Whore

“So what kind of men do you like?”

She was quiet for a while. He wasn’t sure if she even heard his question or was thinking of an answer. Just when he was about to repeat his question, she replied, still looking outside the glass window of the restaurant, “A man with hands of a worker… a mind of a philosopher… and a smile,” she turned towards him, “ah! A smile that would speak his heart out.”
 

He laughed, “Such people exist only in books of fiction, Ashwita”.
 

“I wish you were right... I wish they existed only in fiction. At least… I would have not chased this idea any further.”
 

She looked at him with her enigmatic smile. He wore an expression of ununderstood. He was waiting to hear something more. She continued, “I have slept with one such man.”
 

For a moment he felt uncomfortable in his own body. He quickly looked around to ensure that no one from adjoining tables had heard her. He smirked and looked away, “You could have said, you have ‘met’ rather than….”
 

He paused. She asked, “Rather than what?” looking very intently at him this time.
 

“Why do you have to be so ruthlessly direct that it hurts?”
 

“I can’t help if my directness hurts you. If I don’t be direct, I will not be honest in my expression. And my dishonesty would hurt me. And, you see, I can’t save you at the expense of my own, can I?”
 

There was silence for quite some time. They both continued eating. Finally, he spoke, still looking at his plate, “So what went wrong between you two?”
 

“What do you mean?”
 

“Why are you not with him?”
 

“Why should I?”
 

“Because… you liked him? Isn’t that a good reason?”
 

“That’s only a good reason to pursue my liking further to see if he likes me back, I think. Not for us to be together. There are so many other things that come in between.”
 

He felt a little unsure. She looked at him intently for quite some time. Then she asked, 

“Why are you here, Gaurav, having dinner with me?”
 

He was not prepared for this question. “Umm… because I like spending time with you?”
 

“Really? Then why are you so uncomfortable?” she smiled.
 

“I.. am.. not.. uncom…”
 

Before he could complete, she leaned forward and asked, “Why is it so hard to say that you want to sleep with me? That my breasts are attractive? That you wanna fuck me hard?”
 

She smiled and continued, “Let me not make it so difficult for you. Gaurav, you don’t like spending time with me. Because you don’t know me. You are sexually attracted towards me. That is all for now. I am not denying that you may get romantically interested in me. But that’s for later, when you know me a little more. However, I don’t see much of a possibility of that happening. If you can’t stand my directness, which is a part of who I am, what else will you be able to like me for?”
 

“Well, love is all about understanding each other… and changing… and accommodating… and living together, isn’t it?”
 

“Bullshit!” she said with a certain kind of firmness, paused and further added with a smile, “Sorry, I guess I came on too strong once again. All I mean is, I don’t believe in such ideas of love.”
 

They finished dinner as if they were eating alone. Once the check arrived, she looked at the total and took out half of the bill and placed in the checkbook.
 

“Allow me to pay for the dinner, at least,” he almost pleaded.
 

She smiled and got up. His eyes met with her navel peeping out of her blue-greenish Sari. She said, “You know what… if you had been honest with what’s on your mind… we might have been in bed already. Bye… Gaurav. Take care.” She then walked out of the restaurant.
 

He looked at her until she was gone. Once she closed the door behind her, he gasped, “Whore!”