The Old Woman's Favour

 

Saira and Aditya sat in silence for a long while until twilight. "Let us leave this place now." Said Saira, breaking the silence. Aditya nodded reluctantly. He moved his gaze around and said "I am not ready for another ordeal." He turned back and gazed afar. "Look there, do you see the lamp?" he said. Saira looked in the direction he was looking and said "yes, but..." "Let's see if we can get some rest tonight there," he said interrupting her. He stood up as he spoke. Saira took the cue and stood up too. As he took slow forward steps, she followed without speaking a word. 

The lamp was shining from a hut. As they reached the hut, an old woman walked out of the open door and looked at them, looking surprised. Saira and Aditya bowed to her and introduced themselves. They told her about the incidents in the day and how they found themselves lost here. "Where are you from?" she asked, scanning them from top to bottom. "From the city," said Saira. "Ah," said the old lady, as if recognizing the unfamiliar clothing that the two people in front of her wore. She walked inside the house, signaling them to come inside. She put out the woodfire, on which there was a cooking pot. Saira and Aditya stared around standing still, just a few steps inside the entrance. "Sit down," said the old woman, when she turned back to look at them. They went out, took off their footwear, walked into the house again, and sat down, leaning against a sidewall. 

The old woman served them food, which they resisted out of courtesy but eventually, all three of them sat down to eat together. She then gave them to rest during the night. The physical and mental tiredness gave them an instant and sound sleep. 

The next morning, they woke up to the sounds of cleaning by the old woman. They followed her helping her and chatting along. They roasted some corn cobs on the hot burnt wood and ate them. As the woman went into the woods, to collect some twigs, Saira and Aditya also walked out to explore. "How many hours are remaining?" Aditya asked. Saira forwarded her hand, projecting a screen on the ground. She looked up the time and said "Forty-two hours." "We can spend them here, looks safe and comfortable here." Said Aditya. "Hmm," said Saira. 

They heard laughter from a distance. They looked around and Saira exclaimed "those kids again!" on noticing a bunch of approaching kids, they took a run in the opposite direction but were soon caught up by the fast and excited bunch. Saira relented to the innocent persistence of the kids and stretched her arm to project. The kids squealed with joy, just at the sight of the blank screen that she projected. She played several episodes of cartoons and to her dismay, the kids were only getting more and more ecstatic. She stopped the display at once when Aditya signaled the coming back of the old woman. The kids howled for a while, but on seeing the old woman, they fled one by one. 

They looked at the kids leave, and slowly walked towards the hut. "It all feels strange to me. These kids, the old lady..." said Saira. "Yes, it is, nobody else lives in this hut, besides the old lady and it is so far away from the dwellings." Said Aditya. "She has been a kind host to us through the night, and now we find these kids fleeing at her sight, it's certainly strange," she said. "Should we go back to the hut or just leave the place?" she asked. "That's the question on my mind too," he said. "Come here" came the old woman's voice. Saira and Aditya looked at each other, baffled and undecided.