Beyond the Beats

Chapter 40. Careless

"Bhoomi, don't forget to take an umbrella with you," Dhara Di reminded.

"Okay," I replied.

I counted the fifty rupees and hundred rupees notes that I had earned in two days. I already had some previous savings, so I calculated that if I reduced one day of work, I would still be able to buy a lot of stuff on my shopping list.

I happily opened my savings' steel box and moved my hand to put the notes in it when the shiny empty inside laughed back at me.

"Where are my savings?!" I screamed in horror.

I rotated my box in every angle, but my lost money never appeared. I ran to my sister.

"Di, did a thief enter our house last night?" I asked.

Dhara Di shook her head. I told her about my money being absent from my savings box, and she didn't say anything.

"Di, was our house looted?" I panicked.

She sighed. "Mom took your savings."

"What?! Why didn't she tell me then? And why did she need to take it? She didn't even ask me. What will I do now?"

"Calm down, Bhoomi. Mom must have taken it for something important only. She will return it soon."

"That's not the point, Di. I am asking why she didn't inform me. You know I have to buy new clothes. I don't have much time."

Dhara Di pursed her lips. "I am sorry, but I don't know everything Mom does. I just sleep all day, so I can't keep an eye on every activity."

I accepted my defeat. There was no use asking my sister because she was hardly awake due to her heavy medicine dosage. As for my mother taking my savings without telling me, I needed to have a word with her.

I picked up my bag pack and said goodbye to my sister. Before I left, she reminded me about the umbrella, and I hurriedly rummaged through the cupboard.

Luckily, I found my three year old umbrella. I dusted it off and put it inside my bag. I left my home, and as I had earlier gone to work at Urmila Aunty's house, Akshay had already left by our regular train.

I had Arushi to tutor me, so I wasn't much worried about missing the lectures, but I was curious about Akshay going to college so early because he was also a defaulter like me. Moreover, he didn't even join me and Arushi in the library yesterday.

What is he so busy with exactly?

I was walking towards my station and had just rounded a corner of the street when I noticed Akshay's younger brother, Rahul, dashing off past me.

He went ahead of me but applied brakes like a cartoon. He turned around and began jogging alongside me, his crocs making spongy sounds on the wet road.

"Why isn't Srishti coming in the autorickshaw, Didi?" Rahul asked.

"Your autorickshaw uncle refused to take her because we didn't agree with his raised fees," I replied.

Rahul shot his eyebrows up. "When did he do that?"

"Just a few days before. You don't know about it?"

Rahul bobbled his head. "Nope. He didn't mention anything about raising the fees. In fact, he daily asks about Srishti and why she is no longer coming with me in his auto."

"What?!"

Rahul shrugged his shoulders when I asked him to explain more.

"That's all I know," he said.