Dark Desires: Dark Erotic Tales (7 page)

I pulled my hand away and crossed my arms grudgingly over my chest, staring petulantly out the window, no longer interested in speaking to Manu.

It didn't take long before we were slowly pulling into a huge, circular driveway in front of a grand mansion, practically a palace.  Again, I began to tremble.  The limousine stopped outside double front doors that must've been ten feet tall at least.  A gorgeous exotic looking older woman stood by the front door, watching us arrive.  Manu leapt from the limousine and ran around to open my door.  He offered me a hand which I ignored as I stepped from the car. 

"Gita," Manu said with a smile, "welcome to your new home."

Part 2

"You may be right, Manu," said the woman at the front door as we approached.  "You may just be right." 

"Gita," Manu said happily, a sparkle in his eye.  "This is Padma Kulkarni.  You may go with Padma, she'll show you around.  I'll see you again later."  Manu gave me a slight bow and opened the massive front door for Padma and me to step through.  Padma breezed into a gilded foyer with thirty foot ceilings, and I stepped hesitantly in behind her. 

"Don't dally, girl," Padma snapped.  I quickened my pace to follow her through the foyer, leaving me no time to look around or get my bearings.

Padma led me through a labyrinth of wondrous hallways.  The walls were graced with artworks the likes of which I'd never seen before.  Everywhere candles flickered and the heady fragrances toyed with my senses as I struggled to keep up with Padma. 

She didn't say much to me as I trailed behind her, only explaining that she was the mother of Shekhar Kulkarni, and that I was to answer to her, and to seek her out with needs, questions or problems.  Finally she burst through another, smaller gilded doorway that seemed miles away from the front door we'd come through.  We entered a world that seemed very much like a beautiful fantasy.  The marble floors were painted in an incredible mandala mural.  The walls were covered with silk.  A fountain in the middle of the room gurgled upward, reaching toward a sky light that at the time revealed a progressively stormier sky roiling outside.  I saw a few women about.  One gorgeous Islamic woman.  Another with flaming red hair and porcelain skin.  Another still looked as though she couldn't be much older than a child and she had ringlets of soft blonde hair.  All of them wore sheer silk garments and I blushed as my eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting and I could see all the parts of them that were visible through the filmy material.

It had grown late.  Though I'd had no supper and felt famished, Padma led me to a bedroom with no mention of food.  The room was small but gorgeous with no light other than one dancing candle flame and the flickering onset of lightening somewhere off in the distance outside the open window. 

"It is late," Padma said.  "I will leave you to sleep for now.  Early in the morning, I will see you again and we will get started on your new life."  Though her statement seemed exciting, her tone was dark.  Something in her dark eyes frightened me as she glared at me for a moment before leaving my new room and shutting the door behind her with a crack that sent a shiver up my spine.

Despite all the finery and intrigue, my heart was heavy and I dropped crying into the plush bed beneath the window. 

As I drifted off to sleep my first night in the harem of Shekhar Kulkarni, a howling storm kicked up outside.

***

Padma burst through my door before the sun rose the next morning.  She scared me nearly to death, causing me to lurch upright in bed and scramble toward the wall. 

"Oh dear," Padma said with a deep frown.  "Those puffy eyes, that won't do.  Get up dear; we've a lot to do."

I dragged myself out of the bed, which admittedly had been like sleeping directly on a cloud in Heaven.  I struggled not to burst into hysterical tears again.  Padma looked about my mother's age but was by far more beautiful.  Her jet black hair fell well past her waist and was interspersed with dramatic silver streaks.  It was held back in a loose pony tail by a diamond encrusted butterfly that glittered in the dim light that flowed in from the hallway.  She wore lavender colored saree that exposed her midsection and revealed a perfect body with glowing, flawless skin.  Even so early in the morning, Padma's face was meticulously made up with elaborate makeup.  She even wore fake eyelashes with diamonds in them.  And her bare feet were decorated with beautiful henna mandala.  I was still in my rumpled saree from the day before and I felt quite homely in comparison to her, but that wasn't to last for long.

