Hi, my name is Neeta, and I am 25 years old. I married Raj two years ago, and we live in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. My husband works for a reputable company. I am considered beautiful; Raj fell for me at first sight, and we got married. This story takes place six months into our marriage; I was 23 and a half years old at the time.

One morning, Raj told me we had to attend a party that evening. He asked me to be ready by 8:00 PM, when he would come to pick me up. I agreed and was ready by 7:30 PM. I wore a blue saree with a matching blouse and bangles, and applied makeup carefully. When Raj came home and saw me, he said, "Everyone at the party is going to be floored when they see you." I playfully brushed off the compliment, and we set off for the party. On the way, I asked Raj whose party it was, and he told me his boss was hosting it.

A lot of staff members had been invited. We arrived at a large hall in Dadar around 9:00 PM; there was a big crowd. Raj introduced me to many people one by one. Everyone was looking at me, which made me feel a bit shy. Then, Raj brought two drinks—whisky for himself and beer for me. We sipped our drinks while chatting. Around 9:30 PM, Raj's boss, Kumar, arrived. Everyone started greeting him. Once the crowd thinned out a bit, Raj took me over to meet his boss. He was around 45 or 46 years old and had a striking personality. When we were introduced, he took my hand in his to shake it. He held my hand in his for about two or three minutes while looking at me; I felt quite awkward. Then he said, "Neeta, you are very beautiful and sexy, and you have a nice figure." Hearing this made me blush a little. Then the boss said to Raj, "Hey Raj, where did you find this rose?" Raj just smiled. Then the boss went to greet others. Raj said to me, "Our boss is the joking type; don't mind what he says." I didn't react. Gradually, I had four glasses of beer and started feeling a pleasant buzz. Then the dancing began.

Raj and I were just watching. After a while, a friend of Raj's invited us to dance; we refused, but he wouldn't take no for an answer and dragged us onto the dance floor. Neither of us knew how to dance; we were just holding hands and swaying our hips a bit. Five minutes later, the boss came over and asked Raj, "Hey Raj, if you don't mind, could I dance with this beautiful lady for a while?" Raj replied, "Why not, sir?" I felt a bit awkward and nervous. The boss pulled me closer, placed one hand on my waist and the other in mine, and started dancing. I noticed that the boss had had a bit too much to drink.

While dancing, he kept pulling me closer. I felt shy and looked around, but I couldn't see Raj anywhere. After ten minutes, the music changed, and everyone started dancing with even more enthusiasm. Then, the boss pulled me so close that my breasts were pressed against his chest. Just then, some lights went out while others stayed on, creating a dim atmosphere. I was in the boss's arms. The boss held me even tighter. I looked around again, but I couldn't see Raj anywhere. Then the boss said to me, "Don't worry, a friend of mine has taken Raj out for a walk," and this time, the boss embraced me fully. Our lips began to touch, and a heady sensation washed over my body. Moving even closer, the boss said, "Now I'll have to give Raj a promotion." I didn't quite understand what that meant. Just then, the lights came on, and the boss quickly pulled away from me. My heart was racing; I was terrified that Raj might have seen us in that state. But Raj was nowhere to be seen.

The boss looked at me and gave a peculiar smile. Three or four minutes later, Raj returned to the party with someone. I asked him where he had gone. Raj replied, "It was too crowded and noisy here, and a friend of mine wanted to talk to me, so we stepped outside." I realized then that this had all been the boss's plan to get Raj away from the scene. Thank God, though, Raj hadn't seen the boss and me in that compromising position. Afterward, we all went to have dinner. It was 12:15 AM by the time we left the party; after saying goodbye to everyone, we finally met the boss. The boss first thanked Raj for coming to the party. Then, taking my hand in his, he thanked me for the dance. I don't know why, but he gave me a subtle signal with his eyes—something I couldn't quite decipher—before saying goodbye and leaving. Once we got home, Raj asked me if I had danced with the boss. I said, "What dance? I don't even know how to dance; I just stood there for two or three minutes and then spent the rest of the time having a drink by myself." I had lied to Raj. But then, a fear started creeping in: what if one of Raj's friends had seen me with the boss and mentioned it at the office the next day? But then I reasoned with myself—so what if they saw? After all, it was Raj who had taken me to the party; and after we got intimate, we ended up in bed.