Flood. Rinse. Drain. Repeat: And Fifty-One Other Short Stories by Sudeepa Nair

Author:Sudeepa Nair [Nair, Sudeepa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Anthologies, Short Stories
Publisher: Vibhatsu
Published: 2023-10-22T18:30:00+00:00

Misapprehension

The flooded road evoked disgust. Torn plastic bags, discoloured bits of clothes, and other unidentifiable objects swirled around in the muddied waters.

Mira had to choose between wading through the yucky mess or waiting for an autorickshaw to take pity on her. She was wet, cold, and shivering despite the umbrella. It struggled against the wind to cover her and the bulky laptop bag she swung in front.

Mira cursed herself for not heeding her friends’ warnings. “There is a terrible forecast for today. You better log in from home.” They had cautioned.

The umbrella upturned. “Talk about throwing caution to the wind,” Mira mumbled. An autorickshaw appeared in view as she corrected the umbrella. She held the umbrella in the crook of her neck, freeing her hands to wave frantically.

The driver passed by without a second look. Mira frowned. What a heartless city! She looked back at the shining glass facade behind her. If it was not for work, she would not have come here.

The autorickshaw was barely visible through the rain, but it was now coming closer instead of receding. Mira was pleasantly surprised to see the rickshaw slice through the grey water and come to a splutter beside her. The driver looked at her through bloodshot eyes. The haggard look frightened Mira. She was now hesitant to board the rickshaw but had no choice. She muttered the destination. The driver grunted in response.

Mira crouched in the backseat, hugging her bag. Her right hand was inside the front pocket, clutching her phone, ready to whip it out at a moment’s notice. She had all the relevant numbers saved under emergency.

The driver was in a hurry despite the muddied water pushing back on the vehicle. As soon as they reached drier roads, he drove faster.

Mira gasped, partly due to the speed but mainly because the wind brought a nasty stink from the front. Was the driver drunk? She was about to ask him to slow down when he turned into an alley.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“Only five minutes, madam. Please.”

Mira could not understand. “What? This is not the way. Where are you going?”

“Five minutes, madam. Two minutes.”

Mira perspired despite the cold weather. She whipped out her phone and called the first number on her emergency list.

The driver slowed down in front of a ramshackle house. A single bulb hung outside the front door. He ran out without a word.

Mira stopped talking mid-sentence.

“Hello? Hello?” Her roommate hollered from the other end.

Mira peered into the pouring rain. The driver had run straight into the house. From inside, she heard a wailing child and a woman trying to comfort it. The driver ran back without an umbrella or cap, dripping wet. “Sorry, madam. The baby has a fever. Medical shop near your office. We ran out of medicines.”

Mira was overcome with embarrassment and shame. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She messaged her roommate.

The driver got them back on route in a few minutes. When Mira refused to accept the change after paying the fare, his bloodshot eyes glistened with gratitude.

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