Eeshani nodded her head hastily with fright. The grin of Vikrant increased.

Why not have me kill your fear? he said coldly.

At that, Eeshani opened his eyes in horror. Pray, sir, I am beseeching, I am begging you! Please save me! I'm really scared!"

Why should I save you? Vikrant answered mercilessly. What will I get in return? You will continue repeating the same mistakes over and over again, in the same way you have done today—and now you are annoying me. You created two errors in a single day, and how many more will you do later, huh? Tell me."

Eeshani shook her head in terror. "No, sir. I will never do the same again. I'll do exactly as you say. Please, save me." She said it with tears streaming down her face.

Vikrant lifted her with a jerk. Eeshani sprang against his chest and shuddered. She frightened herself by gripping him by the shoulders. Failing to see her again Vikrant scowled. He brushed her aside and started shaking himself off.

Eeshani collapsed on the floor again with tears streaming down her eyes. When she gazed up at Vikrant again, she got that same awful sensation—as though she were dirty and worthless.

She cried a little and glanced down upon her leg. Her knee was skinned and bleeding a little. She laid her hand on the wound and closed her eyes, trying to bear the pain.

Once Vikrant looked at her and then turned her back. He took out another cigarette and lit it and sat on a chair and crossed one leg with the other. With a stream of smoke, he blew out, saying coldly,

Now, stay here another minute and I will push you off this building.

Being frightened, Eeshani tried to get up, but her knee was in pain. Nonetheless, she somehow was able to get up and limped to the lift.

Vikrant had worn a perfectly expressionless face now—but his mind had evidently been clattering away.

Eeshani arrived at her room, washed off her wound, and put ointment on it. Sometime afterwards she sneaked out of the hotel. The tears in her eyes were inexhaustible.

By the morning she was in the hospital. The money she had sent her mother to have surgery was already deposited, and she was now sitting by the bed of her mother with her hand.

When Eeshani thought of the last night, she said, Mama, please, please get well soon. I'm so scared of being alone. There is no one to look after your Eeshani. One not to inform me what is right or wrong. Another mistake I made last night—the one that you always told me not to commit. Because of it, I might get into big trouble. But when you are cured, we will not stay here any longer. I will take you out somewhere several miles away, and I will not live in fear any longer. I simply do not want to be anywhere near all this... and still, it seems that it is not what fate wants.