"May I come in madam?"....Rustom asked....knocking at the door...on which the name plate read....."Chief Minister - Paschim Pradesh"
"Yes, please come in"....Renuka said...sitting on her chair..
Rustom Singh, aged 32 years, was a young officer in the ATU unit of the state. He had attained some fame recently after the secret operation which led to the foiling of the assassination attempt on the Chief Minister by a group of terrorists...however his fame was limited to the internal departments only as the matter was kept secret and was never exposed to the public. The way Rustom had risked his own life while shooting down three trained assassins did earn him many accolades from the government, but it had also led to a lot of jealous colleagues in his own department.
Renuka Vardhan was 39 years old and had sworn in as the Chief Minister just 2 months back after the unfortunate demise of her husband and the late Chief Minister Ravinash Vardhan. It was a remarkable ascent for Renuka who was at one time the Executive Secretary to the Chief Minister. Renuka was a model and used to walk the ramp till her early 30s and no one quite knew the exact way how she made her way to the chief minister's office. But when her marriage to the late CM, 15 years older to her, was announced 3 years back then that raised a few eyebrows and led to some ripe whispers in the alleys. And what looked even more remarkable to many was the way she had managed to wield her influence in the party in these few years. Her husband's death from the accident had been shrouded in mystery, but the swiftness with which she established her claim to the CM's chair was a surprise to many and she trumped many of the seasoned politicians in the party with the sympathy wave which turned the tide in her favour.
Rustom walked into the Chief minister's room. He has been here once before, but with his supervisor, when they had come over to meet the CM after his feat with the terrorist gang. He could still not comprehend how he was feeling the same tickling sensation in his groin as she looked at the gorgeous woman sitting on the Chief Minister's chair and was greeting him with a charming smile, just as she did the first time he met her. But something told him that behind that veil of charm and warm courteousness, lay hidden a crafty mind which was by no means less ruthless than the many hardcore criminals he had come across often.
After the initial exchange of pleasantries, Renuka got to the point...."Rustom, I hope you understand why I called you to my office to discuss in private"
Rustom shook his head...."Not really madam!....But I can guess it is something urgent and possibly confidential for you." Renuka took a sip from a glass of water kept in front of her....then kept the glass down on the table and said..."I need your help with something which is very important for me Rustom, and I am counting on you not only to get the job done but also to keep it secret." She then bent slightly forward, looked at Rustom's eyes and said...."Can I depend on you, Rustom? That whatever I tell you in this room will remain between us"
There was something in those eyes which had a bit of a mesmerizing effect on Rustom....For a moment he could not say anything, but then tried to compose himself and said...."Of course Ma'm, you can fully depend on me. I will try to do whatever I can to help you."
"There is a guy blackmailing me, Rustom, for quite some time. He has some damning videotapes in his possession for which I had been paying him for some time. But now, considering the post I am holding, I cannot keep doing it. The stakes are much higher. And I am afraid he is going to ask for some price which is just too high. And I feel a bit helpless because if he exposes those videotapes then I will not be able to hold on to my post. I hope you understand what I am asking of you."....Renuka said, looking a bit restless, and twitching her fingers "I see Ma'm. So what do you want me to do?"....Rustom asked....trying to conceal his curiosity about what Renuka did not reveal to him yet. "Get the evidence, destroy it, and then get the man out of the way. He cannot live on with what he knows."....Renuka's voice sounded cold this time.
Rustom was trying to come to terms with what the CM was asking of him...."I...I mean....I will get the evidence and destroy it, but about the second part......I..."
He could not complete his sentence....Renuka had walked over to his side....and put the palm of her left hand on his shoulder...."Don't worry Rustom....I will not let anything happen to you....as I am sure you will not let anything happen to me because of that guy, will you?" Rustom's resolve was weakened by the physical proximity of the Chief Minister. She was standing right beside him with the side of her white saree clad waist brushing against the side of his right arm and elbow....He could also feel her fingers caressing suggestively on his shoulder...
"Sure Ma'am....I will try to do whatever I can....you don't need to worry."......Rustom gulped and said....
"Thank you Rustom!....I knew I could depend on you. And you don't worry....I will also see what I can do for you once you get the work done."....Renuka said....this time shifting herself to place the weight of her arse on the side of the desk in front of Rustom, facing him, and sliding the fingers of her left hand along the sides of the pen she was holding on her right, smiling softly at him... She knew she was walking a tightrope....but she could not falter and will have to do what she needed to....she felt as if she could depend on this young officer and he will not double cross her. But she cannot leave anything to chance....She will need to weigh her options once the job is done....regarding the way she would deal with Rustom thereafter...
As for Rustom....he had a surge of blood run to his groin....which had clouded his judgement for some time....but he was an intelligent man....and he could realize that the chief minister was in a spot and was therefore trying to use her physical charm to make him do something he was not supposed to....but the fact was despite that knowledge her appeal was too strong for him to refuse her....so he had just accepted to act on the man whose details the CM had shared with him. One question kept sweeping his mind though...."What was there in the videotape the man had which was troubling the CM this much?"
Finally, I had all the time that I needed for myself. I was focused more than ever. But even a 100% efficient machine needs a break. I am just a human, after all.
Saturday evening, I went to a pub that we'd often visit when I didn't have things to worry about. I preferred drinking alone cause every time my friends would join me, I'd drink beyond my limit and end up with my head shoved into a toilet seat. Once I dozed off inside a bathroom itself just so that I could throw up at midnight if I had to.
Once I arrived at the pub, I had to wait for one of the chairs to get empty. It took about five minutes, and I grabbed the first opportunity right away. The bartender knew me very well.
“Same.” He chin-ups.
“Yeah, usual…” I nodded.
The bartender brought me the drink, my favorite whisky on the rocks. I thank him and pick up the rocks glass. I was about to quaff it all down, all at once, but I didn't. It has been three months since I last touched any liquor. I look down at the glass, both my eyebrows shoot up.
“Oh, WTF!” I guzzle it down all at once, “Ah, one more, please…” I exhale and inhale sharply with my mouth wide open to cope up with the taste.
That's when my eyes catch a glimpse of a girl. She's was sitting three chairs next to me to my left. I couldn't see her face but the small of her back was bare. She was wearing a grey tank top and rather skin-tight jeans, especially given the size of her bottom. Her skin looked very pale in the dim lighting ambiance of the pub. She's was talking to a guy who was a stranger to her. I could tell after observing the way they were interacting. He's probably cracking jokes. She would laugh every now and then. Every time she would laugh, I could see her subtle skin folds on her belly jiggle in a rhythm. A rhythm that'd make you want to see it up close on top of yourself, zooming in and out of your focus.
There were so many pretty girls around. They were either too skinny or too chubby for my penchant. Thirty-eight inches, that's my sweet spot.
“Sir, your drink…” The bartender interrupted my train of thought.
I look at him and smile wryly and nod in response. I pick up the glass, look in that direction again, the girl wasn't there. I look around here and there as if a prey trying to get hold of his predator. Right then, someone taps on my shoulder, and I turn around.
'Holy mother of a cow,' I think. It's her, in a completely new Avatar.
I blink my eyes and even jolt my head left to right slightly.
“I…I… ” I stutter.
“It's okay! I am digging this new look so, you don't owe me anything.” She said, smiling at me, “To be honest, I wanted to do it for a very long time but never had the courage to… but, you gave me a good reason.”
“Oh,” I part my lips.
“Btw, I'll have to go…” She says curtly. Her lips pout and soon returned to the shape of an alluring smile.
A masculine arm pulled her towards the dance floor. She turned around to look at me once more before she started dancing. All I could do was just watch her move in awe.