(This story was written as a guest post for a blogger friend more than a year ago.Since this remained unpublished,I am posting it in my blog.)
“What do you want at this late hour? Who are you?” I asked
“Please save me, Sir. Someone was stalking me and when I reached this
lonely stretch, he increased the pace and shouted asking me to stop. When I
started running, he too came running behind,” she stopped to catch her breath.
“What happened then?”
“When I saw the gap between us reducing, I took a boulder from near the
postbox, hurled at him and ran without looking back. I am afraid he might have
been seriously hurt.
“The post box is hardly a furlong away. Stay here in the hall. Let me
check.” I said
When I went near the postbox, I saw a boulder on the middle of the road
but there was none there at the spot. I looked carefully at the boulder for any
sign of blood. There was none. I looked around and saw no one. I presumed she
missed her target, and he must have run away.
“No one is there. There is no stain of blood on the boulder. You must
have missed him. You can relax now. Have a glass of water before you tell me
more about you,” I said
She drank the water slowly before replying.”I am Nandini.I came from
Kumbakonam by bus for an interview tomorrow with a BPO. The bus got delayed en
route. Someone told me there is a decent hotel at the end of this road and it
was just walking distance. The rest you know,” she said.
From her appearance and the way she spoke, it looked she was from a
decent family. I took pity on her and did not want to send her away at that
late hour.
“I live with my mother here. But she has gone to village and is
expected tomorrow. It is already past 12 midnight. If you are okay with it, you
can sleep in the visitor’s room on the sofa and leave in the morning.”
“Thank you, Sir. That would be a great help as I am afraid to go out in
the dark at this hour”
As I had some cases to argue early morning in the court, I retired to
my bedroom.
It was around 1 am I heard a vehicle screech to a halt and there was a
loud knock on the door. When I opened, I was shocked to see someone in police
uniform. He pushed me in and entered the drawing hall.
“I am Sudhakar, Inspector of police. There was a frantic call from a
young lady complaining of attempted rape and seeking immediate help. She had
given this address. Is there any woman here? I want to look around?” he said.
Shaken and confused, I started perspiring.”I think you have come to a
wrong house. There is nothing like that here. In fact a lady had come two hours
back seeking help from a stalker and is sleeping in the front room. You can ask
her. There is no one else in the house,” I said
Just then a sobbing Nandini entered the hall in a salwar suit torn at
many places, with a disheveled hair, smudged bindi and scratches on her hand
indicating a struggle.
“No, he is lying. It is a fact I
sought his help from a stalker. Finding him a helpful man, I trusted him and
accepted his offer for shelter during night. That was a blunder as the wretch
came in a little while and started misbehaving. Luckily I escaped to the toilet
and rang for help,” she lied looking at me accusingly.
The inspector ordered both of us to come with him to the police station
for giving statements and for filing FIR.
It was then Nandini pleaded with the inspector that she had an interview
the next day morning and that she would not like to file a case but desired to
be taken out of the house.
“Are you suggesting that you wish to drop the charges and go for a
settlement?”asked the Inspector. I wondered what settlement he was talking about.
“Yes, Otherwise I will miss my interview. A police case will also
damage my reputation. He made only an unsuccessful attempt to molest me. You
may decide whatever you think is reasonable. I wish to get out of this place
with you at the earliest,” she pleaded.
“I cannot get involved in this if you are not pursuing the matter. You
settle between you two” said the inspector.
“What she tells is an utter lie. I have no idea how she got the clothes
torn and the bruises on her hand. I have not seen the woman after I went to my
room. I have important cases in court tomorrow morning and I wish she gets out
immediately. I don’t know what settlement you both are talking about. I made a
mistake in letting her in. Anyway give me a minute. Let me check what I have,” I
said
As I was lingering in my bed room after contacting police, a police
patrol car screeched to halt outside. I rushed to open the door. Two policemen
entered. The lady and the ’inspector’ were stunned at the turn of events.
“Thank you for coming so quickly after I rang up. I suspect these two
are accomplices in crime and good in concocting accusations. I am a lawyer. I
vividly remember that she came in a neat blue salwar suit.She is in torn clothes
now. Please check her bag. I think she must have changed clothes and inflicted
the scratches on herself before ringing up her accomplice to come in uniform to
fleece me. He is no inspector, but a fake, I think”
Soon the cat was out of the bag, and the fake guy and the trembling
woman were led into the waiting police car. I could see the seething anger and
malice in her eyes, as she looked at me while departing.
***
