“Prostitution. Are you kidding me? I thought
things like that weren’t allowed in Pakistan. I don’t believe
it.”
“Believe it,” Imran said still feeling
annoyed with her. “Officially you’re right. Pakistan is an Islamic
republic.”
“I’ve studied some about your country and I
read that prostitution is punishable by death.”
“That is true.”
“Then how the heck can you have a red light
district?”
“We do, Tanya. Have you ever visited a red
light district?”
“Yes, I went once to Holland with Heaven and
we went to the red light district. We watched as the women dressed
in skimpy negligees, danced in the window. The windows were lit by
a reddish pink glow. When a man was interested he entered the door
and the woman left the window.” At the look on Imran’s face Tanya
rushed to explain. “We were on a tour. Why are you looking at me
like that?”
“You just told me my cousin’s wife visited a
red light district and you don’t think I should look at you
strangely?”
“You’re taking me to a right light district,
yet you think Heaven is too good to go to one.” This couldn’t be
the man who’d just made her melt from his kisses. The stupid
jerk.
“From what you say it sounds as if you and
Heaven went on this excursion without any male protection. You’re
with me, Tanya. You’re safe. I will keep you safe. I will protect
you with my life.”
A catch fluttered at the base of her throat
and she couldn’t stop the smile at his words. He was good.
“Imran, tell me how it is that prostitution
can be practiced, but a good many of the women still cover their
faces?”
To that he shrugged. “Yes, a good many of
the women still refuse to show their uncovered faces to any male
except their closet relatives. But a lot of that is changing also.
Pakistan is changing.”
“Still, I want to know why you’re bringing
me to see a red light district. I remember what you said a couple
of days ago about me selling myself. You thought I should see the
place where it’s done. Is that the reason you’re bringing me
here?”
“I really am doing research for a book I’m
writing. Herra Mandi is starting to decay, but once upon a time
that was not that case. There was a time when the ladies that plied
their trade there were well respected. The noblemen sent there sons
there to learn etiquette. A lot of the women sang and danced and
aspired to be in film. In the bygone days the women that worked
there were thought to be more sophisticated that many women in the
most respected and rich families.”
“You know an awfully lot about the
place.”
“I’m a writer.”
“I think it’s more than that. I think it’s
personal. Have you been here before…? I mean to use the
service?”
Imran looked at Tanya and smiled. “Like you,
I also am not a virgin. I went many times to be trained in the art
of lovemaking.”
Tanya couldn’t believe it. Imran was too
darn honest for her. She thought of him lying naked on a bed
surrounded by prostitutes who patiently taught him the secrets to
loving a woman, pleasing her, making her moan with desire.
“Imran, why are you telling this to me?”
“Because I want you to know I am a man who
can fulfill your wildest sexual fantasy.”
Mercy
, Tanya thought and fanned
herself.
***
The day was going as he’d planned. Imran
found a private spot near the water and stopped. It was a place he
and Ali had brought girls to many times. It was secluded, just the
place for a man and woman to become better acquainted away from the
prying eyes of aunties and uncles and gossipmongers. It was midway
between Lahore and Defense. Now it was time to broach the subject
of them spending the night in Lahore. He’d made arrangements for
their stay at the Mirage, two rooms.
Lifting the basket of food Imran smiled as
Tanya’s eyes went to the basket and the grin broke out on her face.
She was different in every way from the women he’d known and that
pleased him. She was a woman who loved life. She had a good
appetite for food and Imran suspected she had a healthy sexual
appetite as well. If they would be together that was a good
thing.
Once the blanket had been spread and the
food arranged Tanya dug in before Imran had a chance to blink. He
laughed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry when we stopped at
the McDonald’s to take pictures?”
“I didn’t know that I was until I saw the
food.” She smacked her lips together licking the curry from her
fingers. “How much farther?” she asked as she stuffed her mouth
with grapes.
“Not far, an hour or so.” Imran hesitated.
