Karma Comes

Karma Comes

Chapter 4

A few days had passed, and Jake was gathering information to understand the situation while also showing his displeasure at what his new reality had become. He learned that Jane's parents were now back in town, putting him one step closer to finding his dad. But something bothered Jake -- recently he'd been thinking about why his dad's drinking had increased since he left. It was puzzling. Yes, his dad had been drinking in the past, but the sudden increase was odd. Jake noted this down as one of the questions he'd ask as soon as he found his father.

Jake also wanted to know how his mom and Rishi had started their relationship. For Jake, this was the most important question. He knew that if he asked his mom directly, she'd either deflect or launch into an explanation of how bad his dad was. But Jake wanted to know how Rishi had ended up with his mom. He was secretly impressed by how Rishi had wooed a woman so far out of his league -- though every time Rishi showed affection toward Emily in front of him, Jake made sure to call it disgusting. He'd recently spotted a red thread around Rishi's waist but shrugged it off as another attempt by Rishi to annoy him. The nightly bed-rocking had finally stopped, which Jake appreciated more than he let on. But he knew Rishi was planning something.

(..........)

The sound of bells woke Jake up from his sleep. He was annoyed by the sound as today was the day he finally got a good night's sleep since returning. As Jake got out of bed to confront the person he started hearing chanting in a language he had never heard before. From the sound he found out the perpetrator was Rishi. The bells and chants were coordinated and sounded like Rishi was praying. Mixed with anger and curiosity Jake left the room to find Rishi. He didn't have to search long as he found Rishi in front of the Ganesha statue.

Jake spoke up. "Hey, others are trying to sleep."

But his words were met with silence as if Rishi had ignored him. This angered Jake and he decided to get Rishi's attention again. This time in a louder and harsher tone he said, "Excuse me, I want to sleep. Go do this in your temple."

Jake was surprised as his harsh words were met with a finger gesturing to him to wait and sit. Now Jake was furious but decided to wait for Rishi to finish. He geared himself up with words and phrases to rebuke and annihilate Rishi after his prayer. But over time Jake was overtaken by curiosity about what Rishi was doing. It looked so alien but had a calming feeling to the whole process.

As Rishi finished his prayer he closed his prayer book and opened a small box revealing a red powder which he dipped his finger into and marked the Ganesha statue. He turned around and faced Jake.

As he walked he said, "I am sorry Jake if the pooja bothered you but never interrupt me again in between poojas." Rishi said this in a tone that angered Jake as Rishi spoke to him as a dad spoke to his son.

"What if I do? You are not my dad. You are just my mom's lover who I bullied in school and who I will get rid of very soon." Jake replied in an angry voice.

Rishi smirked at this line as if he was expecting it. He then replied, "Oh I don't intend to be your dad or to replace him. But what I want to do is to love your mom."

Rishi got closer to Jake as he said this. He looked like a lion closing the distance to his prey. "But what happens if I just walk away. Have you thought about it? If I was gone now and blamed this on you, do you think your mom would forgive you?"

The words hit Jake like a truck but Rishi was far from done. He continued, "Leave that. What if I just leave? Do you think your mom will recover? The only reason your mom is not depressed or gone forever is because I fixed her back up. I rebuilt a broken woman that all of you hurt and ignored."

By this time Rishi was barely a few centimeters from Jake and Jake was still shocked by his words. Rishi saw this and continued, "Jake, Jake, Jake. You have no idea how important I am to your mother. I really do love her but Jake, I hate you. I hated you since the day you made me clean your shoes at Dickson's Curve in 6th grade. But Jake, then you had the whole school behind you. Now you have no one and I hold all the marbles. But Jake, if that's really what you want, I will leave forever. Let's see how you handle the chaos."

Upon this line Rishi got up and began walking towards the door.

Jake was stunned by the words. He wanted to stand up and wish Rishi good riddance but he knew whatever Rishi said was true. If Rishi leaves today his mom will turn into a mess. If he blames Jake for the reason for him leaving, Jake knows his mom will hate him forever. He didn't want to admit it but Rishi was the one holding his family together and he was truly the one in charge.

As the words finally hit Jake he got up. He rushed in front of Rishi and blocked his path. He begged, "Please... don't go. If.. if you go my mom.... She will be an absolute wreck."

