The Keychain....

Misha walked back home from her coaching class after bidding adieu to her friends. Winds blew and that added some respite from the sweltering summer heat. Chances of rainfall were high due to the humidity levels. 

As she walked past 'Sameer Farsan', one of the famous shops in her locality, the aroma of fresh samosas, pakoras and other mouth watering delicacies being fried and tumbled onto a big platter aroused the temptation in her to have some of it. She walked towards the shop and bought herself a plate of samosa served along with spicy green chutney. She paid for it with the money her mother always gave her in case she felt hungry on the way back home or use it to travel back home in a rickshaw if she didn't feel well enough to walk. 

After gulping down the tasty savory, she walked along the footpath in order to evade the maddening evening rush of traffic. Just then an old woman coming from the opposite direction stopped her. The woman was dressed in an old saree which didn't seem to be washed for months. Her hair was grey and she had tatoos on her neck, hands and feet. She looked scary.

Suddenly she took out a pouch that was hidden under the blouse of her saree and opened it in front of Misha. It was jewellery. She told Misha that she had found it in one of the compartments of the local train she had travelled in. She said she had no idea if it was real silver and she requested Misha to accompany her to the police station to hand it over to them. Misha felt very uncomfortable with her behavior and thought if it was some trick of the old lady to trap her in some fraud case. Misha told the lady that she was getting late and had to reach home soon and told her to ask someone else for help. By the look on the old lady's face misha understood that she was angry on her for not helping her out and the old lady mumbled something and left. Misha thanked her stars for not getting into unnecessary trouble and started walking further on. 

As she reached a turning on the left side of the road, a kabadiwala (one who purchases old items from homes) who was noticing all this from afar stopped misha to ask her what time it was. She said it was 5.30. But she felt odd as to why was he asking her the time when he himself was wearing a watch on his hand. Just then he told her that she was lucky in escaping from the hands of that old lady who was famous in that area for trapping young kids, then luring them with her story of 'found jewellery' and later handing those kids over to the begging mafia who then disappeared to other pockets of the city or state. The old lady was caught twice by the police but they had to let go of her due to the lack of proper evidences and no eye witnesses. Misha thanked her stars twice now that she heard this version of the old lady from the kabadiwala. He started talking to her many other irrelevant things which did not concern her a bit.

He told her to be careful about such people around her vicinity. As he started coming close to her and started touching her shoulders and moving his hand around her back in a circular motion as in a way of patting her back, she felt strange and the smell of cigarettes emanating from his mouth just wanted to make her puke. She just pushed him away from her and started walking fast and away from him but he too started following her saying he would drop her home and would accompany her till her place. She got frightened and doubled up her pace of walking. She looked for a rickshaw but not one was in sight.

Her luck was bright and a police van, just like god sent, halted right at the side of the road and two police officers came out of the vehicle and pounced upon the kabadiwala, caught him by his collar and took him away in their jeep. The bystanders who stood watching all this started murmuring with each other and Misha heard one of them say to the other that someone had called up the police station and informed them about the child molester (kabadiwala) and that he had been lurking around in that particular area in search of helpless children and kids who roamed about alone so that he could catch hold of them, trap them by offering them sweets and toffees, take them to abandoned places and molest them.

He had been successful in hoodwinking the police officers for months. And how after several attempts he was caught and now finally the residents could breathe a huge sigh of relief knowing that their kids were safe. Misha couldn't believe her ears when she learnt that she was lucky and escaped from his evil intentions and that she was safe and sound and felt bad and shivered in horror thinking how the other children of her age or younger had gone missing never to return again for no fault of theirs.

She took out the bottle of water from her bag and drank it in one gulp and just prayed that she reach home as soon as possible. It was turning dark and the birds were flying back to their homes, people were walking to and fro in a hurry to catch buses and rickshaws back to their homes which looked like an everyday and neverending struggle for them that they had to face in their lives.

As she walked hastily and perspired heavily due to the heat, a crow that flew a few metres above her head suddenly dropped something from its beak and it fell right in front of her. She looked up. The crow had flown away. Maybe the item that was dropped was hard to break open or not edible enough so the crow discarded it. Misha picked it up and wiped it clean. It was a keychain. She smiled looking at it. It was a cute keychain of a Tweety bird. 

She was happy that something good had happened with her at the end of the day that brought about a smile on her face. The keychain was precious to her as it would always remind her about the other incidents along with acquiring this sweet treasure at the end of the day after encountering two evil dangers of the society. 

Just then dark clouds gathered up in the skies and the rain gods showered some mercy on mother earth and the smell of wet grounds felt heavenly. The hustle bustle and chaos of street vendors packing up their goods and rushing to a safe spot to escape from the rains, the traffic jams, honking of vehicles and in no time people were drenched due to the heavy and unexpected downpour and small puddles of water were formed in every nook and corner of the roads. Misha stood watching all this as she enjoyed rains but at the same time she needed to reach home before the rains created more havoc. 

She couldn't wait to reach home and tell her parents and best friends about all that which had happened with her enroute home and the special keychain that was dropped by a crow as a signal perhaps that God was watching over her and kept her safe all along. 

Misha rings the door bell.

 Door opens.

Amma : Misha, where were you? You are so late today. Look at the time. Were you at your friend's place? You could have atleast called. I was so worried beta. 

Misha :*Hugs amma tightly*

Amma, you won't believe what all happened with me today. I've got lots to say. You are listening na. 

Amma: okay okay. First go and clean yourself up. Just look at yourself in the mirror. You are all drenched from head to toe. Take a warm bath and by then i'll make you a hot cup of milk.

Misha : But amma, you first listen to me. I just can't wait till appa comes from office to tell him. Amma, today while coming back in the evening from classes na, I .....................