Saranya Dhurbhakula

Action Crime Thriller

4.8  

Saranya Dhurbhakula

Action Crime Thriller

A girl in the late night taxi

A girl in the late night taxi

5 mins
1.2K


It was 2 a.m. and Adithi was standing on the road. Her phone rang and it was her mother. This was the ninth time she got a call from her mother. She picked up the call and said 'Mom, I will reach home safely. Please go to sleep'. 'Sleep? How can I go to sleep, When it's 2 a.m. and my daughter is all alone stranded on the streets of Delhi', her mom spoke in a shaky voice. 'I have booked a cab and it must be arriving soon', said Adithi. 'Oh god! You'd take a cab all alone this late at night. Don't you know what happened with Riya?' her mother shouted. 'Mom, why are you scaring me? Seriously I don't know I would be in this situation. It was Nikki's Sangeeth night. And that stupid Akash, he was supposed to drop me home. Now he disappeared without telling me'.Adithi said. 'Now be careful while coming home. Keep checking your GPS and make sure he does not use an unknown route. If the driver stops the car anywhere else and you feel unsafe and doubtful, then call the emergency number immediately. Got it?' mom warned about the danger. 'Mom, Please don't worry. Ok, hang on! the driver is calling. I will call you later'.Adithi ended the call.

The glare from the headlights of the cab directly fall into her eyes. The car stopped in front of her. It was a white color Swift Dzire. 'Madam, did you book the cab?' asked a man with strident voice. Adithi nodded her head and got into the cab. 'Sit madam', the driver told Adithi. He was not very tall with medium-build. He looked young and perhaps between 23 and 26 years of age. His clothes were filthy. There were a pack of cigars, a match box and two whiskey bottles on the legroom and the driver was staring at Adithi with a cunning smile. This made her more nervous.

Adithi's phone rang...'Where the hell are you Akash? You said you'd drop me home. I can't find you anywhere. I am going home now. I have booked a cab. Listen! my phone's battery is low and I will call you later. Bye.' The call ended. The driver's fingers tapping on the steering wheel and he is staring at her openly. Driver's phone rang.. 'Hello Rakesh, I am well, Yes I have it with me. Don't worry. Meet me at the same place. I will call you when I reached there. Bye.' He ended the call.

Adithi started looking out of the car's window and realized that the driver is using a different route. 'Driver, which route is this? This is not the way to Paharganj', she asked him to control her fear.

'Madam, Don't worry, the police has barricaded the other route. I do not have proper paperwork of the car. I know this route too. Don't feel uneasy', the driver said in a high voice.

Adithi's doubts get bigger and suddenly the car has stopped. The lights of the car were blinking. Driver stepped out of the car and open the bonnet to check whether there's a problem with the engine. While fixing the car, he's looking at her and smiling. She was afraid of his weird looks. Then she remember her mother's words. She decided to call the emergency number. She took out the phone from her hand bag and tried to switch on the phone. The phone was dead. She don't have an idea what to do in that situation. Suddenly she heard the driver knocking the window. She opened the window. 'Would you hand me the water bottle?' he asked.' Actually the water in the radiator has dried up', he added. Adithi gave the bottle. Her hands were trembling with fear. 'It will take a while', he said and moved towards the bonnet. He was looking at Adithi and smiling again. His actions frightened her. She's looking through the window to find someone for help. But the road was deserted and they're all alone. After ten minutes, he closed the hood and got into the car. The car started. Adithi thought that some thing worse will be going to happen for sure. He is looking at her every two minutes and smiling like a stupid.

She broke into sweat. Her heart pounded and her hands began to feel clammy. Her blue colored plazzo pants covering her shaky legs. She could hear her own heart beat. She's fidgeting with her dupatta. She's crying inside and tilted her head up slightly to prevent the tears from falling. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't pay attention to the surroundings.

After half an hour, the driver stopped the car again. 

'Your destination', he said. Adithi didn't hear his words as she was stuck in the terrific thoughts. 'Madam, we have reached your destination' ,he said again. 'Hmm?', she was confused and expressionless due to the fatigue and nervousness. 'Three thirty three rupees', he said. She darted a glance around and soon came to know that she has reached home safely. She was surprised and delighted. Fear unleashed within her and relief brought a smile to her lips. She opened her bag and paid the amount.

She stepped out of the car and turned back to look at him. 'Rate me well on the app madam', he said with a smile. This time Adithi felt it as a genuine smile. She smiled back and nodded her head in assent. Driver greeted her good night and the car moved off. 

In the story Adithi has misperception that the driver was jerky and he could do some mischief. She made the judgment based on his appearance and later she regretted it. It is easy to look at people and make quick judgments about them. Never judge a person by the way he looks or a book by the way it is covered. For inside those tattered pages, there's lot to be discovered.


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