Hannah rushed towards her class. She was early today. Her classmates were seen crowded around and was in the mood of gossiping about something.
“Where is Syrene?” Hannah just questioned the group, with anxiety. But they all looked at her in surprise.
“We were just talking about that” Natasha tried to explain but Hannah cut in “look just say where Syrene is?”
Hannah was not interested in such loose talks.
“Hello… that’s what I was trying to explain.” Natasha got furious
“Then just spell it out.”
“Her mother is sick so she…”
“Hospital or House? Hannah again rushed in.
“Home.”
“Thank you.”
Without waiting for anyone’s opinion, Hannah marched towards Syrene’s home.
When Hannah reached Syrene’s home… no mansion, she was amazed to see the size of her huge house”.
“My God, Is she a princess?” Hannah asked herself.
When she pressed the door bell, a butler opened the door. She was about to ask for Syrene but before that itself the butler said politely.
“ Madam please come in. Syrene would like to meet you in her room.”
Hannah looked at him in wonder, then only she noticed the CCTV’s mounted on each and every inch of that building.
“Straight up, then towards the right and third door”. Butler instructed her as she started to mount the stairs.
When Hannah opened the door, she found a bedroom, big enough to fit her entire apartment in it.
“Oh Hannah, you missed the school for me”. Syrene whispered in excitement. Hannah gave a weird smile in return to her question. Hannah only knew why she actually came after Syrene. Hannah then saw Syrene’s mom.
Her sight itself made Hannah’s heart sink. A pale figure, who somehow resembled her own mother Mumtaz.
Her head was shaved. Eyebrows and eyelashes were brown. Lips were red but was broken due to over medication.
Hannah automatically moved near her mom’s bed side. Somehow like a magnet the pale figure lying on the bed attracted Hannah.
“Just now only she slept” Syrene continued her whispering “Last night. She was feeling too cold, when I checked her temperature, it was too high”.
Syrene continued to express her mother’s medical conditions. “Now only I made her drink few spoons of soup”. As the description went on they heard a voice
“Hi”
That was Siyad.
Hannah smiled because he was the real reason behind Hannah’s visit to Syrene’s home.
“Now girls. You made a pact finally….. I guess”
Siyad said that loudly.
“Ssh! Siyad. Now only mom slept”
“Okay…….. Sorry. Then I will leave”.
“No.” Hannah wanted to say that but Syrene only spelt her feelings out.
“No Siyad”.
Suddenly Syrene mom started to move and she began to show some signs of discomfort.
“Mamma” Syrene started to panic.
“It’s okay Syrene. Call the nurse. Where is she?” Siyad insisted.
“You stay here. I will get her.”
When Syrene stepped out of the room, her mother lifted her head in a disturbed manner. Hannah animatedly moved to her bed side. Within seconds, the patients started to throw out her last meal. She puked very badly.
As she vomited, Hannah cupped her own hands to collect her vomit so that her mother won’t drench in her own vomit. Then she slowly transferred it to the bed pan. Hannah then helped her to clear her face and bed sheet. Comforted her and made her lay back on her pillow.
Syrene and the nurse then came to her rescue.
“Oh, I told, not to feed her” nurse scolded Syrene.
“But she insisted” Syrene cried
Hannah felt pity towards Syrene for the first time.
“Honey… it’s okay.” Siyad who was a silent observer for all these time, now came alive.
“Syrene… Baby stop.” finally her mother had to speak.
Nurse had started the IV fluids, which rushed deeply into her patients veins and slowly made her slip away into a peaceful sleep.
Hannah now felt like stepping out her ‘day’s mission’ and return to her home. She felt stinky due to the residues of vomit and thought of creeping away from the scene.
“Hannah, are you planning to leave like this” Siyad stopped her.
“Oh my God Hannah, what happened?”
Syrene now only noticed her friend’s appearance.
Siyad then explained incidents.
“You need to change.” Syrene insisted.
Moments later Syrene and Siyad were sitting near the pool side. Hannah had gone too change her dress.
“I can’t believe her. How can she hold the vomit? Yuck! Even that thought is making me sick. ”
“It’s not a big deal for people like her.” Siyad casually mentioned.
“Oh that’s true, but even if she lives in a slum, and looks devastating from outside, she is….”
“Hey I did not mean that….”
Siyad was about to redefine his statement but unfortunately Hannah stopped in between.
Hannah has changed into Syrene’s borrowed outfit and was now wearing a denim skirt and a blue coloured T-Shirt. Which now certainly made her look like a rich brat.
“I am sorry. I was not supposed to interfere into your conversations. I have to leave now.”
