She faded in and out of conscious for what felt like an eternity. Every time she woke up, she remembered seeing a rustic wall that was lit orange. She couldn’t make sense of where she was or what had happened. Before she remembered anything, she would fall back to sleep and slip into a dream, most of which she would forget the second she woke up. Eventually she woke up but this time she did not slip back into a dream.

She saw the same rustic wall and ceiling, lit orange. However, on turning to her right, she saw a small girl, staring at her. She looked young, about six years old so. Her had brown skin that appeared sun baked, and her hair was shabby and unkempt. She stared back at Monica with her big brown eyes. Monica quietly observed her for a few seconds as she collected the strength to get up. The second Monica jerked to wake up, the girl hopped off the chair she was sitting on and ran out the door behind her.

“Hey wait!” Monica called out to her as she tried to get up. A sudden jolt of pain cut through her abdomen, causing her to fall back onto the bed. Her grit her teeth to tolerate the pain while gently pressing onto the wound. The pain lessened but it’s after effect persisted as Monica found herself gasping for air while the world around her began to spin.

She heard footsteps approaching her. She turned her head and looked to the door to see a shadow form on the wall adjacent to the door. The shadow grew bigger and bigger until a woman walked into the frame and entered the room. She was just a few inches short of the door and was dressed in a white and blue half saree. She quickly approached Monica and began to inspect the wound.

“Are you awake? Can you hear me?” she asked.

“Yes… yes, I can,” Monica replied, her voice was low and feeble.

“Do you remember what happened?” she asked as she began to open the bandage around the wound.

“I think so…” Monica felt everything was a dream. She found it hard to distinguish between the dream and reality.

The doctor removed the bandage and saw that a few stitches had come out. “Did you get up just now?”

“Yes…” Monica answered.

“No wonder. The stitches have come out.”

“I am sorry…” Monica replied. The pain surged back up. She felt a pricking sensation in her wound.

“Don’t worry. I will stitch it back up. Try not to make sudden movement again,” the doctor ordered. She turned around and headed to the cupboard that sat up against the back wall. She returned to Monica with a few surgical instruments.

Monica felt her wound burn before it became numb, she was finally able to breathe easy. The doctor, meanwhile, quickly removed the old stitches and sew the wound close. She completed it by dressing it properly. She wiped her hands clean on a sterile cloth as she walked back to Monica.

“How are you feeling?” she asked with a gentle smile. She, like the girl, also had brown skin that was sun baked. She, however, looked much tidier and clean. Her hair neatly combed and made into a long braid.

“I have been better,” Monica replied with a smile.

“Take rest, we will talk later,” she replied and turned around to leave.

“No, wait. Where am I and what day is today,” Monica asked.

“You are in my clinic and today is Monday.”

Monica suddenly realized she had been asleep for quite some time. She remembered that it was a weekend when she had got out of the hotel. “Oh no! I have been asleep for two whole days!” she exclaimed.

“Well one and half. It is Monday morning.”

“I need to go,” Monica said as she tried to get up.

The doctor quickly put her hand on Monica and pinned her down, “Oh no you don’t. You have a cut in your belly that you just ripped open and lost a lot of blood.” She quickly turned around and walked over to the table across from the bed. On the table stood a small wooden cabinet which creaked on opening. From inside she pulled out a packeted syringe and a small bottle, which she bought over to her.

Looking at the bottle, Monica felt something ominous. “What is that?”

“It is for the infection and pain,” she replied.

“It is a sedative, isn’t it?”

“Perceptive. All strong medicine tend to have a sedative,” she said as she broke the top of the bottle.

“No way…” Monica said as she tried to get up. She was once again pushed back onto the bed by the doctor.

“Don’t. I don’t want to stitch the wound again.”

Monica let out a dull sigh. “Give me a minute. Where is my handbag?”

“Don’t worry, your belongings are safe.”

“Need to make a call. At least tell my office about my situation.”

She thought for a second before putting down the syringe and walking out the door. Monica was left alone with her thoughts. She began to wonder how she keeps getting caught up in such situations even though she repeatedly promises herself not to poke her nose into others business. She knows well that it never ends good for her.

