He was feeling cold. He had had no chance to change into dry ones since the time he met her on that desolate road.
He rushed into the coupe as soon as she opened the door, picked up dry clothes and rushed to the washroom toward the end of the bogie.
He returned to find that she had managed to put up a make shift drying line for the wet clothes inside the coupe. Her wet clothes already hung there. She took his wet clothes he held in his hand and put them up on the drying line.
This was all new for him. He had stayed alone the major part of his life and was not accustomed to someone else doing these simple daily chores.
The ticket checker entered with another railway staff member who presented them with complimentary meals that came along with the expensive fare of their journey.
They devoured the meal with appetite after the checker left and he carried the disposable food packages to the bin next to the bathroom in the bogie and settled down in the coupe.
She was looking out of the window – lost in some deep thought – a tear rolled down her cheek…
“I’m sorry to ask – I know it’s none of my business. However, I feel that you should talk and let out the feelings that are troubling you. That will make you feel better…” he gently tried to strike a conversation with her.
“What will you do? I don’t want to bother a good man like you with my woes.”
“I don’t know yet. However, I know – I can at least give you a patient ear. Perhaps, I might be able to suggest something that could help you…”
She looked at him with moist eyes. He could see her struggle to get her words out.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to speak about it … anyways … we do have to part our ways when we reach our destination in the morning.”
“You are a good man – you really are…” she said, now looking directly into his eyes, “maybe, you are right. Speaking my troubles out could ease off my pain.”
He sat upright – all his attention to hear her out.
“Don’t know how and where to begin. I belong to a distant town – Dehradoon. I did my schooling at CJM and graduated from Doon Business School.”
He looked at her in awe. She was educated and he was a college dropout.
“My father passed away when I was young and studying school. My uncle sponsored my education till graduation. My mother was a lady full of self-respect. She didn’t want my uncle’s favour of him sponsoring my education and providing us money to look after ourselves. So she moved over to his town and took up a job in his fields and his office to pay off for the expenses – whatever she could.”
He looked at her, his expression blank, wanting her to continue.
She smiled at him and continued, “It was during my college days that I realized how bad this world is. Knowing that I am alone and I stay at the hostel sponsored by my uncle and that I spend whatever I have cautiously – rich kids – wolves to be precise – started hounding me – always showing their readiness to spend money for anything I need – no matter what the cost – just to take advantage of me. When I politely refused, they started threatening me with dire consequences. I somehow managed to keep them away from me and stay safe till I graduated.”
“Go on…” he prodded.
“My uncle already had borne the expense of my education and hostel. Being my mother’s daughter, I didn’t want to burden him further. My mother always had insisted on self-reliance. So I started to apply for jobs even as I neared the final semester.”
“Seems like a good choice.” he said.
“Soon the fate smiled and I got a job – location was New Delhi. It was for a back office which involved a lot of data processing. I proved to my boss that I was the best. I thought he understood my problems. I used to stay in not so good and a kind of bit dangerous suburbs. I used to travel at least 2 hours – one way to reach office and similar time to return. My boss arranged my stay in a flat at a good locality nearby to our office. I was so happy because now this arrangement gave me more time so that I could pursue further studies as well saved me money. This also meant that with further studies, I would be able to get a better and a higher paying job and that way I can return the money to my uncle who had spent it on my education.”
He was lost in her big, innocent eyes that kept looking at him and his interest.
“I was wrong. My boss allowed me to the luxurious flat and the good locality so that I get accustomed to that lifestyle… one day … he told me that I no longer would be able to occupy the flat and use those facilities. He saw my dejection. I had left my suburban flat and had not anticipated this move. He asked me to vacate the flat he had offered within a month.”
She held back the tears that were ready to flow again.
“I didn’t know what to do. That day he had given me extra workload to be completed and had offered to drive me to my accommodation. When we drove back – he subtly hinted that he would be able to allow me to stay on in that flat – provided I accepted to compromise and yield to his wolfish demands – he also promised to me that he would double my salary & perks. All I needed to do was allow him to enjoy my body.”
“What the …” he choked in his anger.
“I told him that I needed time to consider this and may take a couple of months to make up my mind for the compromise because this was a tough decision. He agreed. That moment, I had decided that I will leave his job and search some other one. But, the company I worked for was a well-known service provider in the country and almost every other company person knew him. In the process I also realized that there were wolves in every damn office I visited for an interview. He using his clout made sure that I do not get any other job…”
She heaved a sigh as she continued, “Fortunately – I had a friend in the town we met. She was getting married and was settling abroad. She helped me get into her job and her position. Knowing what I was facing and knowing that my boss could mess up even in this town … she helped me forge my documents and identity and I took this false identity called Rekha Meerut and started working here. I was able to start my life – anew.”
“Wow!” he could only manage to mutter this word.
She looked at him with sad eyes as she spoke in continuation.
“It was all good and I enjoyed my job as a personal assistant. My boss here headed a consortium of various businesses. There were about 15 directors in that consortium. Looking at my work efficiency – they all wanted me to assist them as well. My boss and I agreed – and my salary grew manifold. Being their personal assistant, I used to attend their business meets, collate their data, keep the inputs they needed ready. But … alas …”
To read further – buy the book… it’s available on Amazon…
The links are as given below…
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