Chapter 4 - Who Are You?

As the old lady started crying, I was clueless about how to console her. With little courage, I asked. What happened to your husband?  And tears started rolling down her eyes like a waterfall. Cursing myself, I pretended like fainting to avoid further awkwardness. Only when I opened my eyes, I realized that I've slept for 12 hours straight under the old fan that rotates only because of the wind blowing through the window, surrounded by patients and the fragrance of medicine that I always hated.  As I looked around for someone to attend me, I saw a nurse bringing in a new patient in stretcher towards my bed. Why are you still here? Vacate the bed now or pay for an extra day if u want to stay. Clueless as usual, I got up and walked towards the nursing station to enquire about the old lady. The doctor told me that she left last night after paying my hospital and medicine bill.

I was back on the street, But all of a sudden I was feeling a bit of belongingness. I have been here before, this is the street where I spend most of my days while I was studying Literature at Presidency College.  Nothing has changed since I left Chennai. The bus still stops 10ft away from the bus stop, sound of the temple bell, smell of filter coffee, children in colourful uniform carrying bags weighing heavier than them, college students walking with a single note on their hand, lazy cow blocking the traffic, a traffic signal that doesn't work, wall posters all around and me standing in the centre of everything. With nostalgic memories, I walked towards the beach looking for the old lady to thank her.

After walking from one corner of the beach to the other corner for two times, I decided to enquire about the old lady to someone. Before that, I sat under the hut on the corner of Nocchi Kuppam(A Fisherman Community) to take some rest. As I partially closed my eyes, a loud voice exclaimed, What are you doing here? I thought you might have ran away to your home. It was the old lady with her flower basked accompanied by the crippled dog. From the restless hopping and rigorous tail shaking, I understood that the dog remembers me. I stretched my hands and signalled the dog to come closer, with hesitation and excitement he walked towards me and licked my face. The lady was standing and watching us both with raised eyebrows. Placing her flower basket on the ground and sitting on the wooden plank. Finally, she asked Who are you?