The city felt new and unfamiliar as I walked toward the bus stand, clutching my small handbag tightly. The morning air was filled with noise and movement buses honking, vendors shouting, and people rushing to start their day. I got into the bus that Geetha madam had told me about last night. It was crowded, and I had to stand, holding the metal bar for support.
Children giggled and chatted among themselves, their huge school bags swinging behind them. Women sat in small groups, their faces relaxed, perhaps enjoying a few moments of peace before the day’s chaos began again.
Forty-five minutes later, I reached my stop and stepped down carefully. After asking a few passersby for directions, I began walking toward the ladies’ hostel. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived, my feet aching slightly but my heart filled with relief.
The office room smelled faintly of paper and disinfectant. Behind the wooden desk sat an elderly woman wearing a neatly pinned saree. I smiled politely and greeted her.
“Hello, madam. My name is Meera. Advocate Geetha spoke to you about my stay here,” I said softly.
Her face brightened immediately. “Oh yes, Please, sit down, Meera. I was expecting you. I thought Geetha would be coming along with you,” she said kindly.
I explained that Geetha madam had been caught up with work. She nodded understandingly and began to explain the hostel’s formalities, rules, and payment details. I handed over my documents and a copy of my ID proofs.
“We don’t offer single rooms here, Meera,” she said gently. “It’s either twin-sharing or three-sharing. Right now, we have a twin-sharing room available. You can move in any day once you make the payment to reserve it.”
“That’s perfectly fine, madam,” I replied with a smile. I completed the payment, thanked her sincerely, and stepped out of the office. A faint sense of comfort settled in my heart, this place would soon be my new home.
Feeling a little lighter, I decided to explore and do some shopping. I caught another bus and reached the local bazaar. It wasn’t a fancy mall, I had never been to one anyway but it was bustling with life. The air smelled of roasted groundnuts and new fabric, the chatter of people blending with the rhythmic honking of nearby autos.
These shops were nothing like the ones I had visited when I stayed with Grandma, yet there was something heartwarming about them. People moved from one stall to another, their eyes filled with small joys as they searched for something beautiful within their modest budgets.
I smiled watching a salesman tirelessly attend to a crowd of customers, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve but never losing his cheerful smile. He picked a blue frock for a little girl who clapped her hands in delight, and my heart melted at the sight.
Chuckling softly, I stopped at a stall selling salwars. A group of girls were admiring the designs, their excitement contagious. Some women frowned impatiently, asking for different colors of the same pattern. I squeezed through gently, my fingers brushing against the soft fabric. It felt smooth and comforting between my fingertips.
Not wanting to disturb anyone, I quickly selected two salwar sets, paid the vendor, and moved on to another stall where bright, neatly folded sarees waited to be explored.
The prices actually surprised me since I had never gone saree shopping before. Each saree cost around 150, so I bought three of them and moved on to pick up some innerwear and sanitary pads. I reached a nearby bus stop and sat down to rest for a while. Peeking into the polythene bags, I smiled at the clothes I had bought, the first few things I had ever purchased for myself.
I opened my small pouch and counted the remaining money. I had already spent 1,300, but I needed clothes if I was going to start working, so I didn’t feel bad about it. My next goal was to find a job, though, honestly, I was starving.
After resting for a bit, I started walking again. I couldn’t afford food at any restaurant, so I stopped at a roadside stall. The man served curd rice for 25 rupees, and I was more than thankful to have found that place.
I walked through several shops looking for a vacancy board, but there were none. I even stepped into a few stores to ask if they needed a sales girl, but luck wasn’t on my side. My legs began to ache from all the walking, and as the sun started dipping below the horizon, I decided to head back to Geetha madam’s home.
I took a bus, and by the time I reached, Geetha madam had already returned from court. She was sitting at her desk, typing on her laptop.
She looked up, her eyes falling on the polythene bags in my hand, and gave me a warm smile. I knew she wouldn’t judge me for shopping at a roadside market. Smiling back, I placed the bags in the corner.
“Madam, I visited the hostel and paid for my stay. It’s a twin-sharing room, and they said I can move in anytime. Thank you so much, madam. I really had no idea what I would do when I decided to leave that hell, but you showed me that it’s possible to survive in this world.” I spoke sincerely.
“Meera, I didn’t do anything. You don’t have to thank me. I’m just happy you’re starting to find yourself.” she said with a soft smile, continuing her work.
“I feel like having tea. Would you like some, madam?” I asked, knowing she would refuse if I made it only for her.
“Sure, Meera. Actually, I was about to make some myself. Wait a minute you’ve just come back. Go freshen up, I’ll prepare tea for both of us,” she said, heading toward the kitchen before I could protest.
