Purgation

Gruppp Grrrr grrrr gruu sounds of all types were coming from my stomach. To overcome this awkwardness I pushed earphones into my ears and started listening to songs,

But soon I realized other people around were also silently suffering from my stomach gurgling and rumbling, as they were looking at me with amused and perplexed looks, as to how a lady so groomed and classy can be so uncivil.

I was on a bus returning home from the office, we had a party at the office where I savored chicken biryani more than my poor tummy could accommodate.

And now my tummy turbulence was giving me goosebumps. I was sweating, Blood was gushing towards my face, it was turning red hot,my ears were burning, I was trembling and feeling cold at the same time.

Threads of sweat were traveling from my forehead through my brow and falling on my neck. The lava of my inner earthquake was traveling in the dark alleys and looking for a way out. I was trying every trick under the sun (which we used to do when we were kids, to have an uninterrupted playtime), but my brakes were failing and an imminent disaster was about to happen.

Drops of my sweat fell on the hand of my fellow passengers, she took my hand in hers, comforted me and said "Didi mere saath chalo", as her stop had come and she was alighting.

My bloody hollow ego raised its head as to how could I go with this girl probably from a nearby slum. But a loud tummy growl silenced my void ego.

Alighted I saw J W Marriott hotel on one side of the road, but then entering it would cost me nothing less than two-three thousand, again I rebuked my false ego and started following that girl.

The girl was a regular passenger on my route back to home, I would see her every day, dusky complexioned, dressed in florescent green ghagra choli and a dupatta covering her budding body, scarlet red-colored lips Jasmine flowers in hair, there was a mute suggestion in her mannerism too that she's part of the oldest profession on the earth.

A lame man on crutches would daily accompany her.

And now I was following her in the narrow lanes wearing high heals and punctured esteem, Damilano bag hanging from my shoulder, my Chanel perfume couldn't stop the stink getting into my nose. We reached her room while she was opening the lock I saw a dog relieving itself on the road, I thought, these are the perks of being a dog, doing whatever and wherever you want to.

She opened the door and I immediately flung my bag and my Swarovski encrusted spectacles on the charpoy and rushed towards the toilet.

It seemed as if I had found the door to heavens.

After fifteen-twenty minutes of being tossed between hell and heaven, I was finally pulled out of the abyss, Saved and relieved, without any punishment.I came out and started collecting my things from the charpoy.

Now back in my senses, I looked around the room, it was a tiny place, with one charpoy, a partition marking a corner as a kitchen with one stove and some dabbas for storing some groceries.

And to my surprise, the whole room was stacked up with books, under the bed on the shelves between the clothes, every possible corner was occupied by books. I was stunned,

I asked her "Do you read"? She came with two cups of tea, sat down the charpoy.It looked as if she had so much to say, She started.

"Didi I am from Bihar, my name is Niharika and I had topped matriculation in the state boards.

My father was a daily wager supporting a family of five, my mother would also help him by tailoring. Things were doing fine till my father fell ill and his illness drained us financially and physically, we could not save him despite trying hard. Now it became difficult for my mother to pull the reigns of the household.

So someone in the village suggested that I should go to Mumbai,work there and continue my studies too.

I and mother had no other better option so my mother sent me with this man".

She paused,

"I asked what happened then."

Hahaha, she laughed with a hollow echo, "Leave apart work and study, I was used and abused by everyone, the man you see accompanying me on the bus is my pimp. She sighed and paused, then said.

"My father wanted me to become a teacher someone who enlightens everyone, but here I am destined only to entertain everyone. But this love of books is the only thing which is making me feel that I am alive.

They have punctured my body but they can't puncture my spirit."

But Why don't you go back to your home, I asked ."In this trade, you either eat or you are eaten away", she replied

Then brushing asides her thoughts she moved the cup of tea towards me.

I tried sipping but couldn't, as I was feeling a lump in my throat and heart

Emotional lava was building up inside me, about to erupt this time the purgation happened through my eyes.Catharsis of my soul happened through my eyes.

I gave her a tight hug and left physically lighter but with a heavy heart.

So many shackles were broken, so many threads were tied.