"Let her be. That's her son's intention. Move away, let me leave." Rishi said. He knew he had the bargaining chip here.

Jake knew if Rishi left his mom would suffer. He truly loved his mom and knew what was at stake. He then said something that just five minutes ago he thought he would never say. "Please Rishi. Don't go. I will do anything... Please just don't go." As the words left his mouth Jake knew he had just given all his power to Rishi but he had no choice.

Upon hearing this, Rishi stopped moving towards the door and went back to sit down. He had finally got what he had wanted for some time -- his old bully now begging him for mercy. What an irony, Rishi thought.

Rishi sat down with an air of confidence that Jake had never seen before.

He then began, "Ok, I will not go Jake but I have a few conditions. One, I want you to accept me and your mom's relationship. You don't have to like it but you have to be more friendly towards us. Two, I will be more affectionate towards your mom and I may do it in front of you. You will not have a problem with this. Three, I want you to experience the pain I went through when you bullied me. I will show you how I felt. Four, I will give more conditions as I please and remember I can leave at any moment. And finally five, you will treat me and your mom with respect and you will never speak to her about this arrangement. But for now come and give me a massage on my foot, it hurts."

Jake couldn't believe the audacity of Rishi and his demands. The first two were reasonable but the rest felt like sacrilege. But Jake knew he had to accept whatever Rishi wanted. With pain in his heart he went next to Rishi, kneeled down and began massaging Rishi's foot.

Rishi looked down at Jake. He reminisced about the time Jake had made him clean his shoes. Now how the tables had turned. He then said, "Do you remember how you made fun of me for bringing Indian food in middle school? Tonight we will be having Indian food."

Jake knew he had to smile, accept and do anything Rishi wanted for now. But deep down he was waiting for an opportunity to fight back.

(xxxxxx)

As Emily got out of her car after closing up the flower shop, her mind raced through how today was likely to end. It would end the way it always did -- with her or Jake storming off, followed by her and Rishi having sex. It was as predictable as daylight, but she hoped, just once, for a day of peace. One day where she didn't have to walk on eggshells the second she unlocked the door.

Bracing for the worst, she stepped inside. To her shock, she found Rishi and Jake together in the kitchen, cooking. Two mortal enemies, side by side, making Indian food. She actually pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

As she approached the kitchen, Rishi leaned over and whispered to Jake, "Don't forget -- I'll leave if you say a word. And don't forget to behave."

Emily reached the counter, puzzled. Jake, in his best polite, loving voice, said, "Hey Mom. How was work? Rishi asked if I could help with dinner."

Rishi chimed in. "Emily, darling, go change. We've got this handled."

Emily was nearly brought to tears. Even though it was all an act, Jake was glad to see his mom this happy. He wished she knew none of this was by choice. In his head, he imagined this was a dinner from two years ago -- Rishi never existed, and his dad, Mark, had never left.

Emily hurried upstairs to change, barely able to process what she'd just witnessed. What she didn't know was that downstairs, the bullied was giving his bully a reality check.

As Jake set the table, Rishi barked instructions at him. Jake felt like a stranger in his own house. Rishi was fully in control now, making him do the very things he used to make Rishi do. Jake thought about what might be the worst punishment Rishi could dream up -- and his mind went straight to seventh-grade PE.

Jake and his friends had cornered a tired, restless Rishi after a brutal President's Fitness Challenge. One of Jake's friends had come up with what they considered the ultimate humiliation. They cornered the screaming kid and stripped him down to his underwear. Rishi protested as best he could, but it was no use. They dragged him to a locker with a cardboard cutout of a man taped inside it. Jake had slapped him and given his orders: "Make out with the cutout. Seduce it." Rishi insisted he wasn't gay, that this was beyond cruel, but the boys didn't let up. Eventually he caved, and the boys shoved his head down and pushed him against the cutout. Jake knew, even then, that this had been the ultimate humiliation -- and now he genuinely feared what Rishi had planned in return.

His thoughts were cut off by Rishi's voice. "Hey, can you taste this and tell me if it needs salt?"

Jake tried the curry. It was good -- spicier than the butter chicken and tikka masala he was used to, but genuinely delicious. "Wow, Rishi, I didn't know you could cook like this."

