Short Story
“May I have your kind attention please,” My ears pricked and woke me from a semi-slumber state. I pulled my focus towards the blazing loudspeaker. A snack selling vending hawker roaming about fifty meters away from my bench began shouting his sales pitch exactly at the same time. Fucker! It’s a neat trick though, people will be annoyed and perhaps buy just to shut him up.
“Train no. 22125 Nagpur Amritsar AC Superfast express via Bhopal, Jhansi, Mathura, and New Delhi has been delayed for 5 more hours. We apologize for the inconvenience.” Despite the ruckus on the platform I managed to hear out the important bits.
It was immediately followed by some groans and few whispers by fellow weary travelers standing or resting nearby. The announcement repeated itself in Hindi but I for one wasn’t interested in it anymore. It was already a couple of hours past midnight and I was starving because of missing out on supper.
The original plan was to have some light snacks on the train and go to sleep on my birth immediately. But the train’s supposed arrival time was an hour or so behind me. And it was quite certain now, that I will be spending most of my night on this uncomfortable bench.
The thought of picking up my bags and leaving the station to find out a cozy little restaurant occurred in my mind. But then, the uncertainty of Indian railways stopped me immediately from doing that. It is not uncommon for them to say one thing on the announcement and the train to do the exact opposite.
I grimaced and squirmed my butt for another fifteen, twenty minutes before making up my mind to eat in the station’s in-house canteen. The ambiance inside wasn’t as nice as you’d expect from a decent restaurant. Still, it was better than ordering delivery on the app and then eat on that damn bench out in the open. At least they have air conditioning in here.
The available menu was limited because of the late hours. However, I could have eaten a horse at this point. Yet, wary of the service I stick to vegetables while ordering.
I lingered on my table for a while after paying the bill. It was hard to leave the air-conditioned room for a hard bench in dry hot summer night outside. The waiters have begun to give me a stare or two. So eventually, I picked myself up before anybody could have said something. I don’t blame them. If they will start allowing lingering travelers like this, everyone would turn it in a waiting room.
“Ae Bhaiyya, Ae Saab (Oh brother, Oh sir) Give me something to eat na?”
I was used to neglecting beggars who are common in such public places but, this young one was a daring soul. Grabbing my denim trousers by the knee, she made sure I could not avoid her.
I, alarmed at such sudden contact, turned swiftly to face her. She flinched and pulled back her hand immediately. Her face was terrified as if she was expecting a slap across the cheek for her bravado.
I regretted scaring the living daylights out of her but did not allow my expression to go soft. That’s how these rascals win you over to cough up the money. I wasn’t falling for it.
“Just give me enough for a bread loaf na” She batted her eyelashes with a hopeful smile but I shook the head and started walking towards my platform.
“Ae sahib, just buy me a small packet of chips then” She jogged behind me not giving up. I picked up the pace towards the stairs that were leading for the bridge to my platform.
“Ok just buy me biscuits” Falling behind she practically shouted at the top of her lungs. My legs halted abruptly as I felt all the eyes around staring at me. On any other time, I would have simply walked away. On any other time, I would have been sure this was just another ploy to guilty me in giving her some money as alms.
But tonight, I was pissed off at the train to put me in this situation. Tonight, I was also feeling lucky to find decent enough food in this ungodly hour, on an unfamiliar railway station.
I turned to look at her dead in the eyes. She paused at first but then sprinted to come closer and extended her palm. Expecting a crisp currency note of a ten or twenty. For a good long moment, I stared back, unmoved. The ten-year-old beggar began to grow restless.
“Where’s your mom” Keeping my volume low, I asked in a stern voice.
“No mom” She answered back with a fake grin and sad eyes. She was spinning her left leg back and forth playfully on the heel. She jerked her open palm again expecting the money as a reward for communication. I still didn’t reach out for my wallet. Yet, my curiosity didn’t let me walk away either.
“Ae Baaboo, give me ten rupees na” She urged with that fake grin again. I was about to say something but my eyes caught the attention of her other hand.
Though at first, it looked like an innocent shenanigan of a kid. But, the way that hand was pulling her raggedy dress up her left thigh, made me step back in disgust. God, who taught her this stuff?
A million things flashed in my mind and a million words minced themselves on my tongue. I spun on my heels and briskly paced towards the stairs for the bridge. More than anything else, I was angry at myself for allowing her to pull that act in front of me.
I wanted to go back and give her that slap across the face which I never attempted before. Then drag her to a child care service or something. I didn’t want to, but in my rage, I could not help to look down in her direction from the top of the bridge.
She was still there. But too occupied to look back at me. There was this other guy, perhaps twenty years older than me or maybe more. He was kneeling next to her and they were talking animatedly. I recalled him sitting on the bench nearby the stairs when I passed it. He must have heard and watched the whole conversation between us.
Then I saw him pulling up a currency note from his breast pocket and wave in front of her. Elated, she giggled and grasped it with her tiny fingers, playing oblivious to his other hand caressing her hip.
“Mother—” I winced at the sight and almost pulled out my phone to call the cops. Or someone, I don’t know, I just wanted to have him reprimanded.
But, before I could have turned the phone on, the man stood up and grabbed her hand. I saw him leading her towards the dark alley on the other side of the stairs. It looked like leading outside the station. I still wanted to call the cops but decided to follow them first so I could tell their location to whoever responds.
Both of them vanished in the darkness by the time I made down the fleet of stairs. I looked around for help, but nobody close was paying any attention. I clenched my jaw, blinked slowly, and stepped into the alley.
It was a long, narrow path with no source of light. Trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness, I reached for my phone a couple of times but stopped myself from turning the torch on. Who knows how dangerous that guy could be and what may he be carrying. I paused after walking a dozen of steps deep, unsure if I should venture ahead or if I have lost them.
And then I heard a girlish giggle. Followed immediately by a shrieking scream. “STOP” I yelled back, pacing towards the voice. My hand fumbled to get a grip on my phone and turn the flashlight on. There was no response to my warning. I pressed on despite the subverting quietness. As I draw nearer lowly animalistic growling and gargling sounds became audible in the dead air.
“H –Hello?” I called out again, the sounds stopped in response for a second and then resumed again. Growing louder and louder as I moved forward.
Then I spotted them in the light. He was lying down, she was on top of him. Sitting on his chest, she was feasting on his vocal cords and other internal stuff that used to compose his throat. His eyes were wide open, staring lifelessly at me. She must have not given him a chance to scream. It was a seasoned kill.
Frozen in my steps, I just stood there and watched her finish her supper. The idea of saving my own life never crossed my mind in those very long moments for even once.
When she was done, she raised her head and looked at me with those very sad eyes. But her mouth was different. Yes, it was filled with blood all over. But, it was also stretched wide with pointy teeth sticking out of them.
I was sure I was next but instead of jumping on my throat, she gave me a small nod. Before I could figure out how to respond, she galloped on the wall right beside her and climbed up furiously, dissolving in the night. I didn’t try to follow her on my phone’s flashlight.
It took me a few more moments before I stepped back and began running out of the alley and to the station.
One thing was sure, I would never be talking to any beggar ever again.
