THE CHASE – 1

by Tushar

Ít looked tempting. Especially the way that gadavala casually ripped open a pav, dabbed a spoonful of green chutney, a bit of the red-dry one and some mitha in it. The final punch was a hot deep fried dal-vada making it a killer snack. Anything would do now, even simple bread, more so when you have been going hungry for two long days. But she was ogling at it. It was steamy hot! Resisting that combo of a dal-vada-pav and a cutting chai was an impossible task for any passer by on the streets of the city. But she knew nothing came for free. She so craved to pounce on it right away, or even better, steal it and make a dash in the rain. The gadawalla would harldy get time to chase her, what with a hundred hungry souls with umbrellas and raincoats, just out of office with the thunder above them making a beeline to this “mumbai mein world famous garam vada pav wala”.

“I am hungry god. I really am. Stealing is no offence; I am hungry for your sake!! Just once … I promise, just once?” She told the dark clouds and lightning that streaked through like cursed veins from a witches wand. Back in school, the sisters had taught her to confess all to the almighty. He was the savior, the ultimate, the universe, the unseen, yet, apparently the most approachable. He was just a thought away, unlike those stupid phone numbers she tried dialing all day long yesterday, and was told by an irritating female voice that networks were jammed on account of heavy rains. “….and call yourselves best friends…?” she muttered to herself unpleasantly.

When the nuns named her Aine, which meant the one who brought brightness and Joy, hardly did they know that one day, she would doom them all, reputation and chastity included, for own selfish reasons. Or at least they thought she did!!

Hunger made her forget that she was being followed, for the past day and a half. She had been running through it all. From her school toilet, in to the nearby alley, through the dark night where the flies near the municipality dustbin hardly allowed her any sleep and now through these rains. It was such a mess! The way circumstances had advanced in the past few months, she had no idea it would lead to this! Being chased around her own town with no where to go would have been astonishing, especially when you`ve spent 16 years of your life here. But not when it`s destined to be being homless , both, when born… and on your way to give birth.

contd/….