"Harshita, Harshita, Harshita," said Raghavan, in his most oily voice yet. "When will you learn that hard work alone is not enough? Ambition demands that you go that extra mile."
His fingers tapped a mesmerizing tune on the brilliantly polished teakwood table.
"You know what they say β 'If u keep doing what you've always done you will simply end up with what you always got.' "
Harshita looked at her reflection on the teakwood table, it might have just been distortion but she looked absolutely forlorn.
And she knew her boss was right. The other girls had made fleeting strides simply because they were willing to spread their legs more easily then her. Even though a few were, like her extremely married.
"However," Raghavan's duplicitous voice continued, "I am more than willing to give you a few concessions."
Harshita shuddered internally at what the term 'concessions' actually meant. Somehow Ragahavan's choice of words, meant to make her feel better, made the situation all the more sinister.
At this juncture Harshita pondered her plight. A hard working middle class girl, she had dreams of one day climbing to the top. But how badly did she want it? Happily married, she was no slattern. Her upbringing would never allow her to stoop to such lows.
And yet.
Rushika's words rang in her mind with near apoplectic finalityβ 'Its all about the sex you know; its like anything new, difficult at first, but gets easier once you keep doing it. Can't say it doesn't have its perks. Good boss Raghavan is well endowed and has garnered enough experience by now to entertain even the lowliest of libidos.'
She had blushed when Rushika had said this; gotten angry even at the barbed comments made at her lack of sexual experience. More was the pity. Confiding unwittingly in the adroit Rushika had been a mistake. She had poked fun at Nirant (her husband), calling him a 'limp dick'.
Harshita's rage had boiled out in steamy fumes. "It's not his fault," she had spluttered
"He was a virgin when we got married. How could he have any sexual experience? "
"Perhaps," continued Rushika "but he has not improved since has he? A man must always strive to adequately pleasure his wife. "
"Oh," said Harshita rising to the bait "and how is he supposed to do that without cheating on me? Pray do tell."
"You people with so called morals, you always complain about things you can't have." finished Rushika with a cruel laugh.
"I am no slut." said Harshita storming away.
Pretty flexuous and comely Rushika was the star of the show. She always got the important clients. All the inevitably easy deals found their way into her lap (and some whispered that other things did as well!). Harshita was surprised when Rushika wanted to take her under her wing. Two women had never been more opposite. But at that point she wanted an edge, and friendship with the star had been the way forward.
There were other women like Rushika in the office; women who breezed through their promotions seemingly on a whim. Harshita had never been able to figure out how. She had sweated, she had slaved, but her salary had remained the same.
Enter Rushika: brash and bold, she had confided things with Harshita, that would have made a hardened prostitute blush. And Harshita had confided things with her- her unhappy sex life, her inexperienced husband, and her sexual fantasies.
Rushika had finally told her the secret of success, in their office. Sex! One had to simply give themselves up to their bosses, and see their career dramatically sky rocket. Harshita had been aghast and unwilling.
Rushika had considered this weakness on her part and scorned Harshita. She had jibed, sneered, insulted and looked down on Harshita, to the point that she had found herself seated in Ragahavan's plush office suite, demanding a promotion.
Harshita was displaced from her reverie of deep introspection, by a sudden rustle of movement. Raghavan had removed his person from his posh leather seat and seated himself on the desk in front of Harshita.
She could smell his Patchouli cologne, and his confidence.
"Rushika must have schooled you by now, in the uhm, ways of our office, yes?"