Rishi smirked. "I do a lot of things you don't know about. Your mom and I usually cook together -- that's actually how I got my first kiss, right where you're standing. Jake, your mom is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

The words stung like salt in a wound. Rishi was clearly enjoying the leverage he had. Still, this was the first real glimpse Jake had gotten into how his mom and Rishi had actually met.

The silence broke as Emily called down from upstairs. "Wow, guys, the food smells amazing." Footsteps followed, and she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Wow, Rishi -- is this the chicken Kolhapuri you made for me during our first--" She cut herself off, not wanting to say more. She didn't want to risk shattering the peace.

"Yeah, babe, same recipe," Rishi said. "Jake was curious about Indian food, so I figured I'd make it tonight."

Emily looked at Jake, surprised. "Jake, I thought you hated Indian food."

Caught in the lie Rishi had set up for him, Jake scrambled. "Oh, Mom, I forgot to mention -- my friend's dating an Indian girl in college, and she's an amazing cook. I'm completely hooked now. I had no idea it was this good." It wasn't entirely a lie -- he genuinely had developed a new appreciation for it recently.

Emily believed him, and the three of them sat down together for what felt like their first peaceful dinner in a long time. As they settled in, Rishi leaned over and kissed Emily in front of Jake, testing him. Jake didn't flinch. He had bigger battles ahead.

Dinner turned out to be as warm and easy as Emily had hoped. Jake talked about college, girlfriends, crushes. Emily talked about how helpful Rishi had been around the house. Rishi gave an impromptu lesson on Indian food and gods. All the while, he kept finding reasons to hold her hand or rest a palm on her. Emily was surprised by how bold he was being, but what surprised her more was Jake's reaction -- or lack of one. For once, he didn't protest. He just let it happen. She was finally living the dinner she'd dreamed of, with no idea that her son was being quietly manipulated into giving it to her.

(xxxxx)

While dinner played out at Jake's house, Jane was hunting for answers of her own. Her parents had just returned from their mini-vacation, and her dad had gone out for groceries, leaving her alone with her mother. Jane decided Rose was the one to ask -- she'd once been the reigning gossip queen of the neighborhood, before the cancer slowed her down. Now that the cancer was gone, the queen was reclaiming her throne.

Jane opened the door to find her mother lying in bed, watching the latest episode of Clarkson's Farm. Before saying anything, she took a moment to look at her. To Jane, and to most of the town, Rose was a symbol of hope and stubborn determination. Even through chemo, she'd kept up her early morning walks. Her long black hair was finally growing back, and these days she wasn't afraid to show it off. Even on her worst days, she never lost her smile. She'd been given a 20% chance of survival and had promised her doctor she'd be standing in church that Easter, cancer-free. She was.

Jane climbed onto the bed beside her mother -- a small comfort she still needed at twenty-one. She knew she couldn't dive straight into questions about Jake's dad, so she eased in, chatting about her day and asking about the vacation.

Once the small talk wound down and Rose had settled fully into gossip mode, Jane asked, "Mom, so where's Uncle Mark? Feels like ages since we've seen him. Any updates?"

Rose smiled. "Mark's doing well, actually. He's been asking if Jake's back in town -- keeps bringing him up. Maybe you should tell Jake about him. Does Jake even know what happened to Mark?"

"Oh, yeah, Mom, he knows," Jane said. "Auntie Emily told him, and I filled in a few gaps. It must be so hard for him, coming back from college to a family that's fallen apart like this. I'm honestly glad I didn't go off to college and come back to a mess like that."

The comment drew a laugh from both women. Mid-laugh, Rose added, "Yes, honey, thank you for staying -- but let's be honest, you weren't going anywhere looking the way you did back then. Mama fixed you up, and now you look like a princess again. Go to college, bring home a smart doctor, and give me grandchildren to spoil."

Jane blushed, but she knew her mom wasn't wrong. Years of neglect had taken a toll on her hair and skin -- bad enough that her grandmother had stepped in with home remedies to help. But now she was finally ready for college, and for another shot at her high school crush, Jake.

As the laughter faded, Rose's expression turned serious. "Did you ask Jake how his mom's doing? There's gossip going around that Emily's been fooling around with some Indian boy. I asked her about it myself, and she denied it -- but I could see something in her eyes. So I went by her flower shop one morning. Saw the boy. He looked about your age -- I'm pretty sure I recognized him from your graduation photos. Heavyset, not much to look at. I was about to write the whole thing off, but as I was leaving, I glanced back and caught him staring at her. Then I saw him slap her on the backside, and instead of being upset, she smiled and waved him into the back room. I'm fairly certain that woman is getting some action from that boy."

