The Girl in the Gym

Street Rat

The watchman's hand around her wrist didn't let up, if anything, the irate man tightened his grip even more and swung her around to find the source of the voice. A middle-aged man, with salt and pepper hair, was standing at the door of the restaurant. It was the same man from the family Inaya had been staring at. His hand was still on the handle of the door, holding it ajar. He looked questioningly at the watchmen.

"Sahib, she is a street rat. You surely don't mean to.." he began talking angrily.

"I surely do. Release her hand at once," the man commanded.

The watchman still waited, looking up and down Carter Road where the restaurant was, hoping someone would intervene.

"I cannot, sahib, the owner will have my head if I start letting the likes of her inside the restaurant," he pleaded.

The man softened, as he approached the pair. "I understand, and I will take full responsibility. Why don't you fetch the manager or the owner? I will wait outside with her," he suggested, nodding at Inaya.

Unsure, the watchman let go, and went inside to call the manager.

Inaya looked up at the man with a frown but didn't say anything.

"Are you hungry? What's your name child?" he asked.

Hunger won over pride, and Inaya answered, "I am hungry. My name is Inaya."

The man raised an eyebrow when he heard her, her manner of speech did not belong to the child of the streets. "Are you lost? Were you separated from your parents?"

"No," she shook her head, "I'm not lost. My parents died years ago, and I've been on my own ever since."

She turned her head away and looked into the restaurant once again. She tried to think of her parents as little as possible, for whenever she did, tears threatened to drown her.

Following her gaze, he said, "That's my daughter Kalyani and my wife, Kusum. And I am Mr Kamble." Inaya nodded in acknowledgement and through the window, she saw the manager striding towards the door with the watchman tottering behind him.

Inaya forced herself to be calm, although she knew that her chance to eat a proper meal inside, was next to none. She just managed to look even more sullen, and lowered the cap she always wore, to hide her face.

"Wait here," MrKamble said, as he walked over to the other men, extending a hand in greeting. Whatever he said must have worked, because after five minutes of them talking, the manager went inside and the watchman took his place at the door once again. And Mr Kamble was beckoning her to follow him. Her head clouded with disbelief, and she recognised that this was to be one of the most pivotal moments in her life. She took a deep breath, and followed him inside, to his table. The woman and the girl were looking at her curiously, but when she glanced at them, they smiled politely. Mr Kamble went to Kusum's side and whispered something to her. Nodding, she got up and stretched out her hand for Inaya to take. Inayahesitated for a second, before placing her hand into the woman. "Come, let us get you cleaned up a little before eating."