What's her Mistake ? - 48

“Go fast!” Dammu was urging her car driver. She was not sitting relaxed on her seat. She was leaning forward.

She looked at me and said, “Young man! Hope you have the full address of the place”

I said “Yes”. The place was outside the city limits on the other side. 

We must have reached there in record time!

The moment car stopped it was a race between me and Dammu to reach the destination first. We were so much eager to meet our favorite person.

There was a big Neon Sign on the outside of the building. Dayaalaya. A temple of compassion!

The building was built on a vast site. There was a big quadrangle on which there was lawn. People of various ages were there. Some were sitting. Some others were walking.

There.... sitting alone... eagerly looking at the gate, awaiting our arrival .... was Nammu Aunty!

The heavy bodied Dammu overtook me and reached Nammu Aunty!

I remembered Dammu’s words which she had uttered when I asked her why did she want Nammu Aunty to be a part of her life.

Nammu Aunty could hardly speak. It was a whisper.

“What did happen Nammu? How did you end up here?” Dammu asked with tears coming out of her eyes continuously.

At that point we were aware of a lady who was standing behind Nammu Aunty.

I am combining the narrative of that lady who happened to be the warden of the institution, a cleaning woman who found Nammu Aunty.

It was somewhere at about 9 pm when the cleaning woman of Dayaalaya found a heap of clothes in front of the gate. Generally she would not go out at that time of the night. She had to meet her daughter outside the city. As she was an inmate she was returning to the institution. Lucky Nammu Aunty! That’s how she was found and survived!

“Ours institution is the last resort for cancer patients. When people come to know that the patient cannot be cured of cancer and when they are not required by their family, but need a place to stay till their death, this is the place. Many rich people have contributed for the building construction and maintenance. Your sister must have been brought here by one of your relatives. Does she have children?” the warden asked.

We did not reply by looking at a signal by Nammu Aunty who pleaded not to tell.

“She had no money on her. She had lost consciousness. We brought her in and kept her under strict medication. The moment she woke up she whispered your number and we dialed it and you are here” she said.

We thanked her profusely and left from there. Nammu Aunty was feeling happy and relieved.

We reached the car which was outside the compound. Nammu Aunty and Dammu got into the car. I was about the get into the car when someone called me.

I could not see who it was due to little darkness in that area. I excused myself and went near the place from where I heard the voice.

It was a youth who had a small store with biscuits, chocolates etc.

He said that he had left the store to relieve himself near the compound of Dayaalaya.

He heard some noise near the gate. Since he was in darkness no one saw him. He had seen the thin lady who just now entered the car was dragged out of the car and dumped in front of the gate. The car vanished almost immediately. He thought it was a dead body and got too scared to report.

Today when he saw Nammu Aunty alive and kicking he felt like telling me. I thanked him and sped to the car. But did not feel like telling this to Dammu . I am sure Nammu Aunty knew who dumped her in front of Dayaalaya.

But my blood boiled!