Shifting Realities
CHAPTER 1
It was a day just like any other. Alia was studying in the back corner of the campus library for her final quarter exams. She rubbed her temple before using the sleeve of her sweater to cover a yawn, willing her eyes to stay open as she poured over tedious medical terminology textbooks.
Just power through. She told herself. She knew that this was the final major obstacle before she earned her master’s degree, and then her days of long nights studying could be put behind her. She leaned back and stretched as she thought about how proud her parents would be of her, and how many job opportunities would open once she was done. No more living paycheck to paycheck, no more avoiding a social life to excel on tests—the future would be her oyster. That thought was comforting, but did little to help her feel less exhausted.
She began to turn back to the notes she was taking when a man abruptly approached her table. She looked up in surprise. He was a young man around her age, with short black hair, sporting a simple black T-shirt and jeans. He smiled down at her with disconcerting confidence.
“Hey there,” he said, flashing pearly white teeth. Alia was taken aback and flustered, her introvert nature clashing with the unexpected appearance of a man in an area she had chosen specifically for its seclusion.
“Um, hi…?”
“Name’s Mark” the man extended a handshake. Alia looked at his hand with uncertainty before tentatively shaking it.
“Um… Alia.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Alia.”
Alia looked up with trepidation, not in the mood to be hit on by some guy.
“Yeah, nice to meet you. Look, I’m really deep into my studying here and—“
Mark cut her off. “Invite me to sit down.”
“Please, pull up a seat!” Alia blurted out.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Mark said as he pulled up a seat across from her. Alia blinked and furrowed her brow, trying to figure out why she said that. She had studying to do.
“Uh…” Alia struggled to find the words “Hey, uh, I don’t mind if you sit there, but I can’t really talk right now, I got a lot of studying to do.”
“You want to talk to me.”
She really did.
“Yeah, let’s talk!” she said, her face lighting up immediately.
“Tell me about yourself, Alia.”
Immediately the words began pouring out of Alia’s mouth, as she suddenly wanted to tell him all about her.
“My name is Alia Davi, I’m 22-years-old, and in my final semester of my master’s program. I want to be a doctor and make my parents proud, as they are first-generation Pakistani-Americans, and they have big expectations for their children. I have a little sister named Ari, she is four years younger than me and will be starting college herself next fall. I enjoy reading, jogging, and watching anime. I don’t have much of a social life, since I’m always so dedicated to getting good grades. So, I haven’t had a lot of time for dating either. My favorite food is—“
Mark cut her off. “Ok, that’s enough.”
Alia fell silent again. Why was she talking to this guy? She wanted to… but… why?
“Sounds like studying is causing a lot of pressure for you,” Mark said.
It was true, the pressure was immense.
“Oh, yeah, but, you know, that’s the price of success, right?” Alia laughed sheepishly.
“You don’t want the pressure anymore. College isn’t for you.”
Alia’s eyes went wide at this news. She didn’t want this pressure at all and college obviously wasn’t for her, but her parents were going to kill her! And besides, how was she going to live her dream of being a doctor without college?
“Oh man,” she said, “this may not be for me but my parents are going to be so mad if I gave up. Plus I always wanted to be a doctor, so…”
“You don’t want to be a doctor, you’re too dumb.”
She nodded tentatively. She really wasn’t smart enough for that kind of career.
“Yeah, I guess being a doctor is for smart people. But, hold on, I get good grades…”
“You sucked your professor’s cocks to get those.”
Alia was struck with awareness as dozens of false memories of her kneeling before her professors and sucking them off in exchange for good grades came to her all at once. She blushed deeply, wondering how this stranger could have known that.
“H-h-how did you…. how did you know about that….” Alia said, looking around to make sure no one was listening and overhearing her shameful secret.
“Don’t worry about that,” Mark said, and Alia immediately stopped wondering how he could have known. “Aren’t you worried your parents are going to find out you’re too dumb and don’t actually know anything once you graduate?”
Alia’s eyes widened in shock as the thought occurred to her. Somehow, during the entire time she had been skating by with her cock-sucking scheme, she had never even thought this far ahead.
“Gosh, you’re right…” she said, somewhat vacantly. “How am I only going to become a doctor when I’ve been lying about my education?” Panic began to grip her as she thought more about the implications.
“The only solution is to drop out immediately.”
Alia protested immediately. “Of course, that’s the only solution, but my parents will kill me! I’m so close to earning my degree!”
“You can make them proud by earning lots of money.”
Alia blinked, considering the truth of this. “I mean… yeah, I can make them proud by earning lots of money. But how? If I’m not a doctor and I’m not very smart….”
“You want to be a porn star.”
Alia nodded, obviously that was true.
“Right, I want to be a huge porn star, but my parents will hate that! Plus, I haven’t…. uh…. Been with many guys…. you know, besides my professors.” She blushed a deep red as she tugged on the sleeves of her sweater. “I’ve never even been on camera! I might not… you know…. Be very good...”