“I was wondering though if you’d like to do a bit more exploring,
you know take our time, take it slow. I thought maybe you’d like to
spend the night in Lahore. They have a very nice hotel there. The
Mirage is only a couple of years old and offers many
amenities.”
On no he didn’t just go there. Damn. And
she’d been having such a nice time. She stood abruptly knocking
over several containers as she did so, not caring that Imran was
scrambling to secure them.
“Listen, Imran, I don’t know what the hell
you think you’re doing, but I will drop kick your ass and leave you
here. Is that clear?”
When he merely stared at her Tanya put her
hands on her hips and got ready. So be it. If she had to take him
down she would. Thanks to Heaven she’d started taking karate and
was damn good at it. Just let Imran try something and she’d toast
him.
Imran studied her for a moment. He’d known
his proposition would be met with suspicion. But threats? He looked
her over, wondering if she really thought she could best him in a
physical fight. Then he became offended that she’d think he’d try
to take her by force.
“Tanya, tell me what it is you think I’m
trying to do.”
“I think it’s pretty clear. You’re taking me
to a place that freely indulges in prostitution. You tell me how
good you are and that you can take care of any of my sexual
desires. And now you’re asking me if I want to stay in a hotel.
Duhh. You do the math. I know what’s on your mind.”
“Do you now? Do you know that I’ve been
enjoying your company tremendously and that I didn’t want it to end
so quickly? You’ve let down your guard since we left my cousin’s
home. I think now we can be friends.”
“Is it friends you want to be, Imran, or
lovers?” She waited taping her foot on the ground.
“I want to be both for you.” He paused for
the space of a heartbeat before continuing. “Lahore is a beautiful
city, maybe not as beautiful as it once was, but you’re not going
to get a feel for the culture, or the city if we only go in for a
few hours. Besides, the things I want to see don’t start until
after dark.”
“What? The prostitution?”
“That among other things.”
“You’re pretty straightforward aren’t
you?”
Imran thought about it for a moment. He’d
never been one to lie easily, but he did know how to practice
diplomacy. He’d done it enough times with the women Ali discarded.
But for some reason he found himself answering every question that
Tanya asked without hesitation. He felt the now familiar flutter in
his chest and knew the reason for it. Her anger had diminished and
she was smiling at him and her smile was lighting a fire in his
heart. Fate may have chosen this woman for him, but he wanted her.
It wasn’t love yet… but…well there was definitely something that
could very well develop into love. Imagining stretching Tanya’s
beautiful body out on a bed and making love to her was the easy
part. He smiled at her. Yes, loving her would be easy but he was
imagining them walking together, cooking together in the kitchen,
taking long baths in a huge tub and family dinners. As he looked at
Tanya, he imagined a baby in her arms, their son or daughter. He
held her gaze, wondering if he should tell her his thoughts knowing
he would. She was the other part of himself that he’d not known he
was searching for.
“Would you like it if I didn’t give you
straightforward answers, if I gave you veiled answers instead?”
“No, I wouldn’t like that, but you puzzle
me, Imran. You have done nothing but fight with me since I came to
Pakistan. Well that and you’ve done everything in your power to
make your entire family hate me.”
“They don’t hate you.” Imran smiled.
“They’re just very wary of you.” He took in Tanya’s frown. “Okay,
you’re not their favorite person. He reached out a hand to her.
“Come on sit back down. I’ve done more than fight with you, Tanya.
I’ve kissed you. Twice.” He saw her blush and pulled on her hand to
urge her to sit. When she did he moved closer.
“Seriously, I didn’t mean anything
disrespectful about asking you if you’d like to stay at the
Mirage.”
“But you’ve booked a room right?”
“I booked two,” Imran admitted. “But that
means nothing if you don’t want to stay. I like this much better,
our talking getting alone, not fighting.”
“Tell me something, Imran, are you using me
for a story? Do you think perhaps you can charm me and then you‘ll
have a chapter about how you got into the American girl’s panties?”
She waited while he frowned at her as she’d known he would do.
