Sofiya locked the locker in the bureau securely. All that she valued was kept here. She would have to keep it in the bank locker, but she wouldn't be able to go till the weekend.
She put the key in her wardrobe and locked that too. She took the key and put that in the inside zip of her handbag and closed it, as well as the top zip. She clutched it close to her side and stepped out. She locked the house, put the key safely inside her bag and walked to the bus stop.
She walked casually enough, but her hand held the bag tightly. The bus stop had several pickpockets and she did not want to lose the keys.
In the bus, she hoped she would get a place to sit. But just her luck, it was crowded. She held the bag carefully to avoid rousing any possible thief's interest, and at the same time, let anyone come close.
At work, she kept a hawk's eye on her bag. Though she knew everyone around, she trusted no one. No, that's not right. She did trust them. She would trust them with her life. But not her possessions.
She paused to think. Why? Because when she was with them, she was alert. She read signs. She watched them without really doing it. She protected herself.
But her bag, she would give it to a couple of them, may even tell one or two about why she was being careful today, but not all...
"Join us for a drink," her colleagues called her that evening.
"Sure," she went with them. She took one small and tried to stretch it. But as her colleagues downed peg after peg, she felt her own constrains falling and she indulged.
She was steady, though a bit woozy. Someone helped her in an auto. She slurred as she mentioned the address. The movement of the running auto made her want to sleep. On reaching the destination, she got out and started walking away. The man called her but she had to go to the restroom urgently and sleep. She also had to rush to make sure everything was safe. She reached her door and tried to push it open. It wouldn't open. She banged at it. Vaguely, she realised she could use a key. She felt for her handbag but could not find it. She looked around, slid and slept by the door.
She woke up in the morning with a headache. She was puzzled to see herself on the floor outside her door. She chided herself for drinking and started crying, realising her bag was lost. When she looked up after a few minutes, she was surprised to see her bag next to her. She hurried rummaged through it. There was a note, "I took Rs 50 from your purse as the auto fare. Everything else is the same."
She took her house key out and also checked to make sure the wardrobe key was there.
She cried in gratitude.
She knew she had been foolish. And extremely lucky. She could have lost more than just her valuables. She hated that she had presume on the goodness of the other, and gone to a state where she was beyond self-control or even self-preservation.
She put the key in her wardrobe and locked that too. She took the key and put that in the inside zip of her handbag and closed it, as well as the top zip. She clutched it close to her side and stepped out. She locked the house, put the key safely inside her bag and walked to the bus stop.
She walked casually enough, but her hand held the bag tightly. The bus stop had several pickpockets and she did not want to lose the keys.
In the bus, she hoped she would get a place to sit. But just her luck, it was crowded. She held the bag carefully to avoid rousing any possible thief's interest, and at the same time, let anyone come close.
At work, she kept a hawk's eye on her bag. Though she knew everyone around, she trusted no one. No, that's not right. She did trust them. She would trust them with her life. But not her possessions.
She paused to think. Why? Because when she was with them, she was alert. She read signs. She watched them without really doing it. She protected herself.
But her bag, she would give it to a couple of them, may even tell one or two about why she was being careful today, but not all...
"Join us for a drink," her colleagues called her that evening.
"Sure," she went with them. She took one small and tried to stretch it. But as her colleagues downed peg after peg, she felt her own constrains falling and she indulged.
She was steady, though a bit woozy. Someone helped her in an auto. She slurred as she mentioned the address. The movement of the running auto made her want to sleep. On reaching the destination, she got out and started walking away. The man called her but she had to go to the restroom urgently and sleep. She also had to rush to make sure everything was safe. She reached her door and tried to push it open. It wouldn't open. She banged at it. Vaguely, she realised she could use a key. She felt for her handbag but could not find it. She looked around, slid and slept by the door.
She woke up in the morning with a headache. She was puzzled to see herself on the floor outside her door. She chided herself for drinking and started crying, realising her bag was lost. When she looked up after a few minutes, she was surprised to see her bag next to her. She hurried rummaged through it. There was a note, "I took Rs 50 from your purse as the auto fare. Everything else is the same."
She took her house key out and also checked to make sure the wardrobe key was there.
She cried in gratitude.
She knew she had been foolish. And extremely lucky. She could have lost more than just her valuables. She hated that she had presume on the goodness of the other, and gone to a state where she was beyond self-control or even self-preservation.
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