Meera stepped out of the medical room, picked up her bag, and found her phone buzzing. Thinking it might be Tony calling back, she looked….and a wave of fear ran through her: it was her mother. It's already 6 am, an entire day gone, she must be very worried for me. Meera's hands trembled. She squeezed her eyes shut; a flood of tears wanted to pour out. Suddenly she felt very small and wanted to run and hide in her mother's arms; she wanted to cry her heart out. Doesn't wanted to face all of this, she was scared, tired, lonely and feeling insecure. Her shaking hands couldn't, even if she wanted to, press the answer icon. She waited for the tears to stop, but these tears are very stubborn, knocking like storms on her eye lids, behaving like broken dam. To stop them she bit her lips so hard between her teeth that they were slightly cut. Her throat was dry, with a small cramp and pain. She decided not to answer because the tears wouldn't stop…..and even if they did, her dry, cramped throat wouldn't let out a sound. The call ended. She hastily opened the messaging app and, with trembling hands, began to type —
"Mom, I've been put on double duty. There's good overtime pay, that's why I couldn't pick up the phone. I just saw you called many times. I am really sorry; I'm just leaving now and will reach home soon. Don't worry."
She had to erased and retyped every single word many times. This was the hardest message of her life.
She had barely lifted her face after sending the message when she saw Caleb standing there drinking coffee….he had been waiting for her to finish the message. She had been so lost in the struggle of writing the message that she hadn't even noticed where she was or that someone was standing right in front of her.
Caleb pointed to the bench — "Sit here."
She quietly hugged her bag to her chest and sat on the bench.
Caleb went inside the room. After a little while he came out and walked straight down the corridor and outside. A short time later he returned, carrying another coffee; he walked toward her to hand it over. As he moved closer, Meera shrank with fear and squeezed her eyes shut. Caleb was tall and bulky, a strong figured man. His huge frame intimidated anyone…..he was used to that.
Silently placing the cup of coffee beside her, he said in his deep voice, "Coffee is on the bench here. It'll take a little more time. About fifteen minutes, then I'll drop you home."
Meera said nothing, and he didn't wait for a reply. Then he disappeared somewhere. When she opened her eyes, the warm coffee cup was still beside her.
Exactly fifteen minutes later he returned. He saw the cup still sitting on the bench. Quietly picking up the cup, he dropped it into the dustbin. Then his heavy voice echoed down the corridor once more — "Come on, I'll drop you home." He strode forward in long steps. Meera quietly followed him.
Caleb opened the cab door and she sat inside without a sound. The car pulled away. The weather was terrible….heavy clouds, lightning, strong winds, and rain coming down stubbornly.
Caleb handed the phone toward Meera — "Put your home address on the map."
Meera entered the address and handed the phone back.
Suddenly Caleb asked Meera, "Can you show me any picture of Tony?" Hearing this, Meera opened her phone, pulled up Tony's picture, and showed it to him. Caleb gave his number to her and asked her to send his picture to him on messaging app.
After sending the photo, in a slow scratchy voice Meera said——" Sir, he's been shot…..please find him quickly."
Caleb: "We're looking for him. As soon as we find him, we'll let you know."
She fell silent.
Following the route Meera had given, the police vehicle threaded through narrow, dark, filthy lanes and stopped at the last house on a narrow, dim alley.
They had reached Meera's house.
She got out there; the car left. She stood outside the door, drenching in pouring rain.
All I ever wanted was to live my life with righteousness, honesty, and integrity... to work hard till my last breath, and earn a dignified living for myself and my family. Is that wrong? Is it really so impossible? Why… why me? Why?
She was lost in her thoughts when a car screeched to a halt right behind her.
Startled, she snapped out of her daze and turned around.
It was a police cab. Caleb stepped out, holding a large black umbrella. His eyes lingered on her with a strange expression. He walked closer, her bag in his hand... the one she had forgotten inside the cab.
She looked at it, realization dawning, and quietly took it from him. "Thank you… and I'm sorry for the trouble," she said softly.
Before leaving, he said in his deep voice, "Don't stand out here in the rain. Go inside."
She lowered her head in silence and walked toward the door.
With trembling hands, she knocked. The door opened almost instantly….her mother stood there, anger flashing across her face. The moment Meera saw her, tears burst from her eyes.
Her ten-year-old brother, Rick, stood behind their mother, shocked to see his sister in such a state.
Sheena's anger melted away in an instant. She pulled Meera inside, hurried to grab a towel, then came back and gently wrapped her daughter in her arms, drying her wet face and hair in silence.
But Meera had no strength left. She cried for hours, buried in her mother's embrace.
She drifted in and out of consciousness, fever burning through her body. In her delirium, she felt phantom hands trying to touch her, and she screamed…..but no sound escaped her throat. She tossed and wept in her dreams, lost and alone.
Sheena lay beside her on the bed, holding her close ....as if trying to hide her child from the world's cruelty.