The doctor once again appeared through the door with her red handbag. She placed it on the table before handing her the phone. Monica took it and took a look at the day. It was Monday and ten minutes from eleven. She should have been at the warehouse two hours ago. There were no missed calls, just a lot of messages.

Just as she started looking at them, the doctor asked, “could you hurry it up?”

“Yes! Yes…” Monica replied as she quickly opened up her phone and dialled in a number. “Hello… yes, it’s Monica… listen. I have a bit of a situation… well, I am actually in a hospital. I… I am unwell… well, I had a stomach upset… I am not sure. Somewhere in commercial district… I didn’t plan it… I am just not sure yet…”

The doctor quickly lost patience. She could hear the barrage of questions coming from the other end and couldn’t stand her patient getting beaten over then head with them. She plucked the phone from Monica in response and began talking to the other person.

“Yes, this is her doctor here. Your employee run into some bastards and now has a stab wound in her stomach,” she said to the caller.

“How did this happen?” asked the other.

“We can chat at my place if you want to. Right now, I am busy treating her.”

“Wait! Where your hospital?”

“The commercial district. Next to Vijaya Complex is Varasi Compound. Ask for Doctor Malini, they will direct you to me,” she instructed and cut the call. She turned to Monica who looked at her wide eyed and wore a poker expression. “Shall we continue?” Malini asked.

“Yes ma’am,” she replied.

As Monica relaxed on the bed, Malini proceeded to give her the injection. Monica felt the prick of the needle after which the room slowly began to shift and turn.

“I have given you a mild sedative. Should help you get some sleep,” Malini said.

“That’s good to know,” Monica said, her voice was feeble. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her vision began to become foggy. A few seconds later, she fell back into deep slumber.

***

Monica couldn’t remember the last time she had such good sleep. It was unfortunate that all her good sleep time was a result of life-threatening scenarios. Traveling everyday had taken a toll on her sleep cycle, but she was getting accustomed to it. It was, however, never equal to a good night sleep. She slept for two whole days, unaware of what was happening in the outside world, nor did she really care at the moment.

When she finally was able to sit up on the bed, her body was already feeling a lot better. Sharp pain continued to radiate from her right abdomen, but she had dealt with worse. She found herself alone in the makeshift ward, the sun penetrating its way in through the holes and gaps littered all over the wall and door. She made an attempt to stand up which resulted in the muscle on her right hip contracting, sending a jolt of pain. She gritted her teeth and grunted dully to counter the pain. Eventually the muscle relaxed, allowing herself to walk with relative ease.

She stopped right before the door, placing the hand on it, and listening to the noise outside. Familiar sounds filled the space on the other side. People’s chatter, kids screaming as they ran around, and soft footsteps of people walking on sand. She grabbed the handle and gently pulled the door open, upon which she was greeted by a blast of light from the sunny outdoors. She squinted her eyes to adjust to the light, even placing her palm before her face to block the harsh sunlight. However, when her vision became clear, she noticed that the entire place outside came to a standstill as all the people had set their eyes on her.

She observed them with an expressionless face, though deep down she was as frightened as a child in a strange land. Some of them looked at her curiously, some with deep concern, while the rest had blank expressions. She walked out into the open, her barefoot sinking into the wet sand that covered the ground. As she walked past the crowd, their eyes shifted, following her. She felt as though she had committed a heinous crime and was being judged by the people around her.

“Where is the doctor?” Monica asked.

“Here,” a familiar voice called out to her.

She turned around to the doctor standing at the door of the house, right next to the ward. She had her hands folded up and wore a serious expression. “Come inside,” she said.

***

Malini’s little office was perhaps one of the cleanest places in the entire area. The office was six-foot-long wall to wall. It was made of clay and mud, much like all the building in the small community. It had the same rust painted walls as the ward. A wooden cupboard sat on the wall to the right while a patient bed lined the wall in the back, hidden by a curtain made from a cheap cotton cloth. The doctor’s table sat just before the cupboard, with one end hugging the right wall. This gave plenty of place on the left where the door stood.

“Take a seat,” Malini said as she sat down on her chair.

Monica took the one across the table from the doctor. She noticed how different Malini looked compared to the others in the community. Most, if not all, had a dark complexion while Malini herself seemed to boast a fairer complexion hidden by a dark tan. She had thin arms and legs while face appeared shrunken with dark circles under her eyes. Her thin black hair was braided but appeared to have been poorly maintained.

