Behind her the noise escalated.
The steps were getting louder and louder. And as her mind was racing, she cursed to herself for having started so late.
Shiela worked at the local bar. She worked hard, really hard, in order to make ends meet. She had a drunken father, a mother who resigned herself to fate and did nothing but sit and wallow in her chair the whole day and a younger sister who was cursedly showing very good results in her studies. And so to make the families small joys come true she worked. Yes, the work also meant she could have some money to spend on herself. The odd bindi here or a trip to the movies if the month was easy on her.
She danced for the hooting and drooling men. She was graceful and that ensured that she earned more than the other girls. But she was not looked upon with jealousy because she was as generous as her circumstances would permit. She had helped every girl in the bar some time or the other. When Ramani had to get her abortion done she was there for financial and moral support. She stood by Kamala when her husband beat her up and she wanted to file a complaint. So she was looked upon by the other girls.
On this particular day she had danced a little too late into the night. A drunken middle aged man had set eyes on her and was pouring money on her. He was throwing notes of 500. The maximum that even she saw were 100's. She saw that green salwar kameez dancing before her eyes, the one with the silver work that Nazeer of the cloth store had agreed to keep for a few more days for her. She decided to entertain the man with her moves and stayed on well beyond her usual time.
By the time she was finished, she was Rs 10,000 richer and 2 hours later than he usual time. She normally left the bar by 12 AM when the crowd was still there and the streets were filled with drunken men. She was a known woman in these parts and no one bothered her much, except for the occasional new comers who try to woo her only to get the red chilli stare. No man who saw that stare would want to see her, let alone woo her ever again!
Today at 2 AM the streets were empty. The street lights were off as well, except for the last one at the street corner. She had to walk approximately a kilometer to her place. She always walked as it gave her some exercise and saved her some money. Also being fit was an important trait in this line of work you see. The light that was on was more or less the place she had to go to get home. She had even decided to get an auto rickshaw, but there the blasted fellows were nowhere to be seen.
She started walking. She was lost in thought about the green salwar. She imagined how good it would look on her. The way it hugged her body like as if it was made with only her in mind. As she thought about all this she heard faint foot steps behind. She awoke from her salwar dream.
The foot steps seemed distant and faint, but they were there. She began to walk faster. The steps did too. The old fart at the dance bar had offered to drop her and she had refused. She regretted it. As she increased her speed the steps also did. The light was now just about 100 meters away. She was almost running but the steps were getting closer.
She was panting and her legs were aching but she could not stop. Not now. The steps were upon her. And the light was so close by. She felt that reaching the light meant she was safe and she was struggling to make it.
As she came under the light a hand was on her shoulder. She screamed and that was it. Darkness shrouded her and she felt like something had struck her head, but she felt no pain. Just a feeling of swimming in dark waters.
Mr Moorthy, Shiela's father didn't know what to do seeing his daughter passed out on the street. Had his touch scared her? He stood mute as he always did - he couldn't speak by birth. He was wondering how he was going to find someone who could understand him and help him take his daughter home.
By the time she was finished, she was Rs 10,000 richer and 2 hours later than he usual time. She normally left the bar by 12 AM when the crowd was still there and the streets were filled with drunken men. She was a known woman in these parts and no one bothered her much, except for the occasional new comers who try to woo her only to get the red chilli stare. No man who saw that stare would want to see her, let alone woo her ever again!
Today at 2 AM the streets were empty. The street lights were off as well, except for the last one at the street corner. She had to walk approximately a kilometer to her place. She always walked as it gave her some exercise and saved her some money. Also being fit was an important trait in this line of work you see. The light that was on was more or less the place she had to go to get home. She had even decided to get an auto rickshaw, but there the blasted fellows were nowhere to be seen.
She started walking. She was lost in thought about the green salwar. She imagined how good it would look on her. The way it hugged her body like as if it was made with only her in mind. As she thought about all this she heard faint foot steps behind. She awoke from her salwar dream.
The foot steps seemed distant and faint, but they were there. She began to walk faster. The steps did too. The old fart at the dance bar had offered to drop her and she had refused. She regretted it. As she increased her speed the steps also did. The light was now just about 100 meters away. She was almost running but the steps were getting closer.
She was panting and her legs were aching but she could not stop. Not now. The steps were upon her. And the light was so close by. She felt that reaching the light meant she was safe and she was struggling to make it.
As she came under the light a hand was on her shoulder. She screamed and that was it. Darkness shrouded her and she felt like something had struck her head, but she felt no pain. Just a feeling of swimming in dark waters.
Mr Moorthy, Shiela's father didn't know what to do seeing his daughter passed out on the street. Had his touch scared her? He stood mute as he always did - he couldn't speak by birth. He was wondering how he was going to find someone who could understand him and help him take his daughter home.
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