Hannah planned to walk out but she then stopped for a second and turned.
“Syrene, I don’t know how much expensive this dress is, still I will pay the cash for it.”
“No Hannah, you can have it for free.”
“I know people like you won’t wear clothes once worn by buggers and at least for me I am not a beggar. So please tell me how much does this dress cost?”
“Oh! In that case, let me tell you that you won’t be able to afford it, so just ignore it and may go home.” Siyad said scornfully.
For some unknown reason Hannah felt insulted more than anything in this world. Tears got filled in her eyes. She never felt like crying in front of others. So she just rushed out at the house, hiding her feelings.
Hannah then felt like talking to her only soul mate, Annie.
“But where is she? How the hell will I talk to her? Oh God in which world does she live?”
……………………
Far away in an unknown world. Annie was busy playing with her classmates. They were weaving a big mat cut out of wild grass. It’s a game as well as a learning activity for them. Being tribe’s, they also valued their traditions along with the latest technologies innovated by the new generation. They use blue beetles for threading the mats. These bugs were made to hold the fibers of grass between their legs. Kids would sit on the either sides of mat and then would throw these little guys in a crisscross manner. It was fun and as well as educative. They also take care, not to hurt these little insects. Annie’s working partner was Sheeba. They laughed as the little insects moved in bizarre patterns.
Suddenly Annie’s eyes started to fill with tears.
“What happened Annie? Why are you crying?” Sheeba got enthusiastic.
“Crying?” Then only Annie noticed that her eyes had tears.
“Yes I am crying. But why?” she could not figure out the reason for her tears.
“May be you are allergic to something”
Sheeba commented.
“Am I?” Annie could not explain her own strange behavior.
“Hannah” Out of nowhere, Annie just called out.
“Hannah! Who is that?” Sheeba got suspicious. Annie then only noticed the heaviness she was feeling inside her heart.
…………
Hannah sat quietly near the lake side. The Herons were missing. They might have started their migration. She sobbed for nearly an hour. Then finally she got steady with her emotions.
Finally she felt like going back to her home. She took her back pack and turned to walk back towards her apartment.
“It is around 300 dollars.” There Siyad was standing near his car. Hannah did not know how to react.
“Oh crap! Get lost you moron.” she shouted.
“You only insisted in paying for the dress and finally ended in sobbing like this.”
“Oh God. How long had he been standing behind me like this?” Hannah thought, she wanted to avoid the situations. Hannah moved away ignoring his presence.
“It’s easy to misunderstand things, especially if you had only overheard a particular part of the conversation.”
He said boldly.
“Please I am not interested in such silly talks. I don’t need an explanation from people like you”. Hannah just wanted to stay away from him.
“Okay it’s your wish but I need your help”. Siyad thus placed a new situations in front of her.
“Help!”
“Yes a favour”
“Get someone of your kind, spare me”. She retorted
“Sorry my kind won’t suit in such situations, so please Hannah. After all I am the one who helped your mom.”
“Oh you want me to return your favour.”
“Yes I do.”
“Okay then spit it out.”
“You need to get into my car.”
“No way.”
“I won’t harm you.”
“Who knows?” she made up an awkward face to it.
“Before I smash your cheeks, get into the car” Siyad got angry and his tone changed.
She automatically stepped inside his car.
“What made me submit to this useless fellow?” She thought again.
“Now fasten your seat belt, we need to rush.”
Before Hannah could ask anything his car sped through the street. Suddenly an incoming call vibrated in his mobile. It was ‘Adam’, Siyad switched on the Bluetooth speakers inside his car, so that their conversation could be heard hands free.
“Have you reached?” Adam asked
“About to.”
“How long?”
“Just around the corner” Siyad replied,
“Where are you Adam ? Oh! Ok I could see you”
Adam, a tall fair handsome who is of Siyad’s age. He had a laptop held tightly to his chest. He was about to mount at the front seat of the car. Then only he noticed a beautiful girl.
“Who is she?” Adam was surprised to see Hannah.
A loving surprise indeed for him.
“She is Hannah, my friend.”
“Your friend?” Adam enquired suspiciously.
“Where is Syrene ? Does she know about her?” Adam continued as he mounted on the back seat of the car.
Hannah who was already seated with a cranky mood, now had even started to get annoyed. She just wanted to jump out of his car.
“No time for small talks Adam. Now locate the girl please.” Siyad was trying to get back to his business.
“What girl?” Hannah interfered.
“So you did not tell her.” Adam added to the situation.
“What’s going on Siyad? I need an answer.” She turned furious.