“Practice makes perfect! We should go to your family home and convince your parents that this is a great idea.”
“O-ok….” Alia said. She didn’t even question how odd the declaration was, but was more preoccupied with imagining her parents’ reaction to the news.
“Throw those books away, you don’t need them.”
Without missing a beat, Alia scooped up all her expensive medical books and the notes she had been in the middle of taking, walked to a nearby bin and dropped them in. She knew she had no need for them.
“Lead the way to your house. You’re more than happy to do so.”
Alia’s concerned look immediately faded and was replaced with a big smile. “Of course! Let’s go right now!”
Leaving everything behind, she happily stood and lead the stranger out of the library and towards her family’s home. As they walked in silence towards her house, Alia felt like something was strange about all of us this, but she couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard she thought about it. She found herself wondering why she had made such a show of pretending to be a good med student for year when she had really wanted to do porn that entire time. She wondered why she even wanted to be a porn star when she wasn’t even very experienced at sex in general, and knowing how heartbroken it would make her parents. She wondered why she had abruptly decided today was the day to drop the facade and confront them. It was all weighing heavily on her, but she concluded she would have time to figure this all out later, and there was no use worrying about their reaction until she knew what their reaction was. For right now, she was just really happy to be leading Mark to her family.
They eventually arrived at a white multi-level townhouse a few blocks away from the campus.
“Well, this is my place!” Alia said brightly.
“You want to bring me inside and introduce me to your parents,” Mark said, not even looking at her. Sure enough, she wanted to do just that.
Together, they walked into the front room. “Mom! Dad! I’m home!” Alia called out.
“Alia? Home already? I thought you were studying,” a woman said as she walked around the corner. In her early 50s, she was a strikingly beautiful woman with a graceful, timeless elegance. She stood at about 5′7″ with a slender, yet curvaceous figure. Like her daughter, her skin was a luminous, light brown with a natural, radiant glow, highlighting her South Asian heritage. Her long, glossy black hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, often styled in a way that enhanced her natural beauty. Mark was pleasantly surprised. This family was going to be more fun to toy with than he had originally imagined.
The woman stopped when she saw the man stand behind Alia. “Oh. Hello. I didn’t realize you were bringing a guest…” her tone indicating that she was towing a line between being polite and letting her daughter know she should have told them ahead of time.
Behind her, a man appeared from the kitchen, no doubt Alia’s father. He was a tall, distinguished man in his early 50s, standing at about 6 feet with a lean, athletic build that hinted at a youthful past spent in sports or regular physical activity. His complexion was a warm, medium brown, with a smooth, even tone that spoke of good skincare and healthy living. His thick, jet-black hair, only just beginning to show streaks of silver at the temples, was impeccably styled, maintaining a touch of sophistication.
“Alia, dear, who is this?” the man asked.
“You two want to sit and hear me out,” Mark said to the two parents. A look of brief confusion crossed their faces as they immediately moved to sit on the couch, very much wanting to hear what this man had to say. Alia’s brow furrowed as she witnessed her parents’ behavior and she opened her mouth to try and say something just before Mark cut her off.
“Alia, forget about what’s happening down here and go upstairs to write your resignation letter to the dean.”
Alia wordlessly turned and jogged up the stairs, already having forgotten all about whatever was going on downstairs. She had a dropout letter to write.
“Resignation letter? Alia, what’s he talking about?” her father called after her, but she ignored him, intent on fulfilling her objective and forgetting that her dad was even in the living room.
“Both of you tell me your names,” Mark said to his captive audience.
They both blurted out that their names were Adeel and Samira Davi.
“What’s going on?” Adeel asked, still very curious to hear what the stranger had to say.
“I live here now, and you’re both thrilled to have me.”
The faces of the two parents lit up with excitement at the news.
“We’re so happy you’re staying with us!” Samira beamed.
“Absolutely, welcome to our home,” Adeel said, without questioning it in the slightest.
“Samira, you want to go make me a cocktail while I talk to your husband. You’re not concerned about anything else.”
“One cocktail, coming right up!” Samira said as she stood and bounded towards the kitchen, without a care in the world beyond getting the drink right.
“Samira….?” Adeel asked, witnessing the stranger’s bold declaration and Samira’s strange reaction. But she was already gone.
“Adeel, you want to listen to me,” Mark said, redirecting the father’s attentions back to him.
“Yes? Please, go on.” Adeel said, enraptured by what the stranger could say next.
“You desperately want me to fuck your wife and daughters, and you will do anything you can to help me do that.”
Mark watched the father’s face go from shock to anger to eager, longing acceptance in the span of seconds as the sentence played out.
“Oh yes, absolutely! Please have sex with my wife and daughters! If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know!”
Mark smirked at the oblivious man before him. This was going to be a fun time.