Jane sat there, stunned, her mind spinning. Why had Jake lied to her? Did he even know what was going on in his own house? Was he caught up in it, maybe against his will -- or was Emily hiding something even from him? She excused herself and went back to her room, the questions multiplying.

(xxxx)

Back at Jake's house, Emily decided a movie was a good idea for Friday night. She picked an old Arnold Schwarzenegger film Jake had loved as a kid. She and Rishi settled onto the big sofa in one corner of the room, while Jake took the recliner on the opposite side. For the first ten minutes, things were good -- the three of them laughed and cheered through Arnold's one-liners and action sequences. Jake actually seemed to be enjoying it, Emily thought.

After the first 10 minutes, Emily felt Rishi's hand that was on her shoulder slowly dropping down to her chest. She looked at Rishi and smiled, thinking it was just him enjoying the movie. But then Rishi pulled her closer, and now Emily's shoulder was touching his armpit. Rishi's hand moved down and was now over her bra, slowly circling her chest. Emily was terrified of this act, as she thought Jake would get angry at this intimacy and her peace and quiet would go again. Her sudden thoughts were again broken as Rishi's hand, now moving again, slid down more, and Emily knew where he was headed and braced for impact.

Rishi saw Emily's tensed expression and whispered to his older lover, "Chill, babe; he can barely see us. Let him enjoy the movie while we enjoy ourselves."

Emily was stunned by how confident and bold the words sounded. She shouldn't be allowing Rishi to be this open, especially in front of her son. Emilie's thoughts were broken by Rishi's hand sliding under her shorts and underwear to slowly cup her bare ass. Emily was speechless; on one hand she enjoyed the attention she was receiving, but on the other hand she thought about what kind of mother she was becoming. She was allowing a man as old as her son to cup her ass in front of her son. Emily was happy the lights were off but was scared Jake could still see.

But then Rishi got even bolder as his finger slid into her crack and began moving up and down there. Emily was now trying to move Rishi's hand, but this only made him bolder. He moved his pointing finger into Emily's arsehole, and a low moan escaped her mouth. Emily regretted making the sound, as this now meant Jake knew something was happening, and Rishi was informed that she liked what he was doing.

Emily, trembling as Rishi continued moving his fingers in and out and moving up and down around the arse crease, decided to speak to Rishi. She said, "Rishi, stop! He can hear us. Plus, you know that I can't help myself when you do things like that."

Emily was happy as Rishi took his hand out of her shorts. She was turned on but knew she couldn't be doing this kind of act in front of her son. But after 5 minutes Rishi's hand was now back on her thighs, drawing circles. Emily knew that this was trouble but enjoyed the attention she had not gotten in 25 years of marriage. She then rested her hand on his hand as a final plea to stop.

But Rishi took this as acceptance; he moved her hand to his now-crouching position, and even from the layers of fabric, Emily could feel Rishi's now fully erect member. She could help moving up and down and feel the cock. Then Rishi suddenly moved Emily up and placed her in between his legs. Emily was certain at least this got Jake's attention. She scanned the room but couldn't see his eyes still. Rishi's hand slowly slid under her top to cup her boobs over her bra. A few moans left Emily's mouth as Rishi tightened his grip. Emily could also feel his big belly against her back and also Rishi's erect cock fully ready to go. More moans escaped against her will as Rishi began moving faster, and now his finger was sliding into her bra.

Jake had heard everything so far. He was scared and disgusted to look in that direction, as he knew what was happening but didn't want to see his mum being felt up by Rishi. He felt hopeless as he heard his mum's soft moans and Rishi's laughs. Jake knew that if he spoke up, he was breaking Rishi's rules. So he clenched his fist and ground his teeth on how hopeless he was.

Then Rishi spoke up loud enough so Jake could hear, "Hey Jake, are you liking the movie? Are you alright? Do you want anything?" This was clearly a sign from the Indian to assert his dominance and fish for a mistake from Jake.

Jake answered, "I am all good. I really like this movie." Jake knew he shouldn't fall for Rishi's traps, but this was certainly going too far, and how was his mom okay with this?