“How are you feeling?” Malini asked softly.

“Feeling better. There is still pain but I am not sure how much it has healed.”

“Took a look at it today morning. It has healed considerably fast. Something I have never seen in my twenty long years as a doctor,” she rested her elbows on the table and clasped her palms. Her lips were pursed while her eyes were locked onto Monica, eyeing for expression.

Monica’s face tensed up but remained expressionless. “Well, I don’t know much about that…”

“Oh really?” Malini interrupted, “because the scars tell a different story.”

Monica’s expression changed at the sound of the word, ‘scar’. Her eyes became serious, and lips flattened. “What are you trying to say?”

Malini felt unease seeing her become aggravated. “Nothing. Just an observation.” Monica seemed to have calmed down on hearing it. “Your wound is healing. But you shouldn’t do anything to aggravate the injury. I trust you can take care of that?”

“Of course… does that mean I can take your leave?”

“I honestly want you to stay longer. I normally don’t discharge patients so quickly, especially for a stab to the abdomen.”

“I wish I could stay. But I am in the city on work.”

“Ah! An outsider. You should have known better than to get involved in local squabbles.” Malini reached down beneath the table and pulled out a handbag, which she placed on the table.

“Yeah…” Monica replied with a long face, “I just don’t like bullies.”

“Nobody does,” Malini replied reassuringly. She held out Monica’s phone which Monica took immediately.

“I hope the others didn’t bother you too much,” Monica said as she browsed her phone.

“Two men came looking for you after the call. I explained to them what happened, and they seemed pretty upset. They insisted I shift you to a nearby hospital, but I was able to convince them otherwise.”

Monica took a quick glance at the call logs to see a long list of calls from Dinesh. “That is a lot of calls,” Monica whispered.

“Yes. He kept calling every few hours to make sure you were doing okay. You have some good people looking after you.”

Monica smiled reactively. “I do. I will need to call them back.” She proceeded to check her handbag before packing things in.

Malini watched her closely, almost hesitantly. She took a deep breath and said, “I do apologize for what happened here.”

Monica shot a puzzled look at her, “why are you apologizing?”

“Because you tried to help these people, but they almost abandoned you.”

“My old friend told me, don’t expect good things from people just because you helped them. I live by those words.”

“Wow!” Malini exclaimed as she smiled unwittingly, “wise words.”

“Who was it that stabbed me? The thief?” Monica asked.

Malini took a moment to answer her question. She stared at Monica’s intense face, wondering what she planned to do, “his name is Siddaram. He lives nearby… Monica what are you planning to do?”

“Just the usual. Put a case against him,” Monica replied with a straight face.

“You certain about that?”

“Yes. He can’t get away after stabbing me in public.”

“Do you know why he stabbed you in the first place?”

Monica dropped her arms on to her lap before looking up, “at the moment, I was confused and enraged, seeing the same bastard run past me and attack the others. I didn’t care why he stabbed me. Reasons didn’t matter. While I was recovering, and I thought about it. He staged the entire assault, didn’t he?”

Malini nodded.

“So, he then proceeded to stab me because I foiled his plan. But even then, they proceed with the assault?” Monica asked.

“They staged the entire thing to start a fight with these people. They always wanted to. But needed a reason to act, to make it look like this hatred went both ways. So, even when you foiled their little plan, they just didn’t care about all the formalities. Must have decided to act no matter the consequences.”

“Complete idiots. Makes my case easier,” Monica remarked.

“Don’t be fooled,” Malini said, “you should have realized by now that those people are still free.”

“Saintly people of this community decided to forgive them? I am not.”

“They just don’t want trouble. And that is going to make things harder for you.”

“And why is that?”

“You can’t just go to the police and file a complaint. It won’t stick. You need witnesses.”

Monica fell silent for she knew Malini was right. The complaint would have her running around the station and court, but she didn’t want this to fall through so easily, “can’t… can’t you be the witness?”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t witness it and I am not willing to lie.”

“Someone here should be willing to help me,” Monica said.

“You can try. But keep your hopes low,” Malini warned.