The Third Girl

Village Literature
The Third Girl > Chapter 1

Cinderella`s shoe

Faded light from the tall windows of ‘Cinderella`s Shoe Restaurant’, which we call Immy`s Place, fell flat on the dark road. The yellow piece of light looked like a dirt laden carpet.

“What shall I offer you young lady ?”

Everything was strange, but that strangeness itself was familiar to me. I have never been at Immy`s place after 5 and I have never seen Irany`s shop closed and I have never felt this lonely ever before. But still everything seemed familiar.

Ismail sat opposite me and threw a keen look.

“Anney, what would you like to have?”

A voice that carried all the goodness of humanity, at that moment felt hollow.

“Anney…..”

I lurched forward and cried aloud.

I clutched my tummy as if hit by a violent stomach ache.

“I didn’t have anything the whole day, not even a drop of water….”

Ismail gently picked me up, softly but firmly guided me towards the cubicle walled with tinted glass.

“I`ll be back”

The half door closed with a click.

“KABEER!! “

Immy`s resonant voice failed to comfort me.

 For the first time in my life I found crying was a comfortable act and  went on crying and the dry, chilly wind from the lake side kept me company. By the time cries subsided to voiceless sobs Immy came back with hot water. Gently he dipped a tissue paper and washed my face dry.

 I must have looked wild! He picked up dry leaves and pieces of yellow grass from my springy hair.

“Annie, Kabeer will bring hot Biriyani soon. Me too very hungry. Let`s have dinner together.”

I smiled. Immy ran his palm over my forehead. His hands , always were like freshly baked bread. I used to tell him, he is like a hot furnace in a harsh winter, oozing warmth and care.

Kabeer brought a large tray filled with many dishes.

“Ice creaaaaaam!!”

Kabeer hurried out to meet the demand of an impatient child.

Ismail served me. I looked at his lean, tall figure.  How did I reach here? The obvious reason should be, he is the only one I am close with outside school, but more than that he reminded me of something else. Something very precious and rare that it hasn’t even acquired a name at all.

Wolf hunger devoured everything in a jiffy and when I burped he lifted his left arm from my shoulder and poured hot water in an ornamental steel glass.

Ismail dipped my fingers in the jug filled with hot water and washed it, one by one. I closed my eyes. I could feel Immy wiping my lips with tissue.

Tears rolled down.

 “Pappa…Oh Pappa…”

******************

How long did I sit there in the cubicle ?!

I walked out, barefooted. An electrifying shiver shot through my entire being when my right toes hit a table. Wincing with pain, dragging my right leg, I reached the cash counter where Immy was seated. He was chatting  with a robust young man, who looked like Military. A lady was with him and she wore a saree  , the colour of campfire. She stared at me.

Immy came forward with a green jacket. He gently placed it over my shoulders. When he buttoned it I looked like an adjutant in a war movie who lost both his arms in combat.

“This will keep you warm.”

Excusing himself to the couple, he led me out.

 It was dark, very dark. The brutal wind slapped my face and I gasped for breath. At the other end of the road I could see a small bus and the blue sign of the school gleamed.

Ismail lifted me up into the bus.

Hands from the dark clutched mine and made me sit in a chair by a window.

 Nightmarish.

“Let`s go. GO, GO !! “

Geetha Miss .Her voice trembling  was breathing heavy behind.

From the window slowly I could feel a cool wind on my face.

Someone took my right hand and started to weep.

 Text/Design-a.Emage