“Okay… Okay calm down.” Siyad consoled her “Look Hannah…”
“Hannah, wow! What a nice name? For a beautiful girl.”
Adam marked his presence “shut up Adam”. Both Siyad and Hannah remarked at the same time, which made Adam frown a bit.
“We are here to rescue Maria, a 6 year girl from his uncle”
“Uncle?”
“Yes Uncle. Her parents sold Maria to her own uncle, out of poverty. Her sisters knew that this would happen to Maria sooner or later”
“Oh!” Things are getting complicated Hannah thought.
“He is planning to add Maria in his prostitution Mafia.”
“What? A six year old girl?” Hannah could not believe.
“Maria’s sister Isabel is already in his flesh trade. So she only requested for her little sisters rescue.”
“But how?”
“That silver chain I…“ Then only Siyad looked at Hannah’s neck.
“Where is my Chain ?” He asked that question as if he owned Hannah.
“I lost it.”
“Lost it! You idiot.” Siyad got mad “How can I locate you, if something happens to you?” He behaved as if she is someone very special to him.
“I am sorry. It was an accident.”
“You careless……”
“Chill guys….” Adam finally had to cut in “we need to locate Maria”.
Siyad stopped his words. Still his face exposed his anger.
“Siyad I am getting a signal. It is from that building over there.” Adam continued and pointed at a building nearby.
“That’s Maria’s home.” Siyad said “Hannah this is the plan. When Maria comes at with her uncle, you must get on their way. Try to catch up his attention by asking way to a nearby shop or something. Then I will get in between and we must end up in some petty fight. Adam then it’s your chance to abduct Maria from the scene and rescue her into this car without getting noticed”.
“But what if she get alarmed at a stranger like me” Adam got tensed. “Oh Adam don’t act as if you are doing it for the first time”.
Adam smiled in a mocking way.
There! A tall, stout, dark man with beard appeared. He had a pot belly, which was projecting out of his T-shirt humbly. He was in his late 40’s and had devilish eyes. A cute little girl, wearing a pink frock also accompanied him. She had a Barbie doll inside her hands.
“Sir, could you say, where this man called Ijas live?” Hannah entered the scene.
“No, I am new to this place.” He tried to avoid Hannah.
“Sir please, it’s urgent. Please help.”
The man was in no mood to deal with Hannah. No matter how hard she tried, he kept ignoring and denying Hannah.
“What’s up girl? Whom are you searching for?” Siyad appeared from out of no where
“What’s your problem?” Hannah acted angrily.
“What’s my problem? It’s you. You careless bimbo.”
“Look I am not your girlfriend or sister to nag me like this. Go and show your authority to your sweet heart”
“Sweet heart? Who is that?”
“Do I have to explain everything?” Oh Why are you acting?”
“Acting?”
“Oh so I am your Bimbo, Who is poor and ugly too.”
“Girl! Learn to live with your inferiority complexes. I can’t help it”
“That’s true you can only blame or tease me along with your lover.”
“Whom are you calling as my lover? Syrene?”
“Who else?”
“Haven’t you heard about the term friendship?”
“Oh poor thing, now you are ditching her too in the name of friendship.”
“What the hell are you blaming me for?”
“Then why are you after me?”
“Maria… Maria” suddenly the big man started shouting. Then only Hannah and Siyad realized the real situation around them. The beard man panicked and went in search of Maria while Hannah and Siyad stood in silence avoiding each other’s eyes. They moved quietly towards the car and silence crept onto their seats. The engine started rolling.
“Guys, were you acting or was it real?”
A confused Adam who was seated at the back of the car slowly questioned the “newly fought couples”. And in silence little Maria slept unconsciously on the lap of Adam.
Suddenly Siyad’s mobile vibrated, that was Syrene. The handset was on Bluetooth so when Siyad attended her call, her words came loud to all of them.
“Honey, you got Maria?” Syrene asked passionately.
“Yes.” He replied firmly.
“Oh sweet heart, you must be tired now. When will you reach home?”
Syrene’s passion was outflowing immensely. Hannah smiled as if she was teasing Siyad for something which somehow made Siyad turn red.
“I will call back.” And the call went dead.
Hannah maintained her silence. The sky was turning dark and Siyad was driving his Sedan towards Hannah’s residence.
“Oh wait, you live in here”
Adam commented at the Slum’s view.
“No wonder why Siyad got angry for loosing that Silver chain. You poor thing”.
Those last words had only worsened the situation for Hannah and Siyad.
“Poor, poor, slum” Hannah blabbered in hatred.
Before Siyad could do anything, Syrene and Adam had done the maximum damage, they could.
