Stair House
Again that night, Sheel kept thinking about her.
How does she manage with so little food? She has probably got used to eating very little. Maybe his Dad could help her return to her husband’s house? He could go with her.
It was very late by the time he slept and late morning when he got up.
As he sat at his table eating breakfast, he looked at a basket of buns.
I’ll take some buns now. And also one of Ganesh uncle’s photographs. Tell her she is better than him.
“Mom… do we have Ganesh uncle’s photograph somewhere?
His mother didn’t answer; she was in the bathroom.
Sheel could hear unfamiliar voices in the hallway. He slowly unlatched the door and peeped outside. There were a couple of bulky men standing on the landing near his stair house. They were gesticulating animatedly and went out of sight. There was another voice coming from the floor below his; Sheel couldn’t see the man but figured that he was directing the two men.
“She will try to.”
“No, don’t worry about it.”
“Her hands… now… alright… to the left.”
The men were carrying the woman down. She was squirming, her face in a grimace, her unsupported head bobbing loosely. One of them held her by the shoulders, while the other lifted her feet. She seemed pained, but was not screaming.
Sheel could hear only snatches of their conversation.
“Stupid woman… hiding… look at this… stinks.”
“What a nuisance… teach her not run away like this from home.”
“Get her stuff… everything… doesn’t matter… bring them down.”
As they carried her away, the voice from behind the wall grew louder and a man emerged from the side. He ran up the steps and seemed to survey the place. He then looked down the hallway and towards Sheel’s door. He couldn’t see the boy. Sheel froze; the same eyes, the angelic boy from the pictures; Bittu. At once he realized why the face had been so familiar.
It was Mr. Rai.