Her profile was entrancing, seen through the dusty bars of the train window. Head bent down, she focused on the notepad in front of her, pen balanced perfectly over the pristine page. She had tied her hair into a topknot, almost in impatience, as it had fallen over her face, breaking her fierce concentration. She called herself a writer, but fears clawed her insides. Was she good enough to ace this challenge, that was like no other?

 She had to write a short story that would bring tears, that would evoke a reaction of deep sorrow in the one person she held in great esteem – the stern critic, Saurabh Sinha, who had no qualms in drawing red lines across the pages that displeased him. A celebrated writer himself, he had no patience for fools and poor writers, many of whom populated his sacrosanct space. 

As she sat alone, a bearded man eyed her through the corner of his eye, even as he limped past her compartment. She was young, attractive and seemingly untouched. As he went by for the third time, his lascivious expression and his bloodshot eyes unsettled her. She wished that someone, anyone, would enter her compartment and sit by her. The loneliness sent a chill up her spine. She quickly dialled her mother’s number. 

“Amma, I am in the train. I should be home by evening.”

Amma’s voice held its usual tenderness.

“Waiting for you, child! I have made your favourite rajma chawal.”

“See you and Appa soon, Amma,” she responded, cutting the call.

She sensed the man going by again, dragging his feet this time, his eyes vulture-like, cruel and piercing.

Once again, she spoke into the phone, aware there was no one at the other end this time. The man’s shadow created a darkness on the floor, announcing his menacing presence. She raised her voice as she said, “Yes, Commissioner Uncle, I am in the train. I will reach Bangalore at 6.” She paused, pretending to listen to what he was saying.

“No, I was early. My co-passengers have not come yet. Who? Oh, yes, there is a bearded man with a limp in one of the other compartments.” 

She glanced up, and there he was, standing in her compartment. His stillness terrified her, and she unobtrusively pressed fast dial on her mobile even as she continued to speak.

“Commissioner Uncle, the bearded man is right her, staring at me. It is terrifying. Shall I put you on speaker mode?”

As the bearded man sidled closer to her, she switched to speaker mode. A gruff male voice came across.

“Who is troubling you? Turn your camera on him now.”

She quickly did so, her fingers trembling, and turned her phone towards the intruder, who looked at her mobile display, catching sight of the uniformed police officer. He froze in his tracks, throwing his arms up to shield his face. Shooting a look of virulent hatred on her, he turned and abruptly limped away at breakneck speed.

She slumped against the seat in relief. Tears gushed out as she desperately strove to stop shivering. Her ploy had worked. As she looked out of the iron bars of the window, she could see the culprit had got off the train, and she could see him limping away. Her heart almost stopped as he turned, his predatory eyes holding hers for one dreadful moment. He hesitated, and made a half turn towards her, as she held out her phone, the camera on him again. He twirled at once, and moved away, as her breath came once again in a sobbing sigh.

Drenched in perspiration, she cradled her phone in her palms. What a narrow escape she had had! Her bluff had worked. 

For that was exactly what it had been, an audio she had recorded from a movie, along with the photograph of a uniformed police officer. As a young girl travelling on her own, she had come across many such situations, and it was then that the idea had struck her. She had been in the college Drama Club and probably, her histrionics had saved her life.

She now knew the short story that she was going to write, one taken from the horrific experience that she had just gone through. A story that hopefully would move Saurabh Sinha and give her a chance to meet him! 

After all, a girl needed her wits to stay alive!