“Do you think to shock me?”
“What?”
“The vulgar talk. You behave as though you
have no class. Sometimes I wonder how Heaven could have ever been
friends with you. The two of you are so different.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I’m sure.”
“Heaven and Hamid have had a thousand
fights, vicious fights. She’s even kicked his behind. When she
wants, Heaven can have a tongue like a serpent and you’re calling
me crass. Well, all I’m doing is telling it like I see it. You’re
blunt, but you don’t think I should be. Why? Because you think
women have to talk in a certain manner. You’re the one who invited
me out. We’ve been together for a few days, so it should come as no
surprise to you that I swear. You knew this about me when you
invited me to come with you today. I think it’s just that you’re
upset that I called you on what you want. Why don’t you just be a
man and admit that you want me?”
“Very well, if that’s the way you want it,
then yes. I will admit to it. I want very much to make love to
you.” When Tanya sat near him with her mouth slightly open in
surprise he pulled her to his body hard, and then he plundered her
mouth, kissing her with every once of passion that was in him. When
she struggled at first to pull away he slid his hand into the rims
of her jeans moving it to the front unbuttoning it and caressing
her smooth brown skin. He shivered as did she. Then he took her
over the edge ravishing her, pressing his mouth against the clothed
breast, bringing his hand from the silk that covered her secrets
and caressing her breasts pulling on the nipples, tweaking them,
enjoying the hard feel of them. She was panting so hard that Imran
almost lost his sense of reason and the lesson he was trying to
teach her was undoing him. Slowly he pulled away.
“When I make love to you, Tanya, it will not
be out in the open. I will not use trickery and you will be more
than willing. That I promise you. Now back to my original question,
would you like to spend the night in Lahore?”
Tanya was shaking so hard that she had to
clench her teeth to keep from crying out, from begging Imran to
make love to her right there in the open. At that moment she didn’t
care that he thought she was crass. She just knew that she wanted
him. Still, they needed to settle one little matter between
them.
“I don’t like that you think I’m crass and
that Heaven is what? An angel?”
“You’re jealous of your friend?”
“Not normally, but since you’re saying your
attracted to me and you talk about my virtue as though it’s of no
worth, and call me names, you make me want to slug you. Especially
when you compare me to Heaven and behave as though she’d never do
the things I’ve done. We’re friends remember.”
“You’re getting angry at me for things
you’ve done and said in the five days since you’ve been in
Pakistan. I will continue to be truthful with you. No, normally you
would not be my choice for a mate, not even a date,” Imran went on
without pausing. “And if I didn’t know that there was something
more to you, if I hadn’t seen it there in your eyes, I would not be
telling you these things. I would escort you as my cousin asked me
to do, but that would be that. I would not kiss you and I would not
be dreaming of making love to you. But I have seen more. And I will
tell you now, if a future with me is anywhere in your plans then
you need to learn to behave. You say Heaven can also be crass and
by that I assume you mean she like you, swears like a man. I say
I’ve never heard it and I’ve known her for more than a year now.
And might I remind you that it is you who keep bringing Heaven into
the conversation and almost demanding the comparisons, not I. I
have told you it is not Heaven that I desire. She is the wife of my
cousin.”
“And if she wasn’t?”
“And if she wasn’t she still would not be
the woman I desired, though beautiful she’s much too tiny.” He
hunched his shoulders. “I love my women big enough to…” he let it
drop. “Now for the last time, do you want to stay in Lahore
overnight?”
“Yes,” Tanya said shaking her head. Imran
made her giddy crazy. She’d never before been jealous of Heaven.
Well, not much anyway. But damn if Imran didn’t make her confront
all her own issues. She’d have to admit that she wished it had been
her Hamid had fallen heads over heels in love with. And yes, she
wished that she had a husband worth millions to help her help her
kids. None of that had even a tiny glimmer of happening now. And if
the last five days of being around Heaven and Hamid was any
indication of the fun they had planned for her, she would be bored
out of her skull long before it was time to return home.