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"Wait," said Vidya.
The attendants stopped.
Vidya approached Helen.
"You wanted to go with with your sister to a faraway place, right?" said Vidya.
Helen shook her head violently.
"No?"
Helen shook her head again.
"Are you frightened?" asked Vidya softly.
Helen nodded frantically.
"You said you are never frightened," said Vidya, stroking Helen's hair. "But now you are frightened, eh?"
Helen nodded vigorously.
"Did you understand what I told you in the car?"
Helen nodded again.
"Do you believe I killed your sister or let her die on purpose?"
Helen shook her head weakly.
"That shake of the head wasn't very convincing, now, was it?" said Vidya. "Throw her in!" she said to the attendants.
Helen shook her head exaggeratedly.
"I'm still not convinced"
Helen continued shaking her head unremittingly.
"Hmm"
Vidya paused for a few moments.
"Untie her and throw her out of this place before I change my mind," Vidya said to the attendants."Londhe, keep an eye on her, and if she is ever seen in Miraghar again, repeat what I did, but don't stop where I stopped. You even know the rituals."
******
Helen boarded the last public-transport bus for the night and got off near Zephyr Medical College and Hospital after a journey of about an hour. Zephyr was located in Worli, which was originally one of the seven islands that were joined through several land reclamation projects to form the present-day city of Mumbai. Worli had evolved from being a fishing village to the city's latest hub of luxury living following the redevelopment of mills and slums--Zephyr itself being an example of a swanky, modern construction built on the land on which once stood a group of textile mills. The medical college and hospital had an imposing campus and overlooked the postcard view of Worli Sea Face--a well-maintained, expansive promenade that had a busy road on one side and the endless Arabian sea on the other, host to the iconic Bandra-Worli Sea Link, with Mumbai's skyline for a backdrop.
The Sea Face bustled with activity, with people of all ages engaged in all sorts of activities-- individuals walking, jogging, and cycling; groups strolling; and couples getting frisky. Helen entered a public toilet, rummaged through the backpack, and changed into the only combination of Karishma's clothes that fit her: a white dhoti salwar--a loose fitting lower-body dress with layers and pleats similar to that of a dhoti--and an off-white free-size T-shirt. Outside the toilet, homeless people and beggars slept on ragged mattresses. As Helen emerged from the toilet, a heavily bearded and extremely filthy homeless man sat up and gave her an intense stare. Helen hopped and wriggled, adjusting the backpack on her shoulders and sped in the direction of Zephyr's main gate, her clothes fluttering in the strong wind blowing from the sea. The man watched her for a while, and then went back to sleep.
Helen reached close to the main gate of Zephyr, holding the left side of her head with her left hand, her face twisting with pain. She stopped for a while, putting her hands on her hips, looking downward. Then, inhaling sharply, she approached the gate. A mustached watchman with a round face was stationed at the gate, and a couple others strolled around in the campus.
"Yes?" said the mustached watchman, peering at Helen from above the rim of his glasses.
"Let me in. I work here," said Helen in a monotone.
The watchman studied Helen.
"Really? What do you work as?" he said, sniffing twice and twitching his nose. "And what are you smelling of?"
"Formalin," said Helen, frowning. "I'm one of the dead bodies in the Anatomy dissection hall. I had gone out for a walk."
"Huh?!"
"Don't I look dead to you?" said Helen, making intense eye contact with him.
The watchman stepped back, looking irritated.
Helen starting walking through the gate.
The watchman blew his whistle loudly. "Wait. Show me your card."
The rest of the watchmen around looked in their direction, and one of them started walking in their direction. Helen floundered around for a few moments.
"Look, I'm a medical intern here. I forgot to carry my card. It is in my luggage, which is currently in the Zephyr guest house," she said, continuing to walk through the gate.
"In that case, I'll have to accompany you to the guest house to ensure you are telling the truth."
"Whatever," said Helen, trudging onto the campus.
The watchman had a word with the other watchman on duty and scuttled after Helen, catching up with her.
"You shouldn't be out this late," said the guard.
"I'll hand you the ID the moment we reach the guest house," said Helen.
The watchman pressed his lips flat and continued walking alongside Helen.
The duo crossed the main hospital building and proceeded toward the guest house. Helen continued to hold the left side of her head, occasionally pressing her eyes shut for several moments at a time. The campus was reasonably quiet, with the footfalls of the duo and the sound of crickets gradually drowning out the sound of the waves of the sea and some sort of faint clatter coming from the casualty ward. The duo reached the hospital guesthouse.
Helen rang the doorbell. An attendant opened the door. Helen took her backpack off her shoulders and placed it on the veranda.
"Why on earth did you ring the doorbell?!" said the attendant, in a hushed voice.
"What now?" said Helen rolling her eyes, sighing. "Should I have broken the door open instead?"
"It's close to midnight, and the guests inside are sleeping," the attendant almost whispered, staring back incredulously.
"I didn't know there were guests inside. There weren't any in the afternoon," said Helen in a low voice.
"They arrived in the evening. They are external examiners for the exams in progress," continued the attendant, in a hushed voice. "What do you want?"
"I had left my luggage in one of the rooms-it's two large-black colored bags."
"I wasn't told anything about this by the attendant in the day shift. Come back tomorrow," said the attendant, getting ready to close the door.
"Look, I start internship tomorrow and was informed that the hostel room allotted to me was under repair until evening, so I left my luggage here," said Helen drearily.
"Oh!" said the attendant, casting a furtive glance at the watchman. "I get it now."
Helen gave the watchman a suspicious look. He looked away.
"I'll get the luggage; you wait here," said the attendant, with a sly smile, taking his hand off the door.
"Don't bother," said Helen, pulling the door wide open and going through it.
"Wait..."
Helen entered the guest house quietly.
After around a minute, she returned, slowly dragging two large black bags, doing her best to not make any noise.
"You'll have a very good internship," said the attendant with a slightly mischievous tone and a twinkle in his eyes. Helen's brows furrowed. She shot another glance at the watchman, but he did not make eye contact. Then she unlocked one of the bags, pulled out her I-card, and handed it to the watchman. The watchman took a long look, reading all the details, and looked satisfied. Helen picked her backpack up and wore it.
"Dr. Helen," said the watchman to himself with a smirk. "Okay. Do you want me to walk you to the ladies hostel?" said the watchman, making a sweeping movement with his hand, pointing in the direction of the ladies hostel.
"No, I'll go on my own," said Helen, starting to walk away, dragging the large, black bags with her.
"Have a great night," the watchman called out from behind her with an oddity in his tone.
Helen continued walking slowly and heavily, her breathing audible every once in a while. After walking for a few minutes, she could see the ladies hostel building at a distance. There was a luxury SUV parked almost in the middle of the approach road. Helen muttered something to herself. There was no one in the front seat and curtains on all directions covered the back-seat area. She had passed the car when the sound of a phone ring came from somewhere behind her. She stopped and looked back at the car, and then around it. The sound stopped abruptly in the middle of the second ring. She proceeded toward the hostel building.
A guard was seated in a chair at the entrance and was engrossed in watching something on his mobile phone. Helen walked up to him.
"You can't get in this late without permission from the warden--did you ask for her permission?" said the guard, not looking up.
"I wasn't supposed to be here tonight, but my plans changed at the last moment. I'll inform her tomorrow."
"What's your room number?" said the guard, drawing out a register from behind his back.
"404"
The guard looked up. "Oh."
"Well?"
"That room is closed," said the guard now ogling Helen.
Helen stared at him and crossed her arms. "So open it."
"I mean it is not available--it is under repair."
"Then accommodate me in a spare room."
"As far as I know, there's no spare room."
Helen took a deep breath. "So where do I sleep tonight?"
"The warden was here just moments ago--I'll call her. She should be able to help," said the guard, scrolling on his mobile phone.
Helen shook her head slightly, looking skyward.
The light inside the large luxury SUV that Helen had passed earlier came on. Helen turned to look in that direction. There was a movement in the curtains. Helen strained her eyes. The headlights came on. Helen looked away.
"Yes, what's the matter?" said a middle-aged woman, walking toward Helen from the direction of a building opposite to the ladies hostel. A pair of spectacles hung by her neck.
"Warden madam, this girl has been allocated room 404," said the guard.
The warden looked Helen up and down and murmured something. Helen strained her ears, but the warden did not repeat herself. Then the warden took the register from the guard and started shuffling through it rather perfunctorily. Helen waited patiently. The warden stole glances toward the SUV intermittently.
There was a sound of one of the doors of the car opening and then closing and then there was a similar sound moments later.
Helen started tapping her feet and fidgeting, maintaining her gaze on the warden.
The SUV started to move toward them.
"Well?" said Helen, opening her right palm and holding it out toward the warden.
"I'm checking," said the warden sternly, turning the pages of the register in random order.
As the car drew close, what sounded like a woman's giggles pierced the air. Helen again felt the left side of her head and looked in the direction of the car.
The warden continued shuffling the pages and looking over to the car every once in a while.
The sound of the ringing phone came again from the direction of the car. A man got out through the door at the driver's side and a burka-clad woman got out through one of the the back doors, talking on her mobile phone.
"We don't have a spare room in the hostel tonight," said the warden.
"And where do you propose I sleep?" said Helen.
The man waved at the burka-clad woman, and the burka-clad woman walked straight past the guard and into the building, talking animatedly on her mobile phone.
"Ram sir is right here--ask him," said the warden.
"And who is Ram sir, now? And will he be able to help, or will he pass the buck too like you two did?"
The warden looked at Helen scornfully. "Ram sir is the son of the Chairman-Dean, Avinash Mehta sir. He works as an anesthetist, but also oversees most departments."
Ram started walking toward the trio, smiling at Helen. Helen did not smile back.
"Hmm. I think he conducted my interview. I hope he can help," said Helen tiredly, her body slackening.
Ram reached the trio and handed a paper to the warden. "Put this up on the notice board."
The warden held the piece of paper in her left hand, wore her pair of spectacles using her right hand, and started reading the paper.
Helen put her hands on her hips and stared fervently at the warden for a few moments. The warden read the paper, straining her eyes and squinting.
"Are these reading glasses?" asked Helen, now breathing noisily.
The warden did not respond. Slow footsteps rang out from inside the building--probably belonging to the burka-clad woman who had entered the building a while ago. She continued talking on her mobile phone, appearing to scold someone.
"Did you even read the register a while ago?" demanded Helen, her face now reddening.
The warden made a face but continued to read the paper.
"Well?" said Helen, clutching her palms, the vein on her forehead throbbing.
"And what's happening here?" Ram asked. "Why are you so upset, miss Karmarkar?"
Helen turned to look at him, her body now shaking mildly.
A faint feminine perfume came from his body. Helen stared wildly at his chest.
Ram looked on curiously, puffing his chest out slightly, with a hint of pride crossing his face.
Helen suddenly thrust her right hand toward Ram's torso. He recoiled with a start.