Alone at midnight, Gita was standing next to her car on an empty road. It was dark and scary. She couldn’t hear anything except for the sound of crickets chirping in the background.
She looked at her red SUV, parked on the side of the street. Suddenly, she remembered what her dad had said when she was learning to drive. Buying a car is one thing but you have to maintain it as well.
She looked at the car and kicked the tires in frustration before calling her dad to tell him where she was. She had never felt so helpless before. Each passing vehicle and long gazes from the drivers were adding to her fear.
The only thing she could do was look at her watch, and wait for her dad. But each passing minute seemed like an eternity. I should have taken the office cab, she kept blaming herself.
While she was lost in her thoughts, a blue car stopped in front of her. Gita was terrified. She couldn’t move. As the door opened, her anxiety went through the roof. She started looking for something in her bag. Something, anything that could keep her safe.
But before she could react, she heard a familiar voice. “There you are.” It was her friend, Richa.
Tears rolled through Gita’s eyes. “I’ve never been this afraid in my whole life,” she said.
“I know but everything is okay now. Come, let’s go,” replied Richa. “Your dad called me to pick you up since I lived nearby. He’s on his way. He’ll meet us at home,” she added.
“But what about the car?” Gita queried.
“Leave it here. We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
As Gita sat in the front seat, she heaved a long sigh of relief. “Tomorrow, I am getting the car fixed. This city… it’s home but you can’t be too careful.”
“I know,” Richa interjected as they drove away.