RAIN

It was raining that night. And she was all alone.

For half a second, everything was bright. The puddles on the road gleamed and drops shone in the light as they struck a boulder and bounced backwards to hit the anthouse at the bottom of the old banyan tree below which she was standing. the anthouse was flooded, and destroyed. Much like the destruction that had set in her own life. Or atleast, was about to. But for the moment, for at least that half a second, everything was bright.

Lightning had struck, and inevitably, was followed by thunder. Far away, lightning had struck at the top of an ailing mother's hut waiting for her two daughters and electrocuted her instantly. But here, that was invisible and hence unknown. It was only the deafening thunder that was tangible here, the thunder that lasted several seconds and made her shiver, although it is hard to tell whether she was shivering because of the thunder, or because of the chill of the wet night, or because of fear. She looked around and saw noone. There was no help, and no danger either, yet. She was scared but she knew there was no turning back now. Lightning had struck, she was only waiting for the thunder now.

She had come too far by now, and the only path was forward. For a moment she wanted to give up, and run back to the security of her mother's lap and sister's embrace. She looked back in the direction of the road she had come from. If she ran back, it would take her thirteen minutes and twenty-two seconds to return to the safety of her home, with water dripping copiuosly from her clothes as well as her eyes. It seemed tempting, but she knew she couldn't do that. She'd taken a decision, and she had to stick to it now. That decision had propelled her to hunt for that small envelope from her purse on the back of which was written the number of her future employer and then make the one call that was shortly going to change her life forever. She had come too far by now.

Those were the last few moments. The last of the ants still left struggling against drowning in the same waters that had swept away its home and family now found itself giving up. Far away, a drenched asthamatic twelve-yard old had returned home to find the entire house dark, and the dead, frozen body of her ill mother, still holding the metallic railing of the window. Shock had stunned her for a moment, and immediately she was struck by a severe attack. She yelled for help, but there was nobody else, and her hysteria was subdued in the clamour of the noisy raindrops and croaking frogs outside the window. but here, all that was invisible and unknown. She glanced at her watch. she knew, those were the last few moments.

The storm had abated, or so it seemed. The turbulent winds had died down, and even the rains had become less harsh, steadier and slower. There was no trace of any ant-houses under the banyan tree. Far away, two dead bodies lay undetected in a ruined house, a ruined home. Those were the only two people she cared for, the only two people she had in this world. They were the reason she was here now. She had seen their misery, she had seen their illness, she had seen their poverty, she had seen their hunger, and then, she'd seen enough. She saw all this and decided to overlook her own emotion, self-respect, desire and individuality. She could see the headlights at the corner of the road now. Soon she'd get into that Limousine and leave- leave her sense of dignity, her love for life and living, her self-esteem and all the morals behind. She had a test to pass tonight. If she was judged good enough after today's one-night stand, she would get the golden pportunity to spend her entire youth as yet another mistress of her generous employer. If not, at least the money she'd earn tonight was enough to pay for a week of her mother and sister's medicines and food. Then she'd have to look for more one-night deals. She got into the limousine and the rain stopped. The storm had abated, leaving only destruction behind.

It had been raining that night, and she was all alone.