Padma whisked me into a world of beauty.  Though I had been plucked, primped, and primed for a number of years already, it had all been nothing compared to the transformation that took place that day.  First Padma took me to a room full of luxurious materials. 
Skeins and skeins of every color of silk under the sun.  A woman took down my measurements and she and Padma impatiently tapped their feet as I was allowed to pick out ten fabrics that I liked.  She informed me my new sarees would be ready for me the next day, and in the meantime, she gave me one that was already made.  Though it didn't fit perfectly and wasn't as pretty as Padma's, it was still nicer than anything else that had ever caressed my skin.

Next we were onto a beauty salon of sorts.  There were other women there as well.  Some of them were like younger versions of Padma, only their clothing was embarrassingly revealing.  My eyes were drawn to one dark eyed girl who looked close to my age and noticed I could see her full breasts and nipples that were erect from the stroke of the silk against them, right through the thin silk of her saree.  When she caught me looking, I dropped my eyes to the floor and my face burned.  Still another set of women worked on the revealingly dressed women.  Though they also wore pretty
sarees, they weren't exposed or provocative like the women with the see through garments.  It was all so perplexing to me. 

I became caught up in a whirlwind of exotic scents, hot oils and hands all over every part of my body.  Very quickly I decided abandoning my shyness would be the best way to cope.  First Padma ordered me to undress completely.  I was ushered into a small room with an "examining" table of sorts in it and told to lie down.

Padma spoke with a blonde woman who'd entered with them.  "All this hair, all over her, it won't do."

"My hair?"
  I exclaimed.  "You're going to cut my hair?"

Padma erupted laughter, a strange jingling sound like bells.  "No silly, daft girl.  Not the hair on your
head
.  The hair on your
body."

I blushed again, wondering if there would ever
come an end to my embarrassment.  I had never once given a second thought to any hair anywhere on my body.  But I certainly did that morning, as Padma and the blonde woman went to work stripping every hair from every part of my body aside from my head with a hot honey concoction. 

"Leave a thin stripe there," Padma murmured to the blonde woman when asked about my pubic hair.  Tears sprang to my eyes and I bit my lip to keep from screaming as most of my pubic
hair was stripped away.  I thought I glimpsed a look of delight in Padma's eyes at what must've been a look of torture on my face.

Next, I was taken back into the beauty parlor, still nude.  The blonde woman went to work on my mass of black curls while two other women massaged warm almond oil into my skin.  The massage would've felt good any other day, but having slept in the most comfortable bed of my life, I felt remarkably well already, given the odd circumstance.   

I could feel eyes all over the room scrutinizing my naked body and I shivered from the hostility that invaded me.  However, the workers seemed oblivious to it as they began applying elaborate henna art to my feet and hands.  I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that I was somewhere else.

After the art came the application of makeup to my face and styling of my hair.  It seemed like eternity that I remained still as women made me a work of art from head to foot.  When it was finally finished, Padma gave me the temporary saree I'd been assigned, told me to put it on, and look in the mirror.

A hush fell over the room as I walked in front one of the many full length mirrors in the salon.  I gasped sharply at the image I beheld.  I scarcely recognized the striking creature that was my own reflection staring back at me.  My skin glittered with an ethereal glow.  The henna spiraling around my wrists and ankles looked like breathtaking works of art.  My hair fell in a mass of perfect ringlets down my back; some of it expertly perched atop my head in a crown of purple flowers.  My face was accented with vivid, colorful makeup.  And in the loaner garment, all my shapely curves were now visible and I felt a warm tingle begin within me.

"Beautiful…" Padma whispered.

***

"
Are those girls
tasting
food before the other girls
eat
it?" I whispered incredulously to Padma. 

Padma chuckled as I stared around the room.  "Try not to stare, dear," she said in the first kind tone she'd used with me.

