The silence was killing and something had to be done about it. �So, how much do you plan to borrow for the marriage.�
�I don�t know. I will have to manage with whatever her uncle gives me. He is my last hope but the problem is he is not known for his magnanimity,� said the lady withdrawing into her cave of despair.
With the lady gazing out of the window, there was nothing much Shankar could do. Moreover, he was emotionally drained and needed to rejuvenate. Maybe, some time with Catharine will help he said to himself and sat beside her. Feeling her warmth. He wanted to get out of the train and be alone, or help the lady somehow and be done with. Everytime he realised that it was not going to happen for a while, he would look at Catharine for that comforting look in her eyes. The eyes that made him forget the world were no longer succeeding.
�Is there anything you want to do for her,� Catharine asked. She knew him enough to understood that right now, she was not on his mind but the old lady. Shankar felt cramped. He wanted some fresh air to enter his lungs and take out the feeling of guilt that was building within him.
Cries of pavment vendors rent the air as the train pulled into Nellore. Now that was a welcome break, Shankar had been yearning for.
The tea-wala who has been an integral part of railway stations in India made his presence felt with cries of survival. The louder he shouted, the better chances he stood of selling his wares. After a long time Catharine was the subject of his thoughts. She had an acquired liking towards tea. So much so, she had begun to start her day with a cup of tea and sprinkle a few more cups here and there in her day�s schedule. Typically Indian, thought Shankar.
He wanted to buy her a cup, but the thought that he will have to buy one for the old lady too, dissuaded him from proceeding further. Not that he was concerned about the three ruppees that he would spend in the process but he did not want the lady to think that this was all that he could do to make her comfortable. He could visualise her chuckle as he gave her the cup of tea. Even as he was engrossed in his own thoughts, the train started moving, forcing him to get back to reality � a world without tea cups in his hand.
He knew this was not going to be easy. He had to face the old lady again and he realised that the fresh air had done him no good. Afterall, the air was Indian too, he told himself as he settled down next to Catharine. Though the corner of his eyes he could see that the lady was trying to get his attention, and in a momentary lapse of judgement he decided to turn towards her and look her straight in her eyes.
�I am getting down at the next station,� she lamented.
Shankar could not hold himself. He had decided that he wanted to help her. �Maybe, you can give me your address, I can send you some money as soon as I withdraw from my bank.�
He waited for what looked like an eternity. All the while she held the boy close to her and looked down. Without raising her eyes she said, �I am an illetrate, I don�t know my address. Moreover, it is a slum.�
