why did you marry him?" The question surprised me. "What?" "Nitin. Why did you marry him?" "I..." I hesitated. "We love each other. I love him. And he loves me." "Does he? Does he, really?" It hurt me. The way he said it...so direct. I didn't say anything. "Because I've been watching him, Komal. Really watching him. And I don't see a man who loves his wife. I see a man who traded her to save his job. And now...now he's sent you to...what secure his promotion." "That's not..." "He came to me, Komal. Remember? He offered himself as my 'personal concierge.' He practically begged me to let him serve us." Rahul's voice was still controlled. "What kind of man does that? What kind of man watches his wife with another man and gets hard? What kind of man buys lubricant for his wife's lover and thanks him for the opportunity?" I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. "I'll tell you one thing I am sure of," Rahul continued, his voice dropping lower. "He doesn't deserve you." He leaned back in his chair, his jaw tight. I thought about last night. About what I'd confessed. I love you. I'd said it twice, and both times I'd meant it. But I'd also told him I needed to save my marriage. Both were true, but one couldn't co-exist with the other. It was tearing me apart. He said out loud what I'd never even dared to think. I got angry. "You can't say that to me, Rahul!" "Can't I? I am merely stating the facts, Komal. He has you...yet doesn't appreciate you. I am the one who wants you, but can't keep you. Just because...what...some piece of paper that says you're married? What other bond is keeping you both together?" I opened my mouth to say something, to defend Nitin. But I had nothing. "Think about it, Komal" Rahul continued. "You've likely had more sex with me in these last few weeks than you've had the entire time you were with him. You've certainly had more orgasms - I know that. Tell me if I'm wrong. The way you've been intimate with me...do you have that with Nitin?" I said nothing. Rahul reached across the table and took my hand. His thumb traced the line of my knuckles, his grip warm and firm. "All I'm saying is...you deserve to be with a man who appreciates what he has. And..." A server approached to refill our wine glasses, and Rahul released my hand. The moment passed. But this words were still ringing in my ears. We finished dinner in silence, watching the flickering light from the firepit in the courtyard outside the windows. The staff had gathered around a large fire pit, singing old Hindi songs, their voices carrying through the night. Somewhere in the distance, a jackal called...a sound of hunger, of pursuit, of something being chased through the tall grass. I thought of Nitin, alone in his room. I thought of Rahul, sitting across from me. And I thought of myself...caught between them. Suddenly, Rahul gestured to something outside the window. "Isn't that Tina?" he asked. Yes it was. And she wasn't alone. Patil had her cornered against one of the wooden posts that framed the patio, his body leaning into hers, his hand resting on her hip. She was laughing, but it was the wrong kind of laugh...too loud, too brittle, the kind that comes from too much alcohol and not enough genuine joy. Her head was tilted back against the post, her eyes half-closed, her body language loose and unguarded. As I watched, Patil's hand slid lower, settling on her thigh. He leaned in and said something in her ear that made her giggle again. But this time, she didn't push him away. "Is she...?" I started, but the question died in my throat. "She's drunk," Rahul said flatly. "And he's taking advantage." I was already standing, my napkin falling to the chair. "I need to..." "Go," Rahul said. "I'll meet you there in a minute." I moved quickly through the dining room, pushing past the staff who were still lingering near the entrance, their faces flushed with liquor and laughter. I stepped onto the patio. Tina saw me coming. Her eyes widened, just for a second, before she looked away. "Tina!" I called out, my voice sharper than I intended. Patil turned, his hand still on her thigh. "Ah, Komal ma'am. Joining us? We were just..." "She's coming with me," I said, reaching for Tina's arm. "Now." "Hey, hey," Patil said, his voice rising in protest. "We were just having a good time. Weren't we, Tina?" Tina looked at me, then at Patil. For a moment, I thought she was going to argue. But then her expression shifted. She looked broken. "Komal," she said, her voice thick. "I think...I think I need to lie down." "Yes, you do," I said firmly. I pulled her away from Patil, my hand on her waist to steady her. She stumbled slightly, her heels catching on the stone pavers. "Komal, she's fine," Patil protested, stepping forward. "We were just..." "She's not fine," I said, my voice cold. "And you should go back to your room, Patil sir. Before you do something you regret." His face hardened, but he stepped back. "I was just being friendly," he muttered. "She was the one who..." "Go to your room, Patil." Rahul appeared at my side, his voice commanding. Patil's face changed in an instant and he wordlessly walked away, tail between his legs. Rahul took Tina's other arm without a word, and together we guided her through the lodge and toward the elevator. A few staff members glanced at us, but no one said anything. She smelled like tequila, her floral sundress wrinkled and askew. As we walked, she leaned into me, her head resting on my shoulder. "You're a good friend," she mumbled. "You know that?" "Let's just