But I couldn't help it.  It was lunch time, and for the first time, I saw all the women together.  There were gorgeous women representing what seemed like every nationality in the world, all dressed in the revealing garments.  Then, there were another set of women, all seeming very young, and in less revealing garments.  Another set of women still, all seemed much older, and also wore less revealing garments.  The younger and older women all seemed to work in some way to serve and pamper those of us in the middle.  In total, there must've been more than fifty of us.

"You'll learn, dear Gita, there is a specific structure to this home.  The competition here can be fierce. 
Occasionally, even dangerous.  Some women here are so hated; tasters have been employed to taste their food for them before they consume it, in case the food is poisoned."

My stomach turned.  "Poisoned?  But, then, what happens to the taster if the food is poisoned?"

Padma elicited a thin smile.  "Gita, it is these girls' duty to serve us.  They do it happily."

I frowned at Padma's mysterious non answer, her customary way of responding to my questions.  "But Padma, I don’t understand?  What is it exactly that we're competing for? 
The attention of your son?  I haven't even seen him!"

Padma laughed.  "Oh, you'll all receive his attention, don't worry.  But, the fact is, my son has yet to take even one wife.  So it isn't just attention you'll compete for.  It is his love.  And the reason you haven't seen him yet his because you haven't been invited yet.  Men do not come into the harem.  The word means forbidden; sacred.  We live here to be protected and honored.  No man sets forth here.  When Shekhar wishes to see you, you will be beckoned."

A week passed and I tried not to think of my loneliness.  The other women rarely looked at or spoke to me, other than servant girls.  I tried to make friends with them, but the servant girls were painfully shy.  Every morning I was subjected to the rigorous beautification process, yet no mention was made of meeting Shekhar.  I was allowed to roam the harem and found several things about it I enjoyed such as the incredible library, and the giant swimming pool and sauna.  But, mainly I kept to myself, and did as Padma told me.

One afternoon, I was told to report to a certain room where I had not been before.  Inside the room was decorated more posh than any room I'd ever seen in my life with intricately embroidered rugs and golden gilded wallpaper that I suspected was probably real gold.  Candles flickered all around the room and soft beautiful music played.  There were some cushions scattered about on the floor, but other than that no furniture in the room.  No people either.  As was becoming common, I was confused and didn't know why I'd been sent here.  So I took a seat on the floor and waited.

Not too much later, the door opened slowly and Manu walked in.  My heart skipped a beat to see a familiar, friendly face.  But seeing him only intensified my confusion. 
"Manu!  So good to see you!  What are you doing here?"

Manu smiled kindly.  "Today is the beginning of some training for you."

I frowned.  "More training?  I have been trained to death!  To do a lot of nothing," I grumbled petulantly.

Manu grinned and patted my cheek gently.  "There
there, Gita.  You will understand so much over time, and why all these things are so important, alright?  Trust me.  Please.  As I told you, I brought you here, and I will watch you, and keep you safe," Manu promised softly.

My frown deepened hearing his promises since I hadn't laid eyes on him even once in a week.  It seemed hard to believe he was really watching me.

Manu's face became serious.  "Now, let us begin.  Gita, some of this may be…  Uncomfortable for you.  Just try and remember, it is important.  And it is only uncomfortable because it is new.  But soon, it will be extraordinarily pleasant for you.  Please rise," Manu said.

I began to tremble slightly, consumed by an odd feeling as I deftly jumped to my feet.

"Thank you," Manu said.  "Now please, disrobe."

My cheeks flamed with instant heat.  Take off my clothes?  In front of Manu, a brother to me?  But slowly, I did as I was told until I stood there naked before him, and shivered as the air licked my skin.  By instinct I wanted to use my hands and arms to cover myself, but I sensed that I should leave my hands dangling at my sides.  Manu inspected me with no expression on his face, as though he were sizing up a product for sale.