“Since you are staring at it for such a long time, the least you can do in return is to massage my feet.” Kalpana announced flatly.
Mahesh froze. He had no idea she was awake. They were on the first class bogey in the Rajdhani Express. It was an AC premium train and the journey was for 36 hours. Their bogey had a sliding door and had six berths. Today, being a weekday, the entire compartment was deserted and they were the only ones in their bogey with 4 empty berths. Normally, men would have been overjoyed at this. 36 hours, alone with a gorgeous woman clad in shorts and a halter top. However, Mahesh was a colossal failure with women. At 25, he had never even kissed a girl before. He was a stuttering, nervous wreck around women and most of his attempts to ask women out ended in laughter. Once he landed a job, however, he grew in confidence and was able to at least talk to women. However, it was very difficult to find dates now, since most women he met were already committed.
Kalpana, on contrast, was a bold, outgoing 27 year old woman who had a bunch of ex-partners in her life. She estimated her current list was over 41 and she was actively searching for no42. It was not lost on her either that she would be spending the next 36 hours in a closed bogey with this man. However, one look at him and she was filled with disdain. He was scrawny, definitely younger than her and was not a lot to look at. Nevertheless, teasing men was in her instinct and she had deliberately crossed and uncrossed her legs, bare past her short shorts from the moment she walked in while ostensibly reading a Novel. Mahesh had been mesmerised and was staring shamelessly. She deliberately flicked her slippers aside and moved her feet up and down. After around half hour, she went to sleep. Some time later, when she woke up, she was shocked to see him still staring at her legs.
Of course, she loved it when men stared at her body. She even encouraged it constantly. For the last six years, she had never won anything that covered her feet past her knees. But this. It was ore than an hour now. And, in addition, he was staring while she was asleep. That was creepy. Of course, she had no fear. She was an expert Karate fighter and could hold her own against even 3-4 able-bodied men when needed. This boy was not able-bodied and she could tear him to pieces if needed. However, she decided to handle things in a different way. Admittedly, she had worked out more than usual that day and her legs were aching. And so, she gave a flat statement.
“Since you are staring at it for such a long time, the least you can do in return is to massage my feet.”
“I, um. I was not-” Mahesh could not even deny it outright. He knew he was caught.
“Don’t you dare.” She announced with such venom that Mahesh flinched. ” I gave you more than half hour to stop this creepy behaviour. Now, stand up.”
Mahesh stood up instantly. “Drop your shirt and pants.”
Mahesh stared in shock. “No, I won’t.”
Kalpana got down from her berth and towered over him. She repeated her order and all fight went out of Mahesh. He dropped his shirt and his pants and stood meekly in front of her.
“My suitcase is under my berth, pick it up and hand it to me.”
Mahesh praised the Gods that, he was wearing his brand new underwear today. Guilt at being caught staring made him completely unable to disobey Kalpana. She was standing regally with her hands on her hips while he bent down to retrieve her suitcase. He pulled it out and stood up.
“Did I tell you you could stand up?” Kalpana was well aware of her power over him. She hadn’t even raised her voice and yet, he instantly went down on all fours.
Mahesh felt the whole experience surreal. He was not even aware of her name. And yet, here they were, him down on all fours in his underwear while she was towering over him and watching him with contempt. He saw her lock her suitcase. It hit him. His shirt and pants were in there. And, his mobile phone and his wallet with all his ids were in his pants. She put a combo lock on the suitcase and pushed it behind her berth again. She then sat on her berth. On all fours, he changed his position so that he was in front of her again. She was bare foot now. She then ordered him to pick his suitcase. She proceeded to calmly change the combo lock on that one as well and pushed it back below his berth.
“You will get back all of them AFTER you have done a satisfactory job massaging my feet.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He replied. Kalapna smiled. “Good boy. You will address me as ma’am, madam or mistress the entire journey.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He picked her feet up in his hands. She snatched her feet away.
“Tut tut! Little boy. Where are your manners? When you are ordered to massage feet, you kiss the feet first and only then start. Is this how you massage your mother’s feet everyday?”
Mahesh looked up, confused. “I-I- um, don’t.-”
“You don’t massage your mother’s feet?” She cut into him. Mahesh quailed under her angry gaze.
“You are not helping your cause here, little boy. I am having second thoughts about returning your things even after the journey.”
And at that, Mahesh threw away all his already dwindling vestiges of pride. He knelt in front of her and folded his hands.
“Please, ma’am. Please, I am sorry.”
“First and last warning, little boy.”
And so, Mahesh got down on all fours again. He loving kissed both her feet as she sat majestically in her berth. She waited until he had kissed her enough times and then signalled that he should start massaging. She held her hand up and then lied down on her berth. As she moved, she casually ensured that her leg met his hips for a small kick. Mahesh went sideways. She did not offer any apology and he had no courage to demand one. He waited until she had lied down. He kissed her feet one last time and started massaging her feet. She kept instructing him and he kept alternating between her feet while she listened to music.
After around half hour, she stopped him.
“You did a very clumsy job. I shouldn’t give back your items.”
Mahesh grovelled. “Please, ma’am. I cannot go out of this train like this. I am sorry.”
“Well, if you were massaging your mother’s feet everyday, you wouldn’t be in this situation. Now, don’t blame me.”
Mahesh was prostrated fully at her feet. “Please ma’am. I am so sorry. I will do better, I promise. But, please, I need those clothes back. Please.”
Kalpana raised her hand. “Can’t help you, little boy. I can’t give back your clothes. You will have to buy it back from me.”
Mahesh stared incredulously. Was this woman really asking him, no, telling him to buy back his own items from her? He knew he should tell her to go to hell. But then, he realised. He was trapped. He was in his underwear, in public. All his clothes were locked and she had the keys. All his ids, wallet, phone, laptop everything was with her. He had no choice other than to buy it back from her.
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.”
“We will see what other fines or payments comes for you in the next 36 hours. At the end of the journey, I will give you your phone and you will transfer the entire amount to me. For now, since you have to buy back all your items, which includes your phone, your wallet and your laptop, the price is 50,000 Rs. Tomorrow morning, you will massage my feet again. Do an unsatisfactory job and it will be an additional 50,000. Then, by day after tomorrow, we will see what other payments will come up. Once the entire money is reflected in my account, I will immediately return all your items. Now, lie down on the floor. You don’t deserve a berth.”
And so, Kalpana lied back down on her berth. She didn’t even have to check whether he was obeying her. Mahesh didn’t even think about disobeying and lied down on the floor. He knew he would not do a good job of massaging her feet tomorrow morning either and he was already looking at 1 Lakh that he was going to pay her. The thought of knowing it might not stop there ensured that he was not getting any sleep.