get you to your room." The elevator ride was silent except for Tina's occasional giggles and the hum of the machinery. When the doors opened on her floor, she pulled away from us, swaying on her feet. "I can walk," she insisted, though her legs disagreed. We followed her to her room, watching as she fumbled with the key card. It took three tries before the light turned green. She pushed the door open and stumbled inside, collapsing onto the bed without bothering to turn on the lights. I followed her in, Rahul stayed back at the doorway giving us some privacy. Tina flopped onto her bed, belly first. "Tina," I said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?" She laughed, but it came out as more of a sob. She turned her head on the pillow to look at me, her eyes wet and unfocused in the dim light filtering through the window. "Okay? No, Komal. I'm definitely not okay." "What happened? Why were you with Patil like that?" Tina turned on her back and stared at the ceiling. Her hands gripped the bedspread, her knuckles white against the fabric. "He was just...there. And I wanted..." She trailed off. Her head turned slowly toward me. "I saw him today, you know. Nitin." My stomach tightened. "What about him?" "After you and Rahul sir arrived. He was in the corridor. Looking..." She made a vague gesture near her chest. "I don't know. Like someone had taken something from him." She sat up abruptly, her hand grasping my wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong for someone so drunk. "I went to find him. I thought maybe he needed...someone. You know?" Her voice cracked. "I know he doesn't...I know he doesn't see me. Not really. But I thought..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter." I started to speak, but she continued. "He looked right through me, Komal. Like I wasn't even there." Her brow furrowed. "What the fuck have I turned into, Komal?" She looked straight into my eyes. "Nitin, of all people...the squarest, nerdiest man I've ever met...how could I fall for him of all people? There's something wrong with my brain, seriously." I'd never heard Tina speak this way. About anyone. She really does like him. She hiccupped, her eyes drifting to the ceiling again. "Earlier today, I saw him look at you and Rahul sir, walking past. And his face just..." She stopped. Her gaze drifted back to me. "I've seen it before, you know. The way he looks at you." She laughed bitterly. "I'm not stupid, Komal. I've worked with you both long enough. I thought maybe it was just...you know. A crush. Something he'd get over." She studied my face. "But that's not it, is it?" Does she know? I didn't respond. "It's more than a crush." Her words were slurring, but her eyes had sharpened. "The way he watches you. The way his whole body turns toward you when you walk into a room. The way he..." She stopped herself. "I've been watching him watch you for months. And I thought...I thought he was just pining. Like a sad puppy. But today..." Her grip on my wrist tightened. "Today I saw you look back." She knows. My heart started beating faster. "For just a second. When you walked past. You looked at him." Her voice dropped. "Not like a colleague. Not like a friend. You looked at him like..." She trailed off, her brow furrowing as she tried to articulate something she couldn't quite name. "And you're not surprised," she said quietly. "Right now. I'm telling you he's in love with you, and you're not even denying it..." She let go of my wrist. "You already know." We were both silent for a minute. "Tina, you're drunk. You should sleep..." "I'm drunk, Komal." Her voice was harder now. "But I'm not making this up." She lay back against the pillow, her eyes closing. The anger was draining out of her, replaced by exhaustion. "I just wanted him to see me," she mumbled. "Just once. The way he sees you." Her breathing was starting to become more even. The alcohol was taking over. "But he doesn't," she continued, her words growing thick and slow. "He looks at you like you're...like you're everything. And you..." She turned her head, her eyes opening just enough to look at me. "You look at Rahul the same way." Her words hit me hard, because there was a bit of truth to them. And I knew it. "He's going to lose," she whispered. "Whoever Nitin is to you. Whatever this is. He's going to lose." She closed her eyes fully now. "And I don't think he even knows it yet." Her breathing deepened. Her body relaxed into the bed, the tension leaving her limbs. Within seconds, she was asleep. I sat there for a long moment, my heart pounding. The room was dark except for the faint glow of the moon through the window. Tina's words echoed in my head. 'He's going to lose.' I stood up slowly. I pulled the blanket over her, smoothing it gently. I turned and walked toward the door. Rahul was still there, leaning against the frame, his expression unreadable. Neither of us spoke as we walked to the elevator. The doors closed with a soft chime, enclosing us in silence. "She figured it out," I said quietly. Rahul didn't respond. "She doesn't know about the marriage. But she knows...there's something between me and Nitin." "Does it matter?" His voice was calm. "She's drunk. She won't remember half of this tomorrow." "She remembered enough tonight." The elevator hummed, carrying us upward. I thought about Tina's face...the moment she'd realized I wasn't surprised. That I already knew. 'You look at Rahul the same way.' Was that true? Did I look at Rahul the way Nitin looked at me? Shouldn't I be looking at my husband the same way he looked at me? When did that change? Did I ever look at Nutty that way? I didn't have an answer. And that scared me more than anything. When we reached the Maharajah suite, Rahul opened the door and held it for me. I walked in, my mind still reeling. The bed was made, but the dildo and lube bottles were still on the nightstand...evidence of everything that had led me here. Rahul closed the door behind us and turned to face me. "Are you okay?" he asked. I laughed, the sound hollow. "That's a complicated question." Rahul stepped closer, his hand finding my waist. "You don't have to answer it tonight." I leaned into him, letting my head rest against his chest. Tina's words were still there, lurking at the edges of my thoughts. 'He's going to lose. And he doesn't even know it yet.' "Two days," I murmured into Rahul's shirt. "What?" "Two more days. And then this ends." Rahul's arms tightened around me. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. We stood there in the darkness of the suite. And somewhere in this lodge, Nitin was alone in his room. And Tina was drunk and asleep in hers. I closed my eyes and let Rahul hold me, trying not to think about what tomorrow would bring. =================================================== Day 2 at the Royal Bengal Reserve =================================================== Morning Nitin Narrates: The Royal Bengal Reserve provided private safari vehicles for VIP guests. Open-air jeeps with cushioned seats, a professional guide who sat beside the driver, and an unobstructed view of the wilderness. "Mr. Oberoi has requested a private vehicle," Mrs. Jogi informed me at breakfast. "No guide. He wants it to be just the three of you." Just the three of us. I drove the jeep to the lodge's main entrance at 7 AM sharp, waiting for Rahul sir and Komal to get on. The morning air was slightly warm, the sun was already climbing. The grasslands stretched endlessly on either side, swaying in the gentle breeze. I saw Komal's outfit when she emerged from lobby, and my stomach dropped. She was wearing a white linen sundress...thin, flimsy, with thin straps that left her shoulders bare. The neckline was quite low, plunging deep between her breasts. The length of her sundress came to mid-thigh, any movement would cause it to ride up higher. She wasn't wearing a bra. I could tell by the way her nipples pressed against the thin material. Her hair was loose, falling in waves around her shoulders. And around her neck, the diamond pendant Rahul sir had given her. Rahul sir stepped out right behind her, wearing a navy polo shirt and beige cargo shorts, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. Sunglasses perched on his nose, and a camera hung from his neck. His hand was around her waist, holding her possessively. I realized that I'd seen him hold her like that so many times now, that my brain was getting used to it. It was a depressing thought. Just until the promotion. Rahul sir and Komal sat in the back row of the jeep. I was in the front, in the driver's seat, obviously. I could see them in the rearview mirror...her head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist. They looked like any other couple on a romantic getaway. Except one of them was my wife. Soon, we were on our way. - - - "There," I said, pointing to the left. "A spotted deer. Female, no antlers." Komal leaned forward, genuinely interested. "Where? I don't see..." "There, near that cluster of trees. See the white spots on her coat?" I said, enthusiastically. "Yes!" She smiled, and for a moment, I saw the woman I married...my Komal...the one who used to get excited about small things, who used to lean toward me in the car and point out interesting sights. "She's beautiful." "She is...very beautiful indeed," Rahul sir's deep voice said. But he wasn't looking at the deer. He was looking at Komal. And she was smiling in return. I gritted my teeth in frustration. He couldn't even let me have this one small thing. A deer. A simple observation about nature. He had to turn it into a moment...a seduction. - - - The jeep rolled on. I pointed out more wildlife...a herd of wild boar in the distance, a peacock displaying its feathers atop a tree, a family of Langur monkeys on the tree branches. Komal responded to each one, her voice bright with interest. For a few moments there...it was just the two of us - Komal and her Nutty, the way we used to be. I found myself talking more, pointing out more things, desperate to keep her attention on me, on the world outside this jeep, on anything but him. But the bubble burst quickly. Rahul sir's hand came to rest on Komal's thigh. I saw it in the rearview mirror...his fingers tracing lazy circles on her skin through the thin fabric of her dress. Every few minutes, he leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She would giggle, swat his chest playfully, then turn back to the window. The sound of her laughter told me she was genuinely amused. That giggle was mine. Mine. I'd earned it over two years of bad jokes and gentle teasing. And now he was pulling it from her so easily. His hand slid higher, disappearing beneath the hem of her dress. She pushed him away. "Rahul, stop..." Then she whispered something I couldn't catch over the sound of the jeep's engine. "...he's driving. He can't see anything..." I caught only fragments of Rahul sir's reply. "...he can hear us..." Komal pushed back. Their eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. I looked away quickly, fixing my gaze on the road ahead.