I quickly washed up and tied my hair into a bun. When I came back, Geetha madam handed me a glass of tea, and I sat opposite her.
“The papers will be ready by tomorrow, Meera. I’ll talk to Rakesh, and we’ll fix a convenient date to meet the magistrate.” she said, sipping her tea.
I hummed with a smile, thinking I should probably move to the hostel if the proceedings were going to take more than a week. Placing my glass on the teapoy, I looked at Geetha madam, who was reading through some papers.
“Madam, I think I’ll move to the hostel tomorrow. You’ve given me shelter when I had nowhere to go, but I don’t want to overstay and disrupt your routine. I know you’ll be leaving for your native place soon to meet your family, and I don’t want to interfere with your plans,” I said softly.
She looked up and smiled. “You’re not ruining my plans, Meera. But if you feel moving into the hostel would be good for you, then go ahead. You don’t need anyone’s permission to decide your life. You’re on your own now.”
Her words warmed my heart, and I thanked her sincerely.
That night, I cooked dinner, and we watched a movie together before calling it a day.
The next morning, I packed my things. Geetha madam insisted on dropping me at the hostel herself, and I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. When we reached, the warden greeted her warmly, it was clear they were well-acquainted.
After Geetha madam left, the warden guided me to the second floor. “You’ll be sharing this room with a girl named Aarthi. She works in an IT firm. You’ll meet her when she returns tonight. Get settled in, and call me if you need any help,” she said, handing me the key.
I opened the door. The room was modest — two beds placed opposite each other, two small cupboards, and an attached bathroom. Aarthi’s side was neat and tidy, with a few clothes hanging on a rope stretched across the wall.
I placed my bags on the empty bed and sat down beside them, taking a quiet moment to let it sink in — this was going to be my home from now on.
Afterward, I arranged my clothes neatly in the cupboard and sat back against the wall. I called Radhika Didi to tell her I had moved into the hostel. She said Rakesh’s house was unusually quiet or sometimes filled with the usual yelling between mother and son about money. I didn’t care anymore. I just thanked her for everything she’d done for me.
Later, I decided to lie down and rest for the day. From tomorrow, I’d start looking for a job and I knew it wouldn’t be easy.
I woke up to a knock on the door and opened it to find the warden smiling warmly at me.
“Meera, you can go down to the dining hall on the ground floor for lunch. It’ll be the same food that was cooked for the staff to pack for everyone. Or, if you prefer, you can order something else,” she said.
“No madam, it’s alright. I’ll have the food in the dining hall,” I replied politely.
I couldn’t afford to spend more money on special meals, so I locked the room and went downstairs. The hall was almost empty, I was the only one there. The staff smiled and served me curd rice with potato fry. It could’ve tasted better, but I wasn’t one to complain. I finished my meal quietly and thanked them.
Before leaving, I borrowed a weekly Tamil magazine from one of the staff and returned to my room. By evening, I began hearing noises, laughter, footsteps, and chatter. The women were returning from work. I was eager and a little anxious to meet Aarthi, hoping she’d be kind and easy to get along with.
A knock came at the door, and I rushed to open it. A young woman stood there, dressed in a simple cotton salwar. I stepped aside, giving her space to enter, and smiled.
“Hi, I’m Meera, your new roommate,” I introduced myself.
“Hi Meera, the warden already told me about you. Welcome to the den,” she said cheerfully before picking up her clothes and heading to the washroom.
I suddenly felt nervous but reminded myself, “I can do this “
A little later, she came out wearing track pants and a T-shirt, her hair tied up casually. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she looked at me curiously.
“So, Meera, where are you from? And where do you work?” she asked.
I froze for a second, unsure how much to tell her. What if she judged me? What if she felt disgusted and asked for a room change? I didn’t want to reveal everything, but I decided to be honest.
“I’ve applied for a divorce and cut all ties with my family,” I said quietly. “I’m looking for a job starting tomorrow. I was staying with my advocate until she referred me here.”
Aarthi smiled kindly. “Don’t feel bad, Meera. It’s more common than you think. I wish you all the best,” she said, her tone warm and genuine.
Relieved, I smiled back. She went on to tell me about herself, her family lived in a small village, and she had moved here after getting placed in an IT firm. I couldn’t help thinking how nice it would’ve been if I’d been able to study and build a career of my own too.
When dinner time came, we went to the dining hall. The chapathi was hard, and the vegetable gravy was watery. Aarthi rolled her eyes, and I couldn’t help smiling at her reaction.
Back in our room, I changed into the nighty I had bought the other day. Aarthi played a movie on her laptop and invited me to join her, but I didn’t want to intrude on my very first day. I thanked her and decided to rest.
Lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling, my mind quietly planning the next day, I’d visit nearby supermarkets and showrooms to look for a job.
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