Sleeping Dogs

 As a rule, motorists turn a blind eye on pedestrians when the sun drills holes in skulls or rain blisters skins. But it was a balmy evening, nothing was amiss until a car came soundlessly to a standstill and a woman’s voice said, “Can I give you a lift?”  

And of all the weirdest things before any response could be made, to be yanked inside a car without the slightest warning. The doors were locked, the windows were up and except for the driver the only other occupant was a silent young woman. Tina craned her neck to sneak a look but the tinted windows gave no clue to the direction in which they were headed.

The ride ended in a narrow, lonely lane with houses choking the hum of traffic and the business of daily life. Tina was swiftly escorted in to a room where a middle aged man was seated on an armchair. He pointed towards a chair placed across from him and said, “Sit down.”

 There had been no underlying reason behind this strange chain of events. Tina sweated profusely, her throat was parched as she tried to speak but only a hoarse cackle escaped from her cracked lips. She breathed deeply, her tongue grazing the roof of her mouth, “I need a drink of water.”

The man spoke firmly but quietly,” Answer me correctly and I shall listen to your requests. Do you know Kalo?”

Tina shook her head to show ignorance.

“If you can speak all of you have to do is say yes or no.”

“No. I don’t know anybody by that name.”

As the minutes crawled the man’s voice sounded softer and more menacing while Tina’s voice was hardly audible. The question didn’t change nor cease.

She blurted out, “You are mistaken if you think you can demand ransom by threatening me. I have an ordinary job that keeps me at survival level.”

“Have I asked for your bank balance or money? All I need is a simple answer to a simple question.”

 A hard lump was constricting her throat and she was lost for words that would release her from this mindless grilling.

“If you are not convinced of my innocence you can kill me. My parents are dead and I have no family to mourn my loss or file a complaint with the police. Do what you please but give me a drink of water.”

“I have no desire to kill you or demand ransom. You know what I want.”

The man’s gaze remained unwavering while Tina’s limbs were becoming numb and she feared that she would just tumble on to the floor. She looked at him beseechingly and whispered, “Water.”

The questions changed a bit.

“Where were you going?”

“I was going shopping for tonight’s dinner?”

“Were you expecting Kalo?”

“I wasn’t expecting anybody.”

The man asked her several questions but always came back to the original one. He hadn’t been physically or verbally abusive but by now Tina was trembling as it was proving to be an increasingly absurd but scary session. At the same time she was trying hard to remember if there was a remote possibility of knowing somebody named Kalo.

Tina hadn’t realized that she was slumping, becoming unaware of her surroundings and that the man had actually left the room. Her legs were useless though she tried to stand up and noticed that unknowingly she had wet herself. There was nobody in the room and she should find a way to escape. But her body refused to budge and she crumpled and lay on the ground.

In the room next doors there was confusion and angry accusations as to who had given the orders for Tina to be picked up. They would now have to find out whether their informer had played a dirty trick or if there was a genuine error. Tina had been shaken out of her senses but she had consistently answered in the negative. It would be wiser not to inflict any injuries but just drop her closer home and not risk any follow up by the law or the rival gang.

Tina had no memory of being dropped at a bus shelter close to her home. It took her a few minutes to return to the present and she shuddered at what might be awaiting at home. The cobwebs in her mind needed to be swept out without wasting time.

It was unlikely that after so many years Tina would meet up with Ranu and they would be able to revive their childhood friendship. The day they met was also marked by their discovery of three abandoned puppies under a staircase. Ranu had kept on staring at the pups and then said, “They will die if somebody doesn’t look after them.”

Tina couldn’t remember how the animals came to be housed with her though in the initial stages it was Ranu who was the foster mother. Ranu had provided a half broken wooden box, layered it with rags and left it on the verandah. The young dogs had taken to it and would guard their home if anybody ventured near it. Ranu wasn’t a frequent visitor but some days she would take it upon herself to groom the dogs and clean out their box. As the puppies grew they assumed the mantle of caretakers and would bark and attack anybody who tried to cross the veranda.

Occasionally Tina wondered why it was Ranu who always came over and it was never the other way around There was no fixed schedule to their meetings and it was always Ranu who decided when and where they would meet.  Rani didn’t speak much about her personal life and had casually mentioned, “My marriage didn’t work so a divorce was the best solution. I run my own business and that requires quite a bit of travel.”

Tina was shy and didn’t make friends easily so Ranu’s presence made a difference. If Ranu was away for long she would bring expensive gifts that Tina couldn’t afford on her own. Tina’s awkwardness at being unable to reciprocate would be swept away by Ranu’s charming smile,” You don’t ask for anything and I feel relaxed in your company.”

 Tina’s anxiety heightened while she hurried homewards. The puzzle was close to being completed, the pieces had almost all fallen in place. As she neared home she saw Rani sitting on the steps with Karlo at her feet.

Rani was bewildered as she took in Tina’s disheveled panic stricken look, “What is wrong? Did you meet with an accident?”

Tina was trembling and breathed deeply to calm herself, “Karlo come here.”

As Karlo came and stood next to her she looked Ranu in the eye, “Did you imagine that the story would come to an end so soon?  It was a stroke of luck meeting up with me as well as finding the puppies. My ordinary, mundane life and the pets provided an almost perfect cover. Their kennel, with a hollow space at the bottom, became a good hideaway until somebody caught on. Somebody spilled the beans that the kennel contained hidden stuff but mispronounced Karlo’s name. So Karlo became Kalo and was transformed from being a dog to a man on the run. Fortunately the error saved Karlo’s life.

Of course I wasn’t aware that you had been using me as a decoy but the picture became clearer as soon as I could join the dots. My first thoughts were for Karlo’s safety. At this moment I am relieved that we are all safe and that includes you.

 Unlike you I am timid and diffident and trust people easily.  Did you stop to consider the value of losing a friend or was your personal gain of greater importance? Sadly you belittled our friendship. Just so that you can go in peace let me assure you that no names were dropped. Take the wooden box away for everybody’s safety as I don’t know what it contains and don’t come back again.”