Naina wasn't sure if she was fond of Ahanay's nephew, but she needed him as an armor to protect herself against being alone with Ohas. So when Ahanay mentioned how his nephew needed babysitting for today, she flew to volunteer. She didn't like many things about the boy such as his tendency to cuddle with his iPad throughout the journey in the car and bossing all adults around in a distinct English accent, yet she vibed with him when he blasted rap songs on full volume in the car. The kid knew every word of the lyrics, especially the ones referring to male and female genitalia which he uttered with equal enthusiasm. He was a rising feminist.

Ohas grudgingly got him a new, mango ice cream that the child licked till it smeared all around its mouth, resembling a mini Hanuman. As for Naina, she was too focused on the people here. She went asking around from one person to another, old and young, on what they felt about Ahanay's construction company taking over this place and turning it into a modern India.

Many hesitated to answer, while the old man who chewed paan more than he spoke and sold Chinese snacks on the next street said quite vehemently, "These rich sahaabs always promise us with towers, but then push us into 100 square feet matchboxes. They think we're stupid and will accept whatever they give us as if we don't have rights on our own land. It's all a profit business. They buy our own people with money so they get votes which are all fake. They put on a charity mask and get their faces printed on the front page of the newspaper. If this was charity, why are they selling some flats to outside people? Why not give us everything?"

Few others such as the Bcom graduate who just started working at an MNC were of another opinion, "What's happening is for the good. We come home every day, dreaming of living in better places. Our roofs leak during monsoon, we're afraid that our houses will be carried away by the wind. Gutter water enters our houses during floods. We don't have proper water or electricity. Some people here are backward. They don't understand how to move forward in life. If we get to live in a big building, our house prices will rise. We will have legal backing."

When Naina asked him if he received any money to vote for Ahanay, the boy recalled he had an urgent errand to run and vanished like a ghost.

Naina took down notes, her bias creeping into the words that became bolder and brighter at the points mentioned by the old man and others like him. What was Ohas doing all this while? To not scare others from giving responses, he had to keep an eye on the brat. But by the time Naina turned around, the brat was nowhere to be seen. Just Ohas cradling a cigarette between his fingers and staring into the distance, the smoke leading him to a faraway neverland.

"Oh, the Don of the street!" Naina called out, her eyes frantically searching for the kid, despite her mocking voice. "Where's he?"

Ohas shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"I didn't expect anything better from you," Naina muttered, moving towards wherever her nervous feet were taking. It was as if nervousness was a ghost possessing her body, turning her into someone else. Nervousness was bouncing within her all this while, up and down her body, the moment she stepped into this neighborhood. She was afraid that someone would recognize her as the murderer Naina, she was afraid to face her father, and she was afraid to find households destroyed at Ahanay's command. Her past met her future here, draining the horizon of all its colors, preparing for a thunderous storm. And she was afraid that she would be swept by it, left all alone in the end, by herself.

And now this.

Before she could stop herself, her nervousness carried her towards the ditch where her friend had died, robbing both, her and Ohas' lives.

"He's not here, Naina," Ohas said, his voice plain. "Don't worry, I didn't push him into it. I have better ones to kill."

"How can you---" Naina whirled around, her demonic eyes large and tearful. "How dare you joke about something like this!"

"Was it a joke?"

"You tell me. You had one job to take care of a literal child and you couldn't do even that? You call yourself a human?"

"I never did," Ohas said through gritted teeth, getting irritated at the care she showed towards the bastard. "I never agreed to take care of him."

"I can't with you. I think I can never hate you enough, but you prove me wrong. Whatever happened to the Ohas I once knew, who-who---" Naina didn't understand why she was getting emotional. She wanted to tell him of all the moments when he had protected her, stood by her side, and been a friend to her. When she stopped being afraid of the storm sweeping her away. But the man who stood in front of her right now, this was not her best friend. Above everything else, she was afraid of him. "Forget it."

"Naina and Ohas, kissing under the tree---" A kid's voice tore through the silence smothered with emotions as Naina sighed, in relief and exasperation.

"Here you are! Where did you run away?"

"I made some new friends here, thanks to this bastard!" The kid pointed at Ohas, smiling proudly. "I was bored and this bastard introduced me to Sheila, Ammukutty, Montu and we were playing this cool video game, but in real life at Chinku's house. We---"

The kid's voice drowned among the noises of cars honking on the streets, vessels clanking in the kitchens, and children screaming at a distance as Naina looked at Ohas, everything around them stilling, only them living. He knew all along. He had been kind, in his own little way and she had misunderstood him. While she had been afraid of being swept by the storm, he was already trapped in one. She saw it then, in his eyes, the helplessness of being trapped in this life. For the first time in her life, she realized, who was there to protect him?

"Naina?" It was strange to hear that voice calling her name, no, it was not Ohas. It was someone whom she had tried to forget, yet how could she, when his blood ran in her arms? Her dear father.

"Uh-uh . . ." Naina stuttered, nervousness pulling those string of words down and tying them into a thick knot in her throat.

"I'm here," she heard the sudden, familiar voice of her best friend as Ohas held her hand, meeting her father's eyes coldly. Neither of them liked each other. The father considered him to be scum, Ohas never even considered him. To him, he never existed.

"Come with me," her father commanded, marching ahead and seizing her wrist. But Naina stayed, holding Ohas' hand. "Don't be a whore. Behave like a married woman."

"I'm my husband's property now, am I not?" Naina said sarcastically, her nervousness getting squeezed by Ohas' big and firm hand. "Whatever I do, only he can object. You lost your rights over me the day you got me married---"

A hand flew up in the air and Naina turned her face, expecting a hard strike from her father, but nothing came.

"Fuck off now or I'll blow your head," Ohas growled, blocking the hand and shoving a gun against the father's temple. Suddenly, a girlish, high-pitched scream tore through the air, and for a second, Naina thought it was her father's scream. But before she could get amused, she realized that Ahanay's nephew was still present. And the kid, with all his pomp and bravado, fainted on the ground.

* * *

"We forgot that he's just a kid," Naina said, lovingly and guiltily caressing the hair of the child sleeping on her lap. It was late evening now and Ohas and her were sharing a plate of naan, butter chicken, and pakoda at an open Dhaba, sitting on a bamboo cot and watching the sun wash its colors and stain the blue sky with hues of mellow orange. "I wish he was awake to eat some of this."

"He had food at Chinku's house," Ohas said, his eyes focused on breaking a large piece of naan and dipping it into the curry. Naina liked how heartily he ate, everything else about him was closed off and reserved (to the point that some might call him shy) except when he ate. It was rare for them to share a proper meal like this, she couldn't recall when was the last time this had happened.

"God, I love these pakodas!" Naina said, popping her last one in her mouth which was already full. Without a word, Ohas pushed his bowl of pakodas toward her, continuing to eat in silence. "Why, thanks! You know, you can be sweet sometimes?"

"Who was that man the other day? The night of the party?"

"You mean, the man I successfully fought off? With my impeccable, fighting skills?" She joked but received no response at that. "Well, he was just a petty thief who took me for a rich heiress. That's what Ahanay told me."

"That cannot be it."

"How mean of you! You think that I can't be mistaken for a rich heiress? Even at night when the thief couldn't see me clearly?"

"Who was that woman who sent you outside?"

"Oh, that bitch," Naina cursed under her breath, the pakodas didn't seem tasty anymore. "She's the classic homewrecker."

"Where does she live?"

"Why, are you interested in her?" Naina felt a pinch. Just a pinch like a little pinch of salt. What was wrong with her?

Ohas looked at her, his cat eyes dead serious. "I think she's interested in you."

Before Naina could laugh it off as a lesbian joke, the dead seriousness of his statement settled in her mind, and as much as she wanted to shake it off, she couldn't.

Perhaps, he was right.

(Tap on